Friday Favourites 2nd - 15th September 2017.
FF 15.09.2017
Hi soz I don't want to talk to you because it's been a week since I set off on my travels to see the blog squad in Hampshire and I am sad.
But I can probably eek a few Friday Favourites out if you really want me to.
It feels like we've been waiting for this weekend together for so long it's like it suddenly came around and I was all 'no no it's too soon I want the excitement to continue' and now it's over it's like shit what now? Isn't that always the way with holidays? So naturally we're thinking about what we can do before Christmas sets in......
1. Escape Reality.
There'll be more of this tomorrow when I do a full report but yesterday I took my brother, his fiancé and Joss to Escape Reality Cardiff. We've been before and made the mistake of taking on the most difficult room so this time we did the easiest. I won't spoil how we did cos like I say, there's a blog post on it tomorrow but we had such a good time. We love escape rooms so the chance to go again wasn't to be missed and it was really nice to catch up with them for an evening because I was away last weekend and they're away this weekend.
2. Dyffryn Gardens.
Oh bae, back again. My local National Trust property is just 10 minutes from my house and being members, me and my Mum take advantage of it as an easy day out for my niece pretty regularly. We went last week on the last sunny day we've had in ages and I took a million and one photos you'll see on my Instagram very soon. They have the biggest hot house full of cacti and I've talked about it a million times on my blog but it makes me SO happy and has motivated me to make a decision on how to spend my birthday next month so look out for that.
3. GBBO.
I didn't want to like it, I didn't. I was so loyal to the BBC, so outraged that Mel and Sue and Mary wouldn't be on it anymore, I was so sure I wouldn't watch it. But then everyone was raving about it and I'm a sucker for a trend and I thought "I'll just watch the first one...." and whadda ya know, now I've seen all three. In all honestly I think it works. No the hosts don't gel quite as well and no Pru is no Mez Bez but the format is so entirely the same it's so comforting. I record it and watch it a day or two late so I don't have to contend with the adverts and it's just like coming back to an old friend or settling down for a cuppa with your Nanna. Watch on All4 here.
4. Surprise Birthday.
Naww Mel <3 I wrote about our surprise birthday party for Mel in this blog post so I won't bang on about it too much but it was definitely a highlight of the past fortnight. We'd been planning it for SO long it was such a joy to see it all come together and see her lil face when she realised. It properly kicked the weekend off to the best start and we were immediately into the swing of things and provided a LOT of photo content too. Happy Birthday for tomorrow Melk!
5. TT Partywear.
The ultimate topping to our weekend away. I honestly could rave about Talking Tables for weeks on end I love them so much and love working with them and the things they sent us for our blogging barn were the icing on the cake to the whole trip. The barn we stayed in was pretty Instagram friendly anyway but the bunting, curtains and balloons hung everywhere just gave it that extra bit of sparkle. The fairy lights were a personal fav and we all made off with a set when we went home. We had them on nearly 24/7 and it was so cosy when it was rain and thunder outside and we were all tucked up indoors. I honestly can't thank TT enough.
6. Countryside Walks.
On the Saturday morning of our weekend away we went for a lil jaunt around the local countryside. We were staying in the arse end of nowhere not even in a village so we went for a walk to find it and were out a few hours. It was one of them changeable days where one minute it was sunny and we had to take our jackets off and then just as we got back to barn the heavens open and the storm rolled it. It was SO nice not to drive anywhere, to just out outdoors and take some snaps and get some exercise when the rest of the weekend was spent stuffing our faces.
7. Swimming.
Not one I ever thought I'd add to my favourites list ngl. When we found out our Air B&B had a private indoor pool on site I was a little skeptical at the idea of donning a swimming costume for the first time in years. I'm not body UN confident most of the time but we all have our wobbles and the idea of being in photos baring most of me didn't fill me with joy but at the end of the day I was with my gals and we were having a laff and I just didn't care. The pool was beaut, we had inflatables from Talking Tables and we had Beyoncé on and some of the photos are actually quite cute (unless Mel took them........)
8. Blog Babes.
I mean it wouldn't have been a bloggers weekend away without other bloggers would it? I don't want to come over too emosh cos I think I have a blog post planned for just that but honestly I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to go away with. We spent the weekend laughing, relaxing and taking photos and nobody complained, nobody argued, we just chilled out. I think that's why it was so lovely, I needed some time to just get away from real life and actually r.e.l.a.x. Just to get away from it all in the middle of some fields with some of the best people in the world - I can't wait till the next one.
9. Family time.
We've had a LOT of family time the past week. We've had family staying with us from the States for a fortnight and so the rest of the family have descended to make the most of the time we have with them before they go back. When I got home from a casual 4 hour road trip on Sunday the kitchen table was packed with seats and family members I didn't expect to make it home in time to see. You know one of them meals, where you've got people crammed together on makeshift seats, some on stools, some on patio chairs and everyone talking over eachother to catch up. We also had dinner with another set of family mid week and we've had loads of dinners and takeaways and time to natter and topped it off with a meal out for lunch today and a day off and it's been gorgeous.
10. House Jungle.
This lil beauty arrived in my mailbox this week and whilst the weather has stopped me getting good enough light for a proper flatlay, safe to say it's making it's way to my Instagram soon. I have loved Annie Dornan Smith's designs for a while now, I can't even remember how I found her but her Instagram feed is to die for and her job is one other illustrators envy. I ordered her book House Jungle on a whim way back in August when it was up for pre order and it arrived last week and it's divine. It's a beautifully illustrated book on how to care for plants and what makes the best house buddies and it's just gorge. Well worth spending a couple of quid on a beautiful coffee table book and supporting a v talented illustrator. Shop Annie's designs here!
11. Dr Foster.
Omfgggggg. Dr Foster totally bypassed me the first time it was on but with all the hype surrounding the second series I got intrigued as to why it was so well loved and with the entire first season in BBC iPlayer I decided to give it a go to see if it was my thing. I have currently only seen the first episode of the first series and I am already hooked. Omfg SO GOOD. Like the reviews are good for a reason, it's SO gripping and SO dramatic and I'm already obsessed. If you haven't got into it yet and you like dark, sexy, dramatic programmes with lots of twists (think the Missing) then you'll like this. Watch season 1 and 2 on BBC iPlayer here and then tweet me so we can be like OMGGG together.
12. Blogosphere.
Oh these guys. My love affair with Blogosphere Magazine has been no secret since I started buying it when Ella Denton was on the cover and it was a dream come true (even if one I didn't know I had till it happened) to be shortlisted for their awards this Summer. My parents bought me a years subscription to the mag for Christmas last year - a present I hope they renew this Christmas - and the latest cover dropped onto their door mat for me this week. Hannah Gale has always been my fav blogger, the reason I started reading blogs and probably the reason I thought I could make my own successful so to know she won Blogger of the Year at the awards and won the cover star shoot was mint. She absolutely bloody bossed it and these shots are insane, like I don't think anyone expected that to be the image but it's ace and all YAS GO GIRL. I've only had time for a quick flick through but I've seen all the award winners have their interviews and I'm so excited to sit down over the weekend with it and a good brew.
Nobody have a meltdown that there's 2 weeks left of September ok great totally not freaking out bye.
