Retro Revival..

Wednesday saw us take a trip back to the 80's.... today we are going back to the 70's.

Friday I had a little gift appear on my desk... Attached was a little note that said: I hope this brings back lots of lovely memories, it won't go in your collection but think it will look great on gramps's bureau. In it contained part of the new Orla Kiely collection.

I had the day before been enraptures over the new Orla shop space at work...how many of you have just been transported back to the living room of your childhood?... My friend had a blonde moment on seeing it, by commenting on how well the tv worked. (I did have to point out that the top lifted up and the plasma screen was put inside!!) ..... my other retro piece of the day is this great cool bag from m&s !! variation on the keep calm theme. (apologies if these are not new, I have been cacooned in an office for a month)

Reliving my youth!....

January is passing by with a blur, which is not unusual for me with the workload... but I did take a moment out of my busy schedule, to prioritise booking these!..... yes... much excited that Duran Duran announced their tour dates this week, and even more thrilled to know that Mark Ronson will be joining them on tour...  fortunately I bagged pre-sale tickets today, 2 days ahead of general release. O2 here I come!
As a devout Duranie in her early teens (as previously blogged in detail!) i couldn't miss the opportunity to see the 'boys' back on stage!.. really looking forward to it as I'm loving the new album... spent most of the day reliving my feeling 14 all over again!... happy days!

It's Stylish to be Crafty!

how excited was I when I saw the cover of this evenings Stylist. I love Stylist, it's my favourite evening commute home on a Tuesday when I pick up my free copy at Bond St station... how lovely is this cover.
It has a great feature inside on Crafting your own business... available to view via website.
Also featured is this fabulous little place just off of Marylebone Lane... love the idea of a Sewing cafe!.. will be seeking it out when work calms down in a couple of weeks!
Staying with the crafting theme, I thought i would share a couple of cakes that I made before Christmas for family & friends....
Christening Cake & Cookies.... Afternoon Teacakes (loving the teacup cupcake cases!) and 40th Birthday polka dot cake!

Enjoy!

Books to Eat in 2011

As you all know I am a huge book fan, and if I don't have at least one book being devoured I feel very hungry!... I can not survive the daily commute without a book... so I thought I would share some of my favourites from 2010 and what i'm looking forward to in 2011.
My favs are a little like a tin of teatime biscuits... you may not like them all, but there will be a choc digestive amongst them for you all!
2010:~

• All I Want for Christmas ~ Amy Silver - every street should have a cafe/deli like the honeypot.. a perfect christmas book.
• Alphabet Weekends ~ Elizabeth Noble - this is great, ingenious idea to date by the alphabet!
• A Summer Fling ~ Milly Johnson - love, laughter and a testimony to great friendships at work..
• Wicked Games ~ Sasha Wagstaff - a romp from start to finish!...
• From Notting hill with Love actually ~ Ali Mcnamara - this could be my fav of the year, if you are a Richard Curtis fan this is a must... a daydreamers delight.
• Must be Love ~ Cathy Woodman - following on from trust me i'm a vet... the james herriot series of the decade.
• Love Letters ~ Katie Fforde - can't ever resist a KF book, she never dissappoints.. this has got me chomping to go to a book festival...
• A Single to Rome - Sarah Duncan - a must for my trip to Rome this year... fell in love with both the book & the city.
• Bad Girls ~ Rebecca Chance - I hope all rehabs are this exciting...
• 12 days of Christmas ~ Trisha Ashley - its surprising what christmas can bring.. another hit from TA.
• Take a Chance on me ~ Jill Mansell - one of my all time fav authors .. bad boys, & putting the past behind you.. always going to be a winner with me!
• Very Valentine ~ Adriana Trigiani - Shoe designer, New York Greenwich Village & Italy... shoe descriptions that make you salivate over the page... take me there now ...please!

2011 Book store:~ all books previewed in detail in the 2011 book store.. I will share my views on each during the year, as they are "eaten"!

An American evening...

Thursday evening I escaped from my desk and headed over to the Savoy. As detailed in the recent TV programme the Savoy has just under gone a 3 year redevelopment. AND can I say it is stunning!.

This hotel has always been my favorite hotel in London and holds some special memories for me.. and hopefully more in the future!. I had drinks in the American bar, which still exudes glamour and style ( a must for Mad Men fans) Alongside the American bar is a small museum which holds some amazing artifacts from the hotel.. including room logs from yesteryear - (Chanels detailed in photo)

After a champagne cocktail I crossed the lobby to the Savoy Theatre for an evening of Legally Blonde! ( i know an evening of 2 halves!) A great girls night out.. Denise Van Outen is fantastic as Paulette... but the stars of the show are the 2 dogs! Wasn't sure whether this was going to work on stage, but its fab.. great cast who genuinely look like they are having a ball.

A great night out ... 2 musts for London.... and a great american escape from work.

TV Dinner Treats

for those of you that have followed me over the last couple of years know that I loose my life in January! This is due to Financial Year end pressures at work, the only time of the year (& again at the half year!) when I regret having 'Audit' as part of my job title!..
Invariably I live on TV dinners and bless the fact that I have I-player!.
Fortunately this is one of my favourite TV times, as  the Christmas decorations come down new TV starts.
So as we say goodbye to the old and welcome the new here are my tv treats from 2010 and what my tv dinners are going to be in 2011.

In 2010 I loved:

• Luther - looking forward to new series
• Ashes to Ashes - said goodbye to Gene & Bolly..and it all finally made sense!
• Spooks - another goodbye to the gorgeous Lucas North
• Glee - so excited that this is back on Monday E4 9pm.. check out trailer here
• Sherlock - fantastic twist on a classic.
• Upstairs Downstairs - lovely to be back in Eton Place again.
• Downton Abbey - one of my absolute favs from last year.. watched again over new year Dame Maggie Smith at her finest!
• Mad Men - cannot fail to be on my fav list yearly, without a doubt the classiest, most glamorous TV series ever! This programme ooooozes everything, class, glamour, sex, New York!
• and then finally the complete opposite of Mad Men is The only way is Essex.. car crash TV at its finest!... I never do reality, but for an essex girl this had to be seen to be believed!..addictable.

So what am I looking forward to in 2011

• the return of Brothers & Sisters (coming soon to more4)
• Larkrise to Candleford - Sunday 9th Jan BBC.. easy sunday evening viewing.. can Dorcas find true love?
• Mary Portas - Secret Shopper... for a girl in retail I can't wait to see this, if only for Mary in disguise!
• Under Suspicion - 3rd serialisation of the books by Lynda La Plante.. enjoyed first episode have 2 & 3 to catch up on
• CSI NY - forensics, NY & Gary Senise, my dream job! back saturday 8th Jan C5.
• Zen - BBC1 Sun 9pm - the stylish Rufus Sewell in the equally stylish & stunning Rome, whats not to enjoy?
•  The Good Wife, fantastic first season last year and have obviously missed this off 2010 favs!.. Juliana Margulies has all the luck Chris Noth & George Clooney, thats a tough job!
• and Silk - a Uk legal drama, with the incredibly yummy Rupert Penry Jones, suited and in barrister regalia... i'm going to be in 7th heaven!

all I need to do now is go to M&S to stock the freezer, make sure that the microwave is working and I'm ready for January... let the silly season & stress begin!

PJ day.......

My cold has come back with a vengeance over the weekend, so i've spent yesterday & today in my PJ's, looking not dissimilar to this!
I have caught up on Upstairs Downstairs which I loved, although not as much as Downton!., which has also been repeated!
I have also been trying to trace these. My luggage arrived in the UK on the 30th, it appears that it takes longer to deliver something from Heathrow to Essex than what it takes to fly from NY to London in a snowstorm!

I was notified that it would be delivered at 4pm yesterday afternoon... I am still waiting!........someone somewhere has my thermals, bridget jones pants and Uggs!
Today I also found that Baileys makes a fantastic substitute in coffee when the milk is running low!..
To get me through the January slump over the next week I will be reviewing my fav, books, tv & films of 2010 and posting what i'm looking forward to in 2011
I have blogged my Christmas adventures in NY...
Christmas Eve, Christmas day, Boxing day, Christmas monday...
..... i'm back off under the duvet now... dilemma of the evening... Silent Witness or Above Suspicion? decisions decisions... then work tomorrow :-(