A Floral Occasion Dress, but Not as You Know it!

Floral dresses are lovely aren't they?
So feminine!
Perfect in the summertime, with pretty sandals.
Gorgeous in autumn, brightening up a dull day.

A great choice for a wedding or special occasion.

BUT...

What if you want to wear your floral dress when it's cold outside?
What if you want to wear your floral dress on a 'normal' day?

No wedding to attend.
No special event.
Not even meeting up with friends for lunch.

What if you want to throw on your 'fancy' dress and go about your day-to-day errands?
It's easy to do!

Hot Pink Cropped Peg Leg Trousers & Platform Hiking Boots

Bright pink, baggy, cropped, peg-leg trousers have to be one of THE most unflattering items to style!

They are bold in colour which draws attention to the fact they add bulk to the tummy and hip area (not a common place us women like to add extra visual pounds!).
The cropped length shortens the leg.
The front gathers add punch to the paunch..... I'm not selling them here, am I??!! 😜

Working With Brands, How to Say No... politely! #fakeituntilyoumakeit LINK UP

After an interesting post by the lovely Catherine @notdressedaslamb that discussed an event that had caused a bit of a stir... or a "shitstorm" as someone called it (charming!) I started to think about bloggers working with brands.

Working with brands is something many bloggers do, and it can be great fun!
In fact, some people start blogging with the intention of working with (big) brands, making loads of money and never having to buy anything ever again.

Hmmmm.... it's not quite that simple is it? 😛

The 12 Secret Eating Habits of a Skinny Person

Food glorious food...
One of my great passions!
I LOVE to eat.

BUT, unfortunately food can cause anxiety for some people.
These 'food issues' can range from the minor...

"If I open a packet of sweeties I have to finish them all, then I feel ill!" 

To the more serious...
Like being obsessed with the latest diets.
Or having eating habits that cause guilt and self loathing.

It seems so sad to me.
Food should bring us joy... it's one of life's great pleasures!

Black, White and Orange | Wearing My Favourites (again)!

Some pieces in our wardrobes are go-to items that, no matter what you buy that's 'new', will always end up being reached for... and probably worn to death!
Old favourites are those pieces we rely on to never let us down.

This outfit has a few of those old favourites for me!

First, my (now pretty old) orange coat....I've worn it to death, yet it still looks like new!
Next my (new, but old!) favourite black and cream lace booties.

{Yep, I'm wearing them ALL of the time. It's getting a bit boring. Not sorry!}

Thirdly, a trusty roll neck.
Roll necks (or polo necks, as I would call them) are a constant feature in my wardrobe and go under anything and everything.

{I challenge you to find an outfit post without me wearing one 😛
Okay, that's maybe a bit of an exaggeration.... but only a bit of one!}

Finally, this quilted bag that I bought years ago in the Topshop sale.
It was a 'wee extra' at the time but has turned out to be one of my most-used bags.
Funny how things work out.

Culottes in Winter | Black, White and Cobalt

Culottes are great in the summer with sandals.
Perfect in the evening with heels.
Cute in autumn with ankle boots, or brogues.
And fabulously practical in winter with knee boots!

{These boots are actually my OTK boots.... see them with a french spin HERE}

Never Look Back... Let Go of REGRET | #fakeituntilyoumakeit LINK UP

After another foot-meet-mouth cringeworthy gaff (that I won't share with you here, but I will tell you my face was in my hands afterwards) it got me thinking about regret.

Regret is a toxic emotion, isn't it?

Regret can eat you up inside.
Knock your confidence.
Tarnish your memories.
Sour your present and taint your future.

It's utterly pointless.
Unfortunately we all feel it from time to time don't we?
Some of us get the odd twinge of cringe (like me!).
For others, regret can become obsessive.

{Of course there are some people who never feel regret, but I think they're called sociopaths... and you don't want to be one of those!}

Longline Wool Tunic, Vinyl Leggings & Lace Boots

Leggings and a jumper is the ultimate 'lazy dressing' outfit, isn't it?

Fortunately, it's easy to elevate these basics into something cool and fun to wear.

A few tweaks and you can look properly dressed, and not just like you're popping to put the bins out.

The easiest way to up your leggings/jumper combo game is to play with shapes, colours and textures.

Find a jumper with an interesting shape or colour... or both!

Textured knits can look great... like this bobbly jumper, or this cable one.

As for leggings, avoid those boring black cotton leggings and try colours, patterns, tweed or even vinyl.

{See THIS POST about wearing leggings over 40... or at any age!}

Fair Isle Geek Cardigan & Yellow Trousers

On some days looking chic and stylish is the priority, isn't it?

These are the days we are happy to put up with a little bit of discomfort, especially if the stakes are high enough.

Feeling a little bit cold is bearable on a big night out.
A restricting piece of underwear is doable in that killer evening dress.
Or, maybe unforgiving tailoring is the order of the day when your goal is to seal that big deal.
Even a pinching shoe can be tolerated in the name of fashion.... or seduction!

Forget Perfect...it's Okay to be an Idiot! #fakeituntilyoumakeit LINK UP

This post was inspired by an email.

The email was sent to me by a thoughtful reader who had noticed a typo in one of my scheduled emails, and wanted to tell me.

I had used the word 'summery' instead of 'summary'.
Oh dear...
Yep, that happened 😬.

After reading the email I actually laughed out loud at myself.
What an idiot!

This email came a few days after someone else had told me one of my links wasn't working.
Turns out I had forgotten the 'www.'.
Hmmmm...

Should I really be allowed near a computer?? 😜

Winter Florals 2017, over 40

There is no denying that a floral design is the perfect summer staple, but things can get tricky as the mercury falls.

Summer florals can start to look out of place, and a bit 'silly'.

Fashion magazines may tell us that winter florals are 'on trend' but they can seem daunting to style.

No one wants to look like their outfit is awkward or disjointed, do they?

However, a chic (and grown up) winter floral outfit can be great fun to wear... and surprisingly easy to style!

There is one simple 'rule' that makes styling your winter florals as easy as pie...

It's OTT and I Love it | Bright Green Statement Jumper

Do you ever go out shopping for something specific and end up finding something totally unexpected?

A item that leaps off the rail into your arms?

Something you didn't know you wanted, but you can't leave the shop without?

When it comes to shopping (and life in general) good things happen when you least expect them.
These unintentional items are the the ones I tend to fall in love with, and never regret buying.

{See my bright trousers that I also couldn't walk away from, HERE}

I was out to buy my impoverished son (who is living in a freezing cold student flat) a couple of warm jumpers, when this bright green ball of fuzz caught me eye.
On it's own.
Stuffed at the back of a rail.
One size left.

It was fate.

Why it ALWAYS Pays to Complain...Even When it Doesn't! #fakeituntilyoumakeit LINK UP

Complaining, eh?
Hmmm...
It's not a very British thing, is it?

I know my US friends are (statistically) a little better at it, but most British people don't complain very well.
We don't want to make a fuss, or a scene.
We are often unsure of our rights.
Sometimes we can't be bothered with the hassle.

Having said that, I know plenty of British people who love to gripe and moan.
However, it's not usually to formally complain to the person (or company) they have beef with.
Most complaining goes on in hushed voices, behind peoples backs using phrases like

"I'm raging about this!"
"I'm going to slap her face one of these days!"
"I'm never coming back here again, it's was awful....he was SO rude!"
"This fell to bits after one wash, what a rip off!
"The food/service was an outrage!"

Why I Prefer a LRD | Little Red Dress v's LBD

A little red dress is (for me) even more useful, and versatile, than a little black one.
The perfect LRD can take you from that business meeting to a dinner date, with ease.
A classic LRD can be worn to almost every occasion from a wedding, to a night on the town.
There's nothing quite as versatile as a little red dress!