Graduation Day

So, last week the big day finally arrived, Graduation day! After spending weeks agonising over a dress to wear (it took no fewer than 3 lengthy and tedious shopping trips!), I finally found the perfect frock. It was way over my original budget but thanks to my Mamma & Papa giving me a bit of help, I practically skipped out of the shop after my purchase.

I was looking for something a tad more sophisticated than my usual night out attire which meant that the length had to be considerably longer.. Basically, my top priority was that it had to be knee-length, I'm supposed to be a sophisticated graduate after all! I finally settled on a digital print, Ted Baker number which looks so unusual thanks to the close-up image of sequins and diamonds. 

Dress, £159, Ted Baker

Thankfully Graduation went without a hitch. I managed to avoid all the people I didn't fancy bumping into again and, probably most importantly, I didn't trip on the stage or fall down the stairs after my name had been called, hurrah!

I suppose I should show you how I styled my dress up to cope with the freezing northern winter we're currently experiencing..

I was brave and slapped on the fake tan meaning I could go bare on the day, though I cast many an envious glance at the girls who'd decided on thick black tights to keep their pins warm! I paired my dress with a vintage belt to nip in the waist, a peachy pink blazer from Primark for a bit of extra warmth and nude heels to tie all the colours together (and make my legs look longer!)

Now, whilst my University robes made me feel like something out of Harry Potter for the day, the hat was a completely different matter.. I'm not a hat person at the best of times, I just don't think I have the face for them. So, as you can imagine, I wasn't particularly pleased at wearing a heavy, bulky hat with a tassle dangling directly in front of my eye line for the day. As soon as the the ceremony was over and photos were taken, it came straight off, needless to say!

For some reason, every parent wanted their son/daughter to have a photo with Sheffield's golden postbox (thanks, Jess Ennis!) creating a queue of twenty somethings shivering and grumbling at the need of a photo with a postbox..

Now, unfortunately for the Graduation night out with my fellow students, my bloggers mind went straight out the window in terms of my outfit. I forgot to photograph and there are no images from the evening that capture it! But thanks to the Topshop website, I can at least show you the mannequin images.. I can't link you to it as it's now sold out country wide (apparently!) but there are plenty floating about on eBay for a much higher price than the RRP of £48.

Playsuits and lace are two of my favourite things anyway but to combine this with the backless feature almost had me squealing with excitement in the changing room. It's not for the fearful though, along with the backless element it's also pretty short, so one for those confident about their pins!

Well, I hope you enjoyed a little snapshot of my Graduation Day and the outfits I managed to pull out of the bag for it! 

Ball Gowns Galore!

Hello everyone!

Well, it's official, I've submitted my last assignments and completed my last over-night sessions in the library, aside from receiving marks back, the University life is over, sob sob. I've made some great friends who are all heading back to their respective home towns whilst I settle back in at home in a little village in the middle of nowhere (think Emmerdale, with more nosy neighbours and less pretty scenery..) But let's not dwell on such sad events, I'm here to tell you all about the fabulous Graduation Ball my friends and I went to last night, and more importantly to show you what we wore!

All us girls decided to go full-length and fabulous and hit the shops to find the best maxis England currently had to offer!

I decided on a Northern designer Lucy Bennett, owner of brand Roc & Doll after seeing one of her designs on the red carpet earlier this year and was delighted to find out she was stocked in a local Sheffield boutique, Each To Their Own. I chose a beautiful full-length navy maxi which from the front looked elegant and sophisticated.. But turn around and it was backless with beautiful beige draping. I stand by the statement that it's probably one of the most beautiful pieces of clothing I've ever owned! I teamed it with a gorgeous Accessorize rose flower bando, pearl studs and my prized possession... My Tiffany pearl bracelet.

Dress, Roc & Doll

Headband, Accessorize, £7

Pearl Studs, Accessorize, £2

Pearl Bracelet, Tiffanys

Whilst the colour variation of my dress is no longer available, the current Roc & Doll collection does the same dress in a black/coral version. You can find the whole collection here: http://www.rocanddoll.co.uk/store/current-collection/

Now, it wasn't all about me last night, I have to mention my beautiful girls and dashing boys! Like I said, all of us girls opted for full-length dresses, and they all looked gorgeous, don't you think? The boys suited up and looked very dapper, a big change to the usual jeans and t-shirt combos many of them rock on a day-to-day basis!

We started the night off in a sophisticated and demure manner with a Pimms reception and 3 course meal before painting the town red in a club till the early hours! I even managed to fashion my dress into a mullet style to stop my fellow clubbers standing on it (there are no photos of this fashion fix, much to my disappointment!) But a lovely, and drunken, night was had by all and it was definitely the perfect way to finish off my life at University.

Despite heading to the ball with the friends I've made from my course, I found plenty of my other friends had gotten tables there last night too! So we found plenty of time to gossip over Pimms and pull some shapes on the dance floor.

I waved goodbye to the girl I'd consider my ''best Uni friend'' (she'll laugh at the terrible phrasing of that) today and it was definitely as sad as I'd expected it would be. I'm used to seeing her on a near everyday basis and not a day goes by where we don't text, yet now she's however many miles away back in her hometown. But she won't be getting rid of me, she's got no chance, I'm already forging plans to invade her hometown and she's already a firm favourite with my Mum so I'll be dragging her back to the Steel City in no time!

I didn't think it was possible but I think I've possibly found my bitching soul mate in this girl. We're thick as thieves and when we're together, nothing and nobody can stop us. I love you!

Hope you've enjoyed reading this post and nosying through the photos as much as I've enjoyed writing it! It's been an emotional day but last night couldn't have been any more perfect ❤