In A Field Of Purple

Hello my lovelies, how are you all? Yesterday I had a gorgeous outing to Chichester with my Mum. It has always been her dream to see a field of Lavender and after many, many months of planning we finally found one. Many years ago we went to Provence where she hoped to see the fields however the crops had all been harvested. We visited the Laudington lavender field and it was incredible. After walking up a long track you are suddenly hit by a wave of a rich dark purple and it is incredible. There was a rich smell of lavender that words can't describe and you were also welcomed by the smell of bees. The farm sell their own products which is how we discovered the farm. At the start of every month they always set up their own market stall in Lewes where they sell a huge array of products from lavender candles, soaps, creams, sprays and even chocolates. The list is endless. They are currently holding open days from the 13th - 17th of July and it is highly worth a visit and coping with the traffic through Worthing. I hate being stuck in traffic; I don't have the best patience in the whole world.

What I wore:

Jacket - New Look
Dress - H&M
Shoes - New Look
Bag - Accesorize
Nail Polish - Barry M Sugar Apple
Necklace - Topshop
Earrings - Topshop
Bracelet - Pandora

To continue our gorgeous outing we headed into Chichester. We treated ourselves to coffee and lunch at Bill's which is our favourite restaurant and a new restaurant to tick off. I can highly recommend the chicken caesar salad.

Chichester is a shopping lovers dream. There are loads of beautiful and high end shops to discover and the town itself seemed really calm and peaceful. Chichester is ideal for Christmas shopping. I have never seen a Jack Wills with it's own front garden.

Afterwards we visited the Cathedral which was massive and chilled and walked around the gorgeous Palace Gardens. I could have quite happily spent the entire afternoon just chilling in the gardens.

I treated us both to a peach iced tea from Starbucks and we headed back. We were so, so lucky with the weather it was a perfect warm summers day.

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog post my lovelies. I had a gorgeous day yesterday and I can highly recommend a visit!

XXX

Happy Birthday Mum

Hello my lovelies, I have a lovely post in honour of my gorgeous Mum today. It was my Mum's birthday on the 21st of March and I thought I would share some birthday celebrations with you all in a little Day In The Life Post.

To celebrate my Mum's birthday we were lucky enough to be able to have a Champagne Afternoon Tea at The Grand Hotel courtesy of my Mum's work colleagues. Won't say no to that. We had a lovely relaxing morning before setting off enjoying opening presents and squealing with excitement. The morning was made slightly more complicated with the fact I had a flat tyre but being two sophisticated grown up's we dealt with the situation. Un defeated we headed off to the hotel which was incredibly posh and oldy-wordly. Before arriving a quick car wash was essential, thank you very much Mr Seagull.

When we arrived our bags were taken in for us and they even parked the car for us. I'm not used to this level of poshness but it's little touches like these that make the whole experience even more special. The design of the hotel is stunning, so posh and old fashioned I felt as if we could be staring in an Agatha Christie episode.

Our hotel room was gorgeous with a beautiful bathroom filled with Molten and Brown products and it even came with a Nespresso machine. Definitely my kind of hotel. We headed down for our afternoon tea with a table right next to the fire place. The hotel provided a gorgeous selection of freshly made sandwiches, scones and cakes which were beautiful and light. Essential after the champagne which went straight to both of our heads. Note to self, champagne on an empty stomach isn't always the best idea. I personally don't like tea but Peppermint tea went down a treat. The whole meal was delicious and presented beautifully, I would highly recommend it.

Tea:
Peppermint and Jasmine

Sandwich Selection:
Egg and Tomato
Cucumber and Cream Cheese
Coronation Chicken
Smoked Salmon

Scones:
Freshly Baked Fruit Scones with Clotted Cream and Strawberry Jam

Cakes:
Plum and Cinnamon Moose
Ginger Cake
Mocha Cake
Bakewell Slice

What I wore:

Dress - Primark
Blazer - New Look
Black Tights - New Look
Jewellery - New Look (Silver hoops and silver ring)
Pandora Bracelet
Bag - Accessorize
Nail polish - Koala-Berry by OPI

We then headed out for a little walk along the sea front. I love seeing the sea at dusk, I find it really calming with the sunset and seeing all of the lights starting to turn on. It's almost as if the town shuts down for the evening.

The next day after a cappuccino we were treated to breakfast in bed. We opted for fresh fruit and juice followed by scrambled eggs and smoked salmon. It was beautiful; best scrambled eggs ever.

Whilst at the The Grand we treated ourselves to a spa morning. Going to The Grand is probably something you only do once so you've got to make the most of every opportunity. We both had a facial and a hot stone massage. Both of these were new experiences for me. It was lovely to stop and be pampered. I think everybody including myself should learn to stop and take time to pamper themselves. It always seems like such a treat but I'm pretty sure that everyone is guilty of not taking the time to treat themselves enough.

We then headed back and enjoyed a gorgeous warm and sunny afternoon walk on the Downs. Perfect end to the two days.

I hope you enjoyed this little blog post my lovelies. Just a small snippet into some birthday celebrations that you don't often do. Enjoy the rest of your day.

XXX

20th Birthday Weekend

Hello my lovelies I have a Day In The Life post for you all today. You are probably unaware but it was my 20th birthday last Sunday - 20 I know. I don't know why but 20 just sounds like a big jump from 19. No longer a teenager but a sophisticated and mature adult in the making. 

Over the weekend I have definitely been spoilt and I thought I would share some of my adventures.  

I was definitely spoilt by my family and friends. I'm not sure who was more excited to open presents me or my cat. Some of the amazing gifts that I was treated to included money, tokens, chocolates, candles, autobiographies, a DVD, recipe books, beautiful tulips, pink champagne, pyjamas, nail polish, a coconut gift box from The Body Shop and a Pandora bracelet. I feel so lucky to have been treated to such gorgeous gifts and I cannot believe I am lucky enough to have a Pandora bracelet I feel very grown up all of a sudden. A Pandora bracelet alone would have been an overly generous gift. They are so special and I can't wait to start my life long adventure of collecting beautiful charms. Very special indeed. Can we all take a moment to appreciate how pretty the wrapping paper is, well done Mum you did good!

I felt very spoilt just with the gifts alone but to find out that I was then treated to a trip to London with Mum was incredible. We do love a London outing. 

As a combined birthday present my Gran and Grandad had treated me and Mum to Afternoon Tea at The Ritz in London. Incredible. A once in a life time experience and definitely something on both our bucket lists. It didn't just end there. Mum had paid for us to stay in London overnight but not just at any hotel, The Hilton. Yes, the Hilton. Wow. Incredible. Let me just say this it certainly didn't disappoint. 

After a lovely breakfast,  Nespresso coffee and a whole lot of squealing we packed and set off for the train station. Fuelled with my favourite of an Amaretti Latte from Cafe Nero we were London bound where we then headed off to the Hilton at London Bridge. 

The hotel room was the nicest hotel room that I had ever seen. I loved the bohemian and minimalist design. It was really quiet yet you're amongst the hustle and bustle of London yet you could of easily been in the middle of no where in the countryside. The room was accompanied by the best mini bar that I have ever seen, a massive wide screen tv, a beautiful ensuite, a kettle, free snacks and an iron. It's the small things in life that please me. We chilled out and unpacked before getting changed for The Ritz. 

What I wore:

Dress - Topshop

Blazer - New Look

Black coat with white fur collar - Miss Selfride

Heels - Asos 

Black Tights

Bracelet - Pandora

Silver Hoop earrings - New Look

Silver Necklace - Topshop

Black Bag - Topshop

Nail Polish - Kuala-berry by OPI

We headed off in our traditional London taxi - how sophisticated. This meant we could turn up as two  classy, sophisticated women who weren't wind swept and slightly red and sweaty from dealing with rush hour on the London underground in heels. It's also something you only do once in life so we thought if you're going to go to The Ritz you might as well do it properly and in style. 

As we arrived at The Ritz we walked up the red carpet. Afternoon tea was served in The Palm Court which was absolutely stunning. The design and architecture was beautiful, cream and pink walls, roses, chandeliers it is hard to describe just how beautiful it was. Definitely a must see and a once in a life time experience. During our visit there was beautiful harp music being played which was so calming and relaxing. All of the guests were dolled up in all of their finery it was just incredible. The tables were all immaculate with the poshest cutlery and china I have ever seen. Words really cannot do it justice. I'm still gobsmacked and in ore of the whole experience. Throughout our visit I kept saying to Mum 'I hope I'm sophisticated enough for this' but luckily there were no spillages, fires or scenes so I can say I coped in high social formalities.

I'm not really a massive tea fan, in fact I don't like it at all. The only tea that I will tolerate is Peppermint or mint tea so I plumped for Peppermint. I was actually pleasantly surprised as I really enjoyed it and ended up drinking two and a half cups. It went really well with the food as well so i can highly recommend it. Mum opted for her favourite of Jasmine tea. It's so posh, the waiters even pore the tea for you, the only work you have to do is lifting the cup to drink your tea.

We were then served an amazing first course which featured six sandwiches each:
Ham and Mustard
Egg and Cress
Cucumber and Dill
Cheese and Chutney
Chicken Mayonaise
Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese

The sandwiches were beautiful and so precise. Each sandwich was served on a different type of bread and equally delicious. Some of the sandwiches were ones I wouldn't normally choose yet they were all so delicious. Apparently these were only a taster and then another plate of sandwiches also arrived which were accompanied by freshly baked scones. They were the nicest scones I had ever eaten. I usually think scones are going to be quite dense and heavy yet these were so light ad fluffy. They were served alongside clotted cream and strawberry jam and the jam was the nicest jam I had ever eaten I could have quite easily just eaten a bowl of it on it's own.

The final course was the cake round, I mean you have to have cake on your birthday it's the law in my eyes. They were so beautiful and delicate. We took lot's of photos to remember them but then tucked straight into:
Lemon Macaroons
Chocolate and Hazelnut Mouse Torte with a Salted Caramel Sauce
Winter Berry Vanilla Fruit Tart
White Chocolate and Amaretti Choux Bun

If these weren't enough, one of the waiters popped by with his trolly full of wonders and provided yet more cakes:
Orange Madera Cake with White Chocolate Icing
Rhubarb Frangipani Tart

The cakes were so delicious and baked to perfection I don't think I could pick a favourite. Being a baking lover this was right up my street. As we left we were given The Ritz 'party bags' well that's what I like to call them anyway. These featured a box each of The Ritz handmade chocolate truffles which were presented in a chocolate box in the shape of a top hat I mean wow. My birthday was full of never ending surprises.

After checking out the poshest toilets in the world we headed back to our hotel room feeling totally stuffed but with two mahoosive smiles across our faces.

Mum further surprised me with a little outing up The Shard as you do. I still can't believe how close our hotel room was to it, it was just perfect and literally round the corner. Neither of us have been in the Shard before so following on our motto, if you're going to do it you might as well do it properly.

What an experience. The views were breathtaking. I'm so glad we visited in the evening when it was dark as London looked so beautiful all lit up. When you get to The Shard it is very sleek and swift and you are whisked up to the 68th floor instantly where you can walk around and even treat yourself to a glass of champagne. January isn't famous for the best weather so if you visit The Shard in the winter I would definitely recommend visiting in the evening. It's funny as we were walking to The Shard we were amongst the crowds and the hustle and bustle yet when you are up the top London looks very still and peaceful. Like The Ritz this is a once in a life time experience for me and what a very special way to end a very special birthday. I feel so touched and spoilt.

After The Shard we walked back to our hotel where we treated ourselves to some cocktails in the bar. I love cocktails I think they are really fun, pretty and delicious and there are so many mad combinations that you can create.

The next morning I woke up and enjoyed a coffee in my bed watching the tv, heaven. Why is it socially acceptable to have a kettle in your hotel room yet if you had one in your bedroom at home people would think you were really weird. Personally I think this would be a great idea. It was so special to wake up in London, something that I have never done before. The weather was gorgeous, it was warm and blue skies it was the perfect way to wake up.

We headed out for breakfast where I requested Bill's, a personal favourite of ours. We seem to be working our way through visiting Bill's restaurants across the country. Even though we were in the middle of London it was a really calm and peaceful walk to Bill's where we were treated to stunning views of The Shard, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the Thames.

I love trying new things so we both plumped for breakfasts we haven't tried before. I chose the scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon and Mum chose the Eggs Royale. Both of which looked delicious and they tasted even more delicious then they looked.

After a stressful journey back from brocken down trains, train diversions, train delays and even train cancelations we made it back and went for a walk on The Downs. We both love walking on the Downs I find it so peaceful and it was the perfect way to end the perfect weekend.

Yesterday Mum baked the most incredible birthday cake for me: Chocolate Sponge with Coconut icing topped with White Chocolate.
Heaven on a plate, imagine a bounty bar in cake form. I absolutely adore chocolate and coconut so what more could you ask for?

I had the best weekend ever, I never dreamed I could be so spoilt and treated so much in one weekend. I feel so lucky. I can't stop smiling when ever I look back at the pictures and remember all of the crazy adventures.

XXX

Weekend In Paris

Bonjour mon lovelies! 

Last weekend (02/10/15 - 05/10/15) I felt very treated and spoiled as I spent a long weekend in Paris avec my Mum. It was a gorgeous holiday which I feel very blessed to be able to go on. We haven't had a holiday for two years and we couldn't really plan anything with relocating and moving house so as soon as that was complete we were free again to plan adventures. It was also a very special birthday for my Mum this year so it was the perfect way to celebrate. I was also so glad to be able to see Paris in the Autumn as it was just plain and simply beautiful and we were so, so lucky with the weather. No rain just pure blue skies and sunshine with the Autumn reds, oranges and golds leaving the city that never sleeps looking stunning. I thought I would write a blog post to share some of the amazing things I saw of which I'll include as an outfit of the day post so you can see what I wore each day. 

What I wore day one:

Jumper - New Look

Black Vest Top - Next

Leather Jacket - New Look

Jeans - New Look

Shoes - Miss Selfridge

Bag - Topshop

Nails - Lychee by Barry M 

Our adventure began a little on the early side at 5am ready to head to the local train station to catch a train to Ashford International ready to hop on the Eurostar. After arriving in Ashford we had just over an hour to kill and we were both starving so we started the day with breakfast at the train station and a nice strong cappuccino. We hopped on the Eurostar at Ashford and hopped off in Paris where we were welcomed by warm beautiful sunshine. We dumped our bags at our hotel which was near the Gare de L'Est station and headed towards the River Seine. We were now starving again so stopped off for lunch at a little French cafe Le Cavalier Bleu where we treated ourselves to mozzarella, tomato, ham and pesto toasties which were mahousive but filled a big gap. Any cafe which brings you free biscuits with the bill is a good one in my eyes. 

We carried on walking down to the river where we also saw some cute French shops and markets. We discovered a chocolate and pistachio shop which was amazing as it was filled full of chocolate, pistachios and marzipan so whats not to love. We received a few compliments in the shop and like a pair of giggly school girls we walked out without our goodies - first embarrassing moment of the trip. We also discovered the Notre Dame Cathedral which was stunning and on it's own separate island, we did want to go in but there was a service going on and the crowds were heaving and after a long morning travelling a gentle stroll next to the river sounded perfect. 

I was so glad we had good weather as it meant you can walk outside and you definitely see more by walking rather then the metro. One of the things being river boat gardens which were gorgeous and very peaceful to sit in and watch the world go by. You also get to see more sights such as the Musee du Louvre or the Concord which just inspired us for the rest of the trip. 

What could be a more perfect way to end our first day in Paris then a trip up the Eiffel Tower? That was the main thing on our Paris bucket list so it was the perfect way to end our first day. The Eiffel Tower is surrounded by beautiful gardens and it is really nice to discover 'green' areas in the city which are so calm and peaceful, similar to my ever loved London parks I guess. We walked up the tower to the first floor which leaves you with stunning views of the city where you can see across the whole of Paris which is simply breathtaking taking in the landmarks. It also puts a calmer perspective on the city. One floor was definitely high enough for us as neither of us are that keen on heights. I felt very lucky to see Paris from the tower in daylight but it was more dusk when we got there which is my favourite time of the day. We were part of the last group to go up the tower so it was quiet up the tower which added to the peacefulness as there was space to take in the views and enjoy it. 

For dinner we found another French cafe where I plumped for traditional French Onion Soup which I've never tried before and I felt like it's something you just have to try in Paris. It was delicious but it also came with cheese on toast in the soup and a side bowl of bread. I don't usually eat that much bread so I was feeling a little on the bloated side to the point where I've only just been able to eat bread again yesterday. Don't get me wrong French bread is gorgeous but I can't live on just bread, I do love my fruit and veg I won't lie. We were both shattered so we got the metro back to the hotel room which was nice and easy to understand; just like the London underground. Both of us were barely able to function when we got back as it had been such a long day so we just crawled into bed. 

What I wore day two:

Shirt - Topshop

Black Vest Top - Next

Skirt - H&M

Tights - M&S

Trainers - Converse

Bag - Topshop

Nails - Lychee by Barry M 

Day Two was another stunning day in Paris - blue skies and warm sunshine. We headed out for breakfast via the metro, got a little confused and ended up walking in the wrong direction back to the hotel. Clever. Undefeated we turned around and headed back the other way to find a cafe. After fuel replenishment we stumbled across Sephora which excited me immensely as stupid me thought they only had stores in America - wrong. Goodies and treats were added to baskets and I am now planning a haul post so you can do the maths as to what happened there. 

Fuel break was needed where we found an adorable vegetarian cafe called Cojean. I believe they only have stores in Paris but I would be very grateful if they chose to branch out to the UK thank you kindly to you thank you very much so. Coffee, smoothies and cake were highly indulged on and we picked up a couple of salads for lunch (no bread - yay) which we thought we could demolish in one of the gorgeous Paris parks/gardens. 

The cafe was next to the Musee Du Louvre which is home to the Mona Lisa. The museum is massive it's hard to describe just how big it is or even put it into words. the architecture is stunning and must  see if ever in Paris. We strolled around the museum and the gardens where we had a picnic which was gorgeous. 

After lunch we strolled along the river again where we walked past the Musee d'Orsay, there are so many art galleries in Paris I felt very cultured. When I was in Primary School I studied Monet's waterlilly paintings so it only seemed fitting to pop to the Musee de L'Orangerie which is home to his waterlilly paintings hidden amongst the Jardin des Tuileries. This museum was so much quieter then the Louvre, hidden amongst orange trees it is a must see as you don't have to spend hours and hours and hours queuing to get into a building where you can hardly move to see a small cm of the mona lisa as you duck and dive throughout the crowds. The paintings were gorgeous and I'm not usually one for art galleries myself but I really enjoyed it. There is something very calming about seeing rooms full of waterlillies. 

Determined to discover Laduree - a famous French macaron shop we finally discovered one where we picked up a couple of macarons for pudding. I plumped for coconut as I have my strong obsession going on and Mum chose a blackcurrant. Again after a long day exploring we were both shattered so we headed back to the hotel via the metro. We treated ourselves to a couple of Iced Coffees, picked up some pasta for dinner, showered, and had a girly night in with face packs. Perfect!

What I wore day three:

Jumper - H&M

Black vest top - Next

Jeans - New Look

Trainers - Converse

Scarf - Boohoo

Bag - Topshop

Nails - Lychee By Barry M 

Day three again was welcomed by gorgeous sunshine - heaven. We popped out for breakfast again to a cafe near the opera house where we discovered a French fun run as you do. Sunday morning saw us discover a different area of Paris called Montmatre which is almost like a separate village/community within Paris. To get there you walk up a whole lotta steps through gorgeous French streets. I loved the French buildings which were tall and white with gorgeous shutters and balconies. Montmatre is home to the Sacre-Coeur - a famous domed church which you can walk up to see some stunning views of Paris which reach beyond the Eiffel Tower. 

The first thing we did was get our caricatures done which was an amazing experience. We wanted to get these done as Montmatre is famous for them and their art. I thought mine made me look like an alien with central features and a large forehead but I suppose I do have a large forehead. I thought my Mum's looked just like her but I think it's easier to see similarities on other people rather than yourself as you never really truly know what you look like. They picked up that I had my Dads eyes so they definitely put a lot of detail into the drawings. I would highly recommend you get yours done if you ever get the opportunity to. 

Next we looked around the Sacre-Coeur which was simply breathtaking. Pure chance we went in during the Sunday service. Totally unplanned but I feel so lucky that it happened. There were singing nuns and the priest was waving incense sticks. Totally calming. We both lit a candle each and took in the statues and the experience. Paris seemed so calm, quiet and still for the first time. I can't put into words how peaceful it felt. 

For lunch we stopped off at a French Cafe for a coffee fix and to try some traditional French Crepes. We shared a savoury and a sweet to try one of each and they were gorgeous and so light. After lunch we walked around all the market stalls and the French shops where we picked up a few goodies. Montmatre had a very different feel to the centre of Paris it was very quirky and in it's own separate world on top of a hill. Packed full of small hidden and cobbled streets it was hard not to miss anything. Gifts were purchased and chocolate shops were discovered and indulged on. I won't say no to a free sample. One chocolate shop had amazing statues made out of chocolate, it was a chocolate lovers heaven. Whilst looking around we picked up another two macarons each for pudding later which has seemed to turn into our little tradition each day. This time I went for Pineapple and Mum went for Earl Grey Tea, we were trying new flavours that we hadn't seen or tried in the UK before. 

We also discovered another small cute church the opposite side to the Sacre-Coeur which was similar to an undiscovered gem. Tucked away from the crowds. Again it was very calming to walk around and we lit another candle. A very spiritual day. It was definitely a good idea to see the Sacre-Coeur early on as the crowds built up very quickly in the afternoon so we timed that well. 

To finish our day in Montmatre we walked up the dome of the Sacre-Coeur where the views again are just breathtaking. Similar to when we walked up the Eiffel Tower you can look out over the whole of Paris and beyond from the other direction. Unfortunately the skies weren't as clear that day but you could still see for miles and miles. As we headed back to the metro we walked through some beautiful gardens above the Square Louise Michel. To finish the day we thought it would be nice to walk along the River Seine in the opposite direction, this time East to see what we had missed. We discovered some more beautiful parks and gardens which looked really pretty in the dusk light. There also happened to be some filming going on which featured actors in period costumes alongside old cars driving around the centre of Paris which isn't something you see everyday. 

We headed back for a cosy night in with pyjamas and salads. I don't know how we managed to fit so much into our day yet nothing was rushed. An early night seemed a good idea before our journey back the next day. 

What I wore Day Four:

Jumper - Next

Jacket - New Look

Scarf - Boohoo

Jeans - Miss Selfridge 

Boots - New Look 

Bag - Topshop

Nails - Lychee by Barry M

Monday - our last day can only be described as a food orientated day. It was another early start to pack our cases ready to pick up later as our train was just after 3 in the afternoon but we got to the station soon after 12. Once packed we popped on the metro to see the Opera House which looked really pretty lit up amongst the early morning darkness. I was so glad to be able to see it looking so pretty and when the city was quiet. We stopped off for breakfast at a local cafe before hitting the shops. We knew that we wouldn't have much time on Monday so we saved that for shopping. Mum needed to send postcards and get stamps and we had a few gifts still to purchase for friends and family. The area just so happened to be the Paris equivalent to Mayfair in London. Full of designer shops such as Gucci, Chloe and Girogio Armani. I won't lie but we felt so posh and sophisticated I really enjoyed it. 

A lot of the time was spent staring into windows and seeing all of the gorgeous French patisseries. Paris definelty knows how to make good cakes i'll give them that. We stumbled across Laduree again - what a shame. So we thought sod it we'll treat ourselves to a small box of macarons as it's not something we would do back home. Again going for new tastes I went for Blackcurrant, Maple Syrup and Pecan Vanilla whilst Mum chose Raspberry, Marie-Antoniette Tea and Salted caramel. So far we have been treating ourselves to one a night since we got back and tonight's our last night which saddens me immensely. They are so special you just have to savour each and every one of them. 

My Aunty went to Paris the previous year where they discovered an amazing chocolate shop called Angelina. This shop is pure sophistication and indulgence worthy. I'm just going to throw this out there that they do the best hot chocolate in the world. Yeah bold statement I know but I've said it and it's out there and if you don't believe me head over to Paris and try it for yourselves. We were the same thinking it can't be that amazing but oh me oh my it is. It's like drinking liquid chocolate - no milk, water or cream just pure chocolate. This sounds way too sickly sweet but it isn't. The room you sit in is just stunning and you are served with beautiful small cups and individual pots of cream to add if you choose to do so. The hot chocolate is then delivered to you in a jug so you can indulge in as ever much that you want to. The breakfasts they served also looked adorable all in miniature form. Mini croissants, mini pain au raisins or mini poached eggs the list is endless. The toilets were even stunning and I won't say that Paris is famous for nice toilets but they were something else. I felt as though we should have been wearing period dresses and waving fans. That says a lot about the quality of public loos in Paris when you get excited about a toilet on your last day. 

Shopped till we dropped, we headed back to our hotel room to pick up our cases and back to Gare du Nord ready for the train home. I love a bit of people watching, does anyone else? We spent a while watching the trains arriving and leaving before picking up some pasta salads for lunch where I received a marriage proposal which was a first. A long time was spent having a wonder and the odd splurge in duty free before catching the train back to Ashford and another train home. Just as we left Paris it started to rain which seemed a fitting way to end our holiday as the weather had been perfect for our entire stay. 

I absolutely loved Paris. I had never been before only whilst my Mum was 6 months pregnant with me but that doesn't really count. It was the perfect weekend and the best way to celebrate my Mum's special birthday. A girly weekend away with a whole lot of mother and daughter time in a beautiful city what more could you ask for? I feel very spoiled so thank you so much Mum and for everything you do and have done for me - I love you loads!

XXX