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Monday 13 May 2013

Mum on the Run - A poor quality dress, some golden boots and a kingfisher blue kitchen...

 
Why is it, do you think, that when we have the most on our plates we go and throw a spanner in the works by going and doing something totally random?
 
I'm not quite sure why, having finished work yesterday, that I decided to paint the kitchen - but I did. Why I had to carry on until 11pm and then do another coat at 6.45am today is equally beside me.
 
Given that I was working yesterday I didn't partake of my usual Saturday night glass of something fizzy, instead having it last night. Which is how, at one point, I came to have a paintbrush in one hand and a piece of chocolate in another and which is also how I came to be watching "Homes under the hammer" whilst painting. Well, it was the closest thing to "Home and Away" on playback, which I had previously watched. 
 
As to the colour, if you imagine a baked bean tin, that's where it's at. The inital plan was to go down the orange route for accessories but we're now - or should I say I - am debating deep pink instead. The hunt for the perfect handtowels and tea towels is on!
 
 


I was also working on Friday night at a Style Party. They are such good fun, especially when people start trying on. What I have come to realise is that there is always one piece that people really love. I can never predict beforehand quite what it may be but this time it was a navy sweatshirt from French Connection, with sheer sleeves and sparkles on the front in the shape of a circle.

Telling you all that is about as much use as a chocolate tea pot because I can't actually find it on the French Connection site nor on the John Lewis one.

However I do know that it's called the spot ditton sweatshirt and is similar to this plain ditton sweatshirt - but as I mentioned, it's navy with sparkles on it in a circle. I am sure one of you eagle eyed shoppers will be able to find  a link to one somewhere. If so, could you share it with us please?!


Last week, before I took my leave of absence to work, to paint the kitchen and to help my husband to drain the water from the fishtank through our sieve/tea strainer respectively (I suggest that from now on that anyone who is offered pasta or tea at our house should refuse) I mentioned a dress that I had bought from Reiss.



What appealed to me about the dress was the style, the print and the length of it. I find it quite hard to find summer dresses that I like so even though it was more than I would like to pay for a summer dress, I took it home anyway to see how I felt about it. And how did I feel?


Disappointed. The quality, in a word, was pants. So pants that I could see my pants through it and the only way of avoiding doing so would have been to have worn a really long vest underneath, which I do with a white dress from Mango but that's fine because the Mango dress is really pretty and cost me £40.

I don't often name and shame because it's not very constructive but this was dreadful. When I returned it and explained how poor the quality was the guy tried to explain it away and credit to him, he gave it his best shot, but it didn't work. I actually think that it would be quite difficult to find a dress of such poor quality anywhere else.

Anyway, moving on, I know that summer is meant to be somewhere around the corner but I'm still happy to look at boots, especially given that I nearly froze my toes off in converse the other day. My latest loves are these boots from All Saints.

Given that trousers and jeans seem to be the way forward in this country and given that boots are such a practical option, these gold ones will just add a smile to my face - and quite possibly to other's too as they laugh at me, but who cares. If the sun won't shine I am quite happy to bring an artificial glow to my wardrobe.