Let’s talk about dots baby…
Zara Dress worn with Isabel Marant Heels and H&M Earrings (old but similar here)
Hello! How are you? We’ve had a lovely weekend and finally got round to seeing Paddington 2 today. I can’t believe it took us so long, it was one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Please tell me that you sobbed through most of it too?!
I decided to have a couple of days off stories this weekend and if I am really honest, it has felt a little bit strange. I am so used to sharing my days, and it has become such a big part of my life, but I felt that I owed it to my family (and I suppose myself too) to have a little break from it all this weekend. There have been so many moments when I’ve thought about reaching for my phone to share, but it has also been very liberating to be able to leave it in another room and truly focus on the moment without recording it. I did have an inside chuckle/cringe when Charlie and I completed his Spiderman puzzle and he said, ‘Mummy aren’t you going to take a photo for instagram?’
One of the reasons I love stories so much is because it allows me to feel connected with the people that watch them and follow me. I consider many of you friends, and I like to think that we’d meet up for a cup of tea if we lived closer! I love receiving messages and feel that if someone has taken the time to message me, they deserve my reply or an acknowledgement of their comment. So in order to keep on top of things, I have been trying to answer them as they came through but if I am honest, there have been times recently when I have felt slightly overwhelmed by it all and guilty that I haven’t got round to answering everyone. (If that’s you, I am sorry.) Last weekend I heard myself say ‘Darling I will be with you in a minute, I just need to answer this message quickly’ too many times. And that’s when I realised that my ‘work’ had started to creep into my weekends and my precious time with my children and husband. I use inverted commas here, because most of the time it doesn’t feel like work, but I have to be honest with myself and admit that it is my job, and so like most other jobs, there HAS to be some downtime. Having a little weekend break from stories would allow me to catch my ‘DM answering breath’, put my phone away and give the children my full attention. And while it has felt a little bit strange at times, I definitely feel a bit more rested than usual, so I think it might become a regular weekend feature. Well, at the very least a scaled back version. I am also pretty sure the real truth of the matter is that no-one will have missed me!!
But enough about that, what I really want to talk about is my love for polka dots. I have always been a fan but since they are such a big trend this year, I thought they deserved their very own blog post. I ended up taking the Zara leopard print dress back as I wasn’t convinced that the length was right on me. While I was there I spotted this polka dot maxi, so of course it came home with me. It ticks so many of my boxes – great price (£39.99), great shape, great fabric, POCKETS and it’s a surprisingly good length on me. (I am 5’4) I wore it last night with heels, but I have also tried it with flats and it isn’t too long. I suppose that’s not great news if you are tall, but a turn-up for the books for us shorties! I am looking forward to wearing it dressed down with trainers and an oversized knit.
Some of my favourite style icons wearing polka dots
I bought a couple of things this week which I thought I would share with you. I ordered this Ganni-esque Sezane knit after seeing it on the lovely Natasha from WearandWhere this week. She had ordered it in the cream and the pink, and had decided to keep the cream which I loved. Unfortunately by the time I went to order it was sold out in my size, so I ordered the pink instead. But you know me and pink…
I have also ordered this dress from the Netaporter Clearance Sale. (I think I might have caught the maxi dress bug)
Michael Kors Dress – Was £215 now £113
I’ve been on a polka dot shopping spree and you’ll find my edit below where I have included a couple of high end designer pieces (the Haider Ackerman dress for £810) for comparison’s sake.
That’s all for today, I hope you have had a restful weekend too.
Love,
Chloe x
Hi Chloe. Love your stories but totally agree you need to take a break. Family first.
I collected that Michael Kors dress today from House of Fraser. It was a funny fit at the top. The pleats didn’t sit well. Went straight back. But I love a maxi and will keep trying. Enjoy your downtime x
Hi Chloe
I like your stories and you’re great at the whole Insta thing but I much prefer to think of you spending time with your family at the weekend. I really don’t know how you or anyone with a big following manages to keep the balance (I don’t have one and wouldn’t want one. I know I couldn’t manage it!) It is impressive how dedicated you are – replying so quickly as I know you do to messages – but better to enjoy time with your precious kids and give the phone a break otherwise you’ll regret it when you look back on your life/their childhood and realise you missed things because you were too busy (looking at a screen). I’m pleased you switched off. It can be pretty intense on Instagram (and that’s just me as an observer getting sucked in to stories and posts)
PS if you’re looking for another family 🎥 next weekend (though hard to top Padd2) we recommend The Greatest Showman which we took the kids to see today!m and loved X
Thanks Jo. Desperate to see Greatest Showman. It was a toss up between the two last weekend. xx
Where are the black suede shoes with tha bow from?? Xxx
They are Isabel Marant xx
Tbh I hardly ever watch stories at the weekends, I just don’t have time with three little ones running around! (And my husband hates hearing them in the background!) You’re perfectly entitled to have the weekend off. There’s a lot of pressure to be ‘on’ all the time xx
Yes I am sure that applies to most people. Thank you for making me feel better. xx
Well I very much missed you but can totally appreciate you need down time. After all I have the weekend off from work (thank the lord) and so you should too, after all this is your career . Enjoy those downtime’s, we will still be waiting for you on a Monday 😘
THank you darling. Always such a support…x
Dear Chloe,
You are doing the right thing, truthfully when some people are storying telling me oh I’m a bad mother as I forgot my child’s blah blah it’s not funny. I just want to say put your phone down for a minute and be a Mother! Anyway nobody’s perfect but it’s family first when possible. X
Agreed. It’s tricky when sharing your life is your job. It’s a funny old ‘job’ but something has to give! x
Love your blog and your stories, but I totally respect and understand if you don’t have the time to answer everything! I must admit to thinking ‘three kids, I’m amazed at how much she does and still keeps on smiling. One of the things I like best about you is that you are genuine and honest.
Thank you lovely. Just have to remind myself sometimes you can’t be all things to all people. Something has to give! x
Dear Chloe, I love your stories and have told you this many times by DM and I am so happy when I receive a reply 🙂 but will never be disappointed if you don’t . Your family is your first and most important priority and taking a weekend off is totally understandable and respectable . You are one of the sweetest and kindest souls on Instagram and I would LOVE,LOVE, LOVE to have a cuppa with you even a virtual one xxx Mariana
THank you Mariana. You are always so lovely and such a support. THank you xxx
I think you are doing the right thing. I have no idea how to access stories but I know that it’s best that I leave them be as a consumer or else, knowing me, it will be another thing to get hooked on.
Something else now, though, I am also 5’4″ and I am a bit puzzled about your description that it’s short. Is it? Do I need to redefine myself ;-)?
Finally – sorry, another question, what did you decide about the non-skinny jeans you did a post on ?
Thanks Annie. Well, it’s not really THAT short is it, but enough to mean trousers need to be chopped and hems taken up! I ended up going with the Topshop Straight Jeans. I love them!!
So pleased you found the perfect jeans. You look gorgeous in them (and in everything tbh) 🙂
Have you tried any of Next’s Lift, Slim and Shape jeans? I have loved their skinnies over the years because they have an extra wide, two button waistband that seems to hold my tummy in (a bit) and the pocket stitching is nice too. For a while, they insisted on that funny whiskering thing to the front but that seems to be no more, thank goodness.
I think they have just released a slim (rather than skinny) version so I will be trying them out. Fingers crossed … x