I’ve spent the last couple of weeks spring cleaning my flat, de-cluttering and generally trying to be a bit more tidy, which is harder than it sounds when you have as much stuff as I do! Books, cameras, clothes, shoes – half of which I rarely read/use/wear but can’t bear to part with – find their way into every corner of my life. I love rummaging in vintage shops, charity shops and jumble sales, and my finds are often shoehorned into wardrobes, drawers and bookshelves – if there is an empty space, I will fill it. With (almost) anything.

My recent spring clean, particularly that of my clothes, has been very therapeutic (my bursting-at-the-seams wardrobe is certainly grateful to have lost a little weight) but it has also been very emotional. This may sound strange, but I think there is more significance lurking in your wardrobe than you’d think.

I’m a natural hoarder. In my younger years that meant keeping stickers and envelopes with my name on, now it’s magazines, clothes and accessories. As I was sorting my unwanted clothes into piles last night (for charity, recycling and selling) I encountered many flashbacks in amongst the belts, shoes and dresses.

There was my first wide, waist cinching belt that came free with a magazine about seven years ago, a polka dot tea dress from Primark that I went on to buy in every available colour during my second year of uni, when Primark was split over two dodgy, dimly-lit shops in Broadmead (now Poundland and part of Cabot Circus) and the shoes I wore on my 21st birthday. There are also pieces I’ve clung on to for sentimental reasons; gifts from my mum, vintage belts and dresses from my nan, clothes I have grown out of, or that are now too big for me since I lost weight.

I’ve kept these items not because I wear them even occasionally, but because they hold a significance that I attach to most of my material possessions. You must have a song, book, or outfit that transports you back to a particular day or period of time. I believe our clothes have the ability to capture a moment, like a photograph, and suspend it until you decide the time has come to move on.

So far I’ve given three huge bags of clothes to local charity shops, kept some back for a future clothes swap, and put worn clothes into the recycling box. I can’t say giving away memories, disguised cunningly as clothes, has been easy, but it does feel good de-cluttering my life and knowing than someone else is going to get enjoyment from things I never wear anymore.

Do you have an outfit you can’t bear to part with? Or perhaps you’ve recently got rid of a piece of jewellery or clothing that you’ve had for years? Share your thoughts by commenting below…

Burberry-Prorsum A/W12 - want, want, want!

• LFW coverage. I couldn’t make it to London and although I’m gutted I missed out on the buzz of shows, style-spotting and Somerset House, I’ve had countless sources of info to ensure I haven’t missed out. Namely The LFW Daily, jewellery designer Fred Butler’s blog and the fab Disneyrollergirl.
• Stickified Goo Goo. I’ve mentioned this Rice Krispies delight on the blog before, and I made some again as an alternative birthday cake for a friend. Making it was a bit of a disaster but my friend was chuffed to bits, hurrah!

Stickified Goo Goo

• Latin American delights. Going out to Las Iguanas for a friend’s birthday meal was awesome, and not just because we took full advantage of the 2-4-1 offer on cocktails! I got to see friends from uni that I haven’t seen in yonks, plus I discovered the best venue in Bristol for sweet potato fries*, which beats my pathetic attempts in the kitchen, hands down.
• Longest ever run. On Tuesday I took part in Sweaty Betty’s Get Fit For Free event up on the Downs and ran just under eight miles – my longest run so far. The Bath Half is only a few weeks away now, so every mile (or almost mile) counts!

*but if you know a better venue then fess up!

What has been rocking your world this week? Let me know by commenting below….

I mentioned on a recent RTW post that my friend, S, hosted a clothes swap last month. I’m a big fan of clothes swapping for several reasons; aside from giving once-loved clothes a new home, doing your bit for the environment, and usually consuming a few glasses of wine and half a bag of kettle chips into the bargain, there is the complete randomness of it.

Attend a clothes swap at a friends house, the local church hall or at an established boutique and you will be confronted with a wealth of clothes and accessories you wouldn’t normally look for on the high street. You can delve into the personal taste of others and (hopefully) find some fab new clothes to add to your wardrobe.

At S’s event there were beaded peter pan collar blouses, floral print dresses and everything in between. Anything that didn’t come home with us was taken to a local charity shop so we weren’t the only ones to benefit, plus I think we all felt a lot better for clearing out our overloaded wardrobes.

So, what did I take home? Take a look…

Denim smock dress, no label, perfect for summer

Feather-effect layered skirt, Topshop

Floral harem pants, Next. Granted, these don't look much on the hanger, but they'll look great with my white Converse and a plain tee

As well as this I also came away with a tan coloured waist-cinching belt (you can never have too many) and a pair of grey cable knit leggings, which I wore on my recent jolly to Manchester.

What’s been your best clothes swap find? Let me know by commenting below…

Eleanor Hardwick's 'Home' series

• Eleanor Hardwick. Super talented teen photographer who I fell in love with when I saw her work at a Here Gallery exhibition a few years ago. I was a student at the time and parting with £80 (or around that sum) for a photograph wasn’t even remotely an option. Now Hardwick’s images sell for around £300, even further out of my league, despite being a grown-up with a wage.
• Calling Germany. One of my bridesmaids moved to Berlin last year to follow her growing career as a freelance journalist. She reports on everything from the economy to the unrest in Syria – a world away from what I write about! It’s been ages since we spoke but on Monday we had a proper catch-up over the phone, which was lovely.
• New blogs. Since getting back into the blogging game I’ve stumbled across so many fab blogs, including Elycia and Almost Delightful – both of which have gone straight to the top of my Bloglovin‘ list.

• Early V Day dinner. Mr Ship-Shape and I don’t really do anything for Valentine’s Day, but we do always make a point of cooking a meal and eating it together. This is probably what happens for most of you every night, but our kitchen is so small, and our tastes so varied, that we choose to cook separately most of the time.  As he is away for work next week, we decided to make Friday our cooking date, making Jamie Oliver’s epic Happy Fish Pie from his latest cookbook. Words can only begin to express how flipping tasty it was, so here are a couple of photos to demonstrate.
• Poladroid. Turns regular photos into a digital version of a Polaroid. Since Impossible Project film is really expensive and a bit hit and miss with it’s exposure times, this app is perfect for a instant photography fan like me. It’s another gem that I learned about by reading Almost Delightful.

What has been rocking your world this week? Let me know by commenting below….

Treasure, Stokes Croft

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure – an excellent way to sum up charity shops, flea markets, and vintage boutiques – and those unwanted gems can now be found on Stokes Croft.  Treasure  has replaced Jacksons Autos (a shop that always baffled me a bit, as there were actual full size vans parked inside it’s tiny shop windows) on Stokes Croft. A charity shop set up by LoveBristol, Treasure actually opened last year, a stones throw away on Cheltenham Road.

Since mid-December the community charity shop has been calling this bigger, more prominent retail space home. I’ve been to both locations and while I loved the small, even pokey, feel of their last shop, I’m in no doubt that Jackson’s Autos is a great place for Treasure to grow within the community. As with any charity shop there are some great finds to be had, and this is set to increase as more and more locals donate their unwanted clothes, jewellery and accessories to the shop. Unfortunately I had to fall in love with a gilt mirror - part of the shop’s furnishings and therefore not for sale!

Money raised will be put into local community projects, so if you are a fan of the hidden gems charity shops have to offer, or have a load of clothes you need to get rid of, pay Treasure a visit and help give back to Stokes Croft.

Treasure, 100 Stokes Croft, Bristol. Visit their Facebook page here.

Me with my Topshop coat, outside Affleck's Palace, Manchester. Scarf, vintage, yellow dress, Primark, grey cable knit leggings, clothes swap, blue over the knee socks, Topshop, gery legwarmers, H&M, boots, The Boot Room.

So, you can probably tell from this snap, above, that I decided to keep the Topshop coat from my recent shopping spree – and what a wise decision - this cold snap we’re experiencing doesn’t show any sign of leaving soon! It was even colder in Manchester, my destination of choice last weekend.

I’ve only ever been to Manchester once before, years ago, and I was struck by how different everyone dressed, compared to Bristol. Not bad-different, just different. There seemed to be more heels, more make-up but equally more ironic hipster, grungy looks too. This time Mr Ship-Shape and I had to contend with snow and ice (apparently not so much of a problem in Bristol), but on Saturday night there were seasoned locals walking down icey pavements in peep toe heels! I struggled in my biker boots, squealing at the slightest wobble, so I have to respect any woman how can walk through snow in six inch heels and make it look like her own personal catwalk.

The snow did put a slight dampener, literally, on exploring the city, but I did make it to the Northern Quarter, which was recommended by a friend, and was not disappointed. There were independent shops abound, including a Manchester version of Magma, and my favourite shop – Lomography. I waffled on about the delights of this shop a bit here, but suffice to say it had me dreaming about cameras for the rest of the weekend.

I paid a visit to Affleck’s Palace, a multistory marketplace that reminded me a bit of Camden market – the only place to by your clothes when you’re a teen looking for ways to stand out and blend in at the same time. I was drawn to perspex necklaces and retro rotary-dial phones and while I’m probably a littler older than their average customer, I was excited to be in a building that felt like a destination, rather than a soulless shopping centre.

We had a wicked weekend and I hope I can go back soon, preferably when it isn’t covered in snow. Have you been to Manchester? What do you love about it and where are the best shops/cafes/restaurants? Let me know by commenting below…

Oxford Road station graffiti

Snow! The view from our hotel room

The Whiskycats, the gig we came to Manchester for, performing at Sound Control

La Sardina cameras at Lomography

More graffiti under the Oxford Road railway line

• The return of Gossip Girl. A royal wedding, the ongoing saga of Chuck and Blair, frock-tastic fashion and very pretty male cast members – what’s not to love? This week I had to restrain myself from clicking on Grazia’s Gossip Girl 100th episode spoilers – torture!
• Getting bendy. Every Monday for the past year I’ve attended a weekly yoga class. I swear I’m about as flexible as a pencil, and the yoga classes, while relaxing, only confirm this. However, this week I was pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed it, wasn’t complity atrocious at it and was closer to touching my toes than I have been since I started – result!
• Getting lost in Lomography. The only official Lomography shop in the UK outside London lives in Manchester. We went there this weekend for a gig and when I discovered this shop I was so excited I asked if I could take a photo of their amazing lomo wall, above. I wanted every camera in the shop and Mr Ship-Shape had a job persuading me to leave.
• Post-work drinks. I’ve been out twice this week for dinner and drinks with my new colleagues – once to Start The Bus – which I bloody love, and have enjoyed wine, cider, nachos and sweet potato burgers – nom!

• Dancing like a maniac to live music. As I’m quite short I tend to hide at the back or to the side of gigs, thus normally being able to see at least the heads of the people on stage, rather than being thrown around like a rag doll in the middle of a mosh pit. Last night I was at the very front of a Whiskycats gig, was able to see all the way down to the band’s trousers, see photographic evidence, above, and had a wicked time dancing with 500 other fans – brilliant Saturday night!
• Weekend papers. If you include all the supplements (appart from Sports) these usually take me till the following Sunday to read. I love it though, even if I do get my news at a slightly slower pace! Today I have mostly been reading: Independent on Sunday.

What has been rocking your world this week? Let me know by commenting below….

On Saturday I went shopping to catch the last of the sales. This happened to coinside with payday – bad idea! As a result I got carried away in Topshop and Zara, plucking out t-shirts, coats and even a bottle green blazer while in the queue for the tills. I didn’t try half of it on and now I’m torn between what I think looks good, and what I don’t really need.

So it is that I call on you, the blogging world. Do I keep these beauties or do I send them back to the shops from whence they came!?

Rusty brown coat hooded coat from Topshop, over the knee socks, also Topshop

Not my usual style but I love the colour, the leather piping and the chunky buckles. It’s a bit Red Riding Hood meets Paddington Bear, which is always a good thing in my book.I do own quite a few coats though. And it’s not really winter anymore. But, I haven’t bought a new coat for a coupe of years, and it is quite cold at the moment…

Cream devore t-shirt, Zara

This oversized t-shirt is a sizer larger than I normally wear from Zara, but I was struck by the exposed zip (unseen, at the back of the top) and the delicate devore style, plus the fact that it was only £7.99. Was this a bargain or  should it go back to the shop?

Nautical t-shirt, Zara

Chunky blue and white stripes, single breast pocket and oversized, baggy shape. I love nautical/Breton/stripy tops but I already have a couple and I’m not sure if this one is too big.

Metallic and black netted skirt, Zara

I have a confession where this impulse buy is concerned. I used to have a short, tiered skirt in a similar fabric, a bit like a ra-ra skirt, from H&M that I loved. I wore it throughout uni but I took it to the clothes swap on Friday as I haven’t really worn it for a couple of years, but instead of letting someone else take it, I decided I couldn’t part with it. Then, less than 24 hours later, I found this. It’s a little bit ballerina, a little bit Carrie Bradshaw, and the grown up version of my H&M skirt. But…does it actually suit me?

Bottle green blazer, Zara

My ultimate impuls buy – I saw it in a queue at the till and frantically tried it on while juggling my two t-shirts, a skirt and my handbag. I love it. Ok this isn’t up for judgement, I’m keeping it!

Like I said, I normally try everything on before I buy it but I was caught in a whirlwind of payday shopping. Let me know what you think – should these stay in my wardrobe, or go back to Cabot Circus? Answers on a postcard, or you could just comment below…

• We’ll Take Manhattan on BBC 4 last Thursday – Did you see it? Did you want to be Jean Shrimpton? Or any model in 60s New York? Or working for Vogue? Or perhaps you had a guilty crush on Aneurin Barnard’s David Bailey? No? just me then… If you want to see the actual shots Bailey took of Ms Shirmpton on their jolly to New York, click here (thanks to @swonderfulBride for the original link).
• Pintrest – possibly the most addictive and time consuming internet fun since Wikitrails. Although I’ve had the account for a while, I’m still getting used to it. Let me know if you’re on it too or have any great tips on who to follow for style inspiration.
• IFB’s New Year blogging goals – not so much goals as tips for setting them, this article breathes life into my blogging bones, particularly when work/life/the world is so busy at the moment. A must read for anyone new to blogging or those dragging their heels after Christmas.

• Clothes swapping – a Friday night with wine, nibbles, gossip, good company, AND the possibility of a whole new wardrobe? Like, like, like. I’m a big fan of clothes swaps and held a clothes swapping party at my place a while ago. This time all of us came away with some new treasures (and, crucially, less than we bought to begin with) and the unwanted threads are going to a charity shop so everyone wins. I’ll write a longer post next week about my finds but for now the picture of clothing carnage, above, will have to suffice!
• New blogs – my good friend and Bristol-based stylist, Amy, has take the plunge into the world of blogging. She has ridiculously good taste and has been my shopping partner in crime on more than one occasion! Take a look and say hello here.

What has been rocking your world? Let me know by commenting below…