An outfit for a night out with the girls (please note it was a Monday and we were all a bit tired)!

For the first time since the children broke up from school, I had a few hours in the house on my own today.  During that time I did several things, one of them being my best impression of Carole Middleton. From what I've read however, I don't think that she ironed her children's name tapes into their uniform, and she probably didn't do it whilst watching Neighbours on catch up. No, I imagine that a thimble and the Archers were more her kind of thing.  Never mind. I'm pleased that they're done and at least these name tapes are ironed on. As the term goes on and the labels drop off, I resort to the sticky ones instead.

 

I'm always a sucker for a pair of non-jean, semi-smart trousers. With a couple of navy pairs to my name, I thought that I would branch out slightly and try these Brasserie trousers from Boden (£59) in pewter. I would describe them as more of a truffle colour but it all comes down to interpretation really.

 

 

In terms of sizing, I found them OK and fairly true to size but on reading the reviews, others have said that they come up on the small side and the trim on the navy trousers doesn't seem to be particularly popular. Here is a closer shot of the trousers....

 

 

As to comfort, the first time that I wore these trousers I went out for dinner with some friends. I have to say that they were very comfortable and able to accommodate my tapas tummy quite happily!

 

I bought this mint green cashmere jumper from an All Saints outlet shop a few weeks ago now. It was £40 down from £130 and is lovely and cosy for the slightly chillier summer evenings. I know that some of you also have hilarious husbands, as do I, and mine likes to tell me that I have it on inside out as the seams are on the outside. Sooooo funny.

 

Sometimes it's nice to wear a longer style necklace for a change as I did on this occasion and on lots of women they can be more flattering than the shorter, chunkier necklaces that I wrote about a couple of days ago. They do the job of creating the illusion of a V-neck, where there is none and so work better on ladies with a heavier bust, provided that the necklace doesn't balance precariously over one's bust (as my Grandma's did once, right into her gin and tonic.)

I quite like the colour combination of the jumper, trousers and bag, which was inspired by a striped towel that I bought from Ikea.  I wasn't sure whether to own up to that or not but hey, inspiration can come from the funniest of places.

Mum on the Run - An outfit for a soggy sports day part 2

Almost two years ago now I wrote a post entitled " A soggy sports day". It has turned out to be my second most viewed post of all times, which says a lot about the weather at school sports days!

Given that there are likely to be sports days happening all over the country, and given that I was at one today which could at best be described as chilly, I thought that I would post another outfit for "a soggy sports day".

This was an outfit of layers! For my first layer I wore a peacock blue lace vest from Jigsaw (see picture/link below, although I'm not sure that there is a peacock blue one at present. Mine is quite old now). These are great vests as they have lace around both the neckline and around the hem, which gives a nice touch to an outfit.

 

Jigsaw lace vest (£24)

 

 

The next layer up was a silk/cotton cowl neck top from Jigsaw (again, the picture/link are below), followed by a Zara blazer. The top also comes in navy. I wasn't too sure about it to start off with but I like the cowl neck, the fact that it has some "thickness" about it, if that makes sense and the fact that it is versatile and can be accessorised with necklaces/scarves/belts etc. Also it's quite a relaxed fit.

 

This is a clearer picture of the silk/cotton cowl top from Jigsaw (£79)

Accessories came in the form of a leopard print Topshop belt, leopard print Boden bag and Kurt Geiger sweep boots. I also wore three bracelets layered together - one Fat Face, one White Stuff and one by La La Rocks.

Was I dry? Yes, because it didn't rain. Was I warm? Flip no, that's why I also wore my thickest grungiest Jigsaw parka over the top. The parka which really should have been consigned to a wardrobe somewhere far, far away in about March, or April at the very latest, but sadly no it was still on the coat stand in the hall.

I have another sports day next week - let's see what the weather does for that one! Ooh, by the way, who else is excited about the new collaboration between H&M and Isabel Marant? I can't wait to see the preview of that collection - what a coup for H&M.

Mum on the Run - Lovable rogues: pieces I have tried, spied and recommend from the High Street

When I am out and about on my travels around the shops there are lots of things that, for one reason or another, catch my eye. It may be that I haven't seen something like it for a while, that I can imagine it working hard for someone, that it would do a good job from a style perspective, or a trend perspective, or just because I like it.

So, here are some lovable rogues that I have spotted recently....

There's a definite move away from platform shoes, towards single sole shoes and these Topshop pointed shoes (£58) are simple and elegant. Many, if not all, are a suede finish and they come in a variety of colours both bright and more muted. Fabulous for giving a LBD a new lease of life, or for wearing to a wedding or just with jeans and a blazer, they look the part but won't break the bank.

 

 

 

 

I have written about the Whistles Bella dress (£140) previously. It's a staple style at Whistles and comes in several colours/prints each season. It's just one of those dresses that could take you anywhere from an interview, out to dinner, to a party, to a wedding. It's a fail safe, safety blanket kind of dress, but in a good way.

 

I have seen this dress on lots of different body shapes and it is incredibly flattering. However, I would just like to make a tiny appeal to Jane Shepherdson, the CEO of Whistles, (because obviously she reads this on a daily basis) could you just add another inch or so to the length please? When a style is this successful, I think it must be worth doing it in a couple of lengths. For me it's just that weeny bit too short but if it had an extra inch to its length I'd be there like a shot, as I'm sure many others would be. With a pair of the shoes above, it would be a cracking outfit.

 

 

Each time I see this Oasis bracelet (£14) it just makes me smile. I just love the combination of colours and it also comes in a necklace. In fact this too would work with the dress/shoe outfit above.

 

 

Now, it wasn't until last summer (did we really have one?) that I dipped my toe into the water of taupe/pale grey boots. They cost £30 and in were in the Zara sale. Being suede and having had a hard winter, they are starting to look a little worse for wear and whilst I wouldn't part with them, for me they are something that I can't imagine living with out. Well I can of course - that sounds far too dramatic - but I'd rather not.

 

Having appreciated their value to me, I would be prepared to invest a little more in a pair and I really like the All Saints Jonas boots (£175) which are particularly appealing because we have an All Saints outlet shop nearby and if they're anything like my other All Saints boots which I saw in there for £50 last week, yes £50, they too will make an appearance at some point. I'm happy to wait, however long it takes. I know that they're an imitation of the Acne Pistol boot, which has been superseded by the Acne Star, which will no doubt be superseded by something else before long - but I'm not fussed about that particular fickle feature of fashion.

 

 

I first saw this White Stuff parka (£69.95) in Guernsey when I was there in March. I liked it then and I still like it now. Spring coats are few and far between and looking out of the window at the black skies now, I could really do with this. Fat Face also has a lovely navy waxed parka which is worth looking at.

 

 

I love Lily and Lionel scarves and I have included it as it's a "dreamy" kind of purchase for me. This scarf is the Lana scarf (black, £100). Lily and Lionel scarves are like works of art, some of them are scenes and landscapes which are beautiful when tied. This scarf would be great for pepping up a predominantly black wardrobe.

 

 

The Zara printed cropped blazer (£69.99) is a beauty for anyone on the petite side. I saw it on a lady last week who was under 5ft tall and it looked fabulous. The proportions were just right for her. It was neat, fitted her silhouette and both the blazer and arm length were perfect.

 

In wearing a top and trousers in the same colour, with this blazer over the top, it would have a real leg lengthening effect as it creates the illusion that your legs start where the jacket length finishes. Now I don't mind where people's legs start or finish but lots of ladies ask me how they can make their legs look longer and this is one such way.  

 

On the other hand, for ladies who find it hard to find jeans to accommodate their long legs, the Ella dark denim jeans long (£29, save £50) could be perfect. I have also included a link to the Ella sale where there are some great finds - a leather skirt, a couple of winter coats, silk shirts and a leather jacket too.

 

 

 

And finally, for those ladies like a straight jean in preference to any other style, Jigsaw have an Indigo straight leg jean (£75). I have cast my eye over them and in addition to them being a nice Indigo colour, they have a good rise on them - so there's no danger of you going way one and your jeans the other when you bend down. Straight jeans can be hard to come by so I thought that they were worth including for that reason.

 

 

 

 

We were relatively lucky with the weather today, with the rain holding off until the evening. It wasn't warm but it wasn't cold so there's no complaining from these quarters. Although I have to say, whoever was responsible for packing my clothes wants shooting. Oh, that would be me then. I kept looking at my sparse offerings today and wondering what had happened. Did I leave a pile of clothes at home? Did I put them in someone else's drawers?  I kept on looking through the drawers in the hope that some would magically appear in a drawer that I had previously looked in but sadly no, so I will have to soldier bravely on. I must have been suffering from sun stroke when packing on Sunday night.

 

So today we were crabbing from the Pier in Beaumaris (and just in case anyone thinks what a perfect Mum I am, I must say that I was actually sitting on a bench reading Grazia whilst my husband dealt with the stinky bait and our son got nipped by a crab, to the extent that his finger bled.)

 

 

Given that we weren't sure what we were doing today, I just went with the wellie option on the basis that they would work on the beach, in the town, on the pier and....

 

...when playing crazy golf. Why of course?! Just for the record, I did participate in this activity but tried to distance myself from our eldest when she hit the golf ball with the force of a hockey stick and nearly took out the whole play area.

 

I had two people ask me where I got my scarf from and one chap say to me "Bloody hell, your willies (oops, that should say wellies) make my eyes boggle." To which I said "Just imagine how they'd look after a few pints then." So that was a short, and very sweet, conversation.

 

Mum on the Run - When is a cardi not a cardi?

Sometimes only a cardi will do. Something which is open fronted so as to show a flash of the top being worn underneath - but sometimes a traditional cardi just doesn't feel right. Slightly dated, too work like, something like my grandma once wore, something I have owned for ages. Time for a change I think....

Don't get me wrong, over the years I have had many cardis in my wardrobe. For a while I loved the silk ones that Jigsaw did and I had them in a whole host of colours. Then boyfriend cardis became the rage, and Zara did/does brilliant ones for about £20. Boden is fantastic for cropped cardis, either cashmere or otherwise and also for crew neck and V-neck ones in a whole host of colours.  I also had a couple of ballet wrap ones from Fat Face and although I hadn't seen any for a while, Jigsaw has a cashmere ballet wrap in three colours.  Hobbs and Monsoon are great for boleros and Pure is one of the best for cashmere but sometimes these types of cardis just won't cut the mustard.

So, what are the alternatives and when is a cardi not a cardi? (Yes, I know I'm winging it on some of them so is it OK if we just focus on the "alternative" part of the question posed above, as opposed to the "when is a cardi not a cardi" part?)

...When it comes in the shape of a biker jacket. Open or done up, this one from Mint Velvet (£89) is a slightly more edgy alternative to a crew neck, button up to the neck, pastel option.

....When it's a swing cardigan. This Mint Velvet lace cardigan (£59) has a slightly boxy style and it would look lovely with just the top fastening done up. Worn over wider jeans and wedges, it would give a real 1970's feel.

 

....When it comes in a soft blazer style, such as this woven slouchy front jacket from Jigsaw (£69).

....When it's a Chanel inspired tweed knit, such as this one from Jigsaw (£198)

...When it's floral. OK, so this one is pushing the boundaries as it clearly is a cardigan but it's a very pretty one at that and would make a nice change from a plain one. Warehouse printed cardigan (£38)

...When it's made of a "non-cardi" style fabric, such as this lurex linen cardigan from Mango (£29.99), which also comes in a neutral colour and has elbow patches on it. There's also a lurex one at Reiss (£89) and a sparkly one at Jigsaw (£89)

....When it's less formal than a cardi type cardi, such as this All Saints sago pirate cardigan (£98) which is a fixed wrap style with a draped collar in a typical All Saints colour palette ie neutral.

...When it's just too cool to be a cardi, despite being called one! French Connection palm knitted cardigan (£75). I love this shade of blue and the seam details and different lengths make it that little bit special.

As I mentioned yesterday when blogging in the blazing heat, today we came to Wales where it is very un-hot (I know that's not a word but it describes the situation well) and where it is very un-dry (ditto). The journey was good, with everyone going in the opposite direction to us because clearly they knew something which we did not - namely that it was un-hot and un-dry. But anyway, as I sit here blogging with the fire lit, all is well with the world and tomorrow should be better. I think....

I think that these shoes remained on for all of 30 seconds after arriving, before being replaced by boots. I'm also wearing Cos grey skinny jeans (love the fact that they come in in-between sizes) and a cowl neck jumper from All Saints with a neon t-shirt underneath. I'm confident that tomorrow will see me out in my bikini!!!!

Mum on the Run - Green with envy. One of my favourite shades of green to add the wow factor to your wardrobe.

Looking pregnant because you are pregnant is one thing. Looking pregnant because your top is sticking out due to the way that it is sitting over your belt buckle is an entirely different thing.  Which is the reason that two sets of photos had to be taken today. This is from the second set and whilst still pretty dodgy, at least I don't look pregnant in this one. Well, at least I don't think that I do.

 

 

Anyway, the point of this post is to talk about one of my favourite colours - which, now I come to think of it, I'm not quite sure how to describe. Jade green perhaps? The type of green which suits lots of people and which you can gurantee others will always comment on when you wear it. It makes blue and green eyes stand out and had sufficient pigment in it to give fair complexions a lift, without being overpowering. Like coral and cobalt blue, it's a great accent colour and works well with navy and black as well as with creams and taupes. 

 

The top that I am wearing above was from Jigsaw a few summers ago now and I love the colour of it. There are also a few pieces below from Zara - just because that's where I have seen the most green recently.

 

This Zara dress (£49.99) has a great swish to the skirt but the fabric isn't massively forgiving, so one needs to watch one's undies! The neat empire line is also flattering too, drawing the eye to a narrow part of the body. Unlike a lot of empire lines, there isn't a huge amounts of of flounce happening underneath the empire line, which we all know can give that pregnancy effect. Crikey, I think that there must be something in the air tonight with all this talk of pregnancy.

This Zara necklace (£19.99) is a fantastic piece. It's really popular and has sold out in our store but is still available online. The vibrant greens and blues would look stunning against a white t-shirt, a tanned skin or as an accessory to a simple dress.

OK so not strictly, or even remotely, the same shade of green this Zara jacket (£49.99) is worth including for it's great price, fantastic simple single breasted shape and the wide array of colours in which it comes, which includes royal blue, bright pink and yellow. This is definitely a current high street hero of mine.

If anyone is still short of a blazer for the Queen's Garden Party next week, this could be just what you are after.

This is what I am planning on wearing for my next post. What do you reckon? Spotted whilst at the BBC in Birmingham today, I just had to include it. It was worn by someone from Strictly Come Dancing, or something similar.

Can you imagine not only wearing this but actually flinging yourself around in it at the same time whilst being not only judged but filmed too? If that's not enough to keep you away from the biscuit tin, nothing would be.

Mum on the Run - Loving leather (jackets that is....)

There's always the danger that when you spend a lot of time searching for something, the end result never quite lives up to your expectations. Sometimes the bar is raised just too high and (in this case) the piece of clothing just can't compete with the blood, sweat and toil put into finding it. Especially when the piece in question is a replacement piece. In fact, I wonder whether I should even begin the search now at all?

 

I don't know about anyone else but sometimes the thrill of spotting something, falling in love with it, buying it on the spot and realising that it was just what you were looking for but hadn't realised it, can't be beaten. Which is exactly what happened with my first cream leather biker jacket. So now I really know not to bother taking the search any further. The bar has now just gone from being the lowest of the asymmetric bars to the highest one. I'm doomed to failure.

 

However, many of you have commented on my cream leather jacket - Oasis in the sale for just over £100 - so in the name of research I will continue. It's also starting to look a little tired and having had it cleaned, at pretty much half of its cost, I am debating where to go with it next. I know that I went through this whole debacle about a year ago now and I didn't replace it then. The nearest I got to doing so was an All Saints one in Bicester but the fit wasn't right.

 

For those who haven't tried a leather jacket before I do think that they have their place. For a start they are warm. I often layer a Boden cropped cashmere cardi under mine so it adds another layer of warmth without being visible. They are work just as well with jeans as with dresses, as well as over evening outfits.

 

Reiss arguably does the best leather jackets on the High Street. They always have a good selection of styles and colours and sometimes they can be found in Bicester at a reduced price. Having said that, the Reiss stores are much better than they used to be at having sales. They didn't ever do mid-season sales, or one off promotions but that has changed recently.

 

This Kara jacket from Reiss costs £350. Reiss also has an ice blue, a cornflower blue and a red leather jacket, for anyone who is after a coloured one. I like it probably as much as any other but the price is a sticking point...

 

  

 

Please excuse the photo of the Hanni leather jacket from Ted Baker (£359). I like the no fuss approach of this jacket but sometimes a little detailing is needed to break up the expanse of leather across one's chest!

The leather peplum jacket from Oasis (£175) is a better price but I wonder whether it may be taking the detailing to the extreme. I am not quite convinced that the combination of the peplum, the sleeve detail, the tabs at the back, the detail across the shoulders at the back and what looks like quite a shiny finish is a winning combo.

 

The collarless quilted leather biker from Warehouse (£165) is a better price and a nice soft grey colour. The absence of a collar is great for those who don't want a lot of faff going on around the neckline -added to which it's one less thing to get grubby.  Personally I think that it looks better on the model than in the main picture, so it may be one of those that's worth trying on.

Looking to Oasis again, this colourblock leather biker jacket (£160) may hit the mark for those looking for something pale but interesting. They also have a nice drape waterfall jacket (£140) - which suit some shapes more than the biker style - and a suede biker jacket (£100) both of which can be found here 

This biker jacket from Baukjen (£369) also comes in cobalt blue. The style is great but I'm not sure that the colour is quite what I am after. Maybe it's a little bit too far down the brown, as opposed to the neutral, route.

For something slightly different, the sail leather biker jacket from All Saints (£398) is a really lovely colour. It's really versatile and might be a good alternative to a cream one, now that the cream bar has been set so high.

There are of course many other brands that do great leather, as well as specialist leather shops and ebay, for great finds. This is just a quick whizz through what is available now and which can be bought with relative ease for most - in terms of geography at least.

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.