Monthly Archives: September 2012

Hair Nightmare

25th September 2012
Silk Base Wigs

Hello, my name is Laura and I am a hair procrastinator. On average it takes me a good six months to decide I actually need a hair cut and then a further six to get round to booking an appointment, by which time my hair is unmanageable and half way down my back. I have several issues in getting myself motivated and I am wondering if I am alone in this or if others share my woes…

My number one problem is deciding where to go. With such a wide array of hairdressers in Bristol and none that I am especially loyal to. How am I supposed to know which ones are reputable and which ones just want to rip me off? Please also remember I live in the back and beyond, where salons are divided equally between “purple rinse special” catering to the over 70s and the “wannabe city salon” where prices are high and quality is low.

Next on my list of worries is decision making. How does anyone commit themselves to a style? Before my latest haircut (which I do actually love) I must have run through over a dozen styles, declaring them all “the one”. How did I decide on what I ended up with? I stupidly let the hairdresser decide and thankfully it turned out just fine!
Linked closely with this is trust. How many times have I heard the words “yes I know how much an inch is” only to leave a salon minus half a head? Sometimes it seems like booking what should be a simple trim is some kind of punishment!

Oh, and the small talk. That endless small talk. I can chat until the cows come home, really, I can, but sometimes I’m not in the mood to talk and being forced to explain for the hundredth time that no, I really don’t have a social life/exotic holiday/amazingly hot boyfriend puts me off. Oh, and those lectures about the state of my hair/roots/lack of know-how!

I’m making it sound all doom and gloom, and I promise I’m not always this awkward. When I get down to it I do generally enjoy the experience of having a hair cut and advances in salon software tend to make it much more pleasing,
I’m not brilliant at having people in my personal space so I tend to focus on all my above negatives and forget about the nice parts; the head massage, the trashy magazines and the on tap tea and coffee! The most recent salon I visited in my hometown (Arcadia in Nailsea) has gone some way to get me over my hairdresser phobia, they couldn’t have been nicer, or done a better job for a very affordable price…
I’m due a trim in three weeks; who wants to place bets on how long it takes me to book?

What are you like about hair appointments? A routine patron or repeat procrastinator? Want to give a shout-out to your favourite salon/product/generally rant and rave? I’d love to hear it!

xxx

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Wash Out

25th September 2012

This outfit is what I wore Saturday, the last of the decent weather I suspect for quite some time. Watching twitter, there seems to be a mixed reaction, mainly “it’s England, of course it’s raining”; I see that point, really I do…but local flooding and massive downpours aint the norm!

Dress c/o Miss Ikon, New Look tights and Georgia Rose boots c/o Sarenza.

I’ve gone from waxing lyrical over how happy I am to see Autumn and getting to snuggle up in knits and scarves whilst frolicking through leaves to kicking myself for even thinking that…let’s rewind to Summer now…
thanks.

I hope no-one has been too badly hit by any flooding. I hate to resent a season that is often so beautiful!

xxx

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Sarenza Shoe(s) of the Week: Mellow Yellow

24th September 2012

So, it would seem that my Sarenza A-Z and my Sarenza shoe of the week has kind of merged itself in to one post.
This week my heart is skipping over some fabulous boots from classical/quirky brand Mellow Yellow who take a well loved, basic shoe and then add their own snazzy touches with great success.

The recent cold snap led me to being instantly drawn to the Mosaic boot; a beauty in brown and knit. Don’t they look snug? They’ll be brilliant with bare legs on a warmer day if we get it, but also super cute with berry coloured tights when the chill really sets in!
The gold heel on the Madras ankle boot adds a touch of luxe to this wardrobe staple. I think these will earn their keep come party season as they will effortlessly travel from office to party.
And finally, embracing this season’s trend for all things metallic I had to feature the Magnify; a real multitasker by being practical AND on trend- not something you see every day! In fact these also nail two trends as the burgundy colour is the colour du jour…(just incase you needed to justify a cheeky purchase!)

What are your thoughts on my selection? I shall be keeping a beady eye on Mellow Yellow, a brand to watch for sure!

xxxs

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Sunglasses Shop- review and giveaway (or, it’s never too late for shades!)

23rd September 2012

A couple of weeks ago I had an e-mail from the lovely folk at Sunglasses Shop  asking me if I’d like to work with them as a blogger.
Well damn, there’s an offer and a half! Sunglasses Shop is a mecca for shade lovers, stocking a huge variety of brands and a section dedicated to celebs in shades for a bit of extra inspiration!

Of course there is the brands such as Ray-Ban that everyone knows and loves as well as many, many more including and not limited to; Oakley, Chanel, D&G, Dior, Guess and Michael Kors.

I was offered a pair of glasses for review purposes and picked this blingtastic Guess pair in Black as a lover of the cat eye shape on me (one of few that doesn’t swamp my facial structure!)
I was impressed at the amount of information on the website when it came to selecting my sunnies; an indepth guide to help you pick the perfect pair for your face shape, hairstyle and usual daily style!

I honestly cannot fault the service at Sunglasses Shop; the order arrived the day after it was placed, securely packaged in a sealed and signed for box and well protected inside. I LOVE these glasses so much, from the leopard print case to the sturdy well made design..I certainly don’t feel I’ll be trailing bits of bling as I walk!

The folk at Sunglasses Shop are kindly offering a reader of my blog a pair of sunglasses too. Together we picked The Revolver Sunglasses in black from funky and affordable brand Le Specs

To enter all you need to do is pop along to Sunglasses Shop facebook page, give them a “like” and post “Revolver Sunglasses” on their wall. Then head back to the blog and leave me a comment letting me know you’ve done this and leave me a way to contact you if you win!

Simple right?
The giveaway will run for ten days, running until Wednesday 3rd October at 6pm. Open to all of my UK readers.
Good Luck!
What do you think of my Guess babies?

xxx

Posted in competition, giveaway, review

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Autumn Baking; Apple Muffins

22nd September 2012

The other day I had an afternoon to myself and a sudden urge to bake. Now the weather has started to turn  I feel more like baking up a storm; warm kitchen and the smell of freshly cooked cake…that has to be an Autumn Highlight!

Inspired by some apples going soft in the fruit bowl, I whipped up a batch of Apple Muffins (although I decided to make one large cake, which worked just as well) using a recipe I found online.

  • 225g of plain flour
  • 3 tbsp of baking powder (I think this is meant to be 3tsp, as you can see, my cake sunk from rising too fast!)
  • 1 tsp of salt
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp of ground ginger
  • 100g of caster sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 150ml of milk
  • 3 tbsp of sunflower oil
  • 40g of unsalted butter
  • 170g of Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced (I used gala apples)
  • 70g of golden sultanas
  • 3 tbsp of light brown sugar

1.
To make this apple muffin recipe, start by preheating the oven to 190˚C/Gas mark 5 and place 12 muffin cases in a muffin tray; or in my case, grease and line a cake tin. I also made three regular sized muffins for snacking, too!
2.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and sugar.
3.
Peel, core and dice the apples. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and stir in the milk. Add the oil, melted butter and stir in the diced apple.
4.
Add the wet mixture into the dry and combine well. Stir through the golden sultanas.
5.
Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases (tin) and sprinkle the tops with brown sugar
6.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until lightly brown. The apple muffins should spring back when pressed. Allow to cool slightly before eating; I found my large cake was perfectly cooked in the 20 minutes and the muffins only took 15. I think this will vary depending on your oven though, I know for a fact mine runs hot.

Do you have a favourite Autumn recipe, or a tried and tested apple cake recipe? Feel free to share it in the comments section!
(This cake was GOOD, but I think there were flaws in the recipe such as the quantity of the baking powder, I should have followed instinct and added less).

Posted in baking, recipes

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