Plans and Goals for 2018

A VERY Belated Happy New Year Everyone!

I am so excited for this year! I just feel like it’s going to be a good one.
The main reason obviously being because I get married in 2 months – AHHHH! But also I just have a good feeling about it!
I feel like there’s so much going on and when speaking to a few other people it’s the same for them too.

So apart from the big day and then 2 weeks in Disney World for our Honeymoon which I am just as excited about (obvs!)

I’m also going to the Tale as Old as Time afternoon tea in June at the Kensington Hotel, I have had this booked for way over a year so looking forward to this of course!

Something I am definitely going to do this year is go to more shows, both musicals and concerts.
Nottingham has a beautiful theatre and amazing shows so I want to take advantage of this and go as many times as I can. I'd also like to visit other cities theatres and halls to see shows.

We are decorating our living room – complete change!
It hasn’t been done since we moved in what with said wedding getting booked so I can’t wait to get it done – Pinterest addict here!!
We then plan to do the rest of the house through the year, I’m looking forward to seeing how it all looks after the revamp. I'll be posting progress photos over on Instagram so make sure you're following to see the before and afters. (Instagram - maxinefrancis89)

I also have a few goals this year, one being to read 50 books (EEEK!) and the other is to watch all of the TV series I have on my list which I want to see….there is a lot!! Wish me luck!

Blog goals are something I've set this year too, I'll list these below for you to see and if you can help me reach these that'd be so amazing!
These are goals I hope to achieve by the end of the year and yes I know numbers aren't everything but let's face it, to have people follow you knowing they've chosen to look at your content is a good feeling!

Twitter followers – 5,000
Instagram followers – 2,000
Total blog views – 50,000

I'd also love to meet bloggers this year and attend more meet ups and events.

So it’s safe to say I have a pretty big year ahead and I’m so excited!

Do you have any big plans this year? Maybe you’re getting married too?!

Maxine x

A VERY Belated Happy New Year Everyone!

I am so excited for this year! I just feel like it’s going to be a good one.
The main reason obviously being because I get married in 2 months – AHHHH! But also I just have a good feeling about it!
I feel like there’s so much going on and when speaking to a few other people it’s the same for them too.

So apart from the big day and then 2 weeks in Disney World for our Honeymoon which I am just as excited about (obvs!)

I’m also going to the Tale as Old as Time afternoon tea in June at the Kensington Hotel, I have had this booked for way over a year so looking forward to this of course!

Something I am definitely going to do this year is go to more shows, both musicals and concerts.
Nottingham has a beautiful theatre and amazing shows so I want to take advantage of this and go as many times as I can. I'd also like to visit other cities theatres and halls to see shows.

We are decorating our living room – complete change!
It hasn’t been done since we moved in what with said wedding getting booked so I can’t wait to get it done – Pinterest addict here!!
We then plan to do the rest of the house through the year, I’m looking forward to seeing how it all looks after the revamp. I'll be posting progress photos over on Instagram so make sure you're following to see the before and afters. (Instagram - maxinefrancis89)

I also have a few goals this year, one being to read 50 books (EEEK!) and the other is to watch all of the TV series I have on my list which I want to see….there is a lot!! Wish me luck!

Blog goals are something I've set this year too, I'll list these below for you to see and if you can help me reach these that'd be so amazing!
These are goals I hope to achieve by the end of the year and yes I know numbers aren't everything but let's face it, to have people follow you knowing they've chosen to look at your content is a good feeling!

Twitter followers – 5,000
Instagram followers – 2,000
Total blog views – 50,000

I'd also love to meet bloggers this year and attend more meet ups and events.

So it’s safe to say I have a pretty big year ahead and I’m so excited!

Do you have any big plans this year? Maybe you’re getting married too?!

Maxine x


(The amazing diary in my photo is from B&M!)  

Revolucion De Cuba Nottingham - Bottomless Brunch Review

I was recently invited to try out the new Bottomless Brunch at Revolucion De Cuba in Nottingham. I have loved Rev De Cuba since it opened a couple of years ago and literally from when it opened as I happened to be out on a Christmas meal when we came across opening night!
It’s always a great atmosphere, whether you’re going during the day for food and a few cocktails or if you are there during the evening on a night out (out).

The Bottomless Brunch, which I have to say is the best idea ever, is Saturday's and Sunday's until 2pm and is £25 per person and for this you choose one of the meals off of the Brunch menu and you then have unlimited prosecco, Mahou beer is also an option (If you're not a fan of prosecco or cocktails) and various selected cocktails for the two hour slot of the brunch.

I have been to Rev De Cuba Nottingham a few times both during the day and at night, the service is always brilliant. We arrived for our booking and as soon as we were seated the prosecco was being poured…my kind of service!
It was also really nice to meet Ashley the Sales Manager who came over to discuss the brunch and also introduce himself.

After looking at the menu and changing my mind numerous times because everything sounded so good, I finally decided on the Cubano Benedict. Richard (the Fiancé) went for the Full Grilled Breakfast.

The Cubano Benedict was amazing and something I would definitely have again. It was sourdough toast topped with roast pork, a poached egg and hollandaise sauce with crispy patatas on the side - YUM!
The Full Grilled Breakfast, which I had slight food envy when it arrived, consisted of streaky bacon, smoked sausage, tomato, mushroom, fried egg and toast.
All of the choices sounded amazing so we'll definitely be going back.   

As well as the prosecco I also decided to have one of the selected cocktails…why not?!
Mojito’s are included in the brunch and they also have different flavours, Raspberry, Strawberry and Passionfruit.
Now, being a huge fan of Pornstar Martini’s I had to go with the Passionfruit.
I can confirm this was a good choice! It was really refreshing and full of flavour.

So if you are planning a catch up or just somewhere for nice food and drinks with friends or family I would highly recommend the Bottomless Brunch at Revolucion De Cuba Nottingham.

I am not sure if this is something available at all Revolucion De Cuba's so it's definitely worth checking with your closest restaurant.

I'd also like to give a mention to our waitress Betty who was lovely and really looked after us....she also kept the prosecco topped up!

Maxine x 

Leatherface - Film Review

I love horror films, especially the classics such as Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, Friday the 13^th etc. So when I saw they were releasing another Texas Chainsaw Massacre I couldn’t wait!
Although Leatherface isn’t a sequel or a remake, it’s actually a prequel based on him growing up and how he became the serial killer we know him as.

I’m just going to start by saying I thought it was brilliant! I read a few reviews which didn’t rate it as highly but I thought there was just the right amount of gore and suspense required to make a good horror film. The whole cast, which includes Stephen Dorf and Lili Taylor, were great, each character was played really well and kept the suspense going right until the very end.

If you're a fan of the classics I'd definitely recommend.

So a brief description of the film….Four teens escape a mental asylum taking a nurse who they have kidnapped with them. They embark on a murderous road trip with the Sherriff of the town pursuing them along the way. One of the teens in particular is a disturbed youngster and the events that take place during the rampage mould him into the infamous serial killer we know him to be today, Leatherface.

Let me know if you have seen this film and your thoughts.
Also with Halloween just around the corner, which films do you like to watch around this spooky holiday?

Maxine x

(I do not own the image used in this blog post, no copyright intended) 

Wedding Post #2 Saying Yes To The Dress!

Of course we all know your wedding day is about the commitment between you and your soon to be husband/wife but we also know another huge thing about the day is THE DRESS!

The wedding dress is the first thing you think of when planning your big day (I'm not speaking for everyone but it's got to be 99%!)
Those memories you have of being a little girl and pretending to be wearing a wedding dress is finally happening, you probably already know the style, colour, shape you want to go for.
It's one of the biggest, if not the biggest, decision and purchase you'll make. Not just because of the price but it's something you will always remember wearing and be reminded of wearing when you look back at your happy day.

Wedding dress shopping for me was exciting but also quite overwhelming.
I tried on so many styles and if there's one thing I have noticed from shopping for myself and also speaking to others, it's that the style you think you're going to like and will suit you the most isn't what you end up falling in love with!

I wanted to share with you some tips and things to think about when picking your dream dress to help you also have that amazing experience and hopefully not be too overwhelming!

Budget

The main thing you need to consider when you start looking for your dress is the budget.
You need to be realistic and also remember just because it's £10,000 doesn't mean it's the best and most expensive looking!
The dress I chose was the least expensive of the ones I tried on and it actually looks more expensive than some of the ones which were nearly £1,000 more!
(Once the wedding has taken place, I'll post photo's and reveal the price!)
When discussing your budget also take into consideration any alterations which may be required, depending on the alterations these can be anything between £50 - £300 (possibly more) so if you have a budget of say £2000 and the dress you fall in love with is £2100 you may think it's only £100 more but you may require £200 of alterations.
It really is a personal choice and how much you are wanting to spend, as I say just because someone has spent £10,000 doesn't mean it's the best dress!

Style/Shape
Princess? Fishtail? A-Line? Short?
There are so many styles and shapes of dresses. You probably already know which style you are wanting to go for whether it be the big Princess ballgown or a simple fitted A Line dress.
If I had any tips I would suggest you also try other styles, even the ones you thought you wouldn't like or you thought wouldn't suit you. You might be surprised and end up falling in love with one you wouldn't in a million years think you would!
Make the most of your appointment and remember you're the bride to be and also the customer so any dress you see try it, see what it's like and if you don't like it you just move on to the next one.

Colour
Now you are probably thinking 'Why are you even talking about the colour? White obviously!'
Yes, most brides will choose either White or Ivory.
However, it's becoming quite popular to go for a different colour. Brides are now steering towards the 'non traditional' aspect (myself included!) and not choosing the white or ivory dresses.
The most popular colour when not choosing white/ivory is blush!
Blush is a lovely subtle romantic colour which is fast becoming a popular choice amongst bride to be's.
When shopping for a dress I also saw red, ice blue, peach, gold and quite a few others.
So if you are wanting to choose another colour, don't worry there are quite a few options out there!
Also if you find a dress you like and it's white/ivory in the shop, ask the bridal consultant whether it does come in any other colour, you will more than likely find they have the white/ivory in for trying on but it does come in different colours.

EntourageIf you are currently planning your big day you more than likely have seen the popular TV show 'Say Yes To The Dress' (I love it!) and you see them take about 600 people with them and surprise surprise they don't impress everyone!
Keep your group small when going to try on dresses, only take the people who's opinions matter and not just because Auntie Joyce will be so upset if you don't take her with you.
At the end of the day the final decision is yours but it's always nice to have someone with you who can let you know whether they are blown away or doesn't think it's the right style.
People have different opinions and so if you take too many people you'll never please everyone and therefore you'll never make a decision. Remember -  IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU!!

Finally....

The last things I can think are, don't rush into a decision and don't feel pressured into making a quick decision. 

You are in control, if you aren't sure then you can have time to think. Whether that be popping for a quick coffee to discuss the dresses you've tried or even leaving it a week or two and then returning.
I had been to two different bridal shops in one day and after 3 hours of trying dresses I just felt defeated, I had tried on pretty much every style and shape. I decided to come away and go back the following week, this helped so much! As I realised there were two dresses I really liked and going back to just try those two on again was so much easier than trying and comparing to around 30 others!


If you are currently planning your wedding, Congratulations!
I hope some or all of the above help to make your wedding dress shopping a little less overwhelming.

Let me know in the comments below if your wedding is coming up.

                                                                           Maxine x