Return of the blog

OK I'll admit, I've not been the most committed blogger of late. I'd love to say its because I've been having so much frickin' fun that I've not had time to sit and write, but the truth is I have been working. Working, and working a bit more, owing to the fact it is the dreaded exam season, and I have 100 odd elves ready to take GCSEs and A Levels. So boo to blogging and hello to hours of revision sessions, marking mock papers and tutoring pupils needing extra help. Still, it will all be over next week (huge sighs of relief), and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had a bit of fun of late. This week is half term, and I've just returned from the beautiful Budapest!

With this blog post comes a smidge of smugness, as I feel I finally managed to crack successful packing for short mini-break type city breaks. In the past, much to hubby's dismay, I've insisted in putting a gigantic suitcase in the hold, filled with enough shoes to kit out my own mobile shop, jewellery, multiple day and night outfits depending on weather, occasion, mood etc etc. Exhausting, and never needed. This time however, I planned. I (shamefully) wrote out my to-pack list during mass with year 8, squiralled away at the back, pen and notebook balanced on one knee, one eye on the pupils placed strategically around me. This list was re-written, as weather predictions were checked and re-checked. I packed light summer outfits, light layers and just enough accessories to provide a change of look when needed. The case closed with ease and I earnt an extra good wife point from hubby (enough to earn me a new Pandora charm at the airport, score). So now for some of these outfits for you perusal... ; )

Travelling to Budapest outfit
Nude vest top (unseen) H & M
White linen oversize jumper new season Zara
White beaded Pashmina Mint Velvet
Floral jeans Zara
Ballet pumps Marks and Spencer (old season)

First day in Budapest
Swapped the jumper for a light Mango tee
Beaded toe post sandals by Marks and Spencer

Dinner outfit
White linen oversize jumper new season Zara
Zebra pattern scarf Zara
Jacquard pattern trouser Zara
Cheapie Primark matt gold flip flops (aka lifesavers - new sandals had caused blisters, bugger).
Mulberry postman's lock hobo bag

Dinner outfit
Same items as above but with my amazing Primark floral jeans - so similar to the Citizens of Humanity floral jeans I had my eye on... at £13 the Primark ones seemed a money savvy option, particularly for an item that may prove a bit of a one season wonder. I love.

Beautiful sunny day
Sheer dress DKNY
Sunglasses by Missoni
Beaded toe post sandals by Marks and Spencer
Mulberry postman's lock hobo bag
Chunky necklace Forever 21

Outfit as above, closer up of necklace

Back bustle detail of DKNY dress

Well back to earth now, back to insane wind and rain and weather that more closely resembles bloody October than June! Hopefully the blog posts will be more frequent from now on, particularly as exams as so close to over... gulp... ; )

Valentines in London

Happy belated Valentines day one and all! I know Valentines has come and passed, but its such a special day and deserves due care and attention in my opinion!

Valentines day is never a sedate occasion in the Bradley household, every year we go to town and use the day to show each other how much in love we still are, 8 years on... cheesy but true! Cards are purchased or sometimes made, meals are planned, gifts are prepared and wrapped, and a day or evening out pencilled into our calendar.

This year, we decided to book tickets to the new west end production of Singin' in the rain. A classic film that we both love, we were extremely excited about the stage version. So, tickets were booked for 15th February, hubby booked the day off work, and I set about planning a fantastic day in London!

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you will know how organised I am, and how I like to plan occasions to the smallest detail. So, a few days before the show, I dug out our London map, propped the iPad on my knee and set about planning a special day for the two of us. I decided that we would have a little wander around Covent garden (little being the operative word, hubby is not such a fan of shopping as I!), a short walk into Soho to lunch at Banana Tree, an Indochinese restaurant that we previously visited in another area of London and loved, and then a short walk back to the National Gallery for an afternoon of culture. Lastly, a pitstop at a coffee shop for tea and cakes before making our way to the Palace theatre on Shaftsbury Avenue for the show.

Covent garden + giant creme egg = heaven! For our trip to London I wore my new Topshop chain print skirt, a grey Primark vest top, my new navy blue H & M cardi (tucked into the skirt) with a tan brown belt from Forever 21, my black Armani exchange coat and my Mullbery.

We saw the show on the 15th February which was the official opening and press night! Barbara Windsor, Christopher Biggins and Lenny Henry (amongst other famous sorts) attended too.

Hubby and I also had a wander around the National Gallery. 

Love my hubby : )

Although we didn't do very much shopping, I did of course visit Laduree in Covent garden, as well as H & M to pick up a grey cardigan. Hubby purchased my Valentines present in Pandora too : )

For anyone who has never tried Macaroons from Laduree I urge you to do so! I first tried them in Paris and have been hooked ever since! This time I purchased 8 (6 shown, 2 already eaten!) for £10.90. My favourite flavours include chocolate, vanilla and raspberry. Yum : )

Hubby purchased me the heart charm at the very front of the bracelet. Gorgeous, and very fitting for Valentines!

Grey H & M cardi £9.99. I love the navy cardi I bought the other day so thought a grey one would be useful to have!

Hope everyone else had a fab day, more soon elves XOXO

Dreaming of Berlin

Happy Friday everyone, it feels like I have done a full week at work when in fact I have only been back two days and haven't actually taught a lesson yet... still after all the rest I had over summer I guess i'm bound to feel tired!

My last few days have mostly consisted of research for our trip to Berlin. I am still unbelievably excited and now wishing the time away until December! I have started researching places to visit and things to do, logging the details in a folder on my desktop created especially for the trip. I know I definitely want to go to the Reichstag buildings, the Berlin wall, the Bundestag, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburger Tor and the Schloss Charlottenburg. Naturally I will spend a good portion of time on The Kurfürstendamm, one of the main shopping streets in Berlin which, luckily is only 400m from our hotel (wonder how that happened...!)

I took on the job of researching hotels, mainly because I enjoying researching and weighing up all the options before booking. Hubby was happy to take on this job as it is my birthday present after all, however, I have a certain 'vision' of the type of hotel I like to stay in, long gone are the days when we were students and had to find the cheapest 3 star accommodation around! So I volunteered, knowing I could devote more time and energy to the task, and, get us as near the Kurfürstendamm as possible!

Cool Bedroom at Hotel Sir F.K. Savigny Berlin

The hotel I chose is called the Hotel Sir F.K Savigny in the Charlottenburg district (another fact that made me very happy!) The hotel is 4 star and is billed as a cool, boutique style hotel with Nespresso machines in every room, iPod docks and free soft drinks in the mini-bar. According to Trip-advisor, the hotel is ranked number 37 out of 655 in Berlin so should be pretty good! : )

I am really enjoying researching and planning, being organised makes me happy (my OCD ways are a constant source of happiness to me, although perhaps not others around me!) I love the fact we are going just before Christmas too, the Christmas markets should be really good, and it will be a great way to get into  the Christmas spirit!

Swarovski Christmas Tree Berlin 2006

So I am officially in Christmas countdown mode! Which is cool, as my older students always insist on doing a Christmas countdown each week from the first week back in September anyway! Hope you are all excited for the weekend, I am, no 6.30 rise tomorrow! 

: ) xoxo