The Re-Script Workshop: A is for.....

Welcome to the first post in the Re-Script Workshops!

.....A is for Attitude.... a Positive one at that!

Before we begin our journey let me explain why this journey is such an important one for me. I believe that all women are beautiful. Every. Single. One. We are designed to be able, capable and beautiful. Sometimes, life tries to take over. We get busy at work; we have children who need us; we get tired with life and we forget. We forget to remember that we are strong. We forget to remember that we are beautiful. We forget to remember that we have a purpose, a destiny, a choice. Today's post is our first attempt to re-script that lack of remembrance and to begin to change our attitude towards ourselves so here's your challenge. Take a piece of paper and a pen. Write down 5 things you really like about yourself. Things you really like. Write them in really large letters! Use the kids glittery gel pens, whatever you have to hand, but write them down big enough for you to read them easily. If 5 is just too many then start with 3. If you have more than 5 then that's great. Now write them down. These are your new script. This is going to become the way you think, talk, hear things and respond to others when it comes to your view of yourself. Stick them up somewhere you can see them. If you aren't ready for others to see them them stick them to the inside of your knicker drawer- but stick them somewhere you can see them  and read them. Everyday, read them. Know them. Own them. This is you. Welcome to the re-script workshop.

If you'd like to share how you feel within this challenge I'd love to encourage you. If you already have a positive attitude towards yourself and love who you are then share your journey with us. Become a member of the Re-Script workshop here or share your thoughts in a comment post.

So you want to be Self-Employed? Hints & Tips #4- Branding and Image

Image & Branding- definitely two key buzz word in business speak! But what do they mean?!

 When you start a small business you are relatively unknown. A small fish in a big pond, especially if your business is up against others who are trying to achieve the same results, tap into the same markets or who are simply cheaper than you are. The only way to assert your business is to thrust yourself out there into the world of Social Media. Whether you like Face Book, Twitter, My Space or any of the other social media platforms available, the key issue is how you brand yourself. It's vital that you understand before you begin that as a small business or as a self-employed outfit, that you are your business. This way you can begin to establish some parameters for how you market yourself and to whom!

Firstly, you need to know the Unique Selling Point of your business and who constitutes your target market and go out there armed with both pieces of information together. Your brand has an identity so who you follow on Twitter for example should be those who reflect the same ethos, values and principles as your business which may not be the same group of individuals you personally may choose to follow. You have to know the difference! Everything you touch, post, comment on, blog about or tweet has to be in line with your business platform so ensure that it is. One thing that is imperative however is that you follow your client base/customers as you want to keep them in the loop about your business but also because real communication is a two way street. No-one wants to hear your great sales forecasts alone- they also want to know about you as a person and why you do what you do. When you own, run, manage and finance a small business, you absolutely have to understand communication etiquette correctly. Don't fall into the social media hole of trying to be someone you're not (especially on Twitter), its false and frankly quite annoying! If you believe in yourself and your business then your values are what communicates and sells what you have to offer, not a phony who will ultimately be found out.

Does your business's social media activity fully represent your brand and your image? I Hope so.
Don't forget to sign up for the "Re-Script Workshops" here too!

Fab Frock Friday- Summer is here!!

Wow! What a turn around in the weather?! Well ladies, there's nothing for it but to don a dress....

and here are 5 good reasons why you should....

D- Don't think you have to be going out somewhere posh to don a fab dress- you are gorgeous inside and out so show it!
R- Rarely does the sun actually come out, so what are you waiting for?!
E- Everybody can wear a dress! Check out some of my previous posts on body shape and how to dress it well here.
S- Sunshine is good for you (with an appropriate sunscreen on of course!) Get some sun on your legs.
S- So you don't have a dress?! No problem.... check out Redressing today and grab yourself a gorgeous gown or fab frock today! P&P only £3 and we ship worldwide.

Don't forget to sign up for the new "Re-Script Workshops" here!

Enjoy the sunshine ladies! Happy Friday X

Vintage Finds!

I just couldn't resist showing you my latest vintage acquisitions courtesy of one of my local charity shops.. TaDa!

Aren't they simply beautiful? I couldn't believe it when I spotted them lurking on the bottom shelf of a rather crowded charity shop late last Saturday afternoon for the bargainous price of £5! Yes, you heard me! £5 for the jug and all 6 glasses.

All much of my house includes pink, red and blue, I just knew they would be the perfect addition to the vintage glassware cupboard- and they are!

You certainly don't need to spend a lot to get a lot- I guess it's just knowing where to look and appreciating that what goes around comes around!
Have a great Wednesday folks!
                  x

Can dressing up stop you feeling down? Introducing 'The Re-Script Workshop- an A-Z to being inwardly strong and outwardly gorgeous.'.

People often ask me if I'm going out somewhere nice, am I off to a party or perhaps a 40s theme night?! More often than not I'm going to pick up my kids, run to the supermarket, bank cheques from work or other slightly less exciting errands! I have made a decision to dress everyday as if I am 'going out' because, quite simply, why shouldn't I look my best and feel good about myself everyday?

 It's not as though I don't go out but I don't save certain clothes for when I do go out. I dress the same way pretty much everyday no matter what's on the agenda.
I've chosen to do this for several reasons. The first one being because I want to. I love getting dressed up, I enjoy choosing vintage inspired outfits to put together; recreating a look of yesteryear and feeling that I am worth bothering about quite frankly. My decision to dress up is because I see no reason not to. OK, it's a little easier for me as my children are all now school age so I'm not crawling around on my hands and knees anymore but even when I was I simply refused to become a 'Frumpy-Mummy'.

Rebeccah Jolley

Personally I place far more value on what is inside of a person than their external or outward appearance, yet within this I firmly believe what you wear on the outside really does say something about your internal value system. In fact I think I would go as far as to say that dressing up can stop you feeling down as taking pride in your appearance, making the very best of what you've got, dressing for yourself first yet outwardly displaying inner values really can make you feel good. I also believe, like Audrey that the prettiest girls are the happiest girls, and know that taking pride in yourself certainly makes you happy in a way that pulling on a pair of yesterdays jeans and any old top and leaving the house in a rush only to bump into someone you would have rather bumped into wearing something slightly more thought through, may not!

Audrey Hepburn- Gorgeous and Glamorous

Being Gorgeous and Glamorous is most definitely possible. If I can manage it with a husband, 3 kids, my own business, a women's mentoring group, a house to run and a whole host of other time commitments, then we all can! It's more about a change in attitude than anything else. It's about placing value on yourself because you know that this places value on everything else you touch and all will benefit.

Because this is so important to me right now in a world which is, quite frankly, confused by feminism, that alongside my regular posts I'm going to devote a series of workshop style blog posts to it. Simply entitled  "The Re-script Workshop: An A-Z of being inwardly strong and outwardly gorgeous."
The whole purpose behind the Re-script Workshop is to give you the opportunity to discover for yourselves some of the things I have found and applied in order to re-script and re-discover internal strength and its external expression. I really hope that what I can share will help other women to become gorgeous and glamorous ladies, both inside and out. My hope is that this 26 part set of workshops will result in an amazing journey together with plenty of opportunities for you to join in, try out new things, share in the journey and re-script your sense of yourself. After all, we are all gorgeous inside and out! I do hope you will join us.

X

Recent Acquisitions: Vintage Inspiration with a High Street label

Where has this week gone?! I've been super busy with Pop-Ins and Colour Consultations for some gorgeous gals this week and so when I had an unexpected 15 minutes today between style consultations and wardrobe overhauls so couldn't resist a quick charity shop smooch and look what I found!

vintage style  M&S sleeveless shirt

 I'm really looking forward to wearing this one as a retro style tie-top with my new Heyday blue swing trousers that I snagged in their 24 hour sale over the bank holiday. I'm wearing them today too!

Trousers: Heyday. Cardi:Primark. Shirt:Peacocks. Shoes:Miss L Fire

This one I'm hoping will go swimmingly with my Collectif capri pants and my ever faithful Miss L Fire Cherry Bombs.

Boat neck cropped 3/4 sleeve jumper in my favourite shade of red!

I do love being able to spot vintage styles with high street labels!
I'll have to do an outfit post of both of these very soon.

Happy Thursday!
          x

Grand Designs Live!

I was invited down to the Grand Designs Live exhibition at the London Excel on Saturday and it was amazing!

Having never been before- I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I certainly wasn't disappointed!  I especially loved the Interiors section with fab stands by some great retro inspired brands like the glorious cola red. Their 50s diner-style tables and chairs were stunning and really comfy too! Just the thing for my kitchen (if only!)

Cola red Retro 1950s furniture company

Just need a milkshake!

There were some super pieces of furniture on display including these beauties- I've always wanted to play with a juke-box.

Trousers: Heyday. Stripy Tee: Thrifted Pumps: Cath Kidston

We also met up with Mr. Grand Designs himself- Kevin McCloud and heard about the new and upcoming innovations in design, green building techniques and low carbon footprint housing.

Kevin McCloud in full flow

Getting our autograph!!

 A popular theme at this years show were some incredibly innovative Garden Shed-cum-extra Room, Innovative takes on the tourer Caravan and the unique kind of Holiday Home. One of my favourites was this calm and peaceful haven which could end up at the end of your garden (if you happen to have £130.000!!!) It's called the Wessex Gite and to show you just how cool this lodge is have a look at these!

Fantastic Wessex Gite. Cool 'Granny Flat' 'eh?!

What with a Harrods cafe on site too, all in a wonderful day out.

Harrods cafe 'doorman'. Closest I'll ever get!!

What did you get up to this weekend?

(Don't forget, it's Pop-In-And-Shop today here at Redressing House! Do join us.)
              x

Outfit Post: Heartbreaker, Freddies of Pinewood & Miss L Fire!

Quick outfit post this fab frock Friday! (Poor photo taken inside but you get the idea!)
Dress: Heartbreaker 'Aimee' in black polka dot. Cardigan: Freddies of Pinewood. Shoes: Miss L Fire velvetta.

Happy Friday Folks! Don't forget, it's Pop-In-And-Shop today and next Monday here at Redressing House. All the Redressing collections will be out and available to try before you buy from 10am-2pm. Why not pop in? The coffee is already on!.....

Have a great weekend
          x

Shoe Love: Miss L Fire Review

Having recently purchased my third pair of divine Miss L Fire shoes I just had to review them and the fabulous company that is Miss L Fire!

Nothing says you've made an effort like gorgeous shoes and while the sale rail at Miss L Fire is a permanent feature, I'm a permanent fan!

My first pair are these little beauties- Miss L Fire Cherry Bombs in red!

These shoes are 100% leather uppers and the fantastic dangling cherries are removable as they slide off the ankle strap. I bought these in a size 6 and initially they were a little tight (I have very wide feet), but with all quality leather products, they stretch! Yay! I found these shoes perfect for the in between weather we've been having. They can be worn with thick woolly tights, bobby socks, stockings or Au natural making them pretty much perfect for all 4 seasons!

After feeling the Miss L Fire love I then found these on sale. The Dollie.

I actually bought these in a size 7 as the Cherry Bombs had pinched a little but found them on the large side. Fortunately the ankle strap can be tightened so there's minimum slippage. In fact, a pair of insoles would probably sort things out. Again, they are great as they have a covered toe but can easily be worn throughout the summer (when it finally arrives!) as the fabric is almost like a crochet pattern and is full of holes! I love the trademark pineapple heels on these shoes and, like the Cherry bombs, they're very comfy. They come with a couple of flower clips that you can attatch to the straps of the toes giving a fab seneorita feel!

I just couldn't resist stalking the sale page and have most recently bought my third pair, the Velvetta.

As there name suggests, these green beauties are indeed velvet and leather and have these gorgeous flowers stitched across the toe. I also bought these in a size 7 and they are probably the best fit of the 3. Although I wouldn't want to wear them in the rain, this style is fantastic for this weather as they are a proper girly shoe without giving you cold feet. They look just as good with my tea dresses as they do with my 40s swing trousers so a complete win win as far as I'm concerned.

I don't usually buy what I would call 'real' shoes but have found the Miss L Fire sales page so unbelievably well priced that it simply made sense. they are always delivered quickly and in cute boxes with soft brushed cotton drawstring bags to keep the dust off! They always make me feel well dressed and definitely get me some kind compliments. In fact I met a lady in the street today who's first words were "I see you walking to school everyday- you always wear fabulous shoes". Couldn't have put it better myself!

What was your last super shoe purchase?!
                     x

What's in my bag?....

People say what's in your handbag says something about you so here's what's in mine this rainy bank holiday Monday and we'll see just what it says about me!

Cath Kidston Zip Up Hand Bag in Summer Blossom Putty

My handbag is a fab sized zip up handbag from Cath Kidston. Designer yes but last years print purchased from the Outlet, so draw your own conclusions....
On to the contents.

I do like to be organised ("really?!" I hear you cry!), so my bag contains a variety of other bags. Zip up wallets, purses and make up bags so I can find things easily without losing them in the bottom of my cavernous handbag. As a bust Mother of 3 I carry an awful lot of their (and my) tat, so at least I can locate it all easily.

CK clasp purse, Vintage fabric zip coin purse

CK giant zip up wallet

The Purse Collection: Keeping track of my finances is really important to me and so the easiest way I know to do this is the whole separate-purse thing. One is my personal money, the cute vintage fabric purse I bought on my fab birthday trip to Vintage Norwich from Poppy Valentine.

The large Cath Kidston one is the household stash and is large enough for cash, cards, receipts and my Costa card (again, draw your own conclusions!) It was a Christmas gift a few years ago and is a great size. The other CK clasp fastener is my Business wallet so I don't have to spend my life borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. When I was a student (in the dark ages) I used a book to list my outgoings. Tracking your spending is crucial to good stewardship and money management.

vintage 1950s sunnies and cheap-chic case

Next is my cheap-as-chips Sunnies case from Primarni and my rather more expensive Vintage 50s Sunnies.
I also have my reading glasses (yet to buy vintage frames) in another Cath Kidston Christmas present case.

Real glasses in CK case

With 3 daughters (all with long hair) I also have a make-up bag for our combined Girly-Tat. I try to only carry the bare essentials around on a permanent basis and am a big fan of duplicate lipsticks- one at home, one in the handbag. At present the Tat-Kit consists of emery boards, red nail polish (Rimmel 'Double Decker Red'), red lipstick (Boots No7 'Glam') and liner (Max Factor 'Red Rush'), hair clips, 'Dirty Works' under eye cream (like that works!) and a mini mirror. I probably should add tweezers and plasters but I'll get around to it! I also carry an emergency pink lippy for those rare occasions when Red is just too hot!

Make-Up essentials bag

I also have my business cards in a CK wallet and use another one as a pencil case.

Business Cards

Pencil Case

At the moment I also have a Boots magazine, hairbrush and of course a cute cherry print umbrella!

And yes, my arms ache!!!!

I'm thinking there are definitely two immediate thoughts from the contents of my bag- the first being that I do love a bit of Cath Kidston, or a lot in fact but am not bothered by whether its the latest fabrics. I think that's because I just love a timeless classic with a huge nod to vintage chic.
The second is that my bag is pretty full and therefore pretty heavy! I like to have everything I could think of with me though, both for my needs and those of my girls. I like to think of myself as prepared for most occasions.

Although we started with my handbag, this philosophy carries on through the rest of my life. If you are prepared for a situation then it doesn't intimidate, threaten or shake you. The key is to never take anything for granted and to really appreciate every day (even the wet ones). Life is full of surprises so tackle them with a clear sense of your identity as a woman, a self-control that produces balance and, as I have found, a good red lipstick can also help!

What does your hand bag say about you?
                          x

1950s Kitchen Kitsch

I'm in love with retro kitchenalia! 1950s kitsch for the kitchen is totally my bag this month. I've spent far too long browsing (not buying I hasten to add!) and have found these chic treats!

Kitsch Tablecloth £24.95 Dotcomgiftshop

1950s Lap Tray $25 Annie69 Etsy

Metallic Oxo tin £8.95 Vanishederas.com

Storage Jars £28 Cath Kidston

1950s kitchen utensil set £21 Myvintagestudio Etsy

Bird Glasses set $32 Rubylane.com

1950s Twinings Tea Caddy £4 kellypowelldesigns Etsy

Half Apron £18 Cath Kidston

Glass & plastic retro jug $30 Mysweetiepiepie Etsy

Might have to keep a close eye on some of this retro lushness! Have a great weekend everybody! X