Southampton Festival of Light

We all need something to brighten up these dark evenings - the Festival of Light recently at Westquay Shopping Centre was just the thing to do that.

Digital light projections on the old walls of Southampton was a perfect mix of old and new. They started at 6pm every night for a week and featured a short animated film (with, as the other half said, 'sexy witches') as well as other light installations you could interact with. There was even a maze to get lost in!

It's so hard to show the true colours with photos, but hopefully these will give you a taste of what the evening was like.

This isn't the first time the walls have been lit up for the Festival of Light - I'd definitely recommend a visit the next time it's in town!

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

New Year sales haul - a new handbag or two....

We're into February and the sales are nearly done and dusted. So it seems a good time as any to have a look back and see what bargains I found.

I can't deny I found some lovely items. Only (slight) problem is - they're all handbags. 5 handbags to be exact. How many new handbags does a girl need? Well, quite a lot according to me.

The first one was bought before Christmas had even finished. I had spotted this beautiful clutch from Marks and Spencer earlier in the month but couldn't justify paying £45. However with a 50% reduction and vouchers burning a hole in my pocket - I hit the buy button on Christmas Eve while full of mince pies and Christmas cheer.

I think I would class this as a wonderfully impractical bag. It's going to show every fingerprint, you can't carry an awful lot in there and it can be a bit fiddly to open. But I love it. Goodness know where I'll use it though....

Next up was a bag that had been popping in and out of my basket at Simply Be for months. When I saw it was reduced, it was meant to be.

I like this bag even more than I expected. It's deceptively spacious and can fit my big old brick of a purse in as well as my phone, glasses and keys no problem. The zipped inner pocket is perfect for keeping anything small safe such as travel cards or tickets. The only downside is that the strap isn't adjustable, but as I like the straps long, it's not a problem.

The next bag is incredibly practical. It's become my everyday bag already and I've had a number of people ask me where it's from - TX Maxx!

It can be used as a backpack but has hooks on the side to make it more of a shoulder bag which I prefer. My favourite bits though are the outside pockets - one is the perfect phone size and the other fits my house keys in. No more scrabbling for keys at the bottom of your bag anymore. 

My last two bags are slightly quirky. The latest Disney collaboration with Cath Kidston were so lovely, but so expensive. I really didn't expect anything from the range to be in the January sales so quickly after being launched but when they were - well, that was my Christmas money used up (I think a lot of people who had paid full price just before Christmas were a bit disgruntled and I don't blame them).

Finally, a space man bag from Accessorize. No season is complete without a novelty bag from Accessorize!

In my defence, I have had a massive clear out with lots going to charity or onto Ebay. However, I didn't quite plan to 'restock' so quickly - oops!

Ah well, at least I have a bag for every outfit!

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

Days out in France - Falaise Castle, Normandy

Last year we visited Normandy. Although we've been there many times, one place we hadn't yet seen was the small town of Falaise and it's famous castle.

This small town dates back to Roman times and is probably best known today for being the birthplace of William the Conqueror. We visited on a weekday in October so out of season (no crowds) but still warm enough to enjoy the town and the castle grounds.

The castle itself is a wonderful mix of modern and old. Some parts of the castle have modern 'repairs' and visitors are given an interactive tablet to use as they go around - the treasure hunt kept me busy for ages!

Armed with a tablet and ready for the treasure hunt!

I'm trying very hard not to look down here - those flooring I was walking on had very big gaps down to a very big drop!!  The view from the top was worth it though.

If you're ever in the area, this is definitely worth a visit. Be warned though, there's a lot of steps and climbing and if you can go out of season, you could almost have the castle to yourself like we did.

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

New bedding makeover with JD Williams*

It’s that time of year when you really want to be snuggly, warm and cosy.

The only problem is, our bedroom is blue. Not blue in the sad sense, but blue in colour, and I mean blue everywhere! It was one of those projects we just never got around to sorting. So when the lovely folk at JD Williams got in touch to review some homeware, in particular bedding sets and throws, I realised this was the perfect time to inject some colour and warmth into the bedroom.

First up, I chose the red fern reversible duvet set because I think it looks like Christmas bedding, without actually being Christmas bedding. Which is great, because let’s face it, a Santa duvet in June never feels quite the same! It looks perfect teamed with red sheets and pillow cases to give it extra warmth, but a classic white set would look lovely as well.

The second duvet set was the Logan check reversible flannelette duvet cover set. It’s brushed cotton and I don’t think I’ve had any flannelette bedding since I was a child, but oh my goodness, what have I been missing out on! It’s so warm and snuggly. Definitely heavier than your standard duvet cover but this extra weight just helps to keep you warmer. This set was a real winner as my other half was convinced he didn’t like brushed cotton – although now I think I’ll have a problem getting him to like anything else!

Both duvet sets have button fastenings (is there anything more annoying than hearing the ‘pop’ of a bottom edge coming undone in the night…?) so these were ideal. And with both sets being reversible it helps you mix it up depending on how you feel.

Finally, this beautiful fleece throw from Boden completed the warm red cosy feeling I was trying to achieve. It gives a real Scandinavian feel, but would also be perfect for a Valentine themed bedroom (and let’s be honest, the decs were barely down this year before the first Valentine cards were in the shop).

However it’s destined not just to stay in the bedroom, it’s a perfect throw for a warm ‘duvet’ day on the sofa! Double sided with a cream fleece on one side and red and grey hearts on the other - I suspect I’ll be fighting the cat for ownership of this.

So a big thank you to the folks at JD Williams – our bedroom no longer feels quite so cold and arctic! There’s plenty of choice so have a look to see how you could brighten up your home this year.

Thanks for reading

Cathy
xx

*Items sent for review - words and opinions all my own