Holy moly…

… wedding rings!

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Ruby’s Bar

It’s not like I don’t already live within hopping distance to a ton of pubs, cafes, bars and restaurants… but I can’t complain when another bar opens up.

Especially when the new bar in question serves the best Blueberry Mojito in town.

And located only 5 minutes walk from Threesmallapples HQ (in flats)… I might have to cut up my debit card.

Ruby’s Bar, 76 Stoke Newington Road, N16.

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Florals and meatballs…

As weird as it may be, I really love IKEA. I love the feeling of irrational optimism that you get in IKEA, that feeling that tells you that “this new flat (because you only go to IKEA when you’re moving into a new flat) is going to be awesome. I love the cream sauce that’s served with meatballs. I love stocking up with a million tea lights and candles before hitting the till.

But… as with all things that are a bit hyped up, the reality never quite lives up to your expectations. The new flat is never quite as much fun as you think it’s going to be (although this is obviously in the days when I lived with flatmates… life at Threesmallapples HQ with soon-to-be Mr Threesmallapples as well as twosmallcats is totally awesome), they’ve started serving gravy instead of cream sauce with the meatballs, and I really don’t need any more tea lights or candles.

This chair is one of the many hyped up IKEA ideas that has been haunting me since I purchased it (and 3 identical chair friends… so that’s 4 times the haunting in total).  The brilliant, ridiculously easy, “would be totally idiotic not to” idea was to buy the chairs in the cheapest, most boring fabric on offer and then re-cover them myself with nothing more than a simple staple gun!

A year later, and the idea has obviously fallen apart, not because I don’t have a staple gun (I have 2) but because trying to find a fabric that 2 fabric buying members of Threesmallapples HQ like (the cats don’t get a say) is harder than leaving IKEA without 3 bags of vanilla tea lights.

Three rejected choices so far:

He hated it.

I hated it.

We hated it.

But look!! we both like this one… AMAZI.. oh wait a minute, its £70 a metre…

The search continues.

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Feline fine…

(groan, sorry!!)

Where’s the best place to take a cocktail-loving, kitten-obssessed girl for her birthday? The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town of course!

Hidden beneath The Breakfast Club, a stone’s throw (if you know where you’re going…you don’t want to get lost around here, it’s Jack the Ripper territory!) from Liverpool Street Station, this tiny cocktail bar is found down a secret passage behind a Smeg Fridge…  So far, so good. Once through the fridge, and down some treacherous stairs (maybe it was my heels that were treacherous… but who wears flats on their birthday?!) we found ourselves in a dimly light basement bar, filled with polished wood, high tables, kitschy decor and friendly staff.

On the table sat the cocktail menu, found on a scroll of paper, tucked into an empty ‘cat food’ tin (not suitable for cool cats or fat cats) and was a simple list of around 20 cocktails, separated into classics and specials. Small but perfectly formed.

A bit of happy sampling took place, and the results?

My Alpine Fizz was the perfect blend of gin, elderflower liqueur and champagne, fruity, fizzy and subtle, whereas the tongue-twistingly named Ian Kane’s Yang Tao Smash managed to be sweet, sour, minty and refreshing in one go.  The Pear and Cardamon Sidecar was to die for, and the Tom Collins? Well I think that might have to be my new ‘must drink, will drink’ drink (and not just because Midori drank it in Norwegian Wood… although that does makes me love it that tiny bit more).

With its cat paraphernalia, its fake bathroom exit (don’t leave through the Smeg or you’re in trouble) and it’s Shoreditch location, The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town might sounds a bit too cool for school but it’s not. It’s lovely. You should go.

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Glitterbug

If I can’t have these:

Miu Miu (Swoon!)

Or these:

Miu Miu (Need!!)

Can I have these?

Topshop £55

AND these?

River Island £55

No? Eurgh, not fair… especially since Diane Kruger loves hers so much that she can’t keep her eyes open.

Pah! Who needs to open their eyes when they’ve got Miu Miu?

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…clever girl…

Silly old me. This weekend, I finally got round to visiting a bar that I’ve been gagging to go to for yonks, but because I was positively light headed with hysteria (not because of the bar… I might be a Scot, but even I don’t get that excited over alcohol!) I forgot to take any pictures.  Bah!

So instead of a bar review, here is something else that might tickle your fancy:

Martha.

Approx £27 from Etsy.

So cute that even Jeff Goldblum couldn’t complain.

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QUICK!!!!

Get the f**k out of bed…!

The sales have started…

Ochre floral printed dress from Oasis

Was £55, now £38

Pins&Needles red floral ruffle dress from Urban Outfitters

Was £55 now £2o

Embellished shift dress from Topshop

Was £165 now £80

Sparkle & Fade button though dress from Urban Outfitters

Was £55 now £25

Metallic shift dress from River Island

Was £28 now £15

Spotted pleated skater dress from Oasis.

Was £60 now £35

Gotta run… be right back!

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It’s starting to look a lot like Christmas…

Call it a little premature, but I’ve already cooked the first Christmas dinner of 2011, and it’s very likely to be the first of 4 this year.  I just can’t get enough of the little pigs in blankets!

And of course, every meal that includes mini sausages wrapped in bacon is usually accompanied by a lovely little present(or 3!) to open.

Long gone are the days where you bought everyone a £5 bath set from Boots (Charlie Red EDT and Body Spray gift pack, anyone?)…  Instead I was lucky enough to get these gorgeous goodies:

From Gaelle:

Designer tea from The Tea Shed.  With cute names such as “Rosie Lee” and “Baby, it’s cold outside”, my Alessi Birdie Kettle couldn’t be happier!

From The Countess (not to be confused with Jimmy Savile’s mum, who was The Dutchess):

A  bath set that combines two my favourite things, ditsy Liberty print and Hello Kitty (who just happens to weigh the same as three small apples…)

Hello Kitty tries her hand at “Where’s Wally”…

And lastly, a little something from H:

Because my hands need to eat too…

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… if I had a million dollars…

…which I don’t.

And neither does anyone else I know, so this is all just a bit of wishful thinking.

John Lewis £50

I’ve been looking for some little features for my totally overcrowded book shelf, and think this owl lamp could be just the ticket.  Although the vacant eyes might give me the creeps at night…?

Chemists approx £8

This is seriously the best mascara that I’ve tried in YONKS.  It doesn’t uncurl just-curled eyelashes, it doesn’t budge with anything other than waterproof eye makeup remover AND you can build and build and build for mega lashes. I’m all about the mega lashes. I’d like a job lot of this please.

Currently only available in America. Approx $90

And while I’m talking about eyelashes, never mind building them up, this stuff MAKES THEM GROW. Seriously.  I’ve read a million reviews and this stuff apparently works! And not like the ‘put vaseline on your eyelashes’ and all those other beauty tips where you never ever see a difference (ever).  It actually makes them longer and thicker. Need. It.

Oasis £80

For the days when you want to dress like a glitter ball. Which, for me, is everyday.

Another thing that isn’t actually available to buy here (or online by the looks of it. When did this exist?!).  Sob.

I so wanted to be in the Fashion Club.

Darla by Chloe.  Net-A-Porter £1115

This is the most grown up bag in the world! If this doesn’t get rid of my inner Peter Pan (or Wendy perhaps? Was never able to pay attention to Hook. I hated Ruffio too much), nothing will!

Design 55 £27

Yes yes, what kind of person wants a crockery drainer for Christmas?! But this isn’t just any old crockery drainer… it’s got a rabbit on it!

Mark Parrish £225

This is my perfect ‘reading’ chair. Well, almost perfect.  I’d fix/ruin it (depending on your idea of taste…) by recovering the cushions in some kind of gaudy, twee fabric obviously.

Liberty £38

And this is how I’d like my flat to smell while I’m sitting in my chair, wearing my sparkly skirt, watching Daria, growing my eyelashes etc etc…

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Twinkle toes

Wedding question number 1:

Will Olly do a runner if I walk (totter) down the aisle in these shoes?

Whirl by Dune, £90

A 4 inch chunky cone heel will provide (much yearned for) height, but hopefully be a bit more stable than a spindly court heel. A small platform will stop me sawing my legs off after 30 minutes and the peep toe will be a little nod to the fact that it’s a summer wedding. Oh, and they’re totally sparkly.

I think they’re pretty blimmin’ awesome, although I’m not sure Olly would agree… not that he’ll get much say on the matter…

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