Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts

For the second leg of our trip we jumped on a ferry and headed to the island of Mykonos for four days, which pretty much consisted of lazing around the idyllic beaches all day and wandering around the pretty lanes, drinking wine and continuing to eat amazing food all evening. Mykonos is one of the prettiest places I have ever visited - it's definitely right up there with Venice. Similarly to Venice, Mykonos island is pretty small; it has one main road and takes around 25 minutes to drive from one end to the other. We decided to hire a scooter so we could visit lots of different beaches, which was pretty terrifying/fun. I haven't included too many pictures from our stay here because I basically took about 500 pictures of the same things every day: cute lanes, pretty beaches, food, more beach, more food etc. etc. Some of my favourite dishes from Mykonos: stuffed vine leaves, stuffed tomatoes, zucchini fritters, and grilled feta. Yum! I think a lot of the Greek islands are pretty idyllic looking, I'd love to do Greek island cruise one day and see them all! Over the next few posts I think I'll share some of the outfits I wore whilst I was away - definitely trying to string this holiday out as long as possible! x

I'm back from Greece and oh my God now I'm fat. Carl and I had a lovely holiday which was split into two parts: four days exploring the ancient capital Athens, then another four days relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Mykonos. This was my first ever trip to Greece, and I've fallen in love with the country's history, landscapes and food; a country where goosebumps are never an issue and ordering cheese with every meal is not only acceptable, but actually encouraged. What's not to love?

I've always been really interested in Greek mythology, so an eventual visit to Athens with its legion of ancient temples and museums was inevitable. I'm also not ashamed to admit I've worked my way through the entire Percy Jackson book series in the last couple of months. I was recommended by my seven-year old niece (they're actually quite good!). On first impression, I did find Athens to be a bit rough around the edges (my very handy guidebook describes the city as a 'modern urban sprawl of concrete and traffic'), but as we explored the city and got to know it, I discovered it's actually a really beautiful city with unique architecture, a huge national park, and amazing restaurants. We visited the Acropolis, Zeus' Temple and the Kallimarmaro Stadium. My favourite was Zeus' Temple, which I could have sat and stared at all day. My favourite restaurant in the city was 'Eels', they serve the most amazing halloumi I have every tried (Nandos just does not compare) and fresh bread with a delicious fresh olive spread. Mmmm. I really loved Athens more than I expected to and it was a bittersweet departure, but we were heading to Mykonos which was plenty exciting! x

So the ten-millionth task I've assigned myself today to avoid packing for my holiday: write an impromptu blog post about the very things I should be packing. Yep. I'm off to Greece on Monday for a week and although I'm super excited, I cannot for the life of me muster the enthusiasm to pack. Too much brain power and planning ahead required. So let's just talk about it instead. Here are a few holiday handbag essentials which I always have in my handbag from the moment I leave for the airport right up until I land back in the UK.

First up, a Top 10 Travel Guide. I find these guidebooks super helpful when I'm visiting a new city. This one is for Athens as that's where I'm going, but in the past I've bought the Budapest and Venice versions and they've all been full of tips and recommendations, from the top 10 restaurants and bars to monuments, museums and more. And it has a map. Next, a simple yet infinitely convenient coin purse. I've worked in an airport and let me tell you, few things are more frustrating than people digging through their purse deciphering between pounds, euros and God-knows what other currencies. WHAT IS THE POINT. Wherever you're jetting off to, I guarantee you absolutely will not need your Oyster card, Boots Advantage card or that Topshop giftcard you got for your birthday. I usually leave all that at home and pop my currency into my Lulu Guinness coin purse. Lip balm and nail files are general life necessities for me; I cannot deal with broken nails and dry lips, so it goes without saying that these will be coming on holiday with me. Sunglasses. A pair of sunglasses (or three) are obviously a must-have for any summer getaway and the latest addition to my collection are these heart-shaped pair from Topshop. I'm a bit of a bookworm and what with my daily commute into London, I always have a book on the go. I bought If I Stay by Gayle Forman especially for this trip, which is meant to be quite the page-turner. It's just come out in the cinema and I just hate seeing films before reading the book! Finally, I always like to have a spritz of my favourite perfume to hand when I'm in a hot and inevitably sweaty country! This is of course Daisy Dream by Marc Jacobs.

That's enough procrastinating for one day. What are you holiday essentials? x

Last week I survived my very first camping trip. A few friends warned me camping probably wasn't for me, what with it's distinct lack of internet, electricity and hair-drying facilities. But it turns out I was really very happy to roam around in my bright orange welly boots, mismatched tracksuit and a head torch strapped to my forehead...but the less said about that, the better. We stayed in the cutest little woodland campsite complete with tyre swings and log cabins selling all manner of camping essentials (amazing how many packs of peanut m&ms you can get through in just a few days). The campsite is just outside the seaside town of Swanage, which is such a pretty and fun little town full of colour and activity.

Waking up in a clean, natural environment is so refreshing, and being disconnected from Twitter for a few days was probably good for me, but the best part of the trip: camping food. Camping food just happens to be the ultimate combination of all my favourite foods of all time; I consumed more red wine, cheese and roasted marshmallows than is probably advisable in such a short space of time. No regrets. FYI: the best marshmallows are completely burnt and crispy on the outside, and totally soft and gooey on the inside (chocolate biscuits optional, but advisable). We discovered the best ice cream parlour ever. If you find yourself in the Swanage area, make sure you visit Fortes Gelateria. They offer the best flavours: Key Lime Pie, Salted Pecan and Caramel, Raspberry and Marshmallow (featuring actual marshmallows), and Oreo and White Chocolate to name just a few.

I think it's safe to say I'm a camping convert. See you next year, Dorset! x

Wow, has it really been almost five months since I last posted on here? I won't bore you with every insignificant detail, but the last few months have absolutely flown by in a busy flurry of full-time internships, part-time work and a half-arsed social life - throw a broken laptop into the mix and that's a recipe for one unproductive blog. But do not fear (as if you would); I am definitely going to make an effort to get back on form with this from here on out, for reals. I recently started a new job in London, which ultimately means my interning days are over. As much as I enjoyed interning - the excitement of starting somewhere new, the opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people - it does have some obvious drawbacks. The inconsistency and too-ing and fro-ing of a year's worth of internships leaves you in a rather unorganised - not to mention financially bereaved - condition. I really hate being unorganised (and poor).

So now, sitting at my desk (previously clothing-storage-table) having settled in to my brand new, totally consistent grown-ups job, I am so ready to infuse some organisation back into my life. I always feel more organised when I blog regularly, so let's start with that. x

Following a real-life five year engagement, my brother and his beautiful wife finally tied the knot this weekend. I love weddings and have fully enjoyed attending my cousins' and close family friends' special day in the past, but nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming sense of pride and sheer happiness in seeing my eldest brother (and best friend) marry the love of his life. It was the most magical day from beginning to end. I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful, loving family #lovelovelove.

Of course - in true blogger fashion - I took a few snaps of what I wore on the day amongst the beautiful grounds of the venue...

My SLR had been set up ready to record the speeches, so I had to use my iPhone for these pictures - luckily it was a lovely sunny day so the quality isn't too bad! From the flower girls (their two daughters) wearing converse to the Super Mario and Princess Peach cake toppers to the tv series-themed table names, the whole day was completely them - and it was brilliant.

I've always found there's an undeniable tranquility about garden centres. I don't know if it's the sweet scented candles or the serene background music...or perhaps it's the higher levels of oxygen from all the indoor plants making me feel a bit light-headed. Either way, a little wander around the garden centre with my best friend browsing all things materialistic and unneccessary (read: pretty stationary, pretty candles, pretty bedroom bits), lunch and a hot chocolate seemed like the perfect way to spend the morning after a fourteen hour shift yesterday. Of course, I took my camera.

I confess: the main reason I ventured to the garden centre (the very same one my parents had to pratically drag me to during the summer holidays as a child) was that I knew they had Yankee Candles. On sale. I picked up 'Warm Spice' after thoroughly (and quickly) enjoying 'Vanilla Cupcake'. I'm pretty late to the party when it comes to scented candles, so please let me know if you have any favourites. I love anything sickly sweet! I also bought this mug for about £2 because it reminds me of Chanel No.5. It will go on display somewhere in my room when I've thought of something to put in it (suggestions?). Finally I bought a cardboard 'N' with the intention of getting a bit creative with tissue paper and the ol' PVA glue. Whether or not that will ever actually happen is yet to be seen. Standard Natalie behaviour.

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New year, new hair. Cheeeeese. Actually, the decision to shear my head (kind of) has little to do with the new year; I would have gotten the chop weeks ago had my hairdresser not been fully booked over Christmas. The truth is, my long hair and I hadn't been getting on for quite a while. I was constantly making excuses that things would get better - that I just needed a few more layers cut in, or that I'd buy some new styling products and everything would work out fine. In the end it was clear nothing was going to make a difference and after one too many topknot days, I decided the hair had to go.
My hair is fairly thin, so having it long really weighed it down and made it flat. Now, I know I overuse the phrase "there are few things I hate more than...", but seriously, there is NOTHING I hate more than flat hair. Flat hair can ruin my day - and anyone who might have the pleasure of my company on said day. So I decided to get a whopping five inches hacked off in favour of a blunt, messy elongated bob with a few long layers for texture and oomph - and I love it. It might seem weird, but having been bored and annoyed with my hair for such a long time, it feels so strange (and nice!) to have a style that I really like and actually look forward to styling. I've decided I actually quite like making drastic changes to my hair - don't get me wrong, I'm hardly going to dye it blonde or anything, but I find it so liberating and fun going for something so different. I've been playing around with some new products recently which has been pretty fun, so I'll be posting about that when I've perfected my routine. I've always wondered what it would be like to actually like my hair. It's good.

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Happy new year! I hope everyone fully enjoyed themselves seeing in the new year and are now suitably partied-out. I certainly am. In fact, I partied so hard this (last?) December 31st that I've given myself laryngitis. Yeah, how cool am I? So my start to 2014 is considerably more quiet than the end of 2013! I was meant to be doing some extra hours at work today but obviously had to ring in sick, so I've decided to get my thoughts down on a webpage (seeing as I can't vocalise them!) with a little room-tour post.

So this is where I'm usually sat when I'm writing on this blog or doing other internt-y things. Since finishing university and moving back home last summer, I've been doing my room up little by little and trying to give it a bit more character. I never really bothered before because I was always flitting between home and uni, but it's become a fun little on-going project for me! It's still not finished; I'm planning to get all creative and make some DIY bits for decoration, but for now I'm pretty pleased with how it looks.

I hope all are enjoying the last few days of the Christmas period, or if you're one of those back in the office today, I hope that's not too grim. I shall be chilling at home with this bad boy and my newly downloaded "Speak For Me" app. Wahey.

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