Free to be me

At a time my heart desperately needed to be reminded everything happens for a reason I came across the amazingly gifted Rob Hill.
None of us will ever get it perfect, but that shouldn’t be the goal. We should be strong enough not to let temporary pain put constrictions on the way we express and develop our love. For me it isn’t love if it makes you feel anything short of free, free to express ourselves, free to communicate, free to dream and explore and create… and though we love by choice, we can’t make anyone chose to do right by us. Trying to control shows a lack of trust. Our job is to get people to feel love, even if it’s for a short time. And loved in a way that changes them forever. A way that makes them better… love endures, it’s just our understanding of what it really is that changes. – Rob Hill

Catching sun rays

It’s a feeling I know all too well, sitting wherever the sun rays shine to reenergise and collect my thoughts in the moment. Usually my dog gives me company when I do zone out in the sunshine ( I cuddle him like a hot water bottle till he escapes my hold and runs away) *insert cover face emoji* but this was shot while we were in Rome, after a manic couple of days exploring the magnificent city, we chilled out in our room and on the roof top of our apartment (post on that to come shortly!)
I’m a fan of maxi dresses in the summertime, one of the most fuss free items of clothing I own, teamed it with some festival inspired arm candy by Ottoman Hands and et voila the summer look is complete.
Gurpreet and I are currently in the process of moving into our very first home together so the past couple of weekends have been extremely manic, who knew sofa shopping could be so stressful!? Keep a look out on my Instagram for pictures of the new place : ) I'm hoping to have some interior design posts coming soon!

Outfit - Dress/LauraAshley Necklace/OttomanHands (Different colourway) Rings/OttomanHands Bracelets/OttomanHands,2,3

Pastel doors

As mentioned in the last post architecture and doorways are my kryptonite. I am forever gazing out the window looking at my surroundings; especially in cities, I love taking time out and looking up to see the walls around me. When I’m abroad my outlook is no different, if anything I stop even more when we are walking just to soak up the atmosphere knowing our time is limited there.
When wandering the streets in Rome this doorway caught my eye. Not the most extravagant or detailed but the colours complimented each other charmingly and the golden door knobs had my attention straight away!
Floating around Rome in this maxi was god sent in the heat, very light, elegant and easy to wear, the back overlay is my favourite feature. With gold accents on the belt it complimented my Ottoman Hands jewels beautifully.
Pop over to their blog here to see what else Gurpreet and I got up to in Rome!

Outfit - Dress/Zara Similar Scarf/Mango Cuff/OttomanHands ShortNecklace/OttomanHands (different colourway) LongNecklace/OttomanHands (different colourway) Bracelets/OttomanHands,2 Earrings/Ottomanhands

Neutrals in Rome

Well hello July! Summer is in full swing and with the sun out I feel so much more motivated to do as many things possible within 24 hours, my productivity rates have shot straight up!
This afternoon we went to view our new apartment for the first time, I couldn't contain my excitement. This is something I have dreamt of for such a long time and now imagining living that life as a daily routine seems like a blessing. Maybe we can venture out into interior design or food posts?! Ha! ok, let’s not get carried away too much, but I honestly think this new adventure ahead of Gurpreet and I will lead to bigger and brighter opportunities.
In the meantime I have some little gems to share with you, here’s a flashback from when we visited Rome in April. I didn’t intentionally dress to blend in with the surroundings but it just goes to show, basic neutral colours can never go out of style!
It was a blessing in disguise my hair straightener stopped working, it meant my natural hair was given some limelight and luckily it ended up doing some magical voluminous things! To see more images from our Rome trip head over to the Ottoman Hands blog where you can see the sites we visited too.

Outfit – Top/Mango Jeans/RiverIsland Scarf/Mango Shoes/Mango Rings/OttomanHands,2,3,4 Bangles/OttomanHands,2 Cuff/OttomanHands Necklace/OttomanHands (different colour way)

The Roman Forum

I’ll start this post off topic a little, for those who are in London; wow wee! The sunshine has been so beautiful lately our days are longer, I’m feeling a million times more productive than usual and a lot more motivated to make the most of the summertime.
Gurpreet and I are currently in the process of packing up our belongings by the end of the month to move into our very own apartment. (Currently living with in-laws) I cannot express how excited I am for this! As a result holidays are on hold till we get settled.
No harm in looking back on our adventures from this year though! This next post was one we shot after visiting the Coliseum, we opted out for having a guided tour as the queues for tickets were not as long as everyone made them out to be, instead we purchased the audio guide. I can’t fault it, it explained everything very well and we left feeling a little more knowledgeable in the Roman history department.
One thing we didn’t realise at the time was our ticket for the Coliseum entrance also covered entrance to the Roman Forum, a large area directly opposite the coliseum with ruins, gardens and plenty more artefacts linked to Roman history.
Well worth the visit and beautiful to walk around in for the afternoon.
One pointer I can give you is when visiting Rome I highly recommend wearing comfortable shoes, there is an insane amount of walking to be done!

Outfit – Top/ToryBurch Jeans/MissSelfridges Scarf/Mango Jacket/Mango Necklace/OttomanHands Shoes/LauraAshley Rings/OttomanHands Bracelets/OttomanHands