Saturday 11 February 2012

TV nostalgia.

One of the lovely things about having a mischievous toddler is that it gives you permission to relive your own childhood. I have watched a serious amount of kids TV in the last 3 years, at the moment we're (LV is) mad keen on peppa pig, Ben & Hollys Magic Kingdom, Tinkerbell and inappropriately Home & Away. Thankfully she has pretty good taste and I quite like these programmes (particularly Home & Away), well, as much as someone of 29 years old can enjoy watching snorting pigs. As we sit here on this Saturday morning watching Scooby doo together I started to think about all the programmes I used to enjoy when I was little.....and I feel far less guilty about LV watching Home & Away....

I used to watch:

Birds of a Feather - Set in Essex, the story of two women whose husbands are in prison for armed robbery.
The Upper Hand - A male housekeeper moves in with a single mother, after 6 series of fuelled innuendo they marry.
The Brittas Empire - The running of a leisure centre by an incompetent manager, the receptionist keeps her baby in a desk draw.
Family Ties - I can't remember what this was about but I watched it religiously, aspiring to be like the materialistic Mallory.

So above are the more adult orientated programmes, then there were the early teen programmes:
Sister Sister
Boy meets world
Sweet valley high
Saved by the bell
Hang time (wasn't great)
California dreams
Brandy
Heartbreak High (Drazic!)
The Wonder Years
I was quite clearly addicted to American high school relationship based dramas.

Then there were the actual children's programmes:
The Jetsons (my total fave)
Green Claws
Why don't you? (This was a treat to watch when we were over in the UK)
Bertha

Adverts (We didn't get these in Germany and I used to find them massively exciting!)

As you can see LV comes from great TV viewing stock, I have high hopes for her...and I watched a mass of totally inappropriate TV programmes and I turned out ok, I think. I can't wait for LV to look back and list all the random programmes I used to let her watch. Most importantly though is where you watch the programmes you shouldn't really be watching..I remember my sisters and I watching Birds of a Feather in my mum and dads bed...mega cool. 

xo.


Monday 6 February 2012

Snowy Sunday.

 
Sledging smile.

 Sledging focus.

 Snowy park.

Warming up.
xo.

Sunday 5 February 2012

Banana Bonanza.

Yesterday afternoon it snowed, so LV and I baked. I used this recipe from pannasbaking and it truly is the best banana cake I've ever tasted. I knew it would be because Rose of pannasbaking brought one to a friends 30th birthday a couple of weeks back and it made such an impression that I've since dreamt about it! Bonkers I know. I also ate it for breakfast the day after the party and it helped me feel normal again so I'd say not only is it delicious it has magic hangover curing properties!

The quantities suggested made 12 muffins and a loaf. Most of the muffins have been eaten (yikes) and I've frozen the banana loaf ready for my next work baking day (organised or what?!). There's nothing complicated about this recipe and there was lots LV could help with: mashing bananas, stirring flour in, pouring buttermilk in.....and eating the mixture of course.

xo.

Saturday 4 February 2012

Is that a Gplan mirror? Thirfting fabulousness.

It has been weeks since I last thrifted, I lost my thrifting mojo, it's not that I haven't been on the hunt, more that I just haven't seen anything that I can really say I love. That was until today. Today I had low expectations, I sauntered into town and after finding two amazing treats in the first shop I made the decision not to continue to the others. Very unlike me, but I'm trying to reign in my thrifting ways and I'm under strict instructions that we really don't need any more junk! Junk? hardly.

Today's delights:




Is that a fabulous Gplan mirror I hear you ask? Why yes, it is. It matches our wonderful Gplan sideboard. Was it a total steal at just £10? Why yes, it was. The only caveat around this purchase is that in order to hang this in the living room I think we might just need a new wall colour....I've already started the groundwork for this with the resident ex-painter aka my husband.

Second delight of the day:




This beautiful vase caught my eye straight away, it's a 1960's Newton Abbott pottery gem. I love the pattern. Initially I decided against buying it because it was too expensive at £10, I tend to decide how much I'm willing to spend before I consult the price tag and if it doesn't meet my max then it doesn't come home. However, as I was looking at it the shop assistant said she loved it too and that it had been there for ages which she couldn't understand, I said I also loved it and she offered it to me for 50% less so I went for it and it's now part of my merry 'junk' filled home, horay!

xo.










Train etiquette part quatre.

I spent three days in London this week, that meant plenty of to and fro-ing on Eastmidlands mainline service...and we all know how well I get on with trains. My first whinge is in relation to the price of tea, totally outrageous. £1.70 for boiled water and one peppermint tea bag!! A disgrace. I've made a pact with myself to carry my own teabags, surely they won't charge me for water?!

Now onto the real etiquette related content, so as I boarded the 15.15pm back from London st pancras on Friday afternoon I anticipated a busy train, what I did not anticipate was a cattle carrying experience. People were jammed in the aisles, people were practically having to stand in the toilet. It was jam packed. So, the only available place to settle was in an entryway, not exactly comfortable and with a two hour journey ahead I wasn't happy. I was momentarily even more unhappy when three youths attempted to bed down in my chosen location with plastic bags full of wine. The look on my face encouraged them to try another doorway. Then the saviour announcement came 'due to a very busy train today please use the first class carriages and take any seat available'. Like a cheetah I lunged at the doors that divided my doorway and first class and claimed a chair...phew maybe this journey wouldn't be so bad after all. Then it happened, a man was actually looking for his reserved seat, he was wading through the masses to find his reservation..please don't let it be my seat, please...then he focuses on me 'sorry that's my seat' me 'ummmm sorry I have a seat reservation too that I can't get to (lie)' I panicked, I couldn't move, I couldn't stand for two hours! As my colleague reminded me afterwards the actual truth was that reservations were cancelled because the train was so busy, but when the pressure was on I crumbled. I didn't move and I ended the conversation by dismissing the seat claimer with my eyes. I know I'm awful. I moan about train etiquette and it seems I'm guilty of being a horror of a passenger too...yikes. Maybe I'll be more tolerant of train behaviour after committing a faux pas myself. Maybe not (wink).
Xo.