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

not another bill...

Every time I hear the words "You've got post" I do a little groan. Great, another bill, another appointment I need to make at the doctors/dentist/opticians, another piece of junk mail I don't care about. So when I came across the concept of 'Not another Bill' (found via Jackie Magpie) I couldn't help but smile.

Ned Corbett-Winder (a graphic design graduate) came up with a gift-finding service which delivers a little surprise package a month to subscribers. These gifts come from creatives from all walks of life and range from incredible silk scarves, pocket sundials, folded maps in marbled envelopes and even pieces from a collaboration with Tatty Devine jewellery.

A fantastic idea executed with exceptional style- who wouldn't love this? 

folded maps

pocket sundial

tatty devine collaboration

silk scarves

le pin

Lately I have become ever so slightly *ahem* addicted to Pinterest.... 

(and yes, I know, I was a little late to the party)

I can't help myself- I'm pinning and re-pinning all over the shop, it's the loveliest distraction from the hum-drum of the everyday. Finding it really helpful to figure out what looks I want to try out, but also, I just love looking at pretty things! I've always had a love for aesthetics and imagery and Pinterest feeds my obsession for all things beautiful.

Here is a selection of my recent 'Style' pins, follow me here to see the rest :) anyone else on here I should be following?

here comes the sun....

The past week I've been lucky enough to soak up the sun in Spain with my boyfriend for a well deserved holiday! We were both in need of a break from work and the miserable weather in England so we packed our bags and hi-jacked his mum's villa in Alicante for a little sun, sea and sangria!

Highlights included....

Horse riding through fruit orchards

Using my rather rusty A Level Spanish every day

Discovering some amazing new Tapas dishes including aubergine crisps dressed with honey (YUM)

Seeing the Guadalest falls

Buying delicious local wine at 2 Euros a bottle

Plenty of sunbathing time

Getting lost in my new book (Harukai Murakami's 1Q84)

And taking in the amazing sunsets at Alicante Harbour 

I'm now back in the UK and sadly, back to reality. I'm feeling incredibly refreshed and rejuvenated however and ready to take on work, life and even the Autumn weather!! I've held onto this 'new beginning' feeling with a few new season fashion purchases which I'll hopefully get around to blogging soon :) 

Did anyone else manage to grab a little sun abroad?

hi honey, I'm home...

It's been three whole months since I last blogged- my excuse? Same as ever I'm afraid.... life. In the last couple of months I have flown to Poland for a wedding, eaten in many a pub-garden, been to a festival, drank one too many strawberry & lime ciders and watched films under the stars at Somerset House. All in all, I've been having a blast and, (to be honest) not giving blogging a second thought. The last couple of weeks I've had a little free time to catch up with my favourite blogs and it made me realise how much I miss writing my Limbo posts. 

With it being September and seeing all the kids going back to school, it's given me the urge to come back to blogging. And to start a-fresh. I want to take my blog back to it's roots- lifestyle. I don't want to make any promises, but I'm hoping this is going to be the start of a new Limbo. I know I have probably lost any readers I had over the past couple of weeks, but those who have stuck around, I hope you'll bear with me :) and keep reading, as I have so much more to tell....

illustrated love

Recently stumbled upon this fantastic Swedish illustrator, Hannah Muller. Giving fashion a new perspective, check out more of her work here.

Have you made any discoveries lately?

Instagram #002

Ooops, I seem to have accidentally taken a month hiatus from the blog! No reason for it, just busy living life :) I like to keep my blog as a hobby, not a job, so every now and then that leads to the occasional break.

To get back into the swing of things I thought I'd show you a few more snaps from my instagram account (@katnicholls) These are a few weeks old now, but hopefully I'll slowly catch up with myself!

(going left to right, top to bottom)

1. Dwell furniture shop in Guildford 2. Ramsey has a thing for bags 3. Commute home 4. Outfit 5. Friday socks 6. Doll-face dress-up 7. Upside down kitty 8. Memento of my grandad 9. Sunday night blogging 10. Home time 11. Evil 5:45 alarm 12. Necklace 13. Emergency chocolate 14. Cheeky kebab 15. London view 16. Art 17. Ice-cream filled whoopie pies 18. Vintage car 19. Sister trying to find the Tate 20. books on the Southbank 21. Tate #1 22. Tate #2 23. Tate #3 24. Tate#4 25. Churros and rings

feet first

This is such a simple and beautiful idea.....

Feet First

"While sitting on Brighton beach (England) back in 2005 with my new girlfriend Verity I suddenly thought the view of our feet pointing out to sea would make a nice photo. Ever since then, we’ve continued to document our travels in this way, resulting in a collection of over 90 photos. In 2011 the series took a new twist with the arrival of a third set of feet – our daughter Matilda."

 

(PS I discovered this on Pinterest, yes I am officially a sheep. Baaaaa, it's addictive....)

light as a feather.....

Hands up who loved the film 'The Craft' when they were younger? And if you guys were anything like me I bet you tried the levitation game, 'light as a feather, stiff as a board'? Well the team over at Fieldguided did, and have taken inspiration from the game to create a beautiful silk scarf collection called 'light as a feather'. Using black and white photos from the 1800's as prints, the scarves become a feast for the eyes as they drape around you. I came across the brand via Daydream Lily, one of my favourite blogs to get inspired :)

What do you think? I have such a soft spot for scarves, any other fab brands I should know about?

just a minute...... march

Making: Intentions

Watching: Greys Anatomy DVD boxset

Listening: Pearl Jam, Counting Crows and Death Cab For Cutie

Buying: New books, pancakes for breakfast and chocolate frappucinos

Loving: The unseasonably warm weather, makes me hopeful for a good summer!

How was your March?

lust - have: toast 'suzu' dress

Do you ever have those moments when you walk into a shop, see an item of clothing and just think 'I need to have this in my life'? When I shop, I either buy something I need.... or something I need.

Thats how I felt a couple of weekends ago when I walked into Toast and saw this, the Suzu dress. After a quick glance at the price tag, I shrugged it off as a 'never-gonna-happen' purchase. But I couldn't get the dress out of my head for the rest of the afternoon. I just needed a justifiable reason to buy it, other than- it's sooooooo pretty.

Then like a lightning bolt to the head, it came to me.... summer wedding. In July I'm off to Poland for my boyfriend's brother's wedding and need a dress to impress, (I'll be meeting a lot of extended family for the first time). I'm yet to try the beauty on, but if it looks as good on me as it does in my head- I'll blow the budget and buy it. Life's too short for fashion regrets.

When was your last 'have to have it' moment?

RE

Whilst perusing the Liberty website recently I read about a brand opening up a permanent shop in Liberty's pretty walls, a brand called RE.

The brand sells homeware and manages to do so with originality and passion. Most of the items are found, some are recycled, but ALL are beautiful.

Here are some bits I'm putting on my 'when I'm rich I'll shop here' wishlist.....

Have you discovered any new homeware brands recently?

song of the week.....

Haven't done one of these in a while! My song of the week posts are just a little insight into which songs are currently making my ears happy, they can be old, new, whatever- the only prerequisite is that they rock.

At the moment I have been playing Peggy Sue's album 'Acrobats' on repeat, and here is one of the best songs on the album- 'Song and Dance'

What songs have been rocking your world recently?

Instagram #001

Fashionably late as ever to the Instagram party, I have arrived a little dishevelled and rather excitable. How brilliant is this?! As a lover of photography but loather of carrying my heavy SLR, this little iPhone app satisfies my daily snapshot cravings. Here are a few pics from my first week on Instagram, I have taken more since, (it is pretty addictive), but figured I'd make this a weekly thing.

Top Row L - R

cool artwork, Bettie the kitten, beautiful new tweed biker, silly Friday face

Middle Row L - R

mid-morning snack, Calvin or Coco? Breton stripes, a little light reading

Bottom Row L - R

commute home, profile posing, typewriter love, roast dinner time!

Who else is on here? 

(PS for those interested, my Instagram username is katnicholls)

outfit: leopard print shift

Animal print is the one print above all others that I tend to gravitate towards. And it's not just the print I go nuts for, it's any piece where big cats feature. To date I have one tiger print dress, one leopard print dress and about three or four T-shirts with various big cats baring their fangs. The reason? Pretty simple, I love big cats. I have had the pleasure of stroking a Cheetah in South Africa and many Tigers in Thailand, and would love to add a Panther, Lion and Leopard to the list. They are smart, agile and simply beautiful. Here's one I photographed getting a kiss from a monk in Thailand....

(for more Thailand pics, take a look at my latest 'from the archives' post)

As Winter clings on to Britain I find myself layering these various prints under simple jumpers and leggings for an easy every-day look. Here's one I made earlier...

Are there any prints you favour above others?

polaroids of folk that make music

Top Left: Felix (The Maccabees)
Top Right: Emmy The Great
Bottom Left: Nathan (Flogging Molly)
Bottom Right: Rebecca (Slow Club)

Discovered this rather cool photography project from Frock-a-zine (a new favourite spot to hang out in on the internet), a project by photographer James Perou that does exactly what is says on the tin.

Polaroids of folk that make music.

Simples.

just a minute.... february

Making: My room more beautiful- had a serious clear out and clean this month! Tidy room = Tidy mind

Watching: 2nd half of series 2 'Walking Dead', oh Andrew Lincon *swoon*

Listening: Lianne la Havas

Buying: Meals out and trips to the cinema

Loving: The week off I had for my Birthday- was treated like a queen on the day, ate incredible food with friends and family, organised my life and had MANY lie ins

How was your February?

From The Archives.... Thailand

Another batch of photographs from the archives! These ones were taken in 2010 when I spent a month in Thailand. Most people saw the snaps of me drinking from buckets and galavanting on elephant rides on Facebook, but these are the images I captured that have stayed in my heart...