Festival Fashion

Hello Lovelies,

It's that time of year again, it's festival season!

1. 2. 3. When it comes to clothes, you need something comfy, cool but sturdy, you need to be able to go from dancing the day/night away to sitting on the grass enjoying food and a drink.  I love this Striped Daisy Organza Tee from Topshop, the stripes appeal to my nautical obsession and the pretty flowers give it a nice twist.  Denim Shorts are a festival must, there isn't much more to say on that front.  I always like to take something for when it cools down, whether it's a cardi or a sweatshirt. 

4. Ray Ban Clubmaster Sunglasses are currently on my lust list, I think they would be perfect for those sunny festival days.

5. You all know I love my wrist candy, and my new favourites are by Jiya Jewellery.  I absolutely love their bracelets.  They're gorgeous, vibrant, hand dyed, woven friendship bracelets that have an Indian artisan influence with some California surfer style thrown in (you cant really go wrong).

I never take mine off as it goes with everything, I even wore it to Royal Ascot.  My only wish is that I had some different colours to stack with my Tahiti silver and blue bracelet, if your as obsessed with them as I am then head on over to The Dressing Room.

6. 7. After the killer wrist candy comes a festival staple, WELLIES!  As we all know when it comes to UK festivals they are a complete must.  I grew up only ever being allowed blue or green hunters as my father refused to take me shooting in coloured wellies, but I have to admit I love the red ones.  As well as the original tall wellies, I think the short version would be fab for a festival, especially if the weather is nice. 

I always like to take a pair of pumps with me, my Bensimon Tennis Elastique in white are my go to tennis shoes for rushing around, I have never really been a converse girl, I find them really uncomfortable.

Source: Pinterest

8. Last but definitely not least is flower crowns.  If your a regular reader you will know that I love floral crowns.  Festivals are a great excuse to wear them as lets be honest you would get some very strange looks of you wandered the streets in one.  The one above is from Rock N Rose but a search on ASOS Marketplace and Etsy will bring up some lovely examples.  They're perfect at adding a pop of colour to your outfit and also act as a beacon for your friends of you get separated!

Is anyone off to Glastonbury this weekend, or do you have another festival planned?

   

Horses & Hats At Royal Ascot

Hello Lovelies,

Last Saturday was a glorious day filled with fashion, food and amazing people (oh and of course the racing!)

After a crazy morning we all bundled into the Land Rover and made our way to Ascot, picking up members of our party along the way, until all four cars were in a mini convoy creeping their way up Ascot high street.  The only perk of having to queue is that you can people watch, and let me tell you, there is no better place! 

After winding our way through the course we made it to the car park and set up, well the men set up the gazebos and tables (man stuff) while the women faffed with flowers, plates and cutlery.

Just look how pretty, not a paper plate in sight!     

Once everything was set up we cracked open the champagne and set about enjoying the day. 

After nibbling on various goodies and guzzling champagne we sat down to eat, chatting to family and friends, old and new.

Once the beef, chicken, potatoes and salad, we made our way towards my cousins brownies and the super fresh P.Y.O strawberries.  The lovely B took charge and handed them out very generously.  If her generous  strawberrydistributing wasn't enough then just look at the girl, stunning just doesn't cut it, and I am completely in love with her Reiss dress and rose gold accessories. 

After we had finished eating, dresses were adjusted, hats were pinned and button holes fastened.  There was a flurry of activity as we locked up the cars and made our way up to the Royal Enclosure, first having to walk through the fashion police looking for bare shoulders or to much leg.  

Having survived the icy stares we rushed through the crowds to catch a glimpse of the lady of the hour, who was rocking a beautiful light pink ensemble.  

After the fashion was the racing, I meant to take some artsy pictures, but if I'm honest I was to busy jumping up and down, which did no good at all as I only placed for one race.  However what I can offer you is a little more fashion.

I wore a beautiful royal blue multiway knee length dress by In One Clothing. I'm completely in love with their dresses, they are so versatile as you can go from slinky to demure in a few twists and ties, perfect for going from day to night or just someone who is indecisive like me. 

My beautiful cousin went for a very different look, she wore a skirt, shirt and jacket from Madderson London, a company I hadn't come across before but one that has beautiful pieces which would be fabulous for a plethora of events.  Although Ascot is over the summer season is just starting which means weddings and parties galore, so go and have a peek if you want something special to wear for your next soiree.

After the last race and a few fashion shots we headed back to the cars for cake, cheese, cherries and chatter (like what I did there!)  Everyone relaxed in the late afternoon sun, some counting their winnings while others nursed slightly empty wallets.  

Did anyone else get to enjoy the beautiful weather at Ascot this year?

Preventing the Dreaded Nip Slip!

Hello Lovelies,

Summer has definitely said hello over the last couple of weeks, and with the lovely warm weather comes the need to strip off and wear as little as possible!  

I am definitely one of those people who loves a good summer dress, but one of the big problems is bra or no bra.  A lot of mine are either backless or very low, and the last thing you want to do is whack on your everyday bra and have the strap cut straight across the open back.  This is why nippies (nipple covers) and body tape were invented.  

I have tried my fair share of nipple covers from M&S to ASOS, but the only ones that I go back to again and again are nippies from Bristols Six.  Bristols Six are a Los Angeles based company (a favourite of the Hollywood stars') that make nippies, an underwear substitute that can be worn from the dance floor to the beach, even the water.  They come in packs of two and are available in a multitude of colours, shapes and patterns.  Sadly for us Brits there are very few places you can get them.  nelly is a Scandinavian company who has amazing shipping rates, they don't have a big selection, but if like me you like your nippies plain and simple then its a fab choice.

The staying power of these little hearts is amazing, but what's even better is that they don't rip the skin of your chest, which is always a plus.  

Alongside my trusty nippies, the Eylure Body Tape is another must have product.  It's amazing at securing those pesky tops and dresses that just want to flash your boobs to the world!  

I'm all set for those braless days, are you?

Super Quick Summer Pomegranite Salad

Hello Lovelies,

I love a good salad with a BBQ, especially one that is super quick and easy.

I spent the weekend with my father, which always involves a big dose of countryside, lots of dog walks and if it's good weather a killer BBQ.  To go alongside the meat feast I thought I would knock up a nice little salad.

Ingredients

Watercress

A pomegranate 

Cubed Feta cheese   

The first thing you want to do is get the seeds out.  Pomegranates are pesky little things, but with this nifty trick the little blighters just fall out!

All you need to do is cut it in half like you normally would, push out the center a bit, then just give it a good smack with a wooden spoon over a bowl.  If done correctly all the seeds should just fall right out.

After washing your watercress pop it into your salad bowl, next grab your feta, either through the cubes on top or chop it into little cubes. 

Once you have thrown on your feta and gotten all arty with the pretty pomegranate, it's time to knock up a dressing, my favourite for this salad is honey and mustard.

Ingredients

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1 tsp   dijon mustard

2 Tbsp  honey

1/2 tsp crushed garlic

1 Tbsp  lemon juice

2 Tbsp  extra virgin olive oil 


Give it all a good mix in a jam jar, drizzle over your salad and, ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Muffins

Hello Lovelies,

I've been keeping it all rather healthy on here recently, (and have a list of yummy healthy recipes to post soon) so it was only fair to give you a little bit of naughtiness.

This naughtiness comes in the form of peanut butter chocolate muffins.  I am peanut butter obsessed (lucky for me so is the Mr.) these sadly weren't for me as this gal doesn't eat gluten, but being the feeder that I am, I made a little treat for him!

If your after something terribly naughty then these muffins are for you.  

Ingredients:

1 pack of Reese's peanut butter cups

175g (good quality) dark melted chocolate

100g  milk + white chocolate roughly chopped

65g   cocoa powder

325g  self-raising flour

125g  light brown soft sugar

365ml milk

100ml vegetable oil

1 tbsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional)

(The kitchen is currently being demolished, and in the chaos I have lost the muffin tin, that's the reason why they don't look like muffins!!!)

Preheat oven to 180 C

Sieve flour, baking powder and cocoa into a large bowl.  Stir in sugar.  Set aside

Beat eggs, oil, milk and vanilla together.  Add to the dry ingredients and fold until well combined.

Quickly stir melted chocolate into the batter, then fold in chopped chocolate, Reese's and peanut butter.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 mins, or until skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire wrack. 

After they have cooled pop one on a plate, grab yourself a tall glass of milk and ENJOY!!!

Are you nutty for peanut butter?

100 Day Spending Ban || Project SAVE MONEY!

Hello Lovelies,

You've gotta love Carrie Bradshaw, while at school my friends and I would decamp every lunchtime to my housemistresses office and watch the 'Sex and the City' box set on her little TV, we were pretty obsessed!  Although Carrie Bradshaws views are very appealing I'd love an amazing wardrobe full of gorgeous thing, it just isn't financially viable (at the moment!)

My bank balance has been crying recently, what with various birthdays, Fathers Day and buying an outfit for Ascot (always pricey) it is wailing for a break!  Because of all this expenditure I have set myself a 100 Day Spending ban.  Hopefully over the next three months the only money that will be leaving my account will be for necessities (and the odd meal out, everyone needs a treat)  So until September 19th I am carrying out project SAVE MONEY!

Is anyone else imposing a spending ban upon themselves, maybe your saving for a holiday, or something super exiting like a house or wedding. 

Summer State of Mind

Hello Lovelies,

'I was made for sunny days' I saw this quote pinned the other day and thought how true it was.  Although I love snuggling up in the winter with a thick blanket and a mug of hot cocoa, nothing can beat enjoying the hot Summer sun in the English countryside.

So as (fingers crossed) Summer is just around the corner, I thought I would pick out one some of my Summer essentials, which altogether make a snazzy relaxed outfit. 

1 & 2. 

I'm a big denim fan, jeans, shorts or skirts I love them all, so when it comes to classic summer style I like to grab my denim shorts and a pretty Summer top.  But we all know that the British Summer isn't perfect so on those dreary days when there is a chill in the air I go for my favourite Zara ripped skinny jeans.

3.
We have already addressed my addiction to stripes in a previous post, so what better thing to pair with my denim than a Breton striped t-shirt.  I love this one from Monki.

4.
I love simple dainty jewellery, my favourite piece at the moment is definitely a bee necklace from Lily Charmed.   

5. 
I'm really bad at carrying everything but the kitchen sink in my bag, which of course is all completely necessary!  Because of this inability to whittle down the contents, a tote is a must.  I love these Michael Kors bags and have my eye on the brown one, they're fab quality at a really good price.

6.
An outfit isn't complete without painted talons and red is my go to colour, I love this Nars polish in Tomorrow's Red, it's the perfect red, not to orange and not to blue.

7.
Shoes are obviously a necessity, I'm not one for stomping around in heels all day, if I'm just bumbling around then these Topshop pumps are my go to pair of shoes.  

8.
If you read my last post then you will know that I had been lusting over these bracelets Monica Vinader Fiji bracelet in Rose Gold for a while, then I was a super lucky gal and won one.  Since it came into my life it has been worn everyday with lots of different outfits, it's a bracelet staple. 

9.
Everyone needs a pair of sunglasses, my favourite at the moment are these Ray Ban Retro Cats 1000 in tortoise.

I hope I haven't bored you all with my nautical obsession, what is your go to outfit when the sun shows its face? 

Monica Vinader Rose Gold Fiji Friendship Bracelet In Royal Blue

Hello Lovelies,

I enjoy reading blog posts just about as much as I enjoy writing them.  So two weeks ago when I was scrolling through my unread list on Bloglovin' I came across a Coco's Tea Party post that I had somehow missed.  I love her blog, but this post was really calling my name as it had a very pretty picture of a Monica Vinader Fiji Friendship Bracelet at the top and one of my favourite words, WIN!!!  

Now I would not class myself as lucky, I'd actually go as far as saying I'm rather unlucky, but to my utter surprise I actually won the #FriendshipFriday competition.  I was beyond excited when I received the tweet, I may or may not have jumped up and down, (but lets be honest if you had just won five Monica Vinader Rose Gold Fiji Bracelets wouldn't you?)

If you haven't heard of Monica Vinader, then where have you been!

But for those that aren't familiar with Monica Vinader, she produces award winning jewelry that oozes understated glamour with a lovely contemporary, natural twist.  The label is inspired by the Spanish designers passion for gems and pearls (all sourced ethically), nature and travel.  Her aim is to create 'something that is special for everyday wear.'    

I love all her jewelry, but I have rings and necklaces that I wear on a daily basis, but have no pretty bracelets so when these beautiful rose gold creations came through my letterbox it didn't take long for me to slip one on my wrist.  Of course I was a stereotypical blogger and took the obligatory snaps for you lovelies.

I have to admit to falling in love with the Fiji Friendship bracelets, I like most teenagers went through a stage of adorning both my wrists with various woven creations, so the Fiji bracelets bring those memories back but in a more grown up style.  Instead of wooden beads there is a curve of 18 karat rose gold vermeil and replacing the yarn is a vibrantly coloured silk cord.  The bracalets are a beautifully simple piece of jewelry that can be worn in both a dressy or relaxed environment.

I hope I have tempted you all to have a little look, and maybe get a little spendy, Naughty Naughty!!!