Does Elan Cafe London Live Up to the Hype?

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We saw a sight we thought we’d never see; the streets of London were completely silent. Only those who were out for their morning job were out and about when we made our way to EL&N (Elan) Cafe in Knightsbridge. It was a Sunday morning and even I was wondering if we were crazy to be out in London this early in the morning, but the day was sunny and fresh – perfect for a cute cafe date. We arrived ten minutes before they opened and waited patiently outside while the staff were making preparations. I was so excited to go to Elan cafe that my sister exclaimed that it was as if I was waiting to meet a celebrity as I couldn’t stop fidgeting!

Delightfully Pink: Peggy Porschen Cakes in Belgravia, London

Are you even a blogger if you haven’t been to Peggy Porschen? I’ve wanted to go ever since I started seeing the beautiful floral archway cropping up on every bloggers’ instagram since they’ve opened up their bakery in Belgravia, London. It’s the perfect place if you’re a lover of both pink and beautiful cakes, so I put it down on my list of cute cafes to visit (you can read all about the places I’ve been to so far here).

My sister decided to take me there on one sunny Sunday afternoon. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I tried to match my outfit to it’s delightfully pink decor (something that I always do whenever I go to a cute cafe!) and it was by chance that we happened to visit just a couple of weeks before Valentine’s Day. So out came my heart-patterned tights and fluffy pink sweater, with a pair of over-the-knee boots to create this cosy and cute outfit – perfect for a sunny, cool Sunday afternoon!

A Relaxing Weekend Itinerary for Malta

I am a summer baby through and through, but sometimes I don’t jell well with the non-British summer heat (which is basically anything over 25 degrees Celsius). Picture it; really bad sunburnt cheeks and false lashes hanging halfway down my face, aka not a good look. But Malta in May? Perfect. We (my friend Amy and I) got the sun, but we also weren’t melting under the heat and were able to explore beautiful historic towns and swim in azure-coloured waters. I have written about the outfits I wore on our trip in a previous post but here’s our weekend itinerary for a relaxing weekend in Malta.

Gyaru Outfit Diaries: A Winter Holiday in Germany

I never stressed so much as I did in the weeks prior to going on holiday to Bavaria, Germany. “How do I even create a cute winter outfit? Am I going to be warm enough?? What if I forgot something???” were frequent questions floating around my head. Luckily I had gathered some photos for inspiration, then it was just a case of buying all of the essentials and making sure that my outfits were both cosy and cute (not to mention warm enough for super cold temperatures!) Here are some of the outfits that I wore during my winter holiday.

Please note: to give you a general idea, the temperature was around -5 to 2 degrees Celsius. We only had one day where it reached a maximum of 5 degrees!

A Magical Winter Holiday: 7 Days in Bavaria, Germany

Oh, Bavaria, I think I’m in love with you. We went to this part of Southeastern Germany six years ago and decided to make a week-long trip here for Christmas, and I had the most magical time. It was the perfect way to kick off the festive cheer – what with the Christmas markets, snowy mountain peaks, and mystical castles. Here’s how we spent 7 days in Bavaria during the winter season.

What I'm Packing for My Winter Getaway

In all of my life, I have never traveled/went abroad in December (apart from that one really awkward holiday with an ex boyfriend’s family but let’s not talk about that…). I am a real creature of comfort so cold, rainy weather is a huge no-no for me. Like nah, I’d rather stay inside in the warmth, ta. But the thought of going to Germany – Munich to be precise – in Winter was exhilarating, and the past few weeks were spent chasing (lost) ASOS orders and running up and down the stairs of numerous shops to try and put together some wintery and comfy outfits. So here’s my winter holiday packing list!

What I'm packing for my winter getaway by hellolizziebee

Witch Way to the Pumpkins? Trip to Pumpkins R Us!

YAY, HALLOWEEN! ’tis the season to be spooky and I was so happy to wear my Halloween witch costume (that I bought way back in August) to my trip to Pumpkins R Us. I bounded down the aisles between the heaps of pumpkins of various shapes and sizes, getting the occasional piece of hay stuck to my thigh-high boots, merrily humming the tune “this is Halloween” from the Nightmare Before Christmas. I invited a couple of my close friends with me as they had never been to a pumpkin patch before, and the place was crowded after half an hour of us getting there. The Halloween spirit has really settled in over here in the UK (which was a pleasant surprise)!

Pumpkin witch costume, Pumpkins R Us

Things I Wanna’ Tick Off My Japan Bucket List

Lately I’ve been missing Japan. A lot. It’s been over two years now since we travelled there and one of my biggest regrets was that I was really ill for almost half of our holiday there (due to not accounting for ‘rest’ days), and didn’t document it as much, including the time leading up to it. So today’s post is going to be a little different to my usual outfits as I’ve compiled my ultimate Japan bucket list – feel free to scroll to the bottom to see the simple checklist, or read on for more details…

Japan Bucket List

Pusheen the Boat Out: A Trip to ARTBOX Cafe ‘Pusheen Snack Parlour’!

I cannot tell you how excited I was to go to the ARTBOX cafe in Brighton which, I can say with confidence, is the cutest cafe in the UK. The owners had recently announced that ARTBOX Cafe would transform into a themed cafe every three months, kicking off with “Pusheen Snack Parlour” as their first theme where – you guessed it – Pusheen the Cat is the star of the show. Here’s a little peak into our trip to the Pusheen Snack Parlour!

Please note: as of February 2020, the Pusheen Snack Parlour has now been changed (as ARTBOX Cafe changes their theme every few months).

Pusheen snack parlour at Artbox Cafe in Brighton via hellolizziebee

Countryside Flower in the Cotswolds

Gosh, I love himekaji. I was actually thankful that it wasn’t as sunny as it had been because then I was able to wear my new Liz Lisa jumpsuit for my birthday (which I actually bought secondhand – but still “new” in my eyes). I had no idea where my hubby was taking me but he did hint that my jumpsuit would be perfect for it, and it was! We spent the whole day in the sunshine (and some rain) strolling through the countryside and eating afternoon tea in beautiful English manors, and I felt like such a princess. I was definitely treated like one in any case!

Summery himekaji Liz Lisa coord via hellolizziebee

Come Rain or Shine: Day Out at Warwick Castle

I am not made for rain, I thought to myself as I gazed outside at the gloomy landscape of Warwick that came rolling past my car window. We’ve had blistering heat for the past week or so, so why is it that today, of all days, that it decided to rain? Not that I was wearing the right clothes, of course; you wouldn’t have thought that I’d be trekking around Warwick Castle with my cute (and incredibly short) skirt, cream blouse and bare legs. At least I had my unicorn print umbrella with me!

Disclaimer: I was invite by Warwick Castle (via Coventry Bloggers) to go along to their summer event and write about my experience.

Rainy day at Warwick Castle

Clueless Inspired Outfit + Day Out in Bordeaux

As soon as I stepped out into the sunshine and onto the cobble-stone streets, surrounded by beautiful French architecture, I knew I made the right choice to wear my Clueless inspired outfit (with a gyaru twist, of course!). I’ve got to hand it to my friend Nini who actually persuaded me to wear it, and who also styled my hair in two cute little buns resting on either side of my head. I haven’t felt this cute in so long and was excited to be roaming the winding streets and tasting Bordeaux wine.

Clueless inspired outfit, Umbrella sky in Bordeaux

Gyaru Outfit Diaries: Malta, Baby!

Helloooo sunny beaches, palm trees and crystal-clear waters. I’m not usually one for going on a summer holiday (I don’t cope well with mosquito bites and the blistering sun) but Malta was absolutely perfect. My friend Amy and I went in late May which was, I felt, the ideal time for exploring as it wasn’t crazy hot but was still sunny. This meant that I packed quite a few outfits as I knew I wanted to have at least two outfits per day, so here’s my Malta outfit diaries.

Mdina outfit ideas

Gyaru Outfit Diaries: A Sunny Holiday in Cornwall

Our holiday to sunny Cornwall was one of the best holidays we’ve had in recent years. It was the first time that I actually relaxed – truly, relaxed – and it was also the first time we didn’t have a checklist of a thousand tourist attractions to tick off. We just went with the flow and it was so much nicer. It was also incredibly hot, which I wasn’t really prepared for as I packed clothes for a cooler climate, so I had to make a lot of last minute choices whilst running around our Airbnb in a panic. But I managed to put together a few summery gyaru outfits with the clothes that I did have, so here’s what I wore during my holiday in Cornwall.

Summer gyaru outfit at the beach by hellolizziebee

A Gyaru Guide to Birmingham, England

I can’t tell you how excited I am for the Gyaru Jubilee event. The Paris meet is still fresh in my mind and I can’t wait for the partying, photos, and para para! In the lead up to the event I decided to put together a post on the gyaru guide to everything Birmingham for those who are planning on staying longer than a weekend (and for those that are, there are plenty of lush hotels in Birmingham for you to stay in). Birmingham rivals London in my eyes for it’s wide range of activities, and it’s only getting better and better.

Disclaimer: spending money was gifted by Hotels but all views are my own.

A Gyaru Guide to Birmingham by hellolizziebee