What I Wore Wednesday: Meet Bex

I'm really lucky that there are so many friendly and helpful bloggers in Glasgow! I've met Bex from Olive Dragonfly at a few different events and she's just as sweet as she comes across on her blog.  You'll recognize her as a regular What I Wore Wednesday linker and a lover of accessories!

I had just been thinking how I had a lot of outfits pictures from the last month ready to write up for my blog (Olive Dragonfly) when I noticed on Twitter that the lovely Transatlantic Blonde was looking for someone to guest post for What I Wore Wednesday so I volunteered.  :)  (It's also doubling up as this week's Pin It Do It on my blog, featuring Michelle Obama!)

I had a great night out at Grill on the Corner recently with some fellow Glasgow bloggers and I wore what turned out to be a selection of sale garments!

www.bexphoto.com 

My bright pink cheerful jumper was just £7 from the GAP sale a couple of years ago, the black statement necklace is from Argento a couple of weeks ago.  The leopard print shoes were from Nine West in the Debenhams' summer sale and I've been waiting for warmer weather to wear them but in the end couldn't wait and settled for dry weather!  Even my scarf and belt were from the Accessorize sale and the Jasper Conran coat was bought during one of Debenhams' 25% off designers offers.

Only my bag and brooch were full price and both still bargains :)  The bag was £14.99 from HM and the pewter dragonfly brooch was £16 from Lady Crow Silks at a Christmas Fayre.

www.bexphoto.com

I had a brilliant night with the girls and really enjoyed my steak with blue cheese sauce!

www.bexphoto.com 

As you can probably tell, I'm a bit obsessed with accessories, especially big, statement ones!  Are any of you partial to a statement necklace or jewelled belt?

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What I Wore Wednesday: Rainbow Room International

I've made no secret that I've been hating my hair lately. For ages all I wanted was really long hair and then once I got it I felt like I couldn't do anything with it. I was super impressed I didn't pull my hair back once at work yet the whole time I really wished I'd thrown a hair tie in my purse. Every time I walked past the bathroom mirror it just didn't look right and I wasn't loving it at all.
So I found it quite serendipitous when I got the chance to try out the services at Rainbow Room International at Royal Exchange Square in Glasgow. Rainbow Room was founded in 1979 and is an award winning salon synonymous with quality, luxury and innovation. There are 9 salons, 2 beauty and spa salons as well as the prestigious academy. I'd heard great things about Rainbow Room but had never been myself.

When I met with David, the salon manager, I let him know I felt like my hair was too long and just hung there and that my unintentional ombre (more commonly known as massive grown out roots) was making me feel a bit blah and I was open to suggestions. We talked about my face shape (heart) and how angles would help flatter it and how to brighten my hair up with a mix of highlights and cooler low lights as my natural colour is quite warm.
I also learned that a lot of shampoos have silicone in them that cause build up that not only coats your hair but can block up your hair follicle and weaken your hair; it can even make two weak strands grow instead of one strong strand which is why you can have shorter standing up bits of frizzy hair! David scraped my hair to show me the silicone build up and I couldn't believe it. There are certain shampoos I won't be touching now!   I got started with an amazing Shiatsu head massage (lovely after all that flight drama) and then had my hair cut first before colour. David cut my hair first because then he could apply my highlights to flatter and accentuate the new cut. Then five different colours were applied to my head with foils and afterwards David painted on colour outside of the foil where it would process differently.

David talked me through the best way to blow dry my hair (don't part it and don't tip your head upside down ::coughMOMcough::) and what sort of products to use as well. Rainbow Room have their own product line formulated especially for Scottish water including a light weight leave in conditioner that can be used to style as well. When I first sat down I'd told David I wanted to know what he thought about my hair and what he thought I should do since he has been with the salon over 20 years with experience in London and Amsterdam before that and he did not let me down!

Pink and Grey Top- Gap

Sweetheard Jeans, Old Navy

Blue Flip Flops, Old Navy

I LOVE my hair! At first I thought maybe the colour was a bit dark but I think my eyes were playing tricks on me. My hair looks so much healthier and has so much body and fullness. There is an actual shape to my hair now instead of just two flat curtains. I'm so happy I was able to go to the Rainbow Room and experience their friendly and talented staff first hand. I would whole heartedly recommend them to anyone and can't wait to see their new styling videos they are producing shortly. David had offered to show my different ways to curl and style it but as I had to pick up Blondie Boy from school I didn't have time.

Rainbow Room International haircuts and colour vary in price by the level of stylist but you can also get stand-by appointments or appointments with students in their training academy.

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Transatlantic Blonde was provided a cut and colour free of charge for the purpose of this review but all opinions are my own. I am ridonkulously picky about my hair and if I didn't like it you would know--I only speak the truth!

What I Wore Wednesday: Impromptu Date Night

So originally my What I Wore Wednesday post today was just going to be another work bathroom selfie; to be fair there was an epic story of how it was the fourth dress I tried on before work this morning (the three I laid out just didn't work), how it was far too cold for bare legs and then how I got rained on but you don't have to deal with that boring bullshit excuse for a post because this inadvertently turned into an impromptu date night What I Wore Wednesday!

I went into work today after all the above and it was a fairly average day; I was getting things prepared before we went away tomorrow on holiday (to be fair I didn't really have to handover anything since I just started) and then at 2:45 and then I get this text message from NotBlondeHusband:

Edited for those who don't swear like a sailor 

 Apparently the French Air Traffic Controllers are striking today, tomorrow and Thursday and all flights in/out of France as well as any flights flying OVER French air space are cancelled. {Insert favourite expletive here} Then there was a flurry of texts back and forth about what we could do and the fact that I'm off to Brit Mums Live so I have to be back by the 21st and more texts back and forth while NBH called the caretaker for the villa we were staying in and my MIL's husband phoned about the rental cars and I tried not to cry at my desk.

While I was trying not to become the girl who cries at her desk on her 6th day at work NBH managed to get us flights on Friday to Alicante (about 45 minutes from where we were staying) and the caretaker thought she might have been mistaken about the villa being fully booked and was going to get back to us. Long story short we are now leaving on Friday and getting back on the following Friday--so our holiday is slightly delayed and I'll now be arriving into Glasgow only to go home, change suitcases and fly back out but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!

So since we'd had all this stress and craziness and we didn't need to pack tonight and Blondie Boy wouldn't be home until after 8pm from a trip to his GG's we decided to have an impromptu date night! The Butchershop Bar and Grill (if you are in Glasgow GO!) has a deal on Tuesday's where you get two steaks, two fries and a bottle of wine for just £30 so we took advantage of the good timing and no small person and enjoyed a spontaneous dinner out which doesn't really happen much with a three year old!

While I say it is an impromptu date night what I wore, it is still what I wore to the office--I didn't change my clothes so minus the flight drama inbetween it's the same post it would have been---I kinda lied about it not being boring bullshit--whoops!

Black Dress with White Polka Dots, Gap

Black Tank, Marks and Spencers

Cropped Blazer, HM

Black Studded Ballet Pumps, New Look

I got the studded ballet pumps because I needed new work flats and New Look shoes are insanely comfortable and affordable; win win! I also went a little more loud with the statement manicure this week and the one pink glitter nail. I'm definitely totally in love with ring finger manicures but I'm not sure if I'm sold on the pink on pink action or not. What do you think? I'm hopefully going to try and squeeze in a gel manicure before we leave--what colours should I get?

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What I Wore Wednesday: Cincinnati Reds Opening Day

When I found out I was going to be able to come home I checked to see if I'd be home in time for any baseball and I decided to book my flight for the day after Opening Day. The Cincinnati Reds are the only team in baseball who always have Opening Day at home (we were the first professional baseball team don'tcha know) and the Opening Day parade is a 94 year old tradition in Cincinnati. Shockingly enough neither I, nor my Dad, had ever been to the parade! So we decided to go!

It is crazy how many people were down around Fountain Square and the parade route and there was lots of free stuff and fun going on around the parade. It was SO freaking cold though. It had snowed earlier in the day and while it was dry for us it was so cold until the sun came out at the very end! The parade was some old baseball players from The Big Red Machine, current players (including my favourite Bronson Arroyo), marching bands, Senators, council members and a whole bunch of other random stuff! Everyone seemed really excited about the Budweiser Clydesdales for some reason as well even though Bob Evans and some others had Clydesdales, too.

We wanted to get tickets but scalpers were selling standing room only tickets for $100 each so we decided to head back home. We did stop at Skyline Chili first which was INSANE because it was free coney day. Normally when you go to Skyline you get your food literally in under 5 minutes. We probably waited close to 45 minutes it was crazy! The staff were handling it all really well though and it was, as always, delicious. The Reds ended up losing 3-1 after 13 innings so it was probably best we didn't stay for the game anyway.

Like I mentioned it was freezing so my outfit was more practical, if you can call not wearing a coat practical, than stylish:

St. Patrick's Day Cincinnati Reds Hat

Cincinnati Reds V-Neck (hidden under 2 layers)

Cincinnati Bearcats Hoodie

Gap Puffy Vest

Old Navy Sweetheart Jeans

New Balance Gym Shoes

What baseball team do you support? Does your team have big opening day celebrations? Apologies if I don't reply to comments/posts asap but I will be on a plane home to Glasgow as this goes live tonight!

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What I Wore Wednesday: Nativity, London & Santa Oh My!

Where has the year gone??!?! I made a folder for work called "Week 51" on Monday--how are there only two weeks left n the year? It's all flown by so fast and I know I'll blink and Christmas will be here.

On Friday Blondie Boy had his first Nativity Play at school; I wasn't sure what it was going to be like but it was just kids dressed up singing Christmas songs so my "separation of church and state" issues didn't really matter. Blondie Boy was a shepherd.

For the past two weeks he's been singing songs to me in the car and it's been super cute. He knew all the words and sang in tune so I was looking forward to seeing him perform with all his friends. This is what he did for the entire show:

Yup. He was happy, well behaved and cute but he didn't sing. He just stuck his tongue out. Stuck it straight out, to the left, to the right--anyway you can stick your tongue out he did it. He's obviously the next superstar.To be fair to him there are many stories of myself at age 3 showing my Mom and Dad my ballet recital routine over and over and when the actual recital came I stood there with my fingers in my mouth. I got over my stage fright so I'm sure he will too. Here he is actually singing Rudolph though just so you know he can actually do it.



I love that he says "very nice shiny nose" and "like toothpaste." I have no idea why we said that for the history part growing up but I promise you we did even though NotBlondeHusband hates it because toothpaste can't be of a historical nature--whatever it's funny.

As soon as the play was over we had to high tail it home to grab our suitcases and head to the airport and visit NBH's sister for the weekend. Blondie Boy was super excited to visit London (he's only flown through before) and see his Auntie Katie.  We went to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park but most exciting we accidentally came across Santa at the South Bank Christmas Market!

Now tell me that's not Santa! Santa was very lovely and Blondie Boy was pretty star struck but managed to count out on his fingers for Santa which cars he wanted. Now if you don't believe explain this--after telling Santa what he wanted NBH and I found said cars that we've been searching for for months at Tesco in Clapham. I believe!

We had a great weekend and we've come back and it's still go, go, go! My outfit this week is from Monday. I was chairing a fundraising meeting for Glasgow Women's Aid and then went to get my eyebrows done. My salon is in the centre of town so I got to walk through George Square and the Christmas lights to get from my car to the salon.

Purple and Grey Striped Zipper Dress-LOFT outlet

Purple Quilted Vest-GAP outlet

Skinny Jeans-Old Navy

Black Boots-Sketchers

Grey Knit Newsboy hat-Adidas outlet

The sun goes down around 3:30pm now and once it's down you need a hat on! I liked this zipper details on sides of the bottom of this dress but the dress itself is pretty shapeless so I have to wear the vest over the top.  Also it is freaking freezing and you need a coat--to be honest I should have worn a full coat but I love my vest! I'm not sure if maybe a belt would help the dress? I'm a bit scared of belts if I'm honest. The dress is basically sort of sack of potato like around the middle if you know what I mean!

So we're 6 sleeps until Christmas and we don't even have a tree yet since things have been so hectic! If you celebrate Christmas are you ready?

Also I feel I need to say that I don't feel it is my place to say anything about the horrible events last Friday; I'm very clear in my own thoughts on gun control and the 2nd amendment even more so than ever after such a horrible tragedy. I urge you all to please sign this WhiteHouse.gov petition for legislation on gun control in the USA.

What I Wore Wednesday: Chanukah & Night Out

It was to the wire and I almost didn't have a WIWW outfit this week. NotBlondeHusband got struck with the sickness but and was really, really unwell for several days. So while he was quarantined in the bedroom Blondie Boy and I hung out downstairs making mulled apple cider and decorating gingerbread men.

Isn't our wee gingerbread family cute? I cancelled a night I had out with the Glasgow Women's Aid Board so I don't have a fancy night out outfit to show but I do have what I wore  today. Today Blondie Boy and I went to his class to teach them about Chanukah! It was super fun and I showed them the menorah, taught them how to play dreidel and sing the dreidel song and BB and I made egg-free cinnamon sugar donuts for them all as well. I was actually really impressed at how long we were able to hold their attention!

We came home from that and then I ran around like a crazy person trying to get my VISA application together. Thank you so much for your thoughts last week because I passed my test!!! I can't say it went smoothly it totally didn't. I went to go park and the street parking was all closed for "filming." It freaked me out but I found a spot nearby luckily. I sat outside the room and was studying when I saw a girl get her ID out so I decided to grab mine. IT WAS NOT IN MY WALLET.

I called NBH frantically asking where it was as I'd asked him if it was in my wallet before I left and he said yes but he'd apparently thought I'd asked about my bank card! So he jumped in the car to bring my ID to me. The test people said as long as he made it before registration closed I'd be okay. So I'm freaking out now because I don't want to lose £50 if they won't let me take it but luckily he made it literally 1 minute after the test man told me I had 3 minutes left!

So yes I passed and then I got the back bank statements I needed today in the mail so I rushed around trying to get copies (they make you send the originals and a set a copies) and then to the post office and then I met my friend Julie to to a Cook School class!

It was great fun hanging out with Julie, who I hadn't seen since Guns N Roses, and the class is amazing; Head Chef Phil Lewis showed us how to make so many different dishes for holiday entertaining and best of all you get to eat them all as they generously top up your wine glass. 

That's not even all the food we ate! There was soup, curry and an amazing Panettone Bread Pudding with cherry jam too! Phil was extra kind and dug out some mince pies and mulled wine for Julie, too! We had a fab evening, came away with all the recipes and are going to try and book on to a full day class next!

So while I'd planned, in my head, to change clothes between teaching toddlers about Chanukah and going out I ended up wearing the same outfit; hopefully it translated well from day to night!

Old Navy Turquoise Boatneck Sweater with Button Detail on Shoulder 

Gap Purple Quilted Vest

Old Navy The Flirt Skinny Jeans

Sketchers Back Boots

You can't tell because of the vest but the sweater has two buttons on each shoulder which I think is just a really cute detail. Also it is a great length for skinny jeans because it is a bit longer than normal sweaters but not as long as a sweater dress. Somehow I managed not to spill any food on myself so I was able to take this picture when we got home!

On a totally unrelated note look how freaking long my hair is! It is really starting to annoying me for a variety of reasons not really length related and I'm tempted to do something new to it. What would you suggest? Keep in mind there is no way I'm going for a pixie cut or dying it black so don't even go there :)

What I Wore Wednesday: Toddler Holiday Chic

We didn't get home until after midnight from France last Wednesday so I didn't get a post up in time for What I Wore for the first time! We had a great time at Eurocamp Le Grand Metairie but I'll get into that more in another post. We really just spent time together the three of us without tv or computers and with very little internet; it was fun to just hang out and play cards or dominos with NotBlondeHusband on the deck at night after Blondie Boy had gone to bed.

I'm pretty sure we all ate our body weight in baguettes and Blondie Boy discovered a love of French butter which he'd lick and eat off the baguette and then ask for more--he'd end up with a shiny butter face and need to be hosed down afterwards.


We kept it really casual  on holiday so my outfits really aren't worth a post. I wore several different Old Navy or Gap Vest Tops mixed with jeans or shorts--nothing exciting. So I will focus on what Blondie Boy wore because he is cuter than me anyway :)

Cincinnati Reds Baseball Hat

Harajuku Lovers Tee-shirt

HM Skullie Shorts 

Polliwalks Sandals

I made him pose because I loved this outfit and knew I'd use it for What I Wore Wednesday! I just think he looks so cool but maybe I'm biased :)

Sevylor Puddle Jumper

If you have a toddler this is the coolest swim accessory EVER! Blondie Boy swam around by himself! There was a lazy river so he could just float and swim around and around and he loved it! He had so much fun at the pool and I can't recommend the Puddle Jumper enough!

Cincinnati Reds Baseball Cap

Superman Tee Shirt

Tu Cargo Pants

Converse

Blondie Boy loves his Cincinnati Reds hat, LOVES it. When we were sitting outside Beauvais airport waiting for check-in to open a man and woman saw his hat and asked if we were from Cincinnati. It turned out they were from Kettering where my Grandma lives in Ohio. It is "small world" moments like these that I love! It is probably why I subconsciously almost always travel in Cincinnati Bearcat shirts :)


I also puffy-heart love these Converse. There is Velcro to the side of the tongue so they are easy on and off and no laces to trip over. Plus the turquoise are just a super fun colour; I got them at the outlet malls in Cincinnati; if you are ever near a Converse Outlet go because the deals are amazing!

Blue Hooded Gap Sweatshirt

Marks and Spencer Jeans

Umm is it just me or does he look majorly grown up here? This is when we were kicking it outside the airport waiting for check-in. He just totally looks like such a big boy to me in this photo. I also love this sweatshirt because you can't tell but it makes his blue eyes just pop ;)

What do you wear on vacation? Do you dress up or just keep it casual?




Transatlantic Blonde's accommodation at Eurocamp and the Puddle Jumper were provided for review but all opinions are our own. Y'all know I only say things I really mean, right?

What I Wore Wednesday: Errands

I actually did get dressed up again this week when NBH and I went out to the Treehouse for dinner and drinks with our friends Craig and Clair. I wore the exact same outfit as I did to the theatre except I switched in my sparkly Loft top; I loved the outfit but didn't want to link up an almost identical outfit two weeks in a row. So instead I decided to "keep it real". Here is what we wore to run errands today; not glamorous but a pretty good representation of my every day look.

Captain Spooky Top-? (my Dad got it & it doesn't say on the tag)

Jeans-George

Skull Slide Ons-Gap

Fearless Tiny Skull Studs- Dogeared

Cincinnati Bearcats T-shirt- DuBois Bookstore
The Flirt Jeans-Old Navy

Navy and Pink New Balances- Zappos

What do you think about the heart by the way? Do I have to take it down now Valentine's Day is over or is it a year-round kind of decoration?

Don't forget to check out my Hold Your Haunches Leggings giveaway that ends 2/28!