Lounging in lockdown w/ Femme Luxe

(all items in this post have been gifted, however, opinions are my own)

Your girl's back with a new blog post, and a very topical one at that!

I hope you're all keeping well and staying safe.

The World is a very strange place right now, for me personally I've decided to keep my head buried a little, keeping myself up to date with the current situation but not to a point of creating a worried El heap in the corner of my house.

As my previous blog posts may suggest I have a fairly strong love for fashion, and with that comes a love of shopping.

With the current lockdown I have found myself scrolling through my favourite shopping websites a lot more and most specifically looking at loungewear, but I know I'm not the only one - the only way I can justify my shopping habit!

Anything comfy is always right up my street and today I've got some of my favourite pieces ever to show you from Femme Luxe, they're also outfits that won't break the bank, absolute win.

I really am the queen of loungewear, therefore, be assured, you can trust my opinions...

The 'Blake' Pink Off The Shoulder Loungewear Set

Firstly, we have the beautiful 'Blake' set.

This is a lovely pink off the shoulder loungewear set, and yes when purchasing, it is the whole set. If you're anything like me a matching outfit makes your heart warm whilst making you feel incredibly put together.

If you do love a good set Femme Luxe have plenty HERE in multiple colours and budget friendly prices.

This pink set really is the perfect combination of comfort whilst looking great.

However, if pink isn't your favourite colour like it is mine you can get this in 6 other colours so you really aren't short for choice.

For some real lockdown chic, pair this with some bouncy curls and your fluffiest slippers to make a real impression on your lockdown and isolation partner.

If like me your favourite colour is pink then Femme Luxe's filtering option to look at their pink loungewear sets only is perfect for you.

The 'Shani' Camel with White Stripe Off Shoulder Loungewear Set

Not that I have mentioned it at all in this blog post that pink is my favourite colour (lies) but if you don't share my opinion and prefer a little more spice to your loungewear you have come to the right place...

Meet Shani, the loungewear set with a lovely little twist.

Once again this set comes in several colours, 4 to be exact, and really is something a bit more special than your usual loungewear.

If you're anything like me you still like to feel nice in your comfy's and want to impress even if it is just the postman as he delivers the newest additions to your wardrobe. My personal preference when it comes to joggers, is fitted and cuffed, I find these to be the most flattering and this is therefore another reason as to why I love these sets. Flattering loungewear can be few and far between but Femme Luxe have absolutely smashed it with these.

This camel set not only has the different design detail of the white stripe running down the legs and arms, but shares the off the shoulder jumper that Blake also has, once again making this set a little more interesting than most others.

Which of these 2 sets will you be buying?

Blake or Shani

As mentioned before Femme Luxe sell plenty of loungewear sets, but if you prefer to put your own outfits together don't worry there are even more options of individual joggers and jumpers to attempt to decide from.

Once again I do hope that during this very odd time you're all well and you and your families are staying safe.

I would definitely advise a little online shopping if you need a pick me up, popping on your favourite loungewear set and making yourself feel lovely. There really is a lot of power in looking after yourself and I believe that now more than ever we need to continue making an effort to make ourselves feel special, because we all are.

Have a lovely week and speak soon...

Love El

xxx

Christmas Is Coming

Christmas is officially, well and truly on its way so I'm guessing you've probably already put up your decorations!

I recently visited Baddesley Clinton, which you may have spotted that this building was mentioned in the BBC programme Gunpowder, and they have gloriously decorated every single room with beautiful dried flowers so I thought I'd share some very different, but very stunning, Christmas decs.

Love El

xxx

Christmas Music To Listen To

Heart Extra Christmas officially started on the 18th of November and I for one was extremely excited when I suddenly realised it was back! In fact I'm playing it right now, I do love Christmas a lot, some may say too much.

As someone who loves Christmas and the fact it's the time of year everyone is possibly listening to the same music and you can all enjoy it together I thought I would share some of my favourites, who knows you might find a new favourite.

• Heart Xmas - if you have digital radio in your car you can also listen to it that way too
• And Michael Buble song, lets be honest
• Also Now That's What I Call Christmas is always a winner
• Leona Lewis - One More Sleep
• Gabriella Climi - Warm This Winter
• Jeremy Lister - Santa's Lost His Mojo, I hadn't heard of this one until last year when it was played at work, so of course after that I heard it so many times I couldn't forget it, just as well its a good song!
• Coldplay - Christmas Lights, another one I found through work, couldn't believe I'd never heard it before but it is a good'un
• Gwen Stefani - Jingle Bells
• A brand new song of this Christmas is Santa's Coming For Us - Sia, wasn't my favourite at first as I didn't feel the "Christmassy" vibes, but now I love it!

What's your favourite Christmas song?!

Love El

xxx

Father's Day Gift Guide

Now between you and me Father's Day always approaches A LOT quicker than I expect it to! (It's on June 18th in the UK this year just incase you've forgotten!)

With Father's Day approaching as quickly as it does that can then mean the on set of a panic as you suddenly think "What do I buy for the man who wants nothing but also has everything?!"

Well I am here to help, or if not completely help, at least give you some little pointers, hopefully!

If your dad is like mine and basically spends all of his time in the garden, then maybe raid his tool box/shed and see if there are any gardening equipment pieces that could do with an upgrade. I'm definitely not a total garden novice but I'm also not an expert so I did rope my mum in to give a little guidance with this one but apparently this is a great brand of gardening secateurs and I know my dad needs some new ones.

Most of the time my dad is in the garden but he spends even more time working extremely hard and therefore spends an awful lot of time in suits. One of his favourite brands is Alfred Dunhill and as he loves his cufflinks these are another great gift idea.

Every dad needs a pair of good sunglasses and a daughter to tell him what sunglasses actually look good and suit his face shape (I'm not one to ever judge put sometimes dads need to be nudged in the right direction!) There are so many good, classic brands out there like Ray-Ban, Oakley etc. but my dad found this Montblanc pair at Bicester Village.

There are definitely lots of dads out there that love fitness, whether that be running or cycling or something like that, this Garmin Forerunner 35 is a brilliant choice as there is no chest strap. You can connect it up with your phone, check your heart rate and see how many steps you've done that day! This watch is already in my dad's possession and being the big kid that he is I think his favourite part about it has to be trying to do as many steps as possible and also when it vibrates to tell you to MOVE!

I adore FoodNetwork, it is pretty much the only thing I watch on TV, and that means occasionally The Hairy Bikers is on the telly. Now they are an absolutely fabulous duo and I kept noticing just how much my dad was loving them, so one Christmas I thought on a whim I would buy him their autobiography (he's not a lover of cooking) and it went down an absolute treat. I don't think he realised just how much he loved them until he'd read it, me and mum didn't even have to read it he literally couldn't stop telling us all the details. Sometimes it pays off to just watch how families react to things and you'll find something they never even realised they'd love!

Of course a personal present is always extremely thoughtful and very much appreciated.

Grabbing your dad's favourite personal picture that maybe they've taken or it's a place they adore or of family, it's a brilliant idea to them get it printed onto a canvas so your dad can hang it up and admire their fave image everyday! I got this one printed at Jessops.

And finally, if your dad really isn't the materialistic type at all and nothing on the list would please him, then treat him to his perfect day out maybe concluded by a meal out or you cooking his favourite meal! 

Just spoil your dad on Father's Day, give him all of your love and make sure he has a brilliant day, family time is better than any gift you can buy.

Love El

xxx

Favourite Spring Music...

When the warmer weather finally appears (not that it seems to be sticking around in the UK at the moment!) my music taste always seems to change, and favours more upbeat tunes. These are some of my current faves!

Neon Hitch - Some Like It Hot

This is an older song as it was released in 2014 (still can't accept the fact that it was 3 years ago!), but that doesn't mean it isn't a brilliant song to belt out!

Anton Powers & Pixie Lott - Baby

I have loved Pixie since her Mama Do days and therefore I knew I instantly would instantly adore this new song, and it definitely did not disappoint! This is the perfect song to sing out loud in your car and the acoustic version is equally as stunning.

Anne-Marie - Ciao Adios

Pretty sure this is one of most people's favourite song at the moment, and there's no denying that it is seriously catchy and therefore had to be mentioned in this post! Even the music video is fantastic!! (Also Anne-Marie's song Alarm is another fave.)

Ed Sheeran - Shape of You

Another song that is for sure so many people's favourite and it's really no surprise that Ed has done it again!

Iggy Azalea - Team

Granted I may only be able to sing along to the chorus and occasional word in the verses but I am still loving this tune.

Julia Michaels - Issues

Because who doesn't want to be reminded that there are also other people with issues in the world, and it isn't just you!

Love El

xxx

Finding Motivation...

Sometimes as humans we can totally loose motivation and I think it's fair to say that procrastination can be a thief of motivation; I know for sure I am NOT the only one that thinks that, therefore I'm going share a list of things that help to motivate me.
As someone that has never liked the thought of doing a job that has just been "expected" of me or a job that can seem, quite frankly, mind-numbing, I have to find motivation, especially when that involves working for yourself! I think it's fair to say that people can expect a lot of you and that can sometimes push you into doing things you don't want to do, but I have been determined, some may stubborn (to be fair I am Libra mixed with Scorpio), to follow my dreams and do an apparently "unconventional" job. The thought of not living my life to the fullest and happiest scares me and I can't imagine myself pursuing something just because someone thinks I should.

1. I NEVER understood why people made lists, I just didn't understand how writing a load of things down could help you to order your thoughts and calm life, they're just pieces of paper how can they help?! Oh how wrong I was, I started to write lists of things when I started at a work experience placement to help me to remember the task I had to do (the joys of having a bad short term memory) and I just became addicted. Having everything laid out can definitely help with motivation as everything is suddenly a calm and collected list rather than a whirlwind!

2. When the zero motivation kicks in, one thing that can definitely help is just to think of the reasons you started and the excited, happy feeling you have when doing something you love.

3. As I mentioned earlier people can judge no matter what the situation or what you are working towards, most of the time these people only want what they think to be the best for you but it can be dis-heartening and un-motivating. I know that feeling of thinking shall I give up and just do what these people want me to do? But the answer should always be no, you are living for you and if someone doesn't like it, TOUGH.

4. Set yourself manageable targets and think of how good it feels when you achieve them, you'll want to keep ticking things off.

5. Don't feel down hearted when something doesn't quite go the way you planned, remember bad things even happen to Beyonce, we may not know what those bad things are but believe it or not she is still human.

5. A good song or playlist to release some mood-enhancing chemicals and pump you up!

6. Allow yourself a break! Sometimes you just have to listen to your body and allow your body to stop. Pushing yourself is lowering the motivation, come back to the job in 30 mins, 1 hour, tomorrow and you'll do better than you would have done if you'd kept going.

Love El
xxx

My Cotswold Guide

If you've read my blog for a little while you'll already know about my massive love for The Cotswolds! There's just something about it that feels like a huge hug.

So today I thought I would share some of the places that I would definitely recommend visiting!

Broadway & Broadway Tower

The vistas from Broadway tower are spectacular you can see unbelievably far even without going up the tower! And the village of Broadway itself is stunning. 

Stanton

Stanton is just one of Cotswolds picture perfect villages, there's just something incredibly calm about Cotswolds villages, horses riding up and down the lanes, and rose covered houses, does anything sound more perfect?! And of course you must visit Stanton's famous pub "The Mount Inn", my second image is taken from the pub garden!

Bourton - on - the - Water

Bourton is always a must see at Christmas, we go every year and has been a tradition pretty much since I was born! Bourton is an extremely popular destination in The Cotwolds, which is really no surprise.

Bibury

William Morris once described Bibury as "the most beautiful village in England" and if that doesn't warrant a visit then I don't know what does!

Batsford Arboretum

I definitely don't have any photographs that do Batsford Arboretum enough justice, I can't explain how stunning it looks! If you can go at only one time of year then make it Autumn, there are just read trees everywhere, or blossom in Spring!

These are just a handful of the places I love.

Love El

xxx

First Look of Spring

Even though the weather is supposed to get cold again there have been some amazing snippets of sun!

I don't know about anyone else but I am really craving some sun, warmth in the air and generally a bit of a tan so I can stop being as white as a sheet!

The 9th of March was the perfect blue sky, sunny day and therefore the perfect opportunity to go out and take some photos of the flowers that are slowly emerging. 

In the danger of sounding a lot older than 21, it is so heart warming to see the Spring flowers popping up everywhere, especially the Daffodils, it just makes me think warmer days are finally on their way!

Love El

xxx

Inspirational Bloggers

I think it's fair to say I haven't posted for a while!
Since the 5th of November to be exact, and in all honestly I don't know how or why it happened but I am so excited to start blogging again.
There are a lot of bloggers that have made me want to start mine up again and I really wanted to share them with you so you can either find some inspiration or just find some new blogs to read!

Love Style Mindfulness

I recently fell in love with Sinead's blog and Instagram, which isn't difficult with her beautiful images and down to earth personality! Reading Sinead's posts really feels like a friend is giving you information, sharing the outfits they've wore or giving you advice, and that is something, I feel, makes a brilliant blog!

Copper-Garden

Again Jess has such beautiful images covering every blog post that it would be difficult not to feel inspired to try and capture your own amazing photos. Jess recently wrote a post all about taking her blog full time, and I remember asking Jess for advice via Twitter as I had an interview with the same company she was working with, and the response I received was so helpful and lovely. I couldn't be more pleased for her that she's been able to take her blog full time and live her dreams!

Fashion Mumblr

Josie's blog is full of helpful advice about anything from beauty and hair to advice and travel. I love reading blogs that cover so many different topics, along with fantastically written posts with beautiful imagery I think you'd find it impossible to not feel inspired when reading Josie's blog. 

Emmy's Beauty Cave

I am constantly so impressed by how frequently Emmy posts on social media and uploads blog posts, she never seems to run out of ideas and always posts fantastically unique posts full of information! Emmy has also started designing her own blog headers!

Mascara and Maltesers

I followed Annabel's little part of the internet when I first started blogging so always love going back to her blog, it feels like an old friend. Annabel took a break from blogging but has just started again and that of course made me think why did I stop?! For some fantastic, informative beauty posts you need to follow!

Krystel Couture

Jenny's blog is also another that I started following when I started blogging. Jenny frequently posts beauty and fashion posts and it is so nice to see how a certain piece can be styled up, even though we have different fashion styles I always love to see how Jenny puts together an outfit!

I think there is a clear theme throughout my inspiration, showing that frequent uploads are so important (if all of these girls can do it then why shouldn't I?!) and some beautiful imagery can really make a blog post more appealing!

Love El
xxx

Bonfire Night

Remember Remember The Fifth Of November

Yesterday I got to attend a Bonfire Night at a National Trust property where I am a volunteer photographer and therefore, naturally, took a lot of images.

I'm pretty happy with these images and so wanted to share a snippet of them with you!

Have a safe and brilliant Bonfire Night!

Love El

xxx