Year of pleasures #2: Oscars season

I love the Oscars. I used to stay up all night to watch, when it was on the BBC, with a big bowl of popcorn and a few drinks to get me through until 6am. Now it's on Sky (grr) I have to rely on the web, 24 hour news channels and BBC Breakfast the morning after. I get a lot more sleep but it's nowhere near as exciting as watching it live, unedited and unpolished. Even though the Baftas has ramped up the glamour in recent years, no other award ceremony can quite hold a candle to the Oscars.

Nominations were released today, and while there's always a chance that the Academy could vote against the grain, so far Colin Firth (The King's Speech - the Academy likes an impediment) and Natalie Portman (Black Swan - physically demanding role) look like shoo-ins for the best acting prizes.

I may be on maternity leave but in my absence one of my colleagues is keeping an eye on the nominees and winners of all the major trophies this awards season. Before you make your Oscars predictions check out the form of all the nominees on the Datablog.

I want Karl Lagerfeld's library

I wonder if he needs a librarian?

http://thehairpin.com/2011/01/karl-lagerfelds-library/

Year of pleasures #1

My old college friend (and now baby and blog friend) Aimee pinched this idea from her friend, who pinched it from Elizabeth Berg, and now I'm pinching it from her. The idea is to blog once a week or so on something that makes you happy, or that you're grateful for, as a way of looking on the bright side. It may be a little bit 'self-help book' for your tastes but I like the idea so tough cookies.

So I'll start with an obvious one - my two babies - who are happy (most of the time) and healthy (if a little snotty at the moment) and generally adorable (puke, right?). Logan told me last week, "I love Ella so much, I want to cuddle her all day and kiss her all day." I melt.

Pretty as a picture

I had lunch in a new vegan cafe in Kings Cross today, really a lounge downstairs in the Secret Society of Vegans shop. I had a very tasty vegan Cornish pasty, and they have an impressive flavoured coffee menu (my marshmallow soya decaf latte didn't taste much of marchmallow or of coffee, but I've got a cold so maybe I'm being harsh). The staff are lovely, and even managed to manhandle Ella's buggy down the stairs. Bought a box of delicious cookies for Logan while I was there (vegan food being handily egg-free).

The space is also used for exhibitions, and the one today - Stitches, by Raquel J Alves - was excellent. I had one of those crafty, handmade "Why can't I do that?" moments. Alves creates 'needle paintings' on canvas, creating images with stitching, painting and collage that are really quite lovely to look at. Want one (or three).