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 

Last week I was having a rummage through my photos and realised I never posted this outfit! These were taken on my weekend away with the girls back in May and I remember thinking "it's too cold to post these now for the UK" and then obviously it slipped my mind. We were walking through Marrakech in the baking heat trying to find the main square. Emma and Lindsey had never been and I wanted to see their faces when they saw the snake charmers and the dentist (who has a little stall, you choose your replacement tooth, he knocks yours out and shoves the other one in - yep, really).

Sadly as we are idiots we didn't find it. In fact I'm pretty sure we just walked around in a circle, got too hot so went back to the safety of our hotel. However, we did stop to take some pictures. I'd just bought this shirt and was questioning the investment. I'd ummed and ahhed over it for weeks and weeks; I love green shirts as it's basically a staple colour and looks great with all my blues, greys and blacks.

 Two months on I can confirm it's one of the smartest buys I've ever made. I love Equipment, but have only ever bought their silks before... As this is a linen blend it's very lightweight. The criss cross detail means it looks great thrown over a bikini, or if you want to wear it at home you can tighten it up or wear a vest underneath. Buy it here.

The shorts and shoes are this year's summer staples and I apologise for the constant feature in my feed! I'd been hunting for the perfect denim shorts for months - in fact make that years. I finally found them at Topshop which is fantastic as they didn't break the bank. Find them here - and they come in various shades of denim here. The shoes are from Havaianas here and are fantastic as they're made from flip flop material but are espadrilles. I have a couple of pairs now and on holiday I really don't need anything else... They're also excellent for late night dog walking ;)

I've really "worked" at my summer wardrobe this year, as silly as that sounds to say. I always find myself disappearing into high street stores in May and June, emerging with £50 worth of tops and tees that get worn once and are shoved into a bag in the spare room thrown away only months later. This time around I've picked out a few key pieces I know I'll wear to death, starting with this off the shoulder top from Madewell.

For those who don't already know of Madewell, it's J Crew's slightly hipper little sister. If you're a bit like me and don't like to stray too far from the norm - but want to try out the boho look - make this brand your new go-to. They make gorgeous quality boho pieces as well as having strong denim collections here and accessories here. They're yet to bring a store to the UK, but you can ship a very good edit of the collection at Net A Porter here.

Other favourites from their collections this year... where to start?!  This black paisley top is gorgeous, imagine it with a tan and some ripped up denim shorts and black sandals? I have this jumpsuit and think it's so, so flattering (and you can wear a bra with it, despite the peep hole), I'll get it up on the blog as soon as poss. These shorts are lush, paired with white tees and vests. Finally make this stripe shirt and this checked one your ultimate weekend basics... (disable your ad blocker to view the carousel below)

My accessories are great examples to show you don't need to buy loads to get the boho-look all summer. My shoes are from Tory Burch via The Outnet (a great way to shop on a budget, without worrying a lot of polyester/plastic cr*p will arrive), have a look at their full offering here. I'm a little bit obsessed with these, and have worn them constantly ever since getting hold of them - the blue really pops out, they're super comfortable and were half price.

The bag is from a brand called Star Mela that seems to be cropping up all over the place - they're really good for boho stuff that doesn't break, or break the bank. I bought it from Anthropologie last year, and have found similars on ASOS here and them again here.

The sunglasses are from Gucci, and it's actual love. I got them before the whole phenomenon kicked off and was a bit worried about wearing them as the brand wasn't exactly cool. Now, they're the things all my friends are trying to steal from me. You can get them in khaki-glass here, but the reds are pretty much sold out - or Shopbop have these for half price. The next closest thing I've found are these for £12 from ASOS, in case the green won't do.

off the shoulder top, Madewell / similar here 

sandals, Tory Burch via The Outnet / similar here (£29!!!) 

sunglasses, Gucci / similar here / SAME here for 50% off

bag, Star Mela / similar here / similar here

bracelets, astley clarke / rings, Crux London

Photos taken using an Olympus PEN EP-L7 from John Lewis here.

Once again I think I'm hugely late on the bandwagon here - but better late than never, eh? In fairness, when a new trend comes in I like to watch it for a while and see where it goes. I'm completely done with spending money on a look that I can only get away with wearing for a month - too old for that rubbish now...

But the pyjama trend isn't going away is it? I first considered it when J Crew launched their paisley pyjama prints, but I couldn't get past the idea of my Dad asking me why I hadn't got dressed to meet him for lunch... Then I spotted my favourite editors and muses doing it and thought, "they're cooler than me, this isn't going to happen." But then mainstream brands like Marks and Spencer (this top here and trouser here are so cheap they're almost free) selling them and began to think it might be a look I can pull off - since the "normal" kids are rocking it...

So, I've decided I'm giving it a whirl during London Fashion Week (as if there is any time standing out blends in, its then). I'm going full on, night-time during day-time. So far I have found this Topshop shirt in the sale, the aforementioned Marks and Spencer pieces here and here, this And Other Stories print and this top to toe olive green pairing or this Maison Kitsune playsuit at The OutNet. I am slightly torn, but think I will probably go for the M and S pairing...

Lastly - is it pajama or pyjama? Answers on a postcard.