CardNest

Sitting down with a cup of strong tea and a blank card is something I like to do. Writing a card rather than an email allows for no mistakes, so I find it a great way of focusing on what I want to say. Knowing that I'm sending a physical note feels so much more personal and it's just as rewarding as receiving one. There's something lovely about a hand written note inside a card, I think there's something so much more personal about it compared to a text or email. Whether it's saying happy birthday or a simple note to let a friend know you're thinking about them, its a good old fashioned form of connecting with people.

Buying cards on time isn't always easy and sometimes I just want to send a message but without a card to hand I turn to the internet or phone, but with a subscription like this that never has to happen again. I love the whole concept of CardNest, it's one of the most thoughtful subscriptions I've seen to date. Oli and David, the founders of CardNest feel passionate about hand written cards and they know what it's like these days when time is short. The idea of CardNest is that you will always have a card or even a little stock pile. All the cards are limited edition, featuring new art work by different independent artists each month. A pack of three different cards will arrive through your door - from birthdays, to cards for all occasions. The subscription is £7.50 a month which I think is fantastic value for what you get. There's even the option to have stamps sent with your cards for the same price as the Post Office, to make it even easier to be prepared.

To see a friend's handwriting is so much more engaging than a generic typography and although we have our beloved emoji's to make online messages feel more personal, it still can't beat that feeling of opening a card and seeing a pretty picture followed by a note from a friend or relative.  A note that may stay on display for weeks or months not forgotten under the shear mass of online content.CardNest take all the hassle out and make it so much easier to write a little note and make someone's day brighter.

If you fancy trying out CardNest you can do so by clicking here and also get 50% off the first month for UK and international with my blog code LOOKINGGLASS50.

I hope you have all had a good weekend.

Emma Xx

Style By Portobello

I've been a massive fan of vintage shops, markets and antique shops since I was quite young, there's something magical and relaxing I suppose, about walking around seeing all sorts of weird and wonderful things, especially in London. I sadly don't get the pleasure of strolling around seeking out treasures very often anymore, not since I've been chronically ill with ME. Most of my searching and buying has to be done via eBay and local charity shops but I dream of the sights, sounds and smells of places like Portobello Road and Brick Lane. Which is why I was so excited when I first heard about this new subscribton box, a box filled with top quality vintage treasures fresh off the Portobello markets. I was even more excited when I was asked to be an ambassador for the next three months. Style by Portobello is a monthy subscribton box which is filled with three hand picked unique vintage items, or a bigger item all up to the value of £35. Each month you receive a piece of jewellery, bag, belt or scarf. Every month is different and hand picked to your personal style and likes.

 I must admit as well as being excited about my first box I was a little nervous, I can be picky when it comes to my vintage treasures! So I did find myself opening my box with slight trepidation. I had nothing to worry about at all, inside I found my items neatly packed up in tissue paper. I loved the surprise of opening it up and finding these beauties. It was like getting a birthday present! This scarf is stunning, the print is so lovely and a great size for wearing or tying to a bag. I wish I could capture just how sparkly this brooch is - it's so stunning, maybe my favourite item from the box. The key necklace is also a winner. There's something about Keys that I love, maybe it's my childhood love of the secret garden or how the older the keys are the more detailed they look. This one is pretty chunky and ideal for adding some detail to a casual look.

 I'm really looking forward to my next box and seeing what treasures are to be found inside. If you fancy having a box of vintage accessories sent right to your door you can sign up here.

I hope everyone is having a lovely Bank holiday weekend.

Emma Xx

Princess For A Day

The day has finally come for me to fulfil my side of my fund raiser and dress as a princess for a day! In true Blue Peter style here's some photos I took earlier or, in my case, last week! I've been stressing the last few weeks about getting these photos taken on time and to say my health hasn't been good recently would be an understatment. In fact its been going down hill this last year dispite my best efforts but this is why I am fund raising.

Being a princess for the day isn't just an excuse to wear a fancy dress. Like I meantioned in my frist post about Team Princess, the likeness between us sufferers and fairytale princesses is pretty strong, we live in hope for a mirical, for a cure in our life time. I personally feel like I am standing still while the world carries on around me, like I'm Rapunzel viewing the world from this ugly tower. This ugly tower has a name, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis - ME.
ME is a neurological illness that affects the immune and nervous systems. I suffer daily with a multitude of symptoms including nerve pain, headaches, migrane, brain fog (not being able to think straight, or find words and somtimes I can't talk because of it), extreme fatigue which is unimaginable to a healthy person, sensitivity to light and sound, insomnia and non restorative sleep. I could go on and on - sadly.

From my blog it's hard to tell that I suffer from ME, which is incurable and therefore a chronic illness, which is why I want to be more honest in this post. I want to tell you that I actually struggle with my blog but I put a lot of effort into it because it helps to keep me feeling sane and gives me an identity. I can understand how someone who appears to go out taking outfit photos can hardly seem that ill, but the truth is I am very sick. I spend a lot of my time housebound and when I feel up to it I will get dressed in something pretty and go out somewhere local for twenty minutes to take photos, only to go home and take it all off again for something more comfortable, sadly sometimes my pyjamas. My aim has always been to post an outfit a week but this is something I am struggling to achieve right now, I am so envious of those bloggers who take impromptu photos on their way somewhere, or who can blog their outfits daily. I am trying to learn not to compare and I am so proud of what I can achieve on here, even if it isn't as often as I would like. A day where I leave the house for however short the time is an achievement. I do this for my own sanity, to make me feel like the girl I really am and not the sick girl who's body has been taken over and made very ill everyday for 5 years.

So here I am. Princess Emma. Ready to take on whatever this Tuesday has to bring. I can't tell you exactly what my plans are as they change by the hour depending on my health. I've got my fingers crossed for a cup of tea and slice of cake out with my mum this afternoon because if I'm going to dress like a Princess I might as well eat like one too!
What do you think of my outfit? When it came to organising my princess outfit, I called upon Forever Unique, a fantastic brand that make the most stunning dresses. I was so delighted when they agreed to collaborate on my fund raising outfit. This dress is a true Princess dress and like all their dresses it fits like a dream. I've been a fan for a long time and this is my third dress by Forever Unique. The detail that has gone into this dress is incredible. To wear such a beautiful dress meant only one thing - I needed a stunning Tiara to go with it. I looked all over the Internet, from ebay to Etsy but there wasn't anything that really caught my eye until on Instagram I stumbled upon Samantha Walden. Samantha makes the most stunning one off vintage inspired Tiaras. Each one is unique, beautiful and handmade. Samantha agreed to lend me some Tiaras, which is so kind of her. The Tiara I'm wearing is called Isobel, it's made with Swarovski crystals and pearls with a sparkling vintage brooch forming an asymmetrical centrepiece. It is truly stunning. I feel so lucky to be wearing it. I'm hoping, fingers crossed, to do another post featuring the other two stunning Tiaras.

I just want to say a big thank you to both Forever Unique and Samantha Walden for making me feel like a true Princess!

 Dress - c/o Forever Unique - here
Tiars - c/o Samantha Walden - here
Shoes - New look
Bracelet - Accessorize
Ring -  Swarovski - same style different colour - here

To this date I have raised £1035.57 which is incredible! All the money goes straight to ME Research UK. The generosity and kind comments of friends, family and people I've never even met has been over whelming. Sometimes it's easy to feel like I've been forgotten, that all ME sufferers are forgotten, but this fund raiser has shown me that is not true. I was also worried that people wouldn't take this seriously, most fund raising these days involves jumping out of planes and running races. I can't do those things, but I can do this. My brother was the one who put the worry in my head, but after remembering that I sponsored him to grow facial hair for Movember I felt a lot better!

So after having such kindness from designers to donations I was feeling the pressure about getting this post out on time, my health and the weather wasn't on my side but I did it! I'm sorry I'm not looking especially happy in these photos. The truth is I was suffering badly on that day and didn't have much choice, it was a 'get it done in time or not' situation. I'm super happy that I can relax now and just enjoy my second day of being a Princess! My biggest worry now will be keeping my cat Alfie away from this dress and Pixie away from the Tiara - she loves sparkle!

I would be so grateful if you can spare whatever you can to this worthy cause. Please help, so that one day other ME sufferers and I can live a normal life. You can donate (here) on my Just Giving page or text EMLA80 £1, £3, £5, £10 etc to 70070. Thank you!

Emma Xx

May Queen

Dress - c/o Chi Chi (here)
Shoes - Vintage
Neckalce - Vintage
Rings - c/o Orelia Jewellery (here)

May is one of my favourite months, it's the time of year that the winter wardrobe gets swapped over and I start making a few cheeky purchases in anticipation of summer, and there's some bargains to be had this weekend.

 As I write this I am sitting in bed with a fresh cup of jasmine tea, the birds are chirping outside and the cockrels are crowing in a neighbouring garden, what better way to spend a bank holiday morning? I'm not doing too well health wise so it's just as well I can make the most of it and actually enjoy being stuck in bed.

Looking at the pink petal carpet of my garden makes me realise that the only thing that makes me feel sad about May is how quickly the beautiful blossoms disappear. They don't last long enough in my opinion, especially as blossom trees make amazing back drops for outfit photos. A few weeks ago I did manage to get out to take some photos in one of my favourite places in Surrey and in this amazing blossom print 50's style dress by Chi Chi clothing. I've had my eye on this fantastic print for a while so I was so happy when Chi Chi sent it to me to blog about. I'm in love with all the embroidered detailing. It's so dreamy and perfect to last through summer and for many more to come. I've matched it up with my vintage espadrills that used to belong to my mum. I love how we have the same size feet, I'm always borrowing her shoes!

I found this necklace in my craft box, ready to be cut up and used for something else. It's sat in there for years, maybe since I was 13, thrown in there when I didn't like it anymore. It's funny how our tastes change, I stumbled upon this again by chance and love it again. 

I hope you all have a fantastic bank holiday weekend. I'm looking forward to catching up with what everyone's been up too and rewatching the O.C!

Emma Xx