Beautiful Bargains!!!

It's been a busy few months of social occasions for me which is brilliant but of course I need to have something to wear for all of them!  So I've just had to shop!  It's tough I know but well . . . I LOVE IT!!!

The girls and I went to a clairvoyant evening!  Don't ask!!!!!!  My friend Paola looked lovely that evening all dressed in blue.  So it got me into blue!  I don't usually wear blue.  I searched on line for some blue ankle boots.  Everything that came up was horrible!  One of the Google results was Jones the Bootmakers.  Anyone who is local to Cheltenham will know that Jones is quite expensive.  I almost didn't bother clicking on the link as I didn't want to pay in excess of £100.  But I did click.  And there was the most gorgeous pair of  high heeled blue suede boots!  It was love at first sight!!!  And . . . joy upon joy . . . they were in the sale!  The shopping fairy was looking down on me!  They were reduced from £110 to £33 and they had them in my size!  Yay!  Needless to say I couldn't enter my card details quick enough!

A few days later my boots arrived.  I opened the box and fell in love all over again!  I was almost scared to try them on.  I couldn't bare it if they didn't fit.  But in a truly Cinderella moment they did fit!!!!  

As I was going to my friend Jane's Birthday celebration at a very nice restaurant called Armagnac a few days later I wanted to wear them!  I had bought a dress from Dorothy Perkins' website.  They had 25% off for the weekend so I'd ordered a few dresses (intending to choose the nicest and send the others back) as I knew everyone was wearing a dress for our evening out.  As it happened one of the dresses that I'd kept was navy.  It was yet another bargain!!  With the 25% discount it cost me less than £25.

So I went out in my new dress and my new boots.  As you know I'm not a dress kind of person and I'd certainly never worn ankle boots with a dress.  I had double checked with my daughter that it looked alright!  And I loved it.  And what's more I felt completely comfortable - unheard of in a dress!

Anyway, my blue quest continued!  I think I may be obsessed!  I bought some super soft blue jeans from New Look at just £14.99.  They are sooooo comfy.  And I bought a few blue T-shirts and thin jumpers also from New Look.

A few days ago I received an email from Stylist Picks saying they had a special offer on all boots this week - 50% off.  As regular readers will know I love Stylist Picks shoes and boots.  I let my friends Jane and Heather know as they have both bought shoes or boots from Stylist Picks too. 

Now both of them have bought new boots in the current sale and I'm feeling somewhat left out because I haven't actually ordered any.  In all honesty I don't need any more boots but as Heather said -  it's rude not too when they are so cheap!

The Consequences of Feeling FAT!!!

Stepping on to the scales after Christmas is never a joyful event.  Far from it!  And so, if you are one of those people who love shopping you are probably not in the mood for clothes shopping.  You take your normal size into the changing rooms and it won't go over your hips, won't zip up or just leaves rolls of fat bulging over the sides.  This kind of experience is to be avoided at all costs.  You knew you were fat before the scales confirmed it so you really don't want these totally unsympathetic new clothes to scream it out loud in a very public changing room.  You may feel like ripping said clothes off and curling up into a ball and sobbing loudly but I find the assistant in Next is not too keen on this behaviour.

But girls there is one thing you can always buy whether you feel obese or skinny.  I have to add here that feeling skinny is an unknown concept to me!  You can buy shoes!!!  They always fit!  God I love shoes!  So I have to admit that's what I've done!  Firstly I ordered some ankle boots from Next.  They arrived a day or so later and I pulled off the packaging to reveal my beautiful, sexy, orgasmic boots.  I tried them on with a slight hesitation - if they don't fit I will cry - but they fitted!  And I LOVE them!!!  Oh great joy!  Who needs clothes when you can have shoes or boots.

It didn't stop there however.  In my inbox I get regular newsletters from Stylist Picks.  I've never bought anything from them but I quite enjoy browsing their newsletter.  Their latest one was advertising their sale.  I happened to stumble across - by some slip of the mouse - the shoe section.  I reasoned with myself that I didn't need more shoes.  I've got loads of shoes.  But then the sale prices twinkled away at me taunting me like a bar of chocolate or a glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc.

This morning my new footwear arrived.  To be fair it would have been rude not to take advantage of these bargain offers.  It was so exciting unwrapping them.  They came in black shoe boxes with black ribbon tied round them.  Inside the shoes were delicately wrapped in tissue paper with a little sticker holding it in place.  It can't get better than this even at Jimmy Choo surely?  They felt expensive and sexy and perfect.  Oh I LOVE my new shoes and boots!!!

Yes I didn't stop at one pair I bought a beautiful pair of black ankle boots for just £25 and a pair of black and tan shoes - a snip at just £15.  You are obviously nodding in agreement that I had to buy said footwear at such bargain prices.  There really was no alternative!  And I do really LOVE them.

So here they are:

My Next boots

My £15 Stylist Pick shoes

And how lovely is the box!

My gorgeous £25 Stylist Pick boots!

What an exciting day!  It's given me a real boost from my cold which even with Nurofen Express is giving me a splitting headache and eyes that I just want to close as they hurt so much.  So I deserved cheering up!

I also though I'd share with you some of my Christmas presents.  Rich bought me things from the list I'd given him.  Not sure how he'd get on without a list?!!!  May be next year I will try it.  I'd really love a surprise but one I like not one I'd have to pretend to like.  Tricky!  So he bought me several books.  I'm on book two, Cheryl Cole's autobiography.  I've already read David Walliam's.  Shout if you want to borrow it but WARNING it is rather dark.  He also bought me a bottle of perfume and the following items:

As you may have guessed I love tweed.  This is from an inexpensive equestrian company called Rydale.

This is my Pull and Bear top which you will probably remember I wore Boxing Day.

This jumper is also from Rydale.

This bag is from Joules and I love it!

It's probably the most expensive bag I've owned at around £90!!!!

And this is what my daughter bought me:

This purse is from Joules and it's gorgeous!

I love what a contrast the lining is.

And a furry headband also from Joules.

My son bought me a laptop cover which I asked for and this lovely handbag.

This is from Oasis and will go beautifully with my new Next boots!

And my friend Jane bought me some yummy chocolate from Hotel Chocolat and this fab snood:

As you may have gathered I love horses!

I was also lucky enough to get a spa voucher from Richard's daughter and several other gifts from them and two very appropriate plaques from my lovely friend Theresa but I will share these with you another day.  Today is officially SHOE DAY!!!!

Friday Night Fun!

On Friday evening Rich and I were invited to our friend Jane's for a get together with a group of friends.  This time it wasn't the normal Supper Club girls.  There was Jane's two daughters and a few of their friends, Sarah - who is a Supper Club member and two other couples who are friends of Jane and Sarah.

We had a lovely evening of chatting, laughing, eating and drinking.  When will we stop!!!  Jane had even put a box of dark chocolates out which I'm sure she knows I don't like so upon my complaint she went to recover her well hidden stash of our favourites and we devoured a big bag of Twirl Bites and Minstrels!!!

I wore my Oasis dress for the first time.  It's so comfy to wear but I'm not good at getting in the car or bending down in a dress.  As I always wear trousers I'm not very ladylike.  I wore it with black opaque tights and my old black knee high boots.

Almost Christmas

Last night we had a Pre Christmas Get Together at our house with some of our best friends.  I lit all the candles and dimmed the lights (mainly to hide the fact that the Christmas tree is all but dead!) and put on the cheesy Christmas CD.  The champagne and Sauvignon Blanc was chilling in the fridge and the food warming in the oven.

It was lovely to spend the evening with such special people but time always seems to fly by.  One of our friends has lost three stone this year, she says without trying.  She's more than ten years older than me and is looking really skinny and obviously feeling good.  She's changed the way she dresses and was in skinny jeans last night.  It just shows it doesn't matter how old you are you can reinvent yourself.

I wore my new black top which I bought from Forever 21 on Oxford Street and my black skinny jeans from Gok at Sainsburys, my favourite nude heels and my new necklace.  I thought all of my friends looked really good last night but all in totally different ways.  Jane tends to be a skinny jeans and pretty tops kind of person.  Sarah is good at dresses or tunics with leggings and boots.  Heather can wear almost anything because she has a lovely figure but she seems happiest in skinny jeans.  She can wear them with flats and still look fab.  I need to wear heels.

Anyway when I put the bottles into the recycling I worked out that the wine drinkers had each drunk at least one and a half bottles each of wine or champagne!  No one reported a hangover this morning though!!!

Today I had to go to pick up my Dad who has come to stay for Christmas.  My daughter and her friend came with me.  My Dad and most of my family live an hours drive away.  We took the opportunity to go and visit my cousin who had all her family there including her 12 week old baby grandson who I hadn't met before!

Rich is now so used to taking photos of me that as soon as I came downstairs dressed and ready to go he was ready to take a photo.

I've obviously worn these clothes before since blogging, but they are so comfy and easy to wear.  Blouse from Next, straight jeans from Tu at Sainsburys, boots from M&S, bag from New Look.

And here I am with my cousin's husband who made the whole trip for us by making us laugh so much!!!

A little treat . . .

Yesterday I went into town.  I had a few things I needed to do and Rich wanted to go buy the things I had put on my Christmas list.  I was wandering round trying to buy gloves for all of us as it was so cold when I found a couple of things I just had to have.  Well you have to treat yourself once in a while.  So here are my new boots and I even found a cardi to match!!!

What do you think????  I love them.  I've got some similar boots but these fit me so much better and are so comfy.  The cardigan was £10 from Primark and the boots were £20 also from Primark.  Bargain!!!

Not to be left out my dogs all had new coats.  The temperature has dropped and they like to look trendy on their walks!

I have also ventured into the loft in search of more dresses and later on I'm going to try a few things on in the hope that I can find something to wear tomorrow night.  Wish me luck!!!

Finally I go out in a dress!!!

So what do you think???!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who commented on which dress I should wear.  Actually it wasn't too bad.  I thought I'd feel really uncomfortable but it's a very easy dress to wear.  I've had it for ages; probably at least a couple of years.  I'm pretty sure it's from Primark.  My boots are also old.  I found them in the back of the cupboard.  As my son put it, "they're really old school".  Maybe I'll get some new ones in the sales.

It's inspired me to try dress wearing again.  Claire and Sarah also wore dresses but they are regular dress wearers.  We had such a lovely evening.  Claire's house is always immaculate but at the same time warm and welcoming.  Although Claire, like myself, is a reluctant cook she always gives us a lovely meal and is a wonderful hostess.  We had salmon in a cream sauce, roasted new potatoes and salad followed by trifle and of course plenty of bubbly and wine.

Yesterday was my day off my diet.  I really enjoyed the whole day but feel crappy today.  I'm not sure you realise how over indulging effects you until you diet then there is such a contrast in how you feel on diet and none diet days.  I still exercised yesterday.  My friend Paola picked me up at around 8.30am and we met some of the Cleeve Ladies at Pitville Park and went for a run.  The reward at the end of the run was coffee and cake at the cafe!  I also walked the dogs for over an hour. 

I'm actually glad to be back to dieting today but it's an exercise free day for me - unless you count walking round Sainsburys!  Tomorrow back to running!  Bring it on!  Oh and it's my day to weigh!!!  Prepare for me being devastated!!!!

Friday Night Fashion

This is what I wore out to supper last night!  The complete outfit is actually from Gok's range at Sainsbury's!  The jeans are this season and the top is last season and they are paired with my favourite nude heels from New Look.  And I was actually told that I looked skinny!  Thanks Olivia!!! 
I have been trying to be good about what I eat and only drink wine once a week and I have been running with my running buddy Heather but each time I get on the scales they say exactly the same thing!  Anyone else have that problem?  Why can't they just lie and tell you what you want to hear??? If they did then I'd move them from their lonely existence in the bathroom to pride of place in the lounge!

So I had a fab evening.  Our friends live in the most beautiful house so it was a super place to be.  First plus point!  We were joined by their gorgeous daughter and her lovely boyfriend and another couple who we hadn't seen for a couple of months but very much enjoy spending time with.  Second plus point!  The food was absolutely delicious.  Third plus point!  And the champagne was flowing.  Fourth plus point!  And at this point I must add that it's a very well known fact that champagne contains zero calories when consumed with good friends on a Friday night.  I believe the same also applies for profiteroles!  And the fifth and most important plus point was Rich was driving so I could enjoy all of the above!!!!