Rachel the Hat

Sunday, 6 December 2015

Seven On Sunday 0.11

Ohh what a whirlwind of a week. Had a delightful birthday on Thursday, with continued celebrations on Friday and Saturday. I've eaten so much good food i feel like a heffalump.
This week is DEFINITELY a week of healthy eating and exercise. May even crack open the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD to try and bust the gut, just to enable a more guilt free gorge over christmas. I find healthy eating at this time of year so hard. There's chocolates everywhere i turn, cheese and biscuits readily available and wine that i never seem to refuse. Anyone else like this?

Anywayyy enough about food, here's what i've been lusting after this week around the world wide web.

0.1 Gingerbread man christmas onesie. Standard christmas post-feast attire. This is bound to sell out so i am gunna go bag mine.

0.2 Frowny Face sweater for those days when i'm in a bad mood and i can just point to the cute little badge

0.3 My coat obsession grows stronger. I need some shearling in my life.. desperately.

0.4 I've been cyber stalking this dress for weeks.. i just don't if it's very me? What do you think?

0.5 In the aim of eating healthy, i have planned a week of sumptuous healthy dinners for the family. Tonight is this which I've made before and it is proper comfort food. Perfect for a rainy sunday evening.

0.6 I've been loving skirts this winter, which is bizarre as i usually avoid them like the plague. But i guess that's changed and i'll just have to embrace my skirt appreciation. Was just doing some online browsing and hubby looked over my shoulder and said he loved this minkpink patchwork skirt, what do you think?

0.7 Bought this top for practically pennies this week. Its super flattering on and i went back to get the grey but it had sold out in store. I would say they are a little see through, so am now on the hunt for a pretty cami with maybe a lace detail (just found this one and love it)

What have you been loving this week? Do share in the comments. I'd love to have a natter!

Instaoutfits 03 and #Passion4Fashion Linkup

Sorry for the delay in today's #Passion4Fashion folks, it was my Birthday yesterday (Hello 31!) and i normally prepare my post the day before but alas, that didn't happen. I was busy celebrating and having a truly lovely day. Celebrations continuing today with lunch and then a date night this evening with Salvatore which i'm really excited for.

So today i thought i'd bring you all my daily outfits from Instagram. I've done this twice before now (see 1 and 2) and as i say each time, i love instagram for keeping me accountable, otherwise i could quite easily slink in to the depths of joggers and a hoody territory (she says, blatantly dressed in exactly that.. i shall be changing shortly though.. pinky promise)

So these are just some quick snaps from day to day life, where i either pester my kids to take a snap for me or whoever else is with me :)

Looking through the photos there are a couple of items that have been on constant rotation this season, which have been great investment pieces that i'm glad i bought.

This Hush Nessa cardigan gets worn on average once a week. Its snuggly and lovely and my favourite colours. Cheap it was not, but cost per wear has made it worth every penny as i most certainly grab this over any of my other cardi's.

A Black Biker Jacket has been an essential. It just seems to complete any outfit. Especially love it with dresses.

Knitted dresses. I'm obsessed with knitted dresses this season. Its just like wearing a snuggly blanket all day long and calling it an outfit... What's not to love! I've been loving this Navy one and this Grey one, which i wear more often than i care to admit.

An awesome Parka Coat is vital to my existence. With SO MUCH RAIN and a dog to walk and school runs to do, hibernating for the winter is apparently not an option. My Parka is the only thing that makes going out in the abysmal weather we've been having, bearable.

Biker boots have been my usual boot of choice but there's been lots of other boots too ( i'm just not a one shoe kind of girl.. shoe monogamy is not my strong point) The Steve Madden Dennmarks have been amazing for going with everything from dresses, skirts to jeans. (they currently have 25% off at the moment too.. which is bloody brilliant!)

Day Dresses. I love a good day comfy dress. My two favourites at the moment are this Cream One which i had my eye on for ages.. i bought it as my birthday present from me to me ;)

The other is my trusty Great Plains dress that even though has only cropped up once in these photos, i actually wear it all the time. Like embarrassingly a lot. Its just so darn comfy and worth every penny.

What have you been loving and wearing this season?

An InLinkz Link-up

What are you doing this NYE?

Can you believe i'm even talking about New Years Eve plans? Where oh where has the past year gone?!
Where has the past month gone? I feel like it was only a few days ago that i was talking about my birthday plans.. which FYI never materialised due to me and my terrible memory. One minute i was on top of it planning the whole day down to the last train, the next thing i know its my birthday tomorrow and i have nothing arranged.
So my London trip itch still needs scratching.

Now Hubby and I have decided not to buy anything really for each other for Christmas this year (well we have but we've set a limit of £10.00 each just for kicks. I've surprisingly surpassed myself here and have already planned out ten pound to the penny!) and opted for some memory making instead. Neither of us need for anything. I want for about 79 different things every single day, but need? Well there really isn't anything and Salvatore doesn't either.
So what better than to plan a little outing. And what better time than for a little get away for New Years Eve.
I know by that point i will be grateful for a child free night with hubby, after a long week of festivities with the kids (in other words, by 31st December i'm usually climbing the walls!)
I love going away for New Years.

As boyfriend and girlfriend 9 years ago we spent our first NYE together in Brussels.
It was wonderful.
We stayed in a 5 star hotel, drank wonderful wine and wandered the snowy streets until the small hours of the morning.
And now i feel its time we did something like that again.
Granted i can't go abroad (when oh when will i renew my blasted passport!) and last year i had the beautiful Manor house stay just outside Bath.

But my itch for the Big City Lights still needs to be scratched.
London is calling.

A friend of ours recently attended a conference at the Rosewood Hotel in London and on her return she regaled us with tales of how beautiful the hotel is.
So i googled.
(-the ex travel agent in me just couldn't resist)
And man was she right.
Take a look...

Its seems to infuse modern elegance with a traditional empathy.
I think the selling point for me is the open fire and lounge area.
I can picture Hubby and i drink in hand bringing the New Year in surrounded by the stunning surroundings.
Not only is the hotel stunning, and it would beg the question of would you even want to leave, but the position could not be more perfect either.
Do you recall i mentioned my love for Covent Garden and a certain little Italian restaurant (you can read about it here)?
Well maybe this NYE could finally see me returning to my favourite haunt. The Rosewood hotel is conveniently located a mere stones throw from Covent Garden making it a wonderful position to start my city break.

Not a bad way to bring in the new year, right?
Now what outfit should i wear? I'm thinking sequins.

What are you doing this New Years Eve?
Have you started making plans as yet?

#MyStyleMyDress With House of Fraser

I love a good dress me.
Sometimes I'll find myself in a jeans rut, do you ever do that? Just have the same jeans on constant rotation? I do. But then I'll wake up one morning and think
'Today is a dress kind of day'.. for no apparent reason, other than i want to wear a dress of course.
I often find after wearing that first dress on the initial day after a marathon of jeans wearing, i quickly remember how comfy dresses actually are.
They don't ride up your crotch, they allow easily for food babies (unless you're wearing a bodycon, which of course i would not be.. ever.) and they make me feel like i made an effort.

Working from home now i've found that on the mornings i get up, make-up(my face) and dress up i am always, always more productive in comparison to the days when i sit in joggers (or worse yet, pajamas).
A dress just makes me feel that little bit pulled together and ready to fight the good fight of whatever the day has to throw at me.

So when House of Fraser asked if i would like to participate in the #MyStyleMyDress campaign i sure as heck jumped at the chance.
The idea being, one dress styled by a bunch of different bloggers.
The dress is a wonderful little swing number.

For #MyStyleMyDress i opted for a little bit of layering with my biker jacket and gilet, a grey floppy hat and some knee high boots, which despite of the heel are super comfy (good ol' clarks)
All in all a little bit retro, a little bit fun and very, very comfy.