Summer style

When I heard Marks and Spencer were asking bloggers to style a favourite summer dress for a dream holiday destination I couldn't wait to be involved.

As my blog is called I left my heart in Miami, I thought I'd share snaps of a dress I wore for a night out in Miami itself (as it was my dream holiday!) People really went to huge efforts to dress up there, even more so then I'd imagined!

For pre-drinks at the hotel and dinner at a lovely restaurant, I opted for this little number. 

Philippe Starck designed the interior of the hotel and it was breathtaking!

As the men of the family only took about ten minutes to get ready, they were enjoying a game of pool when we met them.

My hair is in the way so you can't tell, but it is strapless and boned in the upper half, sucking me right in and giving lots of structure and the bottom is more of a lantern shape. I love dresses like this, they suit me much better than bodycon styles! As the dress is already very colourful and there's a lot going on, I decided to keep it simple, with a pair of skyscraper heels and a gold bracelet and ring.

Can someone take me on holiday right now? Please?

Chocolate and mint tea? Don't mind if I do.

I was sent the most beautiful chairs courtesy of Lakeland-Furniture. I opted for two Xavier Pauchard yellow tolix style chairs, which can be used in the house or outdoors. I loved them in the photos online, but I was even happier when I received them, they are so stylish and the colour is perfect for the garden. Hopefully there will be some more nice weather so we can enjoy them and I can do some more gardening. I've planted lots of seeds and flowers to try and create an English country garden look, but it won't be until next summer that they really bloom.

I used this as an excuse (not that I need one) to sample the chocolate tea with mint and the fudge I was sent from Cottage Delight.

The cup and saucer are actually part of a tea set given to my mum by Auntie Jenny - the woman who took my nan in during the war when she was evacuated to Wales. It's such a pretty set and I can't wait to use it more often.

As soon as I opened the packaging, the delicious smells of mint and chocolate hit me and reminded me of a mint aero! The biodegradable tea bag contains Sri Lankan black tea, cocoa and cool peppermint, with chocolate chips and yoghurt crispies. It tasted really fresh and tasted quite mild - I could smell the chocolate a lot more than I could taste it. If you wanted it a little sweeter, you could add a little honey. It's a refreshing drink, perfect if you've had a heavy meal.

The fact that the fudge lasted a matter of minutes in my house says it all! If you have a sweet tooth you will love it. It's handmade and tastes creamy, crumbly and very more-ish! 

Hand picked cornflowers and lavender from my garden.

I really need a new garden table so I decided to cover the old one up for now! The Indian style table cloth is actually a scarf from Lush Scarves but I just thought it was so pretty to use it like this as well.

I couldn't let my brother leave without letting him sample the fudge.

My little munchkin wanted in on the tea and fudge! How could I say no to that face?

Peachy

I wrote this post agggges ago but forgot to hit 'publish' but better late than never hey?

Warning: Contains a photograph of a males bottom (and some strategically placed stars added by myself)!

Prank or PR stunt?

I'm sure most of you heard about the streaker at the D&G Men's Collection catwalk show in Milan and I was wondering if you thought it was a prank by the streaker himself or a PR stunt brainstormed by D&G? 

If it was the latter, it worked wonders, making headlines and spreading across social networking sites like wildfire. It definitely put the spotlight firmly on this brand and may have taken the attention away from other designers who had worked so hard designing their collections. I even noticed that Stefano Gabbana published a picture on his Instagram and later deleted it. Personally, I saw the funny side, but if it was a PR stunt, do you think it's just a bit of fun or a step too far? Is all fair in love and war?

The Evolution of Festival Fashion

The Evolution of Festival Fashion by New Look

The festival season is with us once more, as the nation descends upon previously tranquil countryside, now filled with huge stages, artists from every conceivable genre and summer style turned up to the max! To celebrate a summer of music, New Look have created their very own festival fashion timeline, bringing you all the music and style you need to inspire your festival outfit. Whether you’re glamorous pop princess, a grunge girl, oh-so boho chic or a hip-hop honey, New Look have everything you need to get in the mood. Tracing the evolution of festival trends in music and fashion from 1969 to 2013, they're taking you on a fashion filled journey back in time. So pull on your wellies as you decide which decade is your favourite. Whichever style you choose, New Look will dress you fabulously for this sizzling hot summer of festivals!

Festival Fashion Timeline by New Look

Silver wedding memories

For my Mum & Dad's 25th wedding anniversary, they kindly took the family out for a very special lobster and champagne dinner. We had such a special and memorable night! Unfortunately, some of the photos got deleted and I can't believe I didn't take one of my Mum and Dad together so I've included a couple of other pictures of them!

Summer Edition III

A few days ago, I'd been for my dreaded dental check up (turned out I didn't need anything doing - hurrah) and afterwards we bumped into my Nan who needed a bit of cheering up so we took her out for lunch. It worked a treat and we had a lovely day.