Tag Archives: The Gap

You can’t beat jeans and a jacket.

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I don’t know why I don’t just stick to this simple formula:

jeans + jacket = comfort + confidence

Regardless of the type of jeans – and I have all styles from bell bottoms to skinnies, nothing beats the simplicity of just adding a t-shirt and jacket to provide a relaxed yet pulled together look.  I should remember this every day when I get dressed.  I have a passion for loud, colorful trousers, as you all know, but jeans are my true love and I should never forget that.

Wearing these 501s is so nostalgic for me – they elicit all kinds of emotions when I put them on.  Even though these are newish they take me back to the late 80’s when I would borrow a friend’s pair that were perfectly worn and ripped (I think they were Sara’s that she had ‘borrowed’ off her boyfriend?).  Tightened around the waist with a big leather belt, that needed extra holes back then, I would wear them nearly every weekend in the summer of ’88.  I thought I looked the dogs b*ll*cks in them.  I even remember the green bat wing t-shirt I used to like to wear with them, and I still wear YSL Paris perfume that was my favorite back then.  I can see us all now – Bury Grammar Sixth Form – in our weekend common room at The Hare & Hounds.

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Jeans – Levi 501s // Shoes – Tory Burch Eddie flats in musk // T-shirt – Gap (now on sale) // Jacket – River Island

What clothes are nostalgic for you?

 

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Funny feet.

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Yep, not the Funny Face of Audrey Hepburn, we’re definitely talking funny feet.  Next time I get my pedicure done I will share them with you:)  My curly toes, as I’ve mentioned before, mean that my choice of footwear is somewhat limited.  If the shoe is too low at the front, or if the sandal is too strappy, my little toe on my right foot is prone to escaping.  Even the white Aldo shoes I loved have to be returned as they are cut too low at the front to retain the toe.  I may, however, have found the perfect Spring/Summer shoe.  It’s a sad fact that my feet look their best when the toes are hidden completely, but these beauties make my feet look slim and elegant – with not a hint of the toe turmoil hidden inside!

The Vince Nina:

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They are so comfortable I am sorely tempted by the nude too.

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I think that is why I tend to buy multiple colors of the same style – once I find one that fits, I am so ecstatic, I panic buy because the thought of hunting for another ‘glass slipper’ seems too daunting.  I only wish they came in white too.  I must credit Tiffany Wendel again – she was the first person I saw them on.  I swear I am not turning into Single White Female.

As the Nina doesn’t come in white I am tempted to try these that appeared on the Zara site the other day.  Pointed, but sling back – the only thing I am hesitant about is the block heel.

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What do you think?  They will definitely keep the toes at bay – but are they too sixties?

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Trousers – J.Crew Factory Skimmer pant wool (old) // Shoes – Vince Nina // Scarf – Zara Oriental print (old) // Denim jacket – Gap (old) // T-shirt – Express (old)

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Something old, something new.

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Phew I made it to Friday – my last day home alone with the children.  Seriously, I admire all stay at home mums/moms/dads – their job is so much more difficult than going to the office.  As a treat for our last day together I took us all out for a late lunch at a local taco restaurant.  It was fun and the skinny margarita was a nice treat for me.

Organizing my new closet has reminded me of some lovely pieces I have that have been stored downstairs since the renovations started.  I found this lovely J.Crew jumper yesterday from 2010 – it has a lovely slit neck and is 100% cashmere.  I have to admit it looks far better without a t-shirt underneath but it was freezing yesterday and I felt the need for an extra layer.  It’ll look even better after I lose the last few pounds around my middle.  I’ve been in the gym every day this week and and can feel it starting to have an impact – I’ve even signed up for a free weight orientation next week – I’m going to start pumping iron!

Anyway – the J.Crew jumper is the something old – the something new are the Newbury charcoal suede boots.  No I have not broken my New Year’s resolution already – they have in fact been in my closet for over a month unworn.  After buying my leather Newburys and loving them to bits – I actually vacillated between the Isabel Marant Dickers and these suede Newburys.  I ordered them both and darn it ended up keeping both.  There is something really special about the Rag & Bone Newbury – which accounts for it’s immense popularity.  They are incredibly comfortable and worn with these black Gap jeans they made my legs feel like they go on forever.  Even though they are ‘charcoal’ they are much more of a ‘black’ suede and I love the contrast of the wooden heel.

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Before heading out I put on my Boden Chic leather biker jacket and my H&M sparkly scarf.  Lovely and toasty.

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Mr. UPS turned up in the afternoon with my fabulous sales haul (again bought before the end of the year!).  It was like Christmas all over again!

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My Vince Camuto fawna flats are just gorgeous!  If you are in the US I encourage you to order on the Vince Camuto website – I discovered an Extra25 code off sale items!  I had initially ordered them from Nordstrom – but one pair was canceled before shipping due to lack of inventory and then the pair that arrived were really disheveled looking – not happy but they are responsive on Twitter so the CS is making up for it.  These are the ones that arrived directly from Vince Camuto – with the code they were just $33 each!  Obviously I ordered the croissant color (pink/silver) too and they are on their way.

Caramel fawna:

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Cloud fawna:

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I’ll post on my other bits and bobs soon but needless to say the J.Crew velvet jeans are gorgeous as are the Hudson Leeloo tuxedo jeans that I found reduced on Zappos.com!

Happy weekend!! x

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Harem trousers – I love ’em.

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Now we’ve discussed before how harem trousers are a love ’em or loathe ’em item but I really do love ’em.  I’ve decided it all hails back to when I met MM in 1991.  He was/is a non-conformist and when I met him he had long curly hair and more jewelry than me.  He always wore loud shirts with harem trousers and his red Converse hi-tops, which incidentally, he has on his feet today – not the same pair mind you.  MM was fortunate that all his harem trousers were hand made in Turkey.  As a PhD student in Byzantine history he was lucky enough to have regular trips to Turkey where he could indulge in Efes pilsener, Roman ruins and fine tailoring.  I must dig out the photo of the first University Ball he took me to – he wore black harem trousers, a tailcoat, black shirt with white polka dots, a white bow tie and the omnipresent red converse – he’s such a wall flower…

Anyhow I am now the flag bearer in the family when it comes to harem trousers.  Today I have on the Zara grey trousers (they’re labeled as khaki on the site but they are definitely grey) which are super soft and comfortable.  I try to wear them with a more fitted top so I don’t look too overwhelmed.  Today I have my Boden blackberry Must Have jumper layered over a black Zara t-shirt.  The scarf is H&M and the boots are the Isabel Marant Dickers.  So thoughts please would you, do you do harem trousers?

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Here’s my outfit from yesterday – black Gap skinny jeans, a black Gap t-shirt and the AllSaints Plume cardigan from the sale back in June, all finished off with the mocha Acne Pistols.  We happened to be doing some work on the IKEA Pax last night, and without the cardi and boots MM said I bore a keen resemblance to the IKEA ninja in the instructions…he can mock when he can beat my time for drawer assembly…

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I also got to try on my new Boden Fairisle jumper.  I’m so glad I sized up in this – this is a US 10 but fits far better than the 8 – I can’t abide tight knitwear and this now falls really well.  Not my usual style but I really like it for winter and it complements my Pistols perfectly!  There aren’t many left in stock after all the promotions recently, but worth stalking.

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Recovering.

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A quick post today as I am recovering from a fabulously fun and frenetic weekend!  Saturday was spent cheering on the swim team where Poppy won both her races – I’m so proud of my little fish!  We celebrated on Saturday night with a fabulous Chinese takeaway and a bottle of Prosecco – my idea of a perfect night these days:)

On Sunday we hosted a little gathering to welcome in the festive period.  We’ve been trying to get some friends together for a while now and the timing worked perfectly as it meant we could turn it into a fun Christmas party too.  I like to keep my parties simple otherwise I just get overwhelmed with the prep and the fun gets taken over by anxiety.  So yesterday I laid out a spread of cheese, meats and bread and ensured there was plenty of wine for all.  I obviously got a little distracted with the wine as once everyone had left I realized I’d left the shrimp platter and salami in the fridge!  I’m a little fuzzy today but have managed to drag my backside into the office…the lack of organization and fuzziness this morning means my photo today is taken in the office bathrooms again:)

I definitely went for comfort today – these are my Gap Always Skinny, black jeans. They’re a US 4 but have so much stretch in them it’s really like wearing leggings – I could sleep in these they are so comfortable.  The jumper is another H&M purchase – super cheap and super soft – I love the pink cuffs.  The boots are the AllSaints Bonny Cuban.

Must. Go. To. The. Gym. Today.  Need to re-balance the H2O : Wine ratio.

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Embracing routine.

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I always know that I’ve had a great break when I wake up wide eyed, bushy tailed and ready to get back into a daily routine.  I’m not denying that it was tough getting out of bed at 5.45am this morning but after a strong cup of java I was ready to rock and roll.  Now can someone just explain to me why children sleep in when they need to get up and yet get up with the birds when they can stay in bed?  My two had to be well and truly peeled off their beds this morning but I’m always thankful when there is no grouchiness – adults and children were all smiles this morning…it won’t last.

I’ve already had a very exciting morning – I’ve just bought tickets for myself – yes just me, myself and I – to head back to the UK in February.  The first quarter of the year is always a great time to plan a trip as it is normally quite an uneventful time of year after all the frivolity of the Christmas period.  I’ll be spending my time with family and friends and traveling between the North West and London – I cannot wait!  There is something so freeing traveling alone.  I love my family vacations, but traveling under my own steam, and doing what I want and when I want is very indulgent.  Oh and there might be some shopping to do too!  Yay!:)  It’s going to take me till then to decide what to pack too as I’ll be meeting up with a bunch of very stylish ladies – more on that at a later date I promise!

On Saturday night MM and I had a lovely date night – well it started out lovely.  We went to see Skyfall which I have to say was amazing – Mr. Craig with a bit of stubble was quite luuurvely and Javier Bardem was the best baddy ever!  We then had plans for dinner – unfortunately a flat tire made it a tad more stressful than anticipated so my appetite had dwindled by the time we sat down to eat.  The pinot noir and sticky toffee pudding made everything better though.  Oh and the new Isabel Marant Dickers put a spring in my step too.  I wore them with some Gap camouflage jeans bought a few years ago – but I love them as the camo print is really dark and very subtle.  The sparkly jumper is the Skye jumper from Boden – perfect for a bit of snuggly bling and a night at the movies, and I layered it over an H&M t-shirt dress for warmth.  The scarf is also an oldish H&M purchase.  Boden, by the way, have 30% off till tonight!

Today ’tis freezing again so I opted for my coated skinny jeans, black knitted tunic dress and scarf all from H&M (and none of which I can find on the rubbish US site), with my Rag & Bone Newbury boots – yes my feet are very happy with me right now – though my pocket book not so much.  Better do some work and earn some money before that trip to the UK:)

I’ve had some great emails for Cyber Monday but as I clearly don’t need any new clothes or boots I have not indulged.  Have you treated yourself yet?

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Off to join the circus.

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We had the most amazing day yesterday.  To start the Thanksgiving Holiday I got tickets for us to see Totem by Cirque du Soleil.  Each year they put up a Big Top down in Atlantic Station, and I’ve always wanted to go, but in previous years I’ve been aware that the children were just too young to sit though it.  This year though at 4 and 6 – I thought it was worth taking a chance.

I got the cheap seats – which as it turned out were not bad seats at all.  As it is in a Big Top it is really intimate and wherever you sit you have a great view as everything takes place in the ring below and in the air above.  It was a thrilling show.  Years ago my Mum and Dad used to take me to Blackpool Circus, and it took me back to the good old days of acrobats and clowns, like Charlie Cairoli.  In fact I was reminded of the year we went for my birthday and I was invited down to the ring to meet Charlie – fantastic until panic set in when I had to find my seat again – I had no idea where my Mum and Dad were sat when I looked up at what seemed like a million spectators!  A couple of years ago I took Poppy and Hugh to see Ringling Bros. circus – I have to say I HATED it.  The use of animals and the look of sheer misery on their faces turned me completely off it.  I swore I’d never go to another circus with animals again.

I left Totem wondering why we had left it so long, the four of us watched the whole show spell bound.  At some points in the show I was so in awe of their performances I was moved to tears – yeah I’ve said before I cry easily.  The whole performance including the music was incredible.  When they gave their encore at the end, all dancing together and grinning ear to ear, it took all my will power to stop me jumping up and running down there to join them.  Surely there’s a job for me with them doing something?

It turned out to be a stunning day here too – and MM giggled asking me whether I was off to the circus or the opera when he saw me wearing my new faux fur from Target🙂  I love it and wore it over my Boden slouchy merino jumper and Gap black jeggings (of which they now have some gorgeous colored jegging cords).  The boots are my favorite Fryes – the Jane Tall Cuff – which I never wear cuffed and the scarf is from Zara.

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Just so I can learn the words.

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I have to confess.  I have just bought Taylor Swift’s new album Red.  I can justify it though – I’ve bought tickets to take Poppy (yes for my daughter – not for me) to see her in April – and you can’t go and see a show without learning all the words can you?  And yes, I do love her new anthem/song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”.  You will see me quite happily, belting my lungs out to it in the carpool line.  Needless to say I’m very excited and I’m desperately trying to keep it a secret so I can surprise Poppy come April.

Tis freezing here in Atlanta today so it’s time for layers.  I started with the H&M t-shirt dress and layered the AllSaints Godiva jumper on top.  The black jeans are Gap from a while ago, and I’m wearing my Acne Pistols.  I am completely in love with these boots.

Before heading out I put on my Boden leopard print scarf from last year and Boden shrunken leather blazer from a couple of years ago.  I love this jacket even though most people complained about it being too short.

Off to get my headphones out to listen along to Taylor – must remember not to sing along in the office…:)

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It’s getting too warm…

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I think the frequency of my outfit posts is decreasing and I think the reason is twofold – 1. I’m working out more and spending more time in workout gear, 2. it’s hot and I’m feeling less like standing in front of a mirror each morning.  Number 1. scares me a bit as I don’t want to get lazy and wear workout gear all the time but as the workout gear gets cuter and the temperatures rise it’s very appealing to wear something without buttons or zippers.

Anyway I did take this photo yesterday as I was preparing for a morning at work.  It’s the gorgeous Boden crinkle shirt in mercury from last season, with my Gap boyfriend jeans.  I love Boden’s crinkle shirts and this season’s are really cute too and almost sold out already!  I like to wear them over a tank with jeans or shorts.  They are so soft, don’t need ironing and have some stretch – so they are about the only item with a collar I wear these days.

No photo for today as I am being influenced by the relaxed office environment plus I’m playing tennis at lunchtime, so yes I have my shorts and tank on ready for some swiping at thin air:)

Taking care of the girls.

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It’s been the perfect day here in Atlanta for being out and about, which I have been most of the day.  It must have reached 75 degrees Fahrenheit today and I loved every minute of it.  I worked from home this morning which was very indulgent – I am convinced I get far more done in the comfort of my own home, even if I am juggling laundry too. Then it was time for a trip to the Doctors.

Without wanting to divulge TMI it was quite a milestone appointment – my first mammogram.  Well it wasn’t quite my first as I had a baseline taken 3 years ago, but this was my first of the many more to come now I have turned 40.  Of course it was all done with minimum fuss.  I did explain to the nurse, probably unnecessarily, that us Brits are used to getting our tits out as often as the French, though more usually in a bar than on a beach.  She nodded sagely and continued to contort me into the required position.  All in all a very quick procedure, and here’s my PSA – get yours done if you haven’t had one for a while!

My daughter was thrilled after school when our friends across the street invited her over for a play date.  She has been on a couple before but I my heart still sinks a little when I see her skipping off without me.  Oh I’m thrilled she is happy and outgoing, but again my little girl ain’t so little anymore and this week seems to be intent on reminding me of that.  I went over to collect her after an hour or so wondering how she’d be getting on – she didn’t even notice my presence – in fact when she did her face dropped – ‘I don’t want to go yet!’.  So she ended up staying for dinner and even then was reluctant to return.  I am so excited that she has a friend close by.  Her friend also has three younger brothers – so my son will be happy too once he’s off on his play dates:)  I feel like I’m preparing for empty nesting already!

The mammogram and weather required some strategic dressing so I opted for comfy and slouchy with my boyfriend Gap jeans, Boden essential tee (SS 2011), Boden Must Have Jumper and Tory Burch hibiscus pink Revas.  I love the Must Have Jumper, the button detail is perfect and the trim is a very on trend sulphur color.  The fit is perfect – I’m between a US 6 and 8 with Boden and often go for an 8 in jumpers.  It is lovely and soft and hangs perfectly in contrast to the skinny arms.  I also have the radish and quail egg colors sitting in my closet ready for their spring debut.

Boden Must Have Jumper