It's time to continue the Italian adventures!  A quick recap: at the beginning of the summer, I went on a fabulous road trip through Tuscany; booking accommodation often just moments before arriving in a new area.  It was hands down one of my most special and memorable travel experiences so far, particularly due to some of the absolute gems we came across.  A standout hotel?  Villa Barberino.  A four-star hotel located just fifty minutes away from Florence (capital of Italy's Tuscan region).  This was very much a last minute booking and one that wowed from beginning to end.  Due to a wedding taking place on the weekend we were visiting,  we were kindly given an apartment to enjoy (and uh, try to cook in).  From there, it was a case of changing into something skimpier, exploring the grounds and dipping into the newly modernised pool...

Okay, so a debate that has been running throughout the world of content creating over the past few months has been the following: should we still be blogging?  With the rise of Instagram bringing in lucrative deals left, right and centre, many are starting to question the purpose of continuing to blog.  Sure, it's time consuming, but it's so much more than that.  With a share sized pack of Malteesers sitting prettily next to me, I've been brainstorming three reasons as to why I believe keeping your blog alive may just be the best thing you can do for your content creating journey.  And perhaps now more than ever before...

Oof!  It's been a little while since I travelled through Northern Italy this summer and yet only now am I starting to write about the trip.  Why?  Well, to my delight I returned home with plenty of images that perfectly captured my experiences.  The problem with this?  There were too many.  I stored them away and swiftly moved on with the pace of London life.  Finally, I've got around to all that was captured on the Olympus Pen 9 I took away with me.  Bliss.  Writing this, it feels as though I'm back there underneath the scorching sun!  This is the first in a series, of which will continue every now and again over the next few weeks.  But for now it's aaaaall about Florence, the capital of Italy's Tuscany region and home to more masterpieces than imaginable.  In fact, there's so much to discover that I've put together another Chic Girl's Guide in preparation for the next glorious time you find yourself in Florence.  Let's go!

Snooze, snooze, snooze.  Each new season from H&M would leave me doing a quick 180 in-and-out of the store, nearly always leaving empty handed - besides the odd scrunchie, or two.  However, things have changed over the past year and in a big way.  A handful of designer collaborations later, combined with trending Instagram 'it pieces', well-known content creators' edits (hello Lydia E Millen in that blue wide-leg jumpsuit) and an array of punchy prints, and the Swedish multi-national clothing-retail company has started creeping back into everyone's good books.  And now for more than just the affordable pricing.  And you know what?  I'm here for it. I'm enjoying watching H&M's evolution from a store of affordable convenience, into a destination experiencing a resurgence of creativity...