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Tuesday 31 January 2017





So I'm a little winter'ed out and I need a little fashion injection in to my rather lack lustre wardrobe. I'm a bit bored of my Mom uniform of old black parka, black jeans and black Ugg boots and though I'm very comfy, I look as boring as sin. I'm looking forward to shedding these layers and lightening up a little. What have I spotted? What would I like? What's going to breath new life to my fashion mojo?



1. Topshop Gingham Ruffle Skirt

It's so utterly not me but I love it. It's got ruffles flamenco style. OH lay!  Don't we all need a little something to excite the wardrobe sometimes? I think this might be my summer fashion wildcard.


2. Adidas Gazelle.

They're a classic. And I've picked navy simply I wear a lot of navy in the summer and technically these should go with a lot in the old wardrobe. I'm constantly on the look out for the next pair of trainers to hit my shoedrobe - these might be them.


3. H&M Navy Hooded Top

I'm embracing my inner teen here. I have the grey jumper hoodie seen a couple of posts ago but before I saw that, I did actually spot this navy one. It's still in the back of my mind and it would be oh so useful. I could even give it to the eldest boy if I tire of it so there's no wastage there. 


4. M&S Sporty Tote

It's silver and shiny and holds a lot. And it has go faster stripes. Love.


5. New Look Pink Trainers

So I'm not actually over the pink trainer thing yet. I'm like a dog with a bone with this one. I gave up as the weather got colder but now the weather is getting warmer (well it's supposed to), I should finally be able to get on top of this one. These New Look ones could be the ones to get me dipping my toe in the pink trainer pond.


6. Zara Blue Jeans

I love my jeans and I like them a lighter shade for the summer months. These look like the perfect summer shade and even better, with no rips. I'm not getting any younger so I'm buying my jeans without rips these days. If they rip due to wear, then I can live with that. It was meant to be.


7. Jigsaw Sculpted Jumper

Who loves a grey jumper? Meeeee! And it's nice to find a good classic like this one in Jigsaw which is in the sale. I don't need to tell you what it goes with as you already know it will go with everything. Just look at that collage - I told you!


8. Jigsaw Dusky Pink Black Backpack

Oh come on. It's cute. It's the perfect size and it's dusky pink. You can tell spring is coming as I'm looking at pink things again. I can't help it. It happens every year at this time of year. Just let me be.


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Last Note :

  • There are a lot of bells and whistle stuff out there but I'm looking really at the things which feel like me and which I think will still add a little oomph to my wardrobe. 
  • The oomph'iest thing is the ruffle skirt. So far, I've resisted the frills fad. If they're on the shoulders, I look like an American football player (a camp one at that). If they go across my chest, I gain half a stone. But I spotted the frilly skirts and I really really liked them. This one is not too flamenco and reasonably flattering in that it's slightly fitted around the hips and the ruffles start below so they don't add extra inches where you don't need them. It's also true to size. Infact, I brought it home with me so I could make my mind up about it at home and I've tried it with a few things and it seems to be a go'er. I might still decide it's not me but hey, I still have a few weeks to decide :)


What do you think?




Friday Five : 27 Jan 2017

Friday 27 January 2017



Friday five already. I think I'm going to keep up this little Friday routine until I forget to do it one week.


Friday Five (1 of 5) Candles


Miller Harris Candles available here.


This week I lit my Miller Harris candle which I've been saving for some time. I wasn't that big on candles until the other year when I was gifted a White Company Fig candle to try out. It was lovely and it made me appreciate the fact that some of the candles which cost a little more (err more than a fiver nabbed swiftly whilst on the supermarket shop) do actually burn better and are more highly scented and the fragrance lasts longer. I also love the Cabbages and Roses candles and they smell wonderful though I found that they didn't always burn so cleanly in the jar and I often ended up wiping the sooty bits off the inside of the glass. But I most definitely can't fault them for fragrance. For a really interesting and informative read on candles which really opened my eyes, head here.  #lovemeanicecandle


Friday Five (2 of 5) Pink Cardigans




Isn't this pretty? What a lovely powder pink shade. Not too baby but more a blush. I always like a nosey in the H&M Premium section, this is where you find their "nicer quality" bits i.e. the things which tend to be made more of natural fibres and are slightly less flammable. And isn't this cardigan the prettiest shade to take you in to spring. But if you just don't think you can pull of the girliness of this shade, guess what? They have it in grey and even better, it's on offer too and discounted by £20. #sorelytempted


Friday Five (3 of 5) Stripes Again




I've spent years looking for the perfect red toned Breton. I tried with an Armor Lux one years back but it was humongous on me. Shame as it was the perfect raspberry red shade on a natural background. I had a J Crew one which was a lovely burgundy shade but washed awful and was resigned to the charity bag at some point. I had a lovely Sezane one which I bought a couple of years back and I sold on - t'was a bit snug but sending it back to France seemed a troublesome step too far. I ordered a Uniqlo one last year but didn't like it enough - the colour wasn't quite right so I returned it. And then I ordered their latest offering with not too high expectations given that my success rate has been diddly squat all these years. And guess what? I really really like it! A mid weight jersey, not too long or short in the body, not too clingy on the doughnut tyre and I love the colour - it's so reminiscent of the original Armor Lux one I bought but fits oh so much better. If you prefer a slightly different shape this one also looks good. #realbretonshave21whitestripes_mineisnotarealbreton


Friday Five (4 of 5) Earrings



Just before Christmas, I treated myself to a pair of earrings. Nothing expensive and it was basically to give myself a bit of a kick up the backside in the accessories arena. I wasn't buying anything new to wear at Christmas but I could at least treat myself to a pair of earrings. So I did and I even managed to keep them in all night till I got home instead of whipping them off after the first compliment and then relegating them to my handbag. Well since then I've been looking and looking for another statement pair. And I rather fancy those up there from Cabbage White England (I have a birthday coming up). You've got to admit, they're a bit #zowiebowie


Friday Five (5 of 5) Cock a Doodle Doo


I've got another four packs of these not in the picture! #pah


Oh yes, the eldest boy told me that I needed to go to the Chinese Supermarket to buy those Chinese candies and White Rabbit sweets that all his class like. They're expecting them for Chinese New Year apparently. So off I duly trotted to the Chinese supermarket, bought a stack of sweets and then it turns out that it's school policy not to allow sweets so now I have all these spare sweets on my hands. What a to do!

Anyway, it's the Year of the Rooster. I never know these things till someone tells me and I didn't know this till my George told me the other week as they're learning about China at the moment. And I had a moment of dread when George came out of the class the other evening and said his teacher wanted to speak to me. It's every mum's nightmare when they hear the immortal words "Mrs ....  could I just have a word with you please?" 😲 This happened the first year of school for Ben when I was summoned to the teacher but instead of being told of my son's crimes, I was asked if I could go in and talk to the lovely children about Chinese New Year. I spent a frantic couple of nights googling up on the Chinese New Year as I knew not one jot. I remember telling them however that dragons were scared of the colour red after a myth about a dragon which was scared away by a child wearing red.  Anyway, there's alway that one child in the class that has to push it and ask questions like "Does it have to be red?". "Are they scared of blue?" "What about dark pink?" or "Orange - that's a bit like red, are they scared of orange?". #awkwardbeggars


Anyway, Happy Chinese New Year to you all!



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Last Note :

  • Thank you to all the lovely people who did the candle survey last week. My friend is made up with all the responses. She says "Thank You".


Girls in the Hood

Wednesday 25 January 2017




 Mango Jacket (old) but nice alternative here and a bargain here.



I like big cuffs and I cannot lie. Because they are really good at keeping your hands warm and you don't need to wear gloves!

Anyway, that aside, that grey hoody jumper? It's a pleasure to wear. Soft and with a little weight to it - it's like a big hug. I was telling myself that I didn't need it as I had all the grey jumpers I could possibly want waiting at home for me but then I told myself that I didn't have one with a hood. Infact I have nothing remotely hoody like. And wouldn't my boys like it when they see their mum all hip and down with the young uns? Wait till I get the tracky bottoms on! (cue mischievous cackle).


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Last Note :

  • The jumper comes up big - I'm a size 10 and I'm wearing a size XS and it still looks a little oversized.




Salmon and Coriander Dahl Curry

Monday 23 January 2017




Salmon & Coriander Dahl Curry


Well I don't often put a recipe out but here's one for you to try if you're a lazy cook like me. It's super easy peasy and I found it one day via Google from the BBC Good Food site when I hadn't done the shopping and I had a bunch of coriander in the fridge and a pack of salmon and I wasn't feeling particularly inspired and nor did I want to pop to the shops. 


Ingredients 


  • 75g red lentils
  • 400ml chicken stock
  • 1 small onion (grated) I blitz in one of those chopper things as I am super lazy
  • 2 tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala, plus extra for the salmon
  • 1 pinch red pepper flakes (or more depending on tastebuds)
  • 1 small bunch of coriander (chopped)
  • couple of salmon fillets

Instructions

  • Put first seven ingredients (I love that bit) in a pan and bring to a simmer.
  • Cover and cook for 20 mins until lentils are cooked.
  • Stir in the coriander
  • Rub salmon with garam masala and season with a little salt and pepper
  • Cook for about 7-8 mins till just cooked. (I grill it).
  • Break in to chunks and stir through the dahl.
  • Serve with rice and anything else you like.



Enjoy.


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Last Note :

  • What I love about this recipe is that it's so simple and makes a really good weekday dinner.
  • The curry itself is not a hot one so children should be able to enjoy it - I just sprinkle extra chilli flakes in for the hubs after I dish out the boys' portions.
  • Anyone got any really good simple recipes to share? I'm not a foodie so find it difficult to get inspired about cooking and I just want nice simple recipes which I can do in extra quick time.



Friday Five : 20 Jan 2017

Friday 20 January 2017



Another Friday Five? Oh go on then ....


Friday Five (1 of 5) Adidas Gazelles




Last year, I bought the Adidas Gazelles in raw pink. They were lush. Then I saw that they did the Adidas Hamburgs in the raw pink too so but with a gum sole which made them even more lush. So I returned the Gazelles and bought the Hamburgs. Then the weather got really wet and horrid and I didn't get round to wearing them and so I returned those too. As you can tell, my halo was super super polished at this point. Then I spotted the Adidas Gazelles in what they call Super Maroon with the gum sole on Other Stories. They had my size. I wanted them and I knew the colour would be harder wearing than raw pink but I was being good, the weather was wet, I was living in Uggs. I didn't order them!  Horror Story ensues - they sold out in my size. So if anybody spots them in a size Eu 37, UK 4, please will you put me out of my misery and let me know and make this silly woman happy and get them out of her system. #shortesthorrorstoryeversoldout


Friday Five (2 of 5) Knitting





I took up knitting again. I actually had a lot of fun standing there in John Lewis staring at various balls of chunky coloured wool trying to decide what I wanted to knit my new hat in. Did I want chunky or super chunky? Felted fleece or Aran? And what colour??? I was umming and aahing over a  pink and burgundy for a time and nearly reached for a grey but then I thought I should live a little and picked .... ? I'll tell you when I finish. I have found that I quite like knitting as long as I'm not following anything too complicated - I never was much one for instructions and tend to make things up as I go (story of my life). The bit I hate most though is joining the seams together - there's a bit of a knack to it but I didn't know that. The first hat I made, when I stitched up the seam, it looked like I'd done it drunk. This year, it's more recovering alcoholic style. #knitonepurlonehic


Friday Five (3 of 5) Sale Steal





I've previously eyed up this jacket in H&M and picked it up a few times and then put it back purely on the grounds that I didn't think the shape was cut for me being a shorty and all that. But it was a quiet day in H&M and there were no queues so I bobbed in to the changing rooms and found that it did indeed fit. It's at times like this that I think "faberooni it fits" and then "bog, I have to buy it". So for £15 I did. It's lovely - a boiled wool type fabric and because it's not lined - a great alternative to a cardi and makes for a smart easy work wear piece (if you go to work that is). #surprisesurprise


Friday Five (4 of 5) All Change



Primark Bed Linen Sets in store.


I came across the new homewares range from Primark just before Christmas and was quite taken with the bedding which is very of the moment with the cheeseplant/palm greenery. I decorated the big boy's bedroom last year and monochromatic bedlinen works well with the style of the room so the chevron pattern is good.  I'm also loving the fact that it is £9 for a single bed set and I have to say, I've not had any problems with their bedlinen at all and I've bought a few sets over the years and they've all washed pretty well. Oh and I don't really buy "children's bedding", I buy anything which I think works and that I like.  #mummysacontrolfreak


Friday Five (5 of 5) Hyacinths


We do what we can with what we have.


What a difference a week makes. The hyacinths in the glass pot popped up and fell over. I forgot hyacinths did that as they basically get too top heavy. So I've just tied a bit of twine round them for now. #leaningtowerofhyacinth


Have a good weekend, y'all!


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Last Note :

  • My friend is starting a candle business and needs to get a little feedback from some candle loving ladies. If you have a moment, please could you follow this link and answer a few questions. It won't take long but it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.



Quick OOTD : 17/01/17 Leopard

Tuesday 17 January 2017



Zara Leopard Coat (sold out online, in the sale, instore)
Primark padded jacket (old)
Primark Straight Jeans (old)
Jigsaw Bag (old)
Adidas Stan Smiths (old)


Everything old apart from the leopard coat. Yup! I finally got myself a leopard coat. Took long enough eh? 😜


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Last note :

  • I actually bought mine in the Black Friday sale last year but have only just got round to wearing it. The coat is now in the sale and may still be found in some stores (sold out online).
  • This one is from the TRF range and is quite a good fit for petites.

Friday Five : 13 Jan 2017

Friday 13 January 2017



Hello. Long time no blog. And Happy New Year (a bit belated, sorry). You know how it is, you descend in to the Christmas fug and normally resurface the other side of New Year all refreshed and raring to blog. Errr not me this year. The weather is a bit Les Mis and I'm wandering around in fifty shades of grey jumpers and Ugg boots. I look lovely. NOT. But it's time to revisit this space and ramble on again. What's on my mind and going on in my world?


Friday Five (1 of 5) Hyacinths


Last year, I spent a small fortune on hyacinths from Lidl. 
Shhh! Don't tell the hubs.


They make me happy and my house smell nice. Simple pleasures. The blue ones are the most highly scented in my experience. Last year, I bought them for about two months from Aldi - I could not get enough of them, that is until peony season started. But hyacinth season has begun again in ernest and I thought I'd kick off gently with my little pot of loveliness below from Tesco. Yes, you have to make the supermarket shop more fun with frivolous goodies. #thatwasntontheshoppinglistSue


These are going to be white ones.
They'd better be white ones!


Friday Five (2 of 5). No more Parka life.


My ever faithful Zara Parka


My Zara parka which I wholeheartedly love and have worn to death for the last three years is giving up on me. Or rather, the zip is playing up big time. I can do it up but I can't undo it again at the bottom so I have to hop out of it and wrestle with it for half an hour afterwards to unfasten it. It's also looking a little washed out and tired and I think it may be time for a new one. Unfortunately, I now have a bee in my bonnet about Woolrich parkas. If it wasn't for the fact that my niece has one of these  holy grail parkas and she endorsed it saying it's the best thing ever and she has not regretted a single penny spent on it, I might have been happy with any other parka out there that the shops have to offer. But no. Now I want a Woolrich one and they cost the earth (lots of Ebaying about to ensue). And the one I want? The Woolrich DF arctic parka. Not too dissimilar to the one I already have and I've worked out that I have another five years of standing outside on a football pitch which means it works out pennies per wear. Err actually it will probably still be more like pounds per wear but fewer pounds per wear. #suemaths


Friday Five (3 of 5). Booty Call


Ugg Kristin Boots available here and here


I have two pairs of new boots unworn partly because of the bad weather. One pair is the Honey boots from Seven Boot Lane which I ordered when I won a voucher in an IG competition. The lovely thing about these is not only are they gorgeous boots but I like the little rubber spongey thing they include to help you clean up your suede boots. Little touches but little touches which make a difference. Oh and the Ugg boots which were on my Christmas list - I haven't worn those as I still haven't pulled my finger out and ordered myself some UGG protectant spray. All I have to do is pop a pack in the Amazon basket and hit buy. But it's such a boring purchase and there is always something else more interesting to pop in a basket isn't there than suede protectant? #getonwithitSue


Friday Five (4 of 5). TK Maxx


MiH Cell Top (this one in the sale is also very nice)


It has been duly noted by people that I love a pretty peasant top in the summer. And do you know what? They are right. I do and I especially love it if you bag one at a good price. Like an MiH one which was pretty spendy unless you find it online at TK Maxx. For the price of an M&S or Boden top, I get an MiH one. And for the record, they have been selling The Kooples and Levis 501 CTs along with MiH stuff just recently. The annoying thing is you can't just type in "kooples" and it will bring all their Kooples stock up - it only brings up a fraction of stuff so you still need to do a bit of searching. Just like in store! :) But you also have to be quick - I bought my top last thing at night and they were all sold out by the morning before I even had time to blog it. So apologies, I just wasn't as fast at blogging as the people out there buying. #SeekandSueshallfind


Friday Five (5 of 5). No MoJo


I seem to have lost my fashion mojo along with my waistline. Actually the waistline went last year sometime and still hasn't been spotted. Anyway, when I find my waistline and it stops blowing a hoolie out there, I may find my mojo and I may start taking OOTD photos again. #whoateallthepiesSuedid

In the meantime, I leave you with a picture of my cat Basil with a Christmas bow I stuck on his head because he hates me and I like to torment him.


Looks a bit like how I feel currently.



Susie So So