My Top 5 London Eats

Hello lovelies!
So today I am breaking out of the usual fashion posts to start a new series for my blog. I love lists and  sharing, so I thought I would marry the two and create a top five feature, to share some of my favourite bits and bobs. This week, it's all about my favourite places to eat in London! This list is a mix of great spots all the city but also great if you are visiting and want to have excellent food all the time!

1. The Mall Tavern
The Basics: West London - Notting Hill Gate Tube - Gastro Pub
This pub is worth travelling for, so all you East Londoners get on the central line and come up West for a night. Be sure to book if you are having food, as they are busy. The menu is seasonal so changes with what is good throughout the year but it is always sensational. Must have staples on the menu are the soda bread, chicken pate (according to my non veggie fiancé) and the homemade Rolos for dessert. The drinks are delicious and they have a great selection of beers and cocktails. If you are looking for something special to do, book the Kitchen Table where you get to spend an amazing evening meal at a beautiful private table in the kitchen, and sample the entire menu!

2. Cinnamon Brick Lane
The Basics: East London - Liverpool Street Tube - Indian Curry House
I always get asked by friends when they visit London where they should have the best curry and of course the answer is always: Brick Lane. However, when you get to Brick Lane the choice is endless and the people calling you out on the street makes it hard to really decide. Having tried many spots, I always return to one - Cinnamon. It looks very much the same to the rest of the curry restaurants on the street but the food is delicious and very well priced and the staff are lovely. I recommend the Paneer Masala(veggie friendly) and coconut rice! Be cheeky and ask for a free drink as it's often the custom on Brick Lane.  No need to book, just show up and enjoy!

3. Dumplings' Legend 
The Basics: Central London (China Town) - Leceister Square Tube - Chinese Dumpling/ Dim Sum
There are so many Chinese restaurants in China Town as one would expect,  but knowing where to go for food can be tough with so many offers in the windows. Dumpling's Legend has a great menu with loads of variety and it's all very tasty and reasonably priced. The service was good and very fast and it's also a great spot for big groups as they have large tables. This is a menu you have to test out yourself so I won't recommend anything in particular but everything we had was so yummy and was eaten up quick! You can book but if you are a smaller group you can just show up and eat!

4. Lisa's Kitchen and Bar
The Basics: West London - Ladbroke Grove Tube (Portobello Road Market) - Swedish Food
This new Swedish kitchen and bar is a gorgeous little place tucked away in Portobello Road market. It's white walls and clean design give it a very authentic Swedish feel, and the food is everything you would want and expect. I highly recommend the Swedish breakfast which has delicious avocado  and cheese topped crisp bread, bernaise sauce and much more. The coffee is great and the staff are delightful! If you fancy dessert have a waffle - they really hit the spot! I can't wait to test the bar out and have more of the delicious menu!

5. Borough Market
The Basics: South London - London Bridge Tube - Epic Foodie Market
Borough Market is foodie heaven - anything your heart desires is probably waiting for you at a stand in this market. Nestled below the train arches of London Bridge the market has an indoor and outdoor section with everything from fresh veg, cupboard necessities to beer infused cheeses and fancy hot fresh prepared food! It's hard to recommend only a couple of things here as the smells will pull you in, but be sure to check out the Turkish deli for the almond or orange filled olives, also the Bread Ahead bakery does delicious varieties of bread and cakes too! Plan to spend at least half a day wandering and sampling - you will not be disappointed!

So there you have it! My top 5 eats in London! Have you tried any of these hot spots? Let me know if you have or if you be sure to comment and tell me about your experience!

Lifestyle Special: A Parcel for Bettie

Hello everyone!

So today I have something a little different for you, as I received an awesome parcel in the post via The Blogger Programme from Petshop.co.uk. I have done a video review of the unboxing of the parcel since it was an excellent excuse to show of my kitty and  I would also love to do more vlogs on here so let me know what you think.

Petshop.co.uk is a site where you can order almost anything for your pet (Cat, dog, bird, fish etc.) and they deliver right to your door. They have a huge variety of foods and accessories like dishes and toys for all kinds of pets.

Use the code FRIENDS7 on your first order to get 5% off.
Let me know if you do try this out!

xxToodalooKatie

Blogger Challenge - Denim Five Way with Curvissa!

Good morning lovelies!

So I was asked by Curvissa to participate in a denim five way this month, so myself and four other bloggers will be styling an item from their varied denim collection.

Because the small child that I once was lives on in me, I went straight for this super cute denim pinafore dress.

Everything about this dress reminds me of the 90s and being young and free.

I styled it with a striped shirt, black tights, metallic open trainers and some fun accessories.

I then decided that this dress makes me feel great and took lots of fun and energetic photos.

The fit is true to size as I am wearing my usual 20 and doesn't have much stretch so keep that in mind when ordering your size. If you are big hips/bum/thighs, go up a size.

I have put a couple of badges on and then wore my slap wrist watch to officially send me back to the 90s. I am so pleased that this trend is back and can think of plenty of ways that I can wear this dress again.

A simple change of top and some cute flats, and this look could be less casual - even the addition of a blazer could jazz it up depending on the occasion.

Ironing out the details...

Denim Pinafore - Curvissa

Top - Target (Old)

Tights - Spanx

Trainers - Primark (Still available at time of posting)

I give this dress 5 stars - for cuteness and versatility!

Now that you have endured all of my silliness, you should go and visit all the other lovely bloggers who participated in this challenge:

PrettyBigButterflies

MissKathrynsMisstakes

FatFrocks

NattyNikki

xxToodalooKatie

Rock n' Luxe with Yours Clothing

Hello lovelies!

Sorry for the silence, the flu has got the better of me over the last few days so I am hoping that I am finally on the mend. I wanted to share this awesome outfit that I put together for Yours clothing, featuring their Black Sheer Skull vest top. I love this top, because it's sheer and longer in the back with cute side pleats, not to mention the amazing embroidered skull on the front. The quality is great and the embroidery is well done too!

Top* - Yours Clothing

Leggings - Primark

Sandals - Primark

Coat - Evans

I have paired it with my black leggings and sandals, which I insists on wearing in this weather because they are cool and of course, my fur coat. It's all about luxury in rock n roll style and I think I have hit the nail on the head.

I'll be back very soon with lots of exciting stuff once I banish this illness from me!

xxToodalooKatie

Weekend Mini-Break in London with Travelodge

Good morning lovelies!

So I wanted to tell about a really lovely night that I had a few weeks back in London. As many of you know, for the last 7 months or so, Steven and I have lived on a boat, and even though it can be chilly at times, it's also fun when everything is working as it should.

As of recent, the boat has been struggling and the engine hasn't been working properly so it feels like we have been living in camping mode which hasn't been very fun, considering it's January and gets dark so early. I entered a competition on The Life of a Beauty Addict to win a night away in the UK at a Travelodge and I won! I could hardly believe it!

Instead of being adventurous like we usually are, we opted to book in to the Travelodge at Kings Cross  in London to have a mini break away from the boat and enjoy a hot shower, big cozy bed and some crap telly.

When we arrived, we were checked in very quickly and went straight up to our room. The rooms are basic but clean and fresh and what I would consider spacious by London standards.

I enjoyed a long hot shower in the giant shower that we had and then tucked up into bed to sit on my laptop and use the wifi whilst watching some Saturday night 90s films.

Steve went out and got us an Indian takeaway and we ate at the table in the hotel room in our pyjamas. It sounds so simple, but sometimes not going anywhere is nice too. The beds were big and comfy and we slept in the next morning before heading to have a continental breakfast downstairs. 

Breakfast was lovely -I chowed down on Nutella on toast, coffee and OJ before heading back up to enjoy one more good shower.

The experience had me thinking about what it must be like for all of you that travel to London for work or events and so I have a look around to see what things cost and what you get and if I'm honest, Travelodge is a really good deal when you put what you get up with the excellent locations they have. 

I can't imagine going away and needing more than what they provide, especially if you are being  tourist and out all day. 

 We really loved our night 'away' and would do it again in a second!

xxToodalooKatie

New Collections: Cut for Evans

Hello!

So even though I missed the launch for Cut for Evans, I still wanted to check out the collection myself in person to see what is was all about. If I 'm honest, when I first saw the collections I wasn't all that jazzed about it. I like that they are stepping out of the box, giving a young designer a chance and doing something different, so their heart is in the right place, but it really isn't me. I have found that overall 

Evans has improved a lot in the last couple of years, but there is still work to be done.

Anyways, my first impression once in the store was that it was nice to see bright colours, but wasn't sure if maybe it was a little too much. 

I also found it odd that some of the pieces are clearly designed for warm weather and others for cold - a bit random, although I suppose appropriate given the weather we have been having. The tops, skirts, trousers and jumpsuit are all thin and light where as the cardigans and knit dress feel double lined and thick.

I decided that regardless of what I thought on the outside I should check out the fit, even if some of it was beyond what I would usually pick up. I can appreciate perhaps wearing a top with a pair of jeans, but never together, it feels like too much. I wanted to see what the yellow patterned dress fit like as the material was stretchy and soft but also a bit like light scuba fabric.

It's a cute cut, but for someone bigger busted like me, the neckline isn't great and feels a bit too close - I think it makes me look squished in on the top. I also never wear yellow- but that's a personal thing as I just don't like the way it makes my skin look. I did love the little slash at the top left shoulder though - very cool.

Although, jumpsuits aren't really my thing, I recently got one from Asos (well they are dungarees, but similar type of thing really), that I love so I am giving them another chance. I can't begin to imagine where or why I would wear this. The colours are just ridiculous. I thought about sizing up but the legs would be too long so I can't. Overall it was just not a good look for me.

 Here's a little side pic of it in all it's bad fit glory.

I did like the knit dress and though it was quite cool looking but then also thought that if I was looking for this style of dress/tunic I could probably do better.

So there you have it. I don't want this post to be another bad mouth about Evans because that's not my intention. From my point of view, they sometimes go overboard and miss out on great opportunities. At the moment, the Live Unlimited and Collection range have some great pieces and of course Scarlett & Jo has the most beautiful dresses so why can't Evans stick to what works in that sense? I love that they step out of the box and do something different and involving fashion students is the greatest idea but in this case I think it was missing direction. 

Maybe it's time they did a blogger collection?

I'd love to hear your thoughts… tell me all.

xxToodalooKatie

What I Wear in Winter!

Hello my Dears!

So this past week it definately dipped into being winter and it's here to stay from the looks of it. Now, apparently being Canadian means I am expected to be impervious to the cold, sporting t-shirts in below 0 degree weather... not!  

I have been hunting for a casual parka style coat for a while and have never quite found what I wanted, until just the other week. I was offered a coat of my choice from Marisota. I have never ordered from them before so I thought I would give it a go. 

I chose this Regatta coat, because I love the colour and the simple design (the photo online doesn't do it justice). I am so happy with my choice. It has double pockets, which I love because I am so paranoid about being pick pocketed, and  a semi-furry lining and hood to keep cosy with furry cuffs that you can turn up or button tight in the wind. One of the best features is the zipper, which zips from the top and bottom. For anyone with a big bum, a long coat with a zipper poses a problem, as it is snug when you sit down, but with this one, you can unzip a bit on the bottom and sit down comfortably. It also prevents awful creases across the coat too.

From the looks of it, it's been a really popular coat on the website and I would definitely recommend it.  I am wearing a size UK20 and it is a true fit - I would say for those who are more bottom heavy, size up as it is cut straight. It will be even better when it gets really cold as it insulates well too. I paired it here with my favourite Primark plaid scarf and H&M knit hat.

And now, one more gratuitous shot of me standing outside my flat...

Thank you Marisota for the lovely coat! I will be wearing it all winter to keep warm and dry! 

What are you all wearing this winter?

Stay tuned this week for an alternative to coats this winter, aimed at people who are always too warm!

XX ToodalooKatie

A Simply Be Christmas Special

Hello again!

I know that two posts so close together is a bit crazy, but I have had them saved up and wanted to share it all with you! SimplyBe was so kind as to send me a couple of things to try for Christmas parties and all that jazz. I chose two dresses and a blazer because as much as I love dresses there are occasions where I would rather wear trousers or a skirt and would like something a little different to glam it all up.

The first dress I chose was this purple/mauve lace print dress which can be found on SimplyBe, it is one of their own collection, and my first comment would be to size up! I chose my usual size 18 and the top is far too snug around the bust and the arms. I would have been much better off in a size 20. Regardless, the dress is gorgeous and very comfortable but requires a jacket or cardi to hide the snugness above the waist. I'm also wearing: black leggings from Simply Be, a vintage jacket and boots from Evans (last year).

Next up is this lovely cream and black frilly tunic also from Simply Be but made by Frock and Frill. As you can see, I attempted to wear it as a dress, but I think for outings I will pair it with leggings so I don't have to worry about it being a tad short. It's super comfortable and the colour is lovely, even on my pale skin. I paired it with a belt from Torrid as I needed the waist to be pulled in a pinch more, black tights from M&S and my favourite black heels from New Look.  I think  I am going to wear it to my work Christmas dinner, only with leggings this time as it is definitely a tunic. I am so glad the arms have space but aren't too big and that the lace details are soft and look so elegant.

Last of all was a gold sequin Coleen Nolan blazer which as you can see was a difficult one to photograph. I really wanted something that I could wear to jazz up a plain outfit, like this black brocade skirt from Dorothy Perkins and black t-shirt from Gap. The cut of the blazer is great and shoulders fit really nicely, which is usually where I struggle with jackets. The thing I wasn't so keen on was the quality of the blazer. The reviews did say that it felt a bit cheap and I have to agree. The sequins are not really all over, it's more of a netted effect with sequins which can't be seen in the photos. I'll still get plenty of wear out of it because it's a definite statement piece but I did expect better quality for the price.

Look, it is sparkly!

Thank you SimplyBe for these lovely things to review, I am ready for all the festivities that are to come!

What are all your plans? Christmas at home or away? I will be hoping for snow regardless of how ridiculous that is!

Merry Christmas

XO

ToodalooKatie