firststreet denisse

Last Saturday I took a trip to one of my favourite areas of London – the picturesque Richmond Upon Thames. This little corner of the city by the water has long been a favourite of mine since I first went for a job interview there on my second day in the UK. For those who haven’t been to Richmond, let me paint the picture for you. It’s like a quaint village, home to yummy mummy’s who push strollers by the river, young couples with adorable dogs and a rather prominent rowing community. Not to mention it has a great many parks (one of which has live deer!) and a range of waterfront pubs perfect for sunset drinks. Just past the centre of town you’ll find Petersham Nursery. I’d heard the whisper go round about this place not long after I moved here and I’d been wanting to go ever since. Saturday was the day – along with my friend and her mum (who’s visiting from Australia), we set off with grumbling tummies, ready for a lunch among the flowers. Leather Jacket by River Island £100, Knit by ...

It’s the end of April! Can you believe it? I feel like I was celebrating New Year on the rooftops of Piccadilly just last week. With spring in the air, it’s pretty obvious which event has overtaken my celeb style picks for the month: Coachella. A melting pot of enviable street style, celeb sightings and swaying palm trees; Coachella always delivers the fashion goods. I’m sure your Instagram feed has already been inundated but just in case, check out my fav bohemian babes below... Dress by Abercrombie & Fitch £64 || Boots by Dune £104 || Fringed Bag by Bon Prix £30 || Hat by Dorothy Perkins £11 Year after year, Alessandra Ambrosio is always a standout for me at Coachella. She just seems able to nail that desert-wanderer style effortlessly. Love her creamy lace dress combined with the over-the-knee boots and floppy fedora. A touch a fringing completes the look. Top  by Topshop £22 ||  Skirt  by New Look £15 ||  Boots  by Kurt Geiger £65 ||  Belt ...

A sunny spring Saturday had me smiling last weekend. After a hectic few weeks [or should I say few months!], I decided to have a quiet day indulging in a lie-in, plenty of book reading and a mini TV marathon. Then when 4pm rolled around it seemed like the perfect time to take a stroll along the river so I threw on a pair of trainers, plugged in my headphones and set off. Talk about beautiful sunshine. The air is still quite nippy but there were some spectacular blue skies. Check out the sun shining through those branches… Fulham is such a beautiful area, it surprises me at every turn. Sure there are some grungy bits but it all adds to the personality. I found a lovely little street with pastel coloured homes and just off it was this striking line of bare trees… By 6pm the chill was started to outweigh the sunshine so I headed for home with a rather grumbling tummy. After an indulgent dinner the night before with a certain member of the royal family [I’ll save that story for another tim...

This week there’s been a shift in London. Endless dreary days seem to have perked up a little and the temperature is on the rise! All week I’ve woken up to blue skies outside my window and we even had one day that reached 22 degrees – talk about a heat wave; the people went crazy! I’m particularly happy to lose the winter layers and wear something more spring-like; I’ve always preferred warm weather dressing… And what could say spring more than some colour! The perfect spring recipe is undoubtedly a dollop of soft pastel shades and a dash of sunshine. From baby blue to sorbet pink, spring’s prettiest palette is irresistible. No more noire… Lemon // Heels by Zara £60 || Jacquard Crop Top by Whistles £85 || Embellished Dress by Diambattista Valli £1,765 Tangerine // Crop Top by Opening Ceremony £300 || Dress by Miss Selfridge £30 || Bag by Saint Laurent £1,110 Pink //   Bag by Balenciaga £1,545 || Trainers by Michael Kors £130 || Mini Skirt by Miu Miu £480 Lilac  // B...

We’re all guilty of throwing a little white lie in there occasionally, but when it comes to fashion I think there are three big whoppers we’ve all used a little too often…   “I can’t remember where I got it actually…” Of course you can, you were swinging that [insert brand name] bag all the way home. It’s your most prized recent purchase. The fact is you just don’t want anyone to know where you bought it because if you tell them they’re likely to turn up to Saturday’s party wearing the same thing. After all, in the fashion world no one likes a copy cat. It’s all about individual style darling. “I didn’t have time to change…” Lie. Of course you did. Don’t believe anyone who says they didn’t try. They are like those people from school who said “I haven’t studied”. Of course they did, everyone studies. But to avoid seeming like we’ve tried too hard we like to labour under the pretence that we are ‘oh so very busy’ and important dashing about town whilst still looking fabulous. “Coming...

I feel I have committed a cardinal sin. But I only just realised this week. I have never shared my spaghetti bolognaise recipe with you! My recipe is very simple but I guarantee it’s good. In three years how this escaped a post I’ll never know because it’s probably my favourite meal to cook. But not to worry. All is right with the world again because here it is… What you’ll need 200g spaghetti 500g beef mince 1 brown onion, finely diced 1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tin crushed tomatoes 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon tomato paste ¾ cup red wine 2 tablespoons brown sugar Handful basil leaves, chopped What to do Heat a large fry pan and brown off your mince. No need to add any extra oil as there is plenty of fat in the meat. Once it is well browned and broken up add the onion, paprika, chilli and garlic. Then add in the crushed tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, red wine and brown sugar. Stir well and season with s...

I’m backkk – on English turf that is, for you virtual readers I never left you. But, IRL I just had a whirlwind trip back home to Australia. For a week. Yes a week. It was hectic but it was so worth it with family and friends waiting at the other end, not to mention being somewhere that I could wear a sleeveless dress without having to put on three coats. Sadly I’m not a very good flyer, turbulence makes me nervous, I hate plane food and I can’t sleep in a chair. Seriously. I’ve tried so so hard but it’s just impossible. On the bright side I’m well up to date with all the latest movies. Paddington (the bear) had me crying with laughter. I tried to do it silently which only made me look like a crazy person. If you haven’t seen it already I recommend you go and watch! Anyway back to my trip, I arrived home to the waiting arms of my mummy, after a long embrace at the airport it was home to the GC for a couple of days where I squeezed in seeing every beautiful friend I could, and also got ...

I’m not sure exactly when the change occurred but sometime in the last month my mindset switched. I went from happily bopping along with thoughts about work, play, weekend, weekday… to… Summer is coming, omg summer is coming, I have to plan out my entire life for the 3 months of warmth that London will have. Every minute counts! Where can I travel, what can I do… It’s making me rather nervous. It’s been so cold, grey and rainy for so long that I think I’m suffering from a warm weather complex. Mantra: I must make use of summer. When it only lasts for two-three months, every little ray of [mildly] warm sunshine counts. Here’s what’s on my list of things to do in London this summer… Brunch at Kensington Rooftop Gardens. Quite possibly London’s premier summer event, this one is an absolute must for delicious food, bottomless cocktails and breathtaking views. Boat ride down the Thames. The majority of London’s most stunning sites sit by the water: The Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge, The Sh...

Anyone else super excited for the release of the new Cinderella movie? Not to mention there's going to be a new Beauty And The Beast - my two favs of all time let's be honest (I'm such a kid at heart). Growing up I was always in awe of Disney princesses - I wanted their hair, their bird-like singing voices and, most importantly, their wardrobes. For those of you who have prom coming up and for the others who just love to dress up, here's my guide to dressing like a Disney princess... When it comes to the dress , sparkling embellishments and a swishy skirt are the two non-negotiables. Everything else is up to you! You can shop my favourites here . For your  hair  think big blow-out waves, pretty plaits or a perfectly coiffed chignon. Disney princesses' hair is enviably voluminous and never has a strand out of place. When it comes to make-up a soft pink lip and anything to accentuate large eyes should do the trick. Don't forget rosy cheeks of course! No they'...