So I’m not usually one to get excited for Christmas so early, however with such limited celebrations in 2020 due to Covid, I can’t wait for the festive season this year! It will be the first Christmas in our new home which is why I was so eager to get a head start on decorating this weekend.
With our gorgeous frosted artificial tree, I decided to keep it simple with all white and gold baubles complete with cute lights. I love the white and gold aesthetic, the only key element missing at this point is the star to go on the top of the tree. Not to mention there will of course be more sprinkles of Christmas decs added around the house as we head into December, but I’m already feeling super excited with our tree up and glistening every night!
We continued our festive weekend with cosy drinks and dinner at a local pub, where we kicked back in armchairs by the fire and enjoyed some delicious burgers. Back home we then watched our first Christmas movie of the year Serendipity – a charming old classic Christmas romance story. I do love the holiday season as an excuse to get together with friends and family as we all wind down for the year together in good spirits ❤
As the daylight hours get shorter and the dark nights grow longer, everyday seems to be flying by quicker than ever as we hurtle towards December and the end of the year already! During these winter months I enjoy nothing more than spending the long evenings snuggled up at home with a cuppa, reading a book or getting stuck into a new series. It’s all about self-care at this time of year; run a hot bath, have a glass of wine, indulge in your favourite sweet treats, just because you deserve it! Don’t forget to move your body everyday, even if it’s just a 30 minute pilates workout or quick walk outside to get some fresh air. Continue to live your life in balance and you will thank yourself later. These were just some thoughts I had this Sunday arvo as I sat and sipped my coffee… Happy Sunday ❤
Happy Sunday babes! I’m finally enjoying a proper weekend wind-down following a very busy and quite frankly, stressful couple of weeks at work. With my mind so preoccupied with daily life and engrossed in my work, I’ve found myself motivated and inspired to pursue some personal projects outside of my disciplined routine. Whilst creativity comes in waves and should never be forced, when ideas do surface, I think it’s a crucial moment to ride that wave and delve into your imagination…
So with all this creative energy currently surfacing, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to meet up with a friend and bounce our ideas off each other. With a spread of nibbles and bottle of wine open, it was the ideal setup to discuss our concepts, business plans and goals for the future. Without being unrealistic and setting unreachable targets, it’s great to talk about your ideas and really define your true passion project which is within the realms of your resources. Following our little Friday night meeting, we have set each other some small initial goals and further research to support the creative process.
Now it’s Sunday arvo and I’m feeling super positive and excited about my current side hustle plans taking shape. Of course it’s important to remember that these waves of inspiration come in ebbs and flows, so always ride the wave of creativity when it does flow and don’t be afraid to dream big! Never forget – ‘Our only limitations are those we setup in our own mind.’
Seasons Kitchen, Farm Shop & Street Food at Lavershot Barns, brings together fabulous food and drink all wrapped up in one unique experience. From organic, locally sourced produce used to create the Restaurant and Street Food menus, to the bespoke designers from Lush Landscapes and on site florist at Lilys Flowers, Seasons Surrey is your one-stop weekend destination to unwind, shop and dine in style.
With an invite to a private event hosted this Friday by Lush Landscapes, I was lucky enough to experience Surrey’s latest hotspot for an after work cocktail accompanied with some delicious street food too. Kicking off with a glass of bubbly, we explored the gorgeous grounds designed by the team at Lush Landscapes; how idealic to sit in front of this chic fire pit with a glass of prosecco as the sun went down over the farm.
As the saxophone played into the evening, we took our seats at our table and ordered some street food from the extensive menu inspired by worldwide cuisine. From a healthy Chinese dragon rice bowl, to a German hotdog and Greek lamb flatbread, there was something for everyone. I opted for the plant based American style burger with fries – a classic which certainly didn’t disappoint.
Once the sun went down, the Ministry of Sound DJ took to the decks and I was feeling those Ibiza vibes as we sipped our cocktails amongst such gorgeous surroundings. I’m already planning our next trip to Seasons Surrey to browse some special treats in the Farm Shop and of course sample their Michelin star Restaurant.
Thank you Lush Landscapes for hosting such a wonderful event! Visit Seasons Surrey and explore all that they have to offer for yourself here – https://www.seasonssurrey.co.uk
Happy May Day bank holiday babes! Currently relaxing out in the garden on this gorgeous Sunday summer’s evening as the UK finally enjoys its first post-lockdown holiday, and it sure does feel good 😀
This time of the year is always so exciting as we look forward to the summer months ahead of soaking up the sun and enjoying those long warm evenings. Of course it also means that its time to dig out my summer wardrobe once again and get playful with cute outfits without having to wrap up in coats and boots all day long!
With it being my sister’s birthday this weekend, it was an excuse to celebrate on Saturday and enjoy socialising properly again. After a boozy lunch with her best friends, I organised for us to meet at a local pub garden for another round of celebrations and plenty more bubbles too…
Now I’m enjoying my Sunday lounging in the garden on our new stunning furniture set from Next, purchased on sale reduced from £1,300 to just £325, absolute bargain!
Iced coffee, glorious sunshine and my favourite poetry books, blissful vibes ❤
As the weather here in the UK took a rather miserable turn this weekend, the idea of sitting outside in the blustering winds at a local pub wasn’t the most enticing of ways to spend our Saturday evening. So instead we decided to bring date night to us and enjoy the comfort of our beautiful new dining room with a romantic candle lit dinner.
It was the perfect occasion to try out our new black crockery dinner set complete with gorgeous copper cutlery and our Dartington crystal wine glasses. I wanted to keep our table layout simple with those subtle touches of pattern in the Moroccan style coasters and abstract print mini dip bowls.
My look for the evening was casual yet classic, wearing a pair of black ripped skinny jeans and cute leopard print asymmetric crop top to add a little glam. Feeling fresh and flirty with my post lockdown short haircut, I was ready for a cosy date night at home.
Although I eat a predomenantly pescatarian diet, as a treat I do like to indulge in a good piece of chicken or steak every so often to top up those essential vitamins. We got these filet steaks from Lidl which I plated up alongside my special crispy roast new potatoes, charred broccolini, caramelised onions, mushrooms and a rocket salad. These steaks were top quality and cooked to perfection medium-rare, I would call this restaurant standard grub!
Paired with a fruity Merlot French red wine and our favourite chilled tunes playing in the background, this is how date night should be done ❤
Happy hump day babes! I can’t believe it’s already the end of April and we’ve been here in our new home for well over a month now. Settling into a new home and getting it just the way you want it certainly is an ongoing process, as we continue to receive numerous deliveries of furniture and shuffle things around whilst we enhance decor and details also. Needless to say it’s been a busy month and each day there has been something new and exciting to look forward to as the house takes shape.
Having a four bed house as a blank canvas to decorate sure is a task, however with the help of my amazing mother-in-law we’ve had fun putting our stamp on the place. Mirrors are key to lightening and brightening smaller spaces, so we found this beautiful water droplet shape mirror for our hallway to hang over the unique radiator cover.
We chose to introduce touches of gold to compliment the grey and silver tones in the dining room and living room. I’m obsessed with this palm leaf statue and gold angel wing ornament, I’ve even got a second wing to go on the other side now. I’m also really happy with the stunning mango wood sideboard and cupboard to match in the living room. The dark wood wash adds a little warmth and the subtle gold abstract design on the doors bring the colour scheme together.
Following this photo being taken, I have already added more Moroccan style elements to the living room, including a floor standing Moroccan plant pot and Moroccan placemats with candles for the coffee tables. I plan on changing up a few cushions in here too with more boho abstract patterns as it’s feeling a little boyish at the moment! And whilst we’re yet to decide on our outdoor furniture, my Auntie did treat us to the perfect house warming gift of Moroccan style solar panelled lanterns – they create the most wonderful patterns lit up at night.
Last week we were very excited to finally sleep in our master bedroom for the first time. Despite ordering our TV bed back in February, unfortunately delivery was delayed so we have been sleeping in our spare room. We couldn’t wait to experience the novelty of a TV bed which comes with a full speaker system, under-bed storage and is super comfy. We’ve opted for an industrial style in our bedroom with the black spot lighting, black bedsheets and modern side tables. Of course we need a big photo for above the bed which we haven’t found yet, but I’m thinking either a gallery wall with prints and quotes, or some sort of beach sunset image; we want something striking yet timeless.
Now we have our gym equipment, we’ve in fact decided to swap the office and gym rooms over. Luckily we had both done with hard wood flooring, it was just too small for my boyfriend’s weight set and my yoga matt in the back room. This is just another one of those things which you learn as you live in a house, it takes time to know what will work best for you and your lifestyle.
I still love our kitchen and the simplicity of it, particularly that peaceful view of the trees out of the front window where Sandler the plant lives (we have chosen to name our house plants after actors!).
We spend a lot of time in here and eat most evening meals at the island as it is so comfortable, but we are yet to find a suitable photo or even photo gallery for the kitchen wall also.
We spend a lot of time in here and eat most meals at the island as it is so comfortable, but we are yet to find a suitable photo or even photo gallery for the kitchen wall also.
The garden is finally turfed now and soon we will be getting Red Robin trees lined along the back and flower bedding down the sides. Our patio area is another large space perfect for entertaining, so I’m keen to get a nice corner sofa and fire-pit table to fully enjoy those late summer evenings.
This is another gorgeous mirror feature we also added to complete the dining room, we are just waiting on a floor-lamp to finish off in here now. And whilst there is lots of finishing touches still to be added, the house is coming together nicely now and we are truly feeling like we are at home here in our beautiful abode ❤
Spring has officially sprung and we already find ourselves in April with Easter weekend rolling around once again. I might not be religious, but I do love Easter time as an excuse to gather together with family and enjoy copious amounts of delicious food and chocolate, whilst getting merry on bubbles of course!
With lockdown measures gradually beginning to ease in the UK, we were allowed to meet in groups of six outdoors in gardens, the perfect excuse for our family to reunite at my brother’s new house over in London. Having moved at the end of last year, we were yet to visit and very excited to all be in each other’s company again after so long. There were many belated celebrations to be toasted including Birthdays, Housewarmings, New Years and even Christmas as we exchanged gifts to one another at last…
My brother did an outstanding job on his new Weber BBQ which we had all chipped in for for his Birthday back in March. We were treated to an absolute feast including king prawns from the fish market, wagyu burgers, lamb chops and marinated chicken wings from the local butcher, classic bangers and beautiful veggie skewers in my honour! Not forgetting the exquisite salads made by his wonderful wife – I had to steal the recipe for this Mexican style asparagus avocado salad topped with a mountain of parmesan cheese, delish 🙂
Finally I had a social occasion to get dressed up for, however being outside in early April meant we did have to get wrapped up. So I wore my favourite Stradivarius jeans and this new ASOS pearl button through white jumper, accessorised with my cute moon star gold earrings and matching Fossil moon necklace. Completing the look with classic Chelsea boots in maroon for a pop of colour and my floor length tie waist knitted cardigan which is super cosy and on trend for the season, I’m obsessed.
What a glorious occasion to be reunited with my loved ones following such a difficult winter in lockdown. We’re so lucky here in the UK to have the vaccine which will be our golden ticket to freedom and some sort of normal life again soon. There’s a lot to look forward to and I’m so ready for summer 2021 with plenty more social occasions and belated celebrations still to be had! Happy Easter everyone ❤
Hey guys! Just coming at you from the comfort of our new home currently sat in our stunning kitchen at the breakfast bar – how civilised! After a hectic few days moving last week, we finally had our first official night in the house last Friday, complete with a bottle of celebratory bubbles of course 😉
The kitchen is one of the almost complete rooms at this stage with just a few pictures and maybe a clock yet to go up on the wall. I’m so happy with the bar table and perfectly matched white stools which are as comfortable as they are stylish. This will be where we eat the majority of the time, however we do also have a gorgeous Dining Room which we will be using for special occasions and dinner parties.
It’s already taking shape in here, we are just waiting on a nice sideboard to store our best crockery and glasses. I want to keep the simple and sleek aesthetic in this room, so we’ve ordered a black dinner set with copper cutlery to match the tones of the abstract artwork. That early evening light is just glorious as it bursts through those french doors, I’m obsessed!
As for the rest of the house, it’s all a work in progress at the moment. Like with any new house and especially a new build, there is a lot to think about and it’s taken us to get in here and actually see the space, before finalising our furniture orders. We are still waiting for most of our bedroom furniture, so currently we are sleeping in the spare bedroom. The lounge is coming together too as we already had a nice big grey corner sofa and big TV of course, we’re just in need of a rug, some sort of cabinet and again we need to choose some nice pictures for the wall. I have already made use of the many candles and reed diffusers I had saved, this one from Stonewood is my favourite scent and the blue bottle looks great on the landing windowsill.
We were even lucky enough to enjoy our first BBQ at the house this week as England was treated to its first proper day of sunshine this year, hitting highs of 22 degrees. Whilst we don’t have our outdoor furniture just yet, we do have the Weber BBQ setup and made do with some camping chairs on the patio as we sipped our beer and cooked the burgers. We then ate at our dining table with the french doors wide open letting that early evening sun shine through. It really got me excited for summer and many more BBQs to come when we can finally welcome friends and family into our new abode.
So there’s no denying it, moving into a new house for the first time is a long process and takes patience to get everything just as you need. However it’s super exciting to see it all come together and I can’t wait to share the journey as we create our dream home! Fresh start, new chapter – cheers to that!
It’s been a long time coming following two other properties falling through last year, but it was third time lucky as my boyfriend finally exchanged on a stunning new build which we move into this week! It’s all very exciting and an absolute dream to be moving to our own four bed house complete with a huge driveway, garage, front lawn and lovely south facing garden – bring on those summer BBQs!
No doubt it will take some time for us to settle and get everything just the way we want it as we are starting from scratch. But what a beautiful blank canvas to be working with, I can finally live out my ultimate interior goals from hours scrolling Pinterest and creating vision boards.
Outdoor entertaining will be a big focus this summer following lockdown measures easing, so I’m keen to have a sociable area on the patio for lounging and soaking up the sun whilst firing up the BBQ. I’m obsessed in the corner sofas with a fire-pit table to keep us warm late into the evenings. Fairy lights and outdoor string bulb lighting are also a must for that atmospheric nighttime ambience.
I will of course miss my cosy little bedroom back home with its eclectic style and many wonderful memories in particularly captured in my photos. I’ve always taken pride in organising and displaying my favourite pictures from special times throughout my life, it never fails to make a house a home. I’m a sucker for inspirational quotes as well, so my favourite ‘Stay Wild’ gold text print from Maggs London years ago will definitely need a feature in the new place.
That classic Audrey poster from Breakfast At Tiffany’s is another timeless piece which I think might be a classy photo to go in the new dining room. My collection of treasured books will take pride of place on a bookshelf perhaps in the lounge, as I have some great coffee table style hard backs too.
Then there is the wardrobe which is going to be the biggest task of all! Being a self-confessed shopaholic and shoe addict, I’ve curated quite the collection of garments during my 26 years. Whilst moving is an opportunity to get rid of those less worn items, I do love it when trends come back around and I can give older pieces some love once again. However I want to aim towards a more minimalistic approach to my style, so keeping only what I wear most of the time will help to establish a refined capsule wardrobe…it’s going to be a process that’s for sure!
Focusing on the initial move however, I want to get the furniture and each room arranged perfectly before putting too much stuff in there. I have the luxury that I can leave what I want at my parent’s at least for now, then once I know how much storage we actually have in the new place, I can get organised and donate or bin anything which will be clutter. I’m looking at this as a fresh start and opportunity to live a more minimalistic lifestyle, free of the burden and stress of too many material things.
I guess it’s time to be a proper adult and say goodbye to my teenage room for now. My parent’s home isn’t going anywhere though, so my perfect little den will remain the spare bedroom and home to so many special memories.
Dani Aneka 