Day 12 | Swinging My Pants with Orla Kiely

Yoo hoo! Super Saturday proved to be a bit of a let-down for the Englishman in my life. The sun is shining in the SW on Slumpabout Sunday and we have been out and about in it. Podgey went all northern and abandoned his jumper going about  bare armed!

Really iPodge -  take heed of the old saying ' the wise gal ne're cast a clout til' the Summer Sales are out... ' This applies to chaps too you know. The man who ventures out without his pully in the Spring time - will be shivering and whining by the time you're walking back through the park at sundown!

The lovely day was too much of an opportunity to debut my new ugly/beautiful shoes So I've gone for a monochrome riff with little splashes of mismatched colour. Red handle, jade knuckle duster, mauve sunnies... Pink lippy - oh yes and and and.... Purple Pony Tail!

Loving my new hair. The blowdry fell through overnight - unusual for a Charlie doo - but it did take a bit of a battering in the construction this time! So my hair is a bit crunchy today. I'm looking forward to seeing what it looks like without the benefit of a swish swoosh!

I've prepped the kitchen ready for the sparks who is due tomorrow morning. His partner is about to have their first baby and she's due any minute NOW - so we're bracing ourselves for a delay. I've got a little pressy for the newborn and the mammie. A little bit of luxury - after all her hard work and before all the rest of the hard work!

In the meantime - I've found a place for all the kitchen tchotsky that accumulates on the surfaces. Lord I would NEVER be able to have a pristine, empty counter, kitchen. Imagine having to remember where EVERYTHING is!? I'd have a nervous breakdown trying to find the salt for my egg!

No I'm dreaming of a concrete counter-top, fronted with recycled scaff boards - the kind of kitchen you can make a mess in without having a hissy fit about crumbs and coffee spills.

I digress... of course I do.

The Dress: Worn conventionally without anything underneath. It's Sunny today.

The Rest: Black ballet cardigan - Gap. Black and White graphic patterned long skirt. Primarni. Stainless Steel cutwork heart on leather string. Present from iPodge - Milan. Betty's ring (which is a Cairngorm stone found by her husband in a setting he designed for her too. Given to me for my birthday. Treasured. ) Jade, plastic, knuckle duster. Boots.

The Shoes: White placcy, ugly, beautiful gladiators with rubber soles. Pradamark.

The Eyewear: Purple plastic fantastic sunnies. TKMaxx sale - they were £3.00! I MADE myself walk away from a perfect pair of red, cats eye sunnies - French Connection. Spotted in Boots and they were perfect for this outfit. Too exxy for an impulse buy in new hair week!

The Bag: Orla Kiely, jute bag for Tescos! I collect them.

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 10 | Margo Moments

Good morning... It's still misty and cold here - so my dreams of wafting about in this dress, all done up with bits of jewelry, hair adornments and whisps of silk shirt are dashed again. Day 10 and reality bites. I've swopped jeans and a Tshirt for - dress and a jumper!

The only response to the cold and the sameyness - is to have a Margo Moment!

Now this isn't a full on MM - I'll describe it as Novice Level. Margo wouldn't have worn the dress in the first place - but the matching candy pink jumper and pants with purple stiletto pumps and headscarf - are so Margo. I lack the time and conviction for dark pink talons and my LBD moves this whole outfit next door - to Tom and Barbara's - but it's warm, bright and that's what I need this morning.

I haven't loaded up on accessories - I'd look like I'm playing at dress-up - which isn't entirely the 'look' I'm going for.

This started as a tribute to The Grand Budapest Hotel - gorgeous, sumptuous film with a lot of pink and some of the best 60s wallpaper I've seen pasted up anywhere real or imagined. However it took a turn for the Leadbetter (see what I did there?) in the building and here we are...

The Dress: Worn under a jummie and over trews!

The Rest: Raspberry parade 3/4 trousers - Coast, lambswool polo-neck jumper with side loops - trusty M&S chariddy shop score. Multicoloured plaid shawl - Valerie Watt (Australian). Beautiful silk multi-coloured scarf. Unknown - from Billy Jean's wonderful, vintage shop - now defunct. *sighs again at the march of baby clothes shops across our independent high street.

The public wants what the public gets...

The Shoes: As yesterday

The Do: Still unkempt - there will be lovely new hair tomorrow so I can't wash it now because clean hair isn't the thing for tinting. I've swept it over one side - and shoved it under the scarf. You and I know that scarf will be off in about five minutes. It will annoy me!

*Another less pleasant side effect of not wearing cheapo jeans with lots and LOTS of stretch in them - is I am fully reminded of my increasing waistline. These trousers were loose the last time I had them on - this morning they can only be described as 'barely comfortable' - they may not make it through the whole day...

Needless to say - I'm drinking juice!

Day 9 | Purple Peril

Greetings! It's freezing again... here in the South West. Today is Bakery Thursday. Which means the men of the house get to scoff baked goods. Pasties, Bakewell tarts, the chocolate bus and amazing, fresh, six seeded, organic bread. Lucky them.

Me? I don't pastie...

Today I am channeling lady-like daintyness - complete with lace around the collar and cuffs of my thermals, pointy, pointy shoes and ickle pearly buttons on my cardy! Layers are the key to keeping warm - I can reveal that my knickers are colour-coded purple too... this doesn't help the thermal count - but it makes me feel great.

I'm wearing what my grandmother would call 'sitting down shoes' -  they are the perfect combination of cute and treacherous. A fairly old-school pointed toe - stiletto designed by the Rock and roll designer John Richmond. Purple, sexiness all the way up and all the way down.

The Dress | Worn right way up - under a button up.

The Rest | Thermal vest with lace trim. Purple, lambswool cardigan with little grey buttons. M&S purple tights under black circle lacey tights. Pink, plastic, roses bracelet. Vintage, pink beaded necklace. Wool, silk scarf - fancy french label. Wide waspy belt with a bow - Peacocks! Betty's ring.

The Shoes | Purple & Silver, leather, stab heel stilettos - John Richmond (Vintage)

The Eyewear | Purple Prada

The Do | Unbrushed and undone. Today was supposed to be lovely new hair day - but my hairdresser's little man is poorly - so that's me flaunting my grey, badger stripe for another few days.

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

Day 6 | Mai Tie

Spring! It properly feels like Spring today. I have thrown caution to the four gentle breezes and dragged a huge hold-all from under teen-boy's bed.

I know! Such dedication to the cause, but I was after this bright yellow cardie and a pair of unbelievably useful 3/4 trousers. (Which on my little legs are more like 6/7).

I've raided iPodgey's tie collection too and here I am. Spring ready.

I have yet to set up the camera and gorilla pod - so as you see I'm struggling along with whatever light is available for my camera phone.


You might also note - the fancy borders! I have discovered a brilliant little app from the gels at abeautifulmess.com. So while I am committed to figuring out photoshop actions and improving my photographic skills - there's no harm in having a bit of fun exploiting the talents of other very fabulous chaps and chapesses along the way.

I'm off out with iPodge later - I can guarantee he will raise his eyebrows at this little number. I've put posh shoes on - so he'll feel more disposed. I haven't worn these beauts in years. They're very - very ladylike, I'm just not ready for a full-on sandal moment - to be honest it's already clouding over...

The dress was washed overnight and tumble dried while I worked out this morning. I can report that it dries in moments and the garden was so breezy and sunny today - I pegged my little black dress on the line for 20 minutes while I had a shower and wrangled a large bag from under a bed.

A note about sunglasses...

For me sunglasses should either make me look impossibly glamorous or so fierce that you worry I might actually kill you if you look me in the eye. Be assured if you are one of those rude, arse barging types. I very probably will!

The Dress |  Worn as you'd expect it to be.

The Rest | Yellow 3/4 sleeve cardi with little pockets, Oasis. 3/4 beige, side zip trews. Gap. Betty's ring, acid green knuckle duster, Tiffany bracelet, Turquoise necklace. Yellow plastic and diamante, cats eye sunnies.

The Shoes | Lady like, blunt concical heel shoes with shell/plastic disks, TKMaxx.


The Bag | Gorgeous little green and grey, slub silk, dolly bag with extra long handles bought in Thailand a very long time ago.

The Hair | Unbrushed, unwashed and frankly unacceptable!

Day 5 | Biba Diva

Blurry Rock Diva Shot. Or not! 

In every wardrobe lurks the perfect little leather jacket - no? Mine is this little corker - coveted and lusted after for many months. I have photographs of me in the nude/beige and the black version taken in-store, long before I landed my own. I have no shame  in matters of fash-on. In fact last year when considering my finances and thinking very, very hard about my shopping habit - I hit on my version of Chiconomics.

I realised that the shopping, searching, trying on and catwalking it about in the changing room part of the process represents a very high proportion of the overall 'happy' measurement when buying clothes.

So!  Thinks I. What about I give myself all of that excitement and fun - and none of the guilt? 

I could document how cute I look in an outfit - without ever handing over the moolah at the till. This my friends proved to be a perfect way of indulging my love of shopping without troubling my bank account, and while finances have evened out this year - I still take little changing rooms selfies to add to my collection of 'Clothes I Don't Own'.  Genius!  No no... No need to thank me - my little gift to you x.

I appear to have lost the top of my head and my leg in this photo - Podgey is no Bailey.

Ah ha! The missing leg...

To the details! 
After yesterday's Breaking Amish remodelled for Fixing Up the Shedish - I headed for the glam of a pair of 70's inspired platforms and the aforementioned Biba jacket. (I finally scored an almost brand new one on Ebay and saved myself over £200 smackers - the power of visualisation my friends.)

The Dress: Worn right side up and right way around!
The Rest: Uber soft, gunmetal, scoop neck tee with cuffs - Whistles. Most excellent beige Biba leather jacket worn with the cuffs unzipped. Ancient but fantastic, greige lace tights. Betty's ring, green knuckle duster and green perspex, printed bangle. (Present from sister I think).  Gorgeous semi-precious stone necklace on burgundy ribbon, Harvey Nicks - bought with birthday cash from generous FatherOne a few years ago - in a sale. It was eye-wateringly fancy and expensive even with 70% off! Can't now remember the designer...
The Shoes: Fave and much loved Ted Baker platforms - green faux snakeskin and suede.
The sunnies: Gucci - natch!

Live by the Heel - Die by the Heel my friends...

I'm giving myself a hefty 7/10 for this - I felt very cool. We bumped into Dino - the owner of a little Italian restaurant and deli supplies business while we were out and about - and an appreciative up and downer from a stylish, Italian chap is worth a few points I'd say.

Off to catch up on the Rugby - no spoilers...

Podgey = Proud Englishman
Luli =  Gobby Welsh Bird

Result = Loud sofa-shouting action come match day!

Here's one of those in-store pics. You can see the jacket and the sunnies better. Also my much loved, now long gone, blonde hair...

Day 4 | Breaking Amish

Inside Out For International Women's Day

Sliding in at supper-time with today's pics and a super quick run down of my first weekend outfit. I had intended to do something really dramatic - but I woke up tired and grumpy so I went for easy and simple. Luli does Amish. Well if we ignore the zip - and the buttons and the fancy undies!

I didn't get a detail of the shoes with today's tights - I was in a rush, and now I'm deconstructed after a day in the garden fixing up the shed roof! (I've swopped the cardigan for a comfy house cardy and my shoes for my duvet slippers - which will feature in an 'at home ensemble' - somewhen.

I really, really did wear my dress while slapping bitumen on the shed roof - I tucked it into my knickers and put an old fleece on over it and NO there isn't a picture. The poor neighbour was beside himself with trying not to stare at my knees!

I do have a pic of the shoes - taken a while back, with purple tights. This will have to do...

I plan to learn to use photoshop during this project - so I'm hoping the photographs get a bit better and I can develop a 'style' for the blog. I will also start to use iPodge's better camera. It isn't super, uber fancy - I'd have to borrow the teenager's kit if I want to get totally professionale - and that is never going to happen.

I was dead pleased with this little outfit. I realise now - that you can't actually see much of it - but you get the idea. It's a good job I filled up on a huge brunch because I am woman without clue - as far as supper goes - I'm hoping iPodge will let me get away with a rock cake and some chocolate.

So the details:

Dress worn inside out - I meant to unpick the label - but I didn't get around to it. Bite me... Lovely white and blue cotton striped button up shirt with smock/pin tuck detail - gathered under the bust. Charity shop find. Ballet wrap cardigan also from a charity shop. Brilliant brown/grey/black needle stripe tights. Betty's ring. Pale tan, punched brogues from Clarkes with a tan handbag, scored a few years ago from a charity shop. Beautiful cutwork heart necklace - a gift from iPodge, bought in Milan. (Swank - swank...) You can't see it!

Hair: Poble's Bobbles
Eyewear: Gucci

Day 3 | China Girl

Nǐ hǎo! 

I struggle with this little chinese jacket. It's a beautiful dark green and orangey red. Free from restrictions with my little dress up project. I've pulled it out of the closet and I'm rather pleased with the result. 

I found it in the wonderful vintage shop Billy Jean (now sadly gone, and replaced with yet another shop for expensive toddlers.) It came with a very odd pair of trouserswhich I sent to the charity shop. I wish I'd kept them they'd have looked cute peeping under the skirts of the LBD!

When I came downstairs - iPodge greeted me in traditional Chinese 'kowtow' style and I felt very ladylike! 

I'm going to set up a camera on a gorilla tripod over the weekend. This little adventure is all about learning and playing - and I'd like to learn more about the camera - so next week, I master the timer function!

Details below!

Day 2 | Kimono My House - I wanna give you candy ...

Lets just say we're not starting at the beginning. Yesterday, while thinking about Lent - in a completely 'non-religious but everyone'll be going on about it so I'm going to' loop - I wondered about having a little seasonal challenge.

I thought - I might give up wearing jeans for 40 days.

Then I thought - I might wear the same dress for 40 days and have fun dressing up.

Then I thought - Ooh er... I'm not entirely convinced that's all that practical. 

Little Black Dress Challenge 

I mentioned the '40 day in the same dress notion' to my chap - who here, there and everywhere shall be known as iPodge. He smiled a distracted, indulgent smile and I took that to mean - he's perfectly sanguine about the whole enterprise.

So this morning Day 2 - I figured I'd pop the dress on again - and dig about at the other end of the wardrobe. No pressure. One day at a time...

I  remembered the excellent Uniform Project of a few years back - which is perhaps the dormant trigger for my little adventure. I loved the creativity and daily inventiveness of Sheena - the gorgeous, stylish chick behind the UP. I am also constantly inspired by the wonderful style of the women featured on Ari Seth Cohen's blog Advanced Style.

This little venture is way, way more modest.

To please myself, I plan to wear the same Little Black Dress for the 40 days of Lent. Using it as a challenge to 'dress' every day and re-ignite my love of clothes, and colour and pattern and daftness. I've spent the last year in stretchy jeans from Tescos - which just won't do... It really is time to dump the dull.

So in celebration of style, of clothes and of fun. I'm wading in. 

I'll pop a daily selfie here and on instagram - I'll bore my friends on facebook rigid with yet another one of my daily photo projects (I'm already having fun with the 100 Happy Days Project) and if I can remember how to set up the RSS thingamajigger - you can keeps tabs and share your thoughts too if you like, or not, as you wish.

There's no fundraising element. I'm just having fun with my wardrobe and documenting it.

I'll have to recreate Day 1 later - for completeness sake...

A word about perfection and productivity 

I promised myself today that this month would be about having a go - without being afraid that it isn't perfect. Worrying about whether there is worth in a thing or not - is the enemy of creativity and productivity. Who cares? I don't have to take pictures and post my outfits online. Of course I don't - but I'm going to. Because I'd like to have a go.

So here I am - having a right old go!

Be fabulous!

Luli

Day 2: Fenn Wright Mason Kimono Jacket, Alpaca & Merino fine knit asymetric cardi (worn as scarf), grey thermal tights, grey suede booties with grossgrain ribbon | Kurt Geiger. Wide elastic, bow belt worn upside down and back to front, ultra fine 3/4 sleeve tee (unseen). Acid green plastic knuckle duster. Black and White reading specs.