sit back and unwind

Hanging Pod Chair Coloured Glass Tumblers Smokey Joe Barbecue Vibrant Blue Footstall
Mojito Scented Candle Patterned Throw Coloured Tealight Lanterns

So this time in a fortnight we'll (hopefully) be in our new house, and this time round we'll have a garden! I can't express how happy this makes me! Being off for six weeks over the summer and not having outside space is pretty soul destroying, even if it is just space to read a book in the sunshine. 

Our new place has a pretty decent sized garden, perfect for lounging around and entertaining ourselves and others over the warmer months. Cue plenty of barbeques and evenings spent outside... if the weather picks up. I am definitely a sun worshipper lover! First on my 'not immediate but really want' list is a hammock, 'cos who doesn't love a hammock?!

What are your garden essentials?

knew you were waiting

Dress: Whistles

Shoes: Zara

Jacket: New Look 

Fascinator: Debenhams

This weekend Rich and I went to the most perfect wedding of one of my old college friends. The sun was out, the prosecco was flowing and the setting was just stunning. They really pulled out all the stops; there were so many perfect little touches (flip flops in the loos for tired feet, genius idea!) creating a gorgeous, laid back atmosphere. Hilarious speeches, a beautiful first dance and plenty of little games dotted around the place to keep us busy, made for a really lovely day.

I was really pleased with my outfit - my shoes and dress were super comfortable which ensured I was able to enjoy myself way into the night. I think the shoes were replaced with flip flops at about 9pm... that's an impressive ten hours in heels, not bad! I followed Kat's wedding guest make up tutorial which I loved; using MAC satin taupe and a matte brown eyeshadow to create a subtle smokey eye, and Clinque Chubby Stick in Woppin' Watermelon on my lips. I mixed together Bourjois Healthy Mix and Maybelline Dream Satin foundations to create the perfect base which lasted all day.

All in all a perfect day, bring on summer weddings!

bookworm #19

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

"When a father’s life hangs in the balance, which sibling should get to decide his fate?"

Lone Wolf is a story about Luke Warren; an animal conservationist who has spent most of his life around wolves. Observing pack behaviour, caring for them as a zoo keeper, and most notably living with a wild pack in Canada, for which he is famous. All this changes when Luke is in a car accident with his seventeen year old daughter Cara, and he is left comatose in a vegetative state. Doctors give a bleak prognosis, and the central debate lies around whether his daughter Cara, or son Edward, should decide whether or not the hospital end his life support. 

Cara has lived with Luke since he separated from her mother, and they are inseparable. Edward on the other hand has lived in Thailand for the last five years, after leaving following a mysterious argument with his father. Cara wants to keep his life support going, and Edward wants to end it. It seems pretty straightforward who would best know their fathers' wishes, right? Well it's not that simple; Cara is only seventeen and isn't legally allowed to make that decision, Edward has written proof of his father's wishes in such an event, doctors cannot say Luke that will never wake up, and Cara has significant evidence of similar cases with a happy ending. 

As ever, Jodi Picoult presents you with an impossible dilemma - is life worth living in a completely vegetative state, and who should make that call? Twists and turns aplenty, fascinating insights into wolf pack behaviour and complex characters; this is an enjoyable read. I have to say it's not my favourite Jodi Picoult novel (I also have to admit I often find her books repetitive and dull in places), but it's a good read nonetheless. If you like books which make you think about 'moral' codes and ethical decisions, Jodi Picoult novels can be a good place to start. I say start, as I'm still to be convinced about many of her books! 

Have you read Lone Wolf? Do you share my Jodi Picoult woes?

a tasty morsel

Last weekend I made fridge cake. Lots of fridge cake!

It's still a firm favourite among my friends, and this week I've been extending the love to work colleagues and my tutor group who are leaving after two years with me. Sad times indeed, but made 100x better with fridge cake!

You can find the recipe here; it is literally the easiest thing to make. No skills involved!