Tag Archives: Stockholm

What I’ve been wearing.

May is the busiest month on our calendar every year. What with anniversaries, birthdays, the end of the school year, school recitals, school field trips, visitors from abroad etc…it is non stop here. I’m just coming up for air after an amazing weekend of catching up, eating and drinking with Simon – our friend from University, who now lives in Stockholm.

We had a very late night on Thursday talking and drinking good wine, and then we were off out for dinner on Friday. The kids and I hung out in front of the Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday afternoon, streaming it live via SVT.se, the Swedish tv channel. This made it even more fun and Eurocentric listening to the Swedish translation:) I found it all as surreal as ever, but I loved the drama – and in the end the right diva won! For all you American readers who have no idea what I am talking about the Eurovision Song Contest is the annual competition that rocketed ABBA to fame in 1974. Here’s Conchita, this year’s winner from Austria, a drag queen with more diva in her than Celine Dion.

Before Simon arrived I had another hair cut and went even shorter – thanks to Chadd I am now sporting a magnificent undercut. I LOVE it.

Jeans – Zara TRF (old) // Shoes – Avarcas Pons // Top – Mango

On Friday morning we headed out shopping and I treated myself to a couple of NARS lip pencils – Yu and Cruella.

The color of both is so intense and bold and I feel really feminine wearing them with such short hair.

Dress – ASOS (currently on sale) // Sneakers – Adidas Samoas // Glasses – Oliver Peoples Wacks // Handbag – Marks and Spencer (on sale)

Then Friday night it was off to Abattoir again where Simon proposed to Karin a couple of years ago now!

Dress – Marks and Spencer (old – similar here) // Shoes – Nine West

Yesterday was Mother’s Day here in the US and my fabulous kids presented me with great handmade cards. This one from Poppy made me grin especially – there is no greater compliment she could have paid me than describing me as ‘odd’ and ‘risky’…

Today I’m off to watch her recital so decided to wear a dress again. I started off with the canvas Newburys.

However, with the jacket I decided the grey nubuck pair coordinated better – not much in it to be fair…

Dress – River Island // Boots – Rag and Bone Newbury boots // Jacket – Marks and Spencer

Finally – shhh it’s a secret – but we’re having a surprise disco for Poppy this weekend for her 8th birthday!! Here’s an idea I stole from Pinterest – all her friends will be VIPS!

Detox week.

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Okay maybe detox weekend. A week really was pushing it wasn’t it? Especially as I have the children at home with me till next Wednesday when school resumes.

So, I haven’t touched alcohol for 3 days now and I juiced on Saturday and Sunday. Today I worked out like a mad woman, and I have eaten buckets of heirloom tomatoes with sweet Georgia peaches, basil and olive oil and balsamic. Tomatoes and peaches? Weird you say? Delicious I say – try it with some crumbled feta on top too – DIVINE!

After the vacation weight gain thanks to copious carbs – bread and beer are to blame – I’m desperate to lose the extra pounds again. I arrived home to a fabulous pile of boxes from the Zara sale and their new collection, and some of them feel a little snugger than I’d like right now! Only to be expected no? I’m hoping I won’t have to wear anything with a little give in it on the 10th – because it will be MY BIRTHDAY! Yes I actually celebrate my birthday month – I LOVE birthdays and I’m really quite looking forward to turning 42 – especially as my Husband is VERY good at birthday nights out.

As you can see from the photo today my hair is HUGE and has grown so much over the holiday – I’m not complaining but please don’t judge – I’ll be getting it ‘styled’ this week! The t-shirt is from the Zara sale – I think I could have got away with a smaller size but it was the last size in the stock clearance section at just $15 so I’m not returning. It actually feels lovely and cool and floaty but looks a bit boxy on the photos – it hides the vacation muffin top well for now:)

T-Shirt – Zara combination top (no longer online) // Shorts – JCrew Factory bermudas // Sandals – Zara

Old friends, a birthday, a Eurovision song contest and wedding talk!

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It’s been one of those amazing weekends. I still feel on a high, though slightly weary after a weekend of excesses. Karin and Simon left this morning to head back to Stockholm but it was a memorable weekend.

Yes I did help choose the rings:) I think Karin found my advice invaluable…BUT I have promised not to share photos of it before the wedding in August. Needless to say it is a classic and stunning. The boys and girls then parted ways, as the ladies took on some hardcore shopping. Two pairs of Jimmy Choos, a Jimmy Choo clutch, a Coach handbag and a pair of ballet flats later Karin was all shopped out. And you’ll never guess what – I didn’t buy a thing!! I was having so much fun offering advice that I got my shopping endorphins vicariously through Karin.

I did however do some ‘browsing’ and I fell seriously head over heels (pun intended) for these Miu Miu jazz shoes!

Had I had 2 glasses of wine at lunch instead of one I’m quite sure this McQueen clutch would have come home with me.

Then I took some photos of a potential birthday present – I like to help my Husband out with a couple of pointers:)

As for Karin’s haul here’s one pair of the gorgeous wedding shoes – these are for the ceremony.

Naturally we had to get a pair for dancing in too:)

This is the bag that Karin walked away with from Coach. I adore the style – so slouchy and the interior design is perfect. I am lusting after it in yellow. Coach seem to have really upped their game recently and are moving away from the heavily branded C logo bags – thank goodness.

On Friday night after a tiring day of shopping we all headed out to our favorite restaurant where Simon proposed to Karin last year. MUCH fun was had. I was thrilled to wear my Ted Baker dress for the first time!

Dress – Ted Baker (no longer available online) // Shoes – Nine West // Clutch – YSL // Bracelets – Tiffany & Co // Ring – David Yurman

On Saturday it was Poppy’s birthday so after presents we went to her favorite BBQ joint for lunch. Later that afternoon she had the time of her life dancing to the Eurovision Song contest! We were SO excited that we managed to stream it live – quite giddy with excitement actually!

Yesterday we headed out for a little more shopping. You’ll be relieved to know this time I did actually leave the Mall with something. Two things in fact. I am enamored with Gap at the moment and I left with 2 pairs of jeans. The neon were in the sale in store but don’t appear to be online.

I LOVE these paint splattered skimmers. Both pairs are very stretchy and I managed to get into a 27″ in both so definitely size down.

On Sunday night we headed out for steak and fabulous red wine. Yummy – those 27″ might not fit today.

Shoes – Zara // Jacket – Zara (similar here) // Blouse – Zara (old) // Trousers – Zara // Clutch – YSL

Today it is a day for comfort and drinking lots of water. The sun is shining here again after a weekend of rain – not that we noticed it – we were having so much fun. Till next time our special friends.

Sandals – Zara // Skirt – Asos // T-shirt – Boden (similar here) // Neon scarf – Forever 21

Another wish list.

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I am a complete brand obsessive – meaning once I find a brand I love I can never have enough. I am currently obsessed with J.Crew, Boden, Zara, Rag & Bone, Hudson Jeans and of course AllSaints. I tend to go through stages with each where I am totally lusting over everything on their website. It’s an eclectic mix, it has to be said, but oddly enough it all seems to mesh together quite well in the closet, and can be mixed appropriately for various occasions.

I’m currently obsessing over EVERYTHING on the AllSaints website. Their new collection is perfection. I have managed to stay away for a while but my cart is now up to $1500. It is a wish list of sorts. I certainly won’t be ordering all of it, but right now I have no idea how to cull it. I WANT IT ALL.

First I HAVE to have this Kayo sweater dress – with a silk body it is just divine. I’d wear this with leggings or bare legs in the Spring with my Newbury boots.

Next the Sago sweater dress in black – I just love the drape and the open shoulder. Again perfect with skinnies or leggings and ankle boots.

For summer I would live in the Camille jersey dress and Venice tee dress. Both perfectly versatile for the hot Atlanta summer – I love the grey in both – perfect with sunkissed legs.

Finally I have a casual wedding to attend in Stockholm in August and I plan to be wearing this. I just adore it – it’s only available on the UK site right now – the Mono Riviera dress. This print is amazing.

There is more in my cart – the Kayo dress and the Oran top, for example. It seriously is one of the best collections of clothes I’ve seen from AllSaints. I’m smitten. I’ll let you know what I order after I’ve nipped to Bloomingdale’s to see my friends at the AllSaints concession there:)

Here’s today’s outfit. The Zara tartan crops which, be warned, are VERY slim fitting, worn with the AllSaints Char jumper (in honor of my current obsession), with the Zara court shoes.

Sweden, douze points.

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Some days you just know you got it right. Even if others don’t agree it doesn’t matter because you know you nailed it. Whether it’s the way a scarf picks out the colors, the new shoes you’re wearing, or even just the right piece of underwear – you feel damn hot when you walk out of the door and there ain’t no shame in that.

I’m having one of those days today. It’s an outfit I threw together last minute as I was initially envisioning brown leggings but then discovered they were in still to be washed. Thank goodness for that – what a dowdy outfit it could have become! Instead I was inspired by the blush trim on my H&M scarf and went for my favorite blush Express Zelda jeans. The sweater dress is the incredible bargain from H&M that I got at the weekend – just $25 and SO soft. I adore the tulip shape and the asymmetrical hem. Now the boots maybe what make the outfit – at least I feel like I’m in heaven wearing them – and it’s their first outing! The amazing Acne Pistols. Now I know what all the fuss is about. They are a ridiculous indulgence but they are freakin’ cool.

So now for the explanation of the title of this post for my non-European readers. In Europe we have a fascinating phenomenon known as the Eurovision song contest. Held every May, qualified European countries enter a ‘singing’ competition in order to be ridiculed by the rest of Europe. Don’t get me wrong, there have been some amazing success stories – ABBA being the most prolific (and they’re Swedish, continuing to prove the point I am trying to make). However the vast majority of us watch it to see which country has the most eccentric entry – and believe me there have been many as seen here. Anyway in the 2 hour long voting process that takes place afterward where each country awards points, based sometimes on political agendas, the highest awarded is 12. Point distribution is read in English and French – hence “Sweden, douze points!” from this little ole judge here:) Phew…was it worth it? Anyway douze points goes to the Swedes because they really are quite clever – not only do they have a fantastic standard of living, a great education system and fabulous childcare facilities –

1. Where would I be without H&M this Fall?

2. My IKEA Pax closet is the best invention ever and is taking shape in my closet as you can see in today’s photo – beyond thrilled I tell you.

3. Acne – well what more can I say about my beautiful boots?

4. Our great friends Simon and Karin live in Stockholm.

Flat pack hell aka IKEA

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I’m so happy it’s Friday. The end of the school year is taking its toll. It’s filled with birthday parties, ballet recitals, pool openings and teacher appreciation days. I am in constant flux of running errands and driving people around town. Dealing with two separate teacher appreciation weeks for the first time is driving me nuts. Don’t get me wrong I value our teachers and I am in awe of the work they do but this week alone I have had requests from Hugh’s daycare for cash, presents, cards and lunch for the teachers. I’m more than happy to help provide a fun lunch but sometimes I feel I’m being asked for donations every month – and it’s not like we don’t already pay them to take care of our son. Maybe I’m being too harsh but from Christmas bonuses to Valentine’s Day to teacher’s birthdays and teacher appreciation week I’m starting to feel a tad irritated. Plus I then get invited to Muffins for Mothers at 4pm on a Friday afternoon! What working Mom is going to want to do that before a commute home on a Friday? They used to have it in the morning for breakfast when we dropped the children off, which makes far more sense, and I’ve just made the daycare Director perfectly aware of that. OK vent over and done with.

MM had the morning off today and we’ve had the pleasure of each others company in IKEA for the past 2 hours. My daughter turns 6 on the 18th May and her request for some weeks now has been for a more ‘grown up’ bedroom. It’s not childish now but she wants a desk for homework, more storage, and more grown up art on the walls. I’m actually very impressed that she wants these for presents instead of more dolls – which do get played with, but I’m sure Ken is up to something as there seems to be an ever increasing population of them every time I enter her room.

I love IKEA‘s products – I wouldn’t want the entire house furnished in IKEA but we have fabulous bar stools, a couple of beds, storage solutions and some dining chairs from there and they all look great. They obviously aren’t built to last years but they do the job and look pretty cool. What I really don’t like is the IKEA store itself. Even when you enter with a list of the specific items needed I guarantee you will never get out in less than 2 hrs. I’ve even learned a few short cuts through the maze of furniture but still I can’t get out quickly. I write down every code so that I can go immediately to the correct warehouse shelf, but every time there’s an issue – I write it down incorrectly, we change our mind on the way down there and forget the new number, or we mix up items and end up having to search on the computer terminals. None of it IKEA’s fault I hasten to add – always user error. Then of course the flat packs are heavier than lead weights so negotiating them out of the store requires strength and skill, not to mention we had omitted to remove the car seats from my car, so we ended up straddling the back seat unclipping awkward child restraints so we could lower the back seats! Aaarggh! In 90 degree heat and humidity too – yuk! Well all we have to do now is to work as a cohesive team and calmly assemble said flat packs. Normally this involves me trying to instruct MM, getting exasperated with him for having no logical or spatial reasoning, then telling him to get out of the way and let me just do it on my own…all part of his cunning plan. I promise to post photos of this sequence of events over the coming evenings while we try to assemble the desk and shelves quietly once the children are in bed. Or as MM suggested S. and his girlfriend will be here by then and surely living in Stockholm makes one an expert on assembling IKEA??:)

Before the excitement of IKEA I headed to Jenny Craig for my first weigh in. I am thrilled to say I lost a whole 3.8lbs this week!!! I’m only trying to lose about 15lbs in total so I hope it keeps coming off this quickly. I haven’t felt hungry at all due to eating all the healthy fruit and veg that Jenny Craig encourages you to volumize with. I should be fast as lightning on my morning run tomorrow!

Poppy and I before the school run this morning:

I was asked the other day, by Diane, if I have any favorite tunics that I go back to time and again? Well I do try and rotate my clothes but the one that I love is from last summer and it’s the Terrazzo Tunic. It’s so comfortable – I know some really disliked it thinking the print was very 1970’s wallpaper but I am definitely one of its fans! I’m wearing it here with my Boden spot prize necklace from #BodenMondays twitter fun!

To all my readers in the UK enjoy your long weekend and Monday Bank Holiday!

Poppy's Style

My blog about fashion, family, friends and fun.

Tag Archives: Stockholm

What I’ve been wearing.

Dress – ASOS (currently on sale) // Sneakers – Adidas Samoas // Glasses – Oliver Peoples Wacks // Handbag – Marks and Spencer (on sale)

Dress – Marks and Spencer (old – similar here) // Shoes – Nine West

Dress – River Island // Boots – Rag and Bone Newbury boots // Jacket – Marks and Spencer

Detox week.

T-Shirt – Zara combination top (no longer online) // Shorts – JCrew Factory bermudas // Sandals – Zara

Old friends, a birthday, a Eurovision song contest and wedding talk!

Dress – Ted Baker (no longer available online) // Shoes – Nine West // Clutch – YSL // Bracelets – Tiffany & Co // Ring – David Yurman

Shoes – Zara // Jacket – Zara (similar here) // Blouse – Zara (old) // Trousers – Zara // Clutch – YSL

Sandals – Zara // Skirt – Asos // T-shirt – Boden (similar here) // Neon scarf – Forever 21

Another wish list.

Sweden, douze points.

Flat pack hell aka IKEA

Dress – ASOS (currently on sale) // Sneakers – Adidas Samoas // Glasses – Oliver Peoples Wacks // Handbag – Marks and Spencer (on sale)

Dress – Marks and Spencer (old – similar here) // Shoes – Nine West

Dress – River Island // Boots – Rag and Bone Newbury boots // Jacket – Marks and Spencer

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T-Shirt – Zara combination top (no longer online) // Shorts – JCrew Factory bermudas // Sandals – Zara

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Dress – Ted Baker (no longer available online) // Shoes – Nine West // Clutch – YSL // Bracelets – Tiffany & Co // Ring – David Yurman

Shoes – Zara // Jacket – Zara (similar here) // Blouse – Zara (old) // Trousers – Zara // Clutch – YSL

Sandals – Zara // Skirt – Asos // T-shirt – Boden (similar here) // Neon scarf – Forever 21

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