From Day ...
Layering up in the cold winter's frost is crucial and, when wearing such an elegant dress like this one, I think it is equally important to choose the right layers. For this look, it meant that a fitted overcoat would perfectly complement the wrap dress. The coat, from M&S, is new to my wardrobe this year and, as I'm always a sucker for sophisticated Winter coats, it's barely off my back (and, as an added bonus, it's super soft).
With this, I went for a neutral scarf, a bobble hat that's been keeping my ears safe from frost for a few years now, and THE New Look boots that just about everyone has or wants. The boots themselves are super comfy and will definitely be worth the small dollar as soon as the snow starts to come down.
... To Night
Moving through to the night, whether on the same day or not, it always going to require a little bit more of a glow up. From drinks with friends, a dinner party, or even the actual Christmas Day (!!), it could mean adding accessories, makeup, heeled shoes, or all of the above. This is what I did here.
My makeup stepped up a little bit; adding a darker-nude lip and red/burgundy eyeshadow tones to match with the dress (careful, don't go too heavy with matching colours). What's hiding beneath my hooded eyes is the glittering eye pigment, which I would consider only mandatory for a Christmas party look, by the way.
For accessorising, I repped a fair amount of Oasis here. I've always loved the idea of earrings but, as something that has baffled many others before, I don't have my ears pierced and just don't want to. Lovisa's clip-on adaptors gave me a new lease of life, though, so I was delighted to be able to wear these beautiful heart-shaped ones from Oasis (even despite the numb ear lobes - the clip-ons look good but OUCH). As well as this, I added my trusty, simple H&M gold rings and a Pearl Hairclip.
With the addition of 3 simple things: glam makeup, jewellery, and hair accessories, this dress quickly flashes from a day to night look just like that.
Which festive look will you be choosing this year?
As bloggers, we too often set our sights on working with the big shots and, far too rarely want to really showcase what the local community around us has to offer. Whether you live in a big city or a small town, every place has its quirks and unique areas or businesses and I think it's about time we show them off. Here's why you should be sharing more about your local life...
Rekindle your own desire
Since starting to blog more about what is around me in Newcastle, it’s enabling me to discover exactly that. I would have had no idea about half of the places on offer in the city centre if it wasn’t for other bloggers pointing them out on their feeds. Similarly, as I yearn to blog more and more about places in Newcastle, I’ve found myself researching the next place to go, opening my eyes to places that I probably would’ve walked past beforehand.
SEO reasons
It’s often forgotten about just how powerful local searching can be in terms of blog engagement. I mean, see it from your own point of view; if you’re the kind of person to Google search ‘Place to eat in Edinburgh’ you’re most likely going to come across a blog post. As a local, especially, people may trust you better, ultimately retreating back to your content for more ideas. So, next time you’ve found some great brunch spots in your area, don’t forget that that info could be helping others too, potentially resulting in a healthy handful of page views for you.
Giving Back
We’ve heard it all before; ‘support local businesses’ and ‘give back to the community’. With the likes of Brexit looming over, local businesses really do need your help to not only keep them running but helping to earn livings. For me, whenever I’m invited to check out a new venue in Newcastle, the thing that warms my heart the most is when I hear about how the artwork is local, the food is locally sourced, or the bar celebrates brewers from nearby. If you can help support these kinds of institutes, you’re not only helping one local business, but you’re creating a domino effect; aiding in the upkeep of many small and growing businesses all around you.
We’ve heard it all before; ‘support local businesses’ and ‘give back to the community’. With the likes of Brexit looming over, local businesses really do need your help to not only keep them running but helping to earn livings. For me, whenever I’m invited to check out a new venue in Newcastle, the thing that warms my heart the most is when I hear about how the artwork is local, the food is locally sourced, or the bar celebrates brewers from nearby. If you can help support these kinds of institutes, you’re not only helping one local business, but you’re creating a domino effect; aiding in the upkeep of many small and growing businesses all around you.
Making yourself seen
I often get asked ‘How do you get invited to these blogger events?’ And, a lot of the time, my answer is that I make it seen and heard where I am. The PR companies aren’t going to invite you along if they don’t think you are actually able to get there. Publishing blog posts, tagging Insta locations, and adding local hashtags is just 3 ways of how you can make it obvious that you are interested in joining local events and, believe me, a lot of the time these events are very fun so you’d be treating yourself by doing these simple things.
Don’t let yourself believe that you are closing your audience demographic simply by publishing a blog post about a nearby restaurant. You are widening your repertoire, broadening your portfolio, supporting your town, and falling back in love with what is on your doorstep. We should all be excited by the thought of bloggers sharing the excitement of what their town has to offer, I know I certainly am.
*This post contains gifted items.
One of my favourite kinds of invitation is that of a food invite. This time, it was the team at Slug & Lettuce in Durham who invited me to their new, updated venue to check out their menus and stunning interior.
Now that this venue has returned as a slug and lettuce, it's also come with a brand new look, featuring bird-cage booths, flower trellises, and dusty pink tones - I love the style they've gone for. Of course, it's worth mentioning that they have not one, but two selfie walls and everything else fit for an instagrammable location. But, of course, what would a tropical-themed and glamorous bar and restaurant be without its menus.
I'm going to start by saying that this is an honest review and, truth be told, the only thing that could possibly have let me down on this visit was the small menu. Slug & Lettuce are renowned for their updating of pub-style food; making old classics into modern-day dishes. Items such as Sausage & Mash, Scampi, and Lasagne showcase this simple menu which, undoubtedly is cooked with that Slug touch, but I just feel could just be a bit broader.
Nevertheless, I decided to take advantage of the more unique item on the menu, the Tostadas. Funnily enough, when I first visited S&L years and years ago, a tostada was the first dish I ever tried from their menu - it's good to see that they are still around. It is effectively a flatbread pizza with a crispy base and plenty of toppings - I went for the Shawarma Tostada. One thing that I find is that, they fill you up a lot more than you'd think - if you were coming for lunch, one tostada will fill you up plenty but, if you're out for a big dinner, it might be worth ordering a side to complement (now is the point in which I acknowledge that huge portion of chips that I ordered on the side).
Jamie, my boyfriend, joined me on the trip and, for his meal, ordered the 12oz Rump steak which he thoroughly enjoyed. He asked for it rare and, I've got to say, it was cooked to perfection. Again, you can already see that the portion sizes are great too.
As I alluded, we succumbed to our sweet cravings and, opting for the trio system in order to get a taste of a few things. We chose salted caramel bites, limoncello drizzle sponge, and the macarignues. They were all lovely and I was pleasantly surprised. While the limoncello drizzle sponge wasn't overpoweringly alcoholic (thankfully), the meringues were super sweet and indulgent. As for the salted caramel bites, though, they were just a dream paired with our glasses of red wine.
All in all, it was a wonderful meal and I think this the perfect place to hang out with friends or family, in the heart of Durham, surrounded by instagrammable opportunities (which is always a bonus).
Thanks again to Slug and Lettuce, Durham, for the invite!
You may be the most outgoing individual out there or completely introverted, either way, it’s not uncommon for someone of any background to experience homesickness. Whether you are travelling far and wide to start University, or just commuting into the city, it is completely normal and completely valid. Whoever you are, you don’t need to tackle it on your own so today, you can sit down with me and listen to my tips of how to help those feelings wash away.
Keep yourself distracted
This involves saying yes to things, putting yourself out of your comfort zone, and generally getting yourself out there! Whether it’s moving your study plans to the library or common room rather than your bedroom, signing up to a society, or trying to join in with things you never usually would, a lot of the time, you’re mind will be so focused on the new task or environment that you might even forget about your homesickness all together.
One of my favourite things to do when I’m feeling in a bit of a rut is to jam-pack my days. Instead of going to Uni then coming home, arrange to meet some friends after, start the day early with a run, plan a late-night study session; keeping the plans rolling will really help keep your mind of any niggling worries.
Limit home visits
As much as you’ll want to go home every weekend, sometimes keeping constant contact can just make you feel worse. A quick phone call home every evening to check-in is perfect, you get to update your family on what’s been happening without seeing exactly what you’re missing. Plus, you should be able to tell them about all of the different things you’ve been doing with your days and, as you begin to receive praise, you’re only going to want to do it more and more.
Know that it’s okay!
Whether it’s the dog you’re missing, your Gran, or simply the corner of your bedroom that makes you feel cosiest, it’s completely fine to miss these things. After all, these are the things that you have most likely grown up with and formed an unbreakable bond with. When you move to University, by no means do these bonds have to break - feeling homesick is a completely normal and common thing to experience and, no matter how bad it feels, there will always be a way to feel better. Every University has a support team, well equipped for dealing with any of your worries and, believe it or not, a lot of your friends will probably be feeling this way too, so it’s completely fine to have a little chat.
Limit it to 3 words if you need to: ‘Distract. Limit. Share’. Keep your mind away from your worries, limit the time you have to think about these thoughts, and don’t be scared to share these thoughts. As we all know, a problem shared is a problem halved, and, when it’s a problem as universal as this, we all have a lot of halving that we can help with.
We'll kick off with a disclaimer: I'm an eager cook and frugal bunny, so eating out is always a treat for me. I see others out for food every weekend and, not only do I question 'how the hell do you afford that?!' but I also know that my own cooking is sometimes just as good (if I do say so myself). Of course, you stumbled across my blog expecting the typical 'perfect life' of a blogger/influencer but, I'm certainly not about that here. So, with that in mind, I'm going to chat on about the little treats that I allowed myself over the past few weeks.
1. The Brownie Bar - Heaton
I very recently popped into The Brownie Bar to try out some of their treats with a few friends. The staff were more than welcoming to us, chatting with us, double-checking any dietary requirements, making us laugh, and leaving me alone as I proceeded to take multiple pictures of my cookie. Oh and, if you're wondering why I got a cookie in a Brownie Bar, it's because this beauty has a brownie nestle inside it. What a dream! I paired it with a banana nut ice-cream milkshake which was pretty much gone in seconds.
2. Valerie's Tearoom - Whitley Bay
It was actually my first time to Whitley Bay when I came to this Tearoom but I knew from social media and word of mouth that this was a lovely little place to check out. It certainly didn't disappoint. I got 20s/30s vibes from the interior but was so pleasantly surprised by how clean it was, even considering it was an old fashioned style place. The selection of cakes was wonderful; almost every type of classic cake you could think of. I opted for a walnut and coffee cake slice (which was very rich and large) and a pot of tea, of course, served in silverware.
3. Bao Bar - Heaton
Just before our brownies, we tried out Bao Bar, also on Chillingham Road. Bao Bar serves, you guessed it, steamed Bao Buns filled with your choice of 5 fresh fillings. I was super impressed with the chicken in my Chicken Bao Bun - not only was it super fresh, but also tender and delicious. While it may feel a little on the pricey side, with 1 small bun being around £4, it's definitely worth giving a try.
4. The Punch Bowl - Cradlewell
Standing proud on Jesmond Road is the newly renovated The Punch Bowl Hotel. Owned by the same company that owns The Brandling Villa, this pub opened its doors in July and seems to have had a lot of mixed reviews since then. This, though, is mainly because of the cheeky remarks and controversial attitudes that it holds (yet it's mostly sarcastic). Jamie and I did, however, welcome it with open arms. The vibes inside are so reminiscent of an old fashioned pub, with racing green subway tiles, old leather sofas and log burner. Although, I'm here to talk about the food which is 100% worth going for. It's pub food that has been carefully tweaked and changed to showcase delicious, unique flavours unlike anything else. We tried the pastrami potato rosti with silverskin onions and the venison meatball garlic toasted sandwich with parmesan fries - absolutely wonderful.
5. Acropolis Street Food - Tynemouth Market
Whenever one of the local markets is on, I'm always mostly thinking about Acropolis Street food. Luckily, they seem to go to all of the main markets in Newcastle and, seeing as the Jesmond Food Market is super local to me, it's dangerous for my bank account. Their gyros, packed with everything they have to offer, is an absolute melody and, if it was possible, it would eat it over and over again. It's the only one on this list which I've already visited multiple times before and, I can guarantee it'll continue to be one of my favourite choices.
Having eaten at all of those new places, I've got to say that I'd love to revisit the Brownie Bar the most given the fact that I've already checked out their breakfast menu and, when breakfast that good is so local, I don't know how I'll be able to resist.
This blog post was inspired by the wonderful Bekki at mynameisbekki.co.uk. You can read her recent post of where she's been eating, here, and follow her on Instagram too.
Where have you been eating out recently?
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