Liz Earle Beauty Products

I first came across Liz Earle products about fifteen years ago when I used to steal the small samples that came whenever my Mum bought the products. I always remember how soft and clean my skin felt after using the range.

Despite it taking me a fair few years to become reacquainted with the brand I was so happy on Christmas Day to peel back the wrapping paper and get my mitts on some more products.

The 'Cleanse and Polish' hot cloth cleanser is great for giving your skin a deep clean and the muslin cloth is non abrasive on your skin. After that the Instant Skin Boost tonic really freshens you up and the smell is divine.

I will definitely be giving my chilly winter skin some extra TLC over the next few weeks.

These two products have now firmly made their way into my daily skincare routine along with the good old cucumber face wipes and No.7 moisturiser.

Do you like Liz Earle products? If so let me know which ones.

Thanks for reading x

Breakfast Recipe

Hurrah the weekend is almost upon us. If you are looking for an alternative weekend breakfast treat then I have a little recipe to share with you.

I have long lusted over Instagram posts of people cooking Bacon Cups and so I decided last weekend to have a go myself.

Last weekend I made these little beauties and wanted to show you just how easy it was to do yourself.

You will need the following:

• Cake tray
• A small round cutter
• Bread
• Streaky Bacon
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Mixed Herbs/Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and whilst that is warming up get the bacon cooking. Now you only need to cook the bacon slightly just so its noT raw and that it has some flexibility for building the cups.

Take your cutter and cut out as many round shapes as you want to make Bacon Cups for and then place the bread in your cake tray.

Next sprinkle a bit of grated cheese on to each muffin.

Now with the bacon I found using streaky bacon was better as I could tear it in half and start to wrap the strips around the inside of my cake tin, building up a little wall of bacon.

Next you want to pop in your egg in the middle. Sprinkle some mixed herbs or salt and pepper depending on your preference and you are good to go.

Pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes and voila, yummy bacon muffin cups.

I hope this has inspired some of you to give this a try. You wont regret it.

Have a good weekend x

Honest Burgers

I am lucky enough to be in London once a week with work, so I am constantly on the look out for new places to eat. So when someone recommended Honest Burgers I was keen to give it a try.

Honest Burgers was founded in 2010 and since starting out as a small burger stall touring festivals around the country, it quickly accelerated into its founders Tom and Ben opening up their first restaurant in Brixton.

4 years later and 9 restaurants under their belt, Honest Burgers prides itself on its simple, quality-focused menu.

These burgers are in high demand and after seeing the queue at the Soho restaurant we headed to Oxford Circus where we were told there was a shorter wait for a table.

The decor inside is simple and the atmosphere welcoming and I like the fact that the menu isnt overwhelming with tons of burger varieties shapes and sizes. Clean and Simple.

I am, however one of those people in restaurants that looks at what everyone else is eating before making my decision. But in the end I did settle on a Stilton Cheese Burger with rosemary salted chips.

The meat was fresh and tasty and the Stilton was just the right amount of sharpness and came with an onion relish. All washed down with a Sheppy's Somerset cider. This is what Friday nights are all about.

If you are in London and fancy a burger with a difference then head to Honest Burgers and I guarantee you wont be disappointed.

I cant wait to go back. MMMMMMMM Burgers.

Thanks for reading x

The Crosley

Oh boy, I would like to take the time in this post to introduce you to my new friend.....The Crosley 

I must have been a very good girl this year to receive this from Santa (aka my Dad), and I am so glad I am now part of the record player gang.

Long have I had jealousy pangs when I have listened to friends go on about their record players, the sound it gives out, and the new vinyl they bought at the weekend. Now I too can share such ramblings.

Music is a big part of my life and growing up in pubs when I was younger definitely gave me access to a wide genre of music, both new and old. Now I am older I have the luxury of being able to see bands live and download music at my convenience. But a record player offers something different. It allows me to sit still and appreciate music in a different way. 

The sound and that crackle that just makes you go ahhhhhhhh, and for a surprisingly small player the sound is really good and clear.

This little beauty comes from Urban Outfitters and they come in a variety off different shapes and sizes. I absolutely adore their Keepsake Map player with the retro map lining  in the case, but in the end I settled with this smaller turquoise portable version. Handy for me to move between the living room and dining room depending on my mood.

She doesn't just sound great, she looks good too with the leather casing and brown and bronze finishing, she goes perfectly with my grey and yellow living room.

I've bought a few albums recently after stumbling into my local greetings card shop, that randomly has a vinyl record shop in the back. The shop has thousands in boxes ready to be tenderly selected and taken home. So you can imagine my delight when the owner offered me a deal to take home 7 for the grand total price of £10. Now that's a bargain if ever I have seen one.

After careful consideration I settled on these babies. Mainly because they remind me of my childhood, especially The Carpenters and Simon and Garfunkel, and let me tell you they sound great.

It really has been love at first play for me and my Crosley and I cant wait to build up my record collection over the next few years. Hopefully throwing a few more contemporary records into the mix.

Hope you enjoyed reading, I am off to hopefully be fed a Sunday Roast courtesy of my mum. Have a lovely Sunday x

Autumn

Eeeek, we are now in November. How did that happen?

I thought I would dedicate this weeks 'Loving' post to one of my favourite seasons - Autumn, and share with you all of the things I love about this time of year.

Here are some of the things I love about Autumn:

• Steaming mugs of hot chocolate
• Drinking Baileys
• Halloween
• Crunchy Autumn Leaves
• Sunny walks, wrapped up warm
• Buying more wooly hats then I probably need
• Filling my living room with hundreds of candles
• Pumpkins
• Bonfires
• Sparklers
• Mushy peas and mint sauce
• Cosy Novelty Socks
• Using my slow cooker to make yummy pots of chilli and casserole
• Chunky Knit Jumpers
• Not feeling guilty about eating a Terrys Chocolate Orange (after all its practically xmas already)
• Reading books my candlelight in the bath
• Rainy days under the duvet watching films
• Being able to watch Hocus Pocus
• Conkers and Chestnuts

What is your favourite thing about Autumn? x

Olivia Burton Watch

I have had my beady eyes on one of these for so long now, so when I was asked what I would like for my 30th birthday, this made the top of the list.

Olivia Burton watches have caught my eye for a long time now with their gorgeous vintage faces and classic styling, that after spending several lunch hours browsing and falling in love with the collections I managed to narrow down my choice.

It was a hard decision to make and I was definitly torn between the woodland butterfly or one of the animal motifs. But in the end I fell in love with the simplicity of the hummingbird.

The watches are a little bit more expensive then I would usually pay for a watch or expect someone to spend (my good old £30 Casio had a good life), but I thought a watch is a signature piece that will last for a long time and something I could treasure and remember a great birthday from.

On the big birthday my mum proudly handed over the square shaped box and I may have done a little girly squeal when I tore off the wrapping paper to reveal the gorgeous green box underneath.

The ivory leather strap has a cracked weathered effect and is sure to go with almost anything I wear and I just love wearing it.

This particular watch was purchased through Topshop.com through one of their online concessions but you can view the full Olivia Burton Watch collection here www.oliviaburton.com

However if you are an Instagram addict like myself then you can check out the range here www.instagram.com/oliviaburtonwatches

Have you got a favourite in the OB collection? Let me know.

Thanks for reading x

Inkkas Shoes

Woohoo was the sound I made when I received these beauties for my birthday from my friends at work.

I blogged a few months ago about my love of Inkkas shoes and how I was dying to get my grubby little paws on a pair and hooray now I do!!!

Inkkas is a company that was born during a backpacking trip to South America in 2012. Danny Ben-Nun, a designer and an avid traveler, was wandering through the alleyways of Cusco - Peru, when he discovered a pair shoes made from authentic, local fabrics. The shoes were so beautiful that he knew from the moment he laid eyes on them, that he had to help bring the product to the global market. 

After browsing through their collection I set my heart on this Shadow pair. 

I loved them before I even opened the box with their simplistic design and packaging telling a little story about the brand and its heritage. 

The company also supports the OneShoeOneTree project which means that for every one pair of shoes sold, one tree is replanted back into the Amazon rainforest in the battle against De-forestation.

Another hidden little gem is that on the soles of each shoe it carries the pattern of the Andes mountains and the Andes cross. Having fallen in love with Peru back in July (see my Cusco Post) this little touch made me love these shoes even more.

You can buy Inkkas direct via their website or on Topshop, USC and Schuh.

You can also follow them on Instagram here - http://instagram.com/inkkasshoes

Daniela Sigurd Bracelet

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world at the moment after being showered with amazing gifts and kind words for my birthday.

I may feature of few of the gifts I received on my blog, so first up is this gorgeous bracelet from Daniela Sigurd courtesy of my Step Brother and Step Sister.

Daniela describes herself as a 'Dog loving Scandinavian jewellery designer based in Brick Lane, London'.

The great thing about Daniela's jewellery is that it can be personalised to the recipients tastes.

The blue ditzy print fabric from Liberty's makes for the perfect adjustable charm bracelet. My love of cats is also immortalised with this pearlescent cat charm and a gold effect initial. 

Her website also carries this great quote about the inspiration behind the collections. 'Taking inspiration from travels, animals, the symbols and meanings of charms, we want our jewellery to have a sense of fun, be quirky and feminine at the same time and feel personal to you'.

I definitly feel like that about my bracelet. I love it!!

Do you like any of the pieces in Danielas collection?

Image copyright of Daniela Sigurd

Thanks for reading x

Cake Decorating - Cath Kidston

It's been a little while since I did a post like this as I have been busy reminiscing about Peru in my travel blog posts. But here is something a world away from that.

Its that time of year again when we all become engrossed with what has now become a British Institution - The Great British Bake off is back on TV.

In keeping with that I wanted to share a bit about what I got up to at the weekend. Last Sunday my Mum and I spent the day taking part in a Cath Kidston inspired cake decorating class.

Both keen bakers ourselves I was really excited to see if I was actually any good at the decorating part and I absolutely love Cath Kidston prints so it was win,win.

The class took place at the Ganache Cake House in Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire. Nestled right on the edge of the legendary Sherwood Forest.

The class lasts around 4 hours and costs £40 and at the end you come away with your 12  beautiful little cupcakes.

The class guides you through the art of decorating using both moulds and your hands. We created tiny pink roses, hand sculpted leaves and even used edible paint to add the little details. We learned how to pipe the buttercream and then dome your cakes using the coloured fondant to give you the perfect decorating platform.

As you can see, the end result is very typically Cath Kidston, with florals, spots, stripes and strawberries.

The class takes place in the library next to the bakery and is a really calm and relaxing environment to do the classes and they keep you topped up with plenty of tea and coffee and chocolate biscuits as cake decorating is thirsty work.

Once your class is finished you can pop next door to the bakery and tuck into a well deserved slice of cake. The bakery itself is gorgeous and all decorated in pastel colours and shabby chic decor. 

The Cake House also offers classes for birthday parties and baby showers. So if you are from Nottingham and looking for a nice way to spend a Sunday with your mum, your Nan or friends, then I highly recommend the Ganache Cake House. I cant wait to go back again.

Thanks for reading x

Holiday Shopping

Its been a while since I did a 'Loving this week' blog post so here goes.......

Holiday Shopping

My big trip to South America is now just under 2 weeks away and i'm getting so excited. Last week I set aside a whole day dedicated purely to Holiday clothes shopping. Yay!!!

For Holiday basics you cant go wrong at Primark and I was so excited to nab this cute all over print Pineapple polo tee for £4, teamed with a pair of denim shorts and sandals this will definitly be my go to easy summer look.

Pineapples at Primark

Heading into H&M saw me snap up a few basic summer dresses. You cant go wrong with a good old stripe in my opinion. 

Finally when I looked at everything I had purchased it was very clear that I like my patterns, The bigger and bolder the better. I especially love the ethnic butterfly pattern on my New Look tee which will look perfect with skinny jeans and wedges.

Holiday Shopping - Done

Wantfeed

I have been following the lovely Hannah Maggs' blog and youtube vlogs for over a year now so when I saw her Husband Stef was about to launch a brand new website I thought I would head over and check it out.

Wantfeed is a brand new social wish list site that allows users to easily create their favourite want/need/must have lists. 

Whenever users see a product they want, they copy the link and paste into their wantfeed and it shows up in your feed. This is then ideal if you have a birthday coming up (like me) and want a site that your friends and family can take a look at and be present inspired. Or you can use it just for fun and lust over those products that you want but you cant afford.

The site is only a few weeks old but I definitly see it growing in popularity especially when it launches its brand new app in a few weeks time. 

Here is a little look at my current wantfeed. So friends and family take note for my birthday :)

You can start to build your very own Wantfeed right here.

Inkkas Shoes

My favourite social media account by far has to be Instagram. I love a good old flick through peoples photos, I think I get that from my Nana. Last week I was having a good old snoop of Fearne Cottons account and came across a pair of shoes that immediately caught my eye.

After a bit of digging I found out she was wearing a pair of Inkkas. Inkkas is a company that was born during a backpacking trip to South America in 2012. Danny Ben-Nun, a designer and an avid traveler, was wandering through the alleyways of Cusco - Peru, when he discovered a pair shoes made from authentic, local fabrics. The shoes were so beautiful that he knew from the moment he laid eyes on them, that he had to help bring the product to the global market. You can follow them on Instagram here - http://instagram.com/inkkasshoes

The company also supports the OneShoeOneTree project which means that for every one pair of shoes sold, one tree is replanted back into the Amazon rainforest in the battle against De-forestation.

So not only are the shoes kick ass in design they are ethical and fair too. Win Win!!! The Shadow pair are definitely on my birthday list.

Hope everyone has had a good weekend (despite England losing). I'm off to spend the afternoon with Papa Saint for Fathers Day. Thanks for reading x

Charity Bake Sale

I have had such a busy and hectic week and I am so happy that Friday is here and I can look forward to a fun filled weekend in Manchester with friends. This weeks loving post features a variety of topics.

Baking

We held a charity bake sale at work on Friday to raise money for a local charity and it gave me a great excuse to give my brand new Cath Kidston Strawberry print cake stand a go. Its so pretty even with out cakes on it and I cant actually believe my brother picked this for me himself. Our bake sale had everything from Jammy Dodgers, to Rocky Road and Flapjacks. What a perfect way to spend Friday at work then stuffing your face full of cake.

Cath Kidston Cake Stand from Santa

Bake Sale

Breaking Bad

Now I love nothing more than a good American TV show box set to get into. 24, Prison Break, Game of Thrones, you name it I've watched it, so when Netflix offered a months free trial over Christmas I decided I would see what all the fuss was about and delve into Breaking Bad.

I was hooked instantly and cant believe that after 5 seasons I have now watched the final episode. The last few episodes of season 5 were 'on the edge of your seat' stuff and I am a little sad to say goodbye to Walt and Jessie. Now I am left with the decision of what box set to get into next???

Friday Dance Anthem

I was driving home from the Gym on Monday and Zane Lowe was playing a song that I just had to Shazaam. I love a good dance track with a female vocal and I have not stopped playing Hideaway by Kiesza. It definitely will make you get in the mood for the weekend. 

Happy Valentines Day and have a good weekend x

Winter Skincare

Winter Skincare

I don't know about everyone else but this cold and windy weather is wrecking havoc with my skin. Winter is always a bad time for our skin, where we yearn more than ever for Summer to make our skin glow and our freckles come out. Luckily I am getting through the winter with a few trusty skincare side kicks.

Now I wouldn't say I had a skincare regime as I am very much a face wipe and moisturiser kind of girl, however I have been a Boots No.7 fan for years now and its Essential Moisture is great as its non greasy, light and perfect for giving my skin that extra boost of moisture. They are definitely my go to brand for skin care.

But it is not just about keeping my face moisturised at this time of year as my little hands need some TLC too and this L'Occitane hand cream has been a life saver. It came free with an issue of Glamour Mag and it sits on my desk at work to remind me every day to pop it on and give me hands and nails some love. They have a brand new flavour 'Red Cherry' on their website which I'm tempted to try next.

Winter Saviours

Nails

In keeping with giving my nails some TLC I treated myself to a new nail polish in this great shade of blue. Rimmel are in my opinion one of the best polishes out there as they are long lasting, quick drying and their wide range of colours always make my nails looks purdy. I chose 'Aqua Cool' to match with the Topshop acid wash denim dress I wore this weekend on a night out in London.

Ice Blue Nails

London Fun
This weekend I was out in Brixton for a friends birthday and had dinner at an amazing Malaysian restaurant called Satay Brixton. We made it just in time to make the most of the £5 happy hour cocktails (Hello Mai Tai's) and every dish on the menu was screaming EAT ME!! I settled on Mr Wangs Chilli Beef and steamed rice. If you are looking for somewhere to eat dinner whilst in that side of London then I would definitely recommend Satay. I only wish I had a bigger belly to have eaten more.

Satay Brixton

Mai Tai Happy Hour Cocktails

New Music

Something that I always look forward to in the new year is lots of new music coming my way. As mentioned in an earlier blog post I am a big music fan and try and get to as many gigs as I can. Recently I came across two new songs on the Zane Lowe show which got me really excited.

'Coming of Age' is the brand new song by Foster the People and is amazing. Man I have missed this band and I cant wait for their new album 'Supermodel'.

Secondly 'There is no other time' is the new release by The Klaxons who have collaborated with Gorgon City on this track and I had to turn it up loud when I heard it. You can be sure this is set to be all over the radio any time now.

Hope you have had a good weekend x

London Grammar

Another week over and done with. I cant believe we are in February already.

I love seeing live music and this weekend I kicked off the first gig of 2014 when I went to see London Grammar at Rock City in Nottingham. I had high expectations as the album has been a car favourite of mine for months now and they were just incredible. I lost count the amount of times Hannah's voice gave me goose bumps especially during 'Sights' which is a song that lyrically means a lot to me. The band all met at University in Nottingham so it was a special gig for them to play back at the venue they all used to hang out at. If you get a chance to catch them around the country then you must go.

London Grammar at Rock City

I have also just finished reading a book I received for Christmas and definitely feel like I have my reading mojo back. 'How to fall in love' is the latest release from Cecelia Ahern and having been a big fan of her books for many years now I knew I wanted to add this one to my Christmas wish list.

The book tells the story of Christine and Adam and how unexpectedly one night their paths cross and they embark on a 2 week whirlwind that changes both of their lives. I wont spoil the plot but I will say if you want a good book to get into while the weather outside is so dreadful then I would recommend giving this one a go.

I am now going to start 'The Fault in our Stars' by John Green as I have heard so many great things and can't wait to dive straight into another good book.

Whilst going to gigs, reading books and consuming a whole heap of delicious food (I blame the friends I had coming to stay with me this weekend) I did manage to enjoy a morning walk in Wollaton Park in Nottingham. It was great to wrap up warm in a wooly hat and scarf and walk around the grounds and see the ducks.

Image courtesy of Sam Mathews

I also am keeping up with the #100happydays challenge on Instagram. Now on day 25 I am really enjoying feeling more positive about the year ahead and realising what a lucky girl I am to have the best friends and family in the world. Here is day 25 at Wollaton Park.

Thanks for reading x

Boohoo Boots

I have been slacking with my 'Loving this week' posts so here goes with my first one for January.

100 Happy Days Challenge

I recently came across on Twitter and Instagram a really great challenge to help beat those January blues. The 100 Happy Days challenge asks people to try and find something good in every single day that makes them happy and to take a photo of it and share via their favourite chosen social media.

You can join the challenge here - http://100happydays.com/ and I thought this was a really great idea to bring some positivity into your life and start to appreciate the little things in life.

I am on Day 8 of the challenge and I am really enjoying it so far and have roped a few friends into the challenge too.

Here is a quick snapshot of my last 8 - #100happydays

Yoga Session/Chinese with the girls/Walkies with Ringo/Sunday Baking/Banana for Spinning/Cuddles with Cyril/Bathtime Bliss/Beautiful Flowers in St Pancras

You can follow my progress on Instagram - Follow me

Disney Memories

Doing some research for work I came across this amazing Disney blog. They are showcasing on their blog the first-run theatrical poster for every movie released by Walt Disney Animation Studios. If you are a big Disney fan like me click through the gallery to see them all and reminisce. My favourite is Sleeping Beauty. Such a classic.

Images are not my own and copyright of Disney

Boohoo Boots

I snapped up these cute little Chelsea Boots from Boohoo recently and I can see these being my Winter footwear staple. They look great with tights and skinny jeans and super comfy and a bargain at only £25.

Happy Friday Everyone :)