Tuesday, 18 March 2014

Pick the Pantone colour for you!


2014 Colour Trends


Pantone have chosen some fantastic colours for you for 2014, however if the colour chart above just isn't inspiring you enough, I have scoured the Internet for pictures to give you that little extra...

PANTONE: Cayenne.


 I've been seeing this colour slowly sneak into our lives in the past year, and boy am I glad it did, I just can't get enough of this colour!






 PANTONE: Dazzling Blue.

 
Reminds me of Royal Blue, with more Jazz. Think, feature walls. Think, statement pieces. Think, Dazzling Blue.





 PANTONE: Paloma.

 Possibly my favourite out of all the colours this year, but that's only because I'm a sucker for Grey tones. Team Paloma with any of the other colours and you'll have a match made in heaven. Beautiful.







 PANTONE: Celosia Orange.

  Throw away everything that made you dislike Orange because Celosia Orange is here to win your heart. Are you in love yet?






PANTONE: Hemlock.

 You really can't go wrong with Hemlock, whether your wearing it or painting it on your wall, it's a safe, comfortable, reassuring colour. Hemlock will be your best friend this year.



 PANTONE: Sand.

 Sand with White. Perfection. If you're a lover of the neutrals, like me, Sand is a perfect alternative. A little deeper than the usual beige, but equally as relaxing and comforting.





 PANTONE: Freesia

You just can't deny it, Freesia is a happiness in one pot. Paint anything this colour for an instant boost.





 

PANTONE: Radiant Orchid. 

Pantone's 2014 Colour of the Year and what's not to love! It's bright and yet not too "in your face", it's uplifting and yet still relaxing... It's just radiant. Radiant Orchid to be precise. I suspect you'll be seeing a lot more of this colour, everywhere!






PANTONE: Placid Blue.

  No colour chart would be right without it's light blue tones, and I like this one. Even the name reminds you that you should be relaxing with it on your walls, "placid blue"... I'm feeling mellowed already.







PANTONE: Violet Tulip.

Cute, delicate and pretty. Paint anything this colour for the instant "aw, so cute" effect, in fact lets just paint everything in this colour. I think the world would be a better place if everything was Violet Tulip.






Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Something different for Lent.

Every Lent everyone gives up the same thing, well this year (today) why not do something a bit different...

  1. Give up negative thoughts. Whatever happens through your day, try and think of a positive, you'll be amazed how quickly you'll find that that negativity just disappears!
  2. Social media. In this day and age everybody is on their mobiles/tablets/ipads/laptops/etc all the time, Why not limit yourself to just the evening? or a few minutes at a time?
  3. Give up take-aways. I know they're tasty, I know they're easy... but just think how much healthier you would be if you didn't have a take-away for 40 days and 40 nights, you never know, you might not miss them!
  4. Remember the real meaning of Lent. You could visit your local church this Sunday and remind yourself about Lent.
  5. Give up keeping things to yourself. If you like something, compliment it. If you are upset, speak about it. If someone makes you happy, tell them. Voice your feelings, don't bottle them up.
  6. Sign up to do 40acts in which you "do Lent generously". 40 lovely things for you to do each and every day, to benefit yourself and others.
  7. Give up the Snooze button. No those extra few minutes won't make you feel more awake, get up for your first alarm and see how much better you feel.
  8. Give up your time. You know that free time when you watch rubbish on the TV, or spend it browsing at rubbish on the Internet. Well why not use your time for some good and do some volunteer work to help those around you.
  9.  Give up clutter. De-clutter your house, you'll be surprised how little you actually need.
  10. Give up rushing. Take your time with your jobs and make sure you do the job properly. Mange your time so you don't have to rush everywhere, and you could even factor in a bit of "me" time as well.
Here's to everyone having a lovely Lent & Easter

Monday, 3 March 2014

A healthy way to enjoy Pancake Day.

If you're looking for a healthy alternative this Pancake day... I've got the perfect solution for you!

APPLESAUCE PANCAKES

Only 74 calories per serving and even better if you make with wholemeal flour, then serve with fresh fruit...

You can have you (pan)cake and eat it! Yay!


Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
  • 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • Cooking spray
  • Sugar-free maple syrup (optional)
  • Fresh fruit slices (optional)

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl; make a well in centre of mixture. Combine buttermilk and next 3 ingredients. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
Heat a nonstick griddle or nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle, spreading to a 5-inch circle. Cook pancakes until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked; turn pancakes, and cook other side.
Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit, if desired (syrup and fruit not included in analysis).
Tip: One tablespoon of sugar-free maple syrup has 8 calories and 3 grams of carbohydrate.

Nutritional Information

Calories per serving:74
Calories from fat:0.0%
Fat per serving:1.8g
Saturated fat per serving:0.4g
Monounsaturated fat per serving:0.0g
Polyunsaturated fat per serving:0.0g
Protein per serving:3g
Carbohydrates per serving:11.5g
Fibre per serving:0.6g
Cholesterol per serving:22mg
Iron per serving:0.0mg
Sodium per serving:143mg
Calcium per serving:0.0mg

Good to Know

These diabetic-friendly pancakes are low in fat and easy to make. Serve with fresh fruit to make it more filling, or add fruit right into the batter.


Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Not to fear, Drift Living is here!

We all know how much Valentine's day can cost. Adding up everything together.. cards.. wrapping paper.. ribbon.. bundles of presents.. champagne.. chocolates.. food for breakfast in bed. It just goes on and on and on. 

BUT we want to help! 

When you spend £15.00 (before shipping) on our website from now (Wednesday 5th Feb) until Valentine's Day, we're giving you 10% off any order you place! We'll even give you an extra day till the 15th of Feb for those forgetful people in a panic! 

Just remember to type the code HEART14 at the checkout and we'll remove your discount!

http://driftliving.co.uk/

Thursday, 30 January 2014

It's *nearly* Valentine's Day everyone!

That's right, it's nearly here. Whether your loved up or currently single, it's still a time to show those around you that you love them.. cheesy yes, but no-one ever tires of hearing that someone loves them. But not to worry folks, I said "nearly", you've still got 2 weeks and 1 day... that's 15 days... that's 360* hours... that's 21600* minutes... Actually it doesn't seem so long now, eeek!

Maybe you're in a panic searching for unique ideas or just having a browse, pondering about V-day, whichever it is, here's some ideas to help you along the way.

 1. Why not do your own Valentines take on Christmas - Make your own Valentine's Day Tree with your Valentine's presents underneath and reasons why you love them on the heart decorations.


 2. Valentine's morning wake your family/partner up with a special breakfast. If they like eggs, make heart shaped eggs.. if they like pancakes, heart shaped pancakes... heart shaped toast... heart shaped fruit... the heart shaped list is endless!

 3. Surprise your valentine with something baked with love; cakes, cupcakes, cookies, flapjack.. After all, who doesn't appreciate some home baking. Just add a touch of red food colouring and you've got yourself a Valentine's day treat!
http://www.recipe.com/valentine-cookies/?esrc=nwdr020213pina

 4. V-day themed cards. Etsy (and many other) has some fabulously cute valentines days cards. Lots of cute puns, pretty pictures and funny sayings.. what more could you want on a Valentine's card!

http://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/118877151/valentine-card-youre-spec-tacular?ref=sr_gallery_14&ga_search_query=valentine+card&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=GB&ga_page=2&ga_search_type=all

 5. Why not get your valentine a poster? NotontheHighstreet do some super cute prints, and they even have a whole category named "Valentines Prints" saving you the time of searching, perfect!

http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/littlebirddesigns/product/valentine-glass-message-picture-frame

 6. Everyone loves to reminisce... so why not make your partner a collage of photos looking back on your time together. Pictures of you, of them, of places you've been together, places you're going to go... anything you fancy! Or similarly, why not use this Photo Card Holder (£19.99), you can put your photos in there, along with any V-day card you receive, and use it forever!

http://driftliving.co.uk/heart-card-holder/

FOR HIM- Why not make this Date Jar for your partner? Fill it full of fun things to do on your date night/on the weekends. "Go for a Picnic", "Homemade Pizza Night","Cinema", "Go for long walk on beach", "Free pass for whatever you want on TV" , have some fun and make up some that are personal to you as a couple!

FOR HER- This Ceramic Heart Lantern (£15.50) is a lovely gift for a woman this Valentines day, she'll be able to use it year in year out and it'll always remind her of you whenever she lights it.

http://driftliving.co.uk/ceramic-heart-lantern/

Here's hoping that this has helped you imagination a little bit... and wishing you a lovely run up to Valentines day!

MORE PICS AND IDEAS ON THE DRIFTLIVING PINTEREST
 
* I take no responsibility for the mathematics used to work our hours and minutes, full credit goes to Google.

Monday, 27 January 2014

Vintage Chic Heaven.

If you, like me, are addicted to antiques, vintage and bargain hunting...
Oh, and do you like coffee and cake? Yes? Well... you are going to just LOVE this place!

The Old Dairy in Ford is a sanctuary for anyone who likes to have a rummage through quality antiques, who likes beautiful views and who enjoys a tasty cup of coffee with an even tastier cake.


After a recent visit, I was informed of The Old Dairy's plans to transform one of their rooms into a kitchen area/ tea & coffees, with cooking demonstrations on...(wait for it).. an AGA, as they're now AGA Ambassadors. Now I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for an AGA, drooling at the sight of any. I didn't know that the folks at The Old Dairy could make it any more appealing, but they have managed to succeed! Now just to wait for the AGA's to be installed, then you won't be able to keep me away!

If you're ever in the lands of Northumberland I would eagerly recommend you to pay a visit to Ford, an already lovely village made even better by The Old Dairy! (Situated about 25 mins for Berwick-upon-Tweed).