My Hen Weekend

Hey there bloggy friends, did you miss me? sorry my recap is a couple of days later than i’d hoped, thinking back now I’m not sure how I ever thought i’d have the head to do it any sooner!

I would just like to start out by telling you I’ve finally made a decision on what to do about the spray tan v home tan for the wedding, look at my hand! i obviously touched the lid of the fake tan bottle on my palm when i was applying it and didnt notice! my whole tan was a mess actually, it looked fine until you inspected, my knuckles, my elbows, my knees, my ankles, it was patchy as hell! i did it myself as usually but for the first time i messed it up BIG time! i just cant take that risk for the wedding, so i booked a tan trial for October, i’ll keep you posted!

Right then lets get down to business, I arrived in Glasgow on Friday lunch time, met my cousin (bridesmaid – who organised the wknd) for lunch and a few glasses of wine, then she merrily toddled back to work and I merrily toddled to an online friend meet, i go onto a wedding planning/weight loss forum regularly, and this is Natalie, who i met on there, this was the first time we met in person, and we had a blast, we hit it off right away, with lots on common, we had a lovely time, and Natalie did me proud by setting me up for my hen wknd, she gave me a “sixpence for my shoe” for the wedding and treated me to an afternoon of drinking, we polished off a bottle of wine, and 2 maybe 3 cocktails! its fair to say she left me in a bit of a pickle, but certainly ready for party!! bless her!

After Natalie left me at around 6pm, i went to meet the girls who travelled up from England to come to my Hen wknd, Suzie in the middle, Lisa to the left (Suzie’s sister) and Erica at the top,

We had wine at the hotel before we hit the town.

We went straight for food, i had oven baked garlic mushrooms and FIERY chilli halloumi – it was everything i hoped it would be with more fire for kicks!

Then we partied until 3am! oopsy! i kept getting random texts from my bridesmaids telling me “take it easy Rowena – big day tomorrow” and a few hours later, “Stop now Rowena, Big day tomorrow” needless to say i took no notice! Strawberry Daiquiris and Slippery Nipples were flowing freely until 3am!

Surprisingly i woke up absolutely fine on Saturday morning, have been taking Milk Thistle and Vitamin B complex for a couple of weeks, i took about 3 lots of milk thistle over the day on Friday before we went out and more when we got home, along with a berroca, a resolve and a couple of paracetamol (oh dear – a bit of overkill! probably not, i am prone to insane hangovers which involve around 18 hours of throwing up – its the main reason why i stopped drinking – so i was pretty scared i’d suffer badly after my hen night). So all was well on Saturday.

Off we went for lunch, garlic bread, chilli beef nachos and creamy garlic mushrooms

We pottered round town for the afternoon, then got ready for the big night.

We all met up around 6.30pm

As the night wore on i was plied with more bunny ears to wear, or glow stick bracelets, shot glasses attached to bead necklesses, an L sign etc.

Dinner was awesome, in a Brazillian Restaurant, called Boteco, I had mozzarella and tomato salad with basil and balsamic reduction

Cheese and rice balls with a fiery dip

And veggie parcels with a hot and spicy dip

Everything was perfect, I love tapas, i could live off tapas!!

Yet more bunny ears, it felt like my head was being squashed under all those head bands (4 in total by this point – including my tiara – models own heh heh)

I spent the whole night smiling and laughing, i’ve never had such a good night out!

Thats my sister next to me (we look nothing alike huh!) and my BFF Catherine on the end

After the meal my sister took me to the toilet, and when we came back everyone had on a “Buddy” mask! OMG it was hilarious! I dont think i ever laughed so much in all my life!!!!

SOoooooo unexpected!

It was great (if a bit freaky) getting to spend time with Buddy on my night out though!

Then came the L sign and the shot glasses on beads!

My Bridesmaids, (coincidentally or not perhaps) they were both in Red, My sister and my cousin. My cousin was the organiser. She went above and beyond, everyone was more than a little bit jealous that she wasn’t or wont be in the future their bridesmaid!!

And i could count on my BFF to keep plying me (and herself of course) with a steady stream of cocktails!!

After Boteco we went to Arta, this really posh Cocktail bar, where Sarah (my cousin) had hired a private area for us, she had brought her laptop out and had previously recorded a video of Buddy (I’ll try and get technologically savvy enough to post that later in the week) interviewing him with questions about himself or about me, i had to answer them, if i got them right i got a prize and if i got them wrong i got a non negotiable forfeit.

THIS.WAS.HILARIOUS!!

I got most of them right and got prizes such as rubber gloves, vanilla body butter, a whip vouchers for foot massages and home cooked meals from Buddy etc.

I never laughed so much ever, the video was awesome

my forfeits included being autographed on a clothed part of my body, standing up and singing Sandra Dee from Grease, walking around the very posh cocktail bar with my dress tucked in my pants etc

You get the idea!

I think everyone fell in love in Buddy during the video, nearly everyone announced they wanted to marry him!

And everyone was extremely envious of the efforts Sarah went to ensure I had the most amazing night of my life.

I said it before and i’ll say it again, i never laughed so much! I’ve never felt so special and so loved. She really made me the centre of attention, and made me feel so special and happy all night long!

The night wore on and 1 by 1 the girls started going home, the last ones left by around 3.30am

My BFF and I (who luckily i was sharing a hotel room with) kind of sort of stayed out partying until 8am!

Oh you can pretty much always count on us tearing the place up when we’re together!

When we eventually rolled in, whilst the other girls where eating breakfast (oopsy!) i found a little surprise my Bridesmaids had left me!

I got to come home to buddy after all!

SURPRISINGLY……..I was still ok on Sunday when i arose at lunch time, I have no idea how, i mean i know i took lots of precautions with the milk thistle and VitB complex etc but i would have thought that nothing i could have done would stave off the hangover! I guess it was the adrenaline and the sheer delight at the wknd that did it!

I even made it out for lunch – not so healthy now huh!

Beef burger, and fries – hey we’re all human!!

THEN when we got home around 5pm, me and my lethal BFF decided that we were not ready to be parted JUST yet so decided a few final cocktails were in order!

We managed about 3 each before we finally burnt out!

The hang over still never caught up with me! bonus! especially since i like rarely drink alcohol these days and when i do its really 4 or 5 glasses MAX!!

The bad news in all of that is the nurse reckons I have a cracked toe, we dont *think* its broken as its not come out bruised, but she reckons its definitely cracked, so i’m kinda out the workout game for this week, I’ve to give a run a go at the wknd once we’re sure no bruising is going to come out, and see how I get on, if it hurts i’ve obviously to stop. If i’m ok with that i’ve to give Insanity a go and see how i get on! I’m totally bummed out about my toe, its swollen and numb and cold but i keep getting shooting pains up it and radiating out up my foot! a stilletoed salsa dancer stood right on the base of my toe, i nearly whipped my shoe off and beat her around a bit with it, it was soooo sore!! otherwise i’m all good!

So one more thing before I go, Ashley and Stephen over at (Never) Home Maker, published My Healthy Living Story Here, if you want to check it out. I’m sooo excited to have my story published on a big blog like theirs! thanks so much guys!!

Bronagh and Helene – I’ve got your postal addresses and your teapigs will be winging their way to you tomorrow, i hope you like them!

Coming soon: collation of recipes from my teapigs giveaway post.