The Pineapple

Scotland is a stunning country of majestic mountains, lochs and glens. But it is also full of character and quirkiness. We recently came across The Pineapple just outside Falkirk. It is what they call a 'folly'....an expensive ornamental building with no practical purpose. I think its anything but...how many buildings can make people smile at first sight?

The Pineapple was built in 1761 by the 4th Earl of Dunmore taking inspiration from his time in Virginia. The property is now owned by the National Trust and you can actually book to stay here...I believe it houses up to four people.

The Pineapple is open all year and is a great place for a little picnic and countryside walks. As for Ed and I, we just walked around for a little, taking in the surroundings, braving the cold October air and taking silly photos, before driving on to sunny Glasgow.

Have you been to a 'folly' before? And did it amuse you too? Ann x

Wearing: H&M dress, bloch shoes, Uniqlo polo top, Lonhcamp back, Michelle Lowe-Holder cuff and Christian Dior sunglasses.

To get in touch and see the latest on all my adventures, follow me on Bloglovin, Twitter,Instagram or Facebook.

Charity Shop Outfit for a Norfolk Wedding

Ed and I were down in our old home patch of East Anglia to celebrate the wedding of our friends. I was very excited for our friends, and wanted to make sure I had a fitting outfit for the event.  My initial choice was a Somerset by Temperley dress from the John Lewis summer sale. Then, on one of my weekly charity shop trawls around Stockbridge, I found this amazing Missoni dress plonked on a size 16 rail!

I have previously bought things I absolutely love in bigger ( and smaller) sizes before but I wasn't sure a 16 could work. Thankfully, it was actually an Italian 44 which is more a UK 12....the shop assistant wasn't sure about the sizing and summed it was a 16...my lucky day! And....it was £29!!!! I have never been so excited about a dress before! Just another reason why I love charity shopping!

My friend Pip grew up in this idyllic village called Plumstead in rural Nofolk and their wedding was in a little church right opposite the house where they lived. It was a lovely setting but the thing that made it all the more interesting was the Dutch flag flying high in front of the church.  'I wonder what UKIP would make of  this then?' Ed joked. Jerre, our friend the groom, is Dutch and they have a very interesting sense of humour!

The wedding was beautiful and our friends looked so happy! It was a lovely personal wedding in  a beautiful setting, just the sort of thing I love. The church was quaint and old worldly, and while it was cloudy and it rained, it simply added to the atmosphere of the place. I know I haven't got a picture of the lovely couple but I'd like to ask their permission first (they are currently on their amazing honeymoon) as I avoid personal photos of friends and family unless they want to be featured on the site.

Ed was taken by the painting of St. George in particularly...he reckoned the 'face' bore a remarkable resemblance to Pete Cook ( the priest in Princess Bride)?!

I  loved the little details around the church ( the brass fittings, the stained glass windows) and the wonderfully intricate embroidery on the kneelers...I love all things that have a bit of 'soul'.

Have you been to Norfolk? It is a lovely place with lots of history, beautiful beaches, great countryside and friendly folk...well worth a visit! Ann x

Wearing: Missoni dress, vintage Roger Vivier shoes, Isabel Marant cocktail jacket, Louis Vuitton purse and ASOS necklace.

To get in touch and see the latest on all my adventures, follow me on Bloglovin, Twitter,Instagram or Facebook.

The Walled Garden in Bellahouston Park

Glasgow often gets overlooked by the touristy crowd which is a shame as it has such beautiful places nestled amidst its urban landscape. I recently wanted to check out the Mackintosh exhibition at the House for an Art Lover and stumbled upon the adjacent Bellahouston Park in the process. It is one of the most beautiful compact gardens I have seen in a long time!

We visited Bellahouston Park on a beautiful and sunny in early Autumn...the weather is something I have been pleasantly surprised by as I was expecting to wear my woolly coat from about mid-August (whilst living in Scotland)!

The garden was an explosion of bright colours, beautiful topiary and symmetric tree lined paths. You know how much I love happy colours...this was a garden after my own heart. And, it is council owned and maintained...not some fancy private estate..well done Glasgow!

And a quick note on my outfit....I'm wearing my favourite jacket from the Marni for H&M collection a couple of years ago (you can still the odd one for a lot lot more on eBay sometimes) along with a recent charity shop acquisition...my J Crew capris...and Sheriff & Cherry handmade mirror sunglasses...I always get a reaction when I wear these... but not always a positive one!

Bellahouston Park is open daily from dawn until dusk and I highly recommend a visit, especially if you are in the Glasgow area. It is a beautiful urban oasis.



Where are your favourite gardens? Ann x

Wearing Marni for H&M jacket, Diego Regia top, TK Maxx scarf, J Crew trousers, Bloch shoes, Sheriff and Cherry Sunglasses and Loncgchamp bag.

To get in touch and see the latest on all my adventures, follow me on Bloglovin, Twitter,Instagram or Facebook.

A Scottish Summer

Time, like most things, feels most precious when there is very little of it. We are into the thick of Autumn here in Scotland but it felt remiss to not find a slither of space in my manic schedule and reflect on the *amazing* summer we've had, both in and for Scotland, and for us personally. Summer is undoubtedly an amazing time to explore Scotland but this year was even more special as the country hosted the Commonwealth Games. It was also a very interesting time from a political perspective with the country gearing up for the referendum. Here are a few snapshots of our first and incredible summer in Scotland.

We are still very much in the honeymoon phase of our stay in Scotland and hopefully that phase will stay. After the road trip  around the Highlands in Spring, we spent summer exploring more of the West Coast ( Loch Lomond, Loch Long, Inverary, Loch Fyne and around Oban and Kilmartin) and nearby places such as St. Andrews and Glasgow. The Glasgow Commonwealth Games were another highlight and we were grateful for being able to watch some of it live, thanks to Ed planning in advance. I haven't written much about Glasgow (yet) but it really is an amazing city. As an outsider, I tend to rise above the silly rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and appreciate both for their unique strengths.

A summer in Edinburgh would not be summer without the festival and Tattoo. We were in the midst of moving house ( for the second time in six months!) and adapting to our relatively new jobs,  so it was an incredibly busy time. However, we organised ourselves, bought a 'Friends of the Fringe' ticket and went to a fair few shows. They were all wildly different but all an amazing showcase of talent from around the world. My absolute favourite was the musical version of 'Sunshine on Leith', a very Edinburgh, sorry Leith, centric story. 'Siddharta the Musical' and the 'Soweto Spiritual Singers' were also super and well worth checking out.

Hope you've all had a lovely summer too! Ann x

To get in touch and see the latest on all my adventures, follow me on Bloglovin, Twitter,Instagram or Facebook.