A CHRISTMAS TREE DELIVERED THROUGH YOUR DOOR?

Yep, you heard me, a Christmas tree that's delivered though your door. I have had this gorgeous little Christmas Tree sat on my desk for a couple of weeks now and it was officially the first sign of Christmas creeping into my house when this beauty arrived. The lovely people at Bloom & Wild sent it over to me to share their latest creation for Christmas and get involved with their #treestyle social media campaign. 

WRAP IT UP: FESTIVE EDITION 2015!

Happy 1st of December guys. To mark the occasion I thought that it was about time I wrote up a quick post on truly one of my favourite elements of Christmas, gift wrapping! 

MIXED SPICE & BRANDY BUTTER ICED CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES.

This recipe comes to you after a spur of the moment cupbard raid on sunday afternoon when I was in the mood to bust out the Kitchen Aid and the glitter sprinkles. I haven't baked for the sake of baking in forever and didn't even intent to pop the recipe up on here until I had tasted one and realised just how delicious these Christmas themed bakes really where.

DIY: ADVENT CALENDAR.

This year I have decided to step away from the overpriced beauty advent calendars in favour of a more traditional advent calendar. True to form, rather than picking up a standard chocolate one from the local supermarket I decided to have ago at making one myself and I could not be any happier with the results! 

THE FIRST OF MANY LUSH HAULS.

I guess it was kind of inevitable that working for Lush would increase the amount of their products appearing on my bathroom shelves. However I feel that I was somewhat naive in just how long my wish list would grow in such a short space of time. Today I am going to share with you some of the products I couldn't help but throw in my basket along with some things I received in training and even had a hand in making myself! 

CHEERZ PHOTO STRIPS & GIVEAWAY!

Since starting my blog back in 2013 I have been capturing so much more of what is going on around me. I genuinely get so much pleasure out of capturing the little moments as much as the big ones via one click of my Canon or even a camera phone. Unfortunately I like many others am completely guilty of rarely seeing those images anywhere other than my hard drive or on social media. 

THE CLASSIC LEMON MERINGUE PIE.

I feel like this post deserves some sort of round of applause. Not only did I actually manage to take the time to get creative this week and crack out the paintbrush (more on that soon), I even got the time to whip up one of the boyfriends favourite bakes and earn some serious girlfriend points whilst I'm at it - winner. 

HOME DECOR: LIGHT IT UP.

First off all I would just like to apologise for the lack of blog post's once again. Like I mentioned in my previous post I have been a super busy bee over recents weeks. Wether that is due to my new job, the potential of moving home again or on top of that the fact that it is easily the busiest time of year for me birthdays and events wise. It's frustrating, I have so many ideas bubbling around my mind, especially with Halloween coming up, unfortunately I just haven't been finding the time to bring them to life. 

AFFORDABLE WALL ART: PART 2!

First of all I would just like to quickly address my unplanned absence over the past week or so. Despite the lack of social media updates and blog post's my life has been a bit crazy, good crazy but crazy busy never the less. You see the problem is, within the nature of making things whether that be food, crafts or interior projects they all take time and time I have not had. 

DIY: MARBLE STORAGE BOX.

I think the fact that I have actually taken the time out of my daily schedule to customise a storage box just goes to show that I have hit an all time low of boring adultness. However, living in my 2 bedroom apartment with very little built n storage for nearly 7 years now has taught me a thing or two. That is that pretty storage is a necessity unless I want every unknown cable, partially used battery or screwdriver I got in a Christmas cracker out on display. 

DIY: WHAT TO DO WITH PRESSED FLOWERS?

A year or so ago on one of my many scouts around the local charity shops I stumbled across a vintage flower press, something I had not seen since the early 90s! I remembered having one as a child and pillaging our back garden of any coloured flowers I could find and therefor couldn't help but purchase the flower press purely for nostalgias sake.

5 TO FOLLOW ON BLOGLOVIN.

Long before starting my own blog back in 2012 I religiously read all sorts of blogs and have been doing so for years. Back in the day I had a little folder in my menu bar where I would regularly check through the blogs to see if they had any new posts. Move into 2015 and manually checking blogs for new content is a thing of the past thanks to reader sites such as Bloglovin.

STUDENT STATIONERY SUPPLIES.

It is that time of year again where students all across the world start to experience the "back to school" dread. It has been over 6 years now since I left full time education yet despite that I still find myself getting the new stationery urges every single August/September. 

LIFE LATELY. NO.1

I have been meaning to start a series of personal blog post's for quite some time now. Despite my blog primarily being somewhere to share my latest loves and creations with the world, it is also a space for me to pour out the inner workings of my brain and hopefully let you guys get to know the girl behind the blog a little bit more along the way. 

DIY & RECIPE: THE LEMON AID KIT.

I am so excited to share this post with you! One of my favourite companies, Bloom & Wild have teamed up with the infamous Kilner to create this summer garden party in a box called The Lemon Aid Kit. It is clear to see that I am a huge fan of a glass of refreshing still lemonade and based upon your response to my peach lemonade recipe I think it is fair to assume that you guys do too.   

DIY: QUICK & EASY CUSTOMISED CLIPBOARD.

However much I enjoy working on a DIY project for a long period of time and the satisfaction that you feel once you complete it, sometimes you just need a quick fix and today's post is a prime example of that. 

DIY: FLORAL 3D LETTERS.

This is one of those DIY projects that I had no idea what the final product would end up looking like. One of my close friends brought me a selection of craft supplies for my birthday and amongst them was a large 3D cardboard initial. At first glance I thought I would just simply paint it or something and use it as decorative item but there was one problem, the J didn't actually stand up on its own.

YVES SAINT LAURENT: STYLE IS ETERNAL.

I am by no means a fashion blogger. However, that being said fashion is something that I have always had a keen interest in. To be completely honest with you though, I'm not all that into the latest trends or the hottest new designer, for me it is all about style, personal style at that. 

PINTEREST VS REALITY.

Today I wanted to discuss a bit of a strange topic with you, the idea of Pinterest VS reality. I am guessing that most of my blog readers are active on Pinterest based on the content that I share so I hope I am not alone in this feeling. The feeling that you whatever you create just isn't good enough, especially compared to Pinterest. I decided to use this image of my birthday cake from last week as a prime example of this. 

KATE SPADE 17 MONTH SPIRAL AGENDA.

Have you ever looked at an inanimate object and completely fallen in love before? Well, I sure did when I first set my eyes on the new Kate Spade 17 months agendas. I have always been partial to a spot of stationary and have lusted after Kate Spade handbags for as long as I can remember so it comes as no surprise really that this is my dream diary. 

20 THINGS I LEARNT IN MY EARLY 20'S.

Today is my 25th birthday, to celebrate and mark the occasion I have decided to put together a reflective blog post on a few of the life lesson's that I have learned in my early 20's. 

TOP 10 DIY & CRAFT MUST HAVES.

Most of my frequent readers will be well aware by now that I have been redecorating my workspace. I am only a few key pieces off completion and sharing my new space with you so make sure that you keep your eyes peeled for that. However after purchasing a new desk, shelving and storage I faced the awe consuming task of organising all of my craft and DIY supplies, not something for the faint hearted thats for sure. 

NEW IN: PARTY SUPPLIES.

With my 25th birthday just one week away my thoughts have recently been centred around birthday celebrations. Turning 25 is not a special birthday and I am hardly one for all the attention that birthday parties bring. This year however I have decided to step outside of my comfort zone and host my very own little cake and tea party to celebrate the occasion. 

HOT TREND: ADULT COLOURING BOOKS.

Adult colouring books have been slowly creeping into popularity over the past few months and I for one am totally for them. Being an only child and a creative one at that, I spent hours upon hours contently colouring in Mickey Mouse and Friends so why would I not want to go back to that and loose myself in colour and lines for 30 minutes? 

DIY: EMBROIDERED INITIAL GIFT TAGS.

Today I am back with yet another DIY. I hope that you guys don't mind that I seem to be sharing one after another at the moment, I just have so many ideas floating around my head that I wanted to try  and share with you all. Typically I have loads of gift giving related DIYs around the one time of the year where I don't actually have any birthdays coming up, expect for my own that is! 

DIY: FLORAL ICE CUBES.

This was a bit of a spur of the moment DIY but something that I have wanted to try for years now. This weekend I was lucky enough to receive a lovely bouquet of flowers from Bloom & Wild. Literally as soon as I opened up the package and set eyes on the beautiful magenta carnations that lay within I knew that I had to find someway of using them other than just plonking them in a vase.

ICED VANILLA COFFEE WITH NESPRESSO.

As time goes by I seem to be getting more and more obsessed with coffee. A few years ago I was a typical Brit and consumed a vast amount of tea on a regular basis, fast forward to 2015 and I genuinely cannot remember the last time I even had a cup of tea. That's not to say that I don't still enjoy the odd cup of tea but coffee has full on stole my heart.

H&M HOME WISHLIST.

My never ending love for H&M's home department continues. Every few months or so I can't help but check out the new in section of the website and it is very rare that I click off without adding a tonne of items to my shopping basket, so today I thought I would show you some of them before I hit checkout. 

5 HOUSE PLANTS THAT EVEN YOU CANT KILL.

Houseplants are a funny thing. Three or four years ago hardly anyone except for perhaps your nan had them and now they are flying off the shelves from stores that you would never expect. As with a lot of home trends I am sure Pinterest is the one to blame for this one but it is one that I am quite happy revelling in. 

DIY: POLKA DOT GIFT WRAP.

Long term readers will be well aware of my ongoing love for brown kraft paper. I very rarely purchase wrapping paper as I personally love the charm of brown paper and twine but sometimes you just want to mix things up it up a little bit. With that in mind today I thought I would share with you one of my favourite ways to decorate brown paper and give your gift a little more personality. 

HOMEMADE PEACH LEMONADE.

Today I am taking a walk down memory lane with an old favourite recipe. I was quite literally obsessed with this drink last summer and whipped it up on any occasion possible, I am talking BBQs, picnics, birthdays and even the odd lazy afternoon. As the sun is finally starting to show its face around these parts I thought it was about time I got my trusty delicious summer beverage out and shared it with you guys too! 

BEER 52: BOYS LIKE SUBSCRIPTION BOXES TOO.

I am beginning to loose count on how many monthly subscription boxes I have featured on this blog. There seems to be one for everyone and their dog these days but one thing I have noticed is that the majority of them are targeted towards women. Well, today I have one the boys! 

DIY: HEART SHAPED PAPERCLIPS.

After my trip to Amsterdam and little blog vacation last week I was itching to start on some new DIY projects this morning. I decided to have a quick rummage through my craft supplies to see if any inspiration took ahold of me but instead I ended up realising that a trip to Hobbycraft is needed ASAP to replenish supplies! 

IT'S TIME TO CHECK OUT.

Hello guys! I am just quickly hopping on my laptop for a short but sweet one today. I am off on holiday tomorrow and I will be taking the week off from blogging and all social media. Not to worry though as I am sure I will have lots of awesome things to share with you once I return from my travels.

A WORKSPACE WISHLIST.

Do you remember last month when I was really excited and talking about putting my apartment on the market and hoping to move into a beautiful old house by the end of the year? Yeah... well, since then I have completely changed my mind and decided to stay in my current home for another year or so. 

BOTANICAL BEAUTY FROM GROWN ALCHEMIST.

Who would have thought it? Two beauty post's in the space of two weeks! I do not know what is going on and why all of a sudden I have an urge to share my beauty findings with you but I am going to roll with it. 

MESSY BOX UNBOXING.

Here I am yet again with another subscription box service to tell you guys about. I kind of gave up on them for a while as I just ended up with products and things I generally had no interest or use for. Beauty boxes had their moment with me, as did food and even a craft subscription but they all fell a little short and I personally didn't feel that I was getting my moneys worth out of them. Fast forward a few months and I was drawn back into the land of subscription boxes thanks to the guys over at A Beautiful Mess and my first Messy Box did not disappoint! 

MAKING FLORAL HANDLEBARS HAPPEN.

With a trip to Amsterdam coming up at the end of this month I have been spending a lot of my time  day dreaming about the canals, pancakes and bicycles. Combine this with the recent sunshine we have been experiencing here in the UK and I thought it was about time I got my own bicycle out from its winter hibernation. 

TOP FOUR FOR FOOD.

Food glorious food. Whether you're a dab hand in the kitchen or a complete cooking novice we all need to eat to survive therefore we should all be cooking in our kitchens. I for one am a huge advocate of cooking food from scratch and saying no to pre-made meals and added preservatives.

DIY: NEGATIVE SPACE MANICURE.

It has been a long ass time since I last posted anything beauty related here on Ladylike Len. That is not to say I don't love beauty and all the fun that comes with it but I don't really have any passion regarding writing about it. I do however love a cheeky little DIY post, so I decided to crack out the nail varnish and try out some new nail art ideas. 

IT'S JUST ONE OF 'THOSE' DAYS.

This day will forever be one of  'those' days as today marks the 14th year anniversary of my fathers death. Since openly writing about bereavement and my not so picture perfect childhood in the past, click here if you would like read that, I have found a lot of strength and positivity in sharing my experiences online. 

WASHI TAPE GALLERY WALL.

You guys know the drill with me by now. I am currently in the early stages of the moving home process meaning no more large DIY projects, not surprisingly I still manage to find myself suffering with the urge to rearrange and redecorate my home on pretty much a daily basis. My way of compromise is a wahsi tape gallery wall! 

5 TO FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM.

After the success of my '5 to follow on Pinterest' post I thought it might be fun to start a little social media series and do another post on one of my other favourite social media platforms, Instagram.

DIY: MACRAME HANGING CACTI PLANTERS.

My raving obsession with house plants and cacti continues. My spiky little green friends seem to be popping up all over the place at the moment and after my venture into hand painted cacti pots I wanted some fresh ways of displaying them around my home. 

THE FUTURE HOME WISHLIST.

After getting our current home valued for sale last month we have decided to wait till after our holiday at the end of May before putting our property on the market. This means I currently spend all of my free time stalking the Rightmove app waiting for the dream house to appear and lusting after furniture to fill said house. 

DOUBLE LAYER SMOOTHIE.

The sun has started to make an appearance around the parts recently, meaning that I have found myself really craving juices and smoothies first thing in the morning. You see, I am one of those weird people that doesn't really like to eat food first thing in the morning so breakfast tends to be ignored unless it's the weekend and we're making an epic brunch. 

DIY: HAND PAINTED EASTER EGGS.

You know what, I think I probably painted my first Easter egg about 20 years ago now and I can still to this day vividly remember painting them throughout primary school. Saying that though it had never occurred to me in my adult life to paint eggs, but this year I have seen a huge revival of them over on Pinterest and I thought why not give it a shot myself, even if only for nostalgias sake. 

DIY: EASTER CAKE TOPPERS.

With Easter quickly approaching I thought it was about time I got together a couple of Easter themed DIYs for you to try at home. In my household we don't really celebrate Easter as neither of us are religious but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy a good Easter egg as much as the next person and it is always nice to get into the spirit and watch the children in the family revel in finding the eggs that the Easter Bunny left for them in the garden. 

RECENT HOMEWEAR PURCHASES.

Not the most inspiring title there Jessica but we shall roll with it. We've had our apartment valued for sale this week and fingers crossed we will be putting it on the market at the beginning of April. Meaning that these types of post will be put on the back burner for a while whilst we save some money towards moving costs and all the things we are undoubtedly going to have to buy moving into a much larger property.  One thing I cannot say no to though is a bargain so I wanted to share some of the little bits I could not help but pick up over the past couple of weeks.

5 TO FOLLOW ON PINTEREST.

I am self confessed Pinterest addict. There is not a single day that goes by where I don't scroll down my beautiful feed of images, let alone re-pin a whole bunch of them! Pinterest is a great source of inspiration for creatives and homemakers alike and has replaced my magazine subscriptions for a free feed of colour, design, ideas and creativity.