Showing posts with label Worcester. Show all posts

Skyfall & Zizzi Worcester (A REVIEW)...

So as you may have heard, a little indie film was released recently called Skyfall. Directed by Sam Mendes and featuring Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and everyone's favourite, Judi Dench, for me it was something I was desperate to see and Ladbrokes (click here to visit their site) very kindly sent me vouchers for both the cinema and for Zizzi- the perfect recipe for a night out. I won't post any spoilers here but I will say that Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace felt like 'pre-Bond' to me whereas Daniel (my beloved) was more classic Bond with this film... I will never be a film critic but it is good, definitely go and see it (I have seen it twice already!!) (Even as a long term Adele hater, I didn't even mind her singing the theme song!)


Hilarious webcam shot from my first year at uni,  so 2008 (!) of my giant Daniel Craig poster... swoon! Captioned on Facebook as 'Have you seen his massive gun?!'- classy as ever...
 As it turned out, Mark and I went to the cinema last weekend with Cindy and Dan which was lovely and then went for a massive meal yesterday at Zizzi in Worcester which only opened recently. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful and has been designed with the history of Worcester as the inspiration for the décor. I am a long-time fan of Zizzi and I always end up having the same thing so this time I was determined to try something different...


For my starter, I had doughsticks- bread with garlic and rosemary, what more could you want?! I am definitely going to try and make these at home..


Mark had calamari (bleugh) with a lemon mayonnaise...


I love how each of the tables had music underneath the glass- I think Elgar would approve! 


Hot ginger beer and elderflower to drink, unfortunately the hot ginger beer was just spicy rather than warmed- how amazing would that be in winter?


I loved the new chichetti menu which is basically tapas as I am always far too indecisive. I chose rosemary chicken and pepper skewers, deep fried risotto balls with peas and mozzarella and seared beef with a peppery rocket salad (my favourite) and I was nicely full after I had finished...


Mark had the classic Fiorentina pizza with a fried egg on the top (it shouldn't work but it does!) which was HUGE.


 And for pud? Torta Amaretti which has always been my favourite pudding, I don;t know what I would do if they ever took it off the menu!


Mark plumped for grissini- sweet dough with honey, pine nuts and chocolate sauce for dipping them in. I swear, after all of this food, Mark had to roll me out of the restaurant but I didn't regret a single mouthful! 

Have you seen Skyfall yet? Do you always choose the same thing at restaurants?
P.S. Many thanks to Ladbrokes for the vouchers, Mark and I had a lovely time!

Monki navy lace dress...

I bought this gorgeous navy lace dress when I was in London at #LDNLUNCH. Hannah took me and Lily to the Monki store on Carnaby Street and I fell in love. I have been desperate to try Monki clothing ever since Selina raved about them and I was not disappointed. I loved the layout of the store [I forgot my camera so I don't have any pictures :( ] and could have easily bought bags full of stuff...I thought it was beautifully merchandised and I thought the prices were very reasonable too, I will definitely be going back!

Dress: Monki, belt: New Look, bag: c/o Accessories Direct, shoes: Office
I have been looking for a navy lace dress for a while now but all the ones I found were too blue and not dark enough... until I found this beauty! 


I bought this in a Large which I thought was usually equivalent to a 14 (my usual size) but I think the medium would have easily fitted so maybe size down if you buy it! I quite liked the looser fit though, it made it a bit more daytime appropriate as well as being very comfy, there's nothing like an elasticated waist! ;)


VERY windy weather made for some funny outtakes! 


I love the inky colour of the dress and  think it will look equally fab paired with some hot pink accessories! I just realised though that I paired navy blue with black... a fashion faux pas?!

Mark had chicken and bacon club sandwich with French fries
My bacon, brie and cranberry crusty granary roll...delicious!
Mark and I went for lunch at The Arthouse Cafe in Worcester which is linked with Huntingdon Hall and I would thoroughly recommend it, my food was lovely! Another unusual place to have lunch and a drink!

Do you like Monki? Would you wear navy and black together?
P.S. Apologies for the harshness in some of these photos, we were using a different camera and although it is very nice, I much prefer the softness of our DSLR!

THAT Heidi dress...

Super flattering cut? Check. Swooshy skirt? Check. Gorgeous jewel colour? Check. It was inevitable that I was going to buy this dress as soon as I saw it come into the infamous Motel sale. I first wore it on New Years Day as it was comfy yet still looked like I had made an effort and I pulled it out for seeing the other of my best friends for lunch today. I love it when you find something in the sale that becomes a go-to item... talk about smug! 

Coat: Dannimac, dress: Heidi dress by Motel, faux fur stole: H&M, tights: Boots, shoes: Office
 I love the contrast of a neutral like camel with the zingy jewel colour of the dress and I think it really helped to emphasise the colour on an otherwise dull day... I love how Harriet styled this dress too, the colour of the tights really adds an extra dimension to the dress.


Faux fur to wrap up against the chill! I know every blogger and their dog has this stole but it feels so luxe and really helps to add a touch of glamour to an outfit...


I think the shape of this dress is super flattering on my figure and it is nice to have something that is comfortable, too. I love the fact that Motel have the same shape dress in different prints and colours, it makes choosing a dress much easier as you know that a particular style will suit you!
  

love the little block heel on these shoes, I am all for anything that makes my legs look longer without being uncomfortable...


As Mark was snapping away to get these pictures, a little old man asked if we wanted a picture together which actually turned out quite well :) 

Do you have any Motel dresses? What is your go to outfit?

Escapism...

Whatever your religious beliefs (or not) you cannot deny the beauty of churches and cathedrals. After a busy few weeks, rather than seeking solace in Costa, Mark and I had a wander around Worcester Cathedral. We both had to do projects about it for school but it was the first time I really appreciated the beauty of it all. 






















The quiet was just what I needed and it gave me space (and time) to gather my thoughts. It was an unusual respite from the toils of daily life but a welcome one and I actually found it quite inspiring. 

Where do you go for peace and quiet? Do you have any unusual inspirations?

Check it out...

Apologies for the truly terrible pun but I just couldn't resist it! I had been searching for a checked skirt for ages but all of the styles I saw were either ridiculously short (and I mean bum-skimming!) or really expensive. This ASOS one was still fairly expensive but when it arrived, it looked even nicer in real life and most importantly, I could sit down on it! 
  
Jumper: River Island, skirt: ASOS, tights: Primark, shoes: Urban Outfitters from Ebay, top (not seen): Mango.
I wanted a cute and cosy outfit and so this adorable bow jumper from River Island was perfect!  I think adding a jumper to cute skirts is one of the quickest and easiest ways to transition more summery outfits into the colder weather. I was sure I had posted about this jumper before but after a trawl through the archives I am ashamed to say that this gorgeous woolly knit has not yet been shown off! It was really bought as a replacement for this jumper after Mark shrunk it and has proven to be the perfect addition to my wardrobe. I have to be honest, it was the gorgeous bows that first drew me to this but the gorgeous powder blue colour definitely helped!



As inspired by Vicky, who always layers the most gorgeous necklaces with her winter woollies, this girl is definitely my winter style inspiration!

Necklace: charity shop

A bit of an impulse buy from the Topshop sale. I always love Topshop jewellery but the necklaces always seem to fall apart after one wear so I now hunt out the chunkier rings that (hopefully) will last a little bit longer...


Gorgeous nails courtesy of my lovely friend Lisa who gave me the mini 'Angel nails' Max Factor nail varnish for my birthday. It is the most gorgeous champagne gold which looks completely different with each outfit, it really is love!

How do you make your outfits more wintry? Who is your winter style inspiration?