Category: style

Few weeks I finally got a chance to visit one of the London’s prettiest places. Tucked away down a quiet street in Farringdon, Bourne & Hollingsworth sits between a  garden park and a children’s play park and it is exactly the kinda place I like to brunch in; peaceful, quirky and with serious interior goals – real Pinterest and Instagram heaven.

Inside, the main dining area is all white wood and old-timey furnishings. In the back is conservatory like area with beautiful floral furniture and green plants everywhere. I was lucky enough to get a table in that section.

The brunch menu features a choice of single serving or bottomless cocktails – offering unlimited refills on classics such as Bellinis and Bloody Marys for £15/£16.The food menu, was a great mix of sweet and savory, meaning it took me a while to finally commit to a dish. I went for banana and fresh coconut pancakes with fresh berries and honey which was delicious.

Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, 42 Northampton Road, Clerkenwell, EC1R 0HU. Nearest station: Farringdon or Angel. The weekend brunch runs from 10am-4pm on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit the Bourne & Hollingsworth buildings website.

What I wore: Hat: Accessorize(sold out) | Top: Zara | Skirt: Pretty Little Thing| Shoes: M&S | Bag: Zara| Cardigan: Boohoo

As you can see I’ve partially embraced Autumn by wearing my thickest jumper on bare legs.  There is always mix of emotions at this time of year. Some of us want to cling onto every drop of Summer but some of us are desperate to be able to order a pumpkin spice latte while wearing our snuggly jumpers. I guess I’m somewhere in between. Summer is my favourite time of the year, but here in London the summer is short and usually not as hot, although I’m like a lizard, and only feel hot when it’s 35 degrees or more, so I appreciate every second of it. Long days and warmth just make me happy and I’m never ready for grey and cold days but the one thing I like about Autumn is that Hygge feeling. I use to hate Autumn but now actually I don’t really mind it and while thinking about it I came up with some reasons why you all should love Autumn.

• New TV series. I’m a bit of a TV series addict, and during summer when I have days off with nothing to do I miss having some shows to binge watch. At the moment I’m so happy that my favourite shows are back: How to get away with murder, Designated Survivor and Scandal with some new great ones: Sinner and Absentia
• Chai latte. Or Pumpkin Spice latte. Or any other latte that will give you that feeling of happiness.
• Candles. My flat is full of candles but I never light them during the summer. I’m so happy that now I can light up all the candles I bought during the summer.
• Fairy lights. I wanted to keep my fairy lights on the wall during the Summer but I ended up putting them away and was too lazy to put them back up. Well this weekend they are finally back!
• Bonfire night. After this time, talk about Christmas can officially start. Anytime before is just too early. I just love bundling up and walking to the nearest firework display with a cup of hot chocolate, and a marshmallow
• Cinnamon Buns. My favourite pastry ever. I’m always on the lookout for new cinnamon bun places in London. Currently, my number one is Fabrique Bakery with Nordic Bakery as the runner-up.
• Evenings in. When it’s dark and cold outside you won’t feel bad staying in under the blanket with a glass of wine and your loved one.
• Markets. I know you can go to markets during the Summer, but there is something about crisp autumnal mornings that make the stroll around markets so nice
• Big Jumpers. Finding the softest and warmest jumper to keep you cosy is the ultimate Autumn goal.
• New Coat.
• Parks. Most people love parks in Summer, especially in London where I get the feeling that every Londoner just moves to the park during the Summer. From boot-camps, yoga, fetes, to picnics and BBQ’s, parks are always crowded. But in Autumn it’s so much nicer to wrap up and have a quiet walk as the leaves change colour.

What I Wore: Jumper: Boohoo | Skirt: River Island(old) |Shoes: Converse | Bag: Accessorize(old)

What do Strawberry Hill House and the word ‘serendipity’ have in common?

Both were created by Sir Horace Walpole.

Horace Walpole, son of British first Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole and the author of the first gothic novel The Castle of Otranto, has spent forty years, beginning in 1749, turning his house into a gothic castle.The result is spectacular and I can’t believe that I haven’t visit it earlier because I literally live 10 minutes walk from it.

I saw the exterior of the Strawberry Hill house before and it always leaves me speechless because you would never expect big white fairytale-like castle in your neighborhood, would you?Inside is just a dream. Details on the ceilings are just stunning, especially in my favorite rooms The Gallery and The Library.  Equally exciting are the dramatic Gothic staircase in the entrance, and the views from the upper levels, which shows off the gardens and grounds underneath beautiful stained-glass windows.

Each room has a steward inside to answer questions and talk visitors through the finer details of the interior. It’s more interactive than just using the (admittedly good) guidebook that comes with the entry ticket and brings the house to life with stories and anecdotes.Although the rooms are so special and every single one is different, most of the original furniture is gone thanks to one of an earls from Waldgrave family who sold everything out so you will have to imagine how it really looked like.Considering that this House survived fire, flood and WW2 bomb falling through the roof it still looks unbelievable thanks to extensive renovation.

It’s definitely worth a visit.You can get here from Central London by taking the train from Waterloo to Strawberry Hill which will take around 30minutes. Price of the ticket is £12.50 for adult or half the price for students.Before you go you might want to check opening hours because place is often booked for events and wedding and it’s closed.

Light inside is not amazing but I managed to take some photos of my outfit as well while other visitors were probably thinking we are completely mad.

What I Wore: Skirt: Zara(similar) | Top: Zara| Shoes: Pull & Bear(similar) | Bag: Accessorize(old)

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Every September I realize I don’t have anything to wear (as usual) and keep wondering what I wore last winter, so I try to stick to my summer items as much as I can. The problem is, I like too many different things and my wardrobe looks like a big circus. It would be so much easier if for example I only liked monochrome things, or didn’t like skirts and preferred jeans. But nope, I like it all. I’m trying to be sensible so I try not to buy things just because they are in fashion at the moment. But if I’m going to buy something super trendy which I know will last only one season I will choose a very cheap option. I would rather invest in basics which will last.

Buying this hat was a very impulsive decision for me. I just had to have it. It was weird because until this year I wasn’t really a hat person. The only hat that I occasionally wore (but only when it was freezing cold) was my simple wool winter hat. Even though everyone else looked great with it I thought I just didn’t have the head for it 😀 I bought this baker boy hat at the beginning of the year but somehow I never got a chance to wear it. Now when summer is finished and I’ve sadly packed my straw hat away it was time to give it a go…and I love it. It’s such a statement piece and goes great with everything and of course, helps on bad hair days.

As a big stripes and t-shirt fan I will probably keep all of them in my closet during the winter and combine with thick cardigans. This was a very rare opportunity to wear it without any kind of jacket because this September in London is wannabe November, so I’m updating my closet with knits at the moment.

Top: H&M | Hat: H&M | Jeans: ASOS | Bag: Zara(old) | Shoes: New Look(similar)

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