Big Eyes

Had enough of leftover turkey and mince pies? Take a break of the Christmas festivities and go and see Big Eyes, which is being released in cinemas today. Not only is the film directed by Tim Burton but it also retells the story of American artist, Margaret Keane.

Keane's artwork became incredibly popular in the 1960s when her large, sad eyed children were in big demand. Unfortunately at the time all the credit and money was going to Margaret's husband, Walter, who was portraying himself as the artist, when in fact all he was doing was signing his name at the bottom of the completed pieces. It wasn't until 1970 when Margaret announced that she was the true artist on a radio broadcast. Walter took Margaret to court and after a long trial it was finally proved that Margaret wasn't lying. 

This is an incredible story of a truly talented lady. I've always wanted to own a couple of Keane's pieces. Those large sad eyes bring back alot of memory for me. When I was growing up there was a stage when every doctors and dentist surgery had copies hanging in their waiting rooms. 

I can't wait to see if Burton has put his usual twist on it. Plus it will be very strange to watch a film of his that doesn't star Johnny Depp or his wife, Helena Bonham Carter. 

Big love,

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WHAT I WORE: on Christmas Day!

 WHAT I WORE: 

Velvet Dress > La Redoute

Christmas Tree Glasses > George

Tights > H&M

Leather Fringed Jacket > Beyond Retro

Merry Christmas everyone!! Hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday and managed to spend it with loved ones whilst noshing down some yummy festive food. I'm spending the Christmas period with Mr. Ds family in Dunstable and its just been wonderful. There were 11 of us in total sitting round the Christmas table and even though it was a squash and a squeeze the Christmas cheer was immense. 

We're now recovering from yesterday's activities by having a well deserved pajama day and catching up on any Christmas specials we missed and I thought I would take the opportunity to quickly show you my Christmas outfit. 

I decided not to wear a Christmas jumper this year and opted for some silly Christmas Tree glasses instead. Paired with a pretty velvet shift dress from La Redoute and some gold polka dot tights I found at H&M. Just perfect for party season! 

Mr. D's mum has a talent for decorating Christmas trees. Every year she changes the theme and the results are just dazzling. It always ends up looking like something you would see on display in a shop and this years theme was pastels. I love the delicate roses and ornaments she has chosen to complement the soft pink and silver hues. Isn't it pretty?

So happy and grateful with all my pressies. Mr. D was very sneaky and bought me a beautiful 70s maxi dress and an amazing 70s duster. I had my eye on them for a while so was very pleased when I unwrapped them.

What was your Christmas outfit this year? Did you wear a Christmas jumper? Send me your pics. I would love to see! I hope your're all having a wonderful time and once again.... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 

Big love,

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Getting organised with HomeSense

Baskets £5.99 each and diary £6.99

Last week, I was invited to a Blogger's evening at HomeSense in Brighton. We were treated to lots of yummy Christmassy nibbles & festive drinks whilst we purused their wonderful wares and did a spot of networking. We were then set loose in the store with a £10 gift voucher and some tags to mark which items we would want on our Christmas Wishlist. It was extremely fun and I spent a long time choosing as there was SO much to see with 3 floors of goodies.

I eventually whittled my wishlist down to two items and chose this beautiful decorative Tagine, as I've always wanted to recreate yummy dishes I'd discovered whilst travelling around Morocco. And because you can never have too many cushions, I picked this extremely fluffy aubergine cushion!

This was the first time I'd ever visited HomeSense and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of branded quality homewares and gifts that were on offer. HomeSense is part of TK Maxx so has the same deals, offering up to 60% off the original retail price. Just too good to be ignored! I could've spent my £10 gift voucher on lots of things but instead I decided to be practical and resolve a storage problem that's been niggling me for some time. I walked away with 3 items: 2 beautiful hand-weaved baskets and a 2015 pink planner. Im so pleased with the baskets and were a bargain at £5.99 each! Just perfect as storage solutions in my workarea & bathroom!

A big thank you to HomeSense for helping me resolve my storage problems (and for a fantastic evening at your new store). These baskets have helped lessen some of the chaos around me so I should hopefully be more productive and organised! Perfect way to start 2015!

Big love,

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Playing Mermaid with Sand Dollar Swim

I recently discovered an awesome swimwear range based in the UK and Molly has gone dotty for them.  The founder, Maureen Dolan, saw that there was a gap in the market to design and make stylish UV swimwear for little ones, and in 2013, Sand Dollar Swim was born! I'm quite in love with the label and wish I could get a matching swimsuit in my own size! Not only would I be wearing it to the beach, but how perfect would it be for festivals!?!

I was pleasantly surprised when Molly picked this swimsuit. She is loopy for pink at the moment and usually the only reason why she picks something, but this swimsuit is a magnificent aqua green (HOORAH!) with a small touch of pink. The suit is a little large (age 5-6) on her, but come Summer I think it will be perfect. Molly likes to spend a lot of time in and out of the water when we spend days at the beach, so making sure sun lotion is topped up can be difficult (especially when she's so engrossed in playing). It's peace of mind knowing that she will be getting extra UV protection from her swimsuit and the fabric is also breathable and fast drying, ensuring minimal discomfort.

 

It was too much of a cold, wet day to go to the beach, so instead Molly wanted to dress up as a mermaid. It's one of the reasons she loves her new swimsuit. The aqua green sparkly fabric is just perfect for an aspiring mermaid and luckily I had some shimmery lime green fabric in my stash to use for a tail. Add lots of glitter and we had ourselves a little mermaid!

So not only is this a fabulous swimsuit for days at the pool or beach, it also provides plenty of inspiration and creativeness for our little ones during playtime :) That gets a big thumbs up from me!

Big love,

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Orla Kiely SS15

I've been lusting over Orla Kiely's SS15 collection of late. Obviously trying to escape Winter by dreaming of Spring/Summer! The colours, textures and 1960s influences remind me of Wes Anderson's beautiful film, Moonrise Kingdom. I love how Kiely's iconic flowers can be found somewhere in the prints or shoes. Not only that, the shoes shown are a peek into Kiely's third collaboration with Clarks (which will also be released in the Spring) and it's just wonderful! I've got my eye on several pairs ;)

Better start saving then!

Big love,

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Lingerie Shopping at House of Fraser

On a recent visit to House of Fraser I was pleasantly surprised with their lingerie department. They have a great choice of designers to choose from including all time favourites: Agent Provocateur, Elle Macpherson, Calvin Klein and even Mary Portas & Kinky Knickers. Amongst these are  also collections from lesser known designers like Japanese brand, Wacoal, and this is where I found this beautiful set. 

I've grown to love simplicity the older I've got and this basic design from Wacoal's 'B'temp'd Lace Kiss' range falls into that category perfectly. The bralette and bikini style knickers are incredibly comfortable and tasteful. I also love the dreamy lace in it's pretty pastel hues, making it perfect for bridal underwear. The lace gives just enough stretch and is SO soft to the skin (mega points!!). The waistband on the knickers are just the right height to cover my caesarian scar, which has become another priority since I had Molly. The price was pretty light on the pocket too, costing less than £25!!!

I highly recommend you try this style of bra. I used to wear padded and under wired bras all the time and now find they can be incredibly uncomfortable after long periods. The bralette feels surprisingly supportive and looks exquisite styled underneath sheer blouses.

What kind of underwear do you prefer: are you a bralette or padded kind of gal or do you prefer thongs to big pants? Love to hear your thoughts!

Big love,

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