HELLO ANYA

I thought I should share one of my favourite Christmas/Birthday presents (yes my birthday falls but three days after Christmas and folk do like to combine the presents - woe is me). 

Because I now have to split my time between London and Devon I decided it would be jolly lovely to ease the transition with be-a-u-tiful travel accessories. I therefore dropped festive hints accordingly, as you do. 

This is the best wash bag going - brilliantly roomy (much bigger than you would think) with trademark organisational pockets on the inside. 

It means I can now throw my whole bathroom in without having to painstakingly funnel each and every product into mini plastic bottles before leaving the house. 

There were also a few lovely products in my Christmas stocking which will also find their way into the new wash bag of dreams. 

Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Soap (not pictured), Chanel Pirate nail varnish (an early Christmas present to myself!), Aesop Fabulous Face Oil and Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner. 

A word on the leave in conditioner - it is brilliant, I urge you to try it. 

x

PARKA AND STRIPES

Just a quick outfit post from yesterday - Cos orange and stripe top, Topshop Jamie jeans and Isabel Marant Dicker boots.

Gap parka added for the London chill!

Not overly sure why I struck such a dainty pose, my apologies - but what can one do. 

I also recently sprinted out and purchased Chanel Pirate nail varnish after Emmy of Selective Memory's recommendation! It's rather lovely and my new favourite red shade.

x

NOW IS THE TIME FOR KNITS (AND NOVELTY KNITS)

I make no secret of my love for jumpers (and I haven't even seen The Killing. Imagine if I had?!). 

Truth be told it might just be getting out of hand, but this matters not. They are brilliant. Below are but a few from my vast collection currently doing the rounds. 

APC, Theory, Topshop

My current Topshop favourites - everyone should have a shocking pink mohair affair, a fisherman's knit and a polar bear jumper - shouldn't they?

I'll let this young fellow have the last word. It is bringing me no end of seasonal cheer at the moment!

Wine coloured reindeer wonderfulness. Stopping at polar bears would have been far too chic and restrained.
x

THE 1ST OF DECEMBER CAN MEAN ONLY ONE THING

The start of advent must means it is officially acceptable to air ones Christmas wish list. 

I have been tinkering with mine, adding and subtracting little bits and pieces for ooo... about a month now. It is quite possibly the best distraction there is.

So here she is, a happily endless work in progress:

Topshop dress,  Zara sequined ballet pumps, APC sweater, Topshop angora striped sweater, Mulberry Lily, Diptyque Baies oval, Anya Hindmarch wash bag, Aesop Fabulous Facial Oil, Diptyque spiced plum candle, Jo Malone soaps, Jo Malone bath oil, James Heeley perfume, The West Wing Season 2, Trashy novel, The Lion King Musical tickets, an Au Maison quilt, Mini Uggs

Of course it is a mix of the desperately-hoped-for and the never-going-to-happen (Mulberry Lily that's you I'm afraid). 

But I always love the idea of amassing beautiful new toiletries, pretty dresses, cozy knits, a brilliant box set and a trip to the theatre (my boyfriend has a penchant for musicals...). 

I'm very much hoping for a beautiful floral quilt to appear under the tree this year - I love the vintage look of Au Maison's quilts - they're an affordable investment and look like the kind of thing you would have in your family for years. 

Of course no festive season is complete without a few sequins, (this year they might come in the shape of Zara's brilliant gold ballet pump) and a new season scent - courtesy of Paris based James Heeley's Menthe Fraiche.

This entry will most likely mark me out as something of a brat - but never fear, despite my long list I'm mostly looking forward to The Muppets' Christmas Carol, turkey, stuffing, Christmas pudding and cake, The Rat Pack's jazz CD, champagne and tying everything within reach in gingham ribbon. 

What is on your Christmas list this year? I assure you it isn't too early. :)

THREE'S A CROWD

...I know I shouldn't be saying this, nor thinking this, nor going anywhere near my computer to silently type about this...

But I must. I am in love (again) with this beautiful little fellow. 

Hello Lover

There's just something so appealing about her. She's coquettish, content, happy-go-lucky, devil may care, and somehow manages to look to me like she's spent more than a little time skipping through the streets of Paris. 

And did I mention I've always been a fan of the Lily? (dubious about Mulberry quality of late I must admit, but such issues pale into insignificance now).

At first I thought it was black suede - I could take that - but oh no. Nothing so obvious would be at work here. It is (of course) an utterly wondrous midnight blue - that never-bettered bed fellow of grey and denim. Be still my beating heart.

Perhaps it is a passing fancy (the fluttering in my chest would certainly point to such a conclusion) but I'm in those first heady days of a possible new dalliance, and I am beginning to believe such a pretty bag would make everything just that little bit rosier. 

The worst of it is, I'm only just newly wedded to my current bag - a beautifully, perennially cool black Balenciaga number. Now that is a long term love affair that will last through the years. There was no fluttering heart when I purchased my City - just a calm certainty. (Don't worry I will cease and desist talking about bags like they matter a jot in just a second). 

But I have often thought - conveniently I'll admit - that a gal needs more than one bag. (Three would be plain gauche, but two? Two strikes the right note don't ya think?) So this gal I speak of needs a burst of fun sometimes, a boost, to make her feel light of heart and young again. 

My City does so much, and with such quiet, self-assured grace, but to skip off and kick up my heels with Lily every now and then, to throw caution to the wind and be foolish and fancy free... now that would be a delight.

Do you have anything in your wardrobe that lifts your mood so unfailingly?

Photograph credit: mulberry.com

p.s. If my poor boyfriend reads this he may just pass out.

JUST TO SAY...

I did make it back from holiday in one piece! My holiday has seemingly extended into a bit of a blogging holiday, which was not my intention. Time has just run away from me of late. 

There have been a number of changes recently - new season, new career aspirations, new-ish home (more of which in my next post). So all has been a little hectic - too hectic to put pen to paper - keyboard to blog if you will - let alone coordinate any nice outfits or outfit observations to share with you. A thousand apologies. :)

So in the mean time I wanted to record a few images from my holiday (as inappropriate as it is now we're racing towards Halloween and the like!!) 

It was truly lovely - beautiful weather after the first thundery day and landing during a thunderstorm no less... 

Tasty food, lots of G&Ts and Retsina, basking in the sunshine and swimming in the sea. 

The view from beneath my umbrella... naturally

The lovely view from our little villa

Greek honey of course! And lots of it!

Topshop dress, Stella McCartney woven sandals and Essie Lollipop polish

My Topshop "holiday dress" - apologies for the headless picture, I struggled to find one of my face doing a nice, normal expression. I'm a challenging photographic subject it would appear! 

There is no denying it's a jazzy pattern, but I feel one needs a bit of jazz on holiday. 

To follow - less summer, more Autumn/Winter!! 

x

MY OPTIONAL EXTRAS

I'm going to have to back pedal just a bit, because, I'm afraid I'm going on my holidays. That's right, my summer holiday is coming just as everyone else is dusting off their winter coat and planning their new Autumn wardrobes. 

Perhaps then this entry will be something a little different (a little late I hear you say), and perhaps evoke a nice hazy nostalgia for the season that is most definitely belting out its swan song, at full volume, as I type.

I mentioned my favourite Greek summer destination here, and this is where I shall be heading in the wee small hours of Monday morning. I'm hoping against hope that the weather holds, and it will all be sea, swimming, tavernas, retsina, G&Ts, and glorious hours whiled away reading a good or trashy novel (both are welcome, I won't lie).

My chosen reads for this holiday: The Road by Cormac McCarthy, One Day by David Nicholls, Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes (I spy a trashy read...)

There are a few things that will always take up precious EasyJet space when packing for a summer trip: a black bikini, a white cotton cover up, black Havianas, a panama hat, raw edge denim shorts, easy jersey - you get my drift. But I thought it would be nice to share a few of the extra things that I'm looking forward to including this year.

I always want a little more colour in my holiday wardrobe - to add some pizazz, if you will, to my grey jersey, blue denim and simple ballet pumps. What you wear in the city just feels a little bit wrong on holiday. A little bit buttoned up, thought out, stiff. I find there has to be a new ease, a certain freedom, and an element of fun. 

When carefully chosen, colourful elements are added to a clean simple wardrobe, it seems to make for the prefect summer transformation. 

Here are a few examples of the coloured and printed bits and pieces which I'll be taking to Greece alongside my usual clothes this year:

Topshop floral orange embroidered bikini

My new Ebayed nee Primark straw bag

Lucy Folk taco friendship bracelets

Topshop rose print floral dress

(As a side note, I must admit I have been struggling ALL summer to find that glorious every occasion summer dress. One that is easy and breezy, pretty and stylish, that you don't have to worry one jot about - you take it out of your suitcase and it does everything it needs to do. No fuss. At long last, I have found my dress just in time. It is a lovely floral number from Topshop and when I showed it to my boyfriend, his first response, his oh so precious, unprompted response was thus: "It's very Mama Mia isn't it?" (reference: film version, Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried). You may laugh, but this is exactly the what I was after.) 

So my holiday wardrobe is shaping up to look a little something like this: 

How does your summer holiday wardrobe differ from your usual wardrobe? If it's not too late to ask?! :)

WHEN AUTUMN LEAVE START TO FALL

Ok ok, so it is not quite that time just yet, but a gal can dream. 

As you might know by now, I am a winter gal through and through. I try to be a summer dresser but it doesn't come naturally to me. Crisp Autumns and icy Winters - seasons such as these are more my bag. 

With this in mind, I have started thinking about what I'd like to be bundled up in this winter, and it looks a little something like this, so far:

Knitwear: Acne, Etoile Isabel Marant, Theory, Topshop, Ballet Pumps: Repetto, Ankle Boots: Sam Edelman and Ugg, Topshop Leather Skinnies, Citizens of Humanity Jeans, APC Wallet, Balenciaga black City

I am becoming nigh on obsessed with chunky knits - precisely the type made for the aforementioned bundling. Topshop are doing some lovely ones which are in-store now. On the pricier scale Acne's navy angora sweater ticks all the boxes  (in her style bible ((can we call it that?)) Ines de la Fressange nods encouragingly towards the longevity of navy knits - which is so much more than good enough for me). Theory's Aran knit is be-a-u-tiful, but with a price tag that is sadly making my eyes water more than I'd like. 

The leather skinnies and classic wash jeans explain themselves, as do the black and nude Repettos (such items have time and time again worked hard all winter), but I fear my inclusion of those fur lined little devils at the bottom of the shoe row might have you nudging your mouse towards the 'un-follow' button on bloglovin. Bear with me, I have not lost my marbles. 

I remember the unadulterated joy I felt when I had my first and only pair of chestnut short Uggs. Oh I was suddenly Sienna Miller, and all was right with the world. My feet were, of course, utterly toasty and when the snow came the grip on the thick sole saw me chuckling at the other girls slipping and sliding on icy pavements whilst I strode confidently on. 
Yes, when I pulled them on last winter the smug feeling was still there, but there was a little bit of shame to boot. I didn't want people to think I thought I was chic wearing them - I was simply being practical. They are very good boots and they deserve their place in a winter wardrobe. My loyalty to them has not waned, despite their fall from stylish grace. But do you know what? As I get older I would rather be the wise owl in the boots than the painfully cool 'fashionista' with a broken hip. 
This winter though, I will be choosing the mini boot - the shortest incarnation of the classic Ugg - which I think can slip away unnoticed, and do the job it does so well, but quietly. I'd be interested to see what you think of this confession! Have you found a good alternative to Ugg-type boots?


Sam Edelman's Petty boots are a lovely shape, with a heel height that is just right. I found myself wearing black ankle boots day in and out last Autumn & Winter and did so in some very uncomfortable and somewhat ugly ones from Zara. I shall not be making the same mistake again. I'm getting much better now at identifying the items that I wear over and over during a season, that provide the building blocks in a wardrobe, and investing accordingly where it is wise to.

You may have noticed a coat is missing at this point - not an oversight on my part, but just a 'to be continued' if you will. Try as I might I cannot get an image of the black bouclé coat from IRO that I pledged my loyalty to back in the Spring. As soon as I can, it will of course be duly added in to my wardrobe planning for the coming big chill. 

SHORT AND SWEET

Oh how I love this photo from IRO's AW11 look book. 

This gal looks ridiculously cool. Needless to say I want everything she is wearing. 

Yes I know, sadly the cool-girl french attitude might not be for sale. But I'll work on that whilst I wait for the first deliveries to drop in store. 

By the by, I'm amassing my thoughts on key buys for the Autumn, stay tuned for more on that. Are you thinking about your Autumn essentials yet?

BEAUTY-FULL

After my recent trip to France, I promised a post on the spoils of my pharmacy visits, and thought it would be nice to include the rest of my skincare products - of which, I must admit, there are rather a few... 

My somewhat chaotic bathroom cabinet shelf featuring French Pharmacy must-haves, Kiehl's, Aesop, Dermalogica, Clinique, Yu-Be, Bliss and Eve Lom

I spent nearly a whole day in France mapping out the pharmacies one town had to offer and then dragging my boyfriend from one to the next, to the next, to the next until I had what I had set out to make mine. I, like many others I know, had been utterly done by Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop post on the french pharmacy. The brilliance of certain french beauty products have been well known by beauty enthusiasts, and luckily for us common folk, they are all readily available in nearly every town and village pharmacy around France. I suppose the French have a better approach to skincare, and understand the importance of being able to stockpile a product that works. 

On my visit I secured the following: Bioderma Crealine TS H20 Micelle Soultion, Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate and Avibon Vitamin A cream (we struggled to locate this one at first ((yes that's right, by this point my boyfriend was on board and fully committed to the challenge)) and had to ask the pharmacist in broken french for this magical cream). 

Yu-Be cream, Embryolisse, Avibon

The Bioderma make-up remover was just as good as all the reviews promised, instantly dissolving the hardiest of eye make up in a few sweeps, and removing my remaining facial make up too. I must say I don't go particularly heavy on the make up, so can't attest to how well this would work on more heavy duty make up - but it is perfect for me. It doesn't sting in the least and is very effective whilst not irritating sensitive skin. 

I use Embryolisse in the morning after my toner and underneath my tinted moisturiser. It is not heavy despite being quite thick, and the idea is it is hydrating the skin, cleaning it, and providing the perfect base for make-up. I hear the professionals swear by it, and that's good enough for me! It can even double up as a make-up remover too. It's slotted into my routine really well, replacing my normal moisturiser with great results. I now need to ensure I have a high SPF in my tinted moisturiser, but this is easily achieved. 

Avibon is definitely one for the evening - it has a very thick, vaseline like texture, so unless you like the shiny look - steer clear for the day! It is packed full of vitamin A and has quite the anti-ageing reputation.  I think it will come to the fore during the winter for me - it feels intensely hydrating when a blob is mixed with a normal moisturiser and slathered on before bed. 

I'm really pleased with my french additions to my bathroom cabinet - I'm always keen to try products that have earned their cult following over the years and are still going strong. These are not flash in the pan products and have well and truly earned their effectiveness stripes. I won't lie, I also love how their names are whispered amongst women and that you have to travel to make them yours - no flashy ad campaigns needed. 

Whilst we're taking skin-care, I have to mention my new discovery: Aesop. Yes I am hideously late to the party and know beauty enthusiasts have been enthusing about this brand for yonks, but I have only recently been won over by the Australian botanical-based beauty products. For years and years I have been a Clinique 3-step girl, and I still stand by the effectiveness of the regime. But on a recent trip to Aesop I was given a bundle of samples based on my skin type and needs, and in less than two days I was hooked. My skin somehow appears more refined, and has a glow to it in the mornings that it didn't have before. (I know this sounds somewhat corny, but I promise it's true!)

Aesop products and Dermalogica Overnight Clearing Gel (a godsend for unsightly blemishes!)

I raided my piggy bank to add 3 products to my shelf, but in the fullness of time hope to add their Fabulous Face Oil to my regime. For the time being I am reaping the benefits of the Fabulous Face Cleanser, Purifying Facial Exfoliating Paste and Parsley Seed Anti Oxidant Serum. I cannot recommend my experience with Aesop products highly enough and would urge you to get hold of a few samples to try out for yourself.

A STELLA SUMMER

I'm not great with the sales. Yes they fill me with that nice sense of anticipation, they quicken the beat of my heart when I fear I've missed out or might only just have got there in time. But when it comes down to the nitty gritty of a purchase, I can't block out those rather useful sale-wisdom quotes that everyone wheels out at this time of year. 

"Would I have bought this at full price?"

"Would I rather spend this money on this, or on something I've spotted for the new season?"

"Is this even actually my size?!"

Questions like these whizz relentlessly around my head and I always end up erring on the side of caution and returning the bag/shoes/dress/top to the rail. 

I already have my eye on a few bits for Autumn/Winter (from IRO, Maje, Etoile Isabel Marant and some ankle boots from Sam Edelman), so the necessity of saving the pennies for these has ensured, thus far, that I'm uninterested in discounted wares. 

That was until I booked a last minute summer holiday to Greece for September. We have been going to the same small village in Corfu nearly every summer since the year dot - and it's my most favourite summer holiday destination ever. It simply involves stacks of new books, swimming in the sea, sitting in the sun and then eating the tastiest Greek food in the local taverna, all washed down with cheap and cheerful Retsina, only to do it all again the next day.

With flights booked, suddenly summer was back on the agenda and the crisp leaves of autumn seemed rather a long way away. 

Step up the Stella McCartney sale. If ever I was to give away my precious pounds to sale buys, it would have to be for something classic. Bar the citrus fruit print bits (I know bright fruit prints are de rigueur at the moment, but I'm not sure how much more mileage those banana earrings have in them...), you can't go wrong with the longevity of a classic, quiet, Stella McCartney item in your wardrobe. 

These summer sandals are just the thing, and after a windfall on eBay, I bit the bullet and ordered them. They are simple, classic, relaxed yet have a really polished look to them. I love a classic red nail varnish peeping out from under the raffia too. 

SNAPSHOTS: SAINT-LAURENT-DE-LA-CABRERISSE, FRANCE

A little post featuring a few photos from my recent holiday in France. 

We stayed at Les Jardins de Saint Benoit in Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, just over half an hour or so from Narbonne.

By the by, I had the BEST time scooting around nearly every pharmacy in France trying to track down the cult beauty products only available there. More on the spoils of my scooting in the next post! 

MY CLASSIC 10

About a zillion years ago... (yes I have been absent for too long) Miss Sophie so kindly tagged me to put forward my classic 10, following her own brilliant post which you can see here.  I have at last got my act together and have tried to put forwards the 10 elements that I rely upon in my wardrobe, and paint the clearest picture of my closet.

Perfumes on my dressing table - the essential finishing touch to every outfit! Diptyque, Jo Malone and Byredo

I have an addiction to the perfect grey tees - and search high and low for them. These are a mix of American Apparel and Reiss

Stripey tees - must haves. I have a zillion more, but these three are my favourites: APC and Petit Bateau

I am powerless when faced with anything with an elbow patch attached. Just so easy, so nonchalant, so cool. These are COS and Zara

I'm very loyal to Topshop jeans. If they're good enough for Emmanuelle Alt, they're perfect for me. These are my new obsession - the 7/8ths style, cut perfectly at the ankle. So chic. I have black, blue and pink

I love these kimono style silk jackets for a dash of colour and a lovely vintage feel. Thrown over anything they just work perfectly

These need no introduction nor explanations: my beloved Isabel Marant Dicker boots

Beaten up but enduringly perfect. I can't imagine ever stopping buying Converses,  enjoying them particularly with my 7/8ths jeans at the mo!

Essie nail varnishes, all variations on the same shade of colour, pinks to classic reds. I mostly stick to a red shade, but if I feel in need of a jazzing up change, I veer towards a shocking pink. I'm rarely ever without painted nails

Pinkish to red lipsticks (noticing a pattern here?!): Chanel & Nars. Lipsticks are rather a new thing for me, but I'm learning to utilise them as an accessory more and more often these days


It has been an interesting challenge, because I found as I tried to put my 10 together I had to keep thinking about possible elements - they didn't all spring forwards with ease. This is, I suppose, both a positive and a negative thing. Positive, in that I didn't come up with millions of pieces and categories to have to whittle down to 10, so my wardrobe and my approach to dressing is not overcrowded. Negative, in that there were bits that I always mark out as key components of the kind of wardrobes I have long admired, and I found out, with a bit of surprise, that not at all of these were present or well represented in my wardrobe. I think namely these come in the form of those prefect few dresses, non-jean trousers (something crisp, yet effortless), more delicate gold jewellery and friendship style bracelets piled up on your arm, and the perfect white tee. (Between you and I, I think I might have stumbled across it today - will feed back about that anon!) I also need to up the ante on my ballet flats. I have LOADS, but I'm keen to invest in some high quality fellows - French Sole, Repetto or... Chanel?! Ha.


Overall though I feel these photographs and glimpses into my wardrobe sum me up very well. I love simplicity (simple tops, classic and chic footwear) combined with dashes of the unexpected - a colourful lip, a patterned silk jacket, all set against a groomed back drop. Shiny, effortless hair, a flick of eyeliner, clear skin (whenever possible!) and a subtle, lovely perfume. That's the aim anyway!