I really do Heart Holi!

Paint splattered Tatty Devine...

Hulllllo,
Last night I was lucky enough to go to Tatty Devine's 'I Heart Holi' party! I applied for the free tickets online and I really wasn't sure what to expect - I lucked out and had a really great time!

Me and my friend Jennie after the paint...

The party was to celebrate Holi also known as the 'festival of colours' which is a Hindu festival which celebrates (among many other things) the beginning of spring. The night started with everyone wearing white in a huge white room in I Heart Studios in Bermondsey. I had opted for a very cheap £5 dress from Primark which I saw at least a dozen other people wearing that night (obviously someone had sent out a memo!). When we were queueing outside in the freezing cold I suddenly got worried that maybe this was a wasted journey and it wasn't going to any good but as soon as I walked in I knew we were going to have a brilliant night! We were greeted with complimentary cocktails provided by Midori, a melon flavoured liqueur. I of course tried all 3 cocktails on offer and my favourite was the rainbow one, pretty and tasty! I didn't think they were that alcoholic but my squiffy head this morning begs to differ...

Rainbow cocktail

Midori cocktails

There was also make overs provided by Llamasqua, nail art from Nancy Mc, an Iheart photobooth and loads of Tatty Devine give aways so all sorts of lovely stuff! Considering the event was free I was totally gobsmacked by the amount going on!
Halfway through the night came the really fun part! It's a tradition at Holi do throw coloured powder paint at eachother. Paper bags of powder were passed around and mayhem broke out! It was totally beautiful with bright colours everywhere. Everyone's white dresses were now a big mix of pink, greens, blues and oranges! Although it was safe to say I was left wishing I hadn't worn my glasses because I couldn't see a thing...

Colourful flowers

Delicious rice - seriously couldn't get enough of this stuff

Looking a bit more colourful after the paint...still with a cocktail in hand

19 days to go | Christmas Cocktails

There are two sides to every winter. The first side is the horrible one; grey skies, rain, cold winds. There is nothing that can cheer this aspect of Winter up...even the thought of being one day closer to Christmas doesn't make me want to venture out into the blistering cold. But then there's the other side to winter. The twinkly lights wrapped round trees, fancy parties and sparkly shoes. It's this bit of winter that gets me up in the morning - knowing that although the rain might be torrential there is any and every excuse for a party!

Cocktails are great because they can encompass both of winter's faces - especially the lovely recipes that come out around Christmas time. If you're feeling cold and sad there are some warm recipes which are perfect for warming your cockles. Classics like mulled wine are perfect for this, in recent years I've become partial for an odd glass of mulled cider. Lots of cinnamon and orange and it is basically Noel in a glass. If you're feeling a bit fancier you can whip out the Champagne a lovely, bubbly cocktail. Something like a "Christmas Kiss" (you can click on the links in the photo caption for the recipe) are absolutely perfect if you're planning on throwing a party!

L-R: Simon Rimmer's Snowball, Mark Fothergill's Hot Gin Punch, Diana Henry's Christmas Kiss, Jamie Oliver's Mulled Cider, Patrick William's Egg Nog, Mulled Wine

(For a sneaky extra here's my favourite "cocktail" recipe. I don't know whether I can really call it a cocktail considering it was just made up of what we had in our fridge but it tastes delicious. We call it a Green Goblin and it's basically just Smirnoff Ice, WKD Blue and Orange Juice in a glass with lots of ice. I usually add a touch of extra vodka to mine to make it a bit stronger. It's a really alarming colour but it tastes like sherbert)

Got any cocktail recipes of your own? I'd love to hear them so please feel free to leave me a comment...

20 days to go | Peplum Dresses

Peplum has been a really big trend this year. I really love it because it's what I call a "universal trend"(pantent pending - don't go stealing my pretentious terms). By this I mean it's a trend that can work in so many ways. In the spring it looked gorgeous in floral patterns, in the summer it was great in bold, block colours and now in the winter you can rock it in dark colours or even my beloved sequins! Also, unlike most trends it's one which I feel can suit all body types. If you're a skinny minnie lacking in the curves department the extra material can make you look totally Marilyn Monroe and if you're a curvier girl who has "problem areas" (I hate that term) the shape will help "hide" them (I hate that term too)

Peplum dresses are a go to for the office do. You can where them to work in the day with thick tights and then just remove said tights to party hard afterwards if you don't have time to go home and change. And even if you do then peplums guarantee that you look glam but keep up your smart workwear facade in front of the boss. Two birds one stone.

Black Bardot Peplum by Miss Selfridge, Contrast Peplum by Topshop, "Oh My Love" Jersey Peplum by Asos, Pearl Peplum by Rare at Topshop, Petrol Blue Peplum by Dorothy Perkins, Red Peplum by Asos, Embellished Peplum by New Look, Navy Velvet Peplum by Boohoo