Deceptively Simple Luxury Supper

Thursday night, we went out for dinner (3 courses: goats cheese starter, mussels in cream sauce and ice-cream) with wine. I would review it but I was sadly under the influence and it might well turn into a rant about rude harridans who should watch their wagging tongues in restaurants. Friday night we went out for beer and ended up eating kebab (not dirty, dirty kebab off of a van, mind. It was from the finest of kebab houses in Harrow and has a proper waiter service, sober people eating there and proper wooden tables. But it's still kebab).

Saturday we were feeling rather full-of-tummy and empty-of-purse. So we took our kitty (literally a Hello Kitty piggybank) down to the local coinstar machine and got ourselves a little mini-wad to treat ourselves to a night in: a nice bottle of sauvignon blanc, some seafood for a yummy (but dead easy) dinner and some comedic DVDs.

We have the technology, we can rebuild...

Hurrah! My computer monitor has been fixed and I can post once more. Unfortunately I haven't been able to draft anything onto the darn machine (due to lack of monitor) - however there will be lots to see over the next two weeks or so:
- Recipe reviews
- A couple of cheat's fancy hairstyling tips
- Some boozey ramblings from his Lordship
...and a review, with pics, of a Rockabetty Studios Pin-Up Shoot!

So bear with me, it will be worth the wait!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

A Haul, By Ms Glitz & Ms Tweed

I wasn't going to post today, however I accidentally went charity shopping after the landlady left (I went out to buy a 4-pack of bog roll and a can of kidney beans).

It didn't even start that well. There was an 'uh oh' moment in RSPCA when I overheard a young volunteer explaining to an older volunteer what a Burberry Shearling was, how much they fetch on ebay and why this size would be in demand and they could put it in the window for £50 (which is a bargain, just not my kinda bargain!)... The danger of London charity shopping: enthusiasts like us get involved, start volunteering and highlight trends, designers and vintage. Thus the prices go up to (because they check) a sliver less than the ebay average. But of course, it does all go to charity in the end so you can't blame them, it's a good cause.

My big fat 60s dressing table

Oh, and it is big and fat. It took four people to get the darn thing out of my gran's lock-up and into our flat, but I was having it whether it ruined our backs (and the suspension in Florizel's dad's mate's van...) or not. Oh, and it wouldn't have been the same without the two matching wardrobes. (Big eyes, butter-wouldn't-melt-smile etc'. Three companions crumble under my persuasive skills. Suckers).

Ages ago Penny Dreadful posted about the glamour of dressing tables and the componants of a dressing table, and much as I love the notorious B-I-G-Plan, I couldn't take a picture because it was an utter mess. Seriously- I'd managed to spill half a bottle of foundation over it and it looked like the lost graveyard of the bent-out bobbypins. Well, I was giving it a bit of a tidy and polish today and actually remembered to take a photo. It isn't fabulously grand and luxurious, but it is practical, vintage and has a giant mirror with a clip-on Elmo attached.

Pretty Practical

I was thinking about something I read in a glossy fashion magazine last night. To summarise, it went blahblahblah... I wear fully formed stockings, pencil skirts and Jimmy Choos all the time, of course they are just so comfortable! And ideal for all tasks a lady would want to do and anyone who doesn't has 'low self esteem' (the bright/middle-class female equivalent of 'yo momma') and is a slob obsessed with comfort (not that that judgement would lower anyone's self-esteem)... Blah blah blah... To my mind, every bit as dangerous to a young woman's mind as an inaccurately airbrushed model. Manners maketh woman, make-up simply maketh woman glam. I adore glam, but if my entire self-worth were tied in it I would feel rather sad.

Nunc est bibendum (Guest Blogger)

My darling husband, His Lordship, Florizel of Tweed, gave me a ready made blog post for Valentine's day. How kind! It's about Martinis, perfect for lunchtime posting. Please excuse the bits in rampant bad taste, I didn't write them...

Afternoon Tea Review: Bob Bob Ricard

OK, this isn't a cheap day out, but it was our Valentine's treat and a good-value way of visiting a swish and fabulous venue.

Bob Bob Ricard is a booth-only restaurant in Soho, decorated in a luxurious Deco style, with bright mismatched velvets and lots of smooth, gilded bars and ornamentation.

Standing with my arms stuck out...

...waiting for someone to tag me free. Vain Glory Sinner tagged me with an 'all about you' quiz.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?

What I do now. It's a strange semi-teaching, semi-management job, I like both bits and I like 'my' kids.

When I was a kid meself I wanted to be a chef and/or an actor. Then I wanted to be a director. I trained and worked in theatre for a while before I realised (a) it's not economically viable when you do freak-assy arty stuff like me (b) compared to 14 year olds, a significant proportion of actors are slightly childish (c) I liked working in an environment most people find 'challenging' i.e. with stroppy kids (that's PC for 'icky' or 'eek!') and I was like 'yeaaaahh'.

At school I was always told to write or work in geography. I write for enjoyment and the other... thing... Well, I believe it involves mud and sighting poles. Yeah righto Mr careers officer.

More kitsch than chic

Inspired by Penny Dreadful's recent tacky outfit post. Her tacky outfit was very stylish indeed and I offered an insight into the tragic world of a real tackmonster like myself. It ain't big and it ain't pretty (well, actually my wardrobe is big, but...).

As regular readers well know, I love a bit of kitsch and tack. Welcome to a pictorial guide to some of my less tasteful wardrobial items. Don't worry, I don't dress like this all the time. Just most of it.

To The Manor Born

I've been being all posh n' artistic again, innit. Yesterday Lilac Lady and I stayed out of the pub for ooh, must've been at least half an hour to visit Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery. It's got a fantastic exhibition on right now, The Witching Hour.

Billingham: untitled from Black Country

Outfit post: a tough chick in a man's world!

Enjoy it while it lasts, I'm not really massive on outfit posts (I don't have a charming sartorial 'theme' as regular readers know) but I just had to post my superb bargain suit, which arrived yesterday.

Poet's Corner

Ha ha. That's a little West London pun for y'all. Just a quick little post on a cause very close to my heart, promoting poetry in performance. I do write a little myself (sadly, due to work, I have little time to perform now; so unfair- why can't I just blog, write and perform in silks whilst eating magical calorie-free chips and drinking the finest wines?) but today it's all about the very talented James Priestman, of Pitshanger Poets fame: