Recently I've been toying with the idea of creating a home office to really focus on blogging and also doing a few bits of work at home for my full-time job. My current set up is pretty basic so I took to Pinterest and IKEA.com to get some inspiration.
I'm basically looking to create something extremely simple and super organised. The black IKEA desk above looks great and there's even a cut out coffee cup holder - awesome idea! A leather chair is a must and ideally some storage around the desk as well for storing important files and the mass of blog post ideas I have scribbled down on various bits of paper and post it notes.
These framed inspirational quotes are a bit cheesy but potentially something to look at for ideas and help get rid of the dreaded writers block.
Look at all that storage in those white drawers and filing units! I'm starting to think that the acquisition of an iMac is going to be essential to this whole home office project...
What would your dream home office look like?
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Reiss is one of my favourite places to shop for workwear as well as sharp casual wear staples like brogues or slim cut knits. Here's a few of my favourites from their Autumn Winter 2015 collection, which dropped earlier this week
- Contrast hem jumper - £90
- Leather trim backpack - £170
- Pocket polo shirt - £50
- Button down shirt - £70
- Jack Purcell leather trainers - £95
I love these iconic Jack Purcell Converse in white leather. They can be paired with a casual skinny or slim jeans but also styled with a more formal shirt or knit like the contrast hem jumper. Made from a blend of wool and cashmere, this crew neck is super soft and effortlessly stylish - not a price price either for that kind of quality. Perfect for cooler evenings this autumn.
I've been on the hunt for a leather backpack recently and this black number really ticks all the boxes. It doesn't come cheap at £170 considering it's only leather trim, but really looks the part. It also comes with various zip compartments and two adjustable shoulder straps. Great for the office or a weekend break.
What have been your menswear favourites so far for Autumn/Winter?
I've been a fan of Lush for a long time, but have never purchased anything other than their amazing range of infamous bath bombs & soaps. I thought I'd give a few of the products from their cosmetics range a go...and boy was it worth while! Here's a few of the items I picked up this weekend.
Happy Hippy Shower Gel - £7.50 / 250g
One of Lush's most popular shower products, the Happy Hippy shower gel is bursting with pink grapefruit and bergamot essential oils. The fragrance reminds me of holidays, which is always a plus in my book, and overall it feels great on the skin. Don't let the addition of essential oils put you off either - it'll leave your skin feeling soft for hours afterwards. Yum!
Kalamazoo Beard & Facial Wash - £6.50 / 100g
First things first - you don't need a beard to use this! I've got barely more than a bit of stubble and still saw some great results. The combination of pineapple and apricot kernel oil helps to soften beards but also will do a great job on your skin too. Just scoop a dollop onto your face and massage for 20-30 seconds to create a soft leather and you'll soon start feeling the results. The oils aren't greasy and the pineapple enzymes remove any dry skin yet condition oily parts too. This isn't cheap per 100g but it's certainly one of the best facial washes I've tried this year.
Karma Kream Hand & Body Lotion - £13.95 / 225g
Karma Kream is full of almond oil, cocoa butter and glycerine with the aim of nourishing and softening your skin both day and night. I opted for the 225g tub thinking that it need to use loads each day but I've found you only need a small dollop for each application. Karma is one of Lush's most famous scents and I can see why! The orange and pine is certainly strong but in no way overpowering. After a couple of days I've found my skin to be much softer and the lotion also seems to be doing a great job at keeping insects at bay. A must-buy.
What're your favourite Lush buys?
A new beginning?
Apple Music was launched on June 30th this year in over 100 countries worldwide as part of the release of iOS 8.4. It was hyped as being the long awaited "Spotify-killer" that would bring some much needed competition to the music streaming market.
The idea is simple. Apple Music aims to combine it's infamous library of millions of songs with an internet radio service entitled Beats 1, which is curated 24 hours a day by some of the hottest DJs around the world including Zane Lowe, Ebro Darden and Julie Adenuga. All of this content is available for $9.99 per month and is billed straight from your Apple account.
Apple Music vs. Spotify
I've been an avid user of Spotify for a number of years now, so clearly I was interested in what Apple could bring to the table in terms of a music streaming service. More specifically, what could the silicon valley tech giant possibly bring to the market that was innovative here? Apple have unbeliveably done just that. Don't get me wrong, Spotify is an incredible service and works almost perfectly with synced playlists across a variety of platforms and devices but they simply can't compete with the breadth of the iTunes music catalogue.
Aside from having pretty much the entire iTunes library available to stream wherever and whenever you like, Apple Music also includes several levels of curation that have enabled me to discover new tracks and completely new artists - something that the Spotify experience just never invited me to do. The "For you" tab within the app analyses the tracks you stream and recommends new artists that match the genres you listen to most. Moreover, the app curates entire playlists of songs for you to enjoy and store for later. This for me just takes music streaming to another level.
Beats 1
I was initially quite apprehensive and the Beats 1 worldwide internet radio service. I don't normally listen to radio at home or in the car so why would this change my habits? I was also worried about what kind of tracks would be played because the service aims to provide listeners with a variety of music across lots of genres. I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the programming and now find myself listening to Beats 1 both at home on my laptop and also on the go during my morning commute. Again, this is another level of curation that no other service is currently able to even come close to. There's so much scope here for several version of the Beats 1 service that could cover a variety of genres and shows. I never thought I'd be excited for the future of internet radio in 2015.
The Verdict
Apple music really is a powerful new candidate when it comes to music streaming and internet radio. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. The user experience is sometimes confusing especially on the Mac but then this is very much a version 1 for the app across all devices. With a few tweaks across the board this is certainly a compelling option for those looking to stream millions of songs for fixed and competitive monthly fee.
If you're transitioning from Spotify then Apple certainly hasn't made it an easy experience, which is something they definitely need to work on. If you've spent years creating playlists for every eventuality in Spotify then there's currently no easy way to transfer those across to Apple Music. The 3 month free trial is a great taster and I for one will certainly be continuing with my subscription long after the end of September.
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