Showing posts with label escapism. Show all posts

Grey and pink...

Long time, no speak! It feels strange to be back here writing when it has been so long since I last posted (and even longer since I was posting regularly!) but I guess that's what happens when life gets in the way! We took these photos a long time ago but as I style this dress the exact same way every time I wear this dress, I figured it was still worth sharing! I never used to be one for either midi lengths or trainers but this dress was my first step into a whole world of comfort. I love pale pink and grey together and the grey sweatshirt element of this makes it super easy to wear and cosy to boot!

Dress: Topshop, shoes: Converse 
I have spent a lot of time (and money) trying to find a skincare regime that works for me and Caudalie seems to be the holy grail! I don't know what magical ingredient it is in their products that suits my skin but it has made me a lot happier overall, even without make-up. All I am wearing here is a swipe of Glossier's Boy Brow (another favourite of mine) and some tinted lipbalm, younger Maria could have never...


I do love a dramatic ribbon! 


I spotted these rose gold Converse in the Office sale a few years back and immediately fell in love. Anyone who knows me, knows how much I like shiny things so it was inevitable that they were coming home with me. They made trainers feel much more accessible to me and for that I will be eternally grateful! They are also proof that basics don't have to be boring!


How do you jazz up your basics? Which colour combinations so you always come back to?

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A quick trip to Berlin...(PICTURE HEAVY)


Berlin is a city that both Mark and I have wanted to visit for a long time and we finally managed to make the trip. The dates coincided with our anniversary and it was the perfect way to celebrate 11 years together. Both Mark and I studied modern history up to A-level so it was great to see some of the places and history we had learnt about 'in the flesh'. We arrived on Monday morning and flew back out early on Thursday so had 3 full days in the city and it was the perfect amount of time- we had plenty of time to explore but I think any longer would have been unnecessary.
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Happy birthday Frills 'n' Spills!



Who would have thunk it?! I cannot believe that Frills 'n' Spills is 3 years old today- this little corner of the internet has gone through many changes and has provided me with so much fun and inspiration over the past 3 years. It has given me so many opportunities (which I am so grateful for) and I have met some really amazing people. Thank you for all your views, comments and tweets, here's to many more years! ♥


P.S. Apologies for the gushiness ;)


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Days 3 and 4: The Colosseum and the Pantheon...















♥ This amazing building was just opposite the police station, don't you think the colours and architecture make it look Portuguese?
♥ A little Fiat police car...
♥ Striking a pose outside the Colosseum
♥ The Arch of Constantine- it was so amazing to see this in person after studying it at uni, my Early Christianity module was one of my favourites so this was really awe-inspiring stuff! 
♥ The Colosseum- such an iconic building and pretty much a glorified roundabout ;)
♥ The temple of Castor and Pollux (or what's left of it!) in the Forum. This looked so precarious, it's a good job you couldn't get too close!
♥ The most delicious bruschetta eaten in a tiny pizzeria near the Trevi fountain... 
♥ The Forum- I love how things are left where they have fallen or been excavated
♥ Chilling in the Colosseum... I asn't quite sure what to expect from one of the world's most iconic buildings but it was just very brown. I thought they might have made a bit more effort with the inside (I wanted fake lions!) but the scale was jaw dropping...
♥ A slight fish-eye view of 'Il Colosseo'
♥ La piazza della Minerva- this was tucked around the corner from the Pantheon and when I saw the elephant I was super excited as you can tell from my smug little face!
♥ The Pantheon was perhaps my second favourite touristy site- the conversion from a pagan temple to a Christian church resulted in some rather OTT decoration and it is a strange mix. I am always surprised by how these iconic buildings are surrounded by so many other buildings, I always imagined them to be in acres of space!
♥ The oculus in the dome of the Pantheon filled the church with light even though it had been raining not long before...
♥ This plaque was covered in dust and I loved how the light caught it in the entrance.

 I decided to clump days 3 and 4 together as day 3 was pretty much a write off as my dad had his wallet stolen on the Metro. You really do have to have your wits about you otherwise you spend the best part of a gorgeous day stuck inside a police station, not really my idea of fun! What I loved most about Rome was being able to visit such iconic buildings with the minimum amount of planning. There was something interesting round every corner and I enjoyed just wandering around as much as visiting 'real sites'.

 Have you ever been to Rome? What did you enjoy the most?
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Day 2 in Italy: The Vatican, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain... (PICTURE HEAVY)





















♥ St. Peter's, I went last year but we decided to go again as Mark had never been...
♥ Loads of statues lined the square...
♥ One must dress appropriately when visiting the Vatican
♥ The Cupola, which Mark climbed to the top of this year. I couldn't face it again - it is far too warm!
♥ The interior of the Cupola, looking up to the top. Every surface is covered in something, whether paintings or mosaics. I have no idea how they got up there to do it.
♥ This poster is hilarious. Roughly translates to: "Oh, to be that Coca-Cola bottle!"
♥ My amazing owl bag, which I used every day in Rome
♥ Me, back at the hotel
♥ Where we stayed was lovely, and amongst the newer buildings was this 18th century tower which was beautiful...
♥  Hotel buildings- imagine Travelodge transported to the Med...
♥  Beautiful sculptures in Piazza del Popolo- I am always amazed at the detailed carving for things that are 'just' in a public square! 
♥  Spanish steps- considering that this was about 7 o' clock at night it was really busy
♥  Trevi Fountain- a weird angle to try and hide the scaffolding. This year so many monuments had scaffolding up, it must be their year to tidy up!
♥ A rare photo of me and Mark...
♥  Beautiful lamppost
♥  Mark 'throwing a coin in the fountain' (stupidly we forgot to take any photos when he did it for real)
♥  I told you I would come back!
♥  The Victor Emmanuelle monument or 'Wedding Cake' taken from across the craziest round-about you'll ever see. No lanes, about five cars wide... it is true that you just have to cross and hope for the best! 

 Another amazing day which was absolutely jam-packed, I figure if you have so much to see, you should really jam in as much as possible right?
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Day 1 in Italy: Castel Sant'Angelo... (PICTURE HEAVY)




 











As you may have guessed, for the past week or so I have been on holiday, sightseeing and sunning myself in Italy. I had a really amazing time and it was nice to explore Rome slightly more comprehensively than last year but unfortunately it means that I have far too many photos to share and Frills 'n' Spills will be full of  self-indulgent photo-heavy posts for the next few days... 

 ♥ The River Tiber
♥ The amazing parma ham and mozzarella pizza I had at our first pizzeria in Rome, just a few steps away from Castel Sant' Angelo. For the first few days I had parma ham at every meal- Italy is definitely a foodie heaven! 
♥ I wish the UK had the same slim Coke cans, I think they are much nicer! 
♥ 'Broccoli trees' from about half way up...
♥ Castel Sant'Angelo was somewhere I wasn't overly excited about seeing but it turned out to be one of my favourite places. We went in the evening and it was lovely,especially on the terrace at the top...
♥ A nice family photo- we are rarely all in the same place any more so these are few and far between
♥ Just one of the gorgeous views from the terrace, looking towards St. Peter's 
♥ My brother actually smiling! (A very rare occurrence!)
♥ Pretending to be a gargoyle, clearly I was much more enthusiastic! 
♥ Looking across the Pont Sant'Angelo
♥ A statue in the courtyard- I love the contrast of the stone with the metal
♥ Voldemort?!
♥ Casual lean catalogue pose trying to hide my giant gelato tub
♥ Our room at our hotel. We stayed at the Domus Pacis just out of town and I couldn't recommend it more-  great location and price, comfortable beds in nice rooms with air con, a mini fridge and a delicious buffet for breakfast, anywhere that serves cheese for breakfast is OK with me...

Our first day set the precedent for the time we spent in Rome- most days we went into the city early in the morning, had lunch in the nicest smelling pizzeria then had a siesta in the afternoon before heading out for dinner and more sight-seeing in the evening. The museums seemed to be open fairly late and many opened later in the evening too so if you oversleep (oops) or want to go out when it's much cooler, you don't end up missing out.

Have you ever been to Rome? 
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