Landan Town...

Hey Everyone,

For Christmas my dad's girlfriend got my two brothers and I tickets to see Bend it Like Beckham the Musical and, finally after months of waiting it was time to go. We really wanted to make a day of it and there really is nothing better (in my eyes) than taking a stroll around London.

(The Phoenix Theatre shining in the sun)

Being so close to London (about an hour on the train) it is actually quite rare that I get to go to the fabulous city. Whenever I go to London I do dress up a little as you never know who you might meet so I popped on some liquid eyeliner (becoming a bit of a rare sight these days) and headed out the door. As the weather was great we decided to walk from Paddington to get some food. We decided on Five Guys on Argyle Street as it is a firm favourite in our family and was fairly close to the theatre. I went for my usual Little Bacon Cheeseburger with Cajun fries. It was delightful and as I have said before the drinks machine DID NOT DISAPPOINT.

(Why have one guy when you can have FIVE GUYS?! - Single Girl Mantra)

After stuffing our faces we headed to the theatre. Bend it Like Beckham the musical is based on the hit film that graced our screens over 10 years ago. It was a firm favourite for me when I was younger. When you go into the theatre you feel thrown into the two different cultures that Jess has to battle with. The set design on the stage was great and transformed for each place with ease (going from a football pitch to the front room doesn't sound easy at all). The cast were absolutely amazing, I was giggling throughout and they really suited their roles. A personal favourite for me was Paula, she was so clueless yet supportive and Sophie-Louise Dann played her brilliantly. The songs and choreography were also fantastic, I was still singing the songs during the week after the show. I would highly recommend people seeing this show especially if you were a fan of the film. It takes it that step further and it works perfectly on the stage.

(The curtain before the show, a mix up of cultures)

After we did a little shopping on Oxford Street which on a sunny Saturday was probably a death sentence but we got everything we were looking for (and maybe a little more). We had another little stroll around London (did I mention it was my favourite thing to do?) before heading home. London is probably one of my favourite cities as there is always so much to do and see.

(pre-show smiles from my brothers and I)

See you Tuesday,

Love Katie x

Cardiff Bucket List Part 2...

Hey everyone,

Been super busy this week with my last exam and moving out of my student house, hence the late blog post (sorry). However it is here and its the second part of my 'Cardiff Bucket List'.

1. Street Food Circus.

(Left: Churros & Chocolate, Right: Entrance to the Street Food Circus with uni halls in the background)

I love food, especially street food. There is something just so satisfying with getting a decent meal out of a truck. We went on a Saturday evening so we expected it to be busy and after only a 10-15 minutes wait we got in. It's free entry and you only pay for the food and drinks you want. They have lots of trucks from curry to Louisiana wings, greek style food to Patagonian. The middle of the circus was a circus tent housing two bars with a range of cocktails and drinks. I wasn't feeling particularly hungry due to suffering from a spot of heart burn so got some churros and chocolate from the Mr. Churro truck. Coated in sugar and cinnamon (this was optional) and with a little pot of chocolate dip it was a perfect little snack. I have loved churros since I tried one from a street truck in L.A 3 years ago and these mini ones did live up to my expectation. The layout of the circus really reminded me of the rows upon rows of food trucks at a music festival which was great. The street food circus is running every weekend throughout May and June so if you have a chance to go, do it.

2. Five Guys, Cardiff.

(Left: my small bacon cheese burger with BBQ sauce and cajun fries, Right: Still enjoying my five guys drink at home)

I had been to a Five Guys in America last summer and had fallen in love with their drinks machine and when coming back to the UK I felt a little lost not having it in my life. However, over the past few months Five Guys seem to be popping up everywhere including Cardiff. As well as the famous selection of over 100 flavours of drink in the drink machines (peach Sprite is my favourite) they have a selection of burgers and hotdogs and their fries. In the Cardiff branch the fries are cooked in peanut oil so if you do suffer from a peanut allergy, avoid these. However, if you are allergy free I would recommend getting a small fries with your burger or hotdog as the portion sizes are a little on the large size. I am a huge fan of Five Guys though and will definitely go back.

3. Big Night In.

(there is no better way then starting your night with a pizza)

Being students, I understand we have a notorious reputation for going out all the time but we all know nothing beats a house party. We did some research on some fun drinking games to play, got in our Pj's and started the night. I downloaded the game 'Heads Up' and for 79p it was one of my best buys this year. It provided hours of entertainment. We also played 'Don't Show Keith Your Teeth' from Celebrity Juice, it is actually a lot harder than it looks. It was such a fun night and I would take a night of silly games over a night in a club any day.

(another pic from the street food festival, going to miss Arriva trains.)

We didn't get to do everything on my list as we didn't have time with deadlines and exams. This just gives me an excuse to come back to Cardiff soon and get it done. One of the things I am dying to do on my next visit is go to Cardiff Bay on the boat that leaves from Bute Park and spend the day at Techniquest. I have now moved back home for good and will be starting my new job Monday. A little crazy how quickly university ended. I will miss Cardiff a lot and it will always be a massive part of my heart. Already excited to plan my next trip. Sunday I will be doing my second songs of the month post so keep your eyes peeled for it. In the mean time check out my Twitter and Instagram (links on the side).

Love Katie x