Sunshine Award – Keep Smiling, Keep Shining!

Posted in Uncategorized by A Spoonful of Style

The lovely and hugely inspirational Donna over at Donzwebb (if you haven’t yet checked out her blog I urge you to do so now) nominated me for a Sunshine Award almost a week ago. As you can see in my little ‘About Me’ snippet in the sidebar one of my objectives for writing this blog is to hopefully brighten up my readers’ day, so I was over the moon to receive this award!

I’ve only been blogging for a few months but I really love it and am humbled and inspired every day by all the amazing bloggers out there.

Now it’s time to spread the sunshine!

The rules are:

1. Include the Sunshine Award icon in your post
2. Link to the blogger who nominated you
3. Answer 10 questions about yourself
4. Nominate 10 other bloggers to receive the award
5. Link to your nominees and let them know you nominated them.
6. Answer the 10 questions at the bottom and create 10 questions for your nominees to answer.

10 Questions about me:

1. What’s the most difficult thing you’ve ever experienced and how did it change you?

My eldest son being diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of two. Seeing him in horrible pain and unable to walk or even bring a spoon to his mouth was heartbreaking. Eight years on, he still has arthritis although it is managed with medication and there is a small chance he will grow out of it. Having a child with a chronic condition has taught me not to take anything for granted but I am also incredibly grateful for modern medicine and we take part in all the research projects run by the hospital to establish the cause of JIA (and hopefully one day find a cure). Thirty years ago my son would probably have been confined to a wheelchair but today the advances in treatments mean that he can run around, jump and play sports like his peers.

2. What’s the number one thing on your bucket list?

I would love to travel across America (East to West) with my family one day.

3. Why did you start blogging?

I trained as a journalist and while I still do freelance occasionally I was looking for another creative outlet for my writing. I started writing for a website called Mummy’s Own just over a year ago and then eventually plucked up the courage to start my own blog.

4. If you could witness any historical moment, which would you choose?

I’m re-reading The Great Gatsby at the moment and I would love to be transported back to the 1920s – such a glamorous and decadent time in history.

5. If you could meet one person in the world who would it be and why?

It’s not just one person but it would be really awesome to meet some of the friends I’ve made in the blogging world in real life one day, over a cup of coffee or glass of wine.

6. What sound do you absolutely love?

The sound of my three children laughing together while they are all absorbed in a game of make-believe.

7. Best book you’ve ever read?

I’m not sure it’s the best book I’ve ever read but the one which stands out is The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I was obsessed with her as a teenager and used to carry her poetry books in my school bag. Pretentious moi?

8. If you won the lottery today, what is the first thing you would do?

Buy a bigger house so we wouldn’t have to go through the hassle of having an extension built next year.

9. Favorite vacation spot?

Do I have to pick just one? New York for a long weekend break, Majorca for a family holiday, Italy for the food and Sweden where I grew up for that ‘going home’ feeling.

10. What was the last movie you watched that made you cry?

Blue Valentine

Here are just some of the bloggers who always brighten up my day:

4 Mothers

Reverse Commuter

Cupcakes Cocktails and Kids

Evelenmargaret

The Blackberry Boys

Escaping Elegance

Journeys of the Fabulist

And here are my ten questions:

1. Who would play you if your life was made into a movie?

2. Where in the world would you most like to travel?

3. What is the best thing about blogging?

4. What is your secret indulgence?

5. If someone handed you £1000 tomorrow what would you spend it on?

6. What do you never leave home without?

7. What’s your favourite meal of the day?

8. What makes you laugh?

9. Who would be your ideal dinner party guests?

10. What was the last thing you Googled?

24Oct2013

Currently Coveting #11: French Chic

Posted in Currently Coveting, Fashion by A Spoonful of Style

From Catherine Deneuve and Emmanuelle Beart to Josephine de la Baume and Lou Doillon, French women have captivated the fashion world for decades with their unending chic and seemingly effortless style.

A new book out this month entitled ‘Forever Chic: Frenchwomen’s Secrets for Timeless Beauty, Style and Substance’ promises to reveal how our Gallic counterparts acquire (and maintain) that certain je ne sais quoi that doesn’t seem to diminish with age. Fashion journalist Tish Jett who also writes the blog A Femme d’Un Certain Age has lived among the French for years and studied them to learn the secrets behind their wardrobe, beauty, diet, and hair rituals.

While I’m mulling over whether or not to buy the book, I’m happy to get my French style kicks from the new A/W 13 collection by Comptoir des Cotonniers. Under new creative director Amelie Gillier, the label has been given a more modern feel, whilst still retaining an urban twist and feminine edge. The result is a contemporary rock ‘n’ roll inspired collection that bears more than a passing resemblance to Zadig & Voltaire, the cult fashion label that Gillier co-founded when she was just 21.

Here are some of my favourite looks:

22Oct2013

The Fashion Clinic #7: Back to Basics

Posted in Fashion by A Spoonful of Style

As we had our wardrobe redecorated this week (there was mould on ceiling that had to be removed…yuck!) I was forced into a long overdue clear-out of its contents. Seeing all my clothes laid out on the bed made me realise that, for want of a better analogy, my wardrobe consists of too much icing and not enough cake. Or, if you prefer, my shopping habits definitely veer towards choosing style over substance. I have plenty of lovely tops and delicate little dresses but only three pairs of jeans that I actually like and I wear jeans on an almost daily basis. Makes sense? No, me neither. I also have twelve pairs of black boots (in different styles but even so) and umpteen cardigans and knitted jackets.

What is woefully lacking though are the everyday essentials that pull all the statement pieces together into different outfits. As we all know good basics are the backbone of a wearable wardrobe and mine is certainly crumbling on that front. I don’t know about you, but plain white vests and T-shirts don’t really set my pulse racing in the same way as leopard print and sequins do, but if I’m going to be buying any clothes at all over the next few months I need to make sure they fall into this category.

Here are some of the best basics I’ve found so far:

Gap’s Pure Body range is all about basic pieces and, in my opinion, represents what this retailer does best. Just no frills, good quality essentials in super soft cotton that will last and last. At the moment there is an offer on where you get 25% off when you buy three or more camisoles.

A white (or grey or black) T-shirt in a flattering fit is a true wardrobe staple but you don’t always have to pay through the nose. I bought three T-shirts in white, black and pale pink from H&M over the summer and they have lasted really well. With prices starting from £3.99 you can afford to stock up.

American Vintage is one of my favourite labels for basic pieces in the softest lightweight Supima cotton that are just made for layering. The Jacksonville is the perfect slouchy shape and comes with long or short sleeves in an array of colours. I have one in gray and one in navy but could definitely do with investing in a couple more.

Basic doesn’t have to mean boring. These cute vests from Danish label Rosemunde have pretty lace detailing around the neckline and come in 26 different colours from neutrals to brights.

20Oct2013

This Week’s Favourites

Posted in Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

{The walk to school takes twice as long when it’s been raining and there are puddles to jump in}

‘Swoosh’ it said and yet another week went by! Seriously, I’m beginning to think that time really does speed up when your kids start school. The seven weeks between the start of this school year and half term (which is this Friday) have gone by so much quicker than the summer holidays did. It has been a quiet week, mainly spent catching up on things that were were put on hold while preparing for last weekend’s party, like completing my tax return and buying the last of the boys’ birthday presents.

{Clemmie chose her winter hat when we went into Gap during a shopping trip earlier this week. Leopard print is a firm fave of mine as well – like mother like daughter!}

{I am one step closer to creating my dream home office after buying this print}

The highlight of the week was undoubtely Casper’s seventh birthday today. My youngest son is very much an old soul – wise, thoughtful and kind but, boy, can he throw a tantrum when that way inclined. Today, however, he was all smiles when we woke him up at 7.30 with presents and cake. As both he and his sister had birthday parties to go to today we’ve delayed his party until next weekend. Then the following weekend is my eldest son’s birthday – a busy month but that’s the way I like it!

{Big brother helps out with the present opening.}

{A very happy boy. Judging by the smile, I think we got the present right!}

{It was a bit of a squeeze to fit seven candles onto a very small cake. There will be a bigger one at the party next weekend.}

{Someone is enjoying having cake for breakfast}

20Oct2013

Weekend Photo Challenge: OOTD and Unsuspecting Subject

Posted in Family Life, Fashion by A Spoonful of Style

I dug deep into the back of my wardrobe for today’s outfit. Or, to be more specific, my husband was dispatched into the loft to locate a tartan skirt that I bought 17 years ago from a high street chain called Morgan (It was French I think. Does anyone remember it or know what happened to it? I used to buy a lot of things from there in my teens and early 20s). I’m not a big hoarder but there are some things I’ve held on to, including this skirt which I bought when I was doing an internship at a fashion magazine. There are also a handful of pieces which I got rid of that I now regret such as a pair of black knee high lace-up boots that I wore all the time at university. The black top with ruched sleeves is from Zara’s kids section and the necklace was a birthday present from a friend.

Today’s unsuspecting subject is none other than Casper who turned seven today! Here he is (a few days ago) in his school uniform checking out his new Ben Ten watch. It was an early morning for us today as we got up at 7.15am to sing happy birthday to Casper, eat cake and watch him open his presents which included a new scooter, Lego and a Wii game.

Despite rain being forecast, the sun is shining and it’s shaping up to be a beautiful Autumn day. Happy Sunday to you all! X

18Oct2013

T.G.I.F

Posted in Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

Friday again – my favourite day of the week and the start of the weekend. If I’m completely honest, with three children of varying ages I sometimes find weekends exhausting as we’re constantly ferrying them around to various activities and parties. This weekend there are no less than three parties plus Casper’s birthday on Sunday – his party is not until next weekend, thankfully.

By contrast, Friday afternoons are normally a quiet affair. There’s no homework or after school activities, I usually make something nice for dinner and we all just potter around doing our own thing. Sometimes the boys have play dates but today the whole gang is home – the boys are upstairs listening to music and building Lego, Clemmie is playing with the train set and I’m catching up on emails and writing my blog. I have so many blog posts in my head and written out in the note section of my phone, but I just haven’t had the time this week to actually put them together, find pictures and edit them etc. Oh well, there’s always next week…

Friday night is movie night in our house so after dinner there will be popcorn and sweets in front of a film. The boys have a strict system (that they’ve come up with themselves) in place for choosing the film – one of them will pick their top five movies and then the other one will choose which one to watch that night. Then, once they’re in bed, unless we’re going out my husband and I will also watch a movie although tonight I think we will probably plough through another two or three episodes of House of Cards which we’ve just discovered.

Which is your favourite day of the week?

XXX

17Oct2013

Recipe – Lasagne without the Pasta

Posted in Food & Recipes by A Spoonful of Style

I hardly ever eat pasta at home as my husband suffers from coeliac disease and has to avoid all wheat and gluten. The kids will often have spaghetti bolognese or other pasta dishes for their tea and occasionally my husband will make us all a carbonara with gluten free spaghetti on a weekend (although he is not mad about the taste or texture). Over time I have got used to cooking rice, potatoes or just vegetables to go with whatever meat/chicken/fish we’re having. Sometimes though, on a chilly autumn night, I long for a bowl of lasagne with a nice glass of red wine. So I was delighted to come across a recipe which uses thin courgette slices instead of the traditional pasta sheets. As well as being great for anyone with a gluten allergy, it also works for those trying to cut down on the carbs.

I make my own version of bolognese (slightly spicy with a splash of double cream) but you can use whatever recipe you like for the meat sauce.

1 onion – chopped

garlic oil or 1-2 garlic cloves and olive oil

500 g beef mince

1 can chopped tomatoes

2-3 teaspoons Sambal Oelek (or Thai red chilli paste)

1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

a splash of red wine

2-3 tablespoons double cream

1-2 courgettes – finely sliced lengthways, I use a cheese slicer (bought from Ikea) to make the slices really thin

Cheese sauce: 400-500 ml creme fraiche mixed with 300 ml grated cheese

Turn the oven to 175c. Fry the onion and garlic until softened. Add the mince, breaking it up with a fork or spatula. Let it brown then add the other ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Alternate the courgette slices, bolognese and cheese sauce in an oven proof rectangular dish, topping it with a sprinkle of grated cheese. Cook in the oven for 40 minutes and serve with vegetables or a green salad (and a glass or two of Vino Rosso for that authentic Italian taste)

15Oct2013

We Are (WordPress) Family

Posted in Uncategorized by A Spoonful of Style

The lovely and totally brilliant Life Confusions very kindly nominated me for the WordPress Family Award last week. Thank you so much, I am very honoured.

It took me quite a long time to pluck up the courage to start my own blog. Some of the questions going through my mind were: Will anyone want to read it? What if they think I’m rubbish? And how will I deal with any nasty comments?

Well, my blog is still tiny but a few people seem to enjoy reading it which makes me very happy. What has really floored me though (in a good way) is the warmth and friendship that flow through this whole blogosphere. Most of my blog friends I will probably never meet in real life (mainly due to the distance between us) but it’s comforting to know that there are so many lovely souls out there. And if I do ever travel to any of the places where you live, rest assured that I will let you know.

So without further ado, here are some of the wonderful people I consider part of my WordPress family:

Here are rules:
1. Ping back to the person who gave you the Award (Me)
2. Display the Award
3. Nominate 10 people you look to as almost Family here on Word Press”

Thank you so much for your friendship and support and for taking the time to stop by A Spoonful of Style. It means a lot to me to know you’re out there, just a click away. XXX

14Oct2013

This Week’s Favourites

Posted in Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

I suppose the title of this post should really be ‘last week’s favourites’…I’m a day late but with all the party preparations last week and then the clearing up yesterday I have a feeling I’ll be playing catch-up all week. Anyway here’s a quick round-up of the last seven days:

1. My thermos mug from Ikea comes in handy on busy mornings when I end up having breakfast on the run.

2. I made another batch of low carb muesli this week (find the recipe here) – my favourite breakfast.

3. Banana bread is great to put in the children’s lunch boxes and as an afternoon treat with a cup of tea. (Recipe here)

4. The week started off very warm and we made the most of the sunny weather with a trip to the playground after preschool. As the week went on it got progressively colder and I think it’s definitely time to dig out the hats and gloves (although I think the chances of finding a matching pair are very slim, given how many gloves were lost at school last winter).

5. Beautiful autumn colours on a crisp, sunny morning.

6. I had been looking for a new ‘smart’ winter coat for a while but not found anything that was quite right. I have a padded coat from Zara which is great when it gets really cold but I wanted a slightly dressier one to wear for nights out. Usually buying coats is a nightmare as I’m small and unless I find one in a petite fit (which means much less choice), the sleeves are too long and it swamps me. But I went into town mid-week to take a few things back and there it was – the perfect coat. As luck would have it there was one left in my size and, being H&M, it was a total bargain at only £39.99! I tried to find it online to link back to for a better picture but for some reason it’s not up on the H&M website, so you’ll have to make do with the picture I snapped in the changing room. The main body of the coat is a black and white tweed type of pattern, with black sleeves and a detachable fur collar which you can of course wear with other coats and jackets as well.

7. It was only a quick trip into town but I did manage to have a wander through our local department store where they were setting up the Christmas display. I know a lot of people complain that the stores bring out the Christmas decorations too early but I kind of like it. The boys’ birthdays are at the end of October and beginning of November but after that I like to start planning for the festive season – I can’t stand stressing about it in mid December when the shops are full of people and things are starting to run out, or worrying about Internet deliveries arriving in time. Only ten weeks to go until Christmas Day folks!

8. Every Friday Clemmie and I go to Gym Tots with my friend and her daughter. The girls love running around, climbing on all the gym equipment and bouncing on the trampolines.

9. As you probably know by now the week culminated with a birthday party for my husband which went on into the early hours of Sunday morning. We all had a great time and he got some fantastic presents – almost all of them golf related!

Hope you’ve all had a fantastic start to the week! X

13Oct2013

Weekend Photo Challenge (even later than usual!)- OOTD and ‘sleeping’ children

Posted in Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

{My lovely children having a cuddle in our bed. Not sleeping strictly speaking but close enough I think!}

I haven’t had a chance to sit down at the computer all day, but better late than never! We didn’t get to bed until 3.30 this morning (I can’t even remembered the last time that happened!) so I’ve not exactly been full of energy…

It’s my husband’s actual birthday today so we had a lovely lunch at the in-laws when we collected the children (sooo nice not to have to cook – dinner will be takeaway pizza). Apart from that, the day has been spent clearing up the house after last night’s festivities, opening presents and all the usual things like overseeing homework and music practice. There is still some cleaning to be done but, you know what, I’m going to leave it until tomorrow and curl up on the sofa with my husband, eat my pizza and watch Homeland.

Have a great evening. X