18 April 2011

Cappuchino cake

Coffee cake with mascapone frosting and cocoa powder...
& Fav cake spoon from Kerry for my birthday.

Sunday is bakeday. But I'm going to have to find some hungry neighbours pretty soon, as our little flat is struggling to keep up with the consumption to bake rate.

Into The Wild, dir. Sean Penn 2007




My favourite piece of trivia I picked up in three years of American literature was that purveyor of the wilderness Henry David Thoreau infact stayed in a log cabin just eight miles away from his own village, often attending cosy dinner parties with friends and rarely remaining in solitude for longer than a few weeks at a time.

The very notion of taking yourself into oblivion not to specifically travel or to conquer a mountain range but just to be alone is one very alien, and, as far as I have seen, very American idea. And until watching Into The Wild I loved banding about my fact on Thoreau in any seminar or anytime anyone went near paraphrasing anything by the writer.

But Sean Penn's film about Christopher McCandless - well, it's an Odyssey. The self-assured, self-involved runaway was played by Emile Hirsch, who I'll admit I didn't sympathise with until the closing scenes, which were devastating enough in their regret and sorrow to make up for the two and a half hours it took to get there.

Authentic isn't the right word because it suggests it is already fake, but you certainly endure something just as an audience member. Entirely heart breaking, very sad, very true, and very genuine.

17 April 2011

Get the look: Bianca Stratford


Pictured: 1990s Floral summer dress, cream vanity case, Vintage Laura Ashley cable knit.



It was only when I saw a few of the items together I realised they were channeling Bianca Stratford's enviable wardrobe from 10 Things I Hate About You...

So as you can see the first of Ava and Aubrey's Big Sell Out is on air! We've gone straight to eBay this time, so you can see all the listings here.

And of course, as promised, we've worked out a little perk for any readers of Veruca Salt who win an item: you'll get FREE postage and packaging!
Simply message me through eBay if you win, writing 'mates rates' in the subject box, and I'll recalculate the item and take off P&P.

Happy Bidding and Stay Whelmed.

Coconut Records West Coast



It's funny: when I first listened to Coconut Records late last year, it was Is This Sound Okay? and it was cold and it jarred. But I just ran across West Coast and now both albums sounds just perfect, now windows can be opened and heavy blankets packed away for next winter.

16 April 2011

Yes please

"To eat well in England you should have breakfast three times a day."
W. Somerset Maugham

Semi-full english breakfast, Irish potato farls, tomatoes, sausages and mushrooms.

15 April 2011

Cellmate number three

(For any Johnny come latelys, the cellmate game is explained in this post.)

The third coveted cellmate position goes to Sandra Beijer, writer of Niotillfem.









All photos by Sandra Beijer and from Niotillfem
I found Sandra's blog over three years ago, and I've been reading it every day since. It's pure escapism, never saccharine but often just indulgent enough to lighten up any tea break or the first five minutes of the all too early morning.

Quite simply, Sandra's blog is full to the brim of everything I love. Friday night birthday dinners, boat trips, lusting over beautiful dresses and endless parties leading into slow-down Sundays. Rabbits, carbonara and fancy dress... what endures throughout every post is Sandra's ability to spot the gorgeous parts of everyday weeks and weekends. Her blog is an ode to optimism and for that reason alone, she's earnt an unconditional place as cellmate number three.