I'm a big fan of scented products, if it smells nice I want it, so it should come as no surprise that I am also a candle hoarder. My room is full of all sorts of half used candles, big ones, small ones, some in jars, some on stands, I have a lot. Every few months I will be temped into buying new candles without ever finishing the old ones, so saying I have a collection is a bit of an understatement. I'm actually on candle buying ban at the moment and noone is allowed to purchase them for me either as I am seriously running out of room. I know a lot of people, just like me love candles, after all they are relaxing and smell amazing! So I thought I would dedicate a post to my most recent favorite candles, no doubt I will have new ones to show you soon!
1. Amber & Lavender, Flamingo Candle - Before Christmas I had never even heard of Flamingo Candles, but after browsing one of their stalls at the Clothes Show Live, I became obsessed. I loved the packaging and everything about these new candles just screamed 'BUYME!'. I resisted temptation that time but when they had an online sale in January I lost all self control and treated me and Sean to some of the most beautiful scents imaginable. I opted for the Amber & Lavender and Sean went for something with Vanilla as usual. My candle reminds me of strong men's aftershave but in a good way. It such a prominent scent and I don't think I've ever known a candle that gives off a smell as powerfully as this one.
2. Ho Ho Ho, Our Own Candle Company - I picked up this adorable little thing on my latest holiday to Wales. We were staying just outside of Saundersfoot near Tenby. I love little Seaside towns like this as they have the cutest independent shops. I noticed a whole wall of these candles in a small homeware shop I was browsing. I'd never heard of the brand before but the candles were just too cute and I couldn't leave without buying one. There were so many scents to choose from, it took me ages to pick. I eventually opted for 'Ho Ho Ho' a Christmas candle. Although it's a very festive candle its scent reminds me more of old National Trust houses when they have a herb garden or a fire on in the kitchen. It's a gorgeous scent that I will happily inhale all year round.
3. Sicilian Lemon, Yankee Candle - There had to be a Yankee Candle in this list somewhere, they are just so well loved. I own a lot of Yankee Candles, they are easily the most popular and well known on the market. They do more scents than any other candle company I know and despite being rather pricey, I am more than happy to fork out on one. This is my most recent Yankee Candle purchase and easily my favorite. I decided I wanted a lemon scented candle and I knew I would get a good quality one from Yankee Candle. Little did I know that they actually have several lemon scented candles and I had to smell them all until I found the one I wanted. I chose Sicilian Lemon as its a beautiful sickly sweet scent that reminded me of Mediterranean holidays and lemon flavored gummy slices. This one really is happiness in a jar.
So those are my current favorite candles. I tried my best to describe their beautiful scents, each very different from the last. I try to never buy the same candle twice as I really love trying out new scents and discovering new candle company's. I'd love to hear about your favorite candles, for when I've exhausted some of mine and have made room for new ones!
I really enjoyed writing this post so let me know if you'd like to see more homeware or anything similar on the blog!
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A couple of weeks ago my family and I visited Berkeley Castle near Gloucester. We've always loved castles and wanted to go to one on our day off, so when I discovered this one had its own butterfly farm I knew this was the one we needed to visit.
We arrived just before 11am and headed straight to the butterfly farm. Adult Entrance is £10 for the castle and the butterfly house but you can pay for just the butterfly farm if you want. A little tip when paying, if you can, gift aid your ticket. It doesn't cost you any more but the people who run castle are able to claim money from the government to keep the place going and you get a free return ticket too.
By now it was lunch time so we grabbed a bite to eat before the next guided tour started. The tour was actually really good, it was a lot longer than I expected and the tour guide clearly loved his job and new a lot about the castle. There's a lot of interesting history and amazing architecture at Berkley, I'd really love to take Sean back to see it next time. It took about an hour and a half to go round the castle and I didn't feel rushed at all. After the tour we decided to have a little wonder about the grounds and sit by the fountain for a bit just enjoying the day.
After walking around for a while we headed back to the butterfly house for one last look before making our way into Gloucester, I'd never been before and mom wanted to see the Cathedral. Churches don't really do it for me but mom loves the architecture and could spend hours looking at all the little details. After we'd had a look round the shops and let mom wander the Cathedral we headed to Tewksbury to grab some dinner.
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On Thursday night I was lucky enough to be invited down to the launch party for a brand new lingerie shop in Solihull, Sipsey Lingerie. The store which opened officially on Friday stocks a wide variety of luxury underwear for all shapes and sizes so that every woman can feel comfortable and supported.
Upon entering the event that evening I was greeted by Elena the PR representative and Sukhy Nijjar the owner of the new boutique. Both women were extremely welcoming and happy to answer any questions I had about the store. Sukhy explained to me that before opening she did a lot of research and went to the Paris Trade show to handpick her favorite pieces for the shop. I loved the idea of this as you can see just how much she has put into the store and it gives it such a personal feel, unlike larger chain stores.
I also got to spend a bit of time with Elena who took me around the different sections and told me more about the individual brands on sale. I noticed there were many different styles available and the prices were also varied meaning there is something for everyone. Some of my favorite pieces on show were the beautifully delicate nude and neon L'Agent bras, a sister brand to Agent Provocateur. I also took a shine to the black cleavage enhancing Gossard bras shown in the last picture.
Sispey also stock a lovely range of nightwear, something I didn't expect before I went to the event. From sexy skimpy little pieces to cute flannel sets they sell all styles. Another surprise to me whilst looking around was the range of perfumes for sale. On a small side table stood a display of Altearah Bio perfumes, a company I hadn't previously heard of. Each of their perfumes has its own colour which in turn has its own mood, and the colour you are most drawn to is the scent you should go for. I was lucky enough to receive a sample perfume that I'm sure I will review in time.
Just after 7pm the music was turned down and we listened to a speech from the Mayor of Solihull who was thrilled to have more independent shops opening in the city. It was then Sukhys turn to talk about how much the store meant to her and how grateful she is for everyone's help. After that we were treated to a short fashion walk displaying some of the best pieces from the range. Although they looked beautiful on the hangers it was nice to see how the lingerie actually fitted.
As well as stocking a nice variety of lounge wear, nightwear, hosiery and shapewear Sipsey offer a personalized fitting service which I am hoping to put to the test in the future.
Thank you to everyone at Sipsey Lingerie for such a lovely evening and a goodie bag full of treats, I hope to be back soon!
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Last week Sean and I decided to go for dinner at the Pizza Express in Brindley Place. We had been shopping all day and couldn't wait to dive into some delicious food. Sean really wanted to eat at Pizza Express and as I can't say no to pizza that's where we ended up.
I have only ever eaten at one Pizza Express before and that was when we went to London back in November. I enjoyed my meal but not as much as I should have so I was looking forward to trying a different pizza and giving the restaurant another shot.
Price - I'll start with the price as this is pretty important. I think Pizza Express is quite pricey, with pizzas averaging around £10 or £11 you won't have a cheap night out. The pizza I chose was £10.60 and honestly it wasn't all that big. That being said it did fill me up and I was happy to leave without dessert. The drinks can also end up quite expensive as most of them are bottled. Unlike many similar restaurants Pizza Express don't have a 'bottomless' option and if like me you enjoy a few drinks with your meal this can quickly add up.I enjoyed my meal but I would only choose to eat here occasionally as I can get a lot more for my money in other places. But don't let that put you off going because good quality food doesn't come cheap anywhere. If you are planning a trip here any time soon don't forget to bring your NUS student card as you can get up to 40% off your meal some days which makes this place quite affordable!
Service - We headed down late on Saturday night and the place was surprisingly not all that busy. We were seated straight away and right by the window as I requested. I always want a window seat as I get super anxious if I'm seated in the middle of a restaurant, there's a fun fact for you. Our waiter was friendly and happy to answer any questions I had about the pizzas and whether we could use our student discount. After ordering our food came extremely quickly. Literally 10 minutes after placing our order it was there in front of us, cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. It didn't take us too long to wolf our dinner down and our plates were soon cleared away. It did unfortunately take quite a while for our waiter to bring the bill but that is my only complaint.
Food/ Drink Quality - Pizza Express unlike similar restaurants has such a homemade feel about it. Although I know its a chain restaurant my pizza looked like it could have been made by a little Italian woman in her kitchen, that's a good thing in case you were wondering. Everything looked fresh and good quality not to mention how full of flavor everything was. I chose the Leggera Pollo ad Astra and Sean opted for the Sloppy Giuseppe, I can't speak for Sean but my pizza was delicious and under 500 calories! Last time I ate at Pizza Express I had a chicken pizza and I knew I wanted something similar again as the chicken was the best part and I wasn't disappointed this time as it was once again cooked beautifully. We also chose a side of coleslaw which could have easily passed for being handmade. It had a slight tang to it but it was still very tasty went well with our pizzas.
Cleanliness - When we arrived at our table it was clean and we had fresh cutlery and napkins. There were no signs of any previous guests and the restaurant in general seemed to be very clean. The floor was clear and the tables were tidied very quickly. Unlike other restaurants I've visited lately even the restrooms were kept very clean even though they seemed to be busy. Overall I was quite impressed with the cleanliness in the restaurant.
Location - The Pizza Express at Brindley Place is quite central and very easy to get to. Its around a 10/15 minute walk from the Bullring and close to bus stops and taxi ranks. There is a Pizza Express in the Bullring for those of you who aren't willing to walk but that closes at 8:30pm most nights. This restaurant is also located next to Broad Street, the ICC and short walk from the NIA so it would be a nice place to start the night.
Overall I enjoyed my meal at the Brindley Place Pizza Express. My pizza was full of flavor and I didn't feel like I'd over done it when I left. Although it can be fairly pricey, with the right discounts you can eat for a reasonable price and with that in mind I would eat here again.
☆☆☆☆
Now I've written a few restaurant reviews I love to hear about your favorite places to eat. Whether they are small independent cafes or you favorite chain restaurant let me know where your 'go to' place is!
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