I've been moving mountains that I once had to climb // OOTD

Me again, another OOTD. You know the drill by now, folks.

Ripped jeans are something I never really saw myself wearing, but when I spotted these in the Missguided sale I thought hey - why the heck not? They fit like a glove and just love 'em. My top is a Primark basic crop top that I bought last year alongside a grey one, and I chuck these on aaaalll the the time with various things.

Bumbags are such a summer staple, and even though we're edging into Autumn I still love mine. It's from Missguided again, as are my snake print slip-on shoes which are sooooo comfy. My necklace is also from Missguided (y'all sensing a theme - I did win a year's supply of clothes from there, so you see my reasoning...) and it's not something I'd usually go for but it looks so pretty on!

Sorry this one is so photo-heavy, but as Kim K would say - I was feelin' my look!!!

But I do it for the love, waitin' on the gold rush // OOTD

Hey, hi, hello. I'm back with another outfit post for ya because I enjoy doing them so why the heck not! Here goes nuthin'...

I love a bargain, and this striped smock dress from Primark was a whole THREE QUID in the sale. I queued up just to buy this, because there was nothing else I liked but I just couldn't leave it there. It's one of those 'chuck on and go' pieces, which everyone needs in their wardrobe if you ask me. The lacey crochet cover up thing is also from Primark - last year, but it's something that they bring out every summer!

Embarrassingly, I own about 25 pairs of little frilly socks. These particular ones are from New Look and have adorable flowers on - they were a birthday present from my dog. My shoes are from Missguided, and they're what I call my Ugly Shoes; they aren't actually ugly, but they sort of... are? My bracelets are from all over the place, including some I've made myself. Sassy. My Ny-Lon bag* is making an appearance again, because I bloomin' love it.

Photo credits to my girlfriend, as always. I love this outfit - any excuse to wear frilly socks, they truly are my favourite fashion item!

We were born to run, Cali here we come // August OOTD

It's been a hectic few weeks, but I managed to snap some outfit photos so I can show you what I've been putting on ma bodaaayyy. So, yeah, like... enjoy!

This t-shirt dress is from Missguided, like the majority of my clothes are since I won their Black Friday "year's supply of clothes" competition. It's oversized, soft, comfy and pink - all of which I love. But it's grungey at the same time, and you can dress it up or down. Amazing. I've paired it with knee high socks for a little bit of sass, and my go-to shoes: black heeled Chelsea boots, again from Missguided. I can't explain how damn comfy these are - I have them in grey too because they're a dream to wear and go with pretty much everything. Sorry you can't see them too well - they're a bugg to photograph!

My 'Hello Gorgeous' tote bag* is by Ny-Lon, who you can find at Utility if you're Liverpool based! Their bags retail for around £20 and they're such good quality; I just know this will last me years. My choker is from good ol' Primarni and my watch is a mini Casio. It beeps daily, for no reason.

Keep your eyes peeled for some more OOTDs - did you like this one? Let me know if you have any tips and tricks for outfit photos too.

Want to see an old post with some outfit inspo from Topshop? 'course you do

Last minute holiday accessories haul

I never ever do haul posts because I suck at taking decent photos of things, but the sun is cracking the flags today so I thought I'd try and get some snaps of the little bits I picked up ready to jet off to Spain on Sunday!

Bug eye sunglasses don't suit me at aaaallll but who cares, I don't want my eyes to burn and I can just pretend they look good. They're tortoiseshell print on the frames too, ooh la la. These were literally £1.50 so even if they just last the week I'll be pleased as punch. I got two packs of 9 pairs of earrings, setting me back a cool £2 for each pack. Oh Primark and your jewellery bargains. I got a gold-ish set and a silver set; they're all quite similar and they're all the sort of earrings I wear.

I got myself a dainty little anklet, which is a gold sort of tone and has three chains around it; I've never found an anklet that isn't massively annoying, but we'll see how this goes! It was also £1.50 and I can't wait to wear it with my jelly sandals and an outrageously printed outfit. Last but not least I bought some summery bobbles; this kind of bobble is soooo comfy - they're very similar to Popbands which are just fab, so at £1.50 for 6 I couldn't leave them there. The patterns are adorbs.

There's my teeny weeny holiday accessory haul; I also got a pale pink passport case to use when I'm travelling. I'm sooooOOO excited. Are you going anywhere nice this year?

Spring/Summer eBay wishlist

Honey Bee print // I am soooo obsessed with bees for no discernible reason, and this print (which is actually on a vintage dictionary page) is so cute, and I think it will look precious in my new uni room when I move house in September. click here

Yellow lace bralet // Okay so I definitely don't suit yellow, as a rule, but I think this with high waisted jeans and a massive checked shirt this will look fabulous.click here

Pink jelly sandals // These remind me so much of my childhood, and I had a pair two years ago but I wore them to death so it's about time I replaced them. Sam and I are hopefully going to Budapest this year, and I can't think of a better pair of shoes to see the city in! click here

Cat eye sunglasses // I normally go for aviator styles or those massive ones that make me look slightly like a bug, in a good way, so I thought maybe this year I'd go for something a bit different. We'll see. click here

Jurassic Park t-shirt // Oversized t shirts with a body con skirt or a pair of denim shorts, is literally my staple outfit in the summer time - so I love stocking up on fun t shirts. click here
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eBay wishlist // February

It's been ages since I've put together a post about the things in my eBay basket, so here we go...

1. Blue tattoo choker, £1.89 + free p&p // I love chokers and I'm so glad they're back in fashion; I have a black one which I wear all the time, so I think a blue one would be a nice way to switch things up a bit. CLICK HERE

2. Black zipped chunky boots, £9.99 + £2.99 p&p // I am obsessed with boots that have a chunky heel. I think they're an effortless way to dress up an outfit, plus they make me look taller than I am which is always a bonus. I have a grey pair and a cut-out white pair, but I'm yet to add a black pair to my collection! For less than £13 can you really go wrong? CLICK HERE

3. Grey co-ord, £18.99 + £3.95 p&p // This one is very Kim K inspired, and I'm a huge fan of co-ords, plus I really like this colour. It's my brother's birthday soon, so I might make a lil purchase. CLICK HERE

4. Slogan jumper, £14.99 + £3 p&p // Everyone knows the importance of eyebrows these days, and I live in oversized jumpers when I'm at uni so this is right up my street! CLICK HERE

I'm supposed to be saving, as I'm off to Berlin this month, but I can't help lusting after all these things... AGH.

DAILY DECEMBER #7 // Christmas party shoes

I've showed you my pick of this years party dresses and now it's time to glam up your peepers too - so I've found my favourite glitzy party shoes for you to get some inspiration from!

1 - Gold trim heels, £49, Miss Selfridge // Black heels are a must in every girl's wardrobe, and I think the lovely gold bit on these makes them stand out a little. click here

2 - Cream faux fur heels, £58, Topshop // I love the new trend of fluffy shoes and it's no exception with these, I think they look so classy! The block heel means they're probably be quite comfy too. They're a little pricey but I adore them... click here

3 - Holographic block heels, £19.99, New Look // The holographic trend is one that was big in Summer and I still really like it, and silver is a perfect party colour especially for those glitz & glam nights in December! click here

4 - Two part glitter flats, £38, Office // I had to throw in a pair of flats for those of us that don't have the strength for stilettos, and I think these are particularly gorgeous. click here

I hope you've found some inspiration in some of these shoes! Enjoy any parties you might be going to, and above all stay safe (I know I sound like your mum...) Don't forget to check out #thelilacscrapbook on Instagram to keep up to date with my December Photo Challenge - @katygilroyblog 

Want to see a high end clothing wishlist? 'course you do

eBay Wishlist // Best Dressed

Excuse the pun, but this eBay wishlist post is dedicated solely to dresses. Next week will be something else but I'm keeping that hidden for now!

1 - Black long sleeved lace body con dress, £2.39 + £5.99 p&p // I love black dresses, I think they look so classy! And the low cut style of this adds a bit of sexiness if that's what you're after. Plus it's super cheap. What's not to love? click here

2 - Black fluorescent print body con dress, £5.95 + free p&p // This dress is originally from Topshop but it's being sold on eBay for a fraction of the price. My friend actually has this from Topshop, and I borrowed it once so when I found it on eBay I was overjoyed! click here

3 - Blue eyelash floral lace dress, £19.99 + free p&p // I've never seen such a pretty dress AGH. I definitely don't have the figure for this but if I did it would hands down be my Christmas party dress. You can get it in black too. click here

4 - Little Black Dress t-shirt dress, £4.955 + £1.99 p&p // Casual dresses are something I love, and this is just one of those that I think would look amazing. Slogan prints have been big in fashion this year too! This one is defo on my Christmas list. click here

5 - Burgundy heart print collared dress, £11.95 + £2.95 p&p // This one is originally a River Island dress from last A/W, and even though it's a year old it's a style and colour that's very much still in fashion, as well as not breaking the bank. Fabulous. click here

The Beauty Blogger Tag

I personally love 'tag' posts, as I think it gives you more of an insight into the person behind the blog! I found this tag on Rachel's blog 'Beauty And The Bird - check her out here - and I thought I'd give it a go.

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

Annoyingly in between - but I straighten it if I'm going anywhere nice.

2. What is your natural hair colour?

Blonde, although the colour it is now isn't natural.

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I dye it myself, aint nobody got time for salon prices.

4. How often do you wash your hair?

Most days, and I kick myself for getting into that habit!

5. Do you wear the same style everyday or change it?

It's different every single day.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I paint my nails myself but if I want something fancy I go to the salon.

7. How often to you change your nail polish?

About twice a week, because my collection is huge and I just wanna use it allll!

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?

Year round, because nobody likes ugly toes.

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?

About fifteen minutes.

10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face.

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I just buy what I need but I wish I had the money to collect it...

12. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

About twice a year - my eye are so small that most of the time, false lashes look ridiculous on me.

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Nope - only if I'm going somewhere where I'm bound to see loads of people.

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?

I'm too lazy for that.

15. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Absolutely.

16. How many high end products do you have?

A few - I have the Naked Palette, some MAC stuff (is that classed as high end?), two Benefit mascaras and a Bobbi Brown eyeshadow which I use on my brows. Oh and my beloved Givenchy lipstick.

17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?

Not nearly often enough. I'm disgusting, I know.

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

I just decide when I'm getting ready, unless it's a special occasion.

19. How often do you change your handbag?

Toooooo many times. About as often as I should wash my make up brushes.

20. What time do you get up & go to sleep?

I have trouble sleeping and I'm usually awake until the early hours, but the time I get up totally depends on whether I have uni, what day it is etc etc.

21. How often & when do you workout?

Never. I just don't enjoy it. I'm starting badminton when I go back to uni though, so hopefully that will kick start some sort of exercise for me!

22. Left-handed or Right-handed?

Right handed.

23. How tall are you?

I think I'm 5'4 but I can't remember.

24. Do you speak a foreign language?

Nope, just English.

25. How many pets do you have?

Just the one, a shih tzu called Macy.

26. How often are you on Blogger?

Literally most days, unless I'm away or super busy.

27. Do you read the comments posted on your blog?

I do, not that there's many!

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

If something catches my eye then I keep it in mind or make a note in my phone.

29. How did you come up with your blog name?

It's actually the name of my favourite album by Australian singer Missy Higgins. Probably some sort of copyright breach too.

30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?

I use my phone, because my laptop won't recognise memory cards so anything else would be pointless.

31. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other)

Every couple of weeks (I live in a student house though, so if it's particularly messy after a big night out or a party, it gets cleaned then too!)

32. What is your favourite colour?

Lilac.

33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine?

It was Company Magazine (RIP), so now I'd have to say Glamour.

34. Do you swear?

Not on blog posts (as far as I know I never have...), but in reality I have an awful habit of it.

35. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

Nothing until this evening then it's out for a few drinks with the gal pals.

I hope you enjoyed reading my Beauty Blogger Tag, and if you're reading this then feel free to do the tag too! If you do, tweet me a link or leave it below so I can see how your answers compare to mine.

Wishlist // Winter Coats

Autumn is fast approaching and for us poor sods in the UK, that means colder and wetter weather. I'm on the hunt for nice warm winter coat, and I don't want to revert to a Parka as I usually do - not that there's anything wrong with them, I just fancy a change! So with that in mind I decided to put together a little wishlist containing the best coats I've seen so far.

1 // Boyfriend Coat, £40, Matalan - I actually tried on this pale bluey/lilac boyfriend coat when I was shopping with my parents, and it's just the softest cosiest thing EVER. Coats are never cheap, but £40 is a decent price in my opinion (not that I'm too eager to part with the money...), and it seems to be really well made. My mum said it really suited me so I think I might have to splash out! It's oversized and made of "boucle" material, which is a sort of wool but isn't at all itchy. Pockets are always a bonus, and they do it in black too if you want to carry on the monochrome trend.

2 // Aileen Textured Wool Look Boyfriend Coat, £45, Boohoo.com - Pink isn't a colour I'd normally go for when it comes to coats but this year I've seen a few really lovely pink coats; this one looks really smart and structured, although I'm not sure how good the quality would be. Again it has pockets, which I think is a definite must with any coat.

3 // Check Print Jersey Coat, £75, Topshop - In my opinion this is ridiculously overpriced considering it's made of jersey, meaning it's likely to be quite thin and not warm whatsoever... but it looks absolutely gorgeous, and the check print is really in fashion lately. I personally wouldn't spend £75 on it but I wish I had the money to do so!

Out of all the coats, the baby blue Matalan one is my favourite and I might buy it next week when I've psyched myself up to part with £40!

Ps, I have a Twitter and Instagram for my blog if you didn't know - both are @katygilroyblog so come and say hi.

OOTD // A Family Party

This is my first ever OOTD post so it won't be great, and any feedback would be much appreciated! It was recently my mum's best friend's 50th birthday, so we had a big family/friends party in the house - I thought I'd show you what I wore and how I styled it.

My dress is from Topshop - I got it in the sale a few months ago, around Easter-time, so it's not available any more sadly. There's a few floating around eBay though. I adore this dress because I think it looks so much more expensive than it was, and it looks really vintage. It's such good quality and it's also flattering which is always a good thing! It's quite a delicate and girly dress; I paired it with some heeled Chelsea boots (mine are off eBay but you can get anywhere!) to grunge it up a little bit. I accessorised with silver hoop earrings and few faux-pearl bracelets. I think these tied in with the dress well due to the cream colour of it.

Dress - Topshop / Boots - eBay

I really hope you enjoyed this quick OOTD post, like I said it's my first so it's probably rubbish and I know I should have taken more photos!

My eBay Basket #1

I know Victoria already has an amazing series of these posts and mine will be nowhere near as good as her's, but eBay is literally my go-to when it comes to buying literally ANYTHING - so I thought I'd show you what's in my basket this July.

Skirt - click here! As you might be able to tell, I'm massively into prints. I'm also a huge fan of the monochrome trend which is floating around right now; so this midi skirt is absolutely perfect for me, and a steal at £9.99

Shoes - click here! I loved the geek-shoes trend when Topshop were doing them, and I even bought a pair of the Primark ones. I love anything shiny, too, so these are a definite winner for me. Paired with some frilly socks, they'll look fab and especially for only £9.99

Shirt - click here! This is actually an ex-Topshop piece, so it may be controversial, but I love it when people are selling "factory seconds"/returns on eBay because for me, Topshop is so overpriced. I love this shirt though, and it's actually been reduced to only £6.95 - plus lilac is my favourite colour sooooo...

Co Ord - click here! Two pieces are so in this year, and like I said, I'm a lover of prints (especially vintage looking florals) so this is just spot on as far as I'm concerned. Again it's only £9.99 so you can't really go wrong, especially as both parts can be worn separately too!

So there's nothing too exciting in my eBay basket at the moment as it's just been my birthday so I did order a few of the bits I'd had my eye on; hopefully I'll do these monthly or maybe even once a fortnight - I'm eBay obsessed* so I've loved writing this post! *Not sponsored

My Top Picks of the Topshop Summer Sale

I thought I'd put together a few outfits from my favourite bits that have made their way into the Topshop sale this time around; all the outfits come to under £50 each, which is pretty good for an entire outfit from Topshop if you ask me...

I think this is my favourite of all the outfits; I adore the skirt especially. Denim skirts are so retro and they're not something which are too everyone's taste, but the pattern on this just makes it even more lovely. Sandals are always a winner in the Summer, and a short-sleeved light knit is a must for those temperamental evenings. The light colours in this outfit tie together well, with the blue of the jumper really bringing out the pretty colours in the skirt. LOVE IT.

I love the complete clash of black and white with the stunning neon pink, mixing complete classiness with a pop of fun. The skirt is to die for, and with florals being in every year it's something you can keep in your wardrobe forever. Jelly sandals are one of my favourite pieces of summer fashion, bringing the 90s vibe into the outfit in the gorgeous Barbie pink colour. With the cropped style of the top and the skirt sitting just on the waist, this is definitely a flattering outfit for those Summer evenings.

I love the trend of putting two completely different patterns together - so the gingham and floral really appeal to me here because they're so different from each other yet both so nice. Both pieces are so versatile, and Topshop leggings are always so comfy. The heels turn this outfit from casual daytime wear to something you could easily wear on a night out with your friends. 

* All items were available at time of writing.

* Non-sponsored post.