A Daisy Chain Dream

Fabulous Flamingo Filofax (and inside my bag)

2013-05-18T06:00:00.000+01:00

How gorgeous is this Flamingo design Filofax?

The Flamingo is the winning design from the Filofax ‘Cover Story’ graduate design competition.

The eye-catching and elegant design, created by Rebecca Mountain, inspired by the poise, colour and grace of flamingos, beat off a tidal-wave of talent from other design graduates. Rebecca has recently been enjoying a paid work-placement with Filofax so that she could see her print being brought to life on the popular cotton twill canvas personal organisers which will be sold around the world.

The Flamingo is available in two colourways – blue and sage – as well as in two sizes – Pocket (£28) and Personal (£35). A pen loop keeps your pen secure, while a practical elastic closure will keep your Flamingo organiser safely closed when you’re on the move.

Filofax is supporting fresh design talent again this year with a new ‘Cover Story’ graduate design competition. Details will be announced shortly on the Filofax website.

I was lucky enough to be sent one of the stunning organisers- I have used a Filofax for years and my tired old one welcome getting a break.

I love how the colour theme of this new design goes perfectly with my Brit-Stitch satchel and I thought I'd use this post to hop on the "what's in my bag" bandwagon,

although as you can see, my bag is not nearly as organised as most and only contains the usual wallet, keys, phone, lipbalm, sweets, glasses/sunnies and tissues combo (with about twenty pens thrown in for luck). One of these days I'll be super organised and carry round perfectly pretty notebooks and all manner of other gorgeous things but for now my chaos works for me and well, I don't think I'm a tidy person by nature.

What's in your bag? What do you think of the new Filofax designs?

xxx

Giveaway: Custom Denim from Warehouse

2013-05-16T05:30:00.000+01:00

Denim is big news right now and I am super excited to be able to share this very special giveaway with you lovely lot.

Warehouse have chosen 5 pieces of their Spring/Summer denim collection to customise and make in to a very limited edition piece- only one of each is to be made and those pieces aren't available to buy, only to win via selected blogs.

I've been chosen to host one of these giveaways and the piece I have up for grabs is the Denim Western Yoke Shirt which has been customised to look like...

The shirt is a size 14 although you don't need to be a size 14 to wear it as it's one of those really versatile pieces.

To enter there are just a few simple rules...

- Leave a comment on this post saying how you'd style the shirt (if you are a blogger and win the giveaway I'd love to see a post of you wearing your prize)

- For an extra two entries you can like Warehouse on Facebook and/or follow them on Twitter (one entry for each, just mention it in a comment)

- The giveaway will run for one week closing on Thursday 23rd May at 8pm UK time. The giveaway is open to UK readers only (sorry) and the prize will be sent to the winner directly.

Good Luck! This really is a special prize and I will be eternally jealous of the winner!

xxx

on yer bike

2013-05-14T05:30:00.000+01:00

Blouse: Urban Outfitters

Skirt: Zara

Converse via Sarenza

I don't think I've ever spent £35 on a top before but there was something about this one from Urban Outfitters that had me parting with my cash. I bought it whilst in Cardiff as part of my Birthday weekend so it was a justified treat and one I will get plenty of wear from. I find tops a struggle but this ticks all the right boxes: good length, quirky print and falls beautifully.

This is actually an old outfit, one I wore before the bank holiday weekend when the weather was nice (who would have thought it eh?) The contrast compared to this weekend is quite striking; the need for layers and a thick coat was not amusing in the slightest. Thankfully it didn't put the boy and I off adventures to Ikea, I even braved a football game on TV and survived.

I'm feeling more settled this week, back in to the normal working routine and patterns. What can I say? I'm a creature of habit and not afraid to admit it.

On a personal note, I had an anonymous comment asking how *I* was doing the other day. Quite simply I'm doing really, really well. Having fun, living life and feeling happier and healthier than ever. It's slow progress but more change is afoot and I'm ready to embrace it.

Anyway,

this is quite the wordy post, sorry...how are YOU doing?

xxx

daisy chain dreaming: wish collection from GUESS jewellery

2013-05-13T12:38:00.002+01:00

I always have and always will love friendship bracelets- so easy to wear and fun to layer up together (or with chunkier pieces). There is something so endearing about them and this new collection from GUESS jewellery has given me major lust.

The new Wish Bracelet Collection from GUESS Jewellery provides the essential feminine accessory for this Spring/Summer. Representing all the attributes the GUESS Girl holds dear;
Love, Peace, Happiness, Luck and Friendship, the collection offers a variety of fun and meaningful motifs.

Perfect for layering and creating your own GUESS Girl look, the collection can be tailored to suit each individuals style. With intricate design and details, the Wish Bracelet Collection is
perfect to team with oversize frills, pink buttermilk shades or contrast against the black hues
seen on the SS13 runways.

With a choice of gold, rhodium or rose gold finishes, the intricate Swarovski embellishment on
coloured adjustable cord bracelets enables every GUESS Girl to be charmed with a pretty,
sweet and endearing feminine expression this Spring/Summer.

The bracelets are available now- you'll find them in places like House of Fraser and Debenhams as well as GUESS stores and many jewellery shops priced at £25

Which one have you got your eye on? My personal favourite is the purple one pictured above.

xxx

sarenza shoe of the week: prettily practical

2013-05-12T06:00:00.000+01:00

This week my Sarenza pick is more on the classic side than usual. Among the many new arrivals from one of my favourite brands on the site, Georgia Rose were these Jessey CFT in ante negro + ante arena. I love the t-bar style, nude and black suede combo and subtle gold detailing on these and although they are on the pricey side for flats at £103 I can a) attest to the quality of the brand and b) see these as a bit of an investment that will work with many, many outfit combinations. If this colour way isn't your thing there are three others to pick from as well as a gorgeous range of heels that have just landed too.

You might hate me for saying this later, but go forth and browse!

xxx

those shoes- so you.

2013-05-10T12:30:00.000+01:00

Dress: River Island at ASOS
Tee: Peacocks

Boots c/o SoYouShoes

It's May, we shouldn't even need to still be wearing boots, but if we have to then they may as well be good 'uns right? I'm so in love with these studded Chelsea boots from SoYouShoes who were kind enough to send me a pair. They combine all the things I am loving in a shoe right now and are a bargain + super comfortable as well. Love.

I can't even remember which day I wore this outfit, probably before the bank holiday if I'm honest...I've totally lost track of time lately and not blogging every day has left me with a bit of a back log.

At least it's Friday right? I'm so glad it's the weekend despite it having been a short week. It's not been bad, just a bit of a dissapointment after the amazing sunshine-fest of a long weekend last week (not to mention girl stuff) and I feel a bit jaded with it all. Never mind eh? I have a fun weekend involving the boy, friends and general chilling planned and that's the perfect remedy for any blues. That and a vat of tea and some childish snacks.

How has your short week been? I almost think I prefer the normal working week, you know where you stand with that!

Any fun plans this weekend?

xxx

daisy chain dreaming: The WhitePepper

2013-05-09T05:30:00.000+01:00

£45

£50

£45

£66

Life seems to be a constant wish list lately and it's not helped by brands such as The WhitePepper at ASOS bringing out such covetable collections. I can't think of anything I dislike about their current range (except that I can't afford it) and above is just a small selection of my favourites. If I was going to splash out it would have to be on the Sailor Midi Dress, I love all things nautical and midi is my favourite length.

Oh ASOS, you do bad things to me. I may need to stage an intervention against the amount of time I spend browsing there.

What brands are you currently craving? What online shop is your weakness?

xxx

Dream in Pastel

2013-05-07T05:30:00.000+01:00

Blouse c/o Apricot

Skirt: Zara

Shoes c/o Shoe Zone

Back to work after a glorious Bank Holiday weekend, Spring may have taken it's time arriving but that just makes the sunshine all the more appreciated. Most of my weekend was spent chilling with the boy and catching up on rest after last week's adventures, I feel refreshed and ready to take on just about anything (you can quote me on that at the end of the week!)

I featured this blouse a few weeks ago on a wish list post and Apricot kindly sent me one of my own. It's such a pretty piece although very sheer for day time...there's potential for a slightly more revealing evening look there too!

These wedges are an absolute bargain at £12.99 and so, so comfortable. I went up a size as I've found Shoe Zone's shoes do come up a little small and I can see myself properly living in these come the time for bare legs (and when I eventually put away the A/W clothes and bring out the summer dresses!)

I hope everyone had a brilliant Bank Holiday whatever you did...

got up to something exciting? Spill the beans here...

xxx

Sarenza Sunday- Mirror Mirror Miista

2013-05-05T07:14:00.002+01:00

This week's obsession is bought to you by super brand Miista who I've been a fan of ever since I first heard of.

The Zoe by Miista (£125) is in my eyes the perfect spring flat with it's pastel perfect mirror shine finish and potential for day and night.

I'm not even sure what else I can say about this shoe other than I love it! I think it'll be one of those marmite things though, you'll either get it or you won't...I'd love to hear what you think

xxx

Daisy Chain Dreaming- East of India at Serene Hearts

2013-05-04T06:30:00.000+01:00

£15.99

£14.99

£9.99

£12.99

I don't often do home ware posts on the blog- I really should do more of them as I love nothing more than a good browse for treasures for my room and the kitchen. Lately I've been obsessed with new to me website Serene Hearts how have just started stocking a fabulous selection from one of my favourite brands East of India which I love for their shabby chic inspired and inspiring designs.

Serene Hearts specialises in vintage style gifts for the home and I know a lot of you out there are fans. Everything is super affordable and I have a wish list ten miles long at present. With Spring finally rearing it's head I feel a revamp of my bedroom coming along (laugh all you like family and close friends, it WILL happen)

What's caught your eye? Where do you browse for home ware?

xxx

tights and sights

2013-05-02T05:30:00.000+01:00

Dress: New Look

Tights: c/o Tights Tights Tights

Boots: Miista

How amazing are these cat tights from Tights Tights Tights? I fell in love the very second I saw them, satisfying both my love for cats and for quirky tights. Minus the boots (I opted for flats in the end) this is what I wore for our first day in London thinking they'd be less shocking there than in my sleepy little town...I was kind of right although they did attract their fair share of attention, as pointed out by my amused Mother.

Not brave enough for this kind of stand out style? Tights Tights Tights do more subtle options too in their extensive range of Opaque Tights.

I don't think I could wear this kind of thing every day but I had a lot of fun doing so! I've finally grown more confident in my clothing choices and depending on my mood I'm less afraid of experimenting a bit. Perhaps that's what comes with growing up...if it does then I'm all for it!

I couldn't resist doing the typical tourist thing (well, I was!) in London and posing outside M&M world! Mum and I were too busy having fun to take many photos- the same went for all of my birthday celebrations but this one was a must!

Back to work today, a nice short week for me followed by a long weekend. I love Birthdays and Bank Holidays!

Do you have plans for the extended weekend?

xxx

L the Hero

2013-04-30T20:03:00.002+01:00

Necklace c/o Olly M Jewellery

Tee c/o Own the Runway

Jeans from Next

Converse via Sarenza

I'm having a jewellery moment so when Olly M Jewellery got in touch saying they'd like to send me a piece I was super excited especially having seen what they sell on other bloggers (and a lengthy browse on their website). I was sent this initial necklace which is so perfectly my style, it arrived just before my birthday too so it felt like an extra special gift. I've already been telling people about Olly M and how I'll be shopping there for special gifts in the future. They aren't limited to necklaces either, next on my shopping list is one of the stunning friendship bracelets.

I've avoided slogan tees for as long as possible, as soon as I saw this over sized Hero one from Own the Runway I wanted it! I like the bold statement, a bit more serious than "YOLO" or "Geek" that seems to be everywhere at the moment and I love the pastel shade. Perfect for a casual Saturday shopping in Cardiff with my best friend.

I've literally just got back from London which was amazing! We travelled up yesterday and explored M&M world (a.k.a. heaven) before heading for dinner and the theatre- if you get the chance to see Mama Mia you really should, such a feel good dance and sing-a-long fest!

Today we did Covent Garden and Oxford street before collapsing in a tired heap on the train home. I did so much walking, talking and shopping it'll take a while to recover but Mum and I have wanted to do this for years and now was the perfect time. I must spend more time in the Capital, there are so many people I want to meet and things I want to do,

I need to seriously save some cash first though!

What are your favourite things to do in London? Anyone else an M&M world fan?

xxx

Sarenza shoe of the week- Mad for Melissa

2013-04-28T06:30:00.000+01:00

It's my 26th Birthday today so I think I'm allowed to want these Vivienne Westwood Anglomania + Lady Dragon shoes in two colours, right? At £125.70 a pair they aren't cheap but from what I have heard they are worth the money and they sure look pretty. With the recent summery weather I'm finally thinking it might be time to pack away the boots and bring out the sandals and a pair of these might just have to be added.

Which colour do you prefer?

Seeing as it's my Birthday I've decided to make a few resolutions for the year ahead. Spring seems a much better time to resolve to make positive change right?

1. Gain a bit more weight so I have more energy and really fit my clothes...I've come a long, long way in recovery from anorexia but there is still room for improvement and I just want to be the healthiest and happiest version of myself I can possibly be

2. Drink less coffee and more tea...my coffee consumption is getting stupidly bad

3. Live in the moment and not worry about what may or may not lie ahead

4. Learn to take a deep breath, cast fear aside and just get ahead and do what I want to do

5. Cook and bake more

6. Learn to do something new

7. Explore and have adventures

And now I'm off to eat a birthday breakfast and spend the day with the people who matter most.

xxx

P.S. I'm off to London tomorrow for the night with my Mum, hello theater and shopping! Expect a probable return to daily blogging when I get back as I have a massive list of posts to share and no doubt there will be many more to come.

sunshine and smiles

2013-04-27T06:49:00.001+01:00

Necklace c/o Kittenish Behaviour

Tee: Topshop

Skirt: H&M

Boots c/o Shoe Zone

I can't get over how stunning this necklace from Sian at Kittenish Behaviour is, I posted about her shop when it launched not all that long ago and she is now branching out in to one of a kind necklaces like this one which will retail at £25.

I wore mine to work on Tuesday and got so many compliments, I love something a bit unique and this fits the bill perfectly. They aren't on the website yet but watch this space- I'll let you know when they are!

The rest of this outfit was made up out of odds and ends. A tee I had forgotten about, it's an odd cut and doesn't really go with much so it gets neglected. This skirt was a bargain at £3 in the H&M sale some time ago. The boots have fast become a new favourite.

How has your week been? I can't believe it is Saturday. I had the first day of my birthday weekend yesterday and it was pretty brilliant. Coffee with the best friend, a chilled afternoon with the boy and then dinner and drinks with a group of my school friends who met the boy for the first time. I'm not much of a drinker but got talked in to a Mojito and declare myself a convert. Roll on long summer days!

I'm off to Cardiff shopping with the best friend today. After three consecutive years of Birthdays I'd rather forget I'm all for celebrating this one for as long as possible! I'm getting really excited for my overnight London trip with Mum on Monday/Tuesday. Any recommendations of places to visit near Oxford Street? I already plan to detour to M&M world just because my inner five year old says I must!

I hope the sun is shining for you, for once it is here and that makes me extra happy.

xxx

Don't Play with your Food!

2013-04-25T19:01:00.001+01:00

Magic Choc c/o Find Me A Gift

One thing I've learnt over the last few years is that food can be fun, so when Find Me A Gift got in touch offering me a product to review I was instantly drawn to Magic Choc- flexible chocolate that you can make in to edible models.

I was curious as to how it could possibly work, in my excitment I kind of forgot how utterly un-artistic I am and thus my creations look more like something a five year old could have crafted, but it was good fun and wonderful novelty value (wonderful value too at £5.99)

These were meant to be a bunny and a penguin but look somewhat deformed, oops!

The chocolate comes in sachets- milk, white and dark in the form of little discs which are simply warmed in your hands and then shaped. It's super easy to work with and would make a fantastic gift for adults or kids. I still have some left and look forward to playing around with it, perhaps trying to hone my technique somewhat.

As for the taste, well, it's not high quality chocolate so probably not one for a chocolate snob, but it's not inedible and this is a product produced more for the novelty value than food factor and it does the job just fine. At that kind of price and for the fun it brings I'm not going to knock it and I will be purchasing this as a gift or for myself again in the future.

Have you ever tried magic chocolate? What would you create?

xxx

fringe fest

2013-04-24T05:30:00.000+01:00

Vest: Heart by Nana Judy (c/o)

Jeans: Bershka

Converse via Sarenza

Something a little different from me today as I don't think I have ever owned a top like this before. It was gifted to me by hot Australian brand Heart by Nana Judy who have just landed in the UK in time to launch their AW13 collection. With the sun having just shown it's face on this side of the world it may seem a tad unseasonable to be mentioning six months down the line, but one look at what's in store and you'll be able to see why I was itching to share!

Below are my favourites from the Look Book I was sent...

New to the UK for AW13- Heart by Nana Judy

Can't get enough of these Heart by Nana Judy metallic trousers!

The Heart aesthetic is all about mixing edgy rock with femininity and it's already a big success in Australia. I can't wait to see how the UK reacts to it's arrival and I hope to add more pieces to my wardrobe to brighten up the colder weather blues (er, I really shouldn't be thinking quite that far ahead!)

What do you think?

xxx

favouring florals

2013-04-22T05:30:00.000+01:00

Dress: Zara

Tights: Primark

Boots c/o Ellos

The second the sun shows it's face I get a craving for florals. It happens every year and I've long given up trying to fight it. This outfit was worn on Friday once I got back from my foot appointment (hello six months of walking on a fracture) for work and then chilling out with the boy (I promise a post about this at some point) although the weather wasn't quite warm enough to really show it off.

Speaking of florals, I'm totally coveting this dress from new look

I love the two in one effect and summery colours.

This weekend has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. Saturday was wonderful, chilled out and full of sunshine. Sunday was hard, but peaceful at the same time. Grief is such an odd thing, coming in ebbs and flows. It's amazing how much you can miss someone even a year on, my Nan was an amazing woman and I will never, ever forget her.

This week promises to be both busy and fun. I'm only in work Mon-Thurs as Friday is my "birthday day" which work give us. My birthday isn't until Sunday but I have plans covering Friday through to the Tuesday and I'm really, for the first time in years looking forward to celebrating.

How was your weekend? Anyone brave enough to have done the London Marathon?

super girl

2013-04-19T05:30:00.000+01:00

Dress and Tee: Both Ebay

Neon Vans: c/o Sarenza

Two of my favourite ebay purchases finally got worn together, I loved this outfit even though it wasn't the most flattering around my middle. I'm also loving my less intense blogging schedule, it was starting to feel a little bit strained and I needed to take a step back,

now I'm doing it when it fits in with me and not the other way around I feel more positive about it again.

It's been a pretty awesome but emotional week. Sunday marks the first anniversary of my Nan's death and I can't believe the time has gone so fast. I miss her so much, probably more than ever at the moment and I know the rest of my family do too. She was the most amazing woman and I wish she was here to see how much we have achieved.

On a happier note my cousin Soph gave birth to baby Noah on Wednesday after an immense 36 hours of labour...I can't wait to go up and visit him. I've also spent quality time with friends, family and the boy this week and I'm spending the this evening and tomorrow with the boy too...at risk of sounding incredibly girly, he makes me so happy!

Well,

I'm off to see a man about my stupid foot, fingers crossed I get some answers at last!

I hope everyone else has had a good week- TGIF?

xxx

Play Time with Own The Runway

2013-04-18T05:22:00.001+01:00

Spring has finally made itself known and what better way to celebrate than with an adorable playsuit. The don't come much sweeter than these bargainous beauties from Own The Runway available now at £14.99 each.

I don't actually own any playsuits, I've always had a problem with the length of them (being cut in two is never attractive) but even that isn't stopping me being tempted to order one of these lovelies, teaming it with bare legs and wedge heels and pretending I'm somewhere hot and sunny.

What are your thoughts on playsuits? Which of these is your favourite? It's the white one for me, with it's delicate blue pattern. Putting me in white is asking for grass stains and spilt ice creams but really, I don't care!

xxx

Lilylulu

2013-04-16T05:30:00.000+01:00

Dress c/o Lilylulu

Boots c/o Shoe Zone

I love a good black dress and this one from Lilylulu with it's leather effect cuffs and collar ticks all the right boxes for me.

Lilylulu are a small boutique currently selling on ASOS Marketplace having originally started out on ebay. In the very near future they'll be launching their first real website but for now you can check out the latest either via their Marketplace boutique or their facebook page and twitter feeds.

I hope everyone survived Monday, it's so nice to have slightly warmer weather and being able to leave the winter coat behind! How was everyone's weekend? It rained non-stop here on Saturday which was a bit of a bugger but Sunday was nice and well, to be honest the weather didn't really matter and it was nice to catch up with my best friend and chill out with the boy.

Busy week ahead, as appears to be the norm right now, it's a good work life balance though (mostly) although I'm gutted to not be able to attend the Bath in Fashion blogger awards on Thursday. There's still time to vote using the badge in my sidebar (cheeky!)

Have you shopped with Lilylulu before, or used ASOS Marketplace? I must confess to neither but that's about to change!

xxx

sarenza sunday- garden of eden

2013-04-14T07:30:00.000+01:00

Hopefully the sun is shining for you as promised this weekend but even if it isn't you can get a taste of Summer with these gorgeous Eflora by Eden, £48 wedges. I can't decide which pair I prefer- the Orange or the Rose, both have the virtues and would look fantastic for day or night.

Which pair takes your fancy most? At the moment I'm leaning towards girly pink but my mind could change any second.

xxx

pretty paisley

2013-04-12T18:27:00.001+01:00

Dress c/o Ax Paris

Tights: New Look

Boots via Sarenza

I'm loving the Paisley print on this Ax Paris dress which arrived just in time for some almost Spring themed weather. The scallop detail on the hem is subtle but adds a little extra something and I had a lot of fun wearing it this week. Ax have got some really great pieces at the moment, perfect for re-stocking the wardrobe for the nicer weather.

One way or another we've made it to the weekend. It's been an odd week and I won't be sorry to see the back of it although I've come through smiling.

I'm very much ready for a chilled out weekend with the boy and promised good weather and next week will be a fresh start.

How has your week been?

Anything exciting happening this weekend?

xxx

crazy for daisy

2013-04-11T10:20:00.003+01:00

As the name of my blog might suggest, I have a soft spot for all things Daisy. Right now I am loving these pieces from Trollbeads, so perfect for the promised Spring Weather and ideal for creating your own Daisy Chain.

The gold and silver Daisy ring costs £207 and the Bead, which fits both necklaces and bracelets costs £252. I think they'll go perfectly with the gorgeous blouse from Apricot and some bleached denim.

What do you think of these pieces? What flower would you like to see immortalised in metal?

xxx

Show some Support- HIPZ

2013-04-09T05:30:00.000+01:00

As most of you know, I work in a Doctor's surgery in my home town. Many of the GPs there are involved in other projects as well as general practice and today I'd like to share with you the work one of our docs, Jon Rees does for the charity HIPZ

HIPZ (Health Improvements Project Zanzibar) is a UK registered charity and was established in
2006 by Dr Ru MacDonagh, a consultant surgeon based in the UK. Having worked for many years
in Zanzibar and Tanzania, Ru had developed strong links in Zanzibar with both the Health Sector
and the Government. In particular he has a longstanding professional relationship with Consultant
Surgeon, and now Principal Secretary to the Minister of Health, Dr Mohamed Jiddawi. It was
an approach from Dr Jiddawi to Ru for assistance in 2006 that lead to the creation of HIPZ. The
other trustees (eight in total) are mainly doctors who have considerable experience of working in
Africa, some qualified in tropical medicine, along with trustees with relevant financial, legal and
administrative expertise.


Dr Rees

The main point of this post is to spread the word about a bike ride that Dr Rees is doing in June to raise some much needed funds for HIPZ. I'll leave most of the wording of this post to the man himself as he can say it far better than I can (blogger in the making?)

In June I will be part of a group representing HIPZ, cycling round the island of Zanzibar to raise money for our small charity.

I cycled around the island in 2010 and as a group we raised over £80,000 for HIPZ. This has been used over the last 3 years to continue our work in collaboration with the Zanzibar govt (public private partnership) and has been instrumental in allowing us to set up a comprehensive maternity service (including ambulance collection from the villages, and a Caesarean section service) - this has transformed maternity care in the Makunduchi region - there were no maternal deaths at Makunduchi in 2011 as a result. We have also got surgical services running, allowing simple operations such as hernia repairs, appendicectomies etc to be carried out. We have a primary health care unit running seeing over 2000 patients a month. This is all taking place in a hospital that was severely dysfunctional when HIPZ took it over.

As a result of the success at Makunduchi hospital, the Zanzibar government asked HIPZ to take over the running of Kivunge hospital in the north of Zanzibar which serves 180000 people - we now have responsibility for the health care of over 250,000 people. Kivunge has enormous problems and we again hope to develop basic maternity, paediatric, primary care and surgical services as a priority. But we need some funds to do this.

We are being joined on the bike ride by Peter Andre! Pete is now a good friend of Ru MacDonagh who founded HIPZ and Ru's daughter Emily is Pete's girlfriend! Pete was operated on by Ru a few years ago and has subsequently become a supporter of HIPZ, travelling out to Zanzibar last year to see our work for himself, with ITV4 film crew in tow! We will be accompanied by ITV4 film crew who will be filming for 'Peter Andre: My Life'...

HIPZ has had huge support from local Rotary clubs - Nailsea and Backwell have been fantastic supporters and have funded the purchase of specialised anaesthetic machines for both hospitals which have been fundamental in providing maternity and surgical services. Portishead Rotary have also made a number of contributions to this project.

I am hoping to raise over £3000 for the project - I am paying all my own costs so all money raised goes direct to providing health care on Zanzibar.

Dr Rees with Fatawi, the nurse anaesthetist with the Glostavent anaesthetic machine bought by Nailsea / Backwell Rotary club

Decorating to make a Children's ward a little bit brighter

Children's ward- quite the contrast to the wards we experience here

If you'd like to show some support for this amazing work (and I'm kind of begging you nicely to do so) then you can donate and sponsor Dr Rees and his bike ride by clicking on the Just Giving link

Anything you can spare would make such a difference.

For more information about HIPZ visit HIPZ website - www.hipz.org.uk or follow them on Twitter @HIPZ_UK

This isn't the last post you see on this. It's a cause I support fully and I have some fund raising ideas waiting to be put in to action.

I'll keep you updated on the bike ride too, donate enough and I might be able to beg some Peter Andre pics!

And that Just Giving link again

xxx

sarenza shoe of the week: cut it out

2013-04-07T07:06:00.001+01:00

I've seen cut out shoe boots everywhere lately and whilst browsing Sarenza and their latest arrivals from KG by Kurt Geiger I was quite taken by the Vex variety.

Sure they cost £156.90 which seems a lot to invest in a trend but with the weather being what it is these are the ideal way to branch out from winter boots and in to summer sandals. My obsession with all things studded clearly influences most of my decisions at the moment as they were the final selling point on these shoes. Sarenza, you are SO bad for me, I have a wish list ten miles long!

Do you like the cut out trend? What do you think of these?

xxx