Hooray For The Weekend + Simple Summer Dresses

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Friday 30 May 2014


Man, have I got that friday feeling this afternoon! 7.30pm and a glass of wine beckons! It's been a long week... Half term kind of crept up on me and I wasn't really prepared with a schedule of action packed activities like some other, more organised mums. So it's been a week of ad-hoc outings to soft-play (mental!), the big park (Sam fell in the lake!), and the farm today (which was actually ok, until the overtired meltdown at the end!) in a bid to keep everyone occupied and happy. This photo from today reminds me that it's (almost) all worth it though - Tabby and Sam loved the carousel today, going on it 3 times back to back, and were busy blowing kisses to everyone. It was very cute, Sam thought it was hilarious. Kids eh!

The week might have been somewhat more enjoyable if the weather had played it's part and been a bit sunnier. It's been mild, granted, but the constant threat of rain has rather put a dampener on things. It can't be long now til the summer sun arrives for a good, surely!?

Just in case it does anytime soon, I've been indulging in some summer wardrobe shopping and bought a couple of little summer dresses. I'm not one to wear anything skimpy and generally the word sundress fills me with dread. However, I refuse to spend another summer limited to trousers and maxi skirts just because I don't have amazing (or even half decent!) legs - I'm hoping with a hint of fake tan perhaps and some effort put in to help tone that I can too enjoy that effortless feeling of slipping on a summer dress and some sandals and being all set for fun in the sun.   


This Topshop denim dress, above, will look great with some chunkier heeled sandals (which also should help balance out my pins) and a statement necklace. And this uber-summery dress, below,  from Mango is a definitely one for that super hot day when only strappy sandals and a pair of sunnies are required.


Have you got your eye on anything for your summer wardrobe? I'm also on the look out for a denim jacket and summer hat (H&M looking promising for both), and a new swimsuit - I like this one, in Tropical Orange, from Boden but can't really justify the £59 price tag!

Have a good weekend - we've got our annual street party on Sunday, I hope the sun at least makes an appearance! 


Ceramic Dishes From J Crew

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Thursday 29 May 2014


How delightful are these small, ceramic dishes from J Crew! They had a similar design dish in around Christmas time which I was considering buying for my sister-in-law as a christmas present, but dithered too long and they sold out. But I'm glad to see they're back, and I'm definitely going to get one this time - useful and pretty, sometimes there's just no reason not to. It'll be the perfect place to keep rings, earrings, etc which I currently leave lying around loose in the bathroom, bedroom, etc. I just need to decide on which design - I think either the blue chevron or the mint stripe are my favs!





Amazing House Tour!

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Wednesday 28 May 2014



I've been missing blogging recently but I've just not been making time for it. I still make time for reading blogs, breakfast wouldn't be the same without checking in on my favourites. And so today I came across this amazing house tour on A Cup of Jo. To just link to it on here is a pretty lazy form of posting, granted, but I wanted to pass it on. It's such a fun, beautiful and well-curated home, I would move in tomorrow.. today even! Lots of inspiration for the new house! :) 

Wedding Anniversary Getaway!

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Thursday 22 May 2014


It's taken me a few days to get around to posting about this but I just wanted to share a few photos of our wedding anniversary getaway on the weekend! It was soooo nice to snatch a bit of time back for ourselves (God knows I love my children, I really do, but some time away was long overdue!) and just remember what it was like to do stuff together without all the 'baggage' that goes along with going anywhere or doing anything with small kids.

We ventured to the New Forest, and to The Pig, near Brockenhurst specifically for our getaway, and I couldn't have asked for a nicer, more peaceful backdrop to our celebration. The hotel is basically a lovely, posh country pad with a fabulous restaurant which prides itself on fresh, seasonal and very locally sourced (mostly onsite, or if not certainly within a 25 mile radius) produce for it's ever-changing menu; as well as a handful of lovely, shabby chic bedrooms with heavenly monsoon showers (and if you get a really fancy room with a roll-top bath in your room - note we didn't but hey, maybe next time!).

We were so lucky with the weather - brilliant sunshine both days - and so on arrival we decided to take a stroll around the grounds. I wanted to see the Kitchen Garden where the chef and his team grow and pick all their own veg, etc, and just generally take in all the peace and quiet!

The front of the hotel

The side, including the restaurant conservatory and terrace

Overlooking the Kitchen Garden

The Kitchen Garden (and a view of the "potting shed" where one could get pampering treatments and massages if one desired it!)

How not to pose for a photo!

Who's that cool dude?!

Hello Chickens!

Mec ventured down to see the Pigs but apparently they were quite smelly and totally disinterested in visitors!

This is an awful photo of me, but at least you can see I made an effort for dinner, dressing in my new pretty pink blouse (and you can see my anniversary present, my Bee necklace). And more importantly, you can kind of catch a glimpse of the beautiful garden conservatory which is the restaurant. As the sun went down and it grew dark, it was lovely dining by candle light).

A big swing in the garden - and yes, Mec is flexing his biceps in the photo below (boys eh!)


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The next morning after a lazy and very delicious breakfast (I'd read that the breakfast was good, it didn't disappoint!), we headed into the New Forest and took a few walks and spotted some ponies just going about their business. We saw a beautiful foal and it's mama too, but they were just too far away to photograph and I certainly didn't want to disturb them. 



A leisurely drink at a local pub, enjoying the view before it was time to head home and rescue my parents who were on childcare duty. 



The lovely Alex Monroe Baby Bee necklace Mec got for as an anniversary - I know I dropped a large hint about it on here so no surprises really, but I definitely wasn't certain and so I was very chuffed to receive such a lovely present. I bought Mec a Bellroy leather wallet which I'd seen on his Pinterest board and which he loved also so smiles all round.

All in all it was a wonderful break and I would definitely recommend The Pig for a indulgent little get away! I only hope next time we don't wait another 7 years before we treat ourselves again! :)


Love for Chinti and Parker

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Wednesday 7 May 2014


Be still my beating heart, at £85 I'm not sure it's a goer, but oh, how much do I love this new top from Chinti and Parker?! Simple, totally wearable (to death probably!) and so cute with that beautiful heart...

I'm new to this label, having only discovered it last week when I spied this fabulous top over on WIT blog, but I'm loving it already. Lots of stripes, cute prints and great tailoring, it's a bit like a more out-going version of Cos. I've looked at this top everyday for a week now, fingers crossed it might go on sale one day if it doesn't sell out?!



See more of Chinti and Parker's range online here.




T Is For Tattoo

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Tuesday 6 May 2014

So last week I did something that I've wanted to do for ages - I got a tattoo! I actually already have one on my lower back (yes you know, the 'tramp stamp'!) which to be honest I hardly ever remember is there... I'm more of a one-piece swimsuit kind of gal since I had kids and so it never really sees the light of day except for when I'm dressing/undressing and my husband has a laugh at the slightly wonky hallmark of my uni days! But despite not particularly caring about the design on my back, I do love what it represents - a moment in time when I didn't worry, over think or judge myself. I just went with my instinct to have fun and, for that, it will always make me smile.

And so, here I am, let's say a few years later, and my desire to have another tattoo has got the better of me again. This time I did take longer to consider carefully what I wanted to have done, and where. I even collected inspiration on my Pinterest board as we do these days! But for me the message is still the same, to go with it, to trust myself to do what makes me happy and not to worry too much about what if I might regret it when I'm old and grey, as surely not going for it is what I'll regret more!

I'll get a pic of it up here soon, at the moment it's healing and not in it's most photogenic state, but here's a look at my inspiration. As you can see it's all about hearts...





What do you think about tattoos? Are you a lover or a hater? Have you ever done anything you felt was a little bit crazy?


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