Spending An Afternoon Alone in London

I know, the title looks all cue the violins and sad music, but I've recently started spending time exploring on my own and have so enjoyed finding some hidden gems. 

Before, I'd be reluctant to go and do something by myself, but I've found it's a great opportunity to sort out thoughts and have some quality me time. Plus, there's so many free things to do here, I only spent £2.70 on my afternoon outing.

I'm not counting the 60p on a creme egg, because that's obviously a necessity right?

My usual walk to university is across Waterloo Bridge, and on a crisp sunny day the views are just gorgeous. It definitely got me in the mood to find some equally picturesque sights, so armed with my camera I headed to Monument.

(Guess who realised they hadn't charged their camera until too late... Excuse the iPhone quality pictures pls.)

OOTD | Camouflage Jacket

Everyone's got their fashion weak spot; and for me I'm a sucker for shoes and jackets. I think it's the fact that an eye catching shoe or a colour pop jacket can instantly elevate an outfit. 

When I was packing to come to uni in September, I was texting a friend about how many pairs of shoes she was bringing. 'Probably about 8, definitely no more than ten.' 

*cue me sitting on my suitcase to try and cram my 20 odd pairs of trainers, heels, boots, sandals...* 

Hey, there's got to be some advantages to being the same size/height since I was 13ish, means those once pristine boots are not artfully distressed, plus 5 years old is basically vintage right?

Monthly Misses | January

I approached January with the attitude of simply getting through it, since everyone knows it's probably the least exciting month of the year. But I've been so pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it's actually been I thought I'd do a round up of all I'm going to miss about it. I'm thinking about doing this every month- hopefully not another resolution I'll end up breaking!

(Genuinely don't think I've ever made it more than a few weeks into my resolutions- I'm blaming early Easter for the abundance of Creme Eggs screwing with my healthy eating...)

1. Brunch at The Black Penny

Investment Piece | OOTD

Without a doubt, my favourite Christmas present this year was an All Saints leather jacket from my mum, and oh. my. gosh. I never want to take it off. Gig? Born for this. Lectures? Why not. Going out? How practical. Lunch date with friends? Well it goes with everything.

Now these are definitely not a student friendly purchase, but my mum got this with a pretty substantial discount. Although expensive, All Saints do the best sales, 20-30% off makes all the difference when it comes to an investment piece like this. (I haven't even been sponsored to do this post I just love it too much!)

What I like most about this jacket is how versatile it is- I've been wearing it in all weather, for a variety of occasions, and with so many different outfits, but it never fails to nail the effortless cool vibe. Literally you can just throw it on with a shirt and jeans and boom. Cue sassy strutting down the street. (I wish I was joking).

Beat Those January Blues

I've seen quite a few posts about tips on how to banish the post- Christmas slump so I'd thought I'd add some of mine that never fail to boost my mood. I've just got back to uni and despite the yellow walls in my accommodation it's so lovely to be back. Just seeing my friends and being back in London has put me in the best mood, there's no place quite like it. 

Listen to your comfort music, and find something new

Last night I was snuggled up in my duvet, room pitch black apart from laptop glare, massive good quality headphones on and had a steady stream of music. Until a frankly stupid time of around 5am my friend and I sent music recommendations on youtube, and there's something so exciting about discovering a new artist you love. Plus, with no other light or sound, all you focus on is the music and I've found it's such a therapeutic way of forgetting all your troubles, even if just for a short time.

Tips for a Successful Dinner Party

I can hardly believe how long it's been since I've posted, the Christmas party season has definitely been occupying a lot of my time! But my favourite kind of parties are the ones where you can actually sit down and have a good catch up with old friends, rather than screaming "SO HOW'S UNI" in a crowded club.

I held my first dinner party before Christmas and it was such a lovely evening I thought I'd share some tips and maybe some inspiration of you're thinking of holding a get together!

Decorating

Since I held it during the festive season, some of the decorations won't be relevant all year, but most of them work all year round!

1.) My essential for brightening up a table (quite literally!) is candles. Lots and lots of candles. They can transform your setting from drab to magical, and create a soft, magical glow in the room. Get cute jam jars, tea light holders or lanterns, the more mismatched the better, and dot them around the table and the room.

2.) To add some interest on the table I put a small amount of confetti and some Quality Street, which added a nice pop of colour against my charcoal tablecloth.

3.) Get the nicest glasses, cutlery and crockery you have out! I'm a sucker for these, and there's some really beautiful designs out. Since it likely won't be a crazy party, there's less anxiety about things getting broken, and they really look special on the table.

4.) I put place names on the table and these are something you can definitely play around with! I'm not the most creative person but it's fun finding your place and seeing who you're next to. 

Foodie Loves | Chez Antoinette

Another food post... what is coming over me? I just couldn't not share this little gem I found in Covent Garden.

Tucked away in the lower ground of the Market Place in the Covent Garden is Chez Antoinette, a beautiful little French eatery. Inside it has a cute, vintage vibe that makes you feel immediately at home.