Superga Styling: Knitwear and Ripped Blue Jeans

Another weekend in January has meant a reasonably chilled out time well spent with friends. Between a Charity blind double date through work with one of my colleagues on Friday night...(dreaded but actually good fun); two extremely needed long lies Saturday and Sunday; bowling for a family friends birthday on Saturday night to a games afternoon today with friends (first experience of Cards Against Humanity and oh my it's on par with my humour) it's been a good weekend.

Today has been my first outing in my brand new SUPER white Superga 2750 trainers. I have had my eyes on these trainers for a good while and decided to use Christmas vouchers for Topshop on them at £49.99 online. Having just tried to link these up to Topshop they are no longer available however Office stocks them for the same price. 

I teamed my new treads with ripped blue jeans which I picked up on my travels to Tenerife back in August on a gals holiday from Pull&Bear. One thing I love is to shop the Iniditex group in Spain/Spanish Islands and one of my favourite brands I always visit is Oysho! I had a look to see if they are still available but no such luck so I have added something similar on my mood board above (see link to Topshop Lucas jeans in Bio below). 

I wanted to tuck in my vintage woollen jumper with a chunky belt and wore my vintage 501 Levi's belt which I picked up years ago in Denmark (Copenhagen is literally the BEST for second hand shops). I feel like this replicates a 'western belt' look for me and have linked up a very desirable Saint Laurent brown leather belt in the mood board and bio...only £260!! There's so many affordable belts like this on the high street too. 

As I said my jumper is again vintage (if that's what you can get away with calling your Mum's old clothes...). However if I do end up buying it I would have worn the new Topshop Popcorn V-Neck Jumper for £39.99 as I love the texture and colour which is pictured above/linked below. 

I have a Skagen watch which is currently getting repaired and I cannot wait to have back! I do however really like the look of my Casio Gold watch with this outfit. The only issue I have with the watch is I cannot for the life of me work out how to do anything with it in terms of changing time etc...I have however managed to set 3 timers which go off 3 times a day, everyday!! Nightmare!

Time for bed now and some pages of Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff...

Thanks for reading my little abstract

Andrea 

BIO: 
SAINT LAURENT WESTERN BELT - £260
http://www.matchesfashion.com/products/1079237?country=GBR&LGWCODE=1079237000006;104009;6167&visitor_id=v3_ab379e6e-db74-11e6-97f6-00163ef106fd&gclid=CLzyyN-dxdECFQZAGwod9lsHOw&qxjkl=tsid%3A75588%7Ccid%3A281046524%7Cagid%3A20827916924%7Ctid%3Apla-77730807369%7Ccrid%3A73807143764%7Cnw%3Ag%7Crnd%3A17421577611395018335%7Cdvc%3Ac%7Cadp%3A1o5

TOPSHOP POPCORN V-NECK JUMPER £39
http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/clothing-427/knitwear-444/popcorn-v-neck-jumper-6135858?bi=60&ps=20

TOPSHOP RIPPED LUCAS JEANS - £45.00
http://www.topshop.com/en/tsuk/product/clothing-427/jeans-446/moto-dark-blue-lucas-jeans-5764838?bi=120&ps=20

2750 SUPERGA TRAINERS - £49.99
http://www.office.co.uk/view/product/office_catalog/5,20/1603510000

CASIO GOLD WATCH - £32.95
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casio-plated-digital-watch-LA670WGA-1DF/dp/B003BJFQW4/ref=sr_1_53/254-4649871-6714834?s=watch&ie=UTF8&qid=1478299872&sr=1-53&tag=graptide-21&linkCode=ll1

Weekend Beauty Essentials: Day and Night

January weekend's are pretty dry and shy when it comes to drinking and spending. However when one of your good friends has a birthday in January then for one night only this isn't perhaps the case...

It dawned on me whilst getting ready for Friday night drinks in Leicester that beauty essentials are key for me, especially for a night out. Smelling nice is a huge part of my lifestyle all day every day and I'm never happy unless I'm wearing perfume. I'm certainly not shy when it comes to dowsing myself/home in lovely (and slightly pricey) smells whether it's perfumes, lotions, candles or creams. I am currently in the middle of reading Jo Malone's autobiography and I have just passed a chapter where she talks about how smells are a memory: 

"Often, when I talk about scents, I refer to my fondness for the crisp smell of something clean and fresh; think newly laundered, pristine sheets in a hotel room; think of the effervescence of a slice of lime dropped into a fizzy glass of water. Think of the memory and sense its smell - that's what I do." - Jo Malone

Where scents are vital so is my make-up which I take particular care with for a night out. This is where I have come up with my weekend beauty essentials pictured above. 

My favourite choice for a make up base primer has to be Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Light. This for me is perfect because it is oil-free and I really do struggle because of my skin type finding lovely beauty products which are oil-free...few and far between! I find this primer sits well on the skin and instantly feel how light and non greasy it is when putting it on my face before foundation. I put one or two drops onto my fingers and rub this into my face and leave for a few minutes to settle onto my skin before applying foundation. I buy this from Boots (advantage point gains!) for £26.00 http://www.boots.com/en/Smashbox-Photo-Finish-Foundation-Primer-Light_1271636/

Moisturising is important where I love to combine a scented hand/body lotion with my perfume and Lime Basil and Mandarin Body and Hand Lotion by Jo Malone does just that. The beauty about this product is also that you can buy the 100ml bottle for £19.00 or if you need that bit extra the 250ml bottle for £38.00; order from Jo Malone now where they are offering complimentary delivery on online orders http://www.jomalone.co.uk/product/3601/9775/fragrances/the-collections/citrus/lime-basil-mandarin/lime-basil-mandarin-body-hand-lotion

Lastly my perfume...the key to completing any look and outfit. I only wear two perfumes and one which is important to me is Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules. This perfume is made from a single ingredient Iso E Super which works with your natural pheromones creating an individual scent for the wearer. My Mum actually discovered this before I did and went out on a limb and gifted me it last year (despite knowing I only at the time wore Chanel Coco Mademoiselle) and I'm so glad she did...I love it! You can get this from Liberty London and various department stores...and I particularly enjoy the case that comes with it: http://www.libertylondon.com/uk/molecule-01-travel-size-30ml-with-case-1001468598.html?dwvar_399157_color=98-NO%20COLOUR&referrer=brands#ph=1001468598&start=1

I'm now settling down for another week which I'm sure will be busy. I've had a great weekend being busy and also chilled out/productive. Check out the cocktail I had on Friday night from a cute bar in Leicester called 33 Cank Street; it's called Candyfloss http://bar33cankstreet.com/menu/

Thanks for reading my little abstract

Andrea 

Back to work lunch of goodness - Goats cheese, spinach, beetroot and tomato salad pot

Happy New Year! Another day off has meant another day of rather unhealthy eating from me. I had my first Five Guys today and the experience has taught me that if I return, order a small burger and small fries...it was delicious but a lot of bite so be it for a lot of buck when it comes to fast food. 

On the train home from an enjoyable shopping trip to Birmingham I was craving healthy lunches for the week to coincide with getting back into my evenings after work in the gym. Having some beetroot in the fridge I used it as my keyword in my Pinterest search for an inspirational salad. I wrote a list so I was ready to nip in and out of Waitrose on my way home...

• 1 bag of Spinach leaves
• Tomatoes (I use one per salad pot)
• Goats Cheese (I went for Waitrose Smooth and Lemony British Soft Goats Cheese) http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-268343-Waitrose+British+soft+goats'+cheese+strength+2+mild
• Yogurts (my favourite work day snack and I opted for Alpro Soya Banana & Strawberry/Peach & Pear) http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=65867
• Bananas (the only breakfast I ever fit in during the week) 

What I had in, but what you may also need:

• Beetroot
• Spring Onions
• Olive Oil

After a busy day shopping and household chores to crack on with in the evening I was glad I picked a quick prep lunch. 

Firstly I started by washing the spinach in a sieve, draining to then place as the base to my salad pot. I grabbed the chopping board and I chopped one tomato into nice generous wedges and placed these in and around my bed of spinach. I then sliced into the yummy goats cheese and cubed a tasty amount to be the punch, and let's face it true enjoyment, for my salad. I sliced some spring onion, added both to the pot where I finally forked out some beetroot as a finishing touch. I'm going to leave this in the fridge overnight and drizzle a little olive oil over the salad in the morning before I head for work.   

I intend on these ingredients being the basis to a salad for each day this week and I will perhaps change the goats cheese/beetroot for something else to change it up.


A dreaded chore was my weekly change of bedding, does anyone else hate this task?? I do have to admit that it's the most satisfying and comforting thing to prepare for a challenging week back to work after Christmas and New Year! 

Now for a few chapters of Jo Malone's autobiography...it's bloody brilliant!

Thanks for reading my little abstract 

Andrea 

Quick Fix Smoked Mackerel & Creme Fraiche Jacket Potato with Beetroot and Spring Onion Salad.

Starting a New Years resolution 2 days earlier makes sense when you crave healthy food and exercise just before you know you're about to be relatively unhealthy for a day (or two)...it's almost 2017 people! 

Having got myself back to the gym this week, and work sadly, I wanted a healthy quick fix dinner with some of my favourite ingredients. When I am in doubt about what I could have that is quick, tasty and relatively cheap I go for Boneless Smoked Mackerel Fillets. I decided to be adventurous where I also had a little help from the serving suggestion on the Waitrose Hot Smoked Mackerel Fillets packaging; to combine this with a fluffy jacket potato, creme fraiche and olive oil dressing adding chopped beetroot and spring onions (with a few dashes of sea salt). 

What you need to buy:

• Pack of Boneless Smoked Mackerel Fillets (As suggested I went for the delicious Waitrose Hot Smoked Mackerel Fillets) http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=324846
• Pot of low fat Creme Fraiche 
• 1 Baking Potato
• Beetroot Chopped Salad
• Spring Onions 

What you will potentially already have in the cupboard:

• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt 
• Butter

I like a no fuss/mess approach to a quick fix dinner which to me rules out pots, pans and baking trays. I did need to use the chopping board for my spring onions but apart from that everything was done on the plate and fork I ate from. 

Firstly wash your baked potato and place on a microwave safe plate, prick with a fork several times all the way around and drizzle with olive out and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in the microwave uncovered for 5/6 minutes. I use this time to put some washing on, tidy, clean etc oh and to chop up some spring onions on the chopping board. Once this is ready open out your potato, spread some butter on the potato and let it melt in. Then spoon your creme fraiche onto the potato and how much  you put on depends on how much you want. I then drizzle some olive oil onto the creme fraiche and add a pinch of salt and use the fork to mix this into the creme fraiche and add over the top the chopped spring onion. Then fork out some nice chunks of beetroot over your jacket potato. Finally take the skin off of two mackerel fillets then break up pieces of Smoked Mackerel to go on top...voila! 

Tasty, cheap, healthy and takes less than 10 minutes to cook/prep! 

Thanks for reading my little abstract 

Andrea