English summertime picnic with flowers sceneYesterday, I remembered one of my all time favourite quotes by Henry James, ''Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.''  Having just returned from the beautiful city of Bruges (with its unusual 34°C temperature), I was fully anticipating a rainy welcome back to the UK.  However, to my surprise England is experiencing one final burst of heat and sunshine before waving goodbye to the season and welcoming the woolly jumpers.  So, armed with a ton of flowers I'd treated myself to that morning and some rather beautiful picnic accessories, it was time to appreciate the outdoors...
British summer picnic lifestyle blogger

Sass & Belle pastel coloured suitcases
Summertime picnic decor lifestyle blogger
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Utensils - Fortnum & Mason

Coloured glasses - John Lewis

Ice Bucket - Casa

Candles - Waitrose

Idyllic summertime picnic scene flowers
Ice bucket of flowers picnic scene
Fortnum and Mason's picnic rug
Nude buckle belt by Mulberry
I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I decided everything looks better when flowers are involved.  With this in mind, I can't seem to go anywhere without returning with freshly cut flowers - my most recent discovery being gladioli; they never appealed to me before, and yet now they seem like the most beautiful thing on Earth!  Another discovery of late has been gift and homeware brand Sass & Belle.  I've seen various sweet accessories by Sass & Belle over recent years, however this is the first time I've explored their innovative items.  The trio of pastel coloured suitcases shown in this post are made of sturdy cardboard and fit inside one another - like a Russian doll.  Anything pastel coloured is good in my book (note the candles), and so these suitcases will no doubt be used on many future occasions; from idyllic picnic setups, to hiding bits-and-bobs before displaying on shelves.

Psst!  You can save 15% off when you spend over £20 on Sass & Belle with the code gabrielle (until 31st August)
Trio of suitcases by homeware brand Sass & Belle
Elderflower cordial photography of bottlegreen
Estella Bartlett dainty unicorn necklace fashion bloggerLike I said, any inclusion of flowers sees my heart skip a beat, and so a floral print has - of course - found its way onto my person thanks to this blue and white number by Monsoon.  Although I very rarely find items to love by the brand during the colder months, there's no denying how utterly pretty their summer dresses can be!  I've broken up the print with a simple nude belt by Mulberry, and kept jewellery to a minimum, allowing the focus to land on the rose gold unicorn around my neck.  Hello, little legendary creature...  

Dress - Monsoon

Belt - Mulberry

Necklace - Estella Bartlett Rose Gold Unicorn

British lifestyle blog sass and belle review
Pretty blue and white tea dress by Monsoon
White Baby's Breath close up flower photography
The current heatwave seems to apply to more than just a couple of countries - and so I hope you're all enjoying the warmth!  Oh and thanks a million for all of your sweet birthday wishes over this past week; keep your eyes peeled for a 'Birthday in Bruges' travel diary coming soon!

Update: literally since posting this, the weather has broken and it's raining.  Ha!  Shall we laugh or cry?!

With love,

Gabrielle x