Tag: October

Bruges Travel Diary

13.10.18

I’m writing this from bed on a very lazy Saturday afternoon/evening. I’m currently in Bruges and I’ve just awoken from a long nap. I don’t remember the last time I napped during the day but I’m currently treating this little weekend away as a holiday in more ways than one.

Yesterday we arrived in Bruges at around 3pm, after a very long journey from Manchester. We took a taxi, a plane, a coach and two trains, all in the aid to get here. We hadn’t quite anticipated the length of the travel but in the end, when stepping off the train in Brugge (as the locals call it), we wondered along the quaint cobbled streets and we realised it had all been worth it.

This is my first time in the city, and my second visit to Belgium after having visited Ypres a few years ago. I knew some of what to expect and had already presumed there would be a great amount of beer and waffle consumption, but it seems we have all already somewhat over indulged. By this afternoon, after returning to the Airbnb for the afternoon (the place where we are staying is perfect by the way), we found ourselves each retreating to the bedrooms, or the sofa, and for me, I wound up in bed having a nap, which has led me here.

This evening we hope to go out and explore more of the local bars and pubs, as our Airbnb host already recommended a couple to us when greeting us on our arrival yesterday.

So far, we’ve already had some great food at a local restaurant, which was recommended to us by our AirBnb host. We went to a local place called De Verloren Hoek, where I went for for the skate, which was served with salad and mash potatoes and oh my was it good.

Then today we wound up in another great little spot for called Sanseveria. The speciality there is bagels and if you’re a fan then I’d definitely recommend this place.

14.10.18 – 12:40

We’re currently on the train from Bruges heading to Belgium. Our flight home isn’t until the evening but as the journey back it quite long, we decided to split it up a little by leaving Bruges early to spend the afternoon in Brussels before heading home.

I’ve really enjoyed our little weekend away in Bruges though. Whilst we were only there for a short time, it’s also felt long, but in a good way.

The weather has been amazing this weekend, which has been lucky, as its October but its felt more like the middle of summer, with highs of 24 degrees. Yesterday we sat out in the sunshine sampling beer and ate alfresco at one of the oldest pubs in Bruges during the evening (it had been there since 1515).

I think one of the things I’ve been pleasantly surprised with on this trip has been the food. It’s not that I expected anything bad but let’s just say on my last visit to Belgium I purely survived on a diet of French fries and waffles. Whilst neither are to be sniffed at (I mean, who doesn’t love waffles and fries) I’m glad that we’ve also been able to enjoy a verity if of tasty food, including the onion soup and cheese on toast that we had at the pub last night – it was delicious.

Whilst we have overindulged in rich foods, I’ve enjoyed everything we’ve sampled during being in Bruges, including the beer, which is a surprise to say I’m not much of a beer drinker. I’m glad though that I’ve been able to get my favourite cherry beer on tap (which is the norm for here) and something I wish they did back home – although it’s probably for the best that they don’t, as I can drink that stuff like it’s juice.

Right now I’m looking forward to getting off this train and stretching my legs. Let’s just say I’m glad that we’ve decided to split up the journey and I’m looking forward to seeing a bit of Brussels too.

20:30

It’s much later on now and we’re currently sat in the airport waiting for our plan to arrive. I feel full to brim and we’re all so, so tired but we had a great time visiting Bruges. It was also nice to stop off in Brussels earlier for lunch, but after a lot of travelling and waiting around, I think now it’s got to the point where we’re now all just ready for our own beds. I forget how tiring weekend city breaks away can be, especially when lots of travelling is involved like with this one. However I don’t regret taking the trip as it was a delight visiting Bruges and it’s somewhere I’m sure I’ll be visiting again in the future. Bye for now.

Samio x

October 22, 2018
Ten Months In Review

Achieving Goals & Setting New Ones

As we move into the final few months of 2017 I’m already beginning to reflect and look back on the year so far and not only that but also look forward and begin to think about what else I want to achieve by the end of this year and beyond. It may only be October but it’s never too early to start working on future goals to set things in motion for the new year. I’m not much of a new years resolution person per se, but like most people I do regularly have goals in mind that I’d like to work on/achieve.

On the very first day of 2017 I typed up a little review of my year and looking at it now it’s really interesting to see what I had in mind for this year and how it’s all panned out thus far. One of the main things I’d mentioned is that I wanted the main theme of my 2017 to be exploration, travel and learning. Ten months into the year and those themes couldn’t be more accurate at describing these past months. Travel and exploring new places has definitely been a large factor of the past ten months and in doing so I’ve learnt a lot. Another point I made is that one person I wanted to spend more time with this year was my mother. That’s also come to fruition as we’ve both spent lots of time with each other this year and we even took a five night trip to Copenhagen together, which tied back into the travel aspect too.

It appears that writing/typing up my goals has really helped them to come to life for me and so it’s something I’ve decided to start doing a lot more. It’s only when taking time to reflect and look back on the year so far that I truly realise that I’ve actually managed to achieve a lot that I’d set out to do this year. And it’s not too late to achieve more, as we still have three months left to get more things ticked off our lists and start work on new goals for the new year. Who’s with me?

Samio x

p.s, these photos were shot at the end of the summer whilst I was out having a coffee date with my friend Onyi (pictured below). These almost ended up in the forgotten achieve (along with about 292884774 of my other photos), until yesterday when I pulled them out and decided to give them an edit – another goal which I’ve been working on: Learn to edit photos in lightroom and get better at taking photos in the first place. I wanted these shots to have a slightly faded, almost vintage vibe and don’t think they turned out too shabby. I still have a lot to learn but what can I say, it’s another goal and I’m working on it. 😀

Shop Our Looks

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October 3, 2017
6 Things I Did On My Beach Holiday

I’m back from the Greek island of Kos, after a week away that I can only describe as relaxed, peaceful and self-indulgent. I allowed myself to fully wind down and do a few things that I very rarely get to do…

I Switched Off

I put my phone onto airplane mode for the majority of the trip. By the middle of the trip (and strategically timed on a Saturday), I couldn’t help but check my emails (just incase), as being self employed gives you the fear of missing out on work anytime you decide to ‘switch off’, which is usually never in my case. I did however allow myself to wait to reply to emails after I returned home – any guesses what I’ll be doing today?

I Sunbathed

For the first time in years I actually lay in the sun, not under the shade or wrapped in layers, and I fully let the sun bronze my skin – whilst covered in head to toe factor 50 of course – don’t get me started on skin protection.

I Swam in the Sea

I actually got to do this once whilst still in England over the summer but it had been a long time since I dipped into the sea whilst abroad…and lets face it, it’s always better swimming in the sea in a country that has a much warmer climate than the UK.

I ate a ridiculous amount of cheese

Okay so this is something I tend to do a lot whilst at home as well – hello, my favourite food is pizza! – But I wouldn’t usually opt for cheese with breakfast, lunch and dinner…But there was just so much of it and I couldn’t stop myself. I’m talking edam and cheddar for breakfast, pizza and feta for lunch and after dinner cheese and crackers with blue cheese every night. Yep, I’m going on a dairy free detox.

I Read a Book

I finally got to read the book that I’d meant to finish a long while ago. I’d bought A Little Life for my flights to Cape Town earlier this year and then found myself occupied watching the entire final series of Downton Abbey, along with a selection of old movies on the plane instead…Fast forward to a week ago and I finally picked it back up again and found myself hooked. In fact I found myself crying at the end. Actual tears, which was a bit embarrassing whilst sat in the hotel lobby but I definitely recommend the read, even if it may leave you a little heart broken.

I thought of nothing and did nothing

With an overactive brain like mine, that is somewhat impossible, but I did manage to zone out from the rest of the world (airplane mode definitely helped) and not think about the usual things that may rattle through my brain. I barely thought about my blog and didn’t even feel bad about not posting on social media. Sometimes it’s nice to switch off…It was also nice just being really lazy.

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It’s fair to say I had a great week away. I hope that you have had a great week so far and enjoy a great rest of the week too!

Samio x

October 26, 2016
Winter Wardrobe Upgrade With The 3 In 1 Coat

If you’re a regular to my blog, you’ll know how important versatility and wearability is when it comes to any new pieces that I allow into my wardrobe. When searching for a coat I can often find it overwhelming as there are so many styles out there that it can be hard to find ‘the one’, especially when wanting to invest in something good quality that can endure a number of seasons…

As soon as I saw the Navy Three In One Trench Coat, from Mint Velvet’s new collection, MINT, I instantly fell in love…Braking all my rules and saying yes to navy, I definitely managed to tick the box for versatility, as what’s more versatile than a coat that can be worn three different ways!? I can’t wait to keep re-styling this over the coming Autumn/Winter months. Can you tell how excited I am about this coat! Anyway, enough babbling, I’ll let the images do the rest of taking, and don’t forget to check out my mini Lookbook video at the end…

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Shirt – Y.A.S | Skinny Scarf – Asos (similar here) | Skirt – Asos | Belt – Asos (Similar here) | Boots – Office |Bag – Kate Spade | Coat – Mint by Mint Velvet

Two

Three

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Samio x

Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

October 17, 2016
The Pink Holographic Shoulder Bag

Since I was little I’ve been what you might call a ‘girly girl’ and still now into my adulthood there are many factors including that my favourite colour is pink, I’m instantly attracted to shiny, sparkly accessories and the fact that I’m still secretly slightly envious of Barbie’s wardrobe, that prove my fashion sense hasn’t grown up quite as much as I’d like to think.

Nowadays however, instead of dressing head to toe as a sparkling, shimmery, walking rainbow, I unleash my inner childhood girly girl by opting for key pieces to add a pop of fun to my outfits. So when picking out a bag from LYDC London, of course I opted for the fabulous Argill Holographic Shoulder bag in pink!

I’m like a magpie when it comes to shiny things and so I was instantly attracted to this particular LYDC bag, however I must say I was spoilt for choice whilst browsing through their website, so if you’re on the look out for a new bag, I’d recommend it as the place to go!

gey tulle dress from Forever 21. Belt from Asos.

Samio x

November 3, 2014
October & Halloween

Just when I thought that this year couldn’t be going any quicker, BAM, November is here. Soon the countdown to Christmas will begin (for those whom it hasn’t already) and many of us will begin to think about those ever self improving, New Years Resolutions. Before I get carried away with myself and start prepping for 2015 (that’s right it’s nearly here), I think about this month, how fast it has gone and how much has changed in such a short period of time.

For me, what started out as a seemingly disappointing month after some bad (although not overly catastrophic) news, soon turned into a fun packed month filled with exciting future plans. This month has just added to my belief that most things, if not everything, happens for a reason.

To end a great month I headed out for Halloween celebrations with Nicole and Jazmine. My outfit planning was a little last minute I must admit but after an early morning of sifting through all of my black clothes and a quick whip around the shops for a hat and some eye contacts, I ended up as a witch. I wore one of my old dress up wigs to complete the look and the most spooky thing about my outfit was that I didn’t look much like myself. Okay, so I didn’t look scary, however as always I had lots of fun dressing up. Here are some picture from our night…

Samio x

November 2, 2014