Month: August 2017

Visiting Coronado in San Diego…

On By louiseIn Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

After our stint in Anaheim, we hopped in our little rental car and drove south to San Diego. It was our first time in San Diego and I was so excited to explore pastures new. I love visiting new places and we had been recommended Coronado as a nice place to visit. 

We were actually staying in Chula Vista, but Coronado was only a fifteen minute drive across the longest bridge known to man. 

Dress: Hollister Sunglasses: Vans

It was a bit cloudy when we arrived, but beautifully warm. We parked in an expensive car park ($20 for two hours 😳) and took a short walk to the infamous Coronado Hotel and beach.

The sand was some of the softest sand I have ever stepped on and such a treat. Honestly that beach is terribly divine. The views are lush too.

There’s also a little beach bar near the hotel where you can grab a cheeky cocktail and it’s just a lovely place. 

We also had a look around the shops and I picked up a couple of things and fell in love with the cutest little shop called Seaside Papery. They do beautiful prints and little things.

Coronado is super lush and definitely worth a visit. We had such a nice afternoon there.

Have you visited Coronado?

L x

Disneyland Day Two…

On By louiseIn Fashion, Food, Lifestyle, Travel, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Our second day at Disney was just as exciting as our first although for the most part we based ourselves in the main park. There are so many iconic attractions in the main park and we wasted no time in showing them off to Phil’s Dad.

We took him on all the classics from Pirates, Haunted Mansion and Small World. He loved it!

For lunch we had turkey legs and watermelon. I really love the turkey legs at Disney, they are just so flavourful!

Playsuit: Topshop two years ago (!). I always feel like I wear this playsuit on holiday. Its just so comfy with a really pretty rose print. Sunglasses: Vans  Sandals: Tesco

We also made sure that we squeezed in a parade and two evening shows, World of Colour and the Fireworks.

The parades are so magical, you can’t help but be enveloped in a warm hug of happiness watching them. When I visited Disneyworld as a child, I used to think that the characters I was seeing were the real McCoy. I’d go around collecting autographs and spending my days in awe of their celebrity status. As an adult, I’m quite aware that they are cast members and I certainly don’t go around collecting autographs, but I still appreciate the effort that goes in to portraying the character as well as the level of detail that creates the Disney parks and just makes them so, so special. We were sat next to a guy who works at Disney but was on his day off. He told us lots of interesting facts about the parks and some changes coming up. Disneyland is only going to get better!

We did a spot of shopping before leaving Disney and I picked up a hand drawn sketch of Hay Hay from Moana. It’s so cool that a Disney artist drew it. I’m not sure where in the house it will live exactly, but it’s definitely finding a wall somewhere.

Because our hotel was so close (and Phil had manflu) we went back to our rooms for an hour or so before heading back over for the night shows.

World of colour is such a gorgeous display on the lake over in California Adventure. It’s such a treat featuring so many iconic characters.

We then finished our time at Disney by watching the fireworks over the castle in the main park. The fireworks at Disney are the best I’ve ever seen. They just know what they are doing! We loved it.

Have you seen the Disney parades/shows?

L x

Disneyland Day One…

On By louiseIn Fashion, Lifestyle, TravelLeave a comment

It’s no secret that Phil and I love a trip to Disneyland and so when we found ourselves back on the West Coast of America, naturally we found ourselves back at Disneyland.

We first visited this Disney two years ago whilst on honeymoon and loved it. I just love it because not only is it the original, but it’s also really manageable. I adore Disneyworld in Orlando, but a visit there is more of an event as you need to spend at least a week there to see all of the parks properly. In Anaheim, two days is good enough.

I love how unique the California Adventure park is and I always like to start off there. The Cars ride is my absolute favourite, so I like to get a fastpass for that beauty first. The queue for Cars is always astronomical, so it’s best to make use of the fast passes.

Top: Topshop , Shorts: Superdry Sandals: Roxy Sunglasses: Vans

I always choose a hotel within walking distance to Disney because it saves money on parking and you are not tied to a shuttle bus. 


It was Steve’s first visit to Disney so we branded him with a badge and took him on all of our favourite rides. He loved it! 

I think he’s now a Disney convert, which is great!

Have you visited Disneyland in California?

L x

Redondo Beach and travelling to Anaheim…

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Dress: Hush Sunglasses: Vans (I’ve repurchased these 3 times in the past seven years, love them!)

After four gorgeous days based in Redondo Beach we packed our bags and moved into Anaheim, but not before a morning spent on the beach.

Redondo Beach is a really lovely place to chill out and embrace that LA Lifestyle. I love the outdoors way of life that comes hand in hand with the gorgeous climate Southern California delivers. From surfing, volleyball, bike riding, skating and running, it’s so easy to be active. 

We had a wonderful stroll where the sea meets the sand, allowing the waves to crash against our bare legs. I’m always at my happiest on the beach.

Sadly a Dead Sea lion washed up whilst we were there and the excellent coast guards came straight away and took it off of the shore. The lifeguards are phenomenal in California, I would say that they are arguably the best in the world. Always so alert and well equipped. They don’t just look out for folks drowning, but keep the entire Beach clean and safe.

Anyway, after our morning on the beach, we headed over to Anaheim in preparation for our Disney days. It was a super hot day, so we headed straight to the pool and hot tub (which felt extra hot!).

Later on we headed to the mall for a spot of shopping where I picked up some Bath & Body Works treats (I’m obsessed with that place) and a little black Kate Spade bag.

I then chilled out at the hotel whilst the boys went to the shooting range. I find the shooting range absolutely terrifying, so I prefer to stay at the hotel and relax. They had a ball though!

Have you visited Redondo Beach?

L x

USS Iowa and a tour of LA…

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We kicked off our Sunday in Redondo Beach before heading south to San Pedro to visit the USS Iowa. Phil’s Dad (Steve), had always wanted to see a warship in the flesh and that’s pretty much why he chose the West Coast for our holiday.

The USS Iowa is a huge ship oozing with history and character. It’s really fascinating to walk around and Steve loved it.

Once we had finished having a nose around, we headed over to Hollywood to visit the Griffith Observatory and that iconic sign.

It was mega busy over at Griffith Park, but we managed to get parked right outside the Observatory- result! 

I think that the observatory is fantastic for views of the city and the sign. The observatory itself is also great. Both times that we have been we watched a show in the planetarium. It’s so interesting and relaxing. I love how visiting the observatory reminds me of just how small I am – we are. It’s so easy to get swept up in modern day life and forget that in the grand scheme of things Earth is rather insignificant. 

My view on life is to enjoy what we have now. Think about the future, but don’t stress it. Don’t take anything for granted. Anyway, visiting the planetarium helps to keep me grounded!

Cap: Borrowed from Phil, made by Billabong Sunglasses: Kate Spade about 8 months ago, T Shirt: I picked up from Ocean Park when we were in Hong Kong, Shorts: I picked up in Target last year.

After our trip to the planetarium, we took a trip to Rodeo Drive. We wanted to make sure that Steve sees all of the iconic places whilst we were in Los Angeles, so Rodeo Drive was a must see.

We also took Steve to the Chinese Theatre which is honestly one of the most disappointing places I’ve ever been to. It’s not glamorous at all and it’s always rammed. It’s such a seedy area and a complete contrast to the glamorous, exciting image I had conjured up before my first visit. 

Anyway, although Phil and I despise that area, we felt that Steve needed to see it and took him along. We parked right nearby ($2.50 per 12 minutes!!!) and had a nose at the handprints, footprints and stars.

Another place that Steve had mentioned he would like to visit was the La Brea tar pits. Which are basically naturally occurring tar pits where asphalt has seeped through the ground. 

It was completely new to Phil and I and fascinating to see. They have been excavating fossils there for years and have found so many animals including a mammoth.

The animals would come close to the pits for drinking water without realising that they were filled with asphalt and get stuck in the tar. It’s really sad, but awesome that we can gather fossils. I would really recommend a visit. 

Have you visited any of these tourist hot spots?

L x

Long Beach loving and a Taking Back Sunday Saturday…

On By louiseIn Fashion, Lifestyle, TravelLeave a comment

I’ve decided to create a little diary series of our trip to the West Coast of America because I think it will be super lovely to look back on one day and I can share our experience with you all. It’s going to be quite raw in terms of photography because as I’ve said before, I like my blog/Instagram/life to be unedited, so don’t expect any mad photography skills! 

What you can expect though, is an insight into our trip, some tips and inspiration if you are planning your own trip to the West Coast.

We started our trip in Redondo Beach, but headed over to Long Beach on our second day. Phil and I spent a week in Long Beach whilst on our honeymoon exactly two years ago and we loved it. There’s so much character in Long Beach with its beautiful Marina and pastel coloured boardwalk. 

Top: last year from Hush, Shorts: last year from Sainsbury’s, Sandals: years ago from Roxy, Sunglasses: Michael Kors (again from last year!).
The three of us had a mooch around the Marina until Phil left us to go to the LCS studios to watch League of Legends. He gets terribly seasick, so his Dad and I seized the opportunity to head off on a whale watching cruise.

Harbor Breeze Cruises are great for whale watching tours. I went on one in February with my friend Kate and we were lucky enough to see Gray Whales and sea lions!

The migration path along the west coast is great for spotting all sorts of sea life and on this trip we were lucky enough to spot two humpback whales! Unfortunately, one had become entangled in fishing paraphernalia and so a rescue team was on its way. The second whale was loving life wild and free.

My recommendation is to make sure you take a jumper and wear lots of sunscreen. It gets a bit chilly out in the open and quite windy when you are travelling 30 odd knots. I did cover up but I still got wind burn on my face (I’ll wear a balaclava next time 😂), but thankfully I didn’t fry. 

I then took Phil’s Dad for his first ever trip to Hooters. I really like Hooters because I love their chicken wings although on this occasion I accidentally ordered them a tad too spicy!

We then took an Uber back to Redondo Beach. Uber is really cheap in the States, presumably because the cost of driving is much cheaper. We filled up our car for under £20! It costs me over £50 back home.

It was in this Uber that I realised Phil’s Dad had not put suncream on one of his hands and was now sporting one really tanned hand. I laughed a lot in the back of that car.

I had booked Phil and I tickets to see Taking Back Sunday in the evening at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Although we were jet lagged, it was an incredible gig with a great, well balanced set. I loved it!

Have you been to Long Beach?

L x

The Book Club, Book 2…

On By louiseIn Books, Lifestyle, UncategorizedLeave a comment


So I’ve not had a great couple of months when it comes to reading. I finished reading Vogue from the last book club instalment and have since fallen out of the rhythm of reading. Life’s been beautifully busy and I’ve sadly just put reading on the back burner. Anyway, I’m going to try and get back into a routine of reading before bed because I’ve got so many books at home waiting to be read and I just need to get back on it. 

So I finished Vogue a couple of months back and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think that it’s probably not a book for everyone but as someone who enjoys reading the magazine, it was interesting to have a sneak peek behind the scenes and Alexandra Shulman has a lovely way of conveying things. I particularly enjoyed her humour. I would recommend this to someone who is interested in fashion, the media industry or who enjoys Vogue. 

This leads me on to the next book club title… An Abundance of Katherine’s by John Green. 

My copy is a little dog eared from being dragged around hoping to be read (it’s been all over London, Belgium and California!). I like John Green’s writing style, so I’m quite excited about finishing this one.

Have you read Vogue? What did you think?

L x

Our weekend in Brussels, a photo diary…

On By louiseIn Lifestyle, Travel3 Comments

A few months ago I discovered Eurostar Snap which is a website that sells Eurostar tickets super cheap. There are some rules, you can only choose the dates you want to travel and whether or not you would like morning or afternoon train times and you don’t find out your exact times until 2 days prior to departure. The savings are brilliant so we decided to take Phil’s Dad away for Father’s Day weekend. The three of us travelled from London to Brussels for only £150 (£50 rtn pp), which is such a steal as the Eurostar is traditionally rather pricey. I would highly recommend it, especially if you have no specific time commitments. 

The three of us had such a gorgeous time exploring a city that we had never been to and eating tonnes of delicious food so I thought I’d pop together a little photo diary of our trip.

I think that a couple of days is the perfect time frame to get under the skin of this beautiful city. We all had a great time!

The architecture is super lush and everywhere we turned we were greeted with beautiful, decadent buildings.

Mannekin Pis, smaller than we imagined!

Stopping for a beer…

I sometimes call Phil ‘Philippe’ so was pleased to find a shop with the same name!

Breakfast in the square.

The photo above is my favourite from the entire trip. I never really edit photos because I love things to be raw and exactly how I saw them. This is the exact view we were greeted with as we turned a corner.

Fun in a pretty little park that we found.

Have you visited Brussels?

L x