Style Spotlight - The Kirsty Top

                                                               

Our latest must-have for this season, the Kirsty top. Features a polo neck, with long- sleeves, made from ruched soft jersey fabric. A fitted, versatile, and comfortable style which creates an effortless look suitable for everyday wear. This look can be tucked in or out and paired with jeans or a skirt. The Kirsty top is a classic and essential piece to add to your winter wardrobe. Also available in Black, White and Red 

           

Kirsty top in black

The Kirsty top is a perfect staple piece for this season, fitting into the stay at home lifestyle during the winter lockdown. This piece is warm and cosy, ideal for working from home in online meetings. You can also wear this piece in a dressed-up fashion once the lockdown is over. 

Kirsty top in black

Images from: https://www.madiamatilda.co.uk

                                                              

       

                                                               Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

How To Hang Out With Friends During Lockdown

 

Quarantining can be tough, especially when you can't see your mates. It is important to do regular check-ins on your friends to make sure that no one feels alone during this difficult time. However, how can you turn these catch-up sessions into more fun?

1. Download Houseparty. It is an app on which you can play games like Pictionary, take quizzes and so much more with up to eight people on one video call.

2. Virtual workouts. By watching a Youtube workout video simultaneously you can get your daily exercise done together. You will find yourself having a lot more motivation for it!

3. Use Teleparty - a new way to watch TV in synchronization with your friends online.

4. Try cooking together. Prop your phone or computer up somewhere in your kitchen, pick out a recipe both you and your friends are curious to try and cook the same dish whilst catching up.

5. Create a TikTok account. It is fun to learn TikTok dances through a video call, but even more fun when you can then go on to duet your mates dance videos.

6. Host a presentation evening - everyone picks their favourite movie, book or something they are passionate about and prepares a quick presentation about it.

7. DIY projects. Pick some kind of an arts & crafts project for you and your friends to do whilst on a call and afterwards compare the results. This way you might also learn new tips and tricks to simplify your everyday life!

Even though we cannot see our closed ones physically, that does not have to stop us from being able to still have fun and do activities together with them. We hope these ideas will come in handy for your next catch-up session!

 Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

Spookified Looks to wear this Halloween

 

What’s in the back of your wardrobe? That old costume you wore to 2008 fright night or from that party where you were dressed up as a pumpkin. Well, this year, why not do Halloween with sustainability in mind, wear a clothing you can repeat, without the stigma of being an outfit repeater, be inventive with your clothing and create relatable character outfits like Velma from Scooby do or a dead housewife

A survey from North London Waste Authority and the environmental charity Hubbub, 40 per cent of the 7 million costumes thrown out in 2016 were worn only once - Vogue

Robyn - Dress

 

Therefore, we thought we’d put together sustainable costume ideas you can wear over or tips you can use to utilise the outfits you already have.

Here are a few ways to be sustainable this Halloween: 

Katy - Wrap Dress

Jamie - Dress

 

Use these pieces from our range, that are basics to build on your costume and day to day wear, guilt free circular economy styles 

The Katy spotted dress above would make a great Cruella De Vil, the black and white gingham dress could be a good 60's outfit with platformed heels and a flower headband, yet can also be on trend for 2021 spring summer with its puff sleeves 

Lilly - Pleated Skirt

Or if you are channeling your inner Mean Girl, the Robyn Dress. The Lilly - Skirt in cream could be used to create a corpse bride look and our Anya - Blouse in black can be a used for a variety of outfit ideas, cat, witch zombie.. you name it, endless possibilities

         

Anya - Long sleeve Jersey Top

Or alternatively, why not borrow or swap or rent costumes, rather than buying a new one? Buy your costume thrifted from a second-hand store

Non - Medical Velvet Masks

Why not coordinate your masks with your outfits, don't let the pandemic spoil your fun. 

wherever and however you chose to spend your Halloween, be safe

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

 

Doing Things A Little Differently This Halloween

We all love a treat and even though this years Halloween shall be a little different, we thought we'd compile a few things to do and make this Halloween. 

We may not be able to go trick or treating, but we can hold a safe socially distanced bonfire night, or cookout with the rule of 6 family members. 

Charlie - Dungaree

Or you could have a picnic with all those cookies, spice pumpkin lattes you made with our favouite recipe here: 

Homemade Halloween sugar cookies, topped with royal icing and perfectly decorated with Halloween sprinkles!

You will need:

16 ingredients

Refrigerated

• 1 Egg, large

Baking & spices

• 2 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
• 2 tsp Almond extract, pure
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 Food coloring
• 1 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp Meringue
• 3 cups Powdered sugar
• 1 tsp Sea salt, fine
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure

Dairy

• 1 cup Butter, unsalted
• 3 tbsp Half and half

Desserts

• 1 Candy eye decals, Small
• 1 Nonpareils, Small or jumbo

Liquids

• 3 oz Water

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside until ready to use.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed once again until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix briefly once again. 

Add the egg and mix on medium speed until well-incorporated. Add the half and half, along with both the vanilla and almond extract and mix once more.

Add the flour in 3 separate additions, mixing on low after each addition. Do not over-mix. Divide the dough into two rounds and lay each atop a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk shape, wrap and refrigerate until chilled, no less than 1 hour. The dough can be made a day in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350° and have ready cookie sheets lined with either parchment paper

One at a time, lay the disks atop a large floured work surface. Lightly flour each side of the dough round. Begin rolling, from the middle outward in each direction, shifting the dough slightly after each roll to avoid sticking. Do this until the dough is a 1/4” in thickness. Cut out dough into desired shapes.

Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Bake until the outer edges are just tinged with golden-brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

For the Royal Icing:

Have ready a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, water and extract. Begin mixing on low until powdered sugar has absorbed the liquid ingredients, then increase speed to high. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until the icing is the consistency similar to toothpaste.

To ensure the icing is the right consistency, test it by allowing icing to drip from the paddle attachment or beaters. It should take about 30 seconds before the fallen icing loses its shape and melds into the rest of the icing.

If colouring the icing, add the food colouring now. 

To apply the icing to the cookie, pipe a line of icing about an eighth of an inch from the edge of the cookie. This is also called outlining. Do not pipe directly on the edge. Then, pipe in a tight and compact zig-zag pattern to fill the inside of the cookie. This is also called flooding.

Decorate with sprinkles and decals while the icing is still wet. Set aside and allow to set for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

 

Credits: https://www.theanthonykitchen.com/halloween-sugar-cookies-made-to-party/

Tips for using royal icing - select your icing. Make up a batch of royal icing in a bowl and just dip the face of the cookie in it. This is great fun for getting the kids involved.

 If you like sprinkles and candy, it to create add more colour and detail to your cookies

 

Cookie cutters can be so useful, for interesting shapes makes  your cookies look well put together. (for the bake off pro)

If you want to go a step further, you could also buy candy eye decals for that perfect finish or pipe them from a non-plastic tube - for tips on how to use a piping tube, see here https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-use-a-piping-bag-224064

If  cooking is not your thing,why not take a trip to the pumpkin fields and decorate with the kids when you get home 

 

Sincerely Madia & Matilda