Palm Vaults, Hackney

31 July, 2016

Palm Vaults Hackney Coffee Shop ReviewPalm Vaults Hackney Coffee Shop Review

When I first found Palm Vaults over on Instagram they jumped straight to the top of my 'to visit' list the next time I was in London. I spent far too long scrolling through their feed of mouth watering treats, multi-coloured coffees and absolutely splendid decor which is crawling with greenery and overgrown foliage; this place was already my home from home and I hadn't even had the chance to visit. Their dedication to aesthetic as well as food and drink is obvious, but I dig that.

So a few weeks ago I was invited to Citadel Festival in Victoria Park, which was conveniently just a 10 minute bus journey from Palm Vaults. Needless to say, I seized the chance to organise brunch with Kaye before we headed to the festival and luckily she was just as enthusiastic as me to drop by once she'd had a scroll through their social media channels. If there's one thing to commend Palm Vaults on, it's their marketing via word of mouth. I've seen their signature green plants and pale pink decor consistently plastered all over my social feed for weeks on end as people take a mini pilgrimage to Hackney to snap a photo of their perfect pink public loo (myself included).
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Brighton Vlog

29 July, 2016

You may have already seen my 24 Hours in Brighton blog post, but during my time away I also filmed a little vlog of our trip. I'm still getting used to this whole vlogging game and talking to the camera in public, so apologies if I'm a little awkward on camera.


Anyway, kick back, grab a cuppa and come on a 24 hour trip to Brighton with us...


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Avocado & Coffee Smoothie with Alpro

27 July, 2016

If there's one thing I absolutely detest it is cow's milk. I'm not vegan, but there's something slimy and lumpy about animal milk that absolutely repulses me, so I've avoided drinking it as much as possible for a good few years now. I also find as soon as I've had cow's milk in my coffee, my stomach instantly feels bloated and uncomfortable - ugh! My hatred for milk has meant over the years I've had to find suitable dairy free replacements, particularly something that works with my constant stream of coffee throughout the day. Alpro have always been my favourite plant based brand for tasty, dairy free products so I was delighted when a box of goodies from them arrived for me to play with.

On my recent visit to kick ass coffee shop, Palm Vaults, I tried Kaye's avocado and coffee smoothie. Avocado and coffee are two tastes that I adore separately, but I wasn't quite sure just how they were going to work together. Much to my surprise I absolutely loved the combination; the avocado worked to make the consistency creamy, which was similar to that of a frappe but this one was a lot healthier! It inspired me to try my own coffee avocado smoothie at home with a few of the Alpro products that were gifted to me.

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Here Comes The Sun

24 July, 2016
Vintage 70s Kaleidoscope Fashion Blogger OutfitVintage 70s Turquoise Fringed Suede Waistcoat Fashion Blogger Outfit
Waistcoat*: We Are Cow // Hat: Zara // Sunglasses: Spitalfields Market // Choker: ASOS // Dress: Rokoko (similar here) // Boots: Missguided

I'll be honest with you; the past few weeks I've abandoned my blog in favour of becoming a Pokemon trainer master. 

I never really 'grew out' of Pokemon, despite being 25 years old. I still re-watch the old episodes and movies, collect the trading cards and play Pokemon Stadium on the Nintendo 64. I've even still got my Gameboy Colour with Pokemon Yellow to hand and a Pikachu pyjama top from the 90's that still fits. The launch of Pokemon Go was always going to be a landmark in my lifetime and a distraction from everything else, including my blog. The past few weeks I've found myself walking for miles and miles on the hunt for new additions to my Pokedex and I've found myself neglecting my online documentation, but I'm okay with that.

I actually shot this outfit just after a Pokemon Go hunt in the city centre; it actually happens to be a really great re-spawn and lure spot (for those who do not play Pokemon Go, I apologise for all of the Poke-lingo). So, I suppose this was my trainer uniform for the day!
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'Snippets of Amsterdam' After Movie

22 July, 2016
Amsterdam Travel Vlog After Movie Blogger Vlogger

A few months ago, James and myself jumped aboard a Megabus to endure a 13 hour journey to our favourite European city, Amsterdam. We only decided to go a month beforehand because we had booked tickets to see the RuPaul's Drag Race tour out there, as it worked out considerably cheaper than seeing them in London with travel costs included (£13 each way to Amsterdam!). Crazy, right? I've got to admit it was a struggle as we were both suffering with the flu the first few days of our trip and throughout the bus journey, which meant we were those annoyingly sick people coughing our lungs up the whole way.

As we were travelling all the way to the Netherlands for a drag show, we decided to make a few days of it and spent five days wandering through those picturesque, cobbled streets. I took some video footage in between the days of our sickness and wanted to share it with you guys in a quick after movie below. Unfortunately it's taken so long to upload because I'm having an absolute mare with my iMovie freezing during playback, which has meant I've not been able to edit this too smoothly. Now if someone wants to buy me Final Cut Pro, I wouldn't object, as my relationship with iMovie is a little rocky right now.


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24 Hours in Brighton with Ibis Hotels #InBedWithIbis

18 July, 2016

A few weekends back I was invited to spend 24 hours in my happy place, which just so happens to be Brighton. I often day dream of moving to that charming seaside city some day, so I absolutely grab any opportunity to visit when I can. This was all thanks to Ibis Hotels who offered to put me and my gal pal, Becky, up for the night in their hotel, which is conveniently located only a stone's throw from the train station. I had booked the Friday afternoon off of work meaning I could kickstart my weekend a little earlier than usual, so around 1pm I jumped aboard the train leaving Southampton along the south coast to Brighton. I was rather annoyed by this point as I had brought my laptop to do some work during the two hour journey, but the train didn't have wi-fi on board. What kind of train nowadays doesn't have wi-fi?!

As Becky was arriving from London, I met her inside the bustling Brighton station just after 3pm and after a quick reunion, we headed outside to seek out the hotel. Standing with my suitcase at my heels and phone in my hand, I began to open Google maps to lead us to our bed for the night, but just as I did Becky spotted the Ibis sign shining like a welcoming beacon a little further along the road. As someone who always overpacks for any trip (five outfits and 3 pairs of shoes for a 24 hour stay, of course), I sighed with relief as the walk to the hotel was under a minute, so I could rid of my ridiculously heavy bags.

As we walked into the hotel reception, we were enthusiastically greeted by the staff and given two key cards to our room, which was located on the ninth floor - pretty sweet! I've stayed with Ibis a few times before, usually for late airport stays rather than city breaks, so the room layout (including the strange pod bathroom that is reminiscent of a spaceship) was familiar and welcoming. 

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Cruelty Free Beauty: Makeup Revolution Lip Lacquers

11 July, 2016
Cruelty Free Makeup Revolution Lip Lacquers Review
Makeup Revolution Lip Lacquers, available at Superdrug, £3 each

Makeup Revolution are a brand I've used regularly and religiously since before deciding to switch out to cruelty-free cosmetics. Not only are their products considerably cheaper than most other brands with eye shadow palettes sitting at £4 and lipsticks as little as a £1, but the products I've used from their range so far, predominately eye shadows, bronzers & blushers, have impressed me.

Liquid lipsticks are EVERYWHERE at the minute, and I'm a newbie to the whole game. However, when browsing through Superdrug I noticed Makeup Revolution were serving up their contribution to the liquid lipstick game at only £3 a pop. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to try out a liquid lippie, so I walked away with two in my basket.

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Valley of the Dolls

06 July, 2016
Valley of the Dolls Bohemian Paisley 70s Maxi Dress Fashion BloggerValley of the Dolls Bohemian Paisley 70s Maxi Dress Fashion Blogger
Dress*: Valley of the Dolls // Sunglasses: Spitalfields Market // Boots: Topshop

I first discovered 70s inspired label, Valley of the Dolls, at JOY's press day last year and from the off, it was love at first sight. A brand that celebrates bell sleeves, crochet, eccentric prints and denim flares has my heart within seconds. When they asked me to pick a piece from their current collection, I was like a kid in a sweet shop. How on earth could I narrow it down to one?


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My Winchester City Guide

04 July, 2016
My Winchester City Guide & Top Things To Do

I studied my undergraduate Illustration & Graphic Arts degree at Winchester School of Art, but during my student years I lived in the neighbouring city of Southampton (and still do!). Due to only being timetabled to attend university a few hours a week, I never actually spent too much time in Winchester itself. Also, I was a pretty terrible student which led to me skipping a lot of lectures and tutorials, but, at the end of the day, I finished university with a semi-decent grade.

Last weekend I decided to spend the day as a tourist re-exploring my old university city, which sits only a 15 minute journey from Southampton and an hour from London Waterloo. Winchester is known for its rich history, cobble stoned streets, magnificent cathedral and has even been labelled as the 'best place to live in Britain' by The Sunday Times. Pegasus Life challenged me to list my top hotspots and things to do in this modest yet wonderful city.

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