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.
Coming at you this week with another vlog as I dive into the summer season with lots of entertaining, time outside soaking up the sunshine and making memories with the family.
I’m in my element when hostessing and entertaining, so I was thrilled to welcome lots of visitors into our home these past few weeks.
To wrap up a busy week, it was a treat to be wined and dined with my boyfriend at the stunning Ivy Asia complete with a gorgeous sunset over Guildford.
Watch the full vlog here for all the summer vibes! ❤
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 ❤
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 ❤
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 ❤
With my sister’s due date just over a month away, I organised and threw her a baby shower yesterday which was a huge success and beautiful occasion catching up with wider family too.
Before our table booking at 4pm, I invited my aunties, uncles and cousins over to our house for pre-drinks in the garden. House prepped, nibbles out and prosseco chilling, I was ready for my guests.
My mum gifted me this gorgeous bunch of roses which made a stunning centre piece in the dining room showered in the sunlight of the afternoon.
I’m in my element hosting and love getting all my best bowls and crockery out for a spread of nibbles which included nuts, crisps, pastry twists, sour cream dip, pesto hummus, sweet chilli graze, giant corn, sun-dried tomatoes and nocellera olives. Simple but crowd pleading snacks.
Such picture perfect scenes as we sat outside soaking up the sunshine whilst sipping our prosecco and catching up with each other. Moments like these are very special and I’m so grateful for my family who I’m very close with.
My outfit was giving summer chic vibes with a pair of flared cropped white Zara jeans, brown C’est Normal cami, this cute cropped Channel inspired blazer, square toe velvet mules, my gold Cinco anklet, a gold pearl By Alona necklace and classic cat eye sunnies to complete the look.
At 4pm we arrived at the pub where we met the other half of the party who had been at my parents for pre-drinks. Both my sister and sister-in-law are pregnant now, so I organised for a non-alcoholic cocktail upon arrival for them, along with a few bottles of bubbles ready on ice to serve for everyone else.
I chose our local pub The Leather Bottle as they have this lovely courtyard area which we basically had all to ourselves. With a pre-order placed before the day, as soon as we sat down the food was served and everyone enjoyed their meals. Lots of people opted for the roast dinner with it being a Sunday, whilst I had the smoked salmon salad but couldn’t resists a taste of the cauliflower cheese side which comes with the roasts.
It was a hugely successful afternoon celebrating the arrival of the baby next month and also my sister’s birthday which is today. With 17 guests to keep happy and the pre-drinks at our house beforehand, there was a lot to organise but working in events, I have plenty of experience and it is my passion.
Happy Birthday and many congratulations to my superstar sis! ❤
We’re well into March and British Summer Time begins next week! I’m a summer girl at heart so I couldn’t be more excited for spring and the summer season ahead. Bring on those long days and warm summer evenings chilling in the garden having al fresco dinners on repeat.
Spring is also a fun opportunity to change up your wardrobe and experiment with layering separates including tees, shirts and blazers. As the weather warms up I can finally wear more interesting pieces like this cold shoulder backless sweater which I simply paired with black jeans, Chelsea boots and a fedora hat for Friday night drinks at the pub.
I recently purchased this cute khaki tank top from Zara as a perfect little transitional piece great for layering too. I styled it with a silk neckerchief, flared jeans, platform maroon boots, plenty of gold jewellery and my long trench coat thrown on top for a Saturday night dinner date with the family.
We went for a lovely meal at El Castello where we enjoyed a delicious spread of Italian food and wine in celebration of Mother’s Day and my brother’s Birthday. I had my favourite seafood linguine dish and I shared a yummy cheesecake for dessert with my boyfriend.
Now I’m winding down after the weekend and having a chilled Sunday evening at home before another busy week of work ahead. We’ve made it through a long English winter so springtime couldn’t come sooner ❤
And just like that, another year of Christmas celebrations is over and we find ourselves in that peculiar space of time between Christmas and New Year’s. After a marathon weekend of festivities, I’m embracing these few days to reset, enjoy some time to myself and regain normality with my usual routine including working out and cooking wholesome healthy meals for myself.
This year we were delighted to be spending Christmas Day at my brother and his wife’s gorgeous newly renovated house in Bromley. Whilst I love a Christmas at our family home hosted by my parents, these days they tend to find the pressures of this time of year a lot of stress, so having that weight off their shoulders this year was a blessing.
It has been a long awaited Christmas at the Bigwood-Nieuwenhys residence, so with the renovation of their home finally complete, it was a pleasure to be hosted by my brother and his wife in the beautiful surroundings of their wonderful new abode. They were fabulous hosts and pulled off the day seamlessly with no fuss, what a dream-team!
With the King’s speech over, the table laid and the Christmas tunes in full swing, I assisted my sister-in-law with the starter to be served at 4pm.
We were treated to an exquisite prawn cocktail starter made with crunchy gem lettuce leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, fresh prawns and a homemade thousand island dressing garnished with a sprinkling of paprika.
Served in aesthetic cocktail glasses complete with the freshest prawns from the local fishmonger, this was the perfect light starter before our roast dinner feast.
My brother did a fantastic job of the deliciously succulent turkey meat accompanied by all the veggies including crispy roast potatoes, brussel sprouts, carrots, cinnamon infused red cabbage, and the star of the show, his homemade cauliflower cheese; indulgence at it’s finest.
Following our incredible meal which we finished at about 5pm, drinks continued flowing and we moved onto playing the fun Christmas games. Every year we play the classics like charades, the sticky note game and trivia, but our favourite Nieuwenhuys original is ‘Tap the Crack’. Basically we go around the table and each person has to tap a Christmas song or carol with their cracker for everyone else to guess and it never fails to have us in fits of laughter!
Later in the evening we served dessert of a Christmas pudding, a chocolate yule log and a cheeseboard. It always gets to this point on Christmas Day when as much as I love something sweet or a cheeseboard to finish, I really can’t fit much more in following the roast dinner. So here’s a photo of a cheeseboard spread I made on Christmas Eve complete with truffle flavoured parma ham, cranberry Wensleydale cheese and my favourite element, the pickled onions.
Having stayed up watching Love Actually until 1am, Boxing Day morning we took it slow and went for a walk at midday. We were then off to my Auntie and Uncle’s in Southsea to spend the afternoon and evening with wider family. I wore this new Cider grey knit middy dress with matching bolero sleeves, accessorised with plenty of gold jewellery and my new square toe perspex mules which were a gift from my mum.
Everyone was pretty knackered from all the festivities of the weekend passed, so it was a nice chilled affair catching up with family including their adorable dog Dolly, and enjoying leftover Christmas food with salads and more cheese of course!
We were also thrilled at my sister’s announcement that she and her partner are expecting a baby! What a wonderful way to conclude our Christmas weekend with news of the next generation on its way in the New Year.
Congratulation sis, can’t wait to meet the little one in 2023 ❤
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 ❤
Happy bank holiday Monday babes! It’s the end of the long Easter weekend and I’ve really enjoyed the extra time off indulging in good food in the company of family and friends. The sun has been shining too, so I’ve had my soft top down on the Mini Cooper and been on a few countryside cruises, it’s such a good feeling!
On Good Friday, we kicked the weekend off with a pub meal at our favourite local with our parents. I had the chicken salad with a honey mustard dressing along with a side of sweet potato fries and white wine. It was a fabulous evening of catchups and laughs, we were at the table for over 3 hours.
Saturday was another beautiful day, so I went to spend a few hours at the bike jumps with my boyfriend and his mates soaking up the sun as we had some drinks and I watched them ride.
And just like that, it was Easter Sunday and we were off to my Auntie’s in Surrey for a roast dinner.
I always love to visit my Auntie’s home which was looking as gorgeous as ever with the exquisitely laid dining table ready for a feast.
We had a premium cut of beef with all the traditional roast dinner trimmings including crispy potatoes, sweet parsnips, buttered leeks, steamed cabbage, fresh peas and carrots, pickled onions and lashings of gravy – what a treat!
Before I knew it, we were back home breaking into our Lindor chocolate bunnies with a cuppa and ready for an early night. A truly wholesome Easter weekend spent with family indulging in yummy food, guzzling drinks and soaking up the glorious sunshine ❤
Dani Aneka 