Bloomin' marvellous.

My month in plants and flowers...

Cotton balls belong in the bathroom, which is where I've hung this wreath from M&S.

In Bruges

Over the half term break, I surprised my Mr with a trip to the beautiful town of Bruges. Our first ever holiday abroad together was in fact a city break to Brussels, where we had such a wonderful time that we have been eager to return to Belgium ever since.

Sartorial narcissism.

I have always wanted to post in a more personal way on the fashion front, but loathe selfies of myself and sadly cannot rely on my husband to direct me into flattering poses. Having said this, with the recent purchase of a superior camera (not quite into the full swing of it yet, so I am still relying on my iPhone 5 rather a lot at present) and a new found 'bite the bullet' attitude, I have started posting outfits on WIWT - What I Wore Today.

Blog Loving

My little corner of the internet may only be a very tiny spec in the grand scheme of lifestyle blogging, but for me at least it's a valuable space to share some of my favourite things and experiences. I am thrilled and encouraged to see the number of visitors gradually increasing month by month (thank you so much for dropping by!), but with a busy full time job I know it's unlikely ever to become more than a hobby and a way of keeping friends and family up to date.

Scent of a Woman.

Since I was a little girl, I have had an obsession for certain scents. Even as a very small baby, I would pull the clean bed sheet out and over my face to inhale the scent of washing powder and fabric conditioner. When I stayed away from home for the first time, I asked my mum if I could take one of her (worn) jumpers with me. I'll never forget the comforting smell of my mum's perfume lulling me off to sleep that night.

I have the usual favourites - freshly mown grass, bread warm from the oven, the smell of the earth after the rain - but I also love the smells of new puppy, paperbacks, clean sawdust and compost. My more unusual predilections aside, I love perfume, and spritz my pressure points every day - it may be a cliché, but I genuinely feel naked without it! My taste is generally for fresh scents that err on the sweet side, with florals such as Neroli, Jasmine or Lily of the Valley, and notes of vanilla, spice and musk.

The following are my Top 8 fragrances; I pick one according to my mood each morning. If I had to choose one signature scent, I would probably plump for Lady Million, but I wear all these perfumes (not at once, mind!). I should also point out that I don't currently own a bottle of each of these, but I tend to purchase bottles in rotation to change things up a bit.

Paco Rabane, Lady Million, Eau de Parfum

City Spotlight: Brighton

Brighton is amongst my favourite places on this glorious Earth. The waft of chips and ketchup carried on the crisp sea breeze, the cosmopolitan melange of inked hipsters and free-spirited bohemians, the harmony of old world charm and avant-garde intrigue. This enigmatic seaside town stole my heart on a school trip, at the tender age of fifteen, and our love affair continues to this day. Indeed, the hubby and I chose to stage our engagement shoot within its labyrinthine Lanes and along its shingled shore (do take a peek if you would like to see pictures of Brighton far more beautiful than my  crude iPhone snaps!). We even made a point of purchasing my engagement ring and our wedding bands from Brighton, such is our affinity for the place.

Happily, we now find ourselves living only twenty minutes away, though we don't find the time to visit as much as we might like (and the traffic getting in and out can be enough to put you off bothering at all, frankly!). Today, however, we took advantage of the unexpected spot of sunshine and visited a few of our favourite haunts...

© Ria Mishaal Cooke Snaddon

V is very, very extraordinary.

Nat King Cole had it right, love is certainly more than just a game for two, and never is that more true than on Valentine's Day. Love it or loathe it, V day is just around the corner, and I always think it's a great day to celebrate the love in your life, be it for a partner, a friend, a parent or a sibling. Here are a few of my seasonally befitting picks for you, in case you are on the look out for a gift, or just something to get you in the mood...

Boux Avenue, Tori satin and lace chemise

Magpie Make & Do ~ Sugar Plum Syllabubby Mess

This heavenly hotchpotch of deliciousness is essentially Sophie Dahl's take on Eton Mess, entitled, Christmas Sugarplum Syllabubby Mess. Since I feel it would be sacrilege to confine this scrumptious dessert to the festive season, I hope the lady in question will forgive me for dropping the Christmas bit.

As part of my goal to follow at least one new recipe from each of my 29 cookbooks before I turn 30, I turned to the lovely Miss Dahl last week for something light but sweet. Both the Mr and I have a very sweet tooth, but I'm not always able to squeeze in a stodgy pud after a meal; this recipe is perfect for those occasions, satisfying the sugar craving without sitting in one's stomach like a brick!

I have both Sophie Dahl's recipe books, and love them in equal measure. I enjoy her writing and the photography as much as the recipes, and would recommend them to anyone who loves simple, wholesome food, whimsical writing and the vintage vibe.