‘Luxury Outlet Village’ three little words that I love to hear but that leave my husband rushing to hide the credit card. Last week I was lucky enough to visit the matriarch of all outlets, Bicester Village in Oxfordshire. I’d spent the past nine months (since we moved to the South) eager to visit, so to say I was excited would be a vast understatement.

Arriving at Bicester the sun was shining and I was ready to shop! I was delighted to find that the description of it as a ‘village’ couldn’t be more accurate. Quaint shops line the paved street, adorned with awnings, topiaries and hanging baskets.

I spent the first hour meandering along the main street and admiring some of my favourite designer brands; Anya Hindmarch, Michael Kors, Mulberry and Temperley to name but a few. Even my husband managed to occupy himself, spending an inordinate amount of time in Bose and proving that there really is something for everyone!

Before we knew it, it was time for lunch and we headed to Carluccio’s to indulge in some of their culinary delights. We shared the tasting trio pasta dish, choosing the penne giardinier, home-made ravioli and fettucce con polpette – utterly yummy.

Perhaps it was the glass of wine I had with lunch, or my excitement bubbling over, but I couldn’t help but revisit the Michael Kors store and I didn’t leave empty handed (more on that in a later post). Their selection of bags and accessories was amazing and I defy any Kors fan to leave without making a purchase.

We left shortly after 3:00pm, having spent a great few hours enjoying all the delights and discounts that Bicester has to offer. I was also fascinated to learn that Bicester is one of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping Villages in Europe that include Paris, Madrid, Milan and Brussels. A weekend break in Munich with a trip to the Ingolstadt Village might have to be on the cards for next year. Value Retail, the company behind these ingenious shopping destinations are also in the process of opening a village in China. International value for money - I like the sound of that!

Tiger Lily was one of my favourite characters in Disney’s Peter Pan. I was fascinated with Native Americans and loved her cure pigtails, feather headband and her refusal to give away Peter Pan’s hiding place. A heroine for my younger self and it would appear, Paula Yates.

So what accessory would complement this stylish yet stubborn heroine? Mulberry has the answer, introducing the Lily tiger bag; the perfect fashion accessory for Tiger Lily and all light-hearted fashionistas.

I love Mulberry’s Lily bag and this playful spin on the traditional design has me all a flutter. I’ve scoured the web to choose my favourite versions of the Lily bag, including the new tiger design. Take a look.

1. Lily Metallic Snake-Effect Suede Shoulder Bag, 2. Lily Leather Shoulder Bag, 3. Lily Grainy-Print Bag, 4. Lily Tiger Bag, 5. Mini Lily Studded Suede Shoulder Bag, 6. Lily Snake-Print Bag

This is my video diary from my recent trip to London. I've included a review of the apartment that we stayed in as well as several clips from the weekend. Not to mention showcasing my outfit choices and my attempts to get everything to fit in my suitcase!

The reason for the trip was for my Mum's 60th birthday. I'd organised it as a surprise with my Dad and brother and she was delighted when she found out.

We spent Thurs evening enjoying our apartment and my brother and his wife cooked us dinner. Friday morning was spent wandering around Westminster Abbey, which was amazing, followed by a pub lunch and a stroll along the river. On Saturday we headed to the London Eye at lunchtime and then in the evening we had a meal at Rocket in Mayfair, before heading to the Palladium to see The Wizard of Oz.

It was a great weekend, I know my Mum had a great time and we did too!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the my-wardrobe.com Christmas event at the beginning of November and I managed to do some filming so I could share it all with you.

There were some gorgeous items on display, not to mention the fabulous new Christmas wrapping paper designed by ALICE by Temperley for her and YMC for him.

I had a wonderful evening, sipping on Champagne, scoffing cupcakes and browsing through some of the fabulous clothes, bags, shoes and accessories that would make anyone's Christmas day complete.

It’s been a while since I last posted a wish list; I think I’ve been trying to avoid the temptation to spend and the reality that I can’t afford to. Those of you who follow me on Twitter may have gleaned that my husband has been out of work. He was made redundant at the end of July and since then we’ve been doing our best to live frugally – very hard when you spend your days looking at lots of beautiful fashion available to buy online!

But fate has finally decided to come back on side and last week he was offered a new job, much better than the old one as it happens. So now, as we contemplate the colossal move ahead of us (250 miles, give or take), I’ve decided to re-indulge my passion for wishful shopping, in the hope that I will soon be allowed to buy things again!

All of the items on my current wish list actually consist of things I’ve seen my fellow bloggers donning over the past couple of months - associating with fashion bloggers is clearly dangerous for your purse! So in a bit of a twist I thought I’d name and shame those remarkably stylish bloggers who keep (albeit, unbeknown to them) encouraging me to spend.

First up is Olivia Phillips, aka the blogger behind the gorgeously pink hued My New Favourite Thing. Whilst meeting up for dinner at London Fashion Week I couldn’t help but notice her fabulous faux fur gilet from Topshop. This is something that I would never normally think of buying, but I loved the way she styled hers and I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps, if styled similarly, this flufftastic gilet might even suit me.

I should also add that this burning desire to own a faux fur gilet had mercifully slipped my mind until I saw a post from another of my blogger friends, Amanda, otherwise known as The Online Stylist. Having also been inspired by Olivia’s outfit at LFW, she now owns two faux fur gilets… but it’s nice to know that it’s not only me that has this problem.

The item on my wish list from Amada’s closet is not a gilet; it’s a cashmere poncho, a poncho that I (again…) laid eyes on for the first time at LFW. An unassuming item in itself, but when styled well, it makes even the simplest of outfits shine. Amanda’s poncho is from Ocabini, and of course I made the mistake of visiting their site and instantly spotting a stunning navy blue version, curses!

Last on my list, but by no means least, is the ever-so-glamorous, Miss B from A Girl, A Style. Continuing the trend with another item I spotted at LFW – I’m beginning to think I spent more time observing the outfits in the audience than those on the catwalk! And although they are last in my post, these Mulberry booties are top of my list, with ‘wish’ being the operative word should my husband read this post.

Not the most practical shoe to be rushing around London in, but Briony made them work and looked fabulous in turn.

So there are the 3 top items on my autumn wish list, all instigated by my fellow fashion bloggers and their prodigious sense of style. If you don’t already read their blogs, then make sure you do!

theitgirl
xx

P.S – I should also add that I am not liable for any over-spending that may occur as a result of reading these blogs :o)