I started it in 2011 as an essential resource for busy, fashion conscious mums: an insider’s guide to dressing your kids in a beautiful and stylish way without maxing your credit card. Mixing high street finds with the occasional ‘splurge’ (only if it’s really worth splurging on though) for a cool, stylish and accessible ‘edit’ of the best things out there for your babies, toddlers and kids. First
and foremost I’m a Fashion Editor (I also now work as a freelance stylist and art director), and I fit the blog around my work and my family. I have worked in fashion for over fifteen years, at magazines including Marie Claire, Glamour, Red, and most recently as Fashion Editor at Large at The Sunday Telegraph’s Stella magazine. But when I had the twins (Tabitha and Marlow, collectively known as ‘Tabarlow’), everything shifted and my focus quickly became all about them and how to dress them in a stylish way (but on a limited budget as I took a year off from work. It’s safe to say I became obsessed with finding the perfect pair of first shoes, Winter coat, cashmere cardigan (not one, but two of everything) that wouldn’t break the bank, but were still gorgeous. I quickly realised that it could be done, it was just a case of re-tuning my well-trained eye to gorgeous things, just in much smaller sizes; and looking in places that I’d never even considered before (naming no names!!)). I started sharing my finds with my friends with children, and they all urged me to start my own blog; to share them with a wider audience. So Little Spree was born. I only feature things on the site that I genuinely love and really think are worth buying (without exception), and usually that means, someone in my family is already wearing it. And trust me I am very picky!! I’m just as picky about the toys, books, gifts and nursery/bedroom ideas that I feature too. Mama Spree was added in 2013 (same concept, but this time for all the stylish mamas who were already hooked on the Little Spree posts for their children), Born from constant requests from my stylish followers who also wanted to dress in a cool, but practical way (most of the time anyway) that definitely avoided anything ‘mumsy’, Mama Spree is the same affordable style, but this time, just for us! I have since added interiors, Daddy Spree, toys and books. However, what started as a bit of a hobby, has since turned into a real job (albeit one to add to my other jobs!), but my beliefs and ethics have remained the same, I still only feature things that I genuinely like. If I wouldn’t buy it, either for me, someone in my family or for a friend, it’s not going on Little Spree. It’s as simple as that. I was always very conscious about this right from the beginning, and my feelings remain unchanged. I know my current readers are loyal and they trust me, and that has grown over time. Yes, I do occasionally collaborate with brands who I genuinely like (and usually already buy from anyway) and who are the right ‘fit’ for Little Spree, but when this happens, it will always say at the end of the post. If it doesn’t, it isn’t. And yes, these collaborations may help feed my shopping habit (not just for clothes, but for interiors too!), but I would never do something just for the money (and it can be tempting, believe me) – there has to be integrity in what I do here, otherwise I honestly don’t see the point in doing it at all. If there’s no natural connection between Little Spree and the brand, it’s simply not going to happen. Finally, If you’re reading this, thank you! I feel so lucky to have such a loyal following of like-minded stylish mums – I know that many of you won’t buy anything for your kids unless it has the ‘Little Spree’ stamp of approval. Honestly, there’s nothing better than knowing people are loving what I do.
