Mrs.B

Our renovation plans have been postponed until the summer of 2013, but I am already dreaming of my new kitchen and am collecting little bits and pieces to decorate it with.

One thing I want to have is display shelves of different espresso cups. The initial plan was to just have cups but now the scope has widened a bit…

I have now had three 3-week manicures back to back. They are very lovely and keep me from totally butchering my cuticles (by picking) but unfortunately I will not be continuing. The reasons are simple: …

If you like coffee and live and work in London or any other big city, I’m sure you toss away at least one paper coffee cup a day. I used to wash mine at the office and put into recycling but then I thought – what is the point, why don’t I just reuse a cup? …

We’re off to a long weekend at Center Parcs in Longleat Forest tomorrow. Oskar got a new chess set yesterday to take with us. He read the instructions this morning and by the time J got home to play with him, he already knew how every piece is supposed to move. I’m staring to feel dumb next to my 7-year old :|

I have a very bad habit of picking on my cuticles. I have tried all kinds of cuticle oils and I’ve even contacted a hypnotherapist, but the oils never worked and the therapist never called me back.

My next plan of action, therefore, was to try something different – a long-lasting manicure. Surely nice colourful fingernails would make me quit my frustrating cuticle demolishing habit? [...]

Last week when I was walking around Soho (as you do when you live in London), I popped into a little toy shop and walked out with this book of paper monsters. I thought it would be perfect to take to Brighton, since it means new toys but flatpacked to begin with.

I was correct – the book was a hit with Oskar (Oliver didn’t show much interest – he probably cannot get his 3-year old mind away from Ben10 or Lighting McQueen). We made a couple of new monsters every night when in Brighton and although some are really fiddly to get glued together, they do look kind of cute in the end. I had to make one for Oskar tonight as well, I suspect he won’t stop asking me until the whole book has been used up!

The bad news is that without any make-up I look exactly like Cameron Diaz without make up – no eyebrows, no eyelashes, a bit blotchy and very pale.

The good news is that with make up I don’t look too bad – almost as good as Ms Diaz when she puts make up on :)

I am now old enough to say that I have tried MANY different beauty products over the years and I have finally settled down to using my favorites, not buying new stuff very often anymore.

Here are my tried and tested favorites… [...]

Although I can sew and knit and crochet and cross stitch, I am not very crafty these days. A few months ago though I got an idea to make an “artwork” for our living room using Australian postcards. After a bit of toing and froing and false starts, it’s finally finished.

I think it’s not bad for a first attempt. It’s not as neat as I would have liked because the postcards all varied in size by a mm or two, and because by the time I got it back from framers I saw some edges where the glue had come unstuck. [...]

I’ve always wanted a shelf for photos and other pretty stuff above my bed and we’ve finally made it happen.

So far we haven’t really decorated this place much, other than hang photos on the already existing picture hooks, because we will “one day” renovate. I couldn’t stare at the bare walls in our room any longer though and am very pleased with the photo shelves from IKEA.

Two of these items I already own, 7 to go :) ——————————————————————————————— 14 April update: I tried on the dress at MANGO and it looked like a bag on me – I blame it on the fact that my waist is two sizes bigger than my hips :| I ordered the slacks online (yikes – [...]

Back in June I moaned that the Tree of Love elephant from the Elephant Parade was sold out at Selfridges.  This Monday James handed me a box with one inside! :)  He had ordered it in June, but since they’re hand painted, it took a while to arrive. I’m giddy, it’s so cute :)