It's no secret that Loanne and I both love a good old adventure so when skincare brand Origins invited us to explore 600 acres of wild animal reserve at Port Lympne with an overnight stay in our very own luxury tree houses we couldn't help but get a tad excited! 

We arrived on Thursday morning to a delectable spread of healthy treats & detox smoothies in the main mansion house. By midday a small group of us were taken around the reserve where we saw a number of wild animals from Rhinos, Zebras, Giraffes and Lions roaming freely in over 600 acres of Kent countryside. It was bizarre that these wild animals were residing here yet I had no doubt that these animals were treated with love and respect as our tour guide spoke with such passion and affirmation towards them.

When the safari trip came to an end we had a delicious, healthy and nutritious lunch followed by an afternoon of relaxation in our gorgeous luxury tree houses. Upon arrival we were presented with a luxury hamper full of yummy treats and a welcome note from Origins and products dotted around the treehouse to ensure our stay was as relaxing & tranquil as possible.

Loanne and I then decided to unleash our inner explorer that little more and drive around the reserve in our own personal golf buggy's. Typical that we got lost on route the primate trail and ended up going around in circles countless times (Oops!). When the rain started to fall we dashed back to our tree houses and made hot chocolate and watched the sun set over Port Lympne. Words can't describe how lovely it was.

As the night approached we ended with a gorgeous vegetarian dinner hosted by Origins who presented their exciting Christmas ad. To top off a lovely meal we ended with festive fireside drinks and toasted marshmallows on a lovely open wood fire whilst listening to Christmas tunes and sipping on mulled wine. The whole experience was truly magical & festive and somewhere we'd definitely like to return (maybe next time with a guy as it's super romantic! ) We truly unleashed our inner explorer at Port Lympne and became lost in the wondrous world of Origins Christmas collection 2016!

On Thursday morning, Loanne and I flew over to Berlin to be one of the first to experience the MOXY Berlin, the brand’s new flagship hotel in the heart of the city’s cultural epicentre, Ostbahnhof.

You all probably know that we love a good ol’ party so not only were we extremely excited but also rather intrigued when we heard the launch party would be nothing less than an all-night party with scandalous dance performances, drag spectacles and a Berlin rave-ready makeover! (Sounds pretty epic, right?)

Upon arrival to the Moxy we were greeted by friendly staff whilst also becoming familiar with the Do-It-Yourself nature of the hotel which saw Loanne and I helping ourselves to the delectable choice of muffins, pastries and of course a cheeky cocktail.  A big tick in our box already!

The contemporary interior of the hotel along with the young looking guests gave off a modern, fun and vibrant feel to the place. Though technically a budget hotel, it felt more like a boutique hotel with its slick interior, comfortable & cozy bedrooms and 24 hour food & drink service. 

As it was a very quick 24 hour stop-over in Berlin we managed to squeeze in a couple of landmark visits during the day, one to the Holocaust Memorial & also to the Berlin wall - A  cultural must & also a very touching experience.

As the evening approached we headed back to the Moxy to get ready for the party, the hotel had prepared our rooms with champagne and chocolates to get us in the mood for the night. Along with seductive, lace masks that were to be worn on the evening. (What have we got ourselves in for?)

The night was a true blast (So much so that we didn’t take any photos, unless you were one of the lucky few to witness our Instagram stories ;))

The 300 odd party guests were a true reflection of the brand; fun, cool & stylish- tapping directly into the millennial cultural movement. As the party started and the DJ hit the decks, we helped ourselves to cocktails & canapes. The entertainment continued upstairs in different rooms, each room offering a very different experience, in one room was one of Berlin's best tattoo artists giving free tattoos (we didn't get one unfortunately, kicking ourselves now!) and in the other rooms were bondage & scandalous naked women and teddy bears. It was definitely something we hadn't experienced before. Frivolous & hilarious at the same time. The night continued at the official afterparty in Berlin's famous gay club "Schuwz" where the amazing music continued and we partied until early hours of the morning.

What a night and an amazing 24 hours in Berlin. A massive thanks to Moxy Hotels who provided a party like never before!

Last week Loanne and I, along with 12 other family members packed our bags and headed down to East Preston (Sussex) for a week of relaxation, sunshine and family time. We rented a beautiful house on the sea front and spent most of our days exploring, chilling and swimming in the sea (yes, it was surprisingly warm enough!) Such a beautiful place and at times it felt as though we were abroad watching the beautiful sunset over stretches of pebbly beach. We also took some amazing drone footage which we will share with you guys soon but for now here's a little snippet of us playing on our front lawn... If you're ever in need of a Summer vacation but don't want to venture too far,  East Preston is definitely worth considering!  

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Loanne - 

White top - Never Fully Dressed

Black jeans -  Topshop

Sandals - Office

Necklace - Zoe Morton

Rings - Freedom Jewellery - Topshop

Jordan -

Red two piece - Topshop

Black Jacket - Carharrtt

Sliders - Puma




 

It's not often your friend throws an extravagant 30th birthday and rents a beautiful castle in the middle of the hot beautiful hills of Salamanca. This, however was a rare occasion, an amazing get together of great people, incredible fun, sun, music, poolside, sundowners, incredible settings and a few too many platters of meat and sweaty cheese.

Castillo del Buen Amor is located in the middle of Salamanca, a rare and beautiful XV century castle surrounded by vineyards, mazes and lakes. We spent three days exploring the grounds and having a bit too much fun with the 80 odd other party goers there!

We then drove up to the wonderful city of Madrid and had a few days of great food, city strolling, park roaming and stunning rooftops which made for a few great last days in the City, until we had to depart.

We ate in an AMAZING tapas place called Lateral - literally every dish was to die for, so I would highly recommend going and the atmosphere is super chilled. Three jugs of Sangria, more red wine and 50 odd tapas plates later, we were done and went to hit up the night in Madrid.

Going on the boats in El Parque Retero is a must and if you, like us, luckily have a friend who has an amazing roof terrace then crack open a bottle of wine, get the BBQ sizzling and watch the stunning city of Madrid twinkle as the sun sets over the city. That's how we spent our last night. Perfection.

We will be back soon, Madrid. Hasta Lluego! 

ps - Sorry about the shortage of photos (Think we may have had a bit too much fun!) 


 

L & J x x x



 

"For once you have tasted flight, 
You will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards,
For there you have been and there you will long to return"

Leonardo Da Vinci


When it comes to travelling you could say we're extremely lucky. Growing up in Portugal, studying in Brazil and frequently visiting holiday homes in Spain and Thailand has resulted in our inability to settle in one place for too long. Escaping the hustle and bustle of London life is an absolute must and the proximity of warm air, sandy skin, breathtaking sunsets and salty hair comes as second nature.
2015 was one of the quietest years in terms of travel and so I have resolved to make a 2016 bucket list of places I would love to go this year in the true hope that it reinforces me to save, book and just go! This blog post is an attempt for me to tick off at least two of these destinations before the end of the year!
Any one who has tips of things to do and places to go in these destinations, holla!!

First up is the wonderfully, beautiful:

Santorini, Greece - 

There's just something about those white washed villas and sky blue roofs that's so enticing. The sunsets, the wine, the light, the food....
And I mean, if there was a villa to stay in, it would have to be this one:
 http://www.luxuryretreats.com/Europe/Greece/Santorini/Firostefani/Villa-Aura-115874

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Venice, Italy-

Maybe it's because I'm a Londoner that the idea of no cars or roadways, truly appeals to me. The thought of travelling merely by boat through canals is exciting! The City's grand canal which snakes through its narrow, mazelike alleys and small squares makes Venice an absolute must see!

Cape Town, SA - 

Now let's face it, there seems to be no place more beautiful, fun and inexpensive to escape too than Cape Town. When we're all freezing our socks off here in the UK, Cape town is the perfect place to escape the dark and frosty winter nights.

Saint Lucia -

I believe we all deserve a bit of luxury now and then, don't we? And that every now and then for me would have to be in Saint Lucia. The serenity, the calm and the beauty of the island illustrate nature at its finest. Or in the words of the country itself  "The Land, The People, The Light".

Lo xxx

It was my second visit to the big apple so this time round I was adamant about experiencing it like a REAL 'New Yorker' rather than spending my days doing the touristy stuff! We decided to stay in Williamsburg, probably one of the coolest neighbourhoods I've ever been too!! Why? It's hip, young, the streets are full of people selling one-off pieces, amazing coffee shops, authentic cafes, great Sunday flea markets... oh and also home to the best Brooklyn bagels... Located only a 3 minute walk from our AirBnB, we made a couple of cheeky pit stops there... of course!  I guess you could compare Williamsburg to East London but I'll put it out there and say it's definitely got that edge. A couple of recommendations for anyone who decides to stay in Williamsburg (I mean you'd be crazy not too!)

Wythe Hotel   The ideal place to watch the sunset over the big smoke (also perfect for a date too!)

Space Ninety 8 A really cool rooftop bar above Urban Outfitters where you can have a few cheeky cocktails and watch the sunset.

Rosarito Fish Shack probably the best fish tacos out there so good we returned two days later! Tip: Go there for Happy Hour, the white wine Sangria is delish!

Toby's Estate Coffee This was our local coffee shop. Literally the  tastiest almond cappucino I've ever tried. You'll see lots of creative types in there too!