Saturday 27 September 2014

List of Fears: Including Leona's Favourite Story of Being Sick on a Physiotherapist.


Having a blogging catch up earlier in the week, I came across the lovely (and recently married- Congratulations Becky & Rich *flails excitedly*) Becky Bedbug's 'My fears and phobias' and was immediately intrigued. Our mutual buddy, Leona once mentioned to me her fear of Edward Scissor hands (sorry for mentioning him Becky) and compared us as mutual 'weird fears people.' Inspired by Becky's honest and insightful post, I decided now would finally be the time to reveal myself as the scardy cat that I am...Don't judge me...

1) Feet- Ok lets start with the biggie. Feet (including my own) have scared me for as long as I can remember. Feet in socks/toed shoes are fine but outside of their barriers, those fuckers are out of control. All wiggling and twitching on their own makes me feel sick as I type this..don't even get me started on the toes! This leads to the story that Leona likes to tell people when she introduces me..."Hey this is Sophie, she's scared of feet and once was sick on a physiotherapist."..This is true. I've had troubles with my knees for a long time, you know how bambi walks when he's born? That's basically how I walk as a full grown adult. So the doctor sent me for some physio. I didn't know what to expect but as I sat on the examination table, lying down like I was about to get a massage, thinking to myself 'well this isn't half bad' the CRAZY physiotherapist grabbed my feet, sending my ballet pumps flying and well panic swelled inside me.....I vommited...all over her...and the floor. The poor woman didn't see it coming! I didn't see it coming, I wasn't prepared for her and she certainly wasn't prepared for me. I never went back. 

2) Mannequins- When they have features. Seriously, what is that about? Why do they have to look like they're going to come to life and grab me and take me to their frozen people palace? Why do they need hands and feet? Mannequin feet are totally unnecessary and a danger to us all. 

3) Large Spoons- This is another of Leona's favourites. I haven't eaten with a spoon larger than a teaspoon in about 15 years. They scare the hell out of me. I'm sure I either had a dream of watched a crazy episode of Goosebumps where the spoons were sharpened and then when people put them in their mouths it cut them all up? Probably not Goosebumps but I have been petrified ever since. I'm convinced that they're going to cut my mouth open and sever my tongue. Not dramatic at all. Even at fancy restaurants I'll either use a fork or if it's not too fancy, ask for a teaspoon. 

4) Arnold Schwarzenegger- This man is not human. And I'm sorry, I don't mean it in an internet trolling kind of way. I just have absolutely convinced myself that he isn't a real person but the first of the cyborgs, being tested out by the government to live in disguise. The way he moves, talks, his expressions definitely show the mechanics working under his 'skin'- all of it really really scares me.

5) Lorries Going Past Me- The most recent of my fears, this started after the 'knockout by branch falling off a lorry' earlier this year. Now whenever a lorry goes past me and whether I'm walking or in a car etc, I flinch and duck for cover. Like a total weirdo. 

6) Death- Finally not such an unusual one. I'm sure many people are afraid of death. I'm not particularly scared of myself dying but more-so of the people that I love. It's not as bad as it used to be, I used to panic whenever I heard an ambulance and if people didn't update me that they were safe I'd have a super freak out. Now I quietly worry for these cherished people's lives and they've all got used to my fretting. 

7) Vehicles- If I ever refuse a lift in your car, please don'e be offended. I'm an incredibly nervous passenger. To the extent that I really would just much rather walk in most weathers/situations then get in your car and then ghost brake at every turning. It's not you, it's me. I'm much better when I have my travel safe rock that Leona gifted me a few years back when it was really bad. I just don't understand why we can't go back to horse? 

8) Medium/Large Spiders- I have this theory that the small spiders can survive because they're babies and they get a warning to get out of my house/vicinity. If they'e big, they're grown up and should really know better, and I'm sorry to tell you that those are the ones that don't survive. Harps tells me that this isn't how spiders work and that some are just big ones are some are just small. Pffft, what does he know? Get those invading buggers away from me. 

So there we have it...I think. I've got to say, writing this has made me feel a little ill, I think it's time for a lie down. Do any of you have any unusual fears? Does anyone out there share my own irrational totally legitimate panics? I'd love to have a fear friend!

Love Sophie Xx

Wednesday 24 September 2014

Wednesday Words #2



Wednesday wishes to one and all. I hope that you're all trudging though the week like the troopers you are! I've had a rather pleasant week so far and unlike many, am rather enjoying that fresh autumn crisp that's suddenly in the air.

I confess, I still have donkey sayings on the brain- seriously how can you not be when you just see this happy fellow? I was really pleased with the response to starting this little wordy based series, and I'm hoping that the lovely Sunae is going to be joining in with some Aussie idioms soon!

"Talk the hind legs off a donkey..."


An interesting phrase wouldn't you say? I expect some people haven't even heard of it? Thats something I'd be interested to find out actually, if there are phrases etc that you haven't heard of? So, after a little fiddling around with google, I checked a few sites (just to be sure) and the most accurate origins that I could find were that it was originally an expression used to show admiration! Showing powerful signs of persuasion, a suggestion that someone could create the impossible just from talking, is now though still admiringly, more likely to be used when complaining about someone's chatter.

And now we know.
Love Sophie Xx

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Location Location Location: Melinsey Mill



Happy first official UK day of autumn everyone! I've been having a beautifully autumn themed day and I'm excited to share a not so well known, but a quirky, beautiful and tranquil little spot in Cornwall that I'm sure you'll all love as much as I did. 

Melinsey Mill is situated in Veryan near Truro, hidden away in the winding country lanes. Somewhere my mum wanted to take me for my 21st birthday a couple of years ago, alas they're only open between April- Late October, but on this lovely AUTUMN morning we decided to go for an explore and cake. For your information, my perfect way to spend a day off! 

A working 16th century watermill, this quirky attraction really captured my imagination (just like my mum knew it would!) According to county records, there has been a mill on the site since 1210 and the local, family business shows a selection of perfectly Cornish eccentricity curios and   homemade goodies. 


Free admission, we first wondered through the mill to check out the amazing machinery, guiding us up the stairs, we found a seating area and a selection of artwork and other handmade delights.


Possibly ghosties in the corner of my photo there- probably just bad phone flash though.

Lovely explorers.
A dusty selection of bottles and jugs.
A fancy walking stick with a fish handle.

These little guys made my heart swell.

I found this beautiful photograph (I think) for sale.

Crazy horse art. Purpose.




After a good ol nose, we looped around the mill house and ended up in the little cafe area. All homemade food and local produce, I ordered a giant slab of chocolate fudge cake, mother had a lovely looking bit of quiche with a delicious salad. We chatted outside, overlooking the small lake, tranquil and relaxing. 


We practically licked our plates and needed to walk off the cake scoffing so we had a wander and discovered a garden straight out of a Lewis Carroll novel. 


Tea pots and chairs hanging from trees, rickety bridges and twisty walkways, I was in my element. 
Smile mummy I'm going to blog about this place!

Even the plates were super cute! Scoff scoff.








This is so great.





After such a lovely time, mum suggested that I help her pick Bimble up from work and walk the dogs. Bimble and I declared that we were going on a conker hunt! He's had a haircut that's much shorter than he's used to, what do you think? He doesn't like it because he always wants 'girls hair' but I think it makes him look younger! We linked arms and skipped along, shouting random insults at mum and learning all about acorns and conkers. Sadly we didn't get either (this photo is ones that I found on my way back from buying groceries!) 

Love Sophie Xx

Thursday 18 September 2014

Thankful Thursday: The Big Picture.



Thank fuck it's Thursday...doesn't have the same ring to it does it? Anywhooty, how is everybody doing on this mid-September day? I've been feeling super thankful this week so far, lots of time spent with family from both Harps and my side, all you can eat Chinese food definitely helps, as does spending time with my bestie, Stacie. 'That in itself is a lovely trio of thanks' I hear you cry? You're right it is *smug face* but I have even more exiting and wondrous thanks to be shared, so lets get on with it shall we?

1) A Big Project.- Something which has just started budding, something I've hoped would flourish for  a while now....is in it's beginning stages. I haven't felt so excited about something expressive in forever! 

2) The Big Picture.- Looking at life in 'The big picture' is really refreshing. For the first time in a while, I feel like I have a strong three year plan. It's super top secret at the moment, but it slots into place nicely, career wise AND life wise, which isn't always easy to do! 

3) Bimble's Smile.- As you may, or may not have read, it was my darling Bimble's birthday on Sunday and looking back over the photos as the week goes on makes my little heart swell with happiness. Genuinely, he has one of the most angelic smiles that I've ever seen. I promise to keep that smile for as long as I can.

4) Contentment.- If someone asked me when I started this blog in November, how I felt at the time? The answer would have been twofold. 1) Amazing- I'd just got engaged and was in a spiral of absolute, total bliss. 2) The other would have been 'fidgety'. I was feeling like I was struggling with a work/life balance, questioned old friendships and whether I should try and reignite them, thinking of reinventing my 'look' (the dishevelled pretty?). It had been brewing for a little while. I think everyone has these moments, actually I think they're quite good for us. Fast forward to now, I couldn't feel more excited for the future, accepting of myself or comfortable in my own skin. Sure there'll be more wobbles, but for now, that's pretty pretty pretty pretty pretty good.


Thank you Lisette, you inspire me to not only be more thankful but also to look out for what I'm actually thankful for in life. And Liona, you're a babe- but you already knew that ;-)

Love Sophie Xx

Wednesday 17 September 2014

Wednesday Words #1


Good Morning everyone, I've been thinking a lot about my Wednesday posts over the last couple of weeks and though I've enjoyed sharing news stories and other things that have made me chuckle, I've started to find it almost as a bit of a chore? Which should of course, never be the case when blogging. For example, Duck In a Dress does a brilliant news themed post (which you should totally check out!) whereas with mine, I find it not only takes up a lot of time but also never ends up how I want it. Anyway, long story short, I've decided to take a little break from it, #25 seemed a good number to stop.  

Instead, I've been having plenty of conversations at work recently revolving around the origins of phrases or idioms and I thought it might be quite fun to learn about some of them! This was the first one that actually started the whole thing, and I found it pretty interesting! Let me know what you think of my change, I'd love some sort of feedback! 


"It's going to take donkey's years..."


How cute is this guy! Photo from Pinterest
Click image for source.




Why do people say 'donkey's years'? Well that's exactly what I wondered a few weeks ago and after a quick hunt around the internet (a variety of sources just to make sure) it would seem that it comes from the origin of 'donkey's ears' obviously meaning in length- relating to length of time. It's suggested that rhyming slang is the origin for the above reason, but also because people used to believe that the longer the donkeys ears, the longer they'd live! Once again relating to time! 

So there we go, we all learnt something this morning and it's not even midday!


Love Sophie Xx



Monday 15 September 2014

There is Nothing Quite Like a Bimble Birthday.


Birthday Cake Deliciousness                                  Holding my nose...ya know, so I can't breathe and all. 
Another year, another year older. On Sunday, Bimble (learn a little here) turned 39! That's right! That splendid, extra chromosomed champion of my family is becoming a bit of an oldie! As you'll all know from reading my intro post, Bimble is the shining beacon of our little family. Always there to make a fart impression at inappropriate times, hide your possessions just to make himself laugh, and general other tomfoolery. He is BIG on birthdays, it pretty much becomes the countdown in June and we all spend months telling him 'It's ages away!' In fact, at any other birthday throughout the year, he mentions 'HIS birthday is coming up' even if it's January. Usually when we ask him what the birthday plans are, he replies with "Party." Which inevitably means in real terms- a bunch of us sitting around a buffet whilst Bimble mingles around the room. The ever social butterfly. 

This year, however, he decided that he wanted to go to a Chinese restaurant near to us. So the quieter and more intimate party brigade that we all were, went to The Watermargin in St Austell. His birthday fell on the 'All You Can Eat For £15' day so I was pretty excited. Starving myself all day definitely paid off. The decor of the restaurant needed updating a good 30 years, but the food was delicious! So delicious, that I forgot to take photos of any of it. Just showed off my SECOND time ever at sussing chopsticks and wolfed it down. The staff knew when my mum booked the table, that it was his birthday and made a real fuss. They got banners and balloons and were especially attentive to him throughout our time there. I think he stood a pretty damn good chance of pulling one of the waitresses too! Smooth mover. (I kept on telling him to go and wait in the toilets for her and making him blush and slap me saying "Stop it Sophie!")



Whilst waiting between courses, we started (as a table) playing tiddlywinks with the confetti they'd put out. Bimble took it very seriously in-between playing the drums with his chopsticks and demanding that I take more photos with him. I gave Bimble his gift, the newest muppets film of course, Muppets Most Wanted, which I believe he has spent the ENTIRE Monday watching. Seriously, you'll never meet a more dedicated fan.

Just as we were leaving Bimble uttered the words....'Christmas?'
Here we go again...



Love Sophie Xx

P.S.
This was taken a few days prior when Bimble took a little
snooze in the car like a little nodding dog.

Thursday 11 September 2014

Thankful Thursday. That Inner Voice.



Thursday is here and we're all a little bit worn out from the week. I'll be honest, earlier today I decided that I wasn't going to do a TT post this week. I didn't really know how to explain how I was feeling in a thankful way, so I snuggled down for a bit of a snooze with Batman (we love a slumber party!) Simply, it all came down to; actually I'm probably the most thankful that I've been in a long time. 

Over the weekend, someone who can only be described as, an adopted family member, had a terrible accident. I mean, we didn't know that he'd make it at one stage. But he will. In fact, for someone who's broken his neck and skull, he's doing pretty fucking brilliant. Which in itself is something to be thankful for. It was a car accident, and I've spent the week feeling really rather....human. I mean how fragile is life? Incredibly. The doctors have said that had he had the roof down on his convertible car (a pretty much sure thing with this guy,) that he'd be dead. Simple. Yet he says, something told him not to take it down that day. Something stopped him.

Talking about this accident with a close friend, she told me of a time when she was younger, back when you didn't legally need to wear seat belts. So she never did, because nobody did and why would you if you are told you don't have to use them? One day, driving home from work in the sodding rain, upset at some family news she's just received, she veered down a hill. Something made her decide to put her seatbelt on. As she carried on, overtaking another vehicle, she had a head on collision with another car. Wearing that seatbelt saved her life.

Now I know this all seems like a traffic safety post, it isn't. Those are just examples of that little inner voice that we all have. That little voice that nudges us in the right direction, the one that tells us when something 'just doesn't feel right' and the one that saves our lives. That's what I'm thankful for.

Thank you Lisette for inspiring me to be more thankful. And thank you Liona for being an amazing friend.
Love Sophie and Batman Xx

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Weird & Wonderful News Wednesday #25 Marvellous Mango Muffins.



You're thinking:
1) Those aren't muffins?
2) They've got decking blueberries in! They're not even mango!
3) This isn't news! You said last week that the news posts had returned?...Fucker.

I am guilty of all three charges! And there is a simple reason for all of this. I had too many eggs going out of date. True story. Don't worry people that I have been bounding around Cornwall gifting these to today, they haven't actually gone out of date. They're just pretty close. So I decided to make some blueberry muffins for work (I've been a bit stressified the last couple o'days-I'll explain tomorrow.) THEN, I got all a bit bakey and decided that I wanted to also make some cakes for myself and Harps and was feeling all a bit experimentos (making up a lot of words today aren't I?) that I 'dabbed a hand' (weird saying) at making some mango cupcakes! ( I called them muffins in the title to demonstrate a little alliteration-so shoot me)

Anywhooty, due to flummoxing around the county, I seem to have gifted most of my little blueberry gems, much to Harps's dismay, which means that my lovely colleagues had better like experimental mango cakes! If they don't, they're all mango hating fools. It also means that I just haven't had the time to accumulate all the strange things I've been reading about this week- sozages for that.

And I sang this over and over and OVER again whilst I baked. I urge you to do the same whilst you read the recipe below! 





WHO LIKE THE MANGO? 


And the most boring photo whilst baking award goes to...


Bake Time: 17 minutes.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Serves: Some work colleagues and a greedy Harps. (12)
Mango Factor: Priceless.

Ingredients: 115g Self Raising Flour, 115g Caster Sugar, 115g Melted Butter/Marg, 1tsp Vanilla Essence, 2 Free Range Eggs, Mangoey Goodness ( I used mango juice but in hindsight it wasn't a great move).

Icing: Not as much Double Cream as I used (I'd say you need about 100ml?) P.s. Anyone want some mango cream icing? Mango juice (bad idea-my mango cakes are wavering already) and Icing Sugar.



1) Preheat the oven to 190c/ 375f/ Gas 5- Line a 12 hole cupcake pan with standard sized cases.

2) In a mixing bowl, beat together the melted butter/marg with the sugar until a pale and creamy, light texture forms.

3) Gradually whisk in the eggs and the mango juice (about 75ml), then sift the flour on top. Using a large metal spoon, carefully fold the flour into the batter.

4) Spoon evenly into the cases and bake for 16-18 minutes on the middle shelf, until lightly golden and firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

5) Pour the double cream into a bowl and sift in some icing sugar. Whip the mixture, adding a little mango juice at a time. Set aside in the fridge until your cakes have cooled fully. 

6) Ice those bad boys up and you're in mango heaven!

Love Sophie Xx


Monday 8 September 2014

Location Location Location: Polgooth Inn








The Polgooth Inn is a beautiful, gem of a pub to spend a sunny autumn afternoon. Every time I've been there, I've been super impressed with the food. Tracey and I wanted a catch up and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to have a spot of lunch in the sunshine. Situated in St Austell, it's only a ten minute drive from my house. Feeling like a traditional cornish pub, it has a wonderful place to tie up horses, a selection of blankets by the entrance for those cool evenings we're having, and generally every little, warm and friendly detail is catered for. 

We grabbed a drink and sat in the sunshine, Tracey's beautiful daughter making us laugh talking about the cows going for their lunch. Boasting spectacular views, as the sun gleamed, we unwrapped the presents that I'd bought for the girls' birthdays. (Check out the amazing gift bag!) 



The staff were attentive and welcoming, as well as engaging with the little ones when they came outside. Our food arrived swiftly from ordering, and at £12.00 for this delicious homemade gourmet burger (from local produce) and hand-cut chips, I was in burger-heaven. Since it was a little earlier than I'm used to eating, I sadly couldn't devour it all, but goddammit I gave it a good crack! Tracey was equally as delighted with her meal, and after a little wander around, we left with very full bellies. 


If you're in St Austell, Cornwall, and looking for an affordable, welcoming and delicious meal, always seriously consider popping to Polgooth Inn.

Love Sophie Xx

Sunday 7 September 2014

The Art of Thinking Clearly. Does Harvard Make you Smarter?



Good afternoon loved ones. Recently, I have been reading a book that is helping me on the path to cleansing my mind. Since my little confidence wobble a couple of weeks ago, I was searching for something to help my perspective. As someone who has battled with depression from early teens, there isn't many self help books, techniques and teachings that I haven't come across. Refreshingly, 'The Art of Thinking Clearly' by Rolf Dobelli, isn't aimed necessarily at those ideals, more-so at helping to question the way that we make mistakes, judgements and failures and adapt the way we make the decisions that lead to the above. Cognitive biases. So far I've found it to be really, very helpful and interesting. So much so that I want to do a little series post about what I'm learning, in the hope that it may help some of you too!


 *All information is based on the book but adapted so as not to ruin it completely.*


Does Harvard make you smarter? The Ballet Body Illusion.


Summer is drawing to an end, our little bodies are crammed with the remains of bbqs, ice creams and too much booze. Plenty of us are looking at ourselves and thinking; "Right, what new sport do I do to get fit and loose weight?" We look in our local sports centre activities and find ballet dancing. "Aahh I'll do ballet, they look in pretty good shape..." Six gruelling months later, we look in the mirror as we pirouette across the dance floor, and though clearly more in shape, we suddenly realise the illusion that we've fallen for. The ballet body illusion. The beautiful ballerinas are just that because they were chosen for their body shapes. They've been that way all along. How they are designed is a factor for selection and not a result of their activities. Similarly used in marketing campaigns all around; a cosmetics adverts recruits beautiful models to advertise their new make up brand, everyone goes out and buys said lipstick or whatever because they too want to look like the beautiful model. But the model was chosen because of how she already looked? Not because the make up somehow made her beautiful? Once again confusing selection factors with results. Of course it's essential that we all fall for this otherwise nobody would sell anything, but personally I find it interesting because when decision making, it's easy to fall into the ballet body illusion and not notice the bigger picture. 

"For example, Harvard has the reputation for being a top university. Many highly successful people have studied there.  Does this mean that Harvard is a good school? We don't know. Perhaps the school is terrible and it simply recruits the brightest students around?"

By being born happy you tend to continue that trait of your embedded personality and throughout your life see the positive rather than the negative. The people that see the 'glass half full'.

The moral? Be wary of self-illusion. Take a good hard look in the mirror before you make decisions and try to see the situation from a selection factor as oppose to a results one.


Interesting eh?
Love Sophie Xx

Thursday 4 September 2014

Thankful Thursday

I am ready for bed. In both the mental, emotional and literal sense. Ever have those weeks where you sleep so badly that it becomes a routine of sleeping badly? Yeah that's where I'm at right about now. It has now got to today, where I am actually really bloody struggling to be an adult because all I want to do is cry until someone puts me down for a nap, strangely, not to dissimilar to what Harps did about an hour ago. Big baby right here. Don't judge me, I'm a loose, sleepy cannon. Any tips Thursday readers? Please tell me all about your week and your thankfulness so that I have something to read in the middle of the blinking night?!




I'm feeling thankful for...

1) That I'm not living in a war zone or place with any conflict. Pretty lucky here in the Cornwall shire. Turning on the news is pretty hard these days.

2) Thinking Clearly- See my new book above. I'm thankful that this little book is expanding my thinking and subtly encroaching on my life (in a good way.) I want to do a few little posts about some of my findings in here. Watch this space.

3) The little return of summer- Kind of. But it's been bleedy brilliant (I'm sure Michelle has been loving it too as she's sick of my GO AUTUMN attitude.) 

4) Myself- I'm grateful to myself this week for being a strong ox who follows her own vision and own plans and actually is pretty good at these things! Who'd have known!? I'm in a place where I actually feel like I'm on Team Sophie and I feel proud for being about there. (Even if Team Sophie is about to throw a tantrum because she can't decide what to have for dinner/stood on a raisin) 

5) This quote.  Because it sums up EXACTLY how I feel right now. Which is a pretty good outlook on life I'd say?

Thankyou Lisette and Leona, you both inspire me to be more thankful, which I think is a wonderful thing to be responsible for.
Love Sophie Xx
P.s. Sorry if when I read this tomorrow it's just a rambley mess of messness. 

Wednesday 3 September 2014

Weird and Wonderful News Wednesday #24 Amazing Dresses From Everyday Objects, GBBO Team Norman, Drunk Moose & The Daughter of an Alzheimers Sufferer.



















Happy September to you all! Bring on the fallen leaves and wooly hats I say! Hurrah! Someone remind me of this in a few weeks when I'm bitching incessantly about how cold I am? Thanks. Anyway, as summer comes to an end (or has it officially ended now? Are we in Autumn?!) My usual Wednesday posts are back from their summer break and instead of spending evenings in my garden, marvelling at what a fabulous tomato grower I am, I'll be snuggled under a blanket, reading much more news and generally hibernating (one of the best things ever.) 

Lets check out a little selection of news that I've still been reading during my summer hiatus (most of which is quite possibly 'old news' now- but who cares!)

Woman Shares Touching Moment When Her Mother With Alzheimers Recognising Her. Via Youtube.com



I'll be honest with you. It is this video that brought my news posts back this week. I was planning on blabbing on about the end of summer a bit more and saving all of these other articles until next week. When I saw this I genuinely cried for about an hour. My Grandad (not to be confused with Grandpa) suffered with Alzheimers and sadly lost his life to the illness, amongst other health complications. I remember to vividly visiting him and the hope of him remembering who I was fading each time. He was a wonderful man, yet I can only imagine the surge of bittersweet love that this woman and her mother share in this video. Something that I'm sure will be cherished for a long while.


Drunk Moose Refuses to Leave Offices. Via Buzzfeed.com


Aaaahh I laughed at this for so long! Look at the moose in an office building! I read about this on loads of different news sources, one of which claimed that the moose had become intoxicated after eating fermented fruit nearby, that once he'd stumbled into the offices,  nobody could get him out! Brilliant. What a great excuse to have not done any work all day.."Oh sorry, I couldn't get to the copier, a drunk moose was in my way."....Brilliant! I wonder if I could adapt this to my work? Hmmm.."I'm sorry I didn't do that paperwork, a drunk cow came into my office and got in my way?"





I am typing this frantically because the official countdown to GBBO is on and I want need to get this posted before just incase my beloved NORMAN (best name) gets booted out by the horrific Paul Hollywood. Who definitely has a vendetta against our Norm! The whole buzz feed article beautifully describes exactly why I love Norman, and I sure will be rooting for him this evening!






Just wow. The whole website is a little out of date but some of these dresses are just phenomenal! Robin's work is using everyday objects and turning them into amazing dresses. I've shared a few of my favourites below, but I'd recommend you go and check out her work. Inspiring.


Feather Duster Dress.

28 Second Hand Dresses. Red Dress.

Casino Chip Dress.

Pinecone Dress.


It's good to be back. How are we all? Any amusing news that I've missed this week? Who do you all want to win the GBBO title? Team Norm? 
Love Sophie Xx