Settling Down?

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ON FRIDAY IT WILL BE A YEAR SINCE MY FIRST BLOG POST! TO CELEBRATE I THOUGHT I WOULD REPUBLISH SOME POSTS FROM BACK THEN THAT A) I REALLY ENJOYED WRITING AND B) SO MORE RECENT READERS CAN FIND OUT A LITTLE MORE ABOUT ME IN ADDITION TO WHAT I HAVE IN MY CLOSET:) ENJOY!

First published Jan 22nd 2012:

While waiting for MM to bring the Chinese home last night I ended up having an online conversation with someone about the East End of London (does that sound as sad as I think it does for a Saturday evening’s activities?). Before we moved here to Atlanta in March 2000 MM and I had lived in various parts of London. Oddly working from the most expensive to some of the cheaper (if not a bit dodgy at the time) areas as our incomes increased. We started in West Kensington, then moved to Notting Hill, then Camden, then Whitechapel, ending up ultimately in Spitalfields.

West Kensington was odd to say the least. We moved in to a 3rd floor flat in a house that was under renovation at the time, owned by some dotty Irish woman who was, I suspect, drinking all the contractors wages away. It also happened to be across the street from a hostel/halfway house where there were frequent yelling matches, if not fist fights (I was always most concerned about where my little Vauxhall Nova was parked for fear of damage). Relaxing – not. However, considering I was still a PhD student and MM was working for zero gaining ‘experience’ on a football magazine, it was not a bad place to live and certainly got me used to the eccentricities and chaos of living in London.

Next came Notting Hill. MM had me sold on location, location, location. We used to head up to Portobello Road a lot and loved ambling along there at the weekend and bar hopping in the evenings. The only problem is of course that W11 is one of the most expensive, exclusive postcodes in London so trying to find a flat with the budget of a student and a ‘part time’ worker was nigh on impossible. Until that is the Ledbury Road property came up. Ledbury Road – how cool is that – 2 blocks away from Portobello, always in the heart of Notting Hill carnival, close enough to Loftus Road and on one of the most exclusive roads in W11 – so how could there be a flat there we could afford? Well on arrival we found out. In a row of amazing town houses there was one that was not so amazing, completely dilapidated in fact. MM managed to convince me it was still worth a look. We headed up the creaky stairs through the house that had been converted into 5 flats – one on each floor. As we entered the 2nd floor flat my heart sunk further. It was tiny, no central heating, no shower, and a huge damp patch on the bathroom wall. There was no way I could live there – that was until we entered the ‘living’ room – I was in love with the huge double windows that opened up on to a private balcony. Yes our own private balcony, on Ledbury Road, in Notting Hill!! Still, however, unconvinced MM took me to the Ground Floor bar (now only 10 mins walk from the flat), bought me several Moscow Mules and an hour later I agreed we should rent it – I’m such a push over. We lived there happily for about 4 years enjoying many wild nights out and investigating each new fungus that grew on the carpet.

Ledbury Road as it looks today.

After getting my PhD and starting my first job as a Management Consultant (dead professional now…) I figured 1997 was the time to move on and graduate from student living. We loved having a market to wander through at the weekend and knew Camden Town would be a place we could get more for our money, so we headed to NW1 and Camden Square. The basement flat was by no means big but it did have some modern comforts like central heating and a shared garden – imagine that – no mold! Only problem with Camden Square was it was a pain for transport – I wouldn’t wish the Northern Line every day on my worst enemy…

Working in The City had opened my eyes to the thrill of walking through Bishopsgate, Leadenhall Market, Spitalfields and seeing The Thames every day. Also our friends were now living in Old Street so we were doing more and more of our partying in Shoreditch, particularly Charlotte Road where there were lots of cool new bars and restaurants – we were so hip. MM was now happily employed and finances were a little more comfortable so in 1998 we embarked on our search to own our first place. You would not believe the shoe boxes they tried to pass off as one bedroom flats in our price range back then. We had given up our lease in Camden and our estate agent in Spitalfields was giving us short term rents until we could find a place to buy. I think we spent about a year moving from flat to flat without unpacking any boxes – from Whitechapel to Commercial Street – a good thing Brick Lane was so convenient! Then the flat of our dreams (our dreams in our price range…) came back on the market and we bought our first place together in December 1999 in a fabulous new block of flats on Folgate Street right next to Spitalfields Market – we could live there happily for years! We moved in, bought furniture then two weeks later MM came home and told me we were moving to Atlanta…

Cantaloupe on Charlotte Road where we spent most of our time and money.

My visit to London Feb 2011 with friends:

Outside our block of flats in Spitalfields.

Fancy a curry anyone?

The back of me in Leadenhall Market.

These boots were made for walking…

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What a treat in store for me this week! After watching the Golden Globes live on Sunday it means I have Girls, Downton Abbey and some Real Housewives recorded for my viewing pleasure! In addition I’ve also picked up a new book at last – American Psycho. MM has been encouraging me to read it for some time now…I hope it’s as good as he says it is – we rarely enjoy the same books! It’s the perfect weather for staying in and curling up on the sofa with a good book – it’s wet, wet, wet here.

Braving the rain today I opted for a pair of my Frye’s. Don’t panic there are no leather soles here and all I’m doing is walking from the car to the office – not enough exposure to warrant the Hunters. These are the Veronica Slouch and they are a gorgeous dark, nutty brown – is that a good description? Maybe not. The jumper is one of my favorites from AllSaints – the Ellil in smoke. I love this jumper so much – the cut and drape are perfect and the buckle detail on the neck gives this knit a bit of edginess. I’m wearing it over an H&M vest dress for warmth – plus I find they keep some of the lumps and bumps at bay, working as a smoother or a shaper. The jeans are Hudson Collins. It’s five weeks since my last haircut and I’m desperate for one again – thank goodness I have an appointment on Friday – it’s feeling rather bouffant in this weather.

I found a photo of an outfit I wore last week that I forgot to post. I’m doing it now as it’s a rare photo of me in a skirt – the H&M Grey Concept skirt, worn with a Target belt and a Zara top. The fabulous Boden military jacket is from AW 2011. If you ever see one on eBay don’t miss out – it has the most beautiful fit and is lined with purple velvet. The boots are REALLY old Loft suede booties that I haven’t worn for years. It’s great to rediscovering items and now having easy access to them in my new closet!

Remember to check out the Boden site again this week as there is a new selection of items reduced by 20% which you can stack with my 15% discount when you click on the banner here:

Local weather report.

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I hate to sound like an amateur meteorologist, but the weather is throwing a spanner in the works. Remembering it is still early January – this weekend it was 76 degrees Fahrenheit here! Unseasonable to say the least. Today it’s in the high 50s and chucking it down. A flexible approach to wardrobe planning is required!

It turned out to be quite a sporting weekend in our household. After my great night out on Friday, Saturday was spent sitting in a warm, steamy swimming pool watching my daughter compete – I was a tad dehydrated it has to be said. Sunday was then spent cheering on the Atlanta Falcons as they won their play-off game – it was a nail biter and now we just have to face the 49ers to make it to the Superbowl! So it was a weekend that required little thought regarding attire and I will admit I spent it in slouchy sweatpants – lovely.

Today I’ve gone for the jacket and t-shirt again. The blazer is the fabulous Zara tartan jacket – I love this and it fits perfectly. I feel really sharp in it. The t-shirt is a $14 Forever 21 bargain. Yes their tees are all synthetic but they are actually really soft and drapey – perfect under a blazer. Jeans are the Hudson Collin skinnies, belt is Gucci and the sneakers are the Ash Gwen – perfect for a rainy day.

How was your weekend?

Girls only.

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One of my New Year’s resolutions is to go out with the girls more often. Sometimes life can get in the way of spending time with friends, and prioritizing time gets tricky. But life also raises issues that are best shared with girlfriends over a glass of wine and a good laugh, hence my resolution. I put it into practice last night and headed out with Cristin. We had a fabulous night catching up over a couple of bottles of unnecessarily expensive wine:)

I wore my black jacket again from Zara over the Dita t-shirt dress (yeah right – dress that barely covers your butt!) from AllSaints. The trousers are the coated jeggings from Dorothy Perkins (currently on sale) which have turned into my favorite ‘going out’ pants – they fit amazing and feel sexy! I busted out the Buster boots from Nine West. They’ve been sitting in my closet for a while now after I bought them at a bargain price before Thanksgiving. Not sure why I haven’t worn them till now – I think I was concerned about tottering around in really high heels – but they turned out to be the most comfortable ‘going out’ boot.

So after putting a New Year’s resolution into practice I also broke one. My new Boden folded leather clutch arrived. I just couldn’t resist it and I’m glad I didn’t now – it is just beautiful. The leather is buttery soft and it is incredibly roomy without any bulk. The color could be pink, orange or red depending on what you wear it with, and the detachable strap is genius.

Make me feel better and tell me you have broken a resolution too by day 12!

Oh and talking about Girls – don’t forget if you are in the US the new season starts tomorrow 9pm on HBO.

Inspiration from an icon.

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There are several style icons around the globe who inspire me, but the woman who makes me weak at the knees with her effortless chic and je ne sais quoi is Emmanuelle Alt. Wikipedia says she was born May 18th 1967 which is interesting not only because my daughter’s birthday is May 18th but also because she’s heading for her 46th birthday this year! She looks phenomenal at 46!

Her uniform is pretty standard fare – if you ignore the fact that it is compiled of designer pieces – you’ll recognize plenty of Isabel Marant when you look at photos. You’ll often see her in a blazer, t-shirt, skinnies or harem trousers with pointy pumps or ankle boots. Regardless of what she wears – it somehow always looks amazing and also looks like she hasn’t given her wardrobe that day a second thought. She has a formula and she sticks by it. If you saw a headless shot of her you’d be able to tell who it is instantly.

I think blogging is starting to make me over think what I wear, leading to some dubious decisions and combinations. It’s time to pare back and simplify. So here is my attempt at jeans, t-shirt and a blazer. I actually feel really comfortable like this and it’s one of MM’s favorite looks on me. InStyle magazine also dedicate a page this month to the blazer and jeans look – so I must be on to something.

The blazer is Zara from last summer – it’s hard to see the detail but it doesn’t have lapels – I love it – it has great strong shoulders! The t-shirt was a tenner from Target and is probably suitable for Valentine’s Day and the earrings were cheap as chips from Forever 21🙂 The jeans are Gap grey jeggings and the Carlsen boots were $40 from Steve Madden about three years ago, and I think look very Marant. Oh the irony, given I didn’t choose the only Isabel Marant I own – my Dicker boots.

On my wrist I decided to add a bit of embellishment to my standard Elsa Peretti open heart bracelet.

So go on then – who is your style icon?

Back to normal.

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So with school going back on Monday I was a bit worried about short tempers and bad moods in our household this week – but all in all I’m pleased to report we’ve all eased back into a routine relatively easily. So far no homework grumbles or getting out of bed complaints (I just huff and puff a bit – hate it!). I’ve started trying to plan my clothes the night before again, as at 6am I am totally lacking inspiration. The only problem is our weather is so wacky right now. It looked freezing this morning so I was planning to wear my Boden Off Duty jumper in grey that finally arrived, but on my way back from the gym I realized it was in the 50s and the forecast is now for the 60s this afternoon, climbing up to the 70s next week! It’s still January!? So back in the closet went the polo neck and out came a t-shirt and jacket.

The t-shirt and jeans are both really old, but really comfortable Gap items that have worn and washed incredibly well. It’s odd – some of my longest lasting items are from The Gap yet I never shop there these days – it just all looks a bit bland to me. The jacket is the oriental print bomber jacket from Zara (no longer online). I love this print and actually own the scarf (reduced to $20) and the trousers (reduced to $40) in it – never to be worn all together mind you! I think it’s the pink, grey and black combo that I love. The belt is Gucci – a present from MM a couple of Christmases ago – the fab news is it fits again! That spare tire is deflating! The boots are of course my Newburys that I keep harping on about…

I started the week in Zara too. Both the cardigan (reduced to $50) and the trousers (reduced to $40) are Zara, t-shirt is the same Gap one as above (washed I promise) and the boots are the Isabel Marant Dickers.

Yesterday I got the Vince Camuto boots out – I’d better wear them often before these temperatures rise! The jeans are Hudson Collin skinnies and the tunic is H&M – a bargain when I got it – I think they were on sale buy one get one free, and I got a black one too. The scarf is a REALLY old Accessorize one that I used to wear for work in The City – see I’ve always loved leopard print! The jacket is Boden‘s leather jacket from Spring 2011.

I’ve been struggling with a cold this week and there are lots of warnings on the news regarding the flu outbreak here – so better late than never I’m off to take the kids for flu shots later – dreading it…send me some good vibes!

Boden Spring Picks

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After the launch of the Boden Spring 2013 season yesterday, I spent quite a lot of time surfing the Boden site – well it would be rude not to. I’d briefly seen the preview site late last year but chose not to order then – my wants/needs/wishes always change so even with the 20% discount I wasn’t tempted. It was lovely to navigate through the new season at my leisure.

My first impressions after a couple of hours surfing the site are:

1. I LOVE the color palette used – the yellows, blues and soft reds really speak to me for Spring and Summer.

2. I love the knits like the Notting Hill jumper – just a shame I can’t wear them here in the spring when it’s already climbing to the 80s.

3. Where are all the tunics? – Normally my staple, go to items for summer dresses and so far only two styles to choose from:( The Breton tunic does nothing for me with the contrast pockets I’m afraid – the pockets are an unnecessary distraction. I’d probably take it in all 4 colors if it weren’t for the pockets!

Unusually for me – my top picks are mainly accessories. I’ll take the leather folded clutch in every color please! What a fantastic, versatile bag for all occasions. The Greengage, Sunset and black are top picks for me.

The oil cloth bag is another favorite. I bought my first Boden oil cloth tote last year and it has turned out to be the best bag ever – easy to keep clean and dry, stylish and Tardis like in it’s ability to hold everything – a true Mary Poppins bag. I love this season’s irregular spot and have my eye on these two to use for my various trips this year. I also think the folded leather clutch will drop easily into either of these so you can carry a bag for all occasions.

Given all the Boden in my closet I only own one dress – the cream sixties dress from a couple of years ago. I struggle with their dresses given my boobage and lack of hips, plus I don’t wear a dress very often anyway. Having said all that I LOVE this drop waist dress. It’s almost the antithesis of Boden given the muted colors and absence of pattern – but I think it’s really youthful and looks a really comfortable, yet sassy dress. I’d like this in grey and black please.

Finally a beautiful neutral scarf – with my 15% off it might be worth nabbing now at just $23.80 – the chincilla color is lush!

What have you seen that you’ve ordered or are lusting over? Don’t forget to click on the banner here for 15% off plus free shipping – grab them while they are in stock! Oh – and some new items are on promotion this week with 20% off and this 15% code stacks! Apparently there will be a different selection of items every week with 20% off – I love it! Take a look at the short rainy day mac (gorgeous in yellow) or the palazzo jumper for example!

Boden Spring collection, and a great alternative to the Newbury.

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A quick post to let you know that the new Spring range from Boden is out! Use this link or click on the image here for 15% off plus free shipping. Enjoy!

Also, I’ve had lots of questions regarding my Rag & Bone Newbury boots and I have found an amazing – dare I say – ‘copy’ from another of my favorite brands, Vince Camuto. Take a look at the Hadley bootie here. Currently they are reduced by 33% at Nordstrom making them just $106.49 – what a bargain! Who would be able to tell the difference? Not me that’s for sure!

Vince Camuto Hadley:

Something old, something new.

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Phew I made it to Friday – my last day home alone with the children. Seriously, I admire all stay at home mums/moms/dads – their job is so much more difficult than going to the office. As a treat for our last day together I took us all out for a late lunch at a local taco restaurant. It was fun and the skinny margarita was a nice treat for me.

Organizing my new closet has reminded me of some lovely pieces I have that have been stored downstairs since the renovations started. I found this lovely J.Crew jumper yesterday from 2010 – it has a lovely slit neck and is 100% cashmere. I have to admit it looks far better without a t-shirt underneath but it was freezing yesterday and I felt the need for an extra layer. It’ll look even better after I lose the last few pounds around my middle. I’ve been in the gym every day this week and and can feel it starting to have an impact – I’ve even signed up for a free weight orientation next week – I’m going to start pumping iron!

Anyway – the J.Crew jumper is the something old – the something new are the Newbury charcoal suede boots. No I have not broken my New Year’s resolution already – they have in fact been in my closet for over a month unworn. After buying my leather Newburys and loving them to bits – I actually vacillated between the Isabel Marant Dickers and these suede Newburys. I ordered them both and darn it ended up keeping both. There is something really special about the Rag & Bone Newbury – which accounts for it’s immense popularity. They are incredibly comfortable and worn with these black Gap jeans they made my legs feel like they go on forever. Even though they are ‘charcoal’ they are much more of a ‘black’ suede and I love the contrast of the wooden heel.

Before heading out I put on my Boden Chic leather biker jacket and my H&M sparkly scarf. Lovely and toasty.

Mr. UPS turned up in the afternoon with my fabulous sales haul (again bought before the end of the year!). It was like Christmas all over again!

My Vince Camuto fawna flats are just gorgeous! If you are in the US I encourage you to order on the Vince Camuto website – I discovered an Extra25 code off sale items! I had initially ordered them from Nordstrom – but one pair was canceled before shipping due to lack of inventory and then the pair that arrived were really disheveled looking – not happy but they are responsive on Twitter so the CS is making up for it. These are the ones that arrived directly from Vince Camuto – with the code they were just $33 each! Obviously I ordered the croissant color (pink/silver) too and they are on their way.

Caramel fawna:

Cloud fawna:

I’ll post on my other bits and bobs soon but needless to say the J.Crew velvet jeans are gorgeous as are the Hudson Leeloo tuxedo jeans that I found reduced on Zappos.com!

Happy weekend!! x

Wish it was time for school!!

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We’re climbing the walls here. MM is back at work and I am going stir crazy with 2 little ones at home. Yesterday we spent the morning at the Y and then had a play date to keep them busy. Today we headed out to Zoo Atlanta. Far too cold for most animals to be out but at least my animals got to run around and let off some steam for a couple of hours. They are now in front of The Aristocats for the afternoon:)

It was nice to get dressed after a day in work out gear – though it was definitely a day for layering. I chose the emerald green Zara jeans – in the sale at $30 – (I dreamed about wearing them – I must be outfit planning in my sleep now…), paired with my H&M stripe t-shirt dress with my fab Boden Off Duty jumper. I really do love the neck on this – really snuggly for a cold day like today – though I had to de-feather it after wearing it under my puffa the other day in NYC. The boots are some old favorites – Frye Shirley over-the-knee. They are buttery soft and super comfy because they are nice and flat – a beautiful riding boot that I also own in taupe. Hurry quick to Zappos.com here as they’re reduced by nearly $100!

So before we headed out I donned my J.Crew cashmere hat, H&M wrist warmers and a favorite coat from last year. It’s a faux sheepskin waterfall coat from Marks & Spencer. I bought it in their coat sale last December when I was back home. I love it – really warm and stylish. This might be the one that comes to the UK with me in February. This is the closest to it I can see online, and online it is sold out, at just 30GBP in the sale. If you are in the UK there may still be some in store – worth checking out!

Now please send oodles of patience my way as I resolve conflicts over movie preferences….

Poppy's Style

My blog about fashion, family, friends and fun.

Settling Down?

These boots were made for walking…

Local weather report.

Girls only.

Inspiration from an icon.

Back to normal.

Boden Spring Picks

Boden Spring collection, and a great alternative to the Newbury.

Something old, something new.

Wish it was time for school!!

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