A feast fit for a king at Michelangelo's, Weston-Super-Mare

Following on my last post where I talked about my stay in Weston-Super-Mare, Diane from the B&B where I stayed recommended a local Italian restaurant which was honestly the best Italian I've ever had and is worth a special mention.

Michelangelo's is located on the seafront of Weston-Super-Mare. Starters were when we were first blown away. The starters were so generously sized compared to anywhere I've ever been before, and everyone on our table was making very appreciative noises. My mozzarella, basil and tomato starter was beautifully presented on slate (I need some of these in my life!) and having hoped this would be a lighter option, was deceptively filling. Our table also tried the vegetable soup, garlic prawns, fish cakes and garlic mushrooms which was a mammoth portion presented in a huge filo basket. But hands down, the best garlic mushrooms I'd ever tasted. Slightly creamy (but not too creamy, much to my delight!), these were beautifully seasoned with herbs and wonderfully rich in garlic.

By the time our main courses appeared, we all felt a little defeated already. Particularly after two rounds of beers, plus wine. Again, everyone got stuck in, and testament to this restaurant's good food, continued to clear our plates despite being quite so full. I loved the artistic touches to the plates that were like little works of art

It was really difficult choosing just one main course - I saw so many amazing things I would have loved to try. However I was intrigued by the very special sounding mixed fish grill on the specials menu. I bit the bullet and ordered it, knowing full well that it was a "limited edition" dish and probably wouldn't be there should I visit again. And oh my goodness. I really under-estimated quite how big it would be...

No this wasn't a sharing platter. This was a one person meal. This consisted of; swordfish, salmon, sea bass. tuna steak, two scallops, langoustine, monkfish, and accompanying roasted potatoes and salad (the latter two I really couldn't do justice to!). My highlights; the sea bass (melted in your mouth), the swordfish (beautifully seasoned), the monkfish (wonderfully cooked) and the langoustine (had a lovely smoked, charred quality to it). I got through more of it then I thought I would, but had to leave the majority of my tuna and salmon, and a small bit of the swordfish. The staff did very kindly package the fish up for me in a takeaway container, so I could finish up the next day. I was too full for dessert, but everyone else had one (again, a testament to how good the food was!). We loved this quote on their dessert menu:

I sat and finished my wine, and then finished up on a hot drink whilst every waiter and waitress there gathered around to sing happy birthday to my sister who totally enjoyed being serenaded by all the lovely Italian men ;)

Atmosphere wise, Michaelangelo's was friendly, welcoming and we could hear each other talk (something very important to me when going out to eat!) We were placed on a table against a wall, this wall depicting part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. However being on one side of the room, our table sat alongside the part featuring a very large man with abs and nips that we couldn't take our eyes off of, and for some our party, their hands off as below!

In summary, I loved my first visit to Michaelangelo's and next time I'm in that neck of the woods, I'll definitely have to make a cheeky pit stop there! They received a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor and I can fully understand why! If you're ever in Bristol or Weston-Super-Mare (or nearby to either of these places), do head on over for what will be a very special meal indeed.

Il Michaelangelo

50A Knightstone Road

Weston-super-Mare

BS23 2BE

This review was written of my own accord and isn't prompted by sponsorship or any form of incentive from the restaurant. Words and love of Italian food all my own!

My stay at the Rosita, Weston-Super-Mare

I'm sure I'm not alone, but TripAdvisor is my safety net when it comes to booking hotels. You can be set on the dreamiest of hotels, with your finger poised on the "book" button, but read a bad review on TripAdvisor? And that's it. That hotel suddenly loses it's magic and you start to look elsewhere. Recently I went to Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare for a long weekend. Family had recommended a B&B near to the coast in Weston-Super-Mare and after a curious little peek on TripAdvisor - where there were glowing reviews - the booking was made.

The Rosita is a guest house ideally placed just 30 minutes away from Bristol International airport, and a stone's throw away from Weston-Super-Mare seafront and pier, local shops, a Sea Life Centre and many, many wonderful restaurants. The Rosita has six rooms in total, set upon three different levels. A group of us had gone away to celebrate my sister's 21st so we were all split into different rooms. All were decorated with different themes and done to a high spec.

I've stayed in a fair few hotels in my time, but the Rosita was one of the best stocked I've ever been in. As well as complimentary tea and biscuits, and toiletries, there were also dressing gowns and slippers, chocolates left on our beds with artistically folded towels, complimentary drinks in each of our fridges and nice little extras I've never had before like a heat protective mat for curlers / straightners which were really handy when we were getting dolled up to go out!

I was in one of the rooms on the top floor, and the floor space was surpisingly generous (a rarity in hotels and B&Bs! To prove this point, we had a good ol' dance in there before we went out that night! The weather that evening wasn't the best (crazy gales, very angry looking waves, and rain aplenty!), but the Rosita had thought of everything and had an umbrella stand downstairs by the front door with plenty of big, robust umbrellas which we all huddled under on the way to dinner, and on the way back. We came back later that evening, stomachs full and satisfied from a local restaurant that Diane had recommended, and all feeling rather happy after quite literally some drinks. We all piled into one of the rooms and watched some comedy for the remainder of the night. Then we went our separate ways to our separate rooms, where I enjoyed use of the shower, got changed into my robe and slippers, and enjoyed a last cup of tea, whilst consulting the breakfast menu for the morning (because even when I'm crazily full, I'm still thinking of food!)

Breakfast is cooked to order and is served on the lowest floor of the guest house between 8.30 and 9.30am. Again, it was a really well decorated room (more wallpaper envy!), with beautiful details, and a breakfast table fully stocked with cereals, jams, spreads, fruits, yoghurt, juice and other refrigerated drinks. B&B rates include a cooked breakfast where you get a choice of small, medium or large. The information pack in our rooms did warn us that the large wasn't for the weak hearted and provided a photo of what it included....  it was huge! None of us were brave enough to chance one (all opting for mediums!), however the man on the table behind us did. Legend! Some of our party were vegetarian and Diane and her husband Rob were very accommodating, making special veggie cooked breakfasts (hash browns, veggie sausages, beans and eggs). If fry ups aren't your sort of thing, there are a variety of other cooked breakfast options available such as kippers, smoked salmon, scrambled eggs etc which are all listed inside the information pack in your room. However if you have any special food requests / dietary requirements (like my veggie sis!) just call Diane in advance of your stay.

It was a shame that our stay came to an end so soon, but I am so happy to have found such a gem of a place and will definitely revisit again in the future. Not only were the rooms wonderfully inspiring from an interior design perspective (that wallpaper though!), Diane and her husband were wonderfully attentive hosts and so welcoming.To find out more about the Rosita or to check prices and availability, please click here

FYI this is not sponsored content. I just had a lovely stay and wanted to spread the love!

What I picked up in the sales....

I wasn't actually planning to shop the sales this year. I was away travelling at Christmas, so had a bit of a digital detox and refrained from all temptation online activity. I came back to London the following week, fully aware that the best of the sales had probably already all been scooped up, so there'd be no point in even looking. But you know how it is. A curious little peek here, a curious little peek there. And voilà, there were actually plenty of good things left. Or maybe it was just good timing of when the more organised sales hunters start to return their goods. This year I chose quality over quantity. It may seem massively 'spendy', but I'm justifying the means in that I'm moving into my new home this year, I can't take all my clothes with me, so I'm trying to cull the existing and refine my wardrobe to the basics. It was a pricey way of doing it admittedly, but definitely a good start into achieving my capsule wardrobe!

Embellished blouse - £90 £51.95

The classiest and comfiest of white blouses. Annoying this one has been reduced even further since I bought it, but that's life! But I loved it enough, and was relieved to pick one up before it sold out!

Bronze pleat skirt - £130 £50
This was a bit of an impulse purchase as I hadn't tried a midi skirt before, so wasn't sure if the length would suit me. But I love how they look paired with chunky knits and heeled ankle boots on the catwalk or in fashion week street photography. I went for one in this lovely bronze sort of colour. It is the skirt of dreams.

Floral Oxfords -  £138 £54.95
This was another in-store find, and another incredible saving. They are the marmite of the shoe world - kinda pretty, also quite alternative and weird - but I absolutely love them.

White boyfriend shirt [not pictured]
This was another in-store (Anthropologie), which I can't find online anywhere. I love wearing knits with a collar peeking out of them and this textured, and for lack of better words... "embossed dot" collar is a lot more interesting than a standard, stiff white collar. It's the sort of shirt which would also look great worn under a pair of dungarees or a jumpsuit.

Kitten heel boots - £49.99 £39.99 £19.99
I love the playfulness of knee high boots worn with a little skirt. I'd been on the hunt for some for a while, but never found any that were quite delicate or dainty enough. I think I may have found them!

Velvet stud blouse - £49.99 £25.00
I also found the most incredible black little sheer blouse with velvet and stud detailing which makes me feel like a boho cowboy/girl. This one sold out and is no longer online so can't link to this one - sorry!

Twill Tulip Shorts - £68 £19.95
Weirdly enough the XS were more expensive (£26.95) whereas S and upwards were cheaper! These sold out really quickly so I didn't get my size unfortunately and had to size up. But you know what? These are actually better with a more relaxed fit. They are more flattering on the leg, and these shorts look divine peeking out from under an oversized knit. These shorts have definitely been my wardrobe staple lately.

Camel coat - £120 £84
Sadly this coat had sold out in the River Island online sale, but by chance I found one here. I'd noticed and loved this coat back when it was full price, so pretty chuffed to find it in the sale. It did sell out in record time though. So I was stoked when casually I went onto the site one day and saw they had one more left in my size!

Maple trousers - £100 £29.95
I live in jeans and have always wanted some smarter and comfier trousers. These were an absolute bargain and I was amazed by such a generous saving. I love the leaf print, very autumnal

Scallop shirt (also available in petite) - £80.00 £22.95
Be it food or fabric, I do like a scallop. This offering is slouchy, comfortable and so much more interesting than a bog standard shirt. You can never have too many white shirts!

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So as you can see, my wardrobe basics are coming along nicely! Of course a few non sale items worked their way in too ;) but that's always the way!

Be more Karlie

I'm sure I'm not the only one who was delighted when Karlie Kloss was signed to be the new face of Topshop. Those of you who have seen my Pinterest (in particular my Karlie Kloss pins!) will already know that I love her style. But Karlie Kloss kitted out head to toe in Topshop? Perfection. After seeing her Topshop Lookbook, I found myself wanting to wanting to Be More Karlie, and wanting to dress more like her. And dress more like her, I did. To celebrate #bemorekarlie, I decided to try and emulate some of the pictures from the campaign. Obviously I don't have access to studio lighting or an industrial / urban space with stone steps and brick walls...but I gave it a go!

SHOP THE LOOK

Khaki jacket (similar here)  // Red dress (similar here)

SHOP THE LOOK

Blazer and trousers duo  // White tee (similar here)

One of the things I love about Karlie is how her poses look so natural and effortless. I thought they'd be easy to mimic, but the cramp in my leg - then foot - decided otherwise. Apologies for the grainy pics - I'm just your average girl, so don't have fancy lighting rigged up or a photographer friend to take my snaps for me. My SLR wouldn't focus so I had to use my compact camera which has the WORST NIGHT CAPABILITIES KNOWN TO MAN/WOMAN. #firstworldproblems

Epic lookbook and effortless posing, courtesy of Karlie and Topshop. Awful posing, my own.

#MyTravelMemory with Celebrity Cruises

For me personally, there’s no such thing as a bad holiday. So when looking back and reminiscing, it’s difficult to pinpoint the best of the best. But if I had to choose just one, it’d be Gran Canaria back in 2014.

To give you some background, 2014 didn’t have the best of starts. It started with a cancer scare. I’m usually so happy-go-lucky, and after such a shocking and nasty experience, life suddenly became all the more precious.

I love a city break as much as the next person, but a few months later after being given the all clear, I needed a holiday that was slower paced – to relax, and at the same time celebrate me getting past the big c.

I went with my then boyfriend and we ate wonderful food, drank wonderful wine, swam, lounged around by the pool, travelled to nearby towns, and went on long walks. There were laughs aplenty which was just the medicine I needed. Especially that one time we walked and found the most perfect, serene beach which was virtually empty of people. We couldn’t understand it. Then we came across a whole mass of people – all OAPs and naked – and suddenly understood why people avoided walking that far along the beach! Still to this day, I can’t erase the memory of an old and very naked man bending over to get something from his cool box… We walked further along the beach and were so glad we did, as here the sea was the bluest blue and we came across some sand dunes, the views from the tops of which were out of this world.

Although it wasn’t Italy, we embraced dolce far niente (the sweet beauty of doing f all). We had no set plans, just relaxing, treating ourselves and doing whatever we wanted. It was the trip that revived me and gave me my vim back. I’d never felt so alive as I did that particular week. And for that very reason, Gran Canaria will also be one of my fondest memories.

You can read more on my trip to Gran Canaria here

I now invite you guys to join in and reminisce with me! What travel memory do you hold most dear? Please share your blog post links in the comments below as I'd love to read all about your travel memories! #MyTravelMemory

The above is my entry for Celebrity Cruises latest competition where bloggers are invited to write about their favourite holiday memories in order to win a 7 night cruise,  or runners up prizes of restaurant vouchers (both very much up my street!)

#14 Life as we know it

... festive edition!

What have I been up to lately? Mostly snuggling up in cosy knits. Wearing my camel coloured Zara scarf to death. Yes it's been the mildest December / January that I can remember, but it won't stop me wrapping up!

The cutest decorations on our tree at work. Just look at the miniature Christmas jumpers!

Christmas markets. My favourite food stall this year was The Frenchie on London's Southbank which specialised in duck confit burgers. Not the prettiest of burgers... but the duck scratchings and truffle mayonnaise were heavenly!

Christmas cups. I wasn't overly impressed with any of the festive hot chocolates this year. The honey and almond hot chocolate from Starbucks tasted massively of my nemesis... marzipan *bleugh* ... so instead I mostly indulged in Starbucks' Signature Hot Chocolate (the best!) and Costa's standard hot chocolate topped with plenty of cream (a must!)

Starbucks still can't spell my name.... 

Woodland walks with Mr Curiouser and Curiouser.
The mild weather has been ideal.
The ground isn't too soggy, and there's no snow or ice (yet!).

Coming in from the cold, warming up with a mug (or two!) of mulled wine

Isn't this parcel beautiful? My best friend Alison has impeccable taste!

Flowers from work given to me on Christmas Eve.
I love poinsettias - nothing makes me feel more Christmasy!

I had a massive digital detox over Christmas which did me the world of good. No Internet. No phone. No TV. I work in Digital so it was nice to have a break from it all. Just before Christmas I treated myself to one of those adult colouring books and I can now understand what all the fuss is about! There's something very relaxing and satisfying about completing a design!

Hope you all enjoyed the festive season and that you saw the New Year in in style! I look back on the last year with fond memories. It was the year I got engaged to the most wonderful man. We met in the first year of uni and got closer and closer over the years. I don't really do New Year resolutions (and I'm not going to start now!) but in the New Year I look forward to moving in with my fiancé (still feels weird saying it!) and planning our big day. More details on the proposal to follow at a later date!