Travel Notes - Stockholm

Last weekend we set off on our second Scandinavian adventure, this time to Stockholm, the Swedish capital.

Here are some of my favourite finds . . . 

Hotel Scandic Malmen

Great design features, 2 bars with nice cocktails, good location on the island of Sodermalm, super breakfast on offer to set you up for the day!

The hotel lobby was adorned with these amazing black and white photographs

 upon closer inspection I discovered that they were part of an exhibition called 'Playing Dirty' by Swedish photographer Frederick Etoall

to see the full collection of images click here

If photography is your thing then a trip to Fotografiska is definitely worth a visit.

Situated on the docks of Stadsgarden in a former industrial art nouveau style building, Fotografiska which opened in 2010 is a centre for contemporary photography.

After viewing the exhibitions you can take in the waterside views especially well from the bistro situated at the top of the building.

My favourite exhibition was The Painting Series by Maria Friberg which was created by positioning her camera under a large glass sheet. 

As she directed her assistant to pour coloured inks onto the glass, the people in the images began a choreographed series of movement to allow the inks to flow and merge together around their bodies.

I especially like the effect of the rain machine which caused the water droplets to resemble twinkling stars in some of the images.

A wander around the old food hall, Saluhall, in Ostermalm is a nice way to soak up some traditional Swedish atmosphere.

 it's been there since the 1880's and is bustling with grocery shoppers and groups of friends battling for a table at one of the numerous restaurants and cafes.

Great people watching spot!

One dish that I was insistent on trying the traditional way was meatballs!

I had carried out a bit of research beforehand and Bakfickan or 'hip pocket', the tiny intimate counter bar seating just 28 guests within the Royal Opera House building, seemed like a winning recommendation.

It opened in the Spring of 1962 and specialises in traditional Swedish quality fare at affordable prices.

meatballs, potato puree, pickled cucumber and lingonberries, mmm-mmm

We left happy with full tummies :)

Nytorget Urban Deli was close to our hotel and a really nice place to hang out.

Restaurant, bar, deli and grocery store all rolled into one with a great buzzy atmosphere, a popular spot for post work drinks.

images credit www.urbandeli.org/hem/

Gondolen is the place to go for one of the best views overlooking the city.

33 metres up, we went for cocktails in the evening and saw the skyline lit up by night.

In the old medieval town of Gamla Stan we came across Chokladkoppen on a square and took welcome shelter from the heavy rain.

Here they serve up giant bowls of hot chocolate in a cosy space, dimly lit with bare bulbs and scattered with absurdly small wooden chairs to perch upon.

image credit : www.chokladkoppen.se

Berns is a boutique hotel, restaurant, bar, bistro, music venue and night club with design by Terence Conran.

The locals' living room and an oasis to curious cosmopolitan visitors.

We had drinks at the bar in the old ballroom beneath giant ornate chandeliers.

I just loved these little baby bunny lamps I spotted in a shop window

and had I more space in my suitcase I would have definitley stocked up on a few bits and pieces from Granit - Sweden's answer to Muji - selling homewares and stationary.

image credit: www.granit.se

Stockholm here I come!

Living Proof - Restore

I'm a bit of a haircare cynic it has to be said.

I have my all time faves and although I am always keen to try out new shampoos and conditioners, I am often left feeling underwhelmed by their performance.

This range stopped me dead in my tracks!

Living Proof is an American company developed by a team of medical and biotech scientists to create advanced technology for hair and skin care products.

Living proof is driven with a desire to create products that keep their promise.

Their scientists have even discovered 2 breakthrough molecules which they have since patented -

 NO.1 :OFPMA 

which can be found in almost all of their products, creates an exquisitely thin, invisible shield around every hair strand helping to protect from daily assaults, humidity, and dirt and oil.

Hair is strengthened, moisture flux is controlled, frizz is kept at bay and hair stays cleaner for longer.

NO.2 : PBAE 

can be found in many of their texturizing and volumizing products. 

It creates a microscopic pattern of thickening dots on every hair strand making hair look and behave like textured, full, thick hair.

I used the Restore shampoo (£22) and mask treatment (£34) and have to say that I LOVED both of these products!

The fragrance is gorgeous, the sulphate free shampoo which is also safe on coloured hair, foams well to a nice creamy lather and the mask is easy to rinse out leaving no heavy residue.

Targeted towards dry/damaged hair,the claims of the Restore range are pretty bold. . . 

after just 14 days of use hair is shinier, softer and 20 x stronger

hair is 9 x more resistant to breakage

results become more effective over time and hair begins to look and behave like virgin hair 

(hair that is unspoilt and has never been treated with colour or chemical processes)

Here's how it works

Once blow dried my hair felt clean, looked very shiny and was smoother to the touch.

I recommend this range 100%!

image credit:www.livingproof.com

And it appears that Living Proof is approved by those in the limelight also.

 Jennifer Aniston recently became co-owner and hair care spokesperson of Living Proof after being wowed by their products.

Her role will involve brand development and creative marketing as well as collaborations on new hair care product ideas, watch this space.

Living Proof is available in the UK from Space NK and livingproof.com

chicken shopping

What came first? The chicken or the chips?

Well actually both, very promptly after ordering, which was a welcome sight because I was, last night, one very hungry birthday bird!

Chicken shop is one of the newest offerings from the Soho House Group, nestled alongside their other 2 restaurants on Highgate Road NW5 - Pizza East Kentish Town and 

Dirty Burger - all within the same building, you are literally spoilt for choice!

A sort of hipper, more upmarket Nandos, Chicken Shop serves up scrummy spit roast chicken with a choice of sides and sauces.

It's another 'No Reservation' joint but we were lucky and managed to walk straight in and bag a seat at the chefs table.

The food was delicious and the service very efficient and friendly.

A definite new fave!

www.chickenshop.com

Malin + Goetz lip moisturiser

As someone who never underestimates the importance of a good lip balm, I was thrilled to recently discover this little gem from New York based skin care brand Malin+Goetz.

Fragrance, flavour and colour free, this lip gel instantly restores and replenishes lost moisture to pamper and perfect your pout.

 Unlike traditional oils, waxes and silicones which can easily wear off or be wiped away, this gel has real staying power due to the inclusion of absorbent fatty acids which instantly nourish the lips giving a feeling of comfort and a lovely glossy sheen.

Can be used simply as a lip balm for prevention as well as cure of dehydration or alternatively applied over lipstick to create a high gloss finish to any colour.

£10/10g

UK stockists Space NK

A New Venture

As the Autumn winds blew in to town, a change was in the air, it wasn't just the season changing, little did I know that an opportunity was coming my way and when it appeared I jumped at the chance!

As well as continuing to do hairdressing for private clients, I can now be found a few days per week immersed in a wonderland of make up, skin care, hair care, bath, body and fragrance.

Playing with colours and textures and learning a wealth of knowledge from the latest advances in skin care to make up trends and techniques straight from the catwalk.

It's all very exciting and I am like an enthusiastic little sponge desperately trying to soak up all of the information being fed to me right now.

I have started to compile a little journal with notes on all of the lovely brands that I am working with and of course as I start to sample products I will share my favourite finds here on my blog so expect to see a lot more beauty related posts from now on!

My make up collection will inevitably be undergoing a massive revamp from this point onwards so first step was to find a nice new bag.

I picked up this gorgeous studded wallet in Zara and it's just the trick!

The perfect size to squeeze in all my essentials as well as being portable enough to throw into my handbag for touch ups through out the day.

Seasons change

This week I noticed that the very first few golden leaves of Autumn have fallen.

As a young child with no conception of time this was always a welcome reminder that my birthday was just around the corner!

Being a Libran child, Autumn is my favourite season of all.

Here's a little collage to get you in the mood for the season ahead - cosy!

selection of images found on weheartit.com

Best balloon EVER!

Spotted this little fella in a gift shop in Swiss Cottage en route to a clients house last week and it was literally a case of

 "how much is that doggy in the window"???

CUTE!

Lazy days on local turf

It's been a bit of a strange week.

My clients seem to have all but disappeared, save for the few I did visit, my phone has been suspiciously silent, where is everyone? Perhaps off sunning themselves someplace exotic!

Well really the timing couldn't have been better.

On Monday eve my brother flew into town so it meant we got to spend tons of time together, and for once we didn't bomb around Central London with a crazy itinerary, in fact we spent a lot of time on local turf.

It was lovely to chill and made me appreciate how many great places we have right here on our doorstep.

We walked the riverside to Richmond Upon Thames, and stopped at The Richmond Hill Bakery for a slice of cake 

image credit: Facebook.com

We befriended 'Boris' the pug who was feeling a little sorry for himself, sulking under a table outside.

Wandering down the grassy bank from Richmond Hill we came across The Hollyhock, a sweet little fair trade cafe in Terrace Gardens.

This was a new discovery for me and a lovely place to stop for a coffee.

image credit: growsonyou.com

And no visit to Richmond would be complete for me without a visit to Maison for their French and Swedish style homewares and an amble across the meadow to the shop at Petersham Nurseries!

In the evening we stopped for cocktails at So bar tucked away down a little lane just of Richmond Green.

I'd forgotten how much I like this little bar.

On Wednesday we finally traded suburbia for the city and had breakfast at Paramount on the 32nd floor of Centre point overlooking the whole of the capital.

The views were incredible, like looking down on a toy town, miniature iconic red london buses slowly winding through the streets, teeny tiny people scurrying around like ants.

I took this video from the viewing gallery. . 

I'd like to go back in the evening and see the skyline lit up at night, I bet it looks pretty impressive from up there!

Travel Notes - Isle of Wight

last weekend we took a trip to the Isle of Wight.

 As a child I spent many a long hot Summer holidaying here so it holds many happy memories.

We visited friends who live on the island and timed our stay with the end of Cowes Week, the annual yacht racing event.

The sun shone all weekend!

 Sail boats and blue skies accompanied lunch at 

The Little Gloster, a Scandinavian themed restaurant overlooking the solent in Gurnard.

After heavenly crab cakes washed down with prosecco, we basked in striped deck chairs in the restaurant garden before heading back to Cowes for the finale fireworks.

My parents were also visiting the island at the same time so we spent our last night camping with them.

We sat out by candle light with cheese and wine, watching shooting stars and reminiscing about family holidays many moons ago.

Weekend wanderlust

Yesterday was a good day.

The kind that develops quite spontaneously yet turns out perfectly.

I love that there is always newness to be found in London.

Places you have been meaning to go for ages, places you did not know existed, new openings and pop ups, there is constant opportunity for discovery.

Our morning began with a visit to Chatsworth Road Market over in Hackney which runs every Saturday 11am-4pm

It's a bit on the small side but I enjoyed having a mooch about none the less.

The majority of the stalls are foodie based with a couple of retro/vintage homeware/kitchenalia and clothing stalls thrown in too. 

I probably wouldn't make the pilgrimage from South West to East again for this market but if I was a local I would definitely make this a regular haunt.

Before heading off I sampled a Vietnamese baguette from the Banh Mi 11 stall - delicious!

We got back on the train and decided to hop off next at Highbury & Islington.

Wandering down the high street in the blinding sunshine we popped in and out of gorgeous boutiques, a few of my favourites were-

Little Paris - specialising in vintage reclaimed industrial furniture, curiosities and accessories. 

Be sure to check out the basement crammed with all kinds of treasures and stop to take a sniff at the candle selection - the rhubarb was my favourite!

image credit:www.littleparis.co.uk

Atelier Abigail Ahern- I am a fan of interior designer Abigail's work but this was my first visit to her atelier.

Every which way you turn there is beauty from the convincing selection of faux flowers at the door to the glass mirrors and chandeliers adorning the walls and ceiling.

I spotted this cute little wooden block which I think I may have to go back for if we ever get our pooch!

Next, with dogs on our minds we headed to Hampsted, to Dach & Sons

It was truly sweltering so we started with ice cold juleps on the rooftop terrace

then later tucked into delicious dawgs

Our last destination of the day was Hyde Park.

With a drink in hand we caught the sun setting over the Serpentine and then hung around listening to Blur play out over the park.

Just what weekends were made for!

A picture house portrait of London

On Wednesday evening I attended a Q&A screening of Julien Temple's new film 
London: The Modern Babylon 
at the Gate cinema in Notting Hill

It was the first time I had been to this cinema and boy was I pleasantly surprised to find all the glamour and theatrical style of its neighbour The Electric just minutes down the road.

This fast paced, exciting documentary is a portrait of the history of London over the last 100 years.

 Commentary is minimal, leaving vast amounts of archive footage and popular music to tell the time travelling tales of years gone by right up to present day.

There are also interviews with real Londoners, a jolly collection of characters, some familiar faces, others just regular people, all ready to share their stories and raise a smile with the audience.

The film shows the gritty bad times as well as the good, the rough with the smooth, it is interesting to see the seemingly inevitable circle of social unrest rearing its ugly head throughout the decades and the impact that has had on the city, especially after having witnessed the London Riots in my own lifetime.

Temple stated that this film had not only been made for original Londoners but for the many people from all over the globe who have followed the magical magnetism and find themselves now calling London their home.
  The contribution to society from immigrants and bohemians alike has shaped the diverse city we live in today.

London:The Modern Babylon will be screened this weekend on BBC 2 
Saturday at 9.20pm

Recommended!

Travel Notes - Edinburgh

With the Olympics in full swing at home in London I decided it was the ideal time for a bit of escapism and set off to visit my sister up in Edinburgh, the dates coinciding nicely with the start of the annual Fringe Festival.

A short walk from the city centre and we arrived at her apartment, on the ground floor of a row of period terraced houses overlooking the park and Arthurs Seat.

I was so in love with the spiral staircase in the hallway that I braved going down to the spooky dark basement all alone just to get a picture.

The view from the living room wasn't bad either, nicer than your average front garden!

After a catch up dinner overlooking Newhaven harbour with the Scottish sun setting over us, we headed off into town to catch a show

The Curious Couple from Coney were performing at The Voodoo Rooms, this was their first performance at this years Fringe.

Heather Holiday, a pretty little pin up girl/sword swallower and Donny Vomit, 
a blockhead (who F.Y.I is a carnival or sideshow performer who hammers a nail or other implement into his nasal cavity via the nostril!) met in Coney Island and now tour the globe with their freakish mix of circus style cabaret.

Sword swallowing, knife throwing, machete juggling, and an array of gross out tricks, this show was not for the squeamish but entertaining never the less.

The Voodoo Rooms is a breath takingly beautiful venue which complimented the show perfectly! 
It is situated just behind Princes Street.

above images: credit to www.thevoodoorooms.com

The bar alone is worth a visit just to gaze at the incredible ornate ceiling!!

The next day my brother arrived to join us.

We set off for a walk around Hollyrood Park

and wound up at Scotland's oldest pub 
The Sheep Heid Inn which sits nestled in the middle of Duddingston village on the edge of the park by a loch.

image credit :www.sheepheid.co.uk

It is though that the pub is over 600 years old and even has its own skittles alley should you wish to play!

Saturday was spent taking a walk down to Portobello beach while the sun was shining and then off out for dinner at Under the Stairs which I have mentioned previously on my blog ( It's so cute! )

A few new finds from this visit were . . .

Ecco Vino, a lovely little wine bar and restaurant, we popped in for a glass of wine pre dinner, it's pretty small inside but nice and cosy, the charcuterie boards looked very good.

images credit : www.eccovinoedinburgh.com

Bramble a hidden basement cocktail bar, it's a bit of a rabbit warren with candle lit cubby holes and chesterfield armchairs to lounge in, the cocktails were very well made, the only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the music - a bit of a hip hop overload.

Oink ok, if you are a meat eater then there is one place you simply must go while in Edinburgh! 

(Vegetarians look away now)

Oink serves up delicious freshly carved hog roast rolls from the shop and also puts in an appearance at the weekly Farmers Market at Castle Terrace every Saturday 9am-2pm.

You can choose from the piglet (for the smaller eater) the oink (the classic) or the grunter (for the larger appetite) 

I opted for the oink with stuffing and apple sauce and it was heavenly!

images credit:oinkhogroast.co.uk

Very nearly the highlight of my whole trip!

Apart from the moment I found my dream Parka!

Finally! After seasons of hunting for the perfect parka I found it.

Not the most ideal souvenir to pack into my hand luggage but I wasn't going to put this baby back- where there's a will there's a way, and it sucessfully made its little way back to London with its rather delighted new owner.