Afternoon in Sinatra

I've walked past this restaurant in Nottingham countless times, and always wished I was in there to see if it's as good as it looks from the outside.

It definitely is.

With the leather bookcases, framed autographed photos of famous people (I had lunch with Ben Affleck next to me) and big antique mirrors on the wall  it creates a warm and vibrant atmosphere. Our waitress was lovely too, so smiley which makes your meal that much better. 

We stayed there until 4pm sipping on wine, scrumptious food and delicious hot chocolate for dessert.

It was a perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon.

UK Shopping

As leaving to go back to Sydney next week means I'll no longer be in England (obviously), it also means I will not be able to shop at the awesome high street fashion shops in the UK. So with my last week of shopping in this country I am definitely going to take advantage of shops like Topshop, Zara, River Island and H&M.

While the shopping is amazing here, it gets pretty hectic on Oxford street, having to wait in ridiculously long lines to try things on or even pay. 

So the trick of the trade is to always go shopping in London with a bit of research on what items you need (or want) most. 

This is my list:

Dresses

 

(Topshop dress, H&M dress, Topshop dress)

Tops

(Topshop vest, River Island body, Miss Selfridges blouse)

"Trousers" and Skirts

(Topshop denium shorts, River Island skirt, Zara jeans)

Shoes

(River Island sandals, H! by Henry Holland brogues, Dorothy Perkins boots)

I Already Miss You

This time next week I will be 10hrs into the 24hr flight from London to Sydney.

I don't quite like to think about it because it means I have to say goodbye to my boyfriend for 2 months.

So to keep our minds off it, we have planned a fun week filled with long lunches, dinners out with friends, sightseeing in London together, lazy breakfasts after visiting the farmer's markets and just appreciate having each others company rather than being on opposite sides of the world having to sort out the right time for both of us to talk on Skype. 
Long distance is a pain, but definitely worth it.  

I've been in England for 6 weeks, which feels like it has seriously flown by. 

So hopefully this week slooowwwwsss down.

(Image from weheartit)

Afternoon well spent....

A Sunday afternoon spending it with my favourite Upper East Sider's is an afternoon well spent in my opinion. 

Though every time I watch an episode, the Manhattan scenes really make me just want to go to New York 

These amazing photos are no help either! 

(gossip girl images: weheartit. New York images: from favourite blogs Bottom of the Ironing Basking and Cupcakes & Cashmere - all of Emily's photos are stunning!) 

Neverending Bus Trip

The bus trip from Nottingham to London and back definitely has a lot to be desired. I have done this trip countless times while I was living in London all of last year and my boyfriend up in Nottingham. The buses are always packed and either too hot or too cold.

Image from here

As much as I love to watch the English countryside while raindrops make their way down the windowsill, the only survival kit of the 4 hour trip is an iPod full of battery. 

These are my go-to songs which always let my mind wonder:

Angel - Jack Johnson 

Closer - Kings of Leon

So Beautiful - Pete Murray

Alice in Wonderland - Lisa Mitchell

Samson - Regina Spektor

Turn to Stone - Ingrid Michaelson

Sweet Disposition - The Temper Trap

Gravity - Sara Bareilles

Forever Young - Bob Dylan

Whatever You Like - Anya Marina

Green Eyes - Coldplay 

What You Want - John Bulter Trio

LONDON CALLING...

Tomorrow I'm heading down to London for the night! I can't believe I have been in England for 6 weeks and not been down to London once....this is what I have been missing so much:

Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and Big Ben with the London Eye poking through,

Black cabs and red buses,

Bond Street and Regent Street,

Traditional London pubs,

cute Belgravia houses,

West End theatre district,

even using the underground,

and of course...the shopping!!! (in Shepherd's Bush Westfield and Oxford Street)

EXTRAVAGANT DREAMING

It's good to dream... 

all from net-a-porter.com
(Alexander Wang Croc-print tank, Helmut Lang cracked leather shorts, Alice + Olivia silk blazer, Citizens of Humanity slouched distressed jeans, Thomas Wylde broken heart T-shirt dress, See by Chloe suede over-the-knee boots, Alexander Wang panelled pants, Bijoux Heart earrings, Roberto Cavalli rose ring, Balmain cargo pants, Christian Louboutin boots, Alexander Wang leather hobo bag, Stella McCartney Zebra-print tank)

Indulgent Weekend....

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast"

John Gunther

And I have to agree. This weekend has been spent in the most relaxing way. 

Not crawling out of bed until midday, reading magazines and favourite blog's while eating an extremely excessive (but amazing) breakfast like this:

And having some yummy coffee,

which was lovely with some chocolate from the amazing chocolate store Hotel Chocolat (not the best weekend for the diet, especially after sacking off the gym)

I even sorted out the washing which was made bearable by listening to some Bob Dylan classics

All in all, a brilliant weekend.

Happy Weekend

Heatwave...

This past week temperatures have been getting up to double figures! It's pretty funny seeing how excited the English get when the sun starts to ever-so-slightly, begin to shine a little bit brighter. I haven't seen the park so packed since August 09, with people getting out to appreciate the sunshine as much as possible. 

I love how the English are so thankful to the sun when it comes out, it makes me want to appreciate the constantly sunny weather in Sydney more. 

With all this excitement over the increasing temperatures, it's made me really want to have a

charming little cocktail party and serve drinks like these:

(some beautiful summer cocktail recipes here)

Maybe getting too far ahead of myself, as its no where near bare-leg weather yet, and cocktails parties are best when we get to wear dresses like these without having to worry about tights or leggings:

Sonia Rykiel mini dress, Day Birger Et Mikkelsen silk dress, 3.1 Phillip Lim lace shift dress all from net-a-porter.com

PARADISE...

Last night I spent the evening watching Couples Retreat. Good movie? Nah. But location? To-Die-For!

It's set in Bora Bora, Tahiti. 

The definition of paradise.

Pizza&Wine

Sunday evening with pizza and wine, couldn't get any better after having a pretty busy weekend.

If only I was bothered enough to make this amazing pizza recipe by Jamie Oliver...

pizza with spicy salami, courgette, basil, tomato and mozzarella

ingredients

• 4 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 6 thin slices of firm courgette
• 8 fresh basil leaves
• 10 thin slices of spicy salami
• 85g/3oz mozzarella
olive oil
• sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper

Smear your tomato sauce evenly over the pizza base. Lay over your courgettes and basil, then your salami – you want this to go on last so it goes crispy. Place small pieces of mozzarella in between the gaps, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook until crisp and golden.

Thankyou JamieOliver.com

STYLE INSPIRATION

Emmanuelle Alt - So effortlessly cool...