Tuesday 25 February 2014

Tartan Mon Amour


This has to be one of the most comfiest outfits I've ever blogged! It's taken me a while to warm up to this style of Tartan print (It's very reminiscent of my uniform as a school kid!) -  however I spotted these Tartan leggings on a few of my fave bloggers' Instagrams a while ago and it definitely brought me round to the idea. So much so I picked myself up a pair in Topshop a couple of months back! They are super duper comfy and although my size wasn't available, I found going down a size was a better fit anyway with them being so stretchy! For £25 I was a little worried when pulling them on that they were going to come up see-through like so many patterned leggings do, but they remained check pattern in tack and they are surprisingly thick! Unfortunately they have now sold out.. BUT they are still on the site which makes me think they will come back in stock and also I hunted down some on Ebay if any of you guys wanted to buy them!

I've also been loving all the Sportswear Luxe-esq tops and sweatshirts coming into stores and have too much Amour for this 'L'Amour' slogan H&M one. It's so soft and easy to wear, and perfect to throw on if you want to keep it casual. I wanted this quite slouchy so opted for a size up so I could wear shirts etc underneath it too! It looks great layered with skirts, shorts, jeans you name it!

What do you think of this look?

 

Sunday 23 February 2014

La Tasca - Cheltenham Re-opening Night!

Last week I was invited to the re-opening of La Tasca in my hometown in Cheltenham. It's just down the road from me at work so seemed like a pretty tempting idea when I got the invite through with the offer of cocktails, paella masterclass and a bit of Zumba, besides the fact I've always enjoyed their tapas!


Two of my friends came along with me to join in the fun which all kicked off with a welcoming entrance from the lovely staff, a delicious glass of sangria and entrees of Spanish Omelette, Chorizo, Manchego ( a traditional Spanish Cheese) and Dipping bread with authentic oils and vinegars. Yummy yummy. I would definitely recommend! We almost felt like we'd been jetted over to Spain...till the sound of Rain pouring outside kicked in and ruined that day dream!

Next, we had a fab cocktail masterclass with the hostess Nadia, showing us how to make two of my favorite cocktails, Sex on the Beach and Mojito. Oh goody.. but then it was over to us! It's safe to say we tried to pay as much attention as possible, but given that in the past we have tried to grind Trebor Extra Strong Mints as a subsitute for fresh mint, it didn't seem hopeful. (Totally logical solution though right?! ha) It was initially going really well, Ice.. Check, Mint, Lime, Sugar, Check..FOUR shots of rum... erm oh, wait a minute. It didn't really work out when my friend Charlotte managed to accidentally add a quarduple shot of rum for her Mojito. I think it's fair to say cocktail making is never going to be our party trick. Unless you want to get very drunk.


After we drank our concoctions and the delicious ones made by Nadia, we were all up off our seats to have a go at some traditional Spanish dancing such as Zumba, much to the amusement of all the diners enjoying their meals. After a few clumsy twirls and twists on my part and when we'd all just about managed to get the hang of it we had to partner off for couples dancing. Zumba with a partner is pretty sensual and 'up-close' and started off with you and your partner - who you'd just met - giving each other 'bear hugs' to get the right intimacy... Not how I usually spend my Thursday nights, but a right giggle all the same!


To round off the evening we were treated to a yummy dish of the Paella which had been slow cooking on the large steel pan throughout the evening. My friends and I had the Chicken and Chroizo Paella, it was soo delicious and I would recommend it to anyone who goes to La Tasca! They also did a Seafood Paella which lots of the other ladies enjoyed if you like your seafood! We were even given a goodie pack of La Tasca Paella Cooking ingredients which I'm really looking forward to using to try and re-create at home!

Thank you to all the friendly staff at La Tasca for being so welcoming and generous!

 

Friday 14 February 2014

Music Mixbag: New Playlist!

Hi guys! This is my first MusicMixbag post in a while and it’s a bit of a random mixture! I tried to stick to an acoustic/chilled theme and then The XX Dark Sky Crystalised remix sneeked itself in there (I just HAD to put in) and then before I knew it Le Youth did to.... But hey I’ve got it covered by calling it a Mixbag.. right? So here are my picks I’m loving at the moment!

Le Youth: Dance With Me

I thought I'd crack it off with this awesome party track. I love Le Youth and their remixing skills. Featuring clips of TLC’s ‘No Scrubs’ it’s got that distinct Le Youth house music sound to it and of course I love a bit of TLC. Who doesn’t? Bring on listening to this in the summer, sunnies on, cocktail in hand. 


Banks: Waiting Game

A bit of a newbie to scene but I love this song and Banks’soulful voice. Her deep music kinda has a Jessie Ware style to it with the heavy, dark synths in the background. Apparently she has already toured around with The Weeknd which I can definitely see fitting well together! I reckon in the next year Banks’ will no doubt be making herself more known on the music scene.  Definitely one to watch!


The XX: Crystalised Dark Sky Remix

As a big fan of The XX I thought I’d heard nearly all the different remixes of this song till I came across this little beauty of a Dark Sky remix. It’s by no means new but I’m so glad I found it eventually! There’s always space for a bit of old school garage in my music collection and I love how this remix twists this song up and gives it that edge, especially given that initially they’re such different genres.  


Sam Smith: Latch (Acoustic)

Whattt can I say about Sam Smith! I loveee his songs at the moment including his recent release, Money on My Mind and lots of the other LP tracks I’ve been listening to like ‘Lay Me Down’ . His voice is so beauts acoustically and this stripped down version of his team up with Disclosure does not disappoint. I actually felt a little emotional the first time I heard this, yes ok that’s probably a little #awkward to confess to, but the way he sings it just gives the lyrics a whole new light. His voice is so technically great and full of emotion too I couldn’t help but get chills! This is a must listen if you haven’t heard it already! 


Vance Joy: Riptide

Ahh I love this cute folky song – It’s such a catchy, pretty tune. I heard it on Radio1 a little while back and it’s been a good road trip/car  favourite at the moment! Again, the bouncy beats of the little ukulele and harmonies make me think of summer, which is very welcomed in this horrible weather we’ve been having lately! A fab little uplifting song you need to listen to!



A Great Big World & Christina Aguilera: Say Something

Another beaut of a song that I love chilling out and listening to at the moment. I promise I’m not trying to depress you guys/make you cry haha! When I first heard this song I have to say I thought of ‘Of Monsters and Men’ straight away and had no idea it was Ms Aguilera!  It’s nice to hear Christina change it up and step away from her usual belters and go a little more delicate with her huskier whispery tone! Not that I don’t love her for that, she has got an incredible voice after all! But I’m sure no doubt this one will be a chart topper!



will.i.am  : Feelin' Myself f. Miley Cyrus, French Montana & Wiz Khalifa

I be everywhere everybody know meee. Super super fresh with the dope styleyyy. Yes, that was me rapping, imagine that if you will. This song has definitely been a grower on me and I know it's be one to split opinions. To be brutally honest, initially I thought.. oh man, another simple base beat with Miley Cyrus trying to be ‘dope’ on it, but actually it’s got a hold of me and now I’m finding it pretty catchy - I just can’t help myself bopping along to it. (For some reason the word bopping and this song doesn't seem to mash well together. Not very G of me is it? hey ho.)



What do you all think of this Music Mixbag Playlist?

 

Friday 7 February 2014

Polka-dot Tea Dress

Polka Dot Tea Dress //  River Island // £25
Faux Leather Jacket // Topshop // Old. Similar Here 

My love for collared items of clothing never ceases to grow and alongside that, my polkadot collection has now managed to make a sure mark in my wardrobe too! So it was unsurprising when I found this spotty number in River Island just before Christmas that I loved the cute combo of the two! This dress is great to wear with jackets and coats, or you can just pop a jumper over for a more casual look. It’s very much a dress up/dress down kinda piece, which is the best in the books in my opinion! Also I just want to make a point of saying it has a really good fit on the waist. I tend to struggle a lot with it as I have higher waist point in most of the standard sized dresses and they can sit too low! But this one was spot on! (Excuse the pun haha) It also wasn’t too pricey either which my purse thanked it for!

 I’m really trying to build up my wardrobe with a few nice day dresses and items like this at the moment as it’s nice to mix it up and take a step away from wearing trousers and jeans on a day to day basis! I’ve been scouring the sales online at the moment to try and get any last minute bargains! There really are some amazing deals still on places like ASOS lingering so I recommend having a look if you’re in need of some wardrobe sprucing!