(Firstly – sorry about the length! Photos are a mixture of my own and some my sister snapped on her iPhone)
On the 12th of April I turned the big 21! I had one of the best days of my life, spending it with my favourite people doing my favourite things. It was perfect.
My outfit for the day –
My outfit for the day –
Dress – TFNC // Jacket – Jaeger // Sunglasses – Prada // Bag – Oasis // clip on bow – Topshop
My Mum kept most of the day a secret so I was constantly surprised! My Mum, Sister, Grandma and I began the day with a trip to one of my favourite cities; Bath. It is such a beautiful city and I hope to live there one day – its incredibly chic! Our first stop was the Bath Spa Pump Rooms for afternoon tea. Sipping a hot drink surrounded by chandeliers, grand paintings, stunning architecture and ornate décor was a wonderful experience. And as I scooped up a piece of my delicious chocolate cake live classical music was being played on the piano, it created such an elegant atmosphere. It was simply divine and if anyone is in Bath I couldn’t recommend it enough!
We then headed to the Bath museum of Fashion – yes another lovely surprise! I’m so appreciative of how much thought went into my birthday; my mum thought of all the things I love!
The museum was fantastic. It houses clothing dating back 100’s of years and is presented beautifully. There were rows upon rows of vintage 1950’s Dior shoes and clothes designed by Versace, Lanvin and Chanel to name but a few. The museum gives the best examples of fashion through the ages and to see how much fashion has evolved is fascinating. The museum was also exhibiting The “Dress of the Year”, it just so happened to be a dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen’s fall 2011 collection. The winning dress was decided by Hamish Bowels who is Editor-at-Large for US Vogue. The “Ice Queen” dress caused a media frenzy over who would be designing Kate Middleton’s wedding dress, with fingers pointing at Sarah Burton simply because of this masterpiece alone. The dress is made up of individually hand-crafted feathers which are made with silver and white thread and bullion. There are a total of 31 panels on the bottom half of the gown; each covered in hand embroidered eagle motifs.
Half way through the museum there was a dress up room. This proved most fun since I haven’t “dressed up” in years! I think it was a great way to celebrate turning 21 – by reliving one of my favourite childhood past times! There were several corsets and old-fashioned dresses for people to try on. My sister Zoe and I tried on everything we could! The corsets weren’t all that uncomfortable but what was really shocking was the weight of the dress. There was so much fabric and paired with a crinoline I could understand why women were constantly fainting back in those days.
Afterwards we did a bit of shopping in the boutiques in Bath (there’s some really beautiful shabby chic shops) then headed off to meet my Aunt and Grandad at my favourite pub. My main was easily the most delicious meal I have ever had. It was grilled gammon steak topped with Brie and caramelised onion in a cider sauce. YUM.
Having already been given a generous contribution towards a new Camera and having been treated and surprised all day I already felt spoilt and didn’t expect anymore. When we all arrived at my Grandparents house it was clear that there was still more surprises to come as I was shut in the living room and told not to come out. When I was finally led into the dinning room I was greeted with the prettiest of sights. Floral bunting hung from the ceiling, a vase housed a bouquet of beautiful flowers and lots of goodies lied upon the table. Zoe had baked the most superb cupcakes and my Mum had helped her decorate them with edible pearls, glitter, pink roses and hearts. There was also a birthday cake (complete with all 21 candles!), which was covered in glitter and pink roses. Amongst the presents (wrapped up in a pearly pink wrapping paper of course!) was a vintage chest filled with goodies.
Here are the books I received. Anyone who knows me will know that I love my books, my favourites being about fashion and food! My sister gave me “The vintage Tea Party book” by Angel Adoree. It’s my favourite cooking book yet! Filled with darling treats and vintage apparel advice its just charming. I am already planning to have a “Very British” meal with the girls for the Queens Jubilee and it looks like this book will be coming in handy!
“Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery” is now my go-to-book for cakes! It includes just about every cupcake recipe imaginable with charming pictures and baking tips that are so good I’ll pass them onto my own children.
“Fashion A to Z, An illustrated Dictionary” by Alex Newman & Zakee Shariff is quite literally what the titles says; a dictionary of EVERY fashion related word ever spoken. From “amadis” to “zentai suit`’ it really does have everything, so next time I hear of something I’m unsure about, I’ll know exactly where to go. Interestingly my teachers at the London College of Fashion recommended this book yet I never mentioned this to my Mum. She’s THAT good. This is definitely a must have for any fashion student – you wouldn’t do an English degree without an Oxford English Dictionary would you? So what’s the difference (:
I also got “Vintage Style, iconic fashion looks and how to get them” by Sarah Kennedy. I’m already in love with this book! It breaks down the key style elements of some of our most beloved fashion icons and teaches you how to replicate their look to a T. From the flapper style of Louise Brooks to the boho contessa Talitha Getty every style is analysed and made achievable through this delightful book.
Inside the vintage chest were lots of little goodies and keepsakes. My Mum had even written out cute labels and tied one to each present with red string. Its small details like this that really show how much thought went into this wonderful day. Little jars were filled with chocolate truffles, another was filled with nail treats. My favourite present I’ve ever received came in a small pretty chiffon bag. Inside was a beautiful handmade book with ribbon ties and thick cream paper. My mum had written an inspiring quote on each page, along with a very touching message and a photo of all three of us. I was in tears when I opened it, I simply cannot even put into words how much it means to me and how much I treasure it. Its something I can keep forever and each quote will inspire and encourage me throughout the rest of my life. Being away from my Mum is hard, but this book means I’ve always got her love and kindness where ever I am.
Thank you all for the birthday messages I received here and on Tumblr. I’m looking forward to celerbrating my 21st with the girls in London soon! I’ll post photos of my outfit in the next post 🙂
Just found your blog, and it is adorable!! Your birthday looked absolutely wonderful 🙂 Happy belated birthday
xx Katrina
http://sweettreeninglitter.blogspot.com
Your dress was so nice!!Great photos 🙂
And, obvioulsy, happy b-day 😉
literally so so jealous, sounds like such a lovely birthday x
your outfit is adorable and that cake looks yum!
love your blog, definitely going to be a new follower!
from, helen at http://www.thelovecatsinc.com
Your mum is so lovely writing all those notes on the tags! Happy belated birthday xxx
Thank you lovely 🙂 I know! She is such a sweetheart, definitely who I get my creativity from. x
Thank you sweet! I didn't want to eat it – it looked to pretty! And a big welcome to my blog! x
Thanks Shannon 🙂 It was amazing. I feel very lucky that my Mum did all this for me! She's a Darling x
Thank you so much! 🙂 x
Thank you Katrina. I couldn't have asked for anything more – it was perfect!
x