Keep on Jumpin’

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

The thing I fell in love with this week

Alessi fridge magnets: £5.50 each via Amazon. 

I love Alessi design. I own quite a few pieces and have them out in my kitchen creating a fun and funky vibe. Some even appeared in the interiors book I styled – ‘Style Your Modern Vintage Home’ by Kate Beavis.   

Photo by Simon Whitmore for FW Media for Style Your Modern Vintage Home. 

When I saw Alessi had created minature versions of some of their most iconic designs I fell in love immediately! There are 8 fridge magnets currently in the range depicting 4 of the most popular and iconic Alessi designs. I think a mint Anna G bottle opener might have to be mine next… 

 source 

…Or maybe a Magic Bunny as I have the full sized version already (in real life it holds cocktail sticks).

At £5.50 each its a great way to buy into the range (Alessi designs can be quite expensive) or give yourself a little treat without breaking the bank. Mine sit on my orange Smeg fridge with pride and make me smile everytime I see them!

Find the full range of Alessi magnets via Amazon here and look out for a new item I’ve fallen in love with next week!

InstaNatural Organic Beauty Range

I was recently asked by American organic skincare company InstaNatural if I wanted to become one of their beauty reviewers, championing organic and ethical beauty to look and feel great. At 42 I have become more focused on keeping my face and body from aging any faster than they needed to so I jumped at the chance to try out their products! InstaNatural say their products are great if you have sensitive skin as the entire product line is made without alcohols, parabens and sulfates that can be irritating to the skin and none of the products are tested on animals.  So, what did I think?

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog
Facial skincare – 

Eye serum £15.97/30ml: This product smelt lovely (the grapefruit notes come through perfectly) and felt very fresh and invigorating to put on. It claims to reduce eye bags, crow’s feet, fine lines, sagging skin and puffiness. So, does this work? Over about 10 days use I definitely felt the puffiness underneath my eyes had reduced and will definitely be continuing to use it. My fine lines appear less too as does the darkness under my eyes. Its bright orange but don’t be put off be put off as this disappears immediately on patting it into your skin and a little goes a VERY long way. I found if I used too much a residue was left so quickly reduced the amount I put underneath my eyes (using the rather nifty glass pipette) and a nice product to use day and night.  Find my original review with before and after photos here.

Facial toner £17.95/120ml: The toner is really refreshing and has a lovely fresh smell thanks to grapefruit, geranium, lavender and lemon oils. It has a high content of Aloe Vera too so it’s also very hydrating to help replace lost moisture and perk up a tired complexion. So, does this work? I use a lot of beauty products but every so often one comes along I absolutely love and this is one of them! On the one hand it is a toning product that kept my skin feeling clean and clear – my pores have never looked better and my skin is glowing and feels great. But I also loved it as a general skin refresher/cooler and it works brilliantly stored in the fridge on hot days and I think would be great as a holiday product for poolside use. It feels so refreshing to use and the zesty smell awakens you in the morning.  But the thing I liked most about it was the spray bottle as I’d never come across a toner dispensed like this before but its so simple and so good it amazes me that all toners aren’t like this! I just love it!

Night cream £17.95: Firstly you get a lot of face cream for your money – 100mls worth which is brilliant and much bigger than most pots of face cream. Its supposed to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyper pigmentation & uneven skin tone – all guaranteed! So, does this work? After using it my skin the next day felt nicely moisturised, refreshed and looked brighter. The product smelt lovely – the smell is quite calming and it was easy to use in a pump format with very little mess or wastage. Although it can be used day and night I only used it at night as it is quite a rich cream – again the rose like smell was a nice scent to go to sleep smelling! This cream definitely helped the general reddening which I experience on my face fade which was great and my pores seemed better too.


Body skincare – 

Scar gel £21.95/30ml: I used this on a newish scar on my arm which was bothering me. The scar being new (well 6 months ish old) was red and slightly raised. The bottle says it helps to diminish and erase scars over time by making them less visible in appearance and can be used for surgical scars, acne scars, burns or other dark spots. So, does this work? It can be a little sticky if you use too much but I’m definitely going to continue to use this and try it on some old stretch marks too. The product is easy to use in a small pump action container and a little goes a long way. Since using the product the redness of my scar has disappeared and it has took on more a look of pigmentation in my skin. It also has gone a lot flatter. I’m using twice a day so definitely think continued use will make the scar look even less obvious.

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog Stretch mark cream £21.95/100ml: This is a fresh smelling cream in a large pot, with a lovely fresh smell. It smells so nice – ingredients include aloe vera, rosehip, mango and grape.  You can use it anywhere you have stretch marks and I mainly used it on my tummy, thighs and hips where I have marks from having my son and growth/weight gain/loss. It feel very nice to put on and I used it regularly. So, does this work? It does! My skin is definitely feels firmer and I can see the few red marks going ‘clear’ already! I was very surprised. Its very nourishing too which I think helps…I am raving about this one!  I found that my skin looked in much better condition and it felt like it was tighter.  Obviously you cant remove existing stretch marks but this has helped significantly and definitely fades them. A little goes a long way too so although its not cheap (but hey what decent beauty product is!) I would say its worth it.

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog

Cellulite cream £21.95/100ml: This is a thick cream, with a very light flowery smell. I don’t have a lot of cellulite but definitely would like to improve the texture of the skin on my thighs/bottom. The main ingredients are caffeine, retinol and vitamin C and the cream is definitely highly moisturising and hydrating. A little goes a long way and it spread easily on to my skin from the pot and you can use it anywhere you have skin that needs firming. So, does this work? Well my skin is definitely feels more hydrated and the areas I wanted to treat feel less dimpled. My skin feels supple, smoother and pampered when I use it and I hope it will reduce the appearance of my dimples even more, although personally I think you’d need to add massage of some kind and exercise too.

instanatural organic vegan ethical beauty review via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog

Look out for further reviews as I discover more of the range. The range is sold exclusively in the UK via Amazon.co.uk – find the full range here.  All prices correct on Amazon at time of posting.

All products – InstaNatural via Amazon*

Chasing Waterfalls

  • Black and white – simple, flattering and VERY easy to wear.
  • Waterfall jackets – simple, flattering and VERY easy to wear.
  • Hmmm, hang on, I’m starting to see a pattern here.

I’d been looking for a lightweight duster coat/longline jacket for a while and after a bit of shopping around I went for this great waterfall jacket from M&Co. Its a fantastic piece, well made, stylish and do easy to wear. Best of all its in the summer sale!
MandCo waterfall jacket & wet look leggings #ootd via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog
For sizing I am wearing a size 10 but it is available in sizes 8-20.  With no fastenings its a free fit but is structured on the shoulders so go for your usual size.  It flows beautifully and has sleeves you can roll up to 3/4 length and large patch pockets.MandCo waterfall jacket & wet look leggings #ootd via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog
For a simple, chic look I’ve styled it today with a striped breton tee, wet look leggings and black wedge sandals.  Its super flattering and looks as good with jeans or a dress…I really love it.
MandCo waterfall jacket & wet look leggings #ootd via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog    MandCo waterfall jacket & wet look leggings #ootd via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog
Oh and I accessorised with a cute vintage necklace…
MandCo waterfall jacket & wet look leggings #ootd via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog
Currently in the sale for £24 reduced from £35, find it instore now and grab yourself a bargain!  Its a piece you’ll wear again and again and always feel great in!  I’m loving wearing mine and it will be great transitional piece too as we go into Autumn.

Waterfall jackets are the perfect shape for all body types.  My advice is get one in your wardrobe ASAP.

Jacket – M&Co
Necklace – vintage
T-shirt – Papaya at Matalan
Leggings – eBay
Sandals – New Look

I ❤️ Al Fresco Dining

I love to dine outside in the summer and aim to do it as much as I can while the weather allows. I have a huge collection of outside dining items both new and vintage which I have amassed over the years and we have a family outdoor dining table placed at the far end of our garden (to catch the best of the sun) and small bistro set on our patio right by our kitchen french doors.

Ironically theres something missing at the moment…a BBQ! Our last one went to appliance heaven after many years of faithful service and I’ve not had time to replace it. I do love to eat outdoors with family and friends and if I got a new one I know exactly where I’d put it – I’d place it against the wall that runs alongside our patio. It would be near enough to the kitchen for practicality, but still in its own little ‘outdoor zone’ for my style aesthetics.

In todays blog I’ve styled up the space in my garden next to where I’d have the BBQ located and created a fantastic look on our bistro set using some of my favourite outdoor items that I hope you love!

I have kept the colours mainly neutral and gone for a stylish ‘grown up’ setting with a rustic feel including my new Kilner drinks dispenser and mason jar glasses. The bright colour of the orange fruit punch shines through and you just can’t help but feel summery (and thirsty!) looking at it.rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog 

The 5L dispenser is from The Range and costs just £14.99 which I think is a great price.  They also do matching Kilner jar glasses with handles but they come without tops which doesn’t work with a house full of kids, plus I personally don’t like the handled version (they seem too heavy and clunky for my style) so I’ve co-ordinated mine with smaller, prettier mason jar glasses from wedding retailer Confetti.rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog  rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog 

rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog   

I love the rustic simplicity of a mason jar glass and the metal screw cap and washable straw means it can be used summer after summer.  Yet again we have Pinterest (and America) to thank for the inspiration!

rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog 

A chenille throw and a few cushions soften the look – I love the message on this Asda hopsack cushion – ‘Enjoy the little things in life, for someday you will realise they were the big things’. Wise words indeed!  I always like to have a throw or two available for guests to keep them cosy as the night gets chillier – why stop your BBQ when the sun goes down?rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog  rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog 

If BBQ’ing alone isn’t to your taste, how about setting up a pretty picnic basket, so that people can help themselves? This looks great but is also a clever way to display pre-prepared food such as sandwiches and cakes. Store loose food in quirky containers such as these mini mason jars again from Confetti – theres no tacky Tupperware boxes allowed here!rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog 
rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blogAnd once the sun goes down, light your candles – the glow from the tealights looks just lovely. I love how pretty different sized candle holders look when grouped together – repeat this throughout your outdoor space to make any party look magical.  Holders can be picked up cheaply and one of my favourite places to buy them is Store TwentyOne where they start at just £1.rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog 

rustic outdoor dining with mason jar glasses via Always a Blue Sky Girl blog 

So get cooking outdoors this summer, surround yourself with your nearest and dearest, put on your favourite music and enjoy. I honestly couldnt do summer any other way!

Create the look:

  • Bistro table & chairs – Tesco Direct
  • Kilner drinks dispenser – The Range
  • Mason Jar glasses – Confetti.co.uk*
  • Mini Mason Jars – Confetti.co.uk*
  • Picnic hamper – Vintage
  • Throw – Dunelm Mill
  • Cushion – Asda
  • Wood bowls – Vintage
  • Tealight holders – Store TwentyOne, M&S

This is my entry into the Style Your Space competition via Direct Stoves.  

Shoe shopping

So, I’ve been doing a bit of shoe shopping…in fact I’ve bough six pairs this month!  However being the bargain hunter I am they’ve all been in the summer sales in total I’ve only spent about £50.  Cost per wear thats a bargain!!! 

Want to know what I’ve bought and where? 

Primark sandals – pink/navy £3 (was £6), aqua £3 (was £8), white platforms £5 (was £10).  All instore at Primark.  You can never have too many sandals and I love them to match my outfits.

 
F&F girls patent t-bar shoes (available in sizes 1-6) £5.50 (from £15).  Available instore at Tescos or online here.  Super cute and will be great for Autumn too to wear with opaque tights and dresses.

  

Baby pink Vans – £36 (from £60) these were from Littlewoods Direct and are now very low on stock but can be found at many Vans stockists. These are my first ever pair of Vans! Very comfortable and they are definitely drawing me away from my huge collection of Converse!

 

Peacocks red flats – £4 (from £10).  I’ve been looking for some red shoes for a while and these cuties will look great with denim and for £4?  I couldn’t say no!


Do you love a bit of shoe shopping too?   Its even better if they are a bargain!  Happy shopping in the summer sales!  

Head in the clouds…

It all started with some tea towels…


I picked out a set of Cath Kidston ‘clouds’ print tea towels for mothers day this year. I adore a blue sky/white cloud motif in general and I just loved them. My business is Blue Sky Visual, my blog is called Always a blue sky girl, my Instagram/Twitter/ Pinterest name is BlueSkyGirlie. Why? Because ‘blue sky thinking’ people always strive for the most creative and ambitious solution and see everything from a highly creative perspective and I would like to think thats the kind of creative person I am!  And if not, thats what I aspire to be.

Then I saw the trainers…

A collaboration between Gola and Cath Kidston that were just my style.  I bought them with my birthday money and have worn them so much.  Just looking down at your feet makes you feel happy and I blogged about them here.

I loved wearing them to Copenhagen on our last trip…seemed something so right about cloud prints and being up in the sky in a plane…and by then I’d bought a zip up purse too.

I decided with the Cath Kidson summer sale on another item had to be mine.  I wanted a bag – nothing too formal or big, just something that would be great for shopping and wearing with jeans etc.

I went for something a bit different and tweaked it to what I needed…maybe I used some of that blue sky thinking!?!  This is officially a craft bag (I guess for knitting/ sewing stuff etc) and was reduced from £35 to just £15.  Its a soft fabric bag with large pockets on both sides and a tie to the top. To make it a bit more robust and tote-like I carefully opened up the small part of the inside lining and cut a hard base out of cardboad, inserted it in and re-sewed the lining. I’m thrilled with the outcome!

  
  
And here it is with its new friends!  I do like a bit of co-ordination… 

Find the bag online here or check out your nearest Cath Kidston store.  Do you love the range as much as I do? Don’t tell my boyfriend, but I’m debating getting the lamp next…

Getting Engaged 

So…I’m engaged now.  At 42, divorced with a child, getting married again doesnt seem like something you need to shout about…except you kinda do!  It is definitely a lovely feeling that makes you feel safe, very happy and most importantly very very loved.

Its fair to say Russ and I are a sickly sweet loved up couple already and making our love ‘official’ was always on the cards.  We own a house together and parent four (yes four!) boys between us so we are already totally committed to each other. Plus we both have been wearing a ring on our wedding ring finger since we got serious…a committment ring of sorts.


After getting together after both leaving long term dead and pointless relationships, we promised each other we would really start living our lives. Properly living them, seizing each moment and as part of that each year would travel to a new and exciting foreign place. This year we decided to discover Copenhagen in Denmark which I blogged about here.  Long story short – we absolutely loved the place!

on a boat trip exploring the sights

 

So back to the event itself – after taking (and leaving) a love lock as a surprise for Russ on a our trip to Barcelona last year, I’d read that there was a pedestrian bridge on the edge of the city where Danish couples came to express their love in the same way.

For those not in the know, love locks have become a global phenomenon.  They are messages of love, written by lovers and locked onto bridges, fences and gates in prominent and iconic spots and the keys then thrown away leaving the message (and the couples declaration of love) locked there forever…

This time I said beforehand that I wanted to do it, and in a lovely touch Russ hand engraved our padlock himself.

The Bryggebroen bridge is tucked behind a large shopping centre, on a street called Havneholmen, and spans the distance between the Danish areas of Kalvebod Brygge and Islands Brygge.  No cars can cross it, so its quiet, clean and elegant.

where it happened

 

We went to find it hoping it would be just as good as the other love lock spots we’d seen online. Walking over the bridge, gazing along the Sydhavnen (South Harbour) the modern architecture almost blends into the colour of the water and placed every so often along the railings are small groups of padlocks, a stark contrast with their mix of colour strewn across the bridge.  Towards the centre of the bridge the numbers grew and the bridge became full of declarations of love.

Smiling, kissing and laughing (as ever) we placed our lock, declared our love and threw the keys in the river.

And here is our lock…❤️❤️❤️

love locks in Copenhagen Denmark via Always a blue sky girl blog

love locks in Copenhagen Denmark via Always a blue sky girl blog

And then the proposal!  Suddenly looking very serious, Russ asked for my lovely emerald and diamond ring back, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him!  The feeling of joy was just overwhelming.  As I got ready to answer a Danish jogger ran past smiling and shouted “say yes!” and we both burst out laughing.  It was a perfect moment we’ll both never forget – and of course I said yes!!!

After quite a lot of kissing and cuddling, we then went out for a celebratory dinner, toasted our future, took a romantic walk back to the hotel and did a final bit of celebrating behind closed doors doing what we do best! The rest I’ll leave up to your imagination! 😉😍😉

I feel very lucky to have such love in my life and to have received such a wonderful proposal in such a romantic place and can’t wait to marry the man I love.

And now…wedding planning!  I am a style blogger who is getting married!!!  As you can imagine I want it to be fabulous, so watch this space…

Find my Pinterest wedding boards here here here and here for how its looking so far.

 

Featured Friday Bloggers: A Blue Sky Girlie

This week I am thrilled to be featured as M&Co.s blogger of the week.  Find my interview with them here… 

http://blog.mandco.com/2015/07/24/featured-friday-bloggers-a-blue-sky-girlie/

This week’s Featured Friday blogger is Sarah from Always a Blue Sky Girl. We’ve spotted Sarah styling some of our pieces fabulously on her social channels and though it was time to find out a bit more… 

Introduce us to your blog Sarah…