Tag: cheerstotheweekend

The Ivy; Alice in Wonderland Vibes

April 10, 2022

This weekend I decided to go all out for our date night and booked The Ivy Castle View in Guildford. I had tried to book The Ivy Asia a few weeks back, but with a three month waiting list to get a reservation there, I was happy with the regular Ivy restaurant we know and always enjoy.

I’m obsessed with the art deco inspired interiors featuring eclectic artwork and a vibrant colour palette, I was definitely getting Alice in Wonderland vibes as soon as we arrived at The Ivy Castle View.

Even the ladies bathrooms were decorated with opulent wallpaper and this stunning ceiling of roses, they are just too beautiful not to take a picture of.

The place was buzzing on a Saturday night, yet we were still treated to the same friendly and attentive service from the hosts and our waiters who looked after us for the evening.

We had this lovely, romantic round table for two right by the window overlooking the castle. I was lusting over these gorgeous green palm leaf print sofa chairs too, it really is an interior lovers heaven, every corner of the place there is something different to admire.

To start, we had a cocktail each and of course I couldn’t resist my favourite Espresso Martini in their special salted caramel flavour. My boyfriend had the Surrey Passion made with passionfruit, vodka and rum, a super fruity sweet concoction and showstopper served with a flaming top!

Whilst we don’t usually get starters, we did order the salt-crusted sourdough bread to nibble alongside our cocktails. To our delight they served an entire loaf freshly warmed straight from the oven – sometimes the simple things done well are the most satisfying, it was exquisite.

For mains I actually went for two starters: Roasted Scallops served with crispy potato rösti, pea purée, parmesan sauce and grated truffle, accompanied by a big basket of the Zucchini Fritti. This was a tasty combination of flavours which I paired with a glass of their house white wine from Carinena, Spain.

My boyfriend ordered the Korean Glazed Chicken served with pickled mooli, sesame, avocado and jalapeño sauce, citrus mayonnaise as well as some thick cut chunky chips. Safe to say we devoured the lot and savoured every delectable bite.

Our evening at The Ivy Castle View was wonderful with everything from the drinks and food to the service and experience, it was a 10/10 for me.

The Ivy Collection has a number of restaurants in handpicked locations across the UK, serving modern British cuisine, reflecting the same inimitable service and vibrant surroundings for which The Ivy is loved and revered. A top destination for a boujee date night full of photo opportunities ❤

For the Foodies; Local Gems

February 27, 2022

Being a self-confessed foodie, I always like to try new places for weekend date nights and dinners with friends. Having visited some great restaurants recently, I’m glad to have discovered some local gems just a short drive from our house.

With an extensive menu of pub classics, I was keen to try The Waterwitch pub in Odiham. I opted for an old favourite, caesar salad and it didn’t disappoint. Fresh baby gem lettuce, homemade sourdough croutons, Italian hard cheese, free-range boiled egg, anchovies and a chargrilled chicken breast, this was one of the best caesar salads I’ve ever had…and I’ve had a fair few to compare to!

This weekend we tried Menu Thai in Fleet having heard great things from my sister and her partner. As my boyfriend’s favourite cuisine, we were eager to sample this place for ourselves in hope this will become our local spot for Thai food. I had the vegetable green curry whilst my boyfriend had the chicken penang curry with coconut rice.

Authentic, wonderfully tasty and served steaming hot, this is Thai food done to perfection. A cosy restaurant with excellent service and a buzzing atmosphere too, they even deliver to our postcode. No doubt we will be visiting again very soon as well as making use of their delivery service to satisfy those Thai cravings at home.

It’s always nice to try somewhere different and even better to be supporting local businesses. Going out for dinner is something I used to take for granted before Covid, now I’m even more grateful to be able to indulge in wining and dining freely once again – Cheers to that!

When One Door Closes…

December 5, 2021

It goes without saying that if something doesn’t feel right in your life, it’s time to make a change. Whether it’s work, friends or living situation, you have the power to switch things up to find what makes you happy. Without getting too deep and philosophical, I truly believe that once you put the intention to end something out into the world, another door will open and present new opportunities.

I’ve recently made a difficult decision in my career and already there are exciting prospects on the horizon. At the end of the day, life is just too short to be spent doing something which doesn’t bring you happiness; I think that if the passion is lost then it’s time to do something different.

As the famous quote says, ‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone’. Listen to your gut feeling, take a deep breath, and go make that change!

This weekend I celebrated my news with a fabulous pornstar martini cocktail at The Botanist – Cheers to living life on your own terms ❤

Summer Denim Dayz

August 29, 2021

It’s already the end of August and I can’t quite believe how quickly summer has gone! With the bank holiday long weekend finally here, it was the perfect opportunity to get out in the garden and make the most of the late summer sun.

Whilst the weather is warm and mild here in the UK, that late season heatwave we were promised still hasn’t made an appearance. This time of year I find myself swapping the shorts for jeans and these Lee jeans are my favourite light wash shade of summer denim blue.

With a girly catchup and drinks with my bestie in the diary for Saturday night, I laid out a yummy spread of nibbles including popchips, crudités, dips, olive bread and cheese. Prosecco popped and candles lit, we had a wonderful evening chatting and giggling for hours.

Now it’s Sunday and I’m currently watching Disney movies whilst researching a holiday in Ibiza! I am so hoping we can get away next month and catch those last few weeks of Euro summer ❤

A British Summer BBQ

June 13, 2021

With a mini heatwave hitting England this weekend, it was the perfect excuse to fire up that BBQ and invite our parents to enjoy an evening of good food and drinks with us as the sun went down.

Our garden is finally complete with fabulous bamboo trees and our gorgeous new outdoor furniture. The luscious green grass was looking glorious in that sunshine, the most picturesque setup for our BBQ.

We kept the menu simple with burgers, chicken skewers and chicken thighs accompanied with a green salad, a greek salad, garlic bread and my speciality crispy roast new potatoes with garlic.

For our feast I laid up the dining room table complete with a tray of condiments and all the essential sauces which are a staple for any typical British BBQ.

It was such a joy to be host for the evening and finally be able to invite others into our home following lockdown restrictions. I do love the process of planning, preparing and seeing people having a good time, so I was in my element.

A beautiful summers evening with family in our wonderful new home; I was a happy Bee indeed 🙂

New Horizons

May 16, 2021

‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone’ – a quote that could be applicable to many areas of life, but at this moment for me personally, it’s led to me pursuing a new career path. Following almost two years in my role as Events Assistant at the Four Seasons, unfortunately the pandemic has meant I’ve actually been working elsewhere in the hotel as Hostess in the restaurant for more time than I’d been doing my events job… and there was still no sign of the assistant role coming back anytime soon!

It was time to take matters into my own hands as I was unfulfilled Hostessing at the hotel, a job I hadn’t signed up for and was only meant to be doing for a short while until events finally opened back up. However this pandemic continues to disrupt all areas of life over a year on and it remains unclear how soon events will be back to full capacity at the hotel. So whilst I’m extremely grateful for my ongoing employment at the Four Seasons during such pressing times, I’ve taken the plunge and resigned from my position to embark on another exciting opportunity which has come my way.

After sending out numerous CVs to administrational and assistant roles in my local area, I was thrilled to get an interview for a Personal Assistant job just a five minute drive down the road. With both a highly successful vintage fashion label and property investments to be managed, it sounded like the varied and diverse role I was looking for. With my many years of experience in the field of admin assistance and being a proactive, super organised individual with a passion for style, it was meant to be!

Whilst leaving the security of a great job was daunting, I had my next move all lined up and left the Four Seasons on great terms as they fully understood the unique circumstances Covid has caused. I certainly did time it just right as the hotel reopens on May 17th which would’ve been a gruelling return to work on those horrendous shift hours I used to loath. I much prefer a regular 9-5 job as I like to unwind in the evenings and truly live for my weekends 😉

Week one down as PA and whilst there’s a lot to learn at this stage, I’m already finding my groove and loving the varied nature of the role as no day is ever the same. Friday finally rolled around and after leaving the office a little later to get on top of my tasks ready for Monday, that Friyay glass of vino at the pub tasted better than ever before.

Cheers to fresh beginnings and new horizons ❤