Monday Musings : 13th January 2020

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Hello there! Friday Five time. No, no, sorry, it's Monday - that makes it a Monday Musings. I do like my little Monday Musings get out clause. I actually got home on Friday and could only muster up a Friday Four and Friday Four just doesn't sound right does it? So I've left it to Monday - that's how I roll.

Friday Five (1 of 5) MiH

MiH Cream Beauford Sweater

MiH Celia Sweater

Mih Jackson Sweater

I have a soft spot for MiH. I think my MiH Paris jeans were my first foray in to designer denim - I'm ignoring the pair of black Versace jeans I was persuaded to buy by my sisters in the early nineties. So along the way, I've built up a little collection of MiH's as I kind of feel safe with the sizing for this brand. And so I always like to have a look at their site when it comes to sale time. I've had my eye on the orange (they call it tangerine on the website) Jackson jumper since last Feb and I thought I'd nosey along to see how it was doing i.e. had it finally gone in to the sale? And lo and behold, it had and for a good price too along with a couple of others which caught my eye. That Cream Beauford sweater has shades of Sezane about it with the puff sleeve detail and edging around the neckline and the Celia sweater is the most delightful shade of pink. It's called skittle pink! Gosh I'm a marketer's dream! Anyway, I didn't buy the orange Jackson sweater based on the fact that I have a lovely Wyse orange and blue striped number. But if you're looking for some reasonably well priced knitwear (better than M&S and H&M Premium prices) with a good percentage of natural fibres you could do worse than look at these and MiH have a good sustainability manifesto. Sometimes you can afford a little better.

Friday Five (2 of 5) Nice & Clean

Now that's a clean burn!

I chased a man and woman down the street last week. I forgot to give them a candle care card after they'd purchased a candle. This might seem a bit extreme but I had a reason. Basically for once in my life, I read the instructions on my own new Midwinter candle box and it said, you need to give the first burn a good few hours. That sounds a bit extreme but the reason for this, is so that the candle wax can melt evenly across the surface. What I used to do was light a candle and blow it out after half an hour after I'd got rid of what ever cooking smells were plaguing me that day. That's not the way to do it. If you do that, you only melt so much wax and create a tunnel effect going down and you get an uneven burn. Keep repeating that process and you burn straight down the candle. So I've been letting my candle at home burn for a goodly amount of time and it's burning lovely and clean. Which is why I ran after the couple to give them a care card and to tell them that that's what they need to do. #nutter

Friday Five (3 of 5) How Much?

Untitled, 1967 by Mark Rothko

I was watching the BBC news last Friday morning as I do every morning and they were talking about the growth of the ath leisure industry and how the demand for fashion trainers has grown about 20% since 2014. That's round about the time I started getting in to trainers too. Anyway, they interviewed members of the public and asked them what was the most they had ever spent on a pair of trainers. What are the chances that you pick the guy who answers £8000? £8000 people!!!! I heard Naga Munchetty mutter something about them being alligator skin or something so guess what? I googled them and I think they're these Berluti Trainers. I didn't like them so I didn't put a picture of them on here. 😂 I like that Mark Rothko print though so I thought I'd put that on here instead - I've been trying to track it down for years.

Friday Five ( 4 of 5) Nice Cuppa Tea

My Baz.

I haven't used my proper camera to take any photos since last year. I haven't charged the battery up or got the tripod out to take any outfits of the day. It's been quite liberating not thinking about what I'm wearing and whether I can factor a photo in of it that day. It's kind of nice just to go with the flow but the problem is, the longer you don't do it, the harder it is to take up the mantle again. I just need a little bit more daylight and a little more motivation because when I get in each day, I just want a sit down and a cuppa rather than whipping a tripod out and starting up a photo shoot. I'll get there but this was the best I could do last week with Basil.

Friday Five (5 of 5) Gold 

(Gold)
Always believe in your soul
You've got the power to know
You're indestructible, always believe in, 'cos you are Gold!

In year 3 of Primary, George's class used to sing that Spandau Ballet number whenever someone got a gold star that day. I just thought I'd share that. And it also provides me with a gratuitous link to mention gold loafers. Last year, I was all over a pair of gold Primark sandals which were dupes for an expensive Rouje pair and this year, I'm all over a pair of gold loafers which are not dupes for anything remotely expensive. I just like them. I had them in my saved area of ASOS for ages and then I spotted they were in the sale so I finally ordered them. And I totally loved the look of them except they were a bit snug and for some reason, the right shoe kept squeaking when I walked. I took it on the chin and declared them not to be. But if they had been, I had high hopes of styling them as per the collage below which is based on loosely on similar things I already have in my wardrobe.

1. H&M Grey Jumper
2. Kin Orange Bag
3. ASOS Gold Loafers
4. H&M Neck Scarf
5. H&M Jeans
6. Zara Blue Linen Shirt
7. The Future Kept Jute Bag
8. Zara Pleated Skirt
9. ASOS Gold Loafers

For early spring when it's ankle baring time again - I love the look of the gold loafers with a pair of ankle length jeans. I've already got the grey jumper, a little orange H&M bag but I've linked a similar one to what I have which is in the sale currently at John Lewis and a similar little neck scarf. If I'm wearing a high necked jumper, I'm more likely to tie the little scarf to the bag for a little embellishment to jazz up an outfit a little but if you're wearing a crew neck, wear it round your neck air hostess style. Err sorry, I mean like the little French mademoiselles. And Margaret Howell.

Moving on to the summer months, time for my beloved blues! I put that Zara teal pleated skirt up there as the dress equivalent I bought is now sold out in the sale but the colour and effect is pretty much the same and shows how I intend to wear the dress - looking like separates. The blue linen shirt I nabbed in the current sale but it keeps disappearing on and off the site. I managed to nab the link when I last saw it in stock so it's there if you're interested - I always think you can't go wrong with a classic shirt like this and I for one love my blue shirts so it is a totally justifiable purchase for me. It is a bargain now if you can get it and it is the most beautiful summer blue (I sized up to a L for a relaxed fit). And I have the same basket bag from The Future Kept which I bought a couple of years back except mine has a yellow band around the top instead of the brown/grey. I would say - there is nothing too trend led with any of these items - they're pretty much items which go from year to year quietly and efficiently. Strange word to use that "efficiently" but they are what I would deem work horse items which just keep going year in year out. And that's exactly what our wardrobes need these days.

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Last Note :

• Bog it. I might just order another pair of size 4 gold loafers to get them out of my system once and for all. The next pair might not squeak. #fingerscrossed