Our Watch Shop Favourites

The Watchshop.com has just launched its latest collection and we attended the preview last week. So here are Our Watch Shop Favourites that might inspire you for your Christmas shopping. Yes I did just utter those terrifying 2 little words. We have just 93 days till we all unwrap our loved ones little treasures. We find that giving amazing gifts is better than receiving them. Well I do, and I love to purchase what’s hot and happening on the arm candy front.

I will be putting together a little Christmas gift guide very soon so make sure you check in closer to Christmas for that. For now these little beauties stood out and said, “Hey look at me…You know who would love to wear me on Christmas day!”
Our Watch Shop Favourites Here is one of the stratford watches. This one would be perfect for the man in your life that loves traditional styling or retro cool. Its very hipster and would easily look utterly fabulous worn by a fashionista like myself. Just think ripped black skinny jeans, oversized mans crisp white shirt and a pair vibrant orange heels to bring out the glorious teal face and rose gold trim. The price tag for this (now my personal favourite) Is a joyful £89.95 and they come in a few different colours.

Our Watch Shop FavoritesThis Armani exchange Serena watch is the perfect match for multiple outfits. So this would be a great purchase if you love to change up your look. Or if your unsure what colour watch face to treat someone to. At just £132 its a real steal for a drop of designer style.

Our Watch Shop FavoritesThis Stunning Guess sunrise watch is so beautifully crafted and it had me so excited when I first caught sight of it. This is a real statement watch for those trend setters that love a touch of tradition. With the crocodile skin design these roman numerals really pop out. Its priced at £189.99 and I think its worth every penny. To open this on Christmas day would be a really breathtaking moment.

Our Watch Shop FavoritesThis Guess ladies sparkling pink watch priced at £129.99 is in aid of Get in Touch Foundation. All the profits from this sale of this pretty number benefit the fight against breast cancer. With its pretty rose gold and crystal design we can see this being a really popular piece for this Christmas.
Our Watch Shop FavoritesJuicy Couture have outdone themselves with this amazing daydreamer watch. If you want a pop of colour to add that touch of fun then this is the watch for you. The floral design make this the ideal gift for those girly girls. Someone that loves their floral dresses and feminine touches. Its priced at a very reasonable £95.00. The perfect understated, statement item.

Our Watch Shop FavoritesThen we have this stunning Orla Kiely ladies Patricia watch. The perfect gift for (I think) any girl. Its pretty, cute a little retro but with a modern twist. Its priced at an incredible £79.95. For a little bit of eclectic cool I think thats one very desirable gift idea. The colour of the beige leather strap really enhance the watch face. What an ideal watch to wear with an all black ensemble. Or for those ladies that only ever wear black, this is a great addition to add a little subtle colour to their wardrobe. It would lift any outfit and bring it up to date.

Our Watch Shop FavoritesThen lastly the Mondaine Swiss Railway clock. This is a must for any London household. Its on my loft apartment wish list. Imagine it sitting against an exposed brick wall or a crisp white wall in any kitchen, lounge, living room or even bedroom. Classic London living at its height of sophistication. This statement clock is priced at £285. Place it in a prime location to really show this time piece off to its best.

 

There you have it, the first of my Christmas gift ideas list! For more gift ideas or if you just want to update your accessories then pop over to the Watch Shops website HERE.

 

Nip over to www.slbstyle.com for more fashion, lifestyle, and beauty advice! See you all again very soon!

Jeans For Genes Pop Up Store

We have the latest and most exciting Free, YES Free laundrette to hit London and we ventured out to see an exclusive preview! Its open from the 11th till Monday the 14th of September from 11am – 5pm. The amazing premium washer brand Miele and the Charity Jeans for Genes have joined forces and decided to hold a pop up laundrette right in the heart of London. 8 Newburgh street…Just off Carnaby street in Soho. We nipped in for the VIP evening …A few hours ago …to see what all the fuss was about…And decided you can’t miss it..So here is the scoop, fresh off the press.

 

Jeans For Gense-1 Jeans For Gense-4 Jeans For Gense-5 Jeans For Gense-6 Jeans For Gense-7 Jeans For Gense-8We had an amazing evening with friends and all the Miele team. We listened to a live set from DJ Roman Kemp, drank denim themed cocktails and ate delicious canapés. And as from tomorrow…(today) you can pop in free of charge with all your denim and try out the latest Miele machines. Save your favourite pair from hash washing and then enjoy a shopping while the team look after your laundry.

The money raised on Jeans for Genes Days funds a range of initiatives that improve the quality of life of children affected by genetic disorders. If you don’t even need your jeans washed by one of the top brands machinery its well worth a trip over the see them and get involved. Buy a T-shirt, donate some cash or just support this incredible charity. Help and benefit the lives of others by having a little fun. So if your out shopping for new pair of jeans over the weekend (that you really don’t need) think again….Maybe nip in and get an old pair of your favourite jeans laundered for free and donate the money you would have spent!!

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What You Can Expect

  • You’re invited to use the laundrette and get your jeans washed ahead of Jeans for Genes Day! All the Miele machines have a very unique denim wash cycle that cares for you’re ultimate best friends, so they are kept looking like the day you purchased them…No light streaks and patchy bits for those best buddies ever again!
  • A complementary denim manicure is on offer.
  • Hair braiding
  • Denim-care talks from Jeans for Genes and Miele ambassador and X Factor stylist Gemma Sheppard.
  • Jeans for Genes merchandise will be available to buy.

What’s On Friday 11 September

  • Styling advice from Gemma Sheppard – 11am-12pm
  • You will see exclusive upcoming trends for 2016.
  • You will learn how to keep your clothes in top tip condition and how to best wear your denim.
  • There will be a Q&A on everything you could ever need to know about style and fashion
  • Mavala Denim Nail bar – 11am-5pm

 

What’s On Saturday 12 September

  • Orelia Temporary Tattoo Applications 11am – 2pm
  • British jewellery brand Orelia will be on demand to help you get inspired. You might just leave with the feeling you need to got to an amazing festival.Or feel the indian summer revival is overdue!
  • Timur Kim Denim Customisation in collaboration with La Redoute 2pm – 5pm. To help you revitalise your fave denim pieces!

 

What’s On Sunday 13 September

  • Hair braiding by Joel Benjamin – 11am-­5pm.. free hair braiding with a twist!. Pop by at any time to get your hair braided in a unique way.

What’s On Monday 14 September

  • Hair braiding by Joel Benjamin – 11am-­5pm. Joel has worked with the likes of Nike, Adidas and Harvey Nichols, and has now joined Miele and Jeans for Genes Day to offer unique, denim braids. Pop by at any time to get your hair braided in a unique way.
  • Trend talk with Lauretta Roberts – 6pm-6.30pm

Make sure you book in advance to avoid disappointment. Email miele@frankpr.it

Have a blast this weekend!

 

Organic September – Rainbow Salad & Fries

You all know by now I love to get creative in the kitchen. And as part of organic September I was invited to create a few recipes using a range of organic produce. So I decided to base my first recipe around a savoury dish and get really stuck in with a good healthy recipe.

So after a little bit of googling I couldn’t find a dish that would do the range justice. Back to the drawing board. With many people being gluten or wheat intolerant these dishes should make a lot of you very happy indeed. Most chips and some salads have a vast amount of hidden nasties in them. The coatings on fries and even some salads will have wheat in the sauces. So with this in mind I decided to rustle up some sweet potato fries with a nifty crisp, crunchy and delicious coating and a bright rainbow salad.
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My original creations went down so well last weekend when we had friends stating over. They all ran out and picked up a few packets of the oatcakes themselves. If you want to create this amazing, heathy and sumptuous salads then here is what you will need.

Organic September – Rainbow Salad Ingredients

  • Organic spinach
  • Organic carrots
  • Red & yellow peppers
  • Clearspring toasted almonds
  • Edamame beans
  • 1 can of Chic peas
  • Fresh limes
  • Nairns flax seed, chai & sunflower oatcakes
  • Organic sweet potatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Soya sauce

Method

  1. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into similar size chips and add a good amount of fresh ground pepper and pinch of salt.
  2. Pour over the olive oil and then crush the oat cakes.
  3. Coat the fries in the crumbs. Makes sure they are all well coated in the oil.
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  4. Pop into the oven for 30 mins. Check half way through and shake them up so they get nice and crispy.
  5. Pile a large serving plate with the fresh organic spinach and then decorate it with a rainbow of colour.
  6. Chop up all the fresh salad. Slice the carrots with the grater and thinly chop the rest of the ingredients.
  7. Add the chick peas & beens.
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  8. Sprinkle with lime juice and almonds
  9. Add a dash of soya sauce if needed
  10. Now pour a nice glass of organic fizz, sit back and let the mouthwatering munching begin. Make sure you make enough to go round as your guests will most certainly go back for seconds.

 

Fashion & Style At The Races

We had the pleasure of shooting for Chi Chi London and Beth Hirst couture hats recently. I wanted to share all the highlights with you guys. We dashed off to Chester Races with bundles of garments from Chi Chi clothing and a mountain of stunning hats kindly lent to us from Beth Hirst. Spoilt for choice we set about getting all dolled up for an amazing day out. Dresses chosen, hats adorned and our 2 Boxes photographer (My fantastic hubby) at the ready. Here are a few behind the scenes shots! Grab a coffee and imagine you had come along with us! Fashion & Style At The Races -3 Fashion & Style At The Races -5 Fashion & Style At The Races -6 Fashion & Style At The Races -4 Fashion & Style At The Races -1 Fashion & Style At The Races -25 Fashion & Style At The Races -21 Fashion & Style At The Races -24 Fashion & Style At The Races -20 Fashion & Style At The Races -26 Fashion & Style At The Races -7Ashely looking oh so Audrey Hepburn in her stunning floral hat. Beth’s creations are so adorable. Nip over to her website HERE. Ashely wears an outfit from Coast and her lipstick is actually a replica of Audrey’s favourite shade. Homing the look perfectly! Fashion & Style At The Races -9 Fashion & Style At The Races -8 Fashion & Style At The Races -10 Fashion & Style At The Races -11 Fashion & Style At The Races -17 Fashion & Style At The Races -19 Fashion & Style At The Races -18 Fashion & Style At The Races -12 Fashion & Style At The Races -13 Fashion & Style At The Races -14 Fashion & Style At The Races -15My outfit got so many compliments from passes by. If you haven’t heard of Chi Chi London clothing then you need to head off and take a look. They are all real show stoppers at incredible prices.

Fashion & Style At The Races Outfit Details

I’m wearing Chi Chi London Nessa dress, Stuart Weitzman heels, Beth Hirst Hat, Topshop sunglasses, Chanel bag, Gucci love bangle and Sleek matt red lipstick. A girls got to add a bright red lip every now and then!!

Ashely wears Coast top & skirt, Prada sunglasses, Jimmy Choo shoes, Beth Hirst hat & AH signature lipstick.

#5thviewbloggers Event

We attended and amazing blogger event is this Saturday. The event was held at the top floor of Waterstones near Piccadilly with amazing prizes and personalised gifts in the goody bags.

We drank superb cocktails and snaked on delicious honey bee and cheese cookies. The #5thviewbloggers event was held by 2 lovely bloggers Albertine from Dippy Writes & Jessica from LookWhatIGot. It was all about networking with brands and fellow bloggers. We met companies like Bee Good, GelTouch, Mink and Stone and Venus Concept.
#5thviewbloggers event
These two lovely ladies had the event running so smoothly it was very impressive.
#5thviewbloggers event #5thviewbloggers event #5thviewbloggers event #5thviewbloggers event Mink and Stone Mink and stone was one brand that blew me away. Their concept is to create your very own necklace and jewellery designs and then for others to purchase your items. If you sell your items then you are rewarded with 10% commission that you then can use to make and purchase more designs. Incredible, beautiful and stunning beads are at your fingertips. I will be doing a full article and review very soon. So keep your eyes peeled for this coming soon.

We mingled and chatted away with fantastic like minded bloggers. The event way too fast and we had the best time ever.

Visit my website www.SLBStyle.com for more about what I get up to. My fashion and beauty loves and general London life as a full time blogger.

For event photography contact Ian at www.2boxes.co.uk 

Franco Manca Southfields

Living in such a nice little community here in Southfields its great to have so many cool places to eat. This amazing pizza restaurant gets a big thumbs up from us as its totally delightful and serves up exceptional and unusual dishes. It was the first time we have come across sweet potato pizza. Yep you read that right…Sweet potato slices nestled on top with bubbling mozzarella made this possibly the best pizza I have ever had. We will totally be recreating this at home.
We ate amazing freshly cooked food and drank perfect coffee. Sat and chatted about work, social media and all the new and exciting projects lined up for 2 Boxes Photography. We have some rather brilliant events coming up, and we are getting very excited about shooting at Chester races for Chi Chi London this weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for a rather fabulous article coming next week!
Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields Franco Manca Southfields

One last feast before a diet starts to slim into those stunning dresses….Just take a look at that beautiful pizza. Have you ever seen something so delightful? And yes I ate the lot! I really can’t tell you how delicious it was. I am going to have to avoid this place for a while if I want to get into my wardrobe! Buffalo mozzarella and cheese ravioli was incredible. I was way too busy with my amazing pizza to even try it sadly. One reason to go back don’t you think…but not too often as I really could be busting out of my skinny jeans!!

If you live near Southfields Francos is well worth a visit and we are sure you will leave very satisfied and keen to go back time after time.

Visit their website www.francomanco.co.uk for more info.

Vegan Pea Patties

Vegan food options are some of the healthiest recipes around. We love this veggie burger and its packed with delicious, savoury and healthy ingredients. We normally make a double batch so we have them for a few days! These burgers really easy to make and don’t need hours to set up in the fridge before cooking. They are gluten free, dairy free and quite frankly amazing.

Vegan pea Patties

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large onion finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups cooked peas
  • 1/2 cup of corn meal
  • 1 tbsp vegan mayo
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • Spices of your choice, we love adding curry paste

 

  1. Heat the oil in a medium non-stick pan over medium heat.
  2. Add the shallots, sauté for 5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic
  4. Season very generously with salt and pepper.
  5. Sauté for about 8 minutes until onions are cooked through
  6. Remove from heart and set aside.
  7. In a food processor or blender, blend the peas
  8. In a large mixing bowl combine the pureed peas and corn, vegan mayo, lemon juice, and cornmeal.
  9. Stir to combine well. Season with a touch more salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Form into 1/3 cup pattys
  11. To cook: cook on 3-4 minutes on each side on a well oiled grill pan

Serve with a crisp salad or fries, add a bun if your feeling the need to fill up a little more.

Holi One 2015

As you all may know I’m a Professional Photographer and work with my husband at 2 Boxes Photography. Well we went to Holi One 2015 recently and here are a selection of our favourite shots from the day. We partied and painted Wembley arena all shades of the rainbow.

Holy One is a festival of colour that celebrates each and every one of us as equals. By the time you leave this amazing festival you will be the same skin colour as everyone else. Its quite frankly one if the best days out you could possibly imagine. Messy but serious fun.Holi One 2015

If you are a fellow partier please remember that your camera could be a little stressed out by the end of the day. We took our Canon 1D bad boy with us. He’s a tough cookie and water, dust, bomb and Holi One proof!! If you do decide to take some snaps make sure you wrap your camera securely in a clear plastic bag before you enter.

Here is an idea of what a day at Holi One is like in pictures. We feel that sometimes (nearly all the time) images speak louder than words!

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For more information regarding our photography services from Weddings, portraits or events please visit www.2boxes.co.uk, email contact@2boxes.co.uk or call 07792852233.