Pearls of wisdom

It was earlier this year that I first noticed that pearls were adorning (nearly) everything in Zara and I was going to write about them then. But I thought that the trend might just be a one minute wonder. How wrong was I? Now they are all over everything. Literally, everything. Whether it's a slogan T, a striped or checked top, jeans, a parka, shoes, bags, jumpsuits, jumpers, skirts, blouses - wherever you turn in Zara you come face to face with a pearl (or two). So here's just a snapshot of the 169 - I kid you not - pearl pieces in Zara Woman.

First of there's a hooded pearl sweatshirt (£39.99) - I love the juxtaposition of the relaxed hooded sweatshirt shape, with something that we associate more closely with the Queen.

Then there's a sweater with pearly cuffs (£19.99) which also comes in black, navy, grey and mustard. This is a really easy way to tap into the trend without making a huge financial commitment to it. 

For anyone who is looking to make a jeans update for the winter, the mid rise jeans with pearl beads (£29.99) could be just the thing. 

...or for work, or at the weekend with jeans (probably not pearl ones though!) how about a navy shirt with pearls on the shoulder (£25.99)?

There's also a slogan t-shirt with pearls (£15.99)

And I'm quite a fan of this long pearly cardigan (£69.99) which is both practical and stylish. Is it all right if I ignore the rest of the outfit - which will no doubt become uber cool very soon but which for now, I think, is pretty terrible. 

Or how about a pearly hat (£9.99)? Great for the colder winter mornings with a parka or a smarter work coat. 

I also think that the turn ups on these skinny mid rise jeans (£29.99) are rather cool....

For something a little smarter, there's this jumpsuit with pearls (£69.99) which I think would look great with a striped top underneath, or a white shirt. 

For a little jacket, there's the pearly jacket (£29.99) - which looks a little more like a cardigan to me but there we go. It also comes in grey and is quite a neat fitted look as an alternative to the oversized baggy look in the winter.

I've seen other pearled items in M&S but so far they don't seem to have spread much further than that - unless anyone wants to tell me otherwise!

A few dress gems from LK Bennett

It's a while since I've taken a good look around LK Bennett as our store isn't in the City Centre. However I was in the Mailbox today having my haircut, and where LK Bennett happens to be, so I thought that I would go for a little look around.

Apologies for the selfie - really I should have asked one of the girls in the shop to take a photo for me but I always feel a bit self conscious having my photo taken - unless it's one of the children doing it and then it's just my way of annoying them - so then I don't mind.

This is the Dakota Animal Print Dress (£225) which was really lovely to wear. This dress is a great style in so far as it has sleeves, it falls at a good length, the print is fresh and modern and the best bit?.....

.....the waist ties, which can be done up as tightly as you like - or not at all, which is great for those days when you're feeling less than svelte or for when you fancy ringing the changes with the style. 

I love the neutral print too which is just so easy to wear and, as each year, leopard style prints are huge so it's not going to date. The sleeves also have a little nod to the 70s so they're not going to date either. I love it with boots but it would be great with caged heels or with smarter shoes for work. Or you know me....with trainers too.

The Celeste blue leopard dress from LK Bennett (£250) is also a real gem. I'm like my Mum and I don't like collars on dresses so much but I love them on other people. And for the right dress I can always be persuaded!

And although the Roe black printed silk dress LK Bennett (£425) is not really your every day dress price wise, the reviews are really good and for a special occasion, or if you're deserving of a treat (aren't we all, always?!) or if you know that you're going to wear it to death, this could be worth taking a closer look at. 

I think that there may well be a discount voucher lurking somewhere so let's see what we can find shall we? And if you haven't had a chance to suss out the new season at LK Bennett yet, now may well be a good time to take a look, especially if you feel in need of a snazzy new dress.  

September, I'm coming for you!

September can be a funny month. The start of a new term, children moving onwards and upwards, a chill in the air meaning that autumn is on its way and most of all, change. I've concluded that humans don't like change very much.

Don't make me go home!

During our last few days in Guernsey I was sort of dreading the return home, to life and a daily routine. And then I re-visited the "roundabout" as per my earlier post and I decided that either September could rule me, or I could get my schizzle together and tackle it head on. So before I left Guernsey I started to get my act together and I sent just one or two emails of things that I knew needed doing around the house, just to get the ball rolling. Little steps and all that.

So in no particular order these are things that I'm going to tackle and this is what I have in mind to do - a list of New (school) Year Resolutions - if you like.

Stuff around the house:

I've contacted a local handy man. The tap in our downstairs loo needs fixing, plus I have pictures to go up. I'd like to re-grout the bathroom floor and buy a new blind for the bathroom too. Even knowing that those things are in hand have made me feel better.

The girls have both tidied their bedrooms and the car is full of stuff for the charity shops. I've been through my wardrobe and sorted my clothes out, meaning that I now have a better idea of what I have and what I'd like to add. That too is a weight lifted.

There's a chair I'd like re-covering, and I'd like to replace the blind in the spare room as well as get a new sheepskin rug for it - so those things are now in hand. 

I've booked the decorator to come at the end of October to paint one of the bedrooms and also the bathroom. We've been in this house for nearly 13 years now and neither room has been decorated since we arrived. How bad is that?!

So that's it for the house for now, other than needing a new desk chair. It's GCSE year for our son and he will be sitting at his desk a lot. Oh yes, he will! 

Stuff to do for me:

Get a hair cut. I purposefully haven't had my hair cut for ages but now is the time to go for the chop. That will make me feel a whole lot better. 

Think about having a spot of botox. I've never really seriously contemplated it before now but I might just investigate it. It may not go any further than that but there's no harm in looking. 

Get back to eating 3 proper meals a day rather than summer type food. I love home made soups and stews and with the marathon coming up, I need to keep on top of my nutrition game even more. 

Plan my winter wardrobe - but that's worthy of a blog post in its own right!

Back from holiday and contemplating the jobs (and washing!) to be done

Stuff to do for work:

Say "yes" to more things that I'm invited to do. Historically I've felt that every minute of my working day should be accounted for - it stems from having time sheets as a lawyer. But I need to get out and have more fun at events, socials, networking and just in general.

Manage my work streams better. Being freelance I have lots of different "arms" to my work from personal styling, to fashion and commercial styling, TV work, blogging, working with brands and running style events. I'm never quite sure that I'm top of all of them at all times.  Any tips would be gratefully received! 

Get on top of my social media. My profile pics need updating, my Pinterest link doesn't work on my blog and there are a million and other one little things that need attending to. 

Get back in the shops pronto so I that I can fully suss out the new season's collections in preparation for all the personal shopping I have coming up. 

Sort out all my paperwork and maybe do my tax return before the end of October, rather than waiting until the end of January. 

First day back at work - judging the Midlands Media Awards. Excuse the knackered plant pots. I'm going to go and move them RIGHT NOW! 

Stuff to do for the children:

With Flo heading off to University, there are a lot of things that I need to do with her. We need to shop for bits and bobs, get her meningitis C vaccination organised and I need to help her with her bank accounts and finances. 

So that's my list of tasks for the month ahead. Does anyone else have anything that they want to add? Is there anything that you routinely do in September? (Please don't mention Christmas!!!) and which makes you feel a whole lot better. Oh but of course I forgot the most important thing. September traditionally means new school shoes....so a new pair of shoes must feature in there somewhere! 

Can you see my bunions in these?

Sock boots - the boot style of the season....

"A pointed toe!" I hear you cry. "A kitten heel?" I hear you ask in astonishment. And fabric - what's going on? Have we stepped right back into the 1980s? Well these are where it's at right now. You need look no further for your winter boot inspiration than the Zara fabric high heel ankle boot (£59.99) - or a variation thereof - of which there will be many. Although whether "Winter" is the right term or not I'm not quite sure. Let's go for a fancy "trans-seasonal" term instead shall we? Because really, I'm not so sure how these would fare in the rain.

I, on the other hand, potentially need to look a lot further than these boots. Because the question on my lips is this? "Will you be able to see bunions through the fabric - and will the boots stop, just where my varicose veins start?"  (Neither of which are a good look.)

These and other serious life questions will be answered.....hopefully by someone else.

A Pop Up comes to Birmingham!

For a long time now I've wanted to do something at home, with brands that I love. And now, it's finally going to happen! I'm holding a "Pop Up Shop" on Friday 15th September between 11am and 3pm. I would really like to make it a huge success for the brands involved, many of whom are travelling a long way to come (not that I'm feeling the pressure or anything!) so if you would like to drop in, or come for the day, please just let me know and I'll let you have my address. It might even give me the impetus to get the tap in the downstairs loo fixed.

Hmmm. Not really a way to welcome your guests now is it? [image from Gallery hip.com]

I love working with niche brands and supporting other women (and men) in business.  Over the years  my styling and blogging work has enabled me to meet lots of wonderful people who have set up their own businesses. And whilst of course I love our High Street, I love smaller brands even more. The brands who are coming along reflect my love of shoes, interiors, furniture, jewellery and gifts so hopefully there will be something for everyone. Here's a bit of inside info as to who is coming along...

Claire from Air & Grace London who make THE most comfortable shoes I have ever come across. Plus Claire designs her shoes with leopard print, metallics, glitter, pom poms, frills and flouro. Claire has well and truly found her niche with Air & Grace, so if you fancy trying on a pair of shoes which make you feel like you're walking on air, you know where to come.

Then there's Avie & Oak which is run by a husband and wife team, Nat and Joe, who together make the most beautiful Scandanavian inspired furniture, which can also be bespoke.

Or there's this beautiful bench for the children.

Nat also runs another business, the Norm where she designs prints, greeting cards and products that make you smile. Many are inspirational and motivational. I particularly like this one....because we're all Superwomen aren't we?!

I love this card of Nat's too...

I'm really hoping that the weather holds so that Anna, from Anna Cox Cushions can adorn our garden and outside space with these stunningly beautiful cushions which are handmade in Morocco...

I bought a few of Anna's cushions earlier in the summer and I LOVE them. Great for a treat for yourself, or for a room that needs a new lease of life - or indeed a new room.

Oh and girls there's going to be lots of brightly coloured things in our house on September 15th - how could there not be, with the inclusion of neon beach club?

Again we're talking tassels, pom poms, sequins, neon, stars, pineapples, flamingos....

...and maybe even a little bit of cashmere from Cove Cashmere, another favourite brand of mine which is stocked by Neon Beach Club.

And as Birmingham is famous for its Jewellery Quarter, what better brand to invite along than Gemma from House of Solus, which is located in the heart of our wonderful Jewellery Quarter.

Gemma designs beautiful, individual pieces, such as wedding rings and engagement rings. She also restores pieces which are in need of a little TLC and she makes really modern, edgy pieces which can be personalised and which are really well priced. I have two of Gemma's pendants which I wear on rotation, they are so gorgeous.

If I know you're coming I might bake a cake...or two (but don't let me make your coffee or tea - I'm hopeless at those.) And if you're struggling for childcare, I'm sure that we can squeeze the odd baby or two in.  Oh and don't be put off by the location - we're quite nice in Birmingham and you really don't need a passport to come up from the south. It's less than an hour and a half from Euston and train tickets can be very reasonable :)

Matching your ear-rings to your jumper....

The colour yellow really deserves a post of its own but for now it's all about the yellow ear-rings. I headed into town today to try and find some yellow earrings but other than some humungous ones at Topshop (which I've featured on my insta stories for no other reason than the fact I look ridiculous in them) there wasn't a pair in sight. But then....

Well then I did what I should have done in the first instance, which was to look to a smaller brand which I know and love. So I did and there I found these yellow tassel gold hoop ear-rings from Alice's Wonders (£6)

I was after the earrings specifically to go with this lightning bolt jumper from Hush (£85) which I've sort of fallen for.

And then when I was on Alice's Wonders I saw these grey and black tassel ear-rings (Alice's Wonders £6) which I thought would be perfect for those days when I didn't fancy wearing yellow earrings with the jumper but for when I liked the idea of grey ones instead. 

I love Alice's Wonders for jewellery. Cathy has a great range of fun, inexpensive pieces which just add those finishing touches to your outfit. Do nip over and take a look here if you have a mo. 

The Slip Dress Recipe for Success...

I've realised that the one dress that I reach for time and time again when I want to wear a dress but don't want to be "dressy" - is a slip dress. Each time I wear mine I get lots of people asking me where it's from so I thought that the slip dress deserved a post of its own. 

The great thing about slip dresses is that they can be worn all year round - as ever, winter florals will be huge again.  If it's exceptionally hot (hmmm) they're great on their own. If it's a bit chillier, wear a T-shirt underneath and when the winter arrives, go for the full on black ribbed turtle neck for added warmth and a chunky cardi over the top. Some are slimmer fitting than others but in general the shape of them is good because they have a neat silhouette without clinging. The fabric can play a part in whether they work or not too - so try a few on and see where you get to. 

The ones below are largely from & Other Stories and H&M but I've also linked to M&S for anyone who wants to take a good look at what's out there now. 

Lace Slip Dress (£69) Other Stories

Lace Trimmed Slip dress (£69) Other Stories

Leaf print dress (£59) Other Stories

Gilded pleat dress (£59) Other Stories

H&M  slip dress (£9.99)

H&M pale blue slip dress (£7.99)

As an alternative, if the idea of a slip dress "top" appeals but not the bottom half of the dress, the Jigsaw cami (£29) comes in 12 colours and looks great with a simple crew neck T underneath.

If you're a regular slip dress wearer, I would love to hear how you style yours. Or if you've not gone there before, could you be tempted?! Have a lovely start to the week. Beth x

Pleated skirts - my pick of the pack

Today I had a little wardrobe sort out. True, it was interrupted by the chap from Virgin who came to fix the phone as we couldn't make outgoing calls. As it transpired the phone wasn't actually broken. It was just that a call bar had been put on it due to overuse by someone in the family. We'll say no more about that but suffice to say that there is currently a rather large pile of clothes in the centre of our bedroom floor.

I was categorising each item into one of three categories. First, there was "couldn't live without" (arguably a little dramatic I know, but there you go). Secondly there was "don't love but don't want to part with" and thirdly there was "on its way out".

Without a shadow of a doubt my Topshop pleated skirt fell into the "couldn't live without" category. Arguably it needs to fall into the wash bin category as I'm not quite sure when I last washed it. If ever. What an admission. Have you seen how many times I've worn that skirt? Anyway, moving swiftly on.

Why do I love a pleated skirt? Well the silhouette is neat but there's still plenty of room in the skirt for a big stride - I guess that's pleats for you. They are swishy and feminine but work  with trainers (I know, I'm off again) and a leather jacket as well as with a silk blouse, blazer and heels. They wash and dry really well (ignore that. How would I know?) and they have been here for a while so they are a good investment.  Despite what people say, I believe that there's a pleated skirt for everyone.

These are some that I've found recently on my travels...

This red dot pleated skirt from Stories (£59) also comes in navy with white spots. It has buttons down the front and is a slightly shorter length than some that are around. It's quite fresh and spring like but I think we're going to see a lot of dots going into the winter and even if not, who cares? If you love dots wear them all year round!

This black pleated skirt from Stories (£55) also comes in light blue as well as a floral print. It's a good starting point for anyone who doesn't want to stand out from the crowd too much. The darker colour is good for slimming the bottom half and then you can have loads of fun on the top half with print and colour. 

Now in the run up to Christmas, a metallic pleated skirt is a great option. I had one from H&M last year which I wore on into spring and summer with a t-shirt and denim shirt. Again, this one is from Stories (£45). I like how the skirt is styled with a longer line jumper in this image. If the proportions feel a little off with flat shoes, a boot with a bit of a heel will help to redress that. 

Oooh and probably my favourite - the emerald Stories skirt (£69). It's a bit mermaid like really - metallic and green with a richness about it which is just gorgeous! 

Then for an every day cool skirt with a bit of an edge and touch of slouch, there's the Me & Em long jersey pleated skirt (£79). Some may find the jersey takes away from the girliness of a silky pleated skirt - making it more accessible for daily wear. The length is great too - layer those leggings underneath it when its chilly. And it has a lovely wide waistband too for extra comfort. I'm really tempted to try this one.

And finally, for something pink and frou frou, there's the Baltic pleated skirt from Finery (£89). There are quite a few pieces from Finery that are currently on a waiting list and I think that if the fashion pack pick this one up and run with it, it too will sell out quickly. Either that, or it will be heavily discounted in the sale at the end of the season.

I'm hoping to come across a velvet pleated skirt soon. H&M, Jigsaw and Topshop don't have anything right now but I don't think that it will be long before we see them appearing. And Whistles have these metallic options which might be of interest. 

So, there's my pleated skirt round up. Do many of you own one and if so how do you style it. And for those who haven't gone there so far, are any of you now tempted? 

The Magic Roundabout - a metaphor for solving a problem

When my friend came up with a brilliant way of thinking through a problem, I asked her if she would put her thoughts in writing so that I could share them with you all. It's a fantastic way of approaching whatever life throws at us. The ability to visualise what she's talking about really helps to. So, over to Libby....

"I have a particular friend who I absolutely love to bits.   We share life together, raise children together and pound for miles along streets, canal towpaths and even motorway verges training for some bonkers race or running event which will knacker our knees and mean our Achilles will never be the same again. 

I love her for lots of reasons.   One of the best things about her is where she "comes off the roundabout!"  Back up I hear you cry; loving your friends and sharing life with them, all good, but what’s all this talk of roundabouts? Let me explain. 

I get stuck with a problem.  These problems can be small or large; dealing with teenagers, navigating a mid life crisis (that’s mine and not my husband’s – why should we miss out?), dealing with loss and bereavement or processing a health scare.  I will mention this to my friend, she will muse on the problem and then often come out with a totally different view point and perspective on my situation.  It’s like we’ve come to the same roundabout, I have taken the first turning on the left but she has stayed on the roundabout and come off at the third exit.  Same problem, same roundabout, different exit, different perspectives, new solution!  It is so very liberating! 

Now when I have a problem I like to go back to my roundabout and think myself off at a different exit and a different solution.  The analogies are many and varied; staying on the roundabout until you find an exit you can handle, going down an exit you’d rather not go down but, because of circumstances, you have to go there and learn to enjoy the view anyway, they are endless.  The message remains the same; if the solution you find for a problem doesn’t sit right, it’s rarely irreversible.  Go back to the magic roundabout and find a new exit."