a secret passage...

Having lived in Islington for nearly 2 years now I must say it is one of the nicest areas of London in my opinion. Although I know the area quite well there are hidden treasures around every corner which makes it a great place to discover on a Saturday afternoon. I love walking from Highbury and Islington down Upper Street to Angel which is full of wonderful cafes, restaurants and boutiques. One of my favourite restaurants is the Turkish Cafe Galipoli which serves gorgeous authentic and reasonably priced dishes. I would really recommend the meze platters which you can share over Turkish coffee or mint tea on a lazy weekend. 

One of the best parts of Islington is Camden Passage, a street running parallel to Upper Street. With a number of markets containing trinkets and jewellery and lots of vintage shops and cafes this is one of London's hidden treasures that you cannot miss. It is also home to some art shops, frozen yoghurt parlour and luxury chocolate sellers. One of my favourite places is The Breakfast Club which serves amazing food, smoothies, juices, coffee and cakes in a shabby-chic environment. It is a great place to eat for Sunday brunch and a chat with friends to soak up your sins from the night before. I look forward to more trips around this part of London soon.

What are your favourite places in London? Have you explored Camden Passage?

Hasta pronto!

Em x

the ultimate coat for winter...

After realising that my old black winter coat was a bit past it when I took it out of my wardrobe a few days ago and one of the seams has split down the front I resigned myself to looking for a replacement. I still have an old brown and cream dog-toothed coat from 5 years ago that is still in pretty good nick only it's a little on the large size. I really wanted to find a warm and classic coat that would last but at the same time I knew this wouldn't be a mean feat. 

I was determined to stay away from black which can be as depressing as winter itself as you leave the house in the pitch black returning only to the same shade in the evening. I had decided on either purple, teal or red but was put off by many of the examples I saw around. There was a beautiful coat in Zara which I was nearly persuaded to buy but I wasn't particularly sold on the double-breast style. 

That was when trawling through the ASOS website I found the most perfect coat that I fell in love with in an instant. You know when you see something and know that you won't find anything else that even matches its beauty. I looked at the price - £90 and thought... here goes nothing... next day delivery... order confirmed. When it arrived in the post the next day I wasn't disappointed. It is described as a lace collar wool princess coat featuring a classic princess shape with covered button closure, pleats from the waist with a flared skirt and an ornate lace collar. It is such a beautiful design in a classic claret colour which I think is a lot more sophisticated than the typical red. I also love the soft red silky lining inside. The coat is made by Darling, a London based designer, who according to their lookbook:

"offer a timeless approach, combining quintessential English design with unique detailing and affordable luxury. Look to lace edging and crochet trims to add a distinct sense of vintage femininity, as intricate pearl beading and sequins embellish pretty blouses, delicate knits and floral print dresses"

Their collection can be bought on their own website or some other products are available at ASOS. I love their vintage inspired look and although they are not as cheap as some other stores their pieces are very well crafted and are really great to invest in. Here are a few of my favourite items ranging from around £55.00-70.00.

I hope you like my new discovery and take a look at all their wonderful pieces. At the moment they are offering at £20 discount for all first orders over £150 so go and treat yourself! Now I may sound crazy but I can't wait for the cold weather to start wearing my coat and feeling like a princess!


Hasta pronto!


Em x

where east meets westfield....

Westfield Shepherds Bush has always been a guilty pleasure of mine. It was the place that you knew you could rely on to find that perfect item of clothing on a rainy day and save all the hassle of going to lots of different areas to shop. Moreover, it was a great place to meet friends in the restaurants, cafes and bars as it had so much choice under one roof.

Now the only thing better than the aforementioned place is it's younger and (what I consider) hipper younger sister - Westfield Stratford City which opened last week. It is conveniently located right next to Stratford Station (one stop on the train to Liverpool Street) and by the Olympic Park. The fact that this new shopping centre has opened up right next to my work may be both a blessing and a curse in disguise as I can kiss goodbye to a large part of my pay check every month but welcome lots of beautiful fashion to my wardrobe!

One of the best things about this new Westfield is the Forever 21 shop. I had heard a lot of hype on the internet about this American brand and had been anxiously awaiting the opening of Westfield (there is another recently opened branch on Oxford Street). It has been described by many as the new H&M however I don't fully agree. After visiting the shop I found that the clothes seem to be more on trend and quirky than H&M. Sometimes I find with H&M that there is nothing in the shop from time to time that takes my fancy. Forever 21 was a different story. There was a whole styles section of the shop that I could have transferred back home as it was completely me. So I have to say that for me the only similarity between the two shops are the prices (which is not a bad thing!). I love their vintage-inspired section and was really impressed with their accessories and shoes selection which are gorgeous and cheap! Check out their website as they deliver all over the UK.

Last Sunday I went back to meet a friend for lunch and we ended up having a lovely day at Zumo juice bar and Yo Sushi as well as looking in a few shops! Westfield Stratford is a cool piece of architectural design, it has the biggest window in Europe and an amazing water feature. It also offers huge versions of all your favourite high street shops. In fact, it has a massive Primark and the biggest M&S I have ever seen.  It's so tempting to pass by every night and pick up something before heading home on he overground. I supposed I should exercise some self-control! Make sure to visit soon as there are still lots of opening offers at the moment including the Look magazine pop-up shop.

Hasta pronto!

Em x