National Wedding Show

So since the man proposed last week we've done nothing but talk weddings. We have an idea of how we want everything to be and all I want to do is go shopping.....pretty hard when it's still 10 days until payday!!

For some inspiration (and because I can't find a dress that I like that isn't ridiculously expensive!!) I was thinking that it would be a good idea to visit the National Wedding Show. Not only should they have plenty of dresses for me to peruse but I can also check out ideas for shoes, cakes and bridesmaid dresses. I'll let you know how I get on :-)

Shoes and more shoes

Imagine for a second, if you will, what my ideal job would be???? That’s right, a buyer of shoes!! Now I’m never likely to be offered that particular post and be able to shop for shoes all day but the lovely people over at Sarenza are looking for a Ambassador to review shoes for them!! Holy Cow....could a job be more perfect for me?

The first pair of shoes that I remember vividly is a shiny black pair that I lusted after for ages when I was 8 years old. As they were completely impractical it took me forever to wear my Mum down and get her to buy them for me but in the end she did! I still remember the way they looked and smelt when I opened the box....a little piece of shoe heaven and the beginning of a long relationship with beautiful but crazy shoes.

Each season I tend to lust after a particular pair and a couple of seasons ago these beauties (Melissa by Vivienne Westwood) caught my eye and I just had to have them:

After missing out on them in the first instance I felt like I was on all kinds of waiting lists to get a pair in this particular colour but low and behold, eventually a pair was mine.

They day that they were delivered to work, a hush descended on the office and everyone gathered around to behold the opening of the shoes. The first thing that everyone noticed was the amazing fruity smell....not in a bad way! Opinion is torn between whether they smell like bubblegum or the scented erasers that we used to get when we were kids.

The heels are 4.2 inches and although reasonably high are not too difficult to walk in, even if they make me a Giantess. The shoes themselves are made of PVC (apart from the soles which are rubber) but are pretty hard wearing and even though I’ve worn mine to several parties they still look like new.

It's easy to adjust the straps to fit which is a bonus when you have massive feet like mine and are actually truly comfortable considering the heel is just over 4 inches.

I like the little peep-toe detail and the fact that you can dress these up or down. I’ve worn them with jeans and a t-shirt to the pub, as well as with a dress to a party. As they are slightly unusual and I’ve never seen anyone else wearing them, they also tend to be a pretty good talking point!

This is my entry to be a Sarenza Ambassador and would like to wish everybody the best of luck.

CyberMummy Meet & Greet 2011

Yipppeeee.......it's finally here! Can you believe that CyberMummy 2011 is just around the corner???

 Last year at this time I was worrying about all these things............... What if they don’t like me?  What if I say something stupid? What if absolutely no-one has ever heard of my blog?????  What the heck am I going to wear?  When did I become so dramatic and such a worrier???

Thankfully this year I'm meeting all of my lovely blogging girlies and am pushing all these thoughts to the back of my head.....I'm just thinking about how fab it will be to see them and make some new friends!! Also this year I'm lucky enough to be sponsored by Dodo Pad and I can't wait to meet the owner as she has been more than supportive........Feel free to grab me and ask me all about their products, which I love :-)

Anyways as most of you know, I look like this:

This is my info:

Name:   Emma Brooks

Blog:   This one

Twitter ID:   @AdventuresEM

Facebook:  www.Facebook.com/AdventuresofanEnglishMum

Height:   5ft 11inches unless I wear heels and then I’ll be 6’ 2” at least!!!  Yikes!!! 

Hair:   Shoulder length, brown with lots a couple of grey streaks!!

Eyes:   Blue.

Likes:   my daughter, krispy kreme, reading, chocolate, California, vodka, blogging, taking pictures, SHOES, expensive shoes, handbags, London, heavy metal, Greys Anatomy, running, ice cream,

Most likely to say:

‘Cool’

 ‘Awesome’

 ‘How much? For one glass? Where I come from you can get a whole bottle for that’!!!!!

'Can I use my card? I didn’t get chance to go to the cash machine'!!!

'My shoes? Yes they are beautiful aren’t they?  They are Vivienne Westwood/LK Bennet!  Uncomfortable? Yes, but just stroke them and feel the fabulousness’

Will be wearing: Something black, jeans, flip flops and sunglasses on head is my usual uniform......probably even the same outfit as last year ;-)

Ways to be my best friend forever: Buy me vodka, tell me that I look great, hold my hand when I look very nervous, tell me that you’ve heard of me!!!

What NOT to do: Dare me to dance on the tables or get my boobs out or kiss inappropriate men at the bar!!!!  What?…..I’m single and child free in London and planning on being a Cougar with the wonderful Karen!!!

Will be the person at Cybermummy most likely to: Drink too much and make a complete arse of herself!

I think that’s about all!!  For those of you that are lucky enough to have a ticket I'll see you next week!!! Yaaaaay! 


-Don't forget there is still time to enter my sterling silver pendant giveaway!!!

Funerals, Shoes & Christmas Cards i.e. random thoughts!!!

So it seems like I've been a bit of a slacker with blogging just recently but things have been really crazy around here and I never seem to get a minute!! I don't have a coherent post today just lots of random thoughts about what's been happening!!

Work has been absolute crazy Town and we've been super busy but the end is in sight and in just over a week we break up for 10 whole days.....bliss!!! My car has also been a pain in the ass and having spent lots of money on it I now need to spend even more to get it through the MOT...Grrrrrr!!!

Our stint as Toyologists is coming to an end (Booooo) but I still have lots of lovely things to review and am hoping to get most of them up in time for Christmas!!! So if you are a slacker like me and haven't got everything yet then watch out for some fab ideas!

My Great Auntie died suddenly and we held the funeral last week. It was a really nice funeral. The songs were absolutely lovely and then we had a tea party afterwards! A fabulous send off but it had me thinking about what I'd like mine to be like. I would want everyone to wear bright colours and great big hats (like in the movies)!!! Obviously all the women have to wear ridiculous shoes in homage to me and my shoe collection!! The best of my shoes i.e. the Vivienne Westwoods etc need to be donated to a design museum for future generations to look at!!  Song wise I have to have a song to make everyone groan so either......'Knock on Wood' or 'Going Underground'!!! Lol!

I am NOWHERE near ready for the big day. I have lots of presents still to buy and haven't even got the decorations out of the loft. I have faithfully promised Chick that we will put the tree up this weekend and I will find some Christmas spirit from somewhere!!

We are also not sending Christmas cards this year. Instead Chick and I have decided that we will buy a gift of  safe water for 10 people from the Oxfam Unwrapped range. We figure that people need water more than our friends need a piece of card to let them know that we are thinking about them.

Think that's about it from my crazy world at the moment!! How are you my lovely bloggy readers? Are you all ready for the big day? Are you a slacker just like me? What do you think about not sending out Christmas cards?

My Christmas Wish List

After having talked about nothing but toys since August, I decided today that it was time to spend a little time thinking about what I'd like Santa to leave under the tree for me. Now last year I didn't get anything from my Christmas list so I'd obviously been a naughty girl but this year I can categorically state that I've been extremely well behaved!!!

First of all I would very much like a ticket for this:

Alternatively you could buy a number for £5 and help lots of people get to CyberMummy!!!

Secondly, I would very much like flights to go visit my American family with maybe a side trip to Blog Her '11 and Vegas:

I would give my left arm for one of these beauties:

These lovelies are on my Christmas list EVERY year:

Ooooooooo they are just so gorgeous!!! Lastly because I want to actually get something from the list....my absolute favourite smell in the entire world (after freshly cut grass) is this:

So Santa, I VERY much look forward to seeing what you leave under my tree this year :-)

The Holidays

I finally have a week off work!!  It feels like I've been waiting for it FOREVER and now it's here, it's going by soooooo quickly.  I do have lots of things to write about but I promised Chick I would stay off the laptop as much as possible and as I haven't done very well so far so thought I'd go with pictures (for a change ;-) of our week so far:

Chick & The Punk had a sleepover and a trip to the Park, where I made them pose for loads of pictures:

Of course no holiday in our household would be complete without buying some cute new shoes:

Chick has also been practising her Circus skills in case she ever needs to run away and join them:

And even managed to fit in time for horse riding:

Time for a quick cuddle with Mummy:

Then off to the cinema to see Toy Story 3 in 3D:

Then today I saw an awesome recipe for Marshmallow Sticks over at Cherished By Me and so we made these:

Yum, yum, yum!!! Phew....all this and it's only Tuesday!!!  Can't wait to see what the rest of the week brings!!!!

John Lewis Christmas Preview

Last Thursday, I was lucky enough to be invited to preview the Christmas collection at John Lewis (for my American readers think Macy's or Sears). Initially I said No, as I've been having far too good a time in the Blogosphere just recently and I have to occasionally go to the job that pays my bills and hang out with my daughter!!!  However my Boss and my daughter are cool enough to let me go see John Lewis on the condition that I don't bore them with it for the next month.......unlucky!!!!

So, Christmas in July is a pretty cool thing!  Arriving at One Marylebone Place (a converted Holy Trinity Church, which by the way is completely awesome and if I'm ever daft enough to get married this would suit me down to the ground) you know you are in the right place when you see the snow machine outside and this just inside the door:

As we registered (with the handsome and delectable Tim from Cohn & Wolfe) they kindly gave us all a Flip video camera!  Initially I thought this was to hand back at the end of the day but no.....apparently we get to keep them!!! Yikes.....like I didn't love John Lewis enough in the first place!!!!

So first up was fashion!  Now most of you know that I'm a 'big' girl and presume I know nothing about fashion....sorry to disappoint you but I can spot designer clothes at a 100 paces!!! I may not fit into them much but I adore great tailoring.  The Autumn/Winter season is going to be all about Military and tailoring which is right up my street.  Unfortunately I didn't take a pic of the beautiful Reiss coat that I will be lusting after until I'm a size 14 but these were outfits were almost as cool:

Who knew that John Lewis did Designer Clothes???? Nope, me neither! Of course you know already know what else I'm going to mention right???? Yep......shoes:

I love LK Bennett......Gosh, I wish they'd make me their PR Officer....they couldn't have anyone more passionate!!!  Anyways....where was I??  I didn't take any pictures of the menswear but there was a lot of Tweed, beautifully soft Cashmere and an English Gentleman feel to the whole collection but in a really cool way! I will also be buying some John Lewis men's slippers for myself....amazing!!!

Electrical was next and I have to admit that although I love my shiny Red Dell, technological and kitchen stuff just doesn't float my boat. I did however adore the 3D TV and apparently this is the way forward but not in our household whilst you have to wear these:

Obviously I'm not a chic geek ;-)  Then came the 'Home' Collection.  So much beautiful stuff I hardly know where to start.  How about this:

or this:

I also loved the bedroom setting that was just made for a Princess:

We got to touch and feel the sheets/bedspreads etc and let me tell you that my £4 supermarket sheets don't remotely compare to the gorgeousness that is quality linen, I'm already saving up for my Egyptian cotton......absolutely dreamy!

Of course then it was off to my biggest weakness.....children's clothes!!!  Chick is at a funny age being 7 (and hideously tall thanks to Daddy and I!!) because the beautiful dresses that I like her to wear start morphing into being too grown up.  Fortunately at John Lewis these go up to Age 11 and this is where we bought her Bridesmaid dress from for my Mum's Wedding.  If I can afford nothing else, I will be buying Chick this coat which is so beautiful I'm not sure if I can wait until the collection is released to get my hands on it:

Isn't it the most amazing thing???  Most of my other bloggy friends that were at the event either have babies or small ones, are pregnant or are broody and I'm sure by now you know how I feel about having any more!!! I did however have an aaahhhh at this:

How cute????  Also, I had a reminiscing aaaahhhh......'my daughter is too old' moment at the Christmas toys, most of which are wonderfully traditional:

So much amazing Christmas stuff:

On my Christmas list for this year: LK Bennetts, a Breville Cup Cake maker, a home made fudge kit, Penguin mini note books and this Lulu Guinness Clutch (in ANY colour) which I would actually sell my left foot for:

My post seriously doesn't do any justice to how amazing the event was...huge thanks to Tim and Steve for hosting us!!  Some of my biggest loves in life.....Fashion, Shoes, Chick's clothes, Christmas and Handbags but one of the best things was that I got to meet up with some of my most favourite Ladies from CyberMummy again:

Huge hugs and kisses to all of them for being wonderfully amazing and to Francesca from John Lewis who spent most of her day answering my questions!!!  I apologise for monopolising her and I'm sure she needed a huge drink by the time I'd finished with her!!!  Thank you for a wonderful day and roll on the AW10 collection appearing in stores so that I can start shopping!!!!!