Tag Archives: J.Crew

Authentic Greek (Cypriot) Sandals

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Yesterday we headed back to Nicosia. This time we had our passports and crossed the border to the Greek side. Immediately it was obvious that we were somewhere different. I was suddenly confronted with lots of recognizable brands – MacDonalds, Starbucks, TopShop – there’s even a Marks and Spencer! On the Turkish side there are no European brands at all – though several stores emulate them, for example Tempo’s stores and supermarket bags are very similar to Tesco’s!

We wandered around the streets and had coffee and ice creams and I was really aware of not using the Turkish words for ‘thank you’ etc…

The highlight of the trip (sad I know) was stumbling on a sandal store. The sandals are made here in Nicosia and they are remarkably similar, if not identical to another sandal brand that I love wearing! The key difference is that these sandals in Nicosia were just 40 Euros! I ended up leaving with 2 pairs but I could have bought more – and may go back next week just to check. They are all leather with leather soles. I can’t tell you how thrilled I am with them – never again will I spend over $200 on sandals. My sandals are identical to another brand’s sandal!

Astir bagFeet are badly in need of a pedi after almost 4 weeks of dust and heat! Just focus on the sandals!

gold sandalsI even got shoe bags to take them home in – a nice touch.

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Astir Sandals have two Etsy stores – SandalsAstir and Sparta Sandals – and they will ship. Take a look – you will see many styles that you probably recognize. I found them true to size and I have a Eur 39 in mine. They only show photos in one particular color, but if you scroll through the photos you can see all the available colors that you can request and buy them in.

Not many people can say they are traveling to a different country for sandals hey? 😉

Here are some of the outfits I’ve worn over the past week – to state the obvious – it is damn hot here!

Alexa Chung dress (1)Dress – Alexa Chung for AG Denim (sold out but similar here) // Sandals – Astir Sandals

AllsaintsDress – AllSaints (on sale here with extra 20% off – sale ends tonight!) // Shoes – TopShop

Black shortsShoes – Ancient Greek Sandals // Shorts – J.Crew (on sale plus an extra 30% off with GOSHOPPING) // Top – Mango (similar here)

tassle shortsShoes – Avarca Pons // Shorts – J.Crew // Top – Everlane // Sunglasses – Warby Parker

My picks of the J.Crew sale!

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Normally when I blog about J.Crew I feel a pang of guilt as it is rare that the UK and the rest of the world benefit from the sales and regular discount codes we get in the USA. Well today my guilt is alleviated by the fact that J.Crew have a sale on in the UK too with up to 50% off!

I would rarely dress myself head to toe in J.Crew but recently there are certain pieces I have become obsessed with. Their denim is fabulous – my favorite jeans are all J.Crew. Boyfriend, skinny (toothpick) and cropped are all in my closet and I love them all. In the sale you can nab some amazing denim – event the point sur pieces are on sale, and in the US there is an EXTRA 30% OFF EVERYTHING, including sale items, using code GOSHOPPING. Also there have been many extra styles added to the sale today.

My denim picks are:

POINT SUR EPIC SKINNY JEAN IN DORAN WASH – reduced from $288 to $99, now with an extra 40% off with GOSHOPPING

Point sur

POINT SUR VINTAGE CROPPED JAPANESE SELVEDGE JEAN IN MEDRANO WASH – I have these and LOVE them – currently reduced from $288 to $99 with and extra 40% off with GOSHOPPING.

point sur cropped

These dove grey jeans aren’t in the sale but I love them SO much I have ordered a second pair – they are currently 30% off with GOSHOPPING.

dove grey

A classic that I have fallen in love with this season is the Regent blazer in linen. I just adore the popped collar and the silhouette of the jacket. It is really slimming. It does fit small and I wear a US 10 as the arms are pretty narrow.

Again the weathered coral pink isn’t in the sale but this is the first time I have seen it in stock online for some time – get 30% off with GOSHOPPING.

regent blazer coral pink

The autumn bluegrass, alpine moss and barley are all in the sale reduced to $129.99 from $178.00 plus get an extra 30% off with GOSHOPPING – truly a bargain not to be missed – these will be staples in your closet.

autumn bluegrass

Now for shorts – I have had many compliments on the pairs I bought for vacation – now both styles are on sale.

I just love these metallic foil bermuda shorts – the ivory bronze are now $29.99 and the gunmetal navy are $39.99 – get an extra 40% off with GOSHOPPING – too good to miss! They remind me of my gorgeous DvF silver shorts that I wore to death 2 years ago…must dig them out when I get home!

metallic bermuda short

The mosaic pull on shorts that I wore on our first night out here in N. Cyprus are now reduced to $39.99 with an extra 40% off with GOSHOPPING. I adore these – super cute with an elasticated waist and a modest length.

mosaic pull on

I’ve treated myself to a couple of lightweight popovers – just perfect with denim shorts or jeans.

This bengal stripe top is now $34.99, reduced from $78.00, plus get an extra 40% off with GOSHOPPING (also available in blue).

pink popover

This metallic stripe popover is reduced to just $19.99 from $89.50 – you think that is good? Go ahead an deduct another 40% with GOSHOPPING! I’m going to dress it down with jeans and hi-tops.

metallic

Lastly – accessories. I love their scarves – and I have found some great summer weight scarves to add to my collection. I love the pom poms!

This distressed scarf has no pom poms admittedly but I love this pink and the charcoal grey version is fabulous!

distressed scarf

This pom pom scarf is possibly my favorite – I just love the colors. It’s in the sale and now get an extra 60% off with GOSHOPPING!

jade and pinck scarf

Finally if you prefer a good neutral this is perfect – the dip dyed scarf. Now reduced to $49.99 plus an extra 40% off with GOSHOPPING.

black and white scarf

You’re welcome 😉

Kantara Castle and The Karpaz

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If you follow me on Instagram forgive me as many of these photos have already been shared! We’ve had another busy few days and a couple with no wi-fi so I’m catching up!

The other day we headed to Kantara Castle. The second of the three castles that sit along the ridge of mountains in Northern Cyprus. My husband and I have fond memories of sitting at the top on our honeymoon in 1998.

DSC_0020 DSC_0065Shorts – J.Crew (currently 30% off with GOSHOPPING) // Top – ASOS // Shoes – Birkenstocks

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On Saturday morning we headed into Nicosia/Lefkosa – my first visit to the capital. It is a fascinating place with a walled old town. It is the only city in the world with an international border running through it. These days crossing that border is much easier and we saw many tourists crossing from the Greek side to the Turkish side. We didn’t have our passports with us that day but plan to return to see the Greek side. From what I hear they are suffering with the rest of Greece which explains the number of tourists popping over to the Turkish side for lunch and their counterfeit goods!

DSC_0120 DSC_0164 DSC_0161 DSC_0132Dress – Mango (now on sale) // Shoes – Avarcas Pons // Bag – Target (I have found this to be THE perfect vacation bag – so light and yet roomy)

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You’re not supposed to photograph the border patrol – so here is a sneaky one of my husband with the border in the background. Years ago this street became notorious and was referred to as ‘Murder Mile’ where more than a dozen British soldiers and civilians had been shot dead by the terrorists.

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I fell in love with Lefkosa and I loved the architecture, the people and the ambience. We sat in the courtyard above and drank kahve with the locals. I could do that every weekend.

On Monday we headed to my favorite place in the world – to date anyway – and drove down the Karpaz, which is the pan handle of Cyprus. As soon as you reach the Karpaz you feel as if you are transported to a different time. It is very rural and beautiful, and there are many reminders of the troubles that Cyprus has endured. Beautiful Greek churches remain unused – though it did appear to me that some are being restored. Dipkarpaz is a town towards the end of the Karpaz, and it is still home to Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, with signs in both languages clearly displayed. We had lunch on the way to the beach at a place called Nikos – highly recommended if you are ever here! I fell in love with it – and the story of the owners provided hope for the future. One partner is a Turkish Cypriot and the other a Greek Cypriot – ironically they are both from the opposite ends of the island – with the Turkish Cypriot being from Paphos. Now they run Nikos together serving the BEST fish and calamari we have ever eaten.

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The Karpaz is home to herds of goats and wild donkeys – so much fun to see them roam the fields and cross the road in front of you! The donkeys are very tame and love to be fed carrots from the car window.

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I managed to persuade everyone to stay the night in a hut on the beach – I think it’s the closest I’ll ever get them to camping! I LOVED it!

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IMG_3634 IMG_3644 IMG_3656Shorts – Madewell (in sale here) // Top – Mango (old) // Sunglasses – Warby Parker // Bikini (under top) – J.Crew

IMG_3672 IMG_3677 IMG_3687 IMG_3726Shorts – J.Crew (on sale here plus an extra 30% off with GOSHOPPING) // Tank – Everlane

After a fun drive back, we went out for dinner last night – it felt fabulous to wash away the sand and wash my hair for the first time in a couple of days!

Fun with the kids IMG_3858Dress – Splendid (similar here and here) // Shoes – Ancient Greek Sandals (discounted here)

Operation Dinner Out

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If you’ve been reading for a while you’ll already know how much we all love it here in Northern Cyprus. We were here in 2013 and my husband and I came here for our honeymoon in 1998. It’s a place that is very special for him as he lived here as a child with his family in Famagusta in the early 70’s. In fact he was evacuated when the Turks invaded in 1974. The North-South divide still elicits much controversy, and Turkey and Greece are still trying to negotiate a some kind of settlement. Often it is the Greek Cypriot story that gets the most press and sympathy, but the Turkish Cypriots suffered greatly too, and I would love to see the island reunited one day, in some form or other.

For now, however, we consider ourselves fortunate that entry into the Northern territory is more relaxed, and we get the opportunity to enjoy the history, culture and food that it has to offer.

So food! Yes the food here is amazing – if of course you avoid the Anglophile restaurants in Kyrenia serving fish and chips…Last night we returned to one of our serendipitous finds from 2013 – the Besparmak Buffavento restaurant. It is nestled in the mountains at the foot of the road that takes you to Buffavento Castle – a climb we are planning to endure tomorrow morning!

For dinner I wore my new J.Crew shorts and the H&M blouse (similar here) I bought in Manchester. I love this outfit – I felt completely appropriate for the evening. J.Crew, of course, currently have a massive sale on for the 4th July weekend – use LONGWEEKEND to get 30% off the shorts and up to 40-60% off lots of other items too!

image3 image4Sandals – Ancient Greek Sandals (similar here) // Shorts – J.Crew // Blouse – H&M

The boys made an effort too.

image5Fortunately the restaurant had not changed a bit and we had an amazing evening.

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Poppy wanted to share a little with you all too:

Hi! I am so happy to be here – I remember it from the last time. The weather is great and very hot! The house we are staying in is big and I have my own room, and there is a big swimming pool for us all to play in.  Last night we went to a restaurant that I remember from our last visit, and I had an Adana kebab with mezze. I love the food here. I wore my new romper from Zara (now on sale here) which is perfect for vacations.

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Finally here is one of me stealing my Mom’s aviators. She wouldn’t let me keep them though…My top is old from H&M and the shorts are from Zara (also on sale here).

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Shoe sales!

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I wasn’t planning on making any purchases in the sales especially with heading on vacation this week. Well major fail – I have, as always, been tempted. You won’t be surprised that all my purchases are footwear. Shoes maketh the outfit!

Firstly check out MatchesFashion.com. They have Golden Goose marked down to £156.00 – SO much cheaper than the US and they will ship to the US DDP. I have ordered these that will hopefully be waiting at my Mum and Dad’s on my arrival!Golden Goose

I received my Vince Ninas in indigo (also available in nude) the other day – they are totally gorgeous as expected and they are now marked down further to $151 at Saks.

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I’ve also found the snake print version on sale at Revolve Clothing! Most other stores still have these marked full price at $350!

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Finally one not to be missed – Rag & Bone have an extra 25% off sale prices – ends today so be quick! Just use HURRAH25 at checkout for Newbury boots less than $200! Crazy!

CLASSIC-NEWBURY-BOOT

The tan Newbury are marked at $370 but when you put them in the cart they are showing $265 – lots of sizes left! Then just apply your HURRAH25 to get them less than $200!

tan newbury

I have the leopard print boot – they were a Christmas present from my husband. Now marked down to $300 with an extra 25% off using HURRAH25!

leopard print newbury

So do you have as much will power as me? 😉

And finally my outfit today – thank goodness for AC – it’s in the 90s!

denim culottesCulottes – Zara // Peep toe boots – Nine West (on sale here) // T-shirt – J.Crew (in sale plus an extra 50% off with GOSHOPPING)

Preparing for our vacation!

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Yes it’s that time of year again! It sure rolls around quickly once the children have finished school! Next week I take them back to England to see my family – always fun for the children to catch up with their cousins. I just hope the weather cooperates so they can play outside. It will also help with the challenge of packing for 2 climates, as after England, we are off to Istanbul and N.Cyprus – not known for their unpredictable weather – it will be predictably scorcchio.

Right now Poppy has a pile of clothes the same size as my pile – not bad going for a 9 year old. I think we may have to adapt from ‘what I want to take’ to ‘what I need to take’ – especially as I will be lugging luggage around by myself until my husband joins us!

Before I share my recent outfits I wanted to let you know that the Vince Nina shoes at Saks have been further reduced to $151 – a steal for a fabulous pair of flats! My indigo pair arrives tomorrow and I called them this morning to apply the new price instead of returning and reordering – always worth checking first as most stores will price match within 10 days of an order being placed.

Vince Nina indigo

 

So here’s what I’ve been wearing this week before a quick change into pool gear in the afternoons!

J.Crew jeansJeans – J.Crew // Shoes – Nine West (old) // Shirt – J.Crew (on sale plus an extra 30% off with SHOPSALE) // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco (similar here discounted on TheOutnet.com and here in the UK)

J.Crew jeans, Zara denim top, Alexander Wang RoccoShoes – Nine West (old) // Jeans – J.Crew (in sale PLUS an extra 60% off with SHOPSALE code) // Top – Zara // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco (similar here on sale)

Warby Parker BanksShorts – J.Crew // T-shirt – ASOS // Sneakers – Adidas (old) // Sunglasses – Warby Parker

Date night

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Last night my husband and I went out for dinner. The first time, in probably 7 years (when I was last pregnant), that we have been out together without drinking. This not drinking lark really isn’t that difficult, and heading into my third week of sober living I feel a wonderful sense of calm and wellbeing.

Our favorite restaurant recently closed so we headed across town to the Floataway Cafe – another great restaurant with good hearty food. I finished my meal off with the best sticky toffee pudding ever! Thankfully I wore trousers with an elasticated waist – that’s planning for you.

date nightTrousers – Mango // Top – Zara // Shoes – Marks and Spencer (currently with 20% off)

Finally here is an outfit I forgot about from Monday – nothing special – just comfortable for the office.

MondayShoes – Marks and Spencer (old) // Jeans – J.Crew (30% off with SHOPNOW) // T-shirt – Splendid // Cardigan – Gap (old)

Poppy and Joanna do NYC

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I’ve just had the most brilliant 48 hours! One night in NYC with my incredible 9 year old. She is a natural traveler! It was so much fun to spend time together – just the two of us. She is a joy to be with and didn’t ever complain even though we walked miles, sometimes in the cold rain! Yes the weather sucked on Tuesday afternoon – we were completely caught off guard by the constant rain. Thankfully the sun made an appearance on Wednesday morning!

We left bright and early on Tuesday – but that didn’t stop our flippin’ flight being delayed due to the NYC weather!

We're offOn me – Sneakers – Golden Goose (similar here) // Jeans – J.Crew (30% off with SHOPNOW) // Top – AllSaints (now on sale) // Bag – McQ by Alexander McQueen // Scarf – H&M (old)

We stayed at the City Rooms + NYC hotel at Lafayette and Canal. I highly recommend it – cheap as chips for NYC, clean, VERY basic, hardwoods, comfy beds, clean bathrooms and easy access to Canal St. subway to get Uptown. As soon as we arrived we headed out for lunch to Jack’s Wife Freda – just the best restaurant in SoHo as far as I am concerned – I love it there and they are totally child friendly. Poppy just loved people watching.

JacksWifeFreda

After lunch we wandered around SoHo in the rain – unfortunately for Poppy very few of the stores there had a children’s section but she still managed to find a Swatch that she loved, swearing that she would much rather have that than clothes. Mom you’re a sucker.

Poppy_Swatch

The following day, after breakfast at Jack’s Wife Freda again, we headed Uptown to 5th Avenue – where of course Zara had a kids section – and oh how quickly we forgot about the watch. We totally blew the budget in Zara 😉 I must say thank you to the lovely Maya at Jack’s Wife Freda. I follow them on Instagram and I had mentioned Poppy’s excitement about eating there. As we were eating breakfast I tagged a few photos of Poppy. Having seen we were there Maya called the restaurant and asked them to take extra special care of us – so sweet. Poppy really enjoyed her watermelon juice on the house.

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AllSaints top

Top – AllSaints // Jeans – J.Crew (on sale plus another 30% off with SHOPNOW) // Shoes – Gucci

After yet more shopping we were pretty exhausted – we walked miles – and we’re not used to that in Atlanta!

shopping

We picked our bags up and headed back to La Guardia ready to sleep all the way home. We had just the best time and I am already talking up NYU for Poppy 😉 She is a natural in the City and can charm anyone – she had the store assistants and flight attendants eating out of the palm of her hand.

Poppy_Uber Selfie

Far more fun than any birthday party we could have thrown – well at least for me anyway! 😉

 

My Net-a-porter.com sales edit

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Well I have made a couple of purchases so I thought it only fair that I share what I didn’t want to miss out on! I usually use the NAP sale to stock up on great basics and that is what I have done again this time – adding once more to my collection of Splendid t-shirts with these in navy. I have both already in black, grey and white and love them:

The Supima cotton and model blend t-shirt – reduced by 40% from $65 to $39

navy t-shirt

The stretch jersey top reduced by 40% from $95 to $57

Navy top

 

I have wanted this jumpsuit forever but full price was just a tad too much at $245 – now it is a more palatable $171.50. Their jumpsuits are brilliant for day to nightwear – so comfortable too.

Jumpsuit

 

Now for the other bargains that you shouldn’t miss out on. How about that pair of Dicker boots you’ve been lusting after? Now reduced from $650 to $455. Most sizes are out of stock but keep checking back as there will be returns – you can even call NAP and ask to be added to a waiting list for returns.

Dicker

 

My Nike Airforce 1s are now just $66.50.

AF1

 

The highly sought after Levi’s 501 CT jeans are reduced from $100 to $70.

Levis

 

I am sorely tempted by the Alexander Wang Chastity tote reduced from $895 to $626.50.

Wang

 

So have you dared to take a peek yet? It really is a fab sale.

As for my recent outfits – they’ve mainly consisted of pool gear – but here’s what I wore for work on Thursday.

Gucci loafersShoes – Gucci // Jeans – MiH Jane jeans (off TheOutnet reduced by 65%) // Top – J.Crew (on sale plus an extra 25% off with SALENEWS)

Then for lunch with a fabulous friend on Friday:

Allsaints dressDress – AllSaints // Boots – Rag & Bone canvas Newbury boot

Tell me what you order if you have a wee splurge at NAP!

 

Those M&S girlfriend jeans

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Wasn’t it just yesterday I was saying I rarely go to the Marks and Spencer site? I must be telling fibs because my order from a few days ago arrived! My jeans that I ordered with 20% off, plus 2 pairs of knickers to qualify for free shipping! It’s all a con – the shipping was probably less than the knickers but I still couldn’t bring myself to pay for shipping!

The jeans are amazing! As everyone has mentioned they fit big! I originally ordered a UK 12 and then in a fit of panic, after reading some reviews, I cancelled the order and reordered a UK 10. I thought I must be mad! Me in a 10? Well I may have lost a few lbs already without the wine, as they fit PERFECTLY! The denim is lovely and stretchy and super soft. I LOVE them.

The styling online is horrendous.

girlfriend jeans

 

So here is my interpretation:

Marks and Spencer girlfriend jeans Marks and Spencer girlfriend jeansShoes – Zara // Jeans – Marks and Spencer // Top – J.Crew (old)

The jeans are currently £7 off – reduced to £28 with all sizes in stock. Size down a size!