Category: Style

Inspire interview with Claire Burrows, founder of Air & Grace

Leave a comment

It was great catching up with Claire Burrows from Air & Grace at a gorgeous new coffee shop opposite her studio in Brixton. We talked about the ups and downs in our careers, what it means to hustle and why some shoes are sadly only worn once.

Claire is proud that you can enjoy the feel good factor without compromising on style. She confidently says that her shoes and boots are like wearing sneakers. I won’t apologise about being a bit techy but the Air & Grace footwear range are super comfortable. They feature Tender Loving Air® technology providing cleverly hidden three layers of luxurious memory foam cushioning.

I first came across Air & Grace on Instagram and then met Claire at her stand at Stylist Live 2016. Months have flown by and we finally managed to grab a coffee. Here’s what Claire had to say about renting a van, confidence and a big career change…img_0614

Continue reading →

Please follow and like us:

Mindful shopping – guest post by Antonia, Tinker Tailor Online

5 Comments

This weekend we have the first Lucky Things Meet Up of 2017 where Dr Tamara Russell is chatting about mindfulness. I didn’t realise that we could practice a bit of mindfulness to so many everyday things. As Tamara says, it’s not about going off and meditating on a mountain. So I asked Antonia from the lovely lifestyle blog Tinker Tailor Online for her views on how we can be mindful when we’re shopping. The sales are still on so I’m sure a few of us are still on the look out for some last minute bargains. So over to Antonia…

Processed with VSCO with s2 preset

Mindful shopping

I really enjoyed catching up blogs and social media over the Christmas holidays and I spotted a common thread: to buy better, to support small businesses and to make more considered purchases. It got me thinking about my own shopping habits and how January is traditionally a month when we all tighten our financial belts.

Since we’re talking shopping habits, resolutions and money I’ll come right out and tell you that I am a compulsive shopper, I am extremely suggestible and delighted to be swept up in any retail experience. It gives me a real buzz!

Shopping is a very physical thing for me. I feel a heady excitement when I enter certain shops or spot an item that I love, I make snap decisions then gleefully head to the cash desk without giving my shopping list or my budget a second thought. If you are anything like me the festive season can leave you with a bit of a financial hangover come the new year.

Those of you who regularly read my blog Tinker Tailor Online will know that I took my first steps towards practicing mindfulness this year and whilst I am no expert, I do believe that the practice helps to improve your quality of life so I do my best to spend a few minutes a day with my mindfulness app. Mindfulness helps you to experience the moment, to be aware of what is actually going on and to see the bigger picture. It is the opposite of being on autopilot which incidentally, is exactly how I shop.

There is some evidence to suggest that mindfulness training can be an effective tool in combating the compulsive shopping behaviours that lead to overspending. I would definitely benefit from being more in control of my emotional shopping habits so I spoke to mindfulness expert and founder of No More Shoulds, Amy Malloy who identified being on autopilot as the principle cause for some of the challenges that lead to overspending. Between us we put together some simple and helpful tips on how to be more mindful when shopping and how to make considered purchases that will help you to stay on budget and potentially save you money.

Continue reading →

Please follow and like us:

Lucky Things Inspire: Sonoko of Shepherds London

5 Comments

For long time Mr.H and me have loved things from Japan. We finally made it out to Tokyo earlier in the year. The other month I discovered photos of Sonoko’s Made in Japan Monpe trousers on Instagram. They’re traditional workwear trousers. Although already a busy mum, Sonoko decided to start distributing these Japanese made trousers in the UK. So, she set up Shepherds London. Here’s what Sonoko had to say to Lucky Things about her love of London, art therapy for kids and her friends’ amazing cooking … Continue reading →

Please follow and like us:

Lucky Things Career: My first experience of London Fashion Week 

20 Comments

I often sense a special buzz around London in mid September and February. It lasts about a week in both months. I suddenly notice the tall girls walk around with their portfolios on their way to various appointments, especially as I work near Shoreditch or I might be hanging about town. It brings back memories. It makes me wonder how these girls are doing in their careers. The feeling of London Fashion Week actually gives me butterflies.

My first taste of London Fashion Week was during University. As a single parent, my mum worked really hard so my big brother and I could go to university in London. One day I was out shopping with my Didi (AKA my cousin who’s like my big sis) when we were stopped by a stylist in Covent Garden. Continue reading →

Please follow and like us:

Lucky Things Style: 7 Things from my Summer wardrobe I’ll be wearing in Autumn

2 Comments

img_6530What is the weather doing at the moment? Last week there was a heatwave and the Saltwater sandals were out again. Yesterday it was all about tights (only 10 denier ones though, no way I’m getting the opaques out yet). My wardrobe is pretty reliable for the unreliable British (and London) weather.  There are some things that have been in my wardrobe for years that come out in most seasons. I never move all of my Summer favourites out as we approach the new season changeovers. Some items are all year round friends.

Here are 7 of my wardrobe favourites that will happily take me through to Autumn… Continue reading →

Please follow and like us:

Lucky Things Style: My #BML16 Style Round-Up

7 Comments

Most days I can be a little indecisive what to wear. For my first #BML16 bloggers conference, I shortlisted 4 outfits. With only a few days to go, as well as packing for a family week away, I had to seriously sort out what I was wearing. At least I knew what shoes I’d be wearing to #BML16 – flat ones! So I called upon my trusty blog followers AKA the Lucky Things crew. To give people something fun to vote for last week, they chose from the below.


The winner of my style election was the yellow skirt I picked up from the bright Australian brand Gorman. I knew I wouldn’t regret buying that skirt. It felt a bit bold at the time but I thought it’s ok I  think I can make this work, plus it felt like a happy skirt to wear. I tried it on in a rush whilst Mr.H was manning the buggy and toddler in the Melbourne heat. I remember yelling to him from the across the street asking for his opinion!

Last Saturday, it was a jam-packed hot day and we were all busy running from session to session. It was also fun writing my celebrating my first #BML16 blog post. Everyone looked great at #BML16. So here’s my #BML16 style wrap up featuring some of the style spots I came across whilst chatting to bloggers over the weekend… Continue reading →

Please follow and like us:

7 Lucky Things – Backpack Style

4 Comments

backpack love Collage final

Hey Lucky Things, so what bags have you been carrying around this week? I’ve alternated between my big tote and my Topshop leather-look backpack. Mainly because I can fit my laptop into either of them as well as my little cross-body bag for my commute essentials. Backpacks and rucksacks remind me of those teenager years. It was all about wearing the two straps on the back Fraggle Rock style. Twenty years later, they’re back on my back.

Over the past couple of years there’s been a resurgence of nice backpacks. At last! When I became bumped up with Toddler Munch in 2012, it was hard to find a feminine backpack which also looked nice enough to pass as a handbag. I finally found one at Topshop and luckily it has lasted. But sometimes I needed more support for my tired shoulders and resorted to buying a Herschel. I managed to find one with gold zips so it was just my style.

So here are 7 reasons why I love wearing a backpack (and why you might too): Continue reading →

Please follow and like us: