A creative lifestyle blog.

Tuesday 26 February 2013

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD SAFFIANO PURSE.


Oh my, would you just take a look at that! Since I discovered Vivienne Westwood around the age of 13 I have always longed for a purse by the lady herself and last week I finally caved. I am currently selling my Polaroid camera and some film on eBay and decided to spend the money on this gem. Unfortunately I am an impatient human being and ended up just buying it anyway but I intend to replace the cash come the end of the auction which makes this purchase totally justifiable right? 

I chose the Saffiano design as it is timelessly beautiful with its simple textured leather finish and striking gold signature orb. The quality of this item is faultless and I cannot find a single imperfection. 
Time to get down to the nitty gritty, the Saffiano black 1032 purse is made from Italian textured leather and has a soft leather interior with a stud fastening,  space for 8 cards, a full length zip closing coin compartment and note/receipt slots. Perfect for a woman like me that has far too many store cards and receipts falling out of everywhere. I personally couldn't ask for anything more from a purse and know for certain this purse will be gracing my handbag for years to come. I have never owned designer purse before but the quality compared to your average high-street purse is almost remarkable, I have never really been one for real leather but this textured italian leather really is something special. Being the proud little Brit that I am I always opt for a British designer when and where possible when it comes to purchasing any high-end item. There's something about buying an item designed by someone on the same little slice of land as you that really pleases me for some strange reason. 

You can purchase the Saffiano Purse here from Vivienne Westwood website for £125 or from any Vivienne Westwood store. Just so you know, the image and description on the site varies slightly to the version I own despite ordering it from the website itself. The website shows the interior of the purse to have a clear window to hold a photo card. I fortunately prefer the purse without the clear window but please take this into consideration before purchasing or thinking i'm a mentalist linking the wrong purse.
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Friday 22 February 2013

MAC LIPSTICK COLLECTION.


My Mac collection is rather small compared to some I have seen on the blogosphere. Considering I received my first one on Christmas Day its pretty fare to say this is a small yet fast growing collection! 8 in roughly 2 months? Crazy. Especially when you take into consideration the fact that I only started wearing lipstick regularly about 6 months ago. Being a member of "Team Ginge" I was under the impression I was just too pale too pull off a bold lip, oh how wrong I was! Since conquering my irrational fear of lipstick I have fallen head over heels with them and a day doesn't go by where I don't apply a flash of colour to my lips. I tend to stick to nudes/pink shades still being a newbie to the land of lipstick but I recently added a few more red/purple toned lipsticks to the bunch. Of course no collection would be complete without a stunning red lipstick, after reading up on a few reviews I decided to go Ruby Woo, a stunning true red with some serious lasting power. Without doubt the my "Most Used Lipstick Award" has to go to Haute Altitude, a mid tone blue pink with an amplified finish. A perfect almost vintage pink that applies like a dream, lasts for hours and goes perfectly with any outfit! 

Mac has been my go-to brand for lipstick since that fateful Christmas morning and I don't think I will ever look back. From the simple bullet like design to the highly satisfying click when you pop the lid on there is nothing not to love. The shade selection is vast and possibly on of the largest I have ever seen.
Most of all the quality of these products, they apply like a dream and last for hours, especially when prepped with a lip pencil. I think the price point is accurate for this product and have easily paid more for products with a lot less colour pay off.  Mac lipsticks can be purchased directly from Mac stores/counters across the globe or online here on the Mac website for £14. 

What is your favourite Mac lipstick? Will any of the beauties be creeping their way into your collection? Feel free to leave any recommendations for my next undoubtable purchase!
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Saturday 16 February 2013

RECIPE: VIENNESE WHIRLS.




Ingredients:
250g of butter, 100g icing sugar, 200g plain flour, 75g corn flour, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 150ml of double cream and strawberry Jam.

Method: 
Pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees. Weigh out the butter and pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften. (Alternately you could use margarine which is soft straight from the fridge but this will effect the taste slightly and make for a less buttery consistency.) Add the icing sugar, plain flour and corn flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix together (don't over do it and knock too much air out). Pop the mixture into a piping bag with a large star shaped nozzle. Pipe onto baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Once cooked they'll feel soft but do not fear they will harden as they cool. Once cool whip up some double cream and sandwich with jam. Add the final touch with a dusting of icing sugar.

If you don't fancy sandwiching the biscuits with jam and whipped cream these are great dipped in chocolate or with a simple dusting of icing sugar! 

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Thursday 14 February 2013

CHOCCYWOCCYDODAH.



If you like chocolate and cake this company is most certainly the one for you! I brought the Love Heart Cake as a special treat for my boyfriend on this Valentine's Day and his face lit up when it arrived, let alone when he took his first bite. I purchased this item online but there are stores in both London and Brighton if you are lucky enough to live in one of those lovely cities. The cake itself has so many options when it comes to the filling that there is something for absolutely everyone. With this being a special Valentines treat I decided to go for the highly indulgent chocolate cake with white chocolate truffle icing with the delicious chocolate coating and white chocolate heart. I chose to add my boyfriends name to the cake itself but you can simply leave it as "Love You X" if you're not one for personalised gifts. The Love Heart Cake retails for £34.99 and serves 10 hungry adults so there is more than enough to share the love with your family and friends. 

I highly recommend you check out the website if you are looking for a cake for any special occasion as some of the cakes they create are actually to die for! They also do chocolate wedding cakes, hampers, bars, figures and even offer a bespoke service if you want something truly one of a kind. A chocolate lovers heaven!

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Tuesday 12 February 2013

THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL.


The Weird & Wonderful is the home of taxidermy, antiques and oddities. It is also a website I stumbled across a couple of weeks ago and as soon as I saw the beautiful array of framed butterflies I just knew I had to own one. I am aware not everyone likes these types of items but I think that may be what makes them appeal to me? Anyway, when it came around to purchasing one I struggled to choose which specimen to buy but upon arrival I was instantly pleased with the item I chose. The blue tones in the Papilio Ulysses are absolutely stunning and adds a real pop of colour to any room. The shape, the shadow created, the price, I love it all. To the extent that I am already looking at purchasing another but I fear I may end up one of those people who's homes end up looking like a museum. Saying that, a tiny (huge) part of me wants the ex-medical human skull they have available here which would most certainly cross that line, maybe one day when I have a huge home to display all these oddities. 

The website stocks an array of weird and wonderful things including, antiques, collectables, antlers, birds, head mounts and more! Overall, I cannot recommend this company enough if you are looking for a quirky little addition to your home that will most certainly become a talking point between visitors. The name of the company says its all really!

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Friday 8 February 2013

50 FACTS ABOUT ME.



First things first, hello and welcome to Ladylike Len. I have been considering starting up a blog for quite some time and have seen the "50 facts about me" posts floating around the internet and thought that this would be a perfect introduction and a good place to start.

01. My name is Jessica Elizabeth. 02. I am currently 22 years old. 03. I was born and raised in Peterborough, England, and live there to this day after a brief residence in the countryside. 04. I live with my boyfriend and our two cats Daisy and Poppy in an apartment in the city. 05. I have an unhealthy obsession with nail varnish and easily own over 100 bottles. 06. I have silly nicknames for absolutely everything and everyone. 07. I brought my own home at the age of 18. 08. I enjoy baking and eating a bit too much. 09. I have a love for anything French. 10. I have only had a passport for 2 years despite traveling as a child on a parents passport and have already managed to clock up air miles to the USA, Paris and Amsterdam on 3 separate occasions. 11. I colour code all of my books purely for aesthetic reasons. 12. I own hundreds of DVDs and have an entire draw dedicated to TV box sets. 13. Despite only having a balcony my herb garden is forever expanding. 14. I have an irrational fear of open water and boats. 15. I am a true Brit and have a serious addiction to tea, I even take teabags on holiday just so that in the morning I can have that one cup of tea. 16. I have been in a relationship for 4 years and have only over spent 6 nights apart from my partner. Some may find this incredibly sad but he is truly my best friend so hey, no hating. 17. After spending my teenage years religiously dying my hair I am now proud and thankful for my natural ginger locks. 18. I am a sucker for absolutely anything vintage. 19. I own 4 cameras yet shamefully take most of my day to day photos on an iPhone. 20. I physically cannot eat sliced bread unless it is toasted. 21. I have a crude sense of humour and just want Frankie Boyle to love me. 22. I have a strange dislike for public buses and would rather walk for miles than use one. 23. I have a subscription to Elle magazine and keep every, single, copy. 24. I love all genres of film except for sci-fi and westerns. 25. My home is my happy place. 26. I rarely drink alcohol and the whole club/binge drinking scene really does not appeal to me. 27. My drink of choice is a Starbucks mocha frappachino, every single time. (Expect for christmas when the red cups come out and then its Gingerbread latte come to mamma.) 28. Books/Magazines over e-books/kindles every day of the week. 29. I have an A Level in art and truly miss learning new techniques every week. 30. I have freckles that I used to hate that I now love. 31. The high moment of my life as far has to be seeing my all time number 1 band, the Red Hot Chili Pepper's, in my favourite city, Paris, with my favourite person in the world, my boyfriend! 32. Insects creep the hell out of me and just the thought of them makes me shudder. 33. Edward Scissorhands is favourite childhood film. 34. I currently have 3 piercings and 1 tattoo. 35. I adore men with tattoos and facial hair. 36. I love cooking meals from scratch and the satisfaction that comes with it. 37. I can wiggle my little toe independently to my other toes. 38. I'm a bit of an iWanker and have and iPhone, iPad and my beloved MacBook Pro. 39. I have an ongoing love affair with Instagram. 40. My grandfather is my hero and truly the most inspiring man I have ever met. (My blog title is even a little tribute to him.) 41. When it comes to meat products i'm a really fussy eater and pick every little bit of fat off before even considering eating it. 42. I am an occasional knitter. 43. I could quite easily and happily spend a small fortune in craft shops. 44. Without doubt, diet coke over regular coke. 45. My perfume and beauty collection is vast and ever expanding. 46. I genuinely cannot wait to get married and have a child when i'm a bit older. 47. I have pretty strong view and opinions and will quite happily get involved in debates. 48. Unfortunately i'm pretty much blind without my glasses but yet both contacts and laser eye surgery scare the hell out of me. Fingers, needles, eyes? No. 49. I desperately want to travel the world. 50. Despite being a keen list maker I really struggle to come up with interesting facts about myself.

So there you have it, 50 facts about me! That was a lot more challenging than I first thought it would be but I really enjoyed the process writing it all up and now i'm feeling super inspired about what I want to do with this blog and am highly looking forward to sharing more with you.
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