lifestyle Archives - Page 20 of 54

bloomzy / December 27, 2015

Christmas Day | Photo Diary

Christmas Day in Wales

Christmas Day, for me, has always been a family affair. From the beginning of December I look forward to spending a relaxing day, chatting and eating with all of my family members. This year I spent it in Wales, with my “in-laws”. My day started with a light breakfast and coffee, whilst others slaved away in the kitchen (much appreciated) preparing a Christmas feast. Trust me, you don’t want me anywhere near your Christmas dinner. Unless you count eating it, because I can do a pretty good job of that.

I think this time of year allows us all to be a slightly more eccentric version of ourselves (read: show our true colours). And that’s great! I mean, when else would it be acceptable to start drinking champagne at 11am? It’s also readily accepted that you will gorge yourself silly, on food you simply refuse to eat any other time of the year. Again, I’m all for this. I actually love brussel sprouts and stuffing. I’ll pass on the Christmas pudding though. However, dowsing it in brandy and setting it a flame does make for a good photo.

I really just love the feeling and general joyfulness during this holiday. I’m very lucky to have some wonderful family and friends. And whereas I do appreciate them all year round, it is nice to spread a little extra love. After all, tis the season.

bloomzy / November 24, 2015

Christmas Gift Guide | The Interior Lover

Bloomzy’s Christmas Gift Guide, for The Interior Lover

It’s that time of the year again when we all start wracking our brains as to what we should buy our loved ones. And whereas they will always tell us “oh you don’t have to worry about getting me anything”, we all know we’re going to anyway. So to try and make it a little bit easier for you, I have put together a few gift guides. Each Christmas gift guide has been carefully curated by yours truly, to showcase what I believe are affordable, quality gifts that will appeal to all (well, pretty much anyone). So grab a cup of tea, sit back, and let me do all the hard work for you.

A Gift Guide for The Interior Lover:

Robin & Holly Oven Glove – Thornback and Peel*
Stag & Mistletoe Tea Towel – Thornback and Peel*
Stackable Copper & Gold Containers – Tiger
Inissia Black Coffee Machine & Aeroccino – Nespresso
Nespresso Machine Coffee Capsules*

You may be thinking to yourself right now, but I don’t see a Nespresso machine in the photos. Well I’m not gonna sugar coat it, it’s a bit of a b*tch to include in a flat lay. But I’m sure you can get the idea. Anyway, I wanted to include an interior gift guide this year as I have become a bit of an interior geek as of late – I blame my new apartment. Plus, interior is so hot right now. Am I right?

Don’t forget to check out the rest of my Christmas Gift Guide series.

bloomzy / November 16, 2015

A Blogger Adventure | Italy Travel Diary

#SeeWhatYouWearTour with Expool Consortium & EmilCar

I can’t believe it’s been a month since my whirlwind blogger adventure (on the See What You Wear Tour) in Italy with Andy (Andy Sparkles) & Elena (Vasilieva) – alongside some of Italy’s top Instagrammers. I was shown the amazing world of luxury, handmade Italian shoes. The delights of the local food. The beauty of Marche. But most importantly, I discovered a whole new country that I’d never been to before. I took far too many photos to count, which has probably given me enough content for the next month. However I believe that you should end things on a high (read: don’t drag them out). So this will be my final Italy Travel Diary post. A small photo round-up, highlighting all of the things I fell in love with during my visit. You can also see my Instagram adventures via #BloomzyItalia, and check out the people who joined me on my journey. I hope you’ll enjoy.

Check out the rest of my Italy Travel Diaries.
Thank you to Elena (Vasilieva) for the photo of me.

——————————–

I was invited on the #SeeWhatYouWearTour by Expool Consortium. However all images, words and opinions are my own.

bloomzy / November 15, 2015

Screen printing with Daniel Heath

Daniel Heath Studio | Blackhorse Workshop, Walthamstow

I don’t have an artistic bone in my body – unless you count photography, which for some reason I don’t. So I’ve always had a lot of respect for those who create art on a daily basis. And if it’s your job, well then, I take my hat off to you. This is exactly the case for Daniel Heath, who screen prints wallpaper and makes wood-etched furniture from his studio in East London. And thanks to In The Window, I was promised a look into his creative process, design story, and most excitingly, the chance to get arty myself. It could either go amazingly, or I could end up ruining everything. But as all good click bait titles do, I’m going to make you read on to find out which one it was.

It was a typical dark Winters evening when I found myself outside Blackhorse Workshop. Illuminated by fairy lights, it looked so inviting. Stepping inside I was greeted by warm smiles, and a bright venue. The Wood Street Coffee shop was adorable. The tables were littered with equally adorable – and delicious – snacks (thanks to Propercorn, Dinah’s Desserts, Nix & Kix, and Moreish Cheesecake). After some mingling and nibbling, we all headed upstairs to Daniel’s studio…

Daniel Heath is a British award winning independent wallpaper, textile and surface designer renowned for his illustrative and engaging designs. His intricate designs make for stunning interior features – my favourites are his new Art Deco architecture-inspired pieces. Each lovingly designed by Daniel himself, and hand painted using silk screens. Having such inspirational art at hand, I was eager to dive in myself. With Daniel beside me, I was shown how to screen print one of his current designs. I was actually pretty impressed with myself – there were no paint disasters, and I didn’t set accidentally fire to anything…so I’d say the evening went pretty well. Jokes aside, screen printing with Daniel Heath was such a joy. His designs are beautiful, and I love the bespoke, handmade aspect to his pieces. Aside from that, Daniel is just an awesome guy, which made the whole experience one I certainly won’t forget. So thank you to Daniel and the team behind In The Window, for allowing me to be part of something very special.

I also want to give a little shout-out to Addison Lee for taking me home that evening. I really appreciated having a warm car whisk me away after the event (especially when there’s free wi-fi).

Check out my curation of Daniel’s work at In The Window.

bloomzy / November 13, 2015

Food with a View | Italy Travel Diary

Cobà Beach Restaurant, Porto San Giorgio | Marche, Italy

I believe that almost anyone can bond over food. That’s why I find food to be an integral part of travel. Discovering new dishes, and connecting with others over them is so important. Even better if a local/friend can introduce you to the best dishes around. Lucky for me that’s exactly what happened, whilst I was in Fermo, Italy. During my stay I was taken to a restaurant with a view, invited into people’s homes, and even dined at 1 of only 2 five star hotels in Marche.

It may sound cheeky, but for full disclosure I really do feel that I should say, I don’t really like Italian food. Well, that’s not entirely true. I just don’t really like pasta. But I figured that if I was going to enjoy it anywhere, it would be Italy…right? With that shocking announcement made, what were the food highlights of my trip?

Soul Kitchen made me realise that I really do love thin, crispy pizza – it’s the best!
During our homemade meal at Rio Maggio Winery I happened to have the best lasagne ever made. True fact! It was light and flavoursome – nothing like the lasagne we have here in the UK (naturally).
Cobà has the best view you will ever see from a restaurant table. This is the stuff of 90s slow-pop music videos (think Britney Spears ‘Sometimes’).
Villa Funari probably has the most delicious matured cheese and ham in the region. It was also my favourite restaurant of the whole trip – small sharing plates are my one true love.

So what did I take away from my foodie vacation? Well I now know that I don’t actually mind pasta so much, and that the Italian people I met were incredibly warm and welcoming. I genuinely felt as though I was a part of one big, Instagram-loving family. Thank you to everyone that made my trip so memorable.

Check out the rest of my Italy Travel Diaries.
Thank you to Elena (Vasilieva) for the photo of me.

——————————–

I was invited on the #SeeWhatYouWearTour by Expool Consortium. However all images, words and opinions are my own.

bloomzy / November 3, 2015

If The Shoe Fits… | Italy Travel Diary

Vialactea Outlet | Marche, Italy

Shoes are one of the most important parts of our wardrobe. Some people might scoff at that statement, but it’s true. We’re on our feet every single day, so making sure we’re wearing good shoes is paramount. Of course if they can look good in the process, well that’s just an added bonus. You may remember me saying how I “never really cared for shoes”, but in recent years I’ve found myself changing my mind. I gave up buying cheap fast-fashion every few months, in favour of something slightly more expensive, but of much higher quality. So when Expool Consortium invited me on the See What You Wear Tour (with fellow bloggers Elena and Andy), I was eager to learn more about my new interest.

The blog tour was started to promote the province of Marche, famous worldwide for their handmade shoes. When I spoke to my Italian friends about my upcoming visit, they all boasted about the regions specialities. With butterflies in my stomach, I counted down the days until my trip. It’s difficult not to get excited when you’re working with brands that have created masterpieces for the likes of Armani and Prada…

During our tour we visited:
Formula Shoes
Vialactea
Mauron
Come Volare Shoes
Luca Verdi
Luca di Vesprini
GianRos
Lorena Paggi
Luca Iachini

Whereas each of the companies have their own unique style, I was impressed with the sheer quality of the shoes. These are not the kind of footwear you’ll find on the shelves of any high street store. These are handmade, with passion and care. I’ve never been the kind of person who could make my own clothing, so for me it was truly wonderful to be in the presence of such talent.

Check out the rest of my Italy Travel Diaries.
Thank you to Elena (Vasilieva) for the photo of me.

——————————–

I was invited on the #SeeWhatYouWearTour by Expool Consortium. However all images, words and opinions are my own.

bloomzy / October 30, 2015

An Evening in Fermo | Italy Travel Diary

Fermo, Marche | Italy

What did you do on your trip to Italy, Emma? People have been asking me this since I got back, and honestly I don’t know where to start. That’s the sign of an eventful trip, if you ask me. I suppose if anything, the best place to start would be the beginning. And what a beginning it was! After delays of almost 3 hours stuck on a plane on Stansted airport runway – thanks RyanAir – I was finally in Italy. I arrived into Rome, to the open arms of Marina, Emiliano, Elena and Andy. We hopped in the car and drove over to Fermo. We made a quick stop, for my first Italian coffee experience – bellissimo – and before we knew it we were there! The journey flew by, thanks to good conversation and the beautiful scenery.

Our first stop was our accommodation for the trip – Country House Colle dei Falchi. A beautiful villa in the middle of the Marche countryside; cute dogs, stunning views and roosters included. However we were soon whisked away to the town centre of Fermo (in our awesome customised Emilcar Renault Kadjars). Steeped in history, we were given a tour of the old Mayor’s house, which is now a gallery and museum (among other things). It was amazing to learn about the people (past and present) who have helped to make the town what it is today. After our tour of the town centre, we headed to the church, and down below. No, we weren’t heading to ancient catacombs, or hidden dungeons. Instead we were to dine in a trendy, contemporary bar-restaurant called Soul Kitchen. It was time for an aperitif and some pizza. Having never visited Italy before, trying real pizza was up there on my list. So to have it on my first night felt pretty special. Light, crispy and full of flavour. I’ll never go back to American style again!

After a long day we retired to our beds. Already I felt like I was part of a little family. Everyone had been so welcoming, and I was ready to start my real adventure…

Check out the rest of my Italy Travel Diaries.

——————————–

I was invited on the #SeeWhatYouWearTour by Expool Consortium. However all images, words and opinions are my own.