Mum on the Run - Time for a Bicester purchase to get its first outing

As I mentioned yesterday, I was on the Radio today talking about the Buy My Wardrobe event on Saturday.  The funniest part was when I returned home, only to find that our youngest had been running round the kitchen going "Mummy, Mummy," when she heard me and then wondering why I didn't respond to her request that I bring some chocolate home for her.

The aim of today's outfit really was to provide an opportunity to wear in the shoes that I bought from Hobbs at Bicester on Saturday.  Driving to the Radio studio, walking to it and then around a couple of shops in the same complex allowed me to do that - and they were fine.

So, having decided on the shoes it was a case of building the outfit around them.  I had seven pairs of jeans on the bed (the purpose of which will be revealed in tomorrow's post) so I picked one of them and stuck them with the shirt that I already had on (also for the purposes of tomorrow's post)....

I then added the scarf that I had on yesterday, just because it was handy, a leopard print belt and a navy blazer.

These are the Hobbs shoes that I bought from Bicester.  They are from the NW3 range and they were reduced from £179 to £34, which is a proper saving in my book. I also loved the yellow ones (as shown on Saturday's post) but the yellow ones didn't love me! This style of shoe is great for me at this time of year -  covered enough not to be too summery but uncovered enough not to be too wintery.  The chunky heel is very sturdy and the platform detracts from their height, so they are actually very comfortable to wear.

Here is a photo of the totes (shopping bags?!) that LK Bennett have in stock this season.  I happened to spot them when in there looking for some shoes and a bag for a client of mine who has two weddings to go to in one day.  Lovely colours aren't they?

I too had an umbrella dilemma today, just as our eldest did yesterday. However my choice was between Peppa Pig, Pirates of the Carribbean and Jaqueline Wilson. The pirates one won until the youngest couldn't get up the hill on her scooter at which point I used it to pull her instead.  I know I am always going on about it, but versatility is what I like in an item - whatever it may be!

Mum on the Run - A Breton top, blue accessories and an abandoned picnic

It was about mid-day before I got dressed today and I just couldn't get it together. I had been up since 7.30am and you know how it is once you start on the chores - it's just so difficult to find that gap to go and get showered and sorted.

Like yesterday, I knew that we were likely to be out and about at the local park/cinema/doing bits and bobs etc so having worn the pink brogues yesterday, and given that I am trying to avoid boots and my converse are all looking a bit shabby, today it was the turn of the Hobbs loafers. I am still wearing them in so being able to add dark socks (of the knee high variety - so chic!) helped with that task. 

 

So, this is how it started out - jeans and a breton top.  There's always lots of talk at this time of year about Breton tops and this one is from Jigsaw in a sort of cornflower blue stripe. I also have the navy one and have my eye on the pink one.  They must be about three years old now but still standing the test of time.  I like the fact that they are fitted but not too tight (my Gap ones are much more fitted). I have pulled it down to show you the length.

After that I added my cable knit jumper, which I thought I had put away for the summer but it was fairly chilly and having agreed to a picnic, I knew that to keep me from being an old misery pants, I would have to wrap up warm. 

By this time I had just made a picnic and what happened?  Predictably the heavens opened so we abandoned that plan and had our picnic in the conservatory instead.

I also added a new Lola Rose printed scarf which I bought from John Lewis on our trip there last week (further pic below) and my super padded Jigsaw parka which I can't pretend I have ever really liked but it does a great job and the addition of the scarf and bag breaks it all up.

 I love this picture because I look like I have the freakiest legs in the world. Funny how yesterday it worked and today it didn't.  Today's photographer was taller so maybe that's it! Anyhow, here are the Hobbs brogues, which liked because a) they were navy, b) they were patent c) they came in a half size d) they are fairly covered.

Here is a closer picture of the Lola Rose scarf that I was wearing....

and my H&M ring - which one of the children thinks looks like an eyeball.  Lovely!

Our eldest had a tough choice to make when we finally made it out today in the rain.  Did she let her new Jack Wills gilet get wet or did she use her sister's Peppa umbrella to protect it. She opted for the Peppa umbrella.  I quite liked the juxtaposition of Peppa and Jack Wills - not sure JW would though, I don't suppose that it is a look they are really after.

I have been invited on BBC Radio WM tomorrow to talk about the Buy My Wardrobe event.  I am currently trying to find somewhere to park the four year old for an hour because I can't imagine that a radio studio and little Miss Chatterbox are likely to be a match made in heaven!

Mum on the Run - Wearing a DD!

I knew that it would be a bit of a jobs day today - food shopping, haircuts for the children and some ironing for me this afternoon - who says I don't know how to have a good time?!

So, with that in mind, it had to be flat shoes, which leant themselves to jeans, which leant themselves to -well, I wasn't sure really but I bought a shirt from Gap in the sale a few weeks ago so I decided to give that a whirl...

together with my pink Mango jumper (which I fondly refer to as a Dishcloth - that being the first "D" of the DD in the title)  together with my snood, (which a friend also referred to as a dishcloth, that being the second "D" of the DD in the title.) The Double Dishcloth - sounds a very inspiring name for an outfit doesn't it?!

Here's a pic of my shoes taken from an angle which I like as my legs look long, unlike the top photo where they look about 2" long!

I also wore this necklace, which I wore last week with my Guernsey, as a bracelet. I fancied something quite bright and chunky and when I saw this lurking on my bedside table decided that it would do the job just fine.

And here is the DD look plus the bracelet....

as for my bag, I have had this "tote" since the days they were called "shopping bags" and when Olivia Palermo, the Queen of the Zara tote, was still at school.

My husband bought this Coccinelle bag for me on a day trip to London, at a point in time when I was still feeding our eldest.  It was probably the first time that we ever left her.  She was with friends for the day and by the time we returned to pick her up I was agony as I needed her to feed so much. I remember not caring if my friend's husband saw me in all my half naked glory, whipping everything off and grabbing her so that she would feed.  And would she feed?  Would she hec.  The baby who could feed all day and all night, and had done so for the past six months, refused to on this occasion, leaving me in agony for hours.

So, that ends the tale of my DD outfit, or at the time of feeding our eldest, something considerably larger.  Apologies for the fact that this has inadvertently turned into a bit of a post about well, call them what you will!

Today I am wearing:

Topshop brogues, Gap high waisted skinny jeans (great support for the tum!) Gap shirt, Mango jumper, H&M snood, Miss Selfridge necklace worn as bracelet, Coccinelle shopping bag (tote, to fashionistas)!

Save the date: Buy My Wardrobe Comes to Birmingham: Saturday 14th April (and I have a pressie for you!)

Buy My Wardrobe will be in Birmingham on 14th April...

and we would love you to be there!

As you have probably gathered by now, Buy My Wardrobe is coming to Birmingham on 14th April (next Saturday) and we would love you to be there with us. Not only that, but as the stylist for the day I have been allocated 20 standard tickets to give away plus one pair of VIP tickets.

This is the first time that BMW has headed out of London for an event and we are very privileged to have been chosen to host it.  Doors will open for VIP guests at 12pm, other guests will be admitted from 1pm onwards.

The event will be held at the lovely Nuvo Bar where champagne, afternoon tea and goody bags will be on offer.

So, what is a BMW event all about?  The idea is that you can either sell pre-loved items from your Wardrobe, or you can go along to buy other people's pre-loved items (or both if you are a multi-tasking genius, which let's face it most women are!) It is a fabulous way to part with pieces which are no longer worn whilst acquiring new ones to take their place.

The clothes on sale don't have to be designer - simply well cared for and from the mid to top - end High Street (and beyond.)  The cost of the seller's pitches are £100 which could easily be recouped either by selling a couple of designer items or by a few friends sharing the cost of a pitch and selling a higher number of less expensive items. One or two seller's pitches are still available.

VIP tickets are available at £20 each and they entitle the bearer to an early entry and essentially first dibs on what's on offer.  These tickets are however limited.  Standard tickets are available at £5 and they permit entry at 1pm and beyond. With a pianist, cream tea and the champagne flowing, it promises to be a fantastic afternoon for the ladies of Birmingham.

As the stylist for the event, individual styling sessions can be booked directly with me at £20 for a half hour session by emailing me at style@bethgoodrham.com If you would like to shop first and then spend half an hour discussing shapes, styles and trends which will suit your figure, that may just be the perfect way to round off your afternoon.

You can read more details about the event here http://buymywardrobe.tumblr.com/post/19778011351/buymywardrobe-birmingham together with an interview with Kal, the Managing Director.

I will allocate tickets on a first come first served basis so please drop me a line either at Style Guile or via email or facebook and your tickets will be available on the day for collection. 

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday for what, I am sure, will be a great event.

Mum on the Run - What possessed me? Stripes, spots and flowers all together....

We were off to see family today so I decided on my spotty trousers, which haven't had an outing for a while.  I didn't like the jumper that I put with them initially so I cast that aside and with a couple of moments to spare, grabbed my Guernsey.

This was all starting to go down a bit of a blue route so I added the blue necklace that I was wearing yesterday...

...and also my Orla Kiely handbag.  Mixing it all up a little is fine, provided that the colour palette is the same and I quite liked this combination, for a change.

Being as it's Easter Sunday, I thought that chocolate needed to be included in the post. I took this photo in the airport on the way to Guernsey but forgot to include the pic before now.  My love of Toblerone continues.  My husband is trying to wean me off it but it's not working.

Unfortunately, in playing a game of re-hiding the Easter chocolate, our youngest put this bunny on a chair under a cushion.  Guess who didn't know it was there and guess who sat on it?  Poor (squashed) bunny.

Oh and I received some fashion advice from our son this morning which went like this:

Me: Appearing in the kitchen not quite dressed having come down for something;

Son: "Mum, could you at least wear opaque knickers rather than translucent ones?"

That's me told!

Mum on the Run - Saturday Bliss at Bicester

For the first time, in a very long time, I had a few hours at Bicester Village today and it was bliss! 

The double whammy came from the possibility of being able to buy a couple of pieces from brands which l love but which are a bit pricey for every day - such as Reiss etc and also taking a look at other brands which aren't stocked (or are stocked but only in a small way) in Birmingham - such as Tory Burch, Michael Kors, Rupert Sanderson, Marni - the list goes on.

I figured that it might be drizzling so wore my Zara trench, wide leg jeans from Mango and because they require a heel, red patent KG shoes.  For accessories I wore a statement necklace, LK Bennett bag and Hobbs belt (oh and I appear to be accessorsing with an antennae too).  Here's a closer pic of my necklace, which was from Jigsaw.

And here are the KG shoes - still as shiny as the day I bought them!

Here are a few images of things that I liked at Bicester:

a spotty sheep;

Hobbs NW3 shoes in yellow - which you may have guessed is my current favourite colour;

a pale blue Vivienne Westwood bag which I was told off for photographing (the ridiculousness of fashion never ceases to amaze me!)

a pretty going out shirt from Jigsaw, floaty and flattering.

I didn't buy any of these pieces but I just liked them - and anyway we couldn't have fitted the sheep in the car.

As a result of my shopping techinque our eldest daughter, who was with me, christened me "Ninja Shopper." I don't think that it had anything to do with fighting with other shoppers but I could be wrong.

I think that the sheep deserves it's own picture, so here it is....

Today's outfit - Zara trench, KG shoes, Hobbs belt, Jigsaw necklace, LK Bennett bag.

Hope that you are all having a lovely Easter weekend.

Mum on the Run - Sunny yellow pieces and a family day out

Today we had a family day out to Ludlow.  I am not looking skywards for divine inspiration but rather to see my husband and our eldest who had climbed to the top of a high tower at the castle. We had gone there to buy our son a wooden sword - his preferred choice of Easter present!

I knew that it would be cold and that there was the potential for us to be walking a long way.  With it being a family day out there is always a risk of ice cream splodges, spilt drinks etc so I wore jeans with flat boots and plenty of layers on the top half.  Normally I would take my coat off for the blog photo a) because it's really old and b) so that it is easier to see the outfit - not today though, it was too cold.

This rear view photo was taken by our son without my knowledge but it's quite good for showing the shape of the coat at the back.  Although stuffed full of feathers to keep me warm, it's not too "puffy" or square and does have some shape about it, which I prefer, especially if wearing skinnies on the bottom half as it keeps the proportions in check.

As you all probably know by now, yellow is the colour of the season, or one of them at least.  This is  a photograph of a patent yellow Orla Kiely bag which was in the Silver Pear in Ludlow.  It's beautifully bright and sunny and all of the Orla Kiely bags are called "buttercup" which is very sweet.

Here's a closer shot, showing the Orla Kiely branding. At £350 ish it's not cheap and if you are looking at spending a "tapping into a trend" amount rather than an "investment" amount, this might be the answer...

A yellow handbag from H&M, which is priced at £24.99.  I have seen this in the flesh several times and it's really quite good.

Carrying on with the yellow theme, I spotted this yellow coat in Jaeger. The bright colour caught my eye and I thought that as the sun has disappeared for now, I would bring a little sunshine to you via the blog instead.

I also just had to include these dresses - also in the Silver Pear in Ludlow. They are so cute with their smocking and pretty prints. Oh to be little enough to wear one!

Mum on the Run - The citrus yellow Cos skirt makes an honorary appearance

It was a chilly old day today so I decided that my yellow Cos skirt, which has served me so well of late, deserved an outing. You may remember that for the Easy Living Magazine schoolrunway competition I styled it with a white shirt, black Boden jumper and black loafers. Today I put it with a breton top, my husband's cashmere jumper (don't tell him) with the sleeves rolled up and a striped scarf.  Due to the jumper being "oversized" I needed to wear heels to balance it all out, so I wore my Jigsaw shoe boots...

There is a feature in this month's Red Magazine on how to wear, or rather tame, Citrus colours, which have continued as a trend into the summer. The odd uber-bright piece in your wardrobe can be a fantastic addition, particularly if you happen to have lots of neutral pieces in it because they demand nothing else in terms of colour. The article in Red is well worth a read for some ideas.

In the photograph below you can see that Nicola Rose, the Fashion and Creative Director at Red, is wearing a pleated citrus yellow skirt - also from Cos, and priced at £59 - I think that it must be their summer equivalent of my wool one.  You can see that she has kept her top half very plain, letting the skirt do all the talking.

Today our youngest was up, dressed in her party dress and party shoes with her hair braided, crown on, wand in hand and two birthday cards written for her best friend - all by 7am.  Her friend, whose birthday it was, refused to wear her pretty new tutu and was instead sporting her brother's pirate outfit which she has become very attached to, complete with hook for a hand.  So funny to see.

Today I gave our son a maths lesson - of the best kind. Baking! All that weighing, timing, controlling oven temperatures and having to adjust the recipe to make a three tiered cake rather than a two tiered cake - I reckon we covered a whole term's topics.  And the end result was very satisfying! Here is the chef in action...

and the result of all his hard work (it's looking a little decimated now though, I must confess!)

Today I wore: Cos yellow skirt, Marks Cashmere jumper and tights, H and M breton top, Jigsaw shoe boots

Mum on the Run - Anchors Away!

Firstly I would like to thank anyone who has dropped by Style Guile as a result of reading the article in Woman & Home Magazine. Thank you for taking the time to come and say "hello". I hope that you like what you find.

Today I am tapping into the whole printed jeans trend which is so big this season.  If bright flowers perhaps aren't for you, these more subtle jeans may do the trick of being something slightly different but not too different. From Oasis, I bought them on a whim not sure how the anchors would translate onto a leg - would they become stretched, distorted - who knew.  In actual fact they were fine.  Phew!

I put them with navy patent Carvela slingbacks which I find are a good height and comfortable.  I also wore a Topshop knit which I bought in a sale just after Christmas and a Boden blazer, which was also a sale purchase.

I love the spotty lining on the blazer, which you can also see on the cuffs below.  I felt quite patriotic in my red blue and white outfit - just like I did in 1977 for the Queen's silver jubilee.

As well as the practical, there's also a little room on Style Guile for dreaming and this is top of my wish list at the moment - the Lily bag from Mulberry which is part of the "cookie cutter" collection, so called because the items in the range look as if they have been cut out with a cookie cutter. 

I have no doubt that the Lily bag will remain a wish, rather than become a reality but that's fine with me.  Part of the fun in life is dreaming about the things that I would like to own!  Instead I spotted these shoes in New Look.  The same colour with the same pretty detail, they would fill that gap in my wardrobe for a nude accessory with a pretty edge. OK, so they are a pair of shoes and not a bag but that too is fine.

I tried them on and actually despite the heel height, they are really quite comfortable - and at £24.99 easier on the purse too!

Today I am wearing: Oasis jeans, Topshop jumper, Carvela shoes, Mango scarf, Boden blazer