#DearSally Long Tall Sally Christmas Wish List

 

#DearSally Christmas Wish List

With less than 30 days until Christmas I’ve started thinking about my Christmas wish list. Long Tall Sally, the fashion retailer that design clothes that fit taller women like me over 5'8, have asked me to share my festive fashion wish list:

Christmas shopping

Jacket

Jumper

Jeans

Boots

If you’re anything like me I can spend hours Christmas shopping visiting different stores so wrap up when you head to the shops in this warm hooded parka jacket and team with these skinny ripped jeans and this cute festive robin top.  I love these flat knee high boots, they’ll help keep your calves warm and with the low heel your feet won’t get too sore from all the walking around the shops either!

Christmas party

Cami

Skirt

Shoes

It wouldn’t be a festive outfit without some sparkle and shine! If you’re like me and sequins aren’t your thing then glam up for the party season with this rose gold metallic slinky cami. I love the soft drapey fit and fine spaghetti straps too. I would team it with this leather look pencil skirt that has a thigh split and add some these pointy heels to finish the look.

Christmas day

 Dress

Boots

Christmas time in my family is always a dressy affair where everyone sits down to the Christmas meal in their fancy frocks and outfits dresses. I picked this figure-flattering bodycon, with it’s metallic shimmer fabric the dress is both sophisticated, stylish and suitable for a Christmas meal with the family. Pair with red lips, a sparkling manicure and these double buckle chunky heeled ankle boots.

Gift Ideas

 Shirt

PJ Bottoms

Gloves

I fell in love with this black and white stripe wrap top when I spotted the stunning model Jourdan Dunn wearing it and it’ll make a great gift for your sister or friend too.

Every woman needs a pair of gloves for the winter and these soft leather gloves is the must have accessory for your wardrobe. I love these aztec print PJ bottoms, a nice change to the usual stripey or spotty PJ styles. Made of micro fleece they are sure to keep you warm during the colder months.

The River Grille Restaurant Review

River Grille Restaurant

I love visiting Bristol and was looking forward to dining at the much heard about River Grille restaurant at the Bristol Hotel.

The River Grille is located in the centre of the city and has beautiful views of the Harbourside. The restaurant has two entrances: the hotel access is via Prince Street and also a separate entrance for non-guests on Narrow Quay by the Harbourside. 

 View of the River Grille from outside

The restaurant is light and airy, the entire front is glass cased with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the river, so we got to see the beautiful view during our dinner.

 Lovely view of the river from our table

The River Grille serves modern British cuisine using local produce from the West Country. The menu changes with the seasons to reflect the best in seasonal produce: for starters we had the goats cheese and manuka honey with walnut sourdough and rocket salad and severn and wye smoked salmon, rilletes and pickled cucumber. 

 Goats cheese and manuka honey with walnut sourdough and rocket salad

For mains we both chose seafood dishes, inspired by the stunning view of the river: the Cornish mussels and special of the day market fish. The fish was fresh and very tasty and the mussels were delicious, full of flavour and generous portion too! 

 Fish was the special of the day

Cornish mussels

If you’re a fan of rich indulgent deserts then try dark chocolate mousse, pumpkin custard and pistachio ice cream, delicious!

 Tasty chocolate desert

The River Grille is a sophisticated restaurant with the perfect mix of a relaxed and informal atmosphere. The à la carte menu was not complicated, with a good selection of dishes to choose from. The quality of food was fantastic, freshly prepared using the best local produce.

What really made our experience at the River Grille so special was the attention to detail and excellent service. The staff were polite and took time to explain the menu to us and make recommendations on the choice of wine. The River Grille is a perfect choice for a special occasion or just to experience sophisticated dining in a beautiful setting.

To book visit River Grille Restaurant website here
Prince Street, Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QF

Tel: 0117 923 0333

*Disclaimer: I was invited to review this restaurant but all words and opinions are my own*

The Bristol Hotel: 10 reasons to marry in Winter

My winter wedding

As temperature drops and we are approaching Christmas, it got me thinking about this time last year I was planning my winter wedding.

Winter weddings are increasing in popularity every year as more couples are choosing to get married in the winter months. Let's face it, UK weather can be unpredictable so there is no guarantee your summer wedding will have summer weather. 

There's something about winter weddings that look so glamorous and magical, especially if it snows, which it did on my wedding day! 

There are plenty of reasons why getting married in winter is a great idea. The Bristol Hotel, in the centre of the city overlooking the Bristol Harbourside lists their top ten: 

It’s cool 
Winter is undoubtedly the most romantic season; cold weather provides the perfect excuse to snuggle up to the one you love and where better than on your wedding day? Moreover, grooms will be more comfortable in their suits and brides need not worry about their make-up melting in the heat, as they would in summer. 

Wedding dress 
Brides can cover up in something super stylish à la Dr Zhivago, like a beautiful fur wrap, a fluffy bolero or a romantic silk velvet cloak, eradicating the self-consciousness that so often comes with a strapless summer dress. 

Bouquet 
Winter provides an opportunity to get creative with your bouquet; instead of going for fresh flowers, introduce feathers, silk flowers, crystals or even Christmas baubles if the timing is right! Better still, you can keep it and treasure it for life. 

It’s Different 
A winter date makes a wedding special in more ways than one – it will brighten up the dark days of your winter and guests are more likely to remember it, as winter weddings are few and far between compared with summer weddings. 

Guests 
You’re more likely to get all the people you really want at your wedding, as there is less likelihood that your wedding clashes with another wedding or someone’s summer holiday. 

Availability 
You’re more likely to secure your hairdresser, your favourite bridal photographer, you name it, because there are less weddings taking place. 

More time
Less brides asking questions means that every wedding supplier that you use will have more time enabling them to provide a higher level of personalised service than usual. 

Fun & Quirky 
There are lots of fun and quirky elements you can introduce to a winter wedding, such as fake fur earmuffs on your flower girls, a snow globe as a topper and mugs of mulled wine or hot chocolate instead of sparkling wine or Champagne. 

Honeymoon 
Think about it: as a bride and groom that overseas honeymoon is going to be appreciated so much more when you’re escaping the depths of a British winter! 

Value

Most services (venues, photographers and sweet buffets to name a few) are prepared to offer a discount during the “off-peak” winter months, making a winter wedding perfect for those brides on a budget, including The Bristol Hotel, which has put together an amazing value for money package that is valid till Spring 2015. For more info visit their website here.

 Wedding at the Bristol Hotel

Bristol Hotel are holding two wedding fairs planned for 2015.

Thursday 12th March - 16:00-20:00

        and
Sunday 11th October - 10:00-15:00

For more information visit the Bristol Hotel website.

Zazzle Home Decor

Customised monogram throw from Zazzle 

I love customised décor and after discovering Zazzle has a home décor collection, I couldn’t wait to see the designs and select some items for my home.

If you’re looking to lighten up your space with a new lamp or update your pillow collection, Zazzle has a  range of stylish products for your home that you can customise and add your own stamp on items like mugs, pillows, coasters, throws, cake tins, lamps and lots more.

Whether your style is contemporary, rustic, vintage or classic there are designs to fit every personality available in hundreds of different designs. I love customising items and have used Zazzle in the past for my wedding stationery so it’s great to see that they’ve extended their collection to home products for customising.

  

 The woven throw is poly/cotton blend material 

Decorating with cushions and throws is one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform a room and my living room was in need of a serious winter makeover. I’d been looking for a damsel print throw for a while and knew this would be perfect for my living room sofa.

  

Customised vintage floral pillow

If you thought you had seen every colour, print and style of throws wait until you see the pillows! I picked this one – a vintage print of pink, yellow and blue roses, it reminded me of an old cushion my mother had years ago and would go great with the other pillows on my sofa. But there are lots of other styles and designs to choose from.

Finally, to add a bit of colour to my living room, I choose this jade, grey and black coaster, made from wood I loved this design it is probably my favourite.

Customised wooden coaster

But if pillows, throws and coasters aren’t your thing then they have lots of kitchen items to choose from like tea towels, cutting boards, serving trays, table lamps, stickers, magnets, there really is something for everyone! You can even create your own design and share it with others so they can order it.

I’ve already started thinking about Christmas gift ideas for family and friends and with the option to upload images (with a preview box to see how your item will appear) a customised gift would be an ideal Christmas present.

Zazzle have a good collection of Christmas stockings which can be customised with initials or names.  For more Christmas themed decor items and ornaments visit Zazzle's Christmas section here.

*Disclaimer: The products featured were gifted to me for review however all words and opinions are my own*

Outfit of the day: Winter Wedding Maxi Dress

Treowen Manor House, Monmouth

This weekend was my final wedding of the year. The wedding took place in Wales and was held in a decadent mansion house so I knew my wedding guest dress had to be just as fitting!

The wedding didn’t have a colour theme but shades of purple ranging from berry, plum and burgundy were used throughout the venue.

I loved this floor skimming maxi dress from Debenhams. The long sleeves are perfect for a winter wedding and the ruche design on the waist is very flattering too.

 Dress - Debenhams

Shoes - New Look 

I‘ve been really impressed with Debenhams selection of dresses: from wedding guest to bridesmaid, Summer or Winter, their range for special occasion gowns have been amazing! Every guest worries of arriving at a wedding with the same dress as someone else but so far I haven’t had that happen yet – let’s hope it stays that way!

Champagne and Fromage at Brixton Village Review

Brixton Village

Over the weekend I finally made my way to Champagne and Fromage.  I first stumbled across it during a visit to Brixton Village a few months ago.  As the name suggests, Champagne and Fromage is a deli which serves award winning champagne paired with cheeses and meats.

There are dozens of shops in Brixton Village but Champagne and Fromage really stood out. The double fronted shop has lovely rustic décor with baskets of cheeses, crates of champagne bottles and other mismatched furnishes, creating the feeling of a authentic French market place.  

 Fine selection of cheese and ham

The actual deli is small and fits a few people. On a Friday night I knew it would be unlikely to get seats, so we were seated outside and enjoyed a glass of mulled wine. The best tables are in the shop so I was pleased that after 15 minutes or so we were moved inside, with views of the cheese selection on one side and the Champagne for sale on the other.

There is so much choice on the menu: customers can choose from charcuterie platters, salads, cheese boards and baked camemberts. I chose the Tartine – Figs on melted Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese, so delicious! 

 Tartine

To drink, I chose the Brixton Fixx champagne cocktail, “Le Brun” and Amarena cherry, served with a pink biscuit from Reima. The idea is to dip the biscuit in the cocktail first, it was so good I couldn’t resist another!

 Brixton Fixx

If you have no idea what to choose on your visit, there are knowledgable staff on hand to offer suggestions on the champagnes and the cheese and meats to compliment your drink. 

I really loved the chilled out atmosphere here. If you’re worried that Champagne & Fromage would be filled with snobs then you needn’t be. The food and drink was wonderful but what I most liked was its relaxed setting. There were groups of women and couples and it’s a great place to catchup with friends over a glass of bubbles and cheese.

 

If you’re looking to try for something a bit different to the usual chain restaurant experience then Champagne & Fromage is worth a visit. Brixton Village branch doesn’t take bookings so turn up early to avoid disappointment!