Staycation

Tuesday 23 April 2019


#AD - Paid Collaboration with VeryUk

Gosh, haven't we been spoilt with the lovely weather that descended on us? Were you ready for it? Or more to the point, was your wardrobe ready for it? I was and pretty grateful for a few little choice pieces I picked from Very. Some of these I took on my little jaunt to France the other week.



Gotcha. I'm actually strutting up and down past an old farm building a five minute drive from where I live in Yorkshire but squint a bit and you could pretend that I was strolling past a French gîte. A little imagination is a wonderful thing if you're more likely to have a staycation like me. 😉

Anyway, I pounced on the little Lemon tee when I saw it. It's just a really fun and fresh addition to the wardrobe which looks as good with a satin skirt as it does with a pair of jeans. For evening, the River Island skirt, would be perfect dressed up with some strappy heels which are so current right now but you're most likely to find me wearing it with a pair of pale summer denim jeans.

And whilst I'm pretending to be all French. 


Did I nail it with the pretty blouse, the basket bag complete with baguette which I popped out especially to buy, not from the Boulangerie but from the local Co-op?

Anyway, the Easter Bank Holiday weekend also blessed us with more glorious sun. I was in Wales and got to wear my new Mango dress which I have to say is a really lovely easy piece to wear. Part of what made it so good was the pockets. Pockets are life and basically I spent most of the day with my hands jammed in my pockets like a sulky teenage boy. I love pockets. Pockets should be mandatory on skirts and dresses. I love pockets. Pockets are life. You get the gist.



Come on, honestly, you really would think I was strolling around the French countryside instead of sunny Wales wouldn't you except they probably don't have yellow lines on their roads. Or do they? 

But do you know what? A staycation in the UK is not really a staycation unless you have a day where it's actually poured it down, you froze off your extremities or it's overcast. Case in point.



Normally I throw a pair of Hunter wellies in the back of the car when I head to Wales but given the forecast, I chanced it with taking the Hunter sandals instead. I bet you didn't know Hunter made sandals as well as wellies did you? Well you do now!



Thanks Michelle.

Tuesday 2 April 2019

[AD : Some of the links in this post may contain affiliate links]

M&S Wide Leg Trousers (similar here)
Novesta Plimsolls (use code SPRING for 25% off)

Hello. Long time no blog. Well a month or thereabouts. But I'm feeling in the mood today because today I wanted to have a natter about some current fave items in my wardrobe. Now admittedly I'm not wearing the most colourful combination on the planet but then again I like what I like on me and personally, I love dark muted shades on me most of the time. Boring for some but I'm okay with that. #youbeyou. Anyway, I digress. All the items I'm wearing above have made it in to my wardrobe this year with the exception of the tote which I already had.


I'll start with the shirt which Michelle alerted me to after she bought one in a different shade. It's a  simple popover but it's all about the colour for me with this shirt. The dark khaki/brown shade is utilitarian perfect (they call it Orca on their website) and I love the slight cocoon shape which is courtesy of a couple of "darts" at the back of the shirt. You need to look on the website to see what I'm wittering about. Little deets which ring the changes. I'm wearing an XS and it's quite roomy.  It's also a crisp cotton poplin which makes it perfect for spring/summer. I spotted the crepe versions in the Leeds store when I popped in and I love how fluid and drapey those are - perfect for a slightly more dressed up vibe and I am totally crushing on the black version which would be my go to for an evening out dressed up with fancy shoes. 


The wide legged trousers were picked up in an M&S outlet for under a tenner. Perfect for me in every way bar two things - one they have no pockets (booooo) and secondly, they were three cm too long. Whereas I can do nothing about the pockets, I did hem up the trousers with some iron on hem stuff. Some times I do things properly with a needle and thread and sometimes I use iron on stuff.  Raw hems are good on jeans - not so much on trews. These are actually the first pair of black trousers I've bought in about fifteen years. Joggy botts don't count. And that's because I always have to get over the thought that I might look like a waitress in black trousers. It's a mindset but it's a mindset that I personally have to get over. 


And lastly the Novesta trainers. I bought a pair of pale grey/blue ones a couple of years back which I found myself wearing quite a lot last summer. I favoured them over Converse as they don't do that nippy little toe thing which Converse are famous for. The Novestas have a more cushioned sole which provides a little arch support and if you don't like the insoles, they are easy to remove so you can replace with something else if you prefer. I mentioned that I had heel pain a couple of years ago which was actually caused by me trying to walk more for exercise and since then, I'm always looking for shoes and sandals which are a little cushioned. I don't want a recurrence. Oh and thanks Michelle for finding me a discount code. What an enabler - they were duly ordered within the hour!

I'll be wearing these a lot.


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I just thought I'd include a little montage to show what a useful and easy way it is to dress up and down a black shirt and jeans combination. I like how all these items are interchangeable to create different looks. 



The M&S Jacket. I've not seen it in real life yet but isn't it a pretty colour? Just kind of refreshing from the usual khaki to give it a fresher modern take.



Susie So So