Thali Cafe Southville

As a final, sneaky birthday treat, (following a night of serious boozing, Brazilian drumming bands and dancers at The Canteen) Chris had booked a table at the newly opened Thali Cafe on North Street in Southville on Sunday evening. I have never been disappointed with the food at any of the Thali Cafes, but this beauty certainly takes to top spot!

In what was previously the pretty dodgy Teohs in the Tobacco Factory building, you are enticed in by the glittery sign above the door into an open, yet cosy space with all the individual quirky, decorative touches you come to expect from this mini Bristolian chain (now 5 restaurants I believe).

What a corker! We we definitely be back for

Loving The Leopard

Over the years it would be fair to say that I've had the odd dalliance with leopard print. One of my favourite pair of summer shoes are leopard print and I'm getting the feeling it is high time I invested in some more pieces. I would love a mid-length, textured jacket, over sized bag and dare i say it, even a pair of trousers! Always wary of the Bet Lynch effect, most of the time I feel that less is probably more.

Guerrilla Burger Bristol

If you are in Bristol, on the hunt for the perfect burger, I would totally recommend Guerrilla Burger. Located on Baldwin Street it is a tiny little place which could easily be missed but is most definitely worth a visit. As a pescatarian, I often find the available options pretty dull at burger places but I had the choice between a falafel burger or sweet potato rosti burger, I decided to go for the latter and it was absolutely yummy!

Nestled in-between a delicious brioche bun (which was toasted) was a tasty sweet potato rosti with a hint of cumin, bed of lettuce, tomato, humous and cucumber. Along with this I had some crispy fries, alioli and bbq dips.

Chris and Dan opted for the beef royale burgers which were apparently very tasty and cooked well with a hint of pinkness on the inside. They also had crispy calamari and ruby slaw which had a hint of hot spice. We were all very much satisfied and along with a drink each, the bill came to about £15 each (including tip). The staff were friendly and cheery, next time round I will have to try the salted caramel gelato!

Glossybox UK - April 2013 Pearl Lowe Edition

Missing my monthly treat, I have signed back up to Glossybox so I can receive my surprise parcels yet again. Glossybox is a great find for anyone who loves quality make-up and skincare as you are able to trial both new and existing product from some top brands, including, Dior, Clinique, Essie and many more. Often there are organic, more natural products which I am always keen to try.

I was very excited when I found out that this April's box was a special edition Pearl Lowe collaboration. The box itself (which is always useful for storing, make-up, hair products, jewellery etc) is absolutely stunning with a Pearl Lowe designed floral all over pattern with a pretty peach background, definitely a keeper!

Also, the contents were great too, one of the best yet I'd say.

1. NIP + FAB Coconut Latte Dry Skin Fix Body Butter (sample size 50ml, £9.95 full size 200ml)
I really love this product, it smells delicious and the texture is rich and creamy. It feels so lovely on my dry skin and I would definitely recommend it. This is now half price on the website, great buy!

2. Essie Nail Polish in Sugar Daddy (full size, worth £7.99)
This is a very sheer polish which is great for those days when you want to be subtle. I would normally opt for a bright red nail varnish but I did like how this gave a lovely natural shine to my nails.

3. Yves Rocher So Elixir Perfume (sample size 5ml, full size £44 for 50ml)
This is quite an intense scent, but quite classy smelling. It comes in a lovely sturdy sample bottle so is great to carry about in your handbag when you feel like you need a freshen up. I probably would not opt for a full size, but perfume is a very personal thing.

4. A-Derma Lip Balm (full size, worth £7.95)
Gorgeous! This scent free lip balm has a wonderful, thick, non greasy texture, made with oat milk and works a treat on my dry, cracked lips. It is also full size which is a bonus too!

5. Sleek Make-Up Blush in Suede 921 (full size 8g, worth £4.49)
I have been wearing this all week and really love the colour, it is perfect against my olive skin. I would recommend this as a budget buy. The staying power was pretty good, although I wasn't too keen on the smell, to me it resembled the smell of dry poster paint, but at this price the look and finish of the blusher is pretty good.

So all in all this was a really good box with some great product, I am really happy I am back on the Glossybox and am already excited about what will arrive in May.

A Sunny Trip To Crook Peak And Cheddar

The sun made a very rare appearance on Saturday and so we quickly grabbed the opportunity to make the most of it, starting with a rather strenuous climb up Crook Peak, just outside Bristol. From the top, there are outstanding views stretching as far as Glastonbury Tor (just try and ignore the motorway view from the other side). It was breezy and fresh, the sky was an absolutely stunning shade of blue. We stayed atop this wonderful spot breathing in the pure air and taking in the glorious rays of sunshine which warmly rested upon our wind-blushed faces.

We followed up this invigorating trip with lunch in Cheddar. If you haven't been there, you really should, the drive down into the gorge is reason enough. Very soon, huge, towering walls enclose your path, their breathtaking presence only improving when you stumble upon the quaint village centre with it's mill pond, trickling stream, rambling stone buildings. And of course, we mustn't forget, the wonderful shops packed full of the local cheese!

Raj Bari

Chris and I are quite partial to a nice curry and our trip to the Raj Bari, did not dissapoint. I was very excited to see Tandoori Paneer on the menu!

Chloe - My Favourite Perfume

So this used to be my staple perfume for years when I lived in London. I have since been seduced by Chanel Mademoiselle (which is really divine) and a couple of Jo Malone's (which personally, I don't find have that much staying power but do come in some great, unusual scents), but after catching a waft of someone in my old favourite, felt like it was time to return to form. So for I grabbed a Chloe gift pack from House Of Fraser (£55) which consisted of Eau Du Parfum and Moisturiser. It's like seeing a old friend after ages, it just feels right.

April Music Of The Month, Wild Belle - Isles

So this month, my new music album is Wild Belle, Isles. It has a bit of a reggae vibe mixed with sweet vocals, a great soundtrack for the Summer.

Ciate

All the girls in our office have come to love Ciate nail varnish. We were introduced to the brand via our PR agency and just can't get enough now. They have some fabulous colours and special effects and seem to last for absolutely ages. The latest additions to my collection are a delightful grey and metallic gold which I received along with a fine glass nail file. No excuses for terrible nails anymore, eeek!

Black Pointy Shoes

I've been after some mid-heel, black pointy shoes for a while and was very pleased when I came across these on an ASOS browsing session. They are just perfect, a low heel, popper ankle fastening and low (slight toe cleavage showing) pointy toes with a suede effect finish. Perfect for the summer!

Christmas Comes Early

It seems pretty strange at this time of year, but we had the pleasure a a visit from our Christmas Jumpers supplier, Cheesy Christmas Jumpers to discuss the range for 2013. Very exciting times, they had some amazing samples to show us and we are working on a very cool, exclusive, collaboration design which will be revealed later in the year. We were also treated to these fabulous home-made reindeer cakes.

A Walk In The Country

I've had a lovely weekend in Kent with my Sister, Brother-in-law and nieces, including a lovely trip to Brogdale Farm, a cheesy dinner platter, brisk walk in the countryside and Easter afternoon tea.

BUGS!!!

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Upfest opening exhibition for Bugs the other week which was great fun. There were loads of bugs which had been decorated by Bristol's finest graffiti artists, not only in the gallery but all along the streets of Bedminster in Bristol. If you get a chance you should head on down for a Bug hunt!