Tag Archives: Marks & Spencer

Back from DC!

Howdy all!!  We’re back!  I’ve had a fabulous short break in Washington D.C. doing lots of touristy stuff.  We must have been very good this year as Santa left us all tickets on Christmas morning, so after unwrapping the gifts to squeals of excitement, we left for the airport.

It truly was amazing to see the sights in real life that we are so used to seeing on t.v. in the news or in movies.  The weather was perfect too – glorious sun – but I was pretty happy I had my Marks & Spencer Per Una Christmas present to wear too – I’ve never had so many compliments about a coat before!

Here’s a quick photo round up of the highlights – for more you can check out my Instagram account.

One of the Elves got sidetracked on the way back to the North Pole…

Elf

 

Fortunately Santa still had time for a hug with Poppy before leaving the hotel.

 

Santa

 

We headed straight to the White House – along with everyone else!  I wore my super comfy and very festive Golden Goose for the occasion.  The cashmere beany was absolutely required in the cold and my Husband got to wear his gorgeous Elder Statesman hat that I bought him for our anniversary this year.

 

White House

The Capital is just amazing.

Capital

This view from Lincoln’s Memorial always makes me think of Forrest Gump.  The view and the Memorial are stunning and quite awe inspiring.

Washington Monument WM

The MLK memorial was a highlight for the children as they know so much about him.

MLK2

 

Although I had a break from outfit photos while away – here is my outfit from the 23rd, when I headed out with the girls from work for our Christmas celebration.

GNO

 

Boots – Stuart Weitzman Highland (my favorite purchase from AW 2013) // Dress – Zara (old)

As much as I love traveling it is always great to get home.  Today I am heading out for some retail therapy.  I haven’t really looked too much at the sales and the boots I am after probably won’t even be in the sale.  I still may treat myself given a) how much I have worn my Highlands and b) I have no need for a NYE outfit as we are staying home with Chinese and Carson Daly.  These boots will be the perfect transitional boot from winter to spring – the 5050 in tan nubuck.

nubuck

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and I am certainly ready to throw myself into 2014!  Who has fabulous plans for Tuesday evening?

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A haircut for date night.

It was time for a color refresh yesterday and even though I am growing my hair it had got to the stage where I needed more shape.  The bob was getting a bit heavy so I had lots of layers added to blend it and make it easier to keep growing – it’s almost over my collar at the back now!

hair

 

Thanks as always to the gorgeous Lauren at Plum Salon who got me out of there in time for my Brazilian appointment – Christmas takes some preparation!  In fact after reading MommyEnnui.com‘s latest post top of my wish list for Santa this year is painless, permanent, immediate removal of all my unwanted body hair!

My outfit for the day was rather festive – red and sparkles!

red jacket 2 red jacket1

 

Sneakers – Golden Goose (old similar here and here) // Jeans – Zara // Sweater – Uniqlo men’s cashmere crewneck // Jacket – Zara (old similar here and here on sale!) // Sunglasses – Ray Ban Aviators

Last night we went out for dinner – a bit of romance before the Christmas mayhem begins.  I broke all the rules and wore my new Stuart Weitzman Highland boots with a short, tight, printed dress.  I felt quite boho though with my H&M gilet.  The boots are incredibly comfy and easy to wear – they made me feel pretty fabulous.  I think they are true to size – I’m wearing a US 8.5.  I have a pretty wide foot too and, contrary to many reviews, I don’t find them narrow at all.

Highland boots 2 Highland boots

Boots – Stuart Weitzman Highland // Tights – Marks and Spencers Merino rich tights (LOVE these) // Dress – Zara (this is a medium and dangerously short) // Gilet – H&M (similar here) // Clutch – Boden Canonbury clutch (just $44 in the sale!)

It is miserable weather here today so I am going to curl up on the sofa with a box of Belgian chocolates and watch It’s a Wonderful Life again!  What is your favorite Xmas movie?

 

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My boot obsession.

You’ve all heard about it before – I love boots.  Can’t get enough boots as far as I am concerned, which is a shame given the climate I live in.  I can only really wear them for 4 months of the year – that was until I discovered my summer boots – the Newbury canvas boot.

Anyway we’re a long way from summer right now and it is wet, wet, wet here in Atlanta – all be it heading up to 70 degrees this afternoon – totally random weather.  Regardless ’tis definitely boot wearing weather, and though most people here drag out their ‘rain boots’ i.e. wellies when it rains I prefer to stick to ankle boots.  For me my wellies will only ever be worn when trampling across muddy fields, avoiding sheep shit, which rarely happens to me these days outside of Lancashire.

Thankfully at this time of year sales are bountiful – especially now retailers are gearing up to clear all their boot inventory ready for sandals hitting the stores in February!  One of my favorite brands is Sam Edelman.  I have a couple of pairs of his Petty boots which I love, plus a pair of Louie boots – I’m a sucker when it comes to a fringe.

Petty boots:

Petty

Louie boots:

Louie

p.s. for you Moms with gorgeous daughters out there Sam Edelman have a range of kids boots that I have never noticed before – I LOVE these for Poppy – also currently on sale!

kids louie

LOTS of his dressier boots are currently in the sale and here are my top picks pop pickers…

The Kenley boot – great buckle detail:

Kenley

The Mila boot – 50% off and very Isabel Marant – perfect with coated skinnies:

Mila

The Princeton boot – slightly lower but still a rocking boot with the laced back:

Princeton

I am OBSESSED with the fringe detail on the Mariel boot!  They are available in a gorgeous cream too.

Mariel

Here is another pair that my heart races for – the Martina boot – I adore the corset back of these – 33% off and still plenty of sizes available at Nordstrom.  I might order these just to try…

Martina

And here are my outfits this week – it’s been packed with work, tinsel buying and school projects – oh the glamor.  At least I got to wear an early Xmas present on Monday.

Per Una fur coat

Coat – Per Una Marks & Spencer // Jumper – Uniqlo men’s cashmere dark grey // Scarf – Uniqlo cashmere // Jeans – Zara Camo jeans (old similar here) // Boots – Black leather Rag & Bone Newbury boot // Glasses – Oliver Peoples Wacks

Tuesday was definitely a day where comfort came first:

Gap shirt

Shirt – The Gap // Scarf – Primark (old) // Jeans – Zara // Boots – Zara (old)

Now off to run more errands while it rains!

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Countdown to Thanksgiving

It’s really starting to feel festive here – not necessarily Christmassy – but the preparations for Thanksgiving are well underway.  Thanksgiving is probably my favorite Holiday.  It has all of the magic, food and family time associated with Christmas, but with none of the pressure of gift giving.  The children are off school all week so I’ll be off work too which is lovely.  We’re planning lots of lunches out, and trips to the park and movies.  On Thursday we have great friends coming over to eat and give thanks with us.  They are Bulgarian so have no family here either, and I’m really looking forward to drinking and eating way too much with some other ‘new Americans’.

In the meantime I’ve been far from thankful, a little resentful in fact that I didn’t get my hands on the H&M Isabel Marant fringe boots!!!  I’ve decided my life is not complete without them (see how I can go from deep to shallow SO quickly).  Tonight while nursing a cold in my onesie I am bidding on eBay in order to win myself a pair, at what I consider a reasonable price.  Wish me luck my friends!

Isabel Marant fringe boots

Today consisted of 2 outfits, okay 3 if you count my cashmere onesie that I am sitting here writing in (and the shame – I did go to the bus stop in it after promising it was only for indoors!).  I started the day in jade J.Crew café capris (bought in the sale back in January) but my ankles quickly turned blue.  I do love this coat though from Markses.

M&S checked coat

Coat – Marks and Spencer // Trousers – J.Crew Café capris (25% off with code WINTER) // Sweater – Boden Westbourne sweater // Shoes – VInce Nina

Here’s what I ended up in later with puffier eyes as I quickly deteriorated.

Zara floral top

Jeans – Black Gap skinnies // Tank (layered) – H&M // Top – Zara grunge top // Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker

Okay off to demolish a bucket load of clementines and chocolate orange – it’s all Vitamin C no?;)

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A cashmere onesie.

No I am not going to wear it outside the house, but inside the house I may never, ever wear anything else again.  This Marks and Spencer cashmere all-in-one is sold out online – I stalked and stalked till a medium came into stock and it is now mine!  Many of my UK friends are terrified that I am turning completely chavtastic – but I promise you over here a onesie, or all-in-one as I prefer to call it – does not have the same connotations.

And here it is in all it’s glory:)  The comfiest, snuggliest item of clothing I’ve ever owned – perfect for cold, dark winter evenings.

M&S cashmere all in one

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New pyjamas/pajamas.

One of the problems with blogging is it can be disastrous for your saving plans.  When you read a post by a blogging friend and see something you like you know you have to act quickly – you snooze you lose.  Being 5hrs behind of the UK can sometimes be a pro and other times a con – I can shop while the UK sleeps and while new stock is loaded on websites, but conversely something can be sold out by the time I wake up.  So yes I hold my hands up – I am guilty – I ordered Rosie’s cashmere trousers as soon as I read about them in Kat’s blog last night.  It’s great that my UK friends can keep me abreast of new lines in M&S, River Island and TopShop for example – but imagine how much I’d save if they didn’t!?  Oh well they’re winging their way to me as we speak.

Rosie cashmere trousers

Unfortunately being on the M&S site spells disaster for me.  ‘While I’m there’ I tend to nip to various other categories – just to see if there is anything new – you know – just in case…Darn it of course I migrate to one of the most expensive items on the site.  Don’t laugh but I bloody need these – perfect for curling up in front of the telly on a dark winter evening.  I’m flabbergasted at how quickly they are selling out – at £199 a pop too!  I am cruising the site every hour or so just in case the grey medium comes back – obsessed much – yes indeed.

M&S

Now there must be something in the air as I am also cruising the Zara site every couple of hours to see if this beauty has arrived.  Assured by Kat that it is not a onesie – it has a belt – I am convinced it can be glamorously styled for winter nights out.  Stand by – I know there are doubters out there – so let’s see what transpires…

Zara

Now my obsession with comfy knitwear led me to start thinking about sleepwear.  The Rosie trousers are really more loungewear than sleepwear, and in my mind it seems a bit ridiculous to lounge in cashmere only to change into a 5 year old nightie from M&S, slightly greyed from washing, shrunken and totally unflattering and definitely un-err-are-you-up-for-it-tonight-honey as I usually wear them with big knicks – TMI I know…but I try to keep decent around the house for my son’s sanity.

So this afternoon the hunt for sleepwear began.  Nordstrom as ever came up trumps.

These Steve Madden pjs are super fun and I love the pink trim.

SteveMadden nordstrom

I love a good night dress (is there a way of saying that without sounding 90?) and this is my favorite – again I love the pink and grey.

PJ Salvage

And here’s what I ended up ordering:

Almost a onesie, but not quite – this is from Splendid – I think it perfectly straddles (poor choice of word I realize) comfy yet sexy-ish (though I’m already slightly concerned about logistics with an all in one…).

Splendid Nordstrom

And these pjs from Eberjey look lovely – I hope they are.  What’s my fascination with grey marl though?

eberjay top

Eberjay trousers

So there we are – new loungewear and new sleepwear.  I can now throw out those greying cotton nightdresses and my velour sweats…my Husband will be thrilled – we’ll see how he adapts to the onesie (sorry Mum!).

Talking of M&S again I wore their new checked biker coat yesterday.  Their shipping service to the US is great and it’s free – this arrived really quickly – about 5 business days I think.  It’s gorgeous – very English looking according to my friends and really soft and warm.

I’m totally in love with my pink Boden boots – perfect for cheering up a grey day.  I am normally a US 8 and these are a Eur 39 – if anything they fit slightly on the small size so size up if in doubt. Don’t forget their 22% discount finishes Thursday night.

Pink Boden Boots M&S coat

Boots – Boden // Coat – Marks and Spencer // Jeans – Hudson Collin // Tank – H&M // Sweater – Boden Westbourne jumper // Scarf – Marks and Spencer (old)

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Wedge booties.

I’ve been in love with Isabel Marant boots for some time.  The iconic Dicker boot has become a staple and I love it’s casual coolness.  I also love her dressier boots and I have my eye on the fringe bootie from her collection with H&M that will launch in November.  I just hope I can get online before the inevitable hm.com meltdown on the 14th.

Another boot I have fallen for is the Scarlet wedge boot but at $1500 they will never be justified.  However, my new high street love, Mango, has come to my rescue with their ‘tribute’ to the Scarlet.  At $189 they are too good to say no to I think.

wedge boots

 

We’ve had a fun packed weekend as the kids have been home for Fall break and Simon visited us from Stockholm.  My Fall break started on Thursday night with a great night out with some other Moms from school.  Lots of laughter and chat.

AllSaints

 

Jeans – Diesel Fayza Jogg Jeans // Boots – Grey nubuck Rag & Bone Newbury boots // Sweatshirt – AllSaints

Simon arrived on Saturday night and I grilled steaks…wearing a ‘statement necklace’ – see I’m trying my accessories!

Saturday night

 

Jeans – Diesel Fayza Jogg Jeans // Shoes – Vince Camuto (old) // Top – Zara (eons old) // Necklace – Macy’s (old)

Last night we headed out to a steak house – yes I got my protein in this weekend!  Plenty of great Italian red and a fabulous filet brought the weekend to a great end.

I cannot say how much I love this Zara dress – the fabric is just brilliant – slinky, stretchy, supportive, easy care – and I love the color.  Just a great, great dress and I plan to wear it with leggings in the winter.

Zara dress and peep toes

 

Dress – Zara // Jacket – Zara tuxedo jacket (old) // Shoes – Marks and Spencer (old) // Clutch – YSL Belle de Jour

So now it’s time to enjoy the amazing weather we have and head to the park for Columbus Day before our routine returns tomorrow!

 

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Two of the things I miss most about the UK.

Marks and Spencer and coats.  Yes it’s true, and my Husband will never understand why I miss either of them.

For those of you unfamiliar with the great British institution – it’s quite hard to explain the affection I hold for Marks and Spencer.  They have been around forever.  Starting as a market stall in Leeds in 1884, M&S became the familiar cornerstone of every UK high street – even venturing into Paris at one point (I was once asked to do an M&S sandwich run for lunch on a business trip there – as you can tell I was very important).  Growing up almost 90% of my wardrobe was probably M&S.  As a student I loved their men’s department for their oversize cardigans and even pyjamas.  When I started work all my suits were M&S, and it was always my first port of call for a new outfit when I lived there.  Every Christmas you could guarantee there would be gifts from M&S under the tree – they always had something for everyone.  Back then they were always known for quality – whether it be their clothes or their food hall.  So I consider myself lucky that I have missed their recent demise. My affection has not been tarnished.  M&S is still the store I head for first when I am back home, though recently it has been more for their wine, pork pies and meal deals, than for clothes.

M&S now ship free to the US, so I occasionally take a look at their new items, but I haven’t taken the plunge till now.  Having read all the stories on their personnel changes and the lackluster performance I was amazed to see the press touting their pink duster coat as ‘the coat of the season’. It has already sold out online (though new stock is expected soon).  I have to say it’s not really my style but I do see the appeal for others.

Apologies for the small photos – I was having real problems with their website!

Pink duster coat

Anyway it got me looking at the other coats in their Fall collection.  I do love a good coat or jacket and at this time of year I start to pine for the colder weather so I can snuggle in wool and cashmere – again my Husband will never understand.  Here are my picks – and the prices are so good I may have placed a sneaky order.  All to be revealed!

Yes, yes – I know it’s Twiggy – but I love the simplicity of this black biker jacket.

Twiggy Biker jacket

I had to do a double take at the price of this mac.  £45 – a real deal for a gorgeous looking mac.  My favorite color – the charcoal – is sold out in smaller sizes – but I also love this pebble color.  The black trim is striking.

Pebble Mac

Another biker jacket – the tweed contrast with the black is gorgeous.  I really want this jacket.

Tweed Biker jacket

This time a longer biker coat – they have quite a few this style with the asymmetrical zip.  It reminds me of the Zara coat last year – though I would like to bet this M&S one is far better quality.  It is also available in petite and plus sizes too.

Boucle Biker jacket

Finally my two absolute favorites – not sure I can justify both.  I adore this Autograph checked biker coat – so on trend and great neutral colors.

Checked Biker coat

This military coat is a great price – especially considering the cashmere content too.  I’m having a tough time choosing between the khaki and the grey.  Again it comes in plus sizes too.

Military coat with cashmere

So there we are – for me a Marks and Spencer coat is like bacon and HP sauce, or chips and mushy peas – the perfect combination:)  Have any of you found yourself tempted back in through the doors of M&S recently?

Finally today’s outfit – I would never have bought these harem style shorts had I not seen them on Eve at AllWornOutBlog.com – on the Zara site they looked pants (no pun intended).  The top is Primark bought over the summer, and the shoes are Marks & Spencer (see!) Autograph peep toes, again from the summer.

IMG_7495

 

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Changing diets.

By diet I don’t mean diet as in losing weight, I mean changing the nutritional content and fabric of my daily food intake.  I have to say I’m always very skeptical about diets that remove items or restrict foods – like the Atkins diet etc. – but I’ve recently been reading a lot about food intolerance.  As a scientist I have to say some of the data and reasoning is quite compelling.  So I thought I’d give it a try.  After speaking to my doctor about it she recommended trying the Virgin diet where you remove gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts, soy, corn and sugar from your diet, then add each one back into the mix to see which, if any you react too.  Our food can impact all sorts of things – obviously our physical health, but also our mood and energy levels.  Even though it sounds a bit fadish I thought I’d give it a go – nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I’m quite lazy, though not terribly unhealthy, when it comes to food – a quick bowl of pasta for example.  I lack inspiration.  One of the unexpected positive effects of trying this diet is that I have to plan my meals in advance, meaning I am much more prepared at meal time, ultimately resulting in far more enjoyment from cooking and eating.

I’ve only been following the plan for 3 days and yesterday I was EXHAUSTED.  I could barely keep my eyes open and I started to question the alleged benefits.  Today, however, I feel AMAZING.  I have so much energy and feel so alert – and that was at 7am this morning.  I’m starting to believe there may be something to this food intolerance stuff.

For you nay sayers who claim it is boring – ok it’s only been 3 days – but I am really enjoying eating fabulous fresh fruits and veg and great lean meat, and I’m tasting all the flavor.  I’m using Gwyneth Paltrow’s “It’s All Good (recommended by a friend – thanks S!) for inspiration.  I can’t say enough great things about this book – I always think of Gwyneth as being a bit up herself and self-righteous – but in the book she comes across as a lovely, down to earth mom – dare I say just like us?  All thanks to great editing and PR I’m sure – but still I am really enjoying this book.

I’d love to hear if any of you have tried eliminating certain foods from your diet.  How did you feel?  Did you stick with it?  Do you think it’s a fad?

Another benefit is that I already feel less bloated – my clothes are a little looser already.  Apparently it can also make your skin look years younger…we’ll see.

Palazzo and camo

Trousers – Zara palazzo trousers (old) // Top – Zara long sleeved tee (old) // Shoes – Tory Burch Emmy sandals (old)

Bowie tee

 

T-shirt – Asos (similar here) // Shorts – DvF TheOutnet.com (old) // Shoes – Marks & Spencer (old)

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De-cluttering

So we are all back at school now and I am left wandering around the house wondering if I will ever get it straight and tidy again.  I’m definitely not Type A when it comes to house work – something has got to give, and with parenting, working and blogging it’s the house that falls down the priority list.  It never gets that bad – I manage to stay on top of it and I would never consider a cleaner – there are other things I’d rather spend my money on:)  It’s the clutter that drives me mad though.  Barbies, legos and cars in particular…grrr…

As I was criticizing my kids for their clutter I began to realize we have plenty of our own!  We’ve just converted a room in the basement into an extra ‘play room’ for Poppy and Hugh.  It was a room that went unused previously – in other words it became storage for all our books, cds and dvds.  As I was down there today, picking up the trail of popcorn, left by the popcorn fairies apparently,  I had an epiphany!  Sell all the dvds and cds and make some extra pennies!  Why on earth we still have these archaic stacks and racks of cds and dvds I’ve no idea.  In many instances I’ve done what I did upon the extinction of vinyl – I have imported or re-bought music on iTunes.  As for movies I never buy dvds these days – I download and stream them all so I can watch them on my iPad when traveling. Anyway that’s how I am going to spend my weekend de-cluttering, and dusting off and selling all my shiny little discs on musicMagpie.  Just don’t tell the children – they’ll only want to spend my earnings on Barbies, legos and cars!

Today I’m back in the office for the first time in 6/7 weeks – it seems a little odd, but I quite like it.  It’s nice to be able to talk to grown ups, and feel like I’m getting dressed for something other than running errands.  It was raining this morning, in fact throwing it down, hence the slightly fuzzy closet photos today:)

Owl tee

Bermuda shorts – Zara (old) // T-shirt – Zara (old) // Shoes – Marks and Spencer (out of stock but may be in store)

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