Beach

Sullivan’s Island & Shem Creek

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This is the last of the posts from my American Road Trip. I’m sad not to have an excuse to relive the memories but I’m excited to plan some fresh content!

For the final day of our trip we decided to unwind on Sullivan’s Island, and do one of my favourite activities: Brunch! (A much bigger deal in America – but thankfully it’s catching on over here.)

Charleston is a cyclists city and thankfully our hotel included bicycle hire in our resort fee (most places do this but it’s still a good idea to check). So we borrowed a couple and headed out to the coast. We passed by the picturesque Shem Creek en the way and were drawn back here for a last meal before heading for the airport.

La Pelosa & Neptune’s Cave, Sardinia

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Having had such success with our guidebook when looking for somewhere to eat out, we decided to give it another spin for the next day’s activities.

La Pelosa was listed as one of the most spectacular beaches on the island so we headed over to it. Unfortunately, everyone else must have thought so too… when we got there you couldn’t see the beach for people. The waters were a stunning colour but the area lacked the tranquility we were craving so after snapping a couple of photos we turned around and headed back to Alghero.

On the hunt for another activity, I remembered reading about Neptune’s Cave and we managed to book ourselves onto the last trip of the day.

Things couldn’t have worked out better – even if we’d planned them. We had a quick bite to eat on shore, then hopped aboard and set sail for the cave. It takes about 40 minutes to reach by sea – and you have to pay extra for the crossing – but it is preferable to walking from the car park, which involves a climb of 654 steps.

The cave itself is roughly 80 million years old. I can never remember which is a stalactite or a stalagmite – but there were a lot of them! The very helpful guide (who spoke 4 languages) told us that only 1% of the cave is still “living” due to reduced rainfall in the area.

Tall folks take note though – there are a lot of low ceilings and things to bang your head on (as demonstrated by the blurry photo lower down)

Summer Shopping: Beach Towels

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I can’t say I’ve ever really shopped for a beach towel before. The last one I had was bought at the last-minute without much consideration. It was going to get covered in sand anyway, so what did it matter what it looked like? Right?

I have never been more wrong. When I looked at my trusty old towel the other day it occurred to me that it might not see me through another summer. So I started looking online for other options – and a whole new world of shopping opened up to me.

Tall tip: Beach towels come in different lengths (who knew?) so it’s worth checking the item description. The longest one I found was the Sunnylife towel (via ASOS) which is a lengthy 175cm.

Row 1: John Lewis Basics / Sunnylife Stripe / Next / John Lewis Beach Hut
Row 2: Seafolly / Biba / Ralph Lauren
Row 3: Next Exotic Floral / Accessorize Floral Union Jack / Accessorize Vintage
Row 4: Linea Polka Dot / George Anchor
Row 5: Linea Flamingo Stripe / George Ice Lollies / John Lewis Flamingoes

The Pretty Dress Guide to Packing for a Beach Holiday

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It’s surprising how much goes into packing for a holiday. I’m not one of those people who can just throw a few things in a bag and go, I like to plan.

Lets start with the shoes: One pair of trainers, one pair of nude-goes-with-everything heels, one pair of wedges, one pair of sandals and one pair of flip-flops. I nearly always end up sticking to sandals and flip-flops once I’m there, but I like to know I’ve got all the bases covered.

The easiest and best way to pack shoes is using a plastic carrier bag. I usually line the bottom of my suitcase with shoes and then pack smaller items around them, leaving a relatively flat surface for the clothes to lie on.

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Converse trainers from BrandAlley

The next staple is the little white dress – dressed up with wedges for the evening or down with sandals in the day.

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Dress: Topshop | Wedges: ASOS

I like outfits that can go from day to evening just by changing up the accessories. (Small hard-case clutches are great for hols as you can also use them for transporting jewellery – or anything else that might get damaged in transit). These are also some of my favourite combinations…

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Dress: Zara | Sandals: Oasis | Clutch: Next

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Playsuit: Jovonnista | Shoes: H&M | Clutch: Textile Federation via ASOS

At the beach I prefer light dresses that you can just throw on/off – maxi dresses are great but the best thing I ever bought, I got years ago from Orion. Their kimono dresses are incredibly light and the material doesn’t wrinkle so they can be chucked in your beach bag with no fuss.

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Orion

I love getting out on the water in a boat (motorboat that is… I can’t sail but I like to pretend I can by looking the part) so I’m a big fan of breton stripe tops.

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Top: F&F | Shorts: Warehouse | Sandals: F&F

And lastly: The Bikinis. I live in these things on holiday. You can never have too many right?

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Clockwise from top left: F&F | George | F&F | ASOS | South Beach via ASOS

Beach Beauties

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It’s finally happened. After weeks of glorious sunshine and un-English warmth, I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be cold.

So in celebration of this, the fact that I’ve booked a holiday this week, and the summer sales – here’s a round-up of some of the best beach-themed holiday wear on the web:

001 ted baker libertine

Ted Baker Bikini, Top £39 Briefs £35
Libertine by Giles Deacon Sea Horse Pendant £35 (on sale)
(Both via ASOS)

003 maxi dress

London Rebel Sandals, £16 (on sale) Via ASOS
JOY Maxi Dress £45 (on sale)
Oliver Bonas Shell Ring £3 (on sale)

002 FC bikini Gold bangle

French Connection Bikini, Top £24 Briefs £22 via ASOS
Oliver Bonas Clam Bangle

004 roxy bikini

Roxy Palm Beach Print Bikini £35 (on sale) via ASOS
House of Fraser Seagull Print Beach Towel £25
Ted Baker Starfish Earrings £29 via ASOS

006 maison top

Oliver Bonas Necklace £26
Maison Scotch Jumper £57 (on sale) via ASOS

005 swimwear

Ted Baker Seahorse Bikini, Top £35 Briefs £35
French Connection Swimsuit £34 (on sale)
Both via ASOS