Dressing for a weekend away

A weekend away is always great, and this one may just be staying at my Dad's, but it will be the first time I get to meet my new nephew! However no matter how exciting, several days before we go (ok a week or two) I start having the 'what shall I take to wear' dilemma. Despite often popping away for the weekend (my family aren't local so traveling to see them is a regular thing) I still haven't mastered how to pack for a weekend away. I seem to either end up throwing in too much stuff, or taking stuff I intend to wear and bringing it back untouched after the weekend is spent in the same pair of jeans. (Note that taking too little stuff has never been an issue)

I always think it is far easier to travel when you are either going somewhere warm or cold, however this island of ours is often too intemperate meaning you can have one day of glorious sun followed by snow and gales the next and need to be prepared for both! This makes packing much harder and more last minute as I sit watching the weather forecast wondering if I need to take a waterproof as well as the suncream (ok I always take the suncream). This is then coupled with discussions about the fact it is only 2 nights away and do I really need to take this much, why can't I be one of those savvy travellers with a small bag and an ability to always look good!?

This weekend is no exception to any of that. Mr Owl and I swore to try and take less stuff and I have fallen back on trying to plan my outfits in advance to help with this- and then I threw an extra jumper in and a spare summer blouse as you never know.... I thought I would share my outfit photos with you after the weekend and compare them to what I had planned on and then I can see how well this works out, or not as the case may be.

Therefore the outfits needed are:
Friday
 Needed: something suitable for work (ok my office is relaxed so anything but shorts is fine) and comfortable to then sit in the car down the M6 for however long it takes.
 Solution: Jeggings and an old but comfy long sleeved Abercrombie top layered over a vest with a scarf over the top and ankle boots. The scarf will double up as a blanket in the car for the inevitable 'I'm too hot / I'm too cold discussion'
Saturday
 Needed: Daytime outfit to visit my nephew and niece in (and my sister too of course). Evening outfit for meal in local restaurant.
 Solution: Dress for daytime with brogues or boots. Black jeans for the evening with floaty vest and strappy sandals/
Sunday
 Needed: Outfit for a walk in the morning, then large roast and long drive home.
 Solution: Jeggings (from Friday) and long stripey top. Wellie boots.

Obviously I have thrown several other things in, 'just in case' and the case is as usual pretty full. At least I don't have to worry about the weight when there are no planes involved.
Check back next week for photos and to see how many of my outfits I stuck too or whether I totally fail at this weekend away packing (again!)  If you have any tried and tested methods for weekends away and how to pack less, please let me know!

Little Owl 

Fondant Fridays #7

Ok I know what you are thinking- that doesn't look very pastel!? What can I say, it did in 'real life' but  I couldn't quite get the colours to look the same on the camera. I am going to blame it on the light being affected by the Sahara sand which got this far north yesterday, though it wasn't as bad here as down south.
Anyway, I picked this jumper up a couple of years back from H&M from their slighly more expensive range. The colour seems to vary in the light from a pale green to grey to beige. It is actually quite warm being a wool mix but as it is so finely knit it works well in spring when it is still quite cool but you don't want to be wearing a chunky knit. I think it looks great for a casual but more expensive feel, if that makes sense?
My outfit shots were disturbed by the arrival of a small visitor at the bird table and the rest of the evening was spent taking photos of him instead, so I felt obliged to include one in this post.

Jumper - H&M

Jeans - Pepe

Mouse - Wood Mouse

Spring Forward!

When we moved to our current house I made several wardrobe related resolutions, one was too try and keep our own stuff to our own room (no more filling up the spare room wardrobe with outfits) and the other was to stop rotating winter and summer clothes and just make the most out of everything. Eventually it became clear that I either couldn't keep both of those resolutions, or I was going to have to clear out a lot of stuff, so back to separating out some winter and summer things it was. As the weather has started to warm up and the nights get lighter I have found myself hesitating at putting on a thick woolly dress, so when the clocks changed this weekend I decided it was time to pack the winter gear away and get out all my lovely summery things (even if it is still too cold to wear most of it) This means pulling everything out of the wardrobe and wrestling it into vacum bags to shrink down, only to discover that winter gear takes up twice as much space and that inevitably there is a hole in one of the bags (cue a quick dash to Argos). Eventually it was done and I now feel like I have a whole new wardrobe to play with as I find things I forgot I had. Ironically saying this I am sat here writing in my usual home working attire of hoody and joggy bottoms, not a floaty summer's dress in sight, but the wardrobe is there bursting (literally) with potential!

Fondant Fridays #6

Due to this little series of posts I have now begun to associate pastel colours with Friday, which means no more work and a few cheeky beers in the pub, so my love of these shades is just increasing! Apparantly the weather might warm up again this weekend too, so even more of a chance to wear them. Anway this week's number features some pink Topshop Baxter jeans that I got last summer. I like the fact that the pink is more muted and not too bright and is therefore perhaps easier to match with other items. The top was an M&S sale bargain I think from the end of last year that I have only just got around to digging out. Like most skinny jeans you can dress these up or down, I think the look I have here would work well for a slightly smarter day outfit (due to the heels which normally means smart for me) The loose hanging of the top helps hide any tummies, so perhaps good for a lunch out (now I just need to engineer myself a lunch out as I am not sure sitting on the sofa in my joggies counts!)  Anyway as always let me know what you think.

Jeans - Topshop

Top - M&S

Fondant Fridays #5

So this week's Fondant Friday is a lovely minty green jumper that I found the other week in Zara menswear! I figured it is perfect for a laid back spring look as it is cotton rather than woollen and a lovely pastel colour. I have worn this today just simply over a pair of Topshop skinny jeans with boots and a simple necklace for a bit of bling. However I have also styled it over a skirt and with shirts underneath to vary the look and dress it up more. The colour is also a little different (I am sure I will see it loads now I have this) which I liked. It only goes down to a medium in menswear so if you are a small wee thing then it might drown you, especially in the arms, but the fit on me is fine.
What do you think- do you buy menswear too when you like the style of something?

Jumper - Zara

Jeans - Topshop

Boots - New Look

Prettier on the inside

Well thank goodness for antibiotics I am slowly starting to feel human again, however not enough that I want to share my face with you all! However the other week I spied some lovely underwear in M&S (where else for underwear?) with a slightly vintage look to it, so I was delighted when a parcel came last week from Mr Owl to cheer me up, containing the said undies. After all who doesn't feel better when they are wearing a nice matching underwear set? There is absoloutely zero chance of me modelling these for the blog, however I wanted to share them. The longer length of the bra felt a little odd at first, but then I am sure it began to make me sit up straighter and improve my posture so a workout as well as support! I love the detail of the little buttons and lace finish.  Even better for all of you, these are now on sale in M&S so snap them up before they are gone.

 

Underwear set - M&S

Fondant Fridays #4

So last week's Fondant Friday didn't happen, sorry about that, but hopefully it is all back up and running now. This week features a lovely pale blue cable knit jumper that I got for my birthday from TopShop. With it's loose boxy shape it is ideal for throwing on over a pair of skinnies. It also means you can get a few layers underneath too when it is cold. I think jumpers like this are great for this time of year, the paler colour is a nice nod to spring, but the thick jumper lets you stay warm, possibly even coat free like me, which again has more of a spring feel to it.

Jumper - Topshop

Jeans - Tophop

Boots - New Look

Swan Lake

What a crazy few weeks, but hopefully normal blogging service will resume now. Anyway I wanted to show you these lovely trousers that I picked up from M&S Outlet the other week for the bargain price of £7! I have always liked these peg leg/chino-esque style trousers but for ages convinced myself that they were not flattering on me. I have now either stopped caring or changed my mind as have acquired a few pairs recently, and for such a good price it would be rude not too. They're great when you don't fancy jeans but your legs don't like tights either (fellow eczema sufferers will sympathise). I find the hardest thing however is matching a pair of shoes to them, they do tend to work better in the summer when you can match them with sandals or flipflops. Anway for this outfit I turned to my trusty cons and matched them with a lovely shirt I had from Oasis. The orange in the swan's beaks seemed to match up well. What do you think- is this style of trousers still unflattering on me?

Trousers - M&S

Shirt - Oasis

Shoes - Converse

Sunshine

Things have been a little manic recently with work (don't they know I have a blog to write?!) so apologies for not posting yet this week. However I wanted to share some photos from the weekend, when we had a little bit of sunshine and decided to get out and make the most of it. Wellies are a must at the moment as the ground is still very wet, I got these ones a few years ago for my birthday. They are Hunter's Huntress wellies, which means they have a more feminine cut to the legs, I am sure my Dad thought that was a good thing when he got them, forgetting that my calves are not the slimmest! Despite that they are still incredibly comfy and nothing like the wellington boots I remember as a child. To keep warm whilst out I wore a jumper and gilet from Crew Clothing and hat from Barts.
I am not sure that the shape of my skirt does me any favours, and much as I love the warmth of thick woollen tights they seem to add inches, I'll have to stick to the standard opaques.

Wellingtons - Hunter

Gilet - Crew Clothing

Jumper - Crew Clothing

Skirt - H&M

Hat - Barts



Fondant Fridays #3

A little break in the weather last night meant we could escape out for some fresh air, and the sunshine made it feel like spring was almost on the way. Therefore some boyfriend jeans, white pumps and my yellow Ralph Lauren jumper seemed the obvious outfit choice to watch the sun dropping over the reservoir. Admittedly my toes were starting to go slighly numb on the stroll back, so perhaps I need to rethink this slightly until the weather warms up more. I always find this time of year tricky to dress for, with all the new colours and styles in the shops you want to start dressing for spring- then the heavens open again and it is back to wellies and jumpers. Jumpers in lighter colours with paler jeans seems to be a way to compromise (though socks are still required!) The lemony yellow of this jumper reminds me of the lovely yellow Fondant Fancies my Friday posts were named after, sadly I didn't have any of the chocolate that is always drizzled over them to hand.

Fondant Fridays #2

This week's Fondant Friday coincides with Valentines Day so my outfit had to be something more romantic, and pink seemed the obvious (cliched) fondant colour to go for. This beautiful pink maxi skirt was from Tophop last year, I love the floaty fabric over the top of the satin underskirt. You can wear it casually in the summer with a vest and some bangles or dress it up. I also plan to try it with a chunky jumper for contrast (and probably more practical in the current weather). To stay with the romance of the day I paired it with a cream lace top from H&M and just kept to a few bracelets. What do you think- is this a romantic Valentines outfit?