iPhone Pics - May & June 2012

Apart from my London Through Instagram post last month, I never quite got around to posting my usual monthly iPhone Pics post, so here is an amalgamation from the past two months. Also I was very flattered to find out that I had been listed in Independent Fashion Blogger's '50 Instagram Accounts You're Probably Not Folllowing Yet', amongst some amazing company and some of my own favourite IG'ers.

Starbucks Latte & Waffle. New rings from Zoe & Morgan. Clothes tags from a The Kooples haul. Looking down at ASOS maxi dress & Kat Maconie velvet boots. Cucumber & strawberry mojhito. Champagne breakfast at Browns. Chanel tags & button free gifts. Tom Ford coral lipstick & nail enamel.

Waiting for a metro. A display in an old traditional pub in Wylam. Looking down at an old favourite pair of LK Bennett shoes. A soap gift from a friend. Art for sale at the Tyneside Cinema. Trip to Edinburgh for the weekend. Breakfast at Hotel du Vin, Edinburgh. Glass of rose wine at the Missonni Hotel, Edinburgh. New kitchen display.

Ticket stubs from the film '2 Days in Paris' at the Tyneside Cinema (it wasn't very good!). Jubilee celebrations on an old building in Newcastle. Food shopping at Waitrose. Straw baskets to add to my collection. Foreign packaging. Bar Luga in Morpeth over the Jubilee weekend. Refreshing lime & soda drink. Latte art. Looking through the mirror.

Fruit breakfast. Lovely lighting in Lady Grey's in Newcastle. New wooden watch. The coast at Tynemouth. Tynemouth Priory. Mocha at Lui's in Tynemouth. Pink ginger drink at Lui's in Tynemouth. Pasta dinner for one. Attempting to get home from work after the freakiest storm I have ever seen in my life!

Instagram name: pink_bow
Instagram Filter: Earlybird

Shoe Shopping with VivaLaDiva

Another virtual shopping trip for you, this time with online shoe website VivaLaDiva. While I may take the most average UK shoe size 5, I know there are many who do not and have difficulty finding fashionable shoes for wide feet. The site sells for all shapes and sizes not just the extra width sizes but I had a good browse at the shoes I would choose for myself, all ranging in the plus sizes of E, EE and EEE - with a handy guide to choosing your own fitting...

(Bespoke Platform Shoes; Ann Harvey Sandals; Heavenly Soles Button Bar; VivaLaDiva After Party;            VivaLADiva Toe-cap Ballerina; Isabella Cole Cut-Out Court; VivaLaDiva Catwalk Collection Wedge;  Isabella Cole Boots)

Trimmed in Blue

Another dress I bought recently from ASOS. I loved the style and fit of this one so much, I looked on the site to see if there was anything similar and this is what caught my eye. It too was in the sale, as was the other, so I couldn't not buy it! I didn't think a midi length would work particularly well for me, midi hits an odd part of the leg I think. As my legs are most definitely not a good feature of mine, I assumed the length to be unflattering. But the length on these two dresses has ended up being probably slightly longer on me than the average midi, meaning I will be able to wear bear-legged and with flat shoes for summer as well as with my usual heels. I wore this outfit to go out for drinks on Saturday night and chose my blue velvet Kat Maconie ankle boots (not really owning any other blue shoes). The trim of the dress is probably darker in real life than it appears in these pictures, so the two have ended up being quite a good match.

ASOS Dress ~ Kat Maconie Ankle Boots via Spartoo ~ Zoe & Morgan and Vintage Rings

Evening Dresses with Bank Fashion

Time for a little virtual shopping this evening. Bank are a UK high-street fashion store, with a fairly recently opened shop in my Newcastle upon Tyne home town which I must confess to rarely going into, I'm very much an on-line shopper. Why battle the crowds when I can see exactly what is available in the comfort of my own home. And if necessary, there is the added luxury of being able to quickly pop into the store to collect and try on. So as the season is very much upon us for weddings, proms, the races etc etc, I thought I would browse through some great party dresses to suit these occasions...

(Little Mistress floral prom dress, £29; Blonde Blonde flare dress, £30; Chiffon cocktail dress, £40; Lipsy dress, £55; Little Mistress pleated chiffon dress, £50; Rare London polka dot dress, £25; Lipsy chiffon cocktail dress, £50; Rare London bodycon dress, £49)

Belated Birthday Brunch

Life has been busy lately, which resulted in me missing the birthday of a dear friend. Or at least a month's delay in giving her a birthday gift. So in order to make it up to her, I invited her to my home for a "Belated Birthday Brunch". I never really need much of an excuse to buy yummy food and decorate the table with my amassed collection of vintage crockery and mini birthday bunting. So on Saturday morning this is how it looked, for a much needed catch-up with some healthy foods and lots of drinks.

That morning I baked some Cheesy Muffins, (using this recipe). There were various fruit - a bowl of cherries, some strawberries and green grapes with a selection of cheeses. I made up jars of granola, berries, Greek yoghurt and flaked almonds and maple syrup again, as well as a couple of smoothie options, using a mini crate of milk bottles which I found on eBay recently, with the obligatory pink and white striped retro straws.

For drinks, I made a small pot of coffee and some new tea that I had been sent from The East India Company. This was the first time I had had chance to try the tea, which doesn't really look that much like normal tea at all (you can see it better here). I have never tried white tea before, and I think had I not been sent it doubt I ever would. But oh my, since trying this for the first time on Saturday morning, I cannot stop drinking it. If you like your tea fragrant, I urge you to buy some. If this delectable smell could be made into a perfume, I would buy it immediately. It is Blend 68 White Tea & Hibiscus - a perfect accompaniment to the Hibiscus Cordial I was also sent by them, that you can see in this post. The taste is so unusual, words cannot describe. But every time I make it, the most amazing fragrance infuses my whole flat! There was also a decanter of orange & melon juice and a bottle of Peach Bellini from M&S. One of the best Saturday mornings I've had in a while.

Blush

When I originally ordered these shoes from Kat Maconie, I assumed them to be cream but when they arrived I was pleasantly surprised by their delicate Blush hue. Cream with a hint of pink is a lovely spring/summer colour, as well as their shoe/sandal style. I managed to find a belt in the exact same shade and chose a dusky pink dress and pink flower crown to continue with the pink theme. 

Crown & Glory Floral Headband ~ ASOS Dusky Pink Dress ~ H&M Belt ~ Kat Maconie Shoes via Spartoo ~ Vintage & Zoe & Morgan Rings

Italian Wood

I don't own too many watches in my jewllery collection, so when offered the chance to choose from new Italian watch manufacturer, AB Aeterno, I was delighted to select two pieces to add to my so-far limited collection. AB watches are an Australian based company offering a selection of mens and ladies watches in 100% natural wood. There are a selection of colours to choose from in various wood grains.

I opted for the men's style Envy (I do like my watch faces on the large side) and the slightly smaller, ladylike version Hazel in a darker mahogany wood. You are also provided with some small tools to remove the links, so no need to visit a watch repairer, you can get on with it at home yourself. The watches are a classic style which I love, but at the same time very unusual and elegant, with the beautiful wood grains. A perfect combination of quirky and cool.

AB Aeterno are also running an Instagram competition. I appreciate it is only valid if you already own one of these watches but as an Instagram addict, I thought why not? And perhaps if I win, I could give it away to a lovely reader! All I needed to do was - Wear the AB Aeterno - Shoot an Instagram photo with #abaeterno - Enjoy the contest! Every 20th of the month, the best 3 pictures are put on the AB Aeterno blog, if the one on the 28th which has been winning lots of votes is mine, I win another watch.