5 cities on my bucket list

I'm a fickle person and admit my list of places to visit changes weekly. At this rate I'll never visit them all! But these five have been in my top five for years - it's about time I crossed them off right?

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1. San Francisco
The beautiful United States of America. This country is my soul sister. I love everything about the brash, intrusive, mind-boggling country. San Francisco has been top of my places to visit for years and years. Right up there with NYC. I crossed NYC off in 2014 and hopefully it won't be long before this is crossed off either. I've seen so many pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge that I almost feel like I've been already. I want to soak up the history of Alcatraz, marvel at the multi-colured houses, scoff all the Dim Sum in the world's oldest Chinatown, not so elegantly cycle along the famous bridge, eat seafood at Fisherman's Wharf and hop on a historic cable car. One day!

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2. Dubai
That skyline! *insert heart eye emoji here* No one quite does a skyline like Dubai right? The slick and stylish city is just calling my name. I don't think there will be anywhere quite like it on earth. It  knows exactly how to put on a show! I want to gawp at the incredible light laser show at Burj Khalifa, go for an almighty champagne brunch,  head out to Palm Islands, spend all my hard-earned cash in the Dubai mall and see the stunning Jumeriah Mosque.

Credit: Amongraf blog via Pinterest

3. Florence
I still can't believe I've made it to nearly 27 and not yet made it to Italy. In particular, the gorgeous city of Florence. The city oozes history from it's pores and being the history buff I am, I'm desperate to soak it up like a sponge. The terracotta tiled houses, the role Tuscan countryside and delicious Italian dishes are all aspects I'm dying to experience for myself. Gazing at the city below from the top of the II Duomo De Firenze is top of my list. I wouldn't mind giving old 'David' a visit either! I feel Florence will be the perfect trip to pop my Italian cherry.

Credit: Chris Heijams via Pinterest

4. Marrakech
The rich colours, the overwhelming smells, the intense bartering and the stunning mosques all make this African city high on my bucket list. I've never been to Africa and Morocco is a mere hours away - not much further than Spain. I'd love to stay in a cosy Riad, get lost in the narrow alleyways, spend a fortune in the souks, book myself on a Moroccan cookery lesson, relax at a hammam and drink a cocktail on a rooftop terrace whilst gazing down at the city below. Why am I not on a plane there now?!

Credit: Instagram via Buzzfeed via Pinterest

5. Miami
I'm having a lot of trouble trying to persuade my holiday gang to visit Miami so this might be a bad boy to visit on my own. I've heard such mixed reviews of the city. Some have loved it yet others think it's awful. Guess I'll have to find out for myself! I think I've perhaps watched a little too many Spring Break themed films but I'm desperate to party in this Florida city.  Yep, that's basically what the main aim of my trip would be. Party like there's no tomorrow, eat all the food and soak up the vitamin D whilst lounging on the beach. Makings of a perfect trip away huh?


I have credited the pictures the best I can. All taken from Pinterest. If the image is yours and you'd like me to take it down, then please get in touch.

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A Mulberry handbag treat

Last weekend I did something pretty reckless. I treated myself to a new Mulberry handbag. It was completely on the whim as I wasn't really looking for a new designer bag. I had some Christmas money, early birthday money for my parents and a £2 money box a quarter full so I only ended up paying £41 out of my own money. So really it was practically free. Or something like that! I'd wandered into the shop in Covent Garden and saw my dream bag in the sale so decided to go for it. I haven't regretted it since. The Kitchenaid food blender I was saving up for will have to be bought later on in the year!

I have such a thing for red accessories and have lusted over a Mulberry Lily for a few years. I treated myself to a Bayswater when I got my first freelance gig three years ago so had been eyeing up a new bag. But I thought I had a lot more saving to do. My upcoming 27th birthday seemed like the perfect excuse to just go for it! I absolutely adore it. It's a fantastic size, such a vibrant colour and so versatile. There's just something about the Mulberry brand that sucker punches me. No one else comes close.

Isn't Lily such a beauty?!

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My goals to achieve in 2016

Looking back at 2015 life goals, I haven't really done very well. But I tried so that's the main thing right? Sometimes we can't achieve everything we set out to do in 12 months. So what do I plan on doing in 2016?

1. See even more of the world
I want to carry on with where I left off in 2015. It was such an incredible year for travel. If I'm honest, I think that will always be my number one priority. This year I have booked in Cologne, Prague, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest - ticking off four new countries along the way. I'm most excited about four days in Budapest, a city that I've long lusted over. I won't be leaving Europe this year as not having a full time job puts paid to that. But Europe is such a vibrant, colourful and diverse continent that I don't feel like I've drawn the short straw at all.

2. Put more of my passion into this blog
So last year was suppose to be the year that i really make something of this blog. Well it didn't take off like I wanted it too. But I think I'm ok about that. I had some incredible opportunities and worked with some cracking brands last year because of this little space on the internet. This year I only want to put out content that I truly feel passionate about. Even if that means just posting once a week. It's going to be quality over quantity. I'm a little guilty of panicking and publishing something that I'm not quite confident with because I FEEL like I need to get something out there. I'm still going to post a variety of content and concentrate a lot more on the foodie aspect. Father Christmas aka the boyfriend very generously gifted me an Olympus Pen for Christmas so I'm hoping the quality of my photos will improve tenfold.

3. Spend more time with those I've known the longest
I am absolutely terrible at keeping in touch. Send me a text and I'll jump at the chance to meet up but I hardly ever make the first move. It's just because I get so caught up in my everyday life and completely forget to make time. I feel like I'm constantly moving at 100mph. So this year I'm going to make the effort. Be the person who suggests lunch, be the person who goes and stays with an old friend for the weekend and be that person who sends a text out of the blue to let someone know they're thinking of them.

4.  Look after my skin
I've never really had problems with my skin but this year, lord it's been a right old state. Despite spending a fortune on lotions and potions, I tend to use them for a few weeks then get lazy. Sleeping in make up, not cleansing my face and using make up wipes are all sins I've been guilty off this year. So i'm going to try and get back into a routine. Use the clay masks, the sheet masks and the facial oils and get my face under control!

5. Learn to have more self-confidence
This old chestnut eh? This year my confidence in myself seems to have hit rock bottom. It's resulted in lots of comfort eating, not taking care of myself and generally moping around like a big old wallower. So this year I'm going to try and take back a little control. Think of all the good things rather than dwell on the things that make me unhappy. Which in turn will help me become a right sassy chick ready to take on the world and show it exactly what I can offer. I'm fed up of feeling unhappy in myself.

New year, new start right?

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