Mum on the Run - How to wear a midi length skirt

This is a really simple one - there is only one way to wear a midi length skirt and that is with heels (unless you have legs like Alexa Chung.)  Whilst we are constantly being told that midi skirts are the "new" length, in fact I don't think that they will ever take off in a major way.  They have to be styled out of the doldrums or else you can be left looking humpty dump(t)y frumpy! The problem with them is that they finish at an unflattering point on the leg. This one isn't too bad actually but the ones that finish further down the leg need even more height! 

Swimming was the order of the day, hence the large Cath Kidston bag.  Oh what fun we had!  There's a new public pool opened near to us and all the staff are uber efficient.  One life guard was constantly counting people in the pool and kicking some out when there were too many.  I thought that the Baywatch style float on his back was slight overkill, given that the water in the learner pool wouldn't have come any higher than his knees, but there we go, at least he was well prepared.

I have been digging around on Pinterest today. Apparently it is going to be the next big thing.  The concept is really straightforward - you create pin boards containing images of things that you love, from clothes, to interiors, to books, to recipes.  Images can be added either from pictures stored on your computer or direct from any website at which you may be taking a look.  If people like what they see they can then re-pin one of your images to their own pin board, leaving a comment as you go. You can follow other "pinners" and they too can follow you. All very jolly - twitter but in images I suppose!

Anyway, I am under strict instructions to watch Johnny English tonight and my lap top is banned, so I had better dash before I am in trouble!  Oh, by the way, cracking photography by the 4 year old don't you think?!!

Outfit: Zara skirt, Boden jumper, Oasis scarf, Jigsaw shoeboot, Cath Kidston bag

Mum on the Run - A turquoise H&M silk shirt and Mulberry handbag

 

I started off the day with a bit of the old Tracy Anderson.  During the school holidays there's less time for me to get out and run so I try to make a start on Tracy before the children get up. 

Some of the exercises are quite tough so I take a minute's breather in between and do whatever jobs are achieveable within that minute.  So, my first job was to put away the sloe gin that had been sitting in the kitchen since Christmas.  The second job was to rinse out some cake tins but the problem was that I found a really lovely lemon biscuit in one of them which I wasn't sure what to do with. So I ate it.  I am not sure that was really part of the plan but I suppose that it was better than drinking the sloe gin at 8.00am. 

Today I decided to wear my silk H and M shirt which I bought the same day as the pencil skirt that I wore to the Marie Claire blog awards.  It was fairly warm today but I still managed to layer a vest and a long sleeved top underneath, without them being able to be seen. I love the colour of this shirt - it's just so nice to wear something bright.  I put it with dark Gap straight jeans, my now faithful Jigsaw shoe boots, a chunky Jigsaw necklace and my pink Mulberry handbag.

People often ask me what my view is on colour and colour analysis in general.  I may be sticking my neck on the line here but to be honest, I don't really buy into it.

So that you get where I am coming from, I am going to start with my conclusion and work back, so here goes: The hardest colours to wear are those at either end of the spectrum - either very dark colours or very light colours. They have the capacity to drain like no other! We all need a couple of base colours (which may well be black or navy) but I suggest working in other colours which have some depth to them. Coral, turquoise and jade green all have an intensity about them which work well without being too overpowering. People are often naturally attracted to colours that suit them so bear that in mind too. The idea is to have fun, to experiment and just to give it a go. 

Going back a stage: it's true there are some colours which suit us better than others but the problem I find is that people fall into one of two categories. Either they are so nervous about wearing the "wrong" colour that they stick to black, ironically probably the hardest colour to wear.  Alternatively they stick so rigidly to colour charts that when they are unable to find the exact colour they have been told to wear, they buy nothing at all - or something black.

So hopefully you will see where I am coming from.   Some colour, any colour, is better than no colour at all.  Now who's for trying the colour of the season - Canary yellow??!!

Mum on the Run - Harvey Nichols stocks fantastic new brand - La La Rocks!

Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to be invited the launch of a new brand of jewellery - La La Rocks. When I walked into the venue I was greeted by this amazing silver tree with fairy lights and bracelets hanging from it.  I was immediately smitten!

What I really loved about the bracelets was the fact that from a distance they looked all girlie and pretty but on closer inspection, each bracelet had either one gold skull in between the beads (funky but subtle) or one black skull (more edgy).  The choice of light, dark, coloured, silver or gold beads with a gold or black skull means that the bracelets have a wide appeal from footballers and their wives to younger girls and to more grown up girls - like me!

Now, I should say at this stage, that at the launch I offered to write about the bracelets on StyleGuile - just because I liked them.  Subsequently I met with La La Rocks' PR, Faith, on a different matter and she gave me a bracelet to review.  Me being me, Miss Naive, asked her how she would like me to return it to her - by post or hand delivered. 

Faith looked at me kindly, in the way that you might look at someone when it is their first day at school and they don't know the ropes and she said "No, it's OK, it's for you. You can keep it."  So whilst it's true I have received a gift of one of the bracelets, I was  going to write about them anyway, just because I liked them and I know how appreciative I am when anyone gives me a helping hand.

La La Rocks is run by  30 year old Carla Hancox. Carla uses semi-precious stones from Birmingham's jewellery quarter to hand make the bracelets to be worn by both men and women. They start at £45 and look fabulous either on their own, or stacked together.  I wear mine with all sorts of outfits from a casual jeans look to a dressy look and I love it because it is so versatile.

In only a couple of months Carla has gone from strength to strength with her business and has now achieved the amazing success of being asked to supply Harvey Nichols in both Birmingham and Manchester with a range of the bracelets. How incredible is that in this financial climate?  You can't beat a good success story!

Top of the new season wish list is the stunning ‘ultimate gold’ bracelet, made up of nine carat gold beads set off with a funky skull-cut dyed howlite stone.

Carla explains: “The basis of the product has always been to use the highest quality stones and because they are handmade, each one is unique.

Of her recent success, Carla says “I have been absolutely overwhelmed by the success LaLa Rocks has enjoyed since it was launched – it has been a non-stop whirl of orders and meetings. The invitation to meet with Harvey Nichols’ buyers was the icing on the cake.

Harvey Nichols represents exclusive, chic, luxurious products, and that’s exactly what I wanted LaLa Rocks to be when I set the brand up last year. I can’t wait to see the reaction of Harvey Nichols customers to the brand once they’re in situ. To me, being stocked by the UK’s premium retailer is a sign that it was all worth it – LaLa has landed!”

Kevin Breese, general manager of Harvey Nichols Birmingham, added: “We have been so impressed by what Carla has created in such a short space of time. We can really see her collections appealing to both our male and female customers.”

You can find the full range of bracelets at http://www.lalarocks.co.uk/ Every girl should have one in her jewellery collection!

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Mum on the Run - How to use a bag (Orla Kiely of course) to pull a look together

It was all about the bag today - no, not me, the patterned one above. I have been a little remiss of late in changing my bag i.e. I have been using the same one since before Christmas, so I decided to break the habit today and use this Orla Kiely one which was a present from my hubby a few birthdays ago.  I love the print and the colours are great for pulling a look together.

For those not familiar with Orla Kiely, she is an Irish designer based in London who, as you may imagine from the print on the bag, does the most lovely retro style clothing.  One of her pieces of clothing is something which is definitely on my wish list (ps - note to Mr SG, if you are reading this, hint hint!) 

I also wore some Whistles trousers, my Warehouse sparkly jumper and Jigsaw shoe boots.

The trip to the dentist went well, although our eldest found it necessary to come and switch my music down just before we left, which also coincided with her just getting out of bed.  Apparently she had meant to come and turn the music down earlier but had fallen asleep again before managing to get out of her bed.

What I want to know is this: Why is it impossible to wake a teenager up?  I have even been given lessons in how to do it (by said teenager) but I still get it wrong. Apparently she doesn't like a loud voice - which is all well and good but she doesn't respond to quiet tones. One of her friends' Mum's wakes her daughter up by going "Come on sweetie, it's time to get up now." When I do that I am met with the retort "There's no need to be sarcastic."  Sometimes I just leave her as long as possible in the hope that she will wake up naturally - which she eventually will - at about 11am - at which point I am in trouble for letting her waste her day.  I give up. That aside, she is the perfect daughter.

This post has gone totally off track - it was meant to be about this amazing new brand of bracelets called La La Rocks, made by a local jewellery designer and which are now being stocked in Harvey Nichols in Birmingham and Manchester. It was also going to be about how Buy-My-Wardrobe is holding its first even outside of London, in  Birmingham, and how I am going to be the Stylist at the event but time is running out so that will all have to wait until tomorrow..... 

Mum on the Run - Wearing red shoes with hearts on for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without a picture of something  involving hearts, so here we go:

Needless to say the picture was taken several hours ago and there are probably more empty gaps in the box now than there are chocolates but life's too short to sit and look at chocolates and anyway, it's the children who have the dental appointment tomorrow, not me (how mean is that?!)

As to the outfit, it was the turn of the high waisted Zara skirt today, H and M striped top, Warehouse cropped cardi, Oasis scarf and Jones shoes, which I wore especially for Valentine's Day as they had hearts on them*. 

I had to keep whipping the skirt and tights off to don my tracksuit bottoms and do a couple of Tracy Anderson moves before swapping back to go and collect/drop a child somewhere.  There was quite a lot of whipping on and off of said items and my husband was unlucky enough to come through the door when the tracksuit bottoms were on and I had a Peppa Pig sticker on my sleeve.  Oh, I am one classy chick!

*The part about wearing the red shoes for Valentine's Day because they had hearts on them - totally made up. I've only just realised.

Mum on the Run - the first day of the holidays and I'm whacked!

There's a story behind this picture which is this: just before we left the house, I was hungry so I had a cereal bar.  As the photos were about to be taken, I looked down and noticed that there were crumbs in the cowl neckline of my jumper dress - so I flicked them out and in doing so, flicked one into my eye.  Our son just snapped me as I was trying to get the crumb out of my eye. In fact it was probably the best photo of the lot so I am running with it today - which goes totally against all sensible advice about having fantastic shots.  Much as I might love to show really beautiful shots in stunning locations, my life just doesn't permit that kind of indulgence - hence shots being taken by the pink front door, on local streets and in the supermarket car park! You'll be pleased to know that the eye was OK though.

Anyway, the outfit consisted of grey skinnies  and boots from Cos, Gap jumper dress, Oasis leather jacket, Longchamp bag and M&S pink leather gloves.

I don't know about anyone else who is on half term this week and looking after children but I have found today exhausting - and one of them wasn't even here. We've done baking biscuits, baking bread, colouring, play-doh, Jigsaws, reading books plus the general household chores. I think that I have done all of my weeks' parenting in one day so I reckon that they can now watch TV for the rest of the week.

On the subject of chores, our eldest was asking our youngest what would keep her busy if she was a different member of the family. When asked what she would do if she was me she said "jobs" the answer for her brother was "maths" and for her Dad "go to work". So far so good. When asked what she would do if she was a Member of Parliament she said "play with play-doh" and a Local Councillor "Go shopping".  So still fairly accurate there too I see.

Sunday Best - In the Duchess of Cambridge's Jesire Dress (or nearly!)

        

Did you see that TV programme a few months ago about the young women who wanted to dress like the Duchess of Cambridge?  There was footage of them wandering around a department store selecting items that they thought she might wear.  It was a bit tragic really.  But probably not as tragic as me showing you a coat dress for this week's "Sunday Best" which I have had for six or so years now and which was bought from Jesire, the brand which also made the coat dress that the Duchess was wearing last week (above) and which is fairly similar in design.  (I say tragic because the Duchess of Cambridge was probably still at freshers week when I bought mine!)  According to the newspapers, Martin Vines, the former chief of the Hong Kong based label, is hoping that the "Kate Factor" could result in a re-emergence in the UK of the brand, which ceased trading in the UK last August after 13 years.  I really hope that it does as it's always nice to hear a success story.

On a separate but related note, whilst the Duchess of Cambridge may be responsible for the hoped re-emergence in the UK of one brand, my husband has taken it upon himself to be responsible, single handedly, for the demise of another, and very popular brand, that being Jack Wills. When  at Christmas time he threatened to get a JW hoodie to wear so that he could damage the brand's reputation (let's just say that he's not exactly their demographic) I thought that he was joking.  However my worst fears were realised when I let him go shopping on his own today for the second time in our married life (the first time he re-appeared with orange and yellow t-shirts which have now, oddly, disappeared) and he came home with a fur lined JW hoodie.  Apparently the plan is to put it on over his suit jacket in the morning when dropping our eldest off at school.  The poor, poor, girl - words almost fail me.  However I fear that he may be successful in his plan. (I could at this point make a very lame attempt at a joke about the Duke of Cambridge rescuing Jack Wills - something along the lines of "Wills rescues Wills" but that too would be even more tragic!)

As to the coat dress, I have worn it to virtually every wedding I have attended over the last six years and I love it because I can put a pretty dress underneath it and then when the evening arrives, off comes the coat and hey presto, there's a new outfit underneath. Fortunately most of the weddings have been with separate sets of friends but I don't really mind in any event - I have even be known to layer thermals underneath it on one particularly cold April day.  You know me, I like a versatile item!

Mum on the Run - Long velvet Topshop skirt and a snuggly knit

I took our eldest to her ice skating lesson this morning and boy, it was freezing in there, which gave me the perfect opportunity to bring out my long Topshop skirt with plenty of thermals/tights underneath it. It's velvet(ish) so to stop it from looking too "eveningy" I put it with a chunky knit, denim shirt and biker boots.   I like making items as versatile as possible - so dressing down velvet/lace and sequins with denim/stripes and chunky knits. It can make apparent evening pieces work so much harder for you in your Wardrobe and for me, that's what it's all about.  It's not my favourite outfit but it's good to keep ringing the changes. 

My hubby and I are really good at buying cards for one another well in advance  -  so we are always well organised for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Christmas etc. The problem is that he forgets that he's bought them and I forget that I've hidden them, which means we often have to dash out at the last minute to buy more. I found my Mother's day cards in the sideboard last October and my Christmas card on top of the kitchen cupboard in January. I have also just found the first Valentine card that I bought for my husband (having bought a reserve today) together with his Christmas card that I couldn't find, in my bedside table. Oh well, at least the intention is good.

We went out this afternoon and I thought that this was an amazing winter sight. Makes you feel chilly doesn't it? I can't imagine that I will be packing away the Heat-tech any time soon!

Mum on the Run - One day, two outfits.

Some days you see something and you just know it's a sign. So today's sign? A banana skin on the ice.  What could it possibly mean other than I was going to fall flat on my butt at some point? In fact I didn't fall on my bottom but when I arrived home there were several people on the road directing the traffic to slow down as there had been so many bumps.  It is lethal just outside our house and I remember skidding down the hill one year and crashing into  -  a grit bin! Oh the irony of it! So there I was chucking grit onto the road with the neighbours - all very community spirited of us!

My friend and I thought that it would be amusing to take my photo under this one way sign.  It also prompted an early redition of "the only way is up" which we found funny at least.

My outfit for the school run included Mango jeans - the shape of which is good because they are quite trouser like - if you get my drift. They are also wide enough to accommodate the leopard print boots which are the only things that keep me upright in the snow. I really should invest in some decent wellies which actually keep the water out but I just can't bring myself to pay decent welly prices.  I am a Woolworth's girl at heart when it comes to wellies!  It doesn't stop me from admiring my friend's Hunters though.

For a bit of colour I added my Whistles coral cardi and my Zara green and coral scarf.  I am not sure whether the Reiss biker jacket is actually very warm or not but with that many layers underneath it, it is certainly snug and would have a hard job not keeping me warm.

Later on in the day I changed into this for a meeting that I had about an exciting new project which I will tell you all about once I have got my head around it all!  This is the very short dress that I featured a couple of weeks ago - it is far shorter than something I would normally wear but it's quite conservative in style and with thick tights I can just about pull it off - on a good day! I also wore a Boden cashmere cropped cardigan - not only are they warm but they finish at the right place on dresses. Naturally I changed back again for the school run and my mad tidying the house and cooking fest in preparation for the weekend.  I am trying very hard to be a domestic goddess!

Mum on the Run - pink chinos - dare to wear?!

On page 41 of the March edition of Red Magazine is a pair of pink jeans from GAP.....

......and here's a pic of me wearing said pink jeans from GAP, which I bought the day before I saw them in Red.

Sometimes I think it's nice to see clothes featured in magazines on a real body - just to see what they are really like. The style of these trousers is "sexy boyfriend" but if you went by that description, you might be expecting something a bit looser. There's not much "boyfriend" about them and probably not the style of jeans that your boyfriend is ever likely to wear - unless he styled himself on Mick Jagger. Maybe the "sexy" negates the "boyfriend" element of them but whatever, they are a tighter fit than you might imagine. M&S has some coloured chinos which are more "boyfriend" in style - they come in navy, purple, sand and a biscuit colour - so they may be worth a try as an alternative.

I put these jeans with a plain navy vest top just so it was easier for you to judge the fit of the jeans.  And as for the bangles -  they just needed taking upstairs when I happened to be going so I put them on and left them there.  My Mum has a saying that you should never go upstairs empty handed. Out of the ten hands in this house it seems that only two of them go with that saying and those two hands belong to yours truly. Ho hum!  Anyway, I haven't decided whether to keep the pink jeans yet - I need to think about it a bit more.

On another matter, I have been invited to take part in a new video campaign entitled "Face to Face with Karl Lagerfeld" in which Mr L debuts a series of self interviews for Net a Porter.  Have you heard what he said about Adele recently? So whilst I am grateful for the invitation, and I don't like to be rude about people (although he was) - I won't be accepting, because I'm not really sure that I will like what he has to say. 

Mum on the Run - how to keep warm on (another) cold day!

I knew that I shouldn't have had that glass of wine which was going spare after I had made the Jamie stew tonight - I can hardly type!  I'm such a lightweight.

Our eldest has passed comment tonight that her Dad and I aren't much use to her in the maths department and that her friends are so much better off then she is because their parents are doctors (and therefore good at maths) - or just good at maths in general.  Well pardon me for not remembering the formula for the volume of a prism.

Next week is half term so I plan to devote a bit more time to looking at the trends for s/s '12 and giving you some guidance on how to wear them.  That is assuming that I get any more time than usual, which is probably unlikely but fingers crossed and all that.

Today really was freezing and so, having not worn it for a while, I pulled out the Cos snowflake cardigan, aka the Wham "Last Christmas" cardi! I dressed it up a bit with my Jigsaw jersey dress, Dune brogues and then added a bit of colour with my pink coat.

This is another picture of the same cardi that I wore when shopping for the children's school shoes, almost exactly a year ago.  There I wore it with jeans and converse - today with a dress and smarter shoes. It's quite a versatile little fella really!

Mum on the Run - A stripe, some leopard and a pop of colour!

Our youngest was so upset this morning that she couldn't go into the bathroom to clean her teeth. Through her distress I managed to establish that she was too scared to go in there because she was going to be eaten by "Bum Head".  It transpired that our eldest had told her that "Bum Head" was hiding in there and would, in fact, eat her, should she enter.  Try explaining that one away with a straight face.  

I was in my running gear this morning when I went to school so I had to take my own photo on returning home.  I gave myself a lesson in layering today - thermal bottoms and long sleeved vest, thermal tights, long sleeved top, jumper dress and cardi. Along with wearing a pencil skirt that it is impossible to walk in (as per last Tuesday when the thought of walking around the shops was too much to bear so I came home), wearing that many layers is another great dis-incentive to try on new clothes.  The faff was just too great to contemplate.  All that it did mean, however, was that I just bought the clothes instead without trying them on, with a view to taking them back.  Where there's a will there's a way - and a justification!

When I did return home, my friend took this photo for me.  I had swapped my shoe boots for red patent shoes on the basis that they were probably slightly more comfortable for my shopping trip.

Oddly, when I was in town, I saw two striped dresses like the H&M one that I am wearing - one in Gap and one in Cos.  The dress is actually a bit large for me but it's fine with lots underneath and with my Cos Cardi on top. I also belted it with my Topshop skinny leopard print belt. As I stood paying for my soup and sarnie in EAT a lady tapped me on my shoulder and said "I do love your shoes" -  I'm not sure why but as I've said it before - there's just something about red shoes that people love.

Continuing with my theme of talking about "hero" brands, how could I not dedicate a post to that great British institution,  Marks and Spencer?  Where would we be without it? (Apparently knickerless, if we are to believe the statistics!)

My first recollection of M and S having an impact on my life was via a photograph taken of me when I was about three. I was sitting on the front door step of our house wearing the most amazing navy and red trouser suit. The jacket had red and white stripes and the navy flared trousers had a vent in with the same striped material. Oh, how I loved that trouser suit - I thought that I looked the bees knees. 

I think that my desire to personally style people first revealed itself in M and S. The joy that I took in rifling through the boxes of bras and matching my Mum up with the bra size that she was after -what a sense of achievement!

As a teenager it was a Saturday treat to eat a prawn roll on the bench outside M and S in Nottingham and to have a whole bag of cheesy balls to myself was heaven. To take home a bag of their butter popcorn was beyond dreamy.  A Saturday night treat was to eat crumpets, angel cake and chocolate crispie cake whilst watching the Generation Game on TV.

I came home from a holiday once to find that my bedroom had been totally re-decorated courtesy of, yes, you guessed it - M and S. The range was called "Chelsea" and included matching bedding, lampshade and bin, no less. So 1980's! My first "beauty" range was from M and S - Wild Iris matching soap, bubble bath and talc - I can still smell it now.

As a sixteen year old in need of a Saturday job, I refused to work anywhere else apart from M and S. I badgered them until they relented and gave me a job - in the lingerie department no less.  At £1.94 an hour as opposed to the £1.50 that WH Smiths were offering I was positively rich (and the bonus was that the prawn sarnies in the canteen were only 10p!)

The nylon uniform left a lot to be desired. It was distinctly uncomfortable and unflattering on the puppy fat. However, it was fun to watch the men come in on a Friday morning, buying a "little something" for the weekend. I often wanted to ask them whether it was intended for their wife (as opposed to their lover) but never did.

On into the student days and as a treat on a Saturday, my housemates and I would share a box of profiteroles. So much more delicious than whatever else we lived on for the rest of the week.

When travelling around the world, the delight that my friend and I experienced on discovering M and S in Singapore was incredible. M and S on the other side of the world! As I recall our £10 budget for the day didn't permit us to actually buy anything but we had great fun looking.

My first work suits came from M and S plus shoes and of course the endless supply of tights that were required. And so on into adulthood proper - our eldest child's first babygros, presents from friends, presents to friends (even as recently as yesterday!) and here we are now.

When training as a Stylist, I was told that it wasn't possible to style anyone out of M and S - they were wrong. It is, and I have, with great success.

M and S feels safe, people have grown up with it, they understand it and what it stands for. There are great pieces to be found in Limited Collection, Autograph and in their suiting range. Since the demise of many high street shoe shops, M and S has upped its game and it is possible to find directional footwear at a really good price. Great if you don't want to invest too much in a look that might only last a season or so and also if you want shoes that come in half sizes.  My clients are often amazed when I tell them that pieces that I have are from M and S and I think that many have returned to shop there.

What always amazes me is that whichever client's wardrobe I may be working with, they all, without exception, have an M and S hanger in there somewhere. I can tell from the distinctive style that they are from around the mid 1980's, probably when most of my clients were still living at home, which means that they have probably travelled with them through many house moves and still they have hung on.

So thank you M and S - you have played, and still play, a big part in my life and I for one still love your prawn sarnies and am even happier now that you have started to stock diet coke too.

Mum on the Run - the best way to keep upright on the ice!

It promised to be a potentially tricky journey to school this morning so I pulled out the big guns and wore my leopard print "bumper" boots. I am not quite sure why I bought them really - I think that I was having an aberration when I was pregnant with number 3 but they do a great job of a) keeping me up right on the ice and b) keeping me warm and dry.  So, for the three days a year when they make an appearance, they do a great job.

Mum on the Run - Sunday Best

I have often thought how amazing it would be if you could buy in a jar, the kind of jam that you get in doughnuts and jammy dodgers.  That totally manufactured, seedless red glue that hasn't had any kind of fruit near it.  There's nothing like it and I would know, because I have just eaten a doughnut.  Checking out whether we should buy individual doughnuts, or a packet of them, was great for the children's maths this morning. Yes, I am very good at making maths fun.

Running my "Sunday Best" feature in the middle of the winter probably wasn't the brightest of moves.  I now need to go and strip off into something partyish, which I must admit I don't particularly feel like doing right now - but a promise is a promise, so here goes....

I bought this dress in Zara for about £60. I loved the design of it as I think that it looks much more expensive than it is.  Also, it doesn't require much by way of accessories.   I also liked the fact that it wasn't black and that it came with a pretty belt.  There is a history to it though - our eldest left it in M&S and she and my husband went back into town to find it when we realised after returning home that we didn't have it.  It was a miracle they found it because we didn't actually have a clue which of the 23 shops we had been in, we had actually left it in.

Naturally, I cheated a little for these photos and this is what I was wearing underneath...

Heat tech thermals from Uniqlo - the best on the market! I quite like this dress a bit shorter and might get it shortened after having worn it a couple more times for evening events - that way I will get some more wear out of it.  I have put it with my taupe LK Bennett Sledge shoes and a Kew bracelet.

My second "hero" brand - COS

The second brand in my "hero" posts is COS - Collection Of Style - which is Swedish. There are several popular Scandinavian brands at the moment, including Acne and Day Birger but their pricing is definitely at the "upper" end of the High Street - if not slightly above.  Their appeal is, in essence, their simple styling which often comes with a twist.  COS fills that gap of affordable Scandanavian chic - and I love it.

If like me you are a fan of neutrals - largely navy, black and grey - and great tailoring, COS is the place for you.  They add in the odd splash of neon and prints - but not much. Their pieces are great for creating a classic capsule wardrobe but with a twist.  They some times use quirky fabrics - neoprene for example - and their styling is different to what you may find in other shops, which is why I love it.  Price wise, most things tend to end in a "9", whether it be £49, £59 or £69!

These are some of my favourite Cos pieces, taken against a back drop of a photograph of Shell Beach on Herm, which is a tiny, tiny Channel Island and one of my all time favourite places in the world....

I bought this dress when I was looking for something simple, sophisticated and warm to wear when I was delivering a seminar at the annual Mumpreneur conference last year.  It has a zip around the middle which I thought was a great feature. It was one of those things that I put on and just thought "yes, this is it!" and the deal was done! This is a picture of me wearing it at another style event before Christmas.

Another of my favourite dresses is this evening one, in purple, which has amazing draping and is also structured beautifully inside.

COS also does great knitwear and here is my "Christmas jumper" which I fear may, as a result of the cold weather, be due an outing soon. I think it's very George Michael and "Last Christmas" so when I wear it, it is always slightly tongue in cheek!

Finally another piece of knit wear and a favourite high waisted skirt of mine which I wear together as the skirt needs a short jumper and the jumper shrank slightly in the wash - so they are now the perfect pairing!

And for my last outfit, the one I was wearing on Friday - COS neon skirt and Cos navy jumper with neon spots!

I have also bought some Chelsea boots from COS this season and some fairly high rise grey skinny jeans - great for holding in the tum!

It is now possible to buy COS on line which is great but if you can get to a store to do a bit of trying on, it's definitely worth going to have a play. Let me know what you think!

Mum on the Run - a cold and snowy day but with a nice dessert!

Like everywhere else, it was freezing this morning so I put on plenty of layers and I started off wearing this.........

As the day went on and the snow arrived I progressed to this......

I was impressed that my husband actually let me wear his hat when I went out to get our daughter, as I had ridiculed it earlier in the day when we went out for lunch where, for dessert I ate this....

and to work some of it off, I  then had to do this.... several times in fact!

First outfit - Gap cargoes, Boden Jumper, Oasis cardigan and scarf, Jigsaw shoe boots;

Second outfit - Mostly too old and disgusting to mention;

Dessert - The Plough pub, Harborne. Def worth a visit!

Jigsaw - my very own hero!

 

I keep meaning the thank the person who goes onto StyleGuile most days and ticks the "hero" box underneath the post.  I suspect that it might be my Mum but if not (or even if it is!) thank you!

In addition to my usual posts, I have decided to do a few "hero" posts of my own, about those brands that I love. I have had a very long relationship with some and with others it is only just beginning but I love them nonetheless.

When I arrived at Chester Law School in 1991 my new friend, Jo, introduced me to Jigsaw.  Jo was so cool - a kind of DM shoes and second hand Levi 501's kind of girl.  We were friends in the days when the only way to get the worn jeans look was to well, wear them - hence the secondhand Levi's! Jo knew her brands and introduced me to not only Jigsaw but also to Paul Mitchell hair products and Clinique make up.  We used to sit together in class waiting for the breaks so that we could eat flapjack and talk about clothes.

I remember going into Jigsaw in Chester with Jo for the first time. She was looking for a LBD for a night out and found one for £40, which was the earth to me.  However I did pick up in the sale a black ribbed turtle neck top which I loved and which was washed until it went grey at the seams. My first ever Jigsaw purchase!

My love affair with Jigsaw continued after I had left Law School, travelled around the world and started training as a solicitor in London.

Whilst training, I remember working on the most boring case in the history of the Universe.  It was being heard at the Lands' Tribunal and lasted for six long weeks.  It was something to do with the development of the land at the Quayside in Newcastle, retaining walls and compulsory purchase orders.  Riveting! The hour after lunch was the worst and I found it nearly impossible to keep my eyes open so I played this game in my head of trying to identify every Jigsaw in London - it kept me amused - and awake - but I doubt that anyone in the room was playing the same game as me.

Whilst in London I bought my first ever Jigsaw work suit.  Being the rebel (!) that I am it was bright red.  The skirt started off by fitting me fine. It then got a little loose around the waist which made the length better but it then got to the stage where it fell down completely - so it had to go by the wayside.

I spectatcularly ruined one pale blue work Jigsaw jacket by dropping an ice cream down it. One of the Partners at work had been feeling generous on a particularly hot day and had bought ice-creams for us all.  Mine went splat! That was the end of that jacket.  It was dry cleaned but it never recovered.  Then it was time to leave London for Birmingham - where there was no Jigsaw!  Imagine that?!

After a long wait, Jigsaw finally arrived, so it was no longer necessary for me to travel to Nottingham or Cheltenham for my "fix". Cheltenham had provided me with my outfit for Jo's wedding and the Nottingham Jigsaw had provided me with a lovely lilac blazer (or so I thought at the time!)

After its arrival in Birmingham another friend and I spent many a lunch hour in Jigsaw passing the time and plotting our exit from private practice! It was the Birmingham store that came up trumps with some shoes that I wore to an Elton John concert one hot balmy summer's evening.  They crippled me but someone came up to me afterwards and said "nice shoes" - so that lessened the pain slightly!

There was then a hiatus for a few years whilst I was in the thick of the baby game. Two youngsters meant that for me at least, Jigsaw did not feature heavily in my wardrobe. It was too good for my every day activities, I was on maternity leave off and on and anyway, there was never any time to shop. I do remember having a winter coat one Christmas though and I wore it on Christmas day when we took our eldest out for a walk in her pram, delivering Christmas dinner to the door of some friends who were too ill with flu to cook and too infectious to spend any time with.

But then one day the baby fog lifted and it was time to re-kindle my love for Jigsaw clothes.  A combination of being back at work in the City Centre and having children who were slightly more under control meant that the wardrobe possibilities widened and Jigsaw was ready and waiting to fill those gaps. 

Looking back, there must have also been a brief period of time before we moved to a larger house to accommodate our growing family, had a third child and were met with requests for various necessities for the children, when I was able to shop at Jigsaw on a fairly regular basis.

Fortunately I am pleased to say that in that very short period of time I worked hard at buying from Jigsaw - not ridiculous amounts but the odd winter coat, winter boots, some silk dresses in the summer, knitwear in the winter and some shoes and bags too plus the odd piece of jewellery and belts. 

[A selection of shoes and jewellery from Jigsaw]

In fairness this was still at a time when Birmingham had little to offer by way of shops - no Zara, Cos, Mango or many of the other brands who are now in Birmingham today. It was also before the time that stores were able to interpret the trends quickly and have them on the shop floor in a matter of weeks.  So, as a result, many of the pieces that I have from Jigsaw are classic and form the backbone of my wardrobe - a good investment if ever there was one - honest! Many a Chrismas and birthday present came from there and so over the years I have collected pieces which I still wear today - even though many of them are over ten years old.

After baby number three I remember going into Jigsaw to buy a couple of tops - it was the first time I had spent any money on clothes in ages but I really needed to get out of those maternity tops!

[A piece of Jigsaw cashmere (coral jumper) one of their famous striped tops, which are as good as any I have found and...a bright green top - you see, Jigsaw does do colour!]

I wore a Jigsaw dress on the first day of my styling course in London and I bought 40's style dress to wear on my birthday with that same number in it!

And so to the present day.  I always visit the Jigsaw in Leeds when I have a girls' day there with a friend who lives in Newcastle - the same friend with whom I plotted my escape from private practice!  Jo and I shop in the Brighton one (which is where she now lives) when we get the chance.  A trip to a friend in Edinburgh took me to the Jigaw there and as for the Birmingham one.... I felt it only right that the photos for my new website should be taken there.  I love that store - when I walk in the world stops - just for a few minutes at least.  Hec, the children even behave well in there - until they spot their favourite rocking chair which they then fight over.

Long after Jigsaw arrived, Birmingham saw the arrival of Harvey Nichols, the Bullring, Selfridges, Debenhams and countless other stores but Jigsaw has been with me since the start of my shopping "career" - and it will always have a place in my heart.

[My latest Jigsaw purchase - their "perfect" shoe boot]

Mum on the Run - a yellow Cos outfit from head to toe (almost!)

I thought that the neon skirt ought to have an airing today as it has sat in the Wardrobe for a while.  It was so cold at school this morning that I didn't like to ask anyone to take their gloves off to take a photo and instead I sussed out how to do it at home. The skirt is from Cos and I put it with a spotty jumper, also from Cos....

This isn't normally a colour I would go for but I just liked the brightness of it all.

I really need to go and get out for a walk on this lovely sunny bright day.  I have sat still for far too long and I will soon turn into a blob. It's either that or clean the windows. Our youngest was waving to the others this morning with her toothbrush in her hand. She then decided to clean around the edge of the windows with said toothbrush - which is now black (ooops!).  So yes, the windows could do with some attention but frankly it's Friday and why would I want to clean windows today or any day? Why indeed?!

Actually, on the topic of the youngest, she's a bit wary of me at the moment. I gave her a kiss on her nose the other day and gave her an electric shock.  It was severe enough to make her cry and I felt it too. Must be all that nylon I'm wearing!  Anyway, she wants me to keep my distance from her as I make her "fizz" apparently!  There are many parenting misdemeanours about which I don't feel too bad - but this one? Even though it wasn't intentional, I feel terrible!

Mum on the Run - Going spotty in Topshop!

Today I was off styling so I thought that I had better put my glad rags on.  I gave the spotty Topshop trousers their first "proper" outing and put them with a navy Warehouse jumper, Jigsaw shoe boots, Oasis leather jacket and furry gloves from Miss Selfridge.  I also ventured a little way down the pastels route, with a pale blue snood from H&M.  Don't tell anyone but I also had thermal tights on under my trousers - not the nylon kind you understand - the thought of that would be too yuck, but snuggly warm ones instead. 

Our son doesn't like the trousers - he doesn't like it when I wear things that are a bit different or things that he's not used to seeing me in.  He prefers it when I am in my jeans and my "Mum" clothes instead, snuggled up on the sofa with him.  Bless!

Mum on the Run - Life returns to normal!

Oh what a difference a day makes.  Yesterday, London and some fancy awards. Today, the M&S car park after the school run. 

As you can see, I am back in my civvies - but at least I can walk in them.  I had one aim today and that was to keep warm.  I achieved this through wearing a duvet, the longest scarf in the history of man kind (it's longer than Dr Who's you know) jeans, warm socks and boots.  And it worked - I was definitely warm. I don't know if any of you ever encounter this but if I do this coat up, some times when I move I get a puff of warm air that comes up the coat and out of the top - it's quite impressive really, a kind of in built heater.

I had a lot of magazine reading time yesterday on the way down to London and back.  I was deciding which trends are actually likely to translate well into my summer wardrobe (more about that another day) and these Prada shoes caught my eye.  They have go faster flames coming out of the back of them.  I thought that they would look great when running after the four year old on her scooter.  They reminded me of the car in "Grease" - sorry Prada if that's not was intended. I can't help it!

I think our eldest spent most of the day in stitches yesterday.  She is studying "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in English.  One of her friends had to come up with a headline to describe Bottom's state of mind when he went into meltdown.  The best ones?  "Bottom Cracks!"  and "Bottom in a sticky situation." Don't you just love remembering those days at school, laughing until your sides ached? Hope you are having a good day.