Tag Archives: Boden

Oops I did it again.

Shredded.

My little man turned four yesterday. Hard to believe it’s four years since I was in L&D and four years on he is still capable of making me scream. At least 70% of the time though he is cute enough to make me forget the other 30%:) We had a lovely family dinner at one of our favorite diners where he devoured his body weight in milkshake and chocolate cake. He then sugar rushed his way through the noisiest set of gifts yet – a monster truck that plays music and does wheelies and a fabulous robot that shuffles around blasting things. It has to be said he is a very happy four year old.

To be honest today has been one of those shitty days that rarely comes along, thankfully. One of those days that I pretend has been sent to test me and make me stronger but has actually just made me feel a bit weepy. It started with a shouting match at work and has ended with crying children at home. I’m obviously now having my first glass of wine for 4 days, which needless to say will probably do nothing to make me feel better. Hey ho tomorrow’s another day.

I should mention that before I got into the office it was going pretty well – I did my first Jillian Michaels’ workout DVD. It was suggested after I was looking for some ‘rock hard abs’ on the Boden Facebook page. After reading all the rave reviews I thought it might be worth a try so off I trekked to Sports Authority to get my hand weights. After level 1 of the 30 Day Shred I didn’t so much feel shredded as a complete lightweight. I have no upper body strength and can’t for the life of me do push ups. I’m also convinced my abs don’t respond when I try and do crunches. I am, however, determined to continue with it for 30 days to either a) reap the incredible benefits that it promises or b) prove my theory correct that all fitness DVDs are a massive waste of time.

Even my clothing choice today promised a brighter outlook for today. I love the Boden Must Have Jumper and this is the first outing for the quail egg version worn over 2011’s essential scoopneck tee, with my bargain slate straightleg wool crops bought in the clearance.

I’m very happy with my nails right now – I used Essie’s Smokin’ Hot and the color is really flattering – a gorgeous grey with purple tones that will look great all year round.

…And suddenly everything is right.

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Firstly it is confession time. After contemplating growing my hair I then decided that before embarking on such a painful process I should at least go as short as I dare. So on Thursday evening I went to see the lovely O’Neil at Van Michael and got it all chopped off – even my trusty little asymmetrical fringe that has been my comfort blanket for so long. I have to say I quite like it, it requires no time at all to style, not even a blow dry, and it is certainly very different from the ubiquitous long, blonde hair seen here in Atlanta. I’m still giving myself a little fright every time I check the mirror as there is a lot more ‘face’ showing, but it’s definitely settling in on me. I find I’ve been spending a little more time on my make-up especially around my eyes as I want to keep it soft and feminine. There’s definitely a danger of looking too severe with such short hair. The other bonus is that MM loves it – I’m very lucky to have a man that appreciates the confidence it requires to sport such short hair, he very kindly said it was very ‘Paris chic’ – hey I’ll take it! As of now I’m planning on keeping it like this for a couple of months, maybe over the summer too as it is super for the heat and humidity we have here. Then I’ll start growing it – for sure this time.

Today I am wearing my new haircut along with a 2011 Boden cashmere tunic, Gap jeggings, and my taupe Frye Shirley over the knee boots.

Friday was hectic, first a bike ride with an old friend, then lots of cleaning and preparation for Saturday’s birthday party for my son. Prior to the tornadoes arriving, I managed to persuade my daughter to visit the shoe shop with me for her new spring/summer school shoes. I’m very old school and have inherited my obsession for ‘sensible’ shoes for my children from my own wonderful Mum, who bought me Clarks shoes every school year, long after many of my friends were wearing ‘trendy’ shoes. Unfortunately it didn’t save me from wreaking havoc on my feet in my late teens with badly fitting white stilettos. I find the choice here to be pretty minimal compared to the children’s shoes available in Europe. We have Stride Rite but I find them pretty predictable with their styles and the boys shoes are just so nerdy! This time we visited a store here in Buckhead called Sprong. Again though I was a little disappointed with the choice. Am I the only Mom in Atlanta who wants closed toe and closed heel shoes for their daughter even in the summer? I know it gets hot here, but from painful experience, sandals with no socks in the heat tend to lead to blisters, not to mention all the gravel that can get stuck under your foot. With some help from a lovely, patient sales lady we struck gold. I think you will agree that these See Kai Run shoes were made for Poppy, and thankfully she adores them.

The birthday party on Saturday had to be amended slightly. After the rain all Friday night the yard was a mud pit so the bouncy castle was cancelled. Fortunately the magician, white rabbit and twenty something kids all turned up and had a fabulous time. The photo cake from Publix turned out a treat too and was demolished by 5pm. We co-hosted with great friends whose son also turns 4 tomorrow, and both birthday boys were ecstatic with their haul of gifts. Now all I have to worry about is taking Hugh for his four year old shots, ouch…

What with the chaos of the weekend I didn’t get my long weekend run so I am planning on it this evening. I’m getting frustrated with my increased appetite from the increased running so I just ordered a bag of chia seeds. Another fad I know, but they were recommended by Christopher McDougall, the author of “Born to Run”. They are apparently packed full of nutrients and they swell to a gel when mixed with liquid, so not only are they supposed to give you more energy for long runs, but the also curb your appetite. Let me know what you think if you have tried them…

A quickie…

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A hectic day after a dental appointment, work then cleaning in preparation for Saturday’s party…so here is a quick post with my choice of clothing for the day…Hudson Collin jeans, Tory Burch black patent Eddies, Boden white scoop neck essential tee and AllSaints Serpent jumper. I love the cropped Serpent cropped jumper though I have to be careful that I wear it on a ‘skinny’ day as it does absolutely nothing for a muffin top! After some debate I added my JCrew pink linen scarf – the forecast was for 70 degrees Farenheit but the nasty storms we’ve got coming this way didn’t fill me with confidence…which do you prefer?

Getting ready for Spring Break!

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As Spring is growing ever nearer plans for Spring Break are afoot. This is the first year we have ever really had to consider Spring Break as we’ve never previously been constrained by school vacations. With this being our year of house renovations I wasn’t sure we would get away at all, but the thought of over a week at home with the children filled me with such fear that we have just booked 2 nights away! Hooray we’re off to Tybee Island for 3 days! We thought it safer to book just 2 nights as we’re staying in a cabin and really have no idea what to expect – if it works out well we can always stay longer next year, and if not, well we’re only paying for 2 nights and can jump in the car to head home! I actually think we will all love it given our fun experience in a caravan last year in France – at least Tybee will be warmer, even in April! I just can’t wait to get to a beach and feel the sand between my toes…

In preparation for the holiday season I ordered two new bikinis from Boden. I always have a couple of cheaper Target bikinis on the go but this year I really wanted some decent, age appropriate bikinis – I’m not ready for the tankini or a full piece yet but still a little more coverage may protect my children from embarrassment over their mother for a little while longer, at least by the pool. Anyway I have to say both the Retro bikini and Ruffle bikini are DIVINE. They arrived in a fabulous little bag too for storage – Boden always go the extra mile and long may it continue. Oddly enough I photographed the bikinis without me in them:)

I went with a US size 8 top and size 6 bottoms. I definitely think the bottoms are on the generous size especially if you are not used to a lot of coverage. My previous bikinis have all been little string things so the Boden ones do feel a bit bigger and I’m glad I sized down. My only irritation with the Retro bikini top is that I wish the tie had a stitch in it so it doesn’t come undone – I think it might drive my OCD mad. The Ruffle bikini is perfect – it is a great sporty fit, good coverage for my C cups that have breastfed two children:) I love the Ruffle one so much I have just ordered it in the Bluebell Bud and Apple Stripe colorways too while the ‘buy 3 get the 4th for a $1’ offer is still available. I’m planning a LOT of time by the pool this year in lieu of Biquet Plage.

Trying the bikinis on did again reveal my soft, round tummy to me. I’ve run 20 miles in the past 4 days and I’ve eaten a million calories. So the plan is to keep up with the exercise and ditch the calories. In order to rest my weary legs I swam 30 lengths this morning. It was so much fun, the pool was so quiet, and it was great to sit in the sauna for 15mins afterward. I’ll be lucky if I can move tomorrow after using all those upper body muscles that rarely get worked out at all.

Today I fancied wearing some Fryes so I planned my outfit starting with the boots first. I’m wearing my Sabrina Fryes in clay, Hudson Collin jeans, Boden essential scoop neck tee, and my Boden Fairisle cardigan (no longer in stock). The cardigan is one of my favorites – it’s very snug and cropped and always feels very neat when I wear it.

Oh and I changed my nail polish – I’m wearing Opi ‘We’ll always have Paris’ in suede finish which is nice and matte.

Run fast for your mother.

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This weekend ended in a far more relaxed fashion than it started. I wasn’t going to share until I’d done the deed, but I struggle keeping things to myself, so I’ll tell you now that I have entered another half marathon. As part of my training I headed out on my first 10 mile run for some time on Friday morning. I started off feeling pretty chipper, it was a warm sunny morning and my confidence was high. At mile 7 though I thought I might die. Mile 7 unfortunately coincides with a mammoth hill, and in the warm sun, with aching legs, my mind, not my body, gave up and I started to walk. How humiliating…At the top of the hill I did manage to get going again and ran, with the odd walk, back home. I felt like I was out for hours but my time actually wasn’t too bad, though I did feel a little demoralized that I’d had to walk. I rested on Saturday and then summoned the motivation to head out yesterday again. I couldn’t believe how great I felt! I ran 6 miles easily and felt like a Kenyan marathon runner on the last couple of miles. Maybe this training malarkey really does work? I’ll probably attempt another 10 miles this Friday now my confidence has been bolstered a little. It’s a shame the compression socks don’t make you run faster, though my calves didn’t ache a bit over the weekend so they must do some good.

Florence was my musical inspiration in those last few yards yesterday – ‘Dog Days Are Over’ has to be one of the most perfect running tunes, I felt like I was flying to the beat of those drums.

Saturday began with a lot of cheering for my son. It was his first swimming lesson after a couple of previously failed attempts when he flatly refused to get in the pool. So as you can imagine I was a little nervous about how it was going to go this time. Fortunately with his sister around and a friend from school he was gently persuaded to give it ago. I basically legged it as soon as he was distracted and thankfully he didn’t bat an eyelid – success! For a post swimming reward we all headed to Goldberg‘s for fully loaded bagels. Even though my body shape tones and changes, I’m still convinced I gain weight the more I run, I am always hungry! I’ve sworn off the scales until after the race…that might change tonight though when my new Boden bikinis arrive and need to be tried on.

MM and I were planning a date night on Saturday, unfortunately this weekend was his turn to be sick so we had to postpone. No bad thing really given I still felt weary from Friday. It was fun to curl up on the sofa and catch up on some episodes of Dexter with a delicious glass of Malbec.

I’ve a feeling this week is going to be a little stressful. It’s my son’s birthday party this Saturday and although on paper there doesn’t appear to be too much to do I know I’ll still be running around cleaning all week. I love hosting parties but question my sanity every time we do it as I end up cleaning for hours before and after the event.

I didn’t post any photos this weekend as I have to be honest with you I spent all weekend in sweats, I even went to Target in my running gear which I normally wouldn’t even consider, but bear with my until this half is over and done with:) Today in an attempt to feel a little more put together I’ve opted for my Boden Everyday Jersey Tunic in coal giant leopard (currently in Clearance at only $34!), Boden Cashmere Wrap (now sold out), and my Boden piped shoe boots.

I’ve even opted for a little black head band, following the lead of the gorgeous Michelle Williams at the Golden Globes this year, whose pixie cut always looks amazing with or without a headband. Mine is a little less obvious due to my dark hair but I’m praying headbands will help me through the dark days of growing my hair longer, though I am already questioning that decision.

At last night’s Oscars Michelle was by far and away top of my ‘best dressed list’ in this fabulous Louis Vuitton tiered dress and the pink clutch was just genius. The Telegraph, as ever, has great photo montages of most of the dresses on show last night.

My current choice of nail polish is Essie‘s Navigate Her from their Spring Collection, which in the bottle is a lovely creamy green color, I’m not convinced it suits my skin tone though. Just a good excuse to pick a different color out tonight.

Taking care of the girls.

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It’s been the perfect day here in Atlanta for being out and about, which I have been most of the day. It must have reached 75 degrees Fahrenheit today and I loved every minute of it. I worked from home this morning which was very indulgent – I am convinced I get far more done in the comfort of my own home, even if I am juggling laundry too. Then it was time for a trip to the Doctors.

Without wanting to divulge TMI it was quite a milestone appointment – my first mammogram. Well it wasn’t quite my first as I had a baseline taken 3 years ago, but this was my first of the many more to come now I have turned 40. Of course it was all done with minimum fuss. I did explain to the nurse, probably unnecessarily, that us Brits are used to getting our tits out as often as the French, though more usually in a bar than on a beach. She nodded sagely and continued to contort me into the required position. All in all a very quick procedure, and here’s my PSA – get yours done if you haven’t had one for a while!

My daughter was thrilled after school when our friends across the street invited her over for a play date. She has been on a couple before but I my heart still sinks a little when I see her skipping off without me. Oh I’m thrilled she is happy and outgoing, but again my little girl ain’t so little anymore and this week seems to be intent on reminding me of that. I went over to collect her after an hour or so wondering how she’d be getting on – she didn’t even notice my presence – in fact when she did her face dropped – ‘I don’t want to go yet!’. So she ended up staying for dinner and even then was reluctant to return. I am so excited that she has a friend close by. Her friend also has three younger brothers – so my son will be happy too once he’s off on his play dates:) I feel like I’m preparing for empty nesting already!

The mammogram and weather required some strategic dressing so I opted for comfy and slouchy with my boyfriend Gap jeans, Boden essential tee (SS 2011), Boden Must Have Jumper and Tory Burch hibiscus pink Revas. I love the Must Have Jumper, the button detail is perfect and the trim is a very on trend sulphur color. The fit is perfect – I’m between a US 6 and 8 with Boden and often go for an 8 in jumpers. It is lovely and soft and hangs perfectly in contrast to the skinny arms. I also have the radish and quail egg colors sitting in my closet ready for their spring debut.

All grown up.

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I think my daughter gained 6 years this morning, and all she did was put on a a pair of Old Navy skinny jeans. It was only the other day that I was bemoaning the sticker earrings and now I have bought her some on-trend jeans that make her legs look longer than telegraph poles. She does, I have to say, look fabulous in them, but she’s not even six yet and she seems to be gaining maturity weekly right now – where did my babies go? Of course my son also had his new boy’s skinny jeans on too, but we don’t seem to be quite so precious about him growing up – in fact I’m willing him on! He’s going to break some hearts one day – he’s such a dude:) All Old Navy denim is currently on sale so it’s definitely worth a peak for the little ones.

Feeling well and truly over my cold I headed out for a run this morning in my new Adidas Techfit capris. They were so comfortable and I didn’t feel like I was having to hitch them up all the time like some running pants – plus the print is super cool. With all my knee problems that I have experienced there is definitely some psychological benefit in having them covered and supported. My friend has recommended the CEP compression sleeves – she swears by them for distances so I have just purchased a pink pair on Zappos.com to try them out. If I feel some benefit I’ll no doubt get the green too – I’m sure they will be fine to wear with shorts in the summer. You certainly won’t miss me in these and my New Balance rainbow sneakers!

My motivational tune this morning was provided by Steve Earle – nothing like a resounding rendition of “Copperhead Road” to get the blood flowing – especially as it always takes me back to seeing him live years ago. It also reminds me of our many weekends in Nashville pre-kids. There was a cover band (who are probably still there) in one of the bars that always played “Copperhead Road” when requested, awesome with a cold can of PBR!

Today I am giving a nod to Kate who was out and about the other day looking stunning in her walnut-coloured Orla Kiely ‘Birdie’ coat dress, worn with brown tights and brown Aquatalia ankle boots. The Orla Kiely dress sold out in minutes after she was photographed in it not surprisingly. I am wearing my Boden Retro tunic, M&S brown tights and Boden brown piped shoe boots, finished off with my Boden brown leather blazer again. Not quite Duchess material, but let’s see if I can grow out my hair and emulate her luscious locks lol!

London, February 2013?

The inner geek.

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Even though I have shared my disdain for Valentine’s Day I still managed to have a pretty good 14th February. MM and I met up for lunch with an old friend who was in Atlanta for business. We hadn’t seen him for probably 5 years so it was lovely to catch up over some good food at one of my favorite places to dine, Canoe. I could have sat there all afternoon but of course had to go and collect my sugar fueled daughter from school ready for ballet. I was quite relieved that she was going to dance off some of the Valentine’s Day sugar buzz. It was freezing here so wore my AllSaints Char cashmere jumper to keep me snug, along with my Hudson Collin jeans and Tory Burch flannel Revas.

I’m feeling a bit nerdy again today as I’ve been doing some Facebook development for our business page. Years ago I did some coding as an IT consultant and I still love to get my hands dirty occasionally. I’ve discovered a fantastic application called ShortStack that allows you to develop custom forms and tabs on a Facebook page. I’ve even managed to put a tab on Poppy’s Style Facebook page where you can see new blog posts and the RSS feed! I LOVE it and I feel like I’ve had a very productive day customizing some tabs, so let’s hope both pages get an uptick in fans thanks to my inner geek.

My daughter is having a play date this afternoon with a ballet buddy and I love her Mom so I’m looking forward to having a natter. Her Mom is a runner too so I’m hoping I can convince her to run a couple of half marathons over the next year or so. Unfortunately I have been a bit lazy over the past few days and have been lacking motivation due to the weather here. I’m so ready for spring to return so I can get back outside once again, pounding the pavements.

The sun is shining today so I chose a bit of color with my Boden aqua wrap jumper. I was pretty uninspired this morning so went for the easy button again with my jeans and flannel Revas, all topped off with JCrew‘s boyfriend blazer from a couple of years ago.

My nail polish at the moment is Chanel’s Madness but I think I’m going for a change tonight with something a little lighter – decisions, decisions….

Poppy's Style

My blog about fashion, family, friends and fun.

Tag Archives: Boden

Oops I did it again.

Shredded.

…And suddenly everything is right.

A quickie…

Getting ready for Spring Break!

Run fast for your mother.

Taking care of the girls.

All grown up.

London, February 2013?

The inner geek.

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