Summer Sunshine, Silly Names and the End of Exams!

As you'll know from my previous post I'm leaving beautiful Exeter. It's scary in itself but it's also my friends and I have realised that we haven't explored Devon properly and only have a limited time to do so! 

In that vein, I was roused from one of my many post exam naps (genuinely, it's the novelty of being able to sleep at any time that gets me) to be told that a pub lunch and country walk were on offer. How could I refuse!?

The NoBody Inn was our lunch spot, in Doddiscombsleigh, a name which caused great entertainment. Lots of people around Exeter had spoken about it as a great pub in the countryside- it has the most amazing collection of whiskies (not really my scene, but it might interest you). If anyone knows how to pronounce it then please do let me know. We ended up mumbling it a bit when trying to explain where we were. 

Feeling a little sorry for myself, I went for the ham egg and chips, but their burgers also look incredible and Katy won the ordering game with her brie tartlet and sweet potato chips. It wasn't too busy and we just basked in the early summer sunshine, enjoying our freedom! 

The friendly staff there gave us directions to Haldon Forest Park for an afternoon stroll in the sun. We promptly forgot what they said and managed (with the help of a satnav) to find it. 

It's the perfect place for families to spend a day in the sunshine, with bike hire and even Segway tours (though I personally think they're a little strange for a forest walk). It's part of the Forestry Commission and has a butterfly conservation area that we walked through. It's not challenging walking but ideal for those prone to getting lost on footpaths (like me). Also when we arrived it looked super busy, but fortunately we barely saw anyone on our walk. 

stolen from insta. Thanks Merryn! 

The best part was definitely the view over Exeter; sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the uni bubble so physically getting out of town was so refreshing. Cracking views, sunshine and of course the usual suspects made for a rather lovely day. 

I need to end my love affair with Floral

It's moving into summertime and as I come out of my revision stupor, it's time to stop wearing trackies and leggings and start getting into pretty summer things. 

Traditionally for me, this would mean floral tops, dresses, heck even trousers (not all worn together, don't worry). 

As the weather heats up (marginally, this is still England after all) my flatmates have started to notice how heavily Cath Kidson-esque prints feature in my life. They've expressed concern that I'm in a bit of a spring style rut. 

Determined to prove them wrong and to help out anyone else with a similar addiction- here are some great summer prints that save you from descending into the black hole of flower power. 

1. Breton Stripes: Hardly a revolutionary concept, but I love a breton stripe piece for spring/summer. Throw them on and they always look chic. These two long sleeved beauties from Zara and Camieau (I went over the boarder to Annecy to get this one) are great pieces. Especially if, like me, you're paler than pale, one of the these t-shirts are great to throw in a beach bag and stop burnt shoulders. Alternatively for an evening, this H&M dress is super flattering despite its fitted style. 

2. Polka Dots: They've featured quite heavily in the spring/summer trend reports in magazines and can be worn all year round, but my polka dot pieces are mainly summer clothes. You can have just a hint of them with these converse, or as an alternative to blue jeans with these Monsoon cropped ones. 

3. Aztec/Tribal Prints: I don't really own much of this style, I think it typically comes in colours that suits darker completions. However, if you're a budding festival lover, you'll know this is the style for you! Look at Cochella for inspiration. 

Of course, my floral stuff will be making an appearance this summer without fail, but hope this helps give you some inspiration for holiday outfits this summer. 


P.S. I am in no way shape or form an authority on fashion and style, just trying something new on the blog!