Yearly Archives: 2012

Sarenza Shoe(s) of the Week: Mellow Yellow

24th September 2012

So, it would seem that my Sarenza A-Z and my Sarenza shoe of the week has kind of merged itself in to one post.
This week my heart is skipping over some fabulous boots from classical/quirky brand Mellow Yellow who take a well loved, basic shoe and then add their own snazzy touches with great success.

The recent cold snap led me to being instantly drawn to the Mosaic boot; a beauty in brown and knit. Don’t they look snug? They’ll be brilliant with bare legs on a warmer day if we get it, but also super cute with berry coloured tights when the chill really sets in!
The gold heel on the Madras ankle boot adds a touch of luxe to this wardrobe staple. I think these will earn their keep come party season as they will effortlessly travel from office to party.
And finally, embracing this season’s trend for all things metallic I had to feature the Magnify; a real multitasker by being practical AND on trend- not something you see every day! In fact these also nail two trends as the burgundy colour is the colour du jour…(just incase you needed to justify a cheeky purchase!)

What are your thoughts on my selection? I shall be keeping a beady eye on Mellow Yellow, a brand to watch for sure!

xxxs

Posted in sarenza

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Sunglasses Shop- review and giveaway (or, it’s never too late for shades!)

23rd September 2012

A couple of weeks ago I had an e-mail from the lovely folk at Sunglasses Shop  asking me if I’d like to work with them as a blogger.
Well damn, there’s an offer and a half! Sunglasses Shop is a mecca for shade lovers, stocking a huge variety of brands and a section dedicated to celebs in shades for a bit of extra inspiration!

Of course there is the brands such as Ray-Ban that everyone knows and loves as well as many, many more including and not limited to; Oakley, Chanel, D&G, Dior, Guess and Michael Kors.

I was offered a pair of glasses for review purposes and picked this blingtastic Guess pair in Black as a lover of the cat eye shape on me (one of few that doesn’t swamp my facial structure!)
I was impressed at the amount of information on the website when it came to selecting my sunnies; an indepth guide to help you pick the perfect pair for your face shape, hairstyle and usual daily style!

I honestly cannot fault the service at Sunglasses Shop; the order arrived the day after it was placed, securely packaged in a sealed and signed for box and well protected inside. I LOVE these glasses so much, from the leopard print case to the sturdy well made design..I certainly don’t feel I’ll be trailing bits of bling as I walk!

The folk at Sunglasses Shop are kindly offering a reader of my blog a pair of sunglasses too. Together we picked The Revolver Sunglasses in black from funky and affordable brand Le Specs

To enter all you need to do is pop along to Sunglasses Shop facebook page, give them a “like” and post “Revolver Sunglasses” on their wall. Then head back to the blog and leave me a comment letting me know you’ve done this and leave me a way to contact you if you win!

Simple right?
The giveaway will run for ten days, running until Wednesday 3rd October at 6pm. Open to all of my UK readers.
Good Luck!
What do you think of my Guess babies?

xxx

Posted in competition, giveaway, review

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Autumn Baking; Apple Muffins

22nd September 2012

The other day I had an afternoon to myself and a sudden urge to bake. Now the weather has started to turn  I feel more like baking up a storm; warm kitchen and the smell of freshly cooked cake…that has to be an Autumn Highlight!

Inspired by some apples going soft in the fruit bowl, I whipped up a batch of Apple Muffins (although I decided to make one large cake, which worked just as well) using a recipe I found online.

  • 225g of plain flour
  • 3 tbsp of baking powder (I think this is meant to be 3tsp, as you can see, my cake sunk from rising too fast!)
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp of ground ginger
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 150ml of milk
  • 3 tbsp of sunflower oil
  • 40g of unsalted butter
  • 170g of Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced (I used gala apples)
  • 70g of golden sultanas
  • 3 tbsp of light brown sugar

1.
To make this apple muffin recipe, start by preheating the oven to 190˚C/Gas mark 5 and place 12 muffin cases in a muffin tray; or in my case, grease and line a cake tin. I also made three regular sized muffins for snacking, too!
2.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sugar.
3.
Peel, core and dice the apples. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and stir in the milk. Add the oil, melted butter and stir in the diced apple.
4.
Add the wet mixture into the dry and combine well. Stir through the golden sultanas.
5.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases (tin) and sprinkle the tops with brown sugar
6.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until lightly brown. The apple muffins should spring back when pressed. Allow to cool slightly before eating; I found my large cake was perfectly cooked in the 20 minutes and the muffins only took 15. I think this will vary depending on your oven though, I know for a fact mine runs hot.

Do you have a favourite Autumn recipe, or a tried and tested apple cake recipe? Feel free to share it in the comments section!
(This cake was GOOD, but I think there were flaws in the recipe such as the quantity of the baking powder, I should have followed instinct and added less).

Posted in baking, recipes

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Fashionable Fuel; 9 bars

22nd September 2012

9 bars aren’t a new product, they’ve been around for a while and enjoyed many a time by myself and thousands of others.
They’ve recently had a bit of a makeover, and a taste of the high life as they fuelled back-stage at the Erdem fashion show during LFW.

“Taking place in a futuristic fashion iglu in Manchester Square the collection showed a departure from the floral prints so synonymous with previous seasons and saw an introduction of python, whilst holding on to the feminine silhouettes for which the designer has become famous. Backstage the models, crew and hair and makeup teams were fuelled through the spectacular show by the latest must have for fashion week – 9bars. These delicious, seed based snack bars are chock full of slow release energy to keep the fashionistas fuelled throughout the busy morning of prep and the tension of the show itself, and being full of seeds they even help keep the models looking their best thanks to the high levels of omega oils which keep skin, hair and nails healthy – a real must have during a frantic fashion week!

The 9bar range is available from Waitrose, Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Morrison’s, Holland & Barrett and independent health food stores nationwide. All varieties are available in 4 x 40g multi packs, RRP £1.89, and in 50g singles, RRP 70p”
The folk at 9 bar were kind enough to send me a few samples to try too, although my endorsement can’t compare to high flying fashionistas!
My personal favourites are the Pumpkin bar (the sweeter, lighter bar in the range with no carob topping, these make a great breakfast on the run), and the Original, jam packed full of seeds and goodness with a great contrasting texture thanks to the smooth carob topping.

The bars are handmade in Wales and so good for you it’s unreal. The bars are all gluten, dairy and wheat free so perfect for pretty much everyone and brilliant for stashing in your handbag for a hectic day!

Have you tried 9bars before? Which is your favourite?

xxx

Posted in food, review, snacking

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swish

21st September 2012

Bracelet c/o Jon Richard, New Look top, Bershka skirt via Vente-Privee, Flatforms c/o Miss Ikon.

I love a good maxi skirt, especially one that creates a really satisfying swish when you walk just like this Bershka beauty does. I fell in love with the brand in Spain and when Vente-Privee had a sale on I used it as the perfect chance to stock up on basics; I ended up with the skirt, two tops, a pair of jeans and an umbrella for under £30. You have to wait a while for delivery but it’s so worth it!

TGIF! This week has raced past at a dizzying pace and I am more than ready for the weekend and a lie-in! Just a ten hour shift to get through and then the PJs will go on and relaxation can begin!

How was your week been? Have you shopped with Vente-Privee before?

xxx

Posted in outfits

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