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/

Brew Brother in Kendal...

I'm relocating to Kendal in the next six months as I have started a new job there.
In the mean time I'm situated in Lancaster but I'm slowly organizing my move to Kendal.

It started with a gander around the town today, a roam about Kendal was just the motivation I needed to kick start my organising for the BIG move. I spent my day looking for great new places to try out and scouting out where's best to go on my days off work for a read and a relax.

I spent the whole day exploring, mooching and soaking in the old town. I was scouting out all the great places to make as my regular chill out spot and I found THE perfect place.

I stumbled across a beautiful cafe called Brew Brother and boy was I surprised and ecstatic and so incredibly happy to have found this beauty...

Upon arrival I spotted the gorgeous cake display with a range of not only gluten free, but a lovely looking chocolate selection too. The teas also looked great, they were all displayed so nicely and it was really beautiful to look at, I instantly felt at home when I arrived. The place had a nice feel to it.

The cafe was really quirky looking, with all the perfect little touches you want, to be made to feel comfortable where one can have a good experience in.

It was really relaxed vibes and it would make a perfect meet and greet spot for both family and friends, or even just a quiet retreat cafe, where you can read and chill out alone after a hard weeks work.

The staff were so attentive, kind and the place was full to the brim with customers. It was hard to get a table as they were so busy. It can only be a good sign!)

I saw the menu and I think I fell in love, this is exactly the kind of food place I ADORE. The menu had such a great selection and had a bit of everything for everyone. I spent the first 10 mins drooling over all the different options, and I was loving the different ways to have poached eggs. Everything looked great and I was desperate to try everything, it all looked soooo good...

They had great indoor and outdoor seating facilities and both options were really comfortable. On a sunny day outside seating was perfect, and if your a smoker it's even better.  

After a while deliberating on what to choose, I finally decided to go with the smashed Avocado on sourdough bread and watercress with a poached eggs and some sweet potato fries as a side.


It was absolutely phenomenal, the quality of the food was on par and the flavors were spot on.
I was beyond impressed with the service and really happy with the food.

I can't wait to go back for more, as they've left me craving some more of their tasty food.

I also tried the soy salted caramel latte and it was AMAZING!!! what a perfect coffee to go with a perfect lunch.

The seating arrangement was really different and offered an individual experience, I found it really fun and very pleasant. Out of all the places in Kendal this was my favourite from my scouting about today. I have come back to Lancaster wishing I was already packed up and moved to Kendal.

I hope when the time comes that I can make this place my regular spot for coffee, cake and NOSH!!
Thank you to the amazing staff at Brew Brother for being so helpful and attentive during my visit, you will all be pleased to know I will recommend the place to everyone as I love to support local businesses thats as good quality as the Brew Brothers.

I absolutely love finding new places to make my own regular hide out spots, I'm really looking forward to my next visit already.

Readers, if  you by any chance find yourself visiting the lovely Kendal, it was be foolish not to drop into Brew Brothers for a visit.

Check out their website below:

http://www.brew-brothers.co.uk/

The Sultan Curry House in Lancaster...

This is my absolute favourite curry house in the city of Lancaster. If your looking for a good quality, authentic curry, the Sultan is the place. The staff are brilliant and so attentive and the building itself is beautiful and very luxurious.

The ceiling is so beautiful, the restaurant itself ooses elegance and class. The staff are really well presented and are very kind to all customers. They do a happy hour between Monday - Thursday - 4-6.30 pm where you can get a curry a nann and a drink and poppadoms for £9.95, which is a fabulous deal as usually the prices are quite high outside of happy hour as it's a good quality food establishment, but happy hour is a really good deal.

They had fresh flowers out and beautiful candles which I thought was a lovely touch, as it creates a pleasant atmosphere for customers. I feel the little efforts go a long way in catering.

 

I would like to state that The Sultan is by far THE best curry place around the Lancashire area,, as the quality of the meat and sauces are exceptional, and it's offers a unique experience as well.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU GIVE THIS PLACE A TRY, YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT!!

A Recipe for lunch and tea in one.......

The other day I decided to experiment with some vegetables, I wanted a healthy balanced meal, which so happened to turn in to two meals in one. The recipe feeds two people at a time, so if you want to feed more then just double the ingredients.

I looked in my fridge and took out the contents (which wasn't that much as I haven't been food shopping for a while).

I took out the following:

3 mushrooms
I medium sized carrot,
1 large onion,
1 spring onion,
1 tin of chopped tomatoes,
2 small pieces of fresh garlic
small spoonful of granulated sugar
salt & pepper
Mixed herbs
dry chives.
Dash of Nando's hot sauce 

I chopped all the following into very fine pieces and put them into a pan to soften with a slab of lurpack butter to aid the process.
Once softened I added 250ml of knorrs chicken stock into the pan and added the condiments highlighted in red. I let the pan simmer for 15 mins to soften it a bit more and added the mixture into the blender.

Once blended I transferred the soup mixture to the pan and added extra salt and pepper (depending on your own personal taste, add as much as you need to the soup)

This was now a perfect soup blend.......

 

Above is a picture of  the final product, it was really tasty. I called it 'tomato and veg winter warmer soup with a kick'. It was perfect on a cold rainy day, accompanied with a piece of buttered bread and some cheese on top of the soup.

Using my initiative, I thought the flavor of the soup reminded me of that of a pasta bake sauce. I then decided I would use the remaining soup as a sauce mixture for my tea later on as I was feeling lazy and had some soup to spare.

When it came to tea time, I chopped an onion, a red pepper and two slices of un-smoked back bacon and tossed it all into a pan to fry up until brown and soft and then added it all to the sauce (left over soup). I then boiled some spaghetti and mixed them all together and voila you have your tasty tea which took even less time than that of making the sauce from fresh or using an unhealthy jarred sauce mix.
I usually use wholewheat pasta as it's much healthier but I had run out so I treated myself to normal white pasta. N A U G H T Y!

I prepared a salad to accompany the pasta and what a perfect tasty, simple tea it was.

This recipe was so easy to do, and made two meals in one preparation pretty much. It's great to make your own fresh sauces for pasta and making fresh homemade soup is great too as you know what ingredients your putting into it.
I wanted to share this with you all as it was so simple for me, and it was a really tasty home cooked meal.
Hope you enjoy it, happy cooking!!!!

The Villa Hotel Levens....

Last night I visited the Villa Hotel in Levens for the first time.

I had never really heard of this place before and it was some friends who took me there for a meal.

I arrived and it surpassed any expectations as it was such a beautiful place. It's a big Georgian house with beautiful grounds surrounding it with some spectacular views.

Upon arrival as we were entering the hotel, the drive in was a tree lined which was a very good sign, it's one of my favourite things to see when visiting a nice hotel.

 
From looking at the menu I had an idea of the quality of the food as they had an al a carte menu and it did not dissapoint.

I o     I decided to order the Duck d'orange accompanied with a side dish of vegetables. I also had the elder flower cocktail. The main was so delicious and the cocktail was sweet and yummy. They went together really well. The food quality was exquisite and it was a great experience. The staff were really helpful and attentive and kept the drinks flowing all night.

            For pudding I had the pineapple sorbet with tapioca and peaches and passion fruit and coconut. 

           
            the pudding was delicious and was perfect after the main.

          The whole experience was perfect and thoroughly enjoyable, I'm really looking forward to trying out the his and hers afternoon tea. This venue is a perfect and would be amazing for a wedding. I would LOVE to be married there, all I need to do is to find my soul mate. 

        
        If you find yourself in Levens you should give the Villa a try, it's been recently renovated and it's now a perfect place to eat and even to stay the night. 

         Another perk from my visit to the hotel was how beautiful the toilets were, I've attached some pictures below:

If