Here's a bit of mid-week food porn to help you through hump day. I don't know about you but this week is dragging, and I realised the other day I've not had a day's holiday from work since Christmas! No wonder I'm flagging a bit! Anyway, I made this deliciously moist honey and walnut cake on … Continue reading Honey and Walnut Loaf Cake
I love a good upcycling project. Some things are too hard to throw away because you just know that there's a great alternative use for them! This is a very simple DIY to create a reed diffuser from an empty perfume bottle. Reed diffusers are so popular at the moment - it’s the hastle free way of keeping your … Continue reading DIY Reed Diffuser
The guys over at Manchester Arndale have launched their latest “Inside” magazine, which presents the 4 big SS14 trends they have seen emerging across their stores. When you consider that most of the big name high street stores can be found in the Arndale, it’s fair to say that these 4 trends must be big … Continue reading The High Street’s 4 Big 2014 Trends
I picked up "The Blackpool Highflyer" by Andrew Martin at a charity shop recently, intrigued by the fact that it mentions Blackpool in the title and hoping for a story set in some familiar local places. It was – but this book had both good points and bad ones and it took me a while … Continue reading Recent Reads: The Blackpool Highflyer
I was recently contacted by Ilumi and offered the chance to trial a couple of their meals. I’d never heard of this company before, and wouldn’t necessarily always accept food from strangers (ha), but after doing a bit of reading up on Ilumi I was very impressed and decided to give them a whirl. Ilumi … Continue reading Ilumi Nut-, Gluten- and Milk-Free Meals
An unexpected burst of sunshine today meant that I took a short break from my crafty projects (posts on these coming soon) and ventured out. And my outfit today was all about the accessories and shoes. Everything else I'm wearing is pretty old (and well-loved), but the pretty pastel-edged bag and the awesome New Balance … Continue reading Spring Outfit of the Day
I recently decided I was in dire need of a decent quality foundation brush - a well-overdue realisation! And in the cruelty-free spirit I did a bit of research into vegan-friendly brushes and discovered Real Techniques. This is a range of makeup brushes created by UK professional makeup artist Samantha Chapman, and as the bristles … Continue reading Real Techniques Makeup Brushes
I’ve never used Burt’s Bees products before, and this essentials kit was a Secret Santa gift at Christmas. It’s actually the festive edition of the set, which just meant that it came in a red box rather than yellow/white – the products were the same though, and it contains 5 travel-sized products. Burt’s Bees are … Continue reading Essential Burt’s Bees Kit
I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. For me it’s been nice yet slightly unusual. On Saturday Craig and I enjoyed a date day – something we don't do enough! And it hardly cost us anything either, which is ideal for this time of the month. We’d received a free experience day voucher when buying … Continue reading Country Pursuits and Chocolate Mousse
So this week we got our first glimpse of summer with some lovely sun and clear blue sky, which gave me the opportunity to try out these new shades that were sent to me by Aviator Shades. I was sent 2 pairs to review, both from their value range priced at £5.99, which is an … Continue reading Sunny Day Essentials: Bargain Sunglasses
English Rose from Manchester's Blog 