Cool Shit Monday: Wintery Wonders

It's bloody freezing here in Dunedin today and I'm sitting on my couch waiting for the snow to roll in.  I hope it does - what's the point in enduring biting cold wind and rain if it doesn't turn into pretty white snow flakes?  It's definitely a 'cool' Monday though.  So I thought I'd do some cool winter shit.

www.moderninkmag.com

Well firstly on a cold day you need some good reading material.  I do love a good book and there's nothing quite like curling up with one but I have recently discovered (I know I'm a bit behind the times) that there are a whole slew of online magazines, and they are FREE PEOPLE!  So you get to have all the awesome articles and info and hot tips and you can ignore the "How to Know If You're Needy or Nerdy" and other pointless fodder.  Actually, I don't tend to buy magazines that have those ridiculous "help" articles in them but these ones definitely stay away from anything of that ilk.  These are worth checking out but you will lose hours of your day in doing so.  Perfect for a cold day on the couch!

www.sweetlivingmagazine.co.nz

I am keen to add one of these beautiful patterns to my long list of "Things to Make".  I discovered one of their pattern books in Spotlight the other week and had been 'visiting' the book just to keep me interested (does anyone else do this?  Visit the things they want to buy, without actually buying them??), then I figured I could use this new fangled interweb thingy and I found all the patterns online, plus you can buy their gorgeous-looking merino yarn to make them with.  I have my eye on one of these dresses for Edie.  Keep her snuggly on cold Dunedin days.

Speaking of keeping Edie snuggly, I love these cute jackets from Hatley.  And as if they are sickeningly cute enough, you can get the matching gumboots.  The parcel from Aunty Natalie that I mentioned the other day contained this one.  Lucky Edie!  They don't ship to New Zealand unfortunately, but I'm sure you can find an American to post you one, plus some Reeces' Pieces.  Every parcel that comes from the States should have compulsory Reeces' Pieces.

Source: www.skinnytaste.com

Enough kiddy stuff, let's get down to some more cool shit for grown ups.  Roasts.  I didn't grow up in a house where we did the Sunday roast so I don't have that emotional comfort food attachment to the meal as so many others seem to.  However we bought a lamb roast the other day and cooked it with some taties from my father-in-law's garden (I could do a whole post about that garden.  It's like something out of a Beatrix Potter story), a bit of pumpkin and some steamed broccoli.  Even writing that does nothing to whet my appetite and trying to find an enticing picture/recipe of a lamb roast?  Forgeddaboutit (in my world anyway)!  But the roast we cooked was freakin' delicious.  The lamb was tender and tasty and the veges were sweet and perfectly cooked.  I get why people love a good roast.  There's no doubt it's perfect winter food (even if lamb roast is more Spring-like).  So here's a lamb roast for you to salivate over.  If you're that way inclined.


And no roast is complete without pudding.  I love rice pudding but I know it's one of the Zooey Deschanel of desserts - you either love it or hate it - so I think the more universally popular roast accompaniment is apple pie or crumble.  I believe you can tell a lot about a person by their crumble.  Specifically the crumbly part.  My crumble must have brown sugar, whole oats, coconut threads (desiccated coconut: what a waste of space that stuff is), and optional chopped almonds.  I'm not sure what this tells you about me, but I'm sure it's a lot.  The recipe in the picture below uses a cheat's method: toasted muesli, but I guess if you find a yummy toasted muesli it'd be acceptable.  I mostly loved the picture - it does look pretty good!  And I've thrown in a rice pudding for me and all the other Zooey Deschanel lovers out there.

Source: Adeline & Lumiere

With coconut and almonds - that's what I'm talkin' about.
Source: With Style & Grace

And of course you need the perfect spot to sit and knit and read e-mags and eat your roast & pudding while your gorgeous and perfectly self-sufficient child plays outside in the freezing cold in their styly raincoat and gumboots.  A couch is the natural choice on a winter's day.  A soft, squishy, stretch yourself out, kind of couch.  I found it hard to choose one so here are a selection.  Insert the one that tickles your fancy into your Winter Wonder fancy.  Get a bowl of pud and snunky in for the day.

Couch or Bed: Why choose?
Source: www.spraaksel.nl

Pillow Couch - it's calling to me...
Source: Design Squish

Library couch.  Oh to have a mezzanine library
Source: Southern Accents

Nana couch.  Perfect with the rice pud.
Source: www.posy.typepad.com

WTFF: Librarian Chic

I'm finding myself looking forward to Fridays (even more than usual).  I think I'm onto something with this frock thing.  My friend, Emily, joined me in solidarity last week, wearing her blanket dress (I didn't actually see it but it sounds intriguing...).  I think she was pretty jazzed about the whole thing too.  And I went to the dentist last Friday wearing my Parisian Trash and ended up talking with the (female) dentist and the (female) dental assistant about my little endeavour.  They were also suitably enthused and thought it a much more appealing idea than Casual Fridays.  So who's with me??  Get your frock on people and tell me about it!  If you're a lad and you've only got one or two Fridays worth of frock in your wardrobe, you could simply try getting a bit fancy so you and your frockin' ladies can enjoy an after-work aperitif at a suitably classy establishment.  I'm thinking Tom Collins, dry martinis...  You know you want to.

We had snow this week in Dunedin.  I love the snow.  I'm not one of those bah-humbug "snow is such an inconvenience and makes everything dirty and causes road accidents" kind of people.  I grew up in the North Island where snow days are things of mythical proportions so now that I live somewhere that the white stuff can impact on day to day life, I think it's super exciting.  I embrace the halt of normality and revel in the chance to keep all snunky and eat baked goods and watch bad TV.  This snow fall was not much to write home about in Dunedin - Canterbury bore the brunt of the cold - but it did land and make our garden look pretty.  Basically, it's not the week for flimsy cotton dresses, even with tights and a cardi.

It's the week for Librarian Chic.  I paired my dress with a white tuxedo shirt I've had for years and added a ribbon under the collar to tie it in with the tights etc.  This way, I got to keep warm and still rock a frock.

This is a dress that I bought a whole life time ago from one of my favourite designers, Sophie Voon.  I used to go into the store so often and make cow-eyes at the beautiful clothes that eventually they offered me a job running the shop.  I almost cried with joy.  They had a staff wardrobe so I played dress ups every day.  It fit in perfectly with University as I finished my degree.  It was one of those incredibly rare retail jobs where you genuinely love what you are selling and have confidence in your ability to be able share your love with others.  I miss it in some ways.  Of course I put my fare chunk of wages back into the coffers buying my own wardrobe of Voon clothes.  This dress is one of my earlier purchases, possibly even pre-shop employment.  From memory, it was called The Carpet Bag Dress (Sophie always has lovely names for things) and you can see why.  The material has a brushed, soft quality to it and the pattern adds to the 'luxe' feeling of it.  It's stretchy which makes it super comfy and the pattern and texture help hide some of the perils that can come with stretchy dresses.  I have always loved the scoop neck on this dress - it's a neckline that suits my curves and gives the dress some va-va-voom.  It's nicely tempered by the below the knee length - some skin at the top, some coverage at the bottom - good design.

I figured in adding the shirt to it, it changes the va-va-voom but you don't loose the balance as the colour-block is still broken up.  This shirt I bought during the same era as the dress from a shop a couple of doors up from Voon called Juno.  I used to often visit this shop in my lunch breaks and still own some really lovely pieces I bought from there.  I have no idea what happened to the label or to the really lovely girl (Sarah, I think?) that used to design it and run the shop.  I would love to find out what she's doing now.  I hope she's still making awesome clothes.  I was drawn to this shirt because of the tuxedo pleat down the placket - perfect boyfriend chic - and the feminine tailoring (which you can't see under the dress, but it's there).  The cotton has a stretch to it so it's comfy and the square pearl buttons add to the mix of the feminine and masculine.  It's just pretty cool really.

I saw another blog recently (I can't remember what is was) where the girl had added a ribbon under a collar and then when I saw my friend Emily wearing a ribbon under her collar the other day I figured it must be cool.  Without the ribbon, the buttoned-up shirt would look too severe in my opinion so I would have to have left the shirt open and this messes with the neckline of the dress more than I want.  So I tied a hair ribbon around my neck.  As you do.  I was a little worried I'd look like I was about to join a mariachi band, but I think it ties (pun there - so funny) the look together and gives a nice line, drawing the eye down.

I wore patterned tights (not fishnets, thought that might be pushing the theme a bit far) and a pair of very old mary-jane heels just to complete the look.
The earrings were a gift from my mum last year.  She bought them on High St in Auckland at one of those awesome Asian fashion stores.  You know the ones - they import fashion from Asian countries that us big fat whities might actually fit into.  And thankfully even fat whities can wear cute earrings.  I thought they fit in well with my librarian theme.

So there we have it, this week's WTFF: Librarian Chic.  Just a wee final end note - my Mum wanted to know why I haven't been including Edie in WTFF.  As she is my most regular reader (and my Mum) I will bow to pressure.  I had actually intended to include her from the get-go.  You'll note that in the first WTFF she is in a frock (a wee Pumpkin Patch number bought for her by Nana and Aunty Phil), I just never had the time to take photos that day.  And the Parisian Chic Friday she was having a nap when we took the pics.  So today I snapped a couple as she charged around the lounge.  I have yet to master the art of capturing the moving toddler.

Today, Edie was dressed by (you guessed it) Aunty Natalie.  I'm not sure where this cool little number came from but I love the colours and pattern on the cord.  So boho yet so cute.  The smocking around the neck is very cute too.  I paired it with some Boden tights today although I do have other tights for it.  I liked how the blue of these tights picked up the blue of the smocking.  The cardi was knitted by our neighbour who is so lovely although Edie does seem to be genuinely scared of her which is pretty hilarious!  My friends Jane & Darrel gave Edie the cute hair clip for her birthday and she's worn it (percentages not withstanding) most days since.  By the time I took the photo, Edie had ditched her shoes and her wooly hat and so I shall save their awesomeness for another post.  You may note that Edie has accessorised the outfit herself by swinging Dad's black Ice Breaker jersey over her shoulder, catalogue styles.  I commend her flair.

Good Advice (whether you want it or not)

I was a bit gobsmacked the other day when I read this post on a blog I like.  For those of you who can't be bothered clicking (I'm pretty link lazy myself), the post shows the writer defending the publishing of a photo of her child crying.  I'm reposting the photo here so you can see it for yourself.

If you're like me, you're reaction to this photo is probably something like "haha, I know how you feel honey.  Putt putt has driven me to tears too.  And you had to be dragged around with your wee harness.  Oooh cute yellow shoes".
Apparently though, there are many other people out there who did not react with the same level of amusement.  In fact there were many people who responded to this with quite a different reaction.  The writer reported people saying that she was a bad mother and even more extreme, that her child should be taken away from her.
Can I get a "What the actual heck?", please??????

I am not here to debate the pros and cons of having a child wear a harness (or whatever they're called).  I will however quickly defend the idea of taking a photo of an upset child.  Children throw tanties.  It's part of the way most children communicate.  They're expressing their wants and desires and they are testing out every possible method of doing this.  Throwing a wobbly doesn't mean the child is desperately unhappy, just that they don't like something at that particular moment.  So taking a photo of a child in this state is like taking a photo of an adult saying "I'm so bored right now", but it would make a pretty crap photo.  Kids pulling pouty faces is amusing because it's such a fantastically infantile way to communicate.  They (hopefully) only do it for a short period of their lives and so it falls into the "Kids do the Darndest Things" category - lots of people like that category of humour.  Which is why I think this photo of Edie is funny.

We didn't stick pins in her to upset her then laugh uproariously and stick a camera in her face.  The camera was at hand because this was the first time we put her in her fancy new chair and this was her reaction.  As it turns out, it was funny because it was the opposite reaction from what we anticipated.  And because Edie is making her feelings very clear.  It still makes me laugh.

Anyway, this is not the point of my post today.  What I actually want to talk about it why people think it's their place to offer their opinions to others, completely unsolicited.  Especially when that opinion is judgmental and contrary to the behaviour of the recipient.  I freely admit that on more than one occasion, I have given my opinion to someone who didn't want it.  We've all done it, it's not that I'm a terrible person for doing this, just a little injudicious with my thoughts.  However, I have noticed that there are two particular times in one's life when the "advice" comes thick and fast.

The first begins the day you announce that you are engaged to be married.  Suddenly, every woman and her chihuahua is telling you exactly what you should and should not do in the lead up to your wedding day.  Shot gun weddings begin to seem appealing.  Most of this advice comes from the right place - people are trying to be helpful.  They are sharing the learning from their experience, or the experiences of people they know.  Or read about in some magazine.  Or met once at a bus stop.  It's just a reality of your situation and I found it quite easy to just smile and nod and move on.

The second time in one's life when people have verbal advice diarrhea is when you become pregnant.  People tell you how to get through your pregnancy, what you should or shouldn't do in labour, what things you must buy or must not buy... the list seems endless.  And again, it's mostly well-meaning.  You just take what is useful to you and ignore the rest (although it can all be pretty confusing as you really have no idea what the hell you are doing).  And then the child arrives and you now have to negotiate the mine field of raising them - pleeeeeeenty of advice for that too, let me tell you.

But it's when this advice turns to judgement that I become bemused.  "Oh no, you can't do that".  "There's no way you should be doing it that way!".  "You're making a mistake there".

Are people really so obtuse that they can't appreciate that each person's situation is different?  That someone may gain insight from their experiences, but that they are just that - their experiences, not yours.

That girl who took a photo of her child in a single flash of a moment surely has more insight into the well-being and mood of that child then I, as someone at the other end of an internet connection who has never seen let alone met that child, could ever have.  I do appreciate that there are some people who really are unfit to raise their kids and while some behaviours are a clear cut no-no, there are others that work on a scale and are therefore hard determine appropriateness without examination and discussion.  But for the most part, parents are just doing the best they can with the resources they have.  They love their kids and are making what they see as the best choices for them.  I might not agree but I'm not them, I don't have their child.  Who am I to say whether it's right for them or not?

In my (perhaps overly simplistic) opinion, the people who are willing to be so black and white about what is right and wrong are the people who need closer examination.  If they are passing on this inflexibility and lack of tolerance to any children they might have, it does not bode well.  I'm sure we can all think of other societal issues where these attitudes are having a negative effect.

So now that I've ranted about that, I'd just like to send a message of love and acceptance to all you wonderful people.  Take photos of your children throwing tantrums - I will laugh.  Wear black and green to your wedding - I'll still come and drink your bubbly.  You can even give me advice about what I should or shouldn't do.  But if I don't do what you advise, just make sure you talk about me behind my back instead of preaching to my face.  That's the constructive way to do it...

Craft Files: Do the Robot

I thought I'd do a wee post tonight to show you some of the cool crafty stuff that has come across my radar in the last week or two.  By far the most impressive things come from my Mum and my Aunty Phil (no surprises there, these two are craft goddesses after all) but I've thrown in one of my projects just so you can see that I do actually do more than crap on about how useless I am.

My Mum recently finished knitting a cute cardi for my nephew, Marcus, who has just turned two.  She brought it with her when she came to visit for Edie's 1st Birthday.  She was trying to decide whether to add a subtle monogram or to cover the thing in robots.  Sounds a bit random, I know, but there was method to her madness.  Marcus has a pair of PJs that have robots on them and he loves them.  So much so I believe it can be a job to get him out of the PJs and into other clothes.  Other clothes are only able to surpass the robots in desirability if they have Thomas the Tank Engine on them.  I often feel the same, don't you?  Anyway, Mum figured that without the robots, the cardi had a classic cool to it that would appeal to adults admiring his cuteness.  But plastering it in robots would mean that Marcus would love his cardi and want to wear it.  So the decision was clear cut really: robots it would be.  Mum made sketches of the pajama robots and transferred these onto a grid so she could design how they would be embroidered around the knitting stitches.  Then she chose complimentary wool colours to embroider with and went to work.  A few googly eyes for good measure, and voila - a robot cardi.  I especially like that she still went for the monogram but just gave it googly eyes as well so it was in theme.  I love it so much I'm tempted to get Mum to put a few robots on some of my knits...

Note Mum Photography - finger over flash, slightly blurry.  In fairness, it may have been my Dad or my brother who took these.

The sketches (that Mum went over with a sharpie so we could see them :o)

Robots on the back

Robots on the front

This piece of gorgeousness arrived in the post for Edie last week.  Aunty Phil knitted this jacket and bonnet in 2 ply.  If that means nothing to you, knitting in 2 ply is like knitting with dental floss (except snugglier).  Basically, you need to do twice the work to get half the distance.  The pay off is that you can do fine work and it looks beautiful.  For a slacker like me that's not enough incentive, but for a seasoned pro like Aunty Phil, it's worth it.  And you can see where she's coming from.  It certainly is impressive.  Plus the colours on Edie look so cute.  I will be doing my best to keep the chocolate/marmite/weet-bix fingers away from this one.

And this is my contribution to the Craft report.  Bianca sent Edie a gorgeous apron smock for her birthday from Chick Pea so when I needed to come up with something for the 1st birthday of one of Edie's besties, I thought I would make my own version.  I found some cute fabric at Spotlight and then went to the manchester department and bought some plastic table runner to make the spill-proof front.  I traced the Chick Pea smock and went from there.  I thought I'd add a personal touch by putting the birthday girl's initial on the front.  It's far from perfect but it should still be serviceable for all the baking and art adventures she and Edie will embark on.  Don't you just love how parents force friendships upon their children?  You are friends so surely your kids will like each other.  It's quite a ridiculous concept.  But in this case, it will work because I say so.
Anyway, after paying my Mum out about the photos of the robots, the photos I took of the smock are pretty hilarious.  This was about the third go to get Edie to play ball.  What's the famous adage about never working with animals or children??  The previous photo shoot resulted in her passing out with tiredness and I had to peel the smock off her so she could sleep without plastic crackling sounds.  You'll get the idea anyway.

Lastly I saw this on a blog I enjoy, Prudent Baby.  I don't own many t-shirts as they tend to look bad on me but I thought I could probably find something retro-cool at a second-hand store and easily whip up one of these in the summer.  So simple and potentially awesome.

Domestic Cold War

Neither Phil nor I are very confrontational people.  We're not a couple who have massive yelling matches or get in each other's faces.  No, the most aggressive Phil and I get with each other is a bit of sarcasm and the occasional elevated voice (and then we know it's serious).  Oh and I do gesticulate behind his back occasionally.  I'm pretty sure that's reciprocal.
The biggest weapon in our argument arsenal, is The Sulk.  Phil is particularly adept at The Sulk (boy he's going to love that I'm telling you this).  The Sulk involves not actually saying what's wrong, just letting the other person know you're really shitty with them and they have to work it out themselves.  And if they do work it out, you deny that's why you're pissy. In fact, you deny that you even are pissy.  You continue The Sulk until the other person gets so fed up with trying to crack your mood that they themselves descend into a foul mood.  At this point, The Sulker knows they have won and plays their trump card: they come out of the The Sulk and then make out that the other person is clearly the one with the issue as anyone can see how grumpy they are.

But this is heavy weaponry.  More commonly, there is a Cold War going on at more subtle levels.  It happens in the back ground of our life and barely disrupts the calm of our day to day existence.  But it's there.  Oh it's there alright, chipping away at our psyche.  And it manifests most obviously in the laundry. Let me tell you about the Battle of Wills that occurs with washing.

I grew up in a equal opportunist house.  If clothing needed to be washed it went in the washing machine - there was no distinction between colours and whites.  The only things that warranted a hand-wash were woolens and this was probably because we (Mum) knew the value of hand-knitted garments.  But since buying my own clothes and having the typical ungrateful child-come-adult revelation that actually, there's more to this washing thing than just sticking all the non-woolies in the machine, I've changed my methods.  In fact, there are somethings that get totally destroyed if you just chuck them willy-nilly into the machine.  And sometimes those things cost a fair chunk of money to buy.  So these days, I separate my colours and whites (it seems I believe in segregation.  Not as open-minded as I thought I was...), and I also have a laundry bag for bras and tights etc.  It's not that washing is complex.  Far from it.  If in doubt, read the label.  And this phrase is one I have repeated to Phil many, many times over the length of our relationship.  I'm sure he wishes it was something more saucy but "if in doubt, read the label" would be right up there with, "I don't know honey, what does the recipe say?".

And here is the heart of the conflict.  The nutshell of our Cold War.  Phil hopes that if he continues to be inept at things, I won't make him do them.  I have lost many good items of clothing in the fight to get him to keep doing the washing.  And while I mourn these items and value their sacrifice in struggle, I shall not relent.  No matter how much he pretends he still does not know how to do the washing, I will still persist.
The washing is but one area of our lives where this battle occurs.  We used to have a similar stand-off with cooking but once Phil realised he actually enjoyed being responsible for a tasty meal, he came to the bargaining table.  And I freely admit that I am continually shit about other jobs around the house and Phil just shoulders the responsibility and trucks on.  Maybe he does bring out The Sulk in retribution from time to time.

So if there is Cold War, how are Phil and I avoiding nuclear crisis?  How do we cope with the frosty diplomatic negotiations that ensue?  It's not that tricky actually.  I mean, who actually gives a flying fuck about colours and whites (except perhaps the Klu Klux Klan)?  If the worst that happens is that the odd merino sock comes out of the dryer child-sized when it went in adult-sized, or my black top is covered in tea towel fluff, then life is pretty bloody sweet.  If the big gun - The Sulk - is being used only on a un-rinsed dishcloth (Phil hates when I do that) then we're obviously doing ok.  First World Problems right there.

I think that I am always grateful for what Phil does do (and he does a lot) and he is tolerant of what I don't do (I don't do much) because we just would rather have the Domestic Cold War and have each other, than have perfectly ordered washing and clean dish cloths.  A bit sickening, but there you have it.  You just need a bit of perspective from time to time to remember that.

Cool Shit Monday: Jubilee Gems

Having just spent a lovely Holiday-Monday in Oamaru with Edie's Nana and Grandad, I feel it only fitting to doff my hat to the lady of the moment - Liz.  So today's Cool Shit has a Royal theme to it.  I only wish I was in Blighty so I could a) go the whole hog with bunting and street parties and devonshire teas (minus the rain); and b) have an extra day of holiday.

I'd like to kick off with some goodness that would make the plate even at Queenie's party: Red Velvet Swiss Roll.  This recipe comes from one of my favourite foodie blogs, The Pink Whisk.  I love the Pink Whisk for several reasons - the writer, Ruth Clemens, was runner-up on The Great British Bake-Off so she knows what she's doing, but yet she still retains an element of the chaotic.  The woman is relatable.  She creates deliciousness from her postage-stamp-sized kitchen and doesn't pretend to be a domestic goddess above the rest of us mere mortals (see Baking: An Expose for further clarification of my opinions on cooking writers etc).  But best of all, every recipe of hers I have tried has been a raging success.  She has lots of photos to guide you through and keeps it entertaining, not preachy.  My type of lady.

Next is a selection of Royal Awesomeness from another favourite UK website, Not On The High Street.  I suppose you could say it's a little like Etsy or Felt in that it's a site that operates as a host for "shops" or sellers.  But it just does it with so much more style.  The site itself is beautifully presented and they clearly have rigorous criteria in terms of quality and presentation for the vendors as there are no grainy, "taken in my living room" photos, or crappy macrame owls here.  Anyway, today for your viewing delight, we have some Jubilee ribbon - essential for any Jubilee party, some swirly lollipops in British colours, the only shoes you could ever wear to a Jubilee party , and finally a corgi jumper.  I want this jumper, bad. Geek chic - I think so!

Hello Lover.  I've been waiting for a pair of shoes like you for a long time...

A knitted cake.  It's a little random I know, but I knitted this wee cake for Edie's 1st Birthday.  I think it would fit nicely at a Jubilee party.  Also it's pretty freakin' cool so fits in well with our Monday theme.  The pattern came from a whole book of knitted cakes I got in a random Christmas Gift game.  Score.  And yes, my Mum finished it off for me.  Sigh.  As an aside, when I found the link for the book on Fishpond, I noted the book advertised next was for knitted meerkats.  And you thought cakes were a bit odd...

I did find these super cute knitted strawberries that really would be awesome at a Jubilee party - strawberries and cream: could it get more British and summery?!

Here are a couple of my favourite writers that represent Britain at its stereotypical best: Enid Blyton and PG Wodehouse.  The fabulous innocence of Enid Blyton's stories with their quaint turn of phrase, yet fabulous insight into the world at large - no wonder they still appeal to children today.  And P G Wodehouse and ultimate duo - Jeeves & Wooster.  Oh how I love the charming idiocy with which Bertie gets into dire straits and the subtle wit Jeeves uses to get him out.  It's a formula that never tires for me.

And if you're really feeling in the spirit, it's not too late to send HRH a personal message to acknowledge the 60 years since she sat on the Stone of Scone and had the crown balanced on her careful coif.  She even sends you a reply!

So long live Liz and other alliterative phrases that celebrate the Queen and her giving us a day off!  I hope you all had a nice cup of tea and a cake, and maybe hummed a wee bit of "God Save the Queen".      Jolly good!

See You Tomorrow...

Righto my dedicated readers (hi Mum), we're going to visit Edie's Nana and Grandad for Queen's Birthday Weekend.  I'm not sure Oamaru has discovered the internet yet so I'm taking a break from the blog but will be ready for Cool Shit Monday.  I encourage you to raise a glass to Liz and her diamonds, eat some cake, and sit on your chuff.

In the mean time, here's an annoying pop song to get stuck in your head.  It's stuck in mine so I'm spreading the love.