Bags of Blog — travel

With the first weekend of Coachella over and the summer festival season officially underway, I thought I would have a browse through some of the best outfits from the Californian sun for a bit of summer style inspiration. With Coachella attracting countless celebrities and models each year, it’s no wonder it has become so fashion-forward, and with too many outfits to choose from I thought I would pick out my three favourite festival fashion trends from 2015!  

 

1.  Dressed all in white

  The first trend that seems to have spread like wildfire is the ‘all in white’ look. From Paris and Nicky Hilton’s formal and put-together look to Victoria’s Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio and friends’ coordinated and casual style, everyone has been wearing the neutral colour! Definitely a favourite of mine and white is the perfect colour to wear to bring out your (probably minimal if you live in England!) summer tan!        

2.  Boots, boots and more boots!

  Next up was the constant trend of working boots into your summer wardrobe. Boots are the perfect shoes to wear with everything as they’re stylish and comfortable, especially good for festivals where you’re wandering around and dancing your nights away! While I tend to go for ankle boots in the sun, like Kendall Jenner, you could brave the knee-high trend like Hailey Baldwin; whatever you choose they will be perfect for summer!    

3.  Tassels everywhere!

I think one of the most popular trends of this year’s festival has been the gorgeous leather tassel. Seen on everyone from Fergie to Gigi Hadid, both wearing cut-off shorts with sleeveless tasselled jackets and even Cody Simpson in a tasselled cape, this trend was hard to escape from. What’s great about tassels is that you can go as out there as you’d like, simply wearing some ankle boots with tassels or going all out with tassels everywhere – you’ll look stylish whatever you go for!   Obviously, with all these trends taking hold, you need a handbag to go with the outfit and that's where VidaVida are able to help.  Our range of vintage leather satchels, saddle bags and wonderful tan brown leather handbags all add a finishing touch to these casual summer looks.  You really do need somewhere to hide your festival essentials and we have bags in every shape and size whether you are a light traveler or someone who likes to be prepared for anything.

Although Spring is just around the corner and the British winter is finally coming to an end, I am in desperate need of a mini break to get away from the constant cold of London! I wasn’t looking to go anywhere too far away or exotic but while viewing all my options, I found five places that are pretty far away (well four with one nearer to home really) but that I would love to visit at some point soon. In case you, like me, are feeling a bit worn out and want to go somewhere new, look no further as below are five of the coolest and most exciting places (in my opinion) for a winter break.

 

1.       Hong Kong, China

I have been desperate to visit China for a long time, and after seeing some recent photos of the beautiful city of Hong Kong during the Chinese New Year, I have never been more intrigued to visit! This gorgeous city seems the perfect mix of tradition and modernism with endless temples and skyscrapers to visit, and there will definitely not be a boring moment in such a vibrant and exciting place.

 

2.       Miami, USA

Miami has always seemed like a pretty cool place, but after reading about the Kennedy Space Center there I have been even more interested in visiting. It seems to offer everything; it’s a funky, vibrant city with beautiful sandy beaches, loads of shopping, the gorgeous Everglades National Park, and the opportunity to visit the ‘world’s most realistic simulation of a space shuttle launch’ alongside a host of other amazing experiences!

 

 

3.       Gran Canaria, Spain

For a slightly more relaxed environment, I have been eyeing up the sunny Gran Canaria in Spain. The weather there is very mild in the winter so it’s perfect for a spot of sun amidst the cold and the rain of winter in Britain, and there seem to be endless activities, especially for families, including surfing, cycling and, of course, lots of swimming!

 

4.       Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand is another place I have long wanted to visit. Known to be frenetic and busy, Bangkok seems to hold endless sights to see, with beautiful temples and huge golden Buddha’s lining the fluorescent streets. I am particularly intrigued by the floating market and The Emerald Buddha Temple, which look absolutely amazing!

 

 

5.       Center Parcs, UK

If you, like us, are looking for somewhere a little closer to home, perhaps one of the many Center Parcs in the UK is the place to go. You will not have a bored moment with the huge variety of outdoor and indoor activities for both kids and adults, and there is even a spa at each resort for a bit of relaxation!

How things have changed! This time five years ago Matt and I would have been slinging on our rucksacks and taking a twenty hour bus journey (to save a few quid) so that we could stay in very basic lodgings whilst hunting for treasures to bring to our Vida Vida stalls and site. One such trip involved a two month journey around Mexico and Guatemala in search of the perfect sandal.

 

Now however, we have our two little boys and so, our priorities have drastically changed, which is how we found ourselves last month at The Sani Resort in Hakidiki, Greece.  We had friends who had been and told us it was the perfect place for a relaxing holiday with little ones. Having hung up our rucksacks almost four years ago (when Herbie was born), we have become rather partial to an all-inclusive luxury holiday so we thought this place sounded right up our street.

 

 

The easyJet flight time of 5.50am did not quite fit with making it easy for the kids, but everything that came after that did. We were met by a private car and whisked off to the resort (whilst Herbie watched Despicable Me on a DVD player in the car!) and we were greeted with welcome drinks whilst our bags were taken straight to our room. The restaurant had been fully booked for the first night, so our only option was to relax. Although this isn't usually easy with two under 4s, Sani do everything they can to make it possible.

 

 

I don’t know where to start on how they make such relaxation possible: they have literally thought of everything! From hiring scooters to make it easy for toddlers to journey around the massive resort, to their range of amazing playgrounds, pools and beaches. There are fantastic kids’ clubs, crèches, discos and babysitting facilities and even splash times in the amazing adults’ spa pools. Now I know a lot of these things are available in other resorts, but this one really does go even further; they have babe watch on the beach where you can leave your child with a nanny for 30 minutes each day whilst you take a dip or read a book (for free!) and there are supervised play tables in some of the restaurants – utterly genius – with books, colouring in and lovely staff there to entertain the kids while you get to enjoy a seriously gourmet breakfast or an amazing dinner.

 

 

I could seriously go on about this resort forever, so as you can imagine I cannot recommend it enough. I would say however, that we went out of season so it was not at full capacity, and during their peak times you might need to re-mortgage your house to go. But if you can manage to get the kids out of school (oops, I really should not encourage that after the recent change in the law) or they haven't started yet I would jump at the chance to visit this amazing place!

The Sani Resort - Greece

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