And then the snow came

Hello snow angels, how is everyone today?? Well the snow finally fell here, I was sooo excited last night and couldn't stop looking out the window! Today hubby and I wrapped up warm and braved the cold! We walked to the lake near our house and fed the ducks, I was very concerned that they might not be able to get much food in this weather! Bless them xx 

Wrapped up for the snow!

The lake near our house was almost completely frozen over!

Ducks!

I don't know about anyone else but I love walking in the snow... find it very peaceful and restorative. On a different note now, I have a few new H & M purchases to share from my shop yesterday!

H & M dress £24.99. Hubby called this my 'green goddess' dress when he saw it yesterday! I love the classic style which is great for work but also any smart occasion. really. I really like having dresses like this in my wardrobe as they are so versatile. Love the emerald green too!

H & M dress £14.99. Love the ditzy floral print, perfect for Spring/Summer and so easy to wear. I plan to wear this while it's still cold with a cardigan and tights.

H & M navy cardigan £9.99. Just a little basic, I plan to pair this with the dress above.

Well that's about everything for today, I plan to spend the rest of my evening with my new stack of magazines, plenty of tea and some good TV! Bliss : ) XOXO

December haul

Hello Christmas elves how are you all? I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas and received everything they asked Santa for! I was (as usual) thoroughly spoilt by hubby, I had sooo many pressies, too many to list, but they included Pandora charms, Philosophy products (one of my favourite brands), perfume, CDs and DVDs, Stila products and plenty of Lush of course! I was treated before Christmas as well to my Pandora bracelet and charms, which hubby purchased at Berlin Schoenefeld airport.

 In addition, hubby and I decided to treat ourselves to a couple of new bits after Christmas, and today made purchase one... an iPad 2! We were never  sucked into the marketing hype surrounding this product for a long time, but decided recently that it would be a good idea to have an extra computer in our lounge so we can chill together and still use a computer if needed. I have to say it is very cool, we went for the white coloured one as this is Apple's signature colour. Couple purchase number two will be a new LED TV which is long overdue! I was all for buying one today but hubby wants to research so we get the best possible quality. I am not fussed, as long as it looks good and is uber thin, I am happy!

Today's post is about a couple of purchases I made before Christmas that I wanted to share. I went to Bluewater on the 22nd December to buy hubby his last few pressies but couldn't resist buying some new bits for myself too. At this point, Mango had already put the entire shop in the sale so I treated myself to a few new pieces that will work very hard, suitable for both work and play.

New Mango dress, this was originally £44.90 and was reduced to £29.90. I love the classic style and colour and the way the dots get smaller and closer together down the dress. It also has a really cute rope belt tie waist with tassel detail. I wore this dress with my brown brogue style heels from Office and my Mulberry.

Mango skirt, £24.90 reduced to £14.90. I like the floral print and think this will work will in Spring and Winter alike. I plan to wear this with tights, flat boots and a jumper tucked in.

I have been searching for a soft casual grey jumper for a while and found the perfect one in  Topshop. This jumper was £36 and not in the sale, but so gorgeous : ) I actually lost this jumper, I think because I was carrying a million bags and didn't feel the bag drop. I checked with customer services today though and someone had handed it in! So pleased! : )

Black shift style dress £44.90 reduced to £29.90. I really like the on-trend leather details on the arms, pockets and neckline, and as the dress is so classic, it will last a good few years.

I am glad that I managed to make a few sales purchases because I am not anticipating finding many more. As I have previously blogged, I am not a fan of sales, and never seem to find anything worthy of a second glance. Today for instance, when hubby was in the Apple shop looking at the iPad, I had a quick look in Urban Outfitters and was massively unimpressed with what I found. So much of the clothing looked old and tired, and I know I would never pay full price for it so its not worth buying it just because its cheap. I think I have concluded that I am just not a sales person, bar perhaps towels, boxers for hubby, plates, boring essentials etc, sales are just not worth it for me. I know some people have to wait for sales, especially in the current economic climate, but luckily, I don't need to, so I think I will avoid them altogether! (Having said this, I still need to shop so will not be able to avoid the stupidly busy shopping centres while all these sales are going on! : (

Has anyone else had any luck with the sales? Or found any amazing bargains? XOXO

Today's inspirations

Hello dolls, hope you are all having a lovely weekend! I have had an amazingly productive day which makes me a very happy girl! To start off, I went into town and had a little wander while hubby was at hockey training. I bought a couple of little bits and bobs which is always nice on a Saturday! When hubby arrived home, I immediately put him to work (lol jokes, I let him have a cup of tea first!! ) and we set to work clearing our spare room.

Now when I say this room was a mess I am not exaggerating... this room has become my 'Monica' room (remember the episode of Friends where Monica will not let Chandler in her secret cupboard, and when he gets it open he sees it is a place where uber-tiday Monica has been storing all her junk??!). This room has become my shameful secret, swiftly opened in the morning for me to visit my wardrobe, and closed just as abruptly with a shudder. The room has become a dumping ground for hubby's tools, paints and equipment left over from decorating, old clothes intended for the charity shop, my ever-growing ironing pile and all of the wedding stuff (vintage cups and saucers, plates and cake stands, bunting, sweetie jars and photo frames). I realised a few days ago that we have lived in our lovely new house for appromixately 1 year and 8 months and therefore enough is enough! We have 3 bedrooms, ours, hubbys study and the junk room. The junk room was always intended as a spare room for guests (and one day a baby's nursery) so it was time to clear out!

Ta-da! Ok so it is pretty bare but you have no idea how much that pleases me! Its a pretty big room and now I can walk about! The floor is clear! The possibilities are endless! Hubby put some pictures on the wall for me, and I am planning on keeping the airer in there for the time being, but the room is now sorted, I am filled with calm when I walk in, and I no longer feel the need to escape! Happy : )

Other news from today: I bought this dress this morning from Topshop for a very reasonable £29. (Am now praying the weather holds out so I have a chance to wear it!) I really like the print, and the buttons down the front. The crotchet detail in the middle reminds me of the Topshop dress worn by Alexa Chung to Glastonbury that I blogged about here

My new MAC lipstick in Politely Pink. I am mostly flitting between coral and stronger pink shades this summer but I couldn't resist this shimmery pink tone - will be perfect for played down lips with heavy eye make up.

I bought some fun cards from New Look today for my card drawer (my manic organisation extends to a card drawer oh yeah!)

Awww I found our kitsch cake topper when I was sorting through the wedding stuff in the spare room. This little item brought back so many happy memories and I immediately had to sit down with a cup of tea and our wedding album to relive some more : ) This beauty is going to sit on my living room shelf I have decided as a nice little reminder whenever I fetch a book.

Hope your weekends have got off to a good start and the weather is being kind to you. I am not sure what tomorrow will bring but at the very least, I will be able to visit my wardrobe at a lesiurely pace tomorrow morning!! xoxo

My week in pictures

What I ate: Lots of home made, locally sourced food! Being at home is an excellent excuse to indulge my domestic side, and I have been visiting little organic farm shops for all my fruit and veg. As I blogged about here, I made a lovely chicken Korma that went down very well in my household! Today, I made some cupcakes using a recipe from my new Primrose bakery book. They were a light vanilla sponge topped with a rich vanilla buttercream (which I piped using my new piping set from Lakeland) So yum, perfect afternoon snack!

What made me happy: Lots of different things are making me happy at the moment, and my house bunny Woody is definitely one of them! He is the kindest, tamest, loveliest bunny I have ever met and I just want to squish him with cuddles! He is also a fan of my home grown organic veg, and has today been munching on purple sprouting broccoli and carrots! Only the best for my boy! : ) xx

What I am dreaming of: Right now I am dreaming of a trip to Moscow early next year! One of my best friends Anna will be there for 6 months for her second law placement and has invited me and another best friend to visit. Flights are reasonable but visas look set to be more difficult as you have to have a Russian citizen invite you into the country... there are ways round it but its tricky so I envisage a trip to the Russian embassy in London at some point!! Still, I am already dreaming about the Kremlin and the Red square and hope that we do get to go...

What I have purchased this week: Firstly, I am very excited to have got my hands on the heritage tweed jacket from new season H & M that I blogged about here - in London I was unable to locate a small size, but I managed to find one size 8 in the Maidstone branch! Cashback! I also purchased a few little bits and bobs for my nails this week, a strengthening clear varnish by Sally Hansen, a lovely pink shade by GOSH cosmetics and a gorgeous little pink tube of hand cream that I bought for my handbag! Lastly, I bought some bits and bobs for the house, including a little 'home' sign for my hallway wall : )

What I am listening to: Right now, Radio 2! Great mix of classics and debate about current events have kept me amused in the kitchen all day! I have also been listening to hubbys Metronomy album, and re-living memories of the Big Chill festival : )

What I am looking forward to next week: Firstly, I am looking forward to a leisurely lunch and catch up at Rocket in Canary Wharf, London with 3 very good friends, and then some shopping in the afternoon. I am also looking forw ard to going into school to pick up the kids AS and A Level results... nervous as well but they did their exams such a long time ago, I just need to know!!

Hope you all had a lovely week, it's Friday.... : ) xx

Something a little different : )

Today has been a lovely day of time spent with my sister, niece and nephew, shopping and domesticity! Shopping today centred around the home, I purchased some 'needed' items (muffin baking trays x2, new dishcloths and a micro-fibre cleaning mitt!) and some 'wanted' items (a little 'home' sign to hang in my hallway and a little votive for my bookshelf). I love being on school holiday because I have so much more time to browse, completely at ease, no rushing around and dashing from one place to the next! Even food shopping becomes more of a pleasure! On our way home, my sister and I stopped off at a lovely local farm shop called Perry Court Farm where I finished my shopping by buying over a weeks worth of fruit and veg (and all under £9!)

Back at home, I decided to try my hand at a couple of new recipes from one of my favourite cook books: Sally Bee: The Recipe for Life. I also have Sally's previous book The Secret Ingredient, and I love them both in equal measure. If you have not heard of Sally Bee, in a nutshell, she is a survivor of an almost fatal heart attack which she suffered in her 3os - with the help of a nutritionist, she has gone on to devise heart healthy recipes for all the family, and she shares these recipes in her books. I love to make these recipes and have adapted many of my old favourites to the 'Sally' way, with extra healthy ingredients added in. Nutrition and exercise are extremely important to me, and I get a huge sense of achievement out of feeding myself and hubby such healthy, home-cooked food. My latest fad is for home-grown veg, which I am receiving a steady flow of, courtesy of my sister's neighbour and his allotment - this organic produce makes me feel even healthier and quite saintly! I really hope to pass this healthy attitude towards food on to my children one day. I always loved vegetables and still do: I really hope I don't end up with children who turn their nose up at broccoli and refuse to eat it!

Anyway, back to dinner! I decided to make a tomato and red lentil soup as a starter, with enough left over for both our lunches tomorrow. The soup was pretty simple and had a nice kick thanks to the addition of a couple of teaspoons of curry powder. For our main meal, I made Sally's chicken korma with rice.

1) Finely chop a red pepper, courgette and a good handful of green beans. Put these to one side for now.

2) Chop up 2 medium sized onions and set to one side. Peel and dice a medium sized apple (any type will do, I used a golden delicious). On the stove, add a splash of olive oil to a large heavy based pan, and saute the onion and apple for 3 minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Add 2 crushed cloves of garlic and let cook for another minute or so.

3) Add the vegetables from earlier to the pan, and cook over a medium heat for another 5 minutes.

4) Add 2 teaspoons of medium curry powder to the pan and stir in. (If you like things spicy, add another teaspoon). Stir in 2 diced chicken breasts, and stir quickly, allowing the chicken to pick up and seal in the curry powder. Let the chicken cook thoroughly ensuring there is no pink left (about 5 minutes)

5) Make up a chicken stock with 3 chicken stock cubes and 350ml of boiling water. Pour this into the pan and add 2 tablespoons of tomato puree and one teaspoon of garam masala. Bring to the boil and then turn back down to a low heat, allowing to simmer for 25-30 minutes.

6) Stir in 4 tablespoons of low-fat creme fraiche. This will make the sauce creamy but will not add too many calories or fat. Cook for another 2 minutes but do not allow to boil. Lastly, add a good shake of black pepper and stir.

7) Serve with basmati rice, and add another tablespoon on creme fraiche on top of the curry if desired.

Just thought I would share as this turned out very yummy indeed, and hubby loved it! The apple keeps everything nice and sweet and you can rest assured knowing that this is a wonderfully healthy recipe too : ) Hope you are all having fun weeks xoxo

Style at home

Once a month, my best friend and I take a shopping trip to a town nearby known for good antique and homewear shops, we shop a lot, and it is a good way to mix things up and keep things fresh. Plus, we both became homeowners in the last couple of years so buying things for our houses is a new vice! I love shopping for home goods. Almost as much as I love shopping for clothes! I think this new fascination came only when we purchased our own house - I was nowhere near as concerned when we rented. As our house is our own, I want to style it and fill it to the brim with things that we love, things that show something about our personalities, and things that remind us of the many trips and holidays we have taken over the years. Whenever we go away, I have to bring at least one thing back to remind me of the fun time we had, and the beautiful place that we visited.

Just like with clothes shopping, I like to seek out new and interesting places to purchase things for my home. I would say that I like a good mix of old and new, I adore antique furniture, but I like to mix it up with new home accessories and furnishings. Charity shops are always worth a rummage - one of my favourite finds was a beautiful glass decanter that I pour bubble bath into, and which stands proudly on the end of the bath - so much nicer than a cheap plastic bottle! I also really like some retro items and the shabby chic look. Above all, I do not like things to be too 'matchy matchy'. I also cannot stand clutter or sparsity in a home. Minimalism is a no go for me!

Below are some of my favourite and latest purchases, let me know what you think xoxo

New embroidered leaf rows cushions, £14.99 each Dunelm Mill


Our bespoke wedding invitation created by a talented year 11 boy at my school. We have framed it and hung it in our hallway

Pictures I made myself by pressing flowers from hubby and mounting on a stripy green and white card. Frames from Ikea.


Wooden elephant from Thailand to remind us of our amazing elephant trek at Khao Sok national park.

Russian dolls from my nana xoxo

My amazing new artwork! Photo in white frame created by a GCSE photography student at my school, print in black frame from www.folksy.com. Hubby will be hanging these for me this weekend, for now they rest on a shelf. Both frames from Ikea. The pink bird ornament is from TK Maxx and the white bird ornamant from a little homeware store in Tenterden. (Can you tell we like birds??!)

Purchases today, my new wooden plaque that I will be hanging somewhere in the kitchen - I really like the message.

Cute little hanging sign from Dunelm Mill.