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Sunday 24 September 2017

Birds on Shirts



Hello, dear readers.  Hope you are enjoying your Sunday.  It's a bit wet and grey here.  A perfect day for sitting in my garret and chatting away with you!

I recently picked up on a blogger's maxim (can't remember whose) that when she buys something she thinks first "can I wear this in at least three different ways".
Well. I bought my Zara shirt recently and I've already notched up a few ways.
And when one of my blogger besties mentioned that she had some sort of shirt and bird arrangement, we said "hey, let's collab".  I'm looking forward to seeing what the lovely Anna has in her aviary.

Before we get started, I need to apologise for the rather weak photos.  It was a windy day and the place I found that gave a little shelter had me backing up against the sun. 
But I wanted to give you outdoorsies as the shirt has birds on it and I wanted the birds to be in their natural habitat!


OK, well what springs to mind with a shirt like this is jeans.  Striped shirt and jeans, It's a heavenly pairing.



Here, the shirt is simply worn with M&S jeans and old Jones nude heeled loafers.


In some shots you will see me attempting to batten down the shirt tails as these little birdies just wanted to fly!  Eventually, hands firmly in pockets seemed the best way to keep these shirt ends in check.



The shirt is made with a striped fabric adorned with beautifully embroidered cranes.  Their little feet are mustard, so instantly in the shop I was thinking jeans and mustard cardi as one of my three ways.


And then, with mustard and stripes done, here the cardi appears to be tossed aside like a worn-out teddy.
Now you may see me in a callous light at this point, tossing used items aside, but in my defence, know that Mr Tipper Truck, my teddy of 49 years, is lovingly placed on the bed next to me as I type.  So if any of you dear readers were concerned about teddies in my care being abandoned, rest assured that was just a figure of speech - no teddies have been callously discarded during or prior to the writing of this post.
Tip'a Truk (for he has reinvented himself as a rap-teddy) is not for tossin'!

Ooops, The Pout is off on one of her digressions again.  Focus, Pout!!!

My second way to style the shirt is influenced by one of my blogger besties across the pond.


Kellyann wore her shirt , also striped, with jeans, a chunky handbag and cute booties.
You can see that I'm not a handbag person any longer - just look how I'm holding my Gianni Conti brown leather bag.  So very handbag-newbie!
Why oh why did I not copy Mrs R's pose, so much more glammly nonchalant.


Back to my crane shirt.  It's got that longer in the back arrangement.  Think I will come to appreciate that more and more as I develop my old lady derriere.


And then I thought, hey Kellyann made a feature of her statement necklace.  So I quickly pulled back the collar to do the same.


Hers is one of those pretty floral statement pieces that I just wish I could find.
I worked the look with what I have, that being the old belt hardware necklace; I thought the matching was subtle as its bronze elements echo the brown leather in the shoes and bag.

OK, that's look No. 2 sorted.


For my third look I switched shoes to metallic toe flatties.


I added a navy linen mix cardi.   And I attempted to hold down those flying birds again!



I added a matchy matchy bag, a light stone Tula bag.


Over the shoulder is how I feel most comfortable with a bag.  If I have to wear one.  These days I make sure I am wearing deep pockets and leave those bags at home most days.  In my dotage, it's one less removable item to worry about leaving in a restaurant.

I have to say I have worn this shirt quite a lot since it came home with me, and each time the base is a pair of jeans.


But my fourth way was with white jeans, seen here in Brugge.  My accessories are an old battered Tula backpack ... oh yes, and a carrier bag filled with Belgian chocolate :-)!


The above are everyday casual outfits (not tailored!) and based around the old faithfuls, blue jeans.
However,  I have been getting truly excited about styling this shirt with my Next linen summer skirt, seen here.  Maybe this stripey shirt would work with it, maybe with a trendy half tuck ... and pearls.  Yes, I fancy another attempt at floral and pearls.
However, my focus has been on the house this week and I've had no time to experiment further.

Yes, the house is getting a good seeing to - a clean and de-clutter.  I have often said in my brutally honest way, that I only seem to really look at the house with a critical eye just before guests come to stay, friends are popping round for drinks ... or even at the mere hint of someone potentially popping in for coffee.
Then, and only then, do I look at the house with the eyes of a visitor.  And what I see needs cleaning, de-cluttering, re-arranging or removing.  Guests will be coming to stay shortly, and when I looked around with that critical eye, I realised that I haven't had one of these must-tidy-the-whole-house events since March.  Six months of turning a blind eye to the mayhem!
 So I have been doing great, if exhausting, things in the house this week.  Bags have been filled for the charity shop, no longer needed items have been identified for onward selling or dumping, things have been re-organised better, or maybe just organised !
Oh, dear readers, I just love this process!   But you probably do this on a on-going rotating basis and you are always house-ready for guests.  I'm probably revealing a bit too much of my slobby side.

And, excitedly, I had a real duh moment yesterday.
We have two double bedrooms.  My eureka moment was hey, instead of switching clothes to and from wardrobes during the seasonal changes (note cleverly avoided use of non-vernacular "transitional"), why not designate them winter and summer bedrooms, keep the seasonal clothes in the appropriate room and the out of season room becomes the guest room.  Oh, it was an idea so cunning that I immediately stuck a tail on it and called it a weasel.  Cunning, because it saves me a HUGE amount of work in autumn and spring.  And I like anything that saves Pout energy!

Oh my, how I have again digressed.  As I often do when chatting away to you guys.  
Focus, Pout!


OK, here's the shirt, hot off the Zara website.

Now, why don't you pop over to Anna's blog here and see what bird she's got fluttering on her shirt.
And then maybe drop me a comment telling me how you style your stripey shirt?


And finally, birds on shirts, flying away with the wind ...  
I leave you with a seminal song.


A la perchoine.


18 comments:

  1. I just love all of those looks Mary. I think this is a real investment piece for you. All looks are quite different and in a capsule pack to Sussex would work beautifully. I saw this shirt in Zara on Friday, finally. The pearls jumper was not to be seen. I decided that the colour of this shirt is not me, but it looks fab on you.

    My house is not visitor ready, I can tell you. You would know that from stepping into the hall on my IG, as you know.

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    1. Aw thanks, sweet AM, and you are so right, this may just pop in my Sussex case. Your bird shirt is so pretty, you don't need more avians in your wardrobe! Shame about the pearly jumper but I can understand why it's sold out.
      Oh yes, I forgot about your hall full of accessories!
      Hugs and thanks for another great collab, x.

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  2. I love how you popped the Mustard out in the shirt Mary! Zara have some amazing pieces at the mo. I need to get there more! I do enjoy looking at their sales online, you can grab a real bargain.My house is never visitor ready either! xx
    www.vanityandmestyle.com

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    1. Hi Laurie, hope you are OK.
      Haven't tried Zara's sales yet but I'm primed and ready!
      I love when we ladies fess up to being ourselves. But I do love when I systematically blitz the house, feels so good.
      Hope your week goes well, hugs, x.

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  3. This is the cutest shirt. I like all the ways you styled it. And please don't focus too much. The best of part of reading your blog is wandering around with you! ;-)

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    1. Aw thanks Susan, and so sweet that you enjoy my lack of focus - I'll think of you when I find myself rambling! Hugs, x

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  4. I love birds so I love anything with birds on it! What an amazing top! I love all the ways you styled it, especially the last one.

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    1. Oh Amy, me too, I watch them playing out in the garden, sometimes through binoculars and I love their song. Thanks for your sweet comments. Have a nice week, hugs, x.

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  5. Mary, Mary, Mary!!! Oh how I love your bird shirt - especially with the cardi - fabulous on you!!! Funny story,last night (Sunday) I was with my whole family celebrating my mother's birthday. We got all caught up in talking about how much we love England, Downtown Abbey,basically all things British, including the fact that my sister in law and I watch so many British series on Netflix that we're starting to speak like we're from England! Then I start talking about my friend Mary and eevryone's like,"you don't have a friend named Mary and I'm like yes I do, yes I do I met her blogging!" It was very funny! I need to send all of them your post so they can see that you are teal and not imaginary, lol!!!!
    One more thing - the wind.Dang it, it can be totally still here but the moment I head outside to take pictures the wind starts blowing.I had to take pictures inside yesterday because it was too hot hot and bright. I kinda like the inside thing,which , btw,I got from you!
    It was fun appearing on your blog, we'll have to do a real collab together sometime,full of lots of our brand of humor!!!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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    1. Aw thanks, Mrs R. I love the idea of me being thought of as your imaginary British friend. And you speaking with a British accent, you're going to have to post a vlog just for me!
      I fail so often with wind and lighting, so I'm excited to have found a new photo corner indoors, check out my latest blog! I like your new indoor corner and your matching of outfit to decor, which I found myself doing too. But hey, my corner's white and grey, what are the chances?!!
      Yes, a collab sounds like huge fun.
      Hugs and happy weekend, x.

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  6. The top looking lovely!
    Would you like to following each other?
    Let me know!


    xoxo
    ayu

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    1. Thank you, Ayu. I will definitely pop in to see your beauty blog. Hugs, x.

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  7. This sweet birdie shirt looks cute every single way you styled it! I can't decide which sweater look I like best because they are both wonderful. I feel your pain trying to photograph in the wind. It's windy here a.lot. and hard to get decent shots. Tweet, tweet cutie!

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    1. Aw, so sweet, Lisa. You manage to hide your windy shots well. I think this old bird is going back in her nest for the colder months, no wind there ... well, not much anyway! Hugs, tweety pie, x.

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  8. It's a very versatile shirt and I liked all the looks. I liked the yellow cardigan ensemble the best and I think the necklaces were a very good idea, too.

    There is nothing like visitors to bring on a clean up and sort out. I'm exactly the same!

    xxx

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    1. Thanks, Vronni, the mustard mix is subtle and that's what drew me to it.
      You know, not one single reader seems to be a visitor-ready sort of person. I don't feel so bad now! Hugs, x.

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  9. Mary I do love this shirt and all of the styling, especially the Bruges outfit, very nice. I did have to smile at your awkward clutching of the handbag - I have lots of similar shots where I'd doing a wonky handbag pose.
    And take heart my dear, none of us can be forever guest ready, well not if we're leading busy and interesting lives as well as running a blog, hahaha!

    Have a lovely week!
    Anna x

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    1. Thanks hugely, Anna. And thanks for making me feel better about handbag-awkwardness. These days I feel a bit Dick Emery when holding a bag!
      Haha, in future any coffee dropper inners will get a shrug of the shoulders and a dismissive "I'm a busy and interesting person, dahling, what more can I say?!"
      Happy weekend to you.
      Hugs, x.

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