Manc' Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets have become a firm festive favourite of mine, I just adore the combination of good food, drinks and independent shops situated in wooden huts! 

My festive craving was no different this year, I indulged in some nutella pancakes, mould wine and the famous Germany hot dog. Then drank my body weight in colour changing and Christmas inspired cocktails at Alchemist. What more could a girl want?

Merry Christmas!

5 Things To Do This Christmas

1. Markets
Christmas Markets are hugely popular everywhere and in England we have plenty of good ones. My firm favourite has got to be the Manchester Christmas Markets, every year the city is brought to light with Christmas decorations, various wooden stalls, perfect food and drink and even an ice skating rink! You can buy anything, from homemade Christmas decorations to hot dogs and mulled wine. 



2. Theatre/ Pantomime 
I feel like going to the theatre is becoming a more popular outing and is not considered an 'old folks' thing, at Christmas time, there are lots of festive favourites from Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella and The Snowman. At affordable entry prices, it is certainly a winner for families. 



3. Festive Walks
There is something about walking in the breezy morning when the sun is shining that is just so peaceful, plus is free! There are many woodland walks across the country, including festive walks where children get the chance to meet Santa and his Reindeer's as well as picking out your own Christmas tree! 



4. Cosy Nights
As the skies begin to get darker and colder earlier, it is the perfect occasion for a Christmas inspired film night. Gather friends or family around the TV, with blankets and pillows at hand for the ultimate comfort. Stick on your favourite Christmas favourite film and demolish the many festive treats supermarkets and stalls are selling already. Also, get them hot chocolates and mulled wine down!



5. Craft Making Day
Instead of forking out on presents and decorations, have fun by making them yourself! Look online for fab Christmas ideas such as cookie recipe in a jar, making your own fudge and make your own Christmas sign for your room! Enjoy the day with others by blaring out the festive tunes and chomping on nibbles. 

The Casual Look

Leather Jacket | WALLIS
Top | Primark
Jeans | Topshop
Shoes | Primark
Bag | French Connection
Fur Poof | New Look

For me, the most important thing about fashion, is comfort. I can not feel confident in an item of clothing I am uncomfortable in. My typical day- to- day look usually consists of jeans and a pretty top. As the weather in the UK is hit and miss at the moment, with frosty mornings but sunny afternoons, I'll either be wearing a simple leather jacket (as it goes with everything) or a pretty pastel winter coat to create a more sophisticated look. 

For shoes I tend to pick edgier shoes for more plain outfits like the one featured above. Any shoe that has a chunky heel and a peep toe, is a firm winner in my eyes in creating a more interesting look. I adore this pair of black peep toe boots from Primark, the peep toe combined with the long silver zip definitely makes the shoes look more expensive than £16!

Like shoes, bags play a large role in what makes an outfit good in my wardrobe. Whether a pretty decorated clutch bag to spice up a little black dress or a cute tote bag with the additional fur poof. This bag shown in the picture, was a Christmas present from my parents and I absolutely LOVE it. The long black strap makes it easy to wear, the size is large enough to fit the daily essentials, purse, phone, pouch ect. With the fur poof added, I think it creates a classic/ winters look, also, the bag is made up of two textures, the top flap is a black suede combined with the black leather for the base. 

Coat | Miss Selfridge

Hope you liked this post! Please comment!

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Barcelona Photo Diary Part 2

Day 4| Beach Day

This day we made the 30 minute walk to the beach. Many people think Barcelona doesn't have a beach as it is a City, however the beach is a lovely long strip of sandy shores and clearly blue water. On our walk back after spending the morning there, we ventured through small streets of the city, captivated by the variety of shops and spotting the odd church along our way. 

Day 5| Bus Tour

On this day we decided to go on a bus tour where you can hop on and off at any destination you choose along the way. The sighs were breath taking, the combination of the old fashioned city combined with modern day is such a pleasing contrast. One of the destinations we stopped off at was the Palace which is an impressive feature, overlooking the rest of Barcelona. Sadly the foundation weren't working but the Palace itself was very remarkable. Afterwards we went to the Olympic Park which again, gave us great views of Barcelona. As temperatures rose to late 20's and us being British, couldn't take the heat much longer, we went back to the Irish Bar for cocktails. 

Day 6| Sagrada Familia

Day 6 was hands down my most favorite day from the holiday, Sagrada Familia. The cities most popular destination which, not surprising was very extraordinary. It is a cathedral which after 100 years has still not be completed, is it such a surprise from the amazing detail though? Nope. The outside is covered with details of Jesus and figures with different meanings. Inside is just as good. The tall stained glass windows are coloured in colourful and bright glass, reflecting a ray of colours throughout the center when the sun shines on it. The ceiling carries the detail from outside, inside and the staircases and patterned with Gaudi's style. 

After gawping for hours, we went for a walk back to the harbor to watch the sunset which is one of my favorite things to do as I am fascinated by the sky. 

Day 7| Final Day

Sadly day 7 was our final day, after having a hectic and tiring few days we chose to chill and relax on the beach front before going out for a lovely meal. 

I was very supersized at how much there was to do in Barcelona as I and I'm sure many others assume theirs just the odd thing to see. I could have happily stayed their for a further week, continuing exploring the cities high lights and cute little streets. Thankfully the weather was wonderful for saying it was September it sure carried on the Summer Holiday Vibe. 

Hope you enjoyed the pictures! See Part 1 here

Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble

Ingredients

200g Plain Flour

150g Softened Butter

150g Caster Sugar

300g Washed Rhubarb (roughly)

100g Raspberries 

75g additional Caster Sugar

Method

• Pre Heat your oven to 180 degrees and get out your individual ramekins or oven proof dish.
• Put the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl before sieving in the flour. 
• Using your hands, rub the mixture until it resembles bread crumbs. 
• Once the mixture looks like fine bread crumbs, wash and slice up your rhubarb around 2 cm thick. The thinner the slices, the less time it will take to cook. 
• Put the rhubarb and raspberries evenly in the dish(s) before adding a sprinkle of sugar over the top to balance out the sharpness from the Rhubarb. 
• Evenly distribute the crumble mixture over the top, covering all the fruit and sprinkle some sugar on top again.
• Place in the oven and bake for 10- 15 minutes until the crumble is golden brown.
• Once cooked, leave to cool for 10 minutes before dishing up with frozen raspberries and ice cream!

Photo Diary| Chester Zoo

Hello everyone! The past few days my cousin came to stay, we of course watched dozens of films and got through so many bags of chocolate but we also went on day trips out. For instance, on Monday we travelled to Chester Zoo which is a large Zoo, home to many animals including the typical Elephants, Monkeys and Lions to more unusual species such as different types of butterflies, flamingoes and spotted dogs. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!