I have had the best and worst year of my life all at the same time. 2018 has taught me well. I have done a lot of growing up and it has definitely been character strengthening for me. I share what I have bene up to recently, an update on living between England and America and the craziness that has been 2018.

The first time we visited NYC we drove from Northern Virginia. It was a four hour ride with multiple stops. I love a good road trip but we felt we weren't able to fully experience NYC because driving around meant we didn't need to use the subway. Now if you're a Londoner, or have lived in London like me you probably wouldn't think of the subway as an experience in itself but it is much different to London's underground. For one, it is air conditioned and so much simpler than London's complicated tube system which after six months of living there I have only just got used to.

New York epitomises everything for us as a couple. It was the first place we visited together and it seemed fitting that we go for our anniversary. We're both so in love with New York we're planning our next visit. There's so much to see and do that you can't do in two visits.
Where to stay in NYC is one of the most common googled questions about the city. Last time we stayed in the New York-New Jersey borderline as we wanted to stay away from the craziness yet get to experience everything with a short bus ride to the city. This time we stayed at the Financial District. I'm so glad all the hotels were fully booked in Time Square because I'd advise not to stay in such a busy place. You'd never get out of the tourist bubble and it would take you forever to wrestle the crowds to get anywhere.

As we booked last minute you can imagine hotels were expensive. They went up to the $400's per night. We stayed at DoubleTree by Hilton. Hilton is a company we are quite loyal to and you'll probably see us staying in their hotels in future trips. We love the modern feel and they do rightly label themselves as a luxury hotel.


We had the room with a view on the 134th floor and I'd always hear my ears popping every time the lift went up. The hotel had complimentary warm cookies and ice which we absolutely loved. There's a miscrowave in the lobby, perfect for when you've ordered in a massive pizza the night before and want to enjoy the next day. I loved our cosy, dark and broody room, very NYC in style.

Day One - Our Hotel, NY Sea Port and the Financial District

We were at walking distance to the sea port. On the first day we got a taxi from Port Authority station to our hotel. Which, if we meticulously planned out, we could have taken the subway to a station right outside our hotel. We unpacked our stuff, showered and took a breezy walk to the sea port. Since this trip was in the summer the evening air was the perfect temperature. On the way back we grabbed some street foot marvelling at the sky high buildings where financial professionals would be rushing through the swinging doors of to get to work on Monday mornings.

Day Two - Central Park, Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, World Trade Centre and the Empire State Building

We loved the sea port so much we bought breakfast from Dunkin Donuts and had it outside at the sea port. We had plans to go to Central Park that day but we fell for an offer to get on a Yacht for a tour of major parts of the city including the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, World Trade Centre and the Empire State Building.


We then got back to our hotel for lunch and a refresh. I switched my sandals up for trainers for a scroll through Central Park. For this we took the subway. We learnt that in New York cash was king. The man at the information desk at the station would only accept cash. Central park is truly something. It is so vast with so much to explore.

Joe's Pizza and Times Square

On the way back, we walked through Times Square to get to Joe's Pizza. It's one of the most recommended pizza places in New York and it was on my list. We got the cheese and tomato pizza and brought it back to the hotel with us. I don't know what it is about pizza in bed after a shower but it's my favourite thing to do on trips.

Day Three - Manhattan

We visited a fabric store in Manhattan. I'm getting into sewing again and what better place to be inspired than in New York?

There is so much on the internet about Instagram being damaging to our self esteem. I just feel that social media gets a bad rap. If you think about it Instagram is simply a tool. As with every other tool, you decide how you want to use it. This tool we call social media can either be used to cause damage by actively choosing to consume negative content or to feel inspired and positive.

This post was inspired by a few requests from viewers to share the Instagram accounts that inspire me. Instagram has not only been an aesthetic inspiration for me or an outlet to share my artistic side. On a deeper level, a lot of the people I follow have influenced the way I choose to live. I love travel photos, captions with the longest life update and outfit posts and here are my favourites. Click their image to be directed to their Instagram page.

Raya's been travelling for three years now, and although she's decided to settle in sunny LA her stunning travel pictures haven't stopped. I love her thoughts on the world and her perspective of each country she visits.

Up there as one of my all time favourite motivational Instagram accounts, Ruben Chavez who runs the account, also has a podcast called The Think Grow Podcast which covers his thoughts and ideas about personal growth and improving yourself to be the best version of yourself. I loved it so much I listened to every single episode in five days. I often find myself saving and revisiting some of the thought provoking quotes he shares on Instagram.

Amelia Liana
I discovered Amelia through her beauty videos on YouTube but her instagram takes it to a whole new level with her beautiful travel pictures. She takes pictures in the style that I love taking my own travel pictures which is why I look to her photos as a source of inspiration.


Amanda Oleander
Amanda is another one of my favourite artists on Instagram. She did a 100 days of drawing challenge where she shared her illustrations for a 100 days and asked her followers to guess what the intended meaning of the illustration was. Everyone always came up with different responses. If you love knowing the meaning being artwork you'll love Amanda's illustrations.


Not So Mumsy
I follow a lot of mummy bloggers on Instagram and YouTube and I love Marcia's candid chats about being a mother of two and running a business. She also shed's light to some very important causes making a difference with her following. I love her adorable pictures with her little daughter Poppy whose inspired my head wrap obsession.

There are a few other accounts that inspire me which I have gone on to talk about in one of my YouTube videos. You can watch this here.