Planning the Perfect Date in Bath

So, it’s been a while since I last posted on here. I’ll explain properly why in my next post but there has been a very good reason and it’s fair to say that I’m one happy, relaxed and loved up lady.
So, what better way to return to my blog than with a post all about happiness and romance eh?

I’ve been approached by the cupids over at Match.com who asked me to post a little something about how to have the perfect date in Bath. I love my home town and think everyone else should too so, of course, I agreed.

Bath is classically a very romantic city. Think Jane Austin, beautiful Georgian architecture and darling little cafes tucked down side streets so it’s no wonder that it is seen as the perfect romantic retreat. But Bath has so much more to offer!

The Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk:

This is something that I have done a couple of times now. The Bizarre Bath Comedy Walk is a great chance to explore the city at twilight, taking in all of the views and atmosphere but with a different spin. They describe the experience as thus: “You’ll laugh yourself silly when you join the celebrated stroll which take an irrelevant look at the city of Bath. You’ll experience unforgettable mysteries, thrills and surprises that stretch the traditional image of the city”. This is a fun option if you are staying in Bath for a few days, or if you are going on that lightly awkward first date and want something light hearted to do that you can talk about long afterwards.

Rent a punt and have a canal adventure:

There is a lot of water around Bath and it is just waiting to be explored. From the Bath Boating Station you can hire both small boats and punts which can be taken out onto the canal for the day at a very reasonable price. Particularly fun I’ve found if one or both of you have very little previous experience in a punt! Take the chance to pack a picnic, top up a tan and get some fresh air.

Give glass blowing a go:

A well-known and very popular Bath company is Aqua Glass. They create beautiful pieces using hand blown glass and now offer interactive demonstration classes where you can blow your own glass bauble to take home as a keepsake. Another great option if you don’t live in Bath that gives you a chance to create your own memory. You can then either pick up your bauble the following day or have it posted to you for a small extra fee.

A cosy, countryside pub with the best food around:

If you are visiting Bath during the colder months then I cannot recommend this option enough. One of my favourite places to visit for food, especially in the winter, is a little pub called The Hope and Anchor. Not centrally located, this may be a better option for those who either live in or around Bath or have a car available. I have been on some wonderful date here. In the winter you will be greeted by a large open fire and mulled wine, in the summer, a garden that is full of flowers. The menu is changed to reflect the season and the specials are always delicious too. There are also some wonderful walking routes surrounding the area.

There are, of course, many other amazing things to do and experience in Bath and it is really difficult to narrow it down. You can also find museums, crazy golf, cocktail bars, parks, cinemas, theatres, the world famous Roman Baths, Royal Crescent and Thermae Spa.

Having grown up, lived, loved and laughed in Bath it will always be one of my favourite places in the world, hopefully if you come to visit, it will become one of yours too :)

Annie xxx

Being Brave, the First OOTD-This is me

I'va always thought of myself as someone that gets seen as "pretty face, shame about the body". I have a beautiful, slender best friend, a love for reading fashion blogs and magazines full of gorgeous, size 6-10 women, and a fiance who can eat whatever he likes and still keep his six pack. Over time, the huge focus size that is everywhere has really made me feel very conscious about being, what I don't actually think is huge, at a size 16.
So I think the time has come to take control of the insecurities and say to myself, yes, this is me, and whilst I may not look like a swimwear model, I am happy and thats what matters. Part of that process for me is to stop hiding away and start writing OOTD posts here on the blog because I need to stop worrying that strangers will judge me for being me. Haters gonna hate so go ahead :)

Blue top- Apricot/ white vest top- Marks and Spencer/ Leggings- Red or Dead/ Shoes- Topshop/ Handbag- Fiorelli/ Sunglasses- Accessorize/ Watch- Calvin Klein

Annie x

Roses Are Red Etc Etc

Feliz Dia de Saint Valentin Three Little Buhos lovers!

You probably know if you've been reading my blog for a while that I'm a member, and actually, recently was lucky enough to be added to the admin team, of Beauty Box Swaps, a facebook community for beauty addicts to trade and sell their unloved beauty items.

For Valentines day I took part in a box swap with a lovely lady from the group. We set a £10 budget and also added items that we already had and put together a nice box of valentines treats for one another. Because I'm not actually in the UK this valentines day Jemma was very nice and sent my box a little earlier so I could open and enjoy before going away, hence I am able to show you my valentines pressies today :)

Jemma totally spoiled me, as well as all the goodies above she also sent me a some bits and pieces that went straight in to my suitcase before I took these photos including a gorgeous scarf and another pack of Cath Kidston tissues :)

The combination of fluffy socks, Soap and Glory and shiny things is so me, and its clear that she really thought about what I've said I like :)

How pretty are all of my lovely treats? I loved everything that Jemma was kind enough to send me from the floating candles, to the Cath Kidston brooches, from the Benefit minis to the hair pins. There isn't anything that won't be used and loved. So thank you hugely :)

What are you up to this Valentines day? Dan and I are both in Tenerife with my family to celebrate a birthday so we don't have any special plans but are going to find a nice restaurant to have dinner in. Whatever your plans, I hope you're enjoying you day :)

Annie xx

*ps, I'm away until 17th and this post is scheduled so if you comment and don't get a reply, I promise it's not that I'm ignoring you! <3*

I'm Really Happy

Tomorrow will make it four lovely years that I have spent with Daniel and *gets gushy and sickly sweet* I just love him so so much :)

Between being spoilt rotten and going out for a nice meal I might just have to show you what I've bought him as his presents, I'm pretty smug about what I decided on even if I do say so myself :)
Annie x

Lush Passionate Lipstick; My New Love

Hello,
How is everyone today? Enjoying summer now its here?

Last week I posted about the lovely VIP launch of Emotional Brilliance that I attended at the Lush Bath store. When I was there I was drawn in by the beauty of the Passionate lipstick and simply had to bring it home. I've been wearing it almost every day since then and I think its about time I gave you a proper look :)

Passionate is a very gorgeous, very bright, blue toned pink that has an amazing shine on the lips. It is perfect for pale girls like me as it brightens the face, flattering your English rose tones, and it also makes teeth look whiter (bonus!) If you aren't a fan of a bold lip look then I'd steer clear but oh my goodness, if you love bold lips, you need this in your life! Like nearly all of the Emotional Brilliance range Passionate comes in a funky little glass bottle that holds 5g of product (sounds small but believe me, that will last an incredibly long time).

The lip colour applies very smoothly using the built in doe foot applicator and gives perfect coverage without needing to dip the brush again. The applicator also gives good control making application more precise which is important with such a pigmented colour as I find that it is difficult to remove if you smudge on to the skin around the lips. This is something to be careful about when applying in a rush but otherwise it hasn't given me any trouble. All of the lip colours from the range suggest you can use them as a cheek stain as well however I would advise against that with this shade unless you are a fan of very bright cheeks!

Now, in regards to maintenance of Passionate throughout the day or evening... there is none. I haven't been needing to re-apply at all when wearing this colour out. I wore this to our boozy barbeque on Tuesday and even towards the end of the night it was going strong after too much wine and a couple of burgers. The shine did wear off a little however the bold pink colour remained as the colour is designed to stain as well as colour. Unlike a lot of staining lipsticks I haven't found this drying because of the natural jojoba oil and rose wax in the product, in fact, I've found that once the colour has initially settled on the lips you can barely feel it there at all. No stickiness, no drying, no scratchy glitter so, in my eyes, pretty perfect.

So those are all of the reasons that I have fallen madly in love with this lipstick. To me it is unbeatable for colour and longevity as well as also being vegan friendly, full of natural goodness and in a funky bottle :)
My advice is to keep the rest of your makeup nice and natural when rocking this colour because I think it would be very easy to over do it without realising that your favourite pink blusher and purple eyeshadow are making you look a bit mad when paired with your pink lips.

So what do you think of Passionate? Is it a colour that you'd be brave enough to wear? Have you tried any of the other colours in the range?

You can pick up a bottle from the Lush website for £14.50. I will definitely be picking up more colours!

Annie x
ps, its the last few days to enter my giveaway so get in there quick!

What Happened?

Hello,
Where has the week gone?
I have a load of photos taken ready to be turned into lots of posts yet somehow its got to Friday night and none of them have happened :O I haven't even posted my May empties yet and with it being gone midnight, its just turned into the 9th June already!
So what happened?
Well after a few stressful weeks I've taken full advantage of the relaxed party feel of jubilee week and taken a bit of TLC. Its been so lovely and restful. Dan and I have made the most of the week and spent a lot of time relaxing on the sofa watching DVD's, drinking the odd glass of wine and eating too many chocolate raisins, and it has been total bliss. I've caught up with the last few issues of Grazia, finished the 50 Shades of Grey series (well worth a read btw, I'll write a review) and really tried to de-stress a little so sorry once again for my lack of attention, but from now on, its back tot he beauty and when I finish work tomorrow I will be posting my May empties and planning next weeks posts so that I don't forget.
Oh, and for anyone who didn't know, I am a complete Potterhead so heres a spot of Pottertastic loving :)

Anyway, what have you been up to this week?
Annie x

Happy Mother's Day :)

Hello,

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope you're all having a lovely day with your mums and letting her know just how amazing she is.

I love my mum to bits. She is one of my very best friends and has done everything to make sure that I've had a brilliant life. She has played both parents to me since my dad left when I was still only 7 weeks old and believe me, things weren't always easy for her when I was little but somehow she managed, whilst working full time (no unemployed single mums here!) and she's shown me just how much you can achieve if you work hard. I never went without anything when I was growing up and for that I have my mummy to thank. Now I'm all grown up she still continues to keep me sane when everything is rubbish. So thank you mum. I love you.

Annie x

PS. I'll be back later with a lovely recipe for a real treat so stick around!

A Few Favourites- Wedges

Hello,
How are you spending your sunday? I'll be on my way back to Bath in a little bit and have just enjoyed a lovely lunch cooked by Daniel.

It's no secret that I'm rather obsessed with wedges. I love how they look on and it makes me so happy that they aren't as painful on the balls of your feet as other heels. Here are my current favourite wedges that are on the market. Aren't they just gorgeous?!

1. These striped heel wedges are from Asos, and are (somewhat temptingly) in the sale at the moment. Ilove the cute colour on the heels.

2. These strappy wedges, also from Asos will be perfect in the summer with a pretty dress of uber short shorts.

3. Aztec prints are set to be huge this season and these Steve Madden wedges are an amazing aztec statement piece.

4. I adore these Miss Selfridge cream wedges. They are the perfect pair to dress an outfit up a bit.

5. These black wedge booties from Office simply must find their way into my wardrobe. How amazing are the colourful jewels?

6. I love the quirkiness of these Urban Outfitters orange lace up wedges. I think they'd look amazing paired with thick black tights and a vintage style dress. Yum!

7. Everyone loves their gladiator sandals in the summer and these royal blue wedges will be great for adding colour to a summer outfit. And they'll look great against tanned skin.

8. These bright red wedges from MissGuided just scream my name. I adore the colours and I love the striped heel.

Its shoes like these that make my little fashion world go round. Long live wedges I say.

Annie x

Large Quantities of Lovely

Hello,
Today has been great. Proper girly shopping trip with my mum where we both bought so lovely bits and pieces (maybe I'll post a photo of my goodies tomorrow)
I was incredibly lucky this valentines day, and my wonderful fiance bought me some cute little presents, and I love them all and just had to show you their fabbiness.

How cute is this flamingo cookie cutter? I can't wait to try this out and then cover the resulting cookies in BRIGHT pink icing. I hope the leggies and neck don't burn :S

I was lucky enough to be given a bunch of beautiful light pink roses. We couldn't find a vase and so had to display them in a cocktail shaker, but in a way I think that made them look all the more cute. I love roses, they look so pretty as they start to open like this one.

I was oh so excited to receive this ring. Its a beautiful handmade silver toe ring from Little Red Robin that I fell in love with last month. Daniel got it personalised to say "mugwai" which is his pet name for me (for those who don't know, here a photo of a mugwai, they're the cute little creatures that turn into Gremlins. Dan calls me mugwai because apparently I'm "cute and cuddly and make little noises") My photo doesn't really do the ring justice, it's gorgeous, made of silver and shines beautifully. I'm wearing it on my little finger while the weather is cold. Check out the Little Red Robin website for other beautiful jewellery.

To go with my my lovely new ring, Daniel tracked down this adorable bunny ring bunny that I pinned on pinterest a while back. I love him, he sits by my bed holding my new mugwai ring, my engagement ring and a couple of vintage finds. I thought it was so sweet of Daniel to go to so much effort to find me a present that he knew I would love.





I love all of these gifts and I am so thankful to Dan for being so generous and treating me so brilliantly. That man is my world :)

Have you been given any lovely, thoughtful gifts recently? What did you get for valentines day?
I hope you're having a great weekend :)
Annie x

Photo a Week Challenge- Week Five

Hello,
How is everyone today?
My great grandmother's funeral was today so for me it has been a day of remembrance. She was a wonderful woman and I hope that wherever she lives on, she will be happy.

This week's photo challenge topic is Romance which, being the uber observant person I am, believe may be because tuesday was of course Valentine's day!
I've taken a lot of photos this week of the beautiful presents that Daniel gave me for valentines day and couldn't quite narrow it down to one photo, so here are my two favourites :)
Annie x

This is a close up of my ultra cute card

And this is a macro shot of my dainty little pink roses

The Day of Love

Hello,
Happy Vday everyone! I hope you're all enjoying it.
I spent most of my day travelling across from Bath to Canterbury which was quite the ordeal, I tell you! Especially since the last leg of my journey had to be by coach because the trains weren't running between Ashford and Canterbury.
Oh well, I'm here now and Daniel and I are settling down to a nice cozy evening with good food and a chick flick :)
He bought me some lovely presents (which I'll show you tomorrow) and was uber happy with his too so so far so good :)

What are your plans for this evening? Did you recieve anything lovely that you're a little smug about?
Or are you just going to have a night in in front of the telly with a box of chocolates?
Annie x

10 Simple but Sweet Romantic Gestures

Hello,
I love my fiance to bits, yet over the years I have come to understand that he is far from being a romantic person. I don't mind this, he is brilliant just the way he is.
But for some people, romance is an important part of a relationship which can cause problems when one person in the relationship is clueless when it comes to romance. So for all those people who find it difficult to know where to start, I have put together a list of simple little gestures which will be sure to bring a smile to the face of your loved one :)

1.        Close the curtains, turn your phones off, order in your favourite food and just relax with your other half.
   
   
   2.       Breakfast in bed is always a lovely touch, even if it’s just toast and tea.
   
   
   3.       Baked goods can be made in little time and are at their best if made last minute so they’re still nice and fresh. Definitely more romantic than shop bought.
   
   
   4.       With music so easily accessible,  it’s never been simpler to make your other half a mixed tape of their favourite songs or “your songs”
   
   
   5.       If buying a box of chocolates just isn’t good enough then why not make your own? Sunshine and Carousels has featured some delicious recipes recently and they’re so simple to make too!
   
   
   6.       Write a list of 10 things you love about your other half and hide it somewhere they will find it when not expecting to. Guaranteed to put a smile on their face.
   
   
   7.       Forget about the fancy restaurants, pack a picnic and head for somewhere pretty together.
   
   
   8.       Have a movie night where you watch each other’s favourite film. Who cares if you aren’t keen on their choice, the intention couldn’t be sweeter.
   
   
   9.       Run your other half a hot bath, fill them a glass of wine and let them enjoy some relaxation time.
   
   
   10.   Have a fun evening together with a chocolate fondue that you can dip all of your favourite treats in, extra points for remembering your partners favourite treats :P
   
   
   Is there something sweet that your partner does for you that lets you know they love you? Do you have any advice for people who find it hard to express their love?
   
   
   On an un-related note, over on my other blog, Sugar and Spice, we have an inspirational "The Beautiful Bride" post to help you find the perfect wedding hairstyle for your special day.
   
   
   Annie x
   
   

The Ultimate Romantic Gesture

Hi,
So, with valentines day lurking just around the corner we're all feeling loved up and looking for that special treat for our someone special.
On Tuesday afternoon at work a customer came up to me and asked for my advice. He told me that it was his girlfriends birthday and he wanted to make her feel special so he had come into the supermarket and filled his trolley with lovely treats to feed her. I took a look and I saw that he had:

• olives
• stuffed peppers
• stuffed vine leaves
• a big loaf of fresh bread
• a whole Camembert to roast
• apples to dip
• thick slices of deli counter ham, chicken and beef
• a taste the difference savoury tart
• two GU puddings
• and a bottle of actual champagne

His question to me? "Do you think she'll like this? Is is special enough?" And I just looked at him (hopefully not looking too agog) and told him that it was one of the loveliest things he could do.

So let this be a lesson to us all, I think we could all learn a little something about romance from this sweet, romantic man :)

What plans do you have for valentines day? And don't you just wish that you had a boyfriend as romantic as this?

Annie x