Off to London!

May 28, 2015, 12:02 am

≫ Next: Urban Outfitters festival wear | Part II

≪ Previous: Urban Outfitters Festival Wear | Part I

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Bonjour, hello, aloha, etcetc. Happy Thursday! As we speak I'll be on a plane to London town (my 10th flight in 10 days, my nerves can't handle much more) for a morning with Swimwear65 and The Skinny Bitch Collective! I've been shit at going to the gym recently so my stamina is at an all time low; put it this way, Brucie from Matilda could easily outlap me. I do have a little something scheduled for when I'm away - spoiler: it's Part II of my festival collaboration with Urban Outfitters - and you can keep up with what we get up to over on my Instagram or Twitter.

Ciao ciao for now muthatruckaass.

...that sounded cooler in my head.

Amy 

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Urban Outfitters festival wear | Part II

May 29, 2015, 9:17 am

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≪ Previous: Off to London!

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URBAN OUTFITTERS striped polo neck, cowboy boots& sunglasses | H&M distressed denim shorts (similar& similar) | BAIA orange leather bag

Welcome to part two of my three part festival collaboration with Urban Outfitters! I think this is my favourite of the three outfits, simply because it's the most 'me'. And by that I mean pretty basic and predominantly black.This striped tophas actually turned out to be one of my favourite wardrobe additions this year - big claim - and I'll tell you why. Every time I wear a polo neck I get mild claustrophobia and wonder WHY, why do you need to be quite so tight and hot on my neck; this badboy's low-cut as well as nice and loose meaning my neck is free to roam (#freethenecks - let's make this a thing people, our necks deserve justice). It's also made of the nicest knitted material which gives it a good shape, plus I do love a good texture mix. Yeah, yeah, get a room. Well maybe we will. Added in again are these trusty gold tipped cowboy boots and some sunglasses from one of my favourites, Quay. 

NOW, onto the exciting part. Urban Outfitters are running competitions all summer long to win tickets to a whole host of festivals - this week it's VIP tickets to The Way Out West in Sweden as well as afterparty guestlist (amazing, ja?). Step right this way to enter!

Amy

- Check out Part I of my festival collaboration here -

The Ultimate Co-Ord

May 31, 2015, 7:03 am

≫ Next: A stay at The Blue Palace

≪ Previous: Urban Outfitters festival wear | Part II

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MISSGUIDED floral off shoulder top& trouser set| FASHION PILLS heels (similar and similar) | BAIA orange leather bag

Told you Missguided was good at the moment, didn't I? I have to say though, this two piece is the best quality item I've had from them yet, the trousers feel and look like raw silk and the fit is incredible. So yes, it's safe to say they've successfully re-ignited my love of co-ords in the past few weeks. I normally find off the shoulder tops hard to wear because they slip off my shoulders, resulting in a serious Boobgate situation, but this one has a sticky strip along the neckline meaning my nipples can rest easy in the knowledge that they won't be revealed to the world. Not today, anyway. There's too many nice things in at the moment, so instead I've put together a round up of my favourite on-site picks at the moment below, which you can click on to be taken straight to. I will say, however, that this lace two piece is one of my absolute favourites, it looks so much more expensive than it is and is so... delicate? Delicate and feminine... delimine, Also amazing is this off the shoulder white playsuit. Ok, I'll stop now.

I'm just back from my trip to London, which was amazing, but I am bloody KNACKERED so I think me and Rob are just going to have the laziest of lazy days in front of the tv. Bring me all the food please.

Happy Sunday!

Shop my favourite picks:

- Post in collaboration with Missguided - 

A stay at The Blue Palace

June 2, 2015, 12:18 pm

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- SISTER JANE dress -

And here we have it, the first of my Greece blog posts! Because we squeezed in SO much in the time we were there, I decided to split it up into four blog posts, starting with today's, which is a tour of our first hotel. We stayed at The Blue Palace in Crete for our first three days which was absolutely incredible but, but before I go on and on and on, let me start from the start so that I don't miss anything out.

It's not often you see stars made in the sky by airplanes, amazing ya? Enough to take my mind off my fear of flying for a good few minutes at least. All of our flights and connecting flights were through Aegean Airlines, who, as far as I know, are currently Europe's No.1 airline. They fly to over 100 international destinations, with 30 of these being in Greece alone. We flew from London as they don't currently fly from Scotland, and there's flights directly from there to Athens three times a day all year round. There were a few delays so we ended up travelling for 20 hours - horrible, don't want to talk about it - so when we our weary selves finally arrived at The Blue Palace around 11pm we were cheered up instantly with the loveliest of lovely welcomes in our room...

A local honey-based spirit, some juicy apples and two bottles of water (which we later found out are topped up daily - the water that is, not the alcohol. Steady on). We decided it'd be wise to save the shots for another night because I was on a one-way train to tired town and knew I'd end up very drunk, very quickly, so instead ordered a big ass Greek salad from room service and settled down to watch a bit of tv before nodding off.

The next morning we woke up bright and early, dying to see what the room and hotel looked like in daylight, but nothing could have prepared us for how beautiful it was going to be i.e. we opened up our curtains to find that we had our very own infinity pool attached to the room. What the shit, I know.

The novelty really doesn't wear off; I split my time in the room between either hanging out at the pool or just looking at it lovingly. You can see already why the hotel's such a popular honeymoon destination, yes? We also had the perfect view of Spinalonga - that little island you can see just off centre there - but I'll tell you about that in more detail in my next post! We got dressed and hopped in the lift up to breakfast, with the view right across the resort temporarily taking my mind off of the breakfast that lay head, which is saying something - there's not much that can distract me from the thought of food.

Breakfast was a very classy, and very tasty, affair. There was every type of pastry known to man (damn my body's inability to digest gluten), home-made crepes, cakes, every variety of cooked breakfast you can imagine, fresh fruit, fresh fish, eggs... They really had it all. Oh, and champagne. Delicious, delicious champagne. I'll come back to breakfast again later though. We then met Eva, the marketing manager, who was incredibly sweet and helpful, along with the hilarious Irina, who offered to show us around the hotel. This I was excited about - every time I go to a swish hotel I'm desperate to see inside all the different rooms and check out what they've all got to offer, so this was a dream come true for me.

We walked back though the hotel, taking in all its beautiful decor, before getting down to business.

- URBAN OUTFITTERS sandals -

We were taken into one of the suites - each one is done up in a the style of a different Greek island - with its beautiful pool (see photos directly above) and then into the presidential villa, which was, in a word, shamazing. It's got everything you could ever need or want in life, from marble bathrooms and private verandas, to a big outdoor cooking area to a walk in wardrobe. Add in a hu-age private pool to this (see the first photo above) and you've got a little slice of Heaven right there. Apparently Lady Gaga and Rihanna have all stayed there (I tried to find a lock of their hair to ebay but to no avail sadly, those cleaners are good) so it was all very exciting. We were also taken to see some of the spots you can get married at in the hotel, as well as to see the olive trees planted by previous couples who'd married there. Basically once you've tied the knot they invite you to plant your own olive tree along with a little name & date plaque so that you can come back and visit it every year. With olive trees living up to 500 years there's no chance you're out-living that badboy, so you'll know that after you pass away there'll be a little something to remember you by out there. Anyway, less talk about death and more about LIVING. With that our tour was done and we headed off to the spa.

- AGUACLARA @ SIMPLY BEACH bikini -

The spa is incredibly beautiful and peaceful. We had our first ever couples massage which, after we'd finished giggling at the little his n hers net pants, was SO relaxing. It lasted a lovely 30 minutes and was exactly what we both needed after a full day of travelling; I can neither confirm nor deny that rob was so relaxed he fell asleep. Ok no, I can, he did and woke up with no idea of who or where he was. We were then invited to try out the Thalassotherapy pool, which +you can see in the last two photos, which is basically a big pool filled with a series of jets which release tension in different parts of yours body a step at a time - from the balls of your feet to your abs - and thus help retain suppleness. I honestly think Rob would have spent all day in there/married it if he'd had the choice. After that we sat and relaxed with a cup of tea and some fruit before heading off in search of some lunch.

We ate at Isola which is the only restaurant in the resort that opens for lunch (but you can always head along to the local Village of Plaka if you prefer, a 10 minute walk away, which is filled with restaurants) and has the most beautiful views across the pool and private beach. Look at all that blue!

- QUAY sunglasses -

After we'd filled ourselves up with salad we headed over to Spinalonga Island for the afternoon and then came back for a quick dip in the infinity pool and some chill time in our room.

- QUAY sunglasses -

The bungalow rooms are minimal but beautiful and have everything you could need. There's an LCD plasma TV, a marble bathroom with a huge bath tub and separate shower, sofas, a desk, a hairdryer, bathrobes and as well as all that you've got 24 hour room service and twice daily cleaning service. Need I go on? Probably not.

We finally managed to drag ourselves out of the pool to get ready for the night, and then settled on the balcony to have some shots (banging them on the table and shouting 'YAMAS' like the true Greeks we wish we were) and watch the sunset before heading on to Blue Door Tavern for some well-deserved food.

The food was incredible and the whole place had a really traditional Greek atmosphere, with its checked tablecloths, candlelit lanterns and wine in tiny little glass tumblers. We both had seafood starters - octopus and seafood platter, both delicious- followed by fish and lamb, finished off with a fruit platter and fruit pastry. All washed down with shots of homemade Raki which was absolutely lethal, I ended up walking home like Bambi on ice.

The next morning we woke up to a beautiful white sea - apparently the way the sun rises results in the sea looking this mystical white colour for a little while post-sunrise, which really was breathtaking. Please excuse the swimwear out to dry in the bottom of the photo, I forgot to move it because I was hungover as shit.

- ZARA dungarees -

We headed up for breakfast and I decided the only way to get out of this raki hell I was in was with more alcohol. Fight fire with fire, if you can't beat 'em join 'em - you know the drill - so treated myself to a glass of fruity fizz which, alongside some freshly squeezed orange, actually worked, huzzah! Oh and the view from the breakfast room might have helped... are you ready?

Ruddy marvellous, innit? Like a bit blue heaven. After that we headed for another quick dip in the infinity pool (told you we couldn't get enough) before heading along to Agios Nikolaos for the day, but I'll cover that more in my next post!

We got back before sunset, so went for a walk down to the hotel's private beach which we hadn't managed to see yet. There was so one there so we had the whole place to ourselves, bringing a whole new meaning to private beach, so we just walked the length of it and soaked in the views.

- MISSGUIDED kimono -

After that we walked up to the hotel terrace (which is so beautiful at sunset) and finished the night off there with a drink.

The next morning I set my alarm so that I'd be up in time for sunrise - around 6am in May - as I'd heard it wasn't to be missed. I can't really put into words how beautiful it was (it sounds like I'm about to start crying or break into a sonnet doesn't it) so instead I'll just share some photos in the hope that you can experience a little bit of it through those! These are totally unedited and left as I took them, so that should give you an idea of how incredible it was.

Can you guess what we did for our last morning there? Correct - champagne breakfast and a dip in the pool. We also managed to squeeze in a trip to the wonderful Plaka, but again that's something I'll touch on in my next post!

- KINI SWIMWEAR bikini -

And that was it, time to say goodbye to The Blue Palace! We had one last wander round to take in all the beautiful views and left with our very own copy of The Island, which is set across Spinalonga Island and Plaka. If you're looking for somewhere to stay in Crete I honestly couldn't recommend The Blue Palace more, and I'm sure you can see why from the photos. The staff were all ridiculously lovely and helpful, the service was amazing and just... yes. Like I said, I'll let the photos do the talking. 

(slowly backs away) 

Massive, mahooosive thank you to Aegean Airlines, The Blue Palace Hotel, Kivotos and Discover Greece for arranging such a wonderful trip. For more on Greece, check out www.discovergreece.com!

Crete: What to Do | Mykonos: Where to Stay

ASOS shoe lovin'

June 3, 2015, 7:37 am

≫ Next: What to do in... Crete

≪ Previous: A stay at The Blue Palace

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*Get 20% off ERRTHANG on ASOS with the code 'ROUND2' until 8pm 5/6!*

I was having my usual morning ASOS browse today and realised that there were even more beautiful shoes on site than usual at the moment (hello pom pom shoes of my dreams), so I thought I'd say goodbye to my bank balance and put together a quick post with my favourites. As always you can just click on the photo to be take straight to the item! Well, apart from the big one at the top... that's just there to look pretty.

Amy

What to do in... Crete

June 4, 2015, 11:39 pm

≫ Next: A Free People shoot in London-Town!

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My first Greece blog post was all about our hotel and what we got up to in the resort, so today I thought I'd focus more on what to do in Crete! Well, in that area of Crete anyway. Like I mentioned before, we only had two and a half days there, but managed to fit in an unholy amount. May's the perfect time for exploring as well, it's around 25 degrees so it's still mild enough that you can wander around all day without turning into a puddle.

SPINALONGA ISLAND

On the afternoon of our first full day we hopped on a speedboat and travelled across to Spinalonga (which you may remember as the island we could see from our balcony at The Blue Palace), James Bond-style. It's surrounded by the most beautifully clear, bright turquoise water which I remember quite clearly wanting to throw myself in in the hope that I'd become a mermaid and live in it forever. Turns out it doesn't quite work that way. Whatever. Within four short minutes we'd arrived at the island. 

You see what I mean about the water? And to think you thought I was weird when I said that mermaid thing. 

Spinalonga started off as a Venetian fort, so you've got a full 360 view of the sea from the island, as well as all these tiny nooks and crannies built into the walls, which you catch glimpses of aqua water through as you walk past. It became a leper colony, complete with a school and hospital, in 1903 and remained so until 1957.

It really is like nothing I've ever seen, you feel like you're walking around an Indiana Jones set. Architects have restored the buildings as best as they could and they really have done an amazing job, you instantly get a feel for what it would have been like to live there amongst the big stone buildings and all the little nooks and crannies. After we'd covered the whole island, which takes about an hour/hour and a half, we decided to climb higher and soak up the views. Rob decided to recreate the 'everything you see is yours, Simba' scene from The Lion King which was weirdly erotic.

We explored some more...

Look at those views!! Belllllla, bella.

And with that it was time to hang up our Indiana Jones hats and jump on the speedboat back to The Blue Palace to - you guessed it - chill out at the pool. With 'Yes Please' by Amy Poehler in hand by the why, which I would highly recommend.

AGIOS NIKOLAOS

Agios Nikolaos is about a twenty minute bus ride from The Blue Palace and is well worth a visit. We only had time to squeeze in a wee afternoon there but I'd loved to have stayed longer. We started off at the famous Voulismeni lake, which myth has it is bottomless (supposedly the Germans disposed of their weapons in there during WW2 but they've never been recovered, ooh-er). It's truly beautiful and picturesque BUT is surrounded with a row of manned restaurants constantly trying to pull you in - the old, 'where are you from? Ah, my aunt's, cousin's, grandmother's cat's from there!' stuff - so we didn't hang around for too long.

After that we walked right around the coast, stopping pretty much constantly (me) to admire the beautiful turquoise sea...

... finding the most incredible cars along the way. If I don't own that baby by the time I'm forty then I've gone seriously wrong somewhere.

We stopped to take a quick outfit photo by the waterfront (which to me looks more like Venice than Little Venice in Mykonos, but don't tell anyone I said that) and before we knew it we'd fallen victim to classic, 'would you like a photo of both of you?' chestnut, where some truly lovely citizen is very confused as to why you're just taking multiple photos of one of your twosome. Believe me, many people around the world think I'm on a very strange egotistical power trip. With sassy shoes on. It actually turned out to be one of my favourite photos of the two of us yet so thank YOU kind passer by.

We walked for around 25 minutes to find Piato as I'd heard so many good things about it and oh boy it was SO worth it. I'm 99% sure The Proclaimers '500 Miles' song is about a good restaurant. Oh god, Scottish person referencing The Proclaimers, let's move along before I start sprouting ginger hair.

I literally can't sing its praises enough, the staff were incredible (and also thought I was Greek, which earned them an instant thumbs up in my book) and so, so friendly. They asked if we'd like to eat the traditional Greek we, we said BRING IT ON, so they brought us two side plates each and a selection of food that we could just pick and choose from, including a feta, spinach, bacon and sesame seed salad the size of my head. It was such a nice, sociable way of eating rather than having your separate meals, but it did mean that there was a pretty intense battle going on for the halloumi. I've never moved so quickly in my life.

Once we'd finished our two course meal they brought us over a huge plate of these little dough balls with honey and ice cream, which is a traditional Greek dessert and, bonus, ridiculously delicious. Oh, and some shots of Raki - you really can't escape that stuff. We were told it was all on the house because they wanted us to get the full Cretan experience. Imagine them doing that at home in a restaurant? No sirree. Then we got the bill and I almost passed out on my plate of ice cream. For two courses (including a big ass leg of pork) and drinks it came to 28 euros. 28 freaking euros ie £20.50 ie the average price of ONE main meal in the restaurants we'd found so far ie oh my god. It turned out to be the best meal we had the whole holiday as well so, seriously, get yo asses to Piato. After that we walked along the beach for a little while, admiring all the colourful blooms, before heading back to the hotel.

PLAKA

Plaka, where do I start... Plaka was something else. It's only a 10 minute walk from the hotel so, with a couple of hours to spare before our flight to Mykonos, we wandered across to see what was 'appenin. There's a little park on the way which I may have got distracted by, the 8 year old in me just saw swings and lost her shit.

When we finally arrived in Plaka it actually took my breath away it was so beautiful. Each individual shop has a different colour theme, so it's just this tiny little town that's exploding with a rainbow of colours. Blue, purple, lime... you name it. I just walked around the whole time shouting, 'LOOK AT THAT ONE - OH NO WAIT, THAT ONE'S EVEN NICER', until I realised that Rob was slowly backing away pretending he wasn't with me. Ivita, from our hotel, described Plaka as being 'frozen in time' and you really do get the feeling that it's been perfectly preserved, like nothing's changed in the last 50 years and nothing will change in the next 50 years. Are you ready to taste, I mean see, the rainbow? Here goes...

Beautiful, isn't it? I was prepared to buy all the pots I could get my hands on, but we soon realised that the prices have been tailored to reflect the high number of tourists who visit and were far from cheap. Probably for the best because my case really couldn't handle much more as it was. After a good browse we walked through the rest of the tiny village before stopping at the sea front.

I'm so glad I've got this photo to show you - see those pebbles in the bottom half of the photo? They're about half a meter under the water, that's how clear it is. Madness isn't it? Bloody beautiful madness.

Rob got in the water with the finesse of James Bond. I, on the other hand...

... struggled. A) The pebbles make it slippy as hell and B) it was FREEZING. It quickly became apparent that May's warm in the air but not in the sea. I have to say though, once you were in and swimming about it was really enjoyable and refreshing. You can swim quite far out and still see all the fish below because it's so clear, which is thrilling and terrifying in equal measures (Jaws has ruined me). I stayed quite close to the shore and floated like a content beached whale before going back to the beach to dry out.

And then it was time to head back for check out, sadly. We walked past the most picturesque little cafe right on the seafront, which I instantly added to my long list of places I need to go back and re-visit with a coke in hand.

We nipped back to say goodbye to our beautiful room and infinity pool baby and then headed out to say goodbye to things that weren't inanimate objects. It really was a wonderful, whirlwind three days and Crete's somewhere I'd love to head back to, but for a little longer next time as there's so much history to explore (and beaches to lie on). My Cretan adventure might be over, but I've still got two Mykonos posts coming your way next week!

Thank you again to all the wonderful people at The Blue Palace Hotel, as well as Aegean Airlines, Discover Greece and Kivotos for such a wonderful trip. For more on Greece, check out www.discovergreece.com!

Crete: Where to Stay | Mykonos: Where to Stay

A Free People shoot in London-Town!

June 10, 2015, 9:11 am

≫ Next: Mykonos, baby! Kivotos: Luxury Boutique Hotel.

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Bonjour, bonjour! I do apologise for my absence, I hadn't realised it had been so long. It's been a busy week; I was down in Center Parcs over the weekend for a surprise 30th trip for one of my amigos (turns out I can't golf for shit - who'd a thunk it? Oh, apart from everyone) so decided to take a mini-break from the interweb, which I think my brain needed. I then popped down to London on the Monday to shoot an exciting project with the gods that are Free People (some behind the scenes photos above) which I have to be secret squirrel about, but all will be revealed towards the beginning of July. Then yesterday I had a day of shooting in London with the lovely little nugget Amber Rose, who's one of my favourite photographers, before going half an hour in the wrong direction on the WRONG TRAIN to Victoria , resulting in me making my flight home by 4 minutes. Honestly one of the most stressful experiences of my life, I half expected to have aged 30 years by the time I woke up this morning. 

Normal blogging service will resume this week - I'll be back Terminator-style with my Mykonos posts.

Amy

Mykonos, baby! Kivotos: Luxury Boutique Hotel.

June 12, 2015, 10:55 am

≫ Next: 6 Things to do in Mykonos

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Hello, and Happy Friday! Sadly all my posts from Crete are now over, but never fear - there are two more ones based in Mykonos coming your way, starting with today's! I present to you a photo diary from Kivotos, the hotel we stayed at during our time there. As you might already know, we flew with Aegean Airlines. To get to Mykonos we flew first from Heraklion to Athens and then from Athens onto Mykonos. The views were top notch flying over all the Greek islands, so I thought I'd include a few snaps from way up yonder!

We were picked up from the airport in Kivotos' private car (very swish,very air conditioned, very lovely) and headed straight to the hotel, which is only a ten/fifteen minute drive away. As soon as we arrived and walked through the cacti-filled entrance I knew we were in for a treat.

We were taken past the art gallery, where Greek contemporary art is displayed as part of Kivotos Art Projects, through the guest relations area (major home inspo right there) and over to the beautifully decorated welcome room for a glass of champagne.

It's like something straight from the depths of Pinterest isn't it? We sat down to our drinks and some chocolates and were given a little bit of background about the hotel. The owner travels the world and collects individual pieces and sculptures along the way, so, not only is the hotel filled to the brim with treasures, each suite in the hotel is decorated completely differently from the next. They've welcomed everyone under the sun, from Calvin Klein to John Legend to Donatella Vercace and everyone in between and, as well as all that, have just won Gold in the Greek Tourism Awards. Impressive stuff, eh?

URBAN OUTFITTERS shirt | ASOS shorts

We were then taken up to our room, which was hidden up THE cutest little white steps and behind a mahoosive cactus.

We were greeted with a huge fruit platter - SO very welcome after a day of flying - and a bottle of wine. We decided to be Sensible Susan's and save the wine, so cracked on with exploring the room, fruit in hand.

Visually, the room was stunning. Minimal but luxe, which is no easy feat. It had everything you needed; minibar, iPod docking station, TV at the foot of the bed, a desk, a bar... and the most delicious little chocolates on your pillow (think Ferrero Rocher but better) which were topped up every day. And then, oh boy, THEN I realised I hadn't actually checked out the bathroom yet. Wait until you see this...

Beautiful, isn't it? The free-standing bath, the futuristic blue lighting, the chandelier, the mirror on the ceiling (really). I was like a fat kid in a candy shop. No wait, I was like me in a candy shop.

After admiring the Bvlgari toiletries, complete with fresh flowers, we popped on the light so that we could take in a little more of the bathroom, only to discover that their was a TV position directly at the end of the bath. Oh mumma. It was still light outside at this point so I said goodbye to Rob (who claimed he was too weary to go on, which I later found out actually translated as, 'I'm going to stay in and eat the chocolates and watch SATC') and went out to see some more of the hotel.

10 points if you can spot Wally. I mean Rob.

I knew exactly where I wanted to head... You guessed it, the pool. I was totally caught off guard by how beautiful it was, especially those big, turquoise crystals which my 10 year old self would have begged my Mum to hide in her handbag. The pool had just closed for the night, so I took a few snaps and wandered over to see the hotel's private yacht. It's an exact replica of a pirate ship from 1812 - amazing - and is available for day or weekly cruises, perfect for honeymooners.

At that point I realised I'd actually been away quite a while, so headed back up to the room to see my little Roberto.

... Who had turned on all the atmospheric lights around the bed and set himself up a little den. I wasn't kidding when I said about the chocolates and SATC. Ever wondered what boys do when they're alone? Well there's an odd little insight for you. After he'd finished claiming he only watched it, 'because it was all that was on TV', we got ready for dinner and opened the bottle of wine to enjoy on the balcony as the sun set.

Not a bad view for a Monday night, is it? We headed into Mykonos town for our meal, but I'll be talking about that in my next post so I'll skip right on to day number two at Kivotos!

Before we went for breakfast we had another baby explore of the hotel in daylight, and - if possible - it looked even more stunning than the night before. All turquoise and beautiful, like the kind of thing I often pull up on google images and sigh at. My eyes could have stayed there all day, but my belly had other ideas and gave a massive rumble as if to say, 'ok people, move it along, I need me some breakfast'.

As expected, breakfast was a beautiful affair, which included both international and local delicacies as well as more traditional choices, like cereals and continental and cooked breakfasts.

You can eat inside in the wonderful breakfast room (above) or head outside to eat on the terrace. We, being the sun-craving Brits that we are, headed outside onto the terrace to soak up the views with an OJ in hand.

After breakfast we headed down to Kivotos' private beach which, because of the crescent shape, is sheltered completely from the wind. It was still in the process of being set up as it was only beginning of season, but looked beautiful nonetheless.

Guests can enjoy cocktails, soft drinks and refreshments and - wait for it - massages down here during the day, as well as one of Kivotos famous candlelit dinners at night. After spending some time hanging out and playing in the sea, we headed up to enjoy an afternoon at the pool.

Just lovely, innit? We ordered some cocktails - not alcoholic, it was 26 degrees and I'm not a maniac - and settled down, book and ipods in hand, for the afternoon.

AGUA CLARA bikini via SIMPLY BEACH | H&M turban (similar) | QUAY sunglasses

Again, I'll cover what we got up to at the weekends in my next post, so I'll skip to our last morning there.

WILDFOX cut-out swimsuit

We didn't have long as our flight left at lunchtime, so we enjoyed some breakfast and headed down to the pool - walking slowly so our eyes could enjoy one last visual feast - and spent the last of our time there.

I hope you liked this post and aren't dribbling at the mouth too much from all the beautiful views. I'll be back next week with the last of my Greece blog posts, focusing on what to do in Mykonos!

Thank you so much again to Kivotos, Blue Palace, a luxury collection resort and spa, Aegean Airlines and Discover Greece for organising such a wonderful trip. And, for more on Greece, check out www.discovergreece.com!

Amy

Crete: A Photo Diary | Crete: What To Do

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6 Things to do in Mykonos

June 16, 2015, 11:30 pm

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I have to say, I have a really weird feeling about Mykonos. It's incredibly beautiful and, visually, even better than I could ever have imagined, but because it's become the 'in' place to go in the past few decades, it's kind of been taken over by the wealthy squad. So you've got all these beautiful, traditional white and blue streets in Mykonos town, but then built into them are shops like Gucci and Louis Vuitton and this huge contrast, to me anyway, gave it the feel of  walking into a rich people's purpose-built playground rather than traditional Greece, which was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong; I'm so, so happy to have had the chance to visit and tick it off my bucketlist but I still haven't quite worked out how I feel about it... It's definitely somewhere I'd have loved to have seen 50 or so years ago anyway. Still, we did do some amazing things out there so I've put together a little guide of what to do and see when you're out there! Although Mykonos is known for its partying, we didn't actually hit any clubs as it was just the two of us and we're more of  a'drink at a bar' twosome rather than a clubbing twosome - otherwise known as pensioners -  so I can't give you any recommendations in that field unfortunately but, from what I've heard, Paradise Beach is the way to go. SO, without further ado, here are my Mykonos Musts:

LITTLE VENICE & THE WINDMILLS

Little Venice and The Windmills are probably two of the top tourist sights in Mykonos (aside from Paradise beach, of course) and are definitely worth checking out BUT just don't expect to have them all to yourself. I'd recommended checking out the windmills at sunset, like we did above, as they look just loverly with a pink and purple backdrop, plus Mykonos gets the most beautiful sunsets so you're unlikely to be disappointed. Little Venice, to be honest, I'd recommend checking out both during the day and at sunset. During the day it looks vibrant and and colourful and like I'd imagine the real Venice looks. By night they look much more Greek, I think anyway, and you can hop into one of the many bars or restuarants for a front row ticket to watch the sunset across the sea and the windmills. Romantic stuff, eh? 

BILL & COO

Bill and Coo Suites and Lounge is somewhere I'd highly recommend (if this was school I'd slap a big ass gold star beside it's name), which we visited on our second night for drinks and dinner. I'm not alone on this one either, it was actually voted Greece's leading luxury all suite hotel. We started off with a round of cocktails by the infinity pool, where we sat and watched one of the nicest sunsets I've seen.  Beautiful, innit? Rob's very well versed in the language of cocktails and is hard to impress (whereas I'm just happy if somewhere has a sex on the beach on the menu) but actually found one of the best ones he'd had here. If anyone's keeping tally, I think that earns them another gold star right there. We then headed over up the seated area for some food, and this is where the fun stuff really started.

We were presented with a seven (seven!) course meal and my whole gluten thang wasn't a problem at all - they were quick to change the recipe for each of the courses in order to cater to my ever-disappointing intolerance. It was like being in Willy Wonka's factory - there was everything from rice-infused tomatoes to lime flavoured foam (!) in there, most of which looked too pretty to eat. On top of that, the staff were all incredibly lovely and took are of you better than a grandma on a 'you need to get some meat on those bones' mission; I'm talking to the level where your drink's topped up before you've even realised you'd finished your first one. We then got a little sneaky peak of the rooms which was all very exciting.

They were exactly as I expected, minimal but lux with a whole load of swanky extras throw in. I'm talking private hot tub, free standing bath in the middle of the bedroom and EVEN a secret mini-bar esque drawer that's filled with sex toys for the more, um, adventurous couple. Hey, you in the corner - stop giggling.

By night, the pool is filled with tiny lights so that it looks like it's reflecting the stars in the sky above, which was completely and utterly breathtaking. Be it for a stay, a meal or a sunset cocktail, I'd definitely recommend squeezing in a visit to Bill and Coo! 

NICE 'N' EASY

Another restaurant I'd recommend is Nice 'n Easy. Cheap it is not, although we soon found out that's the case with most places in Mykonos, but the food was incredibly tasty and I had one of the best salmon fillets I've ever had*. However, the real bonus lies in the fact that they have a really, really extensive gluten free menu and it's all clearly marked out - a major godsend for me as I was struggling to find someone who even knew what gluten was, never mind what foods it was in.  

 * after Rob's that is** 

** Of course I'm writing that of my own accord (is he still there?)

GET LOST

Don't worry, I'm not being offensive - I mean that literally. The best thing we did there was spend an afternoon getting completely lost in the winding white and blue streets of Mykonos Town. They're up there with the most picturesque streets I've seen, and are guaranteed to make you leave with a smile on your face (and a whole host of Instagram-worthy photos). Whilst you're down there, make sure and pop into Gelarte on the sea front for an ice cream! There's Ferrerro Rocher, Snickers, Kinder Bueno, passion fruit, strawberry sorbet... the list goes on. If you're in a particularly 'fuck it' kind of mood, they specialise in wonderfully calorific waffles or crepes with ice cream, whipped cream and sauce. You can choose to sit in or take it away for a walk along the seafront! 

AGIOS SOSTIS & KIKI'S TAVERN

We took a day trip up to Agios Sostis beach for the morning which was lovely. It is, however, incredibly hard to get to - we were lucky in that we had the hotel's driver take us there, but if not then you have to take a bus and then walk, or get a taxi. We actually went up because we'd heard good things about Kiki's Tavern, which is a little restaurant tucked away on the edge of the beach that's all about getting back to basics - no electricity, music, or card payments and everything's cooked on the grill. However, I've got mixed feelings about it - like I said, the wealthy have kind of taken over Mykonos so the crowd there completely contrasted with what the retsaurant stood for; we actually heard both 'just tell them how important we are,  I'm absolutely not queuing' and 'don't they know who we are?' used in the space of five minutes which, until then, I thought only existed in films. Kiki's also seem to have matched their prices to this kind of crowd, so we ended up at about £60 for a pretty average lunch. So, good experience and I'm glad we did it but, again, my feelings are a mixed bag of fish.

ORNOS BAY

We only walked through Ornos bay on our way to Mykonos town, so I can't really recommend or not recommend it, but I thought I'd include this snap so that you can at least get an idea of what it's like. Beautiful, ya?

As you may or may not know, we stayed at Kivotos in Mykonos, and you can read my review and see my photo diary on that here! And sadly that was all we had time to fit in before we flew home! Sadly that brings my blog posts on Greece to a close - I really hoped you liked them and that they're helpful to any of you who end up heading out there. As always, please consider taking me in you case.

Thank you so much again to Kivotos, Blue Palace, a luxury collection resort and spa, Aegean Airlines and Discover Greece for organising such a wonderful trip. And, for more on Greece, check out www.discovergreece.com!

Amy
Crete: A Photo Diary | Crete: What To Do

The Unlikely Barbour

June 21, 2015, 2:16 am

≫ Next: Getting Sweaty with Swimwear365 and SBC

≪ Previous: 6 Things to do in Mykonos

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BARBOUR leather jacket | MISS SELFRIDGE slit side tunic | TOPSHOP jeans | DUNE leather buckle shoes | BAIA bag | WHISTLES tortoiseshell sunglasses







Your eyes do not deceive you, this leather jacket is indeed from Barbour. Snazzy, huh? I know them more for their quilted jackets (which, FYI, I was DESPERATE for when I was younger, I truly thought they were the key to being cool) so I was really surprised when I went on the website and found a whole selection of leather jackets. This one here caught my eye immediato; with it's square shoulders and asymmetric zip it reminded me of something Queen Moss might wear. It's even better in real life, the leather is like butter (I made rob stroke it in the middle of a restaurant, which he enjoyed until we realised to the untrained eye it might just look like he was stroking my breast) and fits like a glove. A jacket shaped glove. I really like that they've kept the traditional tartan lining though, which is a nice little nod to the brand as if to say, 'I might not look it on the outside, but on the inside I'm aaaaall Barbour'. 

God I need to stop making my clothes talk. I'm off to Paris (I bet you £10, or should I say 10euro that my Mum'll try to steal this jacket when I meet her out there) for a couple of days but will try and keep my blog updated as much as possible! Until then, you can follow what I'm up to over on my Instagram or Twitter if you so much.  

A bientot and all that, 

Amy

Getting Sweaty with Swimwear365 and SBC

June 24, 2015, 8:40 am

≫ Next: ASOS: Best of the Sale

≪ Previous: The Unlikely Barbour

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A couple of weeks ago I was invited down to Landantown to take part in a SBC exercise class with the lovely Swimwear 365. Just in case you don't already know, SBC (or the Skinny Bitch Collective) is an hour long class run by Russell Bateman who trains the likes of Millie Mackintosh and Suki Waterhouse. I seriously needed a kick up the butt in the exercise department, so thought this'd be a good one to get me going, plus if there was the promise of getting a bod like either of those two babettes then I couldn't really say no. I headed down before and checked into the Park Avenue Baker Street hotel which was LAVLY - check it out if you're looking for somewhere to stay in London - and did a cracking breakfast.

The class itself was hard as shit; from planks to crabwalks to upside down mountain climbers and back again. At one point I actually though, 'what if I never see my kids again?' before realising that I don't actually have kids and was delirious from exhaustion. You can see how you'd having a banging bod in no time if you were going at it a couple of times a week, plus Russell's not a man you'd want to disappoint so you really do push yourself. The one thing I would say is that it'd be handy to have some basic knowledge of different exercises before you go because it's so fast-paced and relentless (generally 20 seconds per exercise with a few seconds rest before you're onto the next one) that you can easily get lost or left behind if you're not sure what's going on. It was one of the best blogger events I've been to, as much as I love mini cupcakes and champagne, there's nothing like getting sweaty with a bunch of girls to bring you close together. Big thanks to Label PR, Swimwear365 and Russell to putting on such an amazing event!

Amy

ASOS: Best of the Sale

June 29, 2015, 9:15 am

≫ Next: Paris: A Week in Outfits

≪ Previous: Getting Sweaty with Swimwear365 and SBC

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Every time the ASOS sale comes round I get people (namely my Mum) asking if I can do an edit, so your wish is my command! It's a big bitchin' thing to tackle on your own - it took me at least two cups of tea and five kitkats- so I've done the hard work for you and rounded up my all-time favourite sale picks right here in one shoppable edit. I started off thinking, 'right, I'll pull together 15 or so pieces', but then it just kind of got out of hand. What can I say, it's a good sale. I've already ordered a few things for myself (the star print converse, the'you can't swim with us' top, and these amazing trousers if anyone's asking. What do you mean you weren't?) and am currently tying my hands with plastic tags so I don't buy any more. Let me know what your favourites are/if you end up buying any of your own - if you see anything you like just click on the image to be taken straight to it!

Amy

Paris: A Week in Outfits

June 30, 2015, 12:57 am

≫ Next: Summer Uniform

≪ Previous: ASOS: Best of the Sale

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Bonjour, bonjour! That's me home from Paris and back into your arms once again. I had a lot of people over on my Instagram ask about what I was wearing when I was out there, so I thought I'd round them up together in a 'week in outfits' post, a little different to my usual kind of post so I hope you like it! When I'm on holiday-holiday I'm quite a lazy dresser, but the joy of city breaks is that you have the opportunity to dress up a little bit if you so wish (and that, people, is why my case is almost always right up at the weight allowance) and pretend you're in Sex in the City. Just kidding, I don't do that last part. Only sometimes.

DAY 1

BARBOUR leather jacket | RAY BAN sunglasses | MAX & CO neckscarf

DAY 2

ASOS white lace top | RAY BAN sunglasses | BAIA leopard bag

Excuse the massive bitch face in the first photo, sadly that's just what my face looks like before it realises it's supposed to be smiling.

DAY 3

JIGSAW polka dot blouse | ZARA striped culottes (similar and similar) | ASOS lace up heels | MULBERRY 'Lily' bag

The heels are comfier than they look, I lasted a good four hours in those badboys before my toes started to tingle.

DAY 4

ASOS floral poncho | BAIA leopard bag | BERTIE lace-up wedges

Day 4 was awkward because me and the plant turned up wearing the same outfit. Expect to see us in the 'Who Wore it Best' section of Heat magazine next week.

DAY 5

MISSGUIDED crop top | ZARA striped culottes (similar and similar)

DAY 6

TOPSHOP shorts (similar) | URBAN OUTFITTERS shirt | LIONETTE necklace | RAY BAN sunglasses

Most nights we just stayed out right through and kept on what we were wearing, but since it was one of the last nights we decided to dress up and go out for some posh nosh, so I slipped into something a little less comfortable. That's right, you're getting two outfits for the price of one.

H&M dress (similar and similar) | BELT so old I can't remember | ASOS lace-up heels

DAY 7

SEA NY white dress | ASOS lace-up heels

So there we have it, my week in outfits. I'll be back soon with my usual photo diary and where to eat posts but, for now, I hope you enjoyed this one!

Amy

Summer Uniform

June 30, 2015, 10:39 am

≫ Next: Greece: A Crete & Mykonos vlog!

≪ Previous: Paris: A Week in Outfits

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H&M split side midi dress (similar and similar) | RIVER ISLAND silk scarf (as headband - similar) | DUNE LONDON black sandals | QUAY sunglasses | BAIA bag

You might remember me mentioning a little while ago that I'd shot some looks in London with the wonderful Amber Rose... well, here they are! I've been a fan of her photography for SO long - how dreamy are her images!? - so it was amazing to finally meet up with her to shoot some shit. For this look I went for what we'll call my standard summer look - midi dress, headband and some big ass sunglasses. I actually picked up this dress just the day before we shot, I've been after something like it for so long and spotted it hiding at the back of a rail in H&M. And the rest, as we say, is history. Anyway, I really hope you like the images because I'm mucho mucho excited to share the rest with you.

I'm off to see the new Amy Winehouse film tonight - which I feel weirdly nervous about, I'm preparing myself for an uncomfortable watch - and, as always, am running spectacularly late. Nothing puts me in a bad mood like not having time to buy popcorn at the cinema. 

Ciaociao muthafu- you know how it goes

Amy

Photos by Amber Rose Photography

Greece: A Crete & Mykonos vlog!

July 2, 2015, 9:28 am

≫ Next: Big Ben meets Small Amy

≪ Previous: Summer Uniform

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Well hi, hello. Today I have not an outfit post for you, but a vlog instead! I decided to put together a mini video on our time there, because I think that you can capture an extra little sum' sum' that you can't in photographs that way. I've been a bit rubbish at ye ole YouTube recently but am trying to get back into in slowly but surely. Anyway, I hope you likey!

Amy

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Big Ben meets Small Amy

July 5, 2015, 4:07 am

≫ Next: Glasses, glasses, glasses!

≪ Previous: Greece: A Crete & Mykonos vlog!

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RIVER ISLAND kimono (now in sale) | TOPSHOP jeans | QUAY sunglasses | SENSO boots (similar and similar) | TENTATIVE DECISIONS stone ring

And here we have it, the second of my looks shot with the amazing Amber-Rose. Being in London, we decided we needed to squeeze in at least one iconic background, and not much epitomises all things British like Big Ben (aside from a busy tube with lots of fast-paced angry people in the background, but apparently that doesn't make for ideal shooting conditions). I went for a pretty casual outfit, based entirely around my desperation to take my new kimono for a spin. I do love a good kimono, and the print and colour of this one caught my eye enough to shake me from my 'I will only buy black things' stupor. It didn't shake me enough to stop me from pairing it with an all black outfit but... baby steps.

Today I'm having the laziest of lazy mornings catching up on OITNB because I STILL haven't finished series 3 (what's wrong with me, I know) before trying very, very hard to drag my ass to the gym. Pray for me.

Amy

Photos by Amber Rose Photography

Glasses, glasses, glasses!

July 6, 2015, 10:15 am

≫ Next: Let's get... beige

≪ Previous: Big Ben meets Small Amy

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Wearing Red or Dead for Specsavers '98' frame

Sum sum' a little bit different tonight! Last month I popped along to to the Specsavers summer preview event because a) I'm kind of in love with Specsavers and the Specsavers team and b) because I love me some sassy glasses and wanted a peek at what's hitting stores soon. I wore my new Red or Dead numbers along (the ones in the photos above), which have fast become my go-to spectacles thanks to their flattering shape and reversible legs. Yes, I said reversible legs. Amazing, I know. It was a ruddy lovely event if I do say so myself, with a faux garden set up alonsgside the sunglasses stands, complete with - wait for it - AN ICE CREAM TRUCK. Oh yes.

Glasses-wise, there was a whole load of cool brands (why can't I say 'cool brands' without sounding like a Mum?) showing off their latest Specsavers ranges such AS...

... Firetrap. Lots of minimal and classic frames here (set off nicely against some very beautiful looking leathery goods).

... Red or Dead. I seriously think these sassy glitter glasses are the best things I've seen; kind of Dame Edna-esque but in the best possible way. I can't decide whether I prefer the black or the Miu Miu inspired gold ones better so I think that means I'll have to pick up both. That's how my logic usually goes, anyway. 

... Roxy and Quicksilver. I didn't expect to like this range as much as I did, but I really loved it. Plus they had a selfie mirror, which, y'know, it would have been rude not to take advantage of.

... Converse. Didn't see that one coming, did you? It's their first range for Specsavers and they've absolutely NAILED IT gaddamit; of all the brands there they were my favourite. I'm not one to wear my glasses in public (hence the reason I can often be found walking into lampposts) but these could sway me. I especially love the little Chuck Taylor logos on the ends of the legs - if anyone's a sucker for little details it's me. I actually picked up a pair of these for myself so, once I've got them glazed I'll make sure and share a snap of them over on Instagram!

Speaking of little details, nobody quite had this covered like Cheap Monday. From tiny little skull logos on the legs to secret hidden messages on the frames (so that you can re-discover new things about them every time you wear them, cool yes?) they got it going awwwwn. Wow, I can't seem to stop speaking like a wannabe-cool Mom in this post. Somebody stahp me.

Wearing Cheap Monday for Specsavers 'LIGHT SUN RX' frame

I hope you liked this post, it's noice putting something a little different together! If you are a glasses-wearer (or even a clear-lens wearer, don't worry, you're welcome too) then it's definitely worth giving the new ranges a browse as there's something in there for everyone. Oh, and make sure and check out that Converse range!

Amy

Post in collaboration with Specsavers. 

Let's get... beige

July 7, 2015, 9:27 am

≫ Next: Marry me, dress

≪ Previous: Glasses, glasses, glasses!

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TOPSHOP knitted vest | H&M shorts (similar, similar& similar but prettier) | QUAY sunglasses | ASOS sequin clutch | DUNE black sandals

I do love a good tonal outfit, so in today's post I've decided to come dressed as the colour beige. I won't lie, it feels a little odd posting this when there's torrential rain and thunder currently going on outside my window (thank you again, Scotland) but there we have it. I'm really enjoying this sassy little clutch which - in case you didn't notice - has 'hi' on one side and 'bye' on the other. I've never owned an item clothing that allows me to both start and finish a conversation without actually having to speak, but anything that reduces the need for human interaction is a winner in my books. I'm kidding, of course, but it does bring a whole new meaning to the phrase 'now that's a conversation starter!'

*drops mic*

Well, I'm off to battle the Arctic conditions to go to a friend's house for tea so it's time for me to show you the 'bye' side of my clutch and go and put on 500 layers of clothing.

Amy

Photos by Amber Rose Photography

Marry me, dress

July 8, 2015, 9:55 am

≫ Next: It's getting hot in here (but please don't take off all your clothes)

≪ Previous: Let's get... beige

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ASOS rust denim dress (also available in blue)

Bonjour! Just a quickie from me tonight, but I really wanted to share this shamazing ASOS dress with you. I know it's wrong to have sexual feelings towards an item of clothing but I do, I just want to marry it and take it to bed with me. Wait, what? Who said that.

I'm off to see the Minions movie tonight with Roberto, has anyone else seen it and - more importantly - is it any good? Please say yes.

Amy

It's getting hot in here (but please don't take off all your clothes)

July 9, 2015, 10:33 am

≫ Next: The Usual Combo

≪ Previous: Marry me, dress

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URBAN OUTFITTERS floral dress (also in navy and black) | BAIA bag | QUAY sunglasses | DUNE LONDON black sandals

Here we have what I think are my favourite set of photos taken by the wonderful Amber Rose. I think. I don't know.. they're all so good and I'm a fickle susan so I keep changing my mind. I do love how summery they are though, especially since I'm still looking out at a window full of rain. We shot in front of the frightfully British Liberty store (you know, that one that pops up on your Instagram feed at least twice a day) in front of their flower display. A floral dress amongst bunches and bunches of flowers.. it's just as well the bees weren't out or they'd have had a field day. 

In other news I hand mixed a cake last night and - once it was in the oven, may I add - realised I was missing a false nail. I'd find it funny if the risk of choking and dying wasn't so high. We're currently 4 slices into a 12 slice game of cake roulette so I'll keep you posted. If you don't hear from me, well... you can expect the worst.

Amy

Photos by Amber Rose Photography