April. The month of all seasons, am I right?
Well it’s been a pretty eventful month what with getting engaged (eek!), going to Italy and fitting in lots of social and press events! Here’s the highlights reel for ya, babes.
April Faves
This Month I’ve Been Wearing… A Straw Circle Bag.
It’s the “in” accessory right now, right? The circular straw bag? Whereas last summer the only ones available were all v expensive or sold out on Etsy, they seem to have appeared in masses in places like Topshop and ASOS.
Well I found my own version in a little boutique in Monterosso, Cinque Terre! Which I think feels a lot more authentic and special to me. It’s big enough for my camera and a bottle of water when travelling, but still looks cute and holiday-y. It’s definitely the bag I’m going to wear all summer!
(Pictured with orange polka dot trousers from ASOS and octagon sunglasses from Bershka)
This Month I’ve Been Baking… Black Forest Gateau.
I don’t go to many press events but I HAD to go to Visit Black Forest‘s event this month, promoting their new Facebook Smart Hub with lots of tips and itineraries for visiting the Black Forest. Why, you ask? Because it was a Black Forest Gateau Bake Off!
Chef Fritz, an expert on the notorious BFG, was flown in especially to teach a group of us how to put together the perfect gateau at the Underground Cookery School in Hoxton. It turns out it’s quite the art, with perfectly proportioned layers of chocolate, cherries and cream, and a good splash of Schnapps! I was paired up with my pal Ellie who’s vegan, so our version was even more of a challenge, attempting to whip up vegan cream!
Despite not winning the bake-off, we had a lot of fun and it was definitely a unique way to spend a Tuesday night.
Oh and FYI the Black Forest looks beautiful, go check it out if you’re after a nature break or ski trip. It turns out there’s more than just gateau…
This Month I’ve been eating… SO. MUCH. FOCACCIA.
In Italy I obviously ate my weight in pizza, pasta and gelato. As I always do when I visit this glorious country. But a new discovery I made on this trip? Focaccia.
I’ve only ever had focaccia as a sandwich, but in Italy they have shops selling them with all sorts of toppings. Kinda like a jazzed up pizza for one. And oh baby. I got addicted.
I tried all of the flavours and had them for breakfast every single day. Personal faves – olive focaccia, mozzarella & pesto focaccia and good ol’ tomato focaccia. Sweet baby J, so good.
This Month I’m Watching… RuPaul’s Drag Race
Holy shit, RuPaul’s Drag Race is amazing. I know, I’m so late to the party.
It’s a cross between America’s Next Top Model, Project Runway and Queer Eye, and I am officially addicted. If you’re not already watching, definitely give it a try. It’s all drama and fashion and comedy and has made me really want to go to a drag show.
I started watching from the beginning on Netflix and am already in season 6 because I have a serious television-binging problem.
Living for it, Queen.
This Month I’m Drinking… Beer At Brewhouse & Kitchen.
I love Brewhouse & Kitchen and really like going to their Bedford branch. So I was pretty psyched when I heard they were coming to Milton Keynes!
I went along to their launch event with some local bloggers and enjoyed their Beer Masterclass (from £20) – sampling different beers brewed right there in their in-house microbrewery! It was a lot of fun and seems like a much-needed additional to MK’s nightlife scene – chilled, relaxed, good booze and nice food (the mac and cheese bites are heaven, bro).
I have a feeling I’ll be a regular visitor.
Oh and if you’re a bit of a beer connoisseur, definitely check out their Brewery Experience Day where you learn how to brew your beer, get fed delicious food, try lots of beer and go home with your own 5 litre mini keg of the good stuff. Which at £85 I think is a bargain and a really cool gift idea, right?
This Month I’ve Been… Interviewed by Fashion & Beauty Monitor!
I was so incredibly grateful to be named one of Fashion & Beauty Monitor’s Influencers To Watch Out For In 2018 earlier this year! And now I’ve been featured in their Influencer Spotlight series! They interviewed me back in December, right after I did the Blogosphere panel, but it was published this month – go read it over here!
Stuff like this just makes me pinch myself that anyone would care what I had to say. Blogging is such an incredibly rewarding hobby to have.
(Dress featured below from Joanie Clothing)
This Month I’ve been loving… my new Huawei P20 phone.
Yeah if you follow me on Twitter you might remember I dropped my phone down the loo as soon as I landed in Italy this month. Total bummer.
But it did mean I got to upgrade my Huawei P9 to the Huawei P20! And oh boy, the camera on this phone is SICKENING DAHLING (Am I RuPaul?). Seriously, the photos I’ve taken on this phone rival my camera (like the one below which is a sneak peek from my Oxford blog post!).
So I thought it was my duty to let you know that if you’re in the market for a new phone, this one is the shit.
That’s all, folks. Let me know what’s you’ve been up to this April!
Hit me up in the comments below, tweet me or find me over on Insta, babes.
Total Blogger Transparency: This April edition of monthly faves includes some affiliate links, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I wouldn’t play you like that, shorty.