I have some news! We have a new home! It's going to take a while, but as of June 2016 the boy and I are residents of NW3, Hampstead. We'd been looking for ages, initially at Notting Hill, but an estate agent called us about one particular property and I knew it straight away! We went to see it last week (how we found the time given all we've got going on) and made an offer straight away. I can't wait to get in there, get furnishing and getting creative with the space.

On Sunday after a hospital appointment (not the greatest start to the day; having a drip in your arm putting burning hot solution into your body whilst sitting inside a machine...) we decided to make the most of the sunshine and explore our new area. I say "new," but actually I know Hampstead pretty well - my parents live close by and I had my first weekend job on the high street, smoked my first cigarette on the bench opposite my new home (weird) and went on my first date in the Carluccio's down the road (his parents also came...).

I wore a pair of shoes I got a couple of months ago, but until now it hadn't been warm enough to brave "bare" feet. They're from Reiss here, and are the perfect Spring shoe. I got them as I've got quite a few weddings this summer (two in Italy, sob) and they're perfect for wearing all day - not too high, block heel and comfortable. As a major plus they also look good with jeans and a t shirt, as I decided to do... Personally I think shoes like these are worth an investment but if cash is tight these ASOS ones are very similar...

My cargo jacket is an oldie but a goodie from Topshop, you can still buy it here. Always a good sign when stores have to repeat the same style. I had completely forgotten about it, but found it last week and have been living in it ever since. Another good place to track things like this down is Urban Outfitters, I love this and this. They're really good for this time of year as you can throw it on and not be too cold/hot...

The jeans have been around for a while too, from Paige Denim. I spotted them on a street style photo a couple of years ago and spent a good half day (whilst in full time work, oops) hunting them down. They were a limited edition but the brand have done similars here, or try these as cheaper options from Topshop (they have kept them going in shorts-form too here). The tee is from Reiss, as are most of my basics (that or James Perse) and you can find them here... 

Oh and the bag. Having had an alert set on Vestiaire Collective for over a year, I was having a bit of a bad day over a fortnight ago when this popped up. Usually they cost around £500 on there, but this was just over £300 as it's got a teeny scratch on the inside (blink and you'd miss it). I've always wanted a Neverfull so am delighted with it... Find yours (or set up alerts for it) here.

Hope you guys are having a good week so far, mine is fast running away with me! And breeeeeathe...

I'm house hunting at the moment and using it as a fantastic excuse to have one hell of a clear out. I don't want to take anything I don't really need into our new home. Having already done a "round" of editing, throwing out and selling at the beginning of the year (Vestiaire Collective account here) I knew I needed some extra help.  I always felt like I went as far as I could go without feeling disappointed I'd thrown something out... So, I took the advice of the masses and read Marie Kondo's Spark Joy. 

I'm possibly the most cynical "it's just a fad" person in the universe, so if I say a book changed my perspective it's a very good sign. But it really has. The basic concept is that if something doesn't "spark joy" in your wardrobe, home or even your life then it needs to go. I took a big look at everything I owned and very happily parted with half of it (well, it's currently bagged up ready for a combination of the tip, charity shops and eBay/Vestiaire). It feels exhilarating. That said, Marie also teaches you to spot the gaps, and I realised I needed to invest in a pair of good espadrilles. 

The ones of the moment are without a doubt the Aquazzura Belgravia (here).  I don't own a pair (yet) so I've had to scour the internet for inspiration...  Having tried them on several times in several stores I really do think if you have a spare £300 to spend on a summer shoe then they should be your choice. They're sturdier than they look and they really are the perfect summer shoe. I'd go with a brown here or black here, although I really do love Pandora's multicolour ones here (paired with our friend's Pampelone dress, here) - part of me thinks I need to ditch all plans for neutral colours and be a bit more fun with my choices... 

Before I make an investment I've been searching for a high street equivalent so I can test how much I'd wear the style... The first pair I've found I am completely torn about, here. They're just so similar to the Aquazzura's I'm not sure if I agree with it. They're from River Island and are £24, I love everything about them but feel slightly guilty about them (they also have a similar copy-cat pair of Valentino laced espadrilles, here) - what do you think? ASOS have a style called the "Jessica" here too, which comes in multiple colours including multi here, yellow here, white here and leopard print here. Finally Topshop's entry is a strong one at £24 with these. I can't decide...

The great thing about having done the "stuff cleanse" is that I dont feel at all guilty about making new purchases, because I know I need them. And if I don't keep them forever, it's ok - it doesn't mean it was a waste of money or time. I may do an entirely separate post on the pieces I'm going to part with (let me know if that would be useful/appealing) and how Spark Joy helped me part with so much of my stuff. But in the meantime, I'm plotting what else to throw to raise funds for the shoe of dreams...

Before we kick off, an apology. I am well aware I don't look my best in these photos. I've been feeling very under the weather all week, and watching back to back episodes of The Good Wife in an effort to get myself back up to speed. However, when these landed on my doorstep I couldn't not post about them as they completely made my week. So after a quick layer of bronzer and an eyebrow pencil, I nipped out to snap these...

I've always wanted a pair of Chloe scalloped pumps, always. When I worked in my last job I used to dribble over all of the pairs that came through our office. When Net A Porter asked me to pick a pair of my favourite Spring shoes there was no question it was going to be these. This particular style have a super block heel, making them that little bit more dressy... It's love.

I paired them with my all-time staples; a breton shirt (from Saint James at J Crew here) and my favourite pair of jeans (from Topshop, here). In my humble opinion you really can't go wrong with these two, I wear them both at least twice a week. I never thought I'd be so keen on a pair of Topshop jeans as I usually leave the store in tears whenever I try anything on my lower half in that store, but these are epic. The outfit looks accidentally very Parisian, which is no bad thing! In fact, on the subject, I'll hopefully be going there for the day next Tuesday...

The satchel is new from my friends at Cambridge Satchel Company. I'd been eyeing it up for a while, so when I found out I could get it personalised with my initials it tipped me over the edge, and here it is. I'm finding it super useful, its the perfect sized day bag (this is the larger of the two sizes). I can safely say that variations of this outfit will make up 80% of my Spring outfits... 

 

This weather is bl**dy annoying isn't it? One minute I'm freezing, the next I'm sweating like a pig. It's borderline impossible to dress, but the one thing I've found works is sleeveless, long length dresses. You can pop a shirt underneath it (this one from ASOS is a favourite at the moment), throw a jumper over it (ideally, this one) and then when the sun comes out, chuck them off and enjoy the 15 minute heat wave...

The ones I really love are checked, like above. You can pair them with heels for evening, or trainers for daytime (this lady has got the red Stan Smiths I'm after, find them here). I spied one at Whistles, here and have had the need to buy one instilled in my head ever since. Having done some research, I've found a much cheaper version at Dorothy Perkins here so you don't need to break the bank...