Dinner with Nick Nairn; Menu tasting at The Kailyard, Dunblane Hydro

Well hello there,

So last month I was lucky enough to be invited along by Chris at DADA to an exclusive menu tasting at The Kailyard restaurant at the Dunblane Hydro with Nick Nairn and I took along my lovely friend Marge (follow her on instagram @breakhearts_not_nails). The Kailyard opened in 2009 as a partnership between Nick Nairn and the Dunblane Hydro; the Kailyard is one of the most visited restaurants in the Dunblane and Stirling area and will do at least 1000 covers (number of people served) each weekend.

The event was a unique and exciting opportunity to meet Nick Nairn, finally taste some of the food from The Kailyard (I lived minutes away from the Hydro for 7 years and have never eaten there, I now live in Stirling which is still pretty close, it was definitely time to visit!) and to get more of an insight into the workings and thoughts of a professional celebrity chef.

Firstly I must apologise for how late this post is, my memory card has corrupted (whatever that means) and I can't access any of the thousands of photos I had on it... So a massive thankyou to Kirstie from Coffee and Cakes for sending me over a few pictures to use for my post, she has saved the day for me!

I'm going to start by saying that I honestly enjoyed everything we tried, which considering that two things I usually don't like prawn cocktail and fennel were on the menu, is no mean feat. We sampled eight dishes in total, the first four we tried were starters the first being the aforementioned prawn cocktail. If you know me well you'll know I hate tomato ketchup, I can just about bare it on a Burger King Whopper (classy I know) but in anything else it makes me want to heave... Prawn cocktail sauce and I usually aren't pals, what with it containing such a large amount of tomato sauce, it's not usually top of my foods I like to eat list, the prawn cocktail at The Kailyard however, I was pleasantly surprised by it, the sauce wasn't overly ketchup-y and there wasn't too much sauce either and surprisingly I really liked it, I'd even consider going back and ordering it!

Shrimp cocktail with smoked salmon and avocado.

Smoked salmon with pickled fennel and apple and a watercress salad- I really liked the freshness of this and the way the apple and fennel was pickled (in lemon juice).

Glazed pork belly, crackling, apple sauce and crispy pulled pork fritters, so bad for you, yet so good! 

Confit pheasant terrine with celeriac remoulade, apricot puree and a pickled walnut dressing,
 this was really good Marge and I went back for seconds!

Braised featherblade of Scottish beef with mustard mash, truffled celeriac puree, kale and red wine gravy;
this was definitely one of my favourite dishes. It was comforting and rich and so good.

Salmon and Seafood risotto; my favourite dish of the night, I love seafood and this risotto was simply perfect, when I go back I'll be ordering this, I loved the crispy seaweed on top too.

Dessert time :)
Brioche bread and butter pudding with milk chocolate ice cream, this was really good but the brandy snap basket was a little tough, usually I wouldn't be bothered but I was trying not to make a mess of myself on this occasion... 

Nick Nairn's Berry Trifle, how cute do they look in the little glasses!

I was so impressed by the food at The Kailyard, from the risotto to the trifle, my favourite foods were on the menu, perfect. And I was even pleasantly surprised that I like foods I would previously turn my nose up at, Nick was lovely and chatted away to us about his Cook School and how "Scotland needs to change it's attitudes to food" I asked him a few questions afterwards which I'll be featuring in an article in my college magazine in August (I'll link it and feature the article on my blog but till then I don't want to spoil it!) 

I love that The Kailyard menu is respectful of seasonality and local produce, and I'll definitely be recommending it to my friends and family, after all it's only a 10 minute train journey from where I live, it'd be a crime not to go back!

Lastly here's a cheeky wee picture of myself and Nick Nairn :)

A little fuzzy but you get the picture.

Little fact about me and The Hydro, I actually had a job opportunity to work there when I was 17, it was my first ever job interview, I had no experience and was a little terrified, I didn't get the job but I guess it wasn't meant to be... 

Anyways I hope you're all having a lovely Tuesday, I'm busy working away at AJC PR today in my new position as a Social Media Intern, I'm really loving my second job doing what I love!

Till next time lovelies,

Iona

The elusive search for complexion perfection...

Well hello there,

When I was a teenager I had pretty bad acne, in the grand scheme of things it wasn't that bad; but I hated it. I was on medication and medicated creams for about 2 years, but I felt that they were actually doing more harm than good, my skin was really dried out from the cream and was super tender a lot of the time. My Granny is a doctor and after hearing my complaints (I was living in Australia at this time away from my regular GP) recommended I stop using the treatment.

Since stopping my medication I still get the occasional breakout and sore spots, but I've found that following a strict skincare routine is the best way to keep my skin relatively clear. My skin is very sensitive, I think possibly in part due to the strong medication I used to take for my skin, I don't for sure, but ever since I took the medicine a lot of creams and skincare hurt my skin.

I am a loyal user of Liz Earle products, they are gentle enough for my sensitive skin but keep spots at bay, I don't go out of my way to try new skincare as I've got something that works really well for me. But when I was emailed about trying out new Scottish skincare brand Ali Mac I knew I had to give it a go!

Ali Mac Skincare is a new organic and natural skincare brand which is ethically produced, organic, is free from synthetic and unethical ingredients and very importantly Ali Mac Skincare is cruelty free, I was sent the Camellia Cleansing Melt and Chamomile Anti-oxidant Face Serum to review and I've been really impressed with them so far.

Camellia Cleansing Melt £18.95*

I've been using the cleansing melt in place of my usual Liz Earle C&P for two weeks now, and have been pleasantly surprised by the results, most importantly for me the cleansing melt is gentle and doesn't irritate my skin, it also has a really pleasant kind of herbal scent. And though for some people the texture might be a little odd at first, I don't mind it. I usually start with a slightly damp face and rub it all over, similar to how I use C&P, then use a warm face cloth or muslin to wipe it off, before rinsing it all off with clean water.

I haven't experienced any breakouts since using it, so it's definitely been added to my limited list of cleansers I can happily use. I'll definitely be alternating between this and C&P, it's a nice change especially if my skin is feeling a little dry as I find it's quite a nourishing cleanser.

I was really excited to recieve the serum as my only past experience with serum is through the Lush serum bar, the Ali Mac serum is a little on the pricier side, but considering how big a bottle you get and how little product you need to use, I can imagine one bottle will last for a long time!

Chamomile Serum £34.95*

I've been using the serum after I've washed my face before bed to let it properly seep in to my skin, I've noticed my skin feeling noticeably less dry from this, which is definitely a positive. I love the dinky dropper on the bottle too, I love the scent of the serum as it lightly scented by the pure essential oils, the serum is rich in jojoba, rosehip and avocado. If you're not used to a serum it can feel a little greasy on the skin, but I only use it at night for this reason.

I'm really enjoying using the two Ali Mac products I was sent out and I'm really glad I've not discovered a new Scottish skincare brand, my Mum is really passionate about using products which aren't tested on animals and has been looking out for a new moisturiser so I think I might treat her to one from Ali Mac.

Have you heard of Ali Mac Skincare before? What are your essential criteria when trying out or looking for new skincare?

If you'd like to find out more about Ali Mac Skincare click here.

Till next time lovelies,
Iona

*These products were sent to me by Ali Mac Skincare for review*

Joanne McGillivary- One to Watch!

Well hello there,

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be invited along by Rachel at Hartmann Media to the launch of 2012 Scottish Fashion Graduate of the year Joanne McGillivary's inaugural collection. Joanne's collection is called Russian Revolution and features a rich colour palette and beautiful prints inspired by Russian tapestry.

Russian Revolution is an Autumn Winter collection, inspired by a trip to St Petersburg, Russia; Joanne was fascinated by the history in the city. I love the story behind the collection, especially as I long to visit Russia one day. Not usually the first choice on most peoples holiday wishlists, but I am fascinated by the vastness and history of Russia.

The launch was held at 29 Private Member's Club in Glasgow, it was my second time there I'd been before for an INAA Hair and Beauty Awards pre-event, this time my friend Ami and I had time to have a cocktail in the bar downstairs first, before heading upstairs for canapes and prosecco before the show.

Sadly my picture's didn't turn out as well I'd hoped they would, but I hope they give an idea as to how gorgeous the collection is, my favourite pieces were the dark teal palazzo pants and the mint crepe dress with brown leather waistband. I'm not sure if I could pull off palazzo pants, but they are so chic and looked incredible on the model. I also loved the styling of the hair and make up, all in all it was a really impressive show.

These trousers are stunning, sadly the blur-tastic picture doesn't do them justice!

The middle dress is my favourite, such a perfect style which would suit so many body shapes.

Cake Push Pops from Cake Cetera, we enjoyed one of these on the train home!

Joanne is definitely one to watch on the young Scottish designer front, her pieces are stunning! It was lovely to catch up with a few of the lovely ladies I know from blogging and enjoy a few glasses of bubbly whilst looking at all the prettiest dresses, a perfect Thursday night.

If you want to find out more about Joanne or her collection you should check out her website or twitter:

www.joannemcgillivary.co.uk

@Joanne_McG

SOURCE
Credit: Sandra Vijandi
My lovely friend Ami and I.

Till next time lovelies,

Iona

I've been a little quiet lately... OOTD

Well hello there lovelies,

Sadly despite my promises (sadly broken) to be back into the swing of blogging after finishing my exams, it's not quite happened yet... What with still living in a room of boxes, working lots of overtime, birthday parties, blogger events and most excitingly starting a second job interning at a PR consultancy, life has been eventful. I wouldn't change it for the world though, I'm so happy with how things are going at the moment, even if I am a little tired.

So here's a little OOTD post to help me get back into the swing of things :) I wore this outfit to Joanne McGillivary's 'Russian Revolution' fashion show, a post about which will be posted very soon, a very exciting Autumn Winter collection.

Last Thursday when I attended the show was one of the nicest days, last week Scotland experienced some beautiful summer weather, sadly I was working a lot of the week, but I enjoyed the sunshine in Glasgow before the show with my friend Ami. I braved bare legs for the event and finished off my outfit with a flower crown, not quite sure how ready for flower crowns the people of Stirling are as I received many funny looks on my way to the train station...

Freshly coloured hair by my lovely hairdresser
Nicola at Frances Hunter, Stirling,
 it's a lot ashier which I'm loving.

Flower Crown, Primark £3
Top, H&M (really old)
Skirt, H&M old too- pretty sure Primark have similar ones though!
Bag, Primark £6
Shoes, Primark £12
Bracelets, Accessorize
(Just realised how much of my outfit was from Primark... doh)

Ami enjoying a cosmo at 29.

Perfect refreshment on a summer's day, a cheeky Mojito.

Yo Sushi dinner before we squeezed in two events, Joanne's show and
The Keep Calm and Go Shopping event at Hummingbird, a busy evening!

Anyways I best be off to get ready for a wee afternoon shift working at Accessorize, I hope it's sunnier where you are as Stirling is rather cloudy today, sigh...

Till next time lovelies,

Iona

5 Reasons I love Lush; a guest post from my little brother.

Well hi there my name is Finlay and I am Iona's ten year old little brother, Iona is letting me guest post to improve my writing and tell you all why I love Lush so much! My mum, sister, brother and dad all love Lush too, today I will show you my top five favourite Lush things.

This is me riding my scooter.

1. Rocketeer- this is my number 1 because it zooms round the bath.

source
*Sadly this bath ballistic is not available at the moment*

2. Ickle Baby Bot- this is a great bath ballistic because it was the first bath bomb I tried and I love the baby blue colour that it turns my bath water.

source
£1.90 each

3. Bubblegum lip scrub- I like this because of the flavour and the way it leaves my lips soft.

source
£5.25 25g

4.Dragons Egg- is a fun bath ballistic because not only does it leaves the bath water like a rainbow, it releases popping candy and a cool stream of confetti and it smells nice too!

source
£3.20 each

5. Catastrophe cosmetic (Fresh face mask) - I love this face mask because it leaves my skin super smooth and helps stop me getting spots. (Sometimes my family uses this face mask on nights in.)

source
£5.95 75g

I hope you have enjoyed reading my first guest post on my big sisters blog, hopefully she'll let me post again soon.

Over and out,

Finlay

Tuesday's Talons by Marge :)

Well hello there,

It's been a while blogosphere and for that I am truly sorry, to be quite honest as I said in my last brief post things lately have been rather hectic! I'll be filling you all in properly on it all in posts to come over the next few weeks but for now a much needed nail art post!

My lovely friend Marge who is simply fabulous and works at Pinky's (in Stirling) did these lovely Cath Kidston inspired nails for me yesterday. I'm so happy to finally have my pretty nails back as my nail art has been a little neglected over the past few weeks...

Polishes Models Own and Revlon.

I love the subtle pastle colours Marge used, they are so pretty! :)

This week is the first week of my summer freedom from college, and a fairly busy one too, working, a work night and a time travel themed Birthday night out, in comparison to the last few weeks fairly quiet one though. My main aims for this week though is to get back into blogging, finish unpacking my room and very exciting get my invitations sorted for my Birthday party!

My next post is a rather exciting one as I attended the Scottish Hair and Beauty Awards on Sunday, watch this space lovelies.

Till next time,
Iona

P.S the lovely Marge of Pinky's is on twitter @marge_at_pinkys and is also on instagram @breakhearts_not_nails (as am I @ionabb)

Hello there strangers...

Well hello there,

Firstly I must apologise for my extended and unintended absence life of late has been a little hectic to say the least. What with an unplanned moving house, coursework deadlines, exams and blogger events I've barely had time to study and sadly my little ol' blog has suffered as a consequence.

Anyways I'm halfway through my exams now, just my journalism practical exam and then my marketing exam next week, phew! And we've fully moved into our new flat though not quite fully unpacked yet, I'm looking forward to doing a room tour post over summer once my room is finished :) we had our last ever 'march out' earlier today from our last ever Army quarter, it's crazy as apart from Australia and boarding school I've only ever lived in army-houses (that I can remember anyway.)

I thought I'd pop up a few wee pictures to fill you in a little on what I've been up to;

Sadly we had to say goodbye to our little bunnies, as we don't have room for them at the new flat :(  I miss fluffy cuddles with Fily and Kily, they are now settled in with a lovely family with a big garden.

:( sad goodbyes

Meet Gladys the hamster, the newest addition to our family, Finlay's hamster.

Finally tried Pinto and boy it was good!

Gave out copies of The Reader for World Book Day which also happened to be the day everything got rather hectic and we discovered we were moving, hence sadly I have few copies left... Any #scottishbloggers who I might see at any events soon let me know and I can bring a copy for you!

Learnt a valuable life skill from my Granny; wallpapering! Behold my new bedroom feature wall!

Studied... not as much as I hoped to fit in though :/

A brief snippet of my latest goings on; I've purposefully not included any recent blog events as they'll be blogged about over the next few days :)

Till next time lovelies,

Iona