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Photo Diary: Birthday Celebrations

As some of you may have noticed it was my birthday this week.
I know people say that your birthday gets less exciting the older you get, but I dislike that saying.
So I always end up using my birthday as an excuse to fill the whole week with things I love to do.
This week I went out to several different restaurants for meals, with the fiancé, and my friends.
The fiancé and I went for an amazing French dinner at La Sacre Coeur in Angel, Islington.
The food was traditionally French and very authentic, as well as being incredibly delicious.
My birthday is also the date of our anniversary (which makes it a lot easier to remember).
The next day I visited the Saatchi Gallery with Hanni, which I’ve been meaning to do for ages.
We had a lovely lunch on Kings road, which involved pasta and cake…although not altogether.
The following day a bunch of us went for food at Far Rockaway and then for drinks at The Book Club.
I received some amazing birthday presents of course, from some wonderful people, which I’m so grateful for.
Yes that is one of the new Tatty Devine horse brooches, a dino-sir card and a brand new iPhone 5S.
I’ve been uploading photos of them every now and again, because I’m just so giddy over everything.
Going out also means an excuse to dress up, so I’ve been uploading my outfits over the last few days too.
You can follow me on Instagram: @bloomzy
bloomzy /

Cuticura Lemon Sherbet & Sugar Candy Hand Gels

Cuticura Lemon Sherbet & Sugar Candy Anti-Bac Hand Gels*

I wasn’t sure whether to blog about these when I received them as it’s not my usual content.
Then the fiancé came home and told me that one of his work colleagues was sick with a cold.
I grabbed up one of these and put the other in my handbag – I don’t need a cold on my birthday!
It made me realise that anti-vac hand gels are commonplace now, and very helpful in the Winter months.
These arrived with a personalised jar of sherbet lemons too (not included with purchase unfortunately).
How cute is that? Cuticura had definitely got my attention, and I decided that warranted a post.
Cuticura are known for their lovely scented anti bacterial hand gels and hand washes.
They come in two sweet and delicious scents: Sugar Candy & Lemon Sherbet.
The scent isn’t amazingly strong, as they are alcohol based gels, but it’s sweet.
The lemon sherbet is my favourite of the two, but it wasn’t an easy choice.
These are perfect for carrying around with you or taking to the gym/work etc. 
I like the idea of a sweet smelling alcohol gel that isn’t just in a boring bottle.
The packaging is incredibly cute and fits the concept perfectly.
Both scents are exclusive to Primark stores from February, and are priced at only £1.
bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London: Village East of Bermondsey

 Village East of Bermondsey – Lunch, Dinner, Weekend Brunch – Bermondsey: Website
– reservations available –
Village East of Bermondsey is a European bar/restaurant located on Bermondsey Street. The outside is welcoming, and inside the decor is simple and stylish. I headed there on a Friday evening with 3 friends. Bermondsey is not somewhere I head often. I’ve only been there twice and I never really expected to find any ‘decent’ restaurants. Luckily a foodie friend of mine just moved to the area and had already checked out the place. We had made reservations and were lead to our table as soon as we arrived. It turned out that we were sat directly opposite the kitchen, and this wasn’t any little ol’kitchen with a window. This was an open plan kitchen with chefs plating up the food right in front of you. I thought it might be a bit noisy and off-putting to start with, but it added to the lively atmosphere, and we all enjoyed watching the chefs and wondering if it was our plate heading out next. We ordered a main and a dessert each; I went for the Soft Shell Crab Bap, and the Pineapple & Mascarpone Trifle. My crab bap originally seemed like an odd choice for an evening meal but my woes were left behind me as soon as I took my first bite. The bun and crab were delicious, and the sauce & garnish complimented it wonderfully, whilst the chips were cooked perfectly. I didn’t want it to end. As for the dessert, I felt it was a fun and tasty take on the traditional British trifle, but it lacked a little extra something. I think next time I would go for something a bit sweeter.
The service at Village East of Bermondsey was perfectly on point. The waiters were friendly and fast with our food and orders, but didn’t make us feel as though we had to be herded in and out. I will definitely be heading back, most certainly to check out the brunch menu.
bloomzy /

Photo Diary: Sunday in Shoreditch

Spending a Sunday afternoon in Shoreditch is one of my favourite things to do.
I love the vintage markets, world food stalls and street style of Brick Lane.
I love the smells, colours and the people who wander down Columbia Road.
It’s somewhere I always take people when they visit because it has such life.
Everywhere in Shoreditch has such atmosphere and effortless style.
If you aren’t a fan of London I suggest you visit these places and then decided again.
If you can’t make it to London anytime soon, hopefully my photos will help.
Locations/People in this photo diary include:
Hanni Bow, Brick Lane Coffee, Rough Trade East, Brick Lane Market & Columbia Road
bloomzy /

Sale Finds Series: Iconemesis

I’ve decided to do a small series on some of my online sale finds this month.
That means I’ll be posting mini-wishlists or recommendations from various online stores.
It’s quite simple really, if I find an amazing sale I want to be able to share it with everyone!
This seems like the easiest and also best (I enjoy making wishlists too much) way to do it.
My first ‘Sale Find’ is Iconemesis and their New Year Sale.

Iconemesis iPhone cases

What? iPhone 4/4S & 5/5S Cases
How much off? Up to 50%! Prices start at £10
Running until? Undisclosed
Iconemesis have been on the blog before and I love their store.
They sell iPhone cases which feature the works of artists/illustrators.
It’s such a simple and perfect idea that it’s no wonder I’m featuring them.
I choose to highlight some of the cases in their sale that really stood out to me.
With a starting price of £10 for most of the cases they’re a great deal.
What a great, cheap way to revamp your iPhone for 2014!

You can view the full Iconemesis sale here.

Source: 1
bloomzy /

Photo Diary: New Years Eve Celebrations 2013

This New Year’s Eve I went back to a familiar and much loved spot.
I wasn’t in London again this NYE, but I was in Wales with the fiancé’s family. 
We went back to The Checkers, somewhere we have visited several times before.
It’s an amazing restaurant, and is 1 of only 3 Michelin Star restaurants in Wales.
The menu this year was slightly different to last New Year’s Eve:
Of course it wasn’t any less delicious, and every mouthful was full of flavour.
I’m such a foodie that this was the perfect way for me to spend my NYE with friends & family.
Not only that but I think good food and wine really helps to bring people together.
There was plenty of bubbly, fun & giggles, and a good night was had by all.
How did you spend your New Year’s Eve?
bloomzy /

My Visit To The Cheeky Parlour

Just before Christmas I treated my friend Anna to a trip to the Cheeky parlour. I had heard of the mini beauty salon in Shoreditch and was dying to visit with a friend. Located on Redchurch St, above Aubin & Wills, the salon fits into Shoreditch perfectly. The idea behind the parlour is brilliant, offering walk-in manicures, blow outs and food. You’re handed a small paper card when you enter, and this is filled in throughout your visit. Whether you have a manicure & coffee, or a hair style & cake, it is jotted down onto your card. Now this may seem dangerous to a beauty addict, but with such great prices it’s not scary at all.

We had a manicure (only £10!), with nail art (£1.50 per nail). Now the amazing thing is, every manicure comes with a free polish! Yep, you get a 10ml pot of nail polish, in the shade you choose for your manicure. If that isn’t a bargain then I don’t know what is. So my whole manicure, with nail art, cost only £13. We ordered a couple of coffees and they were brought to us as we chatted and relaxed at the nail bar. Afterwards we retired to a comfy sofa and waited for our nails to dry, whilst we browsed the menu. I was pretty impressed with the food on offer, all of it sounded delicious and reasonably priced. We had mini red velvet cakes and chilled out, whilst drinking in our surroundings. Finally we checked out all the Cheeky products on offer, before paying.

The concept behind the Cheeky Parlour is any beauty lovers fantasy. Prices are reasonable, and the treatments offered are perfectly executed. The parlour is perfectly Shoreditch, on-trend and great for visiting with friends. All-in-all I will definitely be going again, and taking friends & family with me. I may even go for a hairstyle next time, if I have the occasion to.

You can find Cheeky Parlour on Redchurch St, Shoreditch.