Summer Bucket List

Hello my dear readers,  I hope you've all had a lovely start to your summers! Ours, as you may have already read, started with the summer solstice festivities at the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens. In keeping with previous seasons, I've also drawn up a wee bucket list of the things I'd like to do this summer. I hope you draw some inspiration from it too!

Visit somewhere new: I've always loved travelling and exploring new places but living in Scotland has stoked that wanderlust all the more. Scotland is such a beautiful place and there are so many places waiting to be explored...highlands, islands and everything in between. 

Go foraging: As I so terribly miss our garden and lottie, I fancy going foraging for some berries and such like to make summer jams and preserves. I'm not sure where but I think most places will have 'wild' areas to forage from.

Make fun popsicles: You know the sorts that have bits of fruit or sweeties in them. I don't think we'll have many super hot days in Edinburgh but when we do, I'll make a few!

Explore local beaches: I may have mentioned the fact that there are some beautiful beaches near Edinburgh such as Portobello, Gullane etc. I'd like to explore a few new ones and spend a day in sunshine ( or more like an hour or two considering this is Scotland).

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Re-fashion clothes: I have lots of really lovely clothes sourced via sales, flash sales sites and charity shops. I don't wear some them much as I should they aren't quite 'right'. My sewing machine could change all that so I'm hoping to re-tailor these over the summer.

Outdoor music: My first memories of Edinburgh, eight something years ago, were of a music filled place. Fact is, we've not experienced much music ever since we've moved here. I'm hoping to find a few concerts to attend, ideally in a nice outdoors venue.

Edinburgh festival: This is a no-brainer, obviously. It is meant to be bonkers, awesome and chaotic and I'd like to be in the thick of it all for once. 

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Spend time with friends and family: The last few months have been so manic that I've not had the chance to talk to or spend time with some of my friends and family. I'm hoping to rectify that over the summer months. Maybe I'll just go through my Skype list and make call after call!

Get fit: I've put on a few kilos since our move up to Scotland as its colder, we eat and drink out so much more (as we live in the city centre) and as always, I'm constantly stuffing my face with cake! Whilst I had grand plans of running twice a week after moving up, I've never exercised properly even once! Unless a few pathetic attempts at playing tennis count? I'm hoping to rectify that over the summer months. Now, in which packing box were those running shoes....?

What's on your summer bucket list? Ann x

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Highlights of Spring 2014

In what has now become a regular feature on A Quirky Lifestyle, this post contains are a few snapshots from the season just gone. I often feel a sense of lethargy at the thought of writing these posts but end up feeling both pleased and grateful when I'm done. Spring was full of new beginnings; settling in to a new city,  making a new 'home', starting a new jobs (both Ed and I had now changed jobs) whilst still recovering both individually and as a couple from the emotional trauma of the previous months. Our coping mechanism has always been to make sure we have happy plans that we can look forward to, now mostly consisting of exploring Edinburgh and Scotland.

You can read all about our exploration of the Highlands in a five part series starting here. Travelling to the very edge of the country, taking in the most spectacular countryside and meeting the friendly people that lived around there was all good for the soul. My personal favourite was sunset at  Lossiemouth beach; it was without doubt one of the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen. A camera can never quite capture what the eye can see or what one feels in the midst of such beauty. Nearer home, Linlinthgow, Gullane and North Berwick were equally wonderful, each in its own special way. And as for Edinburgh, we are absolutely loving living here!

Craft and DIY has always been a key part of this blog and my Spring pursuits included lots of sewing, candle making and updating our new interiors. There is so much satisfaction in the making your very own pieces of 'art'.

I hope you've had a lovely Spring too and that Summer brings lots of warmth and happiness your way. Ann x

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Edinburgh Botanic Gardens Summer Solstice

In our quest of experiencing the best that Scotland (and Edinburgh in particular) have to offer, we have ignored a few gems right near our doorstep. We live a mere fifteen minute walk from the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens and the summer solstice celebrations this weekend seemed like a good excuse to visit it properly. The gardens were open till 10.30 PM this weekend plus there was free entry to the glasshouse and an opportunity to be part of an attempt to break the world record for tree hugging. We gathered a few friends, some picnic paraphernalia and wine, and headed out for a few hours in this historic gardens. 

If you've read my blog before, you will know I love gardening, gardens and flowers. It is no surprise then that I fell in love with the botanic gardens. I find it incredible that so much plant diversity flourishes in the heart of Edinburgh. The gardens were established in the 17th century so they are like the grandaddy of the Eden Project in Cornwall (another favourite place).

Spring and early summer are great for visiting the gardens and the rhododendrons are in full blooms. The gardens are home to over a hundred varieties of rhododendrons!

The glasshouse ( which is the only bit you need to pay to enter, except this weekend), is a wonderful place full of exotic varieties of plant species; tropical flowers, desert cacti, alpine vegetation and everything else in between. Oh, and there were oriental style ponds full of fat fish! The glasshouse was also home to the most perfect orchids!

There plenty of music and creative 'stuff' on this weekend but I was looking forward to participating in the world record breaking attempt at tree hugging. I wonder how we got on... I'll keep you posted if I find out.

I 'hugged' this ancient tree that had giant oyster mushrooms growing on it. And apparently they are edible. Sadly, they were just a long way up for me to 'pluck' them. Plus, I'm not a mushroom expert so   I would not have eaten them anyway.

We finally got booted out of the gardens at around half ten (by which time I was suitably p*ssed on just just a few tiny picnic glasses of wine).  Most of our party disappeared and the rest of us headed down for a final pint at the Orchard before heading home. I had a lemonade.

How did you celebrate the longest day of the year? Ann x

Wearing: Boden dress ( altered to suit my dinky frame but ended up being a mini dress as I cut it too far up!), Zara shoes, Ollie & Nic Delicious Apple Bag and Moschino fries iPhone case.

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Cruising Loch Lomond ( and a new wardrobe 'classic')

The downside of living in the UK (and especially Scotland) is that the weather is always so unpredictable. When we were promised a couple of hours of sunshine during our time in the West of Scotland, we followed our B&B host's recommendation and got on a cruise around Loch Lomond. The people on board comprised of walkers, bikers and elderly folk being ferried to their next coach trip. We were amongst the very few that were actually doing little else other than photography and cruising leisurely. There are a number of different variations of the cruise but due to the short weather window, we opted for the ninety minute trip around the Loch.

The cruise only cost a tenner ( we got a little discount voucher from our B&B) and was good value for money. One of the ladies on the cruise commented on how it felt very similar to a cruise they did on Lake Como albeit without all the fancy Hollywood star mansions along the shore. The cruise staff were friendly and the on-board commentary (when I followed it, as I still struggle with very strong Scottish accents) was both informative and funny. It was a nice way to spend a couple of sunny hours discovering Loch Lomond within the comfort of a boat.

And now digressing completely, I'd also like to introduce the new pride of my wardrobe, the widely coveted Joseph super-soft leather trousers! I got these at 90% off from Brandalley and I am so chuffed about it. They generally cost over £700 so I feel super pleased for finding these. And for once, Brandalley did not cancel or mess around with my order. Rather than the normal classic black version, I much prefer this orange-red version as it has a lot more character.

What have you guys been up to recently? Any nice weekend activities or fun purchases? Do share! Ann x

Wearing: The Shirt Company shirt, Joseph leather trousers, New Balance shoes (not seen), Longchamp le pliage (not seen), Moschino fries iPhone case ( another new favourite), Michael Kors trench coat  and Christin Dior Madrague sunglasses.

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A Fyne Celebration: Loch Fyne Cairndow

It has taken me a while but I have now come to realise that birthdays are indeed to be celebrated. When I was younger, I detested the idea of getting older. I was most sensitive about my age in my early twenties. All that has now changed. I now realise that whilst I may not have perfect skin or be able to fit into the clothes I did back then, I am so much more. I have experienced so much life and thus grown as a person, I have been fortunate enough to travel widely, I have more money and I have developed many more friendships that I value. I also have a wonderful husband! And age is a state of mind. Anyway, this husband decided it would be a good idea to take me away to explore the Loch Fyne area for my birthday weekend. I've always loved the Loch Fyne chain ( and the Elton branch is still my all time favourite) and have for a long time wanted to visit the original restaurant. I finally got there last weekend and it was a delight.

We stayed in the nearby Loch Long area as all decent hotels and B&Bs in Cairndow and Inveraray were fully booked. The drive from Arrochar to Loch Fyne through Argyll forest was stunning. We also stopped by to see some salmon fishing on Loch Fyne. There were spectacular waterfalls, little streams, ancient trees and so much greenery all along the thirty minute drive. The camera can never quite capture what the eye can see!

I also realised that I was perfectly coordinated to the colours of the Loch Fyne restaurant and my patent leather sky blue skirt was pretty much the same shade as the restaurant's blue. The restaurant faced Loch Fyne and had character. The deli attached to the restaurant sold fresh vegetables, dairy products and all kinds of seafood (obviously!). We chose the classic seafood platter for our main meal and it consisted of a variety of locally sourced oysters, mussels, crabs, cockles and other shellfish. 

Sadly, we had to down the prosecco and skip dessert and rush off soon after we'd consumed the main course as there was the threat of yet another landslide nearby. The road between Arrochar was closed the previous night and that morning due to a torrential rain induced landslide. If that happened again, we would have to take an additional 100 mile detour to get back to Edinburgh (which did not sound like fun).  But I'm pleased we made it to the restaurant and I thoroughly enjoyed the meal.

I'd definitely recommend a trip to both the original Loch Fyne or one of the chain restuarants if you are a seafood fan like me.  It was a stunning area and there is so much around there to explore nearby.  In fact, I recommend highly a trip to Scotland. Ann x

Wearing: The Shirt Company shirt, Topshop patent leather skirt, Wallis necklace, Alexander McQueen McQ shoes and Christin Dior Madrague sunglasses.

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DIY Summer (Tin Can) Candles

As regular readers will know, I've been making candles for about a year or so now.   The old formula still works but I was keen on experimenting a little. A few weeks ago, I noticed the guys at Panda and Sons (my favourite Edinburgh speakeasy) serving cocktails in tin cans and that got me thinking. I did not like the idea of drinking cocktails out of tins cans (and flirting with tetanus) but I did like the concept of using tin cans for something interesting......like homemade candles! All you do is soak off the labels and dry the tin can thoroughly before using it. Alongside these, I also used old Diptyque candle jars and jam jars to make multiple candles. The other twist to my original candle DIY was the use of multiple fragrance oils to recreate the smells of my favourite coffee and of vanilla cupcakes. 

To make these yourself, follow the instructions here but double the amount of fragrance oil. For the special coffee flavour, I used the following combination: 2 tbsp coffee scented oil, 1 tbsp vanilla oil and 1tbsp frankincense. For the vanilla cupcake flavour, I used 2 tbsp chocolate scented oil and 2 tbsp vanilla oil.

Other mods include making the candles in three stages rather than two. I filled the tin can and jars halfway and let it cool. I then used a chopstick to break the surface and release trapped air and topped to three quarters full. I repeated the procedure till the container was filled with wax. I found that the candles seem to last better when made this way.

Will you give candle making a go this summer? Do let me know how you get on! Ann x

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