Mama loves... bejewelling your hair

I've mentioned before that I am a real magpie when it comes to accessories (in this post about earings), but lately my eye has been caught by beautiful accessories for hair, and I think that they need to be reclaimed from being just for brides!  Why should they have all the fun, and why shouldn't we bedeck our locks in jewels for a night out, or just a trip to the supermarket!

Here are just a few gorgeous pieces that caught my eye:

 

 

Sparkled, embellished, shaped hair-combs and pins look amazing with an updo and an LBD

 

 

Jewelled Barettes look so pretty for day or night, and fab on short hair too

 

 

 

 

And hair-bands - from Gatsby-inspired, to simple or fierce, but definitely not Sloane territory.

 



Shoes, Glorious Shoes!

I love shoes in a big way.  Actually, I love shoes in a slightly "you have a problem" kind of way.  At one point I had around 200 pairs, although in my defence I would say that I was a ladies footwear buyer, and so had to try out all the samples!  Well, someone had to do it!

These days, I have whittled my collection down somewhat, and try to keep to a strict "one in, one out" rule.  The beauty of accessories is that you can always fit into them, and they can take an outfit from fine to fabulous in moments.  Here are a few of my favourites below.....

 

Tangerine Abel Jimmy Choo courts

 

Classic strappy Jimmy Choo Sandals

 

Salvatorre Ferragamo Sandals

 

Mmm, Kurt Geiger

 

 

Gold T-bar court shoes from Emma Hope

Black Fold-over boots, Dune

Two-Tone flats from Boden

 

A new start for Mama Likes Pretty Things! Mama loves... Accessories

I started this blog a long time ago, as a secondary space to my usual website Mama and More! and at the time just couldn't keep 2 going. But here I am, back again. I've realised that my original though still stands strong - I want to talk about issues, daily life, and what I call the journey through mummydom - seeking the balance between being a mama and still being me - and that whole ride is over at Mama and More! if you'd like to read more.

THIS space however is going to be dedicated to the fact that I really do love beautiful things and I plan to show style wherever it's seen - from fashion, to accessories, heck even food or art, whatever strikes as "something pretty". I hope you like it, and please do comment if you have views, advice or general thoughts and love! No haters please.

So to start -

Accessories...

I have a serious love affair with accessories.  Every since I first started being given pocket money as a child in Trinidad (we had a whole chore checklist, good girl markers, and our mother even made us chequebooks so that we could learn to "draw out" our earned funds!), I remember most weekends going to the mall to buy earrings.  Two or three pairs at a time ideally.  I loved the jingly-jangly feel of them against my neck, and I now have a little tick, where I give a little shake of my head like a pony, just to check I can feel my earrings are still there.  It may look slightly  odd, but habit is a hard thing to break.

My mother has always worn a clutch of silver bracelets on her arm, and we always knew that she was coming by the clinking noise they would make as she approached.  She thinks it probably saved us many a telling off, but to be honest we didn't really take advantage of the warning sound to be very naughty!

So this will certainly not be the only time I talk about accessories!  Today though, just earrings, to start bring back to life Mama Loves...

Alex Monroe Feather Hoop Earings - £245.00 at Astley Clarke

Accessorize Beach Glam Earrings - £12.00 at Accessorize

Top Shop Flower Rhinestone Earrings - £12.50 at Top Shop

Geometric Felicity Hoop Earrings - £45.00 at Stella & Dot

Blue Topaz and Sterling Silver Earrings - £85.00 from Pandora

Portobello finds

After from the gorgeous electric blue silk strapless jumpsuit that beckoned me over from a Portobello stall - now, who doesn't need a bit of electric blue silk in their lives on a chilly grey January London day? - our wanderings on Saturday led us into the Portobello arcade to Sasti, a lovely kidswear shop with eclectic prints and finds.  Yes, it's a bit unsubtle, the old, "bought something for myself, now have to ease my conscience by looking at men's/kids' stuff!"

First of all, my girl decided to drag over a chair to investigate the rails a bit more closely, having pulled on a dusky pink tutu skirt over her jeans - personally I think the look rocks, chunky jumper, ballet skirt and wellies.... bring it on!

She absolutely loves this shop, and we have bought a few pieces before, including an adorable shirt with little boats and leaves floating across the print.  Other popular prints show oversized cherries bursting with summer ripeness or giant daisies on grassy printed backgrounds, both on skirts with cute tulle peeking underneath. 

I loved the dreamy Lewis Carroll inspired t-shirts:

and the Babushka dolls printed cushions -

Of course, there is a whole section devoted to boys, with funky dinosaurs and pirate prints in bright colours which look almost like Hawaiian shirts, but cooler.  But if I ever have the opportunity again, I think I'll be buying these little knitted shoes and hat, just so that I can have them as a keepsake.

Next post will be a little more grownup, but after a visit to Sasti, and a chat with lovely Rosie who co-owns, designs and runs the shop, I suddenly felt all clucky again!

Last browsings of the year

With work and life getting in the way, as well as my other main blog which is a working mum's mummy blog, I'm afraid that Mama Likes Pretty Things has been sorely neglected, but that's not to say I don't think about it often....

So, in order to prove that my new resolution to try to post once a week, or at the very least, every other week on each blog, is not a new year's resolution - I don't believe in them, I prefer to do them on my birthday when my year starts - I am going to get a head start today!

Now, chez us needs a bit of a refresh, and short of ripping the back off the whole thing to do major work involving lots of zeroes, which we are just getting our heads around before taking the plunge, I've decided to start small.....

First off, some new cushions - I'm slightly obsessed with Clarissa Hulse fabrics, so picked up a couple of these lovely ones in the House of Fraser sale today for the study:

Then, these beauties for some fun in the living room (to go with, umm, my other Clarissa Hulse cushions from last year! Obsessed? er, moi?):

Right, perhaps we could do with a bit of sprucing ourselves, so before I lose myself in the heady world of homewares, checked out La Petite Madame and drooled over the gorgeous kimonos - vintage finds from Japan, each one a one-off, and sourced by the lovely Emily who has impeccable and unique taste for little ones (would love one of these in my size!):

I also do have to confess to going slightly nuts in John Lewis children's department just before Christmas too, so am trying to be a little more restrained now!

A quick look at Oscar Milo for Mr.G - to be honest, given the name of this blog, there is no point showing pictures of anything, as you actually have to visit the store and feel the products, which are of fantastic quality, and Mr.G will shop nowhere else EVER.  Tony who works there, and Justin who owns the place (the name of the shop comes from his kids), are incredibly nice, patient and stylish guys, however the website does their shop and service no justice at all, and I guess is mainly for people who are used to shopping there so know what quality and design details to expect.

And before I succumb to wasting time flicking through The Outnet's occasion dressing tab (I'm not adding the link, because actually it quite annoys me - nothing ever really fits properly, and this is the word even from inside the hallowed white offices of mother-site, net-a-porter, whose sale is worth a gawp, but keep credit cards well away.  Ideally in another house.), and ASOS's white and black collections, a quick visit to The Kooples is in order - a French brand embodying that edgy, Parisian style - and of course, almost everything is black!  I did fall for these cool gloves though -

Happy new year xx

PS - comments on the site re more pretty things always welcome and oh so motivating!