Month: August 2025

A Day In London; Afternoon Tea, Selfridges & Seven Dials

August 31, 2025

Nothing is more typically English than going for Afternoon Tea in London followed by a shopping trip to Selfridges, then finishing the evening in Covent Garden at Seven Dials Market. We only live an hour train ride from London Waterloo, so a day trip into the city is always a fun way to spend a Saturday.

Our Afternoon Tea was booked for 3pm at The Bloomsbury Hotel on their gorgeously aesthetic Dalloway Terrace.

We met my colleague and his partner as this occasion was kindly gifted from the hotel following a number of events we have hosted there previously .

All of us opted for the Champagne Afternoon Tea menu and so we started with a lovely glass of Champagne to kick things off.

We also chose our tea and I went for the classic English Breakfast blend, because nothing beats a proper brew from a silverware teapot and cute teacup with saucer.

They then brought out the finger sandwich selection which was a classic mix of smoked salmon with mascarpone, coronation chicken, cucumber with cream cheese, devilled egg mayonnaise and toasted emmental cheese with tomato chutney.

Next up were the sweet treats including a strawberry & lemon tart, blueberry & vanilla choux, dark chocolate ganache, rum punch baba and blackcurrant madeleines.

Served on the classic cake tower they were wonderfully presented and tasted amazing, but it was a lot of sugar to manage in one go, so I had a taste of everything but couldn’t finish them.

And not forgetting the iconic scones which were served warm at the bottom of the cake tower complete with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time together and it was nice to do something different as I’m not a big Afternoon Tea person, but it is a nice treat every once in a while.

After finishing up at The Bloomsbury, we hopped on the bus down Oxford Street to Selfridges for some early evening retail therapy.

I love going to Selfridges with my boyfriend as there’s so much to explore for both of us from the designer clothes and shoes, to the fancy food hall and lower ground tech section.

My boyfriend bought his Dad an awesome Hugo Boss X Aston Martin t-shirt for his birthday, whilst I resisted buying more Celine jewellery. Of course a Celine handbag is always high on my wish-list but that needs some real thought on which style to go for, as it would be a timeless piece I’d have in my wardrobe forever.

We then found ourselves having a glass of Champagne at The Fount Bar nestled amongst the designer bags on the ground floor of Selfridges.

What a chic location for a glass of Champagne, I was in heaven!

To finish our day we headed on the Tube over to Covent Garden where we went to the Seven Dials food market.

It was buzzing on a Saturday evening so we got a drink from the bar and wandered around to choose from the wide variety of street food vendors.

We were still quite full from the Afternoon Tea, so my boyfriend ordered a Thai Penang Curry with rice and prawn crackers which we shared.

Before we knew it it had already gone 9pm and it was time to get the train back, so I grabbed a mini bottle of vino and a fruit pot from M&S at Waterloo Station and we caught the 9:42 back home.

We had a wonderful afternoon and evening in London and whilst it is exhausting spending a day in the city, there is so much to do there and it’s always an exciting day out ❤

New Opening; The Third Monkey Farnham

August 25, 2025

Having opened earlier this year, The Third Monkey is a new independently owned gastropub and cocktail bar located in the heart of Farnham. So on Saturday we went for a pre-dinner aperitif on their picturesque terrace to welcome in the long back holiday weekend.

Despite the clouds coming over for sunset, the setting was still lovely with views of Farnham church and a buzzing atmosphere as the bar and restaurant filled up on a weekend evening.

I wore my low back leopard print body from Zara with a pair of flared white Mango jeans, my Sol Concept ruffle mules from Bali and the cutest square hard shell evening bag from Amazon.

This bag is giving Cult Gia vibes and one of the waitresses even complimented me on it; what a winner bargain purchase!

With an extensive wine list I couldn’t resist a glass of vino, so I chose a Vermentino white from Puglia Italy which was deliciously crisp, mineral and refreshing.

My boyfriend went for an unusual tropical style cocktail made of coconut tequila, lychee, pisco and pandan. It was nice but not quite up to standard for its £16 price tag.

I was making dinner at home but my boyfriend was peckish, so he ordered the buttermilk chicken, house hot sauce and chive crème fraiche. A tasty dish and beautifully presented, but at £9 it was a very small portion and could’ve been served with some sort of garnish or small salad.

There were lots of couples on date night and girlfriends out for drinks which made for a perfectly chill yet buzzing atmosphere.

The decor inside was very aesthetic too with the glamorous upstairs cocktail bar complete with an opulent chandelier feature over the stairs.

We enjoyed our experience at The Third Monkey but it would seem they are still finding their feet with their standard of service and the quality of the food and cocktails.

We would be keen to go again in the winter season to experience their downstairs restaurant which was giving cool London or New York cosmopolitan vibes.

If you live in the area The Third Monkey is one to add to the list for a special date night or glam cocktails with the girls – https://thirdmonkeyfarnham.com/#menus



Date Night; The Guildford Townhouse & The Ivy Asia

August 17, 2025

If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I love getting dressed up in a cute outfit and going on a fancy little date night with my boyfriend. So this Saturday night we booked one of our favourite spots for a romantic dinner complete with all the vibes and also tried a new bar for pre-dinner cocktails.

For the occasion I wore my white Zara miniskirt, asymmetric gold ring detail taupe coloured top, Next square toe nude mule heels, my By Alona pearl necklace and an ASOS khaki oversized clutch bag to complete the look.

It was another warm summers evening so I wore my Miu Miu statement sunglasses for the short walk to the bar and didn’t need a jacket all evening.

First stop was The Guilford Townhouse which has recently been taken over and renovated by the Coppa Club chain. We headed up to their rooftop where you’ll find The Burton Bar, a cocktail bar with style, substance and lively evening energy.

My cocktail of choice was a classic Margarita and we enjoyed our drinks in front of the glamorous feature bar in the super comfy, plush sofa seating.

It wasn’t too busy at 7pm, but I imagine it’s the kind of place that’s more popular later in the evening when the DJ sets start at about 9pm. With its elegant interiors inspired by the 1920s art deco style, this was the perfect setting to enjoy a cocktail and set the vibes for night ahead.

Our reservation at The Ivy Asia was at 8:15pm, so we made the short walk up Guildford Highstreet to Castle Street where the Ivy is located. My heels might have been quite high, but I swear by the Next forever comfort range which are always the comfiest and easiest to walk in heels.

Every inch of The Ivy Asia decor is exquisite and so beautifully aesthetic, even the bathrooms are a must visit when you’re there.

The restaurant was buzzing on a Saturday night with a live DJ and even a live electric violinist walking around the restaurant floor to entertain guests, how brilliant!

Whilst the gorgeous emerald green luminous flooring might grab your attention first, never forget to look up at the wonderful ceiling murals and pretty cherry blossom flowers overhead.

Having been quite a few times to The Ivy Asia now, we had a good idea of what we wanted and one thing that was top of our list, was the golden aromatic half duck traditionally served with the pancakes and all the condiments including hoisin sauce.

I had to have a plate of their fresh house-made sushi so I opted for the spicy tuna sesame roll.

The cucumber peanut chilli coriander lime salad was also a must for me and it didn’t disappoint. The creamy nutty sauce combines so well with the fresh crunch of the cucumber, whilst the chilli adds a subtle hint of spice.

My boyfriend also ordered the chilli noodles, wok fried greens and Gochujang glazed chicken which he really rated and remembered as another highlight from our last visit.

We ordered well and savoured every bite of our delectable Asian spread.

Needless to say we didn’t hold back and definitely over ordered, so we took our leftovers home in the fanciest doggy bag I’ve ever seen, how adorable!

The Ivy Asia is always such a brilliant option for all occasions from date nights and girly dinners, to birthday parties and celebrations, vibes are on point and the food is divine.

To find your closest Ivy Asia and experience all the fun and glamour for yourself, checkout their website here.

Where To Next; New York City

August 10, 2025

Every year I like to book in a city break as part of our travel diary, so this year we decided on a trip to New York at the end of September. I’ve never been to NYC and my boyfriend went when he was much younger, so it’s a place we are super excited to explore together.

We’ll be staying at The Park Lane Hotel right by Central Park with a gorgeous rooftop bar overlooking the city skyline and the park.

I’ve grown up watching Friends and I’m now in my Sex & The City era, so I’ll definitely be channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw prancing around the city in cute outfits.

As one of the fashion capitals of the world, shopping in New York is a must and top of my list is the iconic Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue for some ultra luxury retail therapy, and Chelsea for markets and thrift shops.

Being a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, a Breakfast at Tiffany’s moment would be my dream; pretending I’m Holly Golightly with my takeaway coffee and croissant browsing the glistening windows of Tiffany’s.

The food scene in NYC is incredible too with so much to choose from whether its street food like bagels and pizza slices, or aesthetic brunch spots and glamorous rooftop bars.

Some places I’ve pinned to try so far are Leon’s Bagels, L’Industrie Pizza, Saddle’s for brunch and 230 Fifth Rooftop for drinks with a view.

My favourite way to explore a new city is on foot, so I can’t wait to discover the many different neighbourhoods for ourselves. And not forgetting the most famous spots we’ll have to visit during our time in the city including Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Empire State, Grand Central Station and Central Park.

We only have a week there, so planning our days will be key to seeing as much as possible. I’m sure it’s going to be an intense but fabulous time in NYC which will leave us wanting to go back to see more ❤

Girl’s Weekend; A Fun Trip To Brighton

August 3, 2025

In celebration of my friend moving to Brighton and her turning 30 earlier this month, me and my girlfriends went down to visit her new home and spend the weekend together.

On Saturday afternoon we soaked up the sun for hours on the beach with a picnic and drinks, before taking a very chilly dip in the sea!

That evening we went into town for Mexican and Margaritas at a popular spot called Bar Holisco, then ended the night dancing away to live music at Molly Malones.

For the occasion I wore my new striped brown maxi skirt with a white cropped tie front top, gold detail low heeled mules and my trusty butter yellow handbag. Perhaps a little dressed up for Brighton, but I love any excuse to get on my glam and wear a cute outfit.

We enjoyed a slow Sunday strolling around The Lanes of Brighton and shopping the many awesome vintage and independent shops. I bought an fabulous pair of vintage Tommy Hilfigure shorts from To Be Worn Again in a slightly longer cut and looser fit, tapping into the more oversized jorts trend which everyone’s loving right now.

Needless to say, we had heaps of fun and a lot of laughs; I’m so grateful to still have such strong friendships with my besties from childhood ❤

Checkout my Youtube channel here to see my vlog from the weekend too, it’s a good one!