Screen Style...and a bit of a gripe

I suppose having raved so much about Sherlock before, I do owe at least a head-nod to the controversy about Steven Moffat's portrayal of Irene Adler in the season 2 opener before doing a run down of the lovely looks that the costume & prop teams put together.

Really, I don't have much to add to this review from the Guardian and this slightly more scathing summary by Stavvers. I hate to let myself be swayed by every new thing that I read, but having gone through those two articles, it's far too easy to see the point they're making as I sit and re-watch Scandal in Belgravia.

Mrs. Hudson is the scolding motherly type: constantly badgering the boys about the mess they leave in their flat and bemoaning the provocation of Sherlock's sexy new text alert seeing as how she is, after all, of a post-menopausal age. Apparently to Moffat, this clearly means that "at [her] stage of life" Mrs. Hudson has so little libido or even emotional interest in sex that any mention of the subject is an annoyance at best.

Molly Hooper comes off slightly better. Sure, she's the forlorn and desperate puppy whom Sherlock constantly kicks, but at least her quiet disappointment provokes him to some semblance of human sympathy: arguably a moment of growth for his character. "You always say such horrible things," she tells him. And to the surprise of all present, Sherlock offers a sincere apology. Not to mention that, come the season finale, Molly is the only person Sherlock trusts to help him overcome Moriarty.

There's not much more to say on the subject of The Woman that hasn't already been said. It is a bit pathetic that she's brought down by her incongruous girl-crush on Sherlock...and then has to be rescued by him on top of it all. Sure, if you don't think about it she comes off fine: she did work through that accident with the boomerang and managed to stump Sherlock's usual methods of deduction at their first meeting; even getting the drop on him to steal her phone back. But he rumbles her faked death, unlocks her phone, and even plots her rescue and does an even better job of faking her demise than she did. That said, a mind like that of the brilliant Mr. Holmes should have been able to deduce more from the naked Ms. Adler than he did. There were still her well-manicured hands (and other bits), elaborately coiffed hair, make-up, wrinkles, expressions, and gestures to consider. And he still closes out the episode by saying to himself in an admiring tone, "the Woman...the Woman." If Moffat wrote out any chance for Sherlock to admire her for her mind, then what's left is the obvious - if again incongruous - sexual attraction or emotional connection. At least, in that case, the tone has been lowered for all parties involved, regardless of sex.

All of these complaints taken into account, I still love me some Sherlock. And A Scandal in Belgravia has brilliant music, gorgeous costuming, and an engaging - if unfortunately sexist - story line. Let's get on to this episode's look:

1) The Alexander McQueen dress that Irene wears at the episode's start is gorgeous, sleek, and sophisticated. And I have a special place in my heart for the pencil skirt silhouette.
2) The cashmere turtleneck, Karen Millen gloves, and Christian Loboutin pumps all evoke or copy bits of Ms. Adler's wardrobe. The whole set is on my Pinterest page.
3) This Sephora by OPI polish isn't the exact shade from the show, but it's an affordable alternative.
4) I wouldn't suggest pulling a Sherlock, but these bed sheets from MUJI are probably comfy enough to wear in public!
5) I wouldn't keep human ash in it (remember the guy who was convinced his dead aunt had been replaced?), but this Raku urn from Dodero Studio Ceramics would look gorgeous on a shelf. And it comes in lots of lovely colours.

Just to Fill the Time

Today has been one of those days that doesn't seem to end. E is most definitely teething, and is making sure that we are all as miserable about that process as he is. I'm sure, to him, it only seems fair that if he has to suffer, then so should we all. At least he had a 90 minute nap today that let me get a bit of blog maintenance started as well as moving around a few things in the house that I'd been putting off.

Oh, and then we had baby group. When you're like me and you know that you could be on time to things if you just tried, it's a good feeling to know that you've given yourself 15 minutes of contingency time to get your act together. Want to know how to squander that time and still end up 10 minutes late?
Step 1: Get everyone's shoes by the door, sippy cup and spare nappies in the bag, and put on your jacket.
Step 2: Put on your kid's shoes, pop him in his buggy, then realise that your keys aren't where you left them.
Step 3: Spend 15 minutes fruitlessly searching the house for said keys.
Step 4: Call your husband, who reminds you that they were by the door, only to find them literally by the door on the floor where you somehow didn't think to look...even though your child habitually steals your keys and leaves them there.
Step 5: Lock up the house, then realise you left your purse inside. Retrieve it, then book it round the corner to baby group. Feel like you're a failure at life.

Here are some things I've found in the meantime that have been fun to look at:

Bethany Meyer talks about watching your kids grow up. Sniffle.

You Are My Fave makes a patterned pillowbox for tiny gift giving.

These cement earrings just seem novel and cute.

Thanks to one of the running blogs I started following, I've found twistbands. They look amazeballs.

Need some culture? Check this video on Titian's Bacchus and Ariadne from the National Gallery. I miss my museums.

Want more places to visit before you die? Check exPress-O's post on Corsica.

Mommy Mondays

So today was our first Movement with Mummy class at the leisure centre. It was pretty fun...though E wasn't really fussed about paying attention. He did enjoy getting to run around, and he sat still long enough to do the toe-pointing exercise, and even hugged a cuddly stuffed baby penguin for a while. It seems like a good forum to let him get some wriggles out while still learning to follow a few more instructions and pay attention to things for more than 30 seconds. (To be fair, he will sit through a book that it takes 3 minutes to read and do it happily.) I don't know how often we'll go, but I enjoyed the excuse to get myself out of bed earlier and to make sure E had some proper exercise before his nap.

Yesterday, I took that new top from White Stuff out for a spin. We were having a family gathering over in Newbury so that the aunts, uncles, and cousins could say a big 'Welcome Home' to the Husband's youngest brother, Robin, now that he's back from doing 2 years of missionary work in France. We had a great time getting to see everyone and hanging out...and the Cornish pasties and vanilla-almond cupcakes we made went over a treat.

It's nice to know that I can dress up this shirt for church (or the office if I was working at the moment), and still dress it down with jeans and flats or leggings and boots just for running errands, or going to baby group. (Yes, I'm definitely wearing it to baby group tomorrow.) The really lovely thing about having a nice button-down top is that, as a mum, it's great for breastfeeding, but you still look smart and put-together. Plus, this is a half-button tunic top, so I have the extra length that I prefer in most shirts. It's just nice to be able to do all of the bending, lifting, reaching, and cross-legged sitting on floors that mothering a toddler requires without having to worry about flashing a bit of bum-cleavage to anyone else in the room. Because, let's be honest: no one really wants to be reminded of what knickers you have on every time your kid wants to be picked up.

Continuing on the theme of colourful new things: I have new measuring spoons! Lovely Auntie Vanessa (my mother-in-law's sister) bought Rachel a set of adorable measuring spoons as a Christmas present. Another aunt and I loved them so much, we asked Vanessa where she found them; so she promised to grab us each a set and bring it to the homecoming reunion for Robin. Tell me these are not the cutest things you've ever seen?

I want to do so much more baking now.

And now, on the mommy front: I've been loving the books we're able to find for E at the library. It seemed like a bit of a dud at first (I know I did my fair share of complaining), but this library is really beginning to deliver.

Mon Chat le Plus Bête du Monde is an adorable book about a child's slightly odd pet cat. At least...he seems pretty sure that his pet is a cat: naughty and oddly behaved though it may be.
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson is brilliant. I love the way she rhymes throughout a book (check out One Ted Falls Out of Bed and The Gruffalo for more good examples of this), and Axel Sheffler's illustrations are darling.
Earnest is an extremely large moose. E really loves the last page of this book when Earnest finally overcomes his struggle to fit into his own picture book. Catherine Rayner hit the jackpot with this concept: it's really fun to read.

That's everything for now. I've got a little man who needs help getting back to sleep and then it's time to keep digging into Is That A Fish in Your Ear? I'm enjoying myself so far.

Being Productive

Today is a day of doing things. We're cooking dinner for some friends (and making extra for ourselves to eat in the week), baking cupcakes and making up Cornish pasties to take to Newbury for a family get-together tomorrow, tidying the house, exercising, grocery shopping, and watching The Mask of Zorro in the background of it all.

If they were all blue, they could be Breaking Bad cupcakes...

The cupcakes are the recipe I used last time for the red, white, & blue cake that I took to the ward Munch-n-Mingle all those months ago. The frosting, as per usual, is the creamy cream cheese stuff (both recipes are on my Pinterest page). Don't get me wrong, I love this stuff because it's just tart enough to be nice. Most frosting is too sweet for my taste. But I still think I ought to learn another fun frosting or two just to switch things up a bit.

Oh yeah...and by exercise, I mean that I did basically a 9-mile run today. Considering that I haven't run more than 4 miles at once since New Year's, that feels like a bit of a big deal. Especially since I managed to keep under my 10:00min/mi benchmark pace overall. If it hadn't been for slightly tired legs and the encroaching feeling of being asthmatic I probably would have hit my 9:30min/mi over the distance...but with all those caveats, it doesn't really mean anything. At least I haven't gotten much worse, and I'm still on track to aim for just over 9:00min/mi on the Fleet Half in March.

frozen layer on top of the canal today

Now that there's been another purge of extraneous junk, it's time to get to work on Cornish pasties for tomorrow and sit down to curry and the rest of Mask of Zorro before heading over for a games night with a few other couples we know. I have to confess: I'm not as much of a board games person as I once was...and I was never much of one to begin with (though I dominated at Monopoly and Clue). That said, I can still browse through the last few chapters of Happier At Home and contribute to the conversation if I find that I'm really not up for much.

My stomach seems to be punishing me for having the audacity to run 9 miles earlier. I think it needs to lie down on the couch and watch Antonio Banderas caper around in spurs and a black eye mask...

Of All The Times...

Of all the times to forget my phone and leave it in the bed, today was the most disappointing. Not because I needed to make calls, or because I couldn't just as easily keep track of the time on my iPod, but because I was desperate for a camera.

I've been working myself up to buy another collared shirt for a while, and so this morning was slated as a trip into Farnham to do a bit of shopping. I'd taken a peek at which stores were in the town centre, glanced at the map to see what the parking situation would be like, and waited (more or less) patiently for the car to come back from the garage so I could go get my shop on.

one of our favourite bits of local history

You guys: Farnham town centre is gorgeous! Yes, I've driven through it every time we go to the Keep or the park, but I've never properly taken the time to walk around. All the little alleyways, the sneaky peeks of the church, the Georgian-era store fronts! Neo-Classical pillars and porticos; mock-Tudor plaster and beams with half-moon bay windows; mews-style courtyards full of swish shop displays; thatched roofs! I was in architectural heaven. Everything was just so cute and quaint and...English. Le sigh, I love my home.

Our first stop in searching out shirts was the (appropriately named, on so many levels,) White Stuff. I do love the aesthetic of that store's collections. And this particular branch - while it wasn't exactly pushchair friendly - was housed in a gorgeous Georgian-era mock-Tudor building. The huge bay windows on the ground floor, the tiny, crooked windows on the top floor: it was darling. And, as if to make up for their cramped quarters and lack of a handicap-accessible ramp, there was a precious room in the back just across from the changing rooms where E could play. There was already-coloured-on wallpaper, a tent, a giant stuffed dog on wheels, some costumes (including Buzz Lightyear), and a table & chairs complete with colouring supplies. I blocked him in with the buggy and let him play while I paid. I figured at that point, he deserved a reward for the minimal whinging he did sitting in the buggy while I tried on a bunch of tops.

We then headed down the street some more until I was intrigued by the idea of walking into the Lion and Lamb Courtyard. More adorableness: as you duck under an archway from the main sidewalk, you turn onto a cobbled path lined with more of Farnham's gorgeous Georgian-era storefronts. This also seems to be where all the nicest shops are: a super-swish ladies's boutique called Whistles, Joules, Waitrose, Goldsmiths (now I know where to go when my engagement ring needs cleaning!), Monsoon, Laura Ashley Home, and a Waterstones. This last was the whole reason I stayed to look around: I'd been meaning to get to a Waterstones for ages to replace E's copy of Up and Down, by Oliver Jeffers. Due to...well, the Royal Mail, the copy of that book I'd got from Amazon for Henry's Christmas present never arrived. So at the last minute, we bit the bullet, apologized, and gave him E's copy so that he would still have a present. Hence the need to replace what is one of E's favourite books. Luckily, the local library had come in handy and I was sitting on a hardback copy that would tide us over until I could drag us to the nearest area of Hampshire or Surrey civilized enough to have a decent bookstore.

I also decided, in a fit of spontaneity  to grab myself a book. I haven't even read it yet: it just looked interesting! What's feeding my current non-fiction kick? It's called, Is That a Fish in Your Ear? by David Bellos. Yes, I confess, about 60% of this decision was fuelled by the fact that the book cover pinged my nerd-radar by referencing The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. (I recommend a listen to the old BBC radio plays if you're unfamiliar.) Anyway, the subtitle reads: "the amazing adventure of translation" and it sounds really nifty. I'll be sure to give it the old once-over on the blog as soon as I can. Surprisingly, I managed to restrain myself in the bookstore and didn't grab anything else. Not even more picture books for E, or cute stationary, or wrapping paper to frame as art, or Christopher Hitchens's memoir, Hitch-22. (That last I'll patiently await as a birthday present of some variety.)

Anyhow, at the next available excuse opportunity, I'll definitely be heading back to Farnham. I still have to have a nice lunch in a pub, walk by the river near the church, and give the Castle Street Market a glance with a covetous eye. Momma? Care to join me when you come visit? We can go see the Keep, too, if the weather's nice. (There's an antiques shop, too! I'm going for the hard sell, here...)

Happier At Home: or, If It Won't Stop Staring At Me, I'd Better Just Read It

via,  The Happiness Project

Reading through Happier At Home is an experience I put off for ages. Not out of any particular antipathy for the book...just apathy. I'd seen my sister's forgotten copy sitting on our bookshelves for months and never gave it much thought beyond, "oh, she's coming at Christmas, so I can make sure she gets it back." Obviously, that high-minded plan never came to fruition. So I finally bit the bullet after finishing a first read-through of one of my Christmas presents and took the book off the shelf to see what I could see.

I suppose that with my characteristic penchant for amusing complaints, I ought to get all of my negative commentary out of the way first. I think the epigraphs are all trite. I confess, I had a certain predilection for them myself in my undergraduate thesis, but that particular flair for sentimentality was suggested out of me by my professor before the final draft was submitted. (To whom I also give full credit for my perpetually-renewed attempts to stop saying 'like' as a place-holder word. Thank you, Dr. Williams.) Yes, the occasional epigraph can be useful - and to be fair, I did just read another book which used them to great effect - but I think Rubin is just looking for pithy quotations to summarize her conclusions before she reaches them in her own prose...and that's like putting spoilers in the preview reel of your own film.

The prose itself is nothing to write home over. Don't get me wrong, Rubin isn't a bad writer, she's just not a particularly inspiring one. I don't claim to be that myself (though every now and then I come over all impressed at some line from an old paper or short story), but I can sure appreciate the beauty of well-crafted word-smithery. The Modern Library translations of Alexandre Dumas, Christopher Hitchens, Roald Dahl, Shakespeare, James Joyce in his short stories...these are brilliant to me. But I suppose my real complaint here isn't the lack of phrases that you read, then re-read, then read aloud for the sheer delight of reveling in a good thing well-said. No, my real complaint is the awkward phrasing. I mean, I get what she's aiming at by talking about creating "shrines" to things all over the house (A Shrine to Fun and Games, A Shrine to Children's Literature)...but shrine just comes over all cult-like: gaudy and obsequious  And possibly containing fake vials of blood or finger bones (but definitely with lots and lots of gold filigree). Or the vaguely pretentious Splendid Truths. And yes: that's always capitalized.

Plenty of the conclusions or resolutions Rubin comes to are relatively obvious. But then, she never pretends that they aren't; which I think is something to be said to her credit. However obvious and simple some of the changes she makes may be, they are all aimed at the end goal of creating a happier home. If the changes achieve the desired effect, then they're vindicated, even if they seem plain as the nose on your face.

Perhaps it's my fault for not having read the book that precedes this one: The Happiness Project. I fully admit that such could be the case. But lots of the one-word tags and shorthand phrases that she uses to refer back to some of her goals are just obfuscating. Sure, that shorthand may make sense to you, but I'm reading your book, not your mind! I don't understand how those two words translate out into a larger concept that embodies actions in pursuit of a goal. What the hell does 'spend out' mean? In what context are you advocating, 'no calculation'? (I hope not in the personal budget department.)

But the book's main appeal comes in its usefulness as a springboard for my own ideas. I think, perhaps, this may have been Rubin's goal all along. If so: well done, you clever clogs. I find myself reading through each chapter and thinking, "that's like my plan to refocus my wardrobe", or "perhaps we should resolve to kiss morning and night", or "I should get back to my initiative to visit local attractions more often." I think that it's for this reason that I haven't considered the whole book a write-off. It still has some tantalizing snippets of information, and factoids from studies that are quite fascinating. Really, I'd love for her to expound more on the things she's reading that inform the ideas she's putting forth in this book. Granted, it shouldn't turn into a glorified bibliography, but still: I want to hear more about this 'endowment effect'. And on top of the occasional nugget of interesting fact, the book is held together with a decent enough narrative that at least manages to catapult me from simply reading to considering how to implement Rubin's happiness principles into my own life.

And that is where Happier At Home comes into its own. I could take or leave the anecdotes on her own life, some of the phrasing and pretentious capitalization are awkward (and scream "I want to be Elizabeth Gilbert soooooo much!"), and I've taking to ignoring the epigraphs for the sake of my own sanity. But lots of her approaches to happiness as an attribute worth cultivating across myriad aspects of your life are useful starting blocks for personal inspiration...and that's really what you want from a book like this. Anything that promises a sure-fire, one-size-fits-all method for becoming happier or de-cluttering your office or losing that last 10 lbs is just about guaranteed to be absolute rubbish. But, as Rubin says herself, "it's from the experience of a particular individual that I learn most about myself - even if we two seem to have nothing in common." So I second that statement and say to Mrs. Rubin: write on, m'lady. You have my attention.

Watch Out

I'm incredibly opinionated about quite a few things. Covers of Beatles songs, leather jackets, good pepperoni pizza, and watches. I've only ever had a few watches over the years. Probably few enough to count them on the fingers of one hand...and at least one of those watches was a tacky thumb ring that I got as a tween from Claire's. Oh yeah. Another one I had for ages and could only wear every so often? One with a mood-ring style face that changed colour with my temperature.

The one watch I remember really loving wasn't even mine. My aunt had bought it as a present for my mom and I frequently 'borrowed' it from her. It had a nice brown leather strap, analog face, glow-in-the-dark hands & numerals, and an audio alarm you could set to sound like a rooster crowing. The style of it was far too big for my skinny tweenaged wrist, but I'd still take it when Mom wasn't wearing it just for the fun of the gadget.

But it's not for lack of an obsessive need to know the time that I don't wear watches. I can just never find a style that I like enough to put it on every day with whatever I wear. So I've set myself the task of taking a proper look at my options to see if even I can find a watch that strikes my fancy. After all, it's doing me no good if it just sits in my jewellery box for months on end.

1)This ASOS wrap around watch is for men, but it feels excusable because a wrap-around is meant to be a bit bulky anyway. I like the round-but-square face, and the simple leather band.

2) This blue wrap-around from Debenhams is, again, nice and simple: two words that actually define my style pretty well. I like a few statement or bold pieces paired over mostly simple or neutral base pieces.

3) This River Island wrap-around (I know I have a theme going here...) is a bit borderline. The leather is a lighter brown than I tend to like, and the 'love, hope, dream' plate on the band is pretty cheesy.

4) The Feral Wanderlust in leopard print is cute. Because the band is thin, I think the animal print bothers me less than it might otherwise. I like the analog face and the small round shape. It would stand out just enough to be cute, but would blend in enough to go with most of the clothes I already wear.

5) This doozy of a wrap-around from storenvy is so much fun. The right chocolate brown leather; a small, round face; braided and studded detail. It feels more like a fun bracelet that happens to tell the time. That said, it might be the sort of thing I love the idea of more than I'd love it in practise. Adorable as it is, I think it's still chunky enough to make me hesitate when pairing it with certain outfits.

6) The Fossil is nice and simple, again, and would match pretty much anything. It probably wouldn't make the cut for fancier outfits, but that's fine. It feels sleek and unpretentious enough for everyday wear, which is what I would want.

1. ASOS wrap-around £25
2. Debenhams women's watch, on sale! £10
3. River Island wrap-around, £25 @ ASOS.com
4. The Wanderlust, by Feral Watches. $40
5. Via, Storenvy. $29.80
6. Fossil Archival Mini Leather, £95

Mommy Mondays

Since it's cute and warm enough for transition weather, I'd love to try the leggings-with-denim-shorts trend. The black leggings are slimming, making your legs feel longer, and you get to feel sexy in shorts without having to worry about showcasing any cottage cheese thighs (or pale, unshaven winter legs. I know I can't complain about paleness, but still...).

On top, I love the idea of working in more layers to the things I wear as well. The J Crew boyfriend cashmere sweater looks gorgeous and oh-so-comfy. And we all know I have a space in my heart for comfy jumpers. And I like that with the right layering, you can dress up that v-neck heather grey tee just enough for a playdate, play group, or a post-library coffee shop run. Bonus? If you go just the button-up route, it's brilliant for breastfeeding in public without having to show off your post-pregnancy tiger stripes. :)

Also, that watch is rocking my socks off. Ignore the fact that the StoreEnvy page says that those Roman numerals around the face are apparently Arabic (come on, people, it's not difficult!): this is the sort of thing that could persuade me to actually wear a watch. Some time soon, I'll definitely have to elaborate on what I think makes a good watch...speaking as the pickiest, most finicky person about watches and wrist-wear generally.

layers with leggings by tealapple featuring ballet shoes

If I was looking for a mom-friendly necklace to go with this outfit, I'd definitely spring for the Chewbeads Jane necklace. Cough, cough: birthday present! Suspicious coughing fit over.

Enjoying the Snow

This weekend we headed up to the in-laws's place to get the whole family together for the first time in 2 years. The Husband's youngest brother has been in France doing missionary work and just came home earlier last week. Aside from the initial inconvenience of clogging some of the roads, the weather couldn't have been better, either. Who doesn't love a cozy family gathering when there's picturesque snow outside and you have nowhere else to be?

Accordingly, we enjoyed copious amounts of hot chocolate, Lindt truffles, home-baked cookies, YouTube videos, and sledging. Pictures of that last activity to follow...

Father and son just before their first trip down the hill!

Henricus and Rachel

Henry wasn't too sure about going sledging...

Em gives Tim and Felicity a push.

Robin getting to know his youngest (for now) nephew

We all had a fantastic time playing games, watching videos, and reading books. Not to mention letting E and Henry run around all over the place together. It's nice to have the space and the leisure to just let him wander around to his heart's content.

Not sure yet what the rest of this week will bring, aside from a much-needed trip to the mechanic to get our car sorted! But at least E has now been able to enjoy a proper snowfall and his first two sledge rides with Mummy & Daddy. Hopefully, this week will bring the first signs of some new teeth. Because right now we just have all of the fussiness with none of the benefit of new chompers. Hmm...

Fashionista Moment

This is another of those thoughts that struck me late at night, and so I wanted to properly think it all through in the cold light of day. I miss my phase of wearing plaid all the time as a kid: it's such a cozy pattern, and it feels a real shame that I don't currently have a well-loved plaid button-down to pair with my jeans and my dressy skirts through the autumn and winter. That will need to change. I only have one button-down top as it is!

But I wanted to think of ways to avoid the whole lumberjack chic I rocked as a tween, too: find some ways to make a traditional tartan feel more feminine. These three outfits are what I came up with:

Plaid, Lace, & Pearls by tealapple featuring stud earrings

Also, can we say a huge hurrah for the 3" of snow rapidly accumulating outside of my window? I do love the winter. Especially when it delivers like this. You can understand now why I was reminiscing on my plaid flannel button-downs of yesteryear.

All the Little Things I Love

I find all sorts of fun trinkets on the interwebs that make me smile. Some of them are cute, but impractical, others are things that make me covet so hard that all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put the 10th commandment back together again. I thought I'd share a few, just for kicks.

...and because, pretty things make me happy. So I'm sharing the happiness.

1) This 'A study in Pink' fabric (see the Sherlock theme coming back?) was an entry in Spoonflower's Whodunnit Toile de Joie contest. Though it's not very 'toile' feeling to me, I appreciated the adorable line drawings of Cumberbatch & Freeman. So simple, so cute.

2) Because who doesn't like a cozy plaid flannel blanket? Only people without a soul; that's who.

3) Bicycle taxidermy is an absolutely serious thing I'm going to do for the Husband when his current steed finally kicks the bucket. It's just such a fun, ever-so-slightly quirky, and highly personal piece of decor.

4) These super cute cards by paperlovelypress on Etsy belong in my kitchen. Framed. I'm a habitual greeting-card-framer and these would earn a place on the walls of our flat.

5) Terrain's farm table pewter pitcher is darling. It's simple, well-balanced, and reminds me of Colonial-era paintings in America...like this one of Paul Revere by John Singleton Copley:

via, MFA Boston

6) These chairs that I saw in a post on The Selby ages ago still catch my fancy when I look at them. I just want to fill them up with cushions and plaid flannel blankets (and maybe a sheepskin throw from IKEA) and just sit on a porch drinking cocoa and watching it snow. Why is this not my life?

7) These Eva Fehren earrings are ridiculously expensive, but they're divine. I love the proportions, the space, the shape, the rose gold. Can someone please do a knockoff version so that I can feel stylish without also feeling homeless because I bought $5000 earrings?

8) I'm not usually a fan of animal print - and to be honest I'd love this even more in a plaint brown leather band - but the Wanderlust watch by Feral Watches is the sort of thing I'd actually wear...instead of letting it sit safely in my jewellery box for months on end. Also: I feel weird wearing watches on the proper wrist. I don't know, things on my left wrist just bug me.

9) I can't go on my 'I Should Cook This' Pinterest board without getting a serious case of the munchies. That said, my next endeavour definitely needs to be these homemade Samoas, because it has been far too long since a Girl Scout brightened my doorstep with a Radio Flyer full of delicious cookies.

10) Not that I didn't just buy a new duvet cover or anything, but this pintuck set from West Elm makes me drool just a bit. And that dark grey just feels so classy!

I hope you've enjoyed that little collection. It's funny, as much as I'd love to own all the stuff I just shared, it makes me notice more of the bits I love about my own home. I love the new layout of our bedroom (pictures soon!), the dark Hemnes furniture from IKEA, the framed card I have from the Farnham Pottery, and the little Vera Bradley jewellery box that was a birthday prezzy from my mommy last year! Mostly, though, I love how all of these things help create a feeling of calm in my home. When a space really feels like it's yours, you can relax in it so much more, you know?

1. A Study in Pink toile de joie, by Maeli on Spoonflower
2. Vintage Throw from Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.
3. Bicycle Taxidermy: the loving and lasting solution for your mechanical bereavement. :)
4. Herbs and Merci French Press Letterpress cards from Paper Lovely Press on Etsy
5. Farmhouse Pitcher from Terrain
6. Matthias Dahlgran from the Selby
7. Eva Fehren Rose Gold X Spear earrings, from Barneys New York
8. The Wanderlust, Leopard, from Feral Watches
9. Homemade Samoas recipe from Design*Sponge
10. Pintuck duvet set from West Elm

Halfsies, Part 11: Finding a Schedule

As of the week previous, I've tried to stick to a decent running schedule to start getting in better shape for the half marathon. I figure that I need something besides just my running challenges (currently looking forward to the next month of 5 by the 5th) to really get me ready. Here's what my weeks are probably going to look like, given the pattern I've just (mostly) set:

Monday: 2 miles (pacing)
Tuesday: 3 miles (jogger/resistance)
Wednesday: 4-6 miles (intermediate distance)
Thursday: 3 miles (jogger resistance)
Friday: REST (or cross training/abs)
Saturday: 9+ miles (distance)
Sunday: REST

At a minimum, that's 22 miles per week. Provided I can actually get out on Wednesday mornings and Saturday afternoons - even in the cold - to haul myself along.

This was essentially my plan for the other week, though I did switch around Thursday and Friday since the Husband cycled to work on Thursday for a change. It feels like the right combination of distance, resistance, and speed work for me. Not to mention, a goodly amount of rest as well, which is just as important. I'll give little summaries of my progress from RunKeeper since the only person who follows me right now is my brother-in-law. (And being much faster than I am, he puts me to shame.)

I've always been told that distance runs are the really important ones when you're training for a half or full marathon, but for me, I think, the most important days will be whichever ones I use to do core exercises while E sleeps. My abs still have a gap that hasn't quite knitted together since being pregnant, and aside from always having been really persnickety about my abs, I'm sure that they're holding back my running as untoned as they are. So while my obvious task is to up my mileage so that my body (especially my knees and hips) can manage 13.1 miles in one go, I definitely need to pay far more attention to my midsection than I have been. My go-to move? Planks. Once I can do more than 30 seconds in one go, I'll feel like I'm achieving something.

This latest week has been rubbish for getting myself out and on runs. I managed 2 short 2-milers on Wednesday and meant to do something else today, but just didn't have the oomph for it after a long night with E. To be honest, you wouldn't want to brave the cold to run either if you'd spent the night sleeping in 2-hour shifts that were delineated by 45-minute periods of being kicked in the stomach and having the covers stolen by your 15-month-old son. I love my boy, I do, but his days of coming into Mummy and Daddy's bed are numbered until he stops sleep-wrestling me.

One thing this week has been good for, though, is my cross-training. I've been doing much better about squeezing in a few planks here and there during a day and trying to work on my balance and core strength. Those planks are at 35 seconds a piece, now, which makes me feel like I'm getting somewhere. Baby steps.

So, accountability time: my plan is to go for a 3 or 4-mile run tomorrow (likely with E in the jogger) and then - provided the paths aren't too iced over from the snow the BBC weather team has been promising us - do a proper 9 miles on Sunday. I'd do it Saturday, but the youngest brother-in-law has just returned from 2 years in France doing missionary work, so we'll be spending the day introducing him to his 'new' nephews. He hasn't met the boys yet! Personally, I'm excited to see how E takes to his Uncle Robin.

Anyway: 3 miles Friday, 9 miles Sunday. Hold me to it, people! Because in this freezing weather, I need a little extra motivation.

via, my Pinterest page

I have awesome days because I am awesome

This is how I like to think of all the 'good days' I have as a mum: I have awesome days because I am awesome. This does not, conversely, mean that I have crap days because I am crap. I have crap days...because life. Because, that's just how some days turn out. Because, not all circumstances are within my control, but one that is is the ability to choose to feel like crap. But out of false dichotomy of crap days and awesome days, I'm currently experiencing the latter.

Why is that? Well, first: E decided to sleep through the night. The whole night. IN HIS COT! (Thank you for letting me internet shout that last part. It's kind of a big deal.) I'm not sure what tipped it, though the apparent growth spurt he's in does seem to make him more inclined to go to sleep nicely. I also put him in his cot awake and (parenting confession moment in 3..2...1...) I got in with him. Yup, imagine my feet awkwardly sticking through the bars and the long, long length of me S-bending around E and all his stuffed animals to fit into his cot. I let him have his binky and cuddle with me: no singing, no breastfeeding (though he did keep his hand on my exposed tummy): just a quiet cuddle. After that point, he was out in a few minutes, stayed out when I clambered out to close the door, and never woke either of us in the night. The Husband got up with him at 5:00 and then from 8:00 to 10:00 he had another nap in our bed. No complaints here! If Mama can get a full night's rest, it's a wonderful world!

Everything else, really, has been icing on the cake. I got the chance to nap with E this morning to catch up on some of the sleep I've gone without earlier in the week. (Bonus!) When the valuation guy came to inspect our flat I could rest easy knowing the place was already tidy and entirely not embarassing. So that went well even when you consider the following equation: phone off = didn't get the reminder I set = woke up as he knocked on the door. So says the transitive property of maths. Thankfully, I could throw on some jeans and a hoodie and answer the door without looking like I'd just rolled out of bed.

E then woke up very happy and enjoyed some time playing all over the house while I got us ready to run a quick errand. (Didn't you just know there'd be things at Sainsbury's we needed?) While we were out getting a new binky & clip (E has squirreled his away somewhere along with my BBT thermometer and other odds and ends. Perhaps they're in Narnia...) I managed to find some vacuum storage bags!

Now, this is not me coming late to the game: I've known about vacuum pack storage bags for years, but I never really needed them until now. Once we came home and had a healthy lunch (most of which I tried to let E feed himself), I packed most of his old baby clothes away, sucked the air out of the bag, and stored everything back under his cot: now taking up much less space.

Nominal tidying done, we read a few books before heading out on a brief 2-mile run. It's not a real day in our house unless someone has read some Oliver Jeffers.

both via, Oliver Jeffers.com

The run was great, as well. Not that we should expect anything less from what I've dubbed an 'awesome' day. It helps that the weather was just cold enough with lots of sun and no wind. I did some new warm ups just before leaving as well: definitely a good call. Thank's Runner's World emails. Well done. And thanks to RunKeeper, I now know that this is the fastest I've run with E in the jogger in a while:

My splits are looking pretty good, and my overall pacing looks like it's getting more and more consistent as I keep training for the half. Of course, I have yet to do more than that first long run this year, but hopefully I can remedy that on Sunday and get in another good 9 miles or so.

So what is going on now in my awesome day? Well, E fell asleep on our run (what is this witchcraft?) so he's having a second nap today. This means I get to read more of my feeds, update the blog, do some exercises, and relax. We're experimenting with a TV-free day today: no Alphablocks, no Small Potatoes. After 2 days where E kept insisting that something was playing on the computer, I've decided to put my foot down for a while. He's read, played, run around outside, and napped, and I've played with him; but I haven't put any videos on the computer...just some music in the background. So far, so good. He hasn't even noticed that the 'TV' - such as it is in this house - is gone.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go raise a glass and toast myself for a day of successful parenting.

Fashonista Moment

One Top Two Ways by tealapple featuring j crew

Just a little something I've been thinking about...I have a top like this in yellow and I'd love to start getting more wear out of it as we head into spring. Not to mention those gorgeous shoes. Those Christian Louboutins are calling my name and one day I'll save up enough to treat myself to a pair. I'm a recovering shoe-aholic.

Curse of the Curl

At the Vatican: one of the few times as an 'adult' that I've worn my hair curly
(because I couldn't take my iron in my carry-on for spring break)

Don't get me wrong, I love my curly hair. I haven't always appreciated it, but I do love the body and texture my hair has. And when I can get it to achieve a look that I like, I adore my tiny little mixed-race ringlets. But that's just the problem: getting them to look nice.

I've never been one to spend ages on my hair every day. (Editor's note: except in middle school where no amount of time spent perfecting the barrel-rolled fringe was too long.) Sure, for a special occasion, I'll take the time to try out a new style, and once a week I'll do a full straighten, but I'm essentially low-maintenance. I want something that is easy to manage, easy to maintain, and doesn't make me feel fuzzy and frumpy...even at the end of the day.

Maybe I'm asking for too much, but I certainly don't think so. However, when I try to scour the interwebs for some decent advice, it invariably ends up a shambles. I hate to play the race card, but I'm sick of being given entirely impractical advice on "seriously cute styles for curly hair" from white girls who wouldn't know what to do with curly hair if it bit them on the arse. Likewise, most black women have curly hair of a very different streak than my own that requires a very different regime to keep in order. I mean, let's take Glamour's curly hair slideshow as a pitiful but all-too-accurate example of the problem I'm having: (seriously, follow the link because it's too much work to get all those photos in here...)

Slide 1: aside from looking like a VS model artfully tousled out of bed, I don't have much to say about this. At least her hair is actually curly! But just letting it roam free isn't an option for me, so let's move on.

Slide 2: Things are looking up with Alicia Keys. I could conceivably rock this look with the right application of leave-in conditioner. But I don't just want to wear it down when I wear it natural because I'm a habitual hair-fondler. I twist and tug my hair around my fingers all the time. And with tiny curls that = frizz.

Slide 3: That mess isn't even curly! She had to curl those locks with an iron. Unworthy of further commentary: NEXT!

Slide 4: Thanks, Vanessa Hudgens. If I ever want to look like the half-drowned recruit for the next edition of Jersey Shore, I'll give you a call.

Slide 5: Pin-straight white girl with a curling iron. NEXT!

Slide 6: Ditto, Leighton Meester. NEXT.

Slide 7: Jordin Sparks isn't looking too bad, but with my shorter hair and layers, I don't know that this is going to work the same way on me.

Slide 8: I don't want to be mean, but this style doesn't suit her. It doesn't suit anyone to have your hair scraped back from your forehead and then left to fly free like a fuzzy flag. It just looks like she tried to make it neat, but just ended up 50% done and 50% bushy and unkempt.

Slide 9: I have nothing negative to say about Nicole Kidman, but she's not helping me at the moment. Moving on.

Slide 10: Aside from the fact that her top looks like a crocheted doily on acid (and is unflatteringly and inappropriately revealing), I'm just not a fan of big hair like Beyonce is sporting. The rest of you has to be highly polished to even consider pulling it off without looking like you ought to head down to the chippy in your slippers.

Slide 11: I'm sorry, I thought we were supposed to be seeing 14 STYLES for curly hair, not 14 women all wearing their hair down? Hair STYLES implies that the hair is STYLED!

Slide 12: WGWCI (White Girl With Curling Iron). Seriously. I'm done here.

Slide 13: Well, at least a ponytail is some sort of style...it's the bottom row of the totem pole, but it'd be an improvement if not for another case of WGWCI.

Slide 14: Taylor Swift's faux-bob is the killing stroke. Most curly hair requires lots of work to achieve that, and work is something I'm trying to avoid.

I'm fed up. I know maintaining curls takes some work, but I want styles that won't make me feel like Lauryn Hill back in 1998 or require hours sacrificing to the ceramic plated god that is the straightening iron.

I need people who understand my hair. Who realise that it can't be washed every day; who appreciate that curls have to be reshaped every morning after you sleep on them; who get that a bushy triangle with fringe is NOT the look I'm going for. I need to be able to look and feel polished and put-together without having to reach for the heat protector every time. I enjoy the look of my hair when it's straight: it's become a large part of how I see myself since that was my default style when I started taking the styling of my hair into my own hands. But it's time to be able to mix things up more often as the mood takes me. And besides: they may be a little bit less mixed than me, but my kids will all have curly hair, and I want them all to be able to love it and work with it rather than working against it.

I demand legitimate styles for hair with legitimate curl. And I demand them now.

Mommy Mondays

With baby group on Tuesdays now, some of these posts are set off by a week. Especially since we're not going anywhere today. This morning's snow has turned into freezing cold rain, so it's definitely a day for staying inside.

So last week, when the weather wasn't quite as disgusting, this was our going-out outfit:

It's taken me ages to find an outfit where I'd wear that Banana Republic jumper. I bought it about 4 years ago back in London. Of course, since we've been cleaning and tidying around the house, part of that has involved getting rid of the clothes I own that are worn out, too big, or that I just don't wear. Since there's nothing wrong with this jumper, and I still like it, and it's good quality, I really didn't want to get rid of it. So I've resolved to find outfits to wear it with for the rest of winter.

Of course, the room at baby group does heat up pretty quickly, so here's the outfit without the jumper.

Those shoes are new. I grabbed them on sale at Next along with the shirt. Sadly, the Converse All-Stars I got last year for my birthday are getting huge holes in the soles, so I need another pair of flats as the nicer weather comes along.

I realise I wear these jeans in nearly every outfit that I post, but the other pair I have are a bit holey, and it's a bit chilly for leggings. Hopefully, I can find a decent weekday outfit with a skirt...then I can find an excuse to work in some knitted stockings...

via, Wanelo

Or maybe even save up for a new pair of shoes as a birthday present...

via, Christian Louboutin

Screen Style: BBC's Sherlock

Let me get it all out of the way up front: I love Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. As Sherlock Holmes and John Watson they're like pepperoni & pineapple: so different, but so good together. Not to mention that as the characters they portray, I could eat them both up. Sure one's so self-absorbed as to be practically asexual and the other is an inattentive boyfriend at best, but if they were real I'd be the biggest fangirl to ever sport a deerstalker. As it is, I sort of wish I had a reason to wear a deerstalker...or a fedora...I'm big on hats despite only owning two of them.

When my sister was here over the break, we three gleefully made our way through a Sherlock marathon. We rewatched all 6 episodes in 2 days and loved every minute of it. I couldn't help but think that I loved the whole style of the show and wanted to work some of that feeling into my own home and clothes. Hey: I take my inspiration where I can get it. And let's be honest: painting "I heart Sherlock" in bright yellow on the walls with some artistic bullet holes really isn't an option. (Aside from being entirely devoid of subtlety.) So, for those of us not so inclined to wear our hearts on our sleeves, how would we pay a little homage to the latest incarnation of Conan Doyle's famous detective and his mild-mannered assistant? Perhaps, with a few carefully curated picks from around the internet:

1) This sort of pink iPhone case makes a reappearance in a later episode. This version is from John Lewis, £24.95 
2) If you've seen the episode, then you'll know that the iconic Hackney cabs play a huge part in the plot. This cute Hackney cab stamp comes from skullandcrossbones on Etsy, $4.50
3) If you're looking for another way to work in the Hackney cab, try this adorable print from South London Prints on Etsy, £15.00
4) The bold wallpaper in the sitting room of 221B is pretty hard to miss. If you're brave enough, the actual pattern is available from a manufacturer called Zoffany. £104 per roll.
5) If you're not feeling obsessed brave enough to plaster your house in Sherlock's fleur-de-lis brocade wallpaper, you can always commit to this desktop wallpaper - complete with yellow smiley face - free from fanpop.

1) The waving Lucky Cat is cute in a cheesy, kiztchy sort of way: it also appears as part of a huge plot point. You can find this brooch from Laser Jewlery LaCanica on Etsy, £8.27
2) Although the snazzily simple blue-on-white, sans-serifed packaging is nowhere to be found on Floris's website, their Cefiro hand lotion is still available to buy. Floris London, £22.00 
3) This teapot reminds me of the ones Soo Lin Yao is restoring in the opening sequence (which was obviously shot in part of the British Museum. I used to hang out there a lot). You can find it at John Lewis: £9-12.50 Also: Check these super cute mugs you could find to match! From Little Wren Pottery on Etsy.
4) The iconic red paper lanterns from Chinatown make a brief, but memorable appearance in this episode. This print by Myan Soffia would be great way to evoke that. From society6, $39.00 framed.

1) I love that this is the episode where we get our first proper introduction to arch-nemesis Jim Moriarty. These bright-coloured pants would be a great tribute to his first moments on screen. Next, £19
2) These two prints by Matt Waring and Denny Armstrong are great shots of bit of Thamesfront London. It's a less artistic photo than these that clues Sherlock in to the next crime in Moriarty's puzzle. Matt Waring & Denny Armstrong from society6, £15.
3) This episode features a great fight scene in a planetarium. Not knowing too much about decent star projectors, it did take a bit of searching to find something that wasn't quickly discovered to be crap. The twilight turtle is definitely for kids, but it looks to be one of the better projectors out there. On Amazon, $32.95
4) Granted, Carl Powers's shoes in the show were 80s originals, but these Lebron X iDs by Nike do a pretty good job of approximating the old high-top 80s & 90s look. From Nike, £190
5) Though the Vermeer in the episode turns out to be a fake, you could still snag a coffee table book of the artist's work (or some postcards or prints) from London's National Gallery. Shop Art, the National Gallery, £6.99 

Also, a big help for this post was the Sherlockology website. It was great for tracking down some of the props and costume pieces in the show. Want to see any other shows or films show up like this? I'd love to do this sort of thing more often, so do let me know!

Another Running Challenge

I know that I'm already in the beginning stages of amping up my training for the half marathon in March, but having already completed one minor running goal (the #RWRunStreak I did from Thanksgiving to New Year's), I'd like to try another, just to keep myself motivated and add a focus to my running month-to-month.

This is something I found when in the midst of an internet daisy chain. (Internet Daisy Chain n. A period of time spent mindlessly surfing the web where one follows links through Google searches, Wikipedia, blogs, etc. with no specific end point in mind. These can start with serious intent, but quickly devolve into leap frogging from one interesting website/blog to another.) I've been looking for more running-related blogs just to add a new dimension to the things I read every day, as well as to find some additional motivation. That was when I managed to stumble across this post at Mommy Run Fast:

via, Mommy Run Fast

Basically, you commit to run either 5k or 5 miles by the 5th of every month, from January to June. If nothing else, it sets a good precedent for the rest of the month, but they're also giving away prizes!

Since I did that 10-miler with the Husband on New Year's Day, I've already managed my 5 by the 5th for January. Next month, though, I'll have to keep it going and be sure to post in the competition on Mommy Run Fast to see if I can snag myself some awesome swag. You know, in addition to feeling good about myself for keeping up with my running.

Right now, though, E is about to hop up from his nap, so it's time we kitted up and headed to the library for singing time! I may not be running today, but at least I can get in a decent walk with the jogger.

Teethses, Precious...and other things.

After catching sight of the progression of E's baby fangs the other night, we couldn't resist this Hobbit-themed joke:

The holidays finally feel like they're over for us. We took my sister back to the airport on Sunday, E's baby group restarted on Tuesday, I'm officially in the midst of my new running schedule for the Fleet Half, and the last of the Christmas cookies are being slowly devoured with copious amounts of Nutella. (Seriously: speculaas and Nutella: get on that jam ASAP!)

So with the holidays over, and real life at last reasserting itself, I suppose I ought to get to grips with my New Year's resolutions...such as they are. I'm sure I've already pointed out that I'm not really a resolutions sort of gal. I tend to forget about them by Valentine's Day - if I've been particularly virtuous and committed - and go the rest of the year without so much as remembering that I made resolutions; let alone feeling guilty about not keeping them.

Here are a few of the things I'm tentatively committing myself to doing this year: and they all fall under the heading of, "being happier/enjoying my life".

via, Sunkissed Dreams at Tumblr

1) Have painted nails more often. I have plenty of cute colours of nail polish, and I don't wear them nearly enough. If I can mange to keep it from getting chipped after 24 hours, I feel just a little bit more put-together even on days where I don't give my appearance much effort.

via, Preposity at Tumblr

2) Make more time for fun reading: fiction and non-fiction. So far so good on this one: the Husband and I have both committed to having 30 minutes of Book Time before bed on nights when we're in (read: pretty much every night). Once I'm done giving the pithy and eloquent Christopher Hitchens a good read, I think I'll move on to Richard Dawkins's The Selfish Gene, give Elizabeth Cline's Overdressed a once-over, and reacquaint myself with Alexandre Dumas's The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo, for old times's sake. If you have other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

via, my Pinterest

3) Run a half marathon. Technically, this goal came with a caveat attached. When I suggested running a half marathon to the Husband, I stipulated, "I want to do it before we have another baby." Well, since we're not currently incubating Baby Dick #2, I'm on track with this one, so long as I finish the Fleet Half Marathon in March.

via, Design*Sponge (a great post about de-cluttering!)

4) Be more organized. The Husband and I would both like this to happen. We're not quite on the level of being packrats, but we could definitely stand to reduce the amount of clutter in our home. (I could also stand to dust more, but that's a challenge for another day...) We really would like to be the sort of people who legitimately have "a place for everything, and everything in its place". Since we're planning a huge tidy-up for one of the coming weekends, here's hoping it won't be too long before this goal starts to take shape.

via, Google image search

5) Practise more often. I'd love this goal to read "be as good as I was back in college"...but I'm trying to be realistic. I have a kid now, and he takes up quite a lot of my time. Then there's running, keeping a tidy house, errands, friends, church...I know I don't have the time to commit to my talent that I had as an undergrad. As much as I lament that I can't just shut myself away for 2 hours to bash through some Bach or Faure, I love my life now...I just need to work my music into that more than I have to date.

via, Anoushka Matus

6) Spend more time playing & teaching. E is, without a doubt, the best thing I've ever done. Though, obviously, he's far from "done" in any sense of the word. So especially as he develops more and more skills and more of his personality, I want to make sure I'm really actively helping him to become whoever he wants to be. More trips out of the house, more time playing with blocks and stacky cups, and more books read together: that's what I want for him out of this year.

And in the end, all of these things are really just me working towards my ultimate goal:

via, Fox on the Run at Tumblr