November : Wellness & Wellbeing

....as the clocks go back, the mornings and evenings get darker and winter creeps in,

it seems like the perfect time to think about our health and wellbeing....

and so this month I will be doing just that....

interviews with and quotes from a variety of women from the world of blogging and beauty 

beauty product & treatment testing

lots of really fantastic product giveaways

features about new beauty/health/food products

exploring what wellness means

information about health, healthy eating, diet and beauty

"Wellness and Wellbeing"....What Does It Mean to Each of Us?

"A woman whose smile is open and whose expression is glad has a kind of beauty no matter what she wears."

Anne Roiphe

Friday Fabulousness - Around the Blogosphere....

....from Vila , Denmark via the beautiful Haute Design

via my guest-post over at She's Getting Married ....

....found this week on FGR....

via Beach Vintage (for details of how to make this gorgeous creation too!)

Amanda Wakeley via Splenderosa 

via Miss Sew and So

I'm a pretty traditional girl who had a pretty traditional wedding but I just love this invitation - and the story it tells....

via the fabulous Lou, Boos and Shoes

....my cousin got married last year and the wedding took place outdoors, it was beautiful....this wedding is just lovely....

via 100layercake

Scarlett Johansson for Mango via Fashion Foie Gras

via Everyday Adventures of a Curious Gal

....Olivia P, radiant as ever....via The Vogue Diaries

via The Remedi -

this beautiful Shipla necklace is going to be one of my giveaways next week....

Halle Berry looking fabulous at an event in LA this week....

....from Marie Claire US via Fashion Gone Rogue ....

....Autumn Chic via Dress Design Decor

....Bronte Beach via Space For Inspiration ....

.....taken from the most beautiful photo shoot from Elle Italia....see it here at Dustjacket Attic....

via French Blue

It's been a lovely week in spite of lots of rain and the return of coughs and colds :)

We have 10 days school hols here and, amongst other things have....

been to the movies ("Despicable Me" - 7/10)

spent the day with my oldest friends and our 8 children 

went to a Halloween party and ate a lot of orange food

had our favourite uncle over to stay and shrieked a lot (their uncle/my brother!)

made our most successful banana cake ever (we are easily pleased!)

bought new shoes

bought new books & discovered "Swallows and Amazons" by Arthur Ransome

(it is a lovely thing when your child reads and loves something that you loved as a child too)

finally got a Buzz Lightyear costume

brushed up on our French for our trip to Paris this week-end!!!!

Yes, I am off to Paris again!

This time with my husband and our children, leaving London on the early Eurostar train on Saturday morning and arriving back late Monday night....very exciting!!

The journey door-to-door takes a little under 4 hours which is quite amazing - my son cannot wait to get on the high-speed train and go in the tunnel under the English Channel.

My husband is looking forward to the restaurants.

And my daughter is looking forward to the Eiffel Tower, seeing the pretty shops, her morning pain au raisin and a trip to Laduree. Or is that me?! She is her mother's daughter that's for sure :)

Next week it is Giveaway Week and I will have a wonderful giveaway for one lucky follower each day!!

Happy Week-end!!

Happy Halloween!!

how to look GORGEOUS IN PHOTOS - guest post

My name's Nikki and have a beauty blog called bellaMUMMA... I LOVE THE BOTTOM OF THE IRONING BASKET, I'M INSPIRED BY IT EVERY DAY AND I'M SO HONOURED TO BE DOING THIS GUEST POST! I love TBOTIB's energy, style and divine photos - which is why I chose to share the little tricks that can make you look 'even more' gorgeous in 'your' photos...
Make-up right. 1. Get a flawless face! If you have redness, you can skip the blush and simply apply a powder bronzer all over. Use a fan brush to dust an extra layer of bronzer along your cheekbones, nose and jawline. If you aren't prone to redness, tap on a cream-blushed, coral blush to the ball of your cheeks to create a pretty, dewy glow. And don't wear foundation that contains a sunscreen, it's too reflective! 2. Make your eyes stand out! Line the inside rim of your lower lash line with a white pencil, then sweep on shimmering shadow shades of silver or gold all over your eyelids. 3. Create fuller lips! Maximise your smile by applying a peachy lipstick, then dabbing an opalescent lip gloss to the centre of your bottom lip. This trick will catch the light, making lips look luscious. 4. And remember... no matter what, always have a pop of colour in one place-either with your blush, lip colour or eyeshadow tone.
Wear a solid colour. They photograph the best. Patterns and lots of jewellery can be distracting. Red in particular pops right out of the frame.
Strike a pose. Never face the camera squarely. Angle your body slightly, bring your ankles together, and put one or both hands on your hips. Your shoulders and elbows will create a triangle that makes your hips look smaller and shows off your waistline.
Stand down. Avoid standing under a harsh light source; the most flattering light is soft and indirect.
Zoom in. The basic lens on a point-and-shoot camera is slightly wide-angle, which can stretch your features if you're too close. If someone is taking a close-up, it's best if they stand back and use the zoom feature.
Thanks for having me...  hope you have a beauty-full day!  bellaMUMMA X

Blog Birthday.....Day 4 Beauty Giveaway!!!!

My mother and I have quite different approaches to make-up and style but one thing she has definitely taught me is the value of a good skincare routine. She has never worn make-up, but has always used a good moisturiser and eye creams.....and now at the age of almost 70, she has absolutely wonderful luminously clear skin.

I cannot claim to be as vigilant as her and I do wear make-up daily. I enjoy make-up but I adore skincare....I can be easily tempted to buy new face creams, scrubs, hand creams....you name it.

Pre-children and when I worked full-time- but ironically still had more "free" time than I do now that I am a full time stay at home mother! - I had a regular beauty routine...facials, mani/pedis....the lot. These days I know I am doing well if I manage to squeeze in any treatments at all.....I do a lot of DIY treatments though, like to think I know what I am doing to a certain extent and I do try to look after my skin.

I am always keeping my eyes open for new products in magazines and in stores and today I went along to SpaceNK which happily for me is within walking distance of my home. Sandie the consultant answered all my questions very helpfully and offered me a complimentary Eve Lom facial next week...yippee!!

SpaceNK sells some great brands....Caudalie, Bumble&Bumble hair products which I love, Laura Mercier make-up, Eve Lom, Nuxe and many more.

I think they take a great approach to beauty....

"Feeling beautiful is not a matter of age but a mindset and often it is the sum of little changes that makes a difference"

I have chosen giveaway gifts of things that I love.....and this is definitely one of them! 

For today's giveaway, I am offering some beautiful skincare products, some that I love and some that I have not yet tried.....

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm (this is fabulous!)

Clarins Eye Contour Gel

Caudalie Lip Conditioner (one of my very favourite French brands)

Nuxe Refreshing & Relaxing Cream Mask

Elemental Herbology Facial Glow (this is an amazing new range exclusive to SpaceNK in the UK)

plus a whole handful of gorgeous samples!

plus anything else that catches my eye between now and the date of mailing!

This is a very luxurious giveaway....someone will really be able to treat themselves!

Just be a follower and leave me a comment to be a winner....good luck! If you want to share any beauty tips or products you love or want to recommend, I would love to hear them!

Happy Thursday!

{favourite things: sensuous scents + perfect pouts}

. . . a longstanding love-affair with tom ford's ultra-sultry black orchid eau de parfum and luminous hair perfume, but with languorous summer days not far off, longing for the linger of spring florals, and have been wearing chanel's gardénia, from les exclusifs de chanel collection -- an ode to the camellia, it's both sweet and sexy and perfect for the last of the golden spring mornings . . .

{p.s.} also lovely: the dusky white patchouli eau de parfum spray and quite smitten with tom ford's new private blend lip color collection {the packaging alone is stunning}, with fun shades such as bruised plum, pink dusk & vanilla suede {& for an extra glamorous night out, these}

{top image: a glamorous little side project}