Westonbirt

For my boyfriend's birthday recently we decided to take advantage of the sunshine and soak up the joys of our local National Trust arboretum, Westonbirt.

We topped off the visit with a spot of Earl Grey and Raspberry Coconut cake - we felt so quintessentially English! I wore:

Scarf and t-shirt ♥ Thrifted

Skirt ♥ American Apparel

Sunglasses ♥ M&S

Bag ♥ Suzy Smith

In the evening we appreciated my neighbours roses and went for cider and pizza at a characterful local restaurant.

All in all it was a particularly lovely day.

Words to Live By #97

 Image thanks to marina

 "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."

C.S. Lewis

Travelling Light

I thought you might like to know that, rather than simply prattling on, occasionally I do follow my own advice. Evidence? Ever since compiling my dream core wardrobe and suggesting you try doing the same, I've been acquiring some very in-keeping items which have come together wonderfully to form my capsule travelling wardrobe. Et voila:

This may not seem much to you, but to me it is a revelation. Having a bundle of clothes that all interact so well with each other that packing becomes a doddle is so freeing, and totally suits my lifestyle right now. You may note the pair of jeans and remember that I said not long ago I'd given up on them, but these are so sophisticated they just screamed European and I had to do it. 

Obviously I added a few more bits and bobs to what's above (I am going for over three weeks!) but not much: an extra t-shirt here, another cardigan there. The point is ease and practicality, whilst still being style-conscious, and, for me anyway, what I've packed has that all over it.

I hope this proves that if you set an idea in your mind, get a picture of it, and even share it with the world as I did, you'll be surprised how swiftly you can start to live up to it.

Did you take part in conjuring a core wardrobe? Has it helped streamline your recent fashion acquisitions?

Words to Live By #96

Image thanks to stacy michelle

"Love life, engage in it, give it all you've got. Love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it."

Maya Angelou

The Saturday Salute 19.06.10

Image thanks to yvette

The above looks like the perfect Saturday morning to me: tea on a tray with a good read. Here's some news - as of Monday I'm doing a spot of country-hopping with my good friend Cai. Two days in Amsterdam, four in Paris, three in Venice and two in fair Florence. Then, after all that frivolity, I'm staying with my gorgeous Italian friend Jenny for a further ten days in Pavia, just outside of Milan. Boy do I feel lucky! That means I won't be able to post too much, but I will line up a few things and check in with a photo or two when I can.

4 Excuses That Will Prevent You From Succeeding from Mr Self-Dvelopment.

A recipe to make your own sunscreen from Vital Juice. They have a daily email of healthy hints that they send out, I've signed up and will report back if it's any good.

Funny.

I love this mixed prints shoot from Painfully Hip - strong prints aren't usually my thing but this is really inspiring.

Jus' brilliant: A History of the World in Movies.

The 10 Rules of Change from Psychology Today.

Have a great start to the summer, I'll miss you! Be assured that I'll be plotting all kinds of fun for the blog upon my return in July.

5 To-Do Lists That Could Change Your Life

Image thanks to yvette

I’m a list maker. My life revolves around the humble list. I could measure out my life to you in lists if I had saved all the dog-eared notebooks and scrappy post-it notes of times gone by. It recently occurred to me, however, that I don’t really make the most of my list-making tendencies; although my lists have helped me to achieve small daily tasks, I’ve never taken it any further. But if the list works so well in my daily life, couldn’t it work just as well to remind and encourage me to achieve my bigger, long-term aims? By Jove, I think it could.

1. Write a To-Learn List. We’ve all wondered what it would be like to speak a different language, play an instrument, build websites, master public speaking etc., but with the distraction of our academic study, our jobs and our everyday lives, these desires can be vague and unclear and therefore often unattainable. Why not try compiling a list of all the things you’d like to learn, either a list for life, or just in the next five years.

2. Write a To-Go-To List. Travel isn’t on all of our agendas, but it’s pretty high on most. Why not compile a list of the next five places you would love to travel, perhaps adding how long you would like to go for, who you would like to go with, and what you’ll do there. This doesn’t have to be reserved for epic overseas adventures; weekends away or daytrips to places nearer by are perhaps even more important to list as they are the excursions we often take for granted and overlook.

3. Write a To-Read List. Many of us wish we could read more, and books can be such a fantastic way to learn, gain experience, and make decisions about the lives we want to lead. I’m always finding new books I want to read and listing them all in one place helps to synthesize an otherwise unrealisable book-appetite! Make sure you write down both the title and author to make the book easier to get hold of when you do get around to it. It might even be worth asking your local library if they can get hold of some of the titles for you if you’re unsure whether they are worth the investment.

4. Write a To-Acquire List. This doesn’t have to be wholly materialistic; it can be items that will really make a wider impact on your life, like a great place to live, a cute allotment, a high-spec camera, or even a soul mate! If you spend a little time thinking about it, what initially seems a rather frivolous list could quickly become a catalyst for understanding and envisaging where you want your life, love-life, and career to go.

5. Write a To-Achieve List. This one is for those big things you’ve always known you wanted to do, and any new smaller challenges you might be considering. This might include getting your degree or masters, writing a novel, drinking wheatgrass for breakfast, running a marathon, realising your dream job, or even overhauling your style.

And a bonus…

6. Write a To-Do Hot List. Select one item from each of the five lists above, making it the one that feels the most exciting, and compile an ultimate wishlist of wonders you’re itching to experience, acquire and achieve. You might be surprised how quickly some of these things will come to fruition now that you’ve identified and committed yourself to them.

Of course, writing a list doesn’t guarantee you’ll achieve the individual aims – you still have to put in the hard work necessary to achieve them. However, it’s amazing just how powerful it can be simply telling yourself that you want to do these things; there is true magic in marking a page with your desires. Trust me, your subconscious, and the universe, will take note.

Do you live by lists? Is writing down your larger aims something you’ve ever considered or tried? Give it a go and let me know how you get on.

Words to Live By #95

Image thanks to yvette

"Everything changes when you change."

Jim Rohn

Learn to Love... Eating Right and Learn to Love... Keeping Fit

Image thanks to hillary

My, oh my. Woefully late but hoping for forgiveness as they come in a friendly pair, I present you with my two newest podcasts. I had a hell of a time getting them up for you today, not least because my recording programme crashed mid-way through completing L2L Keeping Fit and I had to start all over again! But let us not dwell on the past, they are here with you now and all is right with the world (unless in my panic I've left in a horrendous blooper - which you must forgive me for).

What's on the menu this time? Here's a tasty nibble of Learn to Love... Eating Right:

Having our physical bodies working in tip top condition is one of the best advantages we could ask for as human beings. If we’re lethargic and grumpy, our work doesn’t get done; if we’re pale and dehydrated, we don’t feel attractive; if we are constantly coming down with something, everything suffers. Many people often fail to realise that looking after our bodies is the best investment we can make, and the way we look after our bodies is largely dependent upon what we eat.

♥ ♥ ♥

And a tantalizing titbit of Learn to Love... Keeping Fit:

Exercise is a big bugbear for most of us. We nearly all want to do it, but it’s the actual action that eludes us: getting ourselves out for that run, into the pool, or off to that group class. For me, I know that when I’m physically active I feel great, and it has a knock-on effect upon how I feel hours afterward. The problem, however, lies in getting the motivation to get myself exercising.


Western society is becoming more and more stagnant. With gadgets and technology available to make almost any activity easier and faster, it’s becoming less and less part of our nature to stay active for extended periods. Exercise is becoming an add-on, an extra, even a fad for many of us, and that is simply not the way it should be.

♥ ♥ ♥

As with each episode, 20p from every single sale will go to the Look Good, Feel Better cancer support charity. Wouldn't you agree that £1 is a small price to pay to have a potentially big impact on yours, and someone else's, life?

Learn to Love... Eating Right ♥ - £1.00



Learn to Love... Keeping Fit ♥ - £1.00



If you have missed the other podcasts, they are all still available to purchase, so why not give them a go? And if this is your first, come on in, the water's great!

As always, if you have any hiccups with buying/downloading the file (it is a .zip containing both the PDF and MP3) please email me and I will do my very best to help: megan@charadestyle.com

The Saturday Salute 12.06.10

Image thanks to yvette

Hello! I'm still alive! This week I've been working solidly on whipping up a double batch of podcast love: 'Learn to Love... Eating Right' and 'Learn to Love... Keeping Fit'. I thought they rather complimented each other to come in a pair, and I'm pleased to say I will be posting them both tomorrow, so hold tight.

Danielle at White Hot Truth has 11 things to do (and not do) when you’re burned out - boy did I need that advice.

Cute, cute, cute Mamushka Marie.

21 Reasons you should quite your day job and travel the world from Ridiculously Extraordinary.

Apparently, kids with high IQ's grow up to be vegetarians.

See you here tomorrow!

Words to Live By #94

Image thanks to hillary

"The bridge between fear and overcoming fear is curiousity."

Kelly Marks

A day earlier than usual so I can give myself a day off to catch up on podcasts tomorrow ;)

The Saturday Salute 05.06.10

Image thanks to hillary

A fine evening to you. After only just returning from Cornwall, I'm off to my parents home in Wales for a few days - ah the good life! The reasoning being that tomorrow I will have been with my boyfriend for three whole years, which we think is kinda worth celebrating with some countryside relaxation downtime.

To the links:

If you have money to spare you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

How to get motivated to exercise from The Frisky.

Beautiful blog alert.

Raw chocolate mousse made with avocado?! Sounds wrong but looks so right.

And that's alls I gots! Toodle pip.

Cornwall 2010

There was a little bit of rain, a little bit of cloud, but still a lot of fun.

The beautiful, brooding beach at Treknow where we clambered over rocks, spotted fish in rockpools, and even went body-boarding.

My boyfriend's sister, Zelah.

The boats at Boscastle.

How was your Bank Holiday?