Parisian Style; My Weekend in Outfits

Parisian street fashion is famous for its simple yet chic approach to dressing. Sleek silhouettes and effortless basics paired with one or two statement pieces, is the fuss-free formula for that timeless French style.

For our first day strolling the streets of Paris, I wore a pair of classic white skinny jeans from Topshop, a puff sleeve floral red blouse from Abercrombie & Fitch and plaited jackfruit ASOS sliders, accessorised with a subtle pearl anklet and a white beret of course.

Saturday evening we headed to the Moulin Rouge so I dressed for the occasion in my over the knee boots, white Zara skirt-shorts, black Zara ruffle strap square-neck crop and gingham baker boy. So cliche but such a vibe for the Moulin Rouge, c’est bon!

For another day exploring Paris, I opted for comfort with my Grenson boots, camel flare smart trousers from H&M, striped bandeau and statement tortoiseshell cat eye sunnies. Blue and white stripes are such a French classic and paired perfectly with that polished camel tone, il est parfait!

Sundown drinks before dinner we headed down to our hotel courtyard for a charcuterie and vino. I wore my H&M camel flare trousers again, white bone corset bandeau and vintage Prada heels, complete with a cute silk neck scarf to finish that feminine French look.

On our final night in Paris we had to experience the Eiffel Tower lit up by night, so we headed into the centre of the city for dinner. I felt tres chic in my oversized vintage Jaeger green blazer to keep off that evening breeze.

I just love dressing up and embracing the style of the city I am visiting by taking inspiration from the locals themselves. Paris still stands to this day as one of the most classy, chicest fashion capitals of the world…tres tres chic ❤

Sunshine Spins in my Cooper Convertible

With the sun making an appearance in the UK this weekend, it was time to get the roof down for a sunny countryside cruise in my Mini. Having a convertible to spin around in on summer days really is the best feeling!

I got my Mini Cooper around about this time last year and having now experienced the fun of owning a soft top car, I will never go back.

Tunes up high, sunnies on and wind through my hair as I zoom around our local countryside roads showered in golden sunlight; summertime is just around the corner and I can’t wait for more days like these ❤

The Ivy; Alice in Wonderland Vibes

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 ❤

Chapter 2 7

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.

Stay sane, stay wild ❤

When One Door Closes…

It goes without saying that if something doesn’t feel right in your life, it’s time to make a change. Whether it’s work, friends or living situation, you have the power to switch things up to find what makes you happy. Without getting too deep and philosophical, I truly believe that once you put the intention to end something out into the world, another door will open and present new opportunities.

I’ve recently made a difficult decision in my career and already there are exciting prospects on the horizon. At the end of the day, life is just too short to be spent doing something which doesn’t bring you happiness; I think that if the passion is lost then it’s time to do something different.

As the famous quote says, ‘Life begins at the end of your comfort zone’. Listen to your gut feeling, take a deep breath, and go make that change!

This weekend I celebrated my news with a fabulous pornstar martini cocktail at The Botanist – Cheers to living life on your own terms ❤

Life’s Funner in Leopard Print

With it being my mum’s birthday this weekend, the whole family came together to celebrate in style at a local gig and I couldn’t wait to get on my dancing shoes ready to dance the night away! I wore my split hem leggings and let the leopard print blouse and fur coat do the talking. To complete the look, I chose my lace-up maroon croc heels and matching dark brown croc 90s style handbag, along with my favourite gold jewellery pieces for extra glam points. Simple yet classic, leopard print is always a vibe and never fails to add a hint of sassy playfulness to any outfit…now let’s pop the bubbly and go hit that dance floor!

Summer Denim Dayz

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 ❤

Bottomless Brunch; Grind London Bridge

It doesn’t get much better than a boozy brunch on a Saturday arvo with the girls. With it being one of our besties birthdays this weekend too, it was the perfect excuse to book in for a table at Grind in London Bridge and let the boozy brunch commence…

Grind has always been my favourite cafe spot in town to grab a good coffee or nice evening cocktails with the ladies. Knowing how great their food is too, I had high hopes for their bottomless brunch deal at £15 per head free flowing prosecco for a whole 90 minutes! They even have the proper champagne coupe glasses which really is the only way bubbly should be served.

Arriving at 2pm for our reservation, the place was already buzzing as everyone was getting merry on bubbly. In fact, the general atmosphere in London was electric as the nation geared up for the England football match taking place that night. It was great to see the city alive again and people just having a good time following lockdown life.

Service was fabulous at Grind and the food delicious. I had their sweet potato harissa cakes served with yogurt and a poached egg cooked to perfection. The girls enjoyed theirs too and I just had to have a taste of my friend’s buttermilk pancakes which were divine.

The hour and a half sure did go quickly, but we certainly did make the most of our prosecco top-ups, my glass was never less than half full! So then we enjoyed a sobering walk along the South Bank via a quick stop at Borough Market where the birthday girl got a box of free doughnuts 😉

We ended our evening at an outdoor pop-up on South Bank Between the Bridges where there was live music, food trucks and more booze of course. The warm summer air made for the ideal setting to enjoy outdoor sundowner drinks.

I would highly recommend the Grind bottomless brunch and will most definitely be booking in again soon myself. Overall a top day back in London Town having fun and getting boozy with my besties ❤

GRIND LONDON – https://grind.co.uk/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-MeOs4HK8QIVh-_tCh37fgMkEAAYASAAEgJZk_D_BwE

Lakeside; Dinner with a View

Al fresco dining is always such a wonderful luxury this time of year, so I’ll always opt for a table outside at the pub when the sun does decide to show up here in the UK. Whilst I do love a classic English pub garden, nothing quite beats a good view and a spot over looking the water.

One of the best destinations in the Hampshire area for a beautiful backdrop has to be Heron on the Lake in Fleet. Their outdoor terrace right on the water is stunning and made for the perfect Friday night dinner date this week. The atmosphere was buzzing as the pub filled up with locals winding down after the working week and the late summer sun slowly set over the lake. I enjoyed a few glasses of vino with my boyfriend and we had a delicious dinner with top service from our waiter too. I had the summer salad containing a mix of asparagus, cucumber ribbons, peas, radish, pomegranate seeds, green leaves, a lemongrass dressing and a chargrilled chicken breast on top. Light and delicate with a fresh assortment of seasonal vegetables, this was an exquisite dish.

We continued to enjoy our drinks whilst taking in that beautiful view and soaking up the social atmosphere once more. It sure does feel good to be wining and dining again, the way a Friday night should be spent.

Cheers to the weekend babes!

Friday Feels; All Black Everything

As I get back into the swing of full-time work again and we can finally socialise once more, I was truly feeling those Friday high vibes as my second week back to work came to a close.

No messing about, I was at the pub by 6pm with a drink in hand and ready for an overdue catchup with my girls. The place was buzzing and it was amazing to get a taste of normal life again!

I opted to go back to black for my Friday night look. Simple, classic and sexy, you just can’t go wrong in all black everything.

A few hours later and a couple glasses of wine down, it was time to go for dinner with my boyfriend. We went to another one of our favourite pubs ‘The Crown and Cushion’, funnily enough the last place we ate out at during Christmas before this lockdown!

This pub does my boyfriend’s favourite ribs in the area, so it was a must to visit as soon as restaurant dining opened back up. I got a chicken caesar salad and sweet potato fries accompanied with more vino of course…

Then to finish I simply couldn’t resist my guilty pleasure, an Espresso Martini. Coffee, sugar and alcohol all in one, I really have missed the dark temptation of my favourite night-cap. Bring on the Friyay feels ❤