The process of discovering great places to go to is a never ending game. With the new cafes and bars opening up on every corner and the old being replaced by the new, it is important to hold onto great memories and revisit your favourite places frequently. Therefore I have decided to start sharing with you the places that I have really enjoyed visiting - where a particular snack seemed to make me overly excited or the cup of coffee was just what I needed.

To start the things off, I wanted to tell you about one of the cosiest places I have been to so far. If you have been to Edinburgh, you will know that the city is full of all kind of establishments and there is always somewhere still to go and see! We have heard things about a place called Pickles and the name itself seemed quite intriguing. Pickles of Broughton Street is a charming place in the heart of Edinburgh with a wide variety of wines and amazing cheese sharing platters. Pickles is a small, but incredibly cosy wine bar with a great interior that lets you feel like being home, people woking there seem like a big family and are incredibly friendly and helpful.

The Environment

The last time I went there I was accompanied by two of my most favourite people in the whole wide world which made the visit really special - it is simply the place to go to when you want to have a lovely evening with your friends, have a glass or two and share delicious cheese with handmade chutneys. And the company is all that makes it all special really...

Let's talk prices...

Usually places like that are quite pricy because of their location and the wide selection of wines. The Pickles is the perfect place when you don't want to dig deep into your savings. A lovely evening for three people costs about £60 (£20 each) where you share 2 bottles of red wine and a delicious sharing cheese and meat platter (you have a look at their food prices and offers here). And let's be honest - that is more than enough for 3 people! The wine list is pretty great (for me at least as I am not an overly fancy person when it comes to wine) and the cheese and meat platter is completely irreplaceable!

If you have a chance, you just have to visit Pickles of Broughton Street and experience the goodness by yourself!

And here are some photos to make this description even more flattering!

In every woman’s life, the bigger the handbag, the more stuff seems necessary to carry.

The fact is, that it is just in every woman’s blood to arm up with all the ‘necessary ‘ items that she might have a use for during a day. Just think about it - make up, numerous lipsticks, a purse with all the cards we most likely will never use, your phone and house keys, diary or a notebook with a pen, a book if you are anything like me, perfume, hair brush, and of course, a snack, because a woman with no food equals a catastrophe. And then of course - there is a problem now and then - the question “where the hell are my keys?”

So, as a result of us tending to stuff our bags with all of our belongings it is a must to have a handy small bag to try and minimise the weight to carry around with you every day. As much as I love being prepared for anything and everything, I have grown to love a smaller bag witch fits the things I definitely need on a daily basis.

My recently discovered handbag that perfectly fits into the category is a Zara leather cross body bag with wolf detail. It is a lovely mustard colour, therefore it is the perfect statement cross body with unusual detailing, quite unusual and catching the eye. Perfect dimensions (H22xW21xD9 cm) limit my ability to fill the bag with unnecessary belongings, therefore the bag doesn’t get in the way while I am running some errands or simply go into town to get a cup of coffee.


What is in my bag? 

- phone 
- purse (I try to only carry the cards I actually use, rather than a millions of loyalty and points cards)
- keys (do not go crazy with the keyrings… I know everyone loves a pom pom, but you have to think about how impractical it is)
- earphones (day would be ruined if I left the house without them)
- book (regular size paperback is always a go as it is not as space consuming and keeps me occupied on bus journeys)
- compact powder & powder brush (I do not see the point in carrying a bag full of make up with me everywhere and just tend to trust the initial application to do the job, but the powder is always handy when your skin gets oily after a busy day)
- lip balm (a must, especially living in the ever changing wind weather conditions)
- lipstick
- chewing gum


A few points to remember: 

- a handbag with an inside pocket is always a keeper -> keep your powder, a brush, a lipstick or keys, whatever works best for you to keep it organised and the item easily accessible when needed;
- if you like carrying make up with you, store it all in a zipped up make up bag, to prevent your handbag getting accidental make up marks and the products protected;
- dual bag is also a great option as you are able to choose whether you want to have it hanging on the shoulder or hold it in your hand;
- always choose a bag with some sort of fastening - magnet closure, a buckle or a clip will protect you handbag from unwanted attention and all of your belongings spilling all over the place in an unfortunate situation.

2016 was a difficult year. The year was full of changes, however it was not all good. I do not want to sound like a total pessimist but it is the beginning of the new and hopefully successful year, full of joy and new greater achievements. We all know about the good and bad things happening all around the world... Just being totally selfish for a moment here - for me personally the New Year is filled with very mixed emotions.
I had some really exciting things happening, such as graduation, the move to Edinburgh, a new job and new people and of course living with a great man who has been my biggest support. On the other hand, 2016 for me and my family was filled with loss and sadness, the joy of graduating was overwhelmed by a hopeless uncertainty.

Well, let's start the 2017 with something fresh and positive! May it be filled with love and happiness, full of exciting and fulfilled ideas and new adventures!