If you're just joining then thank you so much for visiting my blog! It will probably make more sense to read part 1 of this series first which you can do so by clicking here.
The second half of 2018 was equally as busy for me. I attended lots of blog events and had the opportunity to travel more.
I hope you enjoy!
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Probably one of my favourite months of the year was July as I finallllly visited Vietnam. This is somewhere I had wanted to visit for years but, at the time, none of my friends were at the stage where they would want to go. Either they'd already been, were enjoying their careers and couldn't take enough time to enjoy it or that kind of trip just wasn't for them. Plus, I didn't have a guy in my life to travel with (no surprise there). So, I took the plunge and decided to go alone!
I did a 2 week tour with G Adventures that took me from Hanoi all the way to Ho Chi Minh, stopping at Sa Pa, Ha Long Bay, Hue, Hoi An as well as Mekong Delta on the way!
This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life and one I will treasure forever. The food, the culture, the people. Everything was spot on. I couldn't have asked for a better trip and it introduced me to someone who I know is going to be a life-long friend.
I am going to write a few posts about Vietnam specifically (just one is no where near enough) as I have so much to say about this trip. Keep your eyes peeled!
August is always one of my favourite months as it is my birthday month - Leo season! I got back from Vietnam in the evening of 31 July so I spent the first day of August completely relaxing. Although my trip was amazing, it was jam packed and I was busy every single day from early morning til late at night so the chilled day was just what I needed. I was surprised my jet lag wasn't bad though - my sleeping pattern was great straight away!
I had a nice chilled week after getting back from Vietnam, spending time catching up with family and friends and then it was time to jet off again! This time for a relaxing week away with the girls to Portugal. We had an amazing villa just a 5 minute drive from the centre of Albufeira with a lovely pool and sunbathing area. It was so nice to just relax, especially after the hectic nature of my Vietnam trip. We had a couple of nights out in the New Town - a strip filled with bars and clubs - where I definitely was worse for wear. However, we also enjoyed lovely meals and a BBQ at the apartment.
This trip, as usual for me, was very eventful. I was thrown off a kayak into the rocks and cut open all my hands and my left leg really badly. The tour company were no where to be seen and my friend had to shout for help as the waves were so bad I couldn't get myself off the rocks! So I spent my first evening back at A&E and ended up in antibiotics with a very swollen, infected leg. Fabulous!
The following day, 20 August, I set off for the Titanic Spa Hotel in Liverpool with my Mum. We had booked this as a relaxing evening for my birthday. Sadly, the doctor said I was unable to go in the pool due to the risk of my leg getting a worse infection which was a massive shame but luckily I had an hour massage booked in which was just what I needed. A full body hot stone massage and a chilled evening was the perfect cure.
The next day was my birthday so we spent the day in Liverpool celebrating. We had an amazing afternoon tea at JAM Manchester (click here to read more) followed by mocktails (happy birthday me) at The Florist; a cocktail bar I'd wanted to visit for as long as I can remember. The evening of my birthday was spent with my amazing family and close friends where we enjoyed food and drinks (soft drinks for me, again) in the garden. Apart from being unwell and feeling a little ropey from the antibiotics, this was the perfect day.
I had all my extensions out for my trip to Vietnam so having them put back in the day before my birthday celebrations at Neighbourhood was a great day. I'd say this is the happiest I've ever been before with my extensions- the quality, length and colour match were all perfect and the stylist was unreal. Chloe Wilkes Hairdressing (located at Pout Patrol) always does the best job.
The celebrations continued two days later with some of my close friends at Neighbourhood Manchester where we enjoyed the 'Not Going Home' deal of three small plates and unlimited alcohol for 2 hours (click here to read more). It was so much fun to catch up with my favourites and I was treated like a queen, by my friends and Neighbourhood! A few of us then headed to Club Liv where we continued the celebrations and my faves from Organised Chaos had organised a birthday cake and tiara for me - princess treatment!
We started in Rome and spent 3 days here. I wish we had spent longer as it just wasn't enough time. The majority of the first day was taken up visiting The Vatican which was amazing and I would definitely recommend visiting here, even if you're not religious. The art work and decor inside is out of this world and like nothing I've ever seen before; the detail was so intricate. We also saw the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, wandered through the Villa Borghese Gardens and ate a lot of food! Sadly we only managed to see the outside of the Colosseum but I would definitely take the time to see upon my return.
We then took the train to Florence and spent two days here. We spent the time admiring the views on the top of the Duomo and St Michael Angelo Piazza terrace. Florence was a dream and, although there isn't as much to do as in Rome, I would say that Florence was by far my favourite city out of the two.
It was time to celebrate when I got home for Viper's 1st birthday. I can't believe how fast this came round - it seems like only yesterday I was attending the launch party! I am so happy to see this business go from strength to strength and I can't wait to see what it brings in 2019! To read more, click here. In terms of events, I also attended the launch of beauty brand Soigné. To read more about this event, click here.
Later in the month it was time to see one of my favourite artists, Tory Lanez, in concert at Victoria Warehouse. This was such a fun night and he definitely didn't disappoint.
The final event of the month was a business one; Star Saturday in Birmingham. Held at the National Conference Centre, the day enabled us to try out new products, network with our business partners and hear some of the success stories. It was also a day for recognition and I was recognised up on stage in front of a room of people for hitting Executive which was a massive achievement for me and took a lot of hard work! This day was so inspiring - to see how many people have done so well out of this business and to hear their struggles and successes was amazing.
October for me was a really fun month spent with friends and family. I caught up with one of my friends that I hadn't seen in months at the amazing Albert's Shed in Castlefield, I celebrated my cousin's 18th birthday and took her out for her first legal night out to Neighbourhood and Club Liv and we celebrated again with cocktails and afternoon tea at Sunset Australasia. I also met up with my lovely friend that I met through travelling Vietnam and had the cutest catch up at Grand Pacific. It was also Halloween which I celebrated at History.
October was also exciting as my friends Viper launched their first weekly event at Impossible Bar called 'The Trading Floor'. To read more about this event, click here. In addition, I travelled to Leeds and celebrated some local talent at The Yorkshire Entertainment Awards. This was such a fun night and, the supposed 'quiet' evening, ended up a 6am finish!
November began with an annual event, run by my lovely friend JSky in association MTV Staying Alive. Raising money for this incredible charity, the night was held at Theatre Impossible and saw a number of performances, including a DJ set by the amazing Georgie K and from JSky himself. The afterparty was held upstairs in Bar Impossible with Viper's Trading Floor. This was such a great night. To read more, click here.
I also attended Viper's 'Trading Floor' special, a Cocktail Tasting event. This enabled guests to try out Impossible's brand new cocktail menu and enjoy samples of each throughout the night. To read more about this event, click here.
I took an amazing trip to Geneva to visit one of my best friends and it was just what I needed. We caught up and enjoyed an afternoon in the incredible Bain Bleu spa. Most of our time was spent sipping cocktails in the heated Infinity Pool and Jacuzzi. Geneva was simply stunning and I can't wait to visit in Spring and Summer! To view my photo diary from this trip, click here.
Finally, my Mum and I headed for a weekend in Edinburgh for some well deserved down time. We visited the Christmas markets and, of course, Edinburgh Zoo. This was a lovely trip and, again, was just what I needed at the time. To read more about this trip, click here.
December was a difficult month again for me in my personal life but I found that sitting in, as I did in November, didn't help me and actually made me feel worse. My aim for December was to keep as busy as possible.
I attended several blogger events in December. First up was the Femme Luxe Influencer Christmas Party. Held at ChinaWhite club in Manchester, the night involved a celebration of the success of the last year. All influencers that had worked with Femme Luxe were invited and attended in style, of course wearing amazing Femme Luxe outfits. There was a candy stall, balloons and, not to forget, free flowing prosecco. The night was so much fun and it was nice to connect in person with the girls I'd been speaking to regular over the past year. To read about this event, click here.
Next up was the Fashion Network Influencer Event. Held at The University of Manchester's Student Union, the event featured a sample sale from the likes of Glamorous, Daisy Street Fashion and Native Youth. In attendance was also Black Milk Cereal who provided the most amazing mini milkshakes for us all. The Fashion Network also put on an incredible spread which is hands down the best platter I've ever seen! Again, it was lovely to meet new people and network with other bloggers. To read about this event, click here.
I later attended Black Milk Cereal's cafe in Northern Quarter to provide a write up for them. I enjoyed the most amazing brownie waffle and my friend indulged in sticky toffee pudding! Their desserts are unreal and, if you have a sweet tooth like me, you'll be in food heaven! To read about this, click here.
I also visited Manahatta Deansgate, a New York style eatery that opened just a few months ago. A friend and I enjoyed 2 courses each and some fabulous cocktails. I loved the decor in here and I can't wait to return this year. To read about this, click here.
For part 1, click here.
For part 2, click here.
I also spent some quality time with my family. My Mum and I took a trip to The Savoy cinema in Heaton Moor to watch the new Fantastic Beasts film (this is a must see). I loved this cinema and I love the fact that it has been going since the early 1900s. To read more about The Savoy, click here. We also visited the amazing Lights Show at Dunham Massey which I would highly recommend. To read more about this annual event, click here.
I had a lovely chilled Christmas with family and brought the New Year in with one of my closest friends at Sunset, Australasia.
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Overall, 2018 was a year of opportunity for me. I attended so many blog events throughout the year (I didn't actually realise just how many) and had the chance to network with a variety of people. I travelled and saw so many different places and was finally able to tick visiting Vietnam off my bucket list. I made some amazing new friends that inspire and support me daily. I set up my own business and learnt so much about myself. Finally, recent events helped me to understand the value of time, health and family which are three things I will never take for granted.
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I hope that 2018 was a great year for you and that you've enjoyed reading all about my year!
Here's to a bigger and better 2019!
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