Pink GHD's

I have been wrestling with my curly locks for years now. Before straighteners were invented I thought maybe if I brushed my hair 100 times my unruly curls might drop out. They didn't. Now I don't even own a hair brush, but I have discovered Frizz Ease. 

When I was about 14 my Nana bought me Babyliss straighteners out the Argos catalogue. They had interchangeable plates, wave, straight and crimp. I used to spend hours trying to get my hair straight. 

I did eventually upgrade from my £15 white and pink straighteners but surprisingly I never bought a pair of GHD's. I always wanted some, all my friends had a pair, but to me they were always too expensive so I made do with a cheaper option.

I have, in time, learnt to appreciate my curls and they do make an appearance very occasionally, mainly for my Grandparents who aren't fans of my straight hair! 

Yesterday the boyfriend and I headed to Hebden Bridge to visit my friend and stay in her gorgeous hotel. 

We had a fantastic time, excellent company, lovely food, lots to drink, a lie-in and no hangover! It was made even better by the gift bag waiting for me with a pair of fabulously bright pink GHD's inside! Aren't I a lucky girl? A very straightened lucky girl. 

I was truly spoilt. Thank you! x

French Sole

Now I've definitely decided to treat my feet and start saving for my first pair of French Soles I realise I will have to make the all important decision. Which pair do I choose? Being the most indecisive person in the land the decision will not happen easily.

Do I go for the quilted patent black pair that will go with everything? Or should I choose the classic French cream and black pair? Or do I act my age and choose leopard print? And if so, leopard print with black toes or leopard print with a pink trim?

Which would you choose? Please help me!

x

Phoebe

This morning on my walk to work, in between wishing I’d made time for breakfast and thinking maybe I shouldn’t have stayed up until half past midnight watching The Departed (Mark Wahlberg is yum!) I noticed the sun, or Phoebe as my mum would say, had finally made an appearance.

What a delight! It’s a good job because the elastic on my Christmas hat (to be clear, a hat I received at Christmas, not a Christmas themed hat) has just about given up on life and the not quite matching clash of my purple mac and purple suede gloves was starting to bug me.

Surely now I’m not braving the arctic conditions to get to work I can start planning my spring/summer wardrobe! Any excuse…

I am thinking lots of pretty floral dresses, cream cardi’s, pearls, totally over the top corsages, bows for my hair and white gloves, with cute t-bar flats or ballerina pumps. And those white tights I’ve had my eye on. Won't I be a cutie pie?

At the end of the month the boyfriend and I will be crossing the border to visit a friend in Swansea. It’s a long journey and I am thinking of sourcing a travel Guess Who and maybe even Yahtzee to keep us entertained. Heck, the boyfriend will be thrilled.

According to my friend, my fashion plans would be wasted on Swansea (no offence Swansea, I’m taking her word for it) so it's probably best I wait until we get back to hit the shops.

There’s no harm in looking though is there? A girl can look.

ASOS seldom lets me down (bar their occasional display of disappointing customer service) but today I found very few items of interest.

Topshop fared better. 

French Sole ( http://www.frenchsole.com/index.php) had so many pretty flats, I think I owe it to my feet to save up and splash the boat out.

What are your spring/summer plans?

x

Living on a budget

Just a quick post to say how impressed I was with this.

Lucinda was rather posh in The Apprentice so I am surprised she coped so well and saw the funny side in serving 6p a packet Angel Delight at a dinner party!

Personally I love Angel Delight, butterscotch is probably my favourite but the other flavours are tasty too.

I have a friend who has just signed on JSA, maybe she will take note and start making carrot soup to survive?

Skinnies

Skinny jeans are so overrated.

In fact I hate skinny jeans. They are so restrictive, you can't bend your knees and when you sit down the whole world sees your knickers, it's not attractive. Plus denim fades. And they rather unflatteringly bag at the zip area.

Skinny trousers are the way forward. Far more forgiving, better movement and normally a lot cheaper than jeans. Plus they don't fade and you can eat bigger dinners (always a bonus).

H&M do excellent skinny trousers for £15. I have them in purple and black. Great for work, shopping and nights out. They serve me well.

Yesterday I bought another black pair with pink polka dots. They are rather special. Come dress down Friday they will be going on their first outing.

In Victoria Beckham's 'That Extra Half an Inch' Mrs Beckham warned that if you wear skinnies with flats you'll look like a golf club. I disagree! Admittedly I'd rather wear skinnies with flats on size 4 feet than my size 7's but I don't think I resemble a golf club. I'm not skinny enough for a start.

When Spring finally shows it's face I'll be transforming my denim skinnies into a mini. They are so last year.

Long may the skinny trouser reign.

My Nan

My Nana made the best Corned Beef Ash (no H) ever. When my sister and I were little we would go to her house and that's what we'd have. We would sit at the table and eat huge platefuls with plastic white bread and butter. We loved it. When I went to university my nana wrote to me with the recipe and I have been making it ever since.

I absolutely insist that you try it.

Heres the recipe...

3 large potatoes
1 or 2 cans of corned beef, depending on the size of your casserole dish (and you greed for corned beef)
1 large onion
a small jug of ready made gravy

Put your corned beef in the freezer for 15 minutes, this helps you to slice it thinly and evenly. Peel and halve your onion and cut into thin half moons, mustn't be chopped any further, the soft stringy onions add to it. Then peel and slice your potatoes thinly.

Put a layer of potatoes in any oven proof dish (a lid doesn't matter), then add a layer of the corned beef slices, then scatter over some of the onion half moons. Repeat until the bowl is full, making sure the top layer is potatoes. Then pour over the gravy. Bake in a hot oven for 90 minutes. Test with a knife to check all the potatoes are soft. You might need to put tin foil underneath the dish to catch any drips of gravy. Cleaning ovens isn't fun.

It's perfect comfort food.

Nana was also a fantastic baker. Sausage rolls, mince pies at Christmas, plum bread (a joy with butter and cheese), coconut tarts. When I was young she would let me sit on the work top and help weigh out ingredients and be her little assistant. She taught me well.

Miss you already Nan. Don't have any kids in.

x