Tag: love

Eat. Drink. Sleep. Repeat; Christmas Weekend 2022

December 27, 2022

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 ❤

Wholesome Winter Evening in Winchester

December 18, 2022

Happy Sunday, I can’t believe it’s already one week to go until Christmas! As schools breakup and businesses quieten down for the holiday season, I am lucky enough to have two weeks off of work from Tuesday this week. I’m looking forward to winding down and embracing the Christmas festivities before we enter the new year.

This past week has been full of fun social celebrations with my office Christmas party last Thursday, a dinner with my boyfriend’s parents on Friday and a night out to the Winchester markets with my best friend and her partner on Saturday evening.

There’s nothing like the annual Christmas markets to get me well and truly in the festive spirit. Wrapped up in my oversized green trench coat, a mulled wine in hand and the smell of hot roasted chestnuts in the air, I had all the fuzzy festive feels as we wondered around Winchester Cathedral grounds lined with the eclectic market stalls.

Winchester was very busy and all the restaurants packed out, but luckily I grabbed us a spot in Overdraft for the best beers on tap alongside the most delicious Mexican food in town.

A casual bar and diner with a live DJ on the decks, Overdraft is the perfect vibe for a low-key date night, double date or grabbing drinks and food with friends.

With a Margarita special on the board, I couldn’t resist a cheeky cocktail to accompany our Mexican feast.

I ordered the smoked pulled aubergine tacos served with lime slaw, crispy courgettes and coriander, whilst my boyfriend opted for the classic chipotle roast chicken burrito with sour cream, red rice, lime slaw, pico de gallo, refried beans and cheese.

Given the tapas sharing style nature of these dishes, we also got some loaded nachos and lime salt fries to share between us all. Everything was super tasty and authentic, you just can’t go wrong with classic Mexican cuisine, it was all delish!

Having finished our food, we went for drinks at another bar in town before heading home. It certainly was a chilly winters night so I was very glad I wore my warmest long trench coat layered over a thick knit jumper, skinny jeans, chelsea boots and my baker boy hat to keep me cosy.

What a wonderful few days of festivities I’ve had complete with the perfect double date night with my best friend and our boyfriends. Bring on another week of Christmas fun in the lead up to the big day; the countdown is on ❤

Festive Feels; Let’s Deck the Halls

December 4, 2022

December is here and the countdown to Christmas is on! The festive season always flies by in a flash so I’m all for getting the tree up and decorating our home as soon as we enter December.

With the Christmas tunes on and a Tia Maria tipple in hand, we were ready to assemble our tree and get decorating. We have an artificial tree with frosted branches which fits perfectly in front of the french doors in our living room.

Simple elegance is the aesthetic I like to go for with white and gold baubles complimented by cute crystal blue snowflake lights. And not forgetting the all important statement gold light star to top the tree.

Tree complete, the first present to put beneath it this year is an old school gigantic white Toblerone block, iconic.

Feeling festive and cosy at home, we finished the evening with a classic heart-warming Christmas movie, The Holiday. Festive vibes in full swing, love it ❤

Sky Bar; Honey Sweet Cocktail Hues

November 27, 2022

Date night this weekend with my boyfriend was at our favourite local destination for cocktails, Sky Bar at the Aviator Hotel in Hampshire. We love everything about this place, from the stunning feature staircase and glamorous bar overlooking Farnborough Airport, to the extensive menu of extravagant cocktails which every time we visit, we always say are the best we’ve ever had…and I know my cocktails!

Arriving at 8pm, it was a buzzing Saturday evening at the Aviator Hotel, so we were lucky to get a table in the bar. I was drawn to the sweet sounding honey and ginger based cocktail which came in an extra tall glass, complete with a honey dipper and garnished with a cute flower.

This decadently sweet concoction got a 10/10 from me, I was in honey heaven. Meanwhile my boyfriend went for his usual choice the ‘Air Mail’ which is a variation on a classic whiskey sour. Date night was off to a fabulous start!

Upon every visit to the Sky Bar, I can never resist an outfit photo on their iconic spiral staircase. On this occasion I wore my green ruffle bandeau top, black split hem flared leggings, green knotted mules styled with my cute little gingham shoulder handbag and usual gold jewellery to complete the look.

Whilst there is a brasserie in the hotel which we’re yet to try, they also serve food in the Sky Bar offering a varied selection of starters, salads, burgers, pizzas and other classic British dishes. I was craving a simple chicken Caesar salad, whilst my boyfriend opted for a Margarita pizza and honey drizzled chicken wings. Everything was delicious especially the honey wings, but there’s a number of other tasty looking salads on the menu which I’ll have to try next time, including a Mexican style rice salad or poke bowl, both right up my street!

Full of indulgent cocktails and wonderful food, we headed home to finish our date night with a movie. We watched Slumberland on Netflix, a heart-warming film which we enjoyed with some wine and popcorn – a perfect end to our perfect date night ❤

Winter Staycay; Two Days in Beautiful Brighton

November 20, 2022

After four holidays abroad this year, my boyfriend and I opted for a fun little staycation in Brighton this November. We spent two days exploring the wonders of this glorious city down by the coast of England.

Arriving at midday on Thursday last week, we got settled in our room at the Square Townhouse hotel located on New Steine Street in the heart of Brighton. We loved our little room the ‘Bubble Snug’ and we couldn’t have been looked after better by the staff at this gorgeous boutique hotel complete with chic, art deco inspired interiors.

That afternoon we ventured out to explore the centre of town and the famous Lanes which were all right on our doorstep. We stopped by a cute coffee shop which happened to be next door to the Ivy Asia, so being somewhere we’ve been wanting to try, we made a reservation for that evening’s dinner.

After coffee it was nearing sunset time already, so we headed to the beach for a sundown stroll along the shore. Stunning scenes but it sure was very blustery, I almost lost my hat numerous times!

A walk along the pier is a must when coming to Brighton too. Back in the day I would visit my sister who went to university in Sussex and we would always take a trip to the pier, it’s a kids dream!

Now as adults the novelty has worn off and the precarious, rickety looking rides don’t seem as appealing. So soon enough we headed back to our hotel for some downtime in our super cosy room and an aperitif from the bar, before getting ready for dinner.

I wore my new White Fox Boutique chocolate colour playsuit, over the knee boots, gingham blazer, long trench coat and a beret to complete the look. Feeling tres chic for our dinner at the Ivy Asia!

With reservations at 8:30pm, we arrived a bit earlier to enjoy a drink at the bar first. The place was buzzing and the opulent interiors were just exquisite. Everything about The Ivy restaurants is always such a magnificent experience, from the amazing decor and detailed place settings, to the attentive service and killer cocktails.

The dinner spread we chose was on point and everything so tasty, it was all divine. We had chicken satay style skewers, tender stem broccolini in a tahini sauce, hot and sour plum flavoured chicken, sticky jasmine rice and a platter of sushi of course.

The look of love for my tuna maki roll, I was in heaven! A truly wonderful and memorable experience at the Ivy Asia, highly recommend for a special date night or evening with the girls.

The next day we woke feeling fresh and ready for another day strolling around Brighton. I wore my new Zara aviator jacket with flared jeans, Grenson Boots and my beret ready for the chilly, windy weather.

I love exploring cities on foot and Brighton really is perfect for strolling around and getting lost in the Lanes. Every corner you turn there’s another street to explore lined with historic buildings and wall murals. Brighton is the place to be for artists and creatives alike.

Following lots of shopping and walking around town, we headed back to the coastline for sunset and enjoyed a coffee at Brighton Beach Club during golden hour; simply sublime.

As dusk drew in and the lights of Brighton Pier lit up, we made our way back along the seafront to our hotel before dinner.

We had 8pm reservations at Burnt Orange, a grown-up, late-night hangout with a menu centred around seasonal ingredients cooked predominantly over fire and designed for sharing.

From the brilliant reviews and tapas style dining which I love, I had high hopes for our evening here.

Seated at the counter-top overlooking the kitchen and bar, we had the best seats in the house. What a fantastic atmosphere seeing the kitchen at work and the head chef plating the dishes in front of us, we could even do some window shopping to decide on our dinner choices.

To start we had the wood fired flatbread and my absolute obsession when it comes to tapas, padron peppers. Smokey, salty and sweet, absolutely delicious!

For our mains it was a superb fillet of flamed sea bream with basil yoghurt and a mango dressing for me, and the BBQ chicken thigh with watermelon hot sauce and kohl rabi slaw for my boyfriend.

To accompany our dishes, we shared the indulgent skillet-baked potatoes drizzled with herb cream and sheep’s cheese. Wow, I need to recreate these at home.

And not forgetting our favourite vegetable side, broccolini, and this pimped up version charred and finished with a lemon tahini dressing was a winner.

We both agreed this was some of the most flavourful food we’ve ever had and a fabulous dining experience we won’t forget. Burnt Orange gets a 10/10 on all counts from me given the outstanding service, bustling ambience, great drinks and exceptional food!

So that was our whistle stop two days down in Brighton exploring the best of what this eclectic, fun and friendly city has to offer; thanks for having us Brighton ❤

Cosy Winter Weekends

November 13, 2022

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 ❤

Mallorca Diaries; Love from the Golden Cost

September 18, 2022

Last week we finally got away on our late summer holiday to Spain. Visiting the stunning island of Mallorca, we stayed in the Southern town of Cala D’or which literally translates to the coast of gold, and you can see why…

Our adult only hotel Alua Soul Mallorca Resort located in the cove of Cala Egos, had it’s very own little beach meaning dreamy ocean dips on the daily.

We explored the local town of Cala D’or by day and of course did a spot of shopping in the boutique shops lining those gorgeous Spanish streets.

Everyday we were treated to the incredible all inclusive buffet at our hotel including all the veggies and salad you could imagine, as well as live cooking stations and plenty of fresh fruits and desserts; we really were spoilt for choice!

Not to mention the numerous cocktails we had on repeat all day long, because that’s what holidays all about right?

My boyfriend took a liking to a Tequila Sunrise and needless to say, the Spanish measures certainly are generous.

We also experienced the local nightlife on Friday evening and visited some awesome spots I’d found using the location on Instagram. My favourite was this fun bar called Lola giving major Bali island life vibes, I’m obsessed.

On Saturday we were feeling a little delicate following a night on the town til the early hours, so we grabbed a floaty and snorkel and just spent the day soaking up the sun in that blue blue ocean.

That evening, we went for a quiet stroll around the picturesque streets with those pretty pink flower vine walls and typical Spanish style villas; dream holiday home goals right there.

A golden hour twilight twinkle, palms and a sick Jeep, I was in heaven.

Brekky with a view everyday and I was in my element with all of the fresh fruits and different yoghurt flavours the hotel had to offer. Equally my boyfriend was pleased with the full english breakfast options.

The weather in early September is still scorching in Mallorca, so there was plenty of salty beach bum days basking in that balmy Spanish sun.

On Sunday we booked a boat trip for only £25 each which turned out to be fantastic value for 4 hours out on the water.

Getting picked up from the bay of our hotel, we visited another town along the coast (where I proceeded to jump a 10 meter cliff!), stopped off in the middle of the ocean for a swim and slides off the boat, and got dropped back to our hotel by sundown. A top day out at sea!

Sunday evening we treated ourselves to dinner out at the Marina where we had a wonderful meal complete with a scenic view of the bay too.

I had a delicious traditional seafood Paella which has to be done when in Spain, whilst my boyfriend enjoyed an exquisite cut of fillet steak.

I really do love island life, I’m thinking my next tattoo might just have to be a palm tree or a wave.

Our final day we spent making the most of the beach and hotel pools.

Not forgetting a final few cocktails of course…

And savouring our last meals from that tremendous array of food for our all inclusive package.

Freshly cooked fish, beautifully presented charcuterie boards at lunch, and a chocolate fountain with fresh fruit every night were my personal highlights from the buffet.

And just like that, it was sundown over our final day in Mallorca.

We had the most fabulous holiday together experiencing the best of Cala D’or and the lovely hospitality of Alua Soul Mallorca Resort.

These are our magical moments made in Mallorca, love from the golden coast xx

We’ll be back soon ❤

Summer Wedding Vibes

August 21, 2022

Who doesn’t love a good wedding? A whole day spent with family and friends celebrating together whilst enjoying plenty of food, drinks and entertainment. Not to mention it’s a great opportunity to get dressed up and put on those dancing shoes ready for a boogy on the dance floor.

This weekend we joined my boyfreind’s family for a beautiful wedding in Stoke-on-Trent. The sun was shining and everyone was in happy spirits for the joyous occassion.

I resisted buying a new outfit and instead put together this colourful and summery ensemble. I wore my American Apparel electric blue pencil skirt paired with this cute ruffle sleeve crop floral blouse.

To complete the look I wore these Public Desire white strap sandal heels to match my chain handle white mini handbag. Jewellery details included my brand new By Alona gold chain pearl choker as well as my favourite Cinco gold anklet and rings.

After the church ceremony the bubbles were flowing back at the reception which was held at the Burnside Hotel, a stunning boutique hotel where we also stayed for the night. It was just glorious basking in the golden sunshine as we nibbled on some canapés whilst chatting and laughing with family and friends.

After the delicious dinner buffet the band kicked off and we danced late into the night. Fuelled by many glasses of prosecco and a cheeky Espresso Martini of course, the evening flew by as we sang and danced our hearts out.

After a catchup and debrief with the family over breakfast at the hotel this morning, we made our way back home this afternoon. Now it’s Sunday arvo and I’m taking it easy as I’m feeling a little delicate after all the fun of yesterday. What an awesome time we had though making beautiful memories together; cheers to those summertime wedding vibe highs ❤

Cheers to my Gals; Always & Forever

July 17, 2022

This Saturday I hosted a long overdue night with my girls complete with prosecco, sunshine, delicious food, catchups and plenty of laughs as always.

We started the evening at mine with sundown drinks in the garden. I put out a few nibbles, got some tunes going and chilled the bubbles ready to pop when the girlies arrived at 6pm.

As the glistening light of golden hour was upon us, we chatted away and enjoyed the final hour of sunlight whilst grazing on yummy snacks and sipping our prosecco, the picture perfect summer evening setup.

I had booked a local pub for dinner at 8pm, so we finished up in the garden and locked the house before getting a lift to The Leather Bottle.

I booked a terrace table as the long summer evenings are heating up and an al fresco dinner is a must. We were on a high from the bubbles and now onto the red wine, so it was cheesy drunken grins all round!

It was a long wait for the food, but we were so occupied nattering away to even care. We went straight into mains and I had the prawn and chorizo salad served with harissa chickpeas. A nice light dish on such a warm summers night and super tasty too.

Following this, the other girls had desert and I had yet more wine… safe to say we were pretty tipsy by the end of the meal. It was a fabulous night with my girlies and I feel so lucky to have such close friends who keep me sane and keep me wild; always and forever love. ❤

Kettner’s Soho House; Guestlist Only

July 3, 2022

The famous Soho House collection has a number of stunning locations across London open exclusively to members only. So when my Aussie Auntie and Uncle announced they were throwing a private party at Kettner’s Studio, I was thrilled to finally get a look inside one of the Soho House London city hangouts for myself.

We got the train into London Waterloo followed by a quick tube over to Leicester Square and a short walk to Kettner’s located in Soho. London was buzzing on a Thursday night; I just love soaking up the bustling atmosphere of the city on a warm summer’s evening.

Arriving at 6:30pm, we were greeted by the family with a welcoming glass of champagne which continued to flow all night of course. It was a very special occasion in celebration of the Australian crew in town only for that one week.

We had our own private room with this feature bar exclusively for our party. I was obsessed with these exquisite champagne coupes, the only way proper champagne should be served.

They had selected three cocktails to choose from: a spicy margarita, a cucumber tonic with gin or vodka, or the Soho House special ginger flavoured concoction made with tequila. At this point I was double parked, so I thank my boyfriend who ordered me a diet coke at this point to break up all the alcohol!

Soon the canapés came out and later on some more substantial bowl food. I wasn’t too impressed with the food to be honest, but something was better than nothing to soak up all the champagne.

I actually didn’t get many photos of the evening as I was just enjoying every second with my international family whose time with us is so precious. Nothing like a few blurry group pics for the memories though.

We caught the last train home just before midnight which was super busy too. I had the most wonderful evening with my awesome family in the most idyllic surroundings of Kettner’s beautiful champagne bar. These are the moments I will cherish forever – Love you family ❤