Hello Friday....

Happy Friday everyone!

It's that lovely time of week again and what a week it was ! I think our weather is definitely gone a bit crazy , with high winds and monsoon rain at night then back to warm and muggy conditions during the day! Even my poor doggy is totally fed up with this weather and I for one don't blame her! On a more serious note there has been severe flooding in certain areas and I'm thankful my mother escaped the worst of it down in Cork. Some people only 2 km away from her were not so lucky!!

Anyhow as it's Friday I have had a lovely long breakfast time with Laura again... this is becoming quite a habit now that her day off is Friday for the time being. Fresh flowers and candles add to the relaxing atmosphere. It is also Sarah's last day at school so the teacher's card and present had to be organised.

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Yesterday I made a mad dash out first thing to the Zara sale. After much strolling in and out of the fitting rooms with items, I literally got dizzy in the finish trying them on (hadn't eaten a proper brekkie in my haste to get there !) I settled for one top and decided I needed a coffee break to revive me. 

I then scooted around the corner to Penneys and picked up another few bits and this large gold and cream necklace .

 I'm wearing the necklace today with a cream vest and a sand colour shirt I bought last year in H&M. I am also delighted to say I will be heading out for a meal on Sunday night with my coffee morning buddies, so I'm planning on wearing the new Zara mink top ( pictured above ) with white skinny jeans and heels. We are going to a local restaurant for dinner then on for a few drinks afterwards! Thank god we have no school run on Monday:)

I hope you all have a great weekend :)

Anne xx

Decor Inspiration: Updating The Bathroom...

Hi All!

Today I am delighted to welcome Shahab to my blog. She has written a lovely guest post on redesigning bathrooms and given some great tips on how to go about it in a budget friendly way! Hope you all enjoy .

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When it comes to bathroom design, most bathrooms look outdated. If you think about it, the bathroom is one of the most delicate and personal rooms in one’s home. One cracked tile can lead to leaks, mildew, water damage, rot, and the list goes on.

Ultimately, the bathroom is usually the first room to suffer, but that doesn't have to be the case.

With redecorating and remodeling, we can achieve that modern look, and get added storage in one’s bathroom.

THE BATHROOM OVERHAUL

Let’s start with the obvious. When replacing one’s toilet, it is also the best time to replace the tile, the bathtub, the sink, a window that might be in the bathroom, or install a frameless glass shower enclosure for your tub or shower.

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GLASS MOSAIC TILE LOOK

For a contemporary look and serene feeling to your bathroom, you should consider natural stone, pebble tile, stone mosaic tile and stainless steel tile to your bathroom redesign project.

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BATHROOM FIXTURES

If a full bathroom overhaul is out of one’s budget, fresh paint and new bathroom plumbing fixtures will give your bathroom a face-lift and that new pop. You want to make sure the fixtures are all the same color metal for a unified look and good design. This beautifies the bathroom.

As far as the new paint job in your bathroom, it is best to use an acrylic, water-based paint.

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THE VANITY

You should also consider replacing your old vanity, medicine cabinet, and lights to give your bathroom that bright beautiful look, while still being functional.

You want to choose a new vanity that has a good amount of storage both in side drawers and below.

If you are on a budget, there are several options to keep the costs down. You can keep your existing vanity, but replace the vanity top, and sink. Sanding down your old vanity and repainting it or wrapping it with a new outer cover is another option. You may consider replacing your vanity top with a granite tile kit. While a large granite slab is more attractive and preferable, getting a granite tile kit is third of the price, and a good alternative for the same modern stone look. Do it yourselfers also most often times, opt for the granite tile kit, as a granite slab is very fragile and would need to be cut professionally.

If you’re keeping the original bathroom floor tiles, but still looking to add a new design cue to the floor, you can cut an in-set in the floor tile and insert a different designer tile to add a contrast to the floor. As mentioned earlier, today’s most popular tiles are: natural stone, pebble tile, stone mosaic tile and stainless steel tile.

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THE VESSEL SINK

Don’t stop there, do a search online and with a little bit of effort, you can find a modern looking vessel sink and faucet, at an affordable price.

Need more storage in your bathroom? Installing a spice rack is one affordable way to store polishes and lotions that one may have in the bathroom.

If replacing one’s whole bathtub is out of budgetary question, you can have your existing bathtub refinished and painted a new color.

NEO-ANGLE FRAMELESS GLASS SHOWER DOORS

There are further alternatives to give your bathroom that new look. Frameless bathtub screens reinvent the bathtub enclosure into a modern, attractive, centerpiece. If you want movement, adding a skyline sliding glass door for your tub is a beautiful way use your tub as a shower, by replacing the shower curtain and the outdated framed look with luscious frameless glass that shows off any new tile work you do. If you’re looking for a shower enclosure, look no further than the neo-angle frameless shower enclosure (pictured) which is what’s trendy in 2012. With these redesign and decoration tips, you will make your bathroom look very high-end and modern.

Thank you  Shahab for a great post!
Hope you all have a lovely day!
Anne xx

About the Author
Shahab Shokouhi is a Writer at Dulles Glass and Mirror -- a manufacturer of commercial and residential glass products including tempered glass, replacement glass, and shower doors.

Zesty Lemon Squares...

After eating my weight in chocolate cupcakes over the weekend I have decided to bake something a little lighter this week! These  lemon squares are nice and tangy and would be perfect for a  summer picnic (hoping we will go on one soon!!)  I followed an online recipe by Martha Stewart  but swapped the butter base for a short crust one ... The easier option!!

Ingredients...

1 sheet of shortcrust pastry

1 tin of condensed milk

juice of 3 lemons

4 large egg yolks

icing sugar to dust

Directions...

 Roll out the pastry sheet and press it into a 10 in rectangle baking tin with a 1 in lip on side. Preheat oven to 160c and bake until pale and golden for 10mins. Make the filling by mixing the can of condensed milk with the 4 egg yolks, then add the lemon juices.
Pour into the pastry shell and return to the oven. Bake for a further 20 mins until the filling is set. Remove and trim any overflow of pastry from the sides then chill in the fridge for about two hours until firm. Dust with icing sugar and cut into squares to serve.

Hope you all enjoy!

Anne xx

A Dose Of Pink ...

 With two girls around the house I've always been used to seeing lots and lots of pink. Of late I wouldn't immediately think of this colour when it comes to home decor, although Sarah still has a wall of hot pink in her bedroom hugely toned down now I might add with the addition of some lime green paint on the side ones. Having said that it's still a wonderful uplifting colour to add some finishing touches to any area whether it be in the form of paint, furniture or accessories! And if you do like a pop of pink it can also be extended to your food and clothing choices! Here's a little pink inspiration to brighten the day...

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Two delightful decor photos where a pop of pink makes a stunning statement!

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Or if you want to wear it well like Olivia Palermo above here is a fabulous dress from the lovely Isabella Oliver  365 collection on sale at the moment!

Hope you all enjoyed a little pink inspiration :)

Have a lovely day!

Anne xx

Weekend recap.....

Happy Monday!

After a busy day Friday I was delighted to have a bit of a slow one on Saturday which is always rather nice :) It was quite a mixed bag weather wise. Sunny in the morning and raining for the rest of the afternoon and night! Suffice to say we did a lot of eating and drinking to make up for that! I popped out for lunch with Laura  before the rain came down. As we were leaving the restaurant it poured and we had to make a mad dash to the car! 

Once home Laura took over the cooking for the afternoon and made lovely pasta and delicious cherry chocolate cupcakes! These kept them all happy for the rest of the day!

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Yesterday was a much nicer day ... see that lovely patch of blue over my house which was unfortunately quickly followed by thick grey ones also!! Sarah ran out to have a quick early morning bounce on the trampoline! Later on we took a trip to Kildare village for a stroll around. I was delighted to see French Connection and Coach have opened recently! I will be making a return for some goodies later! I had to buy some sportswear for the lads this time!

Above are  two outfits I wore over the weekend. On Saturday as it was chilly I wore linen trousers  and a blouse from M&S,and as it warmed up a bit yesterday I got to wear the floral  H&M top I bought a few weeks ago.

Hope you all have a lovely week:)

Anne xx

Weekend Time...

Hi everyone!

Hope you all had a good week and are looking forward to a nice weekend:)  I had a very busy day yesterday so I didn't have time to write a blog post. Top that off with a day of rain and mums taxi in full operation and you get the picture :)

First up the good news, Shane passed all his first year college exams so we are thrilled for him. Conor is finishing his today so it will be a huge relief all round !

 Now I did manage to make this lovely pancetta and chive tart which would be a delightful brunch recipe for the weekend if any one would like to try it.

Basically I rolled out some shortcrust pastry. Line an 8 in pie tin. Fry some Pancetta (diced bacon bits) on the pan and spread it over the pie base. Add your filling of 2 eggs. 3 fl oz milk, onion and some diced tomato. Bake in a hot 180c oven for 20 mins. Garnish with chopped chives to serve . So delish and fairly easy peasy!!

In other news I was delighted to buy this DKNY bag in my favourite local boutique! I had looked at lots of others but decided on this classic tan style in the finish!

Jacket/Karen Millen    Dress/warehouse    Sandals/penneys    Bag/DKNY

Now I 'm off to watch Sarah in her school play this morning. She has the part of King Midas so hopefully it all goes well!! I have decided to wear this black maxi with my tan leather jacket as it is dull and damp. After school I am bringing herself and a friend to Eddie Rockets for a treat :)  Better fly or I will be murdered if I make a late entry!!

Hope you all have a lovely weekend :)

Anne xx

Decor Inspiration: Subway Signs....

Hi everyone!

Today I am bringing you another one of my current obsessions which I largely blame Pinterest for and that is subway signage!! Now a quick look around the web to see where I could purchase said sign and I was amazed to see they actually cost a fortune and quite frankly I do not have that much to spend at the moment. What I do have is going towards a bag for moi in the summer sales!! Now here is some of the cool inspiration that started my obsession in the first place ....

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Aren't they just fab? Now the huge draw I have towards them is the fact you can personalise the wording to include favourite roads, towns etc that may hold fabulous memories for you ! These would be amazing gifts for weddings or anniversaries, I know my sister in law would rave over one of these. I have seen a few tutorials also on some blogs and this one here seems easy enough (well in writing anyhow!!)

Please do let me know if you like these ideas!

Have a lovely day :)
Anne xx

Style Inspiration: An Everyday jacket ...

Nowadays when renewing key pieces in our wardrobe, we are always on the lookout for good quality and adaptability. With an ever changing climate like we are experiencing at present it makes perfect sense to invest in a good jacket that can be dressed up or down whatever the occasion calls for! I'm sick of throwing on my mac (although it has saved me on more than one occasion in torrential rain)  Here is a selection I found which would work well right through Summer to Autumn and beyond ...

  Khaki linen Zara

Striped fringed edge cropped also Zara

Lace coat Warehouse

Now I know the above looks more like a coat than a jacket but I included it in the line up as it is on sale at the moment in Warehouse for 65 Euro down from 95 and would be a great quality addition to any Summer wardrobe. I have a white coat which I wear all the time and it was a fabulous investment piece!

Hope you all have a good day!
Anne xx

Weekend Outfit: Stripes Again...

Stripes have become a uniform of sorts for me these past two weeks.The dull changeable weather does not make for good Summer outfits! I seem to be rotating my Breton tops on a daily basis, usually with a mac thrown over to keep dry from the torrential downpours of rain! Yesterday was on ok day I suppose, not roasting by any means, yet warm and dry enough to go without a coat and even a scarf! :) Here's what I wore out to Sunday lunch for Father's Day...

Top/House of Fraser    Sandals/Penneys    Bag/DKNY    Pants/Zara

This top is actually one of the most comfortable and versatile I have bought in ages! I love how the belt adds a different touch as opposed to my normal Breton choices! I can see myself wearing it throughout Autumn and well into the Winter also with a little extra layering involved. Definitely a style I will be looking out for!

I added a pair of Zara cropped trousers, tan sandals and neutral bag for a casual easy Sunday style:)

Hope you all have a great week ahead :) Exams for Conor are still ongoing here and I will be breathing a huge sigh of relief on Friday when he finally finishes!!

Take care:)
Anne xx

Weekend Time...

Happy Friday everyone!

Hope you are all in good form and looking forward to a nice relaxing weekend! First up I want to thank the lovely Maria at a drop of bliss  for awarding me the versatile blogger award:) It is always nice to know people read and appreciate what you write so I'm always honoured to get a mention:)

 Also my postman has just arrived with another nice surprise  today! I won a bag over on Avril's fabulous blog Schoolgate Style a while back. It is a gorgeous pink stripe tote from M&S and will be so useful in the hopefully sunny months ahead...

 I am looking forward to wearing my new top I bought in House Of Fraser last weekend:) It's just perfect for the in- between weather we are having at the minute! I think I will always be fond of anything with a stripe as they are so easy and versatile to style:)

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I hope you all have a brilliant weekend...especially the dads who will no doubt be showered with lovely presents on Sunday for Fathers Day! It is always a little bit sad for me since my own dad passed away 5 years ago :( However I have lovely memories and always try to keep them foremost in my mind!

Anne xx 

Recipe: Summer Peach tart ...

I love my  year at Avoca cookbook as it lists each recipe according to the relevant season making it far easier to choose one with ingredients that are suitable and plentiful for that time. While browsing the recipes I came across this one last night and thought it would be perfect for a Summer dessert, so light and creamy ... Hope you all enjoy!

Ingredients...

1 packet of shortcrust pastry

5 ripe peaches

255ml cream

3 large eggs

4 tbsp caster sugar

2 tbsp plain flour

Directions ...

Roll out the pastry and line a 28 cm fluted well greased flan tin. Fill with baking beans and bake in a hot 160c oven for 20 mins.

Meanwhile in a bowl mix the eggs, vanilla, sugar and cream. Sieve the flour into the egg mixture. Fan the sliced peaches around the side of the par cooked pastry shell. Pour the custard mixture over the fruit. Bake in the oven for a further 35 to 40 mins until set but still has a slight wobble in the middle. My oven was hotter than I thought so it browned the edges a little more than I would have liked !!

Dust with icing sugar and serve hot or cold with some vanilla ice cream or just plain old whipped cream!

Delicious eaten alfresco after the perfect bbq or dinner :)

Have a fabulous day!

Anne xx

My New DIY Memo Board ....

Over the weekend I decided to start on a memo board for my kitchen as I'm constantly in need of reminder of what's happening lately! Between school tours, plays and ongoing exams my brain is a bit fuzzy to say the least and hopefully this will keep a few things in order for me!

 I just used an old canvas I no longer needed and covered it with some stone coloured material. I would have preferred to use burlap but I could not source any locally.

My OH did very kindly assist me in stapling the back with the staple gun and pulling the material tight so as not to have any unsightly lumps and bumps! For a final touch I then added some silver staples down the sides to give it a little lift in appearance...

 Now I'm sure it won't be long before it's filled with all sorts of notes and cards!!

Hope you all have a good day!

Anne xx

Guest Post: Orange And Blue Decor Inspiration...

 Hello Everyone!

Today I'm delighted to welcome Joanna to my blog. Here she will share some of her fabulous inspiration for decorating with gorgeous orange and blue tones in the home! Orange is one of my favourite colours this year so I hope you all enjoy:)

Hi! I’m Joanna, a guest blogger for Arcadian Lighting, a terrific online source for light fixtures and lighting ideas. I love my job. I spend every day searching the web for the most beautiful interior design images and ideas to share with blog readers like you. Today, my post is about the lovely combination of hues—orange and blue. This pair has been trending lately and looks as if it will be around for awhile. I hope you enjoy the post!

This is a mellow space decorated all in orange and blue from the sofa to the picture frame on the right.







I love the upholstery in this living room. The chair and the carpet are lovely together and the gallery of prints brings all of the colors together.





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The dog portrait in this room is so cute! Not just that, it pulls all of the colors (orange and blue) together and creates a focal point.







An Asian-inspired master suite boasts orange and blue in its own sophisticated way. The mural above the bed is feminine and whimsical.







Another gorgeous bedroom gets its own splash of orange and blue in differing shades. The pendant light pulls the pattern from the wall wallpaper to the ceiling adding height to the space.







A subdued version of orange and blue is nevertheless sophisticated. The walls have an almost metallic sheen to them.







A peaceful combination of orange and blue grace this contemporary space. I love the contemporary seascape.







Orange and blue make for the perfect combo in this charming room. Love how the striped rug picks up the colors of the chest and sofa. The little light fixture is so cute. Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

What do you think of this color combination? Don't forget to check out Arcadian Lighting  here to find lighting fixtures to suit your favorite color combos!

Thank you to Joanna for a lovely post, and I hope you've all found some fabulous decor inspiration  here:)
Have a great Tuesday!
Anne xx 

Weekend Style: A Pop of Colour...

Happy Monday!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend! Besides gathering materials for my pin board project, I hadn't really planned on going, far but Laura was heading to Dundrum Town Centre yesterday for a little retail therapy so off I went with her tout suite!

 We spent a lovely few hours over there and had a delish lunch alfresco in Milanos....I tried a goats cheese and spinach pizza  and it was amazing! 

Of course I spied this fabulous piece of Michael Kors goodness in Harvey Nichols! I would love to have bought it there and then but the sales are starting shortly ... Laura has a preview in Brown Thomas on Tuesday evening so I shall wait and see what's on offer.

In the meantime I'm using a DKNY neutral colour bag I bought about two years ago in a local boutique. I jazzed up a very ordinary oufit using colourful accessories from A/wear:) I did buy a lovely striped top in House of Fraser so I am looking forward to styling it for an outfit post:) 

As regards the floral trousers in my last post, they need about 2 ins off the length but I think they might have some potential!

I hope you all have a lovely week:)

Anne xx

Happy Friday....

Hello!

Hope you all had a great week. I thought after having a bank holiday on Monday it would fly but it actually dragged in parts for me ... totally blaming the rain and cold as you do! I really haven't much on this weekend so this post is going to be a little bit random!

First up I have totally lost the run of myself and purchased these floral pants in Penneys/Primark! Now I'm not even sure what they look like on (still waiting to see!)  but they caught my eye and I think with a little bit of the right accessorising they could be quite nice for a Summers evening out for drinks /dinner. Some inspiration below as to  how I might go about styling them ...

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And for random item two I 'm going to make a nice memo board for my kitchen as I have such a fog brain at the moment and totally forgot to do 2 highly important things this week!! I stumbled across some lovely diy posts online and pinterest  but one design really caught my eye ...  so hopefully this piece of canvas art I don't need

  will magically turn into one of these over the weekend:)

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A very simple but effective idea all the same! 

Have a beautiful weekend :)

Anne xx