A day out and a few new things....

Before we hopped off to London on Wednesday, I had partaken in a little bit of online shopping, which might have been a bit stupid but as you know I can't resist a bargain and I picked up a few things from the House of Fraser clearance section.

I was getting a bit hot in my furry leopard print dressing gown and fell in love this glamourous silky lightweight number, it even has a hood, I feel like a Boxer when I wear it and it was half price, bargain!  I am getting pretty obsessed with sleepwear of late and have all good intentions of sleeping in nicer garments than OH's massive old t-shirts, thats when I am not ripping them off due to hot flushes in the night!  I was thinking about how Carrie Bradshaws nightwear choices have as much of an impact on me as her outerwear, so I picked up this ribbed chemise with lace insert - sweet eh?

I then spotted this little grey top which reminded me of the picture of Cheryl Cole I had put up in my recent post about white jeans and how I had said this is how I would style a white jeans outfit....

The faithful old Zara shoes, come out again!

So Wednesday morning all started well.  Chloe came up at 6am so that OH could see her open her pressies and she was very impressed with all 21 of them!

We set off for London after I had taken Little Man to school.  She went to park the car whilst I got (and paid for) the tickets.  As I walked into the station (that we had already driven 10 miles to get to) there was obviously a problem, no trains at all, some inconsiderate twat had decided to kill themselves between Newington and Rainham.  I quickly rang her to stop her putting the money in the ticket machine and managed it just in time.  Chloe then suggested that we just go to Bluewater as they sell Mulberry in HOF and John Lewis so she could get her bag there.  I then had to explain that OH was planning to take us for something to eat and that we couldn't let him down.  We then drove for another 30 minutes which took us to the nearest station where there would be a train running.  We got to the station only to find there was nothing going in to Victoria at all, a Charing Cross train was on one platform and should have left 20 minutes beforehand but was still sitting there and the guards had no idea what time they were going to send it out.  On another platform, sat a HSL train going into St Pancreas.  Lots of people started getting on the HSL train, so we joined them, but had to upgrade our tickets when we finally got going and the ticket collector came round as you can't get on one with a normal ticket to London.

We eventually got into Town and headed straight to Selfridges to get her bag.  I thought if we went in there, she would have more choice and could see other labels within the price range like Marc by Marc Jacobs, See by Chloe etc.  She didn't like any of them so we went into the Mulberry consession but she wasn't impressed with her original choice the Mitzy Tote, as the strap she thought would go across the body isn't really long enough to do that and acts as more of a shoulder strap.  She looked at the Hobo and felt that it sits too high under the arm.  We went for a Coffee.  We came back and she finally settled on the Tote in Black with much cajoling from me and the shop assistant.

Our next stop was Gap where we both bought a few bits.  I looked at the white dresses as I had been coveting one for the summer but they were so white and crisp looking I had visions of spilling a skinny Latte all over it, so didn't buy it.

Chloe got some bits for her holiday in H&M and I bought a bright floral top from their Garden Collection and picked up a boob tube for Claudia as she wanted one to go with her new Lipsy skirt.

We went into HOF.  I had seen a really nice Whistles dress in there when I was last in London but didn't really have time to look properly. It was a day dress in a bright blue with 3/4 sleeves, so I thought I would see if they still had it.  They did but it was a size down to what I normally wear, I thought I would try it anyway and picked up another day dress in my size, so that I had something to compare it with.  The bright blue one was a bit tight over the bust, so I bought the other one.  It was reduced to £50 from £70 and is quite cute and cool looking for hot summer days. It is a pale duck egg colour although not as dull as in picture.  I just love dresses, I guess they are the easy option, no worries about does this go with that, just chuck them on and your good to go, simple!

Before we knew it, OH was ringing to say he was on his way and within a short tube journey had met us outside Next.  It was only 20 past 2 and afternoon tea was booked for 3pm but he insisted we go, there and then.  As we approached our destination, Chloe excitedly said "Oh look there is Claridges" with no idea that was where she was going!  As OH walked in, she squealed with excitement and luckily we were seated early as the table was ready.

First out, came the Champagne and then a selection of delicately cut sarni's.  We are used to doorsteps at home, so when we got asked if we would like another tray, OH was quick to say "yes" while I worried if that would add more money to the £48 per head without service charge, we were already paying!

After the second tray of sarni's were devoured out came the Pots of Tea we had chosen from the tea menu along with the scones and desserts.

Yum Yum

It was about 4pm when we left (and we didn't pay for the extra sandwiches).  OH said he would take a load of Chloe's bags so she didn't have so much to carry and she emptied my old Celine Boogie Bag and filled her new Mulberry with most, but not all of its contents, she only took out the important stuff....

She then said she needed a  dress for Saturday night as she was going (is, as I type this) to Cafe de Paris in London with her friends.  Well we really had a struggle on our hands, nothing fitted right, if it was nice on the hanger it was shit when she got it on.  I was getting really pissed off, hot and bothered but could sympathise, so said nothing.  Before we knew it, it was 6pm and she just grabbed a dress in H&M in the end, certainly not something she would have picked normally, although it does have a lovely nude ruffled skirt on it. 

Whilst she was paying, I decided I was going to go back to HOF and get the bright blue Whistles dress if they still had it.

 

Yay, they did!  Again it is much brighter blue than in picture.  Was £80 reduced to £55.  I do love Whistles clothes, such simple and stylish wardrobe staples and they are now available at John Lewis.

We travelled home trying to remember that the car was at some obscure Train Station and got indoors about 8pm.  Nightmare.  Her boyfriend had a table booked at a Restaurant miles away for 8.30 and had to cancel it. OH got home about 5 minutes after us and announced that he had left all of Chloe's stuff at work - great.  Luckily she didn't need any of it (or so she thought).

The following morning Chloe rang me just as I got back from the school run.  She was on the HSL train to London. She had got into work (she works at a Travel Agents) and her boss asked her for the safe key, then she became hot and clammy and burst into tears as she realised it was still in the Celine bag OH had left at his office and she was instructed to get it immediatley.  Well she had said she didn't want a party but still wanted a 21st Birthday that was memorable, well she won't forget it in a hurry, thats for sure.  In fact the story got worse, she never got back to work until 2pm as after she had collected her stuff from OH, when she got back to the station somebody had left a bag on the platform and nobody was allowed in and the place was full of Police and Sniffer Dogs - poor girl, I could have cried for her.

I hung my purchases up only to find that on the stupid boob tube I had got Claudia, the security tag had been left on! F@@king stupid shop assistants, WTF? Don't you just want to punch their faces in when they do that? and why does it only happen when you buy something in a shop miles away, never when you pop to the local shops!

Then my postman came and to cheer me up, I had a parcel from the gorgeous http://www.metropolitanmum.co.uk/ containing something that I had wanted for ages, a Tana Ramsey Cookbook.

I used to watch Tana on a programme called Market Kitchen and I have often picked up her cookbooks but always put them back down again when I have realised I could buy a new top for what they cost!

So I made a cuppa from the free tin of Breakfast tea they gave us at Claridges and opened the page on my most favourite thing in the world to eat....

I am so easily pleased!

Gazing at the cake eased all the stress of the day before and of my concern for Chloe and the Safe Key fiasco of which I blamed OH, naturally.  Blimey I am exhausted just writing this post and thinking about all that went on that day!  I just hope that there are no problems with the Guest List at Cafe de Paris tonight and that she has a great time. The whole family are out for lunch tomorrow, Courtenay will be home from Uni in the morning, her first year over and the 21st Birthday celebrations will continue for another day, bloody hell it must be the longest Birthday in history!  As for Claridges, next time I will get my moneys worth and won't refuse when we are offered a second tray of desserts, those scones are the lightest I have ever eaten anywhere....