Tag: shopping

NYC Diaries; Sunday On Fifth

October 12, 2025

When in New York shopping on Fifth Avenue is a must and with our hotel just around the corner, it was the first thing on our agenda on day one of our trip.

I had the perfect outfit planned for our first outing in New York featuring my killer new boots.

I paired my suede mini skirt from Bershka with a high-neck cream singlet from Pull & Bear, then completed the look with a classic baker boy hat, my sand suede long boots and my trusty Coach monogram handbag with the cross body strap.

With it being the end of September the weather was still quite warm particularly on our first day, so a jacket wasn’t even needed.

Our first stop was a cafe called Scoop which we found on a quieter street just of Fifth Avenue to grab a bite to eat for breakfast.

We shared a yoghurt with granola, some watermelon, a coffee and a freshly made smoothie we could have blended with our choice of ingredients.

There was a lovely little courtyard with seating called Paley Park right next to the cafe where we sat and enjoyed our brekky.

It was like an oasis nestled amongst the city with a gorgeous water feature wall and lots of trees looking glorious in the sunshine.

We then walked further up Fifth Avenue and got some fabulous photos of me crossing the street with the hustle and bustle of the city around me.

There were lots of stores to browse and there was some great pieces in Zara, but I wanted to buy from places we don’t have in the UK, so I found myself picking up lots of bits at Aritzia.

I tried on this awesome vegan leather oversized bomber in a deep chocolate brown, but I didn’t get it as I was looking for a similar style but in a suede material.

An impulse purchase was this gorgeous shift dress which was giving Carrie Bradshaw vibes and I simply couldn’t resist.

The athleisure wear in Aritzia is also really nice, so I got this dark green sports top with the flattering white border detail.

The dress was $149 and the sports top $40 which I thought was a good price for the quality of these pieces.

I couldn’t not have a look in Victoria’s Secret and they were doing five panties for $25 dollars, so naturally I had to stock up on some cute undies.

Coach was another must visit store for me and the flagship one on Fifth Avenue is quite impressive, they even had a dinosaur statue made of handbag cuttings.

I’ve always loved the Tabby style and so this one in the dark animal print caught my eye.

I was very tempted as this would make a brilliant statement winter handbag, however I was saving myself for a Polene bag I’ve had on my wishlist for ages and they have a store in SoHo New York.

After well over ten thousand steps in my high heel boots, we were ready to head back to the hotel for a rest and some lunch.

The evening before we also made a stop outside Tiffany’s on Fifth Avenue because I was wearing my Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly inspired dress and had to get a photo outside the store where Breakfast at Tiffany’s was filmed.

I’m a big Hepburn fan and love her in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, so this was a special moment for me ❤

We only touched the surface of the shops on Fifth, but we’d done enough shopping for one day and I was super happy with my purchases. Being just on the doorstep of our hotel, we were going to be visiting Fifth Avenue a number of times during our trip and I wasn’t mad about it!

A Day In London; Afternoon Tea, Selfridges & Seven Dials

August 31, 2025

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 ❤

Where To Next; New York City

August 10, 2025

Every year I like to book in a city break as part of our travel diary, so this year we decided on a trip to New York at the end of September. I’ve never been to NYC and my boyfriend went when he was much younger, so it’s a place we are super excited to explore together.

We’ll be staying at The Park Lane Hotel right by Central Park with a gorgeous rooftop bar overlooking the city skyline and the park.

I’ve grown up watching Friends and I’m now in my Sex & The City era, so I’ll definitely be channeling my inner Carrie Bradshaw prancing around the city in cute outfits.

As one of the fashion capitals of the world, shopping in New York is a must and top of my list is the iconic Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue for some ultra luxury retail therapy, and Chelsea for markets and thrift shops.

Being a huge Audrey Hepburn fan, a Breakfast at Tiffany’s moment would be my dream; pretending I’m Holly Golightly with my takeaway coffee and croissant browsing the glistening windows of Tiffany’s.

The food scene in NYC is incredible too with so much to choose from whether its street food like bagels and pizza slices, or aesthetic brunch spots and glamorous rooftop bars.

Some places I’ve pinned to try so far are Leon’s Bagels, L’Industrie Pizza, Saddle’s for brunch and 230 Fifth Rooftop for drinks with a view.

My favourite way to explore a new city is on foot, so I can’t wait to discover the many different neighbourhoods for ourselves. And not forgetting the most famous spots we’ll have to visit during our time in the city including Times Square, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Empire State, Grand Central Station and Central Park.

We only have a week there, so planning our days will be key to seeing as much as possible. I’m sure it’s going to be an intense but fabulous time in NYC which will leave us wanting to go back to see more ❤

Girl’s Weekend; A Fun Trip To Brighton

August 3, 2025

In celebration of my friend moving to Brighton and her turning 30 earlier this month, me and my girlfriends went down to visit her new home and spend the weekend together.

On Saturday afternoon we soaked up the sun for hours on the beach with a picnic and drinks, before taking a very chilly dip in the sea!

That evening we went into town for Mexican and Margaritas at a popular spot called Bar Holisco, then ended the night dancing away to live music at Molly Malones.

For the occasion I wore my new striped brown maxi skirt with a white cropped tie front top, gold detail low heeled mules and my trusty butter yellow handbag. Perhaps a little dressed up for Brighton, but I love any excuse to get on my glam and wear a cute outfit.

We enjoyed a slow Sunday strolling around The Lanes of Brighton and shopping the many awesome vintage and independent shops. I bought an fabulous pair of vintage Tommy Hilfigure shorts from To Be Worn Again in a slightly longer cut and looser fit, tapping into the more oversized jorts trend which everyone’s loving right now.

Needless to say, we had heaps of fun and a lot of laughs; I’m so grateful to still have such strong friendships with my besties from childhood ❤

Checkout my Youtube channel here to see my vlog from the weekend too, it’s a good one!

My Black Friday Finds

December 3, 2023

On the last weekend of November every year, UK retailers offer their biggest discounts in an effort to boost sales just before Christmas. It can be tempting to end up purchasing things you hadn’t planned on buying previously given the irresistible deals, so my rule is to do your research and know exactly what you want before hunting for the best discounts during the sales.

I’ve been lusting after a Coach handbag for a while now, and whilst the Tabby style which I had originally wanted wasn’t included in any of the discounts during Black Friday, I did stumble across another style in their new season collection which I’m even more obsessed with.

After scanning the internet for discount codes on different luxury buying platforms, I discovered that the website 24 Stories based in Paris, was offering the best deal with a generous 30% discount on the Coach Mira Shoulder Bag In Signature Canvas. This was better than the Coach website itself which was only doing 20% off, so I ended up saving £118 and getting the bag for just £285 from 24 Stories.

As a new season bag and best seller in the Coach line, the Mira Bag is now back to full price retailing at £395, so I was super chuffed with my fabulous find. I couldn’t wait to style her with a head to toe tonal outfit to match the rich brown and red hues of the autumnal leaves; she even matches my hot chocolate brown Mini Cooper!

I love how versatile this design is with the longer strap to wear it across body for a more casual look, or the short chain shoulder strap to style it with an evening outfit. The quality is stunning, it’s got a lot of room inside for a shoulder bag, and the classic design means this bag will never go out of fashion, it’s timeless ❤

The only other order I placed during Black Friday was on ASOS. As you can see, there’s a clear theme in the colours here as I am leaning towards those earthy, neutral tones which I am enjoying styling particularly during this fall season.

I bagged myself a dark brown Cotton On tie front cardi top, a khaki long sleeved backless top by Bershka, this stunning teracotta knot front asymmetric swimsuit by a London brand called Catch, and finally a smokey blue Miss Selfridge sporty style playsuit unitard. ASOS was offering 30% off site wide, so these were all a great saving too.

On reflection, Black Friday can be a trap to spending money which we should be saving for Christmas. However if you do your research and find a deal on items you were going to purchase anyway, or you know there’s some Christmas presents for loved ones you could make a saving on, then that’s smart shopping I believe 🙂

Bicester Village Designer Outlet; Let’s Shop!

October 22, 2023

When it comes to shopping, I tend to do most of it online these days as the high street just isn’t what it used to be anymore. Designer outlets however are always great for finding a good deal whilst offering a more premium level of shopping experience.

So having eyed up some designer handbags online, I decided it was time for a trip to Bicester Village and I invited my bestie along too, because I know she can’t say no to a shopping trip 😉

It’s just over an hour drive from home and parking is free which is always a bonus. With it being a Saturday, the shops were busy but this didn’t effect our shopping experience too much, there was just a short queue to get into a few of the stores.

My first purchase was this gorgeous green velvet handbag from Sandro. This was totally different to the one I had my eye on in Coach, but this colour and style couldn’t be more me and will be the perfect accessory to see me through the festive party season ahead. Original RRP was around £450 for this bag, but I only paid £176.80 including an additional discount with my Bicester Village membership.

There is a number of big fashion house outlets at Bicester including YSL, Prada, Gucci, Burberry, Mulberry, Celine, Coach and Chloe to name a few, as well as premium highstreet brands like All Saints, Reiss, Ugg, Acne Studios, Lulu Lemon… the list goes on.

My next purchase was a little something in Prada. Given I’d spent less on the handbag than expected, I treated myself to a Prada card holder in this classic stone grey leather with gold lettering logo. Previously £450 I purchased this for £240 at outlet price.

I’m thrilled to be owner of my first Prada item, a timeless piece that will never go out of style.

My fit for the day was a pair of Stradivarius vintage style flared jeans paired with a simple Brandy Melville black tank, Grenson platform boots, vintage Jaegar green blazer, a silk neckerchief from Le Scarf and my brown knitted beret to complete the look. Comfortable yet stylish, I think this ensemble echoes Parisian Chic vibes.

After queuing at the Ugg store in hope of finding some platform Ugg boots which were sold out, instead this fluffy black borg jacket caught my eye. The perfect fit and so very cosy for those cold winter days to come, this was the perfect addition for my winter wardrobe. Original RRP would’ve been about £170, but I only paid £87.

The afternoon went so quickly, it was already getting dark before we knew it and Bicester Village began twinkling as the fairy lights came on at twilight.

Our final stop was Astrid & Miyu, currently a popup at Bicester Village until March. Everything was half price or less, so I got a gold ear cuff and a cute gold chain bracelet, whilst my bestie got three items for £90, fantastic deals.

On the whole a very successful day of shopping and I was over the moon with my designer purchases. I went with the intention of treating myself and I did exactly that!

I’m keen to visit Bicester Village again soon perhaps before Christmas, although I’d definitely try to go on a weekday to avoid the queues. I’d also recommend signing up to their membership as it gets you further reductions in selected stores and it’s free to join.

What a fun day indulging in some much needed retail therapy with my bestie. In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, ‘I prefer my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet.’ ❤