Exhibitions in 2012

I am already very excited about 2 exhibitions opening in 2012, rather frustratingly they neither open until May!

First up is a new exhibition: Ballgowns – British Glamour since 1950 19 May 2012 – 6 January 2013; from my absolute favoritist Museum ever the V&A , I would live there if I could. They are renovating the Fashion Galleries and to celebrate the completion of it they are exhibiting a selection of fantastic gowns, over 60 dresses from the past 60 years. They will include items by designers like Zandra Rhodes, Jonathan Saunders, Hussein Chalayan, Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon and Erdem.

Also included are some Royal Gowns such as a Norman Hartnell dress created for Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Princess Diana’s “Elvis Dress” by Catherine Walker, plus a Metallic Leather Dress by Gareth Pugh specially designed for the exhibition.

Second on my list is: Tracy Emin’s - She Lay Down Deep Beneath the Sea. 26 May 2012 – 23 September 2011 at the Turner Contemporary in Margate. This is Tracy Emin’s first major solo show at the Turner Contemporary and is specially conceived for Margate, her home town and inspiration for many of her great works. The exhibition explores themes of love, sensuality and romanticism. The central themes are continued with a display of works by Emin alongside those of JMW Turner and Auguste Rodin, whose sculpture The Kiss is currently on show at TC. OHHHH hurry up May 2012 get here quick!!

Chained to the Oven

Morning Ladies & Gents,

For those of you who actually had to go to work today and haven’t had the day off (jammy gits) I hope you enjoyed the quite empty underground carriages like I did this morning. I got a seat straight away, in fact I had a choice of seats! Lovely!

This week, as I’m sure most of you have been, I’ve been rather furiously trying to get myself organised in the presents department for Sunday. I have been getting to know my oven really, really well over the last few days and have produced what I think is borderline mass production of Christmas baked goods for my nearest and dearest.

I only burnt myself once! Which is actually pretty good going for someone as clumsy as me!

I’m also a little sad because for quite some time my kitchen counter has been graced with the presence of a classic Kenwood Mixer, in fact it’s just the same as the one my Gran had when I used to bake with her as a little girl. This Kenwood is not actually mine, it belongs to my good friend Rohini the writer of the smashing blog The Beat That My Heart Skipped among other things. Her and her fiance had to move a while a go to a place with a much smaller kitchen and there wasn’t room for the mixer so I happily to charge of it until they eventually moved somewhere bigger. Sadly that day is drawing closer as they’ve just bought themselves a gorgeous Art Deco apartment in Wanstead, it is actually just across the street from where they currently live, I fear Roh will want her Kenwood back soon. But looking on the bright side a shiny new mixer will be going on my 2012 birthday wish list!!

So far from the Kitchen of Morgan I have produced hundreds of yummy Gingerbread Angels & Stars. These are made from a really quite special recipe that I received from a total stranger called Becky….that’s rather a contradiction…. hang on let me explain, she was the person who sent me my Curiosity Project Box that I rambled on about in my last post and through the wonderous-ness of social networking she tracked me down on twitter ( @amberbewrong in case you didn’t know)

I’ve also attempted Cheese Straws for the first time, these are made with Gruyère and Cheddar and sprinkled with Cumin Seeds. According to my boyfriend Johnny, who loves a cheese straw or two, they are “humbling” which I think is a good thing….Next up was another first, Shortbread. With these I added some lemon zest to the mixture, without sounding to big-headed I think they taste really quite awesome. I was incredibly proud of how well they came out! I think Johnny, who’s now become my resident food critic as of today, agrees as he describes them as being “unparalleled in the modern age”… i think he’s attempting to be funny.

Still to come in the Christmas food making saga is Pesto Palimers and a Swiss Roll Ice-cream cake. That’s going to be the Christmas Day Dessert, it’s one of Lorraine Pascale’s recipes from her show Baking Made Easy. Then of course there is the Christmas Day Lunch, luckily there will be three of us (me, Johnny and my lovely flatmate Angela) to deal with all that! We are all rather excited about our London Christmas!

Curioser and Curioser

I took part in my first Curiosity Project this month and received my box on saturday. For those of you who don’t know it’s a brilliant idea thought up by a lovely lady called Tiffany who is a wedding planner and stylist by day and by night the orchestrater of The Curiosity Project . The project is a brain wave she had combining all the social media we use with the old childhood tradition of chain letters and the excitement of getting a parcel in the post (something I absolutely love too)

Each year there are a few different curiosity projects running, I’ve just completed the Christmas one and there will be another one starting in the new year, you sign up and submit a bit of blurb about yourself, then you are matched up with a recipient who is kept anonymous you then have to put together an wonderous box of goodies (the budget is £20 max) to send to this Curious stranger. You can make things, buy things, do whatever you want really, then package it up beautifully and pop it in the post. Meanwhile you have been matched up with another sender and after about a month you receive a box of wonders from them!

You take some lovely photos and email them to the Curiosity Project blog! It’s all very fun and exciting…Tiffany describes it better here

I got my box at the weekend and here’s some pictures of the AMAZING stuff i received from my anonymous sender, you can see the post on the blog about my box here

Doing this was really so much fun! I think I will sign up to the one that’s starting in January too!

Miaow

Cat’s are great aren’t they! I’m very comfortable with the fact that one day I will most certainly become a big haired cat lady who drinks far too much gin. I already drink far too much gin and my hair can be quite large so I’m already two-thirds of the way there.

Apart from my mum’s ridiculous example of a cat who I love to pieces, my favorite feline has to be the super cute Hello Kitty. I admit the market is awash with her cute little whiskers and red bow adorning every conceivable object. One of the more random items I recently found on my favorite Japanese website of randomness Strapya World , is a Hello Kitty Humidifier

It’s actually really quite pretty!

From my second favorite shop of Japan fun Artbox comes these really very nice matt black headphones

Of late Sanrio, who produce the wonderous Hello Kitty brand, have been getting me very excited with their recent collaborations with upstanding British Brands Dr Martens and Liberty of London.

I’m desperate to get my hands on a few meters of the super cute Hello Kitty / Liberty Print fabric and knock myself up a suitably cute dress. Also in the range are lovely trinket and jewellery boxes along with some cosmetics, alarm clocks and stationary.

The collaboration with Dr Martens has also gotten me excited, I remember getting my first pair of DM’s as a kid and stomping around in them with their chunky soles, the love of DM’s and kid’s shoes has not really diminished as I reach my late (eeek!) 20′s. Seriously who hasn’t seen kids dashing about in those trainers with the flashing lights in the soles and not coveted them even a little? Only this week did I see a little girl on her way to school wearing only what I can describe as a pair of DM Mary Jane’s with a massive velvet bow on the top! I WANT!

So for anyone after some adult kid shoes (sorry these don’t light up) are these!!!! amazing but ridiculous!

For something a bit more subtle there are also these…

 Miaow x

I LOVE Tara Starlet

Yes indeedy I really do love all the clothes Tara Starlet has on offer!

I have been a long time obsessive with all things 1950′s and 60′s and as such I’m on a constant search for cute items to fill my wardrobe with in an attempt to style myself as a character from the television series Mad Men or Pan Am. Most of my dresses come through tireless rummaging through vintage and retro shops, but every now and then I treat myself to something new! On my current list of “WANT IT!” is most of Tara Starlet’s current range!

And now they have just launched a Lingerie line! Oh My!

The Epic Search for a New Handbag

Why Hello there…long time no see. Yes I know it’s shocking how long it’s been since I posted something.

So in amongst all the prep for Christmas I have inflicted on myself (I am making as many presents as possible this year, including Cinnamon Vodka, tasty baked goods & Hand-stitched Tree Decorations…more lovely photos to follow) I have been searching high and low for a new handbag. I’m not talking about just any old handbag, I want a ladylike frame bag….but I want it to be a bit unusual (like me!) and involving Cats and/or Leopard print where possible; two things I have become increasingly addicted to of late!

After much searching I have come up with the following, a sort of shortlist…which is likely to change as I am rather an indecisive young lady…

Lux De Ville – Lucky Me Bag

Irregular Choice – Miaow Shopper

Lounge Fly – Hello Kitty Embossed Bag

Iron Fist – Lacey Days Hangbag

Lux De Ville – High Seas Handbag