Bugbears
Friday, 8 June 2012
Big breath ......
- When one of your favourite shops has a discount code offer and you finally go and order the item you want, to find it has sold out in your size. (Yes - the Wilpshire cardigan in red is totally sold out)
- When your new jumper pills after the first wear.
- When your ivory cashmere jumper sheds over all your dark clothing.
- When your white cat rubs up against your black leggings / tights / dress / suit / anything.
- When you buy a pair of shoes and you get home and you find that one pair is a slightly different shade to the other.
- When you buy something at full price and it goes in to the sale a day later.
- When your hemline is 1 inch too short for you to be comfortable.
- When you nearly finish ironing something and then find a mark which didn't come out in the wash.
- When your dry clean jumper which you chanced in the wash comes out significantly smaller
- When you get sauce splash back on your white top.
- When the stripes are not aligned on your top/dress.
- When the item you thought would go with everything in your wardrobe - doesn't go with anything in your wardrobe.
- Jeans which give you that strange camel toe crotch effect.
- White jeans/dresses/skirts/trousers where you can see the garment pocket lining showing through.
- Sleeves which are too tight around the arms. We don't all have stick arms.
- The pj bottoms you took up because they were 5 inches too long, shrink in the wash and are now 2" too short.
- You find a white hair that got missed when you dyed your hair last night.
- Your espadrilles are not waterproof.
- You and your friend come out of the changing rooms wearing the same clothes. She looks ten times better than you.
- When your husband says "what are you wearing??" with a faintly bemused expression when you model your latest fashion find.
- When the only bag in the Plumo sale is the only bag not in the sale. Why????
I only had 20 until Plumo sent me an email to say they had a sale on. Pah!
What have you got to add?
Rat a tat tat! Who's that?
Thursday, 7 June 2012
It's the nice Parcel Force man who comes to my door bearing a huge box!
I've not actually been that naughty. I've been culling my wardrobe for about a year and stockpiled a mountain of clothing which was just a little too good for the charity bag. I finally mustured up enough energy to do a little ebaying and have now reaped the rewards into my Paypal account. And did you know that the number of shops online which now allow Paypal as a method of payment is increasing by the day - neither did I till this past week!
I've had my eye on the Kurt Geiger Kook sandals for a little while. For some reason, I have been irresistibly drawn to them like a magpie to all things shiny and glittery. They had them in a nice chic snakeskin version but no, I wanted the glittery ones. My sensible head was saying "get the snakeskin" but my inner child was saying "glitter!!!". There was a 25% off discount code going round last week from Marie Claire and so I finally got round to ordering the Kooks ....and the Krimbles. Krimbles - who mentioned anything about Krimbles? Err, it just so happened there was another pair of sandals I had my eyes on and it seemed to make sense to order them both and save on the postage costs and maybe keep one pair (or both). Gosh, I'm good at selling to myself.
So one huge box containing two smaller boxes later .....
We have one pair of Kooks!
I've had my eye on the Kurt Geiger Kook sandals for a little while. For some reason, I have been irresistibly drawn to them like a magpie to all things shiny and glittery. They had them in a nice chic snakeskin version but no, I wanted the glittery ones. My sensible head was saying "get the snakeskin" but my inner child was saying "glitter!!!". There was a 25% off discount code going round last week from Marie Claire and so I finally got round to ordering the Kooks ....and the Krimbles. Krimbles - who mentioned anything about Krimbles? Err, it just so happened there was another pair of sandals I had my eyes on and it seemed to make sense to order them both and save on the postage costs and maybe keep one pair (or both). Gosh, I'm good at selling to myself.
So one huge box containing two smaller boxes later .....
Box of Good Things
We have one pair of Kooks!
All that glitters is good!
All that is tan, is good with me too.
The Kooks fitted and glittered but most importantly, they were comfortable. Comfortable - sounds like a dirty word doesn't it? In a mummy's world - that is very important. Pre-kids, I wore my heels high and proud and sometimes painful. With kids - comfort is the way to go (with a lttle nod to style where possible).
The Krimbles are a slightly higher end version of my Primark wedge sandals featured in previous posts. I need them like I need a hole in the head but I like them so that's my reason for ordering. I don't drink, I don't smoke, I'm a good girl - I am allowed these shoes paid for by my Paypal proceeds because I didn't really use real money.
I make a convincing argument don't I?
I make a convincing argument don't I?
Jubilee
Tuesday, 5 June 2012
My nod to the red, white and blue theme. It will do.
Red Etienne Aigner Bag
Primark Peacock Scarf
Whistles Breton Top
Falmer Heritage Skinny Jeans
Carvela Krimble Sandals
We had a little wander down in to the village to see the Jubilee shenanigans. Thankfully the weather picked up though the sky was distinctly pale grey as we set off.
Where is everyone?
They're in here!
Red, white and blue!
Honest - that's the Queen!
Left, right, left, right.
Wait for us!
Face painting for anyone who wants to be face painted!
Catch me if you can!
And the band played on ...
Jubilee biscuits - tasted better than they looked
Jubilee buns - only for those with a sweet tooth (aka Ben & George)
And then home for a nice cuppa! It is the Queen's Jubilee after all.
Nice cup of Earl Grey and a tooth meltingly sweet Jewel bun.
The village is only small and as we set off we started to think "Where is everyone?" but it turned out that most people had gone to the church to see the mock Coronation of the Queen. I took a few snaps, Ben took some as well but I have to admit that his were even more blurred than mine so between the two of us, this is the best of what we have of today.
The Baking Belles had set up in the church where we bought our buns and didn't they do a lovely job? Of course the boys chose the most colourful and sugary confections known to man and the most colourful and sugary one just happened to be the Jewel bun - the one Ben said he picked especially for me.
My familiar mantra when around children springs to mind. "Errr.....do I have to?"
Did you have a good Jubilee day?
Aubin & Wills Part 2
Monday, 4 June 2012
Oh no - 30% discount and the world has gone shopping mad in Aubin & Wills. I waited patiently for ages for a promotion to come along so I could purchase one red Wilpshire cardigan and everyone got there before me. Ah well - c'est la vie, it wasn't meant to be.
Aubin & Wills - where do we start - how about the opening statement on Wikipedia :
Aubin & Wills was launched by Jack Wills in September 2008. The label is aimed at a more mature customer than Jack Wills, namely age 25 and up, who have recently graduated from higher or tertiary education and are in full-time employment.
Translation - Jack Wills is for students with expensive tastes funded by parents. Aubin & Wills is for the same students who grew up and now have their own money and a little bit of discretionary taste and don't need a logo emblazoned on every article they wear. Is that a bit harsh? It is really. I actually like to think that the Aubin & Wills devotees are a nice arty bunch - probably over 30 rather than 25 with reasonable disposable incomes to spend on expensive but relatively plain jumpers. I do actually like Jack Wills as well - I even have a few pieces of Jack Wills clothing picked up in their quite lucrative sales and online "discounted outlet" but sometimes when I walk past their stores and it's swarming with young teeny boppers clutching their pink and blue stripy bags, it all gets a little bit too much for me.
Anyway, back to Aubin & Wills. I purchased my first couple of pieces in 2010 as I think I've had my yellow rain jacket for around two years now. This was when the label first came to my attention. I've featured the jacket before in my blog and it's my little ray of sunshine for a dull grey day. Not sure how fully waterproof it is but whoever said fashion was practical? I have my black Sprayway walking jacket for practical.
Bring me sunshine!
Big sloppy tee
Then I have my fail safe grey marl sweatshirt tunic for over the winter months with a pair of skinny jeans or jeggings tucked in boots. You can dress it up or dress it down and layer underneath it for warmth. Looks like nothing much and when my friend saw it, she said she wouldn't have paid the money for it (and it was discounted at the time) because ....it didn't look like very much. But I have had my wear out of it so it has paid for itself.
Simple detailing
This brings me to 2012. They really peaked this year with their Spring 2012 almanac which had a beatnik vibe and their use of Irina Lazareanu and Alex James for their campaigns. So many of the images from the almanac were featured in so many blogs and pinned and repinned everywhere. But this one of Irina wearing the Annaside blouse won me over.
From 2012 Spring Almanac
I succumbed and bought it with my birthday money back in March. There was a 30% discount promotion again and I thought it's lovely and I want to look like the model, all nonchalant and hip and cool (in my dreams). Their campaign was so successful that when I went to order, they only had a size 8 left but I ordered it anyway. It was not to be. Bingo wings. I am of a certain age and the dreaded bingo wings have set in. Not to be defeated, I remembered Net-a-Porter also stocked Aubin & Wills and as luck would have it - the blouse was there but no 30% discount. Can't win them all. Size 10 fitted. Perfect.
The blouse has some lovely delicate embroidery detailing and I am more than delighted with it. To some people, the price £75 is too much and for some it will seem relatively cheap but I am happy to invest in an item which I don't think is a one season wonder and can be enjoyed from year to year. As they say, if you do your fashion maths right, the cost per wear equation speaks for itself.
So, that is my Aubin & Wills journey so far. It has been enjoyable and I have been pleased with all my purchases to date. I've not yet had the pleasure of visiting an actual Aubin & Wills store but I have been assured by a friend who has been to the Manchester King St store that it is wonderful. He couldn't leave without buying a £30 dicky bow just because he wanted to have something from the store and he could go home with a bag (and he's not a teenager). So here's to hoping that I will be granted another Shopping Day permit soon where I can hotfoot it to Manchester and see the store for myself.
I will also finish today with a link to Mary Portas's review of Aubin & Wills for the Daily Telegraph.
I like them. Mary likes them. Do you?
Aubin & Wills (Part 1)
Saturday, 2 June 2012
Just a quick little post.
Middle Row. L to R.
I really like Aubin & Wills clothing. Nice easy pieces, some of the prices are at the higher end of the high street but such fabulous marketing fabulous marketing campaigns which make you covet their clothing any way. I have my eye on a couple of things and I've just been notified of a 30% discount code HRH60 today for the site to help celebrate the Jubilee.
This is my wish list .....
Top Row. L to R.
Bottom Row. L to R.
For some strange reason, I really want a red cardigan. No idea why. Anything catch your eye?
The Day the Grump Meister Became a Babe Magnet
I was doing a mad dash (George Dude in pre-school for the morning - so got to make it fast) looking for a birthday present for a friend and decided to see if there was anything nice in the Jo Malone store. It's one of those stores where despite all the hustle and bustle outside, inside Jo Malone, the world slows a little and everything is calm. Polar opposites to my slightly mad world.
Big bag for friend, little bag for me.
Lovely smart packaging
You get 3 sachets in a box
Now I had been hankering after these myself so after checking whether they had more than 1 box in stock, err, I treated my friend and my knicker drawer to a box each. Feels a little better when I don't say I'm treating myself but treating my drawers. Oh yes. I'm going to have the most fragrant knickers around in the nicest sense.
And they had a lovely new limited edition scent Plum Blossom in the prettiest bottles.
And together with the sachets, I think that makes a nice present.
And whilst I was there, I checked to see if they still did the complimentary hand massages and to include one for my friend. And when I got home, I found they had included one for me too. Big smile.
She must have seen the state of my hands!
A few days later, I got a card through the post - handwritten no less - such a rarity in this high tech computer mad world. A little gesture but you know what - just one which means there is a company out there who is thinking about the customer experience.
Nice touch
Oh yes - last but not least - the title of this blog post.
"The day the Grump Meister became a Babe Magnet"
A few years ago at Christmas, after I opened my lovely Jo Malone Leather Christmas stocking and various other Jo Malone goodies from the Grump Meister, he said, the day he bought everything and he went out of the store swinging the biggest Jo Malone bag ever, he said he became this total babe magnet. Forget all the self help books on how to pull women and making yourself irrestible - just get a big fat Jo Malone carrier and women fall at your feet. He said all these women staring at him and probably wondering who the lucky lady was who was going to be on the receiving end that Christmas.
Err ..... that will be me then. Huge smile.
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