Coral bird print dress

Today I was allowed out for good behaviour - a visit to Ikea followed by a mooch around John Lewis. Husband was in attendance (he was needed for the Ikea part as general labourer/carrier etc) - but was something of a hindrance on the John Lewis leg of the outing it must be said!

First day back to school today so this outfit also doubled as a school run starter for 10 - must remember to email it to Avril for the SchoolGateStyle blog school run competition.

My bird print Tesco dress from Wick has its first outing today. I toyed with taking my orange Longchamp bag but in the end took the Orla Kiely again. (On reflection - and viewing of the photos - the orange Longchamp looks better though I think. The O/K is too much of a print clash... You live and learn!)

I paired the dress, as planned, with a black cropped Brora cashmere cardigan, black opaques, and black suede wedge KG shoes.

If anyone is interested, I have a feeling that the dress is still around in Tesco and is now marked down - it was on a rail the other day which had that look about it. I didn't investigate too closely as it would ruin things for me to see it going for a song!

Ooh, ooh - by the way - the M&S snake print scarf in neutral / blush, khaki - I picked it up today in M&S for £5  - and I would have been happy to pay full price (£19.50) for it. I thought it was full price - the label didn't indicate any reduction - what a fantastic bargain. Love it when you get to the till and that happens :-)

Autumn - happy days!

A little more colour...

...is what I need.

I've been putting some thought into how to inject some more colour into my outfits, and remembered this cute Orla Kiely sling tote bag I bought a couple of years ago. I love the colourful classic stem print. The handle is long enough to be worn across the body too - so it's uber practical as well as a good looker.

I'm also wearing an old Boden blazer with white stitching and buttons, navy blue skinny jeans,  long grey vest, satin pumps (all Primark) and a Hobbs NW3 red bird print scarf.

I often take my cue for outfit inspiration from accessories rather than the other way around.

Start with a great bag or a scarf, I say, and make the rest fit!

Autumn wear and a harvest chandelier.

I think I need to start this post with a disclaimer. The outfits I am posting at the moment are not necessarily:
(a) exciting
(b) to be recommended
(c) anything anyone else would be interested in..!

Just wanted to clear that up. But I need to plod on, through high point and low point - and clearly we are in a low point at present :-D  Once I bounce back from my focus on the house I'm hoping things will get more interesting. I am planning a Boden order next week with the proceeds of some Ebay selling - so watch this space!

This is from Friday, back to work after two days off sewing.  It felt autumnal enough to crack open the opaque tights and give the loafers a dusting off - hooray!  On reflection though - how gloomy, I could have added a scarf - ho-hum.  Maybe I subconsciously dressed to reflect my lack of  'pzazz' at the moment?!

• Charcoal linen knit cardigan from Zara - long at the back, shorter at the front (absolute treasure until those extra pounds go...)
• Grey camisole from Primark
• Black velvet / moleskin skirt from Jigsaw
• Black patent 'Chester' loafers from Russell & Bromley.
• Purple bead necklace (old) from Accessorize.

Continuing the home decoration theme, I am pleased to finally have my new (old) chandelier up and working. I love it. I have a dangerous antique lighting obsession and must stop now, otherwise I will have run out of rooms to hang them in!  I have banned myself from driving past my favourite shop which always has a dazzling selection on display. 

I do love this one though - the ears of corn and the gold colour are so beautiful - and so appropriate for the time of year :-)

Liebster Blog Award

I was amazed to see that Helen from the lovely blog The Flaky Fashionista has nominated my blog for a 'Liebster Blog Award' - thank you very much Helen!

This has led to a first for me - two posts in one day (just, we are almost into Sunday!)

Being new to blogging (and a bit dim!) I am not 100% sure what I need to do, apart from answer the questions  posed below and nominate another 5 blogs.  (If I need to do anything else, hopefully one of you kind people will let me know!)

The questions...

1. Why did you start to blog? 

I suppose, I like writing, or rather ruminating and recording the details, or even wittering to myself, and thought this would be a fun way to document my mental ramblings - and take some pictiures to see what worked and maybe what didn't work for me clothes wise. I (usually!) enjoy clothes and shopping and putting things together - and this seemed like a good way to network, and share ideas, and develop my style.

2. How has blogging changed your life if at all?

Lately it's restored my faith in human nature!  I'd been feeling a bit flat and deflated, what with the end of summer, and a series of sad news stories in the media didn't help... and when I wrote a blog post commenting that I felt a bit down and hadn't been blogging so much, all my lovely blogging friends took the time to comment and cheer me up - so kind!

3. Who, dead or alive, would be your perfect four dinner party guests.

• Winston Churchill 
• Florence Nightingale 
• Stephen Fry
• Jackie Kennedy

(I am sure there are loads of others I would love to 'invite' - but these are the first four who sprung to mind.)

4. If you could be anyone in history, who would you be?

I have always admired Elizabeth I - but I'm not sure I would actually have wanted to be her. Maybe she could come as an extra dinner guest...?

5. Why?  (I assume this means why Elizabeth I etc...)

Well, I think she was very courageous as she had a lot of tragedy and danger in her early life, having her mother executed and being imprisoned in the tower, and Hampton Court for much of her childhood. Before she became queen she was surrounded by people who would have liked to get rid of her. In an age where women had few leading roles, she was clearly a strong leader, and the fact that she (intentionally or otherwise) reigned alone, and never married, I find inspiring. 

Now the blogs (who have under 200 followers)  I would like to nominate are as follows :

• http://susiesoso.blogspot.co.uk 
• http://what-jools-wore.blogspot.co.uk
• http://theflakyfashionista.blogspot.co.uk (thanks for nominating me!)
• http://takingachanceinlife.blogspot.co.uk 
• http://allo-alifelessordinary.blogspot.co.uk 

My lovely fellow bloggers. And a Longchamp bag.

D'you know what, when I started this little blog, I never expected anyone even to find it, much less read it, much much less take time and trouble to comment. And not just comment but be so kind and encouraging. And really, my posts are so feeble compared to the fabulous blogs I am following.  I am in awe of your skills and dedication and thank you kindly!

Your encouraging comments have been just what the doctor ordered to motivate me to get my arse (or at least my typing fingers) in gear. My arse also needs to get in gear, I have taken to eating like it were going out of fashion, and have at least half a stone to lose. Now if that's not a motivation for the new season, what is?!

Anyway, as usual I digress...

Nothing very inspiring, or ground breaking was worn today. But at last I've taken a pic!

• White Company dark indigo jeans (look black because of poor lighting and my dodgy camera - will aim to improve the quality of pics I promise!)
• Zara beige linen knit cardi with lovely droopy back hem (longer than front) - oh so flattering on my current podgy.
• Primark scarf - beige / black (some kind of animal - zebra?) print - with a shocking pink border
• Black primark flat ballet pumps.

Now to handbag news:

I've been using my trusty navy Longchamp tote all through summer < it's waterproof ;-)  > and on a foray to the John Lewis sale about a month ago, to my delight they had some in the sale. One such was the orange colour-way - which I'd had my eye on, and was further encouraged by one of those articles at the end of Vogue - short snappy one-pagers where some uber- stylish person lists their essentials... Anyway - one of the items this (naturally very stylish) person whose name sadly escapes me had listed  was an orange Longchamp tote!  Now I am not a total sheep honestly - I had my eye on it first. But it's always nice to have a little endorsement - to stop the self doubt creeping in - of the "orange? Really!  It's obviously pants, that's why it's in the sale" variety....

I had a minor panic when getting it out to take the photo this evening, as I'd had to secrete it away from husband's prying eyes (as you do...)  I didn't much fancy the 'you don't need another bag' grief. I had a panicky moment but after a brief rummage it was found safe and sound at the bottom of the wardrobe - phew!

In other news, I have to confess a crush. I had a lovely local carpenter call round this evening to quote for moving a door. He's happily married - so enough of the rumour mill! However,  I must confess I am a tad envious of his lovely wife. What bliss it must be to be married to a man who can conjure up all manner of cupboards, loft conversions, shelves, windows and doors etc. And there's something very appealing about a man in work clothes covered in sawdust!  Now I'd better sign off with that note, (and have a cold shower!) I hope this doesn't read as 'iffy' - it's an innocent thought I assure you!

Seasonal confusion?

Or exhaustion maybe?    Or perhaps apathy...

Whatever it is, it's not very conducive to fashion blogging.

I thought I'd write a quick blog post to show that I am in fact still here!  

Not feeling very fashionable or stylish at the moment, I'm going through one of my (delete as applicable) phases:
- house feels more important than clothes
- tis neither one season or the other
- there is tat everywhere (including sadly my wardrobe, the sales purchases 'gone bad') and I can't get inspired.

I hopefully will be back 'up to speed' soon and organise myself and my clothes and get going with my entires properly again. For the moment though, I feel a washed out style free zone, and would not want to inflict that on anyone!

I think I need to get into autumn styling - that will give me a boost - but it's still August and really I shouldn't wish the time away!

Does anyone else go through phases like this where they go into mini hibernation mode I wonder...?!

A wee dress from Wick

I'm back in 'civilisation' and I'm not sure I like it :-/

After a blissful week of being on the north coast of Scotland about 50 miles from anything or anyone, and where a Spar and a Post Office felt like a metropolis,  it's a tad depressing to come home to car alarms and foul mouthed youths... You see, this is why it's ironic that one such as me should attempt a fashion blog. Really I could survive very happily far from anywhere in a tattered shirt and jeans - maybe one day I'll make it a reality, but in the meantime there is a living to be had and schooling to be done...and I grant you shops to be shopped. There have to be some compensations to living in a man made jungle. (And I don't even live in a particularly busy town. I could never be a city girl, that's for sure.)

Anyhow, apart from enjoying the majestic isolation and the beauty of the mountains and the sea, I did manage one small concession to my homebound hobby.  A journey through Wick revealed a surprisingly large Tesco, with a clothing department. The purpose of the visit to said Tesco was NOT to buy clothes, but somehow... as you do....I bought a cute coral pink bird print dress.

Tesco Florence and Fred Bird Print 'flutter hem' dress - £16

Completely unwearable for the holiday but sweet and I think I'll wear it into autumn layered over a T- shirt and with my cropped Brora cashmere cardigan. And in case anyone's wondering, Brora (the place) bears no relation to Brora the cashmere company - there is no trace of a factory shop or the like!

However, I like the idea of wearing the namesake cardigan with it's north-coast neighbour dress from Wick... it will cheer me up until my next visit to the far north!

And no doubt it's also available in Wigan, Warrington and Wolverhampton Tesco...  but to me it will always be my wee bird print dress from Wick :-)