Hello sweethearts

Hope your both ok and keeping busy, missing you lots and lots today – but that’s alright.

Still not really doing much at the moment, mostly playing with my phone and watching films. I’ll probably be glad of the rest this time next week!.

Love you both soooooo much!

Daddy xx

"Why are you so mean, KG?"

I usually love watching the Celtics play, but that mood changes considerably when they’re facing the Raptors. Fresh off a 116-81 pounding at the hands of the Bobcats, Toronto will look to bounce back tonight against Jose Calderon’s best friend (Mr. KG, in case you forget) in Boston. As always, check in at Raptors Republic for the best preview in the business.

As easily as the Celtics have handled us in Toronto the past couple years, the Raps have actually put up some decent battles on the parquet floor in Boston. Calderon took over a game in January ‘08 (the Celts’ championship year) before his famous encounter with Garnett early last season, and Andrea Bargnani forced overtime with a late three in an eventual 115-109 loss in the second meeting. The Celtics come into this one looking a little susceptible too, following a tight win over a Sixers team they usually pound and a near-disastrous loss to the Knicks over the weekend. Still, at 11-4 and with the Fantastic Four still in tact, they’re as good a bet as any to win the East this season.

Toronto comes in desperately in need of a bounce-back following Wednesday’s embarrassment in Charlotte. I called out Chris Bosh yesterday and stand by it — now’s the time to step up, big man. This is as tough a game as you’ll play all year, so let’s go make a statement.

The Raptors and Celtics get going from TD Banknorth Garden at 7:30.

watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Bobcats – NBA online live stream TV sport 11/27, 27 Nov 2009. This Sport Games Starting time will be at 19:00 ET (US) or 01:00 CET (Europe). We will update the link several hours/minutes before the scheduled starting time. The live stream feed provided from free video tv hosting sites like ustream, justin tv, p2p, sopcast, tvu, tvants, uusee, etc. You can watch online Sport Live TV stream channel on November, 27 2009. The sport tv we cover here is NHL, NBA, KHL, NFL, AHL, NCAA, MLB, AHL, MLS, Soccer, EPL, Champion, UEFA, FIFA, U20, U17,  Football, Hockey, Basketball, SERIE A, NASCAR, F1, GP and others. If there is any of free tv hosting that airs these sport tv channel, we will update the link for you. Dont Miss to watch live sport tv between Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Bobcats – NBA online . Please click on below link to watch, online, free, live, stream, sport, tv, at 11/27 2009, Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Bobcats – NBA.

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There are thousands collections of Live internet TV hosting sites and video feeds. You can Watch Live streaming TV Stations or channels from many source. But to search and point your intended channels sometimes is very difficult since one site can offer thousand of free TV sport channel in just one day.  So Here, we provide summary of links that will provide free live streaming TV sports. In this site We focus on the  Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, soccer and other more spesific segment. Most watch free TV stations we cover for  Sport here are from, USA & Canada and some other popular sports in Europe and arround the world. Check out our featured free tv sport online live stream today 27 November 2009 (11/27) for Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Bobcats – NBA.  We will find the links from ustream, justin tv, p2p, sopcast, tvu, tvants, uusee, etc. So don’t need to worry about miss one of our favorite TV sport game match, we can now catch them online, usually just 24 hours later it will be stored in the hosting site, it depends on their policy. You can easily select and click to watch Cleveland Cavaliers vs Charlotte Bobcats – NBA and others sport channel online stream here.

Rebellious ear syndrome is not something I’ve ever read about, but I’m pretty sure I have it.

Last week when I was getting ready for the beach wedding, I had a problem putting a simple gold earring on my left ear.   The earring post would go in okay, but it  wouldn’t come out the back.  I tried other earrings.  No problem.  I tried both earrings in the right ear.  No problem.   I labored for about 20 minutes and finally went to the ceremony with naked earlobes.

Admittedly, I don’t wear earrings often.  Sweat pants don’t call for them.  Still, if other earrings (or earbobs, as Dearly Beloved insists on calling them) go through, the opening hasn’t grown over.  Tell it to the ear.

Yesterday, since it was just the two of us, DB and I went out on the town for Thanksgiving dinner.  ”Out on the town” meant a delightful meal in a beautiful restaurant on the 24th floor of an uptown restaurant.  It also meant eating at 11 AM to get DB back home in front of the TV for all the football.  Sleeping through TV sports is one of his favorite holiday traditions.

I pulled out the earrings again–my favorites because they’re pretty, lightweight, and comfortable.  I put on the right earring; no sweat. The left one?  Nothing doing.  I took out the right earring and tried it in the left ear.  Nope.  Wouldn’t go there.

I put another earring in my left ear and tried to get the post of the gold one to follow the path.  Nothing doing.  I put a heavy one on and pulled it around to enlarge the hole.  (Don’t mess with me!)  Didn’t help.

In frustration, I put the earring in as far as it would go and found DB reading the paper.  ”Look at the hole in the back of my ear lobe and guide this earring through it,” I asked.

You’d have thought I’d asked him to lance a boil or sew my fingers together.

“Sheeenga hongggga. . . Gaaahhhhhhh. . .  urp. . . aaaahhhhhh!  I can’t do this!” he told me after a full 15 seconds of trying.

I went back to the mirror to try again, but my left ear was the color of a raw turkey neck.  I tossed the earrings back in the jewelry box and went naked again.

We had forgotten that all the streets were blocked off for what’s said to be the  fourth largest Christmas parade in the country.  Not just one street, but blocks and blocks, and the cross streets as well.   Just like with the earring, we were at a loss as to how to thread our way to the other side.

With all the fog, it looked like the high rise view wasn’t going to matter.   This is “uptown” Charlotte.  It used to be “downtown” Charlotte until the city bigwigs decreed it otherwise.  Their thread of logic is that it sits on a rise, therefore “downtown” is incorrect.  ”Uptown” doesn’t seem all that correct either.  Uptown needs department stores and they’ve all moved to the malls.   There are plenty of bank buildings, however.

Was it a good idea to have him wandering around during Thanksgiving dinner?   It’s not like having Santa Claus visit during Christmas dinner.  He looked grouchy, perhaps because he wasn’t going to Disneyland.  Then again, are there any eye openings for the stuffee inside?   Oh well, he couldn’t see my turkey neck earlobe.

Someone had to lead him around.  Sounds like a job for the birds.

The elegant buffet was set up in two different rooms and I rose to the challenge of trying it all.  DB was much choosier.  He ate mostly salmon.  Maybe the ear surgery had grossed him more than I realized.  Or perhaps the sullen turkey psyched him out.

One seat in the entire place that gave a view of the Carolina Panthers’ practice field–his.  They practiced while we ate.

This was my view.  I was intrigued with the tiny little cemetery across from the big church.

The fog disappeared before dessert.

I don’t know the name of the second building from the right.  I call it the Mad Hatter building.  It is shaped like his hat.  This is not a very illustrative view.  I’ll do better another time–when there is no parade.  

The building pictured below  is the Bank of America building. Hugh McColl was CEO when it was erected, so Locals call this the Taj McColl.

When the bank first began here, it was called North Carolina National Bank.  We didn’t fault them for getting bigger britches, but we hope the headquarters remain here.

There is another structure uptown also named for Bank of America.   It started as Carolinas Stadium, then Ericsson Stadium.  It would be a shame for the fickle finger of fate to decree a different name.    

On street level, the trees were lighted festively.  The viewing stands and TV trucks were still blocking the streets, but the parade had ended.

Close your eyes, white light purists, there are some bodacious lights out there !  Charlotte didn’t have any difficulty putting on HER colorful jewelry!

This picture is an optical illusion.  The building actually DOES have a pointy head.

No doubt there were some turkeys were hanging around this corner, too.

We had to ride the elevator again to get to our car.  I’m not sure why, but these pipes intrigued me.

Back in our neighborhood, things weren’t as festive.   This is located on a nearby corner. How uncouth!

Hang a wreath on the door, you turkeys!

Photo c/o Kalandrakas

“I will not play at tug o’ war
I’d rather play at hug o’ war,
Where everyone hugs
Instead of tugs….“
~ Shel Silverstein

Coaching thought: Pass along a hug today.

Life & Business Coach Katie Mattson • Momentum • Energize Your Moment

Hi kids. I thought I’d post a video for you today – although you may have already seen it.

hope you both like it!

miss you loads and love you both

Daddy xx

The story of the night

Yeah, so the Raptors were pounded last night in Charlotte. How does that happen, even on the road and in the second of a back-to-back? Well, here’s how: The team just ain’t that good. And what’s this breakout year everyone is talking about Chris Bosh having? The team is 7-9! Not sure if you recall, but last November Bosh had even better numbers than these, then got tired at the end of the month and limped the rest of the way home. If you’re a superstar, CB, then let’s see it. Win some games.

Anyway, that’s my opening rant. I’m probably overreacting, because realistically this is a slightly-better-than .500 team and that’s probably where it’ll end up at the end of the year. Still, last night’s effort in Charlotte was embarrassing. After making an apparent first quarter defensive stand, the Raps let their guard down, allowing the Bobcats — a team that had scored 100-plus three times in 14 games and never more than 104 this season — to score 116 and set franchise-record with a 35-point win. Toronto shot a season-low 34.5% from the field and was out-boarded 49-42.

There isn’t much use going around pointing fingers, since this was just an all-around ugly effort. Jose Calderon had six turnovers, Bosh was held without a field goal until right before halftime, big-time free agent signing Hedo Turkoglu had five points and no rebounds and the bench, aside from Amir Johnson, combined to shoot 4-of-27. Johnson was the only real bright spot, finishing with 13 points, eight boards and three blocks in 23 minutes.

As bad as that was, it may get worse — the Raps are off today but are in Boston to face the Celtics tomorrow. How about this is where you prove you’re a star in this league, CB4?

VT completo!!

Indy Light – T3 2009 – 13/11/2009 – Charlotte, Parte 1

Indy Light – T3 2009 – 13/11/2009 – Charlotte, Parte 2

Archadeck of Charlotte introduced a new division, Value Remodelers and Handyman services this fall. It is very competitively priced high quality handyman service that has been introduced only through word of mouth to existing Archadeck customers. The reception has been unbelievable! The customers already have had a great experience with high quality products and services and the handyman services division gives them solutions to everday needs. Value Remodelers (www.valueremodelers.com) is a operating division of Archadeck of Charlotte(www.archadeckofcharlotte.com), which has been in business in Charlotte since 1988. What a safe way to hire a contractor!

“Gratitude . . .   the sweetest of all the practices . . .
mindfulness of gratitude  leads to a direct experience of being connected to life . . .
to the realization that there is a larger context  in which your personal story is unfolding.

Cultivating thankfulness for being part of life
blossoms into a feeling of being blessed . . .
an appreciation for the interdependent nature of life . . .
being consciously grateful to family, friends, teachers, benefactors and to all
who have come before you who have made it possible for your existence
to be comfortable, informed, and empowered.

Gratitude elicits feelings of generosity . . . creating further joy . . .
softening a heart . . . building the capacity for forgiveness . . .
meeting life with an open heart . . .  in each moment as it arises.”
~ “Selfless Gratitude” by Phillip Moffitt

Coaching thought: Wishing you a Happy Thanks-Giving . . .

Life & Business Coach Katie Mattson • Momentum • Energize Your Moment

And one

The Toronto Raptors? Never heard of ‘em. There are embarrassing performances, and then there are outright horrible ones that make me make me wanna deny my team’s existence. It happens far too often in Raptorland. I’m on my way to bed, but I’ll check in with more on the Raps’ ugly effort in Charlotte tomorrow.

On the positive, the Leafs came out with a 4-3 win in Tampa Bay, catapulting them to sole possession of 29th place in the league at 5-11-7 (or 5-18, if you don’t speak hockey). I might have more on them tomorrow too, or maybe I won’t. You’ll have to wait and see!

Hi Ricardo,

This week we have experimented new materials, we tried some models and and we’ re still working on it ( quite funky even if the results are sometimes a disaster!).

So here is what we did so far:

Concerning the oasis, seen from the exterior, the architecture won t have an attractive design, because first having an interesting outside design is useless in space so we decided to create a contrast between outside/inside. The inside will reflect different atmosphere that we want the users go through: happiness, fear/ loneliness, surprise…

In order to do so, we are composing the space we different materials and scenography.

Program:

 The sphere with agriculture, footbridges and different living spaces.

Independently from the sphere: the dwellings( ergonomy, work on the body positions)  and a circulation space (corridor) to enter the sphere. ( game with the materials and thickness of the walls to create a natural moving).

Inside the sphere, 3 veils made of meshing that divide the space. In these new areas, game of footbridges and living spaces settled in the emptiness.

Game between the full aspect and emptiness, game between the lightness and the rigidity.

At the center of the sphere: emptiness, invasion of the wild nature, resting room/ observatory ..

Veils with their meshing create the architecture. The more we get into the center of the sphere, the more the meshing of veils evolves, less densified. As if we had to reach the oasis center.

On the footbridges, there is both the circulation and the settlement of hydroponics cultivation.

The nature is everywhere and we move among the green!

We’ll explain you better and with more details on Saturday!

So, See u there !

Constance, Salammbo and Charlotte.

hello chickens

Nice, ordinary day today really. Tidied-up, posted some letters and cooked dinner, not exactly exciting!.

I’ve got a busy week starting Sunday so I’m making the most of the time I have at the moment. I’m reading the book “The lovely bones” and it’s very good, and I’m researching ideas for a new job – not really sure if going back to driving is the right thing for me. I’d like to do something that doesn’t hurt my knees as much because my limp is getting worse as I get older, so might have to use my noggin’ a bit. (and I feel silly using my walking stick)

Hope your both feeling well and learning lots – I wish I could be with you, but I’m still hopeful things will change before too long.

Look after each-other and do as Mummy says.

Love you both

Daddy xx

Why don’t North Carolinians know how to drive?  “Nascar country,” my friend reminds me.  Between sudden swerves, slamming on the brakes, and a blatant disregard for interstate etiquette, I’m convinced that being from the Tar Heel state immediately puts you at an automotive disadvantage.  There must be some good North Carolina drivers somewhere, but this theory has been tested, and sadly proven, again and again.

I’m on my way to Charlotte.  Last night I played in Columbia, SC, at a bar called Back Porch.  I had a friend of mine, guitarist Stephen Taylor, sit in with me and provide his take on the songs.  Tonight it’ll just be me at a place called Andrew Blair’s.

AB’s is a family-run restaurant/bar that has an immediate formal yet comfortable feeling to it.  The menu consists of anything from fried green tomatoes for an appetizer to lamb or filets for an entrée.

I get to the restaurant a couple hours early to eat dinner.  “I take a vitamin every day.  It’s called a steak,” quotes the menu.  The words of Leo Benvenuti and Steve Rudnick are forever immortalized at AB’s.

The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, helping me with any questions I have about the food and wine menus.

I get the ahi tuna carpaccio for my appetizer.  It comes with an extra virgin olive oil seaweed salad, wasabi aioli, and crispy capers.  The tuna is moist and flavorful; I can feel my heart saying thank you.  The seaweed salad has just the right amount of crisp and while the aioli has heat it’s not enough to ruin the natural taste of the wasabi.

I decide to try the Chef’s Menu for the night designed by Chef Blake Hartwick.  It comes in three separate courses, but I decide to get it all at once.  The first course is a crab cake with a sweet salsa.  The cakes have plenty of the crab with no fishy flavor.  They’re crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  The second course is a barbecue spring roll that’s good by itself, sitting in a sweet barbecue sauce, but comes as a sort of flavor shock after the crab cakes.  The last course is a six-ounce sirloin on top of asparagus and potatoes.  The steak is cooked perfectly to my order—medium rare—with a charred outside and a soft pink inside.

The person sitting across the table from me gets the Roasted Scallops and Laughing Bird Shrimp.  The grits are creamy and soft, with the shrimp adding a nice additional layer of chewy texture.  It’s topped with crispy fried okra and three massive scallops—HUGE pet peeve of mine is when restaurants skimp on the scallops—that are light and buttery.

If you’re into salad, they have multiple options.  From the Montford Wedge to the Cooper Cobb, diners can even add grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp to their salad for an extra kick.

After dinner it’s time to play.  On the opposite side of the restaurant from the dining area is a lounge where my stuff is set up.  I played here last Christmas and after I got done playing, the lounge was easily—and quickly—turned into a dance floor with a DJ.  Tonight, however, it’s mostly just leather couches and chairs arranged to look at, who else, me.

The first set is the softer one.  James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Lyle Lovett.  My drink keeps refilling itself thanks to a few different audience members.

In between sets I walk around and talk to some of the people who’ve come out to see the show.  Between friends from school and friends from home who now live in Charlotte, I’m impressed with the turnout I’ve gotten for a Tuesday night before Thanksgiving.

The second set, as per usual, is louder and has more energy.  This could be due to the alcohol level rising in me as well as in the crowd.  Either way, it’s getting wilder.

After the show, the place clears out pretty quickly.  As I break down my equipment, a girl approaches me to talk about the show.  It turns out her family owns a local fast-food restaurant chain that I love in South Carolina.  Rush’s.  I inform her that the chili-cheeseburger at Rush’s happens to be my jam.  In her delight she offers to buy me a drink.

I accept.

After I get done loading up all of my stuff, the guy whose couch I’m sleeping on tells me he has a meeting at 9—eight hours from now—so it’s time to leave.  As we get in my car to head back to his house, I realize I never got the drink that the fast-food heiress promised.  If she ever reads this, I apologize.

It was a fun night.  Charlotte’s a cool town that doesn’t feel nearly as big or as busy as it actually is.  Not to mention there’s a Bojangles on every exit off the interstate.  Not bad; I wish I could say the same for their NFL team this year.

Time to make it two straight, Rasho

Last night was fun, but here’s hoping the Raps have something left in their run-and-gun legs. Coming off a 123-112 home win over the Pacers, Toronto is in Charlotte tonight to face the 4-9 Bobcats. Full game coverage and other great Raptors stuff is available over at Raptors Republic.

Charlotte snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 104-88 win over Indiana on Sunday, its first win since picking up renowned douchebag Stephen Jackson in a deal with Golden State early last week. Jackson’s production with the Bobcats has been par for his course — decent scoring numbers (17.6), low shooting percentages (42.6 from the field and 29.4 from deep) and little in the way of wins (one in four games). He and Gerald Wallace share the scoring load on a team void of any real star players — one that Raptors should be able to handle even on a back-t0-back.

Last night’s Raptors performance was typical of the way they’ve played in most of their wins this season — great offense, no D and a sketchy second half before closing out strong. Jose Calderon had his best game, attacking early both with the drive and from deep and finishing with a season-high 21 on 8-of-11. Chris Bosh was sloppy offensively, but I’m counting on him bouncing back with a strong effort and leading the boys to a win tonight.

The Raptors and Bobcats get going from Charlotte at seven.

A true family owned electronics and appliances store, Queen City Audio, Video & Appliances is your best place for all things electronics and appliances in the North Carolina and South Carolina area. With stores across that area as well as an online store, Queen City makes it easy to order your products. Queen City began building innovative new stores and updating existing stores, creating “lifestyle kitchens” and showcasing home theaters. The newest retail store has a Design Center featuring 5 working kitchens which allow customers to experience the performance and benefits of top-of-the-line appliances in home-like settings that include high-end custom cabinetry and countertops. Today Queen City is recognized as the region’s largest independent audio, video and appliance retailer.

Got to www.queencitytv.com to check out their locations and products they have online

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There are thousands collections of Live internet TV hosting sites and video feeds. You can Watch Live streaming TV Stations or channels from many source. But to search and point your intended channels sometimes is very difficult since one site can offer thousand of free TV sport channel in just one day.  So Here, we provide summary of links that will provide free live streaming TV sports. In this site We focus on the  Baseball, Basketball, Hockey, soccer and other more spesific segment. Most watch free TV stations we cover for  Sport here are from, USA & Canada and some other popular sports in Europe and arround the world. Check out our featured free tv sport online live stream today 25 November 2009 (11/25) for Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Bobcats – NBA.  We will find the links from ustream, justin tv, p2p, sopcast, tvu, tvants, uusee, etc. So don’t need to worry about miss one of our favorite TV sport game match, we can now catch them online, usually just 24 hours later it will be stored in the hosting site, it depends on their policy. You can easily select and click to watch Toronto Raptors vs Charlotte Bobcats – NBA and others sport channel online stream here.

I heard Charlotte this morning, playing with her stuffed animals. She cheered “NO MORE SHOWINGS!” Which is precisely how I feel.

—–

I said that I feel a little bit nostalgic about leaving this house where we’ve made so many memories. Evelyn said, “Well, I’m on a mission! I can’t wait to have my very own playground.”

If you purchased a home a year ago and have the equity and creditworthiness to swing it, a refinance today could save you hundreds of dollars a month.

CHARLOTTE NC REAL ESTATE

Or, if you are in the market to buy a home, interest rates will make for a more affordable deal.

Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for Nov. 12 put the average fixed interest rate for 30-year conforming mortgages at 4.91 percent.

Last year at the same time, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 6.14 percent.

“Keeping rates at historically low levels for a sustained period of time has to remain a cornerstone of Fed policy until the economy gets back on track,” said Nancy Osborne, chief operating officer of Erate.com.

On a $300,000 mortgage the principle and interest payment at today’s average rate would be about $1,594, compared to $1,825 a year ago, according to Erate’s calculators.

That’s a monthly savings of $231. Put another way, a year’s worth of the savings — $2,772 — amounts to almost two mortgage payments on a $300,000 mortgage at today’s average rate.

SEARCH CHARLOTTE HOMES FOR SALE

Both home buyers and owners who want to refinance may have some time yet to shop around and dicker for the best interest rate deal.

“I don’t suspect rates will begin to rise until we see at least three consecutive months of solid employment growth,” Osborne said.

Freddie Mac also said the 15-year FRM averaged 4.36 percent, down from 5.81 percent a year ago.

Adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs)

The five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) averaged 4.29 percent this week, down from 5.98 percent a year ago. The one-year Treasury-indexed ARM averaged 4.46 percent, down from 5.33 percent in 2009 at this time.

FROM REALTY TIMES by Broderick Perkins

We’d like to introduce Torrey Tennant, one of our highly qualified Sales and Leasing Consultants.

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

First Job:  Cashier at Harris Teeter

Personal Heroes: Mom and Grandfather

Favorite Vacation Spot: Anywhere near the ocean

Favorite Cause:  American Cancer Society

Favorite Restaurant: Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

Favorite thing about Charlotte:  It’s small enough that you can get away from the city, but large enough to offer many exciting extracurricular activities.

What you most enjoy doing in your free time:  Spending time with my wife and son.  Also playing golf when they allow me.

I finally got time to go shopping again!  I guess it’s technically almost winter, but the weather outside says otherwise, which is okay by me!  I found some really cute stuff, below are my faves:

The holidays are coming up, which means a lot of parties and functions.  Here are a few party dress options:

Love the colors in this Max & Cleo tube dress from Sonny B. $150

Metallics are also a fun option from black for the holidays.  This Ya tube dress from Sole Searching is so cute! $49

Another option is this Max & Cleo Silver dress from Sonny B. $150

If you’re looking for a dress thats a little less flashy, but still fun, this Max & Cleo Fringe dress is perfect! Also from Sonny B., $157.50

I’m also loving this Max & Cleo classy purple houndstooth print dress from Sonny B. $110 This one can be dressed up or down!

Another fab look for the holidays is a great pantsuit, with a fun shirt.  Check out this outfit.  Grab the BCBGeneration Tuxedo jacket from Lula Balou $128….

Layer it over this BB Dakota sequin tank from Sonny B. $66

And finally finish it off with these BB Dakota skinny black pants also from Sonny B. $84

Right now Sole Searching has some fabulous necklaces that can dress up any outfit.  Looking for something edgy, yet refined? you need this gold & onyx necklace. $169

For a classier look try this impressive freshwater pearl necklace, $120, which has matching pearl hoop earrings 

or either of these Lenora Dame Pearl Necklaces $115, $120

And every lady needs a good cocktail ring.  Choose from any of these plus more at Sole Searching, $29-$39

During this time of year, I am always on the lookout for cute long-sleeved dress.  The buttons on the sleeves really do it for this Vfish dress from Sole Searching, $115

Another option to winter-ize your skimpier dresses are to layer long-sleeved shirts underneath.  The sleeves on this Mystree black shirt make it more dramatic.  From Lula Balou, $48

Turtlenecks can feel very restricting, but the cut-out lace shoulders of this XCVI shirt makes it a little more refreshing and super-cute to wear under a tube dress.  From Sole Searching, $99

Both of these shirts also play well with the trend this fall to emphasize shoulders.  Another trend that is big right now is draping.  Whether its used in more of a sporty style, like this Gado Gado skirt from Sole Searching, $69

or whether its incorporated into an every-day piece, like this Aryn K. navy blouse from Sonny B., $89, this look is always flattering.

Textures are also very happening during this time of year.  How fun is this Ya vest from Sole Searching? $49

Differnt textures and patterns are also good for outerwear, since this is the part of your outfit that people see the most when it gets chilly.  This 3 Sisters paisley coat from Lula Balou is guaranteed to be a head-turner, $248

This D.E.P.T tweed jacket reminds me of Chanel, and I love everything Chanel! Also from Lula Balou, $140

This Fumblin’ Foe military style brocade jacket is also a nice choice, from Lula Balou, $130

Another way to dress up your outerwear, is with fabulous shoes!! Boots & booties are a must!  These Seychelles black booties from Sole Searching kick booty! $115

Buckles are hot right now, especially on these Not Rated grey boots from Lula Balou, $75

These Matiko suede booties are cuties! From Lula Balou, $140

Looking for something taller and funky?  These two Irregular Choice boots are for you.  First pair from Lula Balou, $248, second from Sole Searching, $269

As far as bags go this season, faux-skin is in.  Love the utility of this Shiraleah handbag from Sonny B. $89

This Melie Bianco bag is super soft! From Sole Searching, $89

The bucket style handbag is also back.  This Melie Bianco bag has the option of using a longer strap, and I love the woven texture.  Also from Sole Searching $110.

What are some other pieces that I need this season you ask?  Well, for one, a hot mini skirt!  This  BCBGeneration body con skirt from Lula Balou is very slimming, and versitile.  Wear it with a cute top for going out, or a t-shirt to dress it down, $88

Another piece that I wear almost every day is a cardigan.  Even though I don’t ride horses, I tend to love everything equestrian, like this Charlotte cardigan from Lula Balou, with it’s horse and bridle print.  $118

And don’t forget to add a little bit of color to your winter wardrobe.  Its easy to wear all black, but its more fun to wear a color!  Try this Trinity multi-colored tank for literally a splash of color.  From Sonny B., $62.50

Well hopefully you will all leave a little bit inspired   Have a Happy Thanksgiving, and safe travels!

Hello rug-rats

It’s very windy again! I like it when the weather is dramatic it makes me feel snuggly and warm under my blanket.

I’ve had an interesting day, and got a lot of stuff done. I’ve got a very difficult week coming up next week so I treated myself to a present today and bought a new ’smart-phone’ so I can blog and ‘Tweet’ on the move. I can’t really afford it, but sometimes buying something silly cheers me up, and as long as I don’t do it too often things are ok. Was lots of fun researching which one to get and finding the cheapest way of buying it.

I hope you’re both wrapped up warm in bed. Have sweet dreams poppetts.

I love you both

Daddy xx