Photo-time!

My camera has really had it, how does a digi-cam break exactly? Rude.

Here are a few salvageable ones...



The Man in Cathy's camper van...



The lovely Cathy being a gorgeous glamazon...



Me and Kelpy - how gorgeous is that dog? Need to work on persuading The Man to get a dog...



This is author-dude Anthony Horowitz - what a great tan?!



Edinbro castle - pretty.



Th Edinbro tattoo - nope, it's not a permanent ink marking, it's a marching band extravaganza!



I LOVE Andy Warhol so was totes beside myself with excitement to discover that there was a killer AW exhibition in the city - it's on 'til October and I highly recommend it, forget the film Factory Girl - this is the REAL deal!

Did you miss me?

I've been on my holi-holi-days - 8 blissful days with The Man Scot Side - it was every kind of awesome!

For the first part of our hols we stayed with uber-cool author girl and my ah-mazing friend Cathy Cassidy and her fam, she has a teeppee in her garden, and I was all about channeling Pocohontas, but it was totes waterlogged when we arrived, so while I was totally ready to work the whole outdoors look, luckily, I didn't have to! Cathy lives virtually a miilion, trillion miles form anywhere which is a big culture shock for a city chick like myself, but what her super-cute li'l village may lack in shops, it more than makes up for with a freakin' fabulous cake shop - a slice of 'Sophie's Sin' is like heaven right here on earth - my mouth is watering just thinking about it - I think that's the absolute real reason why Cathy lives there, damn it, I'd up and move there tomorrow if I could eat a slice of that each day - yum!

Cathy's son and daughter gave The Man and I the total 101 on My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and Aiden - I now feel totally confident that, if there were an exam in any of these 3 bands, I would most deffo pass! I am now crushing hard on MCR front man Gerard Way - I'm a totes sucker for a boy in eyeliner.

Cathy is such an uber-rockstar that when we arrived, she was having a photoshoot for a big swanky newspaper! We got to tag along in her pimped out camper van and walked her dog in the gorgeous Scottish countryside while she was papped for over 2 hours - being a superstar is not as glam as it looks y'know, the pappster had Cathy kneeling in mud surrounded by mossies while being asked to look totally natural. Cathy had not had the benefit of watching a whole million episodes of American/Britain's Next Top Model like my good self, but I did pass on words of wisdom from both Tyra AND Lisa - I'm sure Cathy'll be thankful for my 'everything I know, I learnt from ANTM' insider knowledge when she sees the results!

After a much-needed chill out in the countryside, The Man and I headed to the festival city of Edinbro - the place was heaving, it was increds!
What The Man had failed to mention was that our acommodation was in John o' blimmin' Groats - slight exaggeration, but it was at least two miles from the train station and he made me walk, yes, walk with my filled-to-the-brim pink pull-along suitcase AND my weekend bag over one shoulder ALL the way.
I was not feelin' love for The Man at that point.
When we arrived though, I instantly forgave him coz it was beee-youuu-tiful.
I'm fickle like that.

Our time in Edinbro was a lot about the book fest where The Man and I went to workshops and listened to author types speaking about... well, books, we went to see some fab fringe events but my most favouritist thing was The Man surprising me with tix to The Military Tattoo - don't laugh, I'm a total marching band FREAK!
If I haven't bored you with the story previously, I used to play snare drum in a marching band throughout teen hood and it was the best time of my ENTIRE life - LOVED it, so The Man, rather sweetly completely indulged me with a whole evening filled with 'em! The best bit was the amazing all girl marching band from Tawain - they LOOKED and SOUNDED increds - I'm gonna try and find them on the interpipe for you - you'll just die at their immense kawaii cuteness...

Other highlights included deelish yummy Italian food at Bar Napoli - if you're in Edinbro, seek it out, really reasonable and soo yum! The Man and I blagging our way into a v.swanky publishing dinner at a riddiculously posh restaurant, we were dining with the likes of the author of 'Life of Pi' and fab new author Alice Kuipers whose book 'Life on A Refrigerator Door' I totes recommend! The Man and I were totally blagging our way through the whole evening - we really can't be trusted at such events, I mean look what happened last time, I practically dry-humped Gok Wan!

I did take pix of the whole Scot-side adventure but camera is on last legs, will try and make them viewable vay soon. Next pay cheque I am deffo going to treat myself to a brand-spankin' new camera, then I will become a complete art girl and this blog will become a totes pix and word festival of fabulousness!!

I'm now back and have spent today doing my accounts - yawnsville - being a freelancer means you have to do all your own accounts - boo, I've been doing it to the sounds of Kate Nash and Kanye West which has made it just about bearable, and I've told myself I'm allowed to read the big pile of fabulous glossies I bought from the newsie this morning when I'm finished - yay!

Before all that I'm gonna watch the cast of HSM2 on Richard and Judy - does anyone know when it premieres on the TV? So wanna see it! Am also counting the days 'til Ugly Betty Season 1 is available on DVD, CANNOT WAIT!

How rude is the weather?

I was meeting my fabulous-o friend Cordelia - mucho talented author girl and queen of all things goddess-like from Glasto - in the very sweet locale of Salisbury today. We'd planned a day of sunshine-filled tea sippin', girly chats, work-related butt kickin' (we're both freelance girls, y'see) and a road trip to Stonehenge - I've never been and always wanted to go - 'cept it was blimmin' raining.

Rain was not in the plan.

I did a sun dance and everything. Turns out I'm not so good at that, because it rained, then rained, then rained a bit more.

I like rain, but I like it when I'm in my house, on my sofa, watching DVDs.
Not, when I've got a sunshine-summer day planned. Still, we were girls on a mission, and despite delayed trains, broken mobiles, broken umbrellas, lost car parking tickets and crazy, crazy amounts of rain - all things that would have had lesser girl types thinking 'this is so a bad idea, let's just re-schedule for later in the week' - we had the most fun two girls could possibly have! We sipped tea at the Cathedral tea shop, chatted A LOT, butt-kicked each other to do the things we've been finding scary and then took a road trip to Stonehenge.
Yep, Stonehenge in the rain.
Hah! We laugh in the face of you, mister weather!

Stonhenge, if you haven't been, is the most mystical and magical of places - it was increds.
See, I'm not all about the shops and shoes, you know!

Check out the pics - I'm not a practical girl and despite the fact it was pouring with rain when I left the house this morning, I didn't think to go back for a coat. I didn't think to stick a brush in my stupidly huge bag.
I didn't think, quite frankly.
Which is why I'm at The 'henge with a bright blue bag, pink accessories and totally impractical trainers while everyone else is working the correct wet-weather attire, still, I like to think I'm bringin' a touch of glam-girl-fabulousness to The 'henge...




Cordelia and I - windswept chic!



The 'Henge and me!



The 'henge - it's all kinds of beautiful and magical - I didn't want to leave!



Cordelia, The 'henge and I

Like I'm not the luckiest lady in lucksville... As if one bag of fabulousity wasn't enough, The Man's mum has bought me this...




Cute, cute, cute. I am now totes spoilt for arm adornement - who knew that things of such prettiness could actualy be practical too?

Look at this adoreable treat I bought myself for...well, just being me really!

It was £25 and I got it for £8!



Now, my bank balance is currently in a shockin' state of affairs, but if you're reading mister accountant - which I doubt you are coz you're all about the numbers, but if you are, I can completely justify my purchase - it's super huge which means I'll use less carrier bags therefore saving the environmentals, I can get my laptop in there which makes it a work bag and it's also perfecto for a flight bag and as I'm going on two flights in the next four months, it's already paid for itself!

It's APPRECIATION WEDNESDAY!

So, today, on this sun-shine-filled Wednesday of fabulousness, the things I'm muchos appreciating are:

My sale shoes from Office.
I mean, look at 'em, don't tell me you've not just fallen in love because quite
frankly, I won't believe you!



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Friends.
I know that's like crazy-vague, but I'm quite possibly the luckiest lady in the world to attract the bestest friends, EVAH.


Hairspray
I went to see it AGAIN last night with some of my most favourite of friends: Miss Sally, Lou, Lydia and Lorraine and a much loved new addition to my world, Stoo, who is technically The Man's friend, but I've nicked him because he has a limited edition series 1 and 2 boxset of Jem, I know, you'd nick him as your mate too, right?



We had the best time and today I am all about channeling my inner Tracy Turnblad - LOVE her. LOVE her moves. LOVE her voice. Especially LOVE the fact that if I ACTUALLY were TT I would get to smooch Lake Larkin and have him jump on my bed singing 'bout how much he loves me. Sigh.

Grapes
They're the new chocolate y'know.


Shampoo
No, not the wash-your-hair kind - the 90's girl duo who are my total fail-safe, butt-kick in music form!



Yesterday, before going out I wasn't rockin' the confidence 100% and no matter how much I tried tunin' into my inner Think Pink soundtrack, the dial kept getting stuck on glum. That was 'til I put Shampoo on my ipod, put on my ridiculously HUGE headcans and rocked out in my office for half hour.
Forget the Spice Girls, these girls are what girl power is all about. Insta-feel-good-fabulousness. AND they wore the coolest, kitsch accessories - Shampoo, where are you?!!

What are you appreciating this Wednesday?

I am feeling positively virtuous as I type.

Why?

Well, I've done a 3km walk this mornin' who knew fundraising was so hard? Not only do you have to pester people to sponsor you on a near daily basis - have you sponsored me yet? If not, go do it now please and you'll be put in a draw for some killer prizes - you give, you receive, what's not to love about that?! - See? But I also have to complete 13 blimmin' miles of walking!


I now have officially 3 months 'til Walk New York - in that 3 months, I need to:
* Get fit - I can do 5 miles without too much trouble but I need to try 13 miles in one day at least twice to make sure I can actually do it!

* Lose weight - My doc has told me I need to lose some poundage for health reasons - far too icky to go into the deets - so while I plan NEVER, EVER to lose my curves, I do like the idea of being a bit nicer to myself inside and out, plus I do enjoy and excuse to channel the kids from Fame by wearing my matching pink headband and wristband ensemble!

* Save me some pennies - because I plan on getting round quickly enough that I'll be able to eat cupcakes with the boys from Fred Flare, see a show and do the SATC bus tour with the gorgeous Keris AND do enough shopping to fill a suitcase before my flight home - I'm guessing I might miss out on the whole sleeping thing, but sleeping in New York seems somewhat wasteful when there's so much amazingness to see and do, right?


D'ya know, I was up so early this morning that there were people still lying on the beach from the night before! I felt crazy days old, as I can remember doing that A LOT when I was in my late teens. Sigh.

I've even done some manual labour in the garden, The Man had me fillin' bin bags with garden-like nonsense - sometimes I really think he forgets I'm a princess.
I don't know how it happens, he must have a really, really bad goldfish-type memory or something, but whatever the reason, it is not helpful, because when I remind him, he accuses me of being a diva. I tell him that being a diva, the pink-thinkin' kind of course, is a good thing, however, he is not convinced, and continues to insist that even though I am an author-girl with two ridiculously beautiful books on sale nationwide, I am not above helping him with the garden.

I have A LOT of work to do.
I am saving for his enrollment in boyfriend school as I type.
Boyfriend school would be run by the fabulous Swanks, who is the absolute go-to boy for present-buying, event-organising, attention to detail and surprisingly,is very knowledgeable in all things princess-like, every girl should have a Swanks in their life, and every boy should take lessons from him, it should be the law or something.

Hairspray!

I've FINALLY seen it.

I LOVE it.

I want to see it again immediately.

From Tracy's first number "Welcome to Baltimore" I was wanting to dance in my seat.
I bet if I'd watched it in the Americanos they'd have been up and dancing! (The Man and I always go to the cinema when we go to the Americanos 'coz they clap and whoop and get really involved - I love that!)

I heart Tracy Turnblad!
Nicky is my new fave inspiro- girl, with moves that would put any skinny minny to shame, a killer voice and a fabulous-o actress!
Zac Affron was dee-vinely cheesy and totes easy on the eye, Queen Latifah was increds, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!
I've just ordered my soundtrack so I can Hairspray my life up via the ipod anywhere I go! I hope it comes soonest, gonna wait by the post box 'til it comes!

I have nothing else to report people of fabulousity, due to the fact I've been working, hard!