London Views and Bradley Cooper

Last Saturday, it was my dearest mother's birthday, so to mark the occasion, I took her on a surprise trip to London where she had literally no idea what the plans were! 

Our first stop was the Sky Garden on Fenchurch Street. I'd heard good things about this place from a friend and it sounded right up my mum's street! So up we went in the lift, 36 floors in 12 seconds, and entered one of the strangest rooms I think I've ever been in. 

It was basically what it says on the tin: a garden in the sky! As we walked in, we were greeted to a bar and restaurant, with a balcony giving us access to an incredible view of the London skyline. And lemme tell ya, my mum's a sucker for a good view! 

There were really quirky touches to the place, like this bright yellow bike, just chilling by the door! 

And then you walk up some stairs, and BAM! It felt like a much lower scale version of one of the botanical gardens at Kew. 

It truly was beautiful, and as the building was made of glass, it gave us a 360 degree view of the entire city! 

If you're ever in London and have a little time to spare, I'd definitely recommend the Sky Garden. Tickets are FREE and can be booked up to 2 weeks in advance from here!

After a quick pit stop at Starbucks, we went to Pizza Express for dinner - a personal favourite of mine! Mum had a voucher for a free bottle of prosecco as a birthday gift from the restaurant, which was the perfect touch to the celebrations. We shared the Dough Balls Doppio to start - I can't go to Pizza Express without getting these! And for our mains, I got the Margherita Bufala, and mum got La Reine, which we would both recommend! 

And for the final stop on the surprise birthday adventure, I took her to the Haymarket Theatre. For this. 

I'd heard some amazing reviews of the broadway show, and didn't even realise it was coming to London until my housemates told me they'd booked tickets! So naturally, I went online straight away and snapped up two tickets!

My mum is a huge Bradley Cooper fan, so I knew she'd love it, even if the play itself is a little dark. But oh me oh my! It was emotional, it was funny, it was just brilliant. The acting was amazing, from all three leads, not just Mr Cooper! But he obviously gets the main applause here, as he was just tremendous! I would recommend buying a ticket, but by the time this post goes live, the show will have ended its run! Just take my word for it that it was amazing! 

After the show, we legged it to stage door, where we got some of the cast members to sign our programme. Including Bradley Cooper. He looked at me, smiled, and said "of course" when I asked him to sign it. That is all. 

It really was a fantastic day, and I'm so glad my dearest mother enjoyed herself! 

Have you treated anyone special in your life to anything interesting lately? Put it in the comments below, I'd love to hear your stories! 

Mother's Day at Las Iguanas

I know, I know, you're probably looking at the title thinking I'm a little late with this post, right? Well, I was going through the camera roll on my phone this morning when I found some pictures from Mother's Day that I didn't do anything with. So what better way to use them than in a blog post, am I right?

This year, I took my wonderful mother to Las Iguanas for Mother's Day. Neither of us had been before, and we both had a huge craving for tapas. Lucky woman even got another chance to kick the craving again when my sister took her to La Tasca the following week. 

We went to Las Iguanas at Lakeside, and the atmosphere was ridiculously friendly. The staff were lovely and chatty, and seemed like they actually wanted to be there, unlike a lot of waiting staff I've encountered before. 

We chose 5 Tapas dishes to share between us, which took up the entire table. 

An obvious choice for any menu is nachos. These came in a massive portion, filled with spiced tortillas, salsa, guacamole, cheese and jalepenos (with sour cream on the side - sour cream's not my thing!). 

Mum wanted to try the Calamares; fried squid. Now, I'm not a fan of anything fishy. I once made Mr. T. very annoyed when he was making dinner as I had to stop him from adding tuna - he had to go out and buy something completely different because he couldn't believe that anyone didn't like tuna (don't say I'm the only one here?). But the calamares was surprisingly okay. I only had a few, but they were nowhere near as fishy as I had anticipated, especially with the aioli sauce on the side. 

The Chicken Quaesidillas were just as expected; cheesy with a little spice to it. It came with extra salsa on the side for dipping. Delicious. 

Next up was the Turkey and Brie Empanadas with Cranberry sauce. It reminded me of Christmas in a pastry and I could have easily eaten more. 

And finally, my favourite of them all, Pato Taquito: Shredded Roasted Duck and Caramelised Onions with Spicy Cranberry Salsa. Such a strange combination, but everything mixed so well, and tasted divine!

I will definitely be making more trips here! Even if it's just for cocktails (the Passionfruit Bellini was pure bliss)!

Two Years

If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know all about my fluctuating relationship with the man I like to call Mr T. A few weeks ago, we celebrated our second anniversary, and I'm happy to say that those months of uncertainty and confusion are over. 

Every anniversary should be a milestone in a relationship, but for us, this one was particularly special. Last year, for our first anniversary, we didn't celebrate. I still wasn't 100% sure if our relationship was working, and he confused the hell out of me with everything he did. Whereas a year on, we've never been this solid, and I've never been this sure that we really are in a great place. 

He took me to Strada (anyone who knows me, knows I love a good Italian!), where he'd asked for a bottle of Prosecco to wait for us on our table - treats like that don't come often, I was very surprised! 

Another surprise was his outfit choice - he wore a waistcoat and I almost died from cuteness overload. I think we've found my weakness... 

Now I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't even be writing this post if he hadn't reminded me to take pictures! So I forgot to take a picture of the starter. I had the Tricolore (a mozzarella, avocado and tomato salad), which was really good, and Mr. T had the bruschetta. 

For the main course, Mr T. ordered the Saltimbocca (I couldn't tell you what it was, but the bite I had was good!), and  I had the Chicken Puccia. I thought it was just the Parma-wrapped chicken with cheese and pesto, but it came served as a burger which actually made it even tastier (the fries were also amazing). 

We shared the chocolate fondant for dessert, and left the restaurant very full, a little tipsy, and extremely satisfied! 

I don't know where we'll be in the next two years, but I'm glad we've made it to this point of contentness. <3 

Things That Make Me Smile

 1. Thunderstorms - It calms me to watch the chaos from my window...
 2. Binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S. - No matter how many times I watch it, it never gets old.
 3. Little kisses in public - Just a little PDA goes a long way with me.
 4. Summer - Skirts, shorts, dresses, sunbathing, beaches.
 5. Coming home for the holidays - It's nice to come back to my childhood home and just relax.
 6. Cake - One of the greatest creations, ever.
 7. Books - Escaping into another world and falling in love with the characters.
 8. Watching Mr. T. cook - He's a chef, and it totally fascinates me to see him in his element.
 9. Fireworks - The prettiest explosions in the sky.
10. Playing with dogs - Their energy translates through me. So adorable!
11. Painting my nails - I love changing the colour depending on my mood.
12. Singing in the car - And annoying the driver in the process!
13. Locking eyes with Mr. T. - When I can see the way he feels through his eyes...
14. Beaches - The sand in my toes, the sea, the sun...
15. Disney films - Never fail to make me smile.
16. Looking through old pictures - Makes me all nostalgic.
17. Unexpected cute texts - Feelings texts, out of the blue, makes me so so happy!
18. Christmas - The decorations, the lights, the excitement... My favourite time of the year!
19. Doughnuts - This needs no explanation.
20. Kisses on the forehead - The cutest form of affection in the world.
21. Coloured pens - Makes notes so much more exciting!
22. Long walks - There's something therapeutic about walks.
23. Cocktails - The only way to make alcohol taste good!
24. Back rubs - The perfect way to unwind (props to Mr. T's back rubs. They're awesome!)
25. Fairy lights - Makes the room so much more relaxing.
26. Bubble baths - LUSH baths are just the best.
27. Watching the sun set/rise - Finishing work at 5am has its perks sometimes.
28. Cuddles - I can't get enough cuddles.
29. Baking - Tasting the end result is the best part.
30. Pyjama days - Complete comfort and relaxation.
31. Mushy conversations - They don't come often, but it's great when Mr. T. says how he feels.
32. Matching underwear - Is there any better way to make us girls feel confident?
33. Mummy hugs - Sometimes this is all it takes to make you feel better.
34. Comfortable silences - Being able to enjoy someone's company, without having to speak...
35. Holding hands - The simplest way to show your affection.
36. Cats - I blame Mr. T. and his cat for this one. There's something calming about stroking a cat...
37. Getting ready for nights out - The hair, the makeup, the outift... I love the whole process!
38. Scented candles - Anything with a sweet smell and I'm sold!
39. Writing letters - Actual letters, with an actual pen and paper! I miss that.
40. Tight hugs - I can't even describe how happy these make me.
41. Tapas - Lots of mini portions of lots of types of food? *salivates*
42. Wearing Mr. T's hoody/t-shirt - There's just something comforting about it.
43. Being close to my brother/sister - Knowing that I can talk to them about anything.
44. Snow - When watching it fall from the sky, it can be so beautiful.
45. Catch-ups with old friends - As if no time has passed since the last time you met up.
46. Mr. T's smile - As disgusting as it sounds, his smile makes me smile right back.
47. Peeling dead skin - So satisfying! I even do it to Mr. T, despite him finding me revolting for it ;)
48. Starbucks frappucinos - The perfect blend of coffee and sweetness!

Ducklings, Boats and Burgers

I spent a few days last week visiting the boy (I like to not use his name online, but if someone could come up with an alternative to "boyfriend" that I could use in future posts, please do in the comments. It would be much appreciated!) in Cambridgeshire, where I was treated to good weather, food and views! Of course I took a few snaps to capture the beauty of the weekend...

I think I've mentioned in a previous post that his parents run a pub in this cute little village. Last week they hosted their annual hog roast with live music, food and a great atmosphere. I was unfortunately way too excited about the food to actually take a picture of it! 

The following day, we went out on the "Bon King" boat (get it? If you don't, your mind is too innocent! xD), with his parents, where I drank, sunbathed, fed the ducklings, and admired the views from the river. 

We then went to the cutest pub garden for dinner and wine. 

On my last day, we ventured into Cambridge for dinner before my train home. We'd both heard a lot about Byron Burger from friends, so decided to give it a try, and my-oh-my! We were not disappointed! 

I went for the Classic Cheeseburger, while he went for the Byron Burger (with fries and homemade chips for sides).

My favourite part of this place was the milkshakes though! Thick and creamy, I went for the Oreo while he opted for Chocolate. Both were exquisite. 

Have you been anywhere interesting lately? Leave it in the comments, I'd love to hear your own experiences! 

The Diner

Last week, my beautiful housemate Gaby came to stay with me in Essex. She actually lives in Mexico, so didn't go home for the Easter break because of the ridiculous amount of money that a plane ticket would have cost! So instead, she spent 5 days with me, shopping, walking and plenty of eating!

As I live so close to London (it takes about 25 minutes to get to Central London from my nearest tube station), we decided to spend the Saturday (her 21st birthday!), shopping on Oxford Street & Regent Street, and wandering around Soho. We stumbled across this cute American diner that I'd heard about and we just had to give it a try!

The Diner has several locations across London, and the Soho branch was literally just off of Carnaby Street. The interior (I was too caught up in the moment to take a picture. #BadBlogger) is the typical American diner layout, with a bar in the middle and numerous booth tables dotted around. 

We decided that we wanted to try a bit of everything, so we ordered a hot dog, burger, fries and corn dogs to split between us. I was also extremely excited that they had Dr Pepper on the menu! 

The food came fairly quickly (although the waitress seriously needed to lighten up a little; whatever happened to service with a smile?), and everything was amazing. The fries were the perfect amount of crispy, and I got to try a corn dog for the first time - we both loved them! 

For dessert, we had to get milkshakes, because why go to an American diner if you don't order a real milkshake? Mine was hazelnut and vanilla, Gaby's Oreo, and both were beautifully thick. They even give you the leftover milkshake so you can refill it! 

Finally, we ordered Gaby a birthday brownie, which was just melt-in-your-mouth delicious! 

I absolutely loved the atmosphere and music in this diner, and will definitely be returning! Oh, did I mention that the toilets were very reminiscent of the Ministry of Magic?