My Stylish Muse

Cameron Diaz - Fab at Nearly 40!

2012-01-31T02:09:00.000+00:00

Now here is another lady I never tire of seeing, either on-screen on in the papers/magazines. She always looks effortlessly stylish, even when she is in her casual workout clothes. I loved this pic when I came across it this week. The dress is just stunning, as are the Louboutin's on her toes!

Picture courtesy of dailymail.com

Happy 40th Birthday to Cameron when it comes round this year!

MSM xx

My Stylish Muse Friday - Zooey Dechanel

2012-01-13T11:42:00.000+00:00

My Stylish Muse today is Zooey Dechanel. She hit our British screens last week in her new sitcom New Girl and to be honest I enjoyed last week's episode and am looking forward to watching the next one tonight. She is so cute, dresses well, oh, and I love her hair!

Happy Friday all!

MSM xx

Simply Stella...

2012-01-11T17:45:00.001+00:00

One of my favourite designers is undoubtably Stella McCartney. I love her own personal style and love the clothes that she brings out.

Here are a few snippets of some of the items on my "want" list from her website.

All images are courtesy of stellamccartney.co.uk

Green and blue must be my colours of choice for 2012!

MSM xx

My Daily Pleasure is.....

2012-01-11T15:10:00.000+00:00

... this.

If you haven't seen this website already, then check back to it often. I wish I had a fraction of the style of most featured - love it!

MSMxx

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T13:58:00.002+00:00

Happy New Year to all. 2011 has been a year with lots of ups and downs for me so I am really looking forward to 2012. Wishing you all a wonderful 2012 and hope that all your dreams come true!

MSMxx

Vintage Dress Delivery

2011-12-04T11:23:00.003+00:00

My delivery of vintage dresses has arrived, and I am delighted with the selection that I have been sent. Here are a few of them...

There were 32 in total - the ones above will go on ebay later tonight, if you like you can take a look at my ebay shop just now to see some of the others.

I had great fun rummaging through the box of dresses when it was delivered - it felt just like Christmas! There were a couple of jumpsuits in the order too, which took me right back to the 1980s......

MSMxx

Ebay Purchase

2011-11-18T15:58:00.001+00:00

I am so super excited. I have just bought 30 vintage dresses from eBay! They won't arrive till the start of next week and will photograph them and post them here when they arrive.

It is a real gamble as I don't know wheat to expect. Fingers crossed they are cute and of good quality.

Can't wait!!

MSMxx

Anthro Boots!

2011-11-03T21:46:00.000+00:00

I have a bit of a fixation with shoes and boots (although my husband would say it was a large fixation with shoes and boots!) - I spend quite a bit of time each week browzing shoes online - it is like my own little treat for my eyes!! And, I have my eye on a few pairs just now, especially these lovely ones from Anthropologie. Just love, love, love them - they are calling my name!!!!

MSMxx

Handbags and Gladrags

2011-10-16T09:05:00.000+01:00

I spent Saturday morning doing a bit of pampering with my 6 year old daughter. We both had our nails done, went to Costa for coffee/hot chocolate and cake and then we did a bit of shopping. It was just lovely!

The highlight of the trip was coming across a shop in Edinburgh that I had heard of before but didn't know where it was. It is called Handbag Exchange and they sell handbags, shoes and accessories which are gently used. The brands range from Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chloe, Christian Louboutin to River Island, Accessorise and Next. They also have a small range of vintage. Basically something to suit any budget.

I managed to come away with two handbags - both vintage. One is a small brown leather bag, and the other is darker brown and pony skin. I can't wait to use them.

Here is a peek at them just now, but they will look more glamourous in action, filled with all of my goodies, phone, purse, etc etc.

I will definitely be returning to that little treasure trove - if you are ever in Edinburgh, I suggest you do the same. You will love it!

MSMxx

Orla Kiely Transformation

2011-10-16T08:43:00.000+01:00

I just love Orla Kiely fabrics and when I bought some second hand chairs for my dining table, her fabrics sprung to mind when I thought about re-covering them.

I managed to get the fabric that I wanted on e-Bay and set about re-covering them yesterday. That kind of job takes longer than you would expect - and a thousand staples later, here is the result.

Before...

After...

I am just delighted with them. I re-stained the wood first and covered using a layer of fabric underneath the Orla Kiely piece, then put a backing fabric on the base to ensure that none of the fabric will fray.

The only thing to do now is wait and see how long they will stay clean! With two children about I doubt that will be long!

MSMxx

Local Loveliness: Hannah Zakari

2011-10-05T13:38:00.003+01:00

I love supporting local businesses and this one is a cracker!

Hannah Zakari

I have followed the progress of this shop, from when it began as an online shop to the current day where in 2010 they also opened a bricks and mortar shop in Edinburgh. They stock all sorts of loveliness from bags, to art and jewellery to soft furnishing......

Image courtesy of Hannah Zakari

Owned by Rachael Lamb, Hannah Zakari opened it's virtual doors in 2004 and has represented work from around 150 independent designers and artists from the both the UK and overseas. The ethos behind this store is fantastic, giving local and other independent designers/makers an opportunity to showcase their work.

If you live in or near Edinburgh then please do try and stop by, even just for a look, as you will come out feeling happy! If you are not near why not check out their website - they have just launched this new website and are currently offering free world-wide shipping - bliss!

Happy shopping!

MSMxx

Hello October

2011-10-05T13:19:00.000+01:00

I am sure that you are all aware of the fantastic website etsy.com. It is a fantastic website that showcases items to buy that are either handmade or vintage. I have bought many things from etsy over the years and also have a small shop there myself (called Olive Mac where I have some illustrations that I have drawn and then digitally coloured). The only problem I find with having a shop there is that it gets lost amongst all the other thousands of shops there too - it is in my opinion etsy is a buyers market.

Do take some time to stop by and have a look at all of the loveliness that lives on etsy and perhaps support these talented artists/makers buy buying a thing or two - remember Christmas is only 80 days away - yikes!!

And, if anyone can tell me what etsy stands for I would be eternally grateful! It appears to be the world's best kept secret!

MSMxx

My Art Muse........

2011-09-20T12:59:00.001+01:00

My muse today is my 8 year old son. He is a lovely little artist and has a real raw talent there. He now takes art classes out of school and this is something that he produced in his last class. Worthy of a frame and a space on the wall.

At this age his art teacher doesn't necessarily show him proper techniques but allows him to have fun with it - which I think is the main thing.

It has inspired me to get my paintbrush out this morning - once the picture is dry I will post a picture. It isn't as cheery as this one though!

Hope you are all having a fantastic day!

MSMxx

Coffee and Cake.....

2011-09-19T17:55:00.001+01:00

I have been feeling a bit flu-y today and all my body has craved is coffee and cake - so who am I to deny it what it wants!!

This will need to be a one-off today as I am running the Edinburgh Bupa 10K in less than 2 weeks and have got lots of training to be doing before then (which will involve less coffee and definitely less cake!)

I shall enjoy it for now and pop the kettle on again!

MSMxx

Got myself a new set of wheels....

2011-09-17T08:54:00.000+01:00

I have been looking for an old city bike for a while now and managed to find this one on Gumtree. It is from 1976 and has been restored by a man who now restores bikes in his retirement. He has done a great job here. Ideally I would like to re-spray it cream, but for now I am enjoying cycling it green.

I love the white seat and the whitewall tyres.

My kids love to cycle to school so now I can join them instead of running behind them to keep up!

MSMxx

Making Faces out of fruit

2011-09-16T14:42:00.000+01:00

Now I know that you can't see this cake stand properly in the picture, but it is an ebay purchase that I am totally in love with. It is three-tiered and is made from a wood-effect plastic and I believe it is from the 1960s. When I don't have cakes to hand to stack on it, I tend to use it for fruit. My son made this smiley face out of the fruit which made me smile! Hope you are having a great day!

MSMxx

Summer is over - Autumn is definitely here

2011-09-16T14:07:00.000+01:00

With a sigh, I am sad to say that summer in Edinburgh is over! Today has been a chilly day, and although the sun has been present, it has not been kind enough to be warm.

On days like this I love to have a walk, wrapped up in some appropriate Autumn clothes, as I love the fresh air on my cheeks. Today I took a walk round the Gallery of Modern Art in Edinburgh. Whilst you are not allowed to take photographs inside the gallery, it is ok to do so outside. There are some fantastic statues in the grounds just now by Tony Cragg (shown in the first two images) - they are excellent and huge.

MSMxx

My Monday Muse - Anthropology

2011-08-15T00:52:00.000+01:00

I just love the style of Anthropology and have been a fan for ages now. We are now lucky enough to have a store in Edinburgh (the only store in Scotland I believe) and it is just amazing. Here are a few of my favourite pieces from the Autumn/Winter collection.

MSM xx

New Old Chairs

2011-08-14T17:42:00.000+01:00

I love wood and I love wooden furniture, especially if it has an age and a history to it. I have a couple of retro G-Plan sideboard in my house, one of which is in my dining room.

I made a great discovery on Gumtree this week and found these dining chairs - there are four of them - for just £15.

What a bargain and they are in excellent condition. When I picked them up I thought that I would be re-upholstering them, but now that they are in my house I think I like them the way they are - with black pvc seats. Reason being, the covers are in perfect condition, are completely wipeable and still look good.

I will live with them with these covers for the time being and maybe think about re-covering them in the near future. I am thinking an orange or a moss green - just can't decide!

MSM xx

I am shocking!!

2011-08-14T12:17:00.000+01:00

What a slacker I am. So sorry for the lack of posts - life seems to have just taken over. I am now back in the loop and looking forward to sharing lots from the past few months and with what is new with me now.

We are now nearing the end of our school summer holidays so have been doing lots and lots with my two children over the summer and will get some more me-time from next week. Watch out for lots of posts.

Over the summer my son has had am obsession with creating shops in our home, selling whatever he can get his hands on - clothes, books, his sister! etc. This has led me to having a huge clear out and will be ebaying like mad soon. All of the clothes that I didn't think were suitable for ebay went to a place in Edinburgh called "Cash 4 Clothes". It is a charity but they give you 0.50p per kilo for your donations. This I am sure will encourage more people to donate which is a great idea. We went with 21 kilos of clothes which was great. What a slick operation, they take the bags out of your car, weight them, hand you a slip of paper with the weight on it, you go to the reception and collect your cash! Simple, all in and out in less than 3 minutes.

Here is the link here if you live locally.

MSM xx

Bank Holiday Camping Trip

2011-05-03T20:47:00.001+01:00

This is my son and two of my gorgeous nephews enjoying a long woodland walk whilst camping in a National Park this weekend in Scotland. We had such great fun and the sun was a welcome treat - bit cold at night but well worth the chill to have a chilled weekend with my sister and her lovely family.

Can't wait till the next trip with the tent!

MSMxx

Vintage Eyeglass Case - 1950s

2011-04-17T23:34:00.000+01:00

Now readers of this blog will know that I love a bit of vintage, and especially a bit of vintage from the '50s.

I found this eyeglass case on eBay and was playing the game and watching it for a while as I thought that there would be a few people keen on this one. Well, much to my surprise, I was the only one to bid on it and I won it for 99p. A total bargain.

It is white on one side, and brown on the other. Now my glasses have a super stylish 1950s vintage home to call their own!

MSMxx

Coffee at The National Galleries of Scotland

2011-04-14T09:13:00.002+01:00

My children are really interested in art - both are good artists even at the ages of just 7 and 6. They love a wander round an art gallery but especially if there is something on there for children. The National Galleries does a drop in art session for kids once a month which is brilliant.

After the sessions we go for coffee and cake in the gallery restaurant. It is quite over priced but totally worth it!

And, you don't just get one scone with your order, you get two!

MSMxx

Helping the toad migration...

2011-04-12T20:44:00.002+01:00

We got up very early the other morning (6.30am!) to get to Holyrood Park in Edinburgh to join the rangers of Historic Scotland for the migration of the toads in the park. My kids just loved it! We went searching for toads that were a bit exposed and open to crows having them for breakfast!

We helped gather the toads and put them into buckets and then helped release them into the water.

We then made our way back to the education centre to cut out some toads and make lovely toad-y crafty things. What a lovely and different way to spend a morning! Many thanks to Historic Scotland for letting us be part of this!

MSM xx

New tablecloth from scraps....

2011-04-07T22:44:00.003+01:00

In the run up to our most recent dinner party, I decided that I would like to make myself a new tablecloth. We have recently painted part of our kitchen a lovely slate grey colour and our dining room is off our kitchen so I wanted to tie it all in together.

I had bought two scraps of fabric in Ikea last year (two pieces at 50p each - bargain!) The scraps were long enough for my dining table, just not wide enough. So I decided to try and piece them together to make on piece. To my amazement it worked really well - they matched up perfectly.

Below is a pic of me placing them together to see if it would work.......

Then I got out my trusty Singer from the 70s and sewed the middle together......

This is the process of piecing them together. I had to make sure that they lined up perfectly.....

This is a tester to see if it fits my table........ and, yes it did, phew!

Next, I dressed the table ready for our guests....... I love when daffodils are in season, they are one of my favourite flowers.......

This is another angle of my table - ready with some vintage champagne glasses with tea lights in the middle of them....

And, finally here is my table from a different angle, showing my favourite G-plan unit which has pride of place in that room....

I can't show you any pictures of my guests throughout the evening, as it went way too wild - I love my friends! A great night was had by all, and I managed to pull off dinner including creme brulee for pudding which I had never made before - yummy, will definitely make that again! Not for those on a diet though!!

Have a lovely weekend all!

Love
MSM xx