Author Archives: britrish
Getting Brave
And hot on the heels of yesterday’s post about Scottish fashion, I bring you the sounds of Scotland.
Well, kind of.
So picture it – we’re sweating bullets out at Disneyland’s California Adventure Park last month, watching the World of Color show (which is really quite beautiful, if you’ve never seen it.) and they’re projecting a few familiar scenes from Disney movies of yesteryear upon this wall of water and then… they play this song that literally transports me out of the sticky summer heat of Southern California and into a lush green meadow near Stirling. It’s a Scottish song, with bagpipes, sung by a sweet honeyed voice and it leaves me breathless.
The song was from “Brave.” Julie Fowlis’s “Touch the Sky.” I’ve not seen “Brave,” but days later, we bought the original soundtrack on iTunes and weeks later, it’s still what we’re listening to. If you haven’t heard it yet, do yourself a favor and check it out. Especially if you love Scottish music in the vein of Kate Rusby, John McCusker, Battlefield Band, or want a quick introduction into the genre.
Scottish fashion is coming
F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal
My husband subscribes to the Wall Street Journal on Saturdays, which is their weekend edition, and I must say, it is a very good read – not so much for the financial news, but for fun, whimsical, eye-catching and well-written stories on food, wine, travel, fashion, culture and lifestyle.
It’s the kind of reading that pairs best with a hot cup of coffee, freshly made pancakes and a morning at home with nothing pressing to do. It might be the closest thing to a good British weekend newspaper in America. I should add the Financial Times in the U.S. comes at a close second – not sure what the correlation is between financial newspapers and a good lifestyle section, but there clearly is a correlation. I also like that the financial newspapers doesn’t come preloaded with all the normal weekend tat that’s weighing down other American newspapers – coupons, sales flyers, Parade Magazine, need I say more?.
But I digress. I was a little behind on my WSJ reading and just went through the Aug. 27 paper (don’t judge…). The front page of Off Duty was this: “The Scottish are Coming.” If you never thought that the kilt would make its way to our shores, well, read on … I’m loving the tweed and tartan, the wool and the Fair Isle. They form the foundation of my idea of the perfect fall wardrobe.
John Lewis’ latest advert
I’ve blogged before about British retailer John Lewis’ adverts and how well done they are. Well, they’ve done it again.
Check out their latest advert, which launched last Friday.
Great concept and lovely cover of INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart” sung beautifully by British singer Paloma Faith. *Sigh*
Man flu and sausage rolls
My husband’s been down with a mean case of the man flu this week. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head and feverish, he is a walking (albeit overdramatic) Nyquil ad and make me want to swim in a sea of Purell.
But before the cold bug bit this week, he did some baking: a ginormous sausage roll. Typically sausage rolls are bite-sized British morsels, but this was supersized, making it a kind of pork pie-esque puff pastry loaf. The kids chowed down despite their love-hate relationship with minced meat, as did I, despite the fact that our chef became deathly ill the next day.
Here’s the recipe courtesy of Delia Smith.
And the envelope please …
Last weekend, I got a lovely surprise from Zoe from JustEnglish.me. She nominated Britrish.com for two blog awards – the Beautiful Blogger Award and One Lovely Blog.
As for the terms and conditions of such a prize, it’s as follows: “To claim the price, please publish 7 things that bloggers don’t know about you and then nominate the next 7 blogs. Inform the bloggers about the nomination.” Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
And without further ado, here are my top 7:
1. I’m an only child but have been told throughout my life that I don’t act like one.
2. I love nature but hate bugs.
3. I truly believe everyone looks better with glasses. Except me.
4. I once wrote a humor column about getting carded in America when I went to see an R rated movie. The Scottish copyeditors, who didn’t understand the ratings system in America, changed the copy to read X rated movie. Needless to say, the column didn’t read the same.
5. I was an extra on “Sister Act 2.”
6. I don’t like talking on the phone.
7. I still haven’t been to Greece. Initially the toilet-paper-in-the-basket thing kept me away but now I’ve come to believe that it’s worth going despite that. Especially Santorini.
My nominations:
a-girl-and-her-fork.blogspot.com
newvintagephotography.wordpress.com/
Thesmudge.com
merrylittleworld.wordpress.com/
britishisms.wordpress.com
virginiaplantation.wordpress.com
www.shoandtellblog.com/
Top Shop now at Nordstrom
Oh, Nordstrom. I loved you when you brought Mini Boden to your store. But Top Shop? Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Yes, Great Britain’s High Street shops Top Shop (for women) and Top Man (for men) have arrived at Nordstrom! Iconic, British and very wearable, Top Shop is going to revolutionize American fashion as we know it. Mark my words!
Check out their fall line!
And watch the launch video!
What Americans missed – London Paralympics
Here’s what Americans missed – the Paralympics closing ceremony with Coldplay.
If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t blogged about the London Paralympics, it’s simply because I haven’t seen any of the games. And I’m not alone. There’s been such limited coverage of the games that it’s been nearly impossible to catch any of it here on TV in the U.S., despite the fact that NBC has been contracted to air the games. Newsflash, NBC – Americans do care about the Paralympics and would like the option to view them with the rest of the world!
Congrats to Team GB for scoring third in the London Paralympic Games, after China and Russia. Well done!
Butter London’s union jack pack
I’ve always been an Opi girl, but Butter London has compiled its top three best sellers into one union jack pack trio on Ulta online. The three colors, Yummy Mummy, Come to Bed Red and Union Jack Black, are $36. I’ve never used Butter London nail lacquers before, but this Brit-powered pack might be the inspiration that I need. I’ve read a lot of online reviews and they seem to be very long-wearing, chip-resistant and definitely a good value. Have you tried Butter London?
On another note, Ulta is offering a buy one Butter London nail lacquer, get one free today only, as part of its “21 Days of Beauty” promotion. And for Ulta members like me, you can also download the $3.50 off coupon for additional savings in-store or online.
A walk on the beach
I love this photo of William and Kate! There’s something very British to me about bundling up for a crisp walk on a quiet beach with Wellies and dog in tow. My MIL lives in Devon and that is pretty much how we spent winters (minus the sunshine and obvious royalty) when visiting her. I really hate the cold, but love the thought of a hot cup of cocoa after.
Have a wonderful weekend!
BRITRISH.COM 