London: The House of Peroni May

The House of Peroni, home of the best of contemporary Italian food, drink, design and fashion is back again and for one month only. I've attended all the Peroni events before and really enjoy my time there.

The residency is now at Lincoln's Inn Fields in Holborn and free for all to attend. With a fresh selection of pioneering Italian chefs, mixologists and designers, The House transformed all four floors of a beautiful townhouse into a tantalising, immersive world of fashion forward, design-led Italian style and culture for everyone to enjoy. 

Sort of like a unique pop up bar where you will always find room to sit and chat! 

The piece at reception is my favourite

We sipped on the new Peroni bottles specially made for girls, and it somehow tasted that little bit better for me ;) The bottle design is really pretty and the drink was so refreshing that I finished it within 5 minutes...and I don't even like beer.

The House was inspired by 1963; a transformative year when Italian style became renowned across the world and the year that Carlo Peroni created Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

Trippy room with mirrors!

Upstairs there is a stunning restaurant overlooking a picturesque part of the city as well as a convivial outdoor terrace serving a selection of dishes from Monday to Saturday. 

Throughout the month, The House will feature an exciting weekly schedule of stylish Italian events which include immersive dining experiences, gelato making course, a brunch club, barista class and a silk scarf design masterclass which I was lucky to attend.

When we arrived to the workshop we were introduced to the Italian history of the silk scarf by girls from the Bespoke Atelier studio from Glasgow. After some inspiration from the 60's, we were really excited to start so quickly chose our base colours and print patterns.

My friend Annie chose purple and I chose a blush pink.

The procedure is simple but not as easy as it looks. The screen must stay still at all times, and has to be hand washed every time you want to use a different colour.

Once you choose your base colour, you have to use a heavy squidgy-type tool to press down and pull two times over the canvas to ensure the print is neat. This is probably the hardest part as the tool is slightly on the heavy side and it's tricky pushing it down at the same time as pulling it. Nevertheless, everyone did really well and all it takes is one or two pulls.

A little hand is always helpful! I chose a print with lots of flowers and herbs as I really liked the intricate detail on it.

I then used a smaller screen to print a little bird in the middle of my design. My jeans got stained in the process and some purple colour came off the screen on to my scarf...showing just how tricky it can be to work with these tools even when you're being extra careful. Art is all about being free and letting loose so if I ever do this again I'll make sure I wear something more appropriate! It definitely got messy.

After my printing was done, I fixed some of the frame and started to carefully hand paint inside of the flowers to finish off my design. 

And ta-dah, here is the finished product!

You can't see the flower colour detailing so much here but I spent a fair amount of time on it. I really, really enjoyed this workshop and it reminded me of my school days when I used to do lots of art...perhaps I've awoken a new hobby!

The before and after

I'd highly recommend you go to the house if you get the chance, and try to book in a time at the restaurant before the residency comes to an end this month!

For more information about The House of Peroni visit: www.thehouseofperoni.com

Open every day until 11pm in May except the 5th, 11th, 18th and 26th 64 Lincoln’s Inn Field, Holborn, London WC2A, 3JX 

No admission fee

18+ only

Reservations for the restaurant and tickets for the events are bookable via The House of Peroni website (be quick, they sell out fast!)

All images provided by House of Peroni

Desire: Helen Moore faux fur scarves

Whilst flicking through LOOK magazine I came across this gorgeous blue faux fur vixen scarf from Helen Moore. I'm really into strong colours this Spring and would love to own one of these, but also want it in about five other colours...aaghhh!!!! The blue or pink would look amazing with an all black or all white outfit.

You can buy it on the Helen Moore website for £68...and the best thing is, it's faux!

London: Exploring Newington Green

If I don't go away somewhere during a Bank Holiday I always feel like I'm missing out...so I made sure I did lots this time round even though I stayed in London.

And the best thing about this city is that you can explore something new every time...

On saturday morning I made myself some scrambled eggs on sour dough bread, with a side of avocado topped with lime juice (the best combination ever, try it!)

I got this pretty plate on Portobello Road and it always makes my eating experience that little bit nicer :)

I then went to Tesco and bought some pretty tulips...I'm not a fan of them but these looked great and I like the vibrant yellow colour.

The glass bottles are from Homesense and a little Deli on Stroud Green Road where you can top up your wine.

I met my lovely mama at Warwick Avenue for the boat show, and luckily the weather was great all day. The Little Venice canal is a short walk from the tube station, and great for a short walk. The festival was filled with families and beautiful boats on display, as well as independent stands with food and other bits and bobs to buy.

The people who live on the colourful canal boats opened up their homes to us and we were able to take peeks inside where I saw lots of cute vintage kitchens and bedrooms.

We got some ice cream and continued walking down the canal...

On sunday my boyfriend and I decided to check out the Hackney Flea Market on Church Street in Newington Green (North East). We specifically went to check out the vintage market but ended up staying in the area for a few hours to explore.

I found these pretty vintage embroidered coasters for £5 at the market. You can also find similar ones on eBay.

There were lots of cute little cafes down Church Street, as well as shops, flower shops and gastro pubs where we stopped for some food and a good old Pimms!

We had a booking at Angel's Screen On The Green (Part of EveryMan) cinema so decided to walk from Newington Green to Angel...where we came across this small antique homeware shop on Essex Road called Mr All Sorts.

Apparently Harry Styles from One Direction shops here, so we had to take a look and see what all the fuss is about. It was full of randomly placed nick nacks, lights, large letters and all sorts (true to its name...) and the owner was really friendly. Definitely a good one to checkout once in a while to see what new stock he's got.

After some shopping in Angel's Camden Passage, we had another Pimm's and headed over to the boutique cinema Screen On The Green, to see Blue Ruin (2013). This cinema is AMAZING!!! There are 2-person couches instead of seats, with foot rests and tables. There is a bar behind you where you can buy some food, drinks and pop corn so we slightly overloaded on everything!

It was so comfortable and cozy, I will be coming back! 

On Bank Holiday Monday we headed to a pub called The Dissinting Academy near Canonbury.

I'm wearing:

Zara ripped skinny jeans

River Island sandals (sold out)

Zara bag (sold out)

Biked jacket from Iceland

We drank Pimms (again...) with edible flowers, ate the most amazing carved meat I've ever had, and gorged on the most amazing thick-cut chips I've ever had (no joke)!! The peppercorn sauce was pretty amazing, too.

Then came this EPIC pudding...don't think anyone expected such a dramatic presentation which was served in front of us, but it was pretty awesome.

The chef laid out a greaseproof piece of paper in the middle of the table, and proceeded to bring parts of the pudding over to us as we watched.

He placed the grilled pineapple, strawberries, thick chocolate ganache (yum!!!) and vanilla yoghurt mousse on the sheet, and sprinkled it with popcorn to finish.

You wouldn't be surprised to hear we finished the entire lot. I would highly recommend this pub for a sunday lunch!

Beauty: Burt's Bees haul

One day during my London commute I was handed a free sample of the Burt's Bees Beeswax lip balm. I had never tried the products before, and loved using the lip balm ever since. It was very handy and small, smelled lovely and genuinely repaired and nourished my lips without them becoming dependent on it like with other products.

All Burt's Bees products are natural and sustainable, smell like nature itself and really nourish your skin. As everyone nowadays, I much prefer knowing where my beauty products come from and what ingredients I am putting on my face, so it makes it easier when companies like Burt's Bees have such a variety of products to choose from.

Even their packaging is cute with lots of lovely colours and drawings of fruit, bees, plants, etc.

I was really excited to receive a few more products from Burt's Bees to review, check out what I tried...

Sensitive Facial Cleansing Towelettes with Cotton Extract (£5.99): These 99.1% natural and dermatologically tested wipes are skin friendly and great if you have trouble with using similar products (some sting my eyes). They remove make-up effectively, and cleanse and tone your skin at the same time. I still use my cleanser and toner just in case, though. The wipes are formulated with cotton extract to soften skin, rice extract to moisturise and aloe to calm.

Naturally Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion (£9.99): This big bottle of body lotion suits normal to dry skin and is a fast working moisturiser that dried as soon as I applied it. The combination of milk and honey smelled really nice, and my legs felt soft all day so I didn't have to re-apply. The ingredients also contain coconut and grape seed oils as well as vitamin E.

Orange Essense Facial Cleanser (£10.99): The 100% natural cleanser is formulated with an all natural plant-based cleansing complex, is sulcate-free and works wonders without overdoing the skin. After trying it for a week I already noticed my skin was becoming clearer and make-up came off easily. The zesty fresh orange oil works as a natural exfoliator and left my skin clean and refreshed.

Peppermint Foot Lotion (£12.99): People often forget their feet need as much TLC as the rest of their body, especially now when it's time for sandals. Thisfoot lotion has a hint of peppermint which smells great and slightly has a cooling sensation. The lotion works well on dry feet with the botanical blend of oils and extracts made from witch hazel, tea tree, parsley, rosemary and sodium bicarbonate to help neutralise mild foot odour. Other ingredients include peppermint oil, sunflower, wheat germ, coconut oils and beeswax.

Lemon & Vitamin E Body & Bath Oil (£9.99): The best thing about Burt's Bees products is that you really get your money's worth. The packaging is a generous size, the pricing reasonable for such a great quality product and the benefits last long. This oil is made of concentrated plant-based essentials oils and vitamins like lemon, sweet almond and Vitamin E for intense moisture. It's great that you can also use it in the bath, and the zesty lemon smell is amazing! It doesn't dry as quickly as the lotion if applied directly to the skin, but feels lovely and like I am in a spa :) Great for a little relaxing Sunday eve!

New Finds: April

My exciting Cuba holiday is almost here (yay!!!) so I've been on a little shopping spree...I'm pretty sure this is the norm for girls pre-holiday...lots of beauty treatments, new outfits, sunglasses, bikinis and outfit planning! Or maybe this is the shopaholic in me talking...

(click on image to enlarge)

The first bikini is from Triangl...a brand I came across on Instagram that make scuba-like bikinis. Their famous for their neon colours, check them out, they look killer with a tan!

The second one is from Asos and comes in a few more colours...great for a girls holiday!

The white cotton romper is from an Australian brand called Spell & The Gypsy Collective. Their store is AMAZING and full of lots of boho/hippie kimonos, dresses, accessories and all sorts...their shop looks like my dream home, wish I could pay them a visit! I am yet to receive the romper and try it on so have no idea what it will look like...but am hoping it will be comfy and that I won't have to enhance the size as it is always so tricky buying online. They might be sold out everywhere but they usually get them back in stock so just keep checking their website.

I'll be writing about my holiday beauty essentials next week, too!

Images from the respective brand websites