A friend of mine (Cat at
The Teatime Treatery) recently introduced me to the wonderful and
luxurious world of Jo Malone London, a beautifully British brand of colognes, scented candles and bath oils. I had no idea that tucked away off Cambridge Market was a Jo Malone shop on Rose Crescent, within the very same building that used to house my favourite art gallery in Cambridge until around a year ago. As soon as I stepped through the door, the memories of champagne schmoozes and meeting my favourite artist to sign my own piece of him came flooding back, I loved this small building nestled on the cobbles of one of the more peaceful areas of my hometown and
I'm even more in love with it now.
Cat had booked us in for a complimentary arm and hand massage treatment with the beautiful
Amie, a passionate ambassador of the brand who travels from Norwich to Cambridge every day for her job, she's impressively dedicated to her work and I think
I would be too if I worked for this elegant brand. As soon as you walk up the steps into this sophisticated parlour, you are greeted with friendly smiles and a homely scent that relaxes even the most stressed of human being immediately. Everything is displayed on glass shelves, from body and hand washes, colognes and spritzers through to candles, body oils, shampoos and cremes, everything can be sampled, in fact that is very much encouraged. What I loved most about his experience was that we
weren't pounced on as soon as we walked through the door, you're given time to browse and there's a member of staff on hand if you need help. Personally, I would usually be too scared to ask for advice, I'd simply sniff everything and try to make an informed decision after overloading myself with an array of lotions and potions...
...my advice? 
Book yourself in for a complimentary, no obligation arm and hand massage treatment. It was
the best hour of my day and it's (without wanting to sound cheesy) changed my complete outlook on perfumes and scents for the better. I'm a girl who actually prefers to wear
men's deodorants and sprays, I love the deeper, spicier smells and I like to make an impact when I walk into a room. I sometimes feel that the lighter, feminine scents don't stay with me for as long. This stems back to accidentally buying a male spray in my teenage years and sticking with these sort of smells ever since. The Jo Malone range is in fact unisex, not that I'd share any of these stunning products, but they will smell different on everyone and they can be combined to produce
unique and personalised scents to match your taste. We both sat at the comfortable massage table and were introduced to the Jo Malone shop, offered a chilled glass of lime water and discussed our current scents whilst Amie really got into what turns us on within a scent. She picked up on our preferances and produced their
orange blossom bath oil at first, using a mini coffee whisk to whip it up into a thick foam in which she massaged our hands and arms to get them feeling silky and smooth, offering a similar experience to lathering up in the bath - it almost sent us to sleep!
After rinsing off this lathered bath oil with a hot scented towel, she then massaged us using their
peony & blush suede body creme, which was so thick and heavenly, you didn't need much to benefit from this and I could have easily sat there all afternoon, it was lovely. If only
every morning could be like this when it comes to getting ready! What Amie was teaching us was that creating a memorable and long-lasting perfume isn't simply a quick spritz and away you go, you need to
layer your body with varying products and complimenting scents to create something that will linger and make an impression. This isn't something I'd ever thought of doing and am usually guilty of dousing myself (and my clothing!) in cheaper sprays in the hope they'll last...they usually don't and
now I know why. She then finished by showing us how to choose the perfect cologne and how to apply it, by spraying ever so lightly onto our arms, then dabbing it with her palms up the length of our arms. I went for
"154", a scent that includes mandarin, grapefruit, lavender, basil, nutmeg and vetiver. This combination of scents was stunning, I've never loved the way I've smelled so much in
my entire life, with honestly no exaggeration. A small bottle of cologne costs around £40 and the body creme around £50, making this a very tricky decision for somebody on a tight budget, so I decided to
take my time on my purchases and come back another day, which was absolutely fine. What I didn't expect was that I would spend the rest of the day
pressing my nose up against my arms, taking in long draws of breath to enjoy the aromas soaking into my body. I woke up the next morning and I had received a text from Cat advising me that she still smelled amazing, to which I took another whiff and confirmed that
I did too... This was so alien to me, I never stay smelling so great for that period of time, this was some kind of luxury voodoo! I sat on my hands all morning until I couldn't bare it any longer, I roped in another friend for a coffee in town and we just so happened to be "passing" Jo Malone. We spent some time in other luxury scent shops, but they
just didn't were never going to cut it for me, so Kass took me by the arm and
marched me to Jo Malone to just get it over with. As of today, I'm walking into rooms and causing a sensation...!
I visited my local BBC radio station this morning and the first thing the presenter said to me was just
how delicious I smelled, before absolutely anything else. My whole reasoning for wanting a new scent was to make an impact when networking my little behind off and
after just one hour of wearing my new combination, it's only gone and worked, I'm so stupidly impressed I just had to share this fascinating experience from a gal who
very rarely pampers herself of late! Money.
Well. Spent. Jo Malone London, (in Cambridge specifically)... I curse
AND salute you in equal measures, as well as very much look forward to the new
wood sage & sea salt scent due out in September - I
could be very tempted shouldn't be allowed to pop back anytime soon! You have a new convert and ambassador in "Miss Sue Flay"!
www.jomalone.co.uk
I went to sleep a few nights ago craving the rare experience of waking under canvas, I had a weird hankering to go camping... I miss the sound of the traditional British rain on canvas, lanterns, thermos full of tea, card games and warm beer with friends.... What's crazy, I thought, is the fact that I have all the gear ready to go after a fair few camping excursions over the years, so what was stopping me?! A Saturday morning of the last bank holiday weekend of the year, that's what! 
Every campsite along the Norfolk, Kent & Suffolk coast was booked up, pitch by pitch. Just as I was losing all hope (and baking a banana & chocolate chip loaf cake to console myself) I received a call back from my most favourite campsite (Sandie & Graham at Bailiffs Cottage in Hollesley are just superstars!) in Suffolk to advise me of a cancellation... this pitch was mine! So a quick shower, a quick fanning of the loaf cake to cool it down, wrapping it up in a tea towel for the journey and I was off on my very first adventure for my "Around the world in 80 stays challenge". 
This wasn't quite the exotic, luxurious stay I was hoping for to kick off this challenge, however with a small budget required and the peace and quiet of the outdoors, it truly appealed and really was a fantastic way to start me off on my way after a hectic few months at Stir Up Media. The UK has some truly stunning scenery and places of beauty, with Suffolk being one of those places never to be ignored. I've had my fair share of stays in Aldeburgh, Dunwich & Southwold, but I much prefer to go a little off the tourist trail and head to Bawdsey, Orford (take a walk on Orford Ness if you EVER get the chance, it's a curious, eery and equally relaxing place) and Shingle Street for a much more isolated & relaxing retreat. 
Bailiffs Cottage is host to a stunning secret garden full of rose bushes, vegetable patches and hens laying eggs for your breakfast, it's a superb place to pitch up for a few days. With only a handful of well-spaced pitches, it's wise to book ahead (ahem!) and as it's a "Caravan Club" location, it's not easy to find online and doesn't attract hoards of people - it's perfect for a quiet break. Along with my Vango Icarus 500 tent (a beast it is too!) and even own a duo camping stove with foldaway pots, pans & kettle, it was the perfect home away from home... however we forgot the gas canister needed to prepare any means of hot food or drink. So, instead of scrambled eggs on toasted sour dough bread (sourced from Pump Street Bakery), I had to make do with warm cheese sandwiches and some sweet treats (their butter tart was the single best sweet tart I've ever eaten - next time, I'm not sharing!) from said favourite bakery. 
Luckily, I had prepare a large thermos of hot water to make tea & coffee on arrival to go with the banana bread (with an extra topping of Nutella & fresh banana, ooooh!) so we were still happy and toasty warm on the chilly mornings throughout the trip. In fact, this decorative thermos came all the way from the Philippines and the water stays hot for over two days, it's blimmin' terrific - who needs a hotel with a luxury tea tray and shortbread biscuits when you've got this sort of deliciousness under canvas?!... Ok, don't answer that! There's been a fun little game I've wanted to play for some time, simply titled "Roadside Bingo" where you stop at those little side tables along the road and stock up on the random food and produce on sale at each stop to create a meal or two. We stopped at many different stands over the two days, collecting homemade blackberry & plum jam, various boxes of eggs to take home... we even spotted a nifty cool box hamper with fresh Cromer crabs to take down to the local beach - I love Suffolk! 
The weekend involved early mornings curled up in fluffy blankets, 50p pieces for a hot shower, puppy walks along the stony beaches, reading magazines & books between afternoon power naps, exploring castles & old WW2 bunkers along the coast (and a few banged heads along the way!) as well as roast dinners in cosy pubs (The Sorrel Horse a mile down the road is perfect!) and cream teas overlooking the local quay. If the only luxuries I need with me to make it homely are a few cups of Yorkshire tea, some home-baked treats (that could have won me some new friends, SHOULD I have fancied sharing!) and a "real feel" inflatable king sized bed, then I'm all for it - I love a bit of a camping. For £16 a night, we pitched our tent for 2 nights, paying an extra £1 towards Cats Protection for my puppy companion tagging along for the ride. 
Sandie & Graham welcome you with open arms and freshly grown produce a plenty, so do expect to enjoy locally sourced & seasonal food throughout your stay. In fact, a little tip...they can get low on eggs at Bailiffs Cottage (a very popular option for the resident campers & caravaners) so nab some on arrival to avoid disappointment. My first #80Stays trip was just what I needed to help relax me... It didn't cost the earth, I've enjoyed some leisurely long walks and delicious, simple food and I haven't come home with a cricked neck (for a change!) so, a good call all round! The one downside to camping, especially with a puppy in tow?!.. The sand, mud and dribbled water... Everywhere! I believe I've been on my knees with a dustpan & brush at least four times like a good little tent-wife...gah! 
Oh, and that feeling of "I really don't want to get the tent down in that wind and rain" and deliberating for a good two hours whilst it spits large raindrops....only to actually take it down in an all out hail storm - just typical of my luck! Now, to make the second stay just as relaxing and fun... But, where to go?! 
Read more about my "Around The World In 80 Stays" challenge here & please get in touch if you would like to help or get involved in any way. 
More information on Bailiffs Cottage here. 
