Goodbye Summer Brights and Hello September

My favourite colours for summer were neon. The only time when you can get away with such a bright colour is when you have a tan and thanks to the most gorgeous weather here in the UK, as well as quite a few trips abroad, I managed to make a fairly good use of my neon buys.

I bought this bright pink Victoria Secret's top at the beginning of the season and it has been my favourite. It's perfect for the beach, but you can also get away with it in the city when it's scorching hot. Here, I teamed it up with Ted Baker trousers (white and toddlers don't go, but oh well...). As it is a very open top, it does require a pretty bra - I am wearing Agent Provocateur. 

 

My other favourite buy was this knitted Zara top. Perfect for warm summer evenings teamed up with either jeans or shorts.

 

 

 

I've also started thinking about doing some shopping for autumn, even though it still doesn't feel like summer is over. I've been recommended StyleinView.co.uk, which is basically a fashion search engine, so if you are looking for a dress in a certain colour for an upcoming event, you pop it in and then they tell you everywhere online that are currently selling these and then you can arrange this by price. They have just launched a new widget where you can create your own gallery based on a certain look/style. It's a great site for searching or putting different looks together and I will be posting some of my creations.

 

The below selection is for all the mothers that will be starting their school/nursery runs this week.

 

Skinny Jeans - I think they are one of the best inventions. Don't think I own any other style... I love the colour of these Warehouse jeans and the price is great too!

Aquascutum scarf - gorgeous and on sale! I own quite a few pieces from this brand - I am just in love with their check stripes.

Simple but stylish Tommy Hilfiger tote. Perfect for carrying all the snacks, wipes, iPad and random toys. It is black which is a practical colour when you have little ones.

Ash ankle boots - they are most definitely on my list. They look good and I am very sure that they are comfortable as well! Just the right height for driving or walking up the hill.

Simple T-shirt. I think this one (only 5 pounds!!) goes nicely with a scarf. There is no better combination than a simple but nicely fitted T-shirt and a pair of good jeans.

Finally, if it does get a little cool, this quilted gilet is perfect. I own quite a few gilets, they are so practical and they do look good.

 

September ideas for busy mums - nursery run. Powered by Styleinview.co.uk

Perfect grey maxi and beach market

Second part of our month long holiday (where has the time gone?) I spent with Little Miss S and my mum in our summer house in the seaside town called Palanga. Perfect girly holiday. One day, whilst Little Miss S was taking a nap in her SunShade tent, mum and I were sipping coffee on the beach and discussing our perfect maxi dress (as you do). My dear mother works in fashion so often occasionally we talk about clothes. I said I wanted a grey dress that is made out of stretchy slightly see-through cotton and fitted at all the right places. Oh, and not too long! There are so many maxis out there, but all I want is simple, pretty thing. And sometimes simple is hard to find. A lot of time simple can cost a small fortune.

Next day I found one!

I told you it was simple!

Pretty and practical 

And I just cannot seem to part with it!

However, I didn't find it in a designer boutique. I spotted it on a beach market. And not just any beach market - Women's beach market!

For those who are not familiar with it, Women's beach (and market) might sound a little bit strange, but I spent my summers there as a child and it's a great place to be (and get an even tan). Yes, as the title suggests, the beach is for women only who like to come and sunbathe topless (or even bottomless). It's the most relaxing and care-free place in the world to sunbathe (unless you are lucky enough to own your own private beach of course). No one stares, no one bothers you. There are young women, older women, pregnant women, women that just had little ones. And then there is a market! Right on the beach, where you can try bikinis, dresses, shoes and much more in just your bikini bottoms! Genius if you ask me. Of course, not all items are great, as it is a market after all, but like anywhere, there are some hidden gems to be found.

'Selfridges' on the beach ... almost 

On holiday

Very sorry for the lack of posts, but as you might know we are away on holiday *huge smirk on my face*. This post comes from sunny Lithuania where we have been eating, eating, more eating (even as I type this post I am eating), swimming, exploring and seeing friends and family. I haven't lived in Lithuania for nearly 15 years now (wish I could say I was a baby then...I wasn't, I'm just a tiny bit older than that...), but this is one of my favourite places to holiday (no, I am not biased, I just really like). Vilnius is a stunning city with lots of cozy little cafes, restaurants and bustling bars. Rain or shine, Lithuanians like to sit outside during summer months. If you get a little chilly by midnight (yes, having my dear mum as a babysitter gave Hubby and I a chance to have quite a few so called 'date' nights), then the waiter will happily give you a warm blanket. I love this whole 'blanket culture', it is very popular in continental Europe. We should bring it to London! Vilnius is also very cultural. From jazz bars to museums, theaters and classical music concerts. However, if the weather gets too hot and you fancy to relax by the water, then there are hundreds of lakes nearby. Trakai (photo above) is a pretty little town 20 minutes drive from Vilnius that has plenty of fresh water lakes and lots of great places to eat. You can hire a cottage for a few nights, or choose one of many fabulous hotels. You can also get a boat for the whole day or a few hours, which I highly recommend. And don't forget the sauna in the evening (followed by the swim in the lake) - something that most Lithuanians do in he summer (some crazy ones do it in the winter too).

Nap time for Little Miss S, coffee time for mum and dad

As it is Wednesday today, I am conneting to Transatlantic Blonde for What I Wore.

Heading out for drinks and dinner with Hubby and friends at the beginning of our holiday when it was a little rainy. I am wearing:

Jacket: Aquascutum
Jeans: 7 for All Mankind
Bag: Mulberry
Brolly: Burberry
Shoes: L.K. Bennett

Mama on duty. Weather is back to normal (hot!) and I am wearing:

Top: bought in Greece. Perfect for this weather as it is pretty much see-through and open at the back
Short: Ralph Lauren (extremely ancient but still great)
Sandals: from Greece (saw lots of lovely sandals here in Vilnius so might sneak off to the shops...)

Our holiday is not over yet. We are off to the seaside now. Little Miss S learnt a new word 'sea' whilst we were away in Greece and she hasn't stopped repeating it. Now it's time to see the sea again;) Till next time (I've got thousands of gorgeous photos and lots of yummy recipes to share).

Holiday Wardrobe Shopping and What I Wore

If you follow me on twitter, then you will know that I have been doing some a lot of holiday shopping. Last month when we went away I didn't get a chance to 'prepare' as we booked our gateway last minute. Obviously, I survived and had the most fabulous break, but this time we are away for much longer period and, well, I just couldn't help myself...

First stop was Victoria's Secrets for some underwear. I've been a fan of this brand for a very long time and obviously I am utterly delighted that they finally opened their London store.

After buying enough knickers to last me a lifetime, I was off to Zara (another favourite) to get a few tops...

My new favourite colour (excuse my tired looking, make-up free face, but it was extremely hot and all I could think of, by that stage, was ice cold Pinot Blush in the garden)

This will look nice in the evening with some wedges

Summer, seaside - stripes (naturally)

I wore:

Shorts - used to be Trilogy jeans until a few weeks ago. I just couldn't find a perfect pair of white denim shorts and as the jeans have been with me for nearly five years, I decided to turn them into shorts!

Belt - Chloe

Top - Reiss (ancient)

Bag - Mulberry

Sandals - from boutique in Greece, already been soaked with strawberry cider by Little Miss S

Heatwave and What We Wore

Summer has finally arrived and settled in the city (day 6 of heatwave!). I am a huge lover of hot summer days, so we have been making the most of this glorious weather. Walks, picnics, barbecues, al fresco dinners. Oh, and what can be better than cup of coffee outside on the terrace in your pyjamas? Or glass of Prosecco in the afternoon (no need to wait for wine o'clock, it's hot!).

I wore:

Shorts (at last!) from Sisley. I am on the lookout for more shorts for our upcoming holiday. I prefer shorts to skirts, especially when I am out with Little Miss S. However, shorts also make a great evening outfit teamed up with some wedges or high-heel sandals and a shirt (just make sure they are not too short unless you don't mind being mistaken for a pole dancer).

These Michael Kors shorts are currently on sale at Outnet. They would look fabulous with a white shirt and some nude wedges.

My see-through top, which also opens at the back (it's hot after all!) is from Greece and has been one of my favourite buys for this summer.

My bra (don't normally write about my underwear but it's summer and you can pretty much see it) is from Agent Provacateur and it's one of my favourites.

Little Miss S wore:

Playsuit from H&M
Hat from Vertbaudet



Lebanese Festival and What We Wore

How would you describe your perfect weekend? How about delicious Lebanese food (even if you are not hungry, the smell will make you want to eat), cold Lebanese beer (have you tried?), lively Lebanese music (cannot help but dance) and sunshine (not just any sunshine, but very warm with not a cloud in the sky), lovely company and the fact that this is all happening in London (no need for travelling), and I think that would pretty much sum up my ideal weekend. So that's exactly what we did last weekend as Lebanese Festival was taking place. It's a fabulous day out for family and friends (yes, sunshine does help). I like the idea of taking your whole family out (from grandparents to tiny little babies) for a picnic in the park, eating food, meeting friends and dancing (yes, families were actually dancing and it wasn't some random drunk dancing...). At one stage I actually felt like I am abroad on holiday. Cannot add anything else. It was perfect. Here are some (a lot) photos.

The Hubby insisted on buying pretty much everything on the stalls (what is it about men buying food in large quantities?). And who ate majority of it? Me, of course!

Queue for kebabs was very long but very much worth it!

I wore:

Playsuit (or is it a jumpsuit?) from Asos

Bag from Longchamp
Sandals from a little boutique in Greece (which were later slightly damaged as Little Miss S knocked over the whole glass of strawberry cider over me...all forgiven, but I think I should get a new pair...)

Little Miss S wore:
Shorts: M&S
Top: Zara
Booties: Bobux
Hat: Vertbaudet

Swedish beauty

I've recently been invited to the opening of FACE Stockholm at Fenwick, Bond Street. This uber cool yet approachable cosmetic range comes from Sweden, where it was found and, more importantly, is still managed by the mother and her daughter. Their range of colours is spectacular, but what I really liked is the fact that they use only most natural ingredients. We went through pretty much every single product and I was very impressed by the quality.

Colours are vibrant and fresh, but not harsh.

Apparently lime nail varnish is men's favourite (on ladies obviously) ... Will need to test that with Mr Hubby

 

I thoroughly enjoyed playing with different colours. This is another great thing about this brand. Their attitude towards make-up is very laid back. It is all about joyful learning, creativity and laughter. You can take a very bold and bright lipstick and then add some lip-gloss to neutralise the colour. Don't be afraid to experiment. Just remember, if you are wearing a signature lipstick, keep your eye make-up neutral (I sometimes don't even wear mascara) and vice versa.

Ellen (the lady who brought FACE to the UK) and I came up with three essential products for busy yummy mummies.

1. Magic Wand - to cover up those sleepless nights.
2. Creme Brush-On  - can be used on lips, eye-lids and cheeks to give a little bit of glow (I went for Tokyo colour).
3. Brow Shadow - apply a little bit at the arch of your brow for a natural daytime look (I went for Myrrah colour).

Make-up and champagne is always a good idea!

And this is what I wore:

Dress: Zara (ancient... 3 years)
Bag: Furla (present from my ever so stylish Grandmother)
Sandals: bought in a little boutique in Greece (pack light - buy some more...)

What we wore on holiday

The beauty about going on holiday is that you loose the sense of time. Today is Wed (how did that happen?) and it's time to connect to Transatlantic Blonde for What I Wore Wednesday.

Well, not much really. I managed to survive with just one bikini (it can be done), one pair of flip flops, one pair of sandals (although I later bought another one...), a few beach dresses, one pair of shorts and a couple of vests. I did read somewhere that a lot of women end up spending nearly just as much money on getting ready for the holiday as they would spend on the actual holiday (?!). So maybe last minute getaway is a way forward? Saying that, I am planning a few shopping trips for our next holiday in July...

I am wearing my bikini bought 4 years ago very very long time ago in St Tropez.
Little Miss S is wearing a very sensible all in one UV swimsuit from Boots and a hat from Vertbaudet.

And this is one of my evening outfits.

Trousers: Ted Baker
Sandals: Kurt Geiger
Vest: Mango
Cardigan: Zara
Bag: Mulberry

Little Miss S wore this cute dress from Jojo Maman Bebe and shoes from Babux.