Granite City Girl's Wedding Photo Diary

 Reminisce with me today as I share my favourite memories from our wee wedding and Cornish adventure a year and a half into married bliss in celebration of all things love this Valentines! 

No wedding is without faults, and for our first wedding blunder I give you our vows; during the recital of our vows the registrar called me Emma... queue awkward silences and Friends references!

Until next time folks, sincerely,

Mrs H.Elizabeth Cosgrove Adams x

Girls Day Out | Cari & Co Victorian Tea Room

Throwing a curveball into the mix today and stepping away from all of the healthy themed posts we have all been loving lately I wanted to share another one of my most recent Granite City outings with you, in the form of another girly day out. Now I must apologise because when I say recent, I'm talking the start of December! Sorry guys the time just seemed to escape from me, especially with Christmas and New Year, but onwards we march into 2015 and with a new Granite City high tea review!

Now I love a good bargain (and cuppa) as much as the next girl / human being out there, in fact saying goodbye to my student discount earlier this year was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do (I still wince paying for full priced items in Topshop) so when I heard this cutesy little tearoom in Aberdeen's West End (posh district) had placed an offer on the 'itison'' website (much like Groupon) I was ON IT and I've got to tell you I think we're on to a winner here! 

Cari & Co Victorian Tearoom

For the cheap and cheerful price of £16 my friend and I were treated to a three course afternoon tea in a very Victorian, vintage setting in Aberdeen's lovely West End, and yes I would even go as far as to say it has been added to my list of hidden Aberdeen gems. The tearoom has to be one of my favourite finds of the year, I always find myself pining over all of the beautiful afternoon tea venues I see fellow bloggers and tweeters posting on the regular and have even started collating a diary list of 'tea venues to visit' in the various UK cities, does anybody else do this? But I must admit, I felt a little victory at finding my very own one in my home city, and I'm so pleased that today I get to share my experience with you.

Our high tea at Cari and Co was served in true vintage fashion with beautiful cake stands, cutesy cutlery and rare antiquities galore we were treated to a sparkling raspberry rose fizzy beverage by what can only be described as one of the loveliest and most attentive women I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, I think she is the owner as she took great pride in the store, a trait which I always find so lovely and inspiring in a business owner! Everything had a unique feel, from the individual sets of tables and chairs right down to the cups and saucers, detective inspector Monk has nothing on this immaculate tearoom, it can only be truly described by one word and that is stylish.

Treated to a starter of ham with onion chutney sandwiches as well as chicken and cranberry (chutney and cranberry are two of my favourite condiments!) which unfortunately we didn't get a picture of since we demolished them so quickly, we were swiftly on to our next course of scones with cream and jam which were divine! Just as a side note, the Great British debacle of cream or jam first, can anybody settle this for me? I believe I alternate every time I am treated to a scone just to see if there really is a difference to no avail.You'd think that after being treated to all of this we'd be well and truly stuffed, and you're right but our treats did not end there, oh no sir! We were then presented with a bowl of sweety yummy in the form of a lavish cupcake and cream filled meringue, both of which were like nothing I have ever tasted in my life! Then of course in true vintage style we commemorated the end of our fine dining experience (and our ability to stuff our faces spectacularly) with a cup of peppermint tea.

Verdict

It must be love, love, love, honestly if I had a car of my own (or a licence for that matter) I would probably be right there stuffing my face every weekend. This is one I'll be keeping up my sleeve for special occassions and birthdays and you know any which way and excuse I can use to stuff my face with cake, scones and delicious teas. For those of you out there who are perhaps not local to Aberdeen this is a gem I highly recommend you come and try, although it may be a little bit out of your way but if like me you're a bona fide tea taster you'll not regret the journey!

As usual I love hearing from you lovely lot so be sure to leave me a comment below, I'm always out and about and I would love to hear if you have any similar spectacular tea rooms in your respective cities, you can come share these with me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with the latest Granite City antics and adventures be sure to come find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks, I'll be pining over tea and scones!

H.Elizabeth xx

Granite City Girl's First Blogiversary!

Hello everyone! So as some of you may know today marks the Granite City Girl blog's first birthday or blogiversary as some like to call it. I really wracked my brains for something spectacular to do to commemorate this special occasion, I thought of doing my first ever giveaway, I thought of sharing my own birthday pictures from the past 21 years for something a little different and I even thought of video logging the day - unfortunately this is something I am not quite ready for but stay tuned, you never know! Being the understated lady that I so truly am I thought I would instead strip it all back and just share with you today what I feel this blog and you readers have given me in the past year since that fateful evening that I sat on my bed and began drafting my first ever blog post!

First of all I just have to say how much I love blogging (if that wasn't already obvious I think something may be wrong) throughout the  last year it has been such a fun and creative outlet for me and has been such a great way to cope with the stresses of university and every day life and throughout has kept my passion for the written word, fashion, beauty and lifestyle alive.

I must just clarify, that as I have been attempting to get a bit healthier and eat a bit better I do not keep cakes and biscuits in the house, and any sweets we have belong to my partner and I am under strict instructions (from myself and will power) not to touch and therefore I treated myself to a celebratory lemon, as you can see (well lemon water) maybe next year we can have cake!

Blogging has given me a new perspective
Since I began blogging I have adopted a new perspective on life. I think the only way in which I can describe it is that I have become more perceptive and a bit more considerate of what I say, type and do in day to day life. It may not show on my blog but I think about things in much greater depth than I did previously (I wonder what this says about educational standards in the UK given that a blog has taught me more than I thought possible) This is in part thanks to the amazing blogging community who have opened my eyes to the wider world, to more opinions, perspectives and of course a whole plethora of new products for which I thank you all... my bank balance on the other hand damns you all!

Blogging has also given me an outlet for my passion

Writing has always been and continues to be my passion in life, if I did not have this blog to practice, proceed and progress with writing my all then I may burst! For me being able to sit in my home with a cup of tea and really get down to writing is one of the most therapeutic practices I have taken part in. Of course one day I do hope to weave this into my career one day, but isn't that every writers dream?

Blogging has allowed me to express my truest self
You'll notice a bit of a change in my posts over the last couple of months and if I'm completely honest I've gotten far more confident in my posts over the last little while. When I first started blogging I felt an intense pressure to keep up with the latest and greatest in the beauty industry and spend quite a lot of money on products I really didn't need and all and it was really just to keep up with other bloggers, and if I'm truly honest I wasn't happy with my writing then at all. Since then however I really feel like I have found my voice, and that doesn't mean blogging about the next beauty trend or up coming health fad, it just means writing about my own life, experiences and things I feel strongly about, and this is something I aim to continue with moving forward especially aiming to be less scared when it comes to expressing my opinions!

Finally Blogging has give me some damn organisation 
Before blogging my spare time was a mess, I'm talking endless amounts of TV, doughnuts and internet based procrastination (a part from the times I was studying or planning a wedding of course) but today my life has compartmentalized so well and I'm really enjoying the order, sad as that may sound to some! 

I just want to finish off by saying thank you very much to everyone who tunes in every week and comments on these little posts, I really didn't expect as much as I receive from blogging and here's to the next year and beyond on Granite City Girl.

Until next time folks, I'll still be here!

H.Elizabeth xx

Gym Etiquette | Make up and The Gym

If any of you guys follow me on Twitter you'll know that the past few months I have been making an effort to eat a little better and start using my gym membership on a regular basis (I now go to the gym three times a week) and since going to the gym, yes I've noticed my skin has cleared up, I have more energy and of course there is the added benefit trying on clothes with confidence, but today I'm going to talk about something that bothers me about health, specifically the gym, and low and behold this time for me the issue all comes down to make up (shocking right?!)

Now as you'll know I love make up, I would not leave the house bare faced any more than I would leave the house just in my pants but something I can never and will never be able to get my head around is ladies and gents who insist on wearing a full face of perfectly contoured and lined make up to the gym. First of all it is such a waste of money, I would never choose to drip my £20 a bottle foundation all over the equipment in the gym or to smear my best eyeliners across my face mid workout and secondly, I point blank refuse to believe you are working out effectively if you come out with you make up still perfectly intact! 

In fact one fun story recently which sort of lead me to this snapping point which I had to share with you was post workout (I'm talking spin class, cross trainer, weight training and a good half hour on the stepper) I saw a girl who had walked in the same time as me, full face of 1950's pin up make up and pin curls in her hair, all still in place and still flawless and as she puffed a little sigh of, 'oh that was such a great work out' I just straight up said there is just no way! (Her little puff kind of reminded me of that scene in Friends where Rachel is giving birth that that cute little woman made her pathetic 'contraction' noise)

This particular post was spurred mainly to say people of the world, the Granite City in particular, enough is enough, nobody cares what sort of sweaty mess you look like at the gym and if they do well they'll just continue to waste their money on a membership they aren't using appropriately.  

Skincare Savvy; Why you should never wear make up for a work out:

• When you sweat your pores open up, which allows dirt and bacteria from the days nasties to be secreted, but make up prevents secretion and can lead to the clogging of your pores which as you know can create spots, blackheads and terrible breakouts.

• It is simply poor etiquette to sweat your foundation all over the machines.

• You look ridiculous, more ridiculous in fact than if you had just wiped off the make up in the first place, panda eyes and a runny complexion are not a good look.

• At risk of sounding a great deal like my dad, 'It is not a fashion parade' you're there to get fit not to flirt, save your money and your make up!

• If you're worrying about what you're wearing or how you look exercising, you aren't exercising.

My gym skincare routine:
Of course this routine isn't as rigorous as my usual home, morning and bedtime skincare routines but these are the products I use at the gym to keep risk of dirty nasties down:

Garnier Goodbye Dry Cleanser (with cotton pads to remove make-up)
Arbonne Gentle Facial Cleanser (to get rid of any make up which is stuck on there)
Nivea Moisturising Cream (what it says on the tube!)

I understand that going bare faced and baring all can be a daunting prospect, especially for gym newbies, but would you rather put up with acne prone skin and a great body, or would you rather have the best of both worlds out with the confines of your gym walls?

I hope you've enjoyed this rather different and rather ranty post today (apologies) but I'd love to hear your thoughts below, is there anything that bothers you about the outside world or the inner workings of your local gym? Be sure to let me know in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with my latest's you can find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks, I'll be the one not sweating off my best make up.

H.Elizabeth xx

New Year Reflections | 2014

It has certainly been a blast this past year, and at the moment I have been seeing a great deal of posts surrounding the new coming year and how much everyone would like to change themselves, their circumstance and generally their happiness and I think that's great, self improvement is where all great things begin in my opinion. But today I personally would like to do something a little bit different and reflect on 2014 in all its glory, because to sum up my past year in a word would be wonderful.

I didn't set any resolutions for 2014 except to just get by, through and enjoy all of the upcoming milestones (I didn't half make life difficult!) and likewise I won't be setting any resolutions for 2015.

First and foremost I graduated from my 4 year degree in Communications and Public Relations with a 2:1 and happily did not fall flat on my face collecting my scroll as I had feared (years of watching Lizzie McGuire face-plant had given me THE FEAR, in addition to those darn You Tube videos we all love to laugh at!)

This unfortunately was followed by a couple of difficult months finding a job, which looking back now I wouldn't trade for the world! (silly me to have left my stable job of 5 and a half years due to a workplace bully and of course to focus on my dissertation) after a couple of stints in various jobs and experiences, which I value as part of myself and my past now, I have found a job which  I have been in for about 5 months now, I really enjoy and allows me to gain valuable experience in magazine writing, editing and general marketing and communication goodness!

Swfitly this was followed by our beautiful wedding which I wish I could relive over and over again as it really was our perfect little day just for us and a few friends and family of course. Admittedly the bridezilla in me did come out and I am ashamed to admit the stress got to me a litte bit you know planning a wedding, completing a degree and looking for a job do tend to get a bit stressful in themselves. But of course as you know it all came together for our intimate ceremony in the Cornish countryside in what we consider to have been our dream wedding.

And of course ladies and gentleman, I started documenting my thoughts, feelings, reviews, life ramblings and memories with all of you in my little piece of the internet that is Granite City Girl and I have loved every minute I have spent as part of this blogging and reader community, relationship thing we have going on and may it long continue!

So 2015, dare I say you have a great deal to compete with but I look forward to your efforts!

I hope your 2014 has been as lovely and eventful as mine and I look forward to venturing forth into this brand new year with you ladies and gents! Be sure to share your best memory from 2014 in the comments below and if you would like to follow me into 2015 come find me on Bloglovin

Until 2015 folks!

H.Elizabeth x

Christmas at the Cinema | St Vincent Review

For those of you who were wondering, yes I am still very much a cinema geek dating back to my 'cinephile' post a little while back I can tell you with great certainty that nothing has changed. In fact now that my life has a bit of routine in it since leaving university earlier this year I'm a more active cinema goer than ever, and my unlimited card has certainly been through the ringer these past few weeks with the latest in Christmas releases, from Paddington and Horrible Bosses 2 to the Hobbit and the Hunger Games my cinema life has never seen so much action!

But today I wanted to tell you about an unexpected gem that I suspect may go overlooked by many a cinema goer in the coming weeks and just as a word of recommendation from me I highly suggest you see Bill Murray's latest acting endeavour 'St Vincent' 

St Vincent Movie Poster 2014

Now I know what a lot of you will be thinking, Bill Murray is often viewed as a love him or hate him kind of actor and well I love him and my mother hates him, but in this film I can't imagine anybody not being able to muster at least a smirk at his comedic performance as inappropriate aging childminder Vincent!

I will try not to give too much of the story away but in the opening scenes we are introduced to the crass, elderly veteran Vincent de Van Nuys (Bill Murray) who lives out his days drinking hard liquor, wasting his money at the race tracks and generally making others around him a bit miserable. Of course when introduced to his new neighbours, Maggie (Melissa McCarthy) and her 12 year old son Oliver (Jadeb Lieberher), is nothing but his typical grumpy self. Following unexpected difficulties at school, Oliver finds himself in the care of Vincent after an opportunity to squeeze some cash from single mother Maggie presents itself.

Vincent and Oliver go on to share in all kinds of debauchery and archaic experiences including a few stints at the race track, broken noses and of course Olivers introduction to Daka (Naomi Watts), a 'lady of the night' Throughout the course of the film Vincent and Oliver forge an unlikely friendship which is both heartwarming and endearing to witness. The film has scenes of laughter, love and heartbreak and  I would recommend it to anyone who would like to avoid the shiny shiny of the many blockbusters we have thrust in our faces these days in favour of a gem of a film.

Hopefully this encourages at least one of you to give the film a go, if you do go see it let me know or if this has convinced you to see it drop me a comment below! If this isn't up your street I also highly recommend Paddington, the final Hobbit movie or if it's still in of course do not miss The Imitation Game! Are there any films, cinema, DVD or television you've been loving lately, I always love to hear about new releases, be sure to leave a comment, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more Granite City posts come find me on Bloglovin.

Happy watching until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth xx

Where is all of the 'Christmas Spirit?' | Christmas Shopping

It must be said, at this time of year I tend to have a love / hate relationship with shopping , well I say it's shopping but if I'm being totally honest it's Christmas shoppers. I apologise in advance for the unseasonably downer of a Christmas post but I'm afraid the world must be called out on their behaviour and so called 'Christmas cheer'  

I entered with high hopes, my mum had treated me to a slap up breakfast in town and the sight of the biggest and brightest decorations the shopping centres had to offer left me feeling incredibly full of festive cheer and I was incredibly ready and rearing to greet the days worth of shopping. And that's when it happened...

The not so subtle shoving, barging, pushing, lack of shopper etiquette as well as the complete and total abandonment of the much coveted Christmas spirit of the year and so the days events unfolded! If I could pinpoint one moment in the day I began to notice a difference I suppose I would say it all started with a tea set, beautiful, vintage and right up one of my friends/family members street the perfect gift....and did I mention it was also the very last one in store! Having picked it up, examined it for scratches, scathes and general scrappiness I decided, yes, this was the one, but all the while I felt a breath on my neck and a handbag nearly up my backside of another suitor for this tea set and upon discovering, much to her dismay, that I had claimed it as my own audibly sighed, mumbled profanities and shot a look in my direction which can only be described as 'bah humbug'....and that was only the beginning.

Throughout my Christmas journey I encountered similar acts of festive cheer and bah-humbugery of the highest order, such as the lady who decided to stop dead in the middle of the busiest street in town only to tut and titter when everyone maneuvered quickly around her or goodness forbid accidentally bump her handbag or perhaps the tale of the family who decided to use their push chair (child still inside) as a battering ram in order to fully dominate the tiny aisle space in BHS would be a more Christmassy tale. And lets not get started on Poundland (which may as well have a sign above the door which reads, 'Ye who enter here, abandon all hope) where I ditched all of my shopping in favour of sanity at having seen the queuing system, or lack thereof, a pet peeve of mine and the rest of the nation. Or perhaps the most interesting of all the elderly lady in Thorntons  who fully bashed, and made me fall onto the counter, in a bid to show her disdain for her lack of purchase, but not to worry she was quickly shut down by the cashier who came to my rescue as the bumper decided it was in fact my ass that was too big, as opposed to her manners being too few.

Much resembling THAT scene from much beloved comedy Christmas movie, 'Jingle All the Way' (the bit with the ball chasing) my hometown became a bloodbath of red tinsel, festive footwear and frivolous spending (that is the only way I can describe a woman piling handfuls upon handfuls of Christmas gift bags into her paws!)

So today ladies and gentleman I ask, why at the 'most wonderful time of the year', the time we ought to be the kindest, warmest and cheeriest we can be (it is indeed an unrealistic expectation I know) do we behave like animals, abandon all sense of moral right and wrong and simply stress one another out!? I myself have noticed that since the Black Friday madness those of us not living under a rock were forced to endure, shopping and the entire experience has refused to go back to normality and the sales aren't even on any more!

In fact in order to de-stress, cool off, let off some steam and generally calm down my mum and I found ourselves trailing a MILLION bags into the cinema with us to see Paddington, and I tell you it worked wonders, watching a fuzzy wee bear navigate London made Aberdeen and the shoppers look a little bit better.

Everything about the entire Christmas shopping experience this year has forced me to reevaluate the way in which I shop, the next time I shall not be going out armed with a fluffy parka and eyes full of hope, instead my weapon of choice will be steel capped boots and a hard visor! 

As I said I do apologise for the cynical Christmas post but I just wondered if everyone elses Christmas shopping experiences have been similar to mine this year? Or is it perhaps just me? (I really hope not) I would love to hear your Christmas shopping experiences from this year or perhaps you have a funny Black Friday story to share! Either way leave them in the comments below, come share them with me on Twitter or if you'd like to hear more of my Granite City rants be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, I'll be here catching up with a little zen!

H.Elizabeth x

Black Friday | ASOS Haul

The night before Black Friday I was anxious, incredibly anxious. One thing my friends and family have come to know about me in recent years is that manners and particularly shopping etiquette mean a great deal to me and sitting on the periphery of the dreaded Black Friday I just knew that all of those famed reservations and snobbish manners of the Aberdonian people was all about to go flying out of the window and there is only one word to describe my beloved Union Square on a sale day, and that is carnage.

Given my nervous disposition and unwillingness to brave the supposed amazing sales (which I was later to find were non existent in the likes of Zara, despite the crazed women who were grabbing handfuls of vests, T's and all manner to stuff into breaking point baskets) I decided this ear was the year I go digital, and that's just what I did. I enjoyed Black Friday from the comforts of my own home, armed with my dressing gown, slipper boots and a recently topped up card I was able to grab a fair few bargains which I thought I would share with you today!

 

ASOS Cyber Sales

Having done my research by looking at what felt like hundreds of articles revolving around the best online discounts during the Black Friday madness, I settled on ASOS as my poison of choice. Throughout the course of 'Black Friday Weekend,' ASOS were giving you 20% off everything using the code CYBERWKND20, which brought me right back to my student days where I could often get 10 - 20% off everything and I must admit I got a bit click - buy happy!

Clothes and Misc

River Island Too Vogue T Shirt £12.00

Only Live Love long sleeve top with lace trim £12.00

ASOS Midi Skirt in Ponte with pocket detail / Grey £14.00

ASOS Full Length Leggings in High Waist / Oxblood Colour £8.00

Happy Jackson YAY! Lunch box / Pink £6.00

Make Up

Eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner / black £12.00

Bourjois little round pots eyeshadow / pink £4.00

Bourjois limited edition vintage little round pots / beige rose £6.99

Price before discount: £74.99

Price after discount: £59.99
Total saving: £15.00

With a saving of £15.00 I think I did quite well, however as much as I do love all of my ASOS goodies and gadgets I have to admit I am suffering a little from buyers remorse because I just know that had it not been Black Friday and had it been any old sale I wouldn't have spent half as much as I have now. Yes ladies and gents at the time I unashamedly got swept up in the madness of Black Friday as I believe many of you did too but now shamefully find myself almost £60 down so close to Christmas that probably would have been better spent elsewhere!

If you are however going to splurge like I very much have, I would highly recommend avoiding the dramas and chaos Black Friday physical shopping brings (very physical judging by some of Tesco's finests customer videos) and spend some quality time with the good ole laptop, onesie and slipper boots and spend yourselves silly!

I hope you've enjoyed reading of my Black Friday buys and blunders and I'd love to hear about some of your best purchases from that weekend of madness? Did you pick up anything in the ASOS deals? Drop me a comment below, come share them with me on Twitter or of course if you'd like to keep up with the latests be sure to follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks!

H.Elizabeth xx

Winter Reads | Wuthering Heights

Set the scene: A cold, dark, Granite City night, you come in and shake the snow from your drenched fluffy hooded coat and stomp excess snow and water from your boots drop your bags and head to change into those fluffy pj's that have been beckoning all day.

Pyjama and slipper boots ready you whip up a home made hot chocolate complete with canned cream, mini marshmallows and grated chocolate, throw a blanket around your shoulders and settle on the sofa. Cosy setting at the ready you pick up your favourite annual winter read, in this case Wuthering Heights, and scene.

At Christmas there is really nothing better than grabbing a blanket, cup of hot choccie and snuggling down with a good book. I think this is a tradition that nobody can escape, unless of course you're running about like a mad man trying to get Christmas gifts last minute (tut-tut) So with that in mind I thought I would share my annual winter read, why I love it and what it means to me!

At this time of year I'm afraid Dickens and his Christmas Carol just doens't do it for me, in fact nothing says Christmas to me more than Wuthering Heights (despite there being no mention of the festive season in the book!)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Overly loved copy of Wuthering Heights

I first discovered Wuthering Heights when I was in my final year of school, so about 5 years ago, during an assignment where our English teacher asked us to abandon our comfort zones and read a genre we traditionally wouldn't (with most of the girls choosing the ever so original Twilight - which they traditionally would have read anyway ugh!) so I opted for one of the classics and decided Wuthering Heights dark undertones and twisted story line sounded far more interesting than the trials and tribulations of Mr Darcy or indeed Edward Cullen! During the assignment I read the book two or three times and so began my long lasting love and Christmas tradition of enveloping myself in Bronte's world.

What draws me so much more to this book than the other classics is that the heroine is a very flawed and real character who isn't like your run of the mill female characters from the classics who quite frankly allow their men to walk all over them. Likewise our anti hero, Heathcliff, isn't all frilly shirts and afternoon tea, you really have to look hard and dig deep to find any real and 'usual' romance in the novel.

Of course as a bonus the scenery and entire landscape which Bronte paints of the moors, which you can kind of see on the cover, Wuthering Heights and the locations the characters find themselves in are just spectacular, so chilling, dark and  wintery which of course explains my need for a hot chocolate whilst reading!

I'm not going to explain the plot in great detail for those of you who haven't read it but still may but I will say it will be unlike anything you have ever read before and it far surpasses the times in which it was written especially from a feminist point of view, and I'm not for a moment saying that Cathy in the book is a feminist role model but for the times it was set and written in, but I'm pretty damn sure she was.

Do you have any winter traditions you uphold year upon year no matter what? Share them with me in the comments below or tell me your best reads on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with my Granite City musings come find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

Christmas Time | Granite City Gifting and Special Reader Offer

Aberdeen's Castle Gate at Christmas (Image courtesy of Google - Since we have no snow yet!)

With Christmas just around the corner we've been in and dated with Christmas gift guides for him, her and them as well as the traditional Christmas Tag we've all come to know and love. But I thought I would do something a little different and since I am the Granite City Girl I thought I'd do something a little special for us Aberdonians and do an Aberdeen Christmas Gift Guide.

Also just as a wee side note be sure to stick with us until the end as a brand new local Aberdeen company contacted me recently to offer you lovely Granite City Girl readers a cheeky discount on their products!

Nova Gifts

24 Chapel Street, Aberdeen

Anytime I seem to find myself at a loose end (and at the far end of union street) I always take a gander into Nova because they always seem to have such a variety of cute nick nacks and whoosits and whatsits galore (breaking into song over here!) There is a bit of something for everyone, mugs, beautiful frames and niche beauty products. My top picks from their store would be their Mr Men and Little Miss mugs, their amazing rage of scented candles like Jelly Belly and finally anything from their range of natural toiletry products! Unfortunately you can't order from their store online so this truly is an Aberdeen exclusive (sorry guys!)

Nova on Rose Street

Old Aberdeen Gift Shop

605 King Street, Aberdeen

Shooting across to the other side of the Granite City pond is another cute and quirky gift shop offering all sorts for all kinds! They have lots of geekery products that might be a great trinket or stocking filler for your other half like money banks shaped like an Iron Man helmet or a transformers head water bottle. But my personal pick has got to be their Cupcake Mug with Frosting Lid, to be used for only the finest beverages of course!

Cupcakes by Jo

7a Crown Street, Aberdeen

Now I know what you're thinking, how are they going to even last until I get home?! Let alone putting in a Christmas order and expecting me to give them away. And really I did put them in here as an intention to first of all bring attention to a brilliant up and coming local business and secondly to say go and treat yourself! I recently had a Scottish Tablet Cupcake and a Millionaire Shortbread Cupcake, and their selection doesn't stop there, from good old vanilla to cookie monster coconut these beautifully decorated delights are simply delish! And if cupcakes aren't up your street then order yourself a personalised cake! Go and check out their website to see their culinary creations!

Cupcakes by Jo on Crown Street

Juniper Aberdeen

35 Belmont Street, Aberdeen

Juniper are a small, independent family run business in the centre of Aberdeen who specialise in unique gifts ideas and home trinkets. I must have bought my mum so many birthday and Christmas gifts from here in the past and I have a few pieces of jewellery from there myself. The way I describe Juniper is very Highland, they have a great deal of Celtic designed jewellery and the whole atmosphere of the store is very cosy. My top pick from there would be their cutesy Owl Cushions or their Bunny Ring Holders.

Aberdeen Whisky Shop

474 Union Street, Aberdeen

Something for the men in your lives now! Another wee independent shop again at the other end of town, boasting over 1000 different kinds of Whisky (who knew there were so many?!) there will be something for every Whisky lover. Whisky chocolates, books, hip flasks and those cute little miniatures that are right up my street as a non whisky drinker!

Some of the other independent stores around Aberdeen that are worth taking a gander into are Peapod for vintage lovers, Oil and Glass for artsy folk, Finnies the jewellers who do some beautiful jewellery pieces, MacBeans for coffee connoisseurs, Wowzie for sweetie lovers, and finally a new find for me Eighty7 Design and Living who from their Facebook seem to have some amazing and unique gift ideas!

The Natural Juicing Company Reader Offer!
The Natural Juicing Company are brand new to the Granite City scene and basically do what they say on the tin. Their cold pressed juices are said to retain up to 95% of all of the ingredients nutrients. If you'd like to read a bit more on their company, it's a great story which was recently featured on STV, click on over here!

Definitely one to watch in the New Year and with that in mind we arrive at our special Granite City Christmas offer! Send this as a gift or of course treat yourself to a refreshing detox towards the end of the year with £100 off the Natural Juicing Company's 'five day plan with nutrition guru' for your readers (Voucher code 5DAYGURU)

So there you have it ladies and gents, my top picks for Granite City gifting this festive season! I hope you guys have found it interested and I apologise if you aren't natives but hey at least you know where to come for some cool souvenirs if you ever venture this far North or maybe even gift someone something from one of the website stores!

 

 

I hope you have enjoyed this Granite City Christmas post, thank you for making it this far! Share some independent stores and stocking fillers in your area with me in the comments below come tell me about them on Twitter or if you'd like to keep up with the latest Granite City Girl adventures come find me on Bloglovin

Until next time!

H.Elizabeth x

Granite City Girl's Week Without Heat

For those of you who follow me on Twitter you will know that just last week I embarked on a journey back to health... back to healthy hair at least and I decided to go an entire work week without applying any heat styling or drying etc to my hair whatsoever. So I thought today I would share with you just how I got on, how I styled my hair and the overall results.

Just for a reference my hair without any blow drying, straightening or curling irons looks a bit like this, so I don't suffer from any MAJOR frizz or slicky greasy problems some people do when they go without heat can, in that sense I have been quite lucky, but it was still no picnic!

Just so I can clearly lay the parameters, I wash my hair every evening and I use a hair masque twice a week. I lightly towel dry my hair afterwards, brush it through and leave it to dry itself.

Hair Au Naturale

Day One

This was the day my hair was in the worst condition and it was definitely the day it took the most getting used to. My split ends were out in full force, but on the brighter side I was surprised to learn the style itself was actually not too bad, so all I had to do was give it a wee brush and off I went (although people at work did think I had just rolled out of bed)

Day Two

It seems even though I wasn't using direct heat to my hair you still can't escape some damage, especially with these cold wintery days! So needing a little bit of TLC I broke out my new Tres Emme Keratin hair masque, and indulged by leaving it on my head for about 10 minutes.

Day Three

After my hair care and TLC from the night before this was probably the day I noticed a considerable difference in my hair, it seemed much smoother especially at the ends (which are usually frazzled!)Unfortunately due to the lovely Scottish weather we've been suffering of late I had to just swish my hair into a pony for the day!

Day Four

Another TLC evening for my hair as it was treated to yet another indulgent hair masque, which it thanked me for the next day! Since I had an event on the Friday evening I thought I had better pay extra attention to it this evening and ended up wearing my rollers for a while while it dried minus heat obviously! It still came out voluminous of course but just not as I would have hoped!

Day Five

Using a barreled hair brush I got my desired volume without heat, just with spray! And you'd never have been able to tell I hadn't used any heat on my hair whatsoever if you were judging simply by the style. It's much more work than I am used to but if it's going to improve the health of my hair then I say go for it.

I survived my week without heat, and I do recommend you try it from time to time to give you hair a little break from styling and harsh temperatures otherwise you are at risk of causing some major damage in the long run! When I was younger I'm the first to hold my hands up and say yes I was guilty of OVER straightening my hair and no wonder it took so long to grow out my Snow White bob!

Of course if you must use heat for example if you have a special occassion or just cannot part with your heat styling tools be sure to use a good quality heat defence spray on your hair, below I have listed a couple of my favourites just in case anyone is interested in how I plan on maintaining my silky smooth locks now I have them back!

Heat Styling Product Choices



For day to day - Tres Emme Heat Defence Spray

For evenings out - VO5 Plump it Up Amplifying Blow Dry Lotion (Heat Defence)
For styling - Large barreled hair brush
For long lasting hold - VO5 Ultimate Hold Hairspray

I hope you enjoyed today's post, have you ever gone without something to improve the health of your hair or have you even gone without something to improve your skin and nails? Be sure to share you experiences in the comments below or come tell me about it on Twitter or if you're interested in keeping up with my latests come find me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

New 'Do | The Saks Experience

Hey guys so I fulfilled yet another Autumnal 'want' this past week and I underwent quite a dramatic (for me anyway) change to my head, which I thought I would share with you guys. As you'll know I've been chopping and changing my hair quite a bit and experimenting with different colours over the past few years (see my 'Hairstory' post if you'd like to follow my 'journey') and this Autumn I was looking for something different and outside the box for my traditional Goldilocks.

While I loved my hair in it's Strawberry Blonde state, with Autumn rolling in and my roots joining, I felt a bit like a hippy wandering around in dull weather with ombre locks and honestly my hair had gotten into such a bad condition through daily heat styling it was time for a chop and a change.

Saks in Union Square Aberdeen

So I paid a visit to my regular hairdresser establishment 'Saks' where I had booked in for a colour, cut and blow dry with a stylist (I reckon she is a senior stylist...she did a pretty ace job at least!) Now I love Saks, it took me a long long time to find a hairdresser I was comfortable with and genuinely enjoyed going to but I can safely say I am content, and to boot it's in my favourite haunt, 'Union Square' If you do ever find yourself in need of a chop and a change and you're about the Granite City I do recommend you give them a go!

Prior to anything touching my head I had my colour consultation and after confusing myself and the stylist, we decided on a warm toned brown with copper tones throughout which wouldn't wash out my skin given I'm such a Casper. And under I went!

The dye only took 20 minutes since my hair was so light, and my concerns about the damage I had already done to my hair was put at ease by the knowledge that the colour they used had conditioning qualities.

Once the colour came off and I was dried to perfection I was so pleased with the transformation, I honestly believe, as I believe with eyebrows, the colour and cut of your hair can do wonders for your face and I personally think darker compliments me far more in the Winter (with the disappearance of my freckles temporarily)

For the entire process I paid £73.00 which I always think is quite reasonable for the service you're receiving, I'm always happy to pay that little extra if the salon and the services they offer are professional, there is nothing worse than feeling like a nuisance when you're paying a bomb. In fact I was so chuffed with my new 'do and the service I have booked in again for a re-colour before Christmas (and I have NEVER had the same thing twice in  a hairdressers ever!)

So there you have it, my Saks Experience and my new 'do, what do you guys think? Share your good and bad salon experiences with me in the comments below, come have a rant with me on Twitter or if you'd like to see more of my beauty blogging and experiences keep up to date with me on Bloglovin

Thank you for the reads, until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

Domestic Goddess | My New Recipe Book

Since finishing university (because this has granted me the gift of time!) I have been known to dabble in the culinary delights my kitchen and oven can bring and I'll be honest it's been pretty fun and successful. (Successful here meaning that I have not had nor have I given anybody food poisoning yet)

My most recent culinary creations were mini oreo cheesecakes and before that I tried my hand at chocolate swirled shortbread. This newfound hobby is doing NOTHING for my diet and fitness plans, but none the less it keeps me busy and entertained in the evenings.

I've been slowly building up my utensils and cooking resources every week at ASDA, so when I saw this book in Paperchase organisational inspiration struck again and I just had to have it!

The book is wipeable (good for this slap dash cook!) and has an adorable design on the front, it stays closed with a mint green ribbon (that was the dealbreaker in the store I'm ashamed to say)

This book is a neat freaks heaven, I mean from the organised dinner party planner pages to specific meal times and recipe types, its amazing and at times creepily organised! I'm planning on using this book to stick in all of my loved recipes, usually if I see a recipe I like the sound of I'll email it to myself and set up my iPad in the kitchen, however following a recent incident with my iPad and it's recent scare with a water basin I think this is a safer, cheaper alternative!

So that's all from me today folks, I just wanted to share this cute wee book with you because I got awfully awfully excited about it and honestly sharing with you is just second nature now!

Have any of you started experimenting with cooking / baking recently? Drop me comment below telling me your fave thing to bake, or come chat to me about it on Twitter or if you want to see more posts, come follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks.

H.Elizabeth x

Aberdeen Student Lock In | Autumn Haul

Technically no, I am not a student anymore. Well at least as of the very end of September, and I mean I'd quite happily be exploiting my discount up until 11.59pm on the 31st of September that's how much I'll miss my discount. So you can imagine that when Aberdeen's Bon Accord and St Nicholas Shopping centre announced their annual student lock in I was first in line! (not literally unfortunately!)

Pre Lock In

Well the queue was massive, we actually arrived 40 minutes prior to doors even opening and we were I would say reasonably near the front, considering how far back the queue eventually went I was chuffed! 

During the Lock In

As cheapy as it may sound I had been expecting more freebies, I literally went away with one shower gel by L'Occitane and a catalogue from Warehouse which I could have got any time.  I don't feel like the actual discounts on offer deserved as much hype as there had been because there was literally an extra 10% and Boots didn't even bother with discounts, to the dismay of many shoppers we saw loading baskets with products!

New Look (20% Discount)

Tartan Pinafore
I've been dying to get a bit more fashion focused at work since all I seem to be wearing as of late are my black trousers paired with a flowy shirt, and this was RIGHT up my street not to mention on trend for the Autumnal months.

Burgundy 50's Flare Skirt
Something I've been dying to try out and not to mention suit over the past few months is a long skirt that isn't body con, and I do believe I've found it. It's a show stopper!

Parisian Tee
Admittedly I was drawn in due to Paris, our holiday booking is looming and I feel like I'm already behind in buying my holiday clothes! Plus it looks amazing with my 50's skirt.

Purple Floral Geisha Kimono 
When it comes to Kimonos, what can I say? I'm a woman obsessed I think at the moment I have 5 or 6, and this one well I had to have it! I wear these instead of blazers or jackets on an evening out so really you can never have too many!

Coral Stilettos 

Recently I have been dying to buy a pair of statement shoes for special occasions and evenings out, but I had no luck since my tiny size 3 feet only get the boring shoes! But at the lock in I spotted a rare find in the form of stilettos for a tenner! Now if only I had a party coming up!

Topshop (20% Discount)

Lippys! (Macaroon, Ditsy, Wicked and Trigger)

I'd heard good things about Topshop's lippy over the past few months, from their staying power to their moisturing qualities and even their great pigmentation, so when I saw they were on offer at 2 for £12 in addition to discount I jumped to buy 4! (Review pending)

Lip Liner (Burgundy)

Another one of my new obsessives is lip lining, I've seen the MAC girls in town lining to perfection and well I'm a sucker for trends!

Post Lock In
As a general guesstimate I Buyers remorse? Never! I am of course feeling so gutted that this year was my last ever lock in but I look forward to my senior citizens discount when the time comes!

Have you guys visited a student lock in wherever you are? If you have what was your experience of it, a lot of freebies? better discounts? Drop me a comment below, Tweet at me or come follow my latest posts on Bloglovin

H.Elizabeth x

Whats In My Bag Tag

It dawned on me recently that I don't think I have ever participated in a beauty blogger tag, quite a shameful act if I do say so myself, so today in true newbie fashion I thought I would make a go of the whats in my bag tag.

The Bag

My bag itself is a very very worn in leather satchel style which I have had since I started college (4 years ago) and my goodness it has served me well. I love this bag because I think it's a style that never really goes out of fashion, plus its massive so I can carry my life if I need to!
 

The Contents

Hairbrush and Hairspray:

Self explanatory really, I mean I do live in the North East of Scotland and we can't look fabulous all of the time can we!? I'm prepared for practically everything!

Crazy Cat Diary:

Sometimes I have trouble managing my time / remembering peoples birthdays so this is my life saviour. I get a mid year to mid year diary as I hate starting one in January, it was very handy as a student.

Leopard Print Notebook:

My blogger book! Should inspiration strike, and sometimes it does at awkward times of the day, I don't want to scribble on my hand, so this does the trick.

Green Elephant Purse (Urban Outfitters):

As much as you're not meant to and as bad luck as it's supposed to be, I bought this myself. Nobody knows how to buy me a gift like me and it's a bit tatty now and my poor elephant is going a funny colour but it serves me well.

Dior Glasses Case + Glasses:

Hello four eyes! Yes I wear glasses, I understand its from years at the cinema and sitting to close to a computer screen, but hey at least I can pull of Geek Chic without those awful false frames. Don't sit too close to the television kids!

Marc Jacobs Lola Perfume:

I have adopted this as 2014's signature scent. Mine at least. Years I feel I lusted after this sweet, flowery scent and now it's mine, my precious if you will and I wouldn't be a day without it.

Bottle of Evian:

A practicality if anything, it saves me gorging on yet ANOTHER bottle of fizz and helps for my long walks to work in the mornings. God forbid if I forget it I'm a sweaty mess after my journey!

And that's me, what do you guys carry in your bag that's maybe a little bit different? Eccentric even? I'd love to hear your crazy bag tag!

If you'd like to see me do another blogger tag or if you simply want to say hello, drop me a comment below, catch me on the Twittersphere or if you want to keep up to date with my latest and greatest catch them all on Bloglovin!

H.Elizabeth x

Lashes? Au Natural, Strips Or Go Indy

Over the last few months I have been experimenting with a few new looks and products to extend, improve and basically falsify the look of my lashes (it's both a passion and a beloved past time) and I thought  it would be fun to share my recent efforts with you guys and the blogosphere. So if like me you are facing the age old dilemma of daring to bare, over the counter full on falsies or perhaps going under the therapists tweezers and going for full on lash extensions this review might be just what you're looking for!

 Daring to bare

Clinique High Impact Mascara RRP£17.50

As you'll all know by now I am a great lover and avid hunter of mascara. If there has been a latest and greatest fad, I've been at the front of the queue, from L'Oreal's Miss Manga, the cat eye mascara that swept us beauty bloggers a few years ago (which in my opinion smelt terribly like cat pee!) right down to Benefit's 'They're Real' mascara (which I continue to be a great lover of) but no matter. If you do dare to bare your lashes, in my opinion there are only two ways to go. My much beloved Benefit mascara has gotten me through many a dark stubby lash days or my other love, Cliniques High Impact Mascara in black (can be seen in the photograph below) With the appropriate technique (wiggle wiggle wiggle) and a steady hand you can actually achieve falsie heights and volume with either of these two wonder products.

                                                                                           

   Strip Falsies   





Eylure KP Lashes (Sweetie Pie) RRP £5.95

Ah falsies from my youth, when the hair was super backcombed and my eyelashes almost met my hairline! I don't think these will ever grow old. Given that they are simple enough to put on and don't look too full or thick you could easily pass these off as your natural eyelashes. Steady hands and a but of know how is your best friend here ladies, make sure you apply the glue to your strip first give it a wee wave then apply glue to the other, this should give eyelash one a chance to develop a tackiness that will allow easy application. I have never really strayed from my Eyelure lashes so maybe I'm not the most objective but these honestly do wonders and if you look after these properly and remove any tack or glue after each use you could use these for up to one month (with about  3 or 4 days use a week) For temporary lashes these are on the pricey side but when it comes to something near your eye, you don't exactly want to scrimp out.



 Individual Lash Extensions

Baker Street Salon Aberdeen £30.00

Last but not least, the contemplation of lash extensions. The allure of long, lush lashes on a more semi permanent basis I admit got the better of me a couple of months ago when I visited a local salon to have them applied. An uncomfortable procedure involving a large cotton pad under your eyelid, tweezers and a painstaking amount of time. Of course I fell in love as soon as I saw them, more natural looking than my beloved falsies yet longer and better than my really real lashes. The downside? The incredibly intense upkeep and maintenence is impractical for a busy city girl like me, also for someone who likes to give their face a good scrub, or likes to merely touch their face, or sleep comfortably. These may not be the best route to go down, but if you live in a plastic bubble and literally sit around all day then these are right up your street.

 Verdict    

If you're going for a more nautural day look I would of course opt for the mascara, it's light, won't weigh down your lashes and you won't blow people away with a blink.

On the other hand if you're going for a full, glam evening look or you just want to look super dressed up then falsies are your friend.

As for the individual lashes I would not recommend these at all unless you are prepared for something super high maintenance on your face (I'm talking washing your face will be your new nightmare!)

Hopefully this has helped some of you lovely beauty enthusiasts make an informed choice today, if you have any lash loves in terms of mascara, falsies or maybe you've had a fabulous experience with individual lashes drop me a comment below, tweet at me on the Twittersphere or if you'd like to keep up to date and see more of the Granite City Girl be sure to follow me on Bloglovin

H x