Life Lately #140

Hello lovelies,

Sometimes with these life update posts, it takes me ages to fill them, but this month has been so manic, with events & social gatherings, it was pretty easy to get this one together so soon after my previous one!

Last Friday morning, I visited my friend Lorna at her new place. It was so lovely to have a catch up with her over a cup of tea & a shortbread. I absolutely loved her new place & it's the perfect area for exploring which I know she loves to do. We exchanged Christmas presents, I opened mine early as she explained I'd enjoy it more on the lead up to Christmas. How adorable is it!? James & I have placed it right by the door as you enter our flat so it's the first thing you see : )

I also caught up with Shez on the Friday afternoon. (Friday was so manic as I literally went straight to work after the socials!) We had a tea & swapped pressies. I actually wanted to desperately write this post to tell you what she got me, as she was seriously paranoid I wouldn't like it, but I love it. It's a massive pug canvas, which matches perfectly with our pug cushions at home. I need to find the perfect place for him to live, but at the moment he's residing under the Christmas tree!

As I said, after meeting the girlies, I headed to work for Christmas Jumper Day! I blogged a few weeks back showing you my favourite red jumpers from the high street this year & I purchased the Dachshund one from Tesco! I absolutely love it so much, definitely wearing it for Christmas day!

On Saturday, the girls & I travelled to Wakehurst Place for the Glow-Wild Lantern Walk. We booked our tickets way back in September, as it sold out almost immediately last year. The walk itself was quite muddy, but absolutely beautiful. It took you through the grounds of the house & actually into the house at the end, with lots of little photo opportunities on the way. They had some hot chocolate, waffles & marshmallow stands at the end, which smelt incredible. Definitely recommend going if your local. 

James & I had a day off together last Sunday, so we spent the day wrapping & watched Love Actually in the evening. It's my favourite Christmas film & I couldn't wait to watch it this year, I actually might try & watch it again in the next few days if I have time..

So, I started organising our work Christmas meal back in September & on Wednesday it all came together. This year we decided to go to Bills in our local town, for a 3 course meal. It was so delicious, I couldn't fault it! I'm so lucky to work with such amazing people, I couldn't do the job I do without them.

& finally I spent yesterday with mum, wrapping the last few pressies & trying on Christmas jumpers with the dogs. Just look at Honey! She is going to look extremely festive on Christmas day!

I hope you all have an amazing Christmas & Happy New Year if you celebrate it! : )

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Lanzarote 2017

Hello lovelies! 

So, we're at the end of September, sorry what!? Where has this year gone.. I can't actually believe October is nearly upon us & Christmas cards are in the shops. not that I've started buying presents or anything..

I was meant to write up this post about a month ago, but you know, life again, has got in the way. I feel like I say this most times I start a blog post, but it's so true. There's always so much to do when you're an adult. Anyways, let's take a trip back to my Summer holiday & pretend I'm not sitting here with my 'Winter Glow' candle & heating on, shall we?

If you were a follower of my blog last year, you'll remember Cathy & I went on holiday to Lanzarote & stayed in the Coronas Playa hotel. So this year, when we were deciding where to go away, we couldn't think of anywhere else we'd rather be, so we went back! Our best friend Boop also came along for the ride ; D

Like I mentioned, Cathy & I had already been last year, so I'm going to leave a link to last year's blog post here for you to have a read all about the hotel & entertainment side & just post a few special pictures from our holiday in this post.

This was the view from our room over the relaxation pool. They have an activity pool to the left, which is where we chose to sit. They do a full day of games & have music playing from 10.30am to get the day started.

This is the view from the hotel to the beach. It was quite literally on our door step!

One of the resident turtles.

We decided to go down to the beach one afternoon with the inflatables (doughnut & Sally the flamingo) FYI I got sand in places I never want to get sand in again.

The evenings were fun, we'd always get dressed up (except one night where we came back to the room & played games & ate chocolate!) & go to dinner, before heading to the Pavillion for the evening quiz & live entertainment. Same as last year, we had completely varied acts, including some circus performers, a comedian (who was extremely inappropriate & cringey!) & even our reps performed in a talent show.

Thankyou girls for the most amazing holiday, let's not wait another 10+ years for the next one!

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Life Lately #133

There are so many birthdays in August. This has been a month of celebrations & food! We went for an all-you-can-eat breakfast at The Beefeater to celebrate Cathy turning 26 at the beginning of August. She has now caught up with me. Not long till we're in our 30's girl..

Ah, our holiday to Lanzarote! There is a full post coming soon, now I've finally managed to sort through all the photos! I seriously can't thank the girls enough for our time away, it was exactly what I needed.

Oh look at my little one. I missed her so much when I was away, but I got to see her last Monday when my parents invited us round for a BBQ & a catchup. She looks so adorable with her teddy.

Tuesday morning, Elisa & Lily took me to Fun Splash. There were so many cute babies there!

On Thursday, it was Elisa's birthday. Now as you guys know, I'm big on birthdays, so when someone decides to work on their birthday & doesn't have any plans, what do I do? I make plans! I bought her a massive balloon, (no joke, it seriously was massive) & we had a 'present per hour' rule at work. I also got all the girlies together on Friday night for a meal at a lovely Italian restaurant in our local town, followed by a chocolate cake of dreams. It was so lovely spoiling her : )

& finally, bank holiday weekend is finally here! For once, I have Monday off! The plan is to go watch banger racing with my family & friends. I've just got to get through work today & then a day off is exactly what I need!

What are your plans for this weekend?

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Life Lately #129

Hello lovelies!

Long time no speak!

I've had a few weeks off blogging & I have to say, I've loved it. James & I moved in together (a month ago in 2 days time! Crazy how fast the time goes..) & we have just been so busy with everything, I've hardly found the time to just sit down with my laptop & type. In the moments I have had spare, blogging has been the last thing on my mind if I'm honest. I've been out & about with friends & eating lots of yummy things as I'm sure you can see from this update! Anyway, I can't promise I'm going to post as often as I did before, but I really do want to keep up with blogging, but when it feels right to me. There's been too many moments recently where I've felt forced to post when I really haven't been feeling it & that to me is not what I want my little space on the internet to be about. Anyway! Let's look back over the past 2 weeks!

At the end of April, Gemma celebrated her 26th birthday! We went to a lovely Italian restaurant called Filippos. We had a lovely table upstairs with plenty of room (there was around 20 of us) & we were supplied with countless bottles of wine & food. I had the risotti el pollo for main & chocolate tarte for pudding & then we headed into town for more drinks. I wore my new favourite jumpsuit (the one from BooHoo I wore to Maria's hen do) & got so many people ask me about it. It's just the best. I've found I can eat a crazy amount of food & no one knows as it does a great job of hiding my food baby!

Last week I went to visit my mum & all the lambs that have recently been born. Just look at their adorable little faces! They are so tame, the mummies come up to you to be stroked (& obviously have a nosey around to check to see if you have some food!)

Aren't these flowers just beautiful? With moving into our new place, I never expected people to be so generous with gifts, but the amount of cards, flowers, alcohol & house-warming gifts we have received has been over-whelming, so thankyou all again! We've also had some people over for dinner; James' mum & Barrie came last week, along with our friends Boop & Seb & we have James' dad & Maria booked in for next Monday night. We aren't the best in the kitchen, but apart from a failed mushy risotto, we haven't done too badly! (Sorry Boop & Seb!)

Last weekend Char came home for brunch so we headed to one of our fav restaurants, Bills. It was so lovely to catch up with her & the girls & we even managed to squeeze in a visit to our new flat so Mils & Char could see it with a cup of tea & cookies (brunch pudding, that should totally be a thing right?)

On Monday I had my hair cut & I seriously love it! I had quite a lot chopped off but seeing as I hadn't had my hair cut since the end of December, it felt way overdue. I'm debating whether to have my balayage put back in, but not sure. I do love having a few blonde bits in my hair because I think it really brightens it up, but it just costs so much to do! I need to befriend a hair dresser..

& finally on Tuesday night, James' mum & Barrie treated us to dinner at Cote. We haven't eaten there for a while, so it was lovely to go & they have brought back my favourite pudding; the praline, salted caramel, banana crepe. Oh my lord, if you can, go try it. It's amazing.

Hope you're having a fab week so far lovelies! : ) 

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Maria's Hen Do

Sorry for the lack of posts this week lovelies, everything has just caught up with me! Working 6 days a week + attending multiple flat viewings with James, I've had no time to blog!

I wanted to share with you a few pictures from Saturday. James' dad is getting married to his fiancé Maria in June & it was her hen do last Saturday. We went out for dinner & danced the night away to a Michael Buble tribute. It was so much fun! I also got to meet some lovely ladies at the do & Auntie Jules also came down for the occasion. Throw in a few cocktails & bottles of wine, it was the perfect night!

I also wanted to show you my outfit, which was a culotte jumpsuit from BooHoo. It was in the sale for £8 & I can't explain how much I adore it! It's the comfiest, sexiest piece in my wardrobe right now & allows breathing space for food babies. Always a win in my book.

Oh & how cute is my choker? £1.50 from Primark.. yes. Amazing.

Normal posting will resume this week, I promise! Can't wait to share with you my exciting news..

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Life Lately #122

Hello lovelies,

I met my friend Ricka for a late birthday treat at Bills last Sunday. I haven't had afternoon tea there for over 2 years & even though they've changed it up a bit, it was so lovely! We had two scones each, a pot of blackberries, a piece of Victoria sponge cake & a pot of earl grey tea each. Heaven.

It was Bo's birthday on Wednesday, so we went to the pub for dinner. James & I both had a burger with pave for pudding, just look how delicious it was!

On Sunday Cathy, Boop & I planned Gemma's baby shower. It was so much fun to organise (if a little stressful at times) but we managed to get all the decorations ordered at the beginning of January, invites sent out & cakes baked. Everyone was asked to bring along a sweet treat, so we had mountains of food! Also, Elisa made this fantastic cake for Gemma & Ollie, just look at that little elephant! Gemma knows she's having a little girl in March, so it was easy to buy presents for her. I managed to pick up a personalised penguin dressing gown & had 'Baby Rogers' printed on the front. It was so adorable, I wanted to keep it for myself to be honest..

Tuesday morning I met up with Shezza, Elisa & Lily to have a catch up with life. Those girls seriously know how to put a smile on my face, especially Lily, just look at her little bunches!

Oh, & I always try to include a picture of Honey in these posts, because she's always a massive part of my life & makes me smile so much everyday. After my birthday in January, all the excitement of the last 2 months fades away. I know for most people that happens at the beginning of the month as Christmas & New Year becomes a memory, but it can get you down. All I need to do is make a cup of tea & cuddle this little one & my day is instantly better.

& I have to be honest & admit, a bit of retail therapy does help too.. look at my beautiful boots I managed to pick up in the ASOS sale! They were £19 down from £34.99 & I can't wait to style them once storm Doris has passed through.. the weather really knows how to bring down your mood. I seriously can't wait for Spring now & for us to head into the warmer months. It's seriously scary to think we are in February already though? Madness.

How was January for you lovelies?

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Life Lately #121

Hello lovelies,

The girlies & I met up for a catch up a few weekends back to discuss baby shower ideas for Gemma's up & coming day! We are so excited & plans are coming together nicely. I can't wait for her little one to be born.

We had a staff meeting at work on Tuesday morning & I had a gap between the start of my shift, so James & I went for breakfast at Bills. I've mentioned this restaurant hundreds of times on my blog I know, but they honestly do the best breakfasts ever. Just look at those pancakes!

Last Thursday we had a short downpour of snow! I'd just arrived at work & suddenly the sky opened & we had a snow shower! It only lasted a few hours but still, it was most exciting! Elisa & I thought we'd be trapped at work forever.. luckily we weren't.. ; )

Thursday was also my last day at work before 5 days off. On Friday, James, Allan & I moved our furniture into storage. We were kindly offered some furniture which had been hardly used (including a sofa, 3-doored wardrobe & bedside cabinets) just before Christmas as a friend of the family was moving into a rented house, but bringing her own furniture. As James & I are currently looking for our own place, but not yet found anything, we put all the furniture into storage. It took all day to move it from the house to the storage area, but it's one step closer to being in our own place!

On Friday evening, we had a meal at my grandparents to celebrate my birthday. Mum brought the most amazing cake for me, it was called Freddie The Frenchie. Isn't he just the cutest!?

Saturday morning I'd arranged a pottery painting session in town with my tea ladies. It was so lovely to catch up with them all & to obviously paint with a cup of tea & some cake! I decorated a bowl for Honey, which we get to pick up in a few days time.

Saturday evening I'd organised a pub trip with my best ones in town. It was so much fun, despite the fact I've been put off orange licquer for life..

Sunday morning the girls & I went for brunch at Joanna's Tea Room. I tried it out in December with the family & loved it so much, I had to book it for the girls to try as well. They have chandeliers, pink tea cups & endless supply of cakes. What more could you want? The original plan was to go for a short walk while we were there, but due to the rain, it was a walk to the duck pond & back!

Finally, on Monday, James & I travelled to this adorable little lodge we'd booked for the night. It literally was half an hour down the road, but right in the middle of nowhere. I'm going to do a full review post about it in a few weeks, but oh my goodness. We are already looking to book it up again in the Spring / Summer. It was so perfect.

How has your week been lovelies?

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Life Lately #119

Hello lovelies,

In my last post I mentioned that panto prep was well under way. We officially opened last Friday night so we are now a week into the shows. It's absolutely manic at work, especially as Star Wars started Thursday & we also have Moana showing too (which I'm seeing today & am so excited about!) Have you seen either film yet?

My parents went to see the panto last week, so I stayed at home & watched Christmas films with Honey & Harv - they looked so cute by the tree.

Oh & just look at my friend's fur babies! When we got out all the Christmas decorations & put up our tree, we found these two little jackets of Honey's. After a good 10 minutes of trying to cram her fluffy slightly tubby body into them, we decided it would be best if they went to a new home.. : ' D

Last Sunday, it was my "tea lady" Christmas meal. We went to a curry house this year for something a bit different & it was so nice to catch up with all of them. I hardly get to see them over the course of the year as we are all so busy, so it was lovely to spend some time with them & stuff myself with curry before work! We also did a secret santa, thankyou Sarah for my present!

On Monday, Mum & I went to my Grandparents' to decorate their house for them. They are in their late 80's, so not too fussed about Christmas now, but we made the house look extra festive! Just look at Harv, stretched out on the sofa. He really does know how to make himself at home!

On Thursday I met up with my friend Ricka & we went for lunch at a local pub. It was so lovely to have a catch up before Christmas & swap pressies!

& finally yesterday was Christmas Jumper Day at work, so I wore my new addition to my jumper family this year, my grey festive Dachshund jumper! Just look at it! I'm seriously obsessed with it : )

How is your December going lovelies? Have you done all your shopping?

I'm finding it so difficult to juggle work, blogging, socialising & staying healthy at this time of year, it all gets a bit much sometimes, but Christmas Day is a week tomorrow which is so exciting! I can't wait : )

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Life Lately #117

Hello lovelies,

At the beginning of the month, myself & my work colleagues travelled up to London to attend the annual Spektrix Conference at the Lyric in Hammersmith. I've never been before but felt so inspired when we got home. We had a range of inspirational talks by speakers & users of the system, plus theatre royalty from all over the country. I can't stress how amazing it felt to be apart of the theatre community & I'm already counting down the days till next year's event. The only downside was the travelling. I'm sure if you live in the south of England & regularly use trains, you'll feel my frustration. A journey that would usually take us an hour from London to home, took almost three. We had cancelled & delayed trains & eventually got picked up (thankyou to Tracey's husband & James for coming to get us!) from a station that was 20 minutes away from the one we usually would come into. Nightmare. I sympathise with you if you get trains to work everyday..

You might remember me mentioning before, that James' dad & partner Maria are getting married in June next year. They had a food & drink tasting session a few weeks ago so we drove them to & from their chosen venue. As it's about a 45 minute drive from home, we had a meal at a local pub to save us going back & forth. It was so delicious. Just look at that pudding..

Ah & straight on to another pudding.. oops! I met up with Ricka last Wednesday night & we went to ASK Italian. Ricka had never been before, so of course I introduced her to the Chocolate Etna. Oh my god, have you ever had it? It's seriously the best thing on earth.

My grandad turned 89 on Thursday! We had a family meal the Saturday before, but went up for tea & to give him his presents last Thursday. Just look at him in his hat!

James & I also went Christmas shopping last week & I managed to nearly finish buying everything! We bought dinner & a bottle of wine to celebrate! Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?

Yesterday night James & I went to a comedy night at our local theatre. It was so funny! There were three acts; our favourite being a guy called Markus Birdman. If he ever comes to a comedy club near you, go & see him. We were in stitches! 

Oh just look at Honey here. She is just the cutest thing. With everything that's been going on lately, she is always there to keep a smile on my face. This time of year can get stressful or actually quite depressing with Winter sneaking in, but she is never too far away for a cuddle.

What have you been up to this month?

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Life Lately #116

Hello lovelies,

Have you ever dieted? I mean like, properly dieted? Isn't the most miserable thing ever?! James & I decided to start eating better by cutting out chocolate, crisps etc, but we are seriously so miserable. I like fruit & veg don't get me wrong, but it was so hard to stick at it. We've now got to the stage of being sensible with food & not going crazy with our portion sizes & we seem to be doing well so far. I've decided I could never live without chocolate.. ever..

The girls & I had Sunday lunch at a local pub last week, which I'd never been too. It was the most adorable little place, complete with a log fire & the best roast I've had in ages. Definitely going back again soon!

Friday before Halloween, James & I had the morning together to carve our pumpkins. I've never done anything other than a scary face, so this was a new design for me! Did you carve pumpkins this year?

We also got to dress up at work for Halloween. I went as a dead child, who had come back to life as a doll. Weird I know, but I wanted to have pretty makeup, complete with a bit of gore on the side!

On Tuesday, Gemma & Ollie had a gender reveal meal at Pizza Express, where we found out what sex the baby is! I'm actually so excited to meet their little one!

I met up with Lorna in the week & we went to Costa. My heart could literally not take the excitement of finding out that their orange hot chocolates were back this year. They were my weakness two Christmas' ago & I can't wait to binge on them again this year!

Friday night, Campbell held a firework evening at his house, complete with the most amazing display. James & I were planning on going to a local display on the Saturday night, but didn't feel we needed too as Campbell's was so good. We'd had our fill of fireworks for this year.

& finally we celebrated Char's birthday this weekend. We went to Giggling Squid for lunch on Saturday & had breakfast at Char's Sunday morning. It was so nice to catch up with her (she's currently away a uni)

How has your November been so far? : )

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Life Lately #106

Hello lovelies!

Last week, I met up with my girl Ricka & we went for a walk & had a catch up at our local garden centre. It's the perfect location, a short walk from her house, takes us through the fields, across to the café. They do the most delicious cookies as well as proper lunch time meals. It's always so relaxed in there & despite them always being busy, there's plenty of seating, indoor & outdoor.

Ok, so the main update & highlight of this month was last Saturday when two of my best friend's tied the knot! It was the most perfect day, despite the occasional shower of rain. (May weather, so unpredictable..) They got married in the local church & held the reception just down the road. I can't stress how proud I am of both of them, it was such an emotional day. Vlog will be coming soon!

Sunday I was also lucky enough to not have to work, so James & I made the most of the sunshine & went for a long walk with the dogs. Honey gets extremely hot in this weather with her long coat, but she did amazingly well with her little short legs! We also visited James' dad & Maria for Sunday dinner. Was so lovely as we hadn't seen them for over a month & a half.

On Wednesday, my friend Sarah drove to mine for a walk with her year old dog Vinny who is such a crazy character! We took Harvey with us & they both seemed to get on really well.

Thursday I met up with Lorna & we went for tea in our local town. I always love meeting up with her, she has such amazing stories to tell!

& finally, last night the girls & I; Mils, Cathy, Kym & Catherine went to see Busted in London. Oh my god. My teenage self was extremely happy. I have loved James Bourne since I first saw him in the What I Go To School For video! I'd highly recommend going to see them live if you get the chance, they all have so much energy!

How has your week been lovelies? : )

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Life Lately #104

Hello lovelies! How are you all?

Being typically British, I couldn't start this post without mentioning the weather.. I'm currently sat here on Bank Holiday Monday (today) writing this & looking out the window at all the rain. How frustrating, just when you think Summer has arrived (we had a beautifully sunny day yesterday) the rain returns. Only good thing is it means cosy days snuggled up inside with your duvet & a movie & you get to see epic sunsets like this!

You might have seen this mug in a previous post, as it featured in my Monthly Favourites. I actually can't wait for the end of this week as I'm off to Gloucester to see James. We're currently doing a 3 week gap so I can't wait to see him!

Last Friday we started off the weekend with Elisa's hen do! This was part 1, a meal at Smith & Western, then we went on to our local cocktail bar for drinks & finally to a small club / bar. We had such a good night!

Saturday afternoon was the hen part 2. We started off pottery painting, which makes you realise how un-artistic you really are, then we went onto afternoon tea. The place we went was called Pretty Things, it the most stunning place with a very unique interior. We had a quiz & then headed to Cathy's for a girl's night in the evening.

Ok, so last Thursday morning, myself & my friend Ricka went for an induction at our local gym. I've never been to the gym before. I kid you not. This was a whole new experience for me & actually, I rather enjoyed it. We had a go on all the machines after being shown how to use them & we're currently on a 7 day free trial, so we get to use the gym as much as we like until this coming Thursday. I found out my friend Boop also has a membership at the same gym, so we were planning to go together yesterday, but she was busy, which meant.. I had to go on my own. The thought of this terrified me (as I'm sure people wo know me would probably guess) but despite that, I drove to the car park, sat in the car for 10 minutes & eventually went in. I only stayed for 20 minutes & did some work on the treadmill & on the leg machines, but I felt so pleased with myself when I came out! I seriously couldn't believe I'd done it! Hopefully I'm going again (on my own) tomorrow morning.. so we'll see how that goes.. wish me luck!

& finally after my massive gym achievement yesterday, I headed straight out the door again with the dogs for a walk. It was the most beautiful day & after 10 minutes of walking with my headphones in, I took them out & just listened to the birds chatting, the wind in the trees & felt the sunshine on my face. It was so nice to be outside, away from technology & the distractions of every day life. I need more days like that.

How was April for you lovelies?

Hope you're enjoying the Bank Holiday Weekend!

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Life Lately #84

 

Hello lovelies,

 

Myself & the girls managed to squeeze in a cheeky Nandos last week! I haven't been for ages. We only recently got a Nandos in our local town, so we try to make the most of it when we can!

 

August is full of birthdays, (7 in fact!) in our friendship group, so it's a very manic time. Throw in a hen do & a wedding & you've got one of the busiest months of the year! It was Cathy's birthday last Thursday & we celebrated with a BBQ & quiz at her house, complete with the world's biggest chocolate cake. Gail's was also last week, but we are celebrating this Saturday at a joint Taylor Swift themed BBQ. I've almost got my costume sorted now! Pictures to follow..

 

Hasn't the weather been weird this week? Sunday was full of sunshine (of course I was working all day..) & since then it's been rain & thunder storms, but it has made the sunsets so beautiful. Just look at that sky!

 

Last Friday James & I went to Brighton for the day. The sunshine was out the whole time & we managed to visit The Lanes & have a walk on the pier. I love Brighton & even though I live just over half an hours drive from it, it's such a gem to visit & really feels like I'm on holiday when I'm there.

 

Just look at that poser. Harry has been very keen to show off his feathers before Autumn hits & they all fall out. He's been lucky enough to find a wife this year, so hopefully we should have some chicks next Spring! Very exciting.

 

& finally yesterday, Elisa, Cathy & I went for lunch at a local café. They serve the most delicious lunches & we couldn't resist a cake for afters! We managed to finish off the hen do preparations for tomorrow (eeeek!) We are planning a day at a local spa, complete with treatments, pool, jacuzzi, breakfast, lunch & a few drinks before heading out for a meal & cocktails in the evening. I can't believe how quick Gem's wedding has come around, it's a week on Saturday till the big day!

 

How has your week been so far lovelies? : )

 

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OOTD - Wally

Top & Jeans - Primark

Wedges - New Look

Necklace & Bracelet - Dynamite Designs Jewellery (review here)

Hello lovelies!

Quick outfit of the day for you. I wore this to dinner with my girls a few weeks ago.

I'm absolutely in love with this top, it is just so easy to wear & goes with everything! I paired it with my trusty blue jeans from Primark & my New Look wedges from last year's sale. I adore stripes & am slowly adding more & more to my wardrobe. They are so versatile & perfect for any occasion.

& again, loving my short hair! I did a full post on it here if you'd like a read. I just find it so much easier to style each day than I did with my longer locks!

How has your week been lovelies?

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Life Lately #82

 

Hello lovelies!

 

A few weeks ago, myself, Gem, Cathy & Boop met up for dinner at our favourite place to eat, The Giggling Squid. I've mentioned this restaurant a million times in my blog posts before, but it seriously is amazing. We caught up on life & plans for Gem's wedding, which is now just over a month away! Crazy.

 

Look what arrived last week! I actually can't wait to read this after hearing so many lovely reviews. Louise, you are amazing.

 

Myself & James organised an American themed BBQ last weekend, where people were dressed up wearing red, white & blue & some even came as superheroes. We had seriously bad weather, but being English, took it in our stride & created a cover for the BBQ to sit under & in true mad style, played football & badminton in the rain. It was such a lovely day. Just look at all the food!

 

On Saturday, we had a girl's night which included face masks, rom coms, hundreds of sweets & of course a good old gossip while the men went out drinking! Seriously love these ladies.

 

& finally yesterday myself, Kym, Lauren & Emily took a trip down to Littlehampton to visit our girl Lorna. We had a lovely day walking around the amusements on the sea front, eating chips & doughnuts & taking way too many photos. (As always..) The weather was so beautiful & we even got to work on our tans as we braved the wind!

 

How has your weekend been lovelies? : )

 

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OOTD - Plum Party

Jumpsuit - BooHoo

Clutch & Wedges - New Look

Hello lovelies,

I know these pictures aren't the best but I wanted to show you this jumpsuit I managed to find in the BooHoo sale. It was £12 down from £18. I wore it out to dinner with my girls a few weeks ago. It's so comfy & perfect for that food baby after pudding as it hides all your lumps & bumps.

I paired it with this New Look clutch that I've had since January but hadn't used! Anyone else buy bags & totally forget you've bought them? Once I'd dug it out of my wardrobe, I thought it went perfectly with this jumpsuit. It's half lilac & half multi-coloured glitter & does up with a cute buckle at the front. 

& finally my trusty wedges. I've had these shoes since I was 18 & have worn them to death. They are my default pair for going out & knowing I'm going to be on my feet for a lot of the night.

Have you bought anything from BooHoo recently? : )

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Life Lately #80

 

Hello lovelies!

 

At the end of May, we dog sat Tetley. Isn't he just the most beautiful dog? James' family went to see a Strictly Come Dancing show at our local theatre, so we looked after him for the night. He was so well behaved & even resisted our takeaway without too much use of those puppy dog eyes..

 

Ah Sunday roast! I really don't have enough of these. I usually work Sundays so miss out on them, but recently I've either been off or had shorter shifts, so was able to meet up with the girls for a bite to eat at lunchtime.

 

On 1st June, myself & James celebrated our 2 & a half year anniversary & him finishing 2nd year of uni (any excuse for a date night..!) so we went to the Giggling Squid in our local town. You might remember me mentioning this restaurant before as myself & the girls went there for my birthday back in January. It does the most gorgeous food, definitely worth a visit!

  

Last Friday I had my hair cut. I won't bore you with the whole backstory, as I've already posted about it last week, but I'm so so so happy with it! I had a good chunk cut off & am feeling a lot more sophisticated with my new do. Amazing what a few inches off can do for your mood.

 

On Saturday, myself, Boop, Gem & Cathy went out for dinner & a catch up. It was so lovely to see them. We rarely get to meet up because of our rotas & shift work, but we discussed Gem's wedding plans (which is less than 3 months away now!) & hen do plans. Can't wait for August now!

 

Last Sunday, myself & all the lovely ladies from work took part in the Race For Life. It was such an amazing & emotional day. I've written a full post on it which you can read here if you like. : ) 

 

& on the Sunday evening, after completing the race, I met up with Kym, Lauren, Lorna & Boop for dinner. We went to ASK Italian & had the most delicious meal. I had the Pollo Piccante Con Pancetta & the Chocolate Amore cake for pudding.

 

Finally, yesterday myself & James made the most of the sunshine & went to the South Of England Show for the day. It was so gorgeously hot! I'm going to do a full post on our day so keep your eyes peeled for that. : )

 

How has your week been lovelies? : )

 

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Life Lately #79

 

Hello lovelies,

 

I went to Specsavers last week to pick up my new glasses. Anyone else get a buzz from getting new specs? I did a full post on them here if you'd like a read.

 

My grandad went into hospital for a knee replacement last Tuesday (week & a half ago) & has had a few ups & downs. Although he's getting on well, the recovery period is taking a while. Honey has been keeping me company more than ever this week, which has been exactly what I've needed.

 

James came back from uni for his mum's birthday last Friday. We hadn't seen each other for nearly a month, so it was exciting to have him back. We were booked in to the Carey's Manor Hotel in the New Forest for the weekend, along with Valerie, Barrie & Alex (his mum, stepdad & brother) The hotel was stunning! Myself & James had chocolates waiting in our room, plus dressing gowns & complimentary slippers to wear to the spa. The spa consisted of a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, steam room & sauna. You can also pay to upgrade to the 'secret spa' which had another large pool plus themed showers. It was stunning.

 

With the amount of food on offer, I tried to be healthy where I could. This platter was delicious & had all my favourite fruits included. Our evening meals were slightly different, where we indulged in three course meals most nights!

 

The Saturday when we arrived, we went golfing. I'd never been before & although I wasn't playing, I managed to become in charge of driving the buggy, which was great fun! As exciting as watching the boys play was, I couldn't help but notice all the wildlife that live on a golf course. We saw a deer, buzzards, squirrels & woodpeckers.

 

Each evening we dressed up for dinner. I absolutely adore this dress from ASOS. I've had it for around 2 years now & find it's perfect for any fancy occasion.

 

Myself & James also went for a walk around the local village, looking for ponies! Unfortunately we didn't see any but found some quaint little tea rooms & pubs along the way.

 

How has your week been lovelies?

 

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