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

Getting ready for travel

We go on holiday soon (yeeha) and I get obsessive about packing. I think it is actually the best bit about going away (weird I know). Usually we go long haul, but because of Miss M, we are going to Spain, just a short flight for us.
I thought I would document my cabin bag, as I love seeing what people pack!
First up.
My travel bag is my Mulberry Dorset bag (the large size, no longer available)
My product bag is leather from All Saints (it's a mens wash bag)
Products (L-R) hand gel (another thing i obsess over, i am addicted hand gel) Aromatherapy Associates Rose Moisturizer (smells like heaven)Aquaphor salve (only available in America but soothes and smoothes lips and skin, and I use on Meadow)
Aveda hand moisturiser. Beauty Flash Balm (I smother my face in this in flight. I never care what it looks like!)
Front (L-R) Lime oil (to pep and freshen) Chanel mascara in travel size. Aromatherapy Associates support oil (breathe in and helps fight germs!!) This Works breathe in lavender roll on (I have blogged about this before) My NARS bronzer and Chanel travel bronzing brush finish up on the makeup front...I would rather travel without wearing any really...I think it is important to let skin breathe on board.
My large cashmere Gucci wrap (I know, lucky me) and a favourite book! I have read this already but love it...Lego for Meadow to play with as well as her Hello Kitty snack box and headphones! She loves listening to music and films with these on!! Anything to keep her amused a while.

I have not included snacks, but I am big on taking my own. Almonds, peanut butter crackers, oatcakes and dried fruit are our regular snacks.

Next week I will post my travel outfit!!!

Hope you are all travelling this summer? Let me know your tips for on board :)
xoxo

What's in my Bag?!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE looking at what's in their bag posts. I always have. I love seeing things like celebrity editor's travel essentials/what's in my suitcase/what to pack articles. Weird. But i am guessing lots of others do too? Otherwise they would not be so popular!
SO
I'm off overnight, and these are some 24 hour essentials (minus clothes, that's another post)
I can survive with these, probably for a week easily.
First up. My actual bags. Phillip Lim Pashli satchel (Harvey Nichols) and Prada cross over mini satchel (Prada.com)
Louis Vuitton passport holder (LOOOOOVE), kindle and 2 notebooks (one work, one thoughts and to do's) from Mulberry and Smythsons of Bond Street. Make up bag from Fendi (I got mine half price in the sale)

Make Up Essentials.
I am in love with my BB cream from Loreal. I have tried 3 others now, including Origins, Boots No 7 and now Loreal, and I must say it beats them hands down. It is a white cream and blends in to your skin tone. Buy it. I swear it's awesome. Almost life changing. Almost. Not like in the way winning Euromillions would.
Nars bronzers. Chanel travel brush. Chanel eye shadow cream in silver metallic. I adore this. It comes with a tiny brush! I love anything tiny! It's super sparkley and easy to blend on to your lids.
My Benefit white eyebrow highlighter pencil is my most essential out of everything. I draw it on my bottom lashes, and in the corners of my eyes and I'm on my 4th (each lasts at least a year). It makes my eyes pop like crazy (in a good way!)
Perfume, Ofresia by Dyptique, it was a gift (thanks CJ) and everyday, every single day, people ask what it is and where they can buy it.

On My List To Buy
Bobbi Brown factor 50 face cream. I got a sample and I love it. It's creamy and blends really well. Now I am aging (BOOOO) I am so aware of smothering my face in SPF. I have Scottish skin, freckles and all.
Louis Vuitton key holder. I saw them in store and they are gorgeous. I lose my keys constantly. Every day. Maybe this will help!!!

Sorry there are no links, I have a flight to catch! I will relink Friday.
Please please add your wonderful comments on your travel essentials xoxox

Life through a lens

A little bit of life lately.
I never tire of taking shots of my baby. She is so full of character. I think I got it? :) (not sure about the weird tint on the frames, been playing around and not sure what happened)
Wouldn't it be such a joy to take pictures of kids all day? Or food! Or people's homes? Oh My God like The Glow or The Selby. I LOVE looking at other peeps homes.
My magpie instinct has been kicking in. Drawn to shiny necklaces. This one is from H&M but was more than I like to pay for H&M at £17!! I always think of H&M as cheap and sometimes it gets me!
Rediscovering my ancient Mulberry Bayswater and kind of back in love with it. I like to think in years to come Meadow will enjoy my bag collection and I hope this one survives it.
Boring old expenses today...I am TERRIBLE at sitting doing one task for a length of time, and have to get up and wander. So, I've still not finished. Instead I will go to bed with it simmering in my mind. Tell me you do it too?
Another weird thing I routinely do. Pick a checkout with a female cashier instead of a male one for my groceries. Weird but true. I don't like men swiping my groceries through. Or cutting my hair. But I digress. That's enough of my weirdness for one day, I'm off to read The Last Werewolf and avoid my expenses!

XO

So it's Saturday

SO we kept it pretty chill today
I wore my new bling, but still searching for the perfect black t-shirt
We played in the garden. Meadow was doing a fine impression of Elton John in a pair of his hand me down sunnies. I took some snaps for Meadow's "photoblog" as she really wanted one. "Daddy, Daddy come check out my photoblog" she said to Rich earlier! We laughed for ages :)
Another thing to add to my list!
Can you see the one and only bluebell in our garden?? I was in a rush so it's not the greatest capture :)

Spent an hour or two looking through blogs. I always look at some successful blogs and think, argghhh mine is better! My photography is sharper! My kid is cuter! (But I'm happy for them that they have done well, natch) But when I was looking at Cupcakes and Cashmere, I read some of the comments, and God! She has haters! People are SO RUDE and post things like 'you look fat in those pants". It must, no matter how successful you are and how confident you are as a person, be hard to read stuff like that. Or hey, maybe she doesn't. And maybe she is at peace with 'you can't please all of the people, all of the time"
It is such a double edged sword, blogging. My experience has been so positive, and the reader who leave me comments are sweet and thoughtful. I'm not sure I could deal with nastiness....so maybe it's a good thing I have a perfect little niche of niceness here. If it ever changes. I reckon I'd come out fighting :)

Anyway! Useless Saturday ramblings. Hope you are all having a good one with happy positive people surrounding you! xoxo

Outfit: Jacket:Topshop, T-shirt: COS, Necklace:H&M, Ring:Vintage, Bag:Mulberry Alexa

Today

Cath Kidston is doing a limited edition London zipped pouch! How cute? Had to!
Loving the daffodils in my kitchen, they are pure summer :) and make me smile whenever I see them (and yes, I so blurred out the background as our kitchen island is a bit of a crap fest...every morning it is empty, by 4pm it is littered with stuff!!!)
Husband working away editing a wedding, and getting fired up for the wedding season which kicks off next month...hello working long long long hours at the weekends! Hello grumpy husband!
Drawn towards pops of blue the moment, must be getting over my grey phase, and my good old Mulberry is hitting the spot, along with a new blue patterned skirt from Joules (not usually my style of store, but this skirt is just awesome)

What's making you happy this week? Meadow has discovered popcorn doesn't just exist at the cinema and is forever begging for some! It's the simple things....

xo