Tag Archives: Zara

A weekend tinged with sadness.

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:

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

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On one of our adventures in North Carolina:

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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:)

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

 

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

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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!)

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Miami Vice.

MM called me Tubbs this morning and I wasn’t sure if he was referring to Miami Vice or The League of Gentlemen (a reference some US readers won’t appreciate – sorry!).  I am guessing it was the former given my white ensemble today.

This is a case of poor preparation.  I was planning to wear skinny jeans and then remembered I was having a pedicure later so I needed to wear a skirt, shorts or jeans I can roll up.  I went with the jeans – but tried to substitute my distressed white skinnies from H&M for shiny white 501s and it really hasn’t worked – the proportions are all wrong.  Even after a jacket change I’m still not happy. But after faffing around with photos etc…I didn’t have time to start again.  So here I am.  When it warms up later I’ll be taking my jacket off, and adding flip flops after the pedicure – a much better ensemble I think – and at least my feet will be looking good.  I’m trying to distress these 501s slowly with a razor – I keep shaving threads off a couple of patches, hoping that with some washing they will split, but it’s not happening fast enough so I may just have to resort to the sandpaper trick.

With the first Zara jacket:

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Jacket – Zara // Jeans – Levi 501s // Sneakers – Isabel Marant Bobbys // Top – Zara

After changing the jacket (White jersey blazer from Zara – old):

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A quick note too – as many of you know I churn my closet often and I’ve been selling gently used items that are all in excellent condition here on eBay.  Given my ‘power seller’ status and 100% rating I’ve decided to try out my own store front here on the blog.  If you click ‘Shop‘ on the menu you will see a couple of items listed.  I’ll be adding more here, instead of eBay, to see how it goes.  Payment is still easy and secure through Paypal.

 

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A new jacket.

Sticking with my formula for feeling great, i.e. jeans + jacket, I have been trawling online store fronts, perusing jackets at every opportunity.  I’ve convinced myself that now I know what works for me, at least for daily ease and work attire, surely I can justify more items that adhere to the formula?

This jacket looked NOTHING on the Zara site (a little better now with the new model and styling) – but based on plain black jacket I have that is a similar style I decided to try it.  I am so glad I did – I love it!  It is really lightweight and has lovely wide, bracelet length cuffs.  I think the cropped style works great with these Asos Saxby jeans.  The jeans were an absolute bargain and my favorite boyfriend jeans to date.  They have low slung pockets at the back and are loose fitting throughout the leg.  Not too distressed either – just enough.  If you use 30ASOSRMN you can get $30 off $150 with free shipping till April 28th.

Oooh and my current favorite nail polish was applied last night – China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy that I first saw on Eve on AllWornOutBlog.com.  It is a gorgeous neon peachy pink that glows next to a tan – LOVE it!

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 Jeans – Asos Saxby // Shoes – Vince Nina // Jacket – Zara // T-shirt – Gap sunwashed t-shirt

I wanted to leave you with this – remember the Dove sketch commercial I shared last Friday?  Well Avril sent me the parody that is now circulating – I found it so funny…

 

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Local girl done good.

Wooo hhooo – I’m thrilled to have been featured in the Bury Times this week (page 9)!!! And almost a full page:)

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I had a photo session a couple of weeks ago with the lovely Angela Morris – I’m so happy she could help me out on such a FREEZING cold morning.  Here are the results:

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Jacket – Zara (old) // Jeans – H&M Boyfriend jeans // Shoes – Nine West Austin // T-shirt – Ted Baker // Bag – Boden

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Some sale wants.

I don’t remember Boden ever putting their Spring items in the clearance section before June in previous years?  Maybe I’m mistaken, but this year they seem to be dropping odd items in throughout the season.  I just happened to be browsing yesterday and found myself lusting after 3 fabulous spring coats.  This is when I so wish I was back in the UK and actually had use for spring coats.  It’s 80 degrees here this week so it appears summer has arrived for 2013.  MM did suggest that they would be great coats for Fall and even Winter here – surely that means he agrees with me and I should purchase immediately?

I will preface this with the fact that 2 of these coats got some poor reviews.  However, seeing as I am not the ‘typical’ Boden buyer I tend to take the reviews with a grain of salt.  For me the truth always lies in trying the clothes at home, and styling them how I would wear them.  I think all 3 of these coats would look fabulous dressed up or down.  I can see myself wearing them with boyfriend jeans, a white t-shirt and flats, keeping them simple and casual.

The first is the swishy coatigan.  The fabric (as the reviews confirm) looks nothing like a coatigan – I think this is definitely more of a lightweight coat.  I want it in parchment which is currently reduced by $60.

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The next is the Canonbury coat.  I’ve had my eye on this for a while.  I think it looks stunning in the iris.  Again it would look amazing with just jeans and a t-shirt to really sharpen up a casual outfit.  The iris is only reduced by $30 right now but the other two colorways are reduced further.  The reviews are pretty dire regarding fit, but I really want to try this and see – dare I say it – but it may just be too much of a departure for some stalwart Boden customers.

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Finally I absolutely adore this red version of the Spring trench.  It is SO me and would make such a statement.  This one I might just have to order for Fall.  The red version is currently reduced by $60.

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What do you think?  Have any of you tried them?  If so do the reviews do them justice?

Today it is back to normality.  The final days of the vacation were amazing.  The children and I did some dancing on the deck while Dad prepared the grill:)

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I love this photo of Poppy at dusk looking out to the rigs.  I know the thought of oil rigs to many of you may be far from romantic – but I assure you when you see them all twinkling at night it is an amazing sight to behold.  Now I sound like I’m about to break out into a Toby Keith song.

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My final vacation outfit was of course a bikini – but sparing you that photo – here is one of me in the Zara dress that I used as my beach cover up.  I love it – it is really comfortable and light weight.  As you can see the house we stayed in was very ‘retro’:)

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Yesterday we were all tired and fortunately had a birthday party to attend which got us up and out of the house.  It was very odd getting ‘dressed’ again and wearing make-up – I even wore a necklace (inspired by Fiona’s post).  Not sure about this get up though – I think this is a bit of a failure – maybe trying too hard?

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Jeans – Target // Top – Zara // Jacket – River Island // Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker // Necklace – JCrew bubble copy from local store

…And here I am today, bleary eyed but happy to be home.

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Jacket – Gap (old similar here) // Sweater – Express (old) // Trousers – J.Crew Café Capri jade (old) // Flats – Vince Camuto Fawna (old)

 

 

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Withdrawal.

I’ve gone cold turkey.  No not with the wine silly!  I haven’t bought anything, or clicked an order button for a whole week.  I’m not sure when this last happened.  I have, however, filled several carts with things I ‘need’.  It’s actually quite fun to keep checking them and looking at them knowing at anytime I could hit the order button if I want to – I’m teasing myself;)

Yesterday we had an afternoon of severe storms so I had some time to surf online, as you can be sure we were going no where near the surf outside.  The storms were pretty darn scary, with Tornado watches – and being in a wooden shack on stilts did not feel the safest place to be.  At one point we tried to drive away from the storms but quickly realized the whole of the Alabama coast was impacted.  I felt too much like a ‘storm chaser’ guy on The Weather Channel, so we turned around and hunkered down.  I calmed my nerves with a strong margarita and distracted myself with some online window shopping – no one else in the family seemed to be that worried as plastic furniture went hurtling past the windows.

So what did I drop in my carts?  Well first of all hooray for Zara – lots of new items have appeared, along with a new model who is a bit more engaging than the previous ones this season.

This green jacket is just stunning – it looks fabulous in this fabric.

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One item I know I NEED is a lovely longish lace dress – why?  Well I don’t have anything like this already.  I can see it worn with converse, thong sandals, flip flops or even my Dicker boots – very versatile for any occasion.  I just wish it wasn’t $159.

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Of course there is another pair of patterned trousers that I love – this bird print pair are beautiful and will be perfect paired with a simple t-shirt.

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Another pair of shoes perfect for my feet, yet still enough like sandals to be summery are these peep toe booties.  They’d look fabulous with dressy shorts like these, or skinnies of course.

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One item that will definitely be winging it’s way to me is this white jacket – once I can summon the strength to click order:)  Also I am not sure whether an XL here is really the usual TRF L – I ALWAYS need a large in TRF jackets.  I seem to be obsessed with biker style jackets this season.

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One of my favorite stores – AllSaints - is having a sale right now on selected items.  I adored this Kayo Sweater dress as soon as I saw it at the start of the season.  The cobalt is now in the sale and I’m thinking this gorgeous color will be a welcome change from my AllSaints’ greys and blacks currently in my closet.

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Finally Asos.com has become another ‘go-to’ site for me.  I find it a little overwhelming navigating all their items – the same reason that I don’t really like department stores – but it’s so exciting to see all the UK brands I can get my hands on in one place, with free shipping and free returns.  Whistles, Oasis, River Island and some lesser known brands are all available.  Not to mention Asos’ own brand.  For less than $60 these loose Saxby boyfriend jeans are a steal – a great substitute for the Current/Elliott Dad jeans.

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I also have a weak spot for this dress – I just wish it was short sleeved for the summer here.

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Not sure how much longer I am going to go before caving.  I wonder if I can make it another week?

 

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Bikini ready.

I’m just starting to feel human again.  Those bus stop ladies are quite a riot when you get them in a bar around a bottle (or several) of white wine.  Thursday was tough going but it was worth it.  I love these ladies!

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The leggings I wore are new and a real steal from Nordstrom.  It is great being able to purchase TopShop items here now thanks to their partnership with Nordstrom.  They were an impulse purchase after seeing them on Martha’s post the other week.

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Boots – Nine West Buster // Leggings – TopShop faux leather // Jumper dress – AllSaints Sago // Jacket – Zara quilted leather jacket (old)

There is nothing like the thought of wearing a bikini for motivating me to hit the gym.  So yesterday I went to spin – it was amazing – a great endorphin rush in a lovely quiet class!  I hope it is the same this morning – yes I am motivated:)

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After spin I was running around like a crazy woman doing last minute errands for the trip – wine was bought, packing was done and finally the Brazillian was accomplished – TMI I know, but I find they are essential when you’re in a swimsuit 9 months of the year.  Plus it’s much more comfortable on the spin bike:) If you are in Atlanta go see Larissa at Brazilian’s by Andreia at the Buckhead location – she is amazing – and most importantly – gentle!

Nervously waiting for Larissa:

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Jeans – Primark Boyfriend jeans // Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker Boots

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The azaleas are out!

Spring must be here!  The Masters begins next week and our azaleas are out in preparation!  It looks stunning around here with all the cherry blossom too – it’s my favorite time of year here in Atlanta – not too hot, yet good flip flop and t-shirt weather.

I nipped into Target again on the way home from work – still umming and ahhing over the Fedora I tried on the other day.  Today I tried on a pink floppy hat – I love the idea of it – but I think at the very least I need long flowing locks beneath it to really pull it off like Ali MacGraw:)

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Trousers – JCrew wool café capris (old) // Shirt – Zara (old) // Shoes – Zara // Bag – Alexander Wang Diego

So I ended up bringing the Fedora home and I love it!

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T-shirt – Target (on sale $10!) // Jeans – Levi 501s // Flip flops – Havaianas // Hat – Target // Nail polish – Essie Avenue Maintain

I’m off out tonight with the bus stop Moms.  We rarely get more than 10 minutes to chat while waiting for the school bus so tonight I’ve got them all to meet up over a bottle of wine!  I can’t wait! What to wear?:)

 

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Running out of time…

…to get to work, to do laundry and pack for the beach, to get my mani/pedi done etc. etc. – all the important stuff that needs to be done – and it’s Tuesday already!  Okay so I may have left a lot till the last minute – but that’s how I operate:)  Not to mention a lifetime was sucked out of me waiting for the children’s annual check ups at the Doctors yesterday – I was there 2 hrs for what should have been a 30 minute appointment!

Hence a crappy bathroom photo today, as I ran out of time getting ready after making it to the gym this morning.  Nothing motivates like the pressure of wearing a bikini!

I love these jeans – I got them late last summer and I’ve rarely worn them because the button came off.  MM kindly got the hammer out and fixed them for me.  They fit perfectly and are super comfortable, assuming the button stays in place!  I love to keep the rest of the outfit simple with them, as they are so loud.

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Jeans – H&M (old but have still seen in some stores here) // Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury // T-shirt – Express (old) // Jacket – Zara (old)

Before I dash again I wanted to leave you with this fab top from Zara.  I’ve been cruising by it for a while now, contemplating it – and then I saw Jane from MyMidlifeFashion wearing it over at Avenue 57 – she looks ‘da bomb’!  It’s now in my cart – I’m just contemplating what other colors to get!

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April Fools’ Day.

Have you been fooled yet today?  I’ve seen two corkers – one from a friend on Facebook who announced she was pregnant with twins, and this fabulous one from Boden - the men’s Marylebone Skirt anyone?:)

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The sun is out here, but unfortunately no Easter Monday Holiday here in the US – off to work for me!

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Jacket – Zara // Linen t-shirt – Zara (old but similar here) // Jeans – Gap Boyfriend (old) // Sneakers – Isabel Marant Bobby // Bag – Alexander Wang Diego (similar here)

 

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