202 days to go: Back , not with a bang but with a whimper

I hope TS Eliot forgives me for misquoting him but my world feels a little Eliotonian at this time.
I feel like I'm whirling through Prufrock's etherised sky.
We limped through the Christmas period with some great days and some wobbles but yesterday my lovely dad (who suffers from Lymphoma) was admitted to hospital for some tests after some worrying symptoms.
But as the year comes to a close I take comfort in Eliot's words:

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice.

And of course there is comfort in clothes.
I have not bought any new clothes but have received some lovely gifts (and giftcards).
Top of the list are the real UGG boots my husband had imported from Australia and the wool coat my parents bought me from Marks and Spencer.
I haven't kept a record of all my outfits during my absence but here are a few.
Before I sign off today I'd like to thank everyone who has left comments - several times over the past week or so I have read and re-read them and they have meant so much. Thanks for your kindness.

For Better Or Worse

I am afraid I will have to leave the Blogging World behind for a while.
My husband suffers from Depression and is very bad at the moment.
I will need to conserve my time and energy in helping him get better.
I hope you all have a Happy Christmas.

214 days to go:Cold Shower

I spent today shopping, tidying and cleaning before heading off to the gym.
I returned hoping for a lovely warm shower.
But someone had left the hot tap running and there was no hot water left.
Instead I had to endure a cold shower. Brrr!
I warmed up with a coffee at my friend Joy's house.
I am now waiting for my children to come home from school and find out who left the tap running.
Someone will be in hot water.
Sadly, it wasn't me.

I wore:
Dress - eBay
Vest - Oasis
Jeans - Gap
Boots - Zara

215 days to go: The future's bright, the future's striped orange

I am feeling a lot better.
Hopefully my difficulties have been dealt with.
And I am feeling more optimistic.
It has been such a rollercoaster week and it's only just Wednesday.
Last night I helped with the Cub's Christmas Outing - tenpin bowling in Liverpool.
Today was my last day in the prison before January and it was a very testing day.
I am so glad for the break.
But I'm not so glad that I won't be getting my weekly dose of Jenn.
Jenn is the prison librarian and sometimes it feels like it us just Jenn and me against the world.
This morning she had a beautiful gift-wrapped present for me - this fabulous book.
After work I had to supervise an under-nines soccer coaching session as my husband, the coach was held up at work.
I wore....
Golden brown sparkly Shoes - Clark's
Brown tights - Marks and Spencer
Skirt - Gap (thrifted)
Black shirt - Boden
Orange and oatmeal striped sweater - Gap (thrifted)
Necklace - Top Shop

216 days to go: Calamity Jane

I may be down but I'm not out.
And thanks to all the kind messages from fellow bloggers I feel I am not alone.
My challenge for today was choose an outfit inspired by a song.
Well, it's not exactly a single song but an album - Calamity Jane.
According to my research Calamity Jane was involved in long-running disputes which sums up how I am feeling right now.
I had planned to be the Lady In Red but with two children at home sick my original outfit was not appropriate.
Once again I wouldlike to thank everyone for the kind thoughts and thank everyone who rose to the challenge of choosing an outfit inspired by a song!

I am wearing:
Boots - Clark's
Red tights (not seen) New Look
Blue Skirt - Noa Noa
Red t-shirt - Primark
Red top Zara

217 days to go: Desperate for some retail therapy

Things aren't going too well for me at the moment.
At times like these I would normally head to the shops.
But I can't.
Maybe its time to face up to my problems at long last.

218 days to go: Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad

More (cold, wet) football matches.
At 9am I was out inspecting a pitch with my referee son and at 12pm my youngest played.
I needed warmth and comfort.
I am afraid there was no style today.
But as that great 20th century Sayer, Meatloaf, said: "Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad."

I wore:
Nike trainers
Gap Jeans
Long sleeved t-shirt - Next
Grey Sweater - Espirit
Scarf - free with magazine

219 and 220 days to go: Feelgood dress

Yesterday I felt awful. I just hated what I was wearing but didn't have time to change.
Today I picked out my favourite red feelgood dress.
When I first started this type of blog last year (but gave up)I wrote about it then here.
Red dress - Joe Brown

Like A Virgin

So far we have seven takers for the Christmas Challenge on Tuesday.
The challenge is - wear an outfit inspired by a song.
As a mother of four I don't think I will get away with the "Like A Virgin" outfit I wore for my 40th birthday party.
So far we have challengers:
Kristen
KT
Cat
Goober
Stacy
Michelle
Sheila



My shortlist is
Born in the USA
Eye of the Tiger
Ebony and Ivory
True Colours
Lady in Red
Ruby Tuesday
White Christmas
Yellow Submarine
Golden Brown

221 days to go: These Boots Are Made For Walking

Today was another packed day.
In the morning I led a PR workshop for Train 2000 and instead of the 10 ladies on the list 14 turned up.
Luckily, one of those was a lady who had recently set up a cake-making business and she bought some beautiful cakes for the break.
After that I headed off to the hospital. It is a long walk up-hill and these boots had to do the trick.
So why was I going to the hospital?
Just a few days after Peter, Cathy and I enjoyed a great night out in Liverpool I got a phone call.
It was Cathy to say that Peter had slipped on some ice in Lark Lane.
A passing taxi driver saw it happen and took Peter straight to the Royal Liverpool Hospital. Although Peter tried to pay him the cabbie wouldn't take a penny and stayed with him until he got help.
When he was finally assessed they found Peter had broken his pelvis in two places. The surgeon said he normally only saw injuries like those in car crash victims.
Anyway by the time I got to visit him today he was in good spirits and looking much better than I imagined.
However, it will be several weeks before he can walk again and after that he will have to have a hip replacement operation.
Luckily Peter's girlfriend is wonderful and she has been taking care of him.
I hope the next time I see him he will be back at home.
Get Well soon Peter.

I wore

Black boots - Zara
Skirt - thrifted (Warehouse)
Sweater and necklace - Top Shop
Shirt - La Redoute
Belt - ASOS

222 days to go: Later- Blue Velvet

It was my first "Christmas Do" of the year.
I went for a meal with my friends, Denise, Pauline, Brenda, Sue and Di. We all met when our children were very small.
In fact Brenda and I met in the maternity ward.
We vaguely knew each other, having been introduced by a mutual friend at church.
Our second babies were both due on March 10th but on the day both babies (Joe and Rebecca, now 13) arrived within hours of each other on March 8th.
Brenda gave birth at around 6pm and I was wheeled into the next bed after Joe was born at 9.15pm!
Our children all went to the same nursery and primary schools where we met the other mums along the way.
I am the only one with a child still at primary school as everyone else was very sensible and stuck with two!
As we don't see as much of each other now it was great to catch up and as usual we promised to meet again sooner rather than later.

I wore...
Blue Velvet shift dress - Autograph
Black tights - Tesco
Black patent shoes and hair ornament - Dorothy Perkins
Black Patent Belt - River Island
Bag - a 40th birthday gift from Di (from Lakeland)

Challenge Two: Going For A Song

OK so we have five brave bloggers ready to take my next mini challenge.
And that challenge is - Create An Outfit Inspired By A Favourite Song.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere that will probably rule out Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini which is a great shame as I love polka dots!
Your outfit may be inspired by the song, the video or the singer.
Interpret it whatever way you see fit.
As Tuesday is the most boring day of the week the challenge day will be next Tuesday, December 16th.
Good Luck!

222 days to go: Cropped Cardigan

This cropped cardigan didn't start out life like this.
Here is the original.

Today's cardigan is the result of a recent bit of DIY.

Ever since I got hold of a copy of "Just For The Frill Of It - 25 flirty fabulous styles to make with clothes you already own" by Sonya Nimri, I have been desperate to have a go.
This is the Granny Bolero so named as these original cardigans are popular amongst the more mature ladies who love the sparkly embroidery. Unfortunately they tend to come in drab straight down shapes.
I managed to obtain this cardigan from a "granny" and had a go.
I was rather pleased with the results even thought I am not a very patient sewer.
The colours also matched one of my favourite blouses which is too small for me and the only way I can wear it now is over a vest.
One down - 24 more new ways to experiment with!

I wore...
Boots - Zara
Jeans - Gap
Shirt - Whistles
Vest - Next

223 days to go: Bring Back Summer

What a busy day!
Son number three was sent home from school yesterday due to a "sore tummy."
An hour later he was bouncing off the walls.
This morning his tummy was "sore" again.
But by 10am he had written two songs, practised on the piano and was desperate to go back to school.
I rang the school and they said to bring him in.
How do parents with set working hours cope?
But I digress - back to clothes. After a week of wearing a restricted wardrobe I am back to shopping in my closet.
The last time I wore this top it was the middle of summer.
I also rediscovered my Joe brown jeans and faithful black polo neck.
I also have a new idea for a one-off one-day challenge before Christmas. Any takers?

I wore....

Jeans - Joe Brown
Shoes - Clark's
Top - Asda
Polo - New Look

224 days to go: Busy Blue

I have been very busy this past week with work and family commitments.
It always happens in the run-up to a holiday.
As I'm self-employed I don't get paid for the times I don't work so have to cram twice as many hours in the ones leading up to a holiday so I can take time off.
Wardrobe-wise it means I get a little lazy.
Last week we had a SongWriting Workshop with Justin Sullivan of the New Model Army and yesterday I spent all day training in the prison's multi-media unit learning how to make movies.
It was great fun - you wouldn't believe how long it took to get two minutes film shot.
But I learned a lot and can't wait to get started.
I wore...
Blue Boots - Whistles
Blue floral skirt - New Look
Cream Top - Marks and Spencer
Blue Sweater - Marks and Spencer (thrifted)
Red Pendant - Virgin Vie

225 days to go: Christmas Tree Shopping

We normally put up our Christmas Tree on the second weekend of December.

However, this weekend all football matches were cancelled and it seemed like a good idea to take advantage of the spare time we had.
We have an artificial one for the main room and a real one in the Conservatory.
I love the scene from Love Story where they go hunting for the tree together and always have idealised fantasies of how wonderful it will all be.
This morning I imagined we would spend a few fun-filled hours as a family hunting down the perfect tree.
What really happened was - it was cold, my eldest two sons didn't want to come. Neither did my youngest but he didn't have a choice.
None of the trees were right. We finally chose one, got it home and waited for my husband to get the decorations from the loft.
After a few choice words he took to his bed for the afternoon and me and my daughter had to workout how to put the artificial one together.
We finally did it and I asked the children to pose by the tree.
My husband finally reappeared when it was all done.

At work the next morning I was talking to a colleague who said he's put up the tree the evening before.

What transpired was a very similar scene at his house. Only worse. When he eventually got the tree up his over exuberant daughter and her friends managed to knock it down - lights, baubles and all.

226 days to go....later

Finally got to dress up for the evening.
My husband cooked a lovely meal.

Starter: Tapas
Main Course: Paella
Pudding: Chocolate Pots

I wore....
Jeans - Tesco
Top: Noa Noa
Shoes: River Island
Necklace: Drome

226 days to go: The Challenge Goes on

The challenge goes on ...almost!
I was just about to throw the dress in the washing pile when I realised I was running late.
I threw it on with my black polo neck, denim jacket and the tulle petticoat.
I planned to get change later as we are having friends round for dinner so wasn't too worried about wearing it again.

I wore...
Boots - Clark's
Dress - Wallis
Polo Neck - New Look
Denim Jacket - Tesco
Red Pendant - Virgin View

The Five Day Capsule Wardrobe Challenge in Pictures

227 days to go: Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, Day 5

It's the final day of the Wardrobe Capsule Challenge and I am so looking forward to wearing some new colours and clothes.
I have learned a lot from the challenge.
I know planning is so much easier in the long run and saves bags of time.
And I can see from watching other people's responses to the challenge there are new ideas I want to try out.
I have a few ideas for some more challenges but I think I will wait for the New Year.
Congratulations to everyone who completed the challenge - have a great and well-dressed weekend.

Today I wore... Brown Boots - Clark's Brown Tights - Tesco Black Skirt - Matalan Thermal top - Marks and Spencer Red Top - Zara Pendant - Virgin Vie.

228 days to go: Blowin' in the Wind

It is the penultimate day of our challenge fellow bloggers and time to have some fun.
Andrea sent me this petticoat and as I am allowed undergarments I am claiming it as an allowable wear.
Just look what a difference it makes to this dress.
I have swapped one of the scarves I had planned to wear tomorrow for the red necklace as I felt my neck was bare and I have re-used the red scarf from Monday as a belt.
I can only get away with this underskirt during the day as I work from home but I've had so much fun swanning around the house like Anna in The King And I.
I tried to do a Kasmira twirl for the camera to show off the petticoat and didn't get it right. However, luckily a sudden gust of wind managed to do the trick.
What will I wear tomorrow?
The answer my dear friends is blowin' in the wind!

I wore.. Dress (as Tuesday) Scarf (as Monday) Tights and Boots (as Tuesday) Petticoat (Andrea) Necklace - Virgin Vie Long sleeve t-shirt (as Tuesday)

Stop Press! Workthatwardrobe First With The News

Remember my post about Andrea who was down to her last £10 and invested it in tulle to make petticoats?
If not, you can catch up here.
Yesterday, The Liverpool Echo one of the UK's best selling regional papers picked the story up and reported it in their newspaper.
And more good news - Andrea sent me one of her petticoats to try out.
Watch this blog!
And well done Andrea!

229 days to go: Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, day 3

Right, apart from one scarf this is the rest of my wardrobe all done.
From now on it's a mixing and a matching.
I am finding it so much easier to get dressed every morning. While I won't limit myself too much in the weeks to come I will definitely plan.
Now all I have to do is get round to planning meals too.
It looks like it will be pasta and pesto again tonight kids!


I wore......
Brown Shoes - Clark's
Jeans - Gap, Curvy
Red long sleeve Tee - Primark
Red Blouse - Zara
Brown Scarf - Magazine Gift
Ear-rings - Gift

230 days to go: Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, day 2

My red shoes pinched a little yesterday so I am grateful for my flat boots.
It is wet, cold and miserable so I am adding some fun and frivolity into the day with this summer dress (and lots of layers).
Again I am wearing the black vest to pare down the dress and make it appear more like a skirt.
I didn't have enough clothes left for a cardigan but this thick scarf will drape nicely around my shoulders if I get cold.

I wore...
Brown Boots - Clark's
Dress - Wallis
Cream long sleeve t-shirt and brown tights (Marks and Spencer)
Black Vest - Oasis
Scarf - magazine freebie
Gold Hoop Ear-rings - Gift
I will be wearing the same coat and carrying the same bag as yesterday.

231 days to go: Capsule Wardrobe Challenge, day 1

Before I begin let me announce one final amendment. I have changed my blue navy jacket to a long black coat.
And the belts has gone in favour of a thick brown scarf.
It was 7 below zero when I got in the car today with forecasts of much the same so I have decided to go for as much coverage as possible.
I call this my Scottish Widows Coat after the woman in the advert wore a similar coat.
I bought this in the December sales in 1995. It was half price and cost £140.00 - most definitely an investment piece.
Back to today. I spent all morning writing reports, planning workshops and typing up work before I went to the gym and then collected the children.

Stop Press! Goober and Kristen (Shallow Coffee) have joined us!
See their blogs on my blog list.





I wore...


Red Shoes - eBay
Black Tights - Tesco
Skirt - Matalan
Red Top - Primark
Black Vest - Oasis
Scarf, worn as a bow - Marks and Spencer
Coat - Four Seasons
Bag - Sainsbury's

Capsule Wardrobe

I have seen some amazing arrays of clothes on various blogs linking up with this challenge.
So thanks to the following for joining in the fun.
Schoolgate Chic
What I Wore Today
Of A Certain Age
Ephemera
Life With Three
Not Supermum
Fashionably Later


And before I start here are some pics and let the challenge begin!