Happy Sunday! The clocks went back last night here in the UK bringing in those long, dark evenings and shorter days. Whilst I’m definitely a summer girl at heart, I do love fall fashion as it provides more opportunity for layering jumpers, knits, shirts, jackets and coats.
So with the colder weather upon us, it was time to dig out the cosy coats and my extensive collection of boots. Chunky, over the knee, flat, heeled, chelsea, western, biker; you name a style of boots, I’ve got them!
For date night this weekend, I channeled my inner cowgirl and wore my Stradivarius brown cowboy boots. I styled these with a pair of Abercrombie high waist blue jeans, a Na-kd one shoulder cami, a staple classic Zara cropped aviator coat and my gorgeous new Sandro green velvet handbag.
New to my boot collection this season are these platform Uggs in the colour chestnut and I’m obsessed. I’ve been looking for a pair of boots like my favourite Grenson platform boots and these fit the brief perfectly.
I styled these up for Friday night drinks at the pub with this cute Zara shift minidress layered with a white tee underneath, gold jewellery including my new chain bracelet from Astrid & Miyu and thick white socks to complete the bare leg, chunky boot look.
The coat of choice for the night was my new Ugg black teddy coat, making this a head to toe Ugg ensemble to keep me warm during a cold and rainy fall evening. Now I can’t wait to get my winter wardrobe back out and rework existing pieces along with some new items too; fall fashion is fun ❤
Whilst Balmy Beach Resort is a tropical paradise by day, it also comes alive at night with live music every evening and cocktails served until the early hours.
I love getting dressed up for evening dinners on holiday and having fun with cute outfits I wouldn’t get a chance to wear out at home.
With our first proper evening at the resort being a Friday night, weekend vibes were in the air from noon and by dusk the live DJ was getting the atmosphere buzzing at the beach bar.
I wore this Stradivarius skort paired with my favourite floral wrap frill blouse, these ASOS woven sliders and my new Dune white crochet handbag with gold chain which I brought in duty free at the airport.
When we were at the airport on our journey over to Turkey, I also decided to really splash out and treat myself to these magnificent MuiMui sunglasses.
I wanted to debut them for our special romantic dinner for two on Saturday evening at the Balmy a la carte restaurant.
First up though, it was sundowners at the beach bar where I enjoyed a glass of bubbly in this beautiful champagne flute looking so elegant next to by cute new bag.
Having got a golden glow from the first few days of sun, I decided to wear this white body con middy dress I got in Australia years ago paired with my pear detail sliders, a pair of oversized white shell earrings and my By Alona gold chain pearl necklace which I wore almost every night, the perfect holiday jewellery piece.
I was feeling very St Tropez in all white complete with those killer sunnies and sipping my champagne at that beautiful boho beach bar.
There’s nothing like dining al fresco on holiday with that salty sea air and mellow pink and blue sky as the sunsets and dusk draws in.
We had a wonderful evening together enjoying delicious food and being looked after so well by our lovely waiter; can you tell he was making me laugh here 😉
Sunday night I wore this tropical print maxi dress which is completely backless and features a flattering thigh split. Very little accessories needed with this number, the dress does all the talking.
That evening the live music was over at the garden bar, where we sat in the charming surroundings of the courtyard and could gaze up at the stars in the night sky.
Monday night I went a little more casual with these black crochet Zara shorts, my boho print bardot style croptop, those timeless ASOS plaited sliders and my usual gold jewellery to complete the look.
And once again we found ourselves down at the buzzing beach bar for post dinner drinks and another live band session.
For the final night we got dressed up and ready for dinner in time for golden hour down by the pool and beach bar.
I had to get out my favourite summer minidress from Abercrombie & Fitch, paired with this pastel pink shell detail ASOS clutch for a pop of colour, and of course my new MuiMui babies.
That golden hour glow was giving me all the fuzzy feels and I just wanted to bottle that magical moment forever.
Once the sun hid behind the mountains and the pastel pink sky set in, we went for pre-dinner cocktails at the beach bar.
We couldn’t have wished for a more exquisite setting for our final dinner at Balmy Beach.
Later in the evening the crescent moon came out to sit just above the mountains at dusk; how peaceful and spiritual this moment felt.
And so that marked the end of our stay at Balmy Beach Resort and we couldn’t be more grateful to the staff who were so kind and friendly in making our time there an absolute joy and pleasure.
Sunset views and moonlit hues; goodnight Balmy Beach ❤
This weekend I decided to go all out for our date night and booked The Ivy Castle View in Guildford. I had tried to book The Ivy Asia a few weeks back, but with a three month waiting list to get a reservation there, I was happy with the regular Ivy restaurant we know and always enjoy.
I’m obsessed with the art deco inspired interiors featuring eclectic artwork and a vibrant colour palette, I was definitely getting Alice in Wonderland vibes as soon as we arrived at The Ivy Castle View.
Even the ladies bathrooms were decorated with opulent wallpaper and this stunning ceiling of roses, they are just too beautiful not to take a picture of.
The place was buzzing on a Saturday night, yet we were still treated to the same friendly and attentive service from the hosts and our waiters who looked after us for the evening.
We had this lovely, romantic round table for two right by the window overlooking the castle. I was lusting over these gorgeous green palm leaf print sofa chairs too, it really is an interior lovers heaven, every corner of the place there is something different to admire.
To start, we had a cocktail each and of course I couldn’t resist my favourite Espresso Martini in their special salted caramel flavour. My boyfriend had the Surrey Passion made with passionfruit, vodka and rum, a super fruity sweet concoction and showstopper served with a flaming top!
Whilst we don’t usually get starters, we did order the salt-crusted sourdough bread to nibble alongside our cocktails. To our delight they served an entire loaf freshly warmed straight from the oven – sometimes the simple things done well are the most satisfying, it was exquisite.
For mains I actually went for two starters: Roasted Scallops served with crispy potato rösti, pea purée, parmesan sauce and grated truffle, accompanied by a big basket of the Zucchini Fritti. This was a tasty combination of flavours which I paired with a glass of their house white wine from Carinena, Spain.
My boyfriend ordered the Korean Glazed Chicken served with pickled mooli, sesame, avocado and jalapeño sauce, citrus mayonnaise as well as some thick cut chunky chips. Safe to say we devoured the lot and savoured every delectable bite.
Our evening at The Ivy Castle View was wonderful with everything from the drinks and food to the service and experience, it was a 10/10 for me.
The Ivy Collection has a number of restaurants in handpicked locations across the UK, serving modern British cuisine, reflecting the same inimitable service and vibrant surroundings for which The Ivy is loved and revered. A top destination for a boujee date night full of photo opportunities ❤
Dani Aneka 