31.12

Cider-with-Rosie-Mirandas-Notebook-cover

It’s so lovely to be sharing an interview with Miranda here with you today. She really is so lovely, and since I’m guessing that most of you reading here are pretty fond of lifestyle blogs in general, you’re in for a treat with Miranda’s Notebook! On her blog, Miranda shares a range of content that vary from delicious recipes and beautiful outfit posts, to tutorials and lifestyle posts. Everything Miranda posts has such personality and a unique quality to it, and I’m certain you’re going to love her blog! So without further ado, let me introduce you to…Miranda’s Notebook!

1. Will you tell us a little about how you got started writing Miranda’s Notebook, and what it means to you?

I was looking for a creative outlet, and I’ve always enjoyed sharing what I love with friends, so a blog felt like a natural progression! I also really enjoy taking photographs, and developing my photography skills over the past year has been one of the most fun aspects of blogging for me.

2. What three words would you use to describe your blog?

Probably the 3 words in the subtitle: stylish confident living!

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3. Would you tell us a little about your blogging process? What do you find comes easiest to you- the words, or the pictures?

I honestly love both, and both are equally important to me. I adore visual blogs, but I always appreciate well-written articles too, so I always try to make both the aesthetic and written content the best that I can. I tend to brainstorm ideas, then get the photographs that I need for them, and the writing comes from there.

4. Has blogging brought about any changes in your life?

It’s made me a lot busier! In a good way though. :) Balancing working with blogging can be a challenge, but it’s made me learn so much about myself and ways in which I work best. Writing a blog has also given me lots of wonderful new experiences and introduced me to some lovely people, for which I’m very grateful.

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5. You write in your About page that you hope your blog can inspire people to feel confident seeking their own style. How did you go about formulating your own personal style- is there any advice you’d like to share? :)

The biggest advice I can share about style is that it means so much more than fashion, and is really down to the taste and lifestyle of the individual. To me, being stylish means being comfortable in your own skin, gracious to all around you and living life to the fullest. My personal style icon is Audrey Hepburn, as I feel she perfectly embodied all those traits.

6. What might Cider with Rosie readers be surprised to learn about you? Any secret skills or party tricks?

I used to do a lot of ballet when I was younger, and I’m still pretty flexible!

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7. Since the year’s drawing to a close, will you share with us three of your favourite posts from the year, and why you’re especially fond of them?

Hmm, I enjoy writing all my posts for different reasons, so it’s hard to choose! I had a brilliant time when I got to explore Hastings: it made me determined to travel around the UK a bit more, as there are so many fabulous places to see (and having grown up in the USA and France, I haven’t seen as much of Britain as I would like).

One of my favourite things to do is write mini guides to my most-loved London areas, so I would definitely pick my Lamb’s Conduit Street Guide as a post I really enjoyed writing.

Finally, through Miranda’s Notebook I’ve been very grateful to have the opportunity to interview some fascinating artists, writers, bakers and shop-owners (all with a London connection). A recent interview was with the Hackney-based textile designer and artist Cressida Bell (granddaughter of Vanessa Bell and great-niece of Virginia Woolf). I am fascinated by the Bloomsbury Group and love Cressida’s artwork, so it was wonderful to have a chat with her at her studio.

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8. And finally, it’s our old favourite Desert Island Discs! If you were stranded on a desert island, what would you bring along for the ride? You can bring two albums/CDs, two books, two films, ingredients to make a meal, and one luxury item!

Albums: Jagged Little Pill (Alanis Morissette) and 1989 (Taylor Swift). I feel they’re both full of the kind of tunes that would help me toughen up and get off that island (or at least fully embrace dancing with nobody watching)!

Books: Persuasion and Emma (Jane Austen). Because I never get bored of reading Jane Austen.

Films: Jackie Brown and Kill Bill 2 (Quentin Tarantino). They both have the kind of lead female characters who would make me feel I could do anything!

Meal: My favourite food is always sushi, so I guess I’d be having a go at catching some fish ;D

My luxury item would be a good quality suncream: I’m a bit of a skincare fanatic!

~ ~ ~

Thanks so much Miranda, I loved reading your answers! Head over to Miranda’s Notebook and say hi, and don’t forget to follow along via Bloglovin’!

p.s. This post was part of the Ultimate Advertising Package here on Cider with Rosie. If you’d like to see your own blog featured here (and answer a few of my nosiest questions!) then pop over to the Sponsor page and book up an advert!

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29.12

Cider-with-Rosie-Christmas-Elsie-6

S A Y   H E L L O ,   E L S I E !

We picked this handful of cuteness up on Sunday, and have been pretty busy on puppy-watch ever since! But I thought, since the lady herself is currently napping on my feet, it was probably about time I seized this moment of quiet, and introduced her properly here to you all!

So, meet Elsie! The newest, sweetest, and most mischievous member of the Chappel household!

She’s an 8 week old springer spaniel puppy, and so far is behaving pretty beautifully, on the whole. For those who’ve been asking, Teddy is a working cocker spaniel, which is a slightly different type of spaniel to Elsie- the two are very similar though, and we’ve been assured that if we can train a stubborn cocker we’ll be able to handle a springer!

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I think having Elsie’s crate right next to Teddy’s bed and her being close to him whilst she sleeps is helping ease her separation anxiety, because we barely heard a peep from her the first night!

We’d been bracing ourselves for a repeat of 8 week old Teddy’s howling, (it was ear splitting!!) but touch wood- we’re lucking out so far!

And speaking of Teddy, he’s been *so* good with Elsie!

True, he was pretty furious with both Jason and I for bringing her into ‘his’ house that first afternoon, but since then has been getting better and better at being brotherly to that naughty pup who keeps bouncing around him, and *even* tolerated her sleeping almost nose to nose with him last night! It was the sweetest thing!

Though you should’ve seen the looks he gave her when he first spotted her playing with his cuddly sheep toy…

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We’re working on her not using our hands/feed/slippers/clothing as a place for teething (not *too* dreadful, but still a little nibbly…), and having to fend off her attempts to scale the sofa every 5 minutes (LOTS of time outs happening over here!), but aside from that, she’s just a total dream!

We’re totally smitten.

So, now you’re fully acquainted with our new littlest love!

We’re so excited to watch her grow, and to start taking her out on walks as a foursome…but right now we’re happy to soak up as much of her milky puppy smell as we can.

More puppy snapshots on Snapchat, if you’d like to find me over there! I’m ‘ciderwithrosieb’…

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Did you all have fabulous Christmasses? :) It feels as if I’ve been away from the internet for days! It’s not been long at all, I suppose, but Christmas always make the days and time kind of warp, doesn’t it?

I hope you’re all happy, content, and very well-fed! :) Do you have exciting NYE plans? I bet yours are more exciting than the puppy snuggle-fest we have planned! Though it’ll be pretty special in its own right…

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27.12

December-advertisers1

Here we are, the final round up post of the year! I always think that the days between Christmas and New Year are such a great time to get cosy, and catch up on a whole lot of reading. And if you’re anything like me, reading these days means not books, but blogs! I’ve got a selection of such wonderful blogs below, you’ll be hard pressed to know which to read first. So, go and grab yourself a handful of leftover chocolates from the selection box, make a cup of tea, and get ready to add to your Bloglovin’ feed. And I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Miranda’s Notebook
I’ve been a fan of Miranda’s blog for such a long time now, so it’s pleasure to have her featured here on Cider with Rosie this month! Miranda describes her blog as being a way of inspiring people to feel confident in seeking their own style- and isn’t that just such a fantastic mission statement for a blog? On her site, Miranda shares posts that range from restaurant reviews, round ups from day trips and adventures, tutorials, and recipe ideas! This month, I especially loved Miranda’s tips for creating the perfect chessboard (including a wedge of honeycomb, inspired!), and have been inspired by her super comprehensive gift guide too. You’ll just love Miranda’s Notebook, I know it!
Favourite post of the past month? Cheddar Cheese Risotto | The Ultimate Comfort Food.

Silverspoon London
With Angie’s coverage of her adventures in St Lucia drawing to close towards the beginning of December, the rest of this month has been decidedly food and cocktail themed over on Silverspoon London! I’ve said before that Angie’s blog is something of a one-stop-shop when it comes to great restaurant recommendations, and that couldn’t be more true at right now. In December, Angie’s dined at the new M Raw restaurant in Victoria, shared her thoughts on the Hawksmoor, and had a sushi feast at Roka! If you’re looking for recommendations for restaurants to visit, and places to travel to in 2016, you need look no further than Silverspoon London!
Favourite post of the past month? A Family Feast at the Hawksmoor, Knightsbridge.

The Courtney Diaries
It’s been so lovely to connect with Courtney via her blog over the past few weeks. She blogs from the States, and I love getting to stay up to date with her travels and adventures from the other side of the Atlantic via her fun posts! Courtney’s a huge fan of travelling, and over the past few weeks has been sharing posts from her travels in Hawaii. Posts so beautiful, might I add, that I’m now officially adding Hawaii to my ‘must travel to!’ bucket list! Alongside travel posts, Courtney shares recipes, ‘life lately’ catch up posts, restaurant reviews, and monthly favourite posts too. If effortlessly charming lifestyle blogs with a focus on travel and adventures are your cup of tea, then you’ll just love The Courtney Diaries!
Favourite post of the past month? Outrigger Canoeing & Sea Turtles.

Loved by Laura
Laura’s blog is such a lovely, personal one. It’s got that quality of feeling like a diary written truly from the heart- it’s as though Laura writes with each and every one of her readers in mind! Loved by Laura features a range of posts, including ‘life lately’ style posts, product reviews, coverage of blogging events, and the occasional recipe too! Speaking of which, at the end of last month Laura shared a recipe for Salted Caramel Chocolatinis, which are basically a concoction made from toffees, vodka, and irish cream, and chocolate. Now, I know Christmas might be over but Dry January hasn’t yet begun, so it’s probably about time you click through and follow Laura’s recipe for heaven in a martini glass!
Favourite post of the past month? Salted Caramel Chocolatini | A Christmas Cocktail.

A Little Lusciousness
Rosie’s blog has been a favourite read of mine for a long, long time now, and I’m always so happy to share her fabulousness here on my site! A Little Lusciousness is a food blog, and on her site Rosie shares recipes, restaurant reviews, and details of her pop-up restaurant dates. This month, Rosie’s given us her thoughts on Dirty Bones in Kensington and pop-up Cuisson in Waterloo, as well as shared a recipe for leftover turkey that might just save the day post-Christmas! I love how knowledgeably and passionately Rosie writes about food, and find myself turning to her blog time and again when looking for culinary inspiration. You’re going to love it!
Favourite post of the past month? Darbaar, Liverpool St.

A few more blogs and sites to discover! >>
Studio Cosette || Favourite piece? Luxor Hammered Ring.
Dear You Love Em || Favourite post? Let’s Catch up.
Wallzilla || Favourite item? Geometric Pink and Black Poster. 

Would you like to see your own blog featured here in 2016? Head over to the Sponsor page and snap up an advert!

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22.12

Cider-with-Rosie-Ireland-Giants-Causeway-6

T O   T H E   S H O R E S   O F   T H E   E M E R A L D   I S L E .

On Sunday morning, we woke feeling a little foggy-headed after more than 12 straight hours of wedding celebrations the day before. Jason and I flown to Donegal to see our friends tying the knit on Friday morning, and it turns out that everything you’ve ever heard about Irish weddings being the best kind of party is true!

We danced until the early hours of the morning on the Saturday, with the music becoming steadily more ‘folky’ and Irish as the night went on.

Guinness flowed non-stop throughout the day and into the evening, and stilettos and high heels were cast aside as the dancing grew more serious.

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With our time in Ireland brief, Jason and I decided to force ourselves out of bed early on the Sunday morning, and head via the Giant’s Causeway on our journey back to Belfast airport.

We’d heard that it get be pretty busy, but hoped that seeing as we were so far our of season, we might be lucky and avoid the crowds.

That turned out to be exactly the case, and we found the causeway pretty quiet on the whole. We made our way through the visitors’ centre and out onto the hillside, and began meandering our way down towards those famous stones.

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The gusts of winds the hit us as we walked were like nothing I’ve ever experienced before, and the spray coming off the sea left my hair a giant bird’s nest by the end of our trip.

The scenery was completely stunning, and the little audio guide that Jason listened to whilst I snapped photos to my heart’s content wove the legends and myths of the causeway in with its history so beautifully.

I’m so glad we made the trip, not least because the drive back from the causeway was pretty picturesque in its own right.

A few photos from our time exploring the causeway below, if you’d like to see…

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Raincoat || Jeans

             

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Posted in IRELAND, TRAVEL, WEEKEND BREAK

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