11 sleeps and still not organised..

So Christmas is only 11 sleeps away and as usual I’m not as organised as I always plan to be! Every year I say, “end of November and I'll have everything done”!   Yeah right, Christmas eve and I’ll still be thinking of what I didn’t buy! The problem is that working in retail we work nearly every hour there is coming up to the big day, and when everyone else is doing late night shopping, we’re doing late nights!

I spend my days gift wrapping for husbands to either pick up on Christmas eve or I’ll deliver it to their homes. I make it so easy for everyone but myself it seems!

On the other hand, perhaps I secretly leave some of it until the very end because I love the last minute bolt around the shops??   Nah, definitely not! I leave it because I have a lazy gene! I start off really well but then it reaches a stage where I feel I’ve done my bit for this year and that it is now up to my husband to do some….inevitably he won’t and I’ll be the one continuing to keep the economy propped up by spending too much as I’ve run out of time on Christmas eve!

Anyway, rant over! I have decided that the best thing about Christmas this year is having the kids be excited about Christmas, and at  age 2 and 3 they are starring in their very first nativity this Sunday...Seth is a shepherd and Ella is a donkey.  A goat would have been more appropriate for her as she stamps her foot a lot in temper, but I dont think there was much call for her stamping skills this year unfortunately.

 Seth has been asking for at least 2 weeks now “ is Santa coming tonight mummy?”  I can't wait until I can finally say yes to him as this is the first year he hasn't screamed in fright at the big man in the red suit….on the other hand though Santa has still not been able to find that golden robot which has been requested!! Will he forget about it when he sees everything else? I hope so, I don’t think I could cope with a 3 year olds broken heart!

Party frocks and Christmas Baubles....

Deck the halls…..fa la la la la….Tonight I’m going  home to start putting up my Christmas decs….I say start because generally it does take me at least 2 nights.   When I was pregnant with Seth, if I saw a decoration, tacky snowman, Christmas light…I bought it!  So now I have the task of  sorting  through what is a huge amount of some of the most hideous things you have ever seen ( I really should get rid, but I almost feel sentimental about them now ) and find all the tasteful, or acceptable untasteful things I bought when I wasn’t hormonal!!!

I love this time of year, we’re all more cheerful , with a few exceptions of course…for example a bah humbug type who I had in the store this morning. He wanted a scarf for his wife “ because she’s done nothing but nag about some hand dyed thing” she saw in the store last week. He wouldn’t even let me box and wrap it…too much of a hurry!!! Well…that’s just not what Christmas is about!!!!

It’s a month where we wrap up in cosy knits and big scarves but it’s the time of year which brings out a little bit of glam in all of us….yes even you boys, out buying the girls in your lives lovely sparkly gifts!!

I love party dresses, I love the furs to wrap round the party dresses (faux of course ), although I’m more likely to have on a leather jacket, I love the bling and the sparkle and I cant wait to get into my sparkly attire for the season…not that I’m going too far but I could even embrace the glam and get dressed up to do my tree and decorations this evening…be all sophisticated in my party wear with a glass of champagne in one hand and glass bauble in the other…. The way they do in the mags. Is that not what we all look like getting ready for Christmas???   Glass baubles and champagne…. Yeah, only if I lived someone else’s life… and as I’ve had another week of not winning the lottery I’ll just stick with my feather fairy decorations and the most garish orange sequin bauble which I let Seth choose last week… big mistake!!!!!

Party Girls and TuTu's...

So yesterday I hosted a birthday party for Ella Bella. She was 2 and totally unaware that people were there to celebrate with her and give her gifts and make a fuss of her….so why did I bother putting myself through it??

I baked a cake. Very nice even if I do say so, I cooked for close on 30 people, my husband did help with the cooking so I can't claim full ownership of that part , I even cleaned my house to the immaculate state that it so rarely is, and for what? Was the party really for Ella or was it to make me feel better that as a working mother I can host a child’s party, not get stressed about the mess (which there was a lot of ) and be prepared for the chaos that ultimately will ensue.

If I’m honest I think I really did do it for Ella and Seth. They had a fabulous time with all their friends and family…there were a few bust ups over toys but surely it would have been odd were that not the case…especially when Seth and his friend Lily took Ella’s new beauty set and did each others hair and were determined not to part with the hair dryer and lipstick for anything!! Nothing for  concern  unlike  the day when Ella and I were both wearing dresses and Seth asked to why he wasn't wearing one!!!

As the birthday girl, Ella exceeded herself by looking cuter than ever in the most fabulous tutu which I picked up at a market when we in Australia and as she flooted and scooted her way through the day I was left asking myself as I wiped the fresh cream from my new silk blouse which is now fit only for the rag box will I do it again for Seth’s birthday?

Answer…..Ask me again in April!!…

Now though I’m back into work mode trying to get flights sorted and appointments made for the buying season which will be upon us in no time….the only decisions there are which shows do I go to this year? I would love, love, love to do the New York show but can I really justify it? …. I’ll let you know later in the week when decisions have been made and flights have been booked!

　

Summer in Winter....

Today I’m in the middle of two distinct seasons. On the one hand I am picking out and wrapping Christmas gifts on behalf of the husbands of those lovely ladies who shop in my store and on the other I am preparing for deliveries on my spring summer stock whose imminent arrival is getting me excited and stressed. Excited because I think I have absolutely excelled myself ( even if I do say so ) and cant wait for some of my new labels to arrive…Olivia Rubin being the one I am most excited about, and stressed because where am I going to put it?? It’s not even winter yet!

The winter has hardly arrived and Christmas is just around the corner and next week I am expecting my first spring delivery….Fantastic!!!

Now, as I’ve said before I am most definitely a winter girl. With my blue fluorescent skin its really my only option, and am so looking forward to getting back to freezing conditions. I have shearling coats and on trend capes, sheepskin boots and chunky knits which as yet haven’t really been appropriate for the mild weather. Of course I’ve been wearing them and feeling like I was about to spontaneously combust…if it means no false tan I’m all for as many layers as possible! So as other people have continued to wear one layer I’ve been living in a constant state of anticipation for the arrival of snow and wearing 3 layers- at least!

So what is the outlook. Is winter ever going to arrive?

Arrive it will, sooner or later, and when it does I’ll be totally prepared….I even have a sleigh for the kids… and yes perhaps I was a little ahead of myself there but they were all sold out last year and I wasn’t going to miss out again…just like the coats and boots, there was no way I wasn’t going to be prepared …after all, outerwear has been the must have item of the season!

So next week when you arrive into my store, alongside the chunky knits and sheepskin boots will be a sunny little section dedicated to spring/summer 2012 and if last year’s anything to go by it will have sold out before the end of December!! Fashion can be so fickle!!

Some colours don't suit you mummy....

I suppose in many ways I deserved it but I still cant believe she did it! A brand new Mac lipstick and Ella ( my 2yr old ) decided that the colour just was no good for mummy and that it suited her much better instead….every single bit of the lipstick over very part of her face!    Multiple layers…it took me 4 facecloths and 2 towels to get her clean as she refused to use the cloth again when she saw it covered in lipstick "dirty mummy"  she said!!    So, that was Saturday. On Sunday I caught her perched on the table like a pixie painting her toes..(literally) with a relatively new and thankfully soft pink varnish. Painting her toes so well she had stuck them all together and was moving onto her brothers hands when I caught her!

Now, I do not as a rule leave make-up lying around for her to get at but she decided to have a look in mummy’s new Owen Barry handbag…it could have been the animal print which enticed her, one way or another I have very little make-up in my make-up bag at work today and I have to count myself lucky she painted herself and not my new bag I suppose.
At least her colour choices matched her outfit!

So, after an eventful weekend at home I came in this morning in Christmas mode and have my Christmas window done and not looking too bad with a fabulous Inwear shearling coat centre stage.…..Only 33 days to go until the big day and I now have a new lipstick on my wish list to Santa! 
　

....Sharp, modern stylish and flawless....i wonder is it hard to be that perfect?

It just wouldn’t be a Monday morning if I didn’t have something to say about X Factor…not that I am the greatest fan of the show a but what a Fash-off this week!!    I LOVED Kelly Rowland’s “hats off” to the man suit!    LOVED LOVED LOVED.    She looked sharp, modern, stylish and flawless…I wonder is it hard to be that perfect?    Stella Mc Cartney.. Job well done. There’s another item onto my endless wish list.!! And endless it is definitely getting!

Tulisa as usual was also gorgeous but sometimes a dabble into the unexpected is worth the gamble. Back in a dress on Sunday night for Kelly and its pretty obvious that if she put a bin bag on she’d still look hot!

So back onto wish lists and how  I have discovered what it is to be a working mother in the run up to Christmas.  Seth keeps dropping new things into his Christmas wish list and at only 3 and a half doesn’t get that the Santa list is done and dusted… I have already missed 3 items which he’s requested…not just requested once but for 2 weeks now if anyone asks what he’s getting for Christmas a Golden Robot has been the answer! Where do I even look for a golden robot and if I don’t get it…will a red one do?? Help anyone?

My wish list on the other hand is much more achievable ( hubbi, hope you’re reading this! ) I don’t want much really but there is a fab pair of new Jimmy Choo cruise collection wedges,  and with us getting the fab new Olivia Rubin collection in store in the New Year I know they will look amazing with at least  2 of the dresses…. That’s pretty good value I think, 2 dresses only needing one pair of shoes! ( yes I know sometimes I am completely warped in what is acceptable and what’s not ) but life’s short and some style is even shorter so we have to grab the moment when we can!!

So Andrew darling…if you’re reading this.. You might want to pre-order the Choos now, page 6!

　

November Rain

Today I just want it to stop raining…its November and technically suede boots should be fine in November . Not in rainy Belfast it seems!!   I’m so disappointed because I opened Elle magazine and spied the fab emu hi top boots which I currently have in stock. Surely a big thumbs up by the fact that they were featured as a cosy winter warmer, but when is the weather ever going to get properly cold and not wet so that we can safely wear our sheepskin boots?? Admittedly if I wasn’t so lazy and sprayed them with protector it would stop them from getting wet stains, but who really remembers to do that??? Anyway, I sold a pair today…thank you Elle, and I promptly sent my customer to get a protector spray so that she can wear her fabulous boots regardless of weather.

I’m actually totally undecided by the whole weather scenario, I’m definitely a winter girl at heart. With my see through skin I was destined to only ever have a tan out of a bottle so the winter suits me perfectly. Cosy knits, boots and coats...love it!   However after a family holiday to Australia earlier this year ( yes we did take 2 toddlers under 3 on a trip round oz ) I just wanted to come home, pack my bags and move to the warmer climes.

But the question is, if we did move would I miss the crisp cold weather which we do occasionally get in between the rainy days or could I totally adapt my wardrobe to accommodate the sunshine??

At the minute, looking outside at rain drenched Belfast I actually think I’ll just stay were I am, …..what would I do with my boot and coat collection in Australia??

Goodbye MTV

As Belfast says Goodbye to The Mtv EMA’s we are left only with the memories of what a party Belfast can put on. It was an amazing privilege for Belfast to be host to such a prestigious event but for me the fashion on the night was what made me get comfy with the remote in one hand and a glass of something sparkly in the other, I had to try to spot some of the oufits I had provided  for the night...unfortunately that was as close to the action as I was getting!

I am a huge Gaga fan and I love everything about her but as much as I love her music I love her costumes more…she truly has a style all of her own and this is what helps makes her such an amazing artist, her originality and her style are portrayed in her music and in her as a person.

So not one to disappoint, Lady Gaga not only won 4 awards but her creative streak was on display from the outset.. anything less would have been a huge disappointment . Thankfully no meat made dresses last night, her costumes she said, were all made from paper by famous designer Paco Rabanne so environmentally friendly at least ! Her outfits varied from weird to weirder but in true Gaga style looked fantastic…not practical for a trip to the supermarket never mind a usual Sunday night out in Belfast but truly inspiring all the same.

As fab as she looked though I have to say, my fave of the night was our tiny little host Selena Gomez in her cream backless Marchesa dress at the start of the night…..absolutely stunning and I think if I win the lottery this week I might get one, or maybe two as it would be really hot in black too!

So, as Belfast partied the night away with the stars the rest of us had to be content watching from the comfort of our armchairs, the music and the fashion from the night will remain in our minds as  part of the best night Belfast has ever seen, but hopefully not the last….we know how to put on a party and if the MTV Ema’s want to return then we will welcome them with open arms…although next time.. I want a ticket!!

Life without text...

Like a zillion other people I have had a mobile phone for as long as I can remember…or maybe not quite as long as I can remember but certainly at least 10 years,  and like jeans you have to try a few until you find the perfect fit and for me it wsa the iphone.  Just in receipt of my newest update in August my phone and i we were getting on famously.  Until my beautiful son yesterday dropped it down the loo!!   As fab as it is when it works…it hasn’t taken much to stop it working as it was only in the loo for a fraction of a second!!!

I can’t phone people, I can’t text, and because I was off work yesterday I couldn’t even email or facebook people.  I felt like the world was moving on without me.

I am always telling my husband    I could survive without  it but,  apparently I cant!! My handbag feels empty without it and to top it off…I didn’t have it insured. 

So, the question from here is…do I buy another iphone?  Truthfully I don’t know…  I’d far rather have the beautiful emu leather jacket which hangs in my shop and winks at me every morning begging me to buy it and make it loved. But if I don’t buy the phone and go for the jacket instead. How do I keep in touch with people, my phone I use for email, talking, texting, social networking….when did our lives become so reliant on one tiny item?

To be honest I think I'll have to replace the phone and I’ll have to do it before the weekend, with the MTV EMA's on in Belfast this weekend I’m afraid I’ll miss something if I don’t have a phone….and despite the fact nobody felt the urge to give me tickets for the awards I am still so excited about them…I can't wait to see the style of the rich and famous right here on our doorstep, but equally I can’t wait to see wait the ladies and gents of Belfast will be wearing…will they do us proud?? I know a few people certainly will because I dressed them and they looked amazing and I’ve given them our special Cocorose folding pumps for the end of the night when they’ve had their toes crammed into their designer heels for far too long.

So, as much as it grieves me, I’m off to order my new phone…. Although I think I’ll just try on this leather jacket too… it would clash perfectly with any of the new Mary Katrantzou collection she has designed for Topshop which I have to get my hands on.  Thankfully though its not released until February so that gives me time to get over the shock of the price of a new phone!!!

Is the man blind???

I remember my mother telling me if a job is worth doing its worth doing yourself…..who knew it applied to basic every day tasks like getting the kids dressed in the morning.

On Saturday morning I got ready for another day of making people look and feel fab by giving them gorgeous things to wear…( Ooohhh how very Gok Wan of me!!)....and left my children in the capable hands of their dad for the day.

Anyway, left out the kids clothes and asked my husband to dress them. Well…. I arrived home on Saturday to find my 2year old, Ella, dressed in her lovely bright turquoise  skinny jeans and cardi, accessorised by what on her feet…..baby pink emu boots.!!!

Is the man blind?? Not only did they most definitely not match the outfit but they are still 2 sizes too big for her ( they arrived into the shop and I just couldn’t resist them ), she was like a baby turquoise bigfoot.

Ella admittedly was happy enough and even went to bed in them she loves them so much,  and a couple of people seeing her in them came in and bought them for their own kids, so in many ways my hapless, lovable hubsand did me a favour but I'd never tell him that!

The  end result was my daughter plodded about all day in boots miles too big for her and now the pink emu boots, well, they've been put out of reach until Ella's tiny little feet can fill them and i can chose her outfits accordingly....actually i have my eye on the cutest Mayoral pink knit dress which I should probably buy now to make sure we have it...

So our lesson for this week.....If you're going to let your husband dress your children, make sure you leave them out some shoes!

　

Leather exposure

This morning I was halfway into my leather dress…I looked down at myself and thought this is just not appropriate for the school run. Don’t get me wrong its very modest as leather goes…a round neck and a ¾ sleeve, not rumour evoking short…one of my favourite pieces of the season actually, but for some reason I felt exposed!

Had this dress been anything but leather I would have had no hesitation at all. So what was my problem this morning? I have to “dress” everyday because working in the shop people expect me to be. Some days I would love nothing more than to pull on my jeans and converse….I would save at least an hour in the morning, so I just don’t get why I was loathe to be dropping Seth to school in an enviable dress that had any other mummy been wearing it I would have been mega jealous!

You know what though, leather is hot this season and with no school run tomorrow ill definitely be wearing it….and wearing it with confidence.

While we're on the topic of hot fashion news I was flicking through some industry news this morning I read that Primark is to open concession stores in Selfridges, Birmingham and Manchester. At this stage it is only the menswear section of Primark, but this merging of fast fashion and high fashion is something which has been growing for a while.

I personally love this mix and encourage my customers to buy  items from me and mix them with high street labels…..I love to mix some of my Sarah Pacini pieces with Topshop as it makes the look a bit edgier and perhaps this is what the collaboration between Selfridges and Primark will achieve,  a mix of exclusivity and high fashion, a look pioneered by celebs  will be much more achievable for us mere mortals.


I gave the go-ahead for my new website today…very exciting !!

Life as we know it...

I said yesterday that today I was going to love everything 60’s , I was wrong!   Today I’m in more of a ladylike mood…..Think our new fashion favourite,  Florence Welch and her 30’s inspired looks.  Glossy hair,  puff sleeves,  full length dressing gowns for the launch of her new album ( yes really and why not?? ) and glamorous.    No, not very practical but sometimes fashion just isn’t!    For example, this seasons heels,  stack them high as high as you can walk in but with 2 kids not great for a day at the park so like everything else when it comes to fashion, we take what we love and we make it our own.

So,  wear the puff sleeve, satin ensemble but make it a shirt and team it with jeans for daywear…sometimes less really is more.  Not,  howeverwhen it comes to Victoria Beckham, yes, with her amazing style but not with her business.

　

Oh to be Victoria Beckham…even for a day! Its been all over the news this week that her company has posted whopping profits of £15 million in the first three months, what an achievement. She must be pretty proud of herself.

So not only does this woman have incredible style, she has a great business head too. All of this combined with the fact she is married to a most undeniably attractive man, has 3 gorgeous boys, and has a new accessory in the form of the beautiful Baby Harper who just seems to be the most angelic baby ever….( am I getting broody again ? ) Sowhat’s not to be proud of and how does she do it?

As a full time working mum of 2 the chaotic mayhem that is my life…is exactly that, it's my life and I love it! Yeah so my company doesn’t turn profits of £15 million (someday it might) and I did have babies which when we were out in public made it impossible for me to look as groomed and immaculate as Victoria does due to their lunch generally ending up on my shoulder, but hey, would I really want her life for a day…..yes please!
　

Today i think I'm

Today I think I’m in love…..with the 70’s fashion that is gracing magazines and shop floors all over the country. I love everything about it.-.the below the knee long sleeve print dresses, the wide leg flare,  everything, especially the hats…wide brimmed and floppy. Preferably Gucci but maybe only on our wish list. .Not so much call for the big hat in Belfast so not sure if id get the wear out of it that a Gucci would deserve.

Is it because there’s a little bit of romanticism associated with this era, girls running through meadows, I can see myself doing this with my hair blowing behind me , me in my fabulous dress and floppy hat…yeah well a girl can dream!  Maybe it’s Starsky and Hutch and the girls in their flared jean and Farah Fawcett hairstyles, sitting on the bonnet of the infamous Ford Torino, that inspires an air of confidence with this look . Or is it simply that 70’s fashion is pretty flattering for every body shape??

I just know that when I pull on my flare jeans and make this a look for me that I feel great. Tomorrow I’ll be in love the 60’s for completely different reasons to today’s love of all things 70’s.  It's good to have differnt loves in your life!

I don’t usually want for much but today I’m really lusting after the Tod’s taupe boots with fur trim…If I had any item in my wardrobe right now they would be it, maybe worn with a little lace tee and pencil skirt maybe even a camel trench style coat to keep me warm..... Oohhh, is it too early to do a Christmas list????

Bedazzle your halloween outfit

Monday morning and its nearly Halloween so I was coming into work today to find something suitable for the annual party….thankfully not at our house.. As usual I think a black dress with some inspired accessories, so imagine my delight when I opened this weeks Grazia(..Monday mornings in work always start with coffee and a flick through the mags) and I saw one of our necklaces featured in The Fashion Charts. Purple, Gold and favourably chunky. Spooktacular outfit sorted and I don’t even have to leave the comforts of the shop!!

On another note though…I got myself comfy on the sofa on Saturday night to watch the X Factor but in the end had to turn it off  half way through….not because of the singing which although isn’t great is nothing in comparison to the tragic styling of the contestants. Is it just me or was it worse than usual, Poor Sammy, what made them think that the leather look dress was good for her…she would have looked great in sexy skinnys to show off her legs, and some killer heels….sometimes its hard to know, maybe I’m wrong but I definitely think I know what looks good on someone and what doesn’t! Who knows??

That’s all from me, I’d better go do some work and admire the gale force winds and pounding rain outside.

Maybe after the MTV EMAs the celebs willl need some comfortable shoes?

http://sugahfix.com/fashion-mainmenu-49/fashion-news-mainmenu-51/1840-the-sole-of-chic-for-fashionista-feet.html

If you want to grab yourself a slice of celeb style, The White Bicycle on Bloomfield Ave in Belfast is the place to go as they have just taken delivery of A-list fave Cocorose Foldable Ballerina Shoes.
These pumps are currently gracing the feet of many celebrities, film stars and models, and as a sign of their growing popularity, the brand was given the enviable task of designing an exclusive pair for the 2011 BAFTA gift bags in February.
These fabulous foldable pumps are perfect for career gals, yummy mummies and even brides who are dying to slip their feet into something more comfortable after a long day or night in skyscraper stilettos. They come in a chic, signature compact purse- with a hidden, petite satin shoulder-bag- perfect for carrying those heels!
The Diffusion Line for Autumn/Winter 2011 features fourteen gem-stone shades of Plum, Purple, Blue, Cranberry, Pewter, Champagne and Black- in four glitzy designs including Bow Glitz (below left in Silver and Grey) and Glamour Glitz (below right in Black Rose with Diamante).
This glamorous new collection is now available at The White Bicycle with pumps-and-purse combos retailing at £45. So whether you have a long day or night in heels planned- or if you just fancy a gorgeous new pair of ballerina shoes - get down to The White Bicycle before they all get snapped up!