The North Coast...sale shopping, hay bales & Scented Scandles

We took advantage of an offer of our friend's house and a reasonably ok weather forecast to dash up the North Coast for 4 days. It's my favourite place in Northern Ireland...as soon as we arrived on Monday evening, it was onto Portstewart Strand for a walk...

Lightweight Waterproof Parka - Target Dry (past season but the Alexa or Aintree are similar)
Jeans - Vero Moda (past season)
Trainers - Nike (Kildare Outlet)
On Tuesday, we headed into Coleraine for a coffee, a trip to Poundland (kids' holiday treat!) and a quick look in the shops (mum's holiday treat). We come up North in August most years and there's always a great sale in Moore's of Coleraine - a very traditional department store which has lots of brilliant brands like Hunter, Esprit, Second Female etc..along with some more familiar high street brands like Monsoon and French Connection.
I tried on a few tops..this first one is Seasalt - loved the print but the sleeves were a bit 'floaty' for me:

Next, this short sleeved lightweight knit from Hobbs was down to £9!

Loved this Esprit top with the breton stripe at the sides. Sadly, the 14 was too big but if anyone sees this locally to them in a 10 or a 12, I'd pay for it to be sent over to me...absolutely LOVED it!

This next jacket wasn't in the sale - it's new stock at Miss Selfridge (available on this link). Just caught my eye as I walked past and I had to try it on. It's only £35 - quite lightweight...but a little short on me.

This last one is the only purchase I made - it's from Seasalt and I can't find it online. There's a better picture of me wearing it further down:

Then it was over to Mussenden Temple and Downhill - a National Trust property near Coleraine with amazing views down to Benone Strand and the rail line to Derry.

There were hay bales all over the meadow here and the kids had so much fun climbing over them...
....ok, so I may have joined in :)

Quilted Jersey Jacket - Next (SS15 Sale)

Jeans & Trainers as before
Wednesday we headed over to the Carrick-a-Rede bridge - another National Trust venue - one we've not been to for a couple of years. It was SO busy with tourists but the queues moved well. That walk across the bridge always gets the heart racing..

though it's over so fast as there's always so many people behind you so you don't get time to stop and panic. Just as well! Here's one of the views from the other side....truly stunning:

and here's what I wore - it was a warm day but we all had our raincoats with us just in case...

Top - F&F at Tesco
Jeans & Trainers as before
Thursday was the day we'd been waiting for weather wise and it did not disappoint meaning that I could at last ditch the jeans and trainers. We headed for Portrush and while the kids & hubby headed to the West Strand, I took a detour up a side street nearby to visit Karen, who owns Filthy Velvet and makes the most fab candles (or Scented Scandles as she likes to call them).

I had heard great things about them from my blogging buddy Dawn, who wrote about them here, so I wanted to sniff them all for myself. Brace yourself - they're not your usual sweetly named candles...these are just a little bit cheeky but smell amazing with great staying power and the ability to fill a big room.
Now there are some names a bit more cheeky than others and having 3 kids who can read and ask questions to beat the band, I didn't opt for my favourite one which is called Sexting...just my 2nd and 3rd ones, Me So Thorny (Indian Rose) and WTF (Winter's Traditional Fragrance...obviously!).

Others I loved and will get again included Big Pants (clean linen) and Posh Tart (apple tart)..oh and I discovered you can peel off the labels so that's made me add Sexting back onto the shopping list!
They make fab gifts for your friends - especially Knocked Up - which is a baby powder smell....love it!

You can order them on the website here - free delivery for orders over £15...oh and Karen also sells 'Filthy Bits' wax melts...
So after that lovely meeting, I was back down to the beach for a few hours with the family..

Navy T-Shirt - Next
White Vest - Gap Outlet
Denim Shorts - TU at Sainsburys (preloved)
Sandals - Topshop
Cross Body - Gap
Then once everything was covered sufficiently in sand, we headed up into the town for the amusements, a fish and chip supper and the crazed spending of the last of the holiday pocket money (the kids...not me!)
Friday saw the weather turn so it was a pack up & clean morning followed by a long wet drive home....took the photo at  home after changing in to different jeans and shoes.

Top - Whitestuff (SS15 Sale)
Jeans - Gap Premium Super Skinny
Wedge Sandals - Clarks (old)
Necklace - short one from the Warehouse sale, long one from my shop.

Another week in the bag - two more to go and we've just one treat left for the kids that they don't know about yet. The week after next, we've booked a 2 night break in a hotel family room - the first time we've ever stayed in a hotel together. Eek....5 in a room....does that actually work in practice?!

Ax