24 Hours in Cologne, Germany

So a few of weeks back I was lucky enough to visit Cologne in Germany for a work trip. It was literally a one day trip and we had a busy itinerary of meetings and training so it was pretty intense! I was very lucky in that my hotel was less than a 30 second walk away from the famous Kolner Dom Cathedral, which I had a lovely view of from my hotel room!

As it was such a quick trip I didn't get the chance to see much of Cologne however I'd definitely like to go back ago whether it be for work or at my leisure, it's such a beautiful city and as we were driven about by Taxi mainly, we got the chance to see a lot of the city.

When we went out for a meal with clients it was very quickly clear that the Germans like their beer! We went to a Bier Keller style place where the waiter just keeps on putting half pints of Beer infront of you until you put your Beer mat on top to politely say 'no more thank you!'. As somebody who doesn't like beer, I felt obligated to at least have a couple or I would have been frowned upon.

I've heard Cologne is beautiful during the winter and has a fantastic Christmas Market so it's somewhere I would definitely like to return to!

Adventures in Vienna: Schonbrunn Palace & Sigmund Freud Museum

Back in December I jetted off to Vienna on my own for a bit of an adventure/soul searching whatever you may call it. It was bitterly cold - the majority of the time I was there it was below zero. I experienced a new kind of cold though a month or so later when I visited New York!

So whilst in Vienna, I made it my mission to do various different things; shopping being the number one priority of course! However to also take in the culture and do some exploring was something that was high on my list. I did the cultural stuff more towards the end of the trip, one because I wanted to get a feel for the city and feel comfortable in my surroundings before venturing into the complete unknown and two, well because by the end of the week I had filled my suitcase to the brim and spent a lot of money therefore shopping was no longer on the cards unfortunately!!

When I went to sixth form I studied (attempted) to delve into the world of Psychology, but it turns it is wasn't for me! I may or may not have got a U in my AS Level exam...gutted. Anyway, a huge topic of discussion in both my Psychology classes and my English Language classes also actually was the famous Sigmund Freud - a psychologist with all sorts of weird and wonderful theories. So, before world war 2 he actually lived in Austria and his family home was based in Vienna until they fled from the Nazi's. Anyway, so since then they have now opened up his old apartment into a Museum where you can visit the whole place and see where he worked. The place is filled with literature and examples of his work and there is a very in depth audio tour which I found very interesting! Apart from the place being an absolute nightmare to find (I must have asked at least 10 people for directions) but once you get there it is so worth it and I would definitely recommend to visit if you're in the area. It is within walking distance from the city centre, perhaps about 15 minutes away - although to be truthful I can't be entirely sure as I walked in all sorts of different directions before actually finding my way there.

The next day I decided to visit Schonbrunn Palace, and honestly I'm so glad I did. It's such a beautiful building with an even more beautiful interior. I imagine the Palace and Grounds look amazing when it snows because it is just so pretty and well kept. As I went in December there was a lovely Christmas Market going on and lots of people about, which I found quite nice really having been on my own all week, it was just good to have company and feel part of something. Even if nobody actually spoke to me!! I believe there are several different ticket options you can get but I went for the one where you go on an audio tour and visit 22 rooms in the palace. There is also a Zoo close by which I didn't go to but I think you can get a combined ticket for both.

I made my way to Schonbrunn Palace via a taxi ride which took about 15 mins and cost me 17 euros. However I discovered on the way back there is an underground station about 200 metres away where you can hope on a tube to St Stephanplatz (the city centre).

Favourites of 2014

Morning guys! Can you believe that yesterday we waved goodbye to 2014?! How sad. 2014 has been a great year for me in many ways and I kinda just want to cling onto it for a little bit longer.However, that said I'm also very much looking forward to turning over the page and starting a new chapter in my life, ah how exciting!

Today I thought I would share with you some of my favourite things from 2014 whether that be a revolutionary Lipstick discovery or an addictive series. I've had a snoop around my bedroom and had a browse through old blog posts throughout the year and thought I would gather the best of the bunch into one post. Got your notebook ready? Let's go...

First things first lets talk beauty. This year I actually feel like I really discovered myself on the blogging front and what suits me. I really got into blogging and have taken it to a new level. I've been blogging for the past 3 years but never with such dedication. I would usually just post at my leisure and on a whim. I never really thought about the fact that somebody else could possibly read my blog and find it interesting but it turns out you guys actually do. The blog initially started up as a creative outlet for my take on fashion trends and wish lists etc. Turns out it wasn't meant to be on the fashion front and although I still love fashion I definitely think blogging about Beauty & Lifestyle is much more up my street. I just wanted to say a big  thank you to every single person that reads my blog (yes you!) whether you just accidentally clicked on this post or if you read my blog religiously, thank you SO much. I really appreciate your constant support and I will continue to churn out some (hopefully) interesting content for you all in 2015. 

Anyway, moving on let's talk about what you came here for, yep that's right beauty..I've whittled down the list of my 'Holy Grail' material products and the winners are *drum roll*... Benefit Gimme Brow, Estee Lauder Double Wear & The Naked 2 Palette. Benefit Gimme Brow has seriously changed my life and I would never be without it. I think I've bought 4 of these this year since discovering it and just think it's amazing! Double Wear was a game changing product for me, I had always been on the hunt for a Foundation that has high coverage and stays put all day and Double Wear does just that. Again I always have a bottle of this product handy for days when I feel I need a higher coverage or if I have a long day ahead and need a product that won't budge. Now I know for some of you guys the Naked Palettes are probably old news but like I just said it wasn't until this year when I really started discovering beauty products that much. I think the Naked Palettes are awesome, I love any eye shadows that are golden or bronze toned - therefore the Naked 2 is definitely my ideal Palette. The great thing about the Naked Palettes is that you can mix so many combinations and shades to great a different effect every time. Although it's an expensive product I would definitely say it is worth investing in! 

Now then, let's talk food. It's fair to say this year I have discovered some revolutionary food items. As you guys know this year I actually turned vegetarian (read all about it here) so I definitely think this has been a contributing factor to me trying different recipes out and discovering new products. A revolutionary discovery for me was the Avocado - I mean damn where has this fruit been all my life. These days I pretty much incorporate it into as many of my meals as possible. I also found a new found love for Quinoa, Spinach and Peanut Butter. These are some of the foods that have become a daily staple for me. With me having the biggest sweet tooth ever, it wouldn't be a 2014 favourites post without mentioning Pots & Co (preferably the Salted Caramel) and a very recent discovery, well just last night in fact - The Coconut Collaborative Raspberry Snowconut Frozen Yoghurt - this tastes amazing.  Oh and also while we're at it I would urge any chocolate fan looking for a healthier alternative to purchase the Booja Booja Hunky Punky Chocolate Ice Cream - it only has 4 ingredients and tastes delicious!

So let's talk TV, I'll be honest I watch some utter trash on TV but it's good, addictive kinda trash so it's okay ;) Shows that I watched obsessively throughout 2014 included Breaking Bad (the best show you'll ever watch seriously), American Horror Story - utterly terrifying but completely addictive, All varieties of the Kardashians, oldies such as Absolutely Fabulous & Birds of a Feather were a huge source of entertainment for me as well.

Apps that provided me with hours of joys this year included  the usual suspects - Twitter, Facebook (shamefully), Pinterest and of course Instagram which was the app that reigned the throne in my books once again.

2014 was the year I fell back in love with Books and ones I loved the most and picked up in any spare second was definitely Gone Girl, The Fault In Our Stars, Before I Go To Sleep and Bridget Jones Diary. I'm hoping this year will be the same in the respect that I will find so much joy in reading and will continue to grab a book in any dull moment rather than scrolling through social media.

Fitness wise - you guys know I finally joined a gym which was a big step for me and my god, I actually went EVEN when on holiday in Milan, do I deserve a pat on the back or what?! Okay so on the fitness front things went well as a whole however I'll admit towards the end of the year I've lacked in motivation and been pretty lazy and ate way too much chocolate but this year I will be stepping up and taking control of the situation by creating a more structured work out and meal plan which will hopefully show in my appearance as the months go on so watch this space!

As you guys know, this year Kyle & I made a conscious effort to visit some more places in the world and to be honest pretty much every place we visited was amazing but of course Milan & Stockholm fill the winning spots in my opinion. This year we're hoping to cram a whole lot more of air miles in!

I hope you enjoyed this post and it has maybe given you a chance to reflect back on the year if you haven't already. For those of you who made it to the end of this lengthy post and was in it for the long haul - thank you!

What were your 2014 Favourites?