Monday, March 27, 2017

Vegan Heaven - Farm Girl Café //

Dear Readers,

You may or may not know that for Lent I decided to give up all meat and dairy products and go completely vegan. I enjoy a medium-rare steak as much as the next person, but surprisingly I have LOVED every single minute of going vegan and trying out alternative products. The only thing that has been on the more difficult side, is finding places to eat with more than one vegan option. Luckily, there are places sprouting up across the country which offer many vegan choices to their customers.

As I am always on the look out for up-and-coming café's and restaurants in the London area, I follow a lot of foodie Instagram accounts and blogs which are dedicated to showing off what beautiful eateries our city has to offer. After seeing a regular stream of posts on social media about Farm Girl, I thought it had to be the next place to tick off my list.

The face you make when 95% of the menu is Vegan friendly

Farm Girl is extremely popular, so visiting during Lunch time was a bit of a risk. Also it is important to note that you cannot book or make a reservation in advance - it is all done on a first come, first serve basis. Although we had to wait around 20 minutes for a table, the staff were extremely kind and ensured they noted down our names for when another table became available. 

I really wanted to sit outside, but the courtyard area was full so we were situated inside the café. It was bustling with other bloggers who were here for the Instagram-worthy acai bowls and superfood salads. The central tables were catering to hungry working women who ate whilst they replied to important emails on their laptops and chatted business with their colleagues. There were mothers sipping on ginger tea whilst their newborn infant lay in their arms and there were tourists looking around in awe at all the colour from the interior and the fresh fruit and vegetables which lay on display.

Hanging baskets and flowers adorned the walls of the courtyard

The table myself and Hannah sat on was cosy. It was quite near to the other tables, so we ended up chatting to a couple on one side of us and two American students, who were on vacation here, on the other side. Farm Girl is the type of place that entices you to speak to the people around you and discuss how pretty your Rose Latte looks. It seemed that all the customers sat there were cheerful about something. The atmosphere was really buzzing. The staff members that worked there were also very accommodating and helpful - Rose and Arno especially!



A Matcha Latte being made alongside a coffee which features French Bulldog coffee art

Hannah enjoying Farm Girl

The Hot Drinks Menu

The Entrance & The Cake Counter


Fruit and Vegetables on offer at Farm Girl



I opted for the Coconut Bacon BLT, which tasted exactly like bacon

Acai Bowl Heaven - I also ordered a Granola Acai bowl which was amazing

Hannah getting stuck into her sandwich

Avocado Toast - We decided to share an Avo-Toast because we just couldn't make up our minds when it came to ordering

The famous Rose Latte which has put this place on the map - I swapped regular milk for coconut milk and it tasted great



Check Please!

A post shared by Farm Girl Cafe (@farmgirlcafe) on



Good Welcome10 / 10

Speed of Service - 6 / 10

Drinks 9 / 10

Quality of Food 9 / 10

Value for Money - 8 / 10

Ambience - 10 / 10

Overall Experience 9 / 10

Would I return? - Yes!!!!!  


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Opening Hours:

Monday to Friday - 8:30am - 16:30pm
Saturday - 9am - 17:00pm
Sunday - 9am - 16:00pm


59a Portobello Rd
London W11 3DB



Stay Sweet,

Alice xx
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Saturday, March 25, 2017

The Slogan Tee - Spring OOTD //

Dear Readers,

It truly feels like British Spring time is imminent. The sunshine has pushed its way through the clouds and its warm rays finally began to brighten up the streets of Notting Hill yesterday.

The roads were bustling with shoppers, afternoon strollers and busy mothers fetching their children from nearby schools. For myself, it was a day off to explore London with my good friend Hannah.

Shooting this look was so much fun, as it got a lot of people who were passing by chatting to us whilst we took these pictures. I particularly love it when strangers take a minute of their day to stop and have a chat about what it is I'm doing. One lovely guy even offered us some photography tips...something I am always open to.

My favourite item was definitely the Missy Empire T-Shirt because it really raised some eyebrows and got people interacting with me.

 Scroll down for details
 
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OUTFIT OF THE DAY 
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Zara - Flared Trousers - £39.99
Primark - Snakeskin Loafers - £12
Primark - Diamante Earrings - £3
ASOS - Beret - £10

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Stay Sweet,

Alice xx 
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Monday, March 20, 2017

How To: 10 Easy Tips for Starting a Blog //

Dear Readers,

I always get asked what things are important to consider when starting a blog. So I have compiled a list of 10 easy tips which I hope will give you an insight into creating your website.

Photo by: Mood Board/REX/Shutterstock

Find a talking point - Your voice has to resonate with your audience. Address them in the same way during every post and this will develop your tone. If in time you realise it no longer fits your voice, develop your style further. I always start my posts with 'Dear Readers' and end with 'Stay Sweet, Alice xx'


Find your space - it doesn't have to be Blogger. Have a look at a range of host sites and find something that works well for you. Why not check out  Wordpress, Wix, Squarespace etc.


Create your name - You'll be stuck with it so make it a good one. I would suggest you really brainstorm with this one. Write it out on a piece of paper and stick it up on your wall. Chances are you'll hate it by the end of the week. Think of it like designing a tattoo because it really is there to stay.


A good layout makes a difference - I bought a layout on Pipdig and was able to develop my blog further with an overlay. There is coding involved and it does take a couple of hours to fiddle around with, but once it's on there it makes such a difference. Due to Blogger having a static layout, I was left with limited design development, so buying an overlay meant I was able to make my blog more unique.
 
Create a schedule - Work out when you are going to have the time to post and stick to putting up your content consistently.

Offer variety - Always develop your ideas further. Keep an open mind and write about what interests you, as well as what is current.

Keep a notebook with you at all times - You can use this space to dedicate your thoughts and ideas. It makes it easier when you're feeling uninspired and don't know what you want to post. It's important you have original ideas.

Quality of photography is pretty significant  - I'm not saying you need a fancy camera with expensive lenses (although it does really make a difference). But find your angles and get used to working with photo editing software either on your phone or your computer. 

Keep at it - This is a heavily saturated market so there is a lot of competition from bigger bloggers. Don't let that put you off though, because hard work does pay off and as you begin to grow your audience, you will realise how much fun it is to do as a hobby.
 

Share your content and make it accessible - Put your latest content on all your social media platforms and get those follower's and friends clicking your links. You need to make it as easy as possible for your readers.


If you want me to go into further detail about anything I have mentioned in this blog post, then comment below or contact me via Instagram (@alice_bradley2) or Twitter (@alice_bradley2)

Stay Sweet,

Alice xx 
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