2012

Oh hi there... long time no see! First of all - Merry Christmas! I hope you all had a brilliant one. I know I've been a bit sporadic in my blogging lately, but thanks to a change in my working situation, I will now have bucket-loads of time to blog so I have no excuse! My Christmas was particularly lovely this year, I spent time with my family during the day and enjoyed an evening of champaign and nibbles with my other half. I'm thoroughly enjoying the break in routine and feel rested, rejuvenated and ready to take on the new year!

The picture above is just a quick look at some of my outfits this year from instagram, it's funny, I always thought my style was quite simple and minimalist but looking back - I do seem to have a soft spot for prints!

Apart from wearing pretty clothes, 2012 was the year that.....

I was treated like a queen for my birthday in London

drank rum from a hip-flask and bowled with friends like we were 16

celebrated my good friends wedding in Godalming

went on boat rides in Windsor

enjoyed many, many pub lunches

danced my butt off in Poland at my boyfriend's brother's wedding

finally went to film four summer screen in London to see 'Apocalypse Now'

holidayed in Spain and enjoyed a week of sun, sea and sangria

celebrated a whole year with my love

got myself a new job where I write everyday

It's been a good one :)

How was your year?

besotted

 With Christmas slowly creeping up on me, I've been thinking about packaging/stationary etc. and in my researching frenzy discovered Besotted Brand, where I became rather *ahem* besotted....

I love the simplicity and the vintage styling, perfect for any occasion. I may even have to start writing letters again just to use the stamps, papers and envelopes!

Are there any great stationary brands you guys would recommend?

otherwordly

It's a great space. Happy Sunday

(Otherwordly, found via is this real life?)

favourites

Happy hump day everyone! My week has been rather hectic so far complete with train delays and appointments galore, looking forward to some downtime this weekend! I have had the chance to catch up on blog reading however, so here are just a few of my favourite things found on the Internet so far this week...

1) This Element Eden Editorial from Daydream Lily

2) This nail art tutorial from Ella Masters

3) This place looks amazing - Moustache Milk & Cookie Bar - from Here comes the sun

4) This random but rather lovely music video on Lights Drive my Soul

5) All of this from Purse 'n' Boots

What have you found in cyberspace this week?

clothing at tesco event

Earlier this week I was invited by Clothing at Tesco to come and take a peek at their winter collection from F+F. I had such a great time at their Spring Summer event and remember how impressed I was by the collection, so couldn't wait to see what the winter collection had to offer! Walking into the showroom space was like wondering into a winter wonderland complete with a fairy-light strewn tree and wrapped presents :) 

The collection was split into delectable little sections including knitwear, lingerie and evening-wear. Highlights for me included the cute jumpers with animal motifs, baroque inspired dresses and tweed separates. After walking around admiring the clothes we got the chance to style a mannequin, get some false lashes and decorate the tree with our collection wish-list all while munching on delicious canapes!

As always with Tesco clothing, I was impressed with the quality and pricing of their collection- I am definitely getting myself a polar bear knit! Even if you don't think you're the type to shop from 'supermarket' collections, I urge you to reconsider, you'll be surprised!

Do you shop from supermarket collections?

getting healthy

Eating right and being healthy has always been a tricky concept for me to grasp. In my younger teenage years I was obsessive and ended up suffering with an ED. After recovering and going to uni- I went a bit far the other way, eating and drinking what I liked, when I liked. Since then my mindset swings between 'must watch what I eat and exercise more' and 'f**k it, you only live once'. 

Now I'm determined to find a healthy balance between the two. I used to be terrified of food, now I love it and I want to enjoy it.... just in a more healthy way. My first step to helping me eat right was to download the 'My Fitness Pal' App* which is great for seeing exactly how many calories your Starbucks hot-chocolate has, and how much of it is saturated fat! It also tracks your exercise which is helpful.

My main issue has always been eating out- I love going out for dinner and can struggle with not ordering bread, pasta and chocolate every time! I've found however that lots of restaurants now offer light versions which has become a life saver, (Prezzo is especially good for this), or at least tell you the calorie content of their menus. Snacking-wise I am addicted to Graze boxes- fantastic healthy options delivered to your door.  On top of this I am a big believer in the 'Cheat Meal' method, having one meal a week where you can eat whatever you want (I usually opt for takeaway pizza and chocolate!) this keeps your metabolism guessing and stops you from cheating the rest of the time as you know where your next treat is coming from.

 My eating has improved but my big issue is exercise! I commute to London every day for work which sees me waking up at 6AM and getting home at 7:30 in the evening. Suffice to say, I never want to exercise after work. My weekends are usually spent with my boyfriend relaxing so I'm rarely motivated then either! I am going to start going to the gym with him when he goes at the weekend, but would love to fit something else in during the week.

What do you guys do to keep healthy? Any tips or motivators?

(*I would not recommend this App for ED sufferers, or those who have recently recovered- it can be a touch addictive and may set off a relapse)

an ode to a charity shop jumper...

 From the moment I saw you, I knew it was meant to be. With your wide gauge knit, vintage print and flattering colour pallet, there was no way I was going to leave the charity shop without you. You sweetened the deal with a £5.00 price tag, (you must have known then I was a cheap date), and fell into my wardrobe and life. Ever since, as soon as the weather turns, you become my one and only. Thank you for being cosy enough to keep me warm, and thank you for looking cool with my skinny jeans. I look forward to our continued friendship as Britain's weather gets more and more rubbish.

Yours, with love-

Kat xx