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lily diaries | what I got up to in July

Blogger event at The Alchemist Manchester. Cocktails

Oh hi there July, you’re slipping by pretty quickly aren’t you?  You’ve been a funny one, a transition month of sorts, but filled with lots of bits and bobs to catch up on before we set off for France this fine Sunday morning.  I’ve a sneaky suspicion the drive won’t seem to *quite* slip by so quickly.  So impatient and excited to get there.  I’m leaving Budapest out of this roundup because I’m fairly sure I’ve professed my love for the city enough already (here and here), so here are snippets from the rest of July in no particular order.

alchemist-cocktails

— The Alchemist New York St invited me along to try their new cocktail menu, and a girl ain’t gonna turn that down is she? On the train I hopped. After a welcome Peaches & Cream drink and generous helpings of canapes (all the kinds of good) we were in for a cocktails masterclass, and let’s just say I doubt my career as master bartended is starting any time soon. They make it look so easy!

the-alchemist-new-york-street

I chose the cocktail that sounded least like a cocktail, just because. Enter ‘Key Lime Pie’ in alcoholic, drinkable form. With generous (lol I can’t pour OK) dashings of rum, vanilla foam, and crushed hobnobs around the glass. THE most obvious combination, you know. My decision to try this and an Iceless Mojito were good ones. Their idea is apparently to take your standard cocktails and remove the not-so-good parts, hence the ‘iceless’ part of the Mojito. And why NOT serve cocktails in a giant test tube, hey?

cocktails-masterclass-the-alchemist

Not pictured: the ‘electric shot’ syringe you’re given to make your drink taste cooler. Basically a mini syringe filled with very strong pink alcohol (mainly gin, I *think*) that you’re supposed to shoot into your mouth to make your mouth tingle before taking a swig. Turns out this requires more co-ordination than I thought, and if you look closely at the below pic you’ll see where mine ended up that wasn’t my mouth. I am just one sophisticated chick.

bloggers-event-manchester

Spilt drinks aside, catching up with Erin over cocktails was lavvely. Lots of talk of travel and graduation and boys and girly stuff and getting to know each other outside the blogging realm. Yes to that.

the-alchemist-manchester

making-cocktails

ferris-wheel-fairground

— My dad made the classic mistake of not realising his passport had expired until a week before holiday, so landed himself with 4 hours to spend in Liverpool waiting around for the passport office. So I tagged along – any excuse to go anywhere and you can count me in. Lots of wandering around aimlessly ensued. Camera in hand ofc.

liverpool-architecture

— My obsession with symmetry continues.

bills-restaurant-liverpool

Brunch at Bill’s Restaurant with daddy. I’m hopeless when it comes to turning down avocado and/or poached eggs. Someone help me.

avocado-on-toast

lipstick-swatches

— Time to kill whilst my dad made a phone call = tripping and falling and landing on the MAC counter. Totally by accident, honestly.

white-bomber-jacket

— Polonecks and jackets happened. Then bikinis in the back garden happened in the same week. Wtf even is British summer, seriously.

blue-hydrangeas

— These beauties bloomed. Hydrangeas are hands down my favourite flowers. My nana and grandad used to have a massive hydrangea plant in their garden and we used to pick them to take home so yeah, that’s kind of why. Plus they’re so pretty. Love having them in my front garden so so much.

clean-makeup-brushes

— I bought new brushes and found a cute candle holder to pop ’em in.  Don’t tell me that a full set of brand spanking new squeaky clean brushes isn’t satisfying to look at.  It’s the little things in life ok.

olive-tree-brasserie-preston

— Only took us about 8 months to get round to it but Sophie and I finallllyyy met up this week, yay!  We escaped the sweltering heat (literally never thought I’d say that about England but what the hell) and had dinner at Olive Tree Brasserie.  My main involved salmon and sweet potato and tzatziki and that was all I needed from life right then tbh.  Sometimes I push the boat out, but if there’s sweet potato on the cards then I’m nothing if not predictable.

greek-mess-dessert

— Fellow bloggers understand that a blogger simply does not take a bite until each angle has been documented. Only then may the nomming commence. ‘Greek Mess’ was right up my alley!

preston-harris-museum3

— I honestly love the golden hour so much. That sunset light does wonders for faces, landscapes, buildings, you name it. Now if the warm as hell summer evenings would stick around through August, I’d really apppreciate it.

triangl-dree-bikini

— The babes at Triangl sent me another cute ass bikini from their new summer range, and therefore the weather has no option but to be good for my holiday. I can’t wait to wear this one!

See you on the other side (of the Channel lol). 🙂

lily kate x

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2 Comments

  • Reply
    Tasmin
    25th July 2016 at 4:37 pm

    I hope you have an amazing time in France and if your Budapest tales are anything to go by, then I can’t wait to hear/read/see all about your adventures in France! I love this little series, it looks like the past month has been more than kind to you! Plus it reminds me that I still need to visit Olive Tree after hearing so many good things about it…and a trip back to the Alchemist is something I can never refuse! Here’s to hoping August is just (if not more) amazing than the last month 🙂
    xx
    Tasmin | Grandiose Days

    • Reply
      lily kate
      28th July 2016 at 8:39 am

      Thank you so much Tasmin! So glad you like my travel stuff – thank you for the mention on twitter!
      July has been fab. 😀 Looks like you’ve been having lots of fun lately too!
      You defo do need to visit Olive Tree, it’s soo good hehe. Love greek food.
      Here’s to a fabby August for you too!

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