Autumn Holiday

I'm back from my holidays.  Again.  You could be forgiven for thinking that I am always away.  I don't get six months off work a year or anything.  Yes, the holiday allowance is quite generous but I take it as lots of smaller holidays throughout the year instead of one big jaunt to somewhere far away.  Plus I like holiday cottages in this country.  I can cope without sun quite easily - give me somewhere cosy with a log fire, lots of beautiful countryside to walk around and some nearby market towns with good charity shops and I am as happy as a pig in muck.

This time I went to stay in one of the lodges at Calke Abbey, just on the border of Derbyshire and Leicestershire. Mum and Char came for the weekend (see above for them getting up to leaf-kicking larks) and then I spent the rest of the week on my glorious lonesome.

The house is closed at this time of year but I've been before so it wasn't a source of great sadness to me.  If you haven't been, GO. It is the most wonderful place inside and very unlike any other National Trust house you'll see.  It's all preserved in a complete state of 1880's decline with jumble and rubbish everywhere and it's got such an atmosphere.  Even the stable yard (which is open all year round cos it houses the shop and restaurant) is very similar.  Nothing has been tidied up.

I'd also recommend a little wander around Ashby de la Zouch one day. It was pissing it down with rain when I went, which wasn't ideal. But it has a castle and loads of great charity shops, so what more do you want?

Books ahoy! That's a Folio Society copy of Cold Comfort Farm at the bottom, yoicks!

Then I spent the rest of the week reading, watching DVDs and doing a spot of beading. It's my autumn/winter craft of choice.

I did stir from the sofa occasionally, honest I did.  Lots of walking also happened.

The parkland there is quite astonishingly beautiful at this time of year.  I'll leave it to a guidebook to explain all the whys and wherefores of it being a site of special scientific interest but I can tell you how gorgeous it was. Better still, I can show you. Look at the colours!

But look at how lovely the cottage was. I think you can probably understand why I didn't need to go out that much.  

Back to normal life for me now though!

Shopping...A Little Differently

Ask Her Friends got in touch with me recently and asked if I'd like to take a look at their website.  I am always up for discovering a shiny, new website so I wandered over for a mosey around and was really impressed at both the idea behind it and the range of products that they feature.  It's always a pleasant experience to browse around a website that makes you go "ooh!" all the time, and this one definitely did.

I am a big believer in investing a bit of effort into finding the perfect present for someone.  I tend to jot down ideas during the year and you may well find me whipping out my phone mid-conversation and writing a note to myself.  I know not everyone is this disgustingly organised though. I'd blame it on my genes but I'm related to someone (who shall not be named) who is hopeless at buying presents so that can't be it.  Anyway, I like to track down interesting and unusual things for people but I know this isn't always easy and anything that helps can only be a good thing.  In my experience, it's not something men are particularly good at unless they're either the thoughtful type or they live with you and can't avoid the hint dropping. 

So I asked my friend Lee if he'd try the site out and see what it suggested.  Over to him!

Lee and me

I was looking for Christmas inspiration for a very dear friend of mine and with us living in different cities an online gift was definitely at the forefront of my mind. This seemed like a good chance to do something a little different than our usual habit of buying each other theatre tickets.

Using Ask Her Friends is a simple process - you fill in a brief questionnaire about your gift respondent and the site suggests a range of gifts within your stipulated price range.  The great thing, and what really stood out about this site, is that you can then contact a number of her friends for their thoughts about the list that has been created (up to ten items).  The website was easy to navigate: it was simple and straightforward to set up my account and start the list.  What really stood out was the ease of entering the data of the friends to consult, with email, Twitter and Facebook all being offered as choices. 

The list that was generated for me was was much more varied in terms of selections than I probably would have considered had I shopped in store.  In this case books, DVDs, stationery, shoes, clothing, jewellery & homeware were all suggested.  As a man there are certain gifts I would consider for a friend, whereas this list expanded these choices and I received positive feedback on almost all of the items, although one thing did stand out as a clear favourite with everyone.

In order to make this list suitable, I would suggest that you do need to know the gift recipient fairly well but because you can check the suggestions with her friends, you're always going to end up with something that is a good choice.  The one thing to mention is to keep an eye on p&p costs as they're not necessarily included within the listed price and it may take you slightly out of your stipulated price range.  Overall though, the experience of using the site left me really satisfied and I was happy that the choices forwarded to her friends were such an eclectic and interesting collection.  The real plus point was that the item I ended up with was something I know she will absolutely LOVE and it was also something I wouldn't have been aware of without this website.

DUN DUN DUN.....

What did he choose for me?  I have no idea! I am on tenterhooks and I have strict orders not to be nosy, so I'll just have to wait.  Hope it's something from the book selection, although I wouldn't say no to any of the Rock My Vintage stuff or the War Horse theatre break or, well, any of it. Such lovely things!

Disclaimer: neither of us were paid for this review but Lee's purchase cost was covered.

The Business of Blogging

Sponsored posts.  Paid-for links.  Advertising banners.  Accepting products for review.  Working with brands.  Attending events.

When you start off blogging, you see all these things on other blogs.  Bigger, more established blogs with more followers than you have.  99.9% of us started blogging for the love of it, because we wanted our own little corner of the internet to talk about clothes/makeup/crafts/food/books with people who loved them as much as we did.  If you blog as a hobby rather than as a business, you don't start off expecting these opportunities to come your way and it can be a bit scary when they do.  You're essentially selling you - your opinions, your sense of style, your photography skills, your writing voice.  How on earth do you put a price on that?  What are the rules?

I don't pretend to know any definitive answers - I don't think there are any hard and fast rules.  Equally I wouldn't want anyone to read this and think "who the hell does she think she is?"  I'm never keen when people set themselves up as some sort of expert and that's not what this is meant to be.  It's just my thoughts on a topic that often seems quite mysterious.  Most of what I've learned has happened via trial and error.

I'm under no illusion.  This is not intended to come across as Alex pretending she's a super successful blogger who knows it all.  I'm not the stereotypical tall, skinny, teenage fashion blogger who raves about all the latest trends and adores catwalk stuff and fashion magazines.  I don't live in London.  I don't get invited to loads of press events, and even if I did, it's unlikely I'd be able to take the time off work to trek 200 miles to attend them.  I'm just me.  I have a small to medium sized blog that isn't a particular standout in any genre and I was as surprised as anyone else when companies started to contact me.  I have lots of amazing readers who leave chatty comments, I like to think the blog is vaguely amusing and I hope that my writing is halfway decent so perhaps that's it?  I struggle to get my head around Alexa rankings and the complexities of Google Analytics and stuff that supposedly tells you what a successful blog is.  I just like what I do and I hope that that shows and is appealing to someone.

So here's what I'd suggest if it's something you're considering doing or are curious about.  I hope it's helpful. 

- Don't expect anything.  Companies don't approach you because you think you're great, they approach you because the style of your blog matches what they're trying to sell.  They make that decision.  You don't.  If you've started blogging for free stuff or money rather than for the love of it then that lack of passion is likely to show.  I quite happily blogged for ages without ever getting a sniff of a product review or a sponsored post and I'd quite happily continue if they dried up.

- Work out what approach is right for you.  I took a fairly hardcore no-sponsored-posts, no-direct advertising stance for a long time and no-one ever shouted at me for turning down opportunities.  Equally, when I did start doing sponsored posts, no-one told me how disappointed they were at me for selling out.  I still don't put advertising banners on my blog and that's meant having to refuse one or two things, but that's fine by me.  If you're happy to feature lots of different types of advertising opportunities, smashing.

- Try and maintain your blog ethos.  God, doesn't that sound pretentious?  All I mean is that it's not a great idea to accept products or sponsorship opportunities for things that you wouldn't dream of writing about otherwise.  We've all seen those posts, we've all moaned about them.  A blogger shoves up a copied and pasted press release raving about a product or brand that you're 99% certain they wouldn't give a crap about if money wasn't involved.  It doesn't engage readers and it's far more likely to leave you thinking negatively of the blogger than positively of the brand.

- Work out what your rates are.  This might happen completely by accident.  If you're offered a figure during an email exchange and you're happy with that (based on some of the stuff I mention later on), then go for it.  That's what I did.  Try not to stare at your computer going "Holy shit, you want to give me money?"  If you're struggling on this or you want to check that what's being asked/offered is reasonable, then:

- Talk to other bloggers.  Revealing rates for sponsored posts and links within posts is one of those things that just doesn't seem quite done.  Ditto page views per month and other related stats.  Often the only thing you'll be able to judge is how many GFC followers a blog has.  But every blogger I've ever met in person has been happy to talk about these.  Seriously.  Maybe we're all bashful of writing down numbers in a public space but we have no problem talking about it in person or via email or DM on Twitter.  Don't be afraid to ask.

- Check out how other people do it.  There are many, many different approaches and I'm sure people have different ideas of what constitutes a good and bad sponsored post or product review.  As a basic rule, if I don't notice any difference from the blogger's normal tone of voice then they've done a good job with it.  For example, I like the way that both Sarah and Helen make their posts personal to them and include the sponsored content in a very natural fashion.  I like how Claire does product reviews and actually talks about the clothes rather than just whacking a link in the outfit details.  I don't think I've ever seen a bad post from Jen or A Thrifty Mrs - you can learn a hell of a lot about good blogging from those two.

- Be polite.  If someone emails you, even if it's something to which your immediate reaction is "hell no!" or "WTF does that have to do with my blog?", it takes all of thirty seconds to send them a quick reply back declining their offer.  They may well contact you again with something that's perfect for you.

- On a related note, be professional.  I can't say I've really suffered with it myself but you do hear exasperated bloggers sharing stories about rude PRs who either can't understand what they're being told in an email or take a massively patronising tone.  I try and apply the same standards to blog emails as I do to work emails (although using a chattier tone) - you wouldn't tell a customer or client to eff off, so it's not a great idea to do it to a PR, even if they are getting on your last nerve.

- Don't be afraid to say no.  Despite the above mention of rudeness, you're unlikely to get shouted at.  If it's, for example, a clothing brand which sells nothing that you'd like to wear, what's the point in saying yes just for the sake of free stuff?  It's always nice to suggest another blogger who might be appropriate for an opportunity if it's not right for you for whatever reason.

- Put the effort in.  I probably spend longer and work harder on my sponsored posts than on normal posts as I want them to be really good.  Partly because I'm representing a brand, partly because I want to look professional and partly because I don't want my readers to roll their eyes when reading it and think "God, she's crowbarred that reference in, hasn't she?"  Hopefully I succeed and people read and reply to them the same way that they do with a normal post.

- Value your time.  This bit is hard.  Easier for freelancers who have an hourly rate, I imagine.  It was a comment from one of them on a different blog that really brought this home to me.  Yes, blogging is a hobby for most people, but that doesn't mean your time isn't precious.  If someone asks you to write a post for them and you spend, say, two hours writing the post and an hour taking photos, sorting through them and editing them, then what do you think is a reasonable amount to be paid for it?  £75? £50? £25?  Is nothing a reasonable amount?  Is the chance to enter a competition to potentially win an item a reasonable amount?  Make your own mind up on this one.

-  And value your blog space as well.  If you do sponsored posts or product reviews then the general wisdom is to try and schedule them evenly through the month and intersperse them with normal posts*.  If you've only got one or two spaces per month and accept a sponsored post that pays a piddling amount, you're blocking off the potential to accept something more lucrative down the line.

- Be flexible if the opportunity is interesting enough.  Your rates aren't set in stone and neither is the approach you take.  I know that some bloggers (mainly the few who can earn a living just from blogging) get very cross at "hobby bloggers" doing things for free.  I can see their point to a certain extent - giving brands coverage on your blog is essentially giving them free advertising space, and they're less likely to pay if loads of people are happy to give it to them for free.  But the vast majority of us blog for fun and any chance to work with brands is really flattering, so I'm not morally opposed to doing things for free sometimes.  You don't know what opportunities it might lead to.  And not every mention has to be paid for.  Plenty of us are happy to feature small brands that we really love, just because we love them. 

- Finally, and very importantly, be upfront.  Shove a disclaimer page on your blog and explain how you label sponsored posts/paid-for links/product reviews etc.  Label your posts accordingly.  Unlike the US, there are no laws in the UK about this but I think it's just decent blogging behaviour.  Not labelling an obviously sponsored post is enough to make some people stop following you.

So, those are my thoughts.  Have I missed anything important?  Speak now or forever hold your peace. 

* I must admit that I'm about to bend my rules on this one.  It's November, a few different opportunities have arrived in my inbox and I'm not really in a position to say no to them right now.  So you may see a few sponsored posts in a row but please don't let that put you off.  As I've mentioned above, I wouldn't accept them if I didn't think they fitted the tone of the blog, and I've worked hard on writing them!  Roll on December and the blog will be filled with great big glorious giveaways for you lovely lot.

If Dorothy Was A Fashion Blogger...

She'd ditch the gingham and wear a skater dress instead...

She'd change her shoes. Red glittery heels are all well and good but when you have to tread a more cobbled path than the yellow brick road, glittery navy smart shoes are the sensible option...

She'd don a cape. Obviously. Why should the wicked witch get all the fun accessories?

She'd leave Toto behind. The interwebs belong to the cats: we all know that.  Every outfit is improved by a little #wardrobezoo...

And she'd definitely have moved on from a wicker basket to a bag of the more chic variety.

Cape - vintage, present from Char (who is definitely NOT a wicked witch)
Dress & tights - Primark
Ring - ASOS
Gloves - vintage, via charity shop
Bag - vintage, present from Zoe
Shoes - StylistClick 

A Blogging Good Read - November

Hi all and welcome to the November edition of A Blogging Good Read. Joining me this month are Chloe from Chloe Likes To Talk and Sarah from Reader. Writer. Nerd.

Up first is Chloe's choice, Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian:

For me this is a serious piece of childhood nostalgia. It’s long been a favourite since discovering it in my local library and I finally bought my own (much thumbed) copy a few years back. Whilst as a child it was a story that gripped me, as an adult I love it because it’s such a stark reminder that families are what you make them, and although blood might be thicker than water, ultimately it’s loving one another unconditionally that makes a family.

What did Sarah think of it?

I first read Goodnight Mister Tom in primary school as part of our library sessions, and loved it then – hence why I was quietly pleased to see it suggested by Chloe as her choice, I had been hankering to read it again and had an inkling that it would be different a second time round, now I’m over 10 years older and appreciate children’s books in a different way. It was with a mix of nostalgia and comfort that I settled in to read Goodnight Mister Tom again, and as expected I found the story to be much more vivid, emotional and powerful than I remembered when I read it for the first time.

Mister Tom is an elderly inhabitant of the small country village that William Beech, an evacuee from London, is sent to part way through the second world war. At first appearing gruff and simple, Mister Tom is revealed to be one of the kindest, most generous of gentlemen, providing Willie with a stable and loving home, something the boy was sorely missing back in London. Both Willie and Mister Tom benefit from the unlikely pairing; Willie growing in confidence and acceptance of himself, leaving behind the scared, beaten child he had once been; and Mister Tom finding someone to care for and love unconditionally again since the death of his wife earlier in his life, a development which enabled him to abandon his loneliness and become a much loved part of his village community again. Their story is a beautiful, gentle tale, regularly shaken up by both excitement and tragedy. Elements of the story, Willie’s life back in London in particular, are horrific and upsetting, but equally the book shows that hardship can be and is overcome, that tragedy doesn’t negate happiness, that both can happen (often alongside each other) and that life and people are constantly changing – the only surprise being our own individual ways of coping when it does.

Goodnight Mister Tom is overall a warm, touching and incredibly emotional novel, told in a simple way by Michelle Magorian who realises that powerful events don’t need complicated metaphors and clever syntax to deliver feeling. I laughed, I cried, I came close to hugging the book at times, and once I had finished I made a pact with myself to re-read this book once every 10 years in the future. A timeless classic, and one that really lightens the heart despite its at-times-difficult-subject matter.

It's always been a real favourite of mine as well, although I must admit that I haven't read it recently. There's always that slight sense of trepidation when you pick up a long-beloved book again in case it doesn't live up to your memories. Well this has definitely held up to the test of time, and if anything it's got better as I've got older. Michelle Magorian always writes beautifully about the war years (I especially like A Little Love Song if anyone is looking to try another of her books) and captures a unique blend of countryside cosiness and impending tragedy.

You are hereby warned: don't read this expecting all sweetness and light. It might be a children's book but there is tragedy and it will make you cry if you're anything like as soft as me. My overwhelming impression of this book is one of joy though. It's a depiction of real, enduring love that grows unexpectedly and weathers all sorts of storms.

My choice for the month was Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman:

Why did I pick it? Well, I'm eternally fascinated by the idea of parallel universes and going through a door/mirror/wardrobe/wall to end up somewhere that looks similar but is fundamentally very different. Richard Mayhew stops in the streets of London to help a wounded young girl and then gets caught up in the universe of London Below, the titular Neverwhere. You may recognise some of the geography - it spans disused tube stations, sewers, tunnels and everything below the capital city but it's not London as you'd know it.

I don't pretend it's a perfect book - there are some elements that fall a little short and you do sometimes get the sense that Gaiman was having so much fun with his supporting characters that he stopped short of fully fleshing out Richard. The world, feel and plot of Neverwhere are utterly enthralling though and as usual with his books, the villains are truly, truly creepy. You can't escape the sense of menace in this one.

Let's hear Chloe's thoughts on it:

When I read the blurb for this, I was a bit sceptical. I usually steer well clear of anything even close to fantasy. Yes, I am that narrow minded. I like my reading to distract me from my every day, but I don’t like to concentrate *that* hard. All that said, this was an enjoyable read. It took me a while, because I found it difficult to throw myself into for long periods of time, but the story behind the double world kept me interested, and the fantasy element was imaginable to the point I now take a closer look at rats when I’m walking the streets of London.

I wasn’t sold on the main character, he irritated me at times, and I felt he was under developed. I wanted to know more about him as well as the leading lady and the villain. The verdict…. Not bad, but not something I’d rush back to. I felt the characters let the story down.

Did Sarah like it more?

I’ve been wanting to read Gaiman for AGES so was really pleased when Alex suggested Neverwhere as her choice. It finally gave me an excuse to cave in and buy it, along with the rest of the set of Gaiman’s books… (shh, there was a deal on). After anticipating it for so long, I was worried Sod’s Law would come into action and I’d hate it, but am pleased to say that I was right to be excited and that I really, really enjoyed this book.

Neverwhere sweeps you off into a alternate world, but one that remains a reflection of reality. Yes, there is magic and logically impossible happenings, and hybrid creatures just a little too odd to be human, but it’s a world in which you can believe, set as it is in London – partly underground, partly ‘real’ London, partly ‘other’ London. Our main character Richard Mayhew discovers these different Londons when he performs the act of a good Samaritan, and in return ‘accidentally’ gets pulled into the frantic, dangerous and complicated life of Door, a girl from ‘other’ London - Neverwhere. Neverwhere appears to be based in the labyrinth of underground canals, sewers and tube lines criss-crossing the capital, and is home to a variety of inhabitants, non of them conforming to a particular ‘race’ or nationality, all of them different, and all of them dangerous in their own way. Some become friends of Richard, more become foes, and Richard fights his way through their world with a mixture of desperation, obligation and confusion, his and Doors fate seemingly tangled up as one.

The plot twists and turns, revealing no-one to be exactly who you thought they were, and nowhere to be exactly static. The paired characters Croup and Vandemar are two of the most powerfully imposing ‘baddies’ I have ever come across in fiction, and every single one of their chapters made me shiver, feel a bit sick, get angry, or all three. The story as a whole is unsettling – maybe because of the queer nature of the quest the characters are on, maybe because of the fact their fates are never clear cut, maybe because Neverwhere is a bit too close to reality – it is, in effect, one of the biggest ‘what if’s?’ of fantasy fiction. Neverwhere is a scary place, with uncanny parallels to our own lives, and I finished the book wondering how much I really know about the world I live in. The ending itself was a complete surprise, especially in light of the twist that we see about two thirds of the way in, and I found myself thinking that Richard Mayhew is one of the most aggravating and strangest characters I have ever come across. Neverwhere has definitely become one of my favourite books, and Neil Gaiman a complete luxury of an author. I can’t wait to read the rest of his collection!

Sarah's own pick was The One From The Other by Philip Kerr:

What were her reasons for picking this book?

Now, if you know me or follow me on twitter you’ll be aware that I am MASSIVELY obsessed with crime/detective novels. This obsession was started somewhat by reading Philip Kerr’s ‘Berlin Noir’ trilogy when I was in high school, and was rekindled tenfold 2 years ago at university when I managed to pick up a copy of the follow-on book by Kerr – The One From The Other. TOFTO features the famous detective Bernie Gunther who previously worked in WW2 Berlin and is now stationed in post-war Munich.

In TOFTO, the year is 1949. Bernie has survived the war a free man, with a few morals left intact and some twisted and confused. He is a character that both appeals and disturbs; as a reader you want to see him as ‘the good guy’ but his sardonic wit, habit of getting into sticky situations with the Nazi party amongst other dubious characters, and self admitted disposition to doing ‘the dirty work’ ensures he remains a confusing, intriguing and questionable protagonist. TOFTO is structured around a woman’s plea to Bernie to find her missing husband. As with most things in a post-war, defeated and unstable country such as Germany, the task isn’t as ordinary as appears at first glance – the woman doesn’t want her husband back, she wants Bernie to provide evidence that he is dead. The detective encounters deceit, hypocrisy, backstabbing and flat out hatred in his dealings with the case, narrating his activities with his trademark cynicalism and satire.

The plot is complex and winding, full of cliff-hangers, flashbacks and double bluffs, and keeps you guessing till the very end. Kerr’s pacing sits beautifully with the subject matter, and his expert use of metaphors, philosophical musings and periods of great detail all truly engage you in the struggles of his main character. Being set in post-war Germany, the novel stays very close to fact, and offers interesting historical tit-bits embedded in the otherwise fantastical narrative. TOFTO is humorous, exciting, clever, dangerous, and confusing, and definitely shows Kerr off to his best. Bernie plays for both sides, and even as the reader you don’t ever feel you know his true allegiance or personal motives. This is one of my favourite detective novels of all time, and one that reads well as both a stand-alone or as a continuation of a set. The story gets you to question your own morals and rethink where your personal line is drawn.

Gosh, I'm very glad I persevered with this book. I have to admit that the beginning did not grab me. I settled into the main character well enough - he's a really interesting soul - but there seemed to be a lot of diving around, both geographically and chronologically, before we got to the gist of the story. Was it to try and tie this particular book in with the previous books in the series? Coming to it as someone who hasn't read any of the previous three, I can only say it didn't seem entirely necessary for the plot of this one.
The main story is really compelling though and once you've got beyond the beginning and into the main plot, you can't put it down. It's so twisty turny and just when you think one problem is resolved, Bernie is launched straight into even worse trouble. I especially enjoyed how the author brought post-WW2 Germany to life as a complex and vivid place. I don't know if it's a period that's under-represented in fiction or whether I just haven't read the right books, but it's easy to forget that there were massive divisions within the country. The impact of being on the losing side was bad enough, but somehow I'd never really considered all the infighting and hatred that was evident afterwards.

And what did Chloe have to say about it?

This book had me hooked the second I understood it was German related. As someone who nurses an addiction to most things German and spent time living there, it was fascinating to read something set in the pre and post WWII eras. There were times where I wished to understand a bit more of the protagonist, but having realised that this book is the fourth in a series, I suspect that was the missing link for me with Bernie Günther.

The story had me wondering most of the way through, but then I’ve never been great at working out what’s going to happen next. This isn’t necessarily a book for those sensitive regarding the issues that arise from the Jewish persecution in Germany, or the subsequent Russian involvement in Germany, there were parts of this book that made me quite melancholy because there truly is no escaping it. I still couldn’t put it down though.

Verdict… I’ve just purchased books 1-3 in this series and I suspect I may lose a few evenings to them quite soon. This is reminiscent of some of the 50’s German crime fiction I’ve read (and have a bit of a soft spot for) and makes for a historically interesting read whilst still giving you a crime fiction fix.


Very many thanks to Chloe and Sarah for joining in this month and picking such good books!

If any of you would like to read along and discuss the books next month then we'll be reading A Tale of Time City by Diana Wynne Jones, Out of the Silent Planet by C.S Lewis and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Coats and Cupboards

I love keeping a diary.  I write it every night and although it sometimes seems like a bit of a chore when I'm desperate to go to sleep, it's really interesting to look back through it every now and then.  I was doing that very thing last night to try and pull out a list of which films I'd seen at the cinema this year (26 so far...) and came across an entry from last April raving about the vintage coat I'd found in an antiques shop in Hay on Wye.  Said coat has been lurking in the understairs cupboard for months and I'd genuinely forgotten about it.  This may sound odd but if you have a coat cupboard, you will know what I mean.  They are dark and mysterious places.

I went in for a rummage for it this morning, got my foot stuck through the handle of a jute bag and managed to temporarily blind myself by hooking a waterproof coat over my own face.  Actually, make that dark, mysterious and dangerous places.  But I came out safely in the end, triumphantly bearing my beautiful coat.

On such a chilly day it has been the perfect thing to sling over my clothes.  I always forget quite how much I enjoy a good coat.  Sounds a bit mad that, doesn't it?  I own enough of them: I must like them!  They just don't have that immediate, obvious joy that comes with snuggling into a big cosy jumper or catching sight of your feet when you have a sparkly pair of shoes on.  But they do have their own special magic though.  Some make you feel cool, some inject a bit of colour into winter days.  This particular one possesses the ability to make me feel very pulled together and smart and that's something usually very much lacking in my life.

Even if I do then ruin the effect by boinging around waiting for the camera to click into action...

Coat - vintage Aquascutum

Blouse - vintage St Michaels

Skirt - bought at a vintage fair. It's West German

Ring - charity shop

Shoes - Primark

It didn't occur to me until I wrote this that everything bar the shoes was vintage.  Didn't plan it that way...

Shoes and Sparkle

Huzzah!  I have new shoes.  New red shoes to be precise.  

I asked for your advice a couple of weeks ago when I was pondering what type of Converse to choose for my first pair.  Well, the replies were clear on one thing - you all loved Converse and I was about the only person in the world who didn't own a pair.  Not any more though!  There was some sound advice about going for a pair of solid coloured high tops, so I took that and chose a lovely red pair.  Black would have been sensible, green would have been too obvious (I can't have green everything) and white or cream is just asking for trouble where I'm concerned - they would soon have been an attractive shade of dirt.  Red it was.  I do enjoy a bit of sassy colour on my feet.

The jumper was a holiday purchase when we popped into Harrogate for a spot of shopping.  I wasn't going to buy it.  Honestly, I wasn't.  It was lurking on a sale rail but there was no reduced price sticker on the label and besides, I never buy burgundy things.  I don't suit them; I'm too pale.

I am a notorious sucker for #wardrobezoo related things though and that made it worth taking up to the till to check if it really was on sale or not.  It turned out that it was and that, combined with the lure of glittery gold owls, proved too strong for me to resist.  I'm so easily pleased.

Little detail on the back of the jumper

Jumper - M&S Limited Collection sale
Skirt - Warehouse
Socks - Primark
Converse high top trainers

Oh, and did I mention that they're amazing and I love them?  I will probably end up with about eleventybillion pairs now.  Just you wait and see.