Sparkles, more sparkles and a touch of pleather...

A lady I was once working with told me how I was the shop window for my business. Well let me tell you - this particular shop window has been driven into by joy riders, smashed and grabbed to within an inch of its life and ransacked all at the same time. I caught a sight of myself in the mirror today and it was far from good. I've picked up a stinking cough and cold and it shows.

But all is not lost, for the crack team of Ange the beautician and Luke the hairdresser will come to my rescue later in the week. Ange will sort out my eyebrows, do my nails and spray me a different colour - because on Saturday we are going away for some sun. And if I ask her nicely, she might remove my grey moustache too. Or should I just leave it there? I think that it might look quite good with a bikini.

We were out at friends on Saturday night. I wore my sequin turtleneck H&M top (£29.99) for the first time and it was fab. It's lined which stops it from being itchy, whilst at the same time making it warm, so it was a double win for me. Comfortable glamour - that's what its all about. Whoever said it was the hokey cokey was wrong.

I put a little video on instagram of me wearing the top, which you can see here. I'm wearing it with some semi busted Zara jeans and sparkly Dune shoes - as if there wasn't enough sparkle already.

And whilst we're about it, I thought that I would share another H&M purchase, being this "leather inspired" (OK, plastic) skirt which cost £19.99. I'd been on the semi look out for a pleather skirt for a while and then this one caught my eye last week. It was the asymmetric hem that got me. It comes up quite small so I have a size 10 and again, there's a little instagram video here where I'm wearing it.

I must like the skirt because I've worn it twice already. I have to say, it did catch me out though. When I sit on our kitchen stools I think that I perch on them on one bum cheek and then whizz across them to get on them fully. Let's just say that there wasn't so much whizzing with this little number on. More of an attempted whizz with a sudden stop as the pleather stuck to the seat. Not a good look.

Now usually by now I've started my "12 outfits of Christmas" feature but with us going away I haven't quite got that far this year. I wonder whether I might just irritate people showing pictures of sunny climes. Although knowing our luck with the weather it will chuck it down with rain and I'll just spend the whole week wearing the same one jumper and one pair of jeans. It's been done before.

Gold, (gold) always believe in your soul (sole) .....

You've got the power to know, 

You're indestructible...

Actually I can vouch for the fact that Adidas Superstars are indestructible. I've got a pair that are 12 years old now - they've got paint on them from where I painted a playhouse pink and one lace is shorter than the other where I chopped it off with the shears when gardening. 

Moving on though, the re-launch of Adidas Stan Smiths a while back now gave Adidas a new lease of life and Stan Smiths, together with Superstars, are the go to trainer of the moment. And right now gold trainers are definitely having a moment. Being the magpie that I am - and quite possibly a slight sheep too - I can see how a pair would work. 

I did several hours of Christmas shopping today and what better way to grab myself a ten minute sit down than by trying trainers on? Well I'm not really a coffee kind of girl and it's nice to "achieve" at the same time as resting. 

First up, Adidas Superstars in liquid copper (£69.99). Well they're definitely gold, that's for sure. I'm not quite sure what I think about the contrast between the gold and the white toe. Too much? Maybe. The jury is out for now. 

Moving on to the Adidas Stan Smith gold (£69.99) - I was surprised but I didn't like the look or feel of these, despite having a white and red pair that I love. They felt low to the ground, the leather didn't feel like leather and I thought that they looked a bit like Grandma type shoes. (Sorry Mum!) Stans don't have the three Adidas stripes on the side but instead they have the holes which on the gold ones, just don't quite do it.

I liked these Superstars in white and copper (£69.99). But the fit wasn't great. They kept slipping off at the back so they stayed in the shop. I also wondered whether they were a bit too subtle and perhaps not quite gold enough....

....whereas the same can't be said about these Adidas Superstar Gold (£80). I have one word - sort of. CP30. I just couldn't go there. Even at Christmas...

On the other hand, the Adidas Superstar gold and metallic white trainers (£65) which have gold sequins, (yippee, gold sequins) on them could be an entirely different matter.

So, what do we think? Yes or no to gold trainers? I'm a definite yes but they need to be the right pair. Let the hunt continue...

What to wear when going to choose a Christmas tree...

Remember the Zara cardigan (similar here) that I featured on my You Tube vlog right at the start of the "winter"? Well it has definitely secured itself in my affections, together with these Boden Harper boots which seem to be glued to my feet right now. The price of these boots varies by colour and the black ones are £59.50 which is a pretty good price for a pair of boots that are so versatile.

Yesterday we went to buy our Christmas tree (I have deja vu each time I write this - I must have been blogging for far too many years now!) and as it was very windy I popped on my Topshop bobble hat which was a present from my Mum last year. I figure that you can never go wrong with a bit of denim and so this Whistles denim dress came along for the ride too.

I'm glad to report that the tree is now up and stylishly (!) decorated with all manner of things that we've collected over the years. From kitsch and slightly camp, to delicate and fairy tale like and from sequins to felt - all with a bit of tinsel mixed in, it's what one might call an eclectic mix - and not one that you would find in any interiors magazine.

Working with Fat Face on their Festive Jumper campaign...

When Fat Face asked me whether I would like to work with them on their Festive Jumper campaign of course there was only one answer. I genuinely love a good, full on, Christmas jumper as do the rest of the family - well either that or they just humour me. It's not something that I like to give only a "nod" to, nor do I want to wear a jumper "inspired" by Christmas. Nope, anything with a reindeer, sparkles, snowflakes, Santa or a Christmas tree gets my vote.  

So, unsurprisingly, out of the jumpers that I could have written about, I chose the Festive Deer Roll Neck Jumper (£45). Not only do I love the reindeers across the front - and back (nice touch Fat Face) but a roll neck is so cosy too.  Fat Face has a great range of Christmas jumpers and cardigans with snowflakes, fair isle patterns and reindeers all of which you can take a look at here

I was away with friends in Wales this weekend. The weather was wet and windy (as you can see above) but my "photographer" and "creative director" were brilliant. The former kept yelling "work it, work it, look the middle distance but stop smiling because your eyes disappear" (see below) whilst my creative director made me laugh hysterically with her antics.  I'll never make a proper blogger. 

Remember the "Last Christmas" video, with the wooden lodge, George Michael, a broken heart, Christmas and the snow? Well we thought about going down that route for inspiration but sadly George was busy so I'm bringing you his photo instead.

It was a shame that he couldn't make it as I'm sure he would have loved our toasty fire and he could have enjoyed a piece of chocolate biscuit cake (we could have offered carrot cake as an alternative) and a glass of fizz.  We certainly did....

Many thanks to Fat Face for asking me to work with them and for the lovely Festive jumper which I shall really enjoy wearing. 

A room with a (much nicer) view now that I've been to John Lewis...

Sadly, last week Mr SG was poorly to such an extent that it was only fair that I let him have our room to himself. As an act of great selflessness and sacrifice* I took myself upstairs to the spare room, where I've hardly ever slept before and I have to say, I really loved it. It's really cosy with lovely sloping ceilings and you can hear the owl in the tree outside.

Up until now the room hasn't really had its own identity - varying as it has between the youngest's first bedroom and then a spare room/place to store things. But now? Well since my visit up there, which resulted in the hauling around of furniture followed by trips to the charity shop and today's visit to John Lewis - it is now part loft style, part Scandi spare room. Crikey, those germs caused Mr SG great expense in many ways.

*ie I didn't want his manky germs

The room is painted all white and apart from a striped Cath Kidston blind, that I'm happy to ignore for now, it was pretty much a blank canvas. I already had the table, the vase and the Roberts radio.

As I love to wear navy and grey, I figured that a room in those colours could work too and would be nice for a change. The yellow/citrine accent colour on the bedding was picked up in the lamp, vase, Mr Fox cushion and the picture.

The bedding and cushions...

The bed linen is Skyler Stripe in citrine. It also comes in a grey colour too which may be a good option for when this one is in the wash. The cushions are the Aztec patch cushion and the Scion Mr Fox cushion. On the bed is the plain lambswool throw in grey

Lighting...

The lamp is the Penelope Task Lamp in Quince.

Artwork...

I really fell in love with the Central Park Picture as I wandered through the store. It really reminded me of my trip to New York with Flo in the summer. So into the basket it went.

And now on to storage....

Storage was a bit of an issue too but I wasn't sure how it was going to all work out, so I bought this knitted basket in grey which I will use for towels for the spare room (for now at least). 

We have a couple of these Habitat storage units from about 1999 - as I suspect many others do too. It can be quite hard to find baskets and storage to go in the cubby holes. We have lots of things that the children have brought home from school that I can't bear to part with but which don't really need to be on display, plus photo albums which just needed streamlining.

 .

So this is what I bought to fit... 

A set of three different sized felt storage baskets (below - this is the largest one) and a grey felt storage box (above). The knitted basket also fits though, just in case anyone is interested. 

The fire engine on top of the unit was made by my Grandad and Great Uncle just after the second world war, when toys were scarce. My Dad and his brother played with it as children and although it's a little worn, everything on it still works from the ladder to the bell. It doesn't go with the scheme but it's not going anywhere!

Right, so does anyone want to come and stay? 

Don't you just love a good jumper? And a GAP one? Even better!

On Friday afternoon I went home feeling very satisfied with myself. Why? Because I had resisted the temptation to buy this GAP fair isle sweater which I loved so much. "I don't need any more jumpers." I thought to myself. "It's similar to another one you have." I told myself. "You can't really justify it." I convinced myself. But clearly I didn't convince myself hard enough because where did I find myself at 9am on Saturday morning? Yes, buying the GAP jumper. So much for that particular resolve.

And on Saturday evening I wore it to a birthday party. Who in their right mind wears a fair isle sweater to a birthday party? In my defence it was in Leeds and it was cold. Which begs the question why then was I wearing open toed shoes? I really have no idea, other than the fact that I like them. Ho hum!

So here is the GAP jumper in its various different colour combinations...

And three of my other favourite GAP jumpers for those who may not quite be in the fair isle frame of mind but who fancy a little something different for Christmas, or just in general.

Don't you just love a good sweater, or pullover, or jumper, or knit, or whatever you want to call them?!

Kicking an outfit into touch with one of these...

For me, apart from a pair of shoes, there's nothing that can give an outfit a kick up the bum in quite the same way a a lovely shirt or blouse. It can take a pair of plain black work trousers into something which is quite kick-ass (sorry for all the derriere references tonight.) With a pair of ripped jeans and heels, a black metallic blouse can make the perfect outfit for a night out - and who doesn't love a bit of Victoriana?

So this is my run down of some gorgeous blouses that I've seen out and about on my travels recently....

Mint Velvet tie neck blouse (£69) - this is perfect with a pencil style skirt for work or with fitted trousers for a dressier look. Blouses are really great tops for curvier figures as they tend to skim without clinging, unlike jersey tops which can show every little trace of muffin consumption and muffin top.  The lighter  weight fabrics are brilliant as they don't add bulk, plus the ones with pussy bows have a v-neck line, which is so flattering on a larger bust. With a print to keep the eye on the move, they are absolute winners.

For those of you with curvier busts, you will know the problem with shirts and blouses and buttons that  pull. This Somerset blouse by Alice Temperley at John Lewis (£79) though is fantastic because....it doesn't have any buttons. Perfect! There is plenty of stock in store although not in this colour on line. It also comes in a lovely sage colour too which makes a nice change.

There are a lot of metallic shirts around this season. They can be scratchy so it's worth having a good feel of them on the inside if you don't have time to try them on as no-one likes to feel as though they are wearing a brillo pad. Marks and Spencer has this metallic effect textured blouse (£45). There's also one at Reiss (£145).

For something a little bit pretty and Victoriana, Limited Edition has this lovely lace trim blouse (£29.50). Zara also has a good selection too.

I was working with this M&S  Autograph satin blouse (£35) last week. Again it's really good because it doesn't have any buttons and it's silky fabric elevates it to being a little bit more special, despite its simple design.

Marks and Spencer also has this Autograph animal print blouse (£35) which again has a flattering shape, fit and fabric. It's the type of blouse that could be worn all year round and with leopard print being one of those prints that never disappears, for years to come as well.

Ah, now the Whistles lace shirt (£145) ticks many boxes. The colour is vibrant and great on many skin tones. The fact that it is lace makes it that little bit special and with a shorter length it will sit perfectly with a skirt - just like the one in the above photograph. In fact as time goes by, I veer further away from a "party" type dress, which just sits in the wardrobe until it needs to be squidged on for a night out - and more towards stylish separates which can be worn for many different events.

For sequins, I love this Zara sequinned blouse (£25.99). I would look an utter plonky head in it but I do really like it nonetheless. Particularly on other people.

Blatantly pinching an idea from the Whistles website...

It's a long time since I've worn a dress over trousers. I used to wear outfits like this years ago and never really thought that I would do it again. But then the Jigsaw striped dress that I love suddenly seemed too short on its own and I saw a picture on the Whistles website of a similar outfit here.

I did feel a bit bad about my lack of originality but then the words of an elderly lady who came to one of my M&S presentations rang in my ears..."Nothing in fashion is new any more. It's all been done before. I didn't like pussy bows the first time around, or the second and I still don't like them the third time around" and then I didn't feel quite so bad about pinching the idea from Whistles. Plus it's always good to re-work some old favourites don't you think?

Oooh and before I forget, I published a new vlog today which you can see here. It's only fairly short but hopefully it will be of help to some of you. If not quite a few of you!

Until next time, have a good one. x

An outfit for a lazy day....

You see that one step that I took outside of the front door? Well that's as far as it went today. After this photo was taken I turned around and hot footed it back inside as quick as I could.

But at least it meant that I can report back on the Clarks Glove Candy trainers which I've adopted as my slippers. My dislike of slippers is quite odd really because all that I ever wanted when I was a young girl was a pair of purple mule slippers with heels and a maribou fluffy bit on the front. Classy!

Anyway, the slipper/trainers and I are getting on really well. They're so comfortable and I like the blue on them. It just one of those things.

I'm also wearing the Boden off duty jumper which is perfect for when the rain is lashing the windows and the wind is howling outside.

In light of recent events in Paris, I'm not sure quite how to finish this post. It seems trite to finish with anything flippant or lighthearted so instead, I wish that you all keep safe this week. x

Working in, and wearing, head to toe M&S...

I was working in M&S today (I'm back there on Saturday at Merry Hill so do come and say hi if you're around) and I had to choose an outfit to wear whilst I was presenting. The store that I was working in had wicked air conditioning so I knew that I needed to start with knitwear. And I only had about five minutes in which to choose - so I had to be quick.

So first off I chose this Autograph funnel neck tunic (all links are below). Then I picked this striped blouse to go with it. The blouse is exactly the same style as my & Other Stories one that I'm looking to replace, only thicker, so I figured it would work. And anyway, it had to - once in the changing rooms, I had no choice!

Next up it was the trousers. As I have to be quite smart, I couldn't opt for my usual skinny jeans/ponte trousers/M&S treggings type combo so instead I went for these Autograph trousers which have silk and merino wool in them. I found the fit to be fine and they were comfortable too, although the reviews are very mixed.

And finally, despite my initial reservations as to comfort, I wore these Autograph red heels and actually they were fine. I won't pretend that I wouldn't have been more comfortable in my trainers but when it came to take them off, my feet hadn't died on me. The reviews of these shoes, which also come in black and one other colour combination, are universally good.

I was almost waiting for the "Robin Hood/Are you an artist/Do you work for British Airways?" type comments. And then I realised that there weren't really any men around. So that didn't happen.

The best part of my day was when one customer who came to the presentation went on to buy the whole outfit. She came back to tell me how delighted she was to have her Christmas Day outfit sorted. I would be so happy if I could do that for all of the women in the country.

Just by way of info, the tunic and trousers were a size 8 and the blouse was a 10, because there weren't any size 8s - but it was fine. The shoes also came up true to size. For anyone who would like to see a quick video of the outfit, you can do so on Instagram here (warning: it might be a bit scary on a full screen!)

Autograph fitted funnel neck tunic (£59)

Autograph  bold striped blouse (£35)

Autograph trousers (£49.50)

Autograph shoes (£59)