Blog Archives

styling a pink maxi dress

Styling a Pink Maxi Dress and Going all Jane Austen!

October 12, 2018

I’m not quite sure where the idea originally came from – it was probably just a few influences that all came together. First, I bought a maxi dress from Amazon to wear over the summer, and thought it looked a bit Pride and Prejudice. Then we happened to need to go to Bath for Chris to have his computer fixed at the Apple shop; and then I think I was inspired by the bookstagrammers of Instagram to borrow a copy of Northanger Abbey. And lo and behold, we have this fashion blog photo shoot….

craft storage solutions

Craft storage solutions for organising and sorting out my crafting stash

September 27, 2018

Craft supplies multiply when you’re not looking, don’t they? Well mine certainly have, and they were taking up too much space in my sewing room. That’s mainly because my fabric stash is currently doing the same thing! However, I decided it was time to separate the business from the hobby, and relocate my crafty bits and bobs….

40 plus fashion blogger in Bath, Somerset

Styling a short cord skirt (autumn/fall 2018 trends)

September 17, 2018

On Saturday we went to Bath for afternoon tea to celebrate Jude’s birthday. Of course I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity for a lovely Georgian Bath stone background, so I dressed in an outfit I knew I wanted to feature on the blog and Chris brought the camera with him! I had in mind a fashion video for my YouTube channel where I styled this cord velvet skirt three different ways, so I picked one of them….

how to transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn

Do you need me to tell you how to transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn / fall?

September 10, 2018

‘How to transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn’ is a typical title for blogs and YouTube videos at this time of year, but really the cynical side of me wonders why? Why on earth do we need someone to tell us how to dress? It’s not rocket science: As the weather gets colder, our clothes get warmer. Right; let’s go home! However, as you probably know by now, I love all things fashion, so I absorb this sort of content all the same. So here’s my take on how to transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn…..

Pink fairytale dress

Making a flower fairy dress for Threads of a Fairytale

September 6, 2018

I haven’t shared my work for Threads of a Fairytale here for a while, so I thought it was time I changed that! I’m also planning on blogging more often and linking more blogs with videos on my YouTube channel. There’s something about September that feels like a new year isn’t there? Even though this is the first autumn neither of our kids are starting a new term! So this dress is perfect for princess flower fairies off to the ball or alternative brides who would like to wear pink on their wedding day…..

Vintage suitcases - planning emigrating

No longer living in limbo-land! 3 tips if you’re thinking about emigrating

September 5, 2018

I feel like I’ve been living in limbo for the last two years. If you watch my YouTube channel, you may have noticed the odd subtle hint of something big changing soon. That change was a move to America for a year. At first it was a small idea that went away again when we found that we couldn’t take our dog, Loki with us. However, after our trip to Connecticut last July, we looked into it again….

Tesco F&F dress worn by fashion blogger

Styling an end-of-summer summer dress

September 3, 2018

I’m slightly worried because I had another of those, ‘Yes I’ll just buy it without trying it on’ moments the other day in Tesco. I loved the mustard yellow colour (something that’s creeping into my wardrobe more and more lately) and the ditsy blue and red floral print over it was so pretty. The ruffles confirmed the purchase in my mind. Because, you know, I just love ruffles….

black and white photography project

What to do when your photos don’t match your Instagram! (A black and white photography project)

September 1, 2018

The use of Instagram means something different to different people, and I’ll write more about my feelings on that in another post, but briefly, I’ll tell you that my Instagram, @HelenHobden is fairly curated with some of my best photography included. However, whilst away in Connecticut, slouched on the hotel-room armchair, having a break from typing; I realised that the simple scene with my feet up on the arm would look great as a square-cropped photo in grainy high-contrast black and white….

Floaty white dress worn by 30 plus fashion blogger

Styling the summer holiday white dress (Or winter portrait photography dress-up!)

August 28, 2018

This fashion blog post is going to be divided into two halves. We took some photos for this on our Greece holiday last year in the blazing hot sun; and then we did another photo-shoot in January by an ice-covered lake in America with a cozy blanket thrown over my shoulders! Anyway, better suited for this time of year, here is the perfect summer holiday dress….

Styling a mustard yellow dress

Styling the summer 2018 trends: The mustard yellow dress

I don’t remember the last time I wore yellow. I don’t think I even wore it as a child, but the muse (or something) descended, and I was inspired to buy two yellow dresses in one day! The first was a paler yellow dress from Marks and Spencer – view the style post here – and then when I popped into Primark to buy a bra to wear with it, I spotted this mustard yellow dress and picked it up too!….

which cabin bag to buy

Finding the perfect carry-on luggage. 6 Things to look out for!

Chris and I have been doing a fair bit of traveling lately, and both of us have been on the lookout for the perfect luggage. While your main suitcase, is of-course important, I think it’s the carry-on that needs to function at its best in order to fit your needs. This is particularly so if you’re traveling with only the cabin bag and not checking anything into the hold at all. I think I’ve found the perfect one, and I just thought I’d tell you about it…

summer solstice sunrise at stonehenge

Summer Solstice at Stonehenge + 7 things you need to know for next time

Summer Solstice at Stonehenge is something I’ve been wanting to do for years and years. There’s one fundamental problem though: Glastonbury Festival comes right afterwards! And you’re tired enough at Glastonbury without the added exhaustion of being awake through the night before. I’ve never been one of those people (no matter what age) who could just stay up all night and not feel it for the following week! However, this was a fallow year for Glastonbury Festival so we decided to finally do it!…..