Friday, December 30, 2011

Food: Mediterranean Sweet Potato with Chicken


Hey everyone! 

I hope your plans for New Years Eve are going well and that you have something exciting to do! I'm planning to have a few friends round to my house for some home-cooked lasagne and other delightful edible goodies. I absolutely love cooking but haven't done it for a good while and I thought i'd do something a little different on my blog and share one of my favourite dishes with you. 

I didn't follow a recipe for this and sort of got a little creative in the kitchen.  I first made this chicken back in late August and absolutely loved it! I tend to eat really light food during the summer months and didn't want to go too heavy on the carbs, and so chose to use some sweet potato.

Ingredients (serves 2): one regular sweet potato, half an onion, 3 cloves of garlic (crushed) one or two chicken breasts, 1/3 of an aubergine, 3 or 4 tomatoes (or tin tomatoes), olive oil, salt and pepper, vegetable stock cube
Method: thinly slice aubergine into circular discs and place on a plate roughly 30 minutes prior to cooking - drizzle olive oil (i like quite a bit on it but it's up to you) with salt and pepper to season and leave to stand. chop onions, crush garlic and place in a bowl with chopped tomatoes - season with a tablespoon of olive oil and crush a tiny bit of vegetable stock (i add a tiny bit on warm water to the mix). chop the sweet potato into cubes and place in an oven-proof dish. put half of the onion/garlic/tomato mixture in the dish, then place your chicken on top with the aubergines on top and then add the rest of the mixture. cook at around 175C for about 30-40 minutes. ENJOY! 
note: keep a watchful eye as i've found cooking time can vary

Hope you enjoy whatever you do to bring in the new year! :) 
Aisha xoxo 

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

New In: Vlog

Hey guys, just want to say I hope you all had a brilliant christmas weekend! Mine was really relaxing and it was lovely to spend some time with my mum - it was our first christmas in scotland! I don't have any proper pictures of my outfit because i slept most of yesterday but i do have a picture of my festive headgear for the day...





Aisha
xx

Monday, December 19, 2011

Technology & Fashion (+ a personal note)

Hey guys,

Sorry I've been away for a while and haven't posted in a couple of weeks - I've been so busy trying (and failing) to keep up with uni deadlines and do some studying. But my time away wasn't completely wasted because I've been rustling up some exciting ideas for my blog and change is on its way! 

The inextricable link between technology and fashion has never been so apparent as it is today with many designers and retailers offering beautiful covers for practically every device out there. Covers for these lifestyle products are slowly creeping their way into the world of fashion and are quickly becoming an element of style. So, if anyone is stuck in their search for a great gift this Christmas, head to your nearest store and pick up a cover for an iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or laptop. Below are my top 5 picks:

1. Marc Jacobs 'Havana' iPad case, £60


2. ASOS Metallic Laptop Case, £10


3. Vivienne Westwood iPhone sleeve, £112


4. Mulberry adjustable iPad sleeve, £375


5. Michael Kors Neoprene Laptop case, £40


Love, Aisha x

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Ever Faced The Walk of Shame?



Harvey Nichols recently released their Christmas ad a month ago, which is a hilarious alternative to the usual tear-inducing Christmas ads such as the by John Lewis. It features women doing the 'walk of shame' on their way home after a heavy night out. The ad ends with a caption reading 'Avoid the Walk of Shame this Season' and then focuses on a woman who has seemed to avoid the walk of shame by diverting attention from her bleary eyes and onto her fabulous dress. Enjoy!

Aisha, 
x

Blogging: Andy Torres



Andy Torres of Style Scrapbook is such an inspiration and watching this talk that she gave on fashion blogging has really given me that extra push to post more frequently and to be more creative with my posts. I haven't been blogging for very long and it's been really fun learning things that I honestly thought were out of my reach. Andy talks a little bit about her background and gives some great tips on how to make your blog really successful! ENJOY!

Aisha,
x

Wishlist: Christmas

Hi Guys,

Since I got my Christmas present really early (thank you Mum!), there isn't really must else on my wishlist for Christmas. So instead I'm going to list the things that I want to buy as a Christmas present to myself. 


'Stardust' MacBook cover by Marc Jacobs

'Espresso' Chronograph watch by Michael Kors

'Badgess' Boots by Steve Madden

For the past week or so, I've been dedicating my time to finding the perfect handbag to fit books, my laptop and a few other non-essentials. I initially started my search with a £100 budget in mind and thinking that I could find a decent, quality handbag with that sort of money I was really surprised when I couldn't find anything that I liked. If money was no object, this is what I would be looking at...

'Too hot to handle' by Marc Jacobs

'Bedford' tote by Michael Kors

'Marcie' by Chloe

Hope your Christmas shopping is going a lot better than mine! I seem to be thinking a lot more about what I want and not actually going out to buy others some presents! 

Aisha,
x

Monday, December 5, 2011

Navajo Winter Layering





cape - new look, jacket - miss selfridge, jeans - h&m, boots - KG

Yesterday, in an attempt to get rid of my (random) cabin-fever, I went to the library for a study session. The weather has been so icy in the last few days and it's really putting me off making any sort of effort. I'm not quite sure how much more cold weather my body can handle! At least it means I can layer on some lovely knitwear!

I love the look of layering something with a long sleeve under a shorter sleeve and decided to layer my cape on top of my leather jacket for extra protection from the icy winds we had yesterday. I don't own many knit items and really need to get some vital layering essentials...and since there's zero hope of the weather becoming any warmer, it's a perfect excuse to shop some more.

[p.s. I've just got a Chictopia account, so make sure to link your accounts or blogs to any comments!]

Aisha,
x

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Topman Jewellery

Usually, I would never think to go to a men's store in search of some statement jewellery but Topman's latest collection at the moment is seriously making me rethink the places I go on my shopping trips. 








From top to bottom: claw bangle £12, cross bodychain £20, spike stretch wristwear £10, studded gummy pack £8, floating pyramid 2-finger ring £2.40 (ON SALE), mega spike necklace £30.

Aisha,
x

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Wardrobe




camisole & skirt - h&m, shoes - primark

Last night I went to the fashion show run by some students at my university...there were tonnes of pictures from the night but I refuse to bore anyone with the mediocre outfits on display and the random photos we took. 

Aisha 
x

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

NEW IN!

Today was PAYDAY for a lot people and if you lack the self control that I clearly also lack you would have been shopping already! I'd been eyeing up the Acne 'Pistol' boots for a while and thought that it'd be a great investment piece but my more sensible friend Sara directed me towards these beauties instead...




Aisha,

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Harness x3

I've been in love with these boots for absolutely AGES and I know they're really old now but I just can't help but still adore them. Since spying the Balenciaga 'Harness' boots on the Olsen twins, my eternal love affair with boots was reinforced. They inspired a cult following and everyone wanted a pair...but at £1,795 I wasn't counting on bagging a pair. Fast forward a few years and you'll remember the 'Zoe' bootie by Sam Edelman and at around £120, the frenzy that followed is understandable. Another imitation option for all those die-hard bargain hunters out there is the lovely harness boots from an eBay seller and at £25 I'm tempted to buy more than one pair! 





Aisha,
x

Monday, November 21, 2011

Al Cine!



asymmetric stripe top - forever 21, jeans - miss selfridge, wedge boots - KG, fringe bag - h&m

This weekend I went to see the new Twilight film 'Breaking Dawn' with a couple of friends and, wanting to break away from my skinny jeans I decided to try my flares for the first time since buying them...2 months ago! We were a bit pressed for time to get some proper pictures done to show the full 'flare' on the jeans so they don't really look like much in these photos. They're so comfy and make my legs look longer than they actually are! I'm definitely going to invest in a couple more pairs with a bigger flare to make more of an impact! 


double collar necklace - forever 21

Aisha,
x

Saturday, November 19, 2011

TREND ALERT: SPARKLE (Bargain VS Blowout)

Glitter is everywhere at the moment and unless you've been living in the desert somewhere, Miu Miu have the most amazing collection of sparkly shoes! If, like me, your eyes are far too big for your bank balance then you'll hopefully be excited that the high street has jumped on the sparkle-encrusted bandwagon and provided us with some inspired pieces!







If you want to be a bit more subtle but still want to incorporate glitter into your look, why not try these beauties from Models Own?



 Emerald City
 Pink Fizz
Magenta Divine

Aisha, x

Friday, November 18, 2011

HI SUMMER










Don't you just love this 2011 summer campaign for Mink Pink?! Initially I was confused about why they released their summer campaign for this year in November, then my slightly less ditzy friend reminded me that it is in fact summer in Australia right now. The colours in these shots really pop out and give me that buzz you get when summer's coming! Unfortunately for me, I am in Scotland so summer is but a distant memory. Anyways, i'm off to meet my friend NT in town for some gossip and of course some shopping! 

Aisha, x

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Steal!



Added these gorgeous boots to my shoe collection a couple of days ago and I can only describe these shoes as unbelievably comfortable. I have what can only be described as a 'ridiculous' obsession with shoes because I feel they can make or break an outfit. These boots were an absolute steal at £25 from Internacionale so you can understand my initial fear turned into excitement when I took a chance and went inside the store. I wasn't sure if I would find something that I liked and to my surprise I did!


Besos
x

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Just In

This isn't going to be a very interesting post but I haven't posted anything for a couple of weeks because i've been so busy with my new job recently. But there's always something i'm never too busy to do - SHOP! I'm supposed to be reigning in my spending but my new job isn't helping me with temptation. Here are the latest additions to my wardrobe:

Silver PU Oversized Clutch Bag - Zara

Not sure if the next one counts because my mum actually bought it for me recently but i love them so much it just had to be included...

Tan Leather Boots - FCUK

I've been having a particular obsession with hats recently and slowly but surely I will have a collection worthy of a year's free supply of goodies at Lock & Co. So far, i've collected a grand total of THREE (haha) hats. New Look, H&M, Vero Moda and ASOS have a fabulous and most importantly - an affordable - selection of fedoras and wide-brimmed hats. If you want to spend a bit more then I recommend Catarzi who have an exclusive collection at ASOS at the moment, and Helene Berman.




They look brilliant regardless of the length of your hair and always add an edge to your outfit - and remember, don't be afraid to experiment when it comes to accessories!


Thursday, October 20, 2011

My Sale Picks!

I've been going a little mad with my spending recently, so in my bid to try and save a bit of money I decided to have a look around online and in-store at the mid-season sales. I found some amazing stuff that I obviously had to buy because I seem to lack a somewhat important character trait in life - SELF CONTROL! 


Red PU Trousers - Miss Selfridge - £45 now £25

Black Coated Cropped Jeans - Miss Selfridge - £45 now £25

I only got these two pair of trousers and a pair of flares that i'll show you soon because I really do need to stop spending but there was so much more that I wanted. What did you guys manage to pick up? I hope you got to spend much more than I did :)


All this talk of sales and shopping has just reminded me that I have a tonne of stuff that I want need to sell on ebay. So if any of you fancy taking a look at what I have to offer, I'm certainly not going to stop you! Details will follow shortly after I actually get around to posting the items up for sale.