Kate Spade Card Holder

Cedar Street Melanie Card Holder

I'm a big fan of Kate Spade and for Christmas I asked for my first piece from the brand - the Cedar Street Melanie card holder. I travel to and from uni pretty much every weekday so I know I'll get good use out of this! Also, my Cath Kidston one has been pretty well-loved and really needed replacing...

The Cedar Street Melanie is made from cross hatched leather which is great because if it starts to get a bit worn it won't be very noticeable. It also has two compartments which will hold my travel card and my student ID for university.

I really love this little card holder. I love Kate Spade and can't wait to invest in more pieces from the brand!

My 2016 Books Goals

After getting back into reading last year I decided to set myself a few book related goals for 2016. The main goal is to read 65 books by the end of 2016 - I read 50 from May-December in 2015 so I'm hoping I can exceed that! My other goals are centred around new series that I want to start reading and some new authors.

1. Read the remaining Jane Austen novels (Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion.
2. Read 3 classics other than Jane Austen novels.
3. Read at least two more Outlander novels (The Fiery Cross and A Breath of Snow and Ashes).
4. Start reading Agatha Christie books.
5. Start reading the Sherlock Holmes series.
6. Start at least 4 new series and finish them (The Selection, The Winner's Trilogy, The Grisha Trilogy and The Lunar Chronicles). 
7. Read the remaining Rick Riordan series (Heroes of Olymps, The Kane Chronicles).
8. Re-read the Harry Potter series again.
9. Read 65 books.

Do you have any book goals for 2016? Follow me on Goodreads and keep up with my progress here. 

A Boxing Day Sales Haul

Blazer // Top // Boots

I'm not really a huge fan of the Boxing Day sales. I find them quite overwhelming and I usually can't get anything I want, but this year I managed to pick up a few pieces that I've had my eye on for a few months.

My first stop of any sales is always Topshop. I bought this grey blazer which I've been wanting since September (£25 down from £46). Although this blazer is just a bit too light to be wearing right now, it will be perfect for when the weather starts to get a bit warmer.

I then found the flower camouflage print top. I had always put off purchasing this due to the price tag (£36) but when I saw it was just £18 in the sale I couldn't resist! I think this will look good paired with black Joni jeans and black heeled boots.

The last item I bought in Topshop was the rose gold necklace which was only £2.50. I love delicate jewellery so I always try to pick up a few pieces in Topshop when their sale starts.

Finally, I popped into M&S and found that these snakeprint boots that I've wanted for months were half price (£25 down from £50). These were a complete impulse buy but I really love them and they'll add something different to my wardrobe.

What do you think of my Boxing Day sale buys?

My Favourite Reads of 2015

2015 was the year that I really got back into reading. I've always been a big reader but due to school and university I never felt like I had the time and I just felt really uninspired. I started using my Goodreads account again which helped me keep track of what I was reading and what I wanted to read and I ended up reading over 50 books since May! So here are my favourite reads of 2015:

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

2015 was the year that I finally read The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. This was definitely my favourite out of the 4. It was fun to follow Bilbo throughout his adventure and learn about the different characters he met on the way.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I read a surprising amount of Young Adult books this year and this is up there with my favourites. Although it wasn't a really plot driven story, something about the writing and the backdrop of Paris made it really enjoyable.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Series) by Rick Riordan

Another series that I was seriously late on reading but again really loved! Percy is one of my new favourite characters and I can't wait to read the Heroes of Olympus series next.

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling
I've followed Mindy Kaling for a few years now and this was one of the most exciting releases of 2015 for me. I was so excited to get this and it did not disappoint. I loved reading about how Mindy came up with the idea of The Mindy Project, and how she differs from her on-screen persona.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
Another 2015 release that I loved. Although the start was slow this quickly became one of my all-time favourite books. Originally a parody of Harry Potter it felt far from a cheap rip-off and became a great young adult fantasy book in it's own right. 

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
This is a spin-off of The Grisha Trilogy which I haven't read yet. This sounded a bit more interesting so I decided to read it first and I really enjoyed it. There was a few things I didn't understand at first but I wouldn't say you need to read the originally trilogy before Six of Crows. It ended on a huge cliffhanger so now I'm counting down until the sequel is released!

Throne of Glass (Series) by Sarah J. Maas
This was a series that I never thought I'd read - the description didn't stand out to me and it just didn't seem like a story I'd be interested in. I ended up buying it because it was half price on Amazon and I've never been more pleasantly surprised by a book! I love everything about this book - the  storyline, the world-building, the characters - I could go on and on...

The Raven Cycle (Series) by Maggie Stiefvater
I didn't know a lot about this series when I picked up the first book and I had no idea what to expect. The Raven Boys was unlike any book I've read before, but I loved every minute of it.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Sense and Sensibility was my second Jane Austen novel and only the 4th classic that I've read, but it's my favourite out of them all. Although classics always require a bit more effort and concentration, this was quite easy to get into. It had more of a plot than Emma, which I had read earlier in the year, and I enjoyed it much more. Sense and Sensibility really opened my eyes to why Jane Austen books are so well loved, and made me appreciate the classics that I had already read. I can't wait to read more of Jane Austen's books in 2016!

Other honourable mentions from this year include Yes Please by Amy Poehler, A Little Princess by Frances Hodsgon Burnett, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, my favourite series Harry Potter which I reread again, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins.

What were your favourite reads of 2015?

A Mini Winter ASOS Haul

Biker Jacket // Colourblock Scarf // iPhone 6 Case

I thought I'd show you a few pieces I got delivered from ASOS a few weeks ago! I had some birthday money left over and decided to treat my self - I live by this phrase far too much...

I decided to finally pick up a suede biker jacket from Vero Moda. I've been after a jacket like this for a while and I honestly expected to be sending it back but I love it! Although the fur lining isn't too soft, the suede makes up for it - it's so smooth and I know it'll be perfect for really cold, Winter days. 

I also picked up a new scarf which had been on my saved items for far too long. I think this will look really nice paired with my grey coat from Primark. It's really soft and cosy which is perfect for this awful weather!

Finally I bought a new Christmas phonecase. I'm really impressed with the quality of it considering it was only £8 and it's not too festive so I can probably get away with using it all year round.

What do you think of my mini ASOS haul?