Life

Women today - Can we have it all?

Would love to hear your thoughts...

Style board: Neutrals

I love neutral, feminine sophistication pared with tough black jeans and leather jacket.  With pale pink lips and nails...perfection in my eyes!

Bling

Bling by styleandsparkle featuring amethyst rings

Everyday make up

Everyday make up by styleandsparkle on polyvore.com

For everyday I love Paul Smith Floral perfume - it's really fresh and fruity and put's me in a great mood!

Black eye liner is a must at all times teamed with the new Benefit They're real mascara which is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.. I also love the Bare Escensuals concealer in Bisque for undereye coverage without leaving shine under the eye area.   A base of L'oreal Infallible followed by a pop of bright pink Barry M blush is great for waking up my face and a slick of gloss finishes my daytime look.

Menu planning

The internet is such a wonderful resource for tried and tested recipes - what better way to meal plan!?

With all the scrumptious-looking recipes I've come across recently, I thought I'd start posting full meal plans based on these finds.

So, first off, is a wholesome Sunday dinner.  To keep your spirits high when you know that the working week is just around the corner, and you're trying to hang on to the weekend...

First up:  Appetiser:

Split Pea Soup by the Curvy Carrot (Click here for recipe)

I'd recommend this be made one day in advance (with the exception of the onion toppings which should be fresh)  - soup always tastes better on the second day!

For our main we have a lovely looking Skillet Rosemary Chicken' by blogger Minimally Invasive (here)

Served with Hearts of Romaine Salad with a Lemon-Parsley Vinaigrette from CookThink (here)

Along with GoodLifeEats' Roasted Cauliflower & Tomatoes (here) 

And to finish...

Joy the Baker's Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cake! (here)

Mmmmmm...

Free calendar printable

As the new year approaches, it's time to choose a new calendar! I thought I'd design my own and share it here as a free printable for Jan - Dec 2012:

To download your own copy click the word icon below:





Rachel x

You've got the power

The entire world, in its widest sense, encompassing universes well beyond our own, is limitless, infinite and beyond our imagination.

We often consider our own small section of this vast incomprehensible space - our own little world - as mundane, filled with perceived limits...

However, we do not need to allow ourselves to be constrained by our own frame of reference.  By the latter, I refer to our own beliefs based on past experiences, values belonging to both ourselves and those imposed by others, and wider societal norms.

We must see the future for what it really is - filled with opportunity and endless possibilities.  As humans we are given the gift of being able to envisage something in our minds and then taking action to make this a reality, outside of ourselves.

We each therefore have the power to change the world. Literally.

Sometimes we take this for granted, or overlook this special ability.  We may feel down, hopeless, helpless or despondent.

However, each and every day we have an impact on the world.  Every communication you have with another being, causes a change within them - in their environment and subsequently their brain activity.  This may then impact on what they say to you next, what they think, and how they act - both immediately and sometimes longer term.  Every single moment, we have a chance to make a difference, to take a step closer to our goals or help others achieve theirs.  We can reach out and offer kindness - even a simple smile to a stranger can make a difference greater than we may appreciate at the time.

So...

Feel empowered.  Feel confident.  And go for whatever it is you wish - give it everything you've got!