Month: September 2015

London Fashion Weekend 2015

| blueskygirlie

At the weekend I was lucky enough to go to this years London Fashion Weekend having won a pair of silver tickets from Very Exclusive.

So what is London Fashion Weekend? Following London Fashion Week, London Fashion Weekend is a fashionista extravaganza taking place straight afterwards, letting everyone experience the fabulous world of fashion. The Saatchi Gallery is transformed into an exclusive fashion experience, brimming with designer catwalk shows, pop-up shops, hair and beauty areas and days of educational panels and talks.

The beautiful location of the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea had been cleared of art and filled with lots of rooms of pop up shops plus a huge catwalk area on the top floor. The sun was shining and it was teeming with bloggers, fashion lovers and creatives. 

 

I wore a simple, yet (hopefully you’ll think) stylish outfit of a black jersey roll neck from Select and a Primark pleated animal print maxi skirt with leather heeled boots from Next. Instead of a necklace I tied a chiffon scarf around my neck to create a pussy bow effect and added a fab studded belt I have from Warehouse which always creates the most flattering silhouette for me.  All high street clothing too!

 
I took one of my favourite people in the world, my friend Ciara, who also loves fashion. Once there we were booked in to see the AW15 trend show by Very Exclusive which showcased key looks for the season in 4 fashion stories. It was hosted by fashion write & stylist Angela Scanlon and really filled me with inspiration.

Here are a few of my favourite looks… 

A Modish colour pop dress with a retro vibe:

 A stunning red statement coat:

A laid back Boho smock dress:

Luxe trousers with a berry leather biker jacket:

And the finale… My only real critism of the show was the models were so thin and there was no mix of age. In all this talk about plus size and more ‘normal’ models there wasnt a girl over a size 6/8 and no girls over about 21/22 years old… There were quite a few young girls there with their parents and you have to question what message it sent – I’m a size 10/12 and watching them made me feel enormous!We then went around the venue looking at all the different brands most of which had special offers and discounts of between 20-70% off. 

Heres my top 5 favourites…

Wolf & Moon jewellery:    The Cambridge Satchel Co.’s collaboration with Vivienne Westwood:Wooden Prada sunglasses: In fact I fell in love with a lot of sunglasses! These are Prada and Mui Mui respectively and its clear that theres definitely going to be a lot of fun OTT oversized styles coming out next season. Frends ‘Taylor’ headphones in rose gold coloured metal & white leather: Helene Berman London coats:  

It was great fun and I’m looking forward to reading the official magazine and deciding what pieces I cant live without for AW15!

Whether it’s shopping for your new season wardrobe or experiencing the atmosphere and drama of the catwalk or a VIP experience like no other – London Fashion Weekend is a great event. To be the first to find out when tickets go on sale for the February 2016 event, sign up to their newsletter here.

  

Monday Mantra

| blueskygirlie

Yep, its the beginning of the week again, the weekend has flown by and here we are at Monday morning! Here is todays quote or thought that has inspired me and I hope it inspires you too. Have a great week!

Todays thought –  Source – my Pinterest

Cecil Beatons note to self encourages us to not be ordinary, to not be afraid of being different…in fact to revel in it. Being very creative and all that comes with it can be hard, many people dont understand it at all, but personally I wouldn’t want to be any other way.

What words have inspired you recently? I would love to know.

The thing I fell in love with this week

| blueskygirlie

Primark Home ‘hello’ metal sign : £2.00  

This is from their retro college range which I’ve loved since I saw some via the press show images…   source

I love a flash of orange and this super sweet sign was impossible to resist!  It is now part of my kitchen décor, greeting guests as they walk in…

Look out for my blog next Saturday on what else I’ve fallen in love with.

Childrens Book Review: Mr Cleghorns Seal by Judith Kerr

| blueskygirlie

This is a new story by Judith Kerr, partly based on a true story which happened to her father and is about a man rescuing a seal pup, falling in love and ultimately finding a new purpose in life.

Our family very much enjoys the work of Judith Kerr and our nursery bookshelves have always been filled with her work – The Tiger who Came to Tea and the Mog the Cat series being particular favourites.  The story is aimed at children 7 years plus but could easily be read to children younger than that. I think that any child older than 12 years or so might find it too old fashioned and twee but I personally found the book charming and would read it to my youngest child quite happily. My eight year old enjoyed the seals antics and the zoo parts and definitely liked that there was a happy ending as he looked a bit worried after the seals mother never returned! Phew! Its a story that feels like its from another time in the very best way, with communication via letter, travels by train and an old fashioned courtship that reminded me a little of Esio Trot by Roald Dahl. Without giving the story away its a lovely adventure with a happy ending that all children (and adults) will smile at. Plus a story featuring a cute seal pup can never be a bad thing! Its 88 pages are peppered with lots of lovely pencil drawings by Kerr so is a relatively quick story to enjoy too. I also love the fact that at the back there’s details of the real story which although did not have the happy ending is still a fascinating read. My 8 year old was very interested in this particularly as it based based on how he puts it, ‘a real life story like a reality show but a book!

If you are looking for a new bedtime story that is gentle, sweet and wistful with a slight vintage vibe to it then this would be a great addition to your childrens bookshelves. It’s presented beautifully too with a dust jacket with gold embossed type so would also make a nice gift.

Mr Cleghorns Seal by Judith Kerr* is priced at £12.99 published by HarperCollins and available at all good bookshops

Whats your Autumn Uniform? 

| blueskygirlie

Autumn is here and its time to put away the pretty dresses, sandals and cute vests.  So, what to wear now? Well I personally think autumn is the easiest season to dress for with 4 ‘uniforms’ that will get you dressed in no time.  In todays blog I show one version how…

Todays uniform – 1) a roll neck, short skirt, tights and boots

  

What you need in your wardrobe – 

  • Roll neck jumper
  • Short skirt
  • Opaque tights
  • Ankle boots

This look is a really simple look to put together. Choose a slim fitting roll neck jumper and tuck it into a short flared skirt. If you’d rather go longer with your skirt pick an A-line knee skirt which works just as well.

Add black opaque tights (I favour a 100 denier tight in the winter) and black ankle boots. 

Keep it simple with no accessories and for the most flattering look keep your jumper and skirt tonal – i.e. both shades of brown as I have done here.  If you fancy wearing a pattern wear it on your bottom half and keep your roll neck a plain coordinating colour.Autumn uniform - how to dress for autumn & winter via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog

And thats autumn uniform number 1!

Look out for my blog next week on creating another easy to put together outfit this autumn.

Jumper : Primark

Skirt : Papaya at Matalan

Tights : Matalan

Boots : Dorothy Perkins

Monday Mantra

| blueskygirlie

Yep, its the beginning of the week again, the weekend has flown by and here we are at Monday morning! From now on every week I’m going to share a quote or thought with you that has inspired me and I hope it inspires you too.

Todays thought –

  

Source – my Pinterest 

I love this quote by writer F.Scott Fitzgerald. Fancy making a change? Drawing a line under this year so far and starting anew? It doesn’t have to be a big change – it might be just buying a new item for your wardrobe, maybe something you wouldn’t of worn before or trying a new recipe or food for dinner. Don’t wait for new year and that silly time of resolutions that we never keep – the season is changing and so can we if we want to.

What words have inspired you recently? I would love to know.

The thing I fell in love with this week

| blueskygirlie

Hello Fashion Monthly : £1.00

Hello Fashion Monthly launched almost a year ago and since then has become my go-to magazine for fashion inspiration. Surprisingly, not many people I know seem to read it as its often overshadowed by the many other fashion magazines that are out each month.It has a great balance of high fashion and high street fashion, as well as smaller sections on beauty, lifestyle and weddings. The interviews are insightful and intelligent and are often with women in the fashion industry who have something important to say.

 And it only costs £1!  Every month!  What a bargain!  Hello Fashion Monthly magazine is available at larger newsagents and supermarkets – Octobers issue is out now.

Keep on Jumpin’

| blueskygirlie

Ah the jumpsuit…

You will of noticed I have quite a few of them (find some previous outfit posts here and here). They are very easy to wear and flattering and don’t take a lot of styling – less is definitely more in the case of a jumpsuit.

Todays (well tonights) look is for a date night with my lovely fiance. We try and make sure we always make time for each other and a romantic meal out is perfect for that – with 4 kids between us and busy lives its key really!

I am wearing a gorgeous sleeveless navy cotton jumpsuit from Next Petite.  It buttons up to the neck like a shirt and looks so elegant. The wide leg shape balances the fitted top and it has pockets, something I just love styling wise. For sizing I am wearing a UK 10 (it has an elasticated waist) but I did have to shorten it! Yes, I am so short, a petite item was too long!!! If youre below 5’3″ I’d imagine you’d have to so the same – I shortened it by about 2″ which on the plus side, means I can wear flats with it too.

A studded skinny belt and earrings from Forever21 with with gold details accessorise the look. The belt cinches in the elasticated waist and draws your eye to the most narrow part of the body.


And on my feet, my new Primark sandals – the pop of cerise against the navy works perfectly and livens up this dark outfit.

As its a date I wore more make-up than I usually do and styled my hair into a messy bun.

Base – Max Faxtor foundation/pan stick in beige, Soap & Glory ‘Love at First Blush’ Eyes- BarryM dazzle dust in 103 and Rimmel Exaggerate liquid liner/Lift Me Up mascara
Lips – Make Up Gallery lipstick Purple Pop (find my review on their make up range here).

I loved this look and felt fabulous in it.  It is dressy but doesnt look like its trying too hard!  Do you enjoy a date night with your other half?  What do you wear to make it feel special?

Jumpsuit – Next Petite

Earrings – Forever21

Belt – Vintage

Sandals – Primark

Roald Dahl Day 2015

| blueskygirlie

When Puffin Books got in touch to ask if Reuben and I would like to make part in the Crafty Twits Challenge for Roald Dahl Day today (Sunday 13th Sept) its fair to say we were pretty excited. We both love Roald Dahl and for me, its fantastic to see your child enjoying reading particularly when its a book that you also enjoyed when you were their age.

The Twits has been reissued to coincide with this years Roald Dahl day and we were kindly sent 3 versions to review – a beardy one, a smelly one and a techy one! Plus Reuben was given the challenge to get crafty and create a Mr Twit style beard!!! He started thinking of what type of beard he would want and how it might look almost immediately, but more of that later…I love the book ‘the Twits’ – it is funny, not too long, grotesque (in the best way) and like all Dahl books has a very strong life message. In fact it contains one of my favourite book quotes ever which I’ve shared a few times via my social media –   Photo via my Instagram : @Blueskygirlie
Its a pretty good message don’t you think?

So, what about the books?  Reuben and I are both familiar with the story but a great story can be read again and again (another of the joys of Dahl) and where it is quite a short book it can be read together in just 2/3 days (we usually read together before Reuben goes to bed). The new style books themselves are lovely and definitely bring a new vibe to a well loved storybook.

‘The beardy one’ (available at all good booksellers rrp £9.99): this is a lovely chunky hardback book with a furry style beard on the front cover. This makes it very tactile and caught the eye of our almost 4 year old so could be a good one to buy for a younger child that you’d like to read to. It would definitely make a lovely gift.

As well as the story itself, theres a section at the back full of Roald Dahl trivia, writing tips and other fun tit bits. We loved these bits and definitely makes this version feel quite special.

The smelly one (available at all good booksellers rrp £5.99): this is a paperback version but has the added attraction of a selection of scratch and sniff stickers of Quentin Blake illustrations. And they do smell…awful! Being a typical 8 year old boy, Reuben loved the grossness of it!
The techy one (available via the App Store/Google Play – free): I knew Reuben would love the fact there was an app game and sure enough within minutes he had downloaded it and was playing it! You basically have to swipe away pieces of rubbish/food/ goodnessknowswhat coming from Mr Twit eating and stop them hitting and waking up a sleeping Mrs Twit while getting them to lodge back in his beard. If she wakes up she is not happy! Theres special missions to complete too and its great fun.
And finally onto our Mr Twit style beard…
Reuben loves his tech and gadgets and decided the perfect beard would be one not with hidden bits of lost food within it, but with hidden compartments for his ipod touch, video camera, ipod, Xbox controller and even a charging point! And here it is!!!
We had great fun making it together – it has hidden headphones, a chocolate bar for energy and sunglasses…because, well sunglasses are just cool according to Reuben!  
   
I reckon we could be into something here…we’re claiming copywrite now!!!

Have fun this Roald Dahl Day and spend some quality time maybe having a party, being silly, getting crafty with the Craft Twits challenge, baking some Roald Dahl inspired cakes and embracing the magical world of Roald Dahl with your kids….

Find more details of what you can do today and throughout the month here.

All books via Puffin books*