Luxe vs. budget x Stella McCartney

NET-A-PORTER - £3195

This striking sunset-orange maxi dress is from the Stella McCartney Resort-2016 collection. I've had my eye on it for a while now but the fact that it costs THREE THOUSAND ONE HUNDRED AND NINETYFIVE POUNDS is just ridiculous. I could spend that kind of money on a bag with only a tad of bad conscience, but a dress? Not a chance. No matter how much or how little a dress costs, it will still end up with a red wine stain within 2 months anyway. See, I'm a restrained shopping realist.

SO - to the good news. I stumbled over this dress from Gina Tricot (Swedish retailer) on a blog somewhere and ordered it straight away. It's just as voluminous and fabulous as the original, at only a drop of the above price - £37! Also I'm sorry, I've started to use the word Fabulous as I'm re-watching the whole of Sex & The City.


Back to the FABULOUS dress. Looks familiar?

Unfortunately it seems like this dress is sold out, which kind of made this post irrelevant... Sorry!

Chilli & chill

Aaah what an amazing day. Woke up hungover but that was OK - kind of expected after insisting on Cafe Patron shots yesterday. I decided that I wanted to cook something in the slow cooker, so I strolled over to Morrissons to buy some breakfast and ingredients. 

I decided to to cook something that would be as if a chilli and pulled beef had a baby. A perfect little spicy meat baby. I used my father-in-laws famous chilli recipe as a guideline but I don't really like to cook after recipes (too impatient) so I ended up just throwing stuff in and improvising.

I thought at first that I shouldn't bore you with the recipe but then I realised that if I post it here I can look back next time to remind myself. So here's the shopping list Helena:

• Big chunk of meat - sear before placing in the slow cooker! Crucial.
• 2 onions
• 2 celery sticks
• 2 carrots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 5 bird eye chillies
• A squeeze of BBQ sauce
• 1 tube tomato pure
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• A splash of balsamic vinegar
• LOTS of salt and pepper (I used smoked salt in this batch)
• Chilli powder & paprika
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 tin chickpeas
• 1 tin broad beans
• 1 tin kidney beans
• 2 beef stock cubes
• 1 litre of water
• 1/3 of a bunch fresh coriander
• Dash of red wine

I think that's it. So basically - chop everything and place in the slow cooker, with the seared meat in the middle. Don't have a slow cooker? Lame!

As you can see it looks absolutely stunning. This i before I added all the sauces and spices by the way, I decided this was more photo friendly heheheheh...

So, what did I do the rest of the day? This:

Life. Is. Tough.

I tried to cosy up our roof terrace as well - how amazing is this?

Trending fashion

It's funny how money (read: lack of) changes how I live. When I'm broke I never browse for clothes online and I avoid shops at all costs to not get depressed by the fact that I literally can't even afford a pair of socks. I find myself looking in the cupboard for a potential dinner that I can scrap together, and I end up eating cous cous with pesto to keep the costs down. The general interest in eating healthy has gone out the window due to an echoing account.

But then comes payday. I eat roasted root veg, healthy slow cooked stews and tuna nicoise salads. And I BROWSE like no woman has browsed before. Saving items for later on all my favourite online shopping sites and going back and fourth between them for hours, to put together the perfect basket before pressing the order button.

I think you've guessed it already - I got paid. And the inspiration is back on track as per usual, so I thought I'd list my top fashion trends at the moment. Here goes...

The pinstripe

Pinstripe blazers, suits and coats are a safe bet for at least a couple of months ahead. Oversized blazers in particular. Don't be too dressy though - match your 2-piece suit with a pair of Converses rather than heels.

Also - I never thought I'd say (write) this - I've ALWAYS hated the culotte phenomenon. So unflattering, so unnecessary. A trend that would come and go as quick as a family guy episode starts and finishes. But the other day we had a client in the office who had a navy, pinstripe culotte jumpsuit on, paired with white sneakers and a leather jacket. She looked so god damn fabulous that I'm going to wear just this. Don't get me wrong though, culottes in general still don't have my stamp of approval.

 I could murder for this suit from Gestuz, BUT old season and nowhere to be found...

Culotte jumpsuit from Missguided.

The exposed shoulders

This is not really a shocker is it - the cold shoulders and the bardot tops are everywhere at the moment. Preferably in shirt-like cotton fabrics in a loose style, or more structured like below. I quite like this romantic trend, however I think it is already cooling down and will soon be yesterday's news.

Top from Ellery.

The front slit trousers

Yes! I'm excited about this one. These type of trousers look good either as full length or ankle grazers, and they really highlight your shoes so make sure to wear a nice pair. The black ones below are actually leggings and are from Cheap Monday (£50). The dusty pink ones are made out of linen and are also on their way home to me - now on sale on ASOS for £21. Grab em while you can.

The unzipped sleeves

Just like the ankles are to be on show at the moment, so should your wrists. This trend is also completely free - just unzip the sleeves on your biker jacket and you're good to go.

The exaggerated volumes

Oversize, oversize, oversize. Kim K made sure that the last couple of years were all about super sexy body con dresses with an exposed cleavage. And now we're ready to move on - both skin-tight dresses as well as Kim Kardashian West are yesterday's news. Go for the exaggerated dresses, sleeves, tops and skirts this summer - the bigger the better.

 Denim dress from Asos own brand Asos WHITE - £65.

Pink silk dress from Anthropologie - £118.

Swedish Meatballs & Pickled Cucumber

45 meatballs haha! Guess what I'm having for lunch EVERY DAY next week...

So.... I've been watching Masterchef Australia recently. A lot. Often. Constantly. I've never really cared for cooking food (only eating it) but recently I've been a tad more interested in how to do things properly.

I've always enjoyed cooking healthy, quick and slightly weird food that I personally like. The kind of food that I wouldn't like to serve others as it wouldn't wow anyone? The voice in my head while preparing a meal sounds a lot like Joey in Friends when he eats that weird cake; custard? Good! Jam? Good! Meat? GOOD. This mentality equals weird combinations. And I don't use any fancy 6-hour recipes - actually I don't like to cook after recipes full stop.

It sounds like I'm eating really funky stuff but to describe my style of cooking in a few words; cook everything on the highest heat possible - oven or stove (burnt food if possible - LOVE burnt food), substitute the carbs with roasted vegetables or couscous, top with mixed seeds and LOADS of sea salt. Also, where applicable - half a bottle of ketchup. I put seeds on everything because I love the crunchy texture. Maybe that's why I like burnt food as well? Nah - I just love the charcoal taste haha. On this topic - every time I use the toaster I turn it up to full blast, so I've had Lloyd screaming HELIINA from the kitchen several times, aggravated by his black piece of toast :')

Back to where I started off - I'm starting to dig the cooking thing. I've recently made pulled beef, slow cooked chilli con carne, home-made curry from scratch, and yesterday I made home-made meatballs and mash, pickled cucumber, onion gravy and lingonberry jam. A Swedish comfort food classic, guess I'm a little bit home sick. I also went to IKEA earlier this week which inspired me so that's why I spent about 3 hours preparing and cooking the below. I haven't decided yet if that makes me sad or not...

I'm not going to pester you with a recipe as I assume you all use google on a daily basis, I just wanted to brag a little bit. That's what social media and blogs are for right? Thanks for listening. Good talk.

It might not look much to you. But this is progress I promise.

Tom Dixon Lighting

Let's talk about lights, lamps and pendants. British designer Tom Dixon is one of my favourites when it comes to lighting. I love the elegant, modern, art deco feel his pieces has to them and I am indeed a sucker for white and gold when it comes to interior design.

I'm not gonna lie - I can't afford any of his stuff (unless found somewhere in a second hand shop in the middle of nowhere where the owner as well as browsing customers are unaware of the fact that there's a Tom Dixon piece in the corner going for £10) - but one can always dream. And one can always work towards one day being able to afford these sexy beasts.

My favourites;

Plain Round Pendant Light

£255 - here!

Melt Mini Copper

£370  - here!

Mirror Ball Gold 50cm

£515 - here!

And the grand finale...

Plane Chandelier

£4,500 - here!

Birthday Bash

I just realised I haven't posted anything here of my birthday, which was on the 27th March so almost a month ago haha... I'm a great blogger.

I don't think I will ever grow out of that feeling of waking up in the morning on your birthday (and Christmas for that matter) with butterflies in your stomach. And you lie there, listening for subtle sounds from the kitchen where someone is preparing your breakfast in bed and is just about to walk in with a tray singing happy birthday... But then you realise you don't live with your mum anymore and your passed-out corpse of a boyfriend is lying next to you snoring :')

This year I might not have been woken up with breakfast in bed, but Lloyd surprised me with an all Swedish breakfast with stuff he'd secretly bought from a Scandinavian shop here in London called Stockholm. We had meatballs, proper cheese, beetroot salad, Swedish bread and pickled gherkin. YUM. He's aware of my love for breakfast.

In the evening we headed to a pub in Twickenham called The Prince Blucher were there was food, prosecco and cake. The cake.. Let's talk about the cake. This is why Lloyd is the perfect guy for me:

A Big Mac cake. I mean it wasn't made out of meat (WHEN is McDonalds going to admit that there is 0% meat in their burgers?) etc, it was actually a cake. Also I'm not sure what signals this cake sends out about me as a person...

After that followed cafe patron (in plural), litres of wine, dancing on the table with a lamp on my head, finished off with some twerking, and then we headed to our flat to continue the dancing. One of the best birthdays I've had in years, thank you everyone for being there!! XX

Alone time is golden time

Boyfriend: Babe I'm working tonight...

Me: Aaaaw noooo I'll miss you :(

When really:

*Smirky emoji*

Missguided Flatform Creepers

Grab them here!

I mean, yes there is a small group of people in the world that managed to get their hands on the Rihanna x Puma creeper sneaker after the release a year ago and YES I would have loved to be one of those lucky people. But that is not the case.

So what the hell am I supposed to do when I find out that Missguided have been sneaky and manufactured look-alikes for TWENTY FIVE POUNDS? Obviously buy them in two colours. Well technically I only bought one pair as the black pair was one of my birthday presents form Lloyd :) £25, are you kidding me? They could have easily charged £40 for them, but this post is not about their poor pricing strategy...

I have also realised that a comfy chill-out-at-home outfit doesn't have to consist of a washed out sweatshirt you've had since you were 12 and a pair of tights with holes in the crotch area. I don't know how may times my boyfriend has pointed and laughed at me (probably partly in disgust) at my barely holding together tights... Not sexy.

So at the moment I'm all about cosy loungewear for the lazy days in. Which in my case is most days (haven't been to the gym for about 1,5 months hehehehehe). I ordered two co-ords, also from Missguided, and one of them is the black SUCKER below.

I'll still keep the old tights though. Just in case....

Speedy Blush

Collection Speedy Blush - buy it here.

Here comes a boring make up tip! Everyone in the UK knows that the brand Collection is a budget option for when you run out of something the week before pay day and you just can't afford anything else in the meantime. I bought this blush stick for £3 (!) as an emergency back-up and it has really proved worthy of my make up bag. 

I use this as a finishing touch after the rest of the make up is done, including blushing your cheeks with bronzer. This pink/peachy colour gives you a fresh, summery look BUT the best part is that it stays on all day as it's quite creamy. It gives you a light glowy highlight and can also be used as a base before applying your blush as this will work like a tinted primer.

Stick it on and smudge it out. Try it!

Whistles Nude Rada Platforms

Hey hey! Long time no see I know. Work is all I have on my mind at the moment, which I'm OK with.

Even though I bought these shoes a couple of weeks ago I still need to show them off, cause... Look at them. They're flawless. Nude, suede platform sandals with a sole made out of cork and wood. Perfect for any occasion if you ask me.

I'd been drooling over them online for a while but had involuntarily come to terms with that there is just no way I can buy sandals for £160. I just couldn't justify it - and I'm PRETTY good at that usually. I comforted myself with that "one day I'll make so much money that I can spend a month's salary on a handbag without feeling a thing...". It took some of the pain away, but not entirely.

But then, one sunny morning after my alarm went off just after 7.30, I received an email from Whistles stating that the yearly 25% discount code is now available in this month's edition of Grazia. Got dressed, threw my lunch box in my handbag and went down to the corner shop.

I had bought the shoes even before getting to work that day, calling the shop directly and paying over the phone. Haha you should have heard me, I was desperate. The next day they came delivered to the office and that was that story. I thought I'd share that.

xx

New laundry basket!

Ok, how much of a slap in the face is it when you realise that you're now an adult and that you have to spend money on RUBBISH BINS and LAUNDRY BASKETS. On an item where you'll scrape in food leftovers and put sweaty socks? Depressing.

When me and Lloyd moved in to our flat we had a look around Amazon to find a bin for the kitchen. Most of them are well over £100! I found one for over £600, what the actual fuck?! WHO SPENDS THAT KIND OF MONEY ON A RUBBISH BIN?! That's how you know you're making too much money. And yes I know IKEA is the best place to go but I'm not travelling an hour to buy a bin.

Anyhow the bin is snow sorted (found one for £40 - still painful) and we needed a laundry basket. I found a nice one at Zara Home; £35. Fair enough, I know a laundry basket is technically as important as any other piece of interior in your home but it's just so boring to spend money on it.

Tadaa! Stumbled over this beauty at a charity shop - why didn't I think of that before? Guess how much this beast cost us? £3 :)

Black Bandana

Mmmmmmm as you might have noticed, I love white shirts. Actually maybe you haven't noticed. Well at least my fans/every-day readers will know (hi mum!).

I stumbled over this picture above the other day which made me want to order a black bandana (no other colour than black, we want to avoid the cowboy feel please - not a good look for anyone). I want to wear this ASAP - a loose, unbuttoned (not all the way down he he he he he) white linen shirt like this with a black bandana tied around my neck. Definitely steeling this idea in the near future. It will look so good with my new short hair as well!

Just a side note - this is the first time since I started my new job that I'm feeling that FRIDAY feeling. I love Mondays don't get me wrong, and I also love working. But oh my god I NEED WINE and oh my god NO ALARM TOMORROW.

ASOS shoe recall

Ha! I definitely don't believe in God but sometimes I wonder if someone's looking down.

Do you remember the thigh-high boots I bought a while back from Daisy Street via ASOS? They've been lying under my bed for some time now. I still really like them - I just find it so hard to wear them without looking hoochie. I think one reason to this is that I'm tall and have long legs. I'm absolutely not disguising a brag here just stating a fact, negatively actually. It's the same phenomenon as with high heels; on shorter girls a certain pair of heels can looks good and classy but on a tall girl it looks over-dressed and trashy. Just the way of life I guess.

So I stopped wearing them. And when I looked under my bed literally the other day I saw them and thought 'Hm. I wish I could return those, waste of money'.

Then today, I receive an email from ASOS called PRODUCT SAFETY WARNING. Turns out this particular shoe has forced ASOS to send out an email to every single person who bought them, saying that people have found the heel faulty and that it can be a safety hazard. If I'd like to return the shoes that's absolutely fine. Used and all.

Talk about coincidence huh?

Stumbled over this pic speaking of heels; google #heelconcept haha... Creepy.

7-course tasting menu

So I sat at the pub a few months ago swiping away on Groupon to see if there was anything of interest. There was; a 7-course tasting menu at Michelin star restaurant L'Autreu Pied. It's a small cosy French (shock!) restaurant located in Marylebone just off Oxford Street.

I completely forgot I bought this and only just realised the other week that the deal was about to expire, so I booked me and Lloyd in yesterday. And oh my god, the food was absolutely amazing. There wasn't one single dish or ingredient that I wasn't obsessed with.

This exact tasting menu is usually £62 per person but I only paid £31 - such a steal. I can strongly recommend a visit whether you live in London or are here on holiday. You won't get disappointed.

Let the food-envy begin:

Heirloom carrots, pickled raddicchio & creme fraiche

Poached cod, roasted cauliflower & burnt butter sauce

Roast duck, peppered suede, turnips, apple, mustard & jus

Mandarin mousse, chocolate ice cream & chocolate soil

CHEESE.

Rhubarb cheesecake & mandarin sorbet

THREE FLOOR

Time for another designer shout-out: THREE FLOOR.

Heard of them before? I hadn't until the other day. I tried to think of three words to best describe their clothes but it was hard to choose. So I'd like to describe the brand as; edgy, sporty, lacey, colourful, structured, young, skin-showing and with lots of well-made details.

My favourites must be their tops as I love love love slightly box-shaped, cropped, structured shirts and blouses. With a pair of high waisted black jeans or a voluminous skater skirt. The prices aren't too bad either and let's be honest, it's a lot more pleasurable taking good care of and appreciate a real quality piece that you've spent a bit more money on, than a rag from H&M that's unwearable after two washes. All these pieces look super well-made and the pictures are pretty enough to hang on the wall as well.

 

"THREE FLOOR was founded in 2011 and has become renowned for offering sharp, uber stylish and well-constructed pieces with a sporty edge. Our clothing is both simple and complex, with structured silhouettes that are resplendent in the detailing that has become our signature along with ultra-modern, lux fabrics in statement colour palettes and clean fluid lines.

THREE FLOOR brings a refreshing level of style, construction and design to create accessible clothing which is worn by some of the world’s most stylish influencers, bloggers and celebrities including Kendall Jenner, Amanda Seyfried and Nicole Scherzinger amongst others; as well as Kristina Bazan (kayture.com), Ella Gregory (cocosteaparty.com) and Rosie Fortescue (atfashionforte.com) to name a few.

In an incredibly short period, THREE FLOOR has grown into an international brand with a presence in over 100 influential stores and boutiques world-wide and is fast becoming the ‘go to’ for statement pieces which make an impact and which ensure the wearer can’t fail to be noticed."