Christmas 2014 Haul.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

It's been a busy Christmas, full of festivities, shopping and eating and it all contributed to my lack of posting over the past few weeks. The good news is that I am back once more for you reading pleasure and I am looking forward to what 2015 brings. I thought I would start with a quick post to show you lovely lot what I got for Christmas from my friend's and family. I was extremely happy and very grateful to find that most of my wishlist, that I previously posted - here - was actually bought for me by my boyfriend and my sister! I never expected any of it to be honest, but I can't complain at the thoughtfulness that went into those gifts and for the fact that they clearly read my blog so faithfully. Other gifts included A LOT of chocolate, toiletries and a gift box filled with nostalgic treats and jokey presents from one of my best friends. I've included what I can below, so enjoy and I hope you all had a wonderful christmas and got some meaningful gifts!(p.s Hover over the images for a list of what they are!)

What did you get for Christmas? Why not comment below!

FOOD POST : Vegetarian Mozzarella & Italian Herb Bean Burgers.

Evening folks, It's Friday and I hope you have all had a fantastic week! I for one have been off work for the past three days and so all in all mine has been pretty good. I've spent some time with my sister, recoloured my hair, been out for dinner and lazed about relishing in my free time as any office worker would. Then last night, my boyfriend and I tried our hand at making veggie burgers from scratch. I'd like to say that the reason behind it was that we were feeling creative, but in actual fact we didn't want to walk to the supermarket and so had to settle for the mini Tesco round the corner. We aren't new to the whole cooking thing though, I personally love cooking Asian food and he makes a pretty good poached egg, but this was our first attempt at making burgers and they were delicious! I've included ingredients and a little recipe guide for you below -

Ingredients -

1 Can of mixed beans

Grated Mozzarella

1 Egg

Breadcrumbs

Basil

Oregano

Parsley

Garlic

Salt & Pepper

Prep Time - 10 minutes
Cooking time - 10 minutes

Preparation

1.Chop up your herbs, crush your garlic and in a bowl whisk together one egg, put these aside as you will need them in a moment. If you're in rush or don't have fresh herbs or garlic at home, a simple jar of italian season works a treat too (That's what we used...).

2.You need to drain your can of mixed beans and put them onto a board. You then need to crush them and you can use whatever utensil you feel appropriate for this, but I particularly like using a masher as it gets the job done pretty fast! Once suitably crush you'll need to add your other ingredients, so transfer the beans to a mixing bowl.

3.Add your mozzarella (as much as you you like), herbs, garlic and seasoning to the beans and using a spoon, blend it in. Now add the egg and a handful of breadcrumbs and do the same until you have an even mixture. You should be able to separate the mixture into balls without it falling apart too much and this recipe should make 4 burgers.

4.Pour out breadcrumbs onto the board you used earlier and press each ball into them and flatten and shape them into a burger shape. Try not to make them too thick however or they will fall apart when cooking! Cover the outside in tasty breadcrumbs and put each one onto a plate ready for cooking.

Cooking

1. Cooking is really simple and depends on your preferred method - for example we decided to fry our burgers in a table spoon of sunflower oil, as my we prefer them fried. With that in mind you can also oven cook them or grill them or if you like them fried but are a bit health conscious, you can opt for 1cal spray, which is available in most supermarkets.

2. We cooked them for about 10 minutes, until golden on both sides and then added some mozzarella on top and whacked them under the grill for 2 minutes.

3. Serve them with chips, salad, rice or whatever you fancy on the side and obviously add the sauces of your choice and garnish with salad leaves - I personally like them with mayonnaise on the bottom and ketchup on top and with mixed leaves to garnish.

4. All that is left is to eat and enjoy!

I think we are going to try these again but add more veggies to them or maybe a dollop of Pesto, but that is what is nice about these burgers - there are endless combinations! We already have plans to try Mexican style beanie burgers and maybe even Jamaican, as we have a pots of seasoning in the cupboard to try. They are super simple and cook really fast and best of all is that you can freeze them, so if you really like them then you can store lots away for when you really fancy a burger. Hope you like it! If you've got any recipes for us to try or can think of other tasty combinations then please comment below.

Sunday Sunshine.

Just a quick post of my outfit from yesterday! I went shopping with my mum in Newbury, we went to the local 'Outfit' store there which is owned by Arcadia and basically has a selection of each of their brands. I ended up purchasing my outfit for my work christmas party after seeing a matching top and skirt on a mannequin. I really liked it and so tried it on and it looked great, props to Miss Selfridge for their excellent visual merchandising! Anyway, I did manage to get a good bit of christmas shopping out of the way as well and so I am now well on my way to getting it finished. Thank. God. I'm not the biggest fan of christmas shopping as there is always so many things I want for myself but I have to hold back. I'm sure everyone struggles with the whole 'one for them, one for me' situation and like I said in previous posts - it never hurts to treat yourself a little!

Have you got any of your Christmas shopping done? Why not comment below!

Barry M Natural Glow 2 Palette Review.

So this is my first beauty product review and I am a excited to be trying out something new and sharing it with all of you! So today I will be reviewing the Barry M Natural Glow 2 Palette, a drug store dupe for the Urban Decay Naked palettes. I saw it whilst on my lunch break yesterday in Boots and I was really interested in trying it out. I don't really buy Barry M products anymore (though I do have some gel liner) but I remember buying their dazzle dust pots when I was younger. They used to be a massive thing and come in a rainbow of colours and I also remember seeing a huge Barry M stall at Clothes Show Live back when I was in school (quite a while ago now!). Since then however I haven't really used them, but from my previous experience with their pretty colours and quality products I thought I would try it out.

The packaging is nice and simple - very reminiscent of Urban Decay - and the palette comes with 6 different shades, a primer and two applicators. Annoyingly my primer was a bit squashed when I bought the palette, however I didn't notice until I got home and opened it. Not that I will be using it much as it really isn't that good and I am a little bit sad about that. For a brand that I expect quality from, the primer was stodgy and bitty and wouldn't blend into my eyelid very well. My best description is that it was abit like putty and it certainly smells like that as well. It left my eyelid feeling a little oily, but I decided to continue and test how it works with the eyeshadow.

The applicators were also disappointing as they wouldn't apply the shadow properly and just soaked it up instead and so I decided to use a brush instead. You really have to pile the shadow onto the brush to get the best colour from it as it isn't particularly very pigmented. I applied shade 3 first of all as a base and then used shade 6 in the crease and outer corners of my eye and shade 1 to highlight my brow and the inner corners. As you can see from my pictures below - the shadows do not sit well with each other. Shade 6 just blended into the base colour and disappeared which was slightly annoying though I could see some difference as the base is matte and 6 is slightly shimmery. Shade 1 and 3 are very light and whilst they do work as a good highlighter I think I may be a bit pale to really show them off.

My only other issue that I had whilst trying out the palette was that my eyeliner would not go on properly and I think this has something to do with the primer. I have used other primers before and my eyeliner goes on smoothly, however today it was just drying up - I use the Skinny eyeliner pen by Eyeko. I ended up putting some Gel liner over the top but I still struggled with that.

Overall I wouldn't really recommend this product if you are looking for shades you can blend together to create different looks as the colours just run into one. I would also suggest staying away from the primer at all costs. However, if you tend to stick to one colour on your lid then it could definitely work as each colour by itself works very well, but at just over £6 a piece, you are probably better off looking elsewhere.

Has anyone else tried this palette? How did you find it?

Christmas party shoes for all budgets.

As you are all very very aware - the Christmas party season is already in full swing, many parties have already been held and so many more are fast upon us. It's this time of year that I always dread as I'm always torn between recycling something in my wardrobe or buying a brand new outfit. With the constant turn around in stores and trends it's easy to want to splash the cash on something new and why shouldn't you? It is the time of year for giving gifts to other people, but you can always treat yourself as well and what better than a party outfit! Now it's just tackling the mass of christmas shoppers or pages of online stores to find the perfect components. I always end up finding the perfect dress, however I tend to struggle with finding a pair of shoes to match as there is so much choice! This year however I have compiled a selection of party shoes for all budgets. So whether you still have a christmas list to complete or have some cash to splash, there is something in this post for every price range! Hopefully you will find something you like and it helps you on your quest for the perfect festive outfit! Starting with the most expensive first -

1. Lupin Laser cut shoes @ Reiss £195.00 | 2. Kurt Geiger Hart Suedette Court Shoes @ John Lewis £120.00 | 3. Karen Millen Rose Print Heeled Court Shoes @ ASOS £125.00 | 4. Kurt Geiger Suede Bow Detail Court Shoes @ John Lewis £110.00 | 5. Carvela Ghost Leopard Pony Print @ ASOS £130.00 | 6. Limited Edition White Strappy Heels @ River Island £110.00 | 7. Tilla Point Mule @ Whistles £155.00 | 8. Marin T-Bar Court shoes @ Reiss £179.00 | 9. Libertine Scallop Edge Heels @ Reiss £139.00 |

1. Hear Me Out Heeled Sandals @ ASOS £55.00 | 2.ALDO Fahlstrom Glitter Heeled Pointed Ankle Boots @ ASOS £90.00 | 3. Snake Print Court Shoes @ River Island £60.00 | 4. Black Suede Peep Toes Heels @ River Island £60.00 | 5. Black Leather Court Shoes @ River Island £60.00 | 6. Party All Night High Heels @ ASOS £60.00 | 7. Rizo Feather Strap Sandals @ Topshop £58.00 | 8. Pixelate Premium Sandals @ Topshop £98.00 | 9. Gold Glitter Peep Toe Sandals @ River Island £55.00 | 10. ALDO Ceglia Metallic Heeled Court Shoes @ ASOS £70.00 | 11. Bronze Platform Barely There Sandals @ River Island £50.00

1. White Cross Strap Platform Sandals @ River Island £45.00 | 2. Fern Faux Fur Canter Heels @ Boohoo £25.00 | 3. Gemini Metallic Court Shoes @ Topshop £46.00 | 4. Floral Platform Sandals @ Dorothy Perkins £35.00 | 5. Snake Finish High 2-Part Court Shoes @ Dorothy Perkins £29.00 | 6. Navy Glitter Strappy Sandals @ Dorothy Perkins £35.00 | 7. Jade Sling back Platform Mule @ Boohoo £22.00 | 8. Curve Heel Mono Court @ Next £30.00 | 9. Caggie Skinny Heel @ Boohoo £25.00 | 10. Glitter Point Shoes @ Next £35.00 | 11. Ruby Snake Effect Sandals @ Topshop £46

1. Leopard heel peep toe | 2. Skull Bow & T-Bar Velour Shoes | 3. Graphic Two Tone Platform Heels | 4. Glazed Metallic Sandal Heels | 5. Glitter Block Sandal Heels | 6. Metallic Strappy Sandal Heels | 7. Faux Leather & Tassel Ankle Boots | 8. Block Heel Faux Leather Shoes | 9. Contrast Platform Sandal Heels | 10. T-Bar Velour Sandal Heels

I couldn't resist adding Everything5pounds.co.uk in here as they have some pretty nice shoes, though I woyuldn't be too certain on the quality as I've never purchased from them. I had a good long browse just for you though so that I could choose only the nicest things on there and I'm quite impressed with the selection that I found.

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Have you got your party outfit sorted yet? Why not comment below!

Christmas plaid.

I decided to do today's outfit of the day in the living room as it's feeling pretty festive in there at the moment, though you may note that the tree is currently bare. We put it up and all the needles are falling off, which might have something to do with it being 10 years old. Needless (no pun intended) to say we are going to have to buy another tree! That has not stopped my lovely mother going crazy with the decorations however and we are starting to feel the festive spirit within the house. Today's outfit combines a plaid shirt that I bought from F&F which is in Tesco, M&S Jeans, Topshop boots and a Primark cardigan. The only thing that is still available to purchase are the jeans and you can find the link for them in another of my posts - here. Unfortunately, I could only take pictures in the evening as I was at work all day and curling my mum's hair when I got home, so the quality is a touch grainy but I think you get the gist!

Have you got your christmas tree up yet? Why not comment below!

Remembering McQueen.

Hello everyone!

So today's post will be more high fashion focused and it feels good to be discussing with you a bit of a love of mine,as I tend to talk more about high street and lifestyle on here at the moment. If you know me personally or have been reading my blog since the start, then you would be aware that I was studying design but I left my course. That doesn't mean that I have lost appreciation for those in the industry however and there are a lot of designers that I admire and take inspiration from myself. So with that in mind I am writing today about the late and great Alexander McQueen, who I'm 100% sure you have probably all heard of.

McQueen is an integral part of the British fashion history and whilst many know that name and can link it to high fashion clothing, they don't know much about his own personal timeline within the industry. He was very much a dark horse of the fashion world and he took his inspirations not from the simplistic or the mundane but from the harsher truths of our society and our history. With his darkly humorous and yet innovative imagination he has garnered a massive following of devoted fans and admirers from around the world. Sarah Burton has now stepped into the shoes of the late designer's famous fashion house, but it is important that we do not forget it's roots or the shows that started it all.

In 14th March to 19th July next year, the V&A museum in London will be hosting an exhibition named 'Savage Beauty' looking at the life and work of Alexander McQueen. I am certainly going to be paying a visit to good ole' London and if you're a bit of a fashion history enthusiast then you should too! With that in mind Farfetch.com, a luxury fashion website, have created an absolutely beautiful infographic for people to view which documents some of McQueen's most notorious fashion shows and they have asked if I would be kind enough to share it with you. It should help you prep for the exhibition or even just further your knowledge and don't forget to admire the stunning illustrations that really bring this timeline to life!

Unfortunately I can't get the image any bigger and so I have included the text for you below -

Autumn/Winter 1995 -Highland Rape

Alexander McQueen proved spectacular runway shows would become his trademark with his Autumn/Winter 1995 show, Highland Rape. The controversial collection is considered his breakthrough; McQueen pushed the boundaries with a visual representation of England devouring Scotland's resources.

Spring/Summer 1998 - Untitled [Golden Shower]

McQueen scrapped the name of his Spring/Summer 1998 show 'Golden Shower' after his sponsor raised objections. Staged at a bus depot in Victoria, rain poured through the ceiling onto the catwalk. The ribcage corset - cast from a human skeleton - remains one of his most memorable pieces.

Spring/Summer 1999 - No 13

McQueen emphasised fashion as an art form during his Spring/Summer 1999 show, No 13. The show reached it's climax when supermodel Shalom Harlow stood on a revolving platform and was spray painted live on the runway by two mechanical robots.

Spring/Summer 2001 - Voss

McQueen's VOSS asylum show is one of the most famous catwalks in history; McQueen deliberately started an hour late so the audience would be forced to stare at their own reflections in the giant mirrored cube that served as the show's focal point.

Spring/Summer 2005 - It's Only A Game

For his 2005 Spring/Summer collection, McQueen transformed the runway into a game of chess. 36 models walked the runway and took their places on McQueen's futuristic chessboard, each representing a piece to bring the game to life.

Autumn/Winter 2006 - Widows of Culloden

Inspired by his family's Scottish heritage, McQueen's Autumn/Winter show in 2006 heavily featured tartan and bagpipe music. It will perhaps be best remembered, though, because of the haunting hologram video starring Kate Moss that closed the show.

Spring/Summer 2008 - La Dame Bleue

McQueen paid tribute to his friend Isabella Blow, who died the year before, in his La Dame Bleue show. The collection was inspired by her personal wardrobe, and on the catwalk models walked through a huge set of metal angel's wings.

Autumn/Winter 2009 - The Horn of Plenty

The Horn of Plenty proved to be one of McQueen's most ambitious - and extravagant - projects. The runway was a scrapyard of props from past McQueen shows and models wore bold statement pieces with clown-like makeup as they walked the catwalk.

Spring/Summer 2010 - Plato's Atlantis

McQueen's Spring/Summer 2010 show Plato's Atlantis depicted an apocalyptic world after an ecological meltdown. Robotic arms flew up and down the runway whilst recording a live stream, and models walked in 'Armadillo' shoes to Lady Gaga's single, Bad Romance.

Autumn/Winter 2010 - Untitled

At the time of his suicide, McQueen was putting the finishing touches to his Autumn/Winter collection. Presented privately in Paris to the same soundtrack McQueen listened to while he worked on his elaborate creations, the show notes read: "Each piece is unique, as he was"

All credits for this image go to Farfetch.com and you can visit their site for the latest Alexander McQueen fashions (and a huge range of other designer names!) - here.

Who are your favourite designers? Why not comment below, I read all comments and I am more than happy to discuss!

November Haul.

I know that November has been over for 2 days now, but I didn't get a chance to blog the things that I bought. You'll notice that I haven't bought an awful lot and that will be down to Christmas coming up and various things going on that I was invited to. I'm slowly trying to replace things in my wardrobe as i'm getting a little bored with it as well, which subsequently always happens at the end of the year and i'm also trying to buy things that will last. So here's some snaps of my November haul guys, hope you like it!

The skirt is from Primark and I managed to bag it for just £3 in the sale and the shirt is from H&M and is currently £17 in their sale online.

Both the boots and the hat are from H&M, the boots are £25 in the sale and the hat is £12.99 full price.

This is my new gym gear from Primark, I love the gym clothes that they sell because they are affordable, comfortable and very resilient. The also bring out new styles every now and again so you can build up your collection. I'm loving their bright colours mixed with marled greys and washes. It reminds me of 1980s exercise videos, so all I need now is a leotard and a massive flannel headband!

Winter Wonderland London 2014.

First of all I would just like to say a massive thankyou to everyone that has been reading my blog! I seem to be amassing a large number of pageviews recently and it's heartwarming to know that so many people are interested in reading my ramblings and appreciating the effort and hours I put into these posts. So truly, thank you!

Now down to today's post which is a bit of a diary entry and somewhat a review of my recent visit to Winter Wonderland in London. For those of you who do not live in the UK, WW is a collection of stalls, fairground rides, shows and beer that come together in Hyde Park for some old fashioned German christmas spirit! I had never been before last weekend and I was extremely excited to finally see what all the hype was about. First thing you notice when you get there is the atmosphere - it's warm and cosy and quite obviously christmassy. There are decorations and fairy lights strung about everyone and big colourful rides covering the view of offices and high rises in central london. The aroma of bratwursts, coffee and sweet treats wafts through the air and there's a lively hustle and bustle of tourists and shoppers checking out what each stall is offering.

Don't get me wrong, at times the amount of people could be quite annoying and especially so when they decide to stop right in front of you. Just no. However, that is just a small chip off the overall experience of being there. The only other thing that I might comment on is the price of the attractions; whilst the shows are fairly priced - we went to Zippo's Circus for £12 each - the fairground rides seemed to be charging a ludicrous amount for one go. They deal in tokens which can be purchased from the various stalls spread out across the site and one token equals one pound, which just makes me question why they don't just ask for money instead? Most of the rides were 5 tokens but some were a lot more - for instance my boyfriend wanted to go on one that had a carriage either side and spun round. It was huge, but it was also 9 tokens to go on it. Thats £9! For one ride! He promptly decided that his money was better spent elsewhere.

Going back to the circus, it was well worth the money. There was a lot of quality acts fitted into just under an hour including tight rope walking, silks and a rather humourous clown (and I don't like clowns). There was one moment where I nearly passed out as one tight rope walker wobbled whilst up in the air, but he quickly gained his balance, unlike my beating heart. Overall though I would certainly recommend booking into the circus if you can, but there are plenty more attractions to see such as the ice kingdom and the ice rink which both have rave reviews!

As for the rest of the stalls which offered a hefty selection of food, drink and wares, I was very impressed. I am pescetarian and it was nice to see a good selection of vegetarian food on offer as well as small selection of fish. I had a brilliant bean burger from a burger van but I can't remember what the company was called, but it was delicious! If you are a bit of a carnivore however there is plenty for you to choose from - bratwursts, currywursts, Fried bacon and potatoes, burgers and so on. And to wash it all down with there was coffee, tea, soft drinks, spirits and obviously some wonderful German beer - all available in the Bavarian village or the main tent where they had live music acts on all day and at night it turns into a bit of a party. There was also a large selection of gifts available to purchase from various sellers ranging from marzipan chocolates to sterling silver jewellery, you are bound to find something amongst it all to get you started with your christmas shopping.

As we travelled to London via National Express we walked to Hyde Park and back from Victoria coach station and got to walk past a lot of lovely houses and boutiques. I couldn't resist taking a couple of pictures, though I wish I had taken more. We ended our day at Frankie & Benny's in Victoria station and had a little browse in Hema and Joy. OVerall, it was a brilliant day out and I would have to give Winter Wonderland an 8/10 - if it hadn't been for the overpriced rides then it could have scored a solid 10.

If you interested in going or want to read more about Winter Wonderland you can visit their site - here.