Holiday Shopping!

Hello all...

I'm going on holiday this year. An all-out, tacky, drinking-dancing-on-the-bar type holiday, in Tenerife. My three best friends and I are all turning 21 this year so it's a big celebration we can all enjoy, seeing as I'm up here in Glasgow and they're all still in London, and I've missed all of their birthdays since we were sixteen. I decided today that enough was enough, I couldn't wait any longer, and I was going to go holiday shopping.

Little heads-up, I'm not going on holiday for another three months, but I like to be prepared...!

I've been buying little bits and pieces since we booked in January. I'm the proud owner of two bikinis already, and some new summer dresses etc., courtesy of eBay mostly (more about that soon). But I needed some accessories, so that was the purpose of today's jaunt. I wanted some sandals, a day bag and a night bag mostly, and was tinkering with the idea of a new pair of heels.

This is my new holiday day bag! It's one of Primark's little Paul's Boutique rip-offs, but thankfully a less tacky and less obvious one (rip-off plastic bag charms, anyone?). I love the yellow and white candy stripes, and the brown pleather straps and detail and the cute luggage tag makes it look a little more expensive. It zips shut, so perfect for being away, and there's a shoulder strap too. The best bit was that this bag was only £3! Unreal. I know I'm going to use it all summer too! I hate the sloppy, casual beach bags that flood the shops this time of year - this one is a lot more 'me', more elegant and structured and a bit

more ladylike. I love it!

This is my third bikini for the holiday - I feel three might be a bit excessive for six days away but I don't care; it's a beach holiday after all! I much prefer structured bikinis with cups rather than loose ones, and this one definitely fits the bill. I love the unusual pink/purple/silvery bronze colour, and the ruffled cups are gorgeous! Unfortunately I'm going to have to swap the bottoms tomorrow - apparently breaking my bikini diet means that my weight loss has been halted! This is also from Primark, at £9 for the set.

These are my classic cheapie holiday buys. I really didn't need any more sunglasses but they were only 50p a pair, and so cute! I always lose sunglasses anyway, so going away with six pairs seems perfectly feasible to me. I actually hate flip-flops but I figured I'd need something to wander down to the pool in, and these nude flamingo ones were only a pound! I hunted high and low for sandals but I couldn't find any I liked at all - everything had toe stumps, which I hate so much. Hopefully some nicer ones will be in the shops nearer the time!

These may be my favourite buy of the day. After spending about an hour and a half in Primark (in total, I made two trips!), I wandered over to Dorothy Perkins. Normally I can't stand this shop, it never seems to have anything nice and if it does, it's not in my size. However, I hit the jackpot today. I tried on countless pairs of platform heels in Primark and elsewhere earlier in the day and everything was just enormous, so I was so pleased to find these gorgeous glittery heels in Dorothy Perkins! They aren't too high, around three inches, maybe just over, but they're so pretty I don't care. My boyfriend isn't a fan at all, as they make me around five foot ten, only an inch or so shorter than he is, but whatever... I love them. They only cost me £5 too, which is amazing! I may just save them for going away, as my friends are all around the same height as me and my boyfriend won't be there to complain!

I never managed to find an evening bag, which is frustrating. I really wanted an oversized envelope clutch, but the only ones I could find that I liked were in H&M - a nude pink glossy one and a silver glitter one to match my heels, but they were £15, which was a little more than I wanted to pay. Also, since I quit working at H&M, I really resent buying anything without my old 25% discount, boo hoo. But I may have to go back. There was also one in Primark that I was deliberating... It was white with black polka dots and bright coral around the sides too, so it would go with lots of outfits. It had a chain strap as well, so it could be a clutch and a handbag. Looking back, I don't know why I didn't buy it, but I have to go and exchange the bikini bottoms tomorrow anyway, so I might just go and get it. The trials, eh?!

Are you going on holiday this year? What's on your wishlist?

Laura Jayne xox