Tag Archives: Tory Burch

Damn the Zara sale!

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It’s hot as Hades here in Atlanta and humid to boot – but after MM reminding me that I have a half to train for and them a full marathon in January I headed out for a run this morning.  Miserable? – Yep.  Imagine running in a steam room or a sauna.  I started thinking I’d do 8miles, then changed my mind to 6miles after heading out of the door, then after 2miles decided 4 would be just manageable.  Ah well as Nike say ‘you either ran today or you didn’t’ and I did.

It helped a little that I had some super cute Lululemon attire to wear.  Not sure what is going on with Lululemon at the moment – their Facebook page has been covered in complaints about colors bleeding and changing after wear – not good – especially at their price points.  Their response is a little fishy stating that it depends on the wearer’s pH – hmmm – Nike don’t seem to have this issue so seems fairly odd to blame imperfections on your paying customer.  We’ll see how it evolves.  I have one incidence of color bleed on my blurred blossom pace setter skirt where the flash pink waist band bled into the skirt at the back during a wash – not happy as I always wash sports gear on cold.  Having said that I adore the pace setter skirts and have yet to find anything more comfortable or flattering to run in.

Pre-run this morning – Lululemon pace setter skirt in seaside dot, run swiftly tank in black, Newtons and bed hair:

After sweating my t*ts off I had an hour to fill before picking Poppy up from tennis camp.  Foolishly I decided to head to Zara to ‘browse’ their sale racks.  I had palpitations the moment I walked in.  The racks were packed with huge mark downs on items that I hadn’t seen before as I only started shopping in Zara around May time.  Within 10mins my arms were laden with tops, pants and jackets to try…it was like the Krypton Factor, or It’s a Knockout for more hilarity – I kept looking at the time worried about leaving my daughter stranded with her tennis racket.  In the end I decided that jackets were not needed as I have bought quite a few, especially my favorite Zara jersey jackets.  Prioritizing I decided to try the tops – I wear jeans so often that having a great selection of tops to wear for casual and ‘going out’ is beneficial (nearly wrote essential – but they’re not really!).  Plus the tops were dirt cheap – the most I paid for one was $25 – the others were $15 or $10 – brilliant!

The first is this lovely black long sleeved tee with skinny arms and a zip up the back – the zip is a bit too yellowy gold right now but it should fade with wear.  It will look great with jeans or my leopard print crops.

Then I got this lovely off white top – it’s knitted at the front and has a longer silky back – great for a night out with the girls!

This pink long sleeved tee is gorgeous and so soft – I can imagine wearing it under a jacket for work or with shorts around the house.

Here’s my favorite purchase – I think it is some sort of animal print at the front – and it is silky with a matte/stretchy material at the back – again a little longer at the back.  It’ll look great with black jeans or under a black jacket.

Now I’m off to take Hugh for a haircut – this could be the day all his locks go – he has been asking for it short for a while and I’ve resisted as he has such gorgeous long hair but I’m getting so irritated with people mistaking him for a girl…you’d think no guys in the US ever had long hair – it only happens over here and I am completely befuddled by it as to me he is obviously ALL boy!

Today I wore my new H&M purchase – the bird print dress I got back in England for a bargain of 12.99 GBP – it’s lovely and stretchy and has a cute flirty skirt to it.  I’m wearing my pink Tory Burch Revas with it for a splash of color.

Happy weekend y’all!

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Boden sale haul!

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Oh goodness words cannot describe how happy I am with my sale haul.  Let’s take this step by step…

– Chic leather biker jacket

This jacket is just lovely as I had hoped – I’ve had my eye on it all season.  The leather is so soft and the grey is a perfect neutral that goes with anything and everything from jeans to dresses to shorts – love it and worth every penny in the sale.  I ordered my usual US 6 and it fits great across the back and shoulders and in the arms – a little snug around my ample midriff but I’m unlikely to ever wear it fastened.

– Skinny jeans

I ordered these as a ‘oh let’s just try them’ as I have never ordered Boden jeans before, and tend to stick with my faithful Gap and Hudson brands, but I loved the cyclamen and quail egg colors so much that I needed to see them.  I am so glad I did.  Again I ordered in my regular US 6 and they are a higher waist than my Hudsons but really comfy – they are a tad snug when first pulled on but I’ve been wearing them for an hour or so now and they are just perfect.  Thrilled with them.

Sorry for the grainy photos – lighting isn’t great!

– Florence tunic

I ordered both the fennel and the navy for a pop of color and something classic.  They are a little thinner and a little shorter than last years chic linen tunic but I love them all the same.  With nude shapewear underneath I can wear them as dresses though they are sheer – I’ll keep my legs together.  I just love how summery they feel – they’d be great with leggings too if you are in cooler climates!  No photos yet but will sort that out for you:)

– Bloom Beach bag

Just fabulous – HUGE and colorful – with a gorgeous turquoise lining – I love it.  Will stay dry by the pool and look fantastic – wish I’d bought this sooner but I can’t wait to take it to Kyrenia next year!

– Jersey striped scarf

I have to say this is the hit of the haul – I hadn’t even considered it until Avril at School Gate Style put it on her wish list – but it is my most favorite item of the lot.  It’s large, drapey, soft and a fabulous grey with a trim of color.  It can be worn all year and will be perfect for transatlantic flights back home – I just love it and want all the other colors too!  Get it while you can for $24 it is fabulous.

So today I am wearing my gorgeous cyclamen jeans and they feel great – perfect for a rainy summer day in Atlanta.  I’ve paired them with my Zara butterfly top and I know butterflies and birds are omnipresent right now but I love this top and it was all of $36!  The navy one with collar is in the sale right now online for $19.99.  I think my turquoise Tory Burch Emmy sandals look fun with the jeans but maybe it’s too much color?  All topped off with my cream J.Crew light weight cashmere cardigan – it’s chilly in my air conditioned office!

Oh and I forgot to mention the gorgeous little touch from Boden – they slipped in a little notebook in one of my parcels – room to take notes plus some splendid quirky English tips like interpreting English English for Americans:)  One of my favorite Facebook pages is http://www.facebook.com/quitepeckish who serve up quaint little English tidbits daily – it’s fun.

What have been your favorite Boden sale purchases?

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Boden Summer Sale.

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Yes the Boden sale has started!  First I’m going to get it off my chest – I am sick to death of the bitching and moaning on the Boden Facebook page.  I don’t understand where the sense of entitlement comes from.  Boden is a company, out to make money and yes they want to listen to their customers and increase sales, but they certainly don’t have to start a sale on demand, nor, if they don’t have to, offer huge deep discounts.  Some people want something for nothing – so go on feel free to spend your money at Joules and White Stuff instead.  Only a couple of people, who appear to share my opinions, mentioned the numerous discounts that Boden offer throughout the season.  And as for complaining about lack of stock well that is just silly – that’s what a sale/clearance is all about – getting rid of it all – and hurrah for Boden if they managed to sell out of certain lines before the sale!

Phew – feel better now.  So after my post the other day about saving my money for the house etc.  I immediately failed and went and bought some fab items in the sale.  Even my little brother couldn’t resist a dig on my Poppy’s Style Facebook page🙂  Be quiet little bro’!

The first item I am so excited about, and Beth over at Style Guile featured it in her blog yesterday – the Chic leather jacket from the Limited Edition collection.  I’ve had my eye on it all season and nearly bought it discounted but decided to hold out.  I don’t think it is any cheaper here in the sale than with the discount code, but I knew it would disappear fast so snapped up my regular size.  I hope the US 6 works as LE tend to be a tad on the snug side but a couple of reviews said the arms were quite loose and I’ve found, with jackets at least, that the 8 drowns my shoulders – so fingers crossed this works out!  I love the color and it will look great over my AllSaints jumpers in the Fall.

Most of the items I bought I have actually been lusting over for a while – the oil cloth beach bag in bloom was actually on my Summer preview order but I cancelled it after getting the Beachcomber bag in the quail egg union jack instead.  The Beachcomber bag is great but it does get wet by the pool so I’m hoping the oil cloth bag will handle the splashing better.

I also had the Florence tunic on my summer preview order and again cancelled it as I just felt I had way too many tunics to choose from – I still do – but the sale price is too good to pass over and I love the classic navy and fennel colors.  I have the linen drawstring tunics from last year that I got in the sale in which I love worn as short dresses so I hope the Florence tunic lives up to expectations!

Now for the spontaneous, throw them in the cart, type purchases.  The first caught my eye after Avril at SchoolGateStyle.com picked it out here – the jersey scarf, but in grey melange.  A color that can be worn throughout the year – and hopefully it’s lovely and soft – definitely a bargain at $24.00!

Finally I nabbed the skinny jeans in cylcamen and quail egg.  I really think these colors can be worn throughout the year too and styled with long baggy jumpers or with the biker jacket they will look great – I’m certainly not keen on how Boden have styled them in the photos – but with a bit of imagination I think they can look a little ‘cooler’.  I’ve never bought jeans from Boden before so thought I’d give them a whirl as the reviews were pretty good.  I went with my usual size 6 as there is 3 % elastane in them and I find that jeans give quite a bit with wear – I only wash jeans after 4 or 5 wears so fingers crossed they work out well!

What did you all order?

Again I am suffering with the lack of a full length mirror and this morning all my photographers had left plus I worked out so got ready at the Y – and why oh why no full length mirror at the Y??  Anyway I am wearing my Tory Burch Emmy sandals in turquoise – I love them with tanned feet!  I bought them earlier this year and this is the first time I’ve worn them – so happy with them and given my funny feet they work well as there are no straps for my toes to get stuck over or between!  With them I’m wearing my white Express cropped jeans, my new white H&M top purchased back in England, which I love and it hides a multitude of sins, and my Boden grey jersey jacket from last year.  The turquoise necklace is a cheap trick from Target.

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Jet lag.

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Uuuurggh suffering from jet lag and my 4 year old is waking up at 3am thinking it is 8am aaarrrgggh!  Thankfully tomorrow is the 4th so we have a day off to enjoy the pool and fireworks and celebrate our Independence as all Americans do – just a tad odd that it was independence from the Brits.  When both children asked to wear red, white and blue today I did think about their England shirts – but only for a moment.

So tomorrow we’re up early (or late if you are my son) to go and cheer on the runners in the Peachtree road race which will no doubt have me desperate for a run – so a good job I just registered for another half marathon!  Then off to the pool followed by burgers on the grill and then peering over the trees to watch the fireworks.  I always enjoy Independence day but not so much when it falls on a Wednesday – it’s harder to justify taking two days off work…

On my return I have been amazed to see how much work has been done on the house – new windows are in, new floors are stained and the tub has even arrived!  Only about 4 weeks of work left hopefully so we are off to IKEA on Friday to investigate closet fixtures and fittings – very exciting.  I’m ashamed to say my new walk in closet is almost as big as my old bedroom in the UK:-/

Due to the ongoing work I found myself this morning with no full length mirror so my lovely daughter kindly obliged – I think I need to get her to stand on a stool next time – photos are never flattering when taken from below chin level – I look a bit startled!  Today I am wearing my Zara off white jersey blazer (their sale has started but to be honest I don’t think the reductions are great so I haven’t been tempted by anything), H&M spotty skirt from a couple of years ago and a black tank from Express, along with my Tory Burch black Emmy sandals which you can barely see.

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Reading material.

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I pity the poor folk who have less IT literacy than I do and try to borrow eBooks or audio books from Fulton library system!  I have been trying to get a few alternatives to listen to and read on the plane on Monday but blimey you need a flippin’ IT degree to figure out the library’s system – I used to work in IT and have still been struggling!  There appears to be a cluster of issues making it nigh on impossible to borrow a book.  A combination of few available books, several file formats, several apps needing to be downloaded, and zero compatibility with my Macbook – resulting in one frustrated borrower.  It’s easier and cheaper time wise just to buy a couple of books on iTunes or go back to the good old paperback.  MM thinks I’m fooling myself anyway – thinking that I will have time to read with a 4 year old and a 6 year old in a confined space for 9 hours is just asking for trouble:)  Anyway the third book in the Larsson trilogy will be joining me on the plane and I will get to read it – though I’ll be sad when I’ve finished it – I’ve loved these books so much.  Next on my list is the new Robert Harris book – The Fear Index.

I’m off to the pool with Poppy this afternoon again to avoid the workmen at home.  I had a sneak peek in the room yesterday and my oh my – it’s all gone!  The old bathroom is completely demolished and the old closet wall is gone!  So we’re almost at the ‘fun’ bit – that is bringing in the new bathroom!  It does look a bit creepy in there now – as MM pointed out – they get their plastic sheeting from the same supplier as Dexter Morgan🙂

I opted for a bit of summer color today with my Boden fab jersey tunic in prune (I have the moss here too).  This really has been the surprise of the season – it is so lovely in real life – the colors really pop.  Luckily I also have the perfect J.Crew cashmere cardigan to coordinate with the orange in it – and my nectarine Tory Burch Revas work perfectly! Apologies for the dark photo again and all the stuff behind me – my packing is in full swing!

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Dislocation.

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Uuuurgh – sorry for the lack of weekend posts.  I have had an exhausting, stressful time running up and down stairs moving what appears to be shed loads of clothes, shoes (some I’d forgotten about – the shame) and cosmetics to the basement suite where MM and I will be residing until the end of the renovations.  In a way it’s quite nice to have the opportunity for a good clear out.  We really haven’t done it since we moved into the house 4 years ago – then we just put stuff in what seemed logical places and now, having lived in the house for a while, I know there is a better way to organize things.  In fact it will be amazing to have a large walk in closet where all my lovely clothes can be hung, and shoes can be stacked for easy access.  You wouldn’t believe the amount of crap that my bathroom vanity had hidden in it.  I must have really suffered with hemorrhoids after the birth of my son – I had about 20 different brands of cream in there!!  Ouch!

Poppy and I took a break from the turmoil yesterday and headed to the salon for her hair cut.  Honestly you would think she is 6 going on 16.  Mom wasn’t allowed to sit with her – but I assure you as I sat in the waiting area I could hear her chit chatting away ‘well ac-tual-leee I can do this’, ‘no reeeeally she said so’, ‘I SO like that’…etc.etc.  Where did my little girl go?  She’s been possessed by a 16 year old mall rat!

The workmen arrived this morning…an hour late…not a good start…but at least they showed up to start the demo.  I now have to stay clear of the house all day till 4pm so I don’t get roped into making cups of tea all afternoon:)  I did manage to get MM to move the only long mirror in the house down into the guest room where we are sleeping for the next 8 weeks – but the photo is pretty dreadful today – I need to move the mirror somewhere where it doesn’t look like I have a light affixed to my head!

The outfit isn’t too inspiring today mainly as I was struggling for ideas after carrying all the clothes downstairs.  Packing for England this week is going to be a nightmare – I already can’t find half my underwear!  I’m wearing my Hudson jeans – all of you in England will be happy to hear it’s throwing it down here too and we have grey skies today.  Paired with the jeans is the Boden Pretty top from last summer – a lovely, ‘pretty’, easy to wear top that is much more girly than my usual attire.  On my feet I have my Tory Burch flannel Revas which are really comfy.  You’ll notice I’m also desperate for a haircut – 6 weeks between cuts really is too long for me.

 

TGIF.

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Note to self – must go away without MM more often…the reason being I get wined and dined before I go!  Poor love I know he will miss me and the children and he is being so sweet taking me out a few times, without the children, so we get some time together before I leave for the UK on the 18th for 2 weeks.  We’ve always been very independent and I know he’ll be fine without us – he doesn’t fall into the usual stereotype of being useless by himself – he’s a better cook than I am, always runs the dishwasher and loves to read so he can catch up and a few books while I’m gone – oh and the European Championships start today – so who am I fooling about reading?  Every game will be DVRd and watched I know for sure!  In fact is it possible that is why he suggested we left the country for those 2 particular weeks?…Hmmmm cunning….

So before he sits down tonight to watch the first games we’re off out to lunch at Local Three – it’s a fabulous local eatery with a menu based around local and seasonal fare – they do great ‘small plates’ too so it is a fun place to go and share lots of different offerings.  The lobster salad sounds particularly good!

This weekend will be spent – by me at least – moving all my clothes and possessions from the bedroom to the basement bedroom where MM and I will be relocating to while the master bathroom, bedroom floors and walk in closet are under construction.  It all starts on Monday!!  I’m SO excited about the work starting, but running up and down stairs with arms full of swag does not fill me with joy.  Oh well it will be worth it and who knows I may find more items to eBay!  I may start trying to design the interior of the new closet too – IKEA have some brilliant modular solutions I’ve got my eye on.

So for lunch – what to wear?  I wanted something casual but not too casual as I’m getting tired of throwing a tunic on over a bikini at the weekend…so I opted for my lovely green J.Crew chino shorts, Express white tank, and my new Zara printed jogging jacket – I’ve gone for a nude shoe, Tory Burch Emmy sandals, so as not to overwhelm the look – the flowers and green are already pretty vivid!

Have a fun Friday!!

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Red, white and blue.

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It’s rubbish weather here in Atlanta today – dark and dreary, such a shame after a fabulous weekend, but easier to bear now I’m back in the office.  We had a fabulous time at Virginia Highlands Summerfest – the weather was perfect for mooching and watching some great live music.  I was in awe at a group of 14-16 year olds rocking out on stage – called ‘My Homework Ate My Dog‘ – they were brilliant – and it got me thinking about how to introduce music lessons to my two.  I think music is so important and there is evidence that reading music can also help with numeracy.  I was reading basic music at elementary school and playing the recorder, and then I graduated to the flute which was challenging once orthodontics started!  I really think understanding rhythm and reading music can boost your appreciation of music and we always have some sort of music playing in the house – anything from Led Zeppelin to Robyn to Mahler.  So maybe I should start them with piano lessons?

Brightening up the day today and sticking with the patriotic theme I’m wearing my Boden long sleeved Breton, Boden Effortless cardigan in radish, white Express Zelda crops and Tory Burch Eddie flats in Tory Navy.

Oh and one final very important note the Boden Autumn preview is out for women!!! In my opinion this is THE BEST season of clothes I have seen from them.  Very ‘on trend’ with a retro, younger vibe – I’ve already placed two orders!!!  My most favorite items are the Scoop Neck Tunic, Loulou dress, Cable knit dress (I’ve only ever previously bought 1 Boden dress!) and Skye jumper.  Enjoy browsing and until June 25th there is a 20% discount.

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Summer jackets.

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I was inspired to write this after Kat at Doesmybumlook40.blogspot.com highlighted the gorgeous Zara printed jogging blazer – which I admit I bought after seeing it in person yesterday – resistance was futile especially with a piece so versatile.  Kat has opened my eyes to Zara – it’s one of her favorite stores and we have one here in Atlanta but I rarely venture in, but as she has warned me I think I may now be hooked.  Even better news is there is a HUGE one at Barcelona airport so if I haven’t managed to spend my holiday money each year I know exactly where to head before the gate for the flight home:)

The jacket is simply gorgeous and such a vivid print – it will look amazing with jeans or white pants – or even these fabulous red Editor pants from Express that I’ve had a while and are now a steal at $36!  One tip – if you are in store looking at the jackets make sure you look at the back to see how much print is there – I picked a couple up and there was more white than print on the back which may be preferable for some – but I managed to pick one out that had a good balance of print on the back of the jacket.

So while I was in Zara I took a peak at their other jackets.  I love a great summer jacket, though it’s definitely more difficult to get away with in the 90 degree heat of the South.  Having said that I’m always in an air conditioned house, office, car, restaurant, mall etc. so I always seem to be carrying a lightweight cashmere cardigan around with me.  What better way to sharpen up a look than a fab lightweight jersey jacket instead?  Starting at $80 a pop these Zara jackets are great wardrobe staples and can be worn with shorts, skirts or skinnies for a great polished look.  My favorites are the following:

Fuchsia jersey jacket:

Jade jersey jacket:

Short blazer with pockets – gorgeous with just a white tee and jeans:

Piped Fantasy cardigan – I love the detail and lining:

Not surprisingly I did leave with one more jacket – I swear it literally accosted me and held me at gun point so I had no choice.  I’m wearing it here (Zara white jersey jacket) with J.Crew linen harem pants from a couple of years ago, a pink Loft tank and my ever faithful musk Tory Burch Eddies.  I love how sharp the jacket looks instead of a cardigan – very chuffed – thank you Kat you are a bad influence and I love it!

Oh and yes I ordered the blossom tipped blazer from Boden – shhh – I had some account credit sitting waiting to be used – I will model it as soon as it arrives!

 

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The desk is built!

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Hurray!  The IKEA desk is now assembled!  After the exhausting weekend I have to say the last thing I felt like doing last night was battling my way through a flat pack but what with guests arriving from Sweden on Thursday the rest of the week is going to be filled with tidying and cleaning.  Last night was my only chance to get the desk erected before Friday.  The process began as expected with MM watching, pointing out the bleeding obvious and lining up the screws and pegs for me while I battled with huge, heavy pieces of chip board.  He was also very handy at taking photos of me.  I am actually glad he was around though, as I did need him to help do some of the heavy lifting – these things ain’t light!

The desk is now hidden under a sheet in the dining room until I can put it in Poppy’s room while she is at school on Friday.  The plan is to hang her new pictures, mirror and basically rearrange her room while she is out so she can be surprised with her ‘big girl’ room on her return!  I can’t wait to see her face!

Of course I did find time in between dinner and flat pack hell to do a little online shopping.  I had polled some friends earlier in the day on whether to jumpsuit or not?  Meaning is it something the every day woman can get away with?  I’ve avoided them so far thinking that only a 6ft skinny bird can wear them and look good, but then I stumbled on this stunner in the AllSaints archive.

It looks a lovely drapey, heavy jersey and I think it would look fab for a bit of evening glamour with heels, and it could be worn throughout the year, pairing it with a jacket in the colder seasons.  The poll results were divided so I decided to take the plunge and order it – I’ll let you all have your say when it arrives and I try it on.

I also ordered this gorgeous top in chalk blush which I’m hoping to pair with the vintage pink Petrel Brodies.  I decided against the Prey sequin vest as I remembered I had a couple of cheaper versions from Express that will do just nicely.  This top is much more unique and I love the colors.

Earlier in the day, on my way back from picking my little man up from daycare I happened to be driving by DSW and thought we could take a quick look before going home – what better place to take a 4 and 6 year old?  The only reason I wanted to nip in was that I had seen a pair of shoes on sale that I knew would go with my new items.  I’ve found that I’m a much better shopper these days.  I do procrastinate a little but online shopping definitely allows me to build a great capsule collection of new pieces instead of making impulsive mall purchases of lots of items that don’t coordinate.

Here are the lovely wedges that I got for a bargain of $50 – in store there was an additional 30% off!

We’re off to watch my daughter’s class perform the Three Piggy Opera today which should be fun, and then I am off home to start cleaning the house ready for S. and his girlfriend’s arrival – I am so looking forward to seeing them and partying all weekend!  I shan’t be cleaning in these but I’m wearing my AllSaints Phinius dress (here’s the top), Boden leggings and my Tory Burch black patent Eddies.  I love this dress and it’s also super cute with cowboy boots and bare legs.

 

 

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