Yearly Archives: 2019

Mother’s Day Inspiration from Newbridge Silverware*

24th March 2019
[Post contains gifted items.]

With just a week to go until Mother’s Day I left it a bit late to be doing a gift guide, but some items are just worth sharing, and these beautiful pieces from Newbridge Silverware definitely fall in to that category.

Inside the beautiful blue boxes were two items that I instantly fell in love with, and these were just the tip of iceberg when it comes to what the company have to offer, as you’ll find out if you read on.
The silverplate bracelet with coloured stones* is a gorgeous piece that costs a very reasonable £38.00. I love the spiritual meaning behind it- designed to inspire and enhance creativity, emotion and intuition. I gifted this to my Aunt who is visiting from Holland at the moment and she absolutely loved it’s delicate beauty and the meaning behind it.
I was also sent the gold plated necklace version* which carries the same sentiment – it was almost impossible to get photos that do this piece justice but you can see much better on the website. This costs a very reasonable £43.00 and looks stunning when worn.
You’ll also find a whole host of other gorgeous giftware on the website, I’ve popped some pictures of some other favourites below to help inspire your choices. My Mum sadly can’t wear jewellery due to several metal allergies but there are plenty of other options available if you find yourself in a similar situation.
All products can be purchased online at www.newbridgesilverware.com at the showrooms at Newbridge Silverware, Co. Kildare (Ireland) or to find your nearest Newbridge Silverware stockist call 00 353 45 431301. You can also follow @newbridgesilverware to see all of the latest new products and lifestyle news stories.

Posted in brands I love, gifts, jewellery

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Royals around the world: Who’s style are we searching to steal?*

23rd March 2019
It’s a well-known fact that the British royals have been stealing the spotlight lately when it comes to fashion – but there are a few other royal ladies who are ramping up the style stakes in other countries. From princesses to duchesses, these royal ladies look regally stunning no matter the occasion.

Photo by Jared Subia on Unsplash

Queen Letizia, Spain

Renowned for her enviable wardrobe with it’s designer items and high-street finds, Queen Letizia of Spain is always on point.
Take it back to King Willem-Alexander’s 50th birthday in The Netherlands for example when she wore a red one-shoulder Stella McCartney cape gown with matching heels. She opted for red again when she attended the state banquet at Buckingham Palace in 2017, turning heads as always.
Also as part of her state visit, Letizia wore a beautiful floral skirt from one of her favourite designers, Carolina Herrera. After this appearance, searches for the term ‘Carolina Herrera skirt’ rose by 50% from June to July of the same year.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, England

Research revealed that she was the most likely to convince American shoppers to purchase a UK brand. The Duchess of Cambridge has built up a loyal fashion following over the years, in fact, her influence on fashion even has its own name — ‘the Kate effect’.
It’s not only the UK nation that appreciate her either, when she wears an item of clothing or an accessory it reportedly increases the desirability among 38% of US shoppers. In October 2018, she rocked up to the Victoria and Albert museum wearing a cute tweed dress. After this appearance everyone wanted a similar garment! In fact search volume between September and October for the term ‘tweed dress’ rose by 50%.

Crown Princess Victoria, Sweden

There’s no denying that Crown Princess Victoria has her own style, but even she has succumbed to “the Kate effect”. Victoria was photographed in a mini navy pleated dress in 2015, the same one that the Duchess of Cambridge had worn a year prior.
Her wardrobe is recognisable by the vibrant colours and bright prints. At a sustainability awards in August 2017, Princess Victoria decided to wear a cocktail dress from designer Maxjenny. Not only did people want to take her picture, but they wanted a similar dress for their own it seems. Searches of the designer rose by 222% from July to August of the same year.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, England

There are 22,000 monthly global searches of the term “Meghan Markle style” — it seems that she’s made some global fashion fans! And of course, we’re all eager to copy her look.
Understandably, one of her most memorable looks to date was her stunning silk gown that she wore following the luncheon after her wedding. After she was photographed in this look, high-street designers began to replicate the look knowing that she’d be setting the next trends. Research revealed searches for ‘halter neck dresses’ were up 40% following the royal wedding and the term ‘halter neck tops’ increased 21% week on week as people tried to replicate her look on the special day.
It’s not only her outfits that have caused a storm either. When her stunning diamond ring was making headlines everyone else wanted to feel like a duchess too. In fact, global search engine data reveals a 50% increase in searches for ‘three stone ring’ from October to November 2017.
Following her official engagement announcement, Meghan showed up at a Nottingham event with a tote bag from brand Strathberry. Following this appearance a 398% increase in searches for ‘Strathberry’ occurred from November to December 2017.

Crown Princess Mary, Denmark

Following her picturesque wedding to Prince Frederik in 2004, Princess Mary has been thrown into the spotlight.
Princess Mary is known for her fairy tale dresses, statement dress coats and pillbox hat — often being compared to Jackie Kennedy. Due to her love of fashion, it’s no surprise that other women want to channel her look too. In May 2018, she attended the Copenhagen Concert Hall in Denmark wearing a blouse and pleated skirt by designer Charlotte Eskildsen. The designer would’ve been pleased for this exposure — searches for ‘Charlotte Eskilden’ rose 51% after Princess Mary was spotted wearing the brand.

Posted in inspiration

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How to Overhaul Your Beauty, Fashion and Health Regime for a Revitalised You*

21st March 2019

When you’re feeling sluggish, unmotivated and anxious is there anything better than a weekend of fixing up? Refreshing your entire wardrobe, indulging in new skincare products and taking some much needed time out for yourself is priceless. When it comes to beauty, fashion and health you will always be looking for ways to improve upon your knowledge and daily routine; whether you’re trying yoga for the first time or splashing out on some new jewellery it can help contribute to happier mindset overall. It’s time to start thinking about switching up your regimes and routines right now and you will soon discover a healthier, happier and more stylish you.

Simple Style Updates

First of all you need to think of simple ways to revamp your style and give yourself a confidence boost. You don’t need to head out to the shops and spend a fortune on a whole new wardrobe, but you can invest in small statement pieces that give you that little bit of self-esteem you’re looking for. H Hogarth Jewellers has a collection of exquisite jewellery that would really add some fresh feeling to your tired old ensembles. From beautiful bracelets to exquisite earrings, you will be able to find a handful of items that make you feel completely renewed.

Photo by Kyle Frederick on Unsplash

Dare to Be Different

Don’t feel as though you need to stick with the same old styles you have always been wearing. Daring to be different can sometimes bring about the positive change you have been looking for, so why not give it a go? Spruce up those plain black jeans with some rips and ruffle up your hair with some styling mousse. Small changes that allow you to loosen up and express yourself will always be more effective that sticking to social norms and fashion trends.

Move and Groove to Feel Good

One of the reasons why you might have been feeling slow and lethargic is because you aren’t moving enough. Even if you aren’t the most athletic person you can still embark upon exercise routines that you enjoy such as walking, dancing or swimming. Getting out of the house when you feel demotivated will help you to increase adrenaline and good endorphins inside your body. You will never regret a workout, so what have you got to lose? Being stuck at a desk 9-5, I really enjoy being able to get out for a stroll, even for just ten minutes.

Beautify From the Inside Out

You can’t expect to look glowing and gorgeous if you aren’t feeding yourself properly. If you have been living on fast food and sugary snacks, then now is the perfect time to make a change. See how good you feel when you indulge in a green smoothie bursting with fruit, veggies and protein for your breakfast in the morning. It’s going to give you much more energy to survive on than a sugar laden cereal. Think about making small swaps to your everyday diet and you will soon notice glowing skin, healthy hair and a positive mindset.

Switch Up Your Skincare

Once you have started to glow from the inside out, you might want to change up your skincare regime to match your new healthy way of life. If you are the type of person who swishes a makeup wipe over their face to cleanse in the evening (guilty!) then now is the time to stop this habit. Use a good quality cleanser to wipe away the day’s makeup and dirt and use an exfoliating brush to get deeper into your pores. Once a week you should think about treating yourself to a face mask so that you can really pamper your skin flawlessly.

Mental Health Matters

When it comes to improving your mental health there are a number of different methods you can adopt. Taking time out for yourself can be one of the most beneficial things you can do every so often. Sometimes you spend so much time putting other people first that you forget about how important your own sanity is. Whether you head out for a walk in the park with the dog or you read your favourite book for the afternoon, these small self-care moments will help keep your mental health in check.

Instead of allowing yourself to feel slow, sad and sluggish it’s time to reignite the passions inside you again. Find out what really makes you click whether it’s a new pair of shoes or fabulous facemask. Overhauling your beauty, health and fashion regimes will not only give you a new lease of life, but it will also give you the motivation to feel great about yourself again. Give these ideas a try and see how quickly you can go from gloomy to glorious in the next few days.

Posted in healthy living

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The ELeaf Elven pod system from e-cigarette direct*

20th March 2019

[post contains gifted item]

Well, I seem to have quite firmly found a niche as a vaping blogger, it might not seem very fitting, but over the last six months this journey in to ditching cigarettes has become a big part of my life and I’ve become very interested in the vaping world.
As regular readers will know, the team at e-cigarette direct have kept me well supplied since I started this adventure and one of my most recent packages from the contained a pod system to try out alongside my regular vape set up.

Eleaf Elven pod system c/o e-cigarette direct

Pod systems are a newer generation of vaping kit, they either come with pre-filled pods or with empty pods which the user can re-fill. These are disposable and designed to be replaced as the coil wears out.

At £16.99 the Elven pod system provides a middle ground between a budget vape pen and getting kitted out with a proper box mod. It’s much more discreet- not an awful lot bigger than a USB stick and much lighter to carry around.

This kit comes with re-fillable pods (you get two in the box) which are super simple to remove, fill and replace. I very much approve of the lightweight and sleek design, I certainly feel less conspicuous being out and about with this than I do my regular set up!

I don’t know if it’s a regular feature on pod systems but the Elven has an adjustable air flow so you still have some control over how you’re vaping which I like. I don’t get the same level of hit from this as I do my box mod but it’s perfectly acceptable as has become my go-to for out and about vaping as it’s much easier to carry.

It’s so easy to charge (usb) and operate too; you literally inhale and that’s it! The battery life is pretty impressive and the draw you get from it when on restricted air flow is comparable to that of a cigarette.

I’ve found this set up works best with nicotine salts rather than regular juice, but it works fine with regular as well. You get much less vape cloud using the pod system which makes it more acceptable in busier places and less obnoxious to others around.

I’m still getting used to this but so far I’m impressed. Replacement pods cost £2.49, I haven’t had to replace mine yet so I can’t say how long each one lasts for but I imagine a month or so.

My Mum has been persuaded to give one a go in a mission to reduce her smoking so it’ll be interesting to see how she fares.

If you’ve ever tried a pod system I’d love to know your thoughts.

Posted in vaping

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How to Choose the Best Hardwood Flooring for Your Beach House*

15th March 2019
When it comes to your beach house, some would argue that hardwood flooring is the superior choice. When properly installed it looks good against all decor, it’s colour doesn’t fade and it is also long-lasting and cost-effective. This may be the reason why it is the most popular floor choice, however, many people have questions around how to choose and install it well.

Photo by Arno Smit on Unsplash

1. Consider installing engineered wood.

Whilst centuries old houses will have floors made of solid wood, engineered wood is composed of a centre of plywood topped with a layer of hardwood. This flooring is more immune to, and provides tighter protection against the ever-present moisture in the coastal areas and won’t suffer the contracting or warping that a solid wood floor will. In addition to this, the wood that is used will remain in excellent condition, whilst maintaining the overall appearance of solid wood flooring.

Photo by Bette Jane Camp on Unsplash

2. Choose a lighter colour.

Choosing a lighter colour will hide scratches and general wear and tear making it a better option for family beach houses. This should be a place to relax and create happy memories and a lighter floor will age better and provide less stress and maintenance than picking a darker tone.

3. Pick a textured finish.

A textured finish not only looks unique, but will hide dents and scuffs better than a smooth surface. It is much more forgiving and you can customise it yourself with a wire brushed, low gloss finish.

4. Get creative with colour.

You should not be scared to experiment with colour and texture. Try embracing the sea vibes with a faded blue textured surface, or even a bold aqua tone to really stand out. It will add to the seaside vibes and provide a focal point that lends itself to simple, casual decor.

Having solid wood flooring or engineered hardwood flooring can really add to your beach front retreat. It makes the house looks clean and fresh, and makes cleaning up sandy footprints much easier. Whether it be engineered or solid, do some research and get experimenting for a unique escape that is set to stand the test of time.

Posted in inspiration, interiors

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