OOTD: Orange Midi Dress

Outfit:
Denim jacket: c/o Fat Face
Burnt orange midi dress: Zara (similar)
Grey leather ankle boots: Office (similar)

Once again I found this dress lingering at the back of my wardrobe during a frustrated rummage where nothing caught my eye. I needed a fairly smart casual outfit to wear out for an early dinner and a trip down the pub. This was the end result. I thought I'd go for a slightly boho look aka desperately try to look like Sienna Miller. It's not my usual style but one that I rather liked when I put it together. I always thought this dress would be hard to dress down but a pair of coloured ankle boots did the trick.

Bank Holiday weekends are the greatest eh? Last night I celebrated three days off with a trip to a 90s garage night. Craig David and So Solid Crew were just the tonic to wash away the working week. Tonight I'm out for as Thai with friends, tomorrow I'm popping into London for a Spanish food festival and a burger and then on Monday, Tom Hardy is waiting for at the cinema. Can we have three day weekends every week please?

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Review: Patty and Bun

Another day, another burger. London shows no signs of giving up the burger trend any time soon. Determined to carb load before watching the London Marathon, we opted to visit one of the originals Patty and Bun. This is my third time to the burger joint and each time is just as good as the last. The Liverpool Street branch is small but cosy and service is uber quick. You don't have to wait long to stuff your face! It's situated just outside the station next to Macdonalds - this is a much better shout if you're in need of a foodie fix. Simply walk up to the counter, give your name and take a seat.

We both opted for the delicious Smokey Robinson. A toasted brioche bun is stuffed with a juicy medium-rare beef patty, gooey cheese, tomato, lettuce, oodles of sweet caramelised onions, crispy bacon, ketchup and a tasty special smoked sauce. It's a beast that requires two hands to bite into. It's also a beast that requires lots of napkins to wipe up the mess it makes! The bun held all the glorious juices and the bacon was the perfect accompaniment to the smokey sauce. The rosemary skin-on chips were extremely moreish and were a good mixture of crispy and soft chips.

It makes my top three burgers in London - no mean feat!

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Fat Face - the wardrobe edit

Fat Face recently got in touch with me and asked me if I wanted to collaborate. They wanted me to style up a couple of pieces going from day to night. I opted for this pretty floral cotton midi skirt and the classic denim jacket. Both brilliant staples for the summer months!

I wanted to keep them both fairly summery so I chose to pick out the white in the skirt to use as a base. The Converse help to bring everything down a notch to make it a bit more suitable for everyday.  A loose cropped tee again gives it a dressed down feel.

I always think a crop top and a pair of heels immediately take a casual outfit to something a bit more dressy. Heels make everything look more immaculate in my opinion! I rolled the sleeves of the jacket up to help make a distinction between day and night. A slick of pink lippie gives it a finishing touch.

Day:

Night:

Which is your favourite look?

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A London bucket list

Living 20 minutes from London means I'm in the big city fairly often. It's fair to say I find it hard to stay away. But I tend to go to the same places and certain boroughs. I like what I know and definitely have my favourite parts that never get old. But London is a big place and I've got a few things on my list that I've never done. Things that I need to do. Here's a list of the things I'd like to tick off my list in the Big Smoke.

1. Climb the o2
I personally think the o2 is amazing - what they've done to it since it was the Millennium Dome is brilliant. It's by far my favourite arena to see something, Wembley Area just seems to dated in comparison. My sister in law climbed to the top not so long ago and it looked incredible. On a clear day, it's said you can see for up to 15 miles. It would equally be amazing to go at sunset and see the city start to light up. We all know I'm a sucker for a good view!

2. Visit an open air cinema
Every year for the past five years I've vowed to visit an open air cinema in the summer. I've yet to make the trip. I've got visions of Grease in my mind and all I need is my very own Danny Zuko.  Ideally I'd like to venture to the courtyard of the beautiful Somerset House. Here's hoping this is the summer I finally catch a film under the stars.

3. Ice skate at The Tower of London
The Tower of London is my favourite building in the whole city. The history draws me in and I adore the myths and legends that go hand in hand. I've always harboured a secret desire to be a Beefeater. It looks stunning during the night all lit up amongst the more modern buildings. In the winter they transform the moat into a giant ice ring. I always wander wistfully past wishing I'd booked myself a ticket. This Christmas I'm hoping to finally get down on that moat.

4. Go to Columbia Road Flower Market
I'm an East London girl. It's my favourite part of town and the bit that closest to my home. But despite exploring most of what it has to offer, I'm still yet to wander around the flower market. Travesty I know! I always look on with such envy when I scroll through my instagram on a Sunday morning. I'm also dying to sample one of Lily Vanilli's cakes!

5. Go to the Ballet
I'm even sure if I'm going to like the ballet but I'd like to give it a shot. I've walked past the Royal Opera House hundreds of times and always fantasised about putting on a fancy dress and high heels for a show. I've got the Nutcracker in my sights.

6. Whisper in St. Pauls Cathedral
Admittedly the price of St Pauls has put me off in the past. But I'd like to visit the whispering gallery in the dome. It's said you can hear whispers from one side to another. Although I'd heard that so many people are whispering that it's too loud!

7. Take a Jack The Ripper tour
I'm a secretly morbid person. I love watching documentaries about serial killers and I get far to excited when I hear Louis Theroux has a new show. I'm fascinated by Jack The Ripper and would love to go on a spooky tour of all his haunts.

8. Hire a Boris bike
Although cycling around London scares the bejezzles out of me, I love the romantic notion of cycling around on a bike with a picnic in my backpack. Although if I'm honest I'll probably stick to the parks where there isn't buses!

What's on your London bucket list?

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Galena Photo Diary

Galena charmed the pants off me. It was one of the most quaint, picturesque towns I've visited. Everyone was so friendly and were keen to have a chat as soon as you walked into their shops. Very different to London! The beautiful weather just seemed to make the town glow. We were treated to weather in the 20s which was such a lovely shock to the system after surviving 0 degrees in Chicago. I'd forgotten what warmth felt like!

We had a tour of the historic Main Street led by such an enthusiastic tour guide. I love it when someone really knows what they're talking about especially when they through a little ghost story into the mix. After we had a few hours free time so I wandered up the hill to take in the town in all it's glory. Stunning!

Suited Downtown, we stayed in the charming Farmer's Guesthouse. Full of incredible knick kacks and a magical cookie jar that was filled up every day, it was such a joy to stay in. They even had an incredible daily event called Wine Time every day with cheese - can we please implement it at 5pm every day? It was by far my favourite place I stayed throughout the trip. The bed was very hard to leave in the morning! Just look at that breakfast below - perfection.

One of the things I was looking forward to the most was the tour of Blaum Bros. Distillery. It was set up just a year ago but has been a roaring success. The tour didn't disappoint! I managed to sample some Hellfyre vodka that very nearly blew my head off. I'm not the best when it comes to shots let along when they contain chilli. Not an experience I'm keen to repeat again.

We were also treated to a tour around Ulysses Grant's home - the 18th president of the United States. A man I admit I didn't really know but it was interesting to learn a bit about him. This history geek never turns down the chance to find out about the past.

It was such a shame not to spend longer in Galena - they had some cracking restaurants - but it was time to move on. Rockford, the last part of the trip, is coming soon!

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OOTD: Floral Duster Jacket

Outfit:

Navy floral duster jacket: c/o George at ASDA
Black chiffon blouse: c/o George at ASDA
Light denim turn up jeans: c/o George at ASDA
Nude patent heeled court shoes: Topshop (similar)

This is the final post of my collaboration with George At ASDA on their #geniusjeans campaign. This time I opted for more of a dressier outfit with a pretty floral duster jacket. It's the perfect transition piece for Spring now that the weather is starting to warm up. Paired with a pair of heels, it can go from day to evening in one quick swoop. These jeans are a bit stiffer than my previous ones but after a few wears I imagine they'll fit like a jean. I'm such a sucker for a good turn up - just makes them look a little more interesting eh?

The weekend has yet again been a lazy one. I've tried to stay in for the whole of April in a bid to cut down on my manic spending. Bar Chicago obviously - the credit card had a good work out over there. It feels weird to still have money in my bank account three weeks into payday. But it's been nice to spend my weekend at home to be honest. Usually I'm booking things up 24/7 and find when Monday rolls around, I'm absolutely exhausted. That said, I'm ready for May to come. Looks like it's going to be a busy one!

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Being in a long term relationship

It says something when you have to go back to 2012 to find a decent smiling picture - mental note to maybe start smiling in pictures... Look at those baby faces! 

I've been in a relationship since I was 18. I have had the same - and only! - boyfriend for over eight years. Yet when I mention this to people, I get very mixed reactions. Some may find it romantic but to be honest the vast majority look at me in disbelief. How on earth can I be happy with only having one boyfriend?! Don't I feel the need to sow my seeds? Aren't I worried we got together too young? How can I possibly know he's the one for me?

I'm the first to admit that 18 is young and I'm a very different person now at 26. So is my boyfriend but we're growing together. We've both got the some views on marriage and children - not for a very long time thank you! We both love to travel and see live music. We lead quite separate lives and treasure our times spent with our friends. We've never ever lived in each others pockets. Sometimes we go days without seeing each other simply because we're living our lives. But it could change, at 30 we could suddenly want completely different things. It happens all the time. If we do? We would still have had many good years together and I definitely won't be thinking I've wasted my life on only one person. 

I get told that I don't have a clue what's out there and shouldn't be settling on my first one. Well first off, I'm not settling at all thank you very much. There's been no reason in eight years for me to question my relationship. We're both extremely stubborn and bicker but he's never once treated me bad. Not giving me the last roast potato on a Sunday isn't really much to complain about. I've heard horror stories from friends about their latest boyfriend and not had them myself. He has never ever told me what I can and can't do. I've bought a ticket to Glastonbury and jetted off to Chicago on my own and he's never batted an eyelid. I'm often swanning off on weekends to see my friends - perks of having them scattered around the country. A few people have asked how he feels about me doing so much on my own. Well why would he be bothered? He gets to order a 12-piece KFC bargain bucket to himself and play his XBOX all day. I'm not willing to ask anyone's permission to live my life. 

Why should people be belittled for their choice of love life? If you've had one boyfriend or ten boyfriends it doesn't matter. You are free to have any many partners as you choose and nobody is able to judge you. Someone would never - well most people wouldn't - blatantly call a girl a hussy to her face for having multiple boyfriends. So it shouldn't be ok to look down your nose at a girl who's only had one man friend. After all, we live in a free world don't we?

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Starved Rock State Park Photo Diary

After we spent three days in Chicago, we fuelled up on the biggest breakfast known to man then hit the road. I'm still sulking that I only pathetically managed a quarter. Our next destination was Starved Rock State Park. The legend goes, two Native American tribes were fighting and one was forced up a huge rock. Once they were up there, the other tribe cut off their food and water supply. Eventually they all starved to death. Lovely story eh?

We arrived a little early for our historic trolley tour so we went on a short walk around the park where we came across a frozen waterfall. After clambering across jagged rocks, we eventually landed just underneath a stunning waterfall. It was very surreal to stand on thick frozen water. Mother Nature can be really beautiful at times! Sometimes there's nothing better then popping on some trainers, wrapping up warm and getting out in the fresh air. It's made me want to do some more exploring a bit closer to home.

Feeling like Clint Eastwood was about to challenge me to a stand off at any minute, we popped into August Hill Winery and Illinois Sparkling Company in Downtown Utica. It was incredible - you could have been in any city in the world. Crazy to think it's in such a tiny town. It was so stylish and sleek - the ladies certainly knew their wines!

I was completely blown away by Hegeler Carus Mansion. I've never been given a tour by such a knowledgeable guide - it makes a trip so much more interesting when you're being told stories by someone with such passion. It was such a beautiful building, inside and out. The fact the paint was peeling off, the floorboards creaked and the stairs crumbled all added to it's charm. In fact, it reminded me of Wilton's Dance Hall if you've ever been! I adored the story of Mary Hegeler who was such a pioneer of her time. She put the power into girl power!

After just one night we were on the move again, listening to Kelly Clarkson and B*Witched as we drove on the open road! The only way to do a road trip eh?

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