J&J in Vienna

There is just something magical about celebrating Christmas in winter. Maybe it has something to do with all those Christmas movies I watched as a kid! Being a Kiwi, we usually celebrate Christmas in the middle of summer, so this year Jake and I decided to do a romantic Christmas holiday with all the trimmings! 

There's nothing quite like a Christmas market to get you into the festive spirit, and where better to experience one than in Vienna! It's listed as one of the best Christmas markets in the world! 

White Chocolate & Berry Cheesecake

We did it!!! We made this amazing white chocolate & berry cheesecake for a Christmas dinner party that we had at our house. Is anyone else a huge Chelsea Winter fan?! I love her recipe's especially this white chocolate & berry cheesecake as it's so incredibly easy to make. It also looks very fancy so an easy way impress your guest!

White chocolate & berry cheesecake from Chelsea Winter with a little J&J twist.

Styled Wedding Shoot - Asylum Church

A little while ago, I got to share a little sneak peak on my social media channels about this incredible styled shoot that Jake and I got to be a part of.  It's always been a dream of mine to be photographed by the lovely and talented Nadia Medi.  Her images are out of this world.  So when she asked if we were available to model for this shoot I immediately lost my cool and did little bit of a dance around our house!  What a dream come true!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland

It’s finally the most wonderful time of the year again and one way of getting into the Christmas spirit is by visiting Winter Wonderland. A trip to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park is an annual tradition for Jake and I. The name says it all. In the heart of London, Winter Wonderland becomes the place to head to for festive fun and gets bigger and better each year! 

Boxpark Croydon

Boxpark in Croydon has been open for just over a month and it's become a bit of a regular stop for Jake and I. Boxpark is an awesome concept. It’s entirely constructed out of refitted shipping containers! Most Londoners would have been to the one in Shoreditch however, their newly opened Boxpark in Croydon is the first only food and beverage site. As you already know, Jake and I are both "foodies" and it would have been rude not to try out this superb food hub. We have been sampling nearly every place over the past few weeks and have whittled it down to our recommended favourites. 

British Museum & Flesh and Buns

We finally made it to the British Museum which is listed as the #1 thing to do on Trip Advisor when in London. We had been told by so many people that we must go to the British Museum and I'm so glad we did. It's said to be one of the greatest museums in the world and it's free! I have no idea why we haven't managed to visit this place sooner!

Look Book: Oversized Sweater

It's been a bit chillier and it's time to rug up.  I can’t get enough of Winter fashion from all the layering to the textures and colours.  Nothing screams "Winter" like an oversized knit sweater!

Look Book: Statement Coat

On grey winter days, we can all use a bit of a pick-me-up! Good thing that one of this winter's biggest fashion trends is the brightly coloured statement coat, and one can never go wrong with pink! Pink is the must have colour for this winter. It's going to give a gorgeous feminine touch to all of my cold weather outfits! Even though the famous quote from the Mean Girls movie says "On Wednesday we wear pink" there's no doubt that you will find me wearing this coat on Monday, Tuesday, and every other day of the week!

Look Book ~ Royal Navy

How could I not do a 'Look Book' with such an amazing backdrop! It made Jake and I feel like we were at our very own Downton Abby. We took these photo's while staying at Luton Hoo in the formal gardens designed by the famous Capability Brown. We celebrated my birthday at this beautiful country estate and you can see the full post of our stay here.

Double Birthday Celebrations at Luton Hoo!

So...Last year we spent Jake's birthday at Luton Hoo…Remember this Surprise Land Rover Experience? And ever since that weekend we have been dying for an excuse to go back and I can't think of a better one than my birthday!! The best bit was this year I also got to celebrate this special day with one of my BFF Nikita, Happy Birthday to us!!!

High Tea at The Ritz

I love high tea and have been lucky enough to experience quite a few. However, there is no where else quite like High Tea at The Ritz. It is one of the best and most famous places for afternoon tea in London. Which is why you shouldn't be surprised that you have to book months in advance. Which is exactly what I did for a very special occasion…my birthday!! I adore every aspect about high tea…from getting dressed up and sipping tea from beautiful china to sampling the exquisitely hand crafted sweets and savouries. Afternoon tea is definitely one of my favourite things to do in London. 

So without further adieu come follow me inside! 

London's Longest Dinner Party

Yesterday Jake and I were invited along to the dinner party of the year! 1 menu, 100 courses, in under 24 hours! That's right an entire day designed as a gourmet marathon! It sounded like foodie heaven to us and we were so excited to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience!

Guests taking part could dine for the full 100 courses over the course of 1,000 minutes. Or you could join for a more manageable 2 hours which Jake and I were invited to take part in for this record breaking event. We were treated to 9 courses of exquisitely prepared gourmet magic. That's not all, every one of the their courses had been specially designed to pair perfectly with Nicolas Feuillatte Champagnes.

As soon as we arrived we were greeted with welcome drinks from Nicolas Feuillatte.

Chin chin darlings!

BAO ~ Date Night

Jake surprised me with tickets to Aladdin the musical a few weeks ago. For anyone that knows me well, will know that I'm a huge Disney fan. You can often find me singing around the house "a whole new worllllddd" much to my husbands dismay. I had high expectations and the show exceeded them, if your looking for a West End show to go to I would highly recommend Aladdin!

Since the Aladdin musical is set in the Price Edward Theater in Soho, I knew just the place for our pre theater dinner, BAO! This restaurant is almost legendary and famous for it's Vietnamese street styled soft steamed buns full of flavor! It has been high on our list of places to try in London!

Picnic in the Lavender Fields!

Looking for a perfect summer adventure in London before the warm sunny season ends?  I've got just the thing!  Grab a friend, pack a picnic and follow me to Mayfield Lavender Farm!

Look Book ~ Pink Lace

As a blogger I'm always keeping an eye out for pretty backgrounds like this wall. When I saw this one, I just knew that I had to shoot a 'Look Book' in front of it..... and I just knew the perfect dress for the occasion! I felt like this wall and dress were made to be photographed together. The dress is so pretty and also on sale, so be quick before it sells out! 

I have had a major crush on lace these days. If you are anything like me and looking to add a bit (or even more in my case) of lace into your wardrobe, then look no further than Zara! I wouldn't mind wearing it everyday. Lace makes everything more feminine, romantic and elegant. I love the detail to this dress and the material is so dense and well made. I'm a sucker for high necklines and especially love the fluttery sleeves. It's the perfect dress for a fancy night out, cocktails with the girls or even to wear to a wedding!

London Anniversary Shoot

I am so excited to finally be able to share this shoot that we did back in July. It was so good to be reunited with our friend and photographer Candy Capco (remember this Paris anniversary shoot?) When Candy messaged me saying she was coming over to Europe for wedding season I instantly knew we had to create some magic again. This time I wanted to show off this amazing city that we call home, London and show some beautiful iconic London landmarks as our scenery. 

Vogue Cafe

In celebration of Vogue celebrating her 100th birthday this year, the iconic fashion bible has opened a pop-up cafe in Westfield London. The ultimate shopping pit stop for a sweet treat or two!

It's situated in The Village section which is surrounded by high-end boutiques including Tiffany & Co and Louis Vuitton....Very Vogue!

10 reasons why I love London!

As you have probably seen on my social media channels, I have been adventuring around London and practicing my photography. Needless to say I have been falling in love with London, all over again, absolutely head-over-heels, over-the-top, twirling-in-the-streets kind of love. So I thought I would share my top 10 reasons why I love London!

J&J in Croatia: Part 6 ~ Zagreb

We ended our journey in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. This is a gorgeous city with so much history and culture. We wandered around the cobblestone streets looking at landmarks and finding delightful little markets.

J&J in Croatia: Part 5 ~ Plitvice Lakes National Park

While researching our trip to Croatia, I came across photo's of the Plitvice Lakes National Park and instantly knew we had to go! It has been called Europe's most stunning park. The park is made up of sixteen lakes that are connected by a series of spectacular waterfalls and surrounded by beautiful woodlands. 

J&J in Croatia: Part 4 ~ Zadar & Pag Island

We travelled further north up the coast of Croatia to a cute little town called Zadar.

A major highlight of Zadar is it's waterfront, where you will find the Sea Organ & Sun Salutation. The Sea Organ is a set of stone stairs that descend into the sea and contains a system of pipes and whistles that makes beautiful sounds when the waves crash up against it. It was a little windy when we went for a walk along the waterfront and this made the Sea Organ sound incredible! 

J&J in Croatia: Part 3 ~ Sunburst Sailing

It's hard to accurately put into words how amazing this day was. It was truly the highlight of our trip to Croatia. The islands situated off the coast of Split are beautiful and the best way to enjoy them is on a sailboat! We hired a private 42ft yacht named Nera from Sunburst Sailing. Captain John and First Mate, Lynn made sure we were fed and watered while we relaxed soaking up the sun taking in the gorgeous scenery as we sailed through the Adriatic sea. 

J&J in Croatia: Part 2 ~ Split

It was time to hit the road in this bad boy! We headed further north and made our way to Split from Dubrovnik. The coastal road is one of the top 10 drives to take in the world. At nearly every bend we came around, we were greeted with another gorgeous secluded bay which meant there were also a lot of photo stops along the way.

J&J in Croatia: Part 1 ~ Dubrovnik

Croatia has been on our travel list for quite some time but for one reason or another we hadn't ever gotten around to visiting these beautiful shores, A few months ago when our friends Rachel and Sam asked if we should do a couples trip somewhere, Croatia was mentioned and we jumped at the opportunity! So you may see their faces pop up from time to time in some of the photos. 

Look Book ~ Golden Fields

This is part two of my collaboration with Keara Ellen Photography. As we were driving down to the bluebell woods we spotted these vibrant yellow beauties which are a magnificent sight as you drive around the countryside. How could we not stop and take some photos in these fields of yellow rapeseed?! We had so much fun doing this shoot, It felt like we were walking through fields of gold! It truly was the ultimate spring day in the English countryside!

Recipe: BLT Salad

With it being the first official day of summer this week in London, I though what better time to share this fresh summer salad.  Think of this salad as a classic BLT, without the bread! It is so incredibly easy to make and perfect take along to a picnic or BBQ and great for those warm nights having dinner out on the balcony or in our case, on the roof top garden. I promise it will be a huge hit!

Look book ~ Bluebells

I am very excited to share this collaboration with Keara Ellen Photography. Like I've said before, I'm very lucky to have meet some amazing talented people through this blog, Keara being one of them. I've been following her work for quite sometime. During the end of last year she told be about this magical place and asked if I would be interested in doing a shoot with her. Of course I said yes! 

Look Book ~ A Girl in Sweden

How could I not do a 'Look Book' with this perfect backdrop?! We took these photo's while staying at Reindeer Lodge and with such a serene setting I just couldn't resist! We felt like we were living in a real life snow globe! We shot these photo's just before the sun was setting, photographers call it the "golden hour" sometimes also called the "magic hour" where the light is glowing and gorgeous.

I was also super exited to get another chance to wear this gorgeous coat it's been one of my fashion staples for this winter. I layered this up with my favourite funnel knit jumper, I literally own one in every colour it comes in. Winter fashion is also all about the accessories I found this cute faux fur hat which kept my head super warm! I kicked off my snow boots for some glam and paired this outfit with leather pants and knee high boots which gave a nice contrast against the fur.

It was so much fun jumping around in the snow taking these photo's while the sun was setting so perfectly, with beams of light coming through the trees. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did taking them! 

J&J in Sweden ~ Husky Ride with Nature Travels

Of course our main reason for visiting Sweden was for the dog sledding! We are both dog lovers so we literally couldn't wait to meet our team of Huskies. Spending time with them was amazing! We arrived at their kennels to find each dog barking like crazy expressing their eagerness to get going, egging each other on with wagging tails. 

J&J in Sweden

Wow! We have just returned home from a total bucket list trip! We flew into Stockholm and drove to Kiruna. It was amazing driving through Sweden and seeing the landscape turn into a magical winter wonderland. We made pit stops at cute little towns and of course had to pull over a few times to take photos, the scenery was incredible! 

Girl's Brunch with a Veiw!

A close friend of mine Rachel, organized a girls brunch at Urban Coterie on the 17th floor of the M by Montcalm Hotel. As soon as I walked through the door I was so impressed and also very glad I had decided to bring along my camera!

Happy International Macaron Day!

What to know where to buy the best macarons in London?! Pierre Herme!!! According to Vogue, Pierre Herme is "The Picasso of Pastry" He has stores in France, Japan and lucky for me, London! I always find myself making a stop to it's boutique store in Soho. As I have made it my life's mission to sample one of each and every of their unique flavours! 

Sister Coffee Dates at Sweet Cakery & Bakery

You might remember my write up on Sweet Cakery and Bakery on our Wedding Wednesdays ~ Who We Love! We'll I'm happy to announce that while I have been living in London Grace has opened a cake and coffee shop! I knew while I was in Wellington I would have to stop in for some cake goodness! 

Two Years

Today the 22nd of February 2016 is a very special day, two years ago a got to marry my best friend. It truly feels like we got married a couple weeks ago. I remember this day like it was yesterday walking down the aisle and beginning the rest of our lives and here we are today after 2 years of that journey.  Most of you will not know very much about Jake, other than he is patient and creative man behind the lens of this blog. I'm so thankful to have this guy by my side in life, he knows me better than I know myself!

The Sky Garden & Borough Markets

Jake and I have been talking about visiting the Sky Garden for a while now and we finally got it together to book tickets. The Sky garden is situated at 20 Fenchurch Street, or as most people refer to it as the Walkie Talkie...yes, London loves to give its buildings ridiculous names, but it really does look like a big Walkie Talkie is the middle of London. It is offers 360 degree panoramic views across the city of London. The best part is that it's absolutely free to visit all you have to do is book timed tickets on their website. We headed over London Bridge which was rather windy but had a great view of the Walkie Talkie building....can you spot it?!

Happy Pancake Day!

Yay!!! It's Pancake day, not that we need an excuse to have pancakes! In order to celebrate I thought I would share my easy peasy pancake recipe. The best part about pancakes is the toppings and today I'm sharing my all new favorite toppings too! 

J&J in New York ~ Part 2

Following on from Part One, this is the second part of our trip to New York!

Audrey Hepburn, NYC, Breakfast at Tiffany's..Need I say more?! I couldn't come to New York with out having Breakfast at Tiffany's at their iconic NYC store. We first popped over to the Trump Towers to pick up a pastry and hot drink from Starbucks to recreate the opening scene of one of the best movies ever! I'm a huge Tiffany & Co fan! So many special moments in my life have been celebrated with Tiffany and Co jewellery, one of the most special moments in my life was when my husband proposed and asked me to spend the rest of our lives together. Before that he surprised me on my 21st with none other than their iconic return to Tiffany heart bracelet. So it was extra special to visit their flagship store which consists of seven floors! Yes, it's a girls dream! I tend to lean towards the classic side when it comes to jewellery. With jewellery the simpler the better as long as it is good quality. I know my Tiffany jewellery will be lifelong items that never go out of fashion and will be passed down in our family.

J&J in NYC ~ Part One

I've always been a big city kinda gal! I've fallen in love with London and Paris and can happily add New York to my list. Because the street will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you...let's hear it for New York, New York! Yes I did repeatedly sing this song around New York getting strange looks from people! New York was incredible and was everything I dreamed it would be from yellow cabs, towering skyscrapers, hot dog stands, steam coming up from the subway and bright city lights in a place that never sleeps. I couldn’t get enough of it, and I cannot wait to share this crazy adventure with you. We did and saw so much that I have split our New York trip into two posts...Without further ado here is part one! 

Look Book: A Girl in New York

New York! New York! I literally can not wait to show you more from our trip to New York but for now here are some photos we took after going for a stroll through the Central Park. Early in the morning at 8am, the park was so bare and nobody to be seen, so we took up the opportunity to do a 'Look Book'. You cannot visit New York without spending time in Central Park! We spent hours wondering around and exploring! The Park was beautiful and oozing with Winter goodness with its bare boned trees, quiet empty pathways and a serene landscape all sprinkled with a light frosting of snowflakes. 

My NYC bucket list

If your a regular reader of this blog then you would have seen through my social media channels that my hubby brought us tickets to go to New York for my 1st wedding anniversary present as my traditional first anniversary gift "paper". No idea how's he's going to top that one off! I've been dreaming about visiting the big apple ever since I was a little girl and I can't believe it's coming true in a few weeks! I love lists. I love them so much, that I’m guilty of having lists of lists! So I had to do a New York bucket list of things that I want to do on this trip.

NY ~ The best of 2015 ~ Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 

I can't quite find the words to sum up 2015 it's been a big one! I think the picture above was one of our highlights this year. Nothing seemed more romantic than to go to my favourite city in the world, also known as "the city of love" and celebrate with my husband our amazing first year of marriage!