Vanessa Bruno and the pilates reformer...

I bought some bits from a sample sale before Christmas and the items that I have worn the most  all are all of those from the Vanessa Bruno collection.  I had always thought of her as a poor relation to Isabel Marant, but now I am not so sure.  There is a wearable simplicity to her clothes, they are well made, in lovely fabrics, but don't scream, 'Look you know which collection I am from and I AM expensive'.  I like the style of the lady herself (above) cool and effortless, with nothing to prove.
Here are some looks from SS15, I also like how in the all the shows, the shoes are always flat, comfortable, easy to walk in, but still quite stylish, no hobbling of female kind....

 This is from a collection about 3 years ago, but you could still wear any of it and have a nod to this season's trends....

My dream closet, just a few beautiful tops with a pile of good jeans folded below...

Her bags don't break the bank and I like that there is a touch of sparkle, but nothing OTT
There are some great deals to be had here I assume these are all legit and not copies!

 Today I wore a cashmere mix Vanessa Bruno jumper, which I have lived in since November and not a single bobble in sight...

This jacket arrived this morning, it is Jaeger London and was £5 on ebay, the print is quite similar to one that I saw at Joseph yesterday...

Very early this morning doing my pilates on the reformer, it is a handy little machine and the exercises are quick and varied, so it is over before I have fully woken up...

I think it is more effective than classes (on a mat), as it forces you to use the right muscle groups and if you don't use them you don't move so it is pretty evident.  In classes, it can be quite easy to switch off and only work at 50% of capacity.

I have definitely 'broadened' over the more sedentary last 3 months, but I still have a bit of a waist and I haven't adopted my default 'pigeon' shape, I can only put that down to the reformer as I have done nothing else.

If you have the space, there are loads available here, the second hand ones are a price of an exercise DVD, so it could be worth giving a go.  In Winter time, we should be a little gentler with ourselves, let's save the marathons for Spring!! Does your exercise routine differ with the seasons? Anything that you would recommend for Winter?

How to keep a house tidy part two hidden treasures...

All this fever induced cleaning has meant that I have discovered things that I had forgotten or thought long-lost.  I love these beautiful editions of F Scott Fitzgerald classics.

The wood inlaid chest of drawers was bought at an auction years ago.  At the time I hated brown furniture and was painting everything white or pale grey for a house that we were doing up.  Twelve years on and my tastes have changed, I'm finding the brown quite cosy and grown-up, something that I can get old with...

The one on the right is Regency, I picked it up for about 20 quid, it was so close to being painted, thank goodness my mum talked me out of it.....

This flat sheet was a bargain from Bicester Village about 15 years ago, it is from Deschamps was reduced from £360 to £80, it was still in its packaging...

 There is now space for the pilates reformer, which has been a reliable toner of tummy and waist over the last gym free 3 months...

I popped out with the dogs to get the fussy, small one her preferred brand of food and realised I hadn't locked the door. What if we were robbed?... but then I remember it looks like we have been...(the Sodoku continues, tomorrow the hall will get some attention)

 I had a date for afternoon tea, so wore 'the uniform', skinny beaten up boyfriend jeans (Primark!), blue t shirt (may be a dress) charity shop, Day Birger Mikkelsen coat from sample sale, Hermes bag and Ash copy boots from TK Maxx, love the glitter on the back.

 My favourite place to eat in the world as it means that I am with....

 This guy and he likes to hang out there as it means he is with....

 this girl.....

I was eating lots of protein as am on a turbo charged version of the Thermic plan (more on that later)

Normally I would choose from these....

Everything is so pretty, maybe I will always hanker after a bit of painted furniture...

How to keep a house tidy...

It seems the best way to enjoy cleaning is to catch the horrible cold/cough that is doing the rounds, lasts for 3 weeks and has no redeeming features other than inducing the urge to clean.  And I mean really clean, I have scrubbed every inch of woodwork in the cottage, wiped down all of the walls and paintwork in London, even our life-sized baby hippo had a spa day....

I've been meaning to move all of the nick-knacks and put this pair of cabinets to better use for years. Finally all the glasses are in one place and I have deliciously empty kitchen cabinets to put to good use.  Every glass was washed and polished until it shone...

Even the Victorian fruit dishes have found a home which will mean that they will be used rather than just gathering dust...

Here are the nick-knacks, which have been carefully wrapped, boxed and put away...

The dining room now 'works'.  All the glassware and more unusual china is stowed where it can be seen (and therefore used!).

I have a friend coming for lunch on Wednesday and can't wait to try out all my 'new' finds...

As usual there are pink roses in place, hosting at home isn't the same without a sprinkling of roses, this lot were only £5 from M and S.....

 My lunch date is a detail person, she notices everything, so it will be worth going to the extra effort with the table and food...

I started at 8am and at 4.30 stopped for a cup of tea...

 It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, I'm not keen on presents and so on, but the husband knows me too well, he just gave me a selection of international magazines that I am too mean to buy myself, exactly what I wanted...

I am thinking about some brightly coloured Ikat cushions for the Summer, my pillows need an update, but I am not sure which way to go.  Any suggestions as to what you would do? Naomi can you make me some??

Unfortunately 'tidying up' is like Sudoku in my house, tomorrow I shall start on the bedroom...

The 'uniform' skinny jeans, Vince shirt, Ash Jalouse boots and 'Hermes' bag, no point in fighting it, officially dressed like everyone else in West London..

Making Spring garlands....

The cottage looks a little bare now that all the Christmas decorations have gone, today the sun came out and Spring didn't seem so far away.  This is one of my favourite Pinterest pictures and I wondered if I could make something similar from a coat-hanger.  The wire ones get caught inside all of the others in the wardrobe so I always throw them away, which feels a bit wasteful.

All the bits and pieces....

 One bent coathanger....

 covered in ivy, ordinarily I would have just stopped here, but Spring was the theme of the day...

 I added some old silk roses, which will be replaced with real ones when I get out of the village 

(it's been a while)

To go with the long sprigs of rosemary, I harvested another variety

still going strong in the depths of winter...

The scent of rosemary and thyme is quite powerful...

 It's passable for a first attempt.  I need a ton of roses to make it really work, but since all it cost to make is a coathanger

And Spring suddenly doesn't seem to far away.