Girl In The Pretty Dress

6 weeks ago I had the unexpected pleasure of some time off, with my other half. We decided to make sure it was quality time together and to get away from the humdrum of home for a bit. We stayed at the rather lovely Principal York Hotel which, despite it's elegant appearance, was not quite as smoothly run as I'd have hoped, but it all got sorted in the end! After checking in, we headed out to explore. I think I must have a Christmas-sensor embedded in me because I can sniff it out anywhere and was quickly drawn into  this store . Our next stop was to The York Museum . By the time I'd been dragged out of Christmas-land, time was ticking on a bit... The very kind attendants at the museum reassured us that we would have time to do one wing and helpfully, gave us a pass so that we could return the next day for the other half of the museum. The museum was formerly a Prison and we spent our first day in the Women's Wing - w...

One of my favourite purchases this year (and by no coincidence, one of my favourite outfit posts) was this fabulous canary-yellow vintage skirt . I was bitten by the vintage bug and I've been seeking out vintage sales ever since so I thought I'd share what I've learned so far... 1) Vintage shopping can be a tall shoppers heaven. The added length of yester-year's dresses/skirts makes them perfect for those of us who are long and leggy. (Waist-height can still be tricky but it's amazing what you can find if you're prepared to rummage through the rails.) It's also the perfect way to nail throw-back fashions like the current 70's trends. 2) It's about more than just the clothes. It's a costume-jewellery paradise (I've never seen so many sparkly things in one place) and perfect if you're looking for a one-off piece of furniture. 3) It pays to think about your underwear in advance of your shopping expedition. Most vintage sales have...

There is so much to see in Vienna that we could never have hoped to fit it all in with just 4 days there. So here are a few snapshots of things we saw while walking around town. We took in the up-market shopping district (where I did much window-gazing), followed by some beautiful gardens. Then the Rathaus (town hall), the Austrian Parliament building and the slightly controversial Liberation Monument. We tried to fit in the Belvedere as well, but sadly ran out of time. After all that walking we were pretty hungry so we headed to Cafe Diglas for dinner. Tucked away down a side street near to Stephansdom it wasn't as busy as other eateries, but I would definitely recommend a visit. The cafe dates back to the fifties and we noticed many locals visiting for a slice of cake and a natter. We ate traditional Austrian dishes and relaxed while the pianist played some of my favourite songs. (One thing to note if you are lucky enough to visit - they don't take card payments, only c...

Hey hey, welcome to my first post! Yes... I've finally stopped talking about starting a blog and actually had a go at it. Expect lots of posts featuring my shopping addiction, some culinary experiments and a few adventures! Oh, and in case you were wondering about the name: it's something an old work colleague used to call me a few years back and I always thought it would make a good title for a book... but it'll do for a blog I reckon. Much love S x