A Night Glamping In Devon

This weekend me and my girl friends took a road trip down to Devon to celebrate with our friends who eloped in lockdown. Given the small, intimate ceremony they had a few years ago due to the social distancing laws at the time, they invited their friends and family for a big party at Farway Countryside Park in Devon.

Leaving early on Saturday morning, me and my two best friends packed the car ready to ‘glamp’ in a teepee for the night. We hit the road and didn’t come across too much traffic, so we stopped at a picturesque farm cafe called Otter Valley for a spot of lunch and coffee.

Arriving early afternoon, we got ourselves setup in the teepee we had booked for the night. Unfortunately the rain was relentless all weekend so it wasn’t the most ideal conditions for camping, but certainly made for a funny experience!

Safe to say the teepee was very basic with just the three beds together in the middle, so we had to improvise in making a nice space for getting ready with pre-drinks and snacks. Thankfully we had our camping chairs to use inside then we used the plastic bin upside down as a small table…

I came prepared with plastic wine glasses and inflatable flamingo drinks holders which I actually used as bowls for the snacks! With the mini speaker playing some tunes and the prosecco popped, we had fun getting glammed up and ready together for the party.

I wore this chocolate brown low back mini dress with long flared sleeves from ASOS, paired with these super platform flower detail H&M sliders, and my oversized gold pearl flower earrings also from ASOS.

The girls looked gorgeous too and I think we nailed the dress code which was ‘dress to impress’, however we were in a field with gravel and grass so we had to keep this in mind particularly for footwear.

It was a fabulous afternoon and evening celebrating the marriage of our friends and a great opportunity to catchup with so many old acquaintances from school too. My friend even made her handbag into a prosecco bottle holder for handsfree pouring, genius 😉

There was a hearty Thai Green Curry for dinner which was served at 6pm, then later in the evening they brought out some delicious desserts and cakes.

After lots of dancing and celebrating with friends, the party wrapped up at 11pm and we made our way back to our teepee to get cosy for the night as the rain continued to pour. Despite the rain ,we were snuggled up in our layers and got a good nights sleep. It might have not been ‘glamping’ as I’d envisioned it, but having a proper bed to sleep in made all the difference.

Cheers to a fun weekend away in Devon full of many hilarious moments with my besties as we celebrated the marriage of our wonderful friends ❤

Bicester Village Designer Outlet; Let’s Shop!

When it comes to shopping, I tend to do most of it online these days as the high street just isn’t what it used to be anymore. Designer outlets however are always great for finding a good deal whilst offering a more premium level of shopping experience.

So having eyed up some designer handbags online, I decided it was time for a trip to Bicester Village and I invited my bestie along too, because I know she can’t say no to a shopping trip 😉

It’s just over an hour drive from home and parking is free which is always a bonus. With it being a Saturday, the shops were busy but this didn’t effect our shopping experience too much, there was just a short queue to get into a few of the stores.

My first purchase was this gorgeous green velvet handbag from Sandro. This was totally different to the one I had my eye on in Coach, but this colour and style couldn’t be more me and will be the perfect accessory to see me through the festive party season ahead. Original RRP was around £450 for this bag, but I only paid £176.80 including an additional discount with my Bicester Village membership.

There is a number of big fashion house outlets at Bicester including YSL, Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Mulberry, Celine, Coach and Chloe to name a few, as well as premium highstreet brands like All Saints, Reiss, Ugg, Acne Studios, Lulu Lemon… the list goes on.

My next purchase was a little something in Prada. Given I’d spent less on the handbag than expected, I treated myself to a Prada card holder in this classic stone grey leather with gold lettering logo. Previously £450 I purchased this for £240 at outlet price.

I’m thrilled to be owner of my first Prada item, a timeless piece that will never go out of style.

My fit for the day was a pair of Stradivarius vintage style flared jeans paired with a simple Brandy Melville black tank, Grenson platform boots, vintage Jaegar green blazer, a silk neckerchief from Le Scarf and my brown knitted beret to complete the look. Comfortable yet stylish, I think this ensemble echoes Parisian Chic vibes.

After queuing at the Ugg store in hope of finding some platform Ugg boots which were sold out, instead this fluffy black borg jacket caught my eye. The perfect fit and so very cosy for those cold winter days to come, this was the perfect addition for my winter wardrobe. Original RRP would’ve been about £170, but I only paid £87.

The afternoon went so quickly, it was already getting dark before we knew it and Bicester Village began twinkling as the fairy lights came on at twilight.

Our final stop was Astrid & Miyu, currently a popup at Bicester Village until March. Everything was half price or less, so I got a gold ear cuff and a cute gold chain bracelet, whilst my bestie got three items for £90, fantastic deals.

On the whole a very successful day of shopping and I was over the moon with my designer purchases. I went with the intention of treating myself and I did exactly that!

I’m keen to visit Bicester Village again soon perhaps before Christmas, although I’d definitely try to go on a weekday to avoid the queues. I’d also recommend signing up to their membership as it gets you further reductions in selected stores and it’s free to join.

What a fun day indulging in some much needed retail therapy with my bestie. In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, ‘I prefer my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet.’ ❤