My new favourite thing

My faux fur hat. Which kept me toasty during the recent snow here in the UK (when this photograph was taken):

What do you think?

I am wearing: H&M faux fur hat; Zara cape; and Marks and Spencer arm warmers.

Christmas Wish List #9: Topshop knitwear

Every Christmas my mum buys me a new knit. This year I am lusting after these knits in Topshop:

Knitted Grey Crystal Slouchy Top

Knitted Dusty Rose Slubby Long Sleeve Boxy Top

Knitted Lurex Oversize Top

Handknit Cable Jumper

And the jumper that I most hoping to find under the Christmas tree this year:

Knitted Cable Jumper

What is on your Christmas wish list this year?

Something blue

It might be below freezing throughout the day at the moment and it might be incredibly difficult to feel at all warm when I step outside but I am actually loving the need to wrap up warm every morning. I have been searching for a long and chunky knitted scarf and some months now that won't leave bits over all of my coats. I have finally found one. This gorgeous blue scarf is from Primark. You will see that I also have the matching arm warmers. I'm not normally one for matchy matchy but this time I couldn't resist. They are just so warm!

How are you keeping warm in this weather?

I am wearing: H&M faux fur hat, Primark scarf, River Island coat and Primark arm warmers.

Catwalk fashion on a budget: fairisle knits

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There's nothing quite so stylish this winter as D&G's fairisle knits, nor so practical.

The Italian design duo's Autumn/Winter 2010 catwalk show was one that all of our mothers who have so often told us to "wrap up warm" would have certainly approved.

Luckily for those of us whose budgets don't quite stretch to D&G's prices, the high street have jumped on the trend and created - or knitted (!) - a whole host of warm and fashionable pieces to suit all tastes and budgets.

Clockwise from top left: Dorothy Perkins Red bow fairisle cosy boots; Dorothy Perkins Ivory reindeer cardigan; Topshop Knitted Snowflake Jumper; Peacocks Chunky Scarf; Peacocks ballet slippers; New Look Knitted Fairisle Dress; Dorothy Perkins Oatmeal heart fairisle scarf; Peacocks slipper boot; New Look Belted Reindeer Cardigan; Dorothy Perkins Red reindeer fairisle socks; Topshop Knitted reindeer jumper.



All of the reindeers are making me feel very Christmassy indeed. I have yet to purchase a fairisle knit piece but I have my eye on Topshop's reindeer jumper to snuggle up in on Christmas Day.

Have you bought any fairisle knits this winter? Are you planning to?

How to... Find footwear for the big freeze

As the UK is hit by snow and we all begin to dream of a White Christmas, I got to thinking about the constant effort to find suitable clothing and footwear at this time of year.

Of course, we all know to layer up and to don a hat and scarf and gloves but when it comes to footwear, what do you choose to trudge through the snow and ice on a cold winter's day? Certainly not a pair of ballet pumps or high heels!!

For years wellington boots seemed like the most appropriate choice of footwear - of course they remain a good option and you can see my picks here - but they don't have to be the only option:

From left: EMU STRINGER MINI boots; UGG BAILEY BUTTON boots; and DR MARTENS UNION JACK boots

When I went to New York a couple of years ago in January, I picked up a pair of EMU boots to keep my feet warm and dry:

They are, of course, rather similar to the UGG boots made famous by a multitude of celebrities:

Finally - and maybe not such an obvious choice - Dr Martens. See here for my decade-long love of these iconic boots.

Which boots will be keeping your feet warm and dry this winter?

Something For The Weekend: fireside fancies

we heart it

As the evening's draw in and the weather gets colder and greyer, all I want to spend my time doing is tucked up in a blanket, watching feel good films with a mug of something hot (and preferably alcoholic!). It is probably no real surprise then that this week I've been mostly finding myself reading posts about how to avoid the blogging blues and how to make my blog better. If you need some help to stop losing your blogging mojo too, check out these helpful posts: Problogger's Ten Tips For Writing A Blog Post; Vogue Mornings' How Not To Lose Motivation When Blogging; and Tickle Me Chic's Get Rid of Those Blogging Blues.

I decided to update my "look" this week by dying my hair, taking inspiration from Cheryl Cole's new hair colour:

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I chose L'Oréal's Casting Crème Gloss in Black Cherry. It's not quite as red as Cheryl's but that suits me as I'm not sure how such a bright red might have gone down at work. It is a nice warmer colour for the Christmas party season and I love how Casting Crème Gloss always leaves my hair so shiny (I can't stop running my fingers through it!). Have you tried it?

As the temperature continues to drop and the UK wakes to a blanket of snow this weekend, remember to check out my Christmas Wish List, which this week features some lovely faux fur treats from Asos where delivery is FREE everywhere in the world before Christmas. AND they are currently offering 20% off all Asos-own-brand with the code ASOS20 until Monday (29 November). So what are you waiting for? Go get warmed up!

Despite of my hair dying, I have been in the habit of covering my head this week. Taking inspiration from this lot:


Sources: Face Hunter; The Sartorialist; and Garance Doré


This week, I have been learning "How to be Chic" and have begun moisturising every day. Yes, every morning I make sure to moisturise my legs, my arms, my décolletage, my feet, my hands and my face. If I have time, I moisturise my torse too! I use either Jergens Naturals Body Moisturiser or The Body Shop's Shea Body Butter. I am hoping that this will soon become a daily ritual that I can't live without...

My Italian, as I discovered this summer, is more than a little bit rusty, so I have been attempting to brush it off a little by reading the fabulous and bi-lingual fashion blog: The Blog of Brunette.

I am preparing to spend the weekend with my family and by that, I mean that I will be at the hosptial where my grandmother currently is with all of her (my) family around her - I just hope she can feel all of that love surrounding her. So if I am a little slow visiting your blogs and commenting, please forgive me.

How about you? How will you be spending your winter wonderland weekends?

Happy Weekend everyone!

Something For The Weekend: Winter Warmers

All I want to do when I wake in the mornings and all I can hear is the wind howling around our apartment building and rattling at the windows, is turn off the alarm and bury back down under the covers and emerge again in the spring. Or at least when the first snow falls and there is something more pretty to get up for! After a week of mornings feeling like this, it is now the weekend and I am at the "in-laws" and I can just crawl back under the covers and lie in for as long as I want, or pull myself from the warmth of my bed to the warmth of the fireside. Either way, I plan to spend the next two days in the comfiest and warmest clothes possible, drink copious amounts of warms drinks and read. Pure luxury.

Speaking of luxury, have you told me yet: How Do You Define Luxury?

It is no coincidence then, given my current state of mind, that the folder on my computer that I inventively named "inspiration" is filled with photos of girls in warm-looking knits:


Sources (and I'm sorry but I can't remember which is which!): The Sartorialist; Face Hunter; and we heart it


It is also probably of no surprise that all I want to buy when I hit the shops at the moment, is cosy knitted things: over-sized cable-knit cardigans from Next; motif sweatshirts from Asos; and this snowflake knit jumper from Topshop. Or that I have been lusting after this gorgeous Ocabini Luxury Cashmere poncho over on Forty Not Out.

I have also decided to try to teach myself to knit. (Please don't laugh, friends and family who know me!!) It is something that I have been keen to try for many a year but this post from PinkBow finally inspired me to make a mad dash to John Lewis on Thursday evening. Franca, of Oranges and Apples and this week's Style Icon Guest Blogger, has also provided inspiration from her entire blog! A scarf has been started.

Meanwhile, these adverts for Micheal Kors:

Have me "dreaming of a White Christmas".

On that note, have you got into the festive spirit yet, with a Red Cup from Starbucks?

Following that same theme, who has started their Christmas shopping yet? And finished it? I have started mine and will - I hope - be finished by the beginning of December. It feels so liberating and allows me to enjoy the real build up to Christmas during advent without the constant worry of having to go inside the heaving shops again. For those stumped for ideas, Emily of Cupcakes and Cashmere, has begun her Holiday Gift Guide series and I even been, for a few weeks now, posting a series of Christmas Wish List ideas.

Right, there's a cup of tea with my name on it, waiting for me by the fire and a good book.

Have a happy weekend, whatever you're doing.