Saturday 8 March 2014

Leopard Accessories


We had a busy Saturday last weekend catching up with friends.  On Saturday during the day G and I went to celebrate our friends 30th Birthday.  We had a tea party, drank some wine and then headed out for a lovely Italian dinner at Aldo's in Brighton.

We love Aldo's and have been there a few times now.  It's really proper home cooked italian food, not that expensive, and the best bit is that you bring your own booze!  Love a bit of that!

I had to rush away from dinner and head up to my friends leaving party.  She is headed off to a new exciting start with her boyfriend in New Zealand.

I had to get ready for the whole day at about 12 so wanted an outfit that could take me from day to night.  I thought a minimal outfit would work best and opted to jazz it up a bit with a big hair style and some leopard print accessories; scarf and shoes (if only I could get leopard print nails to match!)

I often find that keeping things simple with an outfit is the most flattering.  Being bigger I think that sometimes patterns, extra accessories and lots of fuss can make me look bigger, so I kept to simple lines with the sharp white blazer, some dark coloured skinny jeans and a plain black silk top.

(Excuse the background! I still haven't managed to get too arty with the fashion pics!)





Homemade Thai Feast



What a feast!!!  I was all ready for making a beef stew last Sunday night.  I headed off on Sunday afternoon, in a very hungover state, to do by 2 weekly grocery shop.  I bought everything that I had on the list, and definitely still when I left I had in my head that I was making stew for dinner.

But when I got home and unpacked the shopping I couldn't get the idea of making a thai out of my head.  I bought all of the ingredients to make a chicken and cashew nut thai red curry, but I then realised that really, a feast was all that was going to cure the hangover!

We ended up with;
  • Thai red chicken curry with cashews and mange tout
  • Satay rice noddles
  • Egg Fried rice (Uncle Ben's Mircowave!)
  • Soy and Honey glazed purple sprouting

















Wednesday 5 March 2014

Tuna Lunch Wrap


Sometimes I find myself making really random lunches that actually work really well.  I couldn't decide what to have the other day and I only had bits and bobs and lots of left overs in the house.  I hadn't done a shop for a week so I was very limited, no bread, no milk, no eggs.

I did however have some tortilla wraps left over and tins of tuna.  I made some some tuna mayo and spread this in the tortilla, added sweet chilli sauce, grated cheese, baby spinach leaves and some big black olives.  I added in a couple of croutons and I love the crunch that these add to a wrap.

A very tasty lunch and it reminded me not to be afraid to mix up flavours that perhaps wouldn't normally go together.




Monday 3 March 2014

Career Progression




I passed my probabtion period in my job last week.  This was a massive thing for me as I had just got to 3 months in my last job when they told me they didn't need me to stay on.

I was so pleased to finally be accepted into somewhere and feel stable again. The last couple of years have been a whirlwind as far as my career goes and now, at 27, I feel I should be a lot further on with my career.  

I have desperately struggled over the last 3 years to feel settled. I've had 2 jobs, both of which I thought were career moves, and I've had to adjust to a life living away from my friends and family in Canterbury, being in charge of a home and building a new life with G.

I never thought that recruitment would be where I was headed but I'm really enjoying the company, the role, and the possibility of progression.

Here's to an exciting step forward.

Sunday 2 March 2014

What Made Me Smile This Week


This week was a bit of a funny one for me.  How was yours?

Monday felt like a long, long way away from the weekend and on Tuesday I travelled up to Manchester for work.  I really enjoy travelling and seeing new places but it does always mean an early start and a late night.  On Wednesday and Thursday I came down with a bit of a tummy bug and had Thursday off sick from work.

Its horrid being poorly but I had a day on the sofa wrapped up in my quilt and a day at home meant that I was there to see a little visitor in my garden.  We've seen urban foxes around and about our house before by never in broad day light before.  This little fox was happily sunning himself on the decking and was in no hurry to leave.  I wonder if maybe he comes to visit quite often and we just aren't here to see him.

I decided to try something a bit different with my hair this week and go for a sweeping side fringe and a side plait.  It's always nice to try something new - especially when so many people commented on how nice it looked.  I think I'll try this again!

I've been wanting a pair of diamond stud earrings for a while and these ones from Accessorize are really classic and were only £10 for 2 pairs.

I am also really pleased that I've finally got round to clearing our dining table and setting it up with our Emma Bridgewater Wedding crockery.  It's funny how setting the table with cups and crockery really helps finish off a room.  I was also really pleased with these gingham place mats which I got super cheap from Butlers in the close down sale of their Brighton Store.





Going Red for Spring


I was feeling like I needed a bit of colour to bring myself into the new season. 

Spring is my most favourite season- the daffodils are flowering, the trees are budding, the lambkins are all wobbly on their little legs.

I feel red is maybe more of a summer colour but what the heck! Embrace what makes you smile right?

I saw this Essie 'hip-anema' on Emily's nails and couldn't resist ordering my own bottle from amazon!

I also realised how wonderfully it goes with the new black and red sofa in the living room and my gorgeous Fox cushion.