Winter Warmers...

The weather is definitely on the change.  My body instantly reacts when temperatures drop. I have a constant runny nose, my fingers and toes are often a blue hue and I put my husband, dog and bank account through hell with sub-tropical heating inside the house, car and anywhere else I can control.

I am definitely not a cold weather girl.  I am half Arabic after all. I am of the desert. Of lands of sun and sand. I am definitely not destined to spend half a year, every year, wrapped up like the Michelin man with two pairs of gloves and socks at a time. Until such time however as that lottery win graces my palm with much silver, I must learn to somehow cover up (in style) and fight the good fight.

So, around the latter half of the year, I usually do some kind of coat edit. I look at what I have, what can be given to charity shops, what needs dry cleaning and then assess the gaps for potential new purchases.  This year I have been very lucky as I found two lovely second-hand coats down the road in my local village charity shops.

This is the first one, originally from Windsmoor,  which is going to be my smart going out coat (I just need to go out more!),  it's too lovely to be used on a day to day basis.  It was £10 which I didn't mind paying as it was in excellent condition and I could tell from the label that it was a true vintage piece. The label is a very old style when Windsmoor was the label of choice for people like my nan.  It has a velvet edge around the collar and cuffs with a slightly Russian edge to it.

The label on this one is Savoir and was only £6. Brand new with original tags (quoting a silly price of £75). I almost feel like I'm ripping off the charity shop when I buy things like this. 

It's as if I'm getting too much of a bargain and I need to say "put your damn prices up..........please!!!!!!"  The photo doesn't show the true colour, it's more terracotta than red and is a gorgeous thick ribbed wool material. 

  P.s...... Apologies for the uninspiring pictures above and below, I had two choices. Hang them in the hall and take the pic without thinking, or wait for daylight, a willing husband and a good photo opportunity.  The latter would be at least a week away so I went with option 1. 

This beautiful cape was a birthday present from my friend Jo.  We spent a great day together back at the start of the summer in Wells and she bought this very generous gift for me and kept it for my birthday in July. The only good thing about winter is that I have been waiting to wear this beauty. Our summer this year has prevented it from coming out sooner.  You simply slide your arms through the slits on the front that look like pockets et voila......   

Little Red Riding Hood lives.  I am thinking skinny jeans, long leather gloves and some lovely winter boots. It was around £40 from The Wells Trading Post which I have written about previously.  It's a truly amazing place and I am very lucky to have such a good friend.  What a gift. 

So there you have it. Despite the big freeze, I am hoping that I will look smart at least, as I wipe away the icicles hanging off my nose. 

Sniff. 

Golden Girl...

Back at the start of the summer, I was fatefully browsing Etsy one evening when I stumbled upon this gorgeous dress and with one look and a huge smile, I was hooked. 

A few clicks and a week of anxious waiting later and she was mine. Delivered straight from the US of A and into my ever so grateful clutches.  It instantly takes me back to 1970's disco and images of the A-listers gracing the threshold of Studio 54 in New York. Also of Bond Girls and the original Supermodels. Cindy Crawford et al would have looked beautiful in this piece.  Shoulder pads, wide belt and a super soft satin material.  I just love her.  I bought it from the seller Cool Vintage Finds for around £40 (£10 of which was shipping costs).  That is a lot of money for me to pay for something second-hand which just proves my love for her! She, however, does not yet love my waistline, which is currently too large to accommodate its slim lines.  So for now, she hangs in my dressing room, making me smile every time I catch a glimpse of her poking out from among the other numbers all crammed in (many of which are also waiting for a slimmer waistline before they can do their duty). 

My dressing room is fast becoming a tomb for many a beautiful item that has not yet been worn.  Daily I am reminded of how many beautiful items I have but have yet to wear.  It is true that dieting is so much harder as you get older but its also true that nothing will actually happen unless you actually put some effort in.  

Therein lies the problem.  

My new job is keeping me stupidly busy which has a flip side of me wanting to do a big fat nothing the minute I get home.  All sport is ruled out (and the nights are getting darker anyway  - see how good I am at justifying my inactivity?) and unless I do something soon to increase my heart rate and build up anything that resembles a sweat, all those clothes will be forever enshrined to a lonely grave. It would also help if I just didn't adore food so much.  My downfall, my Achilles heel, my love.  Even now as I write, I am dreaming of the loaded pizza that I know is on the menu for tea tonight.  

Its ironic really. I finally have the dressing room I dreamed of (which I have still not posted about but carpets and finishing touches are all happening this month so not long till I can show you all the finished article), and yet I would say 80% of the lovely clothes that it houses, are no longer options to wear thanks to my overactive appetite (and my love of wine). I heard on the radio the other day that a bottle of white wine has the calorific equivalent of 6 doughnuts.  I would never eat 6 doughnuts in a row and yet a bottle of wine?? Not a problem.  

Action must be taken soon though.  I have a couple of Christmas parties coming up, none of which I want to be rolled into. Dress up opportunities are few and far between these days so I want to make the most of it around the festive period. The good thing is that I don't have to buy a new dress, I just need to slim down and pick one I already have, so it would also be a win-win for the bank account.  

So watch this space to see if I actually manage to shed  a few pounds before Santa comes a knocking. It is now priority number one on my agenda. 

Right after that pizza.