Bank Holiday State Of Mind

It’s the late May bank holiday here in the UK and I’m winding down following a wonderful weekend soaking up the heatwave sunshine.

Back on Friday evening, we met friends at The Mutton for sundown drinks in the pub garden.

I wore this cute asymmetric dress from ASOS with a pair of nude thong kitten heel mules, my Coach handbag and MiuMiu round sunnies to complete the smart-casual look.

Saturday was another scorching day, so when 5pm came I enjoyed a glass of wine and some olives in our garden, whilst watching Emz and Nick’s latest Greece vlog.

For date night that evening, I booked The Leather Bottle for dinner in their picturesque courtyard area.

Even at 8pm it was still a lovely temperature to be sat outside as the sun went down over the neighbouring fields.

To start we ordered the padron peppers because whenever they’re on a menu, my boyfriend and I simply cannot resist.

For mains my boyfriend opted for the Bavette steak frites, whilst I had the Gilt head bream fillet.

Served with potato terrine, courgette, heritage tomato, feta and a salsa verde, this dish was divine and presented so beautifully too.

As we enjoyed our meal, the stunning sunset skies turned shades of gorgeous deep oranges and pinks, before dusk eventually set in.

Back home we embraced the warm night air and had another drink in our garden, festoon lights glowing and the moon shining brightly up overhead.

Sunday we were off to my boyfriend’s parents’ house for our first BBQ of the summer season.

Temperatures were set to be over 30 degrees, so denim shorts and my new pink contrast vest from Stradivarius and classic Birkenstock sandals, were the perfect cute-casual outfit combo.

I also styled my hair in a French twist to keep it off my neck for the day, not to mention looking super chic and elegant too.

It was the first time using their barbecue and outdoor space in their new house and it was all absolutely perfect.

Every corner of their house is so aesthetic and I was particularly drawn to these stone faces in their garden which give boho-chic Tulum vibes.

On the grill we had chicken skewers, burgers, sausages, corns and asparagus.

Of course a barbecue for us is not complete without my signature Greek Salad, so I was very excited to be making my first one of the summer this weekend.

There was also a Caesar salad, beetroot salad, Jersey Royal potatoes and all the condiments necessary for such a feast.

And not forgetting the footy game which had to be on in the background for the boys!

After lunch, I sat with my boyfriend’s mum out on their cute bistro set with a glass of bubbles; it was like we were sat outside our very own Parisian wine bar, pure bliss.

Meanwhile, the boys were equally chuffed with their setup inside to finish watching the football game.

My boyfriend’s mum even treated us to our favourite dessert she introduced us to of frozen raspberries, melted white chocolate and cream.

Before we knew it the sun was beginning to set and it was time to leave, but on our way home we made a spontaneous detour.

As we passed through Farnham, my boyfriend said we should do the walk at Caesar’s Camp to catch sunset.

So we parked up the truck and made our way across the picturesque countryside.

After about a 25 minute walk, we found this incredible viewpoint from which we watched the sun go down over Caesar’s Camp.

Sunsets never fail to amaze me; I find it mesmerising to see the sun dip below the horizon so rapidly in realtime.

A majestic sunset stroll was the most idyllic ending to our long bank holiday weekend showered in sunshine ❤

Tulum Travel Diaries;  My 31st Birthday Celebrations

Being a January baby, escaping the UK winter in search of warmer climates is always the best way to spend my birthday. So for our winter dose of sun at the start of this year, we jetted off to Mexico and enjoyed two glorious weeks in the coastal town of Tulum.

My birthday on the 26th January was about halfway through our holiday, and it was the most perfect sunny day in Mexico which started with some chilled time on the beach.

I had a fresh coconut to enjoy as I read my book, before dipping our feet in the ocean.

My birthday bikini of choice was this cute butter yellow number with ruffle details.

These butter yellow ruffle hot-pants were the ideal finishing touch to my beachside look.

After a few hours relaxing in our cabana, we walked down the beach to have a couples massage.

With the sound of the ocean waves and palms rustling in the light breeze, it was the most dreamy location to indulge in a massage together.

We then walked along the beach road to find the famous Escultura Ven a la Luz.

This iconic work of art by Daniel Popper is a 10 meter tall sculpture made with steel, wood, rope and greenery.

Ven a la Luz  meaning ‘Come to the Light‘, represents the harmony between people and nature and is one of the most instagrammable spots in Mexico.

An afternoon pickup was in need, so we popped into Starbucks for iced coffees and some fruit to snack on.

It was then time for a spot of shopping in the many boho-chic boutiques which line the beach road in Tulum.

I treated myself to a stunning handmade top with flared sleeves and tassels from this shop called Las Lulas.

At £80 it wasn’t cheap, but I just loved the hippy-chic vibe of this piece and the level of detail is exquisite.

Casa Pink Revolver was another lovely boutique selling gorgeous gold jewellery, so I purchased this chunky statement gold ring to add to my collection.

I was yet to choose a gift for my boyfriend to get for me, so with a Sunglasses Hut just down the street, I couldn’t resist the Miu Miu classic round shape sunnies which have been on my wish list for so long.

Not a huge amount of gifts, but each very high quality pieces which I will get a lot of wear out of both on holidays and back home.

Soon the early evening crept up on us and I was hoping for another sunset moment on the rooftop of our hotel, but a huge storm came in bringing buckets of rainfall with it, so we headed back to our room to get ready for the evening.

My birthday dinner fit was this incredible Flook The Label chocolate brown maxi beach dress that my boyfriend bought me for my 30th birthday last year in Bali.

This dress is such a flattering cut and the perfect vibe for a special evening out on holiday.

To complete the look I wore my By Alona pearl necklace, Heaven Mayhem statement gold earrings, my gold swirl bangle, ruffle mule heels from Sol Concept, and my little Bottega dupe handbag from Topshop.

Beachy, sexy and a touch of glam with the pearls, I truly felt like the birthday girl in this outfit.

My restaurant of choice for birthday dinner celebrations was Ilios Greek in the centre of the Tulum beach road.

We’d visited this place earlier in our trip and it was such a fun party vibe with delicious Greek food, we had to come back for my birthday.

In traditional Greek style we did the plate smashing which was super fun.

Then they gave everyone sparklers and we all danced on our chairs!

I ordered my all time favourite, a Greek feta salad which was simply divine.

We also shared the flatbread with hummus, a hearty moussaka, and a fresh green avocado salad.

I had such a fun evening celebrating my birthday and was even surprised with a cupcake and candle from my boyfriend back at our hotel to finish the night.

Another wonderful birthday spent in paradise with the sand between my toes, sunshine on my skin and a big smile on my face; hello chapter 31 ❤