Be quick with this Extra 20% off sale code!

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Following on from my post the other day regarding H&M I noticed last night that in the US we have an extra 20% off code that is valid through today. Something to do with our long weekend for MLK day – but basically an attempt to clear their stock – and it just might work – there are some gems!! The code is 3298, and in the UK there is a free shipping code which is 6407.

Here are my picks for your quick smash and grab!

I paid full price for this sweater back in September. I adore it – it is one of my favorites. In fact I’ll be wearing it later today if you check out my instagram feed. It is the ultimate, oversized, snuggly jumper. It comes in grey too. I have a small so it is super oversized! Perfect with leggings and skinny pleather jeans. I cannot rave enough about it!

mohair sweater

I saw this sweater in store back in September but bought the one above instead. Frances showed it on her IG feed the other day and with the extra 20% I have ordered this teal version. I love the shirt tail sewn in as I hate to wear a shirt – I fiddle with the buttons all the time!

maohair shirt sweater

This off the shoulder sweater is beautiful. It’s such a soft knit. Again it’s sitting in my closet and I may even wear it for dinner out with my husband tonight – still debating my attire:)

off the shoulder sweater

I get so many compliments when I wear this cardigan. It reminds me of the big granddad cardigans I used to wear at university. The color is perfect too!

mohair cardigan

I wanted this sweater so badly for Christmas but it sold out in a day! I saw them on eBay for $50! I’m tempted to buy it for next year!

elfie selfie

I have this knit in the black and white fleck – this stripe is gorgeous – and the knit is lovely and slouchy. An absolute bargain with the extra 20%!

knit sweater

I wear this cashmere dress as a tunic over leggings. The quality of the cashmere is fabulous.

cashmere dress

This cowl neck sweater is great with jeans or sweats and I love it for lounge wear at home.

cowl neck sweater

These three jackets are fabulous value – so Marant – really beautiful tied or untied. I ordered the first two the other day and have just reordered with the extra 20%. The pile one is in and out of my basket at the moment!

patterened coat patterned coat grey pile jacket

Don’t forget the Extra 20% ends today! There’s also lots of great sportswear in the sale too to stock up on!

Finally my outfit from yesterday. Bloody love these JBrand jeans!

Zara cardiganJeans – JBrand // Boots – TopShop // Cardigan – Zara (sale) // Jumper – Uniqlo cashmere (old) // Scarf – ASOS // Bag – Stella McCartney

A brand that’s gaining my love again….

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I’m talking about H&M. My local branch here usually looks likes a jumble sale. If I see something online I can guarantee I will NEVER find it in store, and vice versa. However, recently when I have taken the chance online without trying, I have more than often been pleasantly surprised. I swear the in store merchandising can make everything feel SO cheap. Trying it in the comfort of your own home, with your own accessories etc. can make the world of difference. My biggest gripe though is the restocking/return fee – that is just wrong – hide it in the price – don’t penalize me for returning something!!

So here goes – things I want to take the chance on, or already have, from H&M this season!

I will go a million miles for a great pair of harem pants and here are THE perfect pair of harem joggers. I am waiting patiently for the charcoal grey to come into stock.

H&M harem

Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 11.51.51 AM

I’m sure you have already all caught on to the new cropped flare jeans. Super flattering and they look perfect with sneakers, ankle boot and sandals. Not looking for the J.Brand price? Well check out these two options from H&M – I rate their jeans highly – and both these styles are available in blue or charcoal denim.

high flare kick flare

And this jacket…I ummed and ahhed over this Marantesque jacket yesterday. Needless to say my Facebook pals all told me I was foolish to leave without it…

jacket

H&M coat

I have to say I have bought high and low with workout gear. I LOVE dressing up for the gym. It really helps motivate me…shallow I know…but H&M’s sportswear performs, looks great and is a great price point.

sports tights sports tights 2

Finally – I posted this on instagram the other day – for me it is the perfect blend of masculine tailoring and feminine detailing. A shirt with a tie waist.

tie blouse

So do you shop at H&M – online or in store? I personally find UK stores just as overwhelming but with a much better selection of stock…?

As for the past couple of days I have  been enjoying freezing cold weather thanks to my M&S coats!

M&S coatCoat – Marks & Spencer (sold out online) // Sweater – Everlane // Pants – ASOS // Sneakers – Nike Air Force 1s // Bag – Proenza Schouler

M&S checked coatCoat – Marks & Spencer // Jeans – Zara (old) // Boots – Toga Pulla // Bag – Proenza Schouler // Sweater – Boden (old) // Scarf – H&M (old)

RIP David Bowie

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We hear about celebrity deaths all the time in the media. My normal reaction, such as when Lemmy died, is ‘Oh that’s sad, such a shame’, and we move on. We didn’t know them but we may have admired their art, and we take a second to acknowledge the world without them. Something was different this morning though when I learned of David Bowie’s death. It was so, so shocking, tragic and it knocked me sideways. Maybe it’s because he was always reinventing himself we were just waiting for his next guise? Maybe because we’d just celebrated his 69th birthday by listening to his new album? Maybe because as I grew up there had ALWAYS been David Bowie. David Bowie can’t die!? The last time I cried over someone’s death who isn’t a friend or relative was when Diana died. This morning as I read my Facebook newsfeed I was overwhelmed by a sense of loss. I watched his Live Aid appearance and burst into tears. Poppy and Hugh wondered what was wrong – I smiled and told them I was sad about an amazing singer dying. We all know he was much more than a singer. ‘Let’s Dance’ was the first album I bought and I wore it out. When I listen to it on Spotify it evokes so many emotions of love, fun, drama and teenage angst. I’ll be playing it all day today.

David-bowie-lets-dance

Thin white duke

There wasn’t much debate over what to wear today – my Bowie t-shirt was out.

pistol 1Boots – Acne Pistol (on sale here)// Jeans – Zara // T-shirt – ASOS (old) // Jacket – AllSaints // Bag – PS1 // Scarf H&M (old)

Back on Thursday it was a day for leggings – I’m all about comfort right now!

Leggings and shearlingSneakers – Nike // Leggings – ASOS // Jumper – H&M // Jacket – AllSaints (similar here on sale) // Bag – Alexander Wang Diego (TheOutnet.com)

 

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MOT month

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Every January I get my MOT done (for the US readers an MOT is a reference to cars that get their road worthiness checked every year – it’s called the MOT test!). This includes my dermatology skin checks, ob/gyn visit, and my annual eye test! I encourage everyone to get into the habit of it – it’s a pain to make all these appointments, but I would never have had my melanoma identified this time last year if I hadn’t had my annual skin check.

I was thrilled this morning that my blood pressure reading was just 111/69. I’m convinced this is due to my change in diet. I normally have blood pressure at the higher end of normal and it can shoot up at the doctors due to white coat hypertension. Skin check was all clear too thankfully. Now I can look forward to new glasses on Monday!

Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 11.51.03 AM

Ok enough with the health lecture. On to some shopping. It’s brass monkeys here at them moment and I’ve been cruising the coat sections. This coat from ASOS is gorgeous, and even better it’s reduced! I’m torn between the khaki (keeps popping back into stock) or the grey.

khaki ASOS coat ASOS coat with seam

Also I must tell you about these fabulous harem joggers from H&M – new in, and I am wearing mine today. Super comfortable, great quality and just $29.99 in a variety of colors. I’m wearing a medium.

H&M harem

Perfect for on and off at the doctors!

Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 11.51.51 AMJoggers – H&M // Jumper – Zara (sale – can’t see online) // Coat – Zara (old) // Shoes – Isabel Marant Bobby (old) // Bag – Alexander Wang Diego (off TheOutnet.com)

Finally – yes I got out there again – it was freakin’ freezing but the sleeve says it all…

Screen Shot 2016-01-06 at 11.51.39 AMShoes – New Balance Vazee (best running shoes I’ve ever worn!) // Tights – Nike (on sale) // Top – Nike

Starting 2016 the right way

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I was reading Nikki over at Midlifechic.com the other day. Her Project Happier really struck a chord with me.

I am a naturally outgoing person, being a Leo, and mostly love being around other people. I would say 90% of the time I am naturally happy and I always tend to take things in my stride. Over the past couple of years though that remaining 10% has raised it’s ugly head more regularly than I’d like.

I think I’ve always felt a sense of loss since moving to Atlanta. As much as I love living here, grief at having ‘lost’ my life in the UK can occur. It’s a sense of ‘loss’ and ‘being lost’. In 2015 I think it was exacerbated by my melanoma diagnosis. As amazing as my husband and family are, it was trying going through something so traumatic away from ‘home’. I went on anti-depressants for a while which ultimately led to a 40lb weight gain in a very short period of time. At the end of the year I decided the pills weren’t really needed and that the weight gain was probably exacerbating any ‘sadness’ I was experiencing. So I am starting 2016 with my own ‘Project Happiness’. I’m going to tackle that troublesome 10% and flip it to HAPPY!

I’ve started with a clean eating program – Whole30. I’ve always exercised frequently – if you follow on Instagram myself and a few others still use #PSFitClub for motivation. It’s now time to fix my food intake. I yo-yo a lot and I LOVE food. Living in the South with fried grits, biscuits and fried chicken does not help! So instead of following a ‘diet’ I have immersed myself in what I hope will be a ‘lifestyle’ change. In fact I have just taken the kids to their favorite diner for breakfast before school resumes tomorrow, and as torturous as I knew it would be watching them consume pancakes and syrup and vanilla milkshakes, I actually really enjoyed my omelette with sliced tomato. Honest! Whole30 isn’t supposed to be about weight loss – more to do with resetting your digestive system and ridding yourself of sugar cravings, but I’m hoping with the workouts I will be on the right path to regaining my svelte figure in a healthy manner. It’s also supposed to help your mind too – it really is compelling reading. I’ll keep you posted and my Instagram will give you a glimpse of my daily eating and challenges if you are interested!

Screen Shot 2016-01-05 at 12.00.07 PMJumper – Everlane // Coat – Zara // Bag – Mansur Gavriel // Jeans – Zara (old) // Sneakers – Nike Air Max

Screen Shot 2016-01-05 at 12.00.20 PMSneakers – Nike Thea in Olive // Pants – Reebok (on sale here) // Jumper – H&M // Bag – Mansur Gavriel // Hat – Nordstrom (old but blue on sale here)

Happy New Year!

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Here’s to a fabulous 2016 to all of you. Thank you for all your support and encouragement throughout 2015. I hope to try and keep you amused and entertained with my fashion highs and lows, travel, and musings throughout 2016.

Incredible to think I’m entering my 5th year of blogging and I couldn’t say that without you guys who continue to read my posts. Thanks!

disco divaJacket – ASOS (on sale here) // Jeans – ASOS (on sale here) // Shirt – AllSaints (old but extra 20% off sale here) // Boots – Sam Edelman (on sale here) // Bag – Gucci

 

New Year, New Plans, New Books

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2016 is going to be the beginning of a decade of travel for our family. We’ve been gradually building to it with longer summer vacations, further afield, and now the kids are turning 10 and 8, we reckon we can resume the some of the adventures we planned pre-kids!

We already have Turkey booked for the summer – lots of travel and Byzantine sites (I have my own personal tour guide in my Husband PhD Ancient History!) and I cannot wait! After this Christmas, we have also planned to travel at this time of year next year. I was so disillusioned with the anti-climax of Christmas Day this year. Probably because we have no family here, but also we consume, relax and gift most of the year these days! We are no longer in a post-War climate where Christmas was once a welcome day of rest, a chance to eat chocolate and forget rations, and enjoy the delights of family! My most favorite day was Christmas Eve when we had our annual visit to Church. Even my agnostic husband is enjoying this trip more and more and values the spirituality, regardless of religion, at this time of year. Next year we plan to be backpacking in Thailand via Hong Kong – well that’s the plan so far…

Oh and last night we went to see Lloyd Cole, which came a close second to my chat with the Father this year. He was epic. I was literally a meter away from him and yes I did yell across a very quiet, singer/songwriter type audience, ‘I LOVE YOU LLOYD!’. He thanked me graciously.

Yes you can hear me singing along…sorry…

Very unflattering photo of myself but we were SUPER excited! I wore the H&M sparkly jumpsuit with my Golden Goose and leather jacket. Lloyd wore a denim suit:)

D and me LLoyd Cole

I have a keepsake too – a guitar pick used by the man himself:)

Finally a few outfits from the holiday – I’ve been rubbish at taking them and to be honest – it’s been quite nice not needing the tripod xx

zaraJeans – Zara // Shoes – Ash // Sweater – H&M (cashmere and now 50% off!) // Jacket – Zara // Bag – PS1

Then later in the day I just switched out the bag and shoes for my Stella McCartney (now 40% off) and my Lowlands.

Lowlands

Sequin trousersTrousers – J.Crew // Shoes – Vince (on sale PLUS an EXTRA 60% off here!) // Bag – Gucci // Top – Mango (on sale here)

Now I’m going to get stuck into this lot.

New books

A warm December is GREAT for us coat lovers!

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So this ridiculously warm weather is driving me crazy. It is forecasted to be 75 degrees Fahrenheit here for Wednesday, Thursday and Christmas Day. NUTS.

BUT even though El Niño brings with it warmer weather it DOES mean we are in for some crazy, frigid spring weather – severe weather PSA!

Retailers hate this weather – everyone is already offering sales on winter clothing that has not been needed. Good news for me – an avid coat lover – who will wear one as soon as it dips below 60!

Good old Marks and Spencers have some beauties with 30% off. Reading the reviews I advise sizing down in these, but my goodness they are gorgeous!

First pick is this gorgeous statement collared neck stripe coat.

Marks and Spencer striped coat

Next this checked peacoat is beautiful – I think it will look great oversized but still would size down based on reviews.

oversized peacoat

Also from the Limited Edition this oversized coatigan is beautiful – not many left in stock in a medium! Such gorgeous colors so I’m not surprised.

Marks and Spencer blanket coat

Finally this is a beauty – such a great shape.

Limited cocoon coat

It’s easy to think we’ll get by without coats and knits this winter but I promise you, when they start throwing Spring collections at us in February, we will be freezing our knickers off!

 

 

OOTD catch up!

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Yes it’s chaos here! Last week of school done – with the odd day off sick for Poppy – uuurgh. All healthy now thankfully so we are ready to throw ourselves into the festivities! So far we have tickets for Star Wars, and an intimate gig with Lloyd Cole lined up – I’m not sure which I am more excited about. Lloyd possibly – especially after singing his greatest hits full blast in the car yesterday! So before we all sink further into the festive mayhem here is a quick outfit round up from the last few days!

H&M fur coat, Everlane, Proenza Schouler PS1, Golden GooseJacket – H&M // Jumper – Everlane // Jeans – Zara // Sneakers – Golden Goose (40% off here) // Bag – Proenza Schouler (some colors on sale here)

jumper dressJumper – H&M // Faux leather trousers – Zara (similar here) // Boots – Isabel Marant x H&M (old) // Bag – Proenza Schouler (some colors on sale here)

zara blouseJeans – ASOS // Blouse – Zara // Cardigan – Zara // Boots – Acne Jensen (some colors in sale) // Bag – Proenza Schouler (some colors on sale here)

Bells are ringing

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Bell bottoms that is…Every so often I tire of my skinnies and boyfriend jeans and crave the leg lengthening, slimming bell bottom. flares 7 flares 6 flares 5 flares 4 Flares 3 Flares 2 flares 1

Here are my picks of the season to help you emulate these amazing Pinterest images.

These were the first to catch my eye from Zara

Zara flare

For not much more you can have a pair in leather.

Zara leather

I settled with these from ASOS as they all have elastic waists – not much to complain about there!

These are Blank NYC pull on cotton mix and come in waist sizes so you can be more accurate with fit.

Blank NYC pull on

Sods law the ones I am wearing today are now reduced – Blank NYC faux leather pull ons. I’m in a 29″ and they are perfect.

faux leather Blank NYC

These crepe flares are fabulous – super comfortable and swishy!

crepe flares

I also ordered the jersey ones to try – I found these slightly looser in the thigh with less of the extreme bell bottom cut. Also now reduced! I tried a US 8 in both of these and again they were spot on.

jersey flares

I nearly got sucked into the sequin legging crew again this Christmas, but I have to say I far prefer these H&M glitter flares on me. I bought a medium and they are amazing. Lovely and fitted through the thigh and that elastic waist will be a life saver over the festive period!

glitter flares

These are similar but gold rather than silver sparkle – also more of a wide leg trousers than a true bell bottom. Again fabulous in a medium on me and the elastic waist makes them like pajama bottoms for Christmas day! I think both would look super with sneakers or a dressier shoe.

Glitter wide leg trousers

And finally here’s how I’m wearing the Blank NYC faux leather pair today. I certainly need a heel with these – my Newburys are high enough but my Sam Edelman Bradleys will be perfect.

Flares - JoannaFlares – Blank NYC from ASOS // Jumper – H&M // Boots – Newbury from Rag & Bone

You may have seen this on Facebook and Twitter but I want to thank Deborah from Fabulous after 40 for my lovely feature. I am truly honored and flattered! You can read my interview here.

Finally some outfits from the past week – it’s too bloody warm here!

culottes 2_edited-1Boots – Sam Edelman Bradley (on sale) // Culottes – Faux leather River Island from ASOS // Top – AllSaints (old)

IM sneakesrJacket – AllSaints // Shoes – Isabel Marant (TheOutnet.com) // Jeans – J.Crew // Shirt – J.Crew (old)

Zara knitShoes – Stella McCartney (NAP Sale) // Knit suit – Zara (old) // Bag – Stella McCartney (NAP Sale now further reduced)