OOTD | A Rainy Summer's Day with Happiness Boutique*

Top: Brandy Melville || Shorts: Pull & Bear || Jacket: Forever21 

Nail polish: Revlon 410 'Dreamer' || Necklace: Happiness Boutique

I was recently very pleased to receive an email from Happiness Boutique, an international online clothing and accessories store based in Berlin, asking if I'd like to try my hand at styling one of their gorgeous statement necklaces. I'll confess I was a little apprehensive at first, I'd never been much a statement jewellery kind of girl before and I didn't know if I'd be able to do the necklace any justice. However, after a bit of thought I decided I'd take a step out of my comfort zone and get on board.

Initially my main worry was how I'd incorporate a necklace like this into my day-to-day style since I'm normally quite a casual dresser. I've also only ever owned one other statement necklace which I've barely worn! However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find how effortlessly a statement piece like this managed to brighten up a fairly average, everyday look just by adding a little hint of glamour, and all without looking a bit out of place (I hope)!

When Happiness Boutique first got in touch with me I was really interested in hearing a bit more about the brand, since after reading up a bit on their story, I found their vision of promoting feelings of happiness, optimism and confidence to be a really positive concept, if not a little abstract at first! I didn't really understand how a brand could differentiate itself based on these kinds of values since surely 'retail therapy' is called therapy for a reason, regardless of where you're shopping. However, after now having tried and tested one of their products I can say that with Happiness Boutique the difference is in the details, and they definitely succeeded in brightening my day!

My necklace was shipped really quickly and arrived in this gorgeous packaging. It's very clear that a lot of energy and thought goes into the product's presentation before it's sent off to the customer, and for me it really makes all the difference! I was surprised actually since despite giving the impression of being a large online store, it's managed to maintain the personal touch of a much smaller, traditional boutique. No easy task when you have an abundance of orders to keep up with! The necklace was so intricately wrapped and presented that I really felt like I was opening a lovely gift from a friend.

In addition, it may be a cliché, but I did feel super fancy and princess-y donning this lovely piece. I fell more and more in love with it the longer I wore it, and it's been a excellent opportunity for me to introduce some much-needed glam into my wardrobe! 

Happiness Boutique's statement necklaces start at around £16 or €22. Have a look at the necklace I'm wearing. Every standard order ships worldwide free and they also have customer reward scheme whereby you receive points for writing reviews or sharing photos of your purchases on social media. These can then be traded in for rewards such as jewellery or clothing. 

This post was written in collaboration with Happiness Boutique though all views stated here are my own.

Sunday in Verse - 30 August 2015 | Castle Ward, Co. Down

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Accompanying this post are some photos from a trip to a National Trust property called Castle Ward. It sits on the banks of Strangford Lough and is actually the real-life location of Winterfell Castle in Game of Thrones. It's one of my favourite places in Northern Ireland, its grounds are so vast and so wild, there is ample space for hours of exploring. It's the kind of landscape I'll definitely miss when I'm in Spain.

Simple Monochrome | My First OOTD

T-Shirt dress: H&M || Faux leather jacket: H&M || Locket necklace: Accessorize

I'm not hugely into fashion, mostly because I'm too poor, though I'm also just not very adventurous with my style. I have a bit of a signature "look"- tights, high-waisted shorts and cardigans- that a lot of people know me by and I very seldom wear jeans or dresses. I suppose that's just what I feel most comfortable and I sometimes I find jeans a bit restrictive (I like to do a lot of movin'). However, I spotted this t-shirt dress in H&M and fell a little bit in love, despite the fact it's not really something I'd normally wear. It's actually meant to be just a long t-shirt but I'm short enough to get away with wearing it as a dress, provided I don't raise my arms too far!

All these photos were taken yesterday at Seaforde Gardens and Tropical Butterfly House. Carlo is over for another visit so we decided to take a trip out there, and he very kindly took these pictures for me- and provided the glasses for that one shot!

What have you been getting up to this week?