Monday 4 May 2015

The best types of bean to grow in your vegetable patch



Beans are one of the easiest vegetables to grow in your garden, but don’t limit yourself to just runner beans ­– there are others to choose from.

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Get on trend: Guide to top summer hair dos



Confused by contouring? In a tizz about tortoiseshell? Discover which hot new look is right for you with our essential guide

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Could weekend wine be ruining your waistline



Alcohol is now seen as one of the primary causes of weight gain in women. Our writer asks if it's now time to give up the bottle for good

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The county's favourite crime novelist: Meet the woman behind Wexford



THE best-selling crime writer Ruth Rendell once revealed the secret of her success. "I am a very good eavesdropper," confessed the author of the Inspector Wexford books.

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10 ways to wear a black leather jacket this spring

Most of the ladies I know at the moment are finding themselves in a seasonal transition. It's not winter anymore, thank God, but it's also not quite spring. So we're all playing a game of layering correctly. It's not easy to do at all, but there are a few wardrobe elements that can be useful at this time of year. An absolute essential for this time period, which every woman should have in her wardrobe anyway, is a black leather jacket. Now, if you don't own such an item, don't panic. This doesn't mean you have to rush out to Mulberry, Acne, Burberry or the like. Some of my favourite leather jackets over time have been discovered in second hand shops and I've never paid over ten bucks for any of them. The best part? Someone else has done the hard work in breaking it in for you. 

So, here's the question we're dealing with today - how do you wear a black leather jacket in springtime? Well, I scoured the instagram feeds of the world's top style bloggers to bring you the best of the best in style examples when it comes to wearing the black leather jacket and killing it with fashion. These ladies have their favourite black leather jackets, and there doesn't seem to be a season that goes by when they aren't sporting the fashion essential. So take notes from some of the world's best and put these tips into practice for the coming months!

{For more great ideas check out FFG's Pinterest Board on How to Wear a Black Leather Jacket}

1. While a black leather jacket loves an all black ensemble to match, it pairs just as well with a major pop of colour. If anything, it helps tone down what might otherwise be a colour explosion. 
Follow Emily Schuman on Instagram 
2. Now then, what were we saying about going black from head to toe? Yeah, that is a style that will always work and always look chic as hell!
Follow Sincerely Jules on Instagram 
3. This is a truly "wear if you dare" scenario. Not everyone is made to wear culottes. But if you've got the bod, flaunt it! Love this look - black leather jacket, grey knit and off-white culottes. Just wish I could pull it off!
Follow We Wore What on Instagram
4. As it's summer, in the not too distant future, let's get a black-leather-jacket-shorts look in the mix. Here's the bottom line - jean cut offs and a black leather jacket go together like cinnamon and sugar - all the sweeter when paired together. Rock it at festivals or on city streets. Fashion doesn't discriminate. 
Follow Peace Loves Shea on Instagram
5. Falling back into a pop of colour and a bit of leg, pair your black leather jacket with a great statement mini. 
Follow Song of Style on Instagram
6. Did I say pair your black leather jacket with a mini? Hey, it's just as easy to work with a maxi...
Follow Natalie Off Duty on Instagram
7. And for those looking for a great in between that will totally show off some rocking curves, pair with a simple white tee, tied at the waist, and a great black pencil skirt. 
Follow To Vogue or Bust on Instagram
8. A black leather jacket loves to be thrown over the shoulders, like a carefully planned afterthought. For colder mornings this spring, this is the perfect way to wear your black leather.
Follow The Frugality on Instagram
9. Here's where you can absolutely never go wrong - wearing your black leather jacket with stripes. Actually, you can never go wrong with stripes in general, but this is an ideal layering scenario. 
Follow Monica Beatrice on Instagram
10. Go a step further with the stripes and layer with white overalls, complete with the leather jacket thrown on top. There's so much going on here for style, we could peel you like an onion, layer by layer, and you'd still be rocking the runway! 
Follow Chiara Ferragni on Instagram





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EXCLUSIVE: £1m-an-hour NHS diabetes bill skyrockets as four million Britons affected



THE diabetes crisis gripping Britain is now so severe that it is costing the NHS £10billion a year.

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Top 10 facts about Star Wars



TODAY is celebrated as Star Wars Day by fans of George Lucas’s epic series who are liable to greet each other by saying, “May the Fourth be with you”.

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Hide and chic: Effortless hippy suede fashion



FOR effortless hippy style, be easily swayed by suede

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Sunday 3 May 2015

Victorian wonder homes: 150 years on the era's property is still going strong



LEWIS CARROLL'S Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland is still going strong after 150 years, much like Britain’s houses of the same era.

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VW Passat offers sense not sensation



CAN 22million drivers be wrong?

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Poll stars: The three leading women election presenters in 2015



AS THE nation votes on Thursday, three women broadcasters will be leading the media pack

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EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lightbulb moment’ in search for anxiety pill



A “REVOLUTIONARY” project is unlocking the secrets of the brain using light – and raising hopes for a new class of drugs to treat psychiatric diseases.

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Amara, Debenhams, Dune and Cadenzza: The things we are lusting after this week



THERE'S something for every budget in this week’s must-have selection

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New Look, Primark, Dune and Oliver Bonas: The best accessories for this summer



FROM beautiful belts to statement jewellery, it’s the details that count this spring.

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Deja blue: The best azure alfresco designs for your home



GO FOR the allure of azure with these elegant alfresco designs.

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Block party: The 8 best sun creams



TAKE the pain out of summer skincare with super-protective creams, says our Beauty Editor.

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Meghan Trainor: 'Everyone should be able to love who they want'



ALL ABOUT THE BASS singer Meghan, 21, grew up in Nantucket but is now based in Los Angeles.

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I'm still here for you: Late man leaves special message to his family after death



IN 2004, Max Besler died of cancer aged just 56. His wife Janis believes he wasn’t ready to die – and that’s why he stayed in touch.

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The birds and the bees: The best ways to talk about sex with our children



IN THIS instant-access digital age, how and when should we talk about sex with our children? Rachel Carlyle reports

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No Offence star Will Mellor: 'I do a Zumba class with my wife once a week'



THE actor likes to look the part in sharp suits and stylish shirts.

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