Chapter 30; Bali Birthday Celebrations

26.01.25; celebrating my 30th year around the sun on the wonderful Island of Gods, Bali.

I might be entering my thirties but I really do feel like a twenty year old at heart still.

We kicked off celebrations on Friday evening with a stunning sunset at the iconic La Brisa on Echo Beach.

For dinner we went to another awesomely aesthetic spot in Canggu Penny Lane.

It was the Ubud health bowl for me and a hearty buttermilk chicken burger for my boyfriend.

On Saturday I treated myself to a blow dry at The Rustic Sun Canggu as it’s less than £15 pounds here in Bali!

That afternoon we went to a new beach club Luna and soaked up the scorching sunshine, whilst dipping in and out of pools and lounging in our private pod sipping cocktails.

For dinner I changed into my new Flook The Label beach dress, a birthday gift from my boyfriend which I chose last week in their boutique in Pererenan.

Luna beach club comes alive at night too with spectacular lights and even a fire show.

Sunday 26th January, my actual birthday, I awoke to the cutest surprise from my boyfriend.

He organised with the villa manager to decorate the pool with a happy birthday message, balloons and even a floating breakfast.

This was truly the best way to welcome in my 30th birthday.

After a very chilled day relaxing at the villa my the pool, we headed down to Batu Bolong Beach to catch sundown.

Our third magnificent sunset in a row and the perfect way to see out my big birthday weekend.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at The Lawn where I had my favourite classic Caesar salad with prawns.

The night finished at Deus Ex Machina Sunday sessions live music and 241 cocktails of course.

Mood for my thirties; Happy. Content. Staying in my own lane. Healing. Freeing. Flourishing. Growing. Glowing ❤

You can watch the full birthday weekend vlog over on my YouTube channel here – https://youtu.be/gQm6zSVOcfU?si=M3SjFdGB_rgJGqtc

Chapter 29; Twenty Nine & Feeling Fine

Friday 26th January 2024, my 29th Birthday and entering the final year of my twenties!

Waking up on Friday morning, it was a gloriously sunny day with clear blue skies and a crisp winters chill in the air as I took my morning walk.

I was working from home for the day, so I decided to move to the sofa for the afternoon and put ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ on as I enjoyed my coffee and answered emails.

Once 5pm rolled around and work was wrapped up for the week, I got myself glammed up and ready for an evening of celebrations.

My Birthday fit was a pair of flared tailored black trousers from Zara, a dusty pink bandeau also from Zara, my silk Le Scarf neckerchief, a cropped nude cardigan with gold buttons, my ASOS lace up maroon heels, plenty of gold jewellery to accessorise, a vintage Jaegar green oversized blazer to keep me warm and my Sandro velvet green handbag to complete the look.

At 6pm I went to our local pub for a drink with my Dad, where they gave me a glass of bubbles on the house and even brought out a Happy Birthday brownie.

We then had 8:30pm reservations at The Ivy Asia in Guildford, so my boyfriend kindly drove me and my parents there after we finished catching up with friends at the pub.

I always love visiting The Ivy Asia with its opulent interiors and buzzing atmosphere, especially on a Friday night.

We started with duck pancakes for the table before ordering a number of their smaller sharer plates.

We had all sorts of dishes from spicy tuna sushi rolls and king prawn skewers, to Korean fried chicken bites and claypot chickpea pepper curry. Every mouthful was so delicously flavoursome and my parents even said it was the best Asian meal they’d ever had!

Saturday morning we got out early to go to Bicester Village designer outlet in Oxford.

The shopping day cute and cosy look was a pair of Stradivarius blue flared jeans, an off shoulder brown jumper, my platform Ugg boots, an earthy tone wool scarf which I got for my Birthday, my Coach signature print cross body bag, a faux fur black Ugg coat and my favourite khaki baker boy hat from Mango.

Being a weekend, the shops were quite busy and unlike my previous visit to Bicester, there wasn’t much that was particularly jumping out at me.

We couldn’t leave empty handed though and I needed a Birthday gift from my boyfriend, so I was thrilled to find a the perfect gold ring from Monica Vinader to add to my jewellery collection.

Later that evening we were invited over to my parents house with my brother, his wife and my adorable niece Layla who I had lots of cuddles with, I just love being an Auntie!

My mum cooked her famous Spaghetti Bolognese and I did what I do best making a big salad of rocket, cherry tomatoes, avocado, parmesan shavings and balsamic vinegar. Good company, home cooked food and divine red wine, this made me a very happy girly.

Before I knew it, Sunday was here and I spent the afternoon with more family including my other darling niece and my wonderful Grandma. This card from my sister was brilliant, it’ll be a right laugh trying those poses next time I’m having a cocktail.

So that concludes my 29th Birthday celebrations and I couldn’t be more grateful of where I am at this time in my life. I want to embrace this final year of my twenties and look forward to another 12 months of growth, learning and achievements; cheers to chapter 29 ❤

Chapter 28; Another Year Around the Sun

26.01.23 – My 28th Birthday. As I near the end of my twenties, I’ve learnt that growing older doesn’t have to mean life getting more serious, instead I find myself more carefree and not as worried about always having direction in life. After all, it’s about enjoying the journey and living in the present moment appreciating all those you have already in life.

In celebration of my birthday we went for a family meal to Seasons Kitchen in Surrey. Having experienced the street food vans they have in the summer, I’ve been wanting to try the restaurant here for a while now and it didn’t disappoint.

Arriving on Friday evening for our 7pm reservation, we chose the best table in the house by this gorgeous olive tree in the heart of the restaurant.

I started with a divine Daiquiri cocktail which was the perfect combination of sweet and sour complete with a strong kick from the rum.

I wore my C’est Normal two piece set simply accessorised with nude mules, a cream blazer and plenty of gold jewellery. I even treated myself to a blow dry that day and loved the subtle shape she gave to my hair.

We shared an assortment of starters including these flavoured butter boards which take your classic bread and butter to another level. I couldn’t get enough of the caramelised onion topped one, it was delightful.

I was thrilled to have my brother and his wife join us for the evening all the way from Bromley. I’m close with my family so it always means a lot to spend quality time together on special occasions.

For main course I had the Roast Romenesco Cauliflower dish which was a delicious combination of fresh flavours. I also had a taste of my mum’s Chicken Caesar Salad which was very tasty indeed, a classic favourite of mine.

The boys shared this incredible Korean BBQ Short Rib served on pak choi with steamed bao buns. Another highlight of the evening, this was a refreshing Asian twist on your regular bbq ribs.

I had this cute little birthday chocolate assortment after the inevitable Happy Birthday sing song from the staff and restaurant. I also couldn’t resist a cheeky Tia Maria tipple to finish my meal on a high.

What a truly wonderful evening celebrating my 28th Birthday at Seasons Surrey. I’m starting to appreciate everything in my life as it all falls into place and I can’t help but feel like one of the luckiest girls in the world; cheers to another year around the sun ❤

Cosy Winter Weekends

Happy Sunday! We’re well and truly into the winter months here in England as I sit writing this at 4:30pm and it’s already dark… whilst I am definitely a summer girl at heart, there is something so comforting and heart-warming about cosying up inside on these long winter evenings.

For me winter is all about the good TV and film which comes out this time of year, enjoying indulgent food (in particular a cheeseboard of course) and going to the pub to sit in front of the fire with friends whilst lapping up the red wine and maybe even a cocktail or two.

November also brings with it firework night alongside my Mum’s birthday too, so for our family it’s always a time to celebrate. A yearly tradition has evolved recently where my boyfriend and Dad have the time of their lives letting off the crazy firework boxes from Costco which is both exciting and terrifying!

For my Mum’s birthday celebrations on the 6th November, we went over to my brother and his wife’s gorgeous newly renovated house in Bromley. They have a wonderful entertaining space there now with an open plan dining kitchen area finished with touches of Scandi style furniture and details; I particularly love the deep fern green kitchen cupboards and marble work top.

They always put on an incredible spread of food and on this occasion we were treated to a classic, hearty chilli con carne with all the accompaniments which was delicious. They also made this Mexican inspired salad including a mix of greens, asparagus, avocado, a creamy homemade dressing and heaps of parmesan. I need to get the full recipe, I’m obsessed!

We had a fabulous day celebrating Mum’s birthday. These special moments with family are so precious and I can’t wait for more fun times together as we dive into the festive season ahead ❤

Par-Tee Time; Let’s Celebrate

It’s been a slow Sunday for me here at home following a fun evening out in Reading with my boyfriend and his mates last night. With my boyfriend’s birthday tomorrow we organised early celebrations this weekend and I was so ready for a proper night out on the town!

Starting with dinner, I made 8pm reservations at Thai Corner in Reading. We absolutely love Thai food and this place didn’t disappoint, my prawn pad thai noodles were delicious. The restaurant was buzzing on a Saturday night and the service was fantastic too. No doubt we will be returning for a date night there again soon when I will have to try one of their yummy curries too.

After our meal we went to Brewdog for drinks before heading over to Spinners for our 10pm booking at the mini golf.

A few drinks down and with more drinks as we played, we had a right laugh as we took on the mini golf course. I actually managed a number of hole in ones even after all of the prosecco I’d been guzzling!

After finishing our game, we continued the par-tee spirit and decided to hit a few bars and clubs in town. It ended up being a late one as we found ourselves still dancing in the club until 3am!

Everyone had an awesome evening in celebration of my boyfriend’s birthday, only this morning’s hangover was less enjoyable…but this is how we roll, making memories and embracing the moments together because life is for living ❤

Chapter 2 7

On Wednesday 26th January 2022 I officially entered my late twenties and welcomed in chapter 27 of my life. It’s been quite the week of celebrations and so amazing to be with my family and friends again following a lockdown birthday last year.

I had a wonderful family birthday dinner on the big day at Giggling Squid in Farnham. I was even surprised by my brother who I didn’t know was coming all the way from London to join us for the occasion.

I’m very lucky to be so close to my family and it was the best birthday present I could wish for to have us all there celebrating together.

After our cocktails to kick off the evening, we shared a selection of starters including delicious squid and duck spring rolls. For mains I opted for a traditional vegetable red Thai curry which was exquisite.

At the end of our meal I was presented with this gorgeous birthday desert and everyone sang Happy Birthday. It was a joy to be with my family just chatting, laughing and enjoying the moment over fantastic food and drinks, we didn’t leave the restaurant until they were closing!

With my birthday being midweek, I decided to invite my girlfriends over for an evening at my house on Saturday.

My birthday fit for the night was this stunning backless silver blouse along with my stretchy flared pants and cute fluffy slider slippers – dressy but comfy.

I absolutely love hosting so I was super excited to setup the dining room and prepare a spread of nibbles as well as my famous cheeseboard platter of course. Candles lit, music playing and prosecco popped, I was ready to welcome the girls for a fun cosy evening at home.

A number of bottles of bubbly and wine later, we’d had such a beautiful night full of catchups and plenty of laughs, those girls really are my soulmates.

Now its Sunday evening and I’m feeling so content and happy following such a fabulous birthday week. It’s certainly been an epic start to the year already and I can’t wait to see what chapter twenty seven of my lift has in store.

Stay sane, stay wild ❤

Bank Holiyay Vibes

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 ❤

26.01.21; Chapter 25 Over and Out

As a January baby born in the midst of winter here in England, I’ve always resented the date on which my birthday falls. Being a sun worshipping beach bum, my last few birthdays down under in Oz during the height of their summer and falling on their famous ‘Australia Day’ holiday, were far more my kinda vibe for a celebration. With plans to escape to Dubai for my birthday this year postponed due to lockdown, I had to settle with the reality of my 26th birthday back at the place I call home nestled in the quaint Hampshire countryside.

We were treated to a dusting of snow last weekend, turning our little village into a winter wonderland. A welcome change to the grey dreary days we’ve had most of this year so far and an excuse to get out amongst it and capture some snaps.

A few days later, January 26th came around and it was time to bid farewell to chapter 25 and officially enter my mid/late twenties. I was overwhelmed with so many kind messages and love sent my way wishing me a Happy Birthday. I spent the morning pampering, taking a long hot bubble bath and getting glammed up in my birthday suit of course.

It may have been yet another day at home in lockdown, but I can never resist any excuse to dress up and show my favourite clothes some love. So I wore my new split front flared pants from Topshop, white Zara square neck top and plenty of gold jewels, including these awesome statement rings from Cali Tiger and Cinco.

Hair loosely styled into a low bun and nails painted for the occasion, I was ready to pop the prosecco and dig into a cheese board! Treated to wonderful gifts from my family, friends and boyfriend, I feel very blessed to have been able to have such a special day despite circumstances.

I was over the moon with my new C’est Normal overshirt from the boyfriend and I’m obsessed with this pair of charcoal-blue square toe mules I got as a gift too. Ultra unique and stylish, I just can’t wait to wear these killer heels on a night out as soon as we are free again!

Soon enough it was time to get cracking on the cocktails and with a brand new kit from my sister, I was excited to see what magic I could create. First up on the menu it had to be Espresso Martinis, a speciality of mine when bartending back in the day, so we were in for a treat!

Following a few practice runs I would say I pretty much nailed my martinis. The perfect amount of sweetness combined with coffee liquor and decrotively finished with that thick creme – delish!

The family certainly enjoyed theirs too and later on we shook up some mojitos also. I was treated to Wagamama takeaway for dinner, so I ordered my favourite Kare Burosu Ramen – udon noodles with silken tofu and veggies in a curried broth.

A truly unique and much quieter than usual birthday for me this year, but no less enjoyable and fun regardless. I guess the biggest lesson I’ve learnt in my 25th year is to not take the little things in life for granted and enjoy the moments of each day…

Time is now and that is all we really have, so go get it ❤