A Random Haul.

Sorry for the iPhone photo but I just wanted to share some things I got today. I haven't really shopped in a while so I was happy to get some things which I really love!

Scarves:
I'm a sucker for scarves and I got a couple of new ones although it is still warm here in the UK. I've been wanting a light tartan scarf for a while and it's so hard to find one with the right colours, I love the one I got from Zara! I also got another snuggly scarf from Pull & Bear which looks really nice on. I can't wait for autumn to come so I can start wearing scarves again.

Shoes:
Shoes are one of the most difficult things for me to buy because I have size 2 feet. Zara have a select few that come in size 2 on their website. I bought a pair of flats and a pair of heels, the heels were too big to get away with though so I had to return those. However, the Zara Kids shoes are a better fit when it comes to size 2 so I got another pair of shoes which I really love. I wish I had bigger feet!

Homeware:
I love shopping for home goods! I always make sure to browse the H&M home section when I'm there. I could have come out with a lot more but I had to limit myself (ahh I still really want that wooden tray!) My wire-basket  theme continued in Tiger (another favourite!), the lovely geometric wire basket/bowl was only £4!

What have you purchased recently?

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Longleat Safari & Adventure Park.

So a couple of weeks ago, me & my boyfriend spent our bank holiday Monday at Longleat Safari & Adventure Park. We actually spent the day before in Bath and Bristol so it was only an hour drive away. As expected, the weather was horrible, it rained all day but we wanted to go and so we went! 

When we collected our tickets, we were also given a map and a CD which we had to play throughout the safari. Everyone starts off with the safari and then you get to explore the adventure park and see the Longleat House after. We got out of our car for the first part of the safari, here we saw lemurs, wallabies, zebras and giraffes! 

You have to stay in your car for the rest of the safari. Most of the time you have to keep your windows closed too but you can have them open for some parts, for example, when feeding the deer!

One of the best (and worst) parts of the safari, is the monkey drive-thru. This is actually optional and there is a warning sign saying the monkey will take parts off your car! We decided to go in anyway, it was actually quite enjoyable but we came out with missing parking sensors! 

They have loads of animals there that you get to see, we saw flamingoes, wolves and tigers too!

(The photo of the lions was taken by my boyfriend who demanded credit for it & wouldn't let me claim it as mine, haha)

We were pretty tired after the safari & weren't willing to walk in the rain anymore so we skipped the adventure park. We did go and see the Longleat House though which was so beautiful! I couldn't stop staring at the ceilings in there.

There was some horrible traffic on the way home which almost doubled our journey time but at least we got to see some nice scenery on the way. We also caught a glimpse of Stonehenge! 

What did everyone else get up to on the Bank holiday weekend? 

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Recent reads.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
I actually read this book a few months ago, I actually finished in during uni because I based one of my projects on the story. It's about a guy who has a low IQ and goes through an experimental operation to become smarter. It's a really touching story and it's about so much more than just someone becoming smarter, I loved all the themes in this book and I'd defo recommend it to everyone. It's an easy read too!

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
I opted for Kafka on the Shore as my first Murakami read. I've heard a lot about his books before but I wasn't sure if it would be my thing but it defo is my thing! So different to anything I have read before but so gripping. I just love the way he writes and the characters in the story. The chapters alternate between two characters whose stories eventually intertwine and I found myself reading through so quickly to see how they would connect. If you haven't read any Murakami books before then I'd defo recommend this as a first.

Paper Towns by John Green
I chose Paper Towns as an easier read to tone down the Murakami craziness. I've never actually read The Fault in Our Stars before but I was gifted this at Christmas so I thought I would read this first. This was a quick and fun read, I was a bit unsure at first but I really did enjoy it after. The ending was a bit of a let down for me though!

Have you read any great books recently?

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An awesome body duo.

I think I have quite possibly found the best smelling body products ever! 

Last week I was having a browse around & other stories on Regent street when I came across a scent I couldn't forget. I love the beauty section in there, especially their bath and body range and I own the Shinjuku Bloom body lotion which smells lovely. 

Anyway, as I was browsing I sampled the Méditerranéen body soufflé which smelt amazing! I then thought I'd test out the body scrub from the same scent range (they have a sink there) on my hands. After rinsing them, I applied the body soufflé and on the way home I couldn't stop smelling my hands! It just made me feel like I was on a beach somewhere sipping on fruit mocktails, I can't find another way to describe it really. I was with my boyfriend and I made him try too, he also agreed that it smelt amazing!

"Inspired from the blooming Mediterranean coast, this fragrance has a scent of sweet rhubarb that melts into a jasminey-mimosa and rounds off with a woody base." - www.stories.com

A few days later I went back into there after lunch with a friend to persuade her to try it too. We both gave in and ended up buying a scrub and body lotion for each other. I prefer the lotion because it is really light although not as moisturising as the soufflé. I used both of these all over my body yesterday and I was still amazed at how nice it smelt. If you're ever by Regent Street then definitely pop in and give the scrub and lotion a try, it's important to scrub then moisturise as the layering really makes a difference. I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't love the smell and they leave your skin feeling so soft too. I don't moisturise my body regularly because I'm always too lazy to but I feel like I want to slather this on everyday haha.

Sorry for the rambles but this stuff seriously smells so good! If you don't live in London then they are also available to buy online here (you'll just have to trust my judgement). Think light floral, tropical fruits and a summer's beachy breeze. 

What are your favourite body products?

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Wright Brothers, London.

It was my birthday on Monday and I've been constantly spoilt, I've been out for a few meals and no one has let me pay for anything (yes i am complaining)! On my actual birthday my boyfriend took me to Wright Brothers in Soho for Dinner. I've been wanting to go for a while so I was really excited!

Oysters: Colchester Rocks, UK // £8 & Gillardeau Speciales, FR // £12.50
Dressed Oysters: Soya & flying fish roe // £8.25 & Chilli Jam // £8.25
Shellfish: Shell-on Atlantic prawns // £5, Winkles // £4, Whelks // £4 & Razor clams // £2 each

To start, we decided to go with a seafood platter! You have the option to order one of their platters or to build your own selection. We mostly wanted oysters so we went with building our own. The oysters were so fresh and delicious, all 4 were amazing! I really loved the dressed oysters but my favourite out of the two were the chilli jam ones (must try!). If you love oysters, you won't be disappointed. 

However, the shellfish were very standard and nothing was particularly special. We're used to having shellfish freshly cooked and still hot/warm so having them cold was a little strange and didn't really do anything for us. It was nice to have something else to nibble on between the oysters though and I'd recommend the prawns if anything. 

Dressed Oysters - Chilli Jam // £8.25 & The Wright Peachy // £5 

Dressed Oysters - Soya & flying fish roe // £8.25

250g Chilean wagyu bavette steak - fries & fennel salad // £26.50

Our tummies were craving for some hot food so we browsed the menu again and both opted for steak. I'm pretty sure we were drawn to this dish because we've never tried a wagyu steak before (only topped on sushi, which was great btw). We both went for medium rare and I took the less rarer of the two which was perfect for me. I'm not sure what I was supposed to expect with this steak but I can say that it was amazinggg. A teeny bit crispy on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. It would have been better if there was some peppercorn sauce offered with this but there weren't, not a big deal though because the meat was really good that it didn't matter so much. 

We were pretty full at this point so we shared a chocolate fondant with ricotta icecream for dessert. Not bad but not the best I've had either, it did come with a candle and singing though so that was nice haha. 

Overall, we had a great meal and would definitely recommend it to any seafood lovers. The service is really good too, everyone was really polite, friendly and attentive. It is expensive but not ridiculously so it makes a great treat! I believe the menus at atmospheres vary slightly between the 3 london locations so do check out their site beforehand if you are looking to visit. 

Do you have a favourite seafood restaurant in London? Let me know! 

Food: 3.5 / 5

Atmosphere: 4 / 5

Service: 4 / 5

Value: 3.5 / 5

~

Wright Brothers (Soho)

13 Kingly Street & G7/G8 Kingly Court

London

W1B 5PW

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