Jan 2, 2013

The Year of Travel – A Success!

Posted in Travel.

On 1st January 2012, I wrote a post with a confession – I’m not very well travelled. But I vowed to change that, and The Year of Travel was born. I decided to make a conscious effort to travel more, see the places I’d always dreamed about, and maybe try to achieve that thing regular travellers always rave about – broadened horizons.

So… did it work?

Central Park, NYC

In a word – yes!

Elysées Regencia Hotel, Paris

My first trip of 2012 was with Cointreau, to Paris, in April. I’ve been to Paris a few times before but it’s a city I’ll never tire of – the buildings, the food, the culture. It rained the entire time I was there, but that just added to the general Parisian moodiness. It’s a wonderful place to feel stylish and sophisticated!

Celebrating in Edinburgh – Hogmanay

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion, Travel.

New Year’s Eve was our first full day of exploring in Edinburgh and we saw so much. From the Castle to the Royal Mile, there were endless photo opportunities – and I took pretty much every one! Here’s a selection…

Our first stop was the Grassmarket area, where I had it on good authority (from Cait and Rosie) that there were lots of lovely vintage shops and cute cafés to be discovered. Unfortunately many places were closed for the holidays so there wasn’t much chance for bargain hunting. I’ll definitely be back another time though, as pressing my nose against the glass of each shop wasn’t quite the same!

We carried on walking and soon reached Edinburgh Castle aka The Windiest Place on Earth. Not the best day to wear a dress, but the views from the top were spectacular and the thoroughly Scottish shops along the Royal Mile made up for the lack of shopping earlier.

Walking down the Royal Mile was a great experience – there are so many nooks and crannies covered in twinkling lights, and I had fun nipping in and out of the various wool and cashmere shops searching for the perfect tartan scarf (which I eventually found – evidence below!).

Edinburgh is a very patriotic city and Scottish heritage can be seen on every corner, particularly in the form of bagpipe players!

Our daytime adventures ended at Edinburgh Zoo, where we saw the famous Giant Pandas, monkeys, exotic birds, wild dogs and an amazing pair of rhinos. It was fantastic to see such endangered animals up close, and the keepers were so knowledgeable and passionate about their conservation. Sadly we were so unbearably cold by this point (seriously, Scottish people – you’re a hardy bunch. I thought us Yorkshire folk were tough!) we didn’t make it all the way round, but we’ll definitely be back in the summer for a glimpse of the big cats.

As night fell and after a refresh back at our apartment, we headed back out to take part in the spectacular Hogmanay celebrations on Princes Street. I didn’t take my camera, but for photos from the night and more snaps of our trip, take a look at my Instagram feed.

Rob and I are on the train heading back to Leeds now and I’m so sad to be leaving. I’ve fallen head over heels for the Scottish capital and am counting down to my next visit. What a great way to see in 2013!

Happy New Year everyone! Let me know if you’ve ever visited Edinburgh – I’d love to hear your travel tales.

Celebrating in Edinburgh – My Birthday

Posted in Fashion, Travel.

Greetings from Edinburgh!

Rob and I are in the city to celebrate my 27th birthday – which was yesterday – and for Hogmanay. We arrived at 12pm yesterday and have done some serious exploring so far – here are some of our photos.

There are so many beautiful buildings, interesting details and, erm, men in kilts in the centre of Edinburgh. Fairy lights twinkled everywhere and there were plenty of cosy spots to slip into when the hustle and bustle of Princes Street became too much.

After a Twitter recommendation, I booked a table for Afternoon Tea at Hotel Missoni on the Royal Mile. The hotel is quite unassuming, considering the flamboyant patterns used in Missoni designs, but I was reassured when I saw the zig zag-print kilts worn by the doormen.

Inside was sleek and modern but still warm and inviting. We had Afternoon Tea with a Winter Cocktail – a selection of gourmet sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and some delicious desserts washed down with a very potent (and utterly amazing) cocktail. At £28.50 each it was pricy and the service was very slow, but it was a great experience and the perfect birthday lunch.

Day two in Edinburgh has been jam-packed, and we’re heading out for Hogmanay very soon – photos and updates tomorrow, hangover allowing.

How are you celebrating tonight?

The Christmas Party Dress

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

Dress, Whistles | Long sleeve tee, Primark | Heels, Clarks c/o Sarenza | Necklace, gift | Belt, Forever 21

I love getting dressed up for Christmas Day. It’s nice to slip into a pretty party dress and a pair of fancy heels, even if the furthest you’re going is the wheelie bin at the bottom of the drive.

My 2012 Christmas Party Dress is from Whistles. It’s a real princess dress – sparkly and sticky-outy in fabulously festive green. The cool geometric print means it’s not too saccarine sweet, and when worn with a long sleeve tee it’s perfect for daytime celebrations.

I wore it with my favourite leopard print heels from Clarks aka The Most Comfortable Heels in the World (TM). I’m constantly surprised by the wide range of women’s party shoes from Clarks* – the brand has really come on from the Magic Steps days. Although if I’m honest, I’d kill for another pair of those beauties.

Did you get dressed up for Christmas Day or were you chilling in your onesie?

*Paid link

A Stylish Christmas Jumper

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

I’m quite fond of Christmas jumpers – I once went on a 2-day work trip to Dublin that was themed entirely around festive knits – but as jolly and cheerful as they are, they’re not particularly stylish. Am I right?

Plus, they can only really be worn one month of the year and that, my friends, is not very thrifty.

In my search for a stylish Christmas jumper, I came across this reindeer beauty which was kindly sent to me by Joules – not somewhere I usually look for women’s clothing, but a brand that pleasantly surprised me! It has all the key elements of a festive knit – a seasonal shade and winter print – but the absence of Santa, snowmen and anything resembling an elf mean it can be worn all year round. Well, maybe not in summer – but it’s good from September through March, at least.