Paris & Versailles

There was a beautiful moment where our hotel room wasn't quite ready for us as we arrived, so we decided to take a walk for an hour or so toward the Eiffel Tower.

Stockholm

Christmas Markets! Scandinavia! Fika! Snow! Homeware! Everything I had wanted from our visit to Stockholm delivered. Our trip consisted of lots of walking through the cobbled streets then hiding in a cafe as it had gotten too cold to be outside, and then repeat.

Design: The Address

Richmond is the closest 'nice' town to my university - frankly, Egham just does not make the cut sometimes - so we all do go there quite often. There is an inundation of trendy shops and restaurants and just general loveliness in Richmond, yet by far one of my favourites is No.1 Duke Street.

Glossier

Words cannot describe how excited I was to discover that Glossier was going to ship to the UK. So, on the day of this momentous occasion, I placed an order of the Phase One set and I am ashamed to say that I have completely bought into the obsession that everyone seems to have with Glossier at the moment.

London Fashion Week

There have definitely been a few pinch-me moments this summer, but to crown them all was being able to attend London Fashion Week with Glass Magazine. Here is a selection of some of the shows I went to!

Turning Twenty: Bronte

I finally turned 20, woo! As I'm an August birthday the majority of my friends have already turned 20 (or older) so I feel like it takes me a while to catch up to everyone. I have been spying on a lovely looking restaurant called Bronte on The Strand just off of Trafalgar Square for a while now and thought what better occasion to visit.

Brussels

Last weekend myself and some friends from uni went to Brussels, Belgium, for an easy weekend city break! When I say easy, that also means cheap, i.e. easy Eurostar, cheap (yet trendy) Airbnb, and some spending money!

Amsterdam

Last week I went to Amsterdam! It is a city I have wanted to visit for a while now and, all the stereotypes aside, it has a lovely chilled atmosphere with great sights to see.

Dublin

Dublin is one of those places I have always wanted to go but has never been particularly high on the list - until I went for a week in early June.

The Ivy

Because who doesn't love going out to dinner? My three favourite Ivy restaurants...

Sky Garden

I have been wanting to go to 20 Fenchurch Street's infamous Sky Garden for months now so I was SO pleased to finally visit! You have to get tickets three weeks in advance but the fact the attraction is free makes the wait worthwhile (although drinks are rather pricey but that can be excused).

Brighton

I visited Brighton for the first time just over a month ago and thought I would record our trip on my blog (as I forgot it even existed for a while...).

Bruges

A few weeks ago my family and I went on a short cruise to Bruges, Belgium. It is safe to say the pretty city did not disappoint - I only wish I got to spend more time there.

First Year of University

If there is anything I've realised since completing my first year at university, it is that adults are as lost and as confused about the world as I am. Legally I am considered an adult - especially now that I have and actually use a Tesco Clubcard, marvellous - but in my mind I am still simply a young person attempting to work out what it is I want to accomplish in life.

The Raven

'The Raven' by Edgar Allan Poe is by far one of my favourite poems. I'm pretty sure I described it as having 'unearthly qualities' in my UCAS personal statement last year and that is definitely true. I've never reviewed a poem on my blog before nor am I sure whether it can be classed as a book, but here's to broadening horizons!

1984 Review

I'd been debating whether to get tickets to see the production of George Orwell's 1984 since it started at The Playhouse Theatre at the beginning of the summer. One of the lessons I've learned recently is to stop debating and just do (after plenty of time and careful thought, of course). You can bet I was so glad I did.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Not a book I've read recently but still a personal favourite, Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray is a timeless classic, teaching the reader a moral lesson each and every time.

A Seaside Stay

Saying 'the seaside' has an almost childish expression to it; as if you can only play on the beach, eat ice cream and go on the galloping horses when you are young. Yet there is something about doing all of this when you are older too (granted, not that much older) that makes it all the more fun.

The Miniaturist

I read The Miniaturist in almost an afternoon, it is simply unputdownable. Considering it is over 400 pages long and a very in depth read, that is pretty good going by my book! (If you'll pardon the pun).

Barcelona Attractions

I spent a few days in Barcelona recently and it is honestly such a lovely city. I have never been to Spain before so Barcelona was the ideal place to start. With historical sights, plenty of Gaudi architecture, a mixture of old and new streets, good food and even beaches, you really can't go wrong. We crammed in as many tourist attractions as possible so I thought I would put together a post of them all to help people who are going or who want to in the future. If you haven't seen my previous Barcelona Photo Diary post, then you can check it out here.