I love a good Halloween scary night or party and getting in the horror vibe whilst watching scary movies! I have always loved horror films, especially the classics like Nightmare on Elm Street and Halloween and now I am an adult I like to think of new ways to celebrate the holiday. This year I got together with my sister to have a double date movie night complete with decorations.
Decorations can be a nightmare at Halloween (see what I did there) and there is always so much in the shops to choose from - which can get expensive. There was only 4 of us for the evening so I thought I would try not to go too over the top whilst also having some quirky things to decorate the room with. Of course spiderwebs complete with fake spiders were a must to drape over lights, tables, mirrors and just about everywhere else it can stick to - although I said not over the top I did get 2 packs of the webs to make sure everywhere was covered!
I managed to find some great things this year that looked a bit different, starting with the glittery Happy Halloween sign from John Lewis. This looks great and can be hung from doors or windows or just propped on tables as part of the decor like I did. Sainsbury's had some great things which is where I got the bloody handprints and light up pumpkin from. These were reasonably prices and just gave that extra horror feeling - the pumpkin also came in a large size perfect for window displays!
Finally, I wanted to add a bit of luxury to the evening and thought what better than a colour coordinated Yankee Candle! Yankee Candle always bring out Halloween collections each year but I went with a Frankincense scent. This scent is actually quite warming with hints of cinnamon but also fresh and fruity undertones too. It is a burnt orange colour and adds that extra touch with an amazing smell to your Halloween evening in front of the telly. If you don't want to buy a candle you could alternatively buy some wax melts and a halloween melter which would look great too!
After decorating the room we put the first Nightmare on Elm Street film on (not exactly a scary film in the 21st century but a classic) ordered some takeaway and enjoyed the atmosphere. For dessert I served Booja Booja Vanilla "nice-cream" made from cashew nuts and some dark chocolate broken on top.
If you are looking for a more low key Halloween evening with friends or family then why not recreate this night with your own decoration and personal touches! Horror inspired food and drink can always be found online and on Pinterest too.
Let me know what you have planned for Halloween xx
This post was sponsored by Ocean Finance as part of their #screamhomes campaign however all opinions are my own.
It is always fun to meet up with fellow bloggers and talk about our blogs and life and make new friends. You may be wondering where meet up number 2 is but I didn't blog that one (I know terrible blogger of the month!). It was in Leicester though and you can read Samantha's post here.
This time we met in Chesterfield where Samantha lives and decided to make a nice evening of it with dinner and drinks. We had myself, Samantha, Becki, Tarnya and Kirstie attend for this meet up so it was small but we had a great evening and a good natter. Go checkout all of their amazing blogs too by clicking on their names!
We met at Giorgio's Italian, an independent family owned restaurant, which had an amazing menu and a beautiful wood burning pizza oven. I went with the Pumpkin Risotto for main course and thought it was delicious. As I am vegan they kindly offered to make this without any cheese and were open to suggestions as to how the dish can be amended to suit my needs. All of the other girls meals looked great with generous portion sizes and after seeing clean plates all around I think I can say they all enjoyed theirs too. I skipped dessert as there wasn't much choice in terms of vegan dishes but decided to have an extra glass of wine instead, naughty naughty!
Witch Skincare had also kindly given us some samples to share and try. I had used their products a few years ago during my teen years but hadn't thought about them until recently. We received their Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash and Overnight Clearing Serum - both of which have been amazing and I would definitely recommend for all ages. My skin has been so soft and clear since using both of these products!
After we finished at the restaurant we all said our goodbyes and looked forward to future meet ups to see each other again. I was staying at the Casa Hotel as part of the meet up so look out for the review of the hotel soon!
If you want to be apart of future meet ups then be sure to fill out this form to add your details to the Midlands Bloggers database. The next one is being held in Lincoln in December for the beautiful Christmas Market.
Thank you Giorgio's Italian for hosting the dinner, Witch for gifting us with some treats and to the girls who attended for a great evening!
We received complimentary wine and 10% discount as part of our restaurant booking and gifts from Witch Skincare however all opinions are my own.
I was recently introduced to St Kitts Herbery through the gifting website The Bloggers Hangout. After browsing their website I was lucky enough to receive some a sample of some of their most popular scents.
St Kitts Herbery was founded by Susan & Paul Johnson in North Cornwall in 2001 and they opened their first store and workshop in 2003. They produce luxury toiletries using the finest ingredients and are made using their skills and expertise gained over the years. They make everything from shampoo and conditioner to preserves and chocolates. Just last year they opened their second store in Cardiff, Wales.
I received three of their bestselling scents as sample perfumes - Summer Rose, Mist and Rosemary & Bergamot. They are each distinctive and each have scents unlike any other perfume I have tried before.
Summer Rose
'Fruity, floral and fabulous. The divine scent of summer'
This perfume is feminine and floral but unlike other floral perfumes I have tried doesn't have that powdery slightly old person smell. This perfume is literally like walking through a rose garden and has a slight citrus lemon scent which makes sure this perfume isn't too sweet. It is light and definitely can be worn as a day to day perfume.
Mist
'Elusive, vivacious and light. Capture the moment. For men & women'
Ah Mist. This is a perfume which is light and not at all overpowering. It has a slight lemon and citrus note to it, the same as Summer Rose, but also has a fresh herb garden undertone. This scent is definitely noticeable but will have everyone asking you what scent you are wearing. It has a slight musk smell which means combined with the herbs and lemon this is perfect for both men and women.
Rosemary & Bergamot
'Our signature fragrance. Alluring, fresh and vibrant. For him & her'
This is the scent I thought I would love the most. I adore rosemary and bergamot and thought together in a perfume this could be amazing. It is amazing and has a slight spicy and typical masculine scent which is quite strong but doesn't come across heavy when sprayed onto skin. I would say this is more of a scent for men than women and reminds me of a scent my Dad would wear.
After trying all of the scents I decided to get a bit experimental and overlap them. As I really wanted to make Rosemary & Bergamot a scent that was less masculine and more feminine I initially applied Summer Rose over the top. This created a more subtle scent and the citrus notes in the Summer Rose scent brought out the bergamot in the Rosemary & Bergamot scent. My favourite combination was Mist with Rosemary & Bergamot. The fresh herbs and citrus notes of Mist meant that they both complimented each other so well and made the perfume more of an evening scent combined with the warm notes of Rosemary & Bergamot.
Overall, I would say that Mist could be my new signature scent and I have already been browsing the selection on their website to see what I should buy!
Let me know if you have tried St Kitts Herbery or will be now you have read this! xx
St Kitts Herbery Camelford, Cornwall PL32 9XH Tel: 01840 213 442
Twitter: StKittsHerbery
I received these perfume samples for review purposes however all opinions are my own.
Oaks is a new smokehouse restaurant in the city centre of Nottingham with a unique open grill kitchen. The decor is based around oak wood and although the restaurant isn't large it is beautifully decorated. Specialising in serving locally sourced meats and craft beers as well as delicious wines and cocktails; Oaks have also built their open grill from logs that were by-products of sustainable coppicing by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
We decided to start the night with Chilli Cooler cocktails - Ocho Blanco Tequila, Chilli, Agave Necter, Lime and Mint. This is a tall cocktail garnished with half a red chilli and surprisingly refreshing because of the lime and mint - a great start to the evening!
Obviously, Oaks is a meat focused restaurant and therefore I expected to have limited choice as someone who doesn't eat animal products. For starters I chose the Baked Olives with lemon and rosemary - a large portion of olives in a delicious lemon and rosemary olive oil. These olives were delicious and lasted throughout the meal due to the generous portion size.
For my main meal I chose the Portobello Mushroom, Avocado and Aubergine Burger. On a delicious soft bun this burger was amazing! Perfect amounts of each ingredient meant that I wasn't left with a pile of avocado at the end. Each mouthful was full of flavour and after a slight hiccup with some mayonnaise I truly enjoyed this dish. Served with my burger I chose to have the chopped salad which consisted of lettuce, tomatoes and radish; a little uninspiring but for those wanting a smaller meal the salad was a nice light accompaniment.
Dessert time! Well, before we start I should mention there are three desserts on the menu. Ice cream, cheese board or doughnuts filled with marsala cream.......nothing vegan or diary free! The team at Oaks were immediately catering to my needs though and after a few minutes wait a delicious selection of sorbets were produced (I imagine these were from Chino Latino next door). Flavours included Mango, Kiwi and Coconut and each were delicious and silky smooth. These are not on the menu but I think after encountering myself they may rethink the options available for dessert.
During this evening they also had a live acoustic singer performing in the bar area. With a carafe of red wine and enjoying the atmosphere this was an amazing way to spend a Thursday evening.
I would definitely recommend Oaks to anyone visiting Nottingham or wanting a more informal date or dinner with friends. Let me know if you have been to Oaks and where you would recommend for me to visit next xx
Oaks 2 Bromley Place NG1 6JG Tel: (0115) 947 7244
Twitter: OaksNottingham
I dined as a guest of Oaks however all opinions are my own.
We decided to start the night with Chilli Cooler cocktails - Ocho Blanco Tequila, Chilli, Agave Necter, Lime and Mint. This is a tall cocktail garnished with half a red chilli and surprisingly refreshing because of the lime and mint - a great start to the evening!
Obviously, Oaks is a meat focused restaurant and therefore I expected to have limited choice as someone who doesn't eat animal products. For starters I chose the Baked Olives with lemon and rosemary - a large portion of olives in a delicious lemon and rosemary olive oil. These olives were delicious and lasted throughout the meal due to the generous portion size.For my main meal I chose the Portobello Mushroom, Avocado and Aubergine Burger. On a delicious soft bun this burger was amazing! Perfect amounts of each ingredient meant that I wasn't left with a pile of avocado at the end. Each mouthful was full of flavour and after a slight hiccup with some mayonnaise I truly enjoyed this dish. Served with my burger I chose to have the chopped salad which consisted of lettuce, tomatoes and radish; a little uninspiring but for those wanting a smaller meal the salad was a nice light accompaniment.
During this evening they also had a live acoustic singer performing in the bar area. With a carafe of red wine and enjoying the atmosphere this was an amazing way to spend a Thursday evening.
I would definitely recommend Oaks to anyone visiting Nottingham or wanting a more informal date or dinner with friends. Let me know if you have been to Oaks and where you would recommend for me to visit next xx
Oaks 2 Bromley Place NG1 6JG Tel: (0115) 947 7244
Twitter: OaksNottingham
I dined as a guest of Oaks however all opinions are my own.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)