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There is NO excuse!
Spring is springing everywhere. The sun is shining, the birds are tweeting and everything is tra-la-la-ing.
So get out there with your camera, take a photo which sums up 'April' to you and post the fruits of your labours up in this month's photo pool. You've got until midnight on the 29th April to amaze guest judge Di over at Designer's Block with your brilliance and win yourself a quite astonishing prize.
As I looked over my favorite fashion finds from this past month, I realized there was a definite theme. As much as I had hoped to wear breezy dresses this month, most of the time I found myself still bundled up in sweaters, sweatshirts and jeans because it was chilly even here in Los Angeles. The few new indulgences I actually got to break out were accessories like these great flats with turquoise stones by Charm and Luck. And this is a good fashion note, because accessories are a great way to move into a new season even when the weather won’t cooperate.
Colette Steckel recently opened a flagship store here in Los Angeles and her exquisite jewelry, like these earrings, features some of the most beautiful bunches of stones I’ve seen in recent memory.
Just looking at this beautiful clutch with turquoise embellishments makes me feel tropical even if the weather is a far cry from lazy summer days. I like the fact that it can go from the beach right to a swanky dinner. It’s on my wish list, and of course I’d wear it out with jeans in a red hot minute.
I wore these gorgeous turquoise kitten heels almost every day this month, either with jeans or dresses. The mix of stones and bling plus pretty embroidered soles cheered me up endlessly!
I couldn’t seem to shake turquoise this month and fell for this lovely candle by Sage Jewelry at mirrormirror. The essential oil scent is inspired by the healing power of the stone and fit for a mermaid.
Finally, if you have to get stoned, I highly recommend a hot stone massage. Nothing feels better in chilly weather than warm stones placed along the spine—it warms you right to the bone. I had the pleasure of enjoying one at the Hyatt Grand Champions Resort & Spa a few weeks ago and it was heavenly. Remembering it makes me wish I could indulge all over again!
Hoping you had a gorgeous April—I’ll be back in May with loads of sunny fashions!
If a glut of easter eggs has defeated you and is currently staring at your maliciously from the corner of the kitchen, fear not. I bring you the easiest, the scrummiest, the downright momma of chocolate chip cookie recipes for your delectation and creation. I made 400 of these babies for my 21st birthday party for 80 guests. They all disappeared.
But don't let me try to convince you... Make them at home, send me your comments, or just sit quietly and nibble on your creations. I challenge you to have any left 24hours later...
Here goes...
Melt 4oz butter/margerine.Turn off heat and add 4oz of darkest brown sugar and 4oz of light brown sugar.
In a large mixing bowl, weigh 9oz self-raising flour, pinch of salt and a teaspoon of extra baking powder.
Beat one egg in a little cup with a teaspoon of vanilla essence.
Then it's just a case of mixing the liquids with the dry. It will eventually bind to form a sticky dough. If you were speedy with the egg, the batter may be too warm at this stage to add in the chocolate chips (they will melt on contact!) so start washing up, get the cookie sheets out etc to let it cool for five minutes.
When you've added a packet (!) of chocolate chips, dollop in walnut sized blobs on ungreased cookie sheets and cook for 11 minutes exactly at GM4.
Variations on this recipe include: any dried fruits, nuts, smarties, milk, plain or white chocolate chips etc. I've never tried it, but I'm sure you could, mix in some cocoa dissovled in hot water (reducing the flour accordingly) and have double chocolate chip cookies.
This recipe is taken from a children's book that is sadly no longer in print that I gave out to my friends at my 9th birthday party. It was a cooking party, you had to make cupcakes and then decorate them and the going home present was this cookbook. The recipes are fabulously fun, it came with colour-coded measuring spoons and titles like this one:
Daryl's Forget the Cookies, Just Give me that Batter, Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe: These are only for people who've been really very good recently.
Amazing.
This picture of the sun setting over Europe made the rounds of the Internet some time ago, but I thought it was well worth posting up again to celebrate Earth Day.
Every time I see this photo I'm amazed by how beautiful the Earth is, and horrified by how much electricity we appear to be using.
These little cuties are sisters. The younger one (left) is my goddaughter and the older one (right) is my sister's goddaughter. (Photos taken at my brother's wedding last summer, where they were bridesmaids - dresses by my mum!)
They're adorable, and it's my goddaughter's birthday on Wednesday. No problem, thought I, I'll just run up a quick dress.... No patterns in her size. No time or money to buy one. Hmmm... Then I recalled... The Pillowcase Dress!
After a very productive few weeks, I have oodles of leftover remnants which I used in the absence of delictately fabulous vintage pillowcases.
They are adorable. The babies are adorable. It's a match made in heaven.
The instructions are simplicity itself. Not having the girls to hand, I took the measurements from this rather exquisite site for length and followed Rowena's instructions and measurements otherwise. I also used the fabric that is cut out for armholes to make pockets on the hips.
I'm beyond delighted and can't wait to see what they look like on.
On a side note, do you think I should make these to sell for my walk? They are so effective - meaning simple to make, complicated in appearence and just too cute for words!
Just call me Alan. Or Charlie.
Though I would like to think I have rather more support than her...
I am delighted to announce that my fingers are not quite so black as I feared. Popping along to the flower market in the autumn, I got me a selection of bulbs for a couple of pounds. My gardening theory pretty much runs along the lines of 'if it's selling in racks at the market, it must be the right time to plant it'...
Turns out I wasn't half wrong.
My first bit of growing. I feel like Mary in The Secret Garden.
It's wick! It's wick!
See, you too can be gorgeous. This is the year.
So what does April mean to you? April flowers? April showers? Spring cleaning? DIY? Easter eggs? Sunny breakfasts? The first BBQ of the year? Or are you now heading into autumn?
Capture the essence of April with your camera, post the results up to our Flickr group and put yourself in line to win a fabulous prize. In honour of Spring, one lucky winner will win one hanging steel turquoise butterfly and one raspberry flower by Atelier LZC.
The person you have to impress this month is the fabulous Di over at Designers' Block.
She has very kindly agreed to be our guest judge, despite the fact that, as well as running what is probably the UK's most popular design blog, she is also going to be launching her own range of 'Ghost Furniture' later on in April.
You have until midnight GMT on 29th April to post up your picture. Good luck to all!
Kate Wilson, who contributed the stunning illustrations for the Living Gorgeously banner and is a commenter round these parts, has just been featured on decor8 (and just received a First from the London College of Fashion).
Her wall of illustrations is an absolute joy and she's on the point of opening an Etsy shop where I for one will be shopping like crazy. Get in there while you can still afford her.
After a beautiful sunny Easter weekend, and with temperatures set to hit 23degrees in London this weekend, ones thoughts can only go to the summer wardrobe. When considering future purchases, however, I think it apt to consider the intelligensia out there. As a poor dressmaker with a not unusual sense of style I usually fail to adhere to current trends. I love a little dabble (this year I'm going crazy with prints) but full on baby-doll and trapeze dresses have no chance in heck with me. What trends are you going to be pursuing?
This is an excellent article, questioning the development (or should that be decline) of style and the rise of the WAG...
Take the test below and let us know how you get on. I'm delighted to inform readers of Gorgeously that I was unable to answer yes to a single question.
Yes - if you can answer in affirmative to three or more of the following:
• Do you own a set of hair straighteners?
• Is there anything in your wardrobe from Dolce & Gabbana/Karen Millen?
• Do you own a velour tracksuit?
• Have you ever had a French manicure?
• Do you own any jewelled shoes?
• Have you ever owned, or wanted to own, a vanity case?
• Do you own sheepskin boots - even fake Uggs?
• Do you wear a baseball cap?
• Do you regularly use fake tan?
• Have you ever had a personal trainer?
• Have you spent more than £300 on a bag?
• Have you ever copied a celebrity's outfit (be honest now)?
• Do you read Heat/Ok!/Hello!/Grazia magazine?
• Have you ever had Botox?
• Have you had your teeth whitened?
Oh, I had such plans for Easter, but they just weren't compatible with transatlantic trips, jetlag and moving house all in the same week.
At least the Easter tree was looking pretty - twisted willow hung with little wooden ornaments scavenged on eBay with a nest of dyed eggs at the bottom.
(Unfortunately not Martha's natural-dyed eggs, but brown eggs dyed with a cheap commercial kit).
What you can't see from this picture is that all the dyed hard-boiled eggs are badly cracked following an accident involving a twisted willow branch, the fringe on my cardigan and a tree crashing down off the coffee table.
Recent Comments
Well said, nice one
Well said, nice one
good,good,good,it's worth.
good,good,good,it's worth.
good,good,good,it's worth.