Occasional Wear from Quiz Clothing

I'll be honest, it's not often I have need for such occasional wear. But when the time comes that you're invited to a special evening event; an awards night, a formal evening of some sort, what do you reach for? 

I
'd be in a blind panic, searching through my dressing room for something appropriate, and quite possibly a few hours trawling my favourite websites trying to find something to suit.  So it's always good to have something in your wardrobe for when the occasion arises. With lace sequins and a fishtail hem, this beautiful, show stopping Navy & Cream Lace Panel Fishtail Maxi Dress from Quiz Clothing is just perfect for such occasions. It's the perfect colour to look and feel classy and elegant during your special evening.  The cami straps show off tanned shoulders and décolletage making it super sexy, and will work well teamed with a black wrap around to keep those shoulders warm. 

The dress hugged my figure beautifully.

I'm unsure if I'm a fan of the cami straps. I can't wear a bra with it which makes me feel a little uncomfortable; losing weight has it's disadvantages, they're always the first to go! ;)

But I love the dress. It's comfortable, easy to wear and makes me feel glamorous.

I'd dress it up with a black leather jacket and some cute jewellery and barely there heels. 

I love the waistband on the dress, giving the appearance of a pulled in waist #winning! 

The fish tail hem is something I've never worn before, it's a really flattering fit and I'll admit, I felt a bit like a mermaid! :)

And the lace and sequinned panels are super pretty. Often lace and sequins can feel scratchy, irritating and generally a bit of a pain to wear, but this feels really soft and comfortable. 

Other than the fastening; which I think could do with a better quality zip fastener, the dress looks and feels a lot more expensive than it is; currently on sale down from £64.99 to just £39.99!

Quiz Clothing have a stunning range of occasion dresses for Autumn. Whether it's a midi or a maxi you're looking for, there's something for all occasions; try a fishtail shape to show off your figure or choose some extra sparkle for added glamour. I'm in love with the Bardot dipped hem dresses, go check them out, you can thank me later!! ;)


What do you think to my dress? Do you have a special dress you reach for on special occasions?

*in collaboration with Quiz Clothing

Gifts to Let Them Know You Are Thinking of Them

Have you ever witnessed people who are important to you going through tough times; you wish you could help but you don't know how? Sometimes it's nice to just let them know you are thinking of them.

It doesn't have to be anything big, the smallest of gestures simply to let them know you are there, you are thinking of them and most importantly that 'they've got this!' can really help someone going through a hard time, needs a boost or to simply to know you have their back.

Six months ago when I went through a difficult time, my friends sent me a framed quote stating 'You are braver than you believe, stronger than you feel and smarter than you think' with a little note inside with some special words from them. I cried when I first opened it. One, because knowing my friends were thinking about me meant SO much to me. I felt like my whole world as I knew it had come crashing down, and knowing I still had my amazing friends there, thinking about me, holding me up, meant the absolute world. And two, because I really hoped the words were true! 

The frame still sits on my bedside table, and I smile every time I see it. The words are now true. And I'm reminded that I'm a very lucky girl to have friends like those!

A friend of mine has recently been really unhappy in her job. It's been really getting her down and despite me telling her that she's bloody amazing and should go for her dream job, she's really lacking in confidence and holding herself back.

So I have a little gift for her.

This engraved compact mirror contains the words 'Your Only Limit is YOU'.
It's a quote that means a lot to me and something that has really helped me.

I want her to read these words, know that I completely believe in her and that she CAN make this happen and I want her to look in the mirror and see the amazing person that she is. 

The mirror is a beautiful round silver handbag mirror with the engraved message on the top and opens easily with the push clasp to reveal two mirrors; one being a magnifying mirror.
It has a real expensive feel to it and makes a really lovely, thoughtful gift for someone to carry around with them.

The compact mirror can be engraved with up to 72 characters and comes in a cute black gift box, making it ideal for any occasion. These are perfect personalised presents to give as thoughtful keepsakes and are really affordable starting at just £18.99! 

GiftsOnline4U is an online gift shop based in Lincolnshire, specialising in personalised and engraved gifts such as watches, glassware, alcohol gifts and jewellery, for any event or occasion from weddings to birthdays. They also offer free standard UK delivery on all gifts across the site with the option of upgrading to next working day delivery for just £5 if you’re looking to get your gift in a hurry. Personalised gifts can mean so much more. To know that somebody has chosen a specific quote, or wrote a special message just for me, can make all the difference!

If you're looking for a thoughtful gift for a loved one, simply to let them know you are thinking of them, visit the website here.

What is the most thoughtful present you have received?

*in collaboration with GiftsOnline4U

The Best Cup of Hot Chocolate for Autumn

I
'll be honest, I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to Summer just yet. Well, what Summer we did get of course! I love a bit of sunshine in my life! But that said, I do love Autumn time!! Leaf crunching, big chunky knit jumpers, boots and... a big cup of steaming hot chocolate, with marshmallows! YUM!
This is the best time of year to indulge in that delicious beverage as a little break from the usually healthy diet! There's just something about holding a warm cup of hot chocolate that makes life that much better... and sweeter! Plus, who doesn't love the opportunity to satisfy a sweet tooth? Ive found some amazing hot chocolate recipes for those cosy nights in, plus ways you can incorporate them into your daily life if you can't get enough chocolate-y goodness!! :) A yummy surprise for the little ones, a bountiful anniversary gift or a delicious after dinner treat! 

Who loves Hershey's?

Founded in 1894, Hershey's has been a chocolate staple in Pennsylvania now for well over 100 years. And when you taste their classic milk chocolate assortments, you know why!

Instead of snacking on a couple of Hershey's Kisses, why not brew a delicious cup of hot choc!! Perfect for those chilly Autumn mornings!

How to Make a Heartwarming Cup of Hershey's Hot Chocolate

Here's one of my favourite recipes to make family nights that little bit more special. 

You'll need Hershey Kisses, 2 cups of milk, whipped cream, marshmallows and a touch of cinnamon. 

It's pretty simple to make, just pour the cups of milk into a saucepan and put over the stove. Once you begin to see bubbles, stir in the Hershey's Kisses until they dissolve. After that, turn off the heat and pour into mugs. Add the whipped cream and sprinkle a dash of cinnamon. 

You can thank me later! ;)

Room to Improvise

What I love about this recipe is that you can change it up however you please. Feel free to use skimmed, semi skimmed or full fat milk. Or almond, soya or rice milk are great substitutes!

And use as many Kisses as you like. Personally I'd use 20, 50 tops. For those of you who like your hot chocolate a bit more 'bitter', use dark chocolate rather than milk chocolate. Also, skip the cinnamon, use chocolate shavings... or both! ;)

Surprise the Kids

You could also put your little ones favourite sweets on top! Sprinkle M&M minis over the whipped cream and marshmallows, crumble some cookies mint chocolates or any other sweets from Sweet Services. 

Can't Get Enough?

Start a new family tradition by sipping on hot chocolate before trick-or-treating this Halloween! Or make a few cups to enjoy while watching a family movie. Its a nice way to make those family moments much more special!

Have any of your own hot chocolate recipes to share?

I'd love to hear them below!!

*in collaboration with Sweet Services

Freshening up your home decor

Does anyone else often get a bit bored with the decor of their home?
I often sit and mentally re-decorate my house in my head.  Or spend hours scrolling through Pinterest planning my dream home. I'm not on my own here, right?
But we don't all have the time and money to completely re-decorate, so I like to make little changes in a room to spruce it up a bit and make things feel a bit fresher. And I've started doing just that to a few rooms in my house.
I find adding a new colour to a room completely changes the look and feel of a room. 
This doesn't always have to be in the form of new wallpaper or paint. Just small changes can make the biggest difference. New cushions, a throw, a new rug, new curtains, blinds or accessories do the trick just fine! I love mooching through the home section of department stores and choosing cute candles, little glass bottles, and random 'knick knacks' to brighten up my home.
When my ex partner left the family home 6 months ago, I really wanted to make some changes to the home decor. To make it my own.

I started with the lounge which is cream and grey. 
I've started adding some cute dusky pink accessories such as candles and accessories from Primark.  And I have my eye on some matching cushions and a soft pink throw too. The pink compliments the room beautifully and creates a more feminine feel. And being the only female in the house, I need a bit more girly-ness in my world!! :)

It was important to make my bedroom more ME!  I have a small dressing room on the side and both are decorated in black and white, so accessorising with rose gold and copper pieces completely changes the room. Again, decorative bits and cushions from Primark and I like to use websites such as Coconut Lane and independent boutiques such as local gift store Narborough Hall for wall art and pieces like this mug I use for makeup brushes.
My teenage boy has an attic room.
Attic rooms can often be awkward shaped and quite difficult to decorate or change around, so I find just making little changes freshen the room up nicely. 

His window needs updating, so I've been looking at getting a new centre pivot roof window installed. VELUX have a few different options here. Then a quick spruce up with new accessories, bedding and a nice new blind and it'll be like a new room! 

What changes do you make to your home, to freshen things up?

*In collaboration with VELUX