MSH Backup

Last weekend, I made the most of a leisurely (and surprisingly sunny!) Saturday by paying a visit to the beautiful RHS Wisley. Surprisingly (especially given that it's not too far away from where I live), it was my first visit to the gardens, in search of some botanical inspiration, as well as to visit the beautiful Butterflies in the Glasshouse exhibit- the perfect tropical antidote to the winter blues, and a wonderfully relaxing way to wile away a couple of hours: Housed in a specifically constructed Tropical Zone, this rainforest-inspired habitat is dominated by soaring palms and beautiful blooms including orchids and hibiscus- a real treat given that they're extremely tricky to grow in the garden! There's something really magical about being immersed in a living, breathing environment, especially when it gives you the opportunity to encounter so many rarely seen species from all over the world, in a wonderfully curated space which really is the perfect antidote to the w...

What a month it's been. Whilst I'm struggling to comprehend the absolutely shameful and abhorrent events of the weekend, I'm also keen to try my best to formulate some sort of articulate response to what's happening to the world at the moment. It may very well be a little while in coming, and I'm not sure quite what form it will take, but when I have something more coherent than screaming expletives at the news, I'll be sure to share it with you. Putting together blog posts for this week has seemed a little bit frivolous to tell you the truth, so if things are a bit quiet on these pages for a little while then I hope you'll understand why. If you're keen to act, then you can do what I did last week and write to the Prime Minister, support ACLU  or sign a petition to show that ignorance and intolerance are not welcome in the UK.  I realise that sharing what I've been up to over the last month or so is enormously trivial- but at the same time it's...

As I've mentioned in a host of previous posts, keeping my skin looking at feeling tip top at this time of the year often feels like something of an ongoing battle. With blasts of arctic weather, central heating and a serious lack of Vitamin D, I'm always on the lookout for hero products to feature in my routine- especially if they come recommended. I feel like the world and his wife have been signing the praises of Oskia's Renaissance Cleansing Gel for what feels like forever, and it's a product which I finally got the opportunity to try just before Christmas- thanks to a savvy stocking filler which I snapped up from Space NK:  With winter already proving punishing enough, I've been inclined to steer away from any abrasive products for a little while, just so that my skin has a chance to repair and (hopefully!) rejuvenate as gently as possible. This product (much lauded and oft-blogged about), is one of the most delicate I've used, so is perfect if you've go...

Whilst I'm a firm believer in the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' philosophy, sometimes there is nothing better than a bit of a change- especially if, like me, you're embracing a 'treat yoself' approach to see you through January. I've never been one for investing overmuch in anything techy- in fact I only replaced my last phone because it got to the stage where I couldn't turn it on anymore- but one of my resolutions for this year was to get a little bit more savvy with my photography. I'd been looking at getting a new camera for a fair few months or so, and having saved up over £200 in the first few weeks of the year (thank you very much Southern Rail delay repay..!), last week I took the plunge and ordered the much coveted Olympus Pen E-PL7:  Whilst I'm still keeping hold of my DSLR, this new addition to my camera collection is a wonderful option for shooting on the go- lightweight and compact as well as being really easy to use. It ...