Outfit: Double Denim

Does it count as double denim when one of your items is teal? I’m not sure but this was a comfy outfit for casual Friday.

Last night I did the Tesco shop then spent a while browsing the photos of old Leeds on the Leeds Back in the Day Facebook page. It was fascinating, and brought back many memories of shops and buildings that either no longer exist or have changed beyond recognition. It was interesting seeing old black and white photos of days gone by too.

Grey cardi – New Look Tall
Denim shirt – H&M
Teal jeans – Topshop Tall
Snakeskin shoes – Matalan
Silver glitter belt – local boutique
Silver and blue snowflake earrings – Etsy
Silver cross necklace – gifted

Total Est. Cost £83

Outfit: Chilly Thursday

It’s so cold out today, but it’s lovely and sunny. Perfect autumn/winter weather. I even had to scrape my car this morning as it was frosty.

Last night we went to see Skyfall. Now, if you listen to Chris Evans on a morning you will know that the first rule of Skyfall is that you don’t talk about Skyfall so all I’ll say is this: it’s awesome, go see it, and Dame Judi Dench rocks!

Tan sweater – New Look Tall
Burgundy jeggings – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Tan leather boots – Steve Madden (c/o Sarenza)
Leopard print scarf – H&M
Silver snowflake earrings – FunkyJunk Jewellery

Total Est. Cost £50

Outfit: Shoeper Challenge 2012 #75 and Grey and Blue

Yesterday I cooked a whole chicken in my slow cooker for the first time and it turned out fabulous! I put it in breast-down with ¾ pint of stick in the morning and about 10 hours later took it out and it fell apart. The whole thing, bones and all. I didn’t need to carve it and de-boning it was easy – I just picked the meat out. It was so much easier than roasting it in the oven and I’ll definitely be doing it again.

After tea I went to step class then came home and finished addressing my Christmas cards whilst watching Mythbusters. I was going to go for a shower after that but got to channel hopping and found that Last Tango in Halifax was on, a drama series on BBC One that we watched the first part of last week.

These boots were bought on eBay a couple of years ago. They are cheap as chips faux suede and are bound to fall apart at some point, but I love the colour and I only paid £20 for them I think. They are marked a size 43 but are a large 41 at a push. They fit me OK though so that’s all that matters.

I decided my blue flat boots were for the bin last night the blue has started to crack and peel off the top of the foot. This is a good thing and a bad thing. It’s good because my shoe collection was creeping upwards again and I wanted to get rid of a pair I was yet to save in the Shoeper Challenge but I didn’t really want to part with any. Now the decision has been made for me. It’s bad because I loved those boots. They are years old and cost about £15 from Priceless. They have had a LOT of wear (including a long weekend tramping around Amsterdam 6 Christmases ago) so I can’t really complain but they were really comfy and such a great colour.

Blue cardi – Next Tall (eBay)
Grey knit dress – Kew 159
Grey tights – Tesco?
Blue boots – eBay
Silver glitter belt – local boutique
Silver and blue snowflake earrings – Etsy

Total Est. Cost £71

Outfit: Shoeper Challenge 2012 #74 and Stripes and Boots

I am really pleased with the length of the sleeves on this dress, considering it’s from Primark. Occasionally you can find a gem in there with super long sleeves and this is one of them. I got it last year at the very start of the autumn and still can’t decide whether the stripes are purple or blue. It really depends on the light I think.

Last night I went to my usual abs class and Zumba. As it’s only 4 weeks to Christmas (I know, can you believe it?!) we are going over old routines from the past year, most of which I don’t know as I’ve only been going to the class a few months. But we did the Thriller dance again (it’s AWESOME) and a Ricky Martin one I could remember from my first few classes.

These boots were sent to me c/o Spartoo when I partnered with them for a time last year. They are by Hush Puppies and are lovely and comfy, not to mention a fabulous colour of suede and they have buttons!

Grey stripe dress – Primark
Grey top – River Island
Grey tights – H&M
Blue suede boots – Hush Puppies (c/o Spartoo)
Silver belt – local boutique
Silver necklace – gifted
Silver snowflake earrings – FunkyJunk Jewellery

Total Est. Cost £36

Outfit: Grey Monday and Weekend Recap

This weekend turned out to be another busy one (I’ve a feeling they’re all going to be like that until Christmas now!). Friday night we had tea at the young man’s parents’ house and didn’t end up leaving there until almost 10pm.

Saturday morning I had a much needed lie in, then we headed into the city to start our Christmas shopping. We only had an hour but got a gift for the young man’s niece, and something for his God-daughter’s birthday as we are seeing her next weekend. We were short on time as we had to get across the city to my parents’ house for a birthday lunch for my dad. It’s his birthday today – happy birthday dad! His whole family was there and it was lovely to catch up with everyone. A few of us had a walk in the afternoon so that my niece would take a nap – she is so nosy and won’t go to sleep if she think she’s going to miss something!

Sunday morning I was on Sunday school duty and the choir were singing an anthem so I went to church. After lunch I washed my car (and of course it’s been raining all day today so it’s probably dirty again already) then put on Love Actually and wrote my Christmas cards. I feel a little more organised now. The 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street was on TV in the late afternoon so I watched that and it’s every bit as charming as the 1994 remake. Possibly more so as it’s in black and white.

Today is cold and miserable so I was glad I wore boots and a cosy dress.

Grey knit dress – New Look Tall (eBay)
Denim shirt – H&M
Grey tights – H&M
Grey boots – Mustang Shoes (c/o Sarenza)
Silver belt – local boutique
Silver snowflake earrings – Etsy
Silver necklace – gifted

Total Est. Cost £39

Outfit: Smart Jeans

It’s my second and final Friday working in the other office and so I kept things smart again today, despite it being casual Friday. I think I got away with wearing jeans; they are so dark that they have been mistaken for black trousers before. A black polo neck and black pointed boots completed the look and I added my turquoise pashmina for a bit of colour.

Last night was another busy evening: I stopped at Asda on my way home and did the grocery shopping, chopped and boiled leeks and potatoes to make soup for Saturday whilst tea was cooking, blended the soup and decanted it into an empty milk bottle then went off to church for choir practice. We’re having a birthday party for my dad on Saturday at my parents’ house and when I volunteered to make soup I didn’t think I would be struggling to fit in making it.

Black polo neck – New Look Tall
Jeans – MiH (TK Maxx)
Black leather boots – Arturo Chiang (Century 21)
Cream and silver beads – New Look
Silver hoops – gifted

Total Est. Cost £128

Outfit: The Coat Jacket

When I won this jacket on eBay I envisioned it being worn in much the way I wore it today: as a sort of mis-matched suit jacket to pair with these trousers, and the grey wool skirt I have. However, when it arrived in the post I fell in love with it instantly and although I initially put it away for the colder months, it was soon pulled into service in August (which had its chilly moments) as an outer layer. It looked awesome with jeans, dresses, most things really. I wore it regularly as a light coat until about mid-October when my proper winter coats came out and now it is able to serve its original purpose as a suit jacket.

The trousers I have on today must be one of the older pieces in my wardrobe. I bought them right before I started my current job, back in October 2005. They have fitted me pretty well ever since (although they did get a bit snug at one point and could only be worn with flats as the tighter fit at the waist took the length up. Not they are a little loose at the top, but not so much so that they are too big. They can be worn with heels again though and I will keep them around as long as they survive because I’ve not seen a pair of wool trousers in Tall since I got these.

Last night I baked pumpkin muffins. I put triple the amount of chocolate chips in them so they’re probably not as healthy as they should be, but they’ve still got to be better than ordinary cakes as they’re 50% fruit (I’m pretty sure pumpkins are fruit, they have seeds), right?

Red striped top – Kew 159
Red top – Next Tall (eBay)
Grey wool trousers – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Grey jacket – Topshop Tall (eBay)
Red suede booties – Georgia Rose (c/o Sarenza)
Silver hoops – gifted

Total Est. Cost £88

Essential Footwear for the Winter Season

Jack Frost is lurking and it's time to stow away your sandals 'til springtime and step out in something a little more practical. With the prospect of ice & snow you're going to need winter footwear which is a little more substantial than a stiletto heel or flat ballet pump, so let’s get bootilicious with this season’s winter boots!

The good news is you can be practical without compromising on style, so I’m not suggesting hiking boots or wellies this time. This seasons winter boots will look great with skinny jeans, leggings, slacks, shorts and skirts of any length, and to kick things off, I introduce the 'Wiggy' wedge boot from Wrangler. This dark brown suede ankle boot has a chunky flat sole giving excellent grip in the worst weather. Laces are the 'in' thing this season, and coupled with D-rings as opposed to eyelets certainly adds to the 'outdoors' styling of this wonderful wedge. These boots also feature a faux fur lining to keep your feet and ankles toasty and warm, whatever the weather.

Sticking with an outdoors inspired winter boot, the Blowfish 'Karona' features a very modest heel and classic boot styling with metal D-rings, a substantial sole and this season's must have; a faux shearling wool lining which can be worn 'up' for maximum warmth or folded down for maximum style. Worn with jeans, woolly tights or leggings, this is definitely one of this winter's must have styles.

On a more feminine note, but still a substantial winter boot is the effortlessly effeminate 'Vivianna' ankle boot from Hush Puppies. Combining suede and leather with nine pairs of lace hooks gives this formal winter boot a Victorian edge thanks to its modest flared heel and classic styling. Wear with a posh frock or skinny jeans, these fantastic winter boots can dress up or dress down, either way, they're an absolute triumph.

My fourth and final choice for this season's ultimate winter warmer is a classic knee high. The 'Erika' knee high boot from Fly London is available in brown 'oily' suede (pictured) or red 'rug' leather with brown and black options available closer to Christmas. Mounted on an out-stitched wedge sole, this knee high winter boot blends style and practicality to create a comfortable, fashionable and frankly essential winter boot. Every woman needs a knee high boot and this winter, this is it.

All of these winter wonders are currently available from www.shoes.co.uk: a Great British Company, and one of my favourite shoe shops!

Outfit: Shoeper Challenge 2012 #73 and Some New Boots

New boots! And another save on the Shoeper Challenge! These are by Steve Madden and are my latest pick from Sarenza. I know I got a pair of tan boots a couple of months back, and I love those ones, but these are a closer match to the beloved Barratts pair that I wore to death the past few years. These have the added bonus of being leather so fingers crossed they will survive all the wear they are sure to get. Plus tan boots go with EVERYTHING so the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned!

Last night’s slow cooked pork was delicious. It’s so easy to make and now we have lovely apple-y pork for sandwiches for the rest of the week too. I went to my usual step class then came home and made custard so we could finish off the last of the parkin. I feel pumpkin muffins will be on the cards for tonight if I have time to bake.

Navy cardi – Next Tall
Teal sweater – Topshop (charity shop)
Navy dress – Next
Navy tights – George at ASDA
Tan boots – Steve Madden (c/o Sarenza)
Tan leather belt – River Island
Silver earrings – gifted

Total Est. Cost £64

Outfit: Purple and Black

I don’t really have a lot to say about this outfit. It’s a black dress. With a purple top underneath and purple booties. I had to get dressed quickly this morning as I knew I needed an extra 5 minutes to stick a joint of pork, some onions, apples and cider in the slow cooker for tea.

Last night I went to my usual two Monday night classes at the gym, then went home for sausage casserole in the slow cooker. I did some washing to catch up after being away at the weekend, made some leek and potato soup for lunches this week and watched Mythbusters. Then I cleaned the bathroom. You could say it was quite a busy Monday evening!

Black knit dress – Long Tall Sally
Purple top – Long Tall Sally
Black leather belt – local boutique
Black tights – H&M
Purple booties – Priceless Shoes

Total Est. Cost £99