A Romantic Meal in Patisserie Valerie

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

I have always enjoyed this day. When I was single I would make silly cards and give them to friends, and dress in pink for the occasion! I've never understood why single people choose this day to be upset. There is much more in life than just romantic love, and I personally believe in sharing it with everyone! Don't be glum... let's all think instead about everyone important to us and try to do something nice for someone today.

❤  ❤  ❤

So, today seems as good a time as any to talk about a meal I had at Patisserie Valerie last Saturday, which was my 2 year anniversary with my partner.

I had never been in there before but knew they did lots of different cakes. It was quite busy on this day, but my partner and I managed to get seats as soon as we entered the cafe/restaurant/whatever it's supposed to be!

We found the table we were sat at far too low for a meal, and we were moved to a different one immediately, without any drama or difficulties. When we were finally settled, we decided to try the winter menu, choosing a main meal and a dessert, which was just under £10 each. Not bad.

We went for bangers and mash!

It's funny how much it looks like slop-- but it was actually delicious! The sausages were good quality, the kind infused with herbs, and the gravy was gorgeous and had onion strips in it. Certainly not the most sophisticated choice of food for a date but the taste is the main thing. We were both quite full after this but prepared ourselves for the dessert. We chose the black forest gateaux.

It was ok (and this is coming from someone who really isn't into chocolate flavoured things-- I usually find them too rich and bitter) and our slices were generously sized.

I don't know that I would go there again but we did enjoy ourselves and it was a nice experience. The people who served us were attentive and well-mannered, and we didn't feel like we were unwelcome or being rushed out. I wish more places had waiters and waitresses like this!

Here's my coordinate from that day.

I feel like I wear Alice's Ribbon Kingdom all the time, but it's such a versatile jumperskirt that I can't help myself. It's so easy to dress up, or to wear on more casual days, and I love that.

Thanks for looking and reading, and I hope you enjoyed this post! Have a great day, everyone ❤

University Lolita Coordinates!

Hey everyone!

I'm feeling pretty positive about this year so far, and have some exciting things coming up soon!

But before I can reveal those, I'll start off with the interview I took part in over at Tartan Kawaii's blog! I was asked about various kawaii aspects of my life. She has been interviewing a handful of others interested in cute Japanese fashions so you should check it out! You can read my interview here.

Next, I thought I would post a few of my university coordinates from the past couple of weeks here. Yes, I wear lolita to uni! It's what I wore on the very first day because I wanted to start as I meant to go on. I have never gotten anything but positive feedback for it (including one lecturer actually researching lolita fashion and having a really good discussion with me about it!) so if it's what you want to do, then you totally should.

Now, onto the coordinates!

Blouse: Primark, Bolero: Bodyline, Skirt: Rabbit Heart Shop, Shoes: Bodyline

This coordinate is from Monday 20th January, which was the first day of term for 2014. I wanted to be cute and yet classy and I think I managed to pull it off. I think I like the sweet/classic hybrid of lolita. I'm not generally a fan of ankle socks on top of tights but it has been very cold and I don't own any lolita boots. I need to sort that out...

Coat: Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, Shoes: An*Tai*Na

This was the very next day, Tuesday 21st January. I don't really remember what I wore underneath my coat but I wanted to get a picture of my coordinate anyway! When I'm wearing something bright and sweet like this coat I will often counteract it by having simple or no hair accessories to make my coordinate more casual for day to day life.

Bolero: Bodyline, Jumperskirt: Bodyline, Shoes: Primark

This final coordinate is from Monday 27th January. I kept things super casual by wearing canvas flatforms instead of lolita shoes, and not wearing a lolita blouse. I like the contrast of pink and black in this coordinate, though I'm itching as I look at this photo to change to tea party shows and a nice collar! Oh well... you have to dress down sometimes.

I couldn't resist wearing this big old canotier thing that a friend bought for me! I was overwhelmed by such a kind gesture, and it's grown to be one of my favourite accessories!

Do you wear lolita to school/university/college/work? How do you dress down your style for day to day life? I'd love to hear about it in the comments! As always, thank you so much for reading! ❤

Berkshire Lolitas February Meetup!

On Saturday 1st February, the Berkshire Lolitas had a meetup.

The previous night I'd heard it was going to rain, but Saturday dawned bright and clear, so I felt optimistic we'd be in for a nice day. And we were! Though I must say it was incredibly windy.

My hair turned out really nicely that day, which you would never be able to tell given the bizarre things my hair proceeded to do at the meetup. I put in a hair accessory on the way there.

I decided to wear Meta's Vintage Poodle jumperskirt. The last time I wore it to a meet it ended up being super windy, too! I'm not sure why this dress has decided to call upon these natural forces every time I wear it...

I don't think there's an outfit picture of me from that meetup where I don't look derpy in some way! What has happened to my hair?!

Anyway, I had a lot of fun seeing everyone again, including fellow Ox Loli Sammi, and fellow blogger Ophelia! Many selfies ensued!

We were being blown all over the place by gusts of wind but somehow the sky was the most gorgeous blue, and the sun never stopped shining!

Here's all of us being cute and very cold without our coats! We got a great mix-up of styles going on that day.

After the obligatory Forbury Gardens photoshoot, we decided to go have something to eat. Originally, we were going to go to Wagamamas, but it was packed with people. We walked back down the Riverside and ended up at Tampopo, where we'd had our previous meet.

I decided to try the Com Hue, which had pieces of pork, two delicious prawns and lots of squid mixed into the rice. I've never had squid before but I have to say, I really did enjoy it!

The mood was dampened, however, when we were tricked into paying the optional service charge by the waiter who kept insisting we hadn't paid the bill in full. I really wish I had understood what had happened sooner because I'm annoyed at myself for letting it go and not kicking up a fuss! There was nothing particularly great about the service (he managed to get someone's drink order wrong) and I don't appreciate being pressured into paying what is basically a suggested tip. I don't know if I'll go there again. Maybe I should write an angry e-mail... or just take it as a lesson for the future.

Still, that doesn't negate the fact I had a really amazing time. I'm very lucky to have such a lovely local community, and I'm looking forward to more meetups in the future! I'm planning on hosting the meet next month so I had better start putting plans into action!

I hope you enjoyed this meetup report! Thanks for reading ❤