Day 20 | Chickpea Brownies #fail

Hello! It's still blinking freezy here in the South West - and I am half way through my Little Black Dress Challenge. I have yet to fashion a hat or a tote bag from my dress - and today is not the day. Nope - today is comfort and warmth.

So I'm wrapped up in a beautiful wool, silk, paisley scarf sent to me for one of my birthdays by the glorious Mummy One. If I have some style - I think She She could claim at least some of the credit. I remember her in the 70s looking amazing - especially when she got all dolled up for fancy dinners - there was a special extra hair piece that would be styled at the hairdressers into impossible and wonderful up-dos.

I remember my mamma being glamorous and a bit of a style nazi when it came to my sister and I. We had great clothes - really lovely - but we were not allowed to be slaves to fashion. If it didn't look right on our little bodies then we were steered to something different. My mum was Gok Wanning us when GW was still a fat, weird kid looking at his shoes.

I remember I wanted a skinny ribbed jumper - BADLY - what I got was a lemon yellow jumper with little, short puff sleeves. Far better suited to my slightly tubby, puppy fat rolls. I wasn't happy - but somewhere in there were the lessons about wearing what suits, dressing for your shape and having fun with colour.

Today - is a brown day. Just is - I don't make the rules.

I made Chickpea Brownies yesterday - a total, unmitigated fail! Not helped by missing a crucial ingredient.Chocolate! I subbed in chocolate powder and then added all sorts of other stuff to get the consistency right. The entire batch are flat as pancakes and taste like the oat cake equivalent of cheese biscuits. WORTHY!

They are so flat that they can be sandwiched with raspberry jam and pnb without ending up too big to eat. So I've had one of these adapted flaties with a cup of tea. I can't say I'm looking forward to my next one...

In honour of the flaties and because it's freakin' chilly here. I'm wearing thermals, a long cardie and a shawl - with comfy, warm shoes. It's not the most glam outfit - but I'm warm! The heating is back on... sigh ... and sends a prayer of thanks for being able to afford it.

The Dress: Worn conventionally.

The Rest: Fine mesh, thermal vest, long line brown marl, edge to edge cardie - Phase 8 sale. Paisley scarf - from mamma, wooden bangles - various charridy shops, lovely, chunky, plastic pendant - present from old work colleague,  greige lacy tights - ancient - lace tights rock, they last for EVER.

The Shoes: Nike Yoga shoes. iPodge is both horrified and delighted that I posess a pair of shoes that are designed specifically to wear to yoga class. I do wear these to yoga in the summer - but in the winter they double as toasty house shoes.

The Eyewear: Not seen, but I'm wearing my 'other' reading glasses - brown to blue - Boots own. There's a twofer deal on again this season - might need to update my spectacle wardrobe for summer!

The Do: Woeful...

I've also dialed up the brightness too high - so I look like a weird ghost person. This isn't my fave outfit - it's just too cold to faff about. I promise I will wear the gorgeous tapestry coat, Clarks brogues and little brown handbag if I go outside. That way I'll look cool while I shiver x

Day 11 | C'est Violette!

Hello!

Late entry for today's little ensemble. It's changed a couple of times today. For brunch I headed out with the dark green, suede, Red or Dead booties, purple silk scarf and a beautiful Missoni cardigan which will feature again soon.

One delicious Bubble and Squeak with smoked bacon and a perfectly poached egg later - and an hour or so in the sunny window - and I was panting on the way home! So a quick chimmy changeo was called for and I headed out to my hair appt minus cardi, and plus my trusty flats. There was some yomping to be done to get there on time!

So here we are then - back home after a 3 hour trip to the wonderful Charlie. I arrived feeling a bit frumpy and forlorn and we discussed tactics. I am growing out the blonde - which is a bit operation and in the meantime I'm blending in the grey - going for a greige vibe with the end game of a chic, grey fox do. Embracing my grey and rocking it into my mid 50s.

Well that's the plan - the reality has been a little less exciting. My hair hasn't gone a wonderful steely grey all over - far from it - and the amount of colour still in it - means that it looks like the pelt of an ageing rat! Not the look I was aiming for.

Help is most definitely at hand - Miss Charlie is one of the best colourists I've ever come across and let me tell you - I've been to many, many in my years as a signed up member of Hair Whores Anon. She's dumped a tint on my hair that is used on brassy blondes to tone down the yellow and give it an ashy look. I don't have this issue - so what it has done is allowed the grey to shine and added a sort of purple haze!

While we were chatting I mentioned the hair chalks in the window and how much I love one of the hairdressers' faded out purple/blueypurple hair and before we could yell 'Squeeee'... we decided to have a blinking go! Result... In fact a very chic grey/purple tint - bumped up with some serious purple cred through the front and there's loads in the back underneath - so when Poble's Bobbles are in place - you'll see purple through the back!

I'm really happy - and I feel transformed from middle aged frump-o-rama into a cool - chic older woman with a bit of edge a bit of Grrrrrrr!

So here are the details:

The Dress: Worn as it was designed to be worn.

The Rest: Super soft, slate grey tee shirt - Whistles. Brown starburst tights - no idea, had 'em years. Wonderful dark, sagey green leather and fabric bomber jacket. Charity Shop find! (I KNOW - right?!)

The Shoes: Clarks, punched brogues - I want these in every colour before the trend dies and I can't get the so easily. I think punched brogues may be my 'shoe-thing'. I just can't do stab heels for more than a couple of hours these days... Sigh!

The Eyewear: Charity Shop - emergency buy. £2.00.

The Do: Charlie at AKA Bristol - L'Oreal deep conditioning treatment, purple hair chalk. We're talking blow-dry, hot irons, and PRODUCT! Every 4 - 6 weeks without fail. I wear my hair every day - and if it looks good - I feel good! So there...

Day 8 | Stellavation!

Good Morning. I am on stilts today! I've no idea who's reading this little bloggette. I'm thinking some of my pals from other blogs might drive by and you never know - if it gets shared there may be the odd stray. I always advise bullish self confidence to others when discussing their blog 'voice' No-one enjoys a needy blogger hey?

So back to the plot. Today I am wearing my absolute favorite boots. A pair of brown, neoprene, thigh-high Stella McCartney's with cigarette heels. Achingly cool - amazingly comfortable and they make me feel about 6ft tall! What is not to love?

I was egged on to buy these by my dear pal and Ultimate Shoe Queen KP - this woman is serious. She has an entire room in her house fully shoe wardrobed out - and her collection is beyond fabulous. We're talking Gina, Terry De Havilland, Dolce & Gabbana on and on it goes - then there's the Hermes bag - bought with money left to her by her granny - because it's what she would've wanted.

This chick has serious style - not the guttersnip, silly nonsense I'm parading about in this blog. I mean serious chops. At 16 she made her own corset. Without the first clue about boning - she made her own by sewing strips of material together until she got the right stiffness. Genius! 

She is my style heroine. I'd give you a snapshot - but I don't have one - and she'd murder me - and I mean proper, East End Gangster style sorting... You don't mess with KP.

So without further ado or adon't - (not sure that worked as well as it did in my head...) Here are the details for today!

The Dress | Inside out and if I'm honest not fully zipped up then tucked into my knickers (what?) - I can't manage the fiddly zip without iPodge's help and he was up early and out of the door. I shall spend most of today in a state of semi deshabiller and not in a sexy, french way. In a scatty Luli way...

The Rest | Brown fine knit cardi knotted at the bust, FWM. Cute swing back jacket with short sleeves and a hood, funnel neck. Therapy. Beautiful handfelted scarf - bought in Sydney Markets. Selection of wooden bangles - bought in charridy shops. I pick them up whenever I see them. Betty's ring. (my constant companion). Selection of plastic fantastic, knuckle dusters. I might wear the mulit-coloured plaid as a shawl - it's a bit chilly round the Urals x

The Shoes | Stella McCartney, as previously described. But can we just take a moment people... leave a comment about just how much you love these boots... They deserve your love!

The Eyewear | Gucci

*a note about glasses. I don't get you one pair until they fall off types. Whassatabout. Man I was secretly so delighted when my optician finally told me that I had enough of a change to warrant wearing specs. I went mad! I keep the ones that are from the previous prescription and insist on wearing them - not for working or reading - obvs. But then I have special glasses for doing all that.

No it's essential to have the right pair of specs for your outfit. No?

The Do | Poble's Bobbles with feather adornments. For Bestie Kim - who rocks a hair accessory like no other x x