Swapping skinnies jeans for a flared pair...

 

Today just felt like the kind of day for a flared jean and some heels. I bought the jeans from Jaeger Boutique in the sale a couple of summers ago. They are high waisted and very supportive - in fact I used not to be able to wear them as they made me feel faint, which wasn't really very good at all. They are OK now though and having done a long run today, I felt the need for clothing which would hold me upright and which would prevent me from collapsing like a jelly on the floor. They did the trick up until 7.45pm and then I gave up on clothes in favour of my Onesie.

Being of the chilly persuasion, I also wore a Cos chunky roll neck and my Primark fur gilet which is great for the school run and nipping in and out of the car. I find that if my torso is warm, I can cope without wearing sleeves and the lack of fuss and flapping of a longer coat is always welcome!

These red patent Kurt Geiger shoes, which were also a sale purchase a while ago now, made a nice change to boots and their chunky heel works with a flared jean, more so than a thinner, more delicate heel - especially in the day time.

As much as skinny jeans have a big role to play in my life, some days only a flared jean will do and there's no denying that their shape definitely makes you feel more elegant and elongated. I suspect that over the next few seasons we're going to see more of them making an appearance so get ready for them....the bootcuts will be back!

A little bit of subtle tartan in a Burberry scarf - and a Topshop alternative

For today's post I was going to show you the outfit that I have been wearing for the past two days but then I decided that "tax-return chic" was not a look that should be shared with anyone, anywhere, ever.  It will be heading into its third day tomorrow and then I will finally see the back of it - the outfit and the tax return that is. Hopefully.

Instead I'm sharing an outfit from late last week. I was given this Burberry scarf by my husband for Christmas a few years ago now. It is lovely and soft, with pretty muted colours in it, which work well with this Hobbs blazer that I have managed to get much more wear out of this year than last. I've also got my eye on this Topshop tartan scarf (£18), which comes in a few colour ways.  BUT ONLY WHEN I HAVE FINISHED THE TAX RETURN (just to remind myself.)

I also thought that this was a nice cheery picture to share on a January night.  When Mr SG said that he liked the idea of a new tea pot for Christmas, I was expecting him to identify something sleek, shiny and Alessi like - but what he had in mind was this Cath Kidston teapot. I've been trying for the last 19 years to break the bright green one that I bought at the same time as my first house but it's still going strong. I give this one - the one that we all actually like - a month!

And I know that this makes me really sad but I am ridiculously excited about these new side tables from Ben de Lisi at Debenhams. You know when you just see something that catches your eye and you keep going back to have a look? Well that's what happened with these. They're in the corner of the kitchen with two armchairs and my favourite cushion made for my birthday by my school friend who blogs over at Lottie's Interiors. She has just moved house with her family and is in the process of giving it a major overhaul which includes knocking down walls. I know that she will work wonders with it so it's definitely worth nipping over and taking a look at her progress - something I hope to do really soon in real life.

Wishing you all a very happy start to the week. The nights are definitely getting lighter. Yippee!

Baukjen 2014 Spring Collection - First look!

When the new collections start appearing online and in the stores, sad as it may be, I must admit to getting a bit of a thrill. It's the promise that they hold - of the spring, of new beginnings and of how (we imagine) those amazing one or two new pieces might revolutionise our lives! With that in mind, and having been asked by the lovely peeps at Baukjen, I thought that I would give you a first look at their spring collection, which will arrive in February. (Please just ignore the links to pieces that aren't from Baukjen. Those sneaky little gremlins refuse to switch themselves off!)

 

Many of you will be familiar with Baukjen and the effortless pared back look that it offers. Baukjen designs with the modern woman in mind, with its aim being to take women from day to night and from work to play, with chic pieces for all occasions. (Sounds like I could do with a bit of them in my life!) 

 

This season, the collection focuses upon a relaxed pared back feel – mixing a clean silhouette with textured fabrics and beautiful layers of colour. It's minimal, only slightly more refined.  The soft colour palette of dusted blues and touches of metallic, with splashes of colour and abstract prints, reflect the mood of the collection. 

 

So, here are five style essentials to whet your appetite in preparation for the full collection - a white shirt, a leather jacket, a grey marl top, a grey marl dress and of course the ubiquitous boyfriend jeans (£95).  What a great place to start. More will be revealed in due course!

 

The Coco shirt £99

 

Ravenna Leather Jacket in Sand £389

Napoli Top £49

Napoli Tunic Dress £69

 

The tale of the TV and the new Kate Spade bag

For Christmas this year, Santa was quite good to my husband and he arranged for a Curry's van to deliver an oblong shaped item with lots of channels on it.

The problem was that it arrived 2 days before Christmas, which put Mr SG into a spin and which finally led him to the conclusion that he needed to do some emergency Christmas present shopping for me. So, armed with the eldest for inspiration, on Christmas Eve he braved the City Centre to see what he could find.

Now, as luck would have it, a couple of days earlier I had been admiring my friend's new Kate Spade bag. The eldest was with me at the time and clocked everything about it, so she led Mr SG straight to the handbag department in Selfridges and, when there wasn't one on display, she described what she was after and lo and behold a brand new one was produced from the stock room. That's my girl!

So this is what he came back with, the rather lovely Kate Spade cross body in empire grey.

I didn't want my husband to buy anything else for me, that wasn't the point of the gift to him at all*. No, the whole point of the gift to him was to redress the balance as throughout the year I definitely have many more treats than him. Having said that, I did take slight joy in the fact that once, just for once, he was speechless.

*Although inadvertently, I may have discovered a new trick for the future for securing something that one has been coveting!

A favourite French Connection printed skirt

I can't believe that it's Friday all ready. It's all been a bit of a whirl - one child back to school on Monday, one on Tuesday, one on Wednesday - one had a birthday on Wednesday, sorting out a new phone yesterday evening (amazingly it worked, so far!) and here we are.

I can't even remember which day that it was that I decided to wear this French Connection printed skirt with this very warm, but quite short, jumper from Other Stories which I can only really wear with skirts or very high-waisted trousers. But at least it gets me in to a skirt on a cold day!

Hope that you have all had a great week - getting back to normal after Christmas, reading the new editions of the magazines for ideas for your spring wardrobe or even better, sales shopping!

Some transitional pieces to see you through the next few months...

For the first time since the New Year, today I was back in the shops, shopping for an event which is on Saturday. There were some great sale pieces which I picked up, so I'll try and share those with you in day or so.

I've also taken a look online finding some new, and some sale, pieces that appealed. These are things that could be worn now and which will also go through into the spring - so nothing too dark (other than the black dress I have included!) and nothing too heavy - but rather things that can be integrated into a wardrobe pretty easily.

Still on the theme of sweatshirts which, for their warmth, I prefer to fine knit jumpers, there's this Floral jacquard sweatshirt from J Crew (£148). Quite often I will spot the things that I like and then file them away in my brain, waiting until I find a similar, but less expensive, alternative - so I'll let you know if that happens! Being a girl who has lots of navy in her wardrobe, something like this would slot in quite easily.

I love the vibrant colours on this Paisley silk T, also from J Crew (£98) which I filed in my brain only for a day or two before I came across...

...this alternative in Zara (£22.99). Granted the colours aren't as vibrant but neither are they as pale as the picture shows. Clearly the Zara one won't be silk either but it will do the same job as the J.Crew one and for a quarter of the price, it's definitely worth thinking about.

Predictably this Fluoro pink bag by Zatchels at Atterley Road (reduced from £60 to £29) also caught my eye. It's the type of bag that would work well now against darker coats but also on into the spring and summer. Being a cross body bag it's a brilliant style and great price too.

I think that it's fair to say that these metallic heeled loafers from Jigsaw (£84 down from £169) are quite "Marmitish". I look at them from the perspective of them having a heel (good) which is sturdy (good) and not too high (good) all of which works for the hours that I spend walking around town. I wouldn't wear them with skirts or dresses - they are more of a trouser shoe - but I do like the fact that they are an alternative to boots come the spring, that they are metallic and that they were designed in conjunction with Patrick Cox -that loafer designing genius of the 90's!

As you know, I currently have my eye on bomber jackets and this one from All Saints (£91 down from £228) is a good starting point. The sleeves and trim are burgundy, rather than brown, but I'm waiting to see whether it gets reduced any further.

GAP has a few bombers which are new in and I'm waiting to see their floral one too, which I think might be a hit.

I liked this dress so much that there's one on its way to me. As you can see, the bodice on the Atle dress from All Saints (£68.50 down from £98) is quite fitted but the skirt is a jersey fabric so it's soft and not too structured. For anyone tempted, a word of warning - this style comes up tiny, so it's necessary to go up a size. I have an evening out coming up soon so I am hoping that this will do the trick. It can also be layered up for the winter and then on through into the spring and summer.

 

Finally, these shoes from Faith, reduced from £60 to £30 are a really good buy for anyone after a mid height leopard print court shoe. Oh, that would be me then!

For anyone heading into the sales - good luck. The stores are marking down again so now is the time to find some real bargains. If they don't have your size, don't be put off - ask about inter-store transfers, postal sales or get friends on the case for you. Where there's a will there's a way!

Let's take a peek at what Boden has to offer for s/s '14!

I was going to do a bit of a "whizz around the sales" post today but then the Boden catalogue dropped through the door and I decided to do a "whizz around what Boden has to offer" post instead.

In all honesty I haven't really paid the sales that much attention ALTHOUGH I did buy 18 walnut whips from M&S which were half price in the sale. Now that's what I call a result, although I'm not sure that they would make a very good outfit.

Despite the fact that we haven't really had any proper winter weather yet, in my head it's spring. The Christmas tree has been replaced with lilies, I have cleaned the kitchen top to bottom, bought new crisp white bed linen and in fact I'm about to open all of the windows. I fear that I may be brought back to reality with a bump when the snow appears.

The first thing that I look to do with my clothes when spring arrives (which clearly it hasn't - idiot) is to lighten up my boots, bag and coat.

So with that in mind I am looking to the Boho boot in gold (£119). However I would like to reassure you that these gold, sparkly looking, boots aren't really sparkly at all but instead they are a cracked leather. I have hovered over the online photo for a long time just to check. I like a gold boot to wear with the usual - jeans or jeans, or perhaps some cigarette trousers, some skinny trousers, or jeans - just for a change.

I love the design of this soft leather bowling bag (£139) and it comes in a variety of pretty colours. What else can I say about it? Short strap, long strap, front pocket, decent size. It works on lots of levels.

A white stripe on a navy background is a more forgiving way to wear a stripe than the other way around. The fact that the stripes are narrow also makes them easier to wear, so if you've previously been unsure about trying stripes, this Spring Trench (£129) could be worth a try. The returns policy is so good at Boden that it's always worth taking a punt on things, even if they don't end up working out and what says spring more than stripes?

Next I look to lighten my knitwear because, as you all know, I wear jumpers all year around. I like this Audrey jumper (£69) in yellow because of its 60's styling. As you may imagine, it too comes in a variety of colours so if you look at this and think "hmmm, not so sure about that one" the others may appeal instead.

I really like this Polperro jumper (£79) for when I'm sailing around the Med on our yacht drinking champagne. Oh, OK, you've got me. I'll actually be wearing it when I'm on the Brittany ferry with vomiting children going from Weymouth to Guernsey.

I love the style (sleeves/decent length) and colour of this Leila dress (£79) and the fact that because it is made of ponte, it will still have some warmth to it. It's one of those accessible/work horse type of dresses rather than a pretty, but useless, one that sits in the wardrobe. Style it with a statement necklace and a blazer for a smarter look or with converse or flat sandals when the weather is warmer. It depends where your waist is as to how well this dress fits (and as to where those babies have left their legacy in terms of a slight bump too!)

This Paddington dress in pink (£89) is a brilliant shift, with pretty detailing on the neckline. Easy to wear, you could play it safe with a darker colour but there's something lovely and cheery about the brighter colours.

I still wear a similar tunic that I had from Boden many years ago and it's great for the hot weather. It is long enough to be just about OK to wear out and about and it has enough shape and structure not to feel as though I'm wearing underwear. I love the print on this  Casual linen tunic (£69) which looks as though it should be worn in Sardinia, or Capri, or somewhere like that - but definitely not on a Brittany ferry, with vomiting children.

This year Boden has done their Chino short (£39) in two different lengths. I thought that it may be helpful for you to know about them as some prefer a longer length and knowing Boden, even the shorter ones should be long enough to stop anyone from getting arrested for crimes against fashion, or general, every day indecent exposure, type offences.

I have my eye on this soft marl sweatshirt (£45) to go with the above shorts. I'm imagining family games of rounders on the beach as the sun goes down - which we might just about manage. On a good day. Provided gin was involved.

I'm seeing these Cork platforms (£99) styled very casually with boyfriend jeans and a Breton top, or coloured skinny jeans - definitely not a low cut bodycon dress. Oooh, heavens no. That would not be a good look. Let's not go there.

Right, I'm off to open some more windows!

The 12 outfits of Christmas (and New Year) - The Whistles Camouflage Skirt (and preparing for a gathering)

 

I think I'm coming to the end of my 12 outfits of Christmas by now. This is probably about the 14th or 15th but hey, whose counting? I have had the Whistles camouflage skirt for a few months but haven't got around to wearing it until now. I really like the blues and pinks in it as, despite it being camouflage, they are really pretty. I bought this pale blue Topshop cropped jumper to go with it as the only other one that I had seen in the right colour was in Reiss and it was ridiculously expensive. The clutch is also Whistles, the tights are M&S Autograph and the shoes are the Lacey court by Carvela. I would include links but everything is pretty much out of stock now.

Mr ...

... has declared that we're not allowed to call tomorrow's get together a "party" but instead it is to be called a "gathering". I'm not quite sure of the reason for this, other than the fact that he was ambushed with the whole idea once the eldest and I had decided that there was going to be a "gathering" whether he liked the idea or not. (Actually he's secretly delighted because for once he won't be outnumbered by women but he just won't admit it.)

In typical husband/wife fashion, we have assumed our respective roles. Mr SG has been to the butcher to buy meat for the chilli - "for the boys" - and has used a Jamie recipe he's had his eye on for a while and which takes five and a half hours to cook.  He has also been to buy beer (and the rest of the alcohol in fairness). This is what I have done so far....

I know! Impressive huh?! But, whilst we're on the subject of being fair, in fairness to me I did also ask Mr SG to buy fizz for "the girls" AND I have made a huge slab of millionaires shortbread. What more does a party need apart from fizz and millionaires shortbread? Exactly! My contribution hasn't taken five and half hours - but it was a Nigella recipe - although I didn't add any "special" ingredient that she may have chosen to add either to herself, or the recipe, to improve it.  This is Birmingham for goodness sake! 

Actually I have done slightly more than that  (I've put some crackers in a jam jar and put up some more fairy lights) but more importantly I should point out that Mr SG isn't miserable at all and is actually a fantastic host. Far, far better than I am. I've taken to putting all the food out and all the drinks in one fridge and telling everyone just to help themselves or otherwise I forget to feed or water them, which is pretty rubbish as a host. It's totally unintentional. I think that I just get distracted with chatting and doing random things like checking that we have enough toilet rolls out.

So with that sorted (I need to stay in Mr SGs good books so that the boys keep away from the millionaires shortbread) I wish you all a really Happy New Year. I hope that you have fun at whatever party (or gathering) you are attending. Here's to much more fun and fashion in 2014! x

The 12 outfits of Christmas - Day 12 (+1) - An evening sports luxe look and Easter Eggs. In December?!

The sports luxe look has been around for a while now and this is an evening version of it, as in it is made up of sequins, satins and sparkles. With the outfit effectively being made up of a fancy sweatshirt and a posh version of trackie bums, it's a bit of a winner on the comfort front.

The top was from Reiss several years ago now and although I don't wear it a lot, when I do I love it. The trousers are the ones from Topshop that I keep wearing but it's good to be getting my monies worth out of them. The Dune shoes have been my friend for a few years also. Well, sometimes I fall out with them a little bit, particularly at the end of an evening.

This evening our friend posed this question to us: How do you know when Christmas is over? The answer: When Cadbury's Crème Eggs start appearing in the shops. Crazy or what?! Somehow I fear that we have lost the art of living for the moment!

The 12 outfits of Christmas - Day 12 - The animal flouro print shift dress and pom poms!

Rather than wearing this Warehouse printed shift dress with a jacket (a bit too smart) or a cardi (a bit too casual), today I wore it with my furry Primark gilet, which was very toasty and comfortable. When we went out I also wore Jigsaw shoe boots and this bright blue bag from Kausar (which is no longer available online but there is an email address for Kausar on her site, so she can always be contacted that way.) I like the size and shape of this bag, just because it's a little bit different.

I don't usually include pictures of the house but this scene made me smile. I was sitting down, my sister-in-law was reading mags and the boys were taking charge in the kitchen. I hasten to add that it was only a snap shot of the day and we did contribute significantly in other ways. For a start we ate the lunch!

The Christmas tree was decorated by the eldest, complete with tinsel and fake snow and she did such a good job. The first time that we did it, it was all a bit random - so one evening she took everything off, including the lights, and started again. Her individual efforts were so much better than our joint ones!

 This was a pressie to my husband last year. Ah, bless him.

It's pom-poms galore in our house this Christmas. They are so pretty that I would like to keep them up all year round. Selfridges in London had a whole floor devoted to them. I have no idea how many people they must have had to fluff them all up and how long it must have taken - but it must have been weeks. They are tricky little beggars - but the White Company "open the packet, unfold them and clip them round the back" ones are much easier - although not quite so much fun.

Hope that you are all still having a great Christmas. I'm starting to feel a little full....

The 12 outfits of Christmas - Boxing Day - shiny new white converse and "Robin" the jumper

 

After wearing heels all day yesterday, and with two young nephews here for the day, there was only one footwear choice for me and that was the shiny new white Converse that I had for Christmas from Schuh. Now I know that it's really uncool to keep them white and that they should be trashed asap but I plan on keeping mine as white as possible for as long as possible - even if that means using the whitener that we used on our Dunlop Green Flash trainers when we were at school.

I've known for a while that the white converse were on their way on Christmas day, together with the nephews on Boxing day, so I asked a friend of mine if I could borrow her Robin Jumper from French Connection to wear on here with jeans and a white shirt.  As I've mentioned before, he has a definite pink breast as opposed to a red one - just in case you were wondering. As he's not mine for keeps he will be flying his way back home tomorrow though, which is very sad...

Later on in the day we headed out for an emergency battery run/let's give the boys a run, trip. So, for that I swapped the converse for Seven Boot Lane Abella boots (now £120 instead of £175), GAP hat and Whistles parka.

The thought of doing any sale shopping, either in store or on-line, just doesn't appeal right now, although my sister in law has just told me that she can get 50% off at Net a Porter all year round. Eeek, that could be dangerous!

The 12 outfits of Christmas - A Christmas jumper for Christmas day!

Happy Christmas to you all! I hope that everyone has had a fantastic day. We have had a brilliant day although I have to admit to being slightly freaked out by the new addition to our family - "Baby Annabell."

For a start, I had to put her face down on the work surface and shove a screwdriver into her back to get the battery cover off before inserting batteries into her. Even though she's (clearly) not real, I found that quite traumatic. Then, when I had to look after her whilst the youngest went to the loo, I found myself putting her music on and covering her with a blanket in case she was cold.  I also put  "Precious", the new "My little pony" from Build a Bear Workshop (hideously ugly), next to her cot to be her guardian angel. Then she opened her eyes and stared at me with blue glassy eyes - and that was totally freaky. As for the cry - it's so real that it makes my heart jump. At least this one has an "off" switch though.

Then I found myself watching the Queen, which I don't usually do, but since a friend of ours was recently invited to the Palace for lunch with her - during which she put her hand on his knee - I felt compelled to watch. Also she looks very like my Aunt, so I feel that I know her. Seriously, children stop my Aunt in the street to ask her whether she's the Queen and when she says no, they ask her if she's sure. Ooh, crikey, it's all a bit much for one day.

Anyway, as to the outfit, I have my friend Sarah to thank for the loan of the jumper. Like me she had had her eye on it but unlike me she didn't faff around and she bought one - whereas now they have sold out. Here I'm wearing it with my recent Topshop trouser purchase and Zara shoes.  It's a great jumper and my Mum has one too - although her cat plays with the fluffy balls on hers!

Today I thought that I would post a picture of a dress that I like. I'm not sure that I would ever actually get around to owning one and it's potentially verging on the border of being too young for me - but I quite like feather dresses. There's a nude one in Coast, a black one in Michael Kors and this relatively decently priced one in Warehouse (£110 in the sale). Knowing me I would sit on a drumstick lolly or something and trash it in one go - but I think that it would be great for a New Year's Eve party.

As to the presents - I think that I'll leave that story for another day! Hope that you all have a lovely evening. x

The 12 outfits of Christmas - Christmas Eve sparkles!

 

So the five of us did our run this morning complete with elf hats, Santa hats, reindeer and Christmas tree headbands and we did look utterly and totally ridiculous but it was certainly memorable.

I had planned on wearing a different dress today but then decided to go for sparkles so I wore my sequinned sweatshirt dress from La Redoute (now £57 instead of £95) and La Redoute sparkly boots (£89) with a statement necklace from Topshop. The dress and boots (below) are both comfortable enough to wear for the household jobs and baking that I wanted to do, whilst still OK to wear to see friends later.

As to today's gift. I love receiving really pretty notebooks. Shoes, bags and jewellery are great but memories are priceless. All too often life passes in a haze and it's nice to record those special moments, even if it is only occasionally. Each year I encourage (OK, bribe/force) our three to write about their Christmas day. I can remember some Christmas days from when I was little but not many, so hopefully, when they are wise old owls like me, they will appreciate having taken the time to record their memories. Paperchase has a great selection of notebooks and this one is £6.

Hope that you all have a fabulous Christmas Eve. Not long to wait now!