The Scents of Spring

Being a purveyor of an extortionate (and downright ridiculous) number of scented candles, I'm all for swapping and changing the candles I burn based on my mood, the weather, the season, what day of the week it is. You know, casual stuff.

I'm a huge fan of fresh scents all year round because frankly, why on earth would you want your house to smell like artificial (and oh my lord so sickly) vanilla cupcakes? Yankee Candle, I'm looking at you.

Excusing the accidental alliteration here: fresh, fruity and floral tones are my absolute favourite because they're usually the lightest scents when they're burning, making them perfect for small spaces (ie my bedroom) or for keeping a subtle scent for a longer length of time.

Below are three of my ultimate loves...

1. CHAMOMILE & VIOLET BY WAX LYRICAL

I never realised quite what a mix of layers this candle contains. According to the creators this fragrance includes: "chamomile and violet layered with delicate citrus notes of lemon blossom on a base of musks and precious woods. A blend of armoise, elemi, lavandin & orange essential oils". No corners cut here, thank you very much!

I keep this candle tucked safely away in its original boxed packaging whenever I'm not burning it regularly and as soon as I re-open it, the scent hits me as profoundly as it did the first time. If it was possible to make your soul smile, this candle would do it for me. This scent is perfect for lazy Sunday afternoons and leaves lasting floral notes well into evening time.

I bought this for £20 as a small treat to myself last Easter and if the fifty-five hour burn time is anything to go by, I've still got a whole lot of fragrance left to enjoy.

2. SEASHORE BY TRUE GRACE

Described as "a scent balanced with geranium, neroli, cedarwood and moss", I coveted this candle for well over a year before it finally joined my collection. In glass form it can be purchased for £25, but it is also available in a tin for £16. 

So often candle companies give their scents the fanciest of names and just assume that that's how this works. Not so, my friend. If you want to name your candle 'Christmas', then you need it to really smell like Christmas. But I digress, the point here is that this candle smells exactly as it's titled. Like a brazen, blustery (British) walk along a seashore. It's one of the most comforting candles I've ever burnt and for that reason, I know for a fact that I'll always have a glass, tin or diffuser with me, wherever I end up.

 It's also made of natural wax (always a pro) and can burn for up to forty hours.

3. APPLE AND ELDERFLOWER BY THE EVAL CANDLE COMPANY

This absolutely perfect combination of succulent crunchy green apples and the sweetness of elderflower berries is, in my opinion, what makes this candle so light, uplifting and joyful to be surrounded by. To me, it's the perfect morning scent; where your curtains are pulled back, the windows are wide open and the sunlight and fresh air can wash over everything.

Don't be fooled by the size of the tin, for £9 this scent is mighty enough to fill any space, and is said to burn for up to forty-five hours.



What are your signature spring scents?
~ Eleanor xo

The Week in Pictures: A Right Royal Celebration

Reasons why last week was probably the least productive in the history of everything:

1. The Queen celebrated turning ninety with a 'walkabout' right outside the office front door
2. The GBBO contestants were there with cake
3. The guy who played Max Cunningham in Hollyoaks spent the day in the office
4. There was chocolate cake and prosecco (in celebration of the Queen, not a semi-well-known ex-soap star...)
5. Obama helicoptered in for lunch and bought a chock load of helicopters with him which were super noisy and distracting and turned us all into excited ten-year-old boys

I mean, as far as a working week goes, this one sort of took the biscuit. Or the birthday cake, if you will... *ba dum tss*. Yes, Eleanor does mean 'immeasurably hilarious'* in Swahili.

*no it doesn't.

While I (very very) sadly didn't get to actually set my eyes on the Queen, I did get to witness the palaver that surrounded three very busy days. God knows how a tiny ninety-year-old woman has the stamina to withstand such gargantuan tasks when I got out of breath just trying to photograph the whole thing. (I may or may not now be forever immortalised in BBC News coverage as a strange passerby attempting to take a picture of the news stand set up on the Castle front lawn...).

But alas, this is what I was able to surmise from this experience:

• There isn't a single colour the Queen can't pull of.
• Open-top Range Rovers are a thing. But seemingly only if you're the leader of an empire. 
• The Queen just has some pimping rides full stop, let's be real.
• Everyone loves a flag.
• Like, literally everyone.
• Opening a bandstand is a big deal.
• Being born in the same year as a monarch is a big yes.
• The Queen must own a lot of vases.
• Dressing head-to-toe in a Union Jack print will get you on the news.
• If you go on a BBC baking show, you'll 100% end up baking for royalty.
• Prince Charles saying "Mummy" is never not funny.
• Lighting a ceremonial beacon can be somewhat problematic.
• The Princess Diaries gave me unrealistic expectations of how a beacon should be lit. Where were the flaming arrows at?
• There's nothing a piece of bunting can't cheer up.
• I'd like #ProseccoThursdays to become a thing.
• We should all have two birthdays each year.
• I sodding love spending five days a week in Windsor.

I also like to imagine that after enjoying a civilised tour of the Post Office, witnessing a dramatic re-enactment of a Romeo & Juliet scene by a local school, slicing some cake and unveiling several plaques, the royal family got totally smashed and swung from the grandest of chandeliers. Liz seems like that kind of gal.

#LongLiveTheQueen.
~ Eleanor xo

Link Love #19

1. An interesting read from one woman who took inspiration from bloggers and ate 'instagram style' food for a week {via Elle} 


2. Five picturesque properties up for sale right now {via Country Life}


3. Ten super easy ways to kick-start a healthier lifestyle {The Glitter Guide}


4. Nineteen facts about tulips (the best flower in existence) {via Country Living}


5. The town of Storybrooke actually exists. Spontaneous trip to Canada, anyone? {via Brit + Co}


6. Ruin every movie plot line ever with this website {via Mashable}


7. Fancy taking a break from adulting? These guys want to help {via AdWeek} 


8. A short history of the Facebook status. We're all guilty of it! {via Elle}  


9. Definitely want to try out this recipe {via The New York Times}


10. You can now turn your Instagram pictures into a colouring book because obvs {via Teen Vogue}

Keep it real, amigos.

~ Eleanor xo

Failsafe Spring Nail Polishes

I'm not the kind of person who's really into wearing the nail polish colours of the season, I never have been, but something about Spring just has me reaching for the pastels. Is it the fact I can now see bright blue sky, or that I'm surrounded by daffodils or that winter has been so dark and dreary that I'll use any means possible to brighten my mood? Could be all of the above. Probably is all of the above.

I love a good neon clash during the summer months (Pow Green from Maybelline Color Show is one of my favourites) but as I pack away my long sleeve winter tees and thick dark plaid cotton shirts and start to welcome back my light tanks and nude ballet pumps, my finger nails kinda wanna join in the party.

I also find that if I've been wearing a lot of dark colours painted on in thick coats, my nails really begin to suffer. Because of this, I always make sure to use a nourishing treatment to help them get back into shape before applying a few layers of a lighter colour to really help bring them back to life. Flaky nails? No thank you. If, like me, you've been wearing nail polish continually for over three years, you'll know what I'm talking about...

Here are my Spring favourites:

1. NAILS INC - FLORAL STREET
   The strong consistency means you don't need to apply twelve coats to cover your nail.


2. BY THE FACE - GALACTIC GIRL
   A subtle light grey for when you're feeling more 'April showers'.


3. BY THE FACE - LIGHT BLUE
   The blue I always come back to.


4. BARRY M - SUGAR APPLE
   A hi-shine gel paint sure to brighten up any day of the week.


5. L'OREAL PARIS COLOR RICHE - NOUVELLE VAGUE
   A mix of white, grey, blue and lavendar makes it perfect for this time of year.


6. LOLA - BALLERINA PINK
   My favourite nude. Effortless and chic. If I do say so myself.


7. BARRY M - ROSE HIP
   The lightest blush pink.


8. ESTÉE LAUDER - TEMPTING MELON
   Because what's Spring without a hint of peach?

~ Eleanor xo

Exploring Borough Market

Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TL

Over the years, I've visited London more times than I can count, yet never ventured to the south bank where Borough Market resides. And perhaps a bustling Saturday morning in April wasn't the best time to change that.

When you turn the corner towards where the main market is hosted, you will 100% make the face Harry Potter made when he first saw Diagon Alley (you know the one) because it is overwhelmingly mesmerizing (even though there aren't any magical artifacts to be found...that I know of). The place is so full of life that you can almost taste the buzz in the atmosphere. Not to mention the fact that you're immediately surrounded by people from all walks of life, from busy no-nonsense Londoners out on their morning grocery run to tourists from all over the world sampling the culinary and cultural delights on offer.

There's so much going on that you almost don't know where to look as you're swept along with the sea of people past pungent cheese stands, organic fruit and veg grocers, cured meat of every variety, exotic fish caught fresh that day, artisan bread and pastries that look too good to eat, every kind of beverage (alcohol and otherwise), and so much more.

It's the kind of place where you're never sure what you might find, and that's part of its charm. I'll definitely be going back soon, if only to try out another fresh acai juice.

~ Eleanor xo

Ten Favourite Spring-stagrammers

You cannot begin to fathom how pleased I am with that title. I should stay up late on Saturday nights more often if this is the sort of amazing inspiration I get!

Seeing as I love me some seasonal content (if you're not up to speed, Spring is my second favourite season of the year), I thought it'd be fun to do an Instagram round up of sorts, seeing as they're all the rage. I guess it's because there's suddenly actual light during several hours of the day, but Spring is so super pretty and it's near impossible not to take cute pictures of absolutely everything. Am I right or am I right?

Here are the top ten insta feeds I love going to for some springtime inspiration:

1. JULIA - @humphreyandgrace

"pictures here | words there | England"

2. JAMIE JAMISON - @alajamie

"•photo stylist • visual storyteller • social media content creator • mixed media artist"

3. BRITTNI MEHLHOFF - @brittnimehlhoff

"Craft stylist and founder of Paper & Stitch. Atlanta, GA"

4. KATE ARENDS - @witanddelight_

"Snapchat: @witinreallife"

5. CATCOOEE - @catcooee

"designer @cooee |ig ambassador for royal copenhagen|get a glimpse of cooee world, my inspiration"

6. SARAH KYLE CLOSE - @kyle.and.co

"Stylist + event & tablescape designer formerly "ladygolightly" Pacific Northwest ↟↟↟" 

7. MARINA - @lightpoem

"wife • mama • life enthusiast • Germany based"

8. MY PROVENCE STORY - @myprovencestory

"Provence behind the scenes. Wedding and event planner in Provence."

9. ABBIE MELLE - @abbie_melle

"photographer // believer // australian"

10. Benedicte - @Kardemomme1
"All the little things"

Happy springing!

~ Eleanor xo