Love

What a gorgeous home. And I love that kitchen. That is the dream!

In other news, I am absolutely shattered. We had a huge marketing project last week and ended up working through the night up to the 9am launch. I've felt jet lagged all weekend. Lots of baking and vintage shopping has helped me get through it though ;) Hope you all had a great weekend xx

Images via Dos Family

B's Book Swap - 'Looking for Alaska'

I really did come up trumps in B's book swap. Krystal lent me John Green's 'Looking for Alaska'. I love my books and spend way too much of my time reading, so I was one very happy bunny that I'd been sent something I hadn't read - or heard of - before.


I was a little bit dubious after reading the back of the book. It's set in "Culver Creek Boarding School". I'm in my early 30s. I thought I'd had my fill of books set in schools but as tends to happen, I was way too quick to judge.

It was a brilliant read from start to finish. It's not often that a book hooks me in like that. Without wanting to give away too much of a book, I fell for our hero "Pudge" immediately, with his encyclopedic knowledge of famous last words and his bravery in shrugging off the known to go in search of "The Great Perhaps". The people he encounters at Culver Creek aren't your run of the mill teenage stereotypes, they are intriguingly mysterious and the dynamics of their friendship are quite beautifully portrayed.

I thoroughly recommend it - thank you Krystal for the great loan - and thank you B for coming up with the Book Swap!

Swapsies

Despite all the technology infiltrating my day-to-day life, there's nothing sweeter than curling up with a great book (especially on such a bleak rainy day as today!) So I wanted to share details of the lovely B, from a pretty place to play's upcoming book swap.

You have till 1 September to sign up. The idea is to:

1. email B your details (name, address and a link to your blog) to aprettyplacetoplay@gmail.com
2. you'll be matched up with another interested blogger
3. you pick out a book you like from your collection and package it up with a letter about why you like it so much - remember to write your name on the first page so those in the future can look back on where it has come from!
4. read and enjoy the book
5. tell your swap-mate what you thought about it
   
6. share the love and pass the book on to someone else

I just think that this is a such a clever way to get to know a new book that someone loves (I've discovered some of my most treasured reads through recommendations) - and a fellow blogger.

Visit B's blog for more info. And if you do sign up, I hope to be swapping books with you soon!

Image via weheartit

A (very good) reason to downsize

So I very much doubt that I could last for long outside the house with such a compact little bag (I'm not quite sure why I always need to carry so much stuff around all the time), but I love these little purses nonchalantly thrown across the body. Very chic - plus I bet these women don't suffer from a painful shoulder at the end of a long day...

Both images via Jak and Jil

Versatile blogger

The lovely Bethan of A Pretty Place to Play has given me the versatile blogger award! Thanks B!


This means I have to give you 7 facts about me - fun! I love stuff like this...

1. Baking make me ridiculously happy, no matter how eggy my mood is. If I could choose to do anything, I would bake cakes all day

2. I've been blonde, dark and am now itching to try life as a red head. I just love that hair colour

3. I speak to my Mum every day. She is truly my best friend and such an amazing person

4. I'm a massive coffee snob. I need my cup of good quality coffee to start my day off right

5. My absolute favourite film ever is Office Space. I've seen it at least ten times and it never fails to have me in stitches

6. I never wear heels. I'm 5ft 10 in flats. That's tall enough!

6. If I could change one thing about myself, it would be to reduce the worrying. I would love to be an easy going, fly by the seat of my pants kinda girl. I'm working on it ;)

7. My heart belongs to London but I would love to experience living in Paris at one point in my life

Ok, I'd like to nominate a few of my favourite bloggers for this award. These are the blogs I check in with everyday. I love their writing, the topics they select, their humour...

Helen Hearts
Alex Loves
Patchwork Harmony
Luli Bags
The Window Shopper
Conversation Pieces

Best of the street

Here are just a few of my favourite from the street style blogs that I regularly read. There is so much inspiration out there at the moment. But what does frustrate me a little - and maybe I'm looking in the wrong places - but where are the curvy girls on the street style blogs? The ones dressing cleverly to enhance, disguise, flatter... All the women here look amazing and there's no doubt about it, they have amaaazing figures, but I would love to see more representation of the average woman on the street... Do you agree or is this out there and I'm missing it?





Photgraphy via Stockholm StreetStyle, The Sartorialist & Vanessa Jackman

I'm back!

I can't believe I've absent from my blog for so long! And thank you for all of your lovely comments, they meant so much.

To cut a long story short, I haven't been well recently so over the last few months I've been working part-time and have generally been trying to treat myself with a bit more TLC. More relaxing, more time with family and friends, taking things at a slower pace, and it seems to be working thank God! So now seems the perfect time to dip back into blogging. The odd post here and there. I reeeeally missed it. But I think I missed the connections that I've formed through my blog the most. Can't wait to catch up on my favourite blogs out there!

I wanted to quickly post about this beautiful Ollie & Nic Satchel. I'm officially in love. But I'm also officially saving up for a new bathroom (bah), so I thought I'd share instead of buy this lovely find.

Did I mention it's called Florence? Makes it even cuter, right?

Update: woo hoo, the boy just bought it for me! Feeling very spoilt.