Tassellation

When I was a little girl, I used to turn the tassel on the end of our curtain tie-backs upside down and pretend it was a doll (the dangly part was her hair…). Although I no longer use them for that, tassels still appear in a heap of places which are relevant to my adult life – albeit they are now more fashion/decor focused!

They are a great addition to pretty much any accessory; handbags, keys, jewellery, scarves etc. From luxurious to hippie they cover a gamut of styles, so why not incorporate an interesting and cute focal point into your wardrobe… Get tassellated!

1 – Marc by Marc Jacobs tasseled velvet slippers 2 – Rachel Zoe Onyx Tassel Earrings 3 – Akong London Tassel Tribal Necklace 4 – Sass & Bide Keep Your Reality suede tassel collar 5 – TON Pastel pink leather clutch via DDSLLGirlsStore on Etsy 6 – QUEEN Gold & Violet leather and tassel tribal necklace via DSLLGirlsStore on Etsy 7 – Sass & Bide The Disheveled keyring 8 – Sass & Bide Power Down clutch 9 – Red Tassel Earrings 10 – Molly Bag by Paul’s Boutique via Topshop 11 – XL cord and suede tassels bracelet via Etsy 12 – Vivienne Westwood Anglomania For Lee Rodeo Shorts 13 – OH Linen & Suede pouch via DSLLGirlsStore on Etsy 14 – Mimco Vaudevelle Scarf 15 – CLASS Gold/Red/Grey leather tassel tribal necklace via DDSLLGirlsStore on Etsy 16 – Kotur Margo satin and velvet brocade box clutch 17 – Diane von Furstenburg Light Grey Alex Leather Belt 18 – Nasty Gal Studded Ankle Boot – oxblood

Will you be mine?

When it comes to holidays and commemorative days, it always adds a bit of fun to dress for the occasion – whether that means donning green for St Patrick’s Day, red/green for Christmas, or gold/silver for New Years – dressing the part can really get you feeling festive!

With Valentine’s Day coming up this month, I’ve rounded up a few key pieces to help get you in the mood. From subtle hints via heart-shaped accessories, to in-your-face-please-buy-me-roses prints, there is sure to be something here for even the most unromantic and cynical.

1- Keepsake Kisses Don’t Lie dress 2 – River Island Heart studs 3 – Sportsgirl Rose pullover 4 – Rare Lace skater dress with heart cut-out 5 – ASOS Heart shape sunglasses 6 – Peter Jensen Heart ballet pump 7 – ASOS Sequin tunic with heart cut-out back 8 – Gogo Phillip chunky heart chain necklace 9 – Portmans Posey floral shirt 10 – Love Moschino Heart on heart ballet flats 11 – See U Soon heart detail top 12 – Equipment Scallop edge Brett shirt 13 – Amy red super skinny jeans with heart print 14 – Ermis Heart top

Spotlight on: Food diaries

I have no idea where January’s gone! Having been back at work for nearly a month the Christmas/New Year break seems very distant.

By now, those New Year’s resolutions which many people made on December 31st will have either fallen by the wayside, or be starting to show results/changes in habits. With weight loss or improving one’s health always a popular pledge, I thought it might be a good time to have a look at food diaries, which will help keep those goals on track.

Keeping a food diary is, in my opinion, a vital aspect of weight loss. Because you need to consume less calories than you burn in order to lose body fat, what you eat has a huge impact – it’s definitely a lot easier to NOT eat something in the first place, rather than do the exercise needed to burn it off! By using a tool to keep note of everything you’re eating, you’re able to hold yourself accountable and see where you’re going off track.

Before I had a smart phone, I kept a food diary at My Calorie Counter. This website is great – it has a huge database of foods and their nutritional values, and adds up the calories in each meal for you – much better than just writing down each food in a notebook. The downside was trying to remember what I’d eaten once I got back to my computer! I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app, similar to the My Calorie Counter website, as soon as I got my iPhone:

Using an app is a great way to look up what you’re eating and drinking wherever you are, allowing you to see how much of your daily calorie allowance is left as you go… Trust me, when you realise that there are 95 calories in one tim tam, eating the whole packet (and then having only 50 calories left for dinner) no longer seems like such a good idea!

There are a huge range of food diary apps available, with lots of additional functions to help you get (and stay) healthy. If you’re ready to hold yourself accountable and reach your goals then I highly recommend trying a food diary of any kind.