Self Care In Style | 2018

This year I'm focusing on self care x100.

No more cheating myself of great experiences on my own, this year we're (I'm) going all out.
Nothing's wrong with taking yourself out for a  lunch/dinner date, treating yourself to a much needed spa day or manicure & even just popping out for a change of scenery to read your new book or chill out. You might even get a nice photo for the 'gram while you 're at it!

2018 we're doing self care in style (outside your home) because from now on you're going to be your own best friend, word to Beyoncé.

E A T

É L A N C A F E | BROMPTON ROAD, KNIGHTSBRIDGE

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taken via @elan_cafe Instagram

C L E R K E N W E L L G R I N D | Old Street, London

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taken via Grind website

I love coming across cute cafes/restaurants with great aesthetics. That might just be because I'm always looking for a great photo spot but also why should we eat in dull places anymore. I've vowed to take myself on more lunch dates to cute /fancy places because I can. These are two of my favourites that I came across on Instagram.

Elan Café is based in Brompton Road & Park Lane, think pink rose walls & then some more pink with a very girly yet classy vibe. This is by far the cutest café I've ever seen and I can't wait to see it in person. Honestly have you seen anything more picturesque, I'll probably end up filling my camera roll whilst there! Cakes is something they are not short of, believe me! If you're looking for breakfast/cake & coffee head to Brompton Road, whereas Park Lane seems to be better for hot food and lunch with a cake to sum it up, if you must!

Clerkenwell Grind. This place pops up on my feed 24/7. This group of coffee shops/restaurants are placed all around London so you've probably come across or passed one of their locations at some point. This particular one however is the one I want to visit. The décor gives me strong 50s vibes, somewhere Sandy & The Pink Ladies would of spent their time in the modern day. Velvet seating, the neon light and a mix of marble is what I'm here for! They have a great selection of food on their menu at their restaurants and a coffee and cocktail menu perfect for their cafés/bars. This location actually has a bar downstairs to add the cherry on top. They also have an amazing Instagram feed if I do say so myself, here.

B E A U T Y

M BY M O N T C A L M S P A | OLD ST, SHOREDITCH

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taken via MbyMontcalm website

W A H N A I L S S O H O | SOHO, LONDON

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taken via Time Out website

Who does not like to be pampered...I'll wait! Another thing I want to pay attention to whilst self caring is treating not only myself but my body too. I'm talking spa days, manis + pedis (although my feet are ticklish so not too many of those), taking more care of my hair and anything else that makes me feel & look amazing.

Spa Days. Are. A. Must. Honestly until you've actually spent a few hours just carelessly lying on a lounger by the pool, popping into the Jacuzzi, having a massage/facial you won't know what you've been missing out on. M By Montcalm is the only spa I've ever been to but obviously there are 100s in the world you can choose from. Last year I came across a great deal on Wowcher (don't sleep on it) it came with a facial & access to the spa facilities incl. sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, pool and some light refreshments too. I highly recommend checking sites like Wowcher, Groupon, Treatwell if you want to go on a spa day. Let me tell you this, you'll feel so refreshed after you'll make it a part of your lifestyle.

Wah Nails SOHO. Girls. Now I know everybody has their favourite nail shop but this one here is something different. I've been following WAH for some time now and they have grown so much as a brand/company. Owned by the lovely Sharmadean Reid, this salon isn't just about beauty it's like the GIRL POWER hub of all things beauty. From nails to brows to hair this place has it all for you. They even are the first ever to have a virtual reality nail app. I attended a talk there last year and it really touched me how much they care about empowering women and being inclusive of everyone. I feel like if anything this is such a nice place to go and meet some cool girls or take your best girl mate and just hang out over getting your nails done. Check their 'gram out for inspo here

FEEL FIT + HAVE FUN

P S Y C L E L O N D O N | SHOREDITCH

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taken from Psycle London

A T Y O U R B E A T | LEICESTER SQUARE + OTHERS

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taken from AYB Instagram

So the summer body didn't make the cut for the last 5 or more years but that's fine, pending has no time limit. This year I made a pact with myself to finally treat my body well and help it keep in shape because Lord knows eating badly will not. I was, still am, one of those people who hate the idea of gyms. I'm sure there are many people paying extortionate prices and they turn up once a month. So I decided to look into ways to work out in a more fun way preferably with music involved and it actually exists!

Spinning. Did anyone else see that video that went viral of the spin instructor who was dancing around the studio and the class was practically doing dance moves on their bikes to great music. After that I knew I had to join a spin class but one that provided me with good music along the way. Well these things do exist and they are called BoomCycle & Psycle London. The photo above is from Psycle Shoreditch, I love that place so much but I suffered a hip injury last year which meant I had to give it up otherwise I'd stil be there spinning my life away! Expect a bit of Solange, Kendrick Lamar, house music, rnb & more. Every instructor has their own playlist style. Boom Cycle is perfect if you are a lover of themed rides, I went to a Old School Garage music themed ride and had such an amazing time it felt like I was in a rave! You actually sweat so much & I lost quite a bit of weight from it too! Highly recommend it as a fitness class to everyone that asks me honestly you can't go wrong and if anything it's worth the vibe.

Dance Fitness? Yeah that's a thing. I thought you either did one or the other but apparently not. AYB are the game changers when it comes to dance & fitness, as well as their weekly class timetable filled with dance classes from BashmentBeat to StrutBeat for all levels they also do fitness focused classes which mix dance moves in to make it more fun. I was lucky enough to go to one of their first classes (BarreBeat) at their new pop up at White Space, literally a stone throw from Leicester Square station, which was a Barre class (moves inspired by Ballet using a bar) with some dance moves to hip hop/rnb/pop music thrown in and added ankle weights to increase the resistance. I had such a good time I think I'll be adding a class to my week here and there. Other classes include BoxBeat, JazzBeat & they also have a FitBeat class which is a full on dance HIIT workout. Check out their full timetable here

Self Care is so important & I think a lot of people don't realise that. It's not all about spending money of course. You have to love and treat yourself like THE BEST always. Most importantly take some time out for yourself, drink + eat well & get good rest...that's only the beginning.

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Nourishing yourself in a way that helps you blossom in the direction you want to go is attainable, and you are worth the effort ― Deborah Day

Adulting: Life Is What We Make It

There will come two stages in life that you will cherish: leaving behind people/energy/environments that bring you down +

appreciating the good people/things/opportunities you receive.

I'm currently going through a stage of clearance. Clearance of people, things & situations that no longer benefit me in any way shape or form. That's where my head is at right now.

Last time I wrote an adulting post it was about 'The Real World' but that ship has sailed and now I'm living the true reality of being an adult & focusing on clearing out the old that weighs me down & holds me back from being the greater version of me or just from having space.

Like how I don't really need 7 bomber jackets, a load of trainers & a library supply of books that I never use when there are people who could use/benefit from them more than me and I could sell some & spend that money on better experiences in life. Or how I don't have to be around people that make me feel worst than I feel better and create more downs in my life than ups. Or just simply how I don't have to do anything my heart doesn't desire to do.

I've had to do some self reflection in the last year on who I am & what I want from this life. To be happy is the answer. It's funny because when that becomes your spectrum/goal you start to realise how many things/people don't fit within that vision. What doesn't make me happy is getting up for a job I no longer like, to see people that don't uplift my spirit & waste 5 days of my life a week that I'll never get back...on repeat. Time can't be refunded it simply comes with no receipt to get it back when you don't use it wisely.  

So I've started having a huge clearout of clothes, which you will find on my Depop page : tiaao19 or my eBay page: taliyah19 and the rest will go to the clothing bank for someone who needs it more, I have way too much for one person and my style is forever changing so it's time to let go! I have also taken a huge step towards my happiness & future by deciding to actually leave my current job and not keep saying I will. I've never felt so strongly about something in my life but I have so much faith that God has my back & I will get more opportunities from doing this. Lastly people come & go and that is fine because negative energy is not what I need, I have the most amazing selection of good friends that I can actually fit on one hand as cliché as that sounds but it's true. I'm also going to keep up the travelling, when this goes live I will have just come back from a week in an amazing 5 star resort in Turkey which was the break I really needed and next month I will go to Amsterdam making that my 4th trip of the year!

I can only hope that things will look up for me , my positive mindset will be restored & that God and the Universe sends me great things in return! New opportunities, new great people & new experiences. After all, life is what we make it so it's worth making sure it's a good one!

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Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. - Martin Luther King Jr

Marrakech, Morocco | Travel Photo Diary

Three whole months later. The Morocco post. Before I went away I was on a consistent roll with my blog, a post a month. Then I went away and massive thanks to BA & their technology issues I had to stay longer which added stress & after that just never found time, or should I say motivation, to finish this post. So here it is. My first proper holiday in 10+ years as opposed to Paris which was just a city break. My first time in Africa & Morocco. This trip was a real experience, to say the least.

Staying at Riad Sofia, a short walk from the Koutoubia Mosque & Jemaa El-Fnaa, we had the loveliest host called Ibrahim who was very welcoming to any needs we had, including helping us order takeaway food late in the evening & hanging out with us for a chat whilst we waited. Riads have a much more traditional feel to them, like a Moroccan house with an inner courtyard, so we opted to stay in one for the full experience. Our first day was spent settling in, after arrival we had a long nap & then went to the square to get something to eat. It was such a beautiful scene with all the lights and market/square still vibrant after dark.

Have you really been to Marrakech if you haven't visited El Jardin Marjorelle. Words can not describe the beauty of this garden in person. Photos I'd seen online did no justice to what this place really looks like. From the boldness of the Marjorelle blue to the greenery of all the different plants & cacti. This is where Yves Saint Laurent's memorial is & what a place to be remembered in. I have to say Marrakech has such beautiful sights, some of the roads & architecture there is so beautiful. After spending a fair amount of time in here taking in the sights, getting some photos & embracing the moment, we headed to El Jardin restaurant located in the Souks, they usually have turtles walking around but sadly we didn't see any, for dinner.

Now I have to mention that on the way back from the restaurant we experienced quite an uncomfortable situation with some younger men in the area after losing sense of direction. This trip brought to my attention that some men were not very respectful of women from outside their country and could be very intimidating as well as consistent in harassing you even though we declined any need for help. After being followed & harassed by one, the decision made between me & my friend to follow a group of Asian women & knock on their Riad for help found us a lovely man, the Riad owner, who walked us all the way back to the square, giving us advice on how to read people & stay safe when out.

God bless him!

                                                                                                                                                                                

The next day we had planned to go on the excursion I had most highly anticipated, quad biking & camel riding. Now I had done both things before but not in this way. On my year 6 trip we rode quad bikes round a tiny track & ever since I've wanted a quad bike & to go on one again. That experience was amazing, driving though Palm Grove with the wind attacking me but I would 100% do it again. We stopped off at a Berber village for Moroccan mint tea, or whisky as they call it, and a light snack then set off back to the Quad drop off point. Tip for anyone doing this excursion. Future - Mask off is perfect for this however white converse are not. After this our transfer dropped us to the camel place where we rode around on camels, this is so painful for your inner thighs but the last time I went on a camel it was in the chairs at the side so I wanted to experience this at least once.

Our last couple days were very relaxed and spent going back to the square to do some souvenir shopping, I bought several bracelets, argan oil and a lovely royal blue top with amazing detailing that had cream pants to match. The square had been such a new experience, seeing all the interesting things people were selling, the music and busy crowds & having them shout out any female celebrity they could think of to get your attention. I opted for an all white outfit this day, that didn't last long, by the time we got back to the Riad it was stained with watermelon juice.

Well done Tia!

Lowe & behold the trip came to an end, or so we thought. BA system crashes & a cancelled flight later we end up spending an extra two days in a luxury hotel not far from the airport, Kenzi Menara Palace Hotel. The staff here were very accommodating to us & we got to enjoy lunch & dinner here. It's funny because we actually got to experience the traditional & the luxury side of Morocco in one trip, partially paid for by BA however having to fork out for another flight home, which may I add me & my friend had to get on two separate flights, was not part of the plan and believe me those last two days were stressful.

I can only say that this trip was one hell of an experience in itself, some good moments some bad. The sights of Marrakech are definitely worth seeing, there is so much beauty in this city. However I'd say that if you are a woman I'd say to be wary of your surroundings at night, don't be naïve to random men inviting you places & also to be aware of how you are dressing. The best thing about life is learning & I have to say this trip taught me a lot.
I don't know why this took me so long to post.

But here it is, 7 days in Marrakech, 3 months later!

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"People don't take trips - trips take people"
- John Steinbeck