In My Bag

I was so excited to do a little new season shopping last week. I prefer autumn clothes as I love the tones and textures. I managed to get a few basics to add to my wardrobe along with some new things for my home.

Skirt £59 COS

This navy skirt is in a thick cotton with front pleats and deep side pockets that create an interesting silhouette. I will be wearing mine now with a grey t-shirt or breton stripes and Birkenstocks and with tights, brogues and an oversized knit when the weather gets colder.

Shirt £34.95 Gap

Grey and navy and stripes! All my favourite things at once! I'll wear this shirt with some ripped up boyfriend jeans or tucked in a pair of tailored trousers, accessorized with a statement necklace.

Skirt £59.99 Mango

 I've been searching for a leather mini skirt for AGES and finally came across this ideal one in Mango. It's in buttery soft leather, short but not so short that I can't wear it with a chunky jumper during the day and it's very good value for money. I'm so happy with this purchase!

Plate £14 Holly Frean at Anthropologie

How cute are these plates? I like collecting individual crockery, I think it makes a dinner party or a solitary dinner more fun and these limited edition ones by Holly Frean from Anthropologie fit the bill. There are more designs to collect so I may have to pop back to store to add to my collection.

Tray £9.99 H&M Home

This bargain gold tray is from H&M's home department. If you haven't visited yet, you NEED to. Filled with inexpensive, but well designed trinkets for the home I always end up buying something, be it a cushion cover or a candle holder. I originally purchased this tray to display my coffee table bits and bobs, but after dressing it with pillar candles it now sits proudly on my dinner table.

Bar Cart

One of the first pieces of furniture we purchased for our new home was a bar cart. I'm not a heavy drinker but I'd seen them on various blogs and liked the idea of them. Finding one required many hours of scouring ebay. It would seem they are a common feature in American homes, but not so much in England. I finally found this grubby one for a bargain £15 that needed hours of polishing to make it presentable.

Then I turned to Pinterest to look for inspiration on how to style the bar cart.

Glasses are a must, along with a bottle opener, decanters, an ice bucket, matches, straws, a candle and even a pretty posy of flowers can be added.

I've collected vintage glassware from charity shops and car boots for years so I chose my favourite pieces for display along with a vintage Soda Stream and a brass crocodile nut cracker.

I also found this wishbone bottle opener from Anthropologie which works perfectly with the other brass items.

Then it was onto the drink. The boyfriend sourced a vintage crystal decanter for his whisky which we placed with our other favourite spirits.

And the finished bar cart!

Here are a selection of items that are bar cart must haves.

Glass £6 John Lewis

Straws £2.95 Rockett St George

Tool Bar Set £39 West Elm

Images: Pinterest, West Elm, Rockett St George, John Lewis