Charmed by Snake Shoes

There are some shoes you need - black courts, ballet pumps, trainers, boots...these are always good bets for the sales - both practical and timeless. But sometimes in the sales

 you find something totally bonkers that you need for an altogether different reason - if you pass it up now you may never see them again. 

I think snake sandals fit into this category. 

In black (above) the only had one pair that were slightly too small, but in blue they were thankfully in my size. All I need now is a new pedicure tomorrow in either blue, silver or red to complete the look. 

Shoes - Russell & Bromley 

Party Time

My Grandad worked for Kodak pretty much his whole life so cameras and taking pictures were always part of family life. Growing up we would often put a sheet up in my Grandparent's living room and watch slide shows of all his photos (he liked to shoot slides) and we have thousands of them from from the late 40's until the mid 80's. 


Over the last few years my Dad has been scanning them all in, from trips to The Ivy with Kodak in the 1960's to proper British beach holidays. They are an amazing archive of images of average family life in Britain. 


I love this one - my Dad (in the brown suit) with his girlfriend at the time (in the black and white dress) playing a party game in the late 1960's with friends. 


Photo - by my Grandad 

So Not A Rock Chick

For some reason (possibly because I went to the gym very early this morning) I thought today would be cold. It was only after wearing this outfit for an hour that I realised it was in fact as hot and sticky as any other day this glorious London summer. So the jeans and boots went and pumps and a pencil skirt were quickly enlisted. I used to love these jeans 6 months but looking at them now in these photos I'm not so keen. I can think of only two possible outcomes that are satisfactory - 1) I dye them blackest black, or 2) they go to Oxfam. 

Top - Whistles 

Jeans - Topshop

Boots - Christian Louboutin

Bangles - Kenneth Jay Lane & Topshop

Running In Heels

It's sort of ironic that, as a person who can't run in high heels, I have found myself being profiled on the Running In Heels site in the mystyle section. But then I guess that I do have a lot of heels to practice running in, should the need ever arise. 

From Books to Bargains - Charing Cross Road T.K.Maxx

I first discovered T.K.Maxx in 2002 after a friend raved about it. It soon became obvious that in shopping terms it was a near perfect fit for me - a shop designed to reward the rummager (a skill I have honed through a lifetime of charity shopping), heavily discounted designer goods and pieces that because of the nature of the stock, are less likely to end up on the back of every man, woman or child in town - how could I not love it?


For years I have wished for there to be a West End outlet. I have had to sate my appetite with trips to Hammersmith, Croydon, Lewisham, Newcastle and recently the High Street Ken branch (but I'm not really a Kensington girl, so it's my least visited one). Last month when I heard T.K.Maxx was opening on Charing Cross road I was beside myself, and of course I had to christen it on launch day yesterday. 


Like the High Street Ken outlet there is an emphasis on clothes and accessories (but there is no homeware department - sob) with a number of premium brands floating about from Blumarine, Stella McCartney, Pucci & Missoni to name but a few. However, it still ain't cheap - with these pieces you are still looking at price tags ranging from £200 to £500. So I had a hunt around the rest of the stock and came across a lovely little skirt from an unknown French brand for under £20 and promptly raced home to try it on. 

Jacket - Calvin Klein (from super discount rail at Filene's Basement in NY)

T-Shirt - American Apparel 

Skirt - Deby Debo 

Shoes - NW3 by Hobbs 

Summer Dressing

I haven't really worn any of my summer dresses this year, I've been much more enamoured with shorts for some reason. 

But after an early morning pilates lesson I felt an urge for a bit of a dress up. I don't usually buy Primark stuff anymore - it's  so cheap you end up with piles of stuff you neither need nor wear, simply because the price tag says £3, but this Primark dress is one of my only purchases from there in the last year and cost £13. I couldn't stand the hassle of another silk dress going off to the dry cleaners and paying that amount for a clean (must stop buying silk dresses, totally impractical), so I thought a pretty cotton sun dress was a simple daytime option. 

I only went out on a quick errand and the builders around the corner made no attempt to conceal the fact they were trying to look up my skirt. The reality of fashion is so often a disappointment. 

Dress - Primark 

Shoes - NW3 by Hobbs

A Visual Diary - Paris

The Grand Palais

The YSL retrospective - go!

Inside the Petit Palais Courtyard - the whole building was recently fully renovated, it was just stunning. I can't believe I've never been there before. 

The main hall of the Petit Palais - no photos allowed of the exhibition - sad face. 

After the exhibition I stopped off at Colette. It's always a bit style over substance for me - but I loved this installation on the 1st floor. I want to recreate this in my parent's orchard when my brother has his wedding celebration there this August. 

And you can't go to Paris without nipping in to get some macaroons for the journey home. I am a geek for their packaging. I'm contemplating a macaroon b'day pyramid like this one to the right (but much bigger, because I'm greedy).