While I didn't get to see much of Cologne, I did manage to spend a lovely few days surrounded by inspiring bloggers and got involved in some fun workshops. Upon my arrival I was greeted by the lovely girls at sisterMAG at Kochfabrik. After a few giggles and glasses of prosecco we were introduced to  CERAN® Miradur™ with a product demo followed by a gorgeous sit down dinner. Beautifully styled in monochrome, it definitely had my vote. We were simply spoilt with delicious food provided by L’escalier. Can we please discuss how good the chocolate dessert was?! I feel it deserves a blog post of its own!

We started the following day with an amazing brunch by Bastian’s, and can I just say I've never seen so much cheese, I was in total heaven! After copious amounts of coffee I was ready to tackle the three creative workshops that were on offer.

First up was a photography workshop with Zoe Noble, where the main focus was learning how to shoot on reflective surfaces, using of course a CERAN® Miradur™ piece as our shiny surface. 

Next up was a design workshop with Uxperten.  Here we got to quiz our partners about our cooking habits and then came up with creative solutions in ways to tackle the issues. I found this rather interesting as it really made you think.

Our last workshop (save the best till last) was how to make chocolate pudding with Törtchen, Törtchen. Which lets face it, was by far my favourite part of the day!

We finished our trip in Cologne with a quick visit to the imm Cologne design fair, where we were presented with many kitchen brands that have the SCHOTT CERAN® glass on some appliances.

So after highlighting our lovely trip and sharing gorgeous pictures of the event, lets get down to the nitty gritty. Here is an introduction to SCHOTT CERAN®.

SCHOTT CERAN® is a registered trademark of SCHOTT AG. SCHOTT CERAN® Miradur™ is the world’s first and only scratch-resistant glass-ceramic cooktop panel. It has a degree of hardness that comes close to that of a diamond. That means: 95% fewer scratches from sand, 70% fewer scratches caused by abrasive sponges. It is the only coating that features all thermal, mechanical and chemical properties and can be used together with all heating technologies. It is patented as a scratch-resistant coating for glass-ceramic cooktop panels. Appliances with CERAN® Miradur™ should be available in stores starting in 2017. 

The video below shows the every day wear of daily living that CERAN® Miradur™ encounters. It is no surprise why it is dubbed as 'Tough Beauty'.

I always find it interesting getting to know about new brands in great detail and learning about the innovative technology that is incorporated.

A big thank you to sisterMAG and SCHOTT CERAN® who organised this fun weekend. 

This is a sponsored post in collaboration with SCHOTT CERAN® & sisterMAG. All views are solely my own. Photography is by Timo Roth

We all love beautiful interiors but nowadays it's not only about the inside of your home but also about Kerb appeal. The last few years there has been this growing trend with beautiful doors to make your home just as attractive on the outside as inside. It is for this reason that over on Instagram I created the account @prettydoortraits, professing my love for beautiful doors. I may be a little biased, but London certainly does do the best doors and especially around Christmas time. Pretty doors with a festive incentive always get me super excited this time of year.

It's for this reason that many turn to Banham for security as the home owners are usually interiors savvy who want everything to be beautiful, including their locks! Banham is the largest provider of security to homes in London and the South East - all those  pictures of beautiful homes on instagram are almost always a Banham-secured home!

Their founder invented the first automatic door bolt which has led to the iconic Banham lock today. Their keys are also iconic in London - they have a key patenting service which means no Banham key can be copied without the registered homeowners approval.

They take great pride in their design and aesthetics of their products, in keeping with interior design trends, with Locks and door accessories available in an array of finishes to compliment your home door. Overall Banham are not just a security brand but a household name in London and very much fits in with interior design.

For a chance to win a door makeover by Banham, make sure to visit my Instagram account @ariannasdaily for a chance to win!

Known for their famous Singapore style dumplings I promise you wont be left disappointed. Grilled, steamed or boiled are the different cooking styles for their wide selection of dumplings completely hand made, enriched with different and tasty fillings to melt in your palate...

It was a totally pleasant evening and not only was the food at the highest of standards but so was the service. Friendly, courteous, they truly made you feel at home.

During the evening we tried a few dishes of their signature dim sums in all variations. I can see why these are incredibly popular and trust me when I say they are damn good! I highly recommend the pan fried dim sums, simply divine! We also tried various noodle dishes, I was a total fan of their thai style stir fried noodles - a definite must if you like it slightly spicy!

A little history lesson...

In 1989 on Singapore’s Chinatown, the Han’s opened the Jing Hua Xiao Chi, a place specialised on preparing dumplings. In no time whatsoever long queues formed outside the place and the customers were left satisfied with the Han’s home made noodles and dumplings.

The Jing Hua menu has remained untampered ever since it was created on the restaurant at Neil Road in Singapore, where a brief selection of high quality dishes can be found, the ones that distinguish the Han family's Jing Hua. As it is tradition, also at Pasta B Milano all of their products are thoughtfully made by hand with great care and passion.

So there you have it, authenticity in the heart of Milan.

PS. Make sure to try out their cocktails, they are soooooo good! 

Many make the mistake of thinking that pink is only a summer colour, but to the contrary. Pink or blush, is definitely making a statement this winter too. It’s a lot more versatile than you first might think and can be used in a variety of ways which will help brighten up any room. The gorgeous velvet sofa in the picture above and below is the Bailey sofa, available from DFS and it is so luxurious.

Create a warm and soft environment by pairing your blush sofa with clean white walls and touches of grey - pink, blush or even bolder fuchsia tones will create a warm, calm yet vibrant living space. Accessorise with some fake fur or velvet cushions and throws and you’ve got a stylish winter haven. 

The gorgeous sofa above is called 'Opera' and is also available from DFS. They really do have a great selection of pink sofas if in doubt. 

So have I convinced you yet? Are you a pink sofa lover like me? I vow that one day I will be the happy owner of one...

This post was in collaboration with DFS, all views are my own.

I also got to try out the new M&S chef range of pans, utensils and plates, so I thought it would be the perfect excuse to put them to the test and cook up a super brunch feast. Good cooking utensils always make cooking more of a treat, and make the whole process so much more enjoyable. For the Sunday brunch I chose a few 'old' favourite recipes, but changed them up slightly, by making them all that extra healthier. 

Here are a few recipes that I hope you will try out and enjoy...

Vegan Banana French Toast

The classic French toast but with a twist. Introducing the vegan banana French toast. Super moist, tender and slightly crispy.

Ingredients (Serves: 2)

1 Ripe banana

300ml Almond milk

1/2 tbsp flaxseed

1/4 tsp cinnamon

4 slices thick crusty artisan bread

Optional: 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp maple syrup/fruit of your choice, homemade jam.

Mash banana in a bowl. Add almond milk, flaxseed, cinnamon and stir. If the batter appears too thick then add more almond milk. It has to be easy to pour but not too runny. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes while you preheat your pan to medium heat. Once your surface is hot, coat generously with vegan butter or coconut oil. Dip your slices of bread into the batter and let it rest for 5-10 seconds on each side. Transfer the slices to a frying pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until evenly golden brown. I love to also add a few extra slices of banana to cook along with the french toast. Flip carefully using a sturdy spatula as the banana mixture can be a bit sticky if you're not gentle. Careful not to burn your french toast, so make sure to keep it at a low heat. Serve immediately with desired toppings. I love to add slices of banana, a few raspberries and some homemade jam (recipe below).

Avo on Toast

I'm a sucker for a good avocado on toast. I know it's not exactly ground breaking but then why reinvent the wheel when you're on to a good thing, right?! So here is my tasty avo on toast with a chilli twist.

Ingredients

2 Slices of bread (try thick, crusty artisan breads. My favourites are  sourdough, rye, wheat, multigrain.

1 Ripe Avocado, peeled, seeded and mashed

1/2 Lime

Chilli flakes

Sunflower Seeds

Rocket leaves

A few Cherry tomatoes

Pepper – Optional

Sea salt – Optional

Toast the slices of bread. Mash the Avocado and squeeze the lime (again this is optional - and add as much as you prefer) Spread onto toast and top with sunflowers seeds, chilli flakes, pepper and sea salt to taste. Also add a few cherry tomatoes, rocket leaves and parsley.

Strawberry Chia Jam

Ingredients

2 Punnets of mashed strawberries (remove the tops before mashing)

2 tablespoons of chia seeds

3/4 cup of water

Xylitol to sweeten ( how much you use depends on how sweet you like it. I personally do not put any sweetener)

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and boil for one minute. Place in hot sterilised glass jars. It is very important to sterilise jars to prevent bacteria and mould from forming and it also prolongs shelf life. Another important point to note is that you must never place hot food into cold jars as they can crack, so make sure you time it so the jam and jars are ready at the same time.

How to Sterilise Jars

Start by washing the mason jars and lids you wish to use with hot soapy water and leave them to dry upside down on a tea towel. Once dry place the jars upright onto a metal tray making sure the jars do not touch each other. Place them in a preheated oven 180C for 10 minutes. Place the lids in a saucepan of water and boil them for 10 minutes. Once the jars and lids are ready take them out and place the hot jam inside. Enjoy your delicious jam!

Mushroom & Feta Omelette

All hail mushrooms as the superfood, so they are the perfect topping for your omelette (that's if you like mushrooms btw). They are rich in vitamin D, B, they have anti-ageing properties (we like the sound of that) and they help with tiredness and bloating. I say bring them on!

Ingredients

2 Eggs

1 Punnet of white mushrooms thinly sliced

1 Clove of garlic

Handful of chopped parsley

Olive oil

Feta cheese

Sauté the mushrooms in a olive oil with garlic and parsley. Cook until all the water from the mushroom has been absorbed and set aside. Heat a non stick pan (here I used the tri ply pan) greased with olive oil then beat the eggs adding salt and pepper. Pour into the pan. Cook on low to medium heat for about 3 minutes. When you see the omelette firming add the sautéd mushroom in the centre and sprinkle some feta cheese on top and more parsley. Once the omelette is cooked flip one side over covering the mushroom or you can leave it as an open omelette.

After our mini feast, I can safely say that the M&S chef collection is not only pretty to look but also a delight to cook with. Their tri ply frying pan was perfect for my omelette and french toast, not sticking to the pan in the slightest and made cleaning it a dream! I particularly loved their gorgeous plates, adore a touch of grey and gold... Overall I was immensely satisfied with all aspects of this brunch. What about you, what's your favourite brunch recipe? Are you an avid 'avo on toast' eater like me? Would love to know some of your favourite recipes.

This post is in collaboration with M&S.

Darker and shorter days of winter means that our home becomes our nest where we want to totally relax and feel totally snug. This lends itself much more to soft furnishings that provide texture and colours that resonate with that all-important sense of warmth. Cosy, soft furnishings and subtle lighting helps to keep your house feeling warm in winter. I love to use candles to cast subtle shadows throughout my home; they can provide a dramatic focal point on a fireplace. I try to avoid harsh ceiling lighting, preferring to have lamps on in most rooms.

Winter is also another excuse to shop for rugs and throws and pile up cushions of various colours and textures on my sofas and floors. It’s all about creating a comfy abode and immersing yourself in comforting textures.

Another important factor is the benefit of secondary glazing. From a style point of view is that you haven’t got to rely on heavy curtains to keep the cold out and the warmth in. Internal glazing such as Everest secondary glazing is discreet, so you don’t have to worry about hiding it, (you can see this in the images below). It’s also insulating, so you can keep things light and airy around the window. I’m a big fan of voile drapes for a romantic look – winter light can be lovely, and they’re flimsy enough to allow it to flood the room in a way heavy drapes don’t.

With this in mind I wanted to share with you a recent styling job I did. I created two totally different looks which put emphasis on two current trends that are going very strong at the moment.

Industrial Vibe Look

The Industrial look is still going strong and I never get tired of this style. I wanted to keep it simple and clean but with lots of patterns and textures. By adding a few accents like the yellow cushions and the teal armchair, I feel the whole look comes alive and makes it a little bit more interesting.

Items used to create this look: Armchair & Sofa from Sofa Workshop; Coffee Table, Sideboard, Vintage Books & Telephone from Home Barn;  Side Basket, Visage Cushions, Chevron Cushion, Aztec Rug, Vintage Frames from Rose & Grey; Knitted Pouffe from Cox & Cox; Grey Throw, Yellow Cushions, White Jug from Sainsbury's Home; Angle Copper Desk Lamp, Ida Tray Blue from Graham & Green; Vases, Star & Decorative Accessories from West Elm; Side Table from Swoon Editions. Tartan Throw from The Future Kept.

Romantic Decadent Look

This look is the total opposite to the one above. Blush pink is a colour close to my heart so I wanted to style a room incorporating this. A very feminine look with clashes of colours and patterns with a fun sense of style. Blush really is a current favourite for many, so it's always interesting to see how it can be introduced into our interiors. 

Items used to create this look: Sofa from DFS; Armchair & Coffee table from Swoon Editions; Console Table, Frosted mini vases from Cox & Cox; Jute Rug, Silver & Gold Pineapple Table lamp, Bird Cage Floor Lamp, Zandi Hat Fuchsia & Turquoise, Ida Tray Blue, Gold Moroccan Pouffe from Graham & Green; Floral Watercolor Cushions from Bluebellgray; Pineapple Small Vase from Rose & Grey; Pyramid Small Vases From West Elm.

Photography by Colin Poole. This post is in collaboration with Everest. All views are my own. You can read my full interview with The Telegraph here.

There are some great bohemian-esque dresses available from the high street whether maxi or short, perfect for this in between weather. Well so I keep telling my self while braving the winter chills... I've added a few favourites below which are currently sitting in my shopping basket, don't you just love procrastinating while working :)

Here I Am Wearing:

Dress: Zara

Jacket: All Saints

Boots: Kenzo

Bag: Mansur Gavriel

Sunglasses: RayBan

Shop The Look

Pick Of The Rest

1/ Zara; 2/River Island; 3/ River Island; 4/ Topshop; 5/ Zara;  6/ Topshop.

One of my top tips with dealing with the seasonal change is bringing the outdoors inside. While we may no longer enjoy summer nights in the garden, or dining al fresco, it's the perfect excuse to bring some botanical inspiration into our homes and making it that little bit cosier. Plants are perfect for this and thinking of clever ways to incorporate them into our decorating schemes is always a fun challenge. If real plants are too much of a commitment, then faux ones can look pretty damn good!

For Ideas and inspiration for indoor gardens, I highly recommend the book, The House Gardner by Isabelle palmer. Totally inspirational and packed with amazing projects for the house. Here I'm sharing two of my favourites from the book...

Hanging Vine

How wonderful to wake up to the sight of pretty leaves tumbling over the edges of a suspended glass container.

Hanging baskets can seem staid and fussy, with too many plants crowded into a small, often ugly basket. This beautiful metallic container breaks the rule, however, as it’s both handsome and simple – great for a stylish bedroom or perhaps displayed at the top of a flight of stairs. The delicate, glossy leaves of the plant fall over the edge of the container, making for an easy, uncluttered look. In this display, I used Pellaea rotundifolia, which is commonly known as the button fern. A small, low-growing fern, it is easy to grow and creates a unique look with its small rounded leaflets.

Hanging Treasure

The metallic beauty of this bathroom container allows the variegated ivy to be shown in all its glory.

Bathrooms are ideal spots for indoor plants, as there is sometimes ample space for an attractive display. Unfortunately, people often place dull artificial plants in a bathroom. However, if you think about it, the bathroom can be the most suitable room in the home for growing an indoor plant. In fact, the warm – often humid- conditions in a bright well lit bathroom are perfect for growing plants, even tropical ones.

Here, the lovely copper hanging container, which contains Hedera helix (common ivy) underplanted with moss, creates a striking focal point in a relaxing bathroom. The ivy leaves peeking over the edge of the container are glossy and green, and look particularly bright against the natural hues of the bathroom. If you are keeping plants in your bathroom, it’s important to avoid spraying them with aerosols or dusting them with talcum powder or other bathroom products, as this can stop photosynthesis

Extract taken from THE HOUSE GARDENER by ISABELLE PALMER, published by CICO Books (£25), Photos © HELEN CATHCART.

Ingredients

Alcoholic mojito

10 fresh meat mint leaves

2 heaped teaspoons of xylitol

1/2 fresh lime cut into wedges

1 shot of white rum

Soda water

Crushed ice

Cube ice

Non alcoholic mojito

10 fresh meat mint leaves

2 heaped teaspoons of xylitol

1/2 fresh lime cut into wedges

Splash of apple juice

Splash of sparkling water

Crushed ice

Cube ice

Place the lime wedges in a tall glass. Add the xylitol and squish them together using a muddler. This is to release the lime juice. Add the mint leaves and press them down into the lime juice. Then add the ice cubes and add either the rum or the apple juice. With a tall spoon stir all the ingredients. Add the crushed ice and add either the soda water or sparkling water. Garnish with some mint leaves and enjoy!

Ingredients

500g strawberries hulled

Juice of 1/2 a lime

Rum (we recommend a little)

Ice ( how much ice you use depends on how slushy you like it)

To make it a non alcoholic cocktail omit the rum.

Place all the ingredients in your blender and blend until lovely and slushy. Pour into two tall glasses like martini glasses. Garnish with a strawberry and mint leaf. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 punnet of strawberries

3 bananas

2 tablespoons of coyo coconut

Yoghurt.

Melted dark chocolate to sprinkle on top

Optional

Sweetener of your choice. We didn't use any but feel fee to taste and see if you would like the lolly mixture sweeter before you pour them into the moulds.

Wash the strawberries and remove the tops. Peel the bananas, chop them and place in the blender with the strawberries and coconut yoghurt. Blend until lovely and smooth. Since our moulds are open we place the lolly sticks in the moulds first, then we pour in the mixture. Once poured into the moulds place in the freezer. They should be ready in 5 hours. If you have normal moulds you do not need to insert the sticks in before pouring the mixture. After 30 minutes in the freezer you can insert the sticks. Once ready melt some dark chocolate and pour onto the lollies. Enjoy!

Hally's

Hally's is a Californian-inspired hangout that is all about innovative, fresh food, expertly-made coffee & a relaxed vibe. It's one of my favourite places to brunch in London. This cute hangout totally resembles a Californian beach house, complete with reclaimed wood floors, pastel dipped chairs, white clapboarding and neon signage. It is the perfect place to put you in a good mood, as its fresh light vibe is something that is much needed in grey London. You can see more interior images on a recent post I wrote here.

The Ivy Chelsea Garden

Located on the trendy King’s Road, The Ivy Chelsea Garden brings the familiar luxury of The Ivy to a relaxed yet sophisticated all-day dining restaurant in the heart of Chelsea. The Ivy Chelsea Garden offers tranquil al fresco dining all year in their beautiful rural garden. I highly recommend the avocado on toast!

Albion

The original Albion in Shoreditch opened in January 2009 and features a cafe, small shop, an in-house bakery and a cake counter. When the weather is good, the outside terrace is opened - a perfect location to relax and watch East London life go by. Forget healthy, the full english breakfast is a MUST!

Farmacy

Another newly opened café based in London’s Notting Hill, Farmacy is all about clean eating and indulgence, inspired by dishes from around the globe.  It supports both a vegan and vegetarian diet, free from dairy, refined sugars, additives and chemicals. Whats not to love, healthy eating but tastes so good, you'd be mistaken for feeling guilty. I highly recommend the pancakes, so yummy! 

Farm Girl

I recently discovered Farm Girl cafe and I haven't looked back! A holistic and healthy, yet comfortingly simple approach to Australian cafe culture in the heart of Notting Hill. Farm Girl values fresh, nutritionally nurturing ingredients and delivers them in a warm and welcoming environment. Oh and their outside pink table is an added bonus for all the fanatical instagramers out there, I feel ya!

Do let me know your favourite places as I always love trying out new cafés. There are so many more I want to share so I'll probably do another post very soon!

Ingredients (Serves 2)

For the courgette noodles

5 small to medium courgettes

A pinch of salt

1 garlic clove

10 cherry tomatoes chopped in small pieces

Cayenne pepper or chilli flakes

For the chicken

2 chicken breasts

A generous amount of olive oil

2 sprigs of rosemary

4 sage leaves

Himalayan salt and pepper

1 garlic clove thinly sliced

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Coriander finely chopped

Start by spiralising the courgettes. You can eat them cooked or raw. We like ours cooked as they have more flavour.  To get rid of the water that the courgettes produce, place them in a bowl and add a pinch of himalayan salt and drain them before you are ready to cook. We normally prepare ours the night before.

Next marinate the chicken with the oil, rosemary, sage, garlic, lemon juice, coriander,  salt and pepper. We marinate ours the night before. The longer it marinates the better the flavour.

When you are ready to cook start by cooking the chicken. You can either bake in the oven or cook it in the pan. We cooked ours in the pan sautéing it.

Once the chicken is almost done take the courgette spaghetti making sure you drain them removing excess water. Place in a pan on medium heat with the garlic, cherry tomatoes and chilli flakes and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Once ready serve with the chicken breast and enjoy!

There's no hiding my love for London, born and bred here I am enchanted by this diverse city. There is always something exciting and exhilarating happening, so when C&A asked me to be a part of their city guide campaign I couldn't resist. Basically share some of my favourite spots from this vibrant city. I know it was a tough job, but someone had to do it ;) 

Limiting it down to just three locations was a little bit of a challenge, I mean where does one start?! So I thought why not share my favourite neighbourhood, my favourite place for good authentic Italian coffee and my favourite place for fresh flowers. Basically the essentials for making a part of my life a little complete. Give me coffee and flowers and you're pretty much a keeper...

One of my favourite neighbourhoods has to be Notting Hill, I know it's not much of a shocker but I love this area so much. It's so dynamic and eclectic, parts of it are so beautiful with the infamous pastel coloured townhouses scattered around, then you turn a corner and it's a little run down giving that extra bit of raw edginess. Plenty of fab boutiques, coffee places and so much more, it really is one of favourite places to just chill.

I always love to have fresh flowers in the house, they simply make me happy as they are an instant uplifter. Wild at Heart is one of my favourite places to go and buy flowers - it’s known for its opulent style and for the turquoise tiles it’s covered in. This gorgeous island shop is in the ever so stylish Westbourne Grove.

Looking for some Italian authentic coffee? Then head over to Iddu in South Kensington, they literally have the best cappuccinos and granitas. It’s a taste of Sicily in the heart of Chelsea. 

All clothes I am wearing here are from C&A. Check out the full article on the C&A blog where you'll also be able to shop the look from their website.

So while gathering inspiration online I came across this small apartment in Sweden via real estate, Alvhem‘s website. Oh boy, it was love at first sight, this 46 sqm flat is such a real treasure and exactly the sort of inspiration I was looking for. Perfectly formed without feeling too compressed, instead giving the illusion of a really spacious space. This pretty much sums up my dream interiors...

All images via Alvhem.

Create the Look...

1. E27 Pendant Lamp by Muuto; 2. Bedside Drawer by La Redoute; 3. Marble Top Side Table; 4. Shaggy Rug by La Redoute; 5. PF Candle Co by Urban Outfitters; 6. Marble Pot by La Redoute; 7. Throw by The Future Kept.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

A handful of rucola

A handful of radicchio

1 pearwashed and cut into thin slices

Feta

A handful of walnuts

Oiive oil

Apple cider or balsamic vinegar

This is really so easy and simple we love it! Place the rucola and radicchio on the plate, position the sliced pear on top, sprinkle the the feta and add the walnuts. Season to your liking and enjoy!

During our stay in Athens Julia and I were very fortunate to have Urban Adventures treat us to a Bohemian Tales of the City tour. This isn't your average touristy tour, but one that is tailored from the true locals.

We met Alexandra and Rebecca at the Syntagma Square in front of the old Royal Palace which is now the Parliament building and then headed our way into town. Lots of pretty boutiques that tickled our fancy especially Vassilis Zoulias which is a haven of bright colours. 

Wandering around town we made way to the more historic part down Panepistimiou Street; Here you will find the Numismatic Museum of Athens, the National Library of Greece and Athenian Neoclassical Trilogy. After we headed downtown and stopped by Mokka Speciality Coffee for the most authentic greek coffee you can try. Caffeine addicts, you will love this!  Also the food market in downtown is so much fun with meat, fish, spices, nuts and so much more, it really is an indulgent of the senses. 

We then ended up into the Monastiraki flea market which is pretty impressive - a kind of Portobello Rd with a mediterranean vibe. The highlight of the tour was however lunch -obviously! In one of the coolest roof top locations, Couleur Locale totally met our expectations. Food was divine, atmosphere was electric and the view was impressive. If it wasn't for Urban Adventures, we would have never stumbled across this gem of a place.

Parliament Building

Vassilis Zoulias boutique

Numismatic Museum of Athens

National Library of Greece

Mokka Speciality Coffee

Couleur Locale

Places to Visit

1)  The Athenian Trilogy – the three elegant buildings on Panepistimiou Street

2) The changing of the guards at Syntagma Square

3) Vassilis Zoulias boutique

4) Voukourestiou shopping street area

5) Stadiou street

6) Couleur Locale for coffee and nibbling

7) Monastiraki square and market

8) Plaka neighbourhood

9) Vrettos bar

A big thank you to Urban Adventures for making this tour a memorable one. Also a big thank you for making this trip possible to Discover Greece, New Hotel for the great accommodation and Aegean Airlines – who have regular daily flights from London to Athens. Also Make sure to check out Julia's lovely blog Stylonylon.

Trouva works with a handpicked selection of the most inspired independent shops out there, to bring you a collection of beautiful, unusual products that stand out from the crowd. They are extremely passionate about helping smaller retailers.

While shopping on Trouva, I've found some pretty cool minimalist jewellery pieces. Statement pieces with the fuss free tag. They really do have some fab brands including one of my all time favourites Maria Black. I've also found the perfect pair of jeans by Paige from independent boutique Maze. Also to my surprise I'm not wearing a black top, it's summer innit?! ;)

So here I am flaunting some of my favourite buys from Trouva... All link details below.

Here I am Wearing:

Rachel Entwistle Petra Studs

Rachel Entwistle Petra Ear Jacket

Rachel Entwistle Four Elements Ring

Rachel Entwistle Sun Ring

Joy Everley Vermeil Bangles

Maria Black Monocle Long Necklace – Wild Swans

Maria Black Row Ring – Wild Swans

Maria Black Trinity Ring – Wild Swans

Maze Jeans

Aida Blue Dot Top

Wild Swans Porter Heels

This post is in collaboration with Trouva, All views are my own.

Ingredients

1 can (40Oml) of full fat coconut milk or cream. It has to be full fat. We used coconut cream

1 cup of pistachio nuts

1 cup of almond milk

3 - 4 dates

1/4 teaspoon of guar gum

Optional

Maple syrup ( we did not use any as for us it was sweet enough with the dates. It depends how much of a sweet tooth you have.

Start by blending the pistachio nuts until a flour like mixture forms. Then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until lovely and smooth. Taste to see if you want it sweeter. If you do you can add the maple syrup.

If you have an ice cream maker you can place the mixture inside and follow manufacturers advice. If like us you don't have an ice cream maker place in a freezer safe container and freeze for 6 hours or over night. Freezing times will vary from freezer to freezer.

Once ready to eat take it out of the freezer and leave to thaw for 15 minutes and serve. We had ours with chocolate dipped cones.

Melt the dark chocolate and dip the top part of the cones and sprinkle with chopped pistachio nuts. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes. Once ready enjoy with your gelato!

Dania Trapani  is a fully qualified nutritional therapist and naturopath. Make sure to follow her blog for her latest recipes and healthy tips.

Happisburgh

We walked along the Happisburgh beach with the cute and infamous red & white lighthouse overlooking the coast. It's a gorgeous sandy and quite secluded beach.

Happisburgh has always had massive problems with coastal erosion, and the beach has come about after many years of this. But it has left a beautiful and very unspoilt bay with amazing views of the incredibly picturesque lighthouse. 

Oh and Happisburgh is pronounced Haysbrough - go figure!

Cley

We were totally windswept like there was no tomorrow along the shingle beach in Cley. The village itself is dominated by the pretty 18th century windmill standing on the edge of the marshes. It is such a lovely walk from the beach to village which I highly recommend. When in Cley you will find a fantastic delicatessen, a bookshop, a couple of tea shops and of course  the local pub.

We had lunch at The George Hotel Pub - they do a mean fish & chips ;)

Burnham Market

Burnham Market is the main village and known as "Chelsea-on-sea" as it is full of pretty shops. It's a picturesque place with plenty of places to shop, eat and see. So many cute houses that I couldn't help but snap all of the pretty doortraits. It is very Instagram friendly for all those Insta buddies out here ;)

The Country Cottage

We stayed at Carole's cottage situated in East Ruston, named Brimstone Cottage. Carole has just redecorated the whole place and it is such a delight. With beautiful picturesque views over the lake, this cosy two bedroom cottage is the perfect escape from the city.

If you're looking for a place to rent while visiting Norfolk then I highly recommend this cosy little abode as you will totally not be disappointed. Shame the hostess doesn't come with it as Carole thoroughly spoilt us :)

If you're looking for a fancy place to eat then I highly recommend The Ingham Swan, we went there on our second night. Make sure to book as it does get busy.

Brimstone Cottage is available to rent for short breaks here.