Sometimes you need a break away from being a 'mum' to get some distance and really appreciate what you have and the importance of your role when bringing up your children; last week I was lucky enough to have a holiday in Provence with a girl friend of mine, just the two of us, which meant we could relinquish all the duties associated with being a mum and really relax.

No thinking of all the paraphernalia you need to pack for a day at the beach with the kids; change of clothes, snacks, wipes, jackets just in case it's a bit blowy, thats before you take a ball, bucket and spades etc you know the drill!

No, we just took a towel, suncream and good book...plonked ourselves down on the glorious sand, had dips in the sea as and when, and strolled to the nearest beach club/restaurant when we needed refreshments! 

My friend and I stayed in pretty Cavalaire- sur- Mer; which has an enviable stretch of beach, one of the locations of the allied landings in World War II. We organised a day trip to nearby St Tropez, taking a boat there and evening bus back, sauntered around the St Tropez market, had a late lunch at Le Club 55, where the atmosphere was buzzing and did a spot of star spotting, Jeremy Piven, Tania Bryer and Joan Collins with Ivana Trump, since you ask!

Back in Cavalaire our daily routine consisted of coffee at Cafe Pellassy, then a pastry at one of the artisan bakeries, before hitting the beach until 8pm, then a quick freshen up, before cocktail sundowners, overlooking the marina, a mooch around the various boutiques before our evening meal, see my images above.

The reason it was so blissful is that it was reminiscent of a bygone era when you just had to think of yourself. or the abc life, (adult before children). After a decade as a stay at home mum it was so nice and refreshing to recharge the batteries this way, especially before the long Summer holidays of wall to wall childcare. I'm so thankful to my hands on hubby and family members that helped out and held the fort whilst I was away.

Now back at home I'll be doing ad hoc posts throughout the holidays so do pop back regularly and thanks again for stopping by.

So I've worn this dress so many times before and the reason is because this dress is easy with a capital E; easy care, 100% polyester, so no need to iron, small abstract monotone print for interest, flattering shirt shape, so don't need to flaunt any under arm flab; etc, etc.

It's been a busy week so I've needed to streamline my summer ensembles and dresses are the easiest option, which is why this shirt dress is still one of my Summer go to favourites. 

As school winds down for the holidays we've had Sports day, Swim gala, Special assembly, End of year school disco, all times two, as I have one munchkin in KS1 and one in KS2.

I'm also the Year 5 rep and on the schools Parent forum committee; which has meant a fair bit of prompted communication as well as collection of monies for teachers gift, no point having twenty odd bottles of plonk...although right now that sounds a great idea!

Anyway I've struggled to get my blog posts out daily, as you may have noticed, so I apologise and hope all is forgiven. My particular dress is by Gharani Strok London, from TK Maxx, absolutely ages ago.

The shirt dress always has a presence on the high street but I've noticed that this season designers have embraced it in various guises. See my designer choices versus designer inspired high street shirt dress styles below. The H&M Satin shirt dress was available in burgundy, above left, but when I went to grab the link it had gone, so if you're lucky you may find it still in store.  

So for a bit of ease, before the Summer madness, grab yourself a stylish shirt dress, click on the links to shop and thanks for stopping by. 

The Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the first day of Wimbledon 2017 in a Dolce & Gabbana spotted dress and block heeled strappy sandals, whilst mum to be Kim Murray wore a floral print dress and flowy light pink mac, with her Aspinal navy leather croc print bag.

​If you're lucky enough to have tickets for the tournament then a statement dress definitely seems to be the way to go! If you want more inspiration then visit this feature from Vogue, What to wear to Wimbledon.

As Kim opted for a Zara dress I thought I'd also choose a Zara dress for todays outfit builder, keeping the outerwear seasonal, and not too heavy, by choosing a Cotton Linen-blend trench from Mango and practical block heeled sandals from Kin at John Lewis. A day at Wimbledon wouldn't be complete without Strawberries and cream with a cool glass of champers so I've also shown Lanson's Black label Brut champagne in a neoprene Court jacket! 

If, like me, you're watching all the tennis action from home, then it's still a great, summery work wear outfit. Click on the links to shop and hurry with sale items as they may sell out fast. As always thanks for stopping by.