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Pink Lady Apple Harvest in Avignon

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Hello everyone!

I have recently been invited to Avignon to celebrate a very special event – the start of the northern hemisphere’s Pink Lady apple harvest. When I got the invitation I literally couldn’t believe it- I felt like somebody sneaked into my fridge! I always buy Pink Lady apples! It couldn’t be a coincidence! I just found it hard to describe why these are my favourite apples. What makes them this special and better than any other apple types I have eaten before? I have decided to join the trip to find out!

 

We flew from London to Marseille and already on the plane I got very excited. I had a feeling this trip will bring so many incredible experiences and new flavours. I also only visited Paris in France so I was also super happy to explore beautiful region of Provence that has been on my bucket list forever. From Marseille we had a car pick up and got transferred to the hotel in Avignon. Already on the way I could see so many incredible views. Yes, this is exactly how I’ve imagined a gold autumn in France. It was magical. I couldn’t stop starring at all the rolling vineyards and the colourful trees. It only got me more excited for visiting the Pink Lady orchards. I already had a picture of this place in my head.

The morning after we got up early, had breakfast (could we appreciate freshly baked French croissants for a second please?)  and headed to the orchards. The weather forecast was showing us heavy rains so we got all prepared with raincoats and wellies. It was raining a lot while we were driving but when we got there- surprise. The sky beautifully cleared out and we suddenly felt the sun rays on our faces. We stopped for a second to admire the most idyllic view – the trees covered in pink apples gently moving with the wind.   “Ohh wow” – I thought. It was even prettier than I ever imaged. Ohh forgotten to mention the smell in the air…it was beautiful!

We’ve started with a little tour around the orchards where we found out more about Pink Lady apples and its history. So why Pink Lady? Pink Lady apple is the brand name of cultivar of apples called a Cripps Pink. The Pink Lady apple original came about by a man named John Cripps-  the plant-breeder who created the first ever Pink Lady apple in Australia. He took the Pink Lady name from his favourite novel, Nicholas Monsarrat’s The Cruel Sea. In this story, the hero savours a cocktail called ‘Pink Lady’. It’s a perfectly fitting name for an apple with such a beautiful blush.

Why are the Pink Lady apples so special? First of all, Pink Lady apples are the first apple to blossom and the last to be hand-picked. This extra time in the sun gives the apples their special pink blush, sweeter crunch and a wonderful fizz. That was the word missing in my dictionary to explain the flavour! The fizz… it makes them so different from any apples I’ve ever tried before! Also it’s all about the location. Pink Lady apples are grown in the world’s finest wine regions from France to Italy and South Africa to Australia.

A Pink Lady apple’s unique flavour and qualities are not an accident. The way the rows of trees are orientated, the positioning of the branches and the amount of greenery on the trees is carefully considered, all to ensure the apples receive as many rays of sun as possible. Also, only the best of best apples are selected, hand-picked and given the Pink Lady seal of approval- the pink heart-shaped sticker you find on every Pink Lady is a symbol of its authenticity and guarantees consistent quality.

Ah, I can feel the taste of them while writing this post for you! But what I must say is- they tasted even better when I hand-picked them from the tree by myself! I managed to fill up the entire bag for the journey home- so satisfying, ha! Every time I have a bite, I have the picture of these magical orchards in my head! Believe me or not, photos do not justify the beauty of this place but we’ve tried our best to show you how incredible it was! Thank you Wendy for snapping these pics of me!

Have you tried the Pink Lady apples yet?

Post in collaboration with Pink Lady Apples

 

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My fashion wishlist for winter

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Hi everyone!

As winter is slowly approaching ( and I am actually very excited even though you know already how much I love all the tropical places) I have started to crave a little winter shopping to get myself ready for the season. There’s top 5 things on my list at the moment that I absolutely must get!

 

1.Teddy coat

Long, warm and cosy. I own one already from Miss Selfridges and I am loving it but I feel like I need another one slightly longer for the colder days. Here’s what I am currently looking at! Can’t decide between getting a brown one or a nude/ cream colour. What would you go for?

 

 

2.  Cosy turtleneck sweater

Probably my most favourite thing to wear in the winter. With a cosy, warm scarf, tights and high-waisted shorts,  jeans and over-the-knee boots. So warm, comfortable, easy to wear really and with the right accessories they can be very elegant too! I am hunting for the cream, nude or grey one. Here’s some of my favs

 

 

3. Wide-brim hat

As you know already- I adore hats ( I even have one in my logo!)  I own so many beautiful summer, straw hats in all kind of shapes and colours- I bring one from every tropical place I go to. However I’ve never had a winter style hat and this is what I am really dreaming of right now! I have been crazy obsessed with the one from Lack of Color but I also found few other options and honestly it’s so hard to choose and I just want them all, ha!

 

 

4. Over the knee boots

As you have probably seen on my Instagram – I love wearing over the knee boots. I own 2 pairs at the moment but every year I go for affordable ones, which normally last maximum a season or two. This year I am considering to invest in a pair of Stuart Weitzman. I am between classic black or the grey ones.

 

 

5.  Cosy scarf

Something I never go out without in the winter. I have recently treated myself to my dream logo mania Pearl Grey scarf from LV  that I have been dreaming of for ages ( you can see it on the image at the top) but I am also thinking of getting one more scarf this season. I am loving Acne Studio ones! I am thinking to get one in either nude, beige or grey colour.

 

 

 

 

 

What have you got on your winter Wishlist?

The Blonde Flamingo

6 years in London

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It’s been 6 years!

6 years since I decided to leave everything behind and move to London. Why am I writting about it? Yesterday I attended Mary Kay event to celebrate the Beauty of Confidence. Part of the event was the coaching session with the International Life Coach Liz Wilde who asked us few questions. One of them really got me emotional. We were ask to write down 3 things we’re the most proud of. For me the top one was the decision to pack my pink suitcase and move to London on my own at the age of 19. Second part of the exercise was to close our eyes and play the movie of this moment. I got so into this session and literally this entire period of the past 6 years came through my head.  My pink suitcase that got broken at the airport, my crying mum who wasn’t ready to let me go, the moment of saying bye to my little brother, my friends, my pink bedroom, my comfort zone. I saw all the struggle- finding the first job, struggle with money, with finding real friends. The first crappy job that I literally don’t want to remember but now I know it all happened for a reason and it was meant to be a part of this journey. I then remembered the most painful break up with my first love, feeling lonely and lost in London. I remembered the ridiculously small room I was renting. I remembered falling in love again. I remembered the moment I decided to quit the job I hated and move forward with my career. I remembered moving the flats every single year and first visit of my family. I had all these flashes of my first blogpost and first 100 of followers on my Instagram. I remembered the first blogger event and first people I’ve met in the industry who inspired me and helped me to believe in myself and spread my wings. I remembered my first written interview and very recent moment ( that now honestly feels so far away as I had too much going on these months!) of leaving my full time Social Media job and moving blogging full-time. All these moments kept flashing in my head, I am not gonna lie I had tears falling like crazy! These were the hardest and most challenging years in my life. But do you know what? If I had to do it all again, I would. 6 years ago when I moved here, I had a vision of what I have today but I never really knew if this dream will come true. But I listened to the voice of my heart and never took anything for granted. I pushed, I worked hard, and I won’t stop. Some people say I am lucky, but I don’t agree. Nothing ever came easy in my life. It was all hard work, dedication and not listening to people who told me to stop or to “be normal”. Maybe you’re not where you’d like to be today, but continue pushing for what you really want in life and don’t stop even when others tell you it makes no sense! We live in such a beautiful world full of opportunities and there’s enough space for everyone out here! All we need is the confidence, vision and the power to fight for our dreams.

During the event I also written down one very important quote. “Love starts with loving yourself”. I couldn’t agree more. This is where you need to start. Thank you Mary Kay for having me at this wonderful event. I will keep reading the notes I’ve taken in the moments of self-doubt.

What are you the most proud of?

The Blonde Flamingo