I received a small (10ml) tube of this in my January Feel Unique box. The box was entirely skincare bar one hair product to signify the typical "New Year New You" idea and personally, I really loved that because I'm bang into skincare and I like trying new things. I'd been browsing Green People for a while because I love organic natural skincare and I have sensitive skin. I'd also come across them a few times through writing about them at work. Small samples are ideal for me because so many things don't agree with me that giving me any more than that is a waste. With products that I really love though, it turns out to be a bit of a bummer because they run out after barely 2 or 3 uses. With this one I'd absolutely love to try more and think I may be purchasing a full size sometime soon.

The story of the Green People brand is actually pretty sweet. Swedish mother, Charlotte, saw her daughter suffering with eczema and decided to do something about it. Charlotte had a nursing background, knowledge of herbal medicine, and more than 11 years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry and was very concerned about the level of chemicals around us on a day to day basis. She wanted to do something about it. Starting with the simple herbal skin tonic she used to treat her daughter, Green People grew as a company and now consists of a range of skincare, sun lotion, shampoos and more. The company remains synthetic colourant and fragrance free, instead with an emphasis on essential oils.

The product I tried is called the "Gentle Cleanse Make-Up Remover & Cleanser". It retails for £16.95 for 200ml. It's main ingredients are Aloe Vera, Chamomile and Marshmallow. It promises to "Purify and moisturise" and it's suitable for all skin types. I have to tell you that I usually just use a bog standard make-up remover from Boots, never having found one before that doesn't make my eyes either run, puff up or itch. The one I currently use is fine, but it does still leave a little redness. I tried the Green People product, as I always try new products, with trepidation. Expecting at least a little stinging (fairly standard during my skincare regime) I dotted the cleanser on using my fingers and rubbed in circular motions as instructed. The lotion, which is thickish and that greenish/grey colour that I find comforting in natural skincare products, smells mostly of aloe vera and weirdly somehow reminded me a little of green tea. It sounds like a silly way of saying it, but the only way I can describe it is that the lotion instantly felt kind. It slid onto my skin easily, seemed to cleanse and sooth at once and took all my eye make-up off without much effort. It took at least three times less time than my usual eye make-up remover to remove my mascara and eyeliner. Not only that but there was absolutely NO STINGING. I couldn't believe it. It's rare that that happens, you see.

You can choose to wipe the lotion off with a cotton pad or just rinse your face in warm then cold water. I rinsed and patted my face dry. Still no stinging. It's at the drying point that my skin usually begins to prickle with what are the first signs of the itch which is to come. Nothing. No itch. Happy, not red skin, chilled out and waiting for a slick a moisturiser. Me? Suitably impressed.

Other good points: It's nice to have an eye make-up remover and cleanser in one, very time effective. The product isn't tested on animals and is completely chemical free. It also has apparently got anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. WIN!

Bad points: why must it be so pricey?

Buy a full size version of the product here. If even the Gentle Cleanse isn't gentle enough for you, why not try the No Scent Cleanser - even kinder! Even if this cleanser isn't for you I still fully recommend having a gander around the site. They do a whole range of natural, organic, cruelty and chemical free products and they even do make-up and a full range of Vegan products too. Get yourself over there! Have you used Green People before? What's your latest skincare discovery?

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Dress: George @ ASDA
Jacket: Topshop
Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell Poppies via Sarenza
Necklace: Miss Selfridge

A little while ago, a PR company contacted me asking if I'd like to take part in a styling challenge. The dresses on offer were from George at ASDA, somewhere I'd never shopped before, and the theme had a "party fashion for less" sort of vibe. I think I'm pretty cost savvy with my purchases and so with that in mind, I've put together the most bargain-tastic outfit I have. The clothes aren't all cheap as chips, no, that can only really be said for the dress (a quite ridiculous, I'm sure you'll agree, £14!) but these are the most value for money, biggest sale reductions, best cost-per-wear items I have, surely proving that you don't need the latest, full priced offerings from the catwalk to feel shipshape and party-ready.

Firstly, the dress I received from George is perfectly lovely. It's a flattering, rouched style; comfortable to wear and super bright. I'd say the way the fabric hangs is ideal for curvier girls as it glides over any lumps and bumps. Though I chose it from the selection of (quite frankly, surprisingly nice) evening dresses on offer, I did arrive at the blogging party a bit late and it wasn't my first choice. So when I got my hands on it, I had to go about making it a little bit more me. The colour, for my skin and hair, is absolutely perfect. I think when so many seasonal party dresses tend to go the LBD way, this is a nice change. The dress is sleeveless so the first thing I had to do was cover my arms. This waterfall style jacket from Topshop last winter was my best sale purchase to date. I don't have a lot of patience for sale racks, which is why I like shopping online during January, but I wrestled this beauty off the rails at Westfield last winter and left with a massive smile on my face. If my memory serves me I got it for a bargainous £17 down from £60. It has a silk body and jersey arms so it straddles the line between laid-back and formal. Much like I do!

After I added the jacket I spent a while looking in the mirror trying to work out what was wrong. I looked (I have a tendency to look) dumpy. The only answer was to raise the hemline. I folded the skirt up and pinned it at what I deem "party height". This is definitely more flattering for me as my legs are short, though if I were to wear it on a night out I might opt for darker, more slimming tights.

Because the fabric of the dress is pretty clingy I added an old favourite to detract from my outer wobbly bits. I bought this necklace 5 years ago in the Miss Selfridge concession in Selfridges when I first moved to London. I wear it at least once a week, always get compliments on it and the mirror piece only fell out about three months ago after a very admirable run. For £8 - I'd say that's pretty good cost per wear. Talking of accessories, I caved earlier this week and finally bought the Jeffrey Campbell Poppy shoes I've been tweeting Sarenza about relentlessly for months. I nearly bought them once before for their original price of £92, but luckily (though tragically at the time) they ran out of my size. I saw them for a massive 50% off in the sale and my card details were in quicker than I knew could type. I've never bought a higher end item for more than about 25% off before so I was pretty chuffed with myself. They arrived today and I am in love. Expect to see a lot more of them.

So this is how I party. Casual, you might say. Well, I'm not much into sparkles these days and I like to be understated. How would you style this dress? How do you feel about supermarket chic?

In other news, I'm in dire need of a hair cut. You might be able to tell as I am looking more and more like Doc from Back to the Future as each day breaks. Can any Leeds readers recommend me a good salon?

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Hello everyone and a big Happy New Year from me! I'm sorry for such an absence over the festive period. Traveling all around the country (Leicestershire, then Devon, then back) plus family time plus keeping up with work proved somewhat difficult! Here I am now though, back in blogging mode and ready to make 2012 a good one for A Storm in a Teacup!

I had such a great time over Christmas, and actually particularly in the run-up which was kind of a new experience for me. Having my own flat for the first time, it proved the perfect place to get festive and also get my domestic goddess on! I had such a lovely time wrapping presents, making festive treats and doing lots of Christmassy things. For example, Matt & I and some friends went to a screening of "It's a Wonderful Life" on the weekend before Christmas at the Hyde Park Picture House. If any of your know Leeds you'll know that Hyde Park Picture House is a gorgeous (and very reasonably priced) independent cinema. We watched the film and followed it with some mulled cider at Brudenell Social Club. Was a lovely day and probably my favourite of all the festive period.

Here are some pictures of some stuff I made. If you follow me on Instagram (@teacupblog) you'll have seen these before, but here they are and this time with a little explanation. Hope you like!

The morning before It's a Wonderful Life I spent several hours putting together some homemade treats for Matt & I's families. From L-R:

1. Roasted Peppers. I simply sliced, deribbed and deseeded lots of sweet peppers, covered them in olive oil (plenty of it), rosemary and thyme and dotted in full, skin-on garlic cloves. I roasted them in the oven for about 40 minutes at around 180C but just kept an eye on them til the outer edges were charred. Then I took them out, squeezed the garlic out of the skins and stuffed them into sterilised jars. I poured in oil to cover them and popped the lids on. Perfect for pasta sauces or sandwiches - maybe with a little grilled halloumi.
2. Red onion chutney. I roughly followed a recipe I found on Pinterest (you can find it here) and it made over 5 jars of sticky chutney. It's got quite a kick to it, but even my dad who hates anything spicy didn't hold back from tucking in. It took 4 red onions, 2 white and 6 shallots - I've never done so much chopping in my life! I'm really pleased with how it turned out.
3. Lemon curd. I think lemon curd is a lovely gift to give at Christmas, and despite what people think it's really easy to make. I used a recipe by my guru Nigel Slater which you can find here. It's so bright in the jar, it looks really impressive to give. My one piece of advice when making lemon curd - if you're worried it's not thick enough, it probably is. I was really worried mine wasn't thickening but once it was in the jars and in the fridge it set to the most lovely smooth consistency. Sadly I only had half a jar left over from the batch I made but I intend to put that to use in some lemon meringue cupcakes sometime soon.

Next came the reindeer cupcakes! These were a bit of an after thought and thus I wasn't as pleased with the decorations as I wanted to be. I decided to bake them on the same morning as I made the chutneys etc because I'd seen a gorgeous picture online. Sadly in my local Co-op I couldn't find anything more suitable for eyes than Jelly Tots. Still, I thought they were so cute and they looked well festive on the kitchen island in the run up to Christmas. I used a basic vanilla cupcake recipe which I always use + a basic chocolate buttercream mix. I did however freestyle slightly and replaced the small amount of vanilla and milk in the cakes with Baileys, and some of the butter in the buttercream with Baileys too, for a festive boozy feel! They were great and I loved the use of Curly Wurlies for antlers. Definitely an idea I'll be using and refining for years to come!

For our own 'Flat Christmas" Matt & I joined forces to make our own Christmas Dinner before we left Leeds for our families. We made a Turkey Wellington which involved a giant turkey breast spread with mustard, cranberry and other delights, wrapped in a layer of stuffing and a layer of puff pastry. OMG, it was TO DIE FOR. We had all the trimmings too: stuffing, creamy cabbage, roasties, mash, glazed carrots and parsnips and delicious turkey tray gravy. So pleased with how it turned out.

Some more festive pics from the holidays:

Cupcakes via @thebespokecakes

I had such a brilliant time over Christmas doing things a little different to usual. I loved making homemade gifts for mine & Matt's families and they went down really well. I also made a mince pie cheesecake for Matt's mum which involved a simple baked cheesecake recipe with some left over chopped mince pies swirled in. If you follow me on Twitter or Instagram then you've probably noticed the domestic turn my life has taken over the past few months. I'm trying new things in the kitchen nearly every meal time now and I'm absolutely LOVING IT. I'm hoping to feature more recipes here in the coming months, so look out for that starting with Panettone bread and butter puddings coming this week!

Hope you all had a good Christmas and a happy new year! Let me know what you got up to :)

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 I was invited to go down to an event which was being held for Kit Heath jewellery. Very generously, Argent Jewellery's owner Claire Douglas had agreed to speak with me and answer any questions I had. It was really interesting to learn how she picks the selection of jewellery she stocks and to hear what it's like to run an independent business in Leeds.

Something that's important to mention is that the shop has a modern feel. Something I spoke to Claire about for some time was that people, especially young'uns like myself can be intimidated by what we think of as a jeweller - dark, laden with engagement rings in the windows, shop assistants in formal dress and sombre expressions. Argent is not like that. It's welcoming with attractive and on trend window displays. The shop is very well lit and filled with glass cabinets filled with jewellery which varies in price and target audience.

I was keen to learn about where Claire found her stock and what kind of jewellery she was interested in. Having started with a small workshop in Granary Wharf, Claire had started her business by making her own wares. When that shop was broken into and her safe stolen, she found herself having to buy stock in to fill the space. Something I can kind of relate to is that selling her own work was something she found a lot more uncomfortable than selling other people's, and so she started looking around at trade fairs and the like and moved on to the spot she now occupies in Thornton's Arcade, central Leeds.

Claire was keen to stress that times are kinda hard for British jewellery designers. At a time when so much is made in China and shipped in, and having been one herself, she thinks it's really important to support British designers and the pieces they create. The shop is full of a whole range of work. Lesser known Leeds based designers are there, including Genevieve Broughton and Julie Pratt both of whom actually work in the shop, along with other Yorkshire and northern based designers, and more famous designers too like Shaun Leane (some of you may have heard of him from his work with Alexander McQueen). Yorkshire based Amanda Cox's Lily Collection is on sale and absolutely stunning it is too (check photos out at my Flickr), as well as collection from Flash Jordan who hails from Derbyshire and has some really awesome spike/curl style earrings, one of which I think Claire was sporting on the day of the event. John Bradley too is based in Saltaire and has a really stunning collection of rings.

So now to the Kit Heath range. Pretty lucky that this range was the one the event was held for, because it was one of my favourites in the shop. It has a modern and light feel to it but still has lots of intricate detailing and character. Kit Heath is "redefining the way we think about silver jewellery, creating designs to be worn, worn to be seen and seen to be believed". Kit was inspired by the Devon coastline and you can see that influence through some of his pieces. On his website I discovered a charm style "Beachcomber Bracelet" and the mishapen pebble effect which runs through the collection feels kind of fresh and understated. Everything is so stylish but in a very quiet way, and a lot of pieces (maybe excepting some of the bigger ones like the cuff) are ones you could happily wear day in day out. I ended up taking advantage of the 10% event discount and bought the beautifully delicate silver trickle necklace for a Christmas present for a family member. I genuinely loved and would be happy to wear nearly every single piece of the collection but I have my eye on the Sterling Silver Applique Heart necklace for a post Christmas treat if it's still there. I think the detailing on the Sterling Silver Coral Cuff is absolutely to die for too. The pieces are very reasonably priced, from £18 for a pair of earrings, the necklace I bought was £43 and prices rise to around £250ish.

I have to thank everyone at Argent Jewellery, particularly Claire for taking the time to show me around. This trip really did get me thinking about my approach to jewellery and how maybe I should see it more as a timeless investment than the kind of trend based, cheap pieces I buy from concessions on the highstreet at the moment. I genuinely would like to shop more in independent shops, not just for jewellery but for clothes too. It was lovely to hear the history and principles behind the business and see that a jeweller really can be a friendly place to browse, as well as shop.

If you're from Leeds or the surrounding area I strongly recommend going in to Argent Jewellery to have a look. You can visit the Argent website here, and follow them on Twitter @ArgentJewellery. You can also check out Kit Heath jewellery here and like them on Facebook here. Check out the rest of my pictures from the event, including collections from other designers at my Flickr set.

My chat with Claire prompted me to think about the various charm bracelet brands we've seen emerge over the past five years. There are so many, Pandora, TrollBeads, Thomas Sabo, Links of London and Lovelinks to name but a few. I'm not against these bracelets, and I do understand why people own them, in fact I even have a Links of London bracelet which I was bought as a present. Claire was quick to give those kinds of companies credit, and stressed the need for them in the independent jeweller market because of the revenue they bring in. We talked about how in a recession, the idea of understated jewellery and of playing down ones wealth isn't really a desirable thing anymore. When times are hard people are all about bling and to wear a sought after item like the popular brands of charm bracelets is a sign of status and that you're part of a club, a kind of "look what I've got" kind of thing. I'm not at all sure what I think about these companies and their effect on British jewellery designers, but it's definitely something I'd like to think about more. What are you thoughts on it?

Where do you get the majority of your jewellery? What are your impressions of Jewellers on the highstreet?

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I think the first thing to expand a bit more on for a little bit of context is my skin. I've mentioned it a few times in other skincare reviews I've done that my skin is very dry. It takes a pretty robust moisturiser to keep it from cracking and itching like made during the winter months and often I find that so-called "rich moisturisers" just sit on the surface of my skin leaving me shiny. My trademark rosy cheeks are not just a nice festive addition to my face when the wind starts to pinch, rather they're a year round feature, often quite itchy and can flare up and spread to cover my whole face whenever they feel like it. It's a pain. I spent my youth dabbling with full coverage foundations and green tinged concealers to try and tone them down, but as I've got older I've discovered that it's treatment, not concealment which is the answer. So let's begin...

The Moisturiser: With all that having been said about the state of my skin, I received the Zeoderm products with open arms. The moisturiser contains something called ZeomaZ which a new "active super-antioxidant for advanced skin relief leading to the regeneration of healthy skin cells". Here's the rest of the mission statement:

ZeomaZ delivers intense detoxification by hunting down nasty toxins, free radicals and other impurities in the skin, binding and eliminating them from the dermis. Reducing these impurities soothes, rebalances and gently calms the skin. Removing the nasties enables the skin to provide a more controlled immune response to a skin problem like eczema, therefore avoiding excessive itching and skin aggravation.

Sounds good to me! The moisturiser is of a thick consistency, greenish greyish in colour and with a slightly medical scent. At first I thought it might be a little unpleasant but I don't even notice it now, it really isn't strong at all. Apparently ZeomaZ is a form of a naturally occurring micro-particle which is used as a purifying agent in drinking water, which I thought was pretty cool. The other ingredients in the moisturiser include Borage il, Jojoba oil, Olive oil, rose, geranium and urea.

One of the main issues of having dry skin for me is the problem it causes with applying make-up in winter. Because the canvas is so dry and flaky even post moisturiser, foundation or powder just looks patchy and caked on. The usual problem I have of moisturiser being sucked right into the skin and leaving it dry before I even finish putting it on doesn't apply with Zeoderm and my post-moisturised skin leaves a perfect base for make-up. Not only that but my skin has that moisturised, slightly tacky feel for at least 4 hours post application. No shine, but no tightness, itchiness or flare ups - complete facial lucidity, WAHEY!

Intensive Dermaspray: I knew this meant business when it said "12 months to Adult" on the bottle. You obvs don't mess around when it comes to little kids so I knew this stuff had to be kind. Boasting no chemicals or steroids, it's ideal for rashes or dry skin flare ups. It's designed to be used in conjunction with Zeoderm, so I had to apply the spray before and simply spray onto the affected area. For my face, I sprayed it on to a cotton pad and wiped it over my face, starting with everyday, usually after a shower. When I started using the Zeoderm products my winter skin had just started coming out - tight and itchy after a shower, particularly in the forehead area and general heat and itchy bumps on my lower cheeks. At first when I applied the spray there was a bit of stinging. I do often get stinging when I use something I haven't before, but it varies in seriousness. Often things have been known to make my whole face bright red for 24 hours or longer. The stinging with DermaSpray died down after a few seconds. Now I've been using it for a while, it doesn't sting at all but the sensation has switched to tingly but over all cooling effect. I can pretty much instantly feel a reduction in the tightness and heat in my face when I use this. Within 3 uses the angry bumps on my skin had disappeared and my skin, although still red, was back to being smooth and much happier.

This is a treatment product, so if you don't suffer from ridiculously dry skin or eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis or itchy skin. That having been said, at the price I think it would be a great thing to have around in case of any skin afflictions that may crop up. If you're suffering from a major flare up you can apply it 3-4 times a day to relieve discomfort. It really did have a cooling, anti inflammatory effect on my skin so I'll definitely be repurchasing after this one runs out. The smell is slightly medical, but I guess more aromatherapy/tea tree smelling than anything.

Over all: I genuinely love these products. I get offered a reasonable amount of skincare to try and I usually politely decline on the grounds that it's not worth messing with my skin. But as this stuff was especially designed for me and my rosy cheeked counterparts all around the country, I was really happy to accept and try it out. As someone who's always struggled to find a good quality rich moisturiser that doesn't leave me feeling suffocated and extremely shiny, Zeoderm really is a lovely gift. The fact that it actually feels like it's doing my skin some good at the same time is a bonus. In the two-three weeks I've been using them (with no deviation to other skincare products) my skin has felt substantially better. Problem areas like my jawline and forehead are supple and happy and there's no sign of any itching. As for redness, the anger and heat in my cheeks has definitely reduced. My rosiness is still very present but a fraction of the brightness I would expect it to be at this time of year. Don't buy this if you're purely trying to reduce the redness in your skin if there is no medical reason for it. I don't think it'll work for that. But it'll reduce redness and inflammation in irritated skin like a dream and then keep it away.

I'm yet to mention perhaps the best things about these products. I honestly would be willing to pay £20+ for each of the products. I've been looking for something to do this job for 10 years. But there's no need for me to part with that much cash because the moisturiser retails at a friendly £8.99 for 50ml. The price for the spray is £9.99 for 50ml, but you can get a 15ml bottle for only £2.50 too (which contains approx 100 applications). You can buy both products at Boots, as well as on the Salcura Skincare website

I seriously love this stuff. I recommend it to anyone with a dry/irritated skin complaint, it's made my winter months a lot less itchy.

What are your skincare miracles? Do you adjust your skincare regime for the colder months?

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All the goodies are packed and ready to go...

And the winner is... Ria at Miss Dudette

Congrats Ria! Thanks again to GINGERS for teaming up with A Storm in a Teacup for this giveaway. Remember you can all still get a fantastic 15% off til the end of the month with the code LILSLOVELIES. Go on, treat yourself. It is Christmas after all!

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For advent this year I decided I wanted to do something a little bit different. A bite size chocolate a day wasn't going to cut it. I love Christmas and I genuinely do love giving gifts and spreading good cheer as much as I like receiving the things on my list come December 25th, so I decided I'd get a bit creative and make an advent calendar for Matt. I ended up spending around £50 in total on the advent calendar, which may seem a bit pricey considering Christmas is coming up, but you can easily easily make it cheaper or more expensive to suit your budget.

I got my shoe rack for just under £5 from eBay. I bought from this ebay seller. The delivery was fast and the shoe rack is fairly low quality, but for what I want it to do that's fine. It's a thin, hardish fabric, which is actually pretty good because the pockets keep their shape.

I had planned on making my own number signs for each pocket, but when it came to it I didn't have time or patience to sit down to draw and cut them out. So, obviously, I headed straight to Pinterest. The amount of crafty amazingness on Pinterest is off the scale. It's basically (and I don't mean this in a derogatory way at all, part of me aspires to be one) a whole lot of American mums with their very own craft rooms who spend their time thinking up amazing stuff for their kids. I searched for "homemade advent calendar" and was met with a whole page of inspirational pictures and free printables. I used these free printables and just printed straight from my desk and cut them out.

I bought a packet of tiny coloured wooden pegs from Wilkinson which cost somewhere around a pound and clipped the numbers on to the pockets. Next was filling the pockets. I mainly put in Christmas themed chocolates: gold coins, mini santas, snowmen, his favourite chocolate bar (a Twirl), Wham bars, Lindt teddies etc. However, I dotted the pockets with bigger gifts like skin and haircare items, a personalised mug, a mix-tape themed pack of cards, and some wooly socks. As this is also our first Christmas together I dotted the calendar with Christmas decorations (3 for 2 in Paperchase). When the gifts were all in, I topped each pocket with tissue paper I had lying around from other gifts I'd sent.

And so my advent calendar is complete! You may have noticed that your average shoe rack only has 20 pockets. Luckily for Matt and I this works out fine because we leave our flat to see our families before Christmas itself. But you could easily get a few extra gifts for the last four days of advent and either replace the first row once you reach December 5th, or just cover them in tissue paper and leave them at the foot of the calendar.

I realise this is an indepth how-to for something that's quite self-explanatory, but the thing is, I'm so proud of the way it looks and in a small flat it's a really great way to make things a little more festive. I think it's a really personal and thoughtful gift too and I intend on making one every year from now on!

Watch out for more Homemade Christmas posts coming.

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I just had to share this lovely vignette of a garden-esque kitchen. Wildflowers, potted plants and herbs are beautiful accents against a simple pale blue and white palette. The string of lights hanging by the window must give the room a magical glow in the evening.

This kitchen is filled with bouquets of fresh flowers and greenery, not to mention fresh fruit ready on the cuttingboard. The wooden cupboards and kitchen island give a natural feel to this kitchen, and the polished metal pendant lights and stove are a nice contrast.

This idyllic all-white kitchen actually opens up to a lush garden. Fresh flowers are brought in as beautiful decoration and the distressed paint on the kitchen chairs are a rustic touch.

An urban kitchen can make up for a lack of natural scenery with its own mini herb garden placed just-so on a windowsill. An inviting bowl of apples and a mini portrait of a country home are just the right accents for this kitchen.

Sunlight is one of the most important elements for a successful garden. This gorgeous kitchen from the South of France lets in abundant natural light just like a greenhouse. So many windows in a room helps to eliminate the divide between the indoors and the natural world outside.

Tall windows and herbs growing in traditional clay pots give this corner kitchen a green house or garden shed feel. The fresh cut flowers pretty up the rustic farmhouse counter and sinks.

Not only does this cozy kitchen have window access to a garden balcony, but the light blue and white wallpaper features a pretty floral and vegetal pattern that helps make the room feel more spacious. A contemporary ceiling light keeps the room modern and eclectic.

What's not to love about this elegant garden inspired kitchen? Colorful patterned chairs, potted plants, flowers and even a small tree make this room fresh and lively. The chandelier and metallic wall lamp are an excellent juxtaposition of classic and modern.

How inspiring are these kitchens? They are each a good reminder that flowers and greenery is a simple but effective way to make any room more beautiful. For fresh decor ideas daily, check out Arcadian Lighting's blog! (Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

*Thanks to Jessica for writing this post for A Storm in a Teacup. After the success of last week's Office Space post I'm keen to get more interiors content on the blog. Tell me what you think!*

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A Storm in a Teacup has never really been much for giveaways before. Thing is, it's almost Christmas and we all spend so much time buying for others that sometimes we neglect ourselves. I'd like to think of this giveaway as my personal little Christmas present package to one of you lovely readers, and my gosh do I have some lovely stuff.

Enter to stand the chance to win:

1. Set of 4 Limited Edition "Christmas Kisses" lipglosses from the Model's Own & Diet Coke collaboration
2. Pamper pack from Cowshed featuring luxurious shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and 2x bath and shower gel
3. Wooden ampersand necklace, wooden paper plane brooch, a pair of Winter Blossom earrings and a pair of heart earrings c/o GINGERS

To Enter:

• Be a follower of A Storm in a Teacup via Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin'
• Comment saying "Enter me" and leave an email address where I can get hold of you
• For an extra entry tweet "I want to win some @G_NGERS goodies + more in @teacupblog 's Xmas giveaway! http://bit.ly/rQFlrE <3" - leave a comment with your Twitter username to let me know you've tweeted.
• The giveaway closes at 11.59pm  on Sunday 11th December. The winner will be chosen using random.org

Good luck my little ones!

Also, the lovely people at GINGERS have given me a discount code for you all to use. You can get 15% off until the end of the month by using the code LILSLOVELIES. They have such a gorgeous collection of wooden jewellery just like the prizes I'm offering, plus loads more. The prices are totally bargainous. I got an ampersand necklace like the one in the giveaway for myself too and I can't wait to wear it, it looks cool with everything. They have loads of great ideas for a stockfillers!

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We have a big desk upstairs that was an absolute bargain from IKEA (we bought the legs and table top separately) so when my iMac arrived yesterday we decluttered the desk and set him up. Now we've moved a few things around, this little corner of the bedroom looking over the mezzanine and on to the living room, feels a lot more like a separate space than it did before. So I've been searching for inspiration and thinking about what the perfect workspace is to me. And these sort of moments are, surely, what Pinterest was made for.

Home office necessity #1: Inspiration Boards

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Every place I've lived in so far has had postcards, pictures torn out of magazines, song lyrics, tickets etc all over the walls. Now that I'm a bit more "grown up" (?) and I live in rented accommodation I guess I can't really get away with that anymore. I do, however, think it's really important to surround yourself with the things you love to look at and get inspired by. "Mood boards" are a concept that many of us with a creative inclination know and love. It's a great way to not only be repeatedly smacked in the face by the things we love most - who wouldn't love that, eh? - but also to brainstorm ideas for a current project or for something you can't quite get your head around. Matt and I have plans to put two huge cork boards up to the side of our desk and I can't wait to cover them with things which will prompt me to write when I'm feeling stuck or bored. Mood improver for sure.

Home office necessity #2: Organisation

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Given the time, I'm a bit of a compulsive organiser. Actually, it's kind of a virtual thing. I love the idea of organising, I even follow a blog called I Heart Organizing and last week contemplated dividing my fridge into individual crates with labels. This however, as always, didn't go ahead. I can't seem to make it happen. It requires money, friends. Money and time. And currently I don't have a lot of either. When I am a mother though, believe me, there will be snack stations, play organisers and colour coded lunchboxes fo' rizzle. Or at least that's the way I hope it'll turn out. In reality, probably won't.

So, I digress, but essentially my point is that I like stuff what is organised. I totally swooned at the middle pic in this section when I saw it but in reality I know it can never be. I can reach a happy medium though, I'm sure. I've been lusting after those little hanging pots from IKEA in the first pic for months and I think I'm finally going to get my hands on them in the not so distant future. I look forward to a future where everything I own is categorised and labeled.

(A little bit of both #1 & #2)

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Home office necessity #3: Light, light, more light! & a little bit of nature, perhaps?

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 As I mentioned before, I'm a big fan of light. It brings me joy, makes me productive, lifts the weight of the daily grind so I don't get bitter over things like homelessness and David Cameron. Luckily my flat has a lot of great components to make it my ideal workspace - big windows, high ceilings, white walls, a mezzanine layout etc. In fact a lot of things that were mentioned in my interiors wishlist a while back. I think plants, for me, are always something that make a workspace better. They obviously bring in life, movement and seem to prevent a sort of stuffy, overheated stagnation that I associate with corporate offices I've work in before. A whole lot of white with natural touches is the ideal space for me, with clean surfaces, hardwood floors and a good view of the outside world.

I'm going to continue, always, to find inspiration for interiors on the internet even when I have my perfect home. I find it so interesting to see how other people choose to surround themselves and the clever ideas they think up. I've found some such amazing places through Pinterest so do add me over there and have a good look around my boards. Be sure to click the links to the sources too because Pinterest has lead me to some of my favourite blogs full of ideas and beautiful things. The sources could be websites or blogs you go back to again and again, just like I do!

Coming up over the next few days I have a similar post about kitchens which will be brought to you by a guest blogger. I also have a cute Christmas DIY which was greeted with very wide, welcoming eyes this morning when it was unveiled.

 What would your ideal home office be like? Where do you go for inspiration for interiors?

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