Monthly Round Up: September

I feel like I say this at the end of every month but where has September gone? So much has happened in the past 29 days that it's made time pass even faster, I mean at the start of the month I was blogging from a little town in Bedfordshire, now I'm blogging from the big old city of York. Upon this reflection I have decided to start a new monthly series of looking back over the past month, the good, the bad, the ugly, the weird and the wonderful. It'll be a nice way for me to look over my favourite parts and see what I've learnt from the previous 30/31 (or 28) days. Don't worry, it's not going to be an extremely pessimistic post! 

The Good
September has been filled with many precious family moments. Moving away from home makes you realise how important those people you grew up with really are to you, and any time spent with them is a moment to treasure. 

The Bad
I suppose getting locked out of our flat after 15 minutes of arrival wasn't the best part of the month. Or breaking a photo frame. Or Dudley failing his MOT. {We haven't killed each other yet though}

The Ugly
Bills, bills and more bills. You'd think I'd be used to receiving bills in the post after being at Uni for three years, but opening that envelope and seeing a large amount of money at the top never fills me with joy, unless it's a pay slip.  

The Weird
I went to a pub golf filled with physios that required me to do odd things such as lie on the floor, get off the ground when the sharks attacked and to be piggy backed on three whistle toots.

The Wonderful
September has been filled with lots of yummy hot chocolates, good food and gorgeous smelling candles. (I gave in again and have a campfire marshmallow one burning right now, my living room is smelling divine. I also have a cinnamon hot chocolate in my hand too!)

A month of changes and new surroundings, it's very cold in York but I'm enjoying every minute and can't wait for October to bring the crispy leaves and pumpkins in the fields. 

Little Things #4

Two posts in two days, aren't you lucky. If you read yesterday's post you'll know that most of my week has been occupied by painting, but I have managed to squeeze a few other things here and there.

1. I have bought my graduation ball dress at a bargain price of £16.99, oh how I love TK Maxx. My 'Great Gradsby' themed ball had me baffled as to what I could buy that doesn't break the bank and my glittery piece has done just that! Now for shoes and accessories, oh and a dress for my graduation!

2. This week we have been experimenting with new recipes and it has been just dreamy. I'm still pining after our stuffed mushrooms with herby mushroom pasta, it was to die for. 

3. One word, IKEA.

4. We have a chest of drawers, woohoo! No more floordrobe.

5. We took a visit to Leeds today and I had a delicious burger from Chicago's Rib Shack and got a free bottle of Coke to celebrate the Rugby World Cup. {We also saw lots of kilt-wearing me due to Leeds hosting the Scotland vs. America game}   

I'm off to London next weekend to meet up with some of my uni-girlfriends and I can't wait! 

Homeware Haul: My favourites

We have internet *does a little dance with a bum wiggle* which means I can finally start to blog frequently again. My life has been a little busy recently as the downstairs of our apartment now has a fresh coat of magnolia on the walls and I am so glad to be having a break before we tackle the upstairs, painting is hard work! This is where all the fun begins now, the furnishing. Everything is starting to have a home and the flat is coming together beautifully, so beautiful I thought I'd share some of my favourites with you. 

Wall Art & Picture Frames

When I saw these illustrations I immediately fell in love. The Alice in Wonderland one has been used as birthday presents for two very good friends too as the design and thought put into it is well worthy of a gift. These pairings are both from not-on-the-high-street.com and the frames are from The Range. One other favourite of mine is this drawing my 3-year-old 'sisters' drew for me. It has taken pride of place on my windowsill.

Ornaments

 Lantern- Wilkinson | Elephant- The Range | Vase- Home Sense

The other windowsill in the lounge has become my favourite and has such an ethnic, authentic look to it. I feel it reflects mine and Jay's passion to travel and the colours fit right into the downstairs colour theme. The vase is also from my favourite homeware store, Home Sense. 

Candles

 Vanilla Pillar Candle- Wilko | Spiced Pumpkin Jar- Home Sense | Strawberry & Kiwi- The Candle Factory | Poison Apple Jar- Maple & Whiskey

My candle collection is something that is currently growing, and soon the flat will be smelling heavenly. At the moment I have an array of scents which fill the rooms. The vanilla pillar fits perfectly in my glass lantern and the spiced pumpkin candle is filling the air with an autumnal aroma. The other two were both brought for me as gifts and I often find myself wandering over to them to give them a sniff.

Cushions

I love cushions, like when I say love I mean I spend far too long in shops down the cushion aisle. If you haven't already guessed by now my downstairs has a bit of a theme of yellow/green/brown so these cushions fit in perfectly. I had had my eye on the Hello Sunshine beauty from Tesco for a long time before we moved in so that was the first to be bought. I'd also loved the stag patterns that are around as it brings such a country feel to a room so finding this beauty in Wilko's made my day. The tartan number is also from Wilko and our green gem is from The Range. (Have you noticed a pattern in our buying habits yet?)

Kitchen Decor

Yes, I know what your're thinking, "Where can I get that teapot?". Well, the answer is Whittard's. I got this divine tea pouring device for my birthday and I have to say it was one of my favourite presents! Alongside this we have a collection of cooking books which I got for a bargain price of £1.99 each from my local garden center and I can't wait to spend my weekends filling the kitchen with freshly baked goodies. 

I hope you enjoyed your little snippet into my favourite elements of my upcoming apartment. Next on the list is to style my bookcase and shelves so they're worthy of a "shelfie", yes apparently that is now a thing. 

Little Things #3

Firstly, before I begin I want to apologise for the lateness of this post, my last four days have included packing, driving one-hundred-and-sixty miles north and then unpacking! But I hope your last week was as lovely as could be. 

1. Wednesday was my last official day as an unqualified nursery assistant. It was a bittersweet day as I hate goodbyes, especially when it includes the cutest two year olds, but it was a day that was set to come and I received a lovely gift and cards from all my wonderful colleagues!

2. This weekend was the official moving out weekend. I am now living on my own with a boy. Yes we may have had a short detour on the way up (my fault) and got locked out of the apartment within 15 minutes of arriving (Jason's fault) but we have cooked a successful second meal and we are both still alive and liking each other, at the moment. 

3. I bought some sunflowers from Morrison's to brighten up the flat and they look beautiful {Have I ever mentioned they're one of my favs *insert-heart-eyes-emoji-here*} 

4.  Slowly but surely I am becoming an avid tea drinker, which is made even tastier by the choice of Disney mug to sip it from. See my latest Instagram post for one from the cupboard. 

5. I bought a super cool Pizza Express stone pizza slab thingy which I'm excited to try out soon with some homemade pizzas!

The rest of this week I will be painting, painting and more painting. Lets just hope the fumes don't go to my head!

Zizzi's: Pizza, Pizza and more Pizza

Warning: This blog post contains pictures that might make your mouth water, click away now if your stomach is rumbling. 

Since finishing work on Wednesday, my days have been filled with packing, packing and more packing, so it was a great relief to be taken out for a bon voyage meal last night to Zizzi's in Hitchin. As an avid food lover, I'd really enjoyed my first meal and enjoyed this one just as much, not just because of the food but because I was in great company too. I dressed up in a skirt I dug out from my wardrobe and black top, paired with some black boots, and off we drove hungrily anticipating the penultimate supper. 

Ambiance: As you enter, especially the one in Hitchin, you're greeted with this authentic restaurant. The atmosphere is buzzing, a little to 'buzzy' to begin with until your ears adjust, and the decor gives you something new too look at every corner of the room. 

Service: After a short wait we were seated to our round table, who doesn't love a round table, and drinks orders were taken soon after. We were then waiting a little while before our food orders were taken, but to give them the benefit of the doubt I think they were just trying to wet our appetite. 

Food: Now I'm not so good with decisions at the best of times, let alone when it comes to food. For starters we went for a bread bucket, olives and garlic bread and they were delicious, especially with the array of oils and vinegar! Now, after much deliberation I chose a pizza for the reason that I can never make a pizza taste quite as good when cooking it at home. I chose the 'Pepperoni Campagne' and it was obviously a case of go large or go home so I upgraded to the 'Rustica' and what a choice that was. Just thinking about it now is making my tummy rumble, however by the end of it, it was another case of waddling out of the restaurant!

If you're in the mood for an authentic Italian then Zizzi's is your place to go, I can promise you won't be disappointed! (All their bases now also come as a gluten-free option for all you celiac pizza lovers)

Pictures speak a thousand words

Since starting to fill up my photo albums the other day, it has put me into a very nostalgic mind frame. So I thought I would do a blast from the past and dig out the old albums, giving you a glimpse into my five favourite family pictures. 

1. This one dates back to the year of 1998. I had just turned four and my sister was about 18 months old. As you can probably tell she wasn't the skinniest of babies, and this photo gives you an idea why. Every time I look at it it makes me chuckle, and photos like this were a regular occurrence when growing up. 

2. It was the summer of '99, oh yeah. This picture was taken around my fifth birthday for which I received this ultra cool beauty salon. The hair dryer blew out air, the lights around the mirror lit up and it came with some well needed hair accessories. Not to mention the fact that me and my sister are also in super funky matching jumpers. 

3. As you can see this one was taken one year later where I'm obviously a fashion queen. I have jelly shoes on my feet and a black choker round my neck. We were on one of our many holidays to Devon and yes shortly after this photo, we munched on fish 'n' chips on the beach. 

4. It was every girls dream to be a ballerina when they were younger. I for one use to twirl and leap around my living room at home and couldn't wait for my next ballet lesson. My favourite memories have to be the different costumes we got at shows, one year I was even a playing card from Alice in Wonderland. 

5. The fringe is gone! It's 2003 and I finally have no fringe. Again me and my sister are in cute matching swim suits, and we were having great fun scrambling over the rocks, until one of us cut our foot of course. 

If you ever find yourself at a lose end on a rainy afternoon, dig out the photo albums and it will guarantee you a few hours of laughter! 

Candle Lovin'

You've been treated to a whole variety of content this week! As you may have already read, in my weekly update post a few days ago, I went round smelling a whole array of new scents over the weekend. This has left me browsing the internet for my next buys and I'm going to give you guys a preview into what has been added to my shopping basket for next pay day. 

1. Autumn Comforts | WoodWick Trilogy | £17.99 {medium}
Number one on the list is a brand I had never heard of before the weekend, WoodWick. They do such a wide variety of candles and you are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a 'flavour'. As you can see from the picture above they also produce a unique range named Trilogy; three different scents in one jar! The one in my basket is a fall must have, Sonoma Sunset. Pumpkin Butter. Apple Crisp, perfect for the end of September. To then top this special variety, their candles also 'crackle as they burn', how soothing on a dark evening whilst your curled up reading a book.

2. Home Sweet Home | Yankee Candle | £16.49 {large}
I can't have a candle wish list without a Yankee Candle making an appearance! They may be quite pricey but their wicks/wax seem to last forever. I love the seasonal scents Yankee bring out and this one falls under their fragrance of the month category, meaning it's been knocked down from £21.99! It blends together the smells of poured tea, baked spices and cinnamon, the perfect combination for a kitchen candle if you ask me!  

3. Cinnamon Spice | Shearer | £8.00
It's not autumn without the constant aroma of cinnamon around the house, which is exactly what my flat will be smelling like! This little beauty is at a bargain price of £8.00 with a burn time of 30 hours! It comes in a swanky jar with a copper gold lid and a deep teal base; not your usual cinnamon colour. 

4. Pumpkin Spice | DW Home | £9.99
Just like you can never have too much cinnamon, you can never have too much pumpkin when it comes to Autumn. This jar is born and bred in California but is available at TK Maxx, and has a rustic feel to it. The cork lid is different to many other brands and the labeling is super nice on the eye. 

There you have it, four candles in my basket ready to be purchased. What are you favourite Autumn scents?

Little Things #2

This week has been one hectic week, so busy that I woke up yesterday convinced I had to go to work! So it's safe to say I've had a nice, relaxing weekend with it also being my last weekend at home in Bedfordshire for a little while. I can't believe I'm finally moving up to York next Sunday, how scary, but I can't wait to get back to my nice cosy flat, hope you guys have had a good week!

1. Jay visited his grandparents yesterday, and his grandma has given us a cactus cutting she has been growing. As it gets bigger a pretty orange flower will sprout in the middle and this is the perfect windowsill accessory. 

2. I adore my new make-up bag. This buy was from Forever 21 at a bargain £5.00 and is the perfect size for my everyday essentials. Not only does it hold everything I need but comes in the most dreamy floral print with the most suited phrasing for me. 

3. I've spent so much time this week browsing Instagram at the latest autumn trends and I can't wait to add some more browns, caramels and reds to my wardrobe. 

4. My stomach has been treated to lots of goodies this week from burgers to fish 'n' chips so next week is definitely detox week with nothing but greens and more greens. 

5. My nose has spent this weekend sampling some brand new smells and some brand new candles. If I won the lottery I would definitely spend a 'wad of cash' on stocking up every room. 

6. Me and my sister spent Saturday evening watching Frozen Fever and then Cinderella. This is such a beautiful film and the fact that it comes with the Frozen clip probably influenced my purchasing decision by about 70%. 

Check back next week to see how my last few days at work pans out and how the big move goes, slightly doubtful how everything is going to fit into Jay's car. 

Dining with the Princesses

Staying on the Disney theme I thought I'd share with you my once in a lifetime experience of dining with the princesses! Yes I was about to turn twenty-one but that doesn't mean I wasn't entitled to have my moment with Prince Phillip. 

The night began with a photo shoot outside of Cinderella's carriage {self timer is a beauty} followed by poses by the extensive menu; as you can imagine, a three course meal in the company of royalty doesn't come cheaply. We were then escorted to our seats, sat opposite the fireplace, the best seat in the house as when the clock strikes quarter past the hour, the princesses and prince(s) come over to dance, how magical!

The first part to our meal was a complimentary Prince's cocktail and 'Amuse-Bouche' (posh cheesy straws) .The cocktail was super fruity and the straws were super cheesy, what more could you want. Whilst munching and sipping away we had to choose our preferred starter, main and dessert. For starters I opted for the cream of pumpkin and porcini mushroom soup, mainly because I felt I couldn't be sitting in Cinderella's restaurant and not have pumpkin, but it was definitely the right choice! It arrived slightly resembling a pie, with a puff pastry lid but it was a delicious soup, one that I will definitely be finding the recipe for. {I also feel it's the right time to point out I didn't take any good pictures of my food as I was to eager to dive in, so instead I have included my sister's choices; she went for grilled vegetables with a pesto sauce, poached egg and rocket}

For the main course I had beef fillet casserole, toast and bordelaise sauce and again I wouldn't have chosen anything different. The beef was beautifully tender, there was an array of different vegetables and the sauce was just the right thickness and full of flavour. {My sister chose chicken breast in a creamy truffle sauce with a trio of purées (potato, vitelotte potato and sweet potato) and sautéed vegetables!} Now, I know pudding goes into a separate part of your stomach, or so Jay always tells me, but even so I'm not quite sure how I managed to finish off the whole thing. Me and my sister both chose Cinderella's Slipper, how could you not, which was chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. Presented on your plate was three jelly like desserts, chocolate flakes, and a white chocolate slipper filled with chocolate mousse. It was a struggle, but I devoured the lot of it and waddled rather then walked out of the restaurant. 

It was such a lovely experience, one I would recommend to all despite the hefty price tag and if this post has left you dribbling then you can check out what else is on the menu here. 

Disneyland Paris: A photo diary

So it's about time to come to terms with the fact that my visit to Disneyland Paris is over, sob sob, and it was about time I shared my five enchanting days with you guys. Rather than bore you to death as I could write foreveeeeeer about Disney (what do you think my dissertation was on) I thought I would simply give you a glimpse into the best bits through photos, enjoy!