The Weekender!

Posted in Style, Travel by Jenna Louise

February payday is just around the corner & you have booked a cheeky little weekend away with your loved one, the girls, a family break or you’re away with work (boooo!).

You don’t want to carry a suitcase because it’s too big for just your undies & a few outfit changes, but you ALWAYS end up with 6 small bags & another full of your toiletries! (come on girls, I know this isn’t just me!).

I’ve put together a collection of weekend bags to cater for all weekends & all budgets! Weekend away playing bingo with Granny Joan? Romantic Birthday city break with Mr Perfect? Wild Hen Do with the girls? You’ve come to the right place!

Family Weekend

The lovely Cath Kidston is a very cute way to travel away with the family. Great for throwing everything in & putting in the car, it’s waterproof & will hold all of your essentials for that one night away.

This is their foldaway overnight bag & at just £40.00, you’ll have Aunt Susanne ordering one as soon as you arrive. With matching travel items available here, it’s a nice little item to have stashed away!

Festival / Camping Getaway

Your going camping or to that festival you’ve been planning all summer, but you want to look the part? ASOS have this little beauty to answer your prayers!

The printed canvas design on this Mi Pac Weekend Travel Bag will have you fitting in immediately & with a removable shoulder strap, it’s easy to lug around to the campsite showers. It’s also wipe down which is perfect for those festival spillages!

Was £34.99, now £25.00. You can get it here!

Romantic City/Countryside Break

Your man has just told you to pack a bag for the weekend. He’s whisking you away to a log cabin/weekend in London. For no reason. This could be it. It could be your big proposal. Do you really want to be taking that tatty old holdall that you’ve had since your last school trip to Devon?!

No! This is your big day. This is your future husband we’re talking about here! You NEED something to scream ‘LOOK AT ME! I AM IN LOVE!’

Even if your weekend turns into a big flop (his big ‘surprise’ was his promotion at work. Yuk!), then this little beauty will make up for EVERYTHING!!!

The Louis Vuitton Keepall collection is everything. It’s something I look at and I go weak at the knees. The David Beckham of weekend bags if you like. Starting from around £805.00, this little baby will last you a lifetime!

Activity Weekend

It was January, you needed to get fit, you & the girls had too much wine. Next thing you know, you ended up booking yourself on a ‘health retreat’ activities weekend. Running, biking, swimming. You name it, you’ve signed up to it.

Well now it’s March & you’ve realised that A) You’re never drinking again and B) You actually own no sports gear whatsoever. In the hope of at least looking like you know what you’re doing, here is your perfect companion to help get you through the weekend!

This Nike Brasilia Large Holdall can be picked up from Argos & at the moment there is £8.00 off! Get it online here!

I promise, if you turn up with this, Sporty Steve the swimming instructor will be thinking you’re fit as a fiddle from the get go! Also a nice option to have stashed away for when you do choose to join that gym you have been promising to join!

Working Weekend

So, you said yes MONTHS AGO to that email that went around the office about that conference in Manchester.

I know, I know, WHY?! But you did (silly!) and the only weekend bag you have is that big fluffy, faux fur number with the pompoms that is fine for those girly sleepovers, but hello! you’re an independent professional woman (or that’s what you want your boss to think!), well up steps River Island.

A firm high street fave, this is the perfect option to board the early Train & check into the hotel ready to greet Rob from the desk opposite, who you have never spoken to, but find yourself sharing the whole weekend with.

This is black, quilted & is big enough for everything you would need for the weekend. Did I mention it’s only £65.00?

With matching wheelie case & makeup bag available here, you can’t go wrong!

Shopping Weekend

You & the girls have booked a hotel in the city of London & are going to shop until you physically drop (preferably into a large mojito!).

This Radley large weekender is perfect to take for the whole weekend but also handy to stash away your shopping bags during the day.

With the pretty pink colours & the signature dog design, this will soon become a firm favourite in your collection! Prices start from around £90.00 & you can see a familiar version here.

Hen Do / Party Weekend

You’re planning a weekend clubbing or you’re flying out to Ibiza.

Another perfect option by River Island. It has an adjustable shoulder strap & with its black snake print design, it’s fun & a bit more ‘out there’ compared to your work or romantic weekend getaway bags!

Large enough for a few outfit changes & even enough room for a bottle of champagne, at £65.00 this will be a firm favourite for your girlie weekends! View this bag here!

The All-Rounder!

There are some things in life that are just perfect for any situation.

Like, a Chanel perfume or a Clarins mascara.

You can add Longchamp shoppers & travel bags to that list. These are absolutely perfect for anything.

Versatile & stylish, these will last you forever.

Starting from around £53.00, Selfridges have an amazing collection in all shapes & colours.

Check them out here!

SO! There you have it! What are you waiting for?! GET PACKING! x

3Dec2015

Mother-Daughter Lunch

Posted in Food, Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Every now & then it’s lovely to get together with my mom and go for lunch, a bottle of wine to have a catch up!

Life passes us by so quickly, & with the weeks & months speeding past us, you find yourself needing a huge catchup!

Me & my mom like to try out different restaurants in & around Birmingham, & so Prezzo in Harborne is a perfect venue for a Saturday afternoon girlie lunch! (It was also a perfect place to take my new Valentino scarf, which I am in love with!)

The restaurant is located 3 miles from Birmingham City Centre, so ideal if you are based in Birmingham or just passing through!

What is also cool is that the restaurant is located within ‘The School Yard’.

This is a Grade II Listed Clock Tower building which was designed originally as a school, situated on what is now Harborne High Street. The parking in Harborne is super super cheap (amazing!), & 2 seconds away from Prezzo, so not only is it perfectly convenient, you’re also not paying the extortionate parking prices of dining in The Mailbox, Bullring etc!

The decor is contemporary, yet cosy & the open kitchen adds to the atmosphere.

At the moment, Prezzo are offering a special 2 course menu for £14.50, which includes a glass of prosecco! See their main menu here!

It’s always busy with a mix of couples of all ages, groups of friends, family gatherings or just business men passing through for lunch!

Me & my mom opted for the bruschetta & the mozzarella to start.

My mom then went for the salmon penne pasta.

Whilst I opted for the chicken & asparagus risotto.

Both dishes were very yummy & even better washed down with a bottle of Sauvignon blanc!

I hope you’ve all had a lovely week! What are your plans for the weekend?

4Nov2015

We are Nine!

Posted in Food, Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

On Sunday 25th October 2015, me & Daniel celebrated our 9th Anniversary!

We honestly do not know where the last 9 years have gone!

We headed out for dinner on the Saturday evening to celebrate!

We went to our favourite Chinese restaurant in our local town of Harborne; Henry Wong’s.

We love the food & the atmosphere here & as we’re planning on doing something utterly amazing for our big 10 year Anniversary next year, we thought we would settle on a nice little dinner this year!

It was a lovely evening full of wonderful food & beautiful champagne!

I really am a lucky girl!

We woke early on the Sunday morning & headed back into Harborne for an Anniversary breakfast!

We went to The Plough which has been voted the best breakfast in Birmingham by a few reviews & you can add mine to that list!

The restaurant was super busy, but we managed to get a table around 9:30am.

After struggling to pick just one thing off the menu (it all looked so yummy!), I settled on the pancakes.

Oh wow! Hands down the best stack of pancakes I have ever had! I couldn’t finish it because it was SO HUGE!

I also ordered an orange juice & a mug of tea, which came with a biscuit; is that not the cutest thing ever!

After a relaxing morning, we continued our relaxing day & finished the evening at home with more champagne!

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!

21Oct2015

Girls Night – Part One

Posted in Lifestyle, Style by Jenna Louise

So it’s Friday night, you’ve been to work all week, and you’re going out with your girls in the evening.

If you’re anything like me, you can do your makeup to a certain standard, & that’s about it.

My two friends are absolutely stunning & their makeup ALWAYS looks flawless.

I decided to up my game & book myself in to Clarins for a makeover. All of my skincare is by Clarins. I will not use anything else! I also use their foundation & have done since the young age of 15.

I decided to book in at 5:30pm on a Friday evening. I finish work at 5pm & work close to a Debenhams and a Clarins counter. I was due to meet the girls at 7pm & so I thought this would give me enough time to get home & whack on a dress!

I arrived at 5:30pm and was greeted by the lovely Sasha who instantly made me feel at home.

She began by taking off my makeup from the day & cleansing, all with Clarins products.

She then went & applied my makeup starting with face cream, foundation and concealer. I use their True Radiance foundation (£27.50).

She then started to contour which is the most exciting thing ever. I had never, nor had I ever even attempted to contour. I am no Kylie Jenner let me tell you. Sasha knew exactly what would suit me, what colours to use, the fact that I like to use bronzer (I believe in Summer all year round!). She used little tricks like applying eyeshadows as blusher etc. She’s a makeup genius.

The fact that I have long eyelashes, she utilised those with their Wonder Perfect mascara, which is the best thing since sliced bread! No more drugstore mascaras for me! Good bye hard earned salary!

She also used a liquid eyeliner on me because I said I never used it. She created the perfect little flick.

Sasha chatted to me about what colours I preferred, what I normally wore & what I would like to try. We also had some general chitchat, which is lovely when you’re sat thinking ‘did I forget to pluck my eyebrows?!’ She really made me feel at ease and it was a truly relaxing experience.

She then went and applied eyeshadow – I went for a light eye and a louder lip. I ALWAYS go for the dark eye, pale lip, but in the hands of an expert, I wanted something different.

The whole look was finished off with some of their Fixing Spray. I ended up buying some of this on the evening (along with the Wonder Perfect Mascara). I am SO glad that I did!

My makeup literally lasted 7 hours straight. Even my lipstick did not budge. This, may I add, was after a 3 course meal, cocktails AND wine with my girlfriends! I was so impressed!

I have honestly never felt so ladylike & walked out of Debenhams feeling a million dollars! As it’s my anniversary next weekend, I am looking to go back & let her work her magic on me again! I need her to move in with me ASAP!

So, I was all set for my evening with my girls. Be sure to check back in the next few days to see what we got up!

26Aug2015

Breakfast of Champions

Posted in Food by Jenna Louise

Good morning!

Happy Wednesday! We’ve successfully reached the mid-week point… we CAN do this people!

Breakfast is, hands down, my favourite meal of the day.

There’s nothing better than starting off your day right!

I love getting up ridiculously early (I’m one of those annoying, chirpy morning people and NOT sorry!), & I love laying the table, putting out every breakfast item in my cupboard & then infamously shouting up the stairs to wake Daniel!

Fresh coffee, a choice of tea, toast, bagels, pancakes, croissants, jams, honey, fresh fruit, eggs, orange juice.

It all makes its way onto the table with my iPad which will have the latest news on it ready to be read.

Breakfast is a perfect time to wake up, discuss the news, catch up on emails before work & just relax. It really does go a long way.

There’s nothing worse than being rushed in the morning. It puts me in an awful mood for the rest of the day & believe me, that’s good for nobody!

So, what are you waiting for? Rise and shine & go scramble some eggs!

24Aug2015

Tapas Fridays!

Posted in Food by Jenna Louise

Hola!

I know, I know. It’s Monday & we’re all sad & depressed.

I don’t know about you, but I’m already planning & looking forward to the weekend!

One of my favourite things to do on a Friday is get home from work, kick off the shoes, open a bottle of wine/champagne & relax for the evening!

I love, love, LOVE to pick up some tapas bits and bobs during the week & enjoy them all on Friday evening!

Olives, meats, artichokes, humus, prawns. You name it, I will buy it.

Tapas is perfect in the Summer (albeit, we haven’t seen much of a Summer here in England!). There’s nothing better than putting everything in the middle so everyone can share. The Spanish really know how to socialise by including food.

Now, if only we could have a little bit of their sunshine! …PLEASE!?

8May2015

Sunshine and Hikes

Posted in Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Happy Friday everyone!

I hope you have all had a wonderful week & you’re all ready for the weekend! (I’m sure you are!)

What have you got planned for the weekend?

I’m hoping for some more sunshine so we can get out & about on a little hike. There’s nothing more lovely than getting up at the crack of dawn, having breakfast & going for a long stroll in the sunshine!

After a long week in an office, you can sometimes forget that there’s a whole beautiful world out there to explore!

Having a little sing song in the car on the way to our local countryside is one of my favourite things to do! I never know the correct words, but that’s what makes it fun right?!

Going for long walks we always find ourselves talking for hours about anything and everything.

It’s so lovely to have these surroundings on your doorstep. Just to take a second out of ‘real life’ & get lost in the scenery is a wonderful thing to be able to do!

I hope you all have a well earned peaceful weekend full of relaxation and adventures! Happy Friday!

15Apr2015

Food Review: Bank Restaurant & Bar Birmingham

Posted in Food, Lifestyle by Jenna Louise

Me & my mom like to do lunch. We especially like to do lunch when it’s sunny outside.

With Birmingham on our doorstep, there’s always a new favourite we become obsessed with. In steps Bank Restaurant & Bar.

Situated in the cosmopolitan surroundings of the popular Brindley Place, having sampled their cocktails many times before, (the bartenders encourage you to ask for ANYTHING. Don’t just pick off the menu. Fancy a Pina Colada? Then ask for it!), & with an impressive lunch menu tempting our tastebuds, we decided to head over there for an early lunch.

With its outdoor heating & seating area, we braved the British wind & grabbed a cocktail, sat outside & pretended we were on an episode of the Hills. I asked for a lychee martini (I’m obsessed with these!), & I was not disappointed! We had pre-booked our table for 1:30pm & was taken to our seats and seen to straight away. We were presented with a special lunch menu (1 course for £10, or 2 courses for £15) & given the specials & the normal extensive menu if we so wished to order from there.

We picked our wine (priorities!) & settled on the special lunch menu.

Almost immediately we were brought complimentary breads & olives for the table, which was a lovely touch.

I went for a fish themed afternoon & started with chilli squid with a noodle salad.

I then chose a main course of the salmon fishcakes with spinach.

From around 2pm, the restaurant was truly buzzing. There was a great atmosphere with everybody from cute couples, to larger family & friendship groups choosing to dine out here for lunch.

The food itself was outstanding. Service was quick & attentive, with everyone looking like they had just stepped out of a modelling agency.

With restaurants in Birmingham & Westminster, it really is a must when visiting Birmingham.

This special menu runs 7 days a week. 1 course for £10, or 2 courses for £15, it really does make for a fantastic afterwork venue, & an even greater weekend location. The menu runs on the following days:

Monday to Friday: 12pm – 7pm

Saturday & Sunday: 12pm – 5pm

So, if you’re in the Birmingham area & fancy a lunch with a touch of class & sophistication, Bank Restaurant & Bar is your place!

Read their menus & book your table here!

A two course lunch, with a bottle of white wine, two cocktails & service charge (included in your final bill), came to £65.00.

What I wore:

Dress: ASOS

Shoes: Michael Kors

My Moms dress is from Marks & Spencer

1Apr2015

Mini Break: Barnsdale Hall Hotel

Posted in Lifestyle, Travel by Jenna Louise

With the stresses of work, & the awful British weather, we were in need of some R&R!

The British countryside truly is beautiful so where better to go? In the sunshine it’s stunning. And even on the coldest, wettest winter British days, it is one of the nicest places to sit in front of a log fire & sip on tea all afternoon (plus a slice of cake!).

Based in Rutland Leicestershire, Barnsdale Hall Hotel is situated on a picturesque lake , with log cabins, lake views & bigger apartments/holiday villas to rent with big groups.

We arrived at lunch time & grabbed a coffee in the brasserie before our pre-booked spa treatments at 2pm. All leisure & spa facilities were included in the stay (& you received 25% off spa treatments).

Daniel settled on a full body massage & I chose an Indian Head massage. After an hour of pure bliss, we sauntered back down to the brasserie, where we embarked on the biggest scones we had ever seen!

With our dinner reservations in the restaurant at 7:30pm, we took the scenic route back to the room to get ready, where shampoo & toiletries were provided. Whilst getting ready, we cracked open a bottle of prosecco & then made our way to dinner.

The choice of home cooked, country food was lovely. I settled on the salmon & crab fishcake which I didn’t want to end! We paired our meal with a bottle of white wine & then made the short walk back to our room.

We got up early on Sunday morning, where we had our Sunday paper delivered to our door. We took this to breakfast at 8am & as I’m not a huge fan of a ‘fry up’, I was so happy to see the amazing choice of pastries, yoghurts, jams, cereals & fruit!

We managed to see the lake & surrounding views of the hotel in its full glory before the heavens opened & we made a run for it!

The hotel boasts a handful of activities with mini golf, floodlit tennis courts, lakeside walks, swimming & a gymnasium being just a few! I imagine in summer time, the hotel will be one of the nicest spots to visit!

To see room rates & availability, check out their official website here!

cashmere caviar

…The finer things in life.

Tag Archives: Weekend

The Weekender!

Mother-Daughter Lunch

We are Nine!

The Mailbox launch weekend!

Girls Night – Part One

Breakfast of Champions

Tapas Fridays!

Sunshine and Hikes

Food Review: Bank Restaurant & Bar Birmingham

Mini Break: Barnsdale Hall Hotel