Banana Loaf

It's not very often I bake from scratch, however when I do there's a 95% chance it'll be something sweet - one look at my Green & Black's Chocolate Cookie baking session is enough to warrant a filling!  However for this Bank Holiday weekend, I figured I'd step away from the chocolate and share a recipe with ingredients more likely to already be in the cupboards - banana loaf.  Armed with a recipe from BBC Good Food online, I began mashing bananas at the end of the day as the sun slowly disappeared behind the trees...

Montacute House

Considering we're at the end of April, it's surprising how temperamental the weather is.  Oh wait, no it's not!  April is an unpredictable month when it's impossible to know whether you need your snow-boots or a sun hat.  With this in mind, I've had Montacute House at the ready for when the weather wasn't giving anything away in advance.  It's 'a masterpiece of Elizabethan Renaissance architecture and design' and utterly impressive in size, meaning you can get lost in the many rooms and top-floor art exhibition for hours and hours while it's grim outside.  Though as it so happens, luck was on my side and it remained dry for the entire day, allowing for an additional stroll through the immaculately-kept gardens...

Revamped Workout Playlist

So, guess who's injured her knee?  This girl!  I'd forgotten how frustrating it was to be unable to run for a little while. Yesterday, I even went as far as getting changed and putting on my trainers before remembering running wasn't an option!  However, looking on the bright side, it's forced me to switch things up again and re-evaluate my workouts.  I've definitely become a creature of habit and so perhaps injuring my knee could be interpreted as a stroke of good luck? Okay, maybe not.  But it has helped me to place more focus on my workouts outside of running.  I've most likely still got another week or so of 'resting up' remaining and so to accompany my arms/abs sessions, I've revamped my workout playlist and listed the cherry-picked songs below.  So far, they've helped to keep me motivated throughout my current plan until I'm able to run again.  If you're looking for a 'refresh' then fingers crossed some of these will help to spur you on as well!

Scotland: Out and About in Edinburgh...

After shirking all responsibility and spending the first late afternoon/evening in the confines of the beautiful Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh, it was time to venture out into the beautiful Scottish capital just before midday after a rather indulgent breakfast (see previous post).  Coats, umbrellas and greedy appetites firmly in place, we headed out in search of culture, kilts and cafés!  

Scotland: Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian

Last week - or earlier this week, depending on how you view it - I spent a few chilly days in Edinburgh.  Having never visited Scotland before, it was a refreshing break and most likely one of the most relaxing so far!  The city exudes an undeniable 'casual' vibe and one that sees residents and visitors alike seem unthreatening and well, relaxed.  Having arranged to stay at the Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh (The Caledonian), it was at times challenging to encourage myself to step foot onto the rainy - though beautiful - streets of the city, and so as a result spent the first late afternoon, evening and following morning in the comfort of the luxury hotel!  The plus side to doing so?  Plenty of photos taken to share on A Glass Of Ice...

Prints That Pack a Punch

I'm beyond excited for the upcoming months of spring/summer styling, though I actually shot this look on an unusually warm March afternoon a few weeks ago.  But you know how it goes: you take the photos, you move them off your card, you get distracted, you go to Scotland... nevertheless, this transitional look is finally getting to see the light of day in all of its patterned glory!

Designed by Nature + International Giveaway

To draw inspiration from nature is something very special in itself, and so when you combine this with the fantastic craftsmanship of Designed by Nature, the result truly is wonderful!  I'm wearing the Orchid Buds ring by the brand in its silver form, a delicate shape with a sturdy structure.  The adjustable design is very welcome as the base of my fingers have always been fairly narrow.  I also can't help but view this as a playful twist; by adjusting the ring, the orchid buds shift and create a sense of personalisation without distorting the overall 'blooming orchids' appearance...

Take-Offs and Landings

Despite how much of Europe I've discovered so far, I realised earlier this year how I've seen only a fraction of the UK in comparison!  Needless to say, I'm fairly comfortable traipsing across the rolling green hills of England and eating my weight in scones as I go, but what about further up on the map? Looking past the clichés of haggis-eating, bagpipe-playing men in kilts, I've heard Scotland has a lot to offer and so next week (thanks to kindly gifted flights from TravelSupermarket) I'm setting off for Edinburgh!  No amount of online weather-checking seems to be helping with wardrobe decisions, and so instead I've turned my attention to creating organised chaos in the form of a flatlay, comprising some key essentials for hand luggage...

Kiss Kiss, Kyodan

I'll hold my hands up straight away to having always loved exercise and the inevitable 'feel good' vibes that follow.  In particular, as the years have gone by, I've discovered a love for running (check out my 5 Reasons to Start Running) alongside my own curated workouts.  Though, up until recently, a lot of those runs have taken place in old t-shirts and the first pair of shorts or yoga trousers that come to hand!  I doubt that will ever change when working out from home (to the sound of Robyn, Crystal Castles and Grimes), though you'll no doubt be pleased to hear that for a few months now I've avoided frightening passers-by with my oversized Spongebob Squarepants t-shirt.  In fact, quite the opposite thanks to a little help from Kyodan...

Out With The Old, In With The New

I'm starting this new month with the urge to transform everything around me; this applies to my wardrobe, beauty/fitness regime and quite profoundly, the decor I immerse myself in.  I'm fairly particular when it comes to the interior design of restaurants and hotels and so I'm surprised to find it's taken me until now to give more serious thought to the personal spaces in which I spend the most time!  Since starting a subscription to Elle Decoration magazine late last year (courtesy of Magazine.co.uk), I've had an intensifying interest in home decor, and when US website UncommonGoods got in contact to introduce their Home Décor collections, it's safe to say that interest piqued...