Hello 2016!

Everyone loves a New Year's resolution and apparently I love to make the same promises to myself every January along the lines of; 'I will blog more often and eat less chocolate'. Seems straight forward enough but I am also queen of excuses.

I bought myself a new nifty camera - one that won't weigh me down when browsing exciting cities but one that takes non blurry photos, hurrah! So I will most certainly be putting it to good use on this blog and posting as regularly as I can!

I'm heading to Dublin next weekend and I can't wait to document it for you. Watch out for that!

 

TTFN x

Wonderfully Warm

Wonderfully Warm by yesrem featuring a forever 21 beanie

Afternoon Tea by the Sea

I love Afternoon Tea. What's better than having a pot of tea followed by sandwiches and scones and then more sandwiches if you're feeling particularly peckish and finally finished off with some mini desserts. All whilst served on pretty China with minute jam pots and a sweet little cake stand that I have to resist not taking home with me. It's ok, I settle with taking all the desserts I couldn't quite manage home with me instead. It's so quintessentially British and quaint. 

My Grandmother treated my mum on her birthday to Afternoon Tea at The Roslin Hotel by the sea. Luckily for my brother and I we were invited along too. It was during the heat wave we had last week and we had a perfect spot by the window with a beautiful view. Plus we decided to throw a bottle of champagne into the proceedings too. As my mum put it, 'it would be rude not to!'. 

 

If anyone lives in the area I would highly recommend this hotel especially on a sunny day with a glass of bubbly. The location and choice of food, not to mention the spa treatments is has to offer is brilliant. The only minor gripe I had with the selection of tasty miniature offerings was the raisins in the scones. My plate looked like a raisin graveyard. Please think of those who like their scones sans raisins - Thanking you kindly.

Afternoon Tea wasn't the only sweet treat of the day. I ensured my Mum started her day with cake too as I bought her some delicious Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes.  Red Velvet, Black Bottom and Carrot Cake. It's safe to say we were full to the brim by the end of the day but definitely worth it. If not on your birthday then when can you? 

On a fashion side note, I made the most of the unusually hot weather and wore a Topshop floral midi dress with tie side detail . Unfortunately I didn't get a successful shot of the dress (Mother dearest isn't too snap happy but as it was her birthday I forgave her!) so please excuse this candid photograph. It's slightly out of my comfort zone as I wouldn't normally choose something quite so bold but I absolutely love the side detail with the contrasting pretty print.

Where would you recommend I go to Afternoon Tea next? I've got my eyes on the Mad Hatter's Tea at The Sanderson in London.

 

Alex x

Going to the Chapel

I'm not one of those girls that enjoys planning an outfit for a night out, in fact I dread it - Quite the opposite to Gemma, my YouTube partner in crime, as I'm sure she enjoys this part more than the night out itself! I find it all a bit stressful. Traipsing the shops with something in mind only to come home empty handed and disappointed is not my idea of fun. Last minute is more my thing.

Wedding guest shopping on the other hand, I ruddy love! I don't know if it's the novelty of dressing up for a different occasion or the wedding itself but either way I love scrolling my way through the 'occasion wear' section on ASOS and flicking my way through the rails in Topshop.

 

My friend Tasha married her fiancé last weekend in the most beautiful ceremony and seaside themed reception so of course I needed a suitable ensemble. I am of a, let's say, porcelain complexion and have never dreamed of being a bronzed goddess but for once I decided to embrace my auburn hair and freckle-a-plenty face and chose an orangey-red midi dress. Scrolling for hours paid off, hurrah! 

 

The midi style suited the formal occasion and the backless detail and bold colour added an edge. I was actually surprised at how comfortable I felt in it and I'm now eagerly waiting for another event to wear it to. 

 

I had been eyeing up the Aldo pointy heels for a fair while, adding them to my ASOS basket months in advance before plucking up the courage to part with the money. But I'm so glad I did as I absolutely love them. The metallic heel and nude leather worked so perfectly with the vibrant dress. Plus I was able to thriftily recycle the nude bag and fascinator that I wore to Gemma's wedding. Outfit compete! Did my feet feel the same level of affection for the shoes? Erm, no. 

Of course the only dress everyone was looking out for was the bride's and good heavens it was beautiful. Such a simple but elegant design and Tasha looked perfect. The bridesmaids looked beautiful in blue and mirrored Tasha's dress with the low cut v neckline. 

 

I'm sad the celebrations are over so I can only imagine how the bride and groom are feeling. Congratulations Tasha & Greg!

A Weekend in Edinburgh

In recent years I have been determined to see different countries and explore different cities but it occurred to me that I have barely seen the UK and what it has to offer. When I was little we would holiday in Devon or Cornwall almost every year so my summer holiday memories were quintessentially British but besides that I haven't ventured much further afield.

For our 3 year anniversary, Jonny and I decided to visit Edinburgh. A few people I  know plus a couple of bloggers had recently been and only had good things to say so we booked the short flight, a well-priced little hotel near the castle and we were away.

We took the tram from the airport to the city centre and luckily for us it stopped right outside our hotel, Cityroomz. We had booked this hotel on a bit of a whim, not really sure where the ideal location would be but we were pleasantly surprised. It was modern, right in the heart of the city and most importantly, warm. It turns out Scotland really is as cold as people make out - especially in January.

We took a stroll to Edinburgh castle. I say a stroll, I mean a climb. WARNING: Edinburgh is hilly. Unfortunately we reached the castle an hour before closing so we only had time to wonder around the main areas. If you are planning on visiting I would definitely recommend allowing 2 hours to see everything - The views are incredible and we were lucky enough to go on a fresh clear afternoon so could see for miles.

The following day we decided to walk down the Royal Mile to Arthur's Seat. As we turned the corner and saw the main peak of the group of hills which form Holyrood Park I started to question my Nike trainers. Walking boots seemed to be a more fitting choice of shoe on first glance. We didn't reach the summit but the views from half way were still very impressive and we enjoyed the scenery with a much deserved Mars bar.

The architecture really reminded me of Paris with its grand Georgian Terraces in the new town and the nooks and crannies in the old town. Behind Princes Street, in and amongst all of the higher end shops we stumbled across a really pretty looking restaurant called Gusto. It had fairly lights covering the outside and looked so pretty that we booked a table for dinner and I'm so glad we did. We sat upstairs above the kitchen so we could nosy at all of the orders going out. I had serious food envy though as Jonny had chosen pan seared duck breast with all kinds of delicious looking sides. We had such a lovely meal and it was even better that we had booked it on an off chance that it might be worthwhile and it definitely was.

Edinburgh is such a beautiful, friendly city and we have already planned to go back in the Summer for the Fringe Festival. I'm looking forward to re-visiting when the climate's a little less harsh!

2014 - A Year in Photos

A New Year often starts with big ideas that usually don't flourish into concrete plans. But, for once, 2014 exceeded my expectations and it was a very busy year. It was one of travelling from cold climates to humid along with some lovely catch ups with old chums.

January

2 years with Jonny was celebrated with a weekend away in Paris. We did all the classic touristy things, saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, had chocolate crepes... It was such a lovely 2 days exploring the city - or should I say walking for miles and getting lost. But what a beautiful city to get well and truly lost in.

February

A slightly more unusual venture this month to Iceland with my travel buddy, Ness. As previously mentioned I wasn't sure what to expect on this long weekend away as we had jam packed it full of adventures and exploring from seeing the Northern Lights to snorkeling in 2 degree water. It was the most incredible 4 days and I am dying to go back. Since we have been a few of my friends have also visited and felt the same love for it as we did. Maybe another visit will be on the cards soon.

March

I turned the grand old age of 23 and spent the day in Brighton with Jonny. I had only been once before on a fleeting visit and drive along the seafront so this time we got to explore The Lanes and the penny machines on the pier. I decided then and there that I'd like a little (huge) house along the seafront one day. I can dream, right?


July

My lovely friend Gemma tied the knot with her husband Mat in the prettiest of ceremonies (and most gorgeous dress might I add). Such a lovely day and the rain even held off for photographs. Perfect.

Also in July, my bestest pal Ness started her year off around the world and 2 weeks later I joined her in Vietnam. At the start of the year I never would have imagined that I would be brave enough to board a flight on my own to meet my friends half way across the globe. I was so proud of myself - even though I did shed a little tear saying bye to my parents fearing that I'd get lost going through security at Heathrow let alone make it in once piece in Hanoi.

We traveled all the way from the North, along the East Coast down to Saigon in the South. It wasn't a 5* getaway with 18 hour bus rides, long ferry journeys and trekking for what felt like miles trying to find a hostel, but I wouldn't have changed it for anything and it has made me want to see more of Asia and explore that side of the world.

Vietnam is such a beautiful country, filled to the brim with the most friendly of people and hundreds upon thousands of scooters. I'm so grateful that I was able to visit and see it for myself.

September

A little getaway to Majorca at the end of this month was an added bonus to an already travel busy year. It was an ideal holiday to finish off the Summer months on a very picturesque little island, regardless of the rather temperamental weather we experienced.

This post is mainly a little reflection for me as the year went by in a flash so it's nice to see that I actually did something with the 12 months! Here's to 2015 being equally as exciting and memorable.