Have I told you about my new(ish) palazzo pants?

Well it's about time I did. I wore them to Wimbledon Tennis Championship the other day. Here is a pic of me in the palazzo pants in question:

Me in my palazzo pants at rainy Wimbledon

Yes we happened to have tickets to the only day at Wimbledon when it hardly stopped raining and there was thunder and lightening. Brilliant. But we still somehow managed to have a good time!

Anyway here are my new favourite summer trousers. I bought them in Vietnam funnily enough. We went to one of those stores in Hoi An that makes made-to-measure clothes and I chose the fabric and style, then over a course of 24 hours they were born!

It's great to finally have a pair of trousers that aren't too long for me at last. They're also lightweight but heavy enough to drape well. I've worn them a few times already this summer and I'm sure they'll make a few more appearances before autumn arrives.

I went to Portobello market on Saturday and wore this

Me en route to Portobello Road market

Quite. I bought the hat from Dorothy Perkins (with some gift vouchers I received for doing a focus group) which I think really lifts the whole outfit. The wide-legged jeans, loose tee and tote bag give it a relaxed feel that's perfect for a Saturday.

Did I buy anything? Yes. I bought a sequinned gold clutch bag which has a trasy feel that I can team with a simple outfit to add a bit of fun. I also went to Oxfam on Westbourne Grove which really is a treasure trove of designer goodies and unknown brands. I bought a great black blazer with silver diamantees for £16. Bargain.

I went to a wedding recently and wore a nice dress

It was a Muslim wedding and there were no fewer than 1000 guests! It was lovely though and the bride - my friend Jasmine - looked stunning. So first, of all, here is a photo of her and me on her big day.

Jasmine and me

She looks gorgeous doesn't she? Next to her I look like just another dumpy wedding guest. But anyway, a few people said they liked my dress so I thought I'd include it in this here blog. Here's a better photo of it at the same wedding.

Alex, me and the dress at Jasmine's wedding

It's from the new Bella range at Dorothy Perkins. Here are four reasons why I like it:

1. The material has just enough stretch without feeling too hot, plus it has a great 'fluid' feel that drapes nicely
2. The brightly coloured petals make it modern
3. The v-neck is neither too low or too high
4. It is classic enough to be able to wear for the next few seasons at least
5. It's easy to style - I chose black wedges and a gold clutch bag

Nice!

Is it a good thing that someone called my hair style "artistic"?

That's how someone described it the other night. I've recently decided it's time to grow up and limit my use of my GHD hair straighteners. After all, I've been using them almost every day since I was 18 (that's nearly 12 years, argh) and feel I'm ready to love the hair God gave me, even if it has a mind of its own. So I've not been straightening my hair for nearly a week now and am learning to love it!

Here's a photo of me with unstraightened hair. I'm on a night out with Jo, who I took out for dinner to celebrate her 30th birthday.

Me with Jo - and the hair that's been allowed to express itself

So you see, not straightening my hair means it's been allowed to take over a little bit and has decided that random kinks are the way to go. On the way home that night, I got chatting to a friendly French fella in the queue for the night bus (yes, it was a night bus kinda night) who, without any prompting, told me he thought my hair was artistic. Is that a good thing? I guess it means it's individual - much more individual than ironing one's hair to within a inch of it's life I suppose - and makes me look like I'm comfortable with who I am, and what I look like. Sort of.

Then again, it could mean it looks carefree and unkempt, which it does a bit really.

Just a normal Tuesday outfit...

...but I thought I'd upload it because a few people said it looked nice! I'm standing in Westfield, London aka. my second home, having just watched the BBC Symphony Orchestra play some beautiful pieces from the Proms 2011. The outfit features my Dorothy Perkins wide-legged jeans, white New Look tie-front top, gold ballet pumps, vintage-imspired Urban Outfitters watch and tote "Kate borrowed my t-shirt" bag that came free with my last ASOS order(!).

Here are a few things I like about it:

1. The wide-legged jeans are a nice dark wash so as well as being smart(ish), they are quite slimming
2. The white tie-front top gives an air of relaxed nonchalance
3. This outfit is very comfortable indeed
4. The big tote bag has enough room for all my essentials, plus it relaxes the outfit
5. These jeans are a SIZE 8, down from my usual 10-12. I know you can't tell just by looking at them, but it makes me feel better.

And there you have it. My Tuesday afternoon outfit.

I finally own a lips ring - and it's by Lulu Guinness

I've wanted a lips ring for ages, since I saw the famous ring collection from Solange Azagury-Partridge on Bond Street. Of course, those rings cost hundreds so as lovely as they are, I was never going to buy one.

Then one day I stumbled across the Lulu Guinness lip rings on the website but, at £50, I decided it was a bit too pricey and resisted temptation. So can you imagine my glee when I was pottering around House of Fraser and saw the silver version had gone down to £27.50? I tried it on and snapped it up sharpish. especially when the sales lady told me it was the last one. As soon as I left the shop I slipped it on my finger. Here it is on said finger (with a backdrop of Wimbledon on the telly!):

My hand garnished with my new Lulu Guinness lips ring

It is more bling than my usual style but I still love it. In fact, it makes such a statement I'll never need to buy another ring again (ahem).

I think I may have found my perfect lipstick!

It's from a range of lipsticks by Poppy King, an Australian make-up artist, under the Boots brand No. 7.

The range features great eye-catching shades such as a bright red lipstick called History, but, because I'm new to wearing lipstick, I went for the more natural Intrigue. It is a great colour for the daytime and can be layered up for more impact at night. And because I loved it I decided to buy the matching lipgloss as well. The total came to around £25 and the Boots sales lady gave me a make-up bag full of No.7 samples and a wrist watch for free (the wrist watch is a bit random I know, but anyway). That's a bargain in my book!

Anyway, here is what the lipstick and lip gloss look like:

 Nice packaging eh?! And here is a close-up of the lipstick in Intrigue:

And here is a picture of me wearing it:

Ok, it's doesn't make a dramatic impact or anything but sometimes you just want to slick something on to make you feel a better and for me, this does the job perfectly. I've been wearing it for about 4 hours now and in that time I've had a cup of tea, a bowl of Fruit & Fibre (I know it's not proper lunch fare but I just really fancied it!) and eaten a peach and it's stayed on! Also, I tend to have really dry lips - a big reason why I've never really worn lipstick before - and it seems to be moisturising them rather well. What's more, I don't have that dreaded feathering effect lipstick-on-dry-lips can cause.

In short, I'm loving this new lipstick and looking forward to slicking it on more often. In the evening I'll add the gloss to add a bit more impact. And next time I'm in Boots I may even try out a couple more shades in the range.

Well done Poppy King, I'm impressed!

How to clear out your wardrobe

The other day I decided to make room for my new spring/summer purchases by clearing out my wardrobe.

I tried my best to stick to the rule 'if you haven't worn it for a year, get rid' and generally I didn't do too badly. This is what my wardrobe looks like now:

My wardrobe as of June 2011

Yes it looks quite full, but believe it or not, it's a lot less full than it was. I gave three sacks worth of clothes to charity and now I can actually open the drawers which is surprisingly satisfying.

The white package at the top is my wedding dress and veil which I like to touch in a nostalgic manner every now and again. Below that is a shelf of all my bags including going-out bags, day bags and totes. Then below that is the hanger-y part of my wardrobe with the going-out tops, dresses, shirts, blouses and cardigans - as well as my new long flared jeans which I don't want to crease on the right - then everything else is in the four drawers. Not bad eh?

I won't mention the separate tall boy by the bed which has four drawers of underwear, socks, swimwear, scarves and other accessories. And the huge pile of shoes under the window. And the wooden chest of more shoes. And the cupboard-under-the-stairs with more shoes and coats in it.

Do you like my new shoes?

They're black faux-suede wedges from the Office concession in Topshop. I bought them a few days ago to go with a pair of long and floaty black crepe trousers from River Island.

My new black wedges from Office (not sure why one looks navy in this pic!)

They are fairly high but they feel so comfortable because they sit on a platform which gives them height without putting pressure on the front of the foot. I do feel a bit like I'm walking on stilts but that's all part of the appeal (especially when you've only got little legs like me).

I'll take a photo of me wearing them soon as.

Can I wear a jumpsuit to a wedding?

Good question, and one I recently needed to ask myself. So this is what I'm thinking.

Right. There are three weddings coming up this summer and it's time to begin the annual wedding sartorial treasure hunt. In order to make a desicion I considered the styles of wedding this new outfit was to appear at:



Me wearing the Monsoon jumpsuit in question



Wedding number 1 - Simon and Von. Simon is one of Alex's friends and their wedding reception is in a country pub

Wedding number 2 - Jasmine and ???. Can't remember his name but he's from Bangladesh so I'd probably only spell it wrong anyway. That means it's an ASIAN WEDDING which I'm very excited about

Wedding number 3 - Tonino and Marcia. Tonino is my cousin and IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE COUNTRY IN ITALY which I am also extremely excited about

I can therefore picture myself floating around all three in a beautiful maxi dress that is nice and flowy at the bottom and fairly fitted at the top in order for it to look less beach-y. So I began my search in Monsoon, home of ethnic and boho inspired wedding guest attire. And do you know what I came out with?

A jumpsuit.

Despite having said in the past that I didn't think jumpsuits were really me, I saw it hanging on the rail, made a beeline for it and found myself taking it to the shop till. I tried it on as soon as I got home and love it for these reasons:

- The fabric is a beautiful drapey jersey which is uber flattering on the curves
- The print is subtle, pretty and sophisticated to offset the edgy jumpsuit style
- It comes with a belt which cinches one's waist in beautifully
- It'll stand out from the crowd.

Now the problems with the jumpsuit are:

- It's £65 which is quite steep really
- I probably won't wear it again after the aforementioned weddings
- The weddings I'm going to aren't 'fashiony' enough for it
- There's going to be someone there who won't approve because it's not 'traditional' wedding attire

To go back to the original question 'can I wear a jumpsuit to a wedding', I reckon that yes you can, but only if it's a city wedding with young, fashion-savvy people where it'll be appreciated. Otherwise you risk various older relations making jokes about pyjamas etc.

What have I decided? The jumpsuit is (relunctantly) going back to the shop, probably to be biught by a trendy girl who's off to a cool London wedding and I'm hoping a nice floaty jersey dress will come into my life soon.

Vietnam top 10: Vietnamese food

Vietnam top 10: Chowing down on Vietnamese food

It may not be a sight, but the Vietnamese food deserves a blog entry in its own right. I believe it's one of the world's best cuisines and we didn't have a bad meal once. Here is a list of my favourite Vietnamese nosh:

1. Fresh rice paper spring rolls with sweet salt, pepper and lime juice (the fried versions are good too!)

2. Traditional Pho Bo (noodle soup with beef)

3. Marinated pork on steamed rice

4. Cau lau, a noodle dish specific to Hoi An with slices of stewed pork

5. Barbequed fish flavoured with a sauce cooked in a banana leaf

6. 'White rose' - shrimp wrapped in rice paper and steamed

7. Banh xeo (won tons) - crispy pancakes with herbs

8. Fresh fruit including pineapple, mango, lyche and jack fruit

9. Do ngot - Vietnamese sweets sold by hawkers on the street

10. Marinated pork on skewers, served with steam rice

Here are some food (and drink!) related shots from our trip:

Duck in a coconut sauce in Hoi An

Alex mixing herbs in our cookery class

Fresh produce in the Hoi An market

Our cookery class teacher

Fried rice with veg, simple but tasty

Pork on steamed rice and veg

Dinner at the last night in Hoi An

Alex's roll-your-own-spring-roll dinner in Hanoi

Tasty Hue beer

Lunch at our homestay in Mai Chau

Fried spring rolls, green beens with garlic, chicken in a coconut sauce and more in Mai Chau

Vietnam top 10: Mai Chau homestay

Vietnam top 10: A night in a Mai Chau homestay

One of the best things we did on our trip was spend a night in a traditional Vietnamese hut on stilts that belonged to a hill tribe 'White Thai' family in Mai Chau. As it was low season we had a huge hut to ourselves, ate the wondeful food cooked by the wife of the owner and enjoyed their warm hospitality. In the evening some White Thai women performed a traditional dance in the hut which we joined in with at the end!

The atmosphere at night is fantastic. I loved going to sleep to the sound of crickets outside our hut and waking up to a beautiful sunrise the next morning. Highly recommended!

Sunset from our Mai Chau homestay




Bedtime!









 



Delicious food cooked by the family we stayed with



Drinking sticky rice wine with White Thai dancers

View from top of a hill on the way to Mai Chau







Lunch on the first day







Chowing down on dinner!



Us dancing with the White Thai performers



Me in our hut on stilts

White Thai hill tribe woman weaving

Sunset in Mai Chau





Me relaxing by our stilt hut in Mai Chau





Alex in our hut

Vietnam top 10: Hanoi

Vietnam top 10: A day in Hanoi

I was not expecting to like Hanoi at all. The Lonely Planet calls it a "cauldron of commerce" and "relentless", with a "constant tide of motorbikes". Despite this, I loved Hanoi and the bustling atmosphere only made it more appealing to this city girl.

We spent a lot of time exploring the Old Quarter, a warren of streets and alleys that are full of shops, cafes and restaurants, with hawkers selling fruit, sweet buns and souvenirs. We fell in love with some of the (expensive) original art, Alex bought a (cheap) orginal political poster that originated during the time of the Vietnam War, ate scrumptious food in some of the many restaurants, drank cheap Fresh beer with the locals (18p a pint!) in the bia hoi junction, visited the old city prison and more. I wish we could have stayed longer!

A motorbike laden with wares, a typical sight in Hanoi

Trying to avoid Hanoi motorbikes!

Hanoi cafe

A motorbike that doubles up as a shop!

Street sellers in Hanoi


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An old merchant's house in Hanoi

 

Vietnam top 10: Halong Bay cruise

Vietnam top 10: Halong Bay cruise on the Paloma

Towards the end of our trip we splashed out on a two-day cruise round Halong Bay on a boat called Paloma. We spent two nights on the boat and enjoyed some more delicious Vietnamese cuisine, sunset parties, swimming from the boat, watching the sunset, Vietnamese spring roll cooking class, early morning Tai Chai on the top deck, visiting huge caves and enjoying the views of stunning Halong Bay itself.

It was one of the most luxurious boats in the bay but it was worth the treat. Our cabin was very comfortable and spacious and the food was heavenly!



Alex swimming by the boat





Halong Bay at sunset from the Paloma

Cavernous cave we visited in Halong Bay

Me posing with an election poster in a traditional fishing village

Alex and I in Halong Bay