The (gorgeous) pussybow ruched sleeve shirt by Me & Em

There's a simple formula for a smart/casual outfit that's an absolute fail safe every time. We've all used it over and over again and it's this:

Fancy top + battered jeans + sparkly shoes

The fancy top that I'm wearing in these pics is the Me & Em pussybow blouse (£119) and it's an absolute gem of a top for a night out with the girls. Equally with leather leggings it's super stylish or with more tailored trousers it's the perfect work outfit, with a lovely modern relaxed silhouette.

I'm a sucker for a bow, or a frill, or for something pretty and this top is just gorgeous, having both the pussy bow at the neck and a frill at the sleeve. The frilly sleeves are perfect for peeping out from under a coat with three quarter length sleeves, or for wearing with a long line gilet - but they're not so wide and loose that you can't go about your everyday business without trapping them in the dishwasher or dangling them in the cooking.

The "swing" in the top is fabulous too. It's not so full that it feels maternity like in nature but it has enough shape so that it doesn't cling. Plus the movement and slight "swish" to it makes it feel really elegant.

I love the length too. It hits at just the right point to keep it modern and given its wider hem, it has a slimming effect on the hips.

Plus - and it was only a matter of time before I came to this, there's room to layer plenty underneath, which is one of the reasons that I chose this top. I have a vest and one of my trusty short sleeve cropped tops underneath so it was perfect for a daytime outing too. Obviously in the evening I might even lose a layer. I know, how daring!

I like it when a new shape arrives in my wardrobe and I can see myself wearing this top in all sorts of different scenarios. When a top ticks the navy/pretty/versatile/can be layered up, boxes - I'm there every time.

Now obviously if I'd thought about it, I would have taken a couple of shots before I had tied the bow not after, by which time I had made it slightly crinkly. But it's lovely undone and arguably better for those ladies with a curvier bust who prefer more of a v-shaped neckline.

Now that's what you call a bow! So gorgeous!

Whilst this top was gifted to me by Me & Em, all the words and thoughts are my own and I can honestly say that this is a truly lovely top!

The "alternative" Christmas top - because not everyone loves sequins!

I know, it's hard to believe, but not everyone loves sequins. And there's a real trend this season of "un-seasonal Christmas dressing" which frankly I'm not buying into at all. If you like them, Christmas is for sequins, feathers, frills, froth and fancy stuff and no-one is going to convince me otherwise. However for those who genuinely are on the hunt for something pretty but less obviously "Christmassy" how about a kimono inspired top?

Firstly, apologies for the slightly small images. Really if I was any good at this game I would spend ages re-sizing the images but please forgive me - I want to go to bed!

Anyhow, let me introduce you to....

..the floral print kimono top from Zara £25.99. It's a fab price, lovely with a pleather pencil skirt, kick flared jeans and heels or some tapered leg trousers. What I really like about this top is that it's not a clingy number (see below), it has wide sleeves so there's no cutting into flesh and it's just a lovely top to have in your wardrobe for those last minute invitations out.

Quite a lot of the kimono pieces are made of silk, so they can be pricier but equally they can work really hard in your wardrobe and you know, if it's the perfect piece, then it's worth the price.

This cherry blossom silk kimono from Karen Millen (£250) is a fabulous piece. I love the nod to the tux from the collar - and the longer back offers some bottom coverage where it's needed most. Layer with a pretty cami for a wafty, exotic (non-sequined) look. There's currently 25% off with KM for Black Friday.

And I love this embroidered collared jacket from Ted Baker (£249). This would be perfect, and different, for a winter wedding, a work do or equally good dressed down with ripped jeans.

There will be others out there and it's only an idea - but it's one that I'm quite fancying if I'm honest. Are the days of the sequin numbered?

Oooh and as to other deals for Black Friday, there's 20% off at Hobbs, 25% off at Whistles and 20% off at Selfridges.

Our Living Room Mood Board - I have plans!

Now that the  back of the house has been sorted out, it's time to address the rooms at the front of the house - namely the living room and the kitchen. We're nearly there in terms of what we would like to do with the kitchen but the living room has (and is) taking a little more thought.

View of the house from the garden. Designed by Khoury Architects

Living room layout

Our living room is a fairly long, thin, oblong shape with a bay window at one end. At the opposite end there used to be French doors leading into the conservatory but earlier this year they were taken out and replaced with a wall. Behind the new wall is a store room - which is great for all the detritus that needs to be hidden from view - but it's not so good for the light in the living room. Oh and the door into the living room from the hall is also in a funny place, effectively cutting the room in half. So really it's a bit like two separate narrow rooms, with the one furthest from the window being very dark. Excellent!

Work so far

As part of the renovations earlier in the year, we made some alterations to the living room. First, there was only one radiator in it, which wasn't sufficient so the room was cold and uninviting. We had it replaced with two ladder radiators, which are much better. We also had the spots taken out of the ceiling and they were replaced with a centre light fitting, plus the TV point was removed so that the TV is now the opposite end of the room, away from the window and the glare from the sun.

Now for the fun part

Given that the new room at the back of the house is very light and decorated in greys, neutrals and all things Scandi, it seems a good idea to break out into a riot of colour in the living room, which is entirely self contained so it can have a strong personality of its own. The walls, however, I think will be darkish - but warm darkish - for a cosy feel. The room is currently painted almost white and it's still dark in there at the far end so I think it's a case of embracing the lack of light and not trying to pretend that it's something that it's not. 

Where we're at so far

So a few weeks ago I came across the blog The Pink House and I've been fairly glued to it ever since. Given my love of many thing pink, it's not surprising that I love Emily's blog, and in particular her post called "From Grot to Glamour - the Pink House Den before and after" which you can read here.

This is a picture of Emily's Den as it is now...

[photographer Susie Lowe]

Emily's den was in turn was inspired by this picture that she saw in 25 Beautiful Homes Magazine and which was designed by Jessica Buckley, an interior designer who lives in Edinburgh. I love the clever use of colour in these rooms which are just so fresh, inviting and uplifting.

The other living room that I love is Erica Davies' of The Edited. You can read all about the styling of her living room in the post "The House Files: My living room before and after" here. For those of you who haven't already read the post, I won't spoil it but safe to say that she has taken a very plain room and turned into something magical with gorgeous layers of colour, print, texture and interesting arrangements of accessories.

[photograpy by Eleanor Skan]

When does "taking inspiration" from something that someone else has done, become copying it?

I'm very happy not to keep re-inventing the wheel and so if the principle of something works (and if those who've done it the first time round don't mind) then I'm happy to go with it. If Emily says that Farrow & Ball stone blue is a warm blue then I'm good with that. Obviously I've tried it out and love it but other than that, why waste several hours in Homebase going through all the blues in the colour charts? So stone blue on the walls it will be.

The colour that Erica used in her living room is also a gorgeous bluey/grey. So desperate was I to get hold of a tester pot and so bad was the traffic that one morning last week I ran to our local John Lewis to get some, arriving at 8.58am and leaving shortly afterwards with said pot of Little Greene Paint Company Juniper Ash safely in my grasp. I also have plans for this colour...

What about the soft furnishings?

Well that, is where I think most of the colour will come in to play. And there are three things that I have in mind:

• A large footstool which is in a horrible fabric. The design is good but the fabric yuck. I think I chose it (and the rest of the suite) in desperation when I was pregnant with our third. This will be re-covered, quite possibly in a smallish animal/geometric print;

• The love seat that goes with said footstool. I'm planning on getting it re-covered in a fabric different to the footstool. The seat pad cushion, and back, may well be in a printed fabric whilst the rest of the chair may be plain, so that in years to come the cushions can be changed without too much expense;

• We have just had a new pale grey sofa, so this will get new cushions - again in a fabric different to the footstool and love seat, and possibly different from one another.

And this is the type of thing that I have in mind

You cannot imagine the amount of fabric sample books that I have been through in the last week - Harlequin, Romo, Scion, Designer's Guild, Villa Nova, Osborne & Little and still I'm not entirely sure that I have found exactly what I'm after (how much of my mother's daughter am I? I think she was the only person in the world wanting an almond coloured, left handed opening, fridge freezer.)

These are the requirements: It needs to be bright, not too floral in nature or if so, modern floral as opposed to traditional floral. Graphics, spots, stripes or palm leaves are also good. I prefer a whiteish background as opposed to a mucky coloured one and I would like lots of blue in it. Oh and it need to work with, but not go with, this Designer's Guild wallpaper in the unit which was up-cycled in the summer. 

 

 Both of these prints are by Harlequin and are contenders. Or they were. I'm not so sure now...

This is the above print, shown made up on a sofa. And that's the thing isn't it? Fabrics always look so different when made up, that it can be easy to reject something that could be perfect.

But I'm a big fan of the Miami range from Designer's Guild. The fabrics are bright and fresh, pretty different to what else is out there and they all work together in a non-co-ordinated kind of way and across the colour spectrum.

And the one that I like the most...they have, of course, stopped making it in this colour way.  But I have several samples of prints on their way from various different companies, so I'll see where we are by the middle of the week.

So, despite all those musings what have I actually achieved so far? Hmmm, well that would be the purchase of this John Lewis painted lacquer tray (£30) because the colour is perfect and the lacquer gives it a lovely finish. 

And this Nicola Metcalfe London Skyline print from John Lewis (£55) - the colours of which are fab and it reminds me, in a painful kind of way, of running the London Marathon this year. 

Mr SG went to the motorbike show yesterday. "Can I buy whatever I like?" he said. "Of course darling" I replied "As long as I can be in charge of decorating the living room." He didn't buy a new motor bike. The living room will get decorated.

Winter white at its best from Me & Em

[Styling the Me & Em cable weekend jumper for a Saturday shopping trip with jeans, Topshop fringe loafer boots and a sleeveless coat.]

Recently I've been lucky enough to work with the wonderful brand that is Me & Em. Many of you will be familiar with Me & Em already but for those who aren't, Me & Em started out as an online brand in 2009. I used to pore through their catalogues both religiously and longingly!

Recently Me & Em have gone from strength to strength and they now have a store in Connaught Street in London and also a pop up store in Belgravia.  Clare Hornby, Me and Em's founder and Creative Director, seeks to offer "high quality affordable clothes that are contemporary, flattering and classic."  Essentially she takes classic wardrobe items and tweaks them, making them stylish and relevant - and lovely to wear.     

In this post I'm featuring the cable weekend jumper from Me & Em (£149). You all know me by now - always running a little chilly and much as I would love to waft around in gorgeous silky tops, unless I can get a few layers underneath them they're just not going to work for me. But I've always loved a cable knit jumper and I have been on the look-out for the perfect one for a number of winters now, rejecting many along the way. I have an old one from Warehouse but it's a bit "porridge" in colour where as this is a lovely warm, creamy, soft white, which works much better for me. It also comes in grey marl and antique blush

I love the chunky neckline on this jumper, together with the way that it falls - plus it's incredibly warm. But don't be fooled by its chunkiness and casual nature, with some heels and sparkly socks, this gorgeous jumper could easily be worn in the evening.

If you're looking for an item that doesn't cost much but that will transform lots of you shoes and outfits in an instant, look no further than the glitter double lace ankle socks from Topshop (£3.50). I love them and will be heading back for more!

Same outfit but with different socks and shoes. These socks are also from Topshop...

...and the shoes are Carvela. They are many years old now but they are surprisingly comfortable and I really love their vintage styling.

And then for somewhere in between the "I'm going shopping" look and the "I'm wearing heels" look, I've put the jumper with my favourite pleated skirt which gets an outing at least once a week. I love the juxtaposition between a chunky jumper and a silky skirt and it's hugely versatile. Wear with boots, or heels, or sparkly socks and heels - it's a go anywhere combo.

And here's a shot of the jumper from the back too - because it's always good to check your view from the rear!

This post was written in conjunction with Me & Em but all words and views are my own and I can honestly say that I've hardly taken this jumper off since I received it (which you may, or may not, want to know!)

The benefits of NEVER standing on the bathroom scales...

Well, one obvious benefit of not standing on the bathroom scales is that you don't know what you weigh - but that's not really what I mean. What I'm talking about are the psychological benefits. 

So where am I coming from?

I never was a big one for standing on the scales but about eighteen months ago now I took the decision not to get on them again. This came about after looking more into clean eating, taking up a new exercise regime and concluding that the whole process of just getting the scales out and standing on them was a monumental waste of time and not something that I particularly enjoyed. Really it was a bad habit with no real purpose. And before anyone asks, no, I don't have one of those metabolisms that whizzes around like an electric meter, so there was the distinct danger that my approach was a risky one and that in no time at all my clothes wouldn't fit. 

Some women view weighing themselves as a safety blanket - something that will stop them from putting on weight. I see the scales more as a ball and chain around a woman's neck; the reading being a big stick with which to beat themselves.

And then when I thought about it (and did a little survey amongst friends) I concluded that when women get on the scales one of two things seem to happen:

• We realise that we've lost a bit of weight (joy) but then the gremlins come into play and we self sabotage what is seen as a benefit by having "treats" and the next time we get on the scales we're back where we were before the weight loss (despair);

• We're heavier than we would like to be (despair) and then time is spent worrying about it and trying to lose that extra (in all likelihood) non-existent weight (double despair) only to get on the scales and start the whole process again. 

So whichever way you look at it, getting on the scales is not a particularly positive experience.*

What happens when you don't get on the scales?

In one sense, nothing really happens when you don't get on the scales. Unless you take it as carte blanche to eat what you want and not move anymore and then you'll soon notice a big change. 

But in another sense so many things happen. First, you take more responsibility for what you put into your body and you learn to trust yourself and your instincts - eating when you're hungry and stopping when you're full because no longer is that "safety blanket"of the scale reading available to you to tell you how you're doing (or not doing, as the case may be.)

Secondly, there is no longer a psychological battle. It's about accepting that yes, at some points in the month/year you may feel slightly heavier but then at other points you will be lighter. And that's probably how it's meant to be. I'm not convinced that we're meant to weigh exactly the same all year round but as long as you end up pretty much where you started off, that's all good. There is no nagging voice, no guilt, no shame, no sense of failure. 

Thirdly, if you do feel a bit heavier, it's more a case of "Oh, that will sort itself out over the next two or three weeks if I just make a few tweaks here and there" rather than doing anything crazy to get back to a "magic" number in record time and feeling stressed when it fails. And that goes back to trusting yourself - in time it will come off as long as you're sensible, which it's much easier to be without a big stick to beat yourself with. 

It's also about listening to your body more. On a days that you don't move as much you eat less - because you just don't need the extra energy. Conversely it's about re-fuelling properly on the days that you have used more energy. It's not rocket science but it seems to have been lost somewhere along the way.

And I think that the best thing that I can tell you is that never getting on the scales is liberating. I actually don't give a monkeys about what the scales say. I'm far more interested in how I feel and how my clothes feel. At the end of the summer I think that I was a bit heavier than usual but now I'm a bit lighter than usual. But that's not down to any pressure from anywhere - particularly a needle on a weighing scale and it's corresponding number - it just is what it is and that's healthy.

So for anyone thinking of ditching the scales, I would say go for it. It may take a few weeks to break the habit and to adjust your eating habits and patterns but trust yourself - I think that it can work. 

I'm sure that people will have their own views on this and I would love to know what you think!

*Everyone is different and these are only my own musings and those of a small group of women I've spoken to. For those following medical advice, or who are on a weight loss programme, measuring progress by weekly weigh ins is probably crucial to their health. And I'm sure that I read recently that weighing yourself every day is a good thing....(but I remain unconvinced). 

7 reasons to buy this top....

I spend a lot of time in the shops and occasionally I come across a particular piece of clothing that will work so well for a shape that I feel compelled to share it...and this is one such top.

If you've got boobs of a certain size and above, you will know only too well the problem of trying to buy tops which are flattering. The reasons for this are because:

• The most flattering style tops are often not the most stylish, or the most up to date;
• The majority of tops have a round neck, or a high neck and whilst they can be OK, they're not the best necklines;
• Buttons are the enemy of busty girls. They gape, which means there's a choice between flashing what you don't want to flash to people you don't want to flash it to, or going up a size. Going a size up adds extra fabric, which isn't always flattering;
• Lots of tops are really wide, sometimes with bat wing sleeves. These are also the enemy of the busty girl - especially when combined with a high neck. Then it looks as if boobs are coming from all directions;
• Huge prints and bright colours can draw attention to where it isn't necessarily required - not that ladies with a bigger bust should hide themselves in a corner but you know, sometimes women just want to be quietly elegant, emphasising their assets without shouting about them;

So when I spotted this spot print tie neck blouse from Warehouse (£39) I thought that it deserved a little post of its own. This is why, in my view, it's such a winner:

• It has that elusive but oh so sought after V-neck. Bigger busted women rejoice!
• It doesn't have buttons. Big tick!
• The black background is flattering;
• The small print keeps the eye on the move, so there's no lingering gaze where it may not be wanted;
• The tie neck makes it not only flattering but stylish and trendy too. Double tick! And the tie can be tied at different lengths which will not only give different looks but it can also make the top more flattering;
• The wide fluted sleeves create an area of interest away from the torso;
• The floaty but non-see through fabric won't add bulk.

That aside, it's just a great top to own. A little bit rock chick, a little bit 1970's, dress it a million ways for the Christmas season without screaming "Christmas"!

The return of the bar trolley....

For some reason, I've got it into my head that a bar trolley is an essential item of furniture for our living room - which is a bit odd given that neither I, nor Mr SG, really drink. But there's something about the nostalgia of a bygone era and all the paraphernalia that goes with mixing a drink, from beautiful glasses, to the stirrers, the cocktail shakers and the shape of the bottles themselves that is really appealing. Plus our house was built in 1927 so it kind of fits with the era.

For now I've created my own little drinks area, stretched across two units. The first unit was a big heavy kitchen unit which was given a new lease of life in the summer and which you can read all about here. Behind its glass doors it displays these bits and bobs...

Gin bottles. The reason that we have lots of bottles of gin is because my Dad lives in Guernsey and every time he comes to visit, he brings us another bottle of gin (duty free). I love the bottles. Thinking about it, the fact that we have two teenagers in the house could well mean that they have been emptied, re-filled with water and I would never know. I must give them a sniff sometime.

The ice bucket was a present from my aunt from a jumble sale and I just decided to fill the cocktail glass with small baubles that we had, as a nod to the bubbles it doesn't see in real life.

Fizz glasses!

The second unit is a new acquisition from a local shop, Cherry Tree Interiors which is one of my favourite local shops for a browse. This photo wasn't taken for the purpose of the blog - had it been I may have tried (but probably failed) to make it look a bit better. But at least it gives an idea. 

Because of the direction of the light in this room, the photos always will be a bit pants but you can see this collection of knick-knacks - a silver apple (a find from my Mum in a charity shop), a light up flamingo, a pineapple candle holder from Laura Ashley and a Kate Spade glass similar here. 

And at the other end of the sideboard, there's a combination of a succulent, a pear candle (also from Laura Ashley) a pineapple candlestick and a copper pot, which is waiting for the one and only item that I'm going to allow myself to buy when I go into town tomorrow...

But if we are going to go down the full on trolley route, I think it's a little way off yet. First I have to persuade Mr SG that painting the entire room dark blue is a good idea. He seems to think that we should sort the kitchen and bathroom out first and whilst I agree on the one hand, on the other hand the living room is nearly there (apart from the footstool and a chair being covered, plus some new cushions).  That's nearly there right? Oh, and it being decorated a darker shade of pale.

But that little matter of delicate negotiations aside, these trolleys have made it onto my hit list...

Rockett St George round brass and marble drinks trolley (£340)

Swoon edina drinks trolley (£349)

John Lewis west elm bar cart (£296)

I was looking at another brand earlier which had a great selection but I can't for the life of me remember its name now. So I decided to post this post anyway. It was either that or wait for 3 weeks to go by before I got around to hunting for it again. But anyway, you get the gist.

So until such time as the walls are (or aren't) painted/papered blue, or the bathroom/kitchen are/aren't finished, I will be going to John Lewis to get these flamingo forks (stirrers in my eyes - £5) for my make shift drinks cabinet/trolley. And I know that they will make for a very happy Friday!