The perfect autumn Sunday...

Last weekend I was away with a girlfriend for some R&R in the countryside; you can read my first post about this here (link). So now onto Day 2 :) After having such a fab day full of fresh air, exercise, relaxing treatments and delicious food it's fair to say we slept like babies in our lovely room at The Olde Bell. We woke up about 9.30am, which is pretty rare for me to sleep in that late on a weekend (unless I have had quite a boozy night before that is..) so we just threw on some clothes to ensure we didn't miss the hotel breakfast buffet. And trust me, this is not one you'd want to miss. The breakfast display was rather impressive....

I had a ginormous bowl of natural yoghurt with their crunchy homemade granola topped with figs, stewed plums and a swirl of honey. I then also couldn't resist helping myself to some of the pastries and maybe even a toasted crumpet with peanut butter, yummmm!

After a our very fulfilling breakfast it was time to put on the wellies again (which were by now nicely covered in mud from the previous day's adventures) and head out into the fresh autumn weather!

Me outside our countryside retreat in the wee village of Hurley along the Thames. We walked along the Thames towpath and had fun playing around in the beautiful autumn leaves!

Jeans by Abercrombie & Fitch

Regent Savoy Wellington Boots by Hunter

White singlet & striped Blythe sweater by Abercrombie & Fitch (as seen here)

Navy waxed hooded jacket by Dorothy Perkins (as seen here)

We also made some new friends along the way....Haha approach with caution though ;)

A perfect countryside Sunday afternoon is not complete without a Sunday roast so I'd done a bit of research earlier in the week and had found that there was a fantastic gastro pub in the area. The Hinds Head in Bray is located in a cosy listed 15th-century building and is owned by UK Michelin chef Heston Blumenthal. The Hinds Head offer outstanding traditional seasonal cuisine and historic British dishes. Over the years it has received many awards for its food; in 2011 it was even named the Michelin Pub Guide’s “Pub of the Year”. So where better to go for our Sunday roast right?

The service was smooth and friendly and everything on the menu looked pretty mouth-watering but I knew pretty instantly that the pork roast had my name written all over it....

I love my Yorkshire puddings so I always order one on the side because traditionally they only come standard when you order the roast beef. But for me a Sunday roast has to include a yorkshire pudding which I then drown in lots of gravy! The roast also came with a lovely side of panfried beans and parsnip. C'mon how good does this look?

The pork was beautifully cooked and the roast potatoes were some of the best I've ever tasted. They were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft in the middle! And the best part?

The crackling!! Yummmmmmmmmm such a naughty treat but oh so tasty.

When our bellies were well and truly full after our delish lunch it unfortunately was time to head back to the city but we both felt super duper relaxed, refreshed and told ourselves; we should do this more often because this was really the perfect autumn Sunday!

Drinks at Schiller's in NYC

Hey everyone. I'm having the best time in New York....am seriously in love with this city. It is definitely true that this place never sleeps but I am feeling the effects of this after, so far already, three nights out in a row!! I'm going to be a very broken woman by the time I get back to London. Thought I'd quickly post a recent NYC outfit of the night from when we went out for a few drinks at Schilller's in the Lower East side.

Schiller's Liquor Bar is a uber-hip French American bistro by Keith McNally who is also the guy behind Balthazar in Soho, Pastis in the Meatpacking District, and Minetta Tavern in Greenwich Village. The vibe in this place is playful and funky; for example, their wine list has three categories: cheap, decent and good ;) However we opted for some yummy cocktails instead. This is a really fun place for dinner or late-night drinks!

Distressed cropped jeans by ZARA

Gladiator heels by Aldo

New silk green top by Addison Heart (from in little boutique in NYC - Yamak)

New gold & black leather necklace from Yamak

Took these pics in their downstairs, pretty cool, unisex bathrooms....told you this place was fun ;) What do you think of my two new NYC purchases from Yamak? xoxo

Lunch at Clementine's in LA

As a bit of self-proclaimed foodie, before going on holiday, I made sure I did my research to find some great 'go-to' places for meals. On one of my favourite blogs, Cupcakes and Casmere, Emily recommends the cafe Clementine as a fab place to grab lunch or to "meet a friend". So when we randomly drove past Clementine's one afternoon in LA we felt this would be the perfect spot to stop for a bite to eat!

Check out the massive Rolls Royce that pulled up outside whilst we were there! The place however isn't posh or exclusive. It has a lovely relaxed cafe feel that serves a variety of organic and freshly baked or prepared food.

Inside the cafe they have an widespread selection of fresh food to order from the counter or a menu with even more options. All their muffins and sweets looked amazing and I was very tempted to grab one of their granola-to-go boxes...just because ;)

In the end I decided on a mixed salad plate which meant I could choose three salads from the deli counter..now the only problem was which mouthwatering salad to pick! To drink I got their tropical iced tea which was very refreshing!

My scrumptious mix was the summer chicken salad, the grilled squash medley and the beetroot lentil salad with goats cheese. Nom nom...

Sitting outside on the terrace enjoying our lunch!

 

This was probably one of my favourite cafes in LA so I would definitely recommend it if you are ever in the area :) You can read Emily's other great recommendations in her 'Guide to LA' here. From her list I also went to Urth Caffe, Toast Bakery and Sur restaurant. Have you ever been to LA; if so what's your favourite cafe there? Xoxo