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The Holy Grail of British jeans
Rachel Weisz in MiH Breathless jeans
I have been a fan of Hudson jeans for about a year now. I bought a pair at last year’s Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale and loved the fit (yay for a petite cut!) and for the little union jack on the bum.
But lately, I’ve ben searching for that elusive jean – something petite again, but also skinny without being too skinny, straight and fitted just so. Not too tight on the ankle, but not too loose. The answer might be in the form of the British brand MiH and their Breathless jean. I was flipping through the August issue of Glamour and lo and behold, the dream jean was there: “Something slim-fitting but not too tight, spiffy enough for Saturday night but also perfect for a casual brunch” and there were photos of Rachel Weisz, Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Elizabeth Hurley sporting the look.
Have you ever tried MiH? Is it all that and a bag of chips (or should I say crisps)? Inquiring minds want to know (I want to know!).
Olympic love
The royals greeting the Olympic torch. How cute are they?! Photo credit: Ian West/PA Wire
The day is finally here! I’m so looking forward to the opening ceremony of the Olympics today. I’ve heard one insider describe it as “very British” and I can’t wait to see what they do. What we do know: there will be sheep and a host of other farm animals, plows and maypoles, a dance featuring nurses, a song by Paul McCartney and something involving Daniel Craig as James Bond. Is this not going to be the greatest thing the world has ever seen?
And with all the buzz about the Olympics, I thought I’d roundup some of my favorite links and share – enjoy and have a wonderful weekend!
A watercolor map of London.
A soundtrack to rock the games.
A London double-decker bus does push-ups.
Ab Fab’s Eddie and Patsy carry the Olympic torch.
Don’t take the Olympic name in vein.
Will London visitors learn that British food is good? (Because it really is…)
Beer from the 1908 London Olympic games, anyone?
The 2012 Olympics drinking game, but please drink responsibly.
British food for an Olympics party.
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!
Big Ben print
I kind of like this modern twist of Big Ben, which is selling on Etsy in ialbert‘s shop, based in Didcot, England.
It’s printed using archival pigment inks on heavyweight fine art paper and sells for $25.
(The shop also sells an iPhone case using the same motif!)
Diamond Jubilee dinner
Well, those in the U.K. are enjoying the last of a four-day weekend in celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (60 years on the throne), while the rest of us are back to the grindstone. Lucky.
We ended up celebrating yesterday with some friends. We hung our union jack bunting up on the front of our house and threw together an impromptu barbecue dinner of grilled rack of lamb with mint sauce, boiled new potatoes, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese (for the kids), strawberries and freshly whipped cream and a homemade berry pie from Taylor’s Market for pudding – all served with some union jack napkins and St. George’s flag plates, cups and even balloons (I know, I know, St. George’s flag is only representative of England, but we bought them cheaply on our last trip to the U.K. around the time of St. George’s Day and it worked in a pinch – at least more appropriate than this tableware.).
America does indeed have talent
Before this week began, I hadn’t seen “Britain’s Got Talent” or “America’s Got Talent.”
Sure, I’d seen the old Susan Boyle clips that have been kicking around the web, but that was the extent to it. I wasn’t interested in a talent show outside of the American Idol/X-Factor vein.
But what a difference a week makes!
I started watching “America’s Got Talent” on Monday when the new season premiered and now I get it. I get why people watch these non-singing, non-dancing talent acts. They’re fascinating. The judges, Howard Stern, Sharon Osborne and Howie Mandel, provide an honest (and often hilarious) critique. And Nick Cannon is absolutely fantastic as a host, in that very British style of Ant and Dec (talking to the camera, narrating behind the scenes).
If you haen’t seen it, and are wondering what the fuss is all about, you can watch the season premiere online.
Three British restaurants included in World’s 50 best list
I’m not sure if you’ve read the news but the 2012 World’s 50 Best Restaurants, as judged by Restaurant Magazine, has been revealed.
Behold! There are three restaurants in England that have received this illustrious honor:
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
was #9 on the list, and was the highest new entry of 2012.
Another Heston Blumenthal restaurant, The Fat Duck, which offers a sequence of tastings, has been on the list for nine years and this year hit #13.
Lastly, The Ledbury in Notting Hill made it to #14 and was the highest climber on the list, moving up from #34 last year.
Congrats to these three. View the full list.
HBO’s Girls
Despite our best intentions of unbundling our lives from the evils of Comcast, we have signed up for HBO.
I’m not proud of it. But I will say that the HBO programming is amazing.
Have you seen “Girls”? I was reluctant – after all of the hype. How great could it really be? Well, totes amaze. Last week’s episode entitled “Vagina Panic” had me LOL-ing and cringing at the same time.
I should add that while I love the characters of Hannah and Marnie most of all, I think it’s great that they’ve included a Brit in the mix in the form of Jessa – beautiful, distant and way too cool for her own good. Every show needs one of those.
And even if you have boycotted Comcast, you can watch the full first episode of “Girls,” thanks to the good people at YouTube.
Mothering Sunday
Yesterday, in case you missed it, was Mother’s Day in the U.K.
“Mothering Sunday,” as it is better known, is always held the fourth Sunday in Lent – a date that is always changing year upon year and a perennial source of confusion for those of us not in the U.K.
At any rate, Happy Belated Mother’s Day to the mums from the Motherland!
And in case you did miss it, you can always still purchase Mother’s Day cards here in the U.S. since our Mother’s Day isn’t until May 13.
BRITRISH.COM 