Summer Yellow and Leopard Print

Jumpsuit: New Look | Sandals: New Look (similar) | Necklace: Accessorise | Earrings: Oliver Bonas 

 Today I’ve got another charity shop purchase to share with you – this beauty only cost me £3 and I remember trying it on in New Look only a few months before. I bought it in October last year, luckily, I managed to wear it in Florida in November, but since then it’s been stuck in a box with my summer clothes.

Finding bargains in the charity shop is one of my favourite things – it seems like the change of season leads to even better bargains which is an alright compromise if I have new clothes the following year. Yellow is the ultimate summer colour, even my raincoat is yellow to brighten up grey days.

I still think this jumpsuit looks quite dressed up, perfect for a nice meal or even a wedding, but here I’ve tried to dress it down a little with my leopard print sandals. Also from New Look several years ago but I will continue to wear them until the are totally worn out.

See my last outfit post: Summer Leopard Print Midi Skirt

5 Things That Made Me Happy This Week #11

It finally feels like summer, I've got round to removed all my autumn/winter clothes from my wardrobe at long last and things have been going pretty well recently. So today I thought I'd share another 5 things that have made me happy this week (or over the past few weeks as the chase might be).

1. My New Leopard Print Midi Skirt

I love my new skirt so much it's already got a blog post all of it's own but I thought it deserved a mention in this post too. It's one of those pieces that just makes me so happy to wear - I keep thinking about when I can wear it next and how I can style it differently.

2. Sitting in the Garden with my Dogs

My mum and dad were away for the night last weekend and asked me to check in on the dogs a few times. The weather was so nice on Saturday morning that Scott and I took our breakfast down in the morning and eat it outside while throwing the ball for the dogs. I really miss having dogs around when I'm outside are outside in the summer...

3. Eggs from the Egg Box

A farm that is fairly local to us has this egg vending machine that sits in a container at the edge of a field. I've known about it for ages but only recently made time to go and buy some eggs. That are really reasonably priced and the most delicious eggs - buying local is becoming increasingly important and it's great when you get to support a local business. At the moment they are selling their strawberries too which are equally delicious.

4. Lunch at Malmaison

Thanks to a voucher from 'It Is On' we got to try the summer menu at Malmaison a few weekends ago. I wrote a full review but the food was delicious and the atmosphere in the restaurant made it a lovely day out. Always nice to spend quality time with my boyfriends parents doing something different too.

5. Going for a Walk After Work

So I walk home from work everyday so I don't normally go for another walk later on but with the weather being so good thing week Scott and I have been heading out when he gets home. It's lovely to walk round by the beach when the sun is shining before coming home to make tea and eat in the garden. I feel like I go to bed much happier when I've spent my night well.

Have a lovely week everyone and let me know one thing that has made you happy this week in the comments!

Lunch at Chez Mal Brasserie Malmaison Dundee

On Saturday, thanks to a voucher from It Is On, we treat ourselves to lunch at Chez Mal Brassier at Malmaison in Dundee. We've been to their restaurant in Aberdeen and still dream about how good the food was so we were excited to go back. Our voucher included a two course meal for 4 and a glass of prosecco for £58.

You can have a look at the set menu before you go and there are some time restriction but we could still go on a Saturday lunch time and not feel rushed. We added wine and deserts to our meal which we were happy to do because the voucher was already saving us 50%.

To start I had the Spanish charcuterie slate with Serrano ham, Salchichón, chorizo, BBQ baby chorizo, fresh peach & aged Manchego cheese. Not something I'd normally go for but it was beautifully presented and all the meats were delicious. Especially the chorizo which I love anyway and the peach complimented the strong flavors to stop it feeling too heavy. I got to try one of the thai sticky chicken lollipops which were delicious as well.

I was drawn to the poached salmon, new potatoes, watercress, shallot & hollandaise sauce for my main. Salmon is my favourite fish and it was cooked perfectly. Overall it was a fresh, delicious summer dish but it would have been better if the hollandaise was more of a pouring consistency.

Finally, I can never resist dessert. I was torn between the strawberry vacherin sundae and the warm sticky chocolate & hazelnut brownie. Luckily for me my boyfriends mum opted for the brownie so I could have the best of both worlds. The Sunday served with fresh strawberries, coulis, ice cream, Chantilly cream & meringue shards was delicious. However, the brownie with caramelised banana & salted caramel ice cream was a real show stopper. It was a huge portion so everyone had a taste and the chocolate was mouth watering.

If you manage to pick up a voucher like this for Malmasion I couldn't recommend it more. Not only is the restaurant a lovely place to sit for a few hours the food is outstanding too. I'm going to keep my eye out for their autumn menu launching and rush back. There was also a family enjoying afternoon tea and I'm already thinking if I can justify a trip back this weekend...

With two bottles of wine between the four of us and four deserts it wasn't the cheapest meal but so worth it for the experience. Normally the prix fixe menu costs £19.95 for two courses and £24.95 three courses.