Lets kick this off with 7 year old me in coral, everything is coral. My socks were probably coral. Look at my brother, isn't he cute? He REALLY loved Pluto. 

I'm thinking I was about 7 here again and in my Disney obsessed phase. I thought I was Belle and forks really are dinglehoppers. 

This is probably the first and last time I managed to look demure, ladylike and photogenic. I imagine I picked this dress out from the Woolworths Ladybird catalogue for a Christmas party. Little did I know I was anticipating the Peter pan collar trend by about 15 years. This is definitely one outfit that I would still wear now and I actually have a pair of patent shoes just like those and you can get some cute lookalikes for your little ones here.

I don't understand this look at all, green velvet? All lime and shiny... Check out that fringe.

I think this is my 2nd Birthday party and I look really happy because there's coconut cake on the table. Some things never change because cake still makes me smile. 

First day of high school and I'm wearing Kickers,  I HAD to have Kickers.

This is probably the most ridiculous photo of me and the most Shirley Temple I ever managed to look. 

Innsbruck is situated next to the river Inn, at the heart of the Austrian Alps, this means the city has a beautiful and dramatic appearance, with peaks that loom over the town and it's pretty buildings. Martyn and I visited the city on his 40th birthday and managed to cram in a lot of sightseeing into one day. We caught the train from our base at Zell am See and we managed to get some super cheap single tickets in advance for €9 each way. I think a lot of visitors tend to head for Vienna or Salzburg when visiting Austria but I'm glad I visited Innsbruck with its Habsburg legacy and stunning Old Town. 

Innsbruck is definitely one of the most picturesque cities I have visited in Europe and I wish I could have spent 48 hours there but I did manage to see some of the main sights and get a good overview of the city in just one day. 

Our first stop once we arrived in Innsbruck was to head to the Touristinformation Innsbruck. You can buy tickets for buses and trams, and the Innsbruck Card, which offers free entry to most of the city's key attractions as well as unlimited public transport: 24 hours costs €29; 48 hours, €34; 72 hours, €39. Martyn and I picked up a 24 hour card and nearly made our money back after visiting one attraction. The main activity we wanted to do that day was to get the Hungerburg Funicular and the Cable Railways to get panoramic views over the city. A round trip costs €24 alone so the 24 hour card was pretty good value. We headed straight to the cable car as the weather was looking bright and clear and we didn't want to risk our views being obscured by cloud later in the day.

Once we had made our way back down the mountain we visited the Court Church, also known by the locals as the 'Schwarzmander Church' thanks to the 28 life sized bronze figures that stand guard watching over the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I.  The tomb is actually empty but is a work of great craftsmanship. I particularly loved the way we were introduced to the life of the emperor and his acheivements through originally presented displays before a door opened to the magnificent tomb. Maximilian I made his family, the Habsburgs, dominant in the 16th Century and added vast lands to his holdings such as the Netherlands, Hungary, Bohemia and Spain. 

We spent the rest of our day in the Old Town which is the focal point for most visitors to Innsbruck. The decorative Helbling Haus (picture above), was one of my favourite buildings even though it is a tad over the top. Originally a Gothic townhouse built in the 15th century, over the years the exterior has changed quite a bit, most notably in 1730 when the front was adorned with the many bows, ribbons, and other ornamental Rococo details seen on it today giving it a bit of a doll house look. 

Visitors gravitate towards the Golden Roof (comprising 2,657 copper tiles) on Herzog Friedrich-strasse, still the city's main landmark five centuries after it was built. The Golden Roof, or Goldenes Dachl, housed the very first government  of the Hapsburg Dynasty. Its gold tiles were placed on the roof in honor of Emperor Maximilian I’s marriage to Bianca Maria Sforza. We enjoyed strolling around the cobbled streets looking at the mixture of architecture in the Old Town.

Martyn and I felt like our day in Innsbruck was a little rushed and would definitely like to return and have more time to visit places like the Imperial Palace and experience the nightlife. I would highly recommend making Innsbruck a stop off on any inter rail itinerary and you could even visit for a day trip if you are staying in areas such as Munich or Salzburg which are only a couple of hours away by train. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long to return to Innsbruck. Maybe I can add it to the honeymoon itinerary...

I'm going to #KeepTheSecret and not spoilt the plot of anyone but I can say it was bloody fantastic. I've never seen anything quite like it in terms of staging and the crew did a wonderful job creating magic on stage. There were a few moments that made the audience gasp and I felt like the whole thing passed me by in a blink of an eye because it was so enjoyable. If you're going to see the play or thinking of getting tickets you will need to dedicate a whole day to it. The play comes in two parts both around 2 hours 40 minutes in length with a two hour break in the middle. 

I adored Scorpius and Albus and it was great to see some of my favourite characters return. I don't think the plot will please all the Potter fans but as the events happen after the book series I guess you could pretend it didn't happen and enjoy it as a play in its own right if it isn't to your taste. I'm going to try and get tickets to see it again at the end of next year so I can take it all in properly and maybe sit closer to the stage so I can try and figure out how they created all the visual effects.

I've also managed to fit in another trip to London to see Les Miserables with my mum for her birthday. I listen to the original cast recording of Les Mis constantly and I've read the (huge) book and obsessed over the movie so I was well overdue a visit to see it in the West End. It really didn't disappoint and the actors who portrayed Valjean and Enjorlas were stand out members of the cast. I've not stopped singing Red and Black since seeing the show. I've already planned another trip to see Les Mis and Dreamgirls on the same day in the new year. I also saw Billy Elliot in the beautiful Millennium Centre and I cried when Billy's dad was called a scab and thought it really was a top notch, West End level of performance. It's touring across the UK at the moment so I would highly recommend seeing it if it's in your area. 

I also had my first proper girls night out in about two years, drank too much gin and danced to the new Britney track which I love (has a Zayn - Pillowtalk vibe). I've also made a real start on the wedding plans and been to view some venues like Chapel (photo below). I'm finding the whole process a tad stressful at the moment and it would be a lot more fun if I had 20k to spend but being on a budget means  I have to haggle and weigh up what's really important to me and Martyn. 

Viewing some potential wedding reception venues also prompted me to do a trial run of my wedding cake which needs a bit of practice and finesse as my first attempt was a bit sloppy but incredibly tasty.  I also got some lovely new dining rooms chairs as a early birthday present from Martyn and spruced up the dining room with plants which I will inevitably kill by overwatering them.

Being rather busy has meant that I've missed out on a lot of blog reading recently so if you've come across a great post or want to share one of your own please leave me a link in the comments. 

That's us all caught up, I'll be spending the rest of the week in work in front of the fan trying not to melt and drinking loads of iced coffee. 

I don't typically like to visit the same place more than once on holiday as there are so many places I want to tick off my 'to visit' list but I made an exception for Austria. Zell am See and Kaprun are primarily known as ski resorts in the winter but they make a great summer holiday destination too. Even though we visited the same region last year there was still plenty of things to explore in Zell am See and the surrounding areas so we didn't end up repeating everything we did previously. 

Zell am See is one of the most scenic and well-loved lakes and mountains resorts in Austria. Located, directly on the shores of the beautiful Lake Zell, it is also close to the Hohe Tauern National Park and the magnificent Grossglockner mountain region. Most of Zell am See’s medieval centre is traffic-free with plenty of little shops and cafés to visit. There are magnificent walks accessed by cable car on the Schmittenhöhe mountain, and the resort offers a wide range of sporty activities and lake cruises. Just a short drive away is the pretty mountain village of Kaprun is an ideal place for walking and cycling, with year round skiing on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier. We spent our holiday using the town of Zell an See as a base and headed out to the surrounding areas like Kaprun and got the train to Innsbruck for the day(post to follow about Innsbruck, it was beautiful!)