Tag: celebrations

December Diaries; A Very Merry Christmas

December 29, 2025

As we find ourselves in this no mans land between Christmas and New Years, I’m grateful for a few days of rest and reset before it all kicks off again for NYE celebrations. Whilst I love celebrating with friends and spending quality time with family, I’m in need of some down time after four days of back to back festive fun.

Going back to Christmas Eve, I went to the local church to watch the children’s Nativity with my niece and they even had live donkeys!

I wore my new ASOS brown faux suede trench coat with the statement collar buttoned across and it looked super chic.

My Oliver Bonas leopard print beret was the finishing touch to this stylish fit.

That evening we went to the local pub where my Dad was dressing up as Santa Claus!

He made a very convincing Santa in his extra fancy costume and everyone thought he was great.

Soon lots of our friends arrived and I even treated myself to a cheeky Espresso Martini to finish the night.

On Christmas morning, my boyfriend and I exchanged gifts by the Christmas tree and I felt like a very lucky lady indeed when I opened my new MacBook.

My outfit of the day was this stunning New Look maroon puff sleeve top which just screams Christmas Day vibes paired with my Zara black straight leg jeans, ASOS square toe boot heels, my Sandro green velvet handbag, and a beautiful new By Alona pearl necklace, another generous gift from my boyfriend.

We spent Christmas Day at my boyfriend’s parents gorgeous new home along with my parents who they invited too.

I was in charge of canapés for which I made three different ones. First of all, smoked salmon cream cheese blinis are an absolute must on Christmas Day for me.

I also did honey glazed cocktail sausages and a goats cheese, walnut, prosciutto, honey bruschetta inspired by an appetiser we had in Mallorca earlier this year.

My boyfriend’s Dad did a top job cooking a delicious turkey roast complete with all the trimmings.

We had such a laugh playing games and getting competitive with the pub quiz which my Dad and I drew!

My Dad always likes to have a Christmas Pudding to dowse in brandy and light before serving for dessert.

It was a brilliant afternoon and evening with our parents who get along so well, it’s such a joy to see.

Boxing Day was our turn to host so I got the house prepped and ready for the family arriving at 1pm.

I went a little more casual with my fit on this day with a cute frill trim tie front cream cardigan, Stradivarius dark wash flared jeans, Topshop brown pointed toe boot heels, Heaven Mayhem statement gold earrings and my Polene Handbag for a touch of quiet luxury.

We were heading to the pub for a late lunch following our gift exchange, so I put out some nibbles as well as another batch of the leftover smoked salmon blinis.

There was a lot of presents to open and the girls were in their element being treated to so many new toys.

I love welcoming family and friends into our home and hosting at Christmas time is always particularly special.

We had a laugh seeing my nieces run riot in the back of my boyfriend’s truck; girls just wanna have fun!

We had 3pm reservations at a new local favourite pub, The Falcon in Rotherwick.

After a few sharing boards for a starter, I opted for my favourite vegan Durban jackfruit curry, a nice change from all the traditional festive food.

It was a superb afternoon with the family catching up, enjoying more good food and seeing my nieces having such fun together.

And don’t think the festivities ended there, the next day I was hosting again for my friends with their partners and kids.

Being an evening do starting at 5pm, it was nice to have the day to myself and plenty of time to get the house ready with drinks chilled, glasses out and nibbles served.

I decided to try making this crisps nacho plate I’d seen on TikTok and it turned out well with the combination of different textures and flavours, it was divine.

I used truffle flavoured crisps as the base topped with slices of prosciutto, torn up mozzarella, crunchy pickles and a drizzle of olive oil and black pepper to finish.

Soon everyone arrived and it was such a joy to have all my closest friends together again for more Christmas celebrations.

Everyone contributed and we ended up with lots of yummy party food to serve including hot canapés of battered prawn tails, breaded cheese bites, vegan nuggets and of course some oven pizzas.

Later in the evening once those with kids had left, the adults got a little excited and stayed up way past their bedtime….

But its moments like these when you’re back with your besties feeling like you’re kids again, which are so special and we always look back on fondly.

I’m extremely grateful to be surrounded by so many brilliant family and friends and I will never take for granted what a blessing that is.

So that sums up a very social Christmas period and now we hurtle towards the New Year. 2025 has been another brilliant year and now 2026 is on the horizon and I can’t wait to see what the universe has in store for me next ❤

A Wonderful Winter Wedding

December 21, 2025

It’s only three days to go until Christmas now and I can’t believe how quickly December has gone! This weekend we were invited to a friend’s wedding over in the Cotswolds and I was so excited to be going to my first ever winter wedding.

With the ceremony starting at 4:30pm, they fully leaned into the romantic winter vibes as we arrived at the church with the sun setting on a crisp, chilly Friday afternoon in December.

The church was glowing at sundown from the candles warmly inviting guests in, setting a dreamy, intimate backdrop for the bride and groom to take their vows.

Following the ceremony, wedding guests were transported in an old fashioned English red bus back to the reception taking place at The Feathered Nest County Inn, Oxfordshire.

With the grand Christmas tree, roaring fireplace and traditional English pub interiors, it was a wholesome and cosy venue ideal for a winter wedding reception.

For the occasion I wore a long sleeve, off the shoulder, long brown dress from ASOS, a pair of silver platform heels, my new vintage style pearl earrings from Heaven Mayhem, my timeless By Alona pearl detail necklace, Abbott Lyon gold bangle, and an iridescent Cult Gia inspired boxy handbag from Amazon.

After a champagne reception and delicious canapés, they proceeded with the speeches which were very well delivered and kept the guests entertained.

My favourite canapé was the whipped goats cheese and beetroot tartlet; a delightful bite of tasty, tangy flavours to whet the appetite.

Instead of the traditional sit-down wedding reception meal, they served a buffet of hearty dishes including beef bourguignon, vegetable dhal and a fish pie which was divine.

Later on the cake was cut and served alongside an impressive tower of cheese, so naturally I had a lovely plate of cheese, crackers and grapes to finish the night.

We stayed over nearby at The Lamb Inn, Great Rissington. We didn’t get time to experience much there other than sleeping in the very comfy bed, but the room was nicely done and the staff super friendly.

Having never experienced a winter wedding before I wasn’t sure what to expect, but with the backdrop of the picturesque Cotswolds and all the Christmas vibes in the air, it was a truly romantic celebration right out of a fairytale ❤

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!

December Diaries; Vlogmas Part Two

December 31, 2024

And so we find ourselves on the final day of the year and ready to ring in 2025 at midnight. This year has been beyond brilliant and I hope you guys have enjoyed coming along with me for the best bits of 2024 through my vlogs here on YouTube.

In this second instalment of Vlogmas, festivities are in full swing as I host friends for a wine & cheese night, enjoy more cosy date nights with my boyfriend, and help my parents prepare to host the family for Christmas Day.

Expect all the indulgent food and drinks, lots of cute winter outfits and not forgetting when we see my dad playing Santa in the local town for charity!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas too and I can’t wait to share another adventure filled year ahead on YouTube, starting with an epic trip to Bali and my big 30th birthday in January.

To watch the full Vlogmas on my YouTube channel, follow the link here – https://youtu.be/463tWKWzFcM?si=t3yRxW7gfKBO4CsG

December Diaries; Vlogmas Part One

December 22, 2024

The December Diaries are here and I thought I’d split this month’s vlog into a two part ‘Vlogmas’. As soon as the festive season begins its all about celebrating the year that’s been and embracing the merry times with colleagues, friends and family.

It might only be the first two weeks of December, but in this instalment of Vlogmas I fully embrace the festive season with cute interiors decor, cosy winter date nights with old school Christmas movies and plenty of fun work parties.

So grab a warming cuppa or maybe a cheeky baileys, and come along with me for the silly season diaries!

Checkout the full vlog on my YouTube channel here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz6OdgB7b80

Christmas Party Silly Season

December 16, 2024

With just over a week to go until Christmas Day, silly season is well and truly in full swing! Last week I had two Christmas parties in London with work, so I thought I’d share with you what we got up to and how we got into the jolly festive spirit.

Last Tuesday was our member’s Christmas Social event at Hijingo Bingo in Shoreditch. We chose this activity as something different and immersive to mix up the usual networking format.

Starting at 11:30am, guests enjoyed drinks in the bar until they were ushered through the illuminated tunnel and seated in the main room for bingo.

Unlike typical bingo, there are dancers and a ‘bot’ who introduces each game and explains the rules as well as the prizes up for grabs. From a holiday for two or up to £500 cash, the prizes were very desirable and got everyone enthusiastic to play the games.

After the first few games there was a break for food served in the main room. This was a selection of festive inspired bites including pigs in blankets with a miso maple glaze, and turkey roulade with a cranberry puree.

The second round of games commenced before the event concluded at 2:30pm. Short but sweet, the bingo games were great fun and we had fantastic feedback from our guests who really enjoyed the afternoon.

I’d highly recommend Hijingo Bingo as a venue not just for the fun and immersive bingo experience, but also for the brilliant management team who were very well organised, super friendly and worked hard to deliver our event seamlessly – https://www.hijingo.com

Moving onto our second festive party of the week, on Thursday we went back to Shoreditch for our staff party at an escape room followed by a dinner. We met at BOXPARK beforehand and enjoyed some street food for lunch, as well as a few drinks to kick off celebrations.

At 2:30pm we were booked for our session at the escape rooms at which point we split into our teams and were assigned our rooms. My team’s room had the theme of time travel and our mission was to travel back in time to Paris to locate the weapon used for a murder. We all got very into the story and enjoyed the challenge of solving the mystery as a team.

Our dinner reservation at 5pm was for a pasta restaurant called Noci in Shoreditch. To start I had the endive salad with grapes, walnuts and a pistachio dressing which although was a generous portion for an entree, was still the perfect light bite to begin the meal.

My pasta of choice for the main course was strozzapreti with tomato, taggiasca olives, fried aubergine and a vegan cream cheese on top. The pasta was deliciously fresh, the sauce was very tasty and everything was served nice and hot.

For dessert I had the plant-based chocolate mousse with olive oil, sea salt and toasted almonds, a gorgeously rich and chocolatey note to finish on – https://nocirestaurant.co.uk

The night continued on at another bar in Shoreditch where the drinks continued to flow and we had a very merry time indeed. Needless to say, we know how to live up to the fun and games of silly season!

November Diaries; Cosy Season

December 1, 2024

Winter season is here so its time to get cosy and embrace cute winter fashion, indulge in foodie delights and soak up the wonderful family time.

I might be a summer girl at heart, but I can certainly get on board when it comes to snuggling in front of a film on a cold winters night, or perhaps treating myself to a cheeky cheeseboard…or two!

So grab a hot choccie, a warming cuppa or even a glass of red, and enjoy coming along with me for a jam packed social month of November.

Checkout the full vlog on my YouTube channel here – https://youtu.be/TkJ7TTfu_zc?si=RxrCrDWebTIYPXM7

Chapter 29; Twenty Nine & Feeling Fine

January 28, 2024

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 ❤

Christmas Party Silly Season

December 17, 2023

As soon as we hit December, I find myself at another Christmas celebration week on week; this is the official season of partying and being merry!

The month began with a festive lunch and private show around on the 5th December at the newly opened Fairmont Windsor Park.

I was invited with work to view the stunning event spaces and rooms there and the hotel was beautifully decorated ready for Christmas, it got me feeling so festive!

We were treated to lunch in the gorgeous bar area where I had a few small plates of dill cured salmon served with buttermilk sauce and pickled cucumber, and the pumpkin kale salad topped with blackberries and pumpkin seeds. The food was exquisite and it was a lovely afternoon being hosted by the team at the Fairmont.

Later that week, it was our member’s Christmas Social Lunch with work which we held at Platform in Shoreditch.

Starting at 12 noon, we welcomed our guests to play retro games together whilst enjoying drinks and freshly made festive pizzas. This is a relaxed, fun event we host every December to thank our members for their engagement and support throughout the year.

Onto the second week of December, last Thursday we had our internal team celebration lunch at Zero Degrees in Reading. This was a great opportunity to spend time with colleagues outside of work and celebrate another successful year together as a team.

That brings us to yesterday when we drove to the Cotswolds for a family lunch with my boyfriend’s relatives. I wore my Stradivarius mid-wash flared jeans, Pull & Bear khaki long sleeve backless top, platform Ugg boots, Zara cropped aviator jacket, a check print scarf also from Zara, my brown knitted beret and my new Coach signature print handbag, worn across body to complete the look.

We met at a pub called The Bell Inn at Welford on Avon and to start, me and my boyfriend shared the fresh bread and olives served with oil and balsamic.

For main I opted for the smoked salmon and prawn salad paired with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio wine, the perfect light lunch.

There’s plenty of roast dinners and heavy food to come over the Christmas period, so I always like to have something fresh and healthier when I can.

Another wonderful afternoon spent with family and friends enjoying good food and drinks whilst catching up and having lots of laughs together.

So now we approach the final week before Christmas bringing with it yet more parties and celebrations with loved ones; let the happy merry times roll ❤

Huf Haus Hosts Oktoberfest

October 1, 2023

As an orginally German founded company, Huf Haus UK hosted their own Oktoberfest last weekend complete with all the fun traditions including strong German beer, freshly baked pretzels, Currywurst, a German Oompah band and lots more!

I was invited along by my boyfriend’s parents as they work for Huf Haus here in the UK. They also extended the invite to my parents as they love Huf Haus architecture and were keen to see around the show home too.

Lots of people dressed up for the occasion in traditional German attire, however my Dad went rogue with a quirky outfit featuring his antique cane.

My parents were given their first experience of Currywurst, an authentic German fast-food consisting of fried pork sausage, typically cut into bite-sized chunks and seasoned with curry ketchup, which my dad very much enjoyed for his lunch.

Me and my mum were on the gin and tonic cocktails served from the G&T van by a London based gin company called Jim & Tonic.

The Huf Haus feeling by definition, is essentially the unique living atmosphere created by panoramic views of the outdoors, emphasised by natural light to create calm.

We were given a tour of the Huf Haus featuring my dream walk in wardrobe setup and this stunning bathroom with a free standing bath tub.

It was a fabulous afternoon celebrating Oktoberfest and showing my parents the beautiful Huf Haus show home located in Weybridge. Perhaps one day we will be able to own our very own Huf Haus…never say never, big dreams can come true ❤