Link Love #27

1. The not so palatable truth about our avocado addiction {via The Guardian}


2. The hashtag #FirstSevenJobs proves it's all gonna work out {via Refinery 29}


3. Umm so they're going to release special house editions of the first Harry Potter book {via MuggleNet}


4. A couple of mood playlists Spotify is missing {via The New Yorker}


5. These twenty-two amazing quotes from J K Rowling {via Buzzfeed}


6. A great piece on the problem with watermelon pizzas and sweet potato toast {via New York Mag}


7. Thirteen ways Lizzie McGuire would be different in 2016 {via Cosmopolitan}


8. Heather Dubrow is ultimate #goals {via Instagram}


9. Nineteen of the world's best hotel pools {via Harpers Bazaar}


10. This 'Pantone Cafe' is a designers dream! {via My Modern Met}

Keep it real, amigos

~ Eleanor xo

Photo Diary: July Round Up

Because who would I be if I didn't snap some peonies? @ Secretts Farm Shop, Milford

Saturday morning in the sunflower fields are my favourite @ Secretts Pick Your Own, Milford

Hand physio in the form of holding a glass of Pimms for a photo #NailedIt @ Durweston, Dorset

Flower arrangements full of greenery speak to me on a spiritual level @ Durweston, Dorset

Relaxing days in between chaos (this book was awesome!)

It rained, it poured, we ate, we drank @ The Aviator Hotel, Farnborough 

Organic buffalo cheddar is the reason normal cheddar will never be the same @ Laverstoke Park Farm

Fruit of the season looking fine @ Secretts Farm Shop, Milford

An afternoon learning about (and witnessing) how Jaguars are made @ Jaguar Manufacturing Centre, Castle Bromwich

Hydrangeas are the new black @ Squires Garden Centre, Milford

Getting stranded in London on the hottest day of the year meant photo opportunities! @ Cornwall Road, London

Just hanging out on a giant deckchair, nbd @ Squires Garden Centre, Milford 

I'd say this month has been way calmer than June, but in actuality, the heat (metaphorically and physically) was turned up a notch. As my life has revolved solely around my left hand these last few weeks, that's about all I have to report. But I already wrote a post about that so I won't bore you again (though I am typing this on the final day of July which means I'm two thirds of the way through the recovery and I'm fit to drive my car again! Hallelujah!).

Time seems to have got away from me a bit in all honestly, I suppose that'll happen to you when you spend almost every hour of every day watching American dramas on Now TV (which has, incidentally, been my absolute saviour during these endless days at home recovering). I did get to leave the house occasionally; my parents arranged little trips I could accompany them on at the weekend or during their days off so I didn't go 100% stir crazy (it didn't work, I am 110% stir crazy).

Still, I took lots of trips to the supermarket, attended the odd 'booked in advance and non-refundable' day out, I got to supervise the man from BT moving our telephone wire, signed for lots of parcels, helped pick out the new windows and front door for our house, walked around the block a few times and made, what I believe to be, a permanent indentation in the cushions on our sofa.

Life should be well on the way to returning to normality by the end of next month, which will likely be bizarre and huge a relief. I'll let you know how it goes.

~ Eleanor xo

NOT FORGETTING:

Katy Perry finally released a new song which is balling; I'm not entirely sure why The Girl on the Train movie is going to be set in New York; and the British public learnt that takeaway coffee cups aren't actually recyclable.

July Favourites

Well another month has come and gone, and we're another week closer to Christmas (because that's what's important, right?). Working out what this month's favourites were was surprisingly difficult; usually I can predict what will be a favourite just a few days into the month but as life has been (mostly) spent on the sofa, there hasn't really been a lot of opportunities to discover new things... unless we count all the films I finally got around to watching (ugh, I blubbed like a baby at 'The Theory of Everything').

Calling the below 'favourites' may be a bit of a stretch, but it's not all a lie, I do really dig these things: 

1. Tatler Magazine
   I'm at that point in my life where even though I'm not in full time education, I want to learn as much as I can, as often as I can. That's why I get the morning news sent straight to my inbox before I wake up in the morning. I just love learning new things, big or small, I'm down. So when I picked up a copy of this month's Tatler (having never done so before) I was interested to know what it was about and what it would teach me. And you know what, I loved it. I think this magazine is really great; the stories are insightful and unexpected, the topics are so varied with different viewpoints throughout, and everything is written so so well. Like a great book, I couldn't put this down.


2. Infused Water - with cucumber and fresh mint
   I don't know if you know this, but for a couple of days in July, Britain barrelled head first into the sun. I mean, it was sweltering. Legs and arms out weather. Which was great fun (except for the fact that I had to spend the hottest day of the year hopping on and off trains to get to a hospital appointment #SweatCity), but it meant that hydration became everyone's top priority, even when the water that spewed out of the tap was in fact, lukewarm. Yuck. So I decided to fill up a pitcher of water and stick in the fridge for ultimate coolness. And then a lightbulb bedazzled with the Pinterest logo lit up inside my brain. Infusions! So I dropped in some chunks of cucumber and a generous amount of leaves from my very own mint plant,  stirred it all together and there we have it. Infused water is so fresh and tasty, it was the perfect pick-me-up during those long hot days.


3. The Catch
   It has been a very long time since I was this excited about a television show. It's difficult to explain the storyline without giving lots of spoilers, but essentially it follows a private investigator who gets conned by her fiancé and she and her team set about finding him and bringing him down. But of course, as with every good American drama, it isn't smooth sailing. At all. There are only thirteen episodes in the first season and my sister and I ploughed through them like you wouldn't believe. The plot line is full of twists that you never see coming and the cast are not only excellent actors, but also, largely very attractive. Watch the trailer here.


4. Whole Earth Peanut Butter with Sunflower, Pumpkin & Flax Seeds
   It's no secret that I love me some peanut butter. Hand me a spoon and a jar of Sun Pat and we're going to get along just fine. But you know, occasionally a girl's gotta think about health and stuff and that's where Whole Earth comes in. I love Whole Earth nut butters, just by spreading a spoonful onto wheat free Swedish rye bread (yes, you heard correctly) I feel like I've undone a world of damage to my body. This Peanut Butter with Sunflower, Pumpkin & Flax Seeds just screamed "health" so I knew I had to try it out; it's so tasty and so filling, I can't get enough.


5. Adventures
   This month was actually filled to the brim with fun activities, which ordinarily, wouldn't have seemed like a big deal, but since my injury (I know right, shocker! I never talk about it...) I became really self conscious and the excitement for doing things was mainly replaced with pain. So when July rolled around and I was able to use my hand and was no longer confined to a ghastly splint, I was actually able to do things (like the Farnborough Air Show, the Jaguar Factory Tour, picking sunflowers, attending a presentation day in honour of a late family member), you know, the kind of things that, in hindsight, you would hate to miss out on because of an injury. Life goes on, even when your hand isn't doing too well, and I'm so happy I was able to enjoy myself regardless.

~ Eleanor xo

Link Love #26

1. How to get that perfect Instagram flat lay {via Refinery29}


2. Seven things successful women always say yes to {via Darling Magazine}


3. How handbags, and what we keep in them, have changed over the years {via Cosmopolitan}


4. This year's best drone photos, taken all over the world {via TIME}


5. An image that applies to every British person right now {via Instagram}


6. The greatest lessons we learnt from Legally Blonde {via Mashable}


7. On now simply changing your password, can completely change your life {via Huffington Post}


8. Pairing the right flowers to the right vase {via Domino}


9. A collection of the cutest succulent containers {via Brit + Co}


10. The new trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them has got me so excited {via Warner Bros}

Keep it real, amigos.

~ Eleanor xo

What Not to say in a Job Interview

Today marks a whole year since I missed the phone call from my recruitment agency telling me I'd actually managed to blag myself a job. True story. I genuinely missed the call. Luckily, I was able to call her back pretty quick, whole-heartedly expecting to hear another rendition of "they really liked you but....". So in memorial of this momentous day, I'm finally publishing the below blog post, which I wrote during my job search. I hope it provides a little inspiration, or failing that, a good laugh xo.

---

I don't know how to tell you guys this, but I seriously loved the whole 'unemployed graduate' thing. I mean, every day that recruitment agencies ignored my emails, rejected my applications and lost my phone number, it was all just one big confidence boost after another. I was bursting with so much pride and confidence, it could've been weaponised.

Psych! It was hands down the worst time of my life.

I won't lie to you, when I started my job hunting journey, I had next to no interview experience (I wonder if that's obvious by the below...), so I had pretty much had no idea what I was doing or what I should be saying. Now, ten points to Gryffindor if you can work out why the below statements caused me to not get hired...

1. Me: "...I once spent a summer doing nothing but scanning and it basically made me want to kill myself"
   Interviewer: "There will be scanning involved in this role"
   {Of course there will be}


2. Interviewer: "So tell me about yourself. Tell me what you're about"
   Me: *Internally wets self* "Umm well at uni I studied..."
   {Good one Eleanor, he now officially knows you have NO LIFE.}


3. Me: "Haha, so I'd get to pick up the phone and boss people around?"
   Interviewer: "Ha, well we tend to call it 'manage'"


4. Interviewer: "How would you say you work best?"
   Me: "I tend to work quite well under pressure [insert incoherent babble about stuff my brain has quite clearly blocked me from remembering for a good reason]... So what I'm saying is, I tend to get the best results when my life is going really badly." *Mentally punches self in the face*


5. Interviewer: "So does that all sound good?"
   Me: "Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeahhh... I'm just saying yeah a lot now." *Awkward laughter*


6. Me: "Sorry, my brain's just trying to process it all in-case there's a test at the end" *mimes writing a test*
   Interviewer: "There's no test"
   {What a waste of a perfectly good mime.}


7. Interviewer: "So why this industry?"
   Me: *Gives long winded explanation and probably goes off subject* "Well I think I probably just used up all the fifteen minutes with that answer so I'll just leave now"


8. Interviewer: "So what do you read, newspaper wise?"
   Me: "Well I'd say the Daily Mail but my dad would never speak to me again"


9. Interviewer: "So how many twitter followers do you have?"
   Me: "Well, probably not as many as you... But one of them is Britney Spears"
   *pause where I'm not sure what's going on*
   Interviewer: "Wait, Britney Spears follows you on twitter? How! Why isn't this on your CV. That's the kind of thing you need to put on your CV!"
   {It is now on my CV}


10. [A couple of days after the interview]
    Recruitment Agency: "I know you were only late to the interview because of very heavy traffic which couldn't be helped, and you informed us in time, but this company are very big on punctuality so it's not looking good..."
    Me: "I totally get that being late isn't a good quality but there was literally nothing I could do about getting stuck in traffic... I think not offering me a job simply on those grounds is a bit... well... Nazi like"
    {Luckily for me, I didn't actually want that job, but I can't say calling the HR team "Nazi's" would've really helped my case if I did...}

There are probably about a bajillion more examples that I could pull up for you to enjoy but I think we all get the picture here: I am not gifted at interviews. And I am in no hurry to relive this experience. *Hangs head in shame*.

~ Eleanor xo

Link Love #25

1. If you love yourself a bathtub, you're going to love this {via MyDomaine}


2. Twenty jobs that will let you travel the world {via Travelletes}


3. What happens when a supermarket's carrot batons simply aren't up to scratch {via Mashable}


4. Thanks to science, here's ten ways your BFF actually improves your health {via Huffington Post}


5. What it's like to attend Royal Ascot {via Town & Country}


6. A nutritionist reveals the fruits lowest in sugar {via The New Potato}


7. Vogue breaks down the best suncream for your skin type {via Vogue}


8. This beautiful all-in-one home, dubbed the 'über shed' {via Homes to Love}


9. Fifty-five things that happen during every Real Housewives episode. Never a truer word spoken {via Buzzfeed}


10. Totally feeling this piece on 'Instagram versus real life' {via Covering The Bases}

~ Eleanor xo

Photo Diary: June Round Up

A serious facial expression just wasn't going to cut it with those crazy foils going on @ D's Hair Creations

I could totally get used to spending hours reading gossip mags, drinking coffee and getting my hair did @ D's Hair Creations

But look at my hair though

Feeling so Pinterest right now @ Giraffe, Guildford

I did not order well (I mean, it was tasty, but you know, one handed) @ Giraffe, Guildford 

Our homegrown sweet peas are nice though so

As you can see, this month's photo diary is looking a little sparse. To put it mildly, June didn't play out quite how I envisioned. Two weeks were supposed to be spent at work, and two weeks were supposed to be spent on the beach of small Spanish town. Instead, one week was spent at work and the other three were spent at home on my couch. If you've already read this post, you'll know about the cataclysmic event that occurred just four days into the month and managed to mess up pretty much everything for the foreseeable future. #Blessed.

But before that day, here's what happened:

• It got really super cold again. I'm talking, gloves and scarf weather.
• I spotted Nick Knowles on Windsor high street just doing some casual shopping.
• I witnessed the police chase and arrest a man who you wouldn't necessarily think was a criminal. Meaning, he was wearing a fancy-ass suit.
• I made my first ever purchase from FCUK which I was mighty pleased with until my mum freaked out when she saw the bag because she thought it said something else.
• I finally got the USB charging port in my car fixed. Only took me nine months...
• I took the plunge and spent an eye-watering amount of money getting my hair highlighted blonde.

And then:

• I severed my index finger's flexor tendon, had emergency reconstructive surgery on my left hand and began a gruelling twelve week recovery filled with physiotherapy sessions, hand exercises, lots of sobbing and a strange amount of "that splint makes your arm look very thin" comments from my mum.

Still, in between the 24/7 splint wearing, the fact I couldn't go to work or leave the country, there were a couple of good moments. I learnt just how resourceful I can be (and that knees are the unsung heroes of the human body), I read all of my favourite monthly magazines from cover to cover, finished a couple of books, took up colouring, re-watched loads of my favourite TV shows (and became of obsessed with ABC's newest release 'The Catch') and I finally tried apricots.

Oh, and then the UK voted to leave the European Union so that was annoying*.

~ Eleanor xo

*It was way worse than 'annoying' but I'm trying to be PC.

June Favourites

What a totally indescribably insane month June has been. The weather was humid as hell and the thunderstorms crazy as hell (I may've had to sleep with the light on...), the UK decided to leave the EU (boooo) and people flew from Vegas to London in a shorter time than it took people to drive down a country road to Glastonbury Festival; not to mention the absolutely redonkulous situation I got myself into just four days into the month.

It's been a pretty jam packed few weeks, and here's what I've been digging lately:

1. Desperate Housewives
   Before we all get ahead of ourselves, no, I have not waited this long to delve into the American delight that is Desperate Housewives. I watched the show originally way back in 2011, with the last season ending in 2012, so it's been a fair few years since I've caught up with my favourite ladies (they're all just so beautiful aren't they?), and I've loved going back and re-watching every episode right from the start. I laughed, cried and became just as obsessed as I did when I watched them the first time round. They just don't make them like that anymore. *Sigh*.


2. 7/27 by Fifth Harmony
   Somebody hold me, I cannot even put into words how much this album makes me wish I was part of Fifth Harmony. I actually downloaded this on its release day, which is very unlike me, but when Work From Home dropped, I knew the album was going to be off the chain. Do the kids still say that? Either way, I was right. The songs are so upbeat, so catchy and genuinely too good to put into words; I've been playing this on repeat all month long and I know it's going to be a firm favourite for a while to come.


3. Mitchum Shower Fresh Deodorant
   As we all know, I like to switch up the products I use as often as possible, and this month was the turn of arguably the least sexy beauty product on offer. I chose to try out Mitchum a) because I've heard a lot of good things about the brand b) because it was on offer so, duh and c) because I didn't realise it is largely regarded as 'the brand for sweaty people', so hooray for me. A lot of people tend to go for the roll-on versions, but I prefer aerosols way more so I picked up this 'shower fresh' spray and I knew as soon as I tried it that I was into it. I find it really refreshing, really long lasting and actually a really pleasant scent. No sweat happening here, thank you very much.


4. Millie Marotta's Wild Savannah Colouring Book
   I've loved the look of these colouring books since they first started popping up in book stores, but up until now, I've never owned one. I always seem to blame the fact that 'I don't have enough time' as to why I've been without one for so long, but as I've had rather a lot more free time lately, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to change that. The illustrations included in the book are so so pretty and so well designed. I didn't realise quite how relaxing it would be to spend a few hours colouring in animals, but I'm definitely a fan of switching off. 


5. Homegrown Sweet Peas
   Way back in March I bought my mum a small pot of sweet peas for Mother's Day, blissfully unaware of quite how monstrous the plant would grow to be. Currently the plant sits in a pot in our back garden and even now, the prettiest and brightest flowers are still blooming in abundance. They've been ripe for the picking throughout the last few weeks and all month long our house has been filled with vases pretty much overflowing with purple, pink and white sweet peas. Not only are they a small way to brighten a room, they also smell amazing.

~ Eleanor xo

Link Love #24

1. A guide to all the different nut butters and how to use them {via Huffington Post}


2. Take a look inside the newly renovated Ritz hotel in Paris {via MyDomaine}


3. A super summery nail art tutorial {via Paper & Stitch}


4. Seven tips for email etiquette {via Cupcakes & Cashmere}


5. The ten things we should thank 'The Hills' for, besides everything {via Entertainment Weekly}


6. I love this quote from Alain De Botton {via Clementine Daily}


7. This video of a labrador standing on two legs in a swimming pool is too much {via Woman's Day}


8. What happens to your body when you give up dairy {via Well + Good}


9. Ten furnished tents to stay in around the world #Glamping {via The Every Girl}


10. The best stretches you can do at your desk {via The New Potato}

Keep it real, amigos

~ Eleanor xo

Five Things

1. HOMEGROWN STRAWBERRIES
Up until about five minutes ago, I was unaware that there were strawberries growing in our garden. I'm slowly learning that my parents seem to have cultivated a fruit and vegetable growing garden while I was away at uni, so each season I discover there's something new to pick. Admittedly, the slugs tend to get in there first, but the fruits we do manage to get our hands on always taste good. And I quite enjoy the sensation of pretending I'm Martha Stewart, picking organic homegrown produce and using it to make exotic dishes to serve at a dinner party for all my affluent friends. The reality, of course, is rather different...

2. GENUINE HUMAN KINDNESS
The love, care, kindness and comfort I've received from basically every person who's heard about my idiocy is so overwhelmingly lovely that it's made me weepy. Things like this really show who has your back and who you can count on and knowing that is a real cheerer-upper.

3. TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GREETINGS CARDS
As you probably know by now, buying greetings cards is one of my favourite hobbies, and discovering new designers is utterly joyous. While on the hunt for a Father's Day card, I found the 'A Colourful Mind' collection by Will McPhail and my brain instantly went "yes". His cards are so well designed and so relatable it hurts; I had such a hard task trying to choose just one. But needless to say, I know where I'm heading the next time I need to buy a card.

4. RIPPED JEANS
I loved my Zara ripped jeans as soon as I bought them (about two years ago), but sadly, jeans with rips in them aren't exactly office appropriate so I rarely get to dig them out. But that's all changed over the last week because if slouching around at home feeling sorry for yourself isn't ripped-jean-wearing worthy, then I don't know what is. Also I think they help show off my rebellious side.

5. ADJUSTING TO LIFE AS A #OneHandedBandit

The number of things I'm now going to be able to add to my CV is humongous. I shall title the section: "skills I've mastered by using only one hand". But while my 'putting on freshly laundered skinny jeans' still needs a bit of work, I'm happy to report that 'cracking eggs' is near perfect. Oh and I'm slowly getting the hang of Instagram flatlay photo taking. Sort of.

~ Eleanor xo

Link Love #23

1. Ten things you probably didn't know about sunscreen {via Well + Good}


2. The Rich Kids of Instagram, London edition {via Town & Country}


3. Seven storylines in 'The Hills' that were totally fake *sob* {via Glamour}


4. A sneaky trick to help prevent blisters. I've yet to pluck up the courage to try it {via PureWow}


5. Move over Humans of New York, the Millennials of New York have got something to say {via My Modern Met}


6. Ten foods that will help keep you hydrated all summer long {via Domino}


7. This french Château is just too much {via This is Glamourous}


8. A piece on why we'll marry the wrong person, and why it's ok {via New York Times}


9. One of the most motivational things I've ever read {via Instagram}


10. Wanderlust worthy road trip photos {via NY Mag}

Keep it real

~ Eleanor xo

Photo Diary: May Round Up

Oh to live in one of these townhouses @ Kings Road, Windsor

Baked up these oat cookies using spelt flakes and they were ahhhmazing

Our summer house is all set up and ready for business! Now all we need is the weather...

Black tulips not only exist, but also grow in our garden. Obsessed!

When someone has a birthday, GBK burgers are not optional @ GBK, Windsor

A little celebratory glass of prosecco... or two @ Prezzo Restaurant, Guildford

Kinda wanted to buy the whole vase @ Secretts Farm Shop, Milford

This amazingly tasty artisan spelt, honey and oat loaf seriously hit the spot

Breakfast meetings are the ONE. Hello brioche! @ High Street, Windsor

Oh hey Mr Wisteria, you are looking mega fine @ Kings Road, Windsor

May managed to bring with it, not only a bought of super lovely weather, but also, TWO bank holiday weekends! I wish all months offered that; three days is just the perfect amount of time to tick all those little things off your to-do list and then round it off with a marathon of your favourite show. Am I right or am I right? It also rolled into summer holiday season at work which meant holiday envy aplenty and everyone trying to get bikini body ready in about a week by drinking copious amounts of infused water and trying strange detox diets. #ItsANoFromMe.

• I finally got around to watching Disney's Zootopia and I have to say, I have mixed feelings. The soundtrack is banging though. #ShakiraShakiraaaa
• Still not managaged to get the hang of functioning at work after a bank holiday weekend.
• The weather got SUPER HUMID AND IT WAS GROSS.
• I was ill (yet again) and it totally messed me up because I started craving tea rather than my usual Nespresso. 
• I experienced virtual reality first hand and I was all like woaaaaaaah.
• Once Upon a Time got waaaaay too emotional. I mean, I'm not usually one to weep at TV shows but my god I was balling when CaptainSwan parted ways.
• The Royal Windsor Horse Show rolled around and while that sounds like a super cool event, which I'm sure it is, it's not so much fun when you're stuck behind a horse box driving at 30mph on a 50mph road. *eye twitches*
• #WisteriaHysteria went down on my Instagram. And everyone elses.
• I one-hundred percent have found the street I want to live on for the rest of my life.
• It was someone's birthday so things got totally wild with a team lunch to GBK (chargrilled chicken burger say whaat) and some hefty slices of Colin the Caterpillar birthday cake.
• For a while it was just generally 'unhealthy snack' central in the office. I blame M&S food.
• Someone bet one of the developers that he couldn't eat an entire lime in one go with the waxed skin still on the outside. Said developer is now £20 richer.
• Bagpipes are now included in the orchestra of the Changing of the Guards ceremony and it's starting to get a bit much.
• The most joyous of family celebrations was had after some very good news was shared. Obviously, prosecco was non-negotiable.
• I was slightly disappointed by the lack of craziness that went down at this year's Eurovision.
• Though I'm still unsure why Justin Timberlake was there...
• Our homegrown rhubarb ripened up.
• I went for a wander around Eton for a change and I swear to God stepping over the Eton border is like stepping into another world.
• A Thursday afternoon game of 'rate all the Kardashian sisters by looks' unearthed some interesting viewpoints.
• We had someone from a digital publishing agency come in to present and he brought us all umbrellas and I have never seen a room of people light up so quickly.
• ITV cancelled Home Fires and I've never been so distraught in my life.
• Now TV announced it was stopping streaming Disney Channel so what is the point of living. How will I find out how Liv & Maddie ends??
• My university sent me my printed dissertation and it was the weirdest feeling ever to hold it in my hands again.
• I bought a basil plant. And quickly decided that Basil would be a great name for a greyhound.
• I had my first eye test since I was a child and it turns out I have 99% perfect eyes. *mic drop*
• Chrome Bentleys? A thing.

~ Eleanor xo

May Favourites

You know what was great about May? Summer rolled around and it was warm and sunny and my arms were out and I started using moisturiser with SPF in it, and then, kapow, we were back in Autumn. So I hope everyone took the opportunity to enjoy the summer while it lasted because I feel like that may be all we get. Has anyone else noticed how difficult life is when the weather is going through some kind of midlife crisis? Do I short sleeve, do I long sleeve, do I ankle boot, do I pump? THE STRESS!

Anyway, here's what I totally digged during Mayo:

1. Twinings Earl Grey Tea
   Yes hello, is that MI5? Yes, I need to speak to someone about what I think is the apocalypse. Why? Well because I've taken a distinct liking to a daily cup of Earl Grey Tea. Errr.... Hello... Hello? Whatevs. The apocalypse has well and truly fallen, maybe not in the cataclysmic way we all anticipated, but all I know is this: one day I woke up with a cough/cold/illness thing (as is so often the case) and wham, I got to work, not fancying my usual Nespresso, but a cup of tea! Tea!? Of all the illness cravings in the world, mine is tea. And since then, I've been having a cup each afternoon. The whole 'lemon and bergamot' thing just really does it for me, ya know?


2. Let the Road, Rixton
   A music favourite to spice things up a bit! So I heard 'Hotel Ceiling' from this album yonks ago when those Spotify Discover playlists first came about and totally digged it, but I never really thought about trying out the whole album. Well, let me tell you a thing. That was a huge mistake. This album is ahhhmazing. I played nothing but this one album on repeat for about a week (and this may seem like no big deal but I spend about two and a bit hours in my car each day so that is a lot of playing). These guys are so awesome and every song hits the spot. My personal fave is Speakerphone because it's perfecto to belt out while zooming through the classy as heck streets of Ascot.


3. Jo Malone, Amber & Lavender Bath oil
   What is it with Jo Malone and her just knowing what works? I have yet to find a product from JML that I don't love with a passion. The bath oils are such amazing quality; you need only the teeny tiniest amount in your bath and you smell of the floral scents FOR DAYS (or until you next wash), they're so soothing and relaxing and don't irritate my skin in any way (which has been known to happen in the past with other brands). I feel like with every product I try, I love Jo Malone even more... which understandably makes my bank card shiver in its boots.


4. Showfield Street, Nails Inc London
   I plough through nail polish like it's nobodies business, and I rarely find a shade that I love so completely that I want to repaint it over and over again (unless it's L'Oreal), but this colour is just doing it for me right now. Nails Inc polishes are a great quality; I wore this for an entire week with the most minimal of chips appearing. It's not the easiest to paint on because the round lids can be kind of tricky to manoeuvre (or is that just me), but it's all worth it in the end, even if you do look like you've painted your nails with your eyes closed...


5. Light Wash Gap Jeans
   It's no secret that I L.O.V.E Gap in general, but fun fact, the first thing I ever bought from Gap was a pair of denim jeans (and an even more fun fact, that was about 8 years ago and I still have that pair, very much in working order). Gap jeans are an amazing quality and their new resolution range makes them so comfortable to wear because they fit to your body shape. Meaning all of the 'skin tight' and none of the 'stiff as a board'. And as the weather is, theoretically heating up and the sun is beginning to shine, this light wash pair are beyond perfect! I've been living in these the past few weeks and picking them up for £20 instead of £49.95, makes it an even sweeter victory.

~ Eleanor xo

Link Love #22

1. This spoof of MTV Cribs by Hostelworld (featuring 50 Cent) is an amazing piece of advertising {via Campaign}


2. The Boden A/W 2016 press day in numbers {via Boden}


3. What happened when American Eagle stopped photoshopping its Aerie models {via Us Weekly}


4. Three ways to use honey in your skincare routine {via Darling Magazine}


5. This amazing bathroom {via Architectural Digest}


6. Are you living for the weekend? {via Free People}


7. These brilliant wallpapers for your phone to remind you to unplug {via Innocent}


8. Five ways to improve your skin using food {via Food and Wine}


9. The most colourful moments from this year's Chelsea Flower Show {via TIME}


10. All the juicy secrets from 'The Hills', shared by the people who know it best {via InStyle}

Until next time,

~ Eleanor xo

Five Things

1. CORRESPONDENCE VIA THE UK POSTAL SERVICE
Not sure why I made that sound like I'm a member of Downton Abbey, but, you know, keeping things fresh. In the age of social media, emailing, texting, iMessaging and whatsapping, nobody ever seems to put pen to paper, which I genuinely feel is a real shame. So imagine my surprise and sheer joy when I found a hand-written card waiting on my doormat from none other than one of my university gal pals, sent all the way for the subcontinent of Devon. I mean, obvs we all keep up with each other via our phones and the internet, but there's something extra special and personal about someone taking the time to sit down and write something to you. Needless to say, I ran out the next day and purchased this '#Bestie' card from Marks and Spencer to send as a reply. Seriously, greetings card shopping is one of my favourite kinds of shopping.

2. NEW SUMMER APPROPRIATE JIM-JAMS FROM LE FAT FACE
Fat Face pajamas are the one. The real life, one-hundred percent one. I just love them. They're made of the softest cotton, they're so comfortable to snuggle up in and they generally have the cutest prints on them. As the warm weather's rolling around, spotting these ultra thin cotton bottoms couldn't have come at a better time. I know, it's like fate. The print made me dance a little inside (because middle aged Eleanor was wide awake) and even though they're £30, I couldn't muster the courage to put them back on the rack. I know I'll get so much wear out of them and I'm just very excited.

3. A SONG FROM A SINGING GAZELLE
I won't lie, I have mixed feelings about the film 'Zootopia'. I watched it about three weeks ago, and even now, I find myself taking time to really think about my differing viewpoints. I mean, the premise and 'underlying theme', if you will, are great; super love all that 'fall down seven times, stand up eight stuff' Disney, really I do. But there are points in the film where you're like, wait, is this really child friendly? At present, I'm still undecided, but what I'm not undecided about is how banging the theme song is. Nothing can ever beat a Shakira song, especially when she's included in the film as a swinging, sassy, singing gazelle.

4. AN UPDATED SKINCARE REGIME
I feel like these products kind of scream "Summer is coming and old age is approaching!". And that's probably not a bad thing because that's why I've started using them. My skincare regime consists of two things: cleansing gel and moisturiser. I like to have sparklingly clean skin that's thoroughly hydrated. NBD. This Clarins Daily Energizer cleansing gel is so refreshing and so easy on the skin (plus it smells divine) and when paired with this Olay Total Effects day moisturiser (with added SPF, muchas important at this time of year), my skin is all like "yasssssssss".

5. GIFTS FROM YONDER
So my parents had a fun old Staycation last week and travelled somewhere south-easternwards. They probably told me where it was they stayed but I actually can't remember. It was somewhere near the Eden Project though. Maybe. I mean, they may've driven hours to see it. Who knows. Still, they returned from what I can only describe as a thoroughly British getaway, and by that I mean, it rained almost constantly and I received a lot of text messages telling me so. As is expected of loving parents, they returned laden with gifts! For the other members of our family! Just kidding, while they did splash out on Christmas gifts for people (nothing like being prepared...) they did buy me an adorable flamingo key-ring from Paignton Zoo (flamingos are my FAVE) and some tasty looking ground coffee (with chocolate in it, my favourite kind!) from the Eden Project. It's the small things.

~ Eleanor xo