Tag Archives: Marks and Spencer

Happy 2014!

I hope you all had a lovely New Years Eve and celebrated well – or like us had a lovely quiet evening in with family, music and good food.  Yesterday we went to friends for a fabulous day of celebrating and over indulgence, so today I’m starting my detox.  Yes I’m afraid I am one of those  January bores, planning a month of paleo eating and no alcohol.  I’m setting myself up by sharing this with you – but hey ho maybe if some of you out there are trying to do the same we can motivate each other!

Also it’s now January 2nd and I’ve now achieved 2 days of no online orders – pretty good methinks – **polish halo**;-)  Prior to that, however, I discovered one of the best sales around at AllSaints – one of my favorite stores – discounts up to 50% are on offer.  Here are my top picks – see if you can guess which I’ve ordered.

The gorgeous Bonny Cuban boot which can be worn with jeans, casual dresses or shorts.

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The leather biker jeans are lush in this taupe color and just $210!

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I LOVE this classic AllSaints oxblood jacket – half price with several sizes left!

Oxblood

The Riviera dress has been a favorite of mine all year.

riviera

The Rubie dress is classic AllSaints draping.

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You’ve seen me wear this several times and it’s been one of my favorite AW2013 pieces.

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This tee dress is gorgeous – I love the suede paneling on it.

tee dress

The Verna gilet is a steal now and such a classic.  A great addition for a simple jeans and tee outfit.

Verna

It really is one of the best sales I’ve seen around – great reductions for classic wardrobe staples.  and I always love AllSaints quality too.

Check out ASOS as well  – right now they have 70% off certain items including some new stock!  The oversize shift I’m wearing below is now only $19!  My Husband loved it and it is the perfect day dress – I was super comfortable in it all day yesterday and it was perfect for overindulging:)

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Dress – ASOS // Tights – Marks and Spencer (nope you can’t beat them – I order several pairs each winter) // Boots – Steve Madden (old) // Coat – Zara

Off to drink my Kombucha and eat steak and cauliflower mash for supper!  Day one paleo done!

 

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My picks of the sales.

So the sales have started and boy it’s a mixed bag – but as ever, after browsing the sites a couple of times, lots caught my eye.  Let’s just get on with it shall we?  Here are my picks of the sales so far!

First good old Marks and Spencer have 30% off women’s wear.  There are some fabulous coats on sale starting with my checked biker jacket reduced to £97.30.  I love this coat.

Checked coat

Another favorite of mine that I’ve resisted to date is this coat from the Best of British collection – now on sale – this will sell out fast now it has been reduced I assure you.

Cocoon coat

This coat is a similar style to the checked coat I have – but for those of you that love leopard.  If I didn’t already have a leopard coat from M&S bought a couple of years ago I would buy this.

leopard coat

Now for Mango – who I always think have some of the best sale prices.  I have just bought the following dress and skirt.  I think they are very Marant-ish and much more reasonably priced than any of the H&M collection.

This dress is just gorgeous worn in the winter with boots or with flats in the warmer weather.  It’s half price at $49.99.

mango dress

I actually ordered this skirt in a couple of different color ways.  It is so reminiscent of the ra-ra skirts I wore in the 80’s – I had a yellow one I adored:)  Again this is a skirt that can be worn in all seasons.

Mango skirt

I love shorts all year round, and these will be great with over-the-knee boots and black tights.

Mango shorts

Now for Zara.  Some of the reductions are pretty disappointing but I did manage to grab the ballet flats I’ve been drooling over – reduced from $99.99 to $59.99.  They’ll be perfect with the Mango skirts.  I was really disappointed to see Zara have started charging shipping here on orders less than $50, which just means I’ll have to throw some extra items – and return them obviously!

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Lastly from Zara – here’s one that no doubt most of you will hate but I LOVE this.  The denim boiler suit reduced from $119 to $59.

denim jumpsuit

Finally ASOS – I just can’t stay away from their site – there are so many great reductions!  This dress is perfect for NYE.

Baroque dress

Another gorgeous party dress is this oriental print dress.

Oriental print dress

I love the rose print on this midi-dress – really striking.

ASOS rose dress

I’ve ordered the next couple to wear with either my Golden Goose or my over the knee boots – they are great prices.

This oversized shift is just $31.

shift dress

This dress may not be to everyones taste but I love the layered sleeve look.  Again now just $31.

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Finally a t-shirt dress for the spring – yes I’m already starting to think sunshine.  No one would notice if it fell in your cart at just $22.

Tshirt dress

So go on share – what have you slipped in your closet from the sales while you’re finishing up the Christmas shopping?  Tell me I’m not the only one!

This week has been a party week for me.  It’s been fabulous catching up with some girlfriends that I haven’t seen for a LONG time.  Here’s what I wore Thursday night for a fun night out with some great girls that I’ve known since I moved to Atlanta nearly 14 years ago!

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Boots – Isabel Marant pour H&M (eBay) // Jeans – Zara // Sweater – AllSaints (old – their sale is on too here) // Jacket – Zara (old)

 

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Leather pants.

I love a bit of leather and I am in ‘need’ of some great leather trousers.  I had some AllSaints leather jeans, but I wore them to death, and with my yo-yoing weight they stretched beyond what could be considered a flattering fit.  I have been hunting for some time and I am still none the wiser as to which I should buy.

I have two conundrums when looking for leather trousers:

1. Leather vs. pleather.  I am all for trying a good pleather trouser, but it was suggested to me the other day that it might cause some unpleasant sweating where you least want to sweat – I’ve since thought twice about pleather.  Also if I am looking for great leather trousers, then shouldn’t I invest in a brand known for their real leather trousers – now not necessarily Balmain (unless my Husband is buying of course), but maybe Theory or Helmut Lang?

2. A trouser with fly vs. legging.  Part of me wants a great leather jean with a fly and 5 pockets so I can wear shorter tops and sweaters without the fear of a camel toe on show.  On the other hand wriggling into a pair of leather leggings maybe easier, and they are often far cheaper than a leather trouser.

Camel toe and sweating – makes me wonder if I should just avoid the leather pant thing altogether?

So here’s a run down of what has appealed to me so far…

These Ted Baker leggings are not cheap at $600 but knowing the brand they will be fabulous quality.  They also have a side zip and the added stretch will help keep them in shape beautifully.

Ted Baker

I love these Warehouse leather trousers for something a little different.  They aren’t really loose like Christine Centenera wore, but they have a bit more shape than a regular skinny trouser – and I love the cross over fly.  I am sorely tempted by these.

Warehouse

And just so we can dream about what it looks like to ooze style – here she is herself…

Christine-Centenera

Sticking with the peg leg theme – these are a great alternative to leather from ASOS.  You have to use your imagination a little but I think they are great styled correctly.

Peg Pant

These Vero Moda trousers are a great price and a classic cut with a side zip.  Can’t really argue with the price here at all for real leather at $213.

Vero Moda

These Helmut Lang leggings are in my basket on TheOutnet.com.  I am almost at the point of placing my order.  A great price at £292 – they normally retail for £800.  Why am I hesitating?  I’ve no idea!

Helmut Lang

Now these are a definite love it or loathe it item.  They are a copy of the R13 Chaps.  I am obsessively waiting for them to appear on the US Mango site.  Mango have assured me via Twitter that they will be there soon – if you are in the UK you lucky beggars can order yours now!  Take a look here at how amazing Eve looks in hers.

Mnago Sade

Finally just for fun here’s what I ordered today.  At $27 I thought they were worth the risk…we’ll see when they arrive…I present my faux leather harem trousers from eBay.

Faux leather harems

I’ll leave you with today’s outfit taken by my lovely man as we were rushing out of the door for a cheeky child free lunch:)

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Boots – Dorothy Perkins // Jeans – Express (old – similar here) // Tank – TopShop Camisole // Cardigan – Marks and Spencer (old – similar here) // Bag – YSL Roady

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Accessorizing

I often get very lazy with accessories.  Partly because I forget to add the final flourish, partly because I sometimes feel overdressed with too many, and partly because I’m not sure how to wear them.

I’ve decided that I am going to attempt to incorporate more variety with my accessories over the coming months – that may help me figure out which are for me and which aren’t.  When I glance at the list below I’m definitely a creature of habit and some habits are good to break!

1. I’ve always been a lover of scarves and have learned much about how to wear them and what to wear them with from my fellow bloggers.  I have a whole drawer full at home.  I roll them up and place them by color in the drawer, so I can see what I need with a quick glance.  I think I have scarves pretty much nailed.

2. I’ve started to incorporate more hats this year.  A couple of fedoras in the summer and now my fabulous new wool and leopard print J.Crew caps are making an appearance.  I’d love to try a wool fedora, or even a big boho floppy hat but I’m not sure that is really me.  I’m learning, slowly about confident hat wearing.

3. With short hair I was always overwhelmed by large earrings – as much as I love them!  Now my hair is growing I am finding it much easier to wear hoops (my all time favorite) again, but I do feel far more comfortable with my little diamond studs.  Let’s face it if you have diamonds you might as well wear them!  Also having had my earring holes stitched and re-pierced a couple of years ago – after stretching them so much I could see through them – I am loathe to wear heavy pendant earrings ever again!

4. I really struggle with necklaces.  I always admire other women who wear great statement necklaces every day.  For some reason a necklace is the last piece of jewelry I ever consider.  Partly because I like the look of my bare neck, partly because I don’t like to draw attention away from the earrings, and partly because, in all honesty, I find necklaces heavy and cumbersome.  I have a couple of Tiffany chains that my Husband bought me that sadly never get worn – I resolve to wear these beauties more, though a statement necklace on a daily basis maybe a step too far for me!

5. I love arm candy.  Regardless of my issues with necklaces I can wear bracelets up to my elbows and not be bothered by them.  Bangles, chains, cuffs – you name it I love it.  I have worn my little Tiffany open heart chain every day for almost five years now.  It is part of me.  Watches fall into this category too.  I believe you can never have too many watches and there are some beauties out there to choose from.  I have several from cheap and cheerful sports watches, to a very special one that gets worn most often that my Husband bought me for my 40th.  The bigger the better for me when it comes to watches – I can’t do little feminine things – I want a big face with a chunky strap.  Arm candy – I love it.

6.  As for rings I used to wear a gold one on every finger – uuurgh – it was the early 90s and I should say I was also wearing a black catsuit so my taste was questionable to say the least.  Now I  prefer a far more subtle approach when it comes to rings.  I’ve even put my engagement ring away for now and have been wearing only my Love ring on my left ring finger and my Trinity ring on my right ring finger.  Gold is back in favor with me.

7.  Finally belts.  I am rubbish with belts – I have a whole hanger full of wide belts, jean belts, and skinny belts, yet I tend to wear the same 2 Gap men’s belts all the time.  One brown and one black  – they are the softest leather and the perfect width for jeans with simple silver buckles.  Sometimes I’ll grab the Gucci jean belt, that again my Husband bought me, but the belt on my ultimate wish list is from Hermés.

So there we have it – I’m a girl of simple, very expensive tastes:)

What accessories can you not live without, or do you wish you wore more of?

Finally a couple of outfits from last week.  I wore the plum Avenue57 dress for our kindergarten parents’ party on Tuesday evening with a Zara scarf (new but not online) – I adore these dresses – so easy to wear!

Avenue57 plum dress

 

And then it was all about comfort with the Diesel Jogg Jeans, Zara t-shirt from the sale, Marks & Spencer Limited jacket and Isabel Marant Bobby sneakers.

Diesel Jogg jeans and M&S limited jacket

 

 

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Possibly my most ridiculous purchase ever.

Or maybe not.  This is definitely an investment piece.  I swear I looked for a cheaper version everywhere – but none were calf hair, none had the right peak, and none had the perfect leopard print – so in the end it had to be this one.  A crazy purchase (even with the 25% code I used) but one that makes me very, very happy.  The J.Crew leopard print baseball cap.

Black and leopard

 

It also makes my head look more of a regular size compared to the hatless photo:)

The jacket is one I ordered the other day after perusing the M&S website.  It is the Limited Edition quilted sleeve cardigan – definitely order up in size for this one – the shoulders are snug.  This is a UK 14 and gives me room to layer over a sweater in the winter.  The dress is my favorite ASOS t-shirt dress and the sneakers are of course my Golden Goose (similar here) which also make me smile every time I wear them.

After a weekend of pressure washing we’re almost ready to host our kindergarten party tomorrow – though I can barely move today.  Hopefully I can still raise a glass to my lips:)  How did you spend your gorgeous Fall weekend?

 

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And so it draws to a close.

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?

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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!

menu

 

Nasty, nasty raki.

 

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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!

Five Finger Mountain

 

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!

 

Fun in Next!

I will be traveling for the next few days – wending my way from Bury to Kyrenia – so there’ll be no blog post for a few days.  To make up for it I’ve done two today.  I couldn’t wait to tell you about my exciting morning;)

Mum and Dad took the children out for the day so I got to have some ‘me’ time in Bury with the shops that I miss.  M&S, River Island, Primark and Matalan were all on my hit list.  However, I was completely side tracked by Next.  What a revelation!

Well in all honesty I had seen some of my blogging friends wearing some great items from Next recently, so I knew I had to take a look while I was here.  Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery no?  We are all inspired by what we see in other blogs – and I’ve already bought Avril’s shoes, now I have Hollie and Eve’s jacket, and I think Kat’s jacket too?

For the trip I decided to give two fingers to the weather and wore all white, with my Boden leather jacket.

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T-shirt – Zara TRF linen t-shirt with pink flower (old – can’t see it online in the sale but it may appear again) // Jeans – H&M (old) // Scarf – Boden chincilla pinspot lightweight scarf (I love this and want the acid lime one too)

Here’s the gorgeous Next jersey biker jacket in grey.  I tried a 12 to start with and it was huge so ended up with a 10.  Both Hollie and Eve All Worn Out have this.  It is the softest, snuggliest jacket ever – perfect for Bury – maybe not so much for Atlanta and Cyprus.

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I then spotted these great harem trousers in white.  Some of you may like these – they are not low slung at the crotch – but have quite a tapered leg, others of you may not – as, with most white jersey, you can see the pockets.

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I’m not normally a blouse person at all.  But I was immediately drawn to this.  The leopard print obviously caught my eye, but the colors are also lovely – greys, white and blush tones.  The shape is great too and very forgiving for the muffin top.

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With the jacket it creates a good day to evening outfit.

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The top with skinnies.

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Next up I saw this blue jacket.  I loved it immediately.  It’s a really flattering cut, lightweight and washable too.  I also love the neckline.  Oh and I totally love the fact it was only 28 GBP!  I think Kat has this.  It didn’t photo well at all – I think Next in Bury has the darkest changing rooms ever.

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Finally the shoes.  I didn’t get them – I wanted to – but the toe problem reared it’s ugly head again.  I loved these and realized that I don’t have any navy heels at all so I could completely have justified them – but the little toe just wouldn’t behave.  They came in grey too.  I’m afraid I can’t see them online but I think they were about 28 GBP.

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So all in all a fun trip to Bury – I even managed to grab coffee with my sister.  I didn’t make it to anywhere else but Next I’m afraid.  A good job I think really:)

 

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Wish I could actually wear them.

All my new sandals that is.  It’s chucking it down here again in Bury.  I thought I’d bought enough foul weather clothes – but I forget how foul it can get.  I have zero waterproofs and zero waterproof shoes with me.  Same can be said for the kids.  We are completely unprepared for cold, wet, rain.

I think I might have enough sandals for Cyprus though.  I’m hoping that wearing them there is pretty much guaranteed.

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Here’s a closer look at the lovely bow cage M&S nude sandals – they really are lovely.  Some reviews say size down but I ended up with my usual UK 6 – maybe it’s due to my wider feet – but just be warned you might want to try a size down.  The nude have a suede heel rather than the metallic heel on the other two colorways.

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As much as I love my sandals, my favorite purchases are these Autograph peep toe booties – in snakeskin and black – they are perfect.  The heel height is about 3″ so perfectly comfortable and ideal for day wear too.  As I’ve mentioned before, my toes have a mind of their own, so these keep them nicely encased and on their best behavior.  I wish they came in nude too.

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Now for what I’ve been wearing for the last couple of days.  On Wednesday night, after my day out with Sue, I needed some comfy clothes.  I know – the bra is bright blue and can be seen – but the photo is more so you can see the new Mango trousers.  I LOVE them.  The t-shirt is Gap and the bright pink looks great with the neutral trousers.  Size down in Gap tees – this is a small.

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Yesterday I wore plenty of brights – begging the sun to appear.  Obviously it didn’t work.  The nail polish is Essie Lapis of Luxury and complements the colors in the t-shirt really well!

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Jeans – Boden skinny jeans // Jacket – Boden chic leather jacket (old) // Shoes – Marks and Spencer bow cage sandals // T-shirt – Ted Baker (old)

Looks like the Marks and Spencer sale has started today!  Plus Boden currently have 40 items for men and women, and another 40 items for Mini girls and boys with 40% off – enjoy!

 

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Still in her 30s

But only just!  I spent the day today celebrating my sister’s 39th birthday.  We left early, abandoning our children, and ran for it to the bright lights of Manchester.  What followed was one of the best days of sibling bonding I’ve ever had.  I wish I could spend days like this every week with my sister.

After a mooch around the shops, where I bagged a couple of great deals in the Mango sale, we headed to Harvey Nicks for a fabulously debauch lunch – minimal food, copious prosecco and abundant conversation.  I felt like I was on an episode of Long Lost Family – we spilled so much, talked so much, laughed so much and cried a little.  It’s amazing what growing up can do for a relationship.

Lovely Louise – Happy 39th!:

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My new pants – fabulously comfortable:

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In between bottles of wine we dashed into Zara where I fell in love with this jacket – I will be ordering it on my return.  It’s just the most perfect lightweight jacket – it fit like a glove.

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We also managed to buy half of the Marks and Spencer’s shoe department.  Lordy I might need a new suitcase again.

I first saw these on gorgeous Avril and I couldn’t resist the nude too.

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Then these are the first ever strap sandal I have ever owned!  Normally I can’t get my toes to stay put beneath the strap and I end up with all sorts of nasty welts and blisters – but these are just SO comfortable.  My first ever non-thong sandals.  I promise – far nicer on – no Jesus sandal about these!  My sister confirmed they were cute and not frumpy – I trust her, you should too.

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Here are Louise’s – very classy indeed and a great wearable height.  I’m so impressed with M&Ss shoe collection – thank goodness they do free shipping to the US now!

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My outfit today (it was warm and sunny!):

 

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Dress – T-shirt dress James Perse (old) // Jacket – Zara (old) // Shoes – Isabel Marant Bobby Sneakers // Scarf – J.Crew (old)

Off to bed now ready to head to Leeds!  That’ll be a fun story for you:)

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2013 family vacation is underway.

We made it!  I have to admit I was exhausted before I even got on the plane.  Hugh and Poppy were so excited that the first thing they asked at 7am was ‘are we going yet’.  Only another 12 hours of waiting, and answering that question then!  Finally we were on our way, bags packed with what I know to be way too many clothes – I even managed to sneak some extra shoes in their bags;)  For the first time we actually departed from the new Atlanta International terminal.  In the past we have checked in there and then had to get the airport train all the way back to the old terminals which just seemed like a complete waste of time.  This time we got to explore the sparkly new terminal, with a food court to rival those of the best airports in the World.  I could quite happily have spent an hour or so in Ecco drinking wine and eating flatbread.  Instead we had homemade ham and cheese butties which I think Poppy and Hugh appreciated far more.

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My travel attire: Trousers – James Perse cargo trousers (similar here) // T-shirt – Gap // Sneakers – Golden Goose (I ended up wearing my hi-tops though – a story for another time!)

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After an hour delay due to bad weather we were on our way, finally!

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We arrived yesterday to glorious weather in Bury.  So sunny in fact I managed to recover from my jet lag lying in the garden.  Just perfect!  I also got to try out my early birthday present from my Husband.  Looks like he picked up on my not-so-subtle hints.  My fabulous man presented me with a new Nikon D3200 before I left.  I am SO excited to have a great camera.  It’s the perfect entry level DSLR – even though it has all the bells and whistles, it has an ‘Auto’ setting for when I’m feeling lazy:)  I have, however, read the instructions and have tried out some of the various settings.

Nana and Grandad have converted their serene garden into Alton Towers.

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I found the perfect objects for some still lifes:

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Unsurprisingly the weather here is ‘changeable’.  I started the morning with a run in the sun.  I’m not sure Bury rush hour traffic was ready for bright pink hot pants though.  I suddenly felt rather self conscious.

My bare arms have since been covered with a grey cashmere cardigan, and I’m adding layers as the morning progresses.

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T-shirt – Gap // Scarf – Marks and Spencer’s (from my last visit – has a bike printed on it – I love it! // Jeans – Gap // Ballet pumps – navy Tory Burch Eddie flats

We’re looking after cousin Alice today.  I’ve a feeling Nana and I will be on the wine soon.

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