I don't know what to wear

Tomorrow I am meeting up with some fabulous blogging friends - mostly old ones (as in I have known them for a while, not just referring to our ages of 40 +) but also some new ones. I am VERY excited and have been looking forward to it for many months.

We met for the first time last year and it was such a good day and night. I was sad to have to leave the party last year at 8pm but as we had started drinking at noon I think this was a good idea! This year I'm sharing a room in London with Avril and I hope we can keep ourselves on the straight and narrow. She was brilliant last year helping me onto the right train (we were going in the same direction for some our journey home).

Who am I meeting up with?

Avril - School Gate Style
Joanna - Poppy's Style
Helen - The Flaky Fashionista
Sue - Susie So So - 
Marlene - Chocolate Cookies & Candies
Kat - Does My Bum Look 40
Natalie - Glam Rosie
Michelle - My Fashionable 40s
Frances - School Run Style
Donna - I Won't Wear Sludge Brown

BUT WHAT ON EARTH TO WEAR? I had the same question last time we met!

I'm stuck because it's cold, it might rain and I've gained weight and (relative to me) I don't like what it's done to my tummy. Everyone else can't see it (although a friend did prod me in the belly the other night and laugh - urm thanks).

Here are my choices ... which one would you wear if you were me?

Sorry about DREADFUL photos - I have no idea what's going on there!

I am going more towards number 1 because my cream top is nice and baggy/good at hiding)

HELP ME!

Fiona
xoxo

All things spotty

Inspired by a gorgeous lady posting on Avenue 57 yesterday ...

I want a polka dot jumper! In fact, I think I want lots of spotty things! A quick search has me drooling over these beauties:

Navy Spotty Dress - £34 (I have this see end of post)

Dorothy Perkins Blue Spotty Snood £9.50

Tesco Polka Dot Blouse - £16

Really cute in blue

Mango Spotty Blazer - £44.99

Boden Spotty Skirt - £55

Mango Polka Dot Sweater - £14.99 - BARGAIN!

Boden Spotty Cardigan - from £49

Boden Navy Spotty Shoes - £69

Here I am in the Dorothy Perkins Spotty Dress I mentioned at the beginning

There really are not enough hours in the day to list all the gorgeous polka dot pieces at Boden - hop over and just put in the search box 'polka dot'!

Do you go dotty for spots? I am looking forward to a dots and stripes mash up - watch this space

Fiona
xoxo

Where to buy Cobalt Blue Shoes?

I need blue shoes, I've seen some cracking pictures on Pinterest and now I want in. I did order some from Dorothy Perkins last week (and blogged about them here) but they were too hard for my delicate feet and they didn't fit correctly (do you see the silly gap?).

Dorothy Perkins - £25
My feet just didn't sit in them correctly which is a shame because I thought they looked great on if you didn't inspect too closely.

Marks & Spencer - £29.50
Not sure if these are 'me' - I want a higher heel

Marks & Spencer - £39.50
Cute, perfect colour but not high enough

Marks & Spencer - £29.50
Going to order these - they look perfect to me

New Look via ASOS - £19.99
Fab price, just unsure about tbar ankle strap and is the heel height too high?

Dune via ASOS - £69
Heel height looks low again - if I'm doing a heel then I want a heel but I don't want a skyscraper

House of Fraser - £95
REALLY want these, will save me stressing about suede protection BUT I do not want to pay £95 for them!

Mode in Pelle - £79.95
I'm thinking the heel would be great for comfort but I'm not sure they are 'me'

I NEED a pair because they set off the Peter Pilotto dress to perfection

Do you have blue heels? Where did you buy them from? I am loathe to order all of the above to road test but perhaps that's just what this nonfashionista must do?

Fiona

xoxo

Dorothy Perkins 25% discount - what I bought

Who am I to refuse 25% off and FREE next day delivery? I ordered on Wednesday afternoon at 2pm and I had my clothes for 10am Thursday morning - now that's what I call service!

My mum and aunt were with me so I was very excited to hear what they had to say about my ordered items.

Let's jump straight in to the photo's (all prices are BEFORE the 25% has been taken off)

Navy and White Stripy Tunic - £25

This is a FABULOUS dress if you are not 5ft 9! I was gutted because it felt amazing on .. just too short :-(
I have seen that they do this in their tall range so I am quickly off to order, but before I do what do you think about the seams not matching in stripe? It bothered my mother so much (I'd not even noticed).
ME: oh no, it's too short
Aunty Jeanne: oh yes far too short
Mum: Shame it's too short
VERDICT: Too short, returning for the tall range if I can get over the mis-match of stripe pattern on the seam!

Black Jumpsuit - £22
I really wanted to love this BUT it had a very saggy crotch that I kept trying to hoike up and then that pushed the waistband up and then down as I tried to make it look good again and then we're back to the saggy crotch problem. I didn't feel at all comfortable in this even though I LOVE the wide neck.
ME: Nah, I feel like I'm wearing my pjyamas's
Aunty Jeanne: Oh yes, that is gorgeous
Mum: Not sure
VERDICT: Returning

Mint Waffle Dress - £20

I couldn't even get it on! It's a size 10 which I thought I was so this dress runs SUPER SMALL. It has no buttons or zips and it's a tight fabric (good for holding in and structure) but impossible to get on! I tried 3 times but each time had to be helped out with it STUCK over my head and shoulders! I think I may re-order in a 12 because the colour and design is epically (made up word) gorgeous.

Me: How annoying

Aunty Jeanne: Are you sure there's not a zip

Mum: Yes I'll help you out of it

VERDICT: Returning and thinking about reordering in a 12 (this hurts, not because it's a size 12 per se but who on earth likes ordering the next dress size up?)

Cobalt Blue High Heels - £25

Peach High Heels - £25 - OOS

Red Suede Chunky Heels - £29

Mint Green Ballet Pumps - £12

ME: Ooh I love them but they are too hard, no give and don't fit my feet properly, same for the peach, the ballet shoes and whilst I loved the red shoes they don't love me, they're too rounded on the toe, I don't like the look of them on me.

Aunty Jeanne: That's what you get when you buy cheap shoes. The red shoes look very old fashioned

Mum: Lovely colour but agree they don't fit properly. I don't like the red heels, very fuddy duddy. The peach ones look tacky.

Verdict: SADLY RETURN (sad because I need some cobalt blue shoes but they just didn't fit right)

Do you see the gaping toe gap? Maybe it's my strange feet??!

Here is how shoes can make an outfit. As I was prancing around the bedroom I put on boyfriend jeans rolled up and a simple black tshirt and then the heels - I love this outfit and am so desperate for Spring to spring so I can wear this more often.

Let me know if you have ordered anything from Dorothy Perkins in the past week, if so what?

Next blog post - what I bought whilst picking up some bread from Tesco!

Fiona
xoxo

What I look like in Peter Pilotto

2 weeks ago I said Peter who? I am going to admit to you that I had never heard of this man before. #suchafashionfailure So when everyone was going on about the new colllection for Target (one of my favourite US stores) I thought I'd get amongst the frenzy because my Mum was actually in the US the day it launched so I quickly put my order in and it's only today that I've been given the goods. I asked for this and that and that and this and had thought I was only getting one top (due to shortage of stock) so was THRILLED when today I received 4 pieces - YIPPEE!

Here's what I got today (which by the way had been screwed up in a bag for 2 weeks and was CREASE FREE)

I couldn't wait to try the things on so I stripped off in my kitchen and they were gorgeous (except 1 piece, see below).

I then decided to take some proper selfie photos with shoes on etc

This dress is gorgeous, right length, gorgeous pattern, hides bumps, can be dressed up or down - I am loving it!

This is just a different colour and don't need this so have sold to a friend.

I wanted to love this top but it doesn't sit right on me - it's slightly too big but only ever so .. still, it's not right so it's going to a new good home.

Now I am keeping this but just realised that I've totally styled it like a person that gets dressed in the dark! It's MUCH better with jeans/trainers and I love that it's a long top, fab quality tshirt material and is so different for me. Thinking white jeans in the summer will be nice too.

So did I make the right choices to keep the red dress and long sleeved tshirt?

Fiona
xoxo

Dorothy Perkins - 25% off

Just got an email to tell me Dotty P's have 25% off all week - whoop whoop! Enter DPFW25 at the checkout. If you want free express delivery too then just add the code SPEEDYDEL also. For International readers there is free delivery is you use this code DPDEL50.

Here's what I just added to my basket and will be delivered tomorrow - I'll show and tell next week.

Striped Dress - £25

 Black Jumpsuit - £22

Peach High Heels - £25

Mint Green Ballet Pumps - £12

Mint Green Shift Dress - £20

Red Suede Shoes - £29

Today I am in the office - comfy casual all the way.
Jumper - bought in the US last year
Jeans - TK Maxx
Boots - no idea, they are at least 15 years old!

Have a good day and I can't wait to show and tell my goodies - I won't be keeping all but I'll have fun reviewing and trying on :-)

Fiona
xoxo

My Boden Review - Stripy!

Boden isn't an online store I frequently ever shop in. And you might be thinking I got some items gifted for this post because of the way I am about to gush about them, but I promise you nothing was gifted. I wanted to try them out because I've heard so many good things about them over the years. I have ordered from them before but their dresses and me don't get on. They always sit at the wrong place on my body and I end up looking really frumpy and dumpy in them.

I spent a few mins last week browsing through the extensive catalog and I wanted something that wasn't typically Boden - I can spot a Boden dress/skirt from 1000 paces. When my package arrived (promptly) I laughed out loud when I opened it because all I'd bought was stripy things and I didn't do that consciously! I'm after a new breton top and that's why I went there in the first place.

I thought it might be fun to show the model vs the flat item vs me in it.

Jersey Maxi Dress - £89
Don't bother with this if you are under 5ft 9. It'll be far too long. It oozes quality and I was in love with it when I felt it in my hands but .... I think it's too low on me - my boobs (of which I don't have any) appear to be the only thing you see! Also wondering what Boden was thinking by ONLY showing the back view of the model? I also noticed in the link that this is apparently from the petite range - urm petite what?
Verdict - returning

Easy T-shirt Dress - £49
I knew this was going to be gorgeous the moment I slipped it on over my head. It fit like a glove and I can see me wearing it A LOT. That would be if I wanted to spend nearly £50 on a dress! I am so tight, like really tight right now as I have a lot to save for. I want to keep this but the bank balance says no :-(
Verdict - Returning only due to finances, the dress is a beaut!

Full Stripy Skirt - £69
Again this is a stunning skirt but it's heavy. I know that means quality for some but for me it was a bit too heavy. If I had an office job it would be GREAT teamed with a blazer or dressed down with a tshirt as I have worn it. I did feel a bit Kirsty Alsop in it too which is why I've reached my verdict below.
Verdict - Returning

Essential Crew T-shirt - £15
Yes yes yes yes yes - that is all!
Verdict - KEEP

Modern Stripy Top - £35
I like this as it's slightly baggy and it would hide things that need hiding. It has a cute button detail to one side on the shoulder and splits either side on the hem. I love it with the lemon shorts, how cute does that look?
Verdict - Undecided

Out of stock until May was this beauty. I've cancelled this as I can't wait until May!
Embroidered Skirt - £89

And on its way to me this week is this
Breton Tunic £49

I have been very impressed with the ease of ordering via Boden, the speedy FREE delivery, the little notebook I got as a thank you gift for ordering and a free scarf! The quality of the clothes is amazing, there is not doubt about that at all and I guess I should remember that if you buy well you need only buy once.

Do you order from Boden? What's been your best buy of late? Do show and tell on Avenue 57 if you have time.

Fiona
xoxo