My best of 2012

Yesterday, I looked at my favourite outfits from the year. I'm going to continue on this theme by looking at my favourite posts from the year.

5 style icons that I just don't get

I loved writing this post. It was great to get all those thoughts off my chest and, even better, I discovered that I wasn't the only one who felt that way. I'm reassured to know that, a year on, I still feel the same way about each one. Nice to know that blogging hasn't changed me! 

Treasures

Is it a taboo to admit that February 2012 produced no interesting blog posts? I was a very new blogger and didn't really know what I was doing! I chose this post- basically a boasting of what I bought on payday- for sentimental reasons. It was my very first payday as a teacher and I was able to splash out on myself for the first time ever, all paid for by myself. Independent women, holla!

24th March 2012

I chose this as my favourite outfit of March but it's also my favourite post. I'd just bought these Vogue sunglasses that I'd been eyeing up for months, it was the first warm day of the year and I was in a fantastic mood! 

13th April 2012

I went to London and I had just discovered Instagram. Cue loads and loads of photos.

Catwalk Copycat: Meadham Kirchhoff

The time I discovered Meadham Kirchhoff. I have to admit, May was pretty rubbish for posts too. I guess I was still finding my feet. June is when it really picked up.

Diamond Jubilee Street Party

June was the month that I became a lifestyle and fashion blog more than a shopping blog. It was also the month that I really knuckled down on improving Becky Bedbug and finally developed a consistent look to my layout and photos. It was hard to choose a favourite post but I had such a great time at the street party, I settled on this.

Books that shaped me

As a literature fan, I loved delving into the bookcase and picking out the 5 books that made me who I am today. 

Warner Bros Harry Potter Studio Tour

I did so much in August that it was difficult to choose my favourite thing. However, visiting the Harry Potter Studio Tour was a huge highlight. 

London Fashion Week street style

I went to London Fashion Week! It was on my bucket list and I had so, so much fun. Although, I have to admit, I was pretty terrified as well!

27th October 2012

The time my best friend and I made a full-scale Timmy Turner to take to a rock club's Halloween party dressed as Cosmo and Wanda.

Halloween Party

Yes, I know Halloween is in October, but I published the post in November. I'd always wanted a Halloween party and I'd never had one. This was a good day!

Christmas Eve

My favourite day of the year! 

Top Outfits of 2012

With the end of the year approaching, and my first blog birthday just gone, I thought now was the perfect time to look back on my favourite outfits of the year. 

January: Red and blue. My favourite colour combo! 

February: Violet and mint for the approaching spring.

March: More violet and mint, plus the sunglasses get their first outing! 

April: Marc Jacobs for a vintage gypsy look. 

May: Sky blue florals all round. 

June: Rose prints and tennis shoes, Wimbledon style! 

July: The beehive is born!
August: A 1960s tennis dress to celebrate the Olympics.

September: J.W.Anderson bat print makes for an early Halloween.

October: Woof woof!
November: Nautical stripes and skater skirt. 

December: Meadham Kirchhoff to celebrate my first blog birthday. 

29th December 2012

 Dress: Topshop

Today I decided to brave the rain and head out to the charity shops. I'm currently making a skirt from vintage fabric using a vintage pattern and I know that one of the local charity shops sells vintage zips. However, after battling my way through the rain to get there, I discovered it was closed until after New Year's Day.

I was annoyed, then I passed the bakery and picked up this beauty. Suddenly, things didn't seem so bad. 

Review: ghd Paddle Brush

As you may have noticed, I love me a beehive. This is mostly down to the fact that my hair is so curly that I can do nothing else with it other than straighten it, kill it with backcombing and suffocate it in hairspray. My hair is a big thing for me. For years, it's been the bane of my life, so I'm ecstatic to have finally discovered my go-to style. 

So when ghd sent me this paddle brush, I was over the moon! Ghd, pretty much the only name in hair straighteners, have extended into a ghd hairstyling range, featuring a selection of brushes, combs and hair products.

I was sent this paddle brush which was pretty much the best thing to send me. Paddle brushes are perfect for brushing out my beehives and for the past 6 months, I've been using the tiniest little mini paddle. The ghd paddle brush was just what I needed.

Let me start by telling you, this brush is big! It's also pretty heavy so it took me a little while to get used to. Once I got the hang of it though, it was great. It has a really sleek style. I never put much thought into how my brushes looked until I saw this design. It does have a real look of quality.

The bristles are firm but gentle on the scalp, and the cushioning ensures a comfortable brushing experience. It seems pretty sturdy. I'm not going to test this by chucking it around, but the good weight on it leads me to believe that it's robust enough.

This brush is perfect for me. It reaches right through my thick hair and creates a smooth finish. I recommend it if you're in the market for a good-quality paddle brush. 

My first blog birthday!

 Sweatshirt: Meadham Kirchhoff
Skirt: Topshop

I'm so excited! Today is my first blog birthday! I am the sort of person who starts up a lot of hobbies, becomes obsessive about them for a few weeks and then forget all about them. I honestly thought that my blog would be another one of these. In fact, it wasn't even my first blog. I had a couple that had lasted around 2 months before disappearing into the depths of the internet.

However, 12 months on and I am still going. It has just gone from strength to strength and I love it! I want to take this moment to say thank you to all my readers. Whether you're one of the old faithfuls or a brand new discoverer, it means so much to me that you enjoy reading about my adventures. Thank you!

My Meadham Kirchhoff sweatshirt turned up this morning. It's so gorgeous! As soon as I put it on, I wanted to float around like an otherworldly unicorn princess, so I teamed it with my sequin skirt, double top knots and a Christmas ribbon. I look like a present, which is pretty apt for today! I am my present to myself!
I made (bought and then iced) a cake to celebrate! 

Call to Sponsors: January

Well, it's a new year and that means a new start! I started offering sponsorships a few weeks ago and now I'm ready to put my heart and soul into helping you reaching out to the (frankly awesome) readers of Becky Bedbug.

If you're a blog or a business, big or small, and you're interested in sponsoring Becky Bedbug, I'd love to hear from you!

All sponsors get an advert in my sidebar for 30 days, reaching out to my 700 followers on GFC and Bloglovin'. You also get a shout out on Twitter and, with the Dinosaur Bear, Daddy Bear and Mummy Bear options, featured in a sponsor post on Becky Bedbug. 

Prices start from just $6/ £3.70 so there is an option to suit all budgets!

Full details can be found on my sponsorship page. I'm also happy to host giveaways and sponsorships, so I look forward to having you onboard!

Christmas 2012

Jumper: J.W.Anderson for Topshop
Dress: Topshop

I had a lovely Christmas day! A very lazy day, but a lovely day nonetheless. I won't bore you with all my presents, other than to say that I got a lot of Topshop, a lot of perfume and a lot of chocolate! I'm a very happy bedbug! 

Guess which stocking is mine! 

I really, really love The Gruffalo! 

Our Christmas tree complete with all my our presents. 

Super cute wrapping paper from my mum.   

Rich got me a Diana +. I'm so, so happy!

I hope you all had a lovely day and Santa brought you everything you wished for! 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you're all having a wonderful day!

Christmas Eve

Top: Primark
Skirt: Topshop

Boots: Kurt Geiger

Christmas Eve is a big deal for me. I like to get dressed up for our annual visit to church. I saw this skirt in Topshop weeks ago and I knew instantly that it was perfect for my Christmas Eve outfit. It is impossibly sparkly and glitters with all colours of the rainbow. It's beautiful and I love it! 

Hey, by the way, who wants to see an obscenely cheesy holiday photo of me?

I promise that this was taken in jest!

So my mum and little bro turned up ready to take us to the church. It looked beautiful with Christmas lights on the trees outside. The church was decked out inside too. 

Myles is the most cheeky person I've ever met and I think the expression on his face here sums him up perfectly. He looks so mischievous! 

He kept us all very entertained throughout the service, although he mortified us by heckling the vicar! Luckily everybody took it in the good humour that he intended. 

My Grandma doesn't look so impressed!

Grandad is a lot chirpier! The keeper of oranges! 

Finally, a Myles-shot photo of my Christingle. He'll be a great little photographer in a few years' time! 

Have a great Christmas Day!

Christmas Lights

Yesterday evening, Rich and I popped down to our local pub for a Sunday dinner. On the way, we passed a few houses with Christmas lights, although nowhere near as many as I'd like to have seen!  

 This house looks very happy!

 Pretty coloured lights in a bush. I'm not usually a fan of coloured lights but these ones looked so magical!

Have a joyful Christmas Eve! I hope you're all looking forward to the big day! 

Winchester Christmas Market

As I mentioned yesterday, Rich and I visited Winchester Christmas Market. I went to university in Winchester and I loved it. I haven't visited in so long. It was lovely to be back there. The Christmas market is something of a December tradition for me- I've been for the past 4 years and I wasn't planning to stop now! Plus, I buy my mum's present there every year and I don't know where I'd get one from if I didn't visit one year!

I took an obscene amount of photos but, luckily for you, I've managed to narrow it down to just a few of the best. 

How amazing are these aluminium owls? I wish I had a more interesting garden so I could give these a home. 

Not even the rain could ruin my good mood! What a beautiful setting! 


A bucketful of baubles! 

Candyfloss the size of my face! 

I didn't pick up one of these adorable clip-on birds, but I really, really wish I had! 

Rich couldn't resist some roasted chestnuts. 

Yeah, I bought a piggy glove puppet. Look how cute and fluffy he is! 

 The cathedral is such a beautiful place. I really miss living in such a stunning city. 

 I'm pretty convinced that this was real magic! 

After a slightly soggy time shopping and eating all manner of Christmas-related foodstuffs (bratwurst and stollen included!), we headed for a drink at the Royal Oak. This is allegedly the country's oldest pub and the place where Rich and I had our first date way back in 2008. We haven't returned since so it was lovely to visit the place where it all began! 

On the way back to the station, we passed a little pop-up shop, selling vintage miscellany from France. It was a little pocket of heaven with granny quilts galore, little 1950s chairs and yards of vintage fabrics for a bargain £2 each. I walked out with 4 yards in total (including some of the pastel striped cotton on the right here) but I regret not buying more! 

I had such a lovely day. Bring on the rest of the holiday! 

22nd December 2012

Earmuffs: Accessorize
Cardigan: Tesco
Dress: Topshop
Bag: Vintage

Shoes: Primark

One of the great things about being a teacher is that I look really popular around Christmas time. There are cards coming out of my ears!

Today Rich and I headed to Winchester for the Christmas Market. I went to uni there but I haven't been back to the city in over a year, so it was lovely to spend the day there. I took so many photos! I'm currently narrowing them down to my favourites but it's pretty tricky.

I wore my new Topshop make up too. After subscribing to Elle, I was sent a kit of Topshop make up. It's fabulous! I'm so happy with the selection. Below I'm wearing the black gel liner, Brighten concealer, Prime Time blush and Secret Admirer lipstick. I'm in love! 

The best Christmas jumpers

I love me a good Christmas jumper. I love Christmas, I love jumpers. Put the two together and you pretty much have Becky perfection. If I won the lottery, I'd stuff a whole wardrobe full of them. Unfortunately, I am yet to win £23million so I'm going to have to settle for consigning my favourites to the mental wishlist.

In celebration of Christmas Jumper Day tomorrow, I've compiled a list of my favourites. I hope to see you donning your festive knitwear tomorrow! 

This Ted Baker jumper is pure Alpine classic goodness. It has little ice skaters on. It's red and white. What's not to love?

Here's a tip from the Queen of Christmas Jumpers (aka me): Men's sections have the best jumpers! I skip straight past the womenswear to find the good stuff. This River Island one is amazing. 

A cat in a Christmas hat? Why has nobody thought of this before Boohoo?

For authentic Christmas jumper goodness, head straight to Etsy. This 80s sweatshirt from My Gmas Closet is retro perfection! 

Finally, I'd say the best Christmas jumpers are definitely to be found in Primark. Unfortunately, they don't have a website (as I'm sure you all know!) so you'll have to make do with this badly cropped photo of me and my best friend being moose: