Let There Be Light

Wheely Good Fun - Winter Wonderland

It's feeling very Christmassy at Highland Angel HQ today after Edinburgh got into full festive swing at the weekend. We watched in awe as a staggering 46ft tall Snow Queen kick-started celebrations by lighting an equally enormous Norwegian spruce. The city centre looks beautiful with thousands of fairy lights twinkling from the trees, while the fabulous Ferris wheel is once again towering over Princes Street.

Nice As Pie

Piece of Cake - Pumpkin Pie

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

When it comes to celebrating the best of America, nothing tastes better than pumpkin pie - and nobody bakes it better than Martha Stewart.

This is one of our favourite winter recipes (http://www.marthastewart.com/355555/pumpkin-pie) - a perfect slice of sugar and spice. Enjoy!

Hello World

Today is World Hello Day.

Created by Brian and Michael McCormack in response to the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the event's objective is to say "hello" to 10 people today. The day - which encourages world leaders to use communication rather than force to settle conflicts - is celebrated in over 180 countries and is supported by global figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, the Dalai Lama and Bill Clinton.

We would like to say "hello" to you all today and share a fun picture from Highland Angel HQ, in keeping with today's friendly feelings.

She's In Fashion

Phaidon Phenomenon: FRUiTS 

Of all the books on my shelf, there is one particular neon coloured paperback that never gathers dust. I bought it from a vintage clothing store in Edinburgh's Victoria Street in 2001 and have been fascinated by it ever since.

FRUiTS (http://au.phaidon.com/store/fashion-culture/shoichi-aoki-fresh-fruits-9780714845104/)followed four years later by Fresh FRUiTS (http://au.phaidon.com/store/fashion-culture/shoichi-aoki-fresh-fruits-9780714845104/)  is a stunning collection of photographs revealing teenage fashions in the Harajuku district of Tokyo, Japan. From tartan suits to leopard print leggings, stripy knitted trousers to multi-coloured hair, FRUiTS has it all.

Shake, Rattle and Roll

Making Your Mind Up - Decision Dice

Here at Highland Angel HQ we're delighted to introduce our new range of gorgeous personalised gifts - just in time for Christmas.

Back To Black

Old School: Entirely Smitten (http://www.entirelysmitten.typepad.com)
& Jodie Byrne (http://www.jodiebyrne.com/)

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."

John Howard Payne, 1823.

Whenever I find myself with a bit of spare time, one of my favourite hobbies is looking for unique ways to turn my house into a home. With hundreds of magazines and thousands of blogs to search for inspiration, my imagination is often overwhelmed by the possibilities. Recently, I've noticed one particular trend cropping up time and time again, so decided to share it with you in my first "Home Sweet Home" post.

On Cloudberry Nine

Following a wintry weekend walk in Cramond, we stumbled upon a delightful suburban coffee shop which proved just the place to warm our tootsies with a mug of tea and a toasted scone.

 

Cloudberry (http://www.cloudberrygifts.co.uk) is crammed with dozens of tempting gift ideas from vintage-inspired homeware and luxurious candles to cute baby books and quirky Christmas decorations.

Remember, Remember, The Fifth Of November...

To celebrate Guy Fawkes night we watched a spectacular fireworks display at Edinburgh's Meadowbank Stadium - enjoy!

Picture Perfect



They say a picture tells a thousand words but we all know that taking the perfect photograph is not always easy. There's nothing more frustrating than enjoying a brilliant birthday party, a stunning sunset or simply watching a dog chase its tail, only to realise that you've failed to capture the moment because of shaky hands, pesky lighting or a misplaced thumb.

Over the years we've discovered some great websites to help transform our less-than-perfect pictures into treasured memories. If your photographs need a little editing SOS, here are our top three tips...