A touch of neon

Posted in Fashion, Products I love by A Spoonful of Style

Blazing hues of orange were all over the Spring/Summer 13 catwalks and while I’m no slave to trends, I do like my wardrobe to at least incorporate a nod to the current season. And let’s face it, after three children I’m unlikely to embrace the bare midriff trend also spotted at the SS13 fashion shows.

I have to confess that I am not entirely comfortable with bright colours, preferring to stick to a more muted palette of black, grey, navy, and white. If I do venture near them I tend to steer away from yellow and orange and choose the colours at the colder end of the spectrum like pink and blue. But comfort zones are there to break out of and this week I’m really tempted by this neon stripe sweater from J. Crew. The orange is brighter in real life than it looks in the picture but combined with the white, the effect is crisp and fresh, especially when teamed with denim. As luck would have it, the sweater is currently on sale on the J.Crew website (link)

If I was really brave I would crank up the neon look a bit further and add this Comme de Garcons clutch bag and Marc by Marc Jacobs sandals (both from My Wardrobe) to complete the outfit.

27May2013

Beauty line-up

Posted in Beauty, Products I love by A Spoonful of Style

Why, oh why, do all beauty products run out at the same time and with a week to go until payday? Luckily I had some points saved up on my Boots advantage card so I was able to stock up and replenish my bathroom cabinet shelves without too much damage to the bank balance. There is always the temptation to buy cheaper substitutes to see you through until the end of the month but, while there are some great budget beauty buys out there, I’ve learned the hard way that it doesn’t pay to scrimp on the products you really love.

While my favourite hair and skin essentials do chop and change over time, these are some of my current go-to products that make me feel (and hopefully look) fabulous:

1.Kérastase Resistance Ciment Anti-usure conditioner. A nourishing treatment conditioner that’s perfect for dry, highlighted hair like mine.

2. Kérastase Specifique Bain Exfoliant Hydratant shampoo. I have a very dry scalp and my hairdresser recommended this shampoo which has really helped.

3. Super Facialist Neroli Firming Daily Brightening Cleanser by Una Brennan . This cleanser is great value and lives up to its name, making skin look brighter and refreshes.

4. Dr Jart+ Platinum BB Beauty Balm. I was very late to jump on the BB bandwagon but after trying this cream I am definitely a convert. With great coverage and texture, it is easy to apply, lasts all day and has a 30 SPF.

5. Paul Mitchell Forever Blonde Dramatic Repair. Again, this leave-in spray was recommended by my hairdresser and has quickly become a regular fixture in my haircare line-up.

6, 7 and 9. I swear by the day and night Hyaluron Filler creams by Eucerin, the products make a real difference to my skin and don’t break the bank. As an extra bonus, this time a small bottle of serum was included with the night cream.

8. No 7 Lift & Luminate Eye Cream. I only recently started using an eye cream so I can’t say that this one is a firm favourite yet but my initial impression is good. It has a light texture and sinks into the skin quickly.

25May2013

Date Night ♥

Posted in Daily Musings, Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

Ready to go out in skirt from H&M, top from Zara, clutch by Mulberry and cuff from H&M (last year)

After 17 years together (11 of them married), three children and four homes, my husband is still one of my favourite people to spend time with. Of course like all couples we argue (let’s face it family life can be extremely stressful at times) but he still makes me laugh and I value his opinion above pretty much anyone else’s.

But while we’re quite good at giving each other ‘me time’ (to do exercise, see friends etc) and socialising with other people as a couple, it always feels like a bit of an indulgence to book a babysitter just so the two of us ca go out together. Every time we do manage to organise a date night though, I wonder why we don’t do it more often. It doesn’t have to be a big elaborate occasion – this time we just went for a meal at a local restaurant. We had a glass of wine at the pub first followed by a lovely two-course dinner and were home before midnight so I still managed to make it to the gym this morning.

A chilled glass of rose tasted like summer even if the temperature outside was anything but. Chorizo and king prawn skewers with chilli mayo to start followed by chicken saltimbocca with pan fried potatoes and rocket.

23May2013

Currently Coveting # 2

Posted in Currently Coveting, Fashion by A Spoonful of Style

Hmm, I really thought that by now my wish list would have moved on to summer dresses and sandals but unfortunately the weather here in England is still more akin to October than May. And late May at that – in just over a week it will officially be summer! Anyway, enough about the depressing weather and onto the pieces that have caught my eye this week.

First up is a gorgeous blazer from Whistles which, because it’s made from a heavy jersey fabric, manages to straddle that tricky divide between smart and casual. The Jimmy Jimmy boyfriend skinny jeans by my fave denim brand Paige (available from Shopbop) are a must-have this season and can be teamed with the Breton striped T-shirt by Saint James for J. Crew for a crisp summer look with a touch of French chic. I am slightly obsessed with brightly coloured shoes at the moment and while yellow is a colour I would never wear near my face (unless it is in the palest lemon shade), on a pair of shoes it is perfect. This pair are from Whistles, which also has the same style in a more demure salmon pink or beige. Rose gold makes a change from my usual silver jewellery and the friendship bracelets from Monica Vinader are among the cutest accessories I’ve seen this season.

22May2013

Start the day with a healthy breakfast – Low carb muesli

Posted in Food & Recipes by A Spoonful of Style

In my opinion breakfast really is the most important meal of the day and I hardly ever skip it. At the moment I am trying to cut down on the carbs in the hope of losing a few pounds. This muesli takes no time at all to make and tastes delicious with some Greek yoghurt and a generous handful of berries. (Original recipe from Swedish website Matplatsen)

Here is the recipe:

100 ml pumpkin seeds
100 ml sunflower seeds
100 ml sesame seeds
100 ml linseeds
100 ml walnuts
100 ml unsalted cashew nuts
100 ml desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
2 tsps cinnamon
50 ml water
50 ml neutral oil

Mix everything together and spread out on a baking tray. Roast in an oven heated to 200 C for approximately 15 minutes. Stir the mixture regularly and watch it so it doesn’t burn. Store the muesli in an airtight container.

21May2013

Bedroom makeover

Posted in Daily Musings, Interior by A Spoonful of Style

Top row (l-r): Neisha Crosland Pollen wallpaper, Neisha Crosland Merlin wallpaper, Christian Lacroix Air de Paris wallpaper. Middle row: curtains from John Lewis, lamp base and shade from Ikea. Bottom row: Grey cushions from Heal’s and white cushion from Day Home

When we moved into our house just over five years ago we immediately started ripping out carpets, sanding floorboards and painting all the rooms. Funnily enough, deep red carpets paired with lilac or mustard coloured walls weren’t exactly to our taste…

Since then we haven’t done very much to the house apart from adding a laundry room and renovating the bathroom (as we only have one bathroom for five of us it takes quite a beating). The neutral colour palette and stripped wooden floors combo that we have chosen is easy to live with and can easily be updated by changing the curtains, cushions or furnishings. Another reason for not making any major changes is that we are hopefully planning an extension in the not too far future, creating a big open plan kitchen/living area downstairs and converting the loft into a master bedroom with en-suite. However, this is still at least another year down the line and lately I’ve found myself looking at interior magazines and Pintrest boards rather wistfully, wishing that I could incorporate some of the ideas into my own home.

It just so happens that last year we had a leak in our roof which, although it was fixed before Christmas, damaged the ceiling and wall in our bedroom (if you look closely at the picture below you can see the stain on the ceiling in the left hand corner, and the water has also seeped into the wall and marked the wallpaper). Well if you ask me it’s the perfect excuse to redecorate the bedroom and change the look. I still like having a feature wall in there (it’s the only one in the house) as I think it softens the room a bit. The wallpaper we have at the moment is by Neisha Crosland and I really love her designs, including the two in the picture above. I think a grey and white colour scheme would be nice and calm, possibly with a bit of soft pink or lilac thrown in to add a feminine touch. Meanwhile, I’ll carry on surfing the net looking for more inspiration to pin to my boards. The great thing about Pintrest is that you can create your moodboards, chop and change as you like and keep them all in one place. If you want to follow me on Pintrest please click here.

20May2013

The Weekend in Pictures

Posted in Daily Musings, Family Life by A Spoonful of Style

I kicked off the weekend by having three of my girlfriends over for dinner on Friday night (my husband was at home but decided that it was safer to retreat into the living room rather than join in the girly gossip!). We started with some croustades filled with smoked salmon and a chicken and tarragon mixture, followed by Chilli Corn Carne and finished off with my lemon and white chocolate cake. They very kindly brought me some beautiful flowers that have brightened up the house no end. I also got to use my new placemats from Svenskt Tenn which I love but they make me feel a bit nostalgic as the design depicts a map of my hometown of Stockholm .

Feeling rather delicate on Saturday morning, I went for a long overdue haircut and colour and caught up on some celebrity gossip over a cappuccino . On a whim I asked the hairdresser to put some curls in my hair rather than the usual straight blow dry. I really liked it and have now booked in for another blow dry before one of the parties we’re going to next month.

This weekend we finally got some sunny weather so off to the garden centre we went on Sunday to buy some flowers to plant in the pots on the terrace. I’m not green-fingered by any stretch of the imagination, but I actually quite enjoyed it and think they turned out pretty good for a complete novice, even if I do say so myself! Now I just have to make sure they stay alive, and with my track record I know that’s the tricky part.

19May2013

American Vintage + Becksondergaard = My daily uniform

Posted in Daily Musings, Family Life, Fashion by A Spoonful of Style

I once read an interview with Vivienne Westwood where she said that she likes to wear the same outfit two days in a row so that every other day she doesn’t have to think about what to wear. It sounds like a great strategy but with three children, the youngest of whom is only two, my outfits rarely remain presentable for more than one day (if that!). I love fashion, but when the alarm goes off at 6.45am and I’m racing against the clock to get the kids off to school and nursery I don’t have the time or head space to think about experimenting with new looks.

So just like my boys have their school uniform I have selected some pieces that form the basis of my ‘mummy uniform’. It won’t set any catwalk alight but it’s comfortable to wear, looks good and can easily take me from the school run to a lunch date or shopping trip. Good basics are the backbone of any functional wardrobe and you can’t beat French label American Vintage with its flattering T-shirts made from the softest Supima cotton in a vast array of colours from neutrals to mouthwatering sorbet shades. I admit that I’m somewhat addicted to scarves and probably buy far too many, but they’re such an easy way to add a bit of colour or change the look of an outfit. My go-to scarf label is Danish brand Becksondergaard which has a huge selection of scarves adorned with stars, stripes, hearts or skulls.

Add a pair of Paige Denim Skyline jeans (their 29″ ankle peg cut is perfect for shorties like me as there is no need to take up the hem) and, depending on the season and weather, some biker boots or ballerinas and I’m good to go!

16May2013

I’m all a buzz about Marc Jacobs upcoming perfume launch

Posted in Beauty, Products I love by A Spoonful of Style

In an industry like fashion – which could be deemed by some to be rather, ahem, superficial – it”s important to keep a sense of humour to prevent your head from disappearing up the proverbial. One designer who manages this better than most in my opinion is Marc Jacobs. Everything he touches is fashion nirvana while still retaining a sense of fun and the unexpected, from the graffiti bags he designed for Louis Vuitton to the adverts for his eponymous collection starring the one and only Victoria Beckham.

When I was working full time I would splash out on a piece of MJ every now then, although to be truthful most of my purchases were from his slightly less expensive diffusion line Marc by Marc Jacobs. My most recent buy was a Classic Q Baby Groovee bag in black – a great bag which is big enough to hold all your essentials without feeling like you’re lugging everything but the kitchen sink on your shoulder.

I’m really excited about the launch this summer of the designer’s fourth perfume. Called Honey, it will be in store in July and seriously is worth buying for the bottle alone, which has to be the cutest design ever. Marc Jacob’s Daisy fragrance is my fool proof daytime perfume while Lola, with its slightly heavier scent, is perfect for nights out. For some reason I haven’t tried Dot, which was the most recent launch and has the most similar bottle design to the forthcoming Honey.

Also on my radar is the news that Marc Jacob’s make up line, created together with cosmetics retailer Sephora, will hit the shelves this autumn. Watch this space…

15May2013

Currently Coveting: Let there be Light

Posted in Currently Coveting, Interior, Products I love by A Spoonful of Style

A light bulb might seem like a strange thing to lust after but Diamond Lights is no ordinary halogen bulb. Scandinavian product designer Eric Therner wanted to create a light bulb that was both functional and looked like a beautiful sculpture. When Diamond Lights is combined with the textile cord by Frama (with a choice of four different sockets) the result is a stylish lamp with an industrial feel that looks good both on its own or in a cluster of several bulbs.

I would love to have this light bulb hanging above one of our living room sofas to create a cosy reading corner but was struggling to think of a way to attach it to the wall until I came across this picture of a similar lamp draped around a simple shelf bracket.