Wednesday 10 September 2014

Perfect Brunch


I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I love Marmalade!

Everything about Marmalade makes me feel happy.

I had my first GTT test a few weeks back to check for gestational diabetes and so had to fast for 12 hours.

This normally wouldn't be a problem, but not eating breakfast super sets off my morning sickness, so not eating breakfast until after the test at 10.30, was not so jolly!

What I love about hospital apointments is that it means a trip to Marmelade on the way home.

A ham and egg sandwich with a latte was just what I fancied...thanks Marmalade.



Saturday 6 September 2014

Summer Nail Art

               

I love to do my nails and spend time thinking up new patterns, but sometimes it nice to be pampered for a change and Cami does a fantastic job of making nails look GORGEOUS!

This fab shell design, above, I had done for my holiday to Menorca in July and really made me feel summery.

I have read several blogs about nails in pregnancy and there is research showing the toxins in acrylics aren't good, but nothing that says much about gels.

I've tried to keep my nails with normal paint as often as possible reduce any toxins, but I'd be interested in any other research anyone has done on this?



Thursday 4 September 2014

Anniversary Weekend - A little late!


Back in May we celebrated our 1 year wedding anniversary and a very special thing happened...we made a baby!

The lack of posts has been due to me being all over the place with sickness and emotions and coming to terms with starting a family a little sooner than expected.

However, I'm back and have lots to catch up on from the last 4 months.

Disneyland Paris was an absolute dream and we had such an amazing time.  Thanks G for an amazing weekend, one we truly will never forget!

Sunglasses - Culter & Gross,  Breton - Boden, Necklace - Monsoon, Scarf - COS











Friday 23 May 2014

New Home Editions


Really pleased with some of the new editions to the house that I got for my birthday last month.  I had blogged about this gorgeous John Lewis lamp before and Bean saw it, bought it, and gave it to me for my birthday! How lush!

This gorgeous Emma Bridgewater Honey and Marmelade jar was given to me my Bean's best friend, who always puts 110% into present buying.  This she bought to go with the Emma Bridgewater glass Jug and Cups that she had given us as a wedding present.

Fantastic new teapot, from Forlife that has an in-built strainer for making tea from loose tea leaves.





Monday 19 May 2014

The Family Feeling

Picture from here

I've always wanted a baby. I've always wanted to be a mum. Nothing in the whole has ever made me happier than the idea of having a baby.

In this first year of marriage though I have found myself, not just wanting a baby, but wanting a family.  Not only do I want a baby, but I want to have G's baby. I want to join us together even more by having something that inevitably links us forever.  Something that we get to make and share; and believe me that's saying something for me as I'm not one for sharing!

The fact that now we are married and in the process of getting a house sorted means that I am ever so much closer to having a baby.

I am trying to have a healthier lifestyle and I am planning to do the Brighton marathon again in 2015 to help me lose weight and then am hoping to fall pregnant after that.

The idea that it may not happen is niggling in the back of my mind, but fingers crossed there aren't any underlying issues that would mean our fertility isn't great.  

Here's to drinking less, smoking less, getting fitter and getting up the duff!!!


Monday 12 May 2014

Spring Must Haves




I love spring.  I love the idea of opening up the windows and doors and letting the light shine in.  I love the fact that it always feels like a time for cleaning away the cobwebs and getting rid of everything you have hoarded over the winder months.

I love a house and wardrobe clear out, but then it's also nice to bring some new goodies in.  Here are some bits that I'm loving and that I'm hoping will take me nicely into the summer months;


Fab spring/summer crockery for when the weather gets slightly nicer and we can start eating outside (above).


I've had a bit of a thing about Globes for a while, and still lusting over getting me own.  I'm loving the spring colours of this Globe.

I was travelling through London last week and popped in to Oliver Bonas in Victoria station.  I got my hands on this gorgeous Oliver Bonas Ring for only £10.

Since knowing that we were off to France for our anniversary I've falled in love with these Boden Breton tops, and now have a yellow and navy one in the wardrobe.  Perfect with jeans, but also nice tucked into a high wasted skirt for work.

So so chuffed with this Meringue Girls Cookbook for my birthday and really nice to get some lovely summery recipes to move through the seasons....out with crumble and custard, in with meringue and fruit!

I've been lusting over a classic pair of Converse for a while, just saving up my pennies.










Sunday 11 May 2014

Mmmmm....Meringues!



I may have mentioned once or twice that I recently got the Meringue Girls Cookbook.  I'm loving it so much, mainly because they are actually super easy to make, and also because they are unbelievably tasty!

This weekend I decided to try my hand at a couple of different flavours; chocolate with crunchy topping, and raspberry with pink sugar topping.

I used the same technique as last time for the raspberry ones, meaning they came out very circular and delicate looking.  I sprinkled on the sugar before cooking and let them cook away for about an hour.

I used much more of a rough, 'dollop' technique for the chocolate ones, meaning they were much bigger and a bit more rustic looking.

Very pleased with the result of both and took some samples to my friend Jo and her son gobbled up 3, so I'm pretty sure I got the thumbs up from him.

p.s. thanks for featuring me on your blog Jo x


Friday 2 May 2014

Meringue Girls



I got this fantastic cook book, Meringue Girls Cookbook - Incredible Meringues everybody can make, from my sister's boyfriend for my birthday.  I had never heard of the Meringue Girls, but now I'm pretty much obsessed!

I love the fact that the book is dedicated to 'everyone who dreams of leaving their 9 to 5', and not only are the recipes super tasty looking, the girls are pretty cool themselves!

Over the last few months my aim has been to get back to the roots of cooking and find some classic recipes that I can master and this book has given me the nudge to try my hand at a mastering a good meringue.

I tried this weekend to master the simple chocolate meringue kiss, and was definitely pleased with the result.

I was so pleased that I made another batch on Sunday to take to the bake sale at work on Monday.











Wednesday 30 April 2014

Crafty - Paper Tassel Garland


A couple of weeks ago we had a little party for my birthday.  I didn't really want to go all out with a theme or loads of decorations, but I thought it might be fun to make these super easy paper garlands to add a bit of a party feel inside and out.

I've been lusting after this one that Emily has in her office for ages so decided that it might be fun to do something similar for the party.

I had a search online and found some good tutorials like this one on Boho Weddings.

I'm excited about trying more of them with some glittery paper and other colours.  Super glad I'fe figured out how to make them, as they seem to be super expensive to buy online!

Have you every tried making one?  What is your party go to item to dress up the house a bit?


Monday 28 April 2014

Essie: Sweater Girl


I was so pleased with this gorgeous Essie gel nail vanish that G bought me for my birthday.  It's called 'sweater girl' and came from an online amazon store.

I'm loving the brown/purple colour and it works perfectly for a smart work look.

The Essie gels are affordable and come in fantastic colours, are easy to apply, and mean I get my Essie fix with the longevity of gel!

Sunday 27 April 2014

Burger Brothers, Whitstable


Last weekend was the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, but it was also my birthday.  We headed back to my parents house in Canterbury and spent the whole weekend with friends and family.

On Easter Sunday we headed down to Whitstable for a fantastic meal at Burger Brothers, located at the Coach and Horses, for their Sunday special BBQ and Jazz.

Um, Wow!!! It was like an amazing meat feast, just like you would get in America, but full of flavours and just down the road from home!

Admittedly it is just an ordinary, bog standard pub setting, but actually who doesn't love just chilling in the pub!  It was quite expensive for what it was and you do have to pay for the extra like chips, corn on the cob and beans, but actually you get a pretty big portion of extras, plenty to share between 2.

We ordered nachos and onion rings to start with and OMG, the onion rings were like the size of your face!!

I chose to do the make your own platter for main, so I chose 1/4 ribs, pulled pork and a slice of brisket.  All the meat was so full of flavour and it came with chips and a pot of coleslaw.  I ordered a side of tasty BBQ pit beans with chunks of meat which were very tasty, but I really didn't need that much extra food!

The crazy flavoured milk shakes for pudding were served in fab blue jam jars with hundreds and thousands around the top and tons of whipped cream

I was soooooo uncomfortable when I left after stuffing myself completely, but it was all so tasty I couldn't stop!!!





Countryside Antics


There aren't many things that I love more than spending time outdoors in the countryside.

I am lucky that my parents live on an old apple farm so we have loads of space surrounding us when we head back there.

Last weekend we spend the majority of the weekend outside; clearing it the barn, burning a bonfire, lazing in the sun.

Now that the evenings are longer and the days are warmer being able to get back to the country for the weekend is a real treat.

Are you a country or city person?  What's your favourite thing about the country?

Wednesday 16 April 2014

Getting Excited For Paris



G and I will be celebrating our 1 year Wedding Anniversary on the 4th May.  As a surprise G has booked for us to go to Disneyland Paris for the weekend.  I am so super excited, because not only will it bring back memories of our honeymoon in Disney World Florida, but we will hopefully get to pop in to the romance capital for a few hours.

I'm getting super excited about our weekend away and have been planning my wardrobe and having a look through the exiting things we could see when we pop into the city.  

I found this brill blog, Hip Paris, that has given me some inspiration.  After finding the brill markets in London the other weekend I like the idea of finding places that aren't too commercial when I visit a new city.  It's nice to find things that showcase the city for what it really is, not about the touristy attractions that everyone sees.

I love the idea of visiting the Love Lock Bridge, especially as it is a romantic anniversary trip.  The idea of adding our little padlock is exciting.

I'm also super excited by the fashion and am trying to pack cool looking outfits for the trip...you can't go to Paris and not think about your fashion for the weekend!  I found this fab boho bag on Boden that would be perfect for carrying bits around, and also am definitely needing to invest in some breton stripe tops before we head off!

Paris seems all about the stripes, scarves and big bags.  Eeeek I'm so excited.



Boho Bag, Boden

Stripes and scarves are a must for Paris

Fab outfit idea - not sure I'm quite trendy enough to pull this off

Thursday 10 April 2014

London Sunday - Afternoon Tea

Bean and I getting excited for the Van Gogh action!

We jumped on the tube from the Brick Lane Market and headed over to Trafalgar Square.  I had seen online that the National Gallery has borrowed one of the Van Gogh Sunflower paintings from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and as a big fan of Van Gogh I was super excited to pop in to get a glimpse.  I was't however quite expecting the 40 min queue! Not so fun!

Anyway, we managed to get in and see them for about a minute before we had to head over to the Haymarket Hotel.  

Very Snazzy!  We sat down for afternoon tea and I was definitely impressed.  The interior is very funky and there was a nice atmosphere.  We had a selection of scones, sandwiches and cakes accompanied by tea and champagne.

It was so nice to catch up with everyone and have a girly afternoon out.  Last time we were all together was a year ago at the spa for my Hen Do, so it brought back some lovely memories.

I miss spending time with the girls, and nothing beats spending time with people you've known forever.

Here's to the summer when, fingers crossed, there are a few occasions where we will all be together.

National Gallery

Family Selfie!


Horrendous queue to see the Van Goghs


Afternoon Tea at the Haymarket


Tasty collection of cakes and sanwiches


Gorgeous Wedgewood crockery at the Haymarket




Wednesday 9 April 2014

London Sunday - The Markets


On Sunday I headed up to London for my Maid of Honor's birthday.  Mum, Bean and I decided to head to London early so that we could spend a few hours together, wandering, and looking at the sites.

On Saturday I had a look online on Time Out London to see what sort of things we could do for a few hours before we had to meet Lydia and her mum at 3pm for Afternoon Tea at the Haymarket Hotel.

The first place we headed was Columbia Road in Shoreditch for the flower market.  There were loads of fantastic shops and the street had been transformed into an oasis full of flowers and plants; everything from gorgeous, freshly cut flowers to fruit trees and cacti.

We wandered through Columbia Road, popped into a gorgeous perfume shop, some cool antique shops and found a cute little square where a guy was playing his guitar and people were sitting about drinking coffee and eating bagels, all with their flowers and plants in tow.

From here we wandered around to Brick Lane where, of course, another fabulous Sunday market was happening.

These are really the bits of London that are real that show the diversity of the city.


Cake Hole - wikid antique crockery shop and tea room

Cake Hole - with its Easter inspired decorations

Cake Hole - the whole place is colour coordinated

Mum and Bean checking out the flowers

Gorgeous tulips at Columbia Road

Such an array of colours and scents

Cool Guitar Man

Funky Square off Columbia Road with cool shop fronts

COS Scarf, Zara Blazer, Aubin and Wills Top, Dorothy Perkins Jeans, Next Boots

Grabbing a lunch wrap at Brick Lane