Happy Weekend ...

Top/Therapy @House of Fraser     Jeans/Mango    Shoes/Kurt Geiger    Bracelets/River Island

Festive image via

The last month of the year begins tomorrow! 

This is my cue to deck the halls, pull out all sorts of sparkly and shiny bits, which also includes some nice sequin tops and shiny jewellery. Whilst browsing online last evening I found the above top reduced by 40% and just had to make a purchase. It willl be perfect to throw on for some festive nights out over Christmas.The offer is still available today as there is a two day brand event on and well worth a peek:)

 I'm looking forward to doing some more shopping in Dublin tomorrow: )
 Wishing you all a great weekend!

Anne xx 

Recipe: Salmon, pea and red onion frittata ....

At this busy time of year I love to have a few fail proof recipes to fall back on! Think unexpected visitors for lunch, long days in work or shopping in town and you still need to get food on the table in a hurry!
Eggs are usually top of the shopping list in my house and I'm rarely without them. Definitely got this from my mother who goes into major panic mode if there are no eggs about!!

This is a lovely recipe I adapted from my gorgeous Homes and Garden magazine which I look forward to buying at Christmas every year. Think of it as a posh version of an omelette and it really looks very impressive.

500g potatoes sliced and cubed

150g smoked salmon or 1 large salmon fillet

1 red onion diced

100g frozen peas

8 large eggs

salt and pepper

chives or parsley to garnish

Boil the potatoes for ten mins adding the frozen peas for the last five. In a large bowl mix the eggs lightly. Season with salt and pepper then add the salmon strips if using the smoked variety. I roasted a large salmon fillet in the oven first then shredded it as I prefer the flavour. Heat large pan or skillet with a little olive oil. Fry the onions for 3 mins till soft.

Add the cooked sliced potatoes and peas. Pour over the egg mixture and cook on a low heat for 5 mins until the mixture starts to bubble a bit. Transfer under the grill/broiler until golden and set. This takes about 5 mins.

Cut into large wedges to serve. I had six out of this one.

 This is perfect for an informal dinner served with a simple large green salad and selection of sides, or on its own as a substantial breakfast/brunch option. It can also be made in advance and heated when ready to eat.

The holidays can often be hugely stressful for a lot of people and over the years I have learned that pure perfection is unattainable. Simple and easy is the only way to go in my book!

Hope you all have a lovely day:)
Anne xx

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Winter days...

The colder season is upon us .... boy how time flies by! I can't believe it's almost December already. Just to put myself in full festive mode this morning here are some of my favourite winter images :)

Adding seasonal colour...

hot buns straight from the oven...

Ticking off the gift list...

Taking well earned time out in a cosy corner...

images via

Hope everyone is getting ahead with some christmas preparations. I need to take note myself as I have travelling to do before the big day and as it has happened in  other years, the weather has been known take a major turn for the worse overnight! I can handle a little cold but hate icy roads and the hazards that go with them!

Have a lovely day:)

Anne xx

Sunday Lunch Snaps....

Today we enjoyed a lovely lunch at a local Bar/ Restaurant a few miles out from town. A cold but dry day I was able to wear my new LK Bennett black suede boots .

Take a  look at what made it's way into my Tesco trolley yesterday! Some lovely faux fur gorgeousness at 35 euro and very warm and snug it is too. Thank god hubs has an aversion to supermarkets...I might have to steer clear of the clothes aisles if he was with me! There was also another beautiful wine poncho I may return for this week:)

We had a fab meal in lovely surroundings ... a nice way to while away a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. We were also lucky to get out, just as we went to leave the rain returned!

I am loving their  wreath on the door, must make a return visit soon when it is all done up for Christmas:)

Boots LK Bennett    Leggings A/Wear  Jumper Dress/Next (old)   Black Cardigan/DKNY

Faux fur Vest/F&F @Tesco    Scarf/H&M (old)   

Hope you all have a great week :)

Anne xx

By candlelight ....

As soon as the dark evenings arrive I love to light lots of candles everywhere and cosy up for the long winter nights. They always add a certain sense of calm to any space after a busy day:) Today I'm delighted to introduce another fabulous Irish company on the blog Brooke and Shoals. 
Founded by Alison Banton they are based in the picturesque town of Greystones Co Wicklow.  The company manufacture natural soy wax candles and also sell skin therapy body products all made with natural organic ingredients.

I was thrilled to receive a lovely parcel containing candles and body cream and as you all know how much I love candles, I couldn't wait to light them.

The green fig and vetiver had a gorgeous woody scent, whilst the sicilian lemon and neroli was fruity and zesty and I must say very uplifting especially on a cold wet evening!

As an extra treat I tried the organic seaweed skin therapy body cream after a shower, the grapefruit and geranium scent was divine, and it left the skin feeling really smooth and hydrated!

A full list of stockists for these and other products is available here. A candle is always a lovely gift for any occasion. 

Thanks again to Alison for sending me these gorgeous products to sample:) Wishing you continued success with the business.

Hope you all have a lovely day especially my American followers and friends who are celebrating Thanksgiving this Thursday :)

Anne xx

Party Time Arrives ....

December is almost near and with it comes the endless round of parties and entertaining!

 If you are hoping to invest in some gorgeous glitzy glamour then  look no further than Phase Eight at The House Of Fraser.

From high shine to sequins and floaty evening gowns there is a gorgeous selection to choose from. Here are a few of my favourites

Floaty Grecian embellished Dress

Gorgeous Colette sequin dress

For something a little different this Twinkle jumpsuit would be a great option:)

Shoes/Oasis      Dress/Phase Eight   Bracelet/Links     Bag/Warehouse

If it's shorter dresses your after I've styled two of my personal favourites from the collection  

The above shift tweed dress would be fabulous for Christmas day or visiting relatives and friends for mulled wine and mince pies.

Clutch/Oasis    Dress/Phase Eight    Shoes/Karen Millen

This amazing black dress is a favourite of mine and perfect for a special Christmas night out or New Years eve cocktail party!

For lots more party inspiration and style take a look here at what's on offer. There are also some reductions available at the moment so you may pick up a bargain or two :)

Hope you have a lovely day:)

Anne xx

This is a sponsored post on behalf of The House Of Fraser.
All words and opinions expressed are my own.

Weekend Shopping....

Hope everyone had a nice weekend. It was a lovely sunny one here... well up to late yesterday afternoon when the rain came down and a howling wind appeared out of nowhere!

I was lucky to head out early with my girlies to the private shopping event in Kildare outlet village.

 I think everyone had the same idea as there was a queue of cars waiting to get in when we arrived.  I was delighted to pick up a pair of suede black knee high boots in LK Bennett.
 I had gone with the intention of buying a leather skirt but when these boots fitted so well I couldn't leave them behind.

 They were down from 430 to 240 Euro with an extra 20% off.  I will  have to spray them like mad avoid wearing them on rainy days :) 

My daughter was also eyeing up the Valorie clutch in Anya Hindmarch and I have to admit it was divine. She came away still thinking about it but settled for a DKNY cosy instead. 

I have a strong feeling she may still go back for the clutch though!

 It is beginning to look very festive down there with some lovely lights and decorations popping up:) 

Sarah found herself a nice comfy seat to sit down on :)

Here I an refuelling with a little Starbucks ... my first red cup of the season!

Hope you all have a great week :)

Anne xx

Sweater Weather and A Simple Weekend Recipe ....

Hello!

The weather here this week has been so mild you could be forgiven for thinking it was September instead of mid November. I love crisp sunny days where you can get away with wearing no coat and yesterday was one such day.

 I had recently picked up this black plain knit jumper in Penneys/ Primark with a little layering in mind and was delighted to wear it out for a quick grocery run.

 As I hate wearing bulky coats in supermarkets  this was an ideal outfit!

Jumper/Penneys    Suede Boots/Zara (old)    Long Black T-Shirt/Warehouse   Jeggings/M&S    Bag/DKNY    Scarf/New look

Now for a little weekend recipe! I had a jar of golden syrup languishing in the cupboard for a while which I needed to use up!

I googled a few recipes and finally decided on a simple sponge with a buttercream topping.

75g butter
50g sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
150g flour sifted
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg

Buttercream topping

250g icing sugar
75g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp milk

Cream the butter, sugar and golden syrup in a bowl. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour, vanilla and milk. Pour into a 6in round tin. Bake for 25 mins at 180c.

Mix all the buttercream ingredients together. Pile on top and spread over the cooled cake.
 Drizzle with golden syrup and enjoy with a nice cuppa!

Happy Friday and hope you all have a great weekend :)
Anne xx

Style Inspiration: A leather Skirt ....

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What we all need for winter dressing are some good quality versatile pieces which are going to work hard with other items in our wardrobe!
Look no further than the leather skirt which can styled in numerous ways for any occasion and as always leather is a great investment buy :)

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 Working wardrobe ..... here you could add a white or coloured blouse. Wear with a classic court shoe or knee high boots and add a warm winter coat to finish the look,

 Casual Day .... A favourite look of mine worn with loose knitwear cropped jackets, tights and boots as seen in the top photo.

 Evening .... Add some essential sequins on top, killer heels and a clutch and you are good to go for a night out. With the party season around the corner I have chosen to style this mango skirt for an evening look:)

Skirt/Mango  Shoes/Carvela Kurt Geiger  Top/Ted baker   Clutch/Anya hindmarch    Cuff/Reiss

As you can see a leather skirt would be a great investment piece for winter dressing.

 I think I might just have talked myself into making a purchase :)

Hope you are all having a good week:)
Anne xx

Weekend Recap....

Morning all!

Hope everyone had a good weekend:) I 'm exhausted today after a lovely but busy few days! I may also have drunk gallon loads of tea and coffee which helped immensely in getting rid of my dreadful cold! 

Friday night we had Conor's debs ball and I must say he looked very dapper in his suit. His lovely date for the evening wore a gorgeous midnight blue dress. 

On Saturday I brought my mum home to Cork, she has been with me for five weeks due to one thing and another so I'm really going to miss her company now! She actually got all her Christmas shopping done while she was here so I think she went home happy after all:)

It was a lovely sunny weekend down in Cork and as we were only staying overnight I packed very little, but I did bring my parka jacket which is great to layer with a scarf and jumper in colder weather :)

Jacket/Dunnes    Black Jeggings/M&S    Boots/Dunnes    Scarf/Primark    Bag/DKNY

Hope you all have a great week:)

Anne xx

Happy weekend...

Hi All!

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I'm smothering here with a stinking head cold that appeared right out of nowhere and caught me off guard!! At least it's the weekend, but a busy one for me at that!

Tonight is my younger son's debs ball so I'm hoping that rain I'm looking at now will disappear. I've a few bits to do with guests arriving at five. I will be drinking steaming mugs of hot tea all day in an effort to fight off these cold germs:)

Tomorrow morning I am heading to Cork to drop my Mum home and catch up with family. I will be back again Sunday so it is only a flying visit this time. I may sneak in a bit of shopping if I can!

Wishing you all a good weekend:)

Anne xx.

Decor Inspiration: Piling on the Pillows...

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It seems lately that the days of having an ordinary bed dressed with the minimum bedding

 and bog standard two pillows are long gone:)  Apparently there is a certain art to layering the bedding and getting it just so!

Indeed on a recent trip with my eldest daughter to Dublin , she had a specific brief in mind of what she needed to include for her new bedding. Two large square pillows for the back, four ordinary in front and two decorative to finish.
We eventually tracked down the two big square ones in Brown Thomas and she paid almost the same price for two white covers to match! My mother who was with us on the day thought she had lost her marbles!! 

I definitely blame Pinterest for that one as her bed is a replica of some of her favourite pins

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Love the Cosy neutral theme of these beds...

Whilst they are gorgeous to look at I am quite happy sleeping on my two ordinary pillows  ... my aging neck wouldn't take any more height! Ha:)
 Lovely daughter is quite comfortable in amongst her new bedding, so much so that some mornings I can hardly see her head for the pillows when I look in!

Anyone else have a bed full of gorgeous pillows or are you quite happy sleeping on the normal one or two?

Have a good day:)

Anne xx

Colder days ...

Hi All

Happy new week to everyone! It has turned a lot colder here over the last few days and nights! I went out to buy a warm scarf over the weekend and came back with this poncho instead! It is so cosy and easy to wear I might be leaving it on all the time:)

This one is from F&F at Tesco.... another one of my great finds whilst trolley dashing!! Thanks to Fiona from Raindrops and Daisies for posting about her navy poncho on Friday, also from Tesco and planting the idea of buying one firmly in my head :) 

Now I did have another one in mind which I will seek out as soon as I get to go shopping and it is pictured below from Wallis

Loving the neutral colour of this and of course the faux fur collar is an added bonus:)

I hope you all have a good week, as it is so cold I see a lot of curries and pots of stew on the horizon for dinner! This apricot chicken recipe is one I'm dying to try out as it sounds delicious and the addition of dried apricots adds a different twist:)

Enjoy the week ahead :)

 Anne xx

Hello Friday...

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Friday time again ... yay for bank holidays making the week so short!

We had a busy but lovely Halloween and I think all the kids had a great time partying. I am still looking at bowls of sweets here... funny how you don't feel like eating them when they are right under your nose:)

My Minnie mouse ready to go trick or treating:)

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Now into a new month we go and it has turned a tad colder here at the minute, so I think I must do a little shopping for some warm accessories. I need nice gloves and thick chunky scarves for the cold 

mornings.

I wont be moving to far either from my lovely fire above ... nothing like cold November days for relaxing with a large coffee to hand !

Hope you all have a great weekend :)

Anne xx