FABB Blogger Event, Leeds

If you haven't heard of Fabb Events before this is the brain child of Ray and Tor. We've met the girls before and were very excited to hear they were holding a blogger event in Leeds.

So a couple of Saturday's ago we jumped on the train (legged it through Central Station leaving minutes to spare upon boarding the train) and set on our merry way (absolutely knackered - had to buy snacks from the train cart) to Leeds. 

We had brightened up by the time we entered Leeds and decided after having a walk round the town centre to find some where for food. We ended up going to Red's True BBQ (more on this in a later post). After stuffing our faces we wandered to the venue which was only a couple of minutes away from the restaurant.

We didn't do much networking as the room wasn't very big so it left little room to wander about. We did speak to the lovely Laura from Alter Idem though who was such a lovely lady! Brilliant style too!

There was a couple of guest speakers from Cloud9, Best British Bloggers, Ark Clothing, Healthpoint Ltd and Chiara Fashion (Bryden was lucky to be picked in the prize drawer and won a pair of jeans from Chiara Fashion. She has passed them onto a friend as they were too small).

1. Cupcakes and Cake Pops. 2. Bryden's Cake Pop.

3. The girls from Ark. 4. The girls from Best British Bloggers.

On departure we were given a gift bag packed full with wonderful items which we can't wait to use!

Big thank you's to Tor and Ray. We had such a lovely time. We're looking forward to the next event. The rumour is that the next one will be right on our doorstop! Get in! We're hoping to meet a lot more people at the next one too.

Bryden and Claire xx

RECIPE: Bryden's Dad's Meatballs

My dad makes some cracking meatballs. He usually makes these for tapas night's but they also go great with pasta or rice.

Here's my dads recipe for meatballs:

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

• 650g lean minced pork
• 2 pinches of each - fresh rosemary, thyme, mint, basil, coriander and oregano (I use dried and sometimes even use a bit of mint sauce if I don't have fresh or dry. Whatever you do - DON'T miss out the mint. It makes the meatball)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped or grated
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 fresh chilli (or a sprinkle of dried)
• 300g fresh breadcrumbs (I toast my bread and whack it in the food processor)
• Salt and Pepper

For the sauce:

• Olive oil (for frying so whatever you like to use)
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 stick celery, finely diced
• Salt and Pepper
• 70ml Port (Sometimes we use sherry or 'british wine' too and it works ok. Port is the best though)
• 250ml red wine
• 3 x 400g tined chopped plum tomatoes
• 10 fresh basil leaves (Or a sprinkle of dried basil if you don't have any. Fresh is nice in this sauce though)
• 2 bay leaves

Method:

1. Combine all the meatball ingredients - form into balls and chill.

2. While the meatballs are chilling fry the onion, carrot, celery in a little oil or whatever you're using until soft. 

3. Add the port, wine, salt and pepper, tins of tomatoes and bay leaves and simmer for about 5 - 6 mins. The mixture will thicken slightly while we are frying off the meatballs in the next step.

4. In another pan briefly fry off the meatballs until sealed (about 3-4 mins).
5. Add the meatballs to the sauce. Simmer in the sauce for about 25 mins. If the sauce gets too thick add some water (if the sauce isn't thickening at the speed you want, take the meatballs out for a bit and add back in once its thickened a little). The meatballs will poach in the sauce and will be very juicy and tender once cooked. 
6. Add the fresh basil into the sauce when there is about 5 mins of cooking time left.

7. Cook your pasta/rice/potatoes or prepare your side salad while the meatballs are cooking. This time I made rigatoni and topped with some Grana Padano.

(Video from Vine)

Hope you like!


Bryden x

Orla Kiely 2013

Orla Kiely Presentation LFW AW/13 from James Hatt on Vimeo.

I fell in love with everything from this presentation. It's absolutely flawless. I like the 'mad men'/secretary theme of the presentation and it suits the style perfectly. 

If only I had the cash... Best get saving and keeping my eyes open for the sales! I'll be looking for similar pieces in the meantime.

Bryden x

TK Maxx Newcastle

Here at Trebles and a Mixer, we love a good bargain. We're not rich, we can't afford designer stuff all the time. So when the opportunity for us to get our hands on some high end goods at high street prices arises, we're all for it! We were invited this week by TK Maxx to check out their Newcastle store which has had a major make over.

Massive homeware section 

1. How cute are these childrens shoes? 2. Amazing cookware section. 3. Purses galore! 
4. Those brogues again - I fell in love instantly!

We're not going to lie, we hated the old store. It was dingy and all of the good stock seemed to go to the Metro Centre and Team Valley branches, leaving all the crap nobody wanted for the poor people of Newcastle. Good news, Geordie folk! The Newcastle store has totally changed! It's shiny, new and well laid out. There's a really good range of items available including womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, homeware, shoes and cosmetics.


Jam packed cosmetic aisle in the new store.


Gold Label Section

 
Peach Ombre!

The store even includes TK Maxx's Gold Label section, which features designer pieces at prices your average gal about Toon (like ourselves) can afford. We had doubts that it would be a load of rubbish, but there were some current and recent season pieces from the big name designers. What we also like about TK Maxx is that they stock a lot of smaller, independent labels; meaning there's less fear of turning up on a night out wearing the same Topshop dress as every other girl in the room.



Lovely selection of Brogues

Any fellow beauty addicts need to check out the store too as they stock a pretty good range of make up, skincare and haircare products too.

Bryden's summer brogues she picked up from TkMaxx*

New stock is arriving all the time and half the fun of shopping at TK Maxx is that you never know what treasures you will unearth.

Have you ever picked up any bargains at a TK Maxx?

Claire & Bryden

x

* Disclaimer: This was an event were invited to for consideration of a post regarding the new store. All opinions are our own. We were given a gift card as a thank you. Bryden purchased her brogues with this (Claire is still searching for something!).

Mobile Montage: February

Claire


1. Pub snacks, Spring colours
2. Late night bagel, 'Inspirational' asian snacks
3. Very early morning train ride, Pad Thai
4. Cafe 21 at Fenwick (looked nicer than it tasted), I made a sexxxy Valentine's playlist for my friend
5. A classy night at the dog racing at Byker, Pie & peas at the dogs
6. Sunday lunch, Bryden's Carbonara recipe is the BEST
7. Packing (badly) for London, A present from the candy king

Bryden 


1. Dinner at Ernest, Newcastle. 
2. Temporary engagement ring until mine has been made. 
3. Swedish Breakfast.
4. Lasagne. 
5. Sleepover high pony tails. 
6. Pizza Omelette.
7. Face. 
8. Body. 
9. Fajita night.
10. Chocolate orange brownie from Desserts Delivered 
11. A random package from Viktor and Rolph (Sign up to their website and receive goodies when you put in the code from your perfume bottle!) 
12. My friend Charlotte surrounded by pizza.
13. Bacon sarnie. 
14. Ikea goodies. 
15. White cosmopolitan from Jalou, Newcastle (That's a frozen orchid inside my ice cube!).

Hope everyone had a great month!

Bryden and Claire x

February Favourites

Claire's favourites..

Products



1. Nivea Lip Butter
I am a lip balm addict. No, really; it's an actual thing- look. It's like crack to me, if I don't have a pot of hand I will literally freak out. Hence the reason I have about 59837839 pots and sticks of the stuff lying around, filling draws and bags. My usual choice of poison is Carmex, has been for years, but I've recently been swayed by these. They smell delicious and moisturise better than lip balms I've paid 5 or 6 times the price for.

2. Dr Jart Regenerating Beauty Balm
Back in my acne prone days, the thought of being able to use a product like this was a million miles away. Now my skin has improved I love using products like this, which allow my skin to breathe instead of piling on the foundation. Luckily this is a good colour match for me and I don't feel like I'm even wearing make up when I have it on.

3. Dr Jart Bubble Foam Cleanser
I picked this up when I bought the BB cream as I'd ran out of my usual Clarins cleanser. I've been using this with my No 7 cleansing brush and I've really noticed  the difference in my clogged pores on my cheeks. It leaves my skin feeling squeeky clean, but be careful around your eye area- it hurts like a bitch!

Buys



I haven't bought a great deal this month, I spent all of my money on burgers and cocktails in London, so I struggled to find anything for my favourite buys of the month. I did however purchase this skirt from Primark for £10 and despite not having worn it yet, I'd say it's my buy of the month because it makes me dream of summer days. I can't wait to wear this with tanned legs (fake of course, I do live in England after all) and tan leather accessories in the sunshine.



Eats


Meat Liquor wins hands down. Read about it here.

Other stuff


I'm probably a bit late to the party on this one, but I love Frank Ocean. Listen to Thinkin About You or Sweet Life.

Next month I'm looking forward to...

• Settling into my new job and hopefully earning a little more money (to buy more lipsticks, obvz)
• The weather possibly improving (probably not though. I h8 u, England)

Bryden's favourites...

Products

1. Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray 2. Revlon Colourstay Foundation
3. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder 4. Dr Jart+ Regenerating BB cream




5. 17 Laquer Liner 6. J/A/S/O/N Lips Bee Healthier Lip Balm


1. Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray 
I bought this quite a while ago after feeling forced to by a very pushy employee at Space NK (It was all a bit of a nightmare really... She saturated my hair in the Oribe texturising spray and made me leave the shop and come back to make sure I wanted to buy the Bumble and Bumble one as she thought the Oribe one was better (and more expensive). She shot herself in the foot really because she covered my hair in the Oribe stuff soo much I looked greasy so I promptly marched back for the Bumble and Bumble one!). I don't tend to use it for a 'beachy look' as it's not my thing but I do use this when I curl my hair. I use this before I dry my hair (a little goes a long way!) and I've found this stuff is amazing in keeping my curls in all day. 

2. Revlon Colourstay Foundation
I've used this time and time again. I use a very small amount of this for nights out when I want a longer lasting foundation. I don't find it cakey as I only use a small amount.

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Powder 
For a long while I had decided I liked the Chanel pressed powder but looking back I think the real reason was that I just liked the packaging and getting it out of my bag for touch ups! It wasn't very good at all and was becoming a costly habit. I went back to an old favourite which I used to use years ago and I'm cringing at the amount of money I wasted on the Chanel pressed powder - this is soo much better.

4. Dr Jart Regenerating BB cream
SNAPS! I think Claire's covered most of this. I love wearing this for work. I work in an office so I don't like to wear too much make up (it just seems to melt off anyway!). This is perfect. 

5. 17 Lacquer Liner 
I love my liquid eyeliner and picked this up on a whim in boots. I don't usually go for liners with brushes but this one is great. The brush is really sturdy and gives a lot of control. You can also make very thin lines with this which I love.

6. J/A/S/O/N Lips Bee Healthier Lip Balm
I got this in some sort of beauty box. I had heard of the brand before after looking into natural products back when I was vegetarian. The balm itself is quite thick and doesn't migrate off the lips like other lip balms (Squeezy tube Carmex I'm looking at you!. Moisturises while leaving a minty fresh taste/smell. 

Buys

I picked up this Jane Shilton bag from Tk Max when Claire and I attended the opening of their new premises in Newcastle. I'm a terrible impulse buyer but this has to be one of my best impulse buys to date! I have used it every day since I got this. I always tend to use large tote bags for work and a smaller satchel type bag for weekends and nights out. This is right in the middle and suits work, weekends and nights out - It's just absolutely perfect.  There's also an exterior zipped pocket on the other side where I can store my mobile phone and bus pass for easy access which is awesome - I hate having to rummage around in my bag for these. 

Eats


My Mam and I visited Ernest for lunch which is situated behind the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle. They offer a great little menu which includes breakfasts, lunches and daily specials. I opted for the chorizo hash bowl from the breakfast menu and my Mam opted for the spiced lamb flatbread from the lunch menu (this was their half portion!). I can't wait to visit again and I have to admit I'll definitely have to order the hash bowl at least another 2 or 3 times before I venture onto something different from the menu (it's THAT good!). 

Apparently these little treats from Ikea translate to 'vacuum cleaners'!? - apparently they look like them (I'm not too sure...). I wasn't sure whether to buy these at first as I HATE marzipan but after trying a sample I had to buy a whole package. They kind of taste like rum truffles. I think these are a Swedish easter thing so I'll be sure to stock up on a couple more packages before they stop stocking them. 

Other stuff



\

Beach House - I've been listening to these a lot lately. Absolutely beautiful music. As soon as I heard Myth I was hooked.

Next month I'm looking forward to...

• I'm with Claire with this one and I'm hoping for the weather to pick up next month. I'm absolutely sick to death of wearing my old scruffy shoes because I don't want my good shoes to get ruined from the salt.
• Easter! I'm still on the hunt for the egg and spoon eggs but I'm always greeted by empty boxes. Humph.

Hope you're all well, 

Claire and Bryden xx

Eating out: The Breakfast Club, London

On our first day in London, my friends and I needed a good meal to set us up for along day of shopping. I'd heard good things about The Breakfast Club, so we hopped on the tube and visited their location in Spitalfields.


It was pretty busy but we were quickly seated, to browse over the extensive menu. The Breakfast Club offers a brunch menu from 9-5 and a lunch and dinner menu from 12. We all went for bunch and I opted for the All American Pancakes which came with sausage, crispy bacon, home style fried potatoes, your choice of eggs and of course, maple syrup. It was exactly what I wanted. In fact it was better than some pancake brunches I've had in America. My friend had Eggs Florentine which looked delicious and I got slight food envy over.


I would thoroughly recommend The Breakfast Club, if you're looking for something to set you up for the long London day ahead. I'll definitely be returning to try the dinner menu.


Has anyone ever eaten at The Breakfast Club or have suggestions for other places to eat in London?

Claire
x

Eating out: Meat Liquor, London

You might have seen from my London post or Instagram, last weekend I achieved one of my life goals and stuffed a ridiculous amount of food into my face at Meat Liquor in London. I'm not going to lie, it was everything I had hoped and dreamt of!

We hopped off the bus on Oxford street and made the short journey to Meat Liquor's ----- Street location, only yo find by 10pm there was still a queue a mile long. I don't think I've ever queued so long to get into a restaurant in Newcastle (with the exception of Nandos!) but after being teased by a girl handing out a tray of deep fried pickles (more on these bad lads later) I was ready to queue for days to get in.

Once we made in through the mysterious blacked out entrance we were sent to the bar to stock up on cocktails until a table became available. The cocktails were delicious and made waiting all the more enjoyable. Inside, Meat Liquor is a bit like being in a club.It's pretty dark (hence the horrible flash in my photos) and the music is loud, but i liked it that way. It's a bit like having your night out all rolled into one place.

Helpfully there's menus to browse while you wait, because you need that time to help you choose from all of the delicious sounding items on the menu. As you may have guessed by now I'm a huge fan of the humble cheese burger,but I made the controversial choice of opting for the Buffalo burger and I'm so glad I did! It was a delicious juicy chicken breast, deep fried, dipped in hot sauce and then smothered in the most amazing blue cheese sauce. My friend proclaimed it was the best burger she'd ever had, it was that good.


Obviously I didn't stop there, not when there was a range of sides on offer. To accompany my beast of a burger I chose Phili cheese fries (a meal in themselves) and we spilt a couple of orders of onions rings (as big as my face) and deep fried pickles. I think deep fried pickles are my new one true love,  especially when dipped in blue cheese sauce. The food was delicious and I continued to eat way after the point of feeling ill! All of your tables food comes piled on a huge tray and you just have to get stuck in. There's no plates or cutlery. You need to throw all of your tables manners out of the window and get stuck in (maybe not the best place for a first date, unless you don't mind your beau seeing you wipe hot sauce from your chin with kitchen towel).

We ended our evening with a round of  cocktail named Grog; which is apparently so alcoholic, there's a 2 per person limit (that would never happen in Newcastle!). I would highly recommend this fruity rum punch, but I warn you- it will get you drunk.


I've been drooling whilst typing this post, which i think sums up how I felt about my Meat Liquor experience. So, if you're in London- brave the queues and go and have some deep fried pickles for me.

Claire
x

Seasonal Affective Make Up Disorder.

I'm sure you've all heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder? Y 'know; that miserable,glum feeling during the dark winter months? Yeah, well I'm suffering from the make up equivalent. I'm sick of smokey eyes, I'm over dark nails, I'm done with berry and gothic lip shades. Don't even get me started on glitter.

But with outside still currently resembling the North Pole in the UK, can I really bust out the pastels and bright Summer shades already? Sadly, probably not. Instead I popped to my local Boots to give my make up bag a bit of a post Christmas, glitter comedown lift.


Maybelline Tattoo 24 hour Eyeshadow- Pink gold
I already own and love this eyeshadow in a bronze shade, so this pink gold colour was perfect for lightening my eye make up.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain- Rendezvous
I bought the felt tip lip pen version of these balm pens awhile back and hated it. This is completely different, the colour is long lasting and the balm keeps lips nicely moisturised.

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro Varnish- Rose Poudre
A nice neutral shade to contrast all the dark polishes and glitters I've been wearing over the Winter months.

Collection Blush & Highlight Cream Duo- Peaches and Cream
I didn't have great expectations for this cheap duo, but I'm pleasantly surprised. Not as good as my beloved Topshop cream blushers, but it's handy to have a blush and highlighter in one small package.

I've been using these products for a couple of weeks now and they've really helped brighten up my make up while I wait for the the sunnier months to come along. Are there any products you'd suggest trying to shake up my boring make up routine?

Claire
x

Eating Out: The Broad Chare

I love eating out, probably as much as I love cooking my own meals. A few years ago I'd eat out on a regular basis with one of my best pals- Jimmy. Sadly, Jimmy went and moved to Scotland (selfish git), leaving me an eating partner down. Jimmy came home for his birthday this weekend, so it was only natural that we should celebrate his birth by stuffing our little faces.
The choice of where we should eat was left up to me, with only one stipulation- it had to be somewhere we hadn't eaten before. I'd read good things about The Broad Chare over on Newcastle Eats and I thought it would be right up our street.




The Broad Chare has a small bar area downstairs serving a large variety of ales and other alcoholic beverages; which has traditional pub features, but with a modern feel. Upstairs there's a dining area, but we were more interested in having a pint and sharing some treats from the bar snacks menu.


We decided to pick a selection of small dishes to share, opting for- The ground rib steak slider, deep fried monkfish cheeks, Scotch egg, crispy pigs ears and a portion of hand cut chips (sadly they were all out of the hand raised pork pies). We were both really happy with our choices, every dish was fresh and packed with flavour. I always think I hate scotch eggs, but it's just poor quality ones I hate and these were a million miles away from the gross, cheap eggs I dislike so much. The steak slider was delicious and has made me want to go back to try the full size version in the upstairs dining room.

My only complaint is that I wish there had been some sort of dip on offer to accompany the crispy pigs ears; which although delicious, were just lacking a little something. Oh and they serve good chips, I will always judge a place on the quality of their chips.

If you're in the Quayside area of Newcastle, I'd definitely recommend checking out The Broad Chare and ordering a Scotch egg or two.

Claire
x

London Calling.

Last weekend,I popped down to London for a few days with a couple of friends to visit a few other friends who have recently moved down there. I've been to London quite a few times and I've seen most of the usual sites, this time I was especially excited to try out a few of the restaurants I'd seen doing the rounds on the blogs and recommendations from friends. I basically went down there to stuff my face as much as I could over three days! As you can see from the photographs, I did little else...


Keeping it classy in First Class with pie and cider / American pancakes at The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club motto / Hummingbird Bakery (well, I couldn't just have one, could I?)
A burger to soak up various cocktails and shots / My spiritual home- Harrods food hall
This is what 60 odd pounds worth of ice cream in Harrods looks like! / Cocktails in Meat Liquor
The tray of dreams / Grog!
BBQ goodness in Bodean's / Seeing the tourist sights
Sharks at the London Aquarium / Pretty jelly fish
I couldn't help but be a stereotypical blogger / Semi healthy snacks from Leon for the train back

I'd planned on doing some outfit posts while I was on there, but London was unusually cold (it's normally tropical compared to Newcastle!), so the dresses I'd taken down stayed in my suitcase. I lived in jeans and pretty much the same fluffy jumper for three days! I bought a few bits and bobs that you'll probably see on the blog eventually, but shopping in London generally stresses me out. I have absolutely no idea how people ever shop in the Oxford Street Topshop!

I had a brilliant time catching up with my friends and eating at some places I'd drooled over for ages. Does anyone have any suggestions for next time I go down?

Claire
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