December Date Night; Jack & Alice Farnham

Another weekend has come and gone and now the countdown to Christmas is on. We kicked off the festive season by putting our Christmas tree up on the 1st of the month and enjoyed a cute and cosy date night this first full weekend in December.

We braved the stormy conditions and ventured over to Farnham for Saturday evening reservations at Jack & Alice.

The town was bustling despite such adverse weather and the twinkling Christmas lights made it feel very festive indeed.

My fit for the evening was my favourite dark wash flared Stradivarius jeans, this long sleeve backless mushroom colour top from Bershka, Stradivarius cowboy boots, vintage inspired oversized gold ASOS earrings, a cute chocolate brown knitted beret from Urban Outfitters and my velvet green Sandro handbag.

To complete the fit I stayed warm in my new caramel brown faux fur which I brought a few sizes up to get that chic, oversized look.

As a family run business that prides itself on working with the best local suppliers to deliver high quality fresh food and drinks, I have been keen to try this place since it opened and we weren’t disappointed.

Greeted with a warm welcome from our lovely waitress, we were seated at a table for two by the window amongst many other diners on a busy Saturday night, making for a fabulous atmosphere.

I started with an Espresso Martini as I haven’t had one for a while and with it being date night, how could I not. Needless to say, that look of love in my eyes tells you this martini hit the spot.

Being our first time, the waitress explained the extensive menu offering lots of options including fish, meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes too. They recommend about three plates each, so we ordered two plates each plus two sides as well.

I chose the roasted butternut squash with Dorstone goats cheese, caramelised onion and hazelnuts, the padron peppers (of course) and a side salad, whilst my boyfriend had the buttermilk chicken tenders with kastu dip, the duck tacos with cucumber salsa and hoisin sauce, and a side of fries.

Everything came together and you could tell it was freshly prepared as it was all perfectly hot and beautifully presented. We agreed our favourite dish had to be the duck tacos which were a delicious mexican take on the classic duck pancakes.

We decided to order an additional plate as we had room for more and we wanted to try the wild boar tortellini with a rich red wine mushroom sauce. The pasta tasted homemade and the parmesan crisp garnish was the perfect cheesy pairing to complete this exquisite dish.

We were delighted with our experience at Jack & Alice from the friendly and attentive staff, to the tasty selection of light bites which you could tell were made from the freshest ingredients. A great date night spot for something a bit different with a varied menu to suit all tastes. Checkout their website here – https://jackandalice.co.uk/farnham/

Our cosy December evening continued back home as we lit the fire, opened a bottle of red and watched my favourite Christmas movie The Holiday; the festive season is in full swing! ❤

Colour of the Season; Chocolate Brown

Cosy season is here which means the winter wardrobe is back so I can say hello again to my favourite chunky knits, fun faux fur coats and beloved collection of boots for all occasions.

I’ve always been a lover of all shades of browns from lighter camel and tan tones, to deeper rich hues and even maroon. So you can imagine my delight when the Autumn/Winter 24 runways displayed a luscious palette of delicious brown hues throughout many collections, reflected in the fashion week street style too.

A recent order from ASOS reflects my current obsession for earthy tones with this stone coloured maxi cardigan, a deep dark brown backless long sleeve top by Stradivarius, and this stylish button through peplum waistcoat in a classic brown stripe fabric.

I styled my new long cardigan by ASOS Design with a pair of khaki Jamie jeans by Topshop, a striped bandeau top from H&M and this cute chocolate brown knitted beret from Urban Outfitters a few years ago; a chic accessory which will never go out of style.

Another new addition to my wardrobe recently was also this oversized rich brown knitted vest featuring statement gold buttons and large front pockets, super handy for popping my phone in too.

I channeled my inner country cowgirl with a pair of brown cowboy boots from Stradivarius tucked into a pair of high waisted dark wash ripped jeans by Abercrombie & Fitch. A simple outfit combo which nods to the current trends but tailored to my personal style.

We’re even seeing chocolate brown replacing black interiors as it pairs perfectly with so many neutral tones and creates a cosy vibe for spaces inside the home. Needless to say, chocolate brown is here to stay as the go-to neutral shade, elevating even the simplest of outfits to give your look that effortless, cool girl aesthetic ❤

Date Night Perfection; Pub Garden, Paloma Cocktail & Pasta Bolognese

This Saturday evening we kicked off date night in a local pub garden sipping cocktails and discussing plans for a trip we’re taking to Monaco in September.

It wasn’t the warmest of summer evenings, so I wore this asymmetric oatmeal sweater from Bershka paired with these Abercrombie & Fitch dark wash jeans tucked into my Stradivarius cowboy boots.

A silk neckerchief from Le Scarf and my Coach cross body signature print handbag completed the country girl chic aesthetic this ensemble was giving.

With a Paloma as a special on the aperitifs menu, I couldn’t resist one of my favourite cocktails ideal for an early summer’s evening.

Consisting of tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda, a Paloma is the perfect twist of sweet and sour whilst being aesthetically pleasing with its gorgeous pastel pink hue.

Earlier that afternoon I had already cooked a beef bolognese from scratch which was waiting on the hob ready to dish up when we got home.

Leaving it to sit for a few hours allowed the flavours to develop and made for a deliciously rich bolognese sauce.

Whist the linguine boiled, I laid the table and prepared the rocket, parmesan and pickled onion salad dressed in balsamic vinegar.

The final dish went down a treat and we had plenty leftover for the fridge and freezer. I didn’t follow a recipe but I’ve cooked bolognese with my mum many times and the secret is lots of garlic, plenty of basil and a generous few splashes of red wine whilst it cooks down.

Bellies full of linguine bolognese, we reclined on the sofa to watch a movie as we enjoyed the rest of our red wine and some choccie for dessert.

A cute country pub garden, pretty pink cocktails, a hearty pasta dinner and our favourite red wine whilst cosying up on the sofa, what more could you want from date night? Cheers to the weekend ❤

Winter Lookbook; Four Seasonal Fits

Winter season is all about the oversized coats and layering with jumpers, shirts and scarves, not to mention the choice of cute hats which I’m a sucker for; I just love a hat moment! This lookbook demonstrates how I would style my outfit for four different occasions this season, from a winter walk and running errands, to drinks at the pub and cosy date nights with my boyfriend or the ladies. Whilst I’m a summer girl at heart, Winter brings with it a whole new dimension to my wardrobe as I get to experiment with knits, oversized fits and statement coats which take centre stage this time of year. Keep reading for outfit details of each look.

Outfit #1 Running Errands

Camel tailored trousers – H&M

White fluffy polo neck vest – Cider

Stone trench coat – H&M

Knitted beanie hat – Ganni

Platform boots – Ugg

Cross body tan bag – Coach

Brown leather gloves – H&M

Gold signature logo ring (worn throughout) – Celine

Gold dome ring (worn throughout) – Cali Tiger

Gold signet ring (worn throughout) – Cinco

Topaz stone gold ring (worn throughout) – Vintage

Gold ear cuff (worn throughout) – Astrid & Miyu

Gold chain ring necklace – Vintage

Gold hoop earrings – ASOS Design

Outfit #2 Date Night

Black straight cut jeans – NEUW Denim

Striped off shoulder sweater – ASOS Design

Black cropped aviator coat – Zara

Camel wool scarf – Zara

Black heeled chelsea boots – Windsor Smith

Green velvet chain handbag – Senso

Blue tartan bow worn in hair – Fabric Shop

Gold signature logo ring (worn throughout) – Celine

Gold dome ring (worn throughout) – Cali Tiger

Gold signet ring (worn throughout) – Cinco

Topaz stone gold ring (worn throughout) – Vintage

Gold ear cuff (worn throughout) – Astrid & Miyu

Gold chain statement necklace – Abbott Lyon

Gold twist detail hoop earrings – Cali Tiger

Outfit #3 Winter Walk

Black skinny ripped jeans – Topshop

One sleeve tie waist sweater – NA-KD

Green oversized trench coat – Missguided

Check print scarf – Zara

Khaki wool baker boy hat – Mango

Maroon chelsea boots – Soletrader 

Cross body tan bag – Coach

Gold signature logo ring (worn throughout) – Celine

Gold dome ring (worn throughout) – Cali Tiger

Gold signet ring (worn throughout) – Cinco

Topaz stone gold ring (worn throughout) – Vintage

Gold ear cuff (worn throughout) – Astrid & Miyu

Gold chain ring necklace – Vintage

Gold chain heart necklace – Vintage

Gold hoop earrings – ASOS Design

Outfit #4 Pub Drinks

Blue vintage style flared jeans – Stradivarius

White pearl button sweater – ASOS Design

Black fur teddy coat – Ugg

Brown knitted beret hat – Urban Outfitters

Rusty brown square toe boot heels – ASOS Design

Green velvet chain handbag – Senso

Gold signature logo ring (worn throughout) – Celine

Gold dome ring (worn throughout) – Cali Tiger

Gold signet ring (worn throughout) – Cinco

Topaz stone gold ring (worn throughout) – Vintage

Gold ear cuff (worn throughout) – Astrid & Miyu

Gold chain ring necklace – Vintage

Gold chain coin necklace – Cinco

Gold hoop earrings – ASOS Design

Gold chain bracelet – Astrid & Miyu

Brown strap black face watch – Daniel Wellington

Cosy Season; Warming Fires, Home Cooked Dinners & Long Date Nights In

Happy Sunday! It’s been another cosy winter weekend spent snuggled on the sofa watching movies, enjoying warming cups of tea and taking time in the kitchen to cook hearty, nutritious meals. As we find ourselves in this coldest part of the year, I embrace the slower pace of life and really appreciate the small things like getting wrapped up and heading for a drink at the local pub on a Friday night.

Winter fashion is all about layering and brings with it opportunity for accessorising with cute hats and scarves too. I was channelling my inner French girl on Friday with my brown knitted beret to complete this casual chic look I put together. I’m living in neutral tones and rich browns this season.

Stopping by our local pub The Mutton to catchup with my parents on Friday evening, I decided to treat myself to an indulgent Baileys Espresso Martini by the fire.

This was the perfect concoction of smooth roasted coffee mixed with sweet creamy Baileys, a delicious drink to sip as I warmed up by the fire.

Saturday soon rolled around and after finishing my weekly house clean, I curled up on the sofa with a book and hot cup of tea. For me January is about self-care and doing things which bring me happiness, not restriction and punishment which is what society has taught us to engage in during this month of the year.

Instead I choose to indulge in the little things like buying fresh flowers for the house and saying yes to a cocktail at the pub. Life’s too short to be denying ourselves anything which might bring us joy.

Date night this weekend we chose to stay in at home and I cooked us a healthy nutritious meal for two. Cod with a white Pinos Gris wine for her, sirloin steak with a red Malbec wine for him, both served with my special crispy roasted new potatoes, stir fried asparagus tips, broccoli and a rocket salad.

I personally love spending time in the kitchen and feeding myself whole foods which I’ve made from scratch. This meal was hearty, nutritious and super yummy, we both finished every last morsel on our plates before cuddling on the sofa and watching a movie.

So lets change the perspective on January being the month of dieting and removing things we actually enjoy from our weekly routines, and instead think about adding things which nourish your mind, body and soul to bring you pleasure and help you thrive throughout the winter season. Whether it’s adding more colourful vegetables to your meals or simply enjoying a glass of wine on a Sunday evening, be kind to yourself this month and don’t let the pressures of society make you think otherwise. Join the self love club babes ❤

Festive Feels; Let’s Deck the Halls

December is here and the countdown to Christmas is on! The festive season always flies by in a flash so I’m all for getting the tree up and decorating our home as soon as we enter December.

With the Christmas tunes on and a Tia Maria tipple in hand, we were ready to assemble our tree and get decorating. We have an artificial tree with frosted branches which fits perfectly in front of the french doors in our living room.

Simple elegance is the aesthetic I like to go for with white and gold baubles complimented by cute crystal blue snowflake lights. And not forgetting the all important statement gold light star to top the tree.

Tree complete, the first present to put beneath it this year is an old school gigantic white Toblerone block, iconic.

Feeling festive and cosy at home, we finished the evening with a classic heart-warming Christmas movie, The Holiday. Festive vibes in full swing, love it ❤