happy little places: event

Thursday, 25 June 2015

#WeBlogMCR - The Foundation Coffee House Meet

It took me just over a year to decide that I wanted to write my own blog. I caught blog-fever whilst planning my wedding, as I devoured a wealth of wedding blogs on a daily basis. Eventually I had had enough, I wanted in. My own special little place on the internet where I was free to be creative, share things that I love and build on my passion for interiors. One particular aspect that I wasn't really expecting but has taken me pleasantly by surprise is the blogging community. There are so many lovely people, all kind and willing to help each other out. It really is fab. If you are thinking of starting a blog, my advice is do it!

One perfect example of the blogging community at its best is #WeBlogMCR. These Manchester-based blogger events are ran by Holly (Holly Goes Lightly and Dribble) who is the loveliest hostess, she makes everybody feel welcome, sets a really relaxed vibe for the event to run by and even brings prizes! I went to the first meet up a whole year ago and attended the third meet up this past week. Last Thursday evening saw me turn up to The Foundation Coffee House on Lever Street in the Northern Quarter of Manchester. If you're around the area and in need of coffee then you should definitely try it. The staff are delightfully friendly, my first ever matcha latte was scrumptious and the interior is a complimentary mix of industrial-cool and vintage charm.

Holly said a few welcoming words and we soon got stuck in to the far-reaching realms of blogging and all its wonders. The group comprised of fashion, beauty, health and lifestyle bloggers all happily sharing tips, troubles and goals whilst snapping pics of our location, drinks and nibbles. The Foundation Coffee House was kind enough not only to supply the space (after their usual opening hours) but also provided espresso martinis and a super healthy juice shots. Yum. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening and getting to make some new blogging friends, as well as catch up with some old ones too. Make sure you scroll down and take some time to have a look at their links. Once again a massive thanks to Holly who put this all together whilst heavily pregnant! Absolute star :)

Matcha latte // espresso martini // skin juice boost

Great little styling details like the table leg and shelves

Scandi-inspired interiors

Hexagon tiles // subway tiles

Dromomania
Kat Horrocks
Oui Stephanie
Radiance Nutrition
Sarah Jane Jackson
EmmyLou Kelly Photography
SpamellaB
Smile At Style
Greedy Sisters

Claire x

#DivaGlamVegas

I'm not the most glamorous of girls out there. But when I received an invitation to don some sparkles on an otherwise average Wednesday evening, I could hardly say 'no' now, could I?

A selection of like-minded Northern bloggers gathered at The Milton Club in the centre of Manchester for a taste of the Las Vegas life. The lovely folk over at Thomas Cook Airlines brought us to the exclusive venue for a night of glitz, in order to celebrate their new flights from Manchester Airport direct to Las Vegas. If you see yourself living it up in Sin City then you might want to check out their rather impressive deals.

The Milton Club

Food: Delicious canapes, including miniature chocolate tarts.
Drink: Las Vegas themed cocktails. The Flamingo was my favourite tipple.
Entertainment: Roulette table (I like to think of myself as a high-roller ;-) A fabulous Sin City themed photobooth, make-up counter to top-up your glam and the one and only Britney Spears! (ok, so she may have been a look-a-like but she was pretty amazing.)

My friend Gabriella and I with our new BFF Britney / Cocktails galore

Having a spin on the Roulette Table / My winnings

Has Las Vegas ever tickled your fancy? What would you get up to in The City of Lights?

Claire x

Written in collaboration with Thomas Cook Airlines

Christmas Markets and More

I'm lucky to live a 20 minute train ride from the centre of Manchester and so I can easily enjoy the best of both city and suburban living. One reason I love Manchester at Christmas time is the annual Christmas markets which completely take over the city's streets and squares. (Though I'm not sure whether I'm a fan of the markets dominating the main shopping thoroughfare - bah humbug ;-) The markets are in full swing at the moment and I've already made them a post-work destination twice. They're a quick fix to get you in the festive mood but can get extremely busy. If you go with the understanding that you might have to queue for your mulled wine, then you'll be fine. Also, if you don't fancy a Bratwurst then I recommend the chorizo sausage or the Lancashire hot pot, both located in Albert Square.

Albert Square, Manchester

I've handpicked several blog posts from across the web that you might like to read:

A male GIFT guide over at Cup Of Jo.
This NYC APARTMENT before and after on A Perfect Gray. The kitchen!
Sound JOB advice from Hello Terri Lowe.
Cosy and neutral FASHION with Somewhere, Lately.

Don't forget to send me your blog links. I love reading new content.

Claire x

Home Is...In Ancoats

I mentioned last week that I was heading to Home Is In The North on Saturday so I thought I'd share how I got on.

My mum and I arrived at Halle St Peter's quite early on in the day and there was already a fair bit of hustle and bustle. It's a gorgeous venue, I challenge anyone to walk through the door and not be a little bit gobsmacked at what you find. It's quite unexpected to step into a beautifully restored deconsecrated church in the middle of Ancoats, surrounded by old buildings and converted warehouses. Ancoats is on the up and it's great to see an area of Manchester with so much history being given a new lease of life.

The thirty-something exhibitors had each created beautiful and enticing stalls. There were plenty of pieces catching my eye as we began to wander so we decided to do a recce tour of the room before any purchase decisions were made. The purchases I did make are going to be gifts and so I can't share them here (sorry!)

However, here's a glimpse into some of my favourites:
Scented candles from Lomas and Lomas, wooden Christmas decorations from Double Thumbs Up, vintage furniture and homewares from Homeward, mugs and coasters from Northern Letters, notepads and cushions from Natalie Laura Ellen, unique ceramic vases from Knit Me A Stitch, cosy investment quilts from Lisa Watson and pretty much everything by Ink Inc (I was stood at their stall for so long trying to decide which little character was the cutest!).

Ink Inc

Natalie Laura Ellen

You can see a full list of exhibitors here.

The event was fuelled by Ancoats Coffee, Tea with Tom, Rudy's Pizza and Fat Annie's Hot Dogs. All of which looked and smelt amazing. I had to stop myself from digging in as we were heading to lunch after the event. It took a lot of will power though!

Round Up

If you follow me on Instagram you will have seen I was at the Courteeners gig over in Leeds on Tuesday. I'd never seen them live before and they pretty much blew my socks off. They've mentioned a few times that they'll be returning to Manchester in the summer and so tickets for their highly anticipated home-coming are definitely recommended by this fan.

Here's a little round-up of blog posts that have tickled my fancy recently:

Recommended READING by Erin at Elements of Style
Get your festive BAKE on with Design Love Fest
Handbag FASHION heaven over at Franki Durbin
A beaut of a kitchen INTERIORS inspiration from Style Files

Please comment if you've got any blog posts you think I should take a peek at :)

Claire x

Home Is In The North - 15th November

If you're here reading my little section of the internet, then there's a good chance that you quite like interiors just like me. If that is the case and you live in or around the Manchester area, there is an event coming up which is a must-visit. Home Is In The North is a unique interiors showcase and shopping event and the brainchild of Rachael Adams from The Social Butterfly.

The first ever Home Is In The North took place earlier this year. It was the perfect mix of northern designer-makers, craft workshops and great people all wrapped up beautifully in the elegant Halle St Peter's ex-church in Ancoats.

The November edition is set to be just as full to the brim of interior updates and nifty gift ideas. I'm delighted to see that there are a number of returning exhibitors but I'm also excited to check out the new additions. You can view the full line up here.

So, what are you up to this Saturday 15th November? Doors open 11am-4pm. Tickets are £3.50 and can be bought in advance here. It really is worth the wander.

See you there!

Claire x

#MFDF14

I had a few spare annual leave days to take off from work and so I've been enjoying my extended five day weekend. Quality downtime was certainly required and it's happily coincided with my husband's days off. Bonus!

Manchester Town Hall

Cute design for MFDF14's event guide

We took Thursday afternoon to head to Manchester's Food and Drink Festival. The sun was shining (albeit through some smoggy clouds) and Albert Square was looking particularly glorious and smelling unusually scrumptious, thanks to all the fabulous street food vendors that had gathered there.

Mmm pizza, cider tent, Albert Square and Fundi Pizza's self-built wood-fired pizza oven

After a quick recce of the area we decided on a pepperoni wood-fired pizza from Fundi Pizza, washed down with a cider for me and a beer for the hubs. The pizza was delicious with the pepperoni offering a nice hint of spice combined with a crisp pizza base and smooth cheese all making for a rather happy snack. Our only observation was that the chilli oil was not as spicy as it could have been, but then again we are lovers of spice.

The super friendly Hip Hop Chip Shop and their delicious wares

We soaked up some more sun and enjoyed the building atmosphere enhanced by the beautiful music of Fabian Emmanuel and Farah Elle pouring out from the beer tent. I then opted for a yummy glass of prosecco from Vin Van Vroom (hello, prosecco on tap - must get one of those installed at my house ;-) paired with untraditional fish and chips from The Hip Hop Chip Shop. This included bite size pieces of battered coley, triple fried chips, perfectly seasoned mushy peas and THE best spicy onion rings I have EVER tasted. I am not exaggerating. The onions were soft and tender on the inside and all wrapped up in a spicy, crispy, scrumptious batter. If you go to MFDF this year then you must give them a try.

'Cheers!' Vin Van Vroom, Albert Square, Fair Game with Crepe Lucette and Reds True BBQ telling it like it is

MFDF14 has got it so right and it is definitely worth your while popping by if you get a chance. Great buzz, great food and drink in a great city. We will no doubt be back next year as it is fast becoming an annual treat for my husband and I.

Claire x

Manchester's Roastin'

Wednesday evening found me braving the roasting-hot streets in order to wander down to the Deansgate Locks area of Manchester in search of magic beans. Feeling much like Jack and the Beanstalk, I found some in the shape of ManCoco's coffee beans.

A host of bloggers and coffee fanatics alike were invited to learn more about Manchester's very own micro coffee roaster. The friendly and coffee-passionate Stuart Bromley was already in full swing when my plus one and I stumbled into his hidden coffee oasis. (We'd got a little lost - oops.)

The little demo area was super cute and can be hired for events

ManCoco makes sure it's green beans are traceable and ethically sourced and they import from all over the world. We were lucky enough to sample a selection of beautiful beans from Ethiopia, Peru, Colombia, Rwanda, Uganda and Indonesia. We were encouraged to taste the coffee in it's optimum state and learnt a bit about the art of 'cupping'. Stuart was the perfect showman and slurped his coffee to perfection.

Getting my 'cup' on and Stuart demonstrating an expert slurp

I'm certainly not a coffee connoisseur and so some of the beans produced a flavour a little too refined for my English-tea-tastebuds but I did notice the difference in the beans and came to pick a favourite (Peruvian Chirinos Churupampa - if you're interested in the details).

ManCoco sell direct to both consumers and retail and Stuart shared some exciting details that he has in the pipeline for smaller coffee taster hampers, which sound perfect for gifts (Christmas in July anyone?) The event was pulled together by the friendly folk at MediaCom with the support of The Co-operative Electrical Shop and my plus one even won the very generous raffle in the shape of a new Delonghi Coffee Machine!

Claire x

Photo of me taken by Chloe Hesketh using my camera phone

#WeBlogMCR

Twitter is blummin' amazing. (You can follow me here.)

All thanks to this wonderful social media tool I ended up at The Whim Wham Cafe last Wednesday evening for the first #WeBlogMCR meet up with a bunch of other brilliant, North West-based bloggers. And what a lovely evening it was too.

The extremely lovely Holly Wood of Holly Goes Lightly set out with the objective of creating a new, casual and fun event for bloggers of all persuasions to come together and have a good old time, whist sharing tips and maybe making a friend or two.

This was my first blogger meet up and I'm really glad that I took the time to go and do it. Everyone was super friendly. There was a really good mix of fashion, beauty, food, health and lifestyle bloggers. It was inspiring to share a drink or two with such a blog-savvy group of ladies. (Check out their blog links below!)

The Whamble. Probably the most popular cocktail of the night. It was rather yummy.
Haymans Gin, Raspberry Puree and Lemon Juice over ice and drizzled with Apricot Liqueur

If you're thinking about attending an event similar to this one then I would definitely recommend it.

Claire x

www.spamellab.com

www.thewolfinthecity.com

www.catgirlblogs.wordpress.com

www.seeingspots.co.uk

www.andreasmake-upartistry.blogspot.co.uk

www.fashiondough.com

www.glutenfreestudentcookbook.co.uk

www.missdanielle.com

@amyconlock

www.greedysisters.com

www.thequickredfox.co.uk

www.misspond.com

www.smileatstyle.blogspot.co.uk

@FashionMusicAB

www.lilacghosts.com

Home Is In The North

The countdown is on to the next event I've been working on with Rachael Adams of The Social Butterfly.

Home Is In The North is taking place on Saturday 26th April, 11am-4pm at Halle St Peters in Ancoats, Manchester.

We've been working hard to bring together an amazing selection of designer-makers all from the North of England and all with beautiful and unique pieces just perfect to add to your home.

Home Is...Where? - photo by Stella Photography

There will be lots going on throughout the day including a furniture restoration demo by Sian Astley from Moregeous Design Studio, a create your own art workshop with Kimberley Hughes from Swoonworthy and a cushion cover class run by sewing bee specialist My Craftea Day.

On the day there will also be a dedicated Future Design Showcase supported by the event partners Manchester Craft and Design Centre, Northern Quarter concept store Fig & Sparrow and online marketplace What I Always Wanted. This area has been created to act as a support network for emerging designer-makers and will offer advice on how to build your brand and get it stocked.

If you're an interiors or homewares enthusiast (like me) and you live in the Manchester area (or even if you don't) then this is a must-attend event. Advance tickets can be bought on eventbrite or skiddle for £3 or you can pay £4 on the door.

As always, I am extremely proud and excited to be part of such an innovative event. I love interiors and will be lapping up the whole experience, as well as undoubtedly treating myself to a purchase or two.

Do say hello if you pop down :-)

CB x

Trove Homewares Launch

I just wanted to quickly pop by to point you in the direction of a post I've written for The Social Butterfly.

I attended a lovely homewares launch event at Trove and did a little write up which you can read here.

Obsessed with my carafe, mini milk bottle and yummy sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Enjoy your weekend!

CB x

Photo by me

White Memoirs

Gosh, it's got a little busy around here. This has a lot to do with the work I've been doing with Rachael at The Social Butterfly. It's all hands on deck as we get ready for the two White Memoirs Vintage Wedding Fayres.

The first is at Rosylee Tearooms in the Northern Quarter of Manchester on Sunday 16th February 11am - 4pm.

We have on offer the most perfect selection of bespoke exhibitors - get a taste for what's in store with the wedding campaign photoshoot 'Memoirs of a Ballerina' over on Brides Up North.

Cheshire brides need not worry either because White Memoirs is coming to Festival Hall in Alderley Edge on Sunday 23rd February 11am - 4pm.

If you're looking for more information then do take the time to look at the Facebook and event pages. Twitter fans should follow the very lovely @Rachael_AdamsUK to keep up to date with the very latest. Plus, keep your eyes peeled for more fantastic White Memoirs features on Brides Up North.

See you there!

CB x

Vintage Manchester Awards 2013

I had the pleasure of attending the Vintage Manchester Awards 2013 on Wednesday evening at 235. It was such a ball. I got to wear a super sparkly dress midweek for starters, who can argue with that?! The glitzy Viva Las Vegas themed event had a little bit of everything - yummy free cocktail on arrival, gorgeous ladies floating around with delectable chocolates, top vintage acts including the hostess with the mostess Kiki deVille and lots of fun networking opportunities.

Here's a breakdown of the worthy winners:
Best Vintage Fair - Vintage Village Stockport
Best Vintage Photography - HMS Vintage
Best Vintage Entertainment - Dr Sid
Best Vintage Beauty and Grooming - Bethany Jane Davies - The Vintage Beauty Parlor
Best Vintage Venue - Sugar Junction
Best Vintage Event Supplier - Vintage Afternoon Teas
Best Vintage Furniture/Home Shop - Rose & Lee Vintage Living
Best Vintage Attire - Miss Bamboo
Best Vintage Lifestyle Blog - nortonofmorton
Best Vintage Newcomer - HMS Vintage

The room was packed and everyone seemed to have a jolly good evening. Well done Vintage Manchester and The Social Butterfly!

Photos by me - please excuse the poor quality camera phone pics

The Independent Interiors Show - 2022NQ Manchester

I recently volunteered my services to help out with a new event being showcased in the wonderful Northern Quarter in Manchester. The Independent Interiors Show was put together by the rather lovely Rachel and Victoria. I initially found out about the event through the wonderful world of twitter and added it to my calendar to make sure I was free to attend. Then I thought, why not get involved. So I did!

The day started early at the super on trend venue 2022NQ just off Dale Street in the Northern Quarter. It was a smooth set up which involved lots of running back and forth up the basement stairs - resulting in a few aches the next day. This effort was all worthwhile as each stand looked unique and beautiful. It was a top notch selection of interiors and homewares. Heaven!

Moregeous

Throughout the day there was a constant stream of happy shoppers coming through the doors. They also got the chance to observe and/or take part in several demonstrations. Sian of http://moregeous.wordpress.com/ did some upcycling using Annie Sloane Chalk Paint. Must give this a go! And May Wild Ceramics did some pottery turning. (Not sure if I'd have the steady hand for this, but they certainly made it look easy).