Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Jumper: Factorie (Australia), Belt: Vintage. Skirt: ASOS. Brogues: ASOS. Bag: Sweetheart, Hat: Topshop

Afternoon lovelies! I've been extremely good with my pennies of late, I can't recall the last time I bought myself a piece of clothing but when I spotted these 'Dorothy' brogues and a-line mini skirt on ASOS I was in love and there wasn't much standing between me and my bank card. A girl deserves a treat every now and then, eh? 

I already have two pairs of brogues (whoopsy) but I didn't own a patent pair, and they certainly weren't ox-blood. I'd also been on the lookout for some more colourful skirts - mine all seem to be very plain and for the days when I'm feeling snazzy (today) I want to be able to throw on some colour and not worry too much about what to pair it with. This skirt goes perfectly with pretty much anything - whether it's toasty outside and you fancy a crop top or like today where it's a bit chilly I just threw on this plain oversized jumper and tights to keep me warm. 

I'm off to mum and dads tonight for dinner whilst Daniel wines and dines his friends with a BBQ! Tomorrow I'll be painting the kitchen table and chairs and then before we know it Monday will be upon us..

What are you all up to over the weekend? Hope you all have a good one :)

Character Design | Illustrator Extraordinaire

I’ve mentioned it a few times before, but one of my favourite things about blogging is that you get to know so many lovely likeminded individuals. One of those ladies (I’ve raved about her before) is the ridiculously talented Zoe Newlove and I’d say I’m her biggest stalker fan. Did you read this post, where I showed you my snazzy little business cards? Well she’s back with all her amazing-ness to showcase one of her many uh-mazing talents, illustration. Illustrated bloggers is not something new – I’m pretty sure you’ve all seen them but honestly, I haven’t seen anything like this... 

I think what I love about it the most (aside from the FOX, ahhh!) is that it’s actually so life like, don’t get me wrong I do love the other illustrators floating around the blogosphere but to me Zoe’s drawings are so original and unique. And not only is the final result fantastic, you know how much work has gone in to it. From what I know about illustration (little) it's a rarity for the artist to draw the characters before finishing on the computer, it just shows the quality behind the result. 

If you want to get your hands on your own character, you can find Zoe’s rates here and contact her on zoe@zoenewlove.com. I know it may seem silly but this is something I’m going to cherish forever - I was so, so happy when I received it and can’t thank Zoe enough. Next decision is where to pop it on my blog, I need to find the perfect slot – any ideas? :)

Happy 1st Birthday to Wonderful You!

image c/o weheartit

Today, is my little blog’s first birthday. I love a good cliché and it’s never been so true that the time has literally flown by – I can’t quite believe that a whole year has gone by and how much I’ve grown to love my blog and the blogging community as a whole. To think that on April 4^th2012 I had one follower (myself HAHA) and now I’m sat here writing to over a thousand people makes me feel all funny inside.

Blogging is simply a hobby for me but to think of all the things I’ve done with it and all the little doors it’s opened up for me is crazy. I mean I’ve made some wonderful friends, it’s helped to grow my confidence in myself – before blogging I was turning into a bit of a wallflower and there’s nothing at all wrong with that but I feel like it’s given me the boost I needed – to believe in myself and know that if I want something enough I can achieve it; of course I’m sure it’s had that effect on many of you too.

All I really wanted to say was a big thank you – thank you for being so wonderful and for continuing to read my weekly ramblings. And also to say, if you are a blogger don’t be too hard on yourself. I think that within blogging we can get a little bit lost sometimes – we spend time worrying whether we should be writing about a particular subject and if we stray from that subject it means we’re a bad blogger, I couldn’t disagree more. I love fashion, I love beauty, I love writing about things I find interesting outside of those categories and Wonderful You is a place for me to share all of those ideas that pop into my head. Don’t get me wrong I think consistency is always a positive thing and if you want to write a post every day of the week and that works for you then that’s fantastic but if like me, blogging is something you take the time out to do and you don’t have a few spare hours a day to dedicate that time then that’s absolutely fine too. You should embrace the fact that it’s your space, your content and no-one else’s. Some of my favourite bloggers post every other week and some of them post everyday and I love them all the same - it doesn’t matter as long as what you’re doing makes youhappy, because let’s face it positivity shines through in every way.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLOGGY! Here’s to another year of fun times and ramblings, thank you for being the best readers anyone could ask for you mean more to me than you know and so does this blog!

p.s. On Easter Sunday I was invited down to BBC Radio Northampton to have a cheeky interview with the wonderful Helen Blably and Gok of the North Jules! You can have a listen here if you’d like (skip to 2 hours 35 minutes and that’s when my slot starts!) hope you enjoy it, I was super nervous.

Fantastically Wonderful Advertisers | March 2013

Writing this post is one of my favourite times of the month - not only is it opening another new start to a fresh month but I get to introduce you to the wonderfulness behind my sidebar. And this month I'd like to share some rather lovely shops...

Image c/o weheartit

Olive & Frank

What can I say about this amazing shop - to be honest I think it speaks for itself. The first time I clicked on the website I instantly fell in love; for a start it's neat and easy to navigate your way around (there is nothing more annoying than an unclear website when you're trying to buy something). But that aside the clothes, jewellery and accessories are an absolute dream. The best way I can describe their clothing is when you spot a girl in the street and you know that not everyone has those clothes, you've never seen them before, but you want them. To me that's fashion and Olive & Frank couldn't have it more right. From bell bottom shorts, printed blouses to brogues and loafers it's a vintage-inspired haven.

Kittenish Behaviour

I'm really quite excited to let you know about this shop. It's been around since 2010 but only launched this month to the public... Sián, the lovely lady behind the brand takes vintage clothing to a whole other level. As you ladies will well know the highstreet is not renowned for it's on-point sizing and this is where Sián's excellent sewing skills take place. She picks on trend, bold modern fabrics and uses vintage patterns to create the perfect fitting, pin-up pieces. This shop is definitely more on the pricey side but given the quality and originality of the items, let alone the fact that there will only be a certain amount of one garment made - ever; it's the perfect opportunity to spoil yourself for a special occasion. 

I hope you have all managed to find something you love in these shops - I know that my bank balance has, and will continue to suffer at the hands of their awesomeness. 

And don't forget to drop me an email if you'd like to have your advertisment on my sidebar!
                                                                  wonderful.you@hotmail.co.uk

Fantastically Wonderful Advertisers

As you may, or may not be aware as of the beginning of January I started offering advertising on Wonderful You. It wasn’t something I had really thought about to be honest until a few fellow bloggers contacted me asking when I was going to start!

This little blog, albeit small compared to some of the big bloggers out there is my little hub of happiness and it is such a wonderful feeling that other individuals in the beauty & fashion-sphere appreciate it and want to be a part of it too :D honestly it makes me so happy.

Image courtesy of weheartit.com

So without further ado, let me introduce to you the absolutely fantastic bloggers that have chosen to steal a spot on my sidebar..

Zoe of ZoeNewlove

This girl, is frickin’ fantastic and her blog follows suit. Not only does she bring fresh new content to her blog every week, she’s also a makeup artist and graphic designer to boot. From Kim Kardashian tutorials, to blog buttons this girl offers it all. You can expect to be captured for an evening (or three) by her informative how-to guides on the best smoky-eye, how to achieve a messy bun or how to combat spots. Not only is her blog one of go-to beauty favourite’s she is also the loveliest lady and someone I would now consider a friend. It’s amazing how this blogging world brings people together, and I promise if you hop on over with your evening cuppa, you won’t be disappointed. She’s a star in the making.

Charlotte of Stand for Style

Charlotte has the most heart-warming blog. That may sound odd but whenever I’m over there I just feel all lovely reading her posts - right at home. It’s predominately based around her latest fashion picks, expect absolutely gorgeous vintage finds (this girl has an eye), and her favourite way to style them – but you can also stumble across the odd beauty haul, discovering her love for new products and her latest lifestyle spills :). Not only does her blog fill me with happiness, she’s one of my favourite people to have a good twitter-thon with. If you don’t know this girl – you should.

Becky of Beauty Becky

Okay – I have a serious envy of this girls make-up collection. She’s constantly reviewing the most amazing blushers, foundations and lipsticks – so if you want to know about a beauty product in detail, this is the place to be. Not only is she representing the best of the beauty bloggers, she’s also started her own youtube channelfeaturing new buys and reviews, you must go and take a peek. Not only am I the green eyed monster when it comes to her beauty knowledge, her OOTD’s that pop up here and there are just TOO cute, and she is a beauty to be hold. Most amazing skin ever? Check. What are you waiting for?

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know these ladies a bit better. I just want to say a massive thank you to them all for having their lovely buttons on my blog, it's been such a pleasure having them here :D 

If you're interested in advertising with Wonderful You, you can find more details here or get in contact via email: wonderful.you@hotmail.co.uk 

Spots are currently £5 for the month! 

My Daily Skincare Routine | Video

Good Afternoon my loverlies! Hope you all had a fab weekend and that you're not suffering from the Monday Blues :) Today actually feels like it's mid week, I'm surprisingly chirpy!

Anyway...I've filmed another video for y'all. It's my Daily Skincare Routine, which I've recently changed up. I've said a sad goodbye to Clinique and a warm hello to a new brand. If you want have a little nose, go have a watch. I've listed all the products in the down-bar of the video, if you want to read up more about them :)

I also received some rather disturbing comments on my channel yesterday; I was really shocked, being the first derogatory comment on any of my videos - but I suppose it was always going to come, nonetheless I did feel a little bit ill at what they said. (if you want to see the comment, I did post one of the screen shots on twitter). I think using the big wide web to discuss your passions can be a bit of a dangerous ball game, you definitely have to be thick skinned and let the negativity roll off you. I thought I would always be able to do that, but it did leave me a bit worried. Anyhow, on-wards and upwards and their vile comments have been reported and the user blocked from my account. I'll have none of that nastiness thank you very much :) 
Have a lovely week you lot, and please do let me know if there's any other videos you'd like to see?