Time For Tea | Bea's of Bloomsbury

I know, it's been a while and I apologise for that. I moved back to London in October and since then life has just been incredibly busy. But I'm back with a post about CAKE...

 Last weekend I visited a cute little cafe 'Bea's of Bloomsbury' for a catch up over a delicious Afternoon Tea with my friend Martha. This time last year we went to South Kensington for a Detox Afternoon tea which I wrote about here. This year we decided to ditch the carrot sticks and indulge ourselves. It was such a lovely experience, I thought it needed to be shared! 

The pièce de résistance...a variety of sandwiches made with focaccia bread, home made scones, beautiful cupcakes, chocolate AND blondie brownies, raspberry marshmallows, all topped off with some very cute little meringues. I definitely wouldn't call this a 'traditional' Afternoon Tea. They also have a great selection of teas, we both decided on 'Vanilla' which was surprisingly yummy as it wasn't too overpowering.

If you'd like to just pop in for a snack Bea's also have a delicious looking collection of cakes. We even came across a 'Duffin'...I was very tempted to buy one and take it home for later. But I didn't need to because we still had cakes left from our tower of treats, which were kindly boxed up for us. 

I would recommend booking a table if you are planning on visiting Bea's at the weekend for an Afternoon Tea. The cafe was completely full and even when you do book the slot is for a limited amount of time.

The Afternoon Tea is £19 per person which I think is pretty reasonable for London. The friendly atmosphere and delicious food make it even more worth while. As you can tell, I only have good things to say about this place! 

Looking for Deer...

I've lived in London for almost a year and have never been to Richmond Park. It had been on my list of things to do for a while, so I finally hopped on a bus and set off for a day of exploration.

It is so humid in London at the moment, which makes it difficult to know what to wear. I went for this giant blue T Shirt that I picked up in H&M recently and it did the job perfectly. I think I will invest in a few more of these because they are so easy to throw on and are incredibly comfortable. They will be great for wearing with leggings or tights when the weather gets a bit cooler again. 

These shoes are from Primark and I can't stop wearing them. I love the way they look and they are unbelievably comfortable so I can walk around in them all day long.

Have you been to Richmond Park? It's such an incredible place! We even spotted some deer in the end...

I will be moving out of London in a few weeks so I'm trying to tick off as many places as possible, can you recommend anywhere else to visit?

A Spring Like Saturday

Wearing mostly Primark today...

Jeggings- ASDA Wonderfit

Jumper- Primark

Jacket/ Coat- Primark

Shoes- Primark

Necklace- H&M

Sunglasses- Rayban Wayfarer

What lovely weather we are having in England! The sudden change in temperature makes it difficult to know what to wear. I decided to go for a light coat and a jumper so that I could get away with just wearing the jumper when I got too hot.  Even though it's sunny I don't think I could walk around in short sleeves just yet. I went to Shoreditch in London today to visit the new cat cafe 'Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium' which was lovely. After chilling with the cats this morning I then explored Brick Lane and took a look at Spitalfields Market.  So, here's my comfy outfit for a day out in London.

Time For Tea...A Detox Afternoon Tea

When my friend Martha sent me the link to a voucher for '50% off a detox afternoon tea for two' at the beginning of January I decided it was exactly the kind of thing we needed to try! We went ahead and bought the voucher and then booked the afternoon tea for a weekend in February. 

When we arrived at the gorgeous five star Pelham Boutique Hotel in South Kensington London last Sunday afternoon we felt incredibly...civilised. The decor is gorgeous and the hotel has a very luxurious feel to it. We had the afternoon tea in the Bistro downstairs which consisted of:

Cucumber and Lime Sorbet

Brown Rice and Ginger Scones 

Beetroot and Pomegranate Jelly

Yoghurt Drizzle Lemon and Basil Cake

Poached Salmon on Rye Bread

Berry Skewers With Honey

Carrot and Cucumber Sticks with Carrot Hummus

A choice Beautiful Skin Tea, Skinny B*tch Tea or Toxin Killer Tea

It all sounds incredibly healthy right? I guess that's what made this experience so fun and unique. We both went for the 'Beautiful Skin Tea' which was delicious. I'm not entirely sure what was in it but it tasted a lot like camomile. Each item on the cake stand was full of flavour and incredibly tasty. It was strange because usually an afternoon tea would fill me up and I would struggle to finish that last scone. But because everything was so light and tiny we didn't feel full at all. I still haven't decided if this is a positive thing. But I guess that's the point of a 'detox' afternoon tea. For that reason I'm not sure I would pay the full price. But I would be more than happy to pay the £12.50 each again to enjoy a lovely and unique afternoon in the Pelham Hotel. Maybe next time we'll go back for the 'unhealthy' version which from what we could see included mini burgers! 

Martha (in the picture above) found this deal on the 'London Timeout' website and unfortunately it is no longer running but I would definitely recommend it so keep your eyes peeled for more deals! 

Grey Finds

I absolutely love the shop Anthropologie. However, I only ever browse because I find everything there a bit too over priced...actually most of it is a lot over priced. Don't get me wrong, pretty much everything they sell is absolutely beautiful and very good quality, but I personally can't justify spending £70 on a top.

I was in central London yesterday and walked past the Anthropolgie on Regent Street on my way to the tube station. I couldn't help but notice the giant "SALE- Up to 70% off" sign in the window so decided to pop in there and take a look...feeling pretty unhopeful. I was pleased to see that their current sale takes up almost a whole floor of the shop and isn't full of the clothes that no one wants to buy- there are actually some really pretty reduced items.

I ended up leaving with two grey (everything I have bought recently is grey) very cosy looking items of clothing, which I am in love with. Both were originally £68 marked down to £20 which made me like them even more. There's nothing particularly special about each item (most of the clothes in the store are covered in beads and flowers) but I am extremely pleased with them and so happy that I decided to pop in and have a look.

Have you picked up any unexpected bargains in the January sales?

Fortnight In Photos #12

I used to write this post every other Sunday, but I think it's been a month since the last one now. That's because I haven't been posting as many photos on Instagram and that's probably because I haven't been doing a lot, other than working. I've been keeping pretty busy in the evenings and weekends for the past two weeks though so here are some photos from those days...

First time on a Boris Bike in Hyde Park, Frozen Yoghurt for dinner, Sunday brunch, pretty evening sky.

Wrapped up warm, two portions of pasta at Prezzo, visiting Biggie this weekend, trip to the lovely Swanage. 

Instagram @hannahcelder 

Fortnight in Photos #10

This post is going up slightly early but here's what I've been up to for the past two weeks...

Went home for the the bank holiday weekend and got a bit crafty, the finished product, grumpy Mr Bigs, beautiful ceiling at a random Thai restaurant, picnic time, view from the train on a Friday evening.

Twister lipbalm- smells and tastes nothing like a Twister lolly though! Cute Jams from France, pamper evening, drinks in the lovely weather after work, Bigs chilling in what can't be a comfortable position, eating lunch by the lake at work.

Instagram @hannahcelder 

Guest Post | How to Get the London Look

Recently, Sarah Atkinson from London Boutiques, who offer a selection of womenswear brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Acne and Preen contacted me about writing a guest post for you. She suggested writing about 'How to get the London look'. I really liked the sound of this as I'm moving to London next week and I thought it would definitely be something that you would all enjoy reading. So, without further ado, here's the piece!

Whilst we all take inspiration from fashion trends from all over the world, there is no denying that the look most of us love the most is our very own London city vibe. London fashion trends provide garments that we can wear with confidence and pride. If you are a British babe and proud, then let the world know it! Show off that polished city look with the edgy finishing touches that make London fashion one of the best in the world.

So, how do you rock the London look? Let’s find out...

Rounded sunglasses

Oversized sunglasses have become a must-have for every single London lady. They are sophisticated, glamorous and stylish. As of late rounded sunglasses have really soared in the world of fashion. They are undoubtedly the top style accessory for 2013. They fit into the London look perfectly due to their rock ‘n’ roll edge. Rounded sunglasses were a popular fashion item for the late John Lennon. You can just imagine wearing these whilst you kick back in the sun and listen to some tunes by The Beatles.

Leather

If you don’t have some leather in your wardrobe then you can’t claim to have the true London look. From leather boots to leather skirts to leather jackets; we love it all. And don’t worry; you don’t have to go for full on biker chick to emulate this trend successfully.

Skinny jeans

Skinny jeans are a style staple for all. This garment is extremely versatile; it can be worn again and again to create an array of different looks. Team with grungy ankle boots, a satchel, and a buttoned up white blouse for a casual glam look. Finish off with letterbox red lipstick and a high bun. Dress up with a pair of barely there stilettos, a chiffon top, sweeping long curls and an envelope clutch for evening glam. When buying a pair of skinny jeans you should definitely invest in quality. After all, this is a piece of clothing you will get a lot of use out of. Buy a designer pair such as those available from London Boutiques.

Satchel

Satchels have grown in popularity over the past few years and are now well and truly ingrained in British style. They have a studious feel to them, yet they are not merely appropriate for workwear. A satchel bag can offer the perfect way of adding a quirky edge to day attire – especially if you opt for one in a bright colour.

Dr Martens

This is definitely the footwear of choice for any London girl. British style is well known for taking pretty trends and edging them up to create the perfect balance. Dr Martens present you with the opportunity to do this. Team with denim hot pants, a bralet and a daisy chain for the perfect festival look.

Fortnight In Photos #1

Flying back from the Alps after skiing

Filming a documentary in London

Two day trip to Alton Towers

Shopping with my mum

Attempt at making Sprite lollies

Biggie is gradually becoming more of a lap cat

Burrito at a friend's birthday meal

Curls made with straighteners that kind of stayed in overnight

Follow me on instagram @hannahcelder to see more photos