Social & Cocktail - The Review

I can't quite believe I'm up and writing this today after the night I had last night! 

Admittedly I have a rather sore head, but I am powering through

I was lucky enough to host a fabulous cocktail party courtesy of Social & Cocktail 

In the comfort of my own kitchen!

There is nothing I hate more (especially in a wet and freezing Glasgow) than going for a night out and having to wait in a massive taxi que to get home at the end of the night.

So this was my idea of heaven! 

My lovely bar tender Evan arrived at 7:45 with a little white suitcase which magically turned into the most amazing cocktail bar.

They bring everything you can think of from fresh fruit and ice to cocktail glasses and straws

and probably best of all, they even clean up everything when they are finished!

I chose five cocktails for us to try from the menu. I wanted to stick to mainly vodka based drinks so there wouldn't be too many sore heads in the morning from mixing drinks,

We went for:
Moscow Mule

French Martini 

Cosmopolitan 

Strawberry Daiquiri 

and Mojitos

They were all absolutely delicious but I think my favourite was either the Moscow Mule which was so refreshing or the French Martini which is my favourite cocktail of all time 

My little cousin Rebecca is Vlogging every day for two months for charity 

You can check out her Youtube channel here

and Evan very kindly let her join in with the cocktail making and include it in her vlog

You could tell he was really passionate about his job and was answering all our questions about the different types of cocktails. 

He also wasn't scared of joining in with the banter in a room full of women! He must have thought we were all a bit crazy, especially after a few cocktails. 

He done a great job and really made the night what it was. 

Social and Cocktail can be hired for private parties and corporate events 

and the prices are so reasonable! 

£25 a head and they were here from 7:45 until after 12 

It is definitely worth the money when you think how expensive cocktail bars are.

I would definitely recommend hiring them

It is such a brilliant idea for birthdays or hen nights 

or even just for a fab night in or even before you head out to a club!

If you are in the Glasgow area and fancy having one of these great nights for yourself 

you can find the guys here

www.socialandcocktail.co.uk

or on twitter @sococktail 

They are also going to be branching out to Edinburgh early in the New Year :)

Jen xxx

Chobani Greek Yogurt - Bloggers Dinner - Glasgow

Last night I had the pleasure of being invited to a gorgeous dinner

courtesy of Chobani Greek Yogurt

Chobani is a brand that hasn't long been released in the UK

but has been a massive success across the pond

When their founder first released the product there was no big marketing budget 

so the majority of the brands success came from people just like us, bloggers and social media lovers! 

Therefore the blogging community is very close to their hearts 

which is why a lovely bunch of us Glasgow bloggers were invited down to The Corinthian to try out some of their products! 

I am currently on a fitness journey and doing a lot of weight and strength training 

So right now it's really important for me to pack plenty of protein into my diet

It really appeals to me that Chobani yogurts actually contain TWICE the amount of protein than in a normal yogurt!

 Chobani worked with the chefs and mixologists at The Corinthian to come up with a unique food and drinks menu where every course contained some of the Greek Yogurt.

I would have never considered adding yogurt to a cocktail but it really worked!

infact it went down a bit too well! 

After a very meaty meal last weekend 

I decided to change things up a bit last night and go for the Vegetarian options on the menu

I had the risotto to start which was lovely 

The yogurt gave it a really thick creamy texture 

and for someone who isn't a pea lover I polished off the lot! 

Now I know I was slating polenta in my last post 

but I decided to give it another chance and I'm glad I did 

It was really lovely and perfectly set off by the Yogurt which acted as a sour cream dip for the polenta cake

The peppery rocket and red pepper salad was a lovely finishing touch

For dessert I went for the Creme Brulee 

which had a gorgeous thick consistency 

and the caramel gave it a lovely sweet flavour

I made a complete mess all over the table with the crumbly shortbread! 

(Can't take me anywhere)

Usually the only time I eat yogurt is with fresh berries for breakfast

but I will definitely be trying to incorporate it into my meals more often 

especially when I'm trying to increase my protein intake.

Here are the two gorgeous ladies that made it happen 

Christine and Amy were such lovely hostesses running around after us all night! 

They both even have their own blogs 

Christine - Little Swallow

Amy - Yummei

 Of course the best part of the whole evening was getting to see some of my lovely blogger friends like:

Melissa Laura & Paula

Have you tried Chobani yet?

Do you have any good recipes using Greek Yogurt?

Jen xx

Glasgow Eats: MEAT Bar

Warning! This post is for the Carnivores among you

Personally I don't think I could ever go Veggie, I like the principle behind it 

but I just love meat too much!

(Insert your own dirty joke here)

As soon as I heard that MEAT bar had opened I knew I had to go ASAP

Situated in West Regent Street I loved it as soon as I seen it 

The dazzling neon sign drew me in straight away

We went downstairs to the basement bar, with its low ceilings and atmospheric lighting made for a really cosy setting.

We were seated right at the back of the bar

which was full of after work revellers many of whom were at the bar enjoying the vast cocktail list! 

some of which actually contain meat...seriously!

Unfortunately I couldn't try one as I'm taking part in Sober October 

but they certainly looked interesting!

Anyway on to the food.

We skipped the starter and went straight for the mains 

I knew exactly what I was going for as soon as I seen it

''The French Dip"

with a side of Triple Cooked Chips 

I had to tackle this beast in two halves 

The brisket was so juicy and tender, the onion rings perfectly crispy

I was delighted to find gherkins inside which are some of my absolute favourite things 

and it was all set off perfectly by the Swiss cheese.

I have been trying my hardest to resist chips recently as I am an absolute carb fiend 

but I couldn't say no to triple cooked chips and I'm glad I never.

I'm pretty sure Craig was scared to touch them in-case I bit his hand off !

I seriously could not recommend this meal enough it was absolutely delicious 

Craig "The protein king"

opted for the Tasting Smoked Plate 

where he basically got to try a bit of everything from the smoker! 

He must have enjoyed it because I hardly got a word out of him the whole time! 

I managed to sneak a little bit of pulled pork off his plate which was juicy and delicious

and also a little bit of the chicken wing which had been marinated in some spice which definitely had a kick to it!

He also ordered a side of Polenta Bricks

I'm not a polenta lover purely because I don't really enjoy the grainy texture

but he said they were lovely.

Now for the piece de resistance

DESSERT!

Peanut butter shortbread topped with salted caramel ice cream

I've never heard such beautiful words in one sentence before!

As a girl who will happily eat peanut butter out of the jar with a spoon 

I was unbelievably excited to see this on the menu

(Only made better by the fact that Craig hates peanuts and couldn't have any :) )

It was without a doubt up there with the best desserts I've ever had.

and I savoured every little mouthful.

For this lovely lot including soft drinks our bill came to just under £40

which isn't bad at all considering how much we enjoyed it 

P.S There are Vegetarian options available on the menu so please don't feel like you can't pay them a visit if you are not a meat lover! 

Have you been to MEAT yet?

Is there anywhere else I have to try soon?

Jen <3 

An Old Bird Starts Uni + Stationary Haul

So next Monday I revert back to my 17 year old self

(which was longer ago than I care to remember)

After 8 years of full time employment I'm going to uni AHHHHH

I'm pretty sure it's going to take a while for my bank account to become used to being empty

and for my liver to get used to the student way of life 

but as much as I'm pretty terrified about starting my degree I am really excited! 

As of September 16th I will officially be a student nurse!
Part of me thinks I'm crazy going back to being a skint student after all this time 

but I really think I'm far more ready for uni now than I was when I left school

I have some life experience under my belt and have had time to think about what I really want to do.

I worked in pharmacy for a long time after leaving school 

Although I really enjoyed it I felt it was time for a change

I got a job as a Clinical Support Worker in an Operating Theatre in a hospital

Basically this means assisting in an operating theatre while surgery takes place

This job is not for the faint hearted as it can get pretty gruesome 

but I got to live out my Greys Anatomy fantasy for a while!

During my time in the hospital I decided that rather than being a nursing assistant 

I really wanted to be a nurse myself! So I applied for university

I really didn't think I would get in as after years of mucking about in school my exam results were never great

However because I am now a 'Mature Student'

(Yuck I feel like I should have a blue rinse)

Not only do they look at your exam results but they also take into account your work experience 

I couldn't believe it when I got in! 

So I have now officially finished work 

and am using this week to sort out supplies for uni!

which means stationary shopping!!

Now I'm a bit clueless as to what I'm actually going to need for uni

but there is something about stationary that makes me happy 

so I figure the more the better!

My first stop was Wilkinsons

(I think it's also called Wilko in some places)

where they have some really nice stationary ranges in 

and they are very reasonably priced

I picked some items from two of the ranges

the first was Nostalgia 

I got this really cute magnetic To Do List Notebook (60p)

which I'm sure will come in handy as I'm really not the most organised person in the world 

I also got this Lever Arch File (£1)

Have you noticed the recurring bird theme? lol 

The last item I got from this collection was this Expanding File (£2.50)

The little bird on the top left is almost exactly the same as my tattoo <3 

I also picked up a few pieces from the Wilde Collection 

Is this a bit morbid when studying nursing?

Oh well I like skulls 

Ringbinder (75p)

Document Wallet (80p) 

Next stop on my stationary quest was Rymans 

where these Pukka Pads were on a 3 for 2 offer 

The large ones were £4.99 and the small one was £3.99

Last but not least is the beautiful academic diary from Paperchase 

which was £8 but had 20% off! 

Again with the birdies but it was to pretty to pass up!

So am I brave, stupid or a bit of both to be going to uni?

Is anyone else starting uni this year?

Jen 

xxx

T in the Park 2013 - Festival OOTD

Hello lovelies! 

So I am currently writing this from my bed where I have been lying all day trying to recover from what was an absolutely amazing day yesterday at T in the Park.

I thought I would share my experience with you 

and show you some of the outfits that my friends and I were wearing!

We all have quite different styles so hopefully you can take some inspiration for your own festival looks! 

Now I am speaking from experience when I say that usually at TITP we are up to our eyeballs in mud 

So it was very strange that the sun was shining for us! 

I still wasn't brave enough to go without wellies though! 

Dress - Blonde & Blonde @ BANK

Wellies & Socks - Primark

Bracelets - Internacionale 

Earrings & Sunglasses - Primark 

Flower Hair Clips - New Look 

The nice weather held up all day

and unusually for T there was no mud *yeaah*

so about half way through the day I changed into my pink sneaks and ditched the wellies 

Now for my lovely friends outfits

 (Left to Right)

Kirsty wears:

Skull Dress - H&M

Belt - Aqua by Aqua

Black Flatforms (Unseen) - Primark 

Erin wears:

Lime green dress - Topshop 

Flower headband - Topshop 

White Air Force Ones - Nike 

Jen wears:

Playsuit - River Island 

Headband - Accessorize 

White trainers - Primark 

Here's a few more snaps from our day 

*Getting creative with some neon facepaint from Ebay*

*Two Door Cinema Club*

We had such an amazing day! 

I will definitely be back next year 

My two favourite acts were The Killers who were absolutely outstanding 

Brandon Flowers is so gorgeous <3

and Labrinth who had The King Tuts Tent jumping! 

One of my favourite bloggers Kayleigh from Couture Girl was there and I had my eyes peeled for her all day but didn't see her :( 

Have you been to any festivals this year?

Or are you heading to any soon?

Jen <3 

What's in my bag!

I'm a nosey bugger and love reading posts like this 

So I figured you would all be the same!

The bag itself is from Primark 

I think it was £12.99 which is an absolute bargain 

It is very 'me' Black/Gold/Studs and Chains

It's the perfect size for holding all my stuff

My couldn't leave the house without essentials,,,,

Iphone 5 - I absolutely could not live without my Iphone! I keep my most used apps on the first page so it looks nice and neat! Whattsapp, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest, Bloglovin and Music!

Passport - I don't drive therefore my passport is my only form of ID so I tend to carry it around with me just incase. Not that I get asked for ID as much as I'd like to! Might need to invest in some anti-ageing cream soon. I got this pink passport holder for my birthday to keep it in good condition.

Purse - Unfortunately not a real Louis! but pretty none the less. I got this in Ibiza last year for about 10 euro and it has served me well. It's such a great size and has lots of card holders and places to store receipts. Perfect for a shopping addict.

My Inner Geek Essentials...

Glasses - I've had glasses since I was in primary school, My eyesight is pretty bad but I really don't wear these as often as I should. They are Osiris ones and I'm pretty sure my prescription has changed since I got them so I really need to book an eye test! 

Inhaler - I have pretty bad asthma, I'm on 3 different types of inhaler but this is a reliever which is the one I carry around with me incase of an attack. 

Benadryl - I am basically a walking allergic reaction! So many nights in friends houses have been ruined by puffy eyes and rashes because I'm allergic to their pets. So I always try and carry an antihistamine with me just incase. What a glamorous life I lead....

My Scottish Essentials...

Gloves & Umbrella  - It is currently 1 degrees outside and I can't leave the house because it has been snowing all night! so gloves are a must have when living in Glasgow! These cute little mittens are from Primark and they are sooo cosy! though mittens aren't the most practical gloves in the world.

As I'm sure you know if it's not snowing here it is almost always raining, so a brolly (umberella) is a must have, this one is from New Look

My beauty essentials... 

Makeup - These items change daily but I always tend to carry a concealer, blusher, lipstick and mascara with me. Today I have Soap&Glory Kick Ass Concealer, My Fashionista PPQ blush palette, which also has a really nicely sized mirror in it, A 17 blush brush, MAC Plush Lash mascara and MAC lipstick in Angel 

Hairbrush - Again the type of brush I have with me is changeable but today I have my gorgeous leopard print Tangle Teezer

Hope you enjoyed having a snoop around my bag! 

I'd love a look in yours. Let me know if you have done this post! 

Jen <3 

My Latest Hair Up's

Now that my 6 week "Long Hair Up" course at college has finished 

I thought I would share with you a few of the hairstyles I have created recently

This is my friends little sister

She was competing in a dancing competition and needed to have her hair back from her face

I used serum to make sure we had a really sleek high pony tail 

then with the help of a MASSIVE donut and a lot of back brushing and kirby grips 

I created this massive bun! 

She was really happy with the result 

and said it stayed in place all day!

Buns seem to be my most requested hairstyle 

I done this one in my friends hair for a recent night out 

This isn't as sleek as the first look

I was going for a more relaxed look 

I left some pieces down in the front and back brushed the crown to create volume

As her hair is darker underneath I added some twists at the sides to prevent the lines looking to harsh! 

The different colours in the bun look really nice!

This is a more intricate style

which would probably be better suited to a wedding

\I didn't use any heat to create this look 

I back combed sections which I then made into loops 

and pinned them in place.

This was another formal style 

I made it really sleek at the top 

then used some padding and tonged small sections of hair to create the curls at the bottom

I'm so sad my course has finished! 

I really enjoyed doing it

I'm looking at some more lifestyle courses to try now that it's over

I'm thinking a makeup one would be fun! 

What do you think of my hairstyles?

Jen <3

P.S I hope you all know you can also follow me on Bloglovin! 

Just incase GFC decides to leave us!! 

http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3516858/the-big-burd

Time for a change

Evening :) 

Hope you are all having a lovely day! 

I've spent the day lunching with my family for mothers day 

My mum was very happy with her present

The new summer Oh Lola by Marc Jacobs perfume 

she has spent all day sniffing herself! lol 

So I have decided to do something drastic over the weekend

and completely change my hair!

I've had a blonde bob since I was 17

which is longer ago than I care to remember!!! 

so I decided to try something a bit different

I dyed my hair a dark blonde/light brown shade 

and when it is my usual length it looks ombre 

but I also decided to buy clip in extensions to change it up a bit! 

I've curled them here using my GHD's 

I got 3 strips of dark blonde

and 3 strips of mixed blonde

I decided to go for the 14 inch length which is the shortest that the shop sold 

as my hair has always been so short I thought this would look better 

as it's a bit more subtle than 20 inch ones!

I was unsure about it at first 

but it is such a massive change for me that I think it will just take me a while to get used to it

It is growing on me! 

Craig said it's like having a new girlfriend lol!

Me and my mum ready to go out for lunch!

In other news

I got a new camera! 

My beautiful Canon arrived during the week 

so hopefully my photo's will get better and better

I'm having so much fun learning how to use it! 

So what do you all think of the new hair?

Jen <3