Outfit: Cold Friday

It’s cold and frosty this morning so boots, socks and a scarf are all an integral part of my outfit today. You can see them, but I have knee high socks under my jeans, and a pair of thick sports socks over those. Partly for warmth, partly because my new boots are a little on the large side. However, my feet are still cold. I am using my bright pink coat today so had to don a second scarf with it to prevent a hideous clash between the coat and the red scarf that is part of my outifit.

Black sweater – Long Tall Sally
Dark jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Red scarf – made to match a bridesmaid dress in 2006
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes
Red belt (on jeans) – Next

Total Est Cost £57

20% Off Everything at Barratts!

Want some new shoes at a discount price? Barratts are currently offering 20% off everything with the code XMASB. This is for a limited time only (though the website helpfully doesn’t say how limited that time is) so get yourself over there quick!

Outfit: Thursday

Hands down, my favourite colour of tights this winter? Purple. So that’s why I’m wearing them again. I’ve not worn this belt for ages and thought the flash of yellow would be a good contrast with the purple tights.

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Denim skirt – Gap
Purple tights – Accessorize
Black flat over the knee boots – Matalan
Yellow belt – charity shop

Total Est. Cost £63.50

Outfit: Wednesday Evening

Some of the members of my drama group met to have tea at the local Wetherspoon’s pub before the rehearsal last night. We often do this to celebrate people’s birthdays. Then it was on to rehearsal for some singing.

Grey v neck sweater – Ethel Austin
Grey polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Gap
Grey boots – Priceless Shoes

Total Est. Cost £65

Should We Keep Shopping to Save the Economy?

Various arguments for and against are set out here but my when my old universitly lecturer Prof. John Sloman (at the bottom of the article) is advocating not stopping shopping, who am I to argue? Of course he is not advocating reckless spending thst you can’t afford, but everything in moderation as the saying goes.

Outfit: Grey & Teal

I was tempted to wear a shorter skirt today but these boots are higher than my other over the knee pair so I thought I should keep it more demure with a polo neck and knee length skirt. Loving the boots though. They are very cosy because they keep your knees warm too.

Grey polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Teal skirt – H&M
Teal tights – Accessorize
Grey boots – Priceless Shoes
Teal & silver bangles – Accessorize

Total Est. Cost £74

Note To Self…

…when it’s as cold out as it was yesterday, fingerless gloves just won’t cut it anymore. You need the real thing.

New Boots

So remember how I said last week that I might have placed an order in the Priceless Shoes sale? Well yesterday my order arrived. The boots I am wearing today were £10.

These fab grey over the knee boots were £20. (I was going to buy some similar about 6 months ago but they sold out before I got around to doing so.)

And these black ones were £8. They are described as ‘high leg’ but I think ‘mid-calf’ would be more accurate although that could just be the length of my legs. Nonetheless they have a low heel and a rubber sole so should be fairly comfy, and that is why I bought them after all. They will be great under jeans because they are stretchy and therefore neat on the leg.

As always the service from Priceless was fantastic. I ordered Thursday morning and received an email on Sunday afternoon to say my order had been dispatched. It was delivered mid-morning yesterday (Monday).

Outfit: Tuesday Style Stealer!

One of the great things about reading other people’s style blogs is that you get inspiration for your own outfits. I will often see something on someone else’s blog that looks fantastic and think about how I can adapt it to work with items I have in my wardrobe. The inspiration for Sunday’s outfit came from something Londyn wore the other week, and today’s idea borrows heavily from her again. I would have completely copied Londyn and put my pink shoes with this outfit, but when these booties arrived from Priceless yesterday, I couldn’t not wear them. They looked like they would be a pinky colour from the picture on the website (they are described as 'lilac') but when they arrived they are in fact a lovely plum colour.

Black waistcoat – Next Tall
Plaid shirt – Primark
Black cami – 3 Suisses
Black cord trousers – Topshop Tall
Purple shoe boots – Priceless Shoes
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £75

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing boots
…reading the December issue of Lucky magazine
…watching Love Actually with the director’s commentary on. If you’ve never done this, do so immediately. It features Hugh Grant, Richard Curtis, Bill Nighy and Thomas Sangster (the young boy) talking about the film and it’s hilarious.
…listening to Christmas tunes to get myself in the mood for writing cards and wrapping gifts
…eating sandwiches
…shopping online at Priceless Shoes

Outfit: Black & Red

Keeping it simple but smart for an ordinary Monday at work. Roll on the Christmas holidays!

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Black pencil skirt – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – George at Asda
Red boots – Goszip (charity shop)
Red belt – Market stall at the mall
Red beads – Ethel Austin

Total Est. Cost £63

Outfit: Sunday Lunch

We are going over to my parents’ house shortly for Sunday lunch. It is my dad’s birthday on Wednesday so it’s an early celebration of that.

Cream shrug – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Red long sleeve t – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Leopard print shoes – New Look (eBay)
Black belt – Leather shop in Crete
Red bangles – Primark

Total Est. Cost £89

Outfit: Bundled Up Against The Cold

The forecast was for highs of 2˚C today. I spent the morning doing chores and making a start on writing my Christmas cards. This afternoon I ventured out for a walk up to the local retail park to make a start on Christmas shopping. I got a couple of gifts but boy, was it cold! Fortunately I was well wrapped up.

Grey wool mix beret – Long Tall Sally
Grey wool mix scarf – Gap
Black/white/grey houndstooth coat – Dorothy Perkins Tall (eBay)
Skinny jeans – Gap
Chestnut suede boots – EMU Australia (On Shoes)
Grey wool mix fingerless gloves – Long Tall Sally
Grey polo neck sweater (not seen) – Long Tall Sally

Total Est. Cost £77

Outfit: Friday Night

We went into the city and met some friends for a Thai meal. It was delicious and the restaurant was lovely. Afterwards we headed to a bar for a drink before the friends had to leave to catch the train home. I was going to wear a cami and a shrug but after I noticed that the temperature was only 3˚C at 4pm and it was trying to snow, I decided a sweater would be a more sensible option.

Black sweater – Long Tall Sally
Grey jeans – Primark
Teal boots – Faith
Teal scarf – Marks & Spencer
Teal necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £81

An Open Letter Zara

Dear Zara
When you first opened in the UK, I had such high hopes. I saw you as Gap’s Spanish cousin, there were pieces to be had at bargain prices and best of all, your trousers came in super long lengths. But then, slowly, your sizing became erratic and your trouser legs got so narrow I could no longer squeeze my averaged-size 14 legs into them. So come on Zara, sort it out. Widen the thighs on your trousers – most British women do not look like Kate Moss. And please, let’s lose the S/M/L sizing system for something we can actually understand, such as European sizes rather than Mexican ones. Also, if you are going to mark up the prices when you convert from Euros into Bristish pounds, take the time to print a new tag and don’t just stick a label with the Bristish price over the European one. We will peel it off and not be happy when we see the difference. Just saying.
Thanks.

Outfit: Cheerful Friday

It’s Friday so instead of the grey sweater I thought about wearing, I opted to brighten things up with a bit of yellow instead. I had my hair cut yesterday afternoon so I’ve doctored the second photo a little with Paint.net to brighten it up so you can see my hair a bit better. It’s not vastly different to how it was before but it’s always nice not to have the front bits in my eyes anymore.
Also, my socks are not white, they are black, grey and white striped – typical that the white section would be showing so vividly on the picture!
Going out with some friends this evening so I’m currently trying to decide what to wear!

Yellow dress/tunic – Primark (charity shop)
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Zara
Black Obi belt – ASOS
Stripey socks – Topshop?
Yellow wedges – Priceless Shoes

Total Est. Cost £73

Sale & Free Shipping At Priceless Shoes

Priceless Shoes have reduced many of their sale shoes to £5 and many of their sale boots to £10. They are also still offering free shipping on orders over £30 using code FREEDLP.
I may have put in an order this morning… details to follow when my goodies arrive.

Matalan To Offer Online Shopping Next Year!

Remember my rant the other week about stores not offering transactional websites? It looks like Matalan sat up and took notice because I read on Dressed and Pressed today that they will be offering online shopping from next year! The full collection will not be available to start with, but some items will be better than nothing, especially if you can get hold of elusive shoes without having to trail around 3 different stores to find them. You can also check out some pictures of the new S/S 09 collection at that link.

Outfit: Teal

I just love the colour teal and wondered how putting together a whole outfit in it would work. It’s pretty good, but I decided to break up the colour (and add warmth) with a sweater.

Black sweater – Long Tall Sally
Teal long sleeve t – H&M
Teal skirt – H&M
Teal tights – Accessorize
Black patent shoes – Matalan
Teal necklace – Scope
Teal & silver bangles – Accessorize

Total Est. Cost £75

Outfit: Musical Drama Group Rehearsal

Just something casual but warm for another evening in a cold church hall, singing.

Purple tank – Long Tall Sally
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Grey jeans – Gap
Grey boots – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £89

Note To Self…

…only leave 7 weeks between haircuts in future because you always spend the 8th week wishing your appointment was a week earlier.

Outfit: Argyle Sweater

This sweater is lightweight but it’s pretty cost nonetheless. The skirt is wool and the boots help to keep out the chill. I’m loving purple tights at the moment and am so glad I purchased a second pair.

Black/grey/purple Argyle sweater – Next Tall
Grey wool skirt – Gap
White shirt – Long Tall Sally
Purple tights – New Look
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £109

Outfit: Grey & Purple

Got my cosy sweater dress on today. The sleeves are so long that it’s like I’ve still got my fingerless gloves on. I could do with a purple belt but as I don’t have one at present I thought black would do just as well.

Grey sweater dress – Tall Girls
Purple tights – Accessorize
Grey boots – ASOS
Black patent belt – Primark

Total Est. Cost £82.50

EDIT: Especially for Caroline, a pic without the belt

Outfit: EMU Boots

The reasons for this outfit were two-fold. Firstly, I was trying to channel an outfit I saw on TV on Sunday night. I watched a film called ‘Keeping Mum’ and Kristin Scott Thomas’s character spent much of the time in a grey polo neck sweater, jeans and UGG boots. My grey polo neck is in the wash so I had to go for black instead. I’ll go with grey next time I need a comfy, casual outfit. Secondly, the blisters on my feet were a bit sore so I figured that my EMU boots were the best bet for comfort. It was definitely a good idea putting them in the car yesterday to tramp around Tesco in.

Black rib polo neck sweater – Marks & Spencer
Jeans – Next
Chestnut suede boots – EMU Australia (On Shoes)
Black leather belt (on jeans) – local boutique

Total Est. Cost £46

Scarf

I added a silk scarf to my outfit this morning, and tried out the Chi-Chi style of wearing it, as named by Kasmira last week. I also slicked on some red lipstick after breakfast to match my dress.

Brown ombre silk scarf - M&Co

BBC's list of 100 Best Fiction

I pinched this list from Fabulously Broke in the City as I always list what I’m reading each week. However, as I tend to read more magazines than books, and then chick-lit when I do read books, my in-roads into this list are fairly poor!

BOLD = Read
NOT bolded = Unread

1. The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing something warm
…reading ‘Baby Proof’ by Emily Giffin
…watching 'Love Actually'. It's 5 weeks to Christmas!
…listening to Handel’s ‘Messiah’
…eating chocolate mousse
…shopping on eBay

Outfit: Red & Tan Monday

I had to wear my new dress today. I put it with tan accessories as that’s a combination I’ve done before with my other red dress and I think it works well. It’s cold out today, just 3˚C this morning so a knit dress and boots was a good choice. Following our walk yesterday I have 4 blisters so have stashed my EMU boots in the car. I have to go to Tesco this afternoon so I might be in need of EMU comfort by then.
I feel quite festive in this dress, it’s the kind of red I associate with Christmas.

Red knit dress – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Brown tights – New Look
Tan boots – Faith
Tan obi belt – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £82.25