Tombo Cafe and Deli Review

Sarah and I at Tombo

I love visiting new restaurants and cafes and when my friend Sarah suggested we catch up over the “amazing” green tea latte at Tombo in South Kensington I was happy to finally try out the latte she constantly raves about!

Tombo, both a deli and café in South Kensington, means “dragonfly” in Japanese. If you love Japanese dishes but want a change from the usual Japanese chain restaurants then Tombo is a place worth visiting. It serves some of my favourite Japanese dishes, teri-yakitori, donburi rice bowl, prawn katsu and gyoza dumplings. There is also the option to create your own bento box a choice of a main (salmon, chicken or tofu), rice and three sides at the deli counter to eat in or takeaway.

Chicken Katsu Curry and a cold Green Thai Latte

I opted for the chicken katsu curry and I wasn’t disappointed. The portions were generous: the ingredients were fresh, the chicken was well cooked and the sauce wasn’t too sweet. If a meal doesn’t take your fancy, then simply just visit Tombo for their delicious servings of drinks and deserts. My favourite was the green tea latte, perfect for a hot summer’s day!  Sarah also had the green tea latte but with the green tea fluffy sponge cake, simply delicious!

Green tea latte with green tea cake

Tombo is a light and airy Japanese café and a lovely place to eat, drink and catch up so if you’re ever in the area it is worth a visit!

Tombo, 29 Thurloe Place, South Kensington, London, SW7 2HQ

Upcycled chair with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Pillows - Both BHS

Paint - Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Old White

Wax - Annie Sloan Clear Wax

This wooden chair has been in our kitchen for a while and in my husband's family for years and as much as I loved the old dark wood, I've wanted to paint it for months to bring it back to life but hadn't had the time to do it.

This weekend I finally made time to paint it using my favourite, Anne Sloan Chalk Paint. I love painting with Annie Sloane as it is so easy to use, minimal effort is required! Clean your furniture and paint! No primer, sanding or base coat is needed. It really is that simple and easy anyone can do it.

 Chair cleaned and ready to paint!

After cleaning your furniture using an old cloth, you are ready to paint it! Pick a set of paint brushes, I used a value range set from Homebase like this, you want a variety of different sized brushes to paint the different areas of your furniture.

I used these pack of 3 Harris Finesse Woodcare Brush Set, £11.99, but anything similar will do.

 Old White by Annie Sloan*

From the Annie Sloan range I used "old white" and the paint has good coverage even over dark furniture. I bought mine from Rigby & Mac and also available to buy from their website too. I always use two coats and because the paint is slightly thicker than average (it is chalk paint after all), I let it dry for at least four hours before painting the second coat. The second coat gives your furniture that richer look that you can add with clear wax too, to seal the paint. 

 Where to buy Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and Clear Wax - visit their official website here

After letting the paint dry for five hours, I added another coat, let that dry for a few hours and applied the clear wax all over the furniture. I left it for an hour or so to dry and then added my pillows to the chair.

It is so simple to use, if I can do it you, you could too! Would love to see your recycled furniture too please leave links to your projects in comments below!

*Image credit: Lilacs & Long Horns

Bags of Style - Next Duffle Bag

It keeps my valuables safe, always compliments my outfit and I can’t leave the house without it. If there is one item in your wardrobe that you need it’s a beautiful bag! 

With the weather getting warmer, I like to change my bag to something lighter, brighter and more summery than my the black or brown bags I usually wear in winter. This Next duffle bag is ideal for summer with the white, tan and black colours.

It would be perfect for a festival, a day trip out or even for a holiday. It’s compact with enough room to fit a purse and shades but best of all, the colour scheme means you can team with different outfits without the fear of colour clashing. Perfect addition to your summer wardrobe.

Outfit of the day - workwear!

Blouse - Miss Selfridge

Scarf - H&M

Jeans - Dorothy Perkins

Shoes - New Look

Bag - H&M

Friday's are not only the best day of the working week but it's casual wear at work so it means I get to mix my best casual outfits with a few of my smarter work wear pieces.

Lewisham Model Market

Model Market, in Lewisham

Last weekend, Modelmarket, the new night food street market launched in Lewisham.

Model Market opened on an abandoned 1950s indoor and outdoor market just off Lewisham High Street which hasn't been used in years.   

 The old Model Market

Street Feast, the company who are behind this fantastic idea, promised to “breath new life, light and vibes into the space”. And that is exactly what they did!  They teased us with pictures of the transformation week by week until the launch night revealing the new night market.

Model Market now!

Just a selection of my choices on the opening night

  Pulled pork bun - highly recommended!

For the next 14 weeks, every Friday and Saturday from 5pm you can find tasty food and drink from Breddos, Rola Wala, SmokeStak, Yum Bun and many more popular street food traders.  

 Some of my favourite traders at ModelMarket...

People have the option of eating in or eating out in the open air yard and live DJ playing an eclectic mix of tunes throughout the night. 

If you haven't been to Model Market yet then I suggest you do. Good food, good cocktails and great vibes - perfect way to spend your summer nights at Lewisham's Model Market!

Matalan Homeware - Laundry Room Buys

Laundry Basket, Laundry sign and Hand towel - all Matalan Home

I love Matalan's Homeware lines, particularly the French Farm House inspired collection for this Spring.

The collection has vintage inspired colours and wooden accessories bringing an authentic country feel to any home.

I've been looking for a metal laundry basket for a while to replace my old plastic red one and Matalan had the perfect one - oval shaped with two metal handles. 

I couldn't resist the laundry sign and hand towel too, ideal for my utility room. The pastel tones and natural colour palette creates the perfect rustic feel and at Matalan's prices high street prices are pocket friendly too! :-)

Festival Fun! Outfit of the Day

 Playsuit - F&F

Wedges - Primark

Bracelet - ASOS

It's that time of year again!  Pack up your Hunters, ponchos, sunglasses and denim cut offs - it's time to hit the festivals! 

We all know festivals are about looking fab but still comfy enough to rave your socks off! Hard to pull off but not if you pick the right outfit. 

This year, I'm going to channel my inner festival chic.  I love this easy to wear floral playsuit* from F&F.  It's casual chic and ideal for summer. It has a button down front with elastic at the top and I love the cute cross-over straps at the back. The self tie belt is flattering on my waist and there are two pockets which is always handy when you're at a festival! 

 I love the cross over straps!

You can team with gladiator sandals and a denim jacket for a casual (and comfy!) look or grunge it up with a leather jacket and tan wedges.

Even if you wont be making the drive to Glastonbury this year doesn’t mean you can’t channel this festival chic look for whatever your weekend may hold! The best bit about this look is that it is good for warm summer days, festivals or not!

*Disclaimer: This item was sent for review however all words and opinions are my own*

Nan-Tastic! Lil Nan's Cocktail Club Review

 Me at Lil Nan's Cocktail Bar

On Friday night I went to the opening of Lil Nan's Cocktail Club in Brockley.

Based on the first floor of the Talbot Pub, the bar is styled as a homely living room and cocktails are served out of teapots and decanters. All guests choose their own tea cup and saucer which are found hanging all around the room.

 

 Firstly pick a teacup that takes your fancy

Little Nan’s cocktail menu has something for everyone: from Sexy Scottish Santa (whisky, fig jam, fig syrup, lemon zest and rind and fresh rosemary) and Dame Patsy Stone (white rum, vodka, watermelon syrup, lemon juice and mango juice). 

 Select a cocktail from the menu

My favourite was the Lady Bet Lynch - London Dry Gin, fresh lime juice, elderflower syrup and prosecco - fresh, not too sweet with a nice hint of lime, a great cocktail! I also tried the Candy Vodka shot which came with a gold topped magnet - strong but sweet just how i like it!

 And enjoy!

Little Nan’s Cocktail Club has launched as a pop up venue for six weeks only with the plan to stay longer if it becomes a hit with the local people in the area. If it is anything like their sister venue Little Nan’s Bar in Deptford, this is sure to be a success!

The atmosphere was laid back and relaxed and I loved the vibe of the bar. If you're ever in the area it is definitely worth checking out :-)