Hello lovelies, welcome back to my blog!

I can’t believe it’s the second half of August already! Don’t worry, I am not going to start talking about autumn as it’s still a whole month away and Summer is not over yet. Some people are still yet to go on their summer holiday in September so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

I try to live in the present as I have learnt it’s the healthiest way to function. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) recommends focusing on the present moment as living in the past may lead to depression whilst living in the future may lead to anxiety. Apologies for getting so serious right from the start but that’s just a little “tip of the day” from me on how to remain sane in this modern crazy world.

I don’t know about you but I just don’t like how all the current editions of fashion magazines are already focused on autumn/winter trends, not to mention the upcoming fashion weeks where the designers will be showcasing their spring/summer 2019 collections! I hope that one day, in the not so distant future, fashion weeks will be featuring ready to wear collections. I am not saying the transition process won’t be challenging for the fashion industry but I think it’s entirely doable and needs to happen. I feel the fashion industry will be subject to many significant changes in the upcoming years and it’s something I am really looking forward to.

Anyway, my summer has been absolutely amazing and I wanted to share some of the magical moments with you.

EXPLORING THE UK

The exceptionally hot British weather encouraged me to explore some picturesque UK locations.

The Lake District

I spent a week in the beautiful Lake District in Cumbria. This was my first visit and it definitely won’t be the last! The Lake District is a magical land of lakes and mountains and sometimes I really felt like I was in a fairy tale. It just seemed too beautiful to be true and I could not believe I was still in the UK! Because the weather was amazing I was able to swim in the crystal clear lakes. I managed to swim in eight different lakes which made me a very happy girl. I will be publishing a separate post on my blog about my Lake District adventures so stay tuned. In the meantime have a look at the little teaser below.

Rye

The ancient town of Rye

This was not my first visit to Rye. It’s one of the places I like going back to as it makes me feel like I have travelled back in time. Rye is located in East Sussex, two miles from the sea.  It’s full of narrow cobbled streets, antique shops, cute cafes and restaurants.

The Mermaid Inn

The Mermaid Inn is not only a truly unique historic building and a favourite place to stay for celebrities but also one of the most haunted hotels in Britain. It’s located on Mermaid Street. The current building dates from 1420 and has 16th-century additions in the Tudor style, but the cellars date back to 1156!

The Mermaid Inn is well known for its hauntings and has been subject to an investigation on the Most Haunted TV series. The hotel is said to be haunted by five different ghosts. The guests that have stayed there have reported seeing the same things in the same rooms.

Famous guests who stayed at the Mermaid Inn include: Charlie Chaplin, Marlon Brando, Sophia Lauren, Johnny Deep, Kate Moss, Dame Judy Dench, Pierce Brosnan, Andy Garcia, Prince Edward and Elizabeth (Queen Mother).

If you want to see more photos from my previous visit to Rye, head over to: THE PRINCE REGENT SHOWMAN’S CARRIAGE, RYE AND BODIAM CASTLE.

The English countryside

Due to the extremely high temperatures, I tried to escape to the countryside as often as I could. I don’t enjoy the hot weather when I’m in the city and I never really understood the excitement of an upcoming heat wave coming from people who would be stuck in the office and travelling by trains with no air conditioning. I think this year for the first time I saw people in London being ecstatic about the rain when it finally made an appearance after several weeks of constant heat.

The English countryside is beautiful and my favourite place is just over an hour away from London so this is where I have been spending most of my weekends.

Norfolk

I went away to Norfolk for the early May Bank Holiday weekend and I had a great time glamping, kayaking and stuffing my face with some delicious local food. I know it was technically still in spring but the weather was so nice that it felt like summer. For me summer really starts in May and lasts until the end of September.

Have a look at MY RURAL ESCAPE for more details of what I was up to in Norfolk.

Godric’s Hollow

Godric’s Hollow is a fictional village in England featured in the books and film series as the birthplace of both Harry Potter and his wizarding headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.

Although Godric’s Hollow is fictional, it was based on a real place – Lavenham in Suffolk. Described by The Guardian as ‘one of the most beautiful small towns in Britain’, it was chosen as the location for scenes in Godric’s Hollow.

Full of half-timbered and colourful medieval cottages, Lavenham is a truly magical place and I felt like I was really walking through Godric’s Hollow. I must say it’s the most beautiful village in the UK that I have visited so far.

See my previous post: GODRIC’S HOLLOW: THE PLACE WHERE MAGIC WAS BORN for more details of my visit to Lavenham.

LONDON EVENTS

Blogging has given me so many amazing opportunities which I would not have even dreamt of before and I am very grateful for every single one of them. As a blogger I get invited to various launch parties and press events which are a great opportunity to discover new brands and products as well as meet new people. This summer has been filled with numerous great events which I have been very lucky to get invited to. Have a look at my favourite three events below.

Iroha Nature UK x Vicky Pattison

I was invited to the Iroha Nature fabulous event to celebrate the brand’s new celebrity ambassador, Vicky Pattison and the launch of their new Divine Collection. I am very impressed with the Hydra Firming FOIL Sheet Mask with 24K Gold. It makes my skin feel more firm and amazingly hydrated.

As a Geordie Shore fan, I was delighted I could meet Vicky who is such a sweet girl! She looked absolutely stunning in this Victoria Beckham black midi dress.

I also had an opportunity to meet the lovely Stacey Solomon.

Kiss x Billie Faiers

I was kindly invited to the launch of the brand’s new celebrity ambassador, Billie Faiers. It was a wonderful evening, complete with manicures, lash-overs, henna tattoos, live music and delicious cocktails. If you are looking for a good quality false lashes or press-on gel nails that last, Kiss is your brand (available at Boots and Superdrug).

I had the opportunity to meet some amazing people like Gillian McKeith and her two lovely daughters, Afton and Skylar. In this photo you can also see my dear friend Saffy, the editor of Style Grimoires.

I was also introduced to the star of the evening, Billie Faiers. You can never go wrong with a polka dot dress!

Christmas in July

It was quite an experience to be surrounded by Christmas trees, the smell of cinnamon and ginger cookies in the middle of July’s heat wave. The event was an opportunity for brands to present their Christmas gift collections to the press and bloggers. It was a very interesting day and provided a solid foundation for the Christmas gift guide that will be appearing on my blog at the beginning of December. It has also inspired me regarding this year’s Christmas gifts for my friends and family.

HAVING FUN WITH FRIENDS

The most beautiful places or the most fabulous events mean very little to me if I can’t share them with people close to me. I am in my thirties and I have noticed that I am being more selective in terms of choosing my friends than I was in my twenties. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes but the important thing is to know who you can really rely on if things are not going well, who respect you and truly cares about you. These are the people I want to spend my time with.

I have been incredibly lucky to spend the summer with my friends and made some wonderful memories.

Saffy and Avais are also bloggers, our amazing friendship began in the queue at London Fashion Week. You can stalk them on Instagram here: @stylegrimoires and @thechroniclesofmrsiava

Visiting the beautiful Aira Force waterfall in the lake District with my BFF Caroline.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed my summer highlights. Have a fantastic rest of the week!

Magda

This post contains affiliate links. This has not affected my editorial decision-making process.

The post SNAPSHOTS OF MY MAGICAL SUMMER appeared first on Glory of the Snow Fashion Blog.