lifestyle Archives - Page 21 of 54

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.

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

bloomzy / October 26, 2015

Arriving in Comfort with Radisson Blu | Italy Travel Diary

Radisson Blu Stansted*

I love to travel, but I don’t like to travel. Trains, coaches and planes are not my bag baby. There’s always the worry of delays, and truthfully I have no patience for rude travellers (you know the kind). So usually I try to travel in the evening, to avoid any unwanted chaos. However we can’t always have what we want, and my Italy trip last week started with an 8am flight. I didn’t fancy a 4:00 coach to Stansted, so I looked up a few hotels in the area. Luckily for me Radisson Blu offered me a free nights stay. Even better, it’s right next door to the airport. Literally.

The hotel boasts 500 rooms, a gym & spa, 2 restaurants, 1 wine bar, free room wi-fi, coffee & tea, and 24 hour room service. With amenities like that you may be tempted to stay in your hotel room the whole night. Nonetheless, we started the evening by checking-in to our junior suite, where we settled in with a coffee before heading down to dinner. The restaurants can get pretty full, so I’d highly suggest making a reservation. We opted for the wine bar where we chilled with a juicy burger, whilst we watched the wine angels do their thing. We soon retired to our room where we had a soothing hot bath, before cozying up in the gigantic, luxurious bed (I want one!) with a hot chocolate. Before an uninterrupted nights sleep, we popped our breakfast order on the door handle. For a little extra they will deliver your breakfast to your room, meaning you can enjoy it wrapped up in one of their soft bathrobes. And who doesn’t love breakfast in bed? Listen up airport hotels, because this is how all holidays should start.

Hot chocolate, breakfast in bed and pillow sprays don’t seem like much, but little extras such as these really go towards making a stay that little less ordinary. My visit to Radisson Blu allowed me to relax the evening before my flight, and it also meant that I had no worries when it came to making it to the airport on time. I have to say, it was the most comfortable and effortless start to a holiday that I’ve had yet.

Check out Radisson Blu Stansted Airport to book a room, and avoid the chaos of travelling.

bloomzy / October 25, 2015

Blogger Secret Santa with Debenhams

Blogger Secret Santa with Debenhams*

Whether we like it or not, Christmas is fast approaching. Usually I start to get excited about a week or two before the big day. However this year something has changed. That oh-so familiar anticipation has begun to manifest itself. I imagine helping to plan the office Christmas party is the culprit…that and my craving for mulled wine! One of my favourite parts of Christmas is Secret Santa. It’s so much fun working with a budget and a theme. The surprise (and hopefully joy) on the face of your giftee is priceless. Enter Debenhams. Recently the department store contacted me about being a part of their blogger secret santa campaign. With an aim to bring together bloggers, and inspire people’s gift choices, I could hardly say no.

Each blogger was given a theme, a modest budget and a link to their secret santa’s blog. From there we were left to our own devices. I was given a home theme, and Emily of Stylelobster, which was easy as I know her blog well (find out what I gifted her here). As for me, I chose beauty. I sat back and waited (and hopped over to Italy), and soon enough my gifts arrived. All wrapped up in a bow. I’ve had some odd secret santa gifts in the past, which is probably what lead to me holding my breath as I unwrapped these ones. But my nerves were unfounded, as I soon discovered.

What did I receive?
+ Urban Decay Ink for Eyes Waterproof Precision Eye Pen
+ Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb
+ Illamasqua Nail Polish in Charisma
+ Miss Selfridge Oversized Check Scarf
+ Victoria Green Daisy Russet Wash Bag

Perfect gift after perfect gift materialsed in front of me. The note said “I’ve gone for a red theme” and boy was I pleased. I loved everything about my secret santa experience with Debenhams. From the personalised note, right down to the cruelty-free make-up products. Thank you so much to Aimee of Wallflowergirl for my incredibly thoughtful gifts. You made my day! Now I really can’t wait for Christmas.

I’d highly suggest visiting the Debenhams Gifts page for those of you who are stuck on what to get your secret santa. In fact I’d just recommend visiting in general. I know I’ll be browsing the site for my family and friends gifts. Happy shopping!

bloomzy / October 6, 2015

An Open Letter to Cereal Magazine | My Norfolk

Almost exactly one year ago I paid a trip home to Norwich and wrote about it here on my blog. I spoke of the joys of having a place to call “home”, and somewhere to relax. Not much has changed in that sense, but the way that I look at Norfolk has. After reading various issues of my favourite travel publication (Cereal), I’ve come to appreciate the little things that make a city or county so wonderful. I picked up the SHhhh Beginner’s Guide to Norwich whilst I was back, and it inspired to do my own little series. After all, I am a proud Norfolkian (if that’s what you call us). So in true Cereal style, I would like to introduce you to My Norfolk.

The more I think about it, the more astounded I am that Cereal have yet to feature Norfolk in one of their issues. Not only because the aesthetic fits perfectly, but because it is a hauntingly beautiful part of England. So this is my open letter to Cereal magazine. Please come to Norfolk and experience it through the eyes of a local. Stop for a strong coffee in one of Norwich’s speciality coffee shops (Strangers, for example) – something to sip on as you browse the carefully curated shelves of Finch. Spend your afternoon taking a walk along one of our beautiful coast lines (canine companion optional). And of course a walk is always best undertaken with the goal of finishing at a pub/tea room, and we have an abundance of both. You see, we have plenty to offer in Norfolk. You just give us a chance.

Yours, Emma

bloomzy / October 4, 2015

A London Life… at London Fashion Week

The Apartment | London Fashion Week SS16

London Fashion Week. You may have seen my last round up of it, earlier this week. I can’t believe it was three weeks ago already! But could I go back and do it all over again? Would I hang out at The Apartment and have my hair done by Wella again? Hell yeah! Would I shove myself through hoards of fashion-y types? Maybe. More importantly, would I ever want to set eyes on Brewer Street car park again? Yeah, probably not. But you gotta take the highs with the lows. After all that’s part of the fun of London Fashion Week, right?

So what did I get up to on the Saturday? There was… hair styling; at The Apartment. Plenty of wandering around the Royal Academy of Arts, thanks to Open House London. Where we also happened to take some outfit shots. And of course there was some more nibbling of sweet treats, courtesy of Aubaine. It’s such a shame I wasn’t able to continue my adventure on the Sunday, but I had a pretty awesome time whilst it lasted. You can see the rest of my London fashion week adventures on the blog though.

Thanks to V.A (Chopstickpanorama) for the photos of me.

bloomzy / September 28, 2015

A London Life… at London Fashion Week

The Apartment | London Fashion Week SS16

London Fashion Week. Yes, only two weeks ago it was that time of year again. The time when the “fashionistas” dust off their extravagant hats, pop on their wildest outfits and head to the HQ of fashion. Brewer Street car park. Wait, what?! It very well may have been controversial to move from Somerset House to Brewer Street car park, but alas move it did. This season, London saw hives of fashion lovers descend upon Soho. Models, designers and bloggers alike took the area by storm. And it was a little crowded to say the least.

What did I get up to? Well actually I got up to a lot over the weekend. So much so that I plan to do another post on my shenanigans. To sum it up? There was… relaxing; at The Apartment. Which included… pampering; courtesy of Jurlique, and food/cocktails; courtesy of Aubaine, Krispy Kreme and Aperol Spritz. And those are just the brands featured in this post! Yes, we were spoilt rotten. Don’t worry though I worked off most of the sugar glaze and alcohol by running around doing photoshoots and attending shows such as Sadie Clayton‘s (love THAT bomber jacket).

Thank you to The Apartment & Dina Tsesarsky for the photos of me & V.A.

bloomzy / September 9, 2015

Bake with Maria x KitchenAid

I spent a lot of time baking when I was freelancing last year. I loved trying out new recipes and perfecting old ones. However since I started my current job I’ve just not had the time for it. My evenings/weekends are filled with personal time with Ben, press events, and meeting with friends. Sad but true. Recently though I’ve been considering making more time for my old passion. So when Bake with Maria and KitchenAid invited me to a baking masterclass, I jumped at the chance to rekindle an old flame.

We started the evening with a small presentation by KitchenAid. I have gifted my mum (an exceptional baker) their products before, so I already know how amazing they are. However their new Magnetic Drive Blender (that’s the Torrent Blender to you Americans) is something else entirely. It uses a magnetic base rather than the usual slot base, and manages to blend even the most difficult of items. That particular evening we were using it to make chocolate ganache (on the milkshake setting…MILKSHAKE SETTING)! Any blender that can simultaneously create healthy beverages and junk food is a blender I want to own.

Anyway, back to the masterclass! We were making a chocolate tart, with a dark chocolate ganache filling and Chantilly creme. One of my personal favourites. We had a go making our own pastry (for the base, duh), making the ganache, and then finally the cream. All whilst using KitchenAid products. It was a surprisingly natural way to introduce us to the products, and show us what they could do. I’m already a convert to kitchen gadgets, so this class really drilled in how useful the KitchenAid products are. And how amazing a baker Maria is!

You can book your own masterclass at Bake with Maria, and purchase KitchenAid products at Selfridges.