Tartan yourself up

I have a slight aversion to tartan. It may have something to do with the fact that my school uniform contained this:

(image from eBay)

But anyway, it has been on the cover of Vogue and it was the focus of Chanel's A/W13 highland collection, so I guess I have to accept that it's a THING again. So, here are a few ways that I think that I can embrace the trend without feeling like an overgrown schoolgirl...

(Comme des Garçons purse, Burberry cardigan, Mulberry scarf, Charles Philip Shanghai shoes, Chanel bag, Zara skirt)

Whaddaya think? Still too St. Trinians??

Save the Dates

This may seem like a slightly odd post, seeing as how I'm not in any way close to getting married/don't have any events on the horizon, but hey, what is life without whimsy; I blame my newly rekindled Pinterest addiction... But anyway, for no apparent reason, I thought I'd compile a list of 'Save the Date' alternatives from the boring old flyers through the post. Some of these do come in on the pricier side, so wouldn't be suitable for an event with thousands of guests/a tight budget, but most could also work as an actual invitation or even as favours/gifts during an event.

Everyday items:

One great way to send your 'Save The Date' (I've seen this shortened to STDs around the Internet - if ever there was something that should not be made into an acronym that would be it) is to print it onto an everyday item that people are going to see/use all the time so that they are constantly reminded of the most important day of your life. There are plenty of options for this:

(tea towel, mug, magnet)

Consumable:

The complete other end of the spectrum is to put the date on something consumable as almost everybody enjoys sweets and alcohol. The risk here is that, as these things are meant to be eaten/drunk, the date will not be 'saved' at all, so it is advisable to send a card along with these, or at least a caveat that the recipient should make a note of the date, rather than it being forgotten almost instantaneously.

(cookies, alcohol miniature, rock)

Interactive:

These are great as they require the recipient to really study your 'Save The Date' and are all pretty fun too. All of these need the 'user' to stare at them for prolonged amounts of time, so hopefully the date should sink in pretty quickly, but you may want to send along a card with all the information too, in case these prove a little too challenging...

(viewfinder, message reveal, rubik's cube keyring)

Cheap and Cheerful:

These are great alternatives to a simple flyer for anyone on a budget. If you're going for a theme, then this could be the time to get creative and give people a bit of a heads up... The keyring here is a bit pricy, but you could just bulk buy plastic keyrings and use your own design. Or you could take your own creative, in no way cringe-worthy, Pinterest-inspired photo and send that out to your guests.

(movie ticket, key ring, photo)

Gift guide for mums

It is my mum's birthday this Friday (yay, another gift-giving stress) so I thought I'd put together another gift guide - again under £25, £50 and £100 - to give me a way of looking at all my 'research' and to possibly help others who are looking for a little inspiration. My mum is very much interested in beauty and fashion, so these choices do all tend to lean towards that kind of thing...

Under £25

(Liberty notepad, YSL lipstick, Joy photo frame, PiP Studio cup and saucer, Vistaprint personalised iPhone cover, Radley umbrella, Chanel vernis, Rococo chocolates, John Lewis candle holder, Mary Berry cookbook)

Under £50

(Biscuiteers biscuit tin, Jane Packer flowers, Laurent Perrier champagne, Jo Malone candle, Umbra Aquala bath caddy, Smythson notebook, Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Personalised 'Thanks Mum' poster, Calvin Klein pyjama bottoms)

Under £100

(Harvey Nichols hamper, Ted Baker purse, Marc by Marc Jacobs cosmetic case, Karen Millen jacket, Tom Ford palette, Tiffany charm, Mulberry iPhone case, Acne scarf, Chanel perfume)

As much as I am a fan of the birthday list (you get what you want and the present-giver can be happy in the knowledge that you're really going to love what you get - win-win), if you're up against the dreaded 'I don't know, surprise me' response, then I think the best gifts for mums are ones that they might not usually buy for themselves.

Whaddaya think? Would your mum be happy to unwrap one of these bad boys on her birthday?

It doesn't matter if you're (wearing) black or white

As the weather is cooling down a little again, I'm excited for covering up. As much as I enjoy the sun, I'm much more of a winter-dresser than a summer one. Similarly, I like that it allows me to revert back to my monochrome (ish) ways. So, here are a few ways to wear my favourite colour combination as the weather cools off a little...

(Whistles sweater, Mulberry clutch, All Saints leggings, Pamela Rose necklace, Aurélie Bidermann ring, Topshop ring, Saint Laurent heels)

(Helmut Lang leggings, LPD New York T-shirt, Vans trainers, Tiffany ring, Vita Fede ring, Eddie Borgo bracelet, Topshop backpack)

It's not just me that gets really excited about getting to wear black and white without looking 'unseasonal' is it!?

How to throw the perfect dinner party...NOT

On my 101 list, I challenged myself to throw a dinner party for reasons I'm not entirely be sure... I am pretty awful in the kitchen and have absolutely no confidence in my abilities (due to the fact they are so lacking) and live in constant fear that I am going to give my 'victims' food poisoning. Therefore, I like to seriously overcompensate with decorations and alcohol (I apologise for the differing lighting throughout, they were taken at various points throughout the day):

I picked up the table runner, place mats, napkins and candles from a cracking shop called Butlers that is quite similar to Crate&Barrel but on a much smaller scale; it is the type of place that sells things that you didn't know you needed until you saw them. It's also pretty affordable, the candles were only 99p for instance. I tried to keep costs low as much as possible so, as it was a very informal evening, I just used paper napkins and little plastic kid's bowls as side 'plates' for bread, as my little flat is definitely not well stocked enough with crockery. I realise that the table could be viewed as a little gaudy, but I think that it works well in this sweltering summer heat. I personally really like the colour clash and think the massive white hydrangeas break it up well. As for the bubbles, well, what is life without whimsy. 

I also set up a little 'bar' which later had olives, flowers and prosecco, but unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of that. I tried this funkin' bellini purée as I didn't want to be messing about trying to make my own, but I wasn't impressed really - it took a lot to get any real taste from them. And as for the cocktail shakers, I LOVED them when I got them as they're really bright and fun, but before even using them two of the 'heads' had broken off, which was very upsetting. I picked these up at Butlers, so just as a warning, they aren't the most fantastic quality.

As for food, it was definitely not haute cuisine. The menu consisted of scallops and butternut squash purée (that was it, I forgot to put the other ingredients in), salmon with ratatouille and couscous, Eton mess (which I forgot to get a picture of, but I served them in Kilner jars as I didn't have enough bowls) and my amazing cheese board - this is the bit I'm most proud of, mainly as I wasn't responsible for any of the food. I stuck with the classic rule of one hard, one soft, one blue and one goats with crackers, grapes and chutney and it was pretty darn good. Sadly, though, I had plied my guests with so much food and alcohol that they didn't want any more by the time this came out and so this is now sat in my fridge and stinkin' up the joint. Marvellous.

Mid-year resolution: be a better girl

The weather has been glorious recently, but rather than enjoy the amazingness, I have spent an excessive amount of time watching beauty videos and reading blogs, and they're really making me want to go out and buy every single skincare product and item of makeup mentioned. I have watched HOURS of Zoella and Sprinkle of Glitter videos. And I know what you're thinking: you don't have a job, Lucy, maybe you should focus on that first. Well, I'm sorry, I can't help it, and hey, maybe better skin will help to get me a job...?! (I like to try to rationalise every life decision in such ridiculous ways).

I have been massively neglecting my skin recently and I don't really know why. It's not as if I have a high-powered, stressful job getting in my way or a jam-packed social life that is taking up all my time... Anyway, we're sort of half way through the year and so this seems like a great time for a resolution: I will take better care of my skin and learn how to stick creams and colours on my face in order that they make make it marginally more appealing.

I am very much one of those people that finds a makeup regime and sticks to it: same primer, concealer, foundation, blusher, eye liner and mascara. I don't even wear something on my lips every day as it scares me. I may have mentioned this before, but I have a really bad fear that I am going to look like a drag queen (not that there is anything wrong with that, I - not so secretly - wish I was a drag queen) and so I am not very creative when it comes to colours and fancy makeupin'. BUT, I absolutely love beauty products and have drawers full of unused products and I figure, I'm 22, if ever there were a time for atrocious makeup disasters, it would be now - old enough to half understand how to use everything/enough sense to start again if I look like Marge Simpson post-makeup gun, but young enough that at least I can console myself that I don't look like mutton dressed as lamb.

So, to start things off, I have just purchased my first EVER red lipstick, thus making me a proper grown up. It was this bad boy (only £5.49, as I wanted to make sure that it was going to look RIDICULOUS) and so far, I'm liking it: Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss 01.

I reckon this is a slippery slope and, if I'm making a video similar to this within a year, please come round to my flat and cut my credit card into tiny pieces and disconnect my internet to prevent me from ever buying a beauty product again!

This has been a bit of a nonsense post really, but essentially, I'm going to be buying more makeup and talking about it. So, there's that to look forward to...

Men's Gift Guide

I have 3 VERY difficult men that I have to buy gifts for at least twice a year: my dad and two brothers. I don't know if all men are like this but they don't want ANYTHING. My dad and eldest brother generally just don't 'use' very many things and my other brother just buys himself anything he likes (and has very expensive taste). With all three birthdays and Fathers' Day within two months of each other, mid June-mid August are particularly stressful shopping times.

So, whilst I'm searching frantically online, I thought I'd create a little guide so I can see everything side by side and maybe even help others who are suffering with the same pain! Here's a selection, depending on your budget...

   Under £25

1) Jack Daniels  - easy gift that will always go down well.
2) Ted Baker socks - fail-safe option; people need socks and these ones are a party in all the right places.
3) Topman t-shirt - who doesn't want a t-shirt with a French Bulldog on?
4) Book - sure to make any foodies happy.
5) Scratch-off map - a nice way to document where you've been/where you have left to go and it doubles up as a poster!
6) iPad case - this is the ultimate nerd alert! If you know what this is, you should be as embarrassed as I currently am. However, if you have a Back to the Future fan in your life, and you're looking for a fun, thrifty present, then this is an absolute winner.
7) BBQ - all men love to barbecue, and this one folds up to nothing so that they can show these skills off wherever they go. And it's only £24.99. Amazing.

Under £50

1) Hand wash and lotion - my brother has just moved into a new flat, and so this is a boring, but useful present.
2) Hip flask - secret drinking, but keepin' it classy.
3) Ted baker swimming shorts - hopefully there is still enough summer left to get your money's worth out of these.
4) Vans - a little bit of a cheat at £52, but it'd be worth skipping that latte for just one day.
5) Chocolates - one of those gifts that is secretly a little bit for yourself too. But hey, if you're spending that much on chocolate, you deserve the treat.
6) Spicebomb - because nobody likes a smelly man.
7) Hamper - who doesn't like a Fortnum's hamper? This is a great selection of condiments, teas and chocolate all for £50.

Under £100

1) Ralph Lauren polo shirt - the men of my family absolutely bum polo shirts, and this one is fairly safe.
2) iPhone case - a swanky Mulberry case for a swanky phone which would look very smart to take to meetings and generally show off.
3) Cheese gift set - I really love the idea of giving food gifts as you can be pretty sure they will be used and they can be treats that people wouldn't usually buy for themselves. This one is just so amazingly excessive that it's hard not to love. 
4) Card Holder - Zegna is a big winner with my siblings so this is a nice simple gift, that you can't really go wrong with (i.e. no wrong sizing!)
5) Up by Jawbone - I personally REALLY want one of these, although I'm not sure how useful they could actually be. But for men who like gadgets, this one is pretty cool. 
6) Oud and Bergamot cologne - a nice smell in nice packaging = perfect present.
7) Hugo Boss tie - again, a tie is a useful gift and you don't have to worry about sizing. This one is tasteful/muted enough to feel sure that it will be welcomed into their wardrobe.
8) Shaving accessories - I just love how old-school and everyday-indulgent this gift is.