My Style Icons - Amanda Warner of MNDR

It has been nearly a year since I compiled a list of my Style Icons and it seems to have taken me a lot longer than I thought to post about each one (I've clearly had a lot to say).
The next Icon on my list is Amanda Warner of MNDR. I first noticed Amanda on the UK TV show Jonathan Ross performing with Mark Ronson for his latest record Bang Bang Bang. I loved her style it was super geek mixed up glamour, the 1980s Deirdre Barlow (google her) glasses and a cute lipstick pout. Amanda seemed a bit odd and had a look that was pretty unique, so of course, I was bound to love her! Ronson was sporting a high quiff at the time which was pleasing to the eye and then you had Q-Tip rapping over it, that mans voice is the coolest. Amanda inspired me to actually buy my large framed Deirdre Barlow glasses that I had been pondering over for a while.

Q-Tip, Mark Ronson and Amanda Warner from the Bang Bang Bang music video. 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bwli1LOnn4

I love this photo, permed hair, big glasses and stonewash jeans?

 Cute!

Amanda has obviously changed her look over the past two years but it's the Bang Bang Bang era that I love! She has an undercut now, I don't think I shall be copying that one....three years with an undercut is quite enough.....that took a lot for me to say out loud...My name is Emma and I have been undercut free for nearly a month! Thank you....ND xx

It's too early for that dress......Post Pregnancy Fashion Dilemmas

It is now two and a half months since I had my lovely little lady Sylvie Belle and I have had many a fashion dilemma since shedding the gigantica belly and waiting for my normal body to come back....will you ever come back? I guess I should count myself lucky that I don't look like Jabba after three pregnancies and I am getting back to my old self even if it is a bit of a slow process. Dieting will never be an option for me, I like food and drink too much and I also can't be arsed!

So, here are some photos of what I have been wearing with any fashion dilemmas explained.

7 weeks post baby body......Think I was going for a bit of a teddy boy look here. I got the aztec style cardigan for Xmas, it's from New Look, the denim shirt I've had for a few years from Topshop, the jeans are my new high waisters from Topshop, I had to get some new jeans,at this point as I was about an inch away from fitting into my old jeans. I'm wearing my Brothel Creepers that I got from Office in the Autumn, I had stopped wearing them when I was pregnant as they didn't flatter my chunky legs! I've paired them with red socks for a cool contrast.

8 weeks post baby - I have to wear separates as I am still breast feeding Sylvie, you don't want to have to reveal your underwear whilst discreetly trying feed in public! I love dresses so I am finding this hard, it wipes out half of my wardrobe! I am actually missing the H&M bodycon dress that drove me mad as my staple garment during pregnancy. Stripey jumper from Topshop and bodycon skirt H&M.

Yey! I got to go out! Sadly not with my husband Phil, but with my pregnancy partner in crime Rudi! I got to wear a dress and everything cos I didn't have to feed. Exciting! I got to curl my hair and paint my nails (which I rarely have time for these days) I finished the hair off with a cute red headscarf. I wore my new Tiger print Topshop dress, aztec cardigan (as before) and long socks over spotty tights with my cute lace up wedges from New Look purchased last year. I didn't get much of a chance to wear these last year as I cannot wear heels when pregnant! I am pretty tall as it is and totally loose balance. I look like Joey Ramone, not in a good way!

  The New Look wedges and spotty tights!

9 weeks PB - Aaaah! The old favourite red batwing hoodie from American Apparel, I feel all cosy just looking at it! Worn with my digital floral print (very on trend darrrrling) tapered jersey trousers from Topshop summer 2011 ( a present for my birthday from Phil, when I was 'up the duff' and needing elastic waisted trousers!) long socks (it's so cold here!) and red Converse low tops.

On the school run here wearing the aztec cardi again over my 'new favourite' American Apparel low cut front dress and leopard print tee from Topshop, legwarmers over tights.I cannot wear socks with these adorable Topshop wedge boots as the heavy wedge pulls them off! It is rather annoying and I can now only wear them with tights!

The reason this American Apparel dress is my 'new favourite' is that firstly it only cost me about £11 in the sale last year and secondly It's a dress I can wear whilst breast feeding as the front is so low! Brilliant!! It's really comfy too which is a bonus!

Going down the androgynous route again, hair quiffed up, that aztec cardi, Super Lovers tee, new topshop jeans and Converse. I could have tidied up before I took the photo but, I've got more important fashiony thing to do!

 

I'm all about the print here aztec cardi (I shall try not to wear this so much for the next photos....OMG, I'm wearing it now! I'm so predictable!) black vest (to hide stomach and for easy feeding) and my lovely leopard print Topshop trousers that I can finally do up properly! Finished off with quiff, Deirdre Barlow glasses and extra long scarf.

Forgot to mention I got my hair coloured and cut by the lovely Vikki Mac at Angela Gaudi in Bristol, here's a close up of the quiff. I am trying to grow my hair but Vikki Mac always has other ideas. Look what she did to me below, I made her blend the wedge in a bit, I don't want to look like a total freak on the school run! The colour is a new product we are trying out. I usually have my hair toned pink and have been doing it for a few years, It's my Pink Rinse. However the toner sadly doesn't last so long so Vikki tried something new which I must get the name of. The product is actually for black hair to make it shine but it seems to work on blonde as a colour, it's still in my hair now three weeks on! Love it!

 My new leopard print Converse, another present from Phil for Xmas!

That's all I have for now, the next blog post will either be Spring Summer fashion or Syle Icons, I've been busy with Pinterest which also inspires me for more blogging! So much to do, so little time to waste! I'd better go now, it's half term and I've got Mummy things to do. Back soon ND xx

Whole Lotta Rosie - Part 6

So.......I am back with my latest (but not last....boo hoo!) Pregnancy Post for Whole Lotta Rosie - Part 6!!! Looks like you are gonna get to see me dressed as Jabba in Loungewear as this baby has decided not to come early and seems quite content to not come on time either! Help!!

This post covers the end of Week 36 - Week 39, I currently have 5 days to go until the baby is due and my patience are wearing thin, I still can't really complain though as I am not yet overdue and I am very excited about the baby coming - yes, I am in the denial stage, ignoring the idea that there is pain on the horizon!!

Despite my trying to remain laid back about the whole thing, I had one of the Mum's of a kid in Mika's class tell me  today that her babies have all been late, including one child that was....18 DAYS LATE!!!! Thanks I really DO NOT want to hear that. Thankfully her child ended up being ridiculously late because she was stubborn and wanted it all to happen 'naturally'....well that ain't me missus, any assistance I can get, as early as possible, I will take!!

There are a fair few images on this post too, I was camera happy again and treating everyday like it was my last day of pregnancy..........unfortunately, it wasn't!!

The end of Week 36 -  I thought I would go into labour on this day as it was Mika's 5th Birthday Party, which instead of being riotous (like all Lucian's Birthday parties) it was actually a sedated affair where all the little Reception kids were very well behaved, you could tell they had only just started at school, it couldn't have gone better! Thanks kids!!

I am wearing my favourite Xray Spex t-shirt (featuring one of my style icons, the late, great Poly Styrene!!) I got this t-shirt a couple of years ago from www.8ball.co.uk You can find good band t-shirts on this site, the quality is good and it's great for buying 80's style oversized t-shirts, that I love and are very useful when pregnant!! I like to wear it with the sleeves rolled up and oversized almost like a dress. I prefer to buy from this type of site rather than getting an obvious rock style t-shirt mass produced at Topshop, Urban outfitters and H&M (and every other high street shop for that matter). At least you get to choose your print, size and colour and can style it up yourself. I hate people wearing rock tshirts but not knowing the band or even worse than this is a fake band tshirt and by that I mean the printers have come up with a band that doesn't actually exist trying to avoid copyright issues!!!! Awful!! Rant Over!

37 Weeks -The Asos lace bodycon dress is still going strong, the maternity tights however are barely covering the bump. The Topshop maternity jeans no longer fit, I am now down to bodycon dresses and leggings for outfits, this annoys me!

2 November - Mika's actual 5th Brithday - I really didn't want the baby to come on this day, as you can see, it didn't...I'm wearing the Asos bodycon dress again, I am sensing a pattern forming....

Week 38 - Desperately finding different tops to go over the bodycon dresses and leggings, these wide H&M tops do the trick, but I am getting bored of it, I'm yearning to wear my leopard print trousers, denim shorts and playsuits, won't be long now.....so everyone keeps telling me....

Another day another wide H&M top over the bodycon!

Saw the midwife on this day, she told me the baby is growing fine, so no late scans for me boo hoo!! They are not gonna see me now until I am a week late, great thanks for your support!! The other bit of news was that the baby has now come out of the pelvis and has decided not to come out. I am finding it hard to keep up the british stiff upper lip charade...I am now just pissed off!

Popped my Dierdre Barlow glasses on to cheer myself up, I was going for an 80's secretary look here it seems. In my Topshop cropped blazer and oversized cobweb knit jumper, trying to disguise the bodycon that lurks beneath!

My boy hips have finally given in and I get woken up every hour at night to the pain of dead hips, they are killing me, it seems the exercise that I was hoping to encourage at the end of pregnancy( to get the baby out) has to be put on the back burner. I actually find it hard to sit around relaxing for too long, I get bored, I still haven't mastered it!

To match my lack of exercise I have popped on a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt from H&M, bring on the Chav, daytime TV & Lesiurewear, here I come!

On this day an old school friend had her baby, she lives in America and was induced (like all American ladies apparently) on her due date and had her little girl that day!! Congrats Mandy!!

However I am now totally jealous of American women, I want to be induced on the day I'm due! They don't bloody induce you in the UK until your are about 10 days late!! Its crap! Mika was 10 days late and was frankly overcooked, squashed and looked like a troll! He is, of course, beautiful now and straightened out after a few days..........basically my patience have totally ran out, I want my baby...NOW!!

It's the end of Week 38 and I couldn't handle it any longer, I went clothes shopping. I found this mohair stripe jumper in Topshop for only £25 in the sale, I'll wear it for years as it nods to punk and will get better with time!! I would have preffered it to be in a bigger size but, I get what I can at this stage. Why are all the sleeves so short on jumpers?? My friend Miri raised this issue oin facebook, there were alot of comments and the conclusion was that nobody wants these 3/4 length sleeves, they are useless in the winter!! Sort it out retailers!!

Let us also notice Mika hovering in the background of this photo, he said' he hoped he didn't ruin the photo this time' he was apparently 'trying' to get out of the way. He is so funny!

Oh look! New boots too? These little lovelies are also from Topshop and were £55, they have  a little wedge heel but are still flat enough for me to walk in, I love them....

Week 39 - One week to go!! Whoop Whoop!! I have squeezed myself into my Super Lovers t-shirt which I bought in the Super Lovers shop in Galleries Lafayette, Harajuku, Tokyo on my Honeymoon to Japan 2 years ago. I wanna go back!! I love Japan!!

Here's a couple of images where I bare all, well just the bump, it's not quite as iconic as Demi Moore's pregnancy shoot but I really have to be proud of my lack of stretchmarks after 3 babies!!

Still have the belly piercing in too, I have NEVER taken it out.

These Mothercare overbump seamless leggings (which I have totally rated until now) have let me down...literally, they have lost their elasticity a bit and have started to fall off when I walk!!

Back in the Mickey sweatshirt, worn with the bodycon and the new sheepskin, fleece lined wedge Topshop boots. Here's a close up of them below, they are so comfy and warm and look great!!

That bring's me to the end of my 6th but not final Whole Lotta Rosie Pregnancy posts, the good news is the next post will definately be the last, the bad news is you will get to see me looking like Jabba in very limited outfits, I shall probably just be in pyjamas the whole time, it make's things easier!!

I am very excited and cannot wait to meet my new little one xxx

Whole Lotta Rosie Part 5

Here's my next maternity post for Whole Lotta Rosie, it's Part 5 and I'm hoping there is only gonna be a Part 6 after this! If there is a Part 7 it shall involve pictures of me dressed like Jabba the Hut in loungewear.

 This post covers Weeks 34 - 36 , which is where I am now, just entering Week 37 and being told by everyone that it could be 'anytime now' that I go into labour. I feel cursed everytime those words leave their lips, like it adds a day onto my due date making the baby later and later!! SHUT UP!!

There seems to be alot of images for this post, I was camera happy and it was first thing in the morning before the school and work run, when I looked my best. I am not one of those people who keeps checking their hair and make-up throughout the day, so any end of the day photos would be even worse!

 Week 34

Here's me in the old faithful H&M bodycon vest dress and Topshop Denim shirt. Two of my friends babies have now been born they were both boys, I'm still not convinced I am definately having a girl, despite it being confirmed during the 20 weeks scan. My Mum had an attic clear out at the weekend and found

loads of retro baby dresses and knitwear that were mine (she's a worse hoarder than me!!) they will deffo get a mention on the blog soon and modelled by the new baby! Exciting!!!

 I could get away with not looking pregnant in this photo, i'm rather impressed but you do get annoyed when people tell you 'you're not that big' when you're actually feeling really uncomfortable, tired and don't fit into any of your old clothes, it's so easy to loose your identity when you are pregnant as you take on a style that's not really yours and your wardobe staples are a thing of the past (for a few months anyway!!)

 The outfit in full with Leopard print pumps from New look.

Saw the midwife on this day, she told me the baby was measuring a bit small and may need a late scan to check the baby is growing OK. My first son Lucian did have growth problems during the last month but he was still an Ok size at 6lbs 4oz, he was just a bit skinny!

 The second thing to consider here is that I have a longer than average torso, honest, I can't get a swimsuit to fit me, I'm too long, they end up looking highcut on the legs and lowcut on the chest, awful!! A bigger size is then too baggy, I can't win!

Anyhoo, having a long torso means I have more room inside me for a baby and then don't look that big when I'm pregnant. Imagine how big this baby really could be?? The plus side to a late scan is that I get to see the baby again, which is completely selfish but great!

This outfit in full with H&M yellow cardigan, red and black vests, the only trousers I own that fit me anymore from Topshop maternity and the leopard print pumps from Newlook. The weather must still be mild in England as I have no socks on.

The end of Week 34 and we now have the Baby's pram! I've curled my hair here as It's all getting cropped off again after work. I thought i'd make the most of the longer layers, dunno how it will looked curled when it's shorter. I'm basically getting the assymmetric cut out of  my hair as it's annoying and even my Mum & Mother-in-law have assymmetric hair now! I need to change my hair to a style they won't copy, it has to be extreme!!! I'm such a kid, i know, but it just ain't cool......ahem!

Check out how short the H&M bodycon dress is getting, the bump is so big it's pulling it up! The cropped jacket is from Topshop A/W 2010 & so is the jumper. The weather is getting colder and the layers start to pile on. These maternity tights do not cover my whole bump anymore, I don't actually think this baby is small at all!

Enter the extreme haircut, I'm still getting used to it, since I have lost my long fringe that I clearly used to hide behind like a comfort blanket. My hairdresser Vikki Mac at Angela Gaudi in Bristol, Uk thoroughly enjoyed cropping my hair off, despite my telling her when I was first pregnant not to let me talk her into cutting all may hair off late in pregnancy when I'm all crazy & hormonal, she did it anyway, the sick bitch!

Week 35.....It's my last week at work!! I'm not sure how I feel about this, I am tired and uncomfortable, but I'm gonna miss my work mates and physically doing my job, I shall get bored....more time for blogging then? With a baby? Maybe......The exciting thing about finishing work is that it means my baby will be here soon. I cannot wait!!

I'm clearly on the school run here, ipod et al. The khaki poncho was a bargain from my recent visit to Primark, it was only £8! I love Primers Primarni!! I got the poncho in a size massive, not just because I'm pregnant, this is the way I like to wear clothes, easier for layering etc. The Topshop maternity jeans and my red converse low tops, one of the only pairs of my shoes that I can actually reach to put on by myself. My husband Phil usually has to help out with any fastenings! Putting on socks is the latest issue.

I've got over the initial hairshock. The fringe has calmed down and has stopped balancing on the top of my head. I like the colour contrast too. I love you again Vikki Mac!

I was about to visit my friend Rudi here, who was, at this point, a day overdue, massive and pissed off!! She did finally have her lovely little boy by the end of the week, yes, another boy!! I'm excited because it's me next in line to have my baby!! Although the worry about the baby being late has kicked in!

On an entirely different note....Check out the Deirdre Barlows!! I have wanted a pair of these glasses for ages and then I saw Amanda Warner with some and that was it, I had to have some of these 80s lovelies! Mine are from Vintage by Robert Roope, I got them at the beginning of the year but disaster struck when my optician had attempted to up my glasses perscription to correct my, ever worsening stigmas and eyesight, only to make it so strong that it made me go cross eyed! Ha! Finally they got there and my glasses are perfect, I love them. These glasses also distress and confuse alot of people too, which I also like.

My boss Becky told me I never smile on my blog, here you go! The truth is I don't really like my smile, my face feels uncomfortable doing it!

Here's the ripped punk jumper from Topshop that I've mentioned before, it's ripped to hell, I love it. And it's actually adding a bit of colour to my current mostly black wardrobe.

Yey! It's fur coat time! It's not real fur of course, this leopard print lovely is from H&M years ago, the brooch is from Mikey. I have also managed to curl the short hair, I'm double happy today, even if I could only manage to do two top buttons up on the fur.

Week 36 - I am beginning to look bloated in the face, this is actually a good sign, it means the end is nigh! I have now finished work and have found out that the baby has actually grown so much over the past 2 weeks that it is back on track. So no late scan for me!

 I had hoped that by finishing work I would spontaneously go into labour....that doesn't appear to have happened. After a few days of denial I have come to my senses and chilled out about the whole thing, the baby will come when the baby is ready to come, which may be this week or it may be in 5 weeks time(I only have 3 weeks until the due date but the baby could also be 2 weeks late!). I shall have a week off with my sons for their half term break and just wait........patiently........or until my next hormonal impatient rant!!

This photo (on the right) is actually from Week 35, I am so uncomfortable sitting here, I can't be bothered to move it!

Another hair pic, tried out a different back combed fringe here. My face is definately looking dfferent, when I was pregnant with the boys I got mega moonface, it looks like it's possibly on it's way again, I also always said moonface / distorted face happened when you had a boy. Am I actually having a boy? Or is this just a thing that happens to me when I'm pregnant???? Will the next Whole Lotta Rosie post be the last?? Do I actually have a Whole Lotta Rodney growing in my belly??? Watch this space xx