My week in photos.

001. ENJOYING AN ICE CREAM AT MY FAVOURITE BEACH

002. A QUICK SNAP OF ME LOOKING A LITTLE BATTERED BY THE SEA

003. MY SUMMERY BRACELET FROM CHARLOTTE CLOTHIER

004. EMPTY, BUT PRETTY SUN BLEACHED HOUSES BY THE SEA

005. A COW WANDERING FREE RANGE ON THE PATH TO THE BEACH

006. MY SISTER'S BIRTHDAY CAKE, MADE BY ME

007. MY SISTER IN A PRETTY DRESS ON THE BEACH

008. OUR MINIATURE CANDYFLOSS MACHINE

009. MY TWEET FEATURED IN COMPANY MAGAZINE

010. MY PRETTY HEADBAND FROM BEAUXOXO*

011. TASTY SCONES, TEA AND DONUTS IN THE SUNSHINE

012. MY BROTHER ROCKING MY HEART SHAPED SUNNGLASSES

013. FLOWERS BLOOMING OUTSIDE OUR FRONT DOOR

014. ONE OF OUR GOATS, TALLULAH, LOOKING INQUISITIVE

015. MY SISTER ON A SUNNY AFTERNOON

016.  LUNCH AT THE LOCAL TEA ROOMS

A new feature for you all today! Sometimes I feel like there aren't enough candid photos on my blog, so I'm going to strive (for the summer at least!) to post weekly photos from my day-to-day life. This was the ideal week to start, since we've been out and about most days making the most of the wonderful weather.

So here it is - proof that there is more to my life than blogging (no, really...)!

My seasalt hair and summertime freckles.

TROPICAL PRINT DRESS FROM NEW LOOK

BRACELET FROM CHARLOTTE CLOTHIER

KITTY WEDGES FROM SOYOUSHOES*

BOATER HAT FROM NEXT

Today has been just perfect. We spent the morning at our favourite beach, Kynance Cove, where we dined on prawn sandwiches before donning our wetsuits and jumping right into the sea. We wiled away an hour swimming and jumping over waves. It felt amazing to be immersed in the salt water - it's all I've really wanted since I came home for the summer but we really haven't had the weather for it. Today the temperature finally rose above 25 degrees and there really was no place I would rather have been than bobbing in the big blue under the clear sky.

I picked up this dress in the New Look sale a couple of weeks ago for a modest £10, and I've been waiting for weather like this to wear it. It also gave me the perfect opportunity to wear my new bracelet from the lovely Charlotte Clothier - I don't often wear bracelets but this is just too sweet, especially since the colours match the dress perfectly. In weather like this I wear my boater more out of necessity than preference, I burn so easily! Luckily I've avoided sunburn so far this year, although I am getting fairly freckly...

I would also like to introduce you to my 'sea hair' (since you'll hopefully be seeing a lot of it over the next few weeks!). This is what happens to my locks when sea water has been sun-dried into it, and then I brush it through. It's just a little fluffy!

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside.

I've been mentioning my little sister's birthday party for a few weeks now, and today was the culmination of my planning! Six of her friends came over around midday and we did a barbecue for lunch, then (since it was such a lovely day) they then spread out a blanket on the lawn and played some party games. Eventually it got so hot that they initiated a full blown water fight, and eventually came back inside, soaked to the skin, right in time for fish and chips from the local takeaway for dinner, followed by this spread of cakes and birthday treats.

They're now running wild in one of our holiday cottages, watching films, making candyfloss and probably getting no sleep. It's been such a fun day - definitely worth all the planning! I was so pleased with my baking efforts (the sandcastle cake, ice cream cupcakes, blue macaroons and snowy cupcakes) and the goodies certainly went down well. We also bought a bunch of blue and cream helium balloons which I might be able to shoot a look with tomorrow if they haven't gone too limp!

I hope all of my UK readers have been enjoying the sun! I'm so pleased that summer has finally arrived - tomorrow's plan involves spending most of the day lounging on the beach, I can't wait to get in the sea!

Sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.

FLORAL PEPLUM DRESS FROM KRISP*

NUDE PEEPTOE HEELS FROM KRISP*

BLUE DETAIL BAG FROM OASAP*

BOATER HAT FROM NEXT

SOCKS FROM EBAY

I am absolutely exhausted! Today has been a long one. After shooting these photos this morning we went straight into town to meet up with a friend for coffee and a catch up, then as soon as our bus arrived back I had to start prepping for a photo shoot with a local photographer which was organised in less than 24 hours! She came over to my family's house, and we did a variety of different shots around the house and gardens. There were lots of flowers and other such pretty things - hopefully I'll be able to share some of them soon.

For now, here's an outfit I put together including some adorable pieces courtesy of the lovely people at Krisp. It seemed like fate that their deliciously summery package arrived today, since we've had more gorgeous sunshiny weather! I even stole some of my sister's antique crockery to pretty up the photos. We're going out for a friend's birthday on Sunday night and I'm considering pairing this dress with black tights and heels for an evening look.

Messy braids and siren songs.

CHIFFON COLOUR BLOCK DRESS FROM SHEINSIDE*

PINK FLORAL HEADBAND FROM NEW LOOK

RING FROM CHARLOTTE CLOTHIER

We still haven't had any beach worthy weather, however today I was so desperate to wear something summery that I ignored the clouds and threw on a beach worthy ensemble! This dress is irresistably comfortable and slouchy, and paired with messy second-day hair thrown into a fraying braid and the obligatory floral headband I felt ready to lounge on the sand and jump waves in the shallows. Fingers crossed I'll be able to soon!

I'm off to London in two weeks to sign my contract with Sapphires Model Management! I'll be there for a few days and I'd love to meet up with a few bloggers while I'm there so feel free to send me a message if you're around. Yumi have posted an interview I did about winning their model search on their blog, which you can read just over here. I'm so excited about working with them and Sapphires! Grant and I are also making progress on reorganising our engagement shoot - watch this space!

Strawberries, cream, and some exciting news!

CHIFFON ROSE PRINT DRESS FROM LAVISH ALICE*

Before anything else, I want to share some amazing news with you! If you have me on Twitter or Facebook then I'm sorry for going on about it, and feel free to skip the next paragraph...

Last month I went to the St Ives Yumi shop to enter their model search competition with Sapphires Model Management. It was here that I first encountered the brand a couple of years ago - there are some truly gorgeous shops in St Ives, but Yumi is on another level. It's all wooden floorboards and shabby chic charm. They took a few photos, I filled out a few details, and that was it. Last week they contacted me to let me know that I was a finalist, and whilst I was thrilled I didn't dare get my hopes up (which is why I was reluctant to share the news with you lovely lot until I knew for sure)! However, yesterday afternoon I received another email, informing me that I was the winner. I'm completely over the moon! The prize is supposedly a contract with Sapphires (ahhhhhh!!), a shoot in London for my portfolio, a £500 new season wardrobe and 'being the new face of Yumi'. I'm not quite sure what that means, but it's pretty exciting, right?

Anyway, enough of that for now! I'll spill more details when Sapphires get in contact next week.

I mentioned last week that my little sister was ill on her birthday on Tuesday, however she's all better now so we've spent the weekend celebrating. Yesterday we did a little shopping, and today we went to a 'Pick Your Own' farm to stock up on juicy strawberries for homemade jam (and smoothies!). It's been the nicest weather we've had for weeks, and we had so much fun piling our punnets with ripe fruit - even mama and papa McMinn got in on the action! I was so nervous about having a photo with my sister, she's such a skinny, leggy little thing! I was convinced that old size 10-12 me would look like the Incredible Hulk beside little miss size 6, however the end result wasn't nearly as bad as I'd imagined it would be!

 Afterwards we all had strawberry cream teas done the Cornish way, jam then cream (if you do it the other way round then get off this blog). It was all delicious and so well presented! We picked up a few goodies in the farm shop, and we're about to do a barbecue for dinner - this is how summer should be!

An outfit for £100: Topshop.

LACE COLLAR BLOUSE // ICE CREAM SHORTS // NUDE BROGUES

PELERINE ANKLE SOCKS // PEARL TRIANGLE RING

A couple of people mentioned on my £100 ASOS Challenge entry that they would be interested in seeing similar features in the future, and since I do really enjoy putting together fantasy outfits (anything that allows my inner shopaholic to vent!) I've decided to post £100 outfits from different shops and brands every now and again.

I wasn't sure where to start, however after a long session spent searching for ice cream prints I discovered these Topshop shorts, knocked down from £30 to £15. It seemed like a great price for such a cute, summery garment, so I decided I would use that as my starting point. I was then on the prowl for a blouse, and although this may not have been the cheapest option, I fell in love with the long lacy collar. I also love the long sleeves, especially when you've got so much leg out!

The next stop was a pair of brogues, and once again they weren't the cheaper option, however this adorable pink pair were just made to go with the ice cream shorts! I do love a good pair of brogues, and as it happens I've been on the hunt for a nice pastel pair for a while now - I'll definitely be keeping my eye on these ones!

With £10 left to spend on accessories, my first instinct was socks (I think I may have a problem..). Instead of opting for a plain cream pair, I decided on a pop of baby blue! I had £3.50 left to spend on accessories, so I took a quick peek at the rings page and this simple but sweet triangle ring instantly grabbed my attention.

I'm actually quite pleased with myself, since I managed to spend exactly £100! As much as I would love to buy everything here, I simply can't justify it, however there's a chance you may be seeing those ice cream shorts again some time soon...

£100 ASOS challenge: Milkshake sweetie.

OMBRE JUMPER // LINEN MIDI SKIRT // PEEP TOE PLATFORMS

 HALF FRAME SUNNIES // LACE TRIM SOCKS // HEART RING

TOTAL: £99

When I heard about the ASOS £100 challenge, I knew I had to join the fun! I've always been a bit of a bargain hunter, and the challenge of putting together an inspired outfit with limited means is one of my favourite things about fashion. My outfit is influenced by retro milkshake bars and sugar sweet 50s fashion, hence the bright colour palette of dazzling white, candyfloss pink and bubblegum blue.

I am a real fan of midi skirts, especially retro styles like this crisp white number. Since the skirt itself is quite demure and safe, I wanted something fun and edgy on top. As a general rule, I'm not a huge fan of ombre, however the pretty colours in this jumper are just irresistible, and the slouchy fabric paired with the crisp linen dresses the skirt down and makes the ensemble more fun. Heels were a must, and these blue platforms are bold and bright without stealing the show.

Being a complete sucker for cute accessories, I knew at once that the outfit needed a pair of frilly white socks, and this lace trim pair certainly fit the bill. I absolutely love all of the round sunglasses available at the moment, and this pair of pink half-frames are just adorable. They also meant that the accessories matched the ombre - pink at the top, blue at the bottom. Perfect!

With just £6 left to spend, I hunted down the perfect piece of cute statement jewelery, and that was when I stumbled across this chunky heart ring. Is it not the perfect, sugar-coated finishing touch?

What do you think? Would you be partial to wearing an outfit like this whilst sipping a milkshakes and tucking into an ice cream sundae?

Adventure is out there.

ROSE & BUTTERFLY HEADPIECE FROM ROUGE PONY*

ROMANTIC CHIFFON SKIRT FROM ROMWE*

KITTY WEDGES FROM SOYOUSHOES*

WOVEN PURSE FROM PRIMARK

STRIPED SHIRT FROM OASAP*

I finally took off the wig! My head feels naked, but I had to let my actual hair breath. The wig will definitely be back soon, and with another in the post (this time - mint green!) my outfit posts and definitely going to get a bit more colourful.

But for now the red is back, paired with a somewhat understated, but very comfortable combination of a slouchy shirt and floaty maxi skirt. Since I felt a bit under-dressed, I couldn't resist adding my favourite headband and my adorable kitty wedges. It's all good fun, and Grant and I had so much fun taking these photos in the garden using my parents old camera as a prop.

We're going on a 'date' tomorrow (if you can call it a date when you've been together for four years!). He's treating me to lunch at this cute local tea room and then we're going to the cinema. I've been helping out with the holiday lets all week/organising my little sister's birthday, and Grant has been working at the pub and helping out with sound on a local school musical, so I can't wait to actually get out of the house and do something together!

Pink wafer biscuits were always my favourite.

POLKA DOT SCALLOP DETAIL SHORTS FROM SOLILOR*
DAISY HEADBAND FROM CHARLOTTE CLOTHIER

BLUE SCALLOP DETAIL BAG FROM OASAP*
LOOSE STRIPED SHIRT FROM OASAP*
HEELS FROM DOROTHY PERKINS

Just to reassure anyone out there wondering, I won't be wearing the wig in all of my outfit posts from now on, it's just that it's still a novelty at the moment! After having red hair for years it's refreshing to have a change. I still love the red, and I don't have any plans to change my actual hair colour, but getting this wig has opened my eyes to how fun it can be to change your hair colour for the day!

I only wear shorts/trousers on the odd occasion, so it must be a special day! However I've still packed in my daily quota of frothy girlishness with lots of scalloped details, dolly colours and my lovely daisy headband courtesy of Miss Charlotte Clothier. I do wonder if I should try and put aside my skirts and dresses more often, and perhaps if there were more shorts out there like this then I would actually make that leap.

But for now I intend to keep twirling around in pretty tea dresses and layered skirts!

Candyfloss kisses, marshmallow dreams.

STUNNING ROSE AND BUTTERFLY HEADPIECE FROM ROUGE PONY*

MAGICAL KEY DOUBLE RING FROM CHARLOTTE CLOTHIER

ROMANTIC CHIFFON SKIRT FROM ROMWE*

LACE BRALET FROM RIVER ISLAND

PINK/BLONDE WIG FROM EBAY

When Karin from Wunderlust got in contact with me and proposed that she sent me a handmade headpiece, how could I refuse? If it wasn't already enough that her blog is one of my firm favourites, the offer became even more enticing when she said that she had a particular design in mind for me. I was intrigued to find out what she was going to make, and when I finally unwrapped it this morning (fingers trembling in anticipation!) I was absolutely delighted to discover this cream, rose and butterfly masterpiece. My love of headpieces is no secret, but the thought and detail in this piece still managed to blow away my expectations. It's delicate and striking in equal measure, and I am quite sure that I want to be buried in it.

If it weren't already enough that this stunning headpiece had arrived today, my new candyfloss pink streaked wig came too! This purchase was inspired by the scenes in Marie Antoinette where Kirsten Dunst sports candyfloss pink curls with a floral wreath - if I could get away with dying my hair this colour, then I definitely would, however I swore off bleach many years ago and I am just too comitted to red. So I ordered this wig as a form of compromise - now I can stay true to my red tresses, but also have the candyfloss curls of my dreams!

Since the combination of the wig and headpiece is fairly extravagant, I kept the rest of my outfit quite simple. The black bralet gives this romantic Romwe chiffon skirt a slight edge, and the heart shaped sunglasses and double ring add a playful finishing touch. All I need now is a stick of candyfloss!