The Big One Did It Again!

The Big One made another awesome film this time with the incredible performance poet Polar Bear.

Clever chaps aren't they!

Date Night: Noises Off

The Big One and I went on a rare and lovely date night last night. He's increasingly busy with work so I really appreciate the time we do get to spend together especially if we can do something fun.

Last night we went to see Noises Off by Michael Frayn at the Novello Theatre, I had a friend in the cast and I had only ever read it, never seen it. It was great, just honest good farcical fun! Quite often I go to see thought provoking pieces which I adore as they provoke brilliant conversations and leave me thinking about the issues stay with me for days but every now and again, you just need a laugh!

It started at The old Vic in December and then transferred and will close on Saturday. Not much time left but if you can, I do recommend going to see it and having some good belly laughs. It has a great cast and they all work incredibly hard especially in Act 2!

We met my friend afterwards and had a lovely dinner with him and a musician friend of his who was also in the audience.

A truly lovely night all round!

"On we blindly stumble!"

-Lloyd (Noises Off)

An Apple a Day...

On Christmas Eve My Lovely Dad took The Big One and I to a Cider Farm. Ralph's Cider Farm, I have never seen The Big One so enthusiastic at a bar! He sampled all 7 of their beautiful homemade ciders and bought quite a cider stash! It's his favourite tipple so he was in his element.

We met Ralph and his wife and they told us great stories about the cider festival they hold, the wasp invasions they've had and patiently explained the stages of the cider making progress and what apples were used in each.

Several samples later we headed out, The Big One carrying quite a few cider and Perry purchases!

"The older I get, the more I become an apple pie, sparkling cider kind of guy."

- Scott Foley

We Left Our Hearts in Cornwall

The Big One and I went to North Cornwall for a winter mini break last week, a little hibernate in a beautiful eco-cottage we rented for the week and it was heavenly.

 

With a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge to welcome us, we soon settled right in!

We cooked together, sat for hours just reading (him) and knitting (me), we went on long lovely autumnal walks, made fires each night and watched Breaking Bad, it was immense.

My latest knitting project - 100% Alpaca...sigh

Here are some of the dishes we cooked, they were so yummy sometimes I ate my portion all up before remembering to take a pic!

Spinach and Ricotta Canelloni

Apple Crumble and Custard

Sea Bass with a Tomato and Pepper Sauce with Spinach

Hearty stuff! We needed it for all the gorgeous walks we did - see the next post for pictures that do not do the place justice.



"A house that does not have one warm, comfy chair in it is soulless."
- May Sarton

The Big One + Birthday + Toys

It was The Big One's birthday on Sunday so we went out for fun and games...literally.

The weather was gorgeous so after a delicious breakfast we walked to the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green before heading to a posh cinema then a fabulous Mexican meal...

Inside the various glass boxes in the museum were some rather familiar objects of fun!

Lots of crafty toys!

Then there was the best selling 'Dress Shirley Temple' - oh how things have changed eh?

Red and I had this dolls house growing up - felt very odd to see it as a museum exhibit!

“There is always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in.”
-Deepak Chopra

My Birthday Treats!

I know it was aaages ago, (in fact it's The Big One's Birthday next week) but rather late then never when it comes to sharing new pur-chases.  

You may remember one of my (many) lovely birthday pressies from The Big One was a shopping spree in Belfast. He said it was a 'Brewster's Millions' situation and I had to spend all the dosh that day on myself. I know -  Best Boyfriend Award Nomination.

So here's what I gots!

Quite a swag eh!?

I have worn eveything at least once and I am still de-lighted with each and every item...cos they make me feel like a princess, a much treated princess.  Lets hope I can make him feel similarly spoilt next weekend!!

“Men are what their mothers made them”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

It Sure Was One to Remember

So my birthday has been and gone and it was s-u-p-e-r-b!

I was so spoilt that I need a new word for spoilt!

It started with The Big One's arrival on Friday, the best present I could wish for to have him here. 

I woke up Saturday morning to cards from Patch &  Tache and My Lovely Dad. Then I had a pressie to open from The Big One - the lovely Liberty Feather print notebook I had featured on here with another pale blue Liberty notebook!

Then the card - I knew we were going for dinner and staying in a hotel but I didn't know I was going to be given a wodge of spending money for a shopping trip! 

So gasps and hugs later we had breakfast at the lovely Cafe Renoir with a friend and fellow actor, I shall blogname him...The Mac. It was lovely to see him before he heads off to Serbia and weeks of filming exciting new things plus breakfast was pretty de-lish!

Then I had a matinee show but not before a wander and a perusal in the Oxfam bookshop where I found a biography of Esther Williams. Wandering a bit more we headed into Maggie Mays for a birthday Oreo milkshake - I have never seen a bigger milkshake!

 

Matinee over I headed back with The Big One to hang out in my onesie and eat the chocolate covered pretzels he'd brought over with him.

Evening show and once it was over I met The Big One and Spaghetti Arms in the bar for a quick drink with some other actors we know and then we headed to Barking Dog for a lovely dinner with HawkandFallow! The night was long, loud and lovely and at about 2am The Big One and I fell into bed.

Sunday: Lazy morning, Sunday show then met The Big One at the theatre to head to the lovely Malmaison hotel! It was gorgeous! Bit of a nap later we headed out for yet another birthday dinner, this time at Made in Belfast.

After filling ourselves to bursting with scrumminess we headed to the cinema to watch Rise of The Planet of The Apes which was brilliant. 

So next was Monday and my birthday shopping trip....

“Last week the candle factory burned down. Everyone just stood around and sang Happy Birthday.”

- Steve Wright

The Big One's Belfast Bound!

I am so so sooooo excited! The Big One is currently finishing up his packing to head over here for a long weekend, see me, see the show, celebrate my birthday with me....WHOOP WHOOP!

How on earth will I sleep? It feels like Christmas!!!

“Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by.”

- Carl Sandburg 

Birthday List

It's my birthday on Saturday, it's funny cos I didn't feel particularly bothered about it even a week ago but now I am officially EXCITED! I get all bubbly and full of jumping beans when I think about it. I don't think it's any coincidence that my excitement coincides with The Big One, who I haven't seen for weeks, is coming over to celebrate it with me.

He arrives on Friday, we are out for dinner with HawkandFallow and Spaghetti Arms after the show on my birthday - what a treat to have 3 of my favourite people in the world to mark this new number with me!

Then on Sunday he has booked us into a lovely hotel, we have a table booked for dinner at Made in Belfast and then on Monday, he tells me we are going on a shopping trip!

What a very lucky and very spoilt gal I am!

So now I am embracing my impending birthday my thoughts have wandered to my ultimate birthday list, thought it'd be fun to make a visual list...who knows maybe I'll strike gold!

Knitter's Necklace - All the Fun of the Fair 

Lambswool Tweed Jacket - Vivienne Westwood

Winter Tartan - Vivienne Westwood

Coloured Skinnies - Kooples

Poem cushion - mybeardedpigeon (Etsy)

Alice in Wonderland Teapot - zinniapea (Etsy)

Feather Print Notebook - Liberty, London

Sterling Silver Anchor Necklace - Love Your Silver

Detachable Peter Pan Collar - luminia (Etsy)

Podengo Pequeno...well you never know!

Lola's cupcakes 

In all honesty though I will have all I could want by being on stage in a play I love and then getting to share my birthday with some very special people.

"Life is a gift, and it offers us the privilege, opportunity, and responsibility to give something back by becoming more."

- Tony Robbins 

Cos He Loves Me

It was the first preview last night and it seemed to go well, we had an almost full house (390) which was huge for a preview and they were a great audience. Very responsive and engaged. There were a few drinks afterwards to celebrate but the big night is yet to come. Wednesday evening is press night and the big opening night so keep those fingers crossed for us til then!

I got into my dressing room yesterday afternoon to find a HUGE and BeAuTiFuL bouquet of flowers waiting for me, sent by The Big One. It made me beam inside all day, filled me with happiness and that lovely feeling of knowing you are loved.

"A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love."

- Max Muller 

The Breakfast of Champions

The Big One spoilt me rotten this weekend. He picked me up from the station and promptly took me to get a Chinese takeaway complete with my favourite naughty side dish 'prawn balls'...sooo good, soo bad but soooo good.

The next day, Saturday, we lazed about together and watched movies and generally didn't leave each other's side, just as I wanted it. Oh and he cooked dinner, my favourite veggie bolognese.

Schwing!

Sunday morning, he made me short stack pancakes with banana and honey served up with a glass of fresh mango juice!

Mega Yums!

 So to even the situation out I took him out for breakfast this morning before he had to go to work. Breakfast Club baby yeah! We both had AmAzior smoothies followed by Eggs Royale pour moi and the full American breakfast complete with pancakes and syrup pour homme. 

We were StUfFeD!

Green is Good - it's the only way!

The Breakfast Club, Shoreditch

"All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast."

- John Gunther 

A Perfect Anniversary Weekend

I had previously posted that we had booked a beautiful boutique B&B near the Lake District to celebrate our anniversary with a weekend of natural beauty, walking and general chillaxing.

I think it's fair to say that our weekend surpassed all our expectations. It was breathtakingly beautiful, the weather was incredible and the B&B was so fabulous. We loved every single minute.

We stayed in No 43, Arnside and I cannot recommend the place or location more. We were so well looked after, greeted with drinks and homemade lemon cake when we arrived, given fantastic walks for the area and the room was so lovely. We felt completely at home and settled right in.

So here are some of the photos from our 2 days walking.

The Big One and I have visited many different places but this was one we would absolutely re-visit.

We loved it!

"The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express."

- Francis Bacon