Holiday Planning

Steve's taken the camera with him today - he's taken the girls to Cadbury World (NO fair! although I'm hoping they bring me back a present!), so no photo update, but I did want to share my holiday packing musings with you!

It's been 9 years since we went somewhere hot and sunny, and we have never been somewhere hot and sunny in the hottest and sunniest part of the year ever, so I have had a bit of a packing quandry.

We have a washing machine in the villa, so we plan to travel "light" (when camping I usually just empty my whole wardrobe into several suitcases - we're packing the entire contents of the house anyway, so 57 outfits to allow for the whole spectrum of weather possibilities isn't a major problem!). Of course we are now limited to 20kg per person!

This is what I'm planning on taking for 2 weeks:

White Vest
Turquoise Vest
Black Vest

Green T-shirt
Black t-shirt (wearing)
White t-shirt
Lime baggy t-shirt

Grey Combats (wear on the plane)
Black linen trousers
White cotton skirt (just purchased today!)

Denim short shorts
Denim Crops
Bench Crops

Turquoise Cardi
Red Cardi
Black cardi (wearing)

Sundress
2 bikinis
1 swimming costume (in case we go to the water park!)

Blingy flip flops
leather flip flops
old lady gardening croc shoes
converse (wearing on the plane)

and, obviously, several pairs of knickers!

What do you think - is this enough? Too much? will I be able to "mix and match" enough so I'm not bored?

Thoughts please tinterweb friends :D

Boots Smooth Skin - Review 1

Being from Italian heritage, and rather hirsute of the the leg, my Mum, my sister and I decided to club together and invest in the Boots Smooth Skin Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) permanent hair reduction system.

I have decided to review it here as I go along. Hope you don't mind!

Today I have given it it's first outing, and have done the bottom half of my legs.

So then, out of the box it is easy to operate - the instructions are clear, if not a little scary with details of who shouldn't use it, when not to use, what might happen if you do use it! Having read them thoroughly and ascertained that I should be quite safe, I did a test patch a week ago. No adverse reactions, thankfully!

Today Mum took the girls off my hands for a couple of hours, so I decided to bite the bullet and make a start!

As previously mentioned, I decided to start with my lower legs. They are what give me the most bother, I have dark brown hair, which I need to shave at least every other day to keep smooth. I got an epilady for Christmas, which promised "up to 4 weeks smoothness", but in reality I was lucky to get to 4 days!

This afternoon I spent an hour - first covering my legs with the goo, then going up and down them with the light. It is a slow process, and it did take me an hour to do 2 legs up to the knees, but it was relatively pain free (just a slight tingling sensation with each light pulse, and a warm feeling). It takes me an hour to properly epilady to the same point, so I wasn't concerned, particularly as this promises "permanent hair removal".

The only problem I have now is that, having spent an hour doing them, I still have hairy legs, and I can't quite ascertain how long I need to wait until I shave or epilady! Oh well, trousers it is!

I am expecting to have to undertake at least 12 treatments to get hair free legs, but in my mind that is 12 hours of my time and £90 well spent :-) (the machine is currently on offer at £249, and Mum gets her OAP discount!)

I will report back when I have news....


Edited to add the link to my final review here! Please read before buying one of this machines!

Another Catch Up!

Something from the weekend! A Saturday outfit for doing not alot!

Cardi: Tesco
Top: QS
jeans: Next
Shoes: Converse

And this is why I generally don't stand face on when I'm wearing skinnies - bandy legs!
















Yesterday's work outfit!

Cardi: Tesco (mmm, seems familiar!)
T-shirt: Dorothy Perkins
Beads: Matalan
Trousers: Tesco
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins


















Today's work outfit!

Cardi: Next
Beads: Next
Blouse: Next (Sale bargain yesterday! £7, and it was wrongly marked up new stock which shouldn't have been in the sale!)
Trousers: Tesco
Shoes: (take a stab in the dark....) Next! (another Sale bargain - £10)

















I obviously like that shape cut out on my shoes! (you can't see it very well on the flats, but it's across the tops of my toes!) - I think it reminds me of my facepainting days!

More New Beads!

Monday work outfit!

Cardi: Tesco
T-shirt: Dorothy Perkins
Trousers: Tesco
Beads: Matalan
Shoes: New Look


















And because you can't see them very clearly in the top photo - here are the new beads in all their glory!















and finally here is my first attempt at the top photo today - blooming child!

Something Different for Saturday!

I bought these grey combats just after Christmas in the Next sale, and just remembered them this morning!

Probably too many "light" colours for a "Deep", but I'm hoping I've redeemed it by wearing the darker red close to my face.

I've been to Matalan with Rhian this morning to buy her some crops for her Munchkin costume (yes, you read right, my tall, skinny daughter has been cast as a Munchkin in the forthcoming school production of the Wizard of Oz!), and I found some lovely red beads - watch out for them in a post soon!

Cardi: Tesco
T-shirt: Dorothy Perkins
Combats: Next
Shoes: Converse

Catch up!

Real life has happened to me this week! So only today I've got a chance to sit down and update - what is the world coming to!

Wednesday I wore this dress again - Looking at the pictures I'm not really sure about the print - it is out of my comfort zone, but I'll keep in in the wardrobe anyway, it doesn't need ironing, so it's a good "emergency fall-back" when everything that does need ironing hasn't been done!

Dress: george at Asda, via ebay!
Sleeveless blouse: sainsburys (or tesco?)
Belt: Dorothy Perkins
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins













Yesterday I decided to wear white under the turquoise cardi - I've not worn white in a while, although it had been an absolute wardrobe stape, when I had the colour analysis done it very much veered towards me wearing darker colours - and if I was wearing lighter colours they needed to be with a dark colour as the main garment.

I'm not sure whether the white and the turquoise count as 2 lighter colours together?

Cardi: Next
T-shirt: Dorothy Perkins
Beads: Next
Trousers: Tesco
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins












And here's today's outfits!

I've not worn this top to work before - but today was one of those days when I really need to do ironing, and I had no important meetings scheduled, so I could afford to go slightly more casual than normal!

I'm currently loving the green/red combo - so expect to see more variations on that theme!

Cardi: Tesco
T-shirt: Next
Trousers: Tesco
Jeans: Next
Black Sandals: Clarks
Silver Sandals: Next

Red and Blue Tuesday, and Favourite Shoes Part 2!

I was obviously feeling a bit ghostly this morning!

Cardi: Tesco
T-shirt: Dorothy Perkins
Beads: Next
Trousers: Tesco
Jeans: Next
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins/Converse


















My favourite shoes, part 2!

Yesterday I shared my favourite smart shoes with you, and today it's time for my favourite flat/casual shoes.

I think part of the reasons these are my absolute favourites is because I waited so long for them. While I was at college, between 22 and 20 years ago, I always hankered after a pair of red converse baseball boots. Sadly I could never afford them. I did compromise, and I had a pair of red baseball boots, but they weren't converse, and I didn't like them as much as the real thing.

Last year I had some birthday money, and I decided I had waited long enough, and it was time, to buy myself some red converse baseball boots! I cheated a little, and bought low tops instead of the full boots, simply because they are easier to put on, and I always wear them with jeans and you can't see that they're not boots most of the time anyway!

So, take up the challenge - show me your favourite shoes :-)

Blue Monday!

Monday's are dull, unncessary days of the week. There's nothing good about Mondays - and this one seems to have snuck round quicker than most - surely Friday was only yesterday?

Cardi: Next
T-Shirt: Dorothy Perkins
Skirt: Tesco
Shoes: Dorothy Perkins


















Today's bracelet is one of a rather large selection I have from incensed - I just love the simplicity of an elasticated bracelet! She does loads of beautiful jewellery, is happy to custom make anything you want, and there's also a large range of what I call "teacher presents" - gifts that are ideal for teachers, secret santas and small gifts for friends you wouldn't normally buy for!

Me, Mum and my sister Lou all have a large number of these bracelets, and the girls always wear their "pastel pearls" bracelets. Delivery is always amazingly efficient, and the products are always tip top.




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If you've been visiting for my blog for a while you've probably heard me waxing lyrical about these shoes before - they are my very favourite work shoes!

I came across them while waiting in the queue in the Dorothy Perkins Sale at Christmas time - they weren't massively reduced, with only £5 off I think, taking them to around £30. I umm-ed and ahhh-ed a lot while walking round and round and round the shop in them - did I *need* new black heels, if I did, which size should I pick, etc, etc. In the end I decided I wouldn't be able sleep if I didn't get them, so I just bit the bullet. I'm so glad I did - they have had so much wear, but still look as good as the day I bought them.

I love the height of them, I like the fact they are actually comfortable (that's my age creeping through!), I like the fact they are glamourous, and I like the fact that a lot of women say "oooh, nice shoes" when they see them for the first time!

So, fellow bloggers, come on and show me your favourite shoes! (I've got another pair to come!)

Weight Loss!

I've just posted on my "mutterings" blog about my weightloss over the past 12 months - hop on over and see what a difference a year makes!

Girls Night Out!

Went out for a meal last night with my lovely ex-colleagues from The Mortgage Corporation. We all worked together for 8 years, 11 years ago, and it was a rare time where women work together without a hint of bitchiness or back-stabbing.

We still get on really well, and it's always a good night out :-)

Popped into the garden for the photos last night, but left it a bit late and couldn't find a good spot to be able to get a full-length shot, so here's a couple of "sitting" shots!

T-shirt: Dorothy Perkins
Beads: Next
Linen Trousers: Next
Flip-flops: Next

Flip Flops with BLING!

Phew! What a scorcher!

Although we don't have air conditioning in the offices at work, I was lucky enough to be spending today in an assessment centre, which was in our lovely air conditioned seminar room! I should have taken Shoegal's advice from yesterday and taken a cardi - I was freezing!

Dress: Tesco
Belt: Dorothy Perkins
Shoes: New Look
















Apres work - nothing exciting, except the new flip-flops!

Vest: New Look
Crops: Next
Flip-Flops: Next