Tuesday 27 March 2012

Baz is The Best -- From Saturday 24th March

I've been a little bit obsessed with Baz Luhrmann's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet ever since I bagged the DVD at Christmas for a cheeky three quid. This year he's back with The Great Gatsby. I'm way too excited. Leo's back again and this time he's with the beautiful Carey Mulligan - she's so great. We'll have to wait til December to see it tho, so here's a bit of Romeo and Juliet to keep you going.


And here are some pretty F. Scott Fitzgerald covers. It would make me so happy to see them on my shelf.



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THE PERFECT COOKIE RECIPE - From Friday 23rd March

So I haven't been on the internet, which kind of makes it hard to keep a blog. But here we are, Friday's offering:

THE PERFECT TOBLERONE COOKIES

I perfected my cookie recipe on friday and so I thought I would share it with you, coz I'm nice like that.

1. Pre heat oven to 190 degrees.
2. Mix 225g of butter with 350g of sugar and a couple teaspoons of vanilla extract.

(n.b. Use baking butter for best results, as normal butter clumps together. Also use a mixture of dark brown, light brown and caster sugar. If you like sweet cookies have half of the amount of sugar caster and the rest brown - if you like a more caramely buttery taste have the ratio more equal.)

3. Beat in two eggs to your mixture.
4. Mix in 350g of plain flour, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda.
5. Break into small chunks two large Toblerone bars (or 350g of a chocolate of your choice)

(n.b. Don't scrape the shavings of the chocolate into the mixture, they look prettier and taste nicer if it's just big chunks of chocolate - also Toblerone bars are only a quid at Poundland!)

6. Grease a baking tray with butter and use two large spoons to transfer balls of your cookie dough onto the tray - you'll only be able to fit a couple/few on at a time (depending on the size of your tray) but let them have their own space, as they'll spread a lot!

7. Bake for 9-11 minutes. If you prefer gooey cookies take them out early, if you prefer biscuity cookies leave them in for longer.

8. Transfer to a wire rack using a spatula and leave to cool. (Or eat them hot and gooey out of the over - my personal preference)

Et voila! If you're really nice, you'll wrap them up in cellophane bags and give them to people you love. They're so good though, I don't think you'll want to share.



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Thursday 22 March 2012

A Bedtime Film

Here's a lovely little short film I found on youtube today. 



Sweet dreams 
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Wednesday 21 March 2012

Boogie Nights

I want to go dancing. And not rubbing genitals together dancing but PROPER dancing. The sort of dancing that makes you look a bit of a fool. I'm dreaming of living in times like these:

SO GREAT.


And anyone who says that it can't be done today, that our music is different and it requires our modern form of dance (if you can really call grinding dancing); well, here's my comeback:


Excuse me whilst I go dance the night away.

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Tuesday 20 March 2012

Spring Love

It's been sunny for two days running, so as a typical British citizen, I am ready to shout from the rooftops: SPRING IS HERE!

My First Spring Love? Daffodils.


They're bright and yellow and oh so friendly. (Not to mention free! Apparently it's illegal to pick flowers from parks, but I'm choosing to ignore that.) I'm thinking they'd make perfect Easter gifts in glass jars, finished with a piece of gingham ribbon.

Daffodils are an old love that keep coming back. However not every love is so lucky. This is a blog filled with photos of celebrity couples who've broken up. It's quite sad, but also surely a bit weird for the celebrities who were in those couples? It's a bit odd to think of strangers looking at photos of your old relationships.

Anyway, here's a photo of a baby bunny, you know, because it's Spring.





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Monday 19 March 2012

Colouring In

Here's some colour co-ordinated things, I wish I had the time/patience/OCD-ness to colour co-ordinate my life, it just looks so damn good.



---these are colouring pencils-I have to admit, you definitely have too much time on your hands if you do this.


LOVE BOOKS.


---I want to own this quantity of fabrics and arrange them like this.




More books. Yum.


Mmmmm.

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Sunday 18 March 2012

From yesterday to today...

So last time it was happiest animals, today it's the cutest puppies, I wish I could blame the hours I've spent in the library for the amusement I find in these things, but really it's just me.

But here's some other musings from this week:

That rabbit just didn't see that foot coming.
Pin ups.
A laid-back afternoon track.
And a really good point.

Happy Weekend!
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Friday 16 March 2012

Happy Creatures

With a mountain of work looming over me and threatening to dominate my weekend (it does not seem to care whether it's st paddy's day or not) I've found this blog is getting me through it all.

The pics are great alone, but with the little lines of description underneath - HILARIOUS. I was going to quote my favourite on here but I couldn't pick. Here's a picture though to keep you happy, this lil' guy's smile is making literally "lol"-ing impossible. Whatta babe.


Have a happy weekend!
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Wednesday 14 March 2012

It's Frockshop tomorrow so I've been a baking MACHINE. So today's offering is short, simple and sweet.

Take a look at this little man:

Just how is that even an animal? It can't really exist in the wild, can it?

I think I've just found the top contender on my christmas list.

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Tuesday 13 March 2012

Gotta Love a bit of Leo and Johnny


It is now only TWO DAYS until the vintage fashion sale I'm organising for charity and so I'm a super-busy-wonder-woman. SO busy that I have no spare time to come across many things of interest to share. But, I'm determined not to give up so...

Last night however I watched a gem of a movie, and let me just tell you now, both Mr DiCaprio and Mr Depp make an appearance. What a dream team. The movie's called What's Eating Gilbert Grape, here's the trailer:


Even at the start of their game Leo and Johnny were incredible. Absolute babe-stations. Lovely little movie too, classic 90s - and as a 90s child, I'm gonna say that's a good thing. Definitely worth a watch.

Sleep tight
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Monday 12 March 2012

Just a little something...

Here's a little story I drafted up quickly, enjoy x

If Fate Was Always Late

The girl wandered around the lake. Her walk was rapidly becoming aimless. Her coffee was cold. Her fingertips scrambled to feel over the text once more.
“See you at the platform - the one by the lake - at three.”
  1. It was now half three.
  2. She had been there since 2:45.
  3. There were exactly 8 wooden platforms that jettied out into the lake.
  4. There were exactly 8 because she had counted.
  5. Yes, she had checked.
  6. And no, they didn’t have a regular one.
The Winter light glimpsed through the branches over her, enough to look beautiful, but not enough to be warm. She scuffed her boot and looked down to the floor.
A noise ahead made her lift her head. It was him. Not the him she had been looking for, but the him she knew well. She laughed inwardly. The sound was cynical as it reverberated around her rib cage.
“Sorry I’m late aren’t I?”
“Didn’t you get the watch I sent you last Christmas?”
“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Sorry. I’ll put it on next time.”

She smiled to no one other than herself. He just had to be hers didn’t he? Her Fate. It was difficult to not compare him to the Fates of her friends, especially when theirs always seemed to be so punctual whilst he could never be on time. 
She looked at him and shrugged, “It’s ok. You’ll be on time one day.” 
“Here’s hoping!” He crossed his fingers and smiled goofily. Her soul stifled Hope, no good would come from calling him up too.

Sunday 11 March 2012

A little late, A little Sunday waster

Yesterday was the first day in - I don't even like to think how long - that I haven't been on the internet, so this post is a little late. And with the weather so lovely outside I'm going to give you a few pretty things to look at on your lemon squash break from the premature summer,





I love the use of old wooden crates as bike baskets, its less twee then the traditional wicker basket but just as lovely!













It took me a while to get this, to be honest I thought it was just slightly rude looking, but if you look at it the right way these mountains are made out of pencil nibs. Nice













I could only dream of being this neat and tidy in my home, let alone with my breakfast. Slightly OCD? Maybe. But still so pretty.













I don't know why I like this, but I do. It's quite sweet, though the longer I look at it, it turns slightly creepy. I'm going to look away now.












Happy Sunday!


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Friday 9 March 2012

Thursday 8 March 2012

Happiness

Today my SLR camera arrived so to spread the joy and love of happiness here are a few things to put a smile on your face too!

I love penguins. Even when they're not doing anything they look stupid. But here's one being particularly entertaining:




Childhood games are so simple yet they always put a smile on a kids face.



Coffee banter. So great.



Lots of Love

X

Wednesday 7 March 2012

Clothes Clothes Clothes

I've been super busy recently so this is a quick little post. One thing that's been occupying me recently is a vintage fashion sale me and a friend of mine have been organising called Frockshop. It's all for charity coz we're nice like that. Last night we had a fashion shoot giving tasters of what will be on sale next week (it's so soon!), I totally want to shotgun a pair of dungarees. It's about time they came back into fashion. Check out what's on offer.

You've gotta love a bit of vintage fashion. I stumbled across a blogger today called Miss Moss, who posted updated versions of outfits worn once upon a time by movie stars. Here's one of my favourites:



I am pretty much in love with this look. Here's another INCREDIBLE post by her to feed your eyes and satisfy (or intensify) your lust for clothes.

Excuse me whilst I go hide my debit card from myself.

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Tuesday 6 March 2012

I'll just read a book instead

With the hope of Spring gone again I find myself curled up in bed once more with a good book. My "good book" of choice at the moment is Paulo Coelho's 'The Devil and Miss Prym', it's a great book that focuses around the struggles and relationship between good and evil. It's fab. You should read it. I wrote a short story myself a year or so ago on good and evil, give it a gander if you don't feel like braving the rain to grab yourself a book from Waterstones.

I'm a big fan of novels that are magical realism and have a storyteller-esque feel to the narrative, as Paolo Coelho's writing certainly does. That's why I was SO excited that 500 fairytales have just been discovered in Germany. Read 'The Turnip Princess' here.

On another book related note - how cool is this alternative book cover?


I found it here.

I've noticed in Waterstones they've been doing special editions of classics with more graphically beautiful covers, for the "stylish reader" apparently. My outward reaction is, oh how superficial! But secretly I love them. I know you shouldn't read a book by it's cover, but a pretty one really doesn't hurt now does it?

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Monday 5 March 2012

Rain Rain Go Away, DON'T COME BACK ANOTHER DAY

It has been raining now for what... 48 hours straight? Not the nice dancing in the street kind of rain either. But the wet, cold, driving rain that makes anything in life seem impossible to do. ICK.

At least it makes my discovery of the day relevant...


This installation is called 'Nimbus' and is by Amsterdam based artist Berndnaut Smilde. Apparently he refuses to explain how he created the cloud... oooh mysterious. Either way, it's pretty damn impressive. Here's his website.


For those who are as sodden and grumpy as me, here's the happiest song I think has ever been created.


Keep dry and warm!
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Saturday 3 March 2012

Music as Music Should be

Last night I was whisked away to a small village in the heart of Norfolk called Filby, knowing nothing of what to expect but a "folky singer and a log fire". Well it was one of those nights where you wake up and wonder whether it actually happened. Bumping into one of the singers that night after trying and failing to find the location to this mystery gig we went along to the pub for a drink and then about an hour later finally made it to the manor house where the music was to be made.

The oddest collection of people were there, from fashionistas to chefs from rome, drop out med students originating from australia who have set up their own split-cell business and an extremely excitable pug! They were the most eclectic bunch of people I have ever graced, each one a character with a story to tell. Every room in the place was complete with a chandelier and a log fire and there was an interval for lasagne (of course).

But the most outstanding thing about the night was the music. The first act was Roo Panes...



Followed by Josh Flowers and The Wild who had everyone stamping their feet and begging for more.

It was an absolutely beautiful night of music, the venue was perfect: intimate and with buckets of character. There was a real sense of community amongst the spectators too, bound together as we were all in this unique experience together. It was just how music should be listened to.

It's odd but I always forget how much music means to me until I experience something like that night. But moments like it make me feel on top of the world, like the feeling you get when you're young and you jump off a swing.


Do your ears a favour and check out Roo Panes and Josh Flowers, they'll thank you for it. Trust.

X

Friday 2 March 2012

Bow Down Before Mountains

There is something impressive about mountains. They are impressive in size of course, but it's more than that. They are impressive in beauty and they don't need to be able to speak to convince you of their majesty. They put you back down in your place. They make you humble as everything beautiful should.

I went ski-ing a couple of weeks ago and stayed in Les Arcs 2000 in France. Living right at the top of the mountain for a week made me re-realise the impressive beauty of nature. It's incredible and I know I take it for granted in my day to day life.

We can't all be surrounded by mountain peaks everyday, so here's a few photos of mine:








Something else that's impressive about them is you don't need a fancy camera to capture their impressiveness. Fab.

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Thursday 1 March 2012

Sharing is Caring

A friend of mine shared these with me and so I thought I'd keep the chain going and share them with you! Plus it follows on nicely from yesterday's blog. Great news.



I can't believe how many dogs have their own websites. Their owners must be incredibly bored, I mean, that box didn't get there by itself. Check out more from Gordy here.

This is a lovely little website called dear photograph, it makes for great whimsical procrastination if you need something lovely to gaze at. Some of the photos are beautifully put together, and some just have lovely little captions. Either way, definitely worth a gander. 



And here is possibly the happiest song I have ever heard. I think this will be playing in my head all day every day for the next few weeks, it's just SO HAPPY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ1hrhJQDC8

Enjoy
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