Celebrating 3 Years of EBONI + IVORY!

It feels like only yesterday that I was writing my “Celebrating 2 Years of EBONI + IVORY” blog post, fresh from an Italian adventure, looking forward to another year in this business we call blogging. Well, here we are again. I made it through another year! *confetti canon* 

From my first press trip abroad, to working on a huge project with Kia, travelling across North America and rekindling an old romance, 2018 will certainly be a hard one to top! I have loved sharing my past year of adventures online, so here are is a roundup of my favs:

Spa Day and Afternoon Tea at Hilton Ageas Bowl

Hi Guys,

Whilst in Southampton recently, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon at Eforea Spa, located within the Hilton Ageas Bowl Hotel. They kindly treated myself and my friend Grace to a spa day afternoon tea. 

We were lucky with the gorgeous, sunny weather. We really enjoyed soaking in the rays on the deck of the outside jacuzzi. Unfortunately the facilities themselves were extremely busy and we didn't actually manage to spend much time in the spa area at all or get an pictures, however it all looked wonderful and I would love to re-visit on a quieter day. (For reference, we arrived at approximately 11.30am on a Monday). 

Instagram Guide to: Southampton

Hey Guys,

So this weekend, the universe answered my pleas, and I was blessed with a night away from London! I was kindly invited by room2 Southampton, to stay in one of their gorgeous rooms. I took this as an opportunity to make the most of my visit with some blog posts, YouTube videos and collaborations. 

I had never been to Southampton before, nor did I know much about it, but after a few hours of google-searches, instagram geotag stalking and looking through the blog posts, I had a list of places to go and things to see that would satisfy my desire to explore, as well as my Instagram feed!

Southampton is the gorgeous port city of Hampshire, in the south of England. A 1.5 hour train ride or 2 hour coach journey from London will take you into the heart of Southampton for around £30. Famous for it's aviation heritage and being the departure point of the Titanic in 1912, Southampton has a rich history with lots to explore. What's more, Southampton is home to a large university, meaning the city is populated by lots of young people. It is for this reason I believe Southampton is home to so many wonderful bars, cafes and cool spaces that cater to the modern, aesthetic-seeking generation!
I hope this post inspires you to get up close and personal with the wonderful city that is Southampton!

Instagram Guide to: Southampton

room2 Southampton

1 Queen's Terrace, Southampton SO14 3BP

Room2 is a gorgeous hotel. You can read more about it and view more images in this blog post. I love the decor of the public spaces, as well as the bedrooms themselves. Each nook brings a new photo backdrop, making it the perfect place for an indoor insta-sesh!

Harbar on 6th

5 Maritime Walk, Southampton SO14 3QT

I discovered Harbar on 6th after I stumbled across their instagram page. According to our Uber driver, this place is extremely popular! We asked if we would be able to take some pictures on the balcony terrace, and despite the windy conditions, the staff kindly allowed us to. We paid the price though, as the nearby yachts swayed towards us! But it was so worth it for these fab pictures on a rare sunny spring day in the UK.

Boat Docks

Maritime Walk, Southampton, SO14 3QS

The boat docks are located just below Harbar on 6th. You can take a walk around the water and stop for a quick snap as you feel like it. Unfortunately you're unable to get up close and personal with the yachts, but I think we did pretty well at getting this close! I also loved the glass apartment blocks in the same area. The sunlight was gorgeous in the middle of the day.

olive. Bar 

3 - 4 Vernon Walk, Southampton SO15 2EJ

The olive. bar needs no introduction - I mean, just look at her! This hidden gem is set amongst a few other bars on vernon walk. Don't let the graffiti and tiny alleyways put you off, this location is screams sophistication and has been touched by the hand on an interior god! 

I LOVE the colours in here. From the seating areas to the toilets, you are sure to get a great picture in olive. bar!

Andrews Park (East Park)

Above Bar St, Southampton SO14 7DW

We stumbled across this location right at the end of our trip. We had an hour to kill before our train, so made the most of it and had a mini photoshoot - outfit changes and all! The lamp posts, the benches, the roses, the bandstand and the wooden archway; this location is a gorgeous oasis in the middle of a great city.

I hope you enjoyed this mini Instagram tour of Southampton! I'm sure there are loads more locations to be found, but this is what we managed in 24 hours! Have you ever been to Southampton or any of these places?

Eb x

Images by Justina and Grace

Hotel Guide: room2 Southampton

Hotel Guide: room2 Southampton

I was recently invited to experience a stay at the lovely room2 in Southampton. I was delighted at the prospect of escaping busy London for a night and head down to Southampton with a spring in my step! 

This is my honest experience of a gifted stay at room2. 

Room2 is located just opposite Queens Park and within walking distance of the national express bus station, Southampton Central train station and the main shopping centre and high street. In fact, Southampton is, generally, a very “walkable” place, which is very important to a non-driver like me! Otherwise, the Uber fares seem to be reasonable from what I saw, and the local bus routes are thorough.