What's In My Suitcase...

Ok, I know that the last few months have seemed like a permanent holiday in Mouseland. 

There was Lombok. Then there was Tuscany. Followed by Malaysia. And let's not forget Portugal...

I know that I haven't even been back in Hong Kong long enough to sort through the photos of my last trip, let alone blog about it, but I'm off again... This will be my last trip for a couple of months though so I intend to make the most of it. I'm heading off to Cambodia for a little temple gazing chased up with some beachy sunsoaking. I'll be back and blogging about it by the start of August but in the meantime, here's a sneak peek at what I'm packing in my suitcase. Best of all, lots of my holiday picks have been reduced in the sales. Beach bargains? Ready, steady, shop...

Juicy Couture Camellia Bikini
Bottoms £21/ Top £23

Cut price Couture of the juicy variety! This pretty two piece gives the black bikini a girly boost with bows and blooms.

Free People Trapeze Slip Dress
£51

I bought this Free People dress when I was in the US a couple of years ago. Still available, and now it's a bestseller, in a whole heap of colours, this is the perfect throw-over to take you from sun lounger to sun downers.

Kevin Aucoyn The Celestial Bronzing Veil - Tropical Days

£36 

This bronzer not only gives your tan a boost but also delivers seriously glowy, goddess cheekbones. A holiday beauty essential.

Issa De'Mar St Bart's Maxi

£96

Love, love, love this slinky black maxi that gives great back. Chuck it on over a bikini, or dress it up in the evening with a pendant and a slick of lipgloss.

Stella and Dot Rebel Pendant

£46

Speaking of pendants, this is my absolute fav. Gives any look a boho-polished edge and at a fab price.

Zara Printed Maxi 

£19.99

This is my dress of the summer. Loose and easy, yet the low-cut back and a plunging neckline keep it chic. Slashed to just £19.99 in the sale, buy it now, in fact, buy two...

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette - The Dolce Vita

£38

Bronzy, buttery shadows that look awesome with a tan particularly if you have blue eyes. Beach bombshell just a swipe away.

Flynn Skye Apron Maxi

£58

Another cut-price bargain. I fell in love with this maxi at the start of the summer but somehow managed to resist. All my willpower slipped away when I saw it had been seriously reduced.  Adore the pretty back and light, breezy cotton.

Kindle Paperwhite

£109

My number one travel essential. Mine's currently loaded with all manner of beachy reading that I can't wait to bookworm my way through!

Miguelina Paola Cover-up

£120

One of my favourite holiday dresses. Love the contrast between the neon belt and the gauzy white dress - a killer combo with a tan.

Moroccan Oil Treatment Light

£28.99

My hair tends to get battered after a few days of sun, sea and sand particularly if the hotel toiletries aren't up to much. Step up Moroccan Oil to save the day. I go for the light version because my fine hair gets too weighed down with the normal formula.

Zara Flowy Dress

£15.99

Yet another bargainous beauty! Short, flippy and perfect for a little bit of sightseeing or as a cover-up for a day by the pool.

Jo Malone Wild Fig & Cassis Cologne

£40

I always like to switch up my fragrance for holidays and the scent of figs always makes me think of sunny, lazy days. Jo Malone's Wild Fig & Cassis is my vacay fav!

So Long Heels...

Last week I read an article with perhaps the saddest fashion announcement since that of the arrival of the clear bra straps craze...the heel is dead! 

Yes, heels can be so uncomfortable that you'd rather stick pins in your eyes than cram your toes into a pair... It's true, a night of stiletto strutting can end in that burning feeling in the balls of your feet that still pounds as you lay in bed hours after kicking them to the corner of your room...But, a great pair of heels flatter legs beyond belief, make any outfit miles more chic and most importantly instantly ignite that feeling of femininity, confidence and class. Something that I'm pretty sure a pair of brogues or slippers can't muster!

Having said that, after doing some research for inspirational images, I started to think that maybe the flats brigade are onto something...

 

See, maybe not quite so scary after all! 

As my research progressed I found that the death of heels was littered all over the AW14 catwalks at Milan Fashion Week, leaving it very hard to ignore! Take D&G's amazing enchanted forest themed collection showcasing a whole host of flats...there literally wasn't a heel in sight! 

However these weren't your average ballet pumps or brogues, these had of course been sprinkled with a hearty dose of D&G pizazz! There were pixie boots, t-bar sandals, knee high boots and open toe pumps encrusted to the max with reams of sequins, jewels & glitter, not forgetting the array of metallic hues, animal prints and multi textures adding an extra layer of fabulousness!! If that wasn't enough, they were all paired with super short shorts, heavily textured dresses, bejewelled playsuits and billowing fairytale maxis...this is how you do it girls!

As ever, us Mice are keen to embrace the trends and won't ever dismiss one until we've at least given it a crack! Plus there are definitely a fair few upsides to not having your foot wedged at a 180 degree angle for hours on end...so on that note here are 3BM's top pick of flats which should be worn with pride and confidence (but most probably along side a few small sniffles of mourning for that fabulous heel!!)

Splurge...

Valentino Lace Pumps, £425

 

Free People Mesh Espadrilles, £100

 

Charlotte Olympia Kitty Slippers, £465

Ted Baker Multi Texture Pumps, £100

Rochas Metallic Embellished Flats, £510

J Crew Suede Pointy Toes, £230

Free People Laser Cut Slippers, £128

Valentino Rockstud Flats, £745 

Zara Metallic Sandals, £29.99

 

These Boots Are Made For ME...

As temperatures are plummeting so is our crush for single strap sandals - we still love them but blue feet isn't on our style agenda for Winter 13! As we kick them to the back of the wardrobe, we're suddenly left with a big a gap for something more climate appropriate...the perfect Winter boots of course!

This season it's less about a heel, flats are back! However don't panic we're not suggesting boring lady flats, instead think embellishment, texture, fabric mix, studding, fringing - everything goes! Before you know it you will wonder why you ever tottered through the pain of stilettos, well so I'm led to believe!  

I'm officially on the hunt for a luxe over sized cocoon coat, a pair of leather trousers that fit like a glove teamed with the perfect boots - where grunge meets chic! Whilst adopting the one at a time approach, I have started with the boot hunt! I've already snapped up a Zara bargain for just £29.99... 

I couldn't completely kick the heel habit so I thought a wedge was the perfect halfway house! However whilst on my 'flat' hunt the only website that had a collection ticking more than one box was the fabulous Free People. They're known for their bohemian casual dressing covering an array of styles but in my opinion a killer option for a pretty version of grunge - a little bit different but still keeping it cool and feminine. So really no surprises that as soon as I saw their collection of Boots I feel in love at first glance! 

I have shortlisted my faves, a little more expensive than Zara and Topshop but if you're going to wear them every week we really need to view this as more of an investment! With cost per wear firmly at the forefront of all shopping decisions, why not pick your brand new pair below with zero guilt...

Bryant Ankle Boot, £298

Daxon Ankle Boot, £325

Tulsa Wrap Ankle Boot, £228

Spirit Ranch Boot, £500

£325

Distressed Collins Boot, £178

Crochet Coyote Boot, £248

Lonesome Fringe Ankle Boot, £198

This Week The Mice Have Mostly Been...

Once again what a week?! HK mouse is distinctly under the weather suffering from Glandular Fever, Middle Mouse has also been a poorly pea, so that leaves just me holding the fort and playing nurse to them both, well one in person and other over Whatsapp and email! 

However thankfully, Easter's just around the corner! Hopefully some sun will sort out poorly HK mouse who's jetting off to Thailand for holiday number two this year and us London Mice are on serious countdown to the long weekend and a jaunt down to the Devon for lots of fresh air and clotted cream!! COME quick and snow us all in so we can't possibly get back into work after!! 

When we haven't been sniffing, sneezing and generally feeling sorry for ourselves, this week the Mice have mostly been...

  

Smugly saving whilst sipping on delicious cocktails at 3BM fave Archers Street! We've already blogged about the amazing waitress singing, expert cocktail shaking, super fun bar...however if you missed it check it out here! 

If all that isn't enough to get you down there, then the new 'Party on the Piste' surely is! Make a trip on a Wednesday night from 6pm (it's hump Wednesday after all so should definitely be celebrated), invest in a £10 ski pass and receive 50% off cocktails all night, who wouldn't want an Oriental Rose (Ketel One Vodka, rose liqueur, and lychee juice shaken with freshly squeezed lemon juice and Earl Grey syrup) for £5.25 a pop whilst watching the waiters dancing and singing their hearts out on the tables?! 

Surely there is no better excuse for a hungover Thursday!

Image via www.londonpopups.com

Mmmmmmm'ing at the thought of our Dishoom Brunch last weekend and planning to do it all over again ASAP! Now we've blogged about how amazing the dinner was back in our December post, and have since heard that the brunch is an event not to be missed! If i'm honest I wasn't too sure what to expect, was it going to be curry for breakfast and if so could I really handle that on a hangover?! 


However WOW is all I can say....a seriously good Indian twist on eggs, bacon and sausages...basically normal breakfast ingredients mixed up with a cup of amazing'ness! I opted for homemade granola, fresh fruit and vanilla pod yoghurt to start (so so so delicious!) 

And then I chose Akuri, which if like me you aren't familiar with, is spicy scrambled eggs piled on top of fire toast (buttered bloomer bread grilled) and vine roasted tomatoes. I cannot explain how good this was...you need to taste for yourself! Middle Mouse went for the famous Bacon Nan Roll, fresh nan wrapped around bacon, chili tomato jam, cream cheese and herbs, with an extra portion of fire toast and raspberry jam on the side. Sadly I don't have any pictures...we were hungover, hungry and trust me it looks far too good to wait a second! I don't think there was a word spoken whilst we munched away, however when our plates were clean we announced that we would now be coming every weekend for our breakfast! I cannnnnot wait for our next visit!!!

Bravely signing up to the new wardrobe must have colour...white! If you head into anywhere on the high street right now what you are mostly faced with is clean, simplistic outfits of white, white and more white! Now if like me this ignites an almighty fear inside, take a deep breath and embrace it, somehow I have?! If there is one person in the world that shouldn't wear white it's most definitely me! 

Every morning I get foundation, bronzer and mascara smeared all over me, I then fight for a tube seat only to perch precariously as we all know they are just a basin of London filth, and don't even get me started on pens, highlighters and lunchtime soup....I am honestly the one that no one wants to lend to! However I am donning my big girl pants and learning to walk a little slower, carry fewer cups of tea and generally take my daily pace down a few notches!  

If, like me, you're game for the challenge have a little peruse of a few faves....

Jacket, £79.99

Image via www.zara.com 

Slouchy Open Knit, £38

Image via www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

Live Fast Tee, £60

Image via www.zoekarssenshop.com

Western Shirt, £42

Image via www.urbanoutfitter.co.uk

Crochet Cami, £88

Image via www.freepeople.co.uk

IRO Sweat, £170

Image via www.my-wardrobe.com

T by Alexander Wang, £163

Image via www.net-a-porter.com

Textured tunic, £98
Image via www.freepeople.co.uk

I will leave you with the strong desire to shop and wish you all a SUPER DUPER weekend...hopefully dressing up in something fabulous, drinking cocktails and laughing a LOT!!!

The Mice xx