Magic Carpet Boots & Poppins style accessories : Boots (past season) / Bag (vintage Celine bought second hand) / Lipstick & Cosmetic Pouch / Powder Compact / Hat / Umbrella / Veggie Percy Pigs
‘Mary Portas meets Mary Poppins’ it boldly claims in my Bio. Well, what exactly do I mean by that & how can I compare myself to these inspirational & influential women? To be taken with a spoonful of salt 😉
Part 1: What I’ve got in common with Mary Poppins (the Disney version)
The Job Description
Well, Poppins ends up employed as a Nanny without any real qualifications (or even references FFS!). Of course, I also had zero ‘Mum’ experience prior to becoming one. Unless reading The Internet/all the typical manuals & watching every episode of ‘One Born…’ constitutes adequate training?*
I’m predominantly a Stay-at-home-Mum but similarly I have chores to do alongside filling a small person’s days with outings & excitement, whilst endeavouring to fill their mind with education & imagination; belief in magic & dreams is highly encouraged. I’m currently putting aside my feminist ideals & tomboy style tendencies to play ‘Princess’ on a daily basis.
Sadly, I haven’t got a magic carpet bag (yet). I tend to carry an unusually large bag &/or basket with everything-but-the-kitchen-sink inside including yet more bags. I *have* got carpeted boots, though. They’re going to be everywhere this A/W but I appreciate they’re not to everyones’ taste. My Dad was in the Carpet trade & my Grandparents ran a pub so I’m partial to a tapestry pattern.
Similarly to Mary, I’m pale-skinned, often wear a red lip & am rosy of cheek. My rosiness is usually achieved from a pot of powder by Bourjois or NARS, mind. I also use a sturdy mirrored compact when I can find the bloody bastard blasted thing in my bottomless handbag. Often carrying an umbrella & fond of wearing hats – told you I needed a big bag.
Likes to feed the birds. You don’t even have to pay 2p or visit St. Paul’s to do it. I genuinely have a Robin that regularly visits me (I’m convinced it follows me) so perhaps I can train it to sit on my finger while I tunefully whistle at it as I do the housework?
Stroking red breasts is a pastime of mine too
A spoonful of sugar & a proper cup of tea is delightful at solving stuff. As is a doughnut or 3. We all have various ailments (& some more serious conditions) in our house, so we have to take a lot of medicine which justifies our occasional sweet-toothed treat & generally we eat very healthily.
You will always find a few Percy Pigs hiding in my bag for toddler bribery purposes – they’ve often saved my bacon on the (mostly Lidl) supermarket Weekly Shop but now M&S has set up shop in my town I won’t ever run out or have to drive 5 miles to a garage to get them.
Sunny disposition but actually pretty icy & sharp-tongued. Rarely smiles & has BRF – bitchy resting face. Hearing “cheer up, love!” is always so helpful. In truth, I don’t like to bare my teeth when I smile because my Hampsteads resemble Nanny McPhee’s. My unfortunate face may say otherwise but I’m actually very nice, kind & generally happy. My very small number of friends will attest to this.
Singing & flying? I struggle with both but that won’t stop me from belting out the Disney soundtracks enthusiastically with my daughter or boarding a plane given the chance. We do dance a lot at home; the rug in our lounge has had more shapes thrown on it than it’s ever been given a once-over by Henry.
Child labour made fun thanks to Henry’s happy face 🙂
Like Andrews’ lovely diction, I speak ‘well’ but am not really ‘posh’ at all. My sister thinks I should sound more like Dick van Dyke’s atrocious Cockney Bert because of our London heritage (our Dad’s a Norf Lahndonnah) & because I went to school in The Fens. She just didn’t watch Poppins quite as much or as carefully as I did – essentially an elocution lesson, perhaps precocious – but she does have a perfect telephone voice too, so some of it must’ve rubbed off on her.
Never smell of Barley Water? Do Robinson’s fruit squash or whiskey count?
Sophie Osborne: Impractical & imperfect in every way
‘Practically perfect in every way’ nope. No such thing. I’m incredibly flawed & am getting more comfortable in those flaws that now I’m my thirties. I have good intentions of running a tight ship but it’s OK if it s(t)inks sometimes or gets a bit dusty.
Mary Poppins is the fantasy Mother figure I desperately craved as a child & would like to be: smart, firm but fair & lots of fun. My wish came true when my Stepmother Mum entered our lives – she’s ‘wicked’ like the Urban Dictionary defintion. Disney doesn’t always get it spit, spot on!
(Indie &) Pop Picks: Get the Poppins Look
With the imminent Disney re-boot ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ (2018) starring Emily Blunt & my personal penchant for dressing like a (Carpet)Bag Lady, I thought I’d pull some pieces out of the bag that are practically perfect for this season. As I write the rain is pouring down – farewell chalk pictures on our patio! – & because it’s Friday, I’m particularly feeling shades of red wine.
All of the pieces in my edit are from Marks & Spencer with everything online & in stores now. I seemed to be a year ahead of the brocade boot trend when I got my ‘Roxanne’ boots from Russell & Bromley which were a Christmas present from my (baffled) husband & a very luxurious treat (£295 but I will wear them until my dying day or until elderly age prevents me). Rest & bank balance assured, the M&S ones are a very affordable £49.50 & they’ve only gone & solved my handbag dreams for £27.50.
Cloche Hat in ‘Dark Grape’/ Brocade Boots / Across Body Bag in ‘Red Mix’ (other colours available) / Coat in ‘Dark Red’ (sizes 6-22) / Shirt (sizes 6-18) / Lipstick from the Joan Collins ‘Divine Lips’ collection / Cream Blusher in ‘English Rose’ & Insta Glow Blusher in ‘Sunrise’ both from the Rosie for Autograph collection
Now, I wouldn’t suggest wearing all of the accessories at the same time unless you’re feeling full-on character confident (kudos to you). Personally, I love the contrast of a luxe velvet or strong patterned piece paired with casual items like worn denim or leather & a plain t-shirt or classic coloured sweater. A tonally similar coat or jacket would look superbly co-ordinated & impactful. Despite my love of wearing red, I’m yet to find a red coat that truly suits me but maybe I’ll get lucky with this one which has just landed.
Are you as nervous as I am of the new film? We better get used to the childhood classic updates because The Little Mermaid & Dumbo are in the works too. Right, I’m off for a cuppa on the ceiling & I hope this post made you feel a bit merrier today; I love to laugh! & hope it bought a smile to your face 🙂 S x
*Apologies to anyone expecting their first child & reading this. You might want to try reading this or this for a realistic & refreshing take on Motherhood. I’ve read them both & they are what I recommend to everyone that asks me for tips or what to expect because I don’t actually give parenting advice; just lots of encouragement, empathy & biscuits. Only you will always know what’s ‘best’.
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored or endorsed by Disney or M&S 😉
INDIE & POP 