Sunday, 26 August 2018

Monthly Favourites

  Hello everybody!
  This week’s blog post is a Monthly Favourites! It feels like ages since I last posted a monthly favourites so I’m very excited to show you what I’ve been enjoying this month...

▪️ New Look yellow striped block jumper - As some of you may know, I’m visiting England right now so this jumper is perfect for the weather we’ve had recently! It’s nice and cosy for cool weather! 

▪️ Sheffield Wednesday home shirt - I went to my first ever football match last Wednesday and afterwards, I had to get a shirt! I went to another match on Saturday and now (to my mum’s delight) I’m a Wednesday fan! I loved both matches and I am really happy with my shirt. 

▪️ Nike Air Force 1 ‘07 LV8 Women’s - I bought these for school, but I know I’ll wear them all the time! They have a really pretty peachy coloured tick!

▪️ PINK grey campus backpack - I bought this for school after a long time of looking around, but when I saw this one I knew it was perfect! It has three main compartments and a front pocket so it’ll be perfect for putting lots of books and “school stuff” in! 

▪️ New Look pink pearlised face dial watch - I saw this watch and fell in love with it! It was super affordable and looks stunning so I’m very glad I bought it! I absolutely love the pearlised face and the rose gold edges!

▪️  Zoella Beauty Splash Botanics collection - If you’ve seen some of my blog posts you’ll know I love Zoella and her beauty collection! She bought out a range called “Splash Botanics” in June, but I only just bought it! I chose the “Drench Me Bath Soak”, “Botanic’EAU Body Mist”, “Lagoon Love Bath Milk” and “Make A Splash Moisturising Wash”. The packaging is stunning and the range smells incredible so the body mist is definitely going to be my back to school scent!



  That’s all for this week’s blog post! Sorry it was so short. I’d love to know what you’ve been enjoying this month! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 
  Byyeee!!!!

Sunday, 19 August 2018

Marrakech | Part 2

  Hello everybody!
  This week’s blog post is a follow up from last week’s post, so if you haven’t read that yet, make sure you go back and then continue reading this post. This post is about all the restaurants I went to on holiday in Marrakech! I was there for seven days, but only went to six restaurants since we enjoyed one so much we went twice!



Day 1: Quattro Restaurant & Bar
This restaurant was in the hotel I was staying in; the Four Seasons. It was an indoor-outdoor restaurant where they served incredible Southern Italian dishes. I had shared starters and we ordered; calamari and prawns served with a pesto aïoli and tapioca chips; and beef carpaccio, truffle vinaigrette, arugula, parmesan cheese, toasted bread and fried capers. For mains, I ordered a margarita pizza and for dessert I had traditional tiramisu, mascarpone cream and sponge cake coffee. The food was so tasty and the setting was stunning. It had dim lighting and Moroccan lamps all around.

Day 2: Inara
This restaurant was also in the hotel. It was an indoor setting just above Quattro. The food here featured more Moroccan-inspired dishes. Again, I had shared starters and we ordered; a selection of briouates and a selection of Lebanese mezze. For mains I ordered chicken skewers. I (surprisingly) didn’t have a dessert. I really enjoyed the food in Inara because it was my first time having Moroccan/Lebanese food in Morocco! 

Day 3: Mythe
This restaurant was in the Medina. It was a small but tall restaurant, if that makes sense, set on many floors. The dishes served were traditional Moroccan. I didn’t have starters this time, however for mains I ordered Couscous with vegetables and chicken. I didn’t have dessert either. The food here was more basic and the view over the square was probably the best bit!

Day 4: Azar
This restaurant was in the ‘new town’ area of Marrakech. It had an incredible indoor setting with a chill area to enjoy cocktails/mocktails and a seating area where they did henna tattoos; obviously I had to have one! The main restaurant served Moroccan and Lebanese food, of which all options looked delicious. We started off with cocktails/mocktails and I ordered a (non-alcoholic) watermelon mojito! For food, we had the set menu which included an assortment of 9 mezzes for starters. For mains I had the beef tenderloin with bearnaise sauce and homemade french fries. For desserts we had a selection of three traditional Moroccan desserts. The food was absolutely incredible along with the atmosphere... there was entertainment starting at 10pm which we stayed for and it was insane! There were women dancing with candles on trays on their heads, belly dancers, and my favourite, an amazing live band! Overall, the restaurant was delightful in every way! 



Day 5: Comptoir Darna
This restaurant is actually the sister restaurant of Azar and since we enjoyed Azar so much we had to try their other restaurant. Comptoir Darna is in a part of town with lots of other fancy restaurants around. There was a magical outdoor setting for pre-dinner drinks, with huge trees covering the sky like a roof and star lanterns hanging off branches. The walls outside were painted green with gold swirls which made it feel like I was in a secret, magical garden and there was also a very decorative swinging chair hanging from the tree which was perfect for photos! There was the restaurant inside with dim lighting and Moroccan lamps and intricate carvings in the walls. The food was mainly Moroccan with the exception of a few international dishes. I had a mocktail in the outside patio which was called Coconut Lips. For starters, we shared an authentic chicken and almond pastilla which I wasn’t that keen on and we also ordered an assortment of “briouates” which were delicious. For mains, I ordered the seafood tagine and I also tried  a bit of my mum’s “Legendary weeping Tiger” which was a grilled sliced filet of beef served with grand chef mashed potatoes and homemade tiger sauce which was delicious! For dessert I had salted caramel ice cream which not only tasted incredible, but it was presented beautifully as well! There was a live band playing for a little while and then we had the same entertainment as Azar; women dancing with candles on trays on their heads and belly dancers! 

Day 6: Quattro
We did come to Quattro again just because it was so lovely. For starters, I ordered the calamari and prawns served with a pesto aïoli and tapioca chips again and gorgonzola, pear walnuts and balsamic reduction focaccia and for mains I had an escalope breaded with herbs and spiced bread crumbs served with sautéed potatoes. I didn’t have a dessert! 

 Day 7: La Villa des Orangers 
This was our last night so it had to be special and my dad chose a restaurant himself as a surprise! It definitely was special. The restaurant was located just outside the old Medina and was in an old Palace courtyard with a pool in the centre. The food served was Moroccan. I didn’t have a starter but for mains I had sea bass filet and for dessert I had a delicious lemon macaron. There was a man playing a guitar-like instrument throughout the evening which was lovely! I think the restaurant was also a boutique hotel but I’m not completely sure. Overall the restaurant was the perfect way to end an amazing holiday! 



  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! Visiting Marrakech was such an amazing experience and I would recommend it to everyone! I went to some incredible restaurants. Personally my favourite was Azar but the others were great too! I’m actually travelling today to England so I’d love to know whether you’d like to hear about my travels there in the comments below! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!
  Byyeee!!!!

Sunday, 12 August 2018

Marrakech

  Hello everybody!
  Some of you may or may not know that I’m on holiday right now in Marrakech. I arrived on Tuesday and return home on Tuesday. So far it’s been amazing, so I have to tell you all about it! 

  Souks (indoor market)
The souks can be described as "a honeycomb of intricately connected alleyways, this fundamental section of the old city is a micro-medina in itself, comprising a dizzying number of stalls and shops that range from itsy kiosks no bigger than an elf's wardrobe to scruffy store-fronts that morph into glittering Aladdin’s Caves once you're inside." I do think that is the best way to describe it. My experience was a sense of crowding and lots of different smells and a “feast for the eyes”. I wanted to look everywhere! There are shops with traditional Moroccan things such as; patterned bowls, leather shoes, leather poufs, spices and herbs and they even had “genuine fake” items the shopkeepers called them, referring to fake designer bags and watches etc. It is hectic since shopkeepers are always trying to get you in their shop so it can get a bit overwhelming sometimes but it’s all good fun!


  Jemaa el-Fnaa (square)
The Jemaa el-Fnaa is a square and market place in Marrakech’s medina quarter. It remains the main square of Marrakech, used by locals and tourists. The day time experience is very different to the evening experience. In the day time there are a lot of fruit/juice stalls, women doing henna tattoos, and men selling locally made goods and souvenirs on a sheet on the floor and snake charmers! However, in the evening a lot changes. Men selling their goods and the snake charmers leave to make way for food stalls! The square is filled with what seems like hundreds of food stalls of all kinds. You have all types of food from traditional Moroccan food to fried fish to fast food! I haven’t eaten in one so far, but some of the food smelt and looked incredible!


  Koutoubia Mosque
The Koutoubia Mosque is largest Mosque in Marrakesh! It has a large plaza with gardens and is floodlit at night. Unfortunately, when I went to see the mosque it was closed so we couldn’t go inside, but just from the outside you can see it is beautiful. It is ornamental with curved windows, a band of ceramic inlay, pointed merlons and decorative arches.



  Menara Mall
 Menara Mall is one of the largest shopping centres in Marrakech and opened in June 2015. I really like this Mall because it has local shops. There’s local clothing brands such as DeFacto and Koton and then there’s an upmarket souk. There are also lots of cafe’s and restaurants. We went to a really nice cafe called Victor which was perfect for breakfast!



  Carre Eden Mall
I really like this Mall too because not only does it have local shops but it has well known brands such as H&M and Starbucks. There are also a lot of other shops around the area.



  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! My holiday is finishing soon :( but I would definitely visit here again and perhaps stay a little longer. Next week’s blog post will be a continuation of Marrakech so make sure you read that too! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 
  Byyeee!!!!




Sunday, 5 August 2018

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again | Movie Review

  Hello everybody!
  This week’s blog post is a movie review! I’m sure you’ve heard of, if not watched Mamma Mia! Well, it was released 10 years ago which seems absolutely crazy! And as it’s been 10 years since the first film they made another movie called Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. I went to the cinema yesterday to watch it and I really enjoyed it so I thought I’d do a review on it! 



Film: Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
Starring: Christine Baranski (Tanya), Pierce Brosnan (Sam Carmichael), Dominic Cooper (Sky), Colin Firth (Harry Bright), Andy García (Fernando), Lily James (Donna Sheridan), Amanda Seyfried (Sophie), Stellan Skarsgård (Bill), Julie Walters (Rosie), Cher (Ruby Sheridan), Meryl Streep (Donna Sheridan)
Director: Ol Parker
U.K release date: July 27 2018
Rating: PG
Genre: comedy, musical
Runtime: 1h 54min
Storyline: In 1979 young Donna, Tanya and Rosie graduate from Oxford University -- leaving Donna free to embark on a series of adventures throughout Europe. On her journeys, she makes the acquaintances of Harry, Bill and Sam -- the latter whom she falls in love with, but he's also the man who breaks her heart. In the present day, Donna's pregnant daughter, Sophie, dreams of renovating a taverna while reuniting with her mother's old friends and boyfriends on the Greek island of Kalokairi.

My star rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Favourite character: Rosie because she’s soooo funny
Memorable moment: When Sophie sees her mother. 
Favourite song: The Name of the Game by Lily James



   That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! Overall, I loved the movie a lot! I really enjoyed the flashback scenes! I knew I’d like it before even seeing it because I was and still am obsessed with the first movie. Also, I love musicals so I was looking forward to watching it! I will see you next week with another blog post! Love you all!
  Byyeee!!!!

Sunday, 29 July 2018

Monthly Favourites

  Hello everybody!
  This week’s blog post is a monthly favourites! I can’t believe it’s almost August already! Summer is going too quickly. Most of this month’s favourites have a Summer theme. 

▪️ Beaded shell anklet - I’ve been wanting an anklet for a while now and when I went on holiday recently, all the small beach shops had them and I was looking for the perfect one and I found it! I knew it was the right one because I’d been looking for one with shells on it; check! I also wanted it to have turquoise on it; check! If you read my monthly favourites last month you’ll know I got a turquoise Thomas Sabo bracelet so I wanted the anklet to match.

▪️ Springfield red jumpsuit - This jumpsuit is very formal but stunning. The trousers part is culotte style which is perfect for summer. I like to pair this with a big chunky gold necklace and gold sliders, but you could definitely pair it with heels to make it more formal.

▪️ Koala Bay shibori crochet bikini - When I saw this bikini I fell in love with the design and colour. It is a royal blue shibori, which is a type of tie-dye. It’s cream coloured crochet detailing makes it look stunning and just adds a bit more detail.

▪️ Carrefour tie dye round beach towel - I’d seen these kinds of towels all over Pinterest and Instagram, but never had one until I found this fun, brightly coloured beach towel which I just had to buy! It’s huge and comfortable to chill on at the beach or pool and it’s great to sit on with friends and chat! It has colourful tassels around the edge which makes it that bit prettier!

▪️ Straw beach bag - I’d been wanting a small/medium sized beach bag to carry my water bottle (coming up next!), towel, books, etc. When I found this one, I really liked the simplicity of it and at 6 euros it was a bargain compared to some other bags I’d seen, so I knew I had to get it!

▪️ Carrefour water bottle - Since it’s summer I need to be drinking a lot of water and I know it might sound silly, but I found that with regular plastic bottles I wasn’t drinking as much as I should be so I got this pretty reusable water bottle and I’m drinking way more water! Better for the environment too!

▪️ Plant Nanny app - I’m sure some of you have heard of this app. Basically, this app reminds you to drink water. There’s a cute plant inside of your phone that you have to take care of and the way you take care of it is by watering it. So every drink you have is helping your plant grow. I think this app is really helping me drink more water because it’s a motivation.

▪️ Carrefour Tie-dye patterned Lilo - It’s summer so of course I need a lilo! It’s brightly coloured tie-dye design gives me all the summer feels! It is also great for chilling on in the pool! 



  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! This blog post is making me realise that I have a thing for tie-dye and bright colours! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!
  Byyeee!!!!

Sunday, 22 July 2018

Coconut and lime cake

  Hello everybody!
  This week’s blog post is baking! I’m glad to be back baking since it’s one of my favourite things to do. For this months bake, I’m doing a coconut and lime cake - perfect for summer with a zingy and tropical taste. If you want to know how to bake this; carry on reading!

Serves: 8
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 40 mins



Ingredients
175g butter, softened
175g self-raising flour 
175g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 2 limes
3 eggs 
40g desiccated coconut

For the topping
4tbsp caster sugar
Juice of 2 limes
2tbsp desiccated or shredded coconut

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C, Gas 4. Grease a 500g loaf tin and line the base and short sides with a strip of baking paper long enough to overhang at each end.
2. Place the butter in a large bowl. Add the flour, sugar, lime zest, eggs and coconut and, using an electric mixer, mix until soft, smooth and creamy.
3. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and level the surface. Bake for about 40 mins until golden and just firm to the touch. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.
4. While the cake is still warm and in the tin, mix together the caster sugar and lime juice for the topping and spoon over the cake. Sprinkle over the coconut and leave to cool in the tin. To remove from the tin, run a knife along the long sides to loosen and lift the cake out of the tin holding the overhanging paper at each end. Slice to serve.



  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! The outcome of this bake was incredible and so delicious. Perfect for a summer party! If you make these I’d love to see, so tag me on Instagram @ISayBell_blog. I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all!
  Byyeee!!!!





Monday, 16 July 2018

Swimwear

  Hello everybody!
  I hope you’re all enjoying your summer! This week’s blog post is kind of a follow up from last week’s blog post. If you can’t remember, last week’s blog post was “Beach Day” so for this week’s blog, I’ll be showing you some of my favourite swimwear. So without further ado, here is some swimwear I like.

#1 H&M black triangle bikini top (£12.99) + H&M black bikini bottoms (£8.99)



#2 New Look white gem embellished ring strappy front swimsuit (€34.99)



#3 New Look bright blue rainbow trim triangle bikini top (€14.99) + New Look bright blue trim Hipster bikini bottoms (€12.99)



#4 Zaful cactus print bandeau bikini ($23.25)



#5 Zaful cami palm leaf print bikini ($24.49)



#6 Calzedonia Indonesia one shoulder ruffle bandeau bikini top (£25.00)  + Calzedonia Indonesia Brazilian bikini bottoms (£18.00)



  That’s all for this week’s blog post! I hope you enjoyed! I’m so happy it’s summer because it means I can buy new cute bikinis and go to the beach and pool! I’d love to know what your favourite bikini is! I will see you next week for another blog post! Love you all! 
  Byyeee!!!!