Coffee, Cake and Catching up

This week saw what seemed to be the start of Spring, and the beginning of my one week's holiday! I planned to jam pack it with everything I'd been meaning to do, but never had the time and also a few fun days out. The sun was shining, the flowers were out and it was actually warm outside...the perfect excuse to get out of the house and catch up with a couple of friends, who I've know since school!  This is something I love to do, but unfortunately is becoming increasingly difficult to arrange, what with everyone's lives taking different directions.

Rather than go to the typical Costa or Starbucks, we decided to go somewhere a little different and chose to visit the beautiful Hestercombe Gardens in Taunton. 

This was a childhood favourite, where my mum and I used to meet up with friends regularly, but up until now, I'd not been in years!

Over the years the cafe has been updated dramatically, from what was essentially a large wooden hut to a more open and modern outside area, which also has some inside seating.  Although I do like what they've done, I have to say I do kind of miss the more rustic charm of the old teashop.

Hestercombe also has a pretty walk you can go on, but on this occasion my friends and I just decided to visit the tea room, where they had a lovely selection of different cakes, cold and hot drinks.

I chose to have a slice of white chocolate and strawberry shortbread and a frothy hot chocolate...a real teatime treat and something I probably shouldn't make too much of a habit of having!!

As the sun was out, we chose to make the most of it and perched ourselves on a nice little table outside.  I loved the way each one had a cute little pot of flowers, adding a real touch of spring!

Finally we finished off by having a quick browse in the gift shop and then a wander in the nearby fields.

Bath Collective Shopping Haul

If a little late, but nevertheless as promised...the time has come for me to share the items I bought, on my shopping trip to Bath. If you've not already done so, you can read all about the trip here.

The first shop we visited, was one of my favourite clothes stores...H&M. It’s one of those shops, that offers clothes which are on trend and also reasonably priced, so no matter how hard I try, I always end up coming away with something! On this occasion, I also had a gift card to use up, so it was almost inevitable that I would not be leaving empty handed!

The first thing I picked up, was this lovely charcoal grey jumper.  The slightly more unusual colour and zip detailing on the back added a nice touch and convinced me to try it on. As you can hopefully see from the picture, it’s a soft knitted design, which is quite loose fitting and made from 100% cotton. I bought it in a size S for £14.99 and think it will be perfect, paired with a pair of skinny jeans/jeggings for a casual daytime look.

Next I clocked eyes on this pair of super slim navy blue jeggings. I’d been after another pair for a while, as they’re just so comfy yet really versatile! These ones felt really nice quality, made from lovely soft, figure hugging fabric with gold hardware, and they fit perfectly! I was even more shocked when I saw the price tag of £12.99...an absolute steal!

The final clothing item I got in H&M was this top for £12.99. The main body is made from opaque black material, with a sweetheart neckline, while the sleeves are sheer with velvety polka dots.  Again I thought this top was quite versatile, as it could be combined with a pair of jeans for the daytime or tucked into a skirt, for a more dressed up evening look.

I also picked up this silver stacked necklace for £5.99.  I love the delicate tiered design of the 3 chains, each with a different symbol.

The Next place we visited was Topshop.  Again, another of my favourite clothes shops, although sometimes a little pricey!

The first thing I spotted was this little gem! A small and enchanting teal coloured handbag with gold hardware.  The bag is fairly matte and feels really well made.  It has an embossed snake skin pattern with a long detachable shoulder strap, meaning it can also be used as a clutch bag.  But the best bit…it had been reduced from £28 down to £10...what’s not to love!

I’d had my eye on this playsuit for quite a while but at £48 it was definitely not the cheapest item.  However after much deliberation, I finally caved and bought it. It’s made from a silky light weight black fabric,with large pink and coral flowers, making it perfect for the summer months, especially if you’re going abroad!  In fact it would also be great in slightly cooler weather, teamed with tights, boots and a leather jacket.

The black lace detailing on the back also makes it a great evening piece which could be worn with heels. I'm sure I will be getting a lot of wear out of this, over the coming months!

Last but by no means least, we had to pop into Cath Kidston with the intention of just having a browse! However this soon turned into another purchase, this time a beautiful makeup/wash bag.  The bag is from the Nottinghill Rose collection, a pretty baby blue colour, scattered with pink, blue and yellow roses.  I also got a little key ring with a white background and multi-coloured flowers.  The bag was £12 and the keyring £4.99.

And there we have it…a collective haul of all my purchases in Bath!

Although it seems like I spent a fair amount of money, I did have a couple of gift cards, which definitely helped! 

I should probably be trying to save, but you know what they say ‘we only live once’, so we might as well enjoy it…right? Well that’s my excuse anyway!

What are you’re favourite places to shop?

Have you bought anything nice recently?

xxx

Shopping in Bath

Having spent much of last year travelling around England and Wales for work, I've really developed a love for visiting different places, and last weekend I did just that!

On Saturday my mum and I decided to make a day of it and visit the city of Bath, South West England. As it's relatively close to where I live, I've been a couple of times before, although I'd forgotten just how nice a city it really is!

Home to quaint Georgian buildings and a lovely selection of my favourite high street shops, such as Urban Outfitters, Newlook and Topshop as well as smaller Boutiques, Restaurants, Caffe's and specialist independent and designer shops such as Cath Kidston, Rossiters and Jo Malone. Bath really does have something for everyone and as the city centre itself is fairly small, all the shops are close by and easily walkable, meaning you have extra time to shop!

The first shop we visited, was one of my favourite clothes stores...H&M, where I managed to pick up a lovely top, jumper, pair of jeans and a few accessories.  I also bought a playsuit I'd had my eye on in Topshop and a little bag in the sale.  Rather than show what I bought here, I thought I would do a shopping haul, as a seperate blog post.

We could have chosen a nicer day to go, what with the horrendous weather we have recently been experiencing in England.  Especially in Somerset, where weeks of wind and rain, have resulted in a multitude of problems, including severe flooding!  Luckily for us, although a little dismal, the weather did seem to hold off, for the majority  of the day, with only a few showers here and there.

When ever I visit a different city, I always like to try and find somewhere new to eat, that I don't have the luxury of having in my own town.  On this occasion, my mum and I decided to try Carluccios, a lovely modern restaurant, serving authentic Italian food, which changes depending on the season!

The restaurant was lovely and bright, and was nicely decorated with a real Italian vibe. The true sign of a good restaurant is one that is busy and this one certainly was, so I'd recommend booking a table in advance if you were to visit.  Just by chance as we arrived, a cosy little table tucked away in the corner had just become free, so we were fortunate enough not to have to wait.

There was a nice selection of different dishes on the menu, but unlike most Italian's, Pizza was not one of them!  My mum and I both opted for the seasonal special risotto.  Mum chose the seafood one, while I went for the chicken and spinach, I've got to say although they don't look like the most appetising dish they tasted delicious.

Within the restaurant was also a Deli and Food shop selling a variety of products sourced from specialist producers all over Italy, allowing you to take a little bit of Italy home with you.

I thought the meringues looked amazing!

After lunch we popped in to Cath Kidston which was just around the corner and it had to be one of the nicest Cath Kidston stores I've been in!

The upstairs was a beautiful shabby chic room, with white painted wooden floors and exposed brick walls, stocking everything from bedding, pyjamas, & makeup bags through to bathroom accessories and cosmetics all laid out perfectly.  Downstairs displayed handbags, purses, crockery, cutlery and a kids section.

I really had to restrain myself from buying the whole shop...but left feeling quite content with a beautiful wash bag and keyring, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and topped off with a signature bow!

As we strolled back down the street, we clocked eyes on the notorious Jo Malone shop and just couldn't pass up on the opportunity to pop in and sample some of their luxurious perfumes.  I'd never actually been in a Jo Malone shop before, but had heard so many good things about it.  The fragrances are quite unusual and definitely an acquired taste, but I really did enjoy having a browse. I'd definitely recommend popping in if you ever have the chance, however I don't think I could quite bring myself to splash out that much money, unless it was for a very special occasion.

Eventually we decided we should start to make our way back home, but had just enough time to pop into Waitrose and pick up a freshly baked Pecan Danish Swirl from their in store Patisserie.

 I am wearing: Jumper - H&M, Leggings - Zara, Scarf - Primark, Coat - Newlook, Boots - Newlook, Bag - Topshop.

I had such a good day, the nicest I've had in a long time and although I didn't have time to look in all of the shops, it just goes to show that you don't have to spend masses of money to have a great time!

Valentine's Day Nail Art

So, it’s been a little while since my last blog post and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a tutorial for the valentine inspired nail art I posted on Instagram(@CarolinaCornell).     

I guess I could say, I am somewhat addicted to buying sparkly new nail varnishes. When it comes to painting my nails, I love to experiment with all kinds of colours, patterns and effects - from high gloss brights, glistening glitters through to cool pastels and nudes, I just love them all and have acquired quite a collection over the past few years. I just love how a simple sweep of colour, or a more intricate design can create a real style statement and add a pop of colour to even the most ordinary of outfits.

For this design you will need a selection of 4-5 colours, a striper pen, a dotting tool and/or a cocktail stick.

Starting from left to right, I used the following:

Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail Paint - in Pomegranate (A deep glossy pink)

Essie - Fiji (A lovely, very pale pink)

Barry M Gelly High Shine Nail Paint - in Grapefruit (A bright corally pink)

Maybeline Express Finish 40 - clear base coat

Sinful Colours in Rise and Shine (A deep forest green with a slight shimmer running through it)

Barry M Instant Nail Effects -  in Gold Foil

A gold striper pen (From Primark)

To create this design start by painting all of your nails with a clear base coat.  This helps to protect your nails and minimise staining.

Next choose a pale base colour and apply 2 coats to all of your nails. Make sure to wait a few minutes until they have dried completely, before moving on to the next step. I chose to use a pale pink by Essie in the colour Fiji.  I found that using a pale colour, really helped to make the design stand out and appear more vibrant.

This next step is where all the fun begins! Use a medium sized dotting tool and a gold nail polish to create two small dots on your thumb nail. Drag the dots in a downward motion and at a slight diagonal, until they meet in the middle to form a heart shape. Once this has dried, you can then use the same technique to create smaller pink hearts inside and in any spaces in between. (Whilst I waited for the gold to dry, I moved on to the other nails and came back to the thumb at the end).

 (Excuse the nail varnish on my fingers...it can get a bit messy   at times!)

On your pointer finger, use a gold striper to paint 4 diagonal lines (2 in one direction and 2 in the other, as illustrated above). Next use a cocktail stick dipped into a colour of your choice, to create small roses. I used Barry M's pomegranate and grapefruit to draw alternating small curved lines, forming little roses in between the gold lines. 

On Your middle finger, create one large pink heart in the centre of the nail, using the same technique as that used for the thumb nail(Make 2 dots and drag them down to meet in the middle. The colour I chose to use for the heart was Barry M - Grapefruit. Once the heart has dried you can either leave it plain, or get even more creative and fill the space inside with a pattern. I used a dotting tool to add a few polka dots and create a more eye catching design.

For the ring finger I created a single large rose, using Barry M- Pomegranate. To do this start in the centre of the nail and paint a small,curved line. Following this paint several more curved lines around the centre line. This doesn't have to be too neat, as any irregularities makes for more realistic looking petals. 

Finally finish this nail with a scattering of green leaves, painted around the rose. I used Sinful Colours - Rise and Shine.

For the final nail design on your 'pinkie' finger use a striper in the colour of your choice. I used a gold one from Primark, to create 3 horizontal lines.  

Finish this off with a little heart in the corner of the 3rd line, again using the same technique as mentioned previously.  

And that's it a cute and pretty design, perfect for Valentines day!  

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and if anyone does decide to have a go, I would love to see your recreations! Feel free to leave a link below or use the tag #carolinanails1 on instagram. 

Bye for now xx