Week by Numbers: Flowers & fangirl-ing

Praise the lord, it's only been a flipping bank holiday! And you know what that means right? A whole extra day of weekend to fill up with fun and frolics - BLISS.

7 favourites...

1.) My best friend, sadly left where we work together to move onto bigger and better things (because she's brilliant like that), and what better send-off to have then go and have a Q&A with The Hoff himself, filled with more than enough Hoff puns - 'Cool Hoff' bottles of water anyone? But even better, when you're 2 Parks & Rec loving NUTS like us 2, and you see Jean Ralphio sat in the screening event, and you lose your minds, and you go to talk to him, and he's lovely as heck, and it takes everything in your power to not sing right in his face while he takes a photo with you...well...night made right?

2.) One of the best things about the fact that I now earn a living - apart from the fact you know, I can afford to eat and live - is that I get to treat and spoil my nephew and nieces just like did for me. It may not be Barbie houses and Nike trainers yet. But just being able to buy some stickers and send them off inside a dinosaur card, and getting sent a photo of my nephew's beaming face when he opened it, well, it just warms up my fuzzy lil' heart.

3.) I love live music, and I have no idea why I don't spend more of my time and money on it, because whenever I do, I have THE best time! Recently, I got some last-minute tickets to go see Brandon Flowers with my childhood besties. We both listened to The Killers to death when we were in high school together, and to have a couple of beers and jump around together to his amazing new stuff, AND Mr.Brightside, was amazing and oddly poetic in a way. Not only that, but Chrissy Hydne from The Pretenders made a surprise appearance and sang one of my fave songs, Don't Get Me Wrong, with Mr.Flowers, just made my absolute life.

4.) It was Bank Holiday - hurrah! Which means an extra day to catch up on sleep and chill out, and if gin just happens to be involved in the plans, then so be it...

5.) My friend Hannah and I planned a whole day out this bank holiday weekend, which kicked off with afternoon tea at Sketch. You know the day's going to be good when that's how it starts right? We've both wanted to try it out for a while, but as a pretty special place to go, it's not somewhere you go on a whim on your lunch break, y'know? So we went, sat in a haven of pink and lights (I think I was in heaven), gorged on unlimited tea, dainty sandwiches and sugary treats that made us go all in a giggly tizzy. But the unique thing? The toilets are egg pods. Yep. You heard me right. Egg-shaped pods that you pee in. Just let that sink in for a bit...

6.) After our afternoon tea, we had a little mooch around Kensington before finally getting round to seeing the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty exhibition at The V&A. Even if you're not a follower of fashion, or could care less about it, you need to go. So often, I feel that he's remembered as a brand that's known for shock value, when he was actually a beautiful, intelligent, creative and emotional human being, who pushed the boundaries of what is considered as beauty. It was genuinely one of the best curated exhibitions I've ever been to - it touched all the senses, the settings were out of this world, and it was surprisingly touching. Go. NOW.

7.) Flat hunting is stressful and time-consuming enough at the best of times, but when you're in London. Oh lordy, is it 10x worse with added heart-breaking exspenses. Here's how things usually happen: 'OMG. I've found the flat of my dreams! Oh it's out of my price range. And is a 45283490 minute commute to work. And it's not gone...'Wish me luck guys.

3 thoughts...

"Cancelling. AGAIN?! C'mon dude - this is getting old now."

"Why do adults not have half term?"

"Oh hi Wes Anderson-eque bumbling dude on the tube. Want to run off into a sunset together?"

1 outfit...

top:Primark, skirt:ASOS, sunglasses:Vintage, floral tattoo:Pepper Ink

Being off for an extra day for a 4-day bank holiday weekend, made me feel like I was on half term, and apparently forget how to dress like an adult as I roll up into work with a Barbie crop top on. Well done 23-year-old Amy.

Stay happy!

Until next time...

A.x

High tea & high fashion

For a lil gift and birthday celebration, earlier on this week, i ventured into London to have a rather special afternoon tea with some of my closest friends at The Berkeley Hotel.

Now, i know for many young people my age, they would think "an afternoon tea?....how boring!", but for me, and i know also for many of my friends, there's nothing like a good cuppa! So for me, and the rest of the tea party being pretty big tea drinkers and cake lovers anyway, it was an amazing experience!

With a dress code to fulfill  i slipped into this beautiful and whimsical dress that i got given as a gift and have never had an occasion to wear yet. I absolutely love it, and how it's elegant, feminine yet still fun and quirky, which is how i would like to think that i dress normally. The old-fashioned circus prints are beautiful and adorable, and the beads that glisten as you move just gives it that extra special touch.

dress: Ted Baker, jacket: Urban Code, bag: Topshop

To stop it being too formal, and more relevant to my style age, i finished off my outfit with my trusty leather jacket and a zingy, lime green bag, with the cherry on top the cake being this beautiful necklace which was 21st gift from my parents. 

When i was younger, I would always see these teddy bears holding a big key and want one, but my mum said they were for people when they turn 21, and get given the key to their adult life and world. Although it may not be that teddy, i now have my very own shiny key.

The afternoon tea is called Prêt-à-portea, with all the sweet goodies inspired by this fashion season's catwalks. It was so peculiar and funny to be sat round a table saying "oh, the Burberry's really yummy!", hearing cries of "oh wow, the pistachio handbag is delicious!", and being asked "have you tried the Fendi shoe?" It was truly special and indulgent.

 The sandwiches and canapes were so moreish and the cakes were so clever and beautiful, and the service was brilliant, we even got given a doggy bag of left-over goodies to take away! And they are the most amazing take-away bags I've ever laid eyes on!

If you get the chance to go, for a special occasion or treat, i would definitely recommend it! If you want more information, you can look on there website here: http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/fashion-afternoon-tea/

It was just a wonderful adternoon spent with beautiful and delicious food, sipping on tea and champagne and just absolutely lovely spending time chatting and sharing uncontrollable giggles with friends.

What do you think to afternoon teas? A bit boring or civilised and relaxing?

Hope you're all well,
Speak soon,
A.x