Vegfest and my Crazy Week

Today I visited Vegfest with a couple of my friends who are vegetarian! The vibe of the whole event is so awesome and everyone seems so happy to be around people who share the same values and compassion that they do. It was quite quiet when we got there so it was nice to wander around and be

able to see everything! We arrived around lunchtime so first of all we wandered around trying all the free samples and for lunch I got a donna kebab from Beelzebub which is made from seitan and all the veg. It was so nice! I definitely will be visiting The Hope and Ruin in Brighton for a meal!

After that I got a chocolate and strawberry doughnut from the Pomodoro E Bsilico stand and it was delicious! I’ve never had a vegan doughnut before and this definitely hit the spot! My friend got the boston cream and stated it was equally as gorgeous! Check her website here! I also delved into a strawberry kebab covered in pancake mixture. It was decorated with maple syrup and cinnamon powder. It was like a mini party in my mouth!

Now onto the goodies I picked up!

Edible:

M’s Cupcakes in Jaffa, Oreo, Ambassador-Ferrero Roche and Red Velvet.

My two were the Ferrero Roche and Red Velvet which I took home to share with my family. (I’m just so nice I know haha.) They were delicious the chocolate icing was so rich and creamy while the red velvet icing tasted just like a cream cheese icing! The sponges were light and fluffy which is hard to believe when there is no egg in there! Find their website here!

Raw Pana Chocolate in Mint.

This raw chocolate is so creamy and doesn’t taste crumbly and too dark like some others I have tried. It is so rich and the mint was my favourite flavour because it really comes through! I can also recommend the orange and the cinnamon. Find their website here!

Jeavons Dairy Free Toffees

I love toffee, the harder the better and I have never seen vegan toffee before so this was a real treat! After a free sample I just had to get a bag! It tastes so much like the real thing I think I could convince people that it was! I also just had to get their smootch product which is a vegan version of rolos. The toffee is really nice but I think that the chocolate coating could be a little nicer but it’s not too bad! Fine their website here!

Non-Edible:

Reworked, relived and reloved denim shirt from Viva La Vegan (clothed in compassion) founded and designed by Jay Charlton. I love this because so many people just throw their clothes away. (I either give them to friends or a chartity shop!) And I looove the message on the back of the shirt that has been screen printed on there! I will most likely wear this as a jacket/cover up in the summer to spread the message and just to look cool really. From this company I also brought two patches to sew onto my clothes (I’m thinking my denim jacket and denim skirt) and a cute little pink love heart shaped guitar pick! (I’m trying to learn to play the guitar…trying being the key word here haha) The woman who sold these to me was actually the mother of Jay (she was looking around the stalls) and she was SO lovely, she even let me take a photo of her to show you guys! Their "Message Wear" t-shirts are ethical, eco-friendly, 100& vegan and recycled and they really stand out, you can check them out on 

their website here!

Vegan Beanie from All Glamour No Guts. I love this beanie because it’s a statement. It is clear who I am and what I believe in while also looking fashionable and keeping warm in this awful weather we are having at the minute. All of their garments are ethically made and are environmentally friendly plus 10% of all their profits are donated to Hillside Animal Sanctuary. I wish I brought a few more of their badges because they have awesome statement designs. Find their website here!

A photo posted by Catrina Wilson|Vegan🌻 (@catrinaaustinwilson) on Feb 28, 2016 at 8:48am PST

Jumper from Jade Green Vegan Compassionate Clothing line. I love the cute designs that show one of the main reasons why I am vegan, because all animals are the same and none deserve to be treated the way most are. There is no difference between a dog and a cow or a cat and a pig. We are just conditioned to believe it is acceptable to eat one and acceptable to cuddle the other. For every item she sells she donates £1 to a charity, there is more information available about that on her website here which also features blog posts about her life and lovely recipes! She uses a printer that is toxic-free with completely vegan friendly ink which means you can spread the message, look great and feel good about where your money is going all at the same time.

Badges

From CHIARALASCURA who also has lots of other amazing designs on various items on her website here. This badge is so apt for me because I basically live off of Pizza. Well I would love to haha but I do have it more often than not.

I can’t remember where I got these two cute badges from! They were different stalls and unfortunately I didn’t pick up a card. If you know please let me know in the comments below. This mushroom badge is also so apt for me because I will usually have mushrooms in most of my meals! I’m definitely a fun-guy haha.

These badges came with my denim shirt from Viva La Vegan which was a really nice touch!

This was the end of my Vegfest Experience…for now!

I also wanted to take time to tell you guys about the crazy week I have had!

TUESDAY: My friend Lauren and I went to see Halsey at the O2 Brixton Academy. If you haven’t heard of her go and check her out!! I love her music and the lyrics are so relatable. She is absolutely amazing live and this was one of the best nights of my life I still can’t quite believe that I actually saw her! She owns the stage and her husky sweet voice sends shivers down your spine.

A photo posted by Catrina Wilson|Vegan🌻 (@catrinaaustinwilson) on Feb 23, 2016 at 3:11pm PST

WEDNESDAY: I went to Harry Potter World with my mum, which I have been dying to do for ages!! Since my mum and I are big fans it was nice to go with someone as equally enthusiastic as I am. What can I say, to see all of the real props, sets, costumes etc is magical and there really isn’t anything quite like it. It is a must for any Harry Potter fan, I got a Gryffindor scarf, since that’s my house and I love it. Jade from the Jade Green Vegan stand today said she liked it because it looked like Gryffindor and I got to tell her it was actually from the shop! It was a nice moment to have with another fan haha.

A photo posted by Catrina Wilson|Vegan🌻 (@catrinaaustinwilson) on Feb 24, 2016 at 9:29am PST

THURSDAY: After a driving lesson I quickly got on a train to see Twenty One Pilots, also at the O2 Brixton Academy, with my brother Callum for his 17^th Birthday Present. Their support act was Transviolet who were very impressive. They are doing a tour of the UK in May and we booked tickets straight away as they sounded so good! Twenty One pilots themselves were absolutely phenomenal. Tyler can really sing and the whole set was so full of energy. It’s so amazing to hear songs that you love that mean so much to you sang live it really was incredible.

It was nice to pack in a lot of things before I start my intensive fast track journalism course in a week! Have you been up to anything amazing recently? Let me know in the comments. Hope all of you who went to Vegfest enjoyed it and enjoyed the fun times Brighton can provide!

See you next week,

Catrina x

Purezza Review

Purezza is the only 100% plant-based vegan pizzeria in the UK and its definitely doing something right! With 20 very creative pizzas on the menu and sides and puddings galore, it’s THE place for pizza in Brighton. I’ve eaten here quite a few time now and I have never been disappointed, the stuffed crust is to die for and my non-vegan friends love it too!

The restaurant is clean and cosy with wooden tables and chairs and bright reds, greens and whites running through the place. Each table has a little candle in the evening and there is a breakfast style bar at the front of the restaurant too. What I love about Purezza too is that they offer vegan food to go such as pastries, salads, sandwiches yoghurts etc. I haven’t seen this is Brighton apart from the odd falafel wrap in the big supermarkets so I think this is a really good selling point. I haven’t tried one yet but they look delicious if I ever need lunch on the go I’ll be going to get it there! For drinks they offer a range of hot drinks, vegan beers soft drinks and smoothies. I’ve had the green smoothie which you pick on the shelf as the components ready to be blended in the cup! I also think this is quite innovative as you know they are not using a pre made pack.

Nacho

Fumosa with added Pineapple
Margherita in the backgroud.

Off of the extensive menu the pizzas I have tried so far are the Pesto, the Nacho, the Giardino, the Fumosa and the Fumosa with pineapple added! Each one just as delicious as the last. Like I mentioned the stuffed crust is absolutely delicious, it completely melts in your mouth, I’ve never tasted anything like it. I can honestly say it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had, even when I ate meat.  The bbq sauce is so tangy and the pesto tasted exactly like the real thing, even better. The ingredients are so fresh and the bases are good and strong and the pizzas are large! Of course I need to give a special mention of the Nacho pizza, with a guacamole base and nachos actually on the pizza, let me repeat that for those in the back who didn't hear, NACHOS ON A PIZZA, enough said really. Just trust me, you won't be disappointed. I always almost don’t have enough room for pudding…almost haha!

Giardino and Cheesy Garlic Bread

Pesto

Fumosa

At Christmas they had a special mince pie pizza which was amazing. Normally they offer a chocolate calzone, an apple pie calzone, cheesecake and chocolate brownies. They also have an array of ice cream. I’ve only tried the chocolate calzone but it’s one of the best desserts I have ever had. It comes warm and we had a scoop of the peanut and salted caramel ice cream. The chocolate sauce inside was so thick and gooey, it tasted just like nutella, the contrast between that and the cold of the ice cream is the perfect combination.

Mince Pie Pizza

Chocolate calzone

I would recommend this pizzeria to anyone vegan or not. The pizza recipes are so innovative and the atmosphere of the whole place is so inviting, the staff are friendly and the whole experience is just so lovely. They have got a stall at Vegfest this year which is on the 27^th and 28^th of this month. I’ve been to Brighton’s Vegfest last year and London's Vegfest which you can find my blog post on here. I’m very excited, let me know if you’re going in the comments and if you’ve had a good experience at Purezza!

See you next week,

Catrina x

How To: 3 Ways to Wear a Denim Skirt

This week I wanted to share with you how and what I would wear with a blue denim skirt. Any of these looks could also work with different coloured denim, just try to make sure the colours are complimentary. The three ways I have styled this look are “Casual”, “Smart” and “Party/Night Out”. I have used two tops for each look to show at any price you can rock the denim skirt!

Casual 1 T-shirt from Primark £3

I got a size 16 in this t-shirt because I prefer them to be a bit looser and have a slouchy kind of look. (plus Primarks sizes are warped as they are targeting young girls as well as women to buy the range, resulting in unfortunately the sizes being a lot smaller than correct measurements but I’m sure as you know this ranges from every shop, and even ranges to different clothes inside the shop! The struggle of shopping for women haha) The burnt out orange is one of my favourite colours, the top is ribbed and very soft, and it works well with the blue hue of the denim but also looks good with black, (doesn’t everything!) The shoes I would wear are my scuffed up boots that are also from Primark and were £18. They are really comfy and can turn up the rocky/grunge part of the look.

Casual 2 T-shirt from Urban Outfitters £21 (In the sale!!)

I love the words on the t-shirt and so in spite of its price tag I just had to buy it. I think every wardrobe needs a staple white tee that works well with everything. This is it, just with an added little bonus. I think it adds a subtle hint of individualism, I know this t-shirt was produced a lot but I regularly add little sewn badges onto my clothes for example the mushroom on my skirt, and I’ve out a rocket on another one of my white t-shirts, just to add a lil something something. The white works with any colour of denim skirt, I also like to pair it with my cord burgundy one!

Smart 1 Blouse from Primark £8-10

This shirt is so soft and although a bit sheer fits lovely and all in the right places. The mint colour is one of my favourites and works well with the colour block with the cream. I feel like the collar adds a sophisticated tone and when worn all the way to the top would be perfectly suitable for smart event such as dinner out, a birthday event, job interview etc. The shoes I would wear with this look are loafers with a fringe. These particular ones are from Forever 21 I can’t remember the exact price but I think it was in the £20’s. What I love about the Forever 21 shoe range (much like h and m) they offer a size 6 and a half which is what I actually need and makes the shoes so comfortable to wear.

Smart 2 Polar Neck from Urban Outfitters £18 (In the sale)

The brushed burgundy colour contrasts so nicely to the blue denim but would also work with other colours such as black or tan. Since it is plain you could always pair it with a patterned skirt which would work well with matching colours. The fabric is very soft and the polar neck always helps to keep you extra warm in the winter. The material is good quality and although the arms are a bit short I actually prefer this in case I want to show off a watch or the bracelets I have chosen to wear that day. Even though this may not be conventionally seen as smart I think it definitely has a sense of sophistication and chic.

Party/Night Out 1 Crop Top from H and M £10-12

I love the bright colour of this top. It really stands out whatever you’re wearing. The pattern of the white embroidery makes it even more special as it’s so intricate and detailed. I think it looks much more expensive than it is and will definitely catch everyone’s eye at a party. It has a zip on the back going from the top right down to the bottom which is great if you don’t have anyone to help zip you up as it’s very easy to do yourself but I always have a fear someone will unzip it while I’m out! (I hope no one is this mean really haha).

Party/Night Out 2 Bralet from Missguided £15

I love this bralet mostly because of the eyelash lace. I think it looks so nice and really draws attention to the little details of this top. It is a bit tight so I would recommend going up your normal size if ordering one like this. This top also has a zip right down the back, which makes it easier to do up and undo on your own. The shoes that I would wear with this outfit are my 70’s look heels that I got from Asos for £30-40. The thicker heel make them much more comfortable to stand (and spend the night) in! I would usually wear both these outfits to a party/night out without tights but it was far too cold when we were taking photos for me to have taken them off!

Hope this inspires you on how to wear and work your denim skirts! All these photos were taken by my incredibly talented (and patient!) friend Beth you can find her blog "My Fun Sized Life" here!

See you next week

Catrina x