Insta-Happenings

It's been a busy wee while with classical violinists, a trip to Switzerland and lots of blogging thrown in...

The best ways to relax on a Sunday afternoon are with a candle dancing on a shelf and a good book. Last Sunday there had been a bit of a downpour so I pottered about the flat getting bits and bobs done, so that by the time it stopped I was ready to relax and I decided that my Arran Aromatics candle, After the Rain, was the perfect scent for the afternoon. It's got a really gorgeous natural perfume, just like that beautiful way the outdoors smells after a shower to clear the air. Cosy up under a blanket and flick through the pages of an old favourite - bliss.

Recently I was lucky enough to be invited along to Chisholm Hunter to meet the lovely and talented violinist Nicola Benedetti. She was launching her luxury watch in collaboration with Raymond Weil and was an absolute delight to chatter away to, but more on that later.

The wonderful people from Chisholm Hunter was also kind enough to gift the bloggers that went along. I got this gorgeous matching pendant and earring set. The red is beautiful and so different, it stands out and sparkles wonderfully against the diamond and silver setting. I can't wait for an occasion to wear it to. I think it will make a unique statement with a chic black dress and a slick of red lippy to match. Although as my friend pointed out, their very Kate Middy and she manages to wear jewels everyday, so why not me too!

So back to the beautiful Nicola Benedetti - as I mentioned she was launching her collaboration with Raymond Weil and unveiling a beautiful limited edition watch. She answered all of our questions about the piece and we fell equally in love with it. It's inspired by her rare violin and picks out the browns and golds that can be seen in the stunning instrument. She was wonderfully enthusiastic about the collaboration, so check out how she described it to us.

We couldn't help but steer the conversation towards fashion and jewellery though and Nicola chatted to us all about her style and how she gets ready for touring - it's actually harder than you think! She spoke about pieces that mean a lot to her and how dressing to play the violin is a lot more complicated than it sounds!

It's been a bit grey in Glasgow recently so I decided to make my own summer with bright, sunshine yellow nails!

I'm currently writing this post with a glass of chilled rose beside my, sitting outside and looking out over the Swiss Alps - jammy I know. It was holiday time this week and one thing I actually really enjoy doing is packing to go away! I love to plan my outfits for each day and pop in pieces that I can mix and match. It all gets laid out on the bed and sorted out for each day of events. This holiday wardrobe featured, denim shorts, some new tops and a whole load of summer stripes.

I'd been lucky enough to be invited along to The Academy of Make-up's Open Day in Glasgow not too long ago. I went along to enjoy a morning of make-up magic. I admired the beautiful studio and sipped on Bucks Fizz as I watched some TV and Special Effects make-up in action. All the girls were so lovely and I was more than happy to pop up a post about the inspiring teaching school they run.

While I was there I also managed to pop along to the launch of the Sara Hill make-up range. There were some beautiful pieces in there and I could've taken away all of the gorgeous colours that were on display in the fantasy make-up world that had been created. It was an absolute delight to feature them along with The Academy of Make-up.

And then it was holiday time....

To kick things off me and the other half decided we'd have a little date night before I jetted of to Switzerland for a couple of days - and what to date nights mean if they don't mean new shoes! I'd bought these absolute beauties from Primark a wee while ago, but haven't had them on yet. The coral is a stunner of a colour and is really bright and summery, the nude is the perfect accompaniment to balance them out. We (I) tottered along to the Two Fat Ladies, Shandon Belles and enjoyed a delicious fishy menu. There are four variations of the Two Fat Ladies in Glasgow and after this night I'd love to try them all!

The next morning I headed to Edinburgh airport. I actually quite enjoy travelling and don't mind the whole airport shenanigans. I always get there in plenty of time, pick up some magazines, wander round duty-free and then settle in for a big breakfast before hitting the skies. I ordered a steaming mug of Earl Grey and flicked through the latest Stylist whilst waiting for my Eggs Royale to arrive.

Soon I was in Switzerland! Waking up in Bern was lovely. We had a lazy morning sipping tea on the balcony before we headed in to the centre to meet my Dad for lunch, giving him an excuse for to escape from the office for some sushi. Afterwards we wandered round the shops and down to the parliament building where my Mum became blog photographer for the day. An all-white outfit with a splash of colour from a gorgeous kimono was the perfect outfit to admire the views in.

Relaxing at home also meant I had some time to catch up on some blogging and I finally uploaded a style post that has been sitting on my 'To-Do' list for a while! It features a gorgeous slice of yellow sunshine in the form of a stunning waistcoat and photos that got just a bit silly.

On Friday evening we headed up to the mountains which meant I was awoken by church and cow bells on Saturday - pretty idyllic really! The views up in Lauterbrunnen are absolutely stunning so I made myself comfy for a relaxed breakfast. Catching up on Vogue I treated myself to a muffin and green tea as the day began to warm up.

Once breakfast was done we headed up to the top of the mountains to enjoy a really picturesque day in the Swiss Alps. We went zip-lining down the slopes, ate plenty of rich Swiss cheese with the most spectacular of views to drink in and walked down the slopes admiring every corner we turned. It's an area that is truly special and actually inspired J. R. R. Tolkien when he was creating the scenery for The Hobbit - it's breathtaking. I'm still drinking in the mountain air now and never really want to leave!

Don't worry I'll be popping up some posts about my holiday in Switzerland and you can get a better idea of the spectacular place, but I warn you, you'll want to jump on a flight immediately!