Love is Kind

For my 26th birthday, I had a beautiful ring made for myself. It's a hand-made sterling silver ring with a rose gold heart. It's got mine and my other half's initials, too - to remind me that love is kind 💕

I ordered it from Carole Allen Jewellery at Not On The High Street. I would say it's my first high-end jewellery purchase and I really wanted one that wouldn't tarnish so easily. You get a choice of a copper heart or a rose gold one. I paid a little extra for the rose gold but it's worth it as I would love this ring to last a long time. It's a little big for my ring finger (I ordered the smallest size which is J) so I tend to wear it on my middle finger these days. But the owner can definitely make a smaller size for you if you wish as it is a personalised service. I don't really want to get mine resized as I am very happy with it the way it is. I absolutely adore its hammered matte finish - adds some character to it!

I don't wear it at work (as I work in the Microbiology lab - I wouldn't dare get my precious ring all bacteria-infested! Haha!) but I keep it in a pouch in my bag at all times, ready for use when I'm elsewhere. It's quite easy to clean. I use the fabric pouch that one of my earrings came in to give the ring a gentle wipe. I've also washed it with handsoap and water and it still looks good as new. I've read that sterling silver can be washed as normal anyway. But generally I just put the ring away when I need to wash my hands.

I would love to order more from Carole Allen. Her pieces are just simply lovely and they make great, thoughtful gifts! Delivery is very speedy as well. I am extremely delighted with my purchase and I wanted to write this post as soon as I received my ring but I never got the chance to until today. Still in love with it from Day 1!

Review: Rooftoppers

Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



View all my reviews

New Go-To Restaurant

On my 26th birthday, I dined with my lovely parents at Barnett's in Sunderland! It's a new-ish place which I've never heard of until I did a quick Google search of new restaurants in the area.

We watched Beauty and the Beast (which was amazing!) at the cinema then walked about a minute to the restaurant. I love how it's one of those below-ground-level places.

The cuisine is English and the menu looked good! Upon arrival, there was no one at the floor so we just picked a table and had ourselves seated (hehe!) and then the waitress came out of the kitchen to greet us. She was the only waitress at the time so I guess it was just her and the chef. Regardless, she was so friendly and accommodating and made a good first impression of the restaurant.

We each had a three-course meal and I ordered the chicken pate for starters, pork belly with mashed potatoes and vegetables as my main, and tiramisu for dessert. I loved my meal and the parents couldn't say enough good things about their food, too. And mind you - my parents really are food critics!

The food was soooo good and I normally don't say this about English food. It's just not your bog-standard pub food. This really is the real deal - haha!

I had such a wonderful time dining there and if not for the amount of popcorn I consumed at the cinema 😀, I'm sure I would have finished everything on my plate.

Three words to describe Barnett's - delicious, affordable, perfect! The ambience was also very nice and I would love to take my boyfriend there on a date night when he comes to visit.

And I'm not just saying that because I spent my birthday there. My tummy really approves of the place!

19 Degrees in Sunny Sunderland!

The weather was soooo nice today. Really good to be home ☀

Photos taken at our beautiful Seaburn Beach! We had the usual fish and chips at Queens Cafe and nommed on ice cream by the seaside. Everyone was in a happy mood - adults and children alike. I loved seeing so many cute dogs today. And of course, the seagulls! Such a lovely day. I would've thought I was in Spain!

Holding My Peace

There's one thing I did today that I'm proud of.

I held my peace.

It isn't always easy. Most of the time I choose not to do it. But this time it had been called for. I held my peace. And I regret it not one bit.

Asking for God's guidance as I make choices in life.