(Vest - Primark, Suede Leggings, Knee High Boots, Bag & Jumper - ZARA)

What is it that is so exciting (& stressful) about last minute Christmas Shopping? I think that it takes people a while to get into the Christmas spirit and to realise, shit.. it's Christmas in a couple of days. Me for one it only hit me this weekend, being away from home & not having decorations up where I live it's taken a while to kick in that it's Christmas in FIVE DAYS. It could also be due to the fact that Christmas also means manic work days ahead and a part of me is hoping for it to be over sooner rather than later. (Despite, loving Christmas). I realised that this weekend was my only chance left to get all my presents sorted before Christmas Eve on Saturday which is the time that I properly celebrate Christmas and exchange gifts, it has been that way ever since I was young and I intend to keep that tradition going no matter how far  away I am from home. 

Anyone who knows me will immediately tell you that I am a very classic black and white kinda gal. My whole wardrobe is not very colourful - I leave it to my personality to bring out the colours. (HA) It's almost mandatory when you spread the love and buy gifts for others, to self love and buy a gift for yourself in the process. (anything to make myself feel better for splurging money) I have added a few new additions to my wardrobe lately simply to add to my black and white collection or lets just call this my entire wardrobe. First off, I love leggings or yoga pants they're a signature look of mine which I find myself wearing not only for comfort but the way they style various outfits and simply work and go with everything. It was well overdue to invest in a fancier version of suede leggings which just dressed up a look instantly - can I just say how super comfy they are which is an added bonus! Secondly, I've been on the hunt for knee-high boots for a good couple of years and somehow they never quite fit right, I finally came across a pair whilst at work and you know what they say if the shoe fits...

Match the suede knee-high boots with the suede leggings and it's as if I'm wearing two in one! This look of black on black might not be for everybody but I just love the combination and the never ending effect that it gives.

It was this Sunday that I was dressed like this for the day that entailed going around shops & heading down to the Christmas Market, but I also was dressed up for the pub later that evening, where we met some friends for a drink or two. I love outfits that fit the part and hit two birds with one stone. With work I don't get to enjoy the clothes that I buy often due to always being in a uniform - I'm not complaining for having a uniform as i can imagine it would be so stressful spending hours deciding what to wear every morning... (& having an extra reason for being late to work) but I wish I had more occasions to wear my clothes more - I think extra leave just seems to be the right answer here. (ahhhh a girl can dream) 

Have you guys finished with your Christmas Shopping? & Whats your favourite colour? 

X

We love italian food & had been meaning to try this restaurant due to all the good reviews. The ambiance was unexpectedly a very romantic vibe, especially due to the dim lighting, I even liked the concept of this restaurant where you get to order, and pick it up yourself - it's almost fast-food with good -food which is perfect for when you're short on time, yet it is still enjoyable and allows you to take in the lunch/dinner experience.


We ordered a funghi pizza as a starter to share, considering it's one of our favourite foods - we needed to have pizza at some point & followed up by a pasta dish as a main. I went for the campagnelle pasta with a mushroom sauce (Yum) & for Tom  the mushroom risotto. (Erm?! Can you tell we're a little mushroom obsessed ha!) It was a super veggie friendly lunch yet so delicious, you can even tear off herbs from infront of you to add to your dish which really was a nice touch. 

After lunch we decided to take a stroll & head towards Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park to get on the ice rink and skate a little,  I have to admit I suck completely when it comes to ice skating. I always start getting better once the time is up  and then wait a whole other year to skate again, to start from scratch all over again. I really should take it up more often if I want to improve! Tom on the other hand, seems to be a natural - he managed to drag me along with him which really made it more of an enjoyable experience for me. It starts getting dark super fast here in London by 4pm to be precise, which in a way worked out well. The hour we decided to go on the rink, it was raining slightly which means there weren't as many people skating which made it more of a special moment for us, with the live music that was also playing, I could have stayed frozen in that particular moment. 

It was finally time! This was the one event that we were mainly looking forward to. No surprise the west end never ceases to amaze me! I'm not usually one for musicals, but live shows are an exception. The performance was played so well and the songs were amazing and very catchy, I even have one of the songs stuck in my head on repeat - and it isn't even a good phrase to stay saying countless times during the day! I'm glad that we watched this show, although it was a little pricy it was worth the experience and to get a good laugh or two out of it. Both Tom and I love South Park and due to the Book of Mormon being written by the creators of South Park we knew this play wouldn't disappoint.

I can't believe that my holiday has come to an end. Malta is obviously home. So when it comes to looking at it as a holiday we don't quite do the same things as we usually would do in another foreign country. However, due to having a friend come over from England we got to play more tour guides and explore the Maltese Islands with him, which made it a nice balance of home and holiday. it's true that if it was summer we would have had even more things to do to make the most of the Mediterranean sea but we still managed to do various things, such as Go - Karting, Horse Riding and visiting some key areas, that just makes you fall in love with the country all over again.

I have to admit - I was nervous at the beginning, I haven't ridden a horse since .. well never. I used to ride a white pony named Arabesque back in Paris when I was younger but this didn't quite measure out to be the same. Her name is Delilah, yes I stayed singing the 'Hey there Delilah' song all throughout and quite frankly she grew a liking towards it & that's how we bonded - Thanks Plain White T's.

You know what they say when in doubt follow the sun

Another true beauty is Dingli Cliffs. I have to admit out of the whole two weeks that day was the coldest - the wind had really picked up.  In the horizon, the first and only thing you get to see is filfla  - the tiny rock in the middle of nowhere that no one is allowed to step foot upon however, it's more the sea, and beyond that catches my eye. a true vision - the reflection of the sun was almost silver reflecting upon the sea which almost made it heaven like. You don't have to spend hours here to take it all in , it affects you instantly. 

I'm just going to come straight out and say it - Mdina wasn't so much for the heritage that we went but more for Fontanella coffee shop and the iconic chocolate cake that we knew was waiting for us. Ofcourse, we did a good stroll around - but our coffee break took the cake! (Literally)

We did manage to catch the view which you can see whilst sitting down and I was completely amazed how I got to see half of the island in the shade and the rest in pure sunshine, it's something I had never seen before and I am so glad that I got to catch it in the moment, it was way more striking off camera though - as are most things!

When I'm back home, there's always so much food involved, from grandparents cooking, to home cooked meals to going out meeting and catching up with friends, this time I went for a late brunch at U-Bistro for a catch up with a friend -  safe to say we did not eat all of this food! The omelette was amazing, and perhaps was our favourite part from this brunch (& the healthiest too) We both got super excited when we saw pancakes & waffles on the menu and couldn't make up our mind as to which to get; it was like Sophie's choice. We compromised by deciding to get both! We both managed to take a pancake each but struggled immensely with the waffles -  the coffee on another note was fantastic.

I went to one of my favourite restaurants which happens to be Gululu, it's Maltese cuisine - and I go for the same thing every time, the L-Gharbija Ftajjar Pizza. I crave this when I'm in London and never bother to change my order. It's made with traditional Maltese dough, hummus, lamb & topped off with feta cheese ; any one drooling yet? Half is enough, My friend took the fresh calamari with gluten free pasta, and I have to say after tasting it, it was absolutely divine - get a glass of wine - sit outside with the blankets like we did, stay by the sea and take in the breeze and the night is absolutely complete. We walked off our dinner by walking on the sea front, which we do often here and is an amazing way of helping digest, I love how easily accessible my little town is.

My spine right now is so bruised .. I wonder why. I have to say I'm an exceptional driver and I am questioning why it is I hadn't gotten my license the first time round! In a matter of fifteen minutes I managed to over cross the tyres to end up on the other side of the track, did a complete 360 twice whilst turning, and going full speed without taking my foot of the pedal - I am quite the adrenaline junkie , I love these things although I didn't quite follow the proper technique I had loads of fun. I could have come close to first,( that is of course, if I didn't get stuck in a pot hole for two minutes had to be rescued!) I haven't done Go- Karting in so many years & unlike horse riding, you are in control. Definitely, keeps you buzzing for a while after! It cost 25 euros for half an hour. In the UK its double that price at £50 so was definitely worth it doing in Malta!

One of my good friends Claudia took part in an exhibition, where she worked closely with the photographer & Stylist  - this art exhibition was inspired by a number of fairy tale stories such as beauty and the beast, little mermaid , sleeping beauty et cetera and twisted the story line with current social issues - bringing social commentary and awareness to problems such as abuse, arranged marriage, portrayal of beauty in the media, abortion, sexuality, malnutrition and so on. The was a description for each photo in Maltese but quite frankly the photos spoke strongly for themselves. I was very impressed with this exhibition, I love photography, and appreciate a good art piece, this was well put together and  looking forward for future works.

that's a small preview of my week, I was constantly on the go trying to make the most of my time, and with that naturally I saw the time pass much faster.  It's funny how I woke up in one country, and ending the day in another - I enjoyed being back home and being able to spend quality time with both my family & friends, however, I'm slightly content being back in the UK simply to get back into a routine. I am currently in my onesie, sipping on a hot yogi tea & adjusting back to the cold -  Tom and I decided to order some chinese for the evening & we're ready to knock out straight after. I better quickly recuperate because I start work again tomorrow, back to reality ... Next up is our seven year anniversary coming up today week!