A Lifestyle, Grooming And Technology Blog

Tuesday 30 August 2016

Apple's iPhone 7 Event Set For Sept. 7th

The iPhone 7 & 7 Plus


It's that time of year again when Apple enthusiasts along with thousands of journalists from around the world gather to find out all the details for the tech giant's latest releases. This year Apple is expected to release their 9th iteration of the best-selling smartphone of all time - the iPhone. However, early rumours have suggested that this year's model will stick very much to the design of it's predecessor the 6s but with one notable exception.. the headphone jack. 

A lot of people have been extremely upset about the idea of 1. Having to purchase bluetooth headphones on top of the over £650 device or 2. Purchasing an adaptor from Apple to enable them to continue using their current 3.5mm ear buds. At first this seems understandable right? Of course it does.. but then removing the jack allows the iPhone to become slimmer and would allow you to both charge the device and listen to your favourite music through the lightening connector. It just depends on how much thickness affects your buying decision I guess. 

The other notable rumour on design tweaks include the possibility of new colour options for the iPhone 7. Personally I'm not hoping for quite the array of garish options that the iPhone 5c had but both Space Black and a Deep Blue colour have both been spotted in production according to various reports so we'll just have to wait and see on that front - I'd definitely go for the Space Black! Just look at those mock ups below..
It's also likely that Apple will finally drop the 16GB base model for its flagship iPhone 7 & 7 Plus and instead lead with the 64GB, 128GB and a new 256GB variations. Who needs 256GB of storage these days I'll never know?! That's a ton of apps, photos and music!

With the event landing on the Wednesday it's likely that pre-orders would begin on Friday 9th September with a launch date two weeks later on Friday 23rd if Apple choose to follow previous launch times. So that's less than a month before it'll be in our hands! 

Which model will you be going for or are you waiting for a refreshed design with the 10th anniversary iPhone 8 next year?

Finally a new MacBook Pro?


The release of a brand new iPhone isn't the only excitement surrounding this year's September event. There's also the possibility of a long awaited hardware update to the MacBook Pro, which has seen barely any refinement apart from processor spec bumps since mid-2013! 

It's likely that if there's a release planned for Autumn of this year then the main selling point for the updated MacBook pro will be the addition of a touch sensitive OLED panel that would replace your current function keys. This panel is also rumoured to be dynamic to the app that you're currently looking at - the example below showing Spotify volume and track selector control. Pretty awesome!

 Other improvements would likely be a move to USB C as well as the usual processor and RAM upgrades to give your Mac that extra boost. Is it worth trading up for a new one though? Who knows just yet but I think for most people it'll take a lot more than a touch-sensitive panel!

What are your most looking forward to seeing at Apple's September 7th event? 




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Monday 29 August 2016

Etsy Favourites | August 2016

It's time for another look at some of the items I've been loving on Etsy over the past month. It always feels great sharing products from Etsy almost more than any other site because so much time has gone into people designing and/or making the items themselves! So here's my favourites for August 2016...


1.  Macbook Pro 'Colour Explosion' Hard Case - by RealDesignRocks


I've been thinking about investing in a hard case for my MacBook for a while now after getting a few surface scratches on my 2014 15" model. This is the 'Colour Explosion' model - named for obvious reasons - and I really love it! That Apple logo looks great in the middle of all that colour. RealDesignRocks also do a variety of other designs for Mac and will create an iPhone case to match if you like. £42 and available here.

2.  Record Player Stand & Vinyl Storage - by DerelictDesign

I got a Crosley record player for Christmas and I've been avidly collecting vinyls ever since (post to come very soon on my favourites!) but I'm still yet to find the perfect way to store them - until now! Here's the stand and storage unit from Derelict Design. It is hand made from high quality softwood timber and is fitted with Eames style hairpin legs for a classic look. This unit is fine sanded, stained and sealed with a dark ebony oil stain and final wax for a low-sheen, hardwearing finish. 




It's got enough space to store hundreds of records, which should last me a while, plus it doubles as a coffee or side table. I've already got a small table that I keep my Crosley on but this would look so much better! Not cheap at £255 but it's solid wood and those metal legs look great too.

3.  Grow Your Own Coffee Kit - by PlantsFromSeed


This is such a fantastic idea! This kit includes everything you need to grow your own coffee plant from home and I can't wait to try it out. It would also make a perfect gift for any coffee lovers in your life! I'm not quite sure how long the plant will actually take to grow but it sounds interesting, looking forward to mine arriving sometime this week.

4.  Men's Handmade Leather Boots- by YGMoriginaldesign

I've been looking all over for a good quality pair of leather boots but can't seem to find any that quite do it for me. However, these look like they might just be the ones! They're handmade and you can even get your own logo or initial printed into the leather (although i'm not quite sure why!). They are also available in black but I much prefer the brown pictured below.

5.  Handcrafted Guitar Stand- by Arthur Guitars


Not long ago I bought a new Gibson guitar and I've been looking for a unique stand ever since to display it in my living room. This handmade hardwood one looks incredible and would be the perfect way to show off the new Gibson J-45! 

Due to the hardwood construction it's also extremely strong and stable so you shouldn't have to worry about coming home and finding your prized guitar in pieces on the floor. Will definitely be ordering a couple of these I think!



That's it for this month. What hidden gems have you found on Etsy during August?



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Saturday 20 August 2016

The Review | Stranger Things

I'll be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect when I started watching Stranger Things. I'd heard great things about it but Sci Fi mysteries aren't normally my kind of thing. But I thought why not give it a go? I've watched loads of other Netflix originals like House of Cards and the like so it must worth a watch, right?

Stranger Things is set in a small town in Indiana, USA during the 1980's and follows the story of a boy that mysteriously disappears one night without a trace and a group of family and friends that try and find out what happened. The plot thickens when the town-folk accidentally stumble upon top secret government experiment but soon realise they might be dealing with something out of this world - no spoilers I promise!

Balancing style and substance is always challenging for a series like Stranger Things, but the show is perfectly calibrated. It feels like watching a show produced during the era in which it’s set, but with the craft of today’s prestige television.


By its end, after only eight episodes, Stranger Things becomes darker and more frightening than its opening suggests. It's also somewhat hopeful. It devotes many scenes to the characters that movies don't have time for: the mother, the local police chief (David Harbour), the hunky bully (Joe Keery), the older sister who's almost a woman (Natalia Dyer).

The casts of horror movies tend to shrink as the climax approaches, with a "final girl" or heroic dude left to face off against evil in the ending. Here, it's all the people we've come to care about, some paired up in surprising ways, some revealing themselves as more than we expected. In that, they're like the show they inhabit. Netflix has truly struck gold with this masterpiece of a mini-series. Here's hoping for a second season!


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Sunday 14 August 2016

Must-have Autumn Jackets

As Summer officially starts coming to a close (boo!) it's time to start thinking about your autumn wardrobe, and what better place to start than a statement denim or bomber jacket? Check out my favourites from the likes of ASOS and All Saints below.

My absolute fave has to be the khaki jacket from ASOS - only £32! Khaki has been a massive trend all year long so let's hope that extends into Autumn. It's 100% polyester hence the price tag but it looks great and is really lightweight so can be worn with a shirt even on slightly warmer evenings over the coming months.

I also love this classic denim trucker jacket from Levis. It's mid-weight so again could still be teamed with a shirt underneath. Looks great paired with a white tee and some skinny ripped jeans.
Must-have Autumn Jackets


Levi s mens blue jacket
£130 - asos.com


AllSaints mens cotton jacket
£150 - allsaints.com


ASOS tall mens jacket
£32 - asos.com


ASOS mens khaki jacket
£32 - asos.com


AllSaints mens cotton shirt
£140 - allsaints.com

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Thursday 11 August 2016

Weekly Wishlist - Penfield AW '16 Collection

This week Penfield, the iconic American outerwear brand, dropped it's Autumn Winter collection for 2016 so I thought I'd share a few of my favourite pieces.

The Mountain Parka is one of the original pieces from Penfield's first collection and very little has changed but that's no bad thing. It has a classic parka construction and the material although mostly a cotton/nylon mix never feels to plastic or cheap to the touch. In true parka style there's loads of pockets, some of which are so discrete you'll probably take a few weeks to catch 'em all (standard Pokemon reference...) It's available in a variety of bright colours too, which is great for rainy autumn days!
1. Hooded Parka £160    2. Knit Bomber £125    3. Crew Neck Sweat £70    4. Cotton Check Shirt £70 


Penfield have climbed aboard the bomber jacket trend with the Eastport Knit Bomber, made from pure lambswool hence the £125 price tag. It's also got some really nice detailed around the cuffs and zip which make it an Autumn must-have. Also available in navy & black.

The Crew Neck Sweat featuring the iconic Penfield logo is a great addition to the Autumn Winter collection. It's made from super soft 100% cotton including a fleecy lining which feels great. Definitely one for the Wishlist and reasonably priced at £70

Last but by no means least is the Barrhead Check Shirt, which is another 100% cotton piece making it super lightweight and breathable. The cotton has also been brushed giving it more of a 'lived in' feel which looks great, although after a few washes the softness does tend to fade. The Barrhead is listed as classic fit which I wouldn't normally go for but I find Penfield normally fits a size smaller than expected anyway. 

So that's it! Those are my favourite pieces from the Autumn Winter collection. Do you have any favourites? What other brands are looking great this season?

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Sunday 7 August 2016

The Latest Instagram Accounts I'm Following

Instagram is easily one of my favourite social media platforms these days. However, everyone knows your feed is only as good as who you follow, so a strong set of accounts is paramount in getting the most out of IG. Whether you're after holiday or recipe inspiration, or just a bit of eye candy, Instagram is packed with incredible imagery from over 500 million users across the globe.

Here's just a selection of the accounts my feed couldn't live without:

Ultralinxfeed
Ultralinx is certainly one of the best lifestyle accounts I've come across over recent months. They post really inspirational set up shots for your home office and they also have an online store where you can purchase many of the items showcased on their feed. This always makes me want to create the most amazing office space in my flat.

Bang & Olufsen
Certainly one of the more familiar brand names on this list, Bang & Olufsen create some of the most incredible home cinema and personal audio experiences on the planet. Another one for the home & office lust list for sure. The set up images they post are just incredible.

Cau Restaurants 
If you've never been to Cau then you really are missing out! They do some of the best Argentinian steak around and love to post it all day long on their IG account. They frequently launch new dishes and menu items on there too so it's a great way of finding out when to book your next meal! 


The Projekt Store
The Project Store is an independent menswear retailer based in Sutton. They stock all kinds of great menswear brands including Ralph Lauren, Farah and Lacoste to name a few. They are always posting outfit ideas and some of their best deals so this is a great place to keep track of what's trending in British menswear. They also have a great website, which is relaunching very shortly.

Voyage Prive
Looking for ideas for an amazing holiday? Look no further than the Voyage Prive IG feed! They post pics of some of the most incredible holiday destinations and hotels from around the world, and the best part is you can actually stay there! They have some great offers on their website on various luxury travel experiences so check them out here

And that's just a few of the latest accounts I've been following. Who are you following on IG?

Don't forget you can follow me on Instagram right here








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