Things I Love Thursday

I’ve been sans internet for a couple of weeks but what better way to return than with a gratitude post so here are some of the things that I’ve been loving lately:

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Definately top of my list is that after nearly five months in hospital/rehabilitation my mum has finally been discharged and was able go home.

Two totally unconnected friends are due to have a baby within the same week (and both will be first time mums –exciting)

Last weekend we celebrated the hen party of one of my closest friends. A friend and I had the joint privilege of organising it. Hopefully it was a lovely weekend of chilling, celebrating, laughing, fun and frolics with some of her favourite gals. A few little issues, time constraints & my lack of internet access, meant that a couple of the finishing touches we’d wanted didn’t quite get added but I think a fun time was had by all who attended and especially by the bride-to- be so that’s all that matters.

If that wasn’t exciting enough the weekend before another of my favourite friends got baptised- just wonderful. You can read all about it from her perspective here or just check out her blog anyway because it’s brilliant (it is! In spite of the fact I’m a teensy bit biased).

Will & Jaden Smith rapping on the Graham Norton show featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff and Alfonso Ribeiro (so much nostalgia)



Noteworthy Niblets:
“You were in the pub at lunchtime- what do you think this is Life on Mars”, postcards- Amsterdam looks gorgeous, Paco the sad jalapeno,

Thanks for reading and sharing in my love list this week, now over to you reader. What’s sweetening your life at the moment?

Friday Find

Things I love Thursday

Good morning! Oh reader, I am so very tired today I feel to be surrounded by it like I’m wearing a treacle trench coat. Let's make coffee and eat cereal and shuffle around in our slippers together. In the words of Jack Johnson I’ll ‘make you banana pancakes, pretend like it’s the weekend now’. There are so many things that I am grateful for and loving this week but somehow I can’t seem to get it down on paper computer screen so please bear with me if this weeks TILT list is a tad incoherent.

Viennese Whirl biscuits revelations –Revelations is too big a word really it was more a reminder to be honest. Last night/ early this morning, I made a semi -disastrous batch of Viennese whirl biscuits [the reason for this mad late night baking is a whole other story]. As I stood in the kitchen like a culinary goldilocks- ‘the first batch is too soft, the second batch is too hard, this batch is just right’- looking at my precious uber- delicate treasures my sleep-deprived mind drew parallels with life. It is so precious and fragile. We go through our days and are buffeted by so many external forces. There are some things that sometimes may break us down and make us feel we are too vulnerable for this world. Other things make us feel we want to wall parts of our feelings off, keep people out for our own protection. Then there are those times, things, people that make us feel like we are where we’re meant to be, make us feel safe. We still know that we’re fragile [yes I promise reader, I know the biscuits aren’t self aware but please stick with me] but we’re able to keep battling on. I’ve always been a champion of enjoying simple, small things and last night I was reminded that I am so grateful for the things and people that keep me on that even keel because life may be beautiful, but sadly it isn’t forever.

Helpful shop assistants- My father and I are in the process of turning the dining room of my parents house into a bedroom for my mother. This week we headed into one of the chain diy shops to get some flooring. After looking around for a while we discovered the options we were looking at wouldn’t fit in our car and delivery would take too long. This was the moment that the assistant told us that there was a small business nearby that also stocked the floor, would fit it for you, would probably do it the next day and it would be cheaper. Obviously she didn’t need to tell us that and in a sense it lost her a sale so three gold stars for that kind lady.

Little loves: Spring sunshine, the point when migraines get better, magazine articles that feel like letters directly to my soul, old re-runs of classic sitcoms

What about you reader what’s the glitter in the artbox of life for you this week?

Thoughtful Tuesday

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Friday Find

Owing to the fact that I am a tad excited for the new film  (Into Darkness)  and overexposure to all sorts of photoshoots and other promotional paraphenaliaon, thank you Tumblr, over the last few weeks has made me fall in love with the cast a bit more than normal. This weeks Friday Finds are some adorable & very silly moments from interviews with the cast. First Simon Pegg & Alice Eve:

Also Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch, along with fellow guest Kim Catrall on BBC's The Graham Norton show:

Finally the great bromance that is Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine in a vocabulary battle:

Things I Love Thursday

Hello reader, so it’s been a while since I posted a tilt list. Lets sit down, take a deep breath, and remember some of the little things that bring sunshine to the world.

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Top of my list a wonderfully uplifting catch up with Jen & Rach. Hey ladies, ‘You know that feeling when you get out of a warm bath... well... you make me feel like a bath?’

Also high on my list is the news Fox has secured the rights to remake Guys and Dolls. I’ve seen it staged in the theatre several times (mostly am dram) and I’ve watched the 1955 film adaptation that starred Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando more than I’m prepared to admit so I’m excited at the prospect of seeing it on the big screen. I’m not convinced about the new casting yet, apparently they are pursuing Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt both actors with great potential but I’m just not sure, I’ll be very happy to be proved wrong though.

What about you reader? What’s brightening your day, week, month, life?

A few weeks ago I made Cadbury Crème egg Brownies based on a recipe by my ace friend Marc, in turn inspired by a recipe from French pastry chef extraordinaire Eric Lanlard. I didn’t try them myself as I made them for a coffee morning during lent but they went down very well with everyone who tried them so I thought I’d share Marc’s recipe:

Source: photo my own

Ingredients
 185g Unsalted Butter
185g Dark Chocolate
85g Plain Flour
40g Cocoa Powder
3 Large Eggs
275g Golden Caster Sugar
6 Cadbury Creme Eggs
[I also added a couple of tsp of Vanilla essence]

Method
 1) Pre heat over to 160 degrees.
2) Melt the butter & dark chocolate together.
3) Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and add 275g of golden caster sugar. Whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy.
4) Gently fold the cooled chocolate mix over the egg & sugar mixture.
5) Add the flour and cocoa to the mix.
6) Pour the mixture into a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.
7) Halve the Cadbury Crème Eggs.
8) After 15 minutes remove from the oven and gently press the crème egg halves into the mixture, spacing them evenly apart.
9) Place back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
10) Leave to cool before cutting into squares.