I had to laugh as I put my red shoes this morning... my Mum used to say - 'red shoes, no knickers', but I can assure you that I am wearing respectable under garments.

Today (March 10th) is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and over 1,100 blogs are taking part in support of The Red Pump Project.

"The Red Pump Project™ raises awareness about the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. Our mission is to promote HIV prevention through education, and open dialogue about the issues that surround sexual and reproductive health"
I heard about this recently via Nikki Nakki Lou and decided to get involved. The hardest statistic to fathom is that the number of people living with HIV in the UK has trebled in the last 10 years.

It's a sobering thought. If wearing red shoes helps to spread the word I'd happily wear them 365!

Here's what happened...

After a hectic week I spent a lot of time over the weekend catching up with my blog reading. I read Looking Fab in Your Forties' post 'Shopping Snob Saturday Shoe Purchases' which spoke of her trip to New Look in search of a pair of red ballerina pumps she'd seen on WIT blog.

I have to admit I rather liked them and have been wanting a pair for a while. With warmer days heading our way I wanted a pair to go with my favourite stripe top and cropped jeans. So, I ordered a pair (along with these checked beauties…. oh and a lace clutch bag but that's beside the point despite being gorgeous!).

Then, and here is the spooky bit, I read a blog post on Nikki Nakki Lou about Rock the Red Pump.

It's an 'initiative to raise awareness about the increasing impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls and encourages ladies to take action.'

March 10th is National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and all you have to show your support is don your red shoes for the day.

Coincidence? I don't think so…

Not only is a very good reason for me to wear my new shoes but more crucially it helps to raise awareness for a very important cause. In the UK alone the number of people living with HIV has trebled in the last 10 years. A statistic that I can't quite get my head around...

Will you join me in Rocking the Red Pump?

All you have to do is wear red shoes on March 10th and send me a picture for me to use in a subsequent post.

If you can also spread the word through your tweets (remembering to include the hashtag #500in50 or #RocktheRedPump!) and perhaps a mention on your blog we can remind people that HIV is still a very real problem.

Leave me a comment below if you're in and send your images to auntdaisy03@yahoo.co.uk

Yay! the sun has come out to play!

This morning was the first time this year that I have had to pop on my sunglasses before leaving the house and I noticed they are scratched, chipped and have one wobbly arm.

This can only mean one thing...  it's time for a new pair!

Now, I never spend much on a pair of sunglasses because I invariably lose them or sit on them and they always end up knocking around in the bottom of my bag (which is how they end up in the state they do).

I rather like these (all from very.co.uk)...


Retro cats eyes sunglasses



Pepe Jeans Plastic Aviator Sunglasses

M:UK classic wrap sunglasses

What do you think?

Loving this...
Lace print bow ring from Cherry and Joy
Trying to decide...
Red, white or blue - which would you choose? Statement disc ring from Cherry and Joy

 

Strutting around in these...
Megan boots from Stylist Pick. You can't do anything but strut in these!


What have you been up to?

Firstly, an email entitled 'How to start a fight'...

My wife was standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror.
She was not happy with what she saw and said to me,
"I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.'

I replied, "Your eyesight's damn near perfect."

And then the fight started........



Secondly, this pic produced a proper, genuine belly laugh from my lips.

I hope these have raised a smile for you too.

So, here I am at the end of my Wardrobe Challenge - four tops, four weeks and a dress every Friday.


My favourite item is the striped top. I find it so easy to wear. I love it with this tweed jacket from New Look and corsage from Top Shop.

Tuesday was the turn of my floral stripe vest top from Very. I really like this top but think it'll be easier to wear in the warmer months - all I can do with it at the moment is wear it under a cardigan and, on the colder days, with a scarf too. Jeans - Next, cardigan - New Look, scarf - H&M, brogues - Dorothy Perkins.

Wednesday I tipped a nod to the 70's trend with these flared jeans from La Redoute and chunky heeled boots with my floral shirt from H&M.

I wore my new boots from Stylist Pick on Thursday with my denim shirt and stripe top (both Very) but I'm sad to say that my denim shirt has lost it's appeal now that I know OH doesn't like it much...

On Friday I wore my favourite maxi dress - purchased before I decided to give hosiery a chance, when the only way I would wear a dress was if it was skimming the floor! My bag was a birthday gift from OH and the dress, pendant and cardigan are all from Very.

What did I learn from my challenge?
I seem to buy most of my clothes from Very, Dorothy Perkins, Next, H&M or New Look.

OH doesn't like my denim shirt.

A little experimentation and some great accessories go a long way. I have spent a month wearing nothing but four tops which just goes to show you don't need a huge wardrobe for it to be versatile.

Wearing a dress on occasion feels good and people won't bat an eyelid when you do, no matter how unusual it is.

My wardrobe would be enriched by the addition of a pair of black brogues (what is a challenge without a small reward?).

Was it worth it?
Yes. The purpose was to curb my spending and rediscover long forgotten items lurking in my wardrobe. I have certainly spent less during the challenge as I have been focusing on what I already own. I have also reminded myself of a few items in my wardrobe that I used to love and discovered some new outfit combinations that I'll definitely wear again.

An unexpected result of this challenge was that I actually parted with a few items of clothing, which is quite unheard of. When trying on different outfits I discovered a few bits that either didn't suit me or that I couldn't remember what led me buy them in the first place. I hope my local charity shop can find them a loving home...

I urge you all to plunder the depths of your wardrobe to see what lurks there... and then come back and share what you find.

So, what did I wear when my challenge was over?
A dress from Warehouse and tights from Tesco... and long may it continue!

Love