Modern Day Gentlemen

I cant speak for everyone here but i cant resist a man in a suit, or at least looking as gentlemanly as possible.
My husband takes on a whole new persona when in a suit and really holds himself differently, and thats no bad thing at all.
Men where men when in a suit and i feel if you want to be taken seriously as man you need to dress as such, and with the high street tipping a hat to vintage theres no better time than to see your man looking like the gentleman he is inside.
Men’s fashion is a fantastic British success story - from the established houses of Saville Row such as Richard James, to new and emerging talents like James Long. This first-ever London Men’s Fashion Week this autumn will help to show off the industry throughout London’s Olympic year and will show why Britain is such a fantastic place to visit. Not to mention the totty!
Next are all over this trend and have some gorgeous pieces for the gentleman in your life and for all style looks.
The Signature Black Stripe Tailored Fit Jacket

(http://bit.ly/NwfXua) is a staple for anyone trying to build a wardrobe for autumn and Tan Cleated Brogues

(http://bit.ly/O0jX1S) are as British as a Sunday roast. From loafers to espadrilles, check out the full range of Next men’s shoes here (http://bit.ly/OkWGdb).
We like our men to dress like gentlemen, so this season’s knitted sleeveless tanks

(http://bit.ly/QkFFDs) and waistcoats

(http://bit.ly/Ny5KNB) worn over shirts (http://bit.ly/ORnqOZ) and with smart trousers and brogues are just the ticket. Makes a change from the usual jeans and shorts!
I couldnt agree more that all men should if not for work, at least on date night dress ever the gentlemen, it screams Christian Grey and what woman wouldnt like that?!

L xx

Vintage Style

We all love a hint of vintage to our outfit, be it in accessories or a gorgeous dress and i like most women are crazy about all things vintage even though i love the comfort of modern clothes and fabrics.
I have recently been sucked in by Mad Men and I'm feverishly trying to catch up with the rest of the world! I'm fascinated by the fashion including the mountainous underwear they wore and the gorgeous furniture and accessories.
Ive been interested in vintage fashion since i started studying fashion design when i was just 16. And I've had ideas on making my own underwear for years but never had the guts to give it a try.
However whilst i while away the hours on eBay i stumbled across this beautiful monsoon underwear set whilst searching for dresses.
I just couldn't resist it with its nod to the 1950s and its simple structured look i had to have it and with no other bidders but me 99p was an absolute steal for a brand new set worth £40!!

Now just to find that elusive pair of shoes I've been hankering for!!

L xx

Curtain revamp

Since closing La Chic Unique, i have spent a lot of time finally getting my house decorated and primped and preened into the home i want, my budget has been very small and being as frugal as i am most of our now very priced possessions are preloved.
The man of the house has had an almost obsessive hate about the blinds we have had up since we moved in over 2 years ago so i bit the bullet and tried to find a pair of cute curtains for our newly decorated lounge.
I had wanted some gorgeous taffeta ones, to the floor in a rich cream but sadly these have been out of my budget due to the size of my window! So, as a last ditch attempt to find something as a stop gap i grabbed a pair of vintage floral ones from the local charity shop for a mere £2.
They where cream with a cute floral pattern but with a hideous frill. He hated them and i wasn't a huge fan but they fit beautifully and are gorgeously made and have done the job for the last few months.
However with a little to much time to kill one afternoon i figured enough was enough and something had to be done about them. With autumn fast approaching i have dreamt up this gorgeous cosy lounge for evening snuggles and movies and i went ahead with giving the curtains a make over as my starting point for my autumn cosy hideaway.

I started off with carefully cutting the frill off as close as possible to the seam, with its satin pink strip it reminded me of my grandmas bedroom curtains when i was 6 i still shudder at the thought lol!

Then i used a Dylon Ruby Red machine dye to , fingers crossed, dye them to something that would frame the window instead of give me nightmares.
I had hoped for a really deep red tone to them as the walls are painted a soft grey tone and we have white nets up to the window.
Having been through the washer twice and a few hours drying they have been transformed into these...

As you can see from the photo the colour is a lot lighter than i hoped but they are not 100% cotton so i didn't expect them to be very true to colour, not to mention the pattern! Even though you can still see it on close inspection, when the light floods into the room they turn a gorgeous deep shade against the bright white of the window nets and the light grey walls.

I rehung them the wrong way round so the outer seam would be on the meeting side of the curtain so they now look like a completely  new set of curtains. Ive had two fabulous reactions when i said they where the same curtains, no one can believe five Min's with a pair of shears and a fabric dye can make such a huge difference to a room, i cannot be happier, not only did it not cost me a whopping £100 for a fabulous pair of curtains but i didn't even need to buy a new pair.

And here my window is, with my gorgeous vintage sun catchers up, i love them more than i ever thought i would and with the ease of use of the Dylon fabric dyes i will defo be reworking more in the future!!
Thanks Dylon for the stunning new curtains, i hope you approve.




L xx

The Nails Show 2012

THE NAILS SHOW 

2012 - LAUNCH Press Release
The Nails Show launch is scheduled on Saturday 18th August 2012. An exciting new event in the beauty industry. Creating a spotlight for talented nail professionals and welcoming the general public to enjoy all things nails! 

“Nails have become an accessory, a fashion statement and a part of our regular grooming”. 

A visual, interactive and entertaining event where guests can enjoy FREE nail art work shops, amazing prize give away's, buy exciting nail products, FREE Polish swaps stand (bring unused and unwanted nail polishes to exchange for one you like), have their nails done with a variety of the hottest nail trends to choose from, live singing performances as well as a complimentary goody bag. 

The Nails Show is a 1-day event showcasing nail professionals and their brands this will give them the opportunity to network with like minded indivuals and businesses as well as connecting with the general public and nails enthusiasts alike. This is the first event of its kind! 

The shows highlight will be the LIVE Express Nail Art Competition at 4pm in which the artists have a short amount of time to whip up a creative nail art work piece live! With guest interaction they will vote for their favorite design to determine a winner! The winner will receive a trophy and prize. 

The Nails Show takes place at CARGO, Shoreditch EC2A 3AY a chance for the nail obsessed, polish lovers, those who enjoy taking care of or simply having fun with their nails, as well as individuals who are interested in learning new ways to take care of their nails. This will be an event not to be missed!
.
Doors open: 11am Event ends: 6pm
Ticket Prices: Limited early bird tickets £7 Standard tickets £10 on the door £15 Online tickets: www.eventelephant.com/thenailsshow
For more information please contact: Natalie on press@nailsshow.co.uk
Social media: Facebook.com/thenailsshow twitter.com/thenailsshow #nailsshow 

Organix Goodies - A Review

Last week we received this lovely box filled with Organix Goodies. I had thought we had seen the last of 'baby' food and snacks as our youngest is now 2.5, but how how very wrong was I?! These fab goodies are suitable for right up to 3 years + and are perfect when out and about, you have a picky eater that likes small meals or just when you have had the day from hell and the thought of cooking another box of fish fingers puts the fear of god in you.

A few words from the people at Goodies.

Goodies Welcomes Two New Tasty Snacks for Toddlers.
Veg and Oat Bars and Mini Cheese Crackers join Goodies Savouries Range

 Toddling or crawling around all day, exploring and learning new things can use up a lot of energy, so it’s important to keep your little one’s energy levels topped up with regular snacks in-between meals.

Sweetness is one of the major factors putting Mums off toddler snacks in the supermarket but the two newest additions to the Organix Goodies Savouries range are a fab healthy alternative!

Organix Goodies Veg and Oat Bars and Organix Goodies Mini Cheese Crackers will keep hunger in check and help provide your toddler with the energy and nutrition they need.

Goodies Tomato & Carrot Veg and Oat Bars are made with organic dried tomato and carrot juice concentrate with all the goodness of wholegrain oats. The bars are gently baked for a soft savoury taste.
RRP £2.49, weight 6x25g

Goodies Mini Cheese Crackers are oven baked, bite-size savoury cheese crackers made with real organic cheese, organic wheat and rice flours, and contain absolutely nothing unnecessary. They are yummy on their own but why not try a little dip on top if your toddler is an adventurous eater?
RRP £1.99, weight 4x20g

The Savouries range is proving a popular addition to the award winning Organix Goodies brand and is loved by Mums wanting a savoury snack alternative. Jane, Mum to Isabelle, aged 13 months says: “The range is a great way to introduce more adventurous savoury flavours for my toddler”.

All Organix Goodies Savouries come with Organix’s No Junk Promise - which means there are no hidden nasties, just yummy ingredients!

Look out for a brand new flavour – coming soon!


We all like to feed our children the very best and making sure you get the 5 a day and all the other vitamins/minerals/and all the other things you need to eat or you will grow an extra head stuff can be a right battle, and with kids its all about how it looks! There's nothing truer than the saying ' you eat with your eyes' where children are concerned. If it resembles a vegetable or its something that hasn't been deep fried you will hear a chorus of "EEEWWWW" emanating from the kitchen.
However i have found that these Organix Goodies have been great from snacks and good for them too! We don't tend to have shop bought cake and biscuits and the only crisps i let in the house are pom bears so our quick snacks tend to be buckets of fruit so it was a welcome break for the kids to try something that they wouldn't normally have.

Zoe ate the gingerbread men like they where going out of fashion (as you can see from this very fetching photo!), and from the pickiest eater i know this is a massive compliment.
Emma chose the dried fruit and she gave the 'mmmmmmm' nod of satisfaction, and she has become quite the connoisseur of dried fruit lately!
Elissa chose the mighty meal one night for tea, shes the eldest and the most picky about how things taste, she ate half of it before complaining it didn't taste like mummy's stew and dumplings but I wouldnt class that as a complete failure. It looked great when i dished it up, with mini dumplings and veg and it smelt like 'real' food.
We have saved the last few bits for day trips and when i cant cope with the constant "I'm hungrrryyyy" whining between meals!
All in all I'd be happy to recommend the Organix Goodies range to anyone with little ones, they are a brand i trust and the food resembles real food not something you would feed your dog. The packaging is lovely and bright and really catches the kids eyes which in most cases is the kiss of death but with these you know the kids are getting some goodness. I'll be buying some of their snacks again, especially the biscuits and the dried fruit.
To find out more about Organix and there wonderful ranges of baby food and toddler snacks check them out here http://www.organix.com/
There are recipes, an online shop and a meal planner, its a site not to be missed!

Until next time...

L x

Eco friendly cleaning

Like most people, as it seems now, i have really sensitive skin especially so on my hands but being a "house wife" i spend a lot of my time scrubbing something of a surface it shouldnt be on (thanks kids!) so inevitably with bleach based products i emerge in an itchy red rash in between my fingers.
After reading a friends blog about chemicals and health implications and lots of other scary stuff (and yes the husband does think i was being slightly over dramatic with it all) i decided to look into some natural products i could use that not only do a great job but are affordable and kind to my skin and the environment.
Of course there are plenty of products on the market at the moment that are kind to the environment and your skin like Method or Ecover and yes we do use them for certain cleaning jobs like dishwasher tablets and washing powder and i have no complaints about their cleaning ability and are yet to cause irritation but they are pricey and being the thrifty so and so i am i dont want to be spending a fortune on cleaning products on a regular basis (yes i do have slight OCD!)
So armed with Pinterest and a few hours i scoured the internet for recipes and hints and tips on cleaning the vintage way. In the 50s for example they didnt have flashy cleaning products just a passed down recipe on keeping things clean.
The foundation for most, if not all homemade cleaners is white vinegar and this would be the part where i start jumping up and down with excitement about not just how great it is for like EVERYTHING but its cheap too.

I started with an experiment, just to see if it worked, with cleaning my long over due oven. I found a recipe for a 50:50 mix of water and white vinegar as a cleaner for both the oven top and in the inside.
I also used baking soda for this as a scrubbing, draw away the grease cleaner.
I sprayed with water/vinegar mix onto my stainless steel hob and simply wiped away baked on stains and really made the steel shine, i then sprinkled the baking soda on then wiped away to remove any residue of the vinegar. I used this method on the baking tray on the inside and actually the oven and ive never seen anything remove grease like it! EVER in the history of the world!! Ok that may have been a little over enthusiastic but seriously TRY IT!
The water/vinegar mix can be used to clean pretty much anything, its excellent on glass, i clean both inside and out with it and it works a treat, i use it on work tops for every day cleaning and it leaves a lovely fresh smell behind, you can also add a squirt of fresh lemon to your mix, it helps with shine and that vinegar smell if it offends you. I even use it on the kitchen floor when i mop and it it makes my lino shine like new!! I even tried just the white vinegar in the dishwasher, empty of course, to clean the inside and the tubes, my dishes have never been so clean! And so much cheaper AND environmentally friendly!! i even made the microwave look like new with using the same method!
So for me this doesnt only prove that i dont need to buy bleach based products to ensure a beautifully clean home with subsequently saves the pennies but that more poor hands dont need to take a battering everyday just to keep my home that clean and most importantly simplest is best. Just two ingredients, thats all it needs.

L x

Help Dora Help Returns for a Second Year

NICK JR. LAUNCHES HELP DORA HELP 2012
Second Year of Campaign is set to Award £20,000

London, 15th May, 2012 – Nick Jr., the award-winning pre-school channel from the Nickelodeon network, today announces the 2012 launch Help Dora Help, the campaign that brings exploration to life in nurseries and pre-schools across the UK.

The campaign, supported by The Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts consists of a free activity pack, giving nurseries and pre-schools educational activity resources. Nurseries will also have the opportunity to apply for an award of £20,000. The pack follows the Early Years Foundation Stage development goals and contains six activity session plans that provide stimulating learning opportunities with the theme of Dora the Explorer’s adventures. The themes for this year’s pack are: Cooking, Sports Day, Fairy Tales, Animals, Seaside and Music.

Registration is now open at nickjr.co.uk/helpdorahelp for nurseries to apply for a pack. They have until 22nd July to work through the activities with their pre-schoolers and put together their application for the £20,000 award.

Once this year’s applications have been submitted, an expert panel led by Nick Jr.’s Wake Up World Helena Dowling, alongside Nick Jr. representatives and partners including The Prince’s Foundation, Dora Magazine and Chad Valley will choose five finalists. The public will then be able to vote for their favourite application and decide who is awarded the £20,000.

Each of the five finalists will be awarded discovery and learning equipment from Chad as well as a classroom visit from Dora the Explorer and all five finalists’ award bids will be filmed and aired on Nick. Jr.

In 2011, Hope Nursery School in Belfast was selected. With the award the Nursery selected to build a play area featuring numerous play structures, a puppet theatre, garden, sand and water area.
Tina McCann, MD Nickelodeon UK, said: “The quality of applications in 2011’s Help Dora Help campaign were incredible. We’re delighted with the way the award has been used at Hope Nursery and equally excited to engage with pre-schoolers and practitioners across the country once more throughout 2012.”

Nurseries and pre-schools can apply for the free Help Dora Help Activity Pack and Award Fund at www.nickjr.co.uk.