Christmas cocktails

 I can't believe Christmas is just around the corner! And it's time to start the festivities. If you're having a Christmas soiree, I have the perfect print in my Spoonflower shop with this fun martini print which includes two martini glasses surrounded by snowflakes and sparkles.

You can find this magical martini print in my Spoonflower shop on a variety of items but I especially love these cocktail napkins that come as a set of four, and are made from a linen cotton canvas.

Spoonflower currently has a Black Friday sale on where everything is up to 30% off. Check out my Spoonflower shop here to find more fabulous prints.

Happy Monday

....and Happy Birthday to me! Yes, it's my birthday today and I will be going out tonight to celebrate with cocktails and sushi locally with friends. I feel very lucky as I was also whisked away for the weekend by my boyfriend, down to Cornwall to stay in a lovely spa hotel called The Cornwall. We had a lovely superior suite, and a massage and evening dinner were also included in our stay. The hotel lounge was decorated with teal walls and magenta velvet sofas, my favourite colour combination.

On our first evening there, we enjoyed killer cocktails in the bar.

Cornwall has a special place in my heart as we grew up going there for summer holidays, and later on, my parents owned a little holiday house in St Mawes, which I have some very fond memories of. After a fabulous massage on Saturday morning, we drove to St Mawes where we pootled around, enjoying the views, as well as the relaxed feel of the place.

The weather was pretty moody, but the view over the harbour was still stunning.

The vintage petrol pumps are still in St Mawes village centre, outside the rowing gig club.

On Sunday we visited Cotehele, a National Trust House near Saltash. It was built in the Tudor times and has a stunning collection of tapestries that cover the walls of nearly every room.

Most of Cornwall is now in full autumnal mode and the leaves were turning a stunning shade of orange and red.

We couldn't leave without a good old strong cup of tea overlooking the quay.

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday! I hope a good weekend was had by all. Mine was a fun packed one.

On Friday evening I met up with my friend Audrey in Notting Hill. It's always great to head over there and soak up the atmosphere. We started the evening with a pamper session at Privet, a garden-themed spa that calls its beauty team 'expert gardeners' who believe that personal pruning should be an enjoyable affair! They offer all sorts of hair removal as well as massage, facial and other therapies in the surrounds of a garden shed and all things related to gardening. We went for the luxury pedicure which meant we had the full treatment on our tired feet whilst we also got the chance to catch up.

Each room has a different name, such as the Potting Shed, the Tool Shed (just for men) and the Writers Shed - kitted out with a typewriter in case you feel the need to get creative.

We had our pedicure in the Manicured Garden.

With refreshed feet and a hungry belly, we trotted to Honest Burger to fuel up, before heading to  Trailer Happiness for a cocktail or two. It was a fab and funky place and reminded me of many a bar I used to frequent when I lived in the East Village in New York.

On Saturday I took my nieces to see Matilda in the West End and it was fab! The sets were amazing and Tim Minchin's songs and lyrics clever and evocative. My favourite scene was when the children sang When I Grow Up, a song about wishing to be older so that they could do whatever they wanted (eat as many sweets as they want) without being told off. It's actually a very poignant piece and reminds you of how quickly childhood goes, as well as showing that there are times when we don't always feel grown up, even if we are! It brought a tear to my eye....

Much of Sunday was spent sewing and here is an example of a few of the bags I made. They are made out of stunning sari fabrics I bought when I was last in India and I love the vibrant colours, mixed with metallic gold. They are now waiting to have their frames glued on....