Category Archives: inspiration

Light up your Home this Christmas

13th December 2014
I love seeing the house all decked out for Christmas. If I had it my way our tree would be up on December 1st and wouldn’t be taken down until the New Year. I think there is something so warm and cosy about fairy lights and the smell of a Christmas tree and I’m always on the look out for new things to add to the collection.

I’ve featured the Hanging Lantern Company on the blog before (way back here) and was delighted when they got in touch again offering to spread a little Christmas cheer. They have a truly stunning range of festive treats and I was lucky enough to be able to try a few out (which also means I got my way and have some decorations up early!)

The first item I put together was one of the winter snowflake boxes (£12.95 for 8) which can be used either as a little gift box or be lit up with a Buttonlite LED and used as a table setting. I opted for the latter and loved the glow created, perfect for adding a subtle festive touch to the home (or placing on the cat for comedy value). The boxes were super simple to put together and the card is really sturdy so you know they’ll last- why not pop in some little nibbles and use as table settings for the big day?
Next up was this rather striking snowflake lantern which comes in a range of festive colours. This deep purple goes perfectly with the decor of the conservatory and it now has pride of place and looks stunning lit up in the evenings. It was a bit of a challenge to fit together, even with the extensive instructions but we got there in the end (thanks Mum!). This is something we’ll be bringing out year after year, and at £19.95 it’s an affordable way to add some cheer to your home over the festive season. A Buttonlite LED is included which will bring up to 36 hours of illumination.
Last but not least I found this Winter Floral cupcake holder (£9.95 for 12) which I think is a lovely idea for adding a special touch to Christmas bakes. I may not have had time to get in the kitchen lately, but it did make a brilliant tiara for the slightly bemused Mae!
Have you decorated your home for Christmas yet? I’m actually away this weekend and have a feeling that when I get home tomorrow night Dad might have snuck the tree up…

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NYE Dresses- the Luxe Edit

09th December 2014
The other big occasion that I know people are gearing up for as I type is New Years Eve. I’m not one for doing anything big or fancy myself, but I know that for plenty of people it’s the biggest night out of the year! Today’s post is a real “in my dreams” kind of thing; a) because I have no swanky invite to get excited about and b) because these dresses are so far out of my current budget that I can only dream of owning them- and dream I will!
The three dresses above all come from Forever Unique who specialise in luxury fashion for all occasions. Right now they have a vast and stunning selection of dresses in stock that just scream NYE, the ones I’ve picked as favourites came as a result of a good hour spent browsing the site and whittling it down!
First up comes this amazing take on the LBD which I am all kinds of in love with. If I was wearing this I’d probably add black tights (to tone down the skin on show and add some warmth!) and accessorise with gold shoes and a gold clutch bag…yep, I’m really enjoying this dress and if I had a spare £275 to my name I would be making it mine.
Next is this champagne coloured fitted dress which I think has a gorgeous vintage look to it. Champagne is clearly the perfect colour to wear for NYE and all you’d need to finish the look would be some delicate sandals and dainty silver jewellery- I’d need to steer clear of any dark coloured drinks though!
Lastly (but most certainly not least) is this festive number which with it’s red and green sequins is the perfect way to see out the festive season in style. It would also make for the perfect Christmas Day dress, made more casual with some flat over the knee boots, but I can really imagine sticking on some killer heels and dancing my way in to 2015 in this!
Have you got plans for NYE yet?

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Presents for Men- not just for men!

04th December 2014
As you can probably tell, I’ve gone gift crazy of late and have been fortunate enough to work with some wonderful websites in the hopes of sorting out all of your gifting needs. I was recently contacted by Presents for Men who I had (wrongly) assumed would only sell presents for, well, men! I do loved to be proved wrong sometimes and upon further investigation I discovered that as well as having all kinds of unique and useful gifts for the guys in your life they also stock treats for women too meaning you can sort out his stocking whilst picking up a present to you, from you at the same time!
As well as introducing me to their wonderful site and giving me plenty of inspiration for the awkward men-folk in my life I was kindly gifted this “Bad Hare Day” (£16.99) that has been on my wish list for rather a long time! It’s the perfect size for storing my stash of lip products in! I’m thinking I now need the matching note pad for creating wish lists and shopping lists…it’d be rude not to right?
Where do you get gift ideas for men? I find them so much harder to buy for…especially at Christmas!

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#dearsally- festive inspiration for tall girls!

23rd November 2014
As we race towards December I realised I’ve been so focused on gift guides that I’ve neglected to put together any posts on outfits for over the festive period. I’ve teamed up once again with Long Tall Sally to put together four looks for over the holidays- perfect for fellow tall girls looking for inspiration!
Christmas Shopping
I always think it’s best to keep it simple when Christmas Shopping, you want to stay calm and comfortable amongst the crowds of people and this all black ensemble is exactly the kind of thing I wear. I love the idea of the chunky funnel neck jumper from the TTYA range paired with skinny leather look trousers, it’ll keep you snug whilst remaining chic. I always favour flats for shopping in as I cannot bear having sore feet whilst charging around. I was instantly drawn to these ankle boots to toughen up the look a bit, finished off with a leather jacket that can easily be slipped off it things get all hot and bothered.
Christmas Party
As a tall girl I like to make the most of being able to wear maxi dresses without falling arse over tit and this metallic black number just screams glamour- it’s an update on the rose gold version I popped in a wish list back in the Summer, and although it might look simple it certainly makes an impact. I’ve added in some chic pointed toe shoes and a big old yeti coat to keep off the chill at the end of the night.
Christmas Day
Christmas Day in our house is a casual affair, gone are the days of getting all dressed up, we realised we actually prefer slobbing out in our comfiest casuals where it’s perfectly acceptable to undo a button to make way for the roast dinner food baby we’re all nursing. I love this cute robin sweater and would pair it with some slouchy boyfriend fit jeans and some pristine white converse (just in case I felt like an after dinner stroll).
Gift Ideas
If you need inspiration for your Christmas list or have a tall friend/relative to buy for this year then I highly recommend checking out the gift section on the website. I would 100% welcome a pair of pretty PJs that don’t flap around the ankles, and who can resist a super snuggly dressing gown? I’m also rather taken with the checked slippers and the hot pink hat and scarf…I do hope Santa is taking notes!
What do you think of my choices? What would you have picked?

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PicStick

20th September 2014
I’m forever snapping photos on my phone or iPad and wishing I had an actual copy to look at without having to reach for technology. Enter PicStick, a company offering your favourite photographs as beautiful magnets. At £9.50 for a sheet of 9 these make an awesome alternative to actual photo prints and would also make a fantastic gift for (dare I say it?) Christmas as they can be easily personalised for friends and family members to create a special reminder of fun times.
I was so impressed with the quality of these magnets, they look fantastic with a great glossy finish. I’ve been sticking mine all over my radiator in my bedroom as a cool way to liven it up (and until I move out and have my own fridge to decorate!) although I did split up the set and give a couple to Ben and a friend because I’m nice like that.

As I said, these cost £9.50 for a set of 9 with free worldwide delivery. You can also claim a cool 25% discount when you use the code DREAM25 at the checkout.

What do you think of this idea? I’m going to be creating some special sets to give as presents this year for sure, as well as adding to my own collection.

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