Monday style...

Monday, Monday, rise and shine! It turns out I am delinquent in acknowledging a flurry of blog awards that I have been bestowed...a total of FOUR Stylish Blogger Awards from the following kind people:

Charlotta who writes the blog 'Space for Inspiration'. Charlotta gave me a lovely mention, singling out 'Lou, Boos and Shoes' as one of her faves. Very sweet!
Rali who writes the blog 'Styles 'n Cream'.
Paloma who writes the blog 'Paper Garland'.
Julie who writes the blog 'The Fantasy Decorator'.

So thank you very much; that's a whole lot of style! With this award I am meant to divulge seven things about myself that you may not know. Well I hate to say it but my life is an open book and I struggled to think of seven secrets (that I would be willing to post anyway.) So I have applied some mild interpretation, I hope you don't mind...

What is style? Here are seven things about my style...

One
I like really simple, classic dressing...which at the moment makes me want to wear jeans, boots and a blazer. Come to think of it, I like grosgrain ribbons, ballet flats, navy stripes, crisp white shirts, alice bands, funnel-neck coats, LBDs and surprising quirks in an outfit like a studded belt.

Two
I have a string of pearls that my husband gave me and despite being unsure of them to start with, now I love them so much; they improve any outfit, any day.

Three
One of the most stylish and desirable things for me is healthy, glowing skin. Getting it is like chasing the elixir of life...

Four
I can't abide scuffed shoes and raggedy handbags; I am big on polishing and looking after leather ware.

...oh Olivia...the life you lead...

Five
I often get dressed up then take off half the accessories; I try not to have too much 'going on' in one outfit. I have to tell myself: the dress is enough.

Six
Only wear what you love. If in your heart you think it's a so-so item, ditch it.

Seven
Like so many things in life; less is more...

...Diane Kruger...and lots of gorgeous images via for chic sake

And I thank you!

I now award the Stylish Blogger Award to these lovely bloggers:

Jeanne who writes the blog 'Cashmerejeans'.
Alison who writes the blog 'Cowparsley'.
Jennifer who writes the blog 'Keswick and Country'.
Deborah who writes the blog 'Metropolitan Mum'.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

My blog and I (for we are one and the same) been given some awards. Always such a pleasure to see my name on someone else's post. Anyway, here goes...

The gorgeous Julia Roberts

From the lovely Chania at Razmataz, a versatile blogger award. Chania has been following my blog and I hers, since I started this year. She has her own shop, which I think looks absolutely dreamy when she share shots of it. Chania is one of those blog friends who always leaves some wisdom for me...drop by drop, I think she has a life lived if her insights are anything to go by. There is so much to be said for quality life experience...

This award requires I list seven things about myself, so being versatile, I will list 7 wishes of mine; things I wish I had done had I known better!

One
I wish I'd have bought a bright cherry red Kitchen Aid instead of a black one. To be fair it was a gift for my husband who cooks - but deep down I knew it was for me.

 

Two
We once viewed a wonderful Art Deco house that I always wished we had been brave enough to buy. It needed so much work, but was going for so little, it would have been amazing. At the time I could not get past the old fashioned brown decor. But then, if we had of bought it, we would never have got this farmhouse.

Three
I wish I had listened to my Mum's advice that being tall was a good thing; instead of spending years feeling gangly and having slouched posture. Now I stand tall.

Four
I really wish I had taken better care of my teeth! Enough said.

Five
I wish I was one of those party all night, last one home girls. But I never have been. Even at University I had a friend who used to feel the same as I did and we would slip away before the rest (N - you know who you are!) We had this unspoken agreement that if there was a chance to go home, we would grasp it! I remain eternally attached to my bed...singular favourite place to be.

Six
In my first job in Publishing I really did think I knew it all. Looking back it actually makes me cringe now; I was fresh out of University, at the grand age of 21 and full of newly-graduated bluster. I wish I had been slightly more gracious. I wish I could have seen what I had to learn, not what I had to tell! Suffice to say when my temporary contract was due for renewal there, it was not renewed. A big lesson learned.

Seven
I do wish I had never had that Zooey Deschanel fringe cut. It's taking forever to grow out.

I pass this award on to:

Jeanne at Collage of Life
Alison at Cowparsley
Mary at Mary Loves

The second award is from Carrie at This Free Bird, she gave me a blog with substance award. Carrie and the word 'substance' go together like peas and carrots. Almost immediately I felt an affinity to Carrie...it's funny how that happens, given that I am a country bumpkin in rural England and she is an achingly cool Californian fashionista.

Here I detail my feelings, motivations, philosophy about blogging in just five words! Now that's a big ask for me; you know I am usually quite verbose..

Firstly I am grateful that I 'found' blogging. It has rocked my world.

I never thought that friendship would stem from blogging in the way it has for me. For all that people scorn making friends in the virtual world and not the real one, I have found more compassion, openness and interest through this blog than I have at the school gates. Strange but true.

Blogging has formulated what I like, it has drawn out the aesthetic side of my brain. As one lovely commenter said, my blog posts are like a scrapbook of me. The things of beauty that move me.

Blogging has shrunk the world for me. I now have a much deeper appreciation of which country people come from and how that forms their thinking.

Blogging has made me write again and has made me see that I like it, that I can do it and that others like reading what I have to say.

I pass this award on to:

Simone at The Bottom of the Ironing Basket.
Amanda at Forty not out.
Natasha at She Left on a Monday.

From Melissa at Miss Sew and So, a Sunshine award. Now similarly Melissa and I had a connection from the start. We are living parallel lives but she has done the one thing in life that scares me - leaving her homeland! She asked me to chat about seven random things as if we were having a cuppa tea at her kitchen table. Earl grey for me...

One
I am superstitious, I apply this to certain areas of life and not others. I don't mind walking under ladders but I always, always touch wood when I feel I need to! Lilacs should not be brought inside the house. And on no account, under any circumstances should shoes ever be placed on the kitchen table.

Two
The first single record I ever bought was 'The Lovecats' By The Cure. I was an 80's child...

Three
I am Louise Elisabeth - with an 's' not a 'z' - it's a Danish thing and causes all sorts of problems on passports, driving licenses etc. I was going to be called Susanna after my aunt, but my Mum changed her mind at the last moment.

Four
People who know me think I am a complete shopper but I have stuff in my wardrobe that I bought 10-15 years ago. I do that test of 'have I worn it in the past year?' when I sort through and then think 'might I wear in the next year?' and decide to keep! I like to think I am not a hoarder - more than I made a good choice when I bought the item in the first place...

Five
Talking of being an 80's child, I can pretty much recite the script of every John Hughes film...from 'Ferris Bueller' to 'Breakfast Club'. Literally.

Six
I am not sure if you guessed, but I am ridiculously nostalgic. I see value in shared history, the fact that my kids are growing up in the same town as me pleases me. That my daughter is starting to take footsteps that I took. That my husband and I have this shared appreciation of where we are in life. I do wonder whether we should have left - gone away - made a new history. But there is something wonderful and sentimental in seeing your family grow in a way you did, but with a chance to edit out the less favourable bits!

Seven
In my job, I advise on risk - when to take it, what happens if you take it, consequences, ramifications. I spend my time weighing things up, considering. Over time this has become a trait that has spilled over into how I think about everything, so I am now making an effort to stop thinking about risks and start just doing it!

I pass this award on to:

Amanda at Small Acorns
Marcie at Lemons and Laundry
Annelise at A Box of Crayons

Well, in five years time...

I was tagged by Christina at Fashion's Most Wanted... for a 'five years time' meme. Now, Christina is the town mouse to my country mouse. She absolutely lives the London life and it's there for us to see and live through vicariously on her blog.

Where were you five years ago?

Five years ago I was caring for a newborn baby. Boo 2 was born in April, so I would have been a month or so in. I wasn't wild on the newborn stage; in fact sadly it represented one of the most challenging times in my life so far. There were some bleak days around that time, so when I think now how far I have come, it makes me very happy that those days are behind me. The downside is that my recollection is marred by that experience and I worry that I have missed a lot of the joy that should come with little babies. I tell myself the baby stage is just one drop in the big ocean of motherhood...

I was on maternity leave from the corporate world, we had just bought our (in much need of renovation) farmhouse and Boo 1 had started school. So, imagine being at home a lot of the time with 30 year old brown linoleum and brown carpets and brown walls. What was the deal with decorating with brown in the early 80s?

Where would you like to be five years from now?

Five years from now I will be the other side of 40! I find it quite hard to envisage what I will be doing then. I work on a day-by-day, week-by-week basis and rarely think that far ahead. I am grateful every day for the way my life has panned out; I married my childhood sweetheart, we live in the town where we grew up, our kids are healthy, happy and are turning out to be really quite good fun. I have a job I enjoy that gives me (at least some of the time) a work/life balance. We have awesome friends. I work hard at life, but it pays dividends. So if I could say in five years time I had that feeling of contentment with life, then that would do for me. If my husband has his way we will spend some time between now and the living in another country. I should try this outlook on life and see what happens in five years...

What is on your to do list today?

Clear the stack of papers that have accumulated on my dining room table.
Try to catch up on my work email which at the moment is like a mountain to climb.
Book a pedicure, eye test, haircuts for the kids, sort out half term childcare, book kid's summer tennis club, sort out social calendar, send thank you notes, arrange a birthday party.
Get to the bottom of the ironing pile that is threatening to engulf us all...

What five snacks do you enjoy?

• Cheese - all kinds. I am a complete cheese freak
• Liquorice - it's a Danish thing.
• Fruit salad - I am the one who always falls for those ready-prepared melon and pineapple salads in Waitrose which probably have astronomic carbon footprints. I do love them though...
• Chocolate. The good stuff. Enough said.
• You will always find humous, taramasalata, tzatiki in my fridge...I'm into dips. Come to lunch at my house and you never know what combination you'll get...along with rye bread, olives and capers.

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Money is a funny thing. Extreme wealth fascinates me in the same way that pure beauty does. When I see Gisele I wonder what it must be like to look in the mirror and see that face looking back. Similarly what must it be like to check your bank balance and see many, many zeroes in the black. Or to be able to buy anything you want...anywhere, anytime. Or to do everything in life first class, top drawer. But if I had pots of money, the key thing would be to bring friends and family with me, or else I figure it becomes an awfully lonely place.

The shallower side of me would love to do the most proper and outrageous shopping spree; to go crazy, throw complete caution to the wind, buy ANYTHING. But then I guess if I was a billionaire, even that activity might become old hat. Maybe the answer is to have more money, but not too much!

I pass this meme on the following intriguing blogs - where will you be in five years time?

Miss Sew and So
The Sardine Tin
She Wore it Well
The Ruby Blog

Shoe love...

A subject close to my heart and already talked about in this post here...what more can I say about shoes? Umm, I wear them every day. I am fiercely loyal to them. I covet certain types. They feature in my blog name. Shoes and I? We are like peas and carrots.

So when Thatgirl39 at Forty not out sent me a 'Hello Lover' shoe tag, I got rather excited. Then I had some angst...picking favourites is a tricky business; someone is always bound to feel left out. Anyway here are my faves, some belong to me and some do not (maybe one day...)

When I started following The Sartorialist last summer, almost every shot he took showed gladiator heels. I went on a mission...I wanted some...they sadly don't have much opportunity to feature in my lifestyle (too much for Mummy, too much for work)...but I love them...

And of course Carrie's version...more of her later...

These are my lovely friend E's; she wore them on her wedding day. The deserved to be photographed in the pre-wedding build-up. Love, love, love...

 This was the first picture I ever put on my blog...I have a thing for red shoes...

Always searching for the perfect pair of red ballet shoes - Olivia P favours these, as do I.

This is Giovanna Battaglia - who I have posted on before. I have a proper style crush on her. These shoes I love - I think they are Prada. Infact this whole outfit rocks my world in a 'I could actually wear that in my real life' kind of way. Of course I also frequent pretty Italian streets just like this one.

When I first saw these Valentino shoes I got a little bit breathless...hand made, one-of-a-kind...frothy delight.

So picture the scene, I am in Las Vegas, in the Fashion Mall, perusing cowboy boots, all caught up in the Vegas vibe. I have never in my life owned a pair but if I did they should look something like this: Elvis style. I then came to my senses and decided...maybe not... ;-)

The cowboy thing persists but I should go with something more understated like these gorgeous handmade Penelope Chilvers ones which I covet every winter and so far have not purchased...

They had to feature...Carrie's wedding day beauties. I also saw these in Vegas, in the Bellagio lobby...I cradled them lovingly and then put them back...sigh.

And while on the theme, this episode of SATC I always really liked. Especially how she puts what are basically party shoes (in most womens' book), with loose trousers and a white blouse. God bless Patricia Field.

Finally, as if we could take much more, this image captures how I feel about shoes. Nestled in their own plush velvet seat...a thing to be admired. Anyone over the age of 12 who wears Crocs, when there is such shoe beauty in the world, you should be ashamed of yourself!

OK so I listed more than seven shoes..but what's one or two more between friends?! Now as I have been catching up on awards lately, I will pass this on to just two other blogs who I suspect might share the shoe love:

Brynn @ Life is a Runway
Sophie @ The Littlest Things

Grumpy and happy...

I am lucky enough to have had a little flurry of blog awards of late. One is from the delightful Metropolitan Mum who has challenged me to a Grumpy Meme. This entails listing what makes me feel grrrrr. I found this remarkably easy - is that a sign?! Thank you MM :-)

1. I am absolutely not good with mess (quelles surprise!). Tidy house, tidy mind. Deliberate mess really bothers me...

2. Tiredness; when there is not enough sleep on the agenda things go awry for me in the happy department. I am sure I am not alone. I invest a lot of time and energy making sure I get enough sleep as the grumpy consequences if I don't...well, it's not pretty.

3. Bad hair days, of which, at the moment there are many...back to hairdressers next week.

4. Online shops being 'sold out'. Grrrr...furrowed brow.

5. When my cat leaves a decapitated mouse on the doormat every morning, day after day. 

6. Rudeness, especially directed to those who wait tables, work in shops etc. There is just no need to be rude to people who work in retail or service industries. Makes me mad when I witness it.

7. When I take things for granted. My own complacency.

I am to nominate five of my fellow bloggers  (by the way I don't think these ladies are grumpy per se, but who might just rise to this challenge!) to forward this to:

Sniff @ In Sniff's Choos
Tania @ Backwards in High Heels
Thatgirl39 @ Forty Not Out
Chania @ RAZMATAZ
Mary @ Mary Loves 

From one extreme to another...the lovely Jeanne (aka my long lost big sister) from Collage of Life gave me a Happiness 101 Award! This entails listing ten things that make me brim with happiness! Jeanne's post was pretty happy-making (and made me want to watch 'Something's Gotta Give' really badly.)

1. Remembering places I have visited with my husband. Great meals in great places...risotto perfection in Venice, overlooking the Golden Gate in San Francisco, oysters in Grand Central NYC, lobster bibs in Boston, foie gras in Paris contemplating the Louvre, tapas in Barcelona, espresso in the Piazza Navona in Rome...

2. The incredible wisteria that literally hugs two sides of my house.

3. New shoes; first outing.

4. His blue eyes.

5. Cup of earl grey tea, my morning view.

6. Family cuddles. Think Sunday mornings, or Saturday afternoons in front of a good film.

7. Walking in the dunes...infact most things that are beach-related.

8. Going to bed when it's still twilight outside...or going to bed when it's raining outside.

9. My new-found blogging love - seriously, what did I do with myself before this?

10. Kindred spirits; my great, old friends who know me best and truly 'get' me. I am not that easy to 'get'!

So the rules are that this award is passed to five other bloggers. I have chosen those who have brought me a little slice of happiness...

Natasha @ She left on a Monday
Rhiannon @ Hey Gorgeous
Natasha Fleur @ Turning a Leaf
Leanne @ Mrs A in the Cove
Emily @ London Zest

Pass it on... xxx

Another beautiful blogger...

I was very surprised/pleased to be awarded another Beautiful Blogger award, this time from Tania, who writes, along with her co-writer Sarah Vine, 'Backwards in High Heels'. Quite flushed with pride that Tania described my blog as charming and aesthetically pleasing. In addition, Tania is a proper writer and has published a proper book, so the fact that she follows little ole me is great.

As I posted on one of these lovely awards a few weeks ago, I wondered if you were all that interested in another seven things about me and some more blogs that I like...then I assumed '...yes, I suppose so!' It would be positively ungracious of me not to accept my award, so here we go:

Number One
My husband and I renewed our wedding vows in Las Vegas. It was at the Graceland chapel, we took the Elvis and Priscilla vows, officiated by a fake Elvis. We were with our two best men and their lovely wives. My favourite all-time Elvis song is 'Suspicious Minds' but that seemed somewhat inappropriate for nuptials so Elvis sang 'Hunk of Burning Love' instead! Anyone who has seem my husband's rugby-playing physique will grasp how apt that song choice is! My friend L, who was one of my bridesmaids in our 'first' wedding has a big thing for Elvis...so this is for you!

Number Two
One of my best ever films is 'Beautiful Girls'. It's little-known, subtle, charming. I could watch it over and over (which should be the measure of a great film). Natalie Portman plays a young girl called Marty and she is just enchanting - an old soul. The score is also haunting and nostalgic.

Number Three
I didn't learn to cook until recent years, so when I first left home I lived on Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and rye bread with Danish Blue cheese. Not the ideal diet. Later, as my husband did all the cooking I never needed to. Then he got busier and was home less and we had kids who obviously needed feeding, I eventually learned. Now I am quite good, much to the surprise of anyone who knew me when...

Number Four
I am ever so slightly obsessed with John Updike novels. I re-read them most years. Sometimes the maleness of his point of view frustrates me wildly. However, I think he writes some of the most accurate modern depictions of human emotion ever.

Number Five
We have a cat. I insisted on getting him the year my husband and I started living together. He has used up far too many of his nine lives. He has been run over by cars three times, he had been reconstructed by vets and special cat neurosurgeons. He has lost his meow. He is generally grumpy. But Boo still loves him.

Number Six
When I was at University, in those idle hours my housemates and I used to fill between lectures, we used to muse that I could be hand model 'when I grew up'. This was my fall-back plan in case the heady career I was anticipating from my oh-so-useful English literature degree didn't materialise. We even took test shots of my hands! I have these ridiculously long fingers...spindly I have always thought. Alas no, these are not them...but I love her nail varnish.

Number Seven
You might not have guessed it but I am abit of a thinker. Shock! Some very good advice I was given by my friend N who I work with, is simply to breathe...and it works!

Now I need to nominate some other blogs that I think are beautiful. As I so recently did this, I will limit it to three.

For beautiful writing...Mackin ink
For sheer prettiness...The Pink Pen Word Studio
For lovely quirkiness...My Guide to surviving and enjoying life's mundane

Working mother...

The lovely Natalia Vodianova and her son.

For the first time for a very long time, last week I had a week off work and we did not go anywhere. We had a 'staycation' or a 'home-a-day'. We did try to get a last-minute trip away; we wanted to get some sun in Florida, but could not find a flight out of the UK when we checked about a month ago. Even if we had found a flight we would have been going nowhere due to the volcanic ash! Strange how it goes...

So no work for a week. I was a full time Mummy for a week. Different kind of work. It was lovely. In more of the best laid plans my husband had the week off too so we were going to gad around together with the children, trips out and family time. As it happened he got an attack of Gout; he gets this periodically. I know, its the affliction of kings from the Middle Ages, but in reality its ridiculously painful and completely debilitating. So he was laid up. Oh to have a crystal ball to have seen those two things coming!

The funny thing about not working was how easily the corporate life just slipped out of mind, without a trace. The ease with which I morphed into Mummy-life surprised me and has made me wonder - why do I work? Or let me re-phrase: why do I work so hard at working? Of course there is financial necessity (handbags don't come for free) but on a wider point, was the joy of this release from work something I should consider more deeply?

I have always been a working mother, part time, but always working. I love my job, but in the same breath, the logistics of working and being a Mummy can be crippling and exhausting. I do genuinely wonder if the head space that it all occupies could be better used?

My working has always been tied up with lots of other stuff, like the fact that when I am alone too much I think too much, I like being good at my job, I get a 'shopping fund', I don't instead of working, by default, spend all my time cleaning my house (you know I would...), it usually 'works' for us as a family. I can balance it.

If I didn't work what would life be like? Its a big unknown for me and - truthfully - probably a hypothetical. But this last week has been thought-provoking, for sure. In true piscean fashion - I am undecided. This is likely just be a little waver...but the thing is, I have remembered that it is a choice.

Meanwhile on the topic of motherhood, I found out from a commenter that I have been nominated for a national blog award - The MADs (The Mummy and Daddy Blog Awards)! How novel, I have no idea who nominated me, but I am up for 'best new blog' and 'best looking blog'! I have never been nominated for the best looking anything...its quite exciting... :-)