Love this Zara look, to paraphrase Tyra Banks, ‘H2T’… or head to toe for those not quite so obsessed with America’s next top model.  Great hair, great eyes, great silhouette

Temptation is overwhelming at Banana Republic with the new-for-spring-2010 blues collection.  Denim dresses, neat layering and calm colouring add up to a very clean, fresh look.  Good thing it’s not for sale online, otherwise my restraint would be seriously tested!

So, my 2010 challenge mentions nothing about beauty buys.  As such I have already spent several hours agonising over the colour charts at MAC – they have the lushest shades.  I think though that for January I will be focusing on getting my skin into shape and trying to mitigate the effects of central heating, snow-blasting, wind, rain and thermal clothing!  My buy for the month so far is MAC Care Blends essential oils to ‘energize, heal, soothe and calm’.  And let’s face(!) it – who doesn’t need that right now?!

The latest fashion magazines have landed with the resounding thump of spring on my doormat in the last couple of weeks.  It seems that London, certainly the fashion part of it, has had it with winter and is ready to move on – with silky sorbet colours filling the catwalk.  A beautiful Burberry Prorsum show with ruching and feminity overflowing seems to be leading the charge and really representing this look.  So, last night I sat in front of my wardrobe and tried to channel the look with my existing pieces.  I found an old, mulberry-coloured trench coat to belt with a patent number from Burberry from several seasons past in a neat Ribena purple.  Match that with a pale pink, ruffled skirt from TopShop and white, linen wrap-shirt… et voila!  Once I got started I found that the look was actually laughably easy with my existing wardrobe – from a vintage Cerutti silk shirt in lemon to my passionfruit pink cardigan from Marc Jacobs.  The only real challenge is in the footwear department – as my current staple black patent mary-janes just aren’t going to fit the palette… and the brown heeled ice-skater-style boots would be absolutely perfect, if I can find the right version.

At lunchtime, I was strolling around the National Portrait Gallery… well, the shop at least… and just as I was leaving I spotted sparkly things.  Drawn magpie-like to the display, ready to be disappointed by the usual tat that is on offer in museums, I was surprised by some very refreshing, original and pretty jewellery.  There were several displays including Louise Buchan’s miniature teapots, cups and saucers and eclectic cameo’s, stones and lovely colour combinations from Extasia.

I didn’t mention jewellery in my shopping ban now did I!

The Outnet.com has just had a delivery from iconic design house Halston.  Subtle shades of mink, mushroom and dove grey as well as contrasting citrus in silk, cashmere and leather make this addition to the cut-price designer off-shoot of net-a-porter.com a total lust-have.  Love, love, love.

Today I am starting my 2010 challenge, which is not to buy any clothes for 12 months.  I have been thinking about it throughout December and have come up with a couple of caveats to be realistic.  So, there are a couple of things that I can buy including a bikini in the summer and one pair of shoes.  Other than those, if I do buy anything then I will run one km for every one pound spent! Read more »

In an unusually restrained Christmas feast of present-giving, where our actual feast actually defeated my several brothers and our 10 guests, I managed to tick off a record-breaking NO presents from wishlist.  A staggering feat of perversity, for I definitely sent out my list – with easy-click links – several weeks ago, and I know that none of the purchasers enjoy shopping at all, so why they would opt to go off-piste is something of a mystery…

Well, it’s over for another year, and I am taking off to family-free countryside in Cornwall.  Dressed in old wool and jewelless…

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and wish you all a very Happy New Year!

Do I have enough shoes, jeans… black trousers!!?!  Oh no oh no… I can feel some last minute panic shopping coming on.  Which is sort of not the point, but… I think I have to go!

In the spirit of Christmas Eve, among the many, many things that I have on my list of wishes (aside obviously from peace in the middle east and a climate change deal) are: an Alex Monroe bumblebee necklace, anything in cashmere from Jil Sander’s Uniqlo collection J+, the September Issue dvd, the Coco before Chanel dvd, and the Kate Moss style book.  Fingers crossed…