Mum on the Run - A bright layered outfit for a pub lunch where Broadchurch was filmed - how exciting for a Broadchurch groupie!

 

After this week's antics, it would seem quite appropriate that we are staying with some friends in what used to be a lunatic asylum (please forgive the un p.c. term - it's not of my doing), down in Dorset.

 

So, what does one wear when the predicted temperature is 12 degrees with rain and you are going to a nice pub for lunch a three hour drive away? The answer, for me at least, was layers, a bit of trial and error and open toe sandals of course. What else?! 

 

I think that it started off with me wanting to wear the red Topshop shoes and I built things from there upwards, with Gap skinny jeans, a cashmere Jigsaw jumper (with a vest and a long sleeved top layered underneath) and a quilted jacket from Johnnie B - which by my calculations makes a total of 4 layers.

It could be argued that I look like I'm going to a jubilee party but I can live with that, largely because my friend said far worse things about me later in the day....

And look where we ended up. For those of you who don't recognise the cliffs, they featured on Broadchurch - which I loved. Our eldest and I had a weekly date infront of the TV on a Monday night for a few weeks and it was great.

And this was a poster in the newsagents in West Bay, where Broadchurch was filmed...

It was at this point that my friend said that I didn't need to wear a Dork T-shirt. Having been going there for years I think that it was fair to say that she was totally embarrassed by my seriously uncool behaviour but hey-ho, I was in my element.

Hope that everyone is having a great bank holiday weekend and that the weather is warm and sunny - as it turned out to be where we were - luckily. For there to be warm weather on a Bank holiday and for us to be in the same place as it is nothing short of a miracle.

Mum on the Run - How to wear Neutrals. Mixing it up with lace, linen, broderie anglaise and sparkles

When it comes to neutrals, most of us tend to have plenty of them in our wardrobe. Whether it's at the darker end of the spectrum - navy/black/dark grey or at the lighter end - cream/beige/white/soft grey (ie all the Farrow & Ball colours) it seems to be those colours that we find the least challenging, or more probably the safest, to wear.

 

There's no denying that head to toe neutrals can look uber chic, especially if the textures are mixed up a little. However accent colour such as coral, turquoise, hot pink and lime green also work well, taking them down a slightly different road.

 

The lighter neutral colours will act as a higlighter, so place those where you are happy for the attention to be attracted - or conversely, it's better not to put them on those areas with which you are less happy. A case in point being my trying on of the yellow skinnies yesterday. Whilst not exactly neutral, they were light enough to act as a highlighter in all the wrong places!

 

 

  

These are some of the pieces that I chose to take along to last week's event. I mixed cotton, linen, lace and broderie anglaise, all in creams and whites or shades thereof, with a pretty sparkly top.

 

 

Along the top row left to right:

 

Zara linen biker jacket. I love the contrast sleeves on this and it looked great when put with a coral coloured statement necklace;

 

Coast pencil skirt. This is really pretty and is shot with a gold thread. Lovely for a wedding;

 

Zara beaded top - so pretty with beaten up jeans and flat sandals for the day or with fitted trousers and a blazer for an evening out. In fact it went really well under the Zara trouser suit that I showed you earlier in the week;

 

Middle line left to right:

 

H&M cream skinny jeans, best described with a damsask pattern in them. Not for everyone but great wtih heels and a relaxed fit top for a night out;

 

Zara linen T - a slouchy, comfortable basic;

 

H&M cream tailored trousers - good quality fabric with some stretch in it and thick enough so that pants won't show through it!

 

Bottom line left to right;

 

Clarks brogues - a smarter alternative to converse an a nice change from ballet pumps, especially on slightly chillier days. These also come in other colours;

 

H&M broderie anglaise dress - this is made of 100% organic cotton and has a great length to it, so whilst it may be strapless, I can imagine wearing it on holiday without feeling as though I shouldn't be.

 

 

 Hope that you like some of the bits and bobs above. Have a great bank holiday weekend.

 

Mum on the Run - Not sure how to wear yellow? See if any of these pieces inspire you to give it a whirl....

For many years yellow was the much under-rated poorer cousin of all things blue or pink and to a lesser extent, green.  However the last couple of seasons have seen yellow appearing in abundance in the shops - and indeed in the new kitchen of a friend of mine in her yellow toaster, kettle, bin, coasters and so on. Fashion and interiors really do mimic one another.

 

I was looking around and about today at all things yellow and apart from the obvious things such as lemons, the sun, daffodils, creamy yellowy custard and Selfridges bags (!) it's also found on the side of the bags from EAT, grit boxes, signs to new housing developments and some high vis jackets. It's amazing what you find when you're looking for it!

 

  

These are the pieces that I bought for last week's event in support of Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer. There's only one piece that I haven't photographed on its own and that's the yellow cotton shirt (from H&M). Having sat in a bag over the weekend it wasn't looking at it's best - and we all know how it feels to be photographed looking a bit crumpled and not as we should be.

 

Again, working from the top left in a clockwise direction we have:

 

Zara coat - probably the best Louis Vuitton copy you will see on the High Street. Checks to perfection! Fantastic with ankle length jeans and some block heeled shoes for a nod to that 60's feel. Yellow and white make a great combination - just think of the inside of a Cadbury's creme egg;

 

H&M jeans - These are lovely and soft. I keep meaning to try them on but I'm not sure that yellow jeans and I would be a match made in heaven. However they would look fab with a navy or black top (there's a great linen one with three quarter sleeves in Whistles) which has got me thinking. Maybe I should give them a try....

 

Boden cashmere jumper - in my favourite combination of grey and yellow. Lovely with white jeans on a warmer day, or grey or dark denim on a chillier one;

 

NW3 top - With just a hint of yellow for those who don't want to do the full on canary look;

 

Zara bag - Again, great for anyone who wants to dip their toe into the yellow water without wearing it as an item of clothing. Wearing a colour some distance from your body is always a more gentle introduction to it then embracing it head on;

 

Whistles - grey and yellow/green sequinned jumper. This is a subtle way to wear sequins in that they are matt and the style of the jumper is very relaxed.

Tomorrow it's the turn of neutrals!

Mum on the Run - How to wear prints? Take inspiration from pieces from Zara, Coast and H&M

It seemed a shame to do all of the shopping for the style event last week and not to share some of my finds with you before returning them to the stores - well, returning most of them anyway. As you might imagine, there are one or two things which may find their way into my wardrobe. 

 

Today it's the turn of the printed pieces. There are lots of prints on the High Street at the moment from florals, to geometric, to Aztec and chequerboard.

 

 

Prints can do a great job of adding interest to a relatively plain wardrobe, working in some colour, disguising parts of us that we may prefer to disguise or drawing attention to certain areas. 

 

 

From top left, going in a clockwise direction we have:

 

Zara trainers - mad or what? I love them!

 

Zara pencil skirt - lovely with a crisp white shirt, or reference one of the other colours in it in a plain top. This print can be used to good effect to draw the attention towards narrow hips and slim legs and away from other areas.

 

Coast A-line skirt, great for those who suit a skirt with a little more fabric in it - keep the top fitted, to show off a neat waist.

 

Zara printed shirt - A fab piece for curvier ladies to wear with fitted trousers, or as a beach cover up.



 

 

Again, from top left in a clockwise direction:

 

H&M geometric print trousers - great fabric, thick and supportive with stretch in it. Lovely with a simple top, black blazer and heels for an evening out;

 

Coast dress - loving the cobalt blue and acid green in this dress - great neckline too;

 

Zara top - as the print is on the back and with the front being plain, it's a fantastic piece for those who would like to dabble their toe in the print water but are a little nervous of doing so. This would work well with cobalt blue skinny jeans (Gap has khakis and skinnies in this colour) and converse or flat sandals/ballet pumps/smoking slippers for an every day look.

 

 

Check in tomorrow - it will be the turn of the yellow pieces!

 

Mum on the Run - A smart outfit dressed down for the weekend, an outfit with a Boden coat and how a sausage came to ruin my trousers!

So, how is everyone? I really hope that you have all had a little bit of sunshine and that it has lifted everyone's spirits. At last it feels as though spring may be here. Hopefully one or two of you will have bought yourselves a lovely Zatchels bag with 50% off. Knowing that there is something to look forward later on in the week is always such a pleasant prospect.

 

I have been on two long walks with the eldest this weekend - "revision walks" - although they just turned into general chatting walks really. It was so nice to go out minus a coat. This weekend has also seen me taking the youngest out on her bike alot. She keeps telling me that she's nearly there and all that she needs to get a hang of are the balance and the steering. Righty ho then.

 

Thank you to everyone for your support for the charity Ladies Fighting Breast Cancer and the event on Thursday night. I look forward to seeing lots of you there.

 

With time so short (for everyone, not just me) taking snaps of what I am wearing is the best way to get material for the blog but hopefully I will have the time to bring you some other things soon.

 

This is what I wore when working with a client on Friday. Luckily a new Boden shirt arrived on Thursday, which sat well under a grey Whistles knit, bought with a 25% off Grazia offer a few weeks ago now.

 

 

The trousers are from Jigsaw - a sale purchase from the end of last summer and the blazer is a Gap one. The heels are from Rockport. I like the idea of something which looks like a suit but which isn't a suit. I don't know why - I guess it's a little bit less corporate but of course it's totally psychological, as most of these things are.

After getting home, off came all the things that were smart about the outfit and they were replaced with sequinned flats and jeans, for a "double sequins" look (in case you can't tell, there are sequins on the jumper).

This was Thursday's outfit when working with another lady, who had the most incredible wardrobe of clothes I have ever seen - and I have seen lots. Wow, just stunning (her wardrobe, not me). No, I was in a drop waist teal Whistles dress, a Hobbs necklace and an 11 year old Boden coat!

 

This was today's uber casual outfit for our early morning walk/bike ride/hanging out the washing and anything else that came my way. When posting about these trousers previously, I recall that some didn't like them. Well, you'll be pleased to know that on their first wearing they copped it and the culprit? A sausage!

 

 

Given that the sun was out, Mr SG decided that a BBQ was in order and as I was cutting a sausage in half for the intrepid bike rider, it squirted fat all down my trousers. Oh flippety flip flip. Funny how all of the children know about the "Vanish" adverts isn't it? Great marketing!

 

And of course I had to include a shot or two of One Direction. Despite my tweets taking the mick out of myself and them, they were very good and the our eldest and her friends had a blast which is what, after all, it was all about. I think that I have just about remembered their names....

Blinding!

Mum on the Run - Two days of outfits and planning our trip to One Direction!

See, not a wedge trainers in sight, although the boyfriend jeans seem to be getting a bit of a battering. I fear it's because they are a relaxed fit, which translates to roomy, which translates to comfortable, which translates to me being to eat more toblerone. Fantastic!

 

Spring has finally sprung here. Yesterday when we went out of the front door it was just like stepping off a plane in Benidorm, or somewhere equally exotic. It was a little windy and it rained for the rest of the day but hey, it was definitely warmer. Yipppee. It was the same today too. Two days in a row must mean that spring is here to stay.

 

It was so warm, I wore a short sleeved top yesterday - probably the first time since last September. This is a plain top from Hobbs NW3, which I bought in the sale last summer. It's slightly larger than I would normally have but I didn't want it to be too fitted. As with most simple pieces, it's really versatile in that I can wear it with jeans, under a smart blazer, with a pencil skirt, with a long sleeved striped top layered underneath or worn over a maxi dress. Here I wore it with Gap boyfriend jeans, All Saints shoes and H&M coral necklace, to brighten it up.

 

 

This is a closer shot of my "rocker" belt from Topshop. I had my eye on a Jigsaw one at the time but it was nearly £100 so I went to Topshop for a less expensive alternative. In truth it probably wasn't quite as nice as the Jigsaw one but it's such a long time ago now that I can't remember what the Jigsaw one was like, which I guess is one benefit of the passage of time!

Being a lazy whatsit, I wore the same jeans and shoes today but layered a couple of lighterweight jumpers under this cape, which I bought in the Zara sale at the end of last summer for £10. It hasn't been warm enough to wear until now but (as I keep on saying) today it was. What a great disguiser it is of all things that need disguising! I'm a bit of a fan of a polo neck and it has separate sleeves, which I like.

 

Later on in the day I swapped the shoes for eye wateringly bright trainers when I took the youngest out on her bike - minus stabilisers but which she can't yet ride on her own. Not that my back kills me or anything now.

The trainers were then swapped for wellies when we went in the garden to plant flowers. We now have about 500 000 poppies growing in 1 square cm of soil and when they were watered, they needed mouth to mouth and a life raft.

Along with two of her friends, I am taking the eldest to see One Direction on Wednesday. I've decided that the least cool thing ever is to sing along only to the cover versions they do, in this case "One way or another" and "Teenage kicks" because all that does is show your age.

 

No, the only thing to do is to either sing along to nothing, or everything. This means either a) listening to One Direction songs non-stop for the next two days, because it will take me that long to learn their deep and meaningful lyrics or b) standing there mutely.

 

I have a c) up my sleeve, which is to go and chuck my biggest Bridget Jones knickers at them instead. 

Mum on the Run - All "tucked in" in Hobbs, Gap, All Saints and H&M

This is probably going to be the shortest post in the history of the blog but if I don't finish up here soon I'll have suitcases under my eyes tomorrow, rather than just bags.

 

I look a bit "buttoned up" and a bit "tucked in" in this outfit but as I was once described on Mumsnet as being too "tucked in" it would seem quite apt. That phrase made me laugh, largely because it's absolutely true. As a child I would spend hours tucking my vest into my pants and if it wasn't right, back to square one I went until it was all smooth and as it should be. 

 

I'm wearing a Hobbs jacket, Gap jeans, All Saints boots, Cos collar, H&M jumper and Orla Kiely bag.

Out of interest, is anyone else a fan of being all tucked in or is it just me?

Mum on the Run - Finding Style Inspiration on Dallas - and no, not in the form of shoulder pads!

Sometimes inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources. I have had these chandelier ear-rings for a while now and haven't been quite sure how to wear them - that was until last night when we were watching Dallas on catch up. And there she was! Sue Ellen was wearing a great pair of statement ear-rings with a really simple suit and white shirt so....

 

...here we go. I bought this Reiss jacket in the sale a while after Christmas. Reduced from about £225 to £60, I really liked the copper colour woven through it (see below). I wore it with navy Cos trousers and a white Gap shirt.  I had two meetings in town today with a decent walk between them so needed flat shoes and I didn't want to "pretty" the look up with heels, or colour or anything else really. The whole androgynous look was what it was about - well that and the Pat Butcher accessories.

In the same way that someone commented that they didn't think that they would see the words "Ann Summers" and "Sports Direct" mentioned together in a fashion blog (see post from a week or so ago), I'm not sure that anyone would expect to see the words "Sue Ellen" and "Style Inspiration" either but life is always full of suprises. I'm working on having my eyebrows like JR next. It shouldn't take too long.

Mum on the Run - From Glamourous to Grungy in a few easy steps!

 

So, this was the deal last Thursday, with the benefit of a make-up artist...

 

 

...and this was the deal today, without. Please move in with me Leah (the make-up artist)!! I could have made today's shot smaller - but that would be cheating. In my defence, it was 5.30pm when this was taken and I hadn't done any re-touching during the day but...

I do think that there is something to be said for us all, once in a while, having our make-up done professionally.  I am hoping to bring you a post shortly from a make-up artist with whom I worked on a shoot the other week, with lots of hints and tips on how to update your make-up and what to wear (or not wear) as the years progress!

Today's outfit started off much better than it ended up. I was working with a client this morning and so wore a dress and heels but there wasn't anyone on hand, who was willing, to photograph it. Having returned home, I felt all "wrong" being dressed up and so changed for the school/ballet run into something much more comfortable and practical.

Today's outfit: GAP jeans, Next denim shirt, French Connection jumper, H&M coat, LK Bennett bag, Topshop shoes

Tomorrow I will share with you details of  my trip to Rigby & Peller where it's true - they really do fit your bras by sight! Oh help!!!

Mum on the Run - at the school fete

The morning started with our three year old being taught how to use a Nerf gun by her brother (including re-loading it) and taking great delight in shooting me with about 20 foam bullets.  Her skills know no bounds.  She is also in the process of conning the tooth fairy by putting her older sister's teeth under her pillow.  I think that she must have been watching the Apprentice on the quiet. 

For those of you who saw my twitter message this morning, you will know that today was the day of the school fete and that my significant contribution was to serve on the Chinese food stall.  As I felt a little under attack (what with that, being in charge of our own children plus their cousins - and because rain was forecast) I was planning on wearing combats - which I thought seemed appropriate.  However my plans changed and I decided to go for the green jeans, stripey top and Cos swing cardi.  Fortunately I also took a denim shirt with me, which I put on when the temperature dropped below 10 degrees. 

Amazingly all went well at the school fete - our youngest wasn't thrown from Suzie the donkey, the kids didn't trash the inside of the fire engine, I probably haven't guessed correctly the weight of the chocolate cake (but then I am not sure that I want it anyway given that half the school has handled - and probably sneezed over - it.)  We are now settling down to the mean cocktails which my South American sister in law has made.  Bliss!

Mum on the Run- holiday day 4

At least the sun was out today.  I say at least because that, together with the increased wind meant that the waves were great and we were out bodyboarding by 8.30 am.  Boy was it cold - really cold.  At one stage I lost sight of one of the children - not great really.   I was near the shore and she wasn't - not only that but she was the other side of a rather large wave which obscured her from view.  There was a moment of panic but then she appeared.  So that was good.

The rest of the day was spent on lots of different beaches, eating ice cream and crab sandwiches, waving the children off as they went off flying and generally having fun.  Our youngest has added to her repertoire of bad habits by taking her trousers off and pulling her pants up her bottom as if she is wearing a G-string.  She thinks it's funny.  I wonder who she's copied it from because it's definitely not me - personally I can't stand the thought of the things.

Anyway, to today's outfit - having been in the sea first thing I was really chilly, so I layered on a vest, shiny new long sleeved top, denim shirt and navy trousers. I am so glad that I didn't bring anything decent as the youngest seems to have taken to wiping her nose or ice cream face on whatever I am wearing, or wiping her dusty feet on me.  The bag isn't even my own - it belongs to my friend who has many more stylish pieces on holiday with her  - but she has only one well behaved child who is nine and who she can fend off before she gets too close with her sticky fingers.  Anyway, I liked it so thought that it ought to make a guest appearance.  It is navy moc croc and is from Banana Republic.  All I can say is I hope that she has some more pieces for me to pinch tomorrow - I am starting to get perilously close to having to start recycling my outfits - oh well, I am certainly doing my bit for the capsule wardrobe.  Trouble is I think that the emphasis might be a bit too much on "capsule" and not enough on "wardrobe"!    

 

Mum on the Run - White flared jeans

I was off down to Worcester today recording a style slot for BBC Hereford and Worcester's morning radio show. I wasn't quite sure what the weather was going to be up to.  It wasn't warm enough to go bare legged so I decided to give my white jeans another outing. My leather jacket is warm without being bulky so I put that with lots of green for a change - and it's amazing how many people commented on how much they liked the green - even the assistant in Laura Ashley bless her!

Jeans H&M, Jacket Oasis, T Fat Face, Scarf Zara

Mum on the Run - White flares

I knew that it would happen one day and today was the day - I was recognised - by the postman!  I was busy minding my own business working from home when there was a knock on the door.  It was the postman with a parcel for me. Having signed for the parcel the postman said to me "I heard you on the Radio the other day" - and there I was standing in the above outfit plus fluffy dressing gown and thick socks to keep warm - what an advert I was for my services!  That plus the squeak of "Oooh, well I never" and me scuttling back inside was most impressive.
So, to today's outfit - white flared jeans from H&M plus a collarless shirt silk shirt and gold wedges.  All a bit 1970's but in a non brown cheesecloth kind of way.  I never have liked brown clothes - I think it has something to do with the old brownie uniform, which I never could bring myself to wear - I just hated that brown and yellow combination.  I suppose the fact that my sister had been expelled for giving the "V" sign to brown owl meant that my brownie career was over before it even started. Ho hum.

A word about H&M jeans - they are a good price and they come in in-between sizes too - so a 27/29 etc.  Definitely worth a try.  The above style is called & Flary.

Mum on the Run - The practical look

I had a great time last night at the Radisson hotel in Birmingham, doing a style evening with some of the city's top PA's.  They were a lively chatty bunch, which was fantastic.  Earlier in the day I did a Wardrobe Consultation with a lovely client.  As we sorted through her summer clothes she pulled something out and proclaimed "Great, the dog's bandana" - I have come across some unusual items in people's wardrobes but that is the first dog's bandana that I have seen.  Cool dog!

Today I did some shopping - for me!  I have spent the last month or so shopping for everyone else but today it was my turn- not that I am wearing any of it below!

As it was such a lovely day we did the long walk to school and back, hence the converse.  I also wore navy peg leg cotton trousers and my striped H&M top.  None of earth shattering but it did the job as I truly was a Mum on the Run and a Mum in a rush today.  Just so that you know, I am giving myself a day off tomorrow, returning Sunday.  Have a great weekend!

Mum on the Run day 22 - Colour pop!

Today was another shopping day - just finishing off for a style party that I am doing on Friday night.  The shops are a whole different ball game, even compared to last week.  There are lots of lovely things out there!

I wore my comfortable Oasis boots together with skinny navy blue trousers from Cos.  I also layered two long sleeved tops - a breton one from Jigsaw (which I think are better than the Petit Bateau ones despite what the fashionistas say!) and a cowl necked one over the top, from Cos.  I finished off with a fake fur coat, bright pink gloves and my favourite item - my pink spotty bag bought for me by my hubby.  Top marks Mr G!

I felt cosy all day, comfortable on my feet and the gloves added a nice splash of colour to an otherwise fairly plain outfit.

Outfit: Boots Oasis, Trousers Cos, Striped top Jigsaw, Navy top Cos, Coat H&M, Gloves M&S, Bag Ted Baker