A weekend watching sport.

Friday night marked the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic games. Who would have thought that I would be completely loving them? I wouldn't. We spent almost the entire weekend transfixed by the multitude of sports. Handball? What on earth is handball? A medal worthy sport, apparently. Swimming is the best one, in my humble opinion, and I shouted at the telly when Rebecca Adlington had her swim. WELL DONE. I also watched Andy Murray win, obviously, and a bit of gymnastics, cycling and vollyball.

I'm off to see the vollyball this coming weekend and am really looking forward to it. London feels FANTASTIC right now, and I think we should soak up every minute of it. Let's hope the Queen falling from the sky will be motivation enough for us to get some Golds.

(Elsewhere this weekend: I bought a new jumper and can't stop wearing it (looking forward to Autumn a bit), and we went to the beach.)

TEAM GB. FRICK YEAH.

Praying for rain.

I'm joking. Calm down.

But it really is hot. I could totally go for one of these right now,

This afternoon I made the treacherous expedition down the M25 to Brighton. My little Fiesta treated me well, as usual, making good time, air conditioning and radio blaring, and all without the use of too much petrol. I met Gareth on his lunch break and noticed how the world outside my car was less delightfully cooling and more oppressively muggy. It was hot. After lunch and a trip to Morrison's I said goodbye to Gareth and went to hunt for my car. I got lost, naturally, enlisted the help of my iPhone and finally managed to find it. I'd parked in the sweaty armpit of Brighton, right in front of a bright pink restaurant called Indian Planet and a grotty looking dry cleaner. Frankly, I was surprised it was still there. No offence Kemp Town. I got into my car with all our shopping and immediately turned on the air con. After about 5 minutes of boiling hot air blasting straight into my already sweaty face, the thought occurred to me that perhaps little Fiesta was also struggling under the hot temperatures, and had decided to over heat and stop cooling me down with a fully working air conditioning system. It was horrible, I was angry, there was shouting, but finally I arrived at the flat, paid for my parking and heaved the shopping, my handbag, my suitcase, and a pillow I'd brought (two isn't enough for me) out into the world and up to the flat. After three flights of stairs I thought I might pass out. I literally collapsed onto the bed as soon as I arrived in the flat and then went to wash the drippy foundation off my face (nice).

It's taken me a little while, a lot of water and a few episodes of Rizzoli and Isles, but you'll be pleased to know that I have recovered from my ordeal.

Have a nice weekend. Enjoy the Olympics etc.

photo source

Just hangin'.

And also working. I'm doing lots of overtime this week and whilst that fills me with some trepidation and gloominess, sitting in the garden with my laptop is making me an all round nicer person to be around. And that can only be a good thing.

I'm getting really excited about September. Fingers crossed I'll be on my way to university. In my head that means I'll mostly be learning from insightful people at the top of their field and making lifelong friends with like-minded bookish feminists who still like Topshop and wearing nail varnish. In reality it will probably be a lot of hard work and 18 year olds who like getting drunk and vomiting on their peep-toes. I'm still excited though.

Until then, it's summer time (rain and Olympic depression), and I'd like to find some fun, low budget activities to partake in, preferably in the London area before I move away. What are some of your favourite summer pastimes in the capital? I'm thinking along the lines of cool and slightly weird cocktail bars and outdoor movie screenings. Also... burgers. And farmer's markets.

HIT ME UP.

Let's do that again.

What a fackin' delectable weekend that was.

BRITAIN WAS PLUNGED INTO SUMMERTIME. EVERYONE REJOICED. I DRANK WHITE WINE ALFRESCO. NO ONE WAS EVER HAPPIER.

Something like that.

On Friday night we had some of our oldest friends round for a BBQ, wine and games. On Saturday, both Gareth and my cousin-from-up-north arrived. Gareth and I went for lunch and then for a walk with nature (grass and shit). We came home for dinner with the family, a few episodes of Modern Family (Phil Dunphy yo), and then at half past 10 at night, we left for the cinema, like some kind of crazy people. We saw The Dark Knight rises, and I spent the whole time quivering from behind my popcorn; Bane's voice has haunted my dreams ever since. It was really very good though, probably more scary because I find it difficult to cope with such loud noises at 2 o'clock in the morning.

Sunday morning was mostly spent in bed, rounded off by tea and croissants. We went for lunch at my local pub which has just been sold and redone, transforming it into something a little more pretentious and expensive. My kind of pub. We sat outside, drank wine and admired the colour of the sky (blue). After we'd eaten, we walked home and watched a George Clooney film. Gareth left that evening and I was sad.

The whole weekend was pretty perfect. Let's do that again.

How was yours?

ps. I took this picture on Friday night and my lips look like cartoon lips. I like it.

Girl crush - Jenna Marbles special.

Jenna Marbles, AKA (real name) Jenna Mourey, one blessed day whilst getting ready for her day (night) job as a Go-Go dancer (not a stripper apparently) realised how ridiculous all this fake tan and makeup and hair spray was, she questioned why she was making herself look like a common street whore, and she did it with hilarity, filmed on a webcam, and uploaded to Youtube. That blessed, blessed day.

Aforementioned video:



Since then Jenna Marbles, along with her two dogs - Marbles and Kermit - have been uploading videos every Wednesday and making the world a happier, more sarcastic, and more dog-friendly place. She is, to put it simply, a fucking head case. And in that, fucking HILARIOUS.

I've put a selection of my favourite videos below. I implore you to watch them. They really will make that terrifyingly-far-away-from-the-weekend day that we refer to as Wednesday, a lot more durable.

*dons feminist hat* Women like her really make my heart sing.

WATCH THEM.








AND FINALLY. BEST TILL LAST. This is the funniest video of a girl dressed as Drake and eating cinnamon you'll see all day.

Instagram whore. Captioned.

Littlest brother's 18th birthday. 1. We played poker and 2. the restaurant gave us homemade Limoncello and it was completely disgusting.

 3. Give Gareth a dog, and he will be happy forever. 4. A master piece. 

5. An evening in with Bear-Bear. I ate his Hobnobs too because he has trouble digesting them. 6. Fresh flowers make for a happy home.

7. I found an amazing pancake recipe and now I LITERALLY CANNOT STOP. 8. Sometimes I like to take pictures of myself. No shame.

 9. Swanky new shoes. Gareth is not pleased I bought the same ones as him. I don't care. 10. Bagel and bacon and ketchup. That's how I live.

 11. Prepping Get-Well-Brownies for India. 12. Freshly baked chocolate and earl grey bundt cake - thank you Shutterbean.

How to do a Monday morning.

ICE CREAM FOR BREAKFAST KLAXON.

Now, I know most people don't usually have the luxury of eating brunch with their friends at 11am on a Monday morning, but all I'm saying is - if you can... do. It's way better than commuting into London during Olympic season. Hands up if you don't give a crap about the Olympics. Yeah.

This is one of the perks of being a student; having three or four months off from school work for the 'summer' (inverted commas due to rain). It's the perfect time to go for waffles.

Eve and Rosie are my oldest, dearest friends, and we're enjoying some rare quality time now that we're all in the same place for the glorious summer. They are those friends that, no matter how long since your last encounter, it feels like you saw them the previous week. Oh and they're fucking jokes.

I could do with some waffles and some friends today. Today is a bad day. An ugly and ill day. I wish I was Rachel Bilson.

5 things.

1. As you know I've been looking for new breakfast ideas. I like this one. Roasted peaches, toasted almonds, honey and greek yogurt.

2. I'm a sucker for all things interior design. My current obsession: white/light walls with pops of colour accessories.

3. SHIRTS. (I just wrote that as 'SHITS' and there were lols). Pretty shirts and blouses are all I want to wear this summer and for the rest of my life.

4. Read Kate Miss' blog if you, like me, appreciate some indoor plant life. She does it with a lot of style. She also has a cat named Wendy.

5. There is NO BETTER PERSON than Jenna Marbles. If you've never heard of Jenna Marbles, SHAME ON YOU, but also, watch all of her back catalogue and thank me for introducing you to the best person on the planet.

The moment I, for one, have been waiting a lifetime for.

I had another post scheduled for today but last night Ellie Goulding threw that right out of the water by posting some of her new material. Lights, her debut album, was released in March 2010, and then re-released as Bright Lights in November 2010 with six new tracks.

Since then, I've been rinsing those albums to within an inch of their life, praying for new material and pouncing on every cover and live lounge performance she might do. Last night she released this track.

I have lost count of how many times I've listened to it so far. Lying down, eyes closed and pensive, is the best way. It's lovely to hear that voice singing something other than Starry Eyed (not that Starry Eyed isn't a MASSIVE TUNE).

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Since writing the first part of this post I have since been made aware that the above mentioned 'Hanging on' is not, in fact, new material. Rather it is a cover of an original song written and recorded by Active Child. I'm disappointed, I can't lie, I thought this was original Goulding stuff, but nay, we will have to wait even longer for some of that. EVEN SO, this song and this cover of the song are both lovely pieces of music, obviously I believe enhanced by Ellie's vocals. I'm not sure about Tinie Tempah's contribution to the song, particularly the beginning of his rap, it doesn't seem entirely in keeping with the rest of the song.

It's nice, easy listening. An album of songs like this would be nice with a lazy Sunday and some baking.

Or something cooler. If you're that way inclined.

Music, gambling, tennis and SPIDEY MAN.

A busy but excellent weekend has been had. I was in Brighton (I just want to be there every minute) and when I arrived home yesterday, after a very dangerously tired drive up the M25, I was completely zonked out, and spent the afternoon napping and watching Hart of Dixie (guilty pleasure, except NOT GUILTY).

On Friday night we went to a gig where three bands were playing, all of which include friends of Gareth. That sentence took me a long time to write and I'm still not sure it makes sense. It was a good night.

On Saturday, Gareth's dad came to visit. He took us to 'the dogs'. I've never bet on anything before and have certainly never attended an evening at the dog races, so this was set to be an experience for certain. I put a pound on the first race, on a dog called Claire something (because, you know, that was as good as anything I had to go on), and that lovely little dog only went and won the bloody race. I was jovial, and collected my nine pounds with a grin. Unfortunately I didn't win any other races that night but it didn't really matter, it was just fun to pick a dog and watch it bound around the track chasing a toy hare. More Saturday night's should involve dogs chasing toy hares.

Sunday was namely tennis-related. It was Andy Murray's first Wimbledon final, and it is safe to say that I was BESIDE MYSELF with excitement. I adore that man. Probably for the exact same reason why the rest of the country has always despised him - he doesn't play the media game and he's sarcastic and a bit arrogant. He's a bit like me, I suppose, and I do love him for it. Those legs don't hurt either.

I won't give you a point by point analysis of the match because, frankly, that's not what you're here for and I've got things to do (Big Brother to watch), but what I will say is that he played terrifically. There is no shame whatsoever in losing to probably the greatest tennis player of all time. Andy's speech after the match had me in floods. I hope the rest of the country, for all those years of calling him a c*** because he doesn't smile at the crowd and tell them how wonderful they are after every match, feel a little bit ashamed of themselves. He's a tennis player, and a bloody good one at that, he should not have to prove to the nation every time he steps out on court that he appreciates us watching him. He's there to win the game, not for Britain but for himself. After all, he is the one that has spent his entire life so far training and devoted to the game. We just rock up one day a year for a nice sit down, a glass of Pimms and a watch of a tennis match. Calling him a moody c*** is ridiculous, and I hope now that we've all seem him cry and show the emotion that we've all been desperately craving, everyone will simply shut the fuck up, and leave the poor man alone.

Sorry about that.

After Andy's heart wrenching speech, Gareth and I went out for some pizza and a movie. We saw the new Spiderman film, and crikey was it cracking. I'd really recommend it. Like, with all of my being. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone were GLORIOUS. And that was my weekend.

This post turned out to be a lot longer than I'd intended. Lets be honest, it's mostly just an illegible mass of words, next time it's probably best to just look at the pictures.

Lists.

Lists bring comfort to my life, a sense of order and organisation that is otherwise severely lacking. I made a list a little while ago of my resolutions for the year, and then again, more recently, a list of long term resolutions (this time stored safely in one of my many notebooks). It's good to return to those lists now and then, to keep a check on myself and my life, not to stray too far from what I'm after, and simply for a little added oomph. Good word. I make lists almost daily, 'to-do lists' to give them their official name, and find that my day is always more satisfactory when a list is implemented. All in all, I like lists, here's a list of things that are good about lists.

- if you are innately disorganised (check), they deliver immediate organisation
- you will have (more) reason to buy pretty notepads
- ditto, pens
- making a list before bed of what you need to get done the next day will make sleeping that bit easier
- you will be more like Joy the Baker and Tracy Shutterbean (they make lists)
- a list makes an easy go-to blog post - case in point
- you can practice your handwriting like you did at school - everyone knows people with nice handwriting are more likely to find the man of their dreams

Make a list. Live a little.

Madeleines.

Ah, those days when you wrap yourself in a duvet and bring it downstairs even though you're not ill. Those glorious days. I had one today. I should say that I didn't keep the duvet downstairs all day long, and did actually get some work done in the afternoon (work-work, not school work, school's out for the summer), I should say that for the benefit of my parents reading this.

What, apart from the latest episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey, could make one of those days any better? I HEAR YOU CRY! Well, my friends; a sweet, sumptuous, freshly baked madeleline is what. Or ten.

One of my birthday presents from Mother was a madeleine tin. (I got a bundt tin and various cook books too, because I'm that person).

Today, I did some baking.

This recipe makes the most perfectly light madeleines. I would openly claim that they are one of the best things I've ever baked and will be returning to them regularly.

Recipe adapted from The Little Paris Kitchen. Makes about 24 madeleines.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
130g sugar
200g plain flour
10g baking power
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
20g honey
60ml milk
200g melted butter
1tsp vanilla extract
icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 190°C and butter and flour a 12-shell madeleine tin. 
Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and frothy.
Measure the flour and baking powder into a separate bowl and add the lemon zest.
Mix the honey and milk with the melted butter, then add to the eggs.
Fold in the flour mixture.
Spoon the mixture into the tin.
Bake for 5 minutes , turn the oven off for 1 minute, then turn the oven on again to 160°C and bake for a further 5 minutes. 
Transfer the madeleines to a wire rack, wash and dry the tin and repeat the process again with the next batch of 12. 
Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Weekend.

The blog may have been a little difficult to get onto for the last 24 hours and perhaps the next 24 hours too. This is due to some domain name changes and issues. We are now .co.uk AND .com! What a hoot.

I digress.

The past weekend has been generally lovely. It was Gareth's birthday on Saturday - 27y/o and greying at the edges - and so we did some good eating and drinking together and with some of his friends. We tried out an American diner on the sea front that he's been wanting to visit since he first moved to Brighton two years ago. I ate pancakes and syrup; proper cakey, moist (ew), authentic beauties, and just generally delicious. We shopped a bit, walked a bit, and then went out for dinner and drinks in the evening. I enjoyed Gareth's birthday, and that's the main thing.

Sunday was leaning further towards an anxiety breakdown, but I'm blaming the hormones. Also, the dirty spoon in the coffee picture above and the pile of sick in the carpark - an OCD sufferer's field day. But there we go, there's always going to be bad days and I'm just pleased to be, on-the-whole, feeling so much better and to have had such a nice holiday week in Brighton. Here's to less and less of the bad days.

Now, I'm back home, I'm all full of bacon and writing my to-do list for the week. Normal, regular blogging WILL resume. Or you can take my biscuits away. See you tomorrow.