Gastric band surgery on Wowcher

So this morning I received my usual daily discount emails from the various sites on offer. One from Wowcher particularly struck me. It is offering a full gastric band procedure and discount. I posted my disgust about it and it sparked a bit of a difference of opinion between a friend and myself.

She sees no problem with it, stating that if people want the surgery then so be it, they’ll seek it out anyway so why not offer it in a deal.

My view is that it’s an awful thing to offer through a commercial discount site. Gastric band surgery is not something to be taken lightly, it’s a major and dangerous procedure which has lifelong implications for the patient. Not to mention those who have no need for the surgery at all buying the voucher and trying to insist the surgeon carries out the procedure as they bought their voucher in good faith.

Cosmetic surgeons are being legislated against to stop them offering discounts on multiple procedures, encouraging a patient to have multiple procedures at once and yet this life changing surgery can be offered on discount alongside spa weekends and a make strip show?

I personally find it shocking and distasteful but do you agree?

Returning to my neglected blog

Well, it’s been some time since I made any entries and I decided it was time for a long overdue catch up and to make a commitment to start writing my blog again. So, what have I been up to in my absence? The answer is a lot!

I lost my job back in April which was terrifying as finding another proved a little on the tricky side. In a fit of boredom I somehow got to looking into the possibility of going back to university and it turned out it was an option. So nervously and excitedly I made my application and crossed my fingers. To my delight I was asked to an interview and got offered a place on the spot! So in a few days I shall be enrolling and embarking upon freshers week at Central School of Speech and Drama where I shall be studying for my BA (Hons) Theatre Practice: Costume Construction. I am beyond thrilled, the prospect that in 3 years I could finally be working in theatre after a few stumbling blocks over the last few years is incredibly exciting. So exciting I’m not even bothered that I’m the only one over 21 on my course!

I have also been up to a few other exciting things, doing my best to keep myself occupied whilst being an unemployed bum.

I broke my rock ‘n’ roll weekender cherry by going to Hemsby in May and had an absolute blast, it was amazing to spend the whole weekend surrounded by people all into the same thing, do some dancing, see some bands and do an awful lot of drinking! It will not be my last weekender that’s for sure.

 

Myself and Bettina Scarlett

I also went to see Garbage on their come back tour. It was like stepping back to my teens, Shirley Manson is as hot and brilliant as I always remembered her.

I dyed my hair, getting rid of the bleached blonde entirely, it’s now a deep purple/pink colour which gets me a lot of compliments and we can never be too short on those. I popped my tattoo cherry at last, I hope it doesn’t take me another 30 years to get more, I have at least 2 or 3 in the planning. Apparently I was very good for a first time sitter!

 

 

 

 

I attended another It’s A Wonderful event, this time a Jubilee celebration which ran all day in two events, both were a hit with fun had by all who attended.

 

 

 

 

Hmm, what else? Oh yes! I went to a Very bloggers event with Diana Vickers, who is lovely but quite fashion referencing illiterate. Lovely singer live too actually.

My most recent escapade has been to see Lady Gaga in concert and all I have to say is wow, she sure knows how to put on a show!

Hair and make-up for Lady Gaga

Finally, I have added a new member to my little furry family. I have adopted a 16 week old semi-feral kitten who I have named Betty Raspberry. She has been with us for a week and is doing brilliantly. She’s still not happy being touched but otherwise is bouncing about like any other kitten would and is hopelessly besotted with my boy cat, Dave. I in turn am totally besotted with her. We have our first trip to the vet on Monday for first round of vaccinations and to see when we can get her in for neutering.

Phew! I think that’s about all for now. If you’re interested in an extended piece on any of the above shenanigans, do let me know, otherwise I shall be back properly with a bit of a beauty review of some products I’ve bought recently and going forward it will be business as usual with some university woes thrown in for good measure no doubt. Now excuse me while I do a light bleach to my roots and touch up the pink!

Self confidence and self image

I’m engaged in a discussion this evening on Facebook. I posted a link to a new fad “diet”, for want of a better word, where women are voluntarily being drip fed to lose weight. That’s right, the last resort for an extreme anorexia nervosa sufferer, the lifeline for the gravely ill or those with other genetic or medical conditions is now being used in our bid to be thin.

It shocks me to my very core that men and women will even consider doing this to themselves but what shocks me more is that a medical practitioner is willing to administer it.

Extreme diets sadden and anger me enough as it is. The quick fix milkshake diets, that shock the body into ketosis, putting the dieter at risk of kidney damage. Of course if someone has success on these diets, however short-term, they’ll likely do it again, yo-yoing up and down, stressing the body and its internal organs all the more each time. Far more dangerous than remaining overweight to a degree.

Why are we as a society not trying to do more to combat this? Am I being over-sensitive in thinking we are placing more and more value on our external appearance to gauge our own self worth?

I really hope that if I ever have children I will be able to pass on a healthy attitude to food and a deep rooted inner confidence that means they won’t ever feel the need to go to extremes of any kind.

I want the aspiration to be healthy, happy, confident and worthy in mind and body. Who’s with me?

Mary Portas, Kinky Knickers and UK manufacturing

Now what I’m about to say may be a bit controversial but I have to say it because it’s been grating on me to the point it may affect my desire to become a customer of certain manufacturers.

For those who may not have seen the latest series by Mary Portas, the general jist is that she secured funding to get 8 trainees into a factory to be trained, get the factory re-opened and hopefully bring back some manufacturing to the UK. She also wanted every single element of the finished product to be British made and produced, from the fabrics used to the packaging and labels. She struck upon the idea of doing knickers and duly named the brand Kinky Knickers. In the end, after a few hurdles and supplier problems, it has been a huge success, in no small part due to the accessible price point of £10, something essential to Mary when competing with a sea of £1 Primark knickers. A luxury item at an affordable price.

During and since there has been quite a mixed response from other UK brands. The vast majority have been supportive and understanding of the aim of show. Aside from giving 8 unemployed people work (now up to 14 I think) and getting a factory reopened, as well as providing income for the whole supply chain, the awareness it has raised has also been monumentally successful.

More people now question where the items they choose to buy have come from and I dare say there may be a few more people willing to pay slightly more to support home grown businesses. It’s something I myself have been doing for some time.

I have noticed, however, an air of bitterness from some. I’m on Twitter, I follow brands I believe in and either buy from or plan to buy from in the future. The way they interact with the public and their “business face” is hugely important to me. I’m from a customer care/client care background and I know exactly the type of service and conversation I want to see from businesses I choose to deal with.

It would seem there are some who have completely missed the point of the show and now, a couple of weeks on, are still engaging in bitter conversation with their followers about “stolen ideas”, how they did it all first, how they are British made too. For me, it feels like they are just throwing all of their toys out of the pram and consequently could be losing more customers than they gain. It is certainly putting me off.

I’d prefer for them to have gently pointed out their view on it, which is actually brilliantly addressed on their website, if their followers take the time to go and read it but it’s coming across as angry and for me, as a customer, I don’t want to deal with an angry company. What if that anger reflects through their business? What if a product I buy ends up having a fault, no uncommon, will I be met with incredulous disbelief that any of their items could be less than perfect?

Mary Portas wanted to draw attention to just how little we produce in this company, how we in the UK, unlike other countries around the world, are mass consumers of cheap clothes from China and Hong Kong. She demonstrated how our lust for cheap consumables has destroyed British manufacturing but she also showed that the upcoming generations are becoming more savvy and wanted to prove it’s possible to have a successful UK made product that people will happily spend the extra on.

I want to like and support as many British manufacturers as I can but I am getting closer and closer to clicking that “Unfollow” button and not buying a product that is a different thing to Kinky Knickers, it’s at a higher price point for a start and I need to be sure I want to spend that money and the ongoing anger and public airing of that anger is making me sad and frustrated as a potential customer.

Reflections and a tribute – remembering dad

Today marks 18 years since my dad decided living wasn’t for him anymore.

Instead of dwelling on the immense sadness that can bring to me, I have decided to remember the happiest half of my childhood. When the family home was taken up by my dads hobbies and family time taken up by mine!

Going over the big bump on the way to Beecraigs too fast so that my head would bump the car roof and my tummy would do a flip. Sitting on Arthur’s Seat, one of my dads favourite places. Singing It’s a Kind of Magic in the car. Trying to persuade him to part with a fig roll from his secret stash in his “workshop”. His magnificent moustache. Going to model railway meets and realising how immensely talented a model maker he was. Giving me my huge love for cats which has in turn grown to a massive passion for all animals.

I didn’t know him well but I am very lucky to have some very happy memories with him. Love you always dad x

My Dad on the right, his brother, my Uncle George, on the left.

Gingerbread stars and hearts, because we’re all stars in our hearts!

I’m doing quite a good line in cheesy/dodgy headlines for my blogs these days……….

Anyway, back to the matter in hand. It’s Good Friday, a day when we should all have a treat of some sort and upon request from one of my readers my treat for today is gingerbread! my recipe is a bit of an adaptation of two or three.

Ingredients:

• 350g plain flour
• 175g soft brown sugar
• 100g butter
• 1 medium egg
• 4 tablespoons golden syrup
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger (this gives a mild taste, add more for a stronger flavour)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Put butter, flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices in a bowl and work with your fingers until almost breadcrumb in texture. Ad the rest of the ingredients, lightly mix through with a fork and then get you hands back in there. press it all together until it begins to feel and look like a crumbly dough. This will feel quite dry but that’s good!

Should look like this

Now turn out onto work surface/large board for rolling.

Push together into as well formed a dough as you can, it will still be a bit crumbly at this stage, don’t panic! Start to roll out, you will notice the edges cracking, just push these back into the dough and continue rolling.

Keep pushing and rolling until about 0.5cm thick, can go a little chunkier if you prefer.

Now cut out with any shaped cookie cutter you like, there are some amazing ones on the market these days. I’ve gone with stars and hearts. When cutting, give the cutter a little wiggle just to ensure you get a clean cut in the dough.

Pop into a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes until golden. Leave a little space as they will spread slightly.

These are the finished product. I warn you, they are delicious, really really yummy!

Let me know if you have a go!

Its Just a Cat.... or is it?

Reblogged from Rescue Tales:

its only a cat...
4 little words that can spark anger and upset into pet lovers. especially feline varieties, the world over.  So what is it about cats?

Most of the time you will hear this phrase they are muttered from a person who has probably never received the 2 way unconditional love of a cat.  These are the people who believe cats are always distant, aloof, lone creatures with no compassion or ideals of companionship.

Read more… 546 more words

Let’s get mashed!

No, not what you might think, no super potent cocktail recipes here!

Rather something a bit more light hearted but still food related.

I’m going to talk to you about mashed potato, that great British tea time staple. Now I know a lot of people who could happily live on a cloud of mash, or at least eat it every day. I however, am not quite so enthusiastic about this food stuff and it falls down the list quite low on my preferred ways to prepare the humble spud. Until an episode of Australian Masterchef some time last year. Revelation. Although it did take me about a year to try the technique!

Tonight I did it for the second time and thought I would just have to share. Now I know what you’re all thinking, how revolutionary can mash be, you just boil the spuds, mash/rice, add butter etc and voila, mash. Right? Oh wrong you are.

This mash is made from baked potatoes. Yup, those spuds we usually lather in cheese and beans with a delicious crispy skin, instead, take that lovely, soft, slow cooked buttery flesh and make mash with it. Save the skins for delicious home made potato skins, chuck them in the fridge for the following evening.

With your baked potato flesh, melt a massively healthy slab of butter in a pan and add your potato, either using a ricer or masher and season to taste. If you’re feeling particularly decadent, add some cream. I guarantee you a smoother, yummier mash than you have ever tasted before. The reason is that the potato is nice and dry when baked and evenly cooked to soft perfection.

One last tip, the variety of potato also makes a massive difference, I recommend King Edwards or Maris Pipers, they’re floury and have a lovely flavour (these are also good roasty spuds).

Now go forth and send yourself to mash heaven!

The New Vintage Look – A unique fashion event!

Have you always wondered about how to create a vintage look without dedicating time, money and knowledge to buying vintage? Maybe you want to see a bit of burlesque but feel a full-on evening would be a bit overwhelming for a first timer? Just curious to meet some of us that dress with more than a nod to eras gone past?

Well, I have got just the evening for you! The fabulous Bettina Scarlett and Sarah Bishop have arranged just such an evening, The New Vintage Look, at the fabulous Proud Cabaret on 10th April, a beautifully decadent venue in the heart of London with more than a little of the feel of a very glamourous speakeasy.

So what’s it all about then? Firstly, it’s a charity event, raising funds for The Royal Brompton and Harefields Hospital Charity but best of all there’s so much going on and so many massive retro reproduction companies involved. Some include Collectif, Miss Fortune, Miss Bamboo, Lady K Loves, Bernie Dexter……..I could go on and on! The there’s hair and make-up by the wonderful Lipstick and Curls and The Vanity Box. But that’s not all, oh no, live music from Knocksville and a burlesque performance from the delectable Miss Tempest Rose it’s going to be a hell of a night!

Tickets are just £12, available here, so what better way to get dressed up for some midweek fun, to those new to vintage and reproduction and to those deeply immersed in it.

I hope to see you there in your finest!

The Vivien of Holloway Experience

Now there’s not many people who have a thing for repro that don’t know about Vivien of Holloway. In fact, it’s one of the few brands kicking out into the mainstream with many a bride, bridesmaid, school leaver or normal woman on the street going there for their special occasion dresses. The full circle dresses are their most well known piece, exuding glamour and being seen on many a red carpet! I myself knew about VoH long before I decided to go feet first into overhauling my look into something more retro. I would regularly browse the website, dreaming of the things I’d one day buy.

And then I did! I have now shopped both online and in store

Online:

The thing I love about VoH is they put the actual measurements of the garments online. They use vintage sizing so unless you’re used to buying vintage you may not immediately know your size. By using the measurements and not the sizes online you can be confident of getting the right size (not full proof but as near as dammit). Just remember no to get a shock when you look at the size label when it arrives!

So I went for the indigo tartan pencil skirt as my very first purchase, finally shaking off the trauma of my school uniform containing a tartan kilt (Lyndsey, if anyone is interested). Something to add to my winter wardrobe, teamed with thick tights, chunky knits and my ever trusty brogues.

I was a little bit bigger when I got it and really I overestimated the size, it has always been a little on the larger size but at the time the size smaller would have been too snug (no stretch). They are beautifully made, two darts at the waist front and back, split at the back for movement. I’ve had a few pencil skirts in my time and I have a large bum and hips, splits seem to always split further than they should with strain, not so the VoH skirts, all seams perfectly intact even under extreme pressure.

For my second purchase/s I decided on a last minute Christmas Eve dash to the store. I am so glad I did! The staff are gorgeous and friendly, there if you need them, leaving you be if you prefer and always ready with a compliment or two!

I went in mostly intending to get a dress for Christmas day and in the end I opted for the Runaround Sue in strawberry print. Now this dress is rather clever. Nips in at the waist, has a slightly wider shoulder line to balance out the hips and the pleats which give the skirt a little volume are on the front, the back of the skirt has no pleating at all, very flattering on the larger bottom! I also like the longer length, I didn’t have to worry about it flying up revealing my knickers on a windy day but it still has a hint of cleavage for a bit of sexiness. I wear this dress to work a lot, for winter it’s been thick tights, chunky knitted cardigan and brogues Now the sun is making an appearance it will be bare legs, cute flats or wedges and a light cardigan.

While in store I thought I’d may as well try on the smaller sized pencil skirt to see if it fit and chose the gorgeous grey sparkly one. Well, one “witwoo” from an enthusiastic sales assistant and who was I to resist. This one was on the very snug side and though I’ve lost a little bit of my winter weight now, unfortunately the seam strain, all my own doing, is clear for all to see! That being said there are no ripped seams, which brings me back to the point about quality of construction. There is no stretch in either of these skirts, this one has been under extreme pressure, I expected there to be the possibility of some seam tears but there have been none. Very impressed.

Again, this skirt got me through winter, chunky tights, brogues and heavy knits. Now summer is here I can lighten it up and carry on wearing to the office.

Dave insisted in getting in on the modeling act......

Overall I recommend Vivien of Holloway to anyone and if you can, make the trip to the shop, it’s so worth it and there are lots of goodies you won’t find online too.