Tag Archives: Zara

I don’t like to save…

Because I enjoy spending money far too much! My parents and husband will confirm it! Thank goodness I still work and earn my way…Ok so now I’ve set it up I will tell you about a couple of things that happened this week…

First these arrived.

Chloes 1 ChloesBoots – Chloé Susanna // Trousers – Zara // Top – AllSaints (use EXTRA20 for 20% extra off sale) // Jacket – Mango // Bag – McQ Alexander McQueen // Sunglasses – Chanel

I was nervous as hell waiting for them as all the reviews said to size down in the Chloé Susannas, then more recent reviews said stay true to size. I knew I really wanted navy – different from black, yet still versatile. The blue on NAP have all sold out (though the merlot are lovely). Then I found one pair left at ShoeScribe.com (owned by NAP – or the other way around?). Only ShoeScribe.com only had whole sizes. I took a chance and ordered the last pair of 39s. Now sizing charts are different EVERYWHERE. It drives me bonkers. Plus there is the Fr 39 and the IT 39 which is apparently different too! I am normally a US 8.5 but I have a pair of Sam Edelman boots labelled US 8.5 and Eur 40!? So as you can imagine I was uncertain as to whether the 39s I ordered would be like boats, or if they would screw my toes up. Fortunately neither – they are perfect! I do have wide feet though so maybe that helps them fit more snuggly as the ankle is quite wide/loose on them and I’ve heard if you have a narrow foot the heel can slip. Anyway after a week of debate and umming and ahhing – even packing them back in the box to return them – I decided it was destiny – and they are here to stay! I’m pretty thrilled with them, if skint for a while!

Ok now these don’t seem nearly as extravagant in comparison as I got 25% off too with the Saks Friends and Family event last week. My new Prada sunglasses.

Pradas

I love them – I’ve coveted them for a while especially as these have plain arms as I am not a fan of the art deco swirly ones that seem to be ubiquitous here in Atlanta.

So I am a very happy girl. Now I just have to scrape some pennies together for my husband’s birthday next week 😉 (Joking darling – it’s all taken care of…xx).

As for today I headed to our local craft store. I am NOT crafty at all but once again this year our school project is to create a book character using a pumpkin. My challenge is to create The Highway Rat, my son’s favorite picture book – I have a mask at least! Wish me luck!

Project

highway rat

As I had to drive by the mall on the way home I nipped in for a browse. There are lots of sales on right now! I haven’t ventured in a Banana Republic since my corporate days but our Lenox Mall one has recently had a refit so I popped in for a gander. I absolutely fell in love with this cardigan/cape!

BR cape

In store they are just $58 reduced from $98 but they are here online too. The khaki is lovely in real life. I opted for a M/L for an oversize fit.

black BR green BR

As always here are a couple of outfits from throughout the week…

AllSaintsSweatshirt – AllSaints (old) // Top – AllSaints (EXTRA20 for 20% off sale) // Jeans – J.Crew (SALETREAT for 25% off full price and 40% off final sale prices) // Sneakers – Golden Goose

IM sneakersTop – AllSaints (EXTRA20 for 20% off final sale prices) // Sneakers – Isabel Marant (discounted at TheOutnet.com) // Jeans – J.Crew (SALETREAT for 25% off full price and 40% off final sale prices) // Jacket – Mango

So here’s hoping the crafting goes well – I have a Taylor Swift concert with Poppy to enjoy tomorrow night too!!! Now then, what to wear…?

I bloody love TheOutnet.com

I’ve recently purged a tonne of stuff from my closet – selling some and giving other stuff to charity. It’s been fun – my closet is clearer and my purse is fuller. I’ve come to realize that, maybe with age, my tastes are changing. I am no longer tempted by a ‘quick fix’ on the Zara website. Instead I am happier buying less, less often, but maybe at a slightly higher price point. Instead of writing a specific list of items on my wish list, I have created more generic themes, such as a long winter coat, dressy-going-out boots etc. I am then browsing TheOutnet.com periodically hoping to find the bargains of a lifetime, and do you know what? – It’s paying off!

Now a word of warning you do need to be picky and quite narrow in your searches. There is a lot of random stuff on TheOutnet.com. However, if you know which brands you love that makes it far easier to target a potential bargain.

In the past month I have struck gold twice! Recently I found one Helmut Lang coat just waiting for me at 60% off. This is a real classic coat with leather trims, and I am thrilled with it – far more so than I’d be with a couple of Zara coats!

Helmut Lang

As for the boots – again just one pair were left at 60% off – but how about these brown/khaki Isabel Marant Andrew boots. It had to be – one pair of FR 39 left with my name on them!

isabel-marant--andrew-calfskin-velvet-leather-boots-heel-boots-product-1-21730157-2-791303906-normal_large_flex

They are not on TheOutnet.com anymore but you can also find some sizes left on sale here.

Of course you will remember I always find fabulous sunglasses on sale too on TheOutnet.com, and this calf hair Alexander Wang Rockie is beautiful with 55% off!

Rockie 2

So there we are – my new approach to shopping. I’m finding it thoroughly rewarding. Nothing like a bargain – if you stick to a budget of course! Now if I can just find the Chloé Susannas discounted 😉

As for recent outfits I’ve omitted a few rushing here and there, but here are a few recent ones I’ve enjoyed wearing!

allblackShoes – Adidas Superstar slip-on // Jeans – ASOS Thea (on sale) // Sweater – Everlane cashmere

camel_edited-1Shoes – Golden Goose // Trousers – Zara // Sweater – ASOS

R13Shoes – Golden Goose // Jeans – R13 (25% off at ShopBop.com) // Top – AllSaints (previous season sale) // Jacket – Regent Linen blazer J.Crew (now on sale)

 

Fall break catch up!

I’m exhausted. Aren’t breaks supposed to be for relaxing and recharging? It was certainly a fun long weekend though. My FIL arrived from the UK on Thursday so it’s fun to have a house guest and the kids love having Grandpa here – especially when he arrives bearing gifts and pickled onion Monster Munch for me!

On Friday we took him out for lunch and I wore my new Zara pleather trousers for the first time. The Everlane Street Shoes rock and really helped me feel casual and comfy and not overdressed for a relaxed lunch.

zara leather leggingsShoes – Everlane leather street shoes // Trousers – Zara // Shirt – AllSaints (last season) // Jacket – J.Crew Regent linen blazer

On Saturday I had an opportunity to wear my new Madewell t-shirt.

Bon vivantBoots – Isabel Marant H&M // Jeans – Zara (old) // T-shirt – Madewell (on sale) // Jacket – J.Crew Regent linen blazer

Yesterday we headed to our friends’ house to celebrate their boys birthdays – October is a busy month for birthdays around here! It was great to get the OTK boots out for the the first time this year!

OTKBoots – Stuart Weitzman 5050s // Jeans – J.Crew // Tee – AllSaints Drake Dee top in current sale // Cardigan – Zara

Finally there have been a lot of sales over the Columbus weekend and I am still getting emails today. The one that caught my eye is the ShopBop.com 25% friends and family discount – use INTHEFAM25 – I am considering the R13 coated cross over jeans that Marlene wears so fabulously! The great thing about Shopbop.com is that you can use your Amazon Prime account for next day delivery!

 

Our wedding anniversary!

Last week was quite an emotionally charged week. Sometimes I go through a roller coaster of emotions – normally initiated by a massive bout of homesickness. I miss lots about England from basic cultural stuff like food, television and the humor – to more intense things like friends and family. Sometimes that sense of longing for the UK is far deeper than at other times. I’m more susceptible to it at this time of year when the kids are back at school, summer and vacations are over and the days are getting shorter. Having said all that, if I was ever given the option to return to England I doubt I would. After 15 years here there are as many things I would miss about the US as I now miss about the UK! Basically I want my cake and eat it – if I could hit a button to swiftly move from one location to the other at will I’d be thrilled!

Fortunately the week ended on a massive high note – my husband and I celebrated 17 years of marriage on Saturday and I was treated to a slap up 5 course meal and some fabulous gifts. I was spoiled indeed! I dug out some wedding photos to share with the children – we had quite a giggle! Forgive the quality as I took photos of hard copies using my phone!

pre wedding dancing first dance

For our dinner out I chose to wear an AllSaints dress that I snapped up in the sale at Christmas. If you are partial to a bit of AllSaints there is 20% off currently using code ENJOY – valid in the UK and US!

Dinner dateDress – AllSaints // Boots – Zara // Clutch – YSL

These boots are lovely but come up quite high – if you’re looking for something similar I just discovered these gorgeous boots at Marks and Spencer – the 20% off code is still valid today too SEP15EM.

SD_01_T02_2752A_Y0_X_EC_0The past week has seen me start moving to boots and jeans again – I’m enjoying the Fall weather!

Zara coordsTrousers and top coordinates – Zara // Sneakers – Adidas superstars // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco

AllSaints teeT-shirt – AllSaints (20% off everything with code ENJOY) // Boots – Rag and Bone Newbury boot // Jeans – Zara (old) // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco

And here is one of the many reasons I love my husband so much – he finds the perfect cards, even if they require a little editing…

card

 

What’s in my online shopping carts?

I love watching the new season arrive online. Sites like Zara, Mango, H&M and ASOS are always getting new stock in and I keep adding and removing items from my virtual shopping bags as priorities change. I can’t have it all unfortunately. The only items I’ve ordered so far are either a) the dregs of the summer sales and massively reduced or b) items I will shoot myself over if I miss out on them. The rest I will sit and procrastinate over until they sell out…and then I will regret not buying them now too!

This post is a mix of both so isn’t very cohesive – but I’m sharing in case you want to avoid kicking yourself too come November!

First up the last of the sales. J.Crew, Madewell and ASOS are my success stories here.

I have similar shorts and love the tassels – and after seeing Beth in her tunic I decided to buy the skirt and the tunic. They are an EXTRA 40% off in the sale right now using SALETREAT which makes the skirt less than $20!

beach tunic grey skirt skirtI also love this scarf with tassels – again 40% off the sale price with SALETREAT

yassel scarf

The Madewell dress that Laura from WIT has is now reduced from $168 to $59.99. I ordered it for a friend and I loved it so much in real life that I have ordered it too.

tassel scarf dress Finally onto ASOS – always worth a look as they have some brilliant reductions. The Thea jeans that Eve has and loves are now just $20!

Thea black Thea blueThe dress I am wearing below is one of my absolute favorite summer styles – oversized (I wear a US 6) and drapey. I have it in navy, grey, black, khaki and burgundy. Now I have it in red for just $26. Keep checking back for sizes as I am pretty sure ASOS update their site real time and stock is always coming back from returns. Stalking always pays off.

red asos dressSo now for the new stuff – and let’s stay with ASOS while I am there! I posted this tunic dress on Instagram the  other day and I adore it! It comes in black too – I’m stalking it for my size!

camelThese jumpsuits are probably a love or hate it item. I have the first one and love it so much that I have ordered the zipper one to try. I’m hoping it will look great with sneakers.

aleevelss min

khaki black minNow for Mango. Here are some pieces on my wishlist in addition to the military jacket I posted the other day. Because it is so beautiful let’s just take another look…

military jacketI just LOVE this cardigan – even my husband said it was ‘very me’.

mango stripeHad enough of the military jackets? How about a cardigan with military detailing?

military cardiganThis is beautiful with the fringing.

navy fringe cardiganThis may actually replace all my winter coats that I just sold!ponchoNow for Zara. As much as I love their new season I still have to pick and choose. I am neither the width nor height of any of the models. All their clothes look amazing online but on a 44 year old with a large bust and waist maybe not. These, however, I think I can get away with.

zara black green topNot sure if I can get away with this but I will give it a darn good try – totally love it!

embroiderd zara cardigan

Finally H&M – I always feel I am disappointed with their quality when I see items in store versus online. I am contemplating ordering these though as they are so unique.

I have this blouse in white and love it then I saw Lucy Williams wear this version and now love this too!

star off the shoulderI love this chunky knit for winter worn simply with jeans and sneakers.

orange rib knitThis balloon sleeve jumper is gorgeous – how unique is the shape for a sweater?

balloon sleeve sweater

So a bit random hey? All perfectly wearable – I just need to edit it down a little! What are your top picks?

ASOS t-shirt dressDress – ASOS t-shirt dress // Sneakers – Golden Goose // Bag – H&M

Poppy’s new Zara boots

My mom just posted about shoes and boots. I take after her because I love shoes and boots too. I think I am fussier than she is though. I love ankle boots and my mom just ordered these for me. They arrived the yesterday an I wore them immediately. It’s hot here still but they are perfect for wearing with shorts too. They are nude or flesh toned and the leather is really soft. Mom says the price was pretty good too at $39.99. I hope you like them! I think the style is called a Chelsea boot.

Boots

 

image

 

I’m sick at home today but Mom let me write this.

Marks & Spencer, an alternative to Zara?

I’m at home taking care of a ‘sick’ daughter. Not sure how sick she is as she has just demolished scrambled eggs and toast. I’ve packed her off to her room to get on with her homework. She might find struggling through a day at school is easier than hanging out at home with Mom!

This ‘blip’ in my day has meant I am still unshowered, sitting in my gym attire – so no photo from me today. However, it has provided me time to have a thorough gander at Marks and Spencer’s new season offerings. And wow am I impressed! Obviously the caveat is that I have only seen the majority if it on their website so that requires a whole lot of creative imagination to avoid being thoroughly put off my their atrocious styling. Oh my eyes…

First up shoes. Yes, yes, yes we all know I love shoes. Kat asked me share how many shoes I’d bought over the summer. I got to about 12 I think and stopped as I was starting to cringe. I may have just ordered 4 more pairs last night from M&S as I KNOW these will sell out. Plus I had my 25% birthday code from them that I HAD to use before the end of the month! Sign up with them to receive yours – it’s valid your entire birthday month. I was going to buy new bras and knickers but how boring is that!?

That Belfast Girl first got me drooling over these on her IG feed last night. Just £35 and a GREAT lower heeled version of my J.Crew shoes that WIT also has.

black lace up

So I’ve also ordered the snakeskin version too. I’ve ordered a 6 as they apparently come up narrow. Though I have these in a 5 1/2 and they fit great so we’ll see! Fingers crossed!

snakeprint lace up

Then Frances shared these on her IG feed (note to self stay clear of IG if you want to save money!). I just adore them. The perfect pointed flat to wear with cropped jeans or black cigarette trousers. They have a definite Louis Vuitton feel to them.

LE pointed flat

So I ordered them in the gray too – knowing for sure they will disappear fast. Unfortunately these only come in whole sizes but for £35 they are worth a punt!

gem grey loaferIf you like the embellishment but prefer a ballet flat how about these?

gem pumpSo what else did I see while filling my cart. Well they have some fabulous looking boots!

These are Autograph with stain away and will be great with jeans or skirts. The ‘foot’ of the shoe looks beautiful with a lovely practical heel

Autograph bootThese are just divine – so on trend and will be perfect with culottes or a denim A-line skirt. They come in black, tan or burgundy – the burgundy is beautiful.

block heeled bootAs for ankle boots you are really spoiled for choice. This Indigo pair is the perfect little western bootie. They come in black too.

suede ankle bootThere’s a beautiful ankle version of the tall boot above. Just gorgeous in berry.

square toe bootOr if you prefer a narrower heel how about these? I am considering the green version after reading Sue’s post the other day. They are LUSH! They also come in navy.

burgundy ankle bootAlways a fan of a shoe boot – these are lovely and ideal for wearing with opaques and dresses. I think I will order these in navy.

shoe bootLastly another couple of flats – the ubiquitous ghillie lace up. A steal at £29.50.

flat gjillieAnd a beautiful elegant pump similar to those that my friend Max was touting on IG. Lovely with cigarette pants for Fall. The navy patent version is gorgeous.

court shoeNow for the new clothes that caught my attention – and this is really where I think the Limited Edition line comes into it’s own. Competing directly with Zara but appealing to those of us who grew up with M&S – and also maybe making moms of teenage girls happier – assuming M&S still delivers on quality and customer service.

This jacket is in my cart. So cool.

bomber jacketThese culottes are so similar to the ones J.Crew have been selling this season, but these are a smidge of the price!

culottesThis dress is lovely and will be perfect paired with the tan knee high boots above! Yay for pockets too!!

denim dressYou’d never know this was M&S – Zara or TopShop maybe. What a gorgeous color – described as peach mix online.

fur giletThis is identical to a blouse that Zara were selling – I think Frances has the Zara version. It’s less than £30!

high neck blouseI just LOVE this cape. It comes in burgundy too – although M&S insist it is ‘dusty pink’!

hooded wrapI always laugh with Frances as I find so many items that would be perfect for her – she doesn’t need style advice but I can show her where to spend her money!

lace dressI’d wear this with a khaki military jacket similar to this.

Screen Shot 2015-08-26 at 11.11.51 AMI want this dress. It will sell out fast like the spotty number from last year.

moon print dressFinally how lovely is this mac? – Lightweight and super stylish.

trenchNow if only M&S could open a store here in Atlanta I’d be a happy girl. In the meantime they do offer free shipping to the US so it seems I may be seeing a lot of my postie this Fall!

Boden are back on my Fall Winter wish list!

Those of you who have followed me from the start will remember that I used to be OBSESSED with Boden. In fact one of the reasons I started blogging was because I enjoyed sharing my new Boden purchases on their social media forum (no longer operating). The problem is I was, and still am, developing my personal style and I think I just became weary of my Boden tunics, knitwear and jackets. I never really subscribed to their ‘fun prints’, but their quality and customer service could not and cannot ever be faulted. Of course I also loved wearing a quintessential British brand to remind me of home. Being here in the US also means that Boden can be worn loud and proud without incurring any of the potentially negative brand associations that it has in the UK – mumsy, middle class and frumpy.

I haven’t even visited the site recently but a 20% off code – 2A9Z in the US – was enough to lure me in.  I did order the beautiful Alice shoes back in June but unfortunately they were way too narrow. At their reduced price of just $89 in the clearance I am tempted to try them again half a size up.

pinkThis Breton is currently in my basket. I absolutely LOVE the pine color and the broader stripes.

Breton

I’ve recently sold many of my winter coats. Each year I find they just don’t get worn. I LOVE a great coat, but here in Atlanta, even when it is cold, I have little need for a heavy winter coat as this city is all about the car – no walking outside wrapped up in the cold is required. This beautiful Ella jacket will be sufficient – again it is currently 20% off.

Ella

Of course I want the Alexa sweater to wear with it as modeled above.

Alexa

How fabulous would the shoes, jacket and sweater look together – and you can save $150 on the outift today!

Boden collage

Have you seen anything that excites you on the Boden website? If you haven’t looked for a while I encourage you to – you might be surprised as I was. I have to say I am quite excited about seeing some Boden back in my closet!

AllSAintsDress – AllSaints (similar here or with long sleeves here) // Sandals – Cypriot sandals (similar here) // Bag – H&M

H&MBlouse – H&M // Trousers – Zara (old similar here) // Shoes – New Balance J.Crew // Bag – H&M

Poor game from Nike

My Nike order arrived. Out of the order placed – Internationalists, Montreals and AirMax – the only that I loved and that are staying are the Air Max. I just found the others too retro and the colors irl were less than appealing. Now for a little bit of a soap box rant – retailers if you allow customers to pay via PayPal online then please provide the ability to refund in store! If Zara and TopShop can do it, as a ‘global tier retailer’ Nike should be able to too, instead of only offering a store credit. To receive your cash back you have to return via mail. I was less than happy to be told this in the Nike store this morning. You may have heard my displeasure if you were in Atlanta.

Being pissed off by any aspect of customer service can put me off a brand for life. I may not be purchasing the swoosh again, but I am totally in love with my red Air Max essentials.

NikeTop – AllSaints (old) // Jeans – Zara (old) // Sneakers – Nike Air Max Ultra Essential (in clearance with extra 20% off using Back2Sport)

Bojo topTop – Mango (old – similar here) // Jeans – Zara (old) // Shoes – Vince Nina (on sale here) // Sunglasses – Mango (sale here) // Bag – H&M

AdidasJacket – Mango (similar here) // Sneakers – Adidas Superstars // Top – AllSaints // Jeans – Zara (old) // Bag – H&M

Given that I have returned some Nikes (by mail!), and that I received a 15% off birthday code from Adidas, I have ordered these Adidas Top Tens. They are $115 on Net-a-porter.com but just $90 on Adidas.com – and if you sign up for their email they will send you a 15% discount code. Well worth it. If NAP are selling them then they are obviously ‘the’ sneaker to wear this Fall/Winter!

TopTen

 

How many pairs of sneakers does a girl need?

Hmm well replace ‘need’ with ‘want’ and it seems to be never ending! I’ve had a love affair with sneakers/trainers since I was young when I cherished my Dunlop Green Flash. My Mum would whiten them for me, which inevitably resulted in crusty shoes, as you were in effect putting white paint on them that cracked once it dried! I soon moved onto Converse and they were my staple at University – I had a green pair and a lilac pair. Of course once the 90s arrived it was all about the Adidas Gazelles. Interestingly I still have Gazelles and Converse in my collection – but no Green Flash! Do they even still sell them?

So going back to the question I have so many sneakers now that I cannot ever say ‘I need those’ when it comes to a new pair. I have running shoes, sneakers for fashion and even sneakers-to-wear-with-work-out-gear-when-I’m-not-actually-working-out, as my husband duly noted this morning. Due to my rather large collection of sneakers, these days I tend to wait for the sales to add a new style, or a new color, to the mix. Many of the sneakers you will see in the sale are the same style as the new season, but just a different selection of colors. So unless you are buying high performance running shoes you won’t be missing out on any new technology!

Nike very kindly just sent me a code for an extra 20% off clearance – BACK2SPORT. Some of my favorite casual sneakers are the Nike Internationalist. These are currently on sale so you will get your extra 20% off making them just $48, reduced from the regular price of $85. I have a couple of pairs at home and I can vouch for their comfort.

Nike-Internationalist-Womens-Shoe-629684_302_E_PREM Nike-Internationalist-Womens-Shoe-629684_303_E_PREM

 

This navy pair are slightly more but have to be my favorite for the Fall, and you’ll get the extra 20% off too.

W-NIKE-INTERNATIONALIST-FO-QS-807148_400_E_PREM

 

While on the Nike site I fell hard for thesebright red but I adore Air Max! These would be amazing with black skinnies and a black cashmere sweater.

W-AIR-MAX-90-ULTRA-ESSENTIAL-724981_600_A_PREM

 

If you are looking for some serious running shoes you can’t go wrong with the Lunar Flyknits. I always go up half a size at least for running to give me plenty of room in the toe box. These are in the sale, in a couple of colors, reduced from $150, with an extra 20% off too!

WMNS-NIKE-FLYKNIT-LUNAR3-698182_007_E_PREM

 

Now for the classic New Balance. Take a look at these images and tell me they aren’t cool!

pinterest 4 pinterest 3 pinterest 2 pinterest 1

 

My favorite New Balance 620s are on sale on the New Balance site reduced from $79.99 to $59.99. I found a discount code for you too! RETAILMENOT will get you 12% off plus free shipping. How could you say no to green and bubble gum pink?

630 green

 

Or navy and apple?

630 navy

 

Finally – (not on sale – don’t shoot me) – I spotted some amazing colors new on the J.Crew site. These always sell out super fast as they are custom colors unique to J.Crew. I’m definitely getting my hands on this olive and pink pair.

620 JCrew

The classic navy pair are gorgeous and a little more subtle.

630 JCrew navy

 

I wore a pair of my 620s yesterday, then I forgot to take a photo of them! I was dashing from one place to another and, take it from me, they added a little pace around the supermarket!

On Friday I made the trip to IKEA. One I try to do only x2 a year. This time of year is NOT the time to go as every GA Tech and GA State student is there trying to furnish their abode for the next year! As a side note I used to be quite a snob about cooking utensils and pots and pans – but IKEA do some fabulous pots and pans and baking ware!

WatermelonTrousers – Zara (old) // Shoes – TopShop Kingfisher // T-shirt – H&M

Today it’s back to work. I dropped Stella, our white boxer, at the vet today to have a mast cell tumor removed. Very common in boxers but still I hated leaving her there!

JCrew blazerShoes – Vince Nina (on sale here and here) // Jeans – J.Crew (sale) // Top – Mango (sale) // Jacket – J.Crew Regent blazer // Bag – Alexander Wang Rocco (similar here discounted)