Fall Fashion; Boots & Shorts Season

Whilst I’m never ready to say goodbye to Summer, I do love the transitional period for fashion as we can re-introduce layers and start tapping into the autumnal trends like suede jackets and rich chocolate brown tones.

But as we find ourselves in this sort of limbo between summer and fall, it’s a great opportunity to style cute shorts, skirts and dresses with boots.

I’ve been waiting for the right moment to style my Stradivarius Cowboy boots with my Tommy Hilfiger boyfriend jean shorts, so this Saturday’s date night was the perfect opportunity with the weather still mild enough to have my legs out in the evening.

I paired the shorts with a new babydoll style top I got from Zara recently. The feminine shape of the top with backless bow detail balanced out the boyish silhouette of the bottom half to create that countryside chic aesthetic.

To complete the outfit I took out my new US Polo Assn saddle style handbag in rich chocolate brown; another nod to autumn and the cute countryside look.

We went for post dinner cocktails at the Bel & The Dragon in Odiham where the interiors were also giving classic countryside chic.

I had a refreshing Hugo Spritz which was delightful. I can’t believe I hadn’t tried one before, it’s definitely a new fave cocktail for me.

I’m now on the lookout for a pair of long suede block heel boots in either a light sand colour or rich chocolate brown.

A killer pair of boots styled with shorts or a skirt and an oversized knit or jacket is such a vibe and looks so effortless yet chic.

I’m thinking for New York this kind of look for daytime will tick all the boxes , I just need to find the perfect pair of boots now!

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 ❤

Festive Feels; Deck the Halls

So I’m not usually one to get excited for Christmas so early, however with such limited celebrations in 2020 due to Covid, I can’t wait for the festive season this year! It will be the first Christmas in our new home which is why I was so eager to get a head start on decorating this weekend.

With our gorgeous frosted artificial tree, I decided to keep it simple with all white and gold baubles complete with cute lights. I love the white and gold aesthetic, the only key element missing at this point is the star to go on the top of the tree. Not to mention there will of course be more sprinkles of Christmas decs added around the house as we head into December, but I’m already feeling super excited with our tree up and glistening every night!

We continued our festive weekend with cosy drinks and dinner at a local pub, where we kicked back in armchairs by the fire and enjoyed some delicious burgers. Back home we then watched our first Christmas movie of the year Serendipity – a charming old classic Christmas romance story. I do love the holiday season as an excuse to get together with friends and family as we all wind down for the year together in good spirits ❤

Post Lockdown Pubbing

There’s nothing quite like a Friday evening trip down the pub to wind down after the working week and see in the weekend. With the easing of lockdown restrictions here in the UK last Monday, pub gardens were packed out across the country as thirsty punters were able to enjoy their usual tipple in the company of friends and family once again.

Whether it’s meeting girlfriends to share a bottle of vino or grabbing a drink with the boyfriend and soaking up the social atmosphere, I’ve most definitely missed a weekly pub outing. I was keen to get our Friday evening all booked to avoid disappointment, so we had 6pm sundown drinks at our local pub garden, followed by 8pm dinner at another gastro pub.

The sun may have been shining, but there’s no denying the April cold chill is still in the air. An open garden whilst the sun was setting was ideal, but later on I was glad to be going to The Hogget where they are fully equipped for that cold English weather. Fully enclosed marquee, faux fur covered benches, blankets and patio heaters, we were cosy!

When it came to choosing my outfit for the night, I wanted style but of course warmth too, so it was all about layers, layers, layers. I opted for a pair of black skinny jeans, classic maroon Chelsea boots and four layers up top – a vest, khaki chord shirt, knitted cream polo neck sleeve and tie waist Zara overcoat. Completing that country chic aesthetic with a black belted fedora hat, suited and booted ready for a glass of bubbly.

I’m not usually one for traditional pub food, but there was a novelty in eating that greasy pub grub once again. I had the veggie patty burger with salad and sweet potato fries, whilst my boyfriend had half a rack of ribs and chips. Impressively the food arrived steaming hot. Snuggled under a few blankets as we tucked into our feast, we thoroughly enjoyed the first slap up pub meal after so long.

Despite our Friday night fun pub garden hopping, I won’t be doing it again in a rush until the weather heats up. However with a heatwave set to treat England this week, a daytime pub outing will be on the cards for sure.

So as we continue to head in the right direction towards normality and socialising again, I think we’ll all find ourselves more grateful for the little moments of joy in life, even if that is simply heading down the pub for a pint!