The Apple Store Scorton....

This is a place that I've been going to since I was very young. My parents have taken my sisters and I to Scorton to both the Barn and the apple store since we were very small. They used to just do a menial menu of just jackets and sandwiches, however upon returning years later, I have found that the menu have been revamped and upgraded. My visit today was thoroughly enjoyable and 100% worthwhile.

 The place itself is still as beautiful as ever, and the staff were really helpful and to my surprise the place was rammed. I don't think I've seen as many cars in their car park ever.

Upon arrival I noticed a sign outlining the offer of glamping and I'm more than interested. I think it's a brilliant idea and I've been and walked around the lake countless times and they've done a fantastic job of it. I am hoping to try out their lodges soon enough.  

I stumbled across this beautiful array of cakes and sweets and I was drooling, however I remained healthy and just stuck to a just a main and a coffee. The quality of the food had improved vastly, as I had THE most beautiful salad.

I also noticed the selection of beers and wines which were also very tempting however I managed to resist and just adored from afar instead.
It's a really cute cafe, it's nothing fancy but It's a lovely environment to come and chill out with your family or friends for some good grub and somewhere warm to relax in. The place is also a great place to take your children and families as it's got outdoor play activities for the young ones. The menu is great, there's something for everyone and the prices are reasonable too.

I have to say the toilet facilities are a bit questionable as there is only one and it's multi sex. However the good food makes up for the toilet situation.

 There are a few nice walks around the area you can attempt before a lunch or an afternoon tea, so I would recommend if you try it out to do so as you work up a nice appetite. What caught my eye was the specials board as my salad was on there, and it lived up to every expectation in my mind. I was a bit concerned about the addition of the fruit but it all went together beautifully.

 I had a lovely americano coffee with hot milk and for the main I chose the chicken, bacon and avocado salad. The salad was also made up of peppers, olives, cucumber, melon, grapes, red onion with the homemade coleslaw as a side addition and it was all beautiful and incredibly tasty.

I also noticed that they offer boat rides for cheap prices on the lake next door which I will also be going back to try out as you can't not for that price. I was thoroughly surprised after re-visiting this cute little cafe, I will most definitely be back for more.
 

Here's a link to their website below, describing in detail the facilities they provide. If your around the Scorton area in the North West, I would highly recommend you give it a try as it's so popular these days you'd be missing out if you didn't.


http://wyresdalepark.co.uk/cafe-gardens/


X Blonde Journal X

Escape Coffee and Cocktails in Clitheroe...

I think I've quite possibly stumbled upon THE best coffee house in the whole of England. I must confess, I'm no coffee expert. However I cannot describe the taste of this coffee. It was three different blends, and it was absolute heaven.

as described on their website...

"Our Coffee is quite different from anything else you'll find around here. After a long hard search we discovered Dark Woods Coffee up in the Yorkshire Moors. They have a real passion for roasting and have created an espresso that when combined with milk, melts to give a smooth caramel flavour. Using high-grade single estate coffee from Brazil, India and Ethiopia, this espresso avoids the bitterness you find in most coffee. And is quite simply delightful."

It really was quite simply delightful!

The Coffee Brew my mind....

I'm usually more of a tea drinker, however with my job being demanding as it is, I've had to hit the caffeine. I don't usually enjoy the taste of coffee unless its full of something sweet but this particular coffee was just sublime. 

The place was rather twee and it was a very comfortable relaxing experience with a quiet ambiance. In most coffee shops these days, you walk in and it's pretty much an art show; fancy place, fancy people and fancy coffee. You don't usually find inviting places that actually sell good quality coffee. I think I have stumbled across a hidden gem. 

It's quite far away from Lancaster to make as my regular hang out spot, but I most certainly will be making a trip to Clitheroe for a decent coffee most months. 

If you do find yourself in the area, or even near by, you HAVE to check it out because the coffee is something to talk about. I have to say I'm really looking forward to my next visit!

 I've added their website below so check it out if you get a chance:

http://www.escapecoffeeandcocktails.co.uk/


Xx Blonde Journal Xx

Taking the leap from irresponsible to responsible....

Moving out of my little bubble that was central to university and education, has been an extremely difficult transition for me. I have had so many different expectations about what it means to live and work. Actually having that expectation diminish and becoming one of just living for work, it heart wrenching.  

The truth is, it's never what you expect.
As a student your life is well structured with things such as deadlines, coursework and exams and most importantly your free time.
The truth is I never really enjoyed my course and I'm finding full time work challenging too, but I believe it has something to do with not actually finding my true passion yet. The problem is I have no idea what I want to spent the rest of my life doing, and I don't think that many people do.  

I've come to realize that finding something you enjoy and working on doing that everyday is the key to a happy life.

Having received my Happiness Planner, I have come to understand this a bit more. Focusing on your attitude to life and becoming more positive is imperative for a happy & fulfilling life. It's so easy to become depressed with the trials and tribulations of the dull repetitiveness of everyday life, and the stresses, strains and drama that are a constant in life.

Having spent the last two weeks in full time work I have been surprised at how dull life (the real world) can really be. The repetition, the need for money, and the responsibility of having to make money to survive. It's exhausting....

As a young person in the current economy, I am at a loss as opportunities are minimal and because of this it takes years to land yourself in a decent financial position and to become fully independent.

So I would like to take the time to say to all young people in my position and also to myself, DON'T GIVE UP!!

Keep chasing your dreams, keep searching for what makes you happy, keep fighting for what you want to spend your days doing, and no matter what your circumstance find little things in life to keep you happy.

x Blonde Journal x

The Happiness Planner...

I have wanted to purchase a Happiness Planner for a while now, since I first discovered it online last year. I've internally debated with myself, whether or not I should make a purchase due to the extortionately high price of £40 per planner. Having recently graduated from University, I thought why the hell not. So after getting a new job, I was waiting for my first pay check to come through.

To my surprise my partner decided to treat me to a planner. After my first two weeks of starting my new job, I came straight back to his house after work; tired, grumpy and miserable. I was so shocked when he pulled out the pink box after making me some lovely tea. I couldn't believe it, I was over the moon.
What a meaningful present!

 I got the 52-week journal as it has no set dates on it so you can start at any point. It's a year long planner, which encourages a more positive outlook on life. It looks into analyzing the negatives in your life and looking into gradually changing these things over a duration of a year.
It's a book full of positive quotes and helpful suggestions and it couldn't be more fitting to my life at the moment.
As most students can probably relate to, coming out of university and having grand expectations of getting a great job are obliterated for Id say about 95% of students these days. This is because of many reasons but I'd like to think it's due to the economy. So having those expectations crushed, it's extremely disheartening period in most young people's lives. Having this journal as a guide to encourage positive thoughts and mindfulness is actually perfect for me right now, and would benefit a lot of young people experiences the same things.

I have started looking through the pages and filling in the sections to look into your strengths, weaknesses and looking into my character more. The planner helps you analyze in depth about where you want to see myself in 5-10 years and helps you set goals and start them in motion. It also looks into making new years resolutions and life goals and effective methods to kick a bad habit in 30 days.

I'm really looking forward to working weekly, at incorporating a more positive outlook in both my life and experiences. The planner is mainly about changing your attitude towards life.
Your attitude is the most important aspect in your own personal happiness. I would recommend you purchase one of these if you feel yourself living for the weekend, feeling down, pessimistic or just want to learn to be more positive in your own life.

It might seem ludicrous to spend £40 pounds on a planner, however
I guarantee it's a worthwhile investment people, if it means your enjoying life more and not just focusing on the negatives.

I have attached their website below:

https://thehappinessplanner.com/

Katy Jade Dobson art.....

This woman is my absolute favourite artist, I love all her pieces and I find her use of colour really individual and kind of perfect for her style.

Her pieces are really feminine and I love that about her style. I really wanted to blog about her art work because I'm a BIG fan of hers and wanted to share this with you all.

Here is the first every painting I saw of hers and since then I've been obsessed with looking at all the new paintings, even went as far as looking into buying a piece, however a beautiful painting deserves a beautiful place to hang it in and until I get my own place, I'm holding off on my purchase....

  Just look at how beautiful it is, all the intricate details, the use of bold colours just makes you feel uplifted and energized. I love how she paints different animals and you can tell the confidence she has when painting as not many artists can pull of this amount of colour and still make the painting look phenomenal.

This is a picture is Katy painting this beautiful peacock, as you can see it's massive but boy look at the fine detail and love that's gone into that painting. I find her work transfixing and boosting as at first glance your graced with bright energetic colour's and a delicately feminine piece that's incredibly beautiful...

Katy is a young artist, she writes on her own blog about her appreciation of animals and I personally find it inspiring, she says....

"This hobby of mine comes from a place of pure appreciation. I am fascinated and so wildly in awe of everything about wildlife, all species, none, no matter what size, instincts or habits they behold go without my adoration. I live in wonder at how such creatures could be of such flawless and spectacular design. Millions of years of adaptation has created so much supremacy and beauty, species that slot perfectly into their environments and know exactly how to live as a default setting. Having been moulded by evolution over such a vast period of time adds to the insanity yet absolute logic of such perfection.  All the way from a stick insect, over to a silverback gorilla."


Not only is her style of art to be adored but her style of writing is also to be appreciated...

  As you can see from the pictures, her work on animals can only be described as perfect. I really connect with her pieces and find them so beautiful to look at and appreciate, I have yet to have had the privilege to look at them in person, but hopefully when I get myself sorted with my own place, I hope to invest in a few of my favourite pieces and display them around my home.

She also has some pieces like this one where she uses a black background and it makes the use of colour stand out even more, I'm no art expert, I wouldn't want to claim that I am, but she really knows what she is doing. How can you not look at this piece and not be transported to another place in your mind. I find it so mesmerizing...

My absolute FAVORITE pieces are the following:

I find them the most feminine and something about these pieces that calls out to me, I find myself to relating to each painting.


she says in her blog that....

"Oil paints are given a stigma for being difficult to use. Too thick, too hard to use, too long to dry… etc. This depends on how you paint and use your materials. For me, oil paints were the only option in moving forwards with my work, the traditional and classic tools for painting. (In my opinion) Because I had my heart set on painting with oils, I figured out how to make the material work for me and what I wanted my finished article to look like! A big misconception is that you can only do what the material allows. This is so untrue. I learnt about the basic molecular structure of oil paints and what I could use to thin, thicken and apply for the many results I wanted. I make the paints do what I need them to do, using any methods I can."


The best part is, she is an intelligent young woman with exceptional talent for producing the most amazing paintings, with a style that not many people can accomplish to the same degree/standard. I would love to meet her someday and I would love to talk to her a bit more about her work and understand it a bit better, as I love art, but I'm no expert. I'm just a normal girl who shares the appreciation of beautiful pieces.

I once saw a Facebook post about Katy living on her own for a while, and how much she had gained from the experience and it made me think about my own life choices. I wanted to move in with my boyfriend, however after seeing this post I changed my mind, as I often find myself depending on him to do things for me, and while moving in with your partner sounds great, the thought of learning about myself and finding my independence was a bit more enticing.

I would just like to thank Katy for her amazing work and paintings.

Readers, I highly recommend you check out her work as I've only shown you a fraction of her collection. She is inspiring, intelligent and a inspiration to young women such as myself. As a talented female she offers so much to other females who are trying to become as accomplished as herself...

Her website is below, read and weep because it's fabulous:

https://katyjadedobson.wordpress.com/blog/

No. 17 in Milnthorpe....

Over the weekend I was taken out for THE best Sunday dinner by my partner. I've actually been taken to No.17 before, so I knew it was going to be nice. Every time I've had amazing meals, and I've have been really impressed by the standard of the food and the quality of both the food & drinks. The cocktails are to die for and they are displayed really well, it's the worst when you spend a lot of money on a nice cocktail and it looks really plain. The restaurant is called No. 17 in Milnthorpe in Cumbria, Lake District.

On my first visit I  had the Roast Duck Breast, Confit Leg Cannon, Carrot & Ginger Puree, Stem Broccoli, Potato Terrine, Red Wine & Sun Blushed Tomato Sauce. The duck was cooked beautifully and the atmosphere in the restaurant was so relaxing and the white wine I had with the duck went together nicely. The staff are really attentive and very helpful.
I've attached a photo of my meal below:

For my Sunday dinner I had the Roast Beef, roasted goose fat potatoes, red cabbage, an array of seasonal veg, and mashed potato. I had this with a beautiful glass of Rioja. This was a perfect end to my busy week, what better way to spend your Sunday afternoon... Stuffed after eating luxurious beef dinner and a glass of vino.

As you can see from all the photos the food not only looked amazingly tasty, but it actually tasted phenomenal. The beef was really good quality and the veg were cooked perfectly, a little al dente.

No. 17 restaurant is a really meaningful and important place to me, as I've made some great memories there with my other half. I'm sure you all have you special places you go to with your special people. I'm really looking forward to my next visit to No.17, however it won't be for a while because it's for special occasions/celebrations only, as the prices aren't cheap. It's for those days when you feel like having a treat with your love, it's my go to place on special occasions.

However if you do find yourself around the Cumbria area, I really recommend you head to the village of Milnthorpe and go for lunch or even tea at No.17...

I've provided their website below:

http://www.no17parkroad.com/index.html

  

Sound & Vision Art Gallery in Lancaster....

An old childhood friend of mine has recently opened up a new pop up Gallery space in the City of Lancaster.

 It hosts a plethora of contemporary Artwork from a small group of highly talented emerging young artists. From what I gather the main artists are - Louis Appleby, Tom Down, Janis Lohrer, Benjamin Stevenson and Katie Trick.

It's a shabby chic, little store which hosts some fantastic paintings and art pieces. I was really pleased to see such a place open up in the city of Lancaster, as with regards to the Art scene, Lancaster has little of this and to see bright young emerging artists flourish in such a place, well it's incredibly encouraging and I'm pleased to say I'm ecstatic about the concept.

Lancaster does host another Art Gallery which I'm pleased to say I enjoy a regular browse around too, it's called the Bellwood wright fine art gallery. It's refreshingly quaint and it's doors host a plethora of fine art pieces, beautiful paintings, a culture you can thrive off and inspiring art pieces.
I particularly enjoy browsing the beautiful jewellery sections.

Contemporary art is the art of today, produced by artists who are living in the twenty-first century. It provides an opportunity to reflect on contemporary society and the issues relevant to ourselves, and the world around us. The artists work in and respond to a global environment that is culturally diverse, technologically advancing and multifaceted.

I really wanted to share my love of these two galleries as I think in a place such a Lancaster more local businesses such as these should be promoted as I find it makes the place a more interesting and cultured place to live.

Here are a few examples of my favourite artist Louis Appleby's exceptional pieces:












If you want to check out these incredibly talented artists here are their websites below, trust me they're worth a look. If you're a fan of contemporary and fine art then they will be just up your street:

http://www.bellwoodandwrightfineart.co.uk/

http://www.louisappleby.co.uk/