Friday, October 31, 2008

Outfit: Halloween







When I was a child I loved the Worst Witch books. There were 3 of them and I suppose it was a forerunner to Harry Potter as it was set in a boarding school for witches. The main character was Mildred Hubble and she was indeed the worst witch because all her spells would go wrong somehow. Since it’s Halloween I thought I would dress up this afternoon, for when the trick or treaters come around. I don’t have any hobnail boots (surprisingly!) so I thought these black shoes would suffice. The only trouble is, with the heels and the hat, I can’t actually fit through a doorway! I may have to switch the shoes for something lower later on.

Black dress – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – Asda
Black and purple stripe socks – Market stall?
Black patent shoes – Matalan
Black witch’s hat – Tesco
Purple necklace – Scope

Total Est. Cost £69.50



However, before all that, I’ve errands to run, eBay sales to post and my new boots to wear! So this is what I’m wearing to start with today.

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Denim skirt – Gap
Black tights – Asda
Chestnut suede boots – EMU Australia (On Shoes)
Beige cord cap – Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £54

Thursday, October 30, 2008

New Slippers


The freezing cold weather this week has made me long for some cosy new slippers and today I got some at Tesco. They cost me £7 and I am hoping they will keep me warm and toasty all winter long. The picture is terrible but they are pink and furry.

Review: On Shoes

The On Shoes website was recently brought to my attention. Although they have been operating since June 2005, I was yet to hear of them. They stock many styles of shoes and boots, most of which I would call ‘outdoorsy’. They also stock Hunter wellingtons. All of us have cause to go walking at some point, even if it’s just around the shops in a new city, and we don’t always want to wear heels. So how to have comfortable feet and yet still look stylish? On Shoes can help.

One of my top picks would be these Caterpillar Mardy Fur boots, retailing at £94.99.

They will be cosy for the winter and yet not look out of place tramping the city streets. Delivery is free to the UK and Northern Ireland, and if my experience is anything to go by, the service is impeccable. Although they state that it may take between 5 and 7 working days for your order to arrive, mine was dispatched yesterday and arrived today. I chose the EMU Australia Bronte Hi boots in Chestnut.

During this cold weather I have been having boot envy of other women in this popular style of boot and longing for my feet to be encased in sheepskin and just as cosy. And now they can be.

If you want something waterproof for walking, try the Merrell Oslo Waterproof boot for £124.99. They could also be handy should the snow return!

There is a showroom in Woolmer Green, by Knebworth so if you are in the Hertfordshire area, this could be an option for you. If not, I would highly recommend the online service.
On Shoes stocks shoes and boots for men and women, and carries the following brands:

Birkenstock)
Brasher
Bridgedale
Caterpillar
Crocs
Cushe
DC
Ecco Receptor
Emu Australia
Fitflops
Grisport
Hi-Tec
Hunter
Inov8
Merrell
Mizuno
New Balance
Orthaheel
Patagonia
Quiksilver
Roxy
Salomon
Sealskinz Socks
Simple
Skechers
Smartwool
Sorbothane
Sugar
Superfeet
Teko
Teva
Timberland
Vibram

Outfit: Thursday



It’s not quite as cold today – no frost, but it’s still definitely late autumn/early winter. However, as I want to try on slippers today I have eschewed boots and gone for flats instead.

Black waistcoat – Next Tall
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Gap
Leopard print flats – Priceless Shoes

Total Est. Cost £68.50

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Wanted: Faith Repul Blue Suede Boots


Aren’t these fabulous? Looks like I will be asking for £90 worth of Faith vouchers for Christmas, or hoping they going on sale to half price at least.

Outfit: Sweater Dress











I had forgotten just how warm this dress is. It may well be the warmest item of clothing I own. In fact, I might just live in it from now until March. It’s big enough to fit warm layers underneath and looks OK over jeans too so it’s the perfect winter garment.

Grey sweater dress – Tall Girls
Blue tights – Accessorize
Black faux suede boots – Priceless Shoes
Silver belt – Primark

Total Est. Cost £63

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Outfit: Monday Evening Choir Practice






Another evening, another choir practice in a cold church. But when I arrived at the church (which has been closed for refurbishment work for the last few months) there was a new glass door and a new internal door and it was actually warm inside. What a lovely surprise.

Brown cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Gap
Tan Obi belt – ASOS
Tan boots – Faith

Total Est. Cost £152

Outfit: A Cold and Frosty Morning
















We had the first frost of the season this morning so more layering was necessary, and I added a hat for good measure. Did you know that you lose 40% of your body heat through your head?

Beige floral dress – Long Tall Sally (shortened)
Beige cashmere sweater – Benetton
White long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Skinny jeans – Gap
Brown boots – charity shop
Beige cord cap – Dorothy Perkins
Blue beads – Scope

Total Est. Cost £122

New Boots


I say new, but I got these back in about July or August and they have been languishing in my wardrobe waiting for an opportunity to wear them ever since. I also got them in a charity shop and so they were never ‘new’ as such in the first place. They were £10.99 which is more than I would usually pay in a charity shop but I once left some boots behind that I wasn’t sure about and have been kicking myself ever since. I figured I would buy these and if I didn’t end up wearing them I could always eBay them. But I decided to give them an outing today. They are leather and have a furry insole inside them so they are toasty for this cold day. They are a sort of red-brown colour and are very rugged looking. I think that’s what I like about them.

Review: Priceless Shoes Online Shopping & Free Shipping Code

I was very pleased to discover a couple of months back that Priceless Shoes now offer online shopping. It is always sensible for companies to offer this service as people may not live close to a store and so the customer base is immediately widened. I saw a couple of styles online that I liked and when I couldn’t find them in my local store I decided to purchase them online.
They website will tell you when you try to add a style to your basket whether or not it is available in the size you have selected, but it would be more helpful if a ‘not available’ message was displayed in the drop down size selection box. The website is easy to use and with most styles now available in a size 9 it certainly increases choice for us ladies with larger size feet.
The delivery charge is a very reasonable £3.50 for standard (up to 7 days) delivery and they are currently offering free delivery on orders over £30 using the code FREEDLP (UK mainland only). There is also the option for 3 day delivery for £5.50. The site will allow you to put in an alternative delivery address so you can have your shoes delivered to work. They use Parceline and Parcelnet meaning delivery will be between 9am and 6pm, so that ability to have packages delivered to your office is very useful.
My order arrived well within the timescale quoted and was very well packaged.
The shoes and boots offered by Priceless are very reasonably priced and I have found the styles that I own to be comfortable and look great. I would definitely recommend using the online service if you do not have a store close by.

Monday, October 27, 2008

This Week I Will Be Mostly…

…wearing something warm
…reading Bill Bryson’s ‘Neither Here Nor There’
…watching Sex And The City Season 4
…listening to CDs
…eating leftovers
…shopping for nothing

Outfit: Brown Dress
















It’s cold out today – I guess winter is properly setting in now that we’ve changed the clocks. So in order to keep wearing my dresses I need to layer up underneath. That means sweaters and thick tights.
There are a few pictures today because although I have had my phone for almost 2 years, I have just today discovered that the camera has alternative light settings and so I tried a few out.

Brown dress – eBay
Brown polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Brown tights – Tesco
Brown cowboy boots – New Look

Total Est. Cost £64.20

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Outfit: Red & Grey Sunday



Busy day today! Went to church this morning, then to Tesco for petrol and some shopping, then to ASDA to pick up some photos. My parents are coming for tea so I’ve ironed the posh table cloth and set the table. I’ve made a fruit salad and I’m about to start on the lasagne.

Grey polo neck – Long Tall Sally
Jeans – Dorothy Perkins Tall
Red boots – Goszip (charity shop)
Red beads – Ethel Austin

Total Est. Cost £51

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Outfit: Black & Brown





I am actually cheating a little today. I’ve not been out anywhere as yet so have had no need for the boots, but if I do venture out, I will put these on. Cold again so plenty of layers!

Black long cardi – Next
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Gap
Tan obi belt – ASOS
Black & brown boots – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £117

Friday, October 24, 2008

Outfit: Browns


It’s freezing todayin my house, so I’ve wrapped up in a cosy cardi. I added brown leather gloves and a brown silk scarf when I headed into the village for groceries.

Brown cardi – Luxuriously Tall
Brown long sleeve t – Tall Girls
Jeans – Gap
Tan obi belt – ASOS
Brown cowboy boots – New Look

Total Est. Cost £112

Outfit: Choir Practice




Remember how I said I am always cold? Well in addition to the two sweaters you can see me wearing here, I also have another knitted tank top underneath the polo neck. I figured it would be warmer than just a regular cotton tank and I was right. Didn’t stop me being cold at church choir though. I added my coat and beret for good measure, and elbow length black gloves when I ventured outside.

Teal tank – Next
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Purple tank (not seen) – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Topshop Tall
Black boots – Tall Girls
Black beret – George at ASDA
Blue & black coat – Vila (Great Clothes)
Teal beads - Claire's

Total Est. Cost £183

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Review: Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer Potion


I bought a bottle of this in the duty free shop at the airport in New York. I had been meaning to try it for a while and when I spotted the Urban Decay counter I thought this was the perfect opportunity to buy it for a lower price. And I have to say, it’s fantastic! I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but it’s like a cream concealer that you put on your eyelids before you apply the shadow colour. It is supposed to prevent your colour from creasing and help it to stay put all day. It works brilliantly. I used it yesterday with a shawdow that usually fades quickly but it stayed put and the colour was strong all day. I would definitely recommend this product, available at Urban Decay counters in Boots and department stores.

Outfit: Knit Dress






I think late October is definitely the time to bring out knit dresses and sweater dresses. They are comfy, cosy and yet smart enough for work.

Teal knit dress – Long Tall Sally (eBay)
Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Black tights – Silkies
Black & cream shoes – Next (charity shop)
Black obi belt – ASOS

Total Est. Cost £67

Outfit: New Shoes!



These leopard print flats arrived whilst I was in New York. I got them on eBay, for around £10.50. They are from Priceless Shoes and I was going to buy them in store a few weeks back but there largest size left was a 7 – too small for me! Fortunately eBay came up trumps with a size 9 and I was able to wear the shoes last night for the first rehearsal of the local drama group’s new production.

Black polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Skinny jeans – Gap
Leopard flats – Priceless Shoes (eBay)
Silver hoop earrings – Dorothy Perkins

Total Est. Cost £52.50

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Work That Wardrobe

For those of you who have yet to discover this wonderful blog, Jane is going a whole year without buying any new clothes or shoes. She is, however, allowed to buy from eBay with any money she makes selling items from her own wardrobe – a sort of wardrobe swap (or ‘Swishing’ as Twiggy calls it on her TV show).

I have decided that for the remainer of 2008 I will follow this same principle and attempt not to buy any new clothes or shoes. If I want to buy anything from eBay I must first sell something to raise the money. There is not much that I want to part with presently so this could prove something of a challenge for me!

My Readers: An International Bunch

Every so often I like to go through the stat counter on my blog and see where my last 100 readers hailed from. And iit’s a diverse list!

46 Americans
3 Canadians
2 Irish
1 Slovakian
29 British
2 Italians
1 South African
2 Chinese
1 German
1 Philippino
1 Romanian
1 Spaniard
2 Austrians
1 Kenyan
1 Mongolian
1 Chilean
1 New Zealander
1 Swiss
1 Belgian

There were also 2 unknowns. And for once, that totals 100!
Please feel free to leave a comment and say hello if one of these could be you.

Awarded Again!


I was tagged for an ‘I Love Your Blog’ Award for a second time by April at Penny Pinching Princess. She said the nicest thing about me:
“This girl can mix and match colors you didn't even know existed! She always look great even with the challenge of dressing her long lean body :O)”

Thanks April!

Outfit: Chilly Wednesday




Still one of my favourite dresses, I can’t believe that this only cost me 99p! I’ve paired it with thick tights and a sweater underneath today for warmth, and I’m feeling pretty cosy so far.

Green/teal dress – Florence + Fred at Tesco (charity shop)
Grey polo neck sweater – Long Tall Sally
Purple tights – Accessorize
Green suede boots – River Island
Green necklace – Primark

Total Est. Cost £52