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 😉
The loose definition of effortless cool. ‘Mon Cheri’ c/o Joanie Clothing / ‘Jolie’ & ‘Joie de vivre’ (old styles) Whistles
Parlez vous Francais? No, me neither. I’ve got more in common with Del Boy than Kristin Scott Thomas; more Frank than Franc but am hoping one day I’ll get an A+ for effort.
My love affair for a French phrase sweatshirt began back in the ’80s. Somewhere between the sleeves of a memorable lilac number adorned with petite fille (named ‘Josephine’ &, most notably for me, ‘Sophie’) & a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g from Ton Sur Ton. I then got a little lost in translation with The Sweater Shop & [insert any sports brand] BIG logo styles up to my early teens before abandoning anything emblazoned altogether; feeling too much like a walking billboard. Too gauche.
H&M have been leading the High Street in the right direction when it comes to sustainable style for a while.
Fast, fun fashion & throwaway ‘bargains’ are an easy shopping habit to form particularly when shopping for our kids. It’s also an easy habit to break. Yes, children can/do grow like weeds & inevitably their garments double up as splashbacks for all manner of stains, but a bit of clever consumption can go a long way & still be kind on your purse.
You don’t have to look further than the High Street to find truly lovely pieces that are going to be worn repeatedly then passed on to siblings & friends, re-sold, donated or recycled*.
Liberty Print Cake Topper / Rainbow Cake / Vintage ‘Elysian’ Liberty Print fabric as tablecloth / DIY Floral ‘P’ Monogram made with The Trove Cambridge at #CamMama
Kids’ Parties. Love them or loathe them, if you have children you’re going to be attending them &/or hosting a lot of them for many years to come. Personally, I’m in love with the idea of & ideas for them – oh, so many themes! – even if the reality turns into a swarm of sugar-fuelled chaos.
When it came to celebrating Poppy’s First Birthday I was determined to host a get together. She’d had a rocky time throughout that year with her health & her condition so we wanted to gather all our friends & family together to mark the occasion in style. I’ll admit it was completely self-indulgent; no baby actually remembers the event itself, do they? Yet she’ll always be able to look back on the photographs & keepsakes from her very first party. Continue reading
So, I’ve been on a mission recently to seek out stylish & timeless toddlers’ shoes at economical prices & it’s been no simple task. If you favour more of a classic or vintage aesthetic, chances are you’ve faced the same conundrum. A quick poll amongst friends & something I posted on Instagram fuelled the conversation further; it seems I’m very much not alone in my search.
Well, I’ve now found two ranges on the High Street that you might not have heard of & for no more than £26 per pair!
‘Roll up your sleeves, give your hands a wash with slippy, dippy soap…’ (Damn you CBeebies). Some of the soaps in the mix at our house. (Not Justin’s).
How many times did you wash your hands today? I was almost at half a dozen before Breakfast. I’m going to preach a bit now on prioritising satisfaction over simple sanitation. Yep, soap. Humble stuff & often overlooked. Whether liquid or solid, it’s something we all use & can just see as an essential purchase; perhaps chucked in your basket/trolley/online order without much thought or opting for whichever brand is on offer.
Have some fun as you shop this Christmas in Cambridge (Image)
With Festive events already popping up over the City & beyond, this Weekend heralds the official start of the Christmas Shopping Season in Cambridge with The Big Switch On. With so many events on offer locally, we’re spoiled for choice but, as a busy Mum, I’ve had to prioritise a few favourites. I’ve compiled my Indie & Pop picks for you with some ideas on where to shop & key dates for your Diary. One of my friends commented that my evenings lately looked ‘glamorous’ – well, they’ve all been completely FREE to attend & there’s more to come…
The cheek of it – there’s some dirty stains in the Lingerie business. Cheekfrills is championing ethical production.
Underwear, bras, knickers, pants, vests, briefs, drawers, the lovely & chic sounding ‘lingerie’ (I draw the line at ‘panties’). Whatever you call them, I don’t seem to opt for much middle ground when it comes to my undergarments. It’s either high-end fancy frippery lace, silk & frills (read: expensive) Vs. flesh hued or black multipack basics, comfortable cottons & seam-free styles (read: boring). I realised long ago no matter your size or shape, a bit of snug shapewear is also superb for smoothing out your stuff when the occasion calls for it. A good fit is usually my number one priority regardless of garment style. We all wear them but probably don’t may pay that much attention to where they’re from let alone who made them. Have a peep now – I just checked the label on my knickers ‘Made in Cambodia’.
In association with My Little Piccolo
Feeding isn’t always fun & games but it can be (Hungry Hippos)
Feeding. Food. I’ve always been a ‘Foodie’ (I loathe that term but you know what I’m talking about, right?) I’ve always had a big appetite & relished in the simple joys of eating. My favourite thing to do is dine out. I had what was often referred to as ‘hollow legs’ growing up; to the envy & shock of family, friends & strangers with my Bruce Bogtrotter-worthy consumption yet blessed with a skinny frame thanks to a freakish metabolism. Feel free to hate me right now but rest assured that I lost this power some time ago & now how have to apply a lot more discipline when it comes to what I put into my Cake Hole. Becoming a Mother made me completely re-evaluate the importance of nourishment. Continue reading
‘Give a woman the right make up & she can conquer the world’ Charlotte Tilbury
Sunglasses can conceal far more than tiredness; a simple slick of lipstick appears considered, organised, ‘together’. If you’re going to invest in something for yourself (other than a decent, expertly fitted bra – which is always advisable) then a lipstick or a pair of sunglasses are easy, everyday & affordable armour.
INDIE & POP 