Date Night; The Guildford Townhouse & The Ivy Asia

If you’ve been here for a while, you know that I love getting dressed up in a cute outfit and going on a fancy little date night with my boyfriend. So this Saturday night we booked one of our favourite spots for a romantic dinner complete with all the vibes and also tried a new bar for pre-dinner cocktails.

For the occasion I wore my white Zara miniskirt, asymmetric gold ring detail taupe coloured top, Next square toe nude mule heels, my By Alona pearl necklace and an ASOS khaki oversized clutch bag to complete the look.

It was another warm summers evening so I wore my Miu Miu statement sunglasses for the short walk to the bar and didn’t need a jacket all evening.

First stop was The Guilford Townhouse which has recently been taken over and renovated by the Coppa Club chain. We headed up to their rooftop where you’ll find The Burton Bar, a cocktail bar with style, substance and lively evening energy.

My cocktail of choice was a classic Margarita and we enjoyed our drinks in front of the glamorous feature bar in the super comfy, plush sofa seating.

It wasn’t too busy at 7pm, but I imagine it’s the kind of place that’s more popular later in the evening when the DJ sets start at about 9pm. With its elegant interiors inspired by the 1920s art deco style, this was the perfect setting to enjoy a cocktail and set the vibes for night ahead.

Our reservation at The Ivy Asia was at 8:15pm, so we made the short walk up Guildford Highstreet to Castle Street where the Ivy is located. My heels might have been quite high, but I swear by the Next forever comfort range which are always the comfiest and easiest to walk in heels.

Every inch of The Ivy Asia decor is exquisite and so beautifully aesthetic, even the bathrooms are a must visit when you’re there.

The restaurant was buzzing on a Saturday night with a live DJ and even a live electric violinist walking around the restaurant floor to entertain guests, how brilliant!

Whilst the gorgeous emerald green luminous flooring might grab your attention first, never forget to look up at the wonderful ceiling murals and pretty cherry blossom flowers overhead.

Having been quite a few times to The Ivy Asia now, we had a good idea of what we wanted and one thing that was top of our list, was the golden aromatic half duck traditionally served with the pancakes and all the condiments including hoisin sauce.

I had to have a plate of their fresh house-made sushi so I opted for the spicy tuna sesame roll.

The cucumber peanut chilli coriander lime salad was also a must for me and it didn’t disappoint. The creamy nutty sauce combines so well with the fresh crunch of the cucumber, whilst the chilli adds a subtle hint of spice.

My boyfriend also ordered the chilli noodles, wok fried greens and Gochujang glazed chicken which he really rated and remembered as another highlight from our last visit.

We ordered well and savoured every bite of our delectable Asian spread.

Needless to say we didn’t hold back and definitely over ordered, so we took our leftovers home in the fanciest doggy bag I’ve ever seen, how adorable!

The Ivy Asia is always such a brilliant option for all occasions from date nights and girly dinners, to birthday parties and celebrations, vibes are on point and the food is divine.

To find your closest Ivy Asia and experience all the fun and glamour for yourself, checkout their website here.

Coachella; Festival Fashion Runway

After 3 years away, the famous Coachella music festival has made a return this year with a show stopping lineup and as always, attracting many A-list stars and influencers out to Palm Springs for two weekends of live music in the desert.

Harry Styles took the crown for his performances both last weekend and this weekend, with his fabulous front man energy and quirky outfits reminiscent of the late great Freddie Mercury. What could be more rock n roll than that multicoloured sequin Gucci jumpsuit which of course only Harry could pull-off in such style!

The Revolve Festival took place within Coachella as well, bringing together all of the top influencers in their lavish festival ensembles. I’m obsessed with this cute look worn by Brigette Pheloung, giving me Latina vibes with the long flamenco skirt complete with statement cowboy boots and a neckerchief.

Amongst the celeb sightings at Coachella, there’s always a number of models taking the limelight in the most stunning designer pieces. Victoria’s Secret model Elsa Hosk looked like a desert princess in this FWRD sand coloured tassel dress with matching crochet mules, exquisite!

Elisha Herbert, an Aussie model and influencer, took it back to basics in this denim low rise mini, cropped vest, suede cowboy boots and Gucci bucket hat. An old school nineties inspired ensemble keeping it fresh and fun, I’m a fan of this cool-girl effortless look.

A headscarf, all in one body and mesh skirt is a failsafe festival outfit combo, I do always love Helen Owen’s timeless style. I’m a sucker for glitter when it comes to a festival and this sequin cutout skirt ticks all the boxes. To finish the look, it has to be a pair of cowboy boots, the shoe of the moment it would seem and I’m here for it!

Coachella 22′ has been the year to be together again, celebrating awesome live music and having fun with festival fashion which we’ve missed so much these past few years. I can’t wait for the UK summer festival season to kickoff soon, I’m already planning my most outrageous, glitzy outfits – let’s express ourselves babes ❤

Gig; Ocean Alley at the Engine Rooms Southampton

Happy Sunday and the official first day of British summertime – bring on those long sunny days! Yesterday I was so excited to be going to my first gig back post covid down in Southampton to see Ocean Alley. Being an Aussie band, I heard their song Confidence for the first time a few years ago when I was living in Aus and I’ve been a big fan of their music ever since.

With a group of my friends all coming along to the gig, we met for an early dinner and drinks at Bills in West Quey at 5pm. We enjoyed a spread of delicious food including these exquisite chicken dumplings and my favourite miso padron peppers, the perfect pre-gig nibble.

I couldn’t resist a cheeky espresso martini to finish and it didn’t disappoint. Nothing like that wicked combo of caffeine, sugar and alcohol to set me up for a night of dancing ahead.

We made our way around the corner to the Engine Rooms just in time for the gig already kicking off with the support band at 7pm. Beer in hand, I was ready for some much missed live music and a good old boogie with my friends.

Ocean Alley put on a fantastic show and sounded so great live, it was like listening their original tracks! I felt like I was back down under in a room full of fellow fans many of which had that typical Aussie bogan moustache long haired look going on… if you know, you know.

What a night and novelty to be at a live gig once again without any social distancing restrictions. I forgot how many awesome songs Ocean Alley have under their belt too; highlights for me were Knees, Baby Come Back, Happy Sad and of course Confidence. I definitely felt a pang of nostalgia for my Australia life down under. What a time that was with so many unforgettable memories, I’ll have to take a trip back to my spirit land again soon ❤