These boots aren't really made for walking.

The nights are drawing in, the mornings bring with them a dusting of frost and the trees have almost shed all of their leaves. Lovely, lovely winter! Time to wrap up warm and pop on your winter boots. Since mine were a bit worse for ware after the especially hard winter we had last year I thought I'd invest in a new pair. It turned out to be a pretty tough task.

I live in a small town in Scotland. There are many hills so heels are a no-no and it gets slippy so grips are preferable. As well as practicality obviously I wanted them to look good but could I find a pair to fit my criteria? Could I heck. There seem to be plenty of sexy, fashionable boots out there but none to bowl down the road to work in without fear of falling on your face or spraining your ankle.

Dutifully I did try some ridiculous boots on. I could barely walk from one side of the shop to the other let alone walk home with the wind and rain factor thrown in. I really wanted some boots lined with shearling so I'd be nice and cosy as well as dry but again, no dice.

So the search continues. Maybe wellies are the way forward. Red Hunters? Hmmm...

Jane Fonda in Julia

Just a quick post. I recently saw a film called Julia starring Jane Fonda. A great little film set during the lead up to the Second World War about a Jewish American writer trying to figure out what happened to her friend, Julia who disappears in Germany. Fonda is fantastic in it and looks beautiful in the glamorous 1930s costumes. Great little thriller, I recommend you check it out.

Biba is Back and Beautiful

Barbara Hulanicki's iconic label of the 60s and 70s is back exclusively at House of Fraser. The pieces range from the dramatic, such as the floor length tiger print coat, to the classic ruffled blouses. The floaty, billowing maxis hark back to seventies chic while sporting prints that are bold and modern. Some of the more luxurious pieces are more expensive and rightly so as the gorgeous fabrics drip with embellishment but never fear, for those of us with slightly smaller wallets Biba has a range of more affordable jeans and jersey dresses that are wearable, everyday pieces.

With Daisy Lowe as the face of the new collection Biba is back on top form with more pieces to be added to the line as the season continues. The Stardust collection which will be arriving in October looks particularly exciting and is billed as "high-octane glamour". With minimal, wearable looks at the centre of most collections, it's great to see Biba injecting some much needed glamour this Autumn/Winter.

Style Icons III

In anticipation of Mad Men's return to British Television it seemed only right to single out character Joan Harris (nee Holloway) as style icon number 3. Her costumes are incredibly sexy, pencil skirts and figure hugging dresses showing off her womanly curves in all there glory. Of course it helps that she is played by the most beautiful woman in the world, Christina Hendricks, who brings to life the gorgeous clothes with her Jessica Rabbit posture and sex-on-a-stick walk. Joan's style isn't just a parade of beautiful outfits, her signature gold pen necklace and vintage brooches give the character her own personal style.

It's little wonder that the show boasts a host of awards for art direction and design as it's by far the most breathtakingly stunning thing on television with Joan at the head as a beacon of beauty. Roll on season 4.

H&M Go Online this Sept

Is there a chill in the air or is it just wishful thinking? I'm itching to get into my winter woolies so I can kit myself out in some of the fantastic styles coming out this autumn.

I was so excited to hear that H&M are finally opening an online shop in the UK on September 16th. I love the simple stylish clothes on offer and the great range of accessories, notably the handbags and scarves but not living in an H&M town poses some problems. I'm so pleased I'll soon be able to see something I like and buy it right away rather than having to wait until I can travel to Edinburgh or Glasgow by which time the thing I've just got to have is sold out or not available in that particular store.

H&M's a/w collection is shaping up to be a cosy bundle of chunky knits, stylish tailoring, flourishes of lace and leather detail and I can't wait to wrap myself up in it.

Online shopping has been a lifeline for me while I've been stuck in the wilds of Scotland and it's nice to see one of my favourite shops hopping aboard the online the bandwagon. Sign up for H&M's online newsletter and be one of the first to shop online on 9th September. See you there!

Sew Buttons

I'm always looking for ways to re-vamp my old clothes, especially when the money's tight. Recently I've started looking for replacement buttons for my old cardies, as autumn is on the horizon. You can pick up vintage buttons in charity or second hand shops or check out your local craft shop for vintage-looking or weird and wonderful buttons.

The buttons above are some I picked up in my local craft shop, Fun 2 Do. The 'Oklahoma' buttons give a letterman feel to my oversized grey cardie and the gold buttons put a vintage sping on my old Wallis cardie. You don't have to spend a fortune to update your wardrobe, just get yourself a sewing kit. My mum's been very kindly teaching me how to sew and I'm sure most people have relative or someone they know who can show them the basics. It's simple once you know how.

Next step I'll be trying my hand at embelishement, very tricky. Wish me luck!

Capital Brooches

Well, I'm back in the homeland after a wee break in my nations capital. As well as taking in the delights of the Edinburgh Festival, and it was delightful, I also had the opportunity to trawl the charity shops in search of rare gems. This task requires imagination and a fair amount of patience. I stuck it out through the heavy down-pours and my patience was rewarded this week when I discovered these brooches. I like to wear two or three at a time these days so the more I can collect the more choice I have. My favourite of the three has to be the 'horse and rider' brooch. I love the colours, the stretched shield shape and the fact that it looks like it should be worn on the tweed lapel of a stoic great aunt.

No matter how naff a charity shop looks on the outside there still might be that hidden gem on the inside. And of course, it's all for a good cause. So get out there and support your local charity shops.