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Friday, October 31, 2008

Outfit: Halloween







When I was a child I loved the Worst Witch books. There were 3 of them and I suppose it was a forerunner to Harry Potter as it was set in a boarding school for witches. The main character was Mildred Hubble and she was indeed the worst witch because all her spells would go wrong somehow. Since it’s Halloween I thought I would dress up this afternoon, for when the trick or treaters come around. I don’t have any hobnail boots (surprisingly!) so I thought these black shoes would suffice. The only trouble is, with the heels and the hat, I can’t actually fit through a doorway! I may have to switch the shoes for something lower later on.

Black dress – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – Asda
Black and purple stripe socks – Market stall?
Black patent shoes – Matalan
Black witch’s hat – Tesco
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £69.50



However, before all that, I’ve errands to run, eBay sales to post and my new boots to wear! So this is what I’m wearing to start with today.

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Denim skirt – Gap
Black tights – Asda
Chestnut suede boots – EMU Australia (On Shoes)
Beige cord cap – Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £54

Thursday, October 30, 2008

New Slippers


The freezing cold weather this week has made me long for some cosy new slippers and today I got some at Tesco. They cost me £7 and I am hoping they will keep me warm and toasty all winter long. The picture is terrible but they are pink and furry.

Review: On Shoes

The On Shoes website was recently brought to my attention. Although they have been operating since June 2005, I was yet to hear of them. They stock many styles of shoes and boots, most of which I would call ‘outdoorsy’. They also stock Hunter wellingtons. All of us have cause to go walking at some point, even if it’s just around the shops in a new city, and we don’t always want to wear heels. So how to have comfortable feet and yet still look stylish? On Shoes can help.

One of my top picks would be these Caterpillar Mardy Fur boots, retailing at £94.99.

They will be cosy for the winter and yet not look out of place tramping the city streets. Delivery is free to the UK and Northern Ireland, and if my experience is anything to go by, the service is impeccable. Although they state that it may take between 5 and 7 working days for your order to arrive, mine was dispatched yesterday and arrived today. I chose the EMU Australia Bronte Hi boots in Chestnut.

During this cold weather I have been having boot envy of other women in this popular style of boot and longing for my feet to be encased in sheepskin and just as cosy. And now they can be.

If you want something waterproof for walking, try the Merrell Oslo Waterproof boot for £124.99. They could also be handy should the snow return!

There is a showroom in Woolmer Green, by Knebworth so if you are in the Hertfordshire area, this could be an option for you. If not, I would highly recommend the online service.
On Shoes stocks shoes and boots for men and women, and carries the following brands:

Birkenstock)
Brasher
Bridgedale
Caterpillar
Crocs
Cushe
DC
Ecco Receptor
Emu Australia
Fitflops
Grisport
Hi-Tec
Hunter
Inov8
Merrell
Mizuno
New Balance
Orthaheel
Patagonia
Quiksilver
Roxy
Salomon
Sealskinz Socks
Simple
Skechers
Smartwool
Sorbothane
Sugar
Superfeet
Teko
Teva
Timberland
Vibram

Outfit: Thursday



It’s not quite as cold today – no frost, but it’s still definitely late autumn/early winter. However, as I want to try on slippers today I have eschewed boots and gone for flats instead.

Black waistcoat – Next Tall
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Gap
Leopard print flats – Priceless Shoes

Total Est. Cost £68.50

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Wanted: Faith Repul Blue Suede Boots


Aren’t these fabulous? Looks like I will be asking for £90 worth of Faith vouchers for Christmas, or hoping they going on sale to half price at least.

Outfit: Sweater Dress











I had forgotten just how warm this dress is. It may well be the warmest item of clothing I own. In fact, I might just live in it from now until March. It’s big enough to fit warm layers underneath and looks OK over jeans too so it’s the perfect winter garment.

Grey sweater dress – Tall Girls
Blue tights – Accessorize
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes
Silver belt – Primark

Total Est. Cost £63

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Outfit: Monday Evening Choir Practice






Another evening, another choir practice in a cold church. But when I arrived at the church (which has been closed for refurbishment work for the last few months) there was a new glass door and a new internal door and it was actually warm inside. What a lovely surprise.

Brown cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Tan Obi belt – ASOS
Tan boots – Faith

Total Est. Cost £152

Outfit: A Cold and Frosty Morning
















We had the first frost of the season this morning so more layering was necessary, and I added a hat for good measure. Did you know that you lose 40% of your body heat through your head?

Beige floral dress – Long Tall Sally (shortened)
Beige cashmere sweater – Benetton
White long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Skinny jeans – Gap
Brown boots – charity shop
Beige cord cap – Dorothy Perkins
Blue beads – Scope

Total Est. Cost £122

New Boots


I say new, but I got these back in about July or August and they have been languishing in my wardrobe waiting for an opportunity to wear them ever since. I also got them in a charity shop and so they were never ‘new’ as such in the first place. They were £10.99 which is more than I would usually pay in a charity shop but I once left some boots behind that I wasn’t sure about and have been kicking myself ever since. I figured I would buy these and if I didn’t end up wearing them I could always eBay them. But I decided to give them an outing today. They are leather and have a furry insole inside them so they are toasty for this cold day. They are a sort of red-brown colour and are very rugged looking. I think that’s what I like about them.

Review: Priceless Shoes Online Shopping & Free Shipping Code

I was very pleased to discover a couple of months back that Priceless Shoes now offer online shopping. It is always sensible for companies to offer this service as people may not live close to a store and so the customer base is immediately widened. I saw a couple of styles online that I liked and when I couldn’t find them in my local store I decided to purchase them online.
They website will tell you when you try to add a style to your basket whether or not it is available in the size you have selected, but it would be more helpful if a ‘not available’ message was displayed in the drop down size selection box. The website is easy to use and with most styles now available in a size 9 it certainly increases choice for us ladies with larger size feet.
The delivery charge is a very reasonable £3.50 for standard (up to 7 days) delivery and they are currently offering free delivery on orders over £30 using the code FREEDLP (UK mainland only). There is also the option for 3 day delivery for £5.50. The site will allow you to put in an alternative delivery address so you can have your shoes delivered to work. They use Parceline and Parcelnet meaning delivery will be between 9am and 6pm, so that ability to have packages delivered to your office is very useful.
My order arrived well within the timescale quoted and was very well packaged.
The shoes and boots offered by Priceless are very reasonably priced and I have found the styles that I own to be comfortable and look great. I would definitely recommend using the online service if you do not have a store close by.

Monday, October 27, 2008

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing something warm
…reading Bill Bryson’s ‘Neither Here Nor There’
…watching Sex And The City Season 4
…listening to CDs
…eating leftovers
…shopping for nothing

Outfit: Brown Dress
















It’s cold out today – I guess winter is properly setting in now that we’ve changed the clocks. So in order to keep wearing my dresses I need to layer up underneath. That means sweaters and thick tights.
There are a few pictures today because although I have had my phone for almost 2 years, I have just today discovered that the camera has alternative light settings and so I tried a few out.

Brown dress – eBay
Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Brown tights – Tesco
Brown cowboy boots – New Look

Total Est. Cost £64.20

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Outfit: Red & Grey Sunday



Busy day today! Went to church this morning, then to Tesco for petrol and some shopping, then to ASDA to pick up some photos. My parents are coming for tea so I’ve ironed the posh table cloth and set the table. I’ve made a fruit salad and I’m about to start on the lasagne.

Grey polo neck – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Red boots – Goszip (charity shop)
Red beads – Ethel Austin

Total Est. Cost £51

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Outfit: Black & Brown





I am actually cheating a little today. I’ve not been out anywhere as yet so have had no need for the boots, but if I do venture out, I will put these on. Cold again so plenty of layers!

Black long cardi – Next
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Gap
Tan obi belt – ASOS
Black & brown boots – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £117

Friday, October 24, 2008

Outfit: Browns


It’s freezing todayin my house, so I’ve wrapped up in a cosy cardi. I added brown leather gloves and a brown silk scarf when I headed into the village for groceries.

Brown cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Brown long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Jeans – Gap
Tan obi belt – ASOS
Brown cowboy boots – New Look

Total Est. Cost £112

Outfit: Choir Practice




Remember how I said I am always cold? Well in addition to the two sweaters you can see me wearing here, I also have another knitted tank top underneath the polo neck. I figured it would be warmer than just a regular cotton tank and I was right. Didn’t stop me being cold at church choir though. I added my coat and beret for good measure, and elbow length black gloves when I ventured outside.

Teal tank – Next
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Purple tank (not seen) – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Topshop Tall
Black boots – Tall Girls
Black beret – George at ASDA
Blue & black coat – Vila (Great Clothes)
Teal beads - Claire's

Total Est. Cost £183

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Review: Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion


I bought a bottle of this in the duty free shop at the airport in New York. I had been meaning to try it for a while and when I spotted the Urban Decay counter I thought this was the perfect opportunity to buy it for a lower price. And I have to say, it’s fantastic! I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it’s like a cream concealer that you put on your eyelids before you apply the shadow colour. It is supposed to prevent your colour from creasing and help it to stay put all day. It works brilliantly. I used it yesterday with a shawdow that usually fades quickly but it stayed put and the colour was strong all day. I would definitely recommend this product, available at Urban Decay counters in Boots and department stores.

Outfit: Knit Dress






I think late October is definitely the time to bring out knit dresses and sweater dresses. They are comfy, cosy and yet smart enough for work.

Teal knit dress – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – Silkies
Black & cream shoes – Next (charity shop)
Black obi belt – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £67

Outfit: New Shoes!



These leopard print flats arrived whilst I was in New York. I got them on eBay, for around £10.50. They are from Priceless Shoes and I was going to buy them in store a few weeks back but there largest size left was a 7 – too small for me! Fortunately eBay came up trumps with a size 9 and I was able to wear the shoes last night for the first rehearsal of the local drama group’s new production.

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Gap
Leopard flats – Priceless Shoes (eBay)
Silver hoop earrings – Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £52.50

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Work That Wardrobe

For those of you who have yet to discover this wonderful blog, Jane is going a whole year without buying any new clothes or shoes. She is, however, allowed to buy from eBay with any money she makes selling items from her own wardrobe – a sort of wardrobe swap (or ‘Swishing’ as Twiggy calls it on her TV show).

I have decided that for the remainer of 2008 I will follow this same principle and attempt not to buy any new clothes or shoes. If I want to buy anything from eBay I must first sell something to raise the money. There is not much that I want to part with presently so this could prove something of a challenge for me!

My Readers: An International Bunch

Every so often I like to go through the stat counter on my blog and see where my last 100 readers hailed from. And iit’s a diverse list!

46 Americans
3 Canadians
2 Irish
1 Slovakian
29 British
2 Italians
1 South African
2 Chinese
1 German
1 Philippino
1 Romanian
1 Spaniard
2 Austrians
1 Kenyan
1 Mongolian
1 Chilean
1 New Zealander
1 Swiss
1 Belgian

There were also 2 unknowns. And for once, that totals 100!
Please feel free to leave a comment and say hello if one of these could be you.

Awarded Again!


I was tagged for an ‘I Love Your Blog’ Award for a second time by April at Penny Pinching Princess. She said the nicest thing about me:
“This girl can mix and match colors you didn't even know existed! She always look great even with the challenge of dressing her long lean body :O)”

Thanks April!

Outfit: Chilly Wednesday




Still one of my favourite dresses, I can’t believe that this only cost me 99p! I’ve paired it with thick tights and a sweater underneath today for warmth, and I’m feeling pretty cosy so far.

Green/teal dress – Florence + Fred at Tesco (charity shop)
Grey polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Purple tights – Accessorize
Green suede boots – River Island
Green necklace – Primark

Total Est. Cost £52

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Honest Blogger Award

Caroline of Secondhand Shopper awarded me an Honest Blogger Award. Two awards in one week, clearly I should go away more often!

Here are the rules of what to do with this award, and then the list of 10 honest things about me.

“When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back.
Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.
Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Weblog’.
Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).
List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. And then, pass it on.”


Elisabeth of Wine Glass Logistics
Carrie of Candidly Carrie Lea
Jane of Work That Wardrobe
Winona of Daddy Likey
Helen of Diary of an Untidy Mind
Kimberly of Fab Finds Under $50
Boutique Girl of Things A Boutique Owner Sees



1. I cannot count. I have just managed to count up 2 dates in a spreadsheet and put in 3 as the total. And when I ran the youth club tuck shop on a Friday night, I really struggled to give change from £1. Seriously.
2.I didn’t like ice cream as a child because it was too cold. For some reason I would eat ice lollies though, which were presumably just as cold.
3. I buy magazines each month and when I’m done reading them, I cut out pictures I like and stick them all in an A4 notebook for outfit inspiration. The young man thinks I’m crazy…
4. I never used to cry. Now I cry all the time, over the silliest things. Don’t ask me why.
5. I used to dislike having my picture taken, but since having this blog and taking it voluntarily most days, I have learned to be happy with the way I look and I think I photograph OK most of the time.
6. I am a punctuation fiend. I have been known to not enter a shop because it’s badly punctuated. Misplaced apostrophes are my biggest bug bears and I swear, one day I will become like Lynne Truss (author of ‘Eats, Shoots and Leaves’) and will carry a marker pen around to correct errors.
7. I am addicted to ‘Sex And The City’. Yes I know it finished about 4 years ago now but in the interim between the end of Season 6 and the movie, I have watched my boxset DVDs over and over. In fact, season 5 is in my DVD player right now…
8. I will always drink tea.
9. I can’t remember anything. I have to make lists of things to do or I will forget, instantly. For instance, I have no idea what we did each day last week in New York and will need to do through my mementos of tickets etc in order to write a blog post about it.
10. I am cold all the time, yet I love the snow. In fact, I love Autumn and Winter altogether. Bizarre, huh? For me, there are two kinds of perfect winter day. The first is cold and crisp with blue sky and sunshine. The second is snow. And I don’t mean the pathetic excuse for snow that we get in the UK nowadays. I mean the stuff of Christmas cards, American movies, and my childhood. We used to get awesome snow when I was a child. School would be closed and we would get to stay home and play out in the snow. Now, it’s a fine dusting if we’re lucky and it’s all gone by lunchtime.

I Love Your Blog Award


I was awarded an ‘I Love Your Blog’ Award by the lovely Boutique Girl!


Now I have to award it to 7 other people and the rules are as follows:
1. The nominated is allowed to put the picture on their blogs.

2. Link to the person who awarded you.

3. Nominate seven other people and link to them.

4. Leave a message on those people's blog to make them aware that they're nominated.


I choose:

Bec of World of Bec
Amber of Forever Amber
Londyn of Blog Fashion
Allie of My Wardrobe Today
Spiragirl of School Gate Chic
Caroline of Secondhand Shopper
Kasmira of What I Wore Today

(I would have also chosen Boutique Girl too had she not already been awarded it!)

Outfit: Back to Work


I’m back at work today and did not want to get up this morning. I could hear the rain on the window and I wished I was still in the sunshine of New York. The rain had stopped by the time I left the house and it promises to be a fine day, if a little chilly. Autumn has arrived properly now and it’s time to break out the warmer dresses and thicker tights I think.

Black & cream wrap dress – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Black cardi – Long Tall Sally
Black obi belt – ASOS
Red tights – New Look
Black boots – ASOS
Black heart necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £81

Outfit: Last Friday



I realised I have one outfit shot from my holiday. It was from Friday when we went for a walk around Greenwich Village and visited Century 21 which was very crowded.

Black wrap top – Long Tall Sally
White long sleeve t – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Brown cowboy boots – New Look
Leopard print scarf – Ethel Austin

Total Est. Cost £93

Monday, October 20, 2008

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing heels
…reading US In Style, Glamour & Lucky
…watching British TV
…listening to my beloved Radio 2
…eating at home
…shopping for nothing (but possibly browsing eBay)

I’m Back!

I have had the BEST time in NY! I didn’t get any outfit shots this week, but there are trip photos to follow when the young man uploads them from his camera.

Monday, October 13, 2008

New York!

I am going to New York tomorrow and will therefore not be posting again until Monday 20th or Tuesday 21st. In the meantime, please enjoy the archives and have a great week!

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing comfortable footwear
…reading US magazines bought in the US
…watching whatever channels are available in the hotel
…listening to New York radio
…eating out
…shopping on 5th Avenue!

Outfit: Monday



We have been to collect our dollars and print off our boarding passes this morning, and this afternoon will be spent packing and getting anything else we have forgotten.

Grey t – Topshop Tall (eBay)
Jeans – Gap
Red boots – Nine West (Century 21)
Red beads – eBay
Red bangles – Primark

Total Est. Cost £58

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Outfit: Sunday




It was Harvest Festival at church this morning so I was singing with the choir. This afternoon I just changed into a pair of jeans and will add some heels to go to the young man’s parents’ house for tea.

Black polo neck – Long Tall Sally
Teal skirt – H&M
Teal tights – Accessorize
Black boots – New Look (eBay)
Teal & silver bangles – Accessorize

Total Est. Cost £56

Outfit: Saturday Night


First off, apologies for the terrible photo! I didn’t have time to take one before we left so had to grab a quick shot in the bathroom at the hotel. We went to the young man’s godfather’s silver wedding party. It was a great night with various members of the young man’s family; his godfather is related as a second cousin or something.

Black shrug – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Teal top – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Silver shoes – New Look (eBay)
Teal necklace – Scope
Teal & silver bangles – Accessorize

Total Est. Cost £44

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Outfit: Saturday



The young man and I walked into the village this morning. He needed to post an eBay sale and I wanted to buy leeks to make leek and potato soup for dinner.

Grey sweater – Ethel Austin
Red cami – New Look
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins
Grey boots – Ethel Austin
Red belt – Next
Red bangles – Primark

Total Est. Cost £24

Friday, October 10, 2008

Wanted: Memma Boots By Faith


I’ve just spotted these Faith boots on Shoewawa. Amber, who blogged about them, reckons it will take a brave woman to wear these as they are a little too Pretty Woman. However, being so tall I think they will be more over-the-knee than thigh-high on me, so here’s hoping they don’t sell and are heavily reduced come the next sale! If you want them now they are £140 and are also available in white.

Outfit: Casual Friday



Last day of work before a week off! I am in New York next week so there will be no posts from Tuesday to Sunday. I have a little running around to do at dinnertime – my friend has very kindly offered to lend me her suitcase to save me buying a new one so I need to collect that from her today.

Brown cardi – Luxuriously Tall
White long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Denim skirt – Topshop Tall (refashioned from jeans)
Brown tights - ?
Brown cowboy boots – New Look
Tan Obi belt – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £67

Outfit: Choir Practice



I went to choir practice at church last night. It’s Harvest Festival on Sunday so we were mostly practising/learning hymns for that, but there was still time for a couple of Christmas carols too.

Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Topshop Tall
Brown boots – New Look (eBay)

Total Est. Cost £48

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Meme

I’ve been tagged by Things A Boutique Owner Sees to do the latest meme that’s doing the rounds. So here goes!

1. Clothes Shop – I think it has to be New Look. Their Tall things are great and affordable, and the shoes are to die for!


2. Furniture Shop – got to be IKEA. It’s cheap, cheerful, and just up the road so I can walk there and not have to worry about the nightmare that is the car park.
3. Sweet – Galaxy chocolate and Maltesers. Depending on whether I’m in the mood for solid chocolate or sweeties.
4. City – Leeds, UK. It’s been my home most of my life, it has all the shops I need and it has some beautiful architecture (being in the North of England it wasn’t really bombed in the war).


5. Drink – I don’t really drink alcohol, my drink of choice is either tea or water. But I’ll have the odd cocktail occasionally.
6. Music – You can’t beat a bit of Abba or Billy Joel.
7. TV Series – Sex & The City, Friends, Ugly Betty, Flying Doctors (Aussie soap from the 1980s).

8. Film – New favourites are Mamma Mia and the SATC movie. Old classic favourites are Dirty Dancing, Grease, Love Story. I’m a sucker for a good chick flick.
9. Workout – Shopping is my cardio! Well, sometimes. The young man & I will often go for a walk on a weekend too.
10. Pastries – I would usually pick a vanilla slice or caramel shortbread.
11. Coffee – I don’t drink coffee at all. I’d like to, it smells delicious, but I just can’t stand the taste. So it’s a cup of tea for me, no milk, no sugar.

Outfit: 1970s Thursday





I love this dress! It’s got a very 70s vibe to it I think. I initially put it over a polo neck sweater which looked fine but I decided to save that look for the depths of winter and go with something a little lighter whilst it is still autumn and fairly warm during the day.

Brown pattern dress – eBay
Brown shrug – Ann Taylor Loft (charity shop)
White t – New Look Tall
Brown tights – Dorothy Perkins
Brown boots – New Look (eBay)

Total Est. Cost £21

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

eBay Bargain: Brown Print Dress


This cost me just £3.20 and arrived today. It looks much better on as you will see when I wear it tomorrow.

Miranda Dress at Next



Fancy channelling your inner Miranda Hobbes? Well get yourself this dress I spotted in the new Next Directory today and you can! It’s very similar to the one Miranda wore in the Sex And The City Movie in the scene where Carrie tells Charlotte and Miranda about the ‘Heaven of Fifth’ apartment she & Big are moving to. You can buy this dress for £38 at Next.

Outfit: New Dress!





I’m wearing the eBay bargain dress today. I know it looks better without the shrug/cardi but the office is never warm in the mornings. I’ll discard it as soon as I can. I don’t know where the dress is from originally as the label had been removed.

Pink pattern dress – eBay
Black leggings – Long Tall Sally
Silver scarf - Gift
Grey tank (under dress) - Cherokee @ Tesco
Black shrug/cardi – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Black over the knee boots – Priceless Shoes
Black heart necklace - Scope
Total Est. Cost £51

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Charity Shop Bargain: Grey Top



Ethel Austin top, £3.25
It came with a faux leather belt but I think it looks better with my ASOS Obi.
I love the bell shape sleeves and will be wearing it as soon as it has been washed.

eBay Bargain: Pink Dress



Pink pattern dress, £3.20

Outfit: Black & Red




At home we don’t have a spare bedroom, I have a shoe room. Well, technically it is the spare bedroom but there isn’t a permanent be in it and my shoes (and some of my boots) do live there. These red boots are one of the pairs that won’t fit in the bottom of my wardrobe and so they currently reside in the spare room. As such I can see them every time I go in there and decided it was high time they got another wear. What better way to show them off than a black outfit with red accessories?

Black wrap dress – Luxuriously Tall
Red long sleeve t – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – Silkies
Red boots – Goszip (charity shop)
Red bangles – Primark
Red belt – market stall

Total Est. Cost £60

Monday, October 06, 2008

Coloured Tights


If you’re felling the pinch during this credit crunch period, the easiest (and probably cheapest) way to inject some new life and colour into your wardrobe is with coloured tights. They are available in abundance on the high street at the moment, with prices starting from as little as £3 per pair. I bought a selection on Saturday – the blue ones I have on today were in a 2 pack with the teal ones for £5.99 from H&M. The grey & purple pairs are from Accessorize at £8 and £5 respectively. And the other green-y coloured pair were £3 in New Look.

I am excited to wear them all with my various dresses and skirts. If you are not sure about doing the full-on leg colour thing, try wearing boots as I am today. Even a little flash of colour around the knee area is enough to perk up an outfit and give it an extra little something.

Be warned though – men do not understand coloured tights.

Shortened Dress

I took another of my dresses to the alterations lady to be shortened. I had never really managed to make the previous length work and am hoping that this shorter length will make it far easier to wear. It’s a little shorter than I had thought it would be but I think it works OK with thick tights and boots. I had a little fun playing dress up this evening.








Beige/blue/green dress – Long Tall Sally
Blue cami – New Look
Blue cardi – Ethel Austin
Blue tights – H&M
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes
Green suede boots – River Island

Review: Maybelline Forever Strong Professional Nail Varnish

(Couldn't find a picture of the Extreme Blackcurrant)
In the recent Long Tall Sally catalogue Lisa Butcher was wearing a lovely shade of nail varnish. It looked like a dark brown colour but I asked on the LTS blog what shade it was and they were able to come back to me and tell me that it was Maybelline’s Forever Strong Professional Nail Varnish in Extreme Blackcurrant. I went to Boots to purchase some and tried it out last week. I have to say that I am very impressed with it. The bottle claims it will last up to 7 days but let’s face it, nail polish never lasts that long. I painted my nails (and used a top coat) on Thursday evening and it has just this minute chipped so that’s a good 4 days of wear.

Outfit: Monday




Following all the jeans and t shirts of last week, I am determined to have a girly week of dresses and boots this week. So to kick off, one of my favourite dresses paired with blue tights and boots. I got these tights on Saturday, 2 pairs for £5.99 in H&M. They are plenty long enough for me and purport to be 100 denier although they don’t look that thick when they’re on. I am impressed with H&M at the moment as the teal top I had on yesterday is super long in the body and sleeves.

Black & blue dress – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Blue tights – H&M
Black boots – New Look (eBay)

Total Est. Cost £59

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing dresses and boots
…reading ‘The Love of Her Life’ by Harriet Evans
…watching Sex & The City: The Movie and associated extras – my DVD finally arrived from Amazon!
…listening to Billy Joel
…eating tortilla wraps
…shopping on eBay

Sunday, October 05, 2008

Weekend Recap



Just the one picture from yesterday. I went into the city to meet a friend. We did a little shopping had lunch, and then headed back to my house. In the evening there was a barn dance at my church. It was great fun.

Black sweater dress – New Look Tall (charity shop)
White tank – Dorothy Perkins
Jeans – Gap
Brown Obi belt – ASOS
Brown cowboy boots – New Look

Total Est. Cost £91.50

Today the young man and I have been for a walk. The young man bought himself a new toy yesterday – a hand-held satellite navigation device called a Sat Map. We certainly tested it out well today: we’ve walked 11.9 miles! No picture but I wore:

Teal long sleeve t – H&M
Jeans – Gap
Black trainers – Wrangler (Brantano)
Black & blue check coat – Vila (Great Clothes)

Friday, October 03, 2008

ASOS Accessories

There was a package from ASOS waiting for me when I arrived at work this morning. It contained the brown Obi belt and black elbow length gloves I ordered at the weekend.


I was just thinking this morning that it was possibly time to get out a coat with full length sleeves but these gloves will help me get some more wear out of my ¾ sleeve one.

Outfit: Favourite Dress





Friday at last! And I’m wearing my current favourite dress, with my new boots. I have a black scarf on at the moment too as it is only 4˚C outside this morning. It has just occurred to me that my purple tank sweater would probably work really well layered under this dress for extra warmth. I shall try it out this afternoon.

Green/teal dress – Florence + Fred at Tesco (charity shop)
Black rib tank – Cherokee at Tesco
Purple tights – New Look
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £31

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Outfit: Pink



Last day of the course today and assessment time! The whole class passed and we are now all fully qualified First Aiders. It’s back to work tomorrow but at least I can wear a dress and boots.
I have decided that these jeans are not quite the right length so I’m going to let down the hem. I am learning not to be afraid to make alterations to things that are not quite as I want them.

Pink ‘Look Shoes’ t – Zara
Black long sleeve t – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins (charity shop)
Pink leather belt (on jeans) – H&M
Pink patent shoes – Ethel Austin

Total Est. Cost £29

Outfit: Meal Out



Last night a group of 20 from my drama group headed to a local Italian restaurant for a meal. It was 2 for 1 on all pizza and pasta so mucho cheapness! I put on this dress and when I went downstairs the young man didn’t say anything. Usually I would get told I looked frumpy, or that it was a grandma dress, or asked ‘you’re not going out in that?’ so no comment at all is definitely progress.
This is the second of the two dresses that I had shortened last week and the new on-the-knee length is a definite improvement.

Black wrap dress – Luxuriously Tall
Lilac cami – New Look
Black tights – Silkies
Black boots – New Look (eBay)
Black belt – local boutique
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £50

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

Outfit: Brown Boots



Day three of the course and as it’s now October there was a distinct chill in the air. It was also raining so boots were a must.

Brown cardi – Marks & Spencer (charity shop)
Brown long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins (charity shop)
Brown cowboy boots – New Look

Total Est. Cost £46