This week I ♥… June 29th, 2009
- Sitting on the top / front of the bus (the tourist seats).
- Pucca & Garu.
- Furniture covered in tube fabric.
- Thunder storms.
- Regina Spektor’s new album, Far.
- These wedding invitations.
- Teacup candles.
- Picnics in the park.
- Rainbow measuring cups.
- Pixar for being so nice.
- Irregular Choice shoes.
- Rainbow drops.
Forgetting the words to your favorite song… June 29th, 2009
Yesterday we got to hang out with Lyndsey. We’d spotted a Chinese river boat festival in TimeOut, which sounded good but when we got there, it wasn’t what we expected. It seemed to be all about selling insurance. There was a stage where someone called Bathroom Girl was performing, which was amusing.
We decided to head to Canary Wharf and have lots and lots of sushi instead.
Afterwards we headed to Gordon’s Wine bar for an icy cold bottle of white wine. We picked up some cupcakes up from CandyCakes and heading home for spaghetti bolognaise.
We had our dinner outside and Raven and Emma (our upstairs neighbours) joined us. Time flew away with itself and we ended up chatting until after midnight. Tonight we’re all having a girly night in, watching Wild Child with lots of popcorn.
The teaches of Peaches… June 27th, 2009
This gorgeous cigar box from Ori-Janel arrived this morning. Janel sent it to say thank you and it’s soooo pretty. I love the handle.
We headed over to Tatty Devine on Brick Lane to see Peaches today. She was signing records and jewelry boxes.
The customized necklaces look pretty cool.
Afterwards we went for a cocktail and I managed to spill my one all over myself 
It was far too hot today and the paper said it could be 35 degrees next week!
We had sushi in the park and then bought an awesome new camera lanyard, from Covent Garden. We saw the girl from The Real Hustle in the street and made sure she hadn’t picked our pockets. I wanted to pop in to Lush and pick up some shower gel but the staff were determined to stop me and have a conversation about my bag / necklace / outfit, so I decided to leave it and order some from Ocado.
On the way home a storm started and Tom said I couldn’t take a photo of it in a million years. Here are the only two shots I took, both with lightening in them. Yay!
We were born in mud… June 26th, 2009
Yesterday, Clare was in town so we met her in Green Park for a picnic. She has such a fun busy life being a journalist / extra in movies.
In the evening we went to see the Now Show at BBC Broadcasting House. It’s not my favorite radio show, but it does help me fall asleep, so half way through I started getting very drowsy. It was all a bit middle class and not that funny.
When we got back, we sat out with the neighbours and then discovered that Michael Jackson had died. We had a little toast for him, listened to Thriller and then Dan made me pasta, which was very yummy.
I wrote a little guide to turning your front room in to a festival for DiS, so if you’re not at Glastonbury (like most of our neighbours, who are playing at it) you can still pretend you are.
Your Front Room Festival: A Guide by Cut Out + Keep June 26th, 2009
Missed out on bagging a ticket to Glastonbury this year? Or, simply didn’t want to fork our on the ticket price? Never fear, here’s a crafty, credit-crunch friendly, guide to getting the most out of your sofa experience.
1. Turn your favorite bands in to booze.
Ever wondered what a sip of The Prodigy or Blur would taste like? Get creative and mix up cocktails and shots to taste like your favorite bands. How about a can of Special Brew as a mixer for The Specials cocktail or mixing spirits with Irn Bru for the taste of Glasvegas? We came up with a drink so sugary sweet and poppy, it had to be named the Girls Aloud cocktail.
2. Get the outdoors feel.
Dim the lights, close the curtains and crack open a can of baked beans. Grab a hammer and candle and knock yourself up some nifty lanterns for the ultimate camp sight look. You can eat your baked beans in the warming glow.
3. Dress up, or down with festival fashion.
Just because you’re not there, doesn’t mean you can’t dress for the occasion and even better, you don’t have to worry about photos appearing on Facebook the next day. No sewing required, simply grab some tulle and elastic to make your own tutu or bend a wire coat hanger in to fairy wings. Don’t forget your face paints, glitter and glow sticks too!
4. Don’t be afraid to get muddy.
The mud baths may be the worst part of the festival but they can do wonders for your skin. Raid your kitchen, fire up the blender and make yourself a scrumptious face mask to refresh your skin. Apply, watch some bands and then rinse off in between sets.
5. Festival food that’s sweet and cheap.
Skip the queues, grease and extortionate prices, by making your own sugar-tastic festival food. Burger cookies taste so much better than the real thing, smores are the ultimate campsite snack, and if you don’t have the sunshine, you can always pretend with ice cream cone cupcakes.
Drowned In Sound - Front Room Festival… June 25th, 2009
CO+K did a little guide about turning your front room in to a festival to watch Glastonbury for Drowned In Sound.
We come in three shades of purple… June 24th, 2009
Last night we went to see The Thermals at Cargo, they played all the classics and got very sweaty.
We’ve got a new toaster, which is making lunchtime at the mews much more efficient. It has four slots, a bagel setting and you can set each side differently, so I can have my toast super crunchy and Tom can have his barely toasted.
Tom got us the Joseph Joseph rainbow measuring bowl set, that we were eyeing up. He even had it gift wrapped, so that it would be a surprise. It’s the most useful thing ever and has measuring cups, two mixing bowls, a sieve and a strainer.
Also, I turned the teacup that Clare got me for my 50p penpal gift in to a candle, like she suggested. It’s cinnamon scented.
The science of sleep… June 24th, 2009
I’ve had trouble sleeping since I was a little girl, so over the past few months I’ve been trying out various remedies and soothers, to see how they work out.
1. Kalms Sleeping Pills.
One of the more expensive options, you’re advised to take between 2 - 3 pills, one hour before bed time. They make you feel hazy, which is good for falling asleep but you can still feel the effects a little in the morning, which isn’t great for waking up fresh.
2. Badger Sleep Balm.
Simply rub the balm on your temples when you go to bed. It smells really nice, which makes it quite soothing and one pot will last you for ages.
3. Dr Stuart’s Valerian Tea.
The cheapest option, Dr Stuart’s Valerian tea will calm you down, like all good herbal teas and does a good job at making you feel sleepy. Make a cup or pot one hour before bedtime and sip away.
4. Valerian Oil.
To make the valerian tea even stronger, add a few drops of valerian oil. A concoction sure to knock any rough sleeper out. Just make sure to adjust the tea as you need it or you may sleep in a little bit too late (like Tom did).
5. Sleeping Pillow & Lavender Essential Oil.
When in doubt, get crafty! Sleeping pillows, filled with hops and dried lavender, are easy to make and just sniffing them will make you snoozy. You can learn how to make your own with my how-to on CO+K. For enhanced effect, add a few drops of lavender essential oil before bedtime.
Sweet dreams xo
Macaroons from Laduree… June 21st, 2009
Today we went on an impromptu trip to Ealing Broadway, where Tom’s Dad was born. But, not before picking up some delicious macaroons from Laduree. The licorice and pistachio ones are sooooooo good.
The tube driver let me stand in his booth while going through a tunnel, it was a bit creepy and dark up front, but kind of cosy too.
We went for a drink in a pub that had a wall covered in records, which reminded me of Tom’s old bedroom (though that was covered in floppy disks) and Avalancherecord store in Edinburgh.
Never trust a carnie… June 20th, 2009
I was on the hunt for awesome vintage birthday present ideas this weekend, so our first stop was the Button Willow Bazaar at the St Aloysius Social Club. Tom failed to “bat the rat”, but I did get some ideas and a giggle out of the celebrities-made-out-of-vegetables competition.
My favorite was veggie Alan Carr.
Next up was Paradise Gardens in Victoria Park, where they had a steam rides fairground.
We won prizes in the penny arcade and it was all fun and games until…
We went on the waltzers and then Tom’s iPhone went missing. We called it minutes later, when we realized, but somebody had turned it off, so we knew it had been found. We rushed back to the waltzers and told the man in charge, he said “funny, that’s the third phone to go missing in the last two minutes”. When the ride stopped, we ran around, looking inside each car and then I noticed one of the other guys who worked there had an iPhone in his hand. I asked him if he’d just found it and after acting a bit weird, he sheepishly said “oh yeah, it is” and reluctantly handed it over. Afterwards we found two police men and told them to keep an eye on that ride. It’s scary to think how close it got to being stolen forever.
This photo pretty much sums it up. Remember to check your pockets for your valuables when you get off rides.
We decided to head to the calm of Canada Square in Canary Wharf and eat sushi in the park, while pretending to be in New York. They had the world’s largest mac broadcasting sporting videos too. After, we treated ourselves to wine, cheese, pickles and bread at Gorden’s Wine Bar, in the caves under Embankment.
