Friday thankfulness

Happy Friday everyone!
I  am welcoming a quiet (ish) weekend with exciting early morning plans with a fab friend and then dropping off a few belated birthday gifts for Meadow's friends!

This photo is from my wedding day, and that's me with my little godson Korrin who will be 4 this November.

How time flies?
I'm learning to let things go (trying!) and just have more fun and less worry in my life.

This photo reminds me of this, and makes me smile.

Have a great weekend and send me your Paris recommendations!
XOXO

Autumn already

 Can you spot Meadow in Grandad's garden?^^^^^

I can feel it, it might be 22 degrees today but Autumn is coming. It's cooler in the mornings and misty. I love Autumn. I love boots and scarves and being cozy. I'm wearing my leather jacket ^^ at every opportunity before it gets too cold.

What are you looking forward to this Autumn?

My list is.

Wearing this jumper with this and these (I have everything except the boots. Sigh)

I am going to Paris and staying here

Definitely taking time to browse Merci, the last time I visited, me and Tasha jumped up and down on the spot in excitement (yes, we do spend waaay to much time around 3 year olds)

Going to visit here for the zillionth time as I need some artistic culture. Pinterest is the closest I am getting to that at the moment (and Naomi's blog)

Working on being a more tolerant with Rich and definitely with Meadow. I find myself constantly shouting at someone about something.

Asking myself, when I am stressed "do I need to worry about this? Will I care in 5 years about this?"

Enjoying more, buying less (HARD HARD HARD)

Getting my god damn sofa steam cleaned. Buying a white linen herringbone expensive sofa, not my finest move. (although a baby at that point, was not on my mind.)

Being kind. Paying attention. I never want to waste a minute and multi task too much. Today in the queue for my lunch, I took the time to speak to the person serving me, and ask him about his day. Not text/email on my blackberry. He gave me my coffee on the house. It is the small things.


What is on your list?

XO

Thankful Thursday

I. The most beautiful roses. Ever. The colour makes me happy.

II. Meadow looking exhausted. Denying it. NO I am not tired. I DO NOT want to go to my bed. No Mother. No (NB Mother is her new word. It makes me feel ancient. Thanks for that Meadow.)
Her latest hilarious expressions are "It's good, huh?" and "WHAT YOU SAY?" whilst holding her ear!! Hahah!

III. Hello baby. My newest Mulberry! It's vintage from eBay and had me literally jumping for joy when it arrived. It is so precious! (NB Thanks to my amazing fashion designer friend Hazel, who spied it and tipped me off xo)

IV. My newest Whistles dress layered with an old French Connection top. Looks amazing on, and will show you tomorrow :)
You know how much I adore Whistles, and I adore blogs but I got uncharacteristically, and inexplicably cross at LFW and how many bloggers they gave free outfits to. I work so damn hard to buy all my Whistles clothes, and I admit it. I begrudge so many of them getting decked out for free! I do! It makes me a jealous idiot but I don't care. It's how I feel. Obviously if I was one of them I would be singing a different tune. But there you have it. Honest jealous ranting. Over and out.

Now I'm off to stuff work emails and sit down to Season 5 of Californication. Only the BEST show ever made.

Hope you are all having a great week and Courtney, if you are reading this, your legs are ridiculous and I'm proper jealous of them. Carla, I still can't decide what to buy on Net-a-Porter, Kim please can I come live with you in California for the winter, Naomi still so excited to see a candid of your man and maybe even your builder and Hannapat, you and your amazing crafting, kills me. Yes, my blog readership is so small (only the most amazing people ever, it's a small niche) I can mention most by name! And I LOVE it!

xoxo

The Big 3

So Meadow is 3!
And following on from a picnic at her nursery with a gazzillion other 3 year olds, here are 3 things I have learned about being 3.

I. Wanting.
I want it. I want it. But I want it. MUMMY. I need it. I really really really need it. I want it. Please.
This can apply to anything. A packet of crisps right on up to an all singing all dancing toddler kitchen.

II. Why?
Where are we going? When? Are we there? Who is coming? What? Have you been? Who will be there? Is Daddy home? Why not? Where is he?
Questioning skills are rampant. I feel under interrogation daily.

III. Weeing
I don't need a wee. No. I said I DON'T NEED A WEE!
Mummy. Yes Meadow. I really really need a wee. (see picture above!!!)

I'm sorry I have been absent but I have been (sigh) really really busy!
Promise I will be back to my blogging schedule now though AND a new bag to blog! (shhhhh don't tell Rich) Yay!

xo

Happy Birthday Meadow

I may have tried to squeeze in a bit much lately...

But Meadow's party was a success despite the rain (bloody English weather) meaning we had an impromptu change of venue to our village Scout Hut!! Being the control freak I am, it was difficult for me as we had zero time to make it look pretty. But the kids sure didn't care.

I'm on the road again! So you know I hate instagram pics on my precious little blog, but needs must. Here is my princess opening her goodies at 6am (bedhead or what??)

"mummy are ALL these presents for me?" Yes Meadow. "Oh My Goodness this is the most marvellous birthday ever mummy!"

My sweet girl!

And maybe I won't tell you about her comment when I told her off for unribboning (de-ribboning?) my balloons. 

Meadow LEAVE the balloons please.

"Oh mummy you and those F-ing balloons!!"

Love you Meadow xxx

Wednesday workup

You guessed it - I am off on my travels again. This time, back to The Motherland (Scotland) for a business trip. The next few weeks are so busy, I am stocking up on my favourite chocolate and would smoke if I smoked. I do like a vintage tin though....

Packing my essentials, stripes and sparkles from AllSaints (loving them so much at the moment), and travel goodies from Aesop. Everything in their range smells divine. Have you tried it? I love the stores, they are industrial chic, and have big cattle troughs to wash your hands in so you can try everything. I love try before buy!

Sorry for the short and sweet post, be back on Saturday and it's Meadow's birthday party on Sunday (eeek) A gazillion 3 year olds running riot on a sugar high....
xoxo

Meadow Monday Musings

It's been a while. So first up. Hello and welcome to my new readers! I appreciate it more than you know, that anyone takes the time to read my tiny part of the blogging stratosphere! So hello. Please stay and comment and tell me what you think :)

So it's been ages since I did a Meadow Musings. She is hands down the funniest person I know. I forget all the time the hilarious things she comes out with, hence I need to do more Musings...

" Lellow. blue. pink. Lellow. Yes Lellow" On being asked her favourite colour.
"No. No they don't have names silly. They are chickens! Mummy!" On being asked if the chickens at nursery have names (they do!)
"Pass me the blue lego bitch"
"ARGHH!ARGGHH, Mummy IT'S A PIRATE" in Costa Coffee where we were sat next to a man with a beard and a hat on.
"smell my feet. EUGH. smell them Mummy. They STINK"
"get out of the way stupid" to Rich who was standing in front of the TV.
"stop talking. Grrrrrr. I said. STOP TALKING. I can't think straight"

We love you Meadow. Even although you wear socks all the time (with sandals in 25 degree weather) which goes against my fashion rules, even although you eat all our chocolate, throw my Prada bag in to the pond, stand on our ribs, whilst simultaneously poking us in the eye and are generally the biggest pain in the ass, we love you more every day!

Happy Monday everyone xoxo

PS To the person who asked about our butterfly installation, Rich made it! From fabric butterflies, which I think he got on eBay....:)

Current Elliot Monday on a Tuesday

So we have been lucky enough to enjoy a long holiday weekend. And the sun was shining (mostly) and we ate out with friends, drank a lot of wine (yay) and had fun.

I The new Living Etc was delivered to my door Saturday morning and was enjoyed with a cup of strong coffee and some cake...but I have to be honest and say all these magazines have become so high end, you need to have like £10,000 to buy a frikkin coffee table.
New beauty buys I am loving at the moment: L'oreal Perfect Blur and Aussie Paw Paw ointment from Whole Foods. I'm generally a makeup snob but L'oreal was on offer and I thought why not.

II Loving a new heart shirt from Gap (sorry cannot get links to work properly today) worn with a necklace from Cos. Rich hates that necklace and shakes his head when I wear it. Lucky I generally don't take fashion advice from him.

III. My current elliots have been a great buy. I wear them constantly as they are SO comfy. I think they are overpriced (£300 what the WHAT) but price per wear (and I got mine in the sale with 25% off) works out okay.

Well, it's now Tuesday, but feels like a Monday, so I am doing what any working mother does on a Monday. I'm off to fill up a nice big glass of chilled Pinot and watch Cougar Town on LoveFilm.

Happy Tuesday everyone xoxo

An All Saints kinda day

I don't think there is anything in life more soothing than the sea.
It is such a great place, to calm your busy mind and just be for a bit.
I had to travel for work yesterday and had the absolute pleasure of taking the car ferry. A glorious day, and all feels good in my little world.
That might partly be due to my new All Saints leather jacket. Maybe.
Hope all is well in your world
xoxo

Weekend Portraiture

The weekend is almost over.
A few more hours.
I love taking portraits, it's my photography love really. It's my favourite part of my weddings, taking the pictures of the couples together, alone.
These are a few rushed captures of Rich, leaving yesterday morning, early,  to go film a wedding here. Can you believe the family still live in it? Manor House! Can you imagine? Oh the parties I would throw if it were mine. It would be like the frikkin' Great Gatsby.

He hates getting his picture taken, as he is impatient. I'm glad I did. Meadow sprung in on the action. Never one to hang around the sidelines :)

Hope you are all having/had a wonderful weekend wherever you are!
XOXO

Rag and Blog

So I had the very best of intentions today. Finish work at a reasonable hour, and get a blog post on my outfit (it was a good 'un)
But fate intervened, and my destiny was to spend 5 hours stuck in a 22 mile traffic jam leaving London....
And by the time I made it home, this little lady was passed out on the sofa. Her ickle feet! Don't be fooled though, they get sweaty :) And her poor fringe! Grow Grow Grow fringe! GROW!

So all I can leave you with is Rich's latest tattoo (ahoy me hearties) and my new Rag and Bone boots! Aren't they marvelous? Buy the leather version  here, I got mine directly from the Rag and Bone store in Oxford.. they are so comfy I love love love. Still undecided what to spend my voucher from Carla on...I look at Net-a-Porter everyday and change my mind :)
I also bought a little Gucci bag but I'm not sure if i like it or not. Will share it with you all soon for your opinion...maybe it will become a giveaway on my blog!?!

Have a happy weekend everyone and keep up with my instagram account to see what me and Meadow get up to this weekend (no weddings!)

xxx

Tired Tuesday

So I am kind of one of those annoying people with boundless energy.
I can do a 3 mile run, cook everyone breakfast, have hoovered the house, played shopkeeper with Meadow (!) fired off some emails and tidied the kitchen by 8 am.
Today. not so much.
I felt drained and out of sorts. So I am being kind to myself and taking the evening to look at my iPad (hello Pinterest - anyone else totally obsessed with this?? I can lose HOURS) and paint my nails.

Rich bought me some Green and Blacks (buttescotch YUM) and Vogue and I'm so loving Jennifer Lawrence. She is one cool cookie.

Anyway, sorry for a laclustre post, but to end on a high, Meadow shouted through to me earlier "MUMMY!MUUUMMMYY. Hurry! There is a bloody wasp in my room" Note to self. Stop swearing.
Also, I cut her fringe (bangs!) waaaayyy to short. Rich says it makes her look like Jimmy Saville (oh god). Note to self. NEVER cut Meadow's hair again. Ever
xoxo

What Happened to the Weekend??

I My current favourite work outfit. Dress: Theory Shoes: KG Sparkly top :French Connection Bag: Mulberry
II New tags from IKEA! Love!
III My new baby! A Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree! I speak to him all the time and tell him I love him
IV Stars and Stripes and Sleeping Girl
V Cuckoo clock in The Old Bake House
VI Life is better out of focus
VII My new favourite top. Leopard print from GAP (can you believe it) Jeans that I live in, even although the rips are starting to border on obscene :) Zara

I am feeling all sorts of blah at the moment and am going through some sort of "I wanna change my life" phase.
My current 2 top choices are.
(Drumroll)

Move to Canada.
Go back to school to study something different (I did Politics)

Moving countries is massively appealing as it's such a proper BANG change and I love the USA so so much but they hate Brits moving over so I'm stuffed. Now Canada likes Brits and I could get a visa!(I think)

So much to think about! And sometimes, that's the best part. Maybe I will, maybe I won't but the possiblities of it all, are giving me a bit of light in a challenging couple of weeks.

Do you think about making big changes? Do you dream of different countries?

xoxo

PS and did I tell ya I'm going to PARIS again in 8 weeks! Boooyaaaa!

Manic Monday

A few more schnaps of our holiday...to be honest there is not that many, mostly because a) we take photos ALL the time, so a holiday is time out from that a bit...and b)we did nothing!!! Not much to take photos of!
It's been back to work with a bang, on Friday I got stuck in the central London traffic and it took me 4 hours to do a 80 minute journey...Saturday I shot a wedding in 32 degree heat (sweaty) and today has been phone call after phone call. Errr. I need a holiday??

I wanted to really take some time out in Spain to get some objectives and goals together, both for my home life and this blog. But somehow I never quite got pen to paper. I want my blog to be bigger, to be better but I'm just not sure I can dedicate the time to social media that this requires.

But I am nothing if not competitive and that encourages me to try!

So thank you to my loyal band of followers. If you think you would like to see/hear more about something from me...leave me a comment!

Happy Monday, wherever you are!
PS Still debating what to buy with my Net-A-Porter voucher from Carla
these?
Or this? Both classics and you know I love me a denim shirt.....decisions...

Final note...driving in the car on Sunday, Meadow said "Mummy". "Yes, Meadow?" "You are a stinky little smurf"
I am still laughing! :)