I've been pretty quiet on the blogging front since the holidays as I've been a bit unwell; still unsure quite what but it's majorly unsociable and means I haven't really felt like doing much. I'm going to try and make a conscious effort  to "get outside" so I decided I'd take a proper walk to get some fresh air into my lungs. I am most definitely the type to get cabin fever and after watching 300 episodes of The Good Wife and reorganising the cutlery drawer, I realised it might be time to leave the house. That and that the dog was about to wet himself...

I've felt pretty overwhelmed during 2017 so far; this year could be quite a big one for me if I put my head down. For the first time (over Christmas) I really felt affected by social media and it's made me think about what I'm projecting out to my followers. I was scrolling through the perfect feeds with the perfect outfits, lives, flat lays and houses and felt inadequate - Why would anyone read my blog? Was I good enough to write one? Was I thin enough to write one? Do I have enough followers? What if people don't like me? 

Then I got a grip of myself and took a good look. I'm healthy (ordinarily, not right now, but still) which is a bit of a miracle given I've spent more time in hospital than your average rugby side. My flat is tiny but lovely. I have wonderful friends and family, even if my sister and I do bicker like teenagers on a weekly basis. Gus rocks - I won't go into it as I know my single friends have a real thing about those who gush about their love lives on social media, and I totally get why. When I was single seeing couple-induced-happiness on Instagram used to really get me down...

I wasn't one of those who went into January with a to do list. I went in with a sick bucket, and (sadly) it wasn't because I'd stayed up all night partying. When you see all of these "10 Ways I Made Myself F*cking Awesome And Better Than You" posts on Twitter it just makes you want to scream. So, I'm giving you, me. I'm behind already and it's January the 5th. I haven't done my taxes yet, and I've lost my debit card. I hope thats ok... My posts in January will be more of the tone "Things to buy to get you through this dull AF month without killing yourself." In fact I think I might start that one right now...

All that said, this year for me is about consolidating and empowering myself. Two big words I know, but let me explain. I've been working for myself for nearly three years now and although on the surface of it I get to do some really cool stuff, see really cool places and work with really cool people, I'm ready to take it to the next level. I've never quite got there, at least in my opinion. You probably won't have heard of my little consultancy One Roof Social, but we're taking shape nicely and we're hoping this is our year. We did some work at the end of last year that I'm super proud of, and I've got the team I've always wanted to work with which feels really good. I'm also going to do some consulting for some very cool businesses, which as soon as I can, I'll share.

Blog wise, I'm going to try and work on my narrative a little as there's lots I think about and don't write about. I've seen through my Instagram Stories (here) that you guys seem to quite like my ramblings, so you're going to see a bit more of them. I'm going to write about how I'm getting on with my business as well as all the usual fashion, beauty and travel stuff. It's not going to work to a strict content schedule for a while because actually my blog exists because it's fun, it's a hobby and I'm keeping it that way. So there.

I plan to wear mine with everything so I apologise for the Instagram bombardment in advance. This outfit is a typical thrown-together-weekender. A striped top is a given for any outfit (in my book). As you know, I have tonnes of them but this was a present from my sister last Christmas from Petit Bateau here. My cape is a couple of seasons old from The Outnet so I've put some similars at the base of this post - it is still available in some sizes here. The jeans are new, and a new length for me which I'm loving. Find them here.

My boots are actually from L.K.Bennett too, here. I have a few pairs of ankle boots from them but these really are another level of goodness. I wore them with a little LBD for my birthday drinks on Friday and they look equally as fab with more dressed-down pieces. I love the gold details on the laces and the heel is just the right height to combine looking smart and being able to walk...

Any way, enough about me and onto what you really want to know about - winning a Mariel tote bag complete with your very own Boyarde initials on courtesy of the lovely team at L.K.Bennett. Here you go:

Where on earth has October gone? How are we into November? No complaints though as it's my favourite month of the year. It's my birthday next week, fireworks night this weekend and so many lovely things planned. Blog wise it's the month for gift guides and a bumper beauty edit, as well as a couple of trips to Stockholm and Devon. All in all, busy. I really shouldn't - and won't - complain.

These pictures were snapped on Saturday when Lindsey and I had just come back from visiting Laura in Leeds. We went up for one night and had an amazing meal at Iberica - if you're from there or got any plans to visit to make sure you add this one into your culinary hit list. 

I'm wearing my favourite purchase in a while, my new leopard print shirt from Topshop. I have been searching for one of these for a long, old while and drifted between going for the much more expensive Equipment version here. I'm so happy with it, and for the price (£36) the quality is ace. It's also awesome that you shove it in the wash and hang it dry. No ironing, win!

The jeans are years old, again from Topshop. Long term readers of the blog will know that I'm a bit of a snob with my denim, but somehow these have always stayed. They're the boyfriend fit, and having had them for a long time I can honestly say they are worth the £42 investment (and that comes from someone who owns several £200+ pairs...). They're seriously good... Find them here.

Lastly the shoes. I've had these a while and hadn't got around to shooting them. They're from Boden, who really should be considered by all for footwear as I've had a few pairs of ace stuff from them over the last few seasons. I love them, they're great for work-to-play days and are really, really comfortable (wasn't sure they would be, but after they'd given a bit on first wear they're great). Here is their entire collection which is worth a gander = Boden footwear, or my loafers here.

I have told myself that this is going to be a super productive week, and am proudly ticking off tasks from my Wunderlist this evening (an amazing tool if you don't already use it). Whatever you're up to, I hope you have equally fruitful weeks, and roll on the weekend to fireworks night!

This week we've had such a weird mix of weather; beaming sun, heavy rain, hot/cold temperatures. I spent most of the week in my gym kit as I just couldn't be bothered to attempt to dress! Any way, here we are and I've tried to pull out the pieces and products you'll need for October. Yay to being able to justify knits and long length dresses!


Fashion

First things first, the dresses with tops on underneath. According to Vogue and the Sunday Times Style this is the only way to wear dresses at the moment. For most it means getting more wear out of your summer dresses, for me it means buying a new one. This one from Topshop is an absolute win and for the price the quality is exceptional - plus it's made in Britain, win.


Next up, Boden. You're gonna be seeing an influx of this brand on my blog soon. Gone are the days that these guys were for sheepskin-shoe-wearing country bumpkins. Their stuff is slick! I annoyingly missed out on this coat (actual tears), but got my hands on this jumper and these super-cool loafers. I'm trying to be a bit smarter so they ticked the box perfectly, plus who doesn't need a cream cable knit? Morons, that's who.

When buying the dress above I had a bit of a mammoth Topshop haul; this shirt is everything (so fun for dates with the girls, Gus isn't feeling it at all) this skirt is perfect for more formal days (so for normal people; work) and looks great with this ASOS shirt I bought last week.

Lastly, Net A Porter have a super good "new in" selection. I'm toying over this Ganni lace body, new designer (for me, at least) Maggie Marilyn's collection including this top, this dress by Michael by Michael Kors (perfect again for those with real jobs, and really well priced when you consider the quality and how much wear you'll get out of it) and finally as I missed out on the J Crew x Drake shirts this one will just have to fill the void... Which it does very well.

Autumn is a tough one for me beauty-wise. My skin isn't quite deathly pale (that joy waits till November) and it's tired from the sunshine. I've been using a wide range of Perricone MD products (mainly their Pre:Empt series here) which I know I wax lyrical about. Cheap it isn't but it works. For those of you who are new to it give this tester set a go, unbelievable value. On the opposite end of the scale I've been giving my skin a bit of a glow with Sienna X High Intensity Tanning lotion. Put it on for an hour, shower it off, done. That simple. No streaks, and everyone keep on asking me where I've been on holiday...


starter set, Perricone MD / basil and neroli perfume, Jo Malone / blow dry in a bottle, Duck and Dry / gel nails set, Topshop / brow sculptor, Tom Ford / tanning lotion, Sienna X

Next up, perfume. When I had breakfast with the lovely Bianca from Jo Malone last month she introduced me to their new Basil and Neroli scent, here. I can't explain how great it is; it smells like you're walking through a country herb garden. I really wouldn't have thought basil in a scent would work, but it completely does Do pop into a store and give it a go... Another surprise success has been Topshop's new gel nail collection here. As someone who is addicted to getting her nails done (Shellac, at a teeny place by Hampstead tube) this is an absolute winner. The 3 step at-home gel kit give you salon-perfect nails! I'm on day 4 of having done them myself and they look perfect, I bought this pink one here.

Also followers of my Instagram (psssst, do it here) will know I've had my hair chopped by the lovely team at Sassoon Salons. I'm still getting my head around having short hair, but I do really love it. Finding I need products more than I used to so my Blow Dry In A Bottle from Duck and Dry here is proving super handy, it does exactly what it says on the tin.

Make up wise, it's all about Tom Ford for me at the moment. Keep your eye out for their new Soleil lip colours as I was sent some samples and they're amazing - due out 31st October. But the product for me right now is their brow sculptor here which is completely changing my eyebrows in two easy steps (fill and brush). Just get yourself one, here.

Another brand to keep an eye on include Immunocologie which has a lovely back-story (read it here) who specialise in luxury-level skin-saving products. Their Super Elixir Serum may be pricey, but it saved the day for me before a very important meeting when I had three beacons of spots on my cheeks, and very tired, dry skin. 

As part of the #makeitpop4 campaign with Alcatel (check it out on Instagram here) I was asked to go and explore Berlin for 48 hours. Having visited the city on business before - so only getting a glimpse of what was to be seen - I was so keen to go back and jumped at the chance. Dragging Emma along for the ride, we caught a very early morning flight with Norwegian (they have wifi on board, perfect for trip planning) and landed in Germany in time for breakfast on Monday morning.

Berlin is a city so rich in history and culture it's difficult to know where to start. We decided that we'd concentrate on two districts, Kollwitzkiez and Mitte, and really mine them for all they had. Having inhaled our avocado and eggs at Soho House (we're bloggers, what else do we eat for breakfast!?) we decided to hit Mitte first, as it's so great for shopping and we had a fix that needed, errr, fixing.

Mitte has a unique offering for shopping that I really don't think you get anywhere else. There are several really strong independent boutiques that are genuinely a joy to spend time in. The pieces and designers the store owners find are incredible. Using my phone (the POP 4, obviously) as our guide, we found all the shops we were looking for really quickly - we'd been recommended Rebecca, The Store, Isobel Gowdie and April First and were not disappointed.

I bought a few things (oops), discovering labels like Leon and Harper as well as getting my fix of Maison La Biche with an exclusive tee from a collaboration with Alex Eagle, here. We also strolled into stores you'd find in the UK like And Other Stories and Urban Outfitters - which seem so much better stocked than at home - finding bargains like this gorgeous bag for the equivalent of £12.

Food wise, Berlin has so much to offer and really needs more credit for the surplus of cool bars and outdoor settings for you to grab a bite. We stumbled upon an incredible burger place, but in truth if you stick around streets like Linienstrasse and Alte Schonhauser Strasse you really cannot go wrong.

In the evening we stuck to Soho House so we could catch up on emails and enjoy the rooftop view. New for the hotel, it also has an infinity pool looking over the city with brilliant views of the major monuments like the Reichstag. Bose Museum and the infamous Fernsehturm (essentially like our BT Tower in London, but better).

The next morning Emma got me up bright an early promising a day of graffiti exploration and book trees. Street art really cannot be ignored in Berlin as it's absolutely everywhere. I wish I'd done more research as you could spend days on the hunt for the famous artists' work - we tried to find the Banksys and failed miserably... That said we did discover some amazing work by artists like Dede and C215. Even if you aren't into art as such, I challenge you not to enjoy going on a bit of a bear hunt for the stand-out pieces.

All in all, you just have to go to Berlin. I'm already planning my next trip back - it was that good. We didn't touch on the historical elements of the city which I'd really like to do; the older buildings in the centre of the city and by the river look absolutely incredible, and locations like Checkpoint Charlie are very much on my bucket list...

I used the POP 4 for the whole trip - it was fantastic - everything from the camera (super strong, especially in the midday sun) to the maps and planning options made it the perfect city break partner... Please don't forget that anyone who buys the POP4 handset this summer gets return flights to one of nine cities in Europe, so if you're looking for an excuse to get away to have a break like this this could be your answer. Discover more here. 

Outfit Details
white t shirt, Alex Eagle x The Stores / striped tee shirt, Boden / jeans, Topshop / denim jean shorts, Topshop / white sandals, Birkenstock / blue jumper, LK Bennett London / tortoiseshell sunglasses, Fendi / red sunglasses, Gucci 

Not sure about you but the long weekend could not have come soon enough. I did have plans to go away, but annoyingly was tied to London for the whole holiday. So, we decided to be tourists in our own town and headed into Mayfair on Friday for some lunch. We started off at Brown Hart Gardens (a little hidden gem a block down from Selfridges. The sun was shining, the sunglasses were out - all in all, being at home seemed very much ok...

There is no question that suede jackets are in at the moment. I've had my eye on Millie's one here for weeks. The lovely team at Jaegar sent me this one and I thought I'd give it a test. I wasn't sure about the colour at first but actually its great and stands out a little, but not too much. It looks great denim, and varies from appearing green and grey. Butter soft too.


I've decided I want to make more of an effort to wear colour, without breaking away from my capsule stuff. As you can see, I'm still in my faithful Breton (this one is from Boden, here) and jeans (from Paige Denim, the absolute best, here) but I'm trying to break away from simple things like wearing brown leather rather than black, and pops of colour in my accessories...

Enough about me and my clothes as I want to give a proper mention to our lunch venue, 8 Mount Street. Tucked away in the peaceful red bricked Mayfair streets, you wouldn't believe you were second from the busiest high street in the world. The restaurant is fairly new, and as the weather was so good we sat outside after having a proper nose of their bar and outside mint garden...


We let the staff choose our meal for us, as I normally do when reviewing a place. I'd heard about their savoury creme brulee starter but wasnt quite prepared for how amazing it was going to be... Equally the beetroot and goats cheese salad and the burrata were out of this world. There was no way we could have finished it (in truth one starter will serve two people comfortably) as we had poussin and dover sole for main courses - before the grand finale of their "apple, apple, apple" dessert; apple mousse, apple tarts and apple crumble. It really is worth a visit and I really do recommend you do. It feels special without feeling ostentatious and the staff were absolutely lovely.


We then met up with some friends and giggled over how cheeky it felt doing so little on a "work day." With the sun being out, London was gorgeous and after a few weeks of solid grey/rain it reminded me how much I do love living in the capital.  I hope you have a wonderful Easter break, whatever you are doing, and that it helps you hit the reset button - as that's my goal for the weekend. Happy Sunday, and Happy Easter!


Shop my whole outfit here (if you cannot see pictures below, disable your ad blocker or use the text links)


suede trench coat, Jaegar / breton tee, Boden (in the sale) / jeans, Paige Denim at Selfridges / sunglasses, Marc by Marc Jacobs / bag, Reiss / boots, L.K Bennett 

Thank you to Finch and Partners for arranging our lunch!