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!

Christmas!!!

I hope everyone has had a super Christmas.  Does anyone else find it exhausting?  There's all the preparation - cleaning the house, buying presents, wrapping presents (which seems to take forever), putting up the tree (ours died within about 3 days!), grocery shopping along with everyone else in the entire area!  Then I had to go and pick up my Dad.  Although he's not much trouble you still feel responsible for him and don't quite relax.

Ready to go pick up my Dad on Sunday 23rd in my Next blouse, Sainsbury's straight jeans, M&S boots and New Look handbag

Here with my cousin's husband

                                                 

Ready to go out to lunch on Christmas Eve.  Next
lacy top, sparkly vest, Top Shop skinny jeans and M&S boots

Although Rich cooked on Christmas Day I did all the tidying up (he's a very messy cook), got rid of all the wrapping paper, put everyone's presents away.  Rich got really stressed doing it too. He's usually very laid back.  We all got to Skype my eldest son in Australia which was lovely.  My Dad couldn't quite believe his grandson was on the screen of my iPad!

There were five of us for lunch, me, Rich, my son and daughter and my Dad.  After lunch my daughter and I cleared the table, stacked the dishwasher, washed up everything that wouldn't go in the dishwasher and tidied the kitchen.

Rich and I after lunch!

The table from above and my Dad chilling with the dogs.

On Boxing Day we had a load of friends coming for lunch.  It's an annual tradition.  I got up, tidied the house, prepared the lunch, set the table and chilled the wine.  When everyone left I cleared up again.

Boxing Day table.

Waiting for guests to arrive in Top Shop jeans again and my new Pull & Bear top which I got for Christmas.

The next day same process but for Rich's daughters, son in law and three grandchildren.  Although it's good having such a social time I actually prefer our girlie suppers!

Ready for guests to arrive on 27th in a top I've had for absolutely ages, Gok jeggings and New Look heels.

My homemade lasagne ready to go in the oven.

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!!!

Last night's outfit!

Well I expected to be really stressed trying to decide what to wear last night but in fact it wasn't too bad!  I have got two pairs of trousers in a wine colour and I thought this blouse matched them quite well so decision made.  I tried on the first pair of trousers which are really flared and Rich - my husband - said I looked too grown up!  Shocker he rarely says that to me  I don't think he's ever said that to me!.  Apparently the people we were having dinner with were a lot older than me and Rich thought for some totally illogical reason that I should dress younger!  It just shows never listen to a man!
Anyway I wasn't sure about the flares so I ended up wearing the tapered ones in the photo.  They are quite baggy at the top but narrow at the ankle.  The material is silky and falls really nicely with no lumps or bumps.  I feel elegant in them - which believe me is virtually impossible!!!
And another admission to make - you have caught me out in another lie!  I said I don't shop at M&S and these trousers are in fact Autograph from M&S but I figure that doesn't really count!  The blouse is from Next.  It's not something I would normally buy but I like the fact that the body is stretchy T shirt kind of material but the sleeves are floaty chiffon.  I wore nude heels which I think were New Look but I've had them a while.
So I thought it looked ok but what do you think?  Be honest!  And do I look young or old?  Don't feel you have to be too honest on that one!

Am I really 50?????

Hello!

I'm 50!  Glad I'm typing that and not saying it out loud because no matter how hard I try I just can't believe it.  I don't feel 50.  Well, except when I'm having hot flushes! I feel more like 25!  I want to be young.  I'm sure I am young.  And then I look in the mirror and . . . massive reality check!  Surely that's not me?????

I have three children age 22, 20 and 17.  I'm married.  In fact I only got married last year so surely that makes me young?  I have three dogs and a cat.  I like riding and reading, socialising with friends, drinking wine - particularly a nice Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc or Champagne.  I'm a chocoholic and a shopoholic.

I still listen to Radio One!  My children are always stealing my CDs so I must be trendy?!  I like chatting to my children's friends.  I like being silly!

But . . . what is it appropriate to wear when you are 50?  And more to the point - where do you shop?  I would love to shop at Johnnie Boden.  He regularly sends me offers and tempts me in with his 20% off and free delivery; addressing me as though we were friends.  But I just can't.  I look through his collection and think - "it's all for grown up, sensible people."  But I guess Johnie really is sending me offers because I'm his target market.  He thinks I should be grown up and sensible because I'm . . . not 25!!!

I like to shop in New Look, Top Shop, River Island, Oasis and Warehouse.  But do the shop assistants imagine I'm shopping for my daughter?  Are they gossiping behind my back saying, "What's she doing in here?" with that snarl of contempt that young people have when the can't ever imagine being . . older!  And how long can I continue to shop in these teen emporiums?  

Next is safe.  Anyone can shop in Next.  But where else can I indulge my shopping addiction?  Not M&S, unless it's for underwear, that IS admitting you're old!

And do I give in and wear classic shapes and designs or can I still follow fashion trends???  It's such a dilemma!  Can I wear the same styles as my daughter or is that 'mutton dressed as lamb'?  And where is Gok Wan when you need him?!!!