I have moved home.. 

See here!

Canary Lover - Yellow Street Style

I have been a long time fan of this street style blogger image. Nothing makes me want to jump up and scour the high street for a canary counterpart to vaguely mirror this very special ensemble more. Bijoux Bazaar stocks the jewels.. so now I MUST find a knit/over coat of this nature. It would be the right thing to do. 

Bryant Bloom £14.00

Hoxton Canary £12.00

Marie Claire Australia does Feathered Separates

Feathers are my go-to for an instant injection of sophistication, with casual feathers, say, an ostrich plume skirt paired with a chunky knit, my number one trend for the winter months. It's the movement that transforms an outfit.. and with skirted offerings infused with a melange of berry sequins and even in flared trouser form, what's not to love about Australian Marie Claire's spread dedicated to feathered separates?! Just divine (and totally pin-able). 

  Update : Tonight's dinner attire. Thanks for the inspo MC Aus!..

Necklace : Bijoux Bazaar

Knit : H&M

Skirt : Topshop

Shine On in Party Season Metallics!

We are officially half way through November. There are mutterings of the 'Christmas Doo' in the office, and annoyance of pre December festive chatter soon turns to absolute panic over what to wear. Personally, I take Christmas as the perfect excuse to go all out on my shiny, magpie intuition and wear head to toe metallics, sequins and shine. I've compiled a little outfit plan, as preparation is my middle name, when it comes to outfits at least. Sunglasses may be required. 

Necklace - £26.00 Bijoux Bazaar

Top - £45.00 Topshop

Skirt - £39.99 Zara

Bag - £12.99 New Look

Shoes - £59.99 Zara

Wow! I don't know why, but not blogging for over a month seems to be doing my stats the world of good... are you trying to tell me something?! I have been tweeting a lot recently, so I guess I'll put it down to that. 

The last month has all been about work work work. Bijoux Bazaar has launched, and with a response more successful than what even my delusional little brain had conjured up, I've been flapping around like a headless chicken answering emails, sending sample requests to mags and celebs, and, most importantly, making sure our super rad customers get their jewels on time. It has been quite the month.

So, I just thought I'd pop by really. Sy hello, update you all and catch up on my blogroll. You really are a fabulous bunch, aren't you?! I feel totally out of the loop.. but enjoy a Friday night blog marathon.

Here are some snaps of what things have turned into. This is kind of my life. I kinda love it.. 

Bijoux Bazaar

Helloooo! Remember me? Yes.. I've been away for quite some time. Soz 'n' chips and all that. 

If you remember, my last post was all about entrepreneurialism, creating your own career and all that good stuff that lots of Uni's should be teaching nowadays. Well, I took my own advice and am almost ready to set up my own online jewellery retailer Bijoux Bazaar.

After allllll of my internships at companies such as ASOS and fantastic opportunities at the likes of Company Magazine and Grazia, I decided to put all I have learned to good use and launch something that A.. I feel there is a need and space for, and B.. That will feed into my passion and fulfil me every day. 

The mini website is almost ready to launch, I'm just waiting for the last few designs to be delivered. I hope to grow quickly, soon with a strong editorial platform and maybe even a team by my side. 

You can get me tweeting @BijouxBazaarUK

We also have a Facebook page which I'd LOVE for you to like and follow here!

We'll be doing a lot of giveaways in the next few weeks, so give us a like and a follow to be in it to win it as they do say..

Here is a sneaky pic of some of our loot.. I hope you love!

One of the most important things I wanted for Bijoux Bazaar was that our products are affordable. Our prices will range from £6 for a bangle or a pair of cocktail studs, to £30 for a huge statement jewel necklace. Look out for us featured in your fave mags.. and please feel free to message us on any of our social media sites, or on our blog bijouxbazaaruk.blogspot.co.uk.  

I've also recently been invited to have my own fashion column in Cardiff Times.. So if you're in or around the beautiful city.. grab yourself a copy! It's on page 11 of this issue.. and features some Bijoux Bazaar goodies of course!

Cardiff Times,  July 2013.

Are Entrepreneurs the new Bloggers?

Whilst indulging in my early morning ritual of Twitter feed perusing, I can't help but notice how my following interests have changed. Gone are the days of celebrity stalking and fashion blogger swooning, as my attention has taken a turn towards the world of entrepreneurs. 

Sure, the continued success of programmes such as The Apprentice and Dragon's Den will have bumped up the public's interest, but I think the alarming ratio of graduates to jobs has a lot to answer for. 

Students go through Uni with their dream career constantly within their sights. They think that if they stay within the comforts of the right degree, and ample experience then they are pretty much guaranteed a job the moment that certificate is placed into their hands after the tapping of the cap to a round of applause. The difference is that there are just not enough jobs to go around. Some students find themselves having to settle for the gloomy world of retail whilst others trot off to pastures new to unpaid internships funded by their parents (guilty). The reality is though, that at some point that bubble will also burst.

So what's a girl/boy to do with the skill, knowledge, and experience required for the non existent role? Well, here's a thought... why not create it for yourself? It is safe to say that we are in the era of the 'start up'. People are slowly coming to realise that in order to get their dream job, then they are going to have to create it for themselves. It's amazing what a bit of brainstorming can achieve. 

As a recent graduate myself, I'm trying to lay down the foundations of my future (still seeking planning permission). My graduation from a creative industries University meant that I studied alongside photographers, filmmakers, illustrators, fashion designers, marketers, graphic designers amongst other disciplines. I had already worked alongside many of these to create my magazine, Grandeur. It would be stupid for me not to take advantage of the group of talent that immediately surrounds me, and them the same. 

So in answer to my own question, I don't think entrepreneurs are the new bloggers as in all honesty, they really are quite different. Some have even started to blur the lines and used their new found blogger fame to generate income. I do, however, think that it's time for a shift in focus as we introduce another aspirational genre of people to our noisy graduate worlds. Let's take it up a notch. 

Check out your local council's websites for courses and business grants. I've been able to attend a 4 day business start-up course, and assigned a business advisor to help me along my way on my venture. 

If you are an entrepreneur working in any industry reading this, and would like to share your story on here, you're more than welcome to reach out to me at LucySmith_Fashion@Hotmail.com.