Outfit: Shoeper Challenge 2012 #48 and a Plaid Shirt with Teal Wedges

I am so glad it’s Friday! We have next week off work (so forgive me if posting is sparse) and I could not be more ready for a rest. I seem to have been out every day/night, even if it was only to the gym, for about a fortnight now and I am ready for a week of lie-ins and generally chilling out.

Last night we went to one of the parks in the city with a group the young man is involved in and we flew boomerangs. Several of the chaps had made their own (and most of them flew) and some people had genuine Aussie ones. There was a contest to see who could throw theirs the furthest, who could throw it and have it come back closest to them, and who could hit a specific target (an inflatable kangaroo). The young man did pretty well on all the challenges, and was the hero of the hour when he climbed a tree to rescue a boomerang that had got stuck up there.

Tonight I have a rehearsal for tomorrow night’s concert so will be heading off to that after tea.

These teal wedges are old. They were bought back in about 2006 or 2007 and were just £10 from Matalan.

Plaid shirt – Primark
White tank – River Island
Jeans – River Island
Teal wedges – Matalan
Teal ring – New Look
Teal and silver bangles – Accessorize
Silver hoops – gifted
Green beads – I Am..... boutique

Total Est. Cost £78

Thursday Latelies (In Text Form)

Happy Thursday! Here’s what I’ve been enjoying this week!

• Dirty Dancing – what could be better than turning on the TV and finding your favourite movie is randomly playing on Channel 5. Awesome! 

• Laughing Cow Extra Light triangles – a cheese revelation! These are 0 WW points for 1 triangle and 1 just point for 2 or 3 triangles. I had one on toast with beans last weekend as a healthier alternative to real cheese. 

• Online recipes – I don’t cook from recipe books that much anymore. If I want to make something I will usually Google for a recipe then set up my laptop on the kitchen table for cooking made easy. If I know I’ll want to make the recipe again then I’ll print it off and add it to my folder of magazine tear-outs and online print-outs. That folder comes out far more often than an actual recipe book these days. 

• Just Dance 3 for Wii – awesome tracks, group routines where everyone does different movements and a whole lot of fun! I might invest come payday.

Outfit: Shoeper Challenge 2012 #47 and Gift Wrapping a Cow

It’s Thursday but I could really have done with it being Friday. We went out last night and it wasn’t that late, but later than usual for a week night. Our friend is leaving the frozen north and moving down south today and last night was his final farewell. We met at a fairly new pub and had some food, then more friends and family arrived and we had a lovely time drinking and chatting. It was actually warm enough to sit outside for the first time this month and we only needed to move indoors when it got dark.

The young man and I had got out friend a leaving present, and this is where the gift wrapping challenge of Tuesday night came in. For I spent a good hour of that evening gift wrapping a cow. This cow:

Mission accomplished!:

We spotted it in a shop in Wetherby when we were there on my birthday and as our friend loves cows we thought it would make the perfect leaving gifted (his partner, who he is moving to live with, was less convinced!). Well, it caused much hilarity and the other people in the pub garden must have wondered just how crazy we were.

This evening we have a walk in the park with a group of friends if the weather holds out, if not I should go to a rehearsal for the concert I am in on Saturday, although there is another rehearsal tomorrow night and I could really do with an early night. We’ll see.

Today I was going to wear the dress that I have on as a top, as a dress with cropped leggings underneath. But I decided that even with the leggings it was still a bit short for work (despite being from a Tall range) so I put the denim skirt over it. These shoes I have had for around 7 years I think, and they were purchased on my first ever trip to the outlet mall which is not far from where I now live. They are by Spanish designer Magrit and were just £22 which was an absolute bargain as they are leather inside and out. Pair #47 is safe!

Navy spot dress (worn as a top) – Topshop Tall
Denim skirt – charity shop
Navy patent shoes – Magrit (outlet mall)
Blue Obi belt – ASOS
Blue/black ring – charity shop
Blue heart necklace – Scope
Blue bead bracelet – gifted
Silver hoops – gifted

Total Est. Cost £68

Outfit: Easy Casual

What is easier than a dress and a cardi? I was going to wear my peep toe Miss Sixty booties with this, without the leggings, but I decided the dress was a bit short for such a high heel and bare legs, so leggings and flats it was. I’ll save the booties for another day with a longer skirt.

Last night I went to the gym, did step class and was exhausted so went home for a cup of tea and half an hour with my book (the new Lindsey Kelk – I Heart London). I had a shower then spent a good half hour with the biggest wrapping challenge of my life! Details tomorrow when the gift has been given...

Black cardi – New Look Tall
Black and red dress – Next Tall
Black leggings – New Look
Zebra print shoes – George at Asda (eBay)
Black and silver bracelets – gifted
Silver hoops – gifted
Red beads – Claire’s
Whitby Jet cross – gifted

Total Est. Cost £67

Outfit: Shoeper Challenge 2012 #46 and Why I Don’t Often Wear Trousers

This wasn’t the pair of trousers I was going to wear today. I was going to wear a grey pair that are a longer length, but then I remembered that I wanted to walk up the high street in the sunshine at lunchtime and that it’s hard to switch from heels to flats in long-length trousers. This is why I don’t wear trousers very often. I don’t have many pairs that work with flats and it’s far easier to switch shoes when in a skirt.

However, today’s ensemble did give me the opportunity to save another pair of shoes. I tend to think of these satin flats from Priceless Shoes as being quite dressy so they tend to stay hidden away until Christmas. But satin flats and the rain or snow of Christmastime don’t really mix, so sometimes they don’t even get worn then. I love the bright blue colour so thought I’d take advantage of the dry weather (let’s hope it lasts!) and give them the wear they deserve.

Last night I went to the gym and did my two classes, then came home, ate my tea and watched Salvage Hunters with a large cuppa. Tonight I am going to Step class and I might stay for Body Conditioning straight afterwards (I say this a lot – one week I will actually stay on!). Other than that I have no plans.

Red top – Long Tall Sally
Blue top – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Brown trousers – New Look Tall (eBay)
Blue satin flats – Priceless Shoes
Red beads – eBay
Silver bling ring – River Island
Silver hoops – gifted

Total Est. Cost £54

Outfit: Dry Monday!

Weekend recap: Friday night the young man had arranged to meet his mate for a drink and as it was still raining torrentially I gave them both a lift to the pub. I got home and baked blueberry muffins (which were delicious), made some porridge pancake batter (oats, sweetener and fat free yoghurt, then add an egg in the morning) to chill in the fridge overnight and then had a really long phone call catch up with my friend S.

Saturday morning there was a brief respite in the rain so I made the porridge pancakes for breakfast (and had a little chocolate spread melted on to them) then hung some washing on the line. I walked to the village and dropped a bunch of stuff off at the charity shop and then made some butternut squash and carrot soup. After lunch it started raining again so in came the washing in super quick time. Saturday night we stayed in and watched TV.

Yesterday it finally stopped raining and we decided to go to a nearby town to see the Olympic torch go past. There were loads of people there and we were so far back we only got a tiny glimpse of the torch (a lady in a wheelchair was carrying it at that point so it was lower down than it would otherwise have been too) but I’m glad we went and can say that we saw it. In the afternoon we had a walk which ended up taking two hours – longer than I thought it would but all good fresh air and exercise. After tea I put a Hot Pot in the slow cooker ready for today and did the ironing whilst watching 27 Dresses.

Today I have two gym classes and will be ready for that Hot Pot by the time I get home! It is not raining and the sun is even putting in an appearance periodically so it feels much more like June than last week’s monsoons.

Brown top – H&M
Navy top – H&M
Navy stripe skirt – River Island
Brown shoes – Roberto Vianni (Debenhams)
Brown metal bangles – Dorothy Perkins
Cream beads – local boutique
Brown wood bangles – gifted
Silver hoops – gifted

Total Est. Cost £75

Outfit: Wet Friday

I am giving up any pretence that it’s summer and intend to spend the weekend bundled up in a cosy sweater and a scarf. I am slightly regretting not putting on my knee length hooded cardi today, but given the amount of rain outside first thing this morning it would have probably got quite wet.

Last night I went to the singing rehearsal and the young man had some friends over. I got home to find the young man’s friends were still there so I made some tea and chatted with them for a bit. It was gone 11 by the time they left so it was a late night for me for a weekday. But today is Friday so I don’t mind at all.

Tonight I am going to make homemade burgers for tea. I’ve got some extra lean mince and I’m going to put a mini Babybel Light in the middle. I’ll serve it with homemade chips and beans I think.

The young man is out this evening so I have plans to bake some muffins (a new recipe, this time with blueberries) and give my friend S a call as we’ve not caught up for a few weeks. I might make some pancake batter ready for breakfast too, if I’m really organised.

Brown cardi – F+F at Tesco (eBay)
Brown top – H&M
White tank – River Island
Teal jeans – Topshop Tall
Tan boots – Barratts
Teal ring – New Look
Wooden heart necklace – Scope
Silver hoops – gifted
Cream pashmina – gifted

Total Est. Cost £120

Outfit: It’s Raining Again

After three days of nice, sunny weather we are back to rain and cooler temperatures. And just in time for Midsummer’s Day too. Though according to our local BBC weatherman the longest day was actually yesterday due to there being an extra day this year for the leap year. Although it was only longer by about a second he said, so I doubt we’ll actually notice.

Last night was the drama group AGM and a new (albeit severely reduced in number) committee was voted in so the group can continue. The meeting didn’t end until gone 10pm and consequently I really didn’t want to get up this morning. It’s not helping that I’ve been a day ahead all week – I really thought yesterday was Thursday and so I have to keep reminding myself that today is not, in fact, Friday.

This evening is a singing rehearsal for the concert that is a week on Saturday. I could really do with a night in and going to bed early, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.

Black and white knit jacket – Topshop Tall (eBay)
Blue top – H&M
Grey trousers – Gap (charity shop)
Silver and black shoes – JB Martin (c/o Sarenza)
Silver cross necklace – gifted
Silver hoops – gifted
Blue ring – Dorothy Perkins
Blue bangle – Diamonds and Pearls

Total Est. Cost £41