Twitter is a great place for networking, finding out about great events and happenings. Last monday I received a tweet from über stylist Beth Goodrham saying

              Beth Goodrham ‏@BethGoodrham

@fashion_mommyWM hi, do you fancy coming to an event at Hobbs B’ham next Friday at 5pm? Cocktails and a peep at the new collection on offer!

Well, an offer like that was too good to turn down, so on Friday night, a few hours before that fabulous opening ceremony that I keep reliving in my head, I headed into Birmingham for a night of clothes, cocktails and conversation with some of my favourite bloggers.

All guests were greeted with a fabulous speciality cocktail from Alvar, the must visit restaurant from Hotel La Tour, one of Birmingham’s newest and brightest destinations.(I think the cocktail was the 1889…but don’t quote me on that fact.)  Now, I couldn’t exactly tell you what was in the cocktail, with the exception of ginger, but what I can say is that it was so good I had to go back for another, several in fact. It was quite possibly the best cocktail I have ever tasted – bliss in a glass!

With a cocktail in hand, it was time to take a browse around the store. With the summer sale in full flow and containing some amazing bargains, and with theA/W ranges starting to make an appearance, there was much to enjoy style-wise. In the current sale, everyone seemed to be in love with the kitsch paperclip print of a N.W.3 shift dress, whilst horse prints were a cute feature of the A/W range. I also adored the use of teal as a key colour for the new season, and on such a special day, the Olympic commerative scarf was a huge hit with all, for its gorgeous graphics and delicate silk feel.

There were some stylists and beauticians from top Birmingham salon Puro hair on hand to offer treatments, but I used the browsing time to have a chat with stylist Beth, who was at the event to talk guests through some of the key trends for the coming season. Beth has recently featured Fashion-mommy in a feature on Britmums which just thrilled me, so it was great to meet in person and have time for a chat about fashion, blogging and everything in between. (You can read Beth’s article here.)

L-R Jennifer Walker, Emily-Jayne Philips, Beth Goodrham and Fashion-Mommy

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of new season trends by Beth Goodrham. The recent Kate Middleton Stella McCartney dress was used as a basis for one look, a beautiful cobalt dress teamed with Kate’s favourite nude heels. Other trends were also discussed, including the equestrian trend which returns this season, the return of the camel suit, and the colour teal, which was showcased in a beautiful trenchcoat.

The evening ended with a raffle being drawn. All guest had been presented with a raffle ticket that was to be drawn when the event ended, with the lucky winner receiving a £50 voucher to spend in store. The winning ticket was number 253, and I was thrilled to find this was my ticket, meaning a gorgeous pair of red patent pumps were making their way home with me that night. This was the perfect end to a perfect event.

Some of Beth Goodrham’s Key looks

Jean Mac £119.00 click to visit Hobbs

A huge thanks to Hobbs, Pavilions Birmingham, Emma Fox from SX Media and Beth Goodrham.