Getting healthy - and staying that way!

Remember I said I was going to get fit in 2015? So far I have done pretty well - I gave up chocolate for 22 days (which is a huge achievement in my world), rejoined the gym and got back into a healthy mindset. 

After a few pilates class I can finally almost see my abs again after their Christmas holidays!

I've recently joined Kiss Gym in Acton, literally a five minute walk from my house. This has massively helped because not only has it got a women's section (thank the lord), all the equipment and classes you could need, it is only £20 a month!

I have porridge every morning for breakfast, and love it.That probably makes me a bit weird, but my porridge is normally my favourite meal of the day. 

I also bought this giant pack of Goji berries from Amazon for £5, and have become totally obsessed with them. I put them in my porridge (along with banana and chia seeds) and then snack on them all day like raisins. They are pretty much posh raisins with a tonne of health benefits - just be careful they don't get stuck in your teeth like mind did!

This water bottle has also massively improved my water drinking - after spotting my friend with one I found it on Amazon and bought it for a cool £10. It is pretty snazzy, it has a juicer in the bottom so you can put anything in there (lemon is probably the most obvious) and have more interesting water. 

So, all in all looking healthier! Although I did fall off the wagon this week and had a gigantic chocolate and general food meltdown. But the important thing is to start back up again and clear your mind (I hope!) - you can't change the past, but you can change the future :) 

Plum & Spilt Milk

I haven't been out for an amazing meal in what seems like forever, but this one more than made up for it. Plum & Spilt Milk is a restaurant overlooking Kings Cross, wonderfully wacky with great food.

The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with lots of random art dotted around, impressive jam jars for lights and milk stickers lining the walls. It was packed out, despite it being a Wednesday evening.

It was my sister's birthday, so we celebrated with lots of excellent cocktails before my dad finally arrived. We were also given warm, fresh bread which Dima finished off all by himself!

Raspberry Bellini - perfect

My dad arrived and we got on with ordering. Because he lives in Russia, whenever he comes over to England we go out for gigantic feasts, which often leave me comatose - this was no different. I went for Steak Tartare for starter, which was incredible. 

For mains me and my sister shared a roast chicken, and our boyfriends shared a gigantic kilogram of steak! (Which, at £42 for 2 is quite reasonably priced). Both were great quality and worth the money. 

Those onion rings still haunt my dreams, the best I've ever had!

The sides were as good as the main event - I particularly loved the caramelized parsnips and carrots (healthy right?!) and super creamy mash. Everything was cooked to perfection and the service was brilliant, we had a great waiter who gave the perfect level of service when he is nearby but not annoyingly so. He also recommended us the best red wine I've ever had - maybe if I hadn't drunk so much of it I could remember the name! 

We were all stuffed to the brim after this but the puddings were calling our names. 

If I hadn't been on a chocolate ban, the fondant would definitely be my first choice. I went for the maple, pecan and bourbon sponge pudding.

It was good, but Dima's Plum & Spilt Milk was SO INCREDIBLE that I ended up eating all of his when he wasn't looking. Two desserts, hey! 

We were all trying to debate what the 'spilt milk' part was. I think it's the ice cream, but my family think it is a type of milk - any ideas? Whatever it was, this was the BEST thing ever. Actually no, my sister's Iced Peanut & Salted Caramel Mousse was the best thing I ate that night. I definitely recommend getting and eating both of these, they were mind blowing. 

We finally finished our beautiful meal, after watching the restaurant empty out as we ploughed on with our eating and drinking. Luckily there is a food coma throne right on hand for those who can't make it down all of the stairs. 

Convenient! I'd definitely recommend Plum & Spilt Milk for a family dinner (or a very expensive amazing one with whomever can afford it) - it was an amazing setting and every single thing we ate was cooked to perfection. Judging by the instagram stalking I did, they do a mean brunch too. 

Find them here. 

Back in London town

It feels so good to be back in London after three weeks away. Since I've been back I've been running around to castings for an abnormally busy-ish January and sticking to my resolutions of getting fit!

London is literally freezing, but at least the sun makes an appearance sometimes.

The perfect weather for shooting outdoors!

I have a strong hatred for shooting outside even on the warmer days, as outside shoots just take generally a lot longer to set up and organise. I think that I was scarred from my JD Sports shoot in 2013, which consisted of running around London for 12 hours in December, wearing tiny shorts (aka my idea of hell).  Somehow I have already had 2 shoots outside in the first week of being back in London!

Me in the JD Sports bootcamp, a futile attempt at catching my breath

'Please don't take my coat off me!'

 Although I had the most amazing shoot this week - I shot with the uber famous and talented photographer Rankin for his incredible magazine Hunger.  It's shoots like these when I remember why I love modelling - doing ecommerce is great but shooting with amazingly talented people and producing unique work is a feeling like no other. Also, they come so out of the blue! I found out about the shoot at 6pm the night before - my life changes literally overnight and it is really exciting to not know what tomorrow will bring.

I'm not allowed to post any pictures until after the next issue is out (at the end of February) but the images came out amazingly. It was probably the weirdest concept and shoot I have ever done, but I think the pictures are some of the best I've ever shot. Rankin and Andrew Gallimore are incredibly talented, as are the many people who work at the studio, so this isn't really surprising.

Cyprus

When I was 13, my mum moved us all over to Cyprus. It is really the best place to grow up - endless sunshine, school that finishes at 1.40pm and hanging out at the beach all day, everyday. We ate Zorbas sasuage rolls and spinach pies, stuffed ourselves on kleftiko, souvla and baked potatoes on Nissi beach. Lisa & I were dedicated Ayia Napa goers, even in winter when the only place open was Black & White and we'd be pretty much the only people in there swinging off the poles and doing shots. 

I came back over Christmas, and pretty much all there is to do in winter is eat the amazing food everywhere! 

Kleftiko - slow cooked lamb. The best thing EVER. 

If you come to Cyprus, GET A MIXED SANDWICH! (from one of the little shacks on the side of the road)

A crepe and a profeterole cake. Cyprus has a weird obsession with bakeries, my village alone has seven. On this particular day we went for a ferrero rocher cake which may have been the best thing I have ever put in my mouth.

The best thing to do to find the amazing food Cyprus has to offer is to find a Greek buddy. Or just go to the most traditional 'tavernas', that works too. But Nicola happened to be over too from London and very kindly took me to all of her family dinners so I seriously overindulged in souvla!

She lives in Limassol which is probably my favourite place in Cyprus - a mix of the 'city' and the sea, with lots of independent cafes everywhere to laze around with a frappe for hours. 

Whereas where I live in Larnaca, looks a lot more like this.. 

It is pretty dead over Christmas, as most people who lived here are now living in England - but lucky for me I brought someone over with me :) 

And he has someone who I have fallen head over heels in love with! 

Jack - the cutest, happiest, friendliest dog I've ever met. She comes on runs on the beaches with me and is pretty much my new personal trainer. 

Even in the rain! 

This trip has been good to just get out of London for a bit of sunshine and relaxation. But I can't wait to get back next week, despite the freezing weather I know is waiting for me! 

xxx

2015 Resolutions

2015 has come around really quickly and it's the first one for me that I don't have return to piles of law books, notes and endless studying. This really does make it a lot less bleak (having no responsibilities is awesome) and full of potential- so I'm going to try and make the most of it! 

This years resolutions actually matter for the first time seeing as modelling is my only source of income so it's lucky that January is famously quiet in the fashion world, giving me time for trudging through the rain to the gym and making healthy soups. 

1. Give up chocolate. 

I have a serious addiction to chocolate, which is always stopping me from being the weight I want to be. I literally used to eat it every single day, which is not a good practice for a model - I found it harder to give up than smoking (which I did after 4 years, best thing I've done). But it's day 6 of January, and I have managed to curb it quite well so far. I find that if I can just stay off it for three days (of torturous chocolate longing) then I don't actually want it that much anymore. This year I'm also keeping a geeky tally chart to keep me going - at least until Easter! 

goodbye, my love. 

2. Exercise Properly

I seriously lack motivation to exercise, especially when it's cold and rainy outside. It feels like you have to put on 10 layers to go outside, go to the gym, take them off to slog around on a treadmill and layer back up all sweaty and gross to come back. But I will be renewing my membership and force myself to go in the quiet month of January at least 4 times a week. 

Just went for a run - where are my abs please?!

3. Sort out my life

This is a pretty odd one but I have spent the last six months changing my mind every day about what I want to do in life. How are you supposed to know?!?? Anyway, I've done three different internships alongside modeling and am pretty sure now that law is for me, so here's to getting (and sticking with) law internships and starting the Legal Practice Course in September. 

4. Travel! 

This year I've already got the opportunity to go and live in Milan and Germany for a couple of months, having secured agencies there. Fingers crossed I'll also be off to Thailand with Lisa soon! I really want to see the world whilst I have the chance :) 

What are your resolutions?! xx