Tag Archives: loves

Currently… January Edition

currently

January 2019

Currently Reading… Batman: War Games


I am re-reading a lot of my old comic books this year. First up is the Batgirl run, featuring Cassandra Cain. To tie-in with this, I plan to read all the cross-overs from the early 2000s. So this month, I re-read the three Batman: War Games trade paperbacks.


Currently Watching… Game of Thrones
In preparation for the final season of Game of Thrones this April, I plan to re-watching all the previous seasons. Rather than binge-watch all the season the fortnight before season 8 airs. I intend to watch a few seasons each month and am using this handy guide in a bullet journal to track my progress. In January, I only managed to finished season one. So I have a long way to go!
Currently Playing…  Lemmings iOS app
One of the first games I became addicted to was Lemmings on the Sega GameGear. In fact, Lemmings was the first game I completed. (I remember the end title with the lemmings doing the can-can). This is a fun version of the original game. You only have a few lives every few hours, similar to Candy Crush Saga. So I don’t see myself become too addicted again.

Loving…

January 2019
  1. Star Wars Deluxe Stationery Set £9 from Amazon
    I got this amazing stationery set for Christmas and I love it! Firstly it contains paperclips shaped like Stromtroppers. And secondly, it has Star Wars washi tape! I cannot wait to do a Star Wars themed monthly spread for my bullet journal. Whilst the obvious time would be for the release of Episode 9 in December. I am not sure I can wait that long. So may end up doing it for Star Wars Day in May.
  2. Stationery Shirt £20 from Joanie Clothing
    At the moment I might be wearing sweaters all the time. Even so, I am always looking out for fun, interesting t-shirts. This stationery themed tee from Joanie Clothing is exactly my kind of thing! I have always loved t-shirts with contrasting edging, as they have a retro feel. But the stationery print is just amazing.
  3. Strawberry Body Butter £15 from Body Shop.
    In the colder weather my skin always dries out. So I need to moisturise every day. I know I should anyway, but I can be lazy. I have used the Body Shop body butter for years. I prefer the fruiter smells like strawberry or mango. As they not only remind me of summer but also my teenage years. Does anyone else remember Dewberry or Fuzzy Peach?
  4. Harry Potter Moleskine Notebook £23 from Amazon
    In previous years, I have always started a new Bullet Journal in January. However, it seems such a shame to only use three-quarters of a notebook. So this year I didn’t buy a new journal in January. But it hasn’t stopped me lusting after the Harry Potter collection by Moleskine.
  5. Disney Infinity Figures price varies from eBay.
    Recently I was looking for a customized lego figure in eBay and came across a Disney Infinity figure of Ahsoka Tano. Originally, these were add-ons to the console game. As the game is no longer updates, it seems the old figures have no use. So a lot of the used figures are on eBay. However, I think they are too cute and am looking to add a few more to my collection to display!

The Disappointment of the Month
As regular readers will know I love my coffee. So in January, I tried the new Cereal Latte from Starbucks. I have tried cereal milk in the past. Which tastes like milk left in the bowl after you have a sugary cereal. So I was expecting their latte to be a similar taste. Instead, this was an oat milk latte with crumbs of cereal added. The result ended up as a plain latte that someone had dunked half a hobnob into! As you can imagine, I was not impressed!

DISCLAIMER
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I will earn a commission.
You will not pay more when buying a product through my link. 
You can read my full disclaimer policy here.

Leave a comment

5 Favourite Things About Halloween

fandom_friday

Five Things I Love About Halloween
    1. My Birthday: The Halloween traditions in our family are going to be a little different than most you see Halloween is an extra special day for me as it is also my birthday!
      Halloween Decorations
    2. Decorations: I love decorating the house for any occasion, and this day is a double whammy for me, so it is fair to say the decorations in our home at a little over the top. This is our bedroom from a few years ago!
    3. Halloween Themed Food: In the States they seem to really embrace “Halloween” themed food, luckily this is a trend that it catching on in the U.K. I’ve noticed Cadbury and Kipling’s both do Halloween variations of their products.
    4. Cadbury’s Screme Eggs: Which brings me to my fourth favourite thing. Cadbury’s Creme Eggs used to be reserved for Easter, but a few years ago they introduced a Halloween variation with a gooey green filling, so now I get to enjoy my favourite chocolate later in the year.
    5. Catching up with Family & Friends: As well as having my birthday at the end of October, I have several friends and family members with birthdays around then, so it is always a perfect time to meet-up, gossip, and celebrate.

Thank you The Nerdy Girlie & Super Space Chick for creating Fandom Friday check out their blogs for more information. Or follow the #fandom5 or #5fandomfriday on Twitter.

Leave a comment

Five Fandom Friday

5 Pumpkin Items Cannot Wait To Purchase

5 Pumpkin Items Cannot Wait To Purchase
  1. PSL – It will come as no surprise to readers of the blog that the first thing I love to buy when autumn rolls around is a Pumpkin Spice Latte! In fact autumn hasn’t truly arrived until I have had my first sip.
  2. Pumpkin Puree – Autumn is a great time to get baking, I have already shared some of the recipes I want to try this year. The one thing I need for all this baking is Libby’s Pumpkin Puree!
  3. Pumpkin Candles – As I mentioned in the last Fandom Friday, when visiting the States in the autumn my first stop is Starbucks for a PSL, my second is Bath and Body Works to stock up on scented candles, bubble bath, shower gel and antibac. Seeing as we aren’t going to America this year, I am looking for a substitute pumpkin candle – until I find one I will make do with the Infamous Boyfriend Candle.
  4. Philosophy Pumpkin Icing Shower Gel – My search for autumnal scented products did uncover Philosophy’s Pumpkin Icing Shower Gel, I have used their Pumpkin Pie variety before – and it’s amazing for adding a quick burst of autumn into my morning routine.
  5. Pumpkin Spice Latte M&Ms – I adore M&Ms so of course I was over the moon when I read about these limited edition PSL version. Unfortunately, they are not available in the UK (not even in a M&M World Store), but some quick stalking of some US stores online have produced some leads.
    Edit: Amazon have them.

fandom_friday
Thank you The Nerdy Girlie & Super Space Chick for creating Fandom Friday check out their blogs for more information. Or follow the #fandom5 or #5fandomfriday on Twitter.

6 Comments

5 Favourite Things About Autumn

fandom_friday

  1. Pumpkins – I have mentioned before how I love going to the pumpkin patch at the beginning of October to buy decorations for the house, I also stock up on canned pumpkin purée for cooking. I hate pumpkin pie, but love experimenting with other recipes, cheesecake, muffins and cupcakes. This year I want to try to make pumpkin pancakes.
  2. PSL– following on from loving pumpkin flavours food, I am obsessed with Pumpkin Spice Latte’s. Oddly the drink has only been available in the Starbucks in UK for the last three years, before that I had to order the syrup online or binge drink them when we were on vacation in America. When we went to Las Vegas I even brought I drink at the airport before collecting my suitcase from the carousel.
    Finished Gretel
  3. Berets – autumn is all about layers, I do love scarves and chunky cardigans, but for me autumn is all about the beret. Every year I like to knit myself a new hat (normally a beret) in the new colour of the season. This weekend I will take my hats out of storage (I put them away over the summer in a box with lavender bags) ready for the colder months.
  4. Birthdays – Yes I know you can have a birthday at anytime of year but both my husband and I celebrate our birthdays during the autumn, just a few weeks apart. This means that from the end of October to mid-November our calendar is filled with outings for our birthdays. Over the last few years we have both celebrated big birthdays so this has involved a vacation, but normally its a few meals, maybe an afternoon tea and lots of cocktails!
    Halloween Afternoon Tea
  5. My birthday actually falls on Halloween (my final favourite thing about autumn), this means that a lot of activities around my birthday have a Halloween theme – which I love! It also gives me an excuse to decorate the house in Halloween/birthday hybrid of decorations!

Thank you The Nerdy Girlie & Super Space Chick for creating Fandom Friday check out their blogs for more information. Or follow the #fandom5 or #5fandomfriday on Twitter.

Leave a comment

Five Fandom Friday

fandom_friday

5 Fandom Deaths I’m Still Upset About…SPOILERS!

One of the downsides to any fandom is the amount of time you can invest in the lives of your favourite characters – so it is obvious sometimes can be deeply affected when one of those characters dies. These are some of the deaths that still upset me.

  1. Paul Ballard (Dollhouse).Paul & Echo in DOLLHOUSEThis list could have been entirely made up of deaths from Joss Whedon shows, the one that still upsets me is Paul from Dollhouse. Whilst Dollhouse isn’t the  most popular shows from the Whedonverse, it is one of my favourites. In the second season I became engrossed in the relationship between Echo and Paul. In the final episode, Paul is gunned down whilst saving Mag as Echo watches. In the end Echo does imprint herself with Paul’s wedge and finally opens up to him so they can live happily every after, but it should have been a happier ending.
  2. Obiwan “Ben” Kenobi (Star Wars)
    ObiwanNow when I originally watched A New Hope as a child this death wasn’t so upsetting, but since they having seen several more Star Wars movies and the Clone Wars series, I have come to love Obiwan as a character, he had an extremely sad life, losing his mentor and apprentice, watching his kind be hunted and killed until he is forced into hiding. Then years later his life is turned upside down again and he sacrifices himself hoping he can turn the tide in this bloody war.
  3. Sirius Black (Harry Potter).
    Sirius BlackThere are so many deaths in the Harry Potter franchise I am still upset about Hedwig, Dobby, Fred, the list goes on. The first death in the books that truly upset me was Sirius. In Prisoner of Azkaban, we have a hint that Harry might have some happiness in his life when he discovers the truth about godfather, finally Harry has someone who wants to spend time with him during the holidays and maybe the first glimpse he could have a normal wizard life. Of course, all hope of Harry’s life turning around are quickly lost in Order of the Phoenix.
  4. Pietro “Quicksilver” Maximoff (Avengers: Age of Ultron)
    QuicksilverYes in comics and the MCU no one really dies, but this one seems to be real. The two things that stand out about Quicksilver where his overprotective nature and his wit, he had all the makings to be a great addition to The Avengers! Unfortunately, his efforts to save a young boy and Hawkeye caused his demise and the first upsetting deaths in the MCU (the second being that of Anthony the Ant).
  5. Ellie Fredricksen (UP)
    Ellie & CarlIn my opinion, the greatest love story ever told is that of Carl and Ellie Fredricksen! Ellie was the adventurer and dreamer, whilst she dreamed of a family and travelling the world, that was not her lot, instead her adventure was a long happy marriage to Carl. The first ten minutes of UP layout an amazing love story and one of the saddest moments of recent cinema.

Thank you The Nerdy Girlie & Super Space Chick for creating Fandom Friday check out their blogs for more information. Or follow the #fandom5 or #5fandomfriday on Twitter.

Leave a comment

(P)inspirational- Kidsilk Haze

pinspiration
I have already expressed my love for Kidsilk Haze and how I wished to use the yarn more (which may have resulted in a purchase or two). Ideally, I would love to knit a larger garment in the yarn.

As Rowan are constantly changing their range and adding new yarns and varieties to Kidsilk range (currently it is Eclipse and Stripe), they also produce pattern books to go with the new yarn, the original books all seemed to have a vintage feel, whereas the current collections seem to be a lot more modern and wearable.

Although this pattern is designed for Kidsilk Haze Eclipse, I think it would be an amazing everyday sweater in Steel (664) and Wicked (599), although I which I would have the courage to knit it in brighter colours like Candy Girl (606) and Grace (580).

As I explained before my first experience knitting with Kidsilk Haze and beads was a bit of a disaster, but that doesn’t mean I’m not tempted to try again. I think this glamorous sweater would be perfect for nights out during the Christmas season or if you were celebrating a milestone birthday in a few months (as I am).

Whereas, Kidsilk Haze does look amazing in stockinette, lets not forget it is a lace-weight and looks stunning if used in a simple lace pattern, this vest, with its thicker ribbed waistband and elegant lace is also an amazing top for a special occasion.

Leave a comment

Kidsilk Haze…

… or cracksilk haze as knitters affectionately call it.

When I rediscovered my love of knitting, I would love going to John Lewis yarn department and exploring all the yarn. Every trip I would be drawn towards the Rowan’s Kidsilk Haze, the colours, the texture and just how fine it was (then it was one of the few commercial lace-weights John Lewis stocked). This was all pre-stash, when I would just buy yarn for a set project – so I never indulged in purchasing any.

I remember seeing a photo in the Knitting forum on Livejournal (does anyone else remember LJ?), where someone had made a garter stitch shawl using kidsilk haze and larger needles to adding simple yarn-overs to make a triangle shawl – it looked stunning – however was not something I would wear. Later on the same forum someone shared a pattern for scarf with beaded edging, which I knew I would wear!

Kidsilk Haze - Dewberry
Kidsilk Haze – Dewberry

I picked dewberry shade as I loved the purple and already had some purple beads from some bracelets I had made that summer. Following the pattern notes, I used clear nail varnish to make a “needle”  and threaded the beads on to the yarn (this was all completely new to me) and couldn’t wait to cast on.

My first attempt was a disaster, I wasn’t use to knitting with beads let along “fuzzy” yarn and as a result ended up with a lot of errors in the first few rows – which I couldn’t frog – so it ended up in the bin. Determined I tried again and after a few nights work, I had the most amazing soft, purple scarf perfect for the upcoming autumn.

It was one of the first knitting pieces I regularly wore, It would have been in the autumn of 2004 (even before this knitting blog) I use to wear it over a grey pea-coat, and even took it on holiday (we went to Chicago and it snowed a lot), I always felt proud wearing it, because I made the scarf but also because the yarn was seemed to be so luxurious, I felt like a proper knitter.

Kidsilk Haze
Kidsilk Haze

The following year, my love of knitting increased and I started buying more yarn – mainly still for projects but slowly just because, one thing I always seemed to come home with was a ball of Kidsilk Haze or its varieties – that year they expanded the range to include “Spray” and “Night.” I embarked on a crazy notion to knit scarves for all my friends and family members and eventually made 10 scarves to give away as Christmas gifts.

I still have odd balls of the yarn in my stash (I never seemed to buy enough for a larger garment), but haven’t used this yarn in years (although I think that might be about to change).

1 Comment

The Things I Love _ September

TTIL - Sept 2012

  1. Orla Kiely for Uniqlo (Prices Vary)
    I adore Uniqlo for my basics – t-shirts, cardigans and coloured jeans, This year they have done a couple of interesting collaborations, with Laura Ashley, Lulu Guiness and Orla Kiely – so my t-shirts have suddenly become very colourful. This week, they launched their Autumn/Winter Orla Kiely Collection, which is just amazing, long sleeve t-shirts, tunic dresses and scarves all in the classic Orla Kiely prints!
  2. Bloglovin – Free (just have to register online)
    Ever since Bloglines closed a few years ago, I have been hunting for a new RSS reader, I tried Google Reader for a long time and it seemed to be working, then I discovered Bloglovin which is clean, easy to use and has some amazing extra features, like buttons to post to twitter, or pinterest, and a plugin for Chrome to tell you when you have new posts to read.
  3. Revlon Just Bitten £18 from Boots
    Normally, when it comes to make-up I am a MAC addict, but recently I was out sans lip-gloss so had to find a colour from the High Street. In Boots, I discovered this new lip balm from Revlon, with a minty tingle and a pop of colour, perfect for moisturizing your lips in the autumn.
  4. Downton Abbey – N/A (Season 1 & 2 on Amazon).
    I think I am the last person to discover this show! A friend loaned me the DVD’s early in the summer and the box set has sat on the side gathering dust over the Olympics, but in my post-sport blues I thought I would give it a go. It was the perfect antidote to the intense Olympics, a nice relaxing period drama. I can see the new season becoming part of my weekly routine, relaxing viewing on the Sunday night to wind down after the weekend before the work week begins.
  5. Cool Lime Refresha – Varies from Starbucks
    For each season, I have a Starbucks drink, Gingerbread Latte’s for Christmas season, Vanilla Spiced Latte for the rest of winter, Mocha Frappuccino for the Summer – although they are amazingly high in calories, so I love their alternative summer drinks, like the Lemon Frappuccino from a few years ago. This year, there drinks are Refresha, low-calorie pick-me-up  coffee drinks without the coffee flavour, instead the Cool Lime version tastes like a virgin Mojito.
Leave a comment

The Things I Love – London 2012

TTIL - August 2012

This Month’s Things I Love has a very London 2012 theme!

    1. Burger and Lobster, two locations in London, prices vary.
      Visiting London, want somewhere amazing to eat, check out Burger and Lobster. There is no menu here as they only have 3 things on the menu, Burger, Lobster or a Lobster Roll (which I can fully recommend), each which is £20. They do have a pretty impressive drinks menu, complete with an array of cocktails. Lobster and Cocktails – what more does a girl need!
    2. Team GB Scarf £5 Next
      I am loving the Olympics and have wanted to show off my Team GB pride, but without kitting myself out head to toe in merchandise. I wanted something small, wearable and something I wouldn’t mind wearing in a months time. I think this little scarf does the trick, it’s small enough to attach to my handbag but larger enough to wave about during the national anthem.
    3. London 2012 Join In app Free
      I have been pleasantly surprised with the quality of Official apps for the Olympics, but I have been amazed with this one, the location feature shows you interesting events happening in area, from outdoor screens to watch the games, the national hospitality houses around town, as well as the normal sporting events.
    4. Butter London Nail Polish, Heavy Medal Collection  £30
      Now, I love my nail varnishes, and it seems every nail polish brand out there has done an Olympics or Jubilee themed nail varnish, but I’m not sure I would like to do the whole red, white and blue thing, I was on the lookout for different. I think this works, the Heavy Medal Collection – bronze, silver and gold! As well as working for the Olympics these shades will be brilliant in the party season at the end of the year!
    5. Kate Spade London Calling Bangle $88 Kate Spade Stores
      This bangle has been on my wish list for a while, and I am thinking now is the perfect time to buy it, chunky, red and quoting an amazing song – what more to you need. I also think it will look great with my Brooklyn version of the bracelet.
Leave a comment

The Things I Love_July

TTIL - July 12

  1. Suits Season 1 available from Amazon
    I watched a few episodes of these series when it aired earlier this year, and brought the DVD on a whim, however I was quickly hooked – yes it is yet another law room drama, but it also features whitty chat, hundreds of movie quotes and a pretty good soundtrack. Oh and Harvey Specter is the Man!
  2. The Stone Roses Available on CD/Digital Download
    Often when asked I will always say 1996 was the best year for music, in my opinion so many great albums where released in that year, it was also the year one of my favourite bands split up. For the next 15 years, me like many other Stone Roses fans waited for reunion, every few years a rumor would appear, and just as quickly it would disappear, until last year! Within the space of three days, the reunion was confirmed, a tour was announced and tickets went on sale. Well that amazing concert was last weekend – and luckily we were there, in anticipation of the concert I have been listening to this album all month.
  3. Song Pop (Free app).
    A few weeks ago, I friend mentioned this addictive new app, which was a “name that tune” type game, I pointed out I knew nothing about modern music, but then he said out you could pick an era or genre to guess from. So I downloaded it, and I was hooked. The game is like Draw Something, you take turns listening to music and trying to name the artist or song.
  4. The Lizzie Bennetts Diaries (Free)
    This is a new love (as in yesterday when someone sent me the link), Have you ever imagined what if in Pride and Prejudice was written today, and Elizabeth Bennett kept a v-log explaining her meeting with Darcy and subsequent adventures? Well now you don’t have to. Hank Green and Bernie Su have done it for you, these humorous videos by Lizzie and Charlotte (which occasionally feature her sisters), give a modern spin to Austen’s classic tale.
  5. Samba Swirl Several locations in London, prices vary.
    Regular readers of this blog will know I love FroYo, (no trip to Selfridges is complete without a trip to Pinkberry), when I discovered this place near our house I had to give it ago. They work a little differently from traditional stores, as it is all self service. They have up to 6 flavours to try from (and these change each day), then you can add your fruit, sweets etc. Finally the whole thing is weighed to determine the price – just like in the pick and mix. So far, I have tried the Pistachio, Cookies n’ Cream and White Choc Macadamia – and keep going back for more.
Leave a comment