Something for the weekend - Gold iphones, funky wellies, totes and cleanser.

What a horrible week it has been, weather wise.  The rain has been relentless during the first part of the week and I was honestly beginning to think I would have to rip up the decking and start building an Ark with the timber, but today's sunshine and very scattered, light showers mean that I won't need to put my carpentry skills to the test after all.

I did suffer at the hands of the weather and a reckless driver the other day though.  Little Man and I were walking down our (unmade) road on the way back from school when a neighbour drove past way too fast, into a large deep puddle, and completely drenched me!  He knew what he had done and put his hand up by way of an apology in passing, but I was having none of it.  I had a feeling he was on his way to collect his daughter from school, so I waited out the front for his return.  It was only about five minutes before I saw his car turn into the road and once he was on his driveway, I pounced.  I ended up getting far angrier than I had expected but this was due to the fact he couldn't face me, was bright red the whole time, but never stood and talked to me, just made his way from his car to his front door.  I shouldn't call him a man, because he obviously isn't.  Later that evening my husband said "I see you haven't received a bouquet of flowers by way of an apology then" to which I responded "I would have been happy if he had at least offered to pay to have my coat cleaned". Just goes to show how ill mannered some people are, if I had drenched somebody with dirty puddle water along a muddy road without a path, I would be mortified and wouldn't be able to apologise enough.  It is an offence after all, and surely he could see my boots have the gold Jimmy Choo name plate on the heel and nobody should splash the Choo's, it just isn't right!  I was hardly "singing in the rain" I can tell you!

To add insult to injury, I ran out of cleanser the following morning which really annoyed me.  As much as I love Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, only thing that really winds me up about the packaging is the fact that you can't see how much product you have left and then you go to use it one morning, only to find out the container is empty, grrrr.  I have the same problem with Fake Bake and always end up cutting the tubes/bottles open only to find there is usually enough product left to do at least one full body if not more!  It's just like lipstick, there is apparently a third of the product embedded in the casing, so a lip brush is a must if you don't want to be wasteful.
Convinced there must be enough cleanser left to see me through the next few days, I decided to saw it open, as there was no other way to get through the hard plastic outer shell and the country is back in recession after all, so naturally I didn't want to waste a drop! (I shall start collecting left over pieces of soap like the Queen before long).
I am pleased to report you don't get anything left when the pump stops dispensing, zilch, nada, it was completely empty, so this did please me in one way.  It was interesting to see that the product is in some sort of plastic bag inside the outer shell but I couldn't help but wonder, why the hell isn't it sold in a jar to make my life easier and to save me climbing up on a chair to retrieve the husband's tool kit from the top of the kitchen cupboards?  I went online and ordered a replacement which came really quickly considering I didn't pay for express delivery and I was even more chuffed to receive a trial size Cleanse and Polish which will be perfect for my Summer Holiday Packing Challenge where less is definitely more and hand luggage only is the way to go, not just in the clothing department but by making clever use of sample and miniature size products to eliminate the need for heavy full size items.

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She may not feature on the blog that often, but I have to confess I do love Victoria Beckham and she has featured in the news a couple of times this week.
Firstly in a picture posing beautifully in white and rocking a cute cardi and ultra high nude Louboutins.  I don't know how she walks in them I really don't.  It is getting harder and harder for me to wear heels with my advancing years.  I went to a wedding reception the other week and my calves were killing me the next day and putting "party feet" in your shoes can't do anything to help that, trust me!

I couldn't help but notice her bust definitely looks softer from the original breast implants she once denied having. Obviously her old "Essex Girl" D cup look would do nothing in her bid to be taken seriously as a fashion designer, or maybe she had the now nortorious PIP implants, so had no choice but to get them removed.  I can remember years ago when we were led to believe that breast implants may well explode if you ever went on a long haul flight, so maybe Vicky decided she didn't want to take any chances with the amount of times she crosses the Atlantic!

With her "Essex Girl" Boobs.

It has also been reported this week that Victoria has been tweeting and messaging from a 22k gold iphone!  I can remember when I got my first iphone almost eighteen months ago, I honestly thought I was going to end up chucking it in the bin during the first few days we spent together, but after about two weeks, everything just clicked and now I couldn't be without it from a Social Media point of view.  I really don't know how people cope with the small buttons on a Blackberry, you must need fingers as thin as Vicky B's waist to use one!

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This week I am loving the Kurt Geiger mid season sale!  There are so many great bargains and I have found some really nice gold sandals which would be perfect for holiday.  I need to make my mind up soon as they won't be around for long.  I am also loving the jazzy Hunter Wellington Boots and the downpours we have been experiencing of late only go to remind me what an investment purchase a decent pair of rain boots really are, and these ones are funky enough for you youngsters to get out for summer festivals for many years to come.  

As much as I have just moaned about walking in heels, I do love a nude court shoe and although they have been around for a few seasons now, the fact that they elongate your leg and go with virtually any outfit means they won't be going anywhere for a while yet and will soon be afforded iconic Wardrobe Staple status along with a trusty black heel I'm sure.

Gold Sandals was £50 now £29.  Hunter Boots was £90 now £49. Nude Heels were £100 now £39.

Kurt Geiger first introduced accessories to their range in their "everything but the dress" campaign last year, so in addition to some salestastic shoe porn to suit every style and budget, there are many more pieces at bargain prices.  I particularly like the costume jewellery and the bags.  One bag in particular caught my "recessionista" eye in passing, more so after reading Kates post over at Make Do Style where she extols the virtues of  carrying a Tote and with this one costing a mere £9, it would be perfect for your beach towel or trips to the local deli.  It also folds up into a small square pouch, making it the perfect travel companion if you don't want to use it during your flight.

Kurt Geiger Shopper was £35 now £9.

So my bloghearts, have a lovely weekend and remember one thing, you may not have a gold iphone but April showers bring May flowers.................

I hope it's worth the wait!

My collection

As long time readers will know, I never make a secret of the fact that I am just a little bit obsessed by a Breton top (or two) and any variations on the theme, but as with any garment, wear it a lot and no matter how good the quality, at some point a wardrobe staple such as this, will need replacing and after doing my last post on the nautical theme, it got me thinking that I really do need a couple of new breton tops in my life.
Both a short sleeve and a long sleeve are now on this seasons hit list as the Juicy Couture (1st pictured) and the Gap long sleeve (3rd) are both looking a bit bobbled and tatty and the John Lewis (4th) is already sitting in a bag bound for the Charity Shop and with so many brands around to choose from, but as someone who always takes Bloggers recommendations seriously, I decided to have a little look at the Boden Breton.

Something else I never try to hide is the fact that I have never actually bought myself anything from Boden although there have been a few pieces in the past that I have rather liked (think last years leopard print flat sandals), I normally reserve Boden (along with The White Company) for purchasing my 11 year old sons pyjamas and swimshorts.  The quality is second to none and you get such a great return on the items once they are outgrown and you sell them on ebay, so after seeing lots of Bloggers rocking this seasons Boden version and even reading the treads on mumsnet and the Boden community page about this particular garment, I decided that even with a 7 week wait list (gulp) both the price (£25) and the fact I managed to decide on my purchase using a discount code (M684) at checkout which made the top a bargainous £21.25 and also saved me £4 with free p&p, a wardrobe classic such as this IS worth the wait.  Also bear in mind that I will completely forget that I have bought it by the time it arrives and it will be a very pleasant surprise! 

Boden Breton Top £25 (£21.25 using code) buy here.

I have to confess, after a browse around the website and with so many of my summer staples in need of replacement along with a summer holiday "hand luggage only" packing challenge sitting firmly at the forefront of my mind, there are lots of lust worthy pieces from the brand that have made their way on to my summer hit list.........

Although I like to pack a "tonal" holiday wardrobe I always like to include a couple of bright and colourful printed pieces (usually tops or dresses) and quite fancy this tunic as a swimsuit cover up that would work equally well teamed with my Current Elliott Captain Trousers and flat sandals.  The white shell top would work with any bottoms, pj or harem style trousers, smart or casual shorts, at home or away, the list is endless, so you would certainly get your moneys worth out of this piece.

And with my deep love and admiration for stripes, this picture from the website really caught my eye.  I love the Tankini and am looking for a soft, easy to pack holiday hat to replace my trusty straw panama that may not make it into this years packing challenge.

The lesson learnt here is if you see something you like from a brand you normally dismiss, take a closer look, you may well be pleasantly surprised.

Shop the Boden collection here.

Ship Ahoy at the outnet.

Despite the many trends around this summer there is one particular theme that rears it's fashionable head every spring and makes the perfect addition for anybody who is looking to either create or expand on an existing summer capsule collection.

Investing in a nautical inspired look with its white/red/navy colour palette also makes for the perfect  holiday or spring break wardrobe with so many mix and match outfit possibilities and it was whilst browsing the new arrivals at the outnet this morning that I spotted lots of gorgeous designer pieces at greatly reduced prices that lend themselves to the theme perfectly.

See By Chloe sandals were £147.50 now £73.75. Michael Michael Kors Navy Shirt was £140 now £42. Fahri Nicole Fahri Cardigan was £165 now £74.25. J Brand Shorts were £175 now £52.50. Sonia by Sonia Rykiel stripe top was £160 now £72. J Brand Jeans was £175 now £105. ALC stripe top was £130 now £71.50. BE & D Tote Bag was £885 now £398.25. Glassing Red Sunglasses were £65 now £32.50. Moschino Stripe Jacket was £1,865.00 now £559.50. J Brand High Rise Flares  was £225 now £101.25. Jets Bikini Top was £85 now £42.50 and Bottoms were £63.00 now £31.50. DVF White Tunic was £315 now £126. Adam Stripe Top was £145 now £72.50. JAS MB clutch was £200 now £100.

Do you love this look and will you be wearing any nautical inspired outfits this summer?

Get Shorty.

One thing that my summer wardrobe is crying out for this year is new shorts.  I never managed to buy the stone or black city shorts my wardrobe was crying out for last year and ended up grabbing a more casual looking option just before my holiday.  As for my denim shorts, they must be at least 5 years old and are so faded, both from sunshine and washing, that they are not fit for wearing this year.
I know they are not for everyone but I love to wear shorts in the warmer weather either at home or abroad, in both smart and casual styles, but there are certain age appropriate rules that I adopt when buying and treat the length of them just as I would when buying a skirt or dress (never too short) but I do make one exception, my shorts are always above the knee, unlike my dresses, but I wear them as close as possible and leave the short shorts and denim cut off's to my daughters, Sharon Stone and Elle McPherson.

These ladies prove that with great legs and a bucket load of confidence, you can get away with anything, even in your 40's and 50's but I am going to stick with the longer versions!

Sportmax shorts £170, Matches. Denim Turn up shorts £27.50, Marks and Spencer. Nicole Fahri shorts £115, mywardrobe. 

Smart or casual, will you be wearing shorts this summer?

Something for the weekend - celeb collaborations, £15 gift cards, foundation to love and the perfect sundress.

If you have children, I hope you are enjoying having them at home as much as I am and are not praying to get rid of them back to school next week!  I love the holidays, the relaxed mornings and most importantly having my middle daughter home from Uni, although the thought of having her go back on Sunday fills me with dread!

So its been a pretty relaxed week here and although there hasn't been much time for blogging (as per usual) I have found time to keep up with a few of my favourite subjects!

For those that don't know, today was Ladies Day at the Aintree Racecourse in Liverpool but it was a dress worn yesterday that really grabbed my attention.  I adore the Roksanda Ilincic "Margot" dress and it was nice to finally see uber WAG Coleen Rooney, looking "pretty in pink" wearing the lantern dress accessorised beautifully with Louboutins I could only dream of being able to walk in and a black belt.  That girl really does have a wardrobe to die for!

£1,020 from Matches.

 

As most of you know I am not a fan of foundation and buying a Lancome tinted moisturiser was about as good as it gets in my quest to find a sheer and unnoticeable base for my skin.  I did put a Jemma Kidd foundation on my Christmas list and was lucky enough to receive it, but I wasn't keen when I tried it out. A bit yellow in colour and quite thick, even a damp sponge for application didn't change my feelings about the product which I had read such good reviews about and had seen on a make-up video on YouTube. I simply can not bear the "too much foundation" look on anyone, no matter what their age and when women use it to cover bad skin by layering it on really thick, there really is nothing worse as it often goes dry and flaky around certain spots or dry patches, its just "yuk". I can however, recommend a sample I have just tried for the first time by Chanel.
Now I love a tester, freebie, gift with purchase as much as the next girl and consider these to be the best way to try out new products without investing cash that may turn out to be a complete waste of money and I can now officially say that this foundation feels so beautifully silky when applied to the skin, I am dead chuffed that I have quite a few of them to take me through to sun tan time!  So if you are looking to buy a new base, this one comes in 16 colours and has an SPF 10.  It certainly gets the thumbs up from me!

  

£36 from Selfridges.

Sticking with beauty, I know lots of you are fans of the Boots Protect and Perfect range.  I am in fact currently using the eye cream and although my crows feet haven't disappeared as yet, I am convinced the product is preventing further damage, after all, if the Boots research team believe in this range, who am I too argue, so I was happy to learn that Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer on the range and I am seriously thinking about buying the Beauty Serum.  A Serum hasn't formed part of my beauty regime for years, since I gave up spending copious amounts of cash on an Estee Lauder product which the beauty editors swear by, but I am thinking it might be time to give a more reasonably priced product a try.

Shop 3 for 2 at Boots here.

Yet another celebrity fashion range collaboration see's M&S launch a range in conjunction with their campaign model, Twiggy.

Top £19.50, Jeans £25, Blazer £59. Dress £45.

Sequin Blazer £79, Dress £35.

Maybe the High Street giant realised what a mistake it had made by turning down an offer by Mary Portas to create a fashion forward range for the over 40's.  There are some quite nice pieces in the collection and the price points are as enticing as the brands reputation for quality.  See the whole collection here.

Another range I am loving this week, has to be Great Plains, French Connections little, but more grown up sister.  My new season Look Book arrived this morning and to be honest there isn't much I wouldn't be happy to purchase, but my favourite piece has to be this gorgeous stripe dress, its certainly one for my summer wish list that will look as good with wedges as it will with flats .

Stripe Sundress £46 at Great Plains.

Whistles has remained at the top of the Fashionista's favourite shopping destinations for quite a few years now and if its yours, be sure to grab a copy of the May edition of Elle magazine to receive your free £15 off gift card!

Good luck to anybody having a flutter on the Grand National tomorrow. Personally I can't bear to watch jump racing but I know that OH and Little Man will be screaming at the TV after a walk round the bookies.  I hope they win enough to buy me something nice!

Something for the weekend - Beautiful Women, Candy and Easter Treats Aplenty.

Happy Easter

The first week of half term was certainly a week where "News" was concerned and who couldn't help but have an opinion on the Samantha Brick story in the Daily Mail and her subsequent interview on This Morning.  The whole debacle was the top trending subject on Twitter (until mention of Karen Matthews release hit the headlines) and left me feeling a bit sorry for her in the end when it became apparent her argument had no substance what so ever and that a lot of things mentioned in the article were referring to events that had happened over the last twenty years and probably only once or twice and not in the volume we had been led to believe.  That said, I think what got my back up (and the rest of the nations women) was the fact that she honestly believed she was something special when in fact for a 41 year old I can't deny that she is fairly attractive and I really wouldn't mind looking like her one bit, but without the huge ego we all detected.  There are women like Samantha everywhere, we all know or have known one, the woman who really thinks she is something special, they are generally the ones who tend to have more male than female friends and not because women feel threatened by them but because we distance ourselves after growing sick of their bragging, boasting and vanity.  I'm all for women being confident but there is something very unattractive about being over confident and loving yourself. 

Would you be afraid your hubbie would fall at her feet? Thought not.

So now on with the important Easter stuff and whether you have a house full of chocolate bunnies, are busy baking Easter treats this weekend or thinking about elaborate decorations for your Easter dinner table, there are lots of other Treats around which don't involve consuming copious amounts of calories or tearing your hair out in Hobby Craft, so how about redressing the balance and treating yourself to a little new season retail therapy with mid season sales and free p&p deals aplenty?

Isabella Oliver are offering a different "treat" every day over the holiday period and today see's the classic straight leg jean available in two lenghts and three colours, indigo, slate and white, slashed by 70% making this classic wardrobe staple a very enticing £29.70 by entering the code "EASTER3" at checkout, so don't miss out!  In ddition to this, their mid season sale continues and features lots of new season pieces. Check out the sale here.

Other great Sales and discounts this weekend include:

Free P&P at Great Plains - just enter code WND12 at checkout.
Free Delivery at Kew - with code SUMMERDEL
20% off this Sunday at French Connection using code SUNDAY20
Save £5 when you spend £50 at Boots including free delivery by using code EBH50 until midnight 9th.
20% off of swimwear and lingerie at Simply Beach - enter code SWIM6 at checkout until midnight 10th.
Save 20-30% on a range of merchandise at Bloomingdales UK including clothes, shoes and accessories.

Although Easter may be all about the Candy, there is only one kind of Candy I shall be lusting after this weekend since seeing these recent picture of Olivia Palermo carrying the Anya Hindmarch Bruton tote. Now thats what I call Arm Candy!

Bruton Tote £895.

I know I am usually all about the Chanel and Celine with a bit of Valentino Rockstar and Philip Lim Pashli thrown in for good measure, but how gorgeous is this beauty?  Big enough to fulfill my "everything but the kitchen sink" tendencies and with its classic white/camel/black colourway,  it will go with everything in your wardrobe! 

Get the Bruton in White from my-wardrobe and farfetch and in black from net-a-porter.

So whatever you are buying, eating or baking this weekend, have a great time, don't make yourself sick and enjoy!

All I want for Summer is a Little White Dress.

This will actually be the third year I have been after buying a white summer dress.  I adore the simplicity of a white frock that is so easy to throw on, accessorise, and look great with a tan.  Everything a LBD can do, a LWD can do better, because hopefully you will have some sort of healthy glow to your skin by the time you dare to wear one.

Whilst in town this afternoon I tried on a LWD.  I was so excited when I entered our one and only local indie to find one on the rails that fulfilled my LWD critea. Not too short - tick. Not sleeveless - tick. An A-Line style that comes from under the bust - tick and as I pulled the garment from the hanger I could already visualise it being packed in a suitcase Marbella bound, along with an assortment of gold coloured bangles and metallic sandals, but as soon as I put it on, I kinda changed my mind.

I couldn't put my finger on it to be honest, but when I walked out of the changing room and the shop assistant (who I know really well) shook her head in a side to side motion rather than an up and down one, I suppose that did it for me.

It fitted fine across the bust but I felt I could have done with a size smaller from the chest down if I'm honest, it felt like too much fabric hanging in front and at the sides and even though the dress consisted of two layers, it was still extremely transparent, I would have to wear a slip with it, not something I would relish whilst I am either having a "tropical moment" or in 90 degree heat on the Costa's in August.

The dress was £50 and by a Danish brand I have never come across before called Miss Baron who do have some very nice bits on their website although you can't buy online.

I can't help but wonder why finding a white dress is so hard when I already know the answer: If they are casual in style, most of them have skinny little shoulder straps or are fitted to the waist which doesn't suit my apple shape. Either that or they are sleeveless but structured (again doesn't suit my body shape) and are more fitting to a summers day in the boardroom than a walk around Puerto Banus on a balmy summer evening. So its not that there aren't any out there, they are just not age or body shape appropriate!

I've come home and thought that perhaps I should have bought it or at least asked if they had the smaller size to try.  I may not be ready to give up on this dress just yet, I'll keep you posted.

Are they any gaps in your wardrobe you have been trying to fill for the last few summers?

Busy Busy Busy. A week in iphone pictures.

I hate being so busy that I get behind with blogging and reading all of your lovely blogs but sometimes life just gets in the way, especially with end of term Easter Bonnet Parades, Muscial Concerts and a garden that seems to have taken on a life of its own in the last 12 months which meant that we spent most of last weeks sunny days cutting down enormous trees and shrubs, which has left my garden looking a complete bare mess! But on the upside my next door neighbour now tells me that her washing is finally getting dry!  Seriously, I can't believe my tree's were bigger than the sun.........and we also get to see her conservatory, its been so long, I almost forgot she had one!

OH was helped by 70 yr old neighbour for a bit of lumber-jacking.

Little Man came second in his Easter Parade last Friday.  It was such a relief that Years 5 and 6 only had to make a card or decorate an egg, his days of wear hats covered in chicks, twigs and feathers are SO over.  Luckily for him, Uni Girl (the artistic one in the family) was home and on hand to supervise and share ideas.  Sadly for Little Man this meant that he had to split his prize of a Cadburys Flake Easter Egg in half and share it with her!
Hard to believe that this is his final year at Primary and that he will be off to Grammar School and having to get a school bus come September!

Saturday saw me off to London for the Ideal Home Exhibition and what a load of rubbish that was, I was pleased I got the tickets for free, I would have been fuming overwise!  There really wasn't much inspiration to be had and the only thing I quite liked was the "Ikea House" but you are better off just walking around Ikea where there are far more room layouts than in 4 bedroom show home! Boring, Boring, Boring..........so much so, I wanted to get in this lovely bed and stay there for the rest of the day!

So after we had queued up for hours to enter pretend houses which were of no interest what so ever, we headed off to Knightsbridge to have a look around the shops.  I had a little stroke of a Celine Trapeze bag in Harrods but didn't dare take a photograph instore in case I got chucked out by security, but this is the one, just about to be bought by a Twitter chum.........

Isn't she the most gorgeous thing you have ever seen? Well apart from a 2.55 obviously!

Then it was off to Harvey Nic's for a try on of the new Chanel Sunglasses with the chain arms.  Its pretty hard to get a good idea of how they look when they have that poxy security tag slap bang in the middle of the bridge, meaning that they don't really sit properly and are about 1/2 inch away from your face, but you get the idea!  It was about 5pm by the time I got these beauties on and I was tired and hungry, which meant that even I could not muster as much enthusiasm for Chanel as I normally do, but they have made their way to the top of my wish list, I seriously don't think I could go to Marbs without them if I'm honest!

They come with different coloured lenses and arms but I think I am going for mirrored lenses and white arms.

We finished off our day with my favourite Katsu Curry in Wagamama's as my friend had never eaten in there. 

Nom Nom

I swear I take more pictures of the Pug than I did of the kids when they were babies and I just have to add this gorgeous pic of our boy that Claudia took on my iphone because he just looks so adorable and I think the photo looks really professional don't you?

Pug-a-licious

 So Half Term is finally here and sadly this week isn't shaping up to be much better in the "busy" stakes, its been one big round of work, dentist, hair appointments, housework, washing and ironing. I can't wait for Friday if I'm honest and some quality time with LM next week!

Have you been trying on Sunglasses for summer yet?