Hillarys Christmas Crafts Workshop

Last weekend, I was invited down to Brighton by Joe Blogs to attend the Christmas crafts workshop hosted by Hillarys. Helen was also attending which made me very happy and we started our day with a quick trip to the arcade where I actually won something out of the 2p machine! (Ok, it was just a slinky and it got stuck halfway down so I had to track down a worker to free it, but Helen had told me "You'll never win that slinky" so my victory was sweet!). 

After our arcade fun, we headed off through the labyrinthine Lanes of Brighton to find our venue for the afternoon, Taj's Tea Parlour.



After bagging a great window seat and settling down, we were introduced to Kirsty of Make, Do and Trend who was our guide for the afternoon. 

We started off very simple with a basic bunting craft using fabric supplied by Hillarys. I think the highlight for everyone was peeling the PVA glue of their hands!



After making the bunting, it was time for a tea break with drinks and biscuits provided free of charge. Unfortunately, I don't drink tea or coffee and the owner of the cafe refused to allow me a soft drink alternative which I wasn't best pleased with, to be honest, but I did have a couple of the Christmas tree biscuits.

Once we'd rested our crafting hands for a while, we moved on to our second craft- a fabric bauble. This was much more complicated than the bunting but surprisingly easy once I got the hang of it. However, it did take a lot of patience and concentration. It also made my thumbs really hurt after two hours of pushing pins into the polystyrene ball! Let me tell you, my bauble may look decent enough in this photo but it is a hot mess! I'm not cut out for this making decorations malarkey!

Huge thanks to all at Hillarys, Joe Blogs and Make, Do and Trend. I had a lovely day in Brighton and I picked up some great crafty tips for future crafts. Practise makes perfect, I guess! 

4th December 2014

Coat: c/o Bon Marché
Shoes: Primark

I'm a big fan of furry jackets. In fact, my very first post featured a rather spectacular furry jacket so it's a style I've enjoyed for several years now. This particular little number is from, surprisingly enough, Bon Marché and part of the David Emanuel line. It's amazingly heavy and snuggly, so it's perfect for keeping me warm on these cold, cold mornings. 

I know what you're all thinking- Bon Marché isn't exactly the sort of place you would usually think of when adding to your wardrobe. Honestly, I thought the same thing... but then I looked on the site and found that, actually, there are some really gorgeous pieces such as this pink mac and this poodle jumper.

If I've learned anything this week, it's to broaden my horizons. From now on, I'll be more open-minded when it comes to the shops I try!

Review: ForYou/ FaceTheory M4 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser

I'm not going to lie to you guys, I'm starting to think I really need to consider anti-ageing treatments. Now that I'm teetering into my late-20s (eek!), it's definitely time to address the fine lines that have steadily been creeping onto my forehead over the past four years or so. 

With that in mind, ForYou's Anti-Ageing Moisturiser is just what I need and I was very kindly sent a sample to try out. Since I was sent this, the brand name has changed to Facetheory.

Although I can't comment on the packaging as my sample came in a pot rather than the pictured bottle, I was really impressed with the consistency. It's very thick and creamy, but I only need to use a tiny amount in order to smooth it over my face and neck. However, since it has such a thick consistency, it does take a while to absorb into my skin. 

ForYou promise that this moisturiser "fights off fine lines and wrinkles" due to the ingredients of argan oil, retinol (vitamin A) and hyaluronic acid. Although I can't yet testify as to whether these do indeed have the desired anti-ageing effect (my lines are very fine and I've yet to notice a difference), it's very promising to see such active ingredients. The moisturiser also has SPF25 and, as I've explained many times in the past, this is always a big plus for me.

The only downside I found with this moisturiser is that it has an odd scent, almost like Pringles but I've been assured that a lovely fragrance is in the pipeline so I'm looking forward to finding out what it will be like in the future! 

Orla Kiely Gratin Dish

I don't know about you, but I blooming love a pasta bake! Luckily for me, Sizzle sent me this incredible Orla Kiely Gratin Dish. I'm completely in love with the 60s and 70s inspired retro designs of clothing, accessories and homeware so Orla Kiely is naturally one of my favourite brands. This dish is no exception. 

With gorgeous shades of navy blue and burnt orange, the familiar leaf design is printed around the sides of the dish. The handles are a really good size- easy to hold without burning your hands on the hot sides- and, at 35cm in length, you can cook a whole family-sized meal. Made from 100% stoneware, the dish is dishwasher-, oven- and microwave-safe, which makes it really practical. 

Although we've only used it for pasta bakes (pesto chicken a la Pizza Express), there are so many meals that I'm excited to try: Hot pots, casseroles and even apple crumbles! Yum!

Although Rich is the cook of the house, I'm the one that dictates the meals. Wish us luck as we expand our gratin dish skills!

Cath Kidston SS15 Preview

Another day, another SS15 preview. Told you last week was busy! My second event was the Cath Kidston preview, which I felt very lucky to be invited to. Although I'm not one for the cult floral bags, I absolutely love the more quirky homeware and, let me tell you now, next season has some of the most fun pieces ever!

The theme of next season is "A breath of fresh air", inspired by the English countryside and nature trails. With collections including Clouds, Tulips and River Fish, this inspiration is clear throughout. 

In keeping with their theme, the whole room was decked out like a village fair. Such cute inspiration for weddings and summer parties.

This was the best part of the venue decor and these sheep tea cosies will be available for purchase! My favourite is the one at the back having a little drink. So cute!

I think River Fish is my favourite of the collections. I wouldn't call myself a fish fan, but I love the Britishness of this design and there are some truly lovely items. 

For example, this fishy oven glove is amazing! 

And if you're not fished out enough, there's also this gorgeous dress with white ric rac detail at the bottom. I love a bit of ric rac! 

Speaking of ric rac, look at this skirt! Isn't it just the most amazing thing you've ever seen? It will be making an appearance on my body this summer. Yes. 

Matching ric rac glasses too! 

This tank top makes me wish I had a child! 

Stanley the dog is my pal. About 2 years ago, I bought a railcard holder adorned with mini Stanleys so he's always there on my commute. Look at his cute little face!

It gets better! These are Stanley salt and pepper shakers! I have a real thing for novelty salt and pepper shakers, so these are right up my street.

I'm so excited about the upcoming offerings Cath Kidston will have in their shops. As if I wasn't looking forward to summer enough! 

Matalan SS15 Preview

Last week was the busiest week in the world! It seems to be prime time for press events right now, so I was completely rushed off my feet. Matalan kindly invited me along to their SS15 home and fashion preview and I was very happy to see pastels are back to stay!

I love the cutout detail in this bag, and the shades of mint and pink are stunning. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the pastel pink biker jacket!

These gorgeous little bags are the perfect size, and come in a huge range of pastel shades, including lilac. 
For a more quirky touch, these bags are adorable! I love the fun fruity designs.

Alphabet Scarves are such a wonderful concept and I want one so badly, but the B only comes in forest green. Not really my colour! I'd much prefer the colours of the A or C. Mind you, my surname begins with C so I could cheat there.

The homeware selection is just as cute and whimsical, with a rustic wildlife theme running throughout.

I don't have any need for a doorstop at home which is a shame as this bird design is lovely! Maybe I could get one for work, although it would probably disappear before break time! 

 Birds seem to be the thing for homeware this season. Tweet!

Speaking of tweet, how cute is this clock? If you look closely, you can see it says "Home Tweet Home". Perfect for me, right?

I'm seriously so excited about the new season. Pastels are my thing (in case you hadn't guessed!)

Lewes Priory

This weekend, I visited Laura and Matt in Lewes, which is such an interesting town with a huge amount of history, some of which I posted about here. This time, we popped by The Priory, a medieval Clunaic house that was dissolved by Henry VIII in the 1530s. 

When built in the 1000s, around the same time as the castle, it was a sprawling estate of 40 acres. Unfortunately, this is more or less all that remains these days. In the photo above, you can see the ruins of the warming house straight ahead and toilets to the left. 

This would have been the entrance to the dormitory. The monks slept in the same clothes but swapped their shoes for warmer, fur-lined night shoes. It would have been absolutely freezing in the winter, as the only rooms with a fire were the infirmary, warming room and kitchens, 

Although this tower, the Prospect Tower, looks original, it was actually built in the late 1800s by John Blaker, who owned the site at the time.

I absolutely love visiting heritage sites like this. Learning about the history of how people lived centuries ago never fails to fascinate me!