Brown wool coat by Gerard Darel

I enjoyed my luncheon this week. It was really fine dining at its best with live jazz music being played in the background as we ate.  My only complaint was that I could have eaten more as I had not realized that it was only two courses but never mind, I filled up on bread.  After such a lovely and entertaining afternoon I am so looking foward to my upcoming three course dinner this week end - can't wait!!!

I did end up wearing an alternative outfit to what I had in mind for my luncheon only because it was a very rainy and overcast day so I decided to blend in and wear a black wool dress changing my orange swing coat to a grey wool faux fur cardigan which always looks dressy.  I was warm and comfortable the two most important points for me.

For my dinner on Friday I may opt for a maxi dress with a light wool knit cardigan or an orange top with cream or brown trousers or simply resort to my unworn 70's bell sleeve dress I planned to wear to the luncheon .  So many options but its good to have alternatives though it doesn't matter what I wear for I know that I will be warm in the latest addition to my investment pieces wardrobe - this brown wool large collar coat by Gerard Darel. A bit pricey if designer coats are not your speciality so take advantage now while this coat is reduced to clear. If I don't buy another coat for the next 2 years it is well worth it for I know that Gerard Darel coats will last me a lifetime. But forget how long it will last, the sheer compliments I've been getting  when wearing this coat is enough for me, not to mention I feel fabulous and glamorous - absolutely priceless

ballet shoes

I am so used to shopping online that I even ordered ballet shoes for my daughter online.  But alas they were too big and I had to send them back.  I know that with ballet shoes I usually have to order a size or two larger than her feet but bloch ballet shoes are actually made to size, hence my faux pas as we hadn't had that brand before.

There I was thinking today , where can I order ballet shoes for next day delivery as I needed them in time for her ballet class on Tuesday afternoon.  When suddenly it dawned on me why don't I just try my local ballet shop.  Sounds simple but I'm so accustomed to online ordering that it simply never occurred to me.  I think the problem was that I knew that the ballet shop didn't open every day so I had to call leave a message then call again as the time for my daughter's ballet class grew closer and closer then finally success as someone answered and they had her size in stock.  I was able to get her bloch ballet shoes with the elastic already sewn on.  The pre-sewn elastic is a huge plus for me as I always dread having to sew them on myself.  It's an absolute nightmare positioning the elastic just right and trying to get the needle through the leather.      

Ordinarily I was just searching for dance shops online but interestingly enough I discovered that John Lewis sells ballet shoes though not with the pre-sewn elastic.   In addition did you know that the search term "ballet shoes" and in particular "leather ballet shoes" refers to regular shoes like these cap toe ballet shoes from Lands End below?  I had no idea.  So of course there is always the distraction of being side tracked by your own shopping needs when shopping online.

love label dresses

I can't tell you what a great feeling it is to have food put in front of you rather than having to cook it yourself especially when you are constantly having to cook to feed a family on a daily basis.  I'm attending a formal luncheon tomorrow and a dinner the following week and I'm so looking forward to be waited on. At these rare and special occasions for me all notion of weight loss and diet goes out of the window as I am there to eat and relax.  This always influences my choice of what to wear as my chosen attire must be comfortable to leave me bulge-less around the tummy after eating a three course dinner.

If I opt to wear trousers then they must be lose and comfortable enough not to have to undo a button or burst a button and hurt someone. Planning what I'm going to wear is always a must as I'm usually rushing around sorting the kids before getting ready which from past experience leaves me half an hour so no time for dramas or getting it wrong and having to change with the clock ticking.  The last time I did not plan my attire I ended up leaving the house looking absolutely dreadful and I have the photos to prove it.

For my Tuesday luncheon which is going to be mostly ladies I'm going to go for that girly look and Love Label is one of my favourite brands when it comes to girly fashion for frills, bows and sequine dresses you name it - the whole bells and whistle. This chiffon 70's style dress really makes me feel feminine. I particularly like the sleeves and shape of this 70s dress and you can't get more feminine than chiffon fabric which is light and floaty, perfect for emphasising the sleeve detail.  Most important this chiffon dress will hide all bulges pre and post lunch.

For fashion accessories I'm keeping my jewellery ethnic so it's a toss up between my copper jewellery or my dramatic shell pendant.  

Womens winter shorts trend

One of the latest fashion trend this autumn/winter is the winter shorts i.e wearing short trousers with tights. I didn't think the trend would really catch on as I could not envisage wearing shorts in winter but since it was proving to be a mild winter by UK standards especially compared to the last 2 winters, I picked myself up a couple pairs including this velvet short trousers. 

Needless to say that I'm not wearing any shorts these days given our sub zero temperatures over the last few mornings. But if you think we have it bad,  Cordova Alaska with population of 2,200 has been buried under more than 15 feet of snow over the last few weeks.  Click here to read more 

So while we have happy scenes from the red carpet of the golden globe awards 2012 with Kate Winslet winning a Golden Globe for her performance in TV mini series Mildred Pierce and Miss Wisconsin being crowned Miss America 2012   innocent vacationers on the Italian cruise ship are no doubt facing devastation at this time.

So wearing my shorts is the least of my worries these days as I'm sure the weather will pick as it has today.  Just when I took the time to cover my windshield last night to avoid that 5-10 minutes delay while I scrape the car.  It rains. I just can't seem to get it right.

Keeping it slim in winter

Winter is the time many of us are sluggish about getting out and exercising but I'm proud to say I have faithfully resumed my hot yoga. But keeping the winter weight off is more than just exercising, it's also about watching what you eat and I mean this most literally. The choices we make about which foods will spend a moment on our lips but remain forever on the hips is so absolutely important.

Running late on Thursday the first day back o school I left home without my faithful morning smoothie made in my vitamix blender. Not wanting to risk a migraine from not eating on time, I headed to a nearby Sainsbury's cafe after dropping off the kids. As I studied the menu board I realised that the calorie intake was listed next to each meal which was so very helpful as I ended up having a cup of tea and a slice of toast.

It's amazing how when you see that a sausage sandwich is 600+ calories and a slice of toast with butter about 120 calories that you are able to make your mind up quickly. We can always hide our weight under this stunning cowl neck dress by Jaeger which has been reduced to clear by the way and which I'm so getting. But you know when I'm strutting my stuff in this dress if I'm also feeling good about myself I think I will look even more dynamite. click here for other reduced to clear special offers.