PORRIDGE N PICKLES OFFICIAL BLOG

So the other week I started a series of posts where I talked about the style of Jess from 'New Girl'. As I said in the first post I just love the way her character is styled in the series and so I thought i'd share with you some places you can shop for the same or similar items :)
Here is part two in the series for you!
Dress - Modcloth/(Non exact) Purse - Boohoo.com/A black cardigan, tights and pumps of your choice!

The other week I happened to visit 'Urban Outfitters' for the first time ever (for those of you who don't know, Urban Outfitters is a clothes shop). Un-biknown to me Urban Outfitters sell vintage reworked Levis (aka shorts...). I've been wanting to purchase a pair of these for so long but I was very reluctant to do so over the internet just because there is no way that you can fully judge the condition or the size. When I first looked through the rack the size stated on the label and how big the shorts actually looked just didn't match up (hence why I was reluctant) so instead of going by the size, I went by how big they looked. When I tired them on I actually found that the sizing was way out, the sizing that I found fit the best was stated as being 9" bigger than the size I normally wear (huh?!). In the end though, I found these and I just LOVE them.

Here are some photographs that I shot in relation to the review I wrote about my new Scaramanga bag, you can view the review here. You can find the Scaramanga website by clicking here.

A photo a week - A mix of texture, a mix of medium.

Click here to visit my flickr.

I've recently been on the hunt for new blogs, shops and other exciting things in my spare time and I have come across some really lovely places that I think you need to check out, that's if you already haven't...

The Ink Nest are sellers of cutest little clip arts that suit a range of applications from blog layouts to wedding invitations!

Plexida is a etsy shop that is filled with a gorgeous range of handknitted and crocheted garments that are so simple, yet so cute, stylish and inviting.

Every Bear Jewel is another etsy shop that I think you will all like. They sell handmade jewellery that range from the little and delicate to the large and bold.

Chalk White Arrow is a blog by Sara. It is filled with countless photographs, images and words that leave you wanting there to be a little bit more...

Design Love Fest, "where type & images totally make out".

disclosure: all images and banners are copyright are their respective creator.

So yesterday was my birthday, as well as mothers day, which meant that me and mum had a joint celebration :) It was great fun, we went shopping had a lovely meal and did a lot of laughing. It was a great way to spend a birthday...

So to be honest with you all, I am a HUGE fan of Foxs hit TV show, New Girl. With that, i've also come to be a fan of the main characters style (or should I say how the character is styled). At first I thought there was way to much colour and patterns going on (EVERYWHERE) for myself but now I feel it is kinda quirky. So for all you other Jessica Day style lovers, i'm here to share with you some great websites where you can either get the exact item or a similar item.
With this look I loved the idea but I wasn't so keen on the actual sweater itself (shape wise) so instead of trying to hunt down the exact sweater I went in search of a similar one that would still pull of the intended look :)
Exact jumper is no longer available but you can view it here. Instead, here is an alternative. If you still wish to get the exact jumper but don't mind purchasing it from somewhere other than the original suppliers, you can get it here from an ebay seller.
I wasn't able to find an exact match to this dress as I believe it could be vintage but instead I managed to find two similar dresses. The first is a shirt style dress which is the same style as the one shown in the TV show and the other dress is that gorgeous lemon colour, the same colour as the dress shown on the TV show. Don't you just love that colour?! I think it's gorgeous!

I will be continuing with this feature with a total of three posts with three outfits in each so stay tuned for more! :)

So the other day (Wednesday to be precise) I purchased a bag for the first time from Scaramanga and by Thursday morning it had arrived (I know, quick right!?) Scaramanga are sellers of the most gorgeous antiqued leather bags of all different styles. Each Scaramanga leather bag is made in the heart of Britain using traditional methods and tools.
I stumbled across Scaramanga after conducting a search on good old google, what I searched for, "vintage leather bag". After searching through a great number of websites, and having no look finding what I was looking for I might add, I finally came to Scaramanga and even though they aren't exactly vintage bags, they still seemed to have that vintage feel.
As soon as it had arrived I knew I had made the right decision. The leather of the bag is deliciously soft and supple while still holding it's shape (don't you just hate it when the leather is as stiff as cardboard?! well, maybe you don't...) and it already looks like it has seen years of wear when in fact it hasn't! The length of the strap is adjustable in the same way you would alter your belt and there are three separate pockets, two interior and one exterior (always a helpful feature for those little nicknacks that always seem to get lost even in the smallest of bags...). I just love it, can you tell?
I will update you all soon with some style photos (just have to wait for it to stop raining) :) You can visit the Scaramanga website by clicking here.

Disclosure: So this little change did occur yesterday but I had already decided to address something else in yesterdays post so I left it until today :)
With the new year that has just rolled in (yes, I know it was three months ago BUT in relation to how long a year is, i'd say it has still just rolled in ;)) I thought it was about time I mixed it up around here, and so I swapped in the pink, white and grey for a more neutral blue, green and white colour scheme (I mean, 13 does mean change, right?). I happen to like the new look a lot more than the last and I think it suits the blog a lot better. Along with the new colour scheme, the side bar has also swapped sides BUT everything is still there with the new addition of a translate option and a few extra buttons, so you will still be able to find everything. I've also added in a 'sponsor' page which can be seen in the navigation bar up there ^. Here you can take a look at sponsor options for both shops and blogs as well as a sponsor swap option. The 'partner' page now also includes Porridge n Pickles sponsors, affiliates and friends and the '♥' page is now what I am currently loving instead of the blogs I love! (phew... I think i've got everything.)
So... What do you think of the new look? :)

So you have probably ended up here, expecting to read a post on movie films or maybe even the film industry. Well let me tell you now, this isn't a post about that (I just couldn't think of a better post title that still related to photography and the medium of film). I'm sure you'll still love it though...

So today I took a break from work and sat down to browse through my sketchbook. In my sketchbook I keep all of my photos i've either have had printed or printed myself. While browsing through this sketchbook I happened to come across this photo...


It reminded me of all the things that i'm missing when I don't pick up my camera. The moments when you look at a scene and think "yep, this would be a great camera moment, if only I had it with me..." I forgot how much I loved this picture too. I took it for a class last year and even though the exposure may be a bit iffy with the bright white wall and sheet, it still has to be one of my favourite photo's that i've taken. I will defiantly be making more time to take personal pictures.

To see more of my photos, you can visit my Flickr account by clicking here :)

I've decided to start posting a photo a week :) I know i'm a bit far behind, nine photos to be exact but still! I might catch up with those next week. So this week I have this photo to show you :) I took it at a wedding I attended this past summer and it shows all the younger children on each side of the family as well as the bride and groom. It was a brilliant day, thoroughly enjoyed by all!

After a very busy christmas and new year I am finally back! I had exams at university that followed christmas break and so most of my time was spent preparing for that. Luckily, all that preparation paid off and I achieved B's all round! :) After that I then had to get back into my 'studying mojo' seen as I have an assignment due in for coursework every single monday, but now a month in and three assignments down i'm finally in a routine. With that, i'm now back here, yey and today I thought i'd bring you a small instagram update :)



1. An afternoon walk on the beach on a breezy winters day.
2. The friend I made in the pet shop :)
3. Good Morning Lucy!
4. Christmas pudding in February.

So today I thought i'd talk to you all about my hobby which is, pin trading/collecting. I know it sounds really quite dorky and that is why I never really tell anybody apart from those who do it themselves ;) Truth be told though, I really do enjoy it :) Pin trading, is actually the trading and collecting of Disney pins. For those of you who have been to a disney park you will know what I mean i'm sure of it! I started collecting back when I was about 9 years old, the last time I went to a disney park actually and I still have those pins now! However since then, my collection has grown quite a lot (not as much as some peoples though!). It is an expensive and some times cut-throat hobby. When I first started out, I feel it was defiantly more one for the kids with the trading of pins before they gained this 'perceived pin value'. Now a days pin trading can be sometimes difficult; after a pin is sold it loses it's 'sale value' and gains what i'm going to call a 'perceived value' based on how desirable a character and/or scene is. For example, the pins based upon the movie Tangled and it's characters sell for 5x their original sale price sometimes even more(!) whereas pins based on the fab5 lose value instantly because they aren't as desirable character wise. When making a trade the two pins involved must be of the same 'perceived value' for it to be considered a 'fair trade'. If they aren't and the trade is considered to be lopsided by either party things can get a little hairy... See, it's a little complicated, I don't even truly get 'perceived value' now! That is why I stick to pin collecting more than trading. I mostly buy pins in order to complete collections or because I simply like the look of them. I love it. I do trade from time to time but it is defiantly something that is much easier to do in person. I have met some really nice people during my time both collecting and trading which makes it much more enjoyable. There are many websites out there where you can find other collectors and traders who can help you out! For more information visit either Pinpics or The Disney Pin Forum! Here are some examples of my little collection...







These are some of my favourites :) The 12 days of christmas was a set brought for me a couple of christmases ago and the framed Belle is my favourite one of all time. I also had the Aurora from this set but I traded her away so that somebody else could complete their set :) I do miss her though... The pins with the little picture in the middle are from the first Piece of Disney Movie collection (there are 3 more to this set but I store them on a separate piece of plastic thingy maboby. Finally pictured is my pin bag where I store a few traders and some uncompleted sets. The cinderella pin is from a Reveal Conceal girls set, I love it! I also have Snow White from this set but she's on a different page :) I don't really feel i've sold this hobby option to you as much as I could have BUT I have told you as it is, no fluffy bits ;)

What do you enjoy as a hobby? :)

p.s - I'd like to wish you all a very merry christmas and a happy new year! Hope you all have a fabulous christmas with your family and friends and I shall 'see' you all in the new year! May 2013 bring you all everything you hope it will :)

So the studded bra is quite a trend this season, in fact studs in general are a big trend this season. I have been looking out for that perfect studded bra for ages but I just haven't found one that I feel I could 'pull off' in an appropriate way. In my opinion, it is one of those statement pieces that if not worn spot on it could end in a tragedy that isn't so suitable for daytime wear, should we say. I have found from some very needed research some ways that it can be worn in a classy day time fashion. One of them being with a chunky knit sweater, I just love that idea! Another way could be with a plain or patterned shirt over the top with a jacket for cold weather, both ideas are shown in one of the images above :) Another point i'd like to put forward is what kind of studs are best? I prefer the look of the pointy studs but it somebody went to hug you or you happened to reach out for something you could catch yourself on those things quite easily! So probably for that reason (even though I know they aren't extremely sharp but pointy is still pointy...) the flat square shaped studs will be better. I have a denim bralet that I brought back in the summer which I have constantly struggled to style but I now might have an idea... ;)

How would you style a studded bra?

I have been looking for a deep red lipstick for a while now and I was torn between two makes, MAC and Topshop. MAC lipsticks are priced at £14.00 whereas the Topshop lipsticks are just £8.00. In the end I chose to go with the Topshop lipstick in 'Hazard' for many reasons; 1. There isn't a MAC store for miles whereas there is a Topshop store just 30 minutes away 2. Topshops lipsticks are a lot cheaper and 3. they were pretty much the exact same shades and i'd heard that the quality was pretty much the same :) I am extremely pleased that I went with this decision. The Topshop lipstick is extremely pigmented, moisturising but not shiny like a lipgloss (I prefer matt lipsticks over glossy ones), the packaging is pretty neat and it's a lot cheaper! I also get a discount which makes it even cheaper, boooyaaa. Overall I think i'd give it a 9/10 just because something has to be extremely brilliant for me to give it a 10/10 ;)

Have you guys tried the Topshop lipsticks? How did you find them? :)

Hey everyone! So today I thought i'd share with you just a few instagram pictures :) I haven't been using instagram as often as I normally do so there is only four pictures to show you. First one is a present from my good friend Jack ;) haha. Not really but it's a parcel I got in the mail. Next is a photograph of all the presents i've been busy wrapping (poorly I might add... i'm an awful wrapper!) I also ran out of labels so there is sticky tabs on each present so I know which one is for who until i've brought more labels! Christmas tree is next! There is one single christmas tree on the whole of campus, such bah-hum-bugs! More christmas decorations please :) Finally there is 'Home Alone'. I've never actually seen this film, I know i've been living under a rock... BUT, I will be watching this movie over the weekend when i'm chilling and eating lots of chocolate.

 What are you guys going to be doing this weekend?

Today I wanted to share with you some of my favourite iPhone apps :) I use these pretty much everyday. Some are really handy whereas some are just plain old fun! I'm not really a big app user so it wasn't hard to distinguish between those I really do use and enjoy and those that have been installed by never used. So... my top apps consist of: Youtube, Nike Fuelband, Instagram, Tiny Tower, Temple Run, Tumblr, weheartit, HSBCs Fast Balance and Hay Day!

What apps would you call your favourites? :)