Friday, 9 March 2012

Mother’s Day at Crabtree & Evelyn

Mother’s Day at Crabtree & Evelyn

Get some Mother’s Day gift inspiration with a wide range of stunning surprises for the special Mum in your life at Crabtree & Evelyn.

From the ideal pampering pressies to a stylish tote with Rosewater Hand Therapy,

plus with every bag purchased £5 will be donated to Breast Cancer Care.

What’s not to like?

Pop in and peruse at the Notingham Exchange Crabtree & Evelyn store.

Here’s a taster of what’s on offer:

Limited Edition Gardeners Manicure Tin

Your Mum doesn’t have to be an avid gardener to benefit from the conditioning hand care featured in this lovely limited edition English Daisy keepsake tin.

Contains:

Gardeners Hand Therapy (25g)

Gardeners Hand Recovery (25g)

Gardeners Nail Clipper

£14

A stylish cosmetic bag and Iris Hand Therapy

(usual retail price £21)

Sold together for £15 in March

The Breast Cancer Care Tote bag and 100g Rosewater Hand Therapy

£20

(£5 from every sale, will be donated by Crabtree & Evelyn to Breast Cancer Care)

Show you care and make it a special Mother’s Day at……

Crabtree & Evelyn

The Exchange

8 High Street

Nottingham

T: 0115 958 64544

W: www.crabtree-evelyn.co.uk

Monday, 5 March 2012

Pret A Manger-Chef's Specials

Pret Chefs are passionate about creating new and exciting recipes using only the best, natural ingredients. Every month, you’ll be able to find three of these amazing recipes in our shops - freshly prepared and handmade, ready for you to enjoy (after all, variety is the spice of life).

Coronation Turkey
Malted Wholegrain Bread ★ Turkey ★ Coronation Sauce ★ Fruity Chutney ★ Toasted Almonds ★ Tomatoes ★ Salad Leaves
If you like rubbing shoulders with aristocrats this is the sandwich for you. Coronation sauce, created from curry spices, mayonnaise and soaked sultanas is a traditional palace favourite and brings out the flavour of our thickly sliced British turkey breast. Each of our shops has a bakers oven and we freshly roast our almonds ‘til golden brown. We add a generous spoonful of apricot and apple chutney, tomatoes, crunchy leaves et voila a sandwich fit for a king (or queen)!

Mediterranean Bloomer
7-Grain Bloomer Bread (we counted!) ★ Mozzarella ★ Toasted Pine Nuts ★ Kalamata Olives ★ Roasted Tomatoes ★ Yoghurt Mayo Dressing ★ Basil ★ Rocket Leaves
Delicious Mediterranean ingredients, straight from our larder on to our 7-seed bloomer bread. Slow cooked tomatoes and home roasted pine nuts are laid onto freshly sliced mozzarella and yoghurt dressing. Beautiful slices of Greek Kalamata olives are added along with lush basil leaves and a scrunched up handful of spicy wild rocket.

Chicken & Chorizo Hot Wrap
Tortilla Wrap ★ British Chicken ★ Chorizo ★ Chilli Tomato Sauce ★ Italian Mature Cheese ★ Soft Cheese ★ Roasted Red Peppers ★ Crispy Onions
Pret's chorizo sausage is made from higher welfare Spanish pork and ground smoked paprika. It is matured well for that authentic flavour. We add marinated higher welfare UK chicken and gently poach until moist and tender. Finally, we slice it into our flame-grilled soft tortilla wrap with double roasted red peppers, matured Italian cheese and creamy dressing.

Saturday, 3 March 2012

Viva Glam at M•A•C

Viva Glam at M•A•C

Put the Super in your Bass and the GLAM on your Face with 2012 VIVA GLAM stars Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin at The Exchange’s M•A•C!

Her scene-stealing Lipstick and his hydrating Lip Conditioner dare you to Be Bold. Be Beautiful. Be Safe.

The full RRP (less VAT) from the sale of these products goes toward helping women, men and kids everywhere affected by HIV and Aids.

VIVA GLAM NICKI LIPSTICK

M∙A∙C and hip-hop diva Nicki Minaj join forces to create VIVA GLAM NICKI, a scene-stealing Lipstick. Limited Edition

£13.50

VIVA GLAM RICKY LIP CONDITIONER

Pop Icon Ricky Martin amps up VIVA GLAM with a limited edition Lip Conditioner that goes from day to dance floor! Untinted, keeps lips soft and supple.

Limited Edition

£11.00

Look good and do good at ……….

M•A•C

14 Cheapside

The Exchange

Nottingham

NG1 2HU

T: 0870 192 5265

W: www.maccosmetics.co.uk

Friday, 17 February 2012

THOR Has Arrived

Highland Park 'Valhalla Collection - Thor' 16 year old 52.1% Single Malt Whisky

£117.30 inc VAT

DIRECT FROM THE GATES OF VALHALLA, HIGHLAND PARK BRINGS YOU THE MIGHTY THOR

Mighty Thor remains one of the most renowned of all the Norse gods. A powerful and brooding figure, it is said that using his hammer, Thor could carve valleys out of mountains and that his enemies would quake in terror at the thunderous sound the weapon created. Son of Odin, the ruler of Asgard, Thor was avidly worshipped by Viking warriors as the defender of mankind and gods alike.

In honour of this great warrior and in celebration of its own unwavering Norse heritage, Highland Park brings you Thor. This stunning 16 year old single malt is believed to be the first whisky ever designed specifically around an individual’s character. With a natural strength like its namesake, drawing influence from the environment unique to Orkney, Thor is a truly elemental spirit. Distilled where sea turns to ocean, it represents a meeting point of nature’s forces, exuding a dynamic and bold character on the surface, but with an unexpected softer side at its heart

Thor represents the first coming for Highland Park’s stunning Valhalla Collection; a range of four unique whiskies, released annually, taking inspiration from the legendary Nordic gods of old. Not for the faint hearted, only those brave enough to accept the challenge of Thor shall be rewarded with the ultimate experience; a whisky of divine power.

Bottled at a robust 52.1% abv this limited edition whisky comes housed in a unique wooden frame, which echoes the fearsome contours of a traditional Viking long ship.

Distillery Tasting Notes: Highland Park Thor -16 years old – 52.1%

Appearance: Rich amber, with an iron ore glow

Nose: Concentrated and forceful, with an explosion of aromatic smoke, pungent fresh ginger, antique copper, stewed plums, and golden syrup. With water, earthy notes emerge, like a garden after a heavy rain shower.

Palate: Thor’s high strength grabs the palate and refuses to let go. Initially dry, with fiery gingerbread then vanilla, blackberries, fresh mango, peach and hints of cinnamon. As its big flavours swirl around the mouth, some softer, sweeter notes develop, giving Thor and unexpected layer of complexity and depth.

Finish: The finish thunders on, leaving behind lingering notes of sweet vanilla and an intense spiciness.

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Blogging The ImpossiMal

Roll Up

Castle Galleries are getting very excited about their upcoming appearance by the marvellous Mr Peter Smith and his Lost Impossimals Tour. Peter talks here about the making of one of the fab new print releases 'Barnum's Bar Bending Ringling Clipperwhip.'

With less than a week to go till the launch I thought today you might be interested in all the stages that went into one of the most complex to paint - the Barnum's Bar Bending Ringling Clipperwhip. It all started with a quick sketch and an idea, an idea I really needed to see in 3D so out came the crafting tools and I made myself a mini set to work in.

Using modelling clay I roughly rolled and bent the body into shape adding supports to help the legs from bending. The whole scene is on a lazy Susan, a rotating base used in cake decorating which allows me to move it around without hassle.

Next came the heads and detail. Paper stripes and spots were added, a little bit of a circus poster for a vintage feel and several fake weights on the left, a cane on the right and in the centre a podium of some sort.

To make it more realistic I added one other element to the background, a bunch of balloons, then darkened the room and lit the scene as I wanted it. The shadows looked great and quite moody, it's this photo that formed the basis for the next stage.

Transferring the idea to a board using a grid I masked out the Impossimal so I could work on the background unhindered. As it contained stripes this is a usual procedure for me, background first building to foreground then adding in the Impossimal. It's painted on black because I wanted to use the transparency of the paint to show the black through in areas, especially the shadows, and it allows a great use of pinpointing with Titanium White.

Stripes in place so most of the tape could now be removed.

Then the rest of the elements are added along with a straw floor and the important shadows to define depth. Notice the light hitting the ball on the right and the intesity back into the straw beneath as part of the reflection.

Now we can start on the Impossimal, working from right to left I put in the first layers of colour.

Then I start detailing, here the teeth are starting to get the rugged look using the grain of the board to help define them.

Finally all the basics are finished, I even added an angry bird on the podium looking to the right of the picture. The idea is of a second painting that includes pigs to explain why the birds are so angry. All that was left was a week of adding colour glazes everyday to really lift the intensity of the colours.

And done! All colours intensified, pinpointing done, shadows made accurate and enriched and a protective layer of touching up varnish applied. Barnum's Bar Bending Ringling Clipperwhip completed in just under five weeks.

Wednesday, 8 February 2012

Relax This Valentine’s with Hawes and Curtis

Relax This Valentine’s

Valentine’s celebrations have started at The Exchange’s Hawes and Curtis. Once again the store have paired up with Nottingham’s Beauty Temple to play cupid for the day and give you the chance to win a Beauty Temple Stress Away Shoulder and Back Massage in their amazing Valentine’s prize draw.

From now until the big day you can enter at the Hawes & Curtis store at The Exchange, so take advantage of this fabulous opportunity. The romantic prize draw makes this year’s Valentine’s celebration extra special.

Set in the heart of Nottingham the Beauty Temple creates a relaxing setting to enjoy luxurious, exquisite beauty treatments.

Enter the prize draw at The Exchange’s Hawes and Curtis and be inspired by the array of perfect gifts in store for him and for her this Valentine’s Day, plus take advantage of this amazing offer:

Buy a ladies or men’s shirt and get two absolutely free!

An ideal way to start the celebration of romance!

So for stylish shirts and accessories, plus a touch of pampering, with the chance to win a Valentine’s treat, head on down to………

Hawes and Curtis

9 The Exchange