strawbeary sunday

The notorious British summertime. I got a lovely strawberry print fabric lined picnic basket for my birthday a few years ago, and every time I have planned to use it, the weather has let me down. Luckily I have managed to give it 2 outings so far this year; there is something so pleasing about picnic-ing properly. As always, I see part of that as dressing appropriately. Realistically this would mean wearing something you don't mind sitting in swan shit in, or spilling houmous down, but we can't let practicality ruin all the fun, all the time. 

The bulk of my summer dresses are still locked up in my parent's garage out of reach as my mortgage application rumbles on, but I have been enjoying this striped a-line summer dress which was my mum's in the 80s/90s. The top part doesn't quite fit but I think because of the sweetheart neckline it doesn't look too bad having the top button undone. Plus the big a-line skirt is good for hiding your muffin top under. On a separate humble brag note, the blueberry muffins I made for the occasion were divine! 

club tropicana (drinks ARE free)

This rather lurid tropical shift dress used to be a holiday staple of my mum's, it reminds me of happy holidays in Florida. She gave it to me before my holiday last year and it has now had two trips abroad; I think it's the kind of dress you could only wear for cocktails on your holibobs. For extra holiday tackiness I like to wear it with my parrot earrings (charity shop) and MAC lipstick in Costa Chic.

show your stripes

I love striped denim. I think its because my mum used to wear quite a lot of it in the 90s and something has stuck in my mind. I've actually inherited a couple of pieces from her, a dungaree dress with a striped skirt that I intend to wear with a tight white crop top, and a long sun dress that I wore quite a lot last year but only have one weird photo of (below). I'm sure I will wear it a lot this year too, if we have the weather, so I will blog it then. 

I also like this sassy little Miss Selfridge number that I bought in a sale, I think it will have to go this year though as I'm a bit too porky for it

I love how much striped denim there is on the high street at the moment, especially the cropped jackets in Forever 21 and the shorts in Topshop. I love the striped shorts in all colours, but probs like the mint best. River Island have a cute pair too: 

it's a family affair (paisley appreciation society part 3)

On Mothering Sunday we took Mumma out to The Mill House in Swallowfield (coincidentally just down the road from the wedding reception I had been at the night before). I would highly recommend, EVERYTHING ON THE SWEETS MENU WAS AMAZING (as a family of 6 you often have a lot of bases covered regarding menus) and it would make a lovely wedding venue, as my mother repeatedly pointed out (she'll be waiting a while, poor dear). 

Mother looked beautiful, and the family as a collective were repping charity shop buys quite prominently. Farv's jacket and shoes were from charity shops, my sister Amy's cardie was from a charity shop and her bag is an old hand-me-down from Muv. I kept it for years because I loved the colour but never really used it so I passed it on. The bag I am finding myself using most often at the moment was a total bargain from the RSPCA shop in Upminster - £2.50. I adore it. 

that is a beautiful cape

This velvet capelet was £1 from Chiswick car boot. It probably needs a steam and my outfit was a bit shit but £1, wow, yeah, impressive huh? #humblebrag

I've been wearing stars a lot lately. I actually had a full on mink velour party dress and sparkly reindeer antlers planned for the night but with various effing and geffing the night got downgraded and I didn't feel that a party dress was appropriate. I managed to cobble together this as a back-up outfit. Pretty similar to the one I wore out last week, woops. 

star print top, pleather bottoms, scary lipstick shade, draggy false eyelashes - check, check, check, check.

In other accessorising news, last night I used an old clutch bag of my grandmas and bearing in mind that we went on a Christmas night out to a 1980s theme night I though it was pretty spooky to find these inside...

We partied like it was 1988.

wrong love?

My mum is getting rid of these shoes and I love them, am I sick? Sadly they're a four so don't fit me, but perhaps Elle or Georgie would be interested? Or are they just too wrong?

st michaels strides

yeah I made it onto the vogue website but I don't wanna brag about it....
no, in all seriousness, the guy who was shooting street chic that day works in my office and I just so happened to be wearing 'bright, summery' trousers that day. This is also how I made it in to New Look magazine a couple of months back. Sadly this was shot the week before I had my Little Wing feathers put in, so I couldn't plug them, drat. These trousers are old M&S (when the labels still St Michaels, think I could dedicate a whole blog alone to my old Marks and Sparks finds), and were £2.95 from the Sue Ryder charity shop I used to work in. They accentuate my jabooty but there's something so sick that I just love about them.

In other, printed trousers news, I luuuuurve these abstract leopard print wide legs from Next:


The tassel bottom halter neck is a left over relic from mother's 90s clubbing days. I have the dress of it too, which I am sure will make an appearance at some point. My sister said I looked like one of the girls from ABBA this night; "not the blonde one mind, wouldn't go that far". Fur jacket was from a chazza shop and the straw and patent pleather bag was a quid from Primark, yess freebies and cheap things.

I got it from my mama

sometimes my mum is so cute. And a whole lot of crazy. The other day I had to go to the post office with the biggest box containing a box of boots as my mum had bought them in a size too small (they were the last pair and some wishful thinking came in to play) and then a few days later a pair in her size magically appeared online; what can I say, this woman has all the shoe luck. I therefore was returning the smaller size. The first post office wouldn't take them (box too big for their hatch LOL), so my driver Parker (my brother Gregg, yes mi lady) had to hot wheel down to another post office where the lady was happy to take my big package LOLOLOLOL. Long story short, her boots arrived today and she was so chuffed she's put a picture of them on facebook:

They are Solea, £99 and so effing 'liscious. Don't you just love our little tea cup cushions too?

Just now she has come upstairs to tell me that the boots I'm after from Clarks - I already have them in the tan colour and they are the most comfortable, amazing boots I have ever owned, got pure lust for them babes - have £15 off at the moment. My own mother leads me astray to spend money on boots, that's bad Ju-Ju.

Ooooo and now I've just seen these, oh bloody hell I'm going to bed

stoic but resentful

Last night I went to see Grumpy Old Women Live II at our hideous local theatre. I don't mind admitting that I hate everything and everyone and therefore this kind of programming appeals to me. Plus Jenny Eclair is one of the best people in the world. I laughed until I cried at points and I'm sure many of the old women around me laughed until a bit of wee came out, god bless my young and taut pelvic floor, hahaha. The stage set was very pleasing too; there was lots of twee and chintz, a SMEG fridge, bunting and huge backdrops resembling Tracey Emin's subversive patch work quilts. I took a pic of it but as you can see I stupidly waited til after the show when there were no lights.



Other things I have been doing: I just booked my theory test. Yikes, although I am hoping I will be able to do this part of the test as it doesn't involve any actual driving.
I have bought 4 pairs of shoes in 2 days. In our house that is when you know you are turning in to your mother as you are probably doing it to fill a sad hole. Orrrr because Faith and Office are having ridic sales at the moment. Can't say, can't say.