Diarise it- Tour of Parliament/ W Hotel does Brunch

01 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in Diarise it

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Happy Monday beautiful people! How amazing was the weather this weekend in London! Thank you Mr Sun!

So this weekend I tried two new things.  Firstly on Saturday the BF and I had a tour of Parliament.  Ever since some friends of ours recommended it I have wanted to go. So on Thursday I just decided to diarise it and booked us in for a Saturday afternoon tour.  The tour took 1 hour and 15 mins and was absolutely fab! I am not a history buff but I loved learning really interesting facts about how Parliament actually works.

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The second new thing I tried was Brunch at the W Hotel London with the girls on Sunday. Brunch at the W Hotel was fab in so many ways!.  The food was good, the atmosphere was relaxed and you get some great tarten slippers to sit back and get cosy. I loved it so much I am definitely going to be coming back here.

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Deets– Tour of Parliament– You have to book if you want to go.  Tours happen on a Saturday.  Ticket price per adult- £16.50

W does Brunch– W Lounge, W London ­ Leicester Square, 10 Wardour Street, W1D 6QF.  Price– £25 per person. Call 0207 758 1060

@limoncellogirl

Diarise it

 

 

Undiscovered gem-Lisbon

27 Thursday Jun 2013

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Morning folks.
So I was out and about last night with one of my oldest besties and raved away about my trip to Lisbon, so I thought it was about time I actually did a blog post on it. So here it is.
This trip was my first time visiting Portugual’s capital city and all I can say is what an undiscovered gem. I am so going back, three days was just not enough time to immerse myself in this wonderful city.
The trip didn’t get off to a fabulous start as I was grounded on the run way for over 3 hours due to the French air strikes (you have to love the Frenchies and there love for striking, striking is a national hobby for them!).  So once we finally arrived, not the BF and I, this trip was a mummy and daughter trip we got stuck in and started with a walk down Avenida Da Liberdade.
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I loved taking in all the big squares in Lisbon. My first Elevador (funicular ) ride was Elevador da Gloria. Lisbon’s second oldest Funicular did not disappoint.
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The trams are so quaint and save little old ladies legs and my legs from steep walks.  Once we got to the top we were rewarded with great views of Lisbon.
 
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Following this we went to Convento do Carmo, which is an old convent.  Mum and I settled down on the steps and enjoyed the great architecture.
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Since we were in the area we couldn’t resist Elevador de Santa Justa. It is an amazing neo gothic lift that will reward you with 360 degrees of the city. Tip use the Elevador to get to Convento do Carmo.
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I loved the fact that the city had a buzz to it.  We strolled around the district of Bairro Alto, stopping off to listen to amazing group play some fabulous street jazz whilst licking the most amazing ice cream from Santinis.  After walking Lisbon for what felt like miles we headed to a roof top bar in Bairro Alto Hotel.  This hotel bar provides the perfect spot to have a few glasses of vino or cocktails and rest your feet as the city below begins to sparkle.
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By the time we had a few drinks, the city had indeed began to sparkle.  On this night the revellers, the tourists, the families were all out.  Mum and I strolled around for a while but ended up going to have some din dins near our hotel.  We went to a restaurant called Sessenta.  For 22 euros we tucked into a 4 course taster.  The price was extremely reasonable and the food was reasonable.  My first day in Lisbon was phenomenal. Check in later this week for day two in Lisbon.
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Live, love and learn
City DEETs:
Elevador da Gloria- Funicular M-Restauradores
Convento do Carmo- M Baixa-Chiado
Bairro Alto Hotel- Parca Luis de Camoes. M Baixa-Chiado
Sessenta- M-Picoas

Bad boy wedges

26 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in the fashion fairy

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Happy hump day people.  Got into work super early this morning after completing my 5k run to find that my bad boy Sigerson Morrison wedges have arrived.  Nothing like a parcel delivery to put a smile on a girl’s face. I have popped them straight on and would be staring at them lovingly all day (FACT).

Shoes- Sigerson Morrison/ Trousers- Zara

Live, love and learn

@limoncellogirl

 

xoxo

 

Staycation Vacation- PT 2

24 Monday Jun 2013

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Hey dolls!

This is part two of my staycation vacation in South Wales. For part one please click here.

On the second day of our staycation vacation the BF and I went to a quaint little town called Llandeilo were some of his ancestors are from.

As soon as we arrived in the town I fell in love with the amazing pastel coloured buildings!

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There is an amazing river running through the town and lots of greenery.  There is nothing like fresh country air sometimes!

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Following this we did a little hop, skip and jump and utilised our National Trust cards and popped to Dinefwr Castle.

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We had a great afternoon pottering around the castle and poking our heads in all the nooks and crannies.

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I am pretty impressed with my jump and the BF’s camera skills to get it perfectly!

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I absolutely loved walking through the woods to get to the top of the castle.  The lavendar is so gorgeous!!

On the last day of our staycation I met up with some friends at a half way point. That half way point was Tintern Abbey.

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More green, green green.  I have to say this city girl is a converted country lover.

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@limoncellogirl

Live, love and learn.

Ps my next travel post is going to be about my recent trip to Lisbon- the undiscovered gem (well by me at least) of Europe.

London Girl

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

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Happy humpday beautiful people!! I  am back from Lisbon and it was fabulous! I will be posting about my trip shortly. I am not an advocate of too much whinging but what is going on with the weather in London.

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This morning I woke up checked my iPhone to see what temperatures we were expecting and I saw this. No word of a lie I thought my iPhone was broken, so I popped onto beebs only to find out my iPhone hadn’t lost the plot and was in fact working. Sad times com. If I disappear it’s because I have drowned in London! Whinge over.

Now about today’s London girl. I first met her through the BF at her wedding when she was walking down the isle to her beau. My first impression was wow gorgeous! Now I have got to know her I would say not only is she gorgeous but she is a very sweet lovely person, genuine and what’s more intelligent. A combo many woman would kill for. Hope you enjoy this week’s London girl

What would you do if you were Queen for the day?

Based on recent events I think I would improve privacy laws or at least vet the information provided about me to the media. No one needs to know about tummy problems!

I would like to think that I would be altruistic and try to fix the problems of the country but as it is only for a day I would be more preoccupied with enjoying the life of luxury.

I would throw a fabulous garden party at Buckingham Palace for all my friends and wouldn’t worry about being politically correct having to invite people I don’t know or politicians, I would merely have my closest friends around and have a blast. Of course this would be while wearing as many of the Crown Jewels as I could possibly manage.  It may be a bit bling but they have to have an outing every once in a while, besides what girl wouldn’t want to carry the Sovereign’s Sceptre with its 530 carat diamond? J

How would you describe your style?

I’m not really sure. I suppose I have more of a classic style. I prefer clean lines and block colour. I don’t really follow trends so I have items in my wardrobe that date back years!

Are you a designer or high street girl?

Definitely high street. I wish I was more designer but budgetary constraints mean only a few pieces here and there are of the more expensive range. I do like nice accessories and don’t really like costume jewellery so if I can invest in a nice piece then I will.

Have you had any fashion splurges or bargain finds?

I recently bought myself a gorgeous Mulberry Bayswater bag. It’s probably the most I’ve ever spent on one item, aside from my wedding dress. I absolutely love it. I’m not great at finding bargains but have read that Oxfam shops around Chelsea, Notthing Hill and Kensington have some brilliant things on offer. Maybe I’ll set aside a weekend to explore.

What is your favourite clothes shop?

Hmm let’s see… for casual clothes I really like Warehouse, Oasis, Mango and Gap. For work clothes I like Hobbs, though prefer to wait for the sales! For the safer work look I always revert to T.M. Lewin. If I have to get a nice party or cocktail dress my first stop is always Coast. Their dresses are just so gorgeous and I love the fact that you can get matching shoes and handbags all in one place.

What is the romantic thing someone has done for you?

This definitely has to be when my now husband proposed while we were on a city break in Rome. He had been planning it for months and I didn’t have a clue! He proposed at the end of our first day, at the top of Castel Sant’Angelo which has beautiful views over Rome. He timed it so that we were there at sunset and wanted to do it on the first day so that we could spend the rest of our trip as a newly engaged couple. Aside from the fact that Rome is an amazing city, that made our long weekend just magical.

What’s your favourite part of London?

I really enjoy exploring Soho. I love the variety that it offers: quirky art and design companies, fabric stores (even though I can’t sew I find these shops mesmerising!), cocktail bars, brilliant restaurants, etc. You can pick any type of cuisine you fancy and it’s very likely you will find a restaurant which caters for it. My favourite cocktail bar is Barrio Central on Poland Street. It has great atmosphere, amazing cocktails and the best nachos ever. And Scoop on Brewer Street really does the best ice cream in London!

I also love the openness of the Soho. People are unrestricted and can be themselves.

Where or what would you recommend for a first date?

This is a tough one for me as it’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve been on a first date. I met my husband at Univeristy and so being poor students most of our dates revolved around the Student Union and coffee shops…going out for dinner was always such a treat.

I think being able to talk and get to know each other during a first date is crucial. So a nice bar with a relaxed but still vibrant atmosphere followed by dinner (if things have progressed well) would be a good start. Activity dates are always better for the second and third date since then you are trying to gauge how the other person is in different situations.

Gordons Wine Bar on Villiers Street near Embankment tube is great. It has seating set in what look like little caves so this can always be a good talking point. Reservations are a must as it is VERY popular but the seats are slightly apart from where people stand so you get the atmosphere but can still talk. From there you are within walking distance to Somerset House where Tom’s Terrace has a brilliant heated outside bar and of course only a short walk to Soho (Dean Street) for lots of restaurants.

Where do you go to let loose with your girls?

If I’m meeting with other London girls after work the City, near Bank tube is an easy meeting point for most of us. Some work in the area while the transport links for everyone else are very convenient. This area has so much to offer from trendy bars like the Anthologist to nice Bar & Restaurants like Rocket and great views from Madison Cafe at One Change. Of course we have been known on occasion to really let loose at Abacus, the meat market of the City. As long as you can find a table or corner where you can dance around your handbags it’s a great place to party.

Where have you recently gone on holiday to escape the big smoke of London?

Our most recent holiday was at the end of January for a week skiing in Alpe d’Huez, France. Absolutely beautiful scenery and fantastic snow. I really didn’t want to leave. There is nothing that beats the feeling of a great day skiing, hard work but so much fun, and coming home to tea and homemade cake, relaxing in the jacuzzi for a while, and then having a three course meal while discussing your day with family and friends. For me one of the biggest bonuses of skiing is that I can eat anything I want without feeling guilty as I know I will burn it off the next day!

What’s your life philosophy?

I’m not sure I have a life philosophy but there is a saying which I like and remind myself of quite often: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step”.

This has served me well in tackling many tasks and situations and has always been a great motivator.

 

Have a fabulous day everyone.

 

Live, love and learn

@limoncellogirl