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AD |Experience TK Maxx with me

This post is a paid partnership with TK Maxx, all thoughts and views my own

There comes a time in every blogger’s career that when a certain brand/business gets in touch, you squeal in excitement. When TK Maxx got in touch a few weeks ago, this is exactly what happened. Be it TK Maxx in the UK or TJ Maxx in the US, I have been a shopper there since my mid-teens. While some may shy away from the stores and moan that they can never find anything in there, I believe it’s because they haven’t spent enough time looking. Each individual store is a treasure trove of possibilities, you must enter with an open mind and let your hands and eyes do the exploring without a time frame. TK Maxx has big labels, small prices and ridiculous possibilities if you give it a chance.

So this is where my journey took me (with Alice in tow) on a sunny Tuesday in September. I usually frequent my nearest TK Maxx stores in Braintree Village and Ipswich Town, and so I was inordinately excited to be visiting the largest one in the UK on Oxford Street.

Our journey had a bit of a rocky start, half way into London our train was cancelled so we were taken back to where we started and had to drive in instead. Nevertheless I was still in a great mood and looking forward to meeting our guide for a VIP tour of the newly-opened establishment. 

Upon entry into the store we were greeted with skincare and handbags- two categories I just love to peruse. We walked through to find jewellery and then at the back there was a lift (which I definitely needed with Alice, a buggy and a suitcase in tow!). We took each floor at a time until we found homeware, kidswear and toys. Needless to say our tour guide (Miss Alice Schaefer) led me and our real guide straight to the toys, and there she fell in love with a fish named Flippy.

After finding a wealth of exciting things to play with we headed to my most favourite section of all- homeware. If you like a bit of organisation, then feast your eyes on this gorgeous snap…

Yes, there are lots of different types of kitchenware items BUT they are so exquisitely unique and assorted by colour you are easily able to find a colour scheme that fits your agenda. Shop by colour, not by item is definitely the perfect attitude to adopt in this section and you will be guaranteed to find some gems no matter what you are looking for.

We had endless fun playing hide and seek in the pillow section

At the moment I am going through a massive organisation phase. After seeing Marie Kondo’s ‘Tidying Up’ show I am on a mission to find a place for all my belongings and that normally means a storage box or three. This next wall made my heart flutter, I want all of them!

To sum up my visit to TK Maxx, I would say that I was blessed to arrive on time despite the train debacle, super impressed with each unique section on each floor and definitely satisfied with the prices of everything I bought. At TK Maxx, prices are up to 60% less than the RRP so it’s not just another high street store. What you can’t bargain on is that things will stick around, so make sure you head in-store or online to find exactly what your home needs this season.

Saharasplash x

If you enjoyed this post, why not check out another before you go? Being a Blogger without a Photographer is waiting for you…

saharasplash

Doing London Fashion Week my own way

London Fashion Week has ever so quickly come and gone again, and although I didn’t attend any shows this season, I did venture to London to do some catwalking of my own. I met with Surrey-based photographer Lucy Hooper to help me capture some shots wearing Femme Luxe Finery (gifted). We met at 12 o clock in West London and it was unfortunately pouring down!

The rain was not going to stop any time soon, so we decided against the usual South Kensington, white house backdrop and dove into a nearby cafe to get some inspiration with a nice cup of tea and cake.

I just love how wonderfully well these turned out- you can’t go wrong with a mustard cable knit and faux leather leggings on a dreary day. The cafe’s sultry interior made the outfit fit right in as I enjoyed a gluten free red velvet cupcake. As the rain wasn’t prepared to subside for us, we then took to the London Underground to capture some urban shots on the tube. Even though it was rather packed around central London on a Monday afternoon, we still managed to whip the camera out and create some magic moments…

Our next stop was Covent Garden, a place that is swarming during London Fashion Week with people from all over the globe- mostly wearing black vinyl trousers, stompy boots and trench coats. Although that’s not really my style, I couldn’t wait to get changed into outfit number two, a burnt orange jumpsuit! I decided to wear the jumpsuit with a cropped teddy jacket and satchel bag to compliment the warm tones. I love how all the pieces went together to create a stylish yet effortless look. As the weather was still a bit drizzly, we took cover under some of Covent Garden’s pillars to start our next lookbook. The lighting was just right on the cloudy day, just perfect for what we had in mind. We also found a lovely corner filled with plants that really made the high neck jumpsuit stand out from the crowd.

Pillar and plant poses accomplished, we made our way down to Freemason’s Hall, a prime location for budding fashion enthusiasts. Most of LFW’s Fashion Scout shows are held here so we tried our luck to see what was happening. But we found that nothing was happening outside when we arrived, as a show was taking place inside. Timing is everything during Fashion Week, so we made use of the empty, stone steps to create our own catwalk look.

I have never been able to get a good walking shot before, but Lucy managed to pull it off no problem, and it only took about three takes! I decided to save my final look until I got back home as the weather was not letting up. Make sure to keep an eye on my Instagram page for the last look coming soon.

Even though LFW passed me by this time, I still felt that same energy and excitement on that day in London, knowing the whole city was abuzz with models, paps and designers freaking out. We did it in such a relaxed way, I might book another solo photoshoot for fashion week in September! My final word of wisdom: Make the city your own catwalk every time you go exploring, wear each outfit like you mean it and hold your head up high with confidence.

Saharasplash x

Thanks to Femme Luxe Finery for collaborating on this post and to Lucy Hooper Photography

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