Monthly Archives: January 2013
Calendars vs. diaries
I’ve been emailing some friends in the U.K. to plan some get togethers when we visit London. Curiously, all of them have mentioned that they’ve put our visit dates “in their diary,” a British term I’ve completely forgotten and not to be confused with the “Dear Diary, I’ve just met a boy” diary variety, which also does exist in the U.K. (Exhibit A: “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”)
I guess in British terms, a calendar is used to let you know what date it is (they have the same kind of themed wall calendars as we do), but it’s not quite the same as a datebook or whatever device you use to record your comings and goings. Google Calendar in the U.K. may need a renaming…
Dressing the Queen
Have you ever wondered what it takes to dress Queen Elizabeth? Here are just a few details I discovered via this weekend’s very informative Wall Street Journal article:
1. The Queen prefers a two-inch heel.
2. Striking colors are a must.
3. Umbrellas are a necessity (she likes transparent ones the most).
4. She has quite a collection of hats.
More details like these can be found in the book, “Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe” written by royal couturier Angela Kelly, who manages the queen’s public and private wardrobe.
Mini Boden’s spring collection
Mini Boden‘s spring collection is here! The children’s line features sweet sherbet colors, lots of stripes, polka dots, florals and the usual Boden quality.
Nordstrom is currently taking pre-orders on items from the spring collection. The department store normally sells only a small collection from what’s available on the Mini Boden website, but this spring it seems that there’s much more available via Nordstrom. Check out some of the new pieces in the line!
Allison Williams as Kate Middleton
Oh, to be Allison Williams. Not only does she have stunning good looks (even with an eyepatch), a college degree from Yale University, a dad as awesome as Brian Williams, a hot brother, a very nice singing voice and a prime role as Marnie in the hottest HBO show “Girls.” But on top of all of that, she also bears a striking resemblance to Kate Middleton.
If you didn’t catch her on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” this week, check out her skit as Kate Middleton (with Jimmy as Prince William).
Wiltshire gets naked in the snow
It started with a Facebook page called “Wiltshire, Let’s Get Naked in the Snow” started by Leanne Myers, a 40-year-old from Durrington, Wiltshire. With the recent snowfall in the U.K., over 250 people posted their photos (all fairly tasteful – like “Calendar Girls”) in the first three days and the page has since received nearly 10,000 likes. The craze has reached the U.S. and the Middle East, with non-Brits posting to their pics to the page as well.
Check out some of the news stories and photos.
Peter Rabbit line at the Gap
OMG. Baby Gap has released its Peter Rabbit line, replete with soft chambray, intarsia knits and onesies galore! Awwwww.
4 tips to get your child’s passport renewed in 1 week
My son’s first U.S. passport was issued when he was about 2 months old. He couldn’t sit up yet. In his passport photo, he looked like a little potato (don’t get me wrong, he was a cute potato), head akimbo, slouched over a bit.
Five years later and his passport expired. Opportunity for an updated passport photo that resembles the boy that he is now – hurray!
What I hadn’t expected was how involved the process is to renew your U.S. passport for minors under the age of 16. Yes, I went through it the first time in applying but clearly it’s something that can be forgotten by the time the passport expires.
Movie review: “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
Over the Christmas break, we went to the movies and saw “The Hobbit.” I enjoyed the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and have so many wonderful memories of seeing the three films in the theater with good friends – the first two when we were living in England, the last one when we had moved back to the States.
A part of me just wanted to revisit that magical world that Peter Jackson created. We were not disappointed. It made me want to be a hobbit, living in that tranquil Shire – and for those nearly three hours (which didn’t feel like three hours, I should add), I was transported. It felt like a reunion seeing those familiar faces from the “Lord of the Rings” again. Elijah Wood. Ian McKellan. Cate Blanchett. Gollum. And places like Rivendell and all of its glorious waterfalls.
* Sigh *
If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s still in theaters!
And I hope you have a wonderful three-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend! I’ll see you back here on Tuesday!
Candy review: Marvellous Creations
My sister-in-law in New Zealand sent us some crazy candy bars awhile back. I’m not a big candy eater, but this was a novelty I had to check out: Marvellous Creations by Cadbury.
They take a regular bar of Dairy Milk milk chocolate and then infuse it with a little bit of something gummy, a little bit of plain M&Ms and colorful Pop Rocks. Mad! It’s actually a strange but ridiculously fun thing to eat, particularly with the Pop Rocks. If I had unlimited access to Pop Rocks, I would add it to everything. Yogurt. Cheesecake. The possibilities would be endless! I can’t help smiling and feeling like I’m 5 when I’m eating Pop Rocks!
Would I prefer it if the chocolate base was dark chocolate, rather than this silky, creamy Dairy Milk chocolate? Absolutely! But on a feel-good factor scale, it’s still a 10.
The chocolate bars now have a Facebook page and Brits are already posting online begging for them to come to the U.K. With Cadbury World in Birmingham, England, I’m hoping it’s only a matter of time.
BRITRISH.COM 