VENCE: A VISUAL DIARY...

I'm currently stretching my legs in a flat in southern France. I arrived here on Saturday to perfectly clear blue skies and I couldn't be happier. The winter in Zurich has been so long - it feels impossibly good to feel the sun on my skin again. Yesterday we headed out into the town of Vence. It was perfect to wander around the old cobbled streets and take in the weekend atmosphere. There's only one problem that I'm currently facing: French coffee. We sat down at a lovely little outdoor cafe in a square and ordered two cappuccinos. When they came out, instead of foam, there were huge dollops of thick whipped cream on top. Is this normal? I need to figure out what sort of coffee to order here. I'm not hardcore enough to just order an espresso, I need something with a bit of milk and, ideally, some foam. What do I order guys? Tomorrow we're heading into Antibes, hopefully I'll have better luck.

LIFE'S A PHOTO...

This past weekend I travelled to Berlin with Samsung to celebrate the completion of their 'Life's a Photo' campaign. They ran an online photo competition to discover which city is the most photogenic and Berlin won with the most votes. We travelled around the city checking out sites in the afternoon. It was absolutely freezing cold but so much fun. We were all given a Samsung Galaxy camera to play with for the day. You can go online with it and even upload photos straight to Instagram. The camera is super easy to use and really great if you want something small that you can take on the go. The photos are better quality than I can get with my phone which makes it a great alternative to using my iPhone plus it's way lighter than my dSLR. Definitely a winner in my books.

Massive thanks to Samsung and Jam for inviting me to the event.

Wearing: Gap coat, Muriee scarf, Jigsaw boots and Varg tote bag.

SANDALS ROYAL PLANTATION...

I've just returned home from a week spent in Jamaica at Sandals Royal Plantation. Looking back it feels like a dream. Was I really just in the Caribbean for a week? Everything was so perfect and idyllic that it doesn't seem real.

I spent each day lying on the beach drinking piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris. In the afternoon, when I'd worked up a bit of energy, we'd go sailing or snorkeling. I've never been on a resort style holiday before this trip or had an all inclusive experience. Being able to eat and drink as much as I wanted meant I did exactly that... I'm definitely packing a slightly squishier middle section now. It was totally worth it though - the food was delicious. The real highlight of the trip has to be the fact that we had our very own butler for the week. When we arrived we were given a cell phone that we could reach him on. Now that I'm back home I'm totally craving that phone. Nothing equates to luxury quite like white sand beaches and your very own butler. Sandals, I miss you already.

Wearing: Varley belmont bikini, River Island leopard print shorts, Zoe Karssen T-shirt, and 3.1 Phillip Lim dress.

Massive thank you to Sarah at Sandals for organizing the trip.

FRESH FRUIT ON MY SHIRT...

I'm here in Jamaica and it is so beautiful.

I'm waking up at the crack of dawn to a view of the sun rising over a big expanse of ocean. We're staying at Sandals Royal Plantation resort. This is the first time I've gone on a resort style vacation and so far it has totally blown my expectations. Yesterday I accidentally broke a pair of the sandals I brought with me. I was trying to sew the leather back together and I left the shoes sitting on the desk in the room. When I came back in the evening they had been mended. I didn't even ask, they just found them and fixed them. Seriously, that is crazy amazing service.

Wearing: Equipment shirt from My Wardrobe, MiH jean shorts and Topshop sandals.

THE VIEW FROM STOCKHOLM...

Sweden is unbelievably quiet and relaxed.

I spent the weekend in Stockholm at the Rival Hotel and it was absolutely gorgeous. It's located just next to a park and has a delicious cafe and flower shop outside. I spent most of the time eating candy and wandering into shops. Not a bad way to spend a holiday.

Wearing: Paul & Joe Sister jacket, Weekday shirt/trousers and Converse.

LET ME LIVE IN A FLOWER MARKET PLEASE...

Please can we arrange for me to live inside a flower market?

There is nothing I love more than being in London on a sunny Sunday. Why? Because I love Columbia Road Flower Market (so much). When I was last in town I spent an unusually warm day lazing about the market. It was so crowded but I loved every minute. I wore a double printed look from Aubin & Wills which I love. It's super soft and silky. Perfect for feeling easy and breezy but looking a bit put together.

p.s. yes, posing with a potted flower plant was essential (although highly cliche).

Wearing: Everard skirt and Willington vest with white Converse. Props: flowers and yellow SIGG bottle. 

Massive thanks to the Cat for keeping me company and taking my outfit shot.

PARIS: THE BONUS BUNCH...

Ooo, la la, Paris Fashion Week... how wonderful you were.

Before the Valentino show I overheard a man whispering to two women. 'This is the bloggers catwalk,' he sneered as he pointed down at the white plastic sheet that had been laid out across the wet gravel. Actually, it's the unavoidable path for anyone going to a show in the Tuileries. The bizarre thing is, no matter how important you are your car still has to let you out a short trek away from the venue's entrance which means everyone gets the pleasure of strutting their stuff down the white tarp. Photographers swarm around at the sides waiting for their prey and the perfect moment to pounce.

Here's a little selection of shots that haven't made it up anywhere but that I love a little.

p.s. I'm now desperate for a kilt that I can layer over slouchy jeans, and a clutch like Susie's that has a little hand strap.

SECHSELÄUTEN: THE BURNING SNOWMAN...

Everything is better when you add fresh flowers...

On Monday afternoon the streets of central Zurich were taken over by a parade of the guilds - complete with old-fashioned outfits, marching bands, lots of beer, plus old men throwing candy and fish (?!). Apparently it's the sort of cheesy traditional event that you should only go to once but, quite honestly, I love it. The weather has been RUBBISH recently and, even though it was freezing and raining, it was totally inspirational to see the entire city covered in flowers. There's a strange exchange of flowers between people in the parade and people watching... it eventually ends with handfuls of gorgeous floral arrangements being handed out to any kid that shouts loud enough at the person passing by - next year I'm bringing a fog horn.

They might be old-fashioned costumes but I loved seeing all the outfits in the parade. There were some amazing hats and the shoes with buckles reminded me of the Miu Miu AW12 collection (yumm - buckle bows). Loads of people wore necklaces with big pretzels attached to the end... I'm thinking this is something I should start including in my daily look.

Ah yes, that's some Swiss beer with a flower and next to it is the böögg. The böögg is a snowman that's been stuffed with explosives. Bizarre, right? Everyone gathers around and watches as a fire gradually moves up towards the snowman, waiting for the head to explode. #TotesBizarre - the faster it explodes the better the summer is meant to be. This year it took 12 minutes and 7 seconds - not too bad.

Come on summer, I'm ready for you.

Fruits, flowers and vegetables...

On Fridays in Zurich, at the end of Bahnhofstrasse, a market pops up. It's right next to the lake and is the perfect place to kill a bit of time. Even if I normally don't buy anything I still love walking through the countless rows of stalls that are overflowing with flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Disconnect

Last week I ditched on the internet for a couple of days and went to Germany with my family who were visiting. We drove through the Black Forest, watched the leaves change colour and ate unnatural amounts of schnitzel. It was so good. Love being able to jump in a car and be places like this in an hour. Photos taken in Tübingen, Rheinfalls, Titisee and the Black Forest.

Wearing: YSL sunglasses, H&M jumper, AA t-shirt, Alice by Temperley scarf and 7 for all Mankind jeans.

High up.

Spent today soaking up the Swiss life... no, not cruising in a Lamborghini down Bahnhofstrasse - the other type of Swiss life. I've got family visiting so I'm taking the opportunity to don my favourite flannels and reunite with nature. Okay, so I spent half the day drinking coffee and tasting cheese instead of doing any real hiking but when you're surrounded by views like these it's hard not to feel a bit more peaceful - and that must count for something. Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. xx