fashion

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Last week was my 42nd birthday. And while it is not traditionally thought of as a significant birthday - I think all birthdays are special. So we packed the kids off to their grandparents for a few days, and Husband and I enjoyed the sites and restaurants of London. Regular readers may remember that we spent my birthday in York last year. We had so much fun, but this year we thought we'd enjoy the capital city.

On Friday, my actual birthday, Husband booked us a table at Bob Bob Ricard. It is a Russian restaurant, elegantly decorated. Rather than normal tables, they have booths, and each booth comes with a 'Press for Champagne' button. As you can imagine, it is a popular place for Champagne-lovers. As the restaurant is quite over-the-top, I wanted some dramatic make-up. One of my nieces works at Laura Mercier at the Bentall Centre in Kingston and she booked me in for a makeover.

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Summer is upon us. It has been so warm this past week, at least it has been in London and Surrey. I've finally packed away my winter coat and plan to wear summer dresses as much as I can. A few days ago I popped into the Woking Shopping Centre to purchase a new summer outfit for our holiday in France.

First stop was Debenhams. I love having a range of shops to choose from and Debenhams has some of my favourite brands, including Oasis and Warehouse. This brightly coloured midi dress is from the latter. Normally I choose looser dresses, but this dress was so pretty that I thought I'd be brave and get it. I'm so glad that I did. Yes, I have curves. At 41, I am finally not so embarrassed at my shape. I've teamed it with a cardi, as well as a t-shirt, making it perfect for those cooler summer days.

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Ah spring. One moment it is warm and sunny, and the next minute the sky is opening up and leaving you completely drenched. My children don't seem to mind getting wet, but I just feel better when they're warm and dry. This week, Dubz got a new rubber rain coat, just in time for the insane amount of rain we have had in the past few days.

If you follow me on Instagram, you will notice that I also have a yellow raincoat that I wear quite often. Dubz has been dying to get one like mine for ages. So he was thrilled when his new coat arrived from Lighthouse Clothing. Dubz is barely five, so is still very excited about twinning with his 'honey best friend' (that's what he calls me).

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I do like going for walks. And I have been enjoying regular walks in Richmond Park since the autumn. In January, one of my friends suggested that we take part in the Moonwalk London . If you're not familiar with it, it is a marathon or half-marathon walk around London in the middle of the night whilst wearing bras. Although this sounded like more than I could handle, it is for a good cause, so I agreed to give the half moon a try (15 miles).

After 12 weeks of training, it is almost time. The Moonwalk London 2017 is tomorrow, 13 May. I started out walking three miles at a time, and last week completed a 12 1/2-mile walk. At first I wore my normal clothes, but as I have walked for longer distances, I have seen that I need proper workout wear. The lovely people from Regatta sent me some items from their new spring/summer17 range.

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Hooray, it's May! That means that summer is at our fingertips. I can't wait to go out without a jacket and enjoy some warm weather. We're off to France in a couple of weeks and I have high hopes for lovely weather. So I've gotten myself a few new things to make my wardrobe feel summery.

As a curvy lady in my 40s, I want to look stylish but definitely not frumpy. SimplyBe recently offered me some holiday outfits, and I was keen to choose some items that would make be feel chic. And I went straight to the dresses. I love how easily dresses can be dressed up or down, depending on accessories. I chose this indigo t-shirt dress as it is looked so comfy. And I wasn't let down when it arrived. It's nice and loose, so would be perfect attire for pizza, wine and ice cream (our favourite holiday meal). It looks nice with capris and a scarf for a bit of sightseeing, but it can also be thrown over your swimsuit for a more casual look. I'm debating getting the striped version as I love this dress so much.

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I have put away my winter coats. Call me reckless, but I am ready for spring. We have already had some lovely days in the past couple of weeks (though we have also had a couple of cold, windy days). But I have decided to dress for the weather I want, so my wardrobe has had a bit of a spring overhaul. I've been adding colours to my usual monochromatic colour scheme and I have a new camouflage jacket that is jazzing up my outfits.

Camouflage and khaki are really big this spring. I was a bit nervous that I was too 'mature' for camo, But you get to a point in your life when you have to say 'f*ck it'. No 40-something wants to be accused of dressing too young, but I think fashion is more fluid these days. Teenagers and women in their 60s can be found shopping side by side in places like H&M. So I'm trying not to think of my age, and to just wear clothes that make me happy.

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Ever since I was a teenager, I have had a fondness with peace sign jewellery. It started with a beloved pair of earrings, then it was a chunky ring. In my mid-20s, I began to dress more conservatively. When you're young, and working in an office, you're desperate for people to respect you. But I've been out of the traditional 9 to 5 for over five years now. And I've stopped listening to fashion rules and I just wear whatever makes me happy. Cue my new peace sign bracelet from Chlobo.

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Dressing Down In My Dressing Gown

If you follow me on Facebook, you will know that I recently bought a dressing gown. Emma from BrummyMummyof2 is often sporting one in her Instagram and Facebook posts, and I was feeling a bit jealous. Dressing gowns look so comfy, especially in winter. And I've needed something to make me feel more snuggled up at home. After some research on The Google, I decided upon the third one above. But I thought I would share some of the other robes that I liked.

1. Striped Wrap - this beauty from Marks & Spencer was a close second. It looks so elegant. Plus it's long so will keep your little calves warm. And those stripes appeal to many of us ladies of a certain age. What is it with stripes that sends so many of us in our 30s and 40s all a flutter?!

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While most of us have been thinking about our autumn/winter fashion, how many of us have extended these thoughts to our accessories? I'm talking about watches in particular. A couple of months ago, I got a new watch to update my autumn/winter style. And not just any watch, but a wood watch from Jord. I have received numerous compliments on my new watch, as you can imagine.

I had seen these Jord watches on Instagram for quite some time. I thought they looked pretty, but a wood watch did not seem very practical. Surely they would be heavy and uncomfortable, and then they would probably warp at the first sign of rain. When my Frankie watch arrived, I was happy to be proven wrong. I chose the Frankie because I loved the zebrawood and champagne combination. It is so elegant. Also, as zebrawood is a stripy wood, it looks quite unique. It is not just one colour, which makes it even more obvious that it is indeed a watch made out of wood.

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Last week, I had a night out at the Roof Garden at the John Lewis on Oxford Street in central London. I was invited to a Christmas party for bloggers, and I got to take one of my friends along too. If that wasn't enough of a treat, we were given the most amazing cocktails from Background Bars and delicious Scottish fare from Mac & Wild. We were then given ideas on how we could Make It Thoughtful this Christmas.

Christmas can be so stressful. Many children have lists of presents they want, which in a way makes life easier. But what do you get your other family and friends? People that you care about, but might not be too sure what they would like. John Lewis are encouraging shoppers to be more thoughtful when it comes to gift-giving. One way to do that is to add a bit of personalisation.

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