Unattractively Smug

Today has been a great day.  I used to keep a diary when I was younger* and would rate each day on how good it had been. I am fairy sure I pinched the idea from a Judy Blume book.  Today has definitely been an A grade day.

A rowdy gang of crows has woken us super early every day this week.  Husband had an important day at work today so I got up with him at 5:30am and got a loaf of bread on the go:

I rarely buy sliced bread at the shops any more.  I only really buy part-baked rolls, tortilla wraps and bagels (for picnic lunches or pack-ups).  I have two methods of making bread which are both easy peasy.  The one I made today (and in the pic above) was made in our Kenwood breadmaker, which is obviously the easiest way.  (OMG, when I created that link to the John Lewis website I noticed that you can buy a round pan for the machine.  Guess where my next web-stop's going to be.).  It is so clean and simple to use and you can make a wide variety of loaves (including seeded loaves, pastries and doughs).  We haven't had a bad loaf from it yet and it makes the house smell amazing.  It also looks OK on my kitchen worktop so is always to hand:

I also make bread from this book.  It was recommended to me by a lovely woman whose attitude to food and cooking I really admire; she sometimes has the misfortune of finding me in her kitchen at lunchtime and always (at a moment's notice) produces something homemade (and delicious) that she makes seem super easy.  I will do a post about this method the next time I make a loaf because it makes proper rustic bread, more dense and chewy than the breadmaker loaf.  If you don't like gadgets but would like to easily, with minimal fuss, have a loaf of fresh bread every single day, this is the book for you! 

So having set the bread machine off, I had a leisurely coffee and finished a few granny squares.

I am now edging each of my granny squares with red yarn (you may remember from this post) so that I can join them more easily.  (I was going to try the 'join as you go' method but I can't get my head round it - I'm blonde - so I've decided to slip stitch this time. Anyway.)  I am LOVING adding this extra row of trebles.  The squares seem to sit nicely with an extra row and I can imagine how my blanket is going to drape.  I am getting very excited about finishing it.  Not long now, hopefully.  It will be so exciting to do my first 'ta dah'!

Had a very productive day at work and feel quite pleased with self.  It's hectic at the moment because I'm covering for someone on annual leave but I actually prefer being this busy.  

Do you like my Mario mouse mat?  My mouse won't work on any
other mouse mat, seriously, only on copier paper and that's not decorative enough for me.

I always like to finish the day by tidying up my desk and writing a nice fresh list of things to do the following day.  It helps me to switch off.

A cup of tea and a (lemon and white chocolate) cookie provided the afternoon's refreshment.  Do you like my new little cake plate?  I bought it this afternoon at a gorgeous kitchen shop down the road.  I could only afford two today but I'm totally going back next week (when I've been paid) to buy a couple more.  

♥♥♥ Love love love them ♥♥♥

And now I'm going to sort out my baking equipment storage issues.  Here is the storage trunk that we picked up last weekend:

I love it, it's exactly what I was looking for and the price was reduced by more than 50%!  I am a really keen baker and novice cake decorator.  I also have zero willpower in pretty kitchen shops (see above) which means that I have a huge stash of cake pans, cutters, mats, food colourings, glitter, piping bags and other cakey bakey paraphernalia.  At the moment it is kept in two enormous laundry bags in our little outbuilding so I have to rummage around in the cold creepy little barn whenever I want to bake.  Not ideal.  Not any more though!  I am going to have a sort through and transfer it all to this storage chest in the conservatory.  Cutters will be kept in pretty little boxes within the trunk and everything will be neatly stacked.  I'm stupidly excited.  I love reorganising my cupboards.  How sad am I?!

Nicki 

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*  My Mum found my diary when I was about 13 and read it aloud with my sister.  It happened to be the day's entry where I was worrying whether Dominic might try to snog me at the next under-18s discos.  I'd never been snogged before and it was a HUGE worry for me!  Mum and sis thought it was hilarious but I was mortified and stopped writing then and there.  I gave my diaries to my best friend to keep but we lost touch when she went to the local college and I stayed on at school.  Wonder if she still has them?  I know that my Mum occasionally reads my blog and I hope that she is reading this and squirming.  Ha ha!  Love you, Mum, you're still the best. xx

Mini-Breaking

The Shakespeare Mercure, Stratford upon Avon

This is where we've been the last few days - The Shakespeare Mercure in Stratford upon Avon.  It's a gem of a hotel, right up my street, with squashy sofas, wing-back armchairs and open fires.  Loads of nooks and crannies too so you can hide away and cosy up.  

We saw a few sights....

Shakespeare's Birthplace

Anne Hathaway's Cottage

....and had the much-longed-for cream tea.

We also had a steak and red wine feast at the hotel brasserie, a gorgeous [mushroom] risotto at a local Italian and a rather rough-and-ready G&T with chips at a slightly dubious bar on Sunday when we arrived (Sunday was the day for football, apparently, and I have learned to accept that Manchester United will always manage to scupper any romantic plans I have).  At least the win kept my man smiling.

But my favourite part of our little break was yesterday afternoon.  We'd been out for brunch at Cafe Rouge (Eggs Benedict), mooched around the shops and strolled by the waterfront.  The weather wasn't great, it was quite dull and blustery, so after having a quick nose around Shakespeare's birthplace we headed back to the hotel for a cup of tea in the lounge.   We didn't move from there for three hours!  I had my crochet, he had his book and the nice waiter kept topping up our teacups.  It was so warm and quiet in the lounge, I could see out of the window from my spot and when it started to pour with rain at 4pm, I can't tell you how utterly content I felt with my husband snoozing in the armchair beside me.  Although I have to say it felt like a glimpse into the future!

From my old lady chair by the window I had a good view of this little beauty in a shop opposite.  I kept imagining it in my kitchen, brightening up my mornings.  So, yes, it came home with me: 

I'm going crazy for this stuff at the moment. In Waitrose this evening I picked up a new cake tin:

I am a sucker for a cake tin.  I've got loads in various shapes and sizes - I really didn't need any more.  They had a set of three round tins in this Union Jack design too - I resisted today but I just know I'll be putting them in my trolley before the week is out.  Somebody stop me!  (Or better still, provide me with good excuses as to why I might need more tins.)

So back home and I'm 3lb heavier.  Dammit, just sneaked back into the ten stone mark.  Arrggggh.  I thought I'd seen the back of the tens for good!  I won't be beaten - I've stocked up on loads of healthy food and I'm starting my exercise DVD again tomorrow.  It's called the 30 Day Shred.  I can't tell you if it's any good or not because it's a 30 day programme (obvs) and I only ever make it to day four before I forget about it.  All I can tell you is that it's twenty minutes of absolute torture every day and the music on it is rubbish so you need to hit the mute button and use your ipod instead.  (This has the bonus of blocking out the instructor's cheesy 'motivating' one-liners too.)  People swear by it on the WeightWatchers community boards so it must work.  Blinking diets.  Why do I love food so much?!

Nicki 

x

♥ing Red

Just lately I have had a thing for the colour red.  I treated myself to a Union Jack mug at the weekend and a new red whisk.  I love red and navy together but red with pale pink makes my heart race.... It's the simple things!



We've had a full-on weekend and I'm shattered.  I have a step-son and we fetch him for the weekend every fortnight.  He adores his dad and seems to like me by association - we get on like a house on fire.  He rules but, OMG, I'm exhausted when he leaves! This weekend I have taken part in two sock fights, listened to a long [enthusiastic and complicated] lecture about Marvel versus DC, watched a gory film about aliens and planned [in minute detail] the party for his 13th birthday that he has chosen to have at our house next month.  (I might need to cling film the house for that particular event.) 

If my step-son had his way, we would stay home all weekend and watch movies, play video games and generally just hang out.  I get cabin fever if I stay indoors for too long (I think because I often work from home) so I dragged the boys to a pretty town near us for a pub lunch on Saturday.

My love for the colour red is slowly finding its way into my wardrobe.  On Saturday I dug out an old red mac that I've had for ages.  Belted tightly with the sleeves rolled up I thought it looked quite fresh.  I like rediscovering old favourites.

Mac - John Lewis, Sweater - Joules, Handbag - Mulberry,
Denim Leggings - M&S, Shoes - Next

Today we went to my Mother-in-Law's for lunch and I fancied wearing my new red jeans, not least because they are stretchy and can easily accommodate a greedy girl's expanding tummy. 

Denim Jacket - Mango, Top - Primark,  Necklace - M&S,
Jeans - Next, Shoes - LK Bennett

I wore my platform peep-toes for a bit of Sunday afternoon glamour.

The thing that always makes me laugh about children is how brutally honest they are.  Or maybe that's just my step-son.  I quite often get an 'oooh, fancy' (in a silly voice) if I've made even the slightest effort.  He has also requested, several times, that I do not wear my jogging bottoms when he has his birthday party because they are [his words] chavvy.  (So not fair.  They are skinny leg joggers and, I think, quite cool.) 

Memorably, he once told me I looked like 'one of those sophisticated mums'.  Not sure what that meant, I was wearing a pair of over-the-knee boots at the time.  Today, rather alarmingly, upon seeing me dressed and ready to go he declared chirpily: 'well, hello teen!'.  I'm 34, that's not good.  

Nicki

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