Saturday 29 October 2011

Autumn Lunches

Straight off the bat, lets apologise for the photo taken on my phone. My camera wasn't playing ball this morning.  Anyway, inspired by this post, I knocked up this lunch today.

I had made the soup earlier in the week, and it really is incredibly simple. First, I chopped up 2 red peppers, and halved about 16 tomatoes and chucked them in a roasting dish. Add a bit of garlic, a generous helping of sea salt and pepper as well as a coating of olive oil, give it a quick shake and you're good to go. I was in the house for the morning so I popped it in the oven on a low heat (around about gas mark 4) for 3 hours as I was doing chores but I've done it before in a hotter oven for less time - just keep an eye on it and shake it around every now and again to prevent it burning.

I wish I'd taken a photo then because the results smelt and looked incredible - I'll definitely be oven roasting more tomatoes and sticking them in Kilner jars as gifts nearer Christmas. I could've eaten the vegetables there and then, but for the purposes of the soup, it's as simple as sticking it in a blender with about a pint and a half of vegetable stock before blitzing. It's delicious enough to eat as is, but if you prefer your soup a bit creamier, I find it works well with the tang of creme fraiche.

The toastie was a combination of blog inspiration and coming across my toastie maker when having a clean up. After buttering the outside of the bread, I layered up a finely slice Braeburn apple and brie inside and let the toastie maker work it's magic. I love the combination of flavours - apple and cheese was always part of my supper as a child - but wish the apple had retained it's crunch. I'm thinking it might be best to toast the bread and cheese under a grill {as if you were making cheese on toast} and adding in the apple at the end as you sandwich the two halves together. I think I'd definitely keep this in mind next time as I think the crunch of the apple would've worked brilliantly.

Regardless, this lunch was delicious. It's far more than the sum of its parts and so simple to boot {noticing a pattern?}.  It struck me as the perfect Autumn lunch, I have to say.


Love B x

Sunday 23 October 2011

Oh Whistles...

Is there any need for me to want nearly every piece of clothing you make? Every one of these would fit seamlessly into my current wardrobe...





What do you think?

Love B x

Thursday 20 October 2011

ASOS boots


My boots from ASOS arrived a little while ago now but I've only just got around to blogging about them. Ooops! I've pretty much lived in them since the moment they arrived and I have to say they are incredibly comfortable. I work them to a 12 hour shift to work the other day, most of which was spent on my feet and I was still comfortable at the very end of the day. Absolute miracle seeing as my feet normally start rejecting heels after a few hours. That said, I'm discovering the advantage of a mid height heel for work. I've always been pretty all or nothing when it comes to heels, which probably explains the discomfort!


These two photos probably give the most accurate reflection of the colour. They're a true black suede with a wooden heel. I love the details like the little side tab and stitching. The thick sole on them probably helps on the comfort factor too.


I had ummed and ahhed about buying the tan pair but now they've sold out and I desperately want them. I was out bidded for a pair on Ebay {by a penny - blast!} so I'm keeping my eyes peeled. If anyone knows where I could get my hands on a pair of size 6s or has any other similar boots to share with me, I'd be so grateful!

Anyone else have these boots and love them?

Love B x

Tuesday 18 October 2011

Sequins & Prints

So on my way home from work, I had to pop to the shops to buy my friend a birthday present and I may have accidentally gone shopping for myself whilst I was there. I picked up a couple of things from New Look and Accessorize.


 First up, is this. I love this top. The sequins are a really muted bronze/gold colour and it's the perfect top for drinks on a winter evening. It adds just enough glitz to an outfit but still is understated. Love it! It was around £22 too so it's a perfect little addition to my wardrobe. For me personally, New Look can be a bit hit and miss with their clothes but when they get it right they absolutely nail it.





Next up is this silky shift dress with 3/4 length sleeves. This is exactly the kind of dress I normally wear and I love the blue and tan shatter pattern. The tan isn't as orange as it would seem in this picture so the colour combination is really lovely. I love the interesting pattern and the exposed zip at the back. To dress it up a bit I wore it with House of Holland suspender print tights in black on black {rather than black/nude}. Again it was only about £25 which I think is brill for an interesting little party dress.




Last up is this bracelet. I haven't wanted to stop wearing it since I bought it! It's a bit more glam and in your face than I would normally wear but I love how vintage it looks. My friend had on the matching earrings that night and I think I might pick them up come payday too. It's the spot on balance of sparkle set in muted/dark gold that saves it from looking over the top. Instead it adds the perfect amount of sparkle to an outfit. It was around £15 so it was more than I would usually pay but I'm quite select about buying jewellery so I don't mind paying around £10 - £15  for something I know I will love and wear on rotation. Like the horseshoe necklace in the first picture! That was around £8 from Topshop and I live in it!

Not bad considering I was buying a friend a present! Now, to avoid the shops til payday! Though I desperately want to pick up more of those Leigh jeans from Topshop! I had always avoided buying Topshop jeans because I found they give too much and lose their shape and size. These babies are perfect though - just the right amount of stretch and so soft!

Love B x

Sunday 16 October 2011

Street Style

{via}

How effortlessly chic is this girl? I love the mix of burgundy, navy + grey with the flash of gold on her wrist and hand. I love the oversized scarf bundled around her neck {my key accessory when it comes to Winter in Scotland} and the mix of casual and dressed up elements that balance the outfit perfectly. This one is definitely going in my inspiration folder.

Love B x

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Elie Saab

I don't think Elie Saab's Spring 2012 Ready to Wear Collection could be anymore beautiful. I love the gorgeous jewel colours and the sequins get me every time. Now if only I could afford his creations. That and the fact I don't really have anywhere to wear a floor length silk, chiffon and sequin gown. They are absolutely stunning though.









{all images via style.com}

Love B x

Saturday 8 October 2011

Steve Jobs

"have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."


I wouldn't normally comment on something like this, as sad as it is, but having sat this morning and taken the time to listen to this and to let it resonate, I felt I had to share it. The line above, in particular, is still ringing in my ears.

Wise words.

Love B x

Thursday 6 October 2011

Sausage Risotto


Try as I might to get an attractive photograph of this dinner, it just wasn't going to happen. All the odds were stacked against me: it was late and dark, I was hungry. You need to trust me though, this dinner is more than just the sum of it's parts. It's down right delicious actually, perfect for those cold days when you want something that amounts to a hug in a bowl. The photo above really is shocking, it's not the most attractive of dinners. It's certainly worth a shot though!

I was inspired to make it when I stumbled across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen but I played around with the ingredients a bit. This is one of those thrown together dinners so I don't really have any quantities, but that doesn't seem to have done me any harm so far. It still works, and it's still delicious. You'll need the following ingredients:

Sausages {Either sausage meat or remove the casing}
a tin chopped tomatoes
a pint of chicken stock
a few handfuls of spinach
paprika
salt & pepper
risotto rice
parmesan cheese {or the like}
an onion
olive oil 

I simply soften the onion in some oil over a medium hit before throwing in the bits of sausage meat to brown.  Next, add as much risotto rice as you need to feed you all and stir til it's coated with the oil and mixed with the sausage and onion. This is when a bit of patience comes into play as you stir in the stock and the tinned tomatoes a bit at a time, being sure to just cover the risotto rice with liquid every time.  Be sure to keep stirring most of the time and be prepared to be there for a good 25-30 minutes if you're cooking over a medium heat. Add your seasoning in at this point too, I love to add a hearty dose of smoked paprika to give it a real warmth and depth. Right at the very end stir in a big helping of spinach and parmesan cheese and voila, you've got the most delicious dinner that, although a bit time consuming, isn't really labour intensive. I've taken to using low fat sausages in ours, as a somewhat futile attempt at making this dish a bit lighter but I think it would be delicious with some really good quality, well flavoured sausages.

Love B x

Tuesday 4 October 2011

Shopping...



Well. Just talking about knitwear didn't last long at all. I went shopping in Glasgow over the weekend and bought this jumper from Topshop. I'd seen it a while ago in Durham but had held off but I'm so glad I bit the bullet and bought it {even if I maintain Topshop can be a bit pricey for what it is}. It's a lovely soft knit and it isn't itchy or scratchy at all {a real bug bear of mine with jumpers}. I love the dusky pink/blush colour as well, and the bow detail on the back at the neck.  I bought these Leigh super skinny jeans too that are a lovely blue-grey. Or at least I think they're these ones? The online photo seems much more grey.They're lovely and soft, and I just hope that they don't stretch out too much. I love this colour combo, so no doubt it'll become a regular feature in my wardrobe. Excuse the mess in these photos - we were not long back from a weekend away at a friend's wedding.

I'll be pairing them with these boots, that I've just ordered and cannot wait to get my hands on. I had wanted the tan but dilly-dallied too long and they had sold out by the time I came to order them.  Black though is probably far more practical for Autumn/Winter in Edinburgh though. I'll do a post on them when they arrive. I've ordered a couple of other bits and pieces online as well {can you tell it was payday?!} so I'll be sure to post about them too.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and a great start to the week?

Love B x


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