'Don't Look Back' Positivity and looking forward

So a week or so ago, i was out shopping with a good friend.  We came across this shirt and both of us fell in love simultaneously, meaning we walked out the shop with two bags not just one. First things first, its stripey. Now my love for stripes is forever strong, especially blue stripes in particular. I think they look very put together and inject a Parisian feel to your outfit, topping it off with a slice of elegance...yes a slice *laughs*. Secondly if you follow me on instagram ( @amyrowleyy) then you will know that my love for captions and embroidery is growing on a daily basis. So the cuteness of the shirt doubled when i saw that it had the words 'Don't Look Back' embroidered onto it. 

When styling the shirt i wanted it to be the key focus of the look, let it do the talking. I paired it with some simple black Joni Topshop jeans, my new favourites although i will admit, the button has to be undone after dinner (high-waisted issues *sighs*). For shoes i chose the boots that i have literally not taken off since i bought them. My slightly pointed leather Chelsea boots from Office. Perfect for everyday wear and they go with pretty much everything in my wardrobe. A staple black boot for your wardrobe. My bag you may have seen in a previous post (here) was a little sale find from Zara, gorgeous grey suede. It is unfortunately sold out, so i won't dwell on it too much but it does just give the finishing touches to the outfit. 

*Outfit*

Shirt - H&M

Jeans - Topshop 

Shoes - Office 

(heads up the boots are now down to £40 !!)

Necklace - H&M

Now moving on from the outfit, after shooting the pictures for this post i thought more and more about the caption and how it fitted so well into something that is one of my main focuses this year. Positivity. 'Don't look back' and dwell on the past but instead move forward and look towards the future and what it holds for you. At the end of last year, i decided positivity was one thing i needed to focus on more, for myself but also others around me. Lets face it, no one enjoys a negative Nancy! I have always considered myself a pretty positive person, but sometimes it's easy to let the negativity surround you and eat you up. 

After moving out last year and spending my first year away from my family, i really had to learn to love myself more. I didn't have the comfort of having my mum at my beck and call, but also i found out that as you grow up and move on in your life, you really start to see where your true friends lie. So here are a few pointers that might help you be more positive in the future.

• Surround yourself by positive people and in turn be positive to others. You need to help each other and push through the negative time's as a team. 
• Don't dwell so much on the past, its easy to get caught up in what has happened or what could have happened, but really it won't help the future you. Look forward no matter what. 
• Try not to let other's opinions get you down. Your life is about YOU and you control it. Don't let other people hold you back after all most of the time their opinion doesn't matter. 

My three small points are just a start of what could be the road to a positive you and a better year, you never know whats round the corner. I hope you enjoyed my little ramble, oh, and the outfit too! Let me know in the comments below, and feel free to come visit me over on my instagram @amyrowleyy or my twitter @amyspoons for more shenanigans! 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x

Valentines Day - A Little Something For Everyone

February is among us and without a flash, into every shop that you walk, your surrounded by a sea of fluffy stuffed animals holding hearts, and red lingerie at every angle. For some of us, it's a special day for us to spend with our other half and for some its the complete opposite. A day that we dread, being single on valentines can only make us feel more lonely, which no one needs. Fear not, here are my ideas to keep Valentines day fun for everyone, no matter who you are with, or not with for that matter. 

**Outfit  Skirt - River Island, Shirt - H&M, Boots - River Island **

All Loved up 

Sometimes all you need, is to spend some quality time together. Forget the fancy presents and a la carte menu's, where half the time you can't even read the menu. These things aren't what builds a strong relationship. If you have the money, fabulous, if you don't i have you covered. 

• A Home cooked Meal, can never go down wrong. Unless you burn it of course and then if that's the case, the only thing left to do is to head on over to JustEat.co.uk *chuckles.* But seriously, take a simple menu or even her/his favourite meal and get to work in the kitchen. Throw in a couple of candles and a chocolate fondue for desert, and you are on to a winner my friend. 
• Give your other half a Voucher, entitling them to something you know they want to do with you, have been talking about for ages, or simply something you know that normally you just wouldn't do for them. Have they been wanting to see a snooker game for ages, or a girly soppy film at the cinema that personally you couldn't think of anything worse? Then use this time of year to show the other one just how much you care. 
• Forget Easter egg hunts, how about a valentines hunt. Something fun and silly, that costs next to nothing to prepare. You could make the prizes as simple as a picture of you both, or their favourite chocolate for good measure. The thoughtfulness behind it and time dedicated to it, will be much appreciated.  

Sassy and Single 

As much as this is a time for loved up couples to get all soppy and fancy over one another, utilize this time as a singleton to have fun or celebrate the other loved ones in your life.  Your friends and family.

• Use Valentines day as an excuse to get together with your friends and have a girly night in, pink pj's, heart shaped chocolates, and cute captioned cards, celebrate your friendships in style. You don't have to have a boyfriend/girlfriend to be loved...oh no, sometimes there is nothing better then a friend who has been through everything with you, tears chuckles and more. 
• Treat yourself, you can love yourself right?! Of course. Use the money you would spend on someone else, to treat yourself this Valentines. A bunch of your favourite flowers, aftershave or even a set of sexy underwear (which is more for us then for them i say), and you will be feeling a lot brighter then you did before. 

Something Cute For Everyone 

• This final little idea, is something for everybody. Get your mum and dad involved, your sister/brothers, friends, whoever is with you on valentines day, and have a fort evening. I read recently about a celebrity wedding where it was all built round the idea of the first date, which was building a fort, and well what could be cuter. Gather together all of the blankets, fairy lights and snacks and build yourself the coolest fort you ever did see. If you head over to Pinterest i promise you, you'll find endless ideas and inspiration.

So there you have it, some little cute ideas for valentines this year. What ever you choose to do, or  whoever you choose to spend it with, i hope you share the love and get festive.

Thanks for reading my lovelies x

Gorgeously Gingham

I can already tell that Gingham is going to be a huge trend favoured by all this spring/summer, and i can see why. It is a nostalgic pattern reminding us of our school days in those hideous summer dresses. This time we can wear it our own way. The classic black and white monochrome look, banishing those pastel yellows and dark green gingham combo's. I thought i would put an outfit together showing a gingham outfit still perfect for those slighter colder weeks we have left before the sun starts to make an appearance. If this trend is something you are interested in i can do Head to toe trend blog post so just let me know in the comments below.

* Outfit Details *

Shirt - Mango

Leather look trousers - New Look

Jacket - H&M sold out :(

Bag - Vivienne Westwood 

Boots - Primark (similar from Office)

Necklace - ASOS

The shirt - So of course the main star of the show, is the shirt. The focal point of the outfit and the trend piece. I like to mix trend pieces with classic items in your wardrobe. I feel that this allows you to wear bigger trends in a subtle way, perfect for those catwalk inspirations in a high street way. This little number is a shirt i found on ASOS, but its actually by Mango. It was really inexpensive and perfect for those that love  something a little over sized. It has slightly wider sleeves or balloon sleeves, another trend that seems to be popping up, especially in high street stores like Zara at the moment.

The Trousers - As i said earlier i like to use classic pieces to trends to make them wearable and timeless. These black leather trousers do just that. we are still experiencing that cold weather at the moment so while this is the case, these skinny trousers are perfect. When the climates start to change i would mix up the leather look trousers with a dark grey/black distressed denim skirt for a slightly more edgier look. 

The bag - Now this little beauty is currently my pride and joy. It was a very much welcomed gift from some lovely friends and i could not be happier. It is the Balmoral flap bag by Vivienne Westwood, in this gorgeous dark green forest colour. The gold chain is just the icing on the cake, and this little bag can make any outfit pop. I love the subtle branding on it to, just a small Orb logo, very chic! I think this is a nice way to still be classic but not wear a black bag. I often like to go for something a little different when it comes to my bag collection, and this one is definitley going to stay in mine as a firm favourite. 

The shoes - Now these shoes were a quick emergency buy when i went to London for a day trip, stupidly wearing rather high heeled boots. These little beauty's were from primark, at the price of £12. What a steal! I have wanted some pointed boots for a while. I think they give a classic and quite elegant look to an outfit. I think buying a cheaper option to a product first to try it out is a great idea and is exactly what i did with these. I have now purchased another pair of boots similar but of higher quality and real leather from office, that i literally don't take off. I will link these below as even thought they may be a little bit more spendy, they are currently in the sale and a lot warmer on your tootsies *laughs*. 

Jacket - Last but not least i just briefly wanted to mention the jacket. There are so many similar options to these on the market at the moment, the classic Aviator jacket, that seems to be flooding our screens on instagram. This particular take on the Aviator jacket is from H&M, one of the more affordable styles from the range on the high street at £49.99. Its so warm and fluffy and great to throw on while its still so chilly. 

So there you have it! My take on the gingham trend, that i promise you will be seeing a lot more of over the upcoming months. Hope you liked this outfit, let me know your thoughts. Will you be making a gingham purchase anytime soon? 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

Pretty in Pink - Amy Rowley Style

So, its been ages since i've been able to post a style post on my blog, but today i'm back with a bang, with a gorgeous outfit and some awesome shots taken by a wonderful friend (her blog is here). As well as this i want to have a little chat about other subjects going on in the world, but i'll save that little ramble till later.

 First the outfit.

The star of the show for me has to be the sleeves on that jumper, now if you follow me on instagram (@amyrowleyy) you will know my love for any kind of sleeve detail. I'm obsessed. So when i caught my eye on this little beauty, i knew it had to be mine. Low and behold this jumper has actually become a giant blogger sensation, and everyone just like me, is a little bit in love. The juicy details you ask? First off, its from Marks and Spencer. Yes! Bet you didn't think i was going to say that! The price of the jumper is £35, so to me a standard price and something i will happily pay for a good quality jumper. It is clear to me that Marks and Sparks are seriously upping there fashion game, and its strong. This style of jumper also comes in grey, so if your not a lover of a splash of pink like me, fear not.  Flared sleeves were huge last season and the trend is only going to continue into the spring/summer months, so watch out for more sleeve details on the blog in the future.

I decided to pair the splash of pink with some dark blue denim jeans, skinny of course, and slightly cropped, so for a night out these are great with a pair of heels. These particular one's i picked up in Topshop a while back in the summer, they have little zip details to the sides and are high waisted. There is always something nearly identical on their website when it comes to denim, so ill find the best pairs and link them below.

Flared Jumper - Marks and Spencer 

Jeans - Topshop 

Shoes - New Look 

Bag - Zara (Sold Out :( sorry)

Now for accessories, another key and killer part to this outfit, i wanted to show off a new purchase i made a few weeks ago. I had been looking at it for weeks, and after it went down in price, twice in the sale, i knew i had to have it. Hopefully it is still available, the little grey suede delight, ended up being a steal at £29.99. For real suede and such a gorgeous design, it really was such a great bag. I can fit tons of stuff into it and have already had plenty of compliments too. The shoes tied in perfectly and i didn't expect them too. My New Look pointed courts, which were also in the sale at £11.49, couldn't have complimented the bag any better.

I think this outfit would be perfect for an evening meal or even cocktails at a bar. In this cold weather, you only want to be out for a couple of hours, and you definitely want to stay as snug as possible.

What do you think of the outfit? Do you love it as much as me?

Ramble time.

I just wanted the chance to say how proud and motivated i feel to be a woman at the moment. It's so clear to see how passionate we are becoming and also nice to find that we can support each other and stand together as one. Of course i'm talking partly about the women's march, which took place last Saturday, but also just generally. Over the last couple of months i have really started to notice a community between girls, especially in the blogging industry. It's inspiring to watch and hear, but also great to be part of something that is becoming stronger and more successful. This is just a shout out to say, that we work our arses off just like any other person, we deserve just as much as any other man, and we are BOSSING IT GIRLS!

Now thats out of the way, apologies for the change of subject, i hope you are all having a fantastic week, and have a great weekend. Please do check out my new YouTube channel as well! I'll leave a link for it here.

Thanks for reading my lovelies x

kick those January blues - 'Night in' inspiration

It's official. It's wet, windy, cold and miserable, January is right on track for being one of those months you just want to curl up in a ball on the sofa and eat your body weight in food. Those January blues that everyone talks about are in full swing, with no money and no motivation to do anything. But! There is always a solution, and we can even enjoy those weekends in, scared to leave your house in less than your dressing gown. 

So, today I thought I would talk through a couple of 'night in' suggestions for you and your friends, or even you and your partner, keeping it cosy and cute this winter. 

Fondue evening 

So me and my best friend were meant to go out on Friday night, but by the time she arrived and we had settled on the sofa with a cup of tea, we weren't going anywhere. Our reasoning you ask? The cold. So instead we got our bums to Tesco and picked up all the ingredients to have a chocolate fondue, with the added luxury of a bottle of prosecco. It was perfect and right up both our streets. We got together; marshmallows, strawberries, pretzels and plenty of Cadburys. What a feast. What's more with a few glasses of bubbly and a music channel in the background, we bought the night club to the comfort of our living room...oh and let's not forget our killer outfits...(I mean pyjamas.) 

Cheese and wine night in

So while we are on the subject of food it would be rude not to mention, the main love in my life, cheese. And yes I know it's just been Christmas and every one I know may be on a diet...but one night of feasting can't hurt surely!? 

Gather together some cheeses, grapes and wine and be those sophisticated ladies (or men) you always knew you were. Your stomach will be satisfied and so will you. 

Spa Evening

As your not venturing out of the house it's only right that you prepare yourself for when you do finally hit the town again. So what perfect time then to pamper you and your friends. Start off by doing face masks and seeing how long you can keep a straight face before you both end up in stitches. Once your skin is feeling like a baby's bottom add your favourite skin care routine to the mix, by the time you wake up you'll feel like a brand new person. You can also do foot spas, and paint your nails. A little pick me up in January can sometimes be just what you need. 

Disney movie night

Now last but not least and it has to be my favourite for obvious reasons, but get everyone together and throw yourself into the Disney princess life. I've been meaning to do this for ages with the girls, but we still haven't got round to it. What better place to be, then in a movie full of princes, singing, dancing and talking animals? 

Grab some snacks of course, in my opinion cupcakes and cocktails work best for this occasion. Sit back and revel in the world of

Disney. 

I hope you like my few suggestions to help kick those January blues with a fun packed night in. Let me know if you try any of them out. 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

My YouTube Channel...

So this has been in the pipeline and when i say the pipeline, i mean my little head, for a while. I probably watch YouTube videos more then i do read blog posts or scroll social media. So it only seemed right, that now i finally had a camera, i got my bum into gear and started up my own channel. This is completely new to me and a lot different from typing some words onto a page and pressing  publish, so as you can imagine it makes me very nervous. But nervous is good and everything else i'm doing in my life at the moment makes me feel this way so i must be doing something right ( or thats what i keep telling myself.) 

My channel will be an extension to my blog and something that runs along side it. It doesn't mean my blog will be stopping, but i just thought i would add another string to my bow as they say. I will be posting lifestyle videos, fashion videos and beauty, as well as some baking and even possible vlogging in the future. So here goes, Please head over to my channel and subscribe, leave me a comment if you are feeling extra generous. Bear with me, while i get used to the editing and lighting, that goes with them, as i said this is different to anything I've done before. 

So grab yourself a cuppa, and head over to the link below, to find out more.

My YouTube - Amy Rowley 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x 

2016 in a nutshell and looking forward...

Holy moly, where did that year go? So much has happened in what feels like such a short amount of time, but its been a whole year without even knowing it. My life changed dramatically in 2016. For starters I moved out with my boyfriend into a flat together, and changed jobs very early on in the year. Since this point i made a whole new friend group from work, and got my confidence back to where it needed to be. At this point i decided i was finally going to bite the bullet and launch my blog, which believe me when i say, i had been thinking about for not even months but years. I could happily say it was the best thing i have done in a long long time, and it has sparked something in me that i had been lacking for a while. It was a focus, a goal, and somewhere i could spark my creativity and create something i loved. I will continue to focus and improve Amy Rowley Blogspot, for the foreseeable future and after getting a new camera for Christmas i am ready to bring better quality and better content to this blog in 2017. 

Some highlights of 2016, have to be my two little trips away to Portugal and Bruges later in the year. Both were great experiences,and i can't wait to think of where to visit next. Also later in the year, we took a quick trip to Centerparcs for a quality weekend with the family. Also a lovely little break and much needed to spend some time with the loved ones, something i plan on doing a lot more this year. Which moves me onto my next exciting thing that happened very recently. I will be starting a new job this month, which although is super scary and has me all stressed out (because that's just what i do), i can't wait to dig my teeth into something exciting, and learn a new career path that will hopefully be the path for me. It's also nice to say that my blog i feel was a great part to me being successful in this new move, so here's to the future and to my career being on the way to somewhere great. 

Last but not least its important to make a little mention to another big thing for me, which is starting up my driving again and making sure i see it through until i make it happen. I am determined to have no more breaks, and no more freak outs and get myself driving by the end of the year. Positivity is key and a few important people in my life have taught me that this year. 

So here's to 2017, i'm determined to make it even better then the last, and enjoy every moment even when things don't always go to plan. I hope you all had a lovely new years eve, i spent it with my loved ones, and am enjoying a couple of days off before the crazy new year really begins for me. 

Thanks for reading my lovelies x