Time for a change: Wearing a skirt plus one of my favourite sale buys....

 

Although the day started with heels yesterday, they didn't last for long and in no time at all I had swapped them for cream brogues. When I looked at my shopping brief for the day, together with the fact that the sales had started, I knew that there would be a lot of ground to cover.

I haven't worn this Jigsaw trench style skirt for a while but I always like doing so. Skirts can be tricky blighters, both in terms of their design (most tend to fall into a very clear category of smart work type skirts, or really casual ones - or White Stuff skirts, which have a whole category of their own - not that I don't think that they have a place, it's just that they can be spotted from 50m) and also in terms of the tops needed to go with them. A skirt and top outfit has an additional dimension that you just don't have when wearing a dress.

When it comes to tops to go with skirts, there are a couple of tricks that I think work and which avoid the risk of the outfit becoming too fussy and cluttered, which it can quite easily:

•  Wear a jacket or cardi in the same colour as the top underneath it, so that you have more of a block coloured type effect on the top half (as I have done above but with neutrals);
• If your top is a different colour to the skirt and you don't want to wear cardi/jacket in the same colour as the top, wear a jacket or cardi in the same colour as the skirt;
• Most skirts work with a sharp white shirt, a chambray or denim shirt, or a Breton striped top.

The sales were amazing and if there was one thing that I would be very happy to wake up and find in my wardrobe, this is it - the Jenn leather jacket from Reiss reduced from £375 to £255. It practically has my name on it -  OK so maybe it's my sister's but that's good enough isn't it? I'd let her borrow it. Now and then.....

If you love something enough and keep it for long enough, eventually you'll find a way to wear it!

I think that this Hobbs shirt that I am wearing is testament to the fact that if you love something enough, eventually you'll find a way to wear it. I must have had it for three years or so and I never really found a way that I was happy to wear it - but that was before boyfriend jeans came along - the saviour of many an outfit!  With a white Zara blazer which picked up the white in the shirt, it all came together OK and I enjoyed wearing it. I also think that a white blazer is a good way of "lifting" lots of pieces which could otherwise look a little dark/wintry for this time of the year - what with the amazing summer we are having and all that.

My aim is to get to bed by 10pm because, if I'm totally honest, I have been a little grumpy with certain members of the family this evening (not Mr SG I hasten to add - he's out). Chocolate has assisted somewhat but there's no substitute for sleep so that's why I'm keeping this brief and without links - please forgive me.

The jeans are the Hampton slim boyfriend from Jigsaw and similar shoes are available at Clarks and Dune (I particularly like the cornflower blue ones.)

Sorry, better dash - I'm going to turn into a pumpkin. Or the hulk.

An outfit of 50 shades of blue, plus gems from a large ironing pile!!!

And for last night's evening out with Mr SG, out of the wardrobe of blue came ..... an outfit of blue! Now there's a surprise! The plan was to walk to the restaurant but it was drizzling slightly and because Mr SG doesn't do rain, or mud, for that matter, that plan was abandoned. However at least it meant that my trainers weren't lurking under the table in a plastic bag which they would have been otherwise - classy! The reason for my open toed shoes, despite the rain, was because a friend of mine and I went for a ridiculously long run in the rain yesterday and my toes were too sore to put any kind of going out shoes anywhere near them.

The only really current pieces from this outfit are the Lena jersey jacket from Whistles (£95) and the silk front sweater from Jigsaw (£89). Other than that I wore my New Look (magically expanding to fit any shape you are) skinny jeans and Mango block heeled shoes - I've seen similar ones all over the place this year to include Clarks (£49.99)

and Boden (£99) which also come in gold, tan, hibiscus and navy. The good thing about the Clarks ones is that for anyone who is uncertain about wearing an ankle strap, depending on your skin tone, they blend in pretty well so you avoid that leg chopping off effect. But then again I do love the blue ones from Boden.

I've said it before and I'll say it again but getting to the bottom of the ironing pile (or cupboard in our case) opens up a whole new wardrobe.  Today I re-discovered all manner of things I had forgotten about so whilst obviously there's now more blue in my wardrobe than there was before, there are also some other colours too. And some things have been there for so long that, having gone completely out of fashion, they have now come back in again. Result! (I might just do a whole week of posts on outfits that I found in the ironing cupboard!)

Gemini Fashion - A blogger "style off" in printed trousers

 

Along with Donna at I Won't Wear Sludge Brown and Jane at My Midlife Fashion I was recently approached by Gemini-Woman to see whether I would be interested in taking part in a blogger style off, using a pair of printed trousers from Gemini's Sandwich Collection. together with a top which we were asked to choose from a selection offered.

I was interested as it gave me the opportunity to try Sandwich Clothing, which I haven't investigated for a few years now. It also gave me the chance to devote some time to looking at the collection, trying things for size and checking out the quality. As part of the style off, we were each gifted a scarf in the same print as the trousers.

The trousers that we were asked to wear were the Sienna dot pants in driftwood and they cost £79.50. Being 50% cotton and 50% modal they are really soft and they hang nicely. They are also machine washable. I love the muted colours in the print, which is so versatile in that it would work with lots of shades of grey (maybe 50 or so?!) plus creams, browns and not to mention turquoise. I am wearing the XS in all pieces, all of which were quite roomy, so perhaps opting for a smaller size could be wise.

From the tops on offer, I chose the single jersey jacket in dark wood (£89). It was slightly more fitted than some of the other tops suggested which, whilst lovely, I didn't think would suit my frame. The sleeve length is also good for showing off bracelets and bangles to their full effect and I really like the asymmetric detailing.

I also chose the lightweight jersey top in bright aqua (£49) as I thought that it would contrast well against the jacket, whilst also referencing the blue in the print in the trousers. Being a bit of fair skinned, OK pale, creature - some colour is always good too.

In terms of how I styled the outfit, in the shot below I am wearing both the top and jacket, together with a blue statement necklace, two Reiss cuffs and an Orla Kiely blue bag (which I accidentally left out in the garden overnight - a crime against bags if ever there was one)! I turned the trousers up slightly for a more relaxed look and the waist band down, as the trousers were quite high waisted, which for some is both perfect and essential. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the trousers hung over my bottom - sometimes they can be really shapeless but these were fitted although without any VPL issues!

But because I loved the colour of the top so much, I also went for a shot without the jacket. For me, an outfit such as this could be worn for so many different occasions - from a night out with the girls, to lunch, shopping or perhaps to one of the many "Oh so trendy Rod Stewart/Michael Buble/Gary Barlow" concerts to which my husband I seem to be going of late. I have to say though that the main thing about these trousers is the comfort factor so if you're planning on sitting still for a long time, or eating a big meal or doing anything in which your find other clothes restricting, these trousers could be the answer.

Gemini are currently offering a 10% discount which is valid for 1 month from today on full price clothing together with free delivery on orders over £75. For now I'm sure that Donna won't mind you using her unique code -  GEMSLUDGE10. I will update with mine tomorrow!

And as this is a "style off" Gemini will be promoting it across their social media channels, giving people the chance to vote on their favourite look, which you can do via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook - however really I see this as more of an opportunity to throw a few ideas around on how to style these trousers and to encourage others to give them a go when perhaps they may not have done so. They really are very easy to wear and great for people like me who, when it's hot, don't want to show the lot!

Dungarees and boilersuits - anyone fancy going there with me?

Unlike the chap who was convinced that he was going to win the lottery, I did not wake up this morning convinced that, by the end of the day, dungarees/boiler suits would have worked their way into my consciousness - but they have. Random!

It all started whilst waiting at the Children's Hospital this morning. It being Tuesday, I was flicking through my copy of Grazia when these Denim dungarees from Next (£35) caught my eye. I mentioned them to the eldest as we were leaving to see what she thought. Oddly the conversation turned to how she would quite like a short pair, which was probably for the best really, and I concluded that I wouldn't go there but then....

...whilst flicking through Marie Claire at gymnastics, this Tencel jumpsuit from Mango (£59.99) jumped out at me. Having tried the tencel chinos in Jigsaw recently, I'm a big fan of its softness and the way it drapes. This style is so much more versatile too - far less Andy Pandy!

And then whilst sitting at ballet, (I do a lot of sitting and flicking on a Tuesday, not that I'm a tiger mother or anything. After all our children only learn 4 languages each and play 3 instruments each to grade 8 standard) this Utility boiler suit from Topshop (£62) leapt off the screen at me. I was being ambushed from all sides.

So, how to wear them? If you're thinking "let's not wear them at all" you may not want to read on. On the other hand, perhaps you will be inspired! As I've said before, as we get older, the options of what to wear do start to narrow down, which is why I try to remain open minded about anything that has potential, whether it's because (in the case of shoes) they are flat - for example skater trainers - or in the case of clothing because something is fairly modest, or because it is a classic style, albeit in a bright colour or print. The fit of these will be crucial though. Too loose and they will scream Andy from British Gas. Too tight and they could become all about the camel toe, which is never a good look.

Having been lucky enough to have hung around this planet for a while now, there will be styles that I have worn before but I think it's important to try and look at them through fresh eyes and to style them in a modern way. There are just some things that we won't be able to get our heads around but to avoid getting stuck in a rut, keep on giving things a go or else we will all find ourselves in the same few styles and colours season after season.  Of course if you have a toddler who has a pair of these, rocking the same look perhaps isn't where you want to be.

Despite what I've said above, I think for now I'll leave the Next denim dungarees to one side and instead work with the Mango and Topshop jumpsuit/boiler suit styles. Here's how I would style them:

• For a casual look, I'm thinking flat strappy gold or silver sandals, maybe skater trainers or converse, a selection of layered bracelets and that's about it. A coloured cami peeping through would also be a nice touch;
• For a slightly smarter look I would wear a block heeled shoe, maybe a wooden or cork soled one as I wrote about the other day, a statement necklace and a fairly short swing style jacket;
• For an evening look - which is where I really like the idea of these - I'd go for some high pointed courts and a printed jacket or printed courts and a leather biker jacket or a blazer, chunky jewellery and a clutch. At the moment I really like this one from Whistles (£55)

 

Hopefully tomorrow will not see me being ambushed by Ra-Ra skirts because despite trying to take my own advice, I think that they are something which (for good reason) I would not be able to get my head around.

Trophy jackets - taking the stress out of getting dressed for a night out!

 

Mr SG and I are so living life on the edge tonight! We have a date with Michael Buble, hence the early post.

I wore this outfit on Saturday night when out with friends. I bought the jacket last summer but wasn't sure about it, so I thought about taking it back. Then when I didn't get around to it, I decided to wear it a couple of times and now, I really like it. How I put up with myself sometimes I'm really not sure.

Worn with jeans and mid-height heels, a "trophy jacket" can take you to lots of different events, without that fear of being over, or under, dressed.  Actually, thinking about it, I wonder if Mr Buble would approve?!

There are some fantastic jackets and coats around this season in different colours, prints, fabrics and cuts - and they're such a great way of hiding what lies beneath! I love the whole no collar coat idea, bomber jackets, biker jackets, blazers, kimono style jackets, quilted jackets - the list just goes on.

For now though, I've confined my search to jackets similar to the one I am wearing above. Although it is a different style, this Tapestry bomber jacket by Mango (£29.99, which is half price) is a really pretty blue and has the same neckline, which I think is easier to wear if you have lots of hair. It also lengthens the neck - if you know what I mean!

This paisley print bomber, also by Mango (£29.99), is another good option and given its bomber style, it could make lots of older pieces in your wardrobe look really fresh and up to date. I like the idea of this with a full, almost midi-length, denim skirt (Primark has a great one for £12 which is on my list) and block heeled ankle strap sandals.

The New Look pixelated blazer (£29.99) is a really nice, neat, fitted shape which will look so good with cuffed trousers, boyfriend jeans or skinny jeans for a relaxed feel. Then again for anyone who works in a more formal environment, it could skip very nicely over to the work side of your wardrobe to be worn with narrow tailored trousers, a pencil skirt or over a simple dress.

Must dash to get myself prepared for Mr Buble - not so sure he would be impressed if he knew I was about to take a trip to get my wayward brows tamed!

Sunday sequins and sparkles

With winter on its way and no doubt with some suffering from that "Sunday night feeling" I thought that I would bring you something jolly and happy - hence the sequins and sparkles. A comment was left on Style Guile the other day by a lady called Laura, who said that she and her daughter (7) quite often had "sequin Sundays" to brighten up their days.

First of all a word about sequins and sparkles. I would say that the vast majority of women with whom I work - at least 85% - love to wear sequins or sparkles. For those who don't, sorry! My aim isn't to try and convert anyone, just to give hints and tips on how to wear them for anyone who already does, or for anyone who would like to, but isn't sure how to go about it.

To me, sequins and sparkles incorporate everything from lurex, to studs, to sequins, whether shiny or matt - in fact, anything a magpie might pilfer. Here I've picked a few of my favourite items and I've also said a word about why....

This Lurex Pencil skirt Topshop (£38) is a good place to start for anyone after a sparkly skirt. The "healthy" length on it (the model on the Topshop site is 5ft 10" and it comes to just above her knee) negates any feeling of having too much on display. The dark background is also slimming and not too "shouty".

These shoes are my current favourites - I love them! The block heel is a major trend for this season which is great because it's actually really practical - and trends and practicality aren't necessarily something that normally go hand in hand. These Juniper glitter mid heels Topshop (£48) also come in bright pink and black. They also come in a metallic, as opposed to a sparkle, finish in three colour ways. Wearing a little sparkle on your shoes and not only that but the back of your shoes, is probably one of the most gentle introductions you could get to sparkle.

The Annie sparkle crew Whistles (£65) is also a very subtle way to wear sparkle. It's a lovely style jumper, easy to wear, not to challenging on the sparkle front and as well as aubergine, it comes in black, navy, khaki, ivory and teal.

For something a little more full on, there's the Nell all over sequin top Whistles (£30). I have this top and I love it. It's quite oversized and a little slouchy so good with fitted bottoms, whereas the jumper above is quite fitted. I have to say it's also a great price - much better than the one I paid for it! Obviously sizes are limited but it's a great one to have in your Christmas wardrobe.

I love this delicate mini studs hem blouse from Mango (£34.99). Subtle in its sparkle and with a flattering scoop neck and full length sleeve, it's a great shape for many. 

I like the Crystal stud jumper from Topshop (£46) for the fact that the sparkle is confined to one area, which may hold more appeal to some than a full on sequinfest. I've shown the pale pink and grey marl below but it also comes in charcoal and aubergine too, and also in the petite and tall ranges.

 

This sequin sleeve blazer from Mango (£69.99) s a little more full on on the sequin front but not too much so. It could give a real kick up the whatsit to those older black trousers/jeans/pencil skirts languishing at the back of our wardrobes being lazy, thinking that they have worked hard for enough for us. Not so fast lazy pieces, the party's over - you've got more work to do.

Now these velvet sequinned leggings (£29.99) from Mango are for you hardcore sequin wearers out there. Or, they could be perfect for those who like to embrace something head on, even if it is for the first time. Let's not bother with the gentle introduction of a sequinned sleeve, a lurex skirt, or a necklace jumper - let's just go for the big guns. Yep, liking the sound of that - who's up for it?!

Finally there's the Naomi sequin cocktail dress from Whistles (£250). Predictably they have quite a selection of sequin pieces but I like this one not so much for the price (in fact I don't like it for that at all) as for the fact that it is dark green, which is quite unusual. I also like the shaping on it which gives us the illusion of curves in all the right places even if in real life they are a little further north (or more likely south) than we may like. A little poetic licence is fine and if sequins can do the job for us, even better.

I could go on - Warehouse has some great pieces and French Connection is the queen of sequins on the High Street, particularly as we get closer to Christmas - but for me it's less about where it's from and more about whether it's in your comfort zone of sequins and sparkles.

One guaranteed way to make legs look longer and hips narrower....

One guaranteed way to make legs look longer and hips look narrower is to wear a high waisted, dark rinse, flared jean with heels. Tone those heels to the colour of your jeans and hey presto, you look like you are on stilts (not that I do here; in fact this shot doesn't demonstrate the point particularly well at all but I'm sure that you get my drift.)

So what is it all about then? Well the high waist on the jeans makes legs look as if they start higher up than they do, a dark rinse is instantly slimming, the width of the flare in comparison to the width of the hips and thighs makes them look narrower (which is why tapered trousers have the opposite effect), heels obviously add height and the whole trick of toning shoes to jeans continues the lines without interruption.

I bought the jeans that I am wearing in the Jaeger Boutique sale last summer. With the trend being for skinny and boyfriend jeans, flared jeans are quite hard to find on the High Street but now and again I really like wearing them - and it means that I still haven't had to wear tights! Mango has this pair for £39.99, which should do the trick.

The jumper is going to get a post of its own devoted to it and the statement necklace is an old Hobbs favourite.

The last hurrah of the summer maybe? A Cos skirt, bare legs and nude sandals.

Submitting to opaque tights means that winter is on its way. My steadfast refusal to wear them whilst there is any chance of a warm day means that for the last few weeks I have been wearing a lot of trousers. However, with the unusually warm weather today, I wore a skirt with bare legs - quite possibly for the last time of the year.

 

 

My favourite high waisted Cos A-line skirt is useful all year round. The length is good for me with, our without, tights - and that's quite a rare skirt length to find. With nude shoes, a cream leather jacket and a Zara print blouse with gold skull buttons (subtle to the point that I didn't realise the buttons were skulls until after I had got it home) I was good for my day in the shops.

 

Skirts are finally taking centre stage this winter. After many seasons without a great choice of skirts in the shops, they are at last featuring more in the collections. Keep you eyes open for a post about the options available!

A moment of monochrome magic, or madness perhaps?!

OK, so here's my top tip for travelling and one that I really should adopt myself. Before arriving at the check-in desk, check that you have, in fact booked in two bags weighing 20kg each (as I had wrongly assumed) and not two bags weighing 15kg each - or else you will find yourself doing a hurried re-pack in the airport which will involve stuffing towels/pants and a various selection of items into the hand-luggage of your entire family. Oops and double ooops.

 

Although we're away, I forgot to take any photos yesterday, which is a good excuse to wear the same outfit again. I did manage to give a radio interview though. There I was at the Normandy market buying nectarines in my best French when Guernsey's chief roving reporter shoved a microphone in front of my face and started interviewing me about the cost of school uniform. I didn't really have a chance to object.

 

 

As to the outfit, a week or so ago I thought that I would wear what was a largely monochrome outfit, with shades of pale pink and silver added in to soften it. This jumper is the Zara one that I have packed for our trip to Guernsey, worn with a Hobbs statement necklace, Russell and Bromley pale pink bag, silver Zara shoes and white Gap jeans. Here's a closer picture of the Hobbs necklace, which I bought in the summer sale a couple of years ago now.

Hope that you all have a fabulous bank holiday. I don't know about anyone else but I'm not buying into the view that it's the last hurrah of the summer. There's plenty of heat in that sun yet!

Holiday packing - the why's, how's and why on earth?

Tomorrow we go away to Guernsey, for our final break of the summer. It's a while since I have done a post on packing but I always like taking a look to see what other people pack for their holidays and adopting (or adapting) their tips and tricks to make things easier.

 

For the beach/pool (I could be being ambitious here) I have a boy leg swimsuit from Seafolly. For similar, take a look here.  I also have Crew sunglasses and my bargain Asda hat, which is similar to one that I saw in Liberty a while back now. A bit of tactical ruching on a swimming costume, combined with a lower leg can make for an easier piece to wear on the beach than some I can think of.

 

I have a selection of tops which include two printed, one lace, one long sleeved, one striped, one sequinned and one neon. I like a wide variety of tops, largely to counteract the limited selection of bottoms that I take with me.

Experience has taught me that if I'm warm, I'm comfy and that if I'm comfy, I'm not grumpy. Well, that's the theory at least. So I have packed four jumpers - plus a cardi for travelling. Even I shouldn't be cold then.

From top left to right I have a coral H&M sweatshirt, mint cashmere jumper from All Saints, new Boden striped cashmere jumper and a black jumper from Zara which is a chunky cotton knit, slightly A-line with a zip up the back and pleats around the neckline.

As I mentioned, I have a simple selection of bottoms - 2x Gap jeans, 1x Joules skirt and also a pair of cut-offs. That's all that I will need for trips to the beach and to neighbouring islands.

 

We have one fancy pants event, which is my Dad's 70th birthday. It's being held at a Manor house on the island and is an evening event - but a fairly informal one. As part of it will be held outside, a flimsy little number won't do for me so I've opted for Jigsaw trousers (down to £79 from £139 in the sale) a Whistles sparkly jumper and Mango shoes.

 

 

This photo gives a better idea of the print on the trousers. I'm also going to wear a new bangle/cuff that I bought in the Karen Millen sale at the weekend. I felt that the bright yellow and diamonds would add a nice splash of colour to the outfit.

 

Are four bags excessive? Perhaps, especially when I'm only taking four pairs of jeans/skirts/shorts but here's how it works. The snake print bag holds the travel documents, which go in the Cath Kidston boat print bag, which I use as a handbag. To get around the limit of one piece of hand luggage, the Cath Kidston handbag goes into the larger Cath Kidston  bag which also holds my laptop and that counts as my hand luggage for the aeroplane. The striped bag is a beach bag into which the snake print bag goes with purse/keys/phone in it when I go on the beach. See, it all makes perfect sense!

As well as a good selection of tops and bags, I like a good selection of cuffs, so in addition to the Karen Millen one I also have the ones below, from left to right top row - Cochinelle, Cath Kidston, Tory Burch, Cath Kidston, Tokyo Jane and La La Rocks. To save on the weight restrictions I could well be wearing them all at once. Which gets me thinking, between us we have 10 wrists. Time to go and get some more to add to the collection.

I always find it really interesting to see what people use for skincare, hair care, make-up and nails.  I'm not sure but I think that I probably travel pretty light in that regard. Here's what I have:

Skincare - Boots face wipes, Estee Lauder advanced night cream (which I use in the daytime at the moment too) and Estee Lauder advanced night repair eye cream.

Hair care - VO5 styling wax.

Make-up

Bobbi Brown pot rouge for lips and cheeks in pale pink
Bobbi Brown lipstick in Wild Rose (more for the evening)
Clinique Chubby stick in curvy candy (daytime)
Maybelline "the falsies" volume express (fantastic mascara, I love it!)
Maybelline master smoky eye pencil in navy.

Boots nail polish remover pads and stay perfect nail colour in Me! Me! Me!

And here's one thing that I will NOT be taking with me. I saw it in H&M the other day in the maternity section. Imagine sporting that on your bump. Brilliant!

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

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

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

Mixing a little Mulberry with a little Mango and Topshop and trying to break out of the only two outfits I've been wearing for weeks!

I have found July/August to be funny months when it comes to blogging. For a start, I have only been wearing two outfits - a Joules skirt (with deep pockets for tennis balls as I never know when I'm going to be called upon for a knock about) neon t-shirt, red Topshop shoes (not for the tennis) and Cath Kidston bag; OR jeans that I found at the back of the cupboard, boat printed Joules top, with the same shoes and bag.  

 

Either outfit covers most situations that I find myself in of late but there's only so many times that you can show the same outfits in quick succession ie once, which means there's not much else to show by way of outfits for the other 29 days of the month. Only wearing two outfits does cut down on the washing though, which is good when your children are producing more dirty clothes than a rugby team.

 

The only other outfit I've worn recently is the one below, which I wore when we went out for dinner with friends on Saturday night. If the dress code is smart/casual, I don't think that you can go far wrong with some smartish trousers, a sparkly top and a pair of heels. Not only that but the trousers negate the need for perfectly smooth legs and closed in shoes negate the need for perfectly pedicured toes. I'm starting to wonder - am I turning into Waynetta slob?

The other reason that August is a tricky month for blogging is that whilst the winter collections are starting to filter through, there's just something not quite right in writing about them. Not yet at least. I just want to enjoy the summer for as long as possible. True, I can often be caught reading my mags and surfing the internet looking at what's in store but I'm not quite ready to go public with that little secret just yet.

I have also had to devote several weeks to getting the IT side of my life in order. One week was devoted to editing out all of my photos from the last few years to prevent my computer from spluttering and coming to a grinding halt. Another week was devoted to reducing my inbox from 1500 plus emails to 50 (although all I did was move the other 1450 into a sub-folder so they're still there really).

And my final reason? I banned the children from watching TV and can I just tell you that making caterpillars out of yoghurt pots/doing aqua beads/painting/sticking/gluing/spending many hours outside severely limits the time available for blogging.

So, that's where I'm at. Fortunately the photos are sorted, the emails are almost under control and having exhausted all manner of arts and crafts, I realise that the children's TV habits are so deeply ingrained that they cannot be broken entirely, as a result of which I have slightly relaxed my rules.

 

So hopefully back into the blogging world I will come, with slightly more regularity than of late.

 

Last night I was working so I was forced, kicking and screaming, out of my denim skirt/jeans combo into some Gap printed trousers, Topshop sequin T and belt, a Hobbs swing cardi and Mango shoes.

I also used my pink Mulberry handbag and Tori Burch cuff which I was given as a birthday present.

With several other posts in the pipeline and a couple of new stores and brands to write about, I hope to be able to get back to blogging with a vengeance and certainly more than once a week at least!