Green; eyeliner; bedding. In no particular order...

Today I wore a new green Jigsaw sale top, reduced to £22, very fine weight basic crew neck top, I find them useful for layering and this one looked very nice with my new scarf which my Dad got me for Christmas. (He went all the way to the Mulberry outlet - bless! - which is unfamiliar territory for him, to say the least.)

So that's the green then.

The eyeliner is another find of the splurge or save variety - save being the optimum word here.  I have, since time immemorial, used Lancome Artliner as an eyeliner. Nothing else came close. I can't abide those fiddly liquid ones, and the gel versions where you need both pot and brush have been tried and found wanting.

The Lancome was a nice felt tipped pen version which bridged the gap between crayon and liquid very well.  I was wandering along the aisles in Superdrug in a desultory way the other day - and out of bordeom really - I didn't actively need a new eyeliner, started eyeing them (sorry no pun intended!)

The L'Oreal superliner in black vinyl is £6.49 - at least half the price of the Lancome liner - and I am hooked. It is making my tired, hungover face look a whole lot better, and I hope this is not just a trick of the light or wishful thinking!  I really like it. Get thee to Superdrug or Boots.

Finally, the bedding.

Now this is a lesson (of the Ash variety, so be patient) in how to save yourself £49!

Da da da da -DAH -

I was in Debenhams today looking for some new square pillowcases (65 x 65cm, increasingly hard to come by, I find) and found some nice beige John Rocha ones on the 50% off shelf - £17 - for a PAIR! So far so good. They were always coming home with me.

I happened to see that there were duvet covers and normal rectangular pillowcases on the same shelf, same reduction. Quickly scooped up one of each (£34 and £15 respectively). While queuing at the till - combination of annoyingly slow and inept assistant and doddery old lady (me in about 20 years, probably) trying to use a voucher - I realised that I did not in fact need a new duvet cover or more rectangular pillowcases, and in between warning small child off high bar stools which were incongruously on sale in the bedding area, had a change of mind and - risking my place in the painfully slow till queue - returned said items to shelf. (Luckily there was no-one behind me or they would have been irresponsibly abandoned on a bar stool. The bedding items, that is, though I don't know - dumping fellow customers also has its appeal..!)

The net result is - in my book - that I have saved £49 rather than spending £17.  The £17 was covered by the hopeless Topshop shoes which had been returned 20 mins earlier anyway.

I have worked out how to email myself pictures again. I still don't understand why my iphone is declaring my password invalid when I have changed it to the correct one umpteen times. I lost patience and added another account - which miraculously worked. So here I am in my new green Jigsaw top, M&S woman cord skirt and new Mulberry scarf from Dad. Tights are M&S Autograph velvet opaques, shoes my good old Russell and Bromley 'Chester' loafers.

A touch of pink

I decided to wear a fairly old Joules pink top today.

An odd decision in some respects, as it's as clingy as you like and only serves to underline my current need for radishes (then again, that's no bad thing!) - but peeking out from underneath the navy it brightened everything up a bit.

Scarf - Primark
Cardigan - Zara
T shirt - Joules
Navy cords - Tesco
Black patent flats - Autograph M&S

In other news, I have decided some wedge shoe -boots would be a useful addition. I was considering these from Boden.

However, following Kat's post the other day on 'Does my bum look 40 in this?' - I'm now planning to try the Primark version (Good old Primark!) - at least £100 cheaper, can't go wrong really. Well - I say that - but there is a potential sting in the tail.... I am working tomorrow (boo), husband is not (double boo). Hence he has been assigned the task to go to a Primark and buy them. A curious mixture of danger and comedy I feel!

Watch this space for a report back on what he actually comes home with :-D

Ankle boots - a year early!

There's no escaping the fact that ankle boots are the footwear 'of the moment' this season.

Luckily, I had some languishing in my wardrobe from last year meaning one less shopping trip (with the associated angst and decisions) is required. And even luckily-er,  I found out about all these wonderful bloggers who assure me that these great boots are still so 'on-trend'!

I do buy things I love and don't mind too much if they are 'in fashion', mind you, but it's always nice when your preferences and current trends collide - am sure I will get lots of extra wear this autumn/ winter.

The boots are black suede Aquitalia from Russell and Bromley.  I will be wearing them with opaques and skirts/dresses as well as skinnies. They give me much needed height with a decent heel and a small platform, and are so comfortable to wear.  I would imagine R&B will stock them again this year as most of the popular styles seem to be repeated.

So what was I wearing today?

• Jigsaw velvet skirt (Trusty, trusty staple. 1p cost per wear maximum - and counting!)
• Zara beige linen knit drapey cardi (Looks like this is also going down the same mega low cpw route!)
• New M&S snakeprint scarf (has been blogged about endlessly, so didn't think a close up required as I'm sure you all know what it looks like!)
• Autograph M&S flat patent leather pumps. So comfortable. So simple. So smart. So bargainous thanks to a footwear discount voucher I happened to have.  (Grrr - so why are they not then repeated this season??)

Because I am very lazy, the bag was the Orla Kiely stem print which has featured the last couple of days. However, were I not so lazy and had I been inclined to streamline bag contents - then the bag would have been Mulberry Antony. And perhaps will be tomorrow, unless a colourful bag seems to be in order again.

I bought my Anthony in a Mulberry outlet store - so the style is slightly different from the full price versions (which have the extra slip pocket on the front) - but who's noticing?  It's still the genuine article and at vast discount, I'm certainly not complaining.

While on the subject of Mulberry - I'm totally craving the Bayswater tote bag. 

I have (ahem... too many) classic Bayswater bags - but I love the tote version as well. Have steeled myself not even to look/enquire in the outlet - as there would be severe lack of willpower and very real danger of definite buying, which really would not be a good idea!  

Perhaps, if Johnnie sends a good discount code (Boden PR people - are you reading this?) I might consider buying the Boden 'Chelsea' bag which has the same feel about it.

Finally, one more footwear item to talk about. These cute leopard print flats from Zara have so far not been worn - but I'm planning to rectify that very soon.  I bought them back in mid August - and they were a snip at £19.99. Maybe a bit of print clashing with the snake print scarf, maybe not. But they'll look good with some black skinnies and the ever present beige slouchy knits!

You may remember my ongoing battle with the leopard print Primark skinny jeans. No such dilemma here. I present the acceptable face of leopard print for the 40 year old woman!

A/W Essentials Part 1: Opaque Tights

I can't quite believe I am blogging about opaque tights in August, but there is a small part of me which actually looks forward to Autumn (winter, not so much: cool I can do, icy I hate!) I'm a country girl at heart, and I love the cool, crisp days, the ploughed fields, the (few but beautiful) blue skies, the last of the amber leaves clinging stubbornly to the old oaks, the sense of nature changing pace and the smell of woodsmoke lingering in the air on a misty afternoon / evening.

So it's always with relish that I start once more to think about cocooning myself to make the most of my favourite season.  Today my thoughts have turned to opaque tights, a key buy for me.  Oddly perhaps, in autumn I tend to wear skirts more, maybe because of the security and warmth of the opaque beauties, I can get my legs out more without feeling too mutton like. Opaque tights can, of course, also prolong the wear you can get from lighter weight 'summer' dresses and the like - layer up with thick tights and a warm knit and - 'ta-da' - many a garment is transformed into a transitional outfit :-)  This is where you can also have lots of fun with different coloured opaques - there is a fantastic range of colours available if black or grey are not your bag.

For me, tights are a 'splurge' rather than a 'save' item.  One good quality pair last me all season and beyond. Last year my best buy were the Cotton Touch tights by Falke - soft, matt, velvety and hard wearing - what more could a leg can ask for? I  also invested in a Falke hosiery wash bag to protect from snags in the wash.

Another favourite of mine are the 'Wolford Velvet de luxe 66' tights - I like anthracite (dark grey), a more subtle and versatile look than pure black.

I usually buy my tights from tightsplease.co.uk as they offer free UK delivery and fast service - but prices are in fact slightly lower on the John Lewis website - though John Lewis do charge for delivery unless you are spending over £50.  The 'mytights' website  also has a good selection of colours and thicknesses.

A worthy drawer-fellow this year might be the M&S Autograph tights with cashmere - which seem to have good reviews and are (compared to Wolford etc) a bargainous  £9.50.

I am also excited to see that Boden are selling tights this year - a two pack for £29 - charcoal spot and fig rib anyone...? (sounds like a variety of pig and/or flavour of crisp!)   Being the tights freak that I am  I will probably end up investigating at least one of these colour-ways, and will no doubt report back in due course...

Now, I wonder if someone will come along who can swear that Primark tights are the best out there...?

Who knows... last week I would have said that shoes were one of my 'splurge' not 'save' items - but here I am loving my £4 Primark pumps, so I am very open to trying other tights brands this year!

Morning routines (and the skirt)

An early post! I've been doing some gardening so will spare you those photos, but now to 'make myself presentable'. My favourite beauty / make-up / products with today's perfume (inspired by my garden roses - see below!):

Left - right: Jo Malone Red Roses; Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner; Benefit Benetint; Bobbi Brown eyeliner brush; Body Shop Carrot Moisture Cream (recently discontinued - wail!); Bobbi Brown flint eye-shadow; No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense; Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle; Lancome Extencils Mascara; Garnier BB Cream.

Still pondering what to wear today. Planning ahead yesterday (get me!) I considered my White Company white jeans (below) but it's a bit gloomy today and I feel like something darker... will ponder more and report back.

Here are some flowers I 'pruned' from the garden. Boy do my roses have vicious thorns - ouch! - but they are beautiful. I love pink and orange as a colour combination in flowers :-)

My roses with industrial strength thorns.

So, more outfit considerations for today. I think I have settled on my well loved M&S Autograph bootcut jeans, with my new Primark tan and black striped top. Thought it was tan and navy originally, (but it's still lovely...)  together with my Mulberry tote bag.

I earlier considered my striped breton t shirt from Zara with a Hobbs denim skirt, and a yellow White Stuff belt and bag, but (a) my legs are too white (note to self, crack open the self tanner); (b) it doesn't feel quite right for today and (c) I'm matchy-matchy again....

Maybe plain is best...

It's interesting how many of us seem to wear fewer skirts nowadays. I wonder if it is because of issues like leg 'maintenance' (and in my case laziness therewith?!)

I love skirts but they can seem too formal for day to day life. (With the exception of denim I guess.) I find they just take more effort to wear. What are other people's thoughts?

I have this Zara Guipure lace skirt in my online basket - and as much as I love it, I would probably not have much occasion to wear it. It's so pretty though, and only £15.99...