bloomzy /

Now Open: Muji – Islington N1 Store, North London

On Thursday I headed to the Muji Islington N1 press event, which was held just before the customer opening event. This is the first Muji store to come to North London, and I know I am not the only one who is happy with this. You may be sat here right now scratching your head and saying “But Emma, the store has been open since last weekend?!” Well yes, you’d be correct, but Muji decided that it would be better to hold their event a few days later.  When I arrived I noticed a few people had already started queuing, and I was told that the customers are so dedicated they had started queuing over an hour before the event. Now that’s brand loyalty!
The new store has taken a lot of inspiration from the newer London stores, and from their stores in Japan. In fact they even had some of the Muji Japan team come over to give the finishing touches to the store. Looking outside in, the store looks classic and high-end. It’s slightly misleading as the store seems very small from the outside, however the team have made the most of the two floors and the fixtures, leaving the store looking more than spacious inside. The store has a great selection of Muji’s stock, which delighted me greatly; the storage, travel and candle selection is particularly impressive.
Muji is the perfect brand for those who live a modern, urban lifestyle. Selling high quality, minimalistic items from Japan, that could easily rival it’s competitors – I’m looking at you Sweden! I personally adore their storage items, and the little bits and bobs that make my home look better, and run easier. I’ve never bought any of their clothing (they sell women’s & men’s), but I was impressed with their use of French linen, and the quality tailoring of their basics. It’s safe to say I will be back again, and again, to the new Muji Islington N1 store.
Keep an eye out on my YouTube channel for my Muji haul video, coming soon!
bloomzy /

Nuffnang’s 1st Birthday Party

On Saturday afternoon someone let a bunch of bloggers, including myself, lose on the rooftop of Netil House (Netil 360 to be exact). It’s ok, don’t worry, we were given plenty of food and drinks to keep us happy (and snapping photos). Yes, it was Nuffnang’s First Birthday celebrations and we were ready to party!

There were props a plenty, so me, Alex, Honey & Jesse took full advantage. In blogger terms that means a mini photo shoot! So we pranced and posed all over the rooftop with the colourful balloons Nuffnang had provided us. After we had exhausted ourselves and our cameras, we retired to the shade to sip on Pimms and chat with our fellow bloggers. It was so lovely to finally meet Marlene, and catch-up with Steph, Sarah, Sara, Holly, Angela…there’s just too many wonderful Nuffnangers to keep up with! Time flew by as we laughed and swapped anecdotes. We worked up quite the appetite during the day, but thankfully Club Mexicana were on hand to serve us delicious vegan tacos. I am a meat eater, but I adore vegetarian and vegan food, and I was not let down by these tacos. They were scrumptiously spicy, and left me wanting more! Still, after so much savoury food I had room for a little something sweet. Thankfully the amazing Victoria Yum was at Netil Market, which just so happened to be directly below us. So I told everyone about her and convinced them to come down with me and buy up all of her cupcakes!

I’ve wanted to be a member of Nuffnang ever since I found out my girl Cheesie was with them. Unfortunately at that time they were only in Asia. Naturally as soon as I found out they were in the UK I joined straight away! Nuffnang may have only been around in the UK for one year, but they are already pros at hosting events. I feel so relaxed with them, and I know that they would gladly help me (and the others) if I ever needed it. Not only that, but Jesse has already become a good friend of mine – she inspires me so much and I truly believe that we were meant to meet. So thank you Nuffnang, for inspiring me in blogging, helping me meet so many amazing people, and for hosting us at your first birthday party. May it be the first of many! 

bloomzy /

Workshop: Take Better Instagram Photos, with Jess Macdonald & Cath Kidston!

On Sunday, I headed to the 180 Piccadilly Flagship Cath Kidston store with Alex & Sarah. You’d probably expect me to go on and say how we were doing some casual window shopping, right? Wrong! We were there to learn how to take better Instagram photos at a special workshop. May saw three new free workshops (in collaboration with Indytute) pop up at the 180 Piccadilly store: ‘Vintage plate upcycling’, ‘My Cool Shed: how to make small spaces beautiful, with Jane Field’ and ‘Master Instagram in an instant, with Jess Macdonald’. I am a self-confessed Instagram addict! I was incredibly eager to take part and learn some new skills, so it only made sense that we were the first ones to arrive at the workshop!
Jess is a key player on Instagram, with over 32K followers on her @missundergound account. 
She also co-founded Instagrammers London and IGers UK – this lady knows her stuff! I eagerly took notes on my phone during the workshop and threw my hand up every time Jess asked a question – yes, I am THAT person! I’m sure my enthusiasm was charming…at least that’s what I like to tell myself. Anyway, I was taking notes to share them with all of you on here, so no judging, ok? Read below to find out Jess’s tips on how to take better Instagram photos and gain more followers, and to also see my ‘challenge photos’ from the workshop.

How to Take Better Instagram Photos 

No Instagram Filters! That probably sounds a bit insane when you’re talking about Instagram, but it’s true. The Instagram filters can flatten your images and take away the colour and impact from the original photo. Instead you should…
Use Apps! Jess recommended Vsco (my personal favourite) & Snapseed as two of the best. She also said that you should feel free to use the filters on Vsco because they are made to enhance your photo. Just make sure that you don’t go filter crazy, and try to always use one or two of the same filters.
The 3 Ss: Sunsets, Silhouettes & Symmetry: They can make your photos pop and look amazing! 
The Rule of Thirds: This is a simple photography tip that most people may already know. It’s my go-to rule! It’s a bit much to write in note form though, so read all about it here. 
Borders: Either use ’em, or lose ’em! Yep, either stick with the Instagram square, or only use borders (of the same size). I have been guilty of mixing both, but will avoid that from now on.
Selfies: It can be a bit awkward trying to take your own photo, which means that you don’t always get a great image. Instead ask someone else to take your photo. 
Take someone else’s photo: If you see someone interesting or someone with amazing style, ask them if you can take their photo. Don’t be scared! Just make sure you get their permission!
Hastags: Use them, but keep them relevant e.g. No #London if your photo wasn’t taken in London. Also remember not to use generic terms such as #nice #pretty etc.
Invest in a portable battery: So you won’t have to worry about running out of battery whilst you’re being the pro-photographer that you are!
Make relationships and reply to your comments: It’s all well and good liking someone’s photos but you won’t make relationships with users based on just that. If you like a photo or have something to say about it, leave a comment and let them know. At the same time, if someone comments on your photos, reply or say thank you. 
Jess’s Recommended Instagram Users

Jess recommended 3 inspirational Instagram users:
@DanRubin, @DearLeila, @HelloPoe
After Jess had given us some tips and tricks, we were asked to take part in a special photo challenge. We were told to take one Lifestyle photo (think table top, birds eye view), a photo of the Cath Kidston window, and a Selfie/Portrait.
My entries for each challenge category.
So what do you think? Did I do the themes justice? I was very happy with them. I had so much fun messing around and taking photos with Alex, Sarah, Jaz and Rubo. We played with beach balls, hopped inside the displays and basically treated the store like a big playground. All with the consent of the lovely Cath Kidston staff, of course! A big thank you to Jaz for hosting the event, and Jess for her insight, and for inspiring me to take my photography to the next level!
You can find me on Instagram: @bloomzy
bloomzy /

Tatty Devine Lucky Dip Box & Sample Sale

Did you really think I could resist the lure of the Tatty Devine lucky dip boxes? Well I managed to resist the sunglasses box and only buy one small one this year. I never seem to have much luck with lucky dip boxes so I decided not to go overboard. I think I got some good items in my box this time round, but not all are for me really. Even though I love all of the items they’re not really pieces I would get much wear from. I have put the necklace on the Tatty Devine Swap Shop and the rest is on eBay. If you’re interested in Tatty Devine you can find all my sales here on eBay.
The Tatty Devine Sample Sale takes place Saturday 3rd May in their Brick Lane store.
Doors are open from 11am-6pm – I’d suggest getting there about an hour before to join the queue!
bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London: Fingers Crossed

Fingers Crossed | Cafe | Stoke Newington | Website
– reservations not available –

Fingers Crossed is a local cafe I came across in my London Coffee Guide. I don’t drink coffee but I know my stuff, thanks to an overly enthusiastic sibling. So when I read that they also offered amazing food, I knew I had to check them out. I headed there around midday on bank holiday Monday, with my fiancé.

Fingers Crossed is in a rather unexpected location. However thanks to the cleverly designed logo on the front window you’re unable to miss this hidden gem. Inside is a very basic rustic chic setting, with one long communal table and several single tables. I don’t mind the idea of communal tables so we sat down, next to the cakes. Of course. It was busy, with most of the tables being taken up by talkative groups, all who had ordered food. Originally we only went in for cake, but after seeing the food come out my fiance just couldn’t resist. I choose the brownie with a cheesecake topping, and he went for the tomatoes and eggs, with Sicilian sardines. Presentation wise, the food was similar to the cafe – providing a quality product that doesn’t need dressing up. The brownie was superb, and is the best invention to happen to cakes since…ever! The baked cheesecake topping added a texture and taste to the egg-less chocolate brownie that I just haven’t come across before. I was tempted to bring back a bag full, but managed to resist. The fiancé said his brunch option was delicious, and he loved that he could taste everything in the dish that had been mentioned on the menu. According to him it was the tangy sweet tomatoes that brought the whole dish together though. I asked him if he would eat it again. His answer? “Definitely”, and he wanted to try the other similar dishes too.

The barista came over to us after we’d eaten and asked us if we wanted to “…try something different”. Of course we said yes, and soon enough two espresso glasses were placed in front of us. “It’s iced coffee” he told us. He spoke about it with such enthusiasm that we weren’t surprised when we tasted how good it was. It was incredibly fruity and refreshing. I only had a few mouthfuls as I can’t drink coffee really, but I enjoyed it immensely. He told us it isn’t really popular in the coffee world yet, but if everyone was to try the one he gave us I know they’d be won over. After we had finished our iced coffee (I gave the rest of mine to the fiancé), we went up to pay. They don’t take cards here, so you will need to bring cash. Don’t worry, you won’t need to bring much though, as we were pleasantly surprised to see that it was pretty cheap.

I noticed that there were freshly cut flowers scattered around the cafe, which I always love. However it was the service that really made me smile. There were only 3 people working in the cafe: the hostess, barista and chef. All 3 of them were delightful and chatty, whilst making sure everyone had everything they needed. I will definitely be going back to Fingers Crossed, and I will be bringing everyone I know with me!

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.

bloomzy /

Introducing: Playn Eyewear @ Boxpark

Playn eyewear are back at Boxpark, and I went along to check them out. Now before I get too far ahead of myself, I should probably introduce the brand. Playn Eyewear is a German company founded by the designer Denis Beyer. They design and sell their own unique sunglasses and glasses frames. They first came to Boxpark in Shoreditch in 2013, and now they’re back!

When I visited with V.A to check out their frames, I was impressed with their clean-cut feel. The whole store felt very serene, and cool – the perfect place to pick out a pair of sunnies. Now I just got a new pair of glasses and sunglasses, however I was still keen to try everything on. I know, I’m terrible, but the range of frames on offer are just too tempting. I fell head over heels with the Miami Vice – Sarah frames (pink gradient) as soon as I put them on. You can see me wearing them above, and I like to think they suit me pretty well. It’s the amazingly subtle rose tint on the lenses that drew me in though. It makes everything look so romantic and fun! These are the perfect instagram filter…for life. I can definitely see myself wearing these whilst lounging in London Fields with friends, or browsing Brick Lane’s street food stalls. Of course you can wear them outside of East London, if you fancy.

Spring has brought out the sunshine so there’s no better time than now to grab a pair of sunglasses. Or maybe you feel your prescription specs are looking a bit dull, and you could do with an update?

Head over to Playn to browse their frames and see if something catches your eye!

bloomzy /

Where to Eat in London: Onthebab

Onthebab | Korean Streetfood | Lunch/Dinner | Old Street, Shoreditch | Website
– reservations not available –

Onthebab is a lone Korean restaurant in the heart of Shoreditch. I headed there around 12pm on a Tuesday with V.A of Chopstickpanorama.

Onthebab is a tiny restaurant located on Old Street, yet they’ve managed to fit in as many tables (and a bar) as possible, without it feeling uncomfortable. The interior matches the exterior, making sure the minimal chic feel of the restaurant stays in touch with it’s Shoreditch roots. We were greeted by a very welcoming waitress, and an empty restaurant. I gave a sigh of relief that we had made it before the lunchtime rush. We had a hard time choosing which dishes to have, not because there were too many, but because they all sounded delicious. We finally decided on the Spicy Pork Buns (to share) and a Bulgogi Bibimbap (each). I started my meal with a refreshing Cinnamon Punch – a Korean soft drink that I don’t see often. I was a little worried when the pork buns arrived, with their almost glowing red innards. No matter how much I try, my tolerance for spice is extremely low. They were spicy, but just under my barrier, and boy were they delicious. The flavour inside one of those tiny little buns is immense! I imagine this was partly due to the cut of pork and the way it had been cooked to perfection. I found myself fearful at the impending last bite. Unfortunately it came, but I was eager to try my Bulgogi Bibimbap so I recovered pretty quickly. Bibimbap is a traditional Korean rice dish with vegetables and gochujang (chilli pepper paste), usually served with a fried egg and meat. Well at Onthebab you get the whole shebang! We chose the bulgogi beef as it’s a favourite of ours. The dish was large and came with plenty of meat, egg, fresh vegetables and rice. It didn’t taste spicy, so I added a little more gochujang to mine, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Towards the end of our meals the lunchtime rush had hit and the restaurant was almost full. Still, the service was fast and impeccable. I left satisfied, and impressed with the food and the lovely people running the establishment.

It’s not often that I crave a particular dish, but I can honestly say that I will be back to Onthebab for the Spicy Pork Buns alone . Of course I’d also love to try out more of their delicious dishes too. This is one restaurant you can not overlook!

You can read more of my restaurant reviews on Zomato.