Ice Ice Baby

Continuing on the home made front...

 

 

The best dessert in the world (probably)

 

 

Strawberry ice cream.

 

Made in the second of my 'new birthday toys', an ice cream maker from Aldi.

Bloomin' lovely!

Z xx

A Bun In The Oven (edited version)

Well, technically a loaf.

 

 

In my new bread maker!

(from Aldi)
 



 

In a little over 3 hours I should, with luck, be tucking into homemade fresh bread.

Yum!

 

Will pop up a post on finished loaf later.

 *****

14:00 EDIT...now with added bun! 

Don't know what Picasa is playing at with my text - this is the 4th attempt. I give up!

So, here is my first loaf. Pretty good I'd say. This is the medium crust setting; I just used the Quick Start recipe. It tastes a bit 'yeasty' but that may be because I didn't stop to let it cool; I think it would be good with some added flavour and seeds/nuts etc.

But for my first attempt I am well chuffed.

 Zxx

Birthday Gal

Happy Birthday to me!

Vintage-styled Window Sill

Now that the weather seems to be settled on 'warm', (with occasional  thunder and lightning!), it seemed a good time to put the plants from the loo window sill out in the garden.

 

But what to put there instead?

 

 

Two ironwork covered bottles and a whatever the pinky one in the middle is.

Oh, and not forgetting the vintage French wooden birdcage, with all its' original glass feeding bowls.

I've 'borrowed' this photo from Cherry Anne Merriman.

I got the glassware last summer from Twinset & Pearls, Joan and Jane, I think their names are??? Sorry, forgotten; but always a joy to see these two lovely ladies.

 

Trevor, who organises the Vintage in the Shires Fairs and Briony, May 2012

The birdcage came from Briony at the Fair the other Saturday.



http://www.johnlewis.com/

Couldn't believe this picture that came with an e-mail from Jonny Loulou...one of the very same style bottles!

 Never been aware of seeing them before and now they're 'trending' at JL.

Hark at my trendy interior design!!

Z xx

As If By Magic

Nothing yesterday. Nothing the day before.

 

 

Then...SURPRISE...3 little bluebell flowers in the front garden, espied on the way back from the massage therapist.

nice hazard tape!



Bobbin' Robin

Not some of my best photography/movie skills here, it has to be said!

 (You might need a magnifying glass!)

 

But I just had to get a shot of my cheeky robin friend having a good old splash in the fountain.

 

I just had my phone with me and if I'd moved to get my camera he'd have been off like a shot.
*****
It seemed like a heck of a palaver to get to the fair and it was hot; too hot to do a long walk from the bus drop off point to the actual place where the fair was, so I had a lovely day pottering about in the garden.
Much better way to spend my time; but the pictures of the fair that have appeared on fb do look jolly. But I don't regret not going!

And another scorcher of a day tomorrow.
More mud pies then!
Zxx

#BEDM The Final Photo of the Day - Midnight

Feather lights draped over my wardrobe.

Nighty-night blogosphere.
Zzzzzz xx
 

#BEDM "Day in the Life - take a photo every hour on the hour" 9pm

 Yay! 9pm photo.

After Gardener's World for half an hour on BBC2 total joy of Lewis on ITV for an hour.



I love Lewis and Morse before that.

 

Mr B bought me the boxed set of the Colin Dexter novels in Shrewsbury; so that's my reading taken care of for the foreseeable future.

 

 

Music by a (very talented) friend of ours.

 

I knew Barrington, (and his wife), before I knew Mr B. Then they both worked at LCDT. Weird how stuff happens, isn't it?

#BEDM "Day in the Life - take a photo every hour on the hour" 7pm

 

 

Trying to sort out how to get to this...

 

 

Think it is going to take longer to walk to Nene Court from Wellingborough town centre than the bus journey from Northampton to Wellingborough!

 

Plus I need to get from my house to Northampton Bus Station.

 

Maybe it'll be a day in the garden then!

Zxx

#BEDM "Day in the Life - take a photo every hour on the hour" 5pm

Umm, it's 5pm and I've just managed to take my first photo!

the 5pm photo

It's been a lovely day.

 

Went into town to meet a new blogger mate, Caroline, of  'Putting Your Life In Order'.

We met for lunch and a natter at Most Marvellous and it was one the most pleasant ways to while away some time.

Cannot wait to do it again!

(and maybe take some photos if we're not too busy gabbing and eating!)

Z xx



Toothgate

Not sneering...just a numb mouth



Had my infected tooth out yesterday.

Ouch!

3 roots no kidding. Ouch!

 And 200+ quid down the drain on root canal treatment with it.

That hurts almost as much as the tooth!

 

Two lots of antibiotic have played absolute havoc with my insides which the GP said could take up to six weeks to settle down.
She also suggested that I try those live bacteria yogurt thingies. When I nearly vomited down the phone she said they were also available as a tablet. So I 'treated' myself to a pack of "Biotic Balance Ultimate Flora" by Bioglan from Boots.

Not sure what it is doing but thank goodness my insides seem to be doing well much quicker than I could ever hope for.
Do you take any form of 'live bacteria' daily?
Any thoughts?

nice stool

 Mind you, still waiting for results of a stool sample (gulp).

 

Thank goodness this fur baby's fur is much better

Anyway, our two little adopted fur babies were in the park. Hurrah!

No, Vix, it isn't Polly Piglet, but Marmite. The woman who owns her, (yes, she does have an owner!), likes her, her husband doesn't.

The same woman has 'adopted' the other one which she said was a stray, but she doesn't feed her??

(No, I don't understand either)

Who's this Polly Piglet I keep hearing about?

 Thank goodness for the lovely lady who opens the Box Office in the park; we had a great natter with her. It was her who told us about their 'home'; she had brought in food for them, as did we.

 

Yes, we took a box of cat kibbles to the dentist. Are we mad??
Zxx

#BEDM "Home Sweet (effing) Home"

So, todays' title had so many (lovely) ideas swirling around my head.

 

Instead,

 

last night at about 11.40pm, yes, 20 to midnight, I am on the phone to the fire service because my dick-brained neighbour was having a bonfire outside his backdoor, next to my wooden fence!

 

Sorry, am I the only one to find this really odd?

Zxx

A Vintage Kinda Gal

 Saturday was the Vintage Fair at St Matthews.

Lots of goodies bought, (that need photographing), friends caught up with and new ones made.

Sadly my 'twinnie' has a chest infection and wasn't able to make it but we've sent each other best wishes via Trevor!

At last, the perfect weather to wear my 'new' vintage Burberry that Mr B brought me from Scout in Sunderland.

as we call it, The Burberry Museum

Cannot believe that one was ever made large enough to fit me! The most brilliant thing for me is that, what some people would hate, the shorter sleeve, is the perfect 'bracelet length' for me and saves me having to roll back my sleeves, which I do with most of my jackets.

The yellow brolly I bought at TK Maxx, for a fiver, ages ago.

 My wonderful vintage poker print scarf was a giveaway win from Char, again, ages ago!

Isn't it fabulous?

My tiny little yellow flower head earrings I bought when I was a student, so that must make them even older than vintage!

http://www.random-makes.co.uk/index.htm

The amazing 'H' the old Citroen van was a newcomer to the Fair and Mr B bought me the most apt gift from them...a cushion made from a vintage Bognor Regis and surrounding views T-towel. BR basically runs through my veins. I will do a post on that as an individual 'thing' as most of the views I have photographs of that I have taken in the past.


A large part of my life on a cushion, you could say.

Obligatory windswept hair shot



Just to remind me to get a trim and some new highlights done!

Zxx



#BEDM rather fell by the wayside; just got totally disillusioned with posting anything last week.



Don't Go Breaking My Heart

I've hankered after a pair of Terry de Havilland shoes since forever!

 

 

Having bitten the bullet, egged on by Pearls' post, I plumped for 'Jay', in the sale on the TdeH website and over 200 quid cheaper than Sarenza!!

 

(Start small I thought and then work up to the even more beautiful expensive 'Margaux').

 

Sadly, I don't think the cut of his jib suits my foot. Great round the heel-end and with lacing good over my foot. But where have my toes gone???

 

I know I'm not actually going to be wearing that much, I mean, look at that heel height, but I still want them to fit and not make me look as though the front end of my foot is deformed!

 

So, not this time, but, maybe, if I get to actually try some on before I buy, I may yet find the perfect pair.

 

 

Pretty blue nail varnish is Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Blueberry. My first Barry M nail varnish.

(Oh yes, I really know how to push the boat out!).

Thanks to Victoria extolling the virtues of their Gelly Hi-Shine Lips, I did a little recce on the Boots website and, when in the store, plumped for the 3 for 2 offer, and bought the lippie in Capella and the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Cool Medium 2.

 After trying out the Boots No7 Stay Perfect Superlight Foundation on her recommendation too and being totally impressed I think Florence & Mary is becoming my go-to beauty bible!!



 Zxx
 

#BEDM "Cinco de Mayo - Let's be Mexican"

Having been a milliner in days gone by, the first thought that crosses my mind is

'Mexicans dance on their hats'.

Not particularly helpful, and no doubt there will be someone out there shouting 'that's not PC!' But that's what people of my generation grew up with and the song is really funny.

OPI nail varnish set from TK Maxx...that's a bit more like it. (Though this was actually a set for The Day of the Dead/Halloween). Came with a whole load of stickers to put on your nails too.

 



Photo Credit: chicagocincodemayo.com

I am so loving this picture that I found via Google. It's for Chicagos' largest Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the Pilsen neighbourhood.

Some of my favourite things...arty skulls, roses and even a cowboy hat thrown in for good measure. Never had a tattoo, but this sure could be a contender if I was ever up for one!

 

source

Nice hats!



Vintage tomato ketchup dispenser. Well, don't all Mexican dishes have tomato in? Home grown fruit from my lully neighbour.

 

recipe here

 This salsa picture popped up on my fb page as I follow Nadia G (Bitchin' Kitchen).

 

As she wrote...

" Don't show up with store-bought salsa this Cinco de Mayo, show up with G's fresh homemade salsa for that unique Italian-Mexican fusion! And Tequila. Everyone likes Tequila."



 You can't disagree with that, can you?

 

 This showed up as well, and, well, looks totally delish!

 

Pomegranate Tequila Guacamole recipe

So, paint your nails, add your stickers then sip a drink and eat your salsa while they are drying.

Oh, and watch the video.

Laughed?? I nearly peed my pants!!

 

 

Happy 'Cinco de Mayo' Day!

Zxx

#BEDM "Star Wars Day! Talk about Sci-Fi (interpret wildly)"

I have never actually watched a Star Wars movie; seen bits, just never a complete film.

 

And what was it with Carrie Fishers' 'doughnut' hairstyle?

 Here beautifully modelled by Rachel and Phoebe from 'Friends'

source

 But, from the name of my blog you may've guessed that I am a fan of The Big Bang Theory; so that's scientists that are fictional.

http://bigbangtheory.wikia.com/wiki/The_Work_Song_Nanocluster

Guess that fits the bill!

But I did used to know Paul McCartney. No, not him, but a geologist, who co-wrote "Earth Lights" a book about UFOs.

 

 But to finish off todays' post a photo of me taken this afternoon, at a great diner in Far Cotton and a nifty little toon from the fabulous Rezillos. 

 

#BEDM "Weekend Morning Routine"

What?????????

 

Weekend Morning Routine

 

Morning?

 

The chance of a long lie-in, more like!

 

But weekend morning treats include Macca Ds pancakes and maple syrup, crispy bacon rolls from 'Mrs Screwfix', (the lady that has the catering van outside Screwfix a few minutes cycle ride away) and sitting in bed watching The Larkins  on those free DVDs from the Daily Mail/WHSmiths giveaway a while back.

 

 

As Pop Larkin would say

"Perfick!"

#BEDM "5 Fave Posts"

This is a hard one (5) to choose; I don't normally blog every day but when something I want a record of happens. So...

 

Number 1

 

RIP Millennium Dome. Long Live The 02 Arena!

A little piece about backstage at the O2 Arena. You follow Pennyblossoms? That makes you a VIP in my eyes!

 

Number 2

Pink Pan(t)s
If you know the TV show 'Smack The Pony' I'm sure you know where I'm coming from. This post may be 3-4 years old, but just thinking about it still makes me laugh.
Would you like a leeetle deserrrt?

Number 3



A post(card) from Plymouth.
Photos of the sea, from one of our twice-yearly trips to Devon. Mr B goes on tour there and me and the 2 cats go for a holiday. We usually rent a basement flat on West Hoe and have been going there for years. We first took the cats when Rene was about 3 months old; she will be 15 years old this year.

Number 4

Getting rescued by a hunky copper! Say no more, honest Guv!
http://penny-blossoms.blogspot.com/2012/09/my-knight-in-armour-in-his-dashing.html

I have suffered from Clinical Depression for years and have popped in posts about how/what has affected me during the 5 years of this blog.
I like to see and read how I have improved and the total nutcase-ness of this situation proved how well I have progressed.

Number 5A

Danielle, Mrs Bossa, Char, Helen, Alex

The Northwest Bloggers Meet-Up.

Alex made me an honorary member and I had a fabulous day meeting unknown people!!!

That is the amazing-est thing about blogging...I have met such fab people who (I hope) I can call 'friends', that I keep in touch with and care about deeply.
Lucky me!
I mean, wouldn't you want to spend a day in the company of these lovely ladies?

To think I may never have met Pearl doesn't bear thinking about!

But I'm gonna be cheeky here and add another post which ties with 5A and call it 5B...

Number 5B

 

http://penny-blossoms.blogspot.com/2011/11/boozy-bear.html

One of my meet-ups with the wonderful Vix.

Yep! Blogs and Bloggers are fabulous!