May 2013
8 posts
Boden Mini A/W Picks
When I write ‘Boden Press Day’ in my diary I always underline it at least twice and add several exclamation marks. And some stars. Forget a rail of clothes and a blink and you’ll miss it tray of canapés - when Boden throw a press day it is an extravaganza of the most brilliant set design, beautiful imagery and divine clothes. Oh, and lots of canapés. They must spend fortunes on...
Kate Moss: Face & Body of St Tropez
Kate Moss was announced as the face and body of St Tropez today so she promptly stripped off and did a downward dog on a diving board. You still got it mamma but you might want to shuffle along there - Tom Daley will be along any minute.
Those cheekbones! God I need a holiday…
Lunch with Myleene
Lunch at Nobu you say? WIth the classically trained pianist, former Hear’Say member (whoop! - yes I used to work at heat), midwifery expert and kids clothing designer Myleene Klass? Ooh yes please!
To celebrate Myleene’s 10th clothing collection for them, Mothercare hosted a lovely lunch at Nobu last week, showcasing her latest Baby K range and feeding journalists and bloggers non...
April 2013
4 posts
THE SKI SICK TRIP
Yet again we were incredibly spoilt by the inlaws who treated us to a ski trip in Tignes. Not quite the Healthy Heidi Hits the Hills experience I was hoping for…
The Relentless Schedule of Sickness and Disaster
Day before ski-trip: Daughter Elder has extremely high temperature - puts herself to bed. Parents worried.
Morning of ski-trip: Daughter Elder seems...
I'm Thinking of Moving to Australia...
Because then I wouldn’t have to pay a shipping fee for these amazing little shoes ($39.99) from chic Aussie lifestyle store Seed Heritage! I just stumbled on the website today and spent about half an hour browsing through all the different departments. There are some lovely pieces for grown ups and kids but it is the baby section that inflamed the old shopping glands not to mention twanged...
Ooh, I like these!
I’m not normally one for modern touches around the home. I like Chintz, nicknacks and rickety stuff (can’t do minimal too messy) but I do like these cute, photographic duvet covers which coincidentally come from one of my all time favourite nicknack stockists coxandcox.co.uk. They’re a wee bit pricey at £60 a set but would really pull a room together (just call me Linda Barker...
March Shopping Abstinence
I fell off. The no siree, I’m not shopping wagon went over a particularly nasty rut and I was catapulted deep into the mire of shopping sin. Ashamed is not the word. Seriously, I do feel surprisingly bad about this. However, I did sell some stuff on e-bay so I’ve decided not to wear the cilice anymore. I bought the Ganni shoes and the ASOS trousers that I was so proud of not buying...
March 2013
9 posts
“Mummy, your boobs are melting like Granny’s but it’s OK you don’t need them...”
– and other mortifying little gems from my girls and friends…
“Mummy this is my baby her name is County. County! County! County! I love my baby County!” (NB the letter ‘O’ was absent from this particular version of County and remained so for around a week.)
“Mummy, I’m just sitting down to...
Kate Greenaway Homage
Boden, Have got some absolutely gorgeous frocks for would be bridesmaids and party princesses this season. My favourite has to be this empire line, silk number that reminds me so much of the Kate Greenaway illustrations in A, Apple Pie. Still got my copy! Just imagine a troupe of bridesmaids in these, with satin ballet slippers oh, and bonnets too please.
Age 1.5 - 14yrs from...
That's MY dress!
Well, this is getting annoying. The dress that I adore but will never in a zillion years be able to afford (around 2 fat ones) even if I wasn’t on a shopping hiatus is being snapped up by celebs in their droves. Well, three. I saw it FIRST!
WatchNot sure if this is going to work but will give it a try…
Ladies and gentlemen I present to you ANOTHER WORLD featuring Andre Leon Talley and Tom Ford discussing nappies. ALT has a reality TV series on the cards - I think it should always feature Tom. Amazing.
Rainbow Shelves
This is a bit of a 2 pronged showy offy post to not at all humbly brag about my newly rainbow co-ordinated book shelves (it took me bloody ages) and my lovely Mother’s Day loot! The rainbow books are a bit style over substance but they are SO cheery and satisfying to look at. Thanks for the flowers and my lovely card girls xxx
PS Thanks for the lie in Daddy x
Mother's Day Dash
So, you’ve missed the chance to order her a miniature olive tree in a personalised zinc pot but you can still run to the shops and pick up something lovely that says I appreciate you and all that you do. Otherwise, a hand-made card and NON garage flowers are in order. Maltesers would be nice though…
Clockwise from top left. 1) Beauty Guru Terry de Gunzburg’s fragrance...
February Abstinence
My daily battle with shopping addiction continues. So far I have been strong and stuck to my no shopping for clothes for a whole year resolution. I’ve overcome the gnawing in my stomach, the palpitations and the rage and haven’t added a single, teensy wisp of a thing to my basket. If only I didn’t have to look at clothes all the time for my job! It is literally torture! I am...
February 2013
12 posts
Cookery Corner
So, word has got out about my incredible baking skills as demonstrated in my recent, half term cake making post. The Fabulous Baker Brothers were so impressed/intimidated they invited me to a cook off in a bid to steal some of my most closely guarded culinary secrets…
OK, not really. Aveda invited me to a cookery class/press event hosted by The Fabulous Baker Brothers at Clerkenwell...
What to wear with cake...
Tea dresses are big news this summer. Actually, in my world they are always big news. Cute with tennis shoes, retro dressy with heels, and great for whipping out your bosoms* (if you can find a button up the front variety), they are the perfect mum dress. These gorgeous Bottega Veneta dresses cost around £2000 a piece - they were stitched by blind angels using spun gold - but there are lots of...
Half Term Cake Baking
If you’ve forgotten to organise something to do (how COULD you?!) one morning or afternoon during half term there is always the salvation of cake baking. I use the fail safe weigh your eggs and then use the same weight of butter, sugar and flour recipe in our much thumbed River Cottage Family Cookbook and then just adapt with lemon or cocoa powder etc. Here are our half term bakes. Can you...
A Cautionary Tale
Once upon a time I went to the supermarket. Fractious toddler in buggy, I deftly navigated the aisles avoiding eye contact with security staff as I stuffed shopping into my undercarriage. The buggy’s undercarriage just to be clear. What else are you supposed to do? You can’t push a buggy and a trolley round the supermarket and it is impossible to hook a wire basket over the handles....
Valentine Lust List
A bunch of flowers and a card is a bit of a result on St Valentine’s day but you never know - maybe he’s scratched the car and he feels like making it up to you with something extra special this year… There are some men gifts here too just in case you’ve lost your house keys/worn all his clean socks again.
1) Topshop bra £18 2) Topshop knickers...
Domestic Enigmas
(yes I DO need to get out of the house)
1) Why does my hoover give off sick fumes? I have never to my knowledge vacuumed vom.
2) When I am tidying, why do I always find at least six loose screws? Is my house about to fall apart at any given moment? Are they a physical manifestation of my own rattling rivets?
3) Where do all the crumbs in the cutlery drawer COME from?
4) Why do fitted sheets...
What I didn't buy this month.
I haven’t shopped for me for a month. Yay. Snaps for me. Yippee. Sad face, sad face, sad face. Why did I make this resolution? I HATE not shopping! On the bright side I did save £527.99. Smug face, smug face, smug face. Sad face, sad face, sad face.
Here’s what I would have bought this month:
1)Isabel Marant Etoile Dress, £300 Yes, I know this is ludicrously expensive but we met in...
January 2013
21 posts
Little Bird by Jools Spring/Summer
Jools Oliver’s latest Little Bird collection for Mothercare has just gone on-line and it is as gorgeously nostalgic and dreamy as the last. The baby clothes are making me clucky but it is the toddler’s range below that has really had me cooing. Butter wouldn’t melt blouses and skirts, practical denim and super soft jersey pieces make for the perfect play date wardrobe. There are...
Posh the Human Coat-hanger
Posh has come to the fashion blogger coat on the shoulders thing a little late but she’s making up for lost time. It’s quite chilly out at the moment so she must really love this look or maybe her arms have simply lost the will to get dressed. Not more clothes! Please! We’re so tired! Still, she’s coping well with the challenges of life in an open coat. Victoria can even...
Maths Update
Anyone who reads this blog (hello mum) will know that I am enrolled on a six week parent and child, after school maths course. Without my child. Don’t ask. This week’s topic: Tens and units. Tens and units?! What the hell are tens and units!? It’s OK I didn’t scream that out loud and I did manage to fit my buttocks onto a primary school chair. I can now decipher tens and...
Prudent Purchases
So I have successfully not shopped for clothes or shoes for me for nearly an entire month! Hooray! Unfortunately, as a good friends informs me, I have merely replaced my heroin addiction for methadone, spending wildly on furniture, interior decor and clothes for the kids. Bums. Anyway, these teensy purchases from the amazing Zara Home sale are definitely not at all profligate or frivolous. I feel...
Melijoe S/S Press Day
Nathalie Christen-Genty, founder of the ultra chic, on-line, children’s clothing emporium Melijoe is the same age as me. She has four children and the most successful, high end childrenswear company in France - which has presumably taken quite a lot of hard work - and yet next to her I looked like a veteran landscape gardener without a hat. Must take a more Parisian approach to my...
Fame At Last!
I got asked to do a wee chat about how I dress my girls for Gurgle the other month and lo and behold it actually made it into the magazine! Here we are! Sadly, I no longer seem to have eyes but the girls look very sweet. Gurgle didn’t ask me how I dress my girls at 7.30 am when I can’t find them any clean tights and one of them is insisting that they must wear turquoise knee socks over...
Tangled
Know someone with hair like this?
Then you might want to try some of this…
I’ve tried loads of hair detangling products on my curly wurly daughter and her super fine haired older sister but they always leave so much residue behind and smell SO overpoweringly strong. Even the ones specially formulated for babies assault my nasal passages like a lollipop infused Pussy Cat Doll...
This Has Actually Happened
There has been a diary clash of cataclysmic proportion. And by that I mean my 6 year old’s diary not my own insignificant schedule of course. Drama class is on Thursdays after school. Longed for drama class. Drama class with best friend Lottie. Drama class where you get to have a snack!
And then, we get a letter inviting us (we strongly recommend you attend) to Thursday after school MATHS CLUB! A...
9 Signs of Age
Oh god, I’m like Rip Van Winkel. How did I wake up so bloody old today? This is how I know it’s time to bring my waistband up to my bosom and start flossing. No really, I must start flossing.
1) I did my back in over Christmas. What a codger.
2) I have been eyeing up the plastic, in shower, feet exfoliating, multi bristle shoes on sale at our local garage that carry the strapline...
Super Hip Baby Gifts
Oh, lucky pregnant friends. Look at this amazing US company littlehipsqueaks.com. I first stumbled upon their wares at the super cute littlefrills.tumblr.com (thank you Laura!) and was mesmerised. Founded by New York graphic designer Amy Richardson who wanted something a little more pared down and a lot less cutesy for her baby boy or “No little dancing frogs, no puffy clouds. ” as she...
