Changes?

I keep dreaming about moving to the countryside.

There's a farmhouse that we pass just before the train pulls into my parents' stop.

I can only see one road or track that leads to it.

Its white, topped with a thatched roof, surrounded by outbuildings. It looks like a real home.

I keep dreaming about living there...

Image by {this is glamorous}

A touch of blue

I'm still absolutely smitten with this bedroom that I posted about back in July. I just adore the light blue walls. So uplifting.

Here they are again - tempting me to just go for it this Christmas and liven up one of our rooms (bedroom or living room? I'm leaning towards bedroom...) with a slick of sky blue paint.

Photo via Apartment Therapy

Chocolate indulgence

There are some weeks when only chocolate can help.

I found this recipe for a simple chocolate fudge cake on the BBC's food website.

What can I say? So simple and so quick to make and sooooo tasty. I thoroughly recommend it.

Just don't think about the calories!

For the sponge:
85g/3oz self-raising flour
30g/1oz cocoa powder
pinch salt
115g/4oz light muscovado sugar
115g/4oz unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
2-3 tbsp milk

For the sauce:
85g/3oz light muscovado sugar
30g/1oz cocoa powder
225ml/8fl oz milk

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Butter a 1-litre (2-pint) ovenproof dish.
2. To make the sponge, sift the flour into a bowl with the cocoa powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the vanilla essence and the eggs then fold this mixture in the flour mixture.
5. Mix in just enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency.
6. Spoon into the buttered ovenproof dish.
7. For the sauce, mix the sugar and the cocoa powder together and gradually beat in the milk.
8. Pour evenly over the uncooked cake mixture.
9. Place in the oven and bake for about 40-60 minutes until firm and spongy to touch.
10. Serve hot with or without cream.

Photo via We heart it

At last!

I've finally found the polka dot tights that I've been hunting high and low for. These are from Urban Outfitters at £10. I'm all about any accessories that will mean that I don't have to fork out for any new outfits this Christmas!

Making the most of what you've got

Too often I complain about the lack of space in our flat.

After seeing this house tour on Apartment Therapy, I realised that we're simply not making the most of what space we do have.

Look at how neatly he's incorporated a work area, lounge, bedroom and even a little reading chair - and it doesn't look squashed or forced at all.

Inspired, we had a quick reshuffle in our lounge earlier today and its already starting to look more structured - and more spacious.

This is why I love reading blogs - the ideas and inspiration they provide are priceless. Yay for blogging!

Chanel Iman for H&M

{Necklace £12.99, Braclet set (6 per set) £4.99}

Here is Chanel Iman looking ridiculously gorgeous modelling for H&M in their latest magazine.

She's not the only reason why I love this though. I adore the way that they have laden the pearls on so that she's literally dripping in them.

I've seen the braclets in the picture above in the store and resisted buying them as I wasn't sure if they looked too cheap. Now I realise that the key is to buy a load and layer them on up the arms. How amazing would this styling look with a simple black dress for Christmas parties?

{Feather headpiece £7.99, flower £3.99, necklace £7.99}

A real vintage inspired look. £7.99 for the necklace? Its mine...

{Chain braclet £3.99, solid gold bangle (set of 9) £5.99}

Again, above and below, mounds of braclets with simple black = stunning

{Hat £4.99, braclet (double strand) £7.99, braclet (single strand) £5.99}

All images by H&M

Hummingbird's Christmas

I know I've gone on about them before, but I adore The Hummingbird Card Co's Christmas selection - beautiful.

Hibernation

Due to the raging storms this weekend, me and the boyfriend decided the best thing to do was to hibernate in the flat. He played loads of guitar and made us the most amazing curried sherpherd's pie (the mash was to die for - creamy with a ton of cheese). I went on a well overdue cleaning spree, visited the library to stock up on new reads (part of my new budgeting plan as I was shocked to see how much I spend on books) and made this lemon drizzle cake on Saturday morning.

Personally I found the syrup was lemon overkill for me so I ditched the lemon juice in the icing which balanced the cake out nicely. I have to recommend this recipe. Its so easy and sooo tasty - needless to say, we polished the whole cake off by Saturday evening (and we wonder why we have expanding waistlines!)

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Image by Jamie Oliver

Boundary

There are so many lovely hotels opening in London at the moment.

Boundary is located in a Victorian warehouse in Shoreditch, East London.

Seeing as I live in London, I'm never really going to be able to justify staying in a hotel, so I love to look through the websites, stealing snippets of inspiration for my home!

My favourite has to be the dining room above. I love the way they've hung a variety of silver trays on the walls. They look as good, if not better, than any art.

Beautiful silver soap dishes, sigh... I might just have to spend this evening doing an Etsy search for some.

Ribbons

I found these beautiful ribbons on Not on the High Street (love that site) - absolutely perfect for wrapping all those Christmas presents!

Le Breton

I'm such a sucker for a striped top. I just love the way that you can chuck it on with virtually anything and, somehow, it always works.

These are the two looks I will be working this autumn (with super thick black tights of course - it is freezing this November!)

Striped top, $85 - Petit Bateau
Grey blazer, £50 - Asos
Grey skinny jeans, £14.99 - Uniqlo
Converse, £36.99 - Office
Leather bomber, £39.99 - Urban Outfitters
Navy mini, £55 - Kookai
Ankle boots, £200 - Asos

Paris 2010

I want this to be hanging on my kitchen wall come 1 January.

Thanks, Alicia Block Photography