A Prehistoric Picnic

 Can you think of a better way to while away a Sunday than picnic-ing with some awesome blogger gals? No, me neither. 

I've been wanting to have a picnic in the park for aaaaaages, but gathering up my gals is hard work because they're all so busy being #girlbosses most of the time.

We put a date in the diary nearly two months ago, and it finally rolled around last week, and it was worth the wait. 

 We picked Crystal Palace as our picnic destination, partly because dinosaurs, and partly because it was closest to Erica's house and she had the booze. We were kindly sent a whole ton of alcohol by World Duty Free, Muddle and Mash & Pinksters Gin, so before we even cracked out the snacks we mixed cocktails in our cute Paperchase cups!

Tash was clever enough to pick up some cocktail umbrellas, so our Muddle and Mash cocktails looked super cute and festive! 

We feasted on cupcakes, crisps, little finger sandwiches & pasta salad. I made up little treat bags of sweets for everyone, and it felt like a real party! 

Basically, it was just a really awesome get together with some of my favourite ladies - Katy, Tash, Milli & Erica! 

Thanks for joining me ladies, it was the perfect Sunday!

Special shout out to Tash who vlogged the day - keep your eyes peeled on her channel for the video! 

Three More Starbucks Hacks

You guys know my Starbucks addiction is real (real disturbing, especially when the baristas know my order before I ask), and after the positive reaction to my last Starbucks Hacks post, I figured it was time for another!

Let's start with my favourite summer order, a drink that tastes exactly like Twister Ice lollies. Simply order a Cool Lime Refresha, and ask for a pump of Strawberry sauce too. It's deliciously sweet and fruity, and refreshing too! 

Iced. White. Mochas. Such a simple concept, so mindblowingly good. I don't know why White Mochas taste so good but I'm really digging it. Perfect for caffeine hits on hot days. 

A lot of people don't seem to realise that you can have any drink made as a Frappuccino in Starbucks, even if it's not listed on the Frappuccino board. My favourite mix is a coconut milk Chai Latte, when it's all blended up as a Frappuccino it tastes like a dessert! If you're feeling extra decadent, add whipped cream and top with chocolate chips!

There we go, three more orders for you to bamboozle your baristas with! What's your favourite Starbucks order?

An August To Do List

Oh August, where did you come from? It seems like only yesterday I was celebrating the arrival of Peony season and now that's long gone. 

August is going to be an exciting month for me. My new business is launching at the end of the month and I'm equal parts nervous and excited. I can't wait to see what I've been working so hard to create for you, and I only hope you'll love it as much as I do. 

So most of August for me will be spent working on the launch, but there are a few other things I want to make time for, and you should too! 

Seek simplicity. Scale back and live a little simpler. When you're busy with work it's easy to feel overwhelmed, so I hope by stripping back in other areas of my life, I won't feel too overwhelmed.

Quiet time. I'm often guilty of filling up every scrap of free time with events, meetings and hangouts, but this month I want to take a little time out to indulge in some me time. More yoga, more reading, more quiet nights in watching Gilmore Girls with the Boy.

Try something new. With all that being said, I'm excited to try something new this month. Mid August I'll be headed up to London's Sky Garden for a 6am yoga class looking out on the city, and I couldn't be more excited. 

Appreciate the little beauty. The way the clouds curl around the tops of the trees early in the morning. The satisfaction of the first page of a new notebook. My kitten's happy face when she wakes me up at 4am. 

Make time for the 'when I get a chance' list. Mine includes baking cupcakes, cleaning up my desktop files, creating categories for this here blog, and writing another article for Citizen M. 

What's on your August to do list?

July Favourites

July has been a really odd month for me. Getting back to reality after a loss feels strange, I almost feel like I'm going through the motions but not really living life properly. I'm hoping that as the months pass things will get easier, but I hope that in the meantime you'll excuse my somewhat sporadic posting. I want to share content I love and am excited about with you guys, not just share for the sake of it. 

I had a few beauty products from the month that I figured were worth mentioning. I've been going for a very simple, stripped back beauty routine, but these products all stood out to me. 

Makeup Forever HD Concealer: Little sister to the famed Ultra HD concealer, this has all of the coverage, but a lighter texture. It's perfect for covering the dark circles of a girl who was out catching Pokemon til three in the morning. It's high coverage but easy to blend and looks seamless on the skin.

Kat Von D Tattoo Liner In Trooper: This has been a favourite of mine for a long time, but I recently picked up a new tube so the love affair has been reignited. The perfect black liner, easy to use, longwearing and a good deep black. 

Benefit Gimme Brow: I was never all that keen on the original Gimme Brow, and I'm not sure if it's been reformulated for the new packaging or if I just prefer the new wand, but I'm obsessed with this stuff. It's the perfect no-fuss brow option, just tames and adds a little volume and definition. 

Grown Alchemist Vanilla & Orange Peel Hand Cream: I've had ridiculously dry hands this month so this has been a total godsend. The scent is super light and fresh, and the product itself is incredibly moisturising, but doesn't leave your hands feeling sticky or greasy. 

Bumble and Bumble Surf Foam Spray: I've been digging a low maintenance hair vibe recently, and I've fallen head over heels for this stuff. I use this post blow dry/styling to just add a little body and texture - instant beachy waves. It's also great for adding texture to braids & updos, a real multitasker of a product! 

What have you been loving this month? 

Ten Little Secrets.

I just finished reading Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret, and it inspired me to make a list of my own secrets!

1. The makeup I'm wearing today is actually the makeup I applied yesterday. I fell asleep without taking it off and it still looked okay so I just left it. 
2. I go to Starbucks so often that on Saturday when my boyfriend nipped into our local to buy us a coffee, he ordered his drink and then said 'the next one is a little complicated' they said 'oh for your girlfriend right? Soy vanilla white mocha?'. The addiction is real. 
3. Sometimes I lie in bed and shake my arms about because I'm so close to my Fitbit goal but I can't be bothered to go anywhere.
4. I was sat on the end of the bed last week putting my shoes on, and the slat broke underneath me. 
5. Sometimes I go into my parent's offices when they aren't there and turn the things on their desks upside down. I like to think they're slowly going mad trying to figure out why everything on their pinboard has turned upside down. 
6. When my parents go to bed, I let the dog in my room for cuddles, even though he's not technically allowed upstairs.
7. I periodically raid my sister's bedroom for snacks. 
8. Sometimes I go on Connor's phone and use his Instagram to like all my photos so I feel like someone likes them.
9. Last month I went to Starbucks 17 times according to my app. I'm aware that's a problem.
10.  Sometimes I wake up in the morning and post an Instagram, and then go back to bed, just so my mum thinks I'm up and being productive.

You really can't beat Sophie Kinsella for an easy read! 

Have you got any secrets?