Tag Archives: Zara

Sometimes things just don’t work out the way you imagined…

So the blonde hair…it’s going tomorrow.  I am going back to my roots.

After a week of scaring myself in the mirror and trying to make my complexion look less jaundiced, I’ve given in and I am going back to my roots tomorrow.  Glossy, dark chocolate locks here I come.  I wanted a change which is why I thought I’d try the lighter locks but, to be honest, with my skin tone I feel so washed out, and my hair is so dark that I already can see root growth.  The maintenance would kill me!

It was really after seeing the following photo that I decided not to persevere any longer.  I love this jacket but I look so drab and dreary in it with lighter hair.  I’ve also binned the shoes – I loved them once but again I think the pink/nude color does me no favors whatsoever.  If it ain’t broke don’t fix it – I should know by now to stick with my dark palette – in fact I should ask Donna over at I Won’t Wear Sludge Brown to do a color reading for me.

RI jacket

Shoes – Clarks Hamble Oak // Jeans – H&M boyfriend jeans // Sweater – Zara (old) // Jacket – River Island (old)

I am of course eternally grateful to my hairdresser for squeezing me in tomorrow before I leave on my trip this weekend!

Yesterday I was running some errands and I happened to nip into Neiman Marcus – as you do.  I rarely go in department stores as I think I’ve mentioned before I can find them overwhelming.  However, my eyes were opened by Neimans – what have I been missing!?  I had a quick look around the contemporary store – CUSP.  So many great brands like Vince, Rag & Bone, Alice & Olivia, Helmut Lang and even Isabel Marant – I had no idea there was a stockist here in Atlanta!  I may have found myself trying on some J.Brand leather jeans…just for size of course…for the record they fit big…I got into a 28″ because they are so beautifully stretchy.

I then headed to the shoe department – again I found my favorite Rag & Bone Newbury boots along with the Vince Nina flat that is back in an array of colors this Spring.  I was totally smitten by the sale shelf – I nearly cried with joy when I saw Isabel Marant boots and Chloé Suzanna boots less than half price!

Beautiful hairy Newbury boots in the sale:

Newbury

These Saint Laurent boots made me stop in my path – just stunning and they totally remind me of my Zara boots (yet to be worn).

SaintLaurent

 

So now I know what an Aladdin’s Cave Neiman Marcus is it could truly be catastrophic.  It’s a good job I don’t like mall shopping…

Today I had one last go at dealing with the blonde but headed back to my comfort zone when it comes to colors.

HM dress

 

Boots – H&M // Leggings – H&M (old) // Dress – H&M // Scarf – H&M (old) // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco (TheOutnet.com)

 

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Spotted this week…

Following on from my previous post, and just to prove that procrastinating can sometimes pay off – I present to you my sequin skirt that is now on its way to me!  Not grey or blush – but a perfectly beautiful shade of indigo.  I hope it is as gorgeous in the flesh – especially as it was already in the sale and is currently an extra 50% off with code EXTRA50.

J.Crew sequin skirt:

jcrew sequin skirt

Unlike a lot of people I know I have very little blue/navy in my closet but I have definitely noticed myself being more and more attracted to navy items.  It’s such a classy color and many clothes look far more expensive, or even better quality, in navy than they do in black.  Not to mention that it is now no longer a fashion faux pas to mix navy and black.  Hence while browsing on Net-a-porter.com this morning I found myself uncontrollably besotted with these beauties.  My Newbury boot fetish continues.

newbury navy suede

It’s been an odd week to say the least.  An entire week off unexpectedly can certainly mess with your head – I feel slightly jet lagged and totally discombobulated!  We’re off tomorrow too for President’s Day, then I have 3 days at work before I’m off to the UK wooo-hooo!  Having the week off has been lovely as it has meant lots of time with the kids before I go and leave them.  Hugh even fell asleep on me yesterday – it was lovely – I hope he still wants to snuggle like that when he is 18;)

Poppy and I braved the snow the other day – I needed to return some stuff to Zara.

zara1

Me – Sneakers – Golden Goose (similar here) // Jeans – Zara coated blue jeans // Coat – Zara // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco navy nubuck (TheOutnet.com – now sold out, but similar here) // Poppy – Boots – Sam Edelman Louie // Pants – H&M harems // Coat – H&M // Hair band – Crewcuts

Friday I enjoyed a day of pampering, though to be honest 2 hours in the salon followed by a 2 hour facial was probably a little too much in one day!

gg

Sneakers – Golden Goose // Jeans – H&M grey boyfriend jeans // T-shirt – ASOS forever t-shirt // Jacket – Zara (old) // Scarf – Zara (old)

And here is the finished result – much lighter hair – still not convinced – but a nice change regardless.

AS sweater

Boots – Rag and Bone Newbury boots petrol (old) // Jeans – Boyfriend jeans Zara // Sweater – AllSaints Portland Jumper (old)

And finally a new ASOS dress to share with you.  It was in the sale and I’d been umming and ahhing about it all over the Christmas period.  I love the lace sleeves – just enough for me – and it reminds me of the lace sleeves on my wedding dress.

asos dress

Off to clean my mirror…!  🙂

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Sequins and snow.

This is what I woke up to this morning…

snow 2 snow 1

Not quite what I was expecting.  I thought we’d had the worst of the weather yesterday with the ice storm.  It was quite literally raining ice, and we spent the day curled up on the sofa watching the NBC team in t-shirts in Sochi.

Sarah Palin

 

As we have now had no school since Tuesday, and we are off Friday and Monday anyway for President’s day, to say I am climbing the walls is somewhat of an understatement.  I have tried to focus my attention on my trip, but that of course just gives me greater anxiety wondering if I will have to swim from Bury to London on the 28th.  Not to mention I have suede shoes on my packing list – I might just have to pack the Hunters and be done with it.

My iPad has been getting quite a work out while we watch the Barbie movie for the 20th time, and I have found myself engrossed in Pinterest on more than one occasion.  I’m currently obsessing over this look:

sequin skirt 3 sequin skirt 2 Sequin skirt 1

 

I ABSOLUTELY NEED A SEQUIN SKIRT.

It must be over the knee, but not too short, sequin covered but not too glitzy, grey or blush so it can easily be dressed down with a grey sweater, and lined so it can be worn with tights without fear of ripping them.  I don’t feel like I have found the perfect one yet but here are some that have caught my eye.

I love the red trim on this IRO skirt and it looks nice and comfy with stretch…It’s a great price on TheOutnet.com for some IRO in your closet.

IRO skirt

This Zara skirt is pretty close to what I want – it will look great with a grey cashmere sweater and wool tights.  My concern is the length…it might be titchy on me, and though I will be the first to say I love my legs, there’s legs and then there’s the chance of showing your tight gusset – not a good look.

Zara skirt

This Express Aztec skirt reminds me of the AllSaints skirt from a couple of years ago, but for a way more palatable price – just $36 this weekend!

Express Aztec

Express also have this gorgeous knee length skirt…I am tempted.

Espress knee length

I love the blush colors in this River Island skirt too – and the black trim would help it pair with black cashmere and black tights.

River Island

I saw this skirt in Target a few weeks ago – it’s a bit longer than I am looking for but the color is perfect as is the price.

Target

Finally this one is gorgeous – I’m just hoping her legs are crazy long and that it won’t be quite as short on me!

Revolve

So sequins and knitwear – what do you think – can I get away with it?

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What to buy in the UK vs. the USA.

As part of my preparations for my trip back to the UK I collect a few shopping requests from family and friends here.  I think it is commonly perceived that most goods are much cheaper in the USA.  It’s true that many are – but there are also several brands that are FAR cheaper in the UK.

I normally have a little list of places to go when I’m back in the UK on the hunt for a bargain.

1.  Many European brands/high street stores simply multiply by 2 when converting £s to $s instead of using the exchange rate.  Plus our sticker price here is not the final price as we add sales tax on at the register, which varies from county to county and state to state.  This can make brands like Zara and H&M far cheaper to buy in the UK.

2. Classic UK brands such as Barbour, Hunter, Ted Baker and Paul Smith are usually far cheaper in the UK.  My Husband has sized himself for a Barbour here which I can then collect in the UK at half the price.

3. There are many books and music titles that are not available in the US.  I can’t find Take That’s Progress on iTunes – nor The Pete Tong Collection (I did manage to buy the latter on Amazon.com).  Again my Husband orders several books from Amazon.co.uk and has them delivered to my Mum – why he thinks I’ll have room in my bags for books I’ve no idea!  I am much more shallow, as ever, and make sure I get my hands on Grazia, Hello and the Sunday papers.

4. In the US we don’t have Primark – now it’s definitely at hit or miss store – but the bargains that can be found are amazing.  I bought my favorite pair of boyfriend jeans there for £12 last year!

5. If only we had the same power and sockets in the US and UK I’d be sorted.  My ghd hairdryer cost a fortune here compared to the UK.  We also unfortunately don’t easy access to other European brands like Parlux.

6. Of course you’re not supposed to travel with some types of food and import it back to the US but I always return with custard creams, galaxy chocolate, pickled onion Monster Munch and Bisto gravy granules:)  I eat as many pork pies and M&S sandwiches as I can while I’m there!

Now for things that you should definitely buy when making a trip the US:

1.  Makeup is far cheaper here – from drugstore brands like Revlon and L’oréal to department store brands like MAC, Clinique and Chanel.  OPI and Essie nail polishes are also only $8 a pop here – my Mum always stocks up:)

2. Sneakers/trainers are much cheaper here – though I think the choice is more varied in Europe.  They normally just switch the £ for a $ making them dirt cheap compared to the UK.

3. My FIL always pops into the Apple store to upgrade his iPad when he’s here.  The fact that Apple use universal power, meaning no transformer is required, makes it far cheaper to buy here – though it has to be said that prices are coming down in the UK.  My Mum and Dad bought theirs at John Lewis – paying slightly more – but having the comfort of the John Lewis warranty made it worth it to them.

4. Housewares are cheaper.  Want a good potato peeler (yes I’ve been asked to take TWO back to the UK), or a good apple slicer?  Buy it here at Target.

5. Designer goods are generally much cheaper here.  My Rag & Bone Newbury boots are cheaper, as are most designer bags.  You will find however the focus on labels varies significantly.  I NEVER see Mulberry here, yet I would never buy Coach or Tory Burch here as you see their logos EVERYWHERE.  One thing to note is TheOutnet.com stocks widely differing brands here compared to the UK so if you are here long enough to receive a delivery it might be worth checking out.  For example this Alexander Wang Rocco is 45% off here and yet it’s not even on the UK site.

Rocco

6. US brands that have traveled across the Atlantic are far cheaper here – J.Crew being the most obvious, but Banana Republic and Gap are also much cheaper here.

7. Here in the US most states have fabulous outlet malls.  One word of caution though stores like J.Crew and Coach often make items just for the outlets – so that bargain you think you are getting may not be so much of a bargain.

Now for my outfits from the past few days…I adore these new H&M trousers that Eve alerted me to.  The fabric is lovely and stretchy but I still needed to size up to a US 10 – the waistband is tiny – no vanity sizing here!

Allsaints leather

Sneakers – Adidas Samoas // Trousers – H&M // Sweatshirt – AllSaints // Jacket – AllSaints // Scarf – Uniqlo

I’ve been trying to wear some fur before it gets warmer.

hermes 2 Hermes

 

Boots – Isabel Marant Dicker // Jeans – ASOS Saxby (just $20 now!) // Jumper – Boden cashmere crew neck // Jacket – Forever21 (old – similar here on sale) // Scarf – Hermés (gift from my Husband)

It was cold but REALLY sunny yesterday!

Boden gilet 2 Boden gilet

 

Sneakers – Isabel Marant Bobby // Jeans – Zara (old) // Jumper – Boden St. Ives // Gilet – Boden JohnnieB

My first port of call in the UK is normally Marks & Spencer – more for nostalgia – but I do love a bit of M&S!  What stores or brands would you miss if you relocated to a different country?  I’d love to know!

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Starting to panic about packing!

In less than 3 weeks I’ll be heading to the UK for what has now become my annual meet up with my blogging friends.  To make the most of the CHILD FREE trip across the Atlantic I’ll be staying with my Mum and Dad for a few days too, and hanging out with my brother and sister.  To say I am excited is an understatement. (Caveat for when reading in years to come :  Poppy and Hugh I will miss you LOTS but Mommy just needs some girl time sometimes! xx).

I have of course already started to panic about packing.  An extensive wardrobe really only makes things more challenging.  I have – don’t laugh – started a spreadsheet that itemizes bottoms, tops, sweaters, shoes and accessories.  It is quite a long spreadsheet and needs some – shall we say – fine tuning?

The advantage of making a spreadsheet is that it can identify gaps in your travel wardrobe.  Now as you all know far too well there are few ‘gaps’ in my closet, but one is a practical, warm, trendy coat.  I have lots of wool coats but they are quite heavy for wearing when walking around London, plus they are harder to roll up and pack , and also less comfortable for layering.  Just play along with me please…

Given my above reasoning I realized that what I really ‘need’ is a parka.  Not a wax, storm proof parka, but a lighter weight, lined parka that will be cosy, plus has room to layer over a leather or denim jacket.  I narrowed my choices down to the following:

The Asos Cocoon Parka:

Cocoon parka

The Asos parka with detachable lining:

Asos Parka

It was a tough decision – there are pros and cons to each.  The idea of a detachable lining makes the second a great option, as does the ability to cinch the waist, whereas the cocoon version has less going on.  I polled my fellow bloggers and they were no bloody help as opinions were equally divided.  In the end I closed my eyes and picked one, and now the cocoon parka is on it’s way to me!  I hope it will work well to layer over my AllSaints leather jacket.

Today I am back to black again, with a touch of leopard and red:

AllSaints jacket

Sneakers – red converse // Jeans – Zara coated skinnies // Shirt – Men’s Gap white shirt // Sweater – Uniqlo cashmere men’s crew neck // Jacket – AllSaints Monument jacket // Hat – J.Crew (old – similar here)

Friday was red and black too for a trip to the mall:

red leather jacket and GGs

 

Sneakers – Golden Goose sparkle slides (similar here) // Leggings – H&M // Dress – ASOS swing dress // Jacket – Zara (old – similar here) // Scarf – H&M (similar here)

Finally yesterday with a glimmer of sun I bared the legs – albeit just the knees:

Asos dress

 

Boots – Stuart Weitzman Nude nubuck 5050s // Dress – ASOS

I’ve been pinning some packing tips but if you have any suggestions or tips please share – after all these years I am still crap at selecting a capsule wardrobe for traveling.  I’m always terrified of leaving something behind that I end up really wanting to wear.  OK, ‘terrified’ may be stretching it…

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It’s SNOWING!

Yes Atlanta has come to a standstill – a frozen standstill.  We’re expected to get 1-3″ of snow which is quite something for us.  So as I sit here waiting for the kids to make their way home from school I thought I’d get a quick blog post written as I’ve a feeling I’ll be required to play countless games of Uno and Chess over the next few days.  I’m sure we’ll be housebound tomorrow but thankfully I have wine, cheese, paté and bread so I’ll be alright thanks (taking a well earned break from the Paleo diet!).

I need to be careful out in the snow as I am still shuffling around like a 90 year old on a bad day.  I ran the 15k on Sunday – it was an awesome run and I felt strong all the way round, even managing a quick sprint across the finish line cutting valuable seconds off my time 🙂  I didn’t feel quite as strong after my celebratory Mexican and margarita – an ice pack on the knees was required along with a long nap…Now I’m trying to summon the enthusiasm for the Georgia half in March…we’ll see!

This is an outift I forgot to post before I had my bangs cut – I just found it on my camera so here you go – my favorite red jacket from last year.

red leather v2

Sneakers – Golden Goose // Jeans – Zara (old) // T-shirt – Gap (old) // Scarf – Uniqlo // Jacket – Zara (old)

Then from the last couple of days – it has been cold for sure here in the deep South…

all black 2 All black 3 fur Sam Edelman boots

Coated skinnies – Zara (old) // Jumper – Off duty jumper Boden (in clearance) // Boots – Sam Edelman Martina // Coat – Marks and Spencer Per Una (currently 20% off clothing, home and beauty)

Boden

Boots – Boden // Socks – Boden (old) // Jeans – Fayza Diesel // Jumper – Boden Off Duty jumper (in clearance) // Scarf – Boden (old)

AllSaints gilet

 

Boots – Stuart Weitzman 5050s // Jeans – Hudson Collin // Jumper – Zara (old) // Gilet – Verna Gilet AllSaints

I may be in my cashmere onesie for the next few days so I’ll see you once we’ve dug ourselves out!

DSC_0211

 

 

 

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Succumbing to the pink jacket trend.

Pink, pink, pink – it’s been everywhere in AW13, starting with the Marks and Spencer pink duster coat that set the world alight across the Atlantic (okay so not technically the ‘world’).  I resisted temptation as lets face it I have more coats than ever deemed necessary living in the Southern States.  As time has marched on, and the Spring season starts to hit the stores, it seems that pink is here to stay for a while…and I have started twitching for pink.

This ASOS jacket is stunning and a great soft shade of pink – almost lilac.  It’s also currently reduced and will be great for seeing you through the Spring.

ASOS pink jacket

If you prefer more of a coral pink this from TopShop is a great choice.  There are only a few sizes left online but check out your local Nordstrom if you are in the US.

Top shop bomber

If you’re currently freezing here in the Polar Plunge, or just dealing with the regular January frigid temperatures in the UK, you may not be quite ready for a jacket yet.  These coats are great options and align nicely with the pastel trend for Spring.

I love this TopShop fluffy coat and this might be my choice…IF I needed another coat 🙂

Topshop fluffy coat

I can’t talk about pink coats without mentioning this cashmere blend coat by Marks and Spencer.  It looks just amazing – the cut, the color and the length.  At £99 it’s a great coat.  Should I order it just to try?

Pink cashmere coat

Whether it’s a coat or a jacket that suits your lifestyle and climate, pink is a surprisingly versatile color and can really brighten up a winter outfit.  My choice happened to be the Zara jacket – mainly as it caught my eye in the sale online – and it may still be available in stores.  Given the cold today I layered it over my denim jacket and really loved how it worked with blue denim – of course it will be perfect with grey and black too, in fact it has a black lining which works well with the usual winter color palettes.

pink jacket 1

Jacket – Zara TRF // Sweater – J.Crew (old) // Scarf – Uniqlo cashmere // Denim Jacket – Gap  (similar here just $25) // Jeans – Diesel Fayza // Boots – Sam Edelman Petty

So have you succumbed to pink yet?  If a jacket or coat isn’t for you check out Fiona’s jumper recommendations here.

 

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Gray and tan.

I created two comfy daytime outfits with one pair of jeans and two of my favorite neutral colors.  Which is your favorite?

Asos 3 Asos 2 Asos 1

Zara coat

Boots – Acne Pistols // Jeans – Gap (old – similar here in sale) // Dress – ASOS (size small – it is oversized!) // Coat – Zara (from sale – sold out online)

5050 1 5050 3Boots – Stuart Weitzman 5050s // Jeans – Gap as before // Sweater – AllSaints (old similar here) // Scarf – H&M (old)

 

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Weekend outfits & the Golden Globes!

I’m sitting here watching the Golden Globes red carpet – gee I wish I could wear a full length gown someday!  The last time I wore one was probably at my graduation ball in 1992!  I’ll pick some more of my favorites to share tomorrow but right now I am loving all the nude blush tones that I am seeing.

I love Michelle Dockery’s Oscar De La Renta dress:

Michelle Dochery

 

Lupita Nyong’O blew me away in this statuesque red dress with cape – no overwhelming jewelry – just tiny earrings and a couple of rings.  So stunning.

Lupita Nyong'o

I have to say Lena Dunham totally rocked it – and as uncomfortable as she claims to be on the red carpet – she is a pure gem.  I cannot wait to see the first episode of the new series of Girls tonight!

71st Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals

(image from http://www.justjared.com)

So as I watch the A listers arrive with Poppy – who happens to be the BEST ‘love it or hate it’ critic (she isn’t backwards in coming forwards!) – I thought I’d do a quick update on my weekend attire.

Friday was spent running errands but I was still inspired to wear a dress – even if it was a sweater dress.  In fact I love my 5050s so much that I have been planning whole outfits from the feet up.

Allsaints 2 Boots – Stuart Weitzman 5050 black suede // Dress – AllSaints (old – similar here) // Jacket – AllSaints Monument jacket // Tights – Marks and Spencer

Saturday I was fortunate to hang out with Hugh all day while Poppy went swimming with her Dad.  Hugh and I did some shopping at Whole Foods, cooked Korean beef short ribs, and then played LOTS of rounds of cards – the boy is obsessed and I am over it.  This was one of those days though where I got dressed and LOVED how I felt – every time I wear these Mango jeans I can’t help but feel like a rock chick.  Chrissie Hynde eat your heart out.

Chaps 3 Chaps 2 Chaps 1

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury classic black // Jeans – Mango // T-shirt – Zara (old) // Cardigan – AllSaints (old) // Scarf – H&M (old)

Today we headed out for lunch.  After the Polar Vortex last week we are now basking in 60 degree sunshine – it won’t last.  Following on with the rock vibe from yesterday, I really wanted to try something different today, so the flares came out.  I loved wearing them – they really are great for leg lengthening!  It was fun to have bell bottoms swishing around my ankles for a change.

flares 1 flares 2

jacket and flares jacket 2

Boots – Zara wedge boots (old) // Jeans – Hudson flares // Tank – H&M (old) // T-shirt – Bowie from ASOS (similar here) // Jacket – AllSaints (sale)

Hope you all had a fun weekend too!  Any sale bargains bagged?

 

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Warm and snuggly.

Some people (Sue I’m looking at you) like to keep new clothes, stash them away, then surprise us all with things they bought, quite literally, ages ago.  I on the other hand want to wear my new things immediately.  They need to earn their keep as soon as they come out of the box.

Jan 10th 1 Jan 10th

 

Boots – Rag & Bone Newbury charcoal suede // Trousers – Zara pleather leggings // Jumper – Boden Off Duty sweater (on sale now) // Gilet – Verna gilet AllSaints (sale – all sizes now available!)

Okay my Husband asked me why I was wearing the bathroom mat – my sides were splitting – funny guy – but I LOVE my Verna gilet.  The texture adds a great dimension to an otherwise basic outfit, plus it is so soft, warm and snuggly.

Yesterday I was lazy, only because I had the luxury of working from home.  Minimal makeup and air dried hair resulted in this.

Jan 10th 2

 

Boots – Rag & Bone grey nubuck Newbury boots (canvas version for Spring here) // Trousers – JCrew velvet toothpick jeans // Sweater – Boden Westbourne jumper (some colors just $29.40 in the sale!)

I haven’t a clue what to wear today and I’ve just driven the kids to school in pyjamas much to their horror.  To be fair they do look more like sweatpants – but I wonder is that really any better?  I may have scarred them for life.

 

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