* Merry Christmas *

(Red Dress - H&M / Beaded Jumper - Topshop / Heels - New Look)

* Merry Christmas! *

Hello lovelies! I'd like to wish every single one of my loyal blog readers a very merry christmas! I hope you had a wonderful day filled with lots and lots (and lots!) of food and festive drinks! I spent the majority of Christmas Day making my way through a mountain of glorious treats, including chocolate cream eclairs, traditional turkey lunch (with all the trimmings, of course) soon followed with fruit pavlova, chocolate cake and trifle for pudding... Can you tell I have a sweet tooth?

I hope you are all now taking the time to relax and spent quality time with family over this festive period. I'm currently snuggled up on the sofa in my new pair of pyjamas (nothing else seems to fit!), and I'm away to settle down to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life', one of my favourite Christmas movies! 

More soon, 

Helen

x

* Red Leopard *

Red Jumper - Marks and Spencer / Black Dress & Bag - H&M / Black Jacket - New Look

Hello loves! 

So, school's out for... Winter! It was my last day of uni on Tuesday, and I found myself shocked at how fast the semester had gone - 2014 has just flown by! I'm now looking forward to putting my feet up and spending time around the house watching Christmas movies all day long... Oh how I wish! Unfortunately, I still have some coursework to get through over the holidays, although I'm sure all the delicious Christmas food and drink I'll consume over the next couple of weeks will keep me going....

Do you guys recognise this jumper from last year? {See my old post here!} I've been loving it ever since I spotted it on the M&S clothes rail last winter. It's a very soft and cozy jumper, with a festive burst of red which I find perfect for this time of year. Speaking of, I hope everyone is in a merry mood with Christmas only one week away - wow! I've been a little swamped with coursework at the moment, but I decided to take some well deserved time off a few days ago to listen to christmas music and wrap the remainder of my presents - There really is nothing better than that! :)

More soon, 

Helen

x

* My Week in Pictures *

Hello lovelies! 

I thought I'd share with you all a few snaps from my life over the last few weeks. I really enjoyed creating my last 'week in pictures post', and you guys seemed to enjoy it too! From this post, you can probably tell that I love a cappuccino (or two) and I most definitely have a huge sweet tooth! I've mentioned this in a previous post, but I'm currently obsessed with Breaking Bad. I flew through the first two seasons in one weekend, and I'm about to begin season four - I think it's safe to say I'm addicted!

When I'm not glued to my laptop, I have tried my hand at baking a few tasty treats, and last weekend I attempted my first ever pavlova! It failed slightly, as I accidentally used the wrong kind of grease proof paper (lesson learnt!), and when I went to peel it off, the whole thing crumbled in my hands. Yes, it was devastating, and my pavlova soon turned into Eton Mess. All was not lost though, as I quickly smothered the whole thing in strawberries, cream and chocolate, and it still looked and tasted amazing!  

Have you also spotted the amazing Charlotte Olympia 'Day of the Dead' flat shoes? I've been a huge fan of the accessories designer even since I laid eyes on my first pair of Kitty Flats. These skull shoes have made their way straight to the top of my fictional designer wish list... One can dream! 

Speaking of treats, I also tried my hand at baking vanilla custard kisses, or more commonly known as custard creams. The biscuits turned out much better than the pavlova, and were very easy to make! They have always been a favourite of mine, and I'll quite shamefully admit that I was responsible for eating more than half of them once they were out the oven... * Take note - recipe for the delicious custard creams will be coming soon! :)

I also had a slight hippie moment last week, listening to Fleetwood Mac on repeat whilst tackling the mountain of uni work I have at the moment. I was then inspired to watch an old favourite of mine, Almost Famous. I'll forever be lusting over the afghan coat Kate Hudson wears throughout the movie.

I'll end this post with one final message for you guys to take away with you on this cold, Sunday night... 

'There is nothing better than hot chocolate on a lazy day.' 

(I couldn't agree more!)

More soon, 

Helen

x

DeGusta Winter Box Review - A Monthly Surprise Food Box!

Hello lovelies! 

After enjoying my first Degusta Box so much, I was thrilled when the company asked me if I would like to review another (Read my first review here!). Not only did I enjoy the previous box myself, but I was able to share so much of the contents with family and friends. I eagerly awaited the arrival of the next box, and was very excited to open it once it arrived at my door!

When I first opened the package, I was again amazed at the number of items that they had managed to fit into the relatively small box. The Degusta team do such a great job at packaging and ensure each item is kept safe during transit. For instance, the amount of bubble wrap I removed from the box is a present in itself - Who doesn't love popping bubble wrap? Haha! 

Anyways like my previous post, there will be lots to talk about, so let's begin!

Sitting perfectly at the top of the box was a fantastic packet of Kettle Chips. I am a huge crisp fan and was delighted to see a Stilton and Port flavour. I imagine this unusual flavour has been designed for the festive period, and I plan on sharing these with family around Christmas time. Similarly, there was a very generous portion of Lindt Melting Moments christmas chocolate snowflakes. There were five in the box altogether, which provides me with some excellent stocking fillers, or little sweet gift to give friends. Thirdly from the box, I pulled out a large jar of Branston Caramelised Chutney. Having recently discovered the wonderful world of crackers, cheese and chutney, I am delighted to receive this, and equally excited to try! :)

Unlike the last box that contained no drinks or beverages, this month's box had a very generous supply of five drinks. Again, I'm amazed they all managed to fit in the box! I firstly pulled out 2 x Pip Organic Cloudy Apple Fruit Juice, which are perfect fruit drinks to take to uni or drink whilst on the go. Next out the box was a perfectly packaged, full size bottle of Montano Cider, which will no doubt go down a treat at Christmas time! It was then followed with not one, but two Cool Dawn Herbal Recovery Drinks, designed to cure any hangover. These are therefore perfect to drink after the Montano Cider... Thanks for thinking ahead Degusta Team! The hangover recovery drinks sound brilliant for the upcoming party season, so I'm sure they will definitely come in handy! :) 

Finally, there was a 'Sample Present' of Drink Me Chai - A Chai Tea Latte sachet. This product is a mix of exotic spices, milk and sweetened tea which provides 'a taste of India in an instant'. I've never actually tried Chai Tea Latte before, and so I'm looking forward to crossing that one off the list very soon! 

After being impressed with the previous Kents Kitchen Kit, I was happy to see another sauce kit from the cooking range. The Flavour Shots can be easily added to any cooking pot and provide you with a brilliantly quick and easy way to jazz up any meal. The packaging says that it is perfect for fajita wraps, rice or even baked potatoes, so I'm looking forward to giving them a try soon. Similarly, in the box was two sachets of Holy Cow Indian Curry Sauce. Like most folk, I'm a huge fan of curry and these two flavours (Rogan Josh and Madras) will definitely not be left in the cupboard for long. I was also impressed to discover that the sauces are suitable for gluten and coeliac sufferers (like me) - Yay! 

Lastly, at the bottom of the box was a leaflet featuring a list of all the products and their full RRP price, along with some lovely recipe suggestions. This is an excellent feature, as it allows me to see exactly how much money I would manage to save through purchasing the box. To buy all these products individually it would cost me over £22, however with Degusta Box, it only costs £12.99 including delivery. It is definitely a considerable saving and by providing this price information, it made me feel very happy with my box, making the whole experience worthwhile!

* The Final Haul *

It is always impressive to place the products against one another to show just how much is included in the box. I can honestly say that I am once again delighted with my Degusta Box delivery. I'm not sure if it's because of the wide range of lovely products that I can enjoy and share with friends and family, or whether it's because waiting for, and receiving a box feels like a Christmas present itself. I was genuinely very excited to open the box and discover what was inside, and even just experiencing that feeling makes it incredibly worthwhile.

If you are intrigued and want to try the Degusta Box experience for yourself, click here. 

More soon, 

Helen

x

* Wild at Heart *

(Dress, Jumper and Necklace - Topshop / Shoes - New Look / Bag - Vintage)

Hello lovelies! 

It's nearly the most wonderful time of the year again - Christmas! The red Starbucks cups are out in full swing, the town's Christmas lights are shining bright and all the Christmas adverts are bombarding our television screens... All clear signs that the festive period is well and truly on it's way! Unlike last year, where I found myself waiting for the postman to deliver the remainder of my presents on Christmas Eve, I have been one very organised elf this year! I have already bought the majority of my presents, and even managed to wrap them up (I know, I have seriously shocked myself too!). In fact, I think this is the most organised I've ever been for Christmas! Although I'm not proud of myself, as I credit my organisational skills down to avoiding university work and the dangerous distraction of online shopping... Oops!

You might have noticed that I'm wearing a complete Topshop ensemble today. These items are all quite old (I bought the jumper at least six years ago!) but they remain some of my wardrobe favourites. During the winter season, I love to wear summer dresses worn with cozy jumpers and a thick pair of tights (or two!) to ensure I keep warm and toasty throughout my day! :)

More soon,

Helen

x