Outfit: Navy Blue

The weather did turn out nice in the end last night and so we got our BBQ. It was lovely sitting out in the back garden and one of the young man’s friends came to join us.

The young man and his friend then headed for the pub and I caught up with my friend on the phone and painted my nails. The shade is by Collection 2000 and is called Intense. It looks black in the bottle and from a distance, but close up it has flecks in it, making it more of a midnight blue.

I thought it would be fun to match my outfit to my nails again. Initially I was going to go all 1970s with high waisted jeans, but since it promises to be a sunny day again I opted for a skirt instead.

Blue velvet waistcoat – Primark
White t – New Look
Denim skirt (refashioned from a pair of jeans) – Topshop
Navy patent shoes – Magrit (local outlet store)
Navy heart necklace – Scope
Teal flower – Primark

Total Est. Cost £73

Outfit: Blue & Red

I painted my nail bright red on Saturday with a new Bourgois nail polish. Since I will have to take it off either tonight or tomorrow before it becomes too chipped, I decided to make it a feature of today’s outfit by adding red accessories. It makes a nice contrast with the bright blue too.

The weather is overcast at the moment and it was raining when I drove into work. It is supposed to brighten up later and I hope it does so that we can have the BBQ we postponed from yesterday due to the rain.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue tank – Topshop
Jeans – Gap
Red wedges – New Look (charity shop)
Red beads – eBay
Red bangles – Primark

Total Est. Cost £27.50

Outfit: ‘Summer’ Corporate

Well that didn’t last long. 4 or so sunny days and now it’s raining again. However, it’s still warm and what’s a girl to do when she needs to look smart for work but trousers and a jacket would make her too hot? My favourite option is city shorts as an alternative to trousers. As long as you keep them on the long side and dress them up with heels they look very smart. And a cooler alternative to a jacket is our old friend the waistcoat. You still get the structured, nipped in waist, but there are no sleeves so it’s ideal to pair with a short sleeve blouse.

Brown tweed city shorts – H&M
Blue blouse – Dorothy Perkins
Blue velvet waistcoat – Primark
Blue patent shoes – New Look
Blue & silver bangles – Oxfam

Total Est. Cost £60

Autumn/Winter 2008

I know it’s July and I know that ‘summer’ has finally arrived in the UK, but the new season collections are already starting to trickle into the high street. So, what are the main trends to go for in the new season?
Elle and Look magazines have some ideas for us:

Punk – wear shredded or lacy tights
Sharp, statement shapes
Plaid shirts
Sequins for day
Earthy colour palette
Tailored, skinny trousers
Ribbon details
Coloured tights
Country gent look
Jewel colours
Statement jewellery
Volume
Seventies
Folk
Power dressing
Dark romance

So, at this stage it looks like pretty much anything goes.

Lace up boots will be big, as will wedges and platforms. Stay tuned for more details!

Wanted: Long Tall Sally Waistcoat

The new season items have started to arrive at Long Tall Sally and already I am in love. This waistcoat is my favourite item I’ve seen in the collection so far. I love that it can be styled as was intended: with a suit and button up shirt; and that can also be styled with jeans and boots as shown here. It is £45 at the moment so I am going to wait until the inevitable ‘mid-season’ sale before I buy it.

Outfit: Turquoise Monday

It has been scorching hot over the weekend. Today is still warm but not quite as hot so I thought a dress would be the perfect option.

Brown & turquoise dress – Next (charity shop)
Turquoise cami – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Turquoise bangles – Oxfam
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £15.75

Weekend Recap

For the first time in ages, I had Friday night free. I dropped the young man off in the city for a stag party, and then returned home to enjoy my evening in the garden and then later in the house when the thunderstorm arrived.

Saturday the young man went back to the stag do (it was an all weekend thing but he’d opted to just stay over Saturday night) and my sister came round. We walked up to the local retail park and wandered around the shops. I was surprised to find a couple of Tall items in the Next sale, and for research purposes, tried on a pair of trousers. I am pleased to report that they were very long, much more than the 35” inside leg that the catalogue and website claims that they are. I will definitely be ordering something from Next once I return from New York. My outfit on Saturday was just cropped jeans and a white tank as it was so hot, paired with my yellow flats for shopping and with bronze flip flops the rest of the time.

Sunday I went to church in the morning and by the time I got back at dinner time, the young man was home. We spent a lazy afternoon in the house and garden and then headed out to the pub to meet some friends for a meal, drinks and some games of pool. Sunday evening’s outfit was the same as Wednesday night’s, except I wore cropped jeans instead of full length ones.

Sunday morning outfit:

Black & white striped dress – charity shop
Red belt – Next
Black peep toe shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Red beads – eBay
Red & cream bangles – gift from a friend

Total Est. Cost £15

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing summer clothes – it’s arrived at last!
…reading ‘The WAG’s Diary’ by Alison Kervin
…watching the last episode of Top Gear
…listening to ABBA songs still, they’re just so good
…eating lasagne
…shopping for no more clothes or shoes until I go to New York in October

Outfit: Bright & Colourful Friday

I decided to go with my yellow shoes and belt again and I was going to put a grey tank with them. Then I thought, why not go with turquoise/green? I was going to put my grey cardi with it but then I thought, why not put teal with it? I really like how the teal works with the paler green and it gave me a reason to wear my teal eye shadow too. The day is looking promising – the sky is blue and the sun is out already.

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Turquoise/green tank – Topshop
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Yellow shoes – Cherokee at Tesco
Yellow belt – charity shop
Silver bangles – Scope

Total Est. Cost £21

Review: John Frieda Weather Works Style Sealant Crème

I recently signed up with the Latest In Beauty website and one of my sample products this month was a sachet of John Frieda Weather Works Style Sealant Crème. I was impressed by how well it worked, especially taming the frizz caused by my temporary straighteners, and so I headed to Boots last Friday to buy the regular sized product. At £6.49, this is a little more than I would usually spend on a haircare product, but happily, Boots have an offer on at the moment allowing you to purchase two Weather Works products for £7.

The style sealant is designed for use on damp or towel dried hair and I find the best time to use it is when I have showered before going out somewhere (I usually take a shower before bed) and am styling my hair properly, rather than just drying it. The formula is not sticky and you cannot tell by touching your hair that you have used any product. I find that any frizz in my hair is calmed and reduced by using Weather Works. With the erratic weather conditions we now have in the UK I would definitely recommend trying out this product, especially whilst the two for £7 promotion is available at Boots.

Review: Trevor Sorbie Straightening Addict Products

I can’t remember why I started using Trevor Sorbie’s Straightening Addict shampoo and condition. Possibly because they were available in a ‘take away’ small size in Boots one summer and I decided that was a good size to buy to try out a new shampoo. I have been using the shampoo and conditioner on and off for the last few years. I say ‘on and off’ because I am lazy and of the original ‘Wash & Go’ advert mentality (“Use shampoo AND conditioner? Take TWO bottles into the shower?”) and when my hair is long I prefer a 2 in 1 product for speed and convenience. (Also, our shower is not the most powerful thing in the world and so it takes ages to rinse my hair.)

However, now that my hair is much shorter I have been using Trevor Sorbie again this week. I always do this after a haircut, vow to use a shampoo with a heat protector to keep my hair in good condition, and then after about 2 days the laziness kicks in and it’s back to the 2 in 1. This week though I’ve kept it up, and have even added the straight and flatten styling spray to my routine for extra protection against my straighteners. My hair is definitely easier to rinse now that its shorter and I’m sure it will benefit from the use of a product containing heat protection, especially as I am a slave to my hair dryer and straighteners.

Boots currently have 3 for 2 on professional haircare miniatures and so if you want to try these products out, now would be a great time to do so.

Outfit: Thursday

It is forecast to be warm and sunny again today but at the moment? Not so much. It’s overcast and was trying to rain when I arrived at the office. However, yesterday started off dull and improved so perhaps today will do too.

Brown linen jacket – Dorothy Perkins
Brown city shorts – H&M
White tank – Topshop
Turquoise shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise & silver bangles – Oxfam
Turquoise flower – Primark

Total Est. Cost £55.25

Outfit: Wednesday Night Out With The Girls

I headed to Harrogate last night for a meal with some of the girls from my old choir. It was lovely to catch up with everyone and it was lovely that it was a warm summer evening for once. We sat outside for a drink in the sunshine before we ate. I ended up not needing the cardi I had taken.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue & white top – New Look
Dark jeans – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Turquoise & silver bangles – Oxfam
Earrings – Claire’s

Total Est. Cost £38.50

Outfit: Supposed To Be Sunny Wednesday

The weather forecast for today was for sunshine and 24 degrees. Looks like the BBC were wrong again. It’s overcast but fairly warm. However, I’ve added my grey cashmere cardi to my outfit, fastened up to look like a shrug.

Pink, white, black & grey top – M&Co (eBay)
Grey jeans – Gap
Pink shoes – Faith
Grey cardi/shrug (not pictured) – Marks & Spencer (eBay)
Pink necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £66

Review: BaByliss Pro 210 Ceramic Worldwide Hair Straighteners

Following the dramatic demise of my GHDs last month, I am still waiting for the young man to see whether he can fix them. In the meantime I have borrowed my sister’s spare pair (she bought a multi-region/voltage pair before a trip to the US earlier in the year). They are BaByliss Pro 210 Ceramic Worldwide ones. Having been spoilt with my GHDs for the past 6 or so years, I was fully expecting these not to live up to my expectations and guess what? They don’t! However, for a cheaper pair of straighteners they are not at all bad. They have ceramic coated plates and if used slowly, they are pretty good. There is a tendency for my hair to go a bit static from using these straighteners but this is vastly improved by using some kind of product on it – currently I am alternating John Frieda’s Weather Works and Trevor Sorbie’s Straightening Addict styling spray. The BaByliss straighteners take longer to heat up than I’m used to, but then what other brand beats the 7 second heating time of GHDs? I am desperate to get my GHDs back but in the meantime these are a viable alternative for a lower priced pair, especially if you plan on visiting the US. I know I’ll be taking these to New York with me in October.

Outfit: Tuesday

The weather forecast can’t make up its mind for today – so it could be rainy or it could be sunny. I’m hedging my bets with a short sleeve dress and leggings, just in case it does rain.

Blue & black dress – Dorothy Perkins
Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Black leggings – Long Tall Sally
Black shoes – Priceless Shoes
Blue & silver bangles – Oxfam
Blue heart necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £40

Outfit: Monday Evening

Last night was the last choir practice until September. We have had to move churches for the practice venue as the one we usually rehearse in is being refurbished. We are in a much more modern church at present and consequently it is far warmer.
My poor feet were aching after I took a walk to the Post Office at dinnertime and what better to put on aching feet than shoes which feel like slippers.
This yellow belt is my current favourite accessory.

Grey sweater dress – Oasis
White cami – Topshop
Jeans – Gap
Yellow shoes – Cherokee at Tesco
Yellow belt – charity shop

Total Est. Cost £51

Note To Self

Do not attempt to walk to the post office in 4” wedges; it will hurt your feet.

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing a belt on my jeans
…reading ‘The WAG’s Diary’ by Alison Kervin
…watching whatever I want to at the weekend – the young man is away on a stag do
…listening to ABBA songs
…eating custard
…shopping for no more clothes or shoes until I go to New York in October

Outfit: Sunny Monday

It’s lovely out today – blue sky & sunshine to I’m wearing yellow accessories to match. It’s usually cold in the office though so I’ve added a sweater, just in case. I love this white blouse because it has super long sleeved. They’re supposed to fold back with the cuff links but unfolded they are the perfect length for me. That’s the kind of detailing you have to look for when you’re tall – cuff that will unfold and turn ups on trousers that can be let down to give extra length.

Teal cotton rib sweater – Gap
White blouse – Next
Jeans – Gap (embroidery by me)
Yellow wedges – Priceless Shoes
Yellow belt (on jeans) – charity shop
Heart necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £73.50

Outfit: Sunday

This morning I was teaching a Sunday school class at my old church, filling in for the lady I used to help out as she is on holiday. I had 3 adorable children. When asked how old she was, one of the little girls said she thought she was 3 but she’d have to check with her mum as she wasn’t sure. The young man & I then joined my sister and brother in law for lunch at my parent’s.

Black wrap top – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White top – Tall Girls
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins
Black shoes – Dolcis
Black leather Versace Jeans Couture belt (on jeans) – Leather shop in Crete

Total Est. Cost £55.50

Outfit: Saturday Night Pizza

Last night the gang from the local drama group gathered at someone’s house for pizza. It was delicious but huge – two slices and I was full. We had a good laugh though, just a nice relaxed evening.

Grey top – Topshop (eBay)
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins
Red shoes – Next
Red belt – Next
Red beads – eBay

Total Est. Cost £43

Outfit: Saturday

I’ve just been pottering about the house today, doing some housework and two loads of washing. I also popped out to buy new batteries for my Gameboy (I’m so retro!) and went looking for a yellow belt in the charity shops. I’m pleased to report that I found one for £1.59 and I’m wearing that now too, for a bit of colour.

Black top – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Yellow belt – charity shop
Black flats – Priceless Shoes

Total Est. Cost £65.50

Friday Afternoon Hair Cut

After work yesterday I headed to my hometown to get my hair done. It’s a bit shorter than I’d envisaged, but I love it. This is how it looked last night and this is it this morning having slept on it.

I told my hairdresser my tale of woe about my GHDs blowing up and she must have taken pity on my as she used her straightners on me which she never usually does, she usually just blow dries it straight.

Book Meme

I just found this on Antonia’s blog and since I got interviewed as a reader a few weeks back, I thought I’d give this a go. It’s a list of the ‘Greatest Ever Novels’ and you’re meant to:
Look at the list and:
1) Bold those you have read.
2) Italicise those you intend to read.
3) [Bracket] the books you LOVE.
4) Reprint this list on your own blog.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2.The Lord of The Rings - JRR Tolkein
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 [Harry Potter series - JK Rowling]
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible (well, bits of it)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott (I’ve read part of it and intend to finish it at some point) 12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch-22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 [The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald]
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis (is that not just the Chronicles of Narnia?)
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie-the-Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 MISSING
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 MISSING
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 [The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon]
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 [Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding]
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby-Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 [Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson]
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - A. S. Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 [The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton]
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare – I saw the play, does that count?
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

eBay Bargain: Black Wrap Top

This is the top I’m wearing today. I had to run down to the Post Office to pick it up on Wednesday afternoon, as it had come recorded delivery so could not be left at my house without a signature. Whilst I appreciate that it is annoying for eBay sellers to have things go missing in the post, it is equally annoying for buyers to have to pick up a package (that would have fit through my letterbox) because it needed a signature.

However, the top is lovely and can either be worn as a wrap tied at the back as I have it today, or it can be scrunched up a bit and worn as a tie shrug with long ties down the front, as the picture above shows. It is made of silk and viscose so is cosy when I’m in the office with the windows open, and because it is Long Tall Sally, the sleeves are lovely and long for me. It cost £9.50 which is not as bargainous as some of my eBay finds, but Long Tall Sally items tend to sell for around this kind of price. It is still a bargain though as this top would have been about £40 new.

Tobi

Yesterday I received an email newsletter from Lucky magazine. They have a definitive guide to buying denim online on their website at the moment. It’s all US sites but the one that caught my eye was Tobi. They stock a huge range of branded denim, organised by brand or by style. The best part about the site though is that they give you full measurement information about each pair, and they tell you how tall the model is wearing the jeans and what size she is (pretty tiny mostly!). Some of the lengths are great – check out J Brand for a 35” inseam and Grey Ant for a 36” inseam. Shipping to the UK is not cheap, it’s a flat rate of $29 for all international shipping, but at least the service is offered. And with US prices being cheaper anyway, and some of the items on the site being on sale, perhaps you won’t mind paying a little extra for the cost of shipping.

Outfit: Casual Friday

I’m mixing black and brown today, and layering in case it’s not so warm again today. I have the busiest day coming up: work, then the hairdressers, then tea with my parents, then youth work, then on to meet the young man at a party with one of his work colleagues. So my outfits today need to be adaptable. I have a change of clothes with me for this evening but I will keep the boots on for my youth work and switch to heels for the party afterwards.

Black wrap top – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
White long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Jeans – Gap
Cowboy boots – New Look
Brown leather belt (on jeans, not seen) – CK Jeans (leather shop in Crete)

Total Est. Cost £88.50

Cold Feet

I think I have found the key to staying warm in the office (yes, I know it’s July but I am cold all the time, all year round. And also: it's raining). Yesterday I wore boots and was toasty warm, despite being in a ¾ sleeve cardi. Today I have bare feet in my shoes and even thought my top is made of (fine) wool, I have been cold all morning. So perhaps I should stick to boots and socks until the sun comes out again.

Outfit: Rainy Thursday

It’s forecast to be cool and wet today, and that’s about right. I even put the heater on in my car this morning because I was cold!

Pink faux wrap top – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Turquoise cami – Dorothy Perkins
Dark jeans – Dorothy PerkinsPink shoes – Faith
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £51.75

Outfit: Cowboy Boots

I’m wearing my new cowboy boots for the first time today. The aim is to break them in so they will be really comfy for walking around New York in come October. Plus it looked like it might rain today so boots seemed like a good call.

Brown & pink dress – charity shop
Pink cardi/shrug – Gharani Strok (charity shop)
White t – Tall Girls
Jeans – Gap
Brown boots – New Look

Total Est. Cost £54

Why?

Why is the weather doing this to me? It’s been bright and sunny all morning and then 10 minutes before I want to go out to the post office, It starts drizzling. Not proper rain, but that fine Yorkshire mist-like drizzle that will soak you to the bone before you know where you are.

Also: why does it take Royal Mail 2 days to return my item to the sorting office so I can collect it? And why can I have it delivered to an alternative address in my postcode area for free, but to have it delivered to the Post Office, in my postcode area, will cost me 50p? Logic Royal Mail?

Outfit: Blue Tuesday

Today is St Swithun’s Day so fingers crossed it will stay dry. Otherwise it’s 40 days of rain for the rest of the summer.
My sister told me my dad was worried I’d shunned blue as my favourite in favour of the yellow I was wearing when I saw him on Friday. Well fret not dear father, the blue is back today. I can even see some blue sky amongst the clouds.

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue & white dress – New Look
White tank – Topshop
Blue patent shoes – New Look

Total Est. Cost £26

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing jeans
…reading Company & Cosmopolitan magazines
…watching Mamma Mia the Movie
…listening to ‘Galore’ – Kirsty MacColl’s Greatest Hits album
…eating strawberry cheesecake
…shopping for no more clothes or shoes until I go to New York in October

Outfit: New Jeans Part 3

The third and final pair of new jeans gets its first outing today. I am all leg today. Even with one of my highest pairs of heels, these jeans are still dragging on the floor meaning they are around a 38” or 39” leg, and not the 34” they purport to be. I had to add the shrug as I was cold in this office all last week. Hopefully it will warm up later on.

Brown shrug – Marks & Spencer (charity shop)
White t – New Look
Blue jeans – Gap
Brown shoes – New Look (eBay)
Brown belt – Dorothy Perkins
Brown necklace – Scope
Brown & silver bangles – Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £22

Outfit: Sunday Night Pub

We headed up to the local pub last night to meet some friends for a couple of drinks and a game of pool. It was a lovely warm evening, perfect for walking there and back.

Black tank – Cherokee at Tesco
Jeans – Gap
Silver belt – Primark
Black flats – Priceless Shoes
Red beads – eBay
Silver bangles – Scope

Total Est. Cost £58

Outfit: Church On Sunday

I wasn’t sure how warm it would be out this morning and the church is often chilly anyway, so I put a sweater on just in case. It was lovely & sunny out so much warmer than forecast, but I was just right in church. I’ve changed into cropped jeans and a t shirt now.
I’m not sure if you can make out my new ‘statement’ earrings on this picture. I got them yesterday for £3 in Claire’s. They are silver and very long, with little blue stones in them. This is the first outing for my new jeans too.

Blue sweater – Long Tall Sally
Dark jeans – Dorothy Perkins
Leopard print shoes – New Look (eBay)

Total Est. Cost £43

Boots Update

The DM boots arrived but they are too tight so I’m sending them back. This afternoon in Harrogate I got these cowboy style boot instead. They are from New Look and are a darker colour than the ones pictured, but that colour has disappeared off the website for some reason.

Outfit: Saturday

I went over to see my sister today and we ended up doing a little shopping in Harrogate. For some reason I had it in my head that these jeans didn't fit, but when I tried them on the other night, they did fit. Result!

Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Grey tank – Cherokee at Tesco
Jeans – Topshop

Total Est. Cost £48

Outfit: Friday Night

This was my penultimate Friday night of doing youth work. I have loved running the youth club at my church but after 12 years I’m packing it in. Since I moved house last year I now live at the other side of the city and am looking forward to reclaiming my Friday evenings.

Brown shrug – Marks & Spencer (charity shop)
Turquoise dress – charity shop
Jeans – Gap
Mustard flats – Cherokee at Tesco

Total Est. Cost £23

A New Way For An Old Cardi

Bored of wearing your old cardi in the same old way? Turn it into a shrug in seconds – no cutting or sewing required! I’ll let the fabulous Rostitchery explain her genius idea. I tried it with a couple of cardis last night and it works perfectly.

Jewellery Sale at Dorothy Perkins

There are some fantastic jewellery bargains to be had at Dorothy Perkins right now. When I was there yesterday they had 2 stands of jewellery and hair accessories with 75% off. I got the turquoise necklace I have on today for £2.25 (it's far brighter than this picture makes it look) and some huge (they are massive) silver coloured hoop earrings for £1.25. I will be wearing those this evening if my ears can take the weight!

Outfit: Dull Friday

It’s grey & dull outside so what else is a girl to do but wear something bright in contrast? Second outing for this dress in a week, but at two different offices so only I (and all of you readers of course!) will know that it’s a repeat. These are one of the pairs of jeans I got last night, and as you can see, there is no way they are a 34” leg. If they were, they’d be hovering somewhere around my ankles right now! Can I just say, I love these jeans. They are so soft and they fit perfectly. There is no muffin top created by them which makes me fell better about myself than some pairs of jeans make me feel and they have a little stretch to them so I know they will be comfy all day.

Mustard yellow dress – Primark (charity shop)
White cami – Topshop
Grey jeans – Gap
Mustard wedges – Priceless Shoes

Black belt - ASOS
Turquoise necklace – Dorothy Perkins
Turquoise & silver bangles – Oxfam

Total Est. Cost £26.75

Gap, You Are Briefly Forgiven

There is a Gap next door to the Dorothy Perkins that is on my way home from work. For some reason I went in there as I was passing (it may have been the ‘75% OFF’ signs in the window that did it!). I haven’t been in there for a while due to factors I have written about before such as the thin poor quality of the tops and the fact that they’ve stopped selling Long & Lean jeans in a 36” leg. The sale rack of jeans was just in the doorway and so I thought I’d flick through and see whether there were any jeans suitable for flat shoes at a bargain price. I didn’t find any, but what I did find was 2 pairs of high waisted jeans (the style pictured), marked as a 34” leg but that looked a lot longer than that. I tried them on and lo and behold, they are closer to 36” or 37”. As they were £7.99 each, I snapped up both pairs, one in light grey and one in a mid blue (not faded as the picture shows). Yes high waists are on the way out but as the fabulous Winona’s friend Lyndsey says, “if you don’t tuck in your shirt, they’re just a girdle”. And I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do with grey jeans.
Now I just have to bring myself to throw out my former favourite pair.

Replacement Jeans

Caroline left a comment on my ripped jeans post about how Dorothy Perkins make the best jeans and I wasn’t sure I agreed with her really. I was only going there because there is one on my way home and they have Tall jeans. But I may be revising my opinion now as I got some lovely dark skinny flares (if that’s possible!). They are long, they fit at the top, and best of all, they were just £15!
(No picture due to the stupid flash website.)

Why I Love: Bargain Hunter Blogs

I try to be a bargain queen but Serendipity Sarah of Smashingly Serendipitous takes it to the extreme by not buying anything that costs over $10 (£5). I’m not sure that it would be possible to do that here. Perhaps if I was a normal size and thrifted everything, I would be able to do it, but being tall, I like my clothes to fit properly and that means buying from the specialist ranges. Plus many charity shops will sell items for over a fiver these days. I think that in the US items go on clearance for a lot lower prices than they do over here too. Or usually anything that is super-reduced in price is just tat.

Fab Finds Under $50 is a more achievable idea in my opinion. Kimberly tries not to spend more than $50 (£25) on an item, although she does own a few bags that cost more than that I believe. This is definitely doable in the UK, as there are many items available new for under £25, as well as what can be found in the charity shops.

Generally though, I am in awe that these ladies can look so stylish adhering to such strict rules. Keep it up ladies, you look great!

Outfit: Cheap As Chips Thursday!

I think this outfit will come in at a pretty cheap overall cost. The top was bought on eBay for about £1.30 and just arrived yesterday. It’s so nice coming home to exciting post. The jeans are from a charity shop. They had turn-ups when I bought them and that’s the kind of thing you need to look for when thrifting if you are as tall as me: sleeves or legs that have cuffs that can be easily unpicked to add extra length. The jeans are high waisted and have no pockets at all, making them less than flattering to wear alone. However, under a tunic top like this one they are perfect because they have a clean line. I was unsure on a choice of shoe today since rain is forecast. But it was sunny when I left the house so I went for this grey pair as I don’t have to walk far outside today if it does rain.

Black shrug – unknown (possibly MK One)
Pink, black, white & grey top – M & Co (eBay)
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Grey faux suede shoes – New Look (charity shop)
Pink necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £20

Wardrobe Malfunction!

This morning I put on my favourite pair of Gap Long and Lean jeans. I bent over to put on my socks and the jeans ripped, right across the back of the leg. Not 30 seconds beforehand I’d been marvelling at how they had fastened up easier than the last time I wore them so I’m putting the tear down to age and wear. Reassuringly, the other leg also got a hole in it with minimal poking from me once I’d taken them off. So the problem was definitely age and wear thinning the fabric, along with the blasting that was part of the manufacturing process to get the faded look on the legs. Annoyingly, Gap no longer stock their long and lean jeans in a 36” leg in this country, so I am unable to replace them. I do however need a pair of everyday dark denim jeans – the other dark pair I have are super dark and I want to keep them that way through minimal wearing and washing. That means it’s off to Dorothy Perkins tomorrow to see whether they have anything suitable in their Tall section.
So what can we learn from this? Blasting on denim weakens the fabric, and always put your socks on before your jeans.

Outfit: Pink & Yellow Wednesday

Well, I think summer is over and autumn is here. It’s supposed to be a maximum of 15 degrees C today and rainy. Having spent all day on Monday feeling cold, I’ve gone for a sweater today. And even with my jacket on, I’m still chilly.
The scarf is so old I don’t know where it came from, possibly the market in my hometown. The jacket has orangey-yellow threads in it so that ties together with the shoes quite nicely.

Pink jacket – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Black sweater – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Mustard wedge shoes – Priceless Shoes
Green & yellow scarf – market stall
Pink flower – Primark

Total Est. Cost £44

Outfit: More Mustard

I think I have a new favourite colour! No, I could never replace blue, but I am going to try not to wear it this week as I am aware I tend to overdo it with the blue at times. This skirt matches my pink coat I have been wearing all summer but I am not wearing the coat today as I didn’t want to be in a christening kind of suit for work really. My new Tesco shoes are so comfy, it’s like I’ve got my slippers on. The soles are soft and squishy, I love them. I couldn’t decide whether to wear a jacket or this sweater today, but decided the jacket didn’t look quite right. Plus I was cold all of yesterday and I don’t think it’s to be that warm today (and the chap across the room has the window open already), so the cashmere it was.

Grey cashmere cardi – Marks & Spencer (eBay)
White t – New Look
Pink skirt – Jeff Banks (Debenhams)
Mustard shoes – Cherokee at Tesco
Pink necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £87

Reading Interview

I was recently interviewed by Inge over at Plankje Ongeregeld about my reading habits. You can see the interview here (don’t worry, it’s in English!).

Outfit: Monday Evening

Choir practice in the cold church. Yes it’s July but I still knew it would be chilly in the church, hence the sweater dress. I don’t wear this belt much, it’s a bit faffy to tie and untie, especially when it’s on your jeans. It works better over a dress. It was still raining out and so the boots remained. The book I am reading, ‘Late Night Shopping’, starts each chapter with a list of what one character is wearing, and give the total estimated cost of the ensemble. I like to be known that I am a bit of a bargain queen so I think I’ll start doing that and see how low I can get the total cost.

Black sweater dress – New Look (charity shop)
White cami – Dorothy Perkins
Jeans – Gap
Tan boots – Faith
Tan leather belt – Accessorize

Total Est. Cost £65.50

Cloggs Review

I finally went ahead and ordered these boots on Sunday night. I have been after them for about 2 years now so I think I’ve waited long enough. I found a £5 discount code online for Cloggs and as that was where they were selling cheapest anyway, that’s where I ordered them from. I am very impressed with the service. For a start, standard delivery to the UK is free! All websites should offer this service. It’s a fantastic way to make your customers smile, believe me. By 11.20am on Monday morning, my order status had been updated to show it was ready to be picked and packed. I love sites where you can track your order online, it helps me with my impatience to get my goods.

At 3.32pm on Monday I received an email telling me that my parcel has been dispatched. Now that’s what I call service! Unfortunately, I am unlikely to get my hands on the boots as they are shipping to my work address and I am not back there until Friday. Unless by some miracle they arrive before 3.30pm today, but things generally have a habit of being delivered for me there on a Wednesday. Actually, I’ve just received an email from Parcelforce and according to their online tracking service (gotta love it!), the delivery date is Wednesday.

Top Tights Tip

I was watching Gok’s Fashion Fix on Thursday and he gave out the following tip whilst dressing one of his models: To make coloured tights brighter, put a white pair underneath. Clearly it’s far too warm for two pairs of tights at the moment, but come Autumn, I will definitely give this a go (I have cream tights rather than white, but that should work too, right?).

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing my new shoes!
…reading ‘Late Night Shopper’ by Carmen Reid (sequel to ‘The Personal Shopper’ that I read a couple of months back and loved)
…watching Top Gear & Mary Queen of Shops on the iplayer
…listening to my missing CDs, if the young man gets them out of the loft for me
…eating at home a bit more than we have of late
…shopping for nothing else on eBay. If I can be strong enough!

Outfit: Back To Work

Well my holiday is over until next time, so it’s back to work for me today. A little easier as I have a new dress to wear, the mustard one from Primark that I thrifted on Thursday. I am also using my new leather bag. I Googled it the other day and it is currently selling for AUS$90, about £44, so I got a real bargain!

In other news, my Priceless Shoes have arrived at the other office so I can pick them up tomorrow, fingers crossed they fit!

Mustard dress – Primark (charity shop)
White tank – Topshop
Skinny jeans – Gap
Tan boots – Faith
Tan leather bag – PierCarlo D’Alessio (charity shop)

Outfit: Sunday Evening

My sister and her hubby are coming over to play on the Wii, and then we are all going out for a meal.

Pink wrap top – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Jeans – Gap
Beige shoes – Faith
Pink jacket – Long Tall Sally (eBay)

Outfit: Sunday

I’ve cleaned the bathroom this morning and done some washing, which is about to go in the dryer. As it’s the last day of our week’s holiday I decided to forgo church and enjoy a last lie in this morning.

It’s raining out again so I’m not actually wearing these shoes right now, but if I should venture out later they’ll be what I put on. I would usually layer this t with a long sleeve top underneath but as I thought it might get warm again today I went with a tank instead.

Blue t – Levi’s (contest prize)
Black rib tank – Cherokee at Tesco
Jeans – Gap
Black flats – Priceless Shoes

Polyvore

I have signed up to Polyvore on the recommendation of various friends and it’s fab! I’ve uploaded a bunch of my pictures and am using it to plan some of my outfits. Here is my first attempt at using it:

eBay Bargain: Silver Shoes

Silver glitter shoes from New Look, just like the ones I was coveting the other week, only in a court style rather than a slingback (which is better for me, I’m not good with slingbacks), and for £7.10 rather than £20. Fabulous!

Outfit: Wet & Rainy Saturday

It was pouring with rain this morning so the only option footwear wise was boots. Of course, by the time I went out it was sunny so I was a bit warm. I gave my new leather handbag a good spritz with the water proofing spray and too that out with me too.

Blue top – Primark
Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Tan boots – Faith

Outfit: Lazy Friday

Not doing much today. I went into the village earlier to post some eBay sales, and now we are trying to decide whether to go somewhere or stay at home for the afternoon.

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Pink top – Primark (charity shop)
Jeans – Gap
Pink patent flats – Ethel Austin

eBay Bargain: Yellow Bag

£4.99

eBay Bargain: Pink Top

Long Tall Sally wool wrap top, £7.53.

New Shoes

Mustard flats, £5 in the sale in Tesco.

Charity Shop Bargains

I’ve not looked in my local charity shops for a while but I managed to bag some bargains this morning – literally. My best find has to be this leather bag. It is real leather, it is brand new (still had the protective bags around the handles and tape over the metal parts) and cost me just £3.59!

In the same shop I grabbed this pink Primark top. It’s the exact same top as the bright blue one I love so much and it was £2.59. Ironically, this is more than the blue one cost me new last summer.

Further up the street I snagged this mustard dress, also from Primark. This one is brand new as the tags were still attached and cost me £2.99.

Outfit: Thursday

Just a day hanging out at home and running errands. I took some things to the charity shop this morning and had a wander around the local high street.

Green t – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Pink patent flats – Ethel Austin
Pink necklace – Scope
Pink bangles – Accessorize

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing flat shoes for walking around
…reading Little Women
…watching Gok’s Fashion Fix
…listening to the radio in the day time
…eating out as we’re off work and out and about
…shopping on eBay

Outfit: Wednesday

This morning we drove from Leicester to Birmingham, and had a look round the Bull Ring and the city centre. My dad has been raving for years about the Dillons bookstore being in an old bank building and having wonderful architecture. I’m not sure we found the right place, but the Waterstones store on New Street looked like it could have been an old bank so we went in there. I’m not sure Dillons even exists anymore. The young man shopped up a storm, buying jeans and two sweaters (which is a lot for him in one go).

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
Red cami – New Look
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Silver flats – Faith
Teal heart necklace – Scope

Outfit: Holiday Tuesday

Monday night the young man and I were deciding what to do on Tuesday. I mooted the idea of a night away and the young man said he’d like to stay somewhere with a Jacuzzi in the room. A quick Google search turned up a hotel in Leicester with a Jacuzzi bath and four poster bed to boot. Perfect. So Tuesday morning we packed our bags and set off. We had a wander around Leicester in the afternoon and the young man checked out some hi-fi equipment in Richer Sounds.

Teal shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
White tank – Topshop
Jeans – Next (charity shop)
Teal heart necklace – Scope
Silver flats – Faith


We ate in the hotel restaurant in the evening, followed by drinks at the bar.

Turquoise cami – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Turquoise peep toes – New Look (charity shop)