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Wednesday 20 January 2016

Caught in the Rain



'...if you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain'

Well, they're not pina coladas, but you get the point. A couple of months ago my friend came down her university city to mine, Cardiff, for a much-needed catch up, which was naturally paired with several coffees and cocktails. I took her to somewhere my friends had been for first dates or just for some cheeky 'Sex on the Beach' (the cocktail, you dirty-minded people) but I had never actually been before myself (only briefly on one of their club nights) - Buffalo; a bar by day, intimate club by night, this restaurant is tucked away on one of the side streets off of Cardiff's central shopping strip; Queen Street. Inside was fairy light-lit and buzzing - even at 4pm - so much so there was no seating left inside, probably because it was pissing it down outside (welcome to Wales). But the barman assured us that the outside terrace was undercover and seating was heated.

BEST. THING. EVER.

As for the cocktails, the whole menu is on a BOGOF offer before midnight most nights of the week, so my friend and I bought two of each cocktail and split them between us. One which I think was called 'Bramble'; with a gin base infused with lime and syrups over crushed ice. And the second, and my personal favourite, 'The Frozen Daquiri'; this time a rum base with raspberry syrup - coming together to resemble an adult-appropriate slush puppy.

Nevertheless what with the heated seats, adult slush puppies, and of course, the good company - Buffalo was a definite hit! What's your favourite cocktail? For me it's definitely a Mojito!

Wednesday 13 January 2016

January's Read


As exam season is well and truly underway, my head is currently burrowed in a core textbook, but between the lecture write-ups and mind maps I've been reaching for a few titles to rewind a little, and to remind myself that reading can be fun (something easily forgotten during exam season!), however one in particular has caught my fancy this month...



'One Day' By David Nicholls 
You may have seen the movie, starring the babe that is Anne Hathaway, but both the movie and the book tell a story that spans over a couple of decades, but takes place on the same day - St Swithin's Day. Emma and Dexter are two university students who spend the night of their graduation together, and incidentally the novel tells of their struggles together as two twenty-something's; with family, friends and career prospects, and of course, their love-lives.

A clever, witty and carefully written book - it's definitely one you won't be able to put down. Plus it's perfect paired with a cuppa, naturally.

Nevertheless I am looking forward to delving into another David Nicholls book or two. What has been at the top of your must-read list this month? Leave a comment below and let me know - I love getting book recommendations!

Wednesday 6 January 2016

A New Year


Inspired by one of the biggest babes in blogging; Olivia, I'm thinking it's time to cut the 'new year, new me' crap for now, and celebrate some of the things you've achieved in the past 365 days (well, 369, I'm a few days late)

Here are a few of mine, for team spirit and all...

Receiving offers from all of my university choices
After sweating over my personal statement the September, it would have been amazing to get one offer from all of the universities I had applied for, let alone 5! 

Working two jobs (and surviving)
This is something I did for the most part of 2014 also, but looking back now I don't know how I did that, and managed a third round of A-Levels simultaneously.

Voted for the first time
As my 18th birthday was only a couple of months short of the local elections in 2014, it was quite special to cross a ballot paper for the first time, and for a General, too.

Volunteering for charity 
...and being able to watch bands as I work? Win-win.

Seeing amazing live music
My festival hopping with Oxfam this summer meant I not only worked several gruelling night shifts, dealt with dozens of drunken punters and had many laughs in the meantime, but I also got to see some of my favourite bands in the flesh, from the likes of Panic! to Frank Turner.

Getting into my dream university 
The greatest achievement of the year for me was definitely getting my unconditional offer from Cardiff University on results day. Hands down.  

Moving to a city 
Even though I've moved several times in my lifetime, I've always been a small-town girl, so moving to a city, a capital city even was a definite adjustment. And I'm loving every second of it. 

Attending Fresher's Week (heck, fortnight)
This definitely deserves a medal, particularly for how shit I felt when the 14 days were up. But even though the whole fortnight is a bit of a haze, some unforgettable memories and amazing friendships were surely made.

What made your 2015 amazing? Pop a comment below or perhaps you've been inspired to blog about it!

Looking forward to posting more in 2016!