Tag Archives: Boden

When I’m Cleaning Windows.

After a great work out yesterday morning, and no emotionally scarred children left in the swimming pool, Saturday turned into a day of ticking chores off my list and having fun. The weather was just glorious here – as it is today – sunshine all day with clear blue skies. I decided to get one of my outside chores completed and clean my windows – dull I hear you say? – Well yes – but they haven’t been done in the four years we’ve been in this house, so job done, and I saved $500 on a window cleaner which can now be allocated to my closet;)

I was pretty tired after waving my extendable squeegee around but after a refreshing shower and a glass of white I was ready to head out with friends for dinner. The six of us went to a very popular restaurant here on the West Side called Miller Union. The West Side is an area of Atlanta that is being rejuvenated and as far as I am concerned is where some of the best restaurants in the City are located. I’d been to Miller Union once previously and I was excited for MM to try it. We were in good company so we had fun but I have to be honest I found the food overpriced and a tad disappointing. My starter of watercress and blue cheese salad was good, and not easy to to get wrong, but my entree of grouper, though tasty was a bit cold. I should have sent it back but in my very British, no fuss, manner I ate it – plus we’d had a long wait between courses as they were so busy so I didn’t want another long wait while everyone else ate…Then the bar didn’t have any Amaretto for me – surely every bar stocks Amaretto for those of us that love that sickly, sweet tincture? I don’t think we’ll be heading back in a hurry, there are better, more reasonably priced restaurants in my opinion. A shame, as I really like their decor and the patio looks great for Spring.

For my ‘going out’ ensemble I chose the Boden Silk Flower tunic in navy, piped shoe boots, Johnnie B leather jacket and my YSL clutch that was my Anniversary present from MM last year. I love this tunic and it is in the clearance now – not hugely discounted – but I still ended up buying both the navy and the raisin. It’s lovely jersey and is really comfortable and the silk flowers are not too brash but add some fun detail. My only concern is that it is hand wash and I am terrified about how the silk flowers will come out – I don’t want to be ironing petals for an hour…

Now I’m off to Skype my parents to find out about their cruise to South Africa that they have just returned from – alright for some hey? Plus, I’ll no doubt find out what they think about their daughter telling all in Poppy’s Style:)

“Generally really cool and smart”

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Well the play date yesterday was fabulous. We had a riot – it was so much fun. My friend has 3 boys, the eldest is my daughter’s age and her middle boy is at daycare with my son. The weather wasn’t great but I was prepared (unusual for me!). I had bought a disposable, plastic, party tablecloth to avoid substantial mess, and let them loose with the paints, stickers and sequins – they loved it! Then they watch Roald Dahl’s The BFG while the Moms enjoyed a glass of sauvignon blanc – very civilized:) It’s so nice and refreshing being in the company of someone that ‘gets me’. There are some real over achievers in Atlanta when it comes to parenting and I am not one of them. I don’t have the craft room, the hand sanitizer, nor do we recite our times tables in French every day. I am a regular Mom that sometimes barely gets through the day – so to spend some time with another Mom who has some of the same anxieties about parenting as I do is lovely and we ameliorate each other’s irrational concerns. She is also stunning, hilarious and great company and much fun was had by all.

Today I woke with a sniffle and scratchy throat bleeeuuugh. I’m sure the Atlanta weather is helping the germs breed – it is so warm and yet damp – lovely. So I had to postpone my lunch with a friend that I was really looking forward to – but it turns out this was a good thing as I then got a call from school that my daughter was in the Nurse’s room. After a moment of panic it turns out all was well and she had bumped her head playing. The nurse said she’d be fine to stay at school but when I spoke with her she was very weepy. So it being a Friday and all, I went to collect her, then we called at our favorite take away place for lunch and we’ve just eaten an obscene amount of chocolate cake between us. I love having her home when it is just the two of us.

Fortunately the nurse called after I had colored my hair. It could have been quite messy had she called an hour earlier while I was standing naked in the bathroom covered in hair dye – the things we do for the sake of beauty/vanity. In the summer I tend to go to the salon to get my hair colored as when it comes to summer highlights it’s far easier and less likely to result in a dyeing disaster. In the winter when I opt for a single color it is less time consuming and certainly cheaper to do it myself. I tried a new home kit this time to try to reduce the mess – Clairol Nice ‘n Easy Foam in medium ash brown. The product is great to use – I love the non drip foam but all I can say is I’m quite glad I didn’t opt for a darker tone – this has gone REALLY dark – not sure the ‘medium’ adjective is entirely accurate. Fortunately MM prefers me as a dark brunette and I like the Urban Dictionary’s definition.

Given I feel a bit sorry for myself today I decided to wear something cosy yet cheerful. I’m wearing my aqua stripy Boden jumper that I snatched up in the sale before Christmas. These jumpers were REALLY popular and sold out very quickly. I vacillated for a long time, as I thought they were too similar to my Breton tunics from last year, and I missed out initially, but the aqua and rose came into stock in the sale and I swooped and scored again. Today’s Revas are a pair I’ve had a couple of years and probably wear more than any others – they are “Mouse” which is a lovely neutral grey and goes with anything. I keep waiting for them to do this color again so I can replace these as the soles are getting thin…

Now I’m looking forward to a very lazy evening with MM in front of a movie – it feels like it has been a long, busy week. Happy Friday!

Be good to your customers.

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I was thrilled to head home with a new pair of jeans yesterday! I had bought a pair of Hudson Collins last April and while wearing them over Christmas I bent down and the knee completely split! After 8 months of infrequent wear I certainly didn’t expect that for an almost $200 pair of jeans. So being the Social Media addict that I am I left a note on their Facebook page and was directed to email their customer services. After returning the damaged pair they sent me a completely brand new pair of jeans – isn’t that brilliant?! It just goes to show it is always worth asking and not just accepting. I have found more and more brands and companies are responding to customer issues via social media before any bad news travels virally. As great as social media can be for a brand it can also kill it in an instant if you are not seen to respond to a customer appropriately. This article clearly demonstrates the damage that can be done:) Also doing the rounds yesterday on Facebook was this fab story regarding Sainsbury‘s response to a young customer. As a side note, if you are also a Hudson fan, I just received and email today about their 30% off end of season sale.

The meeting with our contractor went well – first check signed and handed over – yikes! Now the design for our new master bathroom begins. I think I might start an ‘inspiration board’ and take a look at Pinterest for some ideas…I can’t wait to see the final design that will include my lovely soaking tub. I’ve also subscribed to all the home magazines like HGTV and Dwell – I can see this becoming another thing to obsess about. In addition to the bathroom all our hardwoods are being refinished and stained, and the floors in the couple of rooms that are still carpeted are being replaced with hardwoods – I can’t even bear to think about the mess and dust that this project will create – the finished product should be worth it though!

My choice of clothes today was influenced by a) the forecast of rain all day and b) a play date for the kids today – we’ve got 3 boys coming round so no doubt I will be scrambling around on the floor a lot picking things up and looking for objects. The Clifton tunic was another clearance purchase from Boden – I actually ordered all three colors but far preferred the navy so returned the heather and pine. Unfortunately it is now sold out so no link. I like the fact it is a layering piece and it looks great over a patterned or plain tank. The leggings are also Boden – the best quality leggings I have ever bought, and inside my Frye Harness boots I actually also have on my Boden stripy socks. The necklace is an old J Crew Outlet one that I have wrapped twice around my neck. I selected my little Tiffany Elsa Peretti diamond earrings as I don’t like wearing bigger earrings with a necklace. It’s interesting how writing this blog has challenged me to look at my decision making criteria! The second image shows me in the JohnnieB leather biker jacket that was one of the first items I bought when the AW 2011 season went live.

So I’m now off to buy treats and paints etc…for the kids to enjoy this rainy afternoon – wish me luck for the play date:)

Pass me a glass…

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Heading to carpool yesterday I realized how absent minded I am sometimes – I’d left the petrol cap unscrewed and the cap cover open on the car after filling up yesterday – fortunately the petrol hadn’t all evaporated or been syphoned off – but duh – makes me wonder how much just passes me by without me taking notice – MM is always telling me I only hear 50% of what he says…

Driving the kids home yesterday was torture – for some reason when they are strapped into their car seats they see it as an opportunity not to sing songs or play games, but to bicker and see who can make who cry first…I know they are tired so I try to be patient, but yesterday I resorted to turning up the volume on the radio in an attempt to block it out. As soon as we were home they were all sweetness and smiles for Daddy – aaaargggghhh! So I headed straight to the fridge and opened a bottle of white. I’ve discovered a lovely little tipple from Trader Joe’s (my new favorite place for wine, though Whole Foods still has great deals) – it’s called Big Day White and it’s cheap as chips. It’s a blend but I’m no wine snob and it tastes fabulous – really fruity and almost 13% – perfect! I have friends who have been fans of Trader Joe’s for years and it has taken me longer than most to discover the gem it really is – mainly because we have one of the best Whole Foods in the land just down the road, but for quick, healthy options Trader Joe’s wins. For supper I had a fabulous piece of Trader Joe’s soy glazed cod with stir fried veggies – as good as any restaurant, half the price and low fat to boot! Unfortunately, it was followed by three Fortnum & Mason’s butter biscuits which I am still trying to finish. My fabulous BIL and his family sent me a F&M’s hamper for my 40th, which we saved to enjoy at Christmas, so now the only way to remove these tempting, calorie laden goodies from the house is to eat them.

Mr. UPS swung by last night too – he misses me if we go any longer than a week without seeing each other. He brought me my best Boden clearance item to date. When I first saw the Joyful Jersey Dress I have to say I thought it looked frumpy, both online and in the catalogue, and I steered clear all season long, no matter how many rave reviews it won or how many of my friends on the Boden Community praised it. Until that is I saw one of my lady friends wearing it and looking simply divine. ‘Simple’ being the operative word – I hadn’t considered the plain black option but it looked so simply classic that I had to try it. I stalked and stalked and low and behold a US6 popped back into stock – swoop, attack, buy – and boy am I glad I did – it is LOVELY. The same thick jersey as my beloved colorblock tunics, perfectly shaped, and best of all the perfect length. Can I just say I love it again? Unfortunately because it was so popular there are none in stock on the site so no link I’m afraid, but I encourage you to stalk:)

It’s going to be beautiful here again today so I am trying some ‘transitional’ items. I don’t normally buy Boden trousers as I find them too high waisted but when the straightleg wool crops went into the sale at $38.00 I snapped them up in black, navy pinstripe and slate. I’m wearing the slate today and I love them. I’ve tried to wear them with socks and ankle boots in the past but because they are only lined to the knee the wool trouser sticks to my socks – rather unflattering when they bunch up! I think they look great with ballet flats though, especially my grey flannel Tory Burch Reva flats which I bought last Spring in the sale. The jumper is the AllSaints Jagger Godiva jumper which is my favorite AllSaints piece right now. Earrings today are Erica Lyons from Belk, lipstick is Revlon Smoky Rose, nail polish is Revlon Perplex and perfume is DKNY Golden Delicious.

Have lots of work to do this morning as I’m finishing early – MM and I are meeting our contractor/designer this afternoon to start the design phase of our house renovations that we are doing this year. Very exciting, but a little overwhelming too!

My scent of the 80s

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As promised I continue to learn more about US politics and spent last night watching the NBC GOP debate. Well all I can say is the more I hear and learn the more terrifying the prospect of exercising my franchise becomes. I shall continue to listen and observe even if at times I want to hide behind my cushion like I used to when watching Dr. Who. It has to be said that I found the debate significantly more entertaining than my DVRd RHOA – though that isn’t too tough to accomplish.

Woke to a gorgeous sunny morning in Atlanta – the weather here can turn with the flick of a switch and we’re expecting sun all week and temperatures in the mid 60s. So, panicking that the days available to wear boots may be dwindling fast, I chose today’s outfit around a pair of Frye boots – my brown Veronica Slouches. The jacket is one I bought early in the season from Boden, then returned thinking I couldn’t justify another tweed jacket, then bought again in the sale after succumbing to pure lust for it. At one point I would never have dreamed of pairing tweed with stripes but Boden’s patterns and colors have made me more confident about clashing/contrasting them, so I am wearing my striped Hampton tee with it today. My Hudson Collin jeans are my favorite – these are the mid rise in Dark Elm wash held up with my Gucci belt (a gift from MM). To be honest I actually prefer the regular rise Collins, and although they are lower they fit around my hips so tend to give less of the undesirable ‘muffin top’ effect.

Earrings are again Tiffany – Elsa Peretti teardrops. I know I am fairly extravagant with my spending but don’t be misguided into thinking that I am constantly in Tiffany’s. Most of my jewelry has been purchased for me by MM over the years – fortunately he is very extravagant too, and generous.

I had fun choosing my lipstick this morning. My favorite brand is Revlon and I have quite a few – I have to say I like cheap and cheerful when it comes to lipsticks. Occasionally I will splurge on a Chanel lip gloss especially in the summer but when it comes to lips and nails I like a selection to choose from. Today I am wearing a lovely matte pink – Stormy Pink.

Recently I bought some new perfume as I had used all my Jo Malone Orange Blossom. I ended up going old skool and bought some YSL Paris which I adore. It’s true what they say about how evocative scents can be. It is quite a strong scent but it reminds me so much of the 80s (and MM will tell you how much I love the 80s) and trips to France with my parents. On the way back on the cross Channel ferry I would always be treated to a ‘duty free’ bottle of perfume and invariably my choice was Paris.

It’s been a busy morning at work but Tuesdays are always a tad chaotic. My daughter has ballet classes after school so it is the one day of the week where I sit in the carpool lane and then take her to her class. The following hour is spent panicking over creating her hair bun, bickering with her over playing games too loudly on my iPhone while we wait, and then chatting exuberantly for 45mins with her classmates’ Moms. It’s then my turn to collect my son from daycare…hence on Tuesdays I usually hit the bottle as soon as I walk in the door.

Monday comes around quickly…

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We had a lovely lazy Sunday yesterday – just a shame it was still a bit dank and cold. My son still wasn’t completely better but well enough to irritate his sister for most of the day. I spent the evening eating homemade pizza delivered by my favorite pizza guy and watching the recording of Downton Abbey while MM watched the playoffs on the big screen in the basement – I’m sorry I just couldn’t bring myself to watch another football game – try as I might I just can’t get into it. On the other had Maggie Smith as Violet, Dowager Countess of Grantham is just fabulous and makes me laugh out loud every episode. I’ll be so sad when season two of this brilliant period soap comes to and end. So you can appreciate what I mean here’s a little compilation of the Dowager’s one liners that is also on my Facebook page (www.facebook.com/poppysstyle).

We woke this morning to pounding rain again – it was quite miserable standing at the school bus stop at 6.50am though my daughter was in considerably good spirits for a Monday morning. They are doing a read-athon at school – which is basically another opportunity to raise money and give parents more stuff to do. Don’t get me wrong I don’t begrudge the fund raising but I’m starting to feel a little out of control with all the paperwork, things to remember, forms to sign, read and return, homework etc. and this is only kindergarten! I must get better organized. Anyway as part of read-athon they are also having ‘spirit days’ where they do something ‘crazy’ each day – today is inside out, backwards day – hence her considerable glee and excitement about wearing all her beautiful Boden items inside out and backwards! Is it snobbish of me to be relieved that they are ‘Mini Boden’ labels showing all day and not ‘Circo’? – Probably.

I did rise to the challenge and chose a suitable nail polish at the weekend – I’m wearing OPI Nail Lacquer in Louvre Me Louvre Me Not which is a lovely pinky-purple color with a touch of sparkle.

Getting dressed this morning required a little more thought than usual due to the rain and a doctors appointment – so I needed something easy on/easy off (sorry for TMI!). I opted for my lovely Boden roll neck knitted dress which I snapped up in the sale, argyle tights purchased from Marks and Spencer (or Markses as we like to say in my family) when I was back home in December, Boden black quilted jacket (the red and blue are in the clearance sale) and Boden black Bloomsbury boots, also sale bargains. The nail polish matches perfectly with the little purple thread that runs through the tights:)

Though I possess some vanity (you have to in order to write a blog and photograph yourself each day…) I have never really dissected my best and worst body parts. When I’ve posted photos on Boden’s Community page, for reviews and so on, some folks have commented on my legs – I guess from the running they probably are my ‘best’ feature – but I’ve never consciously tried to draw attention to them. Having looked at my photo for today though, there is very obviously something sub-conscious going on!

Apologies for the dark photo – I was back to taking it myself and the lighting isn’t great.

With the roll neck I don’t like to wear anything too flamboyant in my ears so I chose my Tiffany Frank Gehry studs, which unfortunately I couldn’t find on their website for you – but here is an image.

Now back to work after three days at home! Happy Monday!

A stormy saturday

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Well the weather is downright crappy in Atlanta today – it hasn’t stopped raining all morning and my daughter’s swimming lesson was canceled due to the thunder and lightning. I somehow still managed to muster the motivation to head the gym after a week of inactivity. Caring for a poorly child this week has meant my usual routine has gone out the window and I’ve been climbing the walls waiting to get out of the house again, so now I am feeling invigorated after a good session on the bike.

I find Atlanta a tough place to entertain kids when it is wet – so many of our activities as a family involve the outdoors like playing soccer at the park, walking by the river or heading to Zoo Atlanta. It might have to be a movie and popcorn day which I’m fine with but could mean another day in sweatpants for me:( I really am a girl that likes having a place to go so I can make an effort and pick out some lovely clothes to wear. When I’m at home I’m always in sweats or jeans mainly because every sofa I sit on these days runs the risk of being covered in dog hairs! Owning 2 boxers, who admittedly have very short hair, means I’m constantly sweeping, vacuuming and brushing furniture – but then I am the one that has allowed them on the sofa for a cuddle and I’m not sure if you’ve tried it but it’s really difficult to teach a dog that they can only get on the warm, comfy sofa when I’m there…

Last night was quite a lazy evening for us but my friendly UPS man did pay us a visit again a brought me these lovely new Tory Burch Eddies in Tory navy. So much of my wardrobe for spring seems to be red and navy and I already have a pair of red Revas so just needed a navy pair too – yes I did say ‘needed’…I’ll tell more of my Tory Burch shoe obsession another time….

Here’s the Boden tunic I forgot to post too yesterday – it’s the Chic Spotty tunic and I love it – ideal with skinny jeans or on it’s own and it’s a very slinky cotton knit – it feels lovely. I’m wearing it here with Tory Burch Eddies in musk which are currently in the sale and match perfectly.

Today’s outfit after much debate consists of my AllSaints Decay top which must be out of stock as I can’t find it on the US site, Gap jeggings and Nike 6.0 Dunk high tops. I’m embarrassed to say that I bought the high tops after seeing this photo of Heidi Klum wearing them – the only other thing we now have in common is a hot Husband:) Poor Tennyson is staring out of the window waiting for the rain to stop too…

So here’s to a day at home where Daddy is baking cupcakes and the most challenging thing I have to do is choose a nail polish color…

p.s. Sincere thanks to my 5 year old daughter who is relishing her new role as Mommy’s photographer.

Boden Spring Preview

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Well I am shattered again today – my little boy is still home sick though on the mend – but the sleepless nights are taking their toll…Anyway while I’m working from home I might as well try my new Boden Spring Preview items on that arrived yesterday! For some reason these were all shipped from the UK so arrived after my orders placed only the other week but in no hurry for them as they are all tunics to be worn when the sun is shining here.

One item has been returned and sorry I already sent it back so no photo – the Uptown tunic in Moss was really disappointing – very murky green and didn’t feel worth the price tag.

I LOVE the Ibiza tunic – it is styled just like the Pool Party tunic from last year but I think the fabric is a bit thicker and the quail egg color is yummy.

I ordered all 4 prints of the Notch Neck tunic as I’ve had similar linen tunics before from Boden and they have always been my staple go to item in the summer but there wasn’t a version of this last year so snapped up these in case there isn’t one next year! For those of you that have had them before they normally have a piece of elastic across the back for a little give and movement – many people didn’t like it as they thought it made the tunic less dressy so this year there isn’t one. I personally preferred it with the elastic as it made it more comfortable and much easier to fasten the side zip over the empire line seam. I really struggle to get the zip all the way up on these so MM will be required for assistance – it’s not that there isn’t enough fabric it’s just that the zip is really stubborn going over the seam. My favorite print is the silver riviera and I’ve just looked on the site and there is a 16 week wait for the sunflower country garden!!

Chic Spotty tunic in taupe is lovely too – just realized that in my sleepy state I have forgotten to photograph this one – if you are between sizes size down it’s generous – but has a lovely silky feel to it – a beautiful knit.

As for today it requires something comfy and snuggly but with a bit of bling to cheer up the dreary day here in Atlanta, so I have my old Gap jeans, an old H&M tee, Boden LE sparkle pocket pink cardigan (a clearance bargain), and Ugg Ansley slippers which I live in in the winter.

New Boden delivery

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Ok so I am a little Boden obsessed too. It started with Mini Boden for the kids and now probably 66% of my closet is Boden…I love their tunics especially for the hot Atlanta summers, their jackets as I wear jeans mostly in the winter, and their knitwear. Probably the only category I don’t own too much of are their dresses as I prefer the shorter length of the tunics. Also I’m an odd shape – big boobs and no hips so dresses are either too snug up top or too big round the hips.

At the moment they have their Winter Clearance sale on so I’ve been snapping a few bargains up and their Spring line launched this month so I have quite a few deliveries arriving from my nice UPS man. Last night a couple of spring orders arrived and I’ve just had my trying on session while I’m still nursing a sick little boy.

I think Boden sizes are quite generous usually so I normally order a US6 but often a US8 in jumpers as I don’t like my knitwear snug.

First outfit is the relaxed knitted tunic. I really believe this is one you’ll either love or hate – I love it. It’s a really loose knit cotton with a lovely slinky feel to it. I’ll wear it as a dress in the Spring and Fall – probably too warm in the heat of summer. My only issue with it is that the knit is so loose it is really see through so I must stand with my legs together at all times:)

Next I ordered 3 of the Must Have Jumpers – I adore the button detail on the shoulder and the fit is lovely. Snug 3/4 length sleeves and then a really loose body – dare I say similar to many of the AllSaints jumpers I love? I think my favorite is the Quail Egg color that I’m wearing over the Candy striped Breton.

Finally my favorite item is the radish Effortless cardigan. Very similar to last years Long Line cardigan that I loved but much softer and I love this bright radish color – it’s not quite red and not quite pink…perfect in the spring/summer over a tunic with a lovely tan. Here I’m wearing it over the navy Breton.

So all in all a good haul – nothing to be returned:)

Girls Night

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Refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated ready for some Southern fare with an old friend that I haven’t seen in goodness knows how long. Really wishing I’d decided to get a cab as I’m in the mood for a couple of glasses of wine but to be honest I can do with out the wine calories right now!

Tonight’s ensemble is all Boden – Sixties dress, piped shoe boots, scarf and JohnnieB leather jacket. The boots and the dress keep coming back into clearance and I have all 3 colors in the boots and also have the cream Sixties dress. For some reason I always buy in multiple colorways from Boden when I find a style I love. Oh and that’s Tennyson’s rear end – we adopted him from Atlanta Boxer Rescue back in October – I LOVE him, he follows me around like my shadow.

Poppy's Style

My blog about fashion, family, friends and fun.

Tag Archives: Boden

When I’m Cleaning Windows.

“Generally really cool and smart”

Pass me a glass…

My scent of the 80s

Monday comes around quickly…

A stormy saturday

Boden Spring Preview

New Boden delivery

Girls Night

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