LIFESTYLE: KITCHEN DESIGN TRENDS



Everyone has their own taste when it comes to fashion, style and interior. It's so interesting to see what people do with their homes and how different one house can look compared to another. You can buy home magazines and keep up to date with the latest home trends and fashions or put your own individual stamp on your home. Today i'm going to talk about kitchens and how kitchens tend to stick to a traditional layout and i'm going to mention some of the key kitchen trends that are popular right now. 

We have a little kitchen but I love how cosy it is and it's a great size for just the two of us. Our Kitchen is very white like the rest of the apartment but I love this because it means you can just buy accessories to add that pop of colour and you can change the colours easily by just buying new accessories. Our kitchen is the only room which has a colour on the wall. We had a pink stripe accent wall which I love, it just adds a nice subtle bit of colour to a very white room. We have white cupboards and the other walls are white. Most of the accessories around the Kitchen are monochrome and we have a few Rose Gold bits like our toaster and kettle and our clock which actually works really well with the pink, most of our other bits are stainless steel.

I think simple, clean rooms are on trend right now. White washed walls and pretty simple layouts are very popular and then accessorizing with a mixture of new and old furniture and accessories. Plants are also so on trend right now, you can easily add plants to your Kitchen, whether its on the window-sill and you just grow your own herbs or a artificial plant on top of a cupboard. I tend to have fresh flowers in the Kitchen because we don't have any windows in our kitchen. I have a couple of Aloe Vera and cactus plants too which I sometimes move into the Kitchen as well as I think the Green against the white walls works really well.

I love the idea of exposed brick in the kitchen and think this would give a cottage feel to a kitchen, along with some beams or wood would look gorgeous. Our Kitchen is too modern and clean but if we moved house i'd want to add more character to the Kitchen. I'd love an island with clean Marble worktops like this one from Mayfair Granite  Marble and brass/ copper is very on trend right now and I think it would be amazing to have a Marble worktop. 

What is your kitchen like? Do you live in a rented property like us and can't do much with your traditional kitchen? What would your dream kitchen be like? 


If you'd like to read more about how Traditional Kitchens are still the most popular then check out this article on Housewares Live 









This post is in collaboration with Mayfair Granite

MY BIRTHDAY WISHLIST

Bardot Top: Topshop // Cami : Topshop // Hairdryer: Dyson // Sponge: Real Techniques // Choker: Johnny Loves Rosie // Becca Palette: Space NK // Birkenstocks : Jones Bootmaker // Watch: Johnny Loves Rosie

My birthday is fast approaching! I'm going to be turning 24, I don't know where the years are going it's just flying by. This is going to be my first birthday since we've had the flat so I don't think our budget will stretch to anything too expensive. I thought i'd put together a wishlist and share a few bits i'd love to get for my birthday this year. 

The Dyson hairdryer is out of our price range at just under £300 but would be such an amazing gift but very unrealistic. I love getting new clothes for my birthday, there's a couple of tops in Topshop that have caught my eye. I've wanted the stripe cami for a while now. I might go on a little shopping spree with my birthday money and pick up some new clothes. It would be nice to get some new clothes that actually fit, my wardrobe is full of clothes that are too big for me now. I watched a video about this new Real Techniques Diamond sponge today and it looks amazing. I've been thinking about picking up a make up sponge for a little while now so I might get one with my birthday money and give it ago. I already own a pair of Birkenstocks, i've been wearing them so much at work recently but I want to get a white pair, this pair from the Jones Bootmaker website would be perfect. As you know I went along to the Johnny Loves Rosie blogger event last week, you can read my blog post here. Since then i've been browsing their website as i'm loving their products. In particular  I love this watch, I spotted it at the event it's gorgeous and I really want a choker, I love how dainty this one is and it would be perfect with lots of outfits. The Becca Palette is gorgeous and I love how pretty this is. I use my Becca Champagne Pop highlighter every single day so I think this palette would be such a great addition to my collection. 

I love putting together wishlists and I know Clint always checks out my wishlists for some inspiration which I think is so cute. I always book a week off for my birthday and we usually go away on holiday but this year I think we are just going to chill together and do a few day trips etc maybe a weekend away so send over some ideas and whats on your wishlists right now? 






* In Collaboration with Jones Bootmaker

EVENT: BLOGGERS BREAKFAST AT COTE WITH JOHNNY LOVES ROSIE



Last week I headed into birmingham bright and early to meet lots of lovely bloggers and the lovely ladies at Johnny Loves Rosie. We headed to Cote Brasserie at the Mailbox to enjoy an amazing breakfast and the sun was out which was amazing.

I've never been to Cote Brasserie before but it was a gorgeous place to have our bloggers breakfast! All of the food looked and tasted amazing and the staff were great too! It's actually on the canal side too and they have seating outside. The breakfast menu looked amazing and everything sounded great I went for the Smoked Salmon and scrambled egg on toast which was sooo good!!

The table was beautifully decorated with flowers and there was a lovely box of goodies for each of us which was so gorgeous. There was lots of lovely bloggers at the event so it was great getting to meet new people and catch up with bloggers i've met before. I had a really great morning.

The lovely ladies from Johnny Loves Rosie had brought over lots of products from the brand for us to try on and have a look at which was great. They stock an amazing selection of clutch bags, watches, chokers and other jewellery too. I loved the chokers, they were all so unique. The watches are gorgeous too!  They had these fun ears out too which would be perfect for Halloween. I really liked the clutch bags too. Everything was really good quality and you can see that alot of effort has gone into each piece.

I had such an amazing morning and i'd love to thank Johnny Loves Rosie for inviting me. The brand is so lovely and I love that they are based in Birmingham too which is amazing.

Johnny Loves Rosie   

Johnny Loves Rosie is also stocked on Asos.com















BEAUTY: MY MONTHLY FAVOURITES



I haven't done a monthly favourites for a little while and i've been giving a few new products ago so thought i'd share some of my faves!

I've been giving the new BB cream from Clarins a try and it's amazing. It's a nice lightweight product but has really good coverage. It's so easy to blend and a really lovely finish.

I haven't wore blusher for soo long but i've been wearing my Nars Deep Throat blusher loads recently just to add that little pop of colour to my cheeks.

The Two Faced Chocolate palette is one of my favourites, i've been reaching for it alot recently. There's just so many different colours inside to choose from. There's a mixture of mattes and shimmers making it a great palette. Inside theres some gorgeous bronze shades and there's an amazing reddy/purple shade.

I really like the Rosie for Autograph range from M&S i've been using the Cream Eyeshadow sticks alot recently. They are so handy for a quick sweep of colour. They blend out easily and are so pigmented and available is lots of different shades.

The Urban Decay Primer Potion is an everyday staple for me. I tend to switch between the original and it in Sin. They are amazing, it makes your eyeshadow look better and last longer.

I've been using the New Clarins Surpa Volume mascara it gives amazing volume aswell as length. You don't need to add loads and loads of layers it's such an amazing mascara, i'm so impressed with this.

The NYX Micro brow pencil has been my go to brow product this month, its so easy to use and great for an everyday natural brow. I've also been using the Benefit Goof Proof pencil which I got in Elle magazine.

The Becca highlighter in Champagne Pop is my go to highlighter, I literally use it every single day, it's the best highlighter i've ever owned. It's so easy to apply and i've only just hit the pan, i've had it for awhile so it's lasted really well.

I've been trying to use some of my other lipsticks as i've been using Velvet Teddy like every single day. I've been loving my latest Mac Lipstick which is Whirl. It's another matte finish but it's darker than my usual nude shades. I love it though, it's a more sexy colour.

Finally the NYX soft matte lip cream in Stockholm which is a lovely pink/ nude shade. It applies easily and again I have been trying to use some of my other lip colours. The NYX soft matte lip creams are a really lovely formula and I think I might need to get a few more shades.


These have been my favourites this month, I've pretty much reached for these products since i've been back from Turkey. What are your monthly favourites?







* this post contains pr samples, I have not been paid for this blog post and the above comments are my own and honest. 

BEAUTY: FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS



There's about a month till Reading and Leeds so I thought i'd feature some festival beauty essentials. I've teamed up with Boots who have kindly sent me a few bits to feature, i've also added some of my festival beauty must haves!! 

Hair Products - Dry shampoo is a must have for any festival, if your going to a festival that does have showers chances are they will be grim and the queues will be ridiculous so Dry Shampoo is going to be your best friend. I always have a stash of Batiste Dry Shampoo in my room, I do want to try the COLAB one as i've heard lots of good things. 

Sea Salt spray / texturizing sprays are another must have for any festival. Hide the fact you haven't showered by using a salt spray to texurize your hair and create those beach waves giving your hair and extra day. I really like the Schwartzkopf Got2B beach matte spray as I find it works well and is easy to use. It's a light spritz and doesn't soak the hair and is easy to create those beach waves. 

Make Up - The Clarins BB Skin Detox Fluid is very new to my make up collection but it's already a firm favourite of mine. It's a great all round product making it perfect for a festival. A BB cream already has moisturising properties so you wouldn't need to pack a moistuiser too. This one has spf 25 which is great since your going to be outside all day, it's a lovely lightweight product which lasts well all day long. 

Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder, is a Blogger favourite but i've never tried it before. I've been giving it a try this week. This is a limited edition Festival version which you can get at Boots. The packaging is lovely and it's a great all round product, you can add that glow all over using this lovely matte bronzer. 

The Limited Edition Tropical Festival range also includes a Mascara, which is a huge brush to add lots of volume to those lashes. I love having really full, thick lashes so this is the perfect mascara for me. 

Boots also sent over this Sensationail starter kit which includes a UV lamp so you can do your own Gel Nails at home. Gel Nails always last so much longer than normal nail polish. You can use this set to turn your normal nail colours into a gel polish. I'm so excited to give this a try and it would be perfect if you were getting ready for a festival. 

This Kiehls Lip Balm is perfect for chapped lips, protect lips from cold weather and wind. 

After a late night at the main stage these Eye Treat Spa by Masque Bar are so good, they reduce the appearance of puffiness around the eye area. They are really handy and easy to use. You get 5 in a pack. Skin feels smoother and tighter. 

These handy little hand sanitisers and wipes from Carex are so handy for the festival season. Festivals are not the most hygienic of situations so hand sanitiser is an essential and a packet of wipes will come in handy. 


Other things in the post
Bag: Topshop // Sunglasses : Primark // Necklace: Charmed Ivy // Tangle Teezer // Top: Primark










* This post contains pr samples, I haven't been paid for this post. This post is my own opinions and honest.

LIFESTYLE: HOUSEWARMING GIFT IDEAS


Recently we've have quite a few friends that have been moving house and having babies and I feel like i've been buying lots of gifts this month. I wasn't sure what to buy our friends who were moving house, so I thought i'd put together a little gift ideas post to help anyone else in a similar situation. Our friends were not moving into their first home, they have lived together for a while so they had most things like appliances etc and I wasn't sure what they needed etc so I thought i'd pick up a few home bits and they loved it. I got a little basket from Primark and filled it with some cute bits like a candle and a sweet little sign for there new home. I forgot to photograph the actual basket but i've put together a few cute bits and pieces here so i'll go through and share some of my ideas. 

A basket - I love this wicker basket, my mom actually got me this for one of my birthdays and she had filled it with beauty bits. It's been used for so many things and now it lives in my towel cupboard. You can get a cheap little basket from most home stores, I recently got one from my local b&m bargains for about £5. You could even use a plastic or wire alternative. 

In my friends basket I got a little blanket from Primark which cost me £3.50, it was a gorgeous bright blue colour and had a nice geometric print on. I think these blankets are so handy, you can chuck it on when you watching a film and it gets cold or they are perfect for a picnic in the summer etc They have so many colours and prints that there's something for everyone. 

Next up everyone loves a candle, this blue one is from Primark and is one of my favourite colours which is why I picked one up. I have quite the collection of candles around our apartment. They are an easy way to make a home feel cosy and you can get some really amazing scents. I would recommend TK Maxx for Candles as you can get some designer brands at great prices and really impress your friends. 

I popped a cute little handwash into the basket too as sometimes it's the little things that count. Our friends new house has THREE bathrooms so they will need to pick up some extra bathroom essentials so little things like handwash and toothbrush holders start to add up when you have three bathrooms to stock up. I love this new scent from Carex, it smells like Lovehearts and smells so good! 

Cookbooks! Our friends have loads of cookbooks but they are a great housewarming gift especially if your friends are keen cooks or have moved into a house with a much bigger kitchen. I love my Deliciously Ella Cookbook and I have a few baking ones too!! 

A cute little art print or quote can be a very loving and thoughtful gift. You can order printable artwork from Etsy and they are really affordable, you can pop it into an ikea frame for a really lovely gift. Primark had some cute hanging plaques and quotes too which are lovely. I love my 'Don't be a prick' print by Ella Masters, it was one of the first home things I bought for our flat. 

I picked up this cute Aloe Vera plant in Tesco the other day, usually I buy people flowers when they move into a new house but a plant is going to last them longer and something like a Cactus or Succulent is easy to keep and you can put it in any room, I love having green plants in the Kitchen. 

Tea Towels! Another random gift but you can get some lovely tea towels right now, Primark always have some really cute afforable ones! My favourite place again is TK Maxx, My popcorn ones are actually Kate Spade and I picked them up last year in TK Maxx and they didn't cost that much. Cath Kidston is another great place for kitchen essentials like oven mitts and aprons. 











FITNESS: MY WEIGHT LOSS UPDATE


Today blog post is going to be about my weightloss journey and I thought i'd give you guys an update on how much weight i've lost and what fitness i've been doing. 

My last update was in May, you can check that out here MAY UPDATE  - I had lost 1 stone 6LB

So as you know I recently got back off my holiday I weighed in and I only put on 0.5lb which I was very chuffed with considering i'd been away for 10 days and been off plan for about two weeks. 
Now i'm back and at group this week I lost 1lb !! So all together i've lost 2 stone 4.5 lb since I joined Slimming World back in March 

 I haven't been 100% on track since getting back from Turkey, i've been struggling with food as the weathers been really hot and humid here in the UK. I've had a few really good days and a few really bad days but I still lost which is good. 

I want to try and get 100% back on track this week, I know it will be hard with it being warm and the kids holidays so we will be doing more things with friends but the main thing is to have fun and make good decisions. 

I've pretty much just been doing Slimming World recently and haven't done much working out because I haven't had time and it's not so fun going for a jog when the sun is blazing and its sooo hot. I have however been walking to work alot and since I got Pokemon Go Clint and I have been going for a few evening strolls as usual i've been using my pedometer to make sure I get over 10,000 steps everyday.

To get to my target weight i've only got 6.5lb to go so now I want to shift it i'm going to be on plan and start excersising again. When I first started loosing weight I was drinking lots of Green Tea but i've since found myself drinking normal tea again so I was thinking I might pick up a Teatox to help shift those last few pounds as the Teatox helps to boost metabolism and cleanses your digestive system. 

I'll be sure to keep you up to date with my weightloss and if you want to follow me on instagram I have a Slimming World account which I share my meals on. 


Other posts i've done about Fitness and Slimming World




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