Tuesday 30 September 2008

293 days to go: Inspired by boxes


John Betjeman may have been summoned by bells but I have always had a pull towards stationery.
I love buying and writing in new notebooks. Moleskine are my favourites.
I was wondering what to wear while I was sitting at my computer at 6am this morning when I saw the green and white stationery boxes on my study shelves.
I wore Gap jeans
White Joe Brown Dress (a new eBay "swap"!!!!)
Green Cardigan..Zara
Cowboy Boots.. Dorothy Perkins
PS Ignore my hair - I got caught in the rain!

294 days to go: Time To Go Home





All good things must come to an end and it was time to go home.
We stopped off at Beaumaris. We explored the Gaol, the smallest house (probably) in the UK which was built in 1400 and had a lovely lunch overlooking the beach.
Time to go home.
But as Arnie said: "I'll be back!"

I wore
Gap Jeans (Yes, I will wash them before tomorrow!)
Cowboy Boots (as before)
Suede Jacket (EBay "swap")
Top from Asos
Black long sleeved T (M&S)
Purple Scarf (Principles)

PS - I've added some more clouds just for Stacy!!

295 days to go: Peace Perfect Peace



I woke to the sound of the waves and it was another lovely day.
After breakfast we walked to Llanbadrig Church. It is a tiny church perched on the top of a cliff. Legend has it that St Patrick was shipwrecked on the way back to Ireland and landed on the coast near Cemaes Bay. He survived thanks to a pure water well in a cave underneath the plot where the church stands. To give thanks for his rescue he is said to have built this church. Parts of the present building date back to the fifteenth century and it was used as a location for the Demi Moore film, Half Light.
Everytime I have visited the town I have come to this church, it is so peaceful. But this was the first time I got to sit through a service as they are only held on the fourth Sunday of the month between May and September. We made the very last service of the year apart form a candlelit carol Service which takes place in December.
The service was in Welsh and English and when it had finished we chatted to the pastor and some of the congregation who told us about dolphins and porpoises spotted off the shore the previous day.

Another day of walking before we retired to watch Sex In The City and an evening meal at The Harbour Inn.


During the day I wore
Brown Suede Jacket - Ebay
Gap Jeans
Biba Shirt
Tank - Per Una
Cowboy Boots

Evening
Top Asos
Jeans Gap
Shoes Clark's
bay

296 days to go: We do like to be beside the seaside



My husband and I have 48 hours to ourselves.
Last night my husband watched Frank Sidebottom in Manchester and stayed with a friend. The following morning I ferried the children around various football matches and eventually at 1pm we left for a weekend in Cemaes Bay, the tiny town in Anglesey that I wrote about in The Guardian recently.
Cerys was still getting people coming into the pub saying they had read about her and I think she was quietly pleased with the attention.
After a chat she gave us the keys and we unpacked before going for a walk and a lovely dinner at the Harbour Inn.
I went so sleep listening to the waves.
This is the view from the bed - bliss!


I wore
Joe Brown Dress
Gap Jeans
Cowboy Boots
Green Cardigan - Zara.

Evening
Top from Republic with neutral Gap Vest underneath
Gap Jeans
Brown Shoes - Clark's.

Friday 26 September 2008

297 days to go: Inspired by Mr Toad

Today's outfit was inspired by a cute little toad I came across in the garden while hanging out the washing.
I loved the yellows and golds of his clothes and tried to emulate it with my wardrobe.
The skirt is from Warehouse. The skninny rib polo is from New Look. I bought this about four years ago. Whatever shape I am in it expands and contracts to fit. It was very cheap but I have never been able to find another one with the same qualities to replace it. My denim jacket is from Tesco as are my sunglasses and my boots are from Clark's.
I thought I'd let you into a little secret. Whenever I work from home and the children are at school I take a break on the trampoline. Sometimes I bounce up and down but mostly I just lie flat on my back watching the clouds puff by.
Today I am off on a weekend trip with my husband. I hope you all have a great weekend.


298 days to go: Open Day





It was Open Day on the TC (Therapeutic Community) at my prison. The TC is one wing which isolates itself from the rest of the prison. The prisoners sign up for a one year programme to deal with their substance misuse.
The TC was where I spent my first six weeks working in the prison before I got my keys so it felt a bit like going home.
I visit the TC now one afternoon a week helping the wing to compile a magazine which is sent to every jail in the country.
It was a strange day. There were 75 guests from linked services (probation, drugs work etc) wandering around the wing chatting to prisoners.
Before the end several prisoners read out their poems, one guy read out his life story and another played the mouth organ. In attendance were two women from Mothers Against Violence - they were the real stars of the show as they were recently featured on the programme, "Secret Millionaire."
Below is an article I wrote for a prison magazine about their recent visit.

What good can come of this?

Unusually for a prison wing the silence is deafening.
Patsy Mckie has just spoken.
A tiny woman in a brightly striped sweater her presence fills the large space where 43 prisoners gather on the therapeutic community.
Calmly, Patsy tells her story. A heart-breaking story that is only too common. The story of loss. A mother’s loss. And a mother’s reaction to that loss.
On August 3rd 1999 life for the mother of six changed dramatically when her beloved 20-year-old son, Dorrie, was shot and killed during a series of tit for tat killings on the streets of Manchester.
A woman of faith Patsy’s response to that heartbreaking loss was to ask one question:
“What good can come of this?”
Ten years on the answer is here. It stands suspended in the silence.
A silence which is swiftly broken by a brave but brutal honesty.
“I have taken another man’s life and seeing you here today makes me understand that pain,” says one.
And then another prisoner responds with equal candour. And then another. And so it goes on.
Tears stream down Patsy’s face.
But these are not tears of sadness nor ones of relief.
These are tears Patsy ascribes to something more powerful – something she can only describe as “A connectedness” and an affirmation that the path she chose following Dorrie’s death was the right one.
A path that saw the formation of Mothers Against Violence.
“Some time after Dorrie died I met with a group of around fifteen mothers who were fearful for the lives of their children and who knew either a family member or a friend who had been a victim of gang shootings or other violent acts. Out of this, Mothers Against Violence (MAV) was born.”
The mothers responded in the most powerful way possible to the violence within their community.
It was the power of compassion and understanding.
To create a voice of reason within madness.
MAV’s aims are clear. Their deepest desire is to put something back into the community.
“In Mothers Against Violence we come alongside grieving parents and parents who are concerned that their children will be caught up in gangs. We aim to go into schools and break the taboo about gangs and violence. We need to talk, and, much more importantly, we need to listen.
And so Patsy and her colleague Angela Lawrence listen.
And they repeat these stories at the highest level.
MAV sit on the Home Office’s Guns and Knives Round Table which is chaired by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.
And they do it all on a shoestring.
MAV is a voluntary group with a core team of ten. Angela, who joins Patsy during today’s visit, is the only paid employee and her part-time salary is funded by the church.
A grant of just £5,000 a year and a committed team of volunteers makes today’s visit and the rest of their far-reaching work which includes a helpline, parenting groups, campaigning and outreach work possible.
A visit which is not initiated by the prison service but by a prisoner on the wing.
One of the last men down from the roof during the notorious Strangeways Riot, Drew is no short-stay inmate, the 38-year-old has enjoyed just five years of freedom since the age of 15.
But he has decided, like Patsy, that there is a new path he must follow.
A path which crossed at the door of Mothers Against Violence.
After a lengthy correspondence with the group he issued the invitation which brings Patsy and Angela here today.
“I have been violent and I have left a trail of victims behind. I was a role model on my estate for all the wrong reasons,” he says.
“That needs to change and when I get out I want to work with your organization to become a role model for good,” he tells the women.
After the meeting ends Patsy and Angela are asked if they will pose for a photograph with some of the inmates.
They expect a few men but in the exercise yard more than 30 men are waiting patiently in the grey summer afternoon.
Before they leave Patsy and Angela are stopped once again.
They are thanked many times over and told what a big impact their visit has made.
And Patsy responds once again as only a mother can, with hugs and hope for a better future for all these sons.

Wednesday 24 September 2008

299 days to go: Spots and stripes

I am overhwhelmed by the support and careful consideration you have all given my poll request.
Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of days but I have had the most horrendous migraine.
I have come to a decision and it has been very difficult because I know how much time and trouble and support you have all given me. I looked at the posts and the responses left it pretty much even on both sides so I guess I get the casting vote.
As much as I do not want to let you down I have decided I will allow myself ebay swaps.
There are three reasons and thanks to Heather for pointing it out.
1. My original intention was to spend less money. In June I lost a quarter of my income when a newspaper I worked for slashed its freelance bill overnight (thanks Trinity Mirror!). I am good with money but I had frittered a lot away on anything that caught my eye. I figured that I could use the financial loss as a blessing. I could stop buying clothes which more or less plugged that gap and at least I would have more time with my children.
2. The title of my blog is workthatwardrobe which means it is payback time. It is time for my wardrobe to look after me. I can use the items in whatever way I wish. If that means ebaying/swapping them then so be it.
3. A confession. I have more than a quarter of my wardrobe that doesn't fit. Before I had my kids I was a size UK 8-10 (US 4-6). After four kids I was left with the baggy body of a size 12-14 (US 8-10). When my youngest started nursery I decided to get rid of the flab.
I am only 5ft and half an inch and every pound counts. By June 2004 I lost 20 pounds and got back to my original size. But then I couldn't stop. By mid 2005 I was under 8 stone and a UK size 6-8 (US 2-4). I was eating three meals a day but they were tiny and my three times a week 3-mile jog had increased to 10 miles - before breakfast. I was obsessed.
I had never been thin in my life. And here I was 39 and in the best physical shape ever. But at what price?
I hated going out. I denied myself anything other than food that had a purpose. I wasn't much fun.
I got my fun by shopping. How wonderful to walk in a store at sale time and pick up all those fantastic bargains that were still left on the shelf because they were too small for mere mortals. Pathetic huh?
Then in September 2005 when my husband and I returned home from La Manga in Spain where we had enjoyed a holiday to celebrate his 40th birthday everything changed. In the early hours of the following morning my youngest son started to have an asthama attack.
I took him to one hospital and then had to take him to another. He was kept in for a few days and I stayed with him. I couldn't run. I couldn't find my vital food. I just had to eat whatever was there and be with my son. That was the most important thing.
By the time we had got home I was exhausted. I forgot to leave the alarm clock on for the early morning runs and ate normal meals. Three years on I am a UK size 10. About right for my height. I run whenever I can but never more than 3 miles now. I could probably do with losing a couple more pounds off my hips but then my bigger hips make my waist look smaller.
What I am trying to say is I have lots of clothes that no longer fit and quite frankly I don't want to fit into anymore. The price is too high to pay.
So if you forgive me I am ebaying them. I am working my wardrobe but I will not spend a penny on clothes for the next 299 days.

I wore this outfit on Wednesday when I worked in the prison.

Gap Jeans
Shirt, local shop
Vest, Oasis
Jacket, dyed peach French Connection
Cowboy Boots, Dorothy Perkins
Bag Sainsbury's
Necklace, Virgin Vie

Tuesday 23 September 2008

Just 300 days to go (and a very important poll)


I have managed 65 shopping-less days and I am feeling virtuous.
But a little stifled.
Bloggers I need your advice.
I was planning a Clothes Swapping party but none of my friends are up for it.
And seeing my disappointment a friend asked why.
I explained my challenge.
"But what about ebay?," she said.
"It's where you sell clothes and stuff," I replied.
"But if you don't cash in the money you could use the money you get and spend it on other stuff. So it would be like swapping really," she said.
The virtuous half of me shudders in po-faced righteousness.
The other half thinks "What a brilliant idea - why didn't I think of that earlier?"
So you see. I need your help.
All votes cast by this time tomorrow will make my mind up.
The majority wins.
My future is in your hands.
While you decide I will just finish up my prison work for today and prepare for tomorrow's class.
I wore..
Brown Trousers ..M&Co
Brown Boots: Clark's
Turquoise long sleeved T-shirt ..C&C)
Brown top..Gap
Necjlace.Monsoon
Scarf..free with Prima magazine

301 days to go


I was in Liverpool today leading a "Get Noticed in the Media" workshop for women setting up their own business.
The organisation I work for, Train 2000, is a brilliant social enterprise which supports women from the idea stage to setting up , sustaining and growing businesses.
Some of the most fantastic businesses have been eased into the marketplace thanks to Maggie, Helen and the team. They also helped me when I became self-employed five years ago.
The training room I was working in has a great view out to the Liverpool waterfront with the Liver Building just outside.
I did take a picture with my camera but can't find the lead to download it.
There were seven lovely ladies at the seminar today, a jewellery maker, four holistic therapist, an interior designer, the owner of a beauty room and a business trainer. Their ages ranged from early 20s to late 50s - all with a wonderful tale to tell. I was humbled at the end when Val of Holistic Horizons came to see me. Ten years ago she had breast cancer and as a single parent was struggling through. Her sister (who recently gave birth) moved in with her for six months. Ten years on Val is fighting fit and after being made redundant and undergoing three operations and chemotherapy she found the strength to retrain and set up her own business as a holistic therapist.
Her reason - she credits holistic therapy for helping her through a gruelling few years.
"I want to put something back," she said.
What I wore seemed irrelevant after that but here it is.
Dress..DVF
Black Jacket.. Debenhams
Belt: Asos
Shoes: Clark's

Monday 22 September 2008

Another Award

Amazing isn't it.?
I don't get an award for 42 years and then two come along in a week.
I am thrilled.
Thank you NotSupermum for giving me the I Love Your Blog Award which I must now pass on in true Blog Award fashion.
So here are another five of my favurites.

Jessica at What I wore for her young, effortlessly fashionable girl about NY blog. I have used so much of her advice over the past few months.

Kasmira at What I Wore Today. I know she has been blog awarded before but what else can I say? Her daily blogs inspired me in the beginning and thanks to her I can now wear my halter neck dresses in so many different ways.

Stacy at A Rosy Outlook for her gentle amble through life's great pleasures - friends, fashion, knitting, sewing, baking and her adorable dog.

Things a Boutique Owner Sees. This lady is living my dream life - the owner of a clothes shop. I love her window on the world.

Last but not least KT whose lively and ecelctic blog always has a surprise in store. And she introduced me to Stephenie Meyer (the books not the person!).

Sunday 21 September 2008

302 days to go:Back to the Beginning


It was hot today - just like it was on day I made my very first post way back in July.
It seemed appropriate for a hot day, running around with the dog and watching two of my sons play football, that I wear the very same outfit.
Cool, comfortable and casual.
And I have worked out how to post pictures now!
Jeans:Next
Converse Trainers
Top: Tesco

Saturday 20 September 2008

303 days to go: Forgive me bloggers for I almost sinned.....




Today was a busy day.
I don't normally work on a Saturday.
And I don't normally shop in Liverpool on a Saturday.
But I did both.
I had organised a series of book signing and meet the author events for my friend, Jane Bidder (who writes as Sophie King) to publicise her new book, The Supper Club.
I picked her up from Liverpool station, drove her to a book signing in Crosby then on to a Meet The Author event further up the coast before returning to Liverpool and the Waterstone's branch.
It was a great day. The sun was shining, the shops looked inviting and my children were busy elsewhere. I decided to amble down the main shopping area to buy my son some new school trousers.
I was sidelined by a beautiful grey tunic in Marks and Spencer's.
It would look great on its own with a belt, over jeans, with a shirt underneath.
i was overhwhelmed by the possibilities.
Who would know?
I could just load it up to this blog and pretend I'd had it for ages. Right?
I put it in a basket.
i queued up.
Then I remembered you fellow bloggers. You who have kept the faith, who have supported my efforts, so far.
I couldn't let you down!
So I put it back. Honestly.
I consoled myself with with a new Bobbi Brown eyeliner instead.
Here are some snaps of my day.
And you can see by the crowd scene (some of the people who came to the event) how small I really am!

I wore..
Strapless dress: Gap
Belt: Asos
Cardigan: Gap
Bangle: Free with magazine
Shoes: Clark's
Necklace: Top Shop

Friday 19 September 2008

304 days to go: You look like a pair of curtains


"You look like a pair of curtains."
Maybe this will explain, in some way, why prison officers should stick to being prison officers and leave the stand-up routines to someone with a bit more comedic talent.
I think (I Hope) he was being ironic.
However, I think it was just an excuse to o
utter the follow-up line, "Pull Yourself Together."
Ha ha ha ha
I laughed all the way to the library where I shared my rage with Jenn.

Jeans: Gap Curby
Orange top: Marks and Spencer
"Curtains" by Karen Millen
Shoes: Clark's
Necklace: Top Shop

Thursday 18 September 2008

305 days to go: Is this the right outfit to....?



Is this the right outfit to ...

plan tomorrow's creative writing session?

to chat to my neighbour who is looking remarkably well after a courageous struggle against a terrible disease?

meet my son's teacher to discuss his less than exemplary behaviour?

to pick up my youngest son from school?

to watch my middle son play football?

to sit down and waste time seeing how many people have bid for my closet clearout items on ebay?

to chat to my eldest son about his forthcoming trip to stay with his girlfriend and her family?

to prepare dinner for six?

to prepare bags for tomorrow?

to read to my youngest son before bed?

to snuggle up with my daughter on the sofa and watch rubbish TV?

to fall asleep on my husband's lap?

You decide?

Halter dress: Primark
Camisole: M&S
Belt: Matalan
Shoes: River Island
Bangle: Free gift
Cardigan: Asda
Necklace: Top Shop

Wednesday 17 September 2008

306 days to go: Spotted


It started off wet this morning but the sun came out and it is a lovely autumn afternoon.
I like to think my spots encouraged the sun to come out to play.
I wore
Red Spotted Blouse: Sarah Berman
Black Skirt: Matalan
Black Shoes: Tesco
Belt: Principles

Tuesday 16 September 2008

I have won an award




Thank you to Karen at A Certain Age for awarding me the beautiful Arte Y Pico Blogging Award!!

I am so grateful to receive this award from such a lovely lady who recently took us all on a trip to Paris with her sassy blog.


The rules of Arte Y Pico are - you must pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting content, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language!

Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to their blog. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.

The award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link or the Arte Y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

I am giving the Arte Y Pico award to:

Jenn at Every Day I Lie A Little
I should really hate Jenn. She is young. She is clever. She can eat six meals a day and not put on an ounce AND always knows what to say. But more than that she has a book deal and her brilliant debut novel, A Kind of Intimacy which I was honoured to read at the proof stage is out next year. Read her blog and you will see just how great she is.

Darla at Bayside to Mountainside
Darla is fantastically creative and lives the kind of life I dream about. Read her reflections on the beauty of life and marvel at her ability to create beautiful things from scraps.

Sue at Della Street Dreaming
Why wasn't my English teacher more like Sue?If she had been, I might have got my book out before Jenn! I love Sue's quirkiness, her honesty, her vulnerability and her sideways sense of humour. Dream on.

Heather at The Middle of Nowhere
It took Heather and her husband ten years of planning, saving and hoping. But they finally realised their dream to sell up and move to the beautiful Scottish countryside. A stress management expert her voice and words are like balm for the soul.

Audi at Fashion For Nerds
Lovely photos and the way Audi puts an outfit together is mesmerising. She makes it look so effortless.

Please. Enjoy!

307 days to go: Grey Dawn


A prison day today - catching up with my creative writers.
After a very late night (my sister in law and husband called last night) I grabbed together a few things from my wardrobe in the murky half-light of the grey dawn.
It ended up like this...
Shirt dyed black: Boden
White Waistcoat; Dorothy Perkins
Jeans: Gap Curvy
Shoes: Clark's

Monday 15 September 2008

308 days to go: Belt Up


Audi gave me the idea for today's outfit.
I bought this blouse a few years ago in the Whistles sale. I love it but it is a little too tight across the chest.
When I saw how Audi wore her shirt it gave me an idea of how to wear this one again.
I wore....
Lilac shirt: Whistles
Denim skirt: Marks and Spencer
Belt: Asos
Shoes: Clark's
Necklace: Tesco

309 days to go: Back To Black



Sunday
As you can see by the photographs. I am feeling (and hopefully, looking) a lot better than this day 17 years ago.
My baby is now 17 - I can hardly believe it.
After refereeing two football games he was taken out for a driving lesson by my husband.
Our other two sons drew 1-1 in both their football games which were against tough teams and my daughter performed well in her gymnastics competition, coming 4th on beam.
We all celebrated with an Indian meal at our lovely local restaurant.
I wore...
Black skirt - Matalan
Striped T-shirt - Primark
White Belt - Miss Selfridge
Green Cardigan - Zara
Brown Shoes - Clark's

Sunday 14 September 2008

310 days to go: Lady In Red (Part Two)


It is my husband's birthday today (Sept 13th) and as usual, the sun shone.
After watching the children play football I helped my husband prepare a birthday meal for some friends.
Tomorrow is my eldest son's birthday, two of my boys are playing football and my daughter is in a Gymnastics Competition.
Never a dull moment.
I wore...
Red Dress - Joe Brown's
Cowboy Boots: Dorothy Perkins
Brown Belt: ASOS

Friday 12 September 2008

311 days: Please Keep A Welcome In The Hillsides








All good things must come to an end.
The conference is over and after breakfast Jane and I caught the train home.
But not before I took some pictures to remind me of this beautiful place.
I will see Jane again next Saturday as I invited her to meet some fans at my local bookshop.
It was a long journey home, four trains in total. I sneaked off at Chester (the halfway point) to get a birthday present for my husband who will be 43 tomorrow!
I wore
Cardigan: Karen Millen
Black Vest (was white, now dyed - M&S)
Gap Jeans
Cowboy Boots
Pashmina
Bag: Sainsbury's

I notice in my comments that some of you had asked to read articles I have had published. Most of them are not on the internet but here are a few.

Could I forgive my son's killer?

A Woman's Right To Shoes

Through The Keyhole

Wardrobe Feature

Column

Work That Home

312 days to go: Lady In red



Arrived at the Writers In Prison Network annual conference.
It was lovely to see some familiar faces and share our news.
There are only 100 of us in the world doing this job so there are few opportunities to talk "shop" and share experiences.
The conference takes place in Welshpool when the Network takes over a lovely development of cottageswhich date back to 1676.
The cottages are surrounded by rolling countryside and there are two llamas and a goat in the garden.
I am sharing a room with Jane Bidder who is better known as the novelist Sophie King.
Jane and I met last year and hit it off immediately. Jane, like me, began her career as a journalist before writing novels.
I hope to follow in her footsteps!
I had been reading Jane's latest novel, The Supper Club, on the train and I loved it.
After unpacking Jane, Mandy (another writer) and I jumped into the hot tub to enjoy a glass of wine before a communal supper.
The following day (Thursday) was the conference when even more people arrived and we shared our progress.
The evening is taken up with "The Writer's Present" where are we all perform our work. I read out my recent article in The Guardian, Jane read out the first page of her book while some acted out plays they had written, the performance poets do their stuff and we hear short stories, snatches of screenplays and watch a short film.
By midnight the performance is over and we gathered in the large kitchen chattering away and sharing anecdotes until the early hours.
I wore
Red Dress: Joe Brown
Jeans: Gap
Belt: Asos
Cowboy Boots: Dorothy Perkins

Wednesday 10 September 2008

313 days to go: Biba Baby



I am off to my conference this morning.
I dragged out my old faithful Biba shirt.
It is original and I found it in a charity shop in West Kirby (a "Ferry Across the Mersey" away) during a writing assignment.
One of the worst parts of writing "Through The Keyhole" style features about HUGE homes is that I have developed a terminal case of House Envy.
The great thing is that these houses are always in posh WAG style villages. The only cure for House Envy is Bargasm Therapy (shopping experience better than sex) I park up and trawl the charity shops in said villages.
I have scored a brand new pair of Whistles Jeans, this Biba shirt and many others.
I bought this shirt in 2005 for £2.50. I love the detail especially the buttons. I imagine some glamorous fashionista once wore this during the heady days of Beatlemania. Maybe it even belonged to a Beatles girlfriend.
It is a bit old and off cream now. And I usually end up with static hair due to the man-made fibre.
But a Bargasm is a Bargasm!

I am wearing
Gap Jeans
BIBA SHIRT!
Black Vest: Oasis
Cowboy Boots: Dorothy Perkins
Leather Belt: ASOS

I will be away for a few days but I will be taking my new travelling tripod with me.

Tuesday 9 September 2008

My New Best Friend



I have finally taken Kasmira's advice and invested in a tripod.
Now my children are back at school I have to resort to the mirror to photograph my daily outfit.
But after yesterday (when I had to abandon most of the pictures because my mirrored wardrobe needed an industrial clean) I thought it best to invest.
And I was amazed to find this fantastic adjustable, lightweight tripod from my local Tesco for £9.97.
Hopefully that means some lovely pictures from my conference in the beautiful Welsh hills.
I have just had great fun practising.
(Oh and here's my free scarf from Prima magazine which arrived after I posted this morning.)

314 days to go: Bohemian Rhapsody



I feel a little Bohemian today.
It may be the pattern on the top.
It may be the skirt effect below the jacket.
It may be the fact that I am preparing for my writer's conference where the atmosphere will be a tad bohemian.
Whatever. I am off to prison to try and fix a computer that is halting our prison magazine process.
I'll let you know how I got on.
I wore...
Black and white swirly tunic top with empire bodice: Primark.
Jeans: Levis, recently overdyed.
Long sleeved turquoise top: C&C.
Shoes: New Look.
Necklace: Monsoon

Jacket: Formerly a peach cropped French Connection jacket which I never wore so dyed black last weekend.

Monday 8 September 2008

315 days to go: The future's Orange



I know bags can be the inspiration behind many an outfit.
But how about this one?
It was given out free when I went to an Orange Broadband Fiction event at the Bluecoat in Liverpool where authors and judges came together.
I met Kate Mosse (fabulous), Phillipa Gregory (stuck-up), Shami Chakrabarti( refreshingly funny) and Bel Mooney (believes her own publicity) to name but a few.
I went with my friend, Joy and wrote about it on my website
which was posted on April 21st.
After the event we went to La Tasca for Tapas and arrived home rather merry.

Happy memories in a bag.

Here it is...
Orange Silk Shirt: La Redoute
Black Skirt: ASOS Petite
Black Tights: Tesco
Black Vest: Oasis
Shoes: Tesco
Ear-rings: Gift
Bangle and Pendant: Free magazine gift