Chance to Win a Necklace!

The lovely Boutique Girl is giving away a beautiful necklace. For details on how to enter, click here!

Living with Colour!

So I bought some colour - and now I'm actually wearing it!

Saturday afternoon, just back from a night away on the motorbike (with a severe case of helmet hair!), I wore the turquoise cardi with a black t-shirt, Sunday, after an day at the beach, I wore the sky blue t-shirt with cropped jeans, and today, for a wander around Arundel town and castle I wore the green t-shirt!

t-shirts - Dorothy Perkins
cardigans - Next
trousers - Next
flip-flops - New Look

Shopping for Colour!

So today I hit the shops again, armed with my trusty Colour Me Confident Book, intent on introducing a colour to my wardrobe that isn't black, white, red or purple!

This is what I ended up with!

Turquoise Cardi - Next (I've taken the label off now!)
Green t-shirt - Dotty P's
Blue t-shirt - Dotty P's

















Lime Vest - Next
Sludgy Cardi - Next (which I'm really not convinced about, and might be taking straight back! thoughts?)














I wasn't feel brave enough to go full technicolour to school, so I played it safe with the lime vest and my trusty black cardi. While at school I saw someone I see every day - she said "you look different today, kind of radiant? what's different?" and the only thing different was the fact I was wearing a lime green vest for the the first time ever in my adult (and possibly entire!) life. Perhaps there's something in the this colour analysis?!

Black Cardi - Next
Black linen boyfriend trousers - Next
Shoes - Converse















Today has been Steve's birthday, and tonight we went out with some really good friends for a lovely Thai meal - and the turquoise cardi got it's first outing!

Cardi - Next
Sleeveless Blouse - Sainsburys
Beads - Next
Jeans - Next
Shoes - New Look

Colour Update!

Today I had my Colour Me Beautiful freebie colour consultation. The reason it was free was because I was being a guinea pig for a group of student colour consultants.

To start off with my main colouring was analysed. I am, as I guessed, a "Deep" (think Catherine Zeta Jones! lol - in my dreams!). The "undertones" was what has me confused a little! Basically, as a "Deep" I could be "warm" or "cool". The colour analysis session went one step further than the book, and also came up with a vibrancy factor - I should wear "clear" colours - so nothing sludgy, bright vibrant colours is what I need! Main items should be dark colours - no head to toe dressing in white (or "soft white" as I was advised today!)

My hair has confused the issue!

My hair, in it's newly blonde and red highlighted state, has knocked me into "warm" - which means colours like mustard, golden brown, salmon, pumpkin and rust (what I would think as traditionally "Autumn" colours in the old scheme!). I have to admit I'm not entirely sold on this!

The tutor of the group was actually (I believe!) Pat Henshaw, who co-wrote (and starred in!) the Colour Me Confident book. She took me aside to talk about my hair (which was quite a talking point of the afternoon!) She suggested next time I have it done I loose some of the blonde, and go darker. This, she suggests, is likely to knock me back to "cool" as an undertone.

Mmmmm......

The reason I have the blonde highlights is to camoflage my grey. What she suggested was either going for a one-tone colour, in a plum shade (no highlights, shock horror!), or to just have the red and maybe a purple, and let the grey itself act as the light "highlight", as it were. My other option is to go for an "ash" blonde, rather than golden blonde, and that will actually look more silvery - which I don't actually mind - it's this awful "salt and pepper"/"badger" look which I think is not good!

Anyway, plenty of time to think about that as I only had thehighlights re-done on Saturday - so at least 3 months until they'll need doing again!

Overall it was a very enjoyable experience - and certainly one I'd do again. Apparently the colours you should wear do change as you get older, and Pat said that if I change my hair colour I should get back in contact with the lady who organised the voluteers and ask to go back.

I would say if you've got a spare £80 and an hour and a half, go for a colour me beautiful colour consultation - it will make shopping so much easier and your wardrobe so much more co-ordinated!

The good news that came out of this afternoon is that I am well able to wear black, and red is good too, so I don't have to go to work tomorrow naked! lol!

I'm going to hit Dotty P's again tomorrow afternoon in renewed hope of introducing some colour!

Tuesday!

Firstly my new red watch - picked up second hand again at the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice summer fete on Saturday.

I usually wear my Dad's watch, but there are times when I want to wear something a bit more girly! I have reasonably chunky wrists, so I didn't want anything really delicate, but I thought this was quite nice, and it came with a brand-new battery! Not bad for a fiver I thought!

















Then my silver necklace, given to me by my lovely Gran, given to her by her(I believe) lovely second husband Bill.











And today's work outfit -

Blouse - Sainsburys
Trousers - Tesco
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins


Steve asked me at the weekend why I always stand with my legs doing funny things - it's because I've got bandy legs!

Mmmm, and new hair colour!

First, Sunday's outfit. I was looking a bit self conscious as Steve was heckling me! (he thinks this blog is a waste of web space, and is just me fishing for compliments - not at all, I welcome all comments, complimentary or not! I need advice people!)

I wasn't "feeling" this outfit - I felt very square, and I think it's alot to do with the t-shirt - not sure the round neck is best for me, not sure about the length, and not sure about the logo - I'm not convinced women over a certain age should wear logos!

Any advice gratefully received though (as I said earlier!)

Hoodie - Tesco
T-shirt - not sure, Christmas pressie!
Jeans - Next












Here is today's after work outfit - although the work outfit was the same, just with black trousers and high heels!

I had a flash of inspiration last week and purchased this sleeveless blouse to wear under jumpers and dresses! The look of a blouse, without the bulk on the arms, which is always really uncomfortable! Don't know why I didn't think of it before!

Jumper - Dorothy Perkins
Jeans - Next
Sleeveless Blouse - Sainsbury's
Boots - Next
















And finally, a close up of the new necklace I picked up at the Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice summer fete on Saturday. I thought it was rather pretty, versatile and a bargain at £2!

And finally, finally, the eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed my hair looking brighter! I had a cut and my highlights re-done on Saturday afternoon, and feel much better for it!

Not feeling at all "Maria" today!

Yesterday, afterwork.

Blouse - Gap
Cardi - M&S
Jeans - Next
Boots - Next

















Today I was completely and utterly uninspired. I had a lie-in as Kira wasn't here today (her first residential school trip!), and when it came to getting dress I just shoved on the first things which came to hand!

Jumper - Primark (many sizes too big - bought just before I started ww)
Skirt - Tesco
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins

















I did wear my lovely glass beaded bracelet from Isle of Wight Glass which we bought last May while we were there. You can't really see the colours here, but it really does go with almost anything, it has hints of purple, pink, green, blue ....... Only thing missing is red! Although it is neutral enough to get away with red too!

Like Maria from West Side Story....

I feel pretty, oh so pretty!


I took a bit of inspiration from Kimberley's Inspiration Calendar via Shoegal's blog, and was going to wear the blouse over the top of the dress today. I decided at the last minute to put the dress over the top, and was so glad I did!

I feel amazing in this outfit, and have had soooo many positive comments at work today, I have said "thank you!" so many times today in response to comments about my outfit!

I decided to go with the black belt today, allowing the flower to be the "pop" - I somehow felt a bit too "pulled together" with the red belt?

Dress - Tesco
Belt - Red - Tesco, Black - Dorothy Perkins
Blouse - Gap
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins
Broach - Evans

I also had an exciting email in my inbox yesterday - colour me beautiful were looking for volunteers for a free colour consultation with their trainees - could I spare an hour and a half in Guildford next week! Could I heck - I nearly bit the poor woman's arm off! So next Wednesday at 2 I will be hoofing it over to Guildford to discover definitively what colours I should and shouldn't be wearing - and hopefully black and white will be right up there as colours to wear, otherwise I'm stuck!

Black and Red Thursday, and Friday!

So it's been black and red work wear this week - although yesterday I cheated a little and wore a white t-shirt!

Cardi - Per Una (sale! £5!)
T-shirt - Dorothy Perkins
Trousers - Tesco
Shoes - New Look


















Today I was true to the theme, and went for plain black and red again! (and it was cold, so I added the red cardi too!)

Blouse - Next
Tank Top - Sainsburys
Cardi - Tesco
Trousers - Tesco
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins

The last photo is one I took when I got home, and you can probably see the new addition!

My lovely friend Ally at work bought me a broach! She's got one the same that I'd admired, so she went shopping and bought me one too! Such a lovely, thoughtful and generous thing to do! Thank you Ally!






And here it is in close up :-) I can see it's going to get a lot of wear!

Broach - Evans

Black and Red Wednesday!

I can see a theme emerging!

dress and cardi - Tesco
shoes - Dorothy Perkins

Black and Red Tuesday!

Tried the beads a new way today - doubled them up!

I think I just about got away with them having pink beads with the red cardigan?

















T-shirt - Dorothy Perkins
Cardigan - Tesco
Trousers - Tesco
Beads - Next
Shoes - New Look


















And a quick change after work!

Jeans and boots - Next

Apologies to Shoegalfi!

I would like to apologise, I wrongly credited my cropping advice to Kate, when I've just realised it was, in fact, the lovely ShoegalFi!

A Day Out in London - with Special Teenage Guests!

Rhian had an inset day today, so we headed up to London for the day. We visited the Tate Modern, wandered across Millenium Bridge and around St Pauls, and finally had a mooch and a sit in the beautiful warm sunshine at covent garden.


Me, taken by Rhian (please excuse the lack of feet!)

Cardigan, Beads and Trousers - Next
T-shirt - Dorothy Perkins
Converse low-tops - Schuh

















My teenage fashionista!

Sunglasses - Tesco (bought as a joke, but have had a lot of wear!)
T-shirt - Dorothy Perkins
Cardi - H&M
Bag - Claires
Jeans and Shoes - Next














Teenage Fashionista No. 2 - Rhian's lovely friend T!

No idea where all her clothes are from!


















and finally, a crazy shot on the millenium bridge, showing me in my sunglasses - which are prescription sunnies from Optisave!