24 HOURS IN MEXICO CITY

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JAMAICA WITH SANDALS

IM NOW CURRENTLY BACK HOME IN THE COLD AND I’M REGRETTING IT ALREADY. Jamaica WAS ONE OF THE FUNNEST WEEKS I’VE HAD. We were invited to come along WITH SANDALS ON A PRESS TRIP. IT WAS A WORK TRIP BUT WHAT MADE IT MORE AMAZING WAS THAT I GOT TO TAKE OLI!

MONTEGO BAY

OUR FIRST STOP WAS SANDALS MONTEGO BAY. SITUATED ONLY 5 MINUTES FROM THE AIRPORT. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT FROM A SANDALS TRIP BUT WE CHECKED INTO OUR ROOMS AND THEN HEADED STRAIGHT FOR DINNER AS WE ARRIVED IN THE EVENING. DINNER ENDED UP BEING AT ‘SOY’ THEIR SUSHI RESTAURANT ON THE PROPERTY AND THIS HAD TO BE MY FAVOURITE ONE FOR SURE. SINCE EVERYTHING AT SANDALS IN INCLUDED IN YOUR BOOKING - YES THAT MEANS FOOD AND BEVERAGES ALSO! WE DIDN’T WASTE ANY TIME AND ORDERED SO MUCH OFF THE MENU. FOOD WAS SO DELICIOUS AND THAT WAS THE NIGHT WE ALL GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER. The next day we just chilled out on the beach and saw what sandals had to offer. as well as the all inclusive food and beverages, theres water sports including scuba diving and snorkeling on the property which is perfect if your adventurous. If you’re not into activities like me, the bar is open from 10am so grab a pina colada and enjoy the sun.

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negril

I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE HAD THE MOST FUN AND WERE MOST SETTLED. WE STAYED IN NEGRIL FOR 3 NIGHTS AND WERE TREATED TO THESE SWIM UP ROOMS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE RESORT SO IT FELT LIKE THE WHOLE AREA WAS OURS. WE WERE RIGHT NEXT TO THE BEACH, IT WAS PRETTY QUIET AND WE HAD A FEW RESTAURANTS BY US TOO WHICH MEANT WE DIDN’T EVEN NEED TO LEAVE OUR SIDE. OUR ROOMS HERE CAME WITH BUTLERS SO WE JUST ENDED UP ORDERING ROOM SERVICE WHEN WE ARRIVED AND CHILLED BY THE POOL WHILST OUR FOOD WAS BOUGHT OVER. (WHAT KIND OF LIFE IS THIS?) WE WERE MEANT WITH A SMALL EARTHQUAKE UPON ARRIVAL SO EVERYONE WAS A BIT SHAKEN UP SO TO DIFUSE THE TENSION WE ALL HAD A LITTLE RUM TO CALM OUR NERVES. we didn’t have any dinner plans that night so just opted for barefoot on the beach just outside our rooms. we had fresh seafood and i had the most delicious watermelon margarita! the day after we had a more chilled day, shot some content, explored the resort a bit more, went on the catamaran cruise and chilled out in the hot tub in the evening. by this point it felt like we had known everyone forever so it was such a fun evening to hang out with everyone and share some very funny stories! the next morning we got to experience the spa a bit with a couples massage using hot salt stones and oil. i may have discovered my new favourite form of massage and it was so delightful. ended the night at their tepanyaki restaurant and we all left with a belly full of gorgeous food. thats been a huge favourite part of mine, the food on offer at sandals as theres so much choice. (and all included in your stay!)

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South Coast

our last stop with sandals was to south coast! this resort to me was way more chilled and bigger than the other ones and felt more quiet and relaxing! our first night we had a candle lit dinner planned and it was such a treat for us as it took us back to when me and oli got engaged in bali. it was super romantic and we were situated at the end of the resort so it felt like it was just the two of us! the dinner also came with a photographer to capture this romantic moment but i ended up just using our friends on the trip as i knew what i wanted to capture. each resort has a photography team that you can hire or bump into whilst walking around the resort. they will take a picture of you and ask for your room number so you can head to the photo store and get your pictures! such a nice little touch!

we had a little tour to the appleton rum estate the next morning and learnt about the rum process and had a tasting session! if you’re a rum love this is up your street for sure. then we headed back to chill on the beach before getting ready for our last dinner together. we were surprised with our own private dinner by the beach and a whole ray of different dishes on offer. from sushi to stir fry to fresh seafood and desserts! we were truly spoilt with hospitality from the staff at south coast.

still can’t believe how lucky we were to have experience this! just want to say another huge thank you to sandals for whisking us away on this beautiful unforgettable trip. it was truly surreal!

disclaimer: this was part of a press trip with sandals. i was not contracted to write a post but wanted to share you guys my experience!

LFW PHOTO DIARY

I got my films developed from lfw and i thought i would share with you guys what i got up to. i didn’t take my camera to a few things as i was carrying around a small bag and my camera broke after we took the last image on this post which was a bummer.

stayed at kettner’s in soho. one of my favourite places to crash whilst in london.

arrived at the apt x starbucks pop up and we were greeted with unlimited pumpkin spice lattes!

there was also sweet treats by dee’s basement and of course i had to have some

like this vanilla and lemon cake. i could of happily eatten the whole table if we didn’t have to leave for dinner.

trying to show off my new nails i got done at house of lady muck.

me with my cake. very h a p p y here.

more of my nails.

these two talking about music as usual.

how cute is kitty’s bag? i was obsessed!

we had dinner at temper. it was a mexican restaurant hence the tacos and margs but there was also a roast. i wanted both so we ordered both.

the next morning i had paul costello to attend.

it was a lot of florals, 60’s to 80’s vibes. brihgt colours and girly prints.

this was a bit too house wife for me but he did have this beautiful dress with a tie dye kind of print which was insane.

met up with kaylum and shot some outfit pics.

early morning rise the next day and started off with an acai bowl and matcha latte.

didn’t take my camera to the pushbutton show but came back to hotel and took it with me to lunch with vanessa. she took me to her friend’s poke place and it was delicious!

it was called polu poke and you can find them here

next i had to rush to my shoot with ysl. we filmed something really fun and i can’t wait for you guys to see it. i’ll keep you guys updated on when it will be live.

worked with Marcio again for this campaign and he does my make up so well. i asked for the jlo glow and he delivered.

then i had to come back and get ready before the big launch event that night. i had sherrie and ashley come over to the room to hang out. we had take out and caught up with each other. a much needed girl time.

i hadn’t seen ashley in a while and thats what i love about lfw. everyone is in town so you can catch up with your friends.

these girls <3

we had to use up the rest of the film on the roll…

my camera broke after this which was a pain as i wanted to shoot around the party. the bright side was i got to enjoy the night without over thinking too much about capturing pictures! i hope you guys enjoyed this round up! i can’t wait to share my next trip with you guys.

PARIS WITH CORKCICLE

ARRIVED WITH CORKCICLE IN PARIS FOR THEIR LAUNCH PARTY.

WE STAYED AT BRACH AND IT WAS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL HOTEL. DEFINITELY WILL BE BACK IN THE NEAR FUTURE!

HEADED TO L’AVENUE FOR DINNER. ITS BEEN ON MY LIST FOR A WHILE AND FOOD WAS PRETTY DELICIOUS AND SO WERE THE COCKTAILS.

@THESLUMFLOWER LOOKING BOUJEE IN PARIS

ENJOYING MY ‘SAKS ON THE ROCKS’

HEADING TO THE LAUNCH PARTY ON THE RIVER

@HELENANDERZ

disclaimer: this was part of a press trip. post not sponsored.

BALI POLAROIDS

A collection of my polaroids I took in Bali. I took these with the Polaroid One Step 2 and the Fuji instax mini & printed some with the fuji instax printer.

I missed it so much that I just booked my ticket back. Happy to say that I'll be back in May! 

Athens city guide!

I got to finally visit the beautiful city of Athens and as soon as I got back, I couldn't wait to put together a guide for you all! Athens has definitely become one of my favourite cities to visit - Oli & I can't wait to go back! We decided not to use any maps but instead just wondered around and explore the city. I quickly made sense of where we were and we stumbled across some amazing restaurants and shops! Athens definitely live up to my expectations but surprised me at how 'young' the vibe of the city really is! There were so many young people around and so much nightlife to satisfy your needs! With having spent only 3 days there - I've put together the main hotspots we went to/did!

How to get there

I suggest looking on Aegean Airline's website to search for flights. We traveled with them and was surprised at how roomy the seats were and that we were served a meal! (It was only a 4 hour flight!) The site is really straight forward and you can see which month you can grab a bargain flight. October - November is the perfect time to visit as the weather is a tad cooler (still hot for us brits) and the city is in off peak season which is great for grabbing some awesome hotel & flight deals! They also fly directly to Athens from London 3 times a day! You can search for flights here.

Where to stay

For the first 2 days of the trip we stayed at the newly opened Electra Metropolis Athens. This hotel is in such a perfect location - being a street down from Ermou street (famous for its shopping) and about a 15 minute walk up to Acropolis. It's also surrounded by great restaurants and cafes but also serves great room service too! Oh, we can't forget the view! We ended up staying in the Acropolis Suite & it really was one of the best views I could possible asked for. There was enough space in the room and a large marble bathroom which was a dream! You can see it in my vlog here.

For the last 2 nights, we stayed at the NEW HOTEL. It's part of the DESIGN HOTEL group (they create beautiful architecture around the world!) so you know you're in for a treat! We stayed in the standard room which had plenty of space & a private balcony. The bed was super comfy and not bad for location too! It's about 5 minute walk from Electra Metropolis Athens & is about a 5 minute walk into Plaka. My favourite part of town! Full of souvenir shops, cafes, art stores and restaurants! 

Image courtesy of Yes Hotels

What to do

I suggest you leave your map at the room & explore the city only on foot! It's the best way to meet the locals, get to know the city and get lost in it's beautiful culture. Head into Plaka, this is my favourite part of town! It literally makes you feel like you're walking around a greek island! Some restaurants are hidden but those are the best ones. You can find some amazing vintage bargains too along with your classic souvenir pieces. My favourite is that you have so many little stores selling olive oil, greek honey, olives and of course baklavas to take home! Every corner is such a photo perfect moment so don't forget to charge your camera and snap away! 

Hike up to Acropolis

We thought it would be a trek but it only took us 15 minutes to hike up there. Along the way were small souvenir shops which we stopped and wondered around. We also grabbed some ice cream as a little treat to ourselves & it was the freshest ice cream I've ever eaten. Be sure to grab the pistachio or coconut one! Once at Acropolis, grab your ticket and head up. The best time to visit is either early morning or after lunch time! We unfortunately went around 10.30am and had to que about 30 minutes to get tickets. You can either opt for the €20 ticket which just lets you into Acropolis and the theatre or the €30 ticket which lets you into all the monuments. Take in the view every step of the way and admire the ruins! 

GO SHOPPING

You can pretty much spend hours on Ermou street looking through the shops, grabbing a coffee at a cafe and even a huge pretzel! They have such a great selection of stores and it really is one of the best places to shop! I picked up some bits from H&M (they had such great stock of everything) and Bershka but there are also Pull & Bear, Zara & H&M and Sephora too! 

Take the Bohemian tales of the city tour with Urban Adventures

Far from the usual boring historical tours - Urban Adventures  focuses on the modern twists the city has to offer. This tour was more focused on street art which was so interesting & you get to walk around and know the city. Highly recommend you do this on the 1st evening if you have time. Especially if you have never been to Athens before. We were taken to all the art hotspots and bars only known to locals. Definitely make sure your camera is all charged up for all the photo ops too!

Where to eat

MOMA CAFE, Monastiraki - Be sure to try out their pizzas! We went for the Greek pizza and Moma pizza. It was really filling and all ingredients were really fresh. We chowed down with some homemade lemonade as well! Their desserts sounded good too but we were stuffed so didn't get a chance to try any. 

New Art lounge, New hotel

We went for dinner on our first night there. Such a beautiful space on the roof top with great views of Athens. You can even see Acropolis as well. The food was delicious and quality was superb. I went for the seafood linguini and Oli went for the steak. Also try out their signature cocktails over looking the breath taking view!

OTTO Restaurant

This was our favourite restaurant we went to. Everything from the decor to service and food was incredible. The menu was really fun and interesting, combining a lot of ingredients that sounds like they wouldn't go together to the presentation. We had a great tasting menu with a few cocktails and it was genuinely the best way to end the trip. I'm hoping we get to go back and we are planning on bringing a load of friends too! I recommend the casserole and the beef marinated in coffee! But anything on the menu is to die for! 

Diogenes, Plaka

We stumbled upon this place on our first night of walking around Plaka. The atmosphere was super chilled but lively. With the place being such a big restaurant it filled up pretty quick with lots of couples, families and friends. The menu was easy to read and I went for the shrimp linguini (love a good pasta dish!). I think this was the best linguini I've had on the trip. The size of the shrimps on my plate were huge and there was a big enough portion to make me not want dessert! 

Six Dogs

A go to place for the locals. This quirky little hidden gem is picture perfect and different from any other bars I've been to in Athens. Having the setting out doors and through an underground entrance is pretty interesting! You have the try the frozen cappuccino! They also serve food as well! Definitely a must stop whenever you are in Athens!

So I hope you guys enjoyed my guide to Athens! I can't wait to go back & hopefully be able to visit the islands too! Any more questions just leave them below! Thank you to  Discover Greece for making this trip possible! 

Grand Central market

So last Tuesday I ended back up in LA with Visit California! We were going to explore a bit more of LA and headed straight to grand Central Market. I've actually never been to GCM and I'll definitely be heading back next time I'm in town. 

If you've never heard of this place, it's a mixture of an indoor open market where you can pick up your groceries and also grab some food! We headed there during breakfast time so I grabbed an ice chai latte from G&B coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. One of the best chai lattes I've had too! It was just the perfect spiciness and lightness to it. Highly recommend those guys if you are looking for coffee! Can't wait to head back and try out more of the food that's available there. You can find out more about Grand Central Market HERE Keep an eye out for more of my trip!

Photos taken on Panasonic Lumix LX100

COMMISARY at The Line

This is such a long overdue post on one of my favourite places to eat in LA. Don't worry, there will be more to come! Commissary is set in a beautiful big green house on the 2nd floor at the Line hotel. Even before I was staying at the Line I would wonder down and go for breakfast. These images were taken from my trip back in November where I went with Oli. Since we were staying at the hotel we ended up here most mornings as it was just a few floors below us. The vibe is pretty easy going, a fusion of Korean inspired dishes are throne in there too. My favourite dish to have there is the congee and the pancakes! Highly recommend them as I ended up having those a few times. But everything else is also delicious. 

I also love that the mugs and glasses you are served with are all mix of vintage pieces and hand crafted ones. Makes you feel right at home or at granny's house. Not only is it pretty in the day time, I also reccomend going at night time. The fairy lights create such a warming atmosphere and it's a great place for dinner with friends. All the food is served family style which is lovely and different than to what I usually experience here in the UK. You get to sample so much food and when it comes to splitting the bill - it couldn't be any more simpler! 

Let me know if you guys are visiting LA any time soon! I will definitely be posting more LA hot spot recommendations soon as I'm off back there rather soon!

All photos taken with Panasonic Lumix LX100