5 Appliances That Have Changed My Life

5 Appliances That Have Changed My Life

OK so let's talk appliances . . . sexy right?!

Image Via My Little Fabric 

I jest, but I realised this morning - when using number one on my list - that there are certain appliances I use daily which make my life better; in fact, they have CHANGED my life for the better.  Here's my run down of five appliances I use daily; what they do, why I'm recommending them and how you can get your hands on them. 

1.

Kenwood Smoothie 2 Go Blender: My parents have had a Kenwood Smoothie 2 Go for years and in the interim of moving in with Oli, when I briefly moved back home, I got hooked on making daily juices. Oli and I recently bought our own and I have not failed to make a juice every day since - in fact I'm drinking a green juice as I type! The Kenwood Smoothie 2 Go is one of the cheapest on the market and as far as I can tell, does a darn good job at what a lot of other blenders and juicers do for a lot more money. It is SO easy to use and comes with a couple of 'takeaway' mugs so you can easily transport your juices, soups or smoothies - you got it - on the go! 

Price: £24.99 at House Of Fraser 

2.

Parlux 3200 Compact Hairdryer: There are definitely perks to having a boyfriend who is a hairdresser, one of the best being the insider know how of products and appliances. Oli bought me the Parlux 3200 Compact Hairdryer a couple of years ago and it has completely revolutionised my hair drying experience - it is SO fast, and the nozzle makes it so easy to get a smooth blow dry. It works particularly well when combined with . . . 

Price: £64.95 at The Hut

3.

Classic GHD Ceramic Styler: I have been using the GHD ceramic styler since my teens, and I honestly don't think that now I could survive doing my hair without them! From poker straight disco do's of the early 2000's, to my love affair with a tumbling curl, the classic GHD ceramic styler nails it all. 

Price: £89 at Feel Unique

4.

Phillips PerfectCare Xpress Iron: This my friends is THE. best. iron. ever. On first try it feels a little bizarre - there is no temperature dial and so the Phillips PerfectCare Iron responds to whichever fabric you are ironing instinctively. I was nervous of using it on silk, however it responds accordingly and does an incredible job. Even friends who have come to stay and have used it are balled over - a good iron may not be the most fun appliance to buy, but it will change the way you care for your clothes.

Price: £125 at Selfridges

5.

Bose SoundDock: Oli bought these Bose speakers a few years back, and has used them non stop since. We've been entertaining a lot in our new flat and I love having music on whilst cooking, and then in the background over dinner. The sounds quality is excellent, and easily fills up our living room and kitchen. Warning: the older versions of the Bose SoundDock work with iPhone 4 so make sure to buy whichever version is compatible with your current phone or iPod. 

Price: £199.95 at John Lewis

What do you guys think of my appliance run down? Do you use any of them already; or have recommendations of your own? 

And because I cannot help it, for my fellow Bridesmaids fans . . . 

"What are you - an appliance?!"

Best. Line. Ever.

Love,

MB x

3 Fun Ways To Include Flowers Into Your Home

3 Fun Ways To Include Flowers Into Your Home

Filling your home with flowers is one of my favourite ways to feel positive and inspired day by day. I've been saving my big flower trip of the week for Friday, as I have a few of my girlfriends coming to stay for the weekend. I can't wait to get my hands on some newbies, but for the time being here are 3 fun ways to include flowers into your home right now: 

1 - Fake It

High quality crafted flowers look bang on the same as real ones and they last forever. Ols gave me a large bouquet of faux flowers two years ago, and they always brightened up my old apartment come rain or shine; since we've moved in together I've been separating them and arranging them in various vases. In times like now when I am waiting to buy my fresh flowers for the week, I love having pretty blooms in my eye line. Faux flowers can be expensive so if a bouquet feels like too much of a commitment, invest in a single stem and display in a glass bottle.

The Hambledon have excellent fake flowers.

2 - Desk Space

This week I've had my first real taste of working from my new home office. Yes my feet still graze cardboard boxes under my desk, but the space is MINE and I am bum-wigglingly happy! At the moment it is pretty basic - white desk + laptop - but this week I'm aiming to add a display of pretty flowers - I'm thinking ranunculus like the pretty desk above. 

Check your local flower markets for options. 

3 - Maximise Your Outdoors

I love the idea of potting a few small tubs of flowers and placing them either on the outside of a window sill, or on a small balcony. Many apartments tend not to get a lot - if any - outdoors space. By implementing small flower boxes we can create our own mini gardens! Awesome.

Nip into your local DIY or garden centre for supplies.

How do you guys like to incorporate flowers into your home?

I'm off for a day chocca with meetings! Follow my adventures on Instagram.

Have a super day all!

Love,

MB x

Picture courtesy: 1 // 2 // 3 

3 Unusual Vases To Display Your Flowers

3 Unusual Vases To Display Your Flowers

I love all of these sweet ways for displaying flowers! They are brightening up every corner of our home, especially on drizzly days like the one we have today. How cute is the popcorn vase?! 

Read on for my favourite combinations . . .

SHOP 

SHOP  

SHOP 

Which is your favourite? Do you have any other unusual ways of showing off your Spring blooms?! I love this post from Oh Joy on funky flower holders too. 

Have a super day all!

Love, 

MB x 

Outdoor Indoor

Outdoor Indoor

Hey peeps!

All images via my Pinterest 

I had the intention of trawling Pinterest this morning for a
 DIY I'm hoping to hookup when I recover some of my furniture from storage. Instead I found myself drawn to indoor/outdoor spaces, flooded with light and heaving with green. Yesterday I was given a tour of Glasgow's Botanical Gardens by my little sis, the air which circulated in the Arboretum was FRESH on another level and it reminded me how incredible our environment is. I can't claim I'm going to be able to recreate any of these gorgeous spaces, but I sure do like interiors perving on them. The incorporation of green desk elements below is a sweet half way point. 

Read on for more beautiful indoor outdoor spaces . . . 

Do you guys love a green theme too?

Have a super day all!

Love, 

MB x 

Interior Design Ideas That Are Just Plain Clever

Interior Design Ideas That Are Just Plain Clever

 

pic via 

This weekend (when I wasn't feeling totally inconsolably sorry for myself) I finally got to grips with our new apartment! I am proud to say that I have now spent four solid days here. Having travelled for work and family for the six weeks since leaving my last place, the comfort of knowing that I am home is awesome.  

When it comes to decorating, Ols and I have been pretty strict on what is coming and going. Anything which we don't totally love is out, and things which steal our hearts in seconds are in. Our apartment is in an old building which already has a tonne of great features - natural light, wooden beams, high ceilings - but with that comes the risk of everything looking a little too twee. We've been splitting our furniture 50/50 - some modern, some second hand. So far we've bought an IKEA corner sofa, a large oak dining table and lots of bits and bobs to add personality. Given our strict - love or lob it - rules it is taking time to gather everything together and so we've resigned ourselves to the fact that it will probably be a good few more weeks, if not months, before we can totally think "yeah, we got this." 

Right now, everything is a novelty and I'll just continue to enjoy the "I'm making coffee - in our apartment - in our mugs!" moments. 

Here are five interior design links inspiring me right now: 

1. Easy DIY Art on Advice From A Twentysomething. So far Ols and I have been framing all of the art which has never had a home for showcasing previously. I am in love with the Jelly prints our friends at Hector and Haddock sent to us. This post from Amanda Holstein on Easy DIY Art is a great way of injecting some pizazz into a room with minimal effort and expense. I'm definitely going to give it a go once I turn my attention to my home office. 

2. Eye of the Dreamer Pillowcases on Jasmine Dowling. I first came across Jasmine Dowling through one of my favourite bloggers Geneva from A Pair And A Spare. Jasmine's hand written typography totally got me and it looks like a lot of you love it too. These Dreamer Pillowcases are so fun. 

3. Gorgeous Barn Interiors at The Long Barn. Get this - a beautiful old barn set in amongst acres of lavender - yep it's heaven. I love to escape to The Long Barn in Hampshire, soak up the earthy perfume and chow down on the yummy cakes in their cafe. The interiors here have been one of the main influences on mine and Ols' choice of dining tables, their old farmhouse style mixed with contemporary pieces makes for seriously photogenic interiors. 

4. U.S. Army Capatain Katie del Castillo's Washington DC Apartment Tour on The Evergirl. I am obsessed with The Evergirl's apartment tours, each of them is b-e-a-utiful and features an inspiring female mind behind them. This tour of U.S. army captain Katie del Castillo's apartment is jaw-droppingly good. Not only is Katie's apartment designed impeccably, with touches such as a gallery wall and the perfect bed stand, but her own personal story of army officer by day and interiors enthusiast by night is heartwarming. 

5. Copper Curve Floor Lamp on Marks & Spencer. Lighting is my #1 requirement for a room. I have made my mind up on both my old apartment and our new one on the natural light. When the evening turns I love to switch on pretty soft lighting and this copper floor lamp has shot straight to the top of my lust list. Right now it's on sale too. 

Do you guys love the links above? What is inspiring your home right now? 

Have a super day all!

Love, 

MB x

News Lately

News Lately

Pic from my Instagram

Well hey there you gorgeous lot! 

Forgive the time lapse, a lotta lot has been happening round these parts and I am crazyyy excited to share. 

First up - I have a new home.

Second - that home is with Ols.

Third - Rock The Look, the show I've been working on, had its first airing last night! Yippeee. 

As some of you may recall Ols and I celebrated our five year anniversary in November. 

We have pretty much done long distance for that entire time. Bringing our lives together under one roof is awesome and we have found an apartment which we are so in love with. Right now we are just super excited about everything and spending all of our time hunting down the perfect furniture and decorations. I've already posted some of our developments on Instagram and I cannot wait to share with you before and after snaps once we've pulled our rooms together.

Pinterest has totally become my NBFF for inspiration. If you guys have recommendations on any great interiors pinners or blogs to follow I would LOVE to hear!

Have a super day all!

Love,

MB x 

Work Space

Work Space

Image via  

So, it's official. I'm getting a new work space. 

 I am so excited to be re-imagining my at home office and I would so love for you guys to share any tips or tricks you have. Working from home, I have come to appreciate how important it is to have an environment which is functional, enjoyable and inspiring. 

Do you have any Pinterest boards you love to follow, or tips on how you personalise your office space? I am all ears. 

This week I'm working away at my alter-life on set, so keep up to date with me daily on my Instagram.

In the evenings I'll be showing some TLC to my new Home Lovin' Pinterest board. Yayyy. 

Have a super day all!

Love, 

MB x