Restaurant review: Bao, Fitzrovia, central London

Last week Elodie came over to London for a little holiday before her Korean trip so we decided that needed celebrating. Where else could be better than Bao? We opted for the Fitzrovia branch as you could book. It's never about queuing to eat when you've got nearly a whole year of gossip to catch up on!

Specialising in sharing plates, Bao is famous for its steamed buns and serving Taiwanese-style dishes. The menu offers five different types of Bao to choose from. I tried the black cod and confit pork. Both were delicious but the black cod was on a whole other level. I can't quite put into words just how amazing it was and I can't wait to visit again to have it! I then opted to try the beef cheek and tendon nuggets. Served in a portion of two, they were incredibly moreish. The others tried the chilli langoustines with a fried bao, aubergine with minced tofu and mapo sauce and bone marrow rice served with pickles and egg yolk. Having tried a mouthful of each, I can confirm that that the bone marrow rice is a must order if you visit.

I waited a while to try Bao and it was worth the wait. It's not cheap by any means and you do have to order quite a few dishes to feel full. This can work out to be to be expensive. They recommend three dishes each but I found this wasn't really enough. I'd recommend about four dishes each and a side with one of the bigger dishes to share. Although not everyone will be as greedy as me! Service was a little slow but the wait staff were pretty friendly so it balances out. Bao is a great place to go if you don't mind splashing out - the food is certainly delicious!

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What I've been cooking #4: John Whaite Bakes at Home

Another cookbook review. And another baking book. Last time I vowed to use a savoury cookbook but once again got sucked in by the gorgeous cakes in John Waites Bakes at Home. John Whaite won GBBO in 2012 and this is his second cookbook. I follow his Twitter and Instagram so when I spotted this book in a charity shop I picked it up for a couple of quid. It's full of both savoury and sweet bakes and I'd say it was a book for the slightly more adventurous. I'd been stuck in a bit of a rut with only baking simple things like carrot cake, banana loaf and lemon drizzle. All delicious but nothing ground-breaking. I fancied pushing myself a bit and this book was just the ticket.

Mojito cake
I baked this for my mum's birthday and slightly changed the recipe to include both lemons and limes because that was what I had to use it. It tasted exactly like a mojito and was absolutely delicious. At first I was a bit annoyed at the presentation as it didn't quite come out how I wanted it to. But the more I look at at, I actually feel quite proud. It was out of comfort zone and I'd pushed my baking skills quite hard for this cake. I made the lime curd from scratch and made the infused mint & rum filling. I vowed to really try new things this year in baking and feel like this was me keeping my promise. I'd definitely make this again.

Rhubarb, white chocolate and thyme traybake
Rhubarb was a fruit I'd never tried before and traybakes are my jam so this was always going to be made. It was very simple and took hardly any time at all. I loved the contrast of the gooey white chocolate with the tart rhubarb flavour. It went down an absolute treat at work with everyone declaring it was the best bake I'd make yet! Definitely a recipe that I'd rustle up again. It was fun to be a bit more adventurous with ingredients.

Giant jam tart
It always makes me nervous when I attempt a recipe and it doesn't have a picture. I've eaten enough jam tarts in my life to know what one looks like but still no pictures fills me with dread. This was extremely simple and used ready-made pastry - a god-send! It was my first time making jam, I was supposed to use both raspberries and blueberries but alas, my raspberries were rotten. A day before the best before date! I stupidly didn't reduce the sugar so the jam was extremely sweet. Note for the future!

Chocolate and pistachio torte
This was my first time attempting a torte. I'm not a huge chocolate fan but my boyfriend is so I always end up backing a type of chocolate dessert at home. This was a bit more of a faff than I originally thought it would be. But it was simple enough. I'm not sure my version really tastes like a torte but my friend commented that it tasted a bit like a brownie. Which I'll take! After all, who doesn't love a giant brownie? My chocolate drizzling leaves a lot to be desired but that helps to add to the rustic, homemade feel right?

Loaded Mac and cheese
Mac and Cheese is one of my last day on earth meals. If I knew I only had one day left then I would scoff this until I felt sick. So far Jamie Oliver's version is my favourite but I'm always keen to try new  versions of the dish. After skimming through the ingredients list I knew I had to make this. It looked like pure indulgence and perfect for a Sunday dinner. I was right! Three types of cheese made this absolutely heavenly and I adored the added veg of asparagus, mushrooms and spring onions. I think John may have push Mr Oliver from the top spot!

If you want to see more of my cookbook reviews, just click the tab on the right hand side of this blog.

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Getting into bed with Leesa

There's an in-joke in my family which is if I can't be found then it's usually because I'm laying in bed. At any hour during the day. It's true. I absolutely love my bed, my bedroom is my favourite place in the house. I think because I live such a busy life that I associate my bed as my safe haven. A place where I'm away from the hustle and bustle of every day life and alone in my thoughts. This only child really enjoys her own company at times! So when Leesa got in touch with me to see if I wanted to try out one of their mattresses I obviously couldn't type yes fast enough! A foam mattress is the dream.

Vacuum packed, the mattress arrived in a cardboard box about three feet tall. It got delivered to our local corner shop, we got a 'sorry we missed you' card through the letterbox and went to collect it. It was really handy to be sent a tracking number so we knew where the mattress was at all times. I couldn't believe a double mattress could fit into something so small! Once its unrolled out of the box, it magically lays on your bed and inflates before your eyes. I loved the cool, Scandi vibe of the grey and white stripes. Usually mattresses look quite ugly but this doesn't even really need bedsheets. It's certainly very easy on the eye! I really do appreciate a company who try to do some good in the world. One mattress is donated for every ten sold. How cool is that? Over 30,000 mattresses have been donated so far. They also plant a tree for each order and donate employees' time to volunteer in the local community.

Designed with three layers of foam, the combination of all three aim to cool, body contour and offer pressure-releving core support. I have terrible posture and it's something I need to work on. So as a result sometimes I suffer from quite a bad back. After trying the mattress out for the past month, I've really noticed a difference in my quality of sleep. I'm waking up each morning feeling really refreshed after having a great nights sleep. It's amazing how much a broken night of sleep can affect your day.

Offering free delivery, each customer gets a 100 day risk-free trial so if it isn't right you can send it back free of charge.

If you fancy treating yourself to a mattress then I have a special £100 off code. Just enter ASTORYOFAGIRL at the checkout  and voila. You won't regret it - trust me!

This post was created in collaboration with Leesa, who provided a Leesa mattress for review, but all views and opinions expressed are my own.

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Dealing with travel anxiety

Outfit:
Nude flat sandals: Matalan (similar)
Blue striped cotton sun dress: Zara (similar)
Red tassel earrings: H&M
Gold boyfriend watch: Michael Kors (similar)

I don't really have a list of places I want to visit in the world because I want to see every single place that I possibly can. I've been lucky enough to visit some amazing places but have yet to venture anywhere that is too out of my comfort zone. Probably the only place that comes close is Budapest. We stayed in Pest which is traditionally the 'working class' district and I came across some sights down the side streets that really threw me a bit. I've visited quite a few cities in the States and whilst it's a place that has a few culture shocks, it's a country that English is the main language so it feels slightly familiar to home. I've managed to muddle around every place I've been too so far because they've spoken a decent amount of English. So although I've been able to jump in feet first into all these incredible cultures, its always been done with a bit of confidence.

I've been dying to spread my wings and visit Asia but there's always been something holding me back. If I'm honest with myself I think it's because I've been too scared. Scared to go somewhere that is completely different to what I'm used too. I just know it will be so far out of my comfort zone that I'm frightened to take the plunge. Last year one of our good friends moved to Malaysia to teach for a couple of years. I've never had such a great opportunity to finally tick south-east Asia off my list so we booked flights to visit next February for a couple of weeks. We're staying with him for a week during his school holidays then Connor and I are heading north for a week to explore on our own. I am so excited yet feel absolutely petrified.

I know as soon as I get there I'll have a whale of a time and won't want to come home. I've been dying to visit south-east Asia since I was 16. But there's just little niggle at the back of my wine that wonders what on earth I'm doing. I'm worried that I'm going to be on edge in a country so vastly different to my own that I'm not going to be able to enjoy it. Which is absolute absurd as I love nothing more than discovering new places. I'll be a bundle of nerves on the 13 hour flight over there but we've got to keep pushing ourself out of our comfort zones otherwise we'll never grow right?

Do you suffer with travel anxiety too? If so, how do you deal with it?

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Welcome to my dining area

Like I mentioned in my living room post we knocked down the partition wall to create some more space. We knew we wanted a big table but didn't want the room to feel small. Opening up the room that was once used as a bedroom was the perfect solution. I'm really proud of this corner of the room and love sitting down each night for dinner.

I'd be eyeing up dining tables made from scaffold boards but bulked at the price. They were coming up at nearly £800 and we just couldn't afford it alongside renovating a house. I had resigned myself to having to eat from a camping table and mentioned the dream table in passing to my dad. He asked to see a picture and then declared that he would be able to make it himself! He managed to get some scaffold boards and we were kindly given the metal hairpin legs as a housewarming present from Connor's sister and her boyfriend. After sanding them down, my dad put it all together in my house and oiled it three times. He also did the same for a matching bench. I'm so in love with it and it looks better and better each day as it gets more worn. I know it's something I'm going to treasure forever.

My mum found this mirror for a fiver second hand and she thought it would make a perfect upcycling project. Turns out mums know best! We had some Farrow & Ball downpipe paint shade left over from our feature wall so decided to sand the mirror down and apply the paint. I thought it was a great way to help bring the room together and it really stands out against the white wall.

I'm a crockery addict so couldn't resist these zebra plates in Homesense. I was kindly given a voucher to spend and these were the first things I picked up. I found the dinner plates in the sale on Habitat's website and was over the moon to find out they matched. LSA International is one of my favourite interiors brand, I've been lucky enough to pick up a few of their pieces in Homesense and worked with them on my blog a couple of years ago. I love the simplicity of their products and the great quality. This glass bowl is such a gorgeous piece and makes a great statement for the middle of the table. I love the idea of keeping old gin bottles and using as vases or for candles. It remind me of this old-fashioned French bistros with the wax covered wine bottles.

We've hit a bit of a stalemate with the house now as we've run out of money so this will probably be the last interiors post for a while!

Mirror: Bootsale find with Farrow & Ball paint
Glass fruit bowl: LSA International*
Yellow table runner: Sainsbury's
Grey chairs: ebay
White chairs: Dad's friend
Table legs: eBay
Bench legs: eBay
Dining table: Made by dad
Bench: Made by dad
Zebra plates: Homesense*
White dinner plates: Habitat
Round placemats: Rinket
Glassses: Zara (old)
Silver cutlery: TK Maxx
Tall planter: Maisons Du Monde (old)

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6 attractions you must see in New York City

1. Empire State Building
I've been lucky enough to go up the Empire State Building twice now and each time I've been just as awestruck. Seeing the NYC skyline never grows old and it feels like you're in a film. I dare you not to hum Empire State of Mind whilst you're there... I recommend going up during the day as it's fantastic to see the city in all its glory. Buy your tickets online before you go as you get a small discount. Every little helps when you're in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

2. The Highline
This is my favourite place in the city. The Highline is an old railway line converted into an evelated park. Nearly two miles long, it offers great views of Manhattan and you'll find fab street art to marvel at and places to sit and soak up views. Make sure you go for brunch or dinner at Bubby's which is at the entrance in the Meatpacking District.

3. Statue of Liberty
Ah the icon of the city. The first time we booked ourselves on a boat with a tour guide to travel over to the the island with tickets to go inside the statue. This was great fun if a little busy! It was equally as good for when we saw it from our sightseeing ferry trip. You really don't have to get off to enjoy it. If you're on a budget then the orange Staten Island ferry is a good shout because it's free. You won't be able to get off the ferry at the statue but you do get an amazing view of it from the boat.

4. Central Park
I highly recommend cycling around this iconic park. It is absolutely huge and cycling is the best way to cover some serious ground. Bike hire is pretty reasonable and we had them for the entire day. There are clear cycle lanes and it couldn't be easier. Make sure you make a stop off at the Alice in Wonderland statue, Strawberry Fields and Belevdere Castle. If cycling seems to strenuous then hire a rickshaw for a guided tour. The guides are very knowledgable! My mum and I got to visit in the snow and it was magical. Freezing but absolutely magical! Such a dream to see NYC in the snow.

5.  Brooklyn Bridge
Is there a more famous bridge in the world? It gets extremely busy but if you time it just right then it get it all to yourself. We spent the morning in Brooklyn before walking across the bridge in the afternoon to get back to Manhattan. It's one of those places that makes you feel like you're in a film and can't quite believe that it's real.

6. Ground Zero
If you're debating about if you should visit the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, then add it to your list. Yes its hard to witness but its such an important part of history and triggered so many things. It triggered events that we're still dealing with today. its absolutely wonderfully curated and is a really heart-wrenching experience that shouldn't be missed.

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Renovating a bathroom - options I'm exploring

Now that our kitchen is finished, out next big project in the house to save up for is our bathroom. Replacing a bathroom in a home is one of the most expensive jobs to undertake so it's so important to really think things through. Mistakes can be very costly! One of the ways to ensure things go to plan is investing in professional help when it comes to finding your dream design. After all, they know the bathroom industry inside out! Innovative & latest bathroom designs with a variety of products are available in Harrogate showrooms.* Make sure you talk to someone as sometimes they come up with ideas you never thought of!

Image from Pinterest via Elle Decoration Sweden

Image from Pinterest via Living Extra 

Image from Pinterest via Sheer Luxe

Image from Pinterest via Harvey Maria

I'm toying with a few ideas when it comes to deciding on a design. I'm keen to keep in with the colour theme of grey as like the rest of the house. I really like the idea of having one colour which pulls the whole house together. I'm thinking light grey patterned tiles on the floor to help make a statement and white metro tiles in a chevron pattern on the wall. Maybe spilt the wall with tiles on the  top half and a dark charcoal grey on the bottom half. Grey and white are such great colours to use as a base because you can change the accent colours quite easily. When you're spending so much money on a renovation it's not ideal if you get bored of it easily and then can't afford to switch it up.

I'd love a whole new bathroom suite as our one has seen better days. At the top of my list is a huge, round waterfall head shower and a rounded bath. Ideally I'd love a freestanding bath but alas, we just don't have the room. Storage is also something I'm extremely keen to incorporate because space isn't at a premium and I have a lot of lotions and potions to keep hidden! I'm hoping to get a cool sink cabinet in a charcoal grey. Storage doesn't have to be boring! Finally I'd love a luxurious glass basin and huge statement mirror on the wall to help finish it off and hopefully make the room feel bigger.

I guess we better get saving!

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Learning to pick your battles

Outfit:
Silky black wrap top: H&M (similar)
Skinny black leggings: Matalan (similar)
Red pointed shoes: Next (similar)
Gold tassel statement earrings: H&M

I'm very highly strung. A trait I have inherited from my dad. And probably my mum too. We are a family of quick tempers which causes for some lovely explosive arguments. Something that first freaked out my boyfriend when we first started going out! I'm not one who is afraid to voice my displeasure and often lash out. Part of me thinks this is great as people will always know exactly how I feel. I don't have a poker face and I know personally, I like to know where I stand and know how other people feel. But the other part? The other part thinks this is tiring. It is tiring to always be fighting. It consumes so much energy and if I'm honest, I really can't be bothered anymore. I increasingly just want an easy life.

Learning when to stay quiet isn't about 'losing' or appearing 'weak'. If anything it means you're being the bigger person. It's so liberating to take a step back and and admit that this is one battle that really isn't worth losing the energy over. By picking to fight every single battle doesn't get you anywhere. You reach a stalemate and if the two of you are as stubborn as each other then that stalemate will last for a long time. All that negative energy doesn't do anyone any good.

Next time someone really gets under your skin, take a step back and really think. Wonder if it is really worth it going in all guns blazing and try not to act immediately. Arguments always have consequences and sometimes they're not consequences you always want to deal with. So make sure that the issue you're fighting over is truly worth it. Ask yourself if the battle will matter to you as much tomorrow or next week as it does currently. Chances are emotions are just running high and it's not actually that important. It's amazing how much better you will feel after opting for the quiet life!

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Welcome to my new living room

It's been a long process - and still ongoing - but we now have our second room complete. That feels good to say! We've finally completed our living room and it's such a joy to come home after work and relax. I wanted a room where I could display all my knick knacks I've collected over the years and one that really represented our personality. A room where people walked into and thought, 'yes this is very much Sophie and Connor's home'. So how did we transform it? Read on! I will put all the links at the bottom.

The owners before us loved colour and the walls were a very bold Quality Street purple shade. It didn't really fit into my minimalist wall theme. It also boasted a carpet that absolutely reeked of cat wee so didn't stay very long at all. I'm not much of a carpet fan at all if I'm honest so decided to splash out on a real wooden floor as we don't plan on replacing it. The dining room had been blocked off with a partition wall to make an extra bedroom. We took this down to help open up the space and it's been a revalation. It's made the house look so much bigger and although we're not using it as a dining room, it's really helped to have that extra space.

There was a white York Stone fireplace that had a very distinct 80s feel to it. This had to go straight away so my boyfriend and his dad very kindly got rid of it in the first week. We had been told by the previous owners that it was an open fire but when we looked into it further, it turned out it wasn't actually safe. The gap was too small and it would have cost too much money to make it bigger. Money that we didn't have. So we went to plan B. Thanks to the partition wall being taken down, the fireplace was no longer in the middle of the room. So my dad and Connor boxed out the fireplace with plasterboard to help make it central. I absolutely love how it looks and it's such a talking point of the room. I'm obsessed with grey as I think it makes a great neutral. It's a shade that so many other colours go with. Farrow & Ball's downpipes is that dark, charcoal grey that I craved and was the perfect choice. The patchwork tiles help to lighten it up and stop the area from being so dark. Yellow is my all time favourite colour and I was keen to incorporate this into my living room. Mustard and grey are one of the best combinations so I choose to use mustard as an accent colour.

One thing I desperately wanted was a gallery wall. For the past five years we've been trying to collect prints from all the different cities we've visited. We haven't managed to pick one up in every place but I'm so happy with the ones we've collected. I love that every time I glance at them I'm immediately transported back to happy memories. I opted for an array of difference coloured frames to help make the pictures stand out against the white wall.

I'm not a fan of blank walls and my boyfriend isn't a fan of things on the wall. So as a compromise I picked up the copper shelf to help display some trinkets and make it feel homely. By having a shelf, my trinkets feel much more contained and less like clutter. When we went to Copenhagen, our Airbnb had a billy bookcase in their living filled with little knick knacks they had collected all over the world. I've totally stolen that idea. At the minute it mostly just houses my travel books but I do have Matryoshka dolls from Budapest, a programme from Aladdin on Broadway and a traditional Dala wooden horse from Sweden. I'm very much looking forward to filling it up!

The next project? Saving for a boiler and moving it to the loft so we can decorate our bedroom!

White paint: Cotton White Dulux
Grey paint: Downpipe Farrow & Ball
Grey and white patterned tiles: Wickes
Glass vase: LSA International via Homesense*
Grey concrete planter: La Redoute
Yellow planter: Sainsbury's
Light grey chaise lounge sofa: DFS*
Mustard armchair and matching stall: IKEA
Grey metal floor lamp: IKEA
Grey side table: La Redoute
Black wooden bookcase: IKEA
Custard cream cushion: Nikki McWilliams
Gin cushion: Matalan
Abstract cushion: Sainsbury's
Mustard patterned cushion: Rooi*
Grey crochet stalls: Aldi*
Copper shelf: Maisons Du Monde
Mustard herringbone throw: H&M
Grey radiator: Soak.com
Black metal cage lampshades: IKEA
Gallery wall picture frames: Wilko and IKEA
Gallery wall prints: From travels
NYC print: Oliver Bonas

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