Smooth you - snooze me

Time out has a number of vouchers for reduced massages and beauty treatments on offer - and there seem to be more in the run up to Christmas. Well, it is the perfect time to pamper yourself or buy gift vouchers for loved ones.

Today, I went to Smooth You for an Upper Body Bliss Package: back massage + facial + head massage. With the voucher this one hour treatment only cost £35 instead of £115. The salon is conveniently only a 15 minutes walk from the office. It's a hair salon upstairs with three beauty treatment rooms downstairs. Despite having worked near Angel for nearly five years now, I don't venture up north (of the tube station) very often. The salon is located on Essex Road and there are loads of nice pubs, restaurants and shops up there.

I was greeted by a very friendly receptionist. Unfortunately, I woke up with badly swollen eyes this morning. I've had this last winter, when the skin around my eyes gets really dry and swollen. Agi, the beautician, therefore recommended not to do the facial today as it might further irritate the skin. So, instead I had a longer back and head massage. And it was heavenly! I am pretty sure that at some point, I feel asleep.

The salon is very nicely decorated and clean and it looks all very professional. I always feel a bit self-conscious when using one of these vouchers, knowing that they usually charge much more for their treatment. But I didn't feel as if they treated me any differently. And I even got a goody bag (with a lip balm, a cream sample, mints and vouchers for some of the surrounding places) at the end! (and we all know by now just how much I love a goody bag!!!) 

Their normal prices are a bit steep for my liking, but overall, I would definitely recommend the place. The only comment I would make, is that the treatment wasn't quite an hour long. It was 55 minutes and I therefore always feel, I can't complain. But on the other hand, especially when paying more than a £ per minute, I think they should really fill the full 60 minutes. But today that was really just a minor complaint.

HIMYM

 

I love American sitcoms. When friends came to an end, I had to fill the hole! About 4 years ago I discovered How I met Your Mother. In case you've never seen it (unlikely, I know), this sitcom evolves around Ted Mosby who tells his two kids the story on how he met their mother. Season 8 has just started and they are still none the wiser on how he did meet her! Ted is best friends with Marshall and Lilly - first his girlfriend, then his wife. Barney is a womanizing banker and Ted's 'bro'. And Robin is the 5th person in the group of friends - she's dated both Ted and Barney.

E4 is showing episodes all the time, but I somehow don't seem to manage to watch them in order. I had ordered the boxset of seasons 1-5 years ago, and just got season 6 from amazon. And am hoping to successfully bid for season 7 on ebay (yes, once the ebay bug bites, it doesn't let go easily...). They make me laugh and cry and I just want to be friends with them!

Perfect entertainment for a lazy weekend!

Christmassy chocolates

The chocolates that were part of the ACC Liverpool goody bag are so amazing that I wanted to share them with you. Made by The Chocolate Cellar:

Top row:
Santa's Pies: Fondant and mincemeat in milk chocolate cup;
Marzipan: A rich almond paste rolled and hand-dipped in delicious dark chocolate

Middle row:
Hot Toddy: A dark chocolate shell filled with a luxurious whiskey and lemon ganache
The Heartwarmer: Plain chocolate ganache with mulled wine spices and a hint of orange dipped in plain chocolate

Bottom row:
Gilded Gingerbread: Home-made gingerbread combined with fresh cream and rich milk chocolate in a gold-dusted milk chocolate shell
Christmas Pudding: A combination of chocolate cake and milk chocolate ganache, topped with white chocolate and decorated with a festive cranberry

Great Expectations

Well, to be honest I didn't have great expectations after having read some reviews about the latest adaptation of Dickens' novel Great Expectations. The film gets released in the UK this Friday, but I had won two tickets to a pre-screening tonight at the Courthouse Doubletree by Hilton Hotel courtesy to Emerald Street.

To be honest, I had expected a bit of a reception or something. Instead, we were led straight into the cinema (yes, amazingly the hotel has it's own cinema!) and when the film was over, that was it.

I'm a little embarrassed that I knew nothing about the story. So, while I wasn't overwhelmed by the film, I am glad that I now know what the story is about! Some amazing actors play in the film - like Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes and Robbie Coltrane - but the film somehow just seemed to be a bit slow. Maybe it was just the original story with its various twists and violence, that I didn't like.

All in all, I still enjoyed it - not least as I love winning competitions (which doesn't happen very often) and secondly, it was nice to be in a cinema again as I hardly ever make the time to go!

Desk tree

I can't remember the last time my parents had a Christmas tree. It's certainly been a while.
Apart from my early childhood Christmases, I've never really been a big fan of Christmas. And I've never missed not having a tree.

On one of my recent shopping trips, I discovered this wooden tree at Paperchase. And for just £12, I had to get it! It comes with little Christmas tree decorations and bells and a star to top it all of.

And if you don't know Paperchase yet - do check it out for pretty and quirky stationary, including a huge selection on greeting cards and calendars as well as (Christmas) decorations.

007

I've used some of my Nectar points for a subscription to glamour magazine. The December issue came with a dark navy blue Nails Inc nail polish. And on Thursday, the OPI The Man with the Golden Gun top coat which I got over ebay arrived (super fast delivery, by the way!).

And I think they look lovely together!

Bella and Edward

I haven't read the Twilight books, I haven't watched the Twilight films and I am not a Robert Pattinson fan. But I do like this song:

Ricky's blog

I've said it before and I'll say it again:
I love Ricky and I would also love to have a monkey (butler).
Check out his blog.

And I am eagerly awaiting the Derek episodes!

A Tale of Two Cities

The Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool hosted their annual London showcase at the Ironmongers' Hall yesterday. The evening was under the motto 'A Tale of Two Cities'. After drinks and canapes, Charles Dickens gave a penny reading. To be honest I had never heard of penny readings before. Apparently, it's a tradition made famous by Dickens where he travelled across the North West and offered the general public access to readings for just a penny.

I think I mentioned this before - when it comes to listening, my attention span equals that of a toddler... I just can't listen to anyone for very long. So, I have no idea what he read about - readings are really not my thing!

The reps from the ACC then gave a presentation about the past, present and future of the ACC. The ACC is located on the Liverpool waterfront. It combines the BT Convention Centre (the main auditorium holds 1,350 seats) and the Echo Arena with an 11,000 capacity. Since opening in 2008, they have hosted a number of very impressive events, including the X-factor boot camp and the MTV Europe Music Awards. Even though, the ACC was only completed in 2008, they are already planning the next extension which will be started next year and should be completed in 2015.

And the evening ended with more (bowl) food and a fabulous goody bag:

A bottle of red, a candle, a candle snuffer, a copy of Dickens' A Tale of Two
Cities, a cafetiere, espresso beans and a box of chocolates

Finger lickin'ly-weird

On the tube this morning: a woman licks her hand and fingers. It seemed that she was trying to get rid of some stains, which might have well been leftovers of food. But it was still rather weird to watch. One might rub one's hands or use a tissue, but I don't think I've ever seen anyone lick themselves in such a way... (not that I have seen anyone licking themselves in any other way either...). She was also licking and then rubbing her hand on her laptop-bag. So, if it was food, why would you want that all over your bag?

Very mysterious...

Malaga

I just went through some photos I took on my mobile phone. Here are some impressions from Malaga:

A selection of balconies

How do you build a building inside its outsides?

Interesting views - into your neighbour's bedroom, I assume

Yes, this was as greasy as it looks...

3-2-1 - MINE!

I only occasionally buy stuff over ebay.
I discovered the new James Bond Skyfall OPI nail polish collection and absolutely fell in love with the OPI Man with the Golden Gun top coat - an 18k gold top coat. But the price tag of £29.90 was a little off-putting... So, I went on ebay and started watching a few items.

I had totally forgotten how exciting it can get! Counting down the minutes. Then the seconds. Waiting until the very, very last moment to put a bid in. Only to be outbid...

Ah well, at least I stuck with my pre-set price. It's all too easy to get carried away and to increase your bids when other bidders are outbidding you.

And with a little bit of tenacity, I eventually won one of the auctions! :-)

(And some people should do their homework before bidding - why would you bid more than what you have to pay for the same item in a shop???)

I can't draw for toffee*

Therefore, I wouldn't even attempt freestyle art on my nails. I bought some nail water decals months ago from the Nail Delights website. Worried that it would be really difficult to get them onto my nails, they'd been in the drawer unused until today.

I had worried needlessly! It's incredibly easy: simply cut out the individual designs, place them in a bowl with water for 10-20 seconds. When ready, you'll be able to just slide it off the paper and place it onto your nail. Fix it with a clear top coat. If you leave it in the water for longer - it doesn't make a difference.

I think it's a really easy way to glam up your nails. I'll definitely be doing this more often now and already have my eyes on a number of cute water decals on ebay - including some Bansky designs!


* What an excellent expression! I couldn't find where it comes from though. Does anyone know?

Countdown to Christmas

The next four weeks will be the busiest of the year for me (have I been moaning about this sufficiently yet?). Given that I will have limited time to get into the pre-Christmas spirit, I thought it was only just to treat myself a little.

I came across the Lancome Beauty Advent Calendar - filled with 24 Lancome mini products, including perfumes, cremes and mascara. The calendar was launched on 1 October - and is already sold out! Well, you can still get it on ebay - selling at up to 3 times as much as the RRP (which was £70)!!! I might put a reminder in my diary to check this out next year.

I quickly found an alternative: the YOU Beauty Advent Calendar - a collaboration between YOU magazine and Latest in Beauty. It's on offer at £59.95 and is apparently worth more than £210. I've just ordered mine and will be blogging my sweet surprises from 1.-24. December!

BB - Beautiful Belfast

The pre-Christmas season is clearly a popular time for event invitations. After a dinner reception at Claridge's hosted by the Korean Tourism Organization, on Thursday night, the Belfast Convention Bureau recreated 'Little Belfast' at The Brewery, near Barbican. I like these showcase events. It offers the opportunity for face to face meetings with a number of venues and hotels. And making that first connection, makes it much easier and 'friendly' to develop a business relation in the future.

I've never been to Belfast - but that evening really makes me want to go! Everyone was really friendly and warm and welcoming. And while I totally appreciate that most sales people can put on the smile in an instant, I did sense a difference.

In addition to having informative chats with a number of venues, there was of course drinks, including a Guinness based cocktail (surprisingly yummy!), canapes, cooking demonstrations (food tasted delicious!) and entertainment from a gospel choir. I also got a photo of myself standing on the stairs of the Titanic and a caricature of myself. As it looks nothing like me, I am happy to share that with you :-) [I was very pleased, as I've always been too embarrassed and stingy to get one done!]

And the obligatory goodies: Xmas bauble, lots of sweets, Irish Whiskey, a scented candle by a company called Bog Standard - not really a name, I'd pick... but it is original! And afternoon tea - cakes from the Merchant Hotel. The chocolate cake was seriously one of the best I've ever eaten!!!

waiting for Leo...

Claridge's - Gangnam Style

Korea Tourism had invited to a dinner at the Ballroom at Claridge's. Having never been to Claridge's, I of course could not turn that invite down! The evening started off with a reception with delicious canapes, champagne and Baekseju - a kind of rice wine. Legend has it that the herbs used in Baekseju will make you live 100 years!

Several representatives from Korea hospitality also had stands set up and were happy to provide information about holding meetings in Korea.

We were then led into the Ballroom which was beautifully set up. Before food was served, we were treated to a version of Gangnam Style - performed by robots! It was absolutely brilliant:

Robots dancing on the table - safely guarded by the lovely lady in the Korean dress

Delicious food and wonderful service - just as you would expect at Claridge's

After dinner, a dance troupe from Sachoom - a Korean dance musical - provided more entertainment. There was dancing and audience animation and break dance moves and school-girl sexy moves. The latter made me feel just a little uncomfortable... But overall it was a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to win one of the prizes (the main one being  a 5 day trip to Korea, courtesy to BA and Hyatt hotels), but we were send on our way home with a goody bag.

The bookmark is stunning!

And there was also a multi-purpose charger included - Korean technology!

A lovely evening. Great hospitality, fantastic food - maybe a few too many speeches...

zigzag

Inspired by the Polishaholic blog, I've tried a quilting design:

Nowhere near as nice as the one on the blog...
I used striping tape to create the quilting and used Nails Inc Motcomb Street (dark blue) over Nails Inc Hampstead Heath (red-ish).

My legs are too short

... for my chair.
Today our work space was being assessed with view to improving the way we work at our desks.

I have a horrible posture, especially when sitting in front of the computer. Considering that I spend a good eight hours a day in front of the PC, I really should make much more of an effort to change this. I suffer from lower back ache as it is, and can get quite tense shoulders and neck ache, too.

First off, we removed the arm rests from my chair. This enabled me to increase the height of the chair while still being able to sit close enough to the desk. Sitting higher, I now need a footrest though. She also suggested moving the angle of my screen and moving my phone to my left side, so I can more easily hold the receiver with my left hand, while taking notes. For my relatively regular lengthy telecalls, she also advised me to get a handfree-headset.

And last but not least, she noted that the seat was too long (= my legs are too short) which contributes to me usually sitting right on the edge of the seat. So, with a new shorter seat, I should be able to lean against the back rest which should help with sitting more comfortably.

It's going to be interesting to see whether I will be able to stick to the new sitting regime and how long until I notice any positive changes. In any case, there will always be a good reason to get a back massage anyway!

World Press Photo Exhibition at the Southbank Centre

The World Press Photo is the premier annual international competition in press photography and is in its 55th year. This free exhibition can be seen at the Southbank Centre until 27 November.

Photos include pictures taken during the fighting in Egypt and Libya, as well as photos of the aftermath of the horrific earthquake in Japan.

While the photos are of outstanding quality, the subject matter of most also make them rather disturbing and depressing. They act as a reminder of all that is going on around the globe.

I felt rather guilty and embarrassed on how quickly I had  blocked most of these events out of my mind. And also incredibly lucky and grateful not having had to experience any such hardship.

Inspiration from the shop floor

I discovered Anthropologie in New Orleans. A bit pricey for my purse, but they have wonderful, pretty things. I will definitely be visiting the store in London on Regent's Street. I loved the whole store set up and decor. And even found a dress in the sale: reduced from $148 to just $9.95!!! What a bargain! Unfortunately, now after the first wash, it already has a little hole. But I hope I can fix that easily.

I also discovered the following on a wooden box:

What would you attempt, if you knew you couldn't fail?

Isn't that a fascinating question? How often do we not do things because of fear of failure. Way too often in my case, that's for sure. And also: what is so bad about failing? What is really the worst that could happen? 

I think it would often pay off to be more daring.

Three day weekend

For the last two years, I've been carrying over loads of my leave days to the new leave year. So many, that I could have a three day weekend for the next 10 months. I had one of them this weekend - and it's great! I could really get used to it. Even though there are of course many advantages to taking two weeks at once off instead...

During this weekend, I've also decided to learn to say 'no' more often. The past week has shown, that no matter how much I work, how late I check and reply to my emails - it will still not be enough. There's just no pleasing some people. So, I might as well switch off completely once I've left the office.

Let's see how it goes and how long until I reach for my blackberry again...

Shopping spree

It was time for some retail therapy and here's what I got (photos crappy as per usual...):

H&M, £24.99

H&M, £19.99

H&M, £14.99 - denim shirts are back! I wish I had kept mine from the 90s...

H&M, £24.99 - with sparkly Peter Pan collar

Oasis - thanks to a £10 gift card from Look magazine: £8;
looks much nicer worn than on the hanger, too

Cute socks (3 for £8) and Moomin panties (£4)  from Topshop

Read some good reviews on Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast mascara, £10.00

my first essies

I had planned on buying loads of OPI nail polishes in America. And then couldn't find them anywhere. So, I decided to try my first essie nail polishes instead.

skirting the issue; plumberry; fiesta; check-up

skirting the issue: 
a vampy dark red; I needed three coats to get good coverage though

plumberry: 
is a rasberry colour - red with a bit of pink in it.

fiesta: 
very pink; darker than in the picture and very similar to my OPI That's berry daring

check-up: 
part of the Cancer Awareness special edition

Overall, I think I still prefer the OPI polishes, with the bigger brush. I find the essie polishes rather thick and with the smaller brush, it take more strokes to cover the whole nail. I also don't seem to be able to control it as well, and managed to paint part of my cuticles, too, which doesn't usually happen with OPI. While the OPI polishes usually last several days without chipping at all, I had the first few small chips on the essie ones on the second day already. But I loved all the colours and they did have a nice finish.

Weekday banquet

After the culinary delights on Monday, it was time to step up the game. I had arranged a tasting at Church House Conference House yesterday to help with picking the menu for our upcoming dinner. I got to taste three starters, three mains and three desserts in the lovely company of Emily - the events coordinator - and Richard from the catering team as well as a guest appearance of Norman, the wonderful chef.

The food was delicious! And beautifully presented (I had already eaten half of the turkey dish, when I took the photo - in case you are wondering about the half empty plate). I would definitely recommend the venue - the food is great, the service lovely and situated right next to Westminster Abbey, it's also very central.

And this feast was just what I needed after a busy morning and a generally crazy week...

Main entry to Church House Conference Centre

View from Dean's Yard on Westminster Abbey

Monday lunch at the Plaisterers' Hall

I wish every week would start like this!
On Monday I was invited to an autumn lunch at the Plaisterers' Hall, just a 15 minute walk (in the freezing cold) from the office. The Hall "is the largest and one of the finest Livery Halls in London. Opened in 1972 and situated in the heart of the City of London, it reflects the grandeur of a bygone era but in an ultra modern setting.
The Company's first Hall was bequeathed to the Company by William Elder, Citizen and Plaisterer in 1556. It was situated at the corner of Addle Street and Philip Lane and destroyed in the Great Fire of London in 1666. The second Hall was built in 1669 from the design of Sir Christopher Wren, but this was also destroyed by fire in 1882.

The present Hall, opened in November 1972 has décor throughout of the neo-classical style created by Robert Adam in the 18th century. His various designs have been faithfully reproduced in great detail both on plaster and wood, some being taken from his original moulds" (http://www.plaisterershall.com/history.php)

The lunch started off with canapes and drinks in the rooms just outside the hall. The theme to the catering seemed to be mixing sweet and savoury in all the dishes. Canapes included smoked salmon with wasabi panna cotta!

Main: Sirloin of British Beef with chard and cashel blue bread and butter pudding, spinach, glazed beetroot and roasted garlic cream

Dessert: Bonfire Sundae with baked apple ice cream, beetroot chocolate brownie (which fortunately did not taste of beetroot - I don't like beetroot!), pumpkin marshmallow, caramelized nuts, cinder toffee sauce and fondant flames

And after lunch, we were treated to a pick 'n mix station with petit four, macaroons, Turkish delight, brownies and other sweet things. Too bad that the bags were tiny! To round it all off, we got a goody bag with sparklers and sweets.

Unfortunately, the photos didn't come out that well. The venue is really beautiful - amazing that this was only built in the 70s! The hall also has a balcony area, which I guess could be used for entertainment purposes. It's a really stunning venue and I am not surprised it's very popular for weddings.

Part of the reception area

Decor in the foyer outside the hall

Natural daylight thanks to floor to ceiling windows

Fabulous candleholders and flowers as centre pieces and stunning chandeliers

T-Shirt delivery

My order from Threadless arrived!

Grown-up version of Bambi!

I quite like the idea of a cherry blossom tattoo...

Only three years

It has only taken me three years to discover that my washing machine has an in-built dryer.
Just think of all the electricity I saved by not using it!

Duckies!!!!!!!!!!

The other day we went to feed the ducks at the local pond in Faversham. And what can I say: the ducks seem to lead a very comfortable life. So much so that they weren't interested in our bread!
Crestfallen we left with our dry bread.

Which came into good use when on our way down from Blackpool, when searching for pub for lunch, we came past a lake with loads of ducks and geese. And they were all very hungry! And greedy. It got a little bit frightening, when one of the geese started pecking at us... When we run out of bread, we made a swift exit!

They are all coming for our delicious bread

Such pristine white-ness ... and great determination in their eyes!

And there they go again

Signposting

Do we have these signs in Germany, too?
It makes me smile every time: The NORTH and The SOUTH

It's moustache-month!

Aka Movember. Join in the fun and grow a moustache - if you can!

Movember is a worldwide initiative trying to raise awareness and funding for men's health issues, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer. I managed to talk mc into growing a moustache this year. So far the fundraising isn't going particularly well, but hopefully this will pick up. We also got support from some of my lovely colleagues at work. Let the facial hair begin to grow!

Please do visit the website and make a donation - every little helps.

And to demonstrate my commitment, I went shopping :-)

Seaside delights

Blackpool seaside

Donkey rides for the kids on the beach - and lovely clouds

The famous Blackpool Tower - inspired by the Parisian Eiffel Tower

Footprints in the sand

The match of the seasiders

Tangerines vs Seagulls on 27 October 2012 and my first trip to Blackpool. I spent most of the time sleeping in the car, while mc was having to put with stupid drivers blocking the outside lane. Despite the fact that half-term had just started, and being stuck in slow-moving traffic - all caused by horrible rubbernecking - we actually made it to the stadium in time for the game.

Temperatures had dropped considerably last Friday, so we were both wearing our ski jackets. Luckily, the sun was shining on our stand. Well, I say luckily and it was great not to be freezing cold, but it also meant that we couldn't see very well, as we were blinded by the sunshine...

The atmosphere in the away stand was brilliant! With a capacity of less than 18,000, Bloomfield Road looked much smaller than the Amex. It also had the great advantage of being much closer to the action. From our season ticket seats, I can usually just about read the players' numbers on their shirts, but hardly know any of their faces! It was really cool, to see them so close up.

It seemed that we had brought our most vocal fans and there was constant singing during the first half. And the cheers when we scored the first goal! Unfortunately, Blackpool got one back and the game ended in a draw. As per usual, we seemed to miss some good chances and in the end were probably lucky not to have conceded any further goals. Ah well, you can't win 'em all!

Lovely blue sky all day

It's Buckley!

Mackail-Smith doing what he does best: running like the wind

And the man himself: Gus Poyet

P!nk

I'm on telly!

Thanks to my pink ski jacket, you can spot me in the Football League Show showing last Saturday's game against Blackpool. And mc doing his victory dance after the first and only Brighton goal in the game.

Only available for two more days on the BBC iplayer (around minute 4:50).

Countdown to Christmas

We travelled up north last weekend to see Brighton play Blackpool and then stayed for a night at the Barton Grange Hotel. This family owned hotel also runs the nearby Garden Centre. Admittedly, I was a little dubious about why a Garden Centre would be mentioned as a tourist attraction. On Sunday it was pouring down with rain, so we thought we might as well check out the Garden Centre, as there wasn't much to do in the horrible weather.

And it was well worth it! The centre is massive and was all set up for Christmas already. I'm not usually one to get particular excited about Christmas (in nearly six years in London, I still haven't managed to go to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park) - but this was just amazing! So much choice of so many nice things. And the decorations were stunning. My photos unfortunately don't do it justice.

So, if you are ever up north - do visit the Barton Grange Garden Centre!

Alice in Wonderland

Harry Potter

And Peter Pan

And just one of the many things that ended up in the shopping basket...