Smug Blog Alert

Anyone want to hear about our 3 day, child-free, all-expenses paid, what can only be described as, bender last weekend? Excellent.

Actually the 40th birthday trip of 2 very generous friends, 21 of us headed to Rioja in Spain.  Activities revolved around eating, wine-tasting, bad homo-erotic dancing and sleeping past 6am without being kicked in the head by a 3 year old.

We kicked off the gorging with a 3 Michelin Star meal at Azurmendi.  Here are just a few of my favs of the 15 courses...

These egg yolks are injected with truffle to cook from the inside.  And they are served on a handy spoon. 

Sea Urchin crustini on a urchin-infused Bloody Mary.  This  tasted a bit like a rock pool.

Fungal Fun

This was my favourite.  Pigeon with hazelnuts.  The giant hazel nuts are actually foie gras covered with chocolate and sprayed with gold...stuff.  Amazing!

Where ever we went there seemed to be a lot of glasses in a line.  Beautiful wine, great friends and even some Europop to top off a brilliant weekend.

So we have been home for a couple of weeks now and we are still trying to acclimatise to our old lives.  Tonight for example, I am having to cook my own bloody jacket potato and I'm clean out of Urchin Tears and Foie Gras!  

Is it nearly Christmas yet?

Today I have mostly been inappropriately dressed.  

My wardrobe is in complete denial about the change of season and there are only 68 shopping days left until Christmas!

My house, on the other hand, can't wait for Christmas.  I'm itching to hang these stockings I bought from Love Lottie Knits at a fair I did in early September!  I BLOODY LOVE them. You can find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Lovelottieknits

Bought a few other non-festive bits too...

Oh and then went back for this....

So I'm ready for Christmas now.

And I don't want to worry you but shouldn't you be thinking about soaking the fruit for the Xmas pudding about now?

Fun of the Fair

Yesterday was Newark Antiques Fair - my favourite place in the world to freeze to death! I was really very excited about some gorgeous dolls from a 1920's French factory and delved around here with my little basket for a good 45 mins.

And then there was the weird and wonderful world of Taxidermy....

What home is complete without a Begging Fox?

Or a Hunting Hare?

Oooh I know what I need! Two stuffed squirrels playing cards and smoking acorn pipes! Brilliant nut currency!

But always a favourite for me are the vintage mohair dogs - gorgeous xx

Fallen Angel

This is the year of the 40th birthday (not mine but some old people that I am friends with).  Had a great girls night out in London this weekend...

and then this morning....

wait for it... 

we got up at 9.30...walked from our hotel in the brilliant sunshine to a cafe and...ate breakfast!  Without tantrums or flying Shreddies. And nobody needed a poo just as the food arrived.  

Summer Bay 2013

Just back from a girls trip to the Isle of Wight to visit my big, fat, pregnant bezzie.  Left the boys at home to run rings around the long-suffering in-laws.  Beautiful weather, BIG ice-creams and sand everywhere.

Old friends and new friends in corresponding Mum/Daughter order (we lack hair on the right...)

Happy Days

Car Booting xx

Car booting on Sunday with the only entrepreneur in the family who could be arsed to get up at 6am to eat Mini Cheddars.  (This was a couple of minutes after dawn, as he finished his packed breakfast and started to get bored of counting 5p's.)

Selling a 3 year old's toys from under his nose is no mean feet I can tell you but I only had to wrestle a couple of baby toys from his little, clenched fists.  We were the Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones of Saddington Car Boot sale... £78! That's going to buy us lots of sweets xx

Gin and Tonic Club xxx

Gin and Tonics and Peonies.  Summer's here.

Boys ruin everything...

A Little Prince!

Well done Duchess! 

She couldn't just send a group text like everyone else...  From now on I will announcing everything by easel.

Dear Summer,

Thanks for popping in....x

The Importance of Being Ernest

Just back from a fleeting visit to my new nephew, Ernest Rowles.  What a gorgeous small person!

I made him a thing.  He was so overwhelmed that he remained asleep.