Stuff I Wore: Loch Ness

Chambray Shirt // Old Navy (worn here, similar here) | Jeans // Forever 21 (similar here) |
Booties // Target (worn here, similar here) | Necklace // Groopdealz (worn here) |
Watch // Target (worn here, similar here) |
Bracelets // Guess and Forever 21 (worn here and here, similar here)

This is the final post on my Scotland trip.  I know, you're really sad.  However, do not fret.  My life of budgeted luxury is bringing me to San Francisco in a little over a month.

When planning the trip, I told the Scot that I had three required destinations: a Dorothy Perkins, a castle and Loch Ness.  Well, the Scot delivered.  Unfortunately, I did not find the monster, only plaster statutes.  We took a little boat ride around the loch AND saw a Urquhart Castle. Yeah, a castle and a monster-infested loch.  However, the Scot informed me that this case was "rubbish."  Those Scots are sooo pretentious about their castles.  

Even without a monster and a "proper" castle, the loch is still breath-taking.  The water was extremely calm and looked like blue glass. (which is a good thing because I have terrible sea sickness)  The loch is surrounded by rolling hills.  I can't even imagine what the loch looks like when the leaves change.  Maybe I'll get to go back and see it someday...and find the monster. 

Linking up with:

AV of Long Distance Loving

 

Stuff I Wore: Aviemore

Sweater // Lia Molly | Jeans // Old Navy | Boots // Macy's (similar here) |
Necklace // Forever 21 (similar here) | Watch // Target (similar here) |
Bracelets // Forever 21 and Guess (worn here, similar here and here)

After the big wedding celebration, we drove up to the Highlands with the Scot's family to relax in a fancy schmancy lodge.  We ate, drank and played board games to our heart's content.  And I got to wear a new sweater.  So, it was pretty awesome.  

This was, of course, after I got to see socialized medicine at work.  The Scot woke up on our first full day up north with strep throat.  I know...he's soooo inconsiderate.  So, we drove to the next town over and he sat in clinic for three hours.  (Of course he had to get sick on a Sunday and AFTER we had driven to the middle of nowhere).  Being the supportive girlfriend that I am, I went sight seeing around town.

After the Scot was done being a wuss, we took some pictures...including my favorite picture that I have ever taken:

Ta-da!  I love lichens, macro photography and the Scot.  This photo has it all.  I know it's not all that great, but it's my masterpiece.  We also made a few friends at the Wildlife Park.

Put the children to bed before looking at this next photo:

First person to figure out what's inappropriate about this photo gets a prize.  (The prize is my love and affection.  It's pretty valuable.)

Linking up with:

AV of Long Distance Loving

 

Stuff He Wore: A Lesson In Kilts

A man in a kilt is a man and a half - Unknown

The people asked for it and I have delivered: a close up look at a man in a kilt.  Kilts were originally worn by those who lived in the Scottish Highlands and the military regiments of the Highlands.  They could be used as blankets by the soldiers and then soldiers could just march in the nude when wearing clothes just became too much of a burden.  Tartans (plaid pattern) were associated with different regions of the Highlands, based upon the locally available dyes and local preferences.  Now, tartans are associated with clans.  Well, the Scot's clan just has a hideous tartan, so he wore Black Watch tartan, which is worn with a Scottish regiment of the British Army. 

The top part is pretty boring.  It's just a jacket, waistcoat, shirt and bow tie.  The Scot's sort of looked like something a waiter would wear but with more fancy buttons.    

The traditional Highland garb is about more than just a fancy plaid skirt.  There's also a fanny pack.  They called is a sporran, I call it a fanny pack.  It's typically made of the skin of a badger, seal, ermine or rabbit.  Ew.  I'm pretty sure the Scot's was made of the highest quality polyurethane.  The Scot kept chapstick and my camera in there.  It's a fanny pack.  The sporran evolved because the kilt has no pockets.  They're even making girls' skirts with pockets now.  You can put pockets in a kilt, but then I guess you miss out on the hairy fanny pack.  

And now we've come to the funniest named items.  Well, except for the kilt pin.  That's just a fancy brooch that keeps the layers of your kilt together.  The Sgian Dubh (proounced skeen doo) is a knife tucked into the sock...or kilt hose.  The Scot made a kilt faux pas and he wore white hose to an evening event where he should have worn dark hose.  He also forgot his kilt flashes, which are little flags that stick out of the kilt hose.  There are so many things that are supposed to stick out of those socks.  And the most challenging part of the Highland dress...the lace up loafers (or ghillie brogues).  We alternatingly laced though suckers up all night.  I think the only way they stay up is if you can manage not to bend your ankles when you walk.

Weekend Update: Glasgow

I spent this weekend recovering from jet lag, doing laundry and having pink.  So, I'm not going to post pictures of that.  Instead, I will recount my evening in Glasgow for you.  My Scotland trip was a busy one and the Scot and I did not think we were going to have time to pop into Glasgow.  However, the Scot was not going to miss his former hometown this trip...even if we had to scramble and only spend a few hours there.  We got into Glasgow too late to see any museums, so we just decided to drink our way through the city.  I can not give you a good glimpse into the fashion of that evening because, surprise, it was raining the entire time.

First stop was West Brewery.  The brewery is located in an old carpet factory that was modeled after the Doge's Palace in Venice.  West is the first brewery in the UK to brew its beers in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the German Purity Law. This means that they only use the four core ingredients, water, malt, hops and yeast in brewing all of their beers.  The bartender let us try all of the beers, but I settled on the Munich Red.  I had been confused during the trip as to why every time I ordered a beer, the bartender would ask me if I wanted a pint.  I finally asked the bartender at West, "Is there a bigger size?"  He explained that most places also served beer in half pints.  Ummm...why would you order such a small beer.  The Scot told me that a half pint is known as a "girl pint."  I take offense to that.

The next stop was Nice n' Sleazy, the Scot's favorite.  It's your run of the mill punk / hipster bar where bands that hurt my brain play.  The Scot regaled me with tales of how his band used to play there and he would go there to watch kung fu movies and see artists paint things.  I choked back the laughter and enjoyed my organic beer.  I am sooo glad he grew out of that pretentious phase.  I think the shining star of Sleazy was the food.  I had a halloumi sandwich with spicy curly fries.  (Halloumi is a cheese unique to Cyprus for which I developed a mild obsession after my Cyprus vacation last year.)  If you haven't had halloumi...you haven't lived.  Apparently, there were olives on the sandwich.  I hate olives.  However, the oven dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, dates and yogurt made me ignore the repulsive little green things.

The next bar was my specific request.  I don't know any bars in Glasgow, but I asked to go to a bar in an old church.  Oran Mor was chosen for me.  I had heard that Glasgow has a habit of turning their churches into bars.  Apparently, the people of Glasgow decided they needed more places to drink than pray.  Well, I have to say, a church makes an excellent bar.  This place was absolutely stunning and probably would have fallen into disrepair if it wasn't taken over by a bar.  

Our last stop was Brew Dog, the bar I had been anticipating the most.  The guys at Brew Dog started their brewery in 2007 after growing sick and tired of all the crap on the market at the time.  They describe themselves as "a post Punk apocalyptic mother fu*ker of a craft brewery."  I like the way they think.  

Brew Dog is home to the world's strongest beer: Tactical Nuclear Penguin, with a staggering 32% ABV.  It used to be served out of a bottle inside a taxidermied rodent of some sort, but now that's just a prop.  The Scot ordered some and I think I burned my nose hairs when I smelled it.  For obvious reasons, each order is only about a mouthful.   

So, that sums up my 4 hours in Glasgow and the Scot's trip down memory lane.  Oh, and in case your eyesight is terrible, the other dudes in the photos are obviously the Scot's brothers.

Linking Up with:

Mom Trends for Monday Mingle

   

20% off EVERYTHING with code SAVE20