The American dream!

Last week I arrived home from a fun packed two weeks in the United States, where my parents and I travelled to Boston, Cape Cod and New York!  (Wow, I never thought I'd actually be saying I visited the Big Apple XD)

Each of us have wanted to visit Boston and New York for quite a while now so this trip defiantly got us excited. After a busy weekend at my brothers wedding, and having just finished my exams at university we were all very eager to get away on holiday for a rest. Although, as you may know going to any big city on holiday means there's a lot of walking involved, we even walked 12 miles in one day, which was exhausting to say the least in the 27 degree heat. 

I do love a pretty sky picture!

After flying into Boston airport we hired a car and made our way down to Cape Cod, with an overnight stop off in Plymouth so we didn't have to drive too far that night. While in Cape Cod we stayed in Hyannis, where we were able to easily get around the whole of the Cape, and see some lovely scenery on the way. 

Hyannis beach

One thing I noticed nearly straight away in the US is the difference between food culture from the UK. It is clear that generally restaurants and other food businesses within the US are focused upon the taste of food rather than presentation, and the surroundings. Of course when going for a meal the taste of the food is the main driver however, I believe that a combination of amazing flavours, presentation and pleasant surroundings plays a huge role in modern food culture. We are all entitled to our own opinions however, I did not expect to go into a restaurant that had amazing reviews and be served some amazing seafood on polystyrene plates and plastic knives and forks.....and this was a common occurrence. As a major foodie I found this so interesting, and I was defiantly intrigued to learn more about food culture within the US. 

While we were there we visited some amazing bakeries, that presented some incredible desserts and pastries, which got my creative juices flowing! 

And of course no trip to the US is complete without a visit to the famous IHOP, where I defiantly got my try of an american breakfast!

We followed the coastal route around Cape Cod, visiting a few stunning beaches and lighthouses along the way. We ended our trip in Cape Cod in Provincetown where we had a lovely afternoon browsing the seaside shops and wandering along the pier looking at all the boats. 

Chatham 

Chatham

With any family holiday there's always at least one boat trip along the way! We took a trip to the lovely island Martha's Vineyard, where we took a bus to two of the towns on the island, which were hosts to some amazing houses that looked like they could be stars in a movie. 

Ferry to Martha's Vineyard

We then travelled back up to Boston and spent three days exploring the city, and its sights. Within Boston they have an amazing self guided walking tour called the freedom trail, in which you follow a red bricked path, taking you to all the major sites in the city. We thought this was a great idea, which would work so well in many major cities allowing tourists to easily navigate around the city. 

Unfortunately, we were unable to see a baseball match while we were in the US however, we did manage to go for a tour around Fenway Park, home to the Boston Red Sox. As a group that did not know much about the sport it was extremely interesting to learn about the history of the baseball parks and more about the game. The view across the city of Boston was also amazing from the top of the stadium!

Finally, we took a Greyhound bus from Boston to New York where we stayed in the Lower East Side in a Sanctuary Yoga hotel. Now we are in no way Yoga goers however, the beautiful style of the apartments, and the location defiantly drew us to this hotel and we were not disappointed. With easy access to many subway stations and a short walk into china town and Little Italy there was a great atmosphere in this part of the city. it defiantly felt like an up and coming area. I would really recommend visiting Schiller's Liquor Bar for some amazing food and a great vibe in that area too!

During our stay in New York we visited the Brooklyn Bridge, Ground Zero, Central Park, the Empire State Building, Times Square, the MET museum and the statue of Liberty. 

Ground Zero 

Times Square~ What an amazing place!

A misty Downtown New York from Brooklyn Bridge 

For a massive Cake Boss fan like me no holiday to New York would be complete without a trip over to Hoboken in New Jersey to visit the original bakery. In addition, to the amazing cakes and pastries within the bakery Hoboken offers an absolutely stunning view of the New York skyline, that was truly breathtaking. 

XOXO GOSSIP GIRL ;)

I'm not going to lie, I did feel like I was in an episode of Gossip Girl when sitting on the steps of the famous MET museum! 

Another highlight of the holiday was defiantly visiting Liberty Island, as well as sailing round the Hudson River on our last day, both felt like a dream. 

Statue of Liberty 

I do love a jumping photo!
 View of New York from Brooklyn 

My dad and I with the New York Skyline

Sailing the Hudson River 

We had an amazing holiday and I cannot wait to visit New York again one day to see more of what the Big Apple has to offer! 

I hope you enjoyed my photos :)

A Cinderella Story!

Twelve years ago my eldest brother Tom met his girlfriend Jo, and after a two year engagement they finally got 'hitched' two weekends ago on the 19th June. Now you may be puzzled by the title of this post however, I thought it was only fitting considering the whole day felt like a bit of a fairy tale. It was made even more magical for me as I was able to play a huge part in their special day by not only being one of Jo's bridesmaids but also making their wedding cake! 

Now this sounds like a huge amount of responsibility, and it defiantly was but being able to have the chance to challenge my baking skills and try something new was a very exciting concept, in which I am extremely proud of the result. 

I will be posting a recipe of how I made Tom and Jo's wedding cake on my other blog shortly :) 

Having the honour of being a bridesmaid made the day even more special and I have never felt more glamorous than after I had my hair and make up done the morning of the wedding. Although, I don't tend to wear much make up or get dressed up that often having someone pamper you once in a while is a great experience and added to the magical feel of the day.... 

....as well as the matching mint green dressing gowns all three bridesmaids wore.

Being able to be part of the bridal party and see Jo getting ready was an amazing experience, which made me even more excited for her to become my new sister-in-law. Of course with any responsibility comes some nerves, and Kate, Clare and I were defiantly feeling the nerves of walking down the stairs and aisle before Jo during the ceremony. However, these were helped by a little bit of prosecco and the calming influence of the amazing staff and Cooling Castle Barn. Arriving in a mint green car defiantly added another wow factor to the whole day.  

It was amazing to see every detail that Tom and Jo had planned beginning to unveil as we stepped into the venue, from the sparkling fairy lights to the table decorations and picture boards, everything was perfect! 

A quick peak at the guests arriving 

I can't think of anything that would've made the day any more special, and I am so glad that I got to spend the day with so many of my close family and friends, who wish Tom and Jo the greatest happiness in the world. 

I hope you enjoyed reading about their special day!