November empties

I see these types of posts on various blogs and am always making a mental list of things I need to buy to try out. Since I started blogging I find myself addicted to lotions and potions - it doesn't help that I pick up bits and pieces from work either. I'm hoping these monthly posts will give me the kick up the backside to start using things up.

001: Wilkinson's Fruity Berry shower smoothie (recieved in a goody bag)
Last year I had a mental Christmas in July while I was interning and one of the press days I went to was Wilkinsons who gave away a pretty snazzy goodie bag. I must admit I didn't have much hope when I opened this but was pleasantly surprised when I finally did. I like my shower scrubs to actually feel like their working so I come out the shower feeling extremely clean. This one certainly did - in fact it left me looking a bit red it was so rough! The smell was absolutely gorgeous and it was provided a great base for when I fake tanned - no orange patches for me! If i'm ever in Wilkinsons i'll think I definately make a beeline to pick this up again.

002:  No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make Up Remover
I had a No7 voucher I had to desperately use up - you all know the feeling - so decided to give this a whirl. I've actually just brought my second bottle so it's safe to say this one is a winner. I wear contact lenses and it's very soft on my sometimes irritated eyes. It removes every scrape although it can leave the eye area feeling a bit greasy. But that's nothing a moisturiser can't fix.

003: MeMeMe Seventh Heaven (picked up from the beauty drawer in work)
I recieved this in a Glossybox a few months ago so knew it was worth another whirl. I absolutely love the sweet smell but I find that it doesn't quite combat the dry skin around my nose area which is the only reason why I wouldn't personally buy it.

004: No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream Dry/Very Dry
This is my second pot which says a lot as I don't really tend to buy a product twice unless I really love it. After all there's so much to try eh? This really does help the dry skin around my nose and I really like the fact it has SPF 15. As i'm getting older I really trying to start the fight against wrinkles - no one wants to look like a Shar Pei! - and we all know the sun can be an absolute killer. It glides on the skin really nicely and makes your skin lovely to touch.

005: Garnier Fresh Essentials Refreshing Toner
I've been using this toner for the past few years. I can never tell the different between cheap or expensive toners and as this is reasonably priced I stick with it. As long as it doesn't make me break out i'm happy! It's usually on special offer in Boots so that's another factor why it makes a regular appearance.

006: Nivea Daily Essentials Rich Regenerating Night Cream
Night cream is a recent addition to my skincare routine and i've really noticed the difference. Working in London means my skin takes a battering and this helps to nurse it back to life. The thickness of the product means it feels ever so luxurious on my skin and a little goes a long way.

Have you got any products you tend to buy over and over again?

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A sneak peak

Room tours are one of my favourite things to read on blogs - for a naturally nosy person like myself they're great! I thought I'd try one of my own and show everyone some of my favourite corners of my room. I'm a natural hoarder so so be prepared for a lot of things!

This is my perfume shelf - my beloved Chanel sits at the back - filled with little secondhand nic-naks. The gorgeous pink atomiser is one of my favourite finds and i'm on the hunt for more to add to my collection. The picture of Connor and I is from when we were whippersnappers at the tender age of 18. The massive picture college below was a 21st birthday present from my parents.

I aspire to be just like Audrey Hepburn so it's apt that a huge picture hangs above my bed.

 Like I said my room is full of random junk! My best friend brought me back the kangaroo balls bottle opener when she went to Australia, the signed Backstreet Boys photo was a very well recieved 21st birthday present and that graduation bear was something my mum picked me up from a bootsale. She went through a phase of buying me graduation-theme things when I completed my degree - more evidence below!

 Excuse my messy bookcase - it's due a good tidy up one of these days. The creepy looking tramp - freaks my best friend out everytime she's round - has sentimental value. At my grandparents house it used to sit in front of their TV and my grandad would always talk about it. So when he died it was one of the things I nabbed. The dressing table glass set holds my cameo collections, hair slides and rings. I have far too much jewellery! The brownie bear sitting in the glass was a present when I finally hung up my boots as a leader due to working in London. My boyfriends sister brought me the tin behind one birthday and it houses all my Lush bath bombs.

You may have spotted this pretty Orla Kiely candle sitting on my bookcase. It was very kindly gifted to me by Amara.  I opted for the fig tree scent to help remind me of Christmas and it smells absolutely gorgeous! With 50 hours of burning time, my room will be smelling lovely in the build up to Christmas. Nothing like a scented candle to help you relax after a stressfull day at work! The beautiful glass means that it can be reused for something else - i'm thinking to hold make up brushes just like Sarah.

I'm a sucker for brooches - I don't even want to know how many I own. I was given quite a few from my Great nan's collection but am too scared to wear them in public so I scour bootsales to find ones to wear. After all it's better to lose something that's worth 50p then lose something of sentimental value. I like to keep a few of my favourite ones on display.



 

I told you my mum went through a phase of collection graduation-themed trinkets. This owl teapot has pride of place on my dvd holder.

 

Finally despite having a kindle I can't get out of the habit of gathering books. I hardly ever buy new perfering to pick them up from charity shops or bootsales. You'd be suprised at what you'd find! I don't really have a favourite genre and will quite happily read anything. Actually i'm looking for a few Kindle recommendations if you have any please?

 

So that's my room! If you have any of your own room tours, i'd love to see them so please do leave me a link!

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Her lingo went from the cockney to the gringo

Outfit:
Burgandy polka dot midi dress: Asos
Gold coloured statement necklace: Primark
Black leather ankle boots: Topshop
Black opaque tights: Primark
Zebra print umbrella: Primark

I'm fairly fickle but at the minute this is my favourite dress. It's the perfect dress for all occcasions. It's great to wear casual at the weekend - going for pie and mash like I am today! -, brilliant to be smart enough for work and fab for looking like you've made the effort for a friday night down the pub. Not bad for £32! I love Asos dresses for daytime wear as they're usually quite reasonable. After all who wants to spend £50 on a casual dress?!

I'm having a bit of a wardrobe crisis at the minute in regards to work wear. I have plenty to wear on evening out - just a shame I don't seem to go out anymore - and enough things to wear over the two day weekend. I have plenty of clothes but nothing I feel is suitable for work. It's quite a casual office and i've never done well with casual. I don't really feel comfortable wearing jeans to work and don't have that many everyday dresses. I've got all these pencil skirts and nowhere to wear them! Blogger problems eh?

What do you all wear to work?

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Everyone I see just wants to walk with gritted teeth

Outfit:
Smart black coat - c/o Clothing At Tesco
Black dipped hem vest top - Topshop
Crystal gold coloured statement necklace - Primark
Khaki green skinny jeans - Primark
Black leather heeled ankle boots - Topshop
Black chain handbag - Zara

Yellow socks - Not supposed to be on show!

Looking at these photos i'm not sure I like the outfit! The jeans kinda make me looks like I have sausage legs ha. Thankfully they've loosen up a bit now i've worn them for a day. Anyone else find jeans fit better after they've been worn a few times? A few weeks ago at the Clothing at Tesco press day we were very kindly given a gift voucher in our goody bags so I treated myself to a new winter coat. In Britain you can never have too many coats! It reminds a bit of the Zara version but at a much more purse-friendly price. It's brillant for work and smart enough to wear for a night out over a dress. The necklace is my new favourite and was only a fiver from Primark. Bargain!

I bet you'd all forgotten what i'd looked like thanks to the lack of outfit posts eh? These were a total embrassement to take - nothing like a neighbour doing his painting while watching you pose outside your house!

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A snapshot #18

This week has been another busy week - I need to slow down a bit as it's not good for my bank account or my sleeping pattern. I fear it's only going to get worse coming up to the festive season. With Meat Liquor and Wahaca both on the menu this week my skinny jeans are starting to feel a bit snug so next week i'll be on a health kick! I went with a few friends to see Rizzle Kicks on Friday and despite too much being alcohol comsumed it was such a good night. I couldn't wish for better people to do the hump with! London is beginning to feel very Christmassy with the reindeers at Westfield and giant Christmas trees in Covent garden - this year will be the first time in six years i'm not working so i'm very much looking forward to it. Not 5AM wake up calls on Boxing Day!

Have you had a jam-packed week too?

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Traffic People S/S 13 Press Day

This week I was very kindly invited along to Traffic People to have a sneak peak at their S/S preview. Although i'd heard of the brand i'd never really paid it much attention but boy have I been missing out. Everything is right up my street! The theme next season is based on 1950's Americano style with lots of pretty prints and retro cuts. I adore anything vintage inspired so will be keeping an eye out for all these pieces.

The top yellow dress stole my heart as soon as I saw it - the midi length and vintage style will be perfect for next summer. The blue stripy dress also caught my eye - just look at the yellow piping. To be honest I mentally spent a fortune admiring all the gorgeous clothes!

Which is your favourite item of clothing?

Thanks so much to Lois at Carrot Top PR for the invite.

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Thrifty finds #3

Yet another installment of thirfty finds, I just keep finding more junk to add to my collection! We had two jumble sales on a couple of Saturdays ago and it was like a treasure trove. Unfortuately I can't show it all off as my mum put the teacups and saucers in the loft.

001: Glass cake stand
My mother and I go week at the knees for anything glass - yes we have a problem and no we don't want any help for it yet. Although it would have been better if it had legs we really couldn't leave this cake stand behind. Especially when it was only a £1. We really needed another one to add to our 1648738 collection.

002: 80s crimpline pink polka dot dress
It's very rare I find any clothes when I got junk hunting as I tend to get drawn to the bric and brac. I spotted this among the mountain of clothes and pulled it out for a closer look. At only 20p I snapped it up and thought it'd be perfect for the summer months.

003: Glass trinket box
Once again this is not something I needed but when jumbles offer me things for 50p how can I say no? It'd be rude not too. I actually spotted something identical in the Boots Christmas catalogue for £12 I think so i've definately grabbed a bargain. At the minute it houses all my perfume samples which saves them clogging up my shelf.

004. Men's clothes brush set
Ok so this is perhaps the most pointless thing i've ever brought.  But it was only 20p and in absolute pristine condition and it's old. You all know i'm a sucker for anything that's a blast from the past. At the minute it's sitting on my bookshelves but I think it'll look lovely on display on a dressing table. Just need to find myself that dressing table...

005-006: Glass sugar bowl and milk jug
My mother like to think of herself as the hostess with the mostess so this sugar bowl and milk jug were her idea of a perfect find. To be honest we don't really need them but once again when things are priced at 50p they're hard to leave behind. Besides things always get broken and you can never have too much. The exact words we tell my dad whenever we come back from our bootsale and jumble sale adventures.

Also i'd love to know as always if you have any idea of what era these goodies are from. I'm guessing the glassware is the 1970s and the dress is  the 80s but I have no idea about the men's clothes brush!

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Recipe: Strawberry sponge cake

I baked this cake a good few weeks ago for my boyfriend's dad's party and although it didn't get eaten there - we completely overdid it with the food - it went down a treat in my household and my mum's office.

As this is a Martha Stewart recipe all the measurements are in cups! Sorry I know how frustrating this can be for Brits.

You will need:
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter plus more to line the cake tin
1 1/2 cups of plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 large egg or 2 medium eggs
1/2 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
1 pound of strawberries
1 cup of sugar plus two tablespoons of sugar

1. Line the tin with butter. Try to be generous as you can as you don't want the cake sticking and all your hard work destroyed! I used tiny strawberries but if they're a bit bigger make sure you cut them in half. Don't forget to preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

2. Pop the butter and the cup of  sugar into a bowl and mix together using an electric mixer. If you're hardcore you can always do it by hand! Make sure it nice and fluffy.

003. Mix in the eggs - after they've been wisked together -, milk and vanilla extract. I like to use a wooden spoon for this instead of an electtric mixer but it's up to you!

004. Shift the flour and mix it in with the other mixture.

 005. Add the mixture to the cake and position all the strawberries in the cake batter. Spinkle the remaining two tablespoons of sugar over the strawberries. Pop it in the oven and bake it for around 45 minutes. Keep checking after 30 minutes though as some oven vary with cooking times. My fan oven seems to make it up as it goes along - no time is ever the same!

 Voila! A lovely strawberry sponge cake that you won't be able to stop eating! For something so simple it looks very eye-catching on the table even if I do say so myself. Keep in mind that the strawberries will sink as time goes on.

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F&F A/W preview

 

Last week the ever so wonderful Sarah invited me along to the Autumn Winter preview of F&F at tesco as her plus one. I've been to one  before so knew I would be in for a treat and I wasn't mistaken! I am always impressed by the beautiful clothes and how good the quality is. There were so many things - the tweed jackets in particular - that could have passed for Zara. The touch didn't feel like it was from a supermarket and I have no idea how they can keep the clothes so reasonably priced when they look this good. I'm not complaining though! I completely fell in love the Wednesday Addams - esque dress with the white collar and cuffs and will be keeping my beady eye out for it on the website. The matching cameo necklace and earrings have my name written all over them.

 

I'm considering treating myself to the black sequin pencil skirt to wear on Christmas eve - it's one occasion when you have to be sparkly! I've fallen head over heels for this boucle jacket but alas with Christmas coming up I can't justify it - times are tight with present buying. Suppose i'll just have to start selling more of my life on eBay...

 

How gorgeous does Lily's eyelashes look eh?

 

Aisling, Elodie and I really are just too cool for school. Aisling is completely rocking that beard.

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A snapshot #17

Just looking at this sheer amount of food is making me long to  get back onto weightwatchers tomorrow. I had this week off - you can probably tell! - to try and get back into the right mindset of losing weight. I haven't been doing very well since my nan died in May. I went off track for quite a few months but going to get back on it tomorrow with a vengence! Wish me luck!

I popped along with Hannah, Florrie and Aisling to the Katch Pr press day to ogle at beautiful clothes. We all lusted over the wonderful DB Berdan where it was like being transported back into Alice in Wonderland. The prints on the dresses were so girly and pretty. I wanted to smuggle everything home in my bag! What blogger meet up would be complete without going to Nandos on the way home?

My friend hosted her turn of Come Dine With me - mine is next eeeek! - and her theme for the night was American. We had corn dogs to start, the delicious burgers for main, key lime pie for dessert and an American cheese roll with crackers. Needless to say Mario Kart was very hard to play with all the food in my belly - I don't think I finish a race ha!

There's a place near where I live called Cakes and Shakes with a stirling reputation so we all decided to take a trip there yesterday afternoon. I opted for rolo milkshake and a chocolate chip cheesecake. It was ok - quite overhyped so i'm not sure i'll make it a regular thing.

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