VIP Event: Boux Avenue

Posted in Lifestyle, Style by Jenna Louise

boux_avenue_logo

A few weeks ago I received an email from Boux Avenue about a VIP Ladies Night Event taking place in my nearest store. Owned by entrepreneur Theo Paphitis (Dragon’s Den), I really do enjoy a trip to Boux Avenue!

With 20% discounts, prosecco, complimentary bra fittings, manicures & a goody bag, what was there to lose?!

The event was running from 4pm to 9pm so I headed straight there after work.

As a woman, there is nothing quite like shopping for new underwear & Boux Avenue wrap it so pretty that it’s worth the purchase just for that!

Their sleepwear & nightwear range is super cute & I love their Chemises & Cami Sets. Perfect for a special occasion or just a Friday night around the house!

I love the layout of the store & the draw storage reminds me of how Victoria Secrets layout their underwear.

They also have some accessories such as candles, reed diffusers, slippers & compact mirrors to name just a few which would make perfect little gifts for Christmas!

After a lovely leisurely look around & after a glass of bubbles, I settled on a few things to take home with me!

After a stressful day at work, it was a lovely girlie evening!

26Oct2015

The Mailbox launch weekend!

Posted in Lifestyle, Style by Jenna Louise

Hello & happy Monday!

I have today off work & so my mood is VERY different to a normal working Monday morning!

I hope you all had a lovely weekend & no doubt we’re already on countdown for the next one!

My weekend was possibly the best weekend I’ve had in a long time!

Me & Daniel celebrated our 9th Anniversary on Sunday which was a lovely day! (more on that soon!).

But on Saturday we attended the Mailbox Sessions.

This was a celebratory weekend for the Mailbox in Birmingham. It’s finally opened it’s doors & as you may know, the new (& amazing) Harvey Nichols is also complete!

Me & Daniel parked in the Mailbox (so handy!) & headed up to grab some breakfast.

We popped into Cafe Rouge & had our favourite breakfast; eggs Benedict! We are complete suckers for it!

We had secured tickets to the Gieves and Hawkes Tailored to You show at 10:30am. The show was being held in the new Urban Room which is located on the floor with all the restaurants and opposite the champagne bar/restaurant entrance to Harvey Nichols.

The show was fantastic. It was led by Randall, an employee of the new Mailbox store, along with model, Luke, who modelled the suits that day.

Randall went through what makes a perfect suit & what Gieves and Hawkes can offer to you. A suit to a man is like that little black dress for a woman. It’s SO important! Daniel loved the show & after the 30 minute talk we sauntered over to the Gieves and Hawkes store.

Daniel picked out a tie & we got talking to the wonderful staff. They asked what brought us to the store today & we mentioned it was our Anniversary weekend. Next thing we knew the staff had given Daniel a little Anniversary gift; another tie! It was such a lovely gesture & we cannot wait to go back & purchase more things!

At around midday, Daniel went & met his brother to pick & try on wedding suits! (Daniel’s brother is getting married next year; SO exciting!).

I had got a ticket for the Art of Style show which was led by Grazia Magazine’s fashion editor, Blogger Bip Ling & Harvey Nichols’ Darren Skey. This was also held in the new Urban Room & a free copy of Grazia magazine was on each chair. Nice touch!

This show was a conversational talk all about how art influences style, style icons & a general chit chat about fashion.

It was fun & informative & made me want to quit my job & work for Grazia!

After the 45 minute show, I went back downstairs to the shop level where the new & beautiful seating area is.

They had public dance performances & also a live orchestra playing delightful background music.

I sat for a while whilst admiring the new layout & the stunning decor of the new building.

Birmingham has really stepped up its game in the last few years & I am SO proud to live here!

If shopping is your thing then I highly suggest coming over for a whole weekend of retail therapy! We now have EVERYTHING in the city that London can offer; only less busy & more relaxed!

As department stores go, we have Harvey Nichols, John Lewis, Selfridges, House of Fraser & Debenhams. With some fantastic hotels & with the Christmas Market arriving in the next few weeks, it’s perfect for a Christmas shopping weekend away!

So what are you waiting for? Come & see us here in Birmingham!

19Oct2015

Lunch Date

Posted in Food, Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

So, you know the situation. It’s nearly Christmas, you’ve used the majority of your holiday at work & you’re left with the odd day to take off.

What do you do?

Well you go shopping of course!

Birmingham is absolutely killing it at the moment. Grand Central has just opened and we’re less than a week away until the new look Mailbox opens fully! It’s all very exciting stuff! Be sure to check back next weekend to see how the Mailbox looks!

I’d heard about a new Pan-Asian restaurant/bar that had opened just under a month ago. It’s based in Debenhams in the Bullring and it grabbed my attention straight away. After being taken with the launch photos, I suggested going for lunch.

After about 4 hours in the John Lewis home department (I’m not even kidding), we took the short walk through to the Bullring (use the connecting walkway – this will be mega handy in Winter!) and we found ourselves in Debenhams.

Chi Kitchen it located on the 3rd floor of Debenhams and is open for breakfast (served until 11am), light bites, lunch and serves mains until 8pm. The bar area is also a lovely place to come, sit, relax and order a glass of champagne.

Grand Central is lovely. Just FAR too busy for me to enjoy a nice lunch & a drink. Yes, I want somewhere with atmosphere, but no, I don’t want to be crammed in next to a million shoppers & their Primark bags.

Chi Kitchen to the rescue! We got there for midday and by the time we left it was really filling up. Perfect for shoppers and workers, I was sold.

To start, we went for a selection of mixed Sashimi. This is a great option for a couple to try all of the sashimi together. You get a platter of 2 tuna, 2 salmon, 2 yellow tail & 2 sweet prawn.

We then ordered the two things on the menu that excited us the most (this took time, believe me, I wanted EVERYTHING!).

We finally decided on the Szechuan Beef and the Salmon Teriyaki.

The Salmon Teriyaki was so good that Dan only gave me a small bite! But that was OK with me as the Beef was just as good!

We opted for a glass of rosé champagne, because well, it’s Monday, so why not?!

The presentation of the food was second to none. You can see the chef preparing the sushi, sashimi etc & when you walk into the restaurant, the fresh fish is all on display.

We got to sit at the back of the restaurant which is really nice as you’re completely away from the shoppers and you have a view overlooking China Town.

The next time I visit cannot come quick enough! I’m planning on ordering some sushi rolls with maybe some popcorn shrimp & of course, a glass of fizz!

I cannot recommend this place enough. Friendly staff and fantastic food. This place offers something completely different to Birmingham & it has fast become one of my favourites!

You can check out the menu on the Chi Kitchen website here http://www.chikitchen.co.uk

And be sure to check out what else is happening in and around Birmingham! You will not be disappointed!

12Jul2015

Vacation: Marbella Day Three

Posted in Travel by Jenna Louise

By Day Three, we well & truly felt like we were home!

We had planned a girlie shopping day for today & we were so excited!

We had breakfast & walked into the Port around 10am.

We did a little walk along the beach, visiting some shops on the Port as we strolled along!

We then stopped off at Piucaro for lunch. This was one of my favourite places.

The views were utterly remarkable. Sitting overlooking the sea with a bottle of wine & fantastic food was perfect. At that moment, I realised this is what working hard is all about.

After lunch & with the sun still shining, we were excited to hit El Corte Ingles!

Just off the strip, it has the best Zara! We spent an age in there trying everything on & then we found some wonderful independent stores outside.

The Spanish girls selling their beach dresses, playsuits, day dresses etc were gorgeous! We loved walking around the little stalls & ended up buying a few little dresses from there.

Everyone is so friendly in Marbella!

We then walked back to the resort & had a few hours in the sunshine before getting ready for night three!

We went to the Hard Rock Cafe for a cocktail before dinner.

I love it in here. It’s just a fun place to go for a cocktail!

It’s always busy, which makes for a great atmosphere before heading off on your evening!

We then moved on to dinner at the Belvedere.

This place was beautiful!

The views overlooking the beach were gorgeous & the food was delicious.

We went to our favourite little bar on the strip for champagne & cocktails & then found ourselves in Funky Buddha/Seven nightclub.

This place was stunning inside, with amazing VIP areas.

We found ourselves in here until closing which was around 4am.

I had a feeling Day Four would include a relaxing pool day after tonight!

25Feb2015

Midweek Swoon

Posted in Style by Jenna Louise

Happy Wednesday!

I have fallen in love. Help me!

I need this in my life. Pretty damn soon.

It costs the same as my car insurance for a whole year, but LOOK HOW PRETTY!!

I think the dimensions (Height 10.5 x length 19 x depth 4cm), would be big enough for me to use as a clutch on a night out, which makes me want it even more!

I need to stay away from Selfridges for my own good!

See the full Saint Laurent range here!

22Feb2015

Weekend Roundup

Posted in Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Sunday evening…HOW is it here again?

It doesn’t seem too minutes since I kicked off my work shoes on Friday night with a huge smile on my face!

Friday was a perfect relaxing evening. I had a bubble bath & then cheekily stole Daniel’s dressing gown for the remainder of the evening!

Saturday morning saw snow, hail & rain hit the Midlands, but we still braved the Great British weather & headed into Birmingham for a French breakfast.

My French toast & Hazelnut Latte went down a treat!

I decided to embrace the inner Parisian in me & opt for a French nautical look!

Blazer: Zara

Tee: H&M

Bag: DKNY

Jenas: Topshop

Flats: Primark

I also picked up a Bubble Tea from Mee Cha which is an absolute must when in Birmingham! I am a tad obsessed, & that’s just with the cute Panda packaging!

Saturday evening saw me celebrating my Dad’s birthday! We ventured into St Paul’s Square in Birmingham for food & drinks. It was a night filled with cocktails, wine, prosecco & yummy food. It’s always lovely to spend an evening with family!

The morning after the night before saw me head out at the crack of dawn & complete the Action Heart 5 mile (8K) run. Action Heart is a cardiac rehabilitation programme & helps hundreds of people each year. It was an honour to take part with 500 other people in my local area! I have never been so cold, nor have I ever ran up so many hills, but I was very happy to finish with a big smile on my face!

The rest of Sunday was a lovely relaxing day! I collected the Sunday papers for Daniel & I & we also watched my Dad open his Birthday presents, which was lovely! I finished the weekend off with a super Sunday Dinner with Daniel’s family!

How was your weekend? I hope you all had a super fun time! x

25Jan2015

Breakfast at Browns

Posted in Food, Style by Jenna Louise

It was Saturday & the sun was shining. There was no way we were wasting such a lovely morning!

We decided to go for breakfast at Browns Bar & Brasserie in Birmingham. I decided on the Eggs Florentine, which was yummy!

The decor is lovely & relaxed (they have a live pianist on a Sunday afternoon), and the views of St Martin’s Church & the iconic Bullring whilst sipping on your morning coffee is beautiful.

What I Wore:

Hat: Primark

Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

Jeans: F&F for Tesco

Scarf: Burberry

Bag: Prada

Hope you all had a wonderful Saturday!

17Jan2015

Happy Saturday

Posted in Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Happy weekend everyone!

I LOVE Saturday’s! The working week is done, & the whole day is yours!

Here’s what I got up to today..

8am morning Starbucks to start off our day!

I had a 9am cut & blowdry with my amazing hairdresser, Laura at Umberto Giannini in Selfridges, Birmingham.

I then went to my favourite store, Victoria’s Secret, where I found it completely empty! I was like a kid in a candy store! The slogan gym tee’s & this nightshirt made me giggle! (And made me tres hungry!)

I was a tad naughty & picked up some bits and bobs!

What I’m wearing:

Coat: Zara (2 years old, worn everyday & still perfect!)

Jeans: Topshop Jamie Jeans

Shoes: H&M Sneakers

Tee: H&M

Statement Necklace: Primark

Bag: Mulberry

Nails: O.P.I Cajun Shrimp

Whilst having a mooch around Selfridges, I was whisked off for a glass of Moët Champagne at the Balcony Brasserie which is located on the 4th floor of the department store. I could have stayed there all afternoon!

All this shopping & champagne drinking made us a little hungry, so we headed off to Wagamama, which is one of our favourite places for a quick pitstop!

I’ve had a truly wonderful day, I hope you’ve all had a fun Saturday!

16Jan2015

Flash -v- No Cash

Posted in Style by Jenna Louise

So, do you have a spare £600.00?

Well, even if you did, it’s January so you’re spending it on a sun holiday to escape the cold weather right?

WELL. Unfortunately, I fell in love with a pair of Jimmy Choo slip on sneakers.

I couldn’t stop thinking about them. It was love at first sight. I had given up all hope, until I walked into H&M.

An identical looking pair gleamed at me through the rails of skirts, dresses & workwear.

For £19.99.

Needless to say, I grabbed them & paid for them faster than the speed of light.

Topshop have a similar version, (see those here), but the reviews have slated the comfort! These H&M beauties are SO comfortable AND go with nearly everything I own!

Buy them from the H&M website before they all go here!

If you’re feeling flash, then go grab the Jimmy Choo beauties here!

cashmere caviar

…The finer things in life.

Tag Archives: Shopping