Monthly Archives: January 2012

back to what I know

14th January 2012

Floral dress (Primark), Denim shirt (New Look), High Heels (Matalan) a return to my old staple style. As much as I love to try different things, there is nothing quite like going back to your roots and indulging in the safety of what you know best. This is what I wore Thursday, I think.
I also wanted to show off the manicure I had done at Nails Inc for £5…yep…a fiver. Thanks to Hayley alerting me to this bargain special effects mani, I hot footed it down to Harvey Nichols yesterday and had myself a mini pamper.
Yesterday involved shopping (despite my resolve not to), a LOT of coffee. A long over-due catch up with a friend and losing my Yo Sushi virginity with Hayley and Selina. Good times, and the perfect goodbye to my time off work.
Well, looks like the colder weather has hit.
Off to dig out those thermals Or shop more sales for winter wear!

xxx

Posted in life, nails, outfits

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Charli girl

13th January 2012

I’ve never been one for loungewear, there are two reasons for this

a) I’m not very good at just lounging

b) What’s the point? Clothes for outdoors, PJs for lazy days

And then I saw the press release for Charli and could suddenly think of nothing more I wanted to wear for lazing around the house in (or to team with my new found jeans appreciation, as it’s not strictly loungewear).

“Charli is a new collection of easy-luxe separates with a core of supersoft jersey basics. The brand is the
essence of a new wave of British style – wearable, unpretentious and alluring.

Textured layering items are mixed with staple pieces to create a relaxed summer wardrobe with a
downtown twist. Slinky-soft tees with love-worn appeal feature, whilst signature cashmere-jersey tops
are slightly oversized to give a fresh and modern silhouette. Classic shapes are updated with chiffon
trims and mixed fabrications give interest.

Soft bamboo and cashmere jersey mixes and relaxed lightweight linen knits in cool shades feature as
combinations of loose and slim, drape and structure. The colour palette is fresh and clean: honey, nude,
sage and a light mist grey are all core to the collection, whilst the accent colour of Poppy adds a bright
touch.

Beautiful relaxed supersoft jersey maxi dresses are perfect for lazy summer days, and the Lola linen knit
is a slightly warmer cover up. The Daphnee city shorts are great worn with the cotton shirts whilst the
staple Phoenix and Paola t-shirts and the Laguna vest offer the ideal super-soft luxury basics.

Every style can be worn dressed up or down. The soft and sensual raw fabrics are ideal for either a city
vibe or a relaxed weekend, whilst the core basics such as the Charli signature camisole vests, palazzo
pants and yoga pants offer the perfect sportswear and loungewear solutions.

Charli is available at the own multi-brand stores in Muswell Hill, Hampstead and the King’s Road in
London, as well as other boutiques nationwide and internationally. The collection retails from £25 to
£155″

The prices seem pretty good, too, for what looks to be durable classics that will only get better with age. The muted colour palette will work perfectly with the spring/summer trend for pastels.

For more information, or where to buy check out the website

Do you have dedicated lazy day wear?
Where do you stock up on your luxury basics?

xxx


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Recipe: Lemon + Lime drizzle cake

13th January 2012

A couple of weeks post Christmas and we found ourselves with a glut of rather sorry looking lemons and limes in the fridge. A few were sliced in to wedges and frozen (so perfect for plopping in to a gin and tonic!) but I also reserved one of each to make an adaptation of a recipe I found in my favourite foodie magazine…

My Mum and I have bought every issue of this magazine over the last two years…the recipes are always simple, and the sort of food we’d want to eat on a daily basis; not so much the fancy ambitious fare you can often find in culinary publications.
The recipe we were drawn to this time came under the “have your cake and eat it” section, a typical lemon drizzle cake (a firm favourite in this house) adapted by me to become a lemon and lime drizzle cake.

You’ll need:
180g low fat spread (or real butter, up to you!)
180g caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten

180g plain flour
1 Lemon and 1 Lime
1tbsp demerara sugar (this is for the topping and regular granulated sugar works fine)

How to:
Pre-heat your oven to 150*c/Gas 2 and line a loaf tin (we have handy loaf tin liners for this, but greaseproof paper also works fine!)

Beat together the spread and the sugar until fluffy then slowly add in the eggs (if it curdles, add in a tbsp or so of the flour)
Sieve in the plain flour and baking powder followed by the finely grated zest of the lemon and the lime. Stir until well combined.

Pour the mixture in to the lined tin and bake for 1hr or until a skewer inserted in comes out clean.(I found the cake was perfectly brown on top after 40 minutes but needed longer to cook through…to avoid the top burning just pop some tin foil over it).
Whilst the cake is cooking, juice the lemon and the lime.

While the cake is still warm, pour over the lemon and lime juice and sprinkle on the demerara sugar. Leave to cool then serve with a massive cup of tea.

SIMPLE! must work on food photography though!

What have you baked lately? I was hoping to do more on my time off but we have SO MUCH FOOD left in the house from Christmas.

Share your favourite recipes in the comments, as well as your favourite foodie magazines/cookbooks etc.

xxx

Posted in baking, food, recipes

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the (almost) converted

12th January 2012

Top: Next, Jeans: New Look, Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell c/o Sarenza, Bangle: Accessories direct

I fear I might have sung the praises of these jeans a little too high yesterday and people will be expecting some kind of miracle…
I can’t do magic, and neither can a pair of trousers…but there is something about these jeans that sets them aside from the rest.
I’ve learnt to accept that I have a long-standing issue about wearing fitted trousers and that I can’t shy away from it forever. These jeans, by being so soft and so damn comfortable help. A lot. New Look…I salute you (especially when you only charge £19.99)

I’d also like to talk about this bangle…this object of joy and beauty and a wonderful gift from the folk at Accessories Direct as part of their Glam Rock Chick boutique
I’m not usually a bangle girl, but when I saw this piece by Kate Benjamin I was smitten. I love how the bangles are linked together to make a super statement, and the mix of yellow and silver toned metals means it’ll go with everything.
Tempted? At £35 I think it’s a perfect reward for almost getting through the week (and if that doesn’t take your fancy…there’s a fabulous sale on at Accessories Direct, too!) I must also just mention how beautifully packaged this came, black box, black velvet pouch…sheer luxury (at a less than luxury price!)

What’s taken you by surprise this week? For me…that I could ever find an affordable pair of jeans that I don’t feel like a slightly mouldy sausage in,
and that I think I might be slightly obsessed by a bangle. Eek.

xxx

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learn from yesterday, live for today

11th January 2012

Dressed top-to-toe in New Look.

For once, I don’t have much else to say. Yesterday was a fairly no-descript day that, one of those that it is best not to dwell on.

I did finally (after years of searching) purchase a pair of skinny jeans though. New Look’s range of supersoft skinny jeans came up trumps; not too high or low waisted, thin but good quality denim, just the right amount of stretch…I later spied that they also do a range of coloured jeans in the same range,
I may become a jeans convert yet.

How’s your week going? Half way through, reward yourself!
xxx

Posted in new look, outfits, shopping

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