Life's a beach.

Mersea Island Beach Huts.

Whether you consider it the seaside or not ("it's a river!" "It sits on the estuary!"), I still count anywhere that's sandy and has beach huts as a trip to the beach. Obviously not your slightly warmer whip out a bikini and take some cliché snaps for the gram beach, but a take some mysteriously windswep photos by the pastel coloured Mersea Island beach huts beach instead. And I'm totally OK with that.

After seeing 500 (probs not an exaggeration either) photos of the Mersea Island beach huts on Louise's instagram, I suggested a day trip to the sorta-island, sorta-not with my mum, with the promise of a LOT of seafood. It was definitely one of those "why have we never been before?" trips, with good vibes as soon as we got over the causeway and parked up. We initially had a wander around the high street to look around the gift shops (fave) and buy some bread (also fave), before heading to the edge of the island for some food. We didn't manage to get a table at the Company Shed which we'd only heard good things about, however we were more than happy to end up at the West Mersea Oyster Bar. Obviously not the best place to go if you're not keen on seafood, but as someone who bloody loves the stuff we shared one of their platters so we could try a little bit of everything, and it comes highly recommended.

We quickly managed to take some outfit photos before the wind made me shout "abort", but I hope you enjoy these snaps and have a chuckle at my windswept expense.

What I'm Wearing.

Lacoste striped top. Missy Empire raw hem jeans (trust me, do not size up in these, hence the belt!). Cath Kidston red polka dot bag. Adidas superstars. Charity shop belt.

What's on the Gram.

Because who doesn't like to be beside the seaside? 🌊 #essex #merseaisland #sea #seaside #weekend

A post shared by Rebecca 😈 (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 25, 2017 at 11:05am PDT

Spent yesterday at one of my favourite places. Wishing I was back there today 💕🌊✨

A post shared by Louise ✨ (@louiseeeeeeeee) on Jan 3, 2017 at 8:27am PST

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Thigh high boots for autumn?

How to wear thigh high boots in autumn

Or rather, how I wear them.

It's definitely not groundbreaking to break the boots out when the temperatures drop, particularly when you've spent the last couple of years writing blog posts on how to wear thigh high boots every single way for work. However they're not generally a style I personally reach for that frequently, mainly down to my habit of picking up black ankle boots without ever thinking. However, working at Public Desire for over a year meant that when the babes at Tessuti sent over this beaut Ralph Lauren knit I knew exactly how to add a slightly more british spin on things. So I started with the boots.

I know that Stuart Weitzman and the posse of people wearing his boots are all out americana (yes, I'm talking about Gigi), but there's something a little more toned down about wearing thigh high boots with knitwear and chunky layers that I can get on board with. Teaming these faux suede grey boots with a vintage suede skirt in black may be a bit too matchy matchy for some, but I'm a fan of how the simple silhouettes work with the soft fabric. Add a classic leather biker jacket into the mix, and I'm totally on board. Basically, I'm all about a throw-on-without-thinking outfit, and this ticks every box - and it's not even jeans and a nice top, hurrah!

And I'm not even going to bother apologising for not blogging recently, as it's starting to become a very regular postscript on the bottom of every post. I'm still trying to work out where blogging fits in with my everyday life, which has changed a lot in the last year or so. There's still a place for it, but it's nowhere near a priority currently and I'm certainly not going to let it stress me out when I've got a lot happening for me offline. I hope you enjoy the intermittent blog posts regardless, and do let me know if you've got any ideas for working blogging into your everyday as I'm definitely all ears.

What I'm wearing

Ralph Lauren jumper: c/o Tessuti. Vintage suede skirt: £8, charity shop. The Kooples leather jacket. Schuh thigh high boots (similar).

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Sunshine in Ses Salines.

Ses Salines, Mallorca

Last minute sun? Oh, go on then. As I was owed some hours in lieu from work, Laura, Clare, Kate and I's plans to take a little trip somewhere (v) hot came to quick fruition and we were boarding a plane to Mallorca in Spain quicker than you could pour a glass of prosecco.

We'd been weighing up the pros and cons of going either all inclusive or opting for something a little more DIY. In the end, we went for our own villa (on airbnb, obvs) in a small town on the south of the island. Ses Salines in Mallorca is known for its salt marshes, so instead of hoards of crowds everywhere we stepped, things were a little more chilled: i.e. exactly what this chick was after. If you're after party ville then I'd suggest you avoid it, but it's a lovely town with a few decent restaurants (more on that below!) and about 10-15 minutes drive to Es Trenc.

Where to eat

Cassai gran café - Let's just say Shoreditch might have hit Ses Salines a little bit. All pastel green, succulents, exposed brick and copper accents, Cassai is a pretty place to while away the evening, serving up instagram fodder that'll fit your feed, no problem. The paellas are massive and very well received, however I opted for the cod loin with potato turbet (apparently a kind of ratatouille, but I thought it was just potato cooked in a tomato sauce with aubergines) which was perfect, without being too heavy.

Mon de Vins - Did someone say tapas? Everyone loves trying as much food as possible, so we treated ourselves to tapas on our final night at Mon de Vins. From the front it looks like a (very nice) wine shop, however step through and out the back and you'll find yourself in a private garden with tables made from old wine barrels, obvs. The beautiful location was matched with just as beautiful food, and I would very much like the pan amb oli shipped over as soon as this can be arranged. Also, wine was €4.50 a glass, which was great.

Where to shop

Cassai - Not content with just being a restaurant, oh no, Cassai have their own homewear and fashion shop across the road. Not great when you're just working with hand luggage (cactus print wallpaper, miss u xoxo), however the perfect place to browse a little, and nab some interiors inspo.

There was also a little gift shop next to the pharmacy who's name I can't remember, helpful I know, but if you're looking for gifts it's a great place to look as I picked up some tiles that I know my mum's gonna love.

What I Wore

H+M cami top, £9.99 (similar here and here). H+M denim shorts: £12 (sale, similar here). Topshop lace up sandals: £10 (sale). Charity shop basket bag: £4. Accessorize tortoiseshell sunglasses: £12.

Photos by Laura.

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Old Wellington.

Cherry Blossom in Manchester.

If there's one thing that the North does well, it's a roast. So when Clare got in touch to mention that the folks at Nicholson's were asking her to review the Old Wellington, Laura, Kate and I were on it before you could say roast potato. 

I've been past the Old Wellington countless times as it was on my walk to work on my old commute (more on that later), but had never stopped off to try it out. Let's be honest here, the beer gardens outside have a bit of a rep, particularly on match day, but once you step inside it's a beautiful old british pub and the food menu matches your expectations. It may have been the hottest day of the year so far, but that didn't stop me going for the yorkshires. Despite it not being wholly weather appropriate, it was still bloody fantastic and I'd be more than happy to head back when the temperatures drop back down again.

Located right next to the Cathedral, we took the opportunity to be as cliché as possible and take a few photos before the cherry blossom ended up completely on the floor. Who could resist, eh?

As you know, cherry blossom season is pretty much behind us, giving way to wisteria hysteria (because, you know, why shouldn't it have its own hashtag?). There's no point even apologising for the infrequent posting any more as apparently this is becoming more of a monthly thing, rather than weekly. I started a new job just after my last blog post, and things have stepped up a bit. The hours are longer and there's more out of hours work. That combined with my hospital treatment means that this hobby's taking much more of a backseat so I can concentrate on my career and making sure that I'm having a little screen-free time too. But after a lovely weekend, I thought it was about time to settle down with a cuppa and Miss Congeniality 2, and finally get round to editing the photos from a few weeks back. After all, better late than never.

What I Wore.

Vintage Levi's jacket: gift, but similar. Brandy Melville tee: £17. Vintage suede skirt: £7, Oxfam. Public Desire shoes: sold out :( M&S bag.

What's On Insta.

Sunny Sunday roasts 🐽 Head to @nicholsonspubs' insta stories to see @iliketweet's takeover too! #manchester #eatmcr #manchestergram #sundayroast

A post shared by Rebecca 😈 (@rebeccacohen_) on Apr 9, 2017 at 12:52pm PDT

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Isn't it boring when I talk about my dreams.

Primark coat: £30 (old). Topshop french bulldog top: £18. Vintage suede skirt: £8. Vintage bag: 50p. Topshop frill socks: gift. Chelsea boots: c/o Ted and Muffy.

After a weekend spent on a lot of forms of transport, my head's been all over the place; until I've had my flat white from Pret on the way into work, at least. Call it Network Rail Jetlag (or something), but I've spent this week looking a little bit like the crazy tongue out emoji, but we've made it to the weekend - hurrah! So, while I recover and try to act more like I've got an ounce of sanity in there, I thought I'd take a tip out of the last shadow puppets' lyrics and talk about some of the dreams I've had, most of which have little logic to their name.

When I was little, I used to dream a lot about being in mazes. Not necessarily a nightmare scenario (although those happened too), but there were a lot of twists and turns, which I like to thank for my now second-to-none sense of direction.

When in sixth form, I used to be surrounded by people all shouting my name, vying for attention. Thinking back, that seemed to happen when I woke up too. Bloody whatsapp.

More recently I've found it more and more difficult to remember what's going on in that noggin pre-7am. If it were to be reflecting real life it'd probably be a series of colour-coordinated calendars and google docs, but from the strange snippets my brain's decided to cling on to there are locations a lot like Munich's Hofgarten and a lot of walking. Give us a shout, if you fancy decoding that.

And there was that one time I dreamt about being friends with Miles Kane and Alex Turner, but then I read a few more Shortlist interviews in real life and realised that probably wouldn't work out okay.

brb, sleeping for a full eight hours.

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Cressing Temple Barns.

J.Crew jumper: £3.50, charity shop. Jack Wills blouse: £4.50, charity shop. Oasis jeans: £27. Oasis chelsea boots: £41 (similar). Savannah Miller for Debenhams fedora. M&S bag: £43.

Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans, said a dreamer that one time, and you're never really going to have much of a life if all you do is stick to small-town familiarity and keep on keeping on. In an effort to make the most of being near to most of my friends, I spent a lot of January working on making sure I managed to see everyone, meaning the impending Move Date creeped up on me. Among all the good stuff (read: pizza), I had the arduous task of heading to the doctor's in Braintree. Obviously no one enjoys a trip to the hospital (or if you do, enjoy getting that checked out), so I tend to bribe myself with a post-appointment trip to Freeport and buy everything in Hobbs. Unfortunately their tills weren't having any of it on this particular day, so without the adrenaline rush of bankruptcy we decided to get our thrills elsewhere and head to Cressing Temple for the first time.

In that awkward "oh god, country lanes" style of avoiding things, we'd never made the journey East of Braintree. Turns out, it's not as bad as we feared, and made it to Cressing (home to Jamie Oliver's dad, apparently #namedrop) in less than 10 minutes. And boy, weren't we glad we made it. I didn't expect much, but Cressing Temple Barns are beautiful. Two absolutely massive barns built in the 13th century seemingly plonked in the Essex countryside, and a walled garden to die for - who would've thought this was just a half hour drive from where we lived? Of course, a diversion isn't a day out without a trip to a Tiptree tea room, so we headed to The Barns for a couple of slices of toasted heaven.

It just goes without saying: take a little trip to somewhere new, 'cause you might just find a new favourite.

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