Tag Archives: H&M

Jeans and Jumpers.

I was a poorly girl last week and felt rubbish with a really bad head cold. So rubbish in fact my poor Husband got a Chinese takeaway for his birthday dinner instead of going out. That’s how you can tell I’m sick – when I can’t even face getting dolled up and having a few cocktails – proper poorly:) It’s taking me a while to get out of this funk and make the effort to get dressed again. A week at home in sweatpants was heavenly. Fortunately for those that work with me in the office I have graduated to jeans and jumpers. There is something so reassuringly comfortable about skinny jeans, a snuggly jumper and a pair of boots.

There are some great knits available as ever and here are some of my favorites. I have to say in my eyes Boden still do some of the best quality jumpers.

I promise myself a cashmere hoody every year and have still to invest. Maybe Santa will oblige?

This handknitted cable sweater is relatively new on the site – and I love this color way – it’s a great update on an Aran jumper.

The Off Duty jumper maybe my all time favorite jumper. I love the boxy cut and the merino is super soft. They do fit large though – I ordered a Small this year and it is perfect.

The St. Ives jumper in this colorway sold out really quickly but I noticed today there are some odd sizes available so keep checking for returns. I sized up to a US10 in this for a looser fit.

The Westbourne jumper is another favorite of mine this year. Really soft with contrast stitching on the front and back. Again it’s a lovely boxy fit yet not too overwhelming. I went for a size 8 in this and it is a great fit. They also wash really well.

My Nanna used to knit me Aran jumpers – this saves me having to get the knitting needles out – not that I could ever knit a sweater!

This is also TopShop and I love the color, contrast sleeves and dropped shoulders.

So how are you dressing now the colder weather has arrived – are you searching for inspiration too?

Yesterday I at least tried to wear some fun trousers.

Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker // Trousers – Mango // Jumper – Boden St. Ives

Coat – Mango

Today I’ve done the same – these Boden skinny jeans fit perfectly – the rise is great – not too high or too low.

Boots – Grey Nubuck Newbury boots // Jeans – Boden // Jumper – Westbourne sweater Boden // Scarf – H&M

I must learn how to use my camera on the tripod – either that or train the kids to use it:)

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My first attempt at HACing!

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So following on from my post yesterday where I rashly promised photos of my attempts to Highlight and Contour, here’s my first attempt documented with the good, the bad and the down right ugly!

1. The tools of the trade

2. Straight out of the shower – pimples and dark circles included!

3. Moisturised and then applied L’Oreal BB cream, eyes done using L’Oreal Infallible liner with a smudging brush, MAC Brun powder used for brows, and L’Oreal Volumising mascara.

4. Blush applied on my cheek ‘apples’ using my finger tips and some contouring done with the bronzer – but NOT blended yet – you can see my right cheek looks a little orangey still.

5. Blended bronzing powder and then Maybelline highlighter applied around the eyes and down the nose using a concealer brush. Revlon super lustrous lip gloss in Pinkissimo applied.

6. Hair dried with a round brush and the ghd dryer and voila!

The verdict – well I certainly need some practice – especially in the application and blending of the contour/bronzer powder – but I love how it has shaded around my nose and eye sockets. It feels lighter than using foundation, but takes a little more time and patience. Have you tried it yet? Let me know how you get on!

And now…with full face of makeup applied we’re off to another swim meet! Happy days:)

Sneakers – Golden Goose // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Jumper – Boden Westbourne sweater // Scarf – H&M (old)

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You just never know who’s reading!

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First published on my Husband’s birthday a year ago – Happy Birthday Honey – I barely recognize myself – or my closet!

After another summer of sizzling in the sun (with SPF of course), this morning I headed to my dermatologist for my annual check up. There I am sitting ‘nekid’ with a sheet around me when in comes my lovely doctor who immediately asks me ‘do you have a blog? I’m sure it’s you on this style blog I’ve been reading!’. Aaargh – now if I was dressed I’d have no problem saying ‘yes of course it is!’, but at that moment all I could focus on was the huge amount of fluff my socks had left on my sweaty toes – I was not by any means feeling like the writer of a so called ‘style’ blog. I giggled nervously and tried to be witty by saying ‘of course it’s me – you must have been googling for ultra stylish women over 40’ – ‘don’t be silly’ she replied – well that’s me told. So hello all in the dermatologist office – thank you for reading and don’t take too much notice of these ‘hangovers’ I refer to occasionally:)

It’s flippin’ cold and windy here though I am not complaining after seeing the state of the North East this morning. I feel dreadful for all those suffering with flooding and no power. On a more superficial note I’ve also been thinking about all those runners who are in limbo after months of training – I’m suspecting that the NYC marathon will not take place this weekend as not only can people not get there, but the streets of NYC are apparently filled with cars that ‘floated’ away from their parking spots!

In order to face the cold today, and make stripping off at the doctors easier, I am wearing my Boden leggings and layering with a bordeaux Zara t-shirt and my AllSaints Wasson pullover dress. All finished off with Frye Veronica Slouch boots, an H&M scarf and Zara quilted leather jacket. The dress is lovely and lightweight – it wraps over at the back creating a V shaped hemline – it’s really unusual.

Here you can see the detail of the wrap of the dress at the back…:

Now to prepare for this evening’s fun for MM’s birthday! We’re off out for dinner and I can’t wait:)

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The hairdryer is bloody brilliant!

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Yes I used it for the first time yesterday and my goodness talk about hairdryer innovation – I don’t often I promise – but the ghd dried my hair to silky, smooth perfection – with volume – in a matter of minutes. I used my round brush and honestly I didn’t even feel the need for flat irons. Which is a good job as they are only working intermittently, much like our oven which, is far more distressing with Thanksgiving around the corner!

Yesterday was a fairly lazy day, after spin class that is! I headed to Whole Foods to collect my ingredients for Moussaka. I’ve been talking about making it for literally months and now the air is cooler here it’ll be the perfect post swim meet meal – if it all goes to plan that is – fingers crossed the oven works for me:)

So for running around doing errands – here’s what I wore.

Trousers – Zara (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Tank – H&M // Sweater – AllSaints serpent jumper (old)

Thanks to all of you that bought off my blog sale – they are now in the mail.

Also stay tuned for some exciting Boden news!

***

Note – this is not a sponsored post – I paid for the ghd hairdryer and these are my opinions.

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New necessities.

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No don’t worry I’m not trying to justify the ‘need’ for new shoes or clothes again – in fact surely our relationship has evolved to a stage where justifications are no longer required? Indeed.

Today I bought something that I haven’t bought in years, and something that I’ve rarely needed in recent times. A new hairdryer.

As my hair has grown I feel the need to blow dry it more often – to acquire that more groomed look. My haircare routine currently involves washing with Trader Joe’s citrus shampoo, occasionally followed by the conditioner, then the addition of some brand of keratin smoother (I haven’t found one yet to be loyal to), followed by a quick dry with a 10 year old Revlon travel hairdryer, and a quick run over with my 13 year old CHI flat irons to smooth out the kinks and remaining frizz. Both the hairdryer and the flat irons have just bitten the dust within 10 days of each other.

With my new longer locks – and the ambition to continue to grow them into a healthy, shiny, smooth mane, I decided to upgrade as well as replace. Any excuse to spend more money hey? Hence I began the search for new ‘professional’ grade appliances. I had no idea where to begin – things in the hair care world have moved on somewhat.

For flat irons I knew I wanted to look at CHI again. The ones that just died on me were amazing and I bought them for $150 (which back then was extortionate) but for the use they have had, cost per use etc., they have been phenomenal value. However, I also surveyed my blogging buddies – it’s great to have a panel of fashion and beauty experts on hand! The majority of them recommended ghd – a brand designed in the UK and made in Europe. Looking through the information on their site it appears there are two popular models – the Classic and the Professional, and I nearly ordered the Professional model. Then I noticed the Eclipse model which promises to style the hardest to tame and frizziest hair, tackling any hair texture – promises that appealed to me knowing how unruly my hair can be at longer lengths. The Eclipse is currently available in the UK, but unfortunately not yet in the US – though their Facebook page keeps suggesting the release here is imminent – probably in time for Christmas. So, for once, I have decided to wait till the Eclipse model gets here – no bad thing as it looks likely it will retail for nearly $300.

So I moved on to hairdryers. Again I surveyed my blogger friends and many brands were mentioned that I had never heard of before, like Parlux. Other brands that I found more prevalent in the US were the T3, and again ghd. I was at first completely sold on the Parlux 3800. Okay I admit I loved the green and I loved the idea it was made in Italy – go figure. Mr. PS pointed out that Italians may make great shoes and clothes but since when were they known for electronics? On further investigation it appeared their customer service and support in the US may be nonexistent. Not what you need when you are contemplating buying a $200 hairdryer – just in case it dies on first use. So today I headed into Sephora to continue my research. I looked at both the T3 and the ghd. According to the lovely lady helping me they sell more T3s but the ghd is much newer to market here. I felt that the ghd was very slightly heavier, but it was also smaller (shorter in length) and a little cheaper. The UK connection convinced me that was the brand I wanted, and as shallow as it sounds I want my flat iron and hairdryer brands to match:) So now I am the happy owner of a new hairdryer – who knew hair appliances could make a girl smile so much?! Oh and if you are in the UK you can get hold of the ghd dryer at Selfridges – one of the few things that is far cheaper there than here – if only our sockets were compatible!

While I was in the Mall I popped into Gap who have a sale on in stores here now – plus 35% off regular items and an extra 25% off sale items online (with code GAPFALL)! I did a little try on.

I picked up the window pane sweater just to try it. And just as I thought the lines do NOT work on my curvy boobs – square windows become bay windows.

I loved this leopard print lightweight sweatshirt. I’m overwhelmed with leopard print in my closet now though!

I loved this bomber jacket but couldn’t bring myself to pay full price for it in store so I ordered it online with the 35% discount. It’s lovely. Grey and cream are perfect together.

Finally I’ll leave you with my outfit today. In honor of the AllSaints 100 hour sale I wore my favorite AllSaints jumper from years ago, H&M boyfriend jeans, and some sneakers I found lying around;)

*****

Note: On returning home I discovered the ghd is made in Italy too – so maybe I better have more faith in their electronics:)

Some H&M treasures.

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It’s been a crazy week. Mostly spent cleaning and preparing to host all of the kindergarten parents, then cleaning and recovering! The party was fun though and I was relieved to find that many of the parents are as odd as we are:)

This morning I had my annual physical so after being prodded, pricked and poked (oo-er misses) I was in desperate need of some retail therapy. I headed down to Atlantic Station to our big H&M store, convincing myself that it would be a great place to find a present for a party that Poppy is heading to today. Of course I had to take a peek at the women’s section which conveniently you have to walk through to get to the kids’ section! It’s actually a bit of a minefield choosing clothes for someone else’s eight year old, especially as I am basing my choices on Poppy’s current obsessions. She loves anything with animals or leopard print (I wonder who she takes after?) and H&M have animals in abundance!

So before heading up to the children’s section here’s what I found myself with – nothing I wore goes with what I bought – forgive me – not how I plan to style them!

This great shaggy gilet may not be everyone’s cup of tea – but I love the fact it is longer and shaggy – though we’ll see how much dust and dirt gets trapped in it! I used to have a coat just like it bought on Portobello Market years ago that my Husband loved! I can’t see it online right now but it was $69 and there are similar here. Oh it’s big too – this is a small.

This is also a small – again $69 – a great coatigan with a cocoon shape. I think this will look great with skinny black jeans and ankle boots.

Finally I loved this sweater with a silky print front. I love the greenish color of the snake print – it coordinates with my petrol newbury boots perfectly! This is a medium – I think H&M sizing is definitely on the large side! Again sorry I can’t see it online.

And here is what I wore today! Probably still too warm for a jacket but I wanted to wear it!:)

Trousers – Mango (old) // Top – TopShop camisole ($10 from Nordstrom!) // Jacket – Zara (old) // Shoes – Lotta from Stockholm clogs

Where do I start?

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Well I’ll start where I left off – our anniversary. I am incredibly lucky that I am married to an extremely romantic, generous man. He was so giddy about the day unfolding and all his various surprises he could barely contain himself! He even created a playlist for me with little clues leading to my surprise gift!

We headed out to dinner to our favorite ‘special occasion’ restaurant – Bacchanalia. They do a superb seasonal five course tasting menu and the food is exquisite. And how cute – they even surprised us with a little cake!

I wore my Ted Baker taxi cab dress which I adore – it feels elegant yet quirky – it’s so fun to wear. This exact version is no longer available but the print must have been so popular they have released a new version here. The jacket is a Zara tuxedo jacket from the sale and the wedge boots are also Zara.

Before we left for our night out we exchanged gifts. I’m a very lucky girl. Apparently fifteen years of marriage is a big deal.

I wish I’d known – I thought I was being particularly thoughtful with my gift of a wooly hat and a pair of socks – I kid you not!

On Friday night we headed out again to take Mike for a farewell dinner. Another fabulous restaurant and quickly becoming one of my favorites – The Optimist. They even had frogs legs on the menu which my daring Husband enjoyed. I had the most delicious oysters followed by the most incredible haddock I have ever eaten – and I assure you I know my cod and haddock!

After much debate as to what to wear, and given my late night on Thursday I opted for comfort in the end. This is the Zara pyjama suit from last season that I snapped up in the sale, worn with my white heels.

Finally I’ll leave you with a couple of daytime outfits. The first was from Friday, shopping in the mall with Mike.

Jeans – Diesel Fayza Jogg Jeans // Sneakers – Golden Goose (similar here) // Tank – AllSaints (old) // Jacket – Zara

And yesterday for our first swim meet of the season!

Cap – J.Crew // Jeans – H&M grey tapered boyfriend // T-shirt – Gap 35% off till 9/24 with code THANKYOU // Sweater – Boden // Sneakers – Adidas Gazelles

Now we’re off for a slap up breakfast before taking Mike to the airport – it’s been a brilliant visit and now I’m in the mood for planning some trips back to the UK again!

And so it draws to a close.

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After almost 4 weeks in Northern Cyprus our vacation is over. It is bitter sweet – I’m excited to get back to a routine and see our dog, but I’ll be sad to leave this beautiful place. We have seen more than I ever imagined, eaten fabulous food and met some wonderful people.

On Sunday we went out to our local restaurant for the penultimate time. Remind me to never drink raki again – I’m not sure why I ever thought it was a good idea?

Sandals – bow cage sandals from Marks and Spencer // Trousers – Mango // Tank – H&M

See if you can spot the errors in the meze menu – regardless of how it’s spelled it tasted amazing I promise!

Nasty, nasty raki.

On Monday we headed out for a drive, via Bufavento and Five Finger Mountain, towards Kantara again. Just when I needed it most, we serendipitously stumbled on the most perfect restaurant nestled between the mountains. They served the coldest Efes and the tastiest Lamaçun – perfect for a girl still suffering from the effects of raki!

Dress – New Look (Just 9 GBP in the sale!!)

So today we must pack our bags and lie on the beach one last time soaking up the rays of the Mediterranean.

I probably won’t post till I am back in Atlanta, and we’re taking our time getting there with one last stop at my Mum and Dad’s. In the meantime you might notice that James Perse are having another sample sale – there are some amazing discounts – you can access it via the banner ads on the right. Also Boden have released their Fall collection!! For free shipping and 15% discount, again use the banner ads to the right. Enjoy!

What to do on a grey Friday.

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With tropical storms/depressions passing through the Atlanta Metro all week, yesterday continued with dark clouds, heavy rain and warm temperatures. The weather in the UK looks far preferable and I never thought I’d be saying that sitting here! So what to do on a grey Friday? Why what else but head to the shops? Just for a browse mind.

Actually I had a top to return to Athleta. Their return policy is fabulous. I bought a sweater a while ago, and I’d worn it a couple of times but found it a tad itchy. It had sat in my closet taking up space so I decided to test their ‘anytime, any reason’ policy. They gave me a full refund yesterday! Pretty good hey?

So while I was down in Atlantic Station I popped into H&M for a browse. I left with nothing. Nothing I tell you. The main reason is that I leave for the UK in a week and a half – I know what I’m packing, well pretty much, and I can’t add anything to that pile. With heading to Cyprus after Bury, I’ll be out of the country for a bit, so there’s really no point in having a ‘new’ item hanging in the closet unworn. Travel is great for curbing my spending – until I get to the Trafford Centre that is.

I did however spot some gorgeous items on my wander through H&M. I just wish they wouldn’t try and cram so much on the racks – it’s so frustrating trying to find a size in there! As they still don’t have online shopping capabilities here in the US here are some snaps of my top picks if I were buying.

This dress was the perfect nude blush – the pattern is hard to make out here – but so subtle and girly for summer.

LOVE this embellished top – perfect with white jeans.

Okay so I’m going to say Marant again – but these jeans are very Marant – gorgeous embroidery on the legs – if it was the Fall I would have bought these.

I love the Divided section of H&M for cheap and cheerful tees – this animal print tank is lovely.

How perfect! Neon and animal print shorts – a great weight fabric too.

I have several of these tank dresses that I use for layering in the cooler months – they are great under sweaters with skinny jeans. The new colors they had yesterday were lovely – yet more neon.

This t-shirt is so me – pink and grey, what’s not to love? Why the pocket – why, why, why do we need pockets on our boobs? Gap and J.Crew are guilty of doing this too – please NO pockets. Just $10 though – I could have picked the pocket off at that price I guess.

This maxi skirt was divine – lovely light weight jersey for the summer – but only XS left in our store here. If I see this in the UK I think I’ll buy it.

After H&M I nipped into The Gap. As I’ve mentioned I am completely enamored with The Gap at the moment. Their neons, cuts and fabrics have led me straight back to their door this summer after not buying from them for nearly 5 years. They just got so boring with their chinos and white shirts.

Currently they have a tonne of t-shirts and shorts on sale, and all weekend in the US there is 25% off online. My favorite this season are still their sunwashed t-shirts that are now in the sale. Gap do fit big though, and even with my boobs I’m a small in their t-shirts.

Browsing done, I headed off to get the kids from camp and take Poppy for her dentist appointment. We have the best pediatric dentist ever and after two new sealants Poppy was still grinning. My lovely Husband finished work early and we all trooped off to try Yeah! Burger on the Westside – my favorite spot in Atlanta. It was perfect. Great food, great margaritas, great company – sitting on a covered porch as the torrential rain passed over. Another steamy summer afternoon in Atlanta.

A graduation and buying wedding rings!

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It was Hugh’s Pre-K graduation yesterday. I shed a couple of tears of pride. Where have the past 5 years gone? It’s a cliché, but true, your children grow up so fast.

Dress – Zara (sold out online but in the TRF section if you’re looking in store!) // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers

The lady with the red trousers is Shirley. She adores Hugh – she cared for him in the baby room at the daycare and now babysits for us. I was so touched that she came to see him graduate.

We arrived home just in time to meet Karin and Simon, our friends from Sweden. They are visiting for the weekend. It’s a year since Simon proposed to Karin here in Atlanta, so this visit we get to chat about wedding plans and we’re off to choose wedding rings today!! Well rather they are off to choose them – but you know how I like to be involved and share my opinion. Fortunately Simon has known me for 23 years so has probably learned to accept/tolerate my interference by now:) I hope to share photos of the selected rings later. In the meantime my Husband kindly advised me to avoid wearing turquoise – apparently it could be interpreted as me trying to wear the store’s signature blue.

Poppy's Style

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Tag Archives: H&M

Jeans and Jumpers.

Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker // Trousers – Mango // Jumper – Boden St. Ives

Coat – Mango

Boots – Grey Nubuck Newbury boots // Jeans – Boden // Jumper – Westbourne sweater Boden // Scarf – H&M

My first attempt at HACing!

Sneakers – Golden Goose // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Jumper – Boden Westbourne sweater // Scarf – H&M (old)

You just never know who’s reading!

The hairdryer is bloody brilliant!

Trousers – Zara (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Tank – H&M // Sweater – AllSaints serpent jumper (old)

New necessities.

Some H&M treasures.

Trousers – Mango (old) // Top – TopShop camisole ($10 from Nordstrom!) // Jacket – Zara (old) // Shoes – Lotta from Stockholm clogs

Where do I start?

Jeans – Diesel Fayza Jogg Jeans // Sneakers – Golden Goose (similar here) // Tank – AllSaints (old) // Jacket – Zara

Cap – J.Crew // Jeans – H&M grey tapered boyfriend // T-shirt – Gap 35% off till 9/24 with code THANKYOU // Sweater – Boden // Sneakers – Adidas Gazelles

And so it draws to a close.

Sandals – bow cage sandals from Marks and Spencer // Trousers – Mango // Tank – H&M

Dress – New Look (Just 9 GBP in the sale!!)

What to do on a grey Friday.

A graduation and buying wedding rings!

Dress – Zara (sold out online but in the TRF section if you’re looking in store!) // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers

Jeans – H&M // T-shirt – Gap // Jacket – River Island // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers

Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker // Trousers – Mango // Jumper – Boden St. Ives

Coat – Mango

Boots – Grey Nubuck Newbury boots // Jeans – Boden // Jumper – Westbourne sweater Boden // Scarf – H&M

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Sneakers – Golden Goose // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Jumper – Boden Westbourne sweater // Scarf – H&M (old)

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Trousers – Zara (old) // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Tank – H&M // Sweater – AllSaints serpent jumper (old)

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Trousers – Mango (old) // Top – TopShop camisole ($10 from Nordstrom!) // Jacket – Zara (old) // Shoes – Lotta from Stockholm clogs

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Jeans – Diesel Fayza Jogg Jeans // Sneakers – Golden Goose (similar here) // Tank – AllSaints (old) // Jacket – Zara

Cap – J.Crew // Jeans – H&M grey tapered boyfriend // T-shirt – Gap 35% off till 9/24 with code THANKYOU // Sweater – Boden // Sneakers – Adidas Gazelles

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Sandals – bow cage sandals from Marks and Spencer // Trousers – Mango // Tank – H&M

Dress – New Look (Just 9 GBP in the sale!!)

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Dress – Zara (sold out online but in the TRF section if you’re looking in store!) // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers

Jeans – H&M // T-shirt – Gap // Jacket – River Island // Boots – Isabel Marant Dickers

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