A sparkly skirt, shiny shoes and a silver bag for a day in the shops...

Boden jacket, Warehouse jumper, Topshop skirt, Dune shoes, Oushka bag, H&M necklace

 

When a friend and I were out running last night we were talking about clothes. I know. Shock horror, can you imagine that?  Amongst many topics we discussed, we were talking about how re-working older pieces with newer bits and bobs can make all the difference.  

 

Today I was working with a lovely lady for a third time. Knowing what a fan she is of all things sparkly, I wore this navy sparkly skirt which I bought from Topshop last year. It's not old but not new either, so it sits somewhere in the middle. However I have had the navy Boden jacket for about four years now and the Warehouse navy jumper with sparkly shoulders, for even longer. The Dune shoes are new this winter as is the (much used) silver bag - so it really was a case of mixing something old with something new and a few bits in between. 

I knew that it wouldn't be long and at last the Christmas jumpers have started to arrive in the stores. The Primark ones have been around for a while and I love the one in the men's section with the built in Santa belly. However luckily it's just been pipped to the post on my list of "Desirable Christmas Jumpers" by this Warehouse sequin Robin jumper (£42). I know that there are Christmas jumper detractors but I LOVE them and anyone who doesn't is, and I know I'm going out on a limb here, is a misery pants.

When I was getting dressed this morning for some reason my printed scarves from the last few years just didn't appeal to me. I'm not sure what it was and no doubt they will again but I think that it's because secretly I'm harbouring a desire for a fur scarf. The trouble is that most of the ones that I have seen in magazines have been hugely expensive but then I came across this one in  Next (£20) and somehow everything just fell into place. So that's one for the Christmas list then.

I'm back in the shops again tomorrow and for the rest of the week so I'll keep my eyes open for some other gems.

Double denim and a statement necklace

 

[New Look jeans, Dune boots, Gap top, Boden jacket, necklace pressie from friend]

In my last post I wrote about just managing to hold things together on the home front and how I knew that, when I'd left the wet washing in the basket for so long that it went stinky and it had to be re-washed, it was time to have a few days off from blogging.

Well a friend made me feel much better because she said that they couldn't actually do any washing in their household because they had run out of washing liquid. And things weren't looking too good on the loo roll front. Glad to hear that I'm not alone.

Today I ran the Birmingham half marathon. I don't think that I was actually overtaken by the smurf but at times it was close and getting around the Sumo wrestler was tricky but do-able. I wanted to say a huge thank you once again to all of you who donated to Cancer Research UK and also to friends and people I know who cheered along the way. It all made a huge, huge difference at times when things were hard.

After the race we headed to Pizza Express to re-fuel. Mr SG had dropped in to the pub after cheering me on so was unable to drive which meant we were left with the choice of walking there: "It will be good for you, you're meant to keep moving after a race aren't you?" (Mr SGs helpful contribution to the discussion), or with me driving.  Oddly at that stage walking didn't hold any great appeal. The above shot is what I wore when we went out - flats and all manner of stretchy, comfortable things.

A grainy shot of me at mile 12 doing some bizarre hand gesture of the waving variety - I think! 

Jumpers of the striped, and Christmas, variety!

I'm writing this in the sun, sitting outside a café waiting for someone and I can't see the screen at all, so I have absolutely no idea what I'm typing - which probably means that it will make way more sense than usual.

I think that there are a lot of us out there who have a bit of a thing for stripes.  Well that is unless you're my sister. Wide stripes give her migraines so if you're wearing them, she can't look at you which is all a bit disconcerting - especially if you happen to be her boss.

I first wore this jumper when on holiday in Guernsey but it's been too warm to wear it since. Actually it was really hot when we were in Guernsey so why I was wearing it there I have no idea - but what's new?  I bought it from Reiss in the sale, at a point in time when I felt that it was a reasonable amount to pay and since then I've pretty much stashed it away. Here I'm wearing it with Zara boots and Jigsaw jeans, together with my Clover Oushka silver handbag which is now on sale, with 50% off, making it £77.50. I love a metallic handbag as it goes with just about anything. It's the same with metallic shoes too. Quick and easy styling is definitely what it's all about.

For anyone after a metallic handbag there's also this lovely one from Boden. It comes in bright coral too and as someone on the hunt for a bright bag, this is definitely a contender. But we all know what I'm like with my lists of things that I could do with, and things that I actually end up buying. Knowing me I'll probably end up with the metallic one.

One thing that was on my list and which I didn't go off piste on, were some navy ankle boots. Given that practically everything that I own I have in navy, I'm not sure why I didn't have any navy ankle boots but it was a glaring gap (OK, so maybe that's a slight exaggeration - maybe it was more of an amoeba sized gap) which I filled firstly with the Boho boot from Boden

but which I replaced with the Petra style of boot from Dune (£89). These also come in  black, natural and tan for anyone who likes the style but not so much the colour. Our eldest looked at them and said "Oooh I like those, they're the kind of boots that Harry (Styles) wears. " Now given that he's a 20 year old bloke and I'm a 40 plus female, I couldn't work out whether that was a case for keeping them or not. But I like them, so I am.

I'm not one for embracing Christmas earlier than is absolutely necessary - and certainly not before bonfire night but today I did make one Christmas purchase. Last year I felt bad that our youngest missed out on the Christmas jumpers and ended up with a Primark one from the boys' section. It wasn't the Primark bit that bothered me, more the boys bit. So this year, and for once slightly ahead of the game, I've been and bought her jumper (also from Primark). And here it is.....

I may also have bought her a "Frozen" t-shirt because who needs to be stylish when you're 6? Or at any age for that matter. And if you should ever hear that I was seen standing in Primark holding a Frozen t-shirt up against myself to see if it would fit, it was a lie.

You know how you can go orange from eating too many carrots? Well do you think that the same is true of Wotsits? I think that I may have over-dosed on them. Tomorrow's photos could prove interesting.

Mustard, mustard, mustard - one way or another it's going to get you!

This season it's out to get you. Unless you try really hard, one way or another, mustard is going to feature somehow, somewhere, in your wardrobe. It is literally everywhere. I don't think I've seen a colour come from nowhere and dominate the High Street since brown did it in about 2002/3 (and wasn't that a season to remember?)

For me it started with a Topshop T-shirt that wasn't actually mustard at all, but when I was trying to find a jumper in the same colour, I held up a mustard coloured one and you know, it looked OK. Being of a slightly brighter hue it works with black, navy, grey and even purple, plus white. And you know, it's just nice to have a change.

The jumper in question was the textured sleeve jumper by Warehouse (£36). See how good it looks with denim? And let's face it, we all have denim don't we?

This Zara printed T (£19.99) is a subtle way to tap into the colour. Admittedly it's not so subtle on the 1960's design but if you like the 60's trend, it too is a great way to tap into that. Mixing mustard up with other "safer" colours makes it more accessible for those mustard newcomers out there.

The geometric print trousers Zara (£19.99) are also another good way of wearing mustard for those who don't like the colour next to their face. The print will attract attention to the legs so for anyone with great pins, these could be for you. I also like that it's mixed up a little with black and white, rather than being a block colour.

These trousers look great on but they do have a couple of small pleats at the waist band (you can see them more clearly on a close up photo on the site.) They do sit pretty flat  and as they're so high up a jumper would cover them but they won't to be everyone's taste. There's also a top in the same print.

For those who like the comfort blanket that grey offers, mixing mustard with it as in this Boden woven front jumper (£70.31) makes it much easier to wear. The sweatshirt styling and raglan sleeves also keep the look fresh - much more groovy than granny!

And finally I loved this Zara printed shirt (£25.99) so much that I made a special trip into town on Friday to take a closer look. The royal blue works really well with the mustard and being a fan of blue I could imagine feeling happy with this colour combination. Sadly the background was too grey for me but on some else it could look fab. It has small ties up the back but in the grand scheme of things, these are pretty insignificant.

So, is anyone tempted to go there? For many I think that it may well only be a matter of time.

Now these Boden waxed jeans are a pair of jeans that I am very happy to wear again...

 

Outfit: Boden waxed jeans, Whistles jumper, La Redoute jacket, Oushka bag, Mango shoes

Subsequent to deciding that there was no way that I was ever going to wear my Primark coated skinnies again, I needed to find an alternative. I like coated jeans as a change from blue denim and being black, the coating adds that little bit of texture which stops them from being too "flat".

Yesterday the super skinny waxed jeans that I ordered from Boden arrived and today I tried them out. I've concluded that wrinkles in coated jeans are unavoidable but I've also concluded that there are more important things in life to worry about! So, moving to the jeans themselves, they are generous in the leg length and the rise on them is also good which means that they don't fall down (that's the Primark problem solved then!) I like the addition of the ankle zips and zipped pockets on my Primark ones but you know, sometimes you have to sacrifice a bit of zippage for comfort.

The reviews about this style of jean on the Boden site are really good and I have to say, so far so good. Of course the problem with jeans is that they don't always reveal their true selves until after you've spent a bit of time with them (a bit like boyfriends really - from recollection at least) by which time they can't be popped back on the shelf unless they are faulty (unlike boyfriends, which can quite easily be popped back on the shelf from which they've fallen).

I can't vouch for the other finishes in this style but for anyone who struggles with getting skinny jeans to fit, I would definitely consider giving them a go.  

Never, ever again will I wear these.....and looks what's opening tomorrow!

Never, ever again will I wear these flippin' skinny jeans. Although I love the feel of them, they constantly fall down and there's nothing more annoying than having to keep pulling your jeans up. Fortunately my top was long enough not to worry about flashing anything that I shouldn't when bending over - although I had to keep on checking as it felt as though I was. Having said that, they did only cost £10 from Primark which I was happy to pay as I wasn't sure whether they were something out of which I would get a lot of wear. However now that they've proved themselves....it's time to ditch them. How bad is that? It's a good job that clothes don't have feelings.

However, they will soon be replaced. First on my hit list are the waxed skinny jeans from Boden £69. The reviews of these are brilliant and I am very much looking forward to getting a pair of legs that don't look anything like my own! I have to say that the main attraction is the high rise on them - belly warmers here we come!

Alternatively I may give the Mint Velvet coated skinny jeans (£79) a try but to be honest, I never really feel like stripping off to try on jeans when I am out shopping, so perhaps I'll wait and see what the Boden ones are like.

And as for the Primark skinnies - we've had some good times but I will happily wave them farewell.

Now, I should add that I spent hours in the shops today and I have a million ideas for blog posts and even more things to show you all but there just isn't time tonight. However hopefully I will soon be able to do a round up of what's out and about and what caught my eye. I'm gathering from your emails that lots of you have been on shopping missions of your own, so please do feel free to share any gems that you have come across on your travels. Ooooh and our new Whistles opens tomorrow. Look how exciting is this?!!! (It's not a bad pic of the coat either, for anyone who wanted a closer look).

An outfit round up....

 

I seem to have so many different projects on the go at the moment that I haven't managed to blog for  a few days. So, I thought that I would bring you all up to date with a 3-in-1 type post.

Over the years I've realised that it doesn't matter how organised you are before the children go back to school, there are still lots of jobs that don't get done, so I purposefully left the labelling (of the iron on variety) until this evening. Happening upon the  cardi of our youngest stuffed in her PE bag and needing a wash wasn't so much part of the plan but not to worry. Oh and I've just been told that one of them needs a stitch in their blazer pocket. I think that a raised eyebrow conveyed my response adequately.

Some of you with eagle eyes may recognised the NW3 purple jumper from the blog sale. It wasn't snapped up so I decided to wear it. I didn't own the trainers, necklace or the t-shirt when I bought it but now they all worked together. So that was one new outfit sorted.

Keeping with the theme of boyfriend jeans, yesterday we took a trip into town to get the requisite school trainers and rugby boots. I think that the prospect of a visit to Sports Direct is what gave me my deathly pallor! Anyway, Stan Smith trainers (which are uber comfortable) with a lace Warehouse top and Boden jacket were fine for that particular little jaunt - which also involved a visit to the Build a Bear Workshop. No visiting the new Whistles store for me. Tomorrow however will be a different story!

And today I was photo bombed by an angel! Now, the top that I would ordinarily wear with this Jigsaw skirt is mine no more, so I wandered into shirt territory (GAP) for a change. Neither converse nor trainers seemed to work with it all so the Birkenstocks, which are now sadly on their last legs, stepped into the breach.

 

And as for tomorrow - who knows what it will bring in terms of an outfit. As for my activity for the day, it's shopping all the way. Yipppeeee!!

Update on the Style Guile Blog Sale and a little bit of Whistles and Boden

 

I just want to thank everyone who has contacted me about the items for sale in my blog sale and to let you know that I will get back to you just as soon as I can. I'm away at the moment, back tomorrow, and then I will start going through all of the emails and getting in touch with everyone on an individual basis. The response was so much greater than I ever anticipated and on reflection my timing in posting the sale and then going away perhaps wasn't great but on the other hand, with it being the bank holiday I wouldn't have been able to make that much progress anyway.

We're in Dorset with friends at the moment and today we hopped on a ferry (hence the blown about hair do) to go across to Sandbanks for a look around. Obviously we will be buying there (!)  Today I felt that it was a yellow day. I haven't worn this yellow sequinned striped Whistles jumper for a while now but I liked the idea of it with my Boden knitted biker jacket and with the weather threatening all sorts of things, I needed to cover my bases, so layers were required. In the end the sun shone and all was well with the world.

This is my friend Sal, doing the "alternative" blogging pose. Her husband says that she's helping the police with their enquiries.....

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue - largely Ralph Lauren with a little bit of Whistles

Today's outfit all started with a bike ride. I needed a bag to put all of my bits and bobs in and remembered that I had given my Ralph Lauren backpack (a true piece of mid 90's chic) to our eldest so, in line with yesterday's shenanigans, I pilfered it back for a while.

The back pack was great for the bike ride and then I thought that about trying it for real - well, for the first time since I last used it for real, which was about 17 years ago.

I love a good midi skirt and I had my eye on this one when it first appeared in Whistles. Although it was spring/summer '14 stock, I couldn't quite figure out why, given the weight of it. When I came across it in the sale, reduced from £125 (ish) to £65, I snapped it up. I can't say that it had my name on it but it's called the "Ivy" skirt, which was my Grandma's name, so I saw it as a sign. Trouble is I seem to keep getting caught out by these "signs".

With the skirt having so much volume in it, it needs a fitted top to keep the proportions in check and this skinny rib knit from Boden did the job. Heels also work to off-set the shape of the skirt. As many of you will know from experience, although midis are great for covering the knees, they are also great at shortening the legs and widening the ankles! In the winter I will wear it with knee high boots, the tops of which will be covered by the skirt. I'm not fond of a gap between the top of  boots and the hem of a skirt (on me at least) as it creates too many horizontal lines and breaks. It just puts me on edge!

I have no idea what tomorrow will bring but I'm off to raid another wardrobe to see what else I may have given away over the years.....

Heavenly days on sunny beaches in shorts (again)!

 

There's nothing rad about shorts, that I do know. But it's hot and what's more, what was left of my spray tan has now adhered itself to the inside of my wetsuit so I need to try and get a little colour on my legs. I seem to have done it pretty well on my nose, with Mr SG asking whether I was matching my lipgloss to the colour of my nose tonight. He needs to watch it or he might find his beloved crocs being sold on eBay.

This combo was just some GAP printed shorts, a GAP hat bought in the sale on Saturday, a plain white H&M vest, Jack Wills flip flops, La Mandarine sarong and a silver Oushka clutch.

I've recently mentioned some new goggles that I bought. My old ones were terrible and I had to stop every five lengths or so to de-mist them and empty them of water. They also left deep welts under my eyes, which is also the reason that Sharron Davies doesn't swim much anymore (apparently). Anyway, for any swimmers out there, I can't recommend the Aquasphere goggles highly enough. This morning I did my entire swim without having to stop once. Attractive they are not but they do a good job.

Tomorrow it's my birthday so I may take a little blogging holiday, depending on how it all turns out! However I am sure that I will be posting the odd pic of the birthday proceedings on Instagram. I think that I may have had wind of one of two things that might appeal to some of you out there...

Ooh, and yesterday's post was my 1000th post. I think that I worked out that if each post took on average one hour, that's about 42 days, or seven weeks of my life that I have devoted to blogging. I'm not quite sure what to make of that.  

Whizzing through my outfits over the past couple of days....

OK, so this is a quick dash through what I've been up to over the last couple of days.  First off, yesterday morning I had a  "meeting" (no, seriously it was) with a friend. Handily it was in a local pub across the road from school. The converse allowed me to run up to school alongside the quickest thing on two wheels (our six year old on her scooter) but at least it enabled me to test the elasticity of the Whistles tube skirt. It passed. I'm wearing it with a Jigsaw silk front top.

As soon as I was home, I ditched the skirt in favour of Topshop cut offs. Much better given it was such a warm day.  I can't remember what the eldest was doing to make me laugh - probably taking the mick in some way shape or form. After all that's what we're for isn't it?! The bruised legs are as a result of visiting "go ape" last weekend. I think it's fair to say that at times I was petrified but when there's no other way down than to cross those wires 30ft above the ground, you just have to get on with it.

I was out working last night but this arrived whilst I was out. A lovely surprise for today! I've had a quick look at some of the items in it. The trousers looked as if they were more suited to the six year old demon scooter girl, than me. I must try them later to see if I can get them past my calves.

We have three children all of whom break up for the holidays on different days. One finished at lunchtime today so I squidged in a quick run before I had to collect her.

Later on today, being short of time, I reached for the nearest thing - namely the Jigsaw tencel chinos that I wore the day before yesterday and the coral marl vest top from GAP. These trousers are good on a warm day. Admittedly they're not the most flattering but they're great because unlike skinny jeans, the air can circulate through them. Maybe tomorrow I will have a little more time for some outfit planning!

 

Tops of the bohemian, vintage, hippy, happy, peasant variety...

I started writing this post last night but then abandoned it when the photographs looked like they had been taken when the photographer was half cut (shame on you Monsoon - or me for being rubbish with technology). Also I couldn't find many examples of what I was after but the post was obviously meant to be because today, exactly the sort of thing I had in mind, kept coming at me out of nowhere.

I'm not a hippy chick at heart, nor a boho one but with my attention turning to packing for our summer holiday, I like the idea of wearing tops which give a nod to that particular vibe. I'm not a huge fan of t-shirts and only have two that I wear. Breton tops are lovely but samey, denim shirts I try and keep for the winter and strappy vests are just too chilly for me on all but the very warmest of days. 

Anything with the word neon in it is bound to attract my attention and the colours of this Monsoon neon tunic (£34.99) instantly appealed to me. With the detailing being placed where it is, all attention will be drawn up towards the face. The fit of this top will allow what's underneath it to have a little party all of its own without anyone else knowing. I currently have one of these to try in an XS so I will report back once I've tried it on.

The Accessorise lace insert tunic (£20) has a similar feel about it, although it's more toned down. "Subtle" might be the word that some would use!

I wasn't looking at Boden specifically for these style tops as, having looked under their "kaftan and tunic" section last night, I didn't think that they really had what I was after. However, it transpired that they did, albeit in a different section.

This Boden Cotswold top is a lovely shape, although sizes are sadly limited. Had it been available in my size, it would now be on its way to me! I love the coverage that these tops give, whilst at the same time being that little bit Ibiza rather than that little bit Ingoldmells*.

There's also this Boden Lola top (£29.50) which has quite a strong peasant/hippy theme going on. I'm not quite sure how it ended up in my basket but it did. I think that I was having a bit of a mad sale "in for a penny, in for a pound" moment. I'm thinking denim shorts, flip flops - anyway, we'll see.

The Boden Francesca top (priced variously £41.40 to £62.10) comes in several colour ways, as do most of the Boden tops. I like the neckline of all of these tops as they are unfussy and flattering. Classically style shirt collars can serve to shorten the neck, whereas this style top has the opposite effect.

The Boden Sicily top is really pretty. With the detail placed towards the centre of the top, it will draw the eye inwards, letting our possibly slightly lumpy, bumpy, silhouette pale into insignificance. In fact it too can join the party of what's going on underneath the top in the tummy area, leaving us feeling serene and stylish.

Now black isn't really a colour that I wear much at any time of the year but I saw this Jigsaw cotton embroidery shirt (£20) online and tried it on in the store today. It was really quite different for me but in a kind of "ooh, I haven't tried one of these before" type ways, so it gave me a little thrill and I bought it. I love Sophie in the Jigsaw in Birmingham. She's been there since about 2006 and we often have a little chat. She found this particular top uncomfortable on the waist and a bit too stiff, which made it unflattering over the bust area so you know, it's not going to work for everyone but then things rarely do. And for those with a defined waist it will emphasise it nicely.

So this whole "in for a penny in for a pound" sale thing that I had going on today turned into a bit of shopping session. But as we all know, it doesn't count until you decide to keep it, so that's fine. No, really it is. It's not a problem. Not at all. (Wipes sweat from forehead whilst having palpitations.)

*I haven't actually been to Ingoldmells since about 1978 so please, anyone who lives there, don't take offence to my comment. I'm sure it's lovely.

When is a blazer not a blazer and when is a cardi not a cardi? When it's a jersey blazer, or a jacket style cardi....

 

Whilst I realise that from these photographs it looks as though I accepted the offer of Thunderbird on the train to Leeds at 10am yesterday, honestly I didn't. The slightly tired/barely there make-up look is as a result of a very long, and very lovely, day out with my friend - plus not looking in a mirror since lunchtime.

 

Anyway, back to the train. Somehow I managed to get myself caught up amongst a stag party of 15 men travelling to Wakefield whose sole intention was to get totally and utterly trollied - hence the offer of Thunderbird at 10am. I have to say that the reveller who apparently drank a whole bottle of gin one evening not so long ago, and who ended up in intensive care for two days as a result, really looked quite good on it - so perhaps I should have accepted the offer of Thunderbird after all.  

 

For all sorts of reasons I'm a fan of using jersey type blazers, or jacket type cardigans, instead of a more formal blazer, or a traditional styled cardigan.  Whilst in some instances only a really sharp blazer will do, on many occasions they're not really necessary anymore, particularly given the more relaxed rules in the work place. Equally a soft jersey blazer or jacket style cardi can give a very casual outfit a much smarter/pulled together look than a traditional cardi - so they can have a dual purpose.   

 

The cotton jersey jacket Jigasaw (£49) is a Jigsaw perennial and usually comes in a couple of colour ways. They are a really useful "roll it up and put it in your bag" type piece, to quote my friend from yesterday, who has one. They're not currently in the sale but still, they're not too bad a price. I've put several ladies in these jackets and they have found them really useful for many different occasions.

 

 

This knitted cropped jacket from Hush (£60) is a lovely piece. It's quite light weight but definitely warm enough for the summer. I thought that the s/m would be huge on me but it's not. To me this is one of those interesting pieces which doesn't necessarily have a lot of appeal as an image but when it's on a person....

...as seen here (OK, a rather beautiful person I admit!) it takes on a whole different look. That's so true of many pieces that I come across. Often people think that they look frumpy or boring but when they're on, they can really come alive. So that's my tip for the day - try, try, try!

The Jersey blazer Hush (£55) is of a similar ilk to the Jigsaw one - an easy peasy throw it on piece. Great with a big scarf or statement necklace or even under a sleeveless coat.

Again, you can see here how it looks when on a real life person - much better!

The multi-coloured short cardi Hush (£120) is another example of a jacket style cardi. It's quite short in the body, fuss free and with an interesting neckline. Please do check the sites for up to date prices as they may have changed in between this post being written, and read.

I loved this cotton knit jacket Jigsaw (£110) when I spotted it a few months ago. Sadly it looked pretty terrible on me but on others it would look great. I didn't fill its shape and with my long arms the sleeve length was all wrong but I still think that it's a cracking piece - on the right person.

And lastly the hand crochet jacket Boden (£59.40 down from £99) which I am wearing above. I knew that the forecast for Leeds was chilly - and it wasn't wrong! This suited me down to the ground though. It has a good thickness to it and whilst the reviews are accurate in that it is snug on the arms, that's just the closeness of the knit, rather than anything else. Anyway, it can't be that tight as I managed to get a long sleeved top and a sweatshirt underneath it too!

 

 

For anyone who hasn't yet included something like this in their wardrobe, I think that they are an under-rated wardrobe hero and definitely worth investing in. With shorts, jeans, chinos, printed trousers, over dresses and with skirts they can just add that little something extra - or take the sharpness away. Take your pick!

 

In the above photo I am also wearing printed M&S shoes, Jigsaw boyfriend jeans and the Clover handbag by Oushka which was kindly gifted to me by them. It was the first time that I have used it and it was brilliant. The bag comes with a detachable clutch which is on quite a long strap. This means that you have easy access to your purse/cards/phone etc all just by pulling the clutch out of  your bag with the strap, rather than having to take the bag off your shoulder and delve about in the bottom for everything that has dropped down there. Sometimes the simplest things in life can make all the difference. (Like click and collect from Waitrose for John Lewis cushions......)