I'm Back

So it's been nearly a year since I last blogged. There has been no real reason for not blogging, I went back to work after finishing my maternity leave, we had our belated honeymoon which was amazing, but I just haven't felt the urge to Blog.

Then earlier today my husband said to me after I moaned about now knowing what to do, 'why don't you start blogging again?'. So here I am sitting here with my laptop, The Tonight Show on TV and a glass of wine on standby.

Today is Valentine's Day and my Husband and Son have been so lovely. Two lovely cards, flowers, cake and Lush bath bombs! Bliss!

Anyway I will write a better post next week when I've had time to actually think what to write.

Happy Sunday!

The best lipstick I've ever worn

I've always been a person who forgets to put lipstick on, and when I do remember, I always forget to re apply. However a couple of days ago I discovered a brilliant lipstick in a perfect shade of red for me.

The matte Kate Moss by Rimmel lipstick in color 111, Kiss of Life, is fantastic. First of all I love is that it's a matte lipstick. I hate the feeling of 'sticky lips' and in my mind I feel it makes my lips look smaller. Secondly this lipstick smell delicious, like the Purple Violet sweets you always used to get in party bag when you were a child.  And lastly it lasts for ages. In the ten hours I had it on a couple of days ago, I only touched up once and that's with no lip liner on underneath.

I thoroughly recommend this lipstick and at £5.49 it's a fantastic price. 

Bras, Bras, Bras.

Hi Everyone. Ok so this post is one for all women and you guessed it, it's all about bras. As someone who has been a bra fitter for five years, I feel I know something about the subject. I can not emphasis enough how important it is to have a bra fitting at least once a year. You might always be the same size, you might have completely changed. But here are some key things to look out for which means it's time for a fitting.

1. Your bra strap is riding up at the back.   The back of your bra should always be in a straight line. If you feel you need to pull the bra down, it can either mean the bra is too old, or it's too big in the back (the 32,34,36 part).

2. The under wire is digging in. This is one of the most important reasons to get a fitting. If a wire digs into the breast tissue, this can lead to a benign lump, as well as causing discomfort.

3. If you lift your arms, the bra comes away from you. Well if this happens, it can be VERY embarrassing. This can mean two things, firstly you need a bigger cup size (A, B, C, D etc) and possibly a small back size. (complicated isn't it!)

4. Your bra feels tight. Ok this is the problem I hear over and over again. This does not necessarily mean you need a bigger back size, but can just mean you need a bigger cup size.

Any of these ring a bell? Ok so if you do feel that you need to now get a fitting, make sure that your fitter doesn't just use a tape measure. Someone once told me that a tape measure can not measure volume. They can be handy, but a good fitter shouldn't need to use one.

When you are trying bras on, do the hooks on the loosest setting so as the bra gets older you can tighten them (unless you are pregnant when it should be the other way round, so as the pregnancy goes on, you can loosen the bra for comfort).

Also make sure the fitter adjusts the straps. The straps should only give 15-20% of the support but it can make the final tweak to the bra, and the straps shouldn't digging into the shoulder but not falling down either.

Make sure you can put the bra on yourself! Sounds simple but sometimes people actually forget to try and put the bra on themselves. And finally, make sure you feel comfy in it.

And when you have your new bras, please please please hand wash them. Put them in a sink to soak with some liquid (do not use fabric conditioner, it will destroy the elastic), leave to soak and hang somewhere cool to dry.

I hope this helps a few of you. It can make such a difference to your posture and even your dress size when you are wearing the correct fitting bra, and is not something to worry about. xx

Absent for a while... because of Wedding!

So it's been a bit quiet on the blog front, due to the fact we finally tired the knot! The last few weeks leading up to the wedding were bit manic, meetings, dropping bits to the florist and the venues, getting final numbers together, and all with a teething baby.

It was a magical time and I have never felt so many emotions in one day; excitement, anxiety, happiness, relief and exhaustion to name but a few, and the thing I found most strange was when we were signing all the legal bits, I looked up and all the people were there for us. I'm not going to go into all the details and show loads of photos, however I will give a bit of advice to anyone planning their big day, make time for the two of you. After the ceremony, we spent an hour just the two of us and the photographer whist we had our couple photos taken together, and it was lovely to just relax and take in the day so far before heading to the reception.

I know our photographer will be writing a blog on our wedding which will be live next month on
 Karen Fuller's website. She is fantastic with a camera and will make you feel like model and I would recommend to anyone getting married in the Norfolk area.

Cutting the cake, photo taken by member of family

So, do I feel different? No. Our relationship was strong before and it is now, but it is lovely to be able to call Martyn my husband and I love it when he calls me his wife, and I certainly will never forget the fact all those people were there for us.

Coffee Table Books

Ok well maybe not coffee table but living room books. These are some of our favorite books about our favorite people. But lets ignore 'Bond on Bond', 'Sly Moves' and 'Watchmen' and focus on my books. The books I am about to tell you about are books I love, which I have read but also can just flip through when I get some time to myself. Here are my top five.

GRACE by Grace Coddington

I love this lady. I first learnt the brilliance of American Vogue from Karen at the Fabulous Miss K when we used to work together, and have always made sure I purchased the September Issue as well as any significant issue. I then watched the documentary 'The September Issue' about Anna Wintour and American Vogue and fell in love with Grace Coddington. She is a fashion legend and  a genius when it comes to creating a look. This is a book for people who love fashion but for someone who wants to read  about a very interesting life.

Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty by Andrew Bolton and Harold Koda

Another fashion legend. The second time I went to New York I went to the 'Met' and saw the Savage Beauty exhibition. This man was a genius and this book is beautiful. I didn't buy this book at the exhibition as it's a very heavy book and I would have to pay for extra luggage to get it home ( I do buy a lot when I go there!). So it was a surprise when I received it for my birthday one year. This book is for someone who loves fashion and wants learn more about this much missed designer.

Audrey Hepburn, Elegant Spirit by Sean Hepburn

Ok, my favorite film is Breakfast at Tiffany's and ond of my favorite actress' is Audrey Hepburn. This book is written by her son and tells you all about her life, from childhood during World War Two to becoming a Hollywood actress,then giving up her career to look after her children. There are wonderful pictures all the way through, and when you read this book you realize her life wasn't just about Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Lady Gaga by Terry Richardson

This book follows Lady Gaga for a year during her Monster Ball Tour.We all know Lady Gaga doesn't hold back and this book is no different. The pictures are not always 'pretty' but follows life according to Gaga. Photos include the controversial Meat Dress, and the 'pod' that she arrived in when going to the Grammy's. However my favorite photos are the ones when she isn't wearing a wig, has no make up on and is just Stefani from New York.

Letters of Note: Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience by Shaun Usher

I have just started reading this book. Since becoming a Mum I haven't been able to get into a novel, so with this book I can just read a couple of letters each night. Letters feature from Groucho Marx to Woody Allen, Queen Elizabeth II to President Eisenhower, Roald Dahl to a fan, as well as a chilling letter from Jack the Ripper.
Writing letters is becoming a rare thing, but when you read this book you will be inspired to get writing,

So these are just five of my favorites, I have loads more which I may tell you about in the future. I am sure all of these will be available at any good book shops, or that famous online book shop which now sells anything and everything.

A super quick soup recipe

I love making soup, however since the arrival of the bubba I don't always have time. Then my mum gave me this super quick recipe. You don't have to spend time cooking ingredients and making stock, you just chuck in the ingredients into a blender and heat up when you're hungry.

Quick Tomato And Bean Soup
1x tin of chopped carrots
2x tins of chopped tomatoes
1x tin of beans ( I used baked beans, but kidney beans can work with or without the chilli sauce.)
1x oxo cube
1x pickled onion

Chuck it in a blender and only if you need to add some water ( up to half a pint).

And voilà. Quick and easy soup. Enjoy x

Rediscovering Old Clothes

When I reached fifteen weeks pregnant, my everyday clothes started to feel just a bit too uncomfortable. So they all got packed up in a big box and put in the spare bedroom and off I went in the search of maternity and very stretchy clothes.

Ofcourse these clothes have either been sold or gone to charity and I found myself living in jeans or leggings with a variety of baggy tops.Then six weeks ago I braved the box of clothes to see what I could fit into. I'll be honest, there are still some items which are a bit too snug, but most of it is perfect.... yippee!

I have always been a hoarder when it comes to clothes. A colleague of mine has the strict rule that if something hasn't been worn in a year, its goes to charity. But I've always had a wardrobe ranging in sizes 8-14, and when my body and shape has changed as much as it has in the last year, these different sizes are very handy. And luckily they are mainly summer dresses and skirts which in the last few days have come in very handy!

Now this would be when I upload photos of all the rediscovered outfits, but as much as I try to take the photos/ selfies, they just won't come out right thanks to lighting, trying to get the right angle and having a baby therefore not being able to spend an hour doing a mini photo shoot.

But have a rummage through your wardrobe when you get a chance, you may be surprised and find a few forgotten treasures.