Only a Flake will do

Some days only a Cadbury's Flake will do.

There is no way to just eat half of the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate bar in the world. The guilty pleasure must be enjoyed alone to ensure every last crumb can be licked up, then the wrapper needs to be discreetly concealed and any crumbs of the divine experience removed.

Suddenly the grey skies switch to bright and the day just keeps on getting better.

A winter wedding

How exciting I thought when the unexpected invitation first flew through the letterbox, a winter wedding sounds so romantic.

The daughter of one of the Chief’s old flatmates was to be married and a chance to catch up with some people we haven’t seen since her christening, so this was an occasion to glam up a bit!

I decided to set off on a shopping trip to buy a dress with plenty of time to spare as I always have a problem in finding just the right thing when there is a specific occasion in mind, then end up at the sewing machine for hours making an outfit.  It usually feels fine, but this time I really wanted to just come home with something ready made, and for once I was successful.  

The brand ‘Damsel in a Dress’ in John Lewis had the perfect turquoise dress with interesting folds and gathers, just the right length and most of all it felt comfortable and could be a useful addition to the wardrobe.   I couldn’t believe my luck!  Then there was the perfect Chanel style jacket hanging in my cupboard from a few seasons ago with just a hint of a metallic fleck and even better, one of my vintage handbags had a tinge of turquoise in  the embroidery to bring the whole look together.  Shoes, no problem with about a dozen pairs of smart black gathered over the years to choose from!

Now, I do love a hat.  Sadly there are very few occasions to wear one, so I was eager to hear from the Bride’s mother that it would be a hat wedding.  I don’t like to be the only one!

That was when my luck in outfit planning ran out.  A word of warning, if you have any notion of an occasion requiring a hat during the winter months, buy or start your search as early as possible.  I scoured the department stores, local shops, exclusive boutiques and online, there was nothing.  The shops simply had their supply of bobble woolly hats and felt pull-ons, maybe the odd fascinator and some still had a few tired old dusty pastel straw hats left over from the summer.  Where is the imagination of the buyers and designers, it’s no use saying they are going out of fashion, if they are not available we can’t buy them.

So what did I do?  Not one to take no for an answer I came home with a stack of ‘ingredients’ and assembled the flowers and feathers and netting on a piece of sinamay, which I had shaped and covered in antique lace. Job done!

It was a magical wedding, the bride was stunning and her groom beamed with pride, the winter wonderland theme was glorious and gave us a warm glow on a freezing day.

Salads can wait

Time to wear something brightly coloured to counteract the dreary gloomy days we have been enduring.

New year's day, with the bright sun and blue sky gave us reason to look forward to the new beginnings of 2013 and become enthusiastic about plans and dreams for the year ahead.  But the dark mornings, which only briefly give way to a glimmer of brightness before fading into darkness in the early afternoon, have pushed the optimism to a high shelf and motivation is a distant dream.

The reality of January, after the magical qualities of the weeks before, is always difficult to adjust to but after such a phenomenal year in 2012, it's hard to think another year can match it.  A lack of exciting dates planned, the pages of the smart new diary are still crisp and stuck together, struggling with winter illness all around and the pressure to be optimistic and brimming with resolutions.  All these factors can only lead to one thing... FOOD!

It was a 2012 theme for our madcap cake this year!

There are still a few of my tasty mince pies lurking in the tin, there is half a very boozy Christmas cake offering comforting aromas and then the brandy cream will be out of date in 3 days time.  So perhaps there will have to be a lapse in willpower just to make sure nothing is wasted! 

Salads need to wait until warmer days!

Goodbye Christmas, bring on Spring!

One of the great benefits of taking down the Christmas decorations is that you suddenly feel your home has almost doubled in size!

It's not that I don't like all the busy, brightly coloured adornments, it just reminds me how my taste is edging away from the cottagey look with every surface filled, towards more simple and clean lines, much to the Chief's delight. He would go for the absolute minimalist look if he was given the chance.


Although, I couldn't bear to remove the pretty glow of the warm white fairy lights which I spent hours carefully attaching to an alcove, they have been providing such a welcoming warm light in the horrible gloomy days we have been having and they don't have to be just for Christmas.

The memories of our festive season will obviously not leave for many months, in the shape of the rogue needles from the tree which always manage to find their way inside drawers, carpets, books and everything. Although, I did seriously consider dusting down the old artificial tree which is stashed away in the attic when I saw the price of the trees this year.  However, the thought of a Christmas sitting room without the powerful aroma of a real tree was not an option.

Days of parties, families, far too much food and inability to remember which day of the week we were on, are all a distant memory and now to think about all the family birthdays coming up and spend a few hours searching for the perfect cards.  With so much choice, I can never believe just how much time it takes to find the right card for all the characters. The most difficult to buy for are are teenage boys, all the humorous ones are too smutty to come from a Mum, so when I do come across a good one I have to buy several then remember who I have given them to!

I think I have been hearing a different tone to the birds over the past few days, I'm sure I could hear chirping when the alarm went off in the pitch darkness of 5.45am, it certainly awakens the senses in a very pleasant manner .  Do they actually believe Spring is around the corner?

Sprinting November days

In one respect I am glad to see the end of November, it is a miserable month.  Always damp gloomy weather, the afternoons dissolve into evening with such speed, leaves fall like a snowstorm and memories flood back of the month when we said a final goodbye to my Mother.  At least this year the final day of the month is crisp bright and cheerful.

However, these galloping dates mean that December is getting ever closer and lists are getting longer in preparation for Christmas. The shops are already full of the usual piles of extra stock, in anticipation of the public response to wall to wall advertising of products we would never afford a second glance in any other month.

I need to take a red pen to the Christmas card list, I’m sure some of these people can’t even remember who we are.  On the other hand I look at some names and wish that we had more time to keep up old friendships, maybe that is something for retirement. 

My thoughts back in August of a more minimalist festive season have mellowed and we are on track for the full works again this year.  It seems there is no way of having a break from our usual Christmas Eve party, the Darlings tell me that their friends are already talking about it.  Apparently, it simply would not feel like Christmas if they didn’t join us for our jolly early evening gathering, which manages to grow in numbers as the years pass.  It started as a quick drink back here after the chaotic crib service when the girls were little.  As we outgrew the church service the event changed in character and before we knew it, our guests have planned to attend even before being invited!

No time to linger on a keyboard. I should be folding my packets of currants, apricots, figs and prunes into the warmth of excessive amounts of Grand Marnier and orange juice, so the fruits can soak for a few days and fill the house with wonderful aromas, before being baked into the most delicious Christmas cake. Aah, bliss!

I feel like a 90 year old!

Woke up this morning feeling like a 90 year old after my yoga class with a new and very firm teacher, whose mantra seems to be ‘It’s good pain’ as she pushes her foot into  my thigh.  Being a very small class she can keep a beady eye on all four of us and as we found ourselves hanging from belts secured to the barre, I imagined I would raise my head to find intrigued passers-by with their faces glued to the window of the torture class!  Although I did have to admit at the end of the session, that I have never before been able to do a full forward bend with such ease, so the stretching had worked.

Some mornings just scream at you to go and curl up with a good book and avoid the necessary work and activities of the day, especially when it starts with a full hot cup of coffee managing to empty itself across the work surface (managed to rescue my ipad in time).  However I did inadvertently discover that it is far more economical to soak up a spillage with newspaper, rather than vast quantities of kitchen paper.  It is advisable to use old paper though, not the newspaper which has just been delivered!

This was then followed by a phone call from flustered Mini Darling on a train to work, to say she had left her season ticket in her other coat.  She was convinced the Guard would not believe her, haven’t heard anything further, so she’s probably been arrested!

The rain still lashes down through the gloomy skies and soggy leaves are swirling about the garden, so I decide it is time to make some soup.   With the house filled with the aroma of carrot, coriander, cumin, paprika and a few other random ingredients, I finally get the inspiration to work through my list and make some achievements today.

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

No, I don't welcome Christmas in October.
My premature greetings are all in the name of art!

Two vans outside, a couple of cars and a pick up truck all waiting to come into our house and transform is into a Christmas scene, I am beginning to doubt the sanity of my decision to allow a film crew to take over our house to shoot an advertisement for one of the top UK retailers.

Ding Dong!  No turning back now, they have arrived.  It only takes a couple of hours for two young chaps to cover all the carpets in the house with sticky backed plastic and protect the hard floors with boarding.  There is intense activity in all areas and treasured pieces of my furniture disappear into a white van destined for a lock-up garage somewhere, allowing the art department to work their magic with new sofas and tables. Will I ever see it again?   Luckily I remember to grab Mini Darling's passport as the desk disappears out of the door, she is off for a holiday tomorrow and this furniture removal wasn't planned.

My cupboards full of fabric have come in very useful, the Art Director didn't like my drape above the front door and I have managed to whistle up a perfect piece of fabric for him to work a miracle with, I might leave it there!  Mr. Security is a little darling, offering to go back and get me something tasty from base unit when he discovered no one had offered to get me some lunch.  They are all a bunch of very friendly and considerate people, with such great attention to detail and impeccable timing.

By the end of the day the film set has been prepared, my lounge is a dining room and dining room is a lounge.  What a transformation, by positioning the sofa across the room it looks so much wider.  Even the cat seems to like the change!  

Even though we are all exhausted by the time I have prepared a tasty delight for supper there is so much to talk about, so we light the candles and sit at the dining table to enjoy a relaxing supper in what is normally the lounge.

A very early alarm call is not welcome after a night disturbed by wild winds and torrential rain.  As dawn rises, the lighting crew unload vast quantities of cases, equipment and poles, luckily Mini Darling's taxi arrives early to transport her to the airport, before the sudden noisy arrival of over 40 crew and I find myself marooned upstairs to the only room in the house which has been left for me.   I decide to keep out of the way until everyone settles down, then I am called upon to try and help with an electrical query, then we have more changes to the filming ideas and another room needs to be 'dressed'.  As I dash to sort out another query I notice two guys are very kindly cleaning my windows (so embarrassing!).  Cupboards are emptied, doors removed and more equipment is squeezed into an already crowded room.

These total strangers now know all about my life, the food we eat, the books we read, the amount of dust behind sofas, the look of  family and friends from the photos, and anecdotes of my life from the long chats I have exchanged with various crew members with time to spare. By the end of the week they will be out of my life, never to be seen again!  Have just given approval for them to use a close up shot of a family photo of ours, perhaps should ask for some royalties!

Lunch time arrives and the mini buses turn up to whisk everyone back to the base for lunch.  The house suddenly falls eerily quiet, the scene is utterly chaotic to my eyes, difficult to believe this is where we live. 

Even the utility room has been taken over with sound equipment (I discreetly removed the cat litter tray for him!), the office was originally earmarked for storage but the digital man has his computer and monitor set up in the tiniest  space left clear and a gazebo on the patio has a mini catering stall with drinks and snacks ready for everyone.  

I have a very tasty Thai curry lunch delivered back to me by a polite Runner and an even tastier hot chocolate pudding, the film crews certainly do very well when it comes to food.

The poor young guys hang on to the massive light deflector screens in the front garden, despite the torrential rain and stormy winds, it certainly requires dedication to work up through the ranks in this business. Such a contrast to the Green Room reserved for the client and agency, which has been made very comfortable and supplied with plenty of reading matter to keep them occupied during the very long day.

Surprisingly filming finished on time, as darkness fell I could sense a feeling of pressure to make sure the day did not drag on for too long.  I had been warned that it could go into up to four hours overtime, so was very pleased when I heard the clapping to the words 'it's a wrap'.

I was persuaded by the family to agree to a pizza takeaway, it took all my strength to eat after such an emotionally exhausting day, with the thought of the art department returning bright and early the next day to 'strike' the set, it was by no means over.  I'm into all this jargon now!

A week later, the house is now back to normal, all the glasses and china which had to be packed away have been unpacked.  We did take note of the way the stylist had used the space in our dining room and have changed our layout, which makes the room look much bigger.  The most surreal experience, is the only way I can describe our recent encounter with a film crew.  I think the jury is out on whether I would agree to this again!