Weekly Update!

Bargains and Black Forest Eton Mess!

Weekdays this week were a little slow. I had lunch at Costa on Monday with the girls, and then worked at the pub in the evening where I had my usual pad thai noodles. I got to finish a little earlier than normal as we were really quiet, which was a bonus as I was so tired from the weekend! I didn't do anything on Tuesday, and on Wednesday I was babysitting until 10pm so slept pretty much as soon as I came in. On Thursday I went for a quick coffee at Abi's while Aum played football after school, and then had a nice chilled evening which included a deep hot bath now it's getting so cold during the days!

On Friday I went shopping in Altrincham with my mum, I got some amazing bargains! I got a knitted houndstooth check dress for £10, and a sheer houndstooth check sleeveless blouse dress for £15, both in the River Island sale. In the evening I had my eyebrows dyed again - it's been a revelation! Then I went to a gig and for a night in Manchester (see previous post). 

On Saturday I worked at the pub - my last Saturday shift ever, woop! - and then I went shopping at the Trafford Centre with my mum. I was looking for a nice formal winter coat from somewhere like Karen Millen or French Connection, but I couldn't find one that I really liked. I settled for a pair of citrine coloured skinny jeans from Forever 21 - they are definitely a statement! We had tea at Spud-u-like as we weren't feeling hungry enough for a full meal, and then went home at about half nine as we were both dead on our feet. It is the first Saturday night I'd had in for absolutely ages, but it was actually really nice to just veg out in front of the TV and have an early night - I'm clearly getting old!

Today when I woke up I didn't have anything planned so lay in until 11am, but then I got a text from Tasha asking if I fancied lunch, so I got ready and we drove to the Alderley Grill. 

Although we didn't intend to, we had a full three course meal and wine, and ended up staying for over two hours having a good chatter which was fun. I had asparagus with hollandaise sauce and a poached egg for starter, followed by smoked haddock risotto and then a Black Forest Eton mess which was amazing. It had brownies at the bottom, topped with alcohol soaked cherries, meringue balls, cream, chocolate ice cream and chocolate covered popping candy! Considering I normally end up in bed all day on Sundays with a hangover, it was a pleasant change to get out of the house and enjoy some social interaction!

Autumn Sounds...

The Portlands

Last night was our final night before Hana leaves us tomorrow so we were all up for a good night. We went round to Hana's house at half seven as her stepdad had made us all spaghetti bolognese which was gorgeous. We had a nice catchup with the family, and a few glasses of wine, and I took some coconut and banana cupcakes that my mum had made for dessert. 

At about half nine we headed into Manchester to Ruby Lounge in the Northern Quarter, where a friend of Hana's band, called The Portlands, were playing. It was free to get in, and they were headlining a BBC Introducing event, which was supposed to be really good.

We bought a drink, and then the band came on, and they were actually really good! They reminded me of the Maccabees in terms of the sound of the lead singers' vocals, but the backing music was much heavier and had a more edgy, rocky sound. They played for over 45 mins, and then came back on for an encore as the crowd went wild! They have done a US tour, and are about to embark on one in Germany, so we may hear from them again in the future!

Afterwards we got a taxi over to Deansgate Locks (we wouldn't normally, but it was hammering down with rain!) and went to Revolution where we met up with Natasha, who was out with her workmates. We had a few drinks and some shots, and had a good boogie downstairs in the club room. By half past midnight we were all really tired so we jumped in a taxi, and were home by 1am. It was a good way to end our last night with Hana though - no drunken mishaps or sick involved!

Saying Goodbye!

Hana's Leaving Party

On Saturday after work was one of my best friend's leaving parties as she is moving to Australia. Although obviously tinged with sadness, we all agreed to try to hold it together and enjoy ourselves for the event, as we still have next week to see Hana before she leaves.

We all got dressed up for it which was fun, I finally got to wear my new French Connection dress, which got a lot of compliments. We arrived at about half past seven, and the party was already in full swing, so we were promptly handed glasses of Prosecco and thrust in front of a camera for some pictures which I am excited to see next week.

There were probably about fifty people there, and it was a really good atmosphere, there was lots of gorgeous food (especially dessert) and Hana's brother and stepdad both gave brilliant speeches which made a few of us get teary! Afterwards we went into the garden to let off some helium balloons that had a lovely message written on them, all down to Hana's mum, which I think was a great idea and really original.

At about midnight, the young 'uns wandered into Hale to Suburbia for some more booze and a spot of dancing. I managed to wangle half price entry for all the girls, a good job when it is a pricey tenner each, but once we were inside it was well worth it as it was busy and had some good tunes on. We all left at different times, but I got home at about half 2, so not too bad compared to the lateness of some nights out! 

It was a really great send off for Hana, it is just a shame she has to leave us at all!

Weekly Update!

Self-Indulgence & Tea

I seem to have packed quite a lot in this week, which has been fun! On Monday I picked up my new car, woo! and then I worked as normal. On Tuesday I went shopping at The Lowry with my mum, originally for a Karen Millen coat, but seen as their outlet had closed, I made do with a few other purchases instead. I got a mink coloured leather skirt for £3, and a really nice yellow dress with a cream lace back for £7, as well as some cards and some perfume just for during the day time. In the evening Aum and I made Toffituff (see previous post for recipe), and then on Wednesday I went for a few drinks in Bloom with Hana, Abi and Tasha which was nice. I was driving, but still had a couple of small spritzers so I didn't feel too left out.

On Thursday I treated myself to a little present in the form of a Molly Brown necklace, as they were on sale in Plum in Hale. I got the chain with a lime green jellybean, and the whole thing was £28.50, which I thought was very reasonable. Afterwards I took Aum to the Cake Gallery, where I had a pot of tea and a slice of Bounty cake, which was amazing. In the evening I went for a gorgeous meal at Danilo's with all the girls. We shared a couple of garlic breads, one with cheese and one with tomato, and then I had a half portion of the cannelloni for my main. We shared a big carafe of wine and had a good giggle and catch up. I was feeling pretty rubbish earlier in the week, but Thursday definitely perked me up!

On Friday I had a couple of the guys I went to Benicassim with round to mine as I had a free house for the weekend. Although I bought quite a few spirits, I honestly wasn't expecting to drink them all, but we did, and so for my shift on Saturday I felt pretty rough, despite having a full cooked breakfast before I started!

After my shift I went to my friend's leaving party (see next post) and then on Sunday after a lazy morning, I drove into Manchester to meet Laura (my friend who used to live in Paris) and her fiancé Dickon, as they had been to a Bridal Fayre there. We had a cup of tea in the cafe in Harvey Nichols, which was surprisingly reasonable, and then I had to run back to the car in the pouring rain as I had left my umbrella in there. Overall, a delightful week!

Candid Article 19

Jenny Schwarz

It is not very often that you find a female fashion designer who makes clothes solely for men; but then, Jenny Schwarz is not your average designer. Graduating from Central St Martins in 2007, Jenny’s grandfather Johann Schnieder was a successful menswear tailor in Munich in the 1920s, perhaps encouraging her love for time-honoured methods and keeping the craftsmanship in fashion design. It is an opinion that has proven popular, and her presence in the fashion world has gone from strength to strength. Her creations have since been featured in the likes of Wonderland, Papercut, H, Idol, and our very own Candid Magazine, as well as fashion bible Vogue in 2011.

Her inventions focus on traditional tailoring, taking inspiration from historical clothing and ‘injecting it into the present’ to create unique and innovative pieces that have been described as ‘classic and slightly warped.’ Strict attention to detail, a diverse array of fabrics and the ability to recognise what a man will feel comfortable in that still pushes boundaries, Schwarz clearly has the perfect combination of skills to compete with her peers in the tough fashion industry.

Her clothes caught the eye of post-punk band Planet Magnetic in 2010, who commissioned her to create the outfits for their album cover. The looks were so popular that a capsule collection was made of them, and since then various other musicians, design houses and private clients have flocked to Schwarz for her handiwork.

Perhaps one of the most interesting things about Jenny Schwarz is that rather than having a person as a muse upon which her ideas are based, she looks towards passages from history, literature and quotes, and develops stories around them which then motivate her designs. 

For her S/S ’13 collection, a quote from 1931 by Hubert Rex was used:

‘Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. The flowers of Kings and Emperors, to us, the poor men’s diamond.’

These words were written in a letter found in a trunk that told the story of a man’s mission to retrieve the Edelweiss flower, a rare plant that grows in treacherous places, high upon steep cliffs. Only the most daring and gallant of men would be able to bring it home to give to their loved ones.

Using this as a base for her planning, Schwarz developed outfits with features that directly link to the romantic  anecdote. Taking the tale literally, cotton jackets were fastened over soft woollen jumpers signifying the delicate Edelweiss flower, and were contrasted with pleating and ridging to represent the harsh rocks and sharp edges that were overcome to reach the desired prize. The differences in textures of these two materials is a stark contrast, which really brings the designer’s vision to life. Greys and dark greens were used as a colour palette, giving a nod to the natural colours that would have been seen along the journey.

A similar notion was used for her A/W 12/13 collection where the Crystal Eastman quote ‘A great deal of tyranny goes under the name of protection’ was used to develop her designs. Jackets were heavily structured and made with treated cottons, opposed with pleated organza and sheepskin collars in ode to medieval battle suits, and trousers had panels to create an armour plating effect. Matt black, grey and hints of rust and copper were the colours of choice, giving a masculine feel with a hint of luxe.

Jenny Schwarz clothes are available from Seven Dials Presents in Covent Garden, London, or  go to www.jennyschwarz.com for a list of stockists.

Homemade Recipes!

Toffituff

This is a really simple recipe that originates from one my grandma used to use when we were kids. Although it is very similar, I never actually got hers written down, but it basically the same, and makes about 8 squares.

First of all, the main thing to remember with this is that all the measurements are equal, so as long as you make sure you put the same amount of everything in, it's going to work. As a standard, I'd use 100g butter, 100g of marshmallows and (you guessed it) 100g of toffees, obviously unwrapped!

In a large pan, melt all these ingredients together on a low heat, being careful not to burn anything (burnt toffee is a nightmare to clean!). When the mixture is of a smooth consistency and everything has melted, turn the heat off, but leave the pan on the ring. This is just to ensure that the mixture doesn't cool too quickly and make it difficult for you to put it into the  setting dish.

Gradually add rice crispies to the mixture, constantly stirring, making sure all of them get covered in the melted goo. It is hard to give an amount to add, it just needs to be enough to absorb all of the mixture, so that if you go to tip it into the serving dish, there is none of the substance running away!

The dish should be a square, for the measurements I have given I would say of about 8x8 inches, greaseproof lined and buttered up. Spoon the mixture into the dish and attempt to make it reach all the edges and have a flat top. A trick is to heat the spoon so that the sticky mixture doesn't gloop everywhere. It doesn't really have to look neat, this is a pretty rustic treat, and accuracy doesn't reflect on the taste!

Pop it into the fridge for about half an hour, and then cut it with a sharp knife into squares (or, indeed, whatever shape you like). If you are feeling extra adventurous, you could melt chocolate and pour this over the top before cutting, and put it back into the fridge to set so that the toffituff is extra indulgent. Enjoy!

Weekly Update!

A Boring Week, & Messy Night! 

This week has been a mixed week as usual. It started off really boring apart from the fact that I bought a new car on Tuesday, woop! I pick it up tomorrow, so am super excited for that. I went to Costa on Monday for lunch with Hana and Abi (practically becoming a habit) and went to the cafe in M&S for a cake and tea on Weds with Abi as well. I never go in M&S, but to be fair, the cafe is really nice, and much cheaper than a lot of the high street competitors.

On Thursday evening I went for drinks with Mike in Altrincham. We started in Wetherspoons for a few cheap ones, then went to The Green Room in Goose Green for a couple of nicer, slightly more expensive ones! I was in bed by half twelve though so it wasn't a mental one for a weeknight. Friday was similarly boring as early on in the week, I stayed in  and packed ready to go to Lancaster.

I went for a nice run in the morning on Saturday before I worked, and then I drove to Lancaster after I had finished at 5.30pm. I got ready and then my friend Weronika came to my house to have a few predrinks. We got a taxi to a new club/ bar called Lost at about half ten, and had a couple of drinks in there. It was really dead, and one of the cocktails I had was DISGUSTING, but it was quite a cool place - don't know how well it will do in Lancaster though. At about midnight we decided to move onto Revs, and by then my friend Hendo was out as well so we met up with him. The night gets blurry from there! 

I woke up the following morning with grazes all over my face and knees, stolen signs in my living room, and a very empty bottle of gin in the kitchen! With help from Hendo and Michael who stayed at my house, I pieced together the evening, but it didn't sound like I was the most elegant or sober of people... It was fun though, and I drove home at 5.30pm today after I had sobered up!

This evening I went to Yara with the parents and Jasmine for a meal - not that I could stomach much. It was my treat as a belated 25th wedding anniversary present to my parents, so at least I saved some money by not eating a lot! We got sharing starters including a greek salad, goats cheese parcels and houmous with pitta bread, and then I shared a chicken dish with my mum which had aubergine, tomatoes and onion in. The little I ate was really nice!

Candid Article 18

Anna Karenina - 5 stars *****

The latest screen adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s tragic novel Anna Karenina has been one of the most highly anticipated films of 2012. Directed by Atonement’s Joe Wright, and with a screenplay by Tom Stoppard of Shakespeare in Love fame, it also features a sparkling cast, including Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Keira Knightley as the ill-fated heroine. 

For those not familiar with the plot, Anna Karenina is the aristocratic wife of important political figure Aleksei Karenin (Jude Law). She is highly admired in 19th century Russian society, and is adored by her husband, son and family. However, a chance meeting with young Count Vronsky (Taylor- Johnson) on a trip to Moscow throws her normally stable life into chaos, as she embarks upon an illicit affair with him. 

Desperate to cling onto his wife and reputation, Aleksei agrees for Anna to continue her infidelity, as long as she is discreet. But nothing stays a secret for long in society, and whispers soon begin to emerge. When Anna learns that she is pregnant, she is forced to stop seeing Vronsky, or risk losing her position, home, and access to her son. Unable to live with the consequences of her decision, she leaves Aleksei and her son to live with Vronsky, a scandal unheard of in those times. I won't say too much more about what happens next...

This film was really interesting to watch, as it had a number of techniques within it that were so unlike anything I have seen before. The whole thing was set up to look like it was being performed on stage, so scene transitions showed furniture being moved around, backdrops being lifted and characters undergoing costumes changes as they acted. The camera would then zoom in to the action, and then when it zoomed out, the characters would actually be in the landscapes that the stage had originally set up. Freeze frames were used to emphasise certain scenes, for instance the dance sequence in which Karenina and Vronsky first meet, which is beautiful to watch. It gave the whole piece a very dramatic and vintage feel, which I loved as it emanated the romanticism of theatre during the 19th century. 

The cinematography as a whole was something to be admired, as at times the camera focused on tiny details, like the eye of a horse before a race, or ribbons on a dress fluttering in the breeze. It made the action very four dimensional to watch, as it heightened the senses to pick up subtle sounds and textures that would otherwise have been missed. 

With regards to casting, there wasn’t a weak link in sight. Each role seemed to have been hand-picked to perfection, from Anna’s loud, womanising brother Oblonsky (Matthew Macfadyen) to the meddling gossip Countess Lydia (Emily Watson). My particular favourites were Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson as the young lovers Kitty and Levin, who have a gorgeous scene together towards the end where they use children’s wooden letter blocks to hold a conversation. Keira Knightley in my opinion put in one of her best performances to date. I have not taken to many of her previous roles, finding her a little typecast and clichéd. But the passion and range of emotion that she showed whilst portraying Karenina was excellent, and she really brought the trauma of the character to life. 

As you have probably picked up from my enthusiasm, I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and think it is a really unique piece of cinema that is slick, gripping and full of emotion, and would therefore highly recommend it. As someone who is very into fashion as well, the costumes were absolutely amazing!

Inspired by change

Rider

I'm a cynical bitch with a sexual itch;
a money crazed fiend in an OCD glitch.
So feed on my weakness and prey on my fear,
keep me coming so hard that I need you here.
And when I leave in the spin of a wheel,
the cool sense of loss is all that I feel; 
though not for the boy I've left sleeping in bed,
or the chasteness and innocence - long since dead -
but the girl of five years ago still in my brain,
who cannot believe that I've done it again.
She screams at the lust that drives me to act
(that leaves me frequently flat on my back)
and makes me question if I actually care,
when I know that desire is all that is there.
But if this is a story of cock and bull,
charge into me darling, give me cock to the full.

Weekly Update!

Lounging & Lockins!

This post will be a fairly short one, as not only has this week flown by with not much happening, but the things that have happened I've written separate posts on so there isn't much to say!

On Monday I went to Gastronomy in Hale with Aum and the girls for a cup of tea and a chat. I'm on a new healthy eating thing to recover from the lack of exercise/ excessive eating out I have been doing whilst Aum has been off school, so I resisted not only a cake there, but also a Mcdonald's when I took Aum there for lunch, I was very proud.

Tuesday and Wednesday passed by quickly, I had my hair cut on Weds finally, and then had Charlotte and Abi round to mine in the evening. I cooked us chicken casserole with roast potatoes and veg for tea. Abi made some lovely raspberry cupcakes too which were appreciated!

On Thursday after a mad rush after work, I just about made it to a live streaming of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime, which was amazing (see previous post), and on Friday I went to see Anna Karenina with my mum at the cinema as I was doing a review of it for Candid Magazine (article coming soon!).

On Saturday I finished at 2.30pm at the pub for a change. This was because I was supposed to be going to Nottingham with Abi, but a change of plan meant we couldn't go, so we settled for a night in Manchester instead. Luckily the weather was gorgeous, so I spent the afternoon lounging in the garden, reading Vogue and drinking cider.

In the evening, we started in Odd bar in the Northern Quarter, and then went on to Keko Mokus around the corner. We had a few cocktails and shots (including the lethal Zombies!) and then stayed until 3.30am, as they let us have a lock in which was fun. 

Today I have been shopping in Stockport with mum; it was a successful trip! I got three tops, three jackets, two pairs of shoes, some underwear and some amazing maroon rubber leggings. I used up the remainder of some vouchers I had from my birthday, so only spent £63! We went for a coffee and muffin in Costa, and then headed home, where I mooched around hungover until the evening when we had a roast dinner. Not a bad week in the end!

Autumn Performances...

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime - 5 stars *****
Yesterday I went to Parrs Wood cinema in East Didsbury to see a live streaming of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime from The National Theatre. I didn't really know what to expect to be honest, I have read the book (by Mark Haddon), but wasn't sure how it would translate onto a stage, let alone a stage streamed onto a cinema screen.

The story revolves around 15 year old Christopher (played by 28 year old Luke Treadaway!), who is somewhere on the autistic spectrum, and follows his thought processes and actions from day to day. In the section of his life that we see, he deals with issues such as his mother leaving to live with another man (his father tells him she has died, which he later learns isn't true) and attempts to write a book about solving the mystery as to who killed his neighbour's dog, Wellington.

The play was adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott, and what a tremendous job they did. As so much of the book is internal thought, I did question how this would be managed, but Stephens translated it seamlessly, using the character of Christopher's teacher as a narrator, played by Niamh Cusack. She is reading from the book that Christopher has written about his experiences.

Lots of physical theatre, soundscapes and flashbacks were used to create scenes that were being read, and it was all really well done - since researching this piece, I have learnt it is Frantic Assembly's team that helped with these scenes, which explains a lot, as I love their company. One of my particular favourites was right at the beginning when Cusack was detailing Christopher's usual day and habits, as other characters became chairs and a bed which Treadaway interacted with like any other piece of furniture.

The set played a big part in the production, although it wasn't overly complicated. Perhaps the most important part of equipment was the floor, which had computer projections on so it appeared as: a graph that characters could use to draw on, the outlines of doors as Christopher went knocking at his neighbours' houses, and a map of the train routes in London. Aside from this, the main other props were plain white boxes, which were used in different ways throughout; as seats, a toilet, a drum, a fishtank (complete with projection of swimming fish) and a train. It meant that a lot of different areas could be created, with minimal movement of furniture and fuss. 

The director had chosen to use an ensemble cast, which I thought did the actors great justice, as characters were still clearly defined despite being played by the same people, with very subtle costume changes. The fourth wall was broken down, as the cast always sat around the edges of the acting space, reacting as an audience would for scenes where they were 'off-stage'. There were points throughout the production where actors came out of character for comedic effect, which I must admit, I am not usually a fan of, but it really worked with this play. Having the actors always visible also meant that the people producing the soundscapes were seen as they were doing so, again bringing the audience closer into the action.

Seeing this performance really made me realise how much I love and miss live theatre - even if this wasn't technically in a theatre - and I am glad that my friend suggested going. Together with some familiar faces such as Una Stubbs, Paul Ritter and Nick Sidi, and a very cute dog, it is one of the best plays I have ever seen (topped only by Pool, No Water by Frantic Assembly!).

Traveller's Tales...

Scarborough

After I finished work on Saturday, Hana drove me, Abi and Tasha to Scarborough to see Lydia at university. It took about 2 1/2 hours to get there, so once we arrived we quickly got changed and went out for dinner at Ask. I had three courses as I was feeling particularly hungry! I had sea salt and rosemary bread with olive tapenade for a starter, followed by crayfish, crab and prawn ravioli and finally a plum and almond tart served with vanilla ice cream. We shared a bottle of prosecco and a bottle of wine, and with a tip mine came to £30.50 which I thought was reasonable.

Afterwards we walked to a place called Blue Lounge (after being nearly run over by a man on a mobility scooter and being flashed at by a guy in a window!) where we had a drink and a dance. The DJ was really bad at mixing songs though, and it got really busy and sweaty, so we moved on after an hour or so. We went next door to a place called The Barbican, that reminded me of a mixture of a Wetherspoons and a Revs. We got a fishbowl for £8 and sat down as we were all feeling pretty tired. We headed back to Lydia's at around 1.30am as we all just wanted to sleep!

The following day we got up and ready to go and explore the town. We drove to North Bay and had fish and chips at a cafe overlooking the castle which was lovely. Afterwards we went for a paddle in the sea and walked along the beach. We then drove to South Bay, which was a bit more touristy (rock, amusement arcades and donkeys rides etc!) and we had ice creams and made sandcastles. The weather was really nice, we were very lucky!


After a while we decided to head back to Lydia's so stopped at Tesco to get some drinks and magazines. There was a little park at the end of her road so we sat and chilled out there for a while before setting off for home at five. We were home by 7.10pm, but then I had a magazine article to research and write, so it was a rather late night for me!

Weekly Update!

Gusto, Golf & Girly drinks!

This week definitely benefited from the day off on Monday for the bank holiday! I had a lie in and then met up with all the girls and Smeed for lunch at Gusto in Knutsford. I had baked avocado with scallops for starter, and then pasta primavera with chicken for main. Afterwards we went back to Hana's for coffee and chocolate cake, and then I worked at the pub in the evening.

On Tuesday I went to Chester Zoo (see previous post) and on Wednesday we had a lazy day doing various pre-school jobs (food shopping, getting a hair cut etc) and I had a night in after work.

On Thursday we went to the Trafford Centre and played bowling and crazy golf with Aum's friend Shaan and his sister Simran. I won one game of bowling, but lost the other horrifically! I came second in the crazy golf though which I'll accept. For lunch we went to Pizza Express, where I had the Bosca salad which was lovely - it had mushrooms, sunblush tomatoes, rocket and mozzarella in a balsamic dressing, and was served with dough sticks and a honey mustard dip. That evening I babysat until 10.30pm so went to bed when I got home.

On Friday I took Aum to Dunham Massey to go on his bike, and Hannah, Charlotte and Abi came too. We got tea and cake in the cafe which was delicious (I had cranberry and white chocolate sponge) and then Aum and I played some games in the afternoon.

In the evening I got my eyebrows tinted again and then Abi and I went for a few civilised drinks in Alty. Everyone out was about 17, and I had work the next day so we left before midnight - we were saving ourselves for Scarborough this weekend! (see next post)