Highlights (and lowlights) of 2014

Wow... 2014 has been a busy year. As I haven't had much time to blog during the last few months, I thought I'd round off my posts for 2014 with a 'highlights' post as so many great things have happened this year. It can be difficult to reflect on the positives when you're constantly running around trying to get things done, so this post aims to do just that!


Our wedding
I got married in 2014! After months of stress and planning, we had a beautiful wedding day. Everything went perfectly and according to my very strict plan. Lovely weather, pretty venues, amazing food, good company and fantastic wedding speeches... what more could you possibly want on your wedding day?

Honeymoon
We went to Rome, Lake Garda and Venice on our honeymoon. Neither of us had ever been to Italy before, but we'll definitely be going back! All three locations were amazing in very different ways, and you can read more about each one in my previous blog posts. Also, in case you didn't already know, Italian food is just out of this world.

New house
We became home owners in 2014! Getting married and buying a house in the same year was a challenge (logistically and financially!) but it was all worth it in the end. We've bought a lovely little house in Penarth and it's coming together nicely. Best thing about having our own house? Decorating it for Christmas!

Award nomination
I was nominated for CIPR Cymru's Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year award earlier this year. I was also up for Outstanding In-House Team and Low Budget Campaign with my colleagues. Although I didn't win my individual award, I was so thrilled to be chosen for the final three out of so many potential candidates as it showed how far I've come during the last few years. And we won silver for the team award!

Fake Christmas
Fake Christmas is a ten-year-old tradition with my university friends where we exchange presents and eat a lot of food. We now celebrate our Fake Christmas in January as it's so difficult to find a date when we're all free in December and it's also something to look forward to in the New Year. We travelled to Minehead for the 2014 edition and ate a LOT of food. I haven't got any photos from the event which is very unlike me... I must have been too busy eating!


New nephew
My sister had another beautiful baby boy in July 2014 so I now have two handsome nephews. Owen was definitely the youngest guest at our wedding!

My hen weekends
I had two hen weekends in July. The first was with a combination of various groups of friends and involved afternoon tea and Disney fancy dress! The second was with my work friends and involved Red Hot World Buffet, cocktails and Rhys Williams masks. I felt so fortunate to have two lovely occasions with some of my favourite people, particularly as many of my friends are scattered all over the UK.

Disneyland Paris
We went to Disneyland Paris earlier this month to make sure we had our Disney fix for the year. One thing is certain... the Disney parks know how to do Christmas! The decorations were beautiful and it was great to sample some different rides as well as some of our old favourites from Florida's Walt Disney World. We also enjoyed lots of great food... can you see a common theme running through my highlights?

Cricieth
We went to Cricieth (North Wales) for a long weekend in May as we needed to recharge our batteries but couldn't afford to go abroad. We had such a relaxing time with lots of scenic walks and really felt as if we'd had a good rest when we came back. Proof that you don't always have to go abroad to have a nice holiday!

Christmas 
I couldn't possibly write a highlights post without including Christmas. Christmas is without a doubt my favourite time of year and this Christmas was extra special as it was our first one as a married couple. We spent Christmas Day at my parents' house and Boxing Day at Neil's parents' house. We also enjoyed lots of Christmassy outings as well as cosy days/evenings in during December which made it extra special. We love you, Christmas!

Lowlights

I thought I'd also feature a few lowlights from this year... I like a bit of balance. However, there are only three lowlights compared to ten highlights so that's definitely a positive thing!


Goodbye, Bobby
I had to say goodbye to my precious first car in 2014. I do really like my new car and am definitely accustomed to it by now, but I'll never forget my Bobby!

My phone 
My phone has been a constant source of annoyance in 2014 (and in 2013...). I stupidly decided to sign a 24 month contract for a Blackberry Q10 back in April 2013 as it seemed like a good idea at the time. Unfortunately, I haven't had much luck with the phone since I signed the dreaded contract. I'm now desperate to upgrade to an Android phone... 99 days to go until my upgrade date!

Stressful times 
I've suffered a lot with stress in 2014 as I've been so busy and have always had something (or ten things) on my mind, in spite of all the positives. I'm hoping for a calmer mind in 2015!


What were your highlights in 2014? 

Restaurant Review: Miller and Carter

We celebrated our two month wedding anniversary last month and decided to visit Miller and Carter Steakhouse to celebrate. I'm determined to celebrate on the 30th of every month until we get to a year... we might be bored of celebrating anniversaries by then!

We decided to go to Miller and Carter as I discovered steak while we were on honeymoon so I was keen to try some more. I seriously can't believe I've missed out on it for so long.

New earrings for the occasion!

We decided to visit the Cardiff Bay restaurant rather than the new restaurant in the city centre as it was Halloween and I didn't want to face the horrible masked crowds in town. We booked a table in advance and arrived at 7pm in our gladrags (sort of). I loved the restaurant's décor and the tables were nicely spaced out... there's nothing worse than almost sitting on someone's lap because the tables are so close together. The main colour scheme was red and it worked very nicely, especially with the beautiful candle holders!

I'd already had a quick look at the menu online so I knew that I was definitely going for steak, even though the alternative options sounded very tasty too. I had to ask Neil for advice on which exact steak to go for... I'm definitely not an expert yet. I eventually went for a sirloin 8oz steak which came with parsley butter, chips, a slice of onion loaf and a balsamic glazed beef tomato. We could also choose a lettuce wedge (I had no idea what this would entail) so I went for bacon and honey mustard. I double checked what the steak sauces contained then settled on the chimichurri. What a feast! We also ordered a bread board to start, because that's just what we do.

Our bread board was great, as all bread boards generally are. Who doesn't love the sparkling combination of bread and balsamic vinegar? Neil happily ate all the olives as I can't stand the things. We were raring to go for our main course after polishing this off!

I was gobsmacked when my steak arrived... I really didn't expect it to come with THAT many trimmings. The onion loaf was like a giant onion bhaji and it was actually one of my favourite parts of the whole meal. I wasn't particularly fussed on the lettuce leaf, but I heartily dislike lettuce so that wasn't a big surprise. Lettuce is for rabbits! However, the honey mustard dressing was lovely. The chips were good chips which is always what you want, and the olive oil and herb chimichurri steak sauce was the perfect accompaniment. As for the steak itself, I'd asked for it to be cooked medium rare and the consistency was just right. There was more fat on this steak than on the ones I'd had in Italy, but that could just have been as a result of this specific cut. The parsley butter was a great enhancement to the flavour and made the steak taste exceptional... I'd actually considered scooping the butter off entirely so I'm very glad I didn't!

We decided to go all out and order dessert too, just to complete our decadent evening in style. We both had vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate sauce and a triple chocolate cookie, and it was delightful. There is seriously nothing better than good quality vanilla ice cream, and the cookie was just a super chocolatey bonus.

This was the most expensive meal we've ever had together in the UK (£63), but it was well worth it for a special occasion. It was certainly more upmarket than the restaurants we usually visit and the food was exquisite. We wouldn't usually go for the full three courses (believe it or not), but we wanted to make the most of it as we probably won't visit Miller and Carter very often due to the price. It's worth bearing in mind that we didn't drink any alcohol between us so obviously any alcoholic drinks would bump up the price quite significantly.

It was a shame that lots of different staff members served us at various points during the evening instead of just dealing with one member of staff, but I can't complain as everyone we dealt with was very quick and efficient. The restaurant was lovely and quiet and had a relaxing atmosphere, perfect for an anniversary meal.

Has anyone else been to Miller and Carter recently? What did you think?

Honeymoon destination #3 - Venice

After having a fantastic time in Rome and Malcesine, we travelled to Venice for the final leg of our honeymoon. Venice is one of those places everyone one wants to visit at least once during their lifetime so I was very excited about visiting this iconic city.

Our stay in Venice started with a water taxi ride... I half knew what to expect as lots of people I know have visited Venice and told me all about it, but all the stories in the world can never prepare you for that first moment when you step out of the train station and see a canal full of boats in front of you, or that moment when you hit the Grand Canal for the first time.

Outside the train station

On the water taxi!

We stayed in Hotel Savoia & Jolanda as my husband's family visit Venice a few times a year and love this hotel. The water taxi dropped us off metres from the hotel and we could already tell that we were staying in a sought-after area. We were treated like royalty from the moment we arrived and the staff continued to be friendly and helpful for the entirety of our stay. The hotel is located on the Venice Lagoon overlooking St Mark's Basin, just a short walk away from Piazza San Marco. The rooms are beautifully elegant and our suite had the most amazing view of the lagoon and San Giorgio Maggiore. We were given a fruit bowl, chocolates and a bottle of Bellini on arrival at the hotel, and our room was cleaned twice every day. This hotel provides a lovely buffet breakfast, just like the other two hotels we stayed in for our honeymoon. Can't fault it!

Fruit bowl and heart shaped chocolates

View from our balcony

And another view!

Venice is such a beautiful and unique city, and I really don't think there's anywhere that could compare to it. The narrow little streets and coloured houses reminded me of Malcesine, but of course there was a vast difference... the 'Floating City' is built on canals and is full of bridges! I was fascinated by these bridges and took hundreds of photos from various angles. Tiny bridges, huge majestic bridges like the Rialto Bridge, historic bridges like the Bridge of Sighs... I just couldn't get enough of them. The architecture in Venice is also amazing and reminded me of the grandeur of Rome, just on a smaller scale. Rome is a 100mph city whereas Venice is more relaxed and has lots of cosy cafés, bars and restaurants where you can people watch for hours at a time. 

I loved being so close to Piazza San Marco... it's safe to say that I took lots of photos in this particular area. The focal point is the amazing Campanile di San Marco, but the Basilica and Doge's Palace are also extremely impressive. Piazza San Marco was flooded with tourists and their cameras (including mine) at all hours of the day and night, and I did fleetingly wonder what places like this must have been like before the camera was invented! I loved the little coffee shops situated all the way around the Piazza, especially the violinists outside. Such a lovely touch which really added to the awe-inspiring atmosphere.

As soon as I saw the beautiful Campanile di San Marco, I knew I had to take the opportunity to see the view from the top. I absolutely love seeing the various views from high buildings so there was no way I was letting this particular view pass me by. The cramped lift journey was totally worth it... I just wish it hadn't been such a cloudy day!

We also visited Doge's Palace while we were in Venice as it was on our doorstep and I'd read so many interesting things about it. This visit took around two hours as there was so much to see, and we actually got to walk through the amazing Bridge of Sighs... I definitely didn't think I'd have the opportunity to do that. The palace was actually much bigger than I imagined, and the architecture and artefacts inside just can't be fully described in all their glory. We weren't allowed to take photographs inside the palace, but I obviously took plenty from the outside!

Taken from inside the Bridge of Sighs

The Rialto Market was another of my favourite areas in Venice. The Rialto Bridge was a constant sea of tourists, just like Piazza San Marco, but we did manage to get some great photographs whenever we could squeeze ourselves to the front of the queue. The Rialto Bridge was a great vantage point for the amazing Grand Canal... the motorway of canals! It really has to be seen to be believed. The Rialto Market became our 'go to' place for lunch as everything was so tasty and reasonable. You definitely need to visit this area if you're going to Venice any time soon... you'd be mad to miss out on it.

There was one thing I knew I absolutely had to do in Venice, particularly as it was our honeymoon... a gondola ride! It was actually raining on the evening we decided to go on the ride so we borrowed an umbrella from the hotel. Huddling underneath the umbrella actually made it even more romantic. I'm so glad we decided to do an evening ride rather than a day ride as the views were astonishing and there wasn't quite as much 'traffic'. Gondola rides aren't cheap but I would definitely recommend it as a one-off treat, particularly if you're in Venice for a special occasion. It's such a special way of seeing the sights and experiencing Venice in a different way. I loved briefly venturing on to the Grand Canal, but sailing through the little narrow streets was just as enjoyable and even more authentic.

I think this blog post and the photos say it all... Venice is amazing! I haven't even managed to cover everything we did as it wouldn't all fit into one blog post of a sensible length, but I just loved the combination of grand landmarks, beautiful views, picturesque little streets, and canals and bridges of all shapes and sizes. The 'Floating City' really is one of the most unique and fascinating places in the world, and it more than lives up to its hype. I hope we'll visit again one day.

This is the last of my blog posts on our honeymoon, just in time for my next holiday... Disneyland Paris next week!