Bank Holiday State Of Mind

It’s the late May bank holiday here in the UK and I’m winding down following a wonderful weekend soaking up the heatwave sunshine.

Back on Friday evening, we met friends at The Mutton for sundown drinks in the pub garden.

I wore this cute asymmetric dress from ASOS with a pair of nude thong kitten heel mules, my Coach handbag and MiuMiu round sunnies to complete the smart-casual look.

Saturday was another scorching day, so when 5pm came I enjoyed a glass of wine and some olives in our garden, whilst watching Emz and Nick’s latest Greece vlog.

For date night that evening, I booked The Leather Bottle for dinner in their picturesque courtyard area.

Even at 8pm it was still a lovely temperature to be sat outside as the sun went down over the neighbouring fields.

To start we ordered the padron peppers because whenever they’re on a menu, my boyfriend and I simply cannot resist.

For mains my boyfriend opted for the Bavette steak frites, whilst I had the Gilt head bream fillet.

Served with potato terrine, courgette, heritage tomato, feta and a salsa verde, this dish was divine and presented so beautifully too.

As we enjoyed our meal, the stunning sunset skies turned shades of gorgeous deep oranges and pinks, before dusk eventually set in.

Back home we embraced the warm night air and had another drink in our garden, festoon lights glowing and the moon shining brightly up overhead.

Sunday we were off to my boyfriend’s parents’ house for our first BBQ of the summer season.

Temperatures were set to be over 30 degrees, so denim shorts and my new pink contrast vest from Stradivarius and classic Birkenstock sandals, were the perfect cute-casual outfit combo.

I also styled my hair in a French twist to keep it off my neck for the day, not to mention looking super chic and elegant too.

It was the first time using their barbecue and outdoor space in their new house and it was all absolutely perfect.

Every corner of their house is so aesthetic and I was particularly drawn to these stone faces in their garden which give boho-chic Tulum vibes.

On the grill we had chicken skewers, burgers, sausages, corns and asparagus.

Of course a barbecue for us is not complete without my signature Greek Salad, so I was very excited to be making my first one of the summer this weekend.

There was also a Caesar salad, beetroot salad, Jersey Royal potatoes and all the condiments necessary for such a feast.

And not forgetting the footy game which had to be on in the background for the boys!

After lunch, I sat with my boyfriend’s mum out on their cute bistro set with a glass of bubbles; it was like we were sat outside our very own Parisian wine bar, pure bliss.

Meanwhile, the boys were equally chuffed with their setup inside to finish watching the football game.

My boyfriend’s mum even treated us to our favourite dessert she introduced us to of frozen raspberries, melted white chocolate and cream.

Before we knew it the sun was beginning to set and it was time to leave, but on our way home we made a spontaneous detour.

As we passed through Farnham, my boyfriend said we should do the walk at Caesar’s Camp to catch sunset.

So we parked up the truck and made our way across the picturesque countryside.

After about a 25 minute walk, we found this incredible viewpoint from which we watched the sun go down over Caesar’s Camp.

Sunsets never fail to amaze me; I find it mesmerising to see the sun dip below the horizon so rapidly in realtime.

A majestic sunset stroll was the most idyllic ending to our long bank holiday weekend showered in sunshine ❤

Life Lately; Sunshine State of Mind

English summer is well and truly here and I couldn’t be happier for my favourite season of the year ahead. There’s already lots of social events in the calendar for July and we’re kicking off our summer with a holiday to Kemar in Turkey at the end of this month, I can’t wait!

Friday evenings recently often look like this; we head to our local pub The Mutton where they have a stunning newly renovated garden overlooking the gorgeous Hampshire countryside. It really is the ideal setting for sundown drinks and the food is amazing too.

This week we celebrated my boyfriend’s mum’s birthday and so we invited his parents and grandma over to try our favourite vegan Mexican chilli bowls for a midweek dinner.

Our Mexican night went down a treat and we enjoyed a wonderful evening together as the sunset showered our dining room during golden hour.

I’ve also treated myself to some new pieces in my wardrobe this month which always gets me excited to try new outfits and looks. I’m loving my new velvet square toe mules perfect for wearing with flares, and this new taupe coloured top which is completely backless. Elevated basics are my go-to currently.

And of course next month my sister is due her baby and I’m thrilled to be an Auntie very soon. On Friday I invited her and her partner over for drinks in the garden to catchup and enjoy the evening sunshine. She’s looking radiant even now almost full term in pregnancy, I’m a very proud sister.

Today we went over to Farnham to see a car show which was a lovely weekend activity to get us up and out on a Sunday morning. It wasn’t as big as we’d anticipated, but the line up of red Ferraris basking in the sunshine was incredible.

I find summer is also a great opportunity to switch up my workout routine and get outside more. Moving my body everyday is a non-negotiable and with the warmer weather and longer days, I find myself more active with bike rides and walks as well as my daily home workouts.

So that pretty much sums up my life lately; lots of social occasions, family time, Fridays at the pub with friends, planning our summer holiday, getting outside and moving my body differently everyday, and enjoying those long summer evenings sipping a delicious drink in the garden at golden hour. You can’t go wrong with the Moth drinks for a good quality cocktail at home, perfection!

It’s a sunshine state of mind ❤

Raving; It’s a State of Mind

With it being the legend that is Annie Mac’s last ever show on BBC Radio One on Friday night, it was time to head back to the club finally and put on my dancing shoes for the first time since lockdown.

Stepping foot back into our local club sure was surreal but then again felt like no time had passed. Whilst we’ve been unable to party together over the past year and a half, music has continued to unite us and keep us sane during such difficult times. Whether you’re in a club surrounded by friends or dancing alone in your bedroom, in the words of Annie Mac – ‘Raving is a state of mind.’ Now let’s dance!