Emma and husband Phil were given the diagnosis that Freddie Jack McDonald had chronic liver disease, a condition known as Alagille syndrome, which affects just one in 100,000 people.

From that moment, family life as they had previously known it has turned on its axis.

When Freddie was four weeks old he was referred to hospital for tests. He was jaundiced and it was getting worse.

Blood was taken from their little baby on a weekly basis but hope appeared to be on their side with doctors ruling out anything serious.

However, Freddie was not improving and earlier in the year a liver biopsy confirmed what no parent wants to hear.

Up until Freddie’s diagnosis, life was pretty much perfect for Emma and Phil. They are blessed with another beautiful son, three year-old Louie. They have an envious house, a nice lifestyle, fabulous family and friends.

Their second baby arrived to complete the family and like any parent only ever wanted an assurance he would grow up healthy and happy. They are now coping with a crack in that dream.

As I write this, Freddie has come out of another round of surgery at the specialist children’s liver unit at Leeds General Infirmary, this time to have a gastric feeding tube fitted.

This remarkable boy continues to display an incredible and awe-inspiring resilience. He smiles continuously as doctors prod and poke to make him better, he gargles and giggles beautifully at his mummy and daddy. It is a sight that both melts and breaks your heart.

How Freddie will deal with this disease as he grows is unknown. It can cause problems with other organs but thankfully at the moment he appears unaffected this way. He will be on a life-long medication, regular hospital visits and a liver transplant at some point is a possibility.

All of a sudden their futures have been dotted with frightening uncertainties.

How have they coped? They have struggled with all the emotions you would imagine; anger, grief, sadness, fear, panic. In my eyes, they have been very brave.

Support from family and friends could not have been greater but comfort, hope and inspiration has also come from the charity, Children’s Liver Disease Foundation (CLDF).

Formed in the 1980s, CLDF is the voice for young people and their families with liver disease from childhood.

It provides a support service and is the lead charity supporting medical research into all aspects of children’s liver diseases.

It is the backbone of Emma and Phil’s support network and will be a constant presence as Freddie grows up.

For this reason Emma’s sister Lizzie and sister-in-law Linsey, joined by family friends Brendan and Graeme, are doing a parachute jump on 25 May to raise money for the charity.

An initial target of £2,500 was quickly smashed. At present there have been 274 donations reaching a fantastic £6,495.01 (visit Freddie’s Just Giving page).

Right now, Freddie is doing really good. He’s getting fat, which is fantastic.

Things have not quite gone the way Emma and Phil envisaged, but as Emily Perl Kingsley’s wonderful essay Welcome To Holland describes, it is just a different place, a place that is as special.

Emma and Phil savour the blessing of having Freddie. As he grows they will become fighters. Their son’s best advocate. And for that reason their precious baby is guaranteed as good a chance in life as any child.

It would be fantastic if you could help support their cause.

Maybe it’s because blue, white and stripes channel that effortless Parisian chic most of us hope to emulate.

Or maybe it’s just because no matter how you wear it or what you wear it with – and there are almost limitless options – this colour combination never fails to look classy and cool.

See?

(sources: 1 (the top is this one from Asos) // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6)

(left: Mango blazer, £59.99; right: 3.1 Phillip Lim at FarFetch, £524)

(clockwise, from top left: Asos necklace, £70; Monki tee, £12; Marc by Marc Jacobs watch at Shopbop, £240; Forever 21 shirt, £17. Below: Reiss dress, £95)

(our very own Alex in a Miss Selfridge top and bold red trousers » read full post)

(painted house in Costa Nova, Portugal, via)

(nautical tea cup and saucer, We Love Kaoru from Let It Reign, £24)

(left, J.Crew iPhone case, £21.80; right, stripe and bow tablet case by Almquist Design Studio at Etsy, £30)

She was the only grandparent I knew, the others all lost their lives before I was born or when I was tiny.

She was too young to go. I was too young really to have stopped being self-absorbed and properly appreciated having her. I’ve since realised the things she did for us, how special it was that we painted together, how I’ve inherited her talent and love of dancing.

There’s much said about female cancers being hereditary, and Angelina Jolie’s piece in the New York Times has brought it all right to the forefront.

(image: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic.com via Guardian)

Thankfully my mum is currently very healthy but I do worry if cancer, this cruel disease, will take her too soon or if it will shorten my life.

Jolie had a test which found she had a faulty gene, putting her at 87 per cent risk of developing breast cancer and 50 per cent risk of ovarian cancer.

On average, those with a defect like Jolie’s have a 65 per cent chance of getting breast cancer. Only some breast cancers result from an inherited gene mutation.

There’s a lot of talk about Jolie’s bravery and I won’t dispute that. She is doing a vital job in raising awareness of the hereditary nature of some cancers and the possibility of genetic testing. In how much she gives back to the world, philanthropic Jolie stands head and shoulders above most of Hollywood.

But I feel a slight unease, as I did when Jade Goody was fighting cervical cancer. Goody also played a vital role in raising awareness and encouraging women to have smear tests. But my unease is because, overnight, an issue suddenly becomes so much more pressing and paramount simply because a famous person is affected.

After Jolie’s article, my Twitter feed quickly filled with #journorequests for women who had chosen a preventive double mastectomy. Why are those women so much more important and interesting today than they were last week?

Courageous as Jolie is, as is any woman opting for such a procedure and the lengthy period of surgery she had to endure, few would have taken a different decision when faced with those alarming odds. Now her chances of developing breast cancer have dropped to under 5 per cent and her children are far less likely to have to grow up without a mother.

As Jolie put it: “Life comes with many challenges. The ones that should not scare us are the ones we can take on and take control of.”

Famous people are not any braver than the many women up and down the country who are battling cancer every single day, who are scared but showing strength, who are making difficult, life-changing decisions and dealing with the impact of a diagnosis on their income, relationships, families, plans and dreams.

In certain ways, cancer may be easier to deal with for people in a position of privilege. Jolie acknowledges that even having a test is out of the question for many women in America because of the $3,000 cost.

In the UK, you can have a genetic test on the NHS if you have a strong family history – two or three close female relatives – of breast cancer. There’s probably somewhere you can pay for a test if you have at least a few hundred quid to spare.

As a woman your chances of developing breast cancer are, unfortunately, worryingly high, even without a faulty gene. Out of every 100 women 10 will develop breast cancer by the time they are 80.

Cancer charities are always top of my donation list because although we’ve come a long way in understanding and care, we still need more research into causes, symptoms and treatment.

So let’s praise strong women like Jolie but not forget the women closer to home who are fighting their own battle or supporting someone who is.

Let’s all keep doing our bit, whether you take part in the Race for Life, have a few quid going to a charity from your bank account every month or wear a pink ribbon or a T-shirt.

Fashion Targets Breast Cancer is great way to support the cause. Now in its 17th year, the campaign raises money for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. You just buy a piece from your favourite high street store – Topshop, Warehouse and River Island are among those taking part – and at least 30% goes to the charity. Browse the lookbook or click below to shop.

Yorkshire folk are proud of their roots but sometimes even we take for granted what’s under our noses.

I was born, grew up and have nearly always lived here but there are still things I want to do and see but haven’t.

This is my list of what I love in Yorkshire, what’s on my ‘to do’ list… and what I admit I sometimes overlook!

♥ exploring…

You could spend weeks, months exploring Yorkshire. When I get chance I love walking and cycling but every time I do I think: I don’t do this enough. We have three national parks (Yorkshire Dales, North York Moors and the Peak District), three areas of outstanding natural beauty (North Pennines, Nidderdale and the Howardian Hills) and a stunning rugged coastline. The winding coastal streets of Staithes, Robin Hoods Bay, Whitby and Runswick Bay, all in North Yorkshire, are wonderful for getting lost in.

♥ cities…

Yorkshire has a clutch of cities bursting with life, energy and culture. Leeds is one of the best places for theatre outside the capital and large scale entertainment will step up a gear when the arena opens this year. The winter gardens in Sheffield is somewhere I mean to investigate, and I haven’t been to the National Media Museum in Bradford since I was a kid.

♥ pubs and grub…

Famous for  much more than Yorkshire puddings, parkin and Wensleydale cheese, Yorkshire is gaining a real reputation for producing and serving some of the best food in the land. We now have more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other county. Top of my list: the Box Tree, Ilkley, the Pipe and Glass in Dalton, or newly starred-up The Black Swan at Oldstead.

Real foodies can take a Yorkshire Food Finder culinary trail to find out how Yorkshire’s food is created, bred or grown, before sampling it at one of the region’s top eateries.

Enjoying a pint in Britain’s highest pub, the Tan Hill Inn, is something I’d like to do again. Apart from it being a very welcome sight after the long walk it inevitably takes to get there, it’s intriguing to see something as normal as a pub – something you see on nearly every corner – in the middle of nowhere. Oh, and sometimes the livestock join you for a drink.

♥ festivals and specialist markets…

There seem to be more and more festivals and markets cropping up all over the region. As well as music, these events are centred around good food, drink and local makers. I always spend a few days at Grassington Festival; this year I also have my eye on the Galtres Festival at Helmsley, North Yorkshire. I’m keen to try Upmarket Sundays, the new, regular addition to Huddersfield’s market, York’s Buskival and the liqorice festival in Pontefract looks fun. If you fancy visiting the latter I recommend staying at Wentbridge House Hotel; it’s close by but near to motorways too.

♥ heritage…

Dotted all over the place are stunning castles, churches, minsters and abbeys and stately homes boasting spectacular architecture – Castle Howard and Harewood House are exquisite. But as well as architectural heritage, there’s much to be said for investigating our people’s industrial past, like Salts Mill and the model village of Saltaire – also a UNESCO world heritage site – built by Sir Titus Salt to give his workers a better life. There’s our cultural legacy too: you can walk in the footsteps of the Brontës in Haworth.

♥ art…

Moves are afoot to make Yorkshire the European capital for sculpture reflecting its reputation resulting from the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle, which includes the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Hepworth Gallery, Henry Moore Institute and Leeds Art Gallery. I was pleased to see the triangle recently drew the attention of fab design blog We Heart – read what they thought here.

♥ nature

I think Yorkshire’s east coast must be one of the best places for wildlife: Bempton Cliffs for example is home to 200,000 sea birds. Last year I went all the way up to Northumberland to catch sight of puffins then heard there were many more at Bempton. See what I mean? Not looking under my nose.

(all images from Welcome to Yorkshire)

I haven’t been to lots of the places that would probably make most tourists’ ‘must visit’ lists, even though they would be within just an hour or two’s drive. Too often you overlook what’s on your doorstep, don’t you?

What would make your ‘top places’ list? John from Hot Tub Hire Yorkshire has created his own list of what he thinks makes Yorkshire special in this infographic.

How about you? Are there parts of Yorkshire you haven’t been to yet but always mean to go?

*this is a sponsored post but as always it’s our own content and opinions

I went along to see Pop! - Design – Culture – Fashion, which is touring from the Fashion and Textile Museum in London and is at Barnsley’s Civic Gallery until early next month.

It kicks off in the 1950s, when a new wave of rock ‘n’ roll and youth culture from America swept the country.

The ‘pop’ generation – whether 1950s optimists or disillusioned punks – created a lifestyle and challenged society’s established values. Popular images and music fused with art and fashion, changing the way people dressed and blurring the boundaries of commerce, culture and style. It was a formative period when eyes were opened, new ideas emerged and attitudes changed. In fashion and design, Britain led the way in style and innovation.

‘Pop’ was also where casual throwaway design and culture began – with paper furniture and clothing, tin badges and printed T-shirts.

This potato sack dress, from 1960, is a satire on the radical French fashions of the time

Mickey Mouse occasional table, from 1969

Mary Quant case and apres ski jacket, designed by Picasso, 1963

POP! includes record covers, packaging, clothing, shoes, artwork, retro furniture and household products. We’re taken from 1955 to 1976 through rock ‘n’ roll, the swinging sixties, psychedelia, kitsch and punk, all in a riot of technicolour.

Several impressive names are among the contributors – Andy Warhol, Mary Quant, Vivienne Westwood, Betsey Johnson. The exhibition even has an embroidered waistcoat from Elton John’s personal wardrobe (pictured just below). There are record covers and rock art prints depicting such revered musicians as Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles.

‘Pop’ transistor radios, late 1960s-early 1970s

Barbie in a space suit. Love!

It’s an exhibition that is fun and engaging, through items like the JVC videosphere, a TV shaped like an astronaut’s helmet. It’s an exhibition as it should be: it’s not just people walking round a cold space, it provokes a reaction – in my case warmth and amusement.

It’s nostalgia, but everything’s comfortingly familiar; because while technology has certainly moved on, outfits have endured and this culture remains relevant even decades later.

Peace. Out.

The Civic is an immaculately presented and perfectly formed gallery; slightly incongruously so, if we’re honest, set against rough-around-the-edges Barnsley. It was almost deserted on a Saturday afternoon but I encourage you to go: this exhibition is well worth a visit.

need to know:
Pop! is at Barnsley Civic until June 7.

(via Pinterest/Who What Wear)

I waited faithfully for a long time for them to start appearing on the British high street but, alas, they didn’t come (or at least I didn’t see them).

So it was one Saturday, before I had an evening cocktail session planned, that I set about making my own. I had decided on my outfit that morning and knew an ear cuff would be a perfect fit.

Hence I admit to this DIY being a bit of a bodge job. I didn’t have time to go out and buy or order new supplies so had to work with whatever was in my crafting kit. So the finish isn’t perfect but the beauty of it is the messy bits are hidden behind your ear so are not likely to be seen.

All the same I’m pretty happy with it and although it’s a little tamer than the one above I still felt it really made my outfit rock!

(Warning extreme facial close-up coming).

you will need:

eye pin

noodle bead

pliers (round nose will be best)

small stud earring

gems

jewellery wire (mine was 0.8mm)

E6000 glue

tweezers

matchsticks and sellotape

1. First, thread your eye pin through your noodle bead.

2. With the piece of eye pin that’s poking out of the end of your noodle bead, make a horizontal U-shape, with a small loop at the end of the U. The noodle bead is going to form the frame that will run up your ear. This U-shape is going to fit round your ear. The loop of the U should sit behind your ear.

3. The stud earring will fit through the loop at the other end of the eye pin, but we don’t need to do that bit yet. First, it’s time to add some sparkle.

5. Because the noodle bead is narrow and round, and I wanted the gems to sit flat on it, I engineered this high-spec frame made of matchsticks and sellotape. It’s still a bit tricky to get the gems lined up neatly; a pair of tweezers helps.

6. So now glue on your gems. Be careful the earring doesn’t end up stuck to the frame! 

7. You can now add your stud earring to the loop of the eye pin and and glue it. Let all the glue dry fully. You’ve now made most of the ear cuff. All that is left is to make a loop out of jewellery wire that, at one end, will join on to the cuff at the back of the ear, and at the other end loop round the top of the ear holding the earring securely in place.

8. Depending on the size of your ear, the piece of jewellery wire will probably need to be about 2-3 inches. Ideally it will match your eye pin, but copper wire was all I had. Take one end and mould it round the top of your ear.

9. Put the other end through the loop of the horiztonal U, wrap it round a couple of times to make it secure and cut off any wire you don’t need. It should look something like this in the end.

And this is how it looked in my ear.

I was a bit worried it might fall out or fall apart but no, it lasted and felt snug all night.

What do you think? Fancy having a go at this one?

You may remember it was one of the key trends I picked out for spring and summer.

They’re even being worn head to toe – accessories and all – which may be a little much for me. I’m not normally one for bearing blooms but I’m certainly being tempted by some of the pretty prints out there.

(sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

(left, Zara, £49.99; right, French Connection, £89)

(clockwise, from top left: midi dress, Anthropologie, £168; prom dress, Asos, £85; skinny jeans, Asos, £80; sweatshirt, Zara, £39.99) 

(peplum top, Whistles, £95; baseball cap, Forever 21, £7.40)

(T-shirt dress, Asos, £38; midi skirt, Asos, £50)

(via Style Me Pretty)

(via Love My Dress)

So much pretty it makes you want to go and run in a meadow!

Recently Anna and I spent a heavenly day selfishly indulging ourselves at Titanic Spa in the village of Linthwaite in Huddersfield.

The spa is nestled in the imposing former Titanic Mills textiles factory, which also comprises luxury apartments – some privately owned and others used for accommodation for spa guests staying overnight.

Experienced spa-goers will be familiar with the wonderfully liberating etiquette associated with such visits which basically involves stripping off and hibernating in a comforting dressing gown and slippers as soon as you’ve checked in.

I remember feeling slight unnerved by this on my very first experience elsewhere many years ago but soon got over it.

Once Titanic’s glass fronted doors close, it is time to shut out the outside world.

You are greeted by a serene receptionist who tells you all you need to know and then handed the all important gown and slipper combo.

Of course there’s so much more to this little haven then simply mooching around in a dressing gown.

The Day Spa package leaves you free to explore the facilities as you wish. The only structured part of the visit is the allocated time given for lunch and any pre-booked treatment.

First we made our way to the bistro for complimentary tea and coffee (variety of herbal teas included) and pondered how best to spend our day.

It took all of two minutes to decide we’d first exert ourselves in the gym and then enjoy the remainder being a slob.

Titanic’s gym is only small but it more than adequately serves its purpose. There’s a selection of CV equipment, weight machines as well as free weights and an instructor on hand to help out.

Once the hard part was done it was time for the pool. The swimming pool is bordered by relaxing lounges allowing you to sit and gossip with friends, read a book or simply soak up the calming atmosphere.

Our next stop was lunch with hot dishes and colourful salads making up a buffet-style selection of mouth-watering delights so much so that I went back for seconds.

Topped off with a glass of wine, it was fair to say we were both ready for a lie down. Perfect given that the next thing on our to-do list was treatments.

I choose the Elemis deep tissue massage. When Laura, my petite therapist came to collect me, I wondered whether the massage would be firm enough to tackle my knots.

I’m a fan of a tough massage; I don’t see the point in not kneading out the aches and tension we unwittingly carry around in every part of our body and to do that requires hard work.

Laura was fantastic. At times I was wincing in pain but afterwards felt like I’d been oiled. I was supple, free of aches and it was wonderful. The only slight criticism is that the treatment room was a little cold but Laura did ask if I wanted the heating turned up. Also, it would have been lovely to have climbed into a heated massage bed but perhaps I’m just being a diva.

Afterwards it was on to the relaxation room – a dimly-lit giant, cosy lounge filled with enormous cushions, reclined lounges and a beanbag pit. You practically fall asleep as soon as you walk in. Me and Anna decamped to the bean bags and I promptly fell asleep. This was no cat-nap, it was one of those deep, coma-like sleeps that you only achieve having reached a pure state of relaxation. There is no sense of time in the relaxation room; I thought I’d been asleep 30 minutes, it was in fact over two hours.

The final part of our visit was to the ‘heat and ice experience‘ which is made up of a steam room, solarium, sauna, aromatherapy, herbal infusion rooms, an ice room made up of buckets of crushed ice and foot baths. When you get too hot you’re supposed to plunge into the cold water pool or pour a bucket of freezing water over your head (which neither of us dared do).

This part of the spa is particularly beneficial after a massage because the heat allows the oils from the treatment to be absorbed into the skin and also has a soothing effect on the muscles which have been manipulated.

Titanic has a well-renowned reputation and it’s easy to see why.

It opened in 2006 and has racked up more than a dozen accolades, the most recent last year as winner of The Good Spa Guide’s best regional spa in the UK.

It is also one of the most environmentally-friendly spas around with its own water source 100m underground which provides fresh drinking water and bathing water.

The spa states on its website that it is designed to appeal to both men and women and although I attended with my girly friend, boys are as much a normal sight there as women.

Titanic is reasonably priced and frequently offers amazing offers on its various packages which not surprisingly sell out quickly.

Impressed? Definitely. I intend to make trips to Titanic a regular part of my ‘me maintenance’. It made me feel great, relaxed and put more than a spring in my step.

Need to know: Titanic Day Spa – various packages starting from £99. Arrival 8.30am- 9.30am, departure 6pm. Overnight breaks starting from £119pp – includes lunch, two-course evening meal and continental breakfast.

Our visit and treatment were complementary, but our opinions are always honest.

It’s a masterclass in dressing your home if your interior tastes are a mismatch with your bricks and mortar. This is a Victorian property filled with finds from the mid-20^th century.

It’s fearless, fun and experimental. The owners’ mantra is: “Don’t hold back. If you love it, it will find a home somewhere.”

I love the colours. Most of the walls and floors are neutral, but when colours appear – the rainbow striped carpet covering the stairs winding through the house, the bright yellow woodwork – they do what colours used rightly, sparingly, should do: hit you in the face like a fresh burst of sea air.

The pink art deco bathroom suite – bought for £100 on eBay – made me think twice about ripping out the blue one in the house we recently moved into and replacing it with regulation white.

I also love the international influences. The décor is inspired by Scandinavia, the English seaside and a holiday in South America.

Sophie and Nick have picked up pieces in second hand shops in Argentina and Amsterdam and at French boot fairs. They also like to shop at Luna in Nottingham, which stocks collectables from the 50s, 60s and 70s.

Isn’t it pretty?

That moment will be the first time the guests clap eyes on the bride but it’s also the first time the bride gets a look at her wedding. Until then you might have only seen your decorations in a box in your house and just imagined what they would look like on the big day.

We often give a great deal of thought to the reception décor and details: table plan and numbers, centrepieces, favours… But is the ceremony décor something of an afterthought? These ideas for aisle styling show it shouldn’t be.

The right styling sets the perfect atmosphere in which to say your vows and gives guests a taste of how your reception might look.

credit where it’s due:

glitter, Style Me Pretty; white painted words on wood panel decking, Green Wedding Shoes; scarves, The Bride’s Cafe; tropical leaves, Eco-beautiful Weddings; autumn bouquet, Once Wed; white spray, Janis Roseanne; peach and lace sash with hydrangea, Pearl Events; lemons, Jose Villa via A Cup of Jo; lavender, Style Me Pretty; pink floral runner, Ruffled; lace print runner, Green Wedding Shoes; doilies, Inspired By This - see this post for more ideas on using doilies in your wedding day; rope tapestry runner, Austin Wedding Blog; chalk hearts, Rock n Roll Bride; floral runner and windmills, Green Wedding Shoes; yellow petals, Green Wedding Shoes; straw bales and pom poms, Ruffled; multicoloured, Ruffled; personalised runner, Oh Lovely Day