Looking for something to do this weekend?

You guys, Pop Up Restaurants.

There is something so awesome and trendy about them - kind of makes you feel like you are dining in a super secret hot-spot that is so elite, it only lasts for 48 hours. Then all of a sudden, the whole thing is dismantled and it's like it. NEVER. EVEN. HAPPENED.

SO - I wanted to let you know about an awesome little Pop Up that is coming to London this weekend - so that you can snap up your ticket - before the whole thing is over in the BLINK of an eye!

What makes this Pop Up so awesome (apart from it being a pop-up, the coolness of which, we've already established) is that this one in particular is being "cheffed" by my friend, Ashleigh and the rest of the Belazu Team. Now, given my "cooking record" I know I am no "authority" on this matter... but you guys...  - I've tasted her food - it's legit.


The tickets are £35 each for a yummmmy three course meal and a welcome cocktail. The food is all Moroccan inspired: think delicious mezze platters, lamb shanks, aubergine, chickpeas, hummous, spiced yogurt, olives, pomegranate and epic dishes cooked in those Tagine things.

I have actually NO idea how those things work - but I know that what comes out of them is GOOOOD. Take a look at the menu here!

What makes this Pop UP even more awesome than it already is, is that over £20 from each ticket is going towards The Belazu Foundation - which supports the educational needs of children in England and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The Belazu Foundation will also match all the funds raised from ticket sales - which makes ONE ticket sale enough to educate a child in Morocco for an entire year. So it's a win-win-win-win situation. DO IT.

It's taking place on Friday (14th March) and Saturday (15th March) at The Dolls House in Hoxton Square - how awesome is that venue!? You better be there!

You can get your tickets here!

Deals and Such

So Youngs Pubs are running this deal at the moment - and I think you should take them up on the offer.

Perhaps I will take the husband out -
and maybe I'll pay.

* * * * *

And No - this is not a sponsored post - but if any of the Wimbledon locals  wanted to give us some free wine -

that would be fine.

Date Day | Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park

As a post "first market" surprise - The Husband had organised for us to go ice-skating at Winter Wonderland in Hyde park yesterday. I have never been to a Winter Wonderland and was absolutely BLOWN AWAY - by the MASSIVENESS of it all.



Our first port of call was a mug of steaming hot Mulled Wine because DELICIOUS. And our second port of call was another mug of steaming hot Mulled Wine, because OBVIOUSLY.

There is SO much to see and I can tell you right now, that after 7 hours there yesterday we didn't even see a quarter of it all. I have made The Warr promise that we are going back!


There are so many delicious foodie options to choose from - with quite a heavy German/Bavarian influence - lots of sausages, bratwurst and things with un-pronounceable names such as Schweinshaxe. We settled on a very conventional plate of fat-chips as fuel before our big ice skating debut!

Warren: Are you trying to hide my moustache in a black and white filter?
Me: Yes.

Ice skating was SO much fun- it made me feel like a kid again! And bonus of the day - I didn't fall once! (Granted, I was clinging onto husband's sleeve for the majority of the hour.)

   

yeah you guys! Look at me go!

How cool is this fake snow?!
I know. 

Am thinking of shipping a container-load back to South Africa.

 

We wondered around the arcade style games and markets for ages and then met up with some mates of ours for a drink and some nosh at the Bavarian village.

(Can't believe that it was so busy and such a massive performance for a Sunday night.)

 

Toast your own Marshmallows on this giant open roaring fire - 

we are DEFINITELY coming back to do this!!

 

Our friends were crazy enough to go on this ride - The man and I watched from the safety of the sidelines - with another mug of mulled wine. 

We had such an awesome day! Cannot WAIT to go back for more Wonderland fun!

Viva la Christmas Winter in London!

__________________________________

PS - full market post to follow - 

thank you so much to everyone who came to support - 

muchos gracias!

Champagne, Oysters and Brighton Beach.

A few weeks ago - we celebrated the birthday of Shelly with a surprise trip down to Brighton Beach. I made a "secret" invitation which i posted through her letterbox -

We - Nicole, Kerry, Birthday gal-Shelly and I, met early morning, grabbed some coffee and toasties and jumped on the train to Brighton. Our first stop in Brighton was to an awesome retro/quirky boutique called Betty Lou -

We started our girly day with different spa treatments - shellac nails, hair cuts, hi-lights and blow-waves and luxury pedicures. Such an awesome retro-themed little boutique with a really awesome owner Liz - Betty Lou specialises in vintage-makeovers - am thinking it would be super fun to "get all old-school" and go take some snaps on the Brighton Pier? Yes. Betty Lou's is definitely worth a visit if you're headed down to Brighton.

We also cracked open the bubbles and feasted on delicious Hummingbird Cupcakes, because

BIRTHDAYS.

Can you say DELICIOUS?!? 

Not with a mouth-full of cupcake you can't.

Loved all the interior of the Betty Lou Salon - especially the awesome wall graphics -



After gettin' all girlified, we headed down to Brighton Beach and had a slow stroll over to the place we had booked for lunch - at the Champagne and Oyster Bar - Riddle and Finns.




Shelly is a die-hard Oyster Fan - her sister Nicole is a die-hard anti-oyster fan. Kerry and Ché had not, until this point ever tried oysters. We decided to be brave and give those little suckers a bash -




Doused up with tabasco, lemon juice and whatever that sauce was in the middle, they were actually pretty darn delish.

Hmm... It appears I do have a taste for the finer things in life. 

(Ka-ching, Warren).

We headed along the Brighton pier, stopping at the little shops and market stalls, soaking in the very vintage-fairground vibe of Brighton. Seriously, with all the beach, the Merry-go rounds, the fair-ground stalls - it's basically Instagrammer's heaven. I've never been to Brighton before - and it's such an awesome little coastal town to explore! We didn't even get a chance to go treasure hunting around The Brighton Lanes

 

Before heading back to catch the train back to London, we took a walk along the pier to get ice-creams, lose all our coins in the arcades (not really) and go on the scariest loop-de-loop rollercoaster (yes really). Recommendation: Ice-creams after rollercoaster.

 

Hope you had a fab birthday Miss Shelly, it was awesome to spend the day celebrating with you!

So... we'll do it all again this time next year?

x

Mumford & Sons, Gentlemen of the Road.

On Saturday we hit up the Gentlemen of the Road, Summer Stampede Concert at the Queen Elizabeth park - Mumford & Sons, Vampire Weekend, Ben Howard, Bears Den, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and HAIM. i know, can you even handle? The whole Olympic Park was created to resemble an old school fair ground with different rides, tombola stalls, food stands, photo booths etc. I loved all the signage - esp these "cheer people" (below) who had signs along the way telling us how many more steps (from the train station) until we reached the concert gates -



We had an awesome chilled out afternoon listening to Ben Howard, Edward Sharpe, Bears Den, HAIM in the sunshine -

THEN. Mumford and Sons came on - 

We raised up our drinks and went crazy!

"Woooohooooo!!! We love you Mumford!! etc etc!!! wooohooooo!!!"

    

Yep. That's right. I got doused in sticky vodka lemonade. All over my head.

By my own husband.

That one.

He's lucky I'm so forgiving.

Am having problems with getting youtube to embed my videos  - 

but this is a link to the mandatory "oh, lols. it's not a picture, it's a video"

And here is the actual picture picture -

 

Side Note: Definitely invest in a husband the next time you go to a festival or concert - they have very handy shoulders for when you need to get a better view. Also, if you let them "accidentally" spill their drink all over you, then you will have extra shoulder time as retribution.

Husband took this picture of me while I was on his shoulders.

I had no idea.

Somehow feel the deserving caption is: KAa KAAAW.

Saw guy with an awesome t-shirt. 

Approached guy with awesome t-shirt and said:

"Hey Guy-with-an-awesome-t-shirt,
you have an awesome t-shirt!
Imma take a pikcha of it, K? K."

I tested it for you.

totally legit.

Oh Hey bald guy.

A few other of our video links if you're interested:
Edward Sharpe and the Magentic Zeros - Home.

And this video - where they released confetti. Kerry and i were on our way back from the bathroom and we thought they were butterflies. You guys, BUTTERFLIES. We died.


Picture left: AMAZING naked fairy light bulbs.
Picture Right: amazing picture of nothing. And exactly everything of how the night was.

{my very own gentleman of the road}

And my fave pic of the night - completely unedited:

London Summer for the Win.