Coffee and Cigarettes

Coffee and Cigarettes

Originally uploaded by ichigo_grrl

testing image connection

Musings on Mascara

It suddenly occured to me while reading an article about ‘going without mascara’ that not everyone in the world has black eyelashes. I know its obvious if you think about it but somehow its not something that ever crossed my mind. When I was a teenager the one piece of makeup I couldnt be without (and probably the only piece I wore) was mascara. I probably didnt think why I was wearing it it was just something I did. I also bought eyelash curlers when I was about 12, never really worked out the point of them but they were very cool and ‘grown up’. Later on, other than going out for the evening mascara was not something I tended to wear. For one thing I couldnt really see the difference and on the other hand my lashes tended to brush against my glasses thus making irritating black marks on my vision (and getting waterproof mascara off glass is a pain). A couple of years ago I got interested in coloured mascara, maybe pink or turquoise I thought but settled for the purple. This alas was not visible against my dark lashes.
I guess im probably lucky with my lashes (maybe it balances out my frizzy hair) but it certainly got me thinking and also opened my eyes to the wide range of products there are available for eyelashes. Moisturisers? Conditioners? I guess theres a whole load I dont know about the beauty world

p.s. Hopefully I’ll get pictures working on here again soon

Pierre Herme Macarons

Pierre Herme Macarons

Originally uploaded by Little Red Kitten

Pierre Herme is the place I never tried macarons in Paris due to the que being halfway up the street, then suddenly I find them in Selfriges. This is so amazing and the flavours are so delightfully intreiguing! I immediately bought a box of random flavours and have been sampling them accordingly:

Arabesque (Apricot, Pistachio) = Oh these are so divine why did I agree to share it with granny
Jasmin (Jasmine) = Beautiful delicate jasmine tea
Eden (Peach, Apricot & Saffron) = Aaah I seem to have bitten into some floral perfume
Huile d’Olive & Vanille = Beautifully delicious and delecate
Cassis (Blackcurrant) = Lovely but very strong filling
Rose (Rose, Rose Petal) = delicate
Something with green tea that isnt on the leaflet = (not yet tried)

I dont know what it is that makes macarons so delicious and exciting but these certainly are

Return of the trouser

For some unknown whim, on friday I wore trousers. An occurence which I dont think has taken place since March (leggins dont count, they are underwear). This caused some confusion from the gentleman of the house who looked at me in a quizical way saying “Somethings wrong, somethings different…”
Well its coming to that time of year again where my trousers make their way out of the wardrobe and I’d really like something new, maybe a wide leg of grey with a check of lilac and deep purple… I wonder if anywhere (affordable) sells such a thing? (or maybe moss green and purple)

Leather Dresses a/w10/11

Cons: Uncomfortable
Pros: Waterproof!

The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook (from April 2010)

It isn’t often that I find a cookery book where I want to make almost every recipe, but here is one example. A birthday present from a friend (thankyou!), this has so many things I want to make from green tea cupcakes to… my plan is to work through the book baking one recipe each week. Last week my lovely man made these oatmeal and rasin cookies. Absolutely delicious for breakfast (however unless you have 4 oven shelves I suggest halving the mixture). Also I really need to buy a cooling rack

Miss Dahl and the Hydrangeas (from April 2010)

Two weeks ago I started watching “The delicious Miss Dahl” something I have been eagerly anticipating since I have had my eye on her cook book ever since it hit the shelves last year. What I really like about Sophie Dahl’s cooking is that almost everything she makes I really want to eat (also she has pretty dresses). Anyway it was Saturday morning and we were watching episode 2: nostalgia on the iPlayer and everywhere in her kitchen were beautiful hydrangeas. A trip to the garden centre later that day fortuitously provided the most beautiful indoor pink and green hydrangea. Isn’t it lovely.

An ode to spring

The daffodils are blooming
The trees are out and budding
The teenagers are sat on the wall
The grass is happy singing
The office girls are frizbeeing
And dress hemlines have risen to one inch above the bum

Cheats tomato soup

In the midst of the september drizzle there was nothing I wanted more than some lovely hot tomato soup. But where to start… not the tinned variety (too much sugar and chemicals) … not the fridge packet variety (way too much salt) … then i saw the cans of chopped tomatos with ”stuff” in them… so here’s a quick cheap and easy way for some fast warming soup. Quantities given are more of guidelines since its a throw together what you have recipe.

INGREDIENTS
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
Dash of balsamic vinegar
1 can chopped tomatos with olives
1 tsp Rosemary
1/4 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Boulion vegetable stock
Handful of red lentils

METHOD
Fry the garlic and onion in olive oil in a saucepan till they begin to go golden. Add the chilli and a dash of balsamic vinegar and stir for a minute or so. Add the can of tomatos and the rosemary and stock. Bring it to the boil. Top it up with boiling water (about the same volume again) and add the lentils. Bubble gently for about 10 – 15 minutes.
Note – for a thicker soup add more lentils, thinner soup add less.
Enjoy with some fresh yummy bread

Heatwave Style

Sketches made on the bus of what the most stylish people I saw today were wearing in this sweltering 28 deg c day.