When the PPI scandal reared its head a few years back, I didn’t pay much attention. When Craig casually mentioned 2 years ago he was submitting a few claims, I didn’t pay much attention. When he rang me a week ago from work and told me that some of his loan-providers had agreed his insurance was indeed mis-sold, I paid a huge amount of attention. The pay-out is enough to cover our visa applications and moving costs for Oz. and a few treats.

All of a sudden, the fact that he hadn’t got around to booking our September summer holiday was forgiven. What was originally a £1000 budget has now doubled and he’s promised me a holiday of a lifetime. Given our year didn’t get off to the best of starts, I figure we deserve some time to ourselves and couldn’t be any more excited. He’s whispered several locations to me now, from Mauritius to the Maldives, the thing with my Craig is that he loves to surprise me.

Given we’re not restricted by school holiday’s, a healthy budget can go a long way. I won’t send you all into a jealous rage by droning on about the holiday (not least because I don’t know what it is!), but I can tell you I’ve got a matter of weeks to put the perfect summer wardrobe together.

Yes, my beautiful, charismatic, funny, charming and handsome (he reads this blog!) Craig has pledged me £800 to stop me panicking about what to wear. The single condition is almost laughable in its absurdity - I can’t get to the day before the holiday and break down in tears that my sarong doesn’t match my swimsuit. He wants an easy life and no hysterics. I have to promise I’ll have my shopping done before we board the plane… no exceptions.

So without a destination to research and obsess about, I have my own little project to get stuck into. I have to fill an entire suitcase with the ultimate summer wardrobe. We’re talking figure-flattering designer swimwear, sky-scraper heels, and effortless dresses that look just as stunning down the beach as they do in a high-end restaurant.

Having stumbled upon luxury fashion site Avenue 32 this evening, I’m confident that I’ll find the key pieces I’ll need to fit in with the jet-setting elite. I figure this search is going to a quality over quantity hunt. I’d rather plump for some budget-busting treats than buy-it-cheap-and-stack-it-high for my once in a lifetime holiday. They’ll be plenty of time for mumsy attire when I’ve got a handful of mini-me’s trailing behind me.

This is a featured post