SO PROUD.

I'm all about empowerment and lifting others up, especially when it comes to those closest to me. Take my friend, Diana, for example: She has worked her arse off for the past three years, working seven days a week for months straight, all to achieve one of her biggest dreams: landing a job at Vogue. I could not be more proud of MY ultimate girl boss. Oh, and she also happens to be one of my favourite people in the world, the absolute boss babe that she is. Despite not living as close as we used to, we still make an effort to spend time together, which is why we recently put her new Vogue skills to the test and had a photoshoot and day out in one of our favourite areas of London; Notting Hill. Here are some photos from the day...

Why Harrods is the Best & Worst Place to Visit in London.

Most people who visit London want to visit Harrods. I was definitely amongst that group of people and it's actually where some of my favourite memories from my time in London took place. From sampling all the delicious food, trying on the gorgeous shoes or even flirting with staff (my favourite past-time), there is plenty to do. The down side? It can end up being pretty pricey and on more than one occasion, my best friend, Ariadna, had to stop me from spending 50 GBP on chocolates or 2000 GBP on my dream handbag...

You're Taking WHAT?!

It's official: I am all packed up and off to university. Yep, this time next week I will be moving into my halls of residance, ready to start my Forensic Science and Criminology course. Though I do have two weeks of Freshers to look forward to first... Admittedly I should now be entering my third year of university, but have been putting it off to cuddle koalas and find monkeys in tropical rainforests, and it was worth every second. I was going to defer my offer for yet another year, but chose not to for fear of giving my family a heart attack. I spent the last month back at my family home in Spain, packing up suitcase after suitcase, and was amazed at just how much stuff I had packed that wasn't clothes. I want my room to feel homelike, so made sure to pack some special pieces from my room...

Travel Tips From the Only Backpacker With Two Suitcases.

Please appreciate my new nickname that my Gran very lovingly gave to me. We all know that I've done a lot of travelling this past year, but I didn't exactly do it the traditional backpacker kind of way (two pairs of pants and only one pair of shoes? No. Just no.). It all worked out well though, people would take pity on me and just carry my suitcases before me because I clearly looked like a weakling. Even so, I like to think I've managed to pick up a few hints and tips that a few of you might find come in handy...

A London Adventure.

Despite having visited some amazing places this past year, there is something about London that I just love and can never get out of my head. I think it'll always be the city that I want to come back to. One of my favourite things to do is to just go out with no objective in mind and explore, which is exactly what Diana and I did recently. Brunch was of course on the agenda. We ended up going to Farm Girl in Notting Hill, where we both enjoyed avocado and strawberry on toast with a poached egg. It was amazing - I love brunch. Next we decided to do something that, surprisingly, neither of us had done, and that was hire bikes and cycle around the city. We ended up cycling all through Hyde Park, where we visited the new entrance to a temporary pavilion (a must for architect lovers), and Kensington Gardens, mainly because Diana is slightly in love with Prince Harry and I consider myself to be a Queen. We also took a fair few outfit photos, because who wouldn't take advantage of the coloured houses in Notting Hill and amazing street art in Carnaby Street? Unlike me, Diana has her posing game down. We ended our day out in the only way we know how; prosecco and vodka. 

Liberty London Lovin'...

If there's one thing I love to do in London, it's window shopping. With department stores like Liberty, Selfridges & Harrods on every corner, it's hard not to. No matter where I am or who I'm with, I make it my mission to head into one of these stores to lust after one of the many items that I have my eyes on. During a visit to Liberty on one of my last days in London, the particular item I wanted to try on was a pair of the Valentino Rockstud pumps that everyone other than me seems to have. Unfortuntely for me, a UK size 7 & 8 (my shoe size varies) seem to be the most popular sizes, meaning every colour I wanted to try on was unavailable. The only pair left in my size were white, though thankfully they weren't the kitten heel version. Despite being very high and having such a thin heel, they were pretty easy to walk in, and even with a pointed toe, they were pretty comfy, though I don't know just how long that would last for. Though I wouldn't buy these in white, I'll take one in every other colour, please.

But I NEED Them feat. OOTD.

You know when you see a pair of shoes, immediately fall in love with them and then just can't seem to get them off your mind? Same - and that's exactly what happened to me during a trip to Selfridges, in London, over seven months ago, and I still catch myself thinking about them. Liberty is a dangerous place at the best of times, but this particular trip left me lusting after a 600 GBP pair of shoes, especially given the fact they went with my outfit so well. There have been a few times now when I've added them to my shopping card and almost bought them, but I don't think I can really justify it. I'd probably spend my life worried about someone spilling a drink on them/in a cast after twisting or breaking my ankle. I've also discovered that they're now available in nude and with a pointed toe. A girl can always dream though, right?! Aren't they beautiful?! One day.

Apps You Need.

I love but hate mobile phones and technology. People nowadays can't even leave their house without their mobile phones, finding themselves lost without them when they're actually missing out on a lot more than they would be if they didn't have them in their hands. I myself am guilty of this and am ironically writing this on the tube. Despite the obvious downside, it amazes me just what technology nowadays can do (I acknowledge that this makes me sound about 50). Some of the apps out there are amazing (and now I found like my mother). I've put together a few of my favourites...

THE Place to Visit in London & Meeting the Cast of Zoolander.

While in London, I think it's safe to say that I did my fair share of exploring. I visited all the local tourist spots, like Buckingham Palace, but also discovered some secret hidden gems, like The Sky Garden. Well, I wouldn't exactly call it hidden, as it's one of the tallest buildings in London, and it's practically fully-booked every hour that it's open, but not many people seem to talk about it. Though there is always a queue (there are also searches and metal detectors), it is 100% worth it. Once you reach the top, you are greeted with a 360º view of London; St Paul's, The London Eye, Tower Bridge, The Shard and more. It's quite ironic that it's located near The Shard, given the fact that both have the exact same views, they just range in price, with The Sky Garden being free and The Shard being, well, ridiculously over-priced. You're free to spend as much time at The Sky Garden as you like. There are mini cafe areas (I'd go just for the carrot cupcakes with vanilla frosting), plenty of seating (both inside and out) and even restaurants, both for food and champagne. I'd imagine them to be a great place for a party, and a great place to take blog photos, as I think I've proven with this post...

My Last Day in London (For Now!).

I have now been in Australia for six weeks and I can honestly not believe how fast time is going. I guess it's true what they say, time flies when you're having fun! I'm excited to continue to explore and to head over to the East Coast and also (hopefully) to New Zealand at some point. Myself and one of my best friends, Ariadna, were recently reminiscing about my last day in London, where I was based before I moved, which we spent together, and she sent me some photos from that day. My favourite moment was stumbling into the field of daffodils. It was nice to see the first signs of Spring (even if it was extremely cold and windy!) before leaving.

Gazelli House Spa.*

Instagram is definitely my favourite form of social media. Not only does it allow me to share photos and my friends to keep up with my travels as I'm off swanning around the place, but it has also allowed me to partner with brands and meet some amazing people, like those from Gazelli House who have just opened a flashship store in Knightsbridge, London. They very kindly invited me over to see the place one cold, wet weekday, just before I left for Australia. It's amazing who you can meet on Instagram just by uploading a photo of your feet (#IHaveThisThingWithFloors).

A Day Out in Hamstead Heath.

Just because I'm now in Australia doesn't mean I can't reminisce about my wonderful time in London, especially my last week, which was spent exploring and visiting the most famous sites, including Hamstead. My friend, Amita, and I headed there one day after a three hour wait in A&E. Admittedly this probably wasn't the best thing to do having popped my knee in and out of place, but my time in England was running out and I was determined to make the most of every moment. 

Things to Know About London.

Now that I've spent a few weeks in Australia, I've been reminiscing and thinking about my time spent in London. I was there for four months, and it was the first place I lived on my own as I headed there the day I moved out. Though daunting to some, I found it to be a great experience and I definitely learnt a lot while there. I thought I'd share some of the things I shared with you, in case any of you are planning to move there yourselves or even just heading there for a holiday.

A Snowy Day at Richmond Park.

You know those people who make you forget to look at your phone and who make time fly? Ariadna is one of them. A prime example of this is how we went out for dinner together a few weeks ago, ready for a good old catch-up after two weeks apart (sob), only to end up spending an entire four days together. Our first day consisted of going out for dinner, Leonard DiCaprio waving at us and us not realising because we were too busy talking (classic us) and then walking straight past Tom Hardy without realising until it was too late. Those last two things made us both very angry. Day 2 was spent getting all dressed up, heading out for a night out and then staying up until 5am before rolling out of bed at 10am for day 3, which was brunch at Granger & Co. and a walk around London. Our final day was spent at Richmond Park, which I thought I'd share some photos of.

A Day Out in Chelsea.

My days out and adventures with Amita always seem to end up with us wandering through streets or areas lined with houses we can't afford and only dream of living in. Think Chelsea, South Kensington, Notting Hill, etc. We'll happily stroll along, admiring and taking photos of everything. Here are some photos from one of our last days out together before I left for Australia and, be warned, they're mainly of doors and floors (#IHaveThisThingsWithFloors... No, I really do).

London Memories.

So... I kind of move to Australia tomorrow. I loved my time in London so much, more so than even I expected. I enjoyed new experiences, new food, many adventures and met people who I know I will be friends with for life. I can't believe just how much I grew to love and care for them, despite having only known them all a few months or, in some cases, a few weeks! Like I said, I know we'll be friends for life and I'm so grateful to them for making my experience an unforgettable one. I'm already counting down the days until my next adventures with them all. For now though, I thought I'd share some of my favourite memories from my time in London.

A Week in Outfits #1.

Fashion is a big love of mine and something that I definitely don't feature enough of on my blog, especially considering just how much I talk and think about it in everyday life (fact: if you see me looking deep in thought, I'm probably planning future outfits). I've decided that I want to include more personal posts on my blog and that starts with sharing my outfits of the day. I'm thinking I'll do this every couple of weeks so that it doesn't get too boring. There's nothing I love more than seeing OOTD posts on Instagram and people's blogs, so hopefully you'll enjoy mine too!

Winter Wonderland.

Whenever Ariadna and I plan on meeting up for a quick coffee, we end up staying out for the entire day and most of the night. I love being with people that make me forget to look at my phone and who conversation just flows with, and she is definitely one of those people. Even when I was at work all day everyday and she was at university from 9am until 6pm, we still managed to meet up and go out. Throughout December, most of our adventures consisted in accidentally bumping into celebrities, going to designer shops and food markets, and also doing anything Christmassy! One of our Christmas days out involved a trip to Winter Wonderland. Here are some photos from that day...