When in Monaco...Part II

Hopefully you will have seen my previous post about my recent trip to Monaco. Here is the second part of the story...
See below for more ideas of what to do in this glamorous principality, including more places to eat, drink and explore :)

Let's start by doing something silly...

Pretend to be in the market for a super car.

"So I'm thinking about upgrading the Ferrari...

...to a McLaren. Scissor doors are just way more functional."

Have a flutter in the Casino.

No cameras are allowed inside but you can't visit Monaco without having a look around the casino. Far from the flashy, blingy madness of Vegas, the casino here was calm, serene and actually quite quiet. The building itself is stunning, both inside and out so I ordered a hot chocolate and admired the architecture whilst Chris tried his luck at Black Jack.

Explore the entire principality in search of the perfect hotel breakfast

We actually failed miserably at this mainly because we kept waking up too late but we gave it a go and it was a novel way of exploring all the ridiculous hotels! Here I am looking slightly grumpy outside the Fairmont...probably because they didn't have any granola.

In this picture I'm wearing:

AMERICAN APPAREL HAT

ZARA COAT

ZARA JEANS

TOPSHOP PUMPS

Thankfully, we had plenty of coffee pit stops along the way...

In this picture I'm wearing:

GIVENCHY T-SHIRT

MONICA VINADER RING (on my left hand)

Visit the Japanese Garden.

Located next to the famous tunnel on Avenue Princesse Grace (which was up until quite recently the most expensive street to live on in the world) is Monaco's Japanese Garden. Lush greenery, gushing waterfalls and cute little bridges make this the perfect spot for a touristy photo or two.

Visit the Oceanographic Museum.

Tucked away behind an amazing chocolate shop up in Monaco-Ville, the Oceanographic Museum and Aquarium can be found. It's certainly a step up from the Sea Life Centre, just check out these beauties...

Have late night cocktails in Bar Americain.

Bar Americain is located in the lobby of the Hotel de Paris (widely regarded as the top hotel in Monaco). The service is outstanding, the waiters are all bilingual, the cocktail menu is out of this world and if you're lucky, their glamorous house band will come on at about midnight to keep you entertained, doing covers of everything from Maroon 5 to Aretha Franklin.

 

I'm wearing:

ALL ZARA

CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN PIGALLES

It is also worth checking out Buddha Bar for cocktails and dancing and Le Tip Top for scrummy pizzas and friendly service. Don't leave without checking out the super yachts on the marina and obviously the beach if you're visiting during the summer months.

Next up is an Instagram post from my time there so keep a look out for that and if you haven't already seen Part I, click here.

Happy Weekend and thanks for visiting! xx

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When in Monaco...Part I

For my birthday this year, the boyfriend and I flew to the glitzy home of tax-avoiding businessmen, professional gamblers and retired racing drivers for a few days. Sounds weird but we wanted to do something different and I had the most amazing memories of Monte-Carlo from when I went as an F1 obsessed teenager so we packed our bags (mine considerably heavier than his) and off we went.

If you want to get away for a long weekend but don't fancy the hustle and bustle of a full-on city such as Paris or New York, Monaco is a cool option. It's certainly not a City but there is enough to do for a few days and if your idea of a mini-break is lots of exploring broken up by coffee breaks, cocktail-stops and slap up meals then this French principality is the perfect choice.

I decided to break these posts up into "Things to do" so if you're thinking of visiting, you will hopefully get a few ideas...

One thing to note is that the price of going out wasn't as sickeningly expensive as we expected - bonus! Yes we ate out the whole time (as you do on holiday) and yes we treated ourselves but we didn't really pay more than you would for a top meal out in London. We were initially shocked at the price of a gin and tonic in the Cafe de Paris but once it arrived, we understood why. The glass was three-quarters gin, one quarter tonic.

So here we go...Hope you enjoy xx

Visit Casino Square.

The first thing to do upon arriving is to head straight to the centre of Monaco. Grab a coffee and sit on the veranda of Cafe de Paris and watch the world go by. Even outside of high season, there are plenty of glamorous types swanning around to spy on.

Explore the F1 circuit.

If, like me, the soundtrack to your Sundays consists of F1 cars whizzing around, then getting the chance to walk around a street circuit that you've seen on TV is pretty cool. Here I am overlooking the famous hairpin bend (the slowest corner in Formula 1, taken at around 29mph on average).

Shop!

...OR play that well known game of "don't let her go into any designer stores". Window shopping can be fun too :)

"Admire" the locals.

Apologies for the quality but look at this sight. The coat, the dog, the pram...need I say more? Only in Monaco.

Eat Japanese at Maya Bay.

Maya Bay is a really popular restaurant in Monaco and takes bookings late into the evening. Whatever time of night you go, you are guaranteed to be caught up in the buzzing atmosphere. The restaurant is actually split in two, half Japanese, half Thai. I LOVE sushi so we opted for a Japanese meal on the night of my birthday. Here I am blowing out the candle on my mango sorbet which accompanied some chocolate filled sweet spring rolls. We sampled a serious chunk of the menu, the highlight of which being the black cod. Highly recommended! We tried to book in on our last night to sample the Thai menu...sadly they were full but I'm taking that as more of a reason to go back!

Stay tuned for Part II...

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Wish, Want, Need.

Well, hello there sunshine! I don't want to speak too soon but I think Spring could actually be on the way. That means skin needs to be buffed and bronzed and talons need to be painted. This is the perfect outfit to showcase your inner "Spring-ready babe" - you know the one that comes out to play when the weather gets a bit warmer. Goodbye winter woolies, hello bare legs! 

Here's a little outfit I've been dreaming about. Both tops are beautiful Stella McCartney creations. For evening, I would wear the black jumper alone (as worn by the model) and for day I would wear the top with a cropped blazer thrown over the top. The grey boots and hat are just enough of a nod to the transitional season (i.e. not quite throwing oneself into summer just yet) and are neatly contrasted by the bright coral, neon leather skirt by Milly. Finally, no outfit of mine would be complete without jewellery so this chunky link bracelet is the answer to my never-ending craving for rose gold.

Links are below if anything has caught your eye...:) Here's to hoping that the snow doesn't come back...it is April after all!

Printed T-shirt/Stella McCartney, Wide-brimmed fedora/Saint Laurent, Wool and silk jumper/Stella McCartney

Rose gold plated ID bracelet/Marc by Marc Jacobs, Neon leather pencil skirt/Milly, Manifest Boot/All Saints

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My favourite fashion bloggers.

 I remember the very first time I stumbled upon The Blonde Salad. 

"Fashion blogging? What is this?? Oh my god, she's got Cartier Love bangles and Isabel Marant shoes and..."

 I was gripped. 

I trawled through Chiara's archive (for what felt like hours) making mental notes of what she wore in different cities around the world, on the beach, to a house party... 

If you're still with me, you're probably thinking "Sophie, you're a saddo, get a life" but honestly, this is the nature of reading blogs...they become addictive. And it isn't just me. I've spoken to a few friends and we're all amazed that something has actually replaced the Daily Mail Online, giving us our daily dose of glamour, escapism and most importantly...fashion.

SO, I thought it was about time I did a little post on the bloggers that I love. 

There are all sorts of different fashion bloggers out there. In this post, I'm focussing purely on the type that post regularly (mostly daily) about what they're wearing. There are a gazillion others that I follow but these are the girls I look to for daily doses of inspiration. On the whole, they mostly mix high street with designer so they aren't completely unobtainable :) BONUS.

For: A completely eclectic mix of fashion. Sometimes preppy, sometimes couture and getting more and more eccentric I swear...

Think: A young Anna Dello Russo.

http://www.theblondesalad.com/

For: Practical but beautiful fashion. She mostly wears high street separates with the occasional Acne boot. Lots of Zara.

Think: Girl next door. A brunette Sienna Miller.

http://fashionvibe-blog.blogspot.co.uk/

For: Glossy, well put-together "ensembles". Always preened to perfection and in Louboutins. Insane collection of hats.

Think: A cross between Lauren Conrad and Victoria Beckham.

http://thenativefox.blogspot.co.uk/

For: Hippie Aussie cool. Model off-duty. And those legs.

Think: Gemma Ward.

http://www.tuulavintage.com/

For: Young, affordable and eclectic fashion. Scandinavian blonde bombshell.

Think: A young Diane Kruger.

http://nyheter24.se/modette/angelicablick/

For: LA nonchalance. Beanies, prints, Isabel Marant and Celine.

Think: An uber glossy Jessica Alba.

http://www.sincerelyjules.com/

For: Actual sex on legs. High street Goddess often found in Jeffrey Campbell shoes. Great hair and make up too.

Think: A 90's supermodel beauty i.e. Cindy Crawford.

http://kenzas.se/

The easiest way to keep track of these lovely ladies is by following them on Bloglovin. If you're not familiar with this amazing platform (it stores all your favourite blogs in one place), I would recommend clicking here and creating an account pronto!
If it's me you fancy following...well thank you!...please click below... :)

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Lately on Instagram.

So much for Frugal February. 

There was a lot going on last month and I definitely overdid it on most fronts! This is probably why I spent most of last week tucked up in bed feeling rubbish. Thankfully I snapped some photos along the way (before the flu) which are below.
If you fancy following me on Instagram, you can here :)

I finally got to pick up my black patent Pigalle's from the Louboutin boutique on Mount Street. I've been on the waiting list since Christmas so when they called me I literally jumped and squealed in the street!

Felt like a pink and glittery manicure courtesy of WAH nails at Topshop. Barbie eat your heart out! ;)

Aaah! I repierced my cartilage...by myself. Bizarrely I got my cartilage pierced before the regular ear lobe piercings (which I didn't get until I was 18) and decided I wanted it back. LOVE IT. Sorry about the shameless posing :)

I had a massive declutter of all my make up, jewellery and nail polishes. Boy, it felt good to fill up a big old dustbin bag and chuck it out. Here are the babies that made the cut. One word. Magpie.

Here I am hard at work getting a manicure with Millie Mackintosh. Ha! She was launching the Vodafone and Nails Inc red nail polish for LFW. Doesnt she look stunning? She's so sweet too. You can read the full article on the Daily Mail online here.

A boozer's dream wall! I drank some grown up punch at The Rum Kitchen (just off Portobello) saying goodbye to a very good friend before she left for Australia. Miss her already :( If you follow Rosie's amazing blog The Londoner, she's just done a nice write up of the place which you can read here. I now want to go back and try the food...

Splashing some hard earned cash on too many cocktails with my baby sister in Earl's Court before hitting up Example's London gig.

Huge thanks to the one and only Example for hooking us up with tickets to his show. It was great catching up with him and his awesome band. You can follow his dream team of musicians on Twitter here: Kai (guitar and keys), Johnny (drums) and Sheldrake (bass).

Another day, another gig! I went to Ronnie Scott's for the first time, for dinner and to see their Blues Explosion band. You're not allowed to take pictures but I sneaked a little one :) We booked this a few months ago as tickets sell out so fast but it was well worth the wait. Highly recommended!

Woah I can't believe February is over. March is always a massive whirlwind of Birthdays for me (Mum, Dad, sister AND me!) but I'm really looking forward to it! More soon.

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Dream bags.

I've definitely got birthdays on the brain as I've been daydreaming about handbags that I can't afford :)

My favourite is probably the Givenchy - I love the chain and the clasp detailing. 

If you're in need of a quick fix but can't justify the bag, the (slightly more affordable) matching cuff is available at Harrods.

Clockwise from left: Givenchy, Wang, Proenza and Chanel.

Pics via my Pinterest account

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Topshop Unique at LFW.

Just when I'm starting to think about my Spring wardrobe and stowing away winter boots and fur, the Topshop Unique AW13 show has me craving oversized coats, furry shoulder shrugs and decadent sequins. Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn nailed the best looks but see below for all of my highlights. Check out Miss Dunn closing the show in a strappy, sequinned jumpsuit. The word PHWOAR springs to mind!

What were your highlights from the Topshop show?

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