The Pitcher and Piano

To get a bloody good cocktail, I usually have to travel to London or Brighton. Basingstoke, shamefully does not have the capacity to produce such a place, though if I had the money I would be running the most awesome cocktail bar, with fire breathers and all sorts, but hey, we can but dream!

Anyway. Me, minime and some beautiful friends of mine had spent the day catching up in Winchester. After dropping the Terroriser home, I returned to Winchester to continue the catch up with some cheeky drinks. One of the girls suggested we hit a cocktail bar called The Pitcher and Piano. The girls were already on their way to drunkdom when I started to head back to Winchester and I agreed to meet them there.

I was wandering the beautiful cobbled streets of Winchester (following Google maps) trying to locate the Pitcher and Piano. I finally ran out of high street and was stood outside the stunning Guild Hall, shouting at Google for telling me that I had arrived at my destination when clearly I had not!
I then looked up and saw that on the very end of the Guild Hall, tucked into it's stunning architecture was The Pitcher and Piano.....yes yes I need to go to specsavers. I walked in and was instantly greeted by the charming bar staff, lovely decor and a table of rowdy boys!

Though it was early on and fairly quiet, it was very inviting and warm. I went to the bar where I met Alex, the charming cheeky barman who made me a Mojito. Now those of you who frequent 'proper' cocktail bars will know that the creators of these magical elixirs taste as they go along so my eyes were on the staff to see the way the created the drinks.
Alex shook, stirred and crafted this beautiful drink and filled it to the brim with its wonderful ingredients and fresh mint.

Next the lovely Liam whipped up a fabulous margarita, which had a beautiful, sharp, bitter bite to it.

And finally Matt produced a concoction, which he simply called a rum punch. It packed a punch alright and I suddenly reverted back to being a child as it tasted exactly like fruit salad sweets. I mean how amazing is that?! A drink that tastes like your favourite childhood sweets and gets you drunk! Win!!!

Throughout the night the rowdy boys were kept at bay by the wonderful bar staff and soon gave up and left after we poisoned them with tequila.
The staff were all extremely inviting, kind and up for a laugh. As the evening progressed the place got busier and Lauren and Fiona joined the team behind the bar.
What I liked about the place and the team is that they made the place feel like it was your local. They chatted to you and were attentive which they really didn't have to do.

After a few more drinks and the realisation that I was a little more than tipsy, we thanked the staff for putting up with us and left. It was such a good night and was made even better by the relaxing atmosphere and beautifully made, wonderfully tasting cocktails.

So if you're ever about in Winchester, check out the Pitcher and Piano. I can't wait to go back!

http://www.pitcherandpiano.com/where-are-we/winchester

The Rogue & The Wolf

I was doing my usual, sitting in bed, flicking through instagram and then that epic moment occurred... You know the one where you're thinking blah, blah, blah same old instagram, selfies, food, dogs and then out of nowhere WHAM...it hits you! That amazing picture that smacks you in the face and you think 'I have instantly fallen in love'. I must immediately look at their page and buy everything they have, so you eagerly click away, 'liking' absolutely everything, and suddenly a world of excitement opens up. This particular world is known as The Rogue and The Wolf.

The Rogue & The Wolf is the loving creative child of Eloise and Michael, a pair of imaginative designers and self confessed eclectic geeks (and loving couple, which is just awesome!). It was launched in 2012 where they began their journey on Etsy. In 2013 they launched their first full collection called Fair/Feral and in 2014 they launched their 2nd full collection, The Witch's Hawk and it was this magical collection that caught my eye, cast it's spell and drew me in.

What I loved about their collection first and foremost is that some of the collection is black!!! And being of the witchy/gothy persuasion I instantly fell in love! Secondly, I adore midi rings and the combination of black midi rings with metal rings adorning the hands of their followers, just looked amazing!
Thirdly, their overall designs in everything they create are simply stunning. For me, the natural/woodsy/witchy designs of their entire collection is absolutely awe-inspiring and brings something much different yet much desired to the table.

In order to create the black jewellery, The Rogue & The Wolf use 3D printing technology to create the beautiful taxidermy inspired, avant-garde style jewellery and trust me....their pieces are a bold statement.

So far I have indulged in 4 midi rings, I'm going to aim to treat myself once a month with a new piece or 3, why the hell not, I deserve it! Their jewellery is very reasonably priced and I was actually quite surprised at how little I paid for the black jewellery. My automatic response to "different" is, woah this is going to be expensive!

When I place my order for my stunning jewellery, I'm greeted with a simplistic yet beautiful website. My eyes are assaulted with so much beauty and my bank account shudders at the thought of what's about to occur!  When checking out I'm asked (as with most sites) if I would like to subscribe/set up an account etc... I definitely do as it was love at first sight. As an added bonus for purchasing/joining/sharing/caring and tagging their beauties on social media platforms, they give you style points. 100 style points = £1 and if you do it right, you can rack up quite a number of points.

When the jewellery arrives a couple of days later it is enclosed in a box and presented in the most gorgeous little bag. I hate to admit it but secretly, just like everyone else on this planet, I'm all about first impressions (don't lie, you do it too!) and their first impression is, well.......pretty damn impressive!

Upon opening the bag you are greeted with your gorgeous new purchases and a business card. The midi rings are stunning and so comfortable (I was a midi ring virgin) and when I wore them out, everyone commented on them!

This shop has rapidly become on of my favourite shops and I have to thank instagram as I stumble across so many amazing things!

So if you're after something a little bit special, something a bit different and something that's guaranteed to be a bold statement, head on over and check them out! Don't forget to log in and earn those style points! Honestly one of my new favourite shops...I need everything they sell!!!

Kristyl-Rose xXx

For more information:

Web
www.therogueandthewolf.com

Instagram
rogueandwolf