Shorts and a shirt for the City

As soon as I put my shorts on this morning the sun went in - which says it all really. But having got that far, I persevered and kept them on well - just because..... Just because I didn't get around to changing, just because it was warm enough to keep them on, just because I like them and just because I felt like flying the flag for all 46 year olds who want to wear shorts!

But there is always that dilemma of what to wear them with. If we lived by the sea, or if it was a day in the garden it would be a boho top and flip flops all the way. But as I needed to go into town and do a hundred and one other jobs locally, I didn't want to look as though I was about to chuck my bucket and spade into the car and head to the nearest beach for an ice cream.
 

So I felt that this shirt with a scalloped hem from Cos (£45) would add just a little bit of structure and tailoring to my look. Well, insofar as I ever really think about these things.

And that was it really. I also wore this shirt for a night out on Friday with black fitted trousers and big ear-rings and I have other plans for it too. I just love a good shirt for the summer!

Style Guile Sale Part 2!

It's been a while since I've said "hello" so I thought that it was about time that I made a brief (and somewhat slightly scruffy) appearance.

I may have a sewn monkey hanging behind my head (that's the browny thing in the background) but at least I've swept up, changed the door mat and planted up the pots so I feel a little more organised....sort of.

Thank you to all of you who emailed me about my blog sale for Coram. Almost everything has been sold now but the good news is that I've just uploaded some more pieces, which you can find on my "Style Guile Sale" page above. Thank you so much. I promise that your money is going to a wonderful cause and you get a lovely new item for your wardrobe too so it's a win win!

Outfit: Gap boyfriend jeans, Zara denim shirt, Jigsaw boots

My answer to everything: wear a blouse with a bow. It just makes you feel glam even when nothing could be further from the truth. Life looking out from the pink front door is great.

Looking in however - it's a big old mess. But look at our lovely loo. Great colour huh?!

Today I was stalked by....Bardot tops

One of the best things about my job is having the legitimate excuse of spending a few hours every so often walking around the shops to see what's out there.  Whizzing from one store to the next in quick succession is a great way of spotting the trends. And today I felt that I was being stalked by blue Bardot tops. Shop after shop had them on their rails. Take a look to see what I mean....

The Bardot striped top from Whistles (£85), which also comes in white.

Zara blue and white off the shoulder striped top (£29.99) 

GAP tencel off the shoulder top (£34.95)

H&M blue off the shoulder blouse - £7.99. This one is 100% cotton and it's from the H&M conscious range.

So is anyone tempted to jump on the Bardot bandwagon, or are you more likely to give them a miss, knowing that the rest of the world could, quite possibly, be wearing them too?!!

Don't you just love a good jumper? And a GAP one? Even better!

On Friday afternoon I went home feeling very satisfied with myself. Why? Because I had resisted the temptation to buy this GAP fair isle sweater which I loved so much. "I don't need any more jumpers." I thought to myself. "It's similar to another one you have." I told myself. "You can't really justify it." I convinced myself. But clearly I didn't convince myself hard enough because where did I find myself at 9am on Saturday morning? Yes, buying the GAP jumper. So much for that particular resolve.

And on Saturday evening I wore it to a birthday party. Who in their right mind wears a fair isle sweater to a birthday party? In my defence it was in Leeds and it was cold. Which begs the question why then was I wearing open toed shoes? I really have no idea, other than the fact that I like them. Ho hum!

So here is the GAP jumper in its various different colour combinations...

And three of my other favourite GAP jumpers for those who may not quite be in the fair isle frame of mind but who fancy a little something different for Christmas, or just in general.

Don't you just love a good sweater, or pullover, or jumper, or knit, or whatever you want to call them?!

An outfit for lounging around in....

Does anyone else have to force themselves to just STOP? Well yesterday afternoon I decided to do just that. It doesn't come easily but having done one very long run on Friday afternoon and two shorter ones on Saturday and Sunday morning, plus Christmas shopping, oodles of washing, cooking, food shopping and baking I decided that it was time to just sit down for a while.

The youngest and I made friendship bracelets for her to sell at school in aid of Children in Need. We sat in front of the fire and watched films and it was bliss. But then again sometimes the simplest things in life are, aren't they?

Obviously when it came to sitting down for the afternoon, comfort was paramount. Because they are pretty much the most comfortable trousers out, my Felsted print trousers from Baukjen were more than up to the job. Sparkles and animal print were, in truth, probably slight overload but no-one in the family said anything. I think that they're used to it by now. Comfortable trousers are always high on  my list of wardrobe essentials, so I would love to know if you've come across any gems recently.

Keep safe in the storms. Beth x

One of my favourite outfits. Why? Because it's warm and it feels as comfortable as a onesie!

No your eyes aren't deceiving you. Clearly the 7 year old has been on the gin but in all honesty I'm quite thankful for the "blur". Winter skin at 8am when one is slightly tired is never a good look. However, ugly mug aside, I felt really comfortable in this outfit and as some of the pieces are currently available in store, I thought that I would share it with you and link to them (where possible).

First off, the boots. Well they aren't current but they are from Zara and you can find similar here (£39.99). In fact Zara in general has quite a few similar pairs.

Moving on up... (can anyone else here that song in their head with the same lyrics - the one by M People no less?) to the new billy bargainous jeans from GAP. Personally I think that they are more of a very heavy ponte legging but the fact that they were classed as jeans meant that I got 30% off - so I wasn't going to argue. Lots of stretch, good rise these are fabulous - other than the fact that they're not on the GAP website. They come in three colours though - black, green and burgundy and they have zips on the pockets, just like the ones below. In fairness the styling over the bottom means that they are better with a slightly longer top - unless of course you have a pert Beyonce type butt and then anything goes.

Jigsaw has a very similar pair in black, which again don't seem to be online but these Zara leggings (£19.99) are cut very much from the same cloth, if you'll excuse the pun. And for their price tag they are a pretty fine specimen. I'm not really a legging fan but when they are styled as more of a trouser - somehow I can get my head around them a little more.

Moving up again, I'm wearing the Warehouse sleeveless coat (£69) which I probably ought to take off soon but it's perfect for when I'm in the shops. A coat is generally too heavy but it's too cold to go coat less, so this is a fabulous half way house.

The jumper is a current one by Topshop but it's not on the site (sorry). However it is similar to this one, also from Topshop (£39). The only thing about this jumper is that it's probably too long to see the shirt peeping below.

The shirt that I'm wearing is an embellished denim one from H&M a couple of seasons ago. I really rate H&M for their silk shirts such as this one (£49.99) although I appreciate that the placing of the pockets may be an issue for some....

...and I like this one too, also from H&M (£14.99).  It may be a one season wonder but the neckline is un-fussy so it would sit well under a funnel neck jumper and a little bit of gold never goes a miss in the run up to Christmas. It's definitely more of a blouse than a shirt, without being too OTT so I think that it has legs.

Any outfit that ticks the warm, comfortable and slightly modern look is a winner for me. The first two criteria are the most important but the third carries some weight which is good as otherwise, left to my own devices, I would be wandering around in a Onesie.

In today's NEW vlog I'm talking about fringes and all things fringed....

We all know that I've been wittering on about buying a fringed bag for a while now and finally I found one that I liked with reference to price, colour and the amount of fringing that it had on it.

I'm a bit of tinker when I get a new bag and I just use it non-stop, which is what I've done over the weekend. But I do love a red bag, especially if it's a red bag that I can wear across my body and even more so if it's a good price and with a tassel or two.

So, here's a picture of the GAP tassel bag (showing as £32.95 online but I paid £14.95 for mine in store). You can see it much better in my new vlog, which is available to watch here.

In the vlog I'm wearing this M&S tie neck blouse (£29.50) which can be seen much more clearly than when I wore it underneath the dungarees in my last vlog. Why don't you give it the good once over to see what you think?!

Plus there's a surprise Zara top on the vlog which has tassels (and a mind) all of its own - but unfortunately once again, no link. Sorry!

I do hope that you enjoy the vlog. As well as fringing, there's a little bit of a fringe chat going on too. What do you all think to VB's new fringe? I have a little something to share with you about it!

Please do let me have your thoughts, comments and views.  Have a great week. Beth x

Zara stripes for the autumn, a new layering find from Topshop and a short vlog looking at both of them...

For the life of me I cannot find this top anywhere on the Zara website (despite about 250 searches) but I only bought it yesterday so it should be there somewhere.

I know that lots of us love a good stripe and I like how this top is half way between a long sleeved cotton top and a jumper, making it perfect for this time of year.

Here I just photographed it quickly with a pair of old jeans (and not much make-up!) but I'm looking forward to wearing it with wide-legged navy Jigsaw trousers plus trainers, or with a navy skirt and heeled ankle boots (and a bit more make-up!)

This was my other fab find of the day, a long sleeved cropped top from Topshop for £12.

If you would like to find out more about both of these items and find out why the Topshop top is my new best friend, you can nip over to my new vlog here for more info.

Whilst talking about the vlog, I would love to hear your views. Please let me know what you would like to see, the perfect length vlog for you and what I could cover to make your lives easier when it comes to your wardrobe! I have a few ideas of my own but I'm far more interested in yours. Thank you! Beth x

Can you wear a blanket poncho? Yes you can and here I show you how...

Outfit: Gap trousers, Jigsaw boots and poncho, Warehouse top, Oushka bag

So I have to admit that I was dubious about whether I could pull off a blanket poncho but then I bought one on impulse ("oooh, it's navy and white and I've never tried one of these before - let's give it a go) after which I missed the deadline to return it, meaning that I was forced to wear it.  And guess what? I really liked it. Luckily.

In fairness I did try it on before I bought it but it was a very quick try on. Then as the summer holidays approached a whole host of work came in and it sat, mildly neglected for a while. I wore it in Guernsey with shorts and then today, given that the temperature had dropped by about 10 degrees, an extra layer was needed. So out it came for its first official outing.

Having had a little play with it my conclusion is that, even if you're fairly petite it can work without swamping. Equally if you're slightly curvier it's great for skimming without clinging. I'm also going to belt it when I have a chance and see how that works too. As with anything with some volume to it, the rest of the outfit needs to be quite fitted so that it looks as though you're wearing an outfit plus a poncho, rather than....a tent. And, as in most cases, a slight heel does help. It just helps to lengthen those legs.

Here's the Jigsaw summer blanket poncho (£38 down from £129) in cream. It's no longer available in navy on line but I love this cream option too - and it's a great price now.

And these are the Jigsaw ankle boots that I'm wearing (reduced to £69 from £139). I've worn them so much already that they definitely qualify as a necessary purchase. Yep, most definitely.

Wishing you all a lovely (and dry) weekend - whether you're in a poncho. Or a tent. 

How to wear shorts when the temperature doesn't really warrant it (and it doesn't involve American Tan tights)....

Despite the fact it's not the warmest right now, I still want to wear shorts. So how to get around this? Layer up on the top half, that's how. Today's ensemble (the word "outfit" would attribute to it a sense of style or organisation that it didn't really possess - other than the scarf which was a lovely present from a lovely friend) consisted of the following layers:

• M&S vest (not seen - be grateful!)
• J Crew striped top;
• Denim shirt (knotted at the waist);
• Zara sequin jumper;
• Bright scarf - later used as a coat when it got chilly and I'd left my coat in the car;
• Yellow petit bateau coat, for when it truly threw it down.

With that lot on my top half, it was hard to feel cold on my legs and in fairness, when the sun did choose to shine, it was warm enough for shorts - not like that whole February LFW thing when all the celebs are so keen to show off the new season's fashion that they flash their pants despite the snow. 

I have always loved Cath Kidston and Cath and Guernsey are another match made in heaven. And Cath at a beach kiosk, well, it just had to be done. I bought this bag in Selfridges on the morning that we came away, having seen it in there the day before. If I'm honest, I think that I fell in love with the luminous pink. Bet no-one saw that one coming. All due credit for the mercy dash to get the bag has go to Mr SG who, despite not being remotely interested in such things for himself, totally gets it. Apologies for the random foot, which appears to be mine.

I've linked to the Cath Kidston bag online, despite the fact that it's out of stock, just because there are further details if anyone did want to try and track one down.

Happy birthday to all of us - it's not about turning back the clock it's about making the best of what we've got!

I'm really not one of those women who worries about her age too much. Sure, when I enter my date of birth on line and I have to scroll back FOREVER to reach 1970, it sort of registers. And as I gradually creep up the age categories in the Park Run that too stings ever so slightly. Also, I'm never quite sure whether the comment "Really? Are you that old? You don't look it" is really a compliment or not. The older our eldest gets, the more obvious it must be that I'm no longer a spring chicken - not unless I had her at about 15.

That aside, I don't stress about the latest line or wrinkle. I think that is such a rocky road to go down and can only lead to misery because one's thing for sure, as we get older we're going to look older - and that's how it should be. When I saw recent photos of Jane Fonda looking not much older than me it really freaked me out. It was as if someone had preserved her in aspic since the 1980's and had recently got her out to start living again.

Anyway, enough of the serious stuff, these are some of my thoughts on ageing...

Failing vision

Nothing ages someone more than holding text at arm's length to read it.  When your arms are no longer long enough, then it's time to take action. But not with half moon glasses that have to be peered over. They're not much better! Equally two pairs of glasses doesn't work that well either. "Where are my reading glasses, I've got the wrong ones on?" is a phrase I never wish to utter.

Memory loss

Ever get to the top of the stairs and wonder why you're there? Or are you able to reel off the birthdays of your school friends but you have no idea what you had for dinner two days ago? If so you're not alone. Both my friend and I are carrying a slight achilles injury at the moment and recently we had a conversation that something went like this...

"My achilles is really sore."
"Mine too."
"I remember you hurting yours before."
"Yes, I remember you hurting yours too."
"Can you remember how long ago it was?"
"No, not really."
"Can you?"
"No, no idea."
"Do you remember how you got it better?"
"No, I don't. Do you?"
"No, can't remember."
"Shall we just keep on running then?"
"Yep, sounds like a plan."

When you go to stand up

If you've been sitting down for a while, before moving a muscle to stand up, plant a great big fat smile on your face. There's nothing that gives away an ageing body as someone standing up and going "oooh, ouch, ahhh." Grin through the pain. Or alternatively don't sit down for too long.

Hairs

Grey or stray, they need to go. Dye them, pluck them, zap them however you like but they have no place in your life - or on your chin.

Exercise

Please don't ask me to go on a trampoline. Ever. And no self respecting aerobics teacher should ever ask a woman who has had children to do star jumps. That's just asking for trouble. How many other women have you seen trying to do star jumps whilst keeping their knees together? Don't the instructors get it?

The menopause

I'm not there yet and hopefully won't be for some time, however it's impossible to fight the inevitable - assuming that we are lucky enough to get there in the first place. I know that for some women the menopause is dreadful beyond words. My aim is to exercise and eat as healthily as I can through it. My husband may well find me lobbing a trainer at him for no apparent reason, or asking him to pass me the chia seeds before dissolving into tears but at least I won't be throwing a packet of fags or asking him to pass me a bottle of wine. Maybe when I hit that stage he'll be pleased that I like to run so much as it will offer him peace and quiet from the hormonal wailing banshee who has replaced his wife.

One last thought....it's all in the mind

All those things that we never thought that we would do again - or at all - we should do them! Whether it's shopping in Topshop, learning to ski, doing the high ropes, learning to swim or dive or starting to run, we should give it a go. Confidence is a huge issue as we get older but there's no reason why we can't still have fun too. It's our spirit that keeps us young - not a line free face.

Beach time but not a bikini in sight. Nope, for me it's a petit bateau yellow coat...

[Raincoat petit bateau, shorts GAP, Jumper Reiss, Wellies Joules, Sunglasses Jigsaw]

Sometimes when there's a mammoth task in front of you (in this case building an ancient sandcastle city) the only thing to do is to throw yourself into it wholeheartedly. I find that new buckets and spades which co-ordinate with your outfit helps, as does a whole lot of energy and enthusiasm. Then when everyone starts to fade, it's time for lunch and one of these for dessert.....

This spectacular treat was from Scoops in Caernarfon, which is famed for its Dutch pancakes and Artisan ice cream. It's definitely worth a visit if you're ever in North Wales. Hope that everyone is enjoying their hols!

A Zara statement sweatshirt....with sequins and everything!

Wales weather lends itself perfectly to sweatshirts. And as for one with a sequin thunder and lightening cloud on it? Well I really wasn't going to resist it when I saw it in Zara last week was I? Sometimes you just have to smile and embrace the rain...

When confronted by lime green sandals, what's a girl to do?

First thing on Sunday morning I found myself in New Look, helping our eldest to find prom shoes. Whilst there, these New Look lime green sandals (£12.99), which just happened to be in my current favourite shade, caught my eye and I was compelled by some intergalactic force, to try them on. And then of course I liked them, which resulted in me buying them. What's a girl to do?! *

* Stop going to the shops may be a good idea. Or maybe just not trying things on when I get there. Simple really.

Shorts and pom poms in New York City!

Our recent trip to New York was the most amazing experience for the both of us. Our lovely Flossie finished her GCSE's on Thursday afternoon and by 9am on Friday we were heading over the Atlantic. She relished the plane journey where she could sit and, for the first time in months, not do any work. I relished the peace and the fact that I didn't have young children in tow! 

When it came to packing, I stuck to an almost neutral colour palette of black, navy, white and cream. Any colour came in the form of nails and friendship bracelets. It worked so well that I will be replicating it on our summer holiday next month. 

Over the next few days I will share a few outfit shots from our trip. Hopefully I won't irritate everyone to death in doing so! 

This was my first photo on US soil, whilst waiting to go through immigration. I travelled both there and back in my Topshop boiler suit (£65) and it was perfect (despite what people think about "going to the loo" type issues!) I also wore these Aldo Draedia shoes, now £25 in the sale, and my new M&S Collection bag (which still doesn't appear to be online), went everywhere with me. It was the perfect size for our map, my star clutch which had money, credit cards etc in it, suntan lotion, wipes, plasters, sunglasses and a denim shirt in the back pocket - just in case! I would thoroughly recommend it for anyone vaguely tempted.

Before I went away, I had my legs sprayed to make them a lesser shade of Persil white. Having said that, I have a feeling that most of it was deposited on the bathroom floor of our hotel when I got changed after arriving. Nice!

The pom pom embroidered tee from Topshop (sorry, can't find that online either) that I am wearing, arrived just in time and I'm pleased that I made the effort to go into town to collect it before going away. The scalloped shorts were from GAP last summer and you can find similar here

Unbelievably, given the temperature by the time that we left, it was actually quite chilly on the first day, so this Jigsaw pom pom scarf (£59) came in really handy. I think that I was killing time here in Victoria's Secrets whilst someone was trying bikinis on. Given how many pom poms I was wearing, I gave some thought to the collective noun for pom poms. I wondered whether a "dangle" of pom poms might work?

Later in the week, after one or two (OK about five), trips to J.Crew, I bought this striped top (£47 in the UK).

More about the pink sandals in my next post!

However for now, I'll leave you with a picture of one of my favourite sights - right from the top of the Empire States Building. It's just stunning - and terrifying - up there.