I heart New York City

Ah, NYC, you beautiful, beautiful place.

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see that I've just come back from an unforgettable New Year trip to New York, where J popped the question!

Obviously I couldn't refuse and wow, the ring. What a ring! Joe chose damn well and proposed with the Anna Sheffield Oval Bea - a rose gold band with a rose cut Champagne diamond and two white diamonds. It is an absolute stunner and I just can't stop looking at it.

I'll be posting more about out NYC adventures soon but for now, I have some planning to start.

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Le Tour

This weekend, we headed over to the Lake District for some glamping, beverage drinking and general relaxation.

When we realised Le Tour de France was calling by a lovely little village around an hour away from where we were staying as part of the first UK leg, we absolutely couldn't miss it. We're off on a cycling holiday around France next summer, so seeing these guys making hill-climbs look like an utter breeze was just the thing I needed to spur on my training.

Here's a few snippets, taken from when the race passed through Hawes.

The town (along with every other calling point throughout the three UK stages) had really embraced Le Tour fever, with decorated shop fronts and some token French goodies.

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July: What's going down

What a bad blogger I've been of late. So, for something to whip my butt back into blogging gear, here's a look at what I've got planned for this fine sunny month.

Chillin'
Slowing things right down and giving myself some much needed R&R is kick-starting this July.

This weekend, I'm escaping to the Lake District to indulge in a bit of glamping and some spa treatments for a much-needed rest. An obligatory Lakes walk is top of the list, along with re-fuelling at pubs off the beaten track. Oh, and I'm extra excited about having a device-free few days. See ya, 3G.

We're staying at the fabulous Sunny Brow Farm, in one of their three woodland yurts.

Image credit: Sunny Brow Farm

We found this secluded spot over at Canopy and Stars, a site which I can highly recommend for cool places and spaces to camp out in the UK, France, Spain and Portugal. There are some seriously brilliant places to stay - you could literally trawl the site for hours planning adventures.

During our time in the Lakes, we'll also be hitting up The Langdale Hotel for some spa treatments, which I am insanely excited about. I'm booked up for a Detoxifying Spirulina Wrap, which I'm mildly terrified at the prospect of but love the idea of toxins being stripped from my skin. I'll report back on how it goes...

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Stretchin'
Having heard loads about the Yogalilies studio in Newcastle, I've signed up for a five-class taster using one of the studio's birthday offers. Easy to hot-foot too after work, I'm heading to Barre and Hot Yoga to bring a new dimension to my training schedule.

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Trainin'
July is the month to take training schedule up a notch. The Great North Run is just around the corner, so I'm upping the miles and to compliment the cardio, I'll be weight training, heading to classes like Metafit and eating super clean. I'm chasing a sub-1.55" for the GNR, so hopefully all of the extra activities I've got planned in will help me achieve this big result.

Have you set any goals for July?

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Recipe: Banana Breakfast Bites

Breakfast. The most important meal of the day which we don't do justice on weekdays. We either grab something on the way to work, which is generally loaded with sugar, or don't have anything at all (slapped wrists for those people). 

This used to always be my downfall when I was younger, but over the past few years as I've developed a healthier and cleaner eating and lifestyle regime and I've embraced weekday breakfasts and making them something to get the day off to an amazing start. I'd rather get up a little bit earlier and have time for a clean and balanced breakfast rather than grabbing something on the go which won't fill me up and leave me feeling sluggish by mid-morning.

Now, we all have busy lives, so for those mornings when there just literally isn't any time, welcome Banana Breakfast Bites into your life. Super easy to make and perfect for making sure you're eating healthily on the go. Get these bad lads made so you can easily grab them on your way out the door to work this week.

I came across the recipe for these gluten and sugar free goodies on nutrition babe Madeleine Shaw's site and wondered how I could add my own twist to them. Fancy giving them a whirl? Here's how!

What you'll need:

• 1 banana
• 300g of ground almonds
• 100g of butter (I always use salted butter)
• 100 g of whole milk yogurt (I used Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt for added creaminess)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (I used Biona Organic Raw Virgin Coconut Oil)

Madeleine's original recipe includes stevia and an additional banana on top, but I find these sweet enough with just one banana in the main batter and the blueberries add a lovely sharp tang.

Yoghurt makes these cakey-bars lovely and moist, and if whole-milk yoghurt isn't part of your diet then it should be. A healthy fat which contains far less sugar than low-fat and fat-free yoghurts, meaning it's MUCH better for you.

How to whip up these breakfast babes
1. Set the oven to 180°C or Gas Mark 6.
2. In a food processor, blend the ground almonds, banana, butter, eggs and yoghurt.

3. Grease a small baking tray/brownie pan with coconut oil (I popped my baking tray in the oven whilst it was heating up so the coconut oil could melt a bit and grease the tin easily).
4. Spread the banana bar mixture evenly in the tin and top with the blueberries pressing them down lightly into the mixture.

5. In the oven they go for between 15-25 minutes (depending on your oven) until the edges start to turn slightly golden and the blueberries cook down slightly.

6. Place on a cooling rack and when cooled slightly, mark into 20 small squares or 10 larger bars.

To make these bars a bit more indulgent you could add 80% dark chocolate chips, or even better, raw cacao nibs for a real edge of dark, chocolately goodness.

For those worried about the fat content, all of the fats included are healthy and essential fats which aid a healthy, active lifestyle and weight loss. Obviously don't go eating loads of full fat foods (everything in moderation, folks) but full fat dairy especially is better for you than their low-fat or fat-free counterparts which are loaded with sugar to compensate for flavour and sugar is the real nasty when it comes to gaining weight.

What do you do for healthy breakfasts on the go?

After Dark

NewcastleGateshead's weekend of after-hours culture returns in this year's The Late Shows.

Over Friday 16th and Saturday 17th May, Tyneside cultural venues are throwing open their doors for a lil bit longer and hosting some top-notch events for all of us North East culture buffs.

The TLS gang recently released their programme for this year's happenings, and by golly, by gosh, what a line-up it is.

Here's what I've got my eye on:

Printmaking @ Northern Print
I am a bit mad on all things screen-printed at the minute, so what better way to feed this obsession than to see how it's actually done? I love knowing the processes behind things like this so I'll be first in the queue for the event at Ouseburn's print mecca.

Marilyn Monroe: A British Love Affair @ Hatton Gallery
Ah, my old stomping ground. I worked at the Hatton whilst I was at uni, but have actually only been back a couple of times since then, which is just criminal. The HG currently have an exhibition dedicated to the Monroe, highlighting British photographers and personalities who worked with her. I've always been massively intrigued by Marilyn Monroe's lifestyle, so this a must-see for me.

Ginny Reed @ The NewBridge Project
Reed's solo exhibition - closing on 17th May - explores the way we receive and digest information via digital forms. Looking at the idea that we constantly crave information, Reed presents work in the form of Vine videos, memes, gifs and samples. I have a big interest in the age of distraction so especially looking forward to this one.

You can download the full The Late Shows programme here.

Which events have you got eyes on?

*Image cred: The Late Shows

California Dreamin'

Last month, Joe and I headed off to California for a magical 10 days. We crammed an absolute load into our time there and took waaay too many photos (I'm still trying to edit them!).

LA and San Francisco are two of the most incredible cities I've been lucky enough to visit and we'll definitely be going back.

Here's a look at Cali through the medium of Instagram.

Straight from the airport to Santa Monica beach and a well deserved Coronarita / SMP / lovely typography a step away from our hotel / end of Route 66 / sunset / beautiful tiled floor in Blue Plate Taco / pastel prettiness / The Bean / Venice

Amazing fresh juices in Local 1205 on Abbot Kinney, Venice / cycling from Santa Monica to Venice / gorgeous milk glass, wish I could've brought some home - so cheap! / far too much money was spent in this brilliant store, Urbanic Paper / skaters at Venice Beach / the amazing menu in my most favourite restaurant EVER, Gjelina / homemade Chorizo pizza, broccolini, and chickpea and black kale stew / LA > SF / SF cable car - best way to commute around the city.

Super smiley on the tram / Defeating the meat at In-N-Out Burger / Fisherman's Wharf / cable car selfie / yummy cocktails at Local Edition / Traz / AMB <3 JM / GGB / lush seafood at La Mar

Had the most amazing ice cream from Polar Bear ice cream in Santa Cruz / just part of a huge graffiti in SC / surf shop / Santa Cruz / Santa Barbara Stearn's Wharf / amazing fish tacos in the sunshine / Paradise Cove beers with J / heaven.

An amazing welcome at the fabulous Avalon Hotel in Beverley Hills / BH / brilliant sign outside Avalon / poolside cocktails / Central Perk at WB Studios / living the dream / Universal Studios / J / jut a teeny tiny selection of my Whole Foods haul

The best burger I've ever had at Short Order, Farmer's Market / haulin' at Amoeba Music / Deus Ex Machina / Paris in LA at Bouchon Bakery / second visit to the truly wonderful Gjelina / mecca / kicking Joe's bum at table tennis in The Standard Downtown / last night cocktails at the rooftop pool / LAPL.

Jan/Feb 2013: Some snaps

Tim Walker poster from his brilliant Story Teller exhibition at Somerset House, finally in situ above the bed; Big Sis and me ready for a day out in London town; Heaven in a can; Aesop goodies from Beauty Expert; the best coffee from Ouseburn Coffee Company at Tynemouth Market; old shipping lights in ORA Tynemouth;  Rob Ryan mugs from Joe for our 5 year anniversary <3; the snowy seafront near our flat; gorgeous new wooden blinds in the bedroom; visiting Redhouse in Newcastle for a birthday pie; citizenM Bankside; the fabulous pop-up Chanel beauty store in Covent Garden; lights in citizenM reception area; cocktails and martinis in DUKES London; Sophie Hulme for Globetrotter - want, need, love. 

The Big Move

After 5 long months of finalising everything for our first flat together, we finally get the keys to our very first property on Friday! So, apologies if my posting is somewhat sporadic over the next few weeks whilst we get ourselves sorted.

Our beautiful Tyneside flat is on a very pretty street on Tynemouth fringe, a short walk from the coast and beautiful park. I'll be documenting the move as we get everything sorted and will post some photos once we are in and, for the most part, sorted. Tomorrow, we're off to raid Ikea...I can't wait!

To see what kind of style we're going for in our new flat, see my Home Style board over on Pinterest.


* Above prints L-R: Alison Hardcastle / SparklePower

Stephen Jones at The Bowes Museum

On Friday night, I hot-footed it on down to the majestic The Bowes Museum, in Barnard Castle, County Durham, for the private view of a truly fantastic new fashion exhibition - Stephen Jones; From Georgiana to Boy George.

The Bowes Museum's Fashion & Textile Gallery recently played host to the prestigious Vivienne Westwood Shoes exhibition, and with this second high profile fashion exhibition, this exquisite, historical venue is really proving to be a draw for major fashion players.

The night started with a champagne reception and a speech from main man himself. The milliner explained that designer Giles Deacon had first brought Jones' attention to the Bowes Museum, citing the museum's Silver Swan automaton as an influence for his Spring/Summer 2012 collection (Deacon went to Barnard Castle Prep School as a child, which is situated next door to the Bowes Museum). Giles and Jones' red swan masterpiece from Giles' Spring/Summer 2012 collection is on show as part of the exhibition, including the red swan headpiece which Jones' created for this collection. 

The exhibition itself, although small, showcases a beautifully curated selection of Jones' iconic designs. For this display, Jones has collaborated with friend and fashion writer Iain R Webb, utilising pieces from the Bowes' permanent collection to show an inspired display of his millinery. Antique mannequin heads from Bath's Museum of Fashion & Costume were also loaned for the exhibition.

I managed to speak to Stephen at the launch, where he very kindly signed my copy of Stephen Jones and the Accent of Fashion book, including a small drawing of one of my favourite Stephen Jones designs - the infamous Pac Man helmets he created for Giles' Spring/Summer 2009 collection. 

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Stephen Jones; From Georgiana To Boy George runs from 19th May - 2nd September 2012 in the Fashion & Textiles Gallery at the Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 8NP


On Thursday 9th August 2012, Stephen Jones will be in conversation with friend and acclaimed fashion writer Iain R Webb, bringing the two together to discuss their life-long love of fashion, history and hats. 

Lately...

On the way to work / My beautiful new Cambridge Satchel / Marni for H&M earrings / Chanel counter in Fenwick, Newcastle. 

Flowers for Mother's Day / Posting a letter to my little niece / The new King's Cross station in London / Ice cream on a sunny day 

Admiring the animals in Pet's Corner, Jesmond Dene / Sunday night pedicure / Visiting the SCIN Gallery in London / Design Museum, Shad Thames

Snazzy new Pendleton bicycle (more to come on this!) / Purple painted house near work / Rifling through old records, love the old school sleeves / Springtime tulips

Reggie the dawg / Dark 'n Stormy cocktails in Las Iguanas / Finally seeing Bill Cunningham New York at Tyneside Cinema / 35mm Ale, specially brewed for Tyneside Cinema by Wylam Brewery.

 The Classic, my favourite screen in Tyneside Cinema / Trying out 9 Bar Coffee at the Theatre Royal / Latte in 9 Bar Coffee / Box fresh and brilliantly white Converse.

Instagram: alicemarybarnes

Fashion: The Cambridge Satchel Company.

The Cambridge Satchel Company have been on my radar for sometime now. They make classic satchel bags which are all made in Britain in a fantastic array of colours and you can even personalise them with your initials in gold, silver, black or blind de-bossing. Very, very covetable and purchasing one has been high on my wishlist for a long while.

Now, on Thursday whilst typing away at work my phone buzzed and I saw a tweet from the Cambridge Satchel Co announcing that I'd won their 8,000 Twitter Followers Sparkly Satchel Giveaway! I was randomly selected out of their Twitter followers to receive one of their beautiful Sparkly Satchels - a new design for 2012. Such a wonderful surprise to receive one of these beautifully made and very covetable satchels.

After a few emails back and forth with the wonderful Emma at the Cambridge Satchel Co, I decided on the 13" Graphite Grey Sparkly Satchel, with my initials blind debossed on the front. And because this is a special giveaway prize, they debossed the number 8 (for 8,000 Twitter followers) on the satchel strap, so it is truly very special. Joe (my better half) was born on 8/8/88 so not only is 8 his lucky number, it's also now mine.

My satchel arrived safe and sound this morning and I did a little squeal when I opened the packaging! Thanks Cambridge Satchel Company - my sparkly satchel is perfect!

Beauty: Liz Earle & favourite new products

Over the the past 12 months, I've become completely obsessed with all things beauty - it all started with a love of nail art which has grown into a bigger love of new beauty products, not just for nails but across skincare and make-up lines - and of course, I've discovered some brilliant beauty blogs in the process (NB: gh0stparties and Sparkly Vodka)

I'm not saying I was a beauty novice before - I've always been a Chanel lipstick and perfume kind of girl, but never really sought out new products to try. Fashion and beauty sit very much hand in hand for me, so I'm not sure why I haven't delved into the brilliance of this industry sooner - I now read as much into beauty trends as I do fashion trends. Adopting beauty trends can be an easy access into the world of high fashion trends - catwalk looks can easily replicated at home and products are very much affordable for the average person; it doesn't cost much to look good.

My daily beauty routine has significantly changed in the past 12 months. No longer being limited to student funds, I have a (small) disposable income to spend on higher quality skincare, make-up lines and beauty treats; gone are the days of using Simple facial wipes (although these are good and practical for when I'm away or feeling lazy) but I'm very much a Liz Earle girl now.

The most significant change in my beauty routine has been the skincare products which I use, which have  resulted in my skin being clearer and softer than it's ever been before.

I'm currently using the complete Liz Earle skincare line; Hot Cloth Cleanser, Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Skin Repair Moisturiser. They complement each other brilliantly and as a result of using this skincare line, my skin has dramatically improved.

For that stubborn eye make-up (I daily pile on the mascara and black, black eyeliner), I've been using Caudalie's Cleansing Water as recommended over on Liberty London Girl -  a very, very gentle cleansing water which removes every last trace of make-up. This is a product I use probably a couple of times a week - it's slightly more expensive that an average cleanser, so I'm savouring every last drop.

Favourite new products

Primers have become a staple in my make-up bag. I can't believe that I hadn't previously used these under my foundation and they have quite literally revolutionised my make-up staying power. I'm currently using The Present by Philosophy (although I do have Benefit's The Porefessional winging it's way to me in the post to try out too). The first time I tried out this primer under my foundation, I had several complements saying I looked glamourous, which, after a long day at work, was a real surprise! The Present makes your skin look beautifully airbrushed and quite literally erases pores. A real keeper.

My good friend Catherine recently introduced me to Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. My eye make-up seems to dissolve into thin air or crease heavily as the day goes on, and since purchasing this a couple of days ago, I can't believe how I ever managed without it! My eyeshadow and liner are kept firmly in place by this miracle product so I don't need to re-apply if going out straight from work.

Lastly, a new little addition to my make-up bag is Bobbi Brown's new Ink Liner from her Neons and Nudes Collection. I picked up this gem on Buyapowa and it's perfect for when I just want a quick flick of eyeliner for those rushed mornings before work.

What are your current favourite products?