From Paris to the World, How French Bags Define Style

One of the most important accessories in any wardrobe are bags, not only because they are practical and serve a purpose but because of the style & sophistication each one can bring. French luxury handbags are more than just an accessory to make your outfit complete, they are historical pieces, showcasing the best of French design and craftsmanship.  Are you fascinated by the history of handbags and how that ties in with French culture and their passion for style and fashion? Below is an exploration of the most iconic pieces of French fashion and how they can change your life for the better. Investing in a heirloom piece Luxury bags are known for their bold and elegant touch that places a major emphasis on fashion and lifestyle, as a form of cultural identity and self-expression. From the effortless street style to high-end pieces, Longchamp demonstrates essential elements that define French Fashion. Known for its innovation in terms of state-of-the-art techniques and outstand......

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Capsule Wardrobe - Breton Stripes

I've been slowly trying to build a capsule wardrobe, as some of you may know I am on a mission to minimise my life, I still have a long way to go but at least I'm going in the right direction. It's made me think a lot about my personal style, what works and doesn't work for me and how I can still have fun with fashion. My wardrobe is in somewhat of need of an update but I am taking my time, trying to apply less is more and therefore really questioning my purchases. A personal favourite though has to be a Breton tee, paired up with jeans and it's always a win.  So I thought today I would go with this classic style and put together one of my favourite combinations of my Nine West Blue Breton with my Karen Millen skinny black jeans, anchor & crew necklace and Dr Martens shoes. It's simple, chic and perfect for a lunch out in the city. There are a few other pieces I have in mind to add to my wardrobe this summer and that is a playsuit of ......

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Nausicaa National Sea Centre, France

Last week I wrote about our experience of taking the short channel crossing P&O ferry from Dover to Calais as well as our fantastic stay at the rural Hotel Du Parc near the small Northern French hamlet of Hardelot. The absolute highlight of the trip was spending the best part of a day exploring Nausicaa , Frances National Sea Centre which is celebrating it's 25th anniversary this year.  Located in the coastal city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, the sea centre sits on the sand, looking across a long beach and straight away you can feel the connection between man and the ocean. This place is so much more than just an Aquarium, they have a real passion for conservation, education and both kids despite the age difference equally enjoyed it.  As soon as you step into Nausicaa you start to get a sense of just how large this place is and can see why it attracts around 600 000 visitors a year, especially as it's only 2hrs travelling time from both London and Paris mak......

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Northern France with P&O and Hotel Du Parc

If you follow our family travel adventures on Instagram you may have already noticed that at the beginning of summer we spent a long weekend exploring the small village of Hardelot in Northern France as well as the fascinating sea centre Nausicaa in Boulogne-sur-Mer.  We have done a fair few short European breaks taking either the Eurostar or Ferry although always as foot passengers so my eldest was extremely excited at the prospect of driving our car onto a ferry and driving off again in another country. The journey from South Wales to Dover  is just over 4hrs so we decided to stay at a Premier Inn on the way down from Cardiff to split up the journey. This meant we were only an hour away from the ferry terminal in the morning making for a far more relaxed start to what would be a long day. Once we arrived into Dover, the check-in service for our P&O Ferry   was very quick and straight forward despite there being cues later in the season our experience......

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Kids Style with Petit Bateau

When it comes to both fashion and travel the French always hold our heart. Both boys had some very cute Petit Bateau sleep suits when they were small and if you ope up their wardrobes the thing you will probably notice first is how many striped Breton style t-shirts they both have. So when long established French brand  Petit Bateau got in touch to ask if we would like to review their summer collection it really was a perfect fit. We decided not to go with the classic strips but rather some cute printed tees and a lovely three tone summer hat which has seen a fair bit of use this year. First Baby G I picked a vest top, a first for him and I did wonder if we would get the chance to wear it as summers in the UK are so hit and miss but on our recent trip to the Isles of Scilly and the mini heat wave we experienced in Wales a few weeks back meant it's seen a fair bit of action. I love the small and subtle print although I probably should of gone up a size as t......

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Mere Soeur

I love to support small homegrown independent business, especially those grown out of the creative surge that happens when you become a mother. I came across Carrie Anne of Mere Soeur last year and have watch her awesome business grow on Instagram and have been meaning to pick up one of the printed "Mother Daughter" tees for a while now and finally got around to doing it. She has just released a baby line of tees and new tote bags, accessories and her iconic boob mugs, she also recently put together an "Art of Motherhood" charity colouring book with all profits going to HomeStart. Like everything else in her collection is celebrates moments of motherhood and doing it your own way. I love that social media and apps such as Instagram have given so many people a platform to share ideas no matter how big or small. Carrie Ann only started off with a few t-shirts and now has a whole line and I cannot wait to see what else is in stall from this mam......

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3 Best Online Fashion Catalogues

I have always lived by the rule of purchasing things upfront but occasionally things crop up, life happens and staggering the cost of things over a few months is actually the least stressful option. When I was pregnant both times I went on a personal spending ban - meaning I didn't purchase anything for myself for about a year, instead putting aside what I had for the new arrival. This however did mean that once I was getting back into my pre-maternity wear that I was pretty low on seasonal clothes and replying on classics, which I made work for a while but everyone likes to look so souring th ebest discounts and coupons online is essential.  It provides consumers with more flexibility and choice than retail outlets on the high street as well as being less stressful if you have a new baby at home to look after or simply very busy as everything is brought to you plus you can pay for your order in installments and choose from a wide range of products from the comfort of ......

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Street Style Sunday - Stripes and Smiles

I don't think I will ever get bored of Breton stripes, such a classic style and I always find myself wearing a fair amount of it during spring. I have been searching for a decent dress that is also breast feeding friendly, which has been harder than I thought but I did come across this one from JoJo Maman Bebe and you really wouldn't know it's breast feeding friendly as it's so well designed with a double layer just above the waist line. It really works well being paired up with a simple jacket and ankle boots.  Carrying on with the french style theme Mr A has also been channelling some Parisian Chic with this Etre Petite printed French Bulldog t-shirt. It's so cute and beautifully made and I really love this french inspired brand, they have such quirky kids clothes, that is fun and original. Something amazing also happened this week - the blog has been shortlisted for a BIBS Blog Award in the style section and if you enjoy readin......

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A beautiful day in Nice

With all the craziness of Christmas now behind us I can finally get around to finishing posting all about our amazing holiday to the South of France, as we went for two weeks and visited so many places it was only fair to break our mini adventures down into smaller posts - so this one is all about our day out in the wonderful city of Nice on the French Riviera. As some of you may already know I lived and worked in Nice for a few months before having Mr A and it was quite surreal going back but this time with the family in tow. With it being at the end of September we luckily missed all the manic peak period and really got to enjoy the promenade, walking around the old town, through the flower market where we also picked up some locally hand made soaps (they smelled so good) and a walk up the citadel without having to push our way through crowds of people. The weather was good, not too hot but warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt. We came across a beautiful antique Carou......

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