by Olivia | Nov 11, 2016 | Featured
When I was in my teens my Mother would reprimand me for wearing ‘garish’ colours, saying that red did not suit me, and signified a rather more racy type of woman, and that I should tone down my act and portray the ‘sophisticated’ woman I was becoming, without illuminating my sexuality and displaying too much of my personality.
As with all teenage girls, Mum and I had a rather turbulent relationship, most of which was unfounded, apart from the normal display of hormonal volatility.
So where do I stand now with the colour red now. I am pleased to say that I am delighted that red is now officially back and even more excited that red does indeed suit me – and that there are a multitude of reds and fashions to choose from in this seasons collection.
Are you ready? Well here is what I have discovered, and hope you are bracing yourself as we begin our exploration of this season’s hottest offerings.
Missguided has a gorgeous wrap over midi dress at £45 https://www.missguided.co.uk/red-silky-wrap-over-midi-dress which can be a great all-rounder as we go into the party season for office and after work gatherings. It looks and feels sexy, but isn’t designed to shock with the classy design and flattering wrap around to enhance those delicious curves.
Jessica Wright for Sistaglam Red ‘Vicky’ bodycon midi dress comes in at £30 and is available at Debenhams http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_63563+1200_-1 A season ‘must have’ for you party animals who want to look sassy this season, and one that can be glammed up even more or worn as a simple statement garment with minimalist jewellery.
AX is one of my favourite designers, and this velvet bodycon dress is both sexy and flattering as are their designs, and it comes in at only £25 https://www.axparis.com/products/Red-Velvet-Wrap-Front-Bodycon-Dress.html.It is figure hugging but think Kim Kardashian as you flaunt your butt and ignore the stick insect trend that has hopefully almost seen its day.
There is something magical and lucky about red shoes, a recent actor friend of mine has worn hers to every audition recently and smashed it at every one.
Miss KG red shoes at Debenhams have been marked down from £70 to £52 http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_58958+6142250799_-1, and are demurely sexy with a Cinderella bow to enhance the look.
Twinkledeals £25.61 offers these gorgeous ankle boots http://www.twinkledeals.com/boots/buckle-cross-strap-point-toe/p_533571.html which are comfortable and trendy, and great with red jeans or to dress up an outfit. Easy to walk in and great to walk out if meeting up with friends or colleagues throughout the season.
So if you are thinking red is ultra-flamboyant and only reserved for ladies of the night – embrace it and make your look the hottest thing since red chili peppers.
by Olivia | Oct 25, 2016 | Featured, General
No more than a decade ago I remember my father being a complete irritant to us kids by singing the praises of the then unfamiliar superstore chain Lidl. As a struggling writer on a very small budget and a large family to support, he now explains that in those days it was a real ‘find’ as he was able to stock up on tins of food, cleaning products and bottled water and do a ‘man shop’ that my mother refused to do.
Nowadays it’s a different story, and the rich and famous are seen in domains such as Lidl and Aldi, glamorous wealthy ladies who just a few years ago would only be seen in the more upmarket outlets, and who are putting their image to one side and going for a massive saving on their weekly shop.
Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and even Asda are now having to rethink their strategy and their prices in the race to sustain their regular customer, as everybody is getting supermarket savvy whatever their income or budget.
In my quest to find out why Lidl was becoming so popular I have been doing my own research, and with careful selection, you can make a big saving on their meat and fish, with some great offers on kids clothes and even cooking items, not to mention their champagne. I would strongly advise you to stock up on the latter for Christmas even if you buy one bottle a week.
Like most people, I always imagined that their low prices were due to their dubious imports of fish and meat, which is why their recent television campaign has been so clever – putting to rest the public’s assumption that their fish was caught ‘in a ditch’ or their meat from some far off slaughter house. On the contrary, and I don’t know how they manage to keep their prices so low, but they compare favourably with any other competitor including the W chain.
But for those of you who prefer to ‘cross shop’ then make the most of the best offers in all the superstores and take a few minutes to plan by checking out the best offers as they do change by the week in all of them.
Ignore the ‘special offers at the end of the lines, as these are not always the best bargains, but stroll down each isle and watch out for their special offers as you go.
There are for instance some fabulous clothes for Christmas in Asda with their George brand and watch out in Waitrose as they add to their Essentials range with competitive prices.
Put your pride to one side and always check the last minute offers in all of the supermarkets, it only means that you have to use them up sooner rather than later, and good if you are entertaining or feeding a family that day with the last minute offers. I picked up some great desserts in Tesco last week at a third of the original price.
Hope I have helped guide you and saved you a bit of cash, that you can now spend on yourself. After all. every lidl bit helps. Sorry, couldn’t resist that one!
by Olivia | Oct 17, 2016 | Featured, GloKitchen
I have tried a variety of stir fry recipes over time, but it takes a lot to beat this one for flavour and you can guarantee a request for second helpings.
The entire recipe from preparation to finish takes no longer than 15-20 minutes.
Serves 4 people.
Ingredients:
4 frying beef steaks
Two red onions
One clove garlic
Four stems of pak choi
Pkt of dried or fresh noodles
Half a cup of Amoy Chinese rice wine
Amoy soy sauce
Method:
Finely chop onions, garlic and beef steaks
Cut a thick slice from the pak choi root to separate the leaves. Rinse and drain.
Heat the wok and then add olive oil
Add onions and garlic and gently soften
Add beef steaks and blend
Stir in Amoy Chinese rice wine
Add pac choi
Blend together and stir in noodles
Add Amoy soy sauce to flavour
Serve hot
