An Evening at Strata Bar & Restaurant

As it was mentioned in last week's Sunday post my parents came down to Glasgow for a visit and treated me to a meal at Strata Bar & Restaurant situated on Queen Street (or my mum got vouchers valid for the day they were planning to come down).

The place was a bar with some tables lined up the side by the window. There was also an upstairs though I didn't venture into that part. It was quite lively and having our meal at 7pm meant that there were already people having their Friday night drinks after the 9-5 hog!

For starters it was veggieness all round despite my parents being firm carnivores. The vegetarian cred of this restaurant wasn't high but the options of starters included my brushetta, my mum's sweetcorn soup (which was the soup of the day) and my dad's halloumi salad. I did have reservation about ordering as there weren't any 'v' symbols on the menu and I had to make my decision as to which looked veggie - and I have to admit I was suspicious that the dressing round my bruchetta possibly contained Worcester sauce, though it could have been something else - been a while since I had Lea and Perrins! (Or I could have asked)

For main course my parents went back to being raging carnivores whilst I sat down with my mushroom risotto (it was either that or a bean burger). This was absolutely delicious; it was absolutely creamy and had so much flavour (let's be honest mushroom risotto's are not the most flavoursome thing ever!). My only compliant was that the portion was really small which was a shame as I could have eaten about 10 more portions. 

I was at the toilet whilst the waitress was asking about desserts so my parents flipped the coin and decided we weren't having any. Boo! But I did finish off the meal with one of their fancy cocktails. I honestly cannot remember what was in this but I seem to remember it caught my eye because it mentioned herbs which I thought was weird (and I normally always select the oddest cocktail on the menu, or one that contains rum).  

Overall the Strata was nice. I've bitched about the vegetarian friendliness of the place in this post however it really was quite nice. My main reservation (even if I did eat meat) was that I much prefer to get a big portion of okay food rather than a small portion of what was simply amazing. It was amazing but really - I'm a hungry person a lot of the time and need my munchies. My parents thought there's were filling, but they did order a meaty main. 

The main highlight was definitely the drinks selections (my dad was spoilt with whiskeys), so whilst I might not fall over myself to return for a meal I imagine this would be a really nice place to go for a drink (or several) with some friends. 

Lots of herby cocktail love!

The Linkables - Hipster Wedding Special

Courtesy of Refinery29 

It's late and I'm tired but this really is so much of a gem it deserves it's own blog post. 

Beauty Review: Sukin Cleansing Hand Wash

I'm always on the look out for new natural and animal-friendly products so when Australian brand Sukin released their products in the UK and offered to send me a product of my choosing, I was all over it. 

Admittedly I don't have dry hands (or body, or face) but for me using body butters, hand creams, exfoliators is about enhancing what I consider one of my best features. I've used moisturising hand washes/soaks before and love having one there though admittedly it's not something I would go out of my way to buy. With an office job my hands don't (normally) come into contact with anything harmful or drying but since I'm planning to take up gardening this Spring (rock and roll!) my hands might lose their normal suppleness. 

I have kept this bottle in my shower since I received it not long before Christmas. You're probably meant to keep this on your sink but as mine is already brimming with stuff as my flat is still very sans-mirrors in anywhere but the bathrooms I decided to incorporate it into my shower routine.

After first use of this product I did notice a different in my hands. As I said my hands are naturally soft but this took them up to baby soft. And my hands have been obviously touchably softer since. This product smells like a typical natural product - like a strong smelling plant, which does nauseate me a bit when I smell it straight from the bottle. However the small pump I take for doing my hands in the morning doesn't leave a lingering scent.

Sukin hand wash is being sold at £8.12 (via Cress UK) which at first can seem like an eye-popper of a price for a hand wash but you get 250ml and believe me when I say I'm only one tenth of the way through my bottle after a month - it works out at good value. Weather or not I re-purchase will remain to be seen; maybe I'll need something stronger once my balcony garden gets underway. But this is a product I am giving the thumbs up to!

*As mentioned this product was sent to me for review. However opinions are my own and I have received no payment for this post. I'll also state that in terms of animal testing I am taking the word of the company and performed no further research into their policies. 

How I Looked: Shorts to Work

It's been a wee while since I put up a post about what a prissy fashion blogger puts on to go to her office job hasn't it? I actually took these pictures in early December (I certainly didn't stand outside like this in the recent weather!) but all the Christmassy posts prevented it from going up. 

This still worked for the office as it is mainly black (though it still has studs, fur, jewels, pleather and checks) despite the shorts that don't even come half way down my thighs. But considering I was interviewed wearing a short black playsuit I'll go with the assumption my employer doesn't think it is strange to not put on a pair on trousers when the half the country is on a severe weather warning. 

The jacket was an old one from New Look a few years back so we'll take that off already? Yes? Okay. The  cardigan was bought from Primark as winter came in and I needed some fancy new layers plus something warm to wear in the office that wasn't a full flung jacket. Admittedly this jumper needed to grow on me and the reason, seriously, is because even with fur and wool I still reckon it's too plain for my taste. 

And now we move on to one of my favourite pieces right now. A white shirt is very essential addition to a work wardrobe and I wanted to find one that was just right. It was at some point in a shopping trip that I decided I wanted a studded collar and it was only in H&M that I spied this but unfortunately they didn't have my size. Later that week I hoped into the other Glasgow H&M and picked up my size and it has been a staple piece since. I also picked up a skin coloured vest and a white vest from Primark to protect my modesty, but I've been wearing the skin coloured one as I think it looks a a bit classier (and invisible) than having a white vest top show up through a shirt. 

The shorts were bought over a year for a bit of pub golf (and I actually wore them to my first ever Scottish blogger meet-up) and they rarely seen the light of day again until I started the 9-5.   

Also we already know the shoes came from Primark. 

Lots of back outfit love!

The Linkables

I re-watched this recently and still cried with laughter like when I first seen it.

TGIF! I've had a long week and cannot welcome to weekend enough right now. Plus I'm going to IKEA tomorrow. And Dobbies. Nothing gets me more excited than homeware shopping. Can someone say grown-up?

Catherine posted her Sunday night regime and I'm giving it a high five. Probably because it's quite similar to my own.

Some of us achieve goals better if they are written down. Ella has created a little book of food to help with her healthy eating.

I'm still in home decor mode since my move in October and it looks like me and Cara have the exact same taste.

Columbia Road in London looks like my kinda place.

As someone who lives the single life happily and has never been fussed about marriage, the concept of being 'single at heart' is very interesting to me. Though I'd personally say I'm more the type that refuses to settle.

On that note, child-free ftw! Eating out with kids vs without kids.

The Linkables

This week was my first full week back at work since the holidays so I haven't managed to quite get myself back into the run of things so this will be a short Linkables. 

General Fiasco, video above, have been on repeat for the last week. So many songs have been starred on my Spotify! 

One of my favourite vegan bloggers, Tashina, posted about finding out if sugar is vegan - never knew it couldn't be!

I know I link A Beautiful Mess every week but I totally agree with recently-engaged Emma's thoughts on love. 

I've been really lovely nail art blogs recently and manicure addict has been added to the growing list. 

A brand spanking new Pinterest account for my addiction: Babble!

Any more links you've been loving this week?

The Linkables

How cute is that ring finger? tutorial here.

Welcome to the first installment of my 2013 Linkables! I started this feature twice in 2012: once called Morag Loves.... and then again near the end called Weekend Web Links. I was in two minds about changing the name again but I think we shall roll with it, won't we?

First off, some resolution love! Much kudos to fellow phobia sufferer Katie Snooks who is going to make 2013 the year she beats it! Much braver than me who keeps using the expensive excuse.

Another new year post I love came from Coffee and Heels who decided to keep things simple.

If you're needing a way to make sure you keep your resolutions how about making your own wall prints?

Also, to make sure you record all of 2013, a memory jar is a mega cute idea.

Mushrooms are one of my favourite vegetables so my mouth totally drooled when I seen these portobello mushroom burgers.

Another food that gets my drooling is red velvet anything. So how about some red velvet fudge? I'll be having some of that.

I recently met Juliet at the Christmas blogger meet-up and this week I sat down with her blog and ended up going through most of the archives. A mixed-bag lifestyle blog is my favourite type of blog and Juliet gets it spot on.

Ever spent so long planning something only for it to last hours in the end? Christmas can feel like that and Rosie agrees.

I wouldn't exactly call roller skating a hobby of mine, but the Topshop collection of roller skates are giving me summer ideas.

Do you ever assume you can't do something before you've even tried? Dana has some words for you. (As a side note: I forget my manners when someone asks a question that could easily have been Googled).

On that note, if you've ever wondered how to knit with your hands then here is your first tutorial.

Some feminism now! Do you agree with Jezebel on why guys hate being called creeps? I think the writer makes a good point.

If like me you're always looking for new blogs then Suzie put together a big list of her fav bloggers of the last year.

Happy Reading!

How I Looked: Rolling in 2013

Whilst I am someone that is big on new starts at new year - and generally celebrating all annual events with a bang - this is the first New Year since 2011 I rang in with a drink in my hand. Some friends from Dundee attend The Cathouse celebrations every year in Glasgow and since I am now living in G-town I decided to come back from family time early for some rock club fun. 

For my my dress I knew I wanted something fun that said "HELLO THERE NEW YEAR" but when shopping with Gillian in Aberdeen neither could find that perfect dress. The day before New Year's Eve I headed into Glasgow city centre to find something and just managed to find this in River Island in the Galleries, which was lucky since it was one of the last shops I went in to. I think it really is a very Christmassy and New Years dress - don't think there will be many other occasions I'll be able to wear it; though I did feel a bit like I was heading to a wedding. Also, at £20 down from £70 it was an amazing bargain.

The dress obviously is already quite ta-da but I did feel like there was something missing from the neckline. However I didn't have time to purchase any new necklaces so dug through my collection (which was mainly compiled as a teenager) and pulled out a Swarovski necklace my uncle gifted me before I went to university in 2008, then teamed with an old fav with birds on a chain, which was left in the junk room by previous tenants of one of my older flats. So mega bargain then?

The Primark shoes I originally bought a few weeks back as part of a task to buy clothes that could be taken from work to play, if I needed to meet someone straight after work. I first wore them to the staff Christmas dinner and they have become my staple going out shoe since. I am terrible at walking in heels but have discovered that wedges don't take any balance away from me. 

Lots of bow, sequins and wedges love!