TGIF!

Hey there lovely people,

It's that beautiful time of the week where my hubby comes home to me for 2 whole days and we get to relax and unwind, go shopping, play with our dogs and all that general loveliness. 

This week has been a quiet one with not a lot on, so I've had some time to relax and catch up on some of my fave things, some of which are included in this weeks list, so without further hesitation here we go:

1. An old TV fave!

So I started watching this show when it first aired on tv and I got hooked... and for one reason or another I ended up watching it half way through season 1 and then forgot all about it. Until this week! I watched it from start to finish due to the wonder and delight of Sky On Demand and I remembered why I loved it. Even my hubby loved it. He has always had a thing for country music (passed on to him from his grandparents) and he and I both agreed that if we were American, we would be country music enthusiasts. Lol! So if you haven't watched this already, get your behinds in gear and get it done. It is quite literally fabulous!!!

2. Good Food!

So I actually have a post coming up that explains why this healthy food is part of my diet now, but in short, this week I have been enjoying eating super healthily. I've cut out wheat & gluten and all sorts of other things from my diet and I've been eating loads of fruit and vegetables and it's been delicious. Don't get me wrong, I am a big bread girl, and that has seriously been difficult to cut out, but needs must... and it's better for me in the long run (still trying to convince myself of this fact).

3. Flowers (surprise, surprise)

These were 2 very quick snaps I took of my freshly bloomed tulips and carnations yesterday. How beautiful are they??? I know I post images of my flowers a lot, but I seriously think they are some of the most beautiful sights in the world. I always feel better about my home when I have fresh flowers dotted all over the place. They give me a sense of calm and well being and they truly make me a happier person. 

4. Photography

Cindy Crawford - Vogue Jan 1990

Claudia Schiffer - Vogue May 1991

Emma Stone - Vogue Aug 2012

Kate Moss - Vogue June 2013

Kate Moss - Vogue Sept 2010

Scarlett Johansson - Vogue Oct 2006

This week, and more than I usually do, I've been admiring the work of some of my favourite photographers. I've been thinking about how I would like to decorate my home studio as right now it is very plain and boring, and I've been thinking about having some of my favourite photographers images blown up and put on my walls as inspiration. These are some of my favourite images by the ever so talented Patrick Demarchelier, the renowned French fashion photographer. These have been taken directly from his Vogue archive, and you should all know by now how much I adore Vogue magazine!!!

5. Blog Of The Week

http://www.hemsleyandhemsley.com/blog/

I am absolutely loving this blog this week my lovelies. I've recently started a health kick and I discovered these fab ladies on Instagram. This blog is filled to the brim with brilliant recipe ideas and the most beautiful images of deliciously healthy food. I seriously recommend you go take a look. You will be hooked instantly! Get following them on Instagram too, because let me tell you, there is nothing more pleasant than gorgeous photographs of delicious and healthy food popping up on your news-feed when you're hungry... it will encourage you to stay on track and not reach for the chocolate cake!

So that's my faves this week. It's a good mix of things for a change, as the previous weeks have been a little beauty heavy, and that is certainly not the type of blog I aimed to create when I started, so I hope you enjoyed this post as much as I enjoyed writing it! 

Take care lovelies. x

April Photo Challenge - Day 3 - "Brushes"

Hey lovely people!

Today's submission is "Brushes" and I shall keep it short and sweet as I've already done an immense amount of jabbering today. So here you go:

Take care lovelies! x

Monday Wish List - Flower Power

Hey there lovely people!

It's Monday and that means it's Wish List time! :) This weeks post has been inspired by Spring and all the beautiful flowers beginning to bloom.

I have collated all of my favourite Floral items from my fave Plus Size shop Yours Clothing, as well as Simply Be and a new find Pink Clove.

Yours Clothing

1. Black & Multi Coloured Floral Crochet Trim Maxi Dress - £35

2. Black & Red Floral Print Scooped Frill Chiffon Tunic - £28

3. Black & Pink Tropical Floral Skater Dress With Patent Belt - £35

4. White & Blue Longline Floral Blouse With 3/4 Sleeves - £23

5. Grey & Pink Floral Print Jumper With Dipped Hem - £19

6. Grey & Black Floral Lace Print Leggings - £15

7. Black & White Daisy Print Palazzo Trousers - £22

8. Red & Grey Printed Peep Toe Cork Wedge Sandals - £22

9. Blue & Brown Printed Peep Toe Cork Wedge Sandals - £22

10. Turquoise Bright Floral Print Shopper Bag - £8

Simply Be

1. Woven Front Printed Shell Top - £35

2. Grazia Print Front Jersey Top - £30

3. Print Peter Pan Collar Shell Top - £30

4. Floral Print Shirt With Dipped Hem - £25

5. AX Paris Black Floral Maxi Dress - £65

6. Koko Multi Floral Print Dress - £45

7. Claire Richards Print Prom Dress - £90

8. Joe Browns Stand Up Fleur Yourself Jeans - £40

9. Strawberry Floral Wedges With Bow - £20

10. Naturalize Linore Casual Sandals - £66

11. Nica Printed Hollie Large Satchel - £59

12. Nica Printed Christine Weekender - £65

Pink Clove

1. Floral Print Kimono - £28

2. Woven Front Floral Print Sweat - £18

3. Floral  & Check Print Vest - £14

4. Woven Front Rose Printed Top With Studded Neckline - £6

5. Neutral Floral Print Wrap Dress - £28

6. Bold Bloom Skater Dress - £26

7. Floral Spot Belted Skater Dress - £27

8. Pencil Skirt With Floral Print Panel - £14

9. Tropical Floral Peg Leg Trousers - £25

10. Floral Print Wide Leg Trousers - £7.20

Florals were also heavily featured in this months Cosmopolitan, with the fabulous fashion editors describing the trend as "A smattering of petals - from ditsy florals to bold prints..." as well as being one of the main themes at this seasons London Fashion Week, with designers such as John Rocha and Temperley London showcasing their pastel florals and Spring blossoms.

So why not bag yourself a new piece and jump on the "Flower Power" bandwagon. It's a sure-fire way to get on trend and into the Spring fling state of mind. 

Take care lovelies. x

A little Décor Inspiration - My Livingroom

Hey lovely people!

Happy Thursday to you all. The weekend is so close it's within touching distance, and there is no better feeling that Friday arriving. 

But since it's Thursday, I thought I would continue on with my Décor inspired posts and this week I'm focussing on ideas for my Livingroom.

So I'm a bit undecided when it comes to a colour scheme, changing my mind more often than not, but this week I found my colour inspiration in my flowers. Now I must warn you... as I said before I often change my mind, and it was only a few weeks ago that I posted a New York themed Livingroom Décor mood-board. I have since decided I would prefer this theme in my bedroom... hence this post today. This may all change again in a few weeks... but I decided to just go with it today! :)

My absolute favourite of all time - the unappreciated Carnation.

How beautiful are the colours in those carnations??? The deep almost pinkish red and that burnt peachy corally orange. Oooft I just love them! 

Now please don't panic - I don't intend on decorating my entire livingroom with these colours - there will be quite neutral, earthy undertones with my brown leather sofa, white walls and oak flooring. The colours of the flowers will be represented by sporadic pops of colour from my accessories, soft furnishings and perhaps a feature wall.

So anyway, here are my ideas in my favourite form... mood-boards! :D

Ok, so the above looks pretty boring and shockingly grown up for my taste. However, as explained previously this is just the base or the undertone for my inspiration. I already have the brown leather couch and I kind of loved these little coffee and end tables because they would be super easy to spruce up if I got fed up with the natural earthy tones. The TV unit and shelving is a bit of a must have in terms of storage space (we have a lot of DVDs), but I'm not entirely sure if I would have my TV on the actual unit or floating on the wall between the two. As discussed in previous posts, the flooring is not only an aesthetic decision, but also a practical one as we have 2 very mucky pooches and a less than impressive carpet covered in muddy stains.

Now for the fun and colourful part.

The idea of the throw is that it would hang loosely at a diagonal along the back of the couches. Just to add a bit of colour without being an absolute hassle to sit on top of. The cushions are just gorgeous and sumptuous looking. They will add the pop of colour I'm looking for, and despite not being able to find the perfect rug to show you, I would love one with these bright colours included. The lamp, all be it quite small and relatively cheap and tacky looking is just super fun. I'm very aware of the 1st board looking pretty sophisticated and grown up and that is just not my husband and I at all, so this is why I felt it was important to include something fun and silly, that goes with the colour scheme and just adds a little something to the overall look. Finally I found this curtain panel - now these wouldn't be suitable at all for our livingroom window, but this is the kind of idea I'm going for with the curtains. Something predominately white, crisp and clean with that funky pop of colour. 

So there you have it, another set of mood-boards to oooh and ahhh over. I don't know about all of you, but I never tire of dreaming up ways of redecorating and generally improving my living space. I don't always follow through on them but I am always thinking up new ways to add a bit of pizazz to my home. I will no doubt change my mind entirely about all of this, and come up with a whole new concept in a few weeks, but for now I am going to enjoy the idea of living in amongst all of this bright and vibrant colour and will be back with another post for you all tomorrow. 

Take care lovelies. x

My Weekend Condensed!

Hey lovely people,

So, this is just a short little post showing you (in pictures) what my weekend was all about! 

We watched a lot of this show this weekend!

An ENORMOUS tub of Ice Cream!

My almost 3 week old carnations!

You have to have a Guiness for St Paddy's Day!

2 new colours (left) and some nail time!

MUNCHIES!!!

A VET visit with my big pooch!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and I will be posting again later so watch out for that. 

Take care lovelies. x

Spring is Sprung!

Hey there lovely people!

Well this is my beautiful bouquet from my hubby this week - Tulips!!! :)

This means only one thing... Spring is at our doorsteps... and winter is finally on it's way outta here. Thank goodness.

On that basis I thought I would list my favourite things about this fabulous little season:

1. The change in the weather!

Now this is a biggie for me as I'm not a lover of extremely hot weather. I do however love a bit of sunshine even if the air is a bit nippier. Which is why Spring is the absolute best season for me.

2. Freshly cut grass!

This is the season of the year that (certainly here in Scotland) we have the first cut of the year and I'm sure you'll agree... there is no better smell in the world than walking out your front door and getting the whiff of freshly cut grass! I wish someone could bottle that smell.

3. The clocks go forward for the start of British Summertime on the 30th of March!

Now this is a kind of double edged sword in the sense that with the clocks going forward, we technically lose an hours sleep. However the positive side is that the mornings are lighter and the evenings longer. And really there's nothing better than that eh? 

4. Spring Cleaning!

This might seem like a ridiculous thing to enjoy about spring but for me this is a great opportunity to get rid of all the dirt, rubbish and negativity built up from the previous year and to start a brand new year with a fresh and clean home & state of mind!

5. EASTER!!!

My 2nd favourite public holiday of the year... why... cause there's lots and lots and lots of chocolate. There really is no other reason needed here. Lol!

So there you have it, my top 5 reasons for loving Spring. What are yours???

Take care lovelies. x

My 1st Friday Faves!

Happy Friday to all you lovely people. The week has come and gone and it's time to relax and enjoy the weekend, except for those of you poor souls who work on a Saturday and Sunday. I salute you.

So I thought I would use this Friday to kick off the 1st of my "Friday Faves" and on that note here goes:

1. Best thing about a Friday (and this will probably always make the top spot... Lol).

My hubby finishes work early on a Friday and without sounding too cringey, he is by far the best part of my weekend and the best thing in my life by far. Any day is more enjoyable when he's there to spend it with me. 

2. My Friday Bouquet.

Remember when I posted last week about my Friday bouquet from my lovely hubby? Well this is last weeks carnations still very much alive and kicking - that's another of the reasons I love them so much - long life. But I will be sure to post a pic of this weeks new ones... as long as the hubby remembers. :)

3. The sun is shining and there's not a cloud in the sky!

This photo was taken from my front door and I just can't believe how lovely a day it is! Still absolutely freezing - but at least the sun is shining and hopefully this is a sign of the better weather that's to come. 

4. Homemade soup & crusty bread with butter.

You seriously can't beat a pot of soup when it's cold and this bowl of homemade vegetable soup was of no exception. I always feel so much better when I have healthy lunches like this - yes the bread and butter isn't necessarily a healthy option, but be honest - you really do need something to dunk when you're enjoying a bowl of soup!

5. Rosé Wine 

On a Friday night my hubby and I usually enjoy a few drinks while watching TV. HOWEVER... We have (stupidly) decided to give up alcohol for Lent.

Let me be clear though. We are in no way problem drinkers - in fact we only ever tend to have a drink a night at the weekend. This year however, we made a deal that we would try and have a healthier approach to life in terms of the food we are eating and the drink we are consuming, therefore when my hubby decided he was packing in the booze for Lent, I thought it was only right that I join him. 

Am I regretting my decision now... Yes! :( We are only 3 days in and I'm thinking about throwing in the towel. It's going to be a "Watch this space" kind of scenario I'm afraid. 

Anyway, that's the 1st of my Friday Faves for you all. Please feel free to share your own. 

Take care my lovelies. x

Home Design Inspiration

Hey my lovelies!

Happy hump day to you all. Hope it's not too much of a hard week for you so far.

Today I am talking about my ridiculously outrageous need to re-decorate my home all the time! With that being said - I am more often than not an all talk & no action type of person, as my decorative desires are often outweighed by the lack of funding I have to fulfil them. This however fails to stop me in my endeavours and I still spend hours researching designs and creating decor mood boards.

So... on that note, I thought I would share one of my recent creations and inspirations for my livingroom which I currently plan (a term I use loosely) on redecorating:

Ok so first let me explain the colour inspiration. 

I'm a bit of a nut for New York - despite never having had the opportunity to visit the place. I think it stemmed from my love of the tv show Friends (despite later learning that the show was in fact filmed in LA). I instantly loved everything about it. The culture, the people, the yellow cabs, the buildings as tall as the eye can see. I loved everything about it. I love the idea that the city never sleeps - that you can get Chinese take-out food at 4am. That you can walk past grates shooting steam 6ft into the air. I loved everything. So it should be no surprise to you that I have hung pictures and artistic portrayals of NYC on my livingroom walls for years. However, I recently discovered a tremendous little website called I Love Wallpaper that is dedicated to providing its customers with the most artistic and diverse array of wallpapers you can imagine.

I scrolled through pages and pages of wonderfully different wallpaper & initially had my heart set on a brick wall effect, but instead I found a black & white collage of NYC with only the colour of the yellow cabs being showcased, and I fell in love! So I had found my colour palette... Shades of grey & yellow. 

Then I began looking at flooring. I knew I wanted Laminate not only because I wanted a change from always having had a carpet in my livingroom, but because I have 2 very mucky dogs who love nothing more than dragging dirt all through the house. Therefore it was an aesthetic and practical choice. 

My initial thoughts on flooring was a dark wood - something quite brown that would go with the yellow pops of colour, but I came across an oak coloured laminate that was quite worn and dishevelled looking that I thought would be perfect. This again was found on a fab website called Floors Direct which offers an abundance of flooring options for those looking for wooden options. 

So I have my wallpaper & I have my floor - so there's nothing left to do but accessorize with home furnishings and textiles! Which for me is the most fun part of it all, exploring online stores like Ikea, The Range, Achica and World Stores.

So that's my livingroom design inspiration.I hope my rambling wasn't too boring and perhaps you were inspired to create your own mood boards for future decorating plans. 

Take care my lovelies. x

Happy Friday

Hey there lovelies!!! :D

Happy Friday to you all! On that basis I thought I would share my favourite part of Fridays...

A while back my lovely husband decided that every Friday when he had finished work for the week, he would bring me home a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers (specifically carnations as they're my faves). This little arrangement however, fell apart quickly and after a few months he forgot to keep it going.

Now  however, he has started up the tradition again and here is the first of many more (hopefully) Friday bouquets!!!

Remember lovelies... flowers or no flowers...