small things

Monday 22 February 2010

2010-02-22T23:59:00.000Z

Wrangling sheets - bed linen and paper.
Chips and flatmate company for tea.
Fresh pitta, freezer restocked.
Catching up before the day is over.
Taking refuge behind my ipod.

Sunday 21 February 2010

2010-02-21T23:59:00.000Z

A fry-up and crossword for breakfast.
Bradley's Spanish Bar, finally.
Backhanded compliments - all good, I think.
Good conversation and great company.
Dressing like a 16 year old boy.

Saturday 20 February 2010

2010-02-20T23:59:00.001Z

A new frock (size six and purple!). Oh so lady-like.
A West London lunch avec ma soeur. A patisserie valerie croque monsieur and earl grey.
Quiet at home.
Green sauce.
Coffee and spring air on the balcony.

Friday 19 February 2010

2010-02-19T23:59:00.001Z

Homemade Mexican food on the sitting room floor.
White beer.
Compliments in the changing room.
A cashmere cardigan, light as a cloud. (Sadly, expensive as diamonds).
Stumbling up the stairs in the half light, heading to bed like a homing pigeon.

Thursday 18 February 2010

2010-02-18T23:59:00.000Z

Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester. Oh, so delicious and oh, so refined.
Frock shopping.
They've significantly improved the 5th Floor bar at Waterstones. Hoorah.
Bringing a 'vintage' handbag back to life.
Good news in my inbox.

Wednesday 17 February 2010

2010-02-17T23:59:00.000Z

Pottering in the kitchen - handmade mushroom ravioli. Tasty.
Living and working in a place that I can just stop in at Chinatown on the way home. No big deal.
A kinderbueno!
Stripey paperclips. Simple pleasures.
Cushions, blanket, sleeeep.

Tuesday 16 February 2010

2010-02-16T23:59:00.000Z

Taking refuge from the rain with wine, pizza and talk of sofas (and other less civilised things).
A new book - bought in 2008, started today. I love the fact that I can place when and where I bought every single book I own.
Being benched early, to my benefit.
Breton stripes.
A handroll on the hop. Mmm - prawns and avocado.

Monday 15 February 2010

2010-02-15T23:59:00.000Z

Muddling around with the gang in Soho, culminating in musical antics.
A supper solution.
A raised eyebrow in response to untoward advances. Point proven.
Genuine and uncontrollable laughter at the revelation of my plans. Hmm.
La Hartwell's irrepressible good humour.

Sunday 14 February 2010

2010-02-14T23:59:00.000Z

Job done.
I'm now in possession of my very own 'professional thinning shears'. Potentially a recipe for disaster, I suspect.
Haggis and clapshot. Oodles of the stuff.
The Bell Jar. A good book.
Catching the last tube back out of town. Victory!

Saturday 13 February 2010

2010-02-13T23:59:00.000Z

Good art, good company. Can't beat a show with Hiorns, Hamilton and Hopper all together.
A beautifully packaged 1950s board game, with fab career options - uranium mining, moon-exploration, 'big business' and Hollywood.
Gentle teasing.
A man in DMs. It's a good look.
Ice cream and a mug of black coffee for breakfast. Shameful? I'm not so sure.

Friday 12 February 2010

2010-02-12T23:59:00.000Z

The Millennium Bridge after dark. Always a pleasure.
Trapeze flying as a mutual interest. Can't be very often that circus arts are used successfully to smooth social intercourse.
Reading on the tube on the way home.
A Southbank evening - Tate, BFI, Oxo Tower.
Victory over the sofa of doom.

Thursday 11 February 2010

2010-02-11T23:59:00.000Z

Finding perfect gloves (cashmere!) in the paltry selection, having dashed into M&S in sheer blue fingered desperation.
An appointment at the police station.
I'm a big fan of a reine panini.
Learning dexterity.
Blitzing a chore I'd not quite been able to get my head around.

Wednesday 10 February 2010

2010-02-10T23:59:00.000Z

A night off, indulging in domesticity and catching up with the boys.
This week's wardrobe theme appears to be a 1980s Edward Gorey mashup. I'm quite enjoying it - stripes, dead doll hair and converse.
A walk around the block at lunch time.
Clear bright blue light reflecting off the balcony into the bedroom. Quickly replaced by pea-sized hailstones - but a mere flash of spring helped me clamber out from between the sheets.
Coffee, coffee, coffee.

Tuesday 9 February 2010

2010-02-09T23:59:00.000Z

Poor behavior noted. It's not just me!
Revealing the point of private views.
Pretending to be a football aficionado.
A man in a fantastic red coat.
An impromptu catch up.

Monday 8 February 2010

2010-02-08T23:59:00.000Z

The slippery slide between gently tipsy and crazy drunk.
A packet of hula hoops waiting for me at home.
Sartorial advice.
Meddling in love lives.
So many blogs full of pretty design things. I want, I need, I lust.

Sunday 7 February 2010

2010-02-07T23:59:00.000Z

Good views with good company in a dubious pub.
Popcorn, popcorn.
Rocking the converse.
A full house.
The minor sense of achievement that accompanied clearing out the bathroom cabinet. So many empty toothpaste tubes!

Saturday 6 February 2010

2010-02-06T23:59:00.000Z

Erm. I cut my own hair, with dressmaking scissors. It's not bad.
A Holloway day.
New stripes.
Scenes from Sons and Lovers.
Midnight pizza, with avocado and a slight sense of shame.

Friday 5 February 2010

2010-02-05T23:59:00.000Z

Sleeping and sleeping and sleeping while the house was spring cleaned.
New books, bought and consumed at a pace.
Weekday dim sum, with the requisite 'smiley' service. I love indoctrinating new people to the joys of little dumplings.
Breakfast on the balcony in bright sunlight.
Beautiful cinematography. I want to be lit in graphic black and white.

Thursday 4 February 2010

2010-02-04T23:59:00.000Z

Giving a beautiful chair to someone who appreciates the beauty. Hee!
Good curry.
Learning about photography in the British Library.
Wardrobe foresight paid off.
Bar hopping and quiz machines on Upper Street.

Wednesday 3 February 2010

2010-02-03T23:59:00.000Z

Secret squirrel behaviour.
A bag of hot and salty chips on the front door step.
Catching up with la Hartwell.
A late night log fire.
I'm a convert to the joy of a sheepskin rug. So soft and warm.

Tuesday 2 February 2010

2010-02-02T23:59:00.000Z

Spot on timing for an early morning meeting.
An interesting professional lead.
Accidental frolicking in the comfortable standard of Le Beaujolais.
My faith in the police has been cemented. Good follow up.
My own bed, two nights in a row. Hoorah!

Monday 1 February 2010

2010-02-01T23:49:00.000Z

A big pot of chili with doritos.
Photos marking the end of an era on the balcony, with views across Westminster.
More hyacinths. Spring is a-comin', and January is dead.
Pretty purple underwear.
A croissant on the way to work.

Sunday 31 January 2010

2010-02-01T00:20:00.003Z

Good music and good company in the Nags Head.
Cocoa pops.
Secretly tinkering in the attic space. (Confidential to the owner of the attic space: don't even think about looking for Timmy up there.)
A 7am scuttle to bed was made much sweeter by a glimpse of clear sky, streaked with flaming reds and oranges as dawn broke.
Dozing on a sheepskin rug.

Saturday 30 January 2010

2010-01-30T23:59:00.001Z

A surfeit of oysters and champagne, followed by a swift perusal of Time Out and a dash to the movies.
A bag strong enough to repel a ne'er-do-well.
Gossiping with a rarely seen friend in the north, over coffee with cinnamon sticks.
Lovely things in lovely Liberty. Oh, sweet lust.
A boy with kind eyes, sensible advice and a bottle of wine to make it all better.

Friday 29 January 2010

2010-01-29T23:59:00.000Z

Cheesy wotsits for breakfast. Filth. FILTH. Am ashamed.
Home, quickly. A smart decision.
Oversharing underneath a patio heater.
Good news from the smallest Pickard.
Another log fire in the Pineapple.

Thursday 28 January 2010

2010-01-28T23:59:00.001Z

Doodling with a new pen on a new pad.
Bath, pesto pasta, bed.
A pret egg and tomato sandwich on the way to the office. First one in a long time.
Giving into just five more minutes curled up in bed, despite the sounds of the amazon echoing through the heating and the helicopters circling overhead.
Discovering a likeminded soul in the pub.

Wednesday 27 January 2010

2010-01-27T23:59:00.000Z

A gift of mascara.
An evening of clever conversation, science and champagne.
Nibbling Artisan du Chocolate chocolates and tangerines in front of the fire.
Catching the DLR from Greenwich to Canary Wharf. Love it.
I think I'm developing a strange affection for Liverpool.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

2010-01-26T23:59:00.000Z

A new phone. Back in communication (though, lesson learned: must stop dropping belongings).
Soothing my grump with solitude and a bath.
Sliding out in the middle of the day for a walk and a talk.
Talking about boys in the canteen. Sometimes, I wonder if I've moved on at all from being fourteen.
Sporting my new favourite necklace.

Monday 25 January 2010

2010-01-25T23:59:00.001Z

Payday. Hoo-fucking-rah!
Shorts! Relatedly, realising that this month's wardrobe theme seems to be the circus. I think this is a good thing?
An impromptu theatre trip.
Plotting a chart from sober to dead, via steaming, buzzed, wasted and giddy (and some...). Gotta love a project manager on a mission.
Bittersweetly, realising I'll never steal a gherkin again. Pro: Synchronicity. Con: I'll never steal a gherkin again.

Sunday 24 January 2010

2010-01-24T23:59:00.000Z

Robert Downey Jr. is hot. Very enjoyable.
Having somewhere to turn when the water is shut off. Fortuitously, it came on just before I left the house - having left the shower open. Nothing like the sound of a phantom bather to make you realise the error of your ways.
Clean sheets and a clean boy.
Jeans. So warm. (Though, note to self: bare feet and ballet pumps is NOT suitable January attire.)
Breakfast overlooking the garden.

Saturday 23 January 2010

2010-01-23T23:59:00.000Z

Toast and marmalade.
RUNNING around the block. Concomittantly, getting the giggles as I RAN around the block.
Broccoli rabe and parma ham. Not bad for a fridge meal.
Indolence.
Reading The Economist in the bath. Damply intellectual.

Friday 22 January 2010

2010-01-22T23:59:00.001Z

A vodka gimlet. Turns out, good vodka is quite nice - perhaps the self-imposed ban of nine years can be relaxed?
A house full of people.
Give up yer aul sins.
Corralling excel to meet my demands.
A unicorn on my cardigan.

Thursday 21 January 2010

2010-01-21T23:59:00.000Z

Slinking back home to curl up in the warm, cooking up a storm.
A panini with mushrooms. Controversial.
Olive oil and conditioner, overnight? Works though.
A great new joke.
The pleasure of finding a good gift (I hope!).

Wednesday 20 January 2010

2010-01-20T23:59:00.001Z

Bisto gravy for lunch. Filth. Fab.
Wrangling nail varnish on the tube - seems like such a bad idea to pour from one bottle to the other on moving transport, but no harm done.
Picking up Paul Auster again.
A little whiskey before bed.
This year's hyacinth is growing at a pace.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

2010-01-19T23:59:00.000Z

An hour long conversation with my Ma, whilst sitting (having ordered nothing) in the McDonalds by TCR. Any port in a storm?
Frites and peppercorn sauce, unexpectedly.
The moment at which we realised we were in the wrong place.
Waking up to find that a) I'd been covered in a duvet and b) I hadn't taken anyone's eye out in the process.
People-watching at the French House, for the second night in a row.

Monday 18 January 2010

2010-01-18T23:59:00.000Z

Laughter at my unexpected perch, glass in hand, on the sofa, rather than curled up between the sheets.
Meeting someone who recognises the signs of a Stein shut down.
Talk of books over red wine in the French House.
Oh. My. God. Has anyone seen that dating programme where the girls pick the boy? It's so horrifically bad, I couldn't stop watching. I feel like an adequate human being having seen what's out there. Gah.
An email from a friend resurfacing from a whole heap of stress.

Sunday 17 January 2010

2010-01-17T23:59:00.000Z

Smoked mackerel and crushed flageolet beans. Tasty garlicky goodness, followed by a cream bun.
The birds were singing their little hearts out when I popped to the shop to get the papers. It felt positively spring-like outside.
Revamping a pair of pink suede shoes - now a midnighty black black. (As are my fingers.)
Beginning the challenge that is tidying my desk. I'm in for the longhaul, but I got rid of some bags of stuff.
A postcard through my door, featuring Skate Moss.

Saturday 16 January 2010

2010-01-16T23:59:00.000Z

A Saturday night date. Quite a successful one at that.
Pancakes for breakfast.
Spreading the joy of magic tricks and shithead at 3 in the morning.
Warming my sodden feet in front of a roaring log fire in the Pineapple. (Relatedly, discovering that it's actually only 10 minutes walk from my front door.)
Coming home to a big pot of chili, consumed with poppadums picked up on the way.

Friday 15 January 2010

2010-01-15T23:59:00.000Z

I think I might love Henry Rollins. He's electrifying.
Scrambling around, in dusty half light, on the back stage of a theatre that hadn't been used in 20 years.
Scones and tea at a meeting in a 1930s wood panelled office.
No room at the inn(s) resulted in champagne and pizza at 2am. Hee!
I love London the most from the middle of a bridge in the dark.

Thursday 14 January 2010

2010-01-14T23:59:00.001Z

Mutual recognition after years.
The adrenaline rush of working an event.
Hash browns muddled through soup for my tea.
I made a hair thing. It’s held together with superglue. I may have had to pull superglue from my hair, having tried it on too quickly.
A child of darkness reference. Always a winner.

Wednesday 13 January 2010

2010-01-13T23:59:00.000Z

Googling the ugliest footballers. Oh, my eyes.
Enchiladas and casual stereoptyped hate. The perfect sidedish.
A new purse. So vintage looking, and quite purple.
Finding my perfume, in a larger size, reduced not once but twice, and then again at the till point, making the big bottle significantly cheaper than the small bottle.
A black cat on Stavordale Road.

Tuesday 12 January 2010

2010-01-12T23:59:00.000Z

A new pub, passed many times on the way home (A Sam Smiths to boot).
Leaving at the right time.
Paintings.
Curious options for guide animals. Squirrels? Flies?
A second round of beer. Thank god. Very inappropriate to run out at a private view.

Monday 11 January 2010

2010-01-11T23:59:00.000Z

A squirrel with a walnut in Russell Square. Whuh?
I'm a little sparkly cloud of greyness today.
Sitting on the floor with a pillow between my back and the radiator. Just like revising for my GSCEs, many years ago. All I needed was a parent shouting at me because I'll take the radiator off the wall. Oh so warm though.
An indecent proposal.
Reading half a book at my desk, illicitly. I work in literature, so it's almost justifiable, right?

Sunday 10 January 2010

2010-01-10T23:59:00.000Z

Cocktail hour at Skylon with a glamorous auntie, a Tom Selleck a-like and the middle Pickard. Fun.
A vast collection of sauces and dishes accumulated between us and the encroachers on our shared table. A small fort was constructed, lined with defenses of dead eyed polite smiles.
Quiet domesticity before the end of the day.
The way my big grey scarf smells when it's just been washed.
My ipod ran out of juice just as I took my keys out of my pocket to get in the house. Nice timing.
A big mug of Barrys tea.

Saturday 9 January 2010

2010-01-09T23:59:00.000Z

A couple of hours in Tate Britain and the pub with a funny friend, on the spur of the moment. Walking through the snow from the Tate, past the Houses of Parliament, was far too remininscent of a Turner for anyone's good (and certainly far too cold and wet for my good). Still a thrill, despite quotidian familiarity.
The joy that is spending an evening with a man clad in a wrinkle-free M&S shirt.
Messing with the youth of Shoreditch. Did you hear that story? In the Ham and High? About that guy who died... and the hearse? Hours of fun and games.
Cherry red and red cherries.
The small things thing has gone analogue.

Friday 8 January 2009

2010-01-08T23:59:00.000Z

A morass of deep-fried Dutch barsnacks. Taste of my childhood. Also, fritesaus!
An affectionate rub of my sleeping head.
The Big Red, the Big Red!!
A good streetfind - a (slightly grubby) large green mousemat in the shape of an M.
Buttons down my spine.

Thursday 7 January 2010

2010-01-07T23:59:00.001Z

Not one but two compliments on my very frivolous shiny red wellies as I trudged through the slush.
A new brooch, NOT named Horace. Very definitively not named Horace. Thanks for that, Helen.
A sofa crammed full of smiley faces, waving at me.
A pavlovian response to music that took me right back to Chicagos. Sound of my youth, makes me smile.
Hotwater bottle on my feet, right now - as I type this. What more could I ask for?

Wednesday 6 January 2010

2010-01-06T23:59:00.001Z

Being indulged in my very bad behaviour. Turns out, I need to be walked like a small and restless labrador puppy. Snow days aren't good for me, or those around me.
A gaggle of cheeky chappies in the pub. Got to love men who talk excusively in cliches and epithets.
Highgate Village in the snow. So very pretty.
Dominoes. Another game for which to learn machiavellian tactics (or, as the dear departed Jade would have said, tictacs).
Filthmongery.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

2010-01-05T23:59:00.000Z

Pottering in the kitchen, while Ellie slaved over a hot laptop in the other room. A precursor to our domestic bliss of the future, perhaps?
Mushroom soup and bacon butties with an erstwhile ersatz Antipodean.
A new coffee place. A victory three times over: finding this fab new place my companion had been too; realising it was a place that I'd been meaning to go for ages; and, very good coffee.
Being very, very silly.
Such pretty snow - the Whitehall Park conservation area (!) looks like a gingerbread town.

Monday 4 January 2009

2010-01-04T23:59:00.000Z

The illicit giddiness that accompanies a holiday in London, while the rest of the world returns to the grindstone.
Impromptu dim sum.
Parkhurst offices.
A familiar face judged a photography prize. Relatedly, it's such a pleasure to have the time to pop into galleries.
Sliding into bed to find a sleepy body.

Sunday 3 January 2010

2010-01-03T23:59:00.001Z

Tea and carrot sticks in Highbury.
Reading and reading and reading.
Swingers on the sofa (the movie, not the proclivity).
Waking up tangled between lavender-scented sheets.
Fortuitous bus timing that allowed me to keep all my extremities.

Saturday 2 January 2010

2010-01-02T23:59:00.000Z

Fish chowder for tea, brought to the door.
Indulgence in chocolate. Ill advised and filthy. Tasty though.
Chattering to the man at the Archway bookstall. He appreciated my literary tastes. Relatedly, new books! (It's a sickness. Can't. Stop.)
Hibernation.
Popcorn and za'atar.

Friday 1 January 2010

2010-01-01T23:59:00.000Z

Crossing Archway Bridge, in bright crisp sunshine. The start of a good new year's day walk (complete with squaky voiced impressions of all the smug marrieds, to the delight of my companion).
Card tricks and cider.
Sweet nothings, underscored by accusations of danger.
Nachos. Very good nachos.
Three flukey but perfectly timed wins at snap. I'll take the small victories where I can.

Thursday 31 December 2009

2009-12-31T23:59:00.003Z

A sky full of burning lanterns, silently soaring at midnight, soundtracked by drunken roars of Auld Lang Syne from a balcony across the way. A good start to 2010.
Catching up with a much missed friend, on a flying visit back from the southern hemisphere. Coffee, coffee, prosecco - a liquid lunch in style.
Hucking a pile of oysters. Fiesty wee beasts.
Sporting a new harlotty frock. First outing after opening the christmas package. Thanks Ma.
Resoundly whupping the boy's ass at cards. Satisfying.

Wednesday 30 December 2009

2009-12-30T23:59:00.000Z

A smile through the window as I walked up the road.
Red wine and ham croquettes in the Landseer.
Ted's photography, in two forms.
Bacon butties and Take That for lunch.
My bed, together.

Tuesday 29 December 2009

2009-12-29T23:59:00.000Z

Plotting a meal of celebration, including caviar and confit and champagne and chocolate, followed by Harry Potter.
New pillows.
Singing along to Rent.
Sitting on the floor by the aga. Home sweet home.
I think I might love Girls Aloud.

Monday 28 December 2009

2009-12-28T23:59:00.000Z

A Bicester day. A successful Bicester day.
Cantucci and dessert wine for tea.
Styling up the cape.
David Attenborough's Life. Fab.
Rousing chords as we drove through the cutout of the M4.

Sunday 27 December 2009

2009-12-27T23:59:00.000Z

Fun with a tape measure. 'Measure my nose, measure my nose!'
Rescuing Katy from the fate of braised cabbage.
Shithead on the plane.
Making blini to have with champagne and smoked salmon back at the ranch.
Such a comfortable bed.

Saturday 26 December 2009

2009-12-26T23:59:00.000Z

Roast potatoes and coffee for breakfast, with a side of newspaper quiz page. Breakfast of champions.
Hours and hours of parlour games.
A late night wander through Oldmeldrum, with everything sparkling in the moonlight.
Sherry and trifle.
Silly silly jokes.

Friday 25 December 2009

2009-12-25T23:59:00.001Z

A family affair in the kitchen. A well rehearsed outfit.
A reaction to the mere suggestion of champagne.
Bread sauce for the thousands.
A phone call, while standing the snow in the 'Pleasure Park' at the end of the road.
A cape!

Thursday 24 December 2009

2009-12-24T23:59:00.000Z

Champagne (and banana daquiris) and canapes with a glamorous auntie.
Speedy garden centre shopping.
Midnight carol singing.
Clapshot and pickle.
Touched by Scotland, in Oyne. What's not to like?

Wednesday 23 December 2009

2009-12-23T23:59:00.000Z

A successful snowshovelling mission, allowing the car to actually make it up the road.
A long lunch with pizza and wine and quizzes in the airport.
Aga toast with lashings of butter and marmite.
Expert budget airline tactics.
A Bourne trilogy book. Filth.

Tuesday 22 December 2009

2009-12-22T23:59:00.000Z

Lunch with a happy and relaxed Nick, full of stories of love and music and travels and palestinian labourer's shirts.
A gift of za'atar. Very exciting indeed.
Playing the role of glorious Pickard girls.
The moment at which, after 45 minutes on the doorstep, my keys finally worked.
Hurtling through snowy fields on the train home.

Monday 21 December 2009

2009-12-21T23:59:00.001Z

An epic washing up session, leaving the kitchen sparkly clean. Very satisfying.
Bumping into a old colleague from years gone by, making what turned into a several hour long bus journey better than it should have been.
Snow flurries so heavy my coat became encrusted.
A new frock.
The moment I kicked off my icy boots and slid into warm, clean and dry clothes.

Sunday 20 December 2009

2009-12-20T23:59:00.000Z

Arriving home after an obscenely early scuttle down the road, whereupon I crawled into bed with a hotwater bottle, coffee and a book. Bliss.
Using all but a two inch scrap of a roll of wrapping paper to wrap every single present. So satisfying.
A family roast dinner at home. Good food, much wine and whisky, and very fun company. I like where I live.
Books sorted. No more boxes on the floor (now at ceiling level instead). Next challenge is to put them in some logical order.
Blue tits in the tree outside my window. So busy.

Saturday 19 December 2009

2009-12-19T23:59:00.000Z

Up and about early doors in the bright crisp sunshine.
The wonder of Upper Street.
A giggly afternoon with the middle Pickard, including a shameful video from the Tate to the youngest Pickard. Oops. (Confidential to Harriet - there was no wine involved at all. I think that might make it worse?)
Learning chinese from the dim sum menu. Not really that useful.
Mario Kart. Oh, yeah.

Friday 18 December 2009

2009-12-18T23:59:00.000Z

Chips and salad for lunch.
A christmas present solution.
Dinner at Le Mercury.
Taxi, taxi. SHOCKING.
Territory marked?

Thursday 17 December 2009

2009-12-17T23:59:00.000Z

The best Christmas present shop in the word.
Hash browns and soup for my tea.
Pretty snow (only recognised as pretty once I was safe and sound, wrapped up in layers, at home).
A tangerine.
A bag of precious things rescued. (Thanks mostly to the very nice station superintendent at East Finchley's 2am text. What a hero.)

Wednesday 16 December 2009

2009-12-16T23:59:00.001Z

Making a northerner laugh. Infectious.
Festivities with several different rarely seen friends.
Chips and gravy for lunch. Pure filth.
A charity shop round the corner that sells books for 50p. Very rare in central London. However, also very dangerous for my already overlaiden shelves.
Earplugs. Preventative measures now available.

Tuesday 15 December 2009

2009-12-15T23:59:00.001Z

Genuine pleasure at confirmation of gossip.
Pub hopping, from gang to gang.
Enforced jollity that provoked proper belly laughs.
Slight inebriation in the office. Gin, champagne and gluhwein, all before 2pm? Oops.
A dress that makes me look tiny (accessorised with Bob the terrier, which is always a bonus).

Monday 14 December 2009

2009-12-14T23:59:00.000Z

Selecting the perfect secret santa present, which allowed me to make a geeky joke. Mission accomplished.
Leftovers mixed up for tea.
Homemade hummus.
Clever people talking about books.
Fresh air and a wander into town with Ellie after a long hot day.

Sunday 13 December 2009

2009-12-13T23:59:00.003Z

I love Sophie Calle.
A little bit of Christmas shopping, achieved without bloodshed (unexpected, I know).
Sunday evening slumping in the 25 Canonbury Lane.
Hood up, head down.
Smutty hangman on the tube. F I _ T_Y / B _ G G _ R.

Saturday 12 December 2009

2009-12-12T23:59:00.000Z

That glorious feeling of a slightly panicked wake up, followed by the sweet sweet realisation it's Saturday.
A hunter-gather return with breakfast goodies.
A new hot water bottle, to warm my other bed.
A cryptic phonecall, enquiring about my microwave status.
Blue sparkling lights on on Holloway Road. So pretty, so incongruous.

Friday 11 December 2009

2009-12-11T23:59:00.000Z

Team festivities: including ice sculptures, pop-up shops and some blue paintings of economists on the way back to the office.
Scattegories! God bless a bookish childhood, which endowed upon me the gift of a sprawling vocabulary.
An old favourite pulled from my wardrobe. Loving the dead doll look.
A bus that takes me direct from work to home in 15 minutes, on a cold, dark and damp evening.
A 2am text of adventure.

Thursday 10 December 2009

2009-12-10T23:59:00.000Z

A year of small things!
A good poem.
Tiny red painted foldback clips. Simple pleasures, no?
A quick drink in the French House, followed by a slower drink in Highbury. Good timing all round.
Excel wizardry.

Wednesday 9 December 2009

2009-12-09T23:59:00.001Z

Noisy alphabet! Via Sarah Brown.
Marlene Dietrich's hair in Blonde Venus.
The moment I hopped into bed, and felt every single vertebra in my spine sigh with relief at the end of the day.
Ticking things off my list.
Poppadum, poppadum.

Tuesday 8 December 2009

2009-12-08T23:59:00.000Z

A salvaged evening, in the Norfolk Arms.
A much needed coffee break, up the road.
A favour completed, with the bonus of walking through town in the crisp sunshine.
Caperberries and oysters!
The decadence of a taxi home.

Monday 7 December 2009

2009-12-07T23:59:00.001Z

Chips and ham for tea - menu enfant, achieved through the power of suggestion.
A smile at the end of a long day, as I was observed interacting with a stranger.
A quick drink before geekery.
A new cotton bag. (Could be a new favourite, too.)
There's something about the co-op in Archway that makes me quite silly.

Sunday 6 December 2009

2009-12-06T23:59:00.000Z

Colcannon, fried up in a little bit of duck fat. God bless leftovers, and those who bring them to my fridge from parties I bunk.
The perfect breakfast - a sausage, a veggie sausage, two hash browns, some salad, a coffee and the crossword. I've cracked the ultimate formula.
Sliding into a bed so tightly made, it almost cut off circulation to my toes.
A good answer.
Finally - finally - seeing the glory of Stacey. (Still haven't seen her sing though.)

Saturday 5 December 2009

2009-12-05T23:59:00.001Z

Feeling established enough to just say no. (A wise decision, by all accounts.)
On Golden Pond. Particularly timely, following a breakfast crossword conversation yesterday.
A penguin classic bought on the way home.
A day of popcorn, tea, hot water bottle, 80s movies and clean sheets - restoring my spirits from an epic hangover.
Oh my god. A shock in The Thick of It.

Friday 4 December 2009

2009-12-04T23:59:00.000Z

Sunshine on a day off. Is it possible to be full of the joys of spring in December?
Great art.
Introducing the boy to Primrose Hill, several months after the idea was first mooted.
Oh, the horror of Christmas parties. Fab people watching though.
Standing on the balcony of the National Theatre, plotting a route of drunken destruction via this building. (Didn't actually end up there, mind - looked far too staid for our nefarious needs.)

Thursday 3 December 2009

2009-12-03T23:59:00.000Z

An inspiring meeting in Brixton.
Playing the part of chocolate cake fairy.
Giggly drinks (and an indulgent end to the night).
Oh, Ipod, how I missed you.
Confirming gossip.

Wednesday 2 December 2009

2009-12-02T23:59:00.000Z

Pottering in someone else's kitchen.
A productive work day.
A ridiculously large chicken escalope for lunch.
Getting the giggles at someone else's mockery towards an offensive man's overly loud music.
Hangman.

Tuesday 1 December 2009

2009-12-01T23:59:00.000Z

Christmas for the littlest Pickard sorted. Am quite green eyed over one part.
Early morning career guidance.
Interview with a Vampire - the book. It's good. (Clearly, I have succumbed to vampiric nonsense.)
Black and white prints. (Link to come once I've uploaded)
A door closed.

Monday 30 November 2009

2009-11-30T23:59:00.000Z

Making it by the skin of my teeth.
A wardrobe clone malfunction. Oops.
Guards in St James (and Gideon, looking particularly Blow Up). Relatedly, I do love talking to random people.
A pit stop for a glass of beaujolais - before heading home to find leftovers.
Revelations.

Sunday 29 November 2009

2009-11-29T23:59:00.000Z

Hashbrowns (yes, I do mean four, please).
Hiding from the pelting rain by scuttling into the movies.
Matching feet.
Bed with a book.
Two gothic cross dressers, lost, on my doorstep.

Saturday 28 November 2009

2009-11-28T23:59:00.000Z

Lazing on the sofa with the papers and the decadence of pizza during the day.
A last minute, late night dash to the Landseer - with a sense of anticipation entirely linked to the last time I was there.
Blitzing the Times puzzles - clearly a lower level of smarts required to read that particular paper.
Flashcards. I am geek, hear me roar.
Looking like a pixie in my duffel coat.

Friday 27 November 2009

2009-11-27T23:59:00.001Z

Hiding away at Hideout.
Lunch with a disconcertingly familiar voice.
A reclaimed afternoon.
Felicitous timing (for me, not for the poor soul who walked four miles home from Wood Green).
'Get out with your bad fashionable self'. (I probably shouldn't have replied that the three scarves are a corollary of the weather, not a style statement, should I?)

Thursday 26 November 2009

2009-11-26T23:59:00.000Z

Vintage bridal fun and games.
The New Rose, in two stages (including a pub quiz that elicitated a roar of 'Maddy!' when the books round came up. Gratifying.)
Late night pasta medley, made from a concotion of freezer goodies.
A shared roll of the eyes at a ratty wench 'concerned' about standing on bags. Really?.
A cotton bag solution.

Wednesday 25 November 2009

2009-11-25T23:59:00.000Z

Another stage in a horrid process down - faking it til I make it.
Buckets of champagne and canapes at the Tate, providing sustenance for the Pickard sister double act.
Advocating (once again) slightly over excitedly (once again) for the wonder that is Roger Hiorn's Seizure.
Finishing my book in a comfy chair upstairs at the Harp.
Lashing of red lipstick - armour against the outside world.

Tuesday 24 November 2009

2009-11-24T23:59:00.001Z

Masters results back... a distinction! 77% for my blasted dissertation. Hoo-fucking-rah!
A big old bear hug at the end of a horrid, horrid day.
A new pen.
A moment of quiet with a small glass of wine and an out of date Style magazine before I slid into bed.
Broccoli, cooked just so.

Monday 23 November 2009

2009-11-23T23:59:00.000Z

A parting kiss, while I'm half asleep.
Mushroom soup in a jam jar. Genius.
The fascinating horror of The Apprentice, USA. What is with that hair?
Aussie cooking - meat with a side of meat.
Marmite flavoured cashew nuts. I haven't yet partaken of this joy, but I'm happy just knowing they exist.

Sunday 22 November 2009

2009-11-22T23:59:00.000Z

Fish scrubbed and cleaned and shiny. Much overdue.
The warm fug of soup making on a Sunday - I potter more for the feel of domesticity than the (admittedly tasty) final product.
Making the decision to haul my frozen ass out of bed to fill a hot water bottle. Wise.
Discovering Misfits.
A fit of flat cleaning. The bathroom hasn't twinkled in so much bleached glory in a while.

Saturday 21 November 2009

2009-11-21T23:59:00.000Z

Architecture and biology combined.
An extended-family coffee-stop in South Ken.
Dinner above the French House (followed by random conversations with random punters downstairs).
Involuntary laughter at a rain drenched victor - after a speedy run back to rescue an abandoned bag.
Such pretty things in the V&A shop.

Friday 20 November 2009

2009-11-20T23:59:00.000Z

Sneaking out early to look at art - here and here and here, and here, and here.
MarioKart!
Pringles and buckets of red for my tea. Served with a side of minor self-loathing.
Being called clever.
Stealing lumps of chicken quorn from monkey-pyjama-clad boys.

Thursday 19 November 2009

2009-11-19T23:59:00.002Z

The mental image of my partner in crime in red sequined hotpants - there's no place like home, indeed.
A new place for libations.
People watching, oh the people watching. Who were they, and what were they doing?
Discovering taramasalata in the shop. Lunch, sorted.
An invitation to the opening of a long-awaited project.

Wednesday 18 November 2009

2009-11-18T23:59:00.000Z

A job well done, with no crises and no awkward moments.
A brilliant fact: one single tree provided all the veneer for both auditoriums at Kings Place.
Prosecco at 5pm.
An antisocial hermitty evening.
Westminster, all abuzz with the opening of Parliament.

Tuesday 17 November 2009

2009-11-17T23:59:00.000Z

An impromptu steak dinner.
Letting my fingernails grow just a little bit longer. It's quite a novel sensation, really.
An eclectic mix of music in the background - Tchaikovsky to Dylan.
Confirmation of next steps in a hellish process. Finally.
The look of a large and slightly unwieldy crochet blanket on the bed. Shabby chic - I like it.

Monday 16 November 2009

2009-11-16T23:59:00.000Z

Pop ups! I love Robert Sabuda.
Going into fix-it mode.
School-canteen-style lunch choreography.
Sobriety in the pub, sliding into accidental giggly drunkeness on the sofa.
Networking, baby.

Sunday 15 November 2009

2009-11-15T23:59:00.000Z

Rescuing dinner when the oven broke halfway through baking and roasting and cooking. I just about held it together, I think. (Much duck fat smoothed the way.)
New nail varnish, shiny and red - as per usual.
Convincing a less than sceptical flatmate that I was about to give the goldfish colonic irrigation. Really?
Fresh croissants, log fire, fiendishly difficult crossword. One of these things has now been banished from my life.
Giving into the blinding whiteness of winter. Fake tan, I think I might miss you.