Tag Archives: Summer 2013

A Happy Day

Posted in Family Life by

window sign

Today was no ordinary day – it was Clemmie’s third birthday. (Sign from a shop window in our village)

present opening

Present opening and cupcakes for breakfast.

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The best present was without a doubt the yellow scooter which had been talked about for weeks. It had its first outing on the school run this morning.

Scooter school

A birthday party for a handful of little friends at home in the garden. Another day of glorious weather – long may it last!

Birthday party

Playing in the garden but the beloved scooter was never far away. No one else was allowed to touch it and for once I did not implore her to share.

Playing

Happy birthday girl!

Playing 2

The Fashion Clinic #4: Summer in the City

Posted in Fashion by

So the sun is beating down and all you want to do is stretch out on the lounger next to the pool with a good book and chilled glass of rosé for company. Sadly for most of us this scenario only becomes a reality for a couple of weeks a year (if we’re lucky!) when we jet off on holiday. The rest of the time we have to contend with our normal routine regardless of the weather – whether that’s running after the children or braving the tube to go to work (or both!) – so here’s my guide on how to stay cool and look hot (but not frazzled) when the temperature soars.

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Clockwise from top left: Dress by Hobbs NW3; Top from Zara; Shorts by Asos; Bracelet by Monica Vinader; Shoes by Whistles; Dress by Asos; Jacket by Asos

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Clockwise from top left: Bracelet from H&M; Dress by Free People; Vest from Topshop; Shorts by Vero Moda; Sandals from Oasis; Dress by Asos

This week’s favourites

Posted in Family Life by

This week has had definite highs (the scorching weather for a start) and lows (all three children coming down with the sickness bug springs to mind…).

Garden centre

A trip to the garden centre at the start of the week to get some new plants and sand for the sandpit.

Jamies Collage

Dinner at Jamie Oliver’s Italian restaurant with the whole family after shopping for more birthday presents for Clemmie. I had a yummy starter of deep fried squid followed by the Black Angel pasta. I then spent the remainder of the meal trying to steal spoonfuls of Cameron’s salted caramel ice cream – definitely having that next time!

Jamie food

Summer is now officially here! Faking it is the only way to tan these days and I can always rely on Fake Bake’s tanning mousse to turn my limbs from lily white to sunkissed. I also tried the St Tropez Tan Optimiser application mitt for the first time and it really helped to blend the colour and get an even coverage. Highly recommended!

Sun Collage

A game of badminton against Daddy in the garden before bedtime (which somehow seems to have moved at least an hour later than usual..):

badminton

Breakfast on the terrace in the sunshine. Freshly baked scones and a large mug of coffee.

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On my way to a fab 40th birthday party that sadly my husband had to miss as he stayed home to nurse the sick children. The £7 H&M dress had its first outing, teamed with metallic wedges from Kurt Geiger. By the way, if you’re wondering why I’m holding my hands funnily it’s because I was rushing to get ready and had only just applied a fresh coat of nail polish!

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Happy Friday ♥

Posted in Family Life by
Beautiful flowers are a lovely way to mark the start of the weekend

Beautiful flowers are a lovely way to mark the start of the weekend

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Here in London the temperature is set to soar to 27 degrees, my sister is visiting from Sweden with her two kids and we’re going to a 40th birthday party tomorrow which looks set to be fabulous.

Apart from one of the children coming down with a tummy bug yesterday and missing his sports day, life couldn’t get much better!

Currently Coveting #4

Posted in Currently Coveting by

Free PeopleCollage

This season’s collection from the US-based label Free People has got my name written all over it. The pieces are distinctive without being outrageous and have a laid-back, easy feel with a slight hippy vibe running through the whole collection.

The brand, which hails from the same stable as two other favourites of mine, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters, is sold through the Free People website and selected stockists including Urban Outfitters’ UK stores.

In the picture above (left to right):Candies Sweet Tee; Novella Top; Dandelion Top.

Things that made me smile this week

Posted in Family Life by

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Having breakfast out on the terrace in the sun.

Converse

Seeing my two-year-old daughter’s first ever pair of Converse (pink of course!) next to mine

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Checking the weather forecast on my phone in the morning and being greeted by this! Not exactly a heatwave but a vast improvement on last month.

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Finally fitting into my favourite pre-pregnancy jeans, one month before my last baby turns three!

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My little princess in the gold crown she made at playgroup this week

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Having tickets to go and see The Great Gatsby at the cinema tonight with a friend. Spending a couple of hours being transported to the glamorous 1920s in the company of Leonardo Di Caprio will be a fine end to a busy week.

The perfect summer dress – only £7 from H&M

Posted in Fashion by

hmdresses

Being Swedish I have always had a soft spot for H&M – after all, along with ABBA and Ikea, it is arguably the country’s most famous export. While I do shop there in the colder months, it is in the summer that the store really comes into its own for me. When the sun is out I want clothes that are comfortable to wear and can be thrown into the washing machine on a 40 degree wash after a trip to the beach or picnic in the park. I don’t want to spend a fortune on pieces that will only be worn for three months of the year (if that, given the last couple of dismal summers we’ve had!).

It’s in the autumn/winter that I tend to buy my investment or ‘forever’ pieces – the perfect jumper in the softest cashmere or the pure wool coat that nips in at the waist just so – that come with a ‘daren’t quite look’ price tag and a dry clean only label. That’s not to say that I throw my H&M or other budget finds into the charity bag at the end of each season. Many of them become firm favourites which are brought out from the under the bed storage box where I keep all my summer clothes every year when the temperature soars. I have one white H&M skirt, bought in the summer of 2005 when Sienna Miller’s boho look was all the rage, that is still one of my favourite summer pieces.

This morning I visited my local branch and exited with four pretty and flattering dresses, with change left over from £30. The dress with crochet detailing was  on special offer (£7, down from £12.99 which is not exactly expensive either) so I bought it in three colour ways as well as a grey T-shirt dress for £7.99. If that’s not good value I don’t know what is!