A British Blogoholic at heart, Burberry bling, & places to visit for 2017


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I wish I could say the girl behind the laptop/computer was an energetic, engaging, imperturbable, diligent, hard-at-work type that studies all day, all night to create the perfect piece of a review, account or feature. The striving sophisticated lady that I am determined to establish is wanting to achieve and obtain more and more in life in general.

Words have power, and wanting to study in London is a dream goal (I talk about all the places I want to visit in ‘A list of travel dreams‘) – It is not something that you usually say to most people (the BIG things you want to do in life), but I like the fact that I can share with my readers whatever is on my mind, heart and soul. You may have noticed too I have started to do more Instagram Stories, which I don’t know if I am any good compared to maybe Lydia Elise Millen, or Caroline Stanbury, but I love sharing new things, what I love to do, what I WANT to do, and little girly things here and there. I want to create an optimistic, non-negative, girl-boss website that girls will love. I want my life to be shaped with approbation and unequivocally live an enthusiastic nonchalant  life. I also want to be spiritually and mentally focused and awake. Looking after your physical health is important too, like I mentioned in a previous post 10 ways to practice self-care.

I am currently reading “My not so perfect life” by Sophie Kinsella. I know, I know. Wasn’t I just reading “The Lost Heiress”?? Yes, still reading it, but I like the fact that I can switch to something every now and then to break it up a bit, and go back to reading something light with fresh eyes. I have probably said this already, but Sophie Kinsella is literally my favourite author. I have mentioned “The Undomestic Goddess”, which is written so well, and is a laugh, and glamorous, …..(and not so glamorous) at the same time and like I said Sophie writes with such volubility and I believe she is the NUMBER 1 bestselling author of chick-literature. Okay, most girls in the UK, or even in Australia say she is anyway! But there are other authors out there like Cathy Kelly, or Marian Keyes or Meg Cabot. They have their place, but Sophie just puts things in which are HILARIOUS! Like, as I have ALREADY mentioned in ‘3 books to inspire‘.

I honestly wish I had Sophies talent….. a witty character such as Becky Bloomwood is like my SOUL sister. Living the life of a shopping frenzied journalist that doesn’t know about anything other than SHOES. Okay, well, she is smarter than we take credit for – any journalist would be smart, but to tap into her life would be tapping into a whole new demographic!, and I wish I was Isla Fisher on that screen! She plays Becky perfectly!

If I were a journalist where everyday I would have to practice my writing I would totally buy this British Museum Mug to have my coffee in – I WANT IT!!!!!! It would perfectly sit on my bedside table along with my “My not so perfect life” book. I just love everything matching.

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Okay, so there are TWO mugs I want. When I get to London I am definitely visiting ‘The British Museum‘, as per ‘A list of Travel Dreams‘. The collections are just absolutely divine, and my cup of tea!

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Okay, so you might think the title should be something a bit more like “Confessions of a British wannabe”, but I think that would make a great story too! haha! My spirits would leap at the thought of going to England and possibly living there for awhile. I have it on my mind, and I mentioned it in my “About” page, but I honestly, seriously just want to goooo!!!! and to definitely go to “London Fashion Week” – Now that is something to NOT miss out on. It recently was on, and I kept up to date with a few people that went. I particularly enjoyed Victoria (In The Frow’s) video’s/vlogs on her outfits. She is an award – winning fashion, travel and beauty blogger, and her posts are just AMAZING! You will get addicted to the videos……. trust me.

I have so many ideas the day I touch down at Heathrow Airport. Perth is great, but it is a little low key for me. There are things to do (that I may add to the blog), but it is a very small sort of city. I know, okay, I should be thankful to be in Australia altogether, but I dream of BIG cities……………. There are soooo many things to do, and like I said, the idea of studying in London would be a DREAM for me. Whilst I continue to collect ‘Britain’ magazines, I like to learn more about history, travel, culture, and heritage and style in England. There is way too much to learn – this is why I want to study whilst in Australia, and then travel all over England after I am finished, to reward myself.

To add to my collection I would get a gorgeous Pink I phone 7 case from Red Bubble for a bit of style. I definitely want this, and it is just perfect for me. Anything pink goes!!!

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World-renowned British luxury brand, Burberry, has a gold necklace that screams elegance.

It is a vintage chain, but unfortunately it is sold out, otherwise I would have featured it as a piece for my blog. I am particularly interested, and love this piece because of its make, the signature, and its look. I wish I could have bought it when it was available, but I wanted to share this with you, because I still love it, and isn’t it just gorgeous to look at???

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Perhaps I should get back to reading ‘My not so perfect life’, and delve into Katie Brenner’s “perfect” life. I love the story behind it – a lady who acts like she has a glamorous life in London, but really it isn’t the life she makes it out to be. I totally recommend this book to all you lovely girls out there! If you’re not so much of a reader, it is perfect because it is light-hearted, and so easy to read. It’s not like your reading Middlemarch or Great Expectations – it’s BASIC writing, so I absolutely am telling you to either get it from your local library, or you can buy it online.

Like I said, I had a book collection last year that I wanted to achieve, but since moving to Western Australia, Scarborough I have borrowed HEAPS of books from the Scarborough library. It is an impressive library and the staff are so nice and really impressed me with their superb customer service.

I have added to my collection “The House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton, “The Ladies Paradise” by Emilie Zola and “The Mill on the floss” by George Eliot. These are all great “British” written stories which are enjoyable and delightful to read, and still challenging. I have almost finished Mill on the floss, but still have to get through the other two. The Ladies Paradise was turned into a BBC series which is a favourite of mine, The Paradise based in a department store in the Victorian times, 1800’s which is similar to Selfridge, and the main character is Denise where her passion lies in the department store, and falling in love with the owner. It is truly a stunning series and I totally recommend for you to check out the DVD. It is a love story.

Today is the first day of Autumn, and I am looking forward to a new season of glorious hope and a bright future. I love the idea of Autumn, because you think of brown leaves falling off the trees, murmurous sounds of the wind, and romantic walks in the parks. Well, that’s what I think, not sure about you?

What do you think of when you hear of the word ‘Autumn’?

I think of romance, and I totally wish I was spending this Autumn in the UK. There are exclusive getaways in the Britain magazines, and I love just poring over the picturesque photos of castles, and cottages, and admiring the idyllic times of these magical settings.

oh, the luxury and the splendour!

and like I said in my tagline, I love stories from an English setting, and love to plunge into light historical romance novels. Reading Emma or Persuasion would be challenging, so read down below my little summary of the novel I am currently reading.

“The lost heiress” that I showed a picture of in my last post, Feminine Fashionista, is in Edwardian times, and is about a sweeping mystery of an heiress who goes missing from Yorkshire, and Brook (the heiress) travels to the moors of the North Sea to an estate where her ‘supposedly’ family belongs. There is another character Justin, which, without giving anything too much away, I feel may be where her love lies. The setting is at Whitby Park, and Brook doesn’t feel welcomed there by the household/estate, even though her father does, through circumstances she learns valuable lessons of loyalty.

I have recommended more books on Instagram Stories, but I believe that after awhile they disappear and I don’t think that you can get them back, so I posted “Emma” by Jane Austen, and “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte. I really want to get stuck into them to broaden my vocabulary, because sometimes I feel like I use the same words over and over again. Do you ever feel that way?

  For the next six months I will be focusing on my course, and then I might possibly do Museum Studies – I know! I can’t choose but at least I do know the things I want to do in life. Library Studies, Museum Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Ancient History), and then I am off to London, England. That is the plan.

Plans also include The Western Australian museum – I can not wait to see the outstanding exhibitions. One I am interested in is the Gemma Constantiniana. It was crafted to celebrate Roman Emperor Constantine’s battle victory – An artefact that is in WA for the first time in 388 years.

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The website is absolutely fascinating, and has sections on collections and research. I also find anthropology to be quite fascinating too!

There is also Harbour Sundays exhibition exclusive. There is FREE live music and it runs for 5 weeks. More details are on the Western Australian museum’s website.

I like the fact that the website has a blog just as well as information on events, and

Travellers and Traders of the Indian Ocean World” would be fantastic to go see. It ends 23rd April 2017 at the Maritime Museum. Please be advised that it is a PAID exhibition.

You can discover the rich history through ancient objects, and especially, stories about the explorers. It would be totally fascinating.

If you go to this event, you get the chance to win a trip to London, see, this is another reason why I want to attend the event. It is Return flights and five nights accommodation.

The grand prize includes:

– two return economy airfares to London thanks to Singapore Airlines;
– five night’s accommodation in a superior room with breakfast, thanks to the Hilton London Metropole;
– money-can’t-buy behind the scenes access to the British Museum, including tickets to the current blockbuster exhibition;
– double pass to the Royal Observatory Greenwich;
– double pass to the Natural History Museum;
– London Eye champagne experience;
– double pass to the next major exhibition at the WA Maritime Museum;
– a limited edition Travellers and Traders in the Indian Ocean World catalogue.

How could you not pass this?

I want to WIN!!!!!!!

I want to visit beautiful British Estates such as Highgrove, I absolutely LOVE the Highgrove Shop website (The Carpet Garden is pictured above), from food and drink to jewellery to collections of books and art it is an awesome website! I want the Queen Cushion! You can get a Highgrove Gardens guide book here! If you decide to visit this place, look no further than a Garden tour and Champagne Tea Tour.

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Scampston Hall and Gardens is also a country retreat that you cannot miss, based in North Yorkshire. Check out this Youtube Video of it! Learn about the fascinating history towards the end of the 17th century, and also I definitely want to do the hall tours.

, and Felbrigg Hall, and Hanbury Hall and Gardens, a country house which has an awesome website of significant fine art and heritage objects.

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Detail of the sofa in the Drawing Room at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk.

You can explore so many different collections,  and of course that just makes me think of another course I want to do, but Bachelor of Arts (Ancient History) would be ideal for me, as I like the idea of doing an art history degree. Which speaking of art, I recommend you to check out the Watts Gallery also based in the village of Compton, near Guildford in Surrey. I am most interested in their exhibitions and workshops – It was named after a painter of the Victorian Era. I highly recommend you to check out the story on their website. I also love the idea of poems painted on canvas.If you are into art, I believe you would absolutely love the website – what is on and their collections. You can also do courses, which I would totally do if I LIVED there!!!! They also have their own shop online stocking a range of goods from art books to handmade crafts.I would totally check out the William Morris Collection of inspired household goods including cushions, mugs, and soaps and oooo and you can’t forget the Tea Shop!

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“English History” is what I am sticking to, and would love to do a course in that too. My! So many courses, but I DO have lots of time on my hands, and reading Britain magazines is what I love to do. English History is captivating, and I cannot wait for the day I step on English soil so that I can blog more, come up with MORE ideas, and MORE content for this blog, ‘Exquisite Emmalisa’.

I also really want to visit the Cotswolds (I could completely lavish in it!), which is apart of 5 counties – Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Worcestershire, and wherever I go I shall keep you posted! I definitely want to indulge in a spa break for my holiday, and want to also include Hever Castle and gardens, the childhood home to Anne Bronte. It looks absolutely breathtaking and stunning, and I love their section on tudor books. Read about the castles history here. The Rooms and Exhibitions section is tremendous, and of course, I think my favourite room already is the library! You may find interesting that in the Queens Chamber room there is a 16th century portrait of Henry the Eighth, which is apart of the “Royal Collection” by Joos Van Cleve.

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As you can see, naturally, I have so much I want to do when I get there, and will post when I have organised my trip. I can’t wait to roam the charming streets of England, and experience the graciousness and adoration of it and take photos of absolutely EVERYTHING. You HAVE to go on Hever Castles website – the rooms are exquisite to look at, and read about. That will give you something to do while I still peruse the Britain magazines, going from one country house to another, trying to decide what to do when I get there, my eyes sparkling with romanticism. There are endless opportunities, and I want to do basically everything! and I don’t want to forget the Jane Austen shop in Bath. My favourite section is the Dressing table and Bathroom bit where you can get compact mirrors with Jane Austen quotes on them! Like ‘I’d rather be at Pemberley‘. So beautiful!

Funnily, enough, I am also reading ‘Shopaholic takes Manhattan‘ and Becky goes to the museum shop to make it LOOK like she went to a museum!, The Guggenheim, It’s hilarious!

Also, don’t forget to sign up to “Telegraph Travel” to get the latest hotel and restaurant deals and exclusive offers when travelling in London, or elsewhere! I wouldn’t mind staying at the Queen’s Truss cottage in Weobley, Heredfordshire. (while reading ‘The Edwardians’ by Vita Sackville-West, which I delightfully and purely suggest)

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I am currently in the process of creating three pitches for Taylor Magazine, so if you don’t hear from me for a little while, you will know that that is what I am doing. Either I will post the feature on here, or will post it in a blog where you can click on the link. I am quite nervous at the thought because it is my first time with an experience in a magazine. It’s not Vogue, but it is a magazine that makes conversation, and I particularly like one piece called A Roadtrip to a place where you don’t know a single soul, particularly discovering  your inner self.

I am also most excited about a new coffee shop opening up on Doric Street, just down the road. I will definitely be taking my laptop, any books that will be informative enough for what posts I do, and magazines for MORE writing inspiration.  I may organise, and do my pitches there next week, right smack bang on Monday, as this piece is my focus for the start of March. I hope that you have enjoyed the places that I absolutely recommend in the United Kingdom. Another thing that I am excited about this March is that the real live version of “Beauty and the Beast” comes out with Emma Watson, and Dan Stevens. It is my favourite childhood Disney movie of all time, as I have always related to Belle! I knew (and still do) the word to Belles song, and all the songs from the movie.

Now, that is my spiel on being a “british blogoholic, a few of some Burberry bling, and places to go in the United Kingdom” when visiting. I honestly can not wait to go, it will open up a whole new demographic for my writing, life in general, and so much more stuff!!!! It will give me more to write about, and more to see and do in life, and I can’t wait to share with you my Europe/UK travels.I don’t have dates yet, but I am hoping either for my 31st in September, maybe June/July, or if it doesn’t work out how I hope, then the start of 2018.

If you have already been, share with us your favourite places to go to, shops/establishments, or if you haven’t do you have a list ready for when you do go?

I honestly can not express how much I feel I would achieve when I get there, I heartedly want to study, and live there for awhile, depending on where life really takes me – My job for now is I want to purposefully live life and embrace it with meaning, and then take with me all my excitement along with me to England! My problem is I want to travel EVERYWHERE.

We will see how I go!

Feminine Fashionista 


So, to begin with, I don’t know if I would call myself a “Fashionista”, but if it is defined as a ‘devoted follower of fashion’ then, yes,  I am well on my way to being one. In Melbourne, I went to the L’Oreal Fashion Week almost every September, and loved it……

The VAMFF is a world wide event that has girls from all over the globe attending. And we all know, Melbourne is THE fashion capital of Australia – hence, one reason why I miss that city so much!

This year it is in March and to book your tickets, go to their Events page where you can also see Fashion Weekend Runway showcasing their Autumn/Winter collection looking at the best designer brands and you can watch runway shows by your favourite designers and be the first to discover the trends of the season.

That is if you’re in Melbourne, of course!

Featuring some of these designs:

Anna Hoffman

Arya

Et Al

Isobel Rose

Odeya

There will be a lot of different runways, from gala to premium, and Vogue will be presenting the glamorous collections on the runway and Priceline Pharmacy is supporting the runway too. There are literally sooo many to choose from, and I am particularly interested in the Virgin Australia Grand Showcase celebrating Australia’s globally recognised designers.
Moving on, ……

Recently I bought a Zara top which is totally feminine! It’s lace sleeves leave you feeling feminine and it was such a great buy! I believe it was only about $15 on SALE, but I wanted to share it along with my favourite current dress that I have been dying to share with you for a little while now.

This is me being totally organised! I have a journal where I have learnt to start bullet pointing things to do, and every project, I write down all the things I need to do to get done, to efficiently work well on it, and have it all there in front of me, so I can take the journal to the library, coffee shop, or elsewhere and work on what I love to do!

What I find to be entirely feminine is this “Long sleeve lace dress” from YesStyle.

It is the replica of Kate Middleton’s white lace $3,450 Dolce and Gabbana dress she wore at the Ascot Races in July, 2016.



For me, this is a sensational dress I can wear to a nice occasion, or somewhere a bit more formal. I love it so much I could wear it anywhere, but it has its place to be at a event or wedding and such. I am utterly in love with this feminine dress.


So, I just got my haircut done at New Look Hair Salon, and asked for a style similar to Kate Middleton’s long bob that she had a little while ago. I was so wrapt with the outcome and results were amazing!!!!!! I literally felt like Kate Middleton after it was finished!

I felt like stepping out in style and elegance with my hair done, plus the dress and so I grabbed a coffee (of course) and chilled outside of Sambos, in Scarborough for awhile.



Continue reading “Feminine Fashionista “

The One Lovely Award!


I can’t believe I have been nominated for an award! Even though its just a nomination, It feels surreal, I never thought I would get nominated at all, and it feels special and exciting just to be in the running!

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It is a happy happy Sunday for me to be accepting this ‘One Lovely Award’ for my blog. Thanks to the L-O-V-E-L-YCiarra Lorren, thank you, thank you girl, you are a-m-a-z-i-n-g and I am also very sorry for taking too long but don’t get it wrong, my excitement is just as high as it was when I first saw your nomination, thank you for making me feel special 🙂 I don’t have words to describe your blog, I guess you guys will just have to go and see for yourself and let me tell you, you’ll thank me for sending you there, Ciarra is such a smart, stylish and sophisticated beauty and deserves all the followers she can get.

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SOME RULES:

  • Thank the person that nominated you and leave a link to their blog
  • Post about the award
  • Share seven facts about yourself
  • Nominate at most…

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How to “Own” it


  1. You are a woman wanting to achieve professional SUCCESS
  2. You want to establish qualities to help you work better and establish a successful career
  3. You are a lady who wants to take control of your destiny
  4. You want to gain high quality skills in the workplace
  5. You want to achieve true flexibility and freedom in your career

If you are any of the top FIVE points, then I highly recommend this book that I am currently reading.

It is called “Own it – The power of women at work” written by Sallie Krawcheck. You can find it on Booktopia for $37.90. Sallie Krawcheck is the Co-founder and CEO of Ellevest, an innovative digital investment platform designed to help women reach their financial goals. Her mission is to advance women in business, and she also is one of the highest ranked women to have ever worked on Wall street.

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She says “There are many reasons to be optimistic about the future”, – the business world is rapidly changing, especially with technology in this day and age, and this book highlights how we can OWN it and embrace potential positive impact with businesses.

If you are a woman wanting to start a small business – this is for you.

If you are a woman wanting to learn how to grow your business – this is for you

If you are a woman wanting to learn more on how to gain success in business – this is for you

This book helps with:

  • life-long learning
  • acute awareness of meaning, and purpose
  • reaching long-term goals
  • and teaches the ability to OWN power in the workplace and in life

If your goal is to invest in your future, and take financial control of your life – you NEED this book.

Continue reading “How to “Own” it”