WHEN IN ROME

When in Rome, do as the Romans, the old saying goes. Well, in August most Italians leave Rome as it becomes inundated with tourists from all over the globe, as I found myself alone (due to a series of unfortunate events) in the ancient Italian city.

The first meal I ate was a McDonalds in Termini station - shameful, really, in the land of perfect pizzas and gorgeous gelato (and I don't even like McDonalds!!). But I needed somewhere familiar to get my bearings as I didn't even know exactly where my hotel was, so totally unprepared for this trip was I. I was to find almost the entirety of Rome is covered by WiFi.. but only if you have an Italian SIM card. Doh. So I resorted to Plan B in finding my hotel; wandering aimlessly in the wrong direction before finding a map, which eventually pointed me in the correct direction of my hotel.

Much of the trip continued in this same vein: eating some ice cream/pizza, wandering around, looking at things, stumbling upon the Coliseum/Pantheon/Trevi fountain/park full of a thousand cats, marvelling, eating more ice cream/pizza. I also went to some Couchsurfing meetings which is genuinely the greatest decision I could have made. These were full of people in the same boat as I, wanting company to drink, chat, and explore Rome with; I even made friends with some native Romans who were happy to show me around their city, and at night time too, when it's most glorious. Chris arrived for the last three days of my trip and I was overjoyed to show him around as I had been shown around, as if I'd been there all of my life.

My greatest Roman tip is to explore after the sun has gone down, as all of the tourist things are much quieter and lit beautifully. Most bars offer a take-away service and although none of my Roman friends could clarify whether drinking on the streets was legal or not, we walked around with bottles of beer and none of the police batted an eyelid. An evening must also be spent with a picnic (or takeaway pizza) and a bottle of wine on the Spanish steps, as Chris and I did on his first night. Rainy it may have been but we were blissful underneath a poncho and an umbrella.

Dunking your feet in fountains, eating €15 ice creams and pizza for brunch; Rome is all about the simple pleasures. I love it and feel it is my city and I want to live there.

I'm wearing: majority is Minkpink, with some Evil Twin, a vintage dress, & all shoes are Topshop

OBRIGADO

According to A Recent Survey*, it takes an average of two days and seventeen hours before you completely relax on holiday; but I distinctly remember the feeling around twenty-two hours into mine when I was lay on the beach with my chin in the sand, somewhere in that grey area between awake and asleep, and I felt relaxed. Completely and utterly. Holidays as a young adult were great: getting away from your parents and going crazy on the free shots provided by the neon bars who just want your nubile faces in the hope it'll attract further punters. But holidaying as a proper adult is different, and I felt it acutely this time. It was about reaching the point where my mind was full of nothing, except figuring out six degrees of random film stars, what to eat for lunch (at 4pm) and whether I would randomly bump into Paul Rudd around the Algarve. See, where did that thought even come from? From my brain being in an almost meditative state. My mind, when unoccupied, goes to Paul Rudd. Of course. What else?

Now I'm back, full of ideas and enthusiasm to do things other than sit in front of a computer. I want to eat fresh food, read interesting things, have friends over for dinner, sit outside, go for coffee. The trick is to keep tight hold of the enthusiasm even as the holiday tan - or in my case, freckles - starts to fade.

By the way.. funny how you take so much to wear on holiday and only end up wearing the same things, isn't it? It always happens. This time it was these funny little moccasin boots I got from a charity shop which I'd never even worn before, but turned out to be the ideal beach-to-bar (apologies for the Grazia-ism, but it's true) shoe.

Also, we managed to adopt a cat for the duration of our stay. He was adorable but also sat outside our apartment door at 5am screaming to come in. It could only happen to us.


I'm wearing:
a myriad of Wildfox, Evil Twin and Minkpink, plus some vintage,
charity shop, Miss Selfridge, Topshop, French Connection & Patrizia Pepe.





















* I don't like not referencing this Recent Survey, but I got the information from Zest magazine who didn't cite the source either. So we'll just have to believe.

LET'S GO TODAY..

This year has been so incredibly tough for me and the rest of my family, and I really didn't even know where we'd be at right now, let alone whether I'd be able to go on holiday this year. I'll save the deep-and-meaningful, soul-searching sort of post for now, as things are looking up (firmly grasping wood) and right now Chris and I are sat in the departures lounge of Liverpool airport waiting to fly off for 8 days in the Algarve.

I wish I could say I've taken a capsule wardrobe like last year but we paid for a case this time, so naturally we've stuffed it full plus had to put clothes in hand luggage to prevent us from exceeding the weight limit. I'm even wearing a pair of ridiculous shoes to fly in just so I could have two pairs of heels with me.

Who's betting we don't wear half of it?

Anyway, I've got a load of sitting in the sun, drinking wine and eating fresh fish to do, so I'll see ya'll next week.

PENRITH

This weekend was spent with my boyfriend lazing around in the sleepy Lake District town of Penrith.

I say sleepy - but despite all the shops shutting at 4pm on a Saturday it was one of those mythical Mary Portas-approved high streets, with unique independent stores next to buzzing bars and sweet eateries. My favourite shops were Victoria's, with fair trade clothing and accessories (where our Buddha head is from) and J. J. Graham, a deli stocking all sorts of tasty treats, from freshly ground local coffee to international beers. Interestingly although this place seemed old fashioned they also have a transactional website, mixing old and new retail styles seamlessly.

Of course, as in any small town, there was more than a few charity shops. I insisted on visiting each and every one, maintaining that "you never know what you might miss"!


The reason we were in Penrith was to attend the wedding reception of one of Chris's university friends. A fantastic excuse to dress-up, of course, with the reception held in Roundthorn Country House - which had a beautiful view right the way across the Lake District.

I don't believe in buying a new outfit for an occasion, so I wore a French Connection dress Chris got for me this past Christmas, with Aldo heels and a DIY headchain. Chris does enjoy a new outfit and was rather pleased with his pink and burgundy T. M. Lewin get-up!

I'm wearing:  Oasis leopard dress  DIY'd vintage waistcoat  Minkpink Scorpio Rising dress  Forever 21 jacket  French Connection wrap dress  Zara bag  Aldo Rise x J.W.Anderson shoes  Office boots