All White Everything

Grey, navy and black. That pretty much sums up the contents of my wardrobe. Sometimes a little animal print (mainly accessories), definitely some stripes. Recently however I find myself drawn to white. Not head to toe white, I'm far too messy and clumsy for that, but elements of white, just to give my outfits a nod to summer. 

It began back in January when I had a work trip to Australia and needed something to freshen up my dark wardrobe. I found this skirt that has since proved to be so wearable due to the midi length and it's ability to work well with trainers and sandals. Plus the paper-y look and feel of it draws many comments.

Skirt £65 Topshop Worn with COS sweater & Miu Miu trainers

Soon after I purchased some comfy Birkenstocks in white. Not as impractical as you'd think. I wear mine weekly, they still look fresh and make a less-than-exciting ensemble of jeans and grey sweater instantly feel more modern.

White sandals, £49.95 Birkenstock

On my weekly visit to COS I found this dress and fell in love. The fabric is subtly rippled and thick enough to hide lumps and bumps, it has pockets (yay!), a beautifully curved shoulder and is a flattering length. My perfect white summer dress.

White dress £69 COS

White nail polish has been around for a few seasons now. No, you won't look like you've painted tip-ex on your nails! It's an easy and inexpensive way to feel more summery. I think white toes look especially good and I've been painting mine with Topshop's Spilled Milk. Paint 2 coats on quite thickly and it lasts for days. 

Nail polish in Spilled Milk £5 Topshop

I found this shirt in Zara a few weeks ago. I tried it on, um-ed and ahhh-ed, didn't get it, then woke up the next morning still thinking about it so ordered it online! It's the right side of slouchy, dips down at the back and has side pockets! I've worn it twice already with skinny leather trousers, then slim jeans to balance out its oversized proportions.

White Shirt £29 Zara

I'd been searching for a simple plain white sweatshirt since my love of white began at the beginning of the year and finally found one while prepping for a job earlier this week in River Island. It's a soft brushed cotton jersey, has a slight batwing and a rolled sleeve. I went up a size as I wanted it to look like I'd stolen it from the boyfriend.

Sweatshirt £28 River Island

And finally I've been deliberating over these Mom jeans for weeks but still haven't bought them. I love the high waist, the slightly loose fit, the rips, the price tag, but something in the back of my mind is telling me 'no'. Maybe it's just because I've done too much shopping recently! I'm not sure...shall I get them???

Mom jeans £40 Topshop

Images: Zara, Topshop

Debenhams? Really?

Last week a girlfriend and I spent the afternoon wandering up and down Oxford Street in search of things to add to our wardrobes. Walking by Debenhams we did a double take as their window display was filled with lots of beautiful things for the home. Surprised, we had to take a closer look and were shocked (in a good way) by what we found. Not only has doyenne of interiors Abigail Ahern designed a range of quirky lamps, cushions, candle holders and trinkets, but they are stocking Scandinavian goodies from Bloomingville and their own brand is full of desirable bits to make you part with your money. Here's the top 10 of what we wanted.

Pineapple Pot £26

I love pointless pineapple ornaments and always check eBay for mid-century originals. This little pot will happily house some jewellery or paperclips on a desk and looks far more expensive than £26.

Bronze apples and pears £15

More pointless fruit for storing little things. These would look great in a trio on my bookshelf.

Ben de Lisi Fruit Bowl

I'm not a huge fan of the fruit bowl but this graphic orange metal one would look superb on my kitchen counter.

Bronze Candle Holder £36

What a wonderful centre piece this would make for my dining table with some pale grey candles. Both my friend and I almost bought this and I think I may have to go back this weekend to pick it up. 

Copper Lamp £206 Bloomingville

I clearly have a love affair going on with copper! These lamps are simply stunning, perfect for a desk or side table.

Copper Light £169 Bloomingville

Sadly my photo doesn't do this light fitting justice. I have a real problem with lighting for my home, finding it either cheap and nasty or crazily expensive. This beautiful piece is incredibly priced and this weekend the boyfriend will be measuring it up to go in our spare bedroom.

Tealight holders £7 Bloomingville

These tealight holders in the thinest china would make an inexpensive gift or are a simple way to add some colour to your home.

Denim Cushion £42 Bloomingville

Seeing this chic denim cushion has given me an idea of what to do with my old denim skirt!

Bison Head £75 Abigail Ahern|EDITION

Made from a rich chocolate brown felt this bison head is bonkers but in a good way!

Hare Lamp £85 Abigail Ahern|EDITION

One of these cuties made it home with my friend and now lives atop her sideboard. His giant feet and cute pink lamp make it a fun edition to any home, not just a kids bedroom.

Giraffe £18 Ben de Lisi Home

And one extra for luck! This ceramic giraffe; completely pointless but oh so cool.

And for Easter Debenhams is offering 20% off homewares, so go forth and buy!

Weekend Scenes

This weekend was all about one thing; the London Marathon. I ran this gloriously challenging event twice, before my knee cap cracked and put an end to marathon running for good. Thankfully the boyfriend picked up the baton and Sunday was his second London marathon, fifteenth overall (I'm so jealous of his healthy knee caps!) He did a PB of 3 hours 14 minutes and I couldn't have felt prouder of his achievement. 

Maybe it was the sunshine, maybe it was the prospect of seeing Olympian Mo Farah pounding the pavements, but the atmosphere was incredibly special along the route. On days like these I feel so proud to call London my home. Here are some scenes from the memorable day.

Heading to the start line in Greenwich, most of it uphill, just what you need before running a 26.2 miles!

London looking fabulous

The boyfriend pre-race giving a nervous thumbs up

The sweaty boyfriend at the finish line, wahoo!

Horse Guard's Parade in all it's glory at the finish

The medal

Well done to everyone who ran the race and to all the organisers and spectators who make the London Marathon one of the best in the world! We can't wait for next year.

In My Bag

Despite a hectic work trip to France where I consumed oodles of bread and cheese and got to hang out with cute poodles, I still managed to squeeze in a little London shopping. Here's what made it into my bag this week.

Having long hair I find it necessary to always have a hair band on my wrist, usually in an ugly shade of brown. Quite frankly it's not a good look. These perfect hair bands from COS do the trick and look chic enough for the wrist. They come in a range of colours, I was going to get yellow but played it safe with grey. 

Hair Bands £4 COS

I love & Other Stories but sometimes find the fit of their clothes a little challenging. However I struck it lucky with this versatile two tone denim pencil skirt. It sits just below the knee (so hides my knee operation scar perfectly!) and has pockets. It'll work perfectly with my Birkenstocks for summer, but equally well with ankle boots and tights come winter.

Skirt £29 & Other Stories

I first saw these bargain trousers on brilliant blog Little Spree. Being a huge fan of stripes, yet not owning any of the trouser variety, I thought I would try them out. They are super comfortable, light enough for summer days and the thick grosgrain waist tie adds a chic element. I'll wear mine now with a grey sweater and my black Miu Miu trainers, but come summer I'll pair with a grey vest and tan sandals.

Stripe Trousers £25.99 Zara

I thought I'd save the best to last. Stella McCartney had a sample sale on Wednesday and Thursday. I could only make it on Thursday and when I rocked up early I was pleasantly surprised to discover no queues. I should have known it was too good to be true. Inside there were only 4 rails of clothes and a few tables of shoes. I was so disappointed as last time I'd scored winter coats, jeans and dresses. However tucked away under some boots were these gorgeous delights. In my size! At a fraction of the price! And they are flat and comfortable! I snapped them up, happy in the knowledge that it's always worth going to a sample sale.

Sandals Stella McCartney

Drink It Up

I'll readily admit I am a sun whore. I don't smoke and I religiously apply sunscreen but oh do I love to sit under the big yellow ball in the sky getting my dose of vitamin D. Since returning from my holiday my face has been quite dry and a little flakey (blurgh!) so I thought I'd treat it to some intensive moisturising with Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Mask.

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Mask

You apply the herbal scented mask thickly then let your skin soak it up for 10 minutes. The cream doesn't harden but it's quite disturbing to see how thirsty my skin was as the product all but disappeared on certain areas of my face. The instructions say to wipe away what's left behind with a tissue and massage the final remnants into the face, but it felt too greasy so I gave mine a quick wipe with a damp muslin cloth. 

The ingredients are 99% natural with moisture trapping clary sage as the hero ingredient. It also contains mafura and tucuma butter along with coconut oil to soften and hydrate. 

My skin looked instantly fresher and plumper, the dryness improved after just one use and it's definitely softer to the touch. At £19.99 this is a well priced, does what is says on the tin product that I will be integrating into my weekly beauty routine.

Weekend Scenes

This weekend flew by and was filled with work, life laundry, a little retail therapy, some training action and seeing work friends. 

On Friday night I had the privilege of attending the Asian Awards at Grosvenor House with my friend Gok Wan. It was a fantastic night made even better by Gok winning the gong for Outstanding Achievement in TV. Idris Elba was in attendance (argh!!!), the food was divine and the dresses were so sparkly that I felt utterly underdressed in my bargain buy from H&M.

Yummy pudding at the Asian Awards

Idris Elba presenting an award (sorry for the blurry picture)

Dress £39.99 H&M Bag Anya Hindmarch Shoes Miu Miu

On Saturday a quick rummage in TK Maxx unearthed these beauties by Seven for All Mankind. I'll wear them with a grey tee, a denim shirt or clash their subtle print with a stripe. The kids clothes section was especially good with lots of little Stella McCartney and Paul & Joe. It almost made me want a child.

Jeans £29 from TK Maxx

My new crinkle cutter knife arrived and I have been happily chopping all manner of fruit and veg (FYI it doesn't work on bread!) We are hoping to make pretty crinkle cut veggie crisps with it soon.

Crinkle cutter knife from Amazon

The Capital Tri that I am taking part in with Simply Swim is rapidly approaching so I spent quite a few hours going nowhere on my Bianchi to help prepare my thighs.

And I packed my bags...again. This time I'm heading to France for an exciting job. 

I Love Flamingos

Flamingos make me happy. Their odd beaks, long necks, penchant for balancing on one spindly leg and mostly because what they eat makes them that glorious shade of pink. They also have a delightful kitsch quality that make them a uplifting addition to my home. In my last flat I adorned an entire bathroom wall with Cole & Son's flamingo wallpaper. When we moved I was very sad to leave it behind.

Cole & Son Flamingo Wallpaper

In my new flat my collection of mingos (as I affectionately refer to them) is growing. A faux stuffed one from Rockett St George lives in my loo.

Flamingo from Rockett St George

These lights from amazon adorn my bar cart and are the height of kitsch but I LOVE them!

Flamingo Lights

And this chic flamingo print is actually an old Celine advert that I cut out and framed.

Framed Flamingos

I draw the line at wearing anything with a flamingo print but would be quite partial to any of the following things for my home.

Flamingorama print by Aida from Nelly Duff

Flamingo tea towel (I have an obsession with tea towels) from Rockett St George

Royal Flamingo notepad from Liberty

Flamingos for the garden (if only my boyfriend would let me these would be mine!) from Amazon

Loving the grey and pink combo on this gorgeous cushion from Notonthehighstreet.com

Images: Nelly Duff, Rockett St George, Alexa Pulitzer, Amazon, Notonthehighstreet.com