Wish List

Jo Malone scented candle // Cate Noire scented candle // Pull & Bear dog tee 

Pull & Bear bunny tee // Nasty Gal romper // Pull & Bear boots

xo

Pinspiration - Candle Fun

Pinterest is one of my favourite sources for online inspiration, whether it's travel, decor, clothes, photography... At the moment I am rediscovering my candle obsession!

Am a big fan of classic vanilla scents, but anything a bit quirky or pastel tends to catch my eye as well. And teacup candles or home made jars, who doesn't love that!

xo

Monday morning inspiration

Some Olsen-style inspiration for Monday morning. Mix it up with oversized boy-shirts, layered jewellery and chunky shoes. Casual and cool without much effort, just how we like it post-weekend. 

xo

Interior inspiration: Closet edition

Pinterest remains one of my fave online-inspiration finds! Was having a little browse around for storage inspiration, and in particular some fun, quirky and effective ways of maximising closet space. 

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Taking time

Time for a bit of colourful interior inspiration! Am particularly infatuated by the mixed-print sofa!

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Foodporn: Lactosefree Apple Pie Nigella-style

One of my new years to-do's was to get more adventurous with my cooking, which considering the amount of foodporn on my Instagram seemed like a good idea. 

Luckily Christmas brought with it this little gem :). 

Watching Nigella romance food on TV, with her passion, her real-ness and her epic desserts (!), has definitely inspired me to get into trying more new things and find confidence in my cooking attempts.

Her recent book 'Nigelissima' certainly doesn't disappoint as it's packed with creative ideas, classic Italian goodies, quirky mains and scrumptious dessert, all with simple and easy-to-follow instructions (if I can do it anyone can! No... Seriously.). 

First up, home made Apple Pie!

I've loved this gem for as long as I can remember. It's up there on the top-list with the blueberry pie, cupcakes and strawberries with cream (it's a dessert. It just is, simple or not). 

Nigella's Italian Lactose-free Apple Pie (recipe serves 8)

100g Butter (Lactofree, either from Arla or the Dairy-Free range)

250g Plain Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

Pinch of Salt

150g Caster Sugar

2 Eggs

Zest of 1 Lemon

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

75ml Lactofree Milk (room temperature)

3 Apples (Nigella suggests Pink Lady but any crisp ones work well)

1 Teaspoon soft brown or Demerara Sugar

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1x Springform Cake Tin

Start by setting the oven to 200C, and butter up that springform tin. 

Mix up the butter and sugar until it's pale and creamy.  

Mix in the egg, and then add the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, lemon zest and milk. Mash it up to a batter with a soft consistency. 

Halve one of the apples, peel it and chop half into small cubes. (Be strong at this stage, don't eat the batter!! You can lick the spoon at the end!)

Mix this into the batter, and then pour your mixture into your springform. Then add the remaining apples (skin on) arranging them as you please. 

Mix up your cinnamon and demerara sugar together and sprinkle this evenly over the art piece. 

Once you're happy in the oven it goes for 45 minutes. Then leave it to cool down in the springform for about 1 hour before popping it onto a nice serving platter. Voila!. 

Yum! Enjoy the fruits of your labours, preferably with some (lactofree) cream or vanilla sauce. 

 xo

ELLE's Women in TV

This makes me happy... Elle's ladies of TV land feature with four special-issue covers. Amy Poehler, Mindy Kaling, Zooey Deschanel and Allison Williams are rocking it and getting candid. 

xo

NOTES- Since posting I've been made aware of how different Mindy's cover (black and white, cropped face shot) looks to the others. Elle claims it's just a shot showing her as a sophisticated and chic laday. Is that all? Personally I didn't even think twice about it when looking over the shots, but once it's noticed it's hard to not think about it. Thoughts? Random coincidence or purposeful difference. 

Lookbook Inspiration

Top from Revolve Clothing

Celfie top and jeans from Singer22

Sophie Hulme bag available here 

Accessories & Stella McCartney inspired bargains

Am quite into additions to the accessories-box at the moment, and as I discovered Necessary Clothing (US based online shop in the Nasty Gal style) a little Christmas Gift Inspiration list seemed in order.

These can all be found here. 

And for all the (designer style) bag lovers, a bit of Stella McCartney-esque inspiration found here ($49.99). 

Or if you'd rather spring for the original version, you can get your hands on it here (£680).  

xo

P

Quote of the Day - Anti-diets, Yoga Inspiration & the Jennifers

Let's focus on feeling good and Healthy around this Holiday Season, not panicking about the skinny. Like most holidays Christmas involves a lot of (fairly epic) food-porn. Families, friends, and loved ones all come together around the dinner table.

While there obviously isn't any need to overdo the feasting and slip into any extremes, there equally shouldn't be a need to spend the entire time feeling guilty or getting lost in a calorie-counting panic.

Balance, a healthy approach and a positive mindset can provide results for the long-run without having to feel like you've got to miss out in order to keep hitting those diet-targets (often un-healthy and un-maintainable - a great read on the health dangers of dieting and why most popular ones are not sustainable in the long run HERE). 

It's so easy to get lost under the pressures of the many backwards views of what a normal/good/perfect body-size is. Women in particular are incredibly guilty of fuelling each others insecurities as well as their own. The sad irony being that when this pressure goes too far the size-bullies frequently turn around and critique again, this time it's perhaps disconcertingly thin (clearly a win win). 

And while blaming the media (any Tabloid cover, any gossip show, most casting directors) is an easy out, the everyday ladies (and gents, looking at you too!) are just as guilty for furthering these questionable ideals. 

The 'it' actress and bad-ass leading lady of the moment Jennifer Lawrence has suffered her fair share of un-founded critique... Hearing friends and girls in general calling the (in reality gorgeous, slim and healthily toned, woman) actress chubby or a bit  too 'curvy' (without the positive connotation).  

This isn't by any means everyone's opinion though. A lot of people are standing up and hailing her as a much needed role-model for girls (of all ages) due to her outspoken, honest and healthy approach to weight, in particular as a woman constantly scrutinised in the public eye. 

So let's take a deep breath and remember to own it, work it and try to feel and stay healthy (a word often misused and misinterpreted) this Christmas. Without letting the outside world's pressures or insecurities becoming our own, find your own balance. 

For some inspiration check out Miss Aniston's own fave work-out tips from her Yoga instructor here. 

And one of my favourites, the Londoner's anti-diet, can be found here. 

xo

Lookbook Inspiration - Winter edition

 Winter has pretty much officially arrived, and whether that means you're watching snow falling outside your window, having a California chill or the London rain, it's time to bundle up! 

Knits, boots and scarves all around please. 

Pull & Bear boots option here // Pull & Bear trousers option here // Marc Jacobs bag option here

Pull & Bear option here & here//  Asos option here

Zara option here // Pull & Bear option here

Asos cardigan found here 

Burberry option here // Zara option here

  

Shredded Jeans option from Pull & Bear here // Striped shirt Zara option here 

xo

Kitchen Inspiration

The kitchen represents so many things. Warmth, heart, scents, food porn, togetherness, burns. The centre of a home in many ways, along with the lounge this is where we relax, come together, entertain... 

Just as our wardrobe should reflect our personalities, so can our homes. Different life stages usually also means different styles and tastes, growing and changing as we do. While key elements have always remained, my style has certainly changed dramatically over the years. 



One of my long lasting love affairs have been mixing wood with light creamy colours... White, light greys, cream, beige, soft peachy hues. I love an open space where you can get messy with your cooking and where you can have breakfast together, sit down and relax, natter over a cup of tea. 

Anyhow, as I was feeling a bit dreamy, here's some of my favourite inspiration... (thanks Pinterest!)

Take a seat at the table!

Kitchen islands, Diner style booths and kitchens that fit a proper dinner table are big on my wish list for the future. 

xo