Goodbye 2012, Hello 2013

Well folks, at the stroke of midnight tonight, we will all be bidding adieu to 2012 and Guten tag to 2013!  I think I probably say this every year but never one afraid of sounding like a broken record... didn't this year go quickly? I swear as I get older, each year increases in speed, like some secret conspiracy solely aimed at me, with the aim of ageing me and making my life flash by in the blink of an eye!

Thankfully, I am here for the ride, and have grabbed life by the proverbial again this year. So, in similar fashion to last year, I decided to put together a highlights of 2012 post, just some of my favourite moments and adventures.

February half term: A whole day of relaxation at Clarice House Spa with the bestie. Complete bliss.

Valentine's Day February 2012 - The husband and I went to see Singin' in the Rain. The first of many shows seen in 2012!

First wedding anniversary 2012: The husband and I went to the Berkeley in London for pret-a-portea afternoon tea and then to see Jersey Boys. We had a fantastic time.

The husband treated me to a new Mulberry bag for our first wedding anniversary, so I now have Mulberry siblings! Love you S xx

Bank holiday weekend May 2012: A little trip to the Cotswolds.

June 2012: The husband and I took a 4 day trip to Budapest. Pictured is the Hungarian State Opera House, where we saw an opera of Macbeth. We also visited the Szechenyi thermal baths, the stunning New York Cafe, the Buda castle district, Heroes Square and St. Stephen's Basilica amongst others.

Summer holiday 2012: The husband and I flew out to Barbados in August for a couple of weeks of sun, relaxation, and not much else! An amazing holiday in a beautiful location.

October 2012: A 3 day trip to Yorkshire for half term.

Christmas 2012: We spent the day in London, ice-skating at the National History Museum and then watching Viva Forever! 

These are just a few of my highlights but 2012 has been fantastic for so many reasons! I worked like a mo-fo and passed by Advanced Skills Teacher assessment and got promoted at work, I purchased a brand new car, the husband and I celebrated one amazing year of marriage and we have now spent 3 years in our perfect home! I have a good feeling about 2013 and hope that I manage to top the successes of 2012 and continue to tick things off my list! I've already made a start by booking some theatre tickets for the upcoming months as well as flights to Rome for our anniversary trip away.

I guess all that is left to say is happy and healthy new year to all, may 2013 be good to you! : D xxx

2011 sign off

Happy last-day-of 2011 to all my lovely followers! Today I have been reminiscing a lot on the year, and I cannot believe how quickly it has gone! This time last year I was frenetically planning my Wedding ready for April 7th, now I am rapidly approaching my first anniversary! Nuts!

Thinking back over the year, and the many experiences and achievements of 2011, I decided to put together a photo story of some of my favourite moments, days out and adventures : )

March 2011: My hen weekend in Brighton. I had such an amazing time with some great friends, we shopped, rolled down massive hills in zorbing balls and danced the night away in Brighton's amazing clubs!

April 7th: My Wedding day aka the best day of my life so far! I spent the majority of 2010 planning my dream day,  with no stone left unturned. We married in a gorgeous old church near our home and held our reception at the 17th century Jacobean manor, Boy's Hall. We had exclusive use for three days and could not have been any happier. The sun shone, every little detail was taken care of and everything was just perfect : )

A shot of us in our Wedding finery and our gorgeous cupcake tower. My father sourced all of the Vintage china tea cups, plates, saucers and cake stands for my big day : )

April 2011: For our honeymoon, we took the trip of a lifetime to Thailand for 2 weeks. We stayed in a luxury 5 star resort and spent our time sight seeing, swimming, sun-bathing, trying out as many restaurants as possible and as the shot shows, meeting new friends! We were so excited about our elephant ride, and we were not disappointed.

Beautiful clear sea in Thailand

'Our' pool, right next to our room. One of the many we were able to use.

May 2011: Overnight trip to London to see Legally Blonde. An amazing show!

July 2011: Trip to Hever Castle. We took advantage of the good weather we had this Summer and went on lots of trips to National Trust and English Heritage properties.

Another sunny day enjoyed in July, picture taken at Littlestone beach.

Hubby's birthday weekend in August was spent in Herefordshire at the Big Chill festival. We had a fantastic day and enjoyed so many amazing acts.

Picture of Kanye West performing at the Big Chill festival, our ultimate favourite : )

September 2011: Night out in London with the girls, to say goodbye to Anna (left) and good luck for her work placement in Moscow. Girls nights have remained so important to me this year, for all their support, fun and laughter, I could not be without them XX

October 2011: Purchase of my first Mulberry bag, the East West Bayswater. Gorgeous, classic Mulberry.  A love affair has begun!

November 2011: Christmas begins! I went to the Country Living Christmas fair in London with my best friend and our mums. Perfect for festive spirit and pre-Christmas purchases!

December 2011: 4 day mini-break to Berlin with hubby. A perfect way to celebrate my birthday and finish off the year nicely. We saw so many sights, shopped and had an amazing time.

Just a selection of some of my highlights, 2011 has proved to be a very good year for me for so many reasons! Work has gone from strength to strength for me and hubby, I am officially 'outstanding', we have spent another year in our amazing house, and our baby rabbit Woody is healthy and happy! We have travelled, seen a great deal, married, made some big purchases and stayed blissfully happy and in love! I am so excited about 2012 and all that it may bring, so all I can say is, watch this space!

Here is to a happy and healthy New Year for all my lovely followers, may all your dreams come true in 2012! XOXO

Busy December days : )

Hey glitter belles, how is everyone on this chilly Sunday?? I have had the most chilled day ever which I was in dire need of! I have had the busiest week (hence the lack of posts!) so I really needed a relaxing day today!

My week was as busy as ever at work, and my weekend has been nuts too. Thursday night I went to a lovely little salon in Hamstreet for a spray tan and Jessica mani and pedi which was great. Friday night was hubby's work Christmas party which takes place at a Marriott Hotel every year. We had a great night although I did end up a tad tipsy due to the free bar that his company insist on providing for us... still we had great fun and danced the night away, which is the most important thing at a Christmas party! Saturday was my annual school trip to Ypres in Belgium, we spent the day visiting cemetries, war memorials and the afternoon at the Christmas market and chocolate shops of Ypres. A fantastic day all round, the pupils were exceptionally well behaved and made me very proud : ) So that leaves today, I was completely shattered after my busy week so I slept late, then chilled on the sofa with snacks and films! Just fabulous : )

Beautiful Cathedral, twinkly lights and back of the Christmas Market in Ypres, Belgium : )


As promised a couple of blog posts ago, I have recently bought some new goodies that I want to share with you all!

Gorgeous Christmassy Shopping bags!

Silk Ecote dress from Urban Outfitters £25 (was £58). After my successful sale rummage in UO the other day, I decided to have another look when I was at Bluewater the other day. I found this gorgeous silk dress in my size and snapped it up quick! I really like the colours and print, plus the classic style will work for many seasons to come.  Unfortunately, although the dress was available online, it sold out very quickly... you can however buy the same style in a rather nice black and wildflower print and a not-so-nice (in my opinion!) orangey shade with a kinda triangley print... (both these styles still have all sizes available)

Kimchi and Blue Startlet skirt Urban Outfitters £20 (was £40). I liked the cute print on this skirt, and thought it would work well for both work and weekend, with thick tights, boots and a classic piece of knitwear.

Blackberry bath bomb £2.75 Lush. Just because it smelt gorgeous and I do love a bit of Lush pampering!

Cashmilon ruffle scarf from Marks and Spencer £15. This scarf is so warm and cosy and looks great on.

Naughty little treat from Waitrose...

I couldn't resist buying some toffee and banana cupcakes, as well as some festive  Raymond Briggs 'The Snowman' cupcakes! I love the Patisserie at Waitrose, whenever I am shopping I struggle to walk past without giving in... 

Well that's about it lovely followers, I hope everyone is feeling Christmassy now and getting in the Christmas mood! I have pretty much finished my Christmas shopping now, I wrapped all my presents last weekend and I plan to put the tree up next Sunday! Sooo excited for the rest of December, I have so much fun stuff coming up, feeling very lucky and happy right now : ) XOXO

Fairytale December

Hello dolls, how are you all today?? I am just fabulous, had a fun day at work and a bit more laid back than my Monday to Wednesday routine as I finally had some free periods!! I left work about 4 which was very good for me, I was super productive today and got a lot done so no late stay! When I arrived home I did some cleaning for about an hour (I actually enjoy cleaning and sorting so this wasn't too much of a chore!), then I settled on the sofa with a cup of tea and biscuits waiting for hubby to come home.


When hubby arrived home we discussed my forthcoming birthday (OK its not until December but I do like to plan in advance!) and discussed some different options. Obviously we are going to Berlin (blogged about here) as part of my birthday celebration, but that is not until the 18th December. My birthday is the 12th so we wanted to do something around that date. We discussed a show in the West end, and having done some research, I stumbled across Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker at Sadler's Wells. I have wanted to see the Nutcracker for years, the combination of dance, costume and classical musical, with a score by Tchaikovsky is hugely appealing and something a bit different to the usual show in the West end. Hubby booked tickets for us in the stalls and I am so excited! December is shaping up to be a completely fabulous month, and it will all be topped off by Christmas!! : )

Unforgettable sets and costumes

I am completely in love with these pink costumes!

I am really loving the new season, I love the weather getting chillier, and the new term at school. Everything just feels new somehow, and I am one hundred per cent on the countdown to December now! So exciting!!! xoxo