Afternoon Tea at The Colonnade Hotel, London | FOOD

Hello!

"the good thing about Afternoon Tea, it's all very relaxed, calm and you're not in a rush to go anywhere - utter bliss"

Afternoon Tea is a great way to spend an afternoon. You may have noticed it becoming a reoccurring topic on BBXO (see here and here). Yet, this time, the weather decided to treat us a little better, and the sun was shining. All the other times I've been, it's been pouring down with rain! Nonetheless, let's take a peak into the beautiful Colonnade Hotel. 

First things first, we went around in circles and passed the place about twice before found it! It was quite discrete and the only sign was a little menu (pictured in the title). I've got to admit, the area was beautiful, but more on that later. 

The atmosphere was light, and the glass roof ensured the sun was shining through and making everything look 10x prettier! You had to walk down stairs to the seating area and enter a pastel coloured room, with pastel paintings and very clean, white plates and cups, which instantly makes you feel calm. That's the good thing about Afternoon Tea, it's all very relaxed, calm and you're not in a rush to go anywhere - utter bliss. 

"What's an English Afternoon Tea without Scones?"

As for the tea, there was a range to choose from. Although the range was not that big, it was enough to get something you liked. We went for the Darjeeling, and although it was my first time trying it, I fell in love! Such a beautiful, mellow and slightly sweet tea. 

The food was lovely, and to my surprise, there were macarons! In all the places I've had tea, I've never had macarons included! Oh, and they did taste amazing! Mine was pink, but didn't have a particular flavour, it was a plain macaron sporting all of the glorious texture it's known for. 

What's an English Afternoon Tea without Scones? They gave us jam in a cute little jar that was just adorable! It tasted amazing too. 

"You can bet your bottom dollar that I instagrammed that!"

Of all the other Afternoon Tea places I've been to, this is definitely been one of the best. I loved the light, airy atmosphere, the polite staff and the lovely treats. If you're looking for a place to go to on a lovely sunny day, definitely check out The Colonnade Hotel near Little Venice. 

Speaking of the area, it is absolutely stunning. The buildings are white with huge doors and pillars. It was like a dream! You can bet your bottom dollar that I instagrammed that! But more on the area will be coming to a blog near you very soon, so keep your eyes peeled! ;)

All in all, a wonderful place to visit, I would definitely recommend you go. Plus, there's a beautiful canal a mere 5 minute walk away - a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Tell me, have you tried Darjeeling, and what's your favourite tea? 

Motivation Monday: Morning Thoughts

Hello!

"stay focused and look at the things around you."

Another Monday is upon us, and it's the first thing that pops into our heads on Monday Morning can determine the rest of the day... or rest of the morning, at least! It could either be: "Oh YAY, start of another fresh week" or "Let's just stay under the duvet for the next 50 hours?" Choose the latter and you're more likely to dread mornings!

"Be grateful and feel forever content."

This quote is simple yet always overlooked. Be grateful and feel forever content. It is so easy to miss the things right under our nose, like the quote 'You'll Only Miss it When it's Gone' - so just take a moment to think of the things you're lucky to have.

Is Roald Dahl EVER wrong? 

It seems as though the images did all the talking in this post and that's how morning should be: productive yet quiet... :)

What's your favourite morning ritual?

Motivation Monday - Excitement is Good!

Hello!

Yet another Monday has arrived at our doorstep, but this Monday is different... It's Easter Bank Holiday Monday! Wooo! Okay, you may be thinking I am over exaggerating with how excited I am about this day, but that's kind of the point of this post...

As we grow older, somehow our brains seem to think that getting excited over the small stuff is very weird - or unacceptable. It makes us feel as though we're childish and immature. Honestly, though, the youth are said to be the best years of our life - so why purposely (or unconsciously) try to rid that happiness sooner than necessary? 

Is it wrong to be excited about the smallest things? No. Would people think it's weird? Maybe. Well, you know that you can never make every single person in the world happy - so do it for the person that matters most in the world to you: YOU.

For the last couple of days, I have been happy for no particular reason, yet for almost every reason. Making the most of the situation. Admiring the beautiful things in life and just smiling.
The quote about is very true - there are so many beautiful reasons to be happy.

Okay, I understand that it is almost (I said ALMOST) impossible to Always be happy - yet the time we spend unhappy is time not well spent. Try and be happy, even when it feels impossible. Look at the things you love most. Make the most out of the things you have to do and hopefully you'll find something beautiful..

So, this Motivation Monday may seem a bit cliché, but I feel it's important to tell you to be happy. Even though you've read it in more than one other motivation monday - I still believe the overall goal in life is to be happy.

I hope you have a fabulous Bank Holiday Monday if you're in the UK, or just a Beautiful day anyway!

Tell me a beautiful thing you've seen today, maybe the look of your tea this morning, or the flowers in  the garden, or the look on your dogs face when you gave it some breakfast - what has been a beautiful thing you've seen today?