A funny thing happened whilst I was away in Canada; a few of my usual haunts got a wee facelift, including this baby and Oddbins across the street. Montpeliers was in danger of becoming just like every generic cocktail bar in the city, so this makeover was very much needed – they’ve replaced the oversized chesterfields and nondescript walnut veneered tables with a more continental feel, quirky knickknacks and a textbook warm industrial aesthetic. The new menu is pretty impressive as well!
Another day, another fantastic run! 10.5 miles covered along the Union Canal again on this fine Thursday morning.
Today I smashed my long distance running by doing a 12.8 km along the Union Canal. Longest run I’ve done since high school, and I have been on such a high all day! This was the point I turned back (at just under 6.5 km)…
I had a fabulous day off today; filled with strawberry tarts and ridiculous burgers, adorable pups in maple leaf collars and of course, Kraft Dinner.
It’s catch up time here at Hempcloth and Cheesecakes! I’ve had some technical issues with my iPhone and nearly lost all my photos – heartbroken doesn’t even begin to describe it. Technology and I have always had a tentative relationship so I honestly thought all those snaps had disappeared forever! Thankfully a tech genius friend of my dad’s managed to rescue my memories, so I can resume my #100daysofhappy postings. So here is a selection of things that have made me smile in the past month :-).
The Bon Vivant Stockbridge serves ICE WINE!!! This one was a Peller Estate Cabernet Franc from the Niagara region of Toronto, and that honeyed tartness always makes me happy.
This little dude came and made friends with me one day. I was walking along Princes Street one afternoon when he scurried up to nuzzle my boot. I just love these reminders of wildlife in urban, built up areas.
May was a month of turbulent weather changes, but even dreich days had glorious hidden colour. The cherry blossoms growing along Middle Meadow Walk are a perfect example of this, and can brighten up any gray May fog.
TETRIS LEGGINGS!
I love LEGO, and this wee guy was just sitting in someone’s garden. Some folk may think a long LEGO head is peculiar, but it’s this sort of randomness that makes me smile.
I’ve been in salon limbo the past few months; I’d been wanting to try a new look and wanted to find a hairdresser who just gets me. Truth be told I’ve always been more adventurous with my colour than my cut, with the frazzled ends to prove it! I’ve always avoided chain salons because I have a not entirely unfounded fear of coming out looking like everyone else. The same bland highlights, the same boring layered bob.
I don’t know why, but the sight of this put me at ease as soon as I walked into Cheynes…
My rainy Saturday turned surprisingly sunny so I decided to have lunch at Tigerlily with a friend yesterday. To be honest I’ve not been there for years; I’m not a George Street kind of gal and my usual haunts have the quirky speakeasy feel of The Bon Vivant or are the kind of pub frequented by old men.
Let me just start by saying the service isn’t great; we turned up and asked the hostess if we could have our food outside then proceeded to wait for a waitress to come out and bring me a menu. And wait. And then wait some more for our bottle of prosecco.
My Thai coconut chicken dumpling and noodle soup came out with an accompanying Japanese teapot of coconut broth for what turned out to be chicken balls rather than dumplings, a couple strands of rice noodles and julienned vegetables. Don’t get me wrong, dem ‘dumplings’ were delicious, but the broth was rather bland. I liked the idea of the separate teapot for the soup, but would have preferred it left rather than poured for me.
Instead of a main I went for the whole lobster because I can’t resist lobster when it’s on the menu. I am a huuuuuge seafood fan and there are few things in the world that I would choose to eat over that sweet, sweet meat. The chunky cut chips were a perfect partner, and I can guiltily admit I may have dipped a couple into my pot of garlic butter.
Unfortunately my phone ran out of juice so I didn’t manage to take any photos of our cocktails (including a very generous piña colada) and their take on a strawberry Bellini. I’ll still be going to my usual eccentric, super-chilled lounges and grotty live music venues on a Friday night, but Tigerlily is an undeniably pleasant place to while away a few hours with friends on a Saturday afternoon over cocktails and that sweet, sweet lobster meat…
Tigerlily
125 George Street, Edinburgh
Www.tigerlilyedinburgh.co.uk
My flat mate is my best friend. He is my person. I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t tell him, and some of the best times we’ve spent together have been marathoning ‘Breaking Bad’ and stuffing our faces with takeaway. We have some of the most ridiculous conversations sometimes, and yesterday we sat in my bed looking up hilarious Canadian beer commercials on youtube.
So he brought me these…
I was stumped what to wear out, until my friend sent me these perfect leggings in a taxi! Never have I fallen so utterly in love with an item of clothing!
Nothing puts a smile on my face faster than my little guy; Sir Rhod the Boxer Dog. I’d just taken my sheets out of the dryer and no sooner had I made the bed, he decided to do some quality control. You can’t beat freshly laundered linens and a sleepy dog on a lazy Saturday morning!
hempclothandcheesecakes 