A Welsh Weekend

The end of August and it must be time for a road trip to see the cousins.

When our children were small and we couldn't afford a foreign holiday our summers were spent on the beaches of Swansea and the Gower.

If it had been a hotel our accommodation would have been five star.

My husband's sister and her family live in a beautiful house overlooking Langland Bay.

This is the view from their dining table.

My sister in law is a big tennis fan and Ben got the chance to play a couple of games with her.

Meanwhile I enjoyed a lovely breakfast at the beachside Cafe.

At 13 Ben is the youngest and he can't keep still - here he is practising his swing.

FORE!

Although it was a little chilly in the evening we still enjoyed a glass of vino on the decking.

Finally, it was time to go. I just love the way my sister in law's car matches my cardigan.

Now we are home all hell is set to break loose.

I am back at work tomorrow and we are preparing our 18-year-old for moving away to university.

How much easier (and cheaper) it was when our eldest lived at home while he studied.

Weekend Away

I am off on my annual August pilgrimage to Swansea.

See you when I get back.

Have a great weekend.

Holiday Bargains

 

 

Today's outfit seemed a little boring.

 

I decided to spice it up with my new scarf which I  bought from the Tarragona branch of Zara.

 

My other Zara holiday purchases included this blue vest and the necklace I wore in this recent snap.

 

 

 

The total for all 3 items came to just 15.97 Euros.

I am so glad I had left room in my carryon for a few bargains.

 

Today I wore:

 

Shoes - Clarks

Jeans - Gap

Top - New Look

Scarf - Zara

Hat - eBay

Necklace - Marks and Spencer

GAP Fest

 

It wasn't until I started listing my items that I realised today was a Gap Fest.

It wasn't until I started listing my items that I realised today was a Gap Fest.All of the items I had chosen today were from Gap.

I loved this jacket as soon as I saw it but waited for the sale and managed to snap it up for £14.95.

It is so well made and an ideal length even though it is not petite.

having said that I got an email today to say that Gap are introducing a new petite and tall range.

I just hope they have a grey winter coat in a petite size as a winter coat is top of my Autumn/Winter Wishlist along with a pair of flat brown boots, black workwear heels and cropped fitted jumper.

 

Have you started your A/W Wishlist yet?

 

I wore:

Shoes, Jeans, Vest, Jacket - Gap

RIP Martha

Today I bid a final farewell to my Martha Top Shop jeans which I first acquired in April 2010.

A massive rip across the top of my thigh means it is RIP for Martha.

While a designer rip may look fabulous on a leggy teenager, showing half your (rather large) backside is not very becoming for a middle aged mum.

The year Martha came into my life was the most challenging year of my life.

She was the friend I turned to when I needed reassurance on the days it was a struggle to get dressed.

Martha accompanied me to countless university lectures during my PGCE year and provided comfort during the hours I visited my dying dad in hospital.

The other sad thing about Martha is that she is no longer for sale.

Top Shop, for some strange reason, have stopped selling the only jeans that have every fitted my short, chunky legs.

I am so reluctant to abandon Martha and would like to keep her in some form - any ideas for re-purposing a favourite brand of jeans with a huge rip at the top of the thigh?

I wore:

Shoes - Clarks

Jeans - Top Shop

Top - Boden

Vintage Inspired

 

Cork Wedges - Check

Brown Maxi Skirt - Check

Black gypsy top - Check

 

I remind myself of the glam teenagers that I envied as a schoolgirl in the early 1970s when wedges were but a distant dream for a pre-teen.

Pat and Carol had pageboy hairstyles, wore ribbons as chokers round their neck, maxi skirt, sky-high platforms, tiny tight vests and lots of lovely make-up.

They looked like the girls I read about in Jackie magazine.

 

 

Those objects of my envy must be heading towards their sixties by now.

 

I wonder what happened to them?

 

Wedges: Gap (2013)

Skirt: Gap (2012)

Top - Asos (2012)

Postcards from Spain: The Holiday Capsule Wardrobe

 According to a survey by Debenhams, women only wear a third of the clothes they take on holiday and on average take 150 items and wear around 50 during a fortnight break.

Staggering.

I know I only went for 12 nights but I packed 20 items (not including travel outfit) and wore 20 items after making a last minute swap of a swimsuit for my daughter's Top Shop dress.

I also bought a blue top in Zara.

Even if you included underwear which I washed daily it would still come in at under 25 items.

I wore the same sandals every evening and each dress twice.

During the day I wore a bikini and sarong or cover-up and the same Birenstocks sandals.

Another dress that doubled as an evening dress and cover-up.

The cover up dresses I took double up nicely for walks around the town, dressed up with a hat.

So good I wore this dress twice.

The denim skirt got three wears - with the pink top.

With the too tight top I had to tuck into my bra.

With the blue vest I bought at Zara.

 The black dress I swapped for my red swimsuit.

Joe Brown white dress, worn twice amazingly - although I did spill red wine on it the second time.

The skirt I wore to travel to the airport was worn with the orange vest during the holiday and as a return home outfit too.

For more information on my holiday capsule see here (although I did swap a swimsuit for a dress).

My holiday capsule formula:

5 dresses

2 cover-up dresses that can be worn on the beach or for sightseeing

1 sarong

4 swimsuits (bikinis and/or tankinis) that can be mixed and matched

Two skirts

3 tops

Flat Birkenstocks for day

Flat dressy sandals for evening or day out

1 multi-way bra

3 pants (make sure you can wash and dry undies daily)

Total items: 23

All of my items were packed in a carry-on suitcase although I did squeeze my toiletries into my husband's case!