Style Inspiration: Winter coat

I recently blogged about the fact that I'd found the perfect leopard print coat from Sandro...so I was very disappointed when I looked on their website on the weekend to discover is it  approx. €950! Ouch. 

It was price that put me off the 'other' perfect See by Chloe leopard print coat a few years ago too, so clearly nice leopard print comes at a price.

Of course this is London and there are always fabulous high street alternatives, so when I spotted this Topshop premium oxblood coat this week, I snapped it up right away! I not only love the colour, I like the price too - at £130 it's great considering it's 70% wool with a leather trim. What kind of coat is on your wish list this autumn/winter? NHG x

Corsica

It was a bit of a coincidence that this year I went to both Sardinia and Corsica. After I booked, I thought they might be a little too similar but I was very wrong! Corsica is like Sardinia's wild, mountainous French cousin. Sardinia is very flat in comparison, and after one particular road trip through winding mountains along the Gulf of Porto, I thought I was going to be ill!

We stayed in Lumio which is on the North West Balagne coast at a small boutique hotel called Chez Charles. It was really modern (especially compared to Sardinia!) and is owned by a husband and wife team. As school holidays had ended, it was very quite and the beaches were seriously peaceful in comparison to Sardinia's packed beaches back in July.

Corscia is very French, as in we didn't see any Brits or Australians (only a few Germans!) until the very last night when a British wedding descended on our beach in the afternoon. I've always found getting around in Europe fairly easy, as so many people speak English but let me tell you...in Corsica "Parlez-vous anglais?" will 90% of the time get you a "non". This certainly isn't a bad thing, but it was harder to communicate than most other beach destinations I've visited.NHG x

Top photo taken on the Gulf of Porto, a World Heritage Site, and above taken in the artisan town of Pigna.

1st blog anniversary

I've just returned from Corsica today in time to celebrate my 1st blog anniversary! I can't believe how fast the past 12 months have gone, although at the same time it feels like I've lived in Notting Hill for years.

The past year in London has been a bit of a whirlwind with my day job as Digital Marketing Executive of a rather large shopping destination in London, plus lots of travel thrown in for good measure. I've travelled to Rome, Tuscany, Florence, Melbourne, Ischgl, Porto, Copenhagen, Sardinia and Corsica with an upcoming trip to Paris to celebrate my birthday and engagement to my boyfriend.

Mr Porter is my long-suffering boyfriend also happens to be my Notting Hill Girl photographer (not by choice I might add). I wish I could take a 'behind the scenes' because normally it involves an argument (or two) on the streets of Notting Hill because neither of us really know how to use my DSLR that well. We must be a great sight for tourists!

Looking back, my most popular blog posts have been my 'Carrie' series - dedicated to the Whistles pink skirt that seemed to send everyone into a frenzy back in spring. Carrie was such a hit that Melanie Ricky from Grazia magazine ran an article on the skirt and I was thrilled to take part.

Another popular series (which I plan to continue) is my exploration of French Pharmacy products. I bought a few new products while in Corsica so expect an update soon! It seems that everyone is curious about these products, which up until recently, were the secret of French women.

But by far my favourite part of blogging has been the fabulous ladies I chat to on a regular basis, and I hope that I get to meet you all in the next year before I head home to Melbourne! I recently caught up with fellow Aussie, Briony from A Girl, A Style, and it was like we were old friends. I think it's such a amazing thing that blogging can bring together people from all over the world to bond over similar interests, while creating lifelong friendships in the process.

Thank you to all the fellow bloggers I've met (online) in the past 12 months and to all the lovely readers who make my day with your comments - it's been such a positive experience and I hope there are many more 'blog anniversaries' to come! Dearne AKA Notting Hill Girl xo

All photos of Notting Hill taken via Instagram.