On Friday I signed off by saying that big changes were happening in my life. If you are a regular reader you will know that since having my second baby in 2001, I have been running a small creative agency with Mr MC. It’s been fantastic and we’ve worked for some really big clients such as Marks and Spencer, John Lewis and New Look along with countless smaller companies in the UK and overseas. However over the past year I’ve been feeling the need for a change and I think that Midlifechic has had a lot to do with this, helping me to regain my former confidence. My youngest son has settled into secondary school and is gradually becoming more independent. On top of this I have this growing sense of the clock ticking as I approach 50 (not yet, not yet) and the feeling that if I want to do one more big thing, I need to do it soon.

So, I have been offered a new opportunity and I’ve decided to take it. To say that it has taken a lot of thought is a huge understatement. My life is going to change enormously. At the moment I am pretty much in complete control of my days. Sometimes I choose to work from the office, sometimes I work from home. I take as much holiday as I want (unpaid of course) and generally work school hours. I can pop out for a Pilates class or for a walk with Gary or I can meet a friend for coffee. Obviously all this depends upon the amount of work I have on but sometimes I just start very early to make up for lost time.

I’m going to be working for a company that makes luxury homeware. I can’t tell you who it is at the moment but if you’re in the UK you will probably have heard of them but won’t know much about them, the reason being that until now, they haven’t done any marketing. So I am going in as Head of Marketing and Creative to build a team and (hopefully) turn them into a household name. For a marketer it’s a golden opportunity, they have been successful without any marketing so I know that with work I should be able to really help them to drive forwards. The fact that they are based in the Lake District makes me feel very proud of them – I had no idea they were here.

The tough things will be:

  • working very long days, leaving early in the morning and getting home late
  • driving for an hour each way on a very scenic but taxing route through rural Cumbria (the fact that I still can’t drive at the moment because of my injured shoulder is a small consideration I need to deal with!)
  • having limited holidays (this is the worst thing)
  • not being at home when the boys come back from school to share the joys and woes that bubble over as they walk through the door (this is the other worst thing)
  • not spending every day with the lovely Mr MC
  • being accountable to a boss for the first time in 14 years

So I’m trading in a lot of lifestyle benefits for a very exciting challenge. I will, however, continue to blog. They might be quite short pieces for the first few weeks but now that I’m getting to know you all I’m not giving you up! Plus of course, we have a whole new wardrobe game to play – dressing up for the office!!!

Unless I’m seeing clients, I tend to dress very casually at the moment. This is what I’m wearing today:

IMG_0893

  • Mango Metallic thread sweater S/S14
  • Ines de le Fressange @ Uniqlo shirt A/W14
  • Next relaxed skinny jeans dark dyed
  • Autograph boots A/W14
  • Boden necklace (past season)

In my new life, given that I’m going to need to leave the house at 7.15am every morning (I currently head off at about 9.30am – aaaargh), I’m going to have to be very organised from an outfit perspective. I’ve been busy reviewing what I have in my wardrobe to find out where the gaps are. It’s still far too cold to think about new Spring clothes yet, so for a while I need to work with what I have. The benefit for you is that most of these items are still available in the sale. You’ll recognise a lot of these pieces but I’ve put them together in a different way and then added items for standout. Here are my first few outfits based on dresses:

Working Wardrobe No 1

 

Working wardrobe
Jersey knit dress / Camel coat / Bag / Necklace / Leather belt (similar) / Shoes (similar)
I can easily put this together from things I already have in my wardrobe. The coat by the way is an absolute bargain if you don’t have a camel one. The shoes are comfortable for my first day when I suspect I will be touring the factory to see how everything is made.

Working Wardrobe No 2

Working wardrobe
Dress / Cashmere coat (similar) / Bag / Necklace / Scarf / Boots (similar)
As you can see, I’ve gone for bargain dress, coat, boots and bag here but splurged on the scarf and necklace to add a touch of new season to the outfit. I saw this scarf when I was in Edinburgh and although it seems expensive, it’s stunning in real life.

Working Wardrobe No 3

Working wardrobe

Dress / Coat / Shoes (similar)/ Bag / Necklace / Scarf (similar)

Once more, a bargain dress, coat, scarf and bag but an investment on the accessories. I am so very in love with these shoes for Spring I’m going to have to try them.

Working Wardrobe No 4

Working wardrobe Dress / Coat / Shoes  (similar)/ Bag / Scarf / Necklace
A bright palette for Springtime but still warm enough to cope with the commute.

I have a long list of posts that you’ve requested on particular themes and I will get to them soon but the next one is going to have to be workwear again looking at trousers this time. I start my job on 17th March and I’ve decided I need to have at least 8 strong looks by then.

So life is going to change for me. I think I’m doing the right thing. You may have noticed that I felt wistful when I met up with my old pals from my Selfridges days and also at the book club get together with my friends from the playground who have all started new careers. I don’t know about you but it does feel as though this time of life is bittersweet with some chapters ending but with whole new ones opening up too. I hope I’ve made the right decision and of course I need to bear in mind that my new employers might be reading this blog too. Now there’s a thought! Keep in touch.