Style: Embracing winter

Here is a little outfit inspiration for the remaining cold days of winter...who says you can't be stylish when it's freezing outside? Layers, layers, layers baby!!

Scroll all the way down to see where you can buy similar pieces to update your wardrobe...

Home Proud: Home Sense

I haven't posted about some home goodness for ages, so thought I would show you all one of my favourite homeware stores!

I love shopping at TKMAXX and especially the home department, but their sister store called Home Sense is amazing on a whole other level! Home Sense only sells furniture, accessories, decorations and kitchenware, across two to three floors and in several locations in the UK.

All their items are incredibly tasteful, and there is something there for everyone. Whether you are into minimalist style, or love a bit of boho chic blues and hippy browns, you will be able to find something in your price range as everything is discounted.

I basically wanted to buy everything...but have nowhere to put it all!

Love these Morrocan dishes and the blue decoration

How amazing would this candle chandelier look at a garden party?

There were loads of pretty bowls perfect for planting flowers or using as a trey for treats

Both strange items but they are for the garden I guess!

Absolutely in love with this chair, dreamy! Now to get a garden...

Lots of garden decorations...

So pretty. I really wanted these but had nowhere to place them :(

There was a selection of great inexpensive gifts, too

Lovely subtle detailing on these bowls

FInd a store in your area here and get shopping!

http://www.homesense.com/stores.php

Christmas 2014 adventures

I really hope that everyone has had a lovely Christmas, and managed to spend some quality time with their families eating lots of delicious food, sharing presents, and making time to do things together.

My favourite part of Christmas, apart from the food, is buying and wrapping presents. I like to think I'm pretty good at buying gifts, and I really enjoy it even though it sometimes takes me hours, days even, to find that perfect match for my friends or family. I start shopping two months in advance, too, to make sure I get enough time to look...a little over the top I know!

I'll take you through my little but magical Christmas this year (2014) in a few photos below...

I got these vintage-style letter stamps from my friend, and used them to make name tags for every gift.

You can buy them at Asos (£8), Amazon (£9.99) or Hobbycraft (£10) and they are so cheap, but well worth it, especially if you like DIY!

December isn't a bad one at work either - some of my colleagues and I went to Izakaya Flesh & Buns in Covent Garden and I can honestly say it was one of the most amazing meals I've ever had in London. For just £30 we had the taster menu, and ate a variety of Japanese, Chinese and British mini dishes...only to top that with this incredible American-style passion fruit s'more with chocolate biscuits. Heaven!

How could you resist??

I enjoyed taking this little Patricia Field bag out to dinners with me - I thought it was a cute little retro festive accessory to a smart outfit...my replacement for a Christmas jumper this year!

On Christmas Eve, I went to my boyfriend's family and took this snap of his stylish sister in her Fenwick jumper and Bobbl beanie, playing with LEGO!

I then went on to my cousin Maja's house to spend Christmas with my family, starting with a lovely night cap in these vintage glasses!

We woke up to this pile of gifts!

The obligatory Christmas selfie... Kitty hat is an old one from Zara but you can also get them on eBay for just £2.88.

Some of my lovely gifts from family and my boyfriend...I felt very spoilt!

My cousin Maja is an amazing host and always makes food look fun (I don't know how she always does it so quickly!) These were mulled apple drinks with pear cut out stars inside.

We took a day trip to a nearby town called Marlborough, where we walked around the cute little shops and had scones and tea at the Polly Tearooms.

My little 13 year old cousin Sasha made these delicious dough balls from scratch, and we baked a camembert to dip into...you'd probably have guessed that this was all gone within 10 minutes.

For New Year's Eve, I traveled up to Somerset to my friend's beautiful Georgian home, to celebrate 2015 with her little family and another two friends....it was really the perfect New Year's celebration, with the people I love the most.

I got these adorable necklaces for Christmas...The Cherish necklace is from Orelia, the eternity necklaces are from Etsy, and the name necklace is custom made at a Jewellers in Crouch End.

We took a New Year's Day walk to a pretty cool tunnel where they used to test Concords...

Enchanted! I love the English countryside.

I have also been trying out different types of exercise before and after Christmas, including aerial and hot yoga, and will be reporting back in another post soon!

Food: Dairy-free Oatly roasted butternut squash soup with lemon thyme

I've mentioned in my earlier posts that I've been trying to find better alternatives to high intolerance foods such as dairy...and my alternative I mean delicious, too! I've never been a diet person so I could never really give up the foods I love...chocolate being my worst weakness! SO from time to time I do still have certain ingredients that aren't great for the tummy (bread, soy sauce, fizzy drinks, etc.) but this is now very rare...just a treat once in a while.

I usually use LactoFree milk for my cereal, as it tastes just like the real thing, but I've also recently come across Oatly, the oat based drink. Their chocolate drinks are so yummy on their own, or you can use the other formulations to cook with or drink by itself.

Here is a great recipe with Oatly as one of the main ingredients...

OATLY ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH LEMON THYME

Serves 4

Vegan friendly

Ingredients

• 250 ml Oatly Organic Creamy Oat
• 1 butternut squash
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. minced ginger
• 1 minced red chili
• 2 sprigs of lemon thyme
• 2 green apples, diced
• 800 ml vegetable stock
• 1 lemon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Toasted pumpkin seeds, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 240C/475F.
2. 
   
3. Halve the butternut squash and scoop out the seeds using a large spoon. Place the halves on a large baking sheet with flesh side up. Drizzle over the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 
4. 
   
5. Roast in the oven for 30–40 minutes, or until the squash is tender.
6. 
   
7. Heat a large pot over medium high heat and add the oil. Add the onions, chilli, ginger and apple and cook gently until soft.
8. 
   
9. Using a large spoon, scoop out the flesh from the butternut squash and add it with thyme to the pot.
10. 
    
11. Pour over the vegetable stock. Bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
12. 
    
13. Remove from the heat and blend using a hand-blender to desired consistency.
14. 
    
15. Add the Creamy oat and sqeeze over lemon. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes and season with salt and freshly grounded black pepper.
16. 
    
17. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds.

This recipe was made using Oatly Organic Creamy Oat – a great dairy free, healthy alternative to single cream. For more delicious recipes and further information about the Oatly way of life, visit www.facebook.com/oatlyab

Style: Foot Locker's The Week of Greatness

Since I got my Nike flyknits I've been edging back to a little sneaker obsession once and again...I also recently found out about Foot Locker's annual Week of Greatness, which not sneaker fans pretty excited. In November, Foot Locker released 50 new and exclusive sneakers in the most popular styles, each day starting with a new pack of sneakers launching in-store and online, with a hero sneaker leading the way.

The mix included Nike, Adidas, Asics and Puma in a variety of styles such as high tops and runners in every colour, and were sold all around Europe.

As it can get pretty crazy, Foot Locker previewed all the sneakers to fans beforehand, and then had a ticketing system which enabled you to plan your purchases and find their locations. It's the most exciting week of the year for the brand, with a selection of carefully curated freshest kicks dropped.

Although the Week of Greatness was in November, you can still buy some of the trainers online.

Check out some of my favourite trainers that were released during the Week of Greatness, and a few videos below. They all look sick with some skinny or high waisted jeans!

Style post to follow soon!

THE ADIDAS ZX FLUX NEURON

THE NIKE AIRMAX THEA

THE NIKE ROSHE RUN

THE NIKE HUARACHE

THE NIKE AIR MAX 90S

Get chatting to Foot Locker on Twitter with the #Greatness or #Weekofgreatness