Metro Centre Haul

As mentioned in my previous post I went on a mission to the Metro Centre at the weekend.  After months and months of being so careful with my money ready for my move I was wanting to spend big.  My main aim was to find some holiday clothes for our jaunt to Rhodes in September and also to find some more tops to go with skinny jeans.

Here’s a little selection of some of my favourite purchases:

I am LOVING statement necklaces at the moment and am finding myself drawn to the bright coloured ones.   They scream fun in the sun to me and I couldn’t help but purchase a few for the holiday. 

I was also on the eye out for a holiday bag, I wanted something really fun and bright but as I strolled round the shops looking at the pinks and yellows I couldn’t settle on a colour or find something that would go with anything.  I pack enough when I go away without needing to pack multiple bags for different outfits.  I was so excited when I stumbled across this cute little bag in Accessorize, it has a gorgeous pop of colour and is the perfect fit for my essential bits and bobs whilst I’m exploring Rhodes.

Whilst in Accessorize I was so tempted by some of their beach wear but after a little while of picking things up and putting them back I decided that the price tags weren’t really justified.  So I made a dash to my faithful friend Primark and managed to pick up a lovely coloured Kaftan with a perfectly matched beach bag for £18.

Slightly out of my comfort zone are this seasons trend of patterned trousers.  I’d been wanting to try some for ages and decided that being away in a foreign country is the perfect time to experiment with something different.  For a patterned trouser virgin I’ve certainly gone to the extreme with these!

Luckily I didn’t get too swept up in holiday fever and managed to find a few tops to go with skinny jeans.  I got these lovely sheer floral shirts from New Look, and the blouse from the sale in Oasis .. I love the collar!

I can’t get enough of River Island Molly jeggings, they are the perfect fit and I already had a pair in grey and black.  Dark blue was definitely missing from my wardrobe those so I decided to pick up a new pair.

I also finally found a pair of sandals that I love, they’ll be perfect for holiday day trips.

And lastly another Primark find that I’m very chuffed with.  They have a fantastic collection of statement necklaces at the moment and if you have the time to have a big hunt through you’ll find some gems, just like this gorgeous one which set me back only £3

Monday Smiles

Simon and I knew we wouldn’t see much of each other this weekend as he has a busy work schedule so on Tuesday we went to the Tyneside Cinema for date night to see Much Ado About Nothing which was just beautiful.  As a huge Joss Whedon fan it was lovely to see my favourite Shakespeare play filmed so beautifully involving so many recognisable faces from the geeky worlds of Buffy, Dollhouse, Angel and The Avengers.

Saturday I took advantage of being on my own and whilst Simon headed off to work for a hard day (and night!) I went to the Metro Centre for my third visit.  The Metro Centre, for those that don’t know, is the largest shopping centre in the UK and houses every high street store you could possibly wish for.  On previous visits I have got very lost and confused and ended up leaving early with achey legs.  This time I intended to tackle it with a bit of pre-planning and after studying maps and making notes (geek!) I realised that the green and red malls were the only ones worthy of my time and had an enjoyable day working my way round them.  The trip turned into a 8 hour mission although I’m pleased to report that I thoroughly enjoyed myself, it’s made my painful split with Westfield Stratford more bearable and I got a truck load of new clothes for my holiday in September.  I may do a Metro haul post later in the week to show you all my finds.

Sunday I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and in an attempt to get to know some people in the North East I attended a “Vintage Social” at Serendipity in Sunderland hosted by the lovely NE Bloggers.   I almost talked myself out of going several times over the weekend but was so glad that I was brave and went because it was so much fun.  We were put on a table with people we didn't know which was the perfect way to break the ice - I shared my afternoon with some really wonderful bloggers - Saffron, Megan and Bree, being very new to blogging and the area it was great to pick up some little tips from them .. we ate cake, I won a lovely raffle prize and most importantly I got to meet lots of lovely ladies.  I fully intend to have a little nosey at everyone’s blogs and for anyone who happens to be visiting my blog from the social a huge hello and I hope to meet more of you at the next event.

Now on to the usual Monday thing .. time for some smiles  :)  

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

Flicking through a magazine in April I came across a skirt in the fashion pages that I just had to have, I immediately ripped the picture out and spent the next few weeks carrying it around in my purse – getting it out every now and again for a little look to see if I still liked it and if I could justify my pennies (anyone else do that?)

By the time I came round to ordering it, it was out of stock .... BOOOOOOOOOO!  And then began the waiting game!

In the time it took for my skirt to be dispatched I’d decided I was relocating, quit my job in London, found a new job in the North East and moved in with my boyfriend.  By the time it finally arrived so much had happened in my life, I’d almost forgotten it existed.

But now I have it, and boy was it worth the wait.  I LOVE it!  Now I just have to wait for the right occasion to wear it.

Monday Smiles

And another week begins .. I really dislike having to get up so early on a Monday morning.  Let's have some Monday Smiles to start the week the right way.

Loving Leeds

One of the things I love most about living in Newcastle is all of the places that I can now get to so easily by train.

My lovely friend Kate has been living in Leeds for many years and we used to see each other probably only twice a year.  Now she lives an hour and 20 minutes away by train so one of the first things I wanted to get organised when I moved was a trip to see her.

So today I headed out for a gorgeous early morning stroll in the sunshine to catch the train to  Yorkshire for the day.

Leeds has benefited to a massive redevelopment in recent months with the opening of the new shopping centre, Trinity.  Only 3 months old it boasts an amazing range of shops, all with brand new sparkly fronts.  I thoroughly recommend heading there for a shopping trip.

We began our day with brunch at Anthony’s Piazza in the Corn Exchange, a beautiful Victorian building in the heart of the city.  It is so stunning inside and the food was gorgeous.   I always like a good bargain and through a Living Social deal we enjoyed a full English Breakfast with toast and jam, orange juice, a glass of processo and coffee afterwards for £9.

What girlie day would be complete without a trip to the beauticians?  After having such a full breakfast we waddled to Millies Beauty Salon for a manicure where we had a lovely gossip with the beauticians and walked out with beautifully polished nails.

By this point, being expert foodies, we were feeling a little peckish so decided to visit another Anthony’s establishment for some afternoon tea.

I’m pretty sure I won’t be eating again for the rest of the week!

Trains regularly from Newcastle to Leeds with the shortest trip being around an 80 minutes, amazing deals are to be had on tickets booked 12 weeks in advance.

Monday Smiles

We've had a week of absolutely amazing sunshine in Newcastle which was certainly something to smile about!  Let's hope it's here to stay for another week.

Seaside Strolling

A friend, who relocated to the North East from London many years before me, recently told me that one of the moments that really sold Newcastle to her was when she spotted her first  Metro displaying its destination as  “The Coast”.

And what a selling point it is. 

The sun shone today and being true Brits we hurried to put on our shorts and skipped out to catch the Metro to The Coast.

We decided to spend the day taking our time and enjoying the sunshine so got off at Whitley Bay and had a gorgeous stroll to Tynemouth.

Our route along the sea front took us through Cullercoats, a gorgeous  “blink and you’ll miss it” stretch of coast housing the most amazing ice-cream parlour I’ve seen in a long time, “Beaches  and Cream”.  I enjoyed a banana and ginger ice-cream in a sugar cone and it was just delicious.  We will definitely be returning as inside looked lovely and I spotted a few people enjoying afternoon teas (one track mind!).

A little further up the coast and we hit Tynemouth where we had a very enjoyable hour strolling on the beach admiring people’s dogs and watching people dash about in the sand.  I also couldn’t resist picking up a few shells on the way.  What is it about being on a beach that makes you revert to being a child?

For lunch there was only one stop, Marshalls for fish and chips.  As usual for a sunny seaside day the queue was out of the door so after a little while of waiting our hungry tummies got the better of us and we ended up eating inside and ordering extra bread and butter and baked beans to go with our lunches.   

Tynemouth Village is such a charming little place I spotted quite a few places that I would like to try in the future and it’s definitely becoming one of my favourite places to visit.   There are cute little gift shops and boutiques, lovely looking restaurants and plenty of tea rooms and cake shops that got our mouths watering despite the big lunch.  Tynemouth Metro Station is also home to a really fun looking flea market every weekend and after a very quick stroll round before getting the Metro home I’ve decided that it’ll probably be worth a trip of its own.

As You Like It ... Chocolate and Beetroot

Hidden in an ugly concrete jungle is the delightful As You Like It.  It’s nothing to look at from the outside but as soon as you step through the door the charming character of the bar hits you.

As You Like it is a restaurant bar in Jesmond that I’d read about a lot before moving to the North East, it’s very popular with locals and many even chose to have their perfect fairytale wedding held there.   Not surprising at all given the beautiful décor. 

The place is made up of beautifully decorated little nooks and hidden rooms covered in twinkly lights, pretty flowers, chandeliers, funky chairs and even a grandfather clock.

There are always interesting things going on, the events calendar is very full with comedy nights, wine tasting and the event that I’m really looking forward to trying, the “Supper Club” held every Friday and Saturday night.

 Having only been for a quick coffee before I was very excited to receive an e-mail last week tempting me to Jesmond with the promise of sampling the new menu as part of “Restaurant Week” and was immediately on the phone to book a table.

We began our evening in the bar where the extensive and very reasonably priced cocktail menu had my eyes popping out of my head.  I didn’t even know where to begin and will definitely need a return visit to fulfil the long list of cocktails that I’d like to try.   I opted for the Toblerone cocktail - chocolatey heaven, filled with refreshing ice and topped with a honey float. To add to the fun we “played heads or tails” with the barman, won and got half price drinks. 

My final cocktail choice of the evening had to be something involving cherries as I adore them.  This being the finest cocktail menu in the North East I had a lot to choose from.  I decided on the cherry drop which mixed amaretto and midori with cranberry juice.  Perfectly sweet and very refreshing.

Making sure we were very hungry on arrival we managed to tackle a whole 3 courses, for the shockingly good price of £13 as part of Restaurant Week.   It was a struggle, we were very full at the end and had to roll home, but it was definitely worth it.

For starter I enjoyed halloumi with pitta bread and then had the ultimate indulgence for my main course, the breakfast burger.  A thick beef burger squished into a bun with home-made onion rings, mushrooms, bacon, a fried egg and breakfast sauce.  It was so filling I was barely able to touch my chips.  Despite being about to burst  the dessert menu was just too tempting to turn down, I love interesting twists on classic puddings and the menu was a real feast of wonders.  Luckily Simon stepped in and ordered one of the two desserts I wanted so I got to sample two.   First up was the rhubarb crème brûlée, I’ve always loved rhubarb so this was right up my street.  It worked really well, especially with the shortbread biscuit it was served with, the perfect mix of tang and sweet.    The dessert that really sparked my curiosity was the chocolate and beetroot cake, there was no way I could leave without trying it.  I was a little apprehensive but I do love trying different flavours together.  The chocolate cake was served with a warm chocolate sauce and cream and the beetroot appeared in the form of bright purple sauce which worked so perfectly with the chocolate.  I highly recommend you give it a go.

Restaurant Week is on until Friday but As You Like It run many offers and events throughout the year.

http://www.asyoulikeitjesmond.com/

Monday Smiles

Summer appears to be here .. just a shame it's decided to show up on a Monday when it's back to work!

Ah well ... here are some Monday smiles  :)

Bubble Tea

It’s pretty hard to miss the Teashed.  It’s a beautifully decorated shed that’s landed in the middle of the food hall in Fenwicks and it brings with it a fun way to enjoy tea.

Everything about the Teashed is colourful and the drinks menu is a delight. 

There was so much we wanted to try but in the end we opted for bubble teas, iced tea with pobbles in the bottom.  Pobbles are little pearls of goodness that slip up your straw into your mouth and explode into gorgeous fruity flavours.



I opted for the chocolate tea with coconut bubbles and Simon had the pink lemonade with passion fruit bubbles.

Unfortunately we had no time to eat this time, but I’m feeling the need to return fast for an afternoon tea.  As with all pop-ups, the Teashed’s time is limited and will only be in Fenwicks until next month.  

For those living in London the Teashed will be popping up in BoxPark, Shoreditch next week so I urge you to all dash down and sample the bubbles.

For more information please visit the website below:

http://www.the-teashed.co.uk/