O' to live in Nigella's kitchen!

what an indulgent decadent treat that would be!....

Nigella's Kitchen is back... with recipes from the heart of the home.

The book is yummy.... I'm never disappointed with a Nigella book... the recipes are straight forward and adaptable...
The book is of course accompanied by a TV show (BBC2 tonight 8pm)..
I've already waxed lyrically about her App on my iphone.Whilst in my local Homesense at the weekend, look  what other Nigella treats I picked up!.... Nigella notebooks, & mousepad, great for organising my shopping lists! I'm now completely Nigella'd!


....mmmmm now what can I cook this week?

Blogging Buddies....

Last Friday I caught up with my blogging buddies,  Kelly & Victoria, and a new buddy Michela (who was visiting from Italy for the weekend.) They had already hit Fortnum & Mason, Hamleys, Liberty's and more before joining me in the big yellow store! We hit the biggest shoe hall in the world, where we gazed longingly at the Louboutins! before hitting the food garden for a spot of food and lots of gossip & news!

It's the first time that I had met up with the girls since Kelly's wedding, so a little goodie box was made for her & James to compliment their wedding!...now she has baby Sophie's arrival in 3 months time to look forward to.

It was great to meet Michela, and looking at her blog it seems that the girls showed her all the best bits on her weekend in London...(including a rummage in a charity shop!)

The girls gave me a belated birthday present.... how cute is this charm to go on my Pandora bracelet!... a lovely unexpected surprise... Thanks V & K. great to see you all.. Tx

I'm off now for an indulgent night of TV... Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty & Mad Men! xoxox

An Apple a Day!.....

makes T a happy lady!

2 months ago my phone was due an upgrade and I took the plunge and opted for an Iphone!... I've always been sceptical on the need to have your life on a phone... Oh how I am converted!... how did I live without this beauty... not only does it look effortlessly stylish, it makes my life so much easier... Life without Apps seems so dull!.

As a newbie I am just finding my way through the App world, but here are some of my food favs!:

• Jamies 20 minute meals,
• Nigella's Quick collection
• Cake Love from the talented Warren Brown
• Mad Men Cocktail Culture
• Waitrose ~ Heston & Delia

Food shopping has never been so easy.... Heston's Pea & Pancetta has already been tried & tested! mmm very yummy!

The problem with having such a stylish yummy phone it needs a stylish yummy case!... currently coveting one of these to accompany my mulberry handbag!..... whats apps do you recommend?

Cupcake's for Christmas

.... this week I caught a glimpse of the Next Christmas Gift Guide and could hardly contain my delight!.... a cacophony of cupcakes!..My wish list is growing for Santa....

• Cupcake Hot water bottle & Hot chocolate
• Baking set ~ Set includes mixing bowl, tea towel, cupcake mix and 12 cupcake paper cases.
  (because I need another mixing bowl!)
• I love cupcake mugs.
• Cupcake measures ( uk & usa measurements ~ fantastic for all the martha stewart recipes!)
• Cupcake stand
• Oven glove & tea towel set
• Electric cupcake maker (a few now on the market I am tempted to try.. makes 7 mini cupcakes)

Can't wait to see what other Cupcake treats santa can bring!....

Movies & Dinner...

This fab recipe book hit my desk this week and its a treat for all movie buffs out there. The book title Movie Dinners is as the title suggests recipes from all the great movies, with the odd little twist. Instead of the usual starters, mains & desserts, it's split into The Directors cut (drinks), Shorts (starters) Main Feature, and Sequels (desserts & snacks).
It's a fun book, great for a themes dinner party, or a saturday night in front of a movie!
Talking of movies, here's what's on my viewing list for the autumn/winter.... coming to a cinema near you soon.

• The Town ~ thriller, starring & directed by Ben Affleck & also starring John Hamm (aka the gorgeous Don Draper from Made Men)
• Harry Potter & the deathly hallows .. prequel to the fantastic finale... lets hope that it is as good as the book.
• Life as we know it ~ starring the beautiful Josh Duhamel & Katherine Hiegl, this looks so fun!
• The American ~ starring George Clooney ( well he couldn't be left off the list could he?)
• Love & Other Drugs ~ a chick flick treat, which will make you cry & laugh
• How do you know? ~ Reese Whitherspoon, princess of romcom... a girly indulgent night out.
• The Kings Speech ~ stella British cast, already being tipped for awards, see's Colin Firth playing King George (father of the current Queen)..........and finally
• Made in Dagenham ~  everyone in essex who has or knows someone who works at Fords, for an essex girl this is a must! fantastic British film with a great cast, a real romp!

So my movies are sorted, here's my Movie Dinner menu to accompany them:

• My Directors cut would be a Mint Julep from Gone with the Wind
• Shorts would be  Blue Soup Bridget Jones style complete with string (ala spaghetti!)
• Main Feature ~ Boeuf Bourguignon courtesy of Julia & Julia
• Sequel would be Pecan Pie from Hairspray,

all washed down with Champagne & strawberries ala Pretty women style!..... what would your meals on reels be?

TV Treats for Autumn...

the nights are drawing in, so my hibernation plans are starting!... ( my friends will be screaming at this post now,as I need no excuse to hibernate!)  I love the autumnal season, its my favourite time of year for many reasons, one being the launch of some new drama on the TV!...

Here are my top treats for autumn, accompanied on the sofa with a warm throw, popcorn & hot chocolate!

• Mad Men (BBC4) ~ the most stylish, glamorous & best programme on TV.. Mr D Draper is sooo yummy and just gets sexier each season.
• Spooks (BBC1) ~ returning next week, still bereft that RPJ is no longer in it, (however my week was so much brightened this week by seeing him in the flesh!)... the lovely Richard Armitage fills his shoes very nicely... the best thriller on TV (rumoured to be the last series)
• Nigella's Kitchen ~ coming to BBC2 in October... if its as good as the book we are in for a tempting treat)
• Downton Abbey ~ filmed at the sumptuous Highclere Castle in Hampshire, the cast is headed up by actings royalty ~ Dame Maggie Smith. I love a period drama so really looking forward to this upstairs / downstairs tale.
• Jamies 30 minute dinners ~ if this is as good as the 20 minute App on the iphone then we will have a feast ! Coming to channel 4 in October
• Single Dad ~ release date not confirmed.. David Tennants first drama since departing the Tardis.. as the title suggests single dad widowed with 4 children, facing life's challenges. (I can hear the tugging of heartstrings already)
• Thorne ~ for fans of the books by Mark Billingham, this will be a must. the fantastic David Morrissey (recently seen in U Be Dead) plays DI Thorne, a troubled police officer. MB has been involved with the scripts, so I am hoping that they stay true to the books as they are thrilling.

as with all posts I have tempted you with a little trailer via the highlighted links.... enjoy... i'm off for a little rest and to watch Mad Men!....

Birthday Treats & Sweets...

with a little bit of Italy thrown in!
A couple of weeks ago I posted some of my Birthday Treats, things to keep & eat!... Today I am posting some of the cupcake treats that I got, along  with some fab gifts to compliment my 40th year theme of, London, Paris, New York & Rome!

my much coveted "I love cupcakes" cake stand, along with an afternoon tea recipe book, which is fab! a lovely vintage/ 50's fairy cake metal wall plaque for my kitchen and a tray of assorted treats, including some lovely pink & blue enamel cake tins, cookie cutters and a fab cupcake brolly!

Another friend gave me an Italian inspired bag of goodies... a pink enamel coffee kettle, complete with Italian coffee, a packet of bucattini pasta, an Italian cook book and a bottle of Asti Martini...(how cute is the bottle!) There are some very yummy recipes in book which I will be trying out now its getting a little colder.

I also got  these to accompany any meals cooked from my London, Paris, New York & Rome year... a new 'Rome' mug to drink my Italian Coffee, a Paris tea plate to eat my Macarons from, a New York bowl & plate for my Pancakes, Bacon & Oatmeal breakfasts and finally a London dinner plate.
How fab are these!
Thankyou all for some really fab & thoughtful things for my 40th. xxx

Meeting Manolo...

well I did last night and he was a delight!....

Last night Manolo Blahnik launched his 'pop-up' shop at Liberty's in London. As well as launching exclusive Liberty print shoes, he has also designed a range of accessories which are gorgeous.

Accompanying Manolo, was the stunningly beautiful Yasmin Le Bon (who broke 1000's of girls hearts when she married Simon all those years ago.... mine included!)
The shoes are breathtaking and real works of art... it's like walking round a shoe gallery!
It's there for 3 months... if you can't get there, check out the website.

He has a 3 limited edition liberty fabrics, I picked up a couple of hankies... one of which Manolo signed along with a bespoke shoe tag.... how cute is that (pictures above)
September is certainly all about shoes!... more shoe posts to come!......

Friday 5 ~ Beauty Essentials...

This weeks Friday 5 is beauty essentials. I can say that I've struggled to just picking 5, but here are mine:

• YSL's Luxurious Mascara, can't live without mascara, do feel like I'm walking out the door naked without it! ( really not a pleasant thought!)  this is my trusted faithful, always in Brown, never black.
• Clarins Beauty Flash Balm ~ the hangover cure for skin, this brightens the tiredest skin and makes it glow... too indulgent for daily use but is the essential pick-up.

• Bobbi Brown Lip gloss ~ just a basic lip glaze with incredible staying power...always in the bottom of my bag.
• Charles Worthington Dry Shampoo ~ I have long thick hair, which takes forever to dry so washing it in the morning is not always an option (especially when I leave home at 6.20) and I can't wake the neighbours daily with the hair dryer!... this is my absolute fail safe especially when I wear my hair up... a couple of sprays at the roots and just like magic it looks fabulous... a real lifesaver.
• Chanel Eyebrow trio ~ I have fair eyebrows which without a little help & definition get lost on my face. This is the creme de la creme of eyebrow glamour and although expensive it is worth every penny and lasts ages...

whats your beauty essentials?.....

check out the other Friday 5 girls (link on the sidebar)

Worship at the Altar of.....

the fabulous Christian Louboutin! I have found my mecca!... yesterday I waxed lyrically of the new shoe room at work, well today an entire post to the shoe god of red soled shoes.... Today the Christian Louboutin apartment opened, and I can only describe it as glorious glamour.

Inspired by the designer’s own personal space, the Christian Louboutin apartment is both sumptuous and seductive, inviting you to kick off your shoes, as much as try a pair on.

The backdrop to the apartment is a trompe l’oeil wall offering an intimate portrait of Christian through family photographs and personal artefacts collected from his extensive travels. A staircase leading nowhere captures the drama and anticipation of what might lie beyond and a red carpet takes centre stage throughout. Middle-Eastern tiles also give an insight into Christian’s passions and influences.

At the centre of it all is a bespoke velvet and satin upholstered seat that offers the most luxurious trying-on experience, plus an adjoining room showcases exclusive evening pieces and limited edition collections.

as you can imagine my Christmas list has now trebled........

Can you ever have too many?.....

I am of course referring to shoes!.... this month saw Selfridges launch their new shoe hall. As you can imagine there has been much speculation around this as it is the largest shoe hall in the world. I need to say that if you are a Shoe Girl, then you have found your mecca!.... it is stunning, and when the stress gets just a little too much for me at my desk, I can be found wandering around the 6 rooms & 11 apartments that now make up the shoe hall, de-stressing! and gazing in wonder. Cinderella would be beside herself!

After the 16th September the final galleries open, complete with a Christian Louboutin apartment and a devine Ladies that lunch restaurant. It is a must for any Shoe-a-holic! With names like the Ugg Chalet, Tod's Loft and apartments by Fendi, Coco Chanel and Jimmy Choo to name but a few, what an indulgent treat 4,000 shoes on display at any one time!.......

This has obviously led to a little shoe obsession and now have a shoe wish list that grows daily!

To appease my need to buy shoes, I picked these two books up, purely because i loved the covers for my train reads of the week!.....