Mini Homeware Haul🏠

Now I am not yet a homeowner, but I have a theory that if I can pre-buy some homeware things before I move I can focus on spending money on moving and larger home pieces like sofas and furniture. I've gathered a few bits over the past couple of months so I thought I'd share them with you because I'm really happy with them.

The first thing I picked up was a essential for me and I thought about them so much I had to buy them. This white 12 piece marble effect dinner set* from Next was the thing that got be planning ahead. I'm obsessed with marble and thought this was still fairly neutral for any place I might move into.



The second purchase was also from Next on the marble and copper theme. These marble effect staking mugs *were just up my street so I had to pick them up, with being stacking I thought they would be space saving being only 19cm tall. They're also dishwasher proof so handy even though they have metallic writing on them.



The next thing I picked up wasn't the cheapest but it was an investment I thought worthwhile. I picked up two West Elm Hex side tables (antique brass) from John Lewis as ex-display models at £127 each. I thought these would be perfect side tables for a bedroom, I use one as a bedside table in my bedroom at the moment and its the perfect size. I'm really carful as to what I put on it because of being solid marble topped but she's a beauty.



I'm planning on repainting my bedroom grey and pink so when  I saw these towels in Matalan I picked them up because they were super cute and such a good price. I got the hand towel and bath sheet size of the striped embroidered border towels and the hand towel sized 100% cotton pink geometric towel. They're super soft and under £10 so couldn't go wrong with these!



The last thing I got was definitely an investment at over £200 but this particular Cream KitchenAid was reduced to clear at John Lewis with over £100 off. The offer was too good to miss so it came home with me. I think these are just such handy and timeless kitchen appliances to have so the investment was worth while.



What were the homeware pieces you first picked up? I'm curious to know!

*Affiliate links

Lush Halloween 2018 🎃

I'm in full autumn mode now September is here and that can only mean one thing; Lush Halloween us back! They brought back the goods from previous seasons with some extra new products which I couldn't wait to get my hands on! They brought back Bewitched (Post from last year here), Sparkling Pumpkin (Review here) and Monsters Ball (Review here). The new treats I picked up were Ectoplasm Jelly Bomb, Eyeball Bath Bomb and Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb.



Ectoplasm Jelly Bath Bomb is the image of Halloween with the bright colours and little ghosty friend adorning the top. With gooey jelly forming after it fizzes away its the perfect way to get in the Halloween spirit. Along with the uplifting tangerine, grapefruit and restorative litsea cubeba oil create a refreshing and rejuvenating feel. This is definitely the most aesthetically pleasing bath colour of the three I got this year.



Blink and you'll miss it this ghoulish Eyeball Bath Bomb is a surprisingly floral fizzes. With Brazilian Orange oil, Rose Absolute, Ylang Ylang and Lavender oil leave the bath perfect for unwinding your senses and uplifting your mood. Fizzing around the tub it creates a orangey pumpkin colour. If you  prefer soothing and calming floral baths than this will be the Halloween bath for you!



This is a classic to the Halloween Lush I have not tried until now; the Lord Of Misrule Bath Bomb. This bath bomb features a spicy herbal blend of patchouli, vanilla absolute and black pepper oil along with a crackling surprise of popping candy to get the season going. Changing from a green to a rich win-coloured centre, inspired by the ruler of the pagan Feast of Fools its the best way to start your festivities. This is a good one to warm up with in the colder months with its warm and comforting fragrance.

What are your favourite products from the Lush Halloween range? I wish I'd picked up the Ghost In The Dark soap because the cute little guy glows in the dark!🎃👻👁

Mini Autumnal Pumpkin Pies 🎃

With autumn coming up I decided it was time to get baking ready for the cosy weather. After really liking the flavour of the pumpkin cupcakes I made previously on my blog I thought I would try to make mini pumpkin pies.  Every recipe I look at was rather different so I decided to mesh together a couple of recipes I had seen.

Ingredients:

• 400g Ready Made Pastry
• 250g Canned Pumpkin 
• 1 Large Egg
• 40g Light Brown Sugar
• 1/2tsp Fresh Nutmeg
• 1/2tsp Cinnamon
• 140ml Double Cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)
2. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use a round cutter to cut circles larger than the dimension of the holes in a 12 hole deep muffin tin (we use a 9 inch cutter) Gently place the cut out pastry round onto the hole in the tin and press into the shape (using a spare ball of pastry works really well for this) Repeat until all 12 holes in the muffin tin are lined with pastry. Chill until required.
3. Whisk the egg gently in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Combine the cream, spices and muscovado sugar into a saucepan and heat until just simmering, stirring all the time. Pour the cream mixture over the eggs and whisk well until blended. Stir in the pumpkin purée until well combined. Transfer to a jug before pouring the filling into your mini pastry cases.
5. Place into the oven for 10 minutes.
6. Once the pies are in the oven use any leftover pastry to cut out any desired pattern for the top of the pies (I used little acorn cutters)  Once the pies have cooked for 8 minutes the top should be set enough to hold the weight of the pastry leaf cut out. Place this on top of the pies (I also egg washed the top to get them nice and golden) and quickly place back into the oven. Cook for a further 18 minutes before removing from the oven.

This was my first attempt at ever making pumpkin pie so they look a little rustic but they taste delicious! Other recipes finished them off with cream cheese but I liked the little pastry acorns! Let me know if you give them a go!

John Lewis & Partners Womenswear Rejuvenation

As you may have seen this week John Lewis has relaunched as John Lewis and Partners. With the launch they have rejuvenated their core womenswear brand, in the words of Partner & Design manager of Womenswear and Accessories Iain Ewing "Designed entirely in-house, our autumn collection reflects a new style philosophy. There are no fashion gimmicks here- Just brilliant modern pieces that work together and work with your existing wardrobe." The idea behind the new brand is a whole new philosophy on how to style and wear your wardrobe. 



The teams have designed 300 versatile pieces to style effortlessly into the new season and beyond. Every item has been carefully designed in-house to slot seamlessly into your existing wardrobe. With an emphasis on clean lines and easy silhouettes, there’s something for everybody. And not forgetting colour: a vividly broad spectrum, from neutral camels to popping pinks.

The Personal stylist's best-kept-secret is all about celebrating your own aesthetic rather than a one-outfit-suits-all approach. "It's about breaking down a look into three elements: your basic, an accent and a finishing touch," (Jo Bennet, Partner & Head of Buying, Womenswear). You can see this demonstrated on Lauren (Right) and Hattie (Left) the glamorous models show how you can put bold colours together to make really wearable looks. Lauren is wearing the Sky Blue Double Faced Collar Coat (25587101), Oyster Cashmere Chunky Rib Knit Sweater (66082201), Cobalt Blue Wide Leg Wool Culottes (66037301), Snake Leather Bianca Stiletto Open Court Shoes (14250901) and the Smoke Blue Lena Leather Circle Mini Cross Body Bag (40040307). Hattie is modelling the Raspberry Pink Double Faced Collar Coat (25587201), Dark Yellow Skinny Rib Crew Neck Sweater (66060532), Bright Green Wide Leg Wool Culottes (66037321), Orange Suede Amy Open Back Court Shoes (14250801), Electric Blue Ellis Leather Mini Backpack (40045101), Bright Pink Cashmere Scarf (40794114) and the Red and Gold Hexagon Necklace (42159827).



Of course, the discerning commitment to quality that John Lewis & Partners is renowned for is present throughout. From the impeccable trousers to beautifully crafted coats, the teams have worked tirelessly to ensure the perfect fit, from sizes 8 through to 20. And long-standing relationships with suppliers and manufacturers mean that everything is brought to life with a high level of craftsmanship.



Many of the garments are made of cotton in the collection and the sales of these help support the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). The BCI exists to make cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sectors future.  



The same also goes for the quality of the cashmere John Lewis uses. Primarily sourced from China and Mongolia where the conditions on the high Mongolian plateau are just right for the particular types of goats from which the cashmere fibre is collected. Using the longest, finest cashmere fibres, the specialist cashmere spinners use their extensive expertise to twist a finer, softer, and more rounded yarn. These fibres are also likely to pill less, and any pilling that may occur form longer, thinner bobbles which are easy to remove by hand or with a cashmere comb. The core styles are machine washable whereas the heavier gauge, loftier styles are hand wash due to the knit construction. 


As for the accessories they were also designed in collaboration with the clothing design teams to create pieces that tie an outfit together, whether you want a contrasting pop of colour or go fully tonal. The handbags have a modular concept with purses that connect to the bags so yet another opportunity to add more colour to your wardrobe. The handbags are also all made from Leather, along with the purses and card holders. The new shoe collections are also predominantly made from Italian leather and come in a variety of styles to take your style from day to night, so many occasions can be covered with the shoe range which are really classic and stylish but have the options of many colours to still add that pop to your outfit. 



That's my little roundup of the new and improved John Lewis & Partners Collection. What do you think? Let me know which your favourite colours are!