Category Archives: Family

School’s out for Summer!

Yes it is the last day of school today!!! Early here, but we go back on the 7th August, plus we always seem to finish before Memorial Day which is this Monday, and the unofficial start of Summer. The pools are open and summer camps begin – the rhythm of life changes. I love it – less routine, with far lazier starts to the day. I woke Poppy this morning to the gentle refrain of me singing ‘School’s Out’ – nothing but encouragement to get her out of bed – though, as she had lost a tooth yesterday, she was pretty spritely looking for her gift from the tooth fairy. Is it wrong that I had to take cash out of her piggy bank for the tooth fairy? That’s what I call recycling:)

Once she was up, and had written her thank you card for her teacher – she burst into tears poor thing. I thought she was going to be excited about the end of school, but it must be bittersweet. The fact she was so sad to finish 1st grade confirms we’ve had a brilliant year, with fabulous friends and a wonderful teacher. Now I just have to convince her that 2nd grade will be twice as much fun!

Shoes – Vince Nina // Trousers – J.Crew café capris // T-shirt – Gap // Jacket – Zara (old)

Gwen’s love for Zara.

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My fellow blogger, Hollie, and I are both great admirers of Gwen Stefani’s eclectic rock and roll style – she always looks perfectly put together. Her make up and hair are always immaculate, even for a trip to the park with her sons. It was while Hollie and I were chatting about Gwen the other day that I realized Gwen is a fan of Zara! I have spotted her in three Zara items just this weekend – who’d have thought it? Gwen obviously embraces pairing high and lower end items – good for her!

Two of the items also happen to be in my closet – no surprise there. The first is the sarong skirt – I love how she has styled this over leggings…There’s a David Bowie t-shirt on Asos that I have been umming and ahhing about for a while now – it could be the perfect tee to replicate this look.

Next up is my jacket last worn here. Now I’m not necessarily a fan of her styling here but each to their own…though if I was Italian I’d wear that t-shirt in a heartbeat.

Finally I spotted this photo of her wearing these Zara pants heading to Chuck E. Cheeses – please Gwen how could you bear to step foot in there? I’d rather stick pins in my eyes.

These photos of Gwen always make me want to to wear red lipstick more often and I’m pretty sure images of her have influenced my choice of attire today.

Jeans – Primark (old) // T-shirt – Gap (from the sale) // Jacket – Zara // Sneakers – Golden Goose

Finally – I think my children are trying to tell me something – buying these cards obviously amused the Husband no end…I hope you all had a fabulous Mother’s Day!

Poppy’s Card (I’m suddenly ‘Joanna’ not ‘Mommy’):

Hugh’s Card:

My Mother’s Day lunch.

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We don’t really celebrate Mother’s Day in this house. Partly because I always forget about it – once I have remembered the UK Mother’s Day earlier in the year, I forget all about the US Mother’s Day. Plus it always falls around Poppy’s birthday – which as she will tell you is far more important. So my title today is a bit misleading. My lovely Husband is on his way back from the office to take me out for margaritas and tacos at our favorite Mexican, while the children are at school. Once school finishes in 2 weeks we won’t have much opportunity to indulge in a long lazy lunch without them – so I’m turning it into my Mother’s Day lunch without children – heck I might even go crazy and have two margaritas.

Top – Zara // Jeans – H&M coated skinnies (old) // Shoes – wedge heels DSW (Old – similar here) // Bag – Boden leather fold over clutch (BEST bags ever!)

May Madness.

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I know March Madness has passed (college basketball finals for the non-American readers) – but for me the real madness sets in in May. May is the end of the school year here, and with my daughter’s birthday (and it seems every other child in her class!) and the excitement of overseas visitors, it is a crazy month.

On Saturday we made our first, and hopefully last trip to the American Girl Store. I have delayed it as long as possible – but it seems the 7 year old birthday is the one where the burning desire for a ‘mini me’ kicks in. It turned into the perfect trip for Saturday morning as it was miserable weather here – persistent rain all weekend! The mall was empty when we arrived – I soon discovered why – EVERYONE was in the American Girl store. Moms and daughters had traveled from all over the South East seeking their perfect doll – it was terrifying. Poppy, however, was thrilled and we left with Saige – an artist and animal lover apparently. Poppy’s birthday isn’t till the 18th, and normally I vehemently disagree with the notion of ‘early’ birthday presents – but her friend is having her birthday tea party at the American Girl store this week – so Saige was required a week or so early so she can accompany Poppy for tea – I will not be.

The rest of the rainy weekend was spent painting the basement. For some reason the Husband has become rather gung ho about decorating. I’ve no idea where this new found enthusiasm has come from – probably from the ridiculously high painting quotes we’ve had. Anyway I’m rather pleased with the progress we have made though my hair currently looks like it has been used as a paint brush.

Finally here are some improvised rainy, Spring outfits – I am hoping the legs can be bared again by the end of the week!

Skirt – J.Crew Factory (old - similar here) // Shirt – J.Crew Indian voile popover (some sizes available in the sale here) // Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker in Camel (similar here)

Jeans - H&M tapered boyfriend jeans // Shoes - Clarks Hamble Oak // T-shirt - Target (old) // Jacket - Zara

Jacket – Boden Limited Edition Chic Leather Biker Jacket (old) // T-shirt – Zara long sleeved with zip at the back (old) // Trousers – Zara (old) // Boots - Acne Pistols

Some punk inspiration.

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I walked into the kitchen this morning to the sound of ‘You’re my favorite waste of time‘ – not sure if it was the Owen Paul version or the original version, but here’s the Owen Paul version from ’86, which I remember well.

After a bleary couple of seconds wondering why Nick Jr. wasn’t on the t.v. yet – I realized it was my lovely Husband’s way of reminding me that 22 years ago today, over a couple of Newkie Browns in The Central Bar, he announced he was ‘infatuated’ with me. I remember the whole day so vividly – from bumping into him in the library, to the Moscow Mules, to the shock and delight of discovering he ‘was into me’ (I told the story here last year). He was, and still is, the antithesis of every other guy I had dated – non-conformist, smart, sensitive and charming (not sure how many of my exes read this – they might not anymore!) – I had a pretty good feeling this one was a keeper.

As the summer of ’91 progressed, our relationship hit the fast track. Within a couple of months we were planning our first vacation together. He was studying for his PhD in Byzantine History so it seemed natural to head for Turkey – somewhere I had never been before – but I was excited to have my personal tour guide. Our first overseas adventure was thrilling – back packing down from Istanbul, via various Roman ruins (and bars), to Side on The Mediterranean, where we drank Efes in the sun. It was the trip that sealed the deal for me – he was the ‘one’ – oh and he was hot too – look at the hair and those soccer playing legs!:))

These next photos made me giggle. They are some of the very few we have from the early 90s as most of our photos were stolen, along with other items, from the container when we moved here. My love of harem trousers must have come from him – here we are at my Graduation Ball in 1992 – he was dressed in Turkish, tailor made, harem trousers with a tailcoat – and had more jewelry than me:)

Love the photo bombers in the back:)

So today, unintentionally, I realized I could be accused of channeling one of his favorite bands – The Clash. Happy ‘when we started dating’ anniversary my lovely…

Jacket – Zara // Trousers – Zara tartan trousers (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Polo shirt – Matalan

A weekend tinged with sadness.

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We adopted Rosie, our Boxer, back in 2001, and we’re guessing she was about 2 years old then. So we knew the chances of her seeing it into 2014 would be slim – we knew she was slowing down. On Friday morning, given some symptoms and tests, the vet advised it was her time, so with heavy hearts we said farewell to her. The end of an era. Rosie was one of the few constants in our lives over the past 12 years, she was gentle and loyal and we loved her so much. RIP Rosie xx

Rosie when we adopted here – she had no hair on her back bless her but it all grew back:

Rosie with MM – living the dream with a t-top Camaro (2002):

On one of our adventures in North Carolina:

The children were sad but quite pragmatic so we aimed to keep the weekend as normal as possible. Yesterday we headed out to the mall and then to their favorite BBQ joint for a treat. We talked about angels, old dogs and puppies, and now they seem quite at peace with the outcome. We still have Tennyson here, and Poppy has requested that when we get our next girl dog that she has a tail – so we’re moving on…

It was a gorgeous day so I decided to go full on with the spring attire:)

Trousers – Zara // Jacket – Zara // T-shirt – Gap // Sneakers – Isabel Marant Bobbys

Last night was date night so we toasted Rosie before eating.

Trousers – Zara // Jacket – Zara // T-Shirt – Express (old) // Shoes – DSW // Cuff – Tiffany (MM bought me this Xmas of 2001 and I’ve no idea why I wear it so rarely!)

Beach vacation.

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This place is amazing. It’s one of those vacations where everything falls in to place, almost.

The kids have been jumping the surf at 8am each morning, and MM and I have managed to get a couple of beach runs in to burn off the calories from the excesses of each evening. Yes, we’ve even managed to light the charcoal grill:) Nothing better than burgers with Prosecco!

My afternoon margaritas have been cunningly disguised in my coffee cup.

The house, fortunately, is perfect – basic, but right on the beach. It’s amazing how easy the day becomes when you don’t have to pack bags and food for a day at the beach. Not to mention we can all chill out away from the sun when we feel like it. The only thing we’re missing are the dogs – they don’t deal well with the heat – I hope they are behaving for the house sitter!

I’ve been relishing living in bikinis, shorts and t-shirts. I packed light, and living with a capsule wardrobe is fabulously freeing. No decisions to make except choosing which shorts are clean.

Shorts – JCrew selvedge shorts (old – similar here) // t-shirt – Target // hat – Target

Shorts – JCrew Factory bermudas // t-shirt – Target (old) // hat – Target // Flip flops – Havaianas // sunglasses – Ray-Ban Wayfarers

Of course we can never go away without drama. Poor Poppy managed to get half the deck in her foot on Sunday evening. I tried removing the splinter but she was obviously in pain. Monday morning we headed to Urgent Care. The poor wee thing had to have a huge needle in her foot for anesthetic then the Dr. had to use a scalpel to remove it – it was embedded in her foot so deeply! I held on to her for dear life – I never want to hear screams of pain like that again. I was in tears and shaking – and I wasn’t even going through the pain!! She was an absolute star and once it was all over all she was concerned about was the color of her bandage. I think she is feeling quite the hero now.

Instagram weekend round up.

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Happy Easter all! I am sitting here typing while the loin of pork roasts. I always slip a few slithers of garlic in it so it smells amazing – hhhhmmmm! I was contemplating roasting a leg of lamb – it seems more appropriate at Easter – but I always find the left over pork easier to use up in a Mexican dish later in the week. I’d better get a few more spin sessions in before the bikinis come out for Spring break!:)

I thought rather than cracking open a bottle of red before dinner is ready, I’d update you with some weekend outfits instead.

My son was off from school on Friday for Easter so we headed out to Target for some fun shopping – well kind of – I basically needed to buy more Mini Eggs before they sell out till next year!

I’m not much of a hat wearer, but I fell in love with these Mossimo straw Fedoras. Still not convinced I would ever wear them so they didn’t make it home with me, but I might try them again – they’d be great on the beach!

Jacket – JohnnieB (old) // T-shirt – Forever21 // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Sneakers – Converse

Later on Friday I was watching the children play while having a little playtime myself – nothing better than a margarita in the sun:)

This bracelet brings me so much joy. It’s an original Susie Ho design and it reminds me of the fantastic time we all had in London on our blogger meet back in February.

MM giggled at me on Saturday morning for being ‘so dressed up’ with no where to go. Well I did take Poppy to her Zumba class so surely that counts? I love this M&S cardigan – it makes a casual outfit feel a little more ‘put together’.

Trousers – Zara // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers // T-shirt – Forever21 // Cardigan – Marks and Spencer

I also nipped into the Mall later in the day, so obviously I had to take a peek in Zara. I’d fallen in love with this jacket online and, fortuitously, they had my size in store. Would have been silly not to have brought it home, no?

Last night MM and I went out for dinner and drinks to our favorite bar. I normally choose my ‘going out’ attire by selecting the one item I really want to wear and building the outfit around it. Last night I really wanted to wear these Zara trousers. I’ve had them a while and took them all the way to the UK and back without them being worn. It turned into a perfect opportunity to pair them with my white pumps. I LOVE these shoes. Whether you like the outfit or not, it was one of those times where once I was ready I felt great:) I’m convinced the Saturday 8am spin class helps psychologically too!

Shoes – BCBG Generation (currently reduced) // Trousers – Zara // Tank – Express (old) // Jacket – Zara

So Happy Easter all – I’m now off to crack open that bottle of red:)

More ‘me’ again.

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As much as I enjoy experimenting with clothes and shoes, my slightly different look yesterday just didn’t feel right and I didn’t feel ‘me’ all day until I got changed for the gym. It’s quite amazing how an outfit can impact your daily disposition!

Today I am home with a poorly boy, but he’s on the mend and the sun is shining so not a bad Tuesday really. Some online shopping and a bit of work to do but maybe a glass of wine later in the garden?

Shoes – Vince Camuto Fawna // Jeans – Target (old) // Jumper – H&M (old) // Long tank – H&M (old)

Oh and another code arrived in my mailbox – if you’re in the US and need some Spring basics like shorts – I love J.Crew Factory – use STYLESCORE for a whopping 30% off everything! Just be warned their fit is a little more snug than J.Crew which I find quite generous these days.

Oil pulling.

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I am turning granola. Well I’m at least becoming more ‘green’ friendly and more aware of pollutants entering the temple that is my body. I suddenly realized this just the other day when Avril was telling me to stop using Bio Oil as it is a mineral oil full of rubbish stuff that will actually dry my skin out. Rosehip Oil apparently is the way to go – so I have just ordered some from Amazon to give it a whirl as a night treatment.

The other ‘treatment’ I started doing regularly just a few weeks ago may make you feel queasy – but I assure you it is fabulous and you will notice a difference too. Oral health is really important – not just to prevent tooth decay and bad breath – but gum disease has also been shown to raise the incidence of heart disease and premature birth/miscarriage. I am REALLY OCD about my teeth, especially after orthodontic treatments as a child and adult. I want to keep my teeth around forever thank you. In the past I have used a mouth wash for whitening, freshening and rinsing after brushing. Mouthwash can be really harsh and has brought tears to my eyes in the past – plus read the label – I dare you – so many chemicals! Anyway I was reading about juicing (see I am turning granola…) and stumbled across an article about oil pulling. Bear with me. Using an organic oil – I prefer coconut oil – you just swill it in your mouth, like with mouthwash, only for a bit longer, about 15mins. Coconut oil can be a bit intimidating as it is solid at room temperature – but trust me – take a tablespoon in your mouth and it will turn liquid at body temperature. It tastes fabulous – just like coconut – no surprise there really. Ok so what does swilling oil do? Well to a scientist, ah hem, like myself, it makes perfect sense. The oil ‘pulls’ toxins and bacteria from the teeth and gums. Remember hydrophilic and hydrophobic at school? Well all the rubbish stuff in your mouth is actually quite oil friendly (feel free to switch off here, but I used to use oil in my research to separate certain proteins – some liked oil and some didn’t). So the theory is that oil pulling every morning or every other day will remove all the rubbish from your mouth. Avoid swallowing it as it is now full of toxins, and spit it in the bin or down the loo as it will block your sink drains! I swear it has been beneficial – and much more pleasant than mouth wash. Others say it not only freshens breath, whitens teeth and helps oral hygiene but can also aid a more restful sleep and diminish arthritic pain – true detoxification. Give it a go and let me know what you think. It’s now part of my morning routine – and I actually ‘swill’ while showering every morning.

It’s Hugh’s birthday today so we’re both hanging out together. It’s the last time I’ll be able to take him out of school on his birthday. The new drum kit seems to have been a hit (groan – no pun intended) – at least with me and Poppy – one of us WILL tour with Jack White.

I had to nip into Zara to take a couple of things back – poor Hugh got dragged along too but he gave me 10 mins to try a couple of t-shirts that didn’t come home with me.

Boots – Rag & Bone charcoal suede Newburys // Trousers – Dorothy Perkins coated jeggings // Knitted tunic – H&M (old) // Coat – Boden Iona coat (only $97 in clearance!) // Scarf – Marks & Spencer bicycle scarf

Poppy's Style

My blog about fashion, family, friends and fun.

Category Archives: Family

School’s out for Summer!

Shoes – Vince Nina // Trousers – J.Crew café capris // T-shirt – Gap // Jacket – Zara (old)

Gwen’s love for Zara.

Jeans – Primark (old) // T-shirt – Gap (from the sale) // Jacket – Zara // Sneakers – Golden Goose

My Mother’s Day lunch.

Top – Zara // Jeans – H&M coated skinnies (old) // Shoes – wedge heels DSW (Old – similar here) // Bag – Boden leather fold over clutch (BEST bags ever!)

May Madness.

Skirt – J.Crew Factory (old - similar here) // Shirt – J.Crew Indian voile popover (some sizes available in the sale here) // Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker in Camel (similar here)

Jeans - H&M tapered boyfriend jeans // Shoes - Clarks Hamble Oak // T-shirt - Target (old) // Jacket - Zara

Jacket – Boden Limited Edition Chic Leather Biker Jacket (old) // T-shirt – Zara long sleeved with zip at the back (old) // Trousers – Zara (old) // Boots - Acne Pistols

Some punk inspiration.

Jacket – Zara // Trousers – Zara tartan trousers (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Polo shirt – Matalan

A weekend tinged with sadness.

Trousers – Zara // Jacket – Zara // T-shirt – Gap // Sneakers – Isabel Marant Bobbys

Trousers – Zara // Jacket – Zara // T-Shirt – Express (old) // Shoes – DSW // Cuff – Tiffany (MM bought me this Xmas of 2001 and I’ve no idea why I wear it so rarely!)

Beach vacation.

Shorts – JCrew selvedge shorts (old – similar here) // t-shirt – Target // hat – Target

Shorts – JCrew Factory bermudas // t-shirt – Target (old) // hat – Target // Flip flops – Havaianas // sunglasses – Ray-Ban Wayfarers

Instagram weekend round up.

Jacket – JohnnieB (old) // T-shirt – Forever21 // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Sneakers – Converse

Trousers – Zara // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers // T-shirt – Forever21 // Cardigan – Marks and Spencer

Shoes – BCBG Generation (currently reduced) // Trousers – Zara // Tank – Express (old) // Jacket – Zara

More ‘me’ again.

Shoes – Vince Camuto Fawna // Jeans – Target (old) // Jumper – H&M (old) // Long tank – H&M (old)

Oil pulling.

Boots – Rag & Bone charcoal suede Newburys // Trousers – Dorothy Perkins coated jeggings // Knitted tunic – H&M (old) // Coat – Boden Iona coat (only $97 in clearance!) // Scarf – Marks & Spencer bicycle scarf

Shoes – Vince Nina // Trousers – J.Crew café capris // T-shirt – Gap // Jacket – Zara (old)

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Jeans – Primark (old) // T-shirt – Gap (from the sale) // Jacket – Zara // Sneakers – Golden Goose

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Top – Zara // Jeans – H&M coated skinnies (old) // Shoes – wedge heels DSW (Old – similar here) // Bag – Boden leather fold over clutch (BEST bags ever!)

Related articles

Share this:

Skirt – J.Crew Factory (old - similar here) // Shirt – J.Crew Indian voile popover (some sizes available in the sale here) // Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker in Camel (similar here)

Jeans - H&M tapered boyfriend jeans // Shoes - Clarks Hamble Oak // T-shirt - Target (old) // Jacket - Zara

Jacket – Boden Limited Edition Chic Leather Biker Jacket (old) // T-shirt – Zara long sleeved with zip at the back (old) // Trousers – Zara (old) // Boots - Acne Pistols

Related articles

Share this:

Jacket – Zara // Trousers – Zara tartan trousers (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Polo shirt – Matalan

Related articles

Share this:

Trousers – Zara // Jacket – Zara // T-shirt – Gap // Sneakers – Isabel Marant Bobbys

Trousers – Zara // Jacket – Zara // T-Shirt – Express (old) // Shoes – DSW // Cuff – Tiffany (MM bought me this Xmas of 2001 and I’ve no idea why I wear it so rarely!)

Related articles

Share this:

Shorts – JCrew selvedge shorts (old – similar here) // t-shirt – Target // hat – Target

Shorts – JCrew Factory bermudas // t-shirt – Target (old) // hat – Target // Flip flops – Havaianas // sunglasses – Ray-Ban Wayfarers

Related articles

Share this:

Jacket – JohnnieB (old) // T-shirt – Forever21 // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Sneakers – Converse

Trousers – Zara // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers // T-shirt – Forever21 // Cardigan – Marks and Spencer

Shoes – BCBG Generation (currently reduced) // Trousers – Zara // Tank – Express (old) // Jacket – Zara

Related articles

Share this:

Shoes – Vince Camuto Fawna // Jeans – Target (old) // Jumper – H&M (old) // Long tank – H&M (old)

Related articles

Share this:

Boots – Rag & Bone charcoal suede Newburys // Trousers – Dorothy Perkins coated jeggings // Knitted tunic – H&M (old) // Coat – Boden Iona coat (only $97 in clearance!) // Scarf – Marks & Spencer bicycle scarf

Related articles

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