Shops: Keep Calm and Go Shopping

On Thursday evening I went along to the Keep Calm and Go Shopping event in the City Centre, which was being held in Hummingbird. There was another one of these events a few months back but I didn't manage to get along as I was at a concert that night (Cancer Bats, if you're asking). So I made an extra effort to make it along this time around as some of my favourite local brands were there selling their goods and I always enjoy hanging out at Hummingbird (with it's squishy sofas, delicious drinks and excellent decor like vintage birdcages hanging from the ceiling) so it seemed like a no-brainer! I met up with my friend and we made a night of it.

We went a little later as Pizza Express was calling our names and when we arrived (a little later and fuller after 7pm) the place was buzzing with groups and pairs of girls sipping cocktails and looking at the different stalls. It was my first time upstairs in Hummingbird, and I must admit I fell in love with all the little rooms and general layout of it. If I'm ever throwing a party in the future I would consider it as a venue, there were rooms of different shapes and sizes, which at this event were being used by the designers and brands involved to showcase their products. I usually go to these kind of shopping fairs in larger, open-plan venues so wasn't sure if it would work in such a fragmented space, but I think it did (although I still prefer everything to be in the one place).

The first room was the 'Posh Room' which had Something Different and Ursula's Treasures set up in it. A strong start to the evening! I've mentioned Something Different in my previous outfit posts and I was looking forward to getting my hands on a couple of her glittery bows (just what I need, eh?). I had shown my friend Something Different's bows before online and she was excited to see what would be there as well. We were not disappointed - it was Bow Heaven (OOH HEAVEN IS A PLACE ON EARTH)! After being truly spoilt for choice, I decided on two small glittery bows (£4 each) in rainbow glitter and a summery orange glitter (to go with my new orange dress that I blogged about recently). My friend bought a gorgeous larger bow (£6) in a petrol glitter which will look fab in her pastel-hued hair! Top marks for a Something Different's display area too - with loads of bows, hairbands and shoe clips to choose from. It was just a shame we couldn't buy them all!

We next had a look at Ursula Treasures - who I'd never seen before but I thought their designs were fantastic and very well-priced. I'm kicking myself for not getting one of their skull bracelets now, but hopefully I will see them at more craft/ shopping fairs over the Summer. Their cute flower earrings were only £1.50 and as well as jewellery, they also had flower hair accessories and sunglasses on sale. This brand is one to watch for sure.

In the next room we visited Tammy from DIY nails had her decals and false nails set up, and was busy creating some nail art on one of her customers. There were lots of decals for people to browse, and some of the false nail sets were marked down which was good! There was also the offer of some on-the-spot nail art, which I thought was a brilliant idea since some people like the look of nail art but aren't able to do it themselves. It started to get a little bit crowded so we headed upstairs to the top floor.

Upstairs was a larger space with a DJ set up and a bar area, with clothes stalls from Hardwear, Annie and the Mannequins and Once Upon a Time Vintage. This was the most busy area, even though it was the biggest one, and I could see lots of girls excitedly buying clothes from the racks set up. It was nice to see the Hardwear clothes in 'real life' because I'd seen and admired them online before. Once we'd looked at all the clothes a truly abysmal cover of a Destiny's Child song (whose name escapes me now) started to play. My friend and I looked at each other - time to go!

After visiting all the shopping areas we headed back to the ground floor's main bar area, found a squishy sofa to sink into and spend the rest of the evening chatting over cocktails and mocktails. I had 2 Lemon Bon Bon's and they were as yummy as they sound!

Did you go to Keep Calm and Go Shopping? Did you buy anything? Have you ever seen Bow Heaven?

Thanks for reading!

WestEndGirl Eats: Fast Fiesta Fix at Pinto

When I'm in the city centre shopping (which tends to be pretty regularly), or some other activity that calls for a quick lunch there are lots of places a girl can go. Glasgow is heaving with choice and you can't turn a corner without being presented with a meal deal or lunchtime offer. Most often when I'm looking for a bite to eat without sitting down for too long, I rock up to Pinto on Queen street for a fast fiesta fix.

There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the location. It's very conveniently central to the centre of town and right in the middle of the two main shopping areas of the city centre. I normally pop in when heading from one end to the other and last Thursday was a perfect example of that when The Boy and I stopped for a bite to eat during a shopping trip. Now, perhaps a Mexican fast food outlet may not be everyone's idea of a romantic meal but I had very high hopes of us both starting at each end of a super-sized burrito and our lips locking in the middle like a modern-day urban Lady and the Tramp while Enrique Iglesias crooned softly in the background. OK, maybe just in my imagination then...

The first thing that always hits me (along with the yummy smell of fresh salsa) when I enter Pinto is how bright and clean it is. The lime-green, yellow and red colour scheme is very warm and inviting - especially on disastrous windy days like last Thursday when you feel like you've been blown up and down the streets and failed miserably at keeping your dignity (sorry to everyone that accidentally seen my underwear that day...). It is the kind of open-plan, casual seating environment that is comfortable  to eat in whether in a pair, a group or even alone - and I've done all three.

The atmosphere is friendly and laid back, and the staff are always very nice. They know their stuff and it comes in handy if you haven't tried something before. The first time I went to Pinto I went by myself and didn't know what I wanted. The person behind the counter at the time took me through the different choices, the fillings and the toppings - helping me pick something that suited my taste. I don't like things that are too spicy, but their chicken burrito is smokey without being too hot so is now my firm favourite.

Which brings me nicely onto the food. The food is fresh and prepared in front of you after you pick your own ingredients - kind of like Subway, but (as the staff have pointed out), that's where the similarities end. After choosing what you want (whether a burrito, bare burrito, tacos, nachos or salad) you have a choice of fillings and toppings to create your own Mexican feast. There are also specials such as chilli bowls and chicken tortilla soup and sides to choose from. You won't go hungry in this place! Drinks-wise, they have the usual soft drinks, bottled water, beer and fresh lemonade and margaritas (both made and mixed in-house). My 'usual' order is a chicken burrito, some nachos and a lemonade. Delicious! There are also bottles of hot sauce of varying spice for customers to help themselves to - for those daring to turn up the heat!

Charging just over a fiver for one burrito might seem a little steep to the uninitiated but when you see the sheer SIZE of them, you realise it is value for money and one burrito consists of so much food that it is a meal in itself, no sides required! I actually need to use both hands to tackle one, they use super-sized wraps and pack them with lots of tasty fillings. Although Pinto are essentially a fast-food kitchen, the food and presentation are higher quality than the usual burger or sandwich joints and as such I generally think of them as being a little classier.

My Pinto meal certainly did the job last Thursday and I felt fuelled up and ready for round two at the mid-season sales. In fact, I was feeling so good that I ended up buying three dresses! Pinto are proving so popular with the locals that they have recently opened a new smaller branch on Gordon Street and a much-tweeted about third branch is to be opened for the Summer. I'm looking forward to seeing them continue going from strength to strength.

Have you  ever been to Pinto? What is your shopping snack of choice? Do you ever fantasise about recreating a Disney love scene?

Thanks for reading!

Events: the Big SMAC-Down

Last month saw the first meeting of the Scottish Macaroni Appreciation Club - or SMAC for short - held at Sloans in the City Centre. The event sold out in a day and I wasn't quick  enough to snap up a ticket, so told myself I would definitely make an effort to get along to this month's event, which was held last night. The concept is very appealing to me - people that love macaroni sit around eating lots of macaroni and talking about it. Throw in some cheesy tunes and a friendly atmosphere and it sounds like my kind of party.

I do love macaroni - I get mistaken for a vegetarian sometimes because if it's available on a pub menu I will be likely to pick it over a meatier option. I'm no macaroni snob though - in fact one of my guiltiest pleasures is a box of Kraft Cheesy Pasta/ Mac and Cheese. I know, I know. "It's not real macaroni" my foodie friends will cry. "It's bright orange", "it's never seen actual cheese in it's life", and so on. I don't care, it's neon coloured and basically the hot, pasta version of Wotsits but I stand by my choice. That said, I do love a gourmet mac too - one of my favourites is lobster mac and cheese. It's amazing.

I was very excited about going to SMAC as I do get excited about any kind of themed occasion. I did not have enough time to pull together a proper macaroni themed outfit (IMAGINE) but decided to do a nail art tribute using some orange and yellow OPI nail polishes. I decided on a dress with a bit of stretch in it to help handle the food baby sure to emerge later in the evening (turned out to be a smart choice since I asked for seconds) I also threw on a pair of orange tights in attempt to 'mac it up' and headed into town. The orange tights were declared to be 'sexy' by some passing jake at the subway station - not my target audience but I will take it! Maybe he thought my legs were super tanned due to his own tanning of some (Tennents) Super? I'd love a pair of macaroni patterned screenprinted tights - anyone want to make me a pair?

Onto the event itself! My faithful cohorts and I rocked up to Sloans restaurant and were shown to our table. Good thing we booked tickets as it was very busy. At each seat we had a printed guide to the evening ahead and the macaroni's that would be served. That night it was going to be Stornaway black pudding, caramelised sweet potato with rosemary & garlic and Sloans' original macaroni's. The fourth dish was the much-discussed 'Mystery Mac' which would be revealed later in the evening to be cauliflower mac and cheese - apparently President Obama's favourite kind.

After trying all four dishes (and sides) we were given the opportunity to vote for our favourite and see which would be crowned the winning dish (or 'SMAC Daddy'). It was a close call, all of the macaroni's were delicious and I thought I was going to vote for the sweet potato one until I tried the Mystery Mac (which I am now calling Barack and Cheese). The cauliflower one was awesome - turns out I like cauliflower, who knew?!

The staff running the event were super nice and very efficient. The atmosphere was good, it didn't take itself too seriously and a bit of humour was definitely thrown in which helped keep things fun. We were each given a card with 'SMAC Founder Member' printed on it which I thought was a nice touch! We were also all 'sworn in' to the club by reciting the following pledge:

I hereby pledge allegiance to all things macaroni, regardless of creed, consistency or topping, so help me SMAC

It was a funny moment! After the plates were cleared away the cheesy pop songs were pumped up and I spent some time sitting chatting before heading home. I would recommend popping along to SMAC if you like your food, conversation and music with a huge serving of cheese! I had a brilliant time and will most definitely be back for another helping. 

Are you a macaroni fan? Have you been to SMAC? Did a jake yell at your legs this week?

WestEndGirl Shops: Forever 21 at Buchanan Quarter

 
It was with a massive build up and blaring fanfare that Glasgow's first branch of Forever 21 opened up it's doors yesterday morning.It also signalled the opening of Buchanan Quarter, a slick new addition to Buchanan Galleries shopping centre. Situated across the street from the main mall, Buchanan Quarter boasts a 'runway' of new stores including Gap, Vans, Sketchers, Office, Fat Face, Watches of Switzerland, Paperchase, Evans Cycles and Forever 21. It is part of a larger development that also includes luxury apartments, coming in at a whopping £70 million.

Some of the stores we already have in the City Centre, and some of them are the first branches to be opened. With it's print-heavy advertising campaign, it was clear to see that the most anticipated store to open would be American fast-fashion giant Forever 21 with the 10AM opening being marketed as an event in itself including entertainment and giveaways. I headed down later in the day to check it out.

Upon entering the store the first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the place. Apart from department stores, it is surely one of the largest retail premises in the city (along with Primark & TK Maxx Argyle Street. The only other shop I've been to that made me physically react to it's vastness has been Topshop Oxford Circus (AKA the mother land). It was also very busy with excited shoppers, which was to be expected on it's first day - I can imagine it will be as busy for some time as shoppers - local folks and tourists alike - travel to the City Centre to see what all the fuss is about. It was clear that the staff were working very hard to make sure customers were being attended to, they seemed to be a blur as they moved around the store checking stock and helping people.

The store is also very clean and bright with attractive visual merchandising, making it easy to browse and navigate through the selection of products. I particularly liked the accessories department which was decorated to reflect a dressing room with pretty chandeliers and ornate feminine detailing on the walls. The men's department located on the ground floor was a little smaller than I was expecting but still looked like it had a decent range of clothes.

Shopping-wise, I had set myself a budget for the visit but it turned out that I never even came close to the limit as I never bought anything! I seen a couple of fun items that looked OK but just never seen anything I liked enough to buy. When I normally visit Forever 21 in America, I can easily buy a couple of bags worth so I was surprised that I didn't buy anything. It could be down to how busy the store was, or even the clothes they have this season might not be my thing. I know that Forever 21 can pull it out the bag (I adored their collaboration with Sanrio last year and could have easily bought most of the things in that collection) so I haven't given up on them. I am confident that I will make purchases from the store in future visits.

Overall I'm impressed with the new store and from the public reaction to Buchanan Quarter  it seems to be a welcome addition to Buchanan Street, helping cement it as the most popular shopping destination in Glasgow.

You can find Forever 21, along with the rest of the stores at 185-221 Buchanan Street.

Have you visited any of the shops at Buchanan Quarter yet? What did you think?

Thanks for reading!

WestEndGirl Eats: Smoak @ Variety Bar

One of the best things about visiting the States every year is the food. When I'm not there, I miss it and at home I try to recreate the taste sensations I experience across the pond with mediocre success. I watch episode upon episode of Adam Richman's Man Vs Food staring dreamily at the meals being dished up and count the days until my next trip abroad. I particularly miss dinners at the House of Blues, where the pulled pork barbecue sandwich is a must-try. It's such a shame we can't eat food like that over here, right? Wrong!

Over the last 6 months I've noticed southern style pulled pork pop up everywhere from pub grub menus to high end restaurants and it has been a welcome addition with ever-growing popularity. A year ago I used to have to explain pulled pork to the same work colleagues who are now suggesting it as a post-work bite to eat on a regular basis, and I think it's great that people are enjoying it - the more popular it gets, the more likely it is to stick around. Although after a trip to Smoak at Variety Bar it is clear that this is no food fad.

I was walking past Variety Bar on Sauchiehall Street when I first noticed the sign in the window saying that Smoak Food had opened a pop-up grill and were serving up gourmet Texan BBQ and street food-style grub. Now, I will admit that I had to convince myself that it wasn't a mirage - after all, Variety Bar and gourmet eating hardly go hand in hand (sort of in the same way Iggy Pop and a trip to your mum's wouldn't fit together, at least not before he did those insurance ads). But, after a bit of research into Smoak's already sterling reputation I was dying to go and try it for myself.

This weekend, The Boy and I paid them a visit. "I want everything on the menu", "I can't decide", and the ever famous "we can always share..." (famous as in, famous last words) were all phrases uttered by us in a meat-hungry daze until we finally made up our minds. I knew instantly that I wanted to try both the pulled pork and the brisket so opted for a pulled pork glazed brioche bun (£4.95) and a single brisket soft taco (£1.50, although if you want it for your main you will get 4 for £5.50). Both were delicious and generously portioned with yummy toppings like sour cream, salsa (the taco), in-house slaw and dill pickles (the brioche). Both came with nachos on the side, which was a refreshing change from the usual fries you might expect.

I also loved the 'Glasgow Mega Death' hot sauce on offer. Not the taste, you understand (too spicy for me) but the excellent name and packaging appealed to me!

The Boy decided to try both the brisket and the pulled pork too but opted for sliders (£5.50) - a brilliant touch to the menu. He managed to eat the three of them (two pork and one brisket) before I could photograph them but assures me they were very tasty.  Most of the menu is priced around the £5 mark, a very fair price considering how much food is jam packed into each meal and the obvious care that has gone into preparing them. Smoak use high quality ingredients such as rare breed pork from select British Farms and Pedigree Aberdeen Angus Brisket, and it certainly shows. The proof is in the pudding sandwich. 

Delicious food, made with attention to the details that matter and priced very reasonably. That's all there is to it. It's the closest thing to the House of Blues that I've come across back in Scotland (and believe me, I've tried a few) and I will most definitely be back for more.

Are you a BBQ lover? Have you visited Smoak at Variety Bar? Let me know!

Thanks for reading!

Shop: Style-watching at H&M

Glasgow City Centre now boasts 3 H&M stores within a stone's throw of one another (2 out of the 3 are huge), the most recent addition comes as part of the newly-refurbished St Enoch Centre. I like the big shiny store on Buchanan Street - it opened last year just in time for the madness of the Jimmy Choo x H&M collection and as well as being well laid out, it's conveniently located right next to the subway station, so going in for a look is almost mandatory on a day at the shops. The store also carried both Sonia Rykiel Pour H&M collections and over the weekend, I popped in-store to have a nosey at what H&M has to offer for the upcoming season.

Animal print was abundant - on knitwear, dresses, tees and one very nice coat (which had leather accents not unlike a recent 3.1 Phillip Lim coat seen on the runway). All this leopard print is reminiscent of looks by the likes of Dolce & Gabbana at the moment. In particular, I loved these leopard print cardi's:

More animal prints:


While wandering round the store I also couldn't help but notice these two cute knits. The horse one immediately brought to mind my beloved Luella (who, by the way has a new book coming out this October), while the sparkly Mickey Mouse ears on the other just made me smile:


Horse motifs were seen on a few other items, like cardigans. Other trends I noticed in H&M were ruffles, trenches, denim, camel coats and grunge. Take this floral printed denim jacket for example:


This nails the grunge look perfectly. Layer over a cotton t-shirt maxi dress, throw on a pair or army boots and you're good to go!

With the party season up ahead, there will no doubt be more dresses, embellished pieces and accessories to come. One show-stopper I noticed in-store already was this Balmain-esque jacket, for those brave enough to wear it:


H&M tend to blaze the trail when it comes to designer x high street collaborations (who could forget Jimmy Choo, Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf and Stella McCartney, to only name a few), so I'm looking forward to any upcoming announcements. The most recent rumour is that Shiatzy Chen, a Taiwanese fashion house, may be collaborating with H&M on a collection due to be released this November. There have also been rumblings of Lanvin for H&M. We will be hearing who the next collaboration will be with very soon - announcements are said to be made on Sepetember 9th!

With 3 well-stocked H&M stores to choose from in Glasgow, shopping there couldn't be simpler, right? Probably not. But from September 16th, H&M will be launching their online store, so stocking up on basics and quirky updates can now be done from the comfort of your own desk/ home. Easy.