New Loves v.9

Good Morning and happy Tuesday to you! I'm finally on time for my New Loves post this week! I swear, it doesn't take me long to find a new artist to love as soon as I hop onto Etsy and start browsing. Today's New Loves artist was actually featured on the front page this morning, which is why she caught my attention. I used to have a quite a knack for fashion illustration in my late teens, and this artist made me realize how much I miss sketching. Her Etsy shop is called Robin Elizabeth Art, and it's full of uber amazing fashion illustrations and sketches. I adore her work, especially her use of pretty leggies! She has definitely inspired me to whip out the ol' sketch book tonight, and see if I still got it.  :)

Please check out Miss Robin Elizabeth, I hope you enjoy!!

Zooey, with antlers. So lovely!!

All images were sourced from Robin Elizabeth Art.

Have a lovely, inspiring day!!

xo. Traci

Note to self: always blow dry my hair, even if I can't be bothered. Never top knot it when its wet.

MAC Nicki Minaj Pink 4 Friday Lipstick

I got this picture from maccosmetics.co.uk

I can't explain to you how utterly excited I am about this product! Its the limited edition Nicki Minaj and MAC collaboration lipstick- The link being her new album "Pink Friday".

It was launched on Friday 26th November and will be available online only on Fridays until stock lasts!

I was one of the lucky ones to get hold of one of the 26th as they was sold out within hours and I have waited with huge excitement until this morning when finally appeared on my doorstep.

Now onto the fabulous stuff..

Before its release I was really hoping that this lipstick would have something special with the packaging, but unfortunately it doesn't. Its just the standard MAC Lipstick packaging. I would have thought they would have created something special for it, something similar to Gaga maybe? This is a little bit disapointing, but the colour makes up for it 100%..

This colour has been compared with quite a few of MAC's Pink lipsticks, It is very similar to Gaga but unfortunately mines all gone and I can't get hold of a new one so I couldn't compare it with that however, I will compare it with St Germaine swatches- one of my favourites and another lipstick it has been very closely compared with.

They are both absolute barbie/bubblegum pinks, and are VERY similar. Pink Friday is maybe a few shades darker? But seems to be almost a dupe colour on the lips.

Pink Friday is a Satin finish which I am extremely happy about as its my favourite.

Left Lipstick and Top Swatch- St Germaine, Amplified

Right Lipstick and Bottom Swatch- Pink Friday, Satin

These swatches show the results with and without a flash. As you can see, they are both very much in the same family but I adore both colours- whats your favourite?

There was alot of worries when this lipstick was compared so closely to other colours that we would all be disapointed on arrival of this beauty, but I most definately am not. I can whole heartedly say that I am so pleased with this lipstick, its not one to miss out on and would recommend that you place an order this coming Friday!

Its £12.50 and like most MAC lipsticks- worth every single penny.

A bonus to this little delivery was a sample Pro Eye Make Up Remover..

I'll have a little try and let you all know how it is.

xx

What I'm Wearing

Happy Pink Friday my dolls ;)

First of all in reference to my opening.. Hands up who ordered the MAC Nicki Minaj "Pink Friday" lipstick today? *Puts hands up* I was online at 12:30am and was one of the lucky ones that managed to order one. I actually can't wait, I'm loving the sound of the colour, I really hope that we are not all disapointed. eeeeeeeek!

It's been quite a while since I shared a "what I wore" with you so I thought I'd do so along with a small bundle of new things that I have very happily purchased.

Please excuse the pixelated faces in the first photo, I hadn't long been awake and its very evident in the photos..

I am wearing..

- A fur headband/headwarmer from Primark- I finally got hold of them! It was so meant to be, I popped into the Bromley store in the hope that they would be there, asked a sales assistant and she said she had never seen them. I turnt around and to mine and my mums excitement there was two left!! It was completely meant to be and I was in a major case of happiness and smiles. I got two colours- both pictured below for a tiny £3 each!

- Leather cropped jacket from Warehouse- I got this last year. It cost me £130, which I think is very reasonable as my cost per wear totals to about 50p each time :) It really has been worn that much.

- Beige Cami- Primark basic, £1.50

- Khaki shirt- H&M, £7.99. I absolutely LOVE this, it is so wearable and you can dress it up and down.

- Black leggings- Marks and Spencers, £8. I'm forever hunting for new black leggings that aren't too thin and I find that Next and Marks and Spencers do the best ones. For £8 in both stores you really can't go wrong. They don't fade and don't go all thin and baggy. I got a pair of plain black ones from Topshop for close to £20 and I don't really get it? I wouldn't do that again as the quality is nowhere as good as trusty old m&s ;)

- Brown boots- Debenhams, £35 on promotion.

- MAC Studio Fix NC37

- Xen Tan dark lotion

-MAC St Germaine lippy

- Benefit Hoola

- MAC Haute & Naughty Lash

-no7 Eyebrow pencil in brown/black

My cosey perfect little fur headbands. £3! What a buy!

I have been after a camel colour jacket, but when I saw this I couldn't really resist. I'm not so much of a big jacket wearer, but when I was hunting around in Primark for my headbands I saw a girl trying this on.. She looked roughly about my size so I lurked around for a little while until she put it down. WHAT A STEAL! I'm so glad I got my mitts on it, it was a micro little £25 which I think is fantastic! I feel quite grown up wearing a jacket as normally I'm in a cardi or a tiny leather and scarf. The only problem I would say I had with it is that the buttons were quite loose, I find this quite alot in Primark but I'm not too bothered as my mum just re-buttoned it for me. It works well with quite a few of my outfits so I'm an extremely happy, warm girl.

I love my granny cardi! I had cardigans just like this "in the old days" when I was a tiny little girl that my nan knitted me. I picked it up in River Island for £39.99. It has lovely little football buttons and is all cable knitted. Its adorable and so warm!

I hope your all very well and aren't all snowed in. If you are, get snug and cosey and enjoy the time at home.

xx

Happy Thanksgiving!

I stumbled upon these awesome vintage Thanksgiving greeting cards on Flickr yesterday. The children are to die for-- I can't stop giggling at the faces some of them are making.

I hope everyone has a fun, thankful, safe and fattening Thanksgiving!!

xo. Traci

Black Friday/Cyber Monday

Countdown to the busiest shopping weekend of the years starts now!!

I'd like to start out by noting the importance of shopping local this holiday season...help support your local economy by shopping at independent businesses where the money you spend stays generated in your city/area. If it weren't for local shoppers, Butter Toast, and tons of other great local shops (that we all love to shop at) would seize to exist...we don't want that to happen, now do we?!? 

This year we teamed up with Black Friday Local, to give all you local shoppers something to smile about...savings! These are the deals you can find at Butter Toast:

(Open early at 9am!!)

#1- Get 20% off ALL regular priced merchandise from 9am-2pm!!

#2- Buy one sale item @ regular price, get one sale item FREE, All day!!

#3- Mention Facebook, Twitter, or this Blog and get an extra 10% off, All day!!

#4- Secret Sale...ask us about it when you come in!

We also have something for our non-local fans to smile about....CYBER MONDAY!

Get 20% off all online purchases from midnight-midnight (MST) on Cyber Monday, 11/29!!!

Domestic and International Orders!! Promo code: CyberToast

Head on over to Butter Toast online to scope out what YOU want!

A fab blog: morven-catsandrockingchairs

Whilst having a little catch up on blogs, eating a rather splendid iced bun I came across the most fantastic blog that I wish I'd known about way before now.

Introducing..

morven- cats and rocking chairs.

Seriously SUCH a good blog. I'm absolutely hooked. I had to share it with you

If you follow me on Twitter then you will have seen me raving about it over the last couple of days or so.

Shes absolutely beautiful and seems to love everything beautiful; she has given me major hair envy, has the nicest clothes and blogs the most fabulous OOTD's.

This blog definately derserves a huge number of followers so go over and have a little look at Cats and Rocking Chairs..

www.morven-catsandrockingchairs.blogspot.com

xx

New Loves v.8

Good Morning! I'm up way earlier than I need to be on this lovely, brisk Wednesday morning, and since I got too caught up yesterday (w/ laundry & housework) for my New Loves post, I'm going to make up for it this morning! Today's artist edition of New Loves was actually brought to my attention by a lovely style blogger, and Butter Toast shopper, Celine of The Wardrobe Diaries. Her sister, Danielle, is an artist with a woodland flair, and her Etsy shop Larkspur Studio is loaded with whimsical wonders.

Oh-so-pretty! I hope you enjoy Larkspur Studio as much as I do!

Have a lovely Wednesday!

xo. Traci

London-Manchester

After a prolonged wait to get up to Manchester- I am here, I have finally moved in!

I have managed to unpack my masses of clothes and find little homes for all of my things.

I stupidly left tons of things that I wanted to bring with me, but thats me all over..I panicked so much about what to bring with me, I forgot some of the necessities- this isn't all bad though, as I now have a reason to do a little spot of shopping.

We're living in the perfect location really, for those of you that know Manchester I'm very close to the Printworks! This means Selfridges, The Arndale Centre, a huge Topshop, good food and drink everywhere, Harvey Nics and the most beautiful picturesque christmas market all pretty much on my doorstep- I feel like a very lucky lady right now.

I had a little stress moment when I got here, my wireless wouldn't connect and the geek in me couldn't fix it, I refuse to connect to the internet restricted via a cable so I spent a good few hours of encryption codes, access keys, wep, wpa'blahblahblah... but finally I'm online and wireless, cosy on the sofa, so whilst my boyfriend works through his pile of uni work, I'm gonna catch up on a few days worth of blogs. Yay!

xx

One Lovely Blog Award

Thank you to Laura at Vintage Laura and Bruce at Eclectic Ephemera for this lovely blog award.

I'm now passing this onto some of my favourite lovely blogs .

Lemonade Kitty, The Undomesticated Scientist, The Felt Fairy, Andi's English Attic, Birdcages & Butterflies, Deer Little Fawn, Fraggle Cats, Hesta and the Pugs, Ivy Black Chat and Miss Creativity xxx

Sorting and Stitching

This weekend I stayed at my mums, mainly because I haven't stayed at hers for ages, but also because I needed to retrieve the bags and bags of clothing and coats from her loft that I've been storing up there. I'm back home now and have started to sort and price all of the clothing and coats ready for Saturday’s Bicycle Basket Bazaar. I'll also be taking a few pairs of 80s boots and some leather and faux leather gloves; it’s definitely the weather for them.

I found this gorgeous (and very creased) 1970s Jeff Banks for Rembrandt dandelion print blouse in one of the bags. I picked it up in a charity shop while at uni and living in Newcastle Under Lyme. The pattern’s so lovely and the material a nice sheer type that I’m going to keep it, even though I’m nowhere near its size 12 size tag, which in today’s sizing probably equates to a 10.

I also made these while watching Strictly and I’m a Celebrity. I’ve made more than there are in the picture but didn’t make as many as I might have if I hadn’t have had all of the dogs competing for space on the sofa next to me.

I had a lovely surprise in the post last week from Helen at the Undomesticated Scientist. Helen sent me this beautiful Royal Jubilee tablecloth and the images on it are beautiful. I’ll be finding somewhere very special to put it. Thank you Helen!

P.S. My new favourite song is Ellie Goulding's version of 'Your Song' from the John Lewis advert. I keep walking around singing my head off to it. Fortunatley having a dog usually means that the said dog thinks your fantastic at everything, including singing. Every time I sing it Lily wags at me and makes this noise that she makes when she's content. She'd be a terrible X Factor judge if she likes my voice

Swoon Saturday.

Hey there! Happy Saturday to you! Okay, so I've always been that girl who doesn't like to decorate the house for holidays throughout the year...I don't know why, maybe I'm just not that festive...It just always feels kinda cheesy to me for some reason. BUT, this year, I've seen so many cute holiday displays, I may have to change my mind about holiday decorating. There is something so dang cute about holiday fawn...I'm convinced that if I had a stellar collection of vintage fawn, I'd want to dress them up for the holidays. These cutesy kitschy fawns are what I'm currently swooning over today...Maybe by next holiday season I can collect enough to make an adorable display myself!

Click the images for sources.

I'm ultra-mega swooning over that last image...what a fantastic collection!!

Elsie's holiday fawn display is ultra adorable, I always love her displays.


So far, this is as festive as I've been able to get at the shop...I'm going to work a little more on holiday displays after Thanksgiving.

Hope your weekend is going lovely thusfar!
Ta ta. xo. Traci