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! ❤
Happy bank holiday babes! I can’t believe it’s coming to the end of August already, where has summer gone? I kicked off the long weekend with Friday drinks at the pub followed by a girls night with my bestie on Saturday evening.
I wore my pink Stradivarius flared jeans to brighten up yet another grey August day, and paired these with this tie back Nakd grey vest and my chunky pearl sliders.
Despite the overcast weather, it was still warm enough to sit outside and enjoy a few drinks and snacks together at sunset. It’s not a girl dinner without nibbles and I won’t be missing any opportunity to put out a mezze of picky bits in my favourite bowls.
Following our holiday to Mallorca, me and the girls have been obsessed in a Greek Salad. Quick, easy, healthy and delicious, this is the ultimate girl dinner moment.
To accompany our big bowl of goodness, I heated up a sun-dried tomato flatbread for our carbs and served it with some Italian salad leaves too.
This was the perfect girl dinner to graze and enjoy as we chatted away and reminisced about our wonderful Mallorca memories from our holiday a few weeks back; cheers to cute girl dinners ❤
When it comes to hosting, preparation is key to pulling off a seamless evening which you too can enjoy alongside the company of your guests. This Friday evening we invited our parents to the house for a BBQ, so I wanted to be on my top hosting game to impress!
I got to planning what we were going to cook a week prior so we could do the food shop during the week and have plenty of time to prep in advance. I made sure all areas were covered including drinks, nibbles and decor, as well as the BBQ food itself.
For nibbles I put together a grazing board of crisps, nuts, crackers, olives, antipasti and dips. I love any excuse to buy a mezze of snacks and use my assortment of cute bowls to put them out in for guests to enjoy. And don’t forget to put out some side plates, coasters, napkins and candles to set the mood later in the evening; it’s all in the detail.
Once we did the shop a few days prior to the date, I decided what dish each element of the BBQ was going to go into because there are so many different components which make up a barbecue spread. I laid everything out the night before and labelled exactly what dish was going into what, so I knew we had every base covered.
On the menu for the main event we had: marinated chicken thighs, chicken skewers, veggie skewers, corn cobs, beef burgers, vegan burgers, roasted new potatoes, green avocado salad and of course, my favourite Greek salad.
On the morning of the BBQ, I prepped the veggie skewers, new potatoes, green salad and Greek salad so these were all ready to go straight from the fridge. That just left the barbecuing itself and the potatoes to be cooked in the oven on the night.
I was then ready to lay the table complete with wine glasses, water glasses, napkins and not forgetting the condiment tray with all the dips and dressings you could wish for with a BBQ.
Despite the cloudy day, the rain held off and we were able to get out the garden furniture and sit outside whilst my boyfriend did his thing on the BBQ.
It was a very warm, humid evening, so I wore this daisy print skirt with a simple black vest, a green short sleeve overshirt, chunky pearl sliders and a pair of sunnies to complete the BBQ fit. I wanted to get a bit dressed up but also be comfy for running around doing my hostessing duties on the night.
At 7pm our guests arrived so we got the BBQ fired up and the potatoes in the oven. I could finally take a breath at this point and enjoy catching up with our parents as everything else was all ready to go; the joy of being super prepared!
The evening went seamlessly and everyone had a wonderful time together. My Greek salad was a highlight as well as my special roasted crispy new potatoes which are always a crowd pleaser. So if you’re hosting a BBQ or dinner party anytime soon, follow these preparation tips and you’ll be sure to have a fun and stress free evening with your guests too; cheers to that! ❤
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. ❤
On Wednesday 26th January 2022 I officially entered my late twenties and welcomed in chapter 27 of my life. It’s been quite the week of celebrations and so amazing to be with my family and friends again following a lockdown birthday last year.
I had a wonderful family birthday dinner on the big day at Giggling Squid in Farnham. I was even surprised by my brother who I didn’t know was coming all the way from London to join us for the occasion.
I’m very lucky to be so close to my family and it was the best birthday present I could wish for to have us all there celebrating together.
After our cocktails to kick off the evening, we shared a selection of starters including delicious squid and duck spring rolls. For mains I opted for a traditional vegetable red Thai curry which was exquisite.
At the end of our meal I was presented with this gorgeous birthday desert and everyone sang Happy Birthday. It was a joy to be with my family just chatting, laughing and enjoying the moment over fantastic food and drinks, we didn’t leave the restaurant until they were closing!
With my birthday being midweek, I decided to invite my girlfriends over for an evening at my house on Saturday.
My birthday fit for the night was this stunning backless silver blouse along with my stretchy flared pants and cute fluffy slider slippers – dressy but comfy.
I absolutely love hosting so I was super excited to setup the dining room and prepare a spread of nibbles as well as my famous cheeseboard platter of course. Candles lit, music playing and prosecco popped, I was ready to welcome the girls for a fun cosy evening at home.
A number of bottles of bubbly and wine later, we’d had such a beautiful night full of catchups and plenty of laughs, those girls really are my soulmates.
Now its Sunday evening and I’m feeling so content and happy following such a fabulous birthday week. It’s certainly been an epic start to the year already and I can’t wait to see what chapter twenty seven of my lift has in store.
I love any excuse to put together a classic cheeseboard alongside a delicious spread of nibbles and plenty of vino too of course! So with my bestie coming over on Saturday evening for a long overdue catchup, I set the table, lit the candles and cracked open a bottle of wine ready for our gals date night.
Hours of chatting and a few bottles of wine later, we could’ve continued nattering away into the early hours. My cheeseboard and perfectly paired nibbles went down a treat – grazing platters really are the best!
Whilst everyday life gets very hectic for us all, me and my bestie can always rely on each other no matter how much time passes. I’m lucky enough to have found my soul sister and cherish these times together very much so ❤
It’s already the end of August and I can’t quite believe how quickly summer has gone! With the bank holiday long weekend finally here, it was the perfect opportunity to get out in the garden and make the most of the late summer sun.
Whilst the weather is warm and mild here in the UK, that late season heatwave we were promised still hasn’t made an appearance. This time of year I find myself swapping the shorts for jeans and these Lee jeans are my favourite light wash shade of summer denim blue.
With a girly catchup and drinks with my bestie in the diary for Saturday night, I laid out a yummy spread of nibbles including popchips, crudités, dips, olive bread and cheese. Prosecco popped and candles lit, we had a wonderful evening chatting and giggling for hours.
Now it’s Sunday and I’m currently watching Disney movies whilst researching a holiday in Ibiza! I am so hoping we can get away next month and catch those last few weeks of Euro summer ❤
Dani Aneka 