A day in Capri

It's been a while since my last post but I wanted to write this up as it's been a while since the Naples trip and I'd hate to forget all the little details. During our trip to Napoli we took a ferry down to Capri for the day. We'd booked weeks in advance and on the day a lot of the ferries weren't running due to the strong winds, so there was a slight issue with trying to get a different ferry and getting a refund issued for the original. But once we'd got to the island it was literally like a dream.

Everything was so beautiful and there were so many pretty views everywhere you looked. As it's filled with tourists and the roads are really busy, we thought we'd walk and explore. It got quite hot during mid morning and there were a lot of steps, but after a spot of lunch with a stunning view of the water we were ready for more exploring.

I cannot explain how pretty the views were from the Gardens of Augustus. We then took the ride up to Anacapri, which is the highest point of Capri with stunning views. The ride is a little scary as there are no harnesses or secure fastenings, but I am so glad we did that as it was probably one of the best parts of the trip.

A few tips for visiting Capri:

-There are a lot of steps so be prepared for walking and have comfy footwear.

-Make sure you take lots of drinking water with you. We noticed Capri was a lot more expensive for even small items compared to Naples, so be prepared to pay that little bit extra. It is expected as there are so many tourists on the island.

-Suncream!! Even during September when it wasn't that hot, the sun was really warm and I got really tanned from just spending one day there so make sure you use sun protection!

What To Do When Visiting Naples

So I've just got back from an amazing short trip to Naples, which was probably one of the most exhausting holidays I've had, but none the less totally worth it! When I first decided I wanted to visit Naples I never thought it would be as beautiful as it was. I researched a lot on what to and where to go and heard a lot about how it's not a safe place to visit, but I think anything could happen anywhere and you shouldn't let something like that stop you from exploring. So we spent four days which I think was just enough for everything we did there but I would have loved to stay for an extra couple of days to explore other places such as the Amalfi Coast and Positano.

We stayed in an apartment in Chiaia which is full of lots of shops, cafes and restaurants and it was the perfect spot as it was such a short distance from the port and train station, as well as being known as the clean area of Napoli so it was the prime location. We'd booked an Airbnb which I find a lot better than staying in hotels as you just have more space. The only downside is not having breakfast included but I guess that gives you a chance to find some cute cafes and eat out.

We did a few day trips visiting Capri, Pompeii and Sorrento and spent a little bit of time exploring Naples and trying out a few places that locals had recommended, including the famous L'Antica Pizzeria Da Michele which according to Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert is the best pizza in the world. I have to say it's going to be hard finding a margherita pizza that tastes even slightly better than this place. We did have to wait over 30 minutes for a table but it was so worth it, and I can now say that I've tried the best pizza in the world and fallen in love with it.

I might add another post about what we got up to in Capri and Sorrento in more detail but here's a list below on a few of the must-see and dos when in Naples.

-Take a walk along the sea and visit the Castel dell'Ovo which is the castle on the water. It is free to climb up although you may not be able to view some rooms as they're used as meeting rooms, but the best part is definitely the view from the top. It also has a gorgeous view around the entrance and there's so many restaurants and bars next to the water.

-Visit Toledo train station which is definitely one of the most beautiful train stations I've seen in Europe, and close to it is Via Roma, a street full of shops and cafes.

-If you fancy spending some time shopping then Via Dei Mille in the Chiaia district is full of designer shops and so many cafes that are perfect for Gelato stops.

-Walk through the Galleria Umberto which is normally pretty busy and full of lots of shoppers. You'll find the famous Sfogliatelle which is a pastry stuffed with ricotta cheese and a hint of lemon. The building reminded me of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and if you've been lucky enough to visit the fashion capital of Italy you'll know how beautiful it is.

-Get some fried pizza from Zia Esterina Sorbillo and take a walk through Piazza Plebiscito for the prettiest views of the city. The fried pizza is a speciality and it is similar to a Calzone pizza but with a lot less filling and it is deep fried instead of being baked. I got a margherita and it was so delicious as the filling stayed warm for ages and the dough was so soft but crispy as the same time.

Roaming In Rome

So it's been a while! I actually haven't thought about writing for such a long time as I've been crazy busy making glittery plans and working on my small biz of colourful and sparkly accessories. And then the other day I was just going through my photos looking for something and I started going through some holiday photos. It was then that I thought, as much as I truly love my small business and the passion and drive I have to work hard for it, I really just need a short break to somewhere new. I started going through old photos from a trip to Rome beginning of last year, and I just got that exciting feeling you get when you reminisce about a holiday. So I decided to share some of my photos, not just on Instagram like I usually do, but actually write about it.

I fell in love with Rome from the moment I saw it. There is just something so beautiful about seeing so much history and culture, remains of a place that still gets more and more magical by day. Even though it was literally zero degrees most of the time, the walking around and exploring was so much fun. Italian food is one of my favourite cuisines; there is always something to choose from no matter what you fancy. Travelling to a new place always makes me feel inspired as soon as I get back home, and it definitely makes me work smarter with a clear and refreshed mind.

So even though I'll be posting a lot about my small biz in the future (well I intend to), I hope you enjoy looking through my photos, and if you've not yet been to Rome, I'd highly recommend it! Please just don't do what I did and go in the midst of Winter, when it was way too cold to eat any gelato or enjoy the rooftop view from the hotel.

Clothes Show Live 2016

I've been meaning to write a post about this but towards the end of last year everything was so hectic. I'd had a crazy, stressful but VERY exciting time at the Clothes Show, and after getting back home I had so much catching up to do on orders and re-stocking my Etsy shop. I hope you've all had an amazing start to the year. I can definitely say that I had the best Christmas/New Year/Birthday this year to date. And now a month or two later down the line I've decided that I wanted to share my experience on my blog.

If any of you went to the Clothes Show, you'll know that it was the last EVER! It was actually quite emotional as it brought back lots of memories from when I used to work backstage in the fashion theatre. And it was just an amazing experience that I got to be there at the last one. I met so many amazing people and everyone was so friendly and kind. I'd found out exactly a month before the Clothes Show was starting that I'd got a stand with ASOS Marketplace. So in between having a full time job and all the other daily tasks I managed to make a couple of hundred bags in a few weeks.

I was very nervous but excited, and basically just didn't really know what to expect? We went to set up the day before and you could already feel the buzz around the halls. Quite a few of us who were there with ASOS Marketplace had spent the whole day getting everything organised. I had decided that I wanted shelves on the wall to display my clutch bags, which took a while to put up. I wanted to keep it quite simple and just make the bags stand out and speak for themselves.

So the first day of the Clothes Show quickly came around and I noticed that it was a lot of students on the first day. Every day was pretty hectic and as I was on my own it was difficult to even get a bite to eat or run to the loo, but all the girls around were really lovely and we all kinda helped each other out which was so helpful!

The five days flew by so quickly and even though I was so rushed off my feet I was absolutely buzzing! The event was such an amazing experience and I was ecstatic to meet so many lovely customers who gave wonderful feedback. The one thing I loved was meeting some of my customers face to face and finally putting a face to the name.

There were so many other talented designers and unique brands there and it was lovely to just have a few giggles whilst the quiet spells throughout the day. I've added a few photos below of my stand although as it was SO busy I guess I didn't have time to take that many photos. I wish I'd actually taken a few more and spent a bit more time on that. I've now got most of those bags back in stock in my Etsy store, so if you see any that you like, go pop over to www.sukisaburdesigns.etsy.com. You can currently get 15% off with the code 'LOVEGLITTER' at the checkout!

Macarons & Mirrored Reflections

So it's been a long time since I've wrote a blog post, due to my lack of creativity and being busy with every day things. Sometimes I feel like plans just take over and there's never enough time to do everything on my to-do list. But last week I was down in London for a few days just exploring and visiting places that I've never been before. I've always loved the night-time atmosphere of London and how it's so lively and energetic, but I've never actually viewed it from the top. I also really wanted to visit the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the Victoria Miro, after seeing continuous Instagram posts on my feed I was determined to do that first thing even with the half an hour queue in the heat.

So I thought I'd write up a post about what we did, the new restaurants we tried (even if we were a little late to the party) and the things that we saw. As this was a midweek trip, it was a lot quieter than usual, which was actually better as I sometimes get a bit overwhelmed when there's too many people around me. On the day that we got there we had a quick bite to eat and then made our way to the Victoria Miro museum which was so packed but definitely worth it! I was quite surprised that they only allowed each pair in for minute in each of the rooms, which I don't think is enough time to take everything in as I could have literally locked myself in those boxes for the whole day! The exhibition is still on for a little while so if you're a fan of her work it is definitely worth going. To be honest the rooms seem a lot bigger in photographs because of all the mirrors, so I was pretty surprised at the size of them, but at the same time the photographs don't do them justice as everything was just SO SO beautiful.

We then went to Dishoom in the evening for dinner where you get THE most tastiest Indian food EVER! Along with a little stroll through the markets in Covent Garden as strangely every time I've visited Covent Garden the markets have always been closed. The next day we decided to go to Laduree for breakfast and I chose the fried eggs with tomatoes and crispy bread. I've only ever tried macarons and a few cakes as every time I go I just can't resist the temptation of the pretty desserts on display, but the breakfast was really yummy and I'll definitely be going back there.

After that it was the usual trip Harrods and shopping on Oxford Street, which always includes a visit to Lush and Topshop! The evening was spent getting dressed up and going to Sketch for dinner, which I will write up a separate post about later on. I'd love to know if any of you guys have favourite spots in London or if you know of any good restaurants etc, drop a comment below and let me know. I hope you enjoyed reading this post, xo

Craftisan Bay Spring Fair 2016

Can't believe we're already into the month of May, this year is just flying by! Spring has just sprung and it'll nearly be summer soon. Am I the only one that hasn't yet planned a summer holiday?! Well anyway as you'll find out in this post I've been very busy with events such as the Craftisan Bay Spring Fair, which took place a couple of weeks ago at St Martin's House in Leicester. It was their first event of the year, with the summer, autumn and Christmas fair taking place later this year. I've only recently just started doing fairs so I guess I'm still learning about what is selling, who my market is, and how to improve my setup.

I've found days like this really helpful as I not only get to showcase my products but I've also met some lovely people who hold stalls, and other designers and crafters. As I'm quite new to this I've had a few of the stallholders giving me advice which I've found has really helped me. Having other people who show you confidence and support is probably one of the best things about doing these events as it can get quite lonely sometimes when you're so caught up making new products and getting your name out there.

It's normally a very early start for these fairs so I'll be up bright and early with everything packed up and ready to go! For this event I had my lovely friend Prim helping me, and you can read his blog here if you want to know more about him. He does a lot of beauty/skincare/lifestyle/food posts on the blog. The location was in the city centre of Leicester, and the day turned out to be warm and sunny which was definitely a bonus! It did take quite a while to set up as I can be very indecisive about how I want everything laid out haha. You can see my stall setup below and if you do see anything you like you can pop over to my Etsy shop www.sukisaburdesigns.etsy.com or my website sukisabur.co.uk to purchase any of the products.

It's a Colourful Spring!

It's that time of year again where Summer is just around the corner, but with all those April showers the days just seem to be dulled down. The pink skies in the evenings and those bright sunny mornings are taken over by midday showers and grey clouds. You've got so many exciting plans for the summer and cannot wait to get your hands on the latest summer trends for your holiday. But the long days of waiting are sucking that energy out of you. Yes I pretty much feel like that at some point during the Spring months, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one.

So I wanted to brighten up those dull Spring days with a few colourful accessories. And so I thought about making more of my makeup bags in lots of lush colours. Of course the colours I've used go perfectly with my silk scarves as I wanted all of them to match. I've put these new bags up on Etsy, which you can find here. I also feel like these would be the perfect gift for bridesmaids or as travel accessories for your summer getaway! and They are now available in a rainbow full of colours! You can also find them on Depop if any of you girlies use the app, just search 'sukisaburdesigns'. xo

www.sukisaburdesigns.etsy.com