Ocean Drive Living Winchester

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

Ocean Drive Living is a fabulous haven for beautiful, fresh and contemporary items for your entire world. From house to garden with kitchen, dining and entertaining being the main focus. Think style and you have it here in a nutshell. The shop has stunning textiles pilled all around, glorious cushions that will have you bedside yourself with joy. You won’t be able to resist a purchase I am sure.

Ocean Drive Living Dog lovers will smile at the array of cute tea towels and fun offerings. Mugs, jugs and all sorts of fun, amazing and very practical gadgets are on display. Its a perfect place to pick up a truly amazing gift for someone special.Stunning non drip candles….Yep non drip candles you heard right, and the designer wooden sunglasses have to be our favourite items we discovered.

Instantly you feel carried away on a holiday to the Caribbean and at the same time the beauty of the New Forest seeps through. Winchester couldn’t ask for a more tremendous, sophisticated and oh so à la mode new lifestyle shop. Its distinctly New England but has a touch of warmth throughout the entire well merchandised household boutique. This is interior design at its best.

Handpicked and ravishing accessories for you, your home and your garden are just a hop skip and jump away if you live in Hampshire. Ocean Drive Living only stock the top brands such as Skagerak, Culinary Concepts and By Nord blend with up and coming names such as Fenella Smith, Lily Matthews, Finnsdottir and Scantilla.

One place to defiantly visit if you are craving that perfect clean, fresh and opulent lifestyle you have always dreamt of.

Ocean Drive Living, 71 Parchment Street, Winchester, SO23 8AT. Tel: 01962 864 111 Follow them on Twitter @ODLWinchester or Instargram Ocean Drive Living

For more from Sarah Bacchus visit www.slbstyle.com and follow her on Twitter @sarahbacchus

Molly’s Den Hampshire

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Sarah Bacchus

If you live in Hampshire you are in for a treat of the enormous kind. We where invited to visit Molly’s Den and its grand opening recently. Molly’s Den is a new vintage and antique warehouse in New Milton, I for one jumped at the chance to find some goodies.

We got in the Nissan Figaro and sped off on the hour trip to New Milton via the new forest. It was a perfect little adventure for such a horrid drizzly day. Traveling in a perfect retro car for a retro day out!
We arrived at lunch time and it was alive with swarms of people looking around the 250 little vintage booths. Packed with pretty, unusual and quaint items. Some had handmade upcycled children’s clothing, some had jewellery and others had beautiful vintage furniture but all where a feast for the eyes. Everywhere you looked you saw an abundance of classic and distinctive items. From vintage picnic hampers to blue and white Willow china sets, individual lost and lonely items longing for new homes will catch your eye. Each and every unit had an array of wonderful prime items.Now this I believe wasn’t the oldest item in the place but made us have a giggle. The Yoda Throne was a little dazzling and we dare you not to want a perch your bottom on this little number.Wearing my upcycled Celine shirt, Zara necklace, VERO MODA Women’s Skinny Fit Jeans Ben Sherman trench coat and Pretty Ballerinas Womens 35663 IPNOTIC NEGRO Ballet Flats with an oversized tan leather bag.

This was stunning and made us gasp…”oooh that would look amazing in a bedroom reupholstered in a stunning fabric. Check one of our restyled finds here is a link to give you some inspiration.
We where torn between these two!!! Yep an actual boat in the warehouse all ready to be taken home and loved… Lifejackets anyone!!
If you don’t fancy the large boat, how about this one? You would need a big bath for that!! Now how we didn’t take this home is beyond us. We blame moving to London soon and having to think about not knowing where we are moving to. It would look good in our office or studio though, but it broke our hearts to have to leave it behind. They do deliver so if you find something that particularly takes your eye you can rest assured it can be carefully sent to where you need it.

Molly’s Den has really thought of everything. Dogs welcome….ample parking, coaches by appointment, tea rooms, open 7 days a week and the best thing is they have a play bus for the kids. So Mum’s and Dad’s you can browse at your leisure knowing the kids are not getting bored or more importantly they are not running around breaking valuables.On our way out we spotted this little baby…she would have come home with us if she’d been an electric version. We know they can be converted but we are after a beautify restored and serviced Singer sewing machine 201K for photo shoots and to have in the studio. With heavy hearts leaving 2 beautiful things behind we traveled home in the rain after a fab afternoon.We could have spent all day pottering about visualising fun tea parities, beautiful picnics and times gone by.

Its a great day out for all the family with Gardenware, plants, stoneware, fun and fantastic items everywhere you look!! Its a must if you live in Hampshire thats for sure.

Molly’s Den is situated at 5-7 Queensway, Stem Lane, New Milton. BH25 5NN they also have another one at Unit 9 11-15 Francis Ave, Bournemouth. BH11 8NX Tel: 02037338100

Email hello@mollys-den.co.uk or pop over to Twitter and say hello!

For more from SLB Style hop over their site here and follow Sarah on Twitter here.

Go The F**K To Sleep Book | Parenting

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Frostie

Forget National Book Week. This is the book of the year! After a long day, sometimes you just need your child to go to sleep. This funny, tongue in cheek book and hilarious book pokes fun at that. Whatever you do, make sure you don’t actually read this out loud to you child.

It’s realistic, sarcastic and will become a parent’s best friend. It talks about everyday family situations and has excuses of why they can’t sleep, such as ‘mummy I’m thirsty’ or ‘there’s a monster in my cupboard’! We’ve all heard them, and this book helps to soothe an excited child to sleep, as well as humour the annoyed parent.

Written by Adam Mansbach who writes from personal experience of a sleep disturbed toddler, his honest nature and funny colourful illustrations drawn by Ricardo Cortes instantly puts the reader at ease as they sift through the different ways to get their little monkey to sleep.

Costing only £10.95 from www.prezzybox.com

Features:

A bedtime book for parents who live in the real world
Captures the familiar and unspoken tribulations of putting your child to bed
Colourfully illustrated and hilariously funny, this is a breath of fresh air for parents new, old and expectant
(*You should probably not read this to your children.)

Review of Made in the Shade

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Kesh

The setting is an old East London Boozer, the décor, menu and booze, new East London. The transformation of what used to be The Bacchus was noticeable from 100 feet down the road with the most striking artwork by talented artist Ali Hamish Campbell. En route to Made in the Shade I felt like I had walked down these streets many a time but the frontage was completely unrecognisable. What used to be a dreary old watering hole, has now been turned into an Electric Blue Odyssey. Made in the Shade is the brainchild of Jeremy Thompson Jewitt, Jim Wrigley and Peter Lewis based on their idea of the ‘absolute ultimate bar’ and it shows through their well thought out and varied cocktails, their exotic Caribbean influenced menu and the totally eclectic décor inside and out of the joint.

First impression is that they’ve done a great job with the place. The Kitchen has been opened up which I always love about eateries as you can always see the chefs working hard and that they’ve made great use of the space, enough space to chill out in an intimate crowd and some great sofas for larger groups to fill. Oh and lots of space at the bar, always a good thing in my book.

Jim Wrigley serves up Shady Maid Lemonade

We tried 3 cocktails on offer first up was the Shady Maid Lemonade. This was unlike any cocktail I had ever had. The Gin based cocktail was served up with Lime Juice, Citrus Syrup and Cucumber juice. It’s the ultimate refresher… dangerous too as I felt like I could sip on these all night after a session at the gym!

The Pink One

Next Up was The Pink One also a healthy and refreshing cocktail. Very easy to drink and pleasing on the eye, The Pink One is a vodka based pomegranate infusion mixed with apple juice, bergamot syrup and lime juice. What I loved about this cocktail is that it was served with pomegranate seeds on top of a slice of lime and served up with a mini spoon to scoop up all the pomegranate goodness. Again, the flavours were so well balanced and fresh I could have happily sipped on these all night.

Then we got to the more serious Ultimate F**king Cocktail aka the UFC a mix of Whisky, Rum, Ginseng liqueur and ahem Guinness Liqueur. There was nothing fruity about this one we were told by the PR team, this was one manly drink. So manly in fact is that it is served up with a an WWE Figurine and a bunch of props are offered to re-enact your fighting fantasies. The ice is hand-cut for all of the drinks according to what you have but what I loved especially about the UFC was that the ice is a big huge block in the centre of the tumbler so it doesn’t melt into all that lovely Whiskey booze.

Drink of Champions

If the idea was to create an experience for customers to have the perfect mix of everything, then I certainly felt transported out of the busyness of London when tasting what Chef Patrick Williams had cooked up. His menu is a mash up of English plates with Caribbean influences. Anyone who serves up rice pudding arancini is a culinary wizard in my book. Move over bangers and mash and make way for plantain fritters and oxtail spring rolls. If traditional bar snacks is what you’re after don’t bother but once you’ve tasted the tasty and tantalising soul food on offer here, I guarantee you won’t be lusting after chips and mayo. The curry mutton was delicious and tender and passion fruit parfait for afters was the perfect ending. It’s no wonder when you see Chef Patrick Williams’ impressive career that the food is so darn tasty and with the carefully thought out cocktail and food menu I certainly was Made in the Shade.

A sample of what’s cooking.

Made in the Shade is open Wednesday to Saturday 5pm-12am and Sundays 1pm-12am and is located opposite The Hoxton Hall on Hoxton Street. There is a games room upstairs to play pool and Ping-Pong and from this Sunday they will be hosting a wicked-awesome BBQ in the Made in the Shade garden. If there is any truth in the weather report for tomorrow grab onto your BBQ hats and go!

Keshini Misha.

www.mitshoxton.co.uk

Made in the Shade

177 Hoxton Street

London N1 6PJ

@MitS_Hoxton

Love in the Club? Dancefloor Dos and Don’ts

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Ella Mason

You’re all dressed up in your hottest clubwear ready to take the dancefloor by storm. However, before you get too carried away there are a few dos and don’ts you need to be aware of. There are a huge number of mistakes you can make as you prepare to hit it up and show the club what you’re made of. If you want to avoid potential embarrassment, you’ll need to follow the tips below.

Don’t take up too much space

One thing you’ll notice about club dancefloors is the fact they can become a little crowded. This leaves you with very little space to show off your moves. Now may not be the best time to break out your famous ‘robot’ dance. Ensure you respect the space limitations around you.

Do expect a little bump or two

After one or two drinks, you’re likely to be a little unsteady on your heels. You need to be aware that the other people around you are also in the same position. If somebody bumps into you, try to be polite rather than hostile. Of course, if they’re constantly bumping into you without even a hint of ‘I’m sorry’, there’s justified reason to be annoyed. Likewise, if you’re the one doing the bumping, make sure you apologise and then make a huge effort to control your unsteady pins.

Don’t be self-righteous

You’re going to come across people who test your personal beliefs and lifestyle choices on the dancefloor. According to The Guardian you need to learn to suck it up. Sure the club may say no smoking and there may be one or two people ignoring that particular rule, but you’re not working for the nightclub. Nobody likes a self-righteous person trying to ruin their fun on the dancefloor. Learn to ignore it and just focus on enjoying yourself.

Don’t update your social networking page

The dancefloor is never a place for social networking. If you’re having such an amazing time, why are you on your phone? Put your phone away and do what the dancefloor is designed to be used for – dancing!

Don’t force yourself onto somebody who clearly isn’t interested

Yes you may look hot in your sexy little outfit, but that doesn’t mean everybody will want to dance with you. If someone is clearly not interested, don’t waste your time trying to change their mind.

Don’t attempt a dirty dancing lift

We’ve all seen the film, well most of us anyway. The famous lift scene in dirty dancing is inspiring and incredibly romantic. However, under no circumstances should it ever be attempted in a club. Unless you’ve had specific training with a partner, the dancefloor isn’t the place to be attempting this daring lift unless you fancy a broken ankle.

Do stick to what you know

Are you thinking of experimenting with a few new moves? Don’t! Stick to a routine you know and love and remember to also stick within the set space boundaries. Attempting something completely different could leave you completely shamefaced.

No Space? No Problem.

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Ella Mason

Now Christmas is done and dusted for another year, it’s time to start thinking about putting all of your new presents away and packing up the decorations ready to go back in the loft, cupboard or shed. The issue is, however, that with more possessions in the house you inevitably have less room to store them all and you have to think about new ways of putting things away before you start tripping over them all.

The obvious solution for many is to take advantage of the New Year to go through your cupboards (like you’ve been promising for months), and throwing away the things you no longer need or use, or giving your old clothes to charity. However, as good – and kind-hearted – a plan as that might be, some people just can’t throw things away and while there may be a pile of things that are good to go, you still might not have made enough room for everything. What then?

One of the most spacious areas of the bedroom – a room in the house that is usually more cluttered than any other – is often somewhere that most people can’t get to and might not even think about. Underneath the bed you can find tons of room that isn’t utilized, mostly because of the sheer size of the bed you have. However, a solution to that problem could be to invest in one of the frames or mattresses that will not only provide you with a really stylish and comfortable bed, but plenty of storage space beneath it too.

Okay, so the space under your bed isn’t always accessible – that’s fine, because an Ottoman bed can be lifted up using the hinge that is located either at one end or on one side, allowing you to raise the mattress and reveal a storage space that can be hidden from view so anyone who comes round won’t see any of the things you’ve got stashed beneath. It makes perfect sense, especially when you consider that equipment or clothing that you only need at certain times of the year can be stored there to create room in your cupboards and wardrobe.

There’s a major benefit of an Ottoman bed that people don’t really appreciate until they give them a go. When you bring in a new form of storage, either a set of drawers or a shelving unit, you take up valuable floor or wall space. This means that you’re actually losing space to save space and quite often it doesn’t make that much of a difference. With a bed that has plenty of storage, however, all you’re doing is swapping a bed that uses the floor space for one that utilizes it and you get something stylish in the process, a win-win situation if ever there was one.

Top 4 Ways You Can Make a Difference by Recycling

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Shaun Chatman

You already know the reliable clink and clack of a bottle thrown into a recycling bin, but do you know the environmental impact? It’s hard to talk trash without getting down and dirty. Waste has real and lasting effects on the environment, but so can you. Here are the top four ways you can make a difference by recycling:

4. Cut Costs

The importance of recycling

Image via Flickr by Jdhancock

Businesses can save big when it comes to office recycling. Small changes can make a huge impact on the life of your business, as well as the life of the planet. Some of the most common waste products including cardboard, paper, and plastic come to landfills directly from companies. In fact, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs for UK determined that commercial and industrial waste in England alone is an estimated 47.9 million tons.

Encourage your employees to not only reuse paper when possible and (as a company) resell it. For example, The University of Washington medical Center in the US saved $110,000 in a single year by cutting landfill costs through recycling and reselling paper and cardboard.

3. Conserve Energy

Energy conservation isn’t about simply turning off lights when you leave the room. Waste already causes a considerable energy deficit through transportation and incineration alone; however, the same items that create the deficit can also be used to fight it. It’s possible to recycle organic waste products such as vegetable oil and even corn.

Recycled organic waste can power everything from cars to kilowatts. Corporations can save as much as 11 million kilowatt-hours of electricity every year via vegetable waste.

2. Save Space

No, not outer space, although, we’ve already learned how pollution affects the atmosphere here and beyond. Consider the gravity of garbage. The UK alone has around 2,000 landfills. Only 75% of them still accept waste, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t taking valuable land.

The more trash we create, the more space we consume. Often times, it’s also land that can no longer be used due to toxic trash like used batteries and other consumer electronics. You can save space by recycling all sorts of things. Common products like bottles, boxes, and cans aren’t the only reusable materials. Consider and compare mobile phone recycling and other electronics recycling programs.

1. Reduce Pollution

You can recycle and reuse simple household items like aluminum to minimize mining pollution. According to National Geographic, “mining and refining virgin aluminum also produces greenhouse gases as well as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, two emissions associated with acid rain.” So, the next time you cook your famous pot roast, consider rinsing and recycling the aluminum foil.

Now that you know how you can make a difference by recycling, it’s time to get creative with ways to recycle and reuse. Share your favorite recycling tips in the comments below.

4 Shows Moms Watch to Live Vicariously (That Always Make Us Laugh)

Posted on June 11, 2013 by Shaun Chatman

Television is a popular choice for relaxation and enjoyment, ranking even higher than shopping and talking on the phone in a study of over 900 women in Texas. A poll of 3,000 commissioned by QVC revealed that a tenth of respondents would rather leave their spouse or partner than their favorite show. Television allows women to live vicariously in a way that would otherwise be impossible, and these top shows are some of the best for pure escapism.

Sex and the City – Fashion, Flirting, and Big City Allure

4 Shows Moms Watch to Live Vicariously

Image via Flickr by chirinecarlao

Sex and the City may have gone off the air in 2004, but that hasn’t stopped it from being a continued favorite in the female crowd. Reruns are on the air nearly every day, bringing the fabulous fashionable life of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends to life again. This show focuses on four young, beautiful bachelorettes and gives busy moms a chance to fantasize about youthful exploits, enviable closets, and drawers filled with sexy lingerie panties that see plenty of excitement. The ever-present touch of humor is an added bonus that gives the entire sitcom a fresh, lighthearted air.

The Bachelor(ette) – Sex, Love, and Romance

The Bachelor entered its 17th season in January 2013 and The Bachelorette will enter its ninth season in the summer of 2013. Both shows depict a string of single yet surprisingly attractive people on the search for love. Contestants cavort in exotic destinations and five-star hotels, going on elaborate dates and predictably falling in love. Women craving a little extra romance in their lives have good reason to flock to these shows, though the outrageous idea that perfect strangers will find a healthy relationship amid this reality show setting is a bit laughable.

The Real Housewives – Lifestyles of the Rich and Fascinating

The original Real Housewives of Orange County spawned a total of six spin-offs, each with a devoted fan base. The outrageous fights and over-the-top exploits of these women are plenty humorous, but the stars themselves seem to take their problems completely seriously. Women watching these shows get an enticing glimpse of how the other side lives, as each series focuses on “real” housewives who are impossibly wealthy and conveniently freed of the need to deal with the day-to-day concerns that most housewives face.

Desperate Housewives – Madness and Mayhem in Beautiful Packages

Desperate Housewives aired its series finale in May 2012, but not before taking viewers along for a marathon of drama and excitement. This drama focuses on the lives of housewives presenting a polished and perfect face for their neighbors, but distinctly desperate behind the scenes. The twisted plot lines that ran through the show throughout its run were nearly impossible to follow for any but the most devoted viewers, but this show had plenty of those who were perhaps a bit desperate for excitement themselves.

Moms looking to live vicariously through their TV counterparts will find plenty of daring ways to escape through these popular shows. Whether they’re still in production or faithfully available through reruns, they all offer lots of fascinating worlds to escape to.

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