Fashion your Fringe with New Look

14th September 2015
My love of new season fashion doesn’t limit itself to just the clothes, oh no. With a plethora of stunning shoes and accessories hitting the high street I’m in accessory heaven so it was with great pleasure that I teamed up with New Look to bring you today’s post.
They sent me over a fringed detail bag from their new collection, fringing was huge news for the Spring/Summer season and doesn’t look set to be going anywhere as we move in to Autumn/Winter so I thought it was about time I get it a go. I’ve not really entered in to the realm of dangling detail before now, I suppose I thought it was limited in it’s versatility and wouldn’t go with an awful lot but I was willing to be proved wrong which is just as well as I’m really in love with my brown patchwork fringed bag.
The first look I went for was a sort of late-summer festival vibe featuring this gorgeously ethereal dress from Valour & Valkyrie and my trusty Primark sandals. This bag would be the perfect festival companion as it holds SO MUCH STUFF- I’m the kind of girl who carries her whole life around with her so a roomy bag is a must! It also goes across the body which is great when you want to keep your hands free for beer/dancing.
I then thought I’d pop together a typical weekend look, honestly I’m living in this kind of thing when I’m not photographing stuff for the blog. The suede mini skirt is going to be a staple for the cooler months and a simple cream top and denim shirt keep things low-key. I really like how the varying shades of brown in the bag complement this outfit and it’s ideal for some Saturday shopping therapy whilst the football is on (because yes, I am once again a football widow).
Last but not least is a transitional outfit for the move from Summer dresses to Winter layers. I picked up this dress in Joy last year and I’m pleased to see it fits in well with the trends a year on too. I loved the combination of mustard yellow and the brown tones of the bag but couldn’t resist adding a bit more colour with my velvet Bertie boots- I remember the look of bemusement on the woman’s face when I hobbled up to the checkout on crutches to buy these babies!
So what have I learnt? Mostly that fringe details are surprisingly versatile and this is my must-have accessory for the coming months. I’ve also learnt that I am still as clumsy as ever and keeping getting my tassels stuck in doors. Some things never change!

How would you style up this bag?

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Posted in accessories, bags, brands I love, new look, outfits

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New Season at Long Tall Sally

13th September 2015
Continuing with my theme of waxing lyrical about all things Autumn here’s another post about new collections hitting the (virtual) high street. A long time favourite on the blog, Long Tall Sally can do no wrong in my eyes when it comes to creating high fashion pieces for those of us who are taller than average and don’t fancy flashing our arses to everyone and anyone. I was recently given a peek at their latest look book as well as being allowed to pick out an outfit to style up on the blog, I decided to go for something I could wear for work this time, previously opting for more casual pieces and I couldn’t be happier with my new office attire.

Skirt- here | Blouse– here | Boots- here all c/o Long Tall Sally

Now I’m not usually a blouse or fitted skirt kind of girl but there was something about these pieces and they way they were styled in the look book that drew me to them. For the first time in my life I’ve copied an outfit exactly, right down to the boots and whilst I might not pull it off with the panache of a Long Tall Sally model I’m still really happy with how everything fits and looks.

I’ve popped a selection of other favourite pieces below, just three to give you tall girls a taster of what’s in store for us this season. Check out the Autumn collection on the website for more inspiration and let me know your favourite piece in the comments.

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Posted in brands I love, outfits, wish list

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Beating the post-holiday blues

12th September 2015
Who doesn’t love going on holiday? I’m so excited for mine which is now only 8 days away (and counting!) and I just can’t wait to be on a beach, or by the sea doing nothing for 7 glorious days- and that includes blogging! The downside to going away is coming home again, especially later in the year when you’re pretty much guaranteed grey skies and a distinct chill in the air. It’s not much fun at all. Clearly the people at Jet2holidays were reading my mind as they sent over a parcel designed to help beat those pesky post-holiday blues.
This was such a thoughtful package containing moisturiser to soothe sun-frazzled skin and fake tan to keep the glow going. Sweets are always welcome in my life and these will be perfect to munch on as I upload photographs and catch up on my no doubt heaving inbox. I’ll also be treating myself to dinner at Pizza Express with the help of this voucher, ideal for catching up with my best friend over pizza and wine…

There are other ways to beat the post-holiday blues too though, things I’ve tried and succeeded with in the past include:

1. Bring back souvenirs– the tackier the better! I get so much enjoyment from the random things I’ve bought back from my travels and I make it my mission to find the cheesiest thing I can whenever I go away!

2. Create a memory jar- ages ago I picked up a huge glass jar in the sale somewhere. Anytime I go somewhere that I want to remember I pop in little items to trigger my happy memories- a train ticket, a napkin from an amazing restaurant or a business card from a hotel. I once even bought back a napkin dispenser from a cafe in Spain, that doesn’t fit in the jar but it does bring back some very happy memories!

3. Make a photo collage- as well as uploading photos to social media and my blog I tend to pick out some favourites and get them printed (you can find plenty of free print offers if you search online) and either scrapbook them mixed in with things like tickets and random finds or decorate a wall in my room with them.

4. Bring back tasty treats! I love discovering new foods/snacks when I’m away and I’m guaranteed to bring back quite a selection on my return. I keep these for day where I’m feeling a little blue before digging in and enjoying whilst browsing my photos or planning my next trip.

5. Get some sleep- I always come back from a holiday exhausted. This time I’m straight back to work pretty much the day after we land but I’ll be making sure I get in some early nights to keep myself in mentally tip-top condition. There’s nothing like exhaustion to make me grumpy.

What are some of your post-holiday blues recovery tips? I’d love to know them.

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Posted in holiday, life, life stuff

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Degustabox- The August Edition

12th September 2015
Last month saw an un-scheduled break in my Degustabox posts so I’m extra excited to bring you this month’s reviews.

I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone.

The August box has been my favourite for a while, there were some repeat items but as I loved them the first time around it was a pleasure to see them again!

Pasta and sauce is a great store cupboard staple for a quick and easy meal so the Barilla Penne Rigate and jar of Arrabbita sauce were a welcome item. I’m not sure how much one can say about pasta, or indeed about sauce but these two are a perfect match and the kick of the arrabbita is a nice twist on a plain old tomato sauce. Just add cheese for a quick and easy comfort meal (£1.50 and £2.00 respectively).
Bahlsen are a long time favourite of mine and I love trying out their latest releases. The PICK UP! biscuits have become a staple for my snacks and this new dark chocolate variety is just gorgeous- I love the bitterness of dark chocolate contrasted with the sweet biscuit (these are an Asda exclusive). Also in this month’s box was the Choco Leibniz White which I was yet to try, Leibniz biscuits are a staple in my household and these white chocolate ones (with a cocoa biscuit base) are just divine, well worth seeking out and quite possibly my new favourite.
More biscuits, yay! I’m such a biscuit fiend and this little selection from Walkers were perfect for taking to work for a mid-afternoon pick me up. The classic shortbread fingers were my favourites, I can never resist those but each of these variations are super tasty, thank goodness for portion controlled packs, that’s all I can say- the fruit & lemon are especially addictive.
On the drinks front this month there was a nice selection- bonus items from Little Miracles and Scheckter’s as well as the most posh looking tea from Willamson Tea which is well worth it’s £4 price tag. There is something so comforting about ginger, especially as the cooler nights creep in and this makes for a super soothing brew.
It was nice to see a baking mix in the box, Oaty Cookie mix from Delicious Alchemy promises sweet, syrupy flavoured 100% gluten free cookies with the addition of only butter and water. I’m yet to bake these thanks to bad planning on my part but I will report back once I do. Oaty cookies are my favourite kind and I might throw in some cinnamon and raisins to jazz these up further.
Another bonus item was the peach flavour Fru Snax which are nice enough but not my favourite flavour, that’s not their fault though, the concept is great and give me any other flavour and I feel a new addiction forming.
As is often the case there was a coconut water product in this month’s box as well, this time a mint flavoured one from Life Tonics. I’ve made it quite clear how I feel about coconut water in the past and haven’t tried this but I’m pretty sure that any coconut water lover would really enjoy the flavours and health benefits of this range.
Probably the most exciting product for me this month was the mug cake mixes from Dr. Oetker. In three flavours- lemon, chocolate chip and rich chocolate these are the perfect way to get a quick fix of cake in seconds. Ben and I had these one evening whilst watching TV. I tried the lemon one which was nice, I’m not a huge cake eater and didn’t have much to compare it to but how can you go wrong with warm, comforting sponge with a zesty twist? Ben had the chocolate chip version (pictured) and really enjoyed it. We used pretty big mugs for these so they look small but you get a really decent portion from the mix and they all clock in around 300 calories when using semi-skimmed milk so not too bad for a little bit of indulgence. Simply add 60ml of milk, stir and microwave for 70 seconds and enjoy. We’ll be buying these again, a bit of an extravagance maybe but we never get through a whole cake if we buy or make one!
If you received the box this month I’d love to read your thoughts- feel free to link to your posts below. If I’ve persuaded you that you might want to sign up then you can grab a cool £3.00 discount when you sign up using the code BQXK9

Posted in food, review

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Stir up your brew

11th September 2015
Oh tea, how I love you. Gone are the days where my coffee consumption reached double figures, I now have a bit of a better balance in my drinks diet- a coffee or three in the morning to get me going and then tea for the rest of the day. My teas of choice are either Yorkshire tea, Peppermint or English Breakfast although I do get more adventurous of I’m out somewhere with an extensive tea menu. I was recently contacted by Stir Drinks who specialise in refreshing tea blends packed full of friendly bacteria. Just one cup a day is all you need to keep your stomach cultures in check, a curious concept I think you’ll agree but one I was willing to give a go.

Teas c/o Stir Drinks

I opted to try the Peppermint and Breakfast varieties of the teas, with a box of 14 (a two week supply) costing £4.95. It sounds expensive but when you think of the cost of things like pro-biotics combined with the cost of ordinary tea bags it’s really not that bad.

My main concern with these was how the bacteria would effect the taste, it seemed implausible that anything like that could be added without being noticeable but I really haven’t picked up on it at all and if someone made me a cup of Stir I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that and non daily cultured tea.

You can of course drink more than one cup of this a day but a single mug is plenty to keep your digestive health in check. My stomach does struggle quite a bit after years of abuse and things definitely feel happier since trying out these teas. I’m alternating between peppermint one day and breakfast whilst I try to work out a favourite, I’ll be ordering more of these in the future for sure and they will be appearing soon in high street stores too.

If you’re as curious as I was then Stir Drinks are offering 20% off your first order of their teas…

Let me know if you give them a try and what you think, I really didn’t know what to expect from these teas but as someone ever on a mission to improve her nutritional balance I’m pleased they are a success. Any other tips for digestive health? Leave them below.

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