My Weekend Instagram
What a delightful bank holiday weekend it has been! I have spent it in Whitstable with one of bestest friends Libby and the weather could not have been any better – I do not want it to end! How has your weekend been, where have you been and what have you been up to?
Beach huts & Ice cream in Whitstable
Afternoon tea, cake and shopping with mate Libby 
Vintage stalls, flowers & stags
I have just had the best weekend (Mediterranean type weather always helps!) and I hope you enjoyed yours too.
Enjoy the rest of your bank holiday and I shall be back soon xx
The Boston Marathon
It was so horrible to hear of the bombings during the Boston Marathon in America last night. There are some sick people in this world and it is very sad indeed. My thoughts go to all those involved and affected by it.
Even more worrying that we have the London marathon this weekend. Lets hope that this is not the start of something xx
Whitstable Watch – Whitstable Castle
I now live in Whitstable (& London) and just love every quirky little corner of it. I was going to do a general Whitstable post on the blog so I could share its delights with you, but there is so much to see that I thought it better to do it bit by bit… and so, we now have Whitstable Watch! Every now and again I will show you somewhere else I have been, with pics, and hopefully it will be something that you enjoy – perhaps it will even inspire you to visit.
You may have seen me mention that I was visiting Whitstable Castle over the weekend, as my sister has chosen it as her wedding venue, so this is the first Whitstable Watch destination. After our walk around with the Castles wedding coordinator we had brunch in the Orangery tea room which was lovely.
The Castle is open every day for visitors – you can wander around the Castle and gardens, go to the tea rooms for lunch or coffee or even attend one of their organised evening events – they have wine tasting and a murder mystery evening coming up! You can also hire the Castle for weddings, parties and other private or corporate events.
What do you think – have you been to Whitstable Castle? Have you been to Whitstable? The Castle is small, compared to other Castles I have been to but it is still very charming and definitely worth a visit if you are in Whitstable. It is right next to the sea front too, so you can go for a walk along the beach afterwards.
Have a good Tuesday and I shall be back soon xx
Your Holiday Capsule Wardrobe
Afternoon all. It may be mostly grey skies and arctic conditions here in the UK at the moment, but many of us have already booked and are looking forward to our summer holidays.
But what to pack? We all know that choosing what to take with you on holiday can be a nightmare – a lot of us (definitely me!) are guilty of over-packing, meaning that we do not wear half of what we take whilst under-packing can also prove a problem if you don’t have the right clothes for the occasion. But don’t panic… today holiday gurus Swimwear365 are here to offer their advice on the ultimate capsule wardrobe for your holiday.
Swimwear
When you’re going on holiday, swimwear is arguably the most important element to your capsule wardrobe. To get on board with the latest swimwear trends and styles for SS13, you should check out the swimsuits from Swimwear365. There are hundreds of looks to suit everybody. Naturally, the number of swimsuits you take will depend on how long you’re holidaying for. As a rule, two a week works well. If you’re going away for two weeks, this gives you four gorgeous ensembles to choose from – opt for a variety of styles from bandeau bikinis to monokinis in different prints for a great variety – just be mindful of the different tan marks you’re likely to pick up!
Maxi Dress
The maxi dress is an absolute must have for a summer holiday – I always take around 5 as they are great for the pool, beach and evening if accessorised in the right way. Take a plain black maxi that can be worn on the beach over your bikini, and which can double up as a stunning outfit for a big night out – team with wedges and bling for a sparkly evening feel.
Shoes
Sandals and wedges are both an absolute holiday must. Pick a pair of sparkly flats that will go with everything from your maxi to denim shorts and everything in between. For something a little dressier, wedges are the ultimate holiday party heel.
Louboutin Wedges via Matches
The Accessories
Sunglasses are the most important holiday accessory – take a couple of pairs; try one square and one round lens pair to mix up your look. For your other accessories, a wide-brimmed floppy hat is the ultimate way to protect your face from the sun whilst looking effortlessly glamorous. Don’t forget your oversized tote bag – this can be used for all your essential hand-luggage items as well as your beach bag.
Packing doesn’t have to be a chore with this easy guide to creating your holiday capsule wardrobe, so I hope it helps! Thanks Swimwear365.
Have a good afternoon and I shall be back soon xx
The Little People Project
Morning all – where has this week gone? How is it Thursday already… or September for that matter?! I think the saying really is true – the older you get the quicker times goes!
Did you see my recent Terrarium post? You may remember that a Terrarium is a miniature landscape with stones and living moss, which you then create your own mini scene in, using model trees, animals, people etc. Anyway, whilst looking into them for the blog post I also came across another mini phenomenon - The Little People Project.
The Little People Project was started in 2006 by Slinkachu who uses mini model train set characters, which are placed, photographed and then left on the streets around the world!
Dead Leaves – London, Embankment
Dead Leaves – London, Embankment
Dead Leaves – London, Embankment
Slinkachu says – “it is both a street art installation project and a photography project. The street-based side of my work plays with the notion of surprise and I aim to encourage city-dwellers to be more aware of their surroundings. The scenes I set up, more evident through the photography and the titles I give these scenes aim to reflect the loneliness and melancholy of living in a big city, almost being lost and overwhelmed. But underneath this, there is always some humour. I want people to be able to empathise with the tiny people in my works.”
See The Little People Project blog for more fab scenes and photos. You can also buy the book on Amazon.
Have a lovely morning and I shall be back soon xx
Porto Heli – Greece
Afternoon all. You may have already read on the blog that I had a recent holiday in Porto Heli, Greece with my food and lifestyle photographer friend Jemma Watts.
One added bonus of being on holiday with a photographer of course is that we are guaranteed great photos! So I thought I would share a few with you today as Porto Heli is not somewhere I had really heard of before, so great to see new places.
This is the villa which was just above the town of Porto Heli with fabulous views and a gorgeous pool – you would be quite happy there not moving very far at all, believe me!
One of the days that we did move, we popped into the town to visit the local market. They had an amazing array of local produce – fruit and veg, honey and of course lots of fish.
Island of Hydra
We took a short boat ride to the beautiful island of Hydra – and had an amazing day. It was so pretty and idyllic – as if it were straight out of a film!
As the island is so full of steep hills and windy streets they use donkeys instead of cars to transport stuff around. I know the donkeys must be used to this, but me being an animal lover got a little upset when I saw them lugging stuff around in the boiling heat!
We had lunch with Jemma’s father and local artist Pauline Keaney (middle in below pic). Pauline is English but moved to Hydra to paint about 17 years ago and never left!
This is the restaurant we were at for lunch – what a view! Great food and wine too!
Jemma enjoying her wine!
Me enjoying my wine!
There were yachts coming in and out of the island all day…
After lunch we went for a dip in the sea – it was so lovely after sitting in the sun all afternoon! There are not really any beaches in Hydra, but lots of areas of rock that have been flattened out so you can sit and sunbathe and jump into the sea.
We found a spot on the rocks and ordered ourselves a frozen strawberry daiquiri! Just what you need whilst sunbathing next to the sea!
A few daiquiris later and we even got to see the start of the sunset – so pretty!
After all of that relaxation we had a serious trek up the steep streets to Pauline’s place before attending a gallery exhibition with her. It was so hot and so steep, I just wanted to join the cats!
Also, we had no idea where we were going which made things a little more difficult! We had a map drawn on a paper table mat, which I am unsuccessfully trying to read below!
We eventually found our way up there and the climb was definitely worth it! The house was beautiful and overlooked the whole of Hydra – you would have to be so fit to live up there! Again, the cat has the right idea!
Corinth Canal
On the way back to Athens airport we drove over this Corinth Canal. It was dug out of the rocks to sea level in the 1800′s to create a pass through, to save ships going all the way around. This photo does not do the depth justice – it was so deep and very scary to walk over – with a fairly old and small bridge!
What do you think – somewhere you would fancy going, or have you already been? I would definitely recommend it and I especially loved the island of Hydra.
Have a fabulous Friday and I shall be back soon xx
All images via Jemma Watts Photography.
My Latest Instagram
Afternoon all and I hope you are having a great weekend? After a few problems recently with my Instagram I am back up and running and thought I would update you with a few of my favourite recent pics.
After a pretty rubbish month I was delighted when my friend (and fab photographer) Jemma Watts invited me for a relaxing and recuperating week away at her families villa in Greece – in a pretty little town called Porto Helli. This is the pool at the villa – where we spent most of the holiday!
We also went to the beautiful island of Edra for the day whilst we were there – it was so gorgeous – an idyllic little place you can just imagine moving to and living there quite happily!
This is my new bikini which I bought for the holiday! I love the colours and it is a really flattering shape – which is important when you have to bare your limbs on the beach!
So after a week in Greece this is me showing off my tan, haha! I am wearing my new Ted Baker dress, which I love!
Flowers never fail to cheer me up, and I always like to have a vase full in the house. How cool how the big purple ones – part of the onion family apparently!
You may remember me talking about A Discovery of Witches (fab first book in a trilogy by Deborah Harkness) – well the second one finally arrived and I was super excited to say the least! I am about half way through and although it is great, I am trying not to read it too quickly as there is a wait until the third book!
I live very close to Borough Market, which is fab for food shopping but also a great area for bars and restaurants. I had a recent evening out there with Jemma Watts.
This is Southwark Cathedral, which is just next to Borough Market – and actually mentioned in the Shadow of Night book I am talking about above!
I walked back through Hays Gallery after my evening in Borough Market and thought these sparkly lights were too pretty not to be Instagrammed!
Just through Hays you come to the River and Tower Bridge – which looks beautiful at night all lit up, and with the Olympic rings on show.
This horrible rain will not be unfamiliar to most of us – this is what we have had for the last few months of our Summer! Back again today after one whole week of sun!
I hope you have enjoyed this little peak into my Instagram life – pop back next Sunday for another week in Instagram.
Have a lovely Sunday and I shall be back soon xx
Mint Polo In The Park
Morning all – I went to the Polo last week though, which was fun, so I thought I would share some of the pics with you. It was Mint Polo In The Park at The Hurlingham Club in London and apart from wet weather it was a great day!
I went with my wedding planning partner in crime Svetlana and this is us on the way there – hoping the rain would stop before we arrived!
We were there with Gaucho so got to have a gorgeous champagne lunch there, before being whisked off to the Polo. The food was fabulous and we loved the sparkly floor in the loo’s!
We were in the Gaucho tent, but were also right next door to the Mahiki tent – 2 of our favourite places! We were tempted by the treasure chest, but thought best not between 2 of us and so stuck to champagne!
Although we were obviously not complaining about having to stick to the champagne… such a hard life!
Unlike last year at Ascot, we did actually see horses this time – we were sitting right in front of the pitch so would have been hard not to! Ooh, look at that grey sky!
In between matches they put on some horse acrobatic shows – people jumping and diving all over the place, whilst on horses – amazing!
We did not actually have any Pimms, but I thought this cool Pimms bus was worth a photo. I bet if it had been a sunny day, this would have been overrun!
Another of our favourite things is Harrods, so we were delighted to find they were there supplying lots of yummy food – needed and well deserved at the end of a cold rainy day of Polo – & a little bit of alcohol 
!
It was a fab day, I just hope for sun next time as would have been perfect with better weather. Did anyone else go? What did you think?
Have a lovely morning and I shall be back soon xx
Weekend In Cornwall
Afternoon all – hope you are well and not suffering too much in this boring rain?! As briefly mentioned I spent the weekend in Cornwall, just next to St Ives, and had a fabulous time.
It was my first visit to Cornwall – not because I had not wanted to go before, I had just never really got around to it. So pleased I eventually did though – look at this view from just in front of where we were staying. Imagine waking up every day to that kind of view!
Considering the terrible forecasts, we were very lucky with the weather and managed to go out and about without getting caught in the rain too much! We arrived on the Friday evening and first thing Saturday we walked down to this local beach. It was so pretty and there were even a few crazy people swimming in the sea – in speedos, not wetsuits!
I went to Cornwall fully prepared for atrocious weather – these are my wellies and animal print welly socks. I had very warm and dry feet after our beach walks, so was worth while! It was odd though, I don’t wear wellies any other time so was still walking around the water and dirt, rather than through it, until it was pointed out that I had wellies on! Still felt wrong though!
Footsteps in the sand…
The tide was out on our walk and we spotted this fabulous cave – the child in me really wanted to go in and have a look, but that water was at least waist height, so probably not the best idea! Can you see the mussels all stuck to the rocks too? Very strange to see them all stuck there in front of you!
That evening we went out for dinner in St Ives, to a restaurant called Seagrass. The food, drinks and service were all fantastic and I would definitely go back if we were there again.
You obviously cannot go to Cornwall and not have scones – it would be rude. I don’t like to be rude, so I had one and very nice it was too! We decided to have ours with wine though, rather than tea – went down very well!
It would also be rude to not have a Cornish Pasty whilst in Cornwall – so I had half of one of these monsters! It was super tasty – I now know why they are so famous for their Pasties!
On Sunday morning we drove round the coast a little way, towards Hayle, for a walk along a different beach. Although it was not raining it was much more windy than the Saturday, so a bit chilly. Still very pretty though.
You can see from this kite surfers kite how windy it was! There were quite a few kite surfers there as well as sea canoer’s and windsurfers. Great to watch, but don’t think I would fancy donning a wetsuit and diving in!
It was also very strange as I started to feel a bit funny on the beach and by the time we got back to the car I felt really sick and nauseous – and stayed like that for most of the day! I later realised that I was sea sick – from walking on the beach! Does that happen – or is it just me?!
So apart from the sea sickness we had a lovely weekend away and would love to go back in the Summer when it was nice and sunny – with calmer seas!
What do you think – have you been, or would you like to go?
Have a fab afternoon and I shall be back soon xx
Wedding Wednesday – Luxury Romantic Destinations
Happy Wedding Wednesday. Luxury and romance are two things synonymous with weddings, so I thought I would apply that to a few beautiful destinations to provide you with a bit of inspiration – for a wedding, honeymoon or holiday.
When we think about a romantic city, Paris inevitably comes to mind. The Eiffel Tower, the historic palaces, the streets of Montmartre and its luxurious hotels – all create the perfect setting for a proposal, wedding or romantic honeymoon.
When it comes to a romantic proposal dinner or even wedding reception, how about the opulent rooms of the Hotel de Crillon? I think any dinner or party would be fabulous here and it is definitely going on my list!
Or how amazing is this terrace on the top floor of Le Meurice hotel? Beautiful! I want to go there now…
Another city, which is synonymous with luxury and elegance is Monte Carlo. A place that can truly make you feel like a Princess – just like the beautiful Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier III on their wedding day.
How about the opulence of the Hotel De Paris for a real Royal experience in Monte Carlo?!
Perhaps you have something further afield and little more exotic in mind? Maybe India is the right destination for you? I nearly went to India for my honeymoon actually but didn’t in the end – I still really want to go at some point though.
View of the Taj Mahal from a room at the Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra – you cannot beat that really!
Udaipur in India is somewhere I have wanted to go for a long time (its where I considered for my honeymoon) – with its lake palaces and fabulous architecture – full of beauty and culture. Perfect for a honeymoon, wedding or holiday. This is the City Palace in Udaipur shown below.
One of Udaipur’s best hotels is the Oberoi Udaivilas shown below and would definitely be top of my list for a trip there.
Another ideal and picturesque option would be the Seychelles – honeymoon choice for Kate & Wills! If your dream is a relaxing, romantic paradise island – then where better?
Aaah – doesn’t it make you want to just run off to the airport right now?!
So what is your perfect luxury destination – wedding or holiday related? Any of these do it for you, or do you have somewhere even better in mind? Please share!
Have a lovely Wedding Wednesday and I shall be back soon x
