All things House and Beautiful

Wishlist Wednesday: Olivia's style

2012-02-22T15:17:00.003-08:00

I'm not sure what I love more about fashion week, the excitement of the new collections or the street style images of my favourite stylish ladies. I noticed that the ever-so-chic Olivia Palermo swapped her normal super glam look for a slightly more dressed down style, often teaming jeans with a pair of heels and a fabulous bag. I will definitely be trying out the look above with my grey Habitual skinny jeans and a pair of heels. Here are some more great images of OP .....

Images: Top, The Fashion Telegraph

All other images - Zimbio

What kind of desk are you ?

2012-02-20T13:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! As my office makeover draws to a close, I need to start thinking about the all important desk. If you have to sit somewhere for hours at a time, it needs to be comfortable with room for your computer, accessories and tools if you are an artist. For me, it also needs to feel right so getting the right style is a must. At the moment I am leaning towards a traditional style, but I also like the high gloss look.

What kind of desk are you ?

1. Homebase Hygena Linea Desk 2. Ikea Vika Amon 3. Homebase Hygena Sun High Gloss Desk 4. John Lewis Loft Desk, Reborn 5. Heals Chatham Desk 6. John Lewis Hemingway Writing Desk 7. John Lewis Staten Glass corner desk

Chic Shirts {part two}

2012-02-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

I have been working away this week and scheduled this post for Wednesday....not sure what happened. Anyhow, it gives me the chance to post it now and wish you a Happy Weekend!

Following from Monday's post, I put together a collection of classic chic shirts. Numbers 3, 7 and 8 are definitely up there in my favourite list. I am normally not a huge fan of light-washed fabrics but this year I could be indulging with that gorgeous J Crew faded chambray popover ....

1. J Crew Blythe Shirt 2. Zara Shirt with Front Tails3. Preen Line Pie Crust Chambray Shirt 4. Top Shop Chiffon Placket Shirt. 5. Sonia by Sonia Rykiel Two-tone crepe silk de chine shirt 6. MIH Jeans Yves Cotton Shirt 7. J Crew faded chambray popover 8. H&M fitted Denim Shirt 9. Top Shop Dropped Back Sleeveless Shirt 10. Miss Selfridge Cream Crop Shirt

Chic Shirts

2012-02-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

Images: Purseblog, Sierra Chantal, Garance Dore

Happy Monday! I hope that your week got off to a great start.....

Nothing says chic quite like a classic shirt. I don't think you can fail to look smart and elegant and you can wear them in so many different ways - out to dinner, meeting for casual coffee or at the office. I am on the look out for a chambray shirt to wear with a crystal necklace like the one above or my new dainty necklace - a valentine gift from my gorgeous boyfriend (pics coming soon).

I will be posting my top 10 classic shirts later in the week (might be much later as I have to travel abroad for work) but for now here are a great selection from J Crew who are now shipping to the UK yay!

What kind of shirt would you go for? A crisp classic, a casual cool chambray or a fun print?

J Crew stretch perfect shirt in classic stripe

J Crew Selvedge Chambray Shirt

J Crew Perfect Shirt in Leopard

Wishlist Wednesday: Beautiful Office Space

2012-02-08T11:52:00.000-08:00

image: hrh collection

Just imagine waking up in the morning, making your favourite cup of tea or coffee and shimmying your way into one of these beautiful office spaces....it's something I dream of all the time.

I painted my spare room white at the weekend with a view to turning it into an office space. Since I have begun to blog much more this year and will also be developing my jewellery collection, I need somewhere other than my couch to work. What kind of office space do you dream of? How about one of these.....

image: via My White Room

The chandelier below has given me an idea...

image: House to Home

What a great combination......grey and chatreuse..

image: House to Home

image: Feather and Black

image: Graham and Green

White makes for such a light airy space...

image: Home Styling

image: Feather and Black

image: Rue magazine

image: pinterest / unknown - please contact me if you know the source of this image

Valentine gift ideas...

2012-02-06T10:36:00.000-08:00

How was your weekend? Are you getting ready for Valentines day? There are so many cute valentine gifts around, aside from perfume, flowers and chocolates I think these items would make for perfect valentine gifts. I adore those dipped red glasses from Marks and Spencer..

1. Macarons book by Annie Rig - John Lewis 2. Sweet Bergamot candle - Marks and Spencer 3. Pixel Print cushion Marks and Spencer 4. Sophie Conran for Portmerion Love Candle - John Lewis 5. You Rock my Boat Cushion - Graham and Green 6. Zinc Hearts - The White Company 7. Red dipped tumbler - Marks and Spencer 8. Alessi Big Love Ice Cream set with Heart Spoon - John Lewis

Something for the weekend...

2012-02-03T05:42:00.000-08:00

I am so glad its the weekend - here in the UK we are expecting snow so I will be snuggling up inside and working on some new jewellery designs.

Love the quote above from This is Glamourous...

Have a great weekend!

White and Beautiful

2012-02-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

All images from the latest edition of EST magazine

How stunning are these images? If you are as obsessed with white interiors as me then check out EST magazine its full of really chic, stylish inspiration...

Wishlist Wednesday

2012-02-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

Make it Happen

Inspirations and Ideas

There has been an amazing sense of excitement in the air this month as we all get going with our goals and plans for the year. However, I have also been noticing posts about stress, overwhelm and the one I can totally identify with 'there just aren't enough hours in the day!'.

Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere said that she had so much in her mind that she made a list before going to bed and ended up writing 6 pages! I have been working with my friend Isobel to come up with ways to get organised so we can make the best use of our time. At the moment I work full time, blog and I am starting my jewellery business so never has there been a better time to invest in a new notebook to take down ideas (any excuse)!

I will be using one of these beautiful notebooks to organise my thoughts and make sure that I schedule everything on my to do list.

Do you have any top tips for getting organised? please share in the comments below....

Main images - Notebooks from Smythson

1. & notebook - Elizabeth Rosemond

2. Bursting with ideas - Katie Blair Designs

3. Gold Sparkle - Atelier Yumi

4. 4 part subject - Paperchase

5. Recycled notebook - Chicken and Custard

6. Pink 4 part notebook - Paperchase

Dreamy offices, new purchases and getting organised....

2012-01-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

image: roses and rags

I am starting to gather inspiration for converting my spare bedroom into a closet/office space - this pic above has got it all covered and I am now inspired to go with a white decor style.....

image: All things House and Beautiful

I bought this faux crocodile clutch and pink cashmere snood from TK Maxx for £15.00 each! A real steal....

image: the stray arrow

I fell in love with these rings when researching the dainty jewellery posts last week and ordered them at the weekend - yay - can't wait to recieve them...

Reading my new favourite blog Roses and Rags

Deciding on a paint colour for the living room - I narrowed it down to these 2 above, Laura Ashley Cobblestone and Farrow and Ball Cornforth White...

Getting organised - I have so much on my to do list, I decided to get organised and created a weekly plan. I did it in a pretty pink to help me stay focused (fingers crossed) You can grab the PDF here

Hope you had a great weekend, what are your plans for the week?

Something for the Weekend: A new challenge

2012-01-28T02:01:00.000-08:00

I often find that there is so much on my to do list that I race around from one thing to the next often leaving everything in a state of disarray! I have seen this poster around on pinterest a lot recently and and it made me think of something I heard a while ago:

Slow down and get more done

so..this weekend I am challenging myself to slow down and really see if I can get things done in a more organised and focused manner and 'see the things that really matter the most'...will keep you posted.

Have a great weekend!

Wishlist Wednesday

2012-01-25T14:02:00.000-08:00

There are soooo many beautiful dainty jewellery pieces on Etsy, I had a hard time selecting what to add here. I love the silver stacked rings - I'm thinking to order 3 to check my size and then get some in bronze too. What do you think of the dainty jewellery trend? will you be buying something similar this season? Check out yesterday's post for how to wear

All from Etsy

1. Skinny Stacking Ring - June Designs

2. Tiny circles necklace in gold - Luna Cielo

3. Persian Blue Crystal Gold Filled Necklace - Mayisen

4. Skinny Rings With Dots - Metals Girl

5. Rose Gold Skinny Rings - Shop Eli and Leah

6. Clear Crystal Minimalist Necklace - Book of Whimsy

7. Thin Bands in Pink Gold - Samantha McIntosh

8. Dainty Chain Necklace with Hand Stamped Initial - Lavu

Jewellery Trend: Dainty

2012-01-24T05:24:00.000-08:00

Phew, a busy start to the week! I was able to purchase the Pax wardrobe that I blogged about last week from Ikea (yay) so my lovely boyfriend assembled it for me last night. I am super chuffed with it - pictures to follow..

I love a bold statement necklace, but recently I have been coveting these beautiful dainty jewellery pieces. It's always good to mix it up to suit the mood and ocasion and sometimes I just prefer to go for a more simple look - here is what has been inspiring me lately:

Love the ring bracelet below - so far though I have only been able to track down a more 'chunky' version...

image: Chronicles of the Fashion Cupboard

image: Fashion Toast

image: Columbine Smille

image: Stella McCartney at Net a Porter

There are so many great dainty jewellery products on Etsy...I am preparing a round up for tomorrow x

Blogged & Bought

2012-01-21T11:13:00.000-08:00

I kinda liked this top when I first saw it in Top Shop, but it wasn't until I saw it on style heroine that I loved it and decided to buy it. Since then I have hardly taken it off as it is so versatile. Love it when I find a great new piece...

Top Shop speckle panel sweat top

I like to wear it with my favourite chunky crystal and pearl necklace..

Style Heroine

Elle McPherson wears hers with silver jeans and gold stacked bangles

Something for the Weekend

2012-01-20T09:50:00.000-08:00

I seem to be developing a new chambray shirt crush - thinking I would style mine like the one above...

I love this quote by Marianne Wiliamson. I don't know where I would be without the beautiful things around me. Putting on a favoutite bracelet or spending 5 minutes perusing the latest posts from my favourite bloggers always brightens my day : )

Have a great weekend!

xo

Wishlist Wednesday: Shoe Closet

2012-01-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

Image: Lonny

My shoes currently sit in neat rows on the floor of my spare bedroom. They take up a lot of room and it is quite difficult to clean around them as they all have to be moved. I have been thinking of re-organising the room to make the space more useful and want to include a desk and work space for blogging and jewellery making. Some kind of shoe storage is definitely on my list of things to buy.

I dream of having the kind of closet that has open drawers, shelves and hanging space so this could be a great start! I have my eye on the Ikea Pax 50cm (20 inches) frame which I can customise any way I want with shelves and at just £35, it's a real steal...

Image: Lonny

Image: Ikea

My shoes lined up in the spare bedroom..

I had planned to go to Ikea this week but didn't get the time so plan to go some time over the weekend, fingers crossed I can make it and get the bedroom makeover under way : )

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Luscious Lighting

2012-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

image: Pinterest

I have arranged for a builder to come over this week so I can start my lounge renovation project. I want to discuss knocking out the fireplace to make way for a real log fire and I also need to get rid of a rather awful artex patterned ceiling (yikes!). That also means I will soon be in the market for new light fittings and have noticed that hanging cluster and sputnik pendants have been catching my eye.....

image : John Lewis

image: The Decorista

image: This is Glamourous

Love the mixture of candle and golf ball light bulbs below..

image: Thats Chic

image: Erin ever after

I am putting together a shopping post for these styles of lights which I hope to have done this week, in the mean time follow my lighting board on pinterest to get new lights inspiration..

Something for the Weekend

2012-01-13T10:45:00.000-08:00

Practice Random Kindness &

Senseless Acts of Beauty

As I was driving home from work today, I noticed this sticker on the car in front of me. What a wonderful reminder for the weekend!

What are you up to?

Have a great weekend,

Wishlist Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

I was shopping for a birthday gift at the weekend and decided to buy a gorgeous Elizabeth Arden gift set. Whilst I was at the counter, I spotted this Elizabeth Arden 8 hour lip tint and couldn't resist trying it. It is really fabulous....a great pinky blush colour with just the right amount of shine and it made my lips deliciously smooth. I am definitley going to treat myself on pay day! find out more here (for US readers) or here (for UK/EU readers)

Image

When it's cold outside..

2012-01-09T19:43:00.000-08:00

one. Alexander Wang two. A.P.C. three. A.P.C

four. TopShop five. TopShop. Six. TopShop

(belated) Happy New Year!

2012-01-09T16:53:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted as I have been super busy adding the final touches and products to my Etsy shop which is now live woohoo!

And I am sure you may have noticed a little early Spring cleaning of this blog. Its a work in process so I should warn you that there may be more tweaking to come : )

I really hope that you had a great Christmas and New Year! I have been reading many great blog posts about all of your goals, hopes and dreams for 2012 and I look forward to following your progress. I have a few goals of my own that I would like to share..

What are your plans for 2012? Do you set goals or are you more a 'ride by the seat of your pants' kinda gal?

...when life takes over

2011-11-23T10:20:00.001-08:00

Phew!

I can't believe it's been a couple of weeks since I last posted. Where does the time go? Sometimes I find that it's just really hard to fit everything in. Unfortuntely my mom fell and broke her ankle, she was in hospital for a while and so of course my priority was taking care of her and making sure she was ok.

I am also in the process of setting up my own businesses. It has been a long term dream of mine to start a business, and so I have been busy making bracelets to sell in an etsy store (sneak peak in photos on the left) . I absolutley love to make things and can spend many a happy hour crafting these friendship and chain bracelets. I also work full time and by the time I have been to my gym classes and spent time with friends and family it sometimes feels as though there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything I want!

Does anyone else have this problem? What tips do you have to organise your time?

p.s. I will be posting more details soon of my new Etsy shop soon. I plan to open with bracelets in early December, but will also be adding cushion covers in the New Year - how exciting!

CUTE SCENTED CHRISTMAS DECO

2011-11-07T07:41:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend : )

I found these gorgeous scented Christmas decorations from The White Company whilst doing research for my new website and really wanted to share them with you.

They are scented with fresh orange, cloves and cinnamon and are packaged with a room spray in a lovely gift box. You can spray the Christmas decorations to re-fresh the scent.

I think they would look great on a Christmas tree or my friend suggested hanging them in the window at different heights which I loved.

These little stars are at the top of my deco wish list.

Have you started preparing for Christmas yet?

THE WEEKEND

2011-11-05T11:46:00.000-07:00

What are your plans this weekend? Are you going to a bonfire party? I have to admit that it's not really my thing - but if you are off out somewhere, have a great time!

As for me....

Shopping Sheer Luxe.
I have known about this site for a while but noticed this week how great it is for shopping inspiration.

I am off to a party next week so I am going to peruse the Sheer Luxe website for a new outfit : )

I spotted these recently and will head into town on Sunday to try these boots. There are so many great ones around, it's hard to decide which ones to go for!

I saw the gold necklace last weekend and can't decide whether to get it, what do you think?

Top Left Biker Boots
Top Right Suede Boots

Bottom Left Biker Boots
Bottom Right Ring Effect Necklace

Have a great weekend! xo

TYPOGRAPHY PRINTS

2011-11-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

My friend alerted me to a great 'what would kate do?' print which of course is now on my wishlist. I instantly went to check it out on Not on the High Street and found some of the most fabulous things. I would love to have a pictue wall just full of prints and the great thing is that many products are lovingly handmade in the UK.

Here are a few of my favourite prints...