Homemade Afternoon Tea

Today I  had a lovely day spent with family for Mother's Day. We had some of our close family over for afternoon tea! My mum and I made finger sandwiches with egg mayonnaise, smoked salmon, tuna, ham and prawn fillings! I mainly sat and ate the crusts and the left over filling! But I did bake some millionaire shortbread (picture below). I over cooked the caramel and burnt the chocolate! But the shortbread was spot on ;) Luckily everyone else had baked too, so there was plenty of other choice. Seriously the amount we had was insane considering there was only 12 of us! I am currently eating the left overs for supper as we speak!

More cake... Courtesy of my Auntie Gillian!

My mum used these little jars as vases, which I thought was such a cute idea!

My cousin made chocolate brownies using a really cool stencil for the writing!!

...and here is a photo of me and my beautiful mother! She is currently fast asleep in her slanket my brother bought her for Mother's Day! It looks amazingly cosy and i'd be lying if I said I didn't secretly want one!

More cute flowers in jars! 

I love special occasions because it's a great excuse to get all the family together and eat lots of yummy food (without feeling guilty)! We drank sparkling wine and  Eva Cassidy played in the background! It was oh so civilised for a "Dodds family get together".

Love Laura x

MEET ZARA

Today I wanted to introduce this little girl, her name is Zara (no I did not name her after the shop) and she is my gorgeous little Cocker Spaniel.  She is 2 years old and in May she will be turning the big 21 (in doggy years). I have had her since she was around 10 weeks old when I got her for my seventeenth birthday! I remember the first time she stepped into our house, she was like a little Bambi struggling to stand up on all four legs on the laminate flooring! 

Zara isn't your average kinda dog, I would probably go as far as saying she is kinda human like in many ways. I could go on and on telling you all the weird and wonderful things she has done. But one that always gives me the giggles is when she sings (howls) along to the Doctor Who theme tune, no I do not watch Doctor Who, that is ALL my dad, I promise! Another is the way she sleeps. No, don't let the dog from The Lady and the Tramp fool you, she does not curl up sweetly at the end of my bed. She gets right in there, under the duvet, laid on her back, head on the pillow and paws over the top. Can you imagine? She rarely ever seizes to amaze me anymore. Apart from all the weird human crap she really is a loyal, loving and happy dog! I've gotta say it just makes me love her even more! 

These photo's were taken pretty much 1 year ago (last April). Now I am so excited for more beach trips!! Long walks on the beach with Zara is one of my favourite things to do in the Summer! :) 

*Zara paws my hands as I type*

I guess that's my cue to go...

Laura x

P.S. doesn't she take such an amazing beach photograph? ;) 

Tartan Touch

Topshop Oversized Shirt / Primark Sunglasses / Topshop Checked Leggings / Primark Handbag / Primark Sandals 

The sun may be making an appearance but god damn the wind is definitely over doing it lately. Today I went for birthday lunch with my friend - Happy Birthday Chelsey! I've decided to venture out of the black leggings obsession and spruce things up a little. I've been stalking these leggings on the Topshop website for a while now until I checked back on Friday when they had my size in stock (horaaay!) They're a gorgeous fit and so flipping cosy! I have to say Primark is got it going on at the moment, I was there Yesterday and 3 hours later...

Right now I'm gonna head over to Scott's *fingers crossed* finish the last season of Breaking Bad and finish my weekend off with a cup of tea snuggled up on the sofa! 

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Love from

Laura 

xoxo

A Little Wish List

Holiday saving is finding to be more difficult than I imagined. Until May is through a big chunk of my wages is going towards my holiday to Mexico. I can't complain really, can I?! So everytime I find myself lusting over the new spring fashion, I have to repeat to myself "Mexico, Mexico, Mexico". Reminding me that life isn't all too bad! Still, I am allowed to browse, no matter how painful that may be to do. I have never been the kinda gal who can "window shop", I always manage to persuade myself that I NEED IT, no matter what it may be. There seems to be a theme running through my wish list, pretty plain and simple, I know.  But I love staple pieces in my wardrobe that I can style easily with other outfits, without looking like I live and die in the same old clothes!

1. Selena Graduated Stripe Shift Dress - Boohoo

Usually I am not the one to wear horizontal lines, but because in this dress the lines gradually decrease in size as you reach the top half of the body, I think this will be a lot more flattering on the figure.

2. Oversized Casual Stripe Shirt - Topshop

Recently I was watching a haul video by "The Persian Babe" in which she was wearing this shirt. Immediately I fell in love with it.  The two toned stripes make this piece look very classic and pretty! I feel I could throw this shirt on with a pair of leggings and still feel smart.

3. Square Blue Stone Ring - Topshop

As I am currently very lazy at accessorising my hands, I want to venture into the world of rings. I love this one in particular because I am a big lover of pastel colours, oh, and I can't wait to try some of the dainty midi rings too!

4. Crinkle Oversized Shirt - Topshop

I have been on a serious hunt for the perfect oversized white shirt! But every time I keep coming back  to the same Topshop one! I love how slouchy it looks and that the shirt doesn’t appear transparent. I recently purchased some beautiful daisy print bottoms and I think they would look perfect with a white shirt tucked into them. This may have to be a naughty little purchase.

5. Khloe Buckle Trim Cleated Sole Sandals - Boohoo

On Sunday we had the sunniest day of the year so far, which reminded me that a pair of sandals are definitely in order. I think these white chunky ones have a bit more character to your average sandal, with the gold buckles and a chunky heel. I can already picture my feet looking a little bit less pale with the contrast of the white against my skin tone, during the Summer time where everyone else seems to be tanning but me!!

I hope this has given you a little bit of inspiration! Right now I think I may have to order the white shirt, while resisting to buy all the other items! Wow, blogging about what you want to buy is very much like torture!! Why do us girls do this to ourselves?!

Have a lovely week, 
see you soon!

Love, L 
xo  

Michael Bublé in Concert

Hi There! This weekend was a very very exciting one for me. I got to see THEE Mr Michael Bublé in concert at the 02 Arena in Manchester! PHWOAR what a beautiful man he is, even thinking about him now makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! From the moment he walked on stage and sang the opening line of "Fever" he melted my heart. There's something about his voice that is so damn sexy!

We arrived in Manchester early so we could explore The Trafford Centre and have some lunch! Of course I managed to persuade everyone into TGI Friday's, my all time favourite restaurant! I just freaking love it there! 

 Where I live we don't have one nearby so every chance of a TGI's I grab with both hands (and feet)! Each time I go I like to explore the cocktail menu and go for a different one! This time I went for the "Porn Star Martini" and OH WOW it was delicious. 

I've not featured my mum on my blog before, but here she is ^ I think she looks so pretty and glowing in this photograph :) We both ordered the same drink because back at Christmas me and mum tried this cocktail for the first time and have loved them ever since!

The cocktail was served with a shot of Prosecco on the side! At first I thought this was a shot of vodka, which confused the hell out of me, a shot of vodka at 1:30 in the afternoon?!  Until the bar man kindly explained to me, what it was and how you either pour it into your cocktail or sipped it along side.

For those whom haven't dined at TGI Friday's, it is an American restaurant chain focusing on causal dining. The decor is always amazing and the staff are so friendly and welcoming. I have only visited America once when I was in Florida, but this place reminds me so much of American dinning! The place is so fun and always leaves me feeling all happy inside!

I ordered the chicken sizzling fajitas!

After food we shopped around for a while. I got very excited in Selfridges, it is the most wonderful place. The food hall, the beauty counters, oh my it was all a little overwhelming, especially when you are supposed to be saving your pennies. I have to say I was very impressed with the Primark section in Selfridges, trust me if there wasn't a "Primark" sign I wouldn't have realised where I was. Seriously, the clothes were set out so beautifully I could hardly contain my excitement. What a difference a selected lines and organised presentation can make! I especially loved the range of bold necklaces they had to offer! I bagged myself two of them for only £6 each! After we'd finished gazing at all the pretty things in Selfridges and a few shops later, we headed back to our hotel for a chill out before it was time for the concert.

After making ourselves look all pretty for Mr Bublé the weather turned against us BIG time! As soon as we stepped outside our hotel for our taxi, the rain poured it down! Hence why our hair looks flat and lifeless. Luckily for us Bublé didn't notice the damage!

 Me and my mum shared some marshmallows and strawberries covered in melted chocolate! For £4 they were an absolute bargain?! (waaaaaah!)

 and here's Mr Bublé in action! My favourites out of the songs he sang were; Fever, Haven't Met You Yet, Everything and Cry Me a River!

I found him to be such a naturally funny guy and he was an absolute dream to listen to! He sounded just as good live to when I listen to him singing through my headphones, the only thing that was missing was a Christmas song! Wishful thinking I know! But how incredible would it be if he did a Christmas Tour around November time?? Singing all the songs from his Christmas album, "Merry Christmas Mr Bublé, Merry Christmas Ladies!" Ok, I am getting way ahead of myself and have found myself talking about Christmas in March time? That has to be a new record, even for me! 

I hope you're all having a nice weekend so far, and just remember, tomorrow is Thursday, so we are very close to the weekend again :)

Love From,

L x

REVLON COLOURBURST MATTE BALM / REVIEW

Happy Saturday! I hope you're all having a lovely weekend!! :)

Recently I seemed to have ran out of all my make-up essentials, how does this happen? I ran out of mascara, eye liner, concealer and powder all at once!! Luckily for me Boots were having a 3 for 2 offer mix & match on all brands, even including hair, beauty and skincare! Bonus! So yeah, I went a little bit crazy... How could I resist? Especially on pay day! So what I really wanted to rave about today was the Revlon Colour Burst Matte Balms! I am already a massive fan of their Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, especially the colour "Cherish Devotion". So when these caught my eye I had to have a little peek at them, that little peek turning into buying all three shades (oopysy!)

All three shades are so wearable. A lot of the time I like to wear a bold lip and keep the rest of my make-up minimalistic, which is why I love the first and third shade. Especially now we are entering Spring, I like to add a bright pop of colour to my look. The second shade I think is the perfect nude colour, as I have such fair skin I find it so hard to find a nude lipstick that doesn't wash me out too much, but this does the complete opposite.

245 "Audacious"

205 "Elusive Insaisissable"

220 "Showy Flamboyante"

I thought I would find it hard to apply the colour as the product is described as "matte", but I couldn't have been more wrong, the formula is so smooth and silky. They are also incredibly pigmented, you only need one layer of colour to create an opaque finish. The colour dries as matte without leaving your lips feeling dry, with other matte lip products I find after a few hours my lips feel rough and uncomfortable. I applied the coral colour at 8 o'clock before work to test how long lasting the formula was, then when I arrived home just after 4 o'clock my lips still appeared full. (see image below).

Considering these lips took a lot of damage of several cups of tea, breakfast and lunch I really can't complain, 8  hours is a long damn time! (and I drink a lot of tea!!). Without making you guys feel uncomfortable... I love the fact I can greet my boyfriend with a kiss without leaving him looking as if he is also wearing my lipstick!! I am forever rubbing off the remainder of colour with other products. For £7.99 each I am super happy with all three shades, particularly when I'm only paying for the price of two! I know I am going to get a lot of wear from these beauties throughout Spring and Summer :)

Love From

L x

Thursday's Thoughts

Hi Lovelies,

Today I was thinking to my myself... about thinking (as you do!). I am always thinking, I say thinking, but in most cases I mean talking. Ok, I like to talk, and as you can imagine not everyone around me appreciates that. So today, I thought it would be nice to write some of them down. I think it's great to reflect once in a while. To take a moment to think what is actually happening around you, remembering all the wonderful ways you have spent your week and anything new you have learnt (usually with me, it's some random, meaningless fact I have learnt that seizes to amaze me days later). I love the idea that in a few years time I can look back and see how things were and how I have changed. A lot like when I was at primary school keeping a secret diary with the cute little padlocks! I remember I always used to loose my key and resort to opening it with a paperclip! Thank god I discovered blogging... So here's what's been going on in my little head...

"I've been peeling bananas wrong my whole life" - Right so that's about as random as it gets. But today I discovered something incredible. I have always peeled bananas from the root (if that makes sense). I know bananas grow from tree's, but I'm talking about the end you snap off from the rest of the bunch.  But no, it's the other end, and OH MY LORD it is so much easier. Monkey's have been doing this ever since monkey's decided eating bananas would be the monkey like thing to do. Yes I am aware this will save me about 3 seconds of my life, but the simple things in life impress me.

"The best mussels I have ever tasted" - So on Tuesday night me and my boyfriend had "officially" been together 6 months, which you may think isn't a long time, but it feels so much more and it feels so so good! *smiley face* He took me to a restaurant called The Millhouse for dinner and it was beautiful, I hadn't been before and trying out new places to eat is one of my favouritist thing to do. Oh my the mussels were out of this world. I feel like I should say, "they're not just mussels, they are Thai infused mussels" like the M&S adverts (cringe!). Days later i'd be sat at my desk at work thinking about eating the starter all over again. The food was gorgeous and I can't wait to go back and try both their sunday dinners and afternoon tea. We had a lovely night and right now i've reached a very happy point in my life! Everything's seems right :):):)

"I may have a mayonnaise problem" - When your own mother has to talk to you about the amount of mayonnaise you're consuming, you take it pretty personnally. I am a sucker for condiments, I love a good chip dunk! But it's not just the chips, now I am finding myself having a spoonful of mayonnaise at every dinner time like it's the norm! I am typing this feeling pretty discussed at myself, so I just this moment took a second to google mayonnaise.  Ok, so there is 94 calories in 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise (sometimes I even have two), thats like the equivalent of a chocolate bar?! But why does a side of mayonnaise feel so much more innocent?! Time to cut out the condiments!

"Spring has sprung"- After work I no longer have to feel the way to my car to unlock my car door, THERE IS LIGHT! and yes, I am not lucky enough to own a remote car key(yet)! For the last couple of days the sun has been shining through the windows at work, reminding me of the dreaded days spent indoors during Summer. Working while I desperately wanted to catch some rays outside, while enjoying a nice cold ice cream! Luckily enough the ice-cream man learnt to stop right outside my office so that I could sneak out for one! Unfortunately he came most days and unfortunately I am easily persuaded to eat yummy food over anything healthy! I just can't wait for all the exciting things Spring andSsummer brings!! BBQ's, brighter nights, picnics, sandals, the beach and ice cold drinks! It makes me feel all giddy inside! I just love the thought of walking out the house without a hat, coat and scarf!

"The downside to youtube and blogging" - I spend a lot of my down time reading blogs and watching youtube videos, in fact I would go as far as saying I watch more youtube video's than I do TV nowadays! I mainly watch beauty, fashion and lifestyle videos! It's a great way to gain inspiration and to to get a valued opinion on products you are thinking of splurging out on! BUT the massive downfall, every time I read a blog or watch a video I want to buy everything they're talking about and in every single colour. My wish list of beauty products increases by the day!

So those are a few of my going's on and thought of mine. Now all I can think is that... it's Friday tomorrow (horaaaay!), another weekend, another Breaking Bad marathon and another offer number 3 from our takeaway menu! Most importantly I AM GOING TO SEE MICHAEL BUBLE LIVE ON SUNDAY, I cannot contain my excitement!! Oh, and I have a three day weekend come to think of it!

Love from 

L

xo