Mum on the Run - With nothing on at all!

This is not a picture of me, not standing outside of our front door and not wearing anything at all! I decided to give myself a little sabbatical today as I have blogged a picture of what I am wearing every day for a long time now.  As the sun was out I decided to re-vamp the pots by the front door and treat us to a new door mat - so I am showing you a picture of that instead.

I thought that I would also share with you another spring purchase for the house - our new rug. I have been after a rug with pink in it for years - literally years. The one I loved the most was from the Rug Company in London and was by Marni. The Rug Company very kindly let you "borrow" them free of charge but I knew that such a move would be dangerous.  I also knew that there was no way we could afford the £5 000 price tag attached to the rug so I kept on searching until I came across this one from Marks and Spencer.

It arrived on Monday but I hadn't had an opportunity until now to open it so tonight was the night!  I love it, especially the pink.

So, back to the clothes.... for some unknown reason I have decided that what my Wardrobe is lacking is a pair of pale blue trousers - I know, don't ask me why! These are the pairs I have come across so far:

Audrey skinny trousers from Whistles. They are £75 which is a bit on the steep side and from the other pictures available it looks as though they don't have back pockets - which can be a bit limiting, should I want to wear a shorter top.

Harris cropped trousers from Reiss which, at £95, are more than I would like to spend on something which I would want to wear on a daily basis especially as I am likely to get something down them pretty much immediately. They also do another pair which aren't online but which are at least machine washable - so perhaps more of a possibility.

 

French Connection has a lovely pair which don't appear to be online.  However, at £75 they too are pricey and are essentially just a pair of cotton chinos.  The ones in GAP are a brighter blue than I would like but these ones from Topshop may do the trick - depending on the cut around the thigh area! At £28 they are much more of what I had in mind - especially as I am just dipping my toe into this look to see if I like it or not.

This pair of skinny jeans from River Island could, as my Grandad would have said, be "just the ticket."  They are reduced to £20 from £30 but they only have my size in a long - so I could either borrow my friend, Vicky's, legs or get them shortened. I'm not too fussy whether I have a chino style or a skinny jean.  I'll probaly try a few, go round in a circle or two and then get something completely different altogether - but I like having a plan!



To go with them I quite like these blue lace ups from Clarks, at £49.99, because they will be great for dashing around in when the warmer weather arrives but when it is still too chilly for sandals. They will also give me a nice change from converse which are what I tend to wear in the spring/summer with trousers. These gold ones, also from Clarks, may have potential but I would need to see them in the flesh.  As I used to ask the oldest children when they were small "Yummy or yuck?"  I fear that they could be "yuck" but who knows?  It's good to keep an open mind on these things.

 

Should you like the idea of some brogues for the spring you can also find them in Marks and Spencer - online only and in four (neutral) colours, sparkly ones in Dune, pink and cream/green and cream in New Look, patent ones in the sale in Hobbs online, Topshop, Office - the choice is endless!

I don't know about you but the warmer weather (in February? I know, ridiculous) has made me start to think about what I might need to add in for the summer. That transitional stage of "not being cold enough for thick tights but not being warm enough for bare legs" can be tricky - hence my looking to coloured trousers and brogues in lighter colours to keep things interesting, whilst still remaining practical, until it warms up properly. The other thing to do of course is to swap your winter scarf for a lighter one, together with your coat and bag and you will be well on your way outwitting the British weather (yeah, who am I kidding?!) Tomorrow I will show you the Reiss bag I have my eye on to go  with the pale blue trousers. It's a dangerous world out there!

Mum on the Run - Time to give the trench an airing!

After yesterday's heatwave I thought that it was time to give the trench coat its first outing.  I had about five minutes to get showered and changed having been for a quick run.  I swapped the trench belt for a studded one from Topshop - which was very similar to one which I had seen in Jigsaw but which was too expensive. I also worked in my favourite Hobbs necklace and my pink Mulberry for some colour.  For me it worked fine - not too hot, not too cold, casual enough for the styling I was doing today and smart enough for the meeting that I had afterwards. 

We had a great time selecting more clothes for the event next Thursday.  Just some final bits to get and then I should be pretty much there. I keep going over in my mind whether I have covered all of the different trends/brands/bodyshapes/heel heights/colours/types of accessories/price brackets and so on.  I would like to try and please everyone but experience has taught me that it's not always possible.  Hopefully everyone will have a good time though and take away something positive from the evening.

I was hoping for a rest from shopping tomorrow - yes, even I need one occasionally!  However our eldest has other plans so back to the Bullring it is. I should just pitch a tent there and be done with it.

Hope that you all have a good weekend. Personally, I am looking forward to baking cakes with the children, going swimming and having a rest!

Mum on the Run - A dress and a slouchy knit

First of all I would like to say a big "thank you" to all of you who have nominated in the Style category for a BritMums blogging award.  I am genuinely touched, so thank you.

I am pleased to report that our four year old has seen the error of her ways and is going to turn over a new leaf. She announced yesterday that she was no longer going to call anyone "a silly old bugger" or tell them to "bugger off".  I know I shouldn't have laughed to myself but actually I did.  Had she been number 1, then maybe not but now that number 1 has turned out OK, I am am willing to let a little more go.  A fine bit if parenting if ever there was one (not) - just wait for that to come back and bite me on the bum!

It's been a bit of an exhausing week - although not that I am complaining as I love shopping and compared to my friends who have to do serious things like save lives, it's a doddle.  It just means that I can't go in and look at all the lovely blogs that I like and leave comments so apologies for that.

Model number three was styled today and it's the turn of model number four tomorrow. Here's a sneaky peek at another pair of shoes that we bought today. I love these - a nod to this season's sports trend, with a slight heel but still flat enough to walk in. The black/grey/pink colour combination makes them really versatile and in my book there's always room for a bit of flouro in a girl's wardrobe. They aren't necessarily the perfect shoe if your ankles aren't the slimmest (like mine!) but there are plenty of ladies out there who do have slim ankles, so to them I say show them off - you have to play to your strengths!

As for my outfit, I used a black dress that I have had for ages, and the top of which I don't like very much any more and layered a long sleeve T underneath and a slouchy sequin jumper over the top, together with a long pendant.  I quite liked a bit of "slouch" for a change!

Today's outfit is: Dress Marks and Spencer, Long sleeved T H and M, Warehouse Jumper, Jigsaw pendant, Jigsaw shoe boots, Marc Jacobs bag.

Mum on the Run - Some yellow accessories as, in the words of the Beatles, here comes the sun!

I was off styling again today - my second model in two days, for the event next week.  I have four models in total and today I was working with an 18 year old girl who was lovely and brilliant to work with. We had a fab time in the shops and the great thing is that I can style her in all the trends that I wouldn't necessarily put the other models in - or wear myself.  As we walked into Topshop I turned to her and said "bet this is better than a normal Wednesday in sixth form." She just grinned.

I have decided to let you have a peep at a couple of the things that I bought yesterday as I just really love them! They are the accessories to go with an outfit from Preen at Debenhams - which was a really great range for the lady I was working with yesterday.  Anyway, as yellow is THE colour of the season, I thought that I would introduce these to the outfit...Apparently the shoes are really comfortable, despite their height. 

I pity anyone who comes to the door over the next few days.  I feel that it is my duty to give some of the clothes a whirl, just to see how they fit/fall/feel etc so there is a danger that at any given time I could be wearing palazzos, shorts, a dress, skirt, pink jeans, shirts, knitwear, blazers and any number of shoes and bags. Poor postman.

For myself, I thought that it would be nice to have an outfit of no black, either shoes or accessories, so I went for tan and navy instead. Given that I knew that I would be dashing around in the stores, I also went for comfortable footwear again.

What I am wearing: Tan Jones boots, Gap long and lean jeans (which need replacing but I haven't got round to it yet), Boden blazer and jumper, H&M snood, Stella & Dot necklace, Cath Kidston bag.

Off to town again tomorrow to style model number three...

Mum on the Run - Mango Lace Skirt, Red Patent KG shoes

I am not sure that anyone else will be particularly interested but I was pleased to find out that it was, in fact, our youngest who had put the hairbrush in the fridge yesterday so on this occasion at least, it wasn't me suffering from a severe case of memory lapse.

Today saw me running to school again and then running back home, for a telephone interview with one of the glossies - which was something different for a Tuesday morning.  Next Tuesday I am off to London for a photo shoot.  I might squeeze in a quick cuppa with my sis too, which would be super fab.  Tuesdays seem to be my day for fun things happening.

After my interview I went into town to meet and style my first model for the Style Event that I am holding next week in Birmingham.  We had a great time. It's such fun styling people and just buying whatever we fancy (within reason).  There are lots of lovely colours and prints out there and it's just so nice to see come colour. I would love to put the photos up of my favourite things but I guess that would kind of spoil it for next week.  I am meeting another of my models tomorrow and then two more the following days....so it's a busy but fun week. There's only one thing to turn to in when there are lots of balls to juggle...Toblerone!

Today's Outfit Is: Mango Lace Skirt - great because although it's lace, it is made from cotton (if that makes sense!) and has some stretch in it, Warehouse sparkly jumper, KG red patent shoes.

Mum on the Run - An outfit for sprinting on the school run!

I'm slightly worried because when I went to the fridge for a mid-morning scoobie snack I found a hairbrush in it. Anything that can act as storage in our house is always welcome but the fridge?  I'm not so sure.  Either I put the hairbrush there in error - quite possible but slightly worrying - or our youngest thought it amusing to put it there - quite possible and less worrying - and also better, I suppose, than her previous penchant for sitting in the fridge.

It was the first day back at school after half term and I knew that we would be making the journey on foot (and/or scooter) which can only mean on thing - footwear that I can run in, and run fast in, if necessary.  So today I had to plan my outfit from the ground up - which is actually quite often the case. 

My Cos Chelsea Boots are the best for running in. Having opted for those, it had to be skinny jeans really.  Some gazelle like girls can do a skirt/dress and Chelsea Boots but not me. I have a little roll of chub that comes out of the top of the boots - not a good look really.  Sort of a peplum look really which is very "on-trend" for this season but not if it's made out of chubbiness!

After that it was a case of a top which was long enough to be decent. I'm not a fan of skinny jeans and short tops - I feel happier with a bit of length to cover me up. Then I opted for the pink Benetton coat, Zara printed scarf and M and S gloves.

After the drop at our school I headed to another local school to do a bit of PR for my upcoming Style Event on 1 March in Birmingham (OK, handing out flyers).  You can find further details of the event on the "Events" page at the top - if you would like to!

Sunday Best - Why not try a pair of Palazzos?

In the fourth of my "Sunday Best" features, I am showing you some pleated Palazzos from Top Shop.  I had been after these for ages but thought that I had missed the boat as they had sold out online. However I found them in the sale and a pair of leggings from Warehouse dealt with the "blimey I am too old to go out in something this see through" dilemma!

For this outfit, I have put them with a sparkly top from Oasis, a black blazer and Dune silver pointed shoes as shown here:

Palazzos are great for ladies who carry more weight on their bottom half.  They skim, rather than cling, and because they are so wide at the bottom, they balance out wider hips. A pair of high heels can make them very elegant and keeping the top half fitted gives a nice silhoutte.  A dark plain pair, teamed with a lighter embellished top, or a plain top with jewellery, is the best way to slim your shape down.  They work equally well with pretty sandals in the summer.  For the evening, they are a nice alternative to a dress or skirt and would work well with a structured jacket, or a leather biker jacket.

You can find these ones (from left to right) at Phase 8, £59 and £79 respectively, and bottom M and S, £29.50 (although the M and S ones would look better if the trousers were longer or the heels lower!)  I have also come across Palazzos in Topshop (flower print and tree print), Dorothy Perkins and F and F at Tesco - so there is a lot of choice.  They might be worth bearing in mind the next time you are looking to try something a little different whilst not wanting to venture too far outside of your comfort zone!
               

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.