tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38159668312312764932024-03-21T11:52:29.262+00:00Rose To The OccasionRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-34405341168064311642016-12-06T11:23:00.000+00:002016-12-06T12:01:50.731+00:00Raison DetreExciting news! Due to popular demand (thanks Stella and Mum) I'M BACK! <br />
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I'm starting a newsletter. So fans of this blog might like to sign up. <br />
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It will contain all the news from the next adventure - since I last wrote I have a shiny new delightful husband, and we're moving to the country. Plus the usual bossy hostess advice, make up tips, gift guides, recipes and hotel reviews... <br />
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Without further ado - please sign up here (and feel free to pass onto your pals - awkward British self promotion here ends) <br />
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xxRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-53511877518951948802015-03-29T13:24:00.000+01:002015-03-29T13:25:51.851+01:00An Optical Illusion<div data-setdir="false" dir="ltr">
Picture the scene, we are at the family seat in the Shire. All have recently arrived on a Saturday morning and are catching up on latest news while having a coffee and idly flicking through the papers around the kitchen table. </div>
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We're all here apart from my dad, <a href="http://rosetotheoccasion.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/my-dad-is-cooler-than-your-dad.html" target="_blank">who as you may remember</a> is the most stylish man. </div>
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He appears by the back door and is clutching a red Cartier bag, the sort that looks like it cost more to manufacture than my jeans, and a bright grin on his face. </div>
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Instantly I assume he has won the lottery and in the bag is Cartier gold watches for all of us as his first splurge. </div>
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But no - before he has even taken his coat off or greeted his offspring and their plus ones, he is gleefully opening up the bag to reveal not one, not two, not three but 5 pairs of glasses for him to try on. </div>
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For yes, it is the bi-annual moment when he changes his specs - a momentous occasion. And he is such a good customer of the local opticians that they let him take home pairs to try on in front of a committee. </div>
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Loudly and boisterously around the table we all start giving our differing opinions. Annie loudly applauds the pair that make him look like he runs a cereal café in East London. I quite like the pair that look like the ones he has got now. We all fall about laughing when he tries on a pair with red arms. </div>
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Quickly a decision is made to wolf down lunch and all go en masse to The Opticians. So we go in convoy into the local town and head into the bustling opticians. Mr Annie wisely finds himself a seat in the corner and quietly observes what is going on. You know full well within ten minutes he's probably worked out the annual company profits based on likely rent and staff costs versus the vast amount going through the till as The Shire's gentlefolk all flock in. </div>
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Dad finds his favourite salesman who he greets with the reverence one would usually expect to reserve for the judiciary, in court. </div>
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I instantly start thinking that I need a new pair of glasses as well, so head into the ladies section and balance Chloe and Chanel glasses on my nose. Tom Jones is helpfully nearby to tell me what looks good and make useful comments such as 'your tits still look great'. </div>
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Annie and Izzy make my dad try on about 47 different pairs - light tortoiseshell and dark tortoiseshell. Mega trendy and not quite so trendy. Round and square. At one point the Favourite Salesman throws a pair of glasses on the floor with a David Copperfield flourish to demonstrate their engineering and we all GASP when they don't break. </div>
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At this point my memory becomes a haze of lenses, and I'm not actually totally sure which pair he chose. But I do know they were lovely and he looked eminently handsome. Obviously he then needed to buy new sunglasses as well.</div>
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Exhausted, we head off to our fave local café for a regroup and 7 skinny flat whites. </div>
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Dad sighs and ponders aloud what on earth he will do when Favourite Salesman eventually retires. But don't worry dad, the Optical Committee will always be here to help. </div>
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Rose </div>
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xx</div>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-85662063602564930992014-04-09T17:58:00.000+01:002014-04-09T17:58:05.945+01:00Beauty finds and Boobie Bites Well it has been quite the year so far. I've had not one but two operations and am now feeling a lot better, but am taking it easy and heavily investing in Bio Oil. <br />
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So this is a bit of a bumper blog because I haven't posted for yonks. <br />
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First up I've got a few new beauty products I'm head over heels with. I don't know about you but I love big hair. The bigger the better. It is all about the volume, baby. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice hair, shame about the jumped up pigeon</td></tr>
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<br />I tried John Frieda's new Volume range a few weeks ago and while the shampoo is lovely I don't know how much it can work – I mean you wash it out of your hair. But the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/John-Frieda-Luxurious-Volume-Building/dp/B006L6ACCS/ref=pd_sim_beauty_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1Z5XCFHCVFPP2YRZ9NY8" target="_blank"><strong>mousse</strong></a><strong>!</strong> Ahh the mousse is marvellous. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entire range </td></tr>
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I shove it all through wet hair once I've brushed it. It gives my hair noticeably more volume, plus holds a hairstyle brilliantly – but this is the best bit – it lasts for 3 days. <br />
Yes my pretties, 3 whole days of volume. No limp, dirty hair here! You will have volume till you choose to wash it out. <br />
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Next up is <a href="http://uk.spacenk.com/creme-brulee-honey-bath/MUK136050009.html?prefn1=brand&start=6&dwvar_MUK136050009_color=UK136050009&cgid=SPUK104&prefv1=LAURA%20MERCIER%20" target="_blank"><strong>Laura Mercier Crème Brulee honey bath</strong></a> which comes with its own honey twizzle thing. It is seriously indulgent and a lovely present to receive – mine was from a lovely friend Stella (she is a regular reader of the blog – Hi Stells!) and I absolutely love it. £32 is a lot to spend on bubble bath but by god it is worth it. I caught Mr Rose trying to use it the other day and quickly directed him to the Radox. This stuff is definitely too good for men. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bathing deliciousness </td></tr>
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Finally on the beauty front is a new moisturiser. I don't know what it is about anaesthetics and pain killers but by god they dried my skin out. I was slapping on all sorts of face creams from good old Avene to hard core Eczema cream. Nothing worked. <br />Then I gave this a go – <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Biotherm-Aquasource-Night-High-Density-Hydration-Jelly-50ml_1256363/%20" target="_blank"><strong>Biotherm Aquasource Nuit</strong></a> - Cousin LL gave it to me for Christmas and I'd only used it a few times. Within seconds my dry skin was restored and so much softer. The next day it was visibly plumper and I'm in love with it. <br />Now it comes with a word of warning, if you have spot prone skin (as I do) it really must be used in moderation. I use it about once a week to keep the flaky forehead (eurgh) at bay. But for really dry skins or mature skins I reckon it would be perfect. <br />
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Beauty update ends! <br />
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A few weeks ago another member of the clan was born. Welcome to the world, Baby Byron! Baby Bryon arrived a few weeks earlier than expected and is the darling first baby of Cousin TL and Mrs Cousin TL. <br />
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I got to meet him last week and I can honestly say he was the tiniest, most precious little thing! He is doing really well and I'll get to see him again this weekend at my parents' Ruby Wedding (more on that later) and can't wait to give him another cuddle.<br />
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As he arrived a bit early he is now eating for England and leaving his poor mum a bit exhausted! So I told her about the Boobie Bites I like to make for new mums who are exhausted and drained from constantly having their boobs shoved in a baby's mouth. <br />
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Basically they are a pimped up flap jack, but with tonnes of things to provide slow released energy and protein – and no nasties sugary things that will be used up in a flash. I like to give them to new mums in a Tupperware box for them to keep next to the bed so at 3.40am when they have a baby clamped to 1 nipple and a snoring husband next to them, they can just reach in for a nutritious snack. They usually look so touched that they practically sign you up to be God Mother there and then. <br />
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I made a batch on Sunday so I could take some photos (fooled Mr Rose into eating them by calling them Breakfast Bites – which actually they would be great as), but sadly they don't look as tasty as they are. So here is the recipe without a pic – but do give them a try if you know a new mum who is breast feeding like a crazy person. <br />
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<strong>Boobie Bites:</strong> <br />
5 oz oats<br />1 oz caster sugar<br />1 oz flour (you could leave this out if mum doesn't eat wheat- just replace with oats)<br />2 oz ground almonds<br />2 eggs<br />2 mashed bananas<br />2 tablespoon honey<br />
1 large handful of chopped, dried apricots<br />1 large handful of raisins<br />
(Or whatever you have around - dark chocolate and chopped nuts would be nice)<br />Glacier cherries for decorating and making the bites look like nipples ;-) <br />
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Method: <br />
Shove them all in a bowl and mix. If mixture looks too wet then add bit more flour. Scoop into oven proof dish. Decorate with cherry nipples. Bung in the oven - take them out before they get burnt! Simples. <br />
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Rose x<br />
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<br />Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-63527197260415992014-02-01T01:30:00.001+00:002014-02-01T01:30:56.929+00:00Party like it's 1983It is a bit of a family joke that I wasn't especially happy when, aged 3, Annie came along. <br />
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Like many family jokes, it is probably 20% legend, 20% truth and 60% amusing anecdote. My mum ADORES to tell the story how she used to hide Annie's crib behind the sofa as she was scared I'd try and pick her up to torture her. I love to raise a laugh now and again about how Mum, Dad and I were 'The Original Three' - a trio so content I've been puzzled ever since why they added to the clan.<br />
But it isn't really true. Other than a few teenage moments, I've always adored my little sisters and would have been fearful lonely growing up without them. <br />
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That said - this last week it has been all 1983 - The Original Three are back. <br />
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I've been in the family home for a week as I had an operation last week (yes it was grim, yes I'm making a fuss, please send floral bouquets to the usual address). I haven't really been able to move that much, so mum swooped down to London to pick me up and I've been here for quite some days. I am slightly losing track of time - it could be the painkillers but it could also be the gentle whirr of the washing machine which seems to always be running. <br />
<br />So I 've had a unique opportunity to recreate our glory years, with my parents all to myself - a very rare treat. <br />
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Some things are just the same. My mum still runs the show. After the operation the nurses strictly told me no showering or bathing for 2 weeks - till the stitches come out. I told mum this - she cocked an eyebrow at me and said I'd feel much better for a shower.<br />
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So she fashioned a waterproof device out of a Marks and Spencer plastic bag - "a quality plastic darling, none of that CO OP rubbish" and masking tape. You can imagine how I felt - aged 32, naked as the day that I was born, fairly off my tits on morphine, in a considerable amount of pain.<br />Vulnerable to say the least. But in a week when you had to learn to use a bedpan, you just have to crack on and do what the lady holding the masking tape tells you. <br />
Mum did everything she could to make me feel as comfortable as possible, but I got the feeling she was quite enjoying it all. <br />
<br />"Gosh your nipples really are so different to mine - how extraordinary". <br />
"Oh yes, look that hole I made wasn't nearly big enough for your thigh to fit through!" <br />
"Do you have a Brazilian or just au naturel?"<br />
<br />MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM! <br />
<br />Evenings have been spent in an amiable fashion. Dad gets home from work at 6, and immediately asks when supper is. So we eat about 6.45pm which on day one shocked me and I rolled my eyes in an urban way as possible - and now I'm so conditioned I cannot imagine how I will go back to the normal 8.30pm supper that Mr Rose and I manage. <br />
<br />Dinner done by 7pm - who am I kidding - 6.54pm - we have the whole evening ahead of us for trying to find something to watch on TV we all like. Last night we watched Failure to Launch - a fairly dire film in which the 35 year old son refuses to move out of the family house. Topical, eh?<br />
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At 9.30pm a marvellous thing happens - snack time! Dad does a round of hot drinks and snacks for us all! Last night I had Horlicks and salted caramel ice cream!! Tonight I had coffee and malteasers!! Dreamy. I may never leave.<br />
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Then at 10pm we have to watch the BBC evening News. Mum talks through most of the "foreign" news, so if anyone could catch me up with Syria this week I'd be ever so grateful. <br />
<br />Then comes the climax of the evening. Drum roll please. THE WEATHER!!!!!!!!!! <br />
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If one of them is out of the room, the other will bellow "WEATHER", and they missing parent will race into the room. They watch the local weather first. Then the national weather. There is always much discussion about the weather. <br />
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I find it all a bit puzzling. To the best of my knowledge, neither of them are crop farmers. Neither of them spend much time out of doors. It is January and all it does is rain. I've shown them both the weather app on the Ipad and their Iphones. Odd. <br />
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After the weather dad sternly says that it is getting late and we all trot off to bed. <br />
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Happy times. <br />
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Rose xx <br />
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<br />Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-80269429683004487402013-12-13T17:31:00.001+00:002013-12-13T17:35:06.110+00:00Rose's December Survival GuideIf you, like me, are feeling partied out and jaded before we have even hit mid December – here are a few little tips! <br />
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<strong>The Office Christmas Party</strong><br />
I've probably only looked at 73 different shops online looking for the perfect dress. It was driving me quite potty before I gave myself a good talking to about not really needing a new dress, and that really good hair, make up and jewels will liven up any of the 476 black dresses I have hanging in my wardrobe that just aren't quite right. Let's face it, it will be dark and everyone is pissed anyway. <br />
Get the frock out a few days before and make sure it is spotless. Nothing worse than grabbing it out the wardrobe on the day and noticing halfway through the champagne reception that you actually have gravy stain on your left nork and it slightly whiffs of a perfume you can no longer stomach. <br />
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Fail safe styling products are: <br />
<strong><a href="http://www.babyliss.co.uk/curling-wand-pro.html" target="_blank">Babyliss waving wand</a> - t</strong>hese are soooo hot I actually curl my hair the night before, brush it out in the morning and maybe freshen 1 or 2 of the curls up before I go out. So much easier than dangling in the disabled loo at work with an extension lead trying to do it while the chaps from Accounts are lining up with their hair gel. <br />
<strong>Killer earrings</strong><br />
What is really important is getting lots of sparkle on the earlobe so as to reflect your eyes as much as possible. If the sparkle is too low you miss out on this effect. <br />
These, <a href="http://www.asos.com//ASOS/ASOS-Vintage-Look-Jewel-Earrings/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=3469076" target="_blank">from ASOS</a>, are perfect. <br />
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<strong>Suck in pants</strong><br />
Yes we have all had too much Christmas Cheer by now, just 1 too many Pret Christmas Sandwiches washed down with a mince pie. Sadly the party is looming and other than panic there isn't much you can do about this now. Or so you think. <br />
I was in Monsoon the other day, idly looking around for party dresses (don't bother, their clothes are dire this year) and spotted <a href="http://uk.monsoon.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/mon_16,mon_11.14/4431072861" target="_blank"><strong>these tights</strong></a>. I gave them a try and have been so impressed – they really work, don't roll down and don't squeeze you so tight that your intestines get crushed and give you bad breath. We've all been there. <br />
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<strong>Hot new restaurant</strong><br />
You've left it too late to book something for that special night out with your best friends and can't think of anywhere new, lovely, charming and delicious? Look no further than <a href="http://plumandspiltmilk.com/" target="_blank">Plum and Spilt Milk</a> – this is a recent opening. Mr Rose and I had an historic dinner there a few weeks ago – a brilliant little find. <br />
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<span id="goog_1445478804"></span><span id="goog_1445478805"></span><br />
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<br />
<strong>Christmas Presents:</strong> <br />
It is now the 13th December so quite frankly if you haven't done your shopping by now you are horridly disorganised and I'm not sure we can be friends. However, help is at hand because many of the big department stores have started their killer sales already. <br />
<br />
For the women in your life - <a href="http://www.charlottetilbury.com/" target="_blank">Charlotte Tilbury's new make up range</a> is HEAVEN. I repeat – it is HEAVEN. The red lipstick, So Marilyn, is the red lipstick I have been waiting my whole life for. The bronze and glow is fabulous for contouring and grown up shimmer – it works on many different complexions. I know this because when I have it with me in the office most of the women here borrow it. It is that good. You can't go wrong with the eyeshadow pallets, liquid eyeliner – actually all of it is divine. And the packaging is soooo Chritmassy! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKqHx16IdkQc5Eg1PxIsxLIftE61iCwsG64nnpLmeGAVfO6MFRxKXAPhTxL9MMcAqDXwpQ88-1ECh4knSuPaetbWFj-D83wg78ydVICzkO5q2r6aYd3ctIdPc3huL3GfDsxk8ner3ki0/s1600/the-bombshell-look_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKqHx16IdkQc5Eg1PxIsxLIftE61iCwsG64nnpLmeGAVfO6MFRxKXAPhTxL9MMcAqDXwpQ88-1ECh4knSuPaetbWFj-D83wg78ydVICzkO5q2r6aYd3ctIdPc3huL3GfDsxk8ner3ki0/s1600/the-bombshell-look_1.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
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<br />
If in doubt then I've never met anyone who doesn't like <a href="http://uk.spacenk.com/baies-scented-candle/MUK101791295.html?start=21&cgid=SPUK20406&gclid=CIaQy9PbrbsCFSj3wgodmkMAAA" target="_blank">Diptyque's Baies candle</a> which smells heavenly. <br />
<br />
Cashmere always goes down well at Christmas, but make sure it is good quality. No one wants to get a hole under the armpit by 4th January, which can happen. So invest wisely. <br />
<br />
For men, well who bloody knows what they want! <a href="http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/" target="_blank">Notonthehighstreet</a> have some lovely personalisable gifts, but quite frankly every middle class chap in England has now got a cheese board with his own name carved into it. So if he already has one of those then really good leather gloves, vintage film posters, first editions of his fave book – all go down well. <br />
All I can say is you need to pray the men in your life have hobbies as it makes it so much easier to buy them things. <br />
<br />
<strong>Hostess gift</strong><br />
Very important to turn up on The Big Day not just with a bottle or two of Châteauneuf-du-Pape – but also something useful for the hostess. A <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/Marks-and-Spencer-Winter-Wonderland/dp/B000KZWAQ2?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_3&nodeId=57591031&sr=1-3&qid=1386955564&pf_rd_r=0SHQ6PSMVNP1HJ8TR9EC&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=57591031&pf_rd_p=321381387&pf_rd_s=related-items-3" target="_blank">flower arrangement</a> for the centre of the table is really nice idea. Other possibilities are desert wine, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Snowflake-Bauble-Place-Card-Holder/dp/B00488BMA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386955646&sr=8-1&keywords=placecard+holder+christmas" target="_blank">placecard holders</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Robin-Reed-Musical-Christmas-Crackers/dp/B001HBCRFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386955668&sr=8-1&keywords=musical+crackers" target="_blank">musical crackers</a> for Post Lunch Entertainment. <br />
Only thing you need to do is warn her what you are bringing so she doesn't duplicate. <br />
<br />
Hope you are all enjoying the festive season! <br />
<br />
Elf Rose <br />
<br />
xxRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-15652895927215911302013-12-06T15:56:00.000+00:002013-12-06T15:56:04.413+00:00Christmas ApproachesAfter what has been a fairly stressful and busy year, slightly later than usual, I have got my Christmas Tickle. <br />
<br />
In my family we have a rather unusual approach to present buying. We each email round a list of exactly what we would like to open (my requests this year were a YSL glossy stain, brown leather gloves, Bobbi brown lipstick in Roseberry, Clarins shower gel, bath oil or bubbles, sparkly stud earrings) and then everyone replies all saying what they are going to get you. It is not really the spirit of Christmas, but we all agree there is nothing worse than the Christmas I received 11 sponge bags.<br />
<br />
I've now bought everyone a present, apart from Mum who seems to be reluctant to make a specific request which suggests she is expecting emeralds. Sigh. <br />
<br />
Things I am REALLY looking forward to: <br />
<br />
Well strictly speaking this has already happened, but Mr Rose and I like to do <strong>Hanukkah </strong>because he is sort of not very but kind of Jewish. As neither of us really know what Hanukkah is about we decided when we first met years and years ago to give each other a little present every day worth no more than £2.50. Believe me – that is no mean feat since Woolworths has closed! But it is great fun opening a random gift every day for 8 days. Last night he got a new washing line chord and looked really bemused by this, poor chap. But I pointed out he'd had some Fortnum and Mason chamomile tea the night before, so at Hanukkah you win some, you lose some. <br />
<br />The <a href="http://rosetotheoccasion.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/our-first-holiday-in-year.html" target="_blank"><strong>Circle of Trust</strong></a><strong> Christmas Dinner</strong> which takes place TONIGHT at a very glamorous location. Since Natalie has been on Maternity Leave, the 4 of us haven't had a really good chin wag for a while – so we've so much to get through tonight that an agenda has been created. <br />
<br />
We also have a Not Very Secret Santa to get through. It will be a marvellous evening. <br /><br />In a week or so <strong>Cousin LL and Baby Heinz are coming to stay</strong>. I've only spent 1 weekend with him since he was born in Germany, so am aiming to get as many cuddles as possible in for their visit. I've taken a day off and am looking forward to the day immensely as I get to be a pretend North London Yummy Mummy but Cousin LL gets the 4am feeds! It isn't for 10 days or so, but I already have it intricately planned: <br />
<br />
8.00am – Mr Rose says "Darling, you asked me to wake you up when I leave so this is your wake up call. I've made you a delicious and nutritious Breakfast Smoothie so up you get!". <br />8.07am – Mr Rose leaves to run the country and Rose falls back to sleep. <br />09.30am – Rose wakes and races around the house with hoover to prepare for The Offsted Inspector – Cousin LL. No time for actual dusting, so the trick of using Pledge as room spray will do the trick. <br />10.10am – weak with exhaustion, Rose watches as little bit of Jeremy Kyle with a nice cup of tea. <br />10.40am – Rose remembers she was supposed to ice the Christmas cake – puts Mariah Carey Christmas Album on full blast, dicks around with marzipan, plastic reindeer and icing. <br />10.55am – pleased with the look of her cake, Rose instagrams the shit out of it, sends pic to Mum and Auntie Mame, tweets it and adds to Facebook. <br />11.01am – Rose frantically checks social media to see how many 'likes' the cake has got. <br />11.05am – Rose races around turning all of the Christmas lights on, lights scented candles, puts extra layer of lipstick on.<br />11.16am – Rose boils kettle, gets out most Christmassy mugs, Fortnum and Mason Christmas Tea, puts milk in milk jug, arranges cake stand with Christmas Cake<br />11.26am – Rose sits with nose pressed to window awaiting the arrival of Master Heinz and his mama, Cousin LL, who will arrive right on schedule at 11.30am. We will squeal so loudly on being reunited that the neighbours will look out the window to see what is occurring. <br />The afternoon involves trying out the best buggy hotspots that Muswell Hill's café culture have to offer, a nice walk in the fresh air, little mooch around the shops. <br />Once the Little Prince has been put to bed and Mr Rose has returned from work, we will have civilised kitchen sups featuring champagne with <a href="http://www.ocado.com/webshop/product/Wild-Hibiscus-Flowers-in-Syrup/50098011" target="_blank">hibiscus flowers</a> in for a lovely festive touch, and a giant chicken pie. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglarMuHxo3u5jNLWzV7zE1cLFJh1sKCktz-jCQfCrNwgjKau4ZKZXVN4gr0Ri1bFLW416QWo1LJBFjCSWheZyV7RS_ZaEmpbd8U71EgY3yx9E7BpjkVJfAsP8d4FWyCbW-CWaaR1qwB10/s1600/hibiscus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglarMuHxo3u5jNLWzV7zE1cLFJh1sKCktz-jCQfCrNwgjKau4ZKZXVN4gr0Ri1bFLW416QWo1LJBFjCSWheZyV7RS_ZaEmpbd8U71EgY3yx9E7BpjkVJfAsP8d4FWyCbW-CWaaR1qwB10/s1600/hibiscus.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br />Fast forward a few more days and we have <strong>Christmas Eve</strong> which Mr Rose and I are spending together, at home, having what we call Our Christmas Dinner – all of our favourite foods accompanied by some extremely good wine we have been saving. Mr Rose is the chef extraordinaire and has been plotting the menu for weeks. We do it every year and it is a lovely, romantic pause in what can be a really busy time. <br />
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Then of course we have the <strong>Big Day</strong>! <br />There will be only 7 of us for Christmas Day at Auntie Mame's and Uncle R's house. Which, for us, is a really small, select gathering. Mame casually suggested that we have Beef Wellington on Christmas Day with the full on Roast Turkey on Boxing Day when a few more of us will be there. <br />
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The decision was put to full public vote. We believe in democracy in this family. No fixed voting, or dictators rigging the vote here – no siree. This is not Zimbabwe or the Eurovision Song Contest! <br />
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When the votes came in it was a clear win for Beef Wellington – 4 votes v. 3 for Turkey. So I'm very much looking forward to my Democratic Beef Wellington, with side orders of Liberty, Equality and Fairness. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZStpGdz6YB16MiMFfmBX9mlEfeAuKgCMjqiXWsgk7hewxsLa5Z25X-d1RvxljY4E6twfxzLlVfmfIePco_hdLKKAV08UB7YcicSEUedtP85enRRudwAhal1k0Nnd-fxFQaB3OWm7jAHA/s1600/untitled.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZStpGdz6YB16MiMFfmBX9mlEfeAuKgCMjqiXWsgk7hewxsLa5Z25X-d1RvxljY4E6twfxzLlVfmfIePco_hdLKKAV08UB7YcicSEUedtP85enRRudwAhal1k0Nnd-fxFQaB3OWm7jAHA/s1600/untitled.bmp" /></a></div>
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I hope you are all enjoying the most wonderful time of the year! <br />
<br />
Rose <br />
xxRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-84529367800096251712013-10-14T18:27:00.002+01:002013-10-14T18:27:38.014+01:00A paint by any other name would not smell as sweet
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Mr Rose and I have decided to get the kitchen
painted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We've got to have a tiny bit of
structural work done and seeing as it will create a bit of mess and the kitchen
could do with a fresh lick anyway, it seems like a good time for a
refresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">So I do what any self-respecting woman does: I
create a Pinterest board of possible paint shades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I order the catalogues of every Posh Paint
company I can think of.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I leaf through
all of my back copies of Living Etc and Elle Deco. Discuss with friends and
relations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Read Sunday papers about the
importance of having muted, heritage colours in a muted, heritage house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nod in agreement when people suggest you pay
£50 for a small pot of paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wonder how
on earth I'll get Mr Rose to let us spend twice of much money for something
that does, in all fairness, just go on the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ponder the possibility of getting the right
shade of Posh Paint and then get it mixed and colour matched into cheap
paint.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go back to looking at Fired Earth on Google
images and sighing longingly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Here is Mr Rose's plan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>24 hours before decorator due to arrive, hop off
to Homebase and grab any sort of pale blue shade that looks about right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phone Rose to ask what on earth Eggshell
is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ring her back to ask how many litres
we need. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Reader, I had no idea how we would harmoniously
deal with these conflicting approaches. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Yesterday we went out for lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On our way home we drove through Hampstead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pouring with rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The car was chugging up the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I announced that I wouldn't mind just popping
into Fired Earth and just have a very instant<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>look at the paint samples pots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Silence filled the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mr Rose was driving and he obviously had in
mind the prospect of getting home to a warm, cosy house and reading the entire
International Sunday Papers with a large cup of tea, whilst I did something
equally erudite – caught up on Glee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Somehow I persuaded him to pull into a parking
space and just let me run in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I raced off into Fired Earth trying not to look
like a drowned rat, and trying to look like I totally belong in the expensive
shops of Hampstead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I entered the
shop flustered, my glasses steamed up like a paedo and it took me a moment to
calm in the muted, heritage tones that filled the shop. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">As I approached the sample pots I spotted this
sign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reader, it was like the Angel
Gabriel came down to me in Hampstead – Fired Earth were selling off their paint
in old packaging that was being rebranded at a whopping 75% off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtX7JaStyjfME8iRkxTPKBC4NCSMbvkAyhyyJwp22G9Ub6O3rKfGdvyokxp9ZNlw4cPM1E1XNjEzt9l2n-zdLMnqhnHBXGvdOEJYALoyYGt9OZiQvy3IES1B-kgMdAMcugTEq3Ew1v54/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMtX7JaStyjfME8iRkxTPKBC4NCSMbvkAyhyyJwp22G9Ub6O3rKfGdvyokxp9ZNlw4cPM1E1XNjEzt9l2n-zdLMnqhnHBXGvdOEJYALoyYGt9OZiQvy3IES1B-kgMdAMcugTEq3Ew1v54/s320/photo.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">So a normal, small tin of paint had gone from a
frankly ridiculous £50 to a 'cheaper than shitty paint' £12. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">BARGAIN CENTRAL. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I grabbed a few sample pots and raced out back
to the car to tell Mr Rose the good news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For Mr Rose loves nothing more than a bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">So – we raced home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Quickly painted various muted, heritage
shades of blue and duck egg onto our walls to see what we liked and ran back
out to pick up the chosen paint from the store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">In summary – we saved more than £100 on paint. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the ridiculously overpriced paint I
wanted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Mr Rose got the bargain of the century. </span>We only spent 10 mins discussing
which colour to choose and therefore saved ourselves 2 weeks of debate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Basically my kitchen will look like this in a few weeks! Hurrah! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2LsRMMIerlBW5c5nLw-Z8VyxoCoGFK-_7KfFhM7bM2OVDxxrT4FpL2_GHAor6T7hhJMhnkUIQRfpvf2VmdI947VQ_bIvQnG4-6gf1_TwInOVE43cgV8ytUr7YJFqRtzGrDOpnXWG_i0/s1600/4675102906_0ee819db75_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2LsRMMIerlBW5c5nLw-Z8VyxoCoGFK-_7KfFhM7bM2OVDxxrT4FpL2_GHAor6T7hhJMhnkUIQRfpvf2VmdI947VQ_bIvQnG4-6gf1_TwInOVE43cgV8ytUr7YJFqRtzGrDOpnXWG_i0/s320/4675102906_0ee819db75_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
Rose xx</div>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-53507326364229300092013-09-26T12:28:00.001+01:002013-09-27T11:08:03.893+01:00CottagingLast week I had a horrible bout of flu. It was dire. I spent days in bed, too weak to get the next lemsip or even press repeat on the Steel Magnolias DVD. Sad times in the Rose Household. <br />
<br />
By Sunday I was well enough to desire something other to eat than Heinz tomato soup and toast, and I was craving something to make me feel a bit better. So inspired by watching several episodes of Saint Jamie Oliver I decided to make a Cottage Pie. <br />
<br />
I didn't just want any old cottage pie though, I wanted a low GI pie, packed with vegetables, strong tasting, satisfying and hearty. <br />
<br />
This is what I came up with. I loved the orange and green mash - it livened up the dish a lot.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><strong>Ingredients</strong>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Lean
minced beef<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1
leek <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">2
onions<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">4
cloves of garlic<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">4
carrots<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1
stick of celery – not essential<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Sweet
potatoes<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Frozen
peas<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Few
white potatoes <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Worcester
sauce<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Tomato
puree<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Mustard<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Can
of chopped tomatoes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Fresh
herbs (I used tarragon and flat leaf parsley)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<strong>Method</strong><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">1)
heat up your oven to about 180 degrees<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">2)
on the hob, warm up frying pan with slug of olive oil. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">4)
gently soften the chopped onions, garlic, carrots, leek and celery and simmer for about
15 mins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">5)
While you are waiting start chopping the potatoes – both the sweet and white –
skins on or off, however you like. Place in boiling water with good slug
of salt for about 25 mins till really soft. I like skins on as it is more vitamins, but for guests I would probably peel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">6)
chuck in the mince to the pan and brown it slowly. Add the herbs now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">7) for the sauce: in a cereal sized bowl put in 2 table spoons of tomato puree, 1 table spoon of
yellow mustard, 4 table spoons of Worcester sauce. Mix up so you have a couple
of inches of the sauce in the bottom of your bowl. Top up with a little
water if you like a very saucy pie. Add to the meat and veg mixture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">8)
Chuck in can of chopped tomatoes with a sprinkle of sugar on the top to cut the
acid and simmer it all together for about 5 mins. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">9)
Lay on the bottom of your dish. Should cover it completely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">10)
Open a bottle of red wine – pour out 2 glasses – one for you and one to cover
the meat mixture. It's important not too add the wine before this as you
don't want to cook off all of that lovely booooze. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">11)
Boil some frozen petit pois for a few minutes till soft.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">12)
mash the potatoes together with dollop of butter, slug of milk – liberal salt
and pepper. Mash the peas into the potatoes, but not so much that the
peas smaulch – the effect you are going for is orangey potato green speckles <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">13)
pop the mash mix on top of the meat. Use a fork to make a nice pattern on top
so it goes crispy in the oven. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">14)
Sprinkle a good handful of good handful of strong cheddar on top. You can
leave this out if you are being good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">15)
pop in the oven for about 45-50 mins till top is golden and crispy and the
sides are bubbling. Serve with greens and the rest of the red wine.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">YUM.
The best thing about this pie is the leftovers, once it has rested in your fridge for about 24 hours it became even tastier. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwXv94M2v3icuF8GVanaM-OMRSfyR0z_LSjdN9wjKY3BsIubWev7n5yTvfz9WFrHgSAoZzwpaAfPfZbMoNTeF_TivPVCiOkJnoV9Yd2eB7SE93pKBrEmOCjHI9lziNK4ABfM9ySnq6_o/s1600/spiced-cottage-pie-with-sweet-potato-topping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCwXv94M2v3icuF8GVanaM-OMRSfyR0z_LSjdN9wjKY3BsIubWev7n5yTvfz9WFrHgSAoZzwpaAfPfZbMoNTeF_TivPVCiOkJnoV9Yd2eB7SE93pKBrEmOCjHI9lziNK4ABfM9ySnq6_o/s320/spiced-cottage-pie-with-sweet-potato-topping.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Potato Cottage Pie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Rose </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">xx</span></div>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-59668254422869073272013-09-07T12:07:00.000+01:002013-09-07T12:07:06.112+01:00A new love affairSigns that I am in love with a new man: <br />
<br />
1) My iPhone battery is constantly running low so I can talk about him with all of my friends and family<br />
2) When I have a quiet moment I run through the pics I have on him and stare into his dark blue eyes, longing to give his smooth face a stroke<br />
3) I have had 20 minute long discussions with bored colleagues about which of his pictures I should put on the fridge<br />
4) I wonder what he sounds like<br />
5) I think how cute he would look in certain outfits<br />
6) I've been making collages of his face with a sweet little app on my phone<br />
<br />
So yes - I admit I am in love. Cousin LL had a baby last week and he might just be the most darling thing I have ever seen. <br />
<br />
We'll call him Baby Boris to protect his identity when Working Title make a film about my us all. Baby Boris is the cutest thing I have ever seen. Sadly we have not met yet, as Cousin LL has moved to Germany. Yep that's right - in 18 months she has <a href="http://rosetotheoccasion.blogspot.co.uk/2012/01/new-year-day.html" target="_blank">got engaged</a>, got <a href="http://rosetotheoccasion.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Cousin%20LL" target="_blank">married</a>, got knocked up and moved to Germany. It is indecent. But a lot of fun. <br />
<br />
And after a very tricky pregnancy and birth, she has produced a darling little boy, who looks so cuddly and cute I can't tell you. We are all thrilled and so excited about the Next Generation. <br />
<br />
Rose xxRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-50284262984628562013-07-25T18:51:00.001+01:002013-07-25T18:51:29.018+01:00Rose De Vacaciones <p> Mr Rose, Mum, Dad, Izzy and I are on hols. We are staying at the Spanish house of close friends S and M, who are here also, so what we have is a very jolly house party. </p>
<p>It has been a tough year so far for Mr Rose and I, so the holiday has been much needed. We are now almost packing up to go home after what has been a fabulous week at Casa Rosa so I thought I'd give you some of my highlights. </p>
<p>While we were here I had a birthday. I awoke to find the house decked in balloons. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-apuCaSMjTaM/UfFiurKUa9I/AAAAAAAAARw/dxaNUCo--GU/s1024/Photo%25252021%252520Jul%2525202013%25252010%25253A59.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-apuCaSMjTaM/UfFiurKUa9I/AAAAAAAAARw/dxaNUCo--GU/s500/Photo%25252021%252520Jul%2525202013%25252010%25253A59.jpg" id="blogsy-1374774673967.6501" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>
<p> We celebrated with traditional British afternoon tea, complete with egg sandwiches to rival Claridges and a Victoria Sponge my mum made which was totally delicious. </p>
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<p> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QgldYyrShi4/UfFjvW-nQ8I/AAAAAAAAASA/wC6qb2-39PY/s1024/Photo%25252021%252520Jul%2525202013%25252015%25253A36.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QgldYyrShi4/UfFjvW-nQ8I/AAAAAAAAASA/wC6qb2-39PY/s500/Photo%25252021%252520Jul%2525202013%25252015%25253A36.jpg" id="blogsy-1374774673945.0576" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>
<p> That was so yummy I had to lie in the hammock to recover. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KsYCZWCUhG0/UfFkA-yTNLI/AAAAAAAAASI/A4s-EFnOWlk/s1024/Photo%25252022%252520Jul%2525202013%25252011%25253A46.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KsYCZWCUhG0/UfFkA-yTNLI/AAAAAAAAASI/A4s-EFnOWlk/s500/Photo%25252022%252520Jul%2525202013%25252011%25253A46.jpg" id="blogsy-1374774673907.7595" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>
<p> I had some divine presents from everyone. When asked what I wanted this year, my instructions were 'frivolous'. So I got some lovely jewels, matching luggage, make up, clothes and was thoroughly spoilt. One cute little gift was this fab nail varnish</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-chrtz4ZDDRw/UfFkL6FsMsI/AAAAAAAAASQ/EsGIduE0iLg/s960/Photo%25252025%252520Jul%2525202013%25252010%25253A45.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-chrtz4ZDDRw/UfFkL6FsMsI/AAAAAAAAASQ/EsGIduE0iLg/s500/Photo%25252025%252520Jul%2525202013%25252010%25253A45.jpg" id="blogsy-1374774673930.609" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="375"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">Holidaytastic, non? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> </div>
<p> In the evening we had Champagne and canapés </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mTzo0dzdy3M/UfFkepJrtUI/AAAAAAAAASY/h7w1E1FsM9o/s1024/Photo%25252021%252520Jul%2525202013%25252021%25253A47.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mTzo0dzdy3M/UfFkepJrtUI/AAAAAAAAASY/h7w1E1FsM9o/s500/Photo%25252021%252520Jul%2525202013%25252021%25253A47.jpg" id="blogsy-1374774673955.4968" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="500"></a></div>
<p> Followed by a divine BBQ. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>My mother is, as you all know, a very glamorous woman. She is here for 2 weeks and has bought with her no less than 63 swimming costumes and matching kaftans. She swears she has only bought 6 but I feel fairly sure she changes it 7 times a day ("no one likes a wet bottom, darling") and I've not seen any repeats yet. </p>
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<p>There was much excitement over K Middy having the new Prince George. We ran a little sweepstake. </p>
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<p> </p>
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</a></div>
<p> And were glued to Sky News when they came out the Lindo Wing </p>
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<p> </p>
<p> Then we went out for dinner on the seafront to toast our future king </p>
<p> </p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SZEhKHFjixg/UfFljTNYssI/AAAAAAAAAS4/0hSdC1ZSwyk/s1024/Photo%25252023%252520Jul%2525202013%25252020%25253A39.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SZEhKHFjixg/UfFljTNYssI/AAAAAAAAAS4/0hSdC1ZSwyk/s500/Photo%25252023%252520Jul%2525202013%25252020%25253A39.jpg" id="blogsy-1374774673928.1848" class="alignnone" width="500" height="669" alt=""></a></div>
<p> We loved people watching all of the Spaniards out for an evening walk with as many dogs as you would find in crufts. We most admired a lovely sausage dog and agreed he should be called Senior Chorizo. </p>
<p>Mr Rose has been treating us to lots of cooking. Before we came out he swotted up on Andalusian recipes which are totally delicious and generally involve so much garlic and chorizo that as soon as he announces he is going to cook something our mouths start watering and mum practically jogs to the gaviscon bottle. Big faves so far have been these two salads: Green Beans and <a href="http://www.josemadeinspain.com/recipes/sauteedGreen.htm" target="_blank" title="">Serrano</a> Ham and Jamie Oliver's Tomato and <a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/videos/the-best-tomato-salad-and-chorizo-by-jamie-oliver" target="_self" title="">Chorizo salad</a>. </p>
<p> I've been reading The Cuckoo's Calling, the one poor JK tried to write under a pseudonym. I bought it before I knew it was her, based on a tweet from India Knight about how good it was. I'm not a JK Groupie so probably wouldn't have bought it had she published in her name, but I've enjoyed it so much I think it might be my Book of the Year. It's gripping, funny, insightful, gosspipy and beautifully written, really bringing Mayfair to life. I'm not normally a fan of detective stories either but now I think it might be a good genre to get into. If you have any suggestions let me know! </p>
<p>Izzy is showing off the results of a new love of running in a variety of gorgeous bikinis. Neon is featuring quite significantly in The Collection. She looks like she should be on Made In Chelsea she is so poised and gorgeous, but when she is bobbing around in the pool it's hard for me to remember she isn't my baby sister who will squeal with delight if you a) dunk her b) play catch with her c) offer to make up a dance routine with her. So we are instead bonding with a 45 min gruelling swim each morning where she yells at me like Tracy Anderson if I slow down. Which considering the amount of rose wine and bread I'm consuming is much needed. </p>
<p>Big thanks go to our lovely hosts S and M who have so generously opened their divine, Spanish home to us. S is keeping me entertained with her demon scrabble moves, and just when you are nearly asleep on a lilo, M will do a superbly executed dive bomb just to keep you on your toes. </p>
<p>Right, the sunbed is calling. It's the last day of the hols so we all know that means getting a bit fast and loose with the factor 20. </p>
<p>Adios amigos! </p>
<p>Rose x </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-23537358409651480872013-06-25T13:27:00.000+01:002013-06-25T13:27:20.082+01:00Sometimes it's hard to be a womanWell it is. <br />
<br />
We have to deal with all sorts of crap that men don't even have to think about. Like glass ceilings. More expensive haircuts. Universal expectation that we will not have chipped nail polish. Split ends. How appropriate it is to be 31 ¾ and have a photo of K Middy pinned on your fridge. No carbs before Marbs. Etc etc etc. <br />
<br />
And then of course, there is the worse feminine thing of all – tights.<br />
<br />
Picture the scene. The seasons are finally drifting from icy cold Spring into fairly chilly Summer and the time has come to go from your lovely thick, black tights (possibly navy on a Jaunty Friday) into something a bit more sheer. Nude hosiery. You pop into Marks & Spencer when you have a spare 10 minutes, as any fool knows M&S is the business. <br />
<br />
Fear grips you. <br />
<br />
You see in front of you maybe 40 different choices. I'm not even exaggerating. A big M&S will have a hosiery department that is about 20 square meters. It’s a fairly long time since you last wore nude tights, so impossible to go straight to some trusted favourites. Now I'm over 30 I have trouble remembering what I did last weekend, let alone what tights I wore in September. <br />
<br />
Questions flood your mind. <br />
<br />
<strong>1)</strong> Do I want NUDE? Natural Tan? American Tan? Too beige and you look like a little girl going to a birthday party. Too dark and you look like an ice skater. <br /><strong>2)</strong> What denier? No doubt the smart ladies buy very sheer 7 denier tights but I will of course have ripped these to shreds by the time I have had my first Americano. <br /><strong>3)</strong> 10 Denier? Still risky. They are possible if you are going to a wedding and want to have the sheer, sexy look – but if you go this low on the denier you will only be able to wear them once at most and you'll need to have another spare pair in your clutch bag ready to whip out in the Posh Portaloo in the middle of a field. Chances are by this stage you will have had one too many and will rip the second pair too, will give up on the whole thing and will descend the portaloo steps, and then you will spy an interesting Frenchman you have been longing to discuss the state of Anglo French relations with and will spend the next 30 mins nicking his cigarettes, banging on about Carla Brunai and the whole time with a sheer, natural tan tail. (THIS IS NOT BASED ON A TRUE STORY.) (OK MAYBE IT IS SLIGHTLY TRUE). <br /><strong>4)</strong> 20 Denier? Well you might overheat on the tube? Yes you can wash them 40 times but will you look like Nora Batty? Will you? Hmm? <br /><strong>5)</strong> Toeless. For if you want to wear open toe shoes. <br /><strong>6)</strong> What exactly is a gusset?<br /><strong>7)</strong> Cooling tights? Surely the point of tights is to keep you warm??<br /><strong>8)</strong> Anti cellulite tights? Well now they are just being stupid. <br /><strong>9)</strong> Obviously we want them to make us slimmer. But HOW MUCH SLIMMER? Medium strength control? Full strength? <br /><strong>10)</strong> Control from our knees to our chin?<br /><strong>11)</strong> Or just control around the bottom?<br /><strong>12)</strong> Control around the waist as well, surely? <br /><strong>13)</strong> Matt look or oiled?? Oiled makes you sound like Melanie Griffith in Working Girl and that has GOT to be a good thing. <br /><strong>14)</strong> Whatever you do don't buy shiny. <br /><strong>15)</strong> Seriously, why do I need a strengthened gusset? What do they thing is going to happen? <br /><strong>16)</strong> The stockings or hold up option look lovely on the packet, but in reality by the time you get to Camden Town on the Northern Line they will be rolling down your dimply thighs in a most unsexy fashion. Best saved for mini breaks. <br />
<br />
You glance around you, lost in a sea of Lycra. You look at what other ladies are popping in their shopping bag in hope of inspiration. You wish you had a Percy Pig to revive you.<br />
<br />
Then. <br />
<br />
In the corner of your eye you spot something new. Something lovely. Something familiar. <br />
<br />
A Beauty Hall. <br />
<br />
Yes my friends, Marks and Sparks has branched out and now has a luxury beauty hall in the big branches. And it is a wondrous thing. It has a variety of lovely, unusual brands – not just their own – including Leighton Denny, Ren, Nuxe, Crabtree and Evelyn, Philip Kingsley and Skyn. <br />
<br />
Also, if you are in the market for a polkadot shower cap, some nice spongebags and make up brushes – you are in the right place. <br />
<br />
Here are some pics of just how lovely it is. <br />
<br />
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<br />
As well as the non M&S brands – I have to say how amazed I was by the quality and variety of M&S make up – specifically the Autograph Collection. Priced somewhere between Chanel and No7, with glossy packaging, lovely textures, good basics and staples plus some nice fashion shades – it is my new beauty crush. I invested in this <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/Autograph-Pure-Luxe-Bronzing-Powder/dp/B00395A9AO?ie=UTF8&ref=sr_1_11&nodeId=192674031&sr=1-11&qid=1372156049&pf_rd_r=0VYXHAEXS10S3C0ZENBQ&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=192674031&pf_rd_p=321381387&pf_rd_s=related-items-3" target="_blank"><strong>lovely bronzer</strong></a>, which is really good value at £14 and has a lovely glow. They have a shimmery version and a matt version, so whatever you are after they have it. <br />
<br />
<br />
I also invested in the <a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/Leighton-Denny-Large-Crystal-Nail/dp/B003PO4LK8" target="_blank"><strong>Leighton Denny crystal nail file</strong></a>. At £15 this probably is the most expensive nail file in the world but I am not exaggerating when I say it has changed my nails – it is amazing and my nails no longer split. <br />
<br />
I spent maybe a good 30 mins drifting around. I never did buy any tights. But boy, did I leave that store a happier woman. <br />
<br />
Rose xRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-10629067868570676502013-05-20T11:48:00.000+01:002013-05-20T11:48:33.310+01:00T minus 6 days to Annie's Wedding
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Eyebrows dyed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Hair highlighted?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Hair conditioning treatment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Panic lost 7lbs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">At home facial?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">3 pairs of control pants bought?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">3 pair of control tights bought?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Eyelash extensions?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">New giant beige bra?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Pin down Mr Rose and trim his eyebrows?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OUTSTANDING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Have 1st sunbed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Have 2nd sunbed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OUTSTANDING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Pin down Mr Rose and slap some St Tropez on him
whilst telling him it is just moisturiser?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>OUTSTANDING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Shave legs to within inch of life?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OUTSTANDING<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Scrub red bobbly arms twice daily and slather
with moisturiser?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Check<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Pedicure?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>SERIOUSLY OUTSTANDING I HAVE CLOVEN HOOFS<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Manicure?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>OUTSTANDING – though I am manicure ready thanks to amazing new product<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Diary cleared to allow for only protein and veg
evenings in at home with early nights?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>SORT OF<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Overnight bag packed with every make up product
known to man?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OUTSTANDING </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Helpin Annie find the perfect natural but not too natural, long lasting but not dry coral lipstick? OUTSTANDING</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Keeping my excitement under control? OUTSTANDING! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Rose xx</span></div>
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Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-26114301694882229552013-05-06T20:48:00.001+01:002013-05-06T20:48:50.412+01:00Annie and Mr Annie and a chocolate cake <p> So in just under 3 weeks my darling middle sister will be marrying her beau, Mr Annie. It only seems like yesterday that we were planning weddings for our many Barbie dolls and the one, polygamous Ken doll. </p>
<p>When she got engaged last year and I told friends and colleagues, their first reaction was always 'gosh how lovely' and then they cocked an eyebrow at me and said 'how are you taking it?'. For as the elder and unmarried sister, a sense of Jane Austen still lives in 2013. </p>
<p>But the thing is about love, that even though you may wish you had what they have, you are so pleased they are happy it cancels out the jealousy. I'm fairly sure Annie is deeply jealous of my BLUE SHED and we are both insanely jealous of Izzy's washboard stomach. </p>
<p>Mr Annie is like the little brother I never had, to see them together is a joy because they are not only soul mate ish, but he relentlessly takes the piss out of her, which helps to keep her grounded ;-) </p>
<p>My mum and dad, as you can imagine have been relishing marrying a daughter from home: dad has done full scale models of venues to work out seating plans and conducted raucous blind wine tasting tests which I thoroughly enjoyed. Mum has been sweet talking the local farmer into lending a field for the marquee, bribing old ladies to do the flowers and you can tell she has really got into it now by sending emails with menus for 4 days worth of celebrations. </p>
<p>So just before the wedding on the day itself, we are having egg sandwiches, sausage rolls and my mum's famous Almond Cake. Just reading the email about it gave me an idea and I got my Baking Tickle. This cake is famous throughout Warwickshire and is known to heal the sick. People who barely know her ring up and ask for one. </p>
<p>As Mr Rose has been such a Trojan in the garden this weekend (he is Master of Weeding whereas I'm more of a Creative Director type) I decided he had more than earned a cake. So I found my recipe book, found the page with it on and lo and behold, next to it was a recipe that belonged to my mum's god mother for a chocolate almond cake. So as he is a chocoholic I though I'd try it and he has given it a big thumbs up. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0mZqO8zCUDM/UYgJHpuD9oI/AAAAAAAAAQk/17yF2EzHKNg/s960/Photo%2525206%252520May%2525202013%25252017%25253A43.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0mZqO8zCUDM/UYgJHpuD9oI/AAAAAAAAAQk/17yF2EzHKNg/s500/Photo%2525206%252520May%2525202013%25252017%25253A43.jpg" id="blogsy-1367869730634.1912" class="alignnone" width="500" height="375" alt=""></a></div>
<p> </p>
<p>As you can see its not giant, but its very rich. </p>
<p>To make it you need: </p>
<address>2oz butter<br>
4oz caster sugar <br>
3 beaten eggs<br>
4oz drinking chocolate<br>
2oz SR Flour<br>
2oz ground almonds <br>
1 tsp almond essence <br>
Chuck it all in a 6" cake tin at 180 degrees for 50 mins. </address>
<p> </p>
<p>Serve to a hungry man on a garden bench while he admires his handiwork. </p>
<p>And no, none for me- I've got a bridesmaid dress to fit into!!! </p>
<p>Love, </p>
<p>Rose xx </p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-66924377150596919212013-05-06T16:50:00.001+01:002013-05-06T16:50:08.788+01:00Banko fun<p> About 6 months ago, Mr Rose and I were aimlessly wondering around Homebase trying to pick which Crown paint was a good enough copy of Farrow and Ball's Dorset Cream to fool Aunty Mame, when I stumbled on the previously unknown concept of shed paint. Shed paint! I know, brilliant huh? </p>
<p>You can paint your shed violet, rose pink, line green, slate, stone, Cotswold fart - whatever you like. </p>
<p>I clocked the shade '<a href="http://www.cuprinol.co.uk/web/pdf/cuprinol_garden_shades_colour_guide.pdf" target="_blank" title="Forget me not ">forget me not</a>' and made a mental note to transform our shed come spring. This weekend was the allotted time so we skipped back to Homebase and bought it. I woke ludicrously early yesterday morning and raced outside to get the first coat on.</p>
<p>The reason for my speed was that I wanted to slip outside before Mr Rose woke up. He is the sort of chap that does things properly - if he'd awoken I'd have been made to read the instructions, prepare the area, wear appropriate clothing, cover the ground etc etc. All of this would have totally ruined my impulsive moment!</p>
<p> I forgot to get a 'before' photo but you get the drift here. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-viOrwFhQrJk/UYfQ7UumOsI/AAAAAAAAAP8/Q28zKo7SyNY/s1024/Photo%2525205%252520May%2525202013%25252008%25253A53.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-viOrwFhQrJk/UYfQ7UumOsI/AAAAAAAAAP8/Q28zKo7SyNY/s500/Photo%2525205%252520May%2525202013%25252008%25253A53.jpg" id="blogsy-1367855409312.1367" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>
<p> And here is the finished product: </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TRmZQogSot0/UYfQ_ZqIwzI/AAAAAAAAAQE/EES4Tp0nxW0/s960/Photo%2525206%252520May%2525202013%25252016%25253A20.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TRmZQogSot0/UYfQ_ZqIwzI/AAAAAAAAAQE/EES4Tp0nxW0/s500/Photo%2525206%252520May%2525202013%25252016%25253A20.jpg" id="blogsy-1367855409267.7192" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="667"></a></div>
<p>Anyone wondering what the effect was of not preparing the area? Well we now have some rather blue strawberries...</p>
<p> Here is Whispa from next door admiring it </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EYo10y_fKsM/UYfRDBOxh8I/AAAAAAAAAQM/hbEnrJRqRsE/s1024/Photo%2525206%252520May%2525202013%25252014%25253A13.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EYo10y_fKsM/UYfRDBOxh8I/AAAAAAAAAQM/hbEnrJRqRsE/s500/Photo%2525206%252520May%2525202013%25252014%25253A13.jpg" id="blogsy-1367855409276.5522" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>
<p><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">We went to Ikea yesterday and snapped up these amazing solar fairy lights to go in the plum tree next to it: </span> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QFmjr4tCDjo/UYfRLPU2XOI/AAAAAAAAAQU/BFeiz1OweN0/s1024/Photo%2525205%252520May%2525202013%25252020%25253A48.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-QFmjr4tCDjo/UYfRLPU2XOI/AAAAAAAAAQU/BFeiz1OweN0/s500/Photo%2525205%252520May%2525202013%25252020%25253A48.jpg" id="blogsy-1367855409311.127" class="alignnone" width="500" height="669" alt=""></a></div>
<p> </p>
<p> It was so easy, and just a flash of colour at the end of the garden has transformed it. </p>
<p>Love, </p>
<p>Shed Obsessed Rose </p>
<p>(I don't know who I am anymore) </p>
<p>Xx </p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-49630948750398809772013-05-02T18:36:00.000+01:002013-05-02T18:36:22.732+01:00Going, Going, Gone GirlYou have probably seen half of the people on public transport reading <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gone-Girl-Gillian-Flynn/dp/0297859382" target="_blank"><strong>this book</strong></a>. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8d5L4izFydB3pKsc0g3FcWHckRaFmPNQ3gkker8ubxlOZr8fAMVlz0ro9ySly-eQBE222uaPiW4fWHG-u4i7eOP6Ekvz510f0_Nfd6ZCR596EYVuUjcJM8q399iwA2DIVc0bo6-eYIM/s1600/0806_gone_425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8d5L4izFydB3pKsc0g3FcWHckRaFmPNQ3gkker8ubxlOZr8fAMVlz0ro9ySly-eQBE222uaPiW4fWHG-u4i7eOP6Ekvz510f0_Nfd6ZCR596EYVuUjcJM8q399iwA2DIVc0bo6-eYIM/s320/0806_gone_425.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't normally like thrillers, as I'm a total scaredy cat but I am gripped to this book. <br />
<br />
It has lots of twists and turns and has kept me interested on the Northern Line all this week. A perfect summer read! <br />
<br />
Highly recommended<br />
<br />
Rose x<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-48973541488866940492013-04-03T18:25:00.000+01:002013-04-03T18:25:32.856+01:00Effortless Glamour
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I often think that around Easter is the least
attractive time for a British female.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
have survived a long winter, not unscathed, and the days of freezing cold wind,
the heat from tube carriages and general lack of Vitamin D are taking their
toll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don't know about you, but I'm finding
getting out of bed on cold mornings even harder than normal because the winter
has gone ON SO LONG and I can't take it anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of glamming up in the morning I feel
like closing the curtains and staying inside with a greasy pony tail and old
joggers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">However, the show must go on!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are two tricks I've come up with that
enable me to stay in my warm cosy bed as long as possible in the morning. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p><strong> </strong></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><strong>Bendy rollers<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Hair is the first key to effortless
glamour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get your hair looking good and
it will distract from any winter weariness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if I set my alarm half an hour early so I can get up and use my
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/BaByliss-2286U-Waving-Wand/dp/B003N7NIL0" target="_blank"><strong>Babyliss Waving Wand</strong></a> for curly locks, or give the mop a proper blow dry then I
will guarantee to just hit snooze 4 times till I get up, spray some dry shampoo
on the roots and run out the door with the hair of a slattern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Now I haven't used these since I was a kid, but
I spotted <a href="http://www.superdrug.com/superdrug-bendy-rollers-assorted-colour-12-pack/invt/604054&bklist=" target="_blank"><strong>them in Superdrug</strong></a> and thought I'd give them a try. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Old school, huh?! </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The beauty is that you wash your hair at night,
rough dry it, wind these babies in like this… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zn7Np-SYcttDoTQz7Ni_vzzMvXxkV6YZD3Q7EQbnYN2i4fkl5sHqcdwFnnKwqxPyeihkoH76boU8ZJ3XQGpcKDPRfHCLHuAIlEcKIv1On7N95czN5sV7n7_RuwpiyTaieZdspEyzgnE/s1600/hair+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zn7Np-SYcttDoTQz7Ni_vzzMvXxkV6YZD3Q7EQbnYN2i4fkl5sHqcdwFnnKwqxPyeihkoH76boU8ZJ3XQGpcKDPRfHCLHuAIlEcKIv1On7N95czN5sV7n7_RuwpiyTaieZdspEyzgnE/s320/hair+1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bedtime Chic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">And then just go to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OK so they aren't the most comfortable things
ever but you get used to them and the brilliant thing is you wake up with hair
like this.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3HN0MG3Wrp4m0tywi0ZWeh3rmswaBY__QuXMcsa8TC_r71wVfrWjN5UmtrAIZo4UOl617zt3Lzk_H0Ir6ZRwo4btvc0dsDeF7Affnd3fCEan77hE3rJPcqxqIm2cdZrL_3qEElpfolM/s1600/hair+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR3HN0MG3Wrp4m0tywi0ZWeh3rmswaBY__QuXMcsa8TC_r71wVfrWjN5UmtrAIZo4UOl617zt3Lzk_H0Ir6ZRwo4btvc0dsDeF7Affnd3fCEan77hE3rJPcqxqIm2cdZrL_3qEElpfolM/s320/hair+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bendy foam rollers - the results! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Which not only always works brilliantly, but
the curl lasts till you next wash your hair – giving you glamorous hair for
days – for zero work on it in the mornings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><strong>Really thick foundation<o:p></o:p></strong></span></div>
<br />
If ever I am asked which foundation I use, then the answer is 'well I have about 4 different ones depending on what I need it for, where I'm going and how good my skin is!'. <br />
<br />
The secret is to keep changing it depending on your needs, which can vary from one day to the next. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">In the summer I just use tinted moisturiser
(<a href="http://uk.lizearle.com/make-up/sheer-skin-tint-spf15.html" target="_blank"><strong>Liz Earle</strong></a> is the best), the foundation that takes me through winter is an
<a href="http://www.selfridges.com/en/Beauty/Categories/Shop-Make-up-colour/Face/Foundation/Luminous-Silk-foundation_317-77011643-LUMSILKFDT/?cm_mmc=PLA-_-Google-_-PlusBox-_-Giorgio+Armani&_$ja=cgid:5189056654|tsid:35948|cid:116283454|lid:24800246374|nw:search|crid:19879381294&gclid=CKf2_JCAr7YCFcHHtAodogYA7w" target="_blank"><strong>Armani one</strong></a> which is heavenly but recently I've been looking so tired it hasn't
cut the mustard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Like most modern foundations it is really all sheer
and light and glowing, which is great if you've had lots of sleep and can top
up the patches with concealer and also finish with powder etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But who has time for a 3 step programme on a
Monday at 7.40am?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not me, that's for
sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">A few weeks ago I rummaged through Annie's make
up bag and found <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/estee-lauder-double-wear-stay-in-place-makeup-spf10/p90279?colour=3W1 Tawny" target="_blank"><strong>Estee Lauder's Double Wear Foundation.</strong></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><strong> </strong> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto_Mg7eWgbZ3Y1k89GK0G6acSb2Sfb9LolXQKZBauwxFTPnzoigvtnTqcAnC8w-bHEcXLF1w6_PRkJgjLlz5GicnH5tX4zfwdnuhKI02rV3p8RcJnx4UChlLlNWTV6Cg4dhoQ81uCTRA/s1600/estee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto_Mg7eWgbZ3Y1k89GK0G6acSb2Sfb9LolXQKZBauwxFTPnzoigvtnTqcAnC8w-bHEcXLF1w6_PRkJgjLlz5GicnH5tX4zfwdnuhKI02rV3p8RcJnx4UChlLlNWTV6Cg4dhoQ81uCTRA/s320/estee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I put it on and was HOOKED.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this stuff it is all you will need on
your face apart from a touch of blusher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It lasts all day long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put my
face through a lot – air conditioning, tube carriages, long days..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but it doesn't ever need touching up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Yes it is quite thick, but if you match the
colour to your skin tone properly there is no reason why you should look too
made up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And they do 30 shades, so excuse for getting that wrong ;-) </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">So there we have it - a few things to glam you up, really quickly, on cold winter mornings. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">What tips do you have for instant glamour? Let me know!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Rose</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">xx</span></span></div>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-84474663775126196722013-03-18T14:18:00.000+00:002013-03-18T14:18:49.078+00:00The importance of BrandMr Rose has many good qualities. <br />
<br />
You can name any country in the entire world and he will be able to tell you the current political situation, the state of their economy and a brief history of their wars. <br />
<br />
He is blessed, follically speaking, and will never ever go bald. <br />
<br />
He is braver than a lion.<br />
<br />
He wears what I tell him to. <br />
<br />
He knows all about Wagner. <br />
<br />
He loves going on holiday to exotic, 5 star beach locations with me and never makes me go sightseeing or mountain biking. <br />
<br />
However, nobody is perfect and Mr Rose is what can only be described as a Stubborn Little Bugger. <br />
<br />
For months I've been wanting to try out my new loaf tin from <a href="http://www.lakeland.co.uk/p13645/My-Kitchen-Loaf-Tins" target="_blank">Lakeland</a>, but every time I offer to make him a banana bread, he screws his face up like a toddler being fed a sprout and replies 'well you can make it but I wont be eating any of it because I DESPISE banana bread'. <br />
<br />
Yesterday my darling mum sent me back to London after a very lovely weekend of Warwickshire Rehab – with a bunch of very mouldy bananas that had 'come off the back of a lorry'. <br />
<br />
(Don't ask)<br />
<br />
So I was determined to make some banana bread for Mr Rose's breakfasts (he has a tendency to leave the house to go and run a government department with only an apple inside him – I see it as my duty to the Nation to make sure he arrives at Westminster well fed). <br />
<br />I needed to get rid of him for about half an hour while I went about my secret mission so I nonchalantly asked if he knew where my records were for a savings account. He bounded up the stairs 2 at a time and spent a merry half an hour tutting at how bad my filing was till he jubilantly found it. <br />
<br />
By which time I'd whipped up banana bread, chucked in some raisins and REBRANDED it. <br />
So when he approached the kitchen to see what I'd been up to, he was presented with Breakfast Loaf – a new concoction of mine. Full of protein, goodness and fruit to keep him going on his way into the office. <br />
<br />
Reader, he wolfed it down and had another slice this morning for breakfast, so Her Majesty's Government is being properly run today – we can all rest easy. <br />
<br />
The recipe was got from one of my all time fave blogs: Esther Walker's <a href="http://reciperifle.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>Recipe Rifle</strong></a> (read it, it is magnificent) – and the exact recipe can be found <a href="http://reciperifle.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/banana-bread.html" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a>. She has 3 different banana bread recipes on the site, but this was the only one which I didn't need to go and buy new ingredients for. The only thing I changed was adding in 2 handfuls of dried chopped raisins and apricots. <br />
<br />
So here's to fooling boyfriends with the rebranding of banana bread! Pics below... <br />
<br />
Rose<br />x<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNk_-odJuUQm5ei3AaotfpCoSoyR7yLnjYRIzRKcLR0AEpaymFrDEIFfE0AmE98nJuDl0-MheHeZs6jOPbqKWT8jrU5sGW0XfzcBBpp90kRLFrjUxuYykFrnig3vU2ds5Jf8NbQRZgvH0/s1600/bbread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNk_-odJuUQm5ei3AaotfpCoSoyR7yLnjYRIzRKcLR0AEpaymFrDEIFfE0AmE98nJuDl0-MheHeZs6jOPbqKWT8jrU5sGW0XfzcBBpp90kRLFrjUxuYykFrnig3vU2ds5Jf8NbQRZgvH0/s320/bbread.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast Loaf - not banana bread!! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4bo2NvuCtTQaHZ7cdKmJhR1oKc57w82DYMRmuQ7SF6TvDfwd1ZmpjClJXDuMOyvz4tyOrhsW0u7_JA6IuJ2f7X6HWRAi3RXfdEtX3y13_THbZR5VXocEylcLrhCuAN31HUKTnjkcxm0/s1600/bbread2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4bo2NvuCtTQaHZ7cdKmJhR1oKc57w82DYMRmuQ7SF6TvDfwd1ZmpjClJXDuMOyvz4tyOrhsW0u7_JA6IuJ2f7X6HWRAi3RXfdEtX3y13_THbZR5VXocEylcLrhCuAN31HUKTnjkcxm0/s320/bbread2.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aren't the daffs lovely? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-75269843989293347112013-03-12T17:26:00.001+00:002013-03-12T17:53:20.794+00:00Bree Van De Kamp comes to North London<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I
thought I'd share this <strong>amazing cookie recipe</strong> with you. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Now Mum –
before you start fanning yourself and exclaiming that I shouldn’t be eating
cookies due to the bottom the size of China issue – please note this was as
part of my efforts to turn my road into Wysteria Lane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">One of
my lovely neighbours had a gorgeous baby girl a few weeks ago, and as she had a
rather long birth ended in an emergency C-Section I felt she was definitely in
need of some spoiling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I googled 'best ever cookies' and this
recipe came up! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">It worked really well was super easy, making me
look like Bree Van De Kamp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are
doughy, gooey, and indulgent just like Ben's Cookies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Double Chocolate Cookies, Makes 12:</span></b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"> 200g butter,
200g golden soft sugar, 100gcaster sugar, 1 large egg, 275g self-raising flour,
75g cocoa powder, three BIG bars of chocolate (white, milk and dark), a dollop
of milk.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Blend the butter and sugar, really soft almost runny butter works best. Then basically shove everything else in - if it is a bit dry add a dash of milk. The choc should be quite decent sized chunks. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Bake for about 10
mins, maybe less.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they come out
looking a bit raw don't worry, as they cool they will continue to cook a bit
and you want them nice and gooey.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Here they are pre
oven – do admire the lovely Mrs Chicken in the background<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhikdZVbS-93m6-SpV9ML9nK7xqgU4NMYfqThxRyjXrzsBczHGeS-Xb8gpTHh2wKb1kz9DqswZc-DPegFGj6Mj3F0JKtjXeNSStNa2Bo8MezoaCrSpcxb7sJ9Ou46k8MRdMyIKdqHzb0/s1600/cookie+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhikdZVbS-93m6-SpV9ML9nK7xqgU4NMYfqThxRyjXrzsBczHGeS-Xb8gpTHh2wKb1kz9DqswZc-DPegFGj6Mj3F0JKtjXeNSStNa2Bo8MezoaCrSpcxb7sJ9Ou46k8MRdMyIKdqHzb0/s320/cookie+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">And here is the
finished object.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGb17BciYG_ObUVETXSYWEgGP0taof2WyqG1NwsTeJH5Y4GbU_IBd92rCiE6ch8JZUVfZlMOInvLS8CdvEAQhdHainUMvBNjLYAvDhuoz7au1RZG870kVIq-mgpzBFCAWLLceM7bVUsE/s1600/Cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisGb17BciYG_ObUVETXSYWEgGP0taof2WyqG1NwsTeJH5Y4GbU_IBd92rCiE6ch8JZUVfZlMOInvLS8CdvEAQhdHainUMvBNjLYAvDhuoz7au1RZG870kVIq-mgpzBFCAWLLceM7bVUsE/s320/Cookie.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy double chocolate cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">So just pop on a
full face of make up, pop them into a charming basket with a gingham ribbon and
deliver 90%* of them to your nicest neighbour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g9HvwfyjtTt7ORMWVWnqOhv__dvU_h4ypfBMzGdYO7mSEv1XSdJ6SDy7UEbvCXgRV-U_fjx7kwCVYZQWpUVIzU8L2aW1piubk_4CPkEISI4-0kNur8rOSbk-ed0KfiVZMAi7IpCdstc/s1600/bree.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3g9HvwfyjtTt7ORMWVWnqOhv__dvU_h4ypfBMzGdYO7mSEv1XSdJ6SDy7UEbvCXgRV-U_fjx7kwCVYZQWpUVIzU8L2aW1piubk_4CPkEISI4-0kNur8rOSbk-ed0KfiVZMAi7IpCdstc/s320/bree.png" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">*Obviously Mr Rose
wasn't going to let all of my baking leave the house unsampled</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Baking! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rose x</span>Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-74799985989080659382013-03-06T19:54:00.000+00:002013-03-06T20:24:45.374+00:00Things I love this week<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Recently about a zillion people have asked me
where the blog has gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It hasn't
really gone anywhere, I've just been really busy, I've had a broken ankle and
somehow it hasn't made it up my priority list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">OK maybe not a zillion people, but my mum has definitively
been kvetching about the lack of blogging.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Just now I just got THE MOST PLAINTIVE text
from Cousin LL (who is nearly 4 months preggers!!!!!!! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 10pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(yep,
I know, indecently quick, they were barely back from honeymoon..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>;-))<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>saying that I'd recommended Nashville to Aunty Mame, and why hadn't I
told her because she doesn’t have a life any more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">So I thought – right I'm just gonna do a cheeky
little blog post about this and other things I have been loving recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><strong>First up is <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/9856309/Nashville-More4-review.html" target="_blank">Nashvill</a>e</strong> – More 4's latest glossy
American import – it charts the lives of vastly wealthy, glossy, well dressed
Americans who have giant houses and sing songs about their 'ole pick up
trucks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As my friend Caroline said on Twitter today,
it is worth it for the lustrous barnets alone! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy1tEsamRtICYBrfL4WXOIrxLtscdMU2xdBCLbt8GQdBoazOkejEsxKTVSsuzKiPIau-FeXGJz3DT_18o-_GnaGyJ2E8b21doW7HZxptNZVMS5pVg9cH796k2JP69wv-ieyxcXS-8f1k/s1600/Nashville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAy1tEsamRtICYBrfL4WXOIrxLtscdMU2xdBCLbt8GQdBoazOkejEsxKTVSsuzKiPIau-FeXGJz3DT_18o-_GnaGyJ2E8b21doW7HZxptNZVMS5pVg9cH796k2JP69wv-ieyxcXS-8f1k/s320/Nashville.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nashville ladies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">What’s not to like?? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">It is on Thursdays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Set the Sky Plus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><strong>Second up:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><a href="http://uk.lizearle.com/botanical-shine-shampoo.html?gclid=CNyI5c7u6LUCFUvHtAodWGIAoA" target="_blank">Liz Earle shampoo and conditioner</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I'm a massive fan of Liz Earle – I have most of
their range and I especially like their make up range which came out
recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the shampoo is
brilliant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried it for first time 2
days ago and half the office has told me my hair looks good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Basically I look like this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiliiSjLDd2utqwWNC3ONtgFr_GG3h823YkNu7Y-iv5vb0TCx9W48AV5eb_7_CyFcAOdaA66zJkvc3P2QuBwS185qaj4Qc0F7lmv4fmglJBtIyep84sbXBxccZmo7Ar_A5ADmEVlkPdVo/s1600/hair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiliiSjLDd2utqwWNC3ONtgFr_GG3h823YkNu7Y-iv5vb0TCx9W48AV5eb_7_CyFcAOdaA66zJkvc3P2QuBwS185qaj4Qc0F7lmv4fmglJBtIyep84sbXBxccZmo7Ar_A5ADmEVlkPdVo/s320/hair.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liz Earle styleeee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">My hair is soft, shiny and it smells
lovely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> And it is £8.75 a bottle, so a nice treat but not too expensive. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><strong>Last up:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Party Pieces</strong> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Yes yes yes I know I adore K Middy a little too
much, but planning parties is made so much easier by their
brilliant customer service, lovely products and reasonable prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I'm organising a party on Saturday night and
have bought tonnes of red lanterns<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- the
look I'm going for is this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cute,
huh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxLsqPgEMeL8wxzj9dxeAMuvBy8Q3LF_S2XpwAztoslv3Vki0qZp9QHl1lEEKHgLAowAPaCSs4a01vBd_49vneFuDx42YpKow7LXtr__edPxSmRZlzbavtks7Wxez_DZGViW0lIz5ZP4/s1600/lanterns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjxLsqPgEMeL8wxzj9dxeAMuvBy8Q3LF_S2XpwAztoslv3Vki0qZp9QHl1lEEKHgLAowAPaCSs4a01vBd_49vneFuDx42YpKow7LXtr__edPxSmRZlzbavtks7Wxez_DZGViW0lIz5ZP4/s320/lanterns.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why have 1 when you can have 76?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Buy a few of these from Party Pieces, and Bob is
your uncle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><a href="http://www.partypieces.co.uk/special-occasions/party-lights-sky-lanterns/outdoor-party-lights-lanterns/20in-red-lantern.html"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.partypieces.co.uk/special-occasions/party-lights-sky-lanterns/outdoor-party-lights-lanterns/20in-red-lantern.html</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Rose x<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-49020343248839605702012-11-10T20:46:00.001+00:002012-11-10T20:46:30.562+00:00In the lounge <div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
I read this article the other day about how to have a successful blog. </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
It said I should be posting blogs as often as possible to entertain my readers. </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
But it's been a while. But the whole point of this blog wasn't really to be successful it was primarily to entertain myself, and possibly my family. </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
So the last few months I've been so busy enjoying my new love nest with Mr Rose that the blog is woefully neglected. </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
An interesting outcome is that my family have got so fed up of waiting for me to write a blog they've started 'blogging' themselves.</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
I KNOW! </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
So bitches, I'm back to retain my crown. </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
I find myself currently in the Cathay business class lounge en route to Hong Kong to run a big event. </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
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It's fricking amazing in here. It has a noodle bar and endless champagne. It will be hard to leave. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The purpose of doing business class travel on your own is to be as nonchalant as possible. Nothing screams 'loser' like exclaiming to yourself out loud, forgetting for a moment in your excitement that you are all alone 'oh my god I'm going to have a latte and a vodka tonic AT THE SAME TIME!!!' </div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
So I'm wearing bright red lipstick, a killer frock and I'm trying to keep my shitty New Look cabin bag hidden from view. </div>
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<br /></div>
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If anyone asks I'm the MD of a successful lingerie business, off to China to see my shareholders. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
Rose </div>
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Xx </div>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-16201407718485193802012-09-19T18:50:00.000+01:002012-09-19T18:52:43.964+01:00The big day approaches<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I am
fairly sure, nay certain, that you all watched the return to Downton Abbey on
Sunday night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It came as no surprise
that Matthew and Mary got married and hope you all had a tear in your eye as
they finally said 'I do'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">As I
watched the scenes unfold of the whole village getting ready for the
celebrations I felt familiarity as we have Cousin LL's wedding approaching
fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mrs Patmore and Carson had been
frantic getting everything ready for the big day, and we hope we can give our
happy couple a similar sort of send off. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"></span></span> </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wlEDSWUXGmfBMepKH5sn3S0XK1bXqPl-9A8cMp2WWoJV1RuoD9lWlGFNqQmIft1rg1ylY6DMOb9KA9dHh25Ug7U-_tI6wdKdz4b-JFdY-7DnaZuFIO2uUErYYYecfETdWll4rhe_zj4/s1600/downton-abbey-season-3-premiere-mary-matthew-wedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wlEDSWUXGmfBMepKH5sn3S0XK1bXqPl-9A8cMp2WWoJV1RuoD9lWlGFNqQmIft1rg1ylY6DMOb9KA9dHh25Ug7U-_tI6wdKdz4b-JFdY-7DnaZuFIO2uUErYYYecfETdWll4rhe_zj4/s320/downton-abbey-season-3-premiere-mary-matthew-wedding.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Matthew and Mary Crawley</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We
haven't baked any pies or shone the silver, but here is a sample of the sort of
prep I've been partaking in as Maid of Honour: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">A conversation
with Mr Rose occurred last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
enquired as to which suit, shirt and tie combination he was going to wear to
the wedding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He glanced up briefly from
The Economist, cocked an eyebrow at me and asked how on earth he would know as
normally he decides on the very morning of the event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew this was a lie as I have to watch him
lay out the next day's pants and socks before bed, so I made a quip about that
and insisted he give the matter some thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">With a
sigh, he said:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Well which suit do
you think I should wear?".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
replied:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"The navy Massimo Dutti
one".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A pause followed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"Which tie do you think I should
wear?".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I replied:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"I was thinking your red Aspinal
one".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A further pause.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"And which shirt should I
wear?"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I replied quickly "I
was thinking light blue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely not
white as you look enough like David Milliband as it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But obviously it's up to you".<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">"So.."
Mr Rose replied, "I think I'll go for my navy suit, red tie and light blue
shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I'm so glad I made that
decision."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And with that, he went
back to reading about Syria.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">The next
day I quickly emailed Annie and Izzy, to make sure their Beau's weren't wearing
anything that would clash – think of the photos!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I've
scheduled sun bed appointment, Shellac appointment, had my hair highlighted to
within an inch of its life, barely touched a carb in 3 weeks and already done 3
make up trials.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I'm just the
bridesmaid!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lord knows what Cousin LL
has been up to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">She
isn't the sort of girl to pretend to her fiancé she is going for a jog and then
pop to the Tanning Salon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We've
been through all of the photograph running order to make sure we don't miss
anything out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My suggestions for various
rude things were rebuffed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Personally I
can't see what is wrong with the idea of having all of the 7 bridesmaids doing
shots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We've
discussed the delicate nature of the table plan – she has managed to find the
one person she knows who is interested in politics to put next to Mr Rose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I have trawled
the John Lewis beauty hall for the perfect coral lipstick shade for Aunty
Mame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">My mum,
Uncle R and Aunty Mame spent 3 hours tying ribbons on the orders of
service.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I've
been for 4 dress fittings with a seamstress that appears to be a dab hand with
the needle but has an aura of 'been at the cooking sherry'.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">We've
all enjoyed it so much, weddings are lovely things because they bring everyone
together – not just on the day but in all of the lead up and preparation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">I can't
bloody wait for it all to happen now! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">Rose <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">x<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: _MailAutoSig;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-41737879222212730722012-08-17T16:43:00.001+01:002012-08-17T16:43:53.637+01:00A beauty tip or twoYesterday I got this email from Cousin LL. <br />
<br />
"My mini blog…. Rose, you can reuse this content without copyright infringements!<br />
<br />
So this <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Estee-Lauder-Double-Wear-Stay-in-Place-Lip-Duo_22822/?CAWELAID=334487905&cm_mmc=Shopping%20Engines-_-Google%20Base-_---_-Estee%20Lauder%20Double%20Wear%20StayinPlace%20Lip%20Duo" target="_blank"><strong>Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Lip Duo</strong></a> is the best product I have found in ages. It is amazing… yesterday I put it on at 11am and it was still there at 6pm… after coffee, lunch, and a full day of normal stuff. The coloured end is the lip stain… its incredible. You put it on and wait 5 mins… and then you can put the gloss on over the top but I hate having sticky lips so I either leave just the stain but that can be a little dry, so I put on nude lipstick over the top for moisture.<br />
It lasts for ages….<br />
My best beauty find in ages"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XZogy5ZPKQr4P2AD76uSTw8I-uzqDK8JOSXQUbMmWH4faiiPqk-Eh-mtX6KoGAT1PCRo5mqfzX8Cc9a5MJcMfSuclX19jTWjzUHs7hfH7NmjGWuYq2f56Bkg0mGzgFMac-AwVDHB4sg/s1600/Estee-lauder-double-wear-li.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XZogy5ZPKQr4P2AD76uSTw8I-uzqDK8JOSXQUbMmWH4faiiPqk-Eh-mtX6KoGAT1PCRo5mqfzX8Cc9a5MJcMfSuclX19jTWjzUHs7hfH7NmjGWuYq2f56Bkg0mGzgFMac-AwVDHB4sg/s320/Estee-lauder-double-wear-li.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Well I trust Cousin LL's beauty recommendations so thought I'd pass it onto you guys, even though I have not yet tried it myself - my spare cash is a bit more focused on scatter cushions at the mo...<br />
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Let me know if you like it. She says the colour she loves is number 22, exquisite pink.<br />
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Then Annie piped up and replied to the email stating her undying passion for their concealer. <br />
<br />"I adore <a href="http://www.boots.com/en/Estee-Lauder-Double-Wear-Stay-In-Place-Flawless-Wear-Concealer-SPF10_1230900/" target="_blank"><strong>Estee Lauder double wear concealer</strong></a> – it has a similar effect. Once it goes on, it doesn't come off right until bed time when you wipe it off. Really good colour match and sits well under eyes without clumping. "<br />
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Rose xRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-42994376668315020122012-08-09T19:06:00.001+01:002012-08-09T19:06:31.720+01:00Practically Perfect So guess what?!<br/><br/>It's been a year since I first started this blog! <br/><br/> <br/><br/>I've loved writing it. Hope you've enjoyed reading it. According to the stats it's now been read by just under 15,000 people. Who you all are is a mystery but I hope you stick around. <br/><br/> <br/><br/><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-E6q8Y1iIerI/UCP7j0alI2I/AAAAAAAAAM0/cy1BX2WAh6E/s765/Photo%2525209%252520Aug%2525202012%25252018%25253A48.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Practically Perfect nail varnish"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-E6q8Y1iIerI/UCP7j0alI2I/AAAAAAAAAM0/cy1BX2WAh6E/s500/Photo%2525209%252520Aug%2525202012%25252018%25253A48.jpg" id="blogsy-1344535551828.5361" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>This is my nail varnish du jour - Practically Perfect by No7 available from Boots. It's a great natural colour that gives my nails that glossy healthy look which isn't easy to always get right. It's not too pink, too peachy or too white. It is practically perfect. <br/><br/> <br/><br/>Rose xx <br/><br/> <br/><br/><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-67324329328866626982012-08-03T15:52:00.001+01:002012-08-03T15:52:59.466+01:00The Olympics of my lifeThe Olympics of my life. <br /><br />A bit like knowing where you were when 9/11 happened I always think that the Olympics provide a snapshot in the memory of where one was. <br /><br />Here are mine: <br /><br />In<b> 1992</b> I passed the entrance exam to my rather academic senior school. My parents were so gobsmacked / delighted I was given an Atlanta 1996 sweatshirt as reward and wore it with pride for years and years. <br /><br /><b>2000</b> was Sydney. It made me like the look of Australia so much I decided to go travelling there after uni<br /><br /><b>2004</b> was Athens. I'd been living in London a year and next door to Cousin LL. Her bday is in August and I threw her a surprise Olympics themed birthday party complete with golden laurels, hummus and cardboard javelins to throw around. I'll never forget the look on her face when we all jumped out and surprised her. <br /><br /><b>2008</b> was Beijing. I was living with my dear friend Scarlett in Camden. We went from having no interest in sport to being Olympics obsessed for 2 weeks. We stocked up on Pinot Grigio and cheerios (COS THEY LOOK LIKE OLYMPIC RINGS!!!) and barely left the flat for 2 weeks. Our preferred sport was the synchronised diving – two divers called Ping and Pong were our favourites. <br /><br /><b>2012</b> is London. And aren't we doing well? On the day the London 2012 Olympics opened we got the keys to our new house. We sometimes refer to it as the Olympic House. After 3 years of talking about it, saving up, planning and dreaming we are finally there. And we couldn't be happier. An Olympics I shall never, ever forget. <br /><br />Rose xx<br />
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<br /><br /><br />Rose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3815966831231276493.post-47009621242402950692012-07-25T18:27:00.002+01:002012-07-25T18:27:45.016+01:00Eastend SnobThis little lip liner might not look like much, but it is a super, natural colour. My friend Natalie wore it last night and I accosted her for the name - expecting her to say it was something expensive. <br />
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I was pleasantly surprised to hear it was <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rimmel-Exaggerate-Full-Colour-Liner/dp/B004LXHN3O" target="_blank"><strong>Rimmel</strong></a>! I hot footed it to Superdrug at lunchtime and grabbed one. <br />
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It goes with any lip colour. Rose's top tip - put it on all over your lips then put lipstick or gloss on top - you'll be amazed how much longer the colour stays on.. <br />
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(Apols I can't seem to add a photo - COMPUTER SAYS NO grrrrrr)<br />
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Rose xxRose To The Occasionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14539781323139331673noreply@blogger.com0