Nothing is more typically English than going for Afternoon Tea in London followed by a shopping trip to Selfridges, then finishing the evening in Covent Garden at Seven Dials Market. We only live an hour train ride from London Waterloo, so a day trip into the city is always a fun way to spend a Saturday.
Our Afternoon Tea was booked for 3pm at The Bloomsbury Hotel on their gorgeously aesthetic Dalloway Terrace.
We met my colleague and his partner as this occasion was kindly gifted from the hotel following a number of events we have hosted there previously .
All of us opted for the Champagne Afternoon Tea menu and so we started with a lovely glass of Champagne to kick things off.
We also chose our tea and I went for the classic English Breakfast blend, because nothing beats a proper brew from a silverware teapot and cute teacup with saucer.
They then brought out the finger sandwich selection which was a classic mix of smoked salmon with mascarpone, coronation chicken, cucumber with cream cheese, devilled egg mayonnaise and toasted emmental cheese with tomato chutney.
Next up were the sweet treats including a strawberry & lemon tart, blueberry & vanilla choux, dark chocolate ganache, rum punch baba and blackcurrant madeleines.
Served on the classic cake tower they were wonderfully presented and tasted amazing, but it was a lot of sugar to manage in one go, so I had a taste of everything but couldn’t finish them.
And not forgetting the iconic scones which were served warm at the bottom of the cake tower complete with clotted cream and strawberry jam.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time together and it was nice to do something different as I’m not a big Afternoon Tea person, but it is a nice treat every once in a while.
After finishing up at The Bloomsbury, we hopped on the bus down Oxford Street to Selfridges for some early evening retail therapy.
I love going to Selfridges with my boyfriend as there’s so much to explore for both of us from the designer clothes and shoes, to the fancy food hall and lower ground tech section.
My boyfriend bought his Dad an awesome Hugo Boss X Aston Martin t-shirt for his birthday, whilst I resisted buying more Celine jewellery. Of course a Celine handbag is always high on my wish-list but that needs some real thought on which style to go for, as it would be a timeless piece I’d have in my wardrobe forever.
We then found ourselves having a glass of Champagne at The Fount Bar nestled amongst the designer bags on the ground floor of Selfridges.
What a chic location for a glass of Champagne, I was in heaven!
To finish our day we headed on the Tube over to Covent Garden where we went to the Seven Dials food market.
It was buzzing on a Saturday evening so we got a drink from the bar and wandered around to choose from the wide variety of street food vendors.
We were still quite full from the Afternoon Tea, so my boyfriend ordered a Thai Penang Curry with rice and prawn crackers which we shared.
Before we knew it it had already gone 9pm and it was time to get the train back, so I grabbed a mini bottle of vino and a fruit pot from M&S at Waterloo Station and we caught the 9:42 back home.
We had a wonderful afternoon and evening in London and whilst it is exhausting spending a day in the city, there is so much to do there and it’s always an exciting day out ❤
This weekend me and my girl friends took a road trip down to Devon to celebrate with our friends who eloped in lockdown. Given the small, intimate ceremony they had a few years ago due to the social distancing laws at the time, they invited their friends and family for a big party at Farway Countryside Park in Devon.
Leaving early on Saturday morning, me and my two best friends packed the car ready to ‘glamp’ in a teepee for the night. We hit the road and didn’t come across too much traffic, so we stopped at a picturesque farm cafe called Otter Valley for a spot of lunch and coffee.
Arriving early afternoon, we got ourselves setup in the teepee we had booked for the night. Unfortunately the rain was relentless all weekend so it wasn’t the most ideal conditions for camping, but certainly made for a funny experience!
Safe to say the teepee was very basic with just the three beds together in the middle, so we had to improvise in making a nice space for getting ready with pre-drinks and snacks. Thankfully we had our camping chairs to use inside then we used the plastic bin upside down as a small table…
I came prepared with plastic wine glasses and inflatable flamingo drinks holders which I actually used as bowls for the snacks! With the mini speaker playing some tunes and the prosecco popped, we had fun getting glammed up and ready together for the party.
I wore this chocolate brown low back mini dress with long flared sleeves from ASOS, paired with these super platform flower detail H&M sliders, and my oversized gold pearl flower earrings also from ASOS.
The girls looked gorgeous too and I think we nailed the dress code which was ‘dress to impress’, however we were in a field with gravel and grass so we had to keep this in mind particularly for footwear.
It was a fabulous afternoon and evening celebrating the marriage of our friends and a great opportunity to catchup with so many old acquaintances from school too. My friend even made her handbag into a prosecco bottle holder for handsfree pouring, genius 😉
There was a hearty Thai Green Curry for dinner which was served at 6pm, then later in the evening they brought out some delicious desserts and cakes.
After lots of dancing and celebrating with friends, the party wrapped up at 11pm and we made our way back to our teepee to get cosy for the night as the rain continued to pour. Despite the rain ,we were snuggled up in our layers and got a good nights sleep. It might have not been ‘glamping’ as I’d envisioned it, but having a proper bed to sleep in made all the difference.
Cheers to a fun weekend away in Devon full of many hilarious moments with my besties as we celebrated the marriage of our wonderful friends ❤
Friday 26th January 2024, my 29th Birthday and entering the final year of my twenties!
Waking up on Friday morning, it was a gloriously sunny day with clear blue skies and a crisp winters chill in the air as I took my morning walk.
I was working from home for the day, so I decided to move to the sofa for the afternoon and put ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ on as I enjoyed my coffee and answered emails.
Once 5pm rolled around and work was wrapped up for the week, I got myself glammed up and ready for an evening of celebrations.
My Birthday fit was a pair of flared tailored black trousers from Zara, a dusty pink bandeau also from Zara, my silk Le Scarf neckerchief, a cropped nude cardigan with gold buttons, my ASOS lace up maroon heels, plenty of gold jewellery to accessorise, a vintage Jaegar green oversized blazer to keep me warm and my Sandro velvet green handbag to complete the look.
At 6pm I went to our local pub for a drink with my Dad, where they gave me a glass of bubbles on the house and even brought out a Happy Birthday brownie.
We then had 8:30pm reservations at The Ivy Asia in Guildford, so my boyfriend kindly drove me and my parents there after we finished catching up with friends at the pub.
I always love visiting The Ivy Asia with its opulent interiors and buzzing atmosphere, especially on a Friday night.
We started with duck pancakes for the table before ordering a number of their smaller sharer plates.
We had all sorts of dishes from spicy tuna sushi rolls and king prawn skewers, to Korean fried chicken bites and claypot chickpea pepper curry. Every mouthful was so delicously flavoursome and my parents even said it was the best Asian meal they’d ever had!
Saturday morning we got out early to go to Bicester Village designer outlet in Oxford.
The shopping day cute and cosy look was a pair of Stradivarius blue flared jeans, an off shoulder brown jumper, my platform Ugg boots, an earthy tone wool scarf which I got for my Birthday, my Coach signature print cross body bag, a faux fur black Ugg coat and my favourite khaki baker boy hat from Mango.
Being a weekend, the shops were quite busy and unlike my previous visit to Bicester, there wasn’t much that was particularly jumping out at me.
We couldn’t leave empty handed though and I needed a Birthday gift from my boyfriend, so I was thrilled to find a the perfect gold ring from Monica Vinader to add to my jewellery collection.
Later that evening we were invited over to my parents house with my brother, his wife and my adorable niece Layla who I had lots of cuddles with, I just love being an Auntie!
My mum cooked her famous Spaghetti Bolognese and I did what I do best making a big salad of rocket, cherry tomatoes, avocado, parmesan shavings and balsamic vinegar. Good company, home cooked food and divine red wine, this made me a very happy girly.
Before I knew it, Sunday was here and I spent the afternoon with more family including my other darling niece and my wonderful Grandma. This card from my sister was brilliant, it’ll be a right laugh trying those poses next time I’m having a cocktail.
So that concludes my 29th Birthday celebrations and I couldn’t be more grateful of where I am at this time in my life. I want to embrace this final year of my twenties and look forward to another 12 months of growth, learning and achievements; cheers to chapter 29 ❤
As soon as we hit December, I find myself at another Christmas celebration week on week; this is the official season of partying and being merry!
The month began with a festive lunch and private show around on the 5th December at the newly opened Fairmont Windsor Park.
I was invited with work to view the stunning event spaces and rooms there and the hotel was beautifully decorated ready for Christmas, it got me feeling so festive!
We were treated to lunch in the gorgeous bar area where I had a few small plates of dill cured salmon served with buttermilk sauce and pickled cucumber, and the pumpkin kale salad topped with blackberries and pumpkin seeds. The food was exquisite and it was a lovely afternoon being hosted by the team at the Fairmont.
Later that week, it was our member’s Christmas Social Lunch with work which we held at Platform in Shoreditch.
Starting at 12 noon, we welcomed our guests to play retro games together whilst enjoying drinks and freshly made festive pizzas. This is a relaxed, fun event we host every December to thank our members for their engagement and support throughout the year.
Onto the second week of December, last Thursday we had our internal team celebration lunch at Zero Degrees in Reading. This was a great opportunity to spend time with colleagues outside of work and celebrate another successful year together as a team.
That brings us to yesterday when we drove to the Cotswolds for a family lunch with my boyfriend’s relatives. I wore my Stradivarius mid-wash flared jeans, Pull & Bear khaki long sleeve backless top, platform Ugg boots, Zara cropped aviator jacket, a check print scarf also from Zara, my brown knitted beret and my new Coach signature print handbag, worn across body to complete the look.
We met at a pub called The Bell Inn at Welford on Avon and to start, me and my boyfriend shared the fresh bread and olives served with oil and balsamic.
For main I opted for the smoked salmon and prawn salad paired with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio wine, the perfect light lunch.
There’s plenty of roast dinners and heavy food to come over the Christmas period, so I always like to have something fresh and healthier when I can.
Another wonderful afternoon spent with family and friends enjoying good food and drinks whilst catching up and having lots of laughs together.
So now we approach the final week before Christmas bringing with it yet more parties and celebrations with loved ones; let the happy merry times roll ❤
It’s now just two weeks until Christmas and the festivities were in full swing this weekend as I hosted my friends for our very own ‘Friendsmas’ on Saturday evening.
Having done the food shop earlier in the week, I had the day to clean and prep the house, before collecting the chicken from our local village butchers that afternoon.
I laid the table using my favourite gold cutlery and black dinnerware from Next. I brought these pretty mistletoe napkins from Waitrose and the traditional red crackers from Sainsbury’s to complete the festive place settings.
In the lounge I laid out some trays of nibbles and set the festive mood with our Christmas tree lights and a Christmas playlist from Spotify; cosy and welcoming ready for my guests arriving at 5pm.
I kept my outfit simple with a pair of Topshop black flared pants, a brown tie front top, my favourite maxi cardigan, fluffy slider slippers and a cute bow in my hair to bring the look together. With a night of cooking and hosting ahead of me, comfort was key.
First course was the cheeseboards and with everyone having brought a cheese each, there was plenty to go around. In my opinion, a Christmas cheeseboard isn’t complete without a Wensleydale and cranberry, a soft cheese like brie and a super strong aged cheddar.
The main event was of course a traditional English roast dinner with all the trimmings. Everyone was assigned a dish or two to bring for the dinner which made my job as host so much easier, I could just focus on cooking the chicken. I loosely followed a recipe I found online which included roasting it with onion, garlic, lemon, rosemary, thyme and a mixture of melted butter, white wine and lemon juice which I poured on top of the chicken right before cooking. I cooked it for an hour covered in tin foil, then a further half an hour uncovered, before leaving it to rest for 20 minutes.
Once all the dishes were heated, we kept them warm on the hotplate and everyone helped themselves, before we carved the magnificent chicken at the table. It was an absolute feast and everyone’s contribution was very much appreciated, fabulous team work girlies!
We had a delightful spread of crispy roast potatoes, creamy cauliflower cheese, sweet honey roast parsnips & carrots, spiced red cabbage, chestnut stuffing, garlic butter broccoli, sprouts sautéed with bacon, pigs in blankets, Yorkshire puds, lots of gravy and I even made my favourite accompaniment to a roast, bread sauce. Safe to say, we were all in a food coma after dinner and had to retreat back into the living room for a break before our final course.
Dessert was courtesy of my friend Jess who made the most deliciously indulgent apple crumble and custard, it was divine. More drinks and chats and soon it was time for my friends to leave; it was over too soon but I loved every minute of our time together.
Evenings like these spent in the company of my closest friends become memories I treasure forever. I’m so grateful to have such wonderful friends who I’ve known since childhood and still to this day, despite our lives having branched out different ways and becoming adults with families of our own, we still hold a strong bond as best friends ❤
Happy Sunday! I’ve had a super chilled weekend following a busy few days hosting an event in Manchester last week. Whilst working in events certainly is good fun and very rewarding, there’s a huge amount of careful planning and prep which goes into pulling them off as seamlessly as possible.
My week started with a long road trip up to Manchester with my colleagues to setup at the venue the afternoon before. We finally checked into our hotel at 6:30pm that evening and I opted to stay in and order Uber Eats to my hotel room.
I ordered a feast from Itsu of miso soup, a veggie gyoza noodle bowl, crispy seaweed thins, chilli prawn crackers and a refreshing peach lychee zen water. It was a much needed cosy night in ahead of the event day enjoying my noodles and watching some YouTube on my iPad.
We stayed at The Alan Hotel which I booked for the team upon recommendation from my friend as a newly renovated space, featuring art deco style interiors with an industrial, urban edge.
The next morning we were back bright and early at the venue to setup for our showcase and meet with the 12 suppliers who had stands too. We had exclusive use of the National Football Museum located in the heart of Manchester, the perfect space for our Innovation Showcase.
Registration setup, 150 goodie bags packed, supplier stands in situ, and AV tested ready for the showcase, it was all systems go awaiting our guests to arrive from 9am. This Xite natural energy drink from one of the supplier entries, fuelled me for a morning of running around as the event got underway.
There are always last minute changes and issues potentially arising on the day which comes hand in hand with event management, but it’s all about being prepared for everything and calling on experience to come up with a solution whatever the situation.
An example of this was when one of our suppliers couldn’t make it to the event on the day, but their products and stand were still delivered to the venue. So me and the team worked together to get their many Twirl Extra bars out on display ready for guests to grab their sweet treat freebie.
After lunch at the National Football Museum, we walked over to the next venue to setup for our Hosted 121s session, during which retailers and suppliers get the opportunity to meet one on one in quick 10 minute meetings, much like speed dating but for business.
I booked a fun bar called BLVD where again, we had the entire venue as our event had grown so big this year, we were at double the numbers to what we usually have for our 121s! The venue was perfect with a casual yet buzzing atmosphere, as our members met and discussed all things business.
My fit for the event day was a pair of navy chinos from Next paired with this matching Zara navy waistcoat, a white Topshop polo neck worn beneath, my trusty flat black chelsea boots and a black velvet headband to complete the look. As the mirror says, it’s giving ‘Girl Boss’ vibes ready for a long day of hard work!
To finish the day, we hosted a Networking Dinner for 120 of our guests at James Martin’s Restaurant within the 235 Casino in central Manchester.
Me and my colleague made the short 10 minute walk over from the bar at 5:30pm to get everything setup and before we knew it, guests were arriving at 6pm.
This ‘Let’s Party’ prosecco wall was a fabulous welcome for our guests to the reception drinks.
At 6:45pm, we took our guests through to seat for dinner and we could finally enjoy and celebrate the success of our event, over a delicious three course meal.
To start was a cauliflower veloute served with focaccia bread and it was divine.
For main course I had the vegetarian option of BBQ curried cauliflower with a lentil dahl, coriander yoghurt and fermented potato flat bread.
To finish was a dessert of hot sticky toffee pudding, toffee sauce and salted caramel ice cream, the ultimate sweet treat, everything was exquisite.
On the whole, a hugely successful event which we organised with precision, resulting in a very seamless execution on the day and a well deserved evening of celebrations with my colleagues that night; life is never boring working in events!
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 ❤
Last week, me and my two best girlfriends jetted off to the stunning Spanish island of Mallorca for five days in the town of Alcudia. We’ve been besties since we were in infant school, so we get on like sisters and couldn’t wait to be going on a proper girls vacay together this summer.
Arriving at a busy Gatwick Airport on Friday 4th August, we treated ourselves to the lounge for bottomless pre-flight bubbles and a bite to eat at leisure, before our plane departed that afternoon. Holiday mode was on!
We didn’t stop nattering the entire journey and before we knew it, we had arrived at our hotel later that evening following a smooth flight and transfer with easyJet. The next morning we awoke fresh and ready for a day of sunbathing at our hotel.
We stayed at Sol de Alcudia Apartments where we shared a room complete with a kitchenette and balcony. Whilst this is a family resort, it wasn’t too busy and the staff were friendly and helpful too.
I was very happy with the gym which was just down the corridor from our room and almost always empty, so I had the space to myself for my morning workouts.
We spent most mornings getting in our sunbathing time whilst reading our books, cooling off in the pool and chatting away of course.
The hotel was a five minute walk from the main beach of Alcudia, so we took a stroll there on the first day to see that golden white sand and dip our feet in the ocean.
After a refreshing glass of Sangria for me and Spanish beers for the girls, we found a nearby Lidl to stock up on essential holiday snacks and food for lunches.
This is what holiday lunches are all about; a mezze of picky bits including crisps, crackers, hummus, olives, cold meats, cheese, grapes, bread and of course, the iconic tub of Aioli. Sat out on our balcony soaking up the Spanish sun and chatting with my girlies with a wine in hand, now that’s an ideal holiday scene right there!
If you’re a regular here you’ll know I’m a salad lover and when I’m holiday, it’s all about a Greek Salad, so I suggested we do this for our balcony lunch one day. We just went to the local grocery store where we managed to get some tomatoes, cucumber, onion, olives and feta. Usually I would put oregano and lashings of olive oil on my Greek Salad, but seasoning wise we could only find salt in the shop, so instead my friend came up with the idea of mashing the feta with the juice of a lemon and some of the salty olive brine. This was a delicious twist on a classic and definitely something I’ll try again at home too.
It was so fun getting glammed up for warm summer evenings out with the girls. My friend did my hair a few times with her Dyson Air Wrap and I’m obsessed, I might have to get one for myself now.
On the Sunday night we decided to book a nice dinner out at Ca’an Matevet just over in Port d’Alcudia. As usual I did my research on Instagram to find the trendiest looking place and this restaurant was our kinda vibe.
I love being a bit more experimental and playful with my holiday outfits, so for this occasion I wore my leopard print swimsuit as a body paired with my Stradivarius wrap skort, chunky pearl sliders, a pair of oversized gold shell drop earrings and my Dune woven white handbag. My girlfriends are so effortlessly cool and always look very trendy in all black and neutral tones. How cute that my friend’s pearl hair clips matched my pearl sliders. ❤
We were seated at our table outside overlooking the port as the sunset and a live band played, setting the perfect evening dinner mood at golden hour.
Being in Spain we couldn’t resist ordering a number of incredible tapas to share. We all agreed potatoes bravos were a must as well as the fresh scallops. The toasted bread with cured Mahón cheese, sobrasada from the island and honey, was simply divine.
This goat’s cheese salad with walnuts, hazelnuts, capers and homemade fig jam was a highlight for me. We also got the garlic prawns, olives and some bread with Aioli to accompany our meal. Service was great, I couldn’t fault anything and don’t be fooled, we ate every last bit – us girls like our food!
We finished up with a round of cocktails instead of dessert as we were full from our feast. I had a Paloma whilst the girls had a Mojito and a Tommy’s Margarita which we enjoyed as the sun went down and the live band continued their second set. The staff were so friendly and attentive, the food was amazing and the ambience on point; I’d highly recommend visiting C’an Matevet if you’re in the area –https://canmatevet.com.
The weather was perfect during our stay reaching highs of 30 degrees, so a classic orange ice pop was the ideal poolside refreshment.
Another night, another bar, and on this evening we actually stumbled across this fun hotel bar just around the corner with another live band playing. They were called Von Bros and played reggae style covers, we were loving it!
Once again my besties were looking super stylish in chic black outfits, whilst I was in a baby blue mini dress bringing a splash of colour to the group.
On our final day we got up early to visit the markets in the Old Town of Alcudia.
There was so much to explore, from beautiful fresh produce to lots of gorgeous clothes and jewellery from local sellers.
My friend bagged herself a lovely cream crochet top and I got a white crochet cutout Grecian style dress.
I just wish I had a local market back home selling fresh fruit and veg as marvellous as this!
And not to mention the variety of olives to choose from, I was in my element.
The streets of Old Town Alcudia are so picturesque lined with ancient buildings, blooming bright flowers climbing the walls and exotic plants in terracotta pots.
We stopped for a morning coffee at a cute cafe where two coffees and a water was less than 4 Euros!
It was scorching hot so we took it in turns with my friend’s ‘World’s biggest diva’ hand fan. 😀
I’m also loving this headscarf on my friend giving market girl vibes paired with her gingham playsuit, so cute. ❤
We then explored more of the town and took a walk up on the ancient walls which boarder the Old Town of Alcudia.
I saw an old open air theatre and decided to put my gymnastics practice to good use with a handstand balance centre stage.
For lunch we found a quieter restaurant with a courtyard off the beaten track.
I had this simple but super tasty green salad and a refreshing Coke Zero.
Our final afternoon we spent back by our hotel pool soaking up the final few hours of Spanish sun.
I also brought this floppy hat on our way out of the markets which is exactly what I was looking for, I can’t wait to wear it on my next holiday.
We had a chilled dinner at our hotel before packing that night, as our transfer back to Palma Airport the next morning was at 7am.
We had a fantastic time in Mallorca together with plenty of chats, giggles, sunbathing, good food and drinks, pool time, reading, relaxing and just having lots of fun. Thank you girlies for such a wonderful trip, lets get planning girls vacay 2024! ❤ ❤ ❤
With another bank holiday long weekend ahead of us, we decided to make the most of it and go for a mini staycay to the wonderful city of Brighton. Being one of the most iconic seaside cities in the UK, I couldn’t think of a better place to spend the King’s coronation weekend.
Arriving on Saturday afternoon at the Ibis City Centre Hotel, we were greeted with union jack balloons and a welcome gift of prosecco ready on ice with traditional popcorn too.
With our King now crowned and the night of celebrations ahead of us, we popped our prosecco and sipped our bubbles whilst taking in that fantastic view we had over the maze of a bustling Brighton town centre.
Keeping things very English themed, we headed to The Ivy for dinner. I wore my H&M slit hem leggings paired with these ASOS lace front heels, this Next oversized camel blazer and an emerald green silk wrap top as a subtle nod to the royal events of the weekend.
We always have a fabulous time at The Ivy Collection restaurants and our experience here at The Ivy in the Lanes certainly didn’t disappoint.
The opulent artwork and eclectic interiors of The Ivy create that elevated ambience, which is of course is matched with the impeccable service and top tier food.
We can’t visit The Ivy and not get their salt crusted sourdough to start, it’s simply divine. A bowl of olives and a bottle of wine flowing too, I was in my happy place ready for a fun night ahead.
For mains I ordered the blackened cod baked in a banana leaf with soy marinade, citrus-pickled fennel, yuzu and herb sauce served with broccoli, whilst my boyfriend had the chef’s special sirloin steak served with peppercorn sauce and fries.
Upon recommendation from our lovely waiter, we went for post dinner drinks at a bar called The Font in the Lanes, before heading back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.
Sunday morning we took a stroll around the Lanes exploring all the awesome vintage shops before grabbing burritos at Chipotle.
That afternoon we enjoyed some coffees at this cool cafe Bread & Milk whilst discussing options for my tattoo.
I’ve been wanting a wave tattoo on my ankle for some time now, so being in Brighton where there are so many tattoo shops and of course being by the sea, it was the perfect opportunity to finally get my 2nd ink.
We’d come across this tattoo shop Skinned Alive on our way to lunch earlier and enquired about my fine line tattoo. Being one of the top rated tattoo places in Brighton I couldn’t go wrong and I got a good vibe from the guys working there.
I showed them my inspiration and explained where I wanted it on my ankle, before the tattooist drew up my design which I then worked with him to get just right.
So with my stencil finalised and my placement agreed, I got seated in the chair ready for my 2nd tattoo!
It couldn’t have taken any longer than 10 minutes and not too painful on the whole, although I felt it more than my wrist tattoo as this was right on the ankle bone.
Ankle wrapped to protect the fresh tattoo, I couldn’t be happier with my 2nd ink. Thanks to the guys at Skinned Alive who made the experience so positive and ensured I had the perfect placement and design I had envisioned for the wave.
Early Sunday evening the skies were finally blue and the sun was shining, so we headed for the seafront via my favourite corner of Brighton, Dukes Lane.
The vibes were high at the beach bars as everyone embraced the bank holiday weekend and soaked up the early evening sunshine as music played and drinks were in full flow.
Having been on our feet all day, we grabbed an early dinner at a Greek restaurant called Adelfia. I was craving lots of veggies and hummus, so I had a big bowl of traditional Greek salad with pitta and hummus to share, paired with a crisp white wine from Greece; exquisite.
We finished our evening with a sunset stroll along the seafront and a walk down the pier lit up in all its glory at night. That concluded another brilliant weekend away exploring the best of Brighton life which we continue to love every time we come back to visit ❤
It’s Easter Monday and we’re nearing the end of the long bank holiday weekend now. It’s a glorious time of year as spring is in the air, everyone slows down for the extra long weekend and we can finally look forward to the exciting summer season ahead.
Good Friday I spent the morning cleaning the house and getting the garden furniture out ready for the long weekend set to be warm and sunny. These fresh bunch of colourful tulips for the dining room looked particularly beautiful basking in the golden sunlight of the afternoon.
With the house clean and my work done for the week, I couldn’t wait to get down to a local pub garden and soak up the stunning weather with a glass of bubbly in hand.
I just love spring fashion as we can put away those winter coats and embrace layering and accessorising again. So on Friday I wore these vintage flared Stradivarius jeans, my C’est Normal strap tank top, Topshop square toe snakeskin mules, H&M Celine dupe handbag, a pair of cat eye sunnies and my current accessory obsession, a silk neck scarf – tres chic!
I then layered a denim overshirt with a long oversized cardigan on top to keep warm sat outside, as there’s still a chill in the air this time of year. Rooftop down on my Mini Cooper, tunes playing and the sun shining, bank holiday weekend vibes were in full swing and I was on a high.
That evening we went to my boyfriend’s parents for our first BBQ of the year. They also just bought this awesome fire pit for their garden, which we christened for the first time and huddled around enjoying our desserts once the sun went down.
Saturday afternoon I went to watch my boyfriend ride the jumps, before we went to the pub and ended up with his mates at the local Indian curry house for dinner. Spontaneous days like these are what the long weekends are made for.
Easter Sunday we didn’t have any plans with the family for once, so we went on a bike ride which ended up muddier than expected as we went across country fields on the way home…not good news for my brand new trainers!
After our adventure on the bikes, we enjoyed a chilled afternoon and evening at home complete with my favourite mezze nibbles, more wine and a delicious stone baked pizza from Aldi served with plenty of salad of course.
What a wonderful bank holiday weekend we had just taking it easy, being a bit spontaneous and getting outside making the most of the spring air and glorious sunshine; happy days ❤
Dani Aneka 