summer workwear...

                      image courtesy of www.misskasia.com

im fortunate enough to work somewhere without a uniform or strict dress code (although Stylist magazine published a fascinating article about a woman who wore the same outfit to work everyday to boost productivity...)this is also a bonus because it shakes me out of the jeans and tshirt rut its all too easy to fall into on a weekend with a toddler. but again its all too easy to wear the same skinnies and blouse week in week out.

so this re- surge of energy i wrote about post holiday came into good effect and i popped on my fresh wardrobe glasses and re discovered some beauts...

okay okay so i said this wasn't about wearing the same skinny jeans and blouse time and again but black skinny jeans are the base for a good working wardrobe (i swear by M&S 5 pocket jeggings) and this vintage blouse has been hanging in my wardrobe for about eight years and before that in some other ladies for about 20...

im all about fuss free. i cant be bothered to spend more than 5 minutes on my hair (a big reason its short) and i love anything that can be worn with a simple, slouchy tshirt. this cream lace skirt from Gap outlet has just a touch of sporty with the elasticated waistband and its boyed up a bit more with just a t. i think the best ones are H&M with the little pocket and only £7.99...

in the summer months its hard to know what to wear because its windy but boiling on your walk to work, you need comfy shoes but it might rain and once you get inside the aircon might be freezing. i found these tailored shorts, from Topshop, and i thought they worked perfectly with this loose white shirt (Barbour but bargain of the century from Oxfam) so there's flesh on show to keep cool but sleeves to keep the chill off. finished with good old tan loafers...

and my working wardrobe of the last month, actually the last year, is not complete without my smart joggers, again H&M. ease, comfort, smart. done deal. again with the white shirt or slouchy tshirt...

this fresh- eyes malarkey tends to happen every few months, thank god, because it saves me pennies and space. as much as i love a splurge as much as the next girl there is something far more satisfying opening your wardrobe doors and pulling out just what you want to wear. or fancy trying something new and finding that actually you have just the thing already.

weekend dressing...

this weekend I spent saturday up to my eyes in bathroom cleaner and washing. not v. glam. 

so sunday I needed to put more than scruffs on to feel a little bit Lucy again. sunday shopping in my hometown of hull and a very well worn and well loved French Connection blouse was the order of the day. with maternity leggings (well we still need comfort), tan shoes and a bit of bling.

blouse from French Connection. leggings from current maternity range at Next, tan leather slip one also Next and necklace from Primark. many moons ago.

happy rest of the week everyone.

dressing the bump...

this bank holiday weekend has been great. i am properly getting into the swing of not going around and about every weekend, just enjoying time at home, busying like a bee. in my jogging bottoms. 

these are the first non sport related joggers I have owned since my mum allowed me some Ellese navy nylon jogging bottoms back in 1997/ 98 kind of time when sportswear really took off, before it became the uniform of those seen on Jeremy Kyle. to be honest those Ellese bottoms were really for P.E. but I occasionally wore them outside of the sporting events. what I didn't do however was wear them with heels like some girls did. i'll never forget the time i first saw a girl, a few years older than me, wear Adidas trackies and heels. I was in awe and yet disgusted all at the same time. you have to remember, this is rural Yorkshire I grew up in. the way East 17 dressed didn't make sense to a lot of us like it would those cool kids from London.

anyway. i happily spend my weekends lounging in skinny joggers now but my natural instincts take over every couple of days and i have get out of them and dress like me again.

now podge is becoming something more than just bloating I am embracing clothes again. and not just clingy stuff to show off, also my staple over size blouses which are great for skimming, but also make me feel like me. seen as I don't look a great deal different in them.

so this weekend i ventured out shopping and lunching which meant two excuses to get out of the grey marl.

sunday day called for my new topshop maternity blouse (but could actually be from the normal range) I found on eBay and my old black skinnies just extended at the waist slightly with a band. and of course flat shoes. in this case red slippers from Primarni. and my leather jacket. but it was actually too warm to wear it. finished off with easy hair, gold studs and pink lip gloss. 

i had seen the white version of this blouse last Christmas and really fancied it so I was very happy when I spotted it on eBay and won it for a princely £3.50. I love the gold details to just add something.

sunday evening we were heading out for a friend's birthday at a local Chinese and I fancied giving a new vintage blouse an outing.

i just changed my jeans (into less faded, more evening appropriate), chucked on some orange court shoes and swapped the gloss for orange lippy. I love love love this blouse and it is going to last me ages and still look good post- baby. I also love pops of colour for jazzing an outfit up. and even if you're feeling rubbish, bright accessories or lipstick can't help but put a smile on your face.

sunny sunny weekend dressing...

saturday's shopping trip on a relatively sunny day was a good opportunity to bring out this stripe maxi skirt from www.primark.com. I bought it with my up coming holiday in mind a few weeks ago but have worn it a couple of times already. kept it simple with a navy shirt from H&M mama, my old faithful Whistles navy blazer and tan leather slip one from Next. finished off with an old Adidas handbag, gold and orange studs from Accessorize, Marc Jacobs watch and my everyday silver a leather charm bracelets.

saturday night saw us dining and chatting away with night with friends so quick change and a spritz of perfume and I was ready. swapped skirt for acid wash skinnies from Topshop maternity, oversized vintage Planet blouse with an acid yellow necklace from Primark and orange stilettos from Next to finish.

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super sundays...

today has been one of those great days where you manage to do a little bit of everything a sunday should give you and you finish the day feeling like you've achieved.

a good sunday should always start with breakfast in bed. this morning I was woken up by the Jack R and so it was up to me to make porridge and hot cross buns. a good sunday breakfast in bed should always be accompanied by a read. be it the papers, electronically or traditionally, or a good book. this morning I started to work my way through Shopping in Marrakech by Susan Simon. it's a pocket sized, delightful insight into the medinas and souks and shops of the red city and started the excitement bubbling for our baby- moon in 5 weeks time. 

following your escape from the duvet, a super sunday always requires a decent outfit. not necessarily dressy as there are always one form of housework or job to be done. but certainly some effort should be made when going out into public. always. especially on a sunday. to starve away the rain I decided on my new raspberry asos maternity jeans that I am slowly growing into (and to be quite honest they are still to big.) I teamed these with a topshop boyfriend fit navy and oatmeal t shirt, navy whistles blazer and pink pumps with sparkles on. sparkles and sunday go hand in hand. 

i accessorised with my weekend watch; gold Marc Jacobs, a variety of bracelets and charms and some multi coloured starling ear rings.

once dressed we walked the dog (good sundays should always have some form of exercise) and frequented our local spring festival. working for a local company and living in a rural area you get to enjoy dipping your toe into community life. the sun managed to stay out just long enough for the festivities and we enjoyed a bacon sandwich (a staple of a sunday diet)within the beautiful church yard.

on our return home I relaxed with some recorded tv and a cup of chamomile tea(the rain was starting in its way) and then fitted in a couple of jobs; cleaning the bathrooms and cleaning up a second hand unit we have just purchased. dispite housework not being too fun a successful Sunday must include some jobs to make you feel like Wonder Woman/ domestic goddess. 

mid afternoon it was time to start on my real job for the day; prepping the flags for the centre pieces for a christening I am decorating in a few weeks. 

whilst I am on the subject of decor, I cannot highly  recommend this book enough. it was purchased to help me with ideas for my home grown wedding and it is full of fantastic ideas for paper crafts that really don't look naff and homemade in that 'not very handy' way. it's called paper & craft by Minhee and Truman Cho of Paper & Cup. 

and as all good Sundays should finish, we have seen out the final hours of today with a roast and good company. before early to bed of course, being a school night. 

so a super sunday requires, in my opinion:

breakfast in bed

a good read (or other suitable activity)

a snazzy outfit

a walk

a bacon buttie/ hot cross bun/ pancakes etc etc

relaxation

domestic brilliance

something creative/ a hobby

a roast

family and friends

i hope you've had a good Sunday, whatever you may have done. it's worth stopping at the end of the weekend and thinking about the good stuff, before we get bogged down into the next week... and take pictures. it's nice to reflect back on...

wish list...

i have tried really hard not to buy too much this month (well the 19 days of it so far) and have only succumbed to a jersey midi length Aztecs style dress. and the logic there was that it will look great with thick tights and ankle boots now and a grandma cardigan and then come the warmer weather, off with the thick layers and on with the leather jacket and spring/ summer suitable footwear. and when I bought it last weekend it was the first time I had seen it in my size. so it was a good idea to buy it.

the thing I think about buying stuff now is its got to be wearable today, but equally wearable in spring and even into summer. I see very little point in buying 3 new wooly jumpers and some new cord skinnies. although on the topic I've just remembered that I did buy a big knitted jumper 2 weeks ago... but that was neon yellow and green and from oxfam so doesn't count. 

on my wish list for february, when I will allow myself to get the cards back out, is basically everything from Mango and Zara once again. their november/ december stuff was flipping good and my christmas party and New Year's Eve outfits both came from mango as it happens.

looking ahead to the new season with these two high street beauties; there are monochrome shirts galore, mannish slacks, lighter knits and my everyday favourite, the boyfriend jean (as promoted by The Fashion Guitar this last week.) i love it when you see more of what you already have and love in the stores. 

feels like someone is on your wavelength. 

my favourite  pieces from Mango thus far include this gorgeous little Eiffel Tower print dress, this slouchy mint knit (and the way it's worn in this picture is perfect) and basically the whole damn lot on the last picture.

                                    

and Zara basically nails it again with blouses. I think I can just about squeeze some more into my wardrobe.