Old-Fashioned Lemonade

Another spell of sticky weather calls for another refreshing summer drink recipe. This one from Rachel Allen’s book Rachel’s Food for Living is a delicious and effective thirst-quencher that takes mere minutes to make. Easy peasy lemon squeezy? Oh, yes.

Ingredients: 150g honey, 600ml water, juice of 4 lemons

1.       Place the honey and 60ml of the water in a saucepan. Heat up just enough to liquefy the honey, stirring all the time. Pour into a jug and allow to cool slightly.

2.       Add the lemon juice to the jug along with the rest of the water and serve with ice...lots of ice! 

                                                                        Enjoy!

Secret Garden Tea Party

 

 

 

 

Floral print and polka dots sound like a fussy combination and one I’d normally steer clear of. However, I was enchanted by this tea dress the moment I saw it. It’s the perfect summer dress; ladylike but lightweight. Asos’s Secret Garden heels (which naturally inspired the title of this post) were a birthday present to myself last month. I had been searching for a pair of metallic block heels and these magically seem to go with everything. Forget Dorothy’s ruby slippers; my silver shoes cast a spell with their bright mirrored finish!

 

 

“Of course there must be lots of Magic in the world," he said wisely one day, “but people don’t know what it is like or how to make it. Perhaps the beginning is just to say nice things are going to happen until you make them happen. I am going to try and experiment.” - From The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

 

                                                       Dress – New Look (available on Asos now)

Shoes – Asos (available online now)

Bag – Vintage 1980s from Bernie's Bags



Photos kindly taken by Maggie & a big thank you to Katie for the location

 

 

 

An Ode To A Bow

 

I like big bows and I cannot lie

You other sisters can’t deny

That when a girl walks in with a bow in her hair

And works it with an effortless flair

You want one

  Bows - €2 each - Tiger Stores

(I also like vintage tea cups)

I never thought I’d draw inspiration from Sir Mix-a-Lot to demonstrate my love for hair bows! Tiger currently has a range of charming bows in various sizes, colours and patterns. I’ve previously featured Tiger in Thrifty Treat Of The Week but their bargainous hair accessories are a new discovery. Apart from bows, they’ve also a selection of pretty wire headbands perfect for festival season.

                                                                 Life magazine March 1944

As part of a piece entitled “High School Fads”

Sadly, the only thing I have in common with Becky Brown is where I place my bow! How do you wear yours?!

 

 

Supermarket Chic

 

I took her to a supermarket

I don't know why

But I had to start it somewhere

So it started there

 

 

In 2012, I wrote about how supermarkets had significantly improved their fashion lines in my post Bread, Milk And Beautiful Shoes: Supermarket Fashion Is Now At Its Best. Two years on and Dunnes Stores and Tesco continue to give high street shops a run for their money in terms of style, quality and affordability. Dunnes and Tesco are my go-to shops for budget-friendly shoes, bags, loungewear and hosiery, and at times outperform my beloved Penneys. I picked up this cardigan in Dunnes two weeks ago for €15. As the photos were taken on my phone, the sweet scalloped neckline isn’t clearly visible. I got the skirt on sale in Tesco for €11. High waisted, fully lined and with a classic check print; this beauty has become a staple in my wardrobe.

 

Cardigan – Dunnes Stores (available in store now)

Skirt – F&F at Tesco (available in store now)

Shoes – Penneys/Primark

                Are you a fan of supermarket fashion?

Raspberry Frozen Yoghurt Floats

There’s a permanent smell of barbeque in the air, you’ve a strong urge to head to the nearest beer garden and most of the male population are parading around shirtless – yes, it’s a sunny day in Ireland (i.e. approximately 16 degrees)! We Irish certainly make the most of the few days of sunshine we’re granted each year. While you’re basking in the warm weather this weekend (don’t forget the SPF!) treat yourself to a refreshing drink. This delightful recipe is a guilt-free take on the classic ice cream float and takes less than 5 minutes to make.

I found this recipe in Catherine Fulvio’s book The Weekend Chef and altered it slightly.

You will need: A food processor/blender, tall glasses, drinking straws

Ingredients: 100g raspberries (plus extra to decorate), a tub of natural frozen yoghurt, a bottle of white lemonade (Serves 4)

1.       Place the raspberries in a food processor and blend until smooth.

2.       Spoon 3-4 tablespoons of the raspberry puree into each glass, pour in the lemonade and float two scoops of frozen yoghurt on top.

3.       Add in a straw and a few raspberries on top to decorate. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Purple Candyfloss Nails

 

Rimmel’s Sweetie Crush collection is adorable. Themed around retro sweets, the limited edition textured polishes come in five pretty pastel shades. I put two coats of Violet Swizzle on the tips of my nails over NYC’s Lincoln Square Lavender. The end result? Sugar sweet nails perfect for summer!

Friday's Femme Fatale

A deep emerald hue, sequins and a low back – a bold and vampish combination but one I’ve been looking for in a dress for a very long time. I wore this out for my friend Katie’s birthday two weeks ago. I should probably mention that the flash on my camera phone has contributed somewhat to my ghostly pallor, I’m pale but not that pale! 

Are sequins just for Christmas?

Dress – Asos (available online now)

Shoes – Shoe Rack

Earrings – Forever 21 (available in store now)

Spring Style: Wedding Bells Are A-Ringing

This is what I wore to my sister Gráinne’s wedding last week. I had quite a hard time finding a dress mainly because I left it until the last minute (when will I ever learn?!) and the fact that the high street was so disappointing. Initially, I had my heart set on a Hell Bunny 1950s reproduction dress but by the time I discovered the brand’s sizes are large fitting, I had no time for alterations. Hitting the high street, I expected to be greeted with row upon row of frothy, feminine dresses in sweet spring shades. Yes, the shops are overflowing with pastels but everything is strangely casual. Unable to find something even remotely suitable for a wedding, I turned to my old reliable - Asos.

 

Once I saw this dress I knew I could create a 1940s look around it. It may appear very simple but it comes to life when you start to move in it; the waterfall skirt, scoop back and kick split do all the talking! I was also glad to give pastels the old heave-ho in favour of my most loved colour combination – navy, red and white. I picked up the pretty vintage pieces at A Vintage Affair Mullingar last month.

 

Dress – Asos (available online now)

Belt – New Look

Shoes – Penneys/Primark (available in store now)

Bag – Vintage

Headpiece – Asos (available online now)

Gloves - Vintage

 

 

 

Spring Style: The Modern Mod

 

 

"People today are still living off the table scraps of the sixties. They are still being passed around - the music and the ideas.” – Bob Dylan

 

I can’t stop wearing these block heels, they seem to go with everything. Paired with this shimmery bouclé coat, I feel like I should be strutting down Carnaby Street circa 1966! To give this look a more contemporary feel, I've abandoned a typical Mary Quant style miniskirt for denim hot pants and a thrifted blouse.

 

Coat – Asos

Shoes – Asos

Blouse – Charity shop

Shorts – Asos

 

 

Photos kindly taken by my friend Maggie

Spring Style: Mellow Yellow And The Vintage Bag

 

 

There’s no denying it, spring is here. The daffodils have pushed their cheery heads out of the cold ground and are proudly declaring the change of season. Daffodils are one of my favourite flowers and I can’t help but smile when I see them. Yellow equals happy and fun so it’s no wonder numerous designers turned to it in their spring collections. Pale yellow, lemon, canary, acid yellow or gold - anything goes. This sunny shade will have you beaming all season long.

Dress – Asos

Shoes – Asos

Bag – Vintage (circa 1950s) from Granny’s Attic Vintage

Belt – Penneys/Primark

Pearl collar worn as headpiece – Penneys/Primark

 
 

Photos kindly taken by my friend Maggie

Spring Style: Pink, Grey & The Sheer Skirt

 

It wouldn’t be spring without pastel shades and some form of floral. I’m not a huge lover of pink but it’s hard to avoid this season, the shops are saturated with sugary hues. I think my ‘Is it a mini? Is it a pencil?’ skirt is a perfect way to wear pink. Sheer was an unexpected trend this spring/summer but a welcome one. Peekaboo panels allow you to show a little skin while the layering effect is weather appropriate. A lovely contradiction: ladylike and sexy.

Jumper – Penneys/Primark

Collar – A present from a friend

Skirt – Asos

Shoes – Asos (available online now)

Photos kindly taken by my friend Maggie