A Girly Day Out

It is so difficult for me to believe that I graduated almost two years ago now. Listening to the girls at work talking about their plans and their excitement to leave in the upcoming Summer, often brings a sense of nostalgia. It also made me realise that I hadn't seen some of my university favourites in too long! Next thing I know I'm on the phone to one of my best friends and ex-housemates, planning her visit down from Cambridge.

The Plan: a day of exactly what we do best - drinking, eating, drinking, shopping, and a little more drinking.

First stop. King's Road - for the 'most important meal of the day'. Breakfast at Bluebird. I love this restaurant, with greenery blocking the view of the road, it is quite easy to forget that you are in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Chelsea. 

It is the perfect place to be in Summer, with the comfiness of large outdoor sofas to 'set up camp' for a lazy afternoon in the sun, and the ever-changing menu of delicious food and drinks. During Wimbledon, there is also a large screen, so you can sit back with a glass (or pitcher) of Pimms, and simply, enjoy.

So on this 'slightly' cooler Saturday morning, we opted for freshly squeezed orange juice (hold the vodka atm!), toast with mushrooms and tomatoes, and a plate of fresh fruit and yogurt to share = delicious and relatively healthy - not breaking the diet just yet (but lets not speak too soon). Click here to see what else they offer.

Once breakfast ended and we walked along King's Road...(stopping at one of my favourite shoe shops - 'French Sole'), it had gone midday, signalling the start of cocktails - I mean 12 is socially acceptable right? (not that this would stop me - see my post on bottomless brunch). We jumped on the tube and made our way to Knightsbridge, heading for the doors of Harvey Nichols. 

After browsing the rails of the stunning clothes, and finally accepting that the price tags were currently out of reach, we made our way to the 5th Floor Bar. Quick note: although out of price range, this did not stop me adding to my ever-growing wishlist. Well it is my birthday in...ummm...four months.

1. Ivory Crepe Tuxedo Cape (Safiyaa)

2. 3Jours Sand Leather Tote (Fendi)

3. Tori Black Studded Suede Ankle Boots (Raye)

Or perhaps I'd be better investing in a lottery ticket.

This is one of my favourite bars in London. When you walk in, there is a sense of class and elegance, but not to the extent where you feel unwelcome and awkward. The brightly coloured pink and greens give a sense of fun and carefreeness, and the bartenders are some of the friendliest. But the best is saved for the beautifully prepared cocktails. 

The drinks that we tried:

Golden Star - Star of Bombay gin is shaken with Prucia plum liqueur, cinnamon and orange bitters and toped with Harvey Nichols Brut Champagne

Diva - This lavish and fruity cocktail features Finlandia Blackcurrant vodka shaken with fresh raspberries, passion fruit and cloudy apple juice. Served long.

Sky Cruise - (too classy to call this a pornstar martini) - Fresh passion fruit and Finlandia vodka are shaken together and served in a martini glass with a shot of Harvey Nichols Rose Champagne on the side. 

Mexican Flowers - This refreshing drink combines Patrol silver tequila, Cointreau, elderflower and grapefruit juice. 

Just writing this is making me want another drink, doesn't it make you want to try one? Here's the rest of the menu. 

As the clock struck 3...

Now, walking back through the clothes as we make our way to the exit (after a couple of drinks), it is even harder to resist the beautiful products on display. Luckily (or in actual fact, unluckily) my bank would not allow it! So we jumped back on the tube, making our way to Covent Garden.

This is by far one of my absolute favourite places in London. The street magicians, musicians and other randomness that you encounter, are entertaining, different and just fun! Team this with the shops and array of bars, and I could definitely see myself living here......one day!

It is also home of one of the Dirty Martini Bars (and in my opinion, still the best choice).

I always book a table for the whole evening when I go here, when you arrive (say, at 3pm), it is quiet, practically empty, and is a perfect time to get friendly with the bar and table staff. Queue 7pm and it is packed, if you are standing, there really is no space to move without knocking into someone, or worse, into someone's drink. It can also take forever to get to the front of the bar - the no1 reason for getting to know the staff and setting up a tab (though keep an eye on this, as it can end in quite a shock).

12pm also queues the start of 'Happy Hour' on a Saturday, that actually lasts 8 hours. Among other offers, martinis are half price during 12 and 8 - plenty of time to try quite a few!

Dirty Martini brings out new flavours for each season, and I have tried quite a few. My favourites being:

Chocolate Martini
Blood Orange and Vanilla Martini
Passion Fruit Martini

Though there are plenty more to choose from if they don't take your fancy.

After a number of drinks, every girl loves a dance, and these girls were no exception. We headed to Charing Cross, found our table, ordered a bottle of wine, and enjoyed the cheesy songs, and moves that Opal had to offer. Excuse the blurriness of the photo, but I guess it reflects the blurriness of my memory by this point.

And that is where the night ends. 

Have you ever been to any of these places, where are your favourite places to eat, drink and shop? Let me know you lovely lot!

Thank-you for reading...

Claire

xxx

Recipe Corner: Teriyaki Chicken with Coconut Rice and King Cabbage

So a couple of months ago I moved out of the comforts of my parents home. 

Coming back from university made me realise how important having my own independence had become. However, it also made me realise, I still had a lot of growing up to do.

In all honesty, I got used to dinner being made for me, meaning I didn't have to worry when I came home from work. So much so, that it came as a slightly unwelcome shock when I was faced with cooking on the first night....

Queue, my freezer being piled high with ready meals and the telephone number of take-away restaurants being placed on speed-dial. I am well aware of the negative health effects that this lifestyle can bring. So, entering into the new year I promised myself a change - starting the buying of cookbooks and the research online, searching for cheap, tasty and healthy meals, that I could easily cook. 

So here is the recipe of one of the meals that I found and loved: Teriyaki Chicken with Coconut Rice and King Cabbage.

Ingredients (for 2 people):

1/2 January King Cabbage, sliced
1 Garlic Clove, chopped
4 Chicken Thighs
1 and 1/2 tbsp Coconut Powder
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 and 1/2 tbsp Cashew Nuts
1 tbsp Ginger, chopped
3/4 tbsp Honey
1 and 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce

1. Boil 350ml of water in a pot (preparing for the rice). Chop the cabbage in half and then thinly slice one half of it. Peel and chop the garlic finely and very thinly, slice the chicken.

2. Stir 1/4 tsp of salt and the coconut powder into the boiling water. Add rice to the pot, cover with lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to rest for 10 more minutes.


3. Put a non-stick frying pan on a medium to high heat and toast the cashew nuts (careful, as they burn really easily!). Remove them from the pan and put to the side for later.


4. Peel the ginger and finely chop.

5. To make the teriyaki sauce, simply mix the garlic, ginger, honey and soy sauce together thoroughly in a bowl with 1tbsp of water.

6. Put 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan on medium heat and add the cabbage with 1/4 tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes until it has cooked down.

7. In the meantime, heat 1tbsp of olive oil in another frying pan on high heat until it is almost smoking. Cook chicken in two batches for 2-3 minutes to brown it off.

 

8. Put the chicken back into the pan and add in the teriyaki sauce. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. 

9. When the cabbage has cooked down, add it to the chicken and stir everything together.

10. Fluff up the rice with a fork and serve with the chicken and a sprinkling of toasted cashew nuts...

And there you have it. This meal is healthy, but so, so, so tasty. That coming from a girl who could quite happily live in a world with no veg, and look, there's me enjoying cabbage. 

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, and if you have anymore recipes to recommend, that would be amazing.

Claire 

xxx

The Liebster Award

Hello you lovely lot <3

Although I had been thinking about blogging for a while, I only actually started at the beginning of this month, and I still have A LOT to learn.

Saying that when the beautiful Holly from http://falling-for-grace.blogspot.co.uk/ nominated me for the Liebster award, I'm embarrassed to say that I had no clue what it all meant. But 'Award' - that can never be a bad thing can it?!

Luckily it was all explained to me, and just incase you are in the same position as me, or know only a little about the Liebster Award, here is what it entails:

Basically someone nominates you and in their post they've answered 11 questions before nominating 11 other bloggers 

They'll create 11 different questions for their nominees to answer.

If you were nominated you'll answer these questions and again nominate 11 other bloggers and so on...

Make sure to let them know about their nomination and add their links to your blog. 

So here we go...

1. What do you love most about blogging? 

The thing that I really love most is the people; the other bloggers that I have met. The generosity, support and admiration given among bloggers is hard to explain, but is amazing to be a part of.

2. What makes you happy?

My friends. In all honesty, I would be completely lost without a lot of them. They are the family that you choose <3

3. What's your best beauty product?

My Clinique Cleansing Brush. When I was younger, I suffered from quite bad skin, now it is in a much better condition, I want to keep it that way. And this product ensures that!

4. What colour and style is your hair naturally?

Oh god, I don't know if I can still remember my natural hair colour. I've been every shade of blonde and brown. Though my natural hair colour is a dark ashy blonde (I think!) and without my straighteners, is just a wavy, frizzy mess. 

5. What's your worst beauty habit?

My worst beauty habit is probably straightening my hair. I know how damaging it is, but it doesn't stop me. 

6. Best advice you've been given?

Don't compare yourself to anyone - this works in both everyday life and in the blogging world.

7. Make-up brushes or beauty blender?

I use both on a daily basis, but for me I prefer make-up brushes, and the real technique brushes to be exact. I have quite a few. 

8. What is your favourite month?

June. It's my birthday month, and if any month is going to be hot and sunny, June will be. 

9. If all of your family, pets, etc were safe...what would you save if your house was on fire?

Photographs - a photo tells a thousand words, and it would be so upsetting to never see all the family photos again. Oh and my phone - but that can always be replaced. 

10. What's your favourite life quote?

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says I'm possible - Audrey Hepburn 

11. What are your current life goals?

Right now, I want to get out of retail, and find out what I really want to do with my life.

So, next step. The blogs that I nominate are:

Charline and Kimmy - http://eatlovewear.com/

Abigail - http://www.lazytealight.blogspot.co.uk/

Tazhiana - http://tazhiluxe.com/

Shiana - http://www.thebeautyscanner.com/

Nicky - http://nickyjane99.blogspot.co.uk/

Robyn - http://robynle.co.uk/

Chloe - http://blondxzilla.blogspot.co.uk/

Beth - http://modedeviebel.blogspot.co.uk/

Becky - http://www.life-by-becky.blogspot.co.uk/

Marie - http://allornothing-blog.blogspot.co.uk/

Linda - http://beauty-la-linda.blogspot.co.uk/

And finally the questions that I am asking you gorgeous lot:

1. What encouraged you to start blogging?

2. Where do you get your blogging inspiration?

3. What makes you smile most?

4. What is on your current wishlist?

5. What is the best piece of advice you could give (in relation to blogging)?

6. What beauty product could you not live without?

7. What do you love to drink?

8. What is your guilty pleasure?

9. If you could have dinner with anybody, dead or alive, who would it be? And where would you eat?

10. Where do you want to be in 5 years time?

11. If you won the lottery, what would you do?

Well, there you go my lovelies <3

Please put the links in the comments to your own 'Liebster Awards' - would love to read them.

Thank-you for reading

Claire 

xxx

A Week Until Mother's Day

With less than a week to go now, I have entered into a slight sense of panic. Mother's day is always around the same time as my Mum's birthday (last year it landed on the exact same day) and every year she says the same thing: "don't worry about getting me anything". This must just be habit because she knows that she will always receive something - I mean of course she will, she's my mum and she deserves more than I'd ever be able to afford. 

The past few years I have made my mum breakfast, all ready for when she comes downstairs. I say made - you're probably picturing me kneading dough, but not quite! I would sneak out to the bakery, picking up a variety of fresh croissants, bread, fruit and juices. Even still, my mum would walk into the kitchen with a smile on her face and act surprised (every year...). I'm sure it made a welcomed change from the burnt toast, stale muesli, and cold coffee that she used to get in bed, when my brother and I were children. 

So, as I've spent the weekend scanning pages of online sites and scouring a number of different shops, I thought I would share some of the things that I have come across. Just in case anyone else leaves it to the last minute and could use some ideas...

Pierre Marcolini 

In my opinion chocolates are a staple part of any present. What girl (or woman) doesn't love a chocolate, and when it's a present, there's no need to feel an ounce of guilt when tucking in.

I'm a Cadbury's kind of girl - give me a bar of dairy milk or a twirl, and I'm happy! My mum, on the other hand, has slightly pricier taste. I suppose what with working and living in Brussels for a few years, with a number of chocolatiers on her doorstep, you can't blame her. 

One of her favourites is Pierre Marcolini.

A couple of the 'best sellers' from the brand include the Malline Voyage (a box of 33 of the chocolatiers most iconic chocolates) for £32.90 and Macaron "L'Audacieuse" (a beautifully presented box of twelve macaroons) for £26.71. Though quite pricey, there are a number of beautiful choices on the website to take a look at.

Currently, there are only three stores within the UK: London Selfridges, London Harrods and Marylebone. However there is also a delivery option, price dependent on location, and there is still enough time to get your hands on these gifts before Sunday!

Lush

Lush has got to be one of my favourite shops right now! The mixture of smells and colours, it's hard to walk past the store, without going in. As always, the company has put together a number of sets perfect for the celebration containing a number of their usual fun and beautiful products. These include: Just For Mum (£23.50), Happy Mother's Day (£35.50) and Mum (£27.95).

As hard as it is to go into Lush and not pick anything up for myself, I have my eye on Just For Mum. 

This is a beautifully boxed gift set, ideal to pamper and bring a sense of relaxation to every mother out there! It holds five different bath bombs: click the links below to find out more about each. 

1. Yoga Bomb

2. Guardian of the Forest

3. Twilight

4. Intergalactic

5. Rose Bombshell

Afternoon Tea @ M&S

I attended a work colleagues retirement tea last week, where M&S put together a lovely afternoon tea. Like any afternoon tea, there were: a selection of finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, and a number of little cakes - it was very sweet and at £6.95 each, very reasonable. 

For a little extra, you will also be provided with a mini bottle of prosecco (a treat for you, as well as mum). I think this is a lovely idea, to get each mother out of the house, or away from the stress of work, to take a few hours out and enjoy some mother-daughter time (without a huge price-tag). 

Boomf

I think this is one of the cutest inventions ever! Marshmallows with the pictures of your choice printed on top. At £15 for nine square marshmallows, this could make a nice change from the usual appearance of chocolates. They are definitely a talking point. 
Imagine eating your own face! 

I have purchased these once before for part of a friend's birthday present, and she loved them. 

Should be noted that the photos I used were all from Snapchat - so the quality was not great, but with properly taken photos, they can look even better.

Pia

Although not a new store, it is new to me. Looking for a present for a friend last week, and having tried most of the jewellery stores, I thought I would see what they had to offer. So many beautiful, yet simple pieces to choose from and it is definitely a shop that I will go into again and again. A couple of the pieces that I loved included: the Cream Pearl Stretch Bracelet and the Duo of Pearls Necklace.

At £30 for the bracelet and £35 for the necklace, I also think the brand offers excellent value for money.

Well there you have it. A number of ideas for presents, for every deserving Mother out there.

What kind of lovely presents have you lot decided on for Mother's Day?? 
Let me know below.

Thank-you for reading

Claire

xxx

My February Favourites

Seeing as February is coming to an end, I suppose this is the post where I talk (a little) about some of the products that I have found, brought, used and loved this month. 

Barry M Matte in Burgundy Crush 

I am an absolute sucker for a new shade of Barry M nail varnish! I mean with the huge selection of colours and finishes, I'm surprised they are able to find new ones to release. And what with their long-lasting wear and £3.99 price tag, what more could you ask for?! 

I love a matte look on my nails, and this colour is no different. It is richly pigmented and gives a beautiful colour and coverage after just one coat. Though as it is a darker colour, I tend to opt for two. The next colour that I can't wait to try is Mocha, maybe this will feature in my March Favourites - who knows?!

Oh and on top of all this, all the pretty colours look lovely displayed on top of my dresser (my best excuse for not tidying them away)...

MAC Lipstick in Velvet Teddy

I love this product, and in all honesty, it isn't a new product for me...though I treated myself to a new one this month...so that counts, right?! It's also a pretty commonly blogged about shade/product, so there probably isn't much for me to add. 

 

But what I love about this product: I love the smooth formula, it doesn't dry out my lips (which is quite common in other matte lipsticks), and it stays put! There's nothing worse than having to run off the shop floor every few minutes at work because your lipsticks smudged or lost its colour! 

I also really like that it's an everyday colour - I suppose it's nude/brown without being too dark. Also it works on so many different skin tones (it's one of the favourites among a lot of my friends, and works for each of us in a different way!).

And seeing as I get 20% off with my work discount, I might as well continue to stock up!

Garnier Ultimate Blends: The Strength Restorer

As much as I love my hair, I don't tend to show it much love - I was 13 years old when I first went to Toni and Guy to have lowlights put into my hair, after that there were years of highlighting, which soon turned to bleaching! I'm now at a dark brown colour, hoping to get some health back into it! Team that with regular straightening and my hair has lost a lot of its life that it once had! 

Because of this, I like to try any new hair products, hoping that they might give it a bit of strength back, and a lot of shine! This shampoo and conditioner combo is perfect for this!! After a couple of weeks of using these products my hair looked nourished, breakage was happening less and overall it just felt and looked stronger (I guess it does exactly what it says on the packaging then). 

Oh and the shine was unbelievable, people asked if I was using anything different - for such a reasonably priced product, it really does work wonders on my hair and I recommend to anyone who wants shinier, bouncier and more manageable hair.

Oh and the smell is lovely - it's honey, but it really isn't too sweet!!!

Penhaligon's Perfume Equinox Bloom

I remember when I was younger, every year my parents would take me to Penhaligon's. While they were there picking which scents they would ultimately be purchasing one another, I would wonder around, amazed by all the beautifully decorated glass bottles, the stunning variety colours and the mixture of fruity, sweet, floral and spicy smells.

I was sent a tester of a new fragrance that will be available in the Spring: Equinox Bloom. It is a beautifully floral and sweet scent and is described as 'a scent that captures the wild sweetness of the first spring flowers; a blossom that blooms just once a year'. I'm looking forward to Spring, so I can take a trip to the Covent Garden store, where I'll probably still walk around in wonderment. 

Charlotte Crosby - Me, Me, Me

One of my New Years resolutions this year was to read more!! Don't think I've read through a whole book, since doing English at A level - and I don't know why, because when I start, I actually do really enjoy reading. 

I do plan on moving onto more serious books in time but I felt this was a good one to get me back into some sort of habit. I honestly found it hard to put this book down, one of my guilty pleasures is a little bit of Geordie Shore, and Charlotte really didn't dissapoint with this book. It is exactly what I expected, hilariously funny, rude in places and just a story that I feel a lot of us can relate to (obviously I'm talking about her life prior to Geordie Shore, and her everyday life, this isn't my way of telling you all that I've joined a reality tv show).

I recommend you give it a read, though I do warn, it's probably not everybody's 'cup of tea'.

Have any of you gorgeous lot tried any of these products, or anything similar? I'd love to hear about some other shades of MAC lipsticks (I tend to get stuck on what I know and love. Probably need to venture out). Oh and any recommendations on books to read would be very much appreciated!!

Hope you all enjoyed reading

Claire

xxx