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Last Note :

We're more than half way through November folks and I may have finally found my winter coat. Normally, I would have had it in the bag by the first week of August if I was really on the case. Done and dusted by the third week if I was lagging a bit. But this year? This year has been an epic fail. It has taken me till now to find it. And I originally started this post in September and updated it and updated it and updated it. And it has taken till now but I think we have reached a conclusion. Do you want to know about my coat journey? Well, make yourself a beverage, sit down, get comfy. This may take some time. Let's begin .....

Well, I have dillied and dallied with the following :

H&M Coat

I have toyed with leopard coats for a number of years. The full on furry ones are a touch too scary for me and I remember standing in the Mango outlet a year or so ago with a bargain price furry leopard coat similar to this one in my hand. I walked up to a mirror with it and as I approached the mirror, I caught sight of someone who looked a little like me but not me. I didn't get even as far as trying it on as I could basically see it just wasn't me. However, undefeated on the leopard front, I decided, I need to try with the softer woollen blends rather than the super furry ones and this H&M leopard coat caught my eye. Anyway, after getting it home and trying it on with a few things, I returned it - I declared it too dark for me. Other than that, it wasn't a bad little coat. I did also try the lovely M&S leopard cocoon coat which looks so good on Michelle and did me no favours at all or I think that one would have ticked my leopard cravings once and for all if it had worked out. Onwards and forwards in to the coat jungle.

Result : Returned.

J Crew Utility Jacket



Not technically a winter coat but it's still outerwear so let's put this in. When the NAP sales were in full flow, this JCrew Utility jacket got reduced to an acceptable price and I put in the online shopping basket and left it there. It went and sold out but whilst having a browse on NAP, I noticed that I still had something in my basket so I had a little look and the jacket must have come back online in my size. Hmmmm. Given that I didn't hit the button in the first place, I should have left it anyway but no, I went and ordered it to give it the once over. It came, it went. It wasn't bad, it wasn't great. It was okay and honestly speaking, a little roomy. So back it went because I decided okay wasn't good enough.

Result : Returned.


Fur Jackets Galore!

On the first day the boys went back to school in September, I winged it in to town to get myself a little shopping fix - 6 weeks school hols was a little too much abstinence for this shopping mama (I know there is an online app called Cooking Mama - I wonder if there is one for Shopping Mama?) and tried on all the fur coats I could get my hands on. Zara, H&M and Mark & Spencer. Hilarious and hot. And then I found a fur coat which was not too big, not overwhelming, quite a nice fit in the most delicious ..... poo brown.



Who in their right mind, thought this was a good colour for a coat? I must have done because I picked it up and tried it on. Anyway, you can breathe a sigh of relief, I didn't buy the poo brown coat and you don't have to pretend that it's really nice and say things like "in the right light, it's a gorgeous cocoa colour". It's not, it's poo brown (and apologies to anyone who may have bought this coat).

Result : Not bought but I did like it for the fit.


Zara Smokey Grey Fur Jacket



Another attempt at a fur coat. I know that fur coats are big this year especially the more funky coloured ones but I'm not sure I really want my coats to scream circa 2014 in a few years time. This smokey grey one came online and I ummed and aahed over it as ideally I'd like a fur coat which hits below my hips. This one doesn't but the colour is delightful and so I gave it a whirl. Softer than a full on black which makes it much more acceptable in the daytime, I actually really liked this one a LOT and declared it keepers and then changed my mind as there was this funny faux leather trim on the inside which annoyed me and kept peeking out. This is me convincing myself ...



Result : Returned

New Look Fur Coat



Marks & Spencer Camel Coat




Ahhh. A camel coat. So I have hunted high and low for the perfect camel coat for the last few years and I thought this M&S one might be the one but after having it in my possession for a whole 3 weeks, I decided that it wasn't even though I became quite the little fashion bloodhound tracking this little baby down. I bought it in a size 8 and it hits just below the knee and I am 5ft 1.5". I did take a couple of pictures of me trying it on at home (this was in September when I could still get the toes out) ...

... and I did try to convince myself how I was going to wear it with skate pumps/trainers and dress it down and everything but honestly speaking, I knew this baby just wasn't right for me. But it's a nice looking coat, lovely shape and style but I wasn't overly keen on the fabric. Yes, it's an Italian fabric or so it says on the label which makes it sound oh so glamorous but in all honesty, it's just not got that luxe feeling that camel coats should have - it needs a little cashmere thrown in the mix, a little bit of softness. So basically I sent it back because

(1) It is a little bit big even though I sized down to an 8 (the size 10 would have been too boxy)
(2) The fabric was just not quite right for me.
(3) I won't honestly get my wear out of it
(4) I can't buy a coat purely to tick a camel coat box and I've lived without one for this long so what's another year?
(5) It really only looks good when I wear heels with it. It doesn't look bad with skate pumps but I just need to grow a couple of inches to carry it off convincingly.

Result : Returned.


Hobbs Duffle Coat



Remember this was on my very short wish list? My wish list just got shorter. I ordered it to get it over and done with and when it arrived, I cooed over it as I unwrapped it from it's box. It was as lovely as I remembered it but also not as comfortable. Harumph. Never mind - I didn't want to look like Paddington anyway.


Uniqlo Camel Coat




Back to camel coat territory. I was swayed by the simple cut and the fact that it was 90% wool and 10% cashmere. It came and I didn't like it at all on me. I think part of me thinks that I'm pursuing the camel coat dream for the sake of it and I shouldn't try so hard as I know when the time comes, it will jump out and punch me in the face.... hard. But this one is not it. It feels lovely and soft but I just didn't get on with it. I felt 80% better in the M&S one and I didn't keep that one so this was definitely going back.


Uniqlo Navy Coat




And I ordered the navy as well as half way through the coat process, I fancied a sharp navy coat. And I returned this for the same reasons as above. It's just not the coat for me in terms of cut and fabric. If I were a few inches taller, we might have been talking.

So where does that leave me? Well it leaves me with this ......


Topshop Slouchy Wool Boyfriend Coat



Now I did see this at the beginning of the season and I thought I'd missed out because they had the odd size left (none of which were mine) but then all of a sudden, all sizes appeared again. So you'd think I'd hit that button pronto and did I? Of course not, I fannied around of course and still kept on looking at other coats! But what I did do was go in to a store and try it on. And left it. And tried it on again. And left it. Until I was finally done with all the above coats and I now finally have this one in my possession. Phew! It's the most delicious shade of khaki swamp as you can see but as they say, it looks better in real life - honest. This is a more casual coat but it works better for me and my lifestyle. I sized down to a size 8 and there is plenty of room for a chunky jumper without feeling restricted in the arms or anything. And the khaki swamp colour is actually pretty neutral - it goes well with harder blacks and softer browns so I can swing whichever way I please this winter in this.


So, I've thoroughly exhausted myself on the old coat front this year. I'm telling you - it's been a pretty tough assignment - I normally breeze through this exercise but this year I have struggled - maybe it's because I've reached saturation point and I don't actually need any more coats in my life? Did I really just say that? I must be coming down with something ....

• Apologies if some of the links to the coats say sold out now. It has taken me that long to get this post out.

• And you know what they say about buses? Well it applies to coats too. But that's another post for another day.

• If anyone is still looking for the M&S camel coat or something similar - French Connection do one which caused me to swerve in to their store the other day to check it out. It's very nice and it's available here.

Who doesn't love being given a bunch of flowers? It's such a lovely gesture and I'm not being ungrateful here but sometimes, you think I'm not really a yellow and orange coloured flower girl or I'm not a carnation girl. I'm not this or I'm not that but I think we all have our own personal preferences don't we?  My personal preference is peonies, hydrangeas and I'm quite partial to parrot tulips too if anyone wants to buy me flowers ;o) Put it this way, the Grumps thinks twice before he comes home with a bunch of floribunda for me. 

I was recently given a bunch with the following colours in. Crimson, orange, yellow, purple and fuchsia. Together, they were very colourful and to be honest, I struggled with how to arrange them  as a collective bunch and then I hit on the brainwave of splitting them.

I extracted the carnations/dianthus and purple thistle and arranged them like this.

I then separated the fuchsia gerberas and the peachy orange roses. And arranged them like so .....

And last but not least, I extracted the remaining yellow flowers (no idea of their name) along with some of the green foliage and arranged them like this ..... as I had no idea what to do with these :o(

And in a simple setting ... they don't look so bad. Just plain and clean.

So, together, they are not so hot but separated, I thought they looked the business and this way, you get three lots of flower arrangements. 

Sometimes, you just need to think outside the box.

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Last Note :

Anyway, I was looking through one of the Saturday Telegraph supplements and came across an article featuring Lulu Kennedy, the lady behind the company Lulu & Co. Wearing the above jumper with a pair of blue jeans and a pair of funky shoes. Sold. Well it was easy wasn't it? You've got a lady with a grey jumper on, a pair of jeans and a pair of funky shoes? Sounds like me most days albeit not quite as cool and the shoes not so funky! But this is a look I can certainly picture myself wearing with or without funky shoes sipping my Earl Grey sat at home (see previous post). Let's keep playing that lottery!

3. Zara Boots

I tried these on in store and now I have a hankering for them. I think these could be the perfect school run boots! Now these are not for the uber glam people out there but they are perfectly good for the likes of little ol' me who wants to wear a pair of not totally flat boots which I can actually do the school run in. By school run, I don't mean, crash out of the car with the boys in tow, leg it across the road 200 yards and then back in the car again. I mean the proper 15-20 minute one foot in front of the other school run stomp. And back again! My first impressions of these are they are mega. Honestly go in to a store and try them on. Walk around in them. Let your feet be cosseted and caressed by the woolly fleece lining which are going to keep your tootsies so warm. Feel yourself bounce across the floor because of the crepe soles which provides that little bit of extra comfort. And I was thinking that if Acne were to make the low version of their shearling lined Pistols ... I think they would look a lot like these. What say you?