Monthly Archives: July 2012
Is it tea you’re looking for?
I follow George Takei on Facebook, and he’s always enlightening and delightful! I loved this Lionel Ritchie teapot that he posted to his FB last weekend and I guess I’m not the only one. I located the teapot on Etsy and they’re sadly all sold out (since George FBed about it). The good news? Owner Lenny Mud promises to make and post more soon!
When he does, you can be sure a lot of people like me will be dancing on the ceiling!
Saving Castle Drogo
My MIL volunteers regularly at Castle Drogo, which is the last castle built in England in the 20th Century. Located in Drewsteignton, near Exeter in southwest England, it is a National Trust property which was formerly home to grocery magnate Julius Drewe. It is every bit the fairytale castle that you would imagine, but has sadly sustained water damage over the years, due to waterproofing problems during its early construction.
A fundraising campaign is currently underway to help raise money to repair the roof, replace windows, repoint walls among other necessary fixes in order for the castle to remain open to visitors. I hope that they are successful. See the video below to find out more about the castle and be sure to visit if you’re ever in Devon!
Hello, Barbour
Barbour has been crafting its legendary outerwear since 1894, but it hasn’t been readily available in the U.S.
Now, J.Crew has partnered with Barbour to supply men’s Barbour jackets in a variety of styles. They really are extremely good quality and perfect for keeping warm and dry in the wettest of winters (and British summers!).
Shed of the year
It seems to me that the majority of American garden sheds are practical and purposeful. A place to store garden tools and bags of seed, pet food, bikes, paint cans, odds and ends. They’re strictly storage spaces and certainly not a place you’d want to spend any amount of time.
British sheds, on the other hand, are really places to dwell, have a cup of tea, read a book, listen to “The Archers” and maybe also store some odds and ends and a few little surprises.
Case in point: John Plumridge’s shed in Shrewsbury. From the outside, it looks like a pretty little garden shed.
Photo credit for all photos: Shedblog.co.uk
But inside, this awaits!
Check out all of the photos. It’s not surprising that he won the Shed of the Year award, which was presented last week.
And if you want to see some of the runners-up, here you go! Prepare to be inspired!
The birth of Penelope Scotland
Kourtney Kardashian gave birth Sunday to a daughter, Penelope Scotland. Photo credit: Associated Press
I try not to care about the Kardashians. I really do.
But when I heard that Kourtney Kardashian and her husband Scott Disick just named her daughter Penelope Scotland, well, I couldn’t help but take notice.
Is Scotland an appropriate name for a child – especially given by a non-Scottish couple who probably couldn’t locate Scotland on a map? Is Scotland an appropriate name for a girl? Am I wrong for wondering why they couldn’t just stay local and go with a name like Hollywood, Westwood or Burbank? What do you think?
British Airways’ #HomeAdvantage ad
Kudos to British Airways for their very clever and engaging #HomeAdvantage ad, which encourages Brits to make the most of the summer events that are taking place in the U.K.
Before the web video begins, it asks for a home address if you live in the U.K. and then plugs in some scenery from that address (based on Google maps) in the ad itself. It’s seamless and has been endlessly entertaining. I’ve used our old addresses in the U.K. for kicks and boom, there is the British Airways plane driving right by our old house. So clever!
The joy of Pimm’s
Photo credit: Slate.com
With the temperatures rising and summer in full swing, I like to turn to my favorite summertime drink: Pimm’s and lemonade.
It sounds like I’m not alone. It is growing in popularity among Americans, according to the New York Times. Pimm’s is named after James Pimm, the bar owner who created it in the mid 1800s and it is a quintessentially British drink, particularly popular at Wimbledon.
As for the recipe, I usually just eyeball it. One part Pimm’s to three parts lemonade (I like the Santa Cruz brand organic sparkling lemonade but 7up will do) and then add slices of cucumber, oranges, apples, strawberries and fresh mint to the glass and serve over ice.
If you’re looking to buy a bottle of Pimm’s, Bevmo is a safe bet. I bought a bottle recently for $17.99, after trying three different grocery stores and worrying that I might end up Pimm’s-less.
Shard Tower opens
The London skyline seems to be changing by the day! Meet London’s Shard, an 87-story tower in Southwark, which is officially the tallest building in Europe.
There’s something spookily Lord of the Rings about it, am I right? (Or at least Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol).
Photo credit: Sellar
It’s currently opening with 26 floors of vacant office space. The only tenant so far is the Shangri-la Hotel, which is using floors 34 to 52. Read more about it.
The world’s first watch cat is British
The toys in the warehouse of UK-based toy company Bandai are now safely being protected by Millie the cat. The story has been reported in several UK newspapers and I thought it was some sort of April Fools-style joke, but no. Behold, Millie! She’s not only the security detail at Bandai but ridiculously photogenic and looks adorable in cat clothes.
UK-based Bandai has employed the world’s first watch cat. Photo credit on all photos: Metro UK
Patrolling at night.
She’s apparently quite happy to patrol at night and is being paid in cat food and fish. Who needs a watch dog, when you can have Millie? Added bonus: She’s got nine lives.
I’m sure it will be turned into a Hollywood blockbuster in no time.
(Apologies for the cheese factor in this story…)
Happy 4th of July
Photo credit: http://secretlifeofachefswife.com
Aw, Happy Fourth of July (AKA in some British circles as “British Thanksgiving” – the day they thankfully cut loose one of their colonies! 🙂 )…
BTW, I love Yahoo Answers for the crazy questions and responses that people post. Here’s a good one: “Is there a 4th of July in England?”
BRITRISH.COM 