tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77380922793679191792024-02-20T16:56:02.068-08:00Musings and Mutterings....rantings and ravings.Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-2924590633236765342020-03-17T12:04:00.002-07:002020-03-17T12:04:27.595-07:00Cor blimey, it's a competition!So - this isn't the world's most generous prize, nor the world's most valuable. I'm not sponsored by anybody - this is a prize from me. But it's a prize, and it's free. What more do you want?<br />
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So - three girlie DVDs. All new and sealed - somehow I've ended up with more than one copy of each. They are:<br />
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<b>Erin Brockovich. (Julia Roberts)</b><br />
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<b>Julie and Julia. (Meryl Streep)</b><br />
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<b>Stepmom. (Julia Roberts)</b><br />
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I'm fond of a competition or two myself so compers are welcome. Also, as a comper, I'm not going to ask you to follow me, follow my dog, take away the number you first thought of.....I know how annoying that is! Just (in a shameless and thinly-veiled attempt to gain more followers!) follow, tweet, and maybe say hello if you want to.<br />
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Good luck.<br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="cf739da51" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cf739da51/" id="rcwidget_lpx47opz" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><br />
<script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script><br />
<br />Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-62016063870239752022018-03-30T11:42:00.002-07:002018-03-30T11:42:56.440-07:00I found a competition!It's free to enter so why not give it a try? You could win a stylish slate door number, personalised to your specifications!<br />
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https://melissajanelee.com/the-house-nameplate-company/Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-61823768189031097562017-08-29T06:22:00.000-07:002017-08-29T06:22:49.858-07:00My beautiful new Giftpup mug!Recently I was lucky enough to win a Twitter competition from the lovely people at Giftpup and Missing Sleep.<br />
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I was so impressed with the quality that I just had to write a little review! The printing is so sharp and clear; I've had personalised mugs before where the printing looked like it was done with an old John Bull printing set and lasted about as long but not this one.<br />
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I've tested it - several times - and the printing is still just as good as the day I unpacked iits a nice, chunky mug with a design on both side so whether you're left or right handed, there's still a design on show.<br />
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Anyway, several trial runs of wine and tea later: here's a photo or two!<br />
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As you can see, it has the perfect message for me on one side, and my name on the other, along with a lipstick print that makes me giggle every time I see it!</div>
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Thank you so much Giftpup and Missing Sleep!</div>
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*This is not a sponsored post and I was not asked to write it. I just think quality products deserve to be shared.</div>
Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-71705403939253171122017-02-23T01:08:00.001-08:002017-02-23T01:08:56.292-08:00I found a competition!<a href="https://buypopvinyl.com/2017/02/welcome-buy-pop-vinyl-launch-competition/" target="_blank">Buy Pop Vinyl</a><br />
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You can win a pop vinyl figure of your choice, just by a few simple clicks! There are loads to choose from but I think I may choose a Family Guy......How about you?<br />
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*not my competition. I am just posting about it.Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-66198707060594620482015-06-18T16:51:00.000-07:002015-06-21T16:09:30.217-07:00My Five Favourite TV Dads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fathers are sadly under-represented and unsung on television - most programmes featuring familes seem to be aimed mainly at women and therefore feature a disproportionate amount of mothers. So as Father's Day was on the horizon, I decided to write about five of my own favourite TV fathers in celebration of all the unsung dads out there!. </div>
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I chose my five based on several criteria: entertainment value, parenting skills (or lack of, in one case!), dedication to their families but also how much a facet or two of each portrayal and parenting style reminded me of my own dad.</div>
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<b>So - in no particular order: My <span class="post-labels">5 #TopTvDads!</span></b></div>
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<img border="0" src="http://myfivebest.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/CharlesIngalls.png" /></div>
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<b> Charles "Pa" Ingalls played by Michael Landon in "Little House on the Prairie".</b><br />
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Although "Pa" Ingalls was not a fictional character but a real person, I include him here because of the outstanding success of the series and the all-too-rare way in which Michael Landon and the programme in general did not deviate from or sensationalise the original memoirs in any way.<br />
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I grew up on the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder, reading the series many, many times, so when I actually watched it, I had a clear picture in my mind of how Pa should look and behave. Michael Landon did not disappoint and fulfilled the portrayal of the man who had a "wandering foot that gets to itching" to perfection.<br />
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His only concern was the wellbeing and safety of his family and he encountered and overcame many trials and obstacles in the process. Outrunning wolves, swimming icy creeks, taking on bears - there was nothing Pa would not do for his wife and daughters and the show was all the more enjoyable because it was all true! <br />
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Pa was a loving, firm and wise father to Mary, Laura, Carrie and Grace, managing to send Mary to a college for the blind and allowing Laura to become a schoolteacher - a very enlightened man for his time and the type of father any literary loving girl with an interest in the human and heartwarming side of history would love to have!<br />
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<a href="http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/outnumbered/images/4/40/Pete3.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width/200?cb=20110915161524" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/outnumbered/images/4/40/Pete3.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width/200?cb=20110915161524" /></a></div>
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<b> "Pete Brockman" played by Hugh Dennis in "Outnumbered".</b><br />
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In spite - or perhaps because! - of being the father of two teenagers and a pre-teen, Pete still seems to be struggling to get to grips with this adventure called "fatherhood". Despite being blood relatives and sharing a lifetime of history together, Pete and his kids, Jake, Ben and Karen, seem to have only one thing in common - embarrassing each other!<br />
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He does have the best interests of his kids at heart though, and takes a keen interest in their lives and activities. It emerges that Pete was bullied as a child so when he suspects Jake is being bullied, he's in an ideal position to advise him - even if things don't quite go to plan! As Jake becomes increasingly obsessed with girls, Pete has a midlife crisis fuelled by reminiscences of his own youthful dalliances and this adds a new dimension to their already complicated relationship. It's made all the more complicated by the disapproval of wife and mother Sue who disapproves of her son's objects of affection and her husband's appreciation of them. <br />
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His relationship with Ben is a little more complicated. Despite Pete's training as a history teacher, he has no idea how to answer some of the outlandish questions - usually revolving around his obsession with dead bodies and serial killers - that Ben presents him with. <br />
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Ben has an amazing ability to convince anybody of anything and whilst this is funny to Pete in the earlier episodes, it rapidly causes problems as he discovers that parents of Ben's schoolmates are convinced Pete is both fighting cancer and personal friends with PM Gordon Brown.<br />
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His relationship with his youngest child Karen, a very intelligent but very literally thinking and outspoken little girl is immensely rewarding and simultaneously immensely frustrating as she plays the Daddy card to great effect, often landing Pete in trouble with Sue who had previously forbidden the request he had so indulgently granted.<br />
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Pete is by far my favourite TV Dad of all - he reminds me so much of my own Dad - lovable, bumbling, meaning well and messing up but always there when needed.<br />
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<b>"Peter Löwenbräu Griffin"</b><br />
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<b> </b>Peter Griffin, star and title character of Family Guy, has to be in the running for the worst Dad since the<br />
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Peter and his wife Lois have four children, Chris, Meg, genius toddler Stewie and the never-seen Peter Jr who, we are told, died because the terminally stupid Peter Sr shook him too much as a baby.<b> </b>After a typical Peteresque sperm bank accident, he also became, unbeknownst to him, the biological father of the psychopathic Bertram, an evil child who is the dead ringer for nemesis half-brother Stewie.<br />
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Peter prefers to spend time drinking and discussing the finer points of breaking wind with his best friends Joe,<br />
Quagmire and Cleveland than with his own children - indeed, we rarely see him say anything to his daughter other than "Shut up Meg". A typical father-daughter activity for Peter usually involves shooting Meg, tripping her over or reading her private diary aloud to the rest of the family whilst the long-suffering Meg tries in vain to gain her father's love.<br />
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His relationships with his other two children are not much better - he fails to notice that one son is the object of affection for a creepy old man known as Herbert the Pervert and that the other son is a diapered genius disappearing on round-the-world trips with the family's talking, drinking, womanising dog Brian whilst simultaneously creating time machines and changing the course of history! <br />
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Peter is the type of father who ideally should receive a visit from Social Services and lose any right to see his kids ever again but his idiotic antics seem to go unnoticed in the bizarre town of Quahog and he parents on, unrestrained and unmedicated, loved by all and a classic figure in the annals of TV fatherdom!<b><br /></b><br />
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<b> "Homer Jay Simpson", seen here with son Bart in a classic "Why, you little...." pose.</b><br />
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Despite the frequent stranglings of his son Bart and equally frequent letting downs of his daughter Lisa, Homer is a dedicated and loving father who adores his wife Marge and his children Bart, Lisa and Maggie with all his heart.<br />
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Homer and Bart are often at odds: the latter taking great delight in playing practical jokes on the former, but they are just as often allies and share many adventures and heartwarming father/son moments together.<br />
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Lisa is far more intelligent than her father - not a difficult accomplishment as Homer is a bumbling fool - and he often feels intimidated by her accomplishments and ends up letting her down. After his family, Homer's great love is Duff beer so it's a testament to his love for Lisa that he sold his beloved ride on the Duff Blimp in order to pay for her entry to a beauty pageant and give her a huge and much needed boost to her self esteem.<br />
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The show gives the impression that Homer often forgets he and Marge have a third child - baby Maggie - and he rarely interacts with her or notices her. When push comes to shove, though, he lets the Dad in him shine through and gives up his chance of untold wealth in order to let Maggie keep her precious teddy bear.<br />
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Homer's relationship with his own father, Abraham J Simpson is a fractious one and explains much about his love-hate relationship with his own children. Ultimately Homer always comes through for his children and is the father he himself would have liked to have had. <b><br /></b><br />
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<b> "Ian Beale", played by Adam Woodyatt</b><br />
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The minute I saw the challenge to write about my favourite TV Dads, I knew Ian Beale would be one of them.<b></b><br />
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We watched Ian grow from a young boy into the man he is today and saw that he had a very closeknit family - grandmother, aunts, uncles, cousins, and of course his loving parents Pete and Kathy. Family meant everything to the Beale/Fowler clan and the effects of Pete's strong fatherly ethics are visible in his son today.<br />
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Sadly, Ian has spent his life trying to build hos own family but has ivariably ended up being unlucky in love. A string of failed marriages and engagements saw him become the adoptive father of his first wife's eldest son, a dad to twins called Peter and Lucy, a son, Bobby, and the legal guardian of his estranged first wife's daughter, the troublesome Cindy. <br />
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More pillock of the community than pillar of the community, Ian has had many failures in both business and romance; the most recent of which caused Ian to have a breakdown and simply disappear under the stress of it all. Meanwhile, his teenage daughter Lucy - very much relying on everything she had learned from her father over her few short years - singlehandedly saved his business, his house and took care of little Bobby - everything he had been unable to do.<br />
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When Ian returned, he recognised true business genius in his daughter and encouraged her all the way as she set up her own successful estate agency. It was evident to all - including twin brother Peter - that Lucy was the apple of his eye and the inheriting recipient of all his own failed dreams of success.<br />
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Sadly, Lucy's body was discovered in the woods - killed by persons unknown. Ian's distress was tangible. Misery etched all over his suddenly haggard face, he begged on TV for any information that may help catch the people who took his angel from him.<br />
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Given his history, it would not have been a shock to see Ian have another breakdown, but he became the rock of the family, keeping Peter, stepmother Jane and little brother Bobby together through the heartbreak and stress of the police investigation. I thought these moments of supportive strength were the pinnacle of Ian's fatherhood but the best was yet to come.<br />
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It was, in time, revealed that little brother Bobby had been the one to accidentally kill his beloved elder sister during an argument. Bobby had no idea that he had been responsible for her death and Ian, in a true display of fatherly love, agreed that nobody, including Bobby himself, must ever find out, realising that it would devastate the small boy and wrench apart the remainder of the closeknit and loving Beale family.<br />
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That was a complex and difficult emotion for Ian to wrestle with - he had promised the deceased Lucy he would not rest util she had received justice but he had to break the promise in order to save his small son from the misery of knowing what he had done. It was the moment that the viewers realised the irritating, patronising man known as Ian Beale was above all else, a dad, and a very, very good one.<br />
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So there are my five favourite TV dads. Each very different fathers who, like all fathers, make mistakes and get it wrong sometimes but there is no doubting their love for their children and their desire to see them emerge into the world as well-rounded, confident and happy adults.<b> </b>Happy Father's Day to them all and to any fathers reading this - including my own<b> </b>who, I suspect, would have liked a Lucy Beale but got a female version of Ben Brockman!<b><br /></b>Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-19665811409285886822014-09-04T17:05:00.001-07:002014-09-04T17:08:27.540-07:00The strangest place I ever slept.<br />
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<i>When I was a kid, I used to sleepwalk. Usually I just walked downstairs and was ushered back to bed without waking but one morning, I awoke in the bath. Not only that, I'd taken my pillow with me! It didn't prevent me from having a VERY stiff neck though!</i><br />
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<i>I'd love to sleep on the moon, and I'd take this mattress with me to ensure a good night's sleep! http://www.wrenliving.com/winchester-king-opulent-mattress/182071</i><br />
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<i><em>this is my entry into the #SleepHappy competition over on
LittleStuff
http://www.littlestuff.co.uk/2014/08/win-300-with-wren-living-to-spend-on-bedroom-furniture/comment-page-5/#comment-1617567</em> </i><br />
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<i> </i> Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-84463529141859206212014-08-23T11:42:00.000-07:002014-08-24T14:01:29.468-07:00Good to be home - My dream bedroom<br />
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Good to be Home want bloggers to write about their dream bedroom - this is something I have often dreamed about so decided to give it a go! I adore the mediveval and Gothic styles but I also adore music so I wanted to create a mix of the two to reflect my dream room and a little sanctuary for myself.<br />
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It might not attract the attention of any interior magazines or programmes, but for me, it's perfect!<br />
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The focal point of any bedroom is, of course, the bed. Here is my dream bed! Black, gothic, and very rock chic!<br />
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I would have this wallpaper for a feature wall behind the bed. I love the way the purple rose stands out.<br />
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Gloss paint for the doorframe, skirting boards and windowsill.<br />
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The other three walls My bedroom walls are actually a very similar colour to this! It's surprisingly restful and calming.<br />
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Floorboards I'm not a fan of carpet, so stained floorboards would feature in my dream room.<br />
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<a href="http://asda.scene7.com/is/image/Asda/2001562?hei=450&wid=450&resmode=sharp&op_usm=1.1,0.5,0,0&defaultimage=default_details_George_rd" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://asda.scene7.com/is/image/Asda/2001562?hei=450&wid=450&resmode=sharp&op_usm=1.1,0.5,0,0&defaultimage=default_details_George_rd" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Curtains - I actually have black curtains but mine are embossed with a rose pattern. I love them but sometimes think a plain pair might be less distracting.<br />
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<a href="http://www.curtainpolesemporium.co.uk/user/products/10174R_RusticForge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.curtainpolesemporium.co.uk/user/products/10174R_RusticForge.jpg" /></a></div>
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Got to change that curtain rail though - I love these finials!<br />
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<a href="http://www.galaxystores.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/398x398/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/o/r/orient_bedroom_furniture_pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.galaxystores.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/398x398/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/o/r/orient_bedroom_furniture_pack.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Furniture - although not particularly medieval or gothic, I love black wood, being a kind of a goth girl and this set is perfect! Plenty of storage and a few flat surfaces for bits and pieces.<br />
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<a href="http://cdn.acfrg.com/i/400_600_fit_ffffff__png/ACfrG/productpics_fullsize/2/286977-emp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.acfrg.com/i/400_600_fit_ffffff__png/ACfrG/productpics_fullsize/2/286977-emp.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Got to have somewhere to hang my dressing gown!</div>
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<a href="http://www.therugretailer.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/377x416/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/l/plush-purple-rugs_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.therugretailer.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/377x416/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/p/l/plush-purple-rugs_2.jpg" height="320" width="290" /></a></div>
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A little luxury at the end of the bed - a deep purple shaggy rug to please the toes and add a little warmth and respite from the stained floorboards.<br />
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<a href="http://www.electricalcounter.co.uk/custom/upload/images/products/1/270x270/ELS_BY5_BLACK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.electricalcounter.co.uk/custom/upload/images/products/1/270x270/ELS_BY5_BLACK.jpg" /></a></div>
A little ambience and something to read by!<br />
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<a href="http://argos.scene7.com/is/image/Argos/1703186_R_Z001A_UC1613772?$TMB$&wid=312&hei=312" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://argos.scene7.com/is/image/Argos/1703186_R_Z001A_UC1613772?$TMB$&wid=312&hei=312" /></a></div>
I think this would look stunning on the wall opposite the bedhead and pick up nicely on the wallpaper behind the bed and the other black/purple rose theme running throughout my gothic haven.<br />
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<a href="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/231844555?$prod_main$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/231844555?$prod_main$" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Every bedroom has to have a mirror and this one from John Lewis has a nice antique finish that is in character with the rest of my dream room!<br />
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<a href="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/232472371?$prod_main$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/232472371?$prod_main$" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
I think an empty vase always looks inviting - a promise of things to come and this simply lined one from John Lewis is nicely understated.<br />
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<a href="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/232794863?$prod_main$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/232794863?$prod_main$" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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I love a delicate fragrance in the bedroom - I'm not keen on candles because of the likelihood I will fall asleep and forget them - pot pourri attracts dust and gets everywhere so this champagne diffuser in its elegant bottle is just the job to add an unusual scent to the air.<br />
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<a href="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/232372043?$prod_main$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/232372043?$prod_main$" height="320" width="320" /> </a></div>
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I frequently have three or four books on the go at any one time so that I can suit my mood, and I have twice as many again waiting to be read. Rather than pile them up on the bedside cabinet, I would store them in this gorgeous trunk from John Lewis's Curiosity Shop collection</div>
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<a href="http://www-kinkyangel-co-uk.dualstackcdn.com/images/products/info/alchemy-gothic-black-rose-single--rose1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www-kinkyangel-co-uk.dualstackcdn.com/images/products/info/alchemy-gothic-black-rose-single--rose1.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
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I would scatter a few of these on top of the chest to make it slightly more eyecatching. I actually have one of these in a black bud vase on my current tallboy and think it's stunning.</div>
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<a href="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/231894655?$prod_main$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/231894655?$prod_main$" height="200" width="200" /> </a></div>
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By the bed......</div>
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<a href="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis//231256077?$prod_main$" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis//231256077?$prod_main$" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
Practical and somewhat in keeping with my theme.<br />
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<a href="http://www.jeevesandwoofter.com/Jeeves_%26_Woofter/Purple_Palace_files/DSCF1300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.jeevesandwoofter.com/Jeeves_%26_Woofter/Purple_Palace_files/DSCF1300.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Of course, my bedroom has to have a dog bed - and this one is gorgeous as well as matching my colour theme.<br />
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<a href="http://www.absolute-angels.co.uk/ekmps/shops/absoluteangels/images/gothic-skull-ornament-with-roses-606-p%5Bekm%5D300x300%5Bekm%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.absolute-angels.co.uk/ekmps/shops/absoluteangels/images/gothic-skull-ornament-with-roses-606-p%5Bekm%5D300x300%5Bekm%5D.jpg" /></a></div>
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I'm not a fan of clogging up the windowsill with ornaments, but for this I would make an exception!<br />
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<a href="https://161c5ba5bb52df45190b-7bc186fecdeabff5ef2ee0b559a7cf97.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/AGV14-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://161c5ba5bb52df45190b-7bc186fecdeabff5ef2ee0b559a7cf97.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/AGV14-1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
Every bedroom has to have a jewellery box.....<br />
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<a href="http://www.metallica.com/images/FR00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.metallica.com/images/FR00.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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A photo frame - this one features my favourite band but not overtly so. It wouldn't be my room if it didn't have something of Metallica in it......<br />
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<a href="http://www.metallica.com/images/LS02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.metallica.com/images/LS02.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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The finishing touch - a Metallica lightswitch plate. Let's hope it doesn't give me nightmares.......<br />
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Bed from <a href="http://www.chichifurniture.com/product-details/french-style-king-size-button-upholstered-bed-black-/?gclid=CJSMl9XBqcACFazItAodfDUA7g" target="_blank">Chic-Chic</a> (1399.99)<br />
Wallpaper from <a href="http://www.photowall.co.uk/photo-wallpaper/roses-purple-and-grey?gclid=CM30lcjCqcACFSKWtAodgUQAhg" target="_blank">Photowall </a>(£26 metre)<br />
Gloss paint is Dulux Purple Passion from <a href="https://mightyhousewares.com/5010212571422/674382/dulux-made-me-gloss-paint-purple-passion-250ml-0?gclid=COGDtpvDqcACFSEcwwodwj0AZQ" target="_blank">Mighty Houseares </a>(8.57 for 250ml)<br />
Emulsion - Purple Haze from <a href="http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Vinyl-Matt-Emulsion-Paint-Purple-Haze-2-5L/p/103979?CAWELAID=120135120000010696&CAGPSPN=pla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping+-+Decorating+%26+Interiors&tmcampid=104&tmad=c&tmplaceref=&tmcustom=mkwid|YyuhWhl8_dc|pcrid|43364543092|&gclid=CJPy6-bDqcACFSTMtAodBQcAdA" target="_blank">Wickes</a> (15.99)<br />
Woodstain from <a href="http://www.wickes.co.uk/Ronseal-5-Year-Woodstain-Dark-Oak-750ml/p/117996?CAWELAID=120135120000014144&CAGPSPN=pla&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping+-+Decorating+%26+Interiors&tmcampid=104&tmad=c&tmplaceref=&tmcustom=mkwid|YyuhWhl8_dc|pcrid|43364543092|&gclid=CJfPyrPEqcACFRDItAodxz0AHQ" target="_blank">Wickes</a> (13.99)<br />
Curtains from <a href="http://direct.asda.com/george/george-home/asda-plain-black-eyelet-curtains-66-x-90-inches/002001604,default,pd.html?cm_mmc=Shopping%20Engines%20George-_-Google%20Base-_-Curtains%20%26%20Blinds-_-George%20Home%20Plain%20Black%20Eyelet%20Curtains%20-%2066%20x%2090%20Inches&istCompanyId=71f4ae42-94c5-4821-aa58-05eff6da2486&istItemId=xqiritxwm&istBid=tztx" target="_blank">Asda </a>(£22.00)<br />
Finials - <a href="http://www.curtainpolesemporium.co.uk/black-metal-curtain-poles/10174R150.html?gclid=CJS0i4TjrMACFY_MtAodwEAAtA" target="_blank">Curtain Poles Emporium</a> (£29.75)<br />
Furniture from <a href="http://www.galaxystores.co.uk/orient-black-bedroom-furniture-pack.html?gclid=CPSumZThqcACFUXLtAodljkAtA" target="_blank">Galaxy Stores (<span class="price" id="product-price-5157">£1,129.00)</span></a><br />
<span class="price" id="product-price-5157">Skull hook - <a href="http://www.emp-online.co.uk/art_286977/?adword=emp/uk/product/google_pla/desk/default/286977EN5&gclid=CMTRmrHlrMACFcsJwwodwE4AAw" target="_blank">EMP online</a> (£7.99) </span><br />
<span class="price" id="product-price-5157"> Rug from the<a href="http://www.therugretailer.co.uk/plush-purple-rugs.html" target="_blank"> Rug Retailer </a>(prices starting from £85.01)</span><br />
<span class="price" id="product-price-5157">Lamp fitting from the <a href="http://www.electricalcounter.co.uk/products/Lighting/Indoor+Lighting/Elstead+Indoor+Lighting/Ceiling+Lights/Chandeliers/Black/Belfry+Black+Chandelier+5+Light/911313368?gclid=CJ-DmJfkqcACFYrpwgodBD8A0Q" target="_blank">Electrical Counter</a> (£247.99) </span><br />
<span class="price" id="product-price-5157">Purple rose picture from <a href="http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/1703186.htm?CMPID=GS001&_$ja=cgid:11724637265|tsid:41370|cid:147339425|lid:54871655693|nw:g|crid:40131428945|rnd:2295455378782454197|dvc:c|adp:1o1" target="_blank">Argos</a> (£40) </span><br />
<span class="price" id="product-price-5157">Mirror - <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/willis-gambier-camille-wall-mirror/p231844555" target="_blank">John Lewis</a> (£250)</span><br />
<span class="price" id="product-price-5157">Vase <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/house-by-john-lewis-vase-h13cm-black/p717356" target="_blank">John Lewis</a> (£10)</span>
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<span class="price" id="product-price-5157">Champagne diffuser -<a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/waterford-luma-champagne-diffuser-clear/p919358" target="_blank"> John Lewis </a>(£80)</span>
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Vintage Brass Trunk - <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-vintage-brass-trunk-brown-large/p637273" target="_blank">John Lewis</a> (£55)<br />
Black Roses - <a href="http://www.kinkyangel.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4899&zenid=fjabftneo1vu2fjeinb7s9dfm7#.U_pPOKPEHCZ" target="_blank">Kinky Angel</a> (1.99 each) <br />
Waterford diamond goblet glasses - <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/waterford-lismore-diamond-goblet-set-of-2/p231894655" target="_blank">John Lewis </a>(£90)<br />
Alarm clock - <a href="http://www.johnlewis.com/acctim-guardia-radio-controlled-alarm-clock/p407548" target="_blank">John Lewi</a>s (£25)<br />
Dog bed -<a href="http://www.jeevesandwoofter.com/Jeeves_%26_Woofter/Purple_Palace.html" target="_blank"> Jeeves and Woofter</a> (£630)<br />
Gothic skull - <a href="http://www.absolute-angels.co.uk/gothic-skull-ornament-with-roses-606-p.asp?gclid=CIDqz8mAqsACFVNutAod7UAAlA" target="_blank">Absolute Angels</a> (£10.99) <br />
Alchemy jewellery box - <a href="http://www.katesclothing.co.uk/Alchemy-Gothic-Jewellery-Box-p/agv14.htm" target="_blank">Kate's Clothing </a>(£12.99)<br />
Photo frame from <a href="http://www.metallica.com/products/FR00.asp" target="_blank">Metallica.com </a> ($4.25)<br />
Lightswitch plate from<a href="http://www.metallica.com/products/nightmare-switch-plate.asp" target="_blank"> Metallica.com</a> ($6.25)<br />
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<br />
align=”center”><a href="http://www.anglianhome.co.uk/goodtobehome/fun/dream-room-blogger-competition/" onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.anglianhome.co.uk/goodtobehome/fun/dream-room-blogger-competition/');" title="GoodtobeHome"><img alt="Good to be Home Dream Room Competition" src="http://www.anglianhome.co.uk/goodtobehome/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ahi-dream-room-banner.png" /></a>Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-35708359814101226902014-08-18T03:57:00.002-07:002014-08-18T03:57:41.210-07:00Fab competition I found!Enter to win a perfume society discovery box!<br />
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<em>So you love perfume – or you’re simply fascinated by the sense of
smell. Welcome to The Perfume Society: a website featuring everything
you ever wanted to know about fragrance, the art of perfumery and more –
plus a community that you can actually join to enjoy events, ‘discovery
boxes’, our online perfume magazine – and much, much more…</em>
<br />
<em>Get together with other fragrance-lovers. Meet the perfume
world’s most talented creators. Be first to know about – and try – new
launches. We know that once you really start to explore this
extraordinary world, it’s a bit like stepping through the wardrobe into
Narnia. So be prepared to awaken your senses…</em><br />
<br />
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<br />
http://thoushaltnotcovet.net/2014/08/06/perfume-society-discovery-box-review-giveaway/<br />
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*This is not my competition - I am merely blogging about it.Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-6221657279238859892014-07-23T03:38:00.002-07:002014-07-23T03:38:35.637-07:00Another giveaway from Coleus Chimes!http://coleus-chimes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/competition-1000-amazon-uk-voucher.html<br />
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*not my competition - I am just posting about it! <br />
<br />
<br />Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-12989396160646343352014-06-08T03:44:00.000-07:002014-06-08T03:44:25.375-07:00Coleus Chimes is giving away an Amazon voucher!http://coleus-chimes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/competition-1000-amazon-voucher.html<br />
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Why not enter?!<br />
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*not my competition - I am just posting about it!Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-80892348325000963982014-04-26T14:14:00.002-07:002014-04-28T00:57:29.802-07:00The #GreatBritishHome Challenge with Victoria Plumb<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span class="you-are">You are Mr or Mrs</span>
<span class="result-text">ELEGANT</span></i>
<i><span class="your-style-is" style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 36px;">Your style is most like Lady Mary or Lord Gillingham from Downton Abbey.</span></i></blockquote>
<div class="banner-2">
<i>Elegant and classy, you just adore period décor
and style. You love the classics; subtle wallpaper, dark wood and rich
colours. You have a penchant for opulent fabrics and secretly covet a
Steinway piano for your living room. You search antiques fairs until you
get the perfect piece. At home, your tastes are high-class classics;
game pie, roast beef and all the trimmings or a fillet of plaice. </i></div>
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<i><b>Wish list:</b>
The Camberley bathroom range from Victoria Plumb. A stunning high
level toilet and a chunky, square basin embody all the best features of
days gone by</i><br />
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That was my result from a fun little quiz about styles and preferences. I've never actually watched Downton Abbey, although I am, of course, familiar with period dramas and I've often said that if I had lived in a previous life, it would have been as some sort of maid in a Big House, such is the affinity I feel for the period. The centrepiece - the thing that catches everyone's eye when they walk in my living room - is my three storey Victorian-style doll's house. That<i> is</i> furnished in the Downton Abbey style - or at least, partly. It's an ongoing project......but the bathroom suite does, eerily, resemble the quiz-recommended Camberley bathroom suite. <br />
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The #GreatBritishHomw Quiz (which you can take yourself by clicking the magic linky, below) got me thinking about what "home" actually means, not what the singers and cliché writers say it means.<br />
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Primarily, it's where I can relax and be myself - not have to keep up appearances or worry about what others think or want - and the ideal place for relaxing is of course the bathroom. There's nothing like a hot bath for soaking away the stress and cares and this Harding roll-top from <a href="http://www.victoriaplumb.com/Baths/Roll-Top-Baths/Harding-Roll-Top-Bath_1683.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Victoria Plumb</a> is, I think, the bath of my dreams.<br />
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A glass of wine, a candle or two and a good book and this traditional yet modern bathtub would be my own little soothing sanctuary.<br />
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The rest of the #GreatBritishHome, to me, is both a sanctuary and a canvas - somewhere I can be myself and stamp my own style on the place. I like to relax and to throw off the outside airs and graces that society expects from you and being in a room that I furnished myself to my own tastes does just that. Dressing up to sit in a posh restaurant and worry about which knife and fork to use first is all very well, but sometimes there's nothing like curling up in my dressing gown, sinking into my chocolate brown, overstuffed sofa and watching a film with my dinner on my lap. The walls are hung with photos taken by myself and evoke happy memories - little knick knacks and souvenirs are dotted around the room and the first word that spring to mind when I enter it are comfort and familiarity.<br />
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I love cooking - I find it infinitely relaxing and soothing to bake or cook something. My kitchen contains every gadget imaginable - everything from spring loaded egg toppers to colour changing egg timers - much of it infrequently used but it all still adds up to creating what is commonly described as the heart of the home. I don't like the word cluttered - I prefer "equipped" and my kitchen is certainly that!<br />
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I don't cook many fancy foods - traditional British foods are my forté - meat and potato pie, stew and dumplings, Victoria sponges, rock buns and the like and there's nothing like the smell of traditional British baking for adding ambience to a home. You can keep your air fresheners - I think my home smells nicest when filled with the aroma of a delicious, home made cake. It's welcoming and people gravitate to it. Interestingly, the only room in my dolls house that is finished is the kitchen - like mine, it is full to the saucepan-laden rafters with Downton Abbey-esque furnishings and period kitchen paraphernalia. <br />
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My bedroom is probably the closest to fitting the Downton Abbey era of decorating quiz result although it's probably more Addams Family than Gillingham family. It's not to everybody's tastes, I admit. The linen is black, the curtains are black, the lamp is black wrought iron as is the curtain rail and the various candlesticks dotted about the room. The furniture is a dark wood with antique-style wrought iron handles I spent weeks hunting down black vases and black artificial roses to give it the final gothic touch - in fact, the only splash of colour is the huge pile of "waiting to be read" books piled beside the bed. It's relaxing, welcoming, soothing and I couldn't improve it if I tried.<br />
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Reading back, I see that my whole #GreatBritishHome ideal is about comfort and relaxation - and isn't that what the home is all about? "Home" to me means "I'm done! I can sit down, relax and do what I want to do". I don't think I can improve on that. <br />
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<b>“This post is an entry for the #GreatBritishHome Challenge
sponsored by Victoria Plumb, a source of quality bathrooms for every
type of home. Take its <a href="http://bit.ly/Nmd2WJ">“What’s Your Celebrity Home Style?” quiz</a> to discover what your home says about you.”</b> <a href="http://bit.ly/Nmd2WJ">http://bit.ly/Nmd2WJ</a> <br />
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<a href="http://bit.ly/Nmd2WJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Great British Home Quiz</a><br />
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Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-75832414810533713542014-03-30T14:40:00.003-07:002014-04-06T13:17:00.656-07:00"Gnngrrrhhhh" (subtitle): the noise of a MagpieMan in love.I spotted a rather fabulouso competition which offered the munificent chance to win a watch of your choice (within reason, obviously!) simply for waxing lyrical about how much you love the said watch. I normally avoid competitions where you have to explain how deserving you are of the prize as I always tend to get disheartened by the end of the first line - why am I any more deserving than anyone else? I'm not! Sure, I could go for the sympathy vote by referencing a serious illness I had some time ago, but does that make me any more deserving? Not really. There's always somebody worse off and, frankly, not only do I not want to revisit that time in my life - even if it is only mentally and briefly - but I've also seen so many people play that card that I'm sure it must grate on the rolling eyes of whoever judges these things. <br />
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No, this one simply asks that you write about your favourite watch or piece of jewellery - no life history or sob story required - and so I decided to give it a go. I like watches. I remember my first one - it had a red leather strap and Mickey Mouse on the clock face. Mickey's arms pointed to the hour and minute - not that this was much use to me because I was four and couldn't tell the time - but I loved Mickey and I loved my grandad, who had purchased it from Woolworths for my fourth birthday - I felt so grown up, having my own watch - many people say that their first drink or their first kiss was their defining moment of adulthood but not me. For me it was the first "Mickey's big glove is on......."<br />
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It came with many verbal warnings from my Grandad to "keep it dry" and of course I didn't listen. Mickey is long gone - he ticked his last in the sea at Skegness - ever since then, I've had this thing about not getting watches wet - even if they're water resistant!<br />
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So I was having a little nosey around the many examples of timepiece **pornography gathered together by <a href="http://www.thewatchhut.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Watch Hut</a> to tempt and tease even the most reluctant of buyers whilst simultaneously trying to answer the mental question "If I could choose any watch, which one would I choose"?<br />
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"Birthday shopping for me"? chirped the disembodied voice of he who is usually ignored - somewhat to my bemusement as a) my birthday comes before his and b) I was visually caressing a rather sexy little Bulova ladies dress watch with rose gold accents which was (and still is) very pretty and, more importantly, very girly.<br />
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"Let's just have a quick look at the men's watches" came a hopeful voice from behind me, so, with a sigh, I clicked over to the men's section and scrolled through a few pages. "Gnngrrrhhhh" he said - well, it's pretty hard to talk after your jaw has dropped or with your tongue hanging out and he was suddenly afflicted by both.<br />
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So what had rendered him into a speechless, gibbering wreck?<br />
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This:<br />
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You'll have to click <a href="http://www.thewatchhut.co.uk/Casio-Edifice-Chronograph-Stainless-Steel-Bracelet-Watch-EFM+501D+1AVEF.html" target="_blank">right here </a> to see the full glory of this Casio-tastic marvel and trust me - it's worth a click!<br />
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It's the first time I've seen him actually take an interest in a watch - he normally goes for the £2.99-that'll-do-fine-wrist-green-in-a-week-or-your-money-back specials from the market stall near the toilets. He wasn't interested in the quartz movement, the two year guarantee or any of the other little details - he was just, magpie-like - "Shiny. Want". I pointed out that it was water resistant - as you'll recall, that's a big deal for me when it comes to a watch - but this piece of useful information was countered with the breathless and wide-eyed proclamation that it "looked like 007's" and my expounding on the virtues of a Neobrite dial was simply overridden by the monosyllabic "Mine".<br />
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Well, who can resist the blossoming love affair between man and watch? Not me (and believe me, with the Bulova ladies watch still glistening in my brain, I tried) and so, reluctantly, I abandoned all thought of the sexy, girly, rose-gold accentuated wrist candy (Excuse the tear stains, They should dry soon. ) and wrote this blog post with him in mind instead, because, quite frankly, it would be such a blessing to be able to ask him the time in public and not have us both cringe in embarrassment as he displays his watch. I'm proud of him and I want him to be proud of his watch, too. <br />
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**Note: It isn't really pornography. But <a href="http://www.thewatchhut.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Watch Hut</a> <i>will </i>make your eyes pop out and it <i>will </i>make you drool. So it might as well be. <br />
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<br />Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-56001195578577214792013-11-24T02:46:00.001-08:002013-11-24T02:46:22.436-08:00Cream Tees giveawayI found this great site selling all kinds of retro-style t-shirts! You name it - they have it! Back To The Future, zombies, TV tie-ins, Keep Calms - you could be happy for hours just browsing!<br />
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Yesterday I saw on FB that they're running a giveaway for a free tee. You can enter right here: https://www.facebook.com/creamtees/app_228910107186452<br />
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It's a simple Rafflecopter entry with lots of options to win - the only problem you'll have is deciding what tee to choose!I'm eyeing up a zombie one but I also love this one which is of course from Back to the Future:<br />
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<br />Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-63198613550096020392013-09-26T08:52:00.000-07:002013-09-27T01:05:27.295-07:00Win! Heat Holder socks!As a long-time fan of Heat Holders socks, I was delighted when they asked me to run a competition so that you can win some of your very own! They're giving one lucky entrant FIVE pairs of ladies or children's Heat Holder socks for themselves! Free!<br />
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Which would you choose?
http://www.heatholders.com/uk/products/overview.php<br />
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I discovered them last year and was intrigued when I saw that they had a tog rating. "Like a quilt?" I wondered. "Are they really that warm?" So I invested in a pair - pink - in case you were wondering - and looked forward to seeing if they could beat my foot-warming method of socks over tights. I was especially impressed that Heat Holders recognise that women can and do have big feet, so I was able to select a pair designed for my foot size and know that I wouldn't face a tug of war to try and get the heel in roughly the right place.<br />
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Well, they were warm. Wearing them was honestly like having my feet in front of a radiator. They have a thick fleece on the inside that is heaven to frozen toes! I immediately went and bought him two pairs and another pair (purple, this time) for myself. Despite his initial scoffing at my outpourings of love for my socks, he gave them a try and was also impressed by the intense warmth that Heat Holders brings to your toes.
My purple pair are still going strong without any sign of wear or holes (and I've worn them pretty much constantly) but alas, my pink pair met their fate in the jaws of my puppy, otherwise I have no doubt that they too, would still be serving my toes with a generous supply of constant warmth!<br />
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So if you would like to win FIVE pairs of these fabulous socks, just enter using the simple Rafflecopter!<br />
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<i>Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. I have not been paid or received any incentive for writing this review or running this competition.</i><br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/a085390/" id="rc-a085390" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com88tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-34320171271954033212013-09-21T08:05:00.001-07:002013-09-25T03:46:50.537-07:00My Big Night In!How would I create my perfect, fun night in? Well, many of my hobbies are of the solitary variety: reading, cross stitch and other such activities that would, frankly, be ruined by the presence of others.
One thing I do love to do that would lend itself well to a group activity is ghost hunting! So - as my friends are all fellow ghost and horror addicts - I would host a Hallowe'en party - with a twist!
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The house decorations would, of course, fit the theme - I would have light up pumpkins to guide revellers up the path, past the vampire bats glaring malevolently from the plum tree and into the House of Horrors - Once inside the house - decorated with cobwebs, ghouls, bones and gravestones - the guests would be greeted by a zombie maid bearing Hallowe'en Sunset cocktails - a frighteningly delicious concoction of Grenadine, pomegranate juice and vodka, served with black ice cubes and a licorice stick stirrer. Virgin Blood for the drivers - the same concoction but sans vodka. I anticipate smaller guests in the early part of the evening and would serve them a Bubbling Witches Brew - comprised of a ghoulish green limeade, a sprinkle of baking powder to produce the bubbling effect and a green gummy worm hidden in the bottom of each ghastly glass!<br />
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The fun night in would primarily be about seasonal Samhain shenanigans but I would provide a modest Spooky Spread.
Younger guests will find themselves eating Dead Man's Sandwiches - the recipe and preparation both very simple and the effect deliciously horrifying!<br />
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Cream cheese or peanut butter<br />
Almonds<br />
Strawberry Jam<br />
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Remove the crusts from white bread.
Spread with butter and cream cheese or peanut butter.
Roll up the sandwiches and make three marks with the flat edge of a butter knife to represent the finger joints.
Trim the end of each "finger" into a V shape and, using a little cream cheese as glue, press an almond onto one end of each to represent fingernails.
Smear a little strawberry jam on the other end to resemble blood! Ewww!<br />
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Ghostly Meringues are ridiculously simple to make and loved by all:
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Older guests would be offered a slightly more sophisticated but equally ghoulish repast.
I have a large, square platter which I would transform into a Ouija board, using cheese and blood-red beetroot vol-au-vents, skull and bat shaped cheese straws, and other such "delights" to spell out the letters.
Myself and my friends are all great fans of pizza, so the main dish would be various pizzas with appropriately spooky designs formed from pepperoni, ham and other toppings.
Dessert for all would be Gruesome Jelly. Again, very simple to make but very effective. Individual jelly bowls filled with lime jelly with a gummy worm in the bottom.. Just as the jelly reaches setting point, add a teaspoon of freshly made hot red jelly and gently swirl the dish to create a red misty effect through the centre, before chilling immediately.<br />
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But the main point of the party is to have fun and to be scared, and the traditions and customs of Samhain fit both bills.
I would have a quick round of Pass the Possessed Parcel - to suitably scary music and containing such delights as foaming blood sweets, wind up false teeth and other such devilish delights, before inviting all to take part in a traditional Bobbing for Apples - blindfolded!<br />
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Perhaps a game of Beastly Bingo with a new release horror film as the prize - trust me - you do NOT want to<i> keep your eyes down</i> for this one! Do YOU really want to shout "Haunted House"!?<br />
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As the night wore on, the younger guests would go up to the spare room for the rest of the evening. A Spooky Sleepover is awaiting them and a Horror Magician/storyteller is on hand to ensure that they.....do <i>not</i> sleep well. Muhahahahahaha!<br />
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Downstairs - with the impressionable guests safely out of the way, the Main Event is about to begin and it's <i>not</i> for the fainthearted.<br />
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The lights dim and the guests fall silent as the zombie maid announces that we have special guests joining us, attracted by the Jack-o-Lanterns, the bats and the overall general spooky atmosphere emanating from My Big Night In!<br />
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I have hired a fortune teller and another mystery guest to entertain us - most of my friends are firm believers in horoscopes, fortune tellers, fortune cookies and so on so this would be the ultimate fun for all of us! A couple of the gang won't even go out if their fortune cookies have forbidden it, so this will be the ultimate fun activity for my circle - especially after a few more devilish brews! As for the doubters, even the sceptical enjoy having their fortunes told, if only to give them something to laugh about later! Seeing as it's Hallowe'en, I will ensure that the fortune teller adds a little touch of extra spooky fun by using traditional runes - made from pieces of bone - to divine what awaits us all! <br />
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I wonder if she will divine the fact that the second guest is a medium - ready to pick up (or maybe not!) on any spirits around us? Will we be enthralled by demonic possessions as in the horror films we all love so much? Will we hear mysterious footsteps and screams emanating from the remote regions of my House of Horror? Maybe - but it could be coming from the smaller guests upstairs as the Horror Magician saws one of them in half....<br />
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Or will it be more reminiscent of the ridiculous antics of "horror" as depicted in the Scary Movie series that had us all groaning in a mutual facepalm moment at the sheer stupidity?<br />
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Will we learn exactly what makes that noise just after we get in bed every night? Will - will we perhaps have an actual, genuine <i>sighting</i>?
I will have my EMF meter ready to monitor the atmosphere and will encourage
people to film the proceedings - will we capture any footage? Will Yvette Fielding and the Most Haunted team be in danger of losing their jobs to my intrepid Ghost Hunting Guests?<br />
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Who knows - but one thing is for sure - it will certainly be fun!<br />
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This is my entry for the Big Night In blogpost competition for http://www.twolittlefleas.co.uk/hub/<br />
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<a href="http://www.twolittlefleas.co.uk/hub/" target="_blank">Two Little Fleas</a><br />
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Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-91673695007031060142012-09-23T02:52:00.004-07:002012-09-23T02:55:02.923-07:00Stress? What is stress?My life over the past month......two weeks of harrowing jury service which I have always wanted to do and then, when it came to it, I despised every minute. I was seriously confused at one point who the actual criminal was! I was actually told off for being late one morning! The judge presiding over the trial I was on had told us the night before to be back in court for 11AM to continue deliberations.The general rule, unless told otherwise by a judge, is that you have to be there for 10.15AM. So at 10.12, I stood outside the court, having a last cigarette (because once you're in, there ain't no getting out) when a security guard came out and told me I had to be in the jury room NOW.<br />
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The snotty juror officer (who is allegedly there to <i>help </i>jurors) ripped into me as though I had committed a heinous crime! My pointing out that by her own clock I was still not late did not help matters and eventually I walked off to my locker, leaving her still ranting.<br />
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So what was this dire emergency that meant I had to be in the jury room earlier than I was told? I'm still not sure and seeing as myself and my fellow jurors were still waiting to be called at 11.30, I don't suppose it was all that dire.<br />
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I did have a legitimate excuse - I had been awoken at silly o'clock by a poorly Misty who had a tummy upset and needed cuddles but I saw no reason to make excuses for NOT being late. Fortunately Misty is now over her tummy upset, jury service is finished, I didn't get found in contempt of court for the crime of not being late but the stress at the end of that episode was overwhelming. I tried hot baths, good books, lavender oil on the pillow, but nothing helped. I wish I had had this stress pack from <a href="http://blog.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/post/win-a-pamper-hamper-from-feel-karma/?awc=998_1348393872_f28433d380d939097c4c9ae54f1b614b">Find Me A Gift</a> but never mind, I got through it and so I'm entering the competition to win it for the next stressful encounter I have.<br />
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Link to competition: http://blog.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/post/win-a-pamper-hamper-from-feel-karma/?awc=998_1348394091_00f1a63650fdb1590639c5e4a9c164a4Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-9002796234472765822012-08-06T07:35:00.000-07:002013-09-22T03:02:29.209-07:00Misty is supporting TEAM GB<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Despite being Tibetan, Misty has decided to get behind Team GB - unfortunately she has the flag the wrong way round, but I'm sure we can forgive her! She is only a puppy!<br />
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Please excuse the random junk in the background, but when you see an opportunity for a cute photo, you just have to go for it!Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-7813762188991074452012-04-10T15:14:00.000-07:002013-09-22T03:02:29.207-07:00Misty wins a prize!I follow <a href="http://www.munajuree.co.uk/">Munajuree</a> pet shop on Twitter. A couple of weeks ago, I saw they were running a photo competition for cats and dogs. Well, I couldn't resist entering the yawny puppy photo. Yesterday, I received a "tweet" telling me that Misty had won! She has received £25 to spend on treats for herself! So proud of my yawny little curly girly!Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-25258643161117900582012-04-01T15:45:00.000-07:002013-09-22T03:02:29.205-07:00My curly girly develops her own sense of style.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfT7WJa6x03-YvgYi_ElGKrkWEHhknuUR5OMzyOVSARybG1eN7XcF2Hui3EUVj9hswzHZfN3S75l_JJ4LxlQ4oF9VxjrLlVLA7qxzY5GT3-Fcq0toUkTVUZ7b7OfhEjx-BeTMQPNx_lDI/s1600/anipics+029a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfT7WJa6x03-YvgYi_ElGKrkWEHhknuUR5OMzyOVSARybG1eN7XcF2Hui3EUVj9hswzHZfN3S75l_JJ4LxlQ4oF9VxjrLlVLA7qxzY5GT3-Fcq0toUkTVUZ7b7OfhEjx-BeTMQPNx_lDI/s320/anipics+029a.jpg" width="232" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Her first "formal" portrait, aged six weeks old.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOkPfECrqaNMvwGnM1obrP8m_R74pncXXUuLN97qg5oBForvi1FFJcEBjHP6zHPxnQ2qcOzWjXh_KIf5fWhe5IVW_aYy1dbAoXlTO0fQlR6tMiKv3LsJu4pzJAbnrJpQnsQm1BMKARP4/s1600/01032012212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOkPfECrqaNMvwGnM1obrP8m_R74pncXXUuLN97qg5oBForvi1FFJcEBjHP6zHPxnQ2qcOzWjXh_KIf5fWhe5IVW_aYy1dbAoXlTO0fQlR6tMiKv3LsJu4pzJAbnrJpQnsQm1BMKARP4/s320/01032012212.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">At seven weeks old, she developed her own fashion sense and took offence to my socks.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTKZSiQGDQpGOQwFFkjWj_FxOADap8WyMVaFWeoejFdT_RK5yIFpkBOeZaSlqHOvFiDlT9Lhv2qBRS6_-l6yCmkz2lks4Lo0rdOpXQ1jrJbyguYPxXcGd5U_6LIhF6NWFb-WGQCnFKb0/s1600/01032012214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTKZSiQGDQpGOQwFFkjWj_FxOADap8WyMVaFWeoejFdT_RK5yIFpkBOeZaSlqHOvFiDlT9Lhv2qBRS6_-l6yCmkz2lks4Lo0rdOpXQ1jrJbyguYPxXcGd5U_6LIhF6NWFb-WGQCnFKb0/s320/01032012214.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"They've gotta go!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kkqSaiLYr-dDHpAwdu1TQ-3WF1P7mOZNo1hIMx-GVCDiiWqpAtR4V_e0_mJnj3r_02UsbPCtUJWUJhuwE_qKFXY0-CebpXA3UwW0mqRbrNOT96EDZJnmc0rhkkIpkpYCu2eU3hemGsg/s1600/01032012255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kkqSaiLYr-dDHpAwdu1TQ-3WF1P7mOZNo1hIMx-GVCDiiWqpAtR4V_e0_mJnj3r_02UsbPCtUJWUJhuwE_qKFXY0-CebpXA3UwW0mqRbrNOT96EDZJnmc0rhkkIpkpYCu2eU3hemGsg/s320/01032012255.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"Victory!"</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ5-BCIVRt_W4v4D-dpjfz2MMbyh2J47dizBNhCuo2LkJD_fRsikanTyII3vlMOw5TvRkWHWXk9M8BHkb6wZcQCkHJa79K1n1N9EwGm6ZZRI-nGnRxM8vWBx-2JpNaDVET98T5ivDmws/s1600/01032012196.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJ5-BCIVRt_W4v4D-dpjfz2MMbyh2J47dizBNhCuo2LkJD_fRsikanTyII3vlMOw5TvRkWHWXk9M8BHkb6wZcQCkHJa79K1n1N9EwGm6ZZRI-nGnRxM8vWBx-2JpNaDVET98T5ivDmws/s320/01032012196.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"Hey, Misty, what do you think to my dress sense?" I asked.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">"Hahahahahahahaha!"</div>Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7738092279367919179.post-39087448856522175972012-03-29T09:46:00.001-07:002012-11-05T01:15:09.903-08:00Date and Walnut loaf<br />
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This is my Date and Walnut loaf recipe. I found it fun to make, tasty and fairly easy but the best part was the SMELL when cooking. It FILLED the house! It's an old-fashioned, traditional British loaf that goes very, very well with a cup of tea!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-Pq6VzAjJveh6Dq-enJnbFFJJp7UwFJn3QM3LswHBTl-_a4rfm6fdziUKw2riwRw2PzP4N0hGMTXy71G6LAD-wnpZis_DnNOGjg15b9bzmIa1bObpYlXqXU0C6OxAvwAqwlEaprrdIk/s1600/18092011108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-Pq6VzAjJveh6Dq-enJnbFFJJp7UwFJn3QM3LswHBTl-_a4rfm6fdziUKw2riwRw2PzP4N0hGMTXy71G6LAD-wnpZis_DnNOGjg15b9bzmIa1bObpYlXqXU0C6OxAvwAqwlEaprrdIk/s320/18092011108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NxvH4fSEJLVxjbUJ9pSzT2oRBK3DOowflY6H7G21g2JU3QD2Na2EN2OgJaB0dVHCZQ8NxRoXmcontBX0r_tQsRt2flDnfD1PHY8v2S3vbt-Y447A5zu4xTOlYkvFaGx9Vem5AqV_Fsw/s1600/18092011107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5NxvH4fSEJLVxjbUJ9pSzT2oRBK3DOowflY6H7G21g2JU3QD2Na2EN2OgJaB0dVHCZQ8NxRoXmcontBX0r_tQsRt2flDnfD1PHY8v2S3vbt-Y447A5zu4xTOlYkvFaGx9Vem5AqV_Fsw/s320/18092011107.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
There's the finished article - it didn't last long so I'm glad I took a couple of pictures for posterity!<br />
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<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
240g ) Medjool dates (pitted and halved)<br />
310ml water<br />
100g dark brown sugar<br />
80g butter (chopped up)<br />
300g self-raising flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice<br />
2 eggs <br />
100g roughly chopped walnut pieces<br />
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<b>Method </b><br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 170c<br />
<br />
Take a medium sized sacuepan and add the:<br />
Dates<br />
Water<br />
Butter<br />
Sugar<br />
<br />
Put over a low heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved.<br />
<br />
Bring to the boil.<br />
<br />
Turn the heat down and simmer the mixture for a couple of minutes.<br />
<br />
Pour the mixture into a heatproof bowl and allow to cool for 15 minutes or so.<br />
<br />
Whilst you're waiting for the mixture to cool, brush a loaf tin (mine is a 10cm by 20cm tin) with a little melted butter.<br />
<br />
Sieve the flour and spices into a separate bowl.<br />
<br />
Lightly whisk the eggs.<br />
<br />
Add the eggs to the (cooled) date mixture.<br />
<br />
Give it a good stir.<br />
<br />
Pour the date mixture into the flour/spice mix.<br />
<br />
Use a wooden spoon to ensure it's thoroughly mixed.<br />
<br />
Finally, add the walnuts and stir gently but thoroughly. If you are too vigorous, the walnuts will crumble to nothing.<br />
<br />
Spoon the mixture into the greased loaf tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about an hour. I began testing mine with a skewer after about 50 minutes of baking. When the skewer comes out clean and the cake feels firm, it's ready to take out.<br />
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Turn the cake onto a wire rack and try to resist it for at least twenty minutes.Beverleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248673694430665795noreply@blogger.com3