NEVER KNOWINGLY CONCISE CHATS TO // DONNA McCULLOCH | SULKYDOLL

Introducing Donna McCulloch, as she’s known  to most of us, SulkyDoll – Stylist, Fashion Editor Riddle Magazine and Brand Ambassador – oh and she just so happens to be a hot Mama too.

Donna and I”met” through IG and eventually IRL at a Mothers Meeting x M&S event – where we bonded over our shared love for The ‘Toon (having both studied up in Newcastle). As a stylist, she has worked with the hilarious and vibrant Scummy Mummies and cake-maker of dreams, Juliet Sear.

Donna has also played a key part in fundraising – most recently with fellow Mama’s, @That_mummy_smile and @carlymoosah for the #cuckooclubforgrenfell fundraiser, raising exceptionally needed funds for those affected by the tragic Grenfell Tower.

Sulky is one of the most hardworking, genuine, honest, caring and colourful people you could ever wish to meet.

CB: HELLO SULKS PET,  please introduce yourself and your concept.
DM: So I’m Donna aka SulkyDoll, I’m a Stylist and a Mama. My job is varied as I am a personal stylist for both Men and Women, my most famous clients are the Scummy Mummies but I also style editorials for brands and magazines, I am the Fashion Contributor for Riddle Magazine and cover London Fashion Week as their Correspondent but I also run style events and I am very proud to be a brand ambassador for Donna Ida.

SULKY DOLL // Wearing her namesake, by Tracy Gray – @undertherosejewellery

 

CB: Brand names are a really important first impression of what you’re about, so how did you come up with your name?
DM: My brand name is so unique to me, it’s my childhood nickname.

CB: Where did it all begin? What inspired you to start up your concept?
DM:  A lifelong love of fashion led me to re-train in fashion in my 30s. I worked very hard and bossed it and it paid off.

GIRL GANG // Donna with The Scummy Mummies, Cherry Healey, Antonia (@antoniaobrien) and Nat (@StyleMeSunday) at the Oxfam #dressedbythekids event.

CB: What is your brand ethos?
DM:  Be the best possible version of yourself.

CB: On a day-to-day basis, what or who inspires you?
DM: A million different things, I see inspiration everywhere, film, music, buildings, travel, friends and other fashion industry creatives whom I admire.

Red Carpet Lolz // Donna works closely with The Scummy Mummies

CB: Can you tell us about or give us a sneaky peak of something new that’s coming up?
DM: I have my first TV credit this month as one of my clients has their own to show this launches in May and I was the stylist/wardrobe for the show… I’ll keep you posted.

CB: Parenting-essentials, we know there are more than a few! But what is the one thing you can’t leave the house without? What is your most used piece of parenting/child paraphernalia?
DM: Wipes! Even now my kids are older, they are the one thing you should have on your person at all times.

CB: Anything you wished you known before becoming a parent / best piece of parenting advice?
DM: That kids do things in their own time, at their own speed, don’t push them to eat what they don’t want, potty train when they aren’t ready and sleep 7 hours when they are 7lbs!!!

CB: Along the same vein as above, what is your ultimate Mum-Essential? What is your go-to item that you just can’t live without?
DM: Bronzer, my son didn’t sleep until he was 2 and I looked like death for those 2 years but bronzer hid a lot of tiredness during those days as I faked the sun kissed look.

CB: What gives you ‘Mum-Guilt’? And how do you get round it?
DM: That’s a hard one, working when they have something like an assembly or sport’s day, I try to make as much as I can but I find it heartbreaking to miss something. I don’t have any tips other than that a happy Mama is a happy child and guilt serves no purpose whatsoever.

CB: Me-time is super important too, what do you like to do to zone-out?
DM: Running and hot baths plus Kate Bush at full volume.

The Two Donna’s // Sulky & Donna Ida (@DonnaIdaDenim

 

CB: Which are your go-to brands/shops?
DM: I love for me, Donna Ida, Rixo, Zara and H&M, and the last 2 are fab for the kids and my husband too.

CB: What current wardrobe item is your all-time favourite and why?
DM: My bf jeans as they are so easy to dress up or down.

CB: Choose 3 words to describe yesterday.
DM: Manic, sunny and coffee fuelled.

CB: Tell us something about you that might surprise people.
DM: Erm… I love horses and my earliest memory is of me on my Aunt’s horse, Seamus.

FOR GRENFELL // Carly, Donna & Laura worked together on the #cuckooforgrenfell event.

CB: Whats the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
DM: Wow, good q, I have been very lucky to have met many people who have championed me and given me wings….too many to reduce to one.

CB: Recommend a book, film or album from the past year.
DM: Lion is one of the best films I’ve ever seen but I loved La La Land, Big Little Lies was my fave series on tv, albums? Lemonade and 4:44, am a big fan of the Carter Knowles power couple & any book by Kate Atkinson.

CB: What can you see out of your closest window / what is your current view?
DM: My angel wings, they are in my garden.

CB: Other than with your family & friends, where would you most like to be this weekend and why?
DM: Berlin! I am desperate to go, the fashion scene is insane.

DM: Thank you for these fab q’s and I am so happy to have met you Judy Pink xx

Thank you so much for taking the time out for our chat Donna!

DID YOU KNOW?

90% of women wear 10% of their wardrobe, if you are one of the 90% then Sulky Doll Styling can help. Whether its discovering your signature style, up-dating your current look or you are just looking for some help with restructuring your wardrobe contact Sulky Doll Styling with your requirements. To book Sulky Doll Styling, read about the SERVICES and get in touch via her CONTACT form. 

If you don’t already, give SulkyDoll a follow on IG: @SulkyDollStyling and a LIKE on Facebook:Facebook.com/SulkyDollStylist 

#NeverConciseChats #ClaireChatsSulkyDoll

All photos credit to Donna McCulloch – Facebook.com/SulkyDollStyling

THURSDAY KIDS | Kids’ Style: 16/06

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• T H U R S D A Y. K I D S •
Feat some of my current faves:
✖️Bag // @tibaandmarl
✖️Tee // @nor_folk
✖️Hareems // @stitched_up_apparel
✖️Feet // @vans_europe

MM.

 

THE EDIT: Something For The Weekend | 03/06.

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I’m going to be curating a weekly ‘Top 8’, ahead of the weekend, looking mostly at online shops. This week I’ve looked at the New Arrivals of some of my favourite online shops. All products are available currently on the UK sites and are priced in GBP. It’s been a real mixed bag weather-wise, so this week’s Edit reflects that!

This week’s online shopping Edit:

1: HELMUT LANG: Oversized Cashmere Coat – £955.

2: MARKUS LUPFER: Embellished Sweatshirt – £250.

3: ASOS: Pintuck Blouse with tie detail – £36.

4: SAINT LAURENT: Leopard Lunchbox Bag – £1095.

5: ANNINA VOGEL: Horsehoe Necklace, 9ct Gold – £250.

6: TOPSHOP: Ruffled Peplum Top – £40.

7: TOPSHOP: Topshop Boutique Boyfriend Jean – £55.

8: TOPSHOP: FANG Flatform Sandal – £49.

#MoMSFTW 

MM.

THE EDIT | The Black Shoulder Bag.

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APC Half Moon Bag | Image: Pinterest.

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I recently came to the conclusion that I have a new wardrobe void. I’m “missing” a small-medium sized,  smart/casual black shoulder bag (with gold hardware). Having lost my phone, not once, but twice (and miraculously TWICE it was handed in by kind folk!) from my Chanel 2.55, I have decided I need a bag that will effectively contain my wares.

I’ve trawled through my favourites and here is my Edit of The Black Shoulder Bag – perfect for shopping to dinner to dancing, and back round the shops again.

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A.P.C – Half Moon Bag –  £280. Available at selected stockists.

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SAINT LAURENT Monogram université – £1,500.

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Chloé – Drew Bag – £1, 140.

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Céline- Trio Bag – Around £650. Available at selected stockists.

 

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Valentino – Rock Stud Bag – £1, 240.

 

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Maje – Sharon Bag – £420.

 

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GUCCI – Soho Bag – £650.

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Mansur Gavriel – £395. Available at selected stockists.

 

I definitely have my eyes firmly fixed on the classic Céline Trio and the A.P.C Half Moon bag; with the A.P.C delight hitting the top of my #MoMWishlist! Which are your favourite(s)?

MM.

REVIEW | BLEACH London.

Bleach London - review

A few months ago I decided I wanted to be back blonde. Truth be told, I was bored with my dip dye; despite it being very low-maintenance. I thought it might be nice to be a ‘natural’ blonde – something along the lines of Sienna Miller. After 6 boxes of home dye I realised it just wasn’t going to happen. And now I had weird wishy-washy dip dye. YACK.

“Why didn’t you just visit a salon?”, I hear you ask. Well, juggling Mr Eli, work, driving lessons (yes, I am 10 years late to the game) and sorting out the day-to-day running of your family home does not leave much time in the way of pampering. (In fact, it leaves zero time!). I’d dyed my hair on an evening once Eli was in bed and Mr Memoirs could tend to him while my hair “developed” – albeit, it didn’t develop into much as I previously mention.

Fed up – I came to the decision that I now wanted to go back to my not so natural roots.  The platinum (with an old ladies blue rinse mixed in for good measure) me. The old me.

I’d seen LOADS of hype about BLEACH London. The salon itself residing in WAH Nails on Kingsland Road, was masterminded by Alex Brownsell (super hair colourist extraordinaire) and Samantha Teasdale (brains behind the business – also a one time friend-of-a-friend and Teasdale Twin to Louise; the actual live-in hair stylist for One Direction).

Anyway, I digress.

BLEACH London have done incredibly well – obviously helped along by their insane black book of celebrity clients, of course – but they have only been open just over a year. The salon prides itself as the first people to recreate the Ombre look. A BLEACH London dip-dye is not for the faint hearted, think rainbows and My Little Pony. Just amazing unconventional dye jobs – that also remind me of Kate Winslet’s character, “Clementine Kruczynski”, in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (one of our all time favourite films, EVER!). You also won’t fail to notice that BLEACH London cleverly names itself after it’s speciality (bleaching, and lots of it) and after the Nirvana album (which famous font they also share).

Back in October, BLEACH London launched a range of vibrant dyes, treatments and styling products to Boots.You can purchase in store and online at Boots.com, choosing from colours such as Awkward Peach, Washed Up Mermaid and Bruised Violet. All products in the range cost under £10; which is ridiculously good, considering!

I purchased two boxes of the Total Bleach and a box of White Toner (in the 3 for 2 at Boots). I have used both boxes of bleach and the White Toner and this is the current result:

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I absolutely LOVE the Total Bleach. It smelt like really strong peroxide as I was mixing it and took my breath away at times – but the consistency is great. It goes on fairly easily, but would recommend you buy two boxes for hair longer than mine as it doesn’t stretch too far. Within the Total Bleach box you also get a mixing bowl, mixing brush and gloves. In both the Total Bleach and White Toner boxes you also get a tube of the amazing Reincarnation Mask; which I was going to purchase on it’s own anyway. The tube states to keep the mask on for up to 20 minutes or so; but twice now I’ve left the conditioning treatment on my hair for a few hours and kept it covered with a shower cap. This has DEFINITELY rescued my poor hair which has been through the mill, to say the very least!

BLEACH London is my new favourite bleach. It feels like it is very kind on my hair and it actually feels in a much better condition now than it did before I started the bleaching process. I’m so so happy with it. The colour is even and has a lovely shimmer, which I didn’t get with the previous brands I’ve used to achieve this same colour. I’m also using the following BLEACH London products:

Bleach London
BLEACH London Reincarnation Mask, £6.00 – Boots.com
This mask smells so so nice – almost like Men’s aftershave; not your usual fruity scent. My hair has a shimmer and feels so much stronger and less dry. I will be using the mask once a week to keep on top of dryness and damage.

Bleach London
BLEACH London Silver Shampoo, £5.00 – Boots.com
I have used several ‘silver’ shampoo’s in my time as a platinum blonde – but NONE of them compare to this one from BLEACH London. Again, it smells divine and took every tiny bit of yellowy tone that was present away. It’s made my hair very ashy, which is the look I was going for! Careful though, this could make your hair pretty blue if left on too long. I would also recommend that your alternate using different shampoo’s to avoid toner build up; which will definitely result in blue hair (unless thats what you’re wanting of course!).

Bleach London
BLEACH London Split Fix Serum, £6.00 – Boots.com
I’m finishing my hair with this incredible serum. I’ve tended to avoid things like this previously as they can be overly greasy and do more harm than good. But not this Split Fix Serum! This serum is amazing, it is controlling my hair like nothing else, fights frizz and fly away – without weighing my hair down. It also has that wonderful scent to it. I’ve been using this serum both on towel dried hair and on dry hair to tame those fly aways.

I seriously cannot recommend the BLEACH London range enough. I’m shocked and surprised at how good each and every product is – I’ve seen amazing results of their rainbow home-dyes too. Check out their Instagram for updates from their many happy customers! @BLEACHLondon.

Would you dare to experiment with the BLEACH London range? Would love to see your results!

MM.

 

Mr Eli’s Quarters | Lion Print by Ingela P Arrhenius.

INGELA P ARRHENIUS - LION PRINT, £20.00. Archie's Boutique.
INGELA P ARRHENIUS – LION PRINT, £20.00; Archie’s Boutique.

We’re still yet to properly decorate and sort out Mr Eli’s stomping ground, otherwise known as his quarters bedroom. But that doesn’t stop me trawling the internet for neat finds like this one!

I just LOVE this 50’s inspired print by Ingela P Arrhenius. Mr Eli is a Leo the Lion himself, so I thought this would be quite fitting for his bedroom. (Not that we’re a family of the zodiac I might add!).

I found this print on Archie’s Boutique and here is what they say about it:

This lovely chap has so much character and personality!

Ingela P Arrhenius’ Lion poster is full of vibrant colours that are guaranteed to brighten up any room, whether it be a child’s or adults.

Stockholm based artist Ingela Arrhenius designs the most wonderful cartoon-like illustrations that are inspired by work from the 50s and 60s.

50 x 70 cm

There are several other prints available online too – such as a Tiger print and Alphabet print. Just so cool.

MM.

 

My favourite cosy jumpers, online now!

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BRRR! It’s getting chilly out there!  Here are my favourite cosy jumpers for your little boy (or girl!), that are available online, NOW!

#1 – Tootsa MacGinty New Forest Jacquard Jumper, Blue – £40.00 From JohnLewis.com
#2 – John Lewis Baby Moose Fair Isle Jumper, Blue – £15.00. From JohnLewis.com
#3 – Retro Cosy Jumper, £22.00 – £24.00. From Boden.com
#4 – Knitted sweater with buttons at the side, £15.99. From Zara.com
#5 – Cable crew neck jumper, £11.00 – £12.00. From Next.co.uk
#6 – John Lewis Baby Bear Jumper, Grey – £15.00. From JohnLewis.com
#7 – Black patterned crew neck, £13.00 – £14.00. From Next.co.uk
#8 – Cosy hotch potch top – #16.00 – £18.00. From Boden.co.uk
#9 – Tootsa MacGinty Cloud Knit Jumper – £34.00. From JohnLewis.com
#10 – Knitted stripe jumper – £5.99. From H&M.com
#11 – Fisherman style jumper, £13.00 – £14.00. From Next.co.uk
#12 – Marled sweater, reduced from £14.95 to £11.99. From Gap.com

 

MM.

Pinterest.com/MaternalMusings

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Did you know?

Did you know, I’m pinning my ‘loves, wants and NEEDS’ over on Pinterest? No?! You kidding me?!

Follow me HERE!

MM.

What Eli Wore | Casual Converse day.

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What Eli Wore:
Children’s Converse Tee – £10 – £12, Debenhams KIDS.
Mini Club Boy’s Grey Jogging Bottoms – £5.00, Boots.com
Classic Converse Low-Tops in Black – £24.99, Office KIDS.

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On Saturday we were all a little bit worn out and tired. Mr Memoirs spent most of his day snoozing on the sofa, while me and Mr Eli had fun playing games and watching TV. So Saturday was all-in-all, a casual and cosy kind of day. Which, we thoroughly enjoyed! Mr Eli spends much of his time in skinny jeans, chinos and a lovely shirt. So ‘Casual Converse day’ was quite a change for him indeed!

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Mr Eli was comfy and cosy in his new grey joggers from Boots.com! At £5, they’re such good value for money, they’re quite slim fitting too – so great for the trend conscious amongst you. Don’t forget, you also get your Boots points! BONUS ROUND! He also wore his new Converse Tee, finally! It was a birthday gift from our dear friends Christie and Adam, it’s a size 18m, so a little big for Eli just yet – but we couldn’t wait to get it out! We styled the longer sleeves out with a roll up – making him look super cool. Eli is wearing his Converse Low-Tops so much now, we think they’re helping with his walking as it’s a greater surface area to aid his balance – while also keeping his feet nice and straight through the day; helping to avoid that dreaded relapse!

A great casual combo. What are your favourite clothing combinations for a lazy day inside?

MM.

Maternity clothing recommendations for the week ahead: New styles now online!

Every Sunday I will bring you my Maternity clothing recommendations that are available online (and in some stores!). My Top Five styles this week are…

Essential Boden Wrap Dress, £99.00. Available in two pretty prints and a plain option.
Click here to purchase at Boden.co.uk


2-in-1 camisole and striped cardigan, £29.50.
Click here to purchase at MarksandSpencer.com

Peach Chino, £16.99. Button up waist with elasticated side inserts.
Click here to purchase at NewLook.co.uk

Gently flared coat by Mama at H & M, £34.99.
Available in store and online

Jade Scoop Neck Wrap Dress, WAS £75.00/NOW £45.00.
Click here to purchase online at CraveMaternity.co.uk