Winter Berries On!

Oh how pleased I am to sound like a broken record ... I have seriously 💕-ed our glorious Indian Summer!  And it was yet another warm and sunny day when I wore my berries (it's sooo much colder now 😥).

The sun was warm, the sky was blue,

And I chose to share my berries with you!

Yes, I know it's autumn when I see the first sight of winter berries.  And despite the warm day, I chose to put on my fave fauxs and my berry coated leggings went on for the first time this season.

Berry leggings on - now it's officially autumn in Pout World!  

They're from Next and AW17 but still on the website this season.  Well, why wouldn't they be when they are so fabulously comfy to wear?  Next isn't stupid!

I also spotted something very similar in Primark last week, half the price, but don't know if that makes them half the quality?  But the quality of these Next leggings is top notch and I'm still shell-shocked from the mileage I got out of them last winter, yet they washed a dream and came off the line like new.  And with a zero ironing requirement, I'm pretty much in love with my berries 💕.

I teamed them with a neat print berry top (M&S, £8.50).

I liked this look but why rest on my laurels ...

It's always a good idea to try some new looks with old clothes when you first take them out for the season.

So I tried my berries with the classics, denim jacket (Gap) and faux leather waterfall biker (Peacocks).

I was happy with both but The Photographer With Fashion Views preferred the biker look (well he would, wouldn't he - I'm guessing it's because it's double the leather ... "Tell me about it, Stud!" (do men EVER get over that Sandy moment?!)

It's like when I asked him to choose between Shakira and The Pussy Cat Dolls and he chose the latter, "because there's more of them" !

But hey I'm inconsistent, so I chose neither of the  jackets and instead opted for this supersoft Arran sweater (Primark AW18, £10).

And off I went on my morning constitutional.

But of course the jumper soon came off, it was amazingly hot for this time of year.  Have I mentioned our glorious Indian Summer?   Well, maybe not in the last few paragraphs!

This was the perfect outfit for the weather, for the activity ... and for me!

A la perchoine,

Mary.

Saturday Snippets - The Blender

Happy Saturday, my lovelies!

This feels a bit strange, sitting here with you, on a Saturday.  It's a bit like going into the office at the weekend.  I know that I've posted on Saturdays BITD, but since I've been sticking to my consistent approach to blogging, I've been posting on weekdays only.  But hey ho, needs must, my drafts are building up as a result and anyway,  it's good to mix things up sometimes eh?

So I'm here today, on a Saturday (!) to share with you something that's been rocking my world these past few months.

If you've been reading my blog for a while (and that pleases me greatly) then you may have spotted this little bottle that I occasionally use as an accessory, and one which I excitedly point out goes so well with some of my outfits

But it's so much more than a cute accessory.  It's my breakfast shake bottle.  Sometimes I have breakfast on the go, like here at an early morning physio appointment.  More often it sits by my side as I catch up with blog comments, or work at a blog post.

Just how did I hook up with my shake bottle/cute accessory?

 Well it started back in June through a combination of wanting to lose weight (me)  and wanting to up fruit intake (us both).  

Our solution has been by having a fruit-packed breakfast shake.  And it's quickly become a habit. 

At the beginning of this new habit I bunged fruit and stuff in a large bulky blender, which was a messy job to clear up, especially as The Photographer and I use different ingredients.  The process was miraculously streamlined when on holiday we stumbled upon a Breville blender. 

Shaking is now so simple!  This blender comes with two bottles, and more can be bought.  One-serving shake ingredients are put into a bottle,  blitzed up, then a cap is placed on the bottle to give you an on-the-go  shake bottle - and often I fill it with water after for my out-and-about fluid intake.  And we're all filling up with water during the day, right?  

We bought our first during our June holiday in the UK.  By the end of the holiday we were smitten, so we kept that one at the house in Sussex and the night before we left we ordered one for here from Amazon - it arrived the day after we got back (how do they do that so quickly?!!).

This in-bottle blending system has seriously reduced our morning palaver.  We're good to go in a couple of minutes.

It's a simple solution and ideal if you and your partner have different shake ingredients, as we do.  For example I prefer adding 8-10 ice cubes to create a frappe, TP doesn't.

I'm sure the system is great to blitz up small quantities of other foodstuffs and I'm looking forward to using up left over vegetables to make up soups in the colder months.  Blitzing is neat, quick and effective and I'm a total convert!

A morning shake is a good way to wolf down a few of our 5 a days in one sweet swoop.   I have to say, I don't think we would have continued with our increased daily fruit intake had it not been for this simple Breville solution.  And I do think this efficient morning discipline has helped me lose weight in these past few months, so what is not to love about the cute, simple solution which takes little space on the counter top?

 So, losing weight ... I'd love to talk with you some more about that so why don't you pop back again and hear how my approach to food has changed in the past few months.

A la perchoine, 

Mary.

COMING TO A SCREEN NEAR YOU NEXT WEEK

Berry goodness - the return of the berry coated jeggings 

Posh shirts

My must-have beauty products

Losing weight. it's all about attitude!

It's Abstemiously-small O'clock!

Happy Friday to you!!

I thought I'd just update you on a few housekeeping points.

My techy challenges are still out there, and I have struggled to work out how to remedy the problems some subscribers are facing regarding email notifications of new posts.  

I'm not much further ahead despite my troubleshooting googling on that one but it would help me immensely if you could subscribe and let me know if you get my post notifications by email or not, and if you're a long-time subscriber I'd like to hear of your experiences with regard  to new post alerts.    Some notifications are going through so the platform problem isn't across the board and I thank the two sweet readers who've notified me of the issue.

Meantime, to help you know when's a good time to pop in, I'm still posting on Tuesdays and Thursdays with uncharacteristic consistency.  And here again, today, on a Friday - so much for consistency! 

However, my rhythmic consistency is presenting a fresh challenge and a small mountain of blog drafts are building up ... and so FYI, I'm going to need to post at the weekends sometimes too.  So please pop back tomorrow for some snippets on gadgets, breakfasts and losing weight.

And as it's Friday, I wish you a lovely-jubbly weekend ...
A la perchoine, x
Mary.

Retirement Dressing AW18 - The Casual Shirt

Today I'm looking at casual shirts in retirement.  I'm not going to lie, I haven't been throwing myself into shirts too much in retirement, or even prior.  Back in the mid nineties I stopped wearing shirts in the office because, well, they invariably needed ironing and hey, life's too short; instead I turned to the lovely tops with elastane which needed none of that palaver.

So I find myself looking at an AW18 wardrobe which is pretty devoid of shirts generally.  And in my retirement, if any shirt is going to come to the fore, it had better be of the super-casual ilk, for I don't feel good in a crisp white or striped shirt.  Plus those need ironing 😰.

 Casual shirts in denim or flannel have been calling my name lately.  These casual-end shirts are proving a great solution for easy wear and layering as the temperatures drop just a degree or two (have I told you about our Indian Summer?!!) and make for a pretty good fit with life in retirement.  They provide a lighter, softer and versatile alternative to a cardi or jacket.  Plus these need mostly no ironing 😊.

And, just to throw some crazy stuff into the mix, I've found myself recently adding a couple of plaids to my repertoire, and I never thought I'd be doing that!

A loose covering layer AND zero ironing - just what is there not to like about the casual shirt!!


But without further waffle, I give you how I've been wearing my casual shirts lately, some looks worn previously and some inspo courtesy of Pinterest.



COWBOY/PLAID


Now

New plaid #1.  Primark.

New plaid #2, au naturel.  Primark.

Try it layered with a denim shirt.

Or over a white tee.

Ok, these are all tried and tested ways with a plaid but I'm a late arrival at the flannel shirt party!

Previously on the blog

M&S (bought ca. 2013)

Yup, BITD I was a one plaid gal (bought for a barn dance) so just the one "previously" here.

Inspo

DENIM



Now

H&M denim (bought 2000), au naturel.

And with a cardi layerlayer, should it cool any time soon!!

Previously on the blog

Levi denim (bought 1997).

From 1974, definitely pre-blog, and pre- pretty much everything !

But I just wanted a visual showing how denim shirts have been around a long time.

Inspo

I fancy trying this look before my last whities standing go into winter storage.  

Is your shirt style changing, maybe from smart to casual?

Do you even like denim and plaid shirts?!

I'd love to hear from you in the comments box below.

And whilst you're here, it would put a big beaming smile on my face if you follow/subscribe on my blog, MY INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT HERE and/or MY PINTEREST ACCOUNT HERE.

Thank you, my sweets 😀 💕 !!!

A la perchoine, 

Mary.

Hippy Chick Chic

Hippy Chick Chic.  That's what I call this look.  Hippy 70s chic styled for this chick rapidly approaching her 70s!
There's a certain symmetry in that.
And I think my hippy chick chic works.  Do you?

As this gorgeous Indian Summer is a bit of a phenomenon, I'm trying to take each gorgeous sun-filled day as a holiday, acting as though I've gone off to some sunnier clime to spend the month of October.

So on Saturday afternoon I drove to the pretty south-easterly tip of the island, Jerbourg, and walked around the area acting as though it was all new to me, like I was seeing this scenic beauty for the first time (photos to come).

On Saturday evening I continued in tourist mode, so after having returned to my "hotel room" to relax a little I then tarted myself up and drove off into the sunny evening to find somewhere to eat along the west coast.  You know, as you do on holiday.

(The driftwood crab's name is Claudia ... get it?!!)

And because the restaurant was new to me, I felt the anticipation of heading into the unknown, not knowing whether our choice would be good or bad.  The sort of Russian roulette feel of eating out on holiday.  (For reasons of practicality, we'd actually chosen the restaurant and booked a table but I don't want that to get in the way of a good role play, eh?)

Well, I'm pleased to report that our choice was good.  The coastal Driftwood Inn hit just the right spot on all counts,

Location - right next to the sea at Perelle Bay.

Decor - stylish upmarket and with (no surprise) a coastal driftwood vibe

Food - good, I ordered British menu classics (as a tourist would)

Service - professional and friendly.

Cheers!

Yes, driving along the coast, Indian summer sun a-blazin',  togged up for a date night, the waft of duty-free perfume filling the air - yup, it's feeling like this is just one of my many days of holiday at my chosen destination, the island in the sun, Guernsey.

I just hope this back-story comes across in my waffling vlog - enjoy!



Is the weather inspiring you where you are right now?
Is it invoking a feeling of being on holiday?
Then why don't YOU take a day off and act as if you're on holiday?
See your home turf with fresh eyes, the eyes of a discovering tourist?
It's cheap, hassle-free travelling and you come home truly refreshed!




Chiffon top - Primark, £12.
 Black modal vest, M&S, old, about £10
Black skinnies, M&S, £19.50.
Boots, Gabor, AW17, about £90
Leather lariat and bracelet, AW17, Peacocks, about £4 each


A la perchoine,
Mary.

Pumpkins, Pompoms and Fringing

Hello my little pumpkins!

My little pumpkins?  What's that all about?  Well it's about me being both seasonal and loving today.

Isn't it funny how a humble vegetable can be a term of endearment?  And the vegetable-love  is specific to the language.  I stumbled instinctively on pumpkin as a loving reference decades ago, but I've heard it used since so it must be common in the English-speaking world.  Is it used where you are?  

So "my little pumpkin" in English, "ma p'tit chou" in French.  Squashes, cabbage - which vegetable is a term of endearment where you live or in your language?

Oh how I digress.  Already!  And I'd meant today's post to max out on brevity because I'm working on a post on shirts and blouses and I'm still not finished with the photo shooting, so as it's still work in progress I wanted to, err, quickly share a new purchase you.  But quick and brief don't happen when I get chin-wagging with you guys eh?!

So, let's talk - briefly - about this purchase I'm super-excited about.

I'm super-excited about pompoms!!!

My purchase is a super-soft pink scarf/shawl.  With pompoms!

The pompoms are furry and in several complimentary pastel shades.

I love it!  The high wool content in the fabric and the heavy fringing give it just the right amount of weight to allow it to hang well and not sail away at the slightest whiff of a  breeze.

And I know this to be so as I test-drove it on a walk this week and it stayed in place, providing just the right degree of pink warmth over shoulders and back.  Yup, I love it.  

I hadn't really bought it as a shawl, I saw it as a scarf ... until I unpacked it and saw it's ability to perform both neck-snuggling and back-warming duties perfunctorily and prettily.

If you want a shawl to stay in place, go for wool and a bit of weight in the fringing.

Where did I get it?

In a treasure trove of a shop called Onomatopeaia in Lyndhurst.  I visited this pretty little town in Hampshire during my meet-up on the mainland with some Girlie Cousins.  We stumbled upon the shop, lured in by some cute trapper boots in the window.  But this shop was so much more than a source of footwear for would-be lumberjacks.  It sells beautiful and pretty unique footwear, handbags, apparel and accessories.  And oh!, the selection of scarves!!  I wasn't the only one to walk out of there with a gorgeous scarf!
If you're in Lyndhurst, Hampshire then do pop in there for a mooch, #onomatopoeia.
(Sorry, the label doesn't have the manufacturer's name, so you're just going to have to pop over to Lyndhurst to get one!
🏄🏊🚡🐎🚕🚄🚁🚣🚵🚤🚶🚴🚢🚀)

And hey!  I found the perfect accessory for my pink and blue jean outfit.  My pumpkin cushion!  Blue pumpkin, pink background.  Endearment in a cushion!

And before I finally disappear from your screens for today ...

I wore these jeans, frayed hems, Peacocks sale, just £7.

So versatile.

Tuck up your fringed hem for maximum jean versatility.

Same jeans, two styles.

Frayed with sandals.  Fraying tucked up with boots.

I planned to either shorten the leg or get rid of the fringing all together after I bought them.  But I've ended up quite liking the fringing, just not every day.  So, in summer I've been wearing them frayed or tucked up and under a few inches for an ankle-grazer look.  And now in winter, tucked up just an inch to skim over boots.  The tuck stays in place as the fabric is thick.  #nosewingrequired!

Now that was £7 well spent!

So, my cute little pumpkins,  I leave you with a pic of my view yesterday morning ... a crisp autumnal day.

Pumpkins, pompoms and fringing - what's not to love?

And that was my "quick" post!

A la perchoine,

Mary.

Could Do Better Travel Capsule

Hello dear, before I kick off I ask that you please bear with me as I continue to struggle with the challenges of technology falling apart around me, or just falling (that's a story I need to hold back on until I feel brave enough to fess up to it!).  Suffice to say, right now my photos are few and my one-finger typing on a small keyboard not ideal.

Ok,so I've just returned from a short break away in the UK.

I did my pre-trip planning according to the book.

- I started monitoring my destination weather a week before my trip.

- I  identified the number of days and nights I'd be away, what I would be doing and what sort of outfits I needed to pack.

And on one brilliantly sunny day I put together a travel capsule.  You can find my 7-piece-travel-capsule. HERE - pretty darned perfect, even if I do say so myself!

And then it all went pear-shaped.
 The destination forecast worsened as D-day approached and my capsule confidence started waning commensurately.

On the day of packing it rained.  A lot.  And it was blowy. 

So what happened?  The weather was in the driving seat when I packed.

I went off to the airport with a suitcase filled with taupes and greys - dreary weather colours and so far removed from my original bright ultraviolet.  In fact the only blast of brightness left was the suitcase itself.

I travelled in taupe, black and dark grey (incl. a down coat!)

when my travel outfit inspo on those sunnier days had been this.

A light jacket over a white tee and blue jeans.

Here's my travel capsule,

Pretty sombre eh?

This is the danger that comes from packing on a dreary day.

This was pretty much my uniform for most of the break

I expect I could fool myself into thinking I was keeping it close to some inspos in my Pinterest folder.

I also packed a black vest top which created

something similar to this.  You'll have to trust me on this in the absence of any pictorial evidence (oh sooo embarrassing ...).

An outfit I CAN show is - 

Black jeans, taupe jumper and a scarf (perhaps this scarf was the cheeriest I got with my packing, on reflection!)

But in all honesty, I think I was making the best out of what I'd found myself unpacking in the hotel room.

Don't get me wrong, I like taupes and greys and blacks, but my intended case would have been just the cheery start I needed to the mostly gloomy days we had during our city break.

On a positive note (for there are some!) I liked this combo,

black jeans, taupe cardi and silk cami.

Similar to what the trendier young ladies are posting on Pinterest.

And my taupe vest,

just about seen here

worn with the cardi created a twinset similar to the above inspo (pause whilst I yet again cringe  with embarrassment at my catastrophic photo event!)

Moving swiftly on, an observation I made is that when I'm touristing I seem to walk around like a bag lady, with scarves flying, hair swirling untidily if not anchored to my head.  And my bags always look like they're tethered to me.  Is this what touristing really looks like and the scruffier side of outdoor life just never gets shown on social media?

So back to my travel capsule and yes, perhaps I could have packed better.  A bit cheerier.  Indeed,  when I posted a few OOTD shots whilst on holiday, one of my new mates on Instagram (You can find me HERE) asked "But where's the colour?!"

Yes, I could should have packed colour and yes, I certainly could have packed less.

Here's what I didn't wear: 

1 pr of flatties (I wore these boots day and evening)

This longish floral shirt, Leoprint blouse, long jersey and chiffon edged tunic and floaty silk scarf (I tended to just change a vest or cardi at night).

What have I learned?

- Pack for YOU, not the weather you see out of your window.

- Brighter colours DO work in gloomy weather.

- Just pack for slight changes to the daytime outfit for evening.

- Repeat-wear, repeat-wear, repeat-wear - NO-ONE notices or cares if you wear the same pieces multiple times.

So I feel that if my fashion teacher were reading this post (and oh how I wish I'd had one!) she would note that I'd learned something from this pack and she would at the very least have written underneath this essay a "Could do better".  But I hope I wouldn't have opened my exercise book to a "See me!" written firmly in red pen!

A la perchoine,

Mary

Come back soon to see if I managed to retrieve my lost holiday snaps!

Credit: non-me photos - Pinterest