15 dreamy buys from Kate Spade

Hands up if you are a Kate Spade fan…ever since my parents moved to America, Kate Spade has been a firm staple in my accessories and homeware collection. Yesterday was the first time I had actually stepped foot in one of the UK stores on Regent Street and oh my, it is BEAUTIFUL, I wanted everything!

I was at the store to celebrate the launch of MONOGRAMMING which you now can get the majority of the leather items monogrammed with initials in silver or gold. I got this cute tiny little bag or ‘wristlet’ with FLK.

I also got the most extreme organiser I have ever seen, the Cameron Street Agenda in Navy, it has a calender, birthday, addresses, notes and to-do lists – perfect for all the wedmin I have to do.

As I was in the store I thought I would share some other items that ended up on my wish list of fifteen Kate Spade best buys. 

Just click on the image to SHOP! 

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How to make An instagram worthy wall

Making my garden pretty was a struggle. From taking photos nearly every day as part of my job, I obviously want my home to be a hub of pretty places where my photos could take place. When I bought my house there was this horrible brick wall, the people before me had kids and I always thought the brick wall was so dangerous there were loose bricks just placed around. I believe there used to be a shed and obviously the old owners thought they were super smart by just knocking it down themselves and then just LEAVING IT…WHO DOES THAT?! 

Anyway, rant over, long story short we have been in our house over 6 months and it’s still a job that needs doing, we have planted pretty plants all over the garden and even have a little herb and vegetable patch. Our patio has this lovely large corner sofa from Wayfair and we brought a barbecue for the bargain price of £30 in the sale from Homebase which Adam was pretty chuffed about but the brick wall was still annoying me. 

So why complain about it when I can do something about it. I first picked out some exterior paint from Sandtex part of their Fine Textured Masonry Paint range in Pure Brilliant White, you get a pretty decent size tin (10Litres) for £24.99 and the paint would have been able to do the back of my house, I literally only used a tiny bit for the wall, it went on very easily using only a little paint and the wall only needed two coats for a really thick coating. 

As the masonry paint is dirt resident and waterproof I shouldn’t need to worry about re-painting for a while, which is a relief seeing as it took me so long to get around to it in the first place. I decided to use the fine textured masonry paint range due to it being able to cover fine cracks – it’s not a perfect wall and unless I want to spend a few hundred on getting it rendered it will have to do, but I actually like that it’s not smooth and you can see the brick outline. 

Now I could have just covered the wall in flowers to try and make it pretty, but the pop of white paint from Sandtex has really turned my boring wall into an Instagrammable background for I am sure many OOTD’s to come. Although ‘Pure Brilliant White’ is not the most interesting colour, as my garden is already filled with colour from the green grass and flowers it actually makes it stand out. It feels like I have just injected a pop of colour into my garden without an actual colour. The other colours I was debating about was Plymouth Grey (grey/purple hue), or Terracotta which are all great to revive surfaces, sheds or upcycle furniture.

Next up will be my boring shed which I am thinking of using Bay Tree from Sandtex. After all, everyone needs a sage green shed, right?! 

Anyway when the paint was dry, I popped over to Squires, garden centre, a shop that has taken many pounds from me – I never realised I would be sucked into a gardening shop! I brought a climber to go up one side of the wall called Silly Cow (no joke) or Passion Flower, on the other side of the wall is a wisteria but when I brought it I didn’t realise it would take like 10 years to actually grow!!!

 It is incredible that a pop of paint has really transformed my garden into a stylish spot.

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Review: Le Jardin Des Douars, Essaouira, Morocco

Le Jardin des Douars is the perfect place to unwind when visiting Essaouira. Located in the hills about a 5 minute drive from the city centre, Le Jardin des Douars looks like a palace. Surrounded by wonderful gardens this is truly a luxurious gem with secluded accommodation and terraces overlooking the Ksob river. You can see straight away that it was created by a French couple as a mix of Moroccan and French culture is entwined throughout the hotel even to the food. 

Location: Coined the ‘Wind City of Africa’ the beach is not the place to relax but there are plenty of water sports to try your hand at. The main Medina of Essaouira contains vast amounts of alleyways and small streets filled with art galleries, shops, restaurants and boutique cafes. 

Nearest Airport: Essaouria, is only 15 minutes away from Le Jardin des Douars, with shuttle service available. Flights from London Luton with Easyjet run twice a week on Saturdays and Tuesdays; and its only three hours to fly or a two hour drive from Marrakesh, so perfect for a long weekend.

Rooms: Each of the rooms are located within traditional Moroccan houses dotted around the beautiful grounds of the hotel. You get an instant feeling of calm and tranquility when entering your room for the first time. Do not expect modern luxuries here but instead embrace the tradition Moroccan feel of your room.  

There are a wide range of rooms and suites available to cater to your requirements. I stayed in the Luxe Room which is perfect for couples. There are six of these rooms in total which includes a king sized bed, an amazing bath big set into the floor of the bathroom, shower and even a working traditional fireplace if you are visiting during the chillier months. You get your own private terrace, air-conditioning and a hair dryer - which is always a requirement for the boyfriend. 

The rate for the deluxe room including the ‘Royal breakfast’ is around £160 per night in high season.

Facilities/Activities on site:

Take a dip: There are two stunning swimming pools within the grounds of this boutique hotel on opposite sides. This is very handy as one of the pools if for adults only which means guests without children can relax whilst families do not feel like they are disturbing others. The pools are heated which is great, when I went to Greece last year it was so hot outside but the pool was absolutely freezing and I couldn’t even use it!

Relax: We stayed in Morocco for three nights and it was one of the most relaxing long weekends I have ever had. My time was spent relaxing by the pool reading my favourite book, going for a dip in the pool followed by amazing food and occasionally popping into Essaouira to wonder around the bustling Medina. 

Spa: I booked myself into the Hammam spa, I had the traditional skin exfoliation Hamman with perfumed black soap which lasted around 30 minutes and cost £30. I did not know what to expect from a Hammam Spa but you basically lie on marble in a romantically lit room it is a must do if you visit Morocco.

Explore Essaouira: The hotel offers shuttles to Essaouira’s historic Medina and the local harbour. It is very similar to the markets you will see on the TV in Marrakesh but on a smaller scale. Get ready to barter and try to relax when being approached by the the local tradesmen to take a look at their goods. We did not experience any problems with the locals and in fact they were amazingly polite and friendly at all times. The artwork, crafts and fabrics were amazing to look at so do not be afraid to get lost in the alleyways. We ended up at the rooftop bar Toros to watch the sunset over the medieval town and coastline.

Food & Drink: The food is served at the main building in the complex and most of the time we made use of the beautiful outdoor terrace.

Breakfast is included within the cost of the room and is presented in a buffet style. All food is completely fresh. You can have a wide variety of fruits and cereals along with freshly squeezed orange juice and teas. They also offer an a la carte option, where you can order Moroccan pancakes, eggs of any variety or French toast.

For Lunch the hotel offers a wide selection of fresh salads, burgers, fish and Moroccan cuisine. We had the fresh Tuna Nicoise salad which was amazing and a healthy beetroot and goats cheese plate, made from local produce. 

In the evening, there is a new specials menu everyday which offers traditional Moroccan dishes. This is accompanied by the normal a la carte menu offering a wide range of options. We have to say the food was excellent and a major highlight for us was the succulent Lamb Tagine special. There is also an extensive drinks menu on offer. 

Tips:As this resort is a litter far out from life you may decide to hire a car for a little exploration. 

To book Le Jardin Des Douars, click here.

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How to enjoy a Summer of Tennis with Wimbledon

How to enjoy a Summer of Tennis with Wimbledon

Summer is in full swing and Wimbledon has started. If you were watching my Instagram stories then you would have seen me sauntering around the Wimbledon Women’s Tennis Association launch party with Häagen-Dazs last week pretending that I was a tennis buff ….which I am not but everyone loves to get involved with the Wimbledon atmosphere so I thought I would show you how to enjoy your summer of tennis:

If you can’t go to Wimbledon let Wimbledon come to you

Head to a fitting location to watch Wimbledon, this could be a roof top terrace like Kensington Roof Gardens, where the launch party was held, Murray Mound or if you head outside Morrison’s in Wimbledon last year there is a fake lawn and a big screen or just get all the essentials below as set up in your garden.

Strawberries & Cream

As Häagen-Dazs is the official Ice cream of The Championships, sponsor of Wimbledon and makes the best ice cream in the world, they are a must have treat during your summer of tennis. The limited edition Strawberries & Cream is a key staple of Wimbledon.

The limited edition flavour took six years to develop and find the perfect strawberry supplier and each strawberry is handpicked. It was worth the wait as its filled to the brim with strawberries and tastes divine and what is more Wimbledon than the perfect serve of Strawberries & Cream.

So if you fancy this Summer on a stick be quick at the limited edition single serve packs are available to purchase at Wimbledon and on Amazon Prime Now, which in selected postcodes you get a choice of two-hour, same-day delivery slots from morning until night to experience Wimbledon wherever you are. The multipack collection is also available at Sainsbury’s until the end of July.

Pimms

Just like Strawberries & Cream ice cream you need strawberries in your drink and what is more Wimbledon than Pimms with Strawberry, Mint & Cucumber – delicious!

Your Outfit

Get those tennis whites out; one brand that is Wimbledon all over is Björn Borg who have also created the bright, illustrated limited edition packaging for the Häagen-Dazs strawberries & Cream, taking inspiration from the labels iconic tennis legacy and Scandinavian routes.

Now you are ready to enjoy your summer of tennis.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

This post is in collaboration with Haagen Dazs

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