Category Archives: life stuff

Insta-life lately

24th August 2016
As ever I’m so behind with what used to be a monthly blog post. In fairness life has been a little bit topsy-turvy over the last few weeks as I’ve moved back in with my parents for the for-seeable and I’ve had some big decisions to make in terms of my health, recovery and future. Everything is going to work out for the best though and I’m keeping positive…so here is a taster of some of the random things I’ve enjoyed over the last couple of months. You can follow me on instagram to see even more, I’m always looking for new people to spy on (which makes me sound a lot creepier than I really am!)
I baked cat shaped shortbread!
I’m a bit obsessed with enamel pins lately and couldn’t resist this little chap. Maturity game strong.
Ice cream chewits are back! This made my year!
Adulting hard.
This was such a good read, I’ve since devoured a couple more of his books and really rate them.
Chickpea obsessive.
Stole a cat tee from Mum.
New Nakd bars…another expensive snack addiction!
A bit of Mum & Daughter time.
Summer fruit is my favourite.
Standard Mae.
Ordered the cutest retro mirror from Etsy!
Retro snacking in the sunshine.
My constant companion lately.
Clearly re-living my youth at the moment.
Another retro revival in the form of MAC’s goodluck trolls collection.
Grumpy cat PJs from Primark!
Little creep.
Apparently I’m a Grumpy Cat Groupie
More pins. More maturity.
I have no words for this one.
Got some new ink.
Girl after my own heart.
Let me know if you’d like any more information about any of the photos, you can click on them to view full sized and hover over them to see my captioning skills.

Feel free to leave links to your life lately posts in the comments. I’m proper nosy so will definitely check them out!

end

Posted in life, life stuff

Permalink 4 Comments

Ankle Boots for Summer with JD Williams

15th August 2016
Once again rather a lot of time has passed between outfit posts, I’m not sure anyone is actually missing them but I have missed doing them and now I have found myself living permanently back with my parents (well, for the for-seeable at least) I will probably get more chance to start snapping what I wear again. This Summer has been an absolute nightmare in terms of deciding what to wear- from heatwaves to torrential rain over the course of a few days it’s been tough to get any kind of consistency or theme going on or to plan ahead. I guess that’s the beauty of living in England though, it certainly knows how to keep us on our toes!

Top c/o George at Asda | Skirt: Pull and Bear | Boots c/o JD Williams

I seem to have skipped sandals almost entirely this year, opting instead for a mix of trainers and my ever faithful ankle boots. JD Williams recently asked me if I’d like to pick out a pair of ankle boots from their website and show how I would wear them for Summer and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to show the kind of things I’ve been choosing to wear lately.

The skirt I’m wearing was an absolute bargain at £5.99 in the Pull and Bear sale. I had only popped in to town the other week to keep myself busy when faced with a long day alone and I’m really glad I did! It’s quite a lightweight denim so perfect to wear now but it will also layer up nicely with tights for the colder months ahead. I’ve always loved the combination of denim skirts and ankle boots and I think the tan leather of these JD Williams pair goes perfectly with the cut and colour of this skirt.

The top is actually meant to be a bardot neckline but after trying and failing numerous times to get along with them I gave up and popped it firmly back on my shoulders. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but I still really like how this adds a bright and breezy component to the outfit, although typically a jacket also made an appearance later in the day.

Ankle boots in my eyes are a year round essential as they go with everything from knitwear to a summery floral frock. This is how I justify having such a large collection of ankle boots to myself anyway, and that fact I have at least another 5 pairs on my wish list…well, there IS nothing worse than cold feet no matter what time of year right?

How do you wear ankle boots in the summer? Or are they a seasonal shoe in your eyes?

end

Posted in life, life stuff, outfits, shoes, shopping

Permalink 3 Comments

Kitten Kollege “A Guide to Neutering Kittens”*

10th August 2016

For someone who is utterly obsessed with cats there is surprisingly little content featuring them on this here blog. That’s going to change, starting from now there is going to be a lot more feline themed posts appearing on my site.

To kick things off we’re going back to school, or rather “Kitten Kollege” with Whiskas who have created a series of fun and informative videos offering advice to kitten owners on a whole range of topics. Today I am sharing “A guide to neutering kittens” which probably one of the lesser talked about aspects of owning a cat and probably a subject that causes the most anxiety to owners. It might sound cruel to remove a cat’s reproductive organs but really, unless you know you want to breed your cat in the future it’s in your best interest and in theirs. As cute as kittens are you really don’t want to find yourself suddenly the owner of a whole hoard of them who then need to be cared for and have homes found for them. Likewise you don’t want a cat that rules the roost by spraying urine to mark their territory, or finding yourself the owner of the neighbourhood bully. Neutering also has numerous health benefits and all round makes for a happier pet and human!

How cute is this video? It’s seriously giving me major yearnings for another ball of fluff in my life…which I don’t think Mae would take too kindly to right now.

And cuteness aside I think the video, and indeed the whole “Kitten Kollege” series is brilliant. Short and informative the videos deliver just the right amount of information without bombarding the viewer. A touch of humour goes a long way in learning and who can resist all of those furry faces?

Let me know what cat related content you’d love to see on the blog, and watch this space…

end

Posted in cats, life stuff

Permalink 1 Comment

2016’s interior trends and how to make them work for you*

31st July 2016
I’ve always had a passing interest in interior design and would quite happily flick through Mum’s pile of home decor type magazines to while away some time. Since moving in to the flat I’ve taken an even keener interest, especially in how to incorporate some of the latest trends in a budget friendly and suitable for rental way. Baytree Interiors have been looking in to some of 2016’s biggest hits for the home and there’s a great feature on the Real Homes Magazine website too. With this as my inspiration I’ve popped together my thoughts on those trends and how they could work for me and my home.
The first thing to mention is colour. Ben and I are far from colour shy which is just as well as it’s set to continue being big news when it comes to the home. From Pantone’s colour of the year through to Dulux’s colour forecast for the year it’s clear to see that white and magnolia has been banished for the time being. Rich colours paired with metallic golds and coppers are the top picks and un-wittingly we already have a lot of this in our living room (nicknamed “the amazing technicolour living room”) with our mis-matched furniture, most of which we bought second hand for a very low price then painted up with a coat or two of Annie Sloan’s infamous chalk paint. I think a bright home using rich and warm colours makes for a cosy home and our living room is my favourite place to relax.
Patterns are also still going strong with world travel being the main influence. It doesn’t have to be limited to the walls either- a colourful rug on the floor, reupholstering a dining room chair or adding a Moroccan inspired runner to a table are great ways to embrace the trend with minimal commitment and without breaking the bank.
Metallics are having a moment with everybody and their dog going crazy for copper. I’m no exception and around the flat you’ll find lots of metallic elements dotted around- from silver herb planters hosting bright and bold flowers to the copper pan taking pride of place in my kitchen. From my experience places like Home Bargains and The Range are good places to pick up inexpensive decorative bits that will certainly last the duration of the trend if you’re likely to change your mind. Slightly more pricey are H&M, Urban Outfitters and Oliver Bonas- I have a massive wish list for all three of these stores and keep a close eye out for sales or discounts! For bigger pieces of furniture and decor you can strike gold on sites like gumtree and ebay or by scouring charity shops and car boot sales. We picked up a massive filigree mirror for about £20 via gumtree when we’d previously seen them in a reclamation yard for over £200!
Have you embraced any of these trends around your home? What have been some of your homeware best buys?

end

Posted in inspiration, interiors, life stuff, shopping, trends

Permalink 2 Comments

Throwing The Perfect Baby Shower*

29th July 2016

I’ll preface things by saying this post isn’t some sideways means of announcing that I’m expecting, but I am at that age (29, eek) where a lot of my friends are doing awfully grown up things like getting married, buying houses and having babies! Although it’s hard to imagine any of these things happening for me in my immediate future it is an exciting time and gets my brain whirring at times.

Baby showers are a fairly new “thing” in the UK and for a long time I wasn’t really sure on what I made of them. On one hand they can seem grabby or an extravagance but on the other hand I think it’s really nice way to get together with the expectant mum and share a bit of social time before the little one arrives. It also doesn’t have to cost the earth, and on that train of thought I’ve popped together this post with my ideas on how a low-key but lovely baby shower could be done.

(image)

1. Planning: Getting everyone together can be tricky, I see less of my friends now than ever before due to the demands of every day life so start by throwing a few dates around to see when most people will be able to attend. A group e-mail should do the job. When it comes to the invites make sure you include key details like if there will be a theme or if you’d like guests to contribute food or drinks (a great way to take pressure off the planner!).
2. It doesn’t need to be expensive: Decorations can be fun and easy to make and cost next to nothing. Seek out inspiration from sites like Pinterest or from the plethora of blogs out there and raid your local discount shop for supplies! Food doesn’t have to be anything fancy, I highly doubt anyone will be expecting a sit down meal. A little buffet of party food and snacks, perhaps some home made cake for dessert should be sufficient and guests could all bring a little something, or a selection of soft drinks with them as a contribution. If you’re feeling adventurous a “mock-tail” bar could be fun!
3. Gift Wisely: As tempting as it is to go out and buy ALL the cute baby clothes ever when you find out a friend is expecting try to reign it in! The new mums I know have been inundated with things that baby will soon grow out of or end up with tonnes of bibs and socks (although I also know that you probably can’t ever have too many of those!). Consider a group gift, something practical like a footmuff for the buggy or speak to the mum to be and see if there is anything she really needs, or really wants but isn’t essential like a really pretty changing bag.
And that’s about as far as my current inspiration runs. I think I shall be referring back to this post in the months and years to come so if you have any tips and advice, or have had a baby shower I’d love to know what you’ve found worked best for you.

end

Posted in life, life stuff

Permalink 2 Comments