The Perfect Parka...

Winter may not be quite over yet, but as we are heading into February our thoughts are turning towards lighter clothes! The first thing I usually switch is the heavy winter coat. But given the changeable weather we encounter at this time of year, we still need a cover-up for wet or windy moments!! I think the parka jacket (as seen on Emily above)  is a great piece to have on standby for those in-between days.. Here are a few styles you might like to consider if buying one...

A cosy design from French Connection...

This camel  number is so versatile from H&M

loving the dusky pink colour from the Limited collection at Marks and Spencer  ...

A classic lightweight option from Dorothy Perkins...

I think these would look fabulous accessorized with nice bright scarves in lovely Spring colours! They are also great for cooler days when a coat is too much ,yet you still need to wear something heavier than just a jumper!!

Happy Shopping

Anne xx

Some Bits Of my Weekend...

Happy Monday everyone!
 Hope you all had a nice weekend and are ready for a new week!! Mine turned out to be a bit different to what I  had originally planned.On Friday I did a bit of shopping and bought a new blush/nude colour blouse.I also picked up a great denim jacket on sale in a local boutique. 

 Saturday we had to attend a funeral service for the mother of a work colleague of Philip's. It was a bit further to drive to than we thought, so our plans for going out that night changed a little. We ended up getting a take-out with the family when we arrived home as we were tired from driving, putting our tapas night on hold for another bit!

A  bit of country scenery on route to the funeral...It was actually one of the coldest mornings we've had in  ages with frost and ice!

Yesterday it was back to wet and windy weather, so there was nothing better to do, than stay inside, keep warm and drink  lots of tea. These yummy donuts and chocolate tart made up for the appalling weather outside!!

I had  hoped to go somewhere interesting and  take a few pictures, but had to snap a few indoors due to the rain! Here are a couple Sarah took before I ducked to the shop for the papers and the above treats yesterday morning...

I wore my new blouse with black jeans and just added a scarf with the denim jacket for a casual look!

I wasn't sure about wearing a denim jacket but I quite liked it when I put it on with the black jeans!:) Had to put up a rather large brolly when I left the house due to rain!! Looking forward to wearing these new pieces with different colour jeans and adding some bright accessories when the Spring weather arrives!!

Hope you all have a good Monday!

Anne xx

Hello Friday...

I don't know about anyone else but I am delighted that this week is over and the weekend has arrived! It just seemed to take forever to get here, and on top of that I lacked the motivation to do anything!! Maybe it was the dark and dreary weather we had that put me off a bit! Anyhow it has brightened up now, and I am looking forward to going out tomorrow night  for a few drinks and tapas in a local bar.

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 On Sunday I plan on getting out for a nice walk if the weather stays good. My hubby is off for a few days next week, so we are hoping to begin some painting work also in the house. I must pick up a few colour charts today and have a look through them!:)

 I hope you all have a great weekend:)

Anne xx

Oaty crumble Apple Muffins...

Hi Everyone! Today I am sharing a recipe for these delicious muffins I found here which are very similar to an apple crumble pudding. They are full of goodness ,as they have the added addition of oats and bran! Hope you enjoy...

Ingredients...

2 apples diced.(pink lady variety are very suitable)

200g self raising flour

50g oat bran.

1 tsp baking powder

175g caster sugar

3 eggs

100ml of sunflower oil

75ml of buttermilk

Crumble Topping...

25g butter

50g plain flour

1tbsp caster sugar

25g rolled  oats

Method...

Preheat the oven to 190c. Line a muffin tin with cases. Dice the apples into a large bowl. Add the flour,baking powder,sugar and oatbran. In a jug beat together the eggs,sunflower oil and buttermilk. Pour into the flour mixture and combine gently. Divide the mixture between the cases in the muffin tin.

To make your crumble rub the flour,butter,oats and sugar in a bowl until it resembles bread crumbs. Sprinkle over the top of the cakes and bake in oven for 20 mins. Cool on a wire rack...

These are delicious served warm from the oven, with a nice relaxing cup of tea!

Have a lovely day:)

Anne xx

Dressing with Style...

Today I am showcasing some lovely dresses from  Irish design company Fran and Jane. I love their simple yet elegant and feminine styling. These would be ideal for forthcoming Spring weddings, Communions or Confirmations. Here are a few styles that have caught my eye...

Loving the overlay of white lace on blue...

A beautiful mix of nude graphic panels and a hot pink skirt...

The draping on this pink number is both elegant and flattering...

Love the cobalt blue with scalloped edging on this style...

I would happily wear any of the above dresses! They would also be fabulous for a day out at the races. I have attended the Punchestown Races myself and Ladies Day is always a great fashion event!

Hope you all have a good day!
Anne xx

Mellow Yellow...

Good morning everyone!! Hope you are all well today! It is a cold dark rainy morning over here in Ireland! On top of that I didn't get much sleep last night, so I am a bit bleary eyed  to say the least!! While on the school run earlier, I stopped to buy the morning paper and this lovely bunch of yellow flowers caught my eye, so home they came with me, and now I have set up  a lovely little breakfast table to ease myself into the day!!

I think I will be lingering here for a while with my morning paper and latte! Not really in the humour to do much today... unless it involves some internet browsing or reading!:)  No harm in a little relaxation once in a while!! The flowers have lifted my mood already!

 Hope you all have a nice day!!

Anne xx

Sunday Shopping...

Yesterday we had a lovely afternoon strolling around Kildare outlet village. It was a little cold and blustery, but the sun was shining brightly - a perfect setting for some January retail therapy! Here are a few snaps we took...

I love the layout of the shops- such a nice change from walking up and down an indoor mall...

Little Miss bought a lovely Juicy t-shirt...

Laura and I came home empty-handed this time!!! ... We have exercised great restraint for the month of January, but we did put our eye on some lovely items for our Spring wishlist!:)

 We had lunch at this lovely Italian restaurant... The ciabattas are to die for!!

It was a great afternoon! I love my shopping trips with the girlies!!

 Hope you all have a fabulous week:)

Anne xx

Award Time...

During the week I was lucky enough to receive the above awards from my lovely blogging friends. Paps at Thoughts of Paps and Aylin at Lila Moonlight. I thank them very much for including me in their list as I love visiting their blogs and I would encourage you all to head over and have a read!!

I believe one of the rules is that I must list 7 random things about myself so here goes...

1) I was born in Southern Ireland,but now live on the East coast.

2) I love to get up really early in the morning.

3) I played the piano as a child and would love to learn again.

4) I adore travelling and visiting new cities and towns.

5) Christmas is my favourite time of the year.

6) I watch far too much reality television.

7) I am guilty of ordering from the kids menu at Mcdonalds and the KFC. LOL.

Now I am going to pass my awards along to the following lovely bloggers who I love to visit on a regular basis.

Something Simple Something Me.  Kreativ Award

Expressive Style. Versatile Blogger

Peaches and Candy. Versatile Blogger

Girl with the skew earring.  Kreativ Award

The Pampered Sparrow.  Versatile Blogger

Tinajo at home.  Kreativ Award

Dimitri Salon  Versatile Blogger

About Anything  Versatile Blogger

My Bathroom/Wardrobe is my castle.  Versatile Blogger

Make Life Pretty.  Kreativ Award

Pellas Lotshemann.  Versatile Blogger

Lil Fashionista   KreativAward

Outside Looking In  Versatile Blogger

Katie Belle  Versatile Blogger

The Fashion Mom.  Versatile Blogger

I hope everyone is having a great weekend:)

Anne. xx

Happy Weekend...

Hi all! Can't believe we are over half way through January already!!  The weather over here has been so mild that I have forgotten it is still Winter! Better not speak to soon, as it has happened before that we got snow as late as March:) This weekend I am hoping to do a little outlet shopping at the Kildare Village near our home!

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I adore strolling around there amongst all the fabulous designer shops, and of course the coffee and lunch breaks that go hand in hand with a day out .

I must also get through a few magazines, that I never seem to have time to read. I love chopping ideas out when I have finished them and filing the pictures away in my inspiration folders, but  I haven't been keeping up with this lately!! 

Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!!
Anne xx

New Romantic...

Not only has the trend for nude and pastel shades become popular on the catwalk, it is equally gorgeous in  home decor. I think it adds a delicate and romantic vibe to any room, while at the same time creating a very luxurious appearance.

I am in love with every aspect of the above photo. I'd adore a chair like that in my bedroom and am swooning over the pastel tones of the clothes on the rail.

I already have a weakness for white pottery  but I think it looks fabulous when mixed together with other pieces in delicate shades of mint green and baby pink. The high street is full of little bits and pieces you can buy to add to your existing decor, like cushions,candles and vases.

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 Even creating a delicate display of flowers can inject a fresh and romantic feel to any room.

Have a lovely day!

Anne xx

Images via Pinterest

Recipe: Pesto Chicken with Roasted Vegetables...

As we're half way through January already our new year resolutions should be firmly in place. One of my goals was to eat more fresh vegetables and fruit on a daily basis! This recipe is great for using up whatever veggies you have left in the fridge, and  healthy also which is always a bonus.You can vary the following to suit however many you are serving...

Ingredients.

500g baby potatoes halved

2 red peppers cut into chunks

2 large tomatoes
2 spring onions diced

2 courgettes cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves

1 tbsp sunflower oil

4 chicken breast diced

2 tbsp pesto

basil leaves to serve

Directions...

Preheat the oven to 200c. Place the potatoes in a shallow dish. Cover with foil and cook for 20 mins. Remove the dish from the oven and add the peppers,tomatoes, spring onions, courgettes and garlic. Stir, then roast uncovered in the oven for a further 20 mins until tender.

Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the chicken until cooked through (about 20mins). At the last minute garnish with the pesto and cover until ready to serve. Spoon the roasted veg around the edge of a serving platter, place the chicken in the middle and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Hope you all have a lovely day!!
Anne xx

Colour Crush...

While watching the Golden globes on television last night, I noticed that all the dresses I was drawn to were the nude and blush tone ones.These neutral hues are so on trend for Spring, and I found a few gorgeous pieces online that would look fab in any closet for the new season ahead... 

This fabulous jacket and

blouse from Reiss....

Gorgeous light pink cropped trousers from H&M

Stunning stretch wool dress from Michael Kors @ Net-A-Porter...

And a little something to finish off any outfit this gorgeous butter soft leather hobo bag from Maison Martin Margiela also at Net-A-Porter. A little pricey but a great investment piece for anyone looking for a good sized everyday bag!

Hope you all have a lovely Tuesday:)

Some Weekend Scenes...

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a good weekend and are ready for another week! I enjoyed my few days and some lovely fine weather also! We kicked off Friday with Conor's birthday. Thank you for all the lovely comments on my Friday post!! The cake was fine, although if I try it again I would make the sponge part heavier and darker! I think my cocoa was a bit light! Everyone ate it anyhow, so it must have tasted ok:)

 On Saturday I took advantage of some lovely weather  and had a walk with Sarah around the lake near our home. Here are a few pictures we took along the way...

 

It was a lovely walk, delighted to have such great weather at  this stage of winter, considering this lake was frozen solid in January last year!

 I hope you all have a good week!

Anne xx