Uuuurggh suffering from jet lag and my 4 year old is waking up at 3am thinking it is 8am aaarrrgggh! Thankfully tomorrow is the 4th so we have a day off to enjoy the pool and fireworks and celebrate our Independence as all Americans do – just a tad odd that it was independence from the Brits. When both children asked to wear red, white and blue today I did think about their England shirts – but only for a moment.
So tomorrow we’re up early (or late if you are my son) to go and cheer on the runners in the Peachtree road race which will no doubt have me desperate for a run – so a good job I just registered for another half marathon! Then off to the pool followed by burgers on the grill and then peering over the trees to watch the fireworks. I always enjoy Independence day but not so much when it falls on a Wednesday – it’s harder to justify taking two days off work…
On my return I have been amazed to see how much work has been done on the house – new windows are in, new floors are stained and the tub has even arrived! Only about 4 weeks of work left hopefully so we are off to IKEA on Friday to investigate closet fixtures and fittings – very exciting. I’m ashamed to say my new walk in closet is almost as big as my old bedroom in the UK:-/
Due to the ongoing work I found myself this morning with no full length mirror so my lovely daughter kindly obliged – I think I need to get her to stand on a stool next time – photos are never flattering when taken from below chin level – I look a bit startled! Today I am wearing my Zara off white jersey blazer (their sale has started but to be honest I don’t think the reductions are great so I haven’t been tempted by anything), H&M spotty skirt from a couple of years ago and a black tank from Express, along with my Tory Burch black Emmy sandals which you can barely see.
Two weeks have flown by and tomorrow we will be leaving on a jet plane to return to soaring Atlanta temperatures. We’ve had a fabulous vacation seeing family, days out, shopping trips and great food so it is bitter sweet that we head home to see Daddy and the dogs who have been missed greatly. The bags are packed and yes I managed to squeeze in my ‘souvenirs’ though I have sacrificed MM’s tea bags – though we can buy them over there!
My brother and his family are heading over for dinner again so Mum is making one last family dinner for us all before we return next year – we’ve had lamb and beef so of course today it’s time for roast pork and crackling mmm!
I wish I had a long mirror to show you the Primark jeans in their full glory – they are definitely growing on me – especially now I have styled them with my white AllSaints Tilly t-shirt and my H&M linen top – more muted colors are definitely required with these jeans!
So see you soon back on the other side of the Atlantic!
Addendum:
Okay asked Poppy to take a photo for the legs – she would only take it sitting down while watching CBeebies so it is hideously unflattering and dark but here you go:)
After the harried shopping trip at the Trafford Center the other week I was determined to have a trip to the shops without the kids so this morning my sister and I ventured into Bury without 3 of our children but decided not to overwhelm Mum too much so took baby Tom with us – who was an absolute joy and slept the whole time! Bury has been somewhat transformed in recent years and now hosts a Primark, H&M, Oasis and Top Shop so I was excited to experience some UK style and buy a couple of ‘souvenirs’:)
I have heard a lot about Primark‘s renaissance from my blogging buddies but had yet to visit a store myself. I must admit I was a bit overwhelmed when I entered but knowing time was on my side I started to work through the store systematically. I actually entered the changing room with quite a few tops – I think I was just terribly excited about seeing all the five pound stickers! Some of it, I hate to have to say it, was just too ‘young’ for me – way too much mutton dressed as lamb going on. I did leave however with two fabulously patriotic t-shirts that I can have fun wearing under a blazer or with shorts back home – I just wish the London bus was going somewhere more glamorous than Croydon. The floral jeans that I have seen Doesmybumlook40 and Suburban Style endorsing were in the sale, also at five pounds, and I even though I am still extremely skeptical about them, I bought them – who can put a pair of jeans back on the rack that only cost a fiver?? That’s less than a margarita!
On then to H&M which of course I have access to in Atlanta but I wanted to do a compare and contrast. If anything the prices are pretty similar when converted, the selection in Bury of course was just a wee bit limited. Ever the conquering hero I still managed to walk out with 3 items. I’d tried on a similar top to the grey one shown below in Express back in Atlanta – I love the ruching that is very flattering over a ‘yes I’ve had babies’ tummy. The one in Express was $49.90 which I thought was pretty pricey and these in H&M were only 12.99GBP (have you guessed yet that I can’t find the pound sign on my laptop!). Anyway I walked out with it in this gorgeous grey and a white one – both will pair perfectly with my Zara harem pants.
This dress caught my eye due to my love of prints and also the fact it’s a jersey dress with a fuller skirt – snapped up for just 12.99GBP – what a bargain!
Finally on to Top Shop. I used to love going into their flagship store at Oxford Circus in my London days and had the best silver skinny trousers from there circa. 1995! Anyway again the mutton radar kicked in so I avoided anything shiny but fell in love with this asymmetrical t-shirt and only 16GBP!
My final purchase was another risky one – they could make me look like a complete hippy or they could be the coolest, comfiest pants ever – I’m going to wear them to travel in on Sunday just so I can gauge MM’s reaction when he meets us – he was wearing pants like this in 1990. Oh how fashions come around again. Speaking of which the late 80s/early 90s are in full swing in Bury – I’ve never seen so many pairs of pants with elastic ankles paired with espadrilles – and that’s just on the boys – very Howard Jones:)
I headed out in my Express cropped black jeans which are super comfy and my AllSaints plume jumper, worn with an old H&M scarf – it started of fairly warm here but there are plenty of clouds rumbling over us!
Oh I forgot – there was one more purchase – a bag of Holland’s steak and kidney puddings – I can’t really leave the North West without having one can I? So a fabulous haul and a fabulous morning with little sis. Now on to an afternoon of drinking Pimms – well Wimbledon is on isn’t it? I just cannot wait for the Tour de France to start this weekend!!
The weather today is similar to my last visit. All well and good except my last visit was early December. It has been raining non stop, blowing a gale and it is is very dark – and yes it’s June 22nd. Hard to believe just hours away on a plane it is almost 100 degrees with blue skies. After a little consideration given to venturing out this morning we all decided better of it so we’ve had a lovely relaxing day watching movies and vegging on the sofa. No point complaining bitterly about the weather – we decided to behave like grown ups – embrace it and go with the flow.
The kids have watched Wallace and Gromit about 10 times now and still giggle at the same points, never tiring of it. I have raised my game on Bejeweled, surfed Facebook and enjoyed a few more chapters of the last of the Larsson trilogy. Mum and Dad – the complete nutters – have just decided to go out for their daily 3 mile walk. Poppy was either in awe, confused, or both as they left dressed head to toe in waterproofs. I guess if you live here 365 days a year you can’t let the weather dictate your actions or you’d rarely leave the house.
I am writing with the smell of dinner wafting through – roast lamb – it smells divine. I think I might actually be drooling. It is the perfect day for a scrummy roast dinner cooked by your mum, who happens to be the best cook in the world. It’s just a shame that all I can see across the road is a field full of sheep with their new baby lambs – will just not look when dinner is served.
The weather has also allowed me to enjoy me new AllSaints purchases. I bought the Boston cardigan thinking I would wear it just open in a waterfall style, but today I have been sitting with it wrapped around my neck in some kind of cardigan come scarf fashion. I’m wearing it over an AllSaints Godiva tank with my comfy Zara cargo pants – perfect for stylish lounging:) If you’re considering the trousers these seem to run big contrary to most of the Zara items I have. I’m wearing a US 6 and they are perfect – nice and slouchy. Thankfully here you can’t see my slipper socks that I have resorted to wearing my feet were so blue with cold, so happy I bought them to wear on the plane!
…that’s what the Trafford Centre trip turned into for me today. We had originally decided to go as Dad was very excited about the John Lewis sale – under the guise of “your Mum loves John Lewis” – well he wasn’t fooling anyone. As it happens it was also lashing it down with rain this morning and the trees were horizontal so being indoors seemed like a good plan. Though, just so you all don’t think I am a complete nut job, I HAD cautioned everyone involved about the peril of shopping with a 4 and 6 year old – my Mum had clearly forgotten after raising 3 children. We met my lovely sister who is enjoying maternity leave with baby Tom – who coincidentally is the perfect age for shopping with children, as long as you have plenty of baby bottles prepared before you leave. To be honest I don’t know what the fuss is about with newborns – all they do is eat, sleep and poop – so easy compared to a 4 and 6 year old…yes I hate to harp on, and I know parental amnesia is kicking in, but I am trying to evoke some sympathy.
So as we walked into John Lewis, knowing I hadn’t taken a photo of myself in all my glory, wearing my Hudson jeans, AllSaints Bonny cuban boots, Zara lace top, YSL Roady bag and JohnnieB leather jacket, I asked my lovely daughter to photograph me. The following results are the beginning of a downhill spiral:
Flattering hey? Intentionally action shots? I don’t think so…
Having fueled the kids with boiled eggs and sausage this morning they did allow me some time to browse the sale and I spotted these lovely dresses but couldn’t summon the energy to try them on, and the lovely Oasis dress with anchors on it was only available in an XS otherwise I would have just bought it without trying I liked it so much. The second dress was the lovely French Connection Calypso jersey dress that I’m not sure I would ever wear but I still thought it was gorgeous and drapey.
I did manage to try on a Mint Velvet long sleeved top that caught my eye mainly due to the color. I have to admit I haven’t heard of the brand before but they have some lovely casual tops. While I was in the changing room I heard the screams of my son and thought twice about returning to my party – I nearly made a run for it just 30 minutes into the shopping trip…While in the changing room I also managed to achieve what Poppy hadn’t, that being a photo of my outfit of the day…
Here’s the top I tried – I think the fit of the 12 was fine and a 14 would have been to loose around the neck but the fabric was a tad too clingy for my liking so I passed on it.
On then to AllSaints. Not having a stand alone store in Atlanta I relish the opportunity to visit one here and the one in the Trafford Centre is pretty big. I left Mum and Dad watching their grandchildren and legged it. I certainly wasn’t intending on buying anything – but then why would I go in the store at all? Oh and then I discovered my heaven for the day – their sale had begun today! (on the US website too!)
I walked out with knitwear and yes granted it is needed here in Bury, it won’t be worn for a while in Atlanta with 90 degree temps. I ended up with four, yes four cardigans.
I love my black cerulean cardigan so I got the grey marl:
I already have the plume jumper in ivory and was tempted by the ebony striped one shown here, but ended up with the cardigan instead – my favorite of the 4 items, but not to be found on either the UK or US website:
Then I picked out the grey Jagger cardigan – I have the black jumper which I love, and I’m a magpie around anything grey – could only see the black online though:
Finally the Boston cardigan – just gorgeous and I can wear this in the summer evenings with shorts:
VERY, VERY happy with my haul. Sadly I then had to regroup with the tired, irritable children…poor things it’s not their fault the shopping gene hasn’t kicked in yet. So we took them off for fish and chips in John Lewis and all were soon happy and smiley again. I’m now at Mum and Dad’s with my first glass of white of the day – well earned I’m sure you will agree, and if you were in Manchester today and heard a manic woman yelling “Poppy!”, “Hugh!”, “Come on guys!” – it was me.
We’ve arrived!! After a tiring but thankfully uneventful flight we landed in Manchester at 8.35 yesterday and were met by my Mum and Dad. Poppy and Hugh were exceptionally excited and we had one of those ‘T Mobile’ Welcome Back moments that made me all misty eyed. They both slept most of the way which was a blessing as having bought 3 movies for their iPads I realized on the plane that none of them had downloaded onto Hugh’s – what an idiot I am! In my midst of syncing iPods, iPads, iPhones, and shuffles I had somehow completely omitted the most important thing – movies on Hugh’s iPad. He is the only one that will obsessively watch “Hercules” over and over and over again…Thankfully for me his sister was gracious enough to switch iPads which allowed her to play games on his while he watched “Hercules” before passing out:)
Sensibly I took some ham sandwiches for them on the plane as I knew they’d turn their nose up at Delta food.
Once home we had lots of fun catching up with my sister and her boys, Tom the youngest just 8 weeks old and is grinning from ear to ear already. My brother and his 9 month old, Alice, then came for dinner later. It was so much fun seeing all the cousins play together with Poppy of course herding them around and playing ‘mom’. I then watched the incredibly boring England game with Dad – good result but geez rubbish to watch.
After restful night’s sleep I headed off for a long run this morning. It was a beautiful sunny morning and it felt great to shake some of the jet lag off and run up some massive hills, taking in the views of sheep, moors, mill chimneys and towns down below. Little changes around here which is why I love it.
Mum and I decided to have a ‘potter’ around Bury just to M&S and Tesco but of course that can take 2 hours and the children were not impressed – their jet lag well and truly still present. I did manage to take a few snaps while we were out of some items that I didn’t have time to try or consider but I thought were definitely worth a second look at some point.
Mum with Poppy and Hugh at a Bury landmark.
I pointed out this t-shirt online a few weeks ago and still love it in real life – once I have stopped converting pounds into dollars I may take the plunge. Right now it seems exorbitant for a t-shirt!
I LOVE this swimsuit and had been admiring it in Mum’s M&S magazine last night – this could be going home with me.
I am loving all things butterfly and bird print currently so this shirt caught my eye, though it’s cotton and could require ironing, not something I like to spend my time doing.
These spotty ballet flats are so cute, but certainly no time to try them…I will be doing when we head to the Trafford Center this week – they are adorable!
My sister was laughing at the following photo – apparently I’m not supposed to take photos in stores as they suspect it may be competitive intelligence but I couldn’t resist this one for MM – the baked bean lover in the house. Heinz have a packaging that is completely new to me and I LOVE the idea as I am always looking for tupperwares for half opened tins of beans. I’m sure all you UK residents are completely up to date with the fridge packaging innovation but I’m blown away! MM thinks it’s sacrilege for beans to come from anything but a tin and was more intrigued by the vegetarian sausage and beans behind Poppy!
Just don’t get me started on how much more advanced British supermarkets are with their packaging and product innovation – the scale of the country compared to the US must allow for more experimentation and variety. Thankfully pickled onion Monster Munch are still readily available here!
Most of the morning was spent with the children telling me that they didn’t want to walk anymore – they are so used to jumping in an SUV and being driven store to store (on the rare occasion I shop with them), the pedestrian life is quite a shock for them. Fortunately I was wearing my AllSaints boots (Bonny cuban which I can’t see on the UK or US site right now) which are so comfortable and I love the buckle and fringe detail, they are one of my favorite purchases so far this year.
Finally, a trip back home wouldn’t be the same without picking up a “Hello” magazine…I will enjoy reading this later this evening while the children play with their Euro 2012 football and Olympic Games silly bands – EVERYTHING is red, white and blue here:)
So sorry for the lack of recent posts – it has been bedlam getting ready for our trip! I’d have thought by now I would have packing for a trans-Atlantic trip down to a fine art, but oh no, this time I have some how managed to fill 2 enormous bags for 3 of us whereas previous years I’ve managed with one bag alone. The unpredictable British weather does not help – plus I need black and taupe ankle boots, and black and neutral ballet flats, casual sneakers, running sneakers and flip flops just in case:) I reckon if I could carry it all I’d make full use of our allowance of 3 bags but I’m not entirely sure they would all get in mum and dad’s car back in Manchester – in fact I’m not even sure 2 will…I’ll just have to sit on the roof…I’m sure as hell not sacrificing my closet. MM did ask when I thought the leopard print capris would get worn in Bury…well you just never know do you?!
I also have 3 iPads, 1 iPod touch, 1 shuffle, 1 MacBook and 1 iPhone to carry – Steve Jobs really was a genius.
So here are 2 outfits from over the weekend that I shared by FB and Twitter in lieu of posting the blog – lazy I know. The first is from Friday. I went to get a haircut in the morning and knew I’d be running errands for most of the day so comfort was key. It’s the first time I wore my Sam Edelman leopard print Petty boots and I adore them – they are on sale on Zappos.com right now – you must have these in your closet! They looked fabulous (note overwhelming modesty here) with my orange J.Crew shorts, black Express tee and Zara black jersey jacket. I’m embarrassed to say I now have this jacket in black, off white, fuchsia and jade. I just love them.
Saturday night my fabulous man took me out to our favorite place for dinner, Abattoir, for a farewell dinner. One too many prosecco cocktails were imbibed and too little food which resulted in a stonking hangover on Sunday – hence no photo from yesterday as it was spent horizontal on the sofa in sweatpants, watching recoded Euro 2012 matches:) After a good sweat this morning and a mani pedi with my girl I am now throwing the remaining items into my bags ready to leave for Atlanta’s new international terminal. I believe there is a new El Taco there where the kids can have some nachos and I might have a cheeky margarita! See you in England on Tuesday!
I pity the poor folk who have less IT literacy than I do and try to borrow eBooks or audio books from Fulton library system! I have been trying to get a few alternatives to listen to and read on the plane on Monday but blimey you need a flippin’ IT degree to figure out the library’s system – I used to work in IT and have still been struggling! There appears to be a cluster of issues making it nigh on impossible to borrow a book. A combination of few available books, several file formats, several apps needing to be downloaded, and zero compatibility with my Macbook – resulting in one frustrated borrower. It’s easier and cheaper time wise just to buy a couple of books on iTunes or go back to the good old paperback. MM thinks I’m fooling myself anyway – thinking that I will have time to read with a 4 year old and a 6 year old in a confined space for 9 hours is just asking for trouble:) Anyway the third book in the Larsson trilogy will be joining me on the plane and I will get to read it – though I’ll be sad when I’ve finished it – I’ve loved these books so much. Next on my list is the new Robert Harris book – The Fear Index.
I’m off to the pool with Poppy this afternoon again to avoid the workmen at home. I had a sneak peek in the room yesterday and my oh my – it’s all gone! The old bathroom is completely demolished and the old closet wall is gone! So we’re almost at the ‘fun’ bit – that is bringing in the new bathroom! It does look a bit creepy in there now – as MM pointed out – they get their plastic sheeting from the same supplier as Dexter Morgan🙂
I opted for a bit of summer color today with my Boden fab jersey tunic in prune (I have the moss here too). This really has been the surprise of the season – it is so lovely in real life – the colors really pop. Luckily I also have the perfect J.Crew cashmere cardigan to coordinate with the orange in it – and my nectarine Tory Burch Revas work perfectly! Apologies for the dark photo again and all the stuff behind me – my packing is in full swing!
So what do I pack for the UK next week? Is it really that bad that I just need to take jumpers and jeans?:( Am I being crazy if I pack shorts or a skirt? Is it really going to be wellies and rain coats? To be honest I don’t mind the rain too much – we had torrential down pours here yesterday and it was lovely – I miss it in an odd way. But rain for 2 weeks in the UK will restrict my footwear choice – i.e. no suede, and also means my bags will be heavier with colder weather clothes – unfortunately rain in the UK does not equate to saunas and steam room heat and humidity like it does here…I’m slowly building a pile of possible items to take but I’m now getting to the stage where I am throwing things at the pile for the hell of it. I need to keep reminding myself that I am not Victoria Beckham and will not be wining and dining every night in Bury’s finest establishments – therefore I do not need 3 pairs of ‘going out’ shoes, a pair of heeled boots, or a pair of strappy sandals. I WILL be going out though and obviously if I am seeing people from my past i.e. school etc…then I need to look drop dead gorgeous, skinny and fabulous so maybe I do need some heels?:) Shallow indeed;)
Yesterday afternoon I went shopping with Poppy for gifts for the nephews and nieces and my sister’s birthday gift. I truly am creating a diva – while at the Jo Malone counter in Saks she was asking very relevant questions about certain scents and then had the audacity to ask for extra samples – I love her nerve! We then had fun at the library doing much more sensible things for a 6 year old like signing up to the book club. I LOVE libraries – even the smell of the old books appeals to my inner nerd…entering one takes me straight back to school – I really did like to study!
Today after her gymnastics camp I’ve promised to take her to watch the new Madagascar movie. I’m quite relieved to have something to fill my afternoon given the demo of the bathroom is in full swing – the last place I want to be right now is home. I’m looking forward to my popcorn:)
I was again very uninspired with what to wear – I think it’s because I feel overwhelmed with packing and wading through my clothes – it’s times like these I can really see the benefit of a capsule wardrobe. Anyway I picked out my J.Crew skirt from a couple of years ago, Zara Union Jack tee (feeling a little patriotic with the imminent trip and England’s not too shabby performance yesterday in Euro 2012!), and then I opted for my Frye Sabrina’s in clay which I’d probably take to England were it not for the hassle of taking them on and off at airport security – and I don’t want to pack them as they will take up precious cargo space! So sorry for the rubbish photo again – ’tis dark in the basement!
Uuuurgh – sorry for the lack of weekend posts. I have had an exhausting, stressful time running up and down stairs moving what appears to be shed loads of clothes, shoes (some I’d forgotten about – the shame) and cosmetics to the basement suite where MM and I will be residing until the end of the renovations. In a way it’s quite nice to have the opportunity for a good clear out. We really haven’t done it since we moved into the house 4 years ago – then we just put stuff in what seemed logical places and now, having lived in the house for a while, I know there is a better way to organize things. In fact it will be amazing to have a large walk in closet where all my lovely clothes can be hung, and shoes can be stacked for easy access. You wouldn’t believe the amount of crap that my bathroom vanity had hidden in it. I must have really suffered with hemorrhoids after the birth of my son – I had about 20 different brands of cream in there!! Ouch!
Poppy and I took a break from the turmoil yesterday and headed to the salon for her hair cut. Honestly you would think she is 6 going on 16. Mom wasn’t allowed to sit with her – but I assure you as I sat in the waiting area I could hear her chit chatting away ‘well ac-tual-leee I can do this’, ‘no reeeeally she said so’, ‘I SO like that’…etc.etc. Where did my little girl go? She’s been possessed by a 16 year old mall rat!
The workmen arrived this morning…an hour late…not a good start…but at least they showed up to start the demo. I now have to stay clear of the house all day till 4pm so I don’t get roped into making cups of tea all afternoon:) I did manage to get MM to move the only long mirror in the house down into the guest room where we are sleeping for the next 8 weeks – but the photo is pretty dreadful today – I need to move the mirror somewhere where it doesn’t look like I have a light affixed to my head!
The outfit isn’t too inspiring today mainly as I was struggling for ideas after carrying all the clothes downstairs. Packing for England this week is going to be a nightmare – I already can’t find half my underwear! I’m wearing my Hudson jeans – all of you in England will be happy to hear it’s throwing it down here too and we have grey skies today. Paired with the jeans is the Boden Pretty top from last summer – a lovely, ‘pretty’, easy to wear top that is much more girly than my usual attire. On my feet I have my Tory Burch flannel Revas which are really comfy. You’ll notice I’m also desperate for a haircut – 6 weeks between cuts really is too long for me.
Poppy's Style 