Fashion blogs I'm loving...

I'm trying to be a bit more stylish and put together rather than just throwing on the first thing that I find! It doesn't help that work has a complete "anything goes" dress code. In a bid to inspire me to dress well, I've been taking a look at a few blogs. Here are my favourites:

9 to 5 chic - Anh is from San Francisco and totally gorgeous! Amazing, aspirational workwear and weekend wear.

The Doll on Fashion - beautiful wearable outfits on this beautifully designed blog.

Come over to the dark side we have Candy -  Gorgeous outfits from this Dutch fashion blogger, she inspires me to be more fashion confident and her outfits are useful if you aren't sure how to wear certain styles.

The Red Rosette - cool, quirky fashion and lovely outdoorsy photos.

Canned Fashion - striking fashion from London. And I want her hair!

Wearing it today -  a stylist posts her outfits (nearly) every day. Really inspiring for what will work on a day to day basis along with great tips for what to wear (eg she recently suggested 5 types of coat for everyone's wardrobe).

Cleeeaaaan teeth!!

A couple of months ago, I kept having a funny taste in my mouth and being paranoid about bad breath. So, as soon as I saw 3 for 2 on dental stuff and all electric toothbrushes 1/2 price in boots, I snapped up a pile of 'em!

I bought:

Phillips Sonicare toothbrush healthy white - link

Plus some extra heads for it and a few bottles of this:

Dentyl mouthwash - link

Both of these have been fantastic. The strange taste has gone from my mouth and I don't feel paranoid about my breath anymore! The best thing is it lasts all day. My teeth feel so much cleaner and healthier. At first the toothbrush did feel very tingly on my mouth (almost uncomfortably so!) but now I'm completely used to it, it isn't a problem. The programme goes for 2 minutes so you just brush for however long the toothbrush is switched on for. There is a whitening mode but I generally just use the normal mode. D is also using it and seems to like it.

Easy peasy tomato soup...

Tomato soup is my favourite thing to eat.  I love it with a handful of grated cheese on top! It is so easy to make which is a bonus. Here are my ingredients:

Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, passata, tomatoes, chillis, garlic, stock cube, onions

I take a load of tomatoes, roughly chop and throw into a baking tray with a roughly chopped onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, a chilli or two (optional), and a slosh of olive oil and balsamic vinegar:

Stick in a medium oven (160-170 degrees) for half an hour. When you take them out they should be softish:

Put the cooked tomato-y mix in a saucepan, add the passata and some water (I used around a pint, best to not add too much and add extra if it is too thick once blitzed) and a stock cube and simmer for 10 minutes or so just to make sure everything is soft, then blitz in a blender.

If you wanted it to be posh you could put it through a sieve to make it extra smooth, then swirl cream or olive oil on top. This is how I ate mine:

 

A few variations: add herbs (basil would be great - add at the end and stir through), add red pepper to the baking tray or try frying a piece of smoked bacon and add to the pan then blitz in for a rich smokey taste. You could also fling in any limp looking veg from the bottom of the fridge to use them up! If you don't have passata you can either use a tin of tomatoes or just leave it out (I just added it to bulk up the soup really!). If you leave the passata out you might want to add a squeeze of tomato puree.

Time for party dresses!

Unfortunately, I don't have any dressy parties to go to over Christmas but it doesn't stop me looking at dresses! Here are my top 10 high-street party dress picks:

1. Lace strap dress - Vero Moda at ASOS
2. Gold wrap dress - Mint Velvet
3. Purple one shoulder dress - Oasis
4. Silver satin tunic - Matalan
5. Abstract print dress - Warehouse
6. Black lace skater dress - Matalan
7. Rose prom dress - Oasis at ASOS
8. Pink lace panel dress - AX Paris at Fashion Union
9. Purple tassle dress - Phase Eight
10. Red frill dress - AX Paris

Five ways to relax...

Here are my top 5 ways to relax:

1. Watch TV, cuddled up with the husband or dog.

2. Go for a walk alone with the dog and just empty my mind

3. Go out somewhere with D - just to a garden centre or to the shops and have a relaxed wander around

4. Read a good book while lying in bed

5. Cook something easy yet satisfying and healthy like soup then eat!

Seriously...spots AND wrinkles??!

My skin is so so bad at the moment. Even at the age of 31, I still have spots AND I have the beginnings of wrinkles plus I'm a picker so spots end up turning into flakey scabs ... I know, I know... I really shouldn't but I just can't help myself.

I loved this Soap and Glory cleanser when I last used it but stopped because I was trying to be good with the budgeting and there are cheaper options out there. I have now gone back to it as I just haven't found an alternative budge product that really helps my congested skin without being too harsh. It leaves your skin beautifully soft and feeling super clean!

Soap and Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser - link

I also use Boots No 7 blemish control serum in the morning and No 7 Protect and Perfect serum at night, followed by this fabulous Flexitol oil at night. The oil is really great - I wake up with less oily skin and it should help with any scars/marks from blemishes. I also use a Boots Time Delay eye cream in the morning and night, Sainsburys Skin Therapy eye cream.

I have an Elemis mask and a Bliss one (expensive but worth it), I really need to use these more. The Elemis one is meant to be good to dab on spots, leave overnight and it should sort them (so said a beauty therapist when I had an Elemis facial, anyway).

Elemis Herbal Lavender Repair Mask - link

Bliss Steep Clean Pore Purifying Mask - link

So, here is my unmade up, scrubbed clean face - eeeek!!

And with makeup

Over the next month, I will use the above products and try my very best not to pick. Then in a month, I'll update you with another bare faced photo, to see if my skin has improved at all.

A little Wednesday night pick me up...

I found Gluhwein in Lidl and just had to buy it. I'm so pleased, it tastes exactly like I remember in the Christmas market in Nuremburg.

It is fabulous microwaved for a minute. Now I just need a mince pie!

Fashion difficulties - winter wedding wear...

My cousin is getting married this Saturday. First of all (in true budget style!) I bought a gorgeous red dress from ebay. I was really pleased with paying £40 for a Karen Millen dress (albeit used). However it is tight. I mean, the zip does up but really is very clingy (I'm a few pounds above my usual weight at the moment!). Here is is (excuse the dodgy hair and no makeup!):

I figure I can use the red one, just when I'm slightly lighter and don't have to be in it all day. So I then bought another dress from ebay, this time from Oasis (£17, brand new with tags!). This one fits better and is less "glam" and as I can wear it with opaques and my shoots from French Connection (as yet unworn), it feels slightly more appropriate for winter (even though it has a low back!). Here are some pics:

Sorry, all these pics were taken on my iphone so not great quality but you get the idea. I will either wear the purple dress with a navy flared coat (depending on whether the dress looks weird poking out, it isn't very long) or a longer cream coat. I'm thinking a messy side bun, dangly silver earrings (would wear gold but I don't have any!) and a bronzy clutch.

I'll try and take a few photos at the wedding! D is planning a black suit and purple and white stripey tie, he likes to match me!!

Weekend highlights

Some highlights of my weekend:

A sneaky beer at lunchtime with friends

Cuddles with my friends lovely little baby

Hot chocolate and marshmallows
 

Fajitas and Friday night cuddled on the sofa with the Husband (D) and watching our favourite TV programmes

D having a brilliant time watching American Footie with his mate and his team winning!

Arranging a catch up with a friend, R, for tomorrow :-)

A long walk with the dogs

Helping my friend, H, wet her baby's head with some pink champagne