Retrogirl

Three Things February 3

2012-02-03T09:24:00.000-08:00

Lunch at Cafe Montmartre. It felt like really being in France and I had this delicious spinach stuffed gratineed pancake. I'll be back for dinner soon.

Finding an awesome book 'Architectural Digest Homes of Hollywood' in a charity shop. Especially Jayne Mansfield's Pink Palace.

Still addicted to the blackly hilarious Desperate Housewives. Like the love child of Dynasty and Twin Peaks but funnier than either.

Three Things February 2

2012-02-02T13:17:00.000-08:00

Planning a quick but re-charging mini break in Edinburgh, which is one of my favourite cities. We like to stay in Leith which is by the sea and has lots of lovely restaurants.

New copy of Harper's Bazaar. I have a secret weakness for glossy magazines. It contained a pair of lilac coloured jeans from Gap I quite fancied somehow, but possibly a bit 80s.

Gardeners at my work having a lovely bonfire among the frosty trees.

Three Things February 1

2012-02-01T12:43:00.000-08:00

It’s the 1st of February which means it's time for... Three Things February!
In TTF for each day of February, I’ll blog about three things fun things for that day. It’s the idea of my friend and fellow blogger Sarah as a way of fighting the winter blues. Sadly, I won't be able to do a painting every day but I will try to do some...

Finished the deep cleaning at my work where we crawl around the historic rooms on hands and knees or totter around on stepladders, dusting, wiping, hoovering and brushing everything.
While doing this I found a Councillor's Legal Book from 1920 containing an amusing reference to Habitual Inebriates (by which I think they mean winos).
I also have my Spring Bulb pot of hyacinths to remind me there is life in the winter. The picture on the pot is of pink hyacinths but we shall see...

Pedicurious

2012-01-29T11:40:00.000-08:00

As part of my New Year's programme of Beauty Experiment, I went to my local salon for a scary sounding European Pedicure. It was great, and armed with these top pedicuring tips, I thought I would pass them on here.

Soak feet in soapy water, remove dead skin with a pumice stone or rasp (or, if you are my scary Eastern European Manicurist, a fresh scalpel). Soak feet to clean them, exfoliate with scrub, dry, massage with cream and paint nails.

Your feet will look and feel fantastic!

Tap Hamster

2012-01-22T03:54:00.001-08:00

As I am having a really hectic weekend and my kitchen is in chaos, no blogging has appeared. So, from my stock of doodles, I present a Fred Astaire hamster. Combining the best aspects of the classic age of Movie Musicals and the cuteness of small, fuzzy rodents.

The Sourdough Project 2

2012-01-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

Using the sourdough starter I was describing last week, I had a baking frenzy this weekend. First up, a German-ish apple, raisin and cinnamon cake that came with the starter instructions. Mmmmmmm. So Good. Then I tried a sourdough bread. I rose it overnight so it was massive. It makes a lovely bread, firm and light with a crunchy, chewy crust. I think this week, the starter will just be on a flour and water diet though so it is more savoury. I love baking as it is magical and chemical and smells fantastic!

It's Alive!

2012-01-08T06:21:00.001-08:00

Last week I recieved one of the most bizarre and unusual gifts ever. In a small pot marked 'Custard Powder' a foamy, yeasty gloop. This is a sourdough starter. Sourdough is a natural yeast and is used to make my favourite kind of bread. It needs to be regularly fed and divided and can live forever.

Sourdough occurs naturally and dates back to the Ancient Egyptians. It fell from favour in this country in the Middle Ages when a beer by product was used to rise bread instead, but reamins popular in Northern Europe and America. In the Gold Rush, miners carried a bag of sourdough starter so they could always make bread.

From a scientific point of view, sourdough is a mixture of natural bacteria and yeasts which are present in the air and will grow in a flour and water mixture.

Best Books of 2011

2012-01-02T07:49:00.001-08:00

Another post inspired by my friend Sarah Rooftops...

But as, unlike her, I cannot remember all the books I read in 2011, I thought I would flag up my favourites:

The very best: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. A unique, magical fantasy book.

Runners-up: Paperboy by Christopher Fowler, a gripping, funny and sometimes traumatic autobiography. I love his Bryant and May crime series. Generation A by Douglas Coupland , a sinister and witty future dystopia. The City and the City by China Mieville , a political thriller set in an alternate world divided city. All new books (to me) by some of my favourite authors.

An Old Friend

2011-12-23T05:30:00.000-08:00

My friend and fellow blogger Sarah Rooftops set a challenge to write a blog post on your most treasured possession. Not including partner, family or pets.

Well, my 36 year old teddy bear Ruth is pretty close to being one of these really. Ruth sports a vintage 1974 cardi in striped towelling which I used to wear when I was a baby. She has been much loved over her three decades and has undergone various remedial procedures including a new face (made of old towel) and new nose (actually for a toy dog). But her original expression and personality was carefully retained.

In my mind, Ruth is a Buddha like figure of silent wisdom and comfort and a secret Ninja master. The perfect sidekick in fact.

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-18T09:26:00.000-08:00

It snowed today! And I enjoyed my favourite walk along the old railway line (now a cycle track). There were loads of gorgeous red berries on holly and rowan trees. Here, a blackbird enjoys the berries. Interestingly, they are poisonous to us, but not to them. How does that work?

Getting Medieval With It

2011-12-12T08:21:00.001-08:00

No, it's not the scariest tomato in the world (for Alistair) or a beachball with piercings. This is a clove studded orange aka a pomander. Pomanders became a big thing for Xmas in the C17th and C18th. They were also believed to protect against disease, including plague! Better safe than sorry, I say...

Make a pomander by studding any citrus fruit with cloves and it should naturally dry and fragrance in a Christmassy way. Oranges are traditional but you can use limes, lemons, or kumquats (don't ask me, I wouldn't know one if I saw one.)

Edwardian Elizabethan

2011-11-27T04:41:00.001-08:00

Sorry no blog alst week as my Mum was visiting. We did go for a great Historical Walk though, exploring around Rubislaw Den. The area has the amazing old quarry ('the biggest hole in Europe' apparently) enticingly ringed by big DANGER signs and some of Aberdeen's most expensive homes. Most date from the early 1900s and are so varied you feel the client just stabbed his finger in a picture book and said 'I'll have one of those please'. This one on Queen's Road is Elizabethan, a style you don't often see in Scotland where Baronial is more the thing. Presumably this is because Elizabeth I and thus Elizabethan didn't have any impact up here (a fact I always overlook in my English parochialism.) Anyway, much lovely home eye candy to enjoy, recommended.

A Full Vase

2011-11-14T10:10:00.001-08:00

A full vase is a happy vase. And a house with plants and flowers is a happy house, to my mind. Actually I didn't really get into flowers until I started the Apartment Therapy programme, thanks to fellow blogger Sarah Rooftops. One of the home projects is to buy flowers. These giant fuzzy crysanthemums/dahlias are one of my favourite flowers. I like any big, colourful flowers. Flowers I hate include those miserable supermarket roses, baby's breath (like dust stuck on a twig) and those mini cabbage flowers (decorative cabbages= weirdness).

Perfect shoe

2011-11-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Finally, the perfect evening shoe! Not like the Louboutins I saw on holiday but as I don't have £900 to spare...

This fabulously retro black suede T-bar shoe is from John Rocha at Debenhams. I felt it had a really lovely 1940s-y look to it.

Halloween

2011-10-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of my favourite celebrations. I see it as a last burst of fun before the winter closes in. (Alistair says I like it because it is anarchic...) I like dressing up, I like watching Hammer horror movies, and, this time, I liked making Halloween themed cupcakes. Cupcakes are really easy to make too, bar an impressive icing sugar explosion. The colour theme is supposed to be Frankensteinian with a rotting flesh green and silver metallic balls. The flavour was vanilla.

Window Candy

2011-10-22T06:06:00.001-07:00

One of the things I like most about Paris is the window shopping, especially in old, quircky shops. This time, we explored the old shopping arcades around Palais Royal. I had avoided them before, thinking they would be touristy or glitzy, but they were beautiful and chicly shabby. Palais Royal is an arcaded square around a lovely garden, it abounds with unusual designer shops, vintage designer and things like pipe shops, glove shops and antiques places. Galerie Vivienne and Galerie Vero Dodat were both built in the 1820s and house more posh yet elegant shops. The pleasingly taxidermy like 'Puck Boot' was in Christian Louboutin in Galerie Vero Dodat. The shoes were works of art (and priced accordingly) and displayed accordingly too, under a Victorian glass dome.

Arrrrrrrrrrrr!

2011-10-09T04:38:00.000-07:00

A slight cheat here, as this is an old pic I found the other day. It's a pirate from the 7th Sea roleplaying game of many years ago. I love all things piratical from films (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Crimson Pirate, The Pirate (a musical, bizzarely)) to pirate style New Romantic fashion. I've also just finished re-reading Treasure Island, which to my surprise was still really exciting. I'd love any more recommendations of books or films of a swashbuckling nature....

Secret Salad

2011-10-01T06:15:00.001-07:00

I wandered the gardens of Leith Hall the other day (do visit, they are gorgeous) looking for gardeners. I found them in the walled veg garden where they offered me Green Windsor broad beans (wonderfully Edwardian name) and lettuces straight from the ground. One was Lollo Rosso, which you often see in supermarkets, but I don't know what this tasty one was. It's about a foot long with crunchy stems. Today an appeal to lettuce experts....

In the Evening

2011-09-24T07:55:00.000-07:00

I need some expert bag enthusaist help here..... This is a wonderfully elegant evening bag I found in a charity shop on Rosemount Place Aberdeen. (A lovely area full of quirky shops which I was exploring with two friends today. And you hardly ever find good vintage in charity shops any more. This bag was obviously a refugee from a vintage shop, bearing a tag 'Vintage £30'. But not for £30, but £6 so I snapped it up. Anyway, I think it might be 1930s, but I'm not sure. It is lined in silver watered fabric and has a small mirror in a pocket. Please help me out, bag experts!

Magnetic Personality

2011-09-18T13:17:00.001-07:00

I like interesting fridge magnets. Featured here (spot them) Napoleon at the Ashmolean, Miffi, a 50s bad girl, a lady of the Court of Versailles, The World's Largest Woman and Shakespeare. Also The Solar System (possibly in the wrong order?) An L Plate from our HenStag Do, In Praise of Gin and Tonic and Archives from the British Library.

Doors Open Day

2011-09-11T07:21:00.001-07:00

This is a rather gloomily Dickensian pend or alley just off Peacock Close in Aberdeen. I like the word pend also. Our whole day was rather Gothic actually, with a visit to St Nicholas Church, half of which is a huge pit of Piranesian ladders and trenches inside the church, from which came over 600 skeletons dating back over 900 years. The church also offers a scary ascent into a crumbling tower where a lady sat playing the bells from a Quasimodo-esque wooden instrument and a maze of box pews, amidst which I found a pair of abandoned shoes. Creepy. To lift the mood (!) we went on to the Masonic Temple which featured a Hammer horror style circular occult dungeon with altar and an amazing hall floor patterned with signs of the zodiac. The morning was a little jollier with visits to some lovely churches staffed by nutty elderly ladies armed with tea and biscuits and a printing demonstration at Peacock Visual Arts. Which is just off this doomful courtyard.

Bread for Autumn

2011-09-01T09:10:00.001-07:00

I love autumn. I like hearty food, woolly jumpers, cosy boots and colourful leaves. The baking urge came over me today and luckily coincided with a lot of things near their sell-bys needing to be used up. Hence the sun dried tomato and thyme fougasse from Baking Made Easy (a lovely baking book, recommended). Just for interest dead items from the fridge I also sorted included stones in olives, mint sauce and pickled walnuts (?) What CAN you do with pickled walnuts???

Edwardian Books

2011-08-27T07:42:00.001-07:00

Cheating a bit this week with other people's art instead of my own, sorry. I'm working on Sunday. Picked up two 1900s books at a charity sale: Rubaiyat of Omar Khayam ( a poem I really love) illustrated by Hungarian artist Willy Pogany and with lovely Art Nouveau graphics and little Scottish Clans and Tartans book with fun period advertisements in it. I love old adverts, they really bring the past to life for me. Here are some pics...Didn't subject Pogany book to being squished in scanner as it didn't open flat really. Don't break the spines people. Don't you love the Edwardian Lady's Scottish outfit? So natty.

The Red Stuff

2011-08-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Not one for the squeamish as I discover the joys of carving. I could already dissect a roast chicken, but the lamb rack looked quite daunting. A bit of wiggling with a very large sharp knife, however, and it became yummy cutlets, result! Strangely satisfying. My meat board is red to distinguish it from my veg board (which should be green but, disappointingly, is white).

Unexpectedly Appealing

2011-08-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the most unattractive things and places have a beauty of their own. These are old lock-up garages, incongruously sited in a small park in Aberdeen. I always wonder what is in these neglected garages...ancient rotting cars, perhaps, rusting machinery, vintage furniture or things far more sinister...

Dress of the Future

2011-08-10T12:32:00.001-07:00

The future is now! In Muji (one of my fave shops; always full of interesting things) I found this. A dress, vacuum packed into a tennis ball sized cube. It unpacks to form a comfy nautical striped number. Genius.

Make it retro

2011-08-07T04:10:00.000-07:00

I like knitting, but my projects have to be small and involve interesting wool or weird textures, preferably in chunky yarns. I have a short attention span. This is a 70s style nubbly cushion cover from that fine knitting book Stitch and Bitch Nation. Turqoise is one of my favourite colours. I'm planning to cuddle up to this cushion in the long Aberdonian winters.

Bohemian like You

2011-07-27T10:15:00.000-07:00

As my regular Stylish Person feature; my colleague who uses a basket as a handbag, dresses like a fairytale character and has the most fabulous Pre-Raphaelite hair. You always look amazing and I salute you!

Holding Pattern

2011-07-24T12:50:00.000-07:00

Yet again, I am very busy and so this is a 'holding pattern' picture until I have painted some more. It is my kitchen windowsill with a collection of malformed herbs I keep trying to grow even though I am in Aberdeen. This weekend I was staffing my work's Jousting Tournament (counting visitors, not riding horses, sadly.) Next weekend I am off to London but hope to do some lovely art soon. Please bear with me.

Normal Service will be Resumed Shortly

2011-07-17T05:13:00.000-07:00

Apologies, there will be no History Walk today, due to excessive consumption of Birthday Cocktails last night. However, this week I plan to have History Walk from my Dumfriesshire trip...watch this space.

Albyn Place

2011-07-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Today's walk encompassed Albyn Place, an area I know well as my other half works there. It is a lovely, Regency feeling area of Aberdeen full of classical villas. This is my favourite, No26, designed by Archibald Simpson and dating from 1830. I have missed off the later rooflights to enjoy the proper appearance.
Albyn Place was built on the lands of Rubislaw, belonging to James Skene. He lived in Albyn Place in Edinburgh (hence the same name in Aberdeen), and based the neighbourhood on the New Town of Edinburgh. Interesting buildings and things to look for include Harlaw Academy (formerly Mrs Emslie's Institution for desitute and orphaned girls), The College Bar (formerly Christ's College training institute for Free Church clergymen) and St John's Well (associated with the Knights of St John of Jerusalem and formerly in the Hardgate). There is also a lovely small park with a huge old tree in it.

Holburn and Hardgate

2011-07-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Today's walk looped up Hardgate to the small roundabout and down Holburn Street to Riverside Terrace. It is a fun walk as Holburn Street is obviously the successor to the earler Hardgate, both the important roads travelling into Aberdeen from the south over Bridge of Dee. In 1866 these parts were dotted with small cottages and inns for the travellers. Some of the cottages remain, sadly (but presumably conveniently) altered with porches and dormer windows. The one I illustrate here, however (unnamed on map, but just south of the Spar) is very atmospheric and pretty. The right side is modernised so I faded it off tactfully. Other surviving buildings include Ruthrieston House (a plain block) Balgair Cottage and the Abergeldie Inn as well as the lovely old house by the roundabout next to the cake shop. This house has a fascinating window display of model aircraft made by the owner.

Walking Victorian Aberdeen

2011-06-26T07:38:00.000-07:00

On impulse, a few weeks ago, I bought a copy of an 1866 map of Aberdeen. Pondering it, I decided to begin a series of walks to re-trace the roads of that time and see what buildings and features survived. I started today, with the stretch of land south of the railway (now disused but marked on my map) from Bridge of Dee to the railway bridge. Much of the grounds of the grand mansions has survived in the shape of Duthie Park and Allenvale Cemetery (both late C19th.) The only significant building which has survived, sadly, is Outseats House of 1800 which illustrates this post. It was a very interesting walk, accompanied by Alistair, the map, a highlighter pen ( to mark survivors) and a light rain. I spotted many interesting buildings and landscape features which I had not previously noticed.

Pipe down!

2011-06-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Please excuse the bodgyness of this picture, caused by extreme jet-lag. This is the public art outside our hotel in Vancouver, with the obligatory very cool Japanese girl posed next to it. Vancouver throngs with these girls, apparently half the population is Japanese, Chinese or Korean. They dress in a really interesting way, lots of bright colours and abstract shapes. The sculpture looks a bit like underground pipes bursting out.

Ultimate Tea

2011-06-10T13:33:00.000-07:00

This pic is from a new watercolour pad, hence the textured look. Also using my Cotman travel watercolour set which is a purist one with no body colour provided (black or white paints).

Ultimate tea with Japanese cast iron teapot and hourglass tea timer set to four minutes, from awesome Vancouver restaurant CinCin.

Whale Mobile

2011-05-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

I really love whales. The mobile joins my silkscreen pic of whales in the bathroom. (Pic is in bathroom, not whales). This is from the very cool Danish mobile making company Flensted and I bought it off Amazon. Mobiles are very relaxing.

Avengers style

2011-05-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

My latest vintage find, from Cancer Research on Rosemount, Aberdeen. They have an awesome vintage rail and a cabinet for ornaments, books etc. The dress is probably from the early 60s and in a rather alarming (but easy care) fabric, possibly Dacron. I love stuff from this period which reminds me of some of my greatest style icons; Emma Peel from the Avengers and Audrey Hepburn.

Parklife

2011-05-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

As I don't have a garden, I go to a park once a wek for a nature fix. One of my favourites is Johnston Gardens. There is a large pond where we found these weirdly cute moorhen chicks. The huge feet, the tiny wings! We also found an armoured car in the neighbouring gardens of the Gordon Highlanders Museum. Less cute, but an equally pleasing surprise.

Afternoon Tea

2011-05-08T06:36:00.000-07:00

My friends Elaine and Helen introduced me to the pinnacle of civilisation that is afternoon tea! I've wanted to go to a posh afternoon tea for ages. Here are finger sandwiches (no, not made with fingers in which would be yuck) with smoked salmon, cucumber, ham and egg. Fruit and plain scones with jam and clotted cream. Cream, lemon drizzle, pistachio and chocolate cake and mini fruit tarts. Champagne was available but sadly we were driving.

Britannia ruled the waves

2011-04-30T08:19:00.001-07:00

I saw this lady and her fabulous hat walking up Union Street yesterday. Presumably a Royal wedding enthusiast with a nautical bent. In the C18th sailing ships were often posed atop an outrageous Marie Antionette style wig, here going with a more modern do.

I have also bought a travel watercolour set so hopefully some posts from out and about soon!

Princess of the Pagodas

2011-04-24T03:48:00.000-07:00

I saw this wonderful oriental umbrella from the bus yesterday. Weirdly exotic with the hot humid rain that was falling.

The search for bread

2011-04-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

My search for a bakers that does really nice bread is over! I found The Breadmaker on Rosemount, Aberdeen. We had the oaty bread (pictured) and the blue cheese and walnut. Both yummy. Sadly, the croissants, which looked great, were more like rowies/butteries. Maybe only the French make great croissants. A lovely shop and I am anxious to try the cafe there also.

A vegetarian venture

2011-04-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

With apologies to Alistair (who doesn't like tomatoes At All), a van-dycked tomato stuffed with herby breadcrumbs from Vegetarian Cooking 1976. I uplifted this fine volume from my dad's house looking for interesting salad recipes. It actually has many appealing food ideas, such as little loaves shaped in flower pots (cute) and presages many foods not common at the time such as blueberry muffins and avocado pate (guacamole). I'm really looking forward to cooking from it!

Ponchos in the rain

2011-04-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

(With apologies to Bruce and Martin who know about bikes for my poor understanding of cycle construction.) Pink ponchos a go go in the torrential rain we enjoyed last week. I always like the idea of cycling, wind in the hair and all that. I'm not a good cyclist, so I'd have to go with an old style girl bike with basket. In fact my last cycling experience involved a steep hill, an Edwardian outfit and the sudden appearance of the ground near my face. The one before (many years ago)involved a steep hill, an inability to locate the brake handle and a thick hedgerow. That's why I don't own a bike now.

Bring on Spring

2011-03-26T07:23:00.001-07:00

I need Spring! I need leaves on the trees! But at least I have the lovely flowers on my amaryllis bulb (pictured). Also I bought tulips, which I love most of the spring flowers. And my venus flytrap is returning to life.

Love the Liverbird.

2011-03-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Picture shows Liver bird on Liverpool's fabulous Liver Building. Among many awesome Edwardian/Deco buildings in the city. Also recommended: Pre-Raphaelites in Walker Art Gallery, Duckmarine amphibious tours, cocktails in Malmaison Hotel, 'Paddy's Wigwam' cathedral and Pop Boutique vintage. A great place to visit!

Pink Lady

2011-03-13T14:14:00.000-07:00

No, not like in Grease! Another in my series of interestingly dressed people. This lady sported a pink sheepskin coat, brown angora hat and little ankle boots. Her hair was a bright dyed red, set in roller-y curls.

Super Sushi

2011-03-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

I went to Yo Sushi! and discovered I really, really like sushi. I like it with lots of ginger and wasabi (ooch). It can join the ranks of my many other fave nibbly foods (mezze, cheeseboard, mexican dips etc). I'm not sure if it's because I'm indecisive but I like to have a lot of different foods on the table.

Girls in Soul

2011-03-01T11:07:00.000-08:00

This is where I come across as a grumpy old lady! My two grumps being; Soul, a bar converted from an old church and The Way Young People Dress These Days. While it is good to find new uses for unused buildings, part of me feels uncomfortable to see these barely clad girls tottering past the stained glass windows towards a giant bar. I am an atheist, but somehow it still feels wrong. Also, how do they walk in these high, high shoes?

Seventies Star!

2011-02-22T10:37:00.000-08:00

This is one of my oldest soft toys. Known as Mrs Mouse, she is a groovy 70s mouse in bright geometric patterns. I also inherited a cuddly dog in almost the same pattern, could they be from the same shop? Are these fab toys still available? Does anyone else have any like these?

Looking out a dirty old window

2011-02-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Anyone who follows me on facebook may have come across my cryptic references to Window Puddy. I watch WP from my kitchen window, and he watches birds, cars and the comings and goings in my street. He keeps very regular hours, but sometimes varies the window he views from.

Anyway, here he is.

Reading the Eighteenth Century

2011-02-12T07:02:00.000-08:00

After watching a fantastic BBC4 programme about the history of the novel, I vowed to read a novel from the C18th. I have read Clarissa (short version, original is eight volumes!) and...er...Fanny Hill (yes, it's C18th porn), The Castle of Otranto (pioneering gothic novel) and planned to read Tom Jones or Tristram Shandy. However, I was daunted by the giant size of both and instead bought Evelina by Frances Burney. It's a rom-com by an author who was greatly admired by Jane Austen.

The One that got away

2011-02-09T10:18:00.000-08:00

I admit it, I'm a bit of an ebay nut. I like nothing better than trawling for vintage clothes and accessories, old books and random knicknackery. Sometimes, however the cut and thrust auctioneering world is a little harsh. This is the one that got away; a lovely 1950s evening dress. No, I didn't 'need' it and it sold for £72 but part of me still laments it. Anyway, here is a fond mind image of me drifting elegantly around in it.

New new blog

2011-02-06T05:52:00.000-08:00

As I lay in bed this morning, pondering the unexcitingness that is my blog, my better half had a fantastic idea....why not illustrate it myself? So I whipped out my old watercolour paintbox (which I've had since I was about 10) and daubed an illustration to the last entry I made. Here it is. From now on, readers will have the dubious pleasure of illustrations by me, hopefully on a weekly basis.

Anonymous Style Icons

2011-02-05T07:22:00.000-08:00

I was walking through the town centre today and was fascinated to spot a lady who I often see around. She was wearing (as always) a fabulous outfit of vintage ginger long fur coat, leopard print booties and had a huge and intricate beehive hairdo. I was consumed with curiosity, who is she? Sometimes you see interestingly dressed people and want to know who they are, or is that just me? When I used to spend a lot of time in the Aberdeen Reference Library I used to see a dashing man in all over tartan/punk wear. Likewise, while waiting in Dundee Law Library, I was secretly always watching for a girl with neon pink hair and a black rubber backpack with spikes. She made me want to have pink hair, but I never dared. And on a different note, when I was in Orchar Park in Broughty Ferry, very near where I used to live, I sometimes used to see a girl who looked Just Like Me which was a rather disturbing experience.

Passion for Polishes

2011-01-20T10:31:00.001-08:00

Ever since I was about 14 I have had an obsession with nail varnish. I remember standing on the hockey field as a total geek in school and yet having bright fuschia pink nails. Made me feel better. I like nail polish cos its more like a clothing thing; you can wear any colour. These days my brand of choice is Opi which I buy in John Lewis. They do new themed 'collections' every season and the names are terrible puns which amuse me. They also do unusual textures like matte, suede and a crazed effect but i haven't tried those yet. Their website: http://www.opi.com/

They do lots of weird and wonderful colours, my latest buy being the (apparently hugely trendy) 'You don't know Jacques'. It's sort of grey brown which I thought would go with whatever I am wearing. It's pictured at the top of the blog. I have lots of other strange colours too, mainly for toenails, turqoise, navy, blue, gold, and lots of bright glamourous red. As I have quite a manual job I usually wear neutral pink/beige type colours on my fingers unless it is for a special occasion.

Sweetmaking Projects

2011-01-16T04:35:00.000-08:00

One of my 2011 projects is sweetmaking. For my friend Sarah's gallery opening I made candied peel. It takes a bit of a mental leap to eat peel, but it's pretty tasty. You must use organic stuff though or you'll just be eating tons of wax and chemicals ugh. The picture shows the peel in one of four boiling stages (three in water, one in syrup). The black thing is a vanilla pod. The peel smells lovely when it is cooking. It is then dusted in sugar and dipped in chocolate. Today's project is buttered brazils, where the nuts are coated in toffee. This is a techy step forward involving the use of my exciting new sugar thermometer....and I will report back.

Sugar in the Snow

2010-12-24T04:19:00.000-08:00

And the cooking projects go on! Being snowed out of work for Ages, I have mostly been lurking in the kitchen, experimenting. Having finally cracked pastry and bread, I am moving on (increasing difficulty gradient) to sweet making. Two batches of Turkish Delight were a total failure for unknown reasons. The first one (veggie) was gritty and the second could have been the greatest adhesive yet known to humankind. (Not veggie, I must admit the thought of eating boiled hooves is very unappealing, if that's how they still make gelatine.) Mint fondants, however turned out well, and I am so chuffed with chocolates. Very satisfying dipping things in molten chocolate, although you have to be quick before the chocolate's inside melts too. Recommended books for inspiration: http://www.hopeandgreenwood.co.uk/BOOK/Life-is-Sweet/ (Bought for me by my friend Sarah). And :http://www.amazon.co.uk/Suckers-Guide-Journey-Centre-Sweet/dp/1840247096/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293193615&sr=8-1 (bought from the shop at my work).

Making Books Book

2010-11-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

I was very excited today to discover the book 'How to Make Books' by Esther K. Smith of Purgatory Pie Press, NY. http://www.purgatorypiepress.com/ (Book buyable here) http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Books-Esther-Smith/dp/0307353362/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289659690&sr=8-1. Since spending a lot of time with historic libraries at my work, I have become more and more interested in the design and making of books, as well as the actual contents. It's one of those slighly off kilter, anarchic craft books that the Americans seem to do so well. How to make your own notebooks, cloth books, journals, you name it, using techniques used in ancient medieval, African Coptic and Japanese bookbinding. From an instant book made of one sheet of paper to carefully sewn and leather covered numbers. Even the book itself is lovely, with chapter headings printed from old printing blocks.

Pointless Ephemera

2010-11-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

Link to my better half's excellent blog, Pointless Ephemera:

http://pointlessephemera.wordpress.com/

Souper

2010-11-09T10:44:00.000-08:00

Sorry I have not blogged for so long. My current cooking project is to each week make a healthy soup for my lunch at work. Week 1 was Pumpkin (Halloween). Week 2 is Sweet Potato and Orange. I am using the fab New Covent Garden Soup Book which I got second hand in the Oxfam Bookshop. You can buy it here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Covent-Garden-Food-Book-Soups/dp/075220503X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1289328605&sr=8-1 although I like the retro charm of my 1998 version. It is full of interesting soups like Aubergine, Kangaroo, Chocolate, Kohlrabi and Nettle, to name a few. The ones I fancy most though are Roasted Parsnip and Parmesan, Cream of Fennel and Red Pepper and Goat's cheese...mmmm.....

Orkestra del Sol

2010-08-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Do go and see this if they are ever in your area. We saw them at The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen. Orkestra del Sol are a polka/brass/calypso band. The highlights of it for me were the huge brass tuba thing (sousaphone) taking out part of the ceiling, the 'Reverend' playing the ukulele while singing a very suggestive calypso song and the whole audience doing a conga around the venue! http://www.orkestradelsol.co.uk/

Two retro discoveries

2010-08-12T07:04:00.000-07:00

Please forgive the odd pairing of the sublime and the ridiculous. The sublime is a classic movie I have inexplicably never seen before, Sunset Boulevard. I don't know why I missed it, I had some idea it was going to be really dull and worthy. In fact it is a fantastic, dark, gothic thriller in a rather Hitchcockian vein, starring the amazing Gloria Swanson, herself of course, a great old Hollywood star. Most of all I loved her crumbling mansion and enigmatic manservant played by Erich von Stroheim. And of course, her spectacular car! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043014/

The ridiculous is a tin of Zam-buk ointment, which I bought purely because I loved the classic packaging. When I worked in museums we had some tins of this and I swear it is practically unchanged for a century. I didn't expect it to be a virulent green though. It has an interesting herbal smell. Zam-buk originated in South Africa in the Boer War and has been in mainstream production since 1903. It is an antiseptic pain reliever and was famed for its use in sport. Available in Boots and just about everywhere.

So Bad It's Good

2010-06-19T04:28:00.001-07:00

During my Apartment Therapy sessions, I have found, worryingly, that I am more and more drawn to bad taste things. In a world of samey neutral tastefulness in decor, why not embrace some kitsch, colour and scary patterns? Atom Age, Tiki, Space Age, you name it.

Here are some great bad taste books to get you started.....

'Dictator's Homes'. If you didn't laugh you'd cry. Leopard skin, marble, swastika throw cushions? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dictators-Homes-Lifestyles-Colourful-Despots/dp/184354430X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276947103&sr=1-1

'Turned On, Decorative Lamps of the Fifties'. Hula girls, panthers, poodles. Beyond tasteless and fills you with that collecting urge. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turned-American-Decorative-Lamps-Recollectibles/dp/0896599167/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1276947282&sr=1-1-fkmr0

'Inspiring Interiors from Armstrong'. 1950s conversion horrors by Armstrong, the lino people. There's a lot of lino featured, along with hideous colour combos, formica and decorative Spanish style metalwork. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inspiring-Interiors-1950s-C-Eugene-Moore/dp/0764304585/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276947421&sr=1-1

And just for fun one of my favourite fashion books 'Off the Wall, Fashion from the DDR'. Soviet Bloc fashions from the 60s actually look surprisingly fresh and fun these days. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Off-Wall-Fashion-GDR-Humour/dp/0747581142/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276947563&sr=1-2

Scary tidy

2010-06-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Following my endless grousing about the chaos of our flat, a friend lent me this excellent book http://www.amazon.co.uk/Apartment-Therapy-Eight-Step-Home/dp/0553383124/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275752925&sr=8-1

a sort of self-help book for the interior. I am following-ish (cos I'm not a great one for structured programmes) the programme of tidying, redecorating and er 'energising' the home. So far I have purged three loads of stuff to Oxfam, including my technologically defunct VHS and audio tape collections. I have bought three new cushions, a plant pot, PC speakers and have ordered a coat hook for the hall (pictured). I have found out where to dispose of old paint tins too. I even bought flowers which is a sign of 'care for your home' and although that sounds a bit drippy they are actually very nice...sweet williams. I am still trying not to think about our study which is really heaving with stuff, if not up to the standards of some guy I saw on TV who had fifty old bikes in his living room. I will update on how I am progressing, if at all...

Rhubarb rhubarb

2010-05-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

I was really chuffed today when someone I work with, apropos of nothing in particular, gave me a bag of homegrown rhubarb. I think rhubarb is a love/hate thing, but I really like it. I even like seeing it growing with its huge, exotic, poisonous leaves. Incidentally, if the leaves are poisonous, how come you can eat the stems? In the winter I like rhubarb crumble but that is a bit unseasonal with the nice weather we are miraculously enjoying. So I thought I would try something from my fab new cookbook The Delicious Miss Dahl (by Sophie Dahl, ex supermodel) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Miss-Dahls-Voluptuous-Delights-Sophie/dp/0007261179 which actually has lots of interesting, healthy and simple recipes as well as the chosen Rhubarb Eton Mess with Rosewater. Eton mess sounds weirdly upper crust and school dinnery but is actually just any fruit mixed with meringue bits and whipped cream. Hmm think I might have a relaxing cooking weekend this weekend. And drink beer in the promised sunshine. And wear suncream cos I am burned again from sitting outside the castle eating my packed lunch.

Americans call it thrifting

2010-05-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Certainly thrifting sounds more glamourous, but I'd call it charity shop shopping. Yes, I can afford to buy new stuff but I like the thrill of the chase and not wearing what everyone else is. In 'The Glass of Fashion' by Cecil Beaton (top book btw, full of inspiring anecdotes about great fashion eccentrics from the 1900s to 1960s.) there is a great story of two ladies who turned up at a party in identical black dresses trimmed with ostrich feathers. One, in an act of very expensive panache, nipped into the toilet with some scissors and came out waving the fathers like a fan. Anyway, my latest buy was a 60s style shift dress in bright pink silk by LK Bennett for £15. Only problem is, I always buy dresses and coats cos they are the only things that usually aren't totally trashed by the time people give them away. I must admit, I am a bit leery of buying second hand shoes, hats and night/underwear for hygiene reasons. Who buys second hand underwear, really?

Wandering around

2010-04-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

On my way back from paying in a cheque (is it just me who finds banks stressful and frustrating) the sun was shining so I thought I would randomly wander. I popped into an interesting shop I am always passing where I found a girl making handbags (http://www.tyttipeltoniemi.com/). The shop sold many gorgeous things, all fiendlishly expensive. It was fascinating to watch her cutting the leather etc though. Then I wandered through the Victorian Nellfield Graveyard, very peaceful in the middle of the city bettp://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/nescotland/graveyards/grnellfd.htm. I nipped into a small gift shop on my way back where I bought a bizzarre necklace with my birthday money (http://www.onebuttonuk.com/). It looks like blobs of coloured plasticine in glass beads if that makes any sense.

Newcastle

2010-03-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a fantastic trip to Newcastle, which is an amazing place to spend a long weekend. We stayed in the Malmaison hotel which overlooks the millennium bridge (left). One night in the bar we saw it being raised and illuminated in rainbow colours which was a wonderful moment. Recommended things include: just walking around the river and town centre area which boast buildings from the 1200s to 1900s and dramatic multi-level streetscapes of bridges, stairs etc. Shopping: especially independent department store Fenwicks and Attica Vintage which sells gorgeous vintage clothes, homewares and furniture mainly from the 50s and 60s. Attica is on Old George Yard, a Ripper-ish set of brick back lanes full of groovy record shops etc. Culture-wise: the Laing Art gallery is Ok but was mostly closed when we went, fun exhibition on photographs of British pop bands of the 60s though. The Baltic Gallery has challenging art installations and a very nice shop. The Discovery museum was fun too. An unexpected highlight was Maker Faire at the science centre, with inventors, geeks, crafters with robots, gadgets and techy art things. The crafters had placed knitted graffiti around the city on trees, railings, parking meters etc.

Fridge related Dessert Malfunction

2010-02-19T03:27:00.000-08:00

(Not actually my fridge, some fridge in Tel-Aviv brought to you by the wonder of the internet...)

Looking out of the window at endless snow and not wanting to cave and put the heating on=cooking session. Techical fail yesterday though. Following the excellent chocolate mousse I made I moved on to lemon. It all looked good until I put it in the fridge, where it slowly sank and re-liquified itself in an entropic manner (all things return to the chaos from whence they came). This follows the Creme Brulee failure where it completely re-liquified as I grilled the sugar topping under the grill. Must get more gas for my kitchen blowtorch my bro gave me. Desserts are very tricky but I keep trying.

Speaking of I really enjoyed this top programme on cooking with chocolate: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00qzh52/Raymond_Blancs_Kitchen_Secrets_Chocolate/

Raymond's pretty scary, with kitchen staff cowering in fear, but the food looked fantastic. I was most impressed by the chocolate coffeecup and saucer full of coffee ice-cream: genius!

Knitting Projects

2010-01-31T06:40:00.000-08:00

Back on the knitting again! Just completed fingerless gloves in Rowan Tapestry (made in flat pieces so easypeasy). Blue stitching was replaced with pink to tone in as I was feeling fussy. Now started chunky scarf in Rowan Big Wool for better half. Scarf is recycled from my first ever project, a shapeless, lumpy and functionless knitted 'rug'.

Cooking Book Heaven

2010-01-24T06:40:00.000-08:00

The first of a series of lists, (I am slightly obsessed by lists). Best and most favourite cookery books. I buy a lot of cookery books and then only use a few, I'm afraid.

FRENCH

Chocolate and Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier and How to Cook by Ginette Mathiot. French cooking is much simpler and healthier than most people think. It's all about good ingredients.

GENERAL

How to Eat by Nigella Lawson and The Action Cookbook by Len Deighton. Both of these are fun and inspiring and have food you really want to eat in them.

BAKING

How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson and Exceptional Cakes by Dan Lepard. Nigella's baking tastes great but often looks weird, Dan's is tricky but surpassingly delicious.

Hooray for Bollywood!

2010-01-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to watch more Bollywood films, even after being mystified by some interminable historical epic as a child. All I remember from it was a song called 'You're beautiful when you're angry' sung by a man clinging to a fast moving chariot being whipped by the girl on the moving vehicle...bizarre. I've recently seen and enjoyed some of the more European/ised films such as Bride and Prejudice (really fun), Monsoon Wedding (grittier) and the brilliant Slumdog Millionare. But now I am totally blown away by real full on Bollywood in the glorious form of Om Shanti Om, a three hour extravaganza or murder, reincarnation, revenge and jaw dropping musical numbers set in the world of..er...Bollywood. What shall I watch now? How much hot pink can you really wear and where do you learn that dancing?

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-14T03:27:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I trained as an Interior Designer, but you don't always want to Live with the more wacky interiors ideas. Following years of experimentation/living in complete pits I bring you my guide to liveable interiors. (I also ought to warn you I am very much of the 70s Habitat generation rather than the 80s pink bathroom suite, festoon blind generation). First bit is boring...go for neutrals like beige/brown/cream in carpets, walls and big items like sofas (btw I HATE leather sofas they are so cold and sticky, buy a comfy sofa for God's sake). Bright or dark coloured walls will make the rooms seem poky and dim, low key colours like soft aquas, yellows, beiges, pinks are nice. Avoid light blue and green as they will give you a cold, institutional vibe. Go groovy with fun lighting and cushions, pictures and lots of plants for a relaxed 70s type feel. My favourite interors inspiartion books are the Terence Conran House Books, http://designmuseum.org/design/terence-conran one 70s, one 80s which analyse different styles and looks from International Glamour to Moroccan Bohemian so you can get a feel for what you like. Most magazines are either naff or tacky but old copies of Wallpaper are fun and outrageous if you can find them. http://www.wallpaper.com/ The only good places to buy interiors stuff seem to be John Lewis, Habitat and Ikea. If you are brave, charity shops sometimes have unusual furniture and are great for bizarre knick-knacks.

Fashion thoughts 2010

2010-01-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

By the way, what ARE we calling this decade, is it the Noughties? Fashion trends I would like to continue are: purple, chunky knitwear, knitted dresses and bright nailvarnish (I just bought Opi's Purple with a Purpose) .http://www.opi.com/ Opi also offers 'match your nails and your emails' co-ordinated lap-tops!

Trends I would like to die a long and horrible death include hair straighteners, spike heeled shoes and shoe-boots, micro-minis and fake tan. I have a strange craving for silver eyeshadow also. My random predictions/hopes for '10, assuming the 80s revival continues, are for lots of red and pink, metallic make-up, big hair and patent. I'm wondering with a new decade if we should be going with a 60s Courreges futuristic space girl type look... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Courr%C3%A8ges

The Xmas dinners

2009-12-26T05:19:00.001-08:00

This year I went for easy and traditional for my three Xmas dinners rather than last year's cream based fest. Xmas Eve for me is lamb and I did a lamb stew with dumplings. For pud a treacle tart with ice cream. Accompanied by red wine and Carols from Kings this was all in good. Xmas Day was chicken (cos I don't like turkey and find game birds tricky to time right) with home-made sage and onion stuffing, bread sauce and roast spuds. Pud was Xmas pud with custard. Accompanied by red wine and Doctor Who Xmas Special as is traditional. Boxing Day will be starter of melon with parma ham, roast beef with horseradish and spuds and parsnips. Pud is chocolate log with ice-cream which will provide survivors for the Wii'n'Tea session tomorrow. I always buy and make too much over Xmas, but then again who doesn't?!

Thoughts on Vintage/Charity Shop shopping.

2009-12-24T03:09:00.000-08:00

On left, me in 1930s crepe and lace dress.

I really got into vintage/second hand from going to church jumble sales when I was a kid. Later on I think my wardrobe when growing up was always slightly off beat with lots of hand knitted and handmade items and groovy 70s stuff. Now I find fashion a bit tacky, boring and expensive so I love to shop second hand. Also this is a great way to try out new and different looks when all the stuff in the shops is the same. My top tips would be to explore different periods or themes to find something that suits your mood...I watch loads of old films and TV programmes and often see fantastic outfits on them. Do you perhaps love the 60s look in The Avengers or The Saint, the gothic romance of costume dramas or the glamour of the 30s? If a whole look is too challenging, channel it with some retro shoes or a handbag or some costume jewellery. Sadly I am far from my vintage nirvana; Armstrongs in Edinburgh but I recommend their ebay site http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/Armstrongs-Vintage-Emporium__W0QQ_armrsZ1. Ebay is scary for buying but just remember to measure yourself carefully as dress sizes have totally changed over the years and try to get stuff you can put through the washing machine as some items may be fusty. My current irrational desires run to wool capes, tailored dresses, anything cashmere and big cocktail rings.

More Paris

2009-11-30T05:46:00.001-08:00

Another anniversary visit to Paris later and more recommends and non-recommends. Good Places to visit: Musee des Arts et Metiers (Science Museum), immortalised in the novel Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco it houses said pendulum along with a weird and wonderful array of science equipment, vehicles, gadgets housed in amazing buildings including an old church. Any churches, you can just nip in and there are some amazing gothic, baroque, romanesque, you name it, interiors to ogle. Rodin Museum, lovely if decrepit mansion of gorgeous figure sculptures set in formal gardens. Watch out for sociopathic pigeons by cafe though. Bad places: The Louvre, amazing collections set in some fantastic rooms but a frankly insane and panic inducing quantity of people. The Pantheon, weird church/republican shrine with creepy catacomb and hilariously awful triumphalist paintings. Also had not heard of most of the famous people in there anyway. Go see Tomb of Napoleon in Les Invalides instead, that is fantastic. Good places to eat: Cojean Cafe on small square east of Louvre (never eat in the Louvre) serves interesting sandwiches and salads. La Greuze on Rue Soufflot near the Sorbonne has Belgian food, great steaks and a mind-boggling selection of beer. Brasserie Balzar on Rue des Ecoles in the same area for classic French food in an original 30s interior and waiters with big aprons and 'taches.

See Leeds

2009-09-14T08:51:00.000-07:00

For the second stop-off of the holiday we went to Leeds. We stayed in the Malmaison Hotel which was really great, even if it was just down from the gay village. Highlights of Leeds include The Royal Armouries (spend a whole day, as well as amazing collections they have fascinating talks, re-enactors, jousting, falconry etc etc). Shopping is a must in Leeds with beautiful covered arcades housing seriously designer shops and nifty eateries to many vintage and alternative outlets. We liked OK Comics (great selection with a relaxing sofa area for reading) and Rose & Co with gorgeous historic shop interior, amazing toiletries (Zam-Buk!) and retro dresses and undies downstairs including Stop Staring, in the girliest shop imaginable. Also huge Borders with many many amazing books (although half price Art of Dior book was too heavy to carry, sadly.) The Leeds Market is the original home of M&S and now houses fantastic butchers, bakers, cafes and market stalls selling Everything at great prices.

Rediscovered authors

2009-09-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how this was sparked off but I am currently re-enjoying (is that a word?) some of my favourite books and authors from my younger years. Alice in Wonderland is more a work of philosphical genius so is always worth going back to. Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series is still fantastic, but best of all is Diana Wynne Jones. I'm currently enjoying The Ogre Downstairs which is, inexplicably, out of print at the moment and just finished Charmed Life and Howl's Moving Castle. HMC is also an amazing animated film which is highly recommended, apparently Castle in the Sky (ditto) is also one of Diana's but I haven't read that yet. I used to read a lot of fantasy when I was younger, a genre I still really like when I can find anything entertaining.

Natural Beauty

2009-08-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Avoid chemical overload (and before anyone complains I know everything is made of chemicals...) but I mean petrochemicals, preservatives etc. You don't want that stuff soaking into your skin and hair do you? Natural beauty products can be a bit hit and miss but these are my fave lines. Lush, for fun bathproducts especially the famous bath bombs, totally non-allergic creams with wonderful floral scents. Burts Bees, which my Mum introduced me to, are fantastic and more reliable in terms of textures and results. Dead Sea by Yarden has minerals from the Dead Sea in which help exzema and skin problems, they do a great facewash and bath products including a scarily vigorous body scrub and amazing frankincense scented bath salt with floaty petals.

TV is like Buses

2009-08-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

All the good programmes come at once! Currently I am enjoying The Proms, Coast series 2, Desperate Romantics with the gorgeous Aidan Turner, What to Eat Now and Economy Gastronomy. Better Half is loving The Sky at Night. We also have a great programme about the history of the Open University on the HDD Recorder. (Along with many films I feel I ought to see but always end up watching Alias on DVD instead, possibly my favourite programme of all time. Mostly I watch it while Better Half plays World of Warcraft, to drown out the shouts of Kill the Orc!) Really I feel good TV should be saved for the long Aberdonian winters when I hibernate with stodge for months, but thanks anyway to the BBC.

Plantmania

2009-07-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

As I am an unlucky person with no garden (btw why do people with gardens always moan about what hard work they are, so tactless...) my growing energy is channelled into my houseplants. I have eighteen currently in a small flat. If you are worried about growing plants do just give it a go as most are pretty forgiving really. Most interesting are... venus flytrap (carnivorous plant, I am very fascinated by these) cycad (dinosaur era fern, grows new leaves in a big batch annually) and aloe vera (a new one, sap from leaves heals sunburn).I rescue plants from work and from the 'almost dead' section in B&Q. Sadly in Aberdeen the long dark winters kill many of my herb plants including all my attempts to grow indoor chillies.

Bruges Report I

2009-06-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

Places we visited......
Stadhuis, town hall dating back to 1375
Basilica of the Holy Blood, with actual blood from Jesus
Church of our Lady, tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgandy, Michaelangelo sculpture
Gruuthuse Museum, 1400s house with lovely interiors and old chapel
Hans Memling Museum, interesting medieval hospital with amazing altarpiece by Hans Memling
St Salvator Cathedral, huge church from 1100s on
Groeninge Museum, art and applied arts from early Renaissance
Folk Museum, in old almshouses
St Anna's Church, amazing baroque interior in black, white and gold

Bruges is a great city for walking, crammed with tiny old streets and interesting shops.

Food culture

2009-06-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

Had interesting cooking session with my Stepmum today. In Chinese culture, noodles are for welcoming and dumplings are given when you leave. I always wondered why weird dumplings were forced on me often as I was legging it towards the car! The Chinese have symbolic foods for just about every occasion, as do we if you think about it. She showed me how to make boiled dumplings which are a bit like stuffed pastas. A mix of pork mince, prawns, cabbage, spring onion, ginger, garlic bound with egg is placed on a dough round held in the hand. This is then pinched and folded together to make a parcel which is boiled. They are dipped in Chiangking vinegar as you eat. This is a traditional dish from northern China.

Great Food Magazines.

2009-06-02T11:04:00.000-07:00

For me there is only one great food magazine; Gourmet (US publication). Which I first discovered at my bros house in St Louis. Try it, you'll like it. From hence this summer dessert triumph. EASY. One sweet pastry case. One big tub marscapone cheese (mixed with 1tspn each vanilla and lemon juice if you can be bothered) Strawberries or possibly raspberries. Bit of syrup made with booze (port preferably)or fruit juice and sugar. Put cream cheese in pastry case. Top with fruit. Top with drizzle of syrup. Like cheesecake but easier. No accompaniment needed, it's all in there. Gorge down not worrying about fatty cream cheese and concentrating on healthy fresh fruit part.

Stew in a Jar

2009-05-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am currently experimenting with stews in jars from our nice local French deli. When I had horrible flu Alistair bought the cassoulet in a jar which was fantastic. Cassoulet has a bit of everything....duck, sausage, white beans in a yummy, gloopy and I fear fatty base. This week I got the Coq au Vin in a jar which I am currently heating on the hob. Should I progress to try tins? I have a fear of tins but perhaps worth it if I can find anything interesting in a tinned format? From my childhood I fondly remember tinned foods....Fray Bentos pies, ravioli, spaghetti rings, corned beef and condensed milk. Is the tin a victim of food snobbery perhaps?

French cookery bender

2009-05-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

To try and expunge the horror of my gruesome First Aid Training from my head, this weekend is devoted to a French Cookery Bender. Sat dinner: lettuce with french dressing and walnuts, steak with bearnaise sauce and chips, pears in butterscotch sauce. Apart from spraying bearnaise sauce over myself as I stirred crazily on the hob and waking up in the night trying to remember how much butter I'd eaten in it, totally excellent. Today: pistachio macaroons, chocolate pots, chicken in cider. Chocolate pots is the easiest ever. Melt dark choc in same amount double cream, put in ramekins, put in fridge. This one had orange in and tastes (surprise?) like Terry's chocolate orange. Which is basically good. I don't know how the French stay thin though, it's not the healthiest food in the world......

Feed blokes and get them to cook...

2009-05-06T12:04:00.000-07:00

This may seem a bit un-PC but seeing as I'm married and all that. The thorny question...what do blokes like to eat and how can you get them to make stuff? Answer 1: red meat. Steaks with frites and any French food seems to go down well. Any pudding involving custard, preferably the kind with real cream and eggs. A big no from my bloke to veggie food, vegetables generally and anything low-cal (unless stealthily presented). Answer 2: Buy him The Len Deighton Action Cookbook. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Action-Cook-Book-Len-Deighton/dp/0007305877 It's by a thriller writer, it has a gun on the cover (on my edition although the others are also seriously kitsch retro-cool), features top advice on wine, parties, cigars and how to make proper French food. I gained interest in it btw after seeing Michael Caine's famous shopping and cooking scene in The Ipcress File, by Len Deighton. You could also try the excellent Hairy Bikers cookbooks for the more adventurous...

Spices Online

2009-04-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to big up this great website for 'The Spice Shop'
http://www.thespiceshop.co.uk/catalog.php?c=5#p764
If like me you live in a small and not very cosmopolitan city this is fantastic! Also much cheaper and better than supermarkets. Only problem is I always buy tons of weird and interesting things and then don't use them. But then I also shy away from weird and interesting recipes cos I don't have the stuff. Note to self: plan more...

Make-up phobic

2009-04-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

A brave first for me today. Ready for the wedding attendance on Sat I went to the Clinique counter in Boots and got advice on foundation. I usually go goth pale due to a fear of David Dickinson style orange but the girl helped me get something more natural. And apparently you use a brush not a sponge to put it on with now? I feel about 100. Speaking of as you hit your 30s normal skin becomes blotchy, creasy, hangover shadowy skin all the time. But as I don't always want to look like I've been on an all-nighter action had to be taken.

Party Food

2009-04-09T08:07:00.000-07:00

OK, so I was going to keep my dinner party menu a surprise but Someone blabbed. Cooking for friends can be tricky as there are so many likes/dislikes. First up is cocktails with homemade cheese straws (puff pastry, spread with parmesan and other things such as chilli/mustard/anchovy paste etc.) This is a Victorian recipe and they loved strong flavours and little savouries. Then chicken tagine with apricots and couscous. An easy, as I am out all day and better half will have to make it (no offense). The a Paris-style finale from Nigella Domestic Goddess, choc meringue with choc custard layers. Very excited about this having just licked out the custard pan. I bought a girly cakestand to put it on this morning.
Top tips for dinners: avoid weird foods (and fish, shellfish, rare meat). Have lots of drink in. Nibbles buy you time. Cook as much as possible in advance.

Pineapple and Renaissance

2009-04-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

Firstly, I'd like to big up the Landmark Trust who rent out as holiday homes the most amazingly fab historic buildings in random rural locations. The Pineapple in Dunmore is a pineapple shaped pavilion flanked by 2 gardeners cottages. There's an open fire and view of the Ochil hills and there aint a phone, TV or computer so you can relax from the information overload.
The holiday also turned out to be a bit of a renaissance fest as we went to Falkland Palace, Stirling Castle and Linlithgow Palace, all favoured haunts of James IV-VI. The tapestry weavers at Stirling were amazing, you can see them making a series of huge unicorn tapestries in a little workshop.

Mrs Beeton menu

2009-03-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

Mrs Beeton still delivers the goods! Today I cooked a three course dinner (she recommends eight...) from my 1920s Mrs Beeton's Household Management. I thought the food would be bland and stodgy but it was tasty and very approachable. Starter was puff pastry cheese twists with anchovy paste, then chicken wrapped in bacon with tartare sauce and finally chocolate blancmange. I loved blancmange as a kid and this was both dead easy and tasted just like Cadbury's Dairy Milk. To make...heat 1 pint whole milk in a pan, melt in 100g dark choc, then melt in 7 leaves gelatine, add 1oz sugar and splash vanilla. Put in a bowl and set in fridge for a few hours.
Only difficulty with Mrs Beeton is adjusting to old measurements (a gill?) and instructions like 'over a clear fire'. But with over 1000 pages, I'll be back for more...

Coffee Cake Crisis

2009-03-17T11:37:00.000-07:00

The lemon loaf cake from my Dan Lepard cookbook was a great success (if rather small) but the coffee cake is a b****r. First time it was overcooked, flat and biscuit like. This time after reducing temperature and time it seemed Ok texturally but rose up in the oven then collapsed, still in the oven, 5 mins later. I think it must be the tricky mix with the veg oil and whisked egg. Do I keep making it obsessively until I crack it or should I move on? I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO THE LETTER BOTH TIMES! I will fill the dents with buttercream and hope no-one notices...

Cold cure

2009-03-14T08:08:00.000-07:00

An infallible and delicious cold cure is the traditional Scottish Hot Toddy.
Dissolve 1 teaspoon of honey in a mug of hot water. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of whisky, a clove and put in a cinnamon stick for stirring. Better than Lemsip. It worked for me.

Vintage Blatherings

2009-03-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

A two part post. Firstly to say, should you ever be in Belfast, do nip into BestVintage. A great little shop just off the town square and Very Cheap (almost a miracle in most vintage shops now). I got a fab little black cropped wool jacket for only £7. Great stock of dresses and footwear, menswear. There is also a fab
Secondly, if ironing linen drives you Crrrazy, use spray starch on it. I was given mine at my hen-do to use on my better half 'on the wedding night'. If you can't imagine what for you have led a rather sheltered life....

Surreal Heston

2009-03-05T10:50:00.000-08:00

The chocolate marble cake was good, if I say so myself.
Strongly recommended for cooking enthusiasts is Heston Blumenthal's new Series 'Feast' on Channel 4. The first was a Victorian feast based on Alice in Wonderland, which is one of my favourite books. Heston is a crazed genius and the food was beautiful, beyond weird and very bizzare. The sequence with the jelly and the sex shop was one of the funniest things I've seen for years...I would love to meet Heston and eat his food as I feel we have a similar odd sense of humour.
The first episode is available on
http://www.channel4.com/video/brandless-catchup.jsp?vodBrand=hestons-feasts

New cookbook!

2009-03-02T13:01:00.001-08:00

Triggered by my enthusiasm for the Guardian Baking Guide (excellent, if now crusted and stained) I just got 'Exceptional Cakes' by Dan Lepard. It is a fantastic baking book with lots of detailed instructions, chemistry and explanations and glossy pics and only £5.99 bargain. My first project is chocolate marble cake, tomorrow on my day off, and will work up to the tricky stuff like choux pastry with any luck. I like cookbooks with pics and lots of blerb otherwise I can't tell if the things have worked out right. Will report back on progress.......

Fast Flat Food

2009-02-19T12:50:00.000-08:00

Are you in a rush to cook when you get back from work...........Now fast food is flat food. Get your chicken breast, pork loin chop etc, put it on a board, cover with clingfilm and bash flat with a rolling pin. It's great. Stress relief and speedy frying in one! Plus it looks nice too. (don't do this with bony things, apparently they do in China but it gets splintery.)