goodbye, 2016.

All years have their ups and downs, but looking back at this year I think it's been mostly been good. It's been full of love, adventures, and self improvement. I've overcome some challenges and really hard times, eaten some amazing food, seen so many new places, made new friends and seen some that I haven't seen in years, laughed so much I've cried, cried so much I couldn't breathe, felt the best and the worst, and truly lived.

Here's what happened.

christmas eve.

Despite feeling like I could well be staying in bed for the foreseeable future (shot down by my festive flu) I've managed to have a damn lovely Christmas Eve filled with the little traditions which we slowly make and change to fit our lives, and now I'm in bed early thinking about how lucky I am.

christmas treats!

Ah! Christmas is here! A time for feasting, a time for giving and sharing... although it would be very tempting to keep all this amazing chocolate for myself!

This little bundle of joy is from those people from Hotel Chocolat. I do love it when an email lands in my inbox from them - they always have such fun designs for the various occasions throughout the year, and it never ever disappoints on taste either. 

vintage christmas party.

Photos: Lauren Jayne Hall. Location: The Forge.

I had this dress hanging on my rail for almost two months before I got around to getting some photos of it - but I wanted to do it justice by going somewhere equally as special. 

stationery & art lover's gift guide.

We all have a friend or two who obsesses over stationery, never has enough pens or notebooks, and really appreciates a good print or unusual Christmas card. 

I apparently am that person, as I wasn't even planning this post until I looked over at my shelf and realised I had accumulated a pile of gorgeous things that I should show you guys, and maybe inspire you to buy a few gifts.

uk city guide: sheffield.

I haven't graced the northern part of the country anywhere near as much as I would've liked. But I'm getting there, gradually... Earlier in the year I visited York, about a year ago I went to Manchester, and I wanted to head back as soon as I was on the train out of there. 

A week ago, I was lucky enough to be sent to Sheffield to see what it's all about.

SPOILER ALERT: I loved it. 

supercharge your breakfast with these 3 porridge topping ideas.

It sure was chilly this morning, wasn't it?! It's always tempting to stay in your cosy bed on mornings like those, but knowing that you have a delicious, warm breakfast to look forward to makes it a little easier to get up. Especially when they basically taste like a dessert.

Here are a few porridgey creations I've whipped up lately..

uk city guide : bath.

Bath is such a beautiful city with its picturesque pale Bath stone Georgian buildings, and winding, tree-lined rivers and canals. Luckily for me, it's a very short train ride away, but even if you're travelling from further afield, it's definitely worth a visit. 

the importance of staying positive.

Life throws so many curveballs at you, it's very easy to feel overwhelmed. It seems like 2016 has been full of upsetting events - both globally and personally - but here's how you can stay positive.

city guide : new york.

New York City, I've missed you since that too-short college trip 10 years ago, and I miss you now. I even miss the hot summer air, and the constant noise. There's just something about this place. 

BOB West : Celebrating homegrown talent in Bristol + giveaway!

Right, now that I've lured you in with a photo of delicious burgers, let's talk about the upcoming Best of Britannia West event! 

I've also got a very lovely giveaway towards the end of the post, if you fancy!

old bookshop, new menu!

The amount of time I've been spending at The Old Bookshop has become a bit of a running joke between my friends and I lately. But when your local is this bloody brilliant, can you really blame me?! 

city guide : toronto, canada.

Toronto was most definitely one of my favourite places that I visited on my trip over the other side of the pond. I felt really at home in the area that I stayed in, and I wish I'd given myself a lot longer there. 

why I love where I live.

I have always loved living in Bristol - it felt like home from the first day I visited - but sometimes I love it just that little bit extra.

It's been four years since I moved back here, after having to move home to Devon for a few years & quit uni due to illness. Four years in this cosy attic. Four years building my little life here.

And it's by far one of the best decisions I've ever made.

city guide : montreal, canada.

Oh Montreal.. you lovely, arty city. Really wish I'd stayed a night or two to get the most out of this place, but a few hours was better than nothing! 

brunch at pieminister.

PIE FOR BREAKFAST.

Yup, you read that right. You can in fact have a pie for breakfast now, thanks to Pieminister's new brunch menu! And that's exactly what Lily and I did a few weekends back.

city guide : ottawa, canada.

Even though it's the capital, I feel like Ottawa is one of the lesser-visited cities in Canada, trailing behind Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver... I mean, it wasn't even on my list of places to visit, until I decided it was time to head back over to that side of the pond, and I happen to have a friend there! But I'm really glad I went. 

uk city guide : st nick's, bristol.

It's not really going to come as a surprise that one of my favourite places in Bristol is packed full of delicious food, as well as a few interesting shops to nose about. 

affordable art fair - this weekend in bristol!

Tonight sees the private view of the Affordable Art Fair, which continues throughout this weekend at Brunel's Old Station. 

Read on for a little about the fair, how to buy beautiful art for your home, and some fun at a print workshop with artist Kerry Day!

wahaca at home - fish tacos.

I have expressed my love for Wahaca before, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that I was pretty damn pleased that they have created their very own range of soft taco kits! Now you can enjoy their yummy flavours from the comfort of your own kitchen, and feel really smug about the fact that you made it yourself.

Read on for my fish taco recipe! 

anxiety, anticipation & adventuring.

It's September! 

Despite being out of education longer than I care to state, I still get those back to school feelings every year. Not the full-of-dread kind, but the oooh-new-stationery kind, and the this-early-morning-feels-a-little-chillier kind. The kind where you're full of excitement (and a little anxiety) about the new uniform, the new friends you might make, and all the opportunity laid out in front of you.

Unfortunately, I'm not actually buying any stationery, and there are no crisp white blouses over here.

September IS however, a pretty big month for me. I am still full of that anticipation. 

faux leather & stripes.

4 easy fruit 'n' veg packed cocktails & juices!

Is there a rule saying you can't consume a couple of your 5 a day with a good dose of alcohol too..? Well, even if there is, I, quite frankly, don't really care. Here are a few cocktail recipes, and some healthy juice to wash it all down with over this bank holiday weekend!  

Plus, you will actually be helping others by drinking these!

dinner at the ivy clifton brasserie.

A couple of weeks back, Sam and I dressed up a little nicer than usual and made our way to the gorgeous Clifton Village to check out the new Ivy Clifton Brasserie, which promised the best modern British food in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. 

roadtrip to malmesbury.

A couple of weeks ago, I hopped in the car with my friend El and we drove off in the sunshine. We wanted a cute little daytrip, and when the boyf suggested Malmesbury, we thought we'd check it out. And boy, it really was cute.

I'll let the photos do most of the talking. The winding streets were lined with chocolate box cottages and the abbey was lovely - this place is an Instagrammer's dream! 

nespresso pop-up boutique launch.

A few weeks ago, I made my way to The Lido in Clifton with some other Bristol foodies to celebrate the launch of the new Nespresso pop-up Boutique.

grillstock festival 2016.

#MEATMUSICMAYHEM

an ode to blankets.

how to build the perfect charcuterie platter.

Oh man, would you look at all that colour and variety?! Let's just take it all in for a moment. 

I love a big sharing board like this - it's so communal and relaxed. I can just imagine planting it in the middle of a table surrounded by wine & loved ones, and picking at it all evening while we natter, until it's mere crumbs. 

discs and dots.

more days in devon.

• vintage headscarf & shorts (these yellow shorts are cute too!) • pull & bear bardot top • topshop sunglasses •

I've been feeling a little out of sorts lately, so when I had a few days off in a row & a heatwave was forecast, I was definitely due a little trip to the coast to spend some time with my family & friends.

3 summer smoothie recipes with alpro.

Sometimes when it's hot (like now - hello heatwave!) I really fancy a fruity smoothie. I'm drinking one right now. For real. No foolin'.

Here are 3 of my favourite recipes of late, inspired by the smoothie platform on the Alpro site - it helps you come up with your very own tasty creation! Simply blitz all the ingredients in your blender!

a week on my feet.

stopping in the doorway of a local shop to have a nosey - it's turning into a record store! 

3 sweet and easy popcorn recipes | propercorn.

Mmmm popcorn.. it's such a tasty snack as it is, and so great when it's still warm. But sometimes you want to make it a little more fancy.

Here are 3 easy peasy ways to pimp your popcorn. 

the art of gift giving - taab london.

• cards & gift wrap c/o TAAB London Stationery • 

I love giving gifts to my favourite people. I love the process of collecting things I think they'll like during the weeks (& sometimes months!) leading up to their birthday. Sometimes it's nice to give a present for no real reason at all.

english summer rain.

What's with this rain? I know there have been a couple of nice days here and there, but I'm getting quite bored of dressing like it's autumn in June.

#HomeMovieNight with HMV.

Hands up who owns at least one shelf full of DVDs? Ok, and hands up who never watches any of them? Yeah, me too. 

I guess part of my problem is that I don't actually have a DVD player, so when HMV sent over a #HomeMovieNight kit I took it over to my good friend Lily's house. And I arrived just in time for Wagamama that her mum had ordered us from Deliveroo! 

We were definitely in for a lovely, cosy night..

viva mexico! cacti and tacos.

Maaaaan, I love Mexican food. Especially when it's hands-on, messy, and packed full of different flavours and textures. But do you know what I like even more? Having appropriate attire to wear while eating said cuisine - a cactus covered dress! Now all I need is a flight to Tulum..

Keep reading to see my outfit details & my favourite fresh and crunchy taco recipe! 

a long weekend in south devon.

Since my childhood home got sold, Bristol has been feeling much more like home. That in turn means that whenever I do find the time to visit Devon, it feels like a mini holiday, especially now that the weather is getting warmer. 

British seaside holidays or staycations are so popular - of course you can get amazingly cheap flights to Europe, but if you're strapped for time or have a lot of things to bundle into your car (including kids) it can be a lot less stressful to just drive a couple of hours to the coast.

Here's what you can get up to in three days in the South Hams.

bbq summer specials by meera sodha | thali cafe.

Last week, we popped down to my lovely local Thali Cafe to check out the new BBQ Summer Specials on their menu.

sharing the happiness - a day at stourhead.

Last week, one of my best friends and I headed out into the countryside on a little adventure. We were off to have a day of happiness, which for us involved a picnic, spending time together, and wandering around in one of the most beautiful places we've ever been in the UK!

dinner at the square, bristol.

A few weeks ago on a warm, rainy evening, we were invited to the top of Park Street for dinner. We were headed to The Square Kitchen to try out their new Spring menu. 

the whitepepper - spring / summer 16.

It's been months since Emily and I took these snaps of my cute shirt from The Whitepepper - I was still in tights and this was actually a really cold day! They sent over a copy of their magazine which has one of our images in, and I thought I'd share it with you.