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!
This weekend me and my girl friends took a road trip down to Devon to celebrate with our friends who eloped in lockdown. Given the small, intimate ceremony they had a few years ago due to the social distancing laws at the time, they invited their friends and family for a big party at Farway Countryside Park in Devon.
Leaving early on Saturday morning, me and my two best friends packed the car ready to ‘glamp’ in a teepee for the night. We hit the road and didn’t come across too much traffic, so we stopped at a picturesque farm cafe called Otter Valley for a spot of lunch and coffee.
Arriving early afternoon, we got ourselves setup in the teepee we had booked for the night. Unfortunately the rain was relentless all weekend so it wasn’t the most ideal conditions for camping, but certainly made for a funny experience!
Safe to say the teepee was very basic with just the three beds together in the middle, so we had to improvise in making a nice space for getting ready with pre-drinks and snacks. Thankfully we had our camping chairs to use inside then we used the plastic bin upside down as a small table…
I came prepared with plastic wine glasses and inflatable flamingo drinks holders which I actually used as bowls for the snacks! With the mini speaker playing some tunes and the prosecco popped, we had fun getting glammed up and ready together for the party.
I wore this chocolate brown low back mini dress with long flared sleeves from ASOS, paired with these super platform flower detail H&M sliders, and my oversized gold pearl flower earrings also from ASOS.
The girls looked gorgeous too and I think we nailed the dress code which was ‘dress to impress’, however we were in a field with gravel and grass so we had to keep this in mind particularly for footwear.
It was a fabulous afternoon and evening celebrating the marriage of our friends and a great opportunity to catchup with so many old acquaintances from school too. My friend even made her handbag into a prosecco bottle holder for handsfree pouring, genius 😉
There was a hearty Thai Green Curry for dinner which was served at 6pm, then later in the evening they brought out some delicious desserts and cakes.
After lots of dancing and celebrating with friends, the party wrapped up at 11pm and we made our way back to our teepee to get cosy for the night as the rain continued to pour. Despite the rain ,we were snuggled up in our layers and got a good nights sleep. It might have not been ‘glamping’ as I’d envisioned it, but having a proper bed to sleep in made all the difference.
Cheers to a fun weekend away in Devon full of many hilarious moments with my besties as we celebrated the marriage of our wonderful friends ❤
Happy bank holiday weekend! The weather might not be showing up for us here in the UK, but that didn’t stop me and my girl friends having a fun day together in London yesterday. Our dinner at the popular Islington neighbourhood spot Nem Nem was particularly special and too good not to share with my fellow foodies.
Located on Upper Street since it opened in 2015, Nem Nem has earned a name for itself for serving the most authentically delicious, yet affordable Vietnamese food in town. With our reservation at 8pm on a Saturday night, the place was bustling and packed out with diners, so I’d definitely recommend booking to avoid disappointment.
To start we ordered a selection of dishes including the prawn summer rice paper rolls, the vegan crispy spring rolls and the vegan Hanoi battered ‘fish’. The prawn rolls were the perfect fresh, light appetiser and the vegan fish made with marinated aubergine in a light batter was incredible.
For mains I had the squid mango salad with a side of rice which I shared with my friend who was having the squid salad too. Everything was so tasty and seasoned to perfection with the herbs and spices which feature so heavily in Vietnamese cuisine.
The portions were certainly generous and with a bottle of bubbles and a few other drinks as well, the final bill came to £28 per head. An absolute bargain for a two course dinner with wine in the centre of Islington London.
Service was very attentive and friendly and we didn’t have to wait long for food despite it being peak dining time. With another restaurant now open in Hoxton called Nom Nom, I’d say this is one of North London’s best kept secrets for exquisite Vietnamese cuisine complete with plenty of vegan options too. Highly recommend this restaurant next time you’re visiting the area and looking for a good value lunch or dinner, just make sure to book beforehand! – https://www.nemnoms.co.uk
It’s now just two weeks until Christmas and the festivities were in full swing this weekend as I hosted my friends for our very own ‘Friendsmas’ on Saturday evening.
Having done the food shop earlier in the week, I had the day to clean and prep the house, before collecting the chicken from our local village butchers that afternoon.
I laid the table using my favourite gold cutlery and black dinnerware from Next. I brought these pretty mistletoe napkins from Waitrose and the traditional red crackers from Sainsbury’s to complete the festive place settings.
In the lounge I laid out some trays of nibbles and set the festive mood with our Christmas tree lights and a Christmas playlist from Spotify; cosy and welcoming ready for my guests arriving at 5pm.
I kept my outfit simple with a pair of Topshop black flared pants, a brown tie front top, my favourite maxi cardigan, fluffy slider slippers and a cute bow in my hair to bring the look together. With a night of cooking and hosting ahead of me, comfort was key.
First course was the cheeseboards and with everyone having brought a cheese each, there was plenty to go around. In my opinion, a Christmas cheeseboard isn’t complete without a Wensleydale and cranberry, a soft cheese like brie and a super strong aged cheddar.
The main event was of course a traditional English roast dinner with all the trimmings. Everyone was assigned a dish or two to bring for the dinner which made my job as host so much easier, I could just focus on cooking the chicken. I loosely followed a recipe I found online which included roasting it with onion, garlic, lemon, rosemary, thyme and a mixture of melted butter, white wine and lemon juice which I poured on top of the chicken right before cooking. I cooked it for an hour covered in tin foil, then a further half an hour uncovered, before leaving it to rest for 20 minutes.
Once all the dishes were heated, we kept them warm on the hotplate and everyone helped themselves, before we carved the magnificent chicken at the table. It was an absolute feast and everyone’s contribution was very much appreciated, fabulous team work girlies!
We had a delightful spread of crispy roast potatoes, creamy cauliflower cheese, sweet honey roast parsnips & carrots, spiced red cabbage, chestnut stuffing, garlic butter broccoli, sprouts sautéed with bacon, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puds, lots of gravy and I even made my favourite accompaniment to a roast, bread sauce. Safe to say, we were all in a food coma after dinner and had to retreat back into the living room for a break before our final course.
Dessert was courtesy of my friend Jess who made the most deliciously indulgent apple crumble and custard, it was divine. More drinks and chats and soon it was time for my friends to leave; it was over too soon but I loved every minute of our time together.
Evenings like these spent in the company of my closest friends become memories I treasure forever. I’m so grateful to have such wonderful friends who I’ve known since childhood and still to this day, despite our lives having branched out different ways and becoming adults with families of our own, we still hold a strong bond as best friends ❤
When it comes to shopping, I tend to do most of it online these days as the high street just isn’t what it used to be anymore. Designer outlets however are always great for finding a good deal whilst offering a more premium level of shopping experience.
So having eyed up some designer handbags online, I decided it was time for a trip to Bicester Village and I invited my bestie along too, because I know she can’t say no to a shopping trip 😉
It’s just over an hour drive from home and parking is free which is always a bonus. With it being a Saturday, the shops were busy but this didn’t effect our shopping experience too much, there was just a short queue to get into a few of the stores.
My first purchase was this gorgeous green velvet handbag from Sandro. This was totally different to the one I had my eye on in Coach, but this colour and style couldn’t be more me and will be the perfect accessory to see me through the festive party season ahead. Original RRP was around £450 for this bag, but I only paid £176.80 including an additional discount with my Bicester Village membership.
There is a number of big fashion house outlets at Bicester including YSL, Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Mulberry, Celine, Coach and Chloe to name a few, as well as premium highstreet brands like All Saints, Reiss, Ugg, Acne Studios, Lulu Lemon… the list goes on.
My next purchase was a little something in Prada. Given I’d spent less on the handbag than expected, I treated myself to a Prada card holder in this classic stone grey leather with gold lettering logo. Previously £450 I purchased this for £240 at outlet price.
I’m thrilled to be owner of my first Prada item, a timeless piece that will never go out of style.
My fit for the day was a pair of Stradivarius vintage style flared jeans paired with a simple Brandy Melville black tank, Grenson platform boots, vintage Jaegar green blazer, a silk neckerchief from Le Scarf and my brown knitted beret to complete the look. Comfortable yet stylish, I think this ensemble echoes Parisian Chic vibes.
After queuing at the Ugg store in hope of finding some platform Ugg boots which were sold out, instead this fluffy black borg jacket caught my eye. The perfect fit and so very cosy for those cold winter days to come, this was the perfect addition for my winter wardrobe. Original RRP would’ve been about £170, but I only paid £87.
The afternoon went so quickly, it was already getting dark before we knew it and Bicester Village began twinkling as the fairy lights came on at twilight.
Our final stop was Astrid & Miyu, currently a popup at Bicester Village until March. Everything was half price or less, so I got a gold ear cuff and a cute gold chain bracelet, whilst my bestie got three items for £90, fantastic deals.
On the whole a very successful day of shopping and I was over the moon with my designer purchases. I went with the intention of treating myself and I did exactly that!
I’m keen to visit Bicester Village again soon perhaps before Christmas, although I’d definitely try to go on a weekday to avoid the queues. I’d also recommend signing up to their membership as it gets you further reductions in selected stores and it’s free to join.
What a fun day indulging in some much needed retail therapy with my bestie. In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, ‘I prefer my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet.’ ❤
Happy bank holiday babes! I can’t believe it’s coming to the end of August already, where has summer gone? I kicked off the long weekend with Friday drinks at the pub followed by a girls night with my bestie on Saturday evening.
I wore my pink Stradivarius flared jeans to brighten up yet another grey August day, and paired these with this tie back Nakd grey vest and my chunky pearl sliders.
Despite the overcast weather, it was still warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a few drinks and snacks together at sunset. It’s not a girl dinner without nibbles and I won’t be missing any opportunity to put out a mezze of picky bits in my favourite bowls.
Following our holiday to Mallorca, me and the girls have been obsessed in a Greek Salad. Quick, easy, healthy and delicious, this is the ultimate girl dinner moment.
To accompany our big bowl of goodness, I heated up a sun-dried tomato flatbread for our carbs and served it with some Italian salad leaves too.
This was the perfect girl dinner to graze and enjoy as we chatted away and reminisced about our wonderful Mallorca memories from our holiday a few weeks back; cheers to cute girl dinners ❤
Last week, me and my two best girlfriends jetted off to the stunning Spanish island of Mallorca for five days in the town of Alcudia. We’ve been besties since we were in infant school, so we get on like sisters and couldn’t wait to be going on a proper girls vacay together this summer.
Arriving at a busy Gatwick Airport on Friday 4th August, we treated ourselves to the lounge for bottomless pre-flight bubbles and a bite to eat at leisure, before our plane departed that afternoon. Holiday mode was on!
We didn’t stop nattering the entire journey and before we knew it, we had arrived at our hotel later that evening following a smooth flight and transfer with easyJet. The next morning we awoke fresh and ready for a day of sunbathing at our hotel.
We stayed at Sol de Alcudia Apartments where we shared a room complete with a kitchenette and balcony. Whilst this is a family resort, it wasn’t too busy and the staff were friendly and helpful too.
I was very happy with the gym which was just down the corridor from our room and almost always empty, so I had the space to myself for my morning workouts.
We spent most mornings getting in our sunbathing time whilst reading our books, cooling off in the pool and chatting away of course.
The hotel was a five minute walk from the main beach of Alcudia, so we took a stroll there on the first day to see that golden white sand and dip our feet in the ocean.
After a refreshing glass of Sangria for me and Spanish beers for the girls, we found a nearby Lidl to stock up on essential holiday snacks and food for lunches.
This is what holiday lunches are all about; a mezze of picky bits including crisps, crackers, hummus, olives, cold meats, cheese, grapes, bread and of course, the iconic tub of Aioli. Sat out on our balcony soaking up the Spanish sun and chatting with my girlies with a wine in hand, now that’s an ideal holiday scene right there!
If you’re a regular here you’ll know I’m a salad lover and when I’m holiday, it’s all about a Greek Salad, so I suggested we do this for our balcony lunch one day. We just went to the local grocery store where we managed to get some tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta. Usually I would put oregano and lashings of olive oil on my Greek Salad, but seasoning wise we could only find salt in the shop, so instead my friend came up with the idea of mashing the feta with the juice of a lemon and some of the salty olive brine. This was a delicious twist on a classic and definitely something I’ll try again at home too.
It was so fun getting glammed up for warm summer evenings out with the girls. My friend did my hair a few times with her Dyson Air Wrap and I’m obsessed, I might have to get one for myself now.
On the Sunday night we decided to book a nice dinner out at Ca’an Matevet just over in Port d’Alcudia. As usual I did my research on Instagram to find the trendiest looking place and this restaurant was our kinda vibe.
I love being a bit more experimental and playful with my holiday outfits, so for this occasion I wore my leopard print swimsuit as a body paired with my Stradivarius wrap skort, chunky pearl sliders, a pair of oversized gold shell drop earrings and my Dune woven white handbag. My girlfriends are so effortlessly cool and always look very trendy in all black and neutral tones. How cute that my friend’s pearl hair clips matched my pearl sliders. ❤
We were seated at our table outside overlooking the port as the sunset and a live band played, setting the perfect evening dinner mood at golden hour.
Being in Spain we couldn’t resist ordering a number of incredible tapas to share. We all agreed potatoes bravos were a must as well as the fresh scallops. The toasted bread with cured Mahón cheese, sobrasada from the island and honey, was simply divine.
This goat’s cheese salad with walnuts, hazelnuts, capers and homemade fig jam was a highlight for me. We also got the garlic prawns, olives and some bread with Aioli to accompany our meal. Service was great, I couldn’t fault anything and don’t be fooled, we ate every last bit – us girls like our food!
We finished up with a round of cocktails instead of dessert as we were full from our feast. I had a Paloma whilst the girls had a Mojito and a Tommy’s Margarita which we enjoyed as the sun went down and the live band continued their second set. The staff were so friendly and attentive, the food was amazing and the ambience on point; I’d highly recommend visiting C’an Matevet if you’re in the area –https://canmatevet.com.
The weather was perfect during our stay reaching highs of 30 degrees, so a classic orange ice pop was the ideal poolside refreshment.
Another night, another bar, and on this evening we actually stumbled across this fun hotel bar just around the corner with another live band playing. They were called Von Bros and played reggae style covers, we were loving it!
Once again my besties were looking super stylish in chic black outfits, whilst I was in a baby blue mini dress bringing a splash of colour to the group.
On our final day we got up early to visit the markets in the Old Town of Alcudia.
There was so much to explore, from beautiful fresh produce to lots of gorgeous clothes and jewellery from local sellers.
My friend bagged herself a lovely cream crochet top and I got a white crochet cutout Grecian style dress.
I just wish I had a local market back home selling fresh fruit and veg as marvellous as this!
And not to mention the variety of olives to choose from, I was in my element.
The streets of Old Town Alcudia are so picturesque lined with ancient buildings, blooming bright flowers climbing the walls and exotic plants in terracotta pots.
We stopped for a morning coffee at a cute cafe where two coffees and a water was less than 4 Euros!
It was scorching hot so we took it in turns with my friend’s ‘World’s biggest diva’ hand fan. 😀
I’m also loving this headscarf on my friend giving market girl vibes paired with her gingham playsuit, so cute. ❤
We then explored more of the town and took a walk up on the ancient walls which boarder the Old Town of Alcudia.
I saw an old open air theatre and decided to put my gymnastics practice to good use with a handstand balance centre stage.
For lunch we found a quieter restaurant with a courtyard off the beaten track.
I had this simple but super tasty green salad and a refreshing Coke Zero.
Our final afternoon we spent back by our hotel pool soaking up the final few hours of Spanish sun.
I also brought this floppy hat on our way out of the markets which is exactly what I was looking for, I can’t wait to wear it on my next holiday.
We had a chilled dinner at our hotel before packing that night, as our transfer back to Palma Airport the next morning was at 7am.
We had a fantastic time in Mallorca together with plenty of chats, giggles, sunbathing, good food and drinks, pool time, reading, relaxing and just having lots of fun. Thank you girlies for such a wonderful trip, lets get planning girls vacay 2024! ❤ ❤ ❤
Happy Sunday! The sun is finally shining here in Hampshire, so yesterday afternoon I invited my best friend over for drinks in the garden and we decided to film a besties Q&A for my YouTube channel.
We had such a laugh and it was a lot of fun reminiscing on memories together. We also did some quick fire ‘This or That’ and ‘Would you rather’ which we found inspo for on Pinterest.
Later that evening we ordered Dominos pizzas with our boyfriends and enjoyed a cute double date night in our dining room. A picture perfect afternoon and evening together.
What a wholesome evening with my bestie and our boyfriends and I’m looking forward to editing the Q&A which will be out on my YouTube channel (@Dani Aneka) next week, so stay tuned!
I love an excuse to get dolled up and spending a Saturday arvo with my best girlfriends enjoying a boozy brunch. Having been a few birthdays in the group recently, we decided to book a bottomless brunch this weekend followed by a night out in East London. Let the antics commence!
With the weather still on the cooler side at the moment, I decided to wear my long over the knee boots with my black NEUW denim jeans, a white one sleeve asymmetric crop top, check print Stradivarius blazer, my usual gold jewellery, cute sunnies and my green fur coat to keep warm.
Brunch was booked for late afternoon at Raspa@100 Hoxton, a Filipino fusion restaurant offering a great bottomless brunch deal lasting 100 minutes for £38 each. We made the most of the drinks swapping between cocktails, slushies, prosecco of course and they even treated us to shots on the house.
The food spread was delicious and nice to have something different to the usual brunch menu options. Livy had the pork belly silog breakfast served with garlic fried rice, fried eggs & pickle, whilst Lucy had the halloumi finger sandwich and Cara opted for the sweet option of banana & buttermilk French toast.
My dish was the karoke which are Korean potato croquettes served with poached eggs, chilli dressing and a cheese sauce. The flavours in this were sensational and that pool of chilli dressing sauce was just to die for.
Bellies full of brunch and booze, we walked over to nearby Shoreditch to have more drinks at The Bike Shed which was buzzing on a Saturday evening in town.
Another bottle of wine later, and it was time to head over to the Drag Bingo we had tickets for. I was unsure of what to expect but needless to say we had a fabulous time!
Sure enough we ended our night tearing up the dance floor in another bar. Being friends since infant school, anytime we get together we have such a laugh and never take ourselves too seriously.
I think this picture beuatifully sums up my true happiness and joy following a day of love and laughter with my very best girlfriends; let’s stay forever young at heart. ❤
With it being International Women’s Day last week, me and the girls decided to get together on Thursday for a ladies night complete with fine wine, good food, plenty of chats and countless giggles.
We went over to our friend’s house who welcomed us with vino and nibbles before a delicious dinner. She served baked salmon fillets in a ginger and garlic marinade alongside greens and veggie dumplings, it was delicious.
I don’t know what I’d do without my girlfriends to guide and support me along the confusing journey we call life. I’m so very lucky to have such strong friendships that go back to childhood, so we really do know each other inside out and can tell each other anything.
This short excerpt on female friendships perfectly sums up the special bond I have with my girlies. Cheers to my ladies and soul sisters for life ❤
Dani Aneka 