Tuesday 24 December 2013

Shoe collection part 1: Boots

Hi guys!

Firstly, I think I should apologise for the lack of posts over the past 3 months. I don't have an excuse because I wasn't even that busy… So I am truly sorry and I will try my best to get back to it!

I'm doing a much requested series of posts about my shoe collection. I'm starting with boots because I've been wearing those most at the moment seeing as it's getting colder.

These black ones are from a shop called texto that I don't think exists anymore. I bought them about 4 years ago and they cost me approximately 30 euros (just over £20 and about $40). They've lasted very well considering the price tag but are starting to look very worn unfortunately. These look great with jeans, they make a skirt or dress look more casual and add a bit of edginess.



The next pair are a lot harder to wear as you might imagine. They're not everybody's cup of tea but I really like them though I haven't been able to wear them that much. They were very cheap because the store I bought them from was going bust, a bargain! If you can find the right occasion this sort of boot instantly makes an outfit fun. If I do wear them I wear neutral colours with them because otherwise I find it makes everything look a bit busy, if I'm feeling wild, I might add a brightly coloured accessory. These work best with jeans or leggings because of their shape. The only thing is, I find the tie at the back (made of suede) comes undone very easily.



On to longer boots now, starting with these riding boots. I love the style of these but the quality is useless. They're from a boutique shop called Ken, they were expensive (75 euros reduced from about 120!) and they fell to pieces after 2 wears. I had to replace both zips, both heels and now they are so uncomfortable I can't wear them. The heel digs into the arch of my foot because the rest of the boot is falling around the heel. So aside from all that, I still like this kind of boot. I think they look great with jeans especially but they work with everything really. They're great for winter and for casual or slightly more posh occasions, I wouldn't wear them to very sophisticated events though.


The last pair for today are my absolute favourite pair. They are a gorgeous pair of long black suede boots with gold zips and tassel bits (I have no idea what to call them). They make a pair of jeans or leggings look a little bit more fancy and they work really well for when you have to dress nicely. I do also wear them for more casual occasions. They make a very simple outfit look stylish. I love them. They were my most expensive pair of shoes at 150 euros (£120 ish or just over $200) from a shop called éram but they are well worth it. They're comfortable, easy to walk in despite the height of the heel and just beautiful.



PS: I have a new haircut in case you hadn't noticed!


Tuesday 10 September 2013

Travel: La Motte-Tilly and Forêt d'Orient


Hi guys!
This is the last travel post you'll see in a while! Then it's back to normal again.

About 30 minutes away from Voisines is a small village called La Motte-Tilly. There, you can find a large château. It was built by the Terray brothers; one of them was an important finance person for the king, Louis XV. There is a guided tour of the château, again only in French. I’m afraid you can only visit the château with the tour but you can just wonder around the grounds which are lovely. A tip though, take anti mosquito product with you because after some rain, it’s swarming with them!





Another place to go on a hot day is the Forêt d’Orient. It's about an hour away to the east. Again, take mosquito product because there are quite a few around there too because of the three big lakes you’ll find. They’re the main reservoirs for Paris apparently and two of them are huge. It’s good for cycling, bird-watching, walking, etc. We went mainly to go swimming in the lakes. It was really refreshing and you can see lots of little fish but it was quite busy. It’s a touristy place but it was also full of locals. The complex was huge; there was a whole harbour/shopping/restaurant area. It was really nice.






That's it! Last travel post for a few months. I hope you enjoyed them!

Monday 9 September 2013

Travel: Tonnerre and Provins

Sorry this is a bit late, I went to London at the weekend to celebrate my godsister's 18th birthday by going to the Proms in the Park. It was fabulous!

Anyway, after we went to Chablis we drove to Tonnerre. It's not very far and it's a lovely little sleepy town. There's the famous "Fosse Dionne" which is like a natural well and divers have gone very deep inside it to find the source without ever getting there. You can also climb up to a spectacular looking cathedral. It's a bit run down inside but the views are well worth the climb!







We then travelled north from Voisines to Provins. Provins is a historical town, everything is based around the Middle-Ages and it's a very interesting place to go. All the tourist attractions like the "Caesar Tower" or the Barn had people dressed up in traditional Medieval dresses. It's very touristy in high season but if you go early enough in the morning you'll avoid most of the crowds. Provins is known for it's rose products. It has a wonderful rose garden and they make rose cider, rose candles, rose honeys etc. It really is a charming place. Well worth the visit despite the people. Another thing that's worth going to is the underground tour. It's a guided tour of the ancient underground passages of Provins, unfortunately it is only done in french but it's nice and cool down there and it's worth having a look round!





The Barn was where all the trading was done, it had some creepy models in it though!





Rose garden

Rose garden

Sunday 1 September 2013

Travel: Joigny and Chablis

Hi guys! These are the last three travel posts you'll see in a while. From me anyway.

So, about half an hour from where we were staying there is a place called Joigny. It's probably about the same size as Sens. It's full of old wooden buildings and narrow streets. A very calm and charming place. If you go to the tourist office which is on the road that runs along the Yonne river, they can give you a leaflet with a map and a historical tour of the town. It was very interesting. Joigny is on a slope so be prepared for some uphill and downhill walking.







Chablis is another town that we visited. It's about an hour's drive, south from Voisines. It's one of the more touristy places of the area because of the famous wine they make there. It's still a lovely town though and we had a nice walk along the river. It also has a little park there so we wandered through there too. If you like markets they had a big one going on there on a sunday, it was quite busy though. Of course we went wine tasting and also tried the local specialities: some Marc de Bourgogne, like a grappa, and some Ratafia which is a lot sweeter. It was really yummy and the person serving us was very nice.





These were both lovely towns and I would highly recommend a visit.

Sunday 25 August 2013

Travel: France - Troyes and Sens

Hi guys! This will be the last series of travel blogs for a while. I went to France for 2 weeks this summer and absolutely loved it. I took a break from all things social media including blogging and filming. We stayed in a little village called Voisines which was lovely and that was in the Yonne region in north Burgundy.

First of all, let me introduce you to the region. There were no tourists, it was very rural and very quiet, it's known for it's cider, cheese and also a pastry dish called gougère. The Yonne region is just in Burgundy but surrounding it you have the Champagne region, the Centre and Ile de France.

The closest town to Voisines was called Sens. It's quite a small town but the cathedral is huge. We wondered why and eventually found out that it used to be the capital of the ecclesiastic towns of Paris, Meaux, Auxerre, Chartres, Orléans, Nevers and Troyes in the Middle-Ages. Sens also has an outdoor market every monday and friday that sells mostly clothes and a covered market on the same days that sells all manor of food. The covered market is opposite the cathedral, on the the main square which is lovely. They even have a giant chess game in the middle of this square!

Covered market across the square





Chess in the square

About an hour away is a place called Troyes. It's in the Champagne region. Troyes is a little more touristy because of it's charming medieval houses and also because it's a bigger town. It also has a big cathedral and many other attractions. You can find cute little squares, little churches, lovely gardens and also narrow roads like the Ruelle des chats, so called because cats could jump from one roof to another because it's so narrow. Troyes is also quite good for shopping and eating. It has a shopping street and there are quite a few restaurants around.


Ruelle des chats






Little church garden

Those are the first two towns. I will be writing about the next two next week!