Christmas Markets and Castles

At the minute time is flying past me, and the few weeks have been a fairly stressful blur! All of a sudden my schedule seemed to be filled with assignments and presentations that I had to prepare for so I haven't had that much time just to chill out. I had the most lovely extended weekend last week though after a few days of art exhibitions and some classes taught by other students. I had free time from Thursday through to Sunday, so I spent Thursday and Saturday catching up on work and sleep and Friday searching for a job and window shopping after breakfast with my mum in the cosiest little coffee/book shop. I also ended up going to see the Christmas light switch on and parade in the city with friends which was so lovely, if a little drizzly, so we spent most of the night wandering round and looking at the decorations and sharing cinnamon Churros. I feel like when the lights are turned on that its officially the run up to Christmas time, and although I know its still quite early in the year to be feeling festive I'm not going to let it stop me listening to Wham! and getting my Christmas shopping done and my holiday outfits planned. In the past few years Christmas for me has become less of a getting presents and eating loads kind of event and more of a time to see my family in England and spend quality time with them. I think this has to do with getting older as well as living away from home , but it's the reason I love Christmas so much, knowing that I can just hang out with my family at my favourite time of the year.

 Coat: H&M, Dress: Urban Outfitters, Boots: H&M

On Sunday we visited Rosenholm Slot, Denmark's oldest family owned castle, built in 1559. We had heard about their Christmas Market and being lovers of all things festive decided to check it out. It was my first Christmas Market of the year and was as lovely as expected. It was so relaxing to have a mooch around the stalls and listen to Christmas carols before exploring the ground of the castle itself. We also got chatting to the nicest man who explained the history of the Rosenholm to us before heading off to get Hot Chocolate and Æbleskiver (circular danish 'pancakes' with jam and sugar). It's so lovely to do festive things again! The inside of the castle was absolutely beautiful, with gorgeous views of the moat outside which is full of carp and other fish.

Tonight I'm planning to pack for my weekend back home in Hull. I leave on Thursday night and have a weekend full of plans from the second the plane lands, so I can't wait for that. I seem to have visited England much more than usual this year and, as much as I love Denmark, I'm always really excited to go back. I also have the challenge of taking only hand luggage with me, so the struggle of trying to fit about 700 outfit combinations in a backpack, plus my sketchbook and everything else, will be interesting! Wish me luck...

Bethany x

* This month has been crazily hectic for so many reasons and it's been stopping me from sitting down and just writing, styling or photographing posts. I am nowhere near my three post a month target, but I feel like that's okay, as I would rather post something that isn't rushed or typed out because I feel like I have to post. This post today was actually written on Tuesday the 17th, before my weekend trip back to Hull to see my wonderful family. It was amazing to have a couple of days just to hang out with my cousin and grandmas and everyone else as, normally when I visit home, it is so incredibly busy, so having a blank weekend was so special. I have a great weekend planned too. Yesterday was a family 'Pizza night', I spent yesterday baking cranberry and white chocolate cookies to take to an early Christmas night with friends (now known as 'Christmas in November'), which was an opportunity to dress festively and watch The Polar Express, and today I'm going to finally get around to starting a new art project and finishing up some of the other bits of work that I have hanging around before putting up our Christmas tree. I hope you enjoy this post anyway. My next post will be another collaboration with the lovely Vendula London and I cannot WAIT to show you the A/W clutch they have kindly sent to me! Have a fantastic week X

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Cannes

 

I've been trying to write a post about my trip to Cannes for quite a while now but have kept on putting it off. Normally I procrastinate when I know that I'm not going to enjoy the task ahead or because I can't think what to write, but for this post it was the complete opposite; I kept on setting the post to the side of my head because there is simply too much that I want to say and I can't possibly put it all into words. Every minute I spent in Cannes was absolutely wonderful, from laying out on the busy beach, bare faced and slathered in factor 50 to getting ready to head out on a night, making the most of what can be an incredibly glitzy and glamorous place. As I sit writing this snuggled in a big jumper and banana print pyjama bottoms listening to the rain beat on my window, it seems even more of a blur than it ever has before, worlds away from what I am used too. It was amazing how much one city offered, that you could find yourself in a bustling food market one minute and outside Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Dolce and Gabanna the next.
If you've followed my blog for a while you'll have seen my visits to Bruges, Paris and Prague to name a few, and though I've loved every one of these cities I've never felt quite so comfortable and relaxed as I did in Cannes. Maybe it's because I had the sparkling blue sea to one side of you and charming buildings, beautiful restaurants and friendly people to the other, and combined with the sun this was basically my idea of heaven. I also feel that I should point out that when I say the sea was sparkling, I mean it, as we realised a few days in to our visit after finding that our bikinis seemed to glimmer an awful lot that the sea actually had glitter in it. I don't know why this is or how this came about, but I loved it (instant full body strobing anyone?).

I didn't know what to expect of Cannes. I was a little worried it would be pretentious and intimidating to be honest, as I often am when im heading somewhere with so many different stories and labels attached. I thought I might be a little out of my depth and spent an awful lot of time wondering what clothes to take and if anything I had was suitable for such a beautiful, glamourous place, but I needn't have worried. It really is an everything goes kind of city and I never felt uncomfortable, however I was dressed.  Days were often spent wandering around in the mornings, stopping for a leisurely breakfast, visiting Forville market or hanging out and eating avocado toast before hitting the shops or the beach. The shops in Cannes were AMAZING, from Zara (which was full of bargains when we went. I ended up buying the loveliest red skirt and a wool winter coat that I forced myself to try on despite the 37´C heat)  all the way to  the friendliest Chanel I've ever been in, plus a whole load of little boutiques selling everything from formal dresses to the daintiest little string bracelets. I didn't even try to seek out secondhand shops the way I normally do when travelling somewhere new and instead found myself wandering around looking at vintage Chanel handbags and Dior skirt suits, nearly new Jimmy Choos and Gucci loafers. Obviously all this secondhand and vintage was out of my price range, but it didn't stop me looking and dreaming!

Nights were my favourite time of day in Cannes. We usually left our apartment a little earlier so we had time to walk along the waterfront while it was still light and people were still on the beaches, waiting for the sun to go in a little. There are so many restaurants to choose from in Cannes so deciding what to eat could be a little difficult. My favourite night was probably when we found the most beautiful Lebanese restaurant and had THE BEST TAGINE EVER. It was honestly the kind of food you dream about. I'm regretting not getting many pictures of Cannes on a night now I'm back as it really was a beautiful sight with all the palm trees lit up and the illuminated hotels.

We were lucky enough to be in Cannes for Bastille Day which meant we got to see the most beautiful firework display take place. I love a good firework display and this one was the best I have ever seen. Watching it while sitting on the beach, squashed together under the palm trees made the whole experience so special . 

(I hope this gives you an idea of how happy I felt)

 I adored my time in Cannes. I think this past trip was my favourite yet, everything was just perfect! Feel free to tell me your favourite place to visit in the comments because I do love a travel recommendation. I hope you're doing amazingly and are having a great week so far. I'm finding that I am incredibly and wonderfully busy at the minute with starting this academic year off again and mixing with new people. I feel so content with how things are at the minute, and I have some exciting projects lined up here on the blog too, so look out for some interesting little bits popping up on my instagram! As of October I am going to try and get 3 blogposts up per month. I haven't posted anywhere near as much as I would of liked lately, but hopefully I can change this with some good time management!
Bethany x

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Invaluable

Time seems to be flying past me once again. I arrived back in Denmark around a week ago now and, since then, the days have been zipping past me! I am trying to be productive and give myself projects and things to work on, but more important things (ie. sitting in my pyjamas and watching Made In Chelsea or sunning myself in the garden) are getting the better of me. I suppose that is what the summer is for though!
On the night I arrived back in Denmark it was actually Sankt Hans, a celebration of Midsummer's Eve. It is marked by burning a 'witch' on a bonfire to keep away evil forces. Seeing fires lit up and down the beach was so beautiful and reminded me just how lucky I am to live where I do. 
I had missed being by the sea, so slipping back into what feels like my natural habitat was wonderful. It was also a great reintroduction back into Scandinavia for my Grandmother, who has travelled back from England with us to take a holiday out here and do some thorough catching up. 

Living right next to a beach is such a dream. I love the freedom of being able to pop down whenever I want and have my feet in the sand in a matter of seconds. The weather has only just started being consistently warm and sunny in the past few days, and these photos were taken when it was a little cooler and cloudier. I prefer being on the beach in that kind of weather compared to full sun, maybe because I don't have to worry about sunburn or the amount of freckles threatening to take over my face. It also means the beach is much quieter so it gives Ziggy the chance to run around, dig her nose in the sand and paddle in the sea. The beach is her favourite place to be and you can guarantee that within minutes of arriving she will be burying her face into the ground and kicking sand around her. I feel like these photos only display a fraction of her true excitement!

When the weather isn't quite so warm my go to cardigan is this grey slouchy one, ie. the fluffiest, cosiest cardigan ever. I do have a slight confession to make though- This cardigan isn't even mine- It actually belongs to Ellie and I steal it at every given opportunity. Aaaah the joys of being a twin. Obviously the clothes stealing works both ways, and many a dress/jumper/top has managed to slip onto her clothes rail. Its quite a good system really, as it means I can always borrow one of her many striped tops and she can always come to me for jewellery or a jazzy shirt. Our saviour is that we don't have the same shoe size as I imagine that would cause some problems (she wears very nice shoes).
I also got my hands on a little leopard print shirt when I was back in the UK. I had wanted one for AGES and I couldn't believe it when I stumbled across this one in Primark for 3. It also vaguely reminds me of the Greta Blouse by Collectif, a blouse I have lusted after for quite a while!

Recently, I received an email from the lovely people of Invaluable, an online auction marketplace. They asked me to share the story of some meaningful jewellery that I own as part of a project they are running, and I couldn't resist giving you all a peek into my collection, so I jumped at the chance! 

I only have one piece of jewellery that I wear every day without fail, and that is my ring. If you pop over to my blog every now and again, you'll have seen it cropping up in my posts and, though I've only been in possession of this ring for about 4 months, it is my most treasured trinket. It first belonged to my Grandma, who then gave it to my Mum, who then gave it to me. I remember being little and admiring the rings stacked up on her hand as we baked coconut cake or whisked up pancakes but this ring was always my favourite. I love how the stones have been made to look like tiny stars through the engraving and the thicker band. It also happens to fit me perfectly and is constantly on my finger, no matter what.

When  Invaluable contacted me about this project they said that 'Jewelry is timeless and carries memories along with us, and that is something to be celebrated'. It was this that made me want to take part the most, as this ring will not only hold the experiences that I have, but also holds the memories that my Mother and Grandma have made whilst wearing it. I think that really is the magic of vintage. Every time the piece finds a new owner or is worn by someone new, a little bit of personality rubs off onto the item. I suppose this is sometimes through a scratch or a rip or an imperfection, but often it's not visible at all and adventures of the past are stored. Having something that reminds me of the women of my family, especially when I'm further away from home, is really special and it not only means I'm carrying memories and experiences but my loved ones around with me.

Another favourite of mine are my beautiful Les Nerides earrings. I bought them whilst in Paris last July, whilst having a wonderful day exploring the city and shopping with my Mum. I had admired Les Neriedes online for quite some tim, though had never had the chance to see them in the flesh, but I came across the counter whilst in Galeries Lafayette (I swear it is the most beautiful store in the world) and fell in love.  Everything from Les Neriedes is so delicate, detailed and feminine and although it is a little pricey for costume jewellery, it is 100% worth it. Whenever I look at them I see Paris and remember wandering around the streets of the Jewish quarter, my trip to Laduree and a hilariously bad run-in with a cheese fondue. 

I still have so many pictures from Paris I haven't shared on here! I couldn't resist adding a few into this post to try and give you an idea of what those earrings remind me of. 

I treasure my Vivienne Westwood pieces too, as I do with the rest of my V.W collection, but other than that, I love all my jewellery equally. I have a little collection of secondhand jewellery that was picked up on my travels growing ever so slowly (hopefully I can add to it on my upcoming trip to the south of France!). I also have a few bits from my family like the atomic brooch with green stones ( it was my Mum's in the 80s) and my purple Swarovski ring from my sister, Leah, as well as some little bits I've picked up here and there like my enamel Rose necklace from Poorboy Boutique and the Red and diamante costume ring that I thrifted in Rome. Whenever I wear that ring all I can think of is Clam Spaghetti and how Italians may be the warmest, friendliest people on earth (and also how I will be heading to Milan for a couple of days soon, eeeek!).
I've been packing for the last few days too. As I mentioned, I'm going on Holiday for a while, driving down to Cannes and making stops in Germany, Italy and Switzerland to name a few. I am SO EXCITED to be having a little road trip again and I'm going to quite a few places I have never ever visited before, which only adds to the excitement. I hope I can share my travels with you through my Instagram and then my blog when I get back, I should have a whole lot of exploring to show you!
I hope you're enjoying the hot weather we seem to be having at the minute (at least where I am!) and have been having a lovely few weeks.  Do check out Invaluable if you can, even if just to have a little look at all the treasures on the site. There really are some beautiful things on there, from jewellery lots to antique toys. Well worth a peek! Thanks to Invaluable for the help and letting me be part of the Project.
Bethany x

More posts for the Invaluable project:
Rose and Vintage (one of my favourite blogs, Ellie is such a wonderful writer! )
In Any Direction
Run Baby Run
Alexie RicRac

See Invaluable and their gorgeous jewellery here. You won't regret it!

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