An outfit of navy and burgundy with a J Crew jumper thrown in for good measure...

[Whistles jeans, Ash trainers, Reiss bag, Boden scarf, Zara coat, Cos jumper]

When it's cold, and when it's a weekend - with all that entails between myself and Mr SG in the battle of the thermostat - there's only one jumper for me to wear, a thick navy one from Cos, who are definitely one of the best brands for warm knitwear. With a vest and two long sleeved tops underneath plus a scarf, all was good on the chilly front. The scarf, bag and Ash wedge trainers delivered the little bit of burgundy that I was after to go with the navy, for my trip to.....the shoe shop for school shoes. So glam! When I've got so many layers on and my torso is warm, I can get away with my sleeveless Zara coat which is sort of liberating on the arm front. I know, fancy that, a sleeveless coat in the middle of winter. Living life on the edge again.

Speaking of thick jumpers, I have been after a cable knit/fisherman's jumper for a couple of winters now and then when I was on the J Crew site the other evening, I came across this Aran sweater (£60) which was just what I was after but which kind of flummoxed me because I couldn't work out why it was £60, given that it was made of merino wool and given that it was on the J Crew site. Anyway, I finally bought it on Saturday morning but I remained intrigued as to its cost so I dug a bit further and realised that it must be to do with the fact that it was made by Aran Crafts (TM) who, it transpires have their own site where they stock.....

...the very same (I think) Aran Crafts sweater for £57.11. (Really sorry about the pic, I can't get a better one but if you go to the site you can have a closer look.)

So given that J. Crew have practically sold out, it might be possible to get one direct from Aran Crafts instead, which would be a good thing on many levels. It's great that J. Crew are stocking the sweaters and it's good to see that there isn't a huge mark up compared to the Aran Crafts site but sometimes it feels right to buy direct from the company who makes them (and who has been since 1856, apparently). I'll report back when mine has arrived....

The 12 outfits of Christmas - I wish that there was more by way of silk/heels/sequins but tomorrow is always another day!

 

The plan was, having travelled home from Wales first thing this morning, that I would change into something a little more Christmas like - maybe a dress, maybe with some accessories, maybe even some heels - so as to avoid posting another picture of jeans and a jumper (Primark jeans, All Saints jumper, Jack Wills shirt, Ash wedge trainers). Clearly that plan didn't work.  I did however notice that on Coronation Street tonight, Sally Webster was wearing a nice blue blouse and a black pencil skirt and Leanne Platt had a top with pretty sequinned sleeves - so that might be a good place for Christmas outfit ideas.

Tomorrow will be a different story - I will change 55 times and wear dresses, skirts, sequins, silk, leather and prints; possibly all at the same time. In fact my first outfit will be truly impressive and will include a red flashing nose and an elf hat with a bell on it, in addition to running gear. There will be five of us running the streets of Birmingham so do give us a wave if you see us - assuming that we haven't been carted off by then.

As to today's gift, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a pair of sparkly or metallic shoes so if there's one thing to add to your last minute Christmas purchases tomorrow, they should be it. Dune is a good "go to" store for sparkly shoes and I like this pair which are now priced at £34. An ankle strap may not be for everyone but it looks as though this strap can be removed and I'm sure that everyone will be too busy partying to notice the little loop! Hope that you all have a fantastic Christmas Eve!

The 12 outfits of Christmas - Day 7 - A biker jacket and wedge trainers

 

We're heading home tomorrow and so for an early dinner out with the family I kept it casual and comfortable with Ash wedge trainers, Primark skinny coated jeans, the Topshop crystal jumper and the Whistles Annabel biker style jacket, which is now in the sale for £95.

For anyone who is contemplating wedge trainers, these La Redoute ones (which now have 40% off and cost £41.40) come highly recommended from the girls I was working with at the Clothes Show. I really like the style of these as they're not too full on in terms of styling. They also come in black, caramel and...

this two tone gold colour, which have 50% and are now £34.50. Both of these colours are really versatile and a nice alternative to black ones, which may start to look a little too stark come the spring.

This picture was taken by our eldest whilst we were on our beach walk today. The sky was beautiful and it was a lovely walk but we decided that being on a beach wasn't really her natural habitat, particularly at such an early hour. Luckily we found somewhere for a drink and a rest and what with that coupled with the stops to take photos, pull up her socks, eat her prawns (sweets) and have a go on a play area I'm not sure that we covered that much ground - but it was very entertaining.

So, on to today's gift. I thought that it would be nice to include something that would see you through into next season. Blazers and biker style jackets have pretty much earned their wardrobe stripes and although bomber style jackets have been around for a while, they are here to stay for a while at least.

I recently came across this Harlow Varsity Bomber from Whistles (£295) and, not surprisingly, I fell in love with its pink colour. When I first saw leather sleeves on coats and jackets I really wasn't that sure but as is often the case with the passage of time and exposure to a trend, it somehow weedles its way into acceptance and then even favour. For now I would wear it with black skinnies and Chelsea boots, moving onto a midi-length skirt and heels for the spring.

    

This Topshop lurex bomber jacket (£42) is made of the same fabric as my Topshop lurex skirt which I featured earlier in the week. There's no way that I would go matchy matchy but I do like the fabric and at £42 it's a much more reasonable option price wise.

It would be easy to write a bomber style jacket off as a trend not worth embracing but an up to date style of jacket is a great way of lifting other pieces in your wardrobe and giving them a completely fresh look - so it's definitely worth giving them a bit of thought (even if you subsequently confine them to the room 101 of fashion no-nos!)

Let's have a little Monday night cud chewing over long cardis and coated jeans...

There's something about a long cardi in the winter that puts the world to rights. The only thing is that knitwear can be uber expensive and that brings a whole lot of different issues - the need to wear it a lot to get the cost per wear down, which can result in bobbling, which can result in a lot of combing/washing to sort it out, which can result in it wearing out quickly - and before you know it, that expensive cardi lasted only a season. (Or alternatively you don't wear it at all for fear of the above so the expensive cardi sits in the wardrobe.) I know that there all the handwash/dry it flat/wool responds well to washing arguments but sometimes there just isn't the time in the day for that, so I have found that the answer is to buy a cheaper version.  In fact, a little bit of acrylic mixed in with the wool (or in this case vice versa) is not always such a bad thing.

I recently bought the Next stitch cardi, which at £35 wasn't too bad. In terms of styling, I like a long cardi to be long, rather than finishing right slap bang across the widest part of the thigh, like a big horizon with arrows on it pointing to them.

I also like a bit of femininity within an outfit, however casual or basic the pieces are, so I put a Topshop printed blouse under the cardi, in the same colour tones.

I was talking to a friend from Brighton the other day and we always have a little clothes chat as part of our conversation. "Bethy G," she said "What tips can you give me for what to wear this season?" Having discussed the boots/parka/Topshop being great for jumpers issue and bearing in mind that she has two young boys and a dog, I pointed her in the direction of coated jeans. They are a good alternative to jeans, a little push at the boundaries without knocking the fence right over, and more importantly with two children and a (slightly slobbery) dog, you can give them a bit of a wipe over and no one is any the wiser.

The ones that I am wearing were bought from Primark for £10 last winter and I've definitely had my wear out of them. In addition to the cardi which I have featured below, I've also included a couple of options for coated jeans.

Next stitch cardi (£35), which also comes in an oatmeal colour.

GAP coated biker legging jeans (£32.99 to £42.99)

NEXT coated skinny jeans (£36) which come in several colours.

 

If you're tempted to give them a go, do let me know how you get on!

Mum on the Run - Swooning over (no, not George Clooney) but LK Bennett shoes and wearing a little Hobbs, Gap, Dune and French Connection

I keep seeing the lovely LK Bennett Aroa sandal wherever I look, so I thought that they deserved a little collage of their own. I'm a sucker for anything broderie anglaise and the fact that they are such pretty colours and a lovely design means that I am smitten. They're like French Fondant Fancies for feet!

Keeping it brief, the weather still hasn't been up to much of late. It was raining all day yesterday which meant that we stayed inside so with that in mind (and the fact that there were six children here) I decided to give my Dune brogues from last summer a trial run. With boyfriend jeans, a French Connection striped jumper and Gap bird print scarf I was good for the day and I only managed to get my scarf caught in the dishwasher about 350 times.

This morning we managed a shot outside. Hopefully you will all be good enough to notice the new door mat and freshly planted pots in preparation for outside shots, as opposed to the bag containing the children's too small school shoes which need to be re-cylced, and the rest of the re-cycling. It would be unfair to blame a five year old for including them.

I promised not to include the wedge trainers for a while but there's a reason for wearing them which goes like this. Yesterday I was asked whether I would like to interview a couple of celebs on Monday. Having agreed, I looked at the state of my eyebrows and decided that they needed some serious attention, hence an emergency 8.45am trip to the beautician at the end of the road.  As I keep telling everyone, the wedges are so comfortable that they were perfect for the fact that, predictably, I left slightly later than I should have done. Actually, I'm secretely quite pleased that the cost per wear of them has now gone down to, oh I don't know, at least £25.

We then went off to see my Mum for the day and so it was that a Monsoon lace top came to be worn together with the Hobbs blazer that I wore the other day - because now that the temperature is right I really want to get some wear out of it and it also goes better with creams and lighter blues than with darker winter colours - and a Lola Rose scarf. Fortunately Mum doesn't have a dishwasher so there were no near strangling incidents but I did manage to dangle it in the washing up bowl a few times.

Right, I will now go and join the rest of the family and watch Britain's Got Talent (unless I can find some washing/ironing that needs to be done instead). Hope that everyone is having a lovely weekend!

Mum on the Run - In Primark, New Look, M&S, Ash and Jigsaw for another lovely sunny day!!!!

I was a little less "tucked in" today but believe me it's all show. Underneath that untucked denim shirt was a vest that was so well tucked into my trousers (and belted in too, come to think of it) that it would have taken a minor earthquake to untuck it all.

 

I realise that the wedge trainers have featured far too much of late but I finally sussed out last night as I was drifting off to sleep, what it is all about. Remember that I mentioned that they were comfortable? Well hold that thought.

A few weeks ago my Mum was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthirits in her feet. One of the pieces of advice she was given was to wear lace up shoes. The fact that they were laced up meant that they would stay securely on her feet, allowing her to take a slightly larger or wider size/width, which would reduce the discomfort in her feet.

Well hello Ash wedge trainers. Lace up? You bet. All the way up the ankle in fact. Generous of size? Tick. Mine are a generous size 6. Slightly wider than usual? Absolutely. The shape of the toe means that there's no pinching going on.

So, basically the reason that I love them has nothing to do with trends/looks/being cool (never have been, never will) or anything else. No! The reason that I love them is that they serve the same purpose as an orthopedic shoe - not that Mum is in those yet. She's still looking at Hotters/Padders and Echo.  The rate I'm going, I fear that I may get to the real thing before she does.

Anyway, I promise not to post about them for a while. For those interested in the rest of the get up, the shirt is from New Look, the jumper is a Cashmillon number from M&S for £12 (or 2 for £20 sometimes. Get me, don't I know my M&S offers!!!!) and Primark jeans for £10.

Before I sign off, there' s a story behind the Primark jeans. When I first wore them my husband asked whether they were leather. And I just thought to myself how amazing, given the price of leather trousers, that he asked about them in such a nonchalant way. The thought that I could have got away with buying a pair of leather trousers without prior discussion, or consultation, made me wonder what I really could get away with on the clothes purchasing front. Not that I ever would of course....

Mum on the Run - Seeing spots thanks to Boden, plus a little bit of Cos, Gap, Oasis and Warehouse for good measure

Right now I'm really hoping that Mary Berry's recipe for Chocolate Fudge Hot Pot Pudding is as good as her taste in Zara printed jackets. The idea of making the chocolate sponge mixture, putting it in a dish ready for baking and then pouring a combination of hot water, cocoa and sugar over the top goes somewhat against the grain.  The eldest two are on stand by with spoons and ice cream as I type, so fingers crossed that it's not a total disaster.

 

During the school holidays I always think that there will be so much more time to do things but I never fully understand why I should think that - and why I keep on thinking it even when I know it's not the case. The phrase "memory of a goldfish" springs to mind. There are lots of things that I want to write about but for tonight at least, I'm afraid, I am just bringing you a couple of photos of recent outfits.

 

Having not worn the Cos Chelsea boots for a while, I gave them an airing last week with a Cos roll neck jumper (you may remember that I was obsessed with it when I first had it but haven't worn it for a while). I also wore the Boden spotty coat which is now 11 years old and my Mulberry handbag which my husband gave me for my 40th. So that's nearly a year old now (ha, yeah right and the rest! 

If ever the occasion arrives when a more expensive gift is coming my way, I need a sign to convince me that I am making the right choice. Maybe it's just me wimping out. Perhaps in handing the decision over to fate I feel that it abrogates me of all responsibility. It was the same with this Mulberry bag. I loved it but was "umming" and "ahhing", as there were so many other lovely options. However, when I found out that the colour was Mouse grey, and given that "Mouse" is the nickname for our youngest, I decided that this was the one. I find that if I persevere hard enough, a sign eventually comes my way!

So yesterday we went to visit family. I can't remember how the idea for this outfit came to mind (see, memory of a goldfish and all that) - not that it's particularly wow or anything but there's usually a reason somewhere - even if it is just because it's close to hand. I think that I wanted to wear the wedge trainers again, this time with my slightly not so tight skinny jeans which, thanks to Easter, some of my others are.

The cream leather jacket from Oasis, cream Warehouse bag and Lola Rose scarf lightened it all up a little, which felt right given that the sun was actually shining. At one point it even felt quite warm - and for that brief moment I was quite happy to be sitting in the play area of a service station off the M40.

So, did anyone make it to the shops on Saturday and did anyone make any purchases that they would like to share with the rest of us?! It's going to be a whole 8 degrees tomorrow - let's bare all!

Mum on the Run - Heading for a fall in my Ash wedge trainers

When I say I'm heading for a fall, I don't mean literally. No, I'll leave that to our eldest who, in avoiding something she saw on the floor at school the other day, tripped over it and then realised that it was her own foot.

 

What I mean is that so many of you were so complimentary about yesterday's outfit that I know it will be a different story today. Not only am I back to the winter clothes but I am also wearing the Ash wedge trainers. A friend has just texted me to ask me whether I've worn them yet as she is still undecided whether to get any or not so perhaps this will help, one way or the other. Actually, as she only lives around the corner, I might take them round to her for a little try on one day soon.

 

The photos aren't that great but on the positive side, the wedges are fairly innocuous in terms of colour, which suits me. I love the look of some of the summer coloured ones but I think that I would feel too conspicuous in the yellow or turquoise ones. These I can wear with navy, black, grey or tan.

For me they have their limitations in that I will only be wearing them with skinny jeans or trousers but I can vouch for their comfort wholeheartedly. I wore mine all of yesterday and all of today and they were incredibly comfortable, which is a huge bonus. I also like the extra height that they offer me.

I've added a couple of the other photos which I took when they first arrived so that the colours are eaiser to see. 

Having worn them and bonded with them a little, I am now hoping that I will be able to pack them away until next winter. Having been around for a few seasons now, I think that they will be here to stay and even if not, now I've bought the flippin' things I will be wearing them anyway. I've really enjoyed wearing something that's just a little different.

 

Normally I would ask here, would you or wouldn't you but I'm not going to do that! Instead I'm going to ask whether any of you have tried anything different recently and if so, how have you got on?

Mum on the Run: Note to self. Don't commit all your thoughts to print and then change your mind a few months later. The Bowie Ash Wedge trainer. What else?

"What's wrong Mum?" the eldest asked as she found me sitting on the sofa, head in my hands, shoe box at my feet. "Are you all right?"

"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it." I responded. "I like them. I actually like them. In fact I really like them. And I've spent all this time hating them. I've even written about how much I hate them. Sometimes I drive myself mad, let alone everyone else."

Talk about the biggest volte face in the history of mankind. Well, that and the one that I did on the smoking slippers too. So here they are, in all their glory, the Ash Bowie wedge trainers, bought from the Outnet in a mad moment last Saturday, as much because I thought that it would be fun to try the "real" thing (Marants aside but that's a whole different ball game) as much as anything else. And also because with no sign of spring on its way anytime soon - anyone else got snow forecast for tonight? - and with sandals not being an option just yet, a girl has to think outside the box. Box! See below - get it? I know, it's poor.

So, this is what an Ash box looks like, just in case anyone cares. I do because I like branding and boxes. Sad, I know but it's the anticipation of what boxes contain that does it for me.

"Yuk!" I hear some of you cry. "Hmmmm. Interesting" others may muse.

At this point I have to say that there was absolutely no styling involved in terms of jeans, jeans length etc. The photos were taken in between clearing up one lot of cooking utensils and starting on the next meal.

Front view sitting down  with my legs out in front - a very stylish pose!

 

I found them true to size, very soft and comfortable too. Oh flippety flip flip. This was not the plan. Not at all. But there's no way they are going back.  I am relying on these to breathe life back into my wardrobe until the sun finally decides to show its face.