Blog Love and Autumn Picks

Ironically a couple of days ago I posted on Instagram that I didn’t know the future of this blog.  Sunday was my eldest’s 10th birthday and also the 5th anniversary of starting my blog.  The hesitation about future blogging was due to a combination of uncertainty about what I should blog about and putting myself ‘out there’.  Social media is not my natural habitat.  It is very much a love:hate relationship.   But then… but then….. a series of events led to this post and here I am (very) happily typing away.

Yesterday I took myself shopping.  I had a day off.  I’ve been working hard recently and it needed to be done.  I love shopping.  When I saw the careers advisor at school they asked me what I really loved and I said shopping (yes really).  This lead to a career aspiration as a Buyer and a quick spell as a management trainee course at Harrods.  I kid you not.  It was a great experience but I quickly moved on to Uni when I realized most of my friends didn’t have to get up early on a Monday morning.  But I digress.  Yesterday was not a good shopping day.  Which could simply be summed up by one word.  Tummyflab.  Yuck, the dreaded actual reality of middle age spread.

So I’ve decided I’m going to up my exercise ante and start running.  Even the word puts the fear of God into me.  But it’s got to be done. Today was day 1 of my couch to 5k in 8 weeks.  Immediately after my run, I read today’s blog post here on the Esther Coren’s the Spike and I remembered why I started blogging.  I LOVE Esther’s writing.  I used to read her original blog The Recipe Riffle and literally laugh out loud.  Today she reminded me why I started this blog.  Who cares if I don’t do Instagram live, spend my life self-promoting on social media.  I can do it my own way.  I also totally agreed with every word she wrote so eloquently about visualizing how you would like your life to be.  It sounds woo, woo, cuckoo but try it and see.

So I’ve managed to blah a lot more than I meant to.  Thank god for virtual shopping where you can’t have tummy flab induced changing room break downs.  Here are my  picks so far from the new season, online and TV I’ve been loving.

I’m a bit obsessed by these Penelope Chilvers clogs at the moment find them here.  Fantastic footwear for this time of year.  Just don’t twist your ankle on the school run like me! I don’t really do heels.

I’m ridiculously and somewhat sadly over excited about knitwear at the moment.  Here are some of my favorites.

Hush are pretty reliable when it comes to knitwear.  I lived in their AW17 version of this jumper in grey/brown colour ways.  I still LOVE it…and I think it’s almost beautiful in this red here.

I also think this Irregular Stripe jumper looks great and really cosy but cool, find it here.

Add some pearls and tweed and you’ve got a great Granny look going on with this cardi.  However Boden do get it right with this  cashmere crop, which is super flattering and of course it is how and what you wear it with, (it would look great with the trousers below).  It will go in the wash (on the handwash setting) is super practical, great for layering and the changing weather.  It’s also in this season’s blush pink (their Antique Pink) and if you use the code J6X6 you’ll get 20% and free delivery.  Find it here.

I’m trying to get out of my daily jean addiction.  I love the look of these at Me + Em Grosgrain Slim Crop Trousers here great for what Me+Em do best, work to play and easy to dress up or down. Super chic and perfect for the office with a crisp white shirt or with a silk shirt for a few evening drinks or an oversized hoodie for a fully chilled look.

I also saw these over on the Spike, from J Crew here that look divine and will be perfect white trainers of clogs.

My top tip TV watches, if you haven’t found them already are Succession (Sky/Now). I wish I’d taken my time watching this and not had a super binge.  It’s brilliant, beautifully shot and very cleverly written. The ever so charming Matthew Macfadyen plays a completely humourless letch, with a pitch-perfect American accent It will teach you what FIAM is, it’s too rude to put here (my Dad reads this) but hilarious.

I am also loving Wanderlust the Nick Payne’s TV adaptation of his play  (BBC co-production with Netflix). Sidenote, what’s happened to the BBC? They finally seem to be producing some quality drama?  Toni Collette gives her usual high functioning performance in this beautifully written observation about relationships in a funny and insightful drama .

What are you watching and wearing this Autumn?