I love this Stella McCartney print; it's popping up everywhere. This picture is where it was featured on the Sartorialist, although he didn't mention the label. I think it's so lively, but it's not just the colours - there's a clear picture on the fabric. I think I love it so much because it ought to be a pattern on a tablecloth. And it's not. It's on a skirt. And that's just awesome.

Got a big fascination with royal colours at the moment - forest green, a deep velvety purple... All this King's Speech mania, I suppose.



What am I giving up for Lent? Nothing, but I am trying to re-instil discipline into my life. This time last year, I was obsessive, and very unhappy: I had huge food-guilt constantly, hated the way I looked (completely unnecessarily) and was obsessive over exercise. Now, it's completely the other way, which is a very good thing, don't get me wrong. I love the way I look and I'm very comfortable with myself, and most of all, I'm happy. But it does mean that I've lost any discipline I used to have. If someone offered me 'bad' food last year, I could turn it down easily. Now, I'll take it gladly, whether I'm hungry or not.

So I'm not giving anything up directly, nothing so hard-and-fast as that. But I'm reintroducing some parameters into my life:

• Don't eat unless you're hungry.
• Alcohol in moderation.
• No second helpings.
• Eat more slowly, so you can tell when you're full.
• Try, try, and please try to do a little bit of exercise every day. Even if it's just yoga.
• DRINK MORE WATER. (I tend to subsist until evening on the litre of coffee I have every morning, barely drinking other liquids during the day. This is baaaaad).
• Lunch is a small meal, which will make dinner earlier, which is better for you. (I have a European habit of eating dinner at 9pm, or even later).
• You can have as much junk food as you like - if you make it yourself. This means I won't be buying any croissants, muffins, or Millie's cookies when I'm out and about. But when I get home, I'll be baking Oreo muffins (http://www.handletheheat.com/2010/02/cookies-cream-cheesecake-cupcakes.html), Florentines (http://www.foodbuzz.com/blogs/3337097-florentine-cookies), and delicious Orange Drizzle Cake (http://ginandcrumpets.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/orange-drizzle-cake/) to my heart's content. 

I'll tell you how it goes. So far, I've come to realise that I have lost any semblance of self-control I once had, so even simple parameters are going to be harder than I thought.