Tag Archives: ASOS

My obsession with jumpsuits.

Obsession?  Addiction?  Call it what you will – I LOVE a jumpsuit.  I love the fact that they are quirky, retro and not to everyone’s taste.  I’m a little sad that they are becoming more mainstream.

I’ve acquired a few new ones over the past month – I must stop now as I am not sure I will have time to wear them all over the summer!  At least three of these will be coming on vacation with me so let’s start with those.

First of all this River Island gem.  It was in and out of my ASOS basket for weeks before I finally hit order after seeing Trea model it.  Thank goodness I did – it is amazing.  It is so comfortable (though I did size up to a UK 14 as River Island can be quite small) and it has adjustable spaghetti straps with a popper at the front to maintain your modesty.  I am wearing it here with a body underneath so it doesn’t appear to be too restrictive as far as what underwear you can wear with it – always a concern for me with thin straps as I need to wear a bra.

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So….as I loved this so much I tried this one…and loved it too!  Again River Island from ASOS – I’ve just switched out the cheapo belt it came with for a wider one of my own.

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Now this Zara jumpsuit is all I ask for – leopard print, comfort and a little cleavage for a night out:)  It only comes in small and medium and this is a medium so it is definitely generous sizing for Zara.

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I’ve been eyeing this khaki one online for a while and Cali persuaded me to buy it while we were in NYC last week.  I’m glad she did – I really love it.

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Finally good old M&S!  This photo does not do it justice.  The fabric is so drapey and soft, and it comes in black or navy but the black is sold out online.  It feels so elegant on and it is a fabulous evening piece instead of a dress.  This is a UK 12 but I know many of you taller ladies will be disappointed that it doesn’t come in a longer length too – it may come up too short for you.

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So are you wearing jumpsuits this summer?  Do you say yay or nay?

I’ll leave you today with my outfit from Thursday – one of my favorite t-shirt dresses from ASOS.  Off now to finish assembling IKEA flat packs – 2 loft beds are done so now for the easy pieces!

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Dress – ASOS (on sale) // Sandals – Ancient Greek

 

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My New York City trip!

I am tired.  Very, very tired, but happy.  Very, very happy.

My great friend, Cali, and I arrived in NYC at around midday on Saturday.  The weather was perfect – blue skies and a cool breeze.  We stayed in the Holiday Inn on Lafayette Street – which I have to say was the PERFECT location in the middle of SoHo.

travel attire

My travel attire: Sneakers – Stan Smiths // Jeans – J.Crew // T-shirt – Ted Baker (old but similar here) // Cardigan – J.Crew

on the plane

We headed straight out for lunch and found a fabulous place called Delicatessen for mussels and fries.  They also had a ‘Macbar’ so we couldn’t resist the opportunity to taste the mac ‘n’ cheese with confit of duck – as rich and amazing as it sounds!

lots of foodAfter a bottle of prosecco it was time to flex the credit card and we walked around the corner to AllSaints – how convenient that their sale had just started in store!  It hasn’t started online yet so keep your eyes peeled here.  I got a couple of great bargains along with the Rae dress that I just couldn’t resist.

Rae dress

That night we headed out for cocktails at The Pegu Club – of course the new dress was worn.  A fabulous conclusion to a great first day!

The pegu club

Sunday morning began bright and early with maybe the BEST breakfast I have ever had at Jack’s Wife Freda.  I had rose water waffle with fruit, and a lovely pot of tea – unfortunately we were even too early for mimosas to be served on a Sunday!

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My #selfie – sorry no full length outfit shot, but I was wearing the ASOS maxi dress and my favorite Nars Yu lip pencil.  The dress is perfect and even one of the assistants in Barney’s stopped me to tell me she had just ordered it.

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It was then time to head Uptown where we enjoyed pounding the streets and window shopping – but of course we also had to get some gifts from the American Girl Store and then head to Barney’s for a cocktail.  It was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.

Cali and I selfie

Early that evening we rushed out to an Irish bar near Times Square to meet Avril and see the Belfast Community Gospel Choir perform.  We walked in to the most rousing, amazing sounds. Both Cali and I ended up in tears for the next hour – their singing was so amazing.  I have never felt so emotionally moved by a choir –  being with fabulous friends, in NYC created an incredible experience that I will never forget.  Of course I tried to claim a spot in the choir too:)

BCGC Avril BCGC

crashing the choirCali and I departed and made our way back downtown…arriving back at our hotel at a little past 4am.  Yep we made the most of it – Russian vodka bars and Speakeasy bars included.

We managed to rally on Monday to meet up with Avril and Gemma Louise at Balthazars for Avril’s birthday lunch.  Cider with ice cubes helped the head:)

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Avril

So today has been tough to say the least, but amazing memories made with amazing friends have made it easier.  I feel very fortunate that I have such a supportive family that let me run off for a weekend of fun with brilliant friends who I love dearly – thanks for making it great Cali, Avril and Gemma Louise!

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IMG_8473Shoes – Ancient Greek // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco (old similar here) // Jeans – J.Crew // Top – AllSaints Tiko tee // Jacket – my new AllSaints Walker jacket bought in the sale not online right now

 

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Kristen Taekman of RHONY

New York is my favorite Real Housewives franchise, closely followed by Orange County and Beverly Hills.  The new series of the RHONY has provided me with a new style crush – Kristen Taekman.

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(image – http://www.kristencarrolltaekman.com/)

She is a genius at mixing high and low end labels and many of her clothes are high street brands such as Zara and H&M.  She always looks so chic, on trend and put together – and totally appropriate for whatever contrived situation they throw the ladies into!

I was smitten with one of her latest looks – a beautiful white maxi dress – seen in this video here.

After a little research I discovered it was Zara from last summer!  She looked stunning in it…I can only find show clips of her wearing it so the images are not great.

white zara dress

Here is the actual dress in case you find it on eBay!

Zara-White-Tiered-Maxi-Dress

I have found a couple similar that are available now – another here from Zara:

Zara 2014And this one from Mango which I have ordered to try – I think I prefer the simple straps on this one.

Mango

There’s also this one from ASOS.

ASOS white dress

Another dress which was featured on the same show was this gorgeous Alexander Wang khaki dress.

khaki dress

I patted myself on the back here as it is very similar to this stunning dress from Asos which is hanging in my closet, and which is now on sale here!

ASOS dress

 

Kristen has her own website here which documents the clothes she wears on each show – it provides great inspiration – and I am amazed how many of the items are affordable for all of us!  You can also catch clips of the show here on Bravotv.com.

So go on ‘fess up – who is your favorite Real Housewife?

 

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The craziness is over…

I’ve been neglecting the blog – apologies.  I did warn you that May was full of events that need planning and execution!  Today is Poppy’s 8th birthday.  I cannot believe that 8 years ago I was lying in L&D having just had my first child at around 6.30pm…

The party was on Friday early evening and I have to say it was one of our best.  I had the great fortune of catching up with Moms I hadn’t seen for weeks, some months!  It was planned from 5-7pm and you can tell it was a great night as our last guests didn’t leave till 10ish – we didn’t want it to end.  We were trying to make it a surprise for Poppy but of course 8 year olds have loose lips:)  She loved the red carpet, VIP sign and VIP badges!

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Poppy’s dress is H&M as is most of her closet these days!  I find they are great for a girl who no longer wants to wear Boden appliqué, but they are still totally appropriate for a young girl.

Mikey from VibeSquad was our amazing DJ for the evening, ironically he’s a Londoner!

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DSC_0019I tried to go with the disco theme in my ASOS Bowie t-shirt, Mango harems and silver Ancient Greeks.  Thanks to the Husband for the super unflattering photo but it makes me smile – we had amazing fun catching up:)

Today after present opening we headed to the American Girl Store to pick up Isabelle – new friend to Saige from last year.  I am not buying anymore American Girl Dolls…that store is my idea of hell on earth.

AGD(Yes – another H&M dress!)

Lunch was by choice of the birthday girl at Verde and I decided to wear glitter, at least on my feet, for the occasion.

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(Poppy in another H&M dress!)

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Top – Mango // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Shoes – Golden Goose (back in stock in Barneys!) // Jacket – Zara (old)

Sorry PETA and all the vegan readers – I am completely obsessed with my new cowhide from IKEA!  You can catchup with my IKEA trip on Instagram – we’ve just ordered the kids their new loft beds after having their rooms painted!  They are growing up too fast!

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One other thing to let you all know about before the vanish immediately – the new Nike Blazers are now in stock at J.Crew!  If you love a hi-top, and don’t want to pay Golden Goose prices, these are a must!  They’ll be sold out in the bat of an eye, I assure you.

Blazer

Last week of school here this week – wooo hooo – summer is here!!

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What I’ve been wearing.

May is the busiest month on our calendar every year.  What with anniversaries, birthdays, the end of the school year, school recitals, school field trips, visitors from abroad etc…it is non stop here.  I’m just coming up for air after an amazing weekend of catching up, eating and drinking with Simon – our friend from University, who now lives in Stockholm.

We  had a very late night on Thursday talking and drinking good wine, and then we were off out for dinner on Friday.  The kids and I hung out in front of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday afternoon, streaming it live via SVT.se, the Swedish tv channel.  This made it even more fun and Eurocentric listening to the Swedish translation:)  I found it all as surreal as ever, but I loved the drama – and in the end the right diva won!  For all you American readers who have no idea what I am talking about the Eurovision Song Contest is the annual competition that rocketed ABBA to fame in 1974.  Here’s Conchita, this year’s winner from Austria, a drag queen with more diva in her than Celine Dion.

Before Simon arrived I had another hair cut and went even shorter – thanks to Chadd I am now sporting a magnificent undercut.  I LOVE it.

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Magno top.jpgJeans – Zara TRF (old) // Shoes – Avarcas Pons // Top – Mango

On Friday morning we headed out shopping and I treated myself to a couple of NARS lip pencils – Yu and Cruella.

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The color of both is so intense and bold and I feel really feminine wearing them with such short hair.

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Dress – ASOS (currently on sale) // Sneakers – Adidas Samoas // Glasses – Oliver Peoples Wacks // Handbag – Marks and Spencer (on sale)

Then Friday night it was off to Abattoir again where Simon proposed to Karin a couple of years ago now!

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Dress – Marks and Spencer (old – similar here) // Shoes – Nine West

Yesterday was Mother’s Day here in the US and my fabulous kids presented me with great handmade cards.  This one from Poppy made me grin especially – there is no greater compliment she could have paid me than describing me as ‘odd’ and ‘risky’…

IMG_5865Today I’m off to watch her recital so decided to wear a dress again.  I started off with the canvas Newburys.

River Island dress.jpgHowever, with the jacket I decided the grey nubuck pair coordinated better – not much in it to be fair…

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Dress – River Island // Boots – Rag and Bone Newbury boots // Jacket – Marks and Spencer

Finally – shhh it’s a secret – but we’re having a surprise disco for Poppy this weekend for her 8th birthday!!  Here’s an idea I stole from Pinterest – all her friends will be VIPS!

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The future’s so bright…

I’m one of the fortunate ones who rarely misplaces sunglasses.  This means I don’t need to buy them often, which in turn means I spend a little more on a good pair when I do buy them – logical no?  Living here in the sunshine also means that I always buy polarized lenses – I can’t live without them for driving in the glare.  I currently have the following in my collection:

Silver Ray-ban Aviators with mirrored lenses:

Silver Aviators

Classic black Ray- ban Wayfarers:

Wayfarer

And a pair of large round Chanel sunglasses similar to these, that I have to say I rarely wear as my Ray-bans are SO comfortable!

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I’ve recently started wearing more gold jewelry again – I actually think it suits my skin tone better.  Obviously that means I need a pair of gold aviators.  I am torn between the classic gold with green lenses (these look silver but I assure you the description says they are gold!):

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OR this gorgeous tortoiseshell pair with brown lenses and gold trim:

tortoise shell

I have to say I am tempted by the tortoiseshell as they are so unusual – what do you think?  Help me decide please!

As for this week here are my outfits so far.  It is scorcchio here so I wore nothing more than a bikini at the weekend – summer is here, which also means lots of new summer items are getting worn!

Today I decided to put my new harems (I sized up as the waistband is a button up with a zip and quite snug!) on thinking I was heading into the office.  I quickly had to do a u-turn though to meet my painter back at the house.  We are about to paint the main living areas of the house Sherwin Williams Silverpointe – a gorgeous cool grey – I cannot tell you how excited I am after almost 7 years of yellowy-cream walls!

I have to say I LOVE these Chania Birkenstocks – they are a gladiator and look fab and feel amazing!

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Top – Mango // Trousers – Mango // Sandals – Birkenstock

Yesterday it was a day for casual cut-offs and sneakers.

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Top – Mango // Shorts – J.Crew // Sneakers – New Balance by J.Crew (old similar here)

And Friday I wore my lovely new Ancient Greek sandals, which are like jewelry on my feet, with this gorgeous ASOS maxi dress (it is generous – this is a US 6/UK 10) – thanks to Eve for the tip off!

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Dress – ASOS // Sandals – Ancient Greek

Don’t look too close – I am desperate for a pedi after running and hot yoga all last week!

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I hope you all enjoyed your Monday off in the UK – we only have 2 1/2 weeks left before the summer break here!

 

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Stocking up on the essentials.

I hate spending money on underwear.  No one sees it and these days I opt for comfort rather than style.  Once in a while though I start to get embarrassed about the state of my knicker drawer.  Currently it is stuffed with more knickers than any girl can wear in a year – all a different shade of grey, faded colors or fraying elastic.  Oh and there’s still the odd pair of thongs in there which I think I can safely say will never be worn again.  So it is time to purge and restock.

Now here is where I promise not to model my new attire if you promise not to giggle about the size of them.  I did used to wear thongs ALL the time.  How I ever did it I have no idea.  The thought of wearing one now makes my eyes water with discomfort.  They were perfect of course for tight pants when a VPL is an absolute no no.  Thankfully good old M&S came to the rescue with a whole range of no-VPL underwear.  Yes after 15 years in the USA I STILL buy M&S underwear.

My favorite style is their famous Brazilian cut.  Sales of underwear at M&S soared by 64% the year they were introduced.  They are just a little cheeky – quite literally – being a little higher cut on the butt cheeks – but a hundred zillion times more comfortable than a thong.

no vpl brazilian

 

And as we’re stocking up they do multipacks too which are great value.

Brazilians

 

I also ordered a multipack of their ‘boy shorts‘.  I love to wear these when wearing a shorter skirt or dress and want to keep my modesty intact after a couple of glasses of prosecco.

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Okay – now don’t laugh – I bought some ‘big knicks’ too.  Sometimes comfort really does trump (oops) style.  Thankfully these do have a little bit of lace detail so they aren’t completely Nana knickers.  Trust me no one will know and you will be so thankful wearing them!

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Finally just to prove I can still do ‘sexy’ I ordered a couple of these lace bodies from their Limited Edition.  Just gorgeous for the summer under a maxi dress.  I love the cross back detail too.

Limited lace body

 

So now you know what I wear underneath here are my outfit pics from the last few days!

Today I’m back in a skirt as the sun shines again.  I started the day in heels.  It feels so fab to have bare legs again!

Mango skirt.jpgShoes – M&S // Skirt – Mango (similar here) // T-shirt – J.Crew

I later changed into flats for running errands around town.  I LOVE these – they are a great Miu Miu tribute with a lovely shaped toe.

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Yesterday I was in one of my favorite simple ASOS dresses.  Must remember to clean my mirror when photographing black!

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Sneakers – Stan Smith’s Adidas // Dress – ASOS (on sale)

Then finally from the other day when it was still damp and cool after the storms.

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T-shirt – J.Crew (30% off with GOSHOP in the USA) // Jeans – Zara (old) // Shoes – Arvacas Pons // Jacket – Zara (old)

So who else out there will admit to wearing big knickers? 🙂

 

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Graphic t-shirts.

Isn’t it odd how something you once hated with a passion can become something you yearn for?  For me those things include heart shaped jewelry – once I though this was tacky but make it an Elsa Peretti piece and all of a sudden things change.

Logo and graphic t-shirts also fall into this category for me.  The thought of wearing my favorite tour t-shirt, or wearing a slogan emblazoned across my chest seemed so puerile and again tacky – maybe I just overdosed in the 80s?

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Well all that has changed, as many of my style stereotypes have, with my love for Pinterest.  Pinterest is fabulous for providing inspiration and tips on how to style items that may not even have crossed your mind before.  These images made me think twice about the graphic t-shirt.

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Pretty cool looks hey?  I did wear my Bowie t-shirt quite a bit last year and I must recycle these outfits over the coming weeks.

Bowie Collage Bowie tee

 

Here is a selection of my favorites that I am collecting in various virtual carts!

We just got our new SMART tv – what a revelation Netflix streaming is!  I’m already well into Season 2 of Breaking Bad and this t-shirt is a must for any fan.

Breaking Bad

I adore this one – it should be my motto.

Dance

This one by Wildfox made me giggle and will make you cringe – my Husband calls me ‘dreamy’:)

Dreamy

I think this Coke t-shirt is super cool – especially living in the home of Coca-Cola.

Japan Coke

For something maybe a little more understated – this NY t-shirt is perfect for wearing with jeans or shorts.

NY

Here’s another one of my favorites – I have this and wore it a lot over Spring Break with denim cut offs – it’s currently on sale too.

Reckless

There have been a lot of Run DMC t-shirts out and about recently – maybe something to do with the Adidas revival?  I’d love this – my favorite tune of all time is Run DMC and Jason Nevins ‘It’s like that’.

Run DMC

Finally one for all of you that want to give peace a chance.

Yoko and LennonAnd here I am today experimenting with the logo t-shirt, wearing one of my most favorite items in my summer closet from J.Crew – currently 30% off in the US with GOSHOP.

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T-shirt – J.Crew // Jeans – Zara (old) // Shoes – Marks and Spencer

 

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Playsuits.

It’s hot and sunny here, and Spring Break next week, so my thoughts have turned to all things short.  Quite literally.  I have been obsessing over playsuits.  Yes the name conjures all sorts of images from babies in onesies to some very questionable attire indeed.  I, as you know, rightly or wrongly, tend not to follow any fashion code or rules based on age (as an aside Frank Skinner blew my mind yesterday on BBC Radio 2 saying ‘denim should only be seen next to young skin’).  I wear what I feel comfortable, confident or even sexy in…and I will continue to do so till my time is up.  As I love my legs (yes go on you can be proud of your body instead of criticizing it all the time!) I love to wear shorts.  Combine my love of shorts with my love of jumpsuits and hey presto – the playsuit!

Marks and Spencer are just rocking my world right now.  I have ordered the white draped playsuit seen on Rita Ora here.  It’ll will look fabulous with my canvas Newburys or Ancient Greek Sandals.

Rita Ora white drape front

These other playsuits from M&S are perfect beach attire for vacation.  This tribal print is my favorite.

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These simple playsuits are great for beach to bar and are great prices – the black at £22.50 and the floral at £25.

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For something a little dressier this Lavish Alice playsuit is stunning.

Lavish Alice

So my only caveat is make sure a playsuit fits properly – it can’t be too tight or too short – and I prefer not to wear them with court shoes – I do think a flat or a boot balances out the flesh on show.

As for my outfits recently here’s one from last week pre-haircut and pre-soaring temperatures.

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Poncho – Oak // Long sleeved tee – AllSaints (old) // Jeans – Boden // Boots – Black leather Rag & Bone Newbury boots

I love this OAK poncho – especially as I can wear it for Jedi training…

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Then for this week as the sun has made an appearance so have some sandals along with my legs…

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Jeans – Zara TRF // Sandals – Pons Avarcas in Berry // T-Shirt – J. Crew (25% off with SHOPNOW) // Jacket – Gap (old)

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Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury (old – bought off TheOutnet.com last year) // Dress – Pia dress AllSaints

My Husband says my smile is broader and happier with my new hair:)

 

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Bad ass dog.

On Wednesday morning, after returning from dropping the kids at school, I was confronted with a guy in our yard trying to break into the house.  I immediately went into fright or flight mode and just started yelling “F*ck off! F*ck off!  What the f*ck do you think you’re doing??!!!”.  I was very eloquent.  I’m not sure if he was more scared of me or Tennyson, my fabulous, loyal, protective, boxer who immediately went into attack mode.  I was slightly impressed by the dude’s agility and speed at getting back over our fence.  I suddenly realized he may be armed so I headed back inside to call 911 while Tennyson told him in no uncertain terms that he would not be welcomed back.

Tennyson now has his new sign in the front yard which really should say “Beware of the big, bad ass, dog”.

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The hero of the hour who has been spoiled rotten since.

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It took me the day to recover from the adrenalin – I was shaken to say the least – but I felt I dealt with it appropriately and I’m moving on now.  I think they could hear me yelling in Florida!

Tuesday I headed to H&M to exchange some clothes for Poppy.  I took the opportunity to take a look at this gorgeous fringed top I had seen online.  I needed to understand why it is priced at $349!!  It is a lovely blue, but crikey I wouldn’t pay $20 for it.  The tassles feel really cheap and were already tangling and getting knotted on every top in the store.  Not to mention the top must have weighed 100lbs.  You’d need to be a line backer to wear it for more than 10 minutes.

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Here’s my outfit for the day – I felt really comfortable, it’s great to wear skirts again – crap photo – I blinked:)

 

IMG_5660Shoes – Adidas Gazelles // Skirt – Asos wrap jersey skirt // T-shirt – Asos forever t-shirt in nude // Sweatshirt – Target (can only see plus size online)

Here are some other outfits from this week – a bit of a mix due to going from 70 degrees to 50 degrees throughout the week.

IMG_8057Dress – Mango (kindly bought by my sister – similar here) // Shoes – M&S Limited 

IMG_8077 IMG_8074 IMG_5666 IMG_5665Jumper – TopShop (stealing Frances’ style again) // Shirt – Zara (old) // Trousers – H&M // Sneakers – Adidas Samoas // Nail polish – Essie Play date

And then after a bang trim, ready for a fun night out at dinner with my Husband on Friday night where I drank too much Port with my cheese…I went full on ’80s – big hair and lots of silky flowy fabric.

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Boots – Zara // Trousers – Mango harems (old) // Top – Zara (old) // Jacket – River Island (old – similar here)

Today I plan on doing not much else but sitting here – Hugh helped me assemble it – we’re the logical ones of the family:)

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