A #LFW EVENT | MEET LORNA LUXE

 Last night I had the pleasure of catching up with a few bloggers, PR's & journo's for what was fashion blogger Lorna Luxe's first public talk about the world of fashion, blogging and a few style tips for her style loving fans. The event held at the Hoxton hotel in Holborn, was the perfect setting to hold such chilled and conversational session with the very bubbly Lorna. 

After literally just waltzing in to The Apartment  thinking I was late (the private space of the Hoxton used for all sorts of events and classes), to my surprise I was greeted by Lorna herself who was just about sipping on a cucumber martini till walked over not even recognising her. She was so approachable and smiley, with such a cute little outfit on. Obviously repping one of her classic pussy bow shirts, acessorised with a black brimmed hat, and some purdy pink lippy. Such a babe!

As everyone mingled, drank and of course got snap happy, we were all ushered to take seats before Lorna  began. She started off by talking about her latest movements at NYFW as she collaborated with Olympus to follow a week in the life of the Felder Felder sisters, which she absolutely loved and how the heck couldn't you!! With their chilled out vibes all day everyday despite the fashion week havoc going on 360 degrees. She then made it back in time for LFW to do what she does best, street style posing, show watching, constant Instagramming, spending time with her new found blogger and Insta buddies. 

Although I don't particularly share the same style as Lorna, her photography and blogging tips were a hit and honestly she made me laugh throughout the whole night as she referred to herself having blagged her way through becoming the very successful fashion blogger she is and her very very supportive hubby John, who will attend events with her, take her photo diary shots and of course buy her the clothes she desires #jel. Her honesty and humbleness was seriously inspiring as she welcomed questions and offered advice and support to aspiring bloggers, which not a lot of people would do, so for that, thank you Lorna.

Like a lot of bloggers, her life revolves around social media (& that all important 9 square grid) and placing herself in the most picturesque of situations. I mean god forbid going to an event with dark lighting, where she was unable to take the perfect white scale, high contrast, grain free image! but uh-ha she tackled that point, giving away her little gem of a secret... the white scaling app which I totally forgot to write down (NOTE TO SELF: find this!!!)

The night was a success and I walked out of Holborn feeling inspired and pretty chuffed that despite now working in Media, I still have the drive and passion for the fashion world *excuse the cliche and well as loving personal style ,which is something that will never go away. 

IKEA | BREAKFAST IN BED CAFE

50% of Brits have never had breakfast in bed, 30% of the population would love an afternoon nap, IKEA launch concept eatery to stimulate more breakfasts in bed

I am so so so lucky to be working in the heart of London where all things weird and wonderful take place - that's Shoreditch for you! I came across this amazing concept by IKEA taking place for a few days only that is pretty much something people only dream of doing.

Thumbs up to team of IKEA and Hope and Glory PR for yet another cool concept to break the boundaries of experiential marketing. Who doesn't like a session of playing house in IKEA? Even more so, who doesn't wish they could live in one of the seamlessly designed and perfected rooms just for one night? Not to make you jealous or anything, but I made the most of my hour slot in bed.

As you walk into the pop-up just round the corner of Old Street station, you are welcomed by the staff in what is a very peaceful and minimalist setting. Each guest is asked to choose a pillow type (hilarious), soft goose feather, firm, or memory foam that you can take with you to a bedroom setting of your choice. You are encouraged to hang up your coat and replace it with a the choices of nightgowns to really get comfortable. There were different bed styles, throws, lighting and  side tables all side by side one another along the walls of the space. I obviously wanted the cosiest setting so chose a double bed with a neutral colour pallet.

The staff then ask you to choose a tea and pastry of your choice. At this point I was sold! I wanted it all and didn’t ever want to go  back to work. I could get used to going to a place like this. Forget Starbucks or the Hoxton to chill; IKEA Breakfast in bed could be the new hangout spot.

After stuffing my face with pastries and hot errbal tea, I cosied up with my colleague (just weird, but we felt that this broke any boundaries left in our work friendship) and literally did nothing! After reading the Power Of Now last year by Echartt Toll, I am all for embracing the present moment and not getting thoughts of the past or future clog up my brain so I can live happily I the present moment. Remember, I read this at a verrryyy relaxing time on my yoga retreat last year, but if you are ever in a moment of a over active and heated mind, I would take the time to read a few chapters of the book , to hone you back in.

 There is so much out there in the media at the moment about achieving a  better sleeping, so this pop-up event was well-timed. Here’s a little check list and a few facts that you can share and ensure you are making the most of your much needed sleep:

1

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Your pillow should dictate how you sleep. If you are a back sleeper, a memory foam pillow will mould to your body shape. If you are a front sleeper, keep a pillow under your stomach to ease the pain off your back. Finally if you are a side sleeper like me, then ensure you pillow sits seamlessly under your ear and shoulder. For all others, you have no hope!

2
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Whenever you say you are struggling with insomnia, the first thing everyone says is get lavender oil! Why? Because the essential oils in lavender slowdown your heart rate and blood pressure that help your body relax.

3

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People may say to read a book before bed to help you relax, but read wisely. It is said that sticking to fiction will help you relax more than reading any sort of self-help books as this only aggravate the mind and causes you to think and worry more.

4

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Getting more sleep is the single most powerful performance enhancing things you can do. It consolidates memory, enhances creativity and manages our moods. The health benefits include controlling our appitite, balancing our hormones and encourages cardiovascular health.

Going to bed later reported to increase negative thinking,  neuroses and pessimism.

5
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Your routine 90mins before bed is crucial to your quality sleep. So that means, avoiding Netflix, that ‘one more drink’ you convince yourself you need, the late night snack or just scrolling through Instagram on the Daily Mail.

GLOBE TROTTER | THE LITTLE VIET KITCHEN

Last night my high school best pal and I made our way to Angel for a rather romantic dinner at The Little Viet Kitchen.

The super healthy and experimental Vietnamese restaurant was hidden on the back streets of Angel, far from all the other funky chains & one off eateries on Upper Street. The LVK only opened their doors to the public last week so we were lucky enough to get one of the first experiences which for restaurants can sometimes go quite badly.

Not this one! As we were one of the first in for the evening seating, we were greeted by the friendly staff who we literally could have chatted to all evening as we were sat along the bar and one of them was just super friendly. Luckily for us and sadly for them a table of six reduced their booking to two, allowing us to have a proper table with a cute little candle and white rose – very romantic.

Tsuy, the owner and head chef, who I had spoken to earlier on had suggested the perfect three course meal to order from the menu. As a vegetarian, finding a restaurant with a good atmosphere and amazing food can be quite hard, but luckily Vietnamese dishes are full of fresh veg, salads and flavours, just my kinda thang.

I ordered the tofu and veg summer rolls with lemon grass to start with, followed by a  crispy Vietnamese pancakes with a tofu and root veg filling, wrapped with fresh herbs in a lemongrass, lime and chilli soy sauce. Just thinking of it now makes me hungry L. The Portions were hugeeee, but me being a food fatty and with the dishes being really healthy and fresh, it was pretty easy to get through without feeling that dreaded buldge and feeling of bloatedness.

The company was obviously the best, as you can never beat a dinner with one of your oldest and bestest friends from school, but as we were sharing a table with the two remaining guests from the party of six, it was almost rude to not make conversation. And what lovely young boys they were!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention one of the best drinks to date! So, I recently tried a coconut latte at AIDA in Shoreditch, but how about a Coconut margarita? Damn good I tell you!

THE LITTLE VIET KITCHEN - ISLINGTON