Books, etc.

I really like books, so occasionally I will just wander around Waterstones aimlessly (normally avoiding work), and come across books I like. I already have quite a lot of books, as you can see....

But I still love to walk around and smell them. I also have a book journal from paperchase (another shop I like to walk around) which I can write all the books I want in, and reviews for the books i have read. It's a cool little journal, and i do use it... When I remember. 

Because this isn't very often, to remember the books that I like in Waterstones, I take a picture of the cover, so that I won't forget part of the title/ author when I want to find it again. It works quite well, but I am always aware how shifty I must look taking pictures in a corner of the shop and hiding away. Then my phone makes a massive clicking sound that I can't get rid of... It's awkward, and I often get asked if I'm ok. 

However, I though i would share this, as it's the last book I have a photo of (that I really want to read), which is about a woman who has a party, and guest brings a plus one, and that man (who is the plus one) casually goes upstairs and locks himself in a room and refuses to come out. For weeks. 

Procrastination

So here I am, supposed to be revising, listening to the Harry Potter 7 soundtrack that has just been sent to me.... But of course, procrastination is my friend and it turns out I will do absolutely anything in order to not do revision.
So far today (and I've only been up since half 10), I've made 3 cups of tea, checked my emails a dozen times, spent far too much time browsing http://www.flickr.com/photos/lichen25/, tidied my room, played a few rounds of word mole, looked through some old pictures on facebook, set up a fake desk on the old sewing machine table, emptied and filled the dishwasher.... And ok I might have forced a few lines of revision out of my brain. Oh, and now written this short blog, all in a few hours.
It's amazing what you can do when you're avoiding doing something else!

Being British

I wouldn't say I'm really very patriotic, but  I do still carry a sense of pride about being British. It's green and beautiful, you never know what the weather is going to be like next, we seep history, there is always a sense of reservation which is only true to this country, and I could not live without the beautiful drink that is tea and only perfected by this small island that loves to think it's powerful.

Earlier, I saw this http://youknowyourebritishwhen.tumblr.com/ and loved it so much. Okay, i like superheroes as much as the next person, but there is just something so special about those three unsuspecting heroes. Under dogs is something we love to do, and again something I can relate to more so than a man from space who has every power imaginable and has Super in his name.

The Doctor might be mad and bad and guilty of many things, but he is wonderful in every single way. Sherlock might be a drug addicted sociopath (according to the telegraph the hound of the Baskervilles in about a drug addict who chases a ghostly dog across the moor, which I was a fan of). Sherlock is brilliant and clever and also a bit mad. So far we're liking the mad people. And Harry Potter was my childhood. An underdog who was bullied and then had pressure shoved onto him... The book screams British, and it is our heritage.

So, lets get ready for a year of heroes in film and TV.... Last Harry Potter this week, Doctor Who again in September and the new Sherlock Holmes film later in the year (and i don't care if they were made by Americans etc etc. It doesn't matter, I still love them. And the latest Sherlock Holes film actually gives Watson a personality AT LAST).

Peach and chocolate muffins!

I'm of to my boyfriend's house for the week (for the first time, bit nervous), and so today was meant to be a day of packing and sorting.... But my washing took forever to dry (my life is so exciting, I bet you are jealous), so I decided to do some baking and use up the peaches in my fridge before I went away!

Aren't they just beautiful? Going to take them today and hopefully make people like me by the offering of cake... It would work on me, so fingers crossed. 


The recipe is below, just in case anyone is gripped by the baking bug.


Ingredients:
250g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
170g golden caster sugar (I always use half caster and half granulated, as I am a cheap skate student and caster sugar is expensive)
1 large egg
240ml milk
75g unsalted butter, melted
2 peaches, chopped and skinned
125g chopped dark chocolate (bigger chunks this way)


Method:
Measure out all dry ingredients into a bowl together: plain flour, baking powder, chocolate and sugar.
Melt the butter and leave to cool down, once cooled combine with the milk and egg. Then add wet mixture to dry ingredients and then stir in peaches. Fill each muffin case with the mixture and bake in a pre-heated oven to 180°C  for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Five things that make me happy

First post! Exciting stuff, very exciting. Thought I would start with a pretty easy one.... Five things that make me happy.


1. Hugs

I LOVE hugs. They always make me feel better, and I hug all the goddamn time. What's a day without a 1000 hugs? A crap day, most definately. Also, I adore this picture. I want a tiger hug!


2. Tea


I am a tea addict. There is no denying that. And it doesn't even stop at black tea... Green tea, white tea, red tea. Tea is good. Nothing will make me feel more relaxed that a good cup of tea. 




3. Baking


I am an independent woman, who will not stay at home and cook and clean all day, I want to go out there, explore, climb on things, roll in the mud.... But I have an inner house wife Screaming to get out. I keep her happy with baking. I even have a little half apron that I wear when I do it! But yes, I adore baking. And the eating!




4. Books
Books are beautiful, and I can never get enough of reading. How can someone not like escaping to a different time or place simply by opening up and looking at a page? And the smell... Nothing else like it. Reading The Passage at the moment. It is most definitely a beast, but oh so good. Read the blurb, read the book. Love it. 




5. Lingerie

I cannot begin to describe how good wearing decent underwear feels, especially with a nice pair of stockings. Nothing in the world is sexier, and can give you a bit of a confidence boost than something so nice against your skin. And reading in your underwear is a MUST to make yourself feel better. It is safe to say I have a slight addiction to lingerie. It drains my funds... But is beautiful.