The French Connection

Hello new favourite dress, kindly sent to me by French Connection. I can't get over how well this fits and how good it makes me feel! French Connection is one of those brands I have forever been aware of but at the same time totally unfamiliar with. I wish I had the budget to dress myself in it top to toe, this dress attracted many a compliment at work yesterday!
Worn with New Look tights and Jeffrey Campbell boots and my motivational bangle by Disney Couture.

Bonus shot of Mae perfecting her blogger posing skills!

Finally Friday! Another one of those short weeks that has dragged on by, probably because I have a nice weekend planned, always the way.
Anyone got anything exciting on the agenda?
What item of clothing always makes YOU feel good?
xxx

P.S. BIG HUGE congratulations to Katy, winner of the Matalan giveaway! Stay tuned for more fantastic prizes to be won.

Ideas for cake decorating designs - Birthdays *guest post*

Cake decorating is not an easy job. You need to have an eye for detail and skilled hands in order to create a masterpiece from your cake design. Creating perfect flowers, fondant accents and swirls require a lot of time and preparation – but studying useful tips and ideas for cake decorating ideas is the way forward if you want to impress someone with their birthday cake.

Questions you should ask yourself before embarking on a new baking project:

• How do I ice an immaculate, crumb free surface?
• What type of icing should I use for my cake decorating job?
• How do I add colour to my icing or fondant?
• How do I select decorating bags?
• How do I add impressive finishing touches to my cake?

If you know answers to the above questions then you have probably got years of experience in professional cake baking. If you struggle to find answers it is probably best you turn to the cake decorating experts such as Dunns Bakery online shop to make sure your cake decorating design has ticked all the boxes. Remember that cake decorating is an art and only patience and devotion will bring the results you are expecting. For example, some consider cake decorating a sugar art and baking contests and competitions prove there are people out there that will do everything to make their cakes and cookies visually attractive. Are you one of them? Or should you maybe take up a professional cake decorating course?


3 Epic Ideas for birthday cake designs from Dunns Bakery

Before you start creating your perfect cake think of the overall look you want to achieve. We already know you do not want a plain cake – so maybe you want your cake to be sculpted to resemble three dimensional persons, cars, gardens or children toys?! Yes, everything is possible! Below you will find inspirational ideas for cake decorating designs.

Basket of flowers – cake design idea for her birthday

The basket of flowers is a classic example of a beautiful and elegant cake. It features decorated roses that can be presented to any woman who is close to your heart.

Toy Story Bed – cake design idea for children

This cake looks just like a funny bed – yes! Using variety of colours and magical characters will make your child very happy!

Football pitch cake design for men

Excellent for football game lovers, an ideal cake to kick off a football season!

Celebration birthday cakes for men, women and children can come in a variety of shapes and designs. As birthday cake forms the center piece of everyone’s birthday make sure you have possessed all the information and skills to create the perfect cake design for your family and friends.

half baked

Love baking but hate the hassle?  Enter Half Baked, a new and exciting concept in home baking; they make the mix, you make the cake!


"The Half-Baked Cake Co. uses only top-notch ingredients, including free-range eggs, proper patisserie flour and real butter. Simply pop the chilled cake mixture in the oven, wait for the evocative aroma of home baked cake to waft through the house, cool, then decorate with luscious icing supplied.  Serve with pride then sit back and enjoy all the glory and taste of a freshly baked cake - without having to scrub any tins or bowls!"

The Half-Baked Cake Co. range comprises Scrumptious Chocolate, Lemon & Lime Drizzle, Coffee & Walnut and Farmhouse Apple.  Perfect for everyday tea or special celebrations, for treating the family or impressing friends, there is a delicious Half-Baked Cake for every occasion.

Scrumptious Chocolate Cake (600g, RRP £5.00)  – the ultimate comfort food and an all round favourite.  Simply top with the rich chocolate buttercream icing supplied – perfect for birthdays and celebrations.

Lemon & Lime Drizzle Cake (490g, RRP £5.00) – a classic drizzle cake, complete with scrumptious zesty zing icing.  Ideal for coffee mornings or a tea time treat.  

Coffee & Walnut Cake (595g, RRP £5.00) – the sublime combination of bold and exotic flavours. This cake mix comes with rich coffee buttercream and walnuts, to add a touch of finesse to your table.

Farmhouse Apple Cake (485g, RRP £5.00) – a mixture of ripe fruit and subtle nutmeg, cloves and cassia spices give this cake a true taste of an English country kitchen. Serve with a pot of tea and good company.

The full Half-Baked Cake Co. range can be found in the chilled food aisle, by the chilled home baking range at selected Tesco Extra stores and Tesco.com from mid-July. 

Price wise, I think these are a pretty good deal; I easily spend that on baking ingredients only to make one cake and then not use the rest of it meaning lots of waste and added expense. The cakes look and sound amazing too...I'm dying to get my hands on the Farmhouse Apple one! 

What do you think to these? Clever shortcut or crafty cheat? I'm all for homebaking, but sometimes time constraints and general laziness prevail; these are perfect for a spur of the moment cake-fest or to make for the office for a birthday (and claim it all as your own, of course!) and it saves both on washing up AND having several bags of unusable flour hanging around.

xxx

chop chop

After months of putting it off, I finally went and booked a haircut...a much needed one and the timing couldn't have been more perfect after a truly horrible morning at work.

I didn't have any particular style in mind, just something easy to maintain and that's what I got! My head feels a heck of a lot lighter minus about 10 inches of hair and half of it's bulk (the curse of not just thick, but plentiful hair!)
Now the challenge is the upkeep, this is where I usually fail! Feel free to share miracle products and styling tips with me! I'm going back to vibrant red at the weekend.

And don't forget, there are still a few hours left to win £20 with Matalan, the giveaway closes at 7pm. Chop chop!

xxx

Where's Wally x Zatchels

Well here's a collaboration I never dreamt would exist, and now it does I can't think of why it didn't already! Merging two of my favourite things together, I introduce Zatchels feat. Where's Wally!

In celebration of Where’s Wally 25 Birthday British must have accessorises brand of the moment Zatchels reveal an exclusive limited edition collaboration with the children's book favourite.

We will know exactly where Wally is during the month of September as he will be gracing the satchels of Zatchels!

Zatchels will launch a unique capsule collection of three Where’s Wally branded satchels that will be sold on-line at wwwwww.zatchels.com.zatchels.com within a specially dedicated Where’s Wally subpage. Wally fans will be pleased to know there will even be an interactive competition to find a hidden Wally within the Zatchels website.

To mark this exclusive collaboration with Where’s Wally, Zatchels has honed a new innovative method of digitally printing designs directly on to leather, using state of the art equipment and custom made inks that when applied do not compromise the feel of the leather or integrity of the surface. This exciting new technology pushes the boundaries enabling the creation of small runs of bespoke designs that will open doors for exciting new collaborations in the future.

Wheres Wally Limited Edition Collection with Zatchels includes satchels priced at GBP£109.00 Avaliable in size 13 inch with the option to have with or without a carry handle.

Which is your favourite? It has to be the classic Where's Wally stripes for me!

pencilled in

Pencil skirt and Cat print blouse, £7 each from Primark. Shoes c/o Sarenza.

The minute I saw this blouse I knew I wanted it, I am loving cat prints at the moment and at £7 it would have been frankly rude NOT to buy it. The skirt was another story. I've always proclaimed myself to be un-suited to pencil skirts but with some persuasion decided to try this one on. I didn't expect to even like it, let alone purchase it, but again, at £7 it seemed worth the risk. I wouldn't say I love how it looks, but I wouldn't mind another in a different colour too...a brilliant basic at a bargain price.

Finally getting a long, long overdue haircut this afternoon after work. I've been putting it off for about a year. I'm not doing anything more dramatic than getting a good few inches trimmed off; despite grand ideas I remain a bit of a coward (and a lot hopeless) when it comes to hair!

Snapped up any Primark bargains lately?

xxx

set sail

Of course, what I have failed to capture in these photos is the sailboat print of the dress, meaning the title makes very little sense, but whatever! I wore this on Sunday to go shopping with Ellie, making the most of what was probably the last decent day of Summer!
The dress was c/o Jolie Moi and the shoes are my ever faithful Converse which now have that perfect worn in/battered look.

Depressingly it's back to work today after the last Bank Holiday of the year, and what a washout it was! Is it time to give up on the Summer clothes, or do you predict an Indian Summer?

xxx

On my Radar; Atterly Road

Just launched, women’s fashion etailer Atterley Road is the bridge between the finest high street and independent designers available online.

2012 sees a world in which there is not only a phenomenal amount of choice both on the high street and online, but also a world where value for money has never been more important.

The shopping-savvy woman of today craves a trustworthy destination where her favourite brands are brought together in a concise and personal online shopping experience; where she can find the independent designers that are fast disappearing from the high street; and where she can be sure that the quality and craftsmanship of the clothes she buys is assured. Atterley Road will be this place.

Its founder, Katie Starmer-Smith brings with her a wealth of design and buying experience, honed while working for 9 years at premium high street brand, Jigsaw. Katie recognised the need for a unique destination for women who simply don’t have the time to trawl through the vast and sometimes overwhelming mix of brands on the high street.

Atterley Road will present a hand-picked, tightly edited selection of some 30 much-loved premium high street brands mixed with favourite boutique labels and independent designers; Whistles, NW3, Hobbs and Jigsaw will sit alongside By Marlene Birger, Filippa K, Maison Scotch, Des Petits Hauts, People Tree and American Vintage.

With an experienced team of buyers, Atterley Road will meet the needs and tastes of the real women of today. Whether juggling home life with a career, keeping up with a busy social calendar, embarking upon the school run, meeting the girls for lunch or taking that much needed ‘night off’, Atterley Road will provide simple, relaxed and understated style choices.

Easy to navigate, Atterley Road’s customer service will be unparalleled - a team that takes time to offer advice efficiently, an interactive social experience which will allow you to share thoughts and shop with friends and multiple delivery options that work around your busy lifestyle. Atterley Road aims to provide women with a trusted, relevant and intelligent online shopping environment that they will re-visit time and time again.

You know how I love to window shop, and the second Atterly Road e-mailed me I was eager to take a peek. Above is a selection of the shops new arrivals, just to give you an idea of what to expect. The site is filled with well made, classic pieces from both loved and new to me brands.

Des Petits Hauts quilted jacket and sequin collar shirt (this is a new to me brand and I so far love it!), Petit Bateau striped tee, Jigsaw printed leather satchel (LOVE!) and Hunter waterproof pumps.

I know my blog is one big wishlist lately,
but with so many shops out there, who can blame me?

What do you make of Atterley Road?

xxx

Sarenza Shoe of the Week

This week's shoe of the week comes with a bit of a story. The shoe in question in the Brisbane by Desigual costing £45.90.

I hadn't even really heard of Desigual before I went to Spain and Ellie introduced me to their shop in Malaga. Well,
it was love and first sight for me...and Ellie is even more besotted!
When my monthly voucher for Sarenza came through and I saw these shoes I knew exactly who's feet would appreciate them more than mine and a pair was purchased along with my Bertie "granny" shoes and presented to Ellie yesterday.

For anyone in any doubt about spending almost £50 on a pair of flats, let her reaction to these convince you. They were placed on her feet immediatley and worn for a few hours walking around town where they were declared like "walking in slippers". Flats have a reputation for rubbing or being generally uncomfortable so I was amazed. So much so, next month I think a pair shall be gracing my feet...I quite fancy the Habana colour way.

For those not already familiar with Desigual, I suggest checking it out and falling in love with their quirky designs and bright, bold colours....then hot foot it to Sarenza and treat your feet!

Are there any brands that you wouldn't know about if it weren't for blogging or friends? Who makes the comfiest flats in YOUR opinion?

xxx

Daisy Chain Dreaming: Repertoire Fashion

I've spent my afternoon checking out Primark's A/W collection, bemoaning  the fact that there is still almost a week to payday and I am feeling the pinch,
so of course, it makes perfect sense that I come home and make yet another wishlist, this time courtesy of Repertoire Fashion, another one of those websites I've only recently become aware of and almost wish I didn't know about!

My picks have a distinct warm-wearing theme, I am so over this lack of summer weather, once again I have clothes (some from last year) left unworn and whilst I don't relish the cold and dark winters I do love an excuse to layer up cosily.

1. Vivienne Westwood skirt

2. Michael Kors boots

3. Sonia Rykiel dress (loveee this!)

4. Michael Kors

5. Barbour. I am determined to own a Barbour at some point this winter.

So,
have a little look around Repertoire Fashion for yourself and let me know what you'd be buying should money be no object!

xxx

flat footed

Dress, liberated from Ellie in Spain, Tights, Tesco, Shoes c/o Miss Ikon, Poser Cat still free to a good home!

The flatform trend is one I've watched from afar since it first emerged. I was always in two minds over whether I actually liked it or not. Lately I've decided I do (also creepers have grown on me) so when I was given the change to choose a pair of shoes from Miss Ikon these black flatform sandals were my first choice.

I doubted their comfort, I have a high instep and a totally flat shoe base doesn't usually suit my feet and I wondered about walking in them.
Worries banished, these are so comfortable and once again I am impressed with the quality and sturdiness of the shoe. They take a little bit of getting used to walking wise, but I'm a convert and I intend to wear them to death for what remains of the summer!

How's the weekend panning out? Yesterday saw me FINALLY track down a jumper from Asda that I've been coveting and spending quality time relaxing. Today is ScratchCard Sunday and I am hoping to boost our £6 winnings (three weeks of winning in a row...can it be done?!)

Knowing I don't have to get up for work tomorrow...total bliss! I hope those of you at festivals aren't getting too soggy! I believe in true British fashion this weekend is set to be a washout!

xxx

Lovable Lingerie

It’s time to be seduced by Italy’s number-one lingerie brand, Lovable this

summer with its glamorous and sexy new range soon to the sold in the UK for the first time. Hitting rails exclusively at selected John Lewis stores from August, the chic new range offers British women a taste of Italian style, contemporary design and quality at an affordable price.

Whether you’re looking for an iconic vintage look, a sexy balconette or feather light lingerie, there’s something in the range to speak to the Italian woman in you with these fabulously feminine new designs.

I'm a sucker for pretty lingerie despite my lack of bust and this range is just gorgeous! Looking at the John Lewis website, prices are around £15 for pants and £32 for a bra which doesn't seem bad to me!

My favourite set is the Vintage Couture one, picture above...classic, sleek and sophistacted. What's not to love?

Lovable by name and nature.

xxx

Tribal

Dress c/o Miss Ikon, Tights from Superdrug, Boots Georgia Rose c/o Sarenza. Cat...free to a good home ;)

I suppose really I should apologise to introducing you all to yet another place to shop, but I think you'll thank me when you actually take a look at Miss Ikon for yourselves...currently rocking a brilliant Bank Holiday sale there are so true gems on this site...
I'm in love with this Aztec Print dress and impressed, REALLY impressed both by the quality and length of it (something often lacking in the highstreet these days)

Mae tones in nicely with this outfit. She's going through a bit of a naughty phase at the moment, tearing up carpets and generally being mad. She makes up for it by being cute though, so I guess she can stay!

Happy weekend folks, anyone got bank holiday plans?
I am indulging in the extra day off by doing not a lot at all, one way or another it's been a testing week and I've come out the stronger person (albeit it the exhausted one too!)
Onwards and upwards.

xxx

P.S. apologies for the blurred pictures, someone needs to clean their lens!

Designer Dining

It's not often that something in a magazine instantly compells me to blog, and even less often that the magazine I'm browsing is House Beautiful!
The second I clamped eyes on this fabulous set of ceramics by Kate Spade I knew I had to feature them...
Available at John Lewis these aren't cheap, prices start at £27.50 for a mug *gulp*. Value wise, you can't go wrong with the Tidbit Plates, at £50 for four, they work out at a practically bargainous £12.50 each...I do love a quick bit of shopping maths!


What's caught your eye lately? What do you think of this amazing range?

xxx