Steam and Rye | Review of Kelly Brook's Joint

Oh well yes it's ladies night and the feeling's right...ohhhh what a night.

Wednesday night is Doll's night down at Steam and Rye and I couldn't have had more fun. The business baby of Nick House and the fabulous Kelly Brook, Steam and Rye, has it all going on. From plentiful and fanciful cocktails to american 1920's diner decor and vibes - there isn't anywhere else I'd rather be on a Wednesday night. Really...No, I don't want to be in a pokey club in the west end somewhere mid week. I want to be in the city after work, where the atmosphere is buzzing and the people are flowing.

I stumbled across the restaurant-come-bar by accident whilst stalking an old school friend (don't pretend like you all haven't be there. It's okay to admit it. We're all in a safe place here) and it looked amazing. From one photo I could already tell this place was right up my street. Upon further research I found the deal I used with my friend. Doll's night at the Rye basically means that on a Wednesday if you're a gal, you can head on down and become a member - a "sorority sister". This entitles you to half priced cocktails all night, not just in happy hour (everyday 5-7pm).

I mean, I don't quite know where to start. Their cocktails are hands down, EASILY, some of the best cocktails I've ever sampled in my life and I drink cocktails on the frequent! The quirkiness and insatiable ideas behind the funky cocktails had me like...

Ya feel? 

We started with a 'Mississippi Lullaby' and my friend had a 'Freedom Martini'. Both equally as tasty, the Martini was so fruity that it was knocked back in seconds. The marshmallow that topped it didn't distract us for long. My Lullaby was pure bliss, it lifted me up out of my seat in central london and to my happy place. It came with a half a flambé passion fruit, sat pride of place on top of the ice. Within minutes this was gone too, oops. Good thing being a sorority sister on Doll's night also entitles you to a whole lobster and a glass of Moet for just £20. We ordered that as soon as we arrived. Ain't nobody got time for games. Gal doesn't mess about. It's an incredible price, as the lobster on the menu is usually £24 on it's own, and a glass of Moet is £12.50. The lobster can be whole or you can opt for the lobster in a brioche roll. We didn't, though.

 It arrived with a side of fries and a side salad. It was divine. All of it. I'm not a huge chip fan but these were so good and the lobster was how you'd imagine it - sweet and succulent. 

We polished off our mains and moved back to business...more cocktails. For dessert we picked the ultimate cocktail on the menu. The all mighty, all singing, all dancing 'FIVE DOLLAR SHAKE'. It didn't disappoint. In fact, it came and it couldn't have impressed more than it did. It was totally and utterly in-cred-durr-ble. Think a gorgeously sweet cocktail, topped with so much whipped cream, it probably contained your daily allowance of calories. It was almost too much. Almost. Chilling in thetantalising whipped cream is a full sized milk chocolate magnum, a marshmallow and a Oreo cookie to boot. I don't need to go anywhere else, I've already found heaven and it's on Leadenhall Street, EC3V.

Every Doll's night has live music 7-9pm and we had a great duo of musicians playing current hits in a more rustic and acoustic-type-way. The duo recreated hits on just a guitar and drum kit, with the two swapping roles half way through their set. I really enjoyed myself and hopefully all my friends on on my social media did too. Safe to say there wasn't too many videos of them on my Snapchat story from that night, er...

Finally, we finished our night with one last cocktail. Again, it was as equally amazing as the previous two.  We both settled on a 'Maize Balls'. I found it very aptly named. Just as extravagant as before, this one came in a plastic popcorn carton. There was lashings of cocktail and it was topped with popcorn. 

One final thing to add. I used the website www.designmynight.com/london to book my table at the Steam and Rye and I'm so glad I did. In using it to book things and leave reviews afterwards etc you can earn points, which in turn convert into money for you. I've racked up £5.00 worth of points which I can now use as money off. It's not just a London thing either, the site does all the major cities in the UK as well as places like Essex. Who doesn't love a bit'a Essex?! 

I loved the website so much I've started using it regularly to research and plan new and exciting nights out. It provides inspiration for everything from magic shows in London to 'best for first dates'. 

I couldn't recommend it enough, I really couldn't!

| Review of Appleyard Flowers |

When searching for a birthday bouquet for my mum's birthday not so long ago, I found a real gem hidden in the depths of the internet. The flower Gods shone down on me and after some googgling I found Appleyard Flowers. Flowers I say were sent by God. I say this, because in my opinion, flowers that look this good have to be work of God (or his little helpers at least - yeah a bit like Father Christmas, you could say). I was giddy with glee rubbing my hands together. I'd done it, I'd really out done myself this year. Big Mumma, as my mum is fondly known by so many, was going to be treated to a bouquet she thoroughly deserves and rarely gets. My mum treats me to pretty flowers a lot too as she knows how much I love them.

Now I'm no budding Brooklyn Beckham (aka hunkiest trainee photographer there is atm) but don't these photos just speak VOLUMES for themselves. Even if I do say so myself...

I went for 'Simply Pink Rose and Lily' in the standard size option, so I didn't pay the £5 extra for a larger bouquet, but you can do that if you wish. I picked this particular one out of all the endless beautiful arrangements, purely because mum and I are huge fans of pale coloured roses and I personally love how they encompas a colour pop splash of green in it, too.

These were just £23 for the generously sized bouquet. Yeah that's right, you read right! (You can pick your jaw up off the floor now). There are quite a few beautiful variations at this price including a lilac, red and fuscia version. Realistically, people should be tripping over themselves to treat a loved one to a bouquet for that price. I found a voucher code online but I easily could have used the 10% off that they send to all their first time customers. They offer free delivery on a large selection of bouquets too, yay! If I had my way, and the flowers were for me, those who know me well would know I'd always go for the white roses. A thousand times over. There's something so serene and pure about white roses. I spent a total of £20.70 on this. Quick someone pinch me, I'm dreaming.
I found the site really easy to use and it had that touch of elegance that you get from using a non chain florist. There's something so much more chic about getting a delivery of Appleyard Flowers than some M&S ones. I don't know about you but I'm quite fussy and hard to please. I find, bar M&S, supermarket flower arrangements a bit tacky and not necessarily any I'd go for personally.

I'm a huge minimalist and monochrome fan which is in keeping with this website design values. Basically it's my dream design for a website, complete with sharp colourful images. Can whoever designed their website please do my blog for me? It's website design goals, right there. In fact, can Appleyard Flowers do my wedding flowers as well, if I ever get married?

NOTE: Photos taken a few days after arrival

February | the month of positivity

New year, new me? Uh right...except for the fact that it's flipping February. Yeah, sorry about that one. The vapid expression that most of us preach in the new year is pretty apt for me, this year. I can sense the eye rolls from behind the computer screens already, and for that I'm sorry. I'm also sorry to have to be one of "those" people this year, but you kind of have to accept things for what they are in life. It just so happens that this is one of them for me at the moment, because as I type away I am a completely different person than I was starting off the year, back in January 2015 and completely different compared to the one who started off this January. Well, physically anyway. I started off 2015 at 13 stone 10, nearly 14 stone, thanks to my ever spiralling thyroid condition. 2015 was the year that all of that change for me and the old, happier and healthier Kate come back.

January was a write off. Move on, start afresh and go with a new direction if you choose. You have the chance to rewrite your year already. Don't waste it. Come the end of the year no one remembers January anyway, or the wobble you may have had about the upcoming year. For me it was a typical start to the year, rifling through my inner thoughts and desires to see what I could elect as my new years resolutions. Making sure that this year they'd be worth having. A beneficial one, for oneself. It took me a couple of weeks, but I finally reached a decision. It was to be more positive. No long background stories attached, no ulterior motives. Just to be more positive in every situation possible I can. Fine, I might not have lost a substantial amount of weight recently, in fact I seem to have plateaued at about 11 stone (give or take a couple of pounds) for the last 6 months. But what I have done, what I have achieved, is to keep nearly 3 stone off. And there's no taking that away from me. People echo it regularly to me, but it actually takes something to take it in and to start letting people's praises/advice resonate with your outlook on things. I still eat healthily these days in comparison to my university/relationship/pre-condition days but I don't stop myself having a treat. I don't ever deny myself something if I want it. Whichever way you look at it, I went on a big personal journey throughout 2015 to find myself again amongst all the appointments, prescriptions, gruelling gym sessions and copious amounts of avocados.

There are so many reason's why February is the month for positivity and not January. January tends to be negative what with the onset of Christmas blues, weather turning worse than the months leading up to Christmas, and as always the no excitement of snow. I mean come on, we wouldn't mind putting up with all this dreary weather if something good came off it - like a two-day-long snow day right? If you haven't had the start to 2016 that you would of hoped for, adopt the Chinese tradition of their New Year. This year, Monday 8 February marked the start of the Chinese lunar new year. Even though you're not from a Chinese heritage who's to stop you using it as an excuse to turn a corner in your life and make things more positive from now on.

Two days later was Ash Wednesday, marking the start of lent. You don't have to be religious to use these forty days leading up to Easter. You can choose to use this time to reinvent yourself a little. Give up a naughty vice, one that's not beneficial to your life and makes it more positive on a daily basis by not having it. You don't even have to give up that vice of yours for the full forty days, if you're reading this a week on from now, nothings wrong with giving up something for 30 days or 25 days. That's still an accomplishment. A personal achievement of yours, own it!

Valentine's Day is in a couple of days. Another perfect excuse to give yourself that good, well needed kick up the backside. If you haven't got anyone of the opposite, or same sex, that's particularly special to you, use this time to do something nice for yourself. Look after number one! Pamper yourself. Treat yourself. Whatever the heck you fancy, as long as it makes you happy. Happiness does equal positivity. Valentine's Day doesn't have to be anything if you don't want it to be, but it's also what you make it. So if you feel it's a day based on commercial gain, don't succumb to that, wait a little for prices to go back down and then treat yourself to yourself to some flowers or that new blender you needed but shouldn't really buy. Indulge yourself a little.

'Change your thoughts and change your world' - Norman Vincent Peale

Please note: I'm so sorry I had a technical glitch delaying the posting of this blog substantially.