Festival shopping with Joules

Thanks to the unpredictable weather, dressing for a festival can be hard work. You never know if it's going to pouring rain or blazing sunshine. That's why it's essential you pack sensibly for all occasions - you don't want to carry your whole wardrobe on your back. Trust me, I've tried it at Reading. I got as far as the train platform where I live and collapsed on the bench. NEVER AGAIN!

Luckily, the classic clothing company Joules has came up trumps with some cracking pieces. The festival clothing range from Joules is right up my street!  Wellies are an absolute must - don't even think about leaving home without them. These gorgeous navy bow wellies are practical yet still pretty, proving you don't have to scrimp on style. An umbrella can help keep you dry as well as shade you from the sun. I'm sensing a bit of a navy theme with this spotty umbrella! Finally, layers are key as when the sun hopefully comes back out you want to strip off and keep cool. I love the cute partridge jumper and the floral polo shirt will look brilliant with a pair of cut off shorts. A quilted jacket with a handy hood finishes off any outfit perfectly.

How would you pack for a festival? Any tips you want to share?

This post is a collaboration with Joules.

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Shake Shack

The burger scene in London is exploding so naturally when a new joint opened this month I obviously had to pay it a visit. Weightwatchers? What Weightwatchers? With Honest Burger and Meat liquor producing drool-inducing burgers, Shake Shack had a lot to live up too.

Famous in the US, the first UK Shake Shake has landed in the tourist-trap of Covent Garden bang in the centre of the bustling piazza. You wouldn't be able to miss it - especially thanks to the endless queues of burger fans eager to get their fix. We went at peak time at around 7pm in the evening so this was to be expected. After queuing and scouring the menu for a reasonable 20 minutes I decided on stuffing my face with a ShackBurger, crinkle cut fries and Shack-made Lemonade. We waited around 10 minutes before our buzzer summoned us to collect our meal. 

 

My verdict? It was ok. just ok. Not amazing brilliant but not disgusting bad either. Maybe I believed the hype too much and expected it to blow me away but I finished my meal feeling a bit underwhelmed. It was just a typical fast food burger with an overly soft bun. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't awful but I just felt it was very overpriced for what essentially didn't taste much better than Macdonalds. The bill came to just over £10. The patty didn't leave me desperate for more like my very first Meat Liquor burger. I've come to the conclusion the fatter the better is what I prefer.

Now the chips? I can get on board with them although I regreted not ordering the cheese fries. What happened to me that day? I ALWAYS order cheese fries. They were cooked to perfection and had just the right amount of crunch. The lemonade got a massive thumbs up too and make a welcomed change from diet coke.

It's not a place i'd rush back to and certainly wouldn't join the long queue but if I was in the area and needed a quick bite - without queuing - i'd go back again. Maybe i'll try one in New York next year and be forced to eat my hat. Next on the list is Five Guys.

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Everything is going wrong but we're so happy

Outfit:
Pastel printed dress - Dorothy Perkins via Leather Lane market
Peach 3/4 length sleeved cardigan - Primark
Black chain handle bag - Zara
Nude toe capped pointed flats - Dorothy Perkins

The last weekend has been 100 miles an hour and this week doesn't seem to be slowing down. I think I need a week indoors where I go to bed at 9pm to try and stop looking and feeling like a zombie. I wore this outfit for a day out in Shoreditch on Sunday with one of my friends. We started off at Petticoat Lane Market so she could buy some new clothes for our holiday to Poland in three weeks. She brought nothing and I came away with a pair of patterned trousers and a dress. Clearly I suck at showing self control... After a wander along Brick Lane and having a tasty sandwich in the Vintage Emporium tearoom.  There'll be another post on that later. Mix matched furniture? Right up my street!

We then trekked to the ridiculously busy Oxford Street so we could raid Selfridges Food Hall for some cheesecake and Marc Jacobs diet coke which we ate laying by Marble Arch complaining about how much we need to lose weight. Standard. All in all a lovely day out and proves once again you really don't need to spend a lot of money to enjoy London. You just have to pack your walking shoes.

Did you all have a nice weekend? Have you been to Petticoat Lane Market?

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