I wear different clothes for all my outfit posts, rarely highlighting the same thing twice however there's always one thing that I include in every outfit. Can you spot what it is? Can you guess the common link?

In my student days of buying Primark tights because I was on a budget I used to dream of getting a pair of tights from my drawer without a hole or ladder in them. I've tried so many brands before settling on M&S. I love opaque tights, because if you haven't noticed I rarely wear trousers or leggings. They provide much needed warmth from the cold Welsh climate and I think they make an outfit look chic.

I thought I would branch out from my regular 40 denier black tights and gave some sheer tights and dogstooth pattered ones a trial.


I loved wearing something a little more sheer and the cooling pads at the bottom definitely helped this non heel wearer to totter around for longer than normal. I end up taking heels off and swapping them for pumps after a couple of hours so these tights did a great job.

Are you a daily tights wearer like me? Are you loyal to one brand of tights?

The days are starting to get longer and and there's the promise of warmer weather, I love Spring. It’s the perfect time to go on a blustery beach walk or a ramble in the green countryside. The long Easter weekend is just around the corner so what better time to go on an adventure. Fat Face understand that you need a good wardrobe with lots of durable pieces to survive a variety of climates because British Weather can be so changeable. They have lots of lovely items perfect for the Spring/Summer season and I took a couple of them on my recent holiday to West Wales.




The striped top was perfect for wearing around my railway carriage holiday let and under my jacket whilst out walking. I popped the jumper on top to stay warm in the strong winds whilst drinking my tea out on the veranda and wore it in the evening whilst reading in front of the fire. The jumper is a real classic with a crew neckline and cable knit. It's going to be a staple in my wardrobe until the temperatures start getting into double figures. 

I'll have plenty more photos to share from my holiday later on in the week and I'll show you around the railway carriage I stayed in. I fell in love with my Aberporth Express and was rather sad when we had to leave.


How many of you have been wearing stripes and blue recently and not realising your ticking all the SS15 top trend boxes?

It's fun getting dressed up over the festive period and for New Years Eve parties, we all go the extra mile to look our best at that time of year. We make an effort for dates or occasions like Valentines Day but you don't always need a reason to get dressed up. Most days are pretty average and you might throw on some jeans or an old favourite but sometimes it's nice to put something fabulous on even if it's just for running errands or going shopping. 

I've had a week off with Martyn and gone away on holiday. It was cold and windy in West Wales so I spent most of my time wrapped up under lots of layers and feeling a bit frumpy but as soon as the sun came out I put my new electric blue George dress on and went out for a walk to make the most of the good weather. Yes, you could wear this dress for a night out or a trip to the theatre but why not feel special on any old ordinary day? I certainly had a spring in my step when I went out in this and making the effort to put a nice dress on and a flick of eyeliner made me feel much more confident.

You can see Maria looking wonderful in her cream/beige version of this dress over on her blog. I also fancy getting this in the green too. It has a heavy lining which means it sits nicely and it could easily cost anther £20 if another retailer made it. I paired mine with my biker jacket and my battered old satchel but it would make a great everyday dress with a cardi and pumps or you could dress it up even more for a wedding with heels and a clutch.

Do you like to save your fancy clothes for special occasions or do you think they should make more frequent appearances?

After having such a lovely time at the Celtic Manor sampling their Festive Afternoon Tea last year I was really looking forward to attending a live cookery demonstration with the pastry chef Karl. It was billed as 'An unmissable treat for any budding chef or food lover, join our talented Resort chefs for a series of gourmet cookery demonstrations with a difference'. We were greeted with and tea and coffee reception in The Olive Tree restaurant before heading in to see Karl and his team create some wonderful afternoon tea treats. 




Karl showed our intimate group how to make brandy snaps, carrot cake cupcakes and delicate lemon curd tartlets and we got to sample his creations. I took my recipe card home as I'm hoping to try some of these out in my own kitchen. The brandy snaps were so easy to make (or at least they made it look that way) but are really eye catching so they will be a welcome addition to my repertoire.

We were then served a three tier stand with a finger sandwich selection, raisin and pecan caramel tartlet 

Cappuccino cream, Celtic shortbread and a white chocolate, orange and toasted oat blondie.

Doesn't everything look mouth-wateringly good?

The top tier of the stand was my favourite with the lemon and poppy seed cornets with crushed honeycomb looking and tasting great.The Caldey Island chocolate bar with salted dulce de leche was the highlight of the afternoon tea for me, superb.

When I thought we were all finished a basket of warm freshly baked scones were brought out. They had a hint of apricot and cinnamon and we served with clotted cream and strawberry preserve. We simply couldn't fit these in so we took these home in a box with some of the other leftovers to enjoy the next day.

With the Winter Afternoon Tea costing £24 per person (Monday – Friday) and £32 per person (Saturday & Sunday) I think the Masterclass was good value at £40 as you also got to enjoy a coffee and biscuit reception, the baking tips from the head pastry chef and a lovely rose infused gin for only a little more.

The Spring Afternoon Tea is launched in early March and I know I'll be booking a table to enjoy the delicious hand-made cakes, delicate pastries, freshly baked rosewater and vanilla scones that will be on
offer.