We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo .....
Sunday, 17 June 2012
............actually, we're just going to Grandma's house.
Parrot 1 & Cat 1
Dog 1 and Chicken 1 & Chicken 2 of 10
Parrot 2 and Cat 2
..... but it sometimes feels like we're going to the zoo.
And do you know how scary and difficult it is to take pictures of a huge big beaked parrot?
Parrot Out Takes
Especially when it flies at you?
..... oh and did I mention Dog 2 and Dog 3 were a bit camera shy today? So once again, we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo, how about you? you? you? ......
Anthropologie. I love thee...
Saturday, 16 June 2012
.... when you have one of your fab sales! And then I can finally justify buying a couple of your eclectic and highly covetable and quirky items of clothing.
The Anthropologie sale kicked off this week. I was very good and very restrained. I had previously held off buying various bits as I was waiting to see if anything I had my eye on was going to come up in the sale and lo and behold, for once, the things I wanted were in the sale and in my size (as well as much more) but I was good'ish - I only went for the items I'd marked out previously. One can get a bit basket happy when online - it's okay as long as you don't click the pay now button before doing a final edit! It's probably even better if you don't click the pay button at all but that is not the way to happiness and new clothes.
So I have 2 dresses winging their way to me and both were half price and under £30 each so that's pretty reasonable even for those on a budget. The intention is that only one dress will fit and then I won't have to keep both and spend more money than I need to. But as luck will have it - I will probably love them both. I need to get ebaying again!
And here are some other goodies I also spotted whilst browsing .....
The other good thing about Anthropologie is that they have a continuous Sale section and my first stop off on this site is the tab labelled 'fresh cuts' where anything they have just reduced gets dropped in here - seriously, I have seen £90 cardigans going for £5. I'm also the first to admit I have more expensive tastes than my budget allows (who doesn't) so any discounts and promotions I can find are very welcome. I still think I have a working salary when in fact I don't so I've had to tailor the way I shop over the last few years. Kids have this strange effect on bank balances - they bleed you dry and the high street has indeed been my saviour (thank you Primark and New Look) for every day wear but every now and then I like a little something different and when Anthro have a sale - I can indulge in a little something different and fabby at a pretty reasonable price.
... last minute update ... the dresses arrived! One is a possible but not instant love. One is a not in a million years. Methinks a trip to the Post Office is on the cards in the next couple of day! I don't need another summer dress when we don't even have a summer here. I'm going to save my pennies!
The Anthropologie sale kicked off this week. I was very good and very restrained. I had previously held off buying various bits as I was waiting to see if anything I had my eye on was going to come up in the sale and lo and behold, for once, the things I wanted were in the sale and in my size (as well as much more) but I was good'ish - I only went for the items I'd marked out previously. One can get a bit basket happy when online - it's okay as long as you don't click the pay now button before doing a final edit! It's probably even better if you don't click the pay button at all but that is not the way to happiness and new clothes.
So I have 2 dresses winging their way to me and both were half price and under £30 each so that's pretty reasonable even for those on a budget. The intention is that only one dress will fit and then I won't have to keep both and spend more money than I need to. But as luck will have it - I will probably love them both. I need to get ebaying again!
And here are some other goodies I also spotted whilst browsing .....
Reverberation Tank £39.95 Tussie Tank £49.95
Not Your Boyfriends Cardigan £49.95 Oversized Stripe Tee £39.95
Electric Vines Skirt £49.95 Cascading Waves Dress £99.95
See - I do like bright colours - I just like grey hues more!
... last minute update ... the dresses arrived! One is a possible but not instant love. One is a not in a million years. Methinks a trip to the Post Office is on the cards in the next couple of day! I don't need another summer dress when we don't even have a summer here. I'm going to save my pennies!
Ding Dong
Thursday, 14 June 2012
Don't you just love the sound of the doorbell which says the postman has arrived with presents!
Me and the postman are like that. Thick as thieves. Not really. My postman is really quite grumpy and doesn't smile much. I don't actually think he even likes me. When I open the door to him, I put on my biggest smile and say in my cheeriest voice "Good morning!" and he always looks a little taken back and then returns the greeting most begrudgingly. Whatever happened to the old adage about smiling and the whole world smiles with you? Not in the case of my postman. I have to say he's getting a little better because he knows I will grin manically at him till he grimaces back at me. I do it also because I'm a bit that way out. It has taken four years to get this far in our relationship. Grump Meister says I should leave him be.
Anyway, ding dong, forced smiling and and the handing over of a parcel happens. Now this is a strange parcel today - it's a Boden parcel.
I have never ordered anything from Boden before till now. Why? Err .... just haven't. Maybe because I've always regarded Boden as being the fashion equivalent of a Volvo Estate? Loads of people are probably up in arms right now but just remember - there's a lot of fashion out there and what is right for one is not right for another. Anyway you can't hate me - I now have some Boden items of clothing in my possession!
It started with me seeing a lovely grey jumper on a blogger and finding out it was from Boden. Jaw drop. The blogger is cool and hip and wearing a Boden jumper. I had to check it out. Besides I love grey jumpers. The jumper looked nice and looked even better with a discount of 20% off and free delivery.
It's a really nice jumper - I'm keeping it. It's not exciting and it's not high fashion - it's just a good jumper. You know when you just know something is right. The fit is perfect. It's a nice summer weight. Doesn't cling over the bagel belly and doesn't look like it will pill like a crazy thing. It has some nice but not naff button detailing. And I love the pistachio contrast colour details. Boden named it most appropriately as the "must have" jumper.
Reminded me of a Margaret Howell striped jumper I already own with grey and pistachio tones. After all I am a creature of habits. Oh and I should get loads of wear out of this - it's grey after all. My favourite colour.
Plain, simple, versatile and wearable. What more do you want?
Pistachio Ribbon Trim
Grey & Pistachio Margaret Howell Striped Jumper
And because I was browsing the Boden site, I had a look in the Johnnie B section for teeny boppers and this Breton dress caught my eye. Being a titch means I can raid the children's section every now and then. There has to be some benefits to being vertically challenged (VAT free clothes springs to mind).
I'd been eyeing up a couple of similar dresses in Whistles but the fit was a little bit off for me and if you are paying in the region of £80 for a jersey summer dress - you want it to be right. I ordered this Johnnie B dress in a size large (for reference, I'm a size 10) and I don't think it's too bad for overall fit and length though this is one of those dresses where I have to remember to curtsey rather than bend over. The dress is £21 which is pretty good value. Thinking of holiday abroad, shopping along cobbled streets, straw trilby, basket tote, donkey braying in the background? Oh yes and I think I can even live with the little embroidered dog emblem on the hem - he's almost cute.
I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by Boden - they really are on the ball with their customer service and constant promotions. In my parcel, they included a welcome card with an extra 15% off the next purchase as a thank you. How canny is that? So I ordered the navy colour way of the dress too. Now I can't decide! The navy stripe is very traditional and classic but the ivory and blue is fun and summery. Which way should I go? I have a year to make up my mind - now that is some return policy!!
So what does this mean? Am I a Boden convert? Not yet. My choices this time are quite basic and do not scream Boden all over them. I hear they are upping their game for Autumn/Winter 2012 and getting a little more "edgey". This remains to be seen. However, my first time shopping with Boden has not been unpleasant. We may cross paths again some day. What I have learnt though is that sometimes we get stuck in a mindset about certain brands. In my case I just needed to take the blinkers off and look beyond all the prints and the oh so happy clappy models because sometimes, just sometimes .....there might just be the odd little gem in there waiting to be found.
At least he's not pink.
I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by Boden - they really are on the ball with their customer service and constant promotions. In my parcel, they included a welcome card with an extra 15% off the next purchase as a thank you. How canny is that? So I ordered the navy colour way of the dress too. Now I can't decide! The navy stripe is very traditional and classic but the ivory and blue is fun and summery. Which way should I go? I have a year to make up my mind - now that is some return policy!!
Decisions, decisions!
So what does this mean? Am I a Boden convert? Not yet. My choices this time are quite basic and do not scream Boden all over them. I hear they are upping their game for Autumn/Winter 2012 and getting a little more "edgey". This remains to be seen. However, my first time shopping with Boden has not been unpleasant. We may cross paths again some day. What I have learnt though is that sometimes we get stuck in a mindset about certain brands. In my case I just needed to take the blinkers off and look beyond all the prints and the oh so happy clappy models because sometimes, just sometimes .....there might just be the odd little gem in there waiting to be found.
This way up ....
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
I'm a bad cook. Sort of. Actually I'm more of a reluctant cook. I have to profess to not having a love of cooking. I have a sister who loves food, loves to buy food and loves to cook. I have a sister who likes shopping. Guess which sister I take after?
However, 7 years ago when stuck at home and pregnant and with time on my hands, I had to take to the kitchen. It seemed only fair if the Grump Meister was out working during the day, he could at least come home to a hot meal at the end of the day. And so began my cooking adventure .....
.....well actually as the Grump Meister would like to tell most people - it never actually took off. I can put a hot meal on the table but I'm not saying all the ingredients compliment. Classic example of last week's roast chicken dinner. Roast chicken - fine. Roast new potatoes - fine. Carrots and Broccoli - fine. Nice chicken gravy made from the yummy bits at the bottom of the roasting tray - fine. But I didn't stop there did I? Roasted red peppers and tomatoes done with balsamic? Sounds fine when eaten with something else or stirred in to a pasta dish but it did not go with the traditional roast chicken dinner. Sometimes I just don't know where to stop. But like I said to the Grumps bemused face "the veggies needed using up". And I have to confess to only having roasted my first chicken about a year ago. Yes it has taken me till the age of 40 to roast a chicken. Even now, which way up the chicken goes in the oven perplexes me somewhat. I have been known to take a picture on my phone and send a picture of the roast chicken to the hubby with the message "is this the right way up?" The first time I did this, it amused him so much, he showed the text and accompanying picture to his work colleagues. Thanks bud - your dinner is in the cat
But I'm getting better - practice makes perfect - once a fortnight we do a roast chicken midweek as this makes for a fairly easy dinner. The boys get some veggies and don't object too much and there are always leftovers for the next meal - we're having chicken curry tomorrow now that young Ben has switched on to curry. It has been a long time coming but Grumps is mighty proud that Ben now eats curry. It's like a badge of honour, a rite of passage, his boy eats curry! Beer next!
One right way up chicken
Lazy roasties
Ta dah!!! And that's Ben's hand trying to sneak some chicken skin!
Not before me - young man! Age before beauty!
Anyway, that's what we had for dinner last night (minus roasted veggies in balsamic) and it doesn't look too bad even if I do say so myself and to solve the dilemma of which way up the chicken should be - I now have a picture of a roast chicken taped to the inside of my kitchen cupboard door showing me which way up the chicken goes!
No excuses anymore for upside down chicken a la Sue
But hey - I've got the hang of it now! Sort of.
And just for anyone who's interested. This is my way - everyone is different.
Chicken.
Stick a cut lemon up the chicken's bum. I have attempted to stick one down it's neck before. The lemon is to add extra flavour and moisture (Grump's words). Olive oil on skin (I use a silicone pastry brush to brush it around - don't like getting my hands dirty). Salt and black pepper. Bob in oven.
Lazy roasties.
Par boil some new pots. Bung in tray. Olive oil over top. Shake about. Crushed sea salt. Bob's your uncle.
This Bob is a popular chap isn't he?
Simply Gorgeous
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
These are just simply gorgeous.
Nothing much more to say apart from I will take them all!
White Jeans ... finally.
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Good things (aka white jeans) come to those who have inordinate amounts of patience and are prepared to take on the might and wrath of the God of No White Jeans. But I have defeated the aforementioned God. I have found my pair of white jeans.
My particular pair are the Relaxed Skinny jeans from Next. Yes - I did say Next. Not Topshop, not H&M, not Gap, not Zara even. They're from Next. They're not too skinny so there is no mummified sausage leg effect and the denim is also a nice weight which is very important as I have found the thinner the white denim - the cheaper they look. And because they are a "relaxed skinny", I was able to size down - every girl needs a morale boost!
And, maybe it's just me but I just happen to think that white jeans can look very bad if you get them wrong because there is nothing like a pair of Daz white jeans to really say "look how big and wide and white my bottom is". I'm not saying I've got it totally right with the pair that I've got or that I look fabulous - I just look better in these than all the other 20 pairs I tried on. Previous years, I'd always eschewed white jeans thinking they were uncool (Liz Hurley has a lot to answer for) but after seeing so many bloggers upping the anti in their whites, I thought it was time for me to get with it.
So I cannot beat Lucy from Suburban Style for her 30 ways to wear white jeans (such a mad but brilliant blog post) but I can show you just a few ways of how I might choose to wear white jeans this year.
Chilled and fresh.
Blogger style.
Relaxed and easy
My particular pair are the Relaxed Skinny jeans from Next. Yes - I did say Next. Not Topshop, not H&M, not Gap, not Zara even. They're from Next. They're not too skinny so there is no mummified sausage leg effect and the denim is also a nice weight which is very important as I have found the thinner the white denim - the cheaper they look. And because they are a "relaxed skinny", I was able to size down - every girl needs a morale boost!
Cheap and cheerful belt - be gone!
And, maybe it's just me but I just happen to think that white jeans can look very bad if you get them wrong because there is nothing like a pair of Daz white jeans to really say "look how big and wide and white my bottom is". I'm not saying I've got it totally right with the pair that I've got or that I look fabulous - I just look better in these than all the other 20 pairs I tried on. Previous years, I'd always eschewed white jeans thinking they were uncool (Liz Hurley has a lot to answer for) but after seeing so many bloggers upping the anti in their whites, I thought it was time for me to get with it.
So I cannot beat Lucy from Suburban Style for her 30 ways to wear white jeans (such a mad but brilliant blog post) but I can show you just a few ways of how I might choose to wear white jeans this year.
Chilled and fresh.
Jack Wills gingham shirt (old)
Smaller checks work better for me with white jeans - less yee hah!
Not sure if I am keeping this - I fear it may be a little too fashionable for me!
Citrus sharp and bright.
Topshop fine knit jumper (sold out)
Looks good with grey contrasts
Coral Brights
River Island skeleton shadow mens scarf (old)
Soft and calm
Florence & Fred eau de nil pashmina (old)
Relaxed and easy
Jack Wills grapefruit pink cotton cardigan (last year)
Grey Primark vest
Love the colour pop on this.
And then it all got too much. Respect to Lucy for doing 30 outfits. I gave up after 6.
Last but not least, white denim has been an interesting lesson but I got there in the end. Do you think it was worth it and are you loving or loathing?
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