Coat season

 It's officially coat season here in London and this oxblood red coat with leather trim from Topshop is the latest edition to my 'coat wardrobe'. Yes, I seriously have a coat wardrobe! I share it with Mr Porter, but it's an entire wardrobe dedicated to outerwear as owning one coat is never enough here...I've added at least two coats to the wardrobe every autumn for the past four years so it's getting rather full.*

The dress is one of two Sandro dresses I've purchased so far this season. I am obsessed with Peter Pan collars and anything with leopard print detailing, so as soon as I spotted it in their look book, I knew I had to get it. Lucky for me, I purchased the last one (which happened to be my size) in a Sandro boutique in Paris.

Do you buy a new coat each season or do you recycle from previous seasons? NHG x

*I have donated one or two to charity along the way.

NHG loves: Autumn

In Melbourne, the season of autumn doesn't really mean much to me. The beginning is generally hot and blends seamlessly into summer, and the end starts to cool off in the lead up to winter. The trees don't change colour unless you visit specific areas that have deciduous trees - and certainly not where I grew up surrounded by national forest. 

Over the past four years, autumn has become my favourite season in England partly due to the novelty factor. I love watching the trees as they slowly turn shades of orange, red and yellow, while the sun shines warmly low in the sky (more so than summer I would argue).I also find getting dressed easy again - summer baffles me and I'm constantly either too hot from the high humidity, or too cold from the blasting air-conditioner at work.

This year, more than ever, I'm trying to fit in as many outdoor activities as I can before winter settles in. I've become particularly fond of bike riding and have spent the past month exploring my local area on a Boris Bike whenever I can. I'm not sure how that will continue in the depths of winter when I will most likely spend my weekends holed up inside wearing my garish hot pink robe, baking hearty food.

What is your favourite season? NHG x

P.S You can follow me on Instagram (so highly addictive!) at nottinghillgirl 

Photos below: Day trip to The New Forest, bike riding in Hyde Park, bike riding in Little Venice and bike riding through the Borough of Kensington & Chelsea on their Coffee & Cake tour. 

Navy blue

Navy blue fascinates and scares me at the same time. I think it's because my school uniform in primary school was full navy blue (with a yellow emblem) and my high school was navy blue trousers with a royal blue jumper...18 years of wearing navy blue will probably put you off, right?

Whenever I spot a stylish woman wearing navy, I always wish that I could look that chic. For one, I always struggle with what shoes to wear. Black? Sometimes it looks great, other times it looks like an after-thought. Brown? Eeek. Tan, silver, grey or gold? Yes, all could work.

This week I found myself purchasing navy blue in abundance. Perhaps it's because I've been wearing far too much black lately (as a Melburnian I love black a little too much) but whatever it is, I'm hooked.

I purchased a v-neck cashmere jumper from Uniqlo (on Ines de la Fressange's must-have list), a navy polka-dot dress from Topshop, a Peter Pan collar velvet top from COS and a pair of navy suede heels from Carvella at Kurt Geiger. And finally, my Tom Ford optical glasses arrived in chocolate brown (black was too harsh), which compliment navy perfectly.

What are your thoughts on navy blue? Is it a colour that you either love or loathe? NHG x

Blogger Weddings: Oracle Fox

Now I know I said that I didn't want to turn this into a wedding blog, but I couldn't resist sharing this wedding with you...it is the wedding of one of Australia's most talented bloggers (and visual artist) Mandy from Oracle Fox.

The wedding was a destination wedding in Bali and the photography is by Jonas Peterson, a Swede living in Australia who has been voted top 10 wedding photographers in the world for very good reason! I am currently trying to twist Mr Porter's arm into agreeing to have Jonas shoot our wedding. He's kind of expensive, and our wedding is meant to be no-frills (I have no plans for bridesmaids etc).

But back to Mandy - look at that dress! Look at that headpiece! It-is-amazing. And it speaks volumes about her nature-loving, bohemian style. I'm not sure many people could pull it off, but she does with ease and the result is a truly unique wedding. I wish I could be that brave...I've included the link to the full wedding album below. NHG x

All photos by Jonas Peterson - see full album here.

Birthday in Paris

Last weekend I went on my 5th trip to Paris to celebrate my birthday (and recent engagement).The weather couldn't have been more perfect and I fell in love with the city all over again.

This trip wasn't about tourist sites, and I kind of feel bad that I didn't even set my sights on the Eiffel Tower as I love it! There was just no time...

Where we stayed:
Hotel Duo in the Marais district, which I found in the Mr & Mrs Smith hotel guide. The breakfast is huge (and delicious) and the rooms and bathrooms are modern. I'd definitely stay there again! The staff were friendly too.

Where we ate:  
Rose Bakery, which I absolutely recommend. I had a fabulous brunch of scrambled eggs, homemade corn muffin and salad. I've never been to their restaurant in London, but I've heard it's not as good.

Rice and Beans, a Mexican restaurant. Not normally what we'd eat in Paris but it was a recommendation from someone who lives there and it was quick and easy after we arrived on Friday night.

Our hotel recommended a small local restaurant called Des Gars dans la Cuisine‎ on Saturday night which felt local and cozy and the service was great. We tried to get into Derrière, which was recommended by a friend, but it was fully booked...definitely on my list for next time. This is owned by the same owners as Sketch in London and looks very cool.

Where we shopped:
We mainly stuck to the Marais district and surrounding area on Saturday visiting all my favourite stores (plus a few new ones) including Sandro, Merci Merci, Vintage Desire (everything is €10 here and I could have bought so many dresses), Free 'P' Star vintage, Maje, A.P.C, Claudie Pierlot, Princesse Tam Tam, Repérages Maison (for chic homewares) and Le Bon Marche. My favourite streets were Rue des Francs Bourgeois and Rue des Rosiers.

Sunday was spent at Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, a flea market I have visited many times. I found a gorgeous vintage flower ring (below) which actually fits my small hands - hurrah!

My favourite city guide - unlike.net now features a Paris guide which I found really handy. I've used it in quite a few cities now and you can always rely on it to take you to places not normally in tourist guides.

What are your top tips for Paris? I'd love to know. NHG x

Coffee & Cake Bike Tour

When a PR from my local borough of Kensington & Chelsea recently got in contact and asked me if I would like to come on a local bike tour that involved coffee and cake, I couldn't resist.

If you live in the area, then you can come along too! Next Saturday 8th October members of the public are invited on a two and a half hour afternoon cycling cruise around some of the Royal Borough’s most prestigious and delicious cafes and cake shops.

The tour starts at a coffee spot in Notting Hill and weaves its way to Pierre Herme in Knightsbridge for some award-winning macarons before finishing in Chelsea. 

The cost of the tour is just £5.00 per person (including cakes and coffee!) and you are advised to bring your own bike (although you can hire a Boris bike). NHG x

Places are limited, so booking is a must.  To book visit www.bikeminded.org
P.S I disappeared in September - engagement, birthday and work ate my life up. Hopefully October will be a little more calm!

Images: Me riding a Boris bike through Hyde Park (was that bag rack made for my Mulberry or what?) and second image courtesy of the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea.