A place to relax

It's been a pretty long and hard week with the baby waking up around twice every night and then Mr A being up ready for the day at 7am it's no wonder I am feeling a little bit under the weather this weekend. I know some downtime, restful sleep and good food will do the world of good. This weekend I am going to make time to relax, have a cup of tea, ready some magazines and cosy up with some blankets on the sofa. Love this simple scandi interior style  Unfortunately our sofa is on the way out, one of the feet has bent in a way that cannot be fixed and is being propped up by my sewing case which is not ideal but does the job, although now it's also starting to go in the middle so on this occasion I may have to over-ride my "make do and mend" mentality and start looking around of a new one. In a way thats not a bad thing as neither of us really loved the sofa when we bought it a few years ago, it was just practical at the time but thinking about how muc......

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Stylish Gifts for Him, Her and the Home

The women's Bixby bike which I am in love with  First of all how beautiful is this bike above...oh how I would love to have this standing in our hallway waiting to be taken out each day on adventures along the riverside. Is there really anything better than when aesthetics, design and practicality come together in seamless harmony - I think not! This is the running theme of the small but perfectly formed collection of products from the high end Detroit based retailer Shinola who opened up a London store in 2013. Instead of out-sourcing their goods to be made in cheaper countries nearly everything is handcrafted in America which to be honest is a bit of a rarity so it's pretty exciting to see it pop up in the UK, including being able to buy all their products online. Large hard linen journal £17.50 Shinola started life out as a shoe polish company which saw some investment a few years ago and with an initial focus on handcrafted watches made in Detroit, it th......

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Most Stylish mini backpacks of 2014

Me rocking my Kanken bag It seems like just yesterday when backpacks were considered tragically uncool for anyone too old to be part of the grade school crowd. These days, however, things have changed, and the backpack has made a huge comeback. Those who prefer not to lug around huge rucksacks will be pleased to know that in line with one of the hottest new trends of 2014, there’s a whole range of stylish mini backpacks on the market this season that are not only perfect for adults but also for trendy little mini-mes.  Mr A rocking his little monkey bag Here are our top picks Shinola Mini Backpack The leather backpack is given an update with Shinola’s mini backpack made of artisanal leather. The clean lines and lovingly hand-stitched seams show incredible attention to detail, and the structured rectangular shape is hip in a minimalist way.  Fjällräven Kanken Mini This pint-sized spin on Fjällräven’s iconic Kanken, which has bec......

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John Picks - Shoes

Every man has their thing and for John it's salvaged denim jeans and shoes, in fact he spends more on shoes than I do. We already do a Boys Club post - showcasing what the two men have been up to but we thought it would be great if John put together some of his mens wear trends inspirations and this week he has gone with shoes from the long established American luxury brand Andrew Marc , which create mens shoes with a real sartorialist style in mind, using the best quality materials. The Dorchester sums this up with a combination of preppy and casual style with a rugged look, perfect for the East London bearded chap. Johns top picks are - The Woodside, The Dorchester, The Parkchester, The Rockwood The Woodside The Rockwood The Dorchester The Parkchester  This seasons shoes see a more simple and refined look using traditional leathers, suede creating a vintage inspired look such as the Woodside above, perfect for when your wanting to ad......

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Hotter shoes getting hotter

Recently I was lucky enough to be asked to review the Hotter shoe store in Cardiff St Davids, a fairly recent store to the city and not one I had shopped in before. I was familiar with the brand Hotter and had recently seen there latest campaign of surprisingly on trend and stylish designs, as most people when they think Hotter think orthopaedic shoes for the older generation but fear not this really is not the case as I found out. Being a busy mum I want a shoes that are not only going to be stylish but also durable, lightweight and fingers crossed very comfy, which at times can be a huge ask, but I am pleased to say Hotter really hit all of those on the head, especially the comfort side of things. Laura wears - Pure Collection capelet, M&S tee, Max Studio trousers, Hotter boots,  vintage bag and Linea necklace The store was dynamic in layout and I love the green colour scheme and inspiring imagery on the walls. I also have to say how friendly, welcoming and kn......

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The Boys and Girls Club

So this week both John and I are doing outfit posts together - we usually do a Boys Club post once a week with all of Johns inspirations from the week but we decide to switch things up a bit. I picked up this lovely printed top in the Boden sale recently and it's really light and loose and perfect for summer. I finally got some new skinny jeans and I am loving the fit from my new Diesel Skinzee. Also rocking my thrifted and girted jacket and recycled Juju shoes, plus a little bag I have had for years. Laura wears Boden top, Diesel skineez jeans, Gifted jacket, Juju Shoes, Collection at Debenhams bag John went for a causal look, as we spent the day running around with the little man so he wanted something with layers incase we got warm during the day and opted for a Universal Works Shirt over a Folk t-shirt and Dockers Chinos which are both stylish and very durable. For shoes he went for the classic Jack Purcell converse. John wears Universal Works Shirt, Folk t-shir......

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Brilliantly British Boden

Me in the photobooth So last thursday I was lucky enough to make my way to the big smoke and have a sneak peek at the new AW13 Boden collection at Somerset House and if I could use one word to describe the winter autumn collection it would be - WOW. I am a true lover of summer but in a way seeing the lovely Fair Isle jumpers and cute mini boden children's clothing I cannot wait for Autumn and to snuggle up in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and a lovely knit jersey to keep me warm and cosy. I first got into Boden when my very stylish mother starting buying their clothing and I was envious and always borrowing her clothes. The great thing I love about the brand is it really is a family brand with stylish pieces for all the family and I was very impressed with not only the womenswear but also the mens collection they had on display and of course the  beautiful children's clothing. They had amazing room sets that invited you in to have a closer ......

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Stella and Dot trunk show

First of all, what I wore to the Trunk show - I was going to be on my feet for a while so I wanted something casual but also very me, so went for a vintage high street mashup. The jacket is Braemar velvet jacket I picked up from a charity shop a few years back, the T-shirt is from H&M, Next Skinny Jeans, Doc Marten shoes paired with a lovely vintage bag my mother picked up from a market in Italy. My accessories include a peace necklace from Topshop, a ring from Joe Browns and my watch from Guess I had heard of Stella and Dot before but had never actually seen the jewellery in person so it was great to go along to a Stella and Dot trunk show that was happening in Cardiff. The event was organised by a fellow Cardiff based blogger Chantele from Daisy Dayz  so it's always great to support something local. The turnout was not as everyone had hoped but that didn't distract from very stylish and beautifully made jewellery. Louise , the Stella and Dot stylist from Swans......

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Beautiful spring inspired bags

Well as most know spring and summer are my favourite seasons of the year, I love how the whole world seems to come alive during these seasons, after a restful winter sleep it reawakens with beautiful colours everywhere with wonderful flowers blooming, creatures crawling and waking up from slumber and the sun shining down on your and warming up your soul. You cannot but help to also want to add more colour to your wardrobe as well, it only seems natural to join in with mother nature. I took a photo of these beautiful cherry blossoms on our walk early this week and they sum up this beautiful time of year. When a new season comes in I feel just like all of the new flowers that I need to either think about something new and colourful for myself or upcycle something from last season, so when I came across the lovely floral designs on the new range of Fiorelli bags I felt I had to share it with you, as they capture springtime so well, and when the sun eventually sleeps again for anothe......

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