Wardrobe wishlist - Christmas edition

Dress //  Shoes // Jacket // Handbag // Enamel Pin // Necklace // Glasses // Washbag

It has been a looooong ol' month this December and we're just past half way!  Finally I am on my hols and can turn my attentions to nice things like outfits I would buy if money were no object... (Not that the above are expensive just that I am trying to save money so have to look adoring at ASOS and the like but not click 'order now'.)

Wardrobe wishlist

notebook // top // cardigan // pen // belt // water bottle // skirt // bag // shoes

Heading up North

It's conference time again!  In a couple of weeks I will be heading up to Glasgow to attend a European Educators conference, I'm really looking forward to it as I haven't been to Glasgow before.  I'm still paying off my credit cards from the time I spent in the States after the last conference I attended so this Wardrobe Wishlist really is a wishlist.  I can feel my bank balance whimpering at the thought of me buying any of this *sigh*.

Conference essentials

• My conference essentials would include a water bottle - with all the talking and presentations you do you'll need to hydrate, I'm a big fan of glass water bottles as I hate the taste of re-usable plastic water bottles. 
• Comfortable shoes are a must, stomping up and down a conference hall you quickly rack up several miles walking a day and it is agony if you have bad footwear because you just have to keep going blisters or not.  Take blister plasters just in case!
• I use an iPad to take my notes and find that Evernote is the best software for it, I have it synced to my phone, iPad, work computer and home computer so it doesn't matter which device I use to take my notes they'll automatically appear on which ever device I'm using.
• Always take more business cards than you think you will possibly need!!  Not having a card to give at each and every meeting is really embarrassing and potentially a missed opportunity.
• Mints, so many mints... you'll drink so much coffee to get you through the long days (breakfast meetings, back-to-back itineraries followed up with evening receptions mean you need a ton of coffee) no one likes to meet someone with coffee breath and it's certainly not something you want to be remembered for!

Well that's about it, if there are any more essentials I discover after the conference I'll let you know!

Spotlight on Pinterest: Style // glasses

I am a very big fan of Pinterest, I had to uninstall it from my phone recently because I would spend hours every evening pinning and pinning bits and bobs from the internet that I love.  I'm actually pretty proud of my Pinterest boards so I thought I would start a weekly Monday feature sharing my favourite ones with you starting with: Style // glasses.

I have four eyes

You may have noticed I'm a wearer of glasses.  They first entered by life aged 14 and I wasn't too chuffed about it, like most teenagers I hated anything that would draw attention to me.  It's fair to say I have a different opinion about statement glasses now and try to get ones that stand out.  I hate glasses with big logos on the arms but seem to favour large Coronation Street style frames at the moment.  Take a look at some of the glasses I've pinned to my Style // glasses board and send me any pins you think I might like I love receiving pins from Pinterest folks!

Follow Anna's board Style // glasses on Pinterest.

Wardrobe wishlist

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The allotment edition

Internal monologue whilst choosing items for this post: *don't pick a smock, don't pick a smock* so what do I do - I only go and pick a bloody smock!  Damn it.

I used to wear mostly jeans and ratty old t-shirts to the allotment but over the years have moved more towards dresses.  This is not in an attempt to be glamorous on the plot or anything but dresses allow more freedom of movement which when you're digging and weeding is really useful.  Pockets are a bonus and for the summer months anything that covers your shoulders to protect from sunburn (how old do I sound?).

Essential attire

• A decent pair of sunglasses are a must, the ones above are made of wood I NEED them!
• Wellies are another essential, I've actually got a pair that I've had for over ten years that only cost me £3.50 in the first place and despite wearing them all year round on the plot there is no sign of them giving up on me which is great!  If they were to give up on me I think I would need to fuel my addiction to stripes with these wellibobs, the ankle height appeals as you're not shifting the extra weight of a full sized boot around (after four or more hours working on the plot you feel that extra weight!).
• Although I haven't included them in this wishlist a hat and a decent pair of gloves are a must.  I wear a soft leather pair of gloves as they are sturdy and allow me to get in amongst the brambles without damaging myself, if you're not keen on leather sturdy cotton are also good but might restrict your movement if you get too big a pair.

Essential extras

• Is a mug an essential extra?  Personally I think this spaceman mug is :)
• Anyone who has worked outside during those cold winter months will know that you need to take care of your hands, I don't think I will ever grow out of loving the satsuma range at The Body Shop.  I've loved it since I was a teenager and still love it now.

Wardrobe wishlist

Lazy bank holiday weekends...

... deserve casual new outfits!  I'm actually saving up for my forthcoming trip to Boston and New York at the end of May (eeeeeee only a few weeks to go!) so can't splurge on new outfits, but if I COULD I would put this little outfit together, I'd probably wear it with black leggings as it's not quite warm enough get to get the old pins out!

For the love of tan

I seem to be developing a deep rooted love of all things tan leather, I have actually ordered the sandals because I've been told they're really comfortable so I thought they would be great for stomping around the streets of New York and will go with most of my clothes (fingers crossed they arrive before I leave).  Lets not forgot the awesomeness of animal print either, almost every outfit I wear these days has a splash of animal print in there somewhere, this skirt is the perfect colour combination of red and turquoise, put with mustard yellow?  All my favourite colours in one place!

Plans

The weather for the forthcoming bank holiday weekend doesn't look amazing, a lot of rain and low temperatures but that's perfect for me. I've had some hectic weekends recently and I could really do with a pj day, relaxing, watching films and drinking cups of coffee - bliss!  What plans do you have, anyone travelling this weekend?

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Wardrobe wishlists

Gym donkey

I am NOT a sleek gym bunny, I am a sweaty gym donkey, a gym ass if you will.... lol.  I go in looking mostly respectable and come out looking like I've just stepped out of a hotter than lava shower, the important thing is I go in looking mostly respectable which means finding gymwear that isn't just black or overtly branded.  This is an outfit that I think I can work, what do you think?

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My friend Sarah and I are on a weight loss journey together, #fudgeitfatclub we're calling it, take a look at our Pinterest board to see what we're eating and what is keeping us motivated.  New gym kit seems like a suitable reward for pounds lost wouldn't you say??

Wardrobe wishlists

Professional panoply

In May I will be heading over to Boston, Massachusetts for a work trip, I've never explored the East coast of the States so I'm really excited.  I will be attending a conference where sleek professional men and women gather to do business which brings out intense wardrobe anxiety in me.  These sleek people really look as if they know what they're doing, that they have their work and homelife shit together whilst effortlessly doing business and working the room.

Eeeeeeeep.  Cue frenzied web searches for potential outfits that won't draw attention to the fact that if left to my own devices I would cook hot dogs, peas and pasta in the same pan to save on the washing up and would call that dinner (Sam despairs and rightly so).  Here is what I have come up with:

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