Archive for September, 2016

I’m really looking forward to Amy Panda‘s October Instagram challenge, it’s been aaaages since I did a photography challenge and to be honest I think I’m a little rusty on the creative photography side.

Amy put together a great list of prompts for the whole of October and they’re all created with crafty people in mind, so whether you’re a designer/maker or you just love to sew, knit or draw – everyone can join in together.

To take part, hop along to Amy’s instagram post to see the full list of prompts and check out the #CraftyOct hashtag over on Instagram. Each day will have a new prompt, starting with ‘Hello’ for the 1st October. You can interpret this anyway you want to, but as the first post for the challenge I always think it’s a good idea to introduce yourself and let any potential new followers know what they should expect if they hit that follow button. Don’t forget to tag all your challenge photos with #CraftyOct so everyone taking part can find your Instagrams!

I’ll be joining in over on my Instagram page so make sure you’re following along.

See you there on October 1st! Loves x xx

Is there anything better than an Espresso Martini to kick off a party? It’s the perfect balance of caffeine to give you a good kick for the rest of the evening, silky smooth coffee and a nice slug of booze to relax those hard working shoulders. Don’t drink too many, mind, or you might find yourself wide awake at 3am wondering if you should get up and clear away from the night before… ahem, not speaking from experience or anything!

I first got into Espresso Martinis when my big brother decided to whip one up when we were all hanging out round at his place; Dan prepares an espresso from his Nespresso machine and adds it to a cocktail shaker with ice, vodka and Kahlua coffee liqueur. It’s a pretty epic Espresso Martini and I love his little addition of coffee beans sprinkled onto the foam topped glass. We also tried some Nespresso pods with a hint of caramel, which took away some of the bitterness making it easier to drink.

Every time I see an Espresso Martini on the menu now I just have to give it a try and send a picture to Dan for comparison. Last time we were up in Carlisle I tested out a version with amaretto in from Open Mind, which was pretty solid, but still not quite up to the standards of my brother’s concoction (don’t tell him that, it will go straight to his head!). I did, however, try a cracking version at Gorilla in Manchester that has Cafe Patron in the mix and that one shot straight to the top of my list. I bloody love a Cafe Patron (coffee flavoured tequila) on the rocks and I have been urging Dan to throw it into his Espresso Martini. Turns out I was right on that one… little sisters are always right, though! Cheers! x xx