Tag: Manchester

Things I Maybe Could Have Been…But Wasn’t

“Shoulda, woulda, coulda”…There are lots of things we could have done that likely would have lead us down a very different path to where we are now. Like many people, my life has taken many twists and turns over the years and each and every choice and decision I’ve made has lead me to where I am now.

I have no regrets. Sure in the past I’d maybe wished I’d worked harder, or realised certain things sooner, but right here, right now, I can honestly say I’m happy with where things have wound up thus far. Having said that, who knows what I could have been had I have continued to pursue a different path to the one I’m on today.

So in today’s post I want to take you on a bit of a journey. You know I love a good chat, so grab yourself a cuppa. I want to share a few different things I just could have potentially been, but in the end (so far anyway), wasn’t…

An artist…or something or other.

‘But I am an artist darling!’. Just kidding *not kidding*…actually, on a serious note, when I first started out on my prospective career path (not that I had any actual clue where it was going), I did in fact enrol onto an art course at a local college. I know, I know, that sounds like the most typical post high school dosser option. However, I was in fact a keen artist back in the day, and I wasn’t too shabby at it either, if I do say so myself. Anyway, I can’t remember exactly what the course entailed but all I remember is that two days in, I was being asked to annotate a Lowry painting and it was there and then that I knew this course was not for me.

Now I don’t want to bad mouth old Laurence (that’s Mr L.S Lowry to you and I), but as much as I

love art, I wasn’t that enthusiastic about the idea of writing an entire essay about one of Lowry’s stick men paintings (excuse the uncultured Karl Pilkington moment). No, no, I wanted to create art, not write about it. And I get it, in order to learn we must asses, but I’m very much a, ‘get an idea and roll with it’ type of person and I quickly discovered that this course wasn’t about to bode well with my artistic attitude, (ironically). I mean, I don’t know what I was expecting really. Maybe creative filled days that looked like something from the set of Art Attack (Neil Buchanan always did have my dream job)…I don’t know. Anyway, I quickly ended that potential career path before it even began and after two whole days of thinking ‘what the heck am I doing?’, I left and went off to start anew. And that I did. It was time to pursue another passion of mine…performing!

An Actress

Lights, camera, action! I’m ready for my close up! Okay, so getting two buses across Manchester and back each day to study performing arts at collage wasn’t the most glamorous, but boy was it fun – like seriously the bus journeys themselves were actually fun, my classmates were hilarious and just as bonkers as I was! Anyway, the days were long and always full: Scripts to read, plays to rehearse, essays to write. I was actually in my element during my time at college. I had finally found my calling and I wanted to become an actress! Or any sort of performer really, (but not a mime, because I can’t keep quiet for more than five minutes). Jokes aside, I was truly in my element when I was performing and I didn’t want it to end.

This dream wasn’t a short lived one and I went on to study a degree in performing arts at university. Although a lot more intense than college, with even longer days, longer essays and even more plays and shows to rehearse and perform, I was still very much passionate about acting and when on staged I loved every minute of it.

Post university the reality quickly hit that I wasn’t about to just become a working actress. To be honest, I think that reality had hit a whole lot sooner, before I’d finished my studies. After a life of education, I was ready to start earning some proper money and I knew that meant getting a ‘real job’ as they call it.

Acting was not a cheap career path to pursue. Even a Spotlight membership was way beyond my means straight after uni, never mind travelling for castings. Also the biggest reality that struck me when I did look for casting calls were the lack of roles for women and the even fewer roles for women of colour.

I decided to put acting on the back burner. I went straight into applying for post-graduate jobs, with the goal of finally starting to earn some proper money. I’d been broke for so long and now that uni was over, I was over the broke uni student lifestyle. I didn’t really know what I’d be doing next but I spent about eight months post university applying for full time jobs (whilst going out a lot and acting like I was still a student) and not really getting anywhere.

After months of frustration and not knowing what I was really doing with my life, whilst getting by on doing odd promotional jobs, I was persuaded to apply to some modelling agencies. This was something that terrified me and in all honesty I didn’t see it as something that was feasible. But with no immediate career prospects, what did I have to lose? I finally plucked up the courage and after applying to an agency in Manchester, I found myself getting signed to the agency that would become my Mother agent for the next 6 and a half years. And so began my modelling career…but just as you think that may be the end of this story, I wasn’t done there…

A Fashion Designer (sort of)

One important detail that I missed out about my time at university, is that I spent a lot of my time outside of studying/acting, sat on my sewing machine, making clothes. I used to have a real thing for vintage and 1950’s style fashion. I’d often make dresses to a similar style and I even made dresses for my friend’s birthdays. It’s funny to think about now because all of that feels like a lifetime ago, and I can’t remember the last time I got on my sewing machine to do anything other than stick a quick seam.

I’d say designing/making clothes was a strong passion of mine throughout my childhood and into early adulthood. As a child I would fill books with would be designs and I even went as far as to put on a fashion show for my Final Major Performance at university. And yes, I was doing a performing arts degree but my head of department was pretty cool in that he said I could do whatever as long as I was able to legitimately relate it back to performance. I was even assigned the head of textiles to report to, which was crazy because I was self taught and had nowhere near the level of skills as someone doing a fashion related degree…but, I guess I’ve always had that ‘if there’s a will, there’s a way’ mentality…aannnndd that’s how I ended up way out of my depth durning my final months of university (insert upside down smiling emoji face here).

After a rather stressful end to my degree, I packed up my sewing machine (along with the rest of my worldly possessions) and headed back to Manchester at the first possible opportunity. I could not wait to get home!

My years of being in full time education were finally done and back home in Manchester my sewing machine was left gathering dust for a little while…until, I eventually began a new project which was making clutch bags. I remember making my first ever bag (and you might do too if you’re an OG reader/follower on the gram).

It was a structured little box bag in lilac faux leather. I was SO pleased with myself at my first little handbag creation. I soon got hooked and figured out how to make clutch bags too. Then before I knew it I started selling a few.

I can easily let my ideas run away with me, and when I get into something, I really get into something. I did a craft fair, and I started selling my bows (oh I made bows as well) and bags online too. I’ll never forget the first ever sale from my website, when someone from France bought one of my bags. I couldn’t believe someone in France had ordered one of my handmade bags. It was initially exciting, however (yes there’s a however)…I quickly learnt that it was not for me. Whilst at first I’d loved making bags and bows, and spending hours on my sewing machine, when I started to get orders and custom requests, it actually began to fill me with dread. You see I’d enjoyed making the prototypes of each new design but then when I had to sit and sew multiple of the same design (over, and over, and over), I soon got very, very bored with it.

I was in no way in any financial position so get someone else to make the bags for me and if I’m honest, I didn’t feel that passionate about it to take it any further. It wasn’t like the bags were flying off their imaginary shelves, and I now definitely respect the graft of any small business trying market and sell their product because that shizz ain’t easy! This was the first realisation that not all hobbies should be made into a business and that little bag making stint put me off making things for a very good long while. After that, I was done.

You live and you learn as they say, and whilst I still love design, I now know that if I were to ever pursue something similar again, I’d be focusing purely on the design element and I’d definitely be handing over the production side to someone else.

So what was next for Samio? Well, like I said, I continued to model over the next several years and throughout that time I had some amazing opportunities and experiences. I actually dipped my toes back into the acting world a few times. One very random ‘modelling job’ actually landed me on the set of a feature film for three days and I think uni Samio would have had a mini heart attack at the prospect. It was an insane experience for me and I got to see the pros at it first hand. I also found myself on set for lots of TV commercials over the years. And whilst they may not have been the most challenging of performances, I always felt my past experience with acting/performance always helped me get the job at those types of castings, and I always found those types of jobs great fun too.

Of course here I am today blogging, and as I sit and cathartically share what now feels like a part of my life story, I feel pleasantly nostalgic. This year, after six and a half years of modelling, I finally felt it was time to close the chapter on that period of my life and so I left all of my modelling agencies, in order to focus on blogging full time. I’d been blogging alongside modelling for the past five years as my creative outlet, and it’s only been in the past several months that it’s become a proper job. These past six months of working as a full time blogger and creative have been amazing and I honestly feel so, so grateful to be in this position, but it hasn’t been without its hard graft and lots of twists and turns along the way.

Looking back I can now see the little dominos all falling into place and I’ve eventually wound up here. Of course this isn’t the end of my story yet. I still have that ‘when I grow up I want to be…’ feeling, as with each goal accomplished, a new aspiration is formed and it’s interesting to see how those goals and dreams have changed and developed over the years. I’ve learnt from each failed attempt at something, or from each ‘wrong’ decision I’ve made along the way and I think a lot of the things I did pursue in the past have given me many of the skills that enable me to do what I do today. I get to make things, be creative and perform (in my own right), so I guess in the end I got to do a bit of everything I love. But like I said, I’m not done yet, so who knows what’s next…

Hmmm, I hear space travel is pretty cool.

Samio x

Shop The Look

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3265643″]

September 5, 2018
TMI – Too Much Inspo

If there’s one thing I struggle with more than a lack of inspiration, it’s ironically, too much inspiration. It sounds silly but since returning from my trips to Spain and then America, my mind has been a buzz with ideas. So much so that it’s been hard to know where to start. I’ve been back home for exactly two weeks now, yet I only just feel like I’m getting back to normality (whatever that is).

I guess for me, my normality is having a daily routine of creating content, working to my schedules/deadlines, and replying to emails from brands etc. I’m usually quite good at keeping self motivated. Since working on my self portrait project since late last year, that has been something that has kept me thinking up new ideas and pushed myself to try and capture something creative almost everyday.

Recently however, I appear to have hit a stumbling block. It’s that old chestnut of feeling like everything you’re taking in is starting to look the same and in turn you feel like your own work is following suit.

One of the reasons I started my self portrait project was in order to improve my photography and editing skills and push myself to be more creative when I don’t have Damien at my disposal to help me get the shots…I’ve never really stuck to one set photography style, or way of editing, as for me it’s all been about learning and developing new skills. More recently however I’ve felt myself falling into a trap of feeling like I need to do things a certain way as a blogger and I know it’s an idea I need to quickly get out of my head.

I sometimes wish I could have a social media detox (as they call it) and start again. It’s so hard to escape the echo chambers that we’ve created for ourselves. We are often being fed the same type of images/information that we have once expressed we have interest in and so now the algorithms love to show us even more of the same type of stuff. This happens so much so, that you can have a skewed idea of what’s popular, or how things are ‘meant’ to be. If you’re being inspired by lots of the same type of inspiration, then how are you ever going to really create something that’s uniquely you.

These are some thoughts that I have been toying with and aside from doing a Kanye on the gram (and unfollowing everyone), I’m not sure what we can really do about it. But then I guess even Kanye ended up in his own echo chamber of just himself. So there we go…it’s a little food for thought I guess.

Samio x

Espadrilles – Castañer | Jeans – Find | Vest – Meraki

Images shot by Damien, directed and edited by me.

July 19, 2018
Spring Layering

Recently I’ve been getting a little bit more experimental with my style once again and I’ve had fun incorporating more dresses and feminine pieces into my wardrobe, especially as we slowly move into Summer. Having said that, I’ll always have much love for my staple pieces. Sometimes there’s just nothing more convenient than being able to throw on you favourite pair of jeans, staple jacket and simple white tee, for a look that you know just works.

A few months ago I invested in this black Jigsaw jacket and whilst at the time I was trying to inject more colour back into my wardrobe, it didn’t feel like the most ‘fun’ purchase but I knew it would be something that I would get a lot of wear out of. It’s since become my go to jacket for most occasions and whilst the jacket itself is quite plain, I’ve enjoyed layering it over more colourful pieces, (like this very jazzy French Connection blazer), which I think works quite well to add a pop of colour, whilst still keeping quite a classic look.

I’m excited to share more summer looks now that the weather has started to (finally) warm up here in the UK…but as you know, the weather can often be hit and miss even during the summer here, so on days when it’s a little milder, I’ll keep replying on those staple pieces and a bit of Spring/Summer layering to see me through.

Samio x

Shoes – Jigsaw | Jeans – Asos | T-Shirt – & Other Stories | Pink Jacket – French Connection | Black Jacket – Jigsaw (sold out, similar here) | Bag – Pinko (similar here) | Watch – Cluse | Jewellery – Pernille Corydon

Shop The Look

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3093385″]

Watch my recent, what I’ve been wearing video:

April 23, 2018
3 Happiness Habits

Shots by Rosie Butcher

When we think of happiness it’s easy to think of what it is to be happy in a particular moment. For example, right now I think what would really make me happy is a large Dominos veggie volcano pizza (hmmm pizza). Or someone else’s idea of a happy moment might be buying those designer shoes they’ve had their eye on for ages! The reality though, is that however nice that slice of pizza tastes (still drooling at the thought to be honest), or however beautiful those shoes are, this type of happiness is short lived. If we don’t feel good in other aspects of our life it doesn’t matter how good the pizza tastes, or how dreamy the shoes are, they just aren’t going to fix it. The reality is that (queue the cheesy cliche line) happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Now when I speak of happiness, I’m talking overall happiness. No matter how seemingly good someone’s life is, it’s impossible to skip around cheery and smiley all day, everyday, don’t let social media fool you. Overall happiness however, goes deeper than what’s on the exterior and it’s something that can take work and I’m not talking a quick five minute fix.

Trainers – Converse | Jeans – Me & Em | Striped Tee – Cos | Cardigan – Me and Em | Watch – Cluse | Jewellery – Pernille Corydon

Spend Time With People You Love

Personally, nothing makes me feel more uplifted than surrounding myself with people I love. I’m lucky to have an amazing bunch of people in my life and to be quite honest I can’t get enough of them. Be it a long distant phone call, a coffee catch up, or even a sleepover with my besties (yes I’m a grown woman who still has sleepovers), I’m always left feeling in high spirits after catching up and spending time with some of my favourite people.

Aside from friends, family and partners, it doesn’t always have to mean spending time with people you’re close with. Obviously I’d recommend you do that as much as possible but sometimes you can find the type of people you love to be around in other situations as well. Finding like minded people is especially important. That feeling of being able to relate and share common ground/interests with someone can be just what you need. I love the buzz I get after having chats with like minded people about things that we are equally passionate about. And if you’re not sure about where to find these like minded people then think about what your main interests are and seek out clubs, groups and events where you connect with them. Be it through hashtags or even a quick google search, it’s easier than you think to ‘find your tribe’, so go for it.

Practice Gratitude

I’ve spoken about this before (particularly in this post here) and no doubt I’ll speak about it again, but practicing gratitude on a daily basis can do wonders for your happiness levels. When I wake up I like to take five minutes or so before jumping out of bed or grabbing for my phone, to just think about the things I’m grateful for in that moment. It can be as simple as being grateful for having such a comfy bed to go to sleep and wake up in, to being happy that you get to head out to a job you love, or maybe you’re even just grateful for the coffee you’ll soon be drinking. Whatever it is, take a mental note, or write actual notes if you’d rather. It can be whenever you like, not just in the morning. Just thinking about all the things that you’re grateful for can really help you to re-evaluate things and in turn, help to lift your mood. Do this on a daily basis and believe me you’ll see a difference.

Find Fulfilment

This is a weird one, as fulfilment can come is different forms for different people. You may find fulfilment in your children, you may find fulfilment in your job, or you may even find it in helping others. Sometimes the trickiest part is finding what brings you these feelings of fulfilment in the first place…but once you know what that thing is, you’ll know what to pursue in life in order to help bring you happiness. Of course fulfilment can come from a number of places, I know for me personally I find it in being able to use my creativity, in helping others, in spending time with loves ones and exploring different countries (quite a list there). For you it could be a similar combination, or something entirely different. Whatever it is, make time to work on or work towards the things that personally bring you fulfilment because quite often those are some of the things that will bring you the most joy in your life.

Those are my three happiness habits and just a few things that I find help me…Of course it’s normal to have down days here and there, we can’t be feeling super happy all of the time, but if you do find yourself constantly feeling down, then it’s always important to reach out and speak to someone about it. Here’s a link to some helplines if you do need more information – click here – or if you just feel like you need someone to chat to, I found out about a great little website where you can chat with trained listeners anonymously online, which you can find here.

Samio x

Shop The Look

[show_shopthepost_widget id=”3090013″]

April 6, 2018
A Manchester Staycation

It had been years since I had a staycation in the city, so when Roomzzz offered us a night’s stay at their newly opened hotel in Manchester, I of course jumped at the offer. Whilst I love my weekends spent at home, I must admit there’s always something a little bit exciting about spending a night or two away from home, even if it is only a few miles down the road.

Damien and I headed to Roomzzz a few Saturday’s ago, with our bags packed ready for a fun weekend in the city. Situated in the grade II listed Corn Exchange building, the Roomzzz hotel is in the perfect location, close to many of the best bits of Manchester. Being a born and bred Mancunian, I of course have my firm favourite spots in the city but on this occasion it was nice to try a few new places too.

As well as being home to Roomzzz, the Corn Exchange also houses a number of great bars and restaurants, some of which I’ve visited before (like Mowgli for example, which is one of my favourites and would recommend if you enjoy authentic style Indian street food). During this particular time we tried Salvi’s in the Corn Exchange for the first time. This little Italian is a hidden gem and I’m surprised we hadn’t visited earlier. We had the fun of experiencing a pasta making class whilst we were there and we also sampled their amazing smoked mozzarella cheese – I’d recommend trying one of their pizzas with it on too if you get chance, it’s seriously good.

Whilst the Corn Exchange has plenty to offer, there’s also lots around the area too. Just across from there you have Selfridges and Manchester’s Arndale if you fancy a spot of shopping whilst you’re in the city.

If you fancy dining out somewhere different during your stay, then you can always take a short walk along Deansgate towards Spinningfields. On the Saturday evening we went to Iberica in Spinningfields for Spanish tapas. Although I’d been to Iberica a few times in the past for drinks, this was the first time I’d eaten there and the food did not disappoint. Our waiter was great at recommending the best dishes to try and everything we had was delicious.

Overall it was a great staycation. I think my favourite thing about our stay at Roomzzz was the convenience of being so close to everything. Although I live in Manchester, it was nice to experience my city in a completely different way and also try out some new places in the process.

Samio x

March 28, 2018
I Put Too Much Pressure On Myself & It’s Really Not That Deep

I was going to come at you today with a good old fashioned outfit post. By that I mean, in the old style of doing a blog post where I literally just share an outfit and ramble on a bit about it…but then something almost stopped me. I feel what sometimes deters me from posting more frequently is the feeling of not having anything very insightful or eloquently interesting to say.

As my blog has evolved (like many others), so has my writing style and the topics I like to discuss here in this space. Whilst I love my style content and sharing outfits, I now turn to my YouTube channel as a place to frequently share my outfits and styling ideas. It’s meant that over time, whilst I do continue to share style content visually here on my blog, the text has changed a lot, with the writing becoming slightly more topical and hopefully much more engaging too. With that being said, when I don’t feel I have anything very interesting or insightful to write, it puts me off writing at all. I think there’s a saying (I forget who said it), ‘you’re only as good as your last piece of work’. Whilst this can be a great quote to help motivate you to do your best and work harder, for me, I find it has the opposite effect. I often find this one niggling in the back of my mind as I sit down to write and then it puts me off sharing anything at all, if I don’t feel it lives up to what I put out previously.

It’s a silly dilemma to be in, I know. Like I often say about a lot of silly things that people get their knickers in a twist over, ‘it’s not that deep’. I’m well aware this is just a blog but for me this is the little space on the internet that is all mine, and because of that I tend to feel more particular about what I put out on it than on any other platform. However, one thing that I do say a lot is, ‘don’t strive for perfection, instead strive for consistency’. I should really practice what I preach here on my blog too, and remember that it’s okay to keep it simple. So sod my own silly standards that I’m unable to consistently live up to. The reason I started this blog in the first place was to do just that…blog. Be it long meaningful pieces, or just your bog standard light-hearted outfit post.

So I’m taking things back to basics. This space is just as much for me as it is for anyone else reading. When I first started this blog I’d happily type away to my hearts content when I didn’t think anyone was reading, so maybe now that’s what’s the problem (I now know that there is) and I just need to remember why I started blogging in the first place. I’ve always loved writing and sharing content here on my blog but I enjoy it so much more when I ease the pressure off just a bit. So this is just a reminder to myself that not every post has to include my most eloquent piece of writing and sometimes I should still just share the simple outfit posts with a bit of basic chatter, even if it is just for my own cathartic ramblings…and if you enjoy reading that, great, and if not, well, you can always just look at the pictures.

Samio x

Boots – Finery | Jeans – Weekday| Shirt – Gustuz (similar here) | Roll Neck (similar here) | Biker Jacket – Topshop | Bag – Pinko (similar here)

Shop The Look

<br />

March 19, 2018
Why You Should Do What Makes You Happy

I always say, as long as your intentions are good and you’re not hurting anybody, or yourself, then do what makes you happy. This of course can be easier said than done, as sometimes in order to create or find the happiness we desire, we may have to step out of our comfort zone or take risks. Sometimes we can even find ourselves being discouraged from doing certain things that deep down we know we truly desire. Sometimes the dissuasion can come from others, or other times it can come from oneself. It’s important to not let these ideas of doubt get in the way and you should allow yourself to pursue the things that make you happy.

Your life is yours and not anyone else’s

Relationships, be it family, friends or a partner can sometimes be a conflicting factor in focusing on ones own happiness. We can often convince ourselves that the happiness of our loved ones is the most important thing, and whilst I am in agreement with this to an extent, I also have the opinion that focusing on someone else’s happiness is lesser justified if means making yourself miserable in the process. There needs to be compromise and balance, and if someone else’s happiness compromises your own, then you have to consider if it’s really worth it. Of course there are times when it’s necessary to put the needs of others before our own but when it comes to your long term happiness, just make sure that when making decisions that affect you, remember that it’s your life and nobody else’s.

Boots – Asos (similar here) | Trousers – TK Maxx (similar here) | Top – Topshop (similar here) | Biker Jacket – Topshop | Bag – Pinko (similar here)

You never know what might happen

Circumstances and situations can change so rapidly that where you are today might be very different to where you are in a day, a month, or a year, and so on. As they say ‘life is short’. It’s an overused phrase and with good reason, because most of the people who say it have had some sort of life experience to help them put things into perspective.

Whatever stage or place you’re at in life, if you have the opportunity to make choices to do the things that make you happy, then go for it. Who knows what may happen tomorrow. With that in mind, it’s important to seize opportunities whilst you can. Take that road trip with a friend, apply for that new job, end the unhappy relationship, go on that dream adventure, take that dance class, learn that new skill and most importantly just remember to do you, for you!

It’s your responsibility and not anyone else’s

Lastly it’s important to note that choosing to do what makes you happy is inevitably down to you. We can’t rely on others for our happiness, nor can we expect other’s to take care of things for us. It’s solely down to you to go after what you want, don’t wait around for someone else to make things happen for you. Perusing the things you want in life isn’t always easy but if in the long run it’s what will make you happy, then what are you waiting for?

Samio x

Shop The Look

<br />

February 28, 2018
A Romantic Guide To Manchester

This post is sponsored by Flybe

Romantic may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Manchester but you may be surprised to find several spots that are ideal for the perfect date or spot to woo your Valentine.

I’ve teamed up with Flybe to bring you this post and when they asked me to show you around some of my favourite romantic spots in my hometown, I of course jumped at the chance. If you know me, you’ll know I’m always out exploring my city and discovering new spots. So if you’re thinking about taking a trip here this Valentine’s Day but you’re not sure which places you should visit, then look no further because your girl has got you covered!

The Best Brunch Date

Pot Kettle Black has got to be one of my favourite places to go for breakfast or brunch. The coffee here is great and these people know how to do breakfast just right, plus it’s served all day, so there’s no rush. Whilst the food tastes delicious, presentation is their speciality too, so you’re bound to impress your date with a tasty (and also Instagramable) bit of brunch in this spot. Cosy up in one of the window seats which looks out into the Victorian shopping arcade (Barton Arcade) and start your day just right.

Art Is For Lovers

Manchester art gallery has always been one of my favourite spots and if you ask me, I think it’s a great place to take a date. It’s free entry and with everything from historical paintings to contemporary pieces, there’s something for every art enthusiast to enjoy. I always think there’s something quite romantic about art galleries and you can easily spend an afternoon wandering around this place and taking it all in. They have a coffee shop and a pretty cool gift shop too.

Cocktails With A View

I don’t know why but there’s always something so romantic about having cocktails high up in the sky…that’s if you’re not scared of heights of course. And if you’re not, then I definitely suggest you visit Cloud 23 whilst you’re in Manchester. Situated on the 23rd floor of Manchester’s tallest building (Beetham Tower) you’re able to get the best views of Manchester, and beyond. There may not always be blue skies but I don’t feel this dulls the romance of this lovely spot. You can easily spend a couple of hours here relaxing with a delicious cocktail (or two), watching the world go by.

The Less Obvious Romantic Spot

I realise not everyone wants romance to be in their face obvious and sometimes it’s actually the more bustling places that can turn out to be the most intimate. If you like a large open setting with a varied selection of great food and drink, then look no further than Mackie Mayor. This recently renovated Grade II listed building is one of my favourite spots in Manchester. It’s a great place to go with your date and I suggest taking a seat on the upper tier where you can sit and take in the views of this fabulous venue from above. My favourite thing about this place, aside from the great atmosphere, has to be the pizzas. I highly recommend the margarita pizza from Honest Crust, it’s seriously good!

A Romantic Place To Stay

What could be more perfect than an affordable and romantic hotel situated in my personal favourite part of Manchester, the Northern Quarter. The Cow Hollow Hotel is close to lots of great bars and restaurants but it’s easy to miss it, as it’s tucked away on a corner of Newton Street. I discovered this place after stumbling upon their bar, which I do believe is the cosiest and certainly most romantic spot that I have come across in the Northern Quarter. With great wine, great cocktails, excellent service and beautiful interior throughout, what’s not to love. This intimate little spot hosts a bar (which is open to the public as well as hotel guest) and 16 beautifully furnished hotel rooms perfect for your romantic getaway.

A Romantic Garden

You must visit Refuge when you come to Manchester because this place is just stunning. The huge building holds a number of different areas where you can dine, have drinks and relax. My favourite part of this place has to be the centrepiece, which is the beautiful Winter Garden. I like to call it the most weatherproof garden in Manchester because they have done an excellent job of brining the essence of the outdoors, inside. With it’s atrium ceiling, plush furnishings and large glass windows looking out onto the rest of the venue, you feel as if you’re inside a romantic secret garden. Whether you come here for a coffee during the day or for cocktails in the evening, it certainly makes for a perfect romantic spot.

So there we have it. Those are a few of my favourite romantic spots in Manchester. I love sharing favourite parts of my city and showing you around. Hopefully this could give you some insight of some of what Manchester has to offer and if you are looking to visit, then don’t forget Flybe flies to Manchester from eight UK airports, including Exeter, Southhampton, Aberdeen and Belfast. So what are you waiting for, why not hop on a flight over. Hope to see you soon!

Samio x

Check out my video guide here.

February 13, 2018

Stop Scrolling, Start Doing…

Samio Manchester Blogger in Atkinsons Mackie Mayor

Another New Motto

Recently here on my blog I’ve spoken about mottos to live by in 2018. So far they have been proving to be rather good reminders to keep me on track in day to day life. Well today I have another motto to add to that list and it’s one I’m surprised I haven’t thought of sooner and it’s this – Stop Scrolling, Start Doing.

We’ve all been there. Those periods of procrastination where anything seems more appealing than what we’re actually meant to be doing in that moment. Our phones have become our best friends and our enemies. Whilst in some ways they have made doing many things much easier, they have also become the distraction that eats into our time and stops us getting a lot of other things done.

Last year my scrolling addiction hit an all time phone junkie high. I didn’t even think I spent that much time on my phone but the evidence stated otherwise. (Seriously, go into your phone settings, check the battery section and see how much time you’ve spent on certain apps in the last 24 hours to 7 days…you may be surprised.)

In 2018 realised that I used Facebook a lot as a time filler. Whilst I honestly have no interest in watching videos of dogs doing back flips, or in seeing Janine’s 3D baby scan pictures, I still found myself mindlessly scrolling through. So I deleted the Facebook app off of my phone and despite missing cues to wish Happy Birthday to ‘friends’ I haven’t spoken to or seen in real life for over five years, I realise I really haven’t actually missed much.

Now whilst removing one app from my phone seemed to do the trick, when it came to the likes of Instagram I decided to use sheer willpower alone. And surprisingly it worked…for a time. Actually I weaned myself off of Instagram scrolling surprisingly easy. Like I mentioned in a previous post, I went two whole weeks over the festive period without posting one Instagram image, which is a pretty big deal when it’s actually part of what you do as your job.

Whilst now I’m back to my usual daily posts on Instagram, I still don’t think that should make for an excuse to slip into old habits of spending too much time on there. However I feel myself grabbing for the phone in regular intervals once again. I know what it is, it’s procrastination, plain and simple and whilst my phone is the catalyst, I am still very much culpable.

So I’ve decided it’s time to nip this bad habit in the bud and so I think the best way to attempt to do that is to give myself a friendly little daily reminder, by adding another motto to my list. Let’s see where we end up with these, by the end of the year I might have worked up quite the list.

Do you use your phone to procrastinate? Or are you good at staying focused and ignoring distractions? If you’re the latter, give me your tips please!

Samio x

Weekday Ami Jeans in Beige denim Black Longline Jigsaw Blazer

Weekday Ami Jeans in Oatmeal Casual Minimal Everyday Outfit

Smart Casual Style Jigsaw wool jacket layered with blazer and jeans

Weekday ami jeans boots and longline blazer outfit

Everyday Smart Casual Womens Style Outfit

Shop The Look

January 17, 2018

3 Mottos To Live By In 2018

We each have our own individual things that we want to achieve and focus on this year, be it wanting to save, reaching those work goals, or working on our own happiness. Whatever your focus, it’s always good to have a little reminder or prompt to go to in order to help keep you on track. That’s where mottos come in handy, you know, those cheesy little lines that we tell ourselves to give ourselves a boost of motivation.

Maybe you don’t have a motto, maybe you already have several that you like to remind yourself of frequently. I myself have drifted in and out of having my own mottos over the years but more recently, I’ve found myself thinking of certain mottos in my head and often they have given me that little motivational push when I’ve needed it most. So in this post I’m sharing three mottos that I intend to live by this year…

Oatmeal slim coat and scarf minimal style winter outfit

Asos oatmeal slim coat in wool blend mint velvet scarf warehouse burgundy jumper outfit

It’s okay to think it over but don’t overthink it

This is one of my own quotes that I actually came up with last year, or the year before (I can’t quite remember when). Whilst I agree it’s wise to think something over before going ahead with it, there’s a point when you need to draw a line and make a clear decision, to avoid overthinking it.

It’s funny, I can decide to book a trip, with not much thought or planning, yet I can find myself overthinking something as simple as what I write in an email. This year I aim to put a cap on my overthinking. I’m going to give things a second thought where a second thought is due but I’m going to try and worry less and not overthink things that really don’t need overthinking…So if you’re like me, then this might be a good one to add to your mottos too!

Your dreams don’t work unless you do

I couldn’t do this post without having a really cheesy one in there and admittedly this is one of the most overused, cliché quotes out there. But when it comes down to it, it’s actually a pretty good motto to live by.

Now in terms of dreams I’m talking about things that are existent or within our own realms of possibility. No matter how hard you work, it’s unlikely you’ll end up living on the moon, not in this lifetime at least (if that’s your bag anyway). But the realistic goals we want to achieve and the things we want to do in life, are things that we can work at/or towards, a little bit each day.

I like this motto because it’s simple, to the point and it’s great for someone like me who is a self confessed procrastinator. I almost picture me giving myself a lecture as I’m saying it, ‘girl, stop wasting time, come on, you’re dreams don’t work unless you do’. So maybe this cheesy motto isn’t such a bad one after all.

Jeans – River Island | Jumper – Warehouse (similar here) | Coat – Asos | Scarf – Mint Velvet

Do not strive for perfection. Strive for consistency

This next motto in some ways flows on from the last, in the way that it once again relates to working towards goals. This is another one of my own motto creations and if you watched my most recent YouTube video about how to achieve your 2018 goals, you will have already heard me mention this one.

Firstly, as we all know, perfection is something impossible to strive for, because in reality it doesn’t exist. The problem however, is that many of us quite frequently dismiss this, myself included. For example, if your aim for this year is to eat healthily, by putting pressure on yourself to constantly eat a restrictive ‘ideal’ diet, it’s more likely that you’ll eventually fall off the bandwagon and slip back into old habits. Whereas if you plan to consistently eat well and make better choices but with less pressure to ‘be perfect’ all the time, then it’s something that you’ll likely find easier to maintain and in the long run you’ll actually see the difference and feel the results from.

For me striving for consistency over perfection is something I need to apply more with my work. As a creative (and I’m sure many will be able to relate), it’s easy to have thoughts that our work or what we produce isn’t good enough at times, or that it needs to be better and the reality is that the more we create and share, the more we are able to improve and grow. Improvement comes with practice and time. Whilst things may not be how you want them to be right away, keep at it and in the long run you’ll develop and growth.

So those are three mottos that I’ll be trying to live by this year. They are just friendly reminders to myself to worry less, work hard and be consistent. Maybe some of these were relevant to you, or maybe it even inspired you to think of some mottos of your own. Are you into mottos? If so what’s a motto that you like to try and live by?

Samio x

Shop The Look

January 10, 2018

Tag: Manchester

An artist…or something or other.

An Actress

A Fashion Designer (sort of)

Shop The Look

Shop The Look

Spend Time With People You Love

Practice Gratitude

Find Fulfilment

Shop The Look

Shop The Look

Your life is yours and not anyone else’s

You never know what might happen

It’s your responsibility and not anyone else’s

Shop The Look

The Best Brunch Date

Art Is For Lovers

Cocktails With A View

The Less Obvious Romantic Spot

A Romantic Place To Stay

A Romantic Garden

Another New Motto

Shop The Look

It’s okay to think it over but don’t overthink it

Your dreams don’t work unless you do

Do not strive for perfection. Strive for consistency

Shop The Look