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12.04.2014

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As interior design enthusiasts, we are always on the look out for new additions to our home. I really like the idea of having a variety of scatter cushions of which we can change up to give our room a bit of a different look. As mostly everything we have is white, I like to mix some different neutrals and prints to break things up a bit. I just wanted to show off this new cushion cover we purchased from H&M home. I feel that there are some great gems to find in there and am super impressed with the range of cushion covers in there at the moment.




11.02.2014

Monica Vinader

I have been pretty much obsessed with Monica Vinader for quite a while now and was so excited when on my birthday, Alex presented me with a little bag with the name Monica Vinader inscribed in gold. Inside, carefully nestled in tissue paper, I found the little box, wrapped delicately in twine. I am in love! I don't think this ring will be leaving my finger any time soon. It's the Siren Stacking Ring, in 18ct Gold Plated Vermeil on Sterling Silver and Labradorite. In certain lights the stone looks quite green and at other times, it is a golden amber colour, which I find perfect to wear everyday (apparently it matches my eyes). There are flecks of a darker colour and a line running through the middle, which I think is so beautiful. Alex told me that each stone looked so different, making this ring a one of a kind, which makes it even more personal and the perfect birthday present. Hopefully I can add to my collection in the coming months... Christmas isn't too far away!


10.01.2014

Insta Life

We've been meaning to dedicate more time to this blog, but obviously life seems to keep getting in the way. We both tend to take to our own instagram accounts to document the beauty of the simple things in life. With us both having a background in design, we seem to pick up on smaller details, such as the way that light falls and creates shadow on something simple, like a piece of paper. 

Here are a couple of images from our personal instagram accounts, showing details in black and white. I personally feel that my instagram account has become a place where I share images of details, rather than moments of my life, so I aim to use our Occupy account to photograph the beauty of life and bring my own account, back to its original purpose.

Follow our Occupy Living instagram for interior inspiration, design details and the beauty we notice around us, everyday. @OccupyLiving

Bed Sheets

Marble Floor

Paper Shadow

L.
Occupy Living.

9.30.2014

EYEKO

My extensive makeup bag, has a regular update every month, this week I have added the new Eyeko Mascara : Black Magic to my collection. One word, amazing. I am so fussy over my Mascaras and after using Revlons Grow Luscious Mascara in Blackest Black for the past few months, I really fancied a change. 

I had read about Eyeko eyeliners and seen the rave reviews, but wasn't sure if it was just down to the fact that Alexa Chung is the brand Ambassador and her fan base were just craving to replicate her signature cat-eye look, down to the liner. However, it seems Eyeko really has created what I call 'wonder products'. 

The new mascara leaves my lashes looking super black, which is something that I really look for in a mascara and the curved brush makes it really easy to apply. I love the way that it keeps my lashes separated and looking natural, rather than this false lash effect everyone seems to strive for nowadays. I really love this product and I am definitely going to be moving onto the Eye Do eyeliner next!



The packaging is also pretty beautiful - I am a big fan of the logo, my inner graphic designer coming out. Check out this great little device that comes in the box, used as a safe guard to stop the mascara from transferring to your lids in application. This cute little Eyeko 'plectrum' is a great idea and if you don't want to use it for make up purposes, you have a great little pick for the next time you play your guitar. 




http://www.eyeko.com

L.

9.22.2014

THINGS FROM OUR HOME

As Loren and I have had the most relaxing weekend to date (since we made the move to our new place), I thought it was time to show off some of the things we've collected over the past year or so.

Celestial Coaster (Blue) - Anthropoligie
Resin Buddha -Ebay
Blue Tumbler - John Lewis
Celestial Coaster (Neutral) - Anthropoligie
Egg Blue Bowl - Ikea
Marble Egg - The Natural History Musuem




A.

9.17.2014

AMBER - PERFUME LABORATORY

Hey guys, Alexander here, here's a quick post about one of the things that always intrigues me, great smelling perfumes. I'm partial to a good tester every now and then, trying out different brands and trying to decide what my signature scent could be. I think everyone should have a distinctive perfume that really matches their character or personality, It says a lot about a person even if it's very subtle. Currently I am wearing Eau Sauvage, by Christian Dior a classic which Steve McQueen used to wear back in the day, a husky and manly fragrance, but as I come close to the end of this bottle I'm questioning whether it really is my signature scent.

Perfume Laboratory is a small perfumer based in England, where their products are also made. To quote directly from their website "Inspired by the flora of the countryside, Laboratory Perfumes have created a series of clean, pure and modern fragrance, evocative of nature." a statement which resonates with me entirely. I want a clean, pure and modern fragrance. Having seen a good selection at the Conran Shop I decided that Amber was suited to me, 'Balmy layers of wood and ambergris, with green spicy top notes', which all sounds great, but you really need to smell it to appreciate it's beauty. Head over to Laboratory Perfumes to find out more. 


A.


9.15.2014

True Grace



We have to share our most recent find with you. We absolutely love candles and burn them pretty much every night, it's a great way to create a relaxing ambience and unwind after a long day at work and has become a bit of a familiarity to us. We even have a candle cupboard, full of pillar candles, tea lights, you name it. Nevertheless, we are always on the look out for new and exciting brands, with a lovely range of scents on offer. As lovers of Diptyque, its often hard to match their perfect glass votive- but after a trip to the Conran shop, we simply fell in love with this new fragrant treat. 

Having had a previous encounter with the Classic Candle in Sacristy, we were no strangers to the brand True Grace and had fallen in love with the rich scents they had on offer, but stumbling across these tinned candles were a nice surprise- offering a range of fresh scents including Orchard, Morrocan Rose, Cucumber and Natural Sage. Quite honestly, we could have walked out with every fragrance on offer, but this 'Wild Mint' candle really stole our hearts. 

It is such an invigorating scent and truly does smell like freshly torn mint leaves and with the basil undertones just cutting through, it is energising. Priced at only £14 in store, there was no question that we would be adding this to our collection. As soon as it turned dark outside, we lit the candle and allowed our flat to fill with this wonderful fragrance, it was a winner and we highly recommend it! We had to pop out to see a friend and on return the smell was still lingering, it was a wonderful scent to be welcomed home to- and our friend absolutely loved it too! 

Usually we would go for Amber scents, Vetiver or Vanilla, so this was a welcome change, as it really charged the atmosphere and with a burn time of 40 hours, it is well worth it. To make matters even better, the candles are all made from natural ingredients in the UK, so you can support your own too. Visit the True Grace site here - there's no doubt you will be able to fulfil your home fragrance needs. 

9.10.2014

Great tea, pure and simple

When the stress of everyday life is taking it's toll on us, we seek our escape any way that we can, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. The simple act of leaving your desk to make a cup of tea is a ritual which many take for granted, when acknowledged you can easily turn this into an indulgence.

Not just any tea will do mind you, the staple 'English Breakfast' is certainly a good one to have first thing in the morning, but we wouldn't recommend this when you're tired eyes and tense limbs are stopping you from getting on with your day.

Heath and Heather offer the solution, with a range of herbal teas to save you from your work related complaints. Their range is divided into 5 easy sections, Organics, Antioxidents, Wellbeing, Invigorating and Relaxing. Go and check out their range for yourself, as there is plenty to see, but we have listed our favourites below. Take a break and enjoy.

Lemon and Ginger, 'to warm and uplift naturally'

Green Roobios and Honey, 'to comfort and soothe naturally'

Peppermint, 'to support and refresh naturally'



A.

9.08.2014

Green Juice

So Alexander and I have decided that we are going to make a change to our diets and be healthy. No more Cheesy Pasta Dishes, Cheesecake and Cheese boards- so to start, we are trying out 'juicing'. It's a great way to flush the system of toxins and start our health-kick, one juice at a time.



























We have decided to embrace it and go green with a Spinach, Pineapple and Ginger Juice drink. I was so sceptical about this, but was pleasantly surprised- it was a great way to start the day. Try it yourself and drink your greens, simply follow our recipe below. I used a hand blender to get the spinach to a smooth consistency, so that there weren't any unwanted pieces of spinach in sight, but you could use a   jug blender instead.

Green Juice for 2

3 Handfuls of Spinach
2 Tablespoons of Yoghurt
500ml of Pineapple Juice
1 Teaspoon of Fresh Grated Ginger

1. First put the Spinach into a jug or a tall container and pour a little pineapple juice in to get things going.

2. Get blending, it's time to turn that spinach into pulp. Blend until it's smooth.

3. Add your grated ginger and yoghurt, blend.

4. Slowly add more pineapple juice until it is the consistency you want. Be careful, it can get messy!

5. When the juice is perfectly mixed, it's done! Carefully pour into a couple of tall glasses and serve, you can always add ice and a little water if you wish to make the juice a thinner consistency.


We hope you enjoy this detoxifying green power juice, it is a great way to start your day.

9.05.2014

Occupy your time


Loren and I are constantly seeking visual stimulation, whether it's scouring the internet for beautiful images. curating and editing as we go, or deciding to take a long walk around West London, taking photographs and admiring the scenery. It's important to make sure we aren't just seeing the same old same old, it get's boring so quickly, and does nothing to inspire us. As a graphic designer I am constantly aware that I should be producing work that adapts in-line with the visual identity I create when curating imagery, keeping it fresh is essential.

Although it looks pretty bare right now, please check out Loren's and my Tumblr, we'll be posting new images all the time so please follow or keep the link safe for the future. The Occupy Living Tumblr - Click Here

9.01.2014

Welcome to Occupy Living

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This blog is a joint venture by a couple of like minded individuals. Allow us to introduce ourselves, our names are Loren and Alexander, we met at university studying Fashion Communication and Promotion and have been living in London, for almost a year now. We both work in Fashion, but have passions for a vast array of different things, such as food, beauty, graphics, interior design, film and music. On our travels we thought there was no better way to document what we're up to and the things we love, than via a blog- quite frankly we fancied finding a new hobby. And here it is. 

This blog is all about how we Occupy our space, life and time, be it what we cooked for dinner, or what we want our home to look and feel like, it is a living blog. 



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