Valentines Gift Guide For Her

Whether you are single or in a relationship this valentines I personally think it is a great day to share the love with those you care about! It could be the man or woman in your life, your best friend or even your nan! You could even use this opportunity simply to treat yourselves ladies - I mean, why not? I've decided to create this gift guide with some gorgeous items in order to either inspire you to hit the shops and treat someone special or to 'accidentally' leave this web page on display where your man can see it! Either way, I hope you enjoy!

 

 

 

1) Rosaviola candle - £28-44

2) ASOS Valentines pyjama set - £18

3) Date Night Cookbook - £9.99

4) ASOS Valentines sheer ankle socks - £3

5) Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Red Carpet Red - £23

6)  Pink Marc De Champagne Truffles - £13.50

7) Moet Et Chandon Brut rose - £54.99 

 

What will you be buying your significant other this Valentines?   Let me know in the comments!     

What I got for Christmas 2015!

I absolutely love reading other bloggers' 'What I got for Christmas' posts and I also enjoy watching youtube videos of the same title. So, I decided I would write one to share with you what I was lucky enough to receive too! Please do not think that this is my opportunity to show off or brag about what I was bought - this is simply a post to demonstrate how extremely grateful I am for what I received. If you do not like 'What I got for Christmas' posts then this one is not for you!   Christmas 2015 was spent with my family in Swansea and me and Sam were so spoilt! I didn't ask for anything in particular for Christmas, although typically my straightners conked out a few days after!   My Christmas wishlist only contained a few make up products and some new pyjamas! I was honestly just really happy to spend the day with my family this year, stuffing our faces and arguing over who was winning in the 'Best of British' board game! (Its a good one - try it!)   So, lets talk about the gifts I did receive - I wont bore you with everything, just the gifts that were my absolute favourites!   A beautiful Olivia Burton watch with a light grey strap and a rose gold face.  

    The Naked Smoky eye shadow palette and some Charlotte Tilbury products.  

 

  Lots of new comfy pyjamas!  

  Some lovely items of clothing.  

  The most delicious Merlyn Welsh cream liqueur from Penderyn Distillery.  

  More booze...   Beautifully scented Yankee candles.   Snow fairy of course!  

Sam pulled out all the stops and bought me the Naked 3 eye shadow palette.  

    He also treated me to my most luxurious lingerie set I've ever owned from Victoria's Secret!  

    My Nan also treated me to the Stila eyes are the window eye shadow palette in the colour Spirit which I am really enjoying using for an everyday make up look.  

     

 

I was also given some money from my family to spend on my travels this Summer - Me and Sam have just booked our 3 week adventure to Sri Lanka so I am saving every penny so we can have an amazing time out there!  

    Finally, on Boxing Day we drove back to the Midlands to visit Sam's family and we couldn't believe it when we discovered his parents had treated us to a trip to Amsterdam on the first Bank Holiday weekend in May! It is so thoughtful to be given something that you can look forward to and I have always wanted to go! Expect a City guide blog post in May!   So there we have everything! I didn't want to go into too much detail but I hope you have enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoy reading others!   Let me know what you got below and send me links to your similar blog posts! I'd love to know!   Lots of love,   

Restaurant review: Original Patty Men

Happy new year lovelies!
It has been a while since I have posted here but with the start of the school term looming I thought I had better review a new restaurant I tried around Christmas time before I get flooded with marking again!
I first tried an O.P.M burger at Digbeth dining club and it was honestly one of the best burgers I've ever eaten. Therefore, when I heard the boys were opening a new permanent venue in town I was desperate to drag Sam along to try it.
Situated in a rather strange location, under a railway arch on Shaw's passage but only a stone's throw away from the bullring the location is actually really accessible. We entered a side door and into the small venue which only seats around 30 people but it had a very industrial look to it - something which I quite like. 
It was quiet for a Saturday afternoon and we were able to select our own table. Notably, O.P.M have also teamed up with Siren Craft Brew - a Reading based brewery to open the restaurant so there is plenty of their beers available to choose from. Sam went for one called Soundwave which he said was OK but a bit too hoppy for his liking. They also have a range of other canned and bottles beers, spirits and soft drinks to choose from the menu. I went for the bottled lemonade which came in a really cute and quirky glass bottle. 

When it came to choosing what to eat, the menu is simple but with something for everyone. I opted for the Cheeseburger and Sam went for a burger called Darrons fancy which included pork scratchings and Red Leicester cheese. We also ordered a portion of the O.D.B fries to share which were triple cooked with a spice mix, sriracha mayo, crispy onions and fresh spring onions. The food arrived quickly and was served on trays - perfect to avoid making a mess! 

The beef in my cheeseburger was delicious and the onions complimented it perfectly. My only niggle was that the contents of the burger almost fell out of the bun! I didn't try any of Sam's but he said the burger was well cooked to his taste and the pork scratchings added a tasty, salty crunch. The O.D.B triple cooked chips were also demolished by the both of us within minutes.

Overall, value for money was pretty good - we paid around £25 for 2 drinks, 2 burgers and a side to share and the burgers really are worth it. 
They are only open Thursdays-Sundays at the moment so if you are a burger lover I suggest you head down and give them a try! You can keep up with any of their menu changes through their twitter and facebook page.

The Christmas Jumper Wishlist

The festive season is almost upon us and I for one am very excited to have some time off work and to spend quality time with family and friends back in South Wales. I have even started playing Christmas songs - it's still bloody November I hear you say! The Christmas jumper craze has certainly taken off the past few years with an annual Christmas jumper day taking place on the 18th of December this year in aid of Text Santa too. I am also attending an exciting blogging event in Birmingham this weekend and the dress code is Christmas jumpers - yay! As a result of this, I thought it was best I gave you a heads up on the best choices on the high street this year!   

 

 Missguided - £18

Dorothy Perkins - £23.40 (Up to 30% off over Black Friday weekend)

 

Asos - £28

PrettyLittleThing - £12 (On sale!)

Dorothy Perkins - £20.80 (Up to 30% off over Black Friday weekend)

Dorothy Perkins - £13 (In the sale!)

  I can't wait till payday so that I can splurge on some Christmas knits!  Which one is your favourite? 

Restaurant Review: The Plough, Harborne

Last week we visited The Plough in Harborne for my 24th birthday. (I hate getting older!) I was really excited to try the main menu at The Plough after visiting there once before for a Sunday lunch. It did not disappoint. We did not book beforehand and arrived at around 7pm and despite it being a Thursday evening the place was pretty busy.  However, we were quickly shown to a table in a cosy corner in the pub part of the restaurant. We then ordered two 500ml carafes of The Plough red and white wine whilst we looked over the menu. It was my birthday after all. 

As The Plough are renowned for their homemade stone baked pizzas it was inevitable that we opted for one each. I went for the calzone which included mozzarella, tomato and two fillings of your choice from an extensive list including smoked salmon, pulled cajun chicken and many more. I was a bit cheeky and opted for three fillings for an extra cost, I chose caramelised red onion, prosciutto and goats cheese - a match made in pizza heaven! Sam went for the regular stone baked pizza which was topped with chorizo, roasted peppers, cajun chicken, caramelised red onion and black olives. He also asked for an additional topping of anchovies which I loathe! We also ordered a side order of fries. 

The food arrived quickly and was piping hot. I've never been so excited to tuck into a pizza since I last visited Rome! Mine was an insanely good combination - even if I do say so myself. Sam enjoyed his pizza thoroughly too but also agreed the taste of mine was better. I think it was the creamy goats cheese which made it a winner. The fries were also served crispy but with a fluffy and light centre.

The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was great and I had a really nice evening for my birthday - even if it was a school night! I will definitely be returning to The Plough for one of their Lickin Chicken events taking place on Sunday evenings which include a whopping 1 kilo of spicy buffalo wings with a celery and blue cheese dip! Find out more on their website here. Have you visited The Plough recently? What did you think?

Restaurant Review: The Pickled Piglet

I decided to book the Pickled Piglet for my dad's 50th birthday meal following some recommendations on twitter from some Brummie food bloggers. I can now fully understand the hype!
The bar and restaurant is located on Gas street, just off the infamous Broad Street and we arrived just before our 8pm booking last Friday. We were welcomed into the bar area and chose an aperitif each before being shown to our table. I went for the Lemon Sherbet cocktail which included limoncello, prosecco and sugar syrup. It was absolutely delicious and I wanted to try more of their amazing cocktails. 

We were then shown to our table upstairs where it was already very busy and it had a great atmosphere for a Friday evening. We began our meals with two sharing boards between four of us. We chose the British meat platter which included; peppered beef, air dried ham, seasonal salami, marinated vegetables and bread and we also opted for the baked camembert topped with toasted nuts and frosted cranberries, fresh bread, crackers and quince jelly. 

The star of the show was the baked camembert which was delicious and creamy however more bread was needed as we are a rather greedy bunch! The meat platter was also extremely tasty but I did feel it was a little expensive at £16 as there wasn't that much variety or meat included.

Despite that minor niggle, the mains were also thoroughly enjoyable. I went for the baked halibut and clams in a garlic & shallot cream sauce, butter beans & sea greens. It was a beautifully cooked piece of fish with a suitably brilliant sauce. Sam was also very pleased with his main of rump lamb, warm olive & samphire salad, braised potatoes & red wine sauce. I had one taste of his and I had to dive my fork back in for more - it had great flavour! 

We ordered the hand cut chips to accompany the main course and they really were out of this world and tasted properly homemade - insane crispiness and a fluffy centre! This was washed down with a lovely bottle of Prosecco - after all, it was a special occasion! My dad was also given a pint of one of their draught ales on the house by our lovely waiter John who knew it was his birthday.
Me and my mother opted out of desserts as we were in a major food coma. However, the boys decided to share one portion of British cheeses, fruit, nuts & wafer biscuits between them which was followed with a coffee each. 
The bill came to a total of £160 - you may think this is a little steep but, we had at least two courses each, two rounds of drinks and a bottle of prosecco! I thought it was well and truly worth the money, the quality of the food was fantastic and after all, you don't turn 50 very often so it was worth celebrating - even if my dad doesn't think so!
I will definitely be returning to the Pickled Piglet to try out their small plates/tapas style dishes in the near future!

UK Beauty Bloggers Haul!

I've been meaning to review these products for a while now since they arrived in the post last month following a cheeky splurge on Feel Unique.  

  The Hollywood Eye Palette is one of three eyeshadow palette's in Tanya Burr's latest range of cosmetics. It is definitely my favourite of the three available as I think it is the most wearable. Each palette contains four different shades and this one includes;  

    Nude delight - a natural, light shade which I think is an excellent base colour. Gold coin - a soft, gold shade which is paler than Half-Baked in the Naked palette. Enchantment - This was the shade that stood out the most to me in the palette (obviously because it was sparkly) however, I was disappointed with the pigmentation of the shadow and I personally feel it has let the palette down. Bookworm - a warm, wearable brown shade which is perfect in the crease with a copper or gold shimmery eye.   Overall, the palette is extremely good value for money at only £6! The general quality of the eyeshadows is very good and reminds me of some of the more higher end make up brands' palettes. (You know which one I'm talking about!) I think this would be a great palette if you're looking to begin a make up starter kit on a small budget! The Hollywood Eye Palette is available to buy at Superdrug.  

  Next up is the Fleur Loves 3/4 length lashes which is one of four designs from Fleur De Force's collaboration with my favourite lashes brand - Eylure. The lashes are really good quality and are made from tapered lash tips which makes them look more natural, which is definitely a plus for me! The appeal of these lashes over the others were that I would not have to trim these to fit my small eyes. They add a thicker and more dramatic look to the outer corners of your eyelashes which I also love. These have to be the most comfortable lashes I have worn and I cant even tell I have them on in comparison to the full length strip eyelashes which sometimes irritate the inner corners of my eyes. I seriously need to stock up on these lashes for the upcoming party season! The Fleur De Force lashes collection by Eylure is available to buy from selected Boots stores and from Feel Unique.