Several Layers, and a Singing Moouse

Last week was a very busy one for us with the arrival of our friend Karen from the frozen North. Wednesdays Northern Angel meal was spent in the convivial company of our other good friends Diana and Emma and a guest appearance by KD. After a meal at the Italian restaurant we headed to Concorde for the quiz and music night. As we usually arrive late to Concorde like naughty school girls (now theres an idea for a theme!) we made a concerted effort mainly due to Di to get there at a reasonable hour although we missed the quiz we arrived just in time for the musical entertainment provided as usual by the fabulous Marianne who was accompanied by her son on drums. We were delighted to catch up with Clare and Bev and were pleased to see a good turnout. We then rounded off the night at our favourite night club.

On Thursday Kate and Karen headed to Birmingham for a day of shopping. Di and I opted out of that one but met up with them in the evening for supper and a quick drink.

On the Friday we decided to venture around the Christmas Markets in Manchester and despite the bone chilling cold we had a lovely journey in on the executive train.I counted that I had around 5 layers on (cami-top,jersey-top,light-weight fleece,heavier fleece and finally a fur coat)keeping me lovely and cosy.Not to mention gloves - However I forgot about my feet which could have done with at least 2pairs of socks or my ugg-type boots instead of the everday smart leather ankle-boots I had on. We soon found the anti-dote though in the shape of a gluwein stand but there were so many to choose from and we opted for the one in style of an Austrian wooden chalet complete with a moouse head singing christmas tunes. When Karen phoned to find out where to meet Kate gave them the cryptic clue of meet you under the Moouses head! It was freezing cold more so than when I went to the German Markets a few years ago at Rudesheimer - where to my shame I got very drunk at a gluwein tasting session so I made sure we had a lamb-burger to eat to avoid any giddiness.
We then made our way to the town hall for a warm up and to view the jewellery exhibition - some of the pieces were beautiful but the prices were extortionate! Kate makes jewellery and we joked that maybe she could retire if we charged those sorts of prices.

She Wolf

Please dont fall over in shock at this unexpected posting... I am busy setting up my new blog which is to be entitled Kittyskonfessions but it is still a work in progress and this post is not really appropriate for it. So here goes......

Heard this on our latest late-night sortee - Having never really heard the lyrics right through before I hadnt realised how appropriate they are for both of us - especially the chorus Line.





Kate was looking very hot in her tight leopard skin dress whilst I was understated in my newest LBD (little black dress)to be honest I was more interested in Strictly Come Dancing and X factor on the telly so left it to the last minute to get ready so didn't go to much effort.....Talk about some girls dont have to try too hard. From the moment we walked in to the bar we were pounced upon by a guy who introduced himself as "a bit of a bar-steward" ....go figure! Hardly the best chat up line in the world. I was then approached by 2 other guys one sweet and one a complete idiot - I mentioned it to Kate thinking that I must have come across as being approachable but she said it was because I must have seemed an easy touch .....the bitch!

New Blogger in town

As we are well into 2010 and fast approaching 2011..... I feel that my blog is now well out of date and it is time to move on to pastures new. I will let you know what my new title will be in due course it may contain the name Kitty which our dear Karen recently suggested suited me better than Mrs K.
I will love you and leave you with a final musing for now.........


THE PERILS OF PREDICTIVE TEXTING

Who the heck thought up predictive texting which proved itself to be completely un-predictable today when texting a friend to say 'so sorry' she was not feeling well it managed to come up with 'sob soddy' !!!!....good job I managed to delete it before a beautiful friendship was lost!!

Goodnight and God Bless xxx

Bathroom Hell to Bathroom Heaven!

This week has seen a big transformation in our lives......our dated bathroom has had a luxury revamp and is now a shiny white and steel oasis of calm and tranquility complete with a Jacuzzi bath and a power shower.

After putting up with the various plumbing people taking over the house demanding cups of tea and having to manage with a strip wash at the sink (thank god for the downstairs cloakroom)- I was glad to see them leave on Friday lunch-time. By 3pm I was firmly ensconced in the new jacuzzi (well someone had to test it out!).
.

Will Young - Anything Is Possible

This should be at the end of the previous post but it refused to oblige isn't technology wonderful? Any-way hope you enjoy this as much as I did - Wish I was on that beach with him!!

A Perfect Day!

Usually August is a lonely month for me as friends depart for the holidays and are not seen again until September.
However this year August seems to be turning into a very positive month for me - catching up with friends I haven't been able to see for a while has been a real joy.

Last Sunday one of my girl-friends and I had a very special time at the Will Young Picnic in the Park concert at Tatton Park it was a beautiful evening and as we sat in the sunshine we just felt so blessed to be there.

We had a great time and after a large glass of wine my friend suggested we buy somelight-up bunny ears to wear!! It was a little too reminiscent of Canal Street for me so I opted for a pink tiara instead.. and Some girls asked if we were on a hen night!

I have to say that Will was on fine form -he is one of those rare singers who is every bit as good live as he is on TV. He sang most of my old favourites but this is my new favourite I love the lyrics which seem so appropriate to me at this very positive phase of my life.

Cinderella time!

As I mentioned previously Kate and I went to the Sparkle Ball which was held at 'The Place' as we walked in accompanied by a girl from Norway no less a party of real girls commented on how nice Kates dress ( a short,sparkly,silver high-necked and backless number!) was and wanted to know where it was from. I wore my favourite pink "ballerina" dress with my new Barbie curls and felt like a million dollars!

The surroundings were lovely as were all of the girls who were there. But the "Belle of the Ball"......was definitely Bev who was resplendent in a beautiful red and black full ball gown. I had a cinderella moment as I checked in my "spare shoes" (for walking home in)which were in a Debenhams carrier bag - the girl next to me was checking hers in a very posh looking vanity case.

After enjoying the buffet and the band I had another Cinderella moment as I couldn't dance or walk very well on the very shiny and slippery tiled flooring in my new pink killer heels (4") - and had to retrieve my spare shoes. Sometimes a girl has to sacrifice beauty for comfort!..... Yes that is the right way round when it comes to shoes!!.......always go for comfort as there is nothing worse than sore feet (that is why they are called killer heels!!) The third Cinderella moment was when sadly at the stroke of midnight the party ended suddenly and all of the gorgeous girls left and headed off elsewhere ( I did check for any glass slippers and shoes left behind!.)

We then met up with our lovely friends Mandy,Tina,Emma and Di who didnt get to go to the ball and were found in sitting in Cinders coach outside Eden - having been transformed from moussey males into beautiful model-girls for the whole day and night!

Twinkle, Twinkle

Well this year was our third sparkle and given that we are now aufait with things we decided to leave the Saturday to the new-girls and out of towners to enjoy.

We enjoyed an Italian meal on the Friday with our little group of special friends and Teela and Dave who were staying over due to the logistics of staging the Transpose Fashion Show on the Saturday. We then enjoyed a few 'Cheeky Vimtos' in Eden which seems to be our preferred drink of the moment and has nothing to do with vimto (it is actually port and blue wicked).
We moved on to Naps which was as busy as last years Saturday night!! Teaming with tall trannys in killer heels it took some careful navigation to avoid being 'spiked' with a heel.We stayed as late as possible as Saturday would be spent elsewhere (The Place Hotel) at the Sparkle Ball and being in Cinderella mode we would have to leave at the stroke of midnight ..............(more to follow)

Shine On

In celebration of the fact that Sparkle is this weekend Yay!!.......Here is something to put you in the mood. We are going to the ball as well so see
you there Cinderella xx

I'm a Barbie Girl

Those of who know me will be aware that despite having a good head of hair (it is now past shoulder length) It still refuses to accept any hint of a curl. Every now and then I fancy a change from my usual straight hair and embark in a battle of wills and curling tongs etc trying to persuade it produce lovely curls for a night out.......but they never last.

On my last outing with Karen and Kate I spotted a curly hair-piece called the 'Barbie' which has the desired effect (similar to the one modelled here by Jessica Simpson - but not the same).... I was going to save it for the Sparkle Ball but it has had 2 outings already!!

Sex in another city

....Our friend Karen recently visited us from Scotland and we arranged to have a trip down to Birmingham for a change of scenery.

I have always thought of Brum as being a bit of a concrete carbunkle as Charles would say. But I was pleasantly surprised on emerging out of the railway station which has the feel of a post-war bunker to be greeted by tree-lined streets with nice older buildings intermixed with upmarket hotels and an ambundance of high street shops and department stores.

The weather was pleasant and as a bonus there was a massive international food market which stretched the whole length of the main street offering a wonderful selection of foods.

We were marched past the tempting smells and foods on offer with the promise of better things to come by Kate who knew the area and lead us to a little oasis of bistros and bars.

We were tempted by a lovely little place offering 'House mash and gravy' with a huge choice of sausages and pies . We had a delightful lunch washed down with a bottle of rose wine and a good old natter and a lots of laughter and loads of ideas for blog titles which I wrote down and cant find! However Suitably refuelled and refreshed we set off for the shops which proved to be very tempting offering a wider selection than in Manchester at reasonable prices and we both went a bit mad snapping up the bargains although as usual Kate still bought more than me (4 pairs of leggings and several tops to match!)

Karen had changed her hair style and colour which suited her but she was looking for a lighter colour for day-time so we had a look in Selfridges which was alot friendlier than the Manchester store at the HotHair concession but they didnt have the one she wanted in stock but the lovely girl there kindly advised her to try House of Frazer - However I spotted a fab curly 'hairpiece' which I just had to have much to the other girls surprise..... but more about that later.

On our way to House of Frazer we stopped for photos outside the famous bobbly building that I think looks like an aliens handbag. A young lad came running over to Kate and said Is it you? We all looked bemused until he said "were you on Britains Got Talent the other night"? We hadn't watched it but I knew there had been a TS girl on so we had to dissappoint him and say no!


Arriving at House of Frazer stopping en-route at many, many shops We arrived laden with bags but Karen was able to find the wig she wanted - the staff again were very helpful. We realised that time had ticked by very quickly and I was in need of the ladies. I asked for directions and was informed there was a powder room on the same floor at a charge of £1 or a free ladies was on the 6th floor - unable to face such a trek I decided to splash out so to speak and headed off for the said 'Powder Room' which was more like a spa with cubicles nearly as big as your average hotel room with marble tiles and mirrors everywhere and perfumes to sample on the vanity units. The best bit was that no-one was on duty as it was so late so I didnt have to pay although I would have been happy to as it worth it!! If only the restaurants,bars and clubs we frequent in Manchester had the same standards!!

All too soon it was time to head home on the crowded train with the worlds worst loos! Still the journey soon passed and we headed to Taurus for a bit of supper before saying goodbye to Karen and heading home for beauty sleep and to rest our worn out feet and purses!.....So no sex in the city just sausages and mash!!

Blogs and Buses

Having spent a rather hyper week out and about with our friend Karen from Scotland - who is and continues to be a real source of inspiration - I now have a very long list of blog titles to post.
Unfortunately the list has had to be shelved for a while due to an unusually busy (well more accurately...manic) schedule.

Normal service will hopefully be resumed soon but will probably result in
several posts in one day......watch this space!

Wild

Just been watching BBC 2's mammoth "Wild" a 2 hour wild life special fundraiser.
I found it far from wild but actually very moving as so many of our precious
animals are near extinction levels mainly due to mans indiscriminate plundering
of natural habitats.

I found the item about orangutans especially sad - with over 5,000 being wiped out in the last year due to deforestation. Nick Knowles was reporting from an orphanage where the baby orangutans were being brought in their hundreds.
..I am very proud to say that I have pledged £100 to save 60 acres of land for 60 years! What a bargain .....worth giving up a few treats for I think!
Its especially good to know that we can all make a difference in this world whether it is for good or bad always try to go for the first option if possible x

Sex in the city - The Answer to the questions

Watching the promotional programme for the new SITC2 Film - (Still On my to do list when the weather is less gorgeous).
The girls were asked the following questions

1) Heels or flats
2) Lunch or cocktails
3) Food or foreplay
4) Handbags or shoes

Of course the answer to all the above is BOTH!!

My question is which girl are you most like and who would you like to be?
eg.. I am a cross between Carrie and Miranda ...but would like to look like Charlotte.

The tea pictured above is especially created in celebration of SITC by a top London hotel - you can even be chauffered to the theatre/cinema afterwards for a mere £55...sounds like a great day out!

Birthday Girls

Well they say that the sun shines on the righteous and it certainly did on Saturday the day before Kates 21st (again) birthday. It was so glorious that we spent the day sunning ourselves in the garden pretending to be on holiday. We then headed out in the evening to our favourite Italian restaurant in the evening to meet up with Tina,Mandy,Di,Emma and Bev. Tina bestowed the ultimate honour on Kate by telling her she was the now the"leader of the pack" having taken over as Head Girl and Events Co-ordinator from our dearly departed Lisa.

The evening was so warm that we sat outside Eden after our meal(my first time ever outside on the 'barge') until after midnight enjoying the atmosphere and a few cheeky vimtos. We then moved on to our favourite nightclub and again felt highly honoured to have the company of the lovely and very glamourous Bev as well as the other girls. We had a particulary good night as the clientele were mainly girls most of whom were known to us and stayed out until after 3am to see in Kates big day. We arrived home to the beautiful dawn chorus of birdies singing.

Posh Bedding

I recently bought a set of - very high quality designer bedding (usually only available in Harrods) purchased by the likes of Posh herself. The reason I did so was not motivated by a lottery win but by the fact that a local outlet had acquired some stock for a quarter of the normal retail price.

The catch is that it is in purest white and I have never been been brave (or crazy) enough to have a duvet cover in anything other than pink or patterns. When I first put on the bedding it looked a bit hospital-like - but after adding a few throws and cushions it began to look more hotel-like. The other catch is despite the exquisite quality of the cotton which is so soft it feels like silk...is that doing anything 'messy' in bed- such as having a cup of tea or a chocolate biscuit is a major hazard to the pristine whiteness.

Now I know why Posh always looks miserable.....Fancy not being allowed to make a mess in bed! - Pass me the fabric dye - now I know why the 'Cafe Au Lait' colour option had sold out!!

Spring Has sprung?!

Had a fab day on Sunday - despite loosing an hour of precious sleep which I managed to overide by getting some breakfast resetting all the clocks then going back to bed! - Later I popped out for some shopping passing the new-born lambs jumping around the field and the daffodils dancing in the sunshine - It really felt like spring had finally sprung - until the weather forecasts were for a cold snap with the possibility of wait for it.....sleet and snow!

Monday duly arrived with wait for it continuous rain a trip to the dentist and more rain! Even Fred the Weather-man seemed depressed by the state of the weather. Maybe Spring is here but summer seems a long way off - the only consolation is the prospect of easter and the chocoholic feasting to follow. Where did I put those creme eggs? ...Purely for medicinal purposes of course.

Wishing you all a very Happy Easter x

Been Around the World

Thanks to the miracle of technology and the new google street maps I have been globe trotting from the street where I live - We were really pleased with the photo as it was taken just after the drive-way was pressure washed and the garden looks immaculately groomed (for a change) basking in the glory of a beautiful summers day.

After a virtual (and at times painfully slow) stroll around the village where I live I then progressed to the other village in Manchester. I then decided to go somewhere more exotic and took a tour around Miami Beach and the Florida Keys then onwards to Las Vegas via the Grand Canyon. This is definitely the way to travel .....I'm off now to discover more amazing places that I may not actually get to see in reality but this is the next best thing ..... I may be away for some time...... Wishing you were here from Mrs Kate x

The Fabulous Five go to Leeds

The title for this blog was supposed to be 'The famous 5 go to Leeds' for the gathering - but as we are more infamous than famous and definitely fabulous that's what I plumped for. The five are of course ourselves, Diana, Karen and Emma.

The weekend started for us in Taurus on Friday afternoon where we spent a very pleasant couple of hours 'chilling out' during 'happy hour' which actually lasts from 4pm until 7pm. We were joined by Diana and Karen and later our chauffeur Emma.
After a bite to eat and a cocktail or two we set off in Emmas spacious Limo for the journey to our hotel in Leeds. As we passed over the pennines the radio started to retune itself scanning every channel including some Asian channels. I joked that we would probably get Radio Punjabi in a minute ......only for it to do exactly that! The altitude also affected the satnav as it tried to send us along 3 different motorways at the same time.

We arrived at the hotel in time to freshen up and change into our party dresses and take the short stroll to the meeting point which was packed and as hot as hell but the welcome was equally warm and after a dance and a few drinks to cool down a little we moved on to a night club where Diana was especially escorted by the lady bouncer (she probably fancied her given that she looked very foxy in her tight leopard skin dress Di that is not the bouncer!). The club was nicely decorated - a bit like AXM in Manchester but with proper loos ....well that was until the lesbian girls started fighting with each other! They were worse than blokes unlike us didn't seem want to queue in an orderly fashion but just piled into the cubicles at one point there were 4 of them in one cubicle where instead of getting on with business they decided to have a major bust up with each other...scary!

As we were obviously in a gay/lesbian club they didn't really seem to know what to make of us but were tolerant of us apart from on the dance floor where they were very territorial and didn't make us feel very welcome which was a shame as the music was quite good. We hit the hay around 2 or 3am as Emma suddenly began to feel the effects of the drinks she had consumed .

After a good nights sleep and a hearty breakfast the plan had been to have a walk around Leeds and head up to the Trafford Centre. However due to the weather (drizzly rain) and then missing the turning for the Trafford Centre we headed into Manchester City Centre where we were greeted by bright sunshine. After a spot of shopping and several coffees we checked into our second hotel and changed into our party gear ready for our lovely meal in Velvet. After a comfy lounge in Spirit on the bed/couches whilst waiting for Emma to change out of her jeans and top combo into something more 'unsuitable' we headed to Naps to finish off the evening.

On the Sunday we woke up to glorious sunshine but it was chilly outside so we wrapped up warmly and strolled along to Piccadilly Gardens for a bacon bap and coffee. We then had a mooch in the Arndale Centre and headed into Selfridges to try out some perfumes and then wandered into St Anne's Square and sat in the sunshine for a while. We then headed back to Taurus via China Town which was busy for a Sunday. After meeting up with Di and Karen and indulging in chocolate cake and coffee we bid our farewells and headed home for tea and hot baths.

Conclusions - All in all it was nice to have a change of scene and I would definitely go to Leeds again but Manchester is still special for me. I know alot of girls aim to get out of the village and venture further afield but as far as I concerned East or West the village is best. Given that the 'normal'night-clubbing world is full of drunken plonkers you are not missing out on anything xx

For Dad

This is for my lovely dad who is not very well at the moment -
We both love Abba - I can remember watching the Eurovision Song Contest together the year Abba won and came into our lives. Get well soon Dad xxx

Happy Valentines Day

From a hopeless Romantic! Listen and Weep! Wishing you love and laughter xxx

Fabulous February

Well thank goodness that the misery of January is finally over. I think it should be banned by the National Health or at least prescriptions for Carribean holiday escapes should be issued on an annual basis every New Year.

I am pleased to say that February is shaping up to be much better so far on all fronts. I seem to suddenly be in demand with loads of offers jobwise and socially which is really nice and long may it continue.

On Wednesday we had a rather special meal which was a bit of a 're-union' as there were a few friends we hadn't seen in ages and some we were not sure we would see again. So despite the cold weather we had a warm welcoming time.

Last Friday we ventured out to the Trafford Centre for a spot of shopping and lunch. We enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the Exchange Grill where we had a tasty meal which gave us the energy to have a look at the latest spring fashions in all the shops Note to self: Never start off at Karen Millen as everything else look cheap by comparison. It was great to see all the pinks and pretty colours and the nautical look which I love.

The time went really quickly and we decided to have a coffee and cake break and we realised that outside the rush hour would be approaching so on the spur of the moment we decided to see if the film Avatar was due to be shown. As fate would have it the next screening was in 5 minutes so we hot footed it to the ticket office where we were a bit shocked to find out that it was a little over £10 each (that was because the 3D glasses where included in the price). I have to say it was worth every penny as it was a visual treat and we had a whole row of seat to ourselves as the place almost empty.

When we emerged though it was different story as the place was buzzing with after work revellers but there was a nice live band playing at the bandstand so we decided to have a drink and enjoy the atmosphere. It was a bit like being on holiday and was the perfect end to the perfect day.

Thinking warm thoughts !

I tuned into the radio the other day where they were having a "Music to warm up to" theme. Tracks such as Hot,hot,hot, Hotter than July (I wish), Long hot summer etc you get the drift. This particular track is for me the epitome of summer - Late,late August the feeling that its coming to an end - soon it will be September and back to school/work etc but trying to keep it going anyway and make the most of every precious moment. A bit like our last year of village life.

The version below is not my favourite by Don Henley - but the video sums up the summer for me (fun,sun,sea and the other!) As the DJ said it does sound much better in an open top car, cruising in the sunshine....Please God the sooner the better! Check out those pink shorts from 1:09!! (Nearly as short as Emmas were during Sparkle) the therapy sessions are still on-going

"Nobody on the road , Nobody on the beach, I can feel it in the air the summers out of reach, empty lake empty street what happened to our love? etc enjoy.....
and keep warm ! Shame we cant just hibernate till spring.

Crappy New Year!

Well here we are almost half-way through the most horrid month of the year and mother nature has well and truly put her foot down in terms of the weather - reminding us that we are all here at her behest. Like any naughty child who has stepped out of line we are being firmly reminded of our place in the world.

For many of us we are being forced to go back to 'basics' which isn't always such a bad thing as the new year is usually a time to re-assess our lives and goals and with the recent weather we have certainly had time to do this - last week was beginning to feel like groundhog day!

Happily the snow is beginning to melt in our part of the world and normal service should be resumed soon. To anyone struggling at the moment ..."Take heart dear hearts the spring will return to Narnia one day soon" x

My new best friends!!

Here they are keeping my feet lovely and cosy over the last few days...(the boots that is not the geese)....I LOVE them!(Got them from Idealworld.com - sadly sold out now)
There has been a bit of blitz spirit around which I also love - people helping each other and neighbours stopping to chat. I have been doing a bit of neighbour-hood social service picking up bread and milk etc for the older folks in my lovely boots,and my ubber-warm Padded coat that is just like wearing a duvet and my brightly coloured trendy shopping trolley. Its interesting how people revert to types in times like these - I witnessed the selfish fat lad from up the road drive 100 yards to the grit bin taking most of it to spread around his car - Fortunatley the little dear managed to wrap up said car the next day!!! Poetic justice I feel!

Hope you are keeping safe and warm ....Roll on Spring.

New Years Eve, Eve

Well December 30th to be precise .......saw us celebrating Dianas 21st Birthday in style starting with a meal in Velvet where we were pleasantly surprised to be joined by KD and afterwards painted the town well and truly red - or possibly even scarlet!!

I had my first foray into Paddy's Goose (I don't normally do pubs ) but the welcome was warm despite Emma and I being short changed at the bar! The guy standing nearby advised us not to worry as we would get it back in another way (hopefully via a lottery win of more than £10!).

We then headed to our favourite nightclub where we boogied until well after 3am. Unfortunately I had such a fabulous time with all our favourite friends that I was too shattered to venture out on New Years Eve.....Still you win some and you loose some.

The video below sums up our night that's Me, Kate and Di doing a spot of pole dancing at 2:15!

Happy New Year to you all wishing you health, wealth and happiness in 2010