Want vs Need
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
I want these :
From Left to Right , Plumo Shadow Bag Zara Combined Fabric Briefcase Zara Tie & Dye Shopper
- Plumo Shadow Bag - lovely unusual print and useful messenger strap
- Zara Briefcase - man's bag but also has useful strap and lots of compartments and nice utilitarian design.
- Zara Shopper - huge. I can sit in it. Maybe not a good look to have a bag bigger than your torso.
- Just a lovely leather classic. With a useful strap. I have a thing about straps.
But I don't actually need any of them.
The first 3 bags are practical for my day to day life and "affordable". They are light and capacious, hold a packet of wipes, Nintendo DS's and anything else life throws at me. The Bayswater can do the same but costs infinitely more and is heavier. At the end of the day, I don't actually need any of them but we can all dream and hope to win the lottery (mental note to myself to start playing the lottery).
...... or I can look under the bed and see what bag delights I have scuttled away and use those instead.
Sunshine on a Rainy Day
Rain, rain and more rain. Or that's how it has felt for the last two weeks but as I set off out this morning - there was a glimmer of sunshine and that was enough for me to break out the new Office boots and my happy sunshine rain jacket.
Aubin Wills Rain Jacket,
Falmer Heritage Skinny Jeans,
Office Namesake Boots
Falmer Heritage Skinny Jeans,
Office Namesake Boots
I just fancied a little bit of colour to lift the mood and the yellow of this jacket certainly does that. Its from Aubin and Wills (which I regard as the older more expensive sister brand to Jack Wills) from a couple of years back and though it's not the most versatile of jackets I love it despite all its impractialities. It's not easy to put on as I have to pull it on over my head and then wrestle myself back out of it afterwards like a flailing canary but hey, I like it and sometimes we have to be prepared to put up with a bit of awkwardness for things we really like. And it's sunshine yellow ... and we all need a little bit of sunshine yellow in our lives don't we?
Last thought, I don't look like a fisherman in it - do I? That was a rhetorical question. Please don't answer that. I will wear the jacket regardless.
Boots
Friday, 4 May 2012
Last year I started on my search for the perfect ankle boots. Ones which you can wear with a dress and ones which also take well to having a pair of skinny jeans tucked in to them. I found them with my Carvela Spoken suede boots. I love the slightly blocky heel and the ultra soft suede. I think of them as a kind of cheaper APC alternative which I can't quite stretch to.
Carvela Spoken Tan Boots
I still love these boots and they are infact my favourite but then I read too many blogs and too many magazines proclaiming the loveliness of the Isabel Marant Dicker boots. And I am a slave to suggestion so this was followed by the purchase of a pair of Office Namesake boots.
I saw them on the Office website and they didn't have my size online so that set me off. If something's not available that makes me want them more. No rational reasoning, just the basic law of supply and demand.
As luck would have it, I had to meet the Grump Meister for lunch and I had literally 5 minutes before I met him to march into the Office store in Leeds, locate the boots, ask for my size, try them on and hand over the card. And there is a no returns policy - only exchange. Gulp. No changing of minds this time. But I am very pleased with them. They have tones of the Dickers without being exact copies and the soles look to be a little thicker making them a little more dare I say it - "comfortable". And the slight distressing on them means I don't worry about small people stamping on my feet. They are the perfect "summer" boot. Nice with boyfriend rolled up skinnies and a pretty cotton blouse.
And the Grump Meister did smile ever so indulgently at me as he saw me coming along swinging my shopping bag and said "you knew exactly what you wanted didn't you?"
Susie Ho
I've had a good week this week - done a little Susie Ho jewellery, took a few orders, squeezed in a little shopping even. First of all, a lovely lady who bought a bracelet from me a month ago, came back and ordered 3 more - 2 for her friends and one as a treat for herself ... and some little supplementary presents for some little girls she knew.
I like them all!
Susie Ho Children's Bracelets
Then a friend came along two minutes after and took rather a shine to them and ordered 6 more for herself. One for every day of her forthcoming holiday she said! And I have to say I'm rather fond of them myself as I've been wearing a different one each day for the last 3 days. Every time I make one in a colour combination I like ... I keep it. I know I know, it's no way to make a living but at least I have nice bracelets. They don't jangle, they don't get in your way and they're just a nice way to add a tiny splash of colour to what you're wearing. There is nothing wrong with raiding the children's department if you can.
Then another friend came along the day after and asked me what new designs I 'd been working on and promptly bought the bracelet and necklace set below on the spot. Makes my day to know that people like what I do.
Susie Ho Amazonite Simple Necklace and Bracelet Set
And on the subject of bracelets, I've been talking to Lucy from Suburban Style . Lucy is a lovely lady whose blog I've been following for a little while as I enjoy her down to earth approach to fashion which is a nice mix of the mid-price shops (Kurt Geiger,French Connection etc) along with the cheaper high street brands. I sent her a little bracelet as a thank you for giving me the incentive to start my own little blog.
Lucy's Blue Tone Bracelet
Hope you like the bracelet Lucy!
And the shopping that I fitted in? Well I will leave that to the next post ....
Salmon a la Waitrose
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
The Grump Meister went to visit a friend in Anglesey this weekend and returned clutching a Waitrose magazine. I think he was feeling somewhat inspired as he promptly did an online shop for the necessary goodies and last night he served the following ....
Salmon with peas, penne and creme fraiche.
He's not a bad cook isn't our Grumps. When he wants to be.
Pumps
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Now that we are now in Spring though you'd never know it from the weather we've been having, I have relegated a lot of the winter boots to the back of the wardrobe. And until its sandals and flip flop weather, I'm going with pumps - the lace up variety.
So I finally managed to track down a pair of Converse All Star Ox Lo in Optical White in my size. To sit proudly next to my other pair of Converse All Star Ox Lo in grey (but look more like a taupe to me). I don't know how I got it in my head that I needed a pair of white trainers which the two boys will probably stamp on and turn grub coloured but hey until then, I have a lovely clean pair of white Converse. Actually they are a bit too white - I'm looking forward to them getting that slightly worn in pre-loved grub coloured look.
I got the "grey/taupe" Converse in Hong Kong when I last visited in 2009 pregnant with George bump. If you are going to go and shop for trainers or pumps - you really need to go to Hong Kong where they even have whole streets dedicated to selling trainers.
Look how brilliant white those Converse are!
On the subject of Converse, look what I dug out for little George! The black ones were originally Ben's and the navy hi-tops were a present from a lovely friend. How super cool and cute.
Too cute!
There was an article last year about Superga's in Grazia last year but I couldn't quite make up my mind on those and then came across the Bensimons which I like for their old slightly beaten up look. I kind of thought everyone would go for the Superga's especially with Alexa Chung promoting them but it's kind of fun to go a different way even if no one else gets why you've chosen a battered old pair of purple pumps and no one's heard of Bensimons.
Bensimons
The pewter ones's have seen better days but they have served me well with through various holidays and the obligatory school run. I thought about getting a replacement pair as I have worn them so much but I know that if I do that, the old ones will never get worn out. I have shoes that are older than old shoes ....
Peacocks
So what do you think? Converse, Superga, Bensimon, Vans? What's your pump?
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