The holy grail...

Yes, you read that right! I think I have found the holy grail of over-the-knee socks from none other than good ol' Marks and Spencer. I picked these up when I was in London for the recent bloggers meet-up and they have proven indispensable. They are warm whilst not being too chunky and stay on my knee without me having to hoist them up every 5 minutes! I reached for these today to finish off my outfit after seeing that it was about 3 degrees outside...BRR! 


I bought this playsuit about a year ago and for me it marked the turning point from just getting dressed to wearing clothes. Stupid as this sounds, it was my first foray into something more difficult to wear and more 'fashionable' and it is still one of those pieces in my wardrobe that is super comfy to wear but looks like I have made an effort= WIN WIN.


Hardly any of these photos came out without being blurry but I paired it with my new socks and trusty black shoeboots. This grey cardigan is another thing I can't bear to part with; it is literally falling apart at the seams but it is just so perfect that I can't bear to replace it until I have an exact replacement. It was originally from Dorothy Perkins and I have had it for about 5 years but I don't think they do it any more :( If anyone could recommend me a suitable replacement, I would be over the moon! 




I think it's the perfect mix of colours and patterns that makes this playsuit so perfect for either dressing up or down. The best part though is the fact it gives me that 'fizzy feeling' and really makes me smile whenever I wear it...what more can you ask for?!  My friends are coming to visit tomorrow which I am really looking forward to as I haven't seen them since New Year! 


What do you have planned for the weekend? Do you have any favourite pieces of clothing?



P.S. Do you like my new favicon at the top of the tab? :)
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Leon muesli bars...


Ever since I first visited a Leon restaurant, I have been in love. What's not to like about reasonably priced, delicious food? I obviously talked about Leon a LOT as I received their second recipe book for Christmas from my parents. I can honestly say it was one of my favourite presents and I sat down and read it from cover to cover, mentally bookmarking recipes. Strangely enough, I have never had quite the right ingredients to try any of the recipes... until yesterday! I decided to bake some cereal bars as the cost of Tracker bars is prohibitive and I had a rather forlorn pack of museli sitting on the side in the kitchen.

Ingredients: 

* 270g fruit - I used sultanas, dried dates, tinned blueberries, crystallised ginger and chopped plums instead of the dried fruit recommended.
* 40g nuts- almonds and walnuts
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 80ml apple juice
* 2 level tablespoons honey
* 60g wholemeal flour
* 120g muesli (instead of oats)

Now I have to say, I used less honey (I'm not a fan of the sweet stuff) and I omitted the flour altogether, meaning my cereal bars are slightly sharper but nothing a sprinkling of sugar won't sort out!

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/ Gas Mark 5. Put the dried fruit into a processor and blitz until well chopped. Do the same for the nuts. Put the fruit, nuts, seeds and cinnamon into a bowl. (I don't actually have a food processor so I just left the fruit and nuts fairly large for a more 'rustic' effect.)


Warm the fruit juice and honey in a large pan together in a pan large enough to eventually contain all of the ingredients, until the honey is dissolved. Add the flour and oats, and stir in the fruit and nuts.



Smooth the mixture into a 25x30cm baking tray about 2.5cm deep. If the tray is not non-stick, it is wise to line it with baking parchment.


 Bake in the oven for 20 minutes- longer if you would like your bars more crunchy. Allow to cool, then cut into rectangular bars. They will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container.


I as really impressed with how easy the instructions were to follow and the bars are yummy and work out much cheaper than even the basic range of tracker bars at Sainsbury's. I will be doing a full review on the recipe book soon as it is too pretty not to share!

What's your favourite restaurant? Do you have a recipe book that you keep returning to?
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So Long, Farewell.



I’m afraid the title’s just as ominous as it seems; the time’s come for me to wave goodbye to Frills ‘n’ Spills and venture on to something different.

For a little while now I’ve felt a bit distanced from the blogosphere; some big changes are happening in my life and my mind has been wandering here there and everywhere. And it’s this change, in life and in myself that has helped me decide to flee the nest of Frills ‘n’ Spills and settle in my own little square of cyberspace.

Way back in 2009, me and Maria began sharing our thoughts, inspirations and dreams, spilling them onto the computer screen with trepidation and excitement. If I’d known back then that so many wonderful people would actually take the time out of their own lives to read our ramblings, I would probably have been far too nervous to even start. But you did. You took the time, the patience and the thoughtfulness to come back again and again, letting us share our feelings with you and helping us along the way.

As the blog has grown, so have I. What started for me as an uncomfortable admittance of insecurity and fear has blossomed into a release, a haven. So why move on?

The best way to describe this for me is like a chapter, a glorious part of my life that has now come to a natural end. I’ll cherish it, savour every word, but for me there’s no sense in holding back, in not turning the page to see what happens next.

And what will happen next? Who knows. I’m going to stay in the blogosphere, I can’t honestly imagine my life now without it – without that wonderful release of creativity, emotion, and of course without those beautiful people that I’ve met, talked to and befriended along the way.

To try and explain my feelings at the moment seems impossible, too difficult to evoke with words. But I do hope that this attempt at explanation hasn’t left you in the dark. I’m not disappearing, not from blogging at least, but will be saying a final farewell to Frills ‘n’ Spills as I carry on learning, growing and writing in a new blogging home that I hope to settle in to very soon. Maria has assured me she’s going to carry on writing for Frills ‘n’ Spills, sure to grow and develop in her own way as we both start anew.

So for now it’s a farewell wish from me. I have so many of you to thank, for sticking with me, with us, even during those nervous first steps we took. I will, of course be around on twitter and facebook as well as a new url, ready and eager to continue old friendships and hopefully create some new ones, but for now all that’s left to say is goodbye, and thank you. For everything.


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Defining your personal style: what an afternoon in my wardrobe taught me...

My wardrobe is somewhat of a talking point within my friendship group; it is quite very expansive and yet I still have days where I don't know what to wear. The other day, after reading through Elle, I was inspired to finally sort through my wardrobe and get rid of stuff that I never wore. Anyone who has met me will testify to my love of colour and prints, I can't think of anything worse than wearing black from top to toe! After sorting through all of my clothes it was clear to see what is important for me in my wardrobe.




♥ CLASSIC SHAPES: As I like to experiment with colour and print, a fairly classic shape is essential, for example; a pencil skirt in a dark purple is more versatile than black (in my opinion!) whilst adding an element of interest to your outfit. This is probably the least risky way to buy clothes that are flattering but not ageing; I figure that I will have to 'tone down' my look slightly as I get older so I might as well have fun with it whilst I have the excuse of 
naivete and youthful exuberance, right? 


♥ COLOUR: Whilst I am a fan of bright colours like coral or red, I also love dusky pinks and purples and gorgeous jewel tones of amethyst and emerald.... basically any colour but black! I find that having such pale skin and then such dark hair, if I wear black, I look like one of the undead and not in a cool dishevelled kinda way! Colour, however subtle helps to lift your 
spirits and there's nothing more attractive than a smile right?! 


♥ PRINT: I would say that at least 60% of my wardrobe is composed of prints, mainly floral but spots and stripes put in a decent showing too. My go-to-outfit is a printed dress and cosy cardigan and a tea dress can be dressed up and down with a few choice accessories. 


♥ QUIRKY DETAILS: Whether this is a ruffle on the sleeves of a blouse or a heart shaped cut-out in homage to Luella, the importance is in the details... Some suspender tights can add an edge to even the most demure outfit and bows make everything better. 





What are the key elements of your wardrobe? Are you a fan of black or colours? 

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This week has been...the Maria version!

As Danni is currently somewhere underneath a massive pile of work, I have (temporarily) taken over! SO what have I got up to this week? 

I've had a night of girly cocktails...



...partied with Mr. Mark Ronson- seriously he was SO good, he even played  my favourite song of his: Somebody to Love ME. I fell in love after the first listen...



... finally got to meet Carla and some other lovelies at Plus London! [Cue utter fangirling!]


...had the best salad in the world


... received a lovely little parcel from Sarah which totally made my week!



...and woken up to Elle magazine, courtesy of Lisa...


I have been fairly ill these past couple of weeks but these little things have been making me smile, despite my horrendous workload and test on Monday [sob] luckily Spotify threw up this little gem a couple of days ago Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley: 123 Masterpieces! and I have been jiving away ever since.

What have you been up to? Any feel-good tracks to recommend? 
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Problem solved?

Waaaay back in November, I first wore my eighties Liz Clairborne blouse and asked you lovely lot how to style it. Since then I have worn it a couple of times but not managed to get any decent pictures but Mark stepped in and managed to snap a few for me :) Now the final product is somewhere between what Eleanor and Kristabel suggested as I paired it with my super comfy Zara shorts, some rather Valentine's appropriate tights which were a gift from my parents, and my Peacocks ankle boots... 
Blouse: Liz Clairborne from a jumble sale, shorts; Zara, tights: gift from Accessorize, boots: Peacocks.
If you had asked me even 6 months ago whether I would be wearing ankle boots, I would have probably laughed uncontrollably in your face, how times have changed! This little blog has made me much more experimental with what I wear and I am constantly amazed at how stylish you all are, [yes it's late and I'm getting soppy again :P]


I think I'm  trying to show you the sleeves but I just look like I am trying to be macho...oh dear!  
I took the shoulder pads out which I think made a HUGE difference..there is still some structure in the shoulders which I like but it doesn't look like I am stuck in the decade that taste forgot ;) Since I have done this, I have found myself reaching for the blouse more often as it's not so much of a statement piece but rather slots more easily into my wardrobe. You can see what my hair looked like after my rollers tutorial too. I can only apologise for just how awkward I sounded on that, I'm definitely not a natural on camera although in my defence that was all one take! 




I don't know if the blazer makes it too work like but hopefully the tights balance it out? I mainly wore the blazer for it's bright pink lining which matched my nails...yes I have taken 'matchy matchy' to a new low high ;)




Although they raised a few eyebrows in Sainsbury's, I love these tights so much! I went through a real phase of tights wearing after I first watched Gossip Girl at uni (cool I know!) but recently I have been a lot more boring with my leg wear.. My parents bought me these to cheer me up after a rubbish couple of weeks and I must say, they have done the job nicely :D


 What items of clothing cheer you up? Has your style changed since you started blogging? 
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Let them eat cake!

If you search for cake on this blog, it comes up with 4 pages of results; it's pretty clear that cake is a necessity when you are an impoverished university student living away from Momma's home cooked food! Today, after watching another 4 hour epic for my dissertation, I decided to bake some cakes to aid me with the writing of my second chapter. As with many brilliant ideas, not everything went to plan but I have ended up with 24 reasons to keep on workin'...


I used a recipe which we have used at home for as long as I can remember, I think it was originally in one of Marguerite Patten's recipe books but I couldn't tell you which one!
Ingredients:

* 8oz butter
* 8oz self-raising flour
* 8oz caster sugar
* 4 eggs, whisked (the ones I had today were teeny tiny so I used 4 but normally I would use 2)
* Fillings (to taste)


Cream the butter and the sugar together until it is smooth and pale. Add flour and the whisked eggs alternately, ensuring that plenty of air gets into the mixture. 
Add the flavours you have chosen. This is always my favourite part and I love experimenting with different ingredients to find the ultimate flavour, usually when I have something sitting in the cupboard that needs using! 

Spoon the mixture into the cake cases and cook in a pre-heated oven at 170°C for approx. 15 minutes.
 Take out of oven and enjoy in front of the telly your work!


I had a couple of oranges in the fridge, so I chopped those up and added some dark chocolate chips and some cocoa to make some rather scrummy chocolate orange cakes, worthy of Terry himself!


My personal favourites; cherry, sultana, almonds and my magic ingredient, Amaretto! I seriously don't know what it is but the addition of Amaretto makes everything just that little bit more special...




Why not try date and walnut?


Or marshmallow and chocolate chip? This always goes down a treat with my friends! :)

Do you have a favourite cake flavour? How do you reward yourself when you are working?
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This week has been...

Caffeinated

  Lyrical

 Sleepy
[You mean you don't take your nap by the telephone box? Oh...]

Childish

 Worthwhile

 Trashy

 Cute

It's nearly Wednesday....how did that happen?! Just when you'd quite like the weeks to slow down (a rarity as I usually just want the holidays to come as quickly as possible) before you start panicking about deadlines, time seems to work on a whole new, super-sonic scale.

But in spite of said time-flying, and subsequent raging panic, I've gotta say this past week (and a bit) has been lovely. Took a little trip to Warwick last week which, despite going to Warwick University (actually in Coventry...very confusing), I'd never visited. It was adorable, and warrants a separate post so for now I'll just say if you like sweet shops, bunting and vintage warehouses, it's a goldmine :) And not at all boring as my sleepy picture would suggest!

Also got a nice £20 incentive for taking part in some social research at Uni - it's a project I've been part of since starting and have had interviews for the last three years asking general stuff about my experience of Uni, Sociology, and life in general really. They're going to compare the responses we've given over the years....can hardly bear the thought of my naivety in the first one "oh yeaaah the work's like, greeeeat. Everyone's lovelyyy, all fine and dandyy thanks". Oh first year.

Anyways, apart from that I've pretty much done a bit of Uni work, watched trashy TV and been a massive fatty. A block of galaxy may have been demolished yesterday....I was too greedy ashamed to record that.

Oh and what are everyone's opinions on Big Fat Gypsy Wedding? I watched my first episode last week, got immediately hooked but am now reeling from this week's episode. I mean, grabbing? REALLY? :( boo.


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How to...curl your hair using rollers

At the end of 2010, we asked you what you wanted to see more of on Frills 'n' Spills this year and a few people asked for a tutorial on how to use rollers. I apologise now for how silly I sound on this video, I was super nervous and I hope you don't laugh at me too much! 




Let me know if you try this and how you get on! 

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Cream of the Crop

If you'd have told me back in 1995 that the meshy white crop top I adored would someday go out of fashion I would probably have cried. I loved it, not least because it made me feel like a Spice Girl. And therein lies the reason it was so hideous.



Fast forward 16 years and the humble crop top is beginning to adorn those spring/summer window displays that are creeping in, tempting us to re-enact those good ol' days of Zig-a-zig-aah.


I've bought a couple in past seasons, though have always plumped for an oversized style to avoid revealing too much of the nation's nans favourite pet hate...the midriff. Now though, I've got a pair of high waisted jeans to combat said peeve and just so happened to stumble upon this sequinned crop top in the Republic sale for a mere £10.

Is it a bird? Is it a lizard? No. It's a crop-topped blogger.

 I can't help but feel a little reptilian in this - the sequins remind me of shimmering scales, and boy do they make a noise. But noisiness aside, I kinda like it. Almost as much as my white crop top of '95. Almost.

Face didn't want to play. 
(Actually secretly practicing Spice girls dance moves)


So while the crop top might not be back in all of it's neon-mesh Sporty-Spice proportions, it's certainly making a well deserved comeback. Now, to practice those dance routines...


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