On the Run - Nearly, but I just couldn't quite bring myself to do it...

It nearly happened but I bottled it at the last minute.  The plan was to wear a dress or skirt for our street party this afternoon but as the day went on and the sun retreated behind the clouds I, once again, wimped out and wore trousers. 

The plan was to wear red, white and blue but as I don't have any red trousers, I opted for my White Stuff pink ones (note to self: don't have photos in pink clothes taken in front of pink front door), Hobbs NW3 shirt and as a nod to the "golden" part of the celebrations, I wore gold wedges. As you can see, it was all accessorised with a Union Jack.

This was our son's contribution to the street party - a chocolate cake which he always makes all by himself, although I am always under strict instructions to get the exact ingredients that he wants for the topping. This time it was Maltesers. I must admit responsibility for the awesomely awful Union Jack!

So, on to the Union Jack scarf competiton winner! Pat Shergold is the lucky winner and once I have received confirmation from her that she is happy for me to share her entry with you, I will do so. Thank you so much to everyone who entered - it's so lovely to hear from you all and I am only sorry that you couldn't all win.

So, on to some exciting news about Style It Light, a new fashion blog that has been set up with Look Magazine, Marie Claire and InStyle. Along with the guest bloggers from Marie Claire, Look and InStyle, I have been asked to contribute some articles each week.  Apparently I was shortlisted by the Marie Claire team from the blogger awards and invited to get involved.  It's both an exciting and slightly nerve wracking opportunity and I wanted to  thank everyone who voted for me in the Marie Claire fashion blog of the year awards earlier this year, as without you this opportunity wouldn't have come my way. To be honest I am not sure exactly what it entails but I will be sure to keep you posted!

So, now that the jubilee celebrations are well and truly over it's life back to normal. I think we all need to make plans for some further celebrations - I don't know what the reasons for them may be but as far as I am concerned, any excuse will do nicely!

On the Run - Three disasterous outfits in one day - impressive huh?!

You know how the saying goes when it comes to love - "it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."  Well when it comes to clothes I reckon that it's "better to have tried and failed than never to have tried at all."

Having had enough of jeans/trousers/chinos and with it not being warm enough for skirts or dresses with bare legs, coupled with a refusal on my part to wear thick tights with anything, I thought that I would style my pleated palazzos with a denim shirt for a day time look. I have tried this successfully in the past with a lacy navy skirt from Mango but with the palazzos....

Both my son and I decided that it was a bad move - but here's the photo anyway.  Don't say I don't keep it real!

Having abandoned the palazzos in favour of trousers after all, I decided to add my huge lemon scarf from Zara.  There was a method to my madness believe me! I bought my scarf whilst shopping with a friend in Leeds one particularly cold weekend in May, on the basis that if we bought something wintery, the sun might come out.  So with that in mind I wore it today.  I am also fed up with wearing jackets and coats so thought that it would add some warmth - which it did but again it didn't really work for me as it was just a bit too bulky - outfit number 2 disaster!

For outfit number three I just took the scarf off and this too didn't work but the outfit illustrates a really good point, which is this...lighter patches on clothes act as highlighters and draw the eye in. In this case, the lighter patch is over my stomach with the result, I think, that it looks more rounded (unless I am just kidding myself, which is perfectly possible!) 

The same is true of the lighter patches on jeans, which are normally strategically placed over one's thighs or one's bottom. Now, if you are lucky to have very skinny thighs or a bottom to which you are happy to draw attention, that's fine. If not, jeans with lighter patches probably aren't for you so it's better to look for an all over, even, dark wash.

My last outfit of the day was probably my most successful but unfortunately I don't have a photo of it.  Shortly afterwards the sun came out (see, the lemon scarf did serve its purpose) and I threw on my old tracksuit bottoms, some green wellies and spent a few pleasant hours in the garden cutting down brambles, pulling up weeds and generally hoiking stuff out of the ground that shouldn't be there.  Very satisfying indeed!

Tomorrow I have some exciting news about a new project I will be working on with Marie Claire, Look and InStyle Magazine (unless they see this post and decide that it's not such a good idea after all) - and I will finally get around to announcing the winner of my Union Jack scarf competition.

Enjoy the sun - if you have some!  

On the Run - It's Gap and Zara all the way today!

Given that I spent most of the day at home with the children cooking and generally faffing about, I decided to bring you a photo of an outfit that I was wearing a couple of days ago instead.

You know, I can't actually remember what we were up to on this particular day but I do recall thinking that it would be nice to wear a white (Gap) shirt - I just feel that they lift an outfit to the next level.  I haven't worn this Zara blazer since last summer so it was nice to get it out again. It is made up of very fine white and pale blue stripes with a navy trim.

I was going to add my leopard print belt but I decided that a) it might be a bit of animal print overload, given that I was wearing my snake print wedges and b) I can't actually find it anyway.

So instead I went with a bright blue Topshop belt with an orange buckle.  My large canvas navy bag is also from Zara and the jeans from Gap.

The forecast would seem to suggest that the weather won't be getting better any time soon so over the next few days I might just have to dress as if it were sunny and bring you the photos despite the rain, otherwise autumn will be approaching and I still won't have worn anything vaguely summery other than a pair of Gap shorts. 

Failing that, the eldest two are off on school trips next week so it might be a good excuse to buzz off somewhere warm to take some photos in the sun - yes, I'm rather liking the sound of that - a bit drastic but appealing nonetheless.

On the Run - An outfit for another rainy day

I am in agony but it's completely my own fault. I decided to try a number of different exercise classes this week and after my circuits class on Tuesday well, that was me done in.  So my decision to go ahead with a body combat class this evening was probably less than wise but no doubt all will be revealed tomorrow.

Fortunately I was permitted to sit down for a couple of hours today whilst watching Snow White and the Huntsman.  It was a great film but if I am honest my attention was more on the Hunstsman than Snow White, or anyone else for that matter.  I shall say no more than that!

With the rain still beating down, and knowing that I would be in and out of the car alot I opted for my Gap skinnies, tan Jones boots and Khaki Kew short mac. It's a slightly different colour palette for me but I liked it and it fitted in with the weather for the day.

We had a brief visit to John Lewis yesterday, which is where I bought my Lola Rose scarf a few months ago.  These are the current prints that they have in John Lewis.  I really like their muted tones and soft touch.

For anyone who likes stripes but feels uncomfortable wearing them on their body, I thought that these wedge heeled espadrilles were great. They are part of the John Lewis weekend range.

I also love these Carvela shoes, which remind me of "Dorothy" shoes. I would imagine that they are part of Carvela's autumn range and with a cute block heel and a bit of sparkle I would wear them to pep up casual outfits, probably more so than with dressier outfits.

Assuming that I can move my arms tomorrow, I will blog - if nothing appears, you know why!

Meet Jo - A lady with a great weight loss story who, I think we would all agree, deserves to be so very proud of herself

A while ago I was contacted by Jo who told me her story about how she had put on weight and then how she had lost it again.  Jo was happy for me to share her story, which I found incredibly inspiring. Her 18 month commitment to reach her target weight showed great resolve. This is what Jo wrote:

"Hi my name is Jo and I am a 42 year old mother of two boys. I have lost 4 stone and have gone from a size 20 to a size 12. [This is a photo of Jo prior to losing the 4 stone]

I first had an issue with my weight after my last pregnancy. I had suffered so badly with post natal depression after a horrific birth and my marriage breaking up because of it all that I just used food for comfort, I was getting bigger and bigger but because I dressed well and love fashion I could get away with still looking nice, so people said! 

Crunch time for me was when I had to be measured for my new workwear and I needed a size 20! I was so shocked and then to top it all some American relatives had come over and they speak as they see and told me how much weight I had put on!!!... However this is what I needed and I decided to get on and get the weight off. 

I did weight watchers at home and got myself a fitness DVD and did this everyday. To start with I was so worn out and my thighs were so big rubbing together I could hardly move but as the time went on it got easier. I would say it took 18 months to get to the weight I wanted to be but it was a bit too thin and people would say I looked ill!! (you can't win)!!! But it was true so I have put a bit on and feel happier and it's also a weight I can stick to. If you try to be too thin it's so hard to maintain. [Jo after having lost 4 stones]

I love fashion and clothes and not only have I done this so I can now wear skinny jeans but for my health too...love Jo xx"

For anyone on the same journey as Jo, I am sure that she would be only too happy to answer your queries and provide you with the motivation to keep going, however tough the road ahead may look.  

On the Run - It must be the effects of the Jubilee : Vintage Fashion - as stylish and relevant as the day it was made.

The Jubilee has made me very nostalgic for fashions of times gone by. All of those images of the Queen looking so stylish - different colours and styles all beautifully accessorised with wonderful hats, jewellery and bags. Even as recently as this weekend, she was still miles ahead of anyone else in the style stakes and if anything, the outfits she has worn in recent years have been more stunning than ever.

I was flicking through my favourite Vintage Fashion book earlier when I saw this look, which I haven't yet tried. What do you reckon? This number was created by Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto in 1971 and I think that we could definitely call it a statement outfit.

The coat below was designed by Osssie Clark and Celia Birtwell in 1971.  I love this design. Do you remember the collaboration that Celia Birtwell did with Topshop several years ago? I bought a lovely dress with a very similar print which I adored. The trouble was that the quality wasn't great so it had to go.

This is a beautiful bell shaped Rose print 1950's coat by Nina Ricci.  The Peter Pan collar and soft gathers from the shoulderline made it perfect over over full skirted shirt dresses, although today I think that we would be more likely to see it over skinny jeans.

Finally, this outfit of a floral halterneck top and and striped skirt was designed by Texan Tom Brigance in 1952.  His ethos was to make clothes "appropriate" for the American woman's mode of living.

What I love about these outfits is that, possibly other than the first one, all of them could be worn today and they would look as fresh and stylish as they did all of those decades ago. Which just goes to prove that it's not all about the latest trends, fads and disposable fashion. Perhaps we should all have a route around in the wardrobes of our Mums, Grandmas or Aunties and see what we can find. 

Do any of the above outfits bring back memories for you and what did you think of the Queen's outfits this weekend?

On the Run - A rainy day can't dampen our spirits - but I think that this Noa Noa coat would be a good additon to my Wardrobe right now!

There's being an eternal optomist (no, that weather forecast can't be right, the temp can't possibly drop by 10 degrees from one weekend to the next) and then there's just being plain stupid.  When it came to packing for our weekend away I fell into the latter category.

I have been packing for family holidays away in the UK for the past 13 years and still I get it wrong! I nearly didn't bring you a photo today, given that there is nothing much of interest to show but new people are always dropping by the blog and they may just spot something that they like.  And as I always maintain, Style Guile is a bit of a warts and all blog! Not that there's anything wrong with today's outfit - at least I am warm and comfortable.

Given the cold and rain today, jeans were the obvious choice, together with warm socks and converse to start off with but as it warmed up slightly, I cast the socks aside and rolled up the jeans slightly. 

You will notice that the jumper is the same one that I was wearing yesterday.  Underneath it I have layered a vest, a long sleeved white Fat Face top and my new White Stuff Shelley top at £39.95, which you can see here I liked that the collar of the top added something to the jumper and it was good to test out its versatility by layering it under something else.

Today I wore my three bracelets that I had brought with me - my new Reiss one, my green one from La La Rocks (def worth taking a look at their site as their products are lovely and now stocked by Harvey Nichols) and my Links one, which I bought with some money from my Grandma. I have one charm for each child and one for my husband.

Whilst in Cirencester yesterday I had a quick walk around Noa Noa. I love little towns with their independent boutiques and less mainstream stores.

I spotted this Noa Noa Cornel coat in Cloudburst which you can see  here  - it is definitely the sort of thing that I should have packed - this holiday and probably over the last 13 years!

For those of you who wondered where we were staying, we are at Watermark in the Cotswolds - not too far from home distance wise but it feels like a million miles away!  Some friends have a place nearby so we dropped into see them and joined in their jubilee party which in my case, consisted of two very strong Pimms and some chocolate biscuit cake. Result.  I hope that you are having a great jubilee weekend and don't forget to enter the competition for the Union Jack Scarf Envy scarf here - the fact that it is made of wool is decidedly appealing right now!

On the Run - On hols in White Stuff, Gap, Jigsaw and Carvela

We are on our hols and it's great! There are lots of activities for the children and we are working hard on wearing them out - trouble is we are getting whacked in the process.

There are lots of things that Mums like here (nice cushions, candles, lots of light, open living which is totally uncluttered - or it was before we arrived - neutral colour scheme, a huge utility room and decking which is perfect for mag reading).  There are also lots of things that boys like - big TVs, power showers and lots of gadgets.  The eldest are just relieved that exams are over so for now, it's fairly harmonious. Famous last words.

Packing was done fairly hurriedly because I got distracted from the task by watching the jubilee celebrations at school - which were fantastic.  By the time I had packed all those things that it's easy to forget - swimming goggles, youngest's water bottle for bed time, sun cream, sun hat, warm coats, wetsuits etc there wasn't much time left for clothes packing. I always leave my clothes to last so having done everyone else's in went 3 pairs of chinos, 3 jumpers, 3 long sleeved and 3 summer tops, a maxi dress, 3 pairs of shoes and a couple of scarves and that was it for me.

Today I am wearing new White Stuff trousers in sweet pea, Gap jumper with striped Jigsaw top underneath and Carvela wedges. The heel on the shoes is a good height for me - not to low and not too high. I like the little kick at the bottom of the trousers - a good hip balancer!

We started off the day at a swimming pool complete with slides etc.  You know the kind of place - one that the kids love but which you wouldn't choose to go to if you didn't have them. My husband was sure that there was something wrong with the clock as the hands didn't seem to move, which was odd really as the children's perception was the complete opposite but then you know how it is - if they're happy, you're happy.

On the Run - An outfit for a style event and a re-worded National Anthem

I've gone and done something daft and booked us a last minute trip away, leaving me with about 2.5 minutes to pack, shop and generally tidy up, which is a shame because I am working tomorrow.

Because I am short of time I will keep it brief. I wore this to an event that I was running tonight at DLA Piper, a firm of solicitors in Birmingham.  As the weather turned a bit chilly and wet I had to abandon my dress plans in favour of trousers. 

Our youngest is very excited about her party at school tomorrow - so excited about the new dress that she has for the event that she can't sleep.  Can't imagine where she might get that trait from.  She has also changed the words to the National Anthem,  Instead of :

"Long may she reign" we now have;
"Long may she rainbow" - which I guess is quite cheery really.

Right, I had better scoot and get myself sorted.  I hope that your plans for the long weekend are coming together nicely. 

Outfit: Gap trousers, Zara jacket, LK Bennett shoes, sparkly top Topshop, necklace Jigsaw

On the Run - Competition details and an outfit for a school open evening

You will all be pleased to know that I haven't run off with Chris Martin. It was great to see him last night and he tried to woo me with his romantic songs, strumming away on his guitar but to be honest I found him a bit sweaty - so I sent him back to Gwyneth.

This is the outfit that I wore when I went out to an open evening at our son's school this evening.  In fact I had worn the shirt in the day, with my shorts (again) as I am trying to get my money's worth before I catch sight of myself in them and refuse to wear them again.

I thought that the bright shirt might be OK with grey skinnies and they brought out the grey in my shoes.  I figure that it's a good thing to wear skinnies from time to time in the summer - just to check that everything is in place.  It can be easy to get to the autumn and to have been lulled into a false sense of security by looser linen trousers and dresses minus waistbands - and suddenly the jeans seem a bit on the snug side.

I thought about digging out my grey Mulberry too but I quite like that my bags are stashed neatly away - so was quite happy to compromise on that one.

Now, I said that I would bring you details of how to enter my Scarf Envy competition, so here's how to do it:

First, go in and "like" Scarf Envy's facebook page

Second follow Scarf Envy on twitter

Third go in an "like" my facebook page

Fourth follow me on twitter

Fifth drop me a line to let me know why you should win the scarf - I will leave it to your imaginations! Here is another picture of the competition prize.  Entries will close at mid-night on Sunday 10th June.

Following on from my post on holiday packing, I spotted this dress in Jigsaw yesterday which can be worn in six different ways - including a way which covers the tops of the arms, which is all important to some ladies. 

It is priced at £119 and in store, it comes with directions on how to style it in those different ways.  It is incredibly versatile and I have to say the thought of one dress for a week away is quite appealing - as long as you had some travel wash with you.

The dress comes in three colours and you can take a look here Just thought that it might be worth a mention for anyone with a short trip away and not much luggage allowance.

On the Run - Off to see Coldplay in the heat plus details of my new competition and see the winning Stella & Dot entry

Today I promised to bring you details of my new competition and here is a picture of the prize - the lovely Union Jack flag scarf by Scarf Envy, which costs £29.99.

I was intially approached by Rebecca who runs Scarf Envy, to ask me if I would like to review her site or one of her scarves, keeping a scarf as a gift. Rebecca's son is due to start school fairly soon and she is working hard to build her business. Much as I would like to, it seemed a little unfair of me to keep the scarf for myself and instead, I am offering it as a prize.  I loved the print on it the scarf - very patriotic and of course being 100% wool, it will work well on into the winter and autumn. It also comes in a lovely muted grey tone.

As I am off to see Cold Play tonight, I am running out of time - so details of how to enter the competition will be in tomorrow's post (sorry about that) but if you are a scarf kind of girl, you may want to take a look at the site here 

Today I am also bringing you the winning entry for the Stella & Dot competition.  I am so sorry not to have been able to give everyone a prize as you were all so deserving. Penny Young won the competition with the following entry:

"I deserve to win this ... Because I had to endure a miserable thirty minutes gazing at myself topless from every angle in the three-way mirror in Rigby & Peller's changing room yesterday!!"

Aside from my younger readers, I am sure that many of you are familiar with this idea - of catching a glimpse of someone in the mirror and realising that the reflection staring back is, in fact, your own. Or realising that things aren't perhaps what they once were, or what you thought them to be.

I have two pet hates - when I am about to take a photo on my phone and I realise that it has flipped round and I can see myself in it, or using Skype - seeing oneself from either of those angles is deeply unflattering. I read the other day that a new type of cosmetic procedure has been developed in the US which deals with the lower face, specifically to address those issues thrown up by Skype.

So thank you to Penny for her amusing entry, which did make me smile and to which I am sure many of us can relate.

On a slightly similar note, I receive lots of queries from ladies about how to style themselves when they have left their thirties and are heading into their forties and beyond. I have come across a great book called "Grown up glamour - how to age fabulously by the women who got it right." It is by Caroline Cox and is well worth a read. It covers style, hair, skin and makeup and much more.  I like Caroline's refreshing "let's embrace our age, without surgery" approach.

So that's it for today ladies, I had better dash as I have a date with Chris - sorry Gwyneth. 

On the Run - Holiday packing with a weight limit in mind.

Many years ago I took my Mum on holiday to Majorca. Being newly pregnant with our first at the time, I was conscious about what I was lifting.  The suitcase my Mum arrived with was packed to the brim with a kettle, tea bags, a new dress for every day and a spare for the evening, I recall.  I also recall the holiday rep moving the suitcase, as neither of us could, with the words "blimey, what have you got in here - the Crown Jewels?"

Some years previously I had travelled the world with a 9kg rucksack, which with hindsight was pretty impressive, unlike the contents, which were not.

As I said yesterday, I have been asked to talk about packing for a summer holiday in line with the strict luggage requirements imposed by airlines such as Easyjet (56cm x 45cm x 25cm) or Flybe (50cm x 35cm x 23cm and no more than10 kg).

My tips are going to fall into two main cateogories - weight tips and styling tips.  As one who no longer travels as much anymore, I am sure that there are many of you who will have other tips to add, so please feel free to do so.

Weight tips

• People aren't weighed - only luggage, so in the first instance, take the lightest bag that you can which will permit a greater allowance for clothes;  
• Secondly and following on from that, travel in your heaviest items of clothing.  Wear any jacket you are taking, together with any knit and your heaviest shoes, your jeans or heaviest trousers and any accessories;
• Carry a plastic bag in your trouser/jacket pocket and once on the aeroplane whip it out and take off those additional accessories you are wearing, putting them into your luggage.  Whilst I wouldn't go so far as secreting items of clothing/accessories about my person as per a drugs smuggler, I would use a few sneaky tricks to get those extra all important pieces to my destination with me;
• Buy toiletries when there. I am happy to travel with a toothbrush and toothpaste, a small packet of baby wipes and a bottle of water.  If needs be take a couple of sachets of shampoo or moisturiser which come free with magazines (provided they meet the airline's requirements). Sun tan cream, shampoo etc can be bought on arrival; 
• If you can't live without a hairdryer/straighteners on holiday, split them between you and your friends (or pinch some of your husband's allowance).

Style tips

• Pack items in threes so when it comes to tops for example, you can be wearing one, one  will be waiting to be washed and one will be drying;
• An example of three different pairs of shoes would be 1 flip flop, one pair for sight seeing and one pair for evenings; 3 bags would be your piece of luggage, light weight beach bag and evening bag if necessary, 3 trousers would be one linen, one soft jersey, and one cropped. It may be that everything needs to be reduced to x2, or x2 for bottoms and x3 for tops, but you get the idea;
• Lay all of your outfits out on your bed before you go and photograph them, taking only what is absolutely necessary;
• An item which you consider relatively smart at the start of the week could be worn out to dinner, then later in the week on a sight seeing trip and then finally on the beach;
• Look for versatility in your clothes. The advice is often to pack separates but dresses can be versatile, with something layered underneath, or with a knit over the top, worn over trousers or with a top over it to make it look like a skirt. Some long skirts can be pulled up to make a strapless knee length dress;
• Gold or silver shoes will go with everything and there are plenty on the high street at a good price.  The same goes for a gold or silver bolero (Monsoon) or knit for the evening;
• Keeping the colours tonal will ensure that everything works well together and use statement jewellery to dress items up for the evening;
• Abandon heavier weight knits in favour of a large multi purpose scarf which may be worn as a sarong, used as a pillow or a blanket on the 'plane or as a cover up in the evening.  I currently like this butterfly print scarf from zara which opens out to a good size.  

                    
    
I really hope that you find this useful and as I say, please do feel free to add tips of your own.

I think that the winning entry for the Stella & Dot competition plus details of my new competition demand their own post - so more about those tomorrow.

On the Run - The Gap shorts make their second appearanc, this time in the garden

I hope that everyone has had a lovely weekend. It's so nice being in the sun for a change isn't it? Feeling warm is such a treat.  However for some bizarre reason, warm balmy evenings make me want to do the ironing. Fortunately we don't have too many of those types of evenings - which is probably why my ironing pile is always so big.

As you know, the Stella & Dot competition closed last night and today I informed the lucky winner.  I was delighted to receive so many lovely entries from ladies who wanted to win the necklace so that they could give it to their mother or their daughter, because they had just come through a particularly difficult period in their life, because it would be the only item in their wardrobe not covered in dribble or because they lived on the other side of the world and missed our High Street.  I even had a beautiful poem - there are some seriously talented ladies out there. 

I found it so hard to choose a winner but in the end I did and I am hoping that she will be happy to share her winning entry with you all - so once I have heard from her, I will let you know.  Thank you to those of you who entered and I am sorry that I don't have a lovely piece of jewellery for each of you.  I only wish that I did.

A few days ago I was contacted by a lady who asked whether I might do a post on how to pack for a holiday when there is a strict weight limit on the amount of luggage that may be carried - so keep a look out for that post tomorrow, together with details of my new competition.

The shot of me below is very much as an aside to today's post as there is nothing remotely inspiring about it.  However for a day in the garden with the children, the paddling pool, the hosepipe and a very obstinate three year old it worked fine and at least I am getting some wear out of the shorts. The blue Fat Face sun top I have had for years but I like it for its colour, the smocking detail at the top and the fact that it is a relaxed fit. The converse are just good for dashing about in - and oddly not that hot (probably both literally and metaphorically speaking).

As to the shorts, in answer to some requests that I have had about them, they are called the boyfriend roll up and they are from the GAP.  They also come in some lovely pastels, a bright coral and some neutral shades too - so there should be a colour for everyone.  Predictably they do come up huge though - these are a UK4 which is a US 0.  Oh please!!! If I am a size 0 what would the lovely VB wear? A size -6? There's complimentary sizing and then there's just being plain ridiculous.

Enjoy the sun and if you have found any amazing buys that you want to share with us during this hot and sunny spell, please do feel free to do so.  

On the Run - I said that I would never wear them again but I did.

It came into my head as I was awoken at a very early hour, that I needed to own a pair of shorts. I last wore shorts almost exactly 12 years ago to the day when we were on holiday in France with our one and only child at the time, who was 18 months old. I swore after that that I would never wear them again. In fact it was only this week that I gave assurances that I would never, ever be seen in a pair of shorts again - and I meant it.

The other thing about that holiday that I remember was being utterly and totally exhausted.  Being a new parent with a child who doesn't sleep and who feeds round the clock is such hard work isn't it?

However, with the arrival of our two nephews today I decided that I needed shorts - why, I am not sure. I think it is partly that I haven't really got a summer skirt that I like but that I have several tops which I do like and not much to put  with them if it is really hot.  It also had something to do with visions of leaping here there and everywhere to intercept missiles from the three year old but whatever it was, I was glad for the excuse to (re) introduce an item into my Wardrobe.

So, off we headed bright and early into Birmingham. I knew exactly where I wanted to go and as I also needed to pick up clothes for the children and with the promise of ice-cream, milkshakes and a new paddling pool, I had a very willing crew on board.

Once in my store of choice (the Gap), I selected my shorts, asked them to remove the security tag, put on the shirt I had taken with me to wear with them and left the store in an entirely new outfit within about 4.5 minutes (fortunately remembering to pay on the way out.)

A local firm of solicitor's had invited me to their Jubilee Garden Party today which I was delighted to attend - so the above outfit was worn with that in mind, as opposed to being in the garden with 5 children. 

The Garden Party was also in aid of the Edward's Trust, a local charity which provides support services for families and children.  There was an exhibition of artwork and poems written by children who had lost either a parent, friend or sibling.  Oh my gosh, talk about being moved to tears.  I felt very privileged to get a peek into their world. I now just need to think of the best way of doing something to help the charity.

With my shorts I wore a Whistles silk blouse, which is several years old now, a Reiss gold belt which I bought in the sale, Carvela snakeprint  kupkake wedges and my Russell and Bromley bag, which I have been using for a few days now and I which I can't face changing as I had a mass tidy up last night and put all of my others away.

So, I fear that the shorts will get a lot of outings in the next few days, before I change my mind and decide that I won't be wearing them again, not in 12 years, not ever. 

On the Run - the £14.99 H&M dress gets an outing

You may remember that I showed you this H&M dress a few weeks ago. Then I had to wear it with thick tights but today - well, that was a different matter.  I tried it with a couple of different belts but decided to stick with the one it came with.  I also put it with my Dune gold wedges, which you can see better below. I was in charge of all getting all three out of the house by 7.45am today hence the hurried shot (not that we achieved it).

I was styling this morning and the dress worked well for me in so far as it was comfortable, not too exposed and it had a decent length to it. At the fab price of £14.99 that made me very happy! You can take a look at the dress on the H&M website here

I have to say, if someone had handed me this dress and told me that it came from Reiss or Whistles with a much higher price tag, I wouldn't have necessarily disbelieved them.  I have a summer dress from Reiss which I may wear tomorrow and despite its price, it's still made of polyester.

The lady with whom I was working this morning has said that she will happily feature on the blog, so I hope to bring you some photographs when we have got her Wardrobe where we want it to be.  She has a very curvy bust and I know that the clothes that  I wear don't suit a curvier figure, so it will be nice to bring some variety and hints and tips on brands that may work for anyone with more of a bust.  Believe me, I understand totally how difficult it can be to find tops that work - but they do exist.

I am just bracing myself for the addition of two further children to the fold this weekend - our nephews, who are 8 and 3.  Fortunately I have finished my course of anti-biotics and alcohol is now permitted. Result! (Their parents would be totally with me on that one by the way).

Remember, my Stella & Dot competition closes at mid-night tomorrow so there's not much time left to win the fabulous Palamino necklace.

On the Run - An invitation to look at, and try on, Victoria Beckham dresses - such a treat (but I was wearing Next for the rest of the day)!

The day started off cloudy and then got progressively hotter and hotter and hotter so that by the time I got back with the children from school I was ready to strip off.  You can see the results of my stripping off session tomorrow, unless I chicken out on the basis that some things are best left behind closed doors!   When I came downstairs our eldest said "why are you wearing a nightie?" I shall say no more than that. 

As to today's outfit, I am wearing my new Next chinos, which I posted about a couple of days ago.  I also wore a Warehouse silk shirt which features on my website (www.bethgoodrham.com) Russell & Bromley pink bag and Zara sandals.

These were the two cuffs I put with it - one by Tokyo Jane and of course, the Reiss cuff, which you can see below the other way around.

I was also lucky enough to be invited to Selfridges to try on some samples of the Victoria Beckham mainline, and V by VB A/W '12 collection today.  There were lots of dresses to try on and naturally, I took full advantage of the opportunity.  All samples were a size 8 which on the whole, for the V by VB dresses (which retail at £500/£600) was fine but for the mainline ones (which retail at £1800 plus) - well, you would have to be teeny weeny to get into those. 

Actually, and quite spectacularly impressively I thought, I managed to get stuck in one of the dresses.  The dress itself was fine but the arms were cut so tight that it was impossible for me to maneouvre myself into a position to take it off.  Fortunately I know Zoe, the Personal Shopper, in Selfridges quite well but I am sure that she would rather not have had to get as close to me as she did.  In the end I was bent over at a right angle from the waist whilst she pulled it inside out over my head.

My favourite dress was the Swan Collar Dress, which you can see Victoria wearing in the shot above, when presenting her A/W '12 collection. I asked, but was told, that I couldn't take any shots but hopefully I won't get into too much trouble for taking this sneaky shot of the collar on the "Swan Collar" dress, which was lovely and which I couldn't resist.

Anyway, back to the real world.  I donned my Next chinos again and nipped down to Cos to see if they had had anything in of late which appealed.  I really liked this pale blush and black shift dress as it was perfect for the hot weather - cotton, simple and elegant.

They didn't have my size and the one I am wearing is too big but it's possible to get the idea.

I also tried on this grey printed dress just because I thought that it was a little different and I was intrigued to see what it looked like on. I didn't buy it because the fit wasn't right but I did quite like it - in an odd sort of way.

The back detail is also interesting with an exposed zip and with the printed material being used as piping.

The trip to Selfridges and Cos was a pleasant interlude in an otherwise busy day.  I could have been tempted by a VB dress (not mainline!) but that kind of investment in once piece - I would have to wear it to death and would end up getting sick of it.  I think that you need to be the kind of lady who orders 4 or 5 of them without thinking about it for it really to work - but that's not me and I'm not sure that I would want it to be.

Anyway, my husband rang tonight to say that when he bent over today at work his suit trousers ripped, so it's just as well that I hadn't gone and blown nearly £600 on a pretty dress with swans on it, which I didn't really need.

On the Run - A little bit of Hobbs, Zara and Reiss for a style event

Today I was going to bring you some photos of the pieces that I showed at today's Style Event - but it's currently throwing it down with rain and the bags are in the car - whereas I am in the house.  Having just got wet bringing the washing in, I don't fancy getting wet again but there will hopefully be an opportunity tomorrow to take some photos.

It was lovely to be invited back to a local firm of solicitors to do another Style Event for them today.  There were some familiar faces and some new ones, together with Pimms and scones with jam and cream.  It had been arranged by the female solicitors in the Commercial team and they had included elements that they would have liked at a networking event.  Nice thinking.
Despite being with a group of ladies for several hours, there wasn't an opportunity to get a photo in - hence the DIY bathroom shot.  All but our youngest were out when I got back (and the babysitter of course, just in case anyone thought that I had left a 4 yr old on her own) and I think that "Bananas in Pyjamas" was infinitely preferable to her than taking a photo of me - not that I blame her one jot.

It wasn't the easiest of outfits to pull together, given the heat (yipppeee) the fact that I have to lug a lot of bags around - although I was lucky to have lots of willing helpers - and the fact that when people are sitting and I am standing, there's a danger that they will be faced with my bare knees/thighs - so I need a bit of length to my dress.

So, the Hobbs silk one it was, which I bought for the bargain price of £50 in the sale a couple of years ago.   It had the length that I needed, together with some movement in the skirt. I swapped the belt, which makes the dress a bit too evening(y) for a Reiss cream leather belt, added Zara heels and I was good to go. I also wore my Reiss cuff, which I am very attached to at the moment. I think that all ladies need one of those dresses in their Wardrobe which they know will work for them when all else fails - or just isn't quite right. Tried and tested is often a good approach I find, especially when in doubt.

Here's a closer look at the frill on the front of the dress - great for adding a bit of volume where needed!!!

Hope that you are having fun in the sun.