Stella & Dot - Competition Time!

You may remember over the past few weeks that I have mentioned a competition that I was due to run.  Well, it's about to start and the prize is the beautiful Palamino necklace from Stella & Dot, worth £120.

I was very excited to see this arrive on my doorstep and very tempted to keep it (only joking)- kind of.

I don't know about you but I always like to know a little about a brand, so here goes: Many of you will be familiar with Stella & Dot but for those who aren't, it is a U.S. brand, which arrived in the U.K. last October.  The brand has taken the U.K. by storm and it is hard to open a glossy magazine these days, without seeing a piece from the collection.  Its fast growing reputation is one which is certainly deserved.

Named after the respective grandmother's of the CEO, Jessica Herrin, and the Chief Creative Officer, Blythe Harris, the brand is designed to fill the gap between expensive jewellery and its high street counter-part. Necklaces are priced from around £40 up to £215.

New collections are released twice a year with smaller collections being released at holiday times. Within each collection there are several different  styles of jewellery. The beauty of the brand is that it offers something for everyone - from teenagers to Grandmas and Great Grandmas.

As you can see, the packaging is just that little bit special.  Stella & Dot isn't available in stores but rather, through in home "Trunk Shows" run by Independent Stylists, or on-line.

A great attraction of S&D is its very clear policy on social responsibility.  All of its Partners are governed by a strict code of conduct, to which they must agree to adhere if they wish to do business with S&D, with a strict enforcement policy if those guidelines are breached. Products are sourced in an ethical and responsible manner. As a company, they are concerned with the Health and Safety and Human Rights of anyone involved in making products for them and seek to ensure fair wages for all.  As anyone working as an independent stylist for S&D, their aim is to help women create flexible careers as work from home entrepreneurs.
                                                          
As to the necklace, it is made from multiple strands of coral and glass beads, this is a great statement piece to add interest to a simple outfit, either for the day or on into the evening.

 

By coincidence, the necklace was featured in an article in the Daily Mail last week.

And here's a closer picture of the necklace.

 

Here's an example of another great piece, which a guest was wearing at a Style Event that I ran a few weeks ago. I think that it looks amazing on her. This piece is called the Zahara bib necklace and is priced at £210.  You can take a closer look at it here.

 

                                                       

The competition is open to everyone, wherever you may be. All that you have to do is follow these easy steps:

• simply follow myself and Stella & Dot on twitter @BethGoodrham and @stelladotUK; 
• "Like" my facebook page and that of Stella & Dot's too;
• Tell me either via twitter, facebook or email (style@bethgoodrham.com) why you deserve to win this necklace. Answers may be whatever you want them to be - witty, serious or thought provoking.

Entries close at mid-night on May 26th (14 days from now) and the lucky winner will be informed the following day.

Good luck - someone is in for a treat!

The Boden Press Day Part 2 - Accessories and Mini Boden

You will be pleased to know that I took full advantage of the small window of opportunity between leaving the Dental Hospital this morning and the anaesthetic wearing off - and did some shopping.

Naturally I was only acting on the advice of a dentist friend of mine who reminded me that it was essential to my recovery. I think I managed to scare one or two shop assistants though.  Due to the effects of the anaesthetic I wasn't aware of the blood dribbling out of the corner of my mouth.  I thought that I did a very good impression of Dracula actually - well, either that or a Great White Shark.

I came across this illustration in a library book that I was reading to our youngest today. It's from the book "Dogger" which was written by Shirley Hughes in 1977 and I thought it apt, after the Daily Mail article last week.

I love what the Mums are wearing - prints, colour, heels, handbags, hair up, flares, accessories - just as I remember the school gates when I was growing up.

Anyway, back to a few Boden accessories which I thought that I would share with you. There was a whole row of glass cases with items displayed inside and naturally these patent (and printed) items...

...together with these sparkly wedges, caught my eye.

For anyone who likes a metallic pump, these might just be for you.

And of course here's that little bit of leopard print to add to your Wardrobe. I know that there are very mixed feelings about leopard print but I think that a little worn in the right way can be very stylish and it's a great way for bringing an outfit together which contains both black and brown. In fact, it gives the perfect excuse to put them together when you might not have done so otherwise.

These are a lovely pair of biker boots - again, one of my favourite staple items in my winter Wardrobe.

And these grey jeans from the Johnnie B range which have the addition of a military sequin stripe. I think that I might be giving these a whirl.

And finally some shots from the children's ranges - I just loved these cute hangers on the rail of girls clothes.

And these on the boys clothes. 

These shots are just designed to give a flavour of the colour palette in one of the stories of the girls clothes...

in the clothes for baby girls...

and in the clothes for baby boys.

And finally, here's the Hush parcel which has been sitting at the Post Office for a few days now as I have been unable to collect it but which my lovely hubby collected for me this morning.  I will share the contents of it with you over the next day or so.

Yesterday I promised that I would bring you the story of a very inspiring lady.  There's a minor technical hitch on that one of a photographic nature so once it is sorted, I will bring her to you.

Enjoy your Saturday - please feel free to have an extra glass of something on my behalf tonight as I am banned from alcohol, which is a shame as it is the only night that I have any - not that I am feeling sorry for myself or anything.

On the Run - Another casual Friday outfit with a little bit of Liberty, Petit Bateau and Ugg, just for good measure

Yes, we've made it to the end of the week - just.  Two of the three terrors have limped, sneezed, coughed and wheezed their way through the week and finally it's Friday night and we can now sigh a big sigh of relief. Phew. 

Do you reckon that when you are older and you have a tooth out, the tooth fairy still visits? I hope so because tomorrow, at 9am, I will be in the dental hospital having a wisdom tooth taken out. The up side of all that though is that the dental hospital is in the centre of Birmingham and to get back home I will have to walk past House of Fraser, Jigsaw - well any shop I choose really - and what better way to take the pain away than with a little retail therapy?

I was styling again today and after so much racing around yesterday, first with the trip to London and then working in Selfridges in the evening, I went for a fairly casual look - hoping that the lady I was working with wouldn't mind.

I wore the new White Stuff wide leg trousers that I bought last week together with a Warehouse silk shirt, Topshop knit, Converse and Zara mac.

Hopefully I just about got away with it - there was no way that I could face heels today.

Today I thought that I would bring you a few snaps of some pieces that I saw yesterday whilst on my travels. Having arrived at 7.15am I had plenty of time for wandering. So, I took myself off to Oxford Street, South Molton Street and Regent Street for a look in Liberty, where I spotted this gorgeous Liberty print/Dr Marten satchel.

I have included a link so that you can take a closer look it. At £195 it isn't cheap but if you are perhaps in that baby zone, not wanting to spend too much on clothes for now but needing a cross body bag and looking for something to pep up your Wardrobe, my money would be on this little number. Have I persuaded anyone yet - apart from myself that is? [Although I am not sure that wanting to own this bag is reason enough to go for baby number 4]

http://www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/product/Liberty//Large-Martens-Flower-Liberty-Print-Satchel-Dr-Martens/75360

I just loved the styling of this window too.  I am not sure that I am in the market for any DM boots but I did used to love wearing my DM shoes when at University - bought from Sheffield market, I wore them all the time - without socks too - rock hard I was!

Many of you will know that personally, I don't like wearing Uggs outdoors (not that I am judging anyone else for doing so - I will leave that to DM readers!) Given that I don't own a pair in the first place it would actually be quite difficult anyway but even if I did own a real pair, as opposed to a mini Boden pair,  I still wouldn't feel right doing it. 

So, this is my tongue in cheek photo of some Uggs which I would be prepared to wear outside - well, that's if I could actually walk in them.

I took this photograph of the window of Petit Bateau on South Molton Street.  As you know, I am a fan of stripes and I love this simple but striking, and very chic, window display. 

I can't think of a better way to finish tonight's post than with some stripes so I will sign off now. Tomorrow I will bring you a few more shots from the Boden press day (did I tell you I'd been there?!) and a very inspirational lady. Enjoy your Friday night.

On the Run - the Boden A/W '12 press day - but did I get to meet the man himself?

Alas not, no, I didn't get to meet the man himself, Johnnie Boden, because I needed to get home to make sure that my little man was OK, after having been off school ill. Nevermind, hopefully I will get another opportunity to meet him some time in the future.

So, as to the Boden press day! As you know, I am a fan of Boden - I think that the amount of boxes in this post demonstrates that point fairly well, together with the shrine to Boden that I created in this post

The first person I met on walking through the door was Jilly Murphy, the stylist who styled me for the Woman & Home article. It's always nice to see a friendly face and she is lovely and down to earth, so it was nice to say hello to her again.

I then had a whizz around the room before going back and starting again with the assistance of Lisa Field, the PR Manager at Boden, who explained the different "stories" to me.  I was really pleased to hear that all of the catalogue was shot in the UK - apparently it has only been done in the last few weeks, with some parts still to be finalised - so I can imagine that there was a lot of rain dodging.

Boden didn't show case all of their clothes, instead selecting a few well chosen pieces for the press to view. This year, the clothes, (I am told) were presented in a much simpler format - hung on rails, so that they could do the talking, with little use of props or Boden prints as in previous years. 

Just to set the scene.....

As to the clothes, this season there are four different stories:

• Shoreditch is a heritage story with a cool, fashion edge. Lisa explained that this is their most modern and contemporary story with clean, sharp, lines.  It is less floral, with only two colours per print and it includes fitted knitted tops, a midi skirt and (amongst other things) a navy velvet trim coat which has an androgynous look about it.  This story is a slight departure for Boden, which is reflected in the promotional material. The models are more static, less smiley, and the shots are styled more along the lines of a "look book" as per Jigsaw, or Toast  (as in the brand, not the food). 

I think that it is fair to say that with this story, Boden is flexing its fashion muscles.  I get the impression that it hopes to be seen by the press as a brand which caters not only for its traditional and established market but that it has something more cutting edge to offer too.

• Another story is "pared down pretty" - probably one of my favourite stories, it is all about casual glamour.  The pieces are said to be "simple but sophisticated - quietly sexy - clothes for a woman who appreciates a relaxed sense of style."  There is effortless layering, muted colours and understated prints, as you can see from the rail below. 

Here are a few of my favourite pieces from this story - although to be honest I liked all of it. There's lots of sparkle in it too.  This is the Florence dress, which is inspired by the 1940's.

This is the dress in the flesh...

Probably one of the brightest items in the story - a lovely pink jumper which would look great styled casually or with a statement necklace.

I love the print on this top, which, if I remember correctly is a print from Boden's archives - great because it won't need much accessorising.

This Georgette top was designed to be dressed up or down and I can imagine it doing both jobs very well being worn with jeans in the day or smarter trousers, heels and a blazer in the evening.

And here is this top in the flesh. I felt that the print was a bit Celia Birtwell(ish).

This is a lovely shaped top - looser it will hang beautifully and cover a multitude of sins. The sparkle adds a lovely touch to it.

Within this story, Boden has also done a selection of LBDs, or in this case a LND. I love the fact that it has got long sleeves and the lace overlay adds a pretty, feminine, quirky touch to the dress.

Another LBD - with a beautiful bow across the front of it. It's not going to be for everyone but I think that this will look stunning on. I am tempted to give it a go just to see...

• The next story is called "Northern Lights." It was shot on the Northumberland coast using the great outdoors as a backdrop for Boden's most casual styles. Autumn is celebrated less with prints and more with seasonal colours.  Here are a couple of pieces from the Northern Lights story. I think that it is fair to say that I haven't quite captured the range of colours from the story but these were the pieces which, style wise, caught my eye. The brogues come in another colour, as do the skinny trousers.

• Finally, there's the heritage story which references Yorkshire tweeds, checks and prints and which showcases Boden's Westminster print, which features throughout the whole of the Boden ranges, to include menswear and children's clothing - and also on a piece of furniture.

I can see where Boden are headed with presenting their collection in this way and I hope that it appeals to the press.  I also hope that the Shoreditch story is well received and that not only does Boden retain its existing and very loyal customers but that it also attracts a new type of customer too. I for one can't wait to see the new catalogue.  The new collection will be available at the end of July.  Thanks to everyone at Boden for making me feel so welcome.

On the Run - A totally different, interesting and amazing outfit (not)

As women, we are all juggling lots of balls - and sometimes we drop them.  I reckon there are three kinds of balls:

• Rubber ones - If you drop them they bounce pretty high and you can normally catch them on the way up, or the way down, and rescue the situation;

• The ones that you find in ball pits - Not much bounce but if you act quickly and scoop them up, you might just about get away with whatever was about to go belly up;

• Glass balls - Drop one of those and you are stuffed. Well and truly stuffed.

More about that later...

And here I am again - in the same coat. I know, this is getting dull, really dull but a combination of bad weather and being really short of time this week, due to a poorly fella, means that I'm just sticking with what's close to hand.

I was styling this morning (in case you are wondering what I did with said poorly child, my husband and I are boxing and coxing when it comes to childcare) so wore this outfit with my navy patent Hobbs loafers and my grey Mulberry handbag.  By the time it came to pick up from school it was raining so I put on tan boots but felt that the grey bag couldn't stay, so, in an effort to inject a little bit of spring into the outfit, I used what I call my Ted Baker ice cream bag.

Here's a better shot of the bag (handbag) but a worse shot of me (the old bag).

This is what I had on underneath my coat - slim fitting navy Cos trousers and a lace top which I bought from Monsoon Fusion last summer. I really like the fit of it as it is neat and covered!

Monsoon has done a very similar top this season, which you can see below...


                                                           

Tomorrow I am off to the Boden press day so I shall be on the 5.50am train to London. Ouch. In the evening I am styling ladies at Selfridges in preparation for Ascot so I am not sure whether a post will materialise - but then again if it's raining and I'm wearing the same bloomin' coat again you won't be missing much.

Anyway, as to the ball dropping. Today's dropped ball arose as a result of me failing to remember that our youngest should have gone to school dressed as a farm animal. Despite my guilt, I concluded that the ball that I dropped was only a rubber ball - largely because she wasn't fussed and ended up being the "Farm Fairy", which suited her down to the ground.  However my friend's parting words, delivered with a twinkle in her eye were:

"I am so going to dob you in to the Daily Mail." What a bad mother I am - please don't tell them that I let the children eat (home made) chocolate cake on their birthdays. Anyone else dropped any balls today?