Making awards more relevant

It was lovely to receive a beautiful blogger award from Siljes Fashion as in bloggy years I feel I've known her forever. Always the Norwegian beauty Siljes has a very enviable style which she achieves with ease.
Now the point is to reveal 7 things about myself ...now before you yawn, I'm changing it to share 7 no fritter/make do/girlynomics tips.

1. Set yourself an annual clothing, shoe and accessory budget, then divided by 52, this is the amount you have each week to spend. Stick to it. You don't have to spend it every week but it enables you to spend if you want/need to/the fashion universe speaks to you. And you can of course save it up and spend 5 weeks worth in one go.

2. Have a little black book of your fashion purchases in your bag. Have all you clothes itemised and categorised. You should do this two ways - make one list of items as garments i.e. skirts, dresses etc. And then as colour categories i.e white, 3 x shirts, 1 x dress etc. This should stop you buying yet another white t-shirt, pair of black trousers - whatever your pattern is/are.

3. Only shop by yourself. You have to be objective so no being swayed by a friend. Learn to trust yourself even if this means making mistakes. Selecting clothes and developing your own style is like learning to drive a car. You'll pass your test in your own time. If in doubt about an item walk away.

4. Ignore shop assistants. I think I'm the only shop assistant who ever told customers when something didn't work. These days targets means extra money so they are motivated by this. Don't judge them it is the system. Use your eye be you own critic - see above.

5. No shopping on an empty stomach, bad hair days or when you are feeling fat. Don't do it. Learn to recognise the signs, the bit where you are mean about yourself in the mirror. Some days we are just not meant to try on clothes, you are just going to hate yourself in them. It is being hormonal, it strikes everyone even men!

6. When you need a new pair of jeans or dress or shoes, just shop for that one item. Research before you go to the shops. Try as many on as you can in differing places and then buy the item you love the most.

7. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but take it from me, save before you spend. Stay in/on budget. don't buy on credit and you'll be glad of it in the long run even if it means you have to go without!
Then you'll be a beautiful blogger too .....

Please add any of your top tips!

Hero wedges

The term hero is much abused and maligned. The worst example is the adoption of hero in the fashion world where a 'hero piece' is the new 21st century phrase for an item that adds the Martini factor (the 1970s alternative), or is a trophy piece (so 1980s) and replaced the ubiquitous 'fierce' of the nouties. For the life of me I cannot recall a 1990s expression. But then the 90s were so hedonist no one probably cared.

However, my recent wardrobe update prompted a few enquires about the orange wedges shoved in the back of the wardrobe. In fairness they were my most admired item all last summer, achieving hero status.

Here they are at the front of my rather messier wardrobe last summer

The orange Studio TLS wedges made their début appearance at Harvey Nicks when a global blogging convention decided to drink Pimms

Then they appeared in a film - my short film Dress Up (2009)

They are there! On her feet.

And given I won't be buying much except a few 'stellar' pieces -my wish list is a navy blue Anglomania dress, a pair of Choo or Louboutins and for work a Topshop jumpsuit- then my hero orange wedges will be clomping around London town all summer.

Scarf and voucher winner

I entered 19 into the random number generator and it choose 10 which is Retro Chick!
Here is the cut and paste proof!

10
Random numbers generated Apr 7 2010 at 10:38:15 by www.psychicscience.org

Congrats Retro Chick on your scarf and £20 Planet voucher

All Change on the wardrobe front

I was not as diligent as I could have been on the wardrobe sort out. I have to confess to not cleaning my winter boots and shoes before putting away. This will haunt me so by this time next week I know they'll be polished and buffed! Equally I just hung everything up and refolded items instead of ironing. The changeable weather plus 'wimmin things' sapped me of my usual energy.

My Spring/Summer wardrobe looks neither glamorous or fashion forward but it will have to do. I need to save for a splendid pair of shoes and stay on track for debt payback. I'm very glad of my mother's 70 maxi dress hand me downs and apart from the ruination of my Gap chinos, most of my clobber can be made to look current or at least conjure a nod to the trends!

Before (note all year round stripy top)

More before on right side of wardrobe, before sort out

I swapped my winter coat for a Spring layered look of white top, metallic light blue cardigan, navy utilitarian chic jacket, long silver necklace, RayBan's and stripy cotton scarf plus skinny kick flare jeans - I was only going shopping to the supermarket to get hot cross buns!

Footwear was white moccasin shoes from a KG sale years ago, I will cry when these fall apart. I'm hoping they will last this summer

I chucked my chinos, very worn and too many marks on them now plus my faithfully snood I've worn for 6 months on a daily basis!

All summer dresses, skirts and tops

T-shirts stacked and summer jackets, White Bamford jacket, Navy Utilitarian jacket, Stripy Max Mara jacket, Mango sports wear jacket, Gold dress coat and mint green Jean Patou coat - plus a petit garcon making an appearance

Summer shoes being part hidden by maxi dress. A mix of strappy sandals, wedges and lots of lovely flats.

My favourite mesh flats bought in Russell & Bromley over 5 years ago they are I think Beverly Feldman for Russell & Bromley but the inside name is nearly worn out!

I bought these in Copenhagen in 2004 and have hardly worn them so I intend to use a lot this summer as they are so pretty

I like the material pattern but think the dress from COS is a bit too shapeless and minimalist Scandinavian chic for me to pull off so I might turn it into a top but then I need my perfect black Capri pants which I've yet to find!

The shapeless dress

My favourite Prada bag, perfect for summer - I love when Miuccia sources old prints. I'd buy one of her beach scene skirts this year if I could. I still kick myself for not buying a Prada turban a few years ago in a fuchsia or blue

The wild card - I bought this after a few drinks on honeymoon in Rome in the evening market in the Jewish Ghetto quarter and Trastevere. It is a hand knitted poncho (shall we say cape to sound more on trend) and I'm going to give it a go one day!

Mrs MDS does Bath Spa

Whilst one never does the third person, it was looking to be a long Easter weekend of Noel Coward proportions and somehow the alter ego seemed more fitting than the reality. As the cast warmed up at the Theatre Royal Bath for Coward's 1939 play Present Laughter, it was a thrilled to be on her own Mrs MDS who rocked up at the Thermae Bath Spa for an afternoon of languishing.

The moment Mrs MDS set foot over the automatic door, the shoulders relaxed and the debit card was whipped out pronto to pay for 2 hours in the spa with 'rented' towel, slippers and a robe. (Please note Mrs MDS payed for this all out of her hard earned money and can testify that £33 will be debited from her account for her indulgence, in addition she refrained from mentioning her global blogging status and took no bribes from the staff.)

It truly was a real West Country greeting in respect of accent but somewhat perfunctory in delivery and hardly gushing. Mrs MDS could have done with a bit more special interaction after all she was a visitor to the city and therefore that well worn phase delivered to all children before a school trip 'you are an ambassador for your school' perhaps could have formed part of the spa's morning mantra to its employees.

The changing rooms are practical and therefore you have to be pretty organised to navigate successfully the narrowness of cubicle and locker area plus keep all your things in order. Mrs MDS was extremely grateful she hadn't started on the Easter Eggs (or the drink she was driven to over the ensuing days to keep a semblance of a smile on her face whilst erasing her brain cells to prevent thought.) The requisite blue band would have been dispensed with in the first scene of a Coward play due to its displeasing function and form, but it was a required to be worn at all times and not be lost item - so why was it so impossible to keep on ones wrists. Mrs MDS has quite slim ones.

She can heartily recommend 2 hours by oneself in the Thermae Spa. It is incredible how the time flies even when one is on ones own. The relaxation sets in almost immediately one puts on the towelling slippers. Perhaps they send a trigger to the brain. Even Mrs MDS was so relaxed that canoodling couples were spared the usual 'get yourself a room' utterance delivered on a daily basis at Waterloo station to a variety of face sucking couples. It is not that Mrs MDS is a prude but that she has always kept her Mediterranean style youthful lustfulness well for the Mediterranean. More specifically for quiet and secret coves on the Adriatic or the Aegean sea. Granted the Roman Baths may have once had the spectacle of orgies if BBC 2 Caligula was anything to go by but public spas need to have standards and Mrs MDS thinks a no petting rule should be installed immediately. Along with a no chewing gum one too.

The Minerva pool, the roof top pool and the Aroma steam rooms with waterfall shower were a delightful way to spend a chilly April afternoon. The warmth of the steam room was utter bliss and the fresh air whilst swimming around in the roof top pool was wonderful. Not that one can really swim with the rest of the public lounging or canoodling.



If one was planning a weekend in Bath then the spa is a fabulous place to visit. Mrs MDS would have liked a little more luxury and therefore would recommend a treatment, although obviously cannot stipulate what these are like but can only imagine a Full Body Polish would have been worth the £38

Upon leaving the Spa Mr MDS suggested Mrs MDS walked to be met but the whole experience had rendered the use of limbs and sense of direction to incapable and impossible. Nothing short of a pick up would satisfy and the appearence of a sweet smiling little petit garcon in the back seat put paid to any canoodling, imaginary or real.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer

In a move away from the rather putrid pink pieces and ubiquitous t-shirt (harsh I know but if you want people to buy make goods desirable) the FTBC campaign has gone all wonderfully black and white. Claudia Schiffer, Kylie Minogue and Sienna Miller have all posed for Mario Testino to appear in the advertising campaign to raise awareness and money from the 29th of March to the middle of May. I have to say Kylie looks super cute and her picture makes me smile.


The retailers taking part at M&S, Warehouse, Whistles, River Island, my-wardrobe, Topshop, Coast, Melissa Odabash, Superdry and Laura Ashley. When I say there is something for everyone I mean it! My favourite three items are the River Island Macrame trim vest and Tassle scarf plus Melissa Odabash's Tahiti tunic.

Happy Easter/Chocolate Day

As if you needed an excuse but read this and eat chocolate a plenty!

Hotel Chocolat Ostrich Easter Egg £60

High Street Pick of the Week

It is the Easter weekend so make sure your purchase is white, have no idea why something to do with my part Irish heritage, which ensured we were in pristine whites for Easter Mass. With the mindset of keeping up tradition this cream blouse from Ted Baker would be demure and striking enough to Sing Hosanna in, or for a nice Sunday lunch or - lets face it cocktails.

Ted Baker LITENE woven top £99

Earning a Hot Cross Bun

I'm on a trilogy of holy references this weekend because it is the Easter weekend. I'm nothing but mainstream when it comes to observing holidays and feasts - bring it on! And with a lovely long weekend due to the Easter break I'll be setting aside sometime to sort out my wardrobe. Properly making the transition from winter to spring and summer, despite our appalling weather which is determined to stay in winter mode.

I will create four piles for my existing winter things:-

• worn out items to go to rag bag for recycling (I've already started this pile)
  
• alterations, I have two dresses to change into tops
• put away clean, pressed in cotton storage bag with moth protection
• select items to stay in wardrobe that will work for summer

Then I will pull out all my spring/summer items and sort in exactly the same way because I'm bound to reassess the items I'd squirrelled away. I will document this for posting.

After all this excursion I will sit down with a nice cup of tea and a hot cross bun.

Choo or Louboutin that is the question

Although liberated from my no frittering challenge, I intend to stay focused and save up to get a peachy pair of shoes for my graduation ceremony in July at the Royal Festival Hall. I'm torn between these two pairs. What would you recommend Choo or Louboutin?

Choo Izzy patent leather pumps £315

Louboutin New Decoltissimo 85 pumps £340