Sunday Lounging

Another Sunday, another week gone by. What a week, the one after holiday is always the hardest. Busy at work, missing the beach and back to the commute. But it has been a good week, I love to be busy and have challenges at work, it's the only way to learn.

This weekend my best friends sister got married and I went along to the evening reception which was spectacular. With such a beautiful couple it was without doubt that I knew this wedding would be picture perfect. The family always know how to put on a show, such a great bunch of people, live music (some fantastic karaoke from the family and friends), great dancing and a wonderful night.

So today bae has gone off on holiday for 5 days... will the cats away... I shop. Why not hey? New season is almost upon us, I've got my holy grail of September issue magazines in my hands and I have started the transition to autumn. Colours of autumn are always my fave, the blues and purples just work so well to make the daily black/grey outfit a little more alive.

Over at Jack Wills HO I have been lusting over our gorgeous damson colour for autumn and finally it landed in store. So I have snatched up my winter hoody (currently curled up on the sofa in it now... so cosy), I have eyed up some winter boots and can see suede is continuing for another season (yay!)

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend x

Wimbledon Diary

Here we have a day in the life of a Mornick Shirt Dress, taking it for a spin at Wimbledon with the afternoon ending up on Centre Court.

Wimbledon Whites (as we all know) are the essential uniform of all players participating in the tournament but also a huge style staple for spectators too. This year I decided to doll myself up and pull out a classic shirt dress from Jack Wills. Seriously, it's the perfect summer dress; light and breezy, smart but practical (my fave type of dressing).

Upon arrival the heavens decided to open on us (no!) so it was a quick pit stop for tea and cake (any excuse really). As we took in the grounds I got to catch a glimpse of the almighty Hewitt in a doubles match with the young Ozzy Kokkinakis. This is Hewitt's last showing at Wimbledon, so as you could imagine, the crowds were a plenty (people actually peering over the gates surrounding the court).

The first match we saw was the ladies, a three set battle (which very rarely happens in the women's game) whilst we enjoyed our picnic of sandwiches and a glass of Rose, very classy. We didn't have to wait long until the man that pretty much defines Wimbledon graced us on court. It was time for some Federer magic, the most suave and smooth player I have every had the pleasure to watch. With his glorious forehand and unstopable backhand he took control of the match from the start and played some highly entertaining crowd pleasing shots. 

After watching a first class Federer performance it was time for a Pimm's break. It was a much needed refreshment to wet the pallet for the last match of the day. We do tend to enjoy taking in the views and enjoy the sunshine once we have Pimm's in our hands.

Now for the match of the day, seriously if you didn't see this match (or haven't even heard about it) then where were you?! Nadal vs Dustin Brown was just magnificent. There were some incredible shots, Dustin's dreads were flying across the court. Nadal was outplayed by unconventional, brave and superb play from Dustin. It's hard to say whether it was luck or just sheer determination to throw everything he had at the match and try many different tactics. It was one of the greatest matches I have seen and the crowd went mad for Dustin. Nadal just seemed to be totally deflated by the end, whilst Dustin was up on cloud nine.

The match went into the evening taking us to a night time browse around the shops, grab a little snack and perch on the hill to watch Mahut vs Dogopolov battle it out on the big screen. There was still a huge crowd about, everyone enjoying the last of a great day of tennis and watching the sunset.

Exhausted we hopped on the bus back to Wimbledon Station, taking in the views of Wimbledon town and looking out over London city in the distance. Such a fab day of tennis, glorious sunshine and a dress that can take me from Centre Court to dinner and beyond.

White for #Wimbledon? Taking our Mornick Shirt Dress to Centre Court today. 🎾😍 Ace!

A photo posted by Jack Wills (@jackwills) on Jul 2, 2015 at 8:16am PDT

Wimbledon 2015

Oh how I love Wimbledon, let me count the ways:

1. Your Pimm's bubbles.

2. Strawberries & cream is your signature meal (healthy and tasty).

3. Rain or shine we all have a good time.

4. In fact some of Wimbledons top moments have been during rain delays.

5. Your uniform of 'All-in-White' is chic and sophisticated.

6. I love to play 'guess who' to all the fabulous spectators that fill the Royal box.

7. Even though it's agony I love to see Andy Murray playing his best game on grass.

8. I'm happy to sit on coats/blanket/friends on Henman Hill/Murray Mound and watch all the action on the big screen (rain or shine! Pass the brolly).

9. I love the support. Every player has their fandom in their corner, with tshirts, hats and banners to show how much they're loved. The Hewitt chants, the Nadal 'Vamous!' cheers and all the nations flags flying high.

10. Wimbledon is the best place to people watch. Whether it's looking out for the commentators (Annabel Croft, in my eyes, has a brilliant job... She gets to travel the tennis tour, talk about tennis all day and chat with the players, and she always looks fantastic. Major shoe envy. And who doesn't love Sue Barker?), checking out the fabulously dressed guys and gals or hunting out for the players other halves (Kim Sears is a style hero.) You're bound to spot some fantastic (and hilarious) outfits.

11. The atmosphere around the grounds is electric from the show courts to the outside courts and the practice area. I can get so close to the action. And when the Brits are winning, there's no place better to be.

12. I love to dream. Each year we all unite on holding our breath when watching Murray step out onto court. We cheer, we sigh, and we hope. He's done it once and it was magnificent. So this year with toes and fingers crossed we can dream of Murray lifting the trophy once again! 

SS15 Mood Board

My S/S15 Inspiration

This season for me is all about freshness. I'm feeling inspired by water, glass jars, flowers and fresh fruit to brighten up the season and take me through to warm summer garden evenings with friends and family.

SS15 Work Wardrobe

Working for Next has it's advantages: a generous work wardrobe allowance for one. Choosing an outfit to take me through SS15 can be challenging when it's still sub-zero temperatures outside in the morning. But this dress turned out to be a pretty clean cut choice.

As you may have gathered from some of my posts and lots of tweets, I'm a tennis fanatic. I love watching all the Grand Slams and ATP world tour series. I'm also an admirer of the tennis style, especially the women's outfits which they collaborate with designers. Caroline Wozniackis' dress choices designed by Stella McCartney for Adidas are always my most anticipated outfit to see at the championships.

So my pick of dress this season for work is a homage for my love of sports style dressing, a smart tennis dress which makes me feel like I could walk out on centre court at any moment. The dress is made of two components, so it does look almost like a skirt and top combined, in classic grey and white it can be mixed with accessories and colour throughout the season. A hint of yellow on the shoulders makes it feel fresh and the cut of the dress is flattering and stylish. I'll be pairing mine with tights for now during these chilly days, but hope to be able to wear it with some block heels and a bright clutch bag during the summer evenings.

Available for £38 in stores or online here 

Summer flowers

 

 

Having fresh flowers around the house in Summer is just one of the best things. They brighten up the room and in general just look very pretty. Luckily my lovely boyfriend brought me this bouquet, a combination of purples, yellows and white which matches the décor of my room. I love that there is one solitude yellow rose and sunflower amongst the bouquet.

 

During the day I like to have the flowers out by my window so that they are illuminated by the natural day light. A good sized bouquet of flowers can make a statement feature in any room, choose the right colours and size they will look beautiful on a coffee table or kitchen counter.

Wimbledon 2014

 

Here it is, my favourite time of year. For two weeks I'm blissfully happy knowing that there will always be something for me to watch on TV and keep me entertained. Wimbledon; two weeks of fantastic tennis, enthralling matches and competition, all in the beautiful surroundings of SW19 (with a Pimms in your hand at all times, it's practically mandatory at The All England Lawn Tennis Club)

I just wanted to take this time to reflect on Andy Murray's euphoric win last summer and the emotions that came with it! It was great to see him come out onto Centre Court today as defending champion, breeze through his first round match and look delighted (and if not just a little bit relieved) to have started the tournament well. In the lead up to this year’s Wimbledon I have been looking back on some publications/books and news articles about Murray before and after his glorious triumph. It's so interesting to look back and read about how he was feeling before Wimbledon 2013, before his life changed and the weight was lifted off his shoulders, knowing now that he is the defending champion. 

If you're interested in reading up on Andy Murray's career so far and his road to Wimbledon 2013, then I highly recommend: Andy Murray Champion and Andy Murray Seventy Seven -My Road to Wimbledon Glory. Both fantastic books which really open your eyes to the world that Murray lives in. Also a great read is an article in the July 2013 issue of GQ, just before his Wimbledon campaign began, and they have recently followed up with an online article you can read here.

 

For a fashion fix, check out Mr Porter – The Look: Mr Andy Murray, where Andy Murray shows off that he is more than just the man behind the racket, he is a rather stylish gentleman too.

 

Wimbledon 2014; ones to watch:

Andy Murray; it would be wrong to think that Murray will be anything other than determined to hold onto that trophy and defend his title.

Rafael Nadal; last year he was one of the biggest shocks of the tournament, being knocked out in the first round by Belgian Steve Darcis. But this year, I think he's back to full fitness, he'll be feeling great after his French Open title and in all honesty I can never write Nadal off (especially not after watching him full power on the practice courts up close at the Australia Open in January, what a man!)

Grigor Dimitrov; my third one to watch is the young (and handsome) Bulgarian. At the ripe old age of 23 he is looking powerful and inspired. He won on grass at Queens Club, just a week ago, and is improving at every tournament. Back in January he got his first taste of a Grand Slam quarter final at the Australian Open (yes, I was there to witness this moment, makes me a bit giddy to think I was actually there!) So I think this could be Dimitrov's year to really make an impression at Wimbledon.

A little bit of spot

Summer dressing needs to be kept simple. Light, comfortable clothes that can transition from day to night. My key pieces I've been hunting for to add to my summer wardrobe are play suits and jump suits. These two similar choices make getting ready for a long hot summer day much easier, just grab and go. They are versatile also, by adding different accessories and shoes you can change the whole look of an outfit from day to night or casual to formal event.

This little beauty I picked up from Next, a simple black polka dot play suit, strapless and with pockets to keep it casual. I will be teaming it with sandals for the day and my new heeled sandals for any evening events. My accessory of choice involves piling on stacked rings and multiple chain necklaces, with a good pair of over sized sunnies. And you can never go wrong with a brown satchel, big enough for all your little essentials. Verdict is that this outfit will be a wardrobe staple of mine for easy dressing on those hot mornings when I can't bare to wear tight denim shorts!

Polka dot play suit £28 Next

Brown Satchel £22 Next

Jewellery various

Cheers to a picnic perfect summer

As the weather starts to improve all I think about is getting out and enjoying the sunshine with family and friends. A low cost way to enjoy the summer is to pack up a bag with all your picnic favourite foods and head outside. Whether it's the beach, park or countryside just get out there and enjoy the beautiful free locations that England has to offer. The best place to go to get all your picnic essentials? Marks and Spencer, their outdoor garden furniture and accessories are just a delight, bright colours, fun patters and most of all they're affordable and practical. Here are my cheeky new picnic purchases perfect to take for a day out this Summer. Let's hope the sun keeps shining.

My perfect backpack picnic; cutlery and utensils for two, a blanket and cool bag all in one compact carrier. I will be packing this up to take for a day at Wimbledon, filled with Pimms, strawberries and Macaroons (and it's in the colours of The All England Club)

An alternative is to go for the bright and bold. This roll up blanket is great to take along for the day, no fussy cases, just roll the blanket and it velcros together and has a carry handle. Pair with some bright accessories such as cups and plates (a cocktail jug is always recommended) and you'll have no excuses not to spend days lazing around the garden or park, all at no cost (other than your fun little purchases you can use again and again)

Green backpack picnic carrier £39.99 Marks and Spencer

Pink picnic rug £19.99 Marks and Spencer

Yellow cup (available in pink and blue) £5 Marks and Spencer

Brown Satchel £22 Next

Wimbledon mugs purchased at Wimbledon last year