what katy did

A curious Christmas

2012-01-03T13:30:00.005Z

I took part in the fabulous Curious Christmas project from The Curiosity Box (aka wedding planner Tiffany Grant-Riley) over the festive period.

For those who haven't come across it, the idea is to create a box of festive curiosities for a stranger, and receive one in return. Participants provide their address and a bit of blurb about the things they like, which Tiffany swaps around. You fill a box with curious gifts (bought, found or made), and when you get a box of your own you 'share the love' on the Curiosity Box blog. Such a simple way of spreading happiness and bringing people together!

It was such a joy pulling together items for the box I was making, then keeping an eye out on the blog to see whether it was appreciated (funny that so many boxes seem to have suited their recipients so well!).

And receiving a box of my own filled me with all sorts of warm and fuzzy. I can't wait for the next curious project.

New year new you

2012-01-03T12:48:00.004Z

This blog has been lying abandoned and abused for far too long. I'm not going to set myself a challenge this year (last year's failed so spectacularly) but I am going to start posting again.

For library/work-related happenings, I'll still be using, whisper it, The Other Blog (Librarian of Tomorrow).

For photography, I've started another Project 365 (or rather 366 this year), on Flickr (if I make it past March it'll be a miracle).

Crafty bits, books and any other nonsense will be posted here. Maybe.

There, a blogging resolution I can probably stick to. Probably.

Year of pleasures #15: How to make an American quilt

2011-07-09T23:51:00.004+01:00

SO it's been a while since I blogged here, as usual. Partly it's because I've just gone back to work, and I'm working towards Chartership (see my other blog, Librarian of Tomorrow). But mainly it's because I've been quilting.

I've always wanted to make a patchwork quilt (technically not an American quilt but I liked the title!). Mum got me a Moda charm pack for Christmas and I've spent the last few months stitching away, with the help of the lovely ladies at the sadly-no-longer-with-us Sally Bourne haberdashery in Crouch End, who helped me pick out fabrics.

I'm stitching it by hand, which makes it a much slower process, but I think it's more satisfying than using a machine (and I was rubbish at machine sewing in Home Ec!).

My quilting stitch needs work, and I've still to do the border and binding, but I'm pretty damn proud of this thing I've created. I'm hoping it'll be the first of many, but even if I never stitch again I've got a wonderful quilty heirloom that will be part of our family picnics from now till forever.

Rows stitched

All the squares

Inner border

Outer border and wadding

Stitching detail

Year of pleasures #14: Haircuts

2011-07-09T23:47:00.003+01:00

I love getting my hair cut. These days it's just nice to get an hour or two to myself, but I've always loved it - taking the time to sit down, read a trashy magazine that I'd never dare buy and have a cuppa while someone makes my hair look prettier than I ever could.

Year of pleasures #13: glamping!

2011-06-09T19:57:00.004+01:00

Although I hate that word, it was constructed by the media to make camping somehow hip and down with the kids, when actually anyone who camps knows it's never been uncool.

Yes, the Hoxton crowd may just have discovered it and yes, you no longer have to choose between a '70s-decor static caravan or sleeping on rocks under your own poorly-erected canvas, but camping in a yurt, a gypsy caravan or an eco pod (like we did) is still camping, as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, much fun was had by all! The pods at the Camping and Caravanning Club site at Bellingham in beautiful Northumberland are much recommended. I thought we'd struggle to get us and both kids in (Logan slept in mum and dad's caravan) but the family next door had two teenage daughters and two dogs, so as long as you don't mind getting cosy it's a winner!

Positive vibes

2011-05-23T22:24:00.004+01:00

My Arizona friend Mead writes over on her blog Desert Lovelies, a creative, thoughtful place to hang out and be inspired.

One of her recent posts was about positive affirmations, a way of taking the negative energy in your life and turning it around. A little too far out for some (especially in the cynical media world I work in) but I'm going to give it a try and see if I can shake off some of the negative energy that's been fogging my brain recently.

If nothing else, it'll give me a nice creative project to be getting on with!

Year of pleasures #12: Swimming

2011-05-18T22:52:00.004+01:00

I've been lax of late, partly lost the inspiration and partly distracted by my professional blog. Think of it as an extended holiday!

Ella and I started baby swimming lessons last week, and she's really enjoying herself! It's nice to spend half an hour in the water with her, and with all the other parents and babies. She's not quite confident enough to go underwater yet, but she's having a lot of fun, and so am I!

Wills and Kate shop windows

2011-04-18T23:22:00.003+01:00

There's an optician in Muswell Hill that always has themed displays in papier mache. They had an impressive one for the election last year, and they've done it again for the royal wedding. Loving the corgies!

I saw the most alarming one so far today, in a Thai restaurant in Crouch End. I'm sure Kate will be thrilled...

Year of pleasure #11: Pretty socks

2011-04-18T22:31:00.005+01:00

I've been on a bit of a downer over the past few weeks, not sure why really just lots of things getting on top of me (house moving getting nowhere, juggling finances, lack of sleep). I'm having a proper little pity party today!

It means the little things that wouldn't normally annoy me make me so irate! It took me an hour this morning just to tidy the house for today's viewings - not clean, no dusters or bathroom spray were involved, just picking up things and putting them away. It doesn't really matter but I was stomping around the house swearing profusely under my breath. Ella must have thought I'd gone mad!

Two things cheered me up - my lovely mum 'babysitting' Ella over the phone while I dashed round (thanks Mum!) and putting on these pretty cherry socks. Weird how something seemingly inconsequential can make me smile and completely change my mood. Yay socks!

Wolverine, by Leinil Yu

2011-04-16T23:39:00.005+01:00

Leinil Yu is the smiliest, nicest man in comics. I asked if he was doing sketches or just signing, and he signed my book for me with a quick sketch, apologising profusely all the while that he wasn't doing sketches. What a sweetie! It might be just a quicky but I'd love to be able to sketch like that in five seconds.

Check out Leinil Yu on DeviantArt and at his art dealer's site.

Batman, by Michael Lee-Graham

2011-04-16T23:33:00.003+01:00

Lovely man, lovely drawing, just generally lovely.

Hulk, by Paul Davidson

2011-04-16T23:29:00.002+01:00

I think this represented how he was feeling at the time - if you have a raging hangover the last place you want to be is sat at a desk in a brightly lit, over-air conditioned conference hall having to engage with occasionally intense fanboys (and girls). Nice job though.

Paul Davidson's website is here.

Batman, by Simon Bisley

2011-04-16T23:19:00.003+01:00

The man is a genius, just open and honest and sweary and lovely (and he'd probably shout me down for saying so). He drew upside down in my book, which may have been due to the amount of Stella he'd consumed but still, it has a nice batlike ring to it.

More Simon Bisley here.

Batman, by Sean Phillips

2011-04-16T23:16:00.003+01:00

Mark went for the full painting but I like my Sean Phillips black and white sketch.

Batman, by Craig Wilson

2011-04-16T22:58:00.004+01:00

Craig drew one of my favourite Batmen (can that be plural?). I love his take on Red Riding Hood too. Check out his work and follow his blog for more pieces.

Batman, by Kev Crossley

2011-04-16T22:53:00.003+01:00

Lovely bloke, happy to chat, drew some amazing pieces over the weekend. Check out his artwork over on The Art of Kev Crossley.

Batman, by Dan Francis

2011-04-16T22:46:00.003+01:00

Dan is a student training to work in 3D video gaming, but he still drew me a cool Batman.

Batman, by Philip Johnson (he apologised for the crap Bat symbol bless him)

2011-04-16T22:42:00.003+01:00

Domino, by Filipe Andrade

2011-04-16T22:36:00.004+01:00

Check out Filipe Andrade's blog for more.

Sean Phillips flick book

2011-04-15T20:58:00.006+01:00

How to draw the White Queen in seven easy steps!

There are more photos in the seequence but I didn't want to bore you so I'll post them to my Flickr stream instead. Check out Sean's blog and website for more of his work.

The finished product.

Kapow!

2011-04-15T20:36:00.009+01:00

Last weekend we drafted in both sets of grandparents and spent the weekend geeking it up at Mark Millar's Kapow! comic con, the first of its kind in London. It was lots of fun, although I severely underestimated the length of time we would spend queueing (next time I'm taking a flask of strong coffee and a copy of War and Peace). I think the organisers underestimated how long fanboys would be willing to queue, too - bigger venue next year please!

I made it to a couple of the Marvel panels, although I don't know enough to be particularly excited by any of the announcements. The most surreal sight of the weekend wasn't the people in costume (although there were a few!) but X-Men editor Nick Lowe and writer Kieron Gillen in Prince Harry (yes, Harry) and Kate Middleton masks. Very disturbing.

And I saw the debut episode of Falling Skies, Steven Spielberg's new TV series (a fairly generic take on the band-of-survivors genre, but if you think the only thing missing from The Walking Dead is aliens then it's for you).

But my favourite part of the weekend was wandering through Artists' Alley and watching the artists at work. Some of them were big names (Brian Bolland anyone?) and some of them were just starting out but it was a pleasure to watch the creative juices flowing (or not - there were a few hangovers going around on Sunday morning).

I got some Batman sketches from various artists (and a Hulk from Paul Davidson - I mentioned hangovers, right?), which I'll post separately. Mark gave me a little sketch book to carry round, so they're only small pieces.

Mark however went for the big sketches, and got two incredible pieces, by Marvel artist Filipe Andrade and Sean Phillips, who spent the entire weekend drawing and painting for fans and was by far the hardest working man there. Incredible the sort of artwork he can knock out in fifteen minutes! It really was a joy to watch.

Mama's little baby loves shortnin', shortnin'...

2011-04-04T22:13:00.006+01:00

Ella was six months old last week. How did she get here so quickly?! With Logan the early days really seemed to drag but this time round I can't believe she's so grown up already. She's already starting to lose her baby ways, sitting up, desperate to crawl.

And we've started weaning, which is such a milestone. So far so good! Ella has inherited the Stoddard appetite and hasn't turned her nose up at anything so far (although it's spinach tomorrow so we'll see!).

There's so much conflicting information out there about weaning. As with so much else around baby-rearing, numerous experts feel the need to weigh in with advice on how our children should be raised, creating yet another stick with which to beat new mothers (and fathers) over the head.

If you wean too early (before the magical six-month mark) or too late (after the magical six-month mark) you're risking dangerous food allergies or depriving your little one of essential nutrients which, if you believe some commentators, is tantamount to child abuse.

The thing is, every baby is different. They develop at different speeds, and what is right for one won't be right for another. The six-month marker is just a guideline; what's more important is knowing your child and recognising the cues she gives you that she is ready for food. Trust in your instincts and in yourself, because only you really know what your baby needs, and when.

Year of pleasures #10: Hanging out the washing

2011-03-30T23:16:00.006+01:00

Photo by Logan (better than my effort!)

The sun shone long enough at the weekend to put some washing on the line instead of on the clothes horse in the hall.

It was a lovely five minutes of quiet pondering, basking in the warm sun, admiring my tulips which have burst into life in the past few weeks and just enjoying the spring.

Year of pleasures #9: trips home

2011-03-22T13:23:00.003Z

I had a bad blog week last week and skipped one, I promise I'll be good from now on!

I live quite a way from my folks, not in American terms I guess but it's a good five-hour drive from our home in London to theirs in Durham, south east to north east - definitely too far to pop round the corner for a cuppa! So I don't get to visit very often, especially with the price of train tickets and two kids in tow.

It means that when I do go home I try to squeeze in as many people as possible. We were up for less than 48 hours last weekend but we still managed to see my parents, my brother, my gran and uncle, two of my close friends and our closest family friends too! It might have been a fleeting visit but it was full of laughter, slightly chaotic but lots of fun.

I've lived in London for ten and a half years, and before that I was at uni for four; Hull and Arizona will always feel like home to me too. But Durham, where I grew up, where my family comes from, holds a special place for me. I love going home, back to my mum and dad, to the house I grew up in, the places I grew up in. And it's more than that: the north east is part of my identity, central to me. I've always thought that home is the place I feel loved, that it could be anywhere on earth as long as I'm with people I love. But I never feel more at home than when I'm there.

Lent: A progress report

2011-03-22T12:50:00.004Z

Sorry sorry sorry, I've been poor at blogging this past few weeks. Avoiding cake clearly gives me nothing to write about! Thought I'd give you a status report to get me going again.

I've actually surprised myself by sticking to Lent so far. Not that it's been too hard! It's not like I'm actually addicted to cake so I'm not having cravings the way I would if I'd given up, say, cigarettes. And I'm not having to avoid cake-based social situations the way I would if I gave up alcohol - I even managed lunch at a cake shop yesterday without having any! Yay me. And a weekend at home for family birthdays without eating cake, if only because there wasn't one (highly unusual in the Heslop household).

There are two reasons I've managed to avoid cake so far though.

1) There are myriad alternatives to cake that still fill the cake-shaped hole in my belly - so far I've had chocolate bars, caramel shortbread (biscuit), scone (savoury), rice crispie cake (not baked) and baklava (may be called a cake in Greek but as far as I'm concerned it's a pastry). I've not even had to resort to the emergency brownie option (borderline cake).

2) You don't have to observe Lent on Sundays. This amazing nugget of information came from my brother, who heard it on Songs of Praise (clearly an authorative source), and has been verified by at least one independent source since, so it must be true. From now until Easter, Sunday will officially be known as Cakeday in this house.

Let them eat cake (but not me)

2011-03-08T22:12:00.004Z

Lent. Ah, Lent. I've written before about my strange attachment to giving something up each year. Maybe it's like setting a personal challenge, seeing how long I can abstain. Or maybe my willpower is so weak I need an added pressure to force myself to be sensible!

I thought about giving up alcohol again - I think it's the only time I've actually succeeded at Lent, if you discount the first half pint a couple of days in when I forgot I wasn't meant to be drinking - but I only have a couple of glasses a week, so it wouldn't be much of a challenge.

A few years ago I gave up sweet things, but the category was a bit broad and there were far too many caveats for my liking. So this year I've narrowed the field and I will be giving up cake. Yes, cake.

I know, I know, I eat so much and blog about it so often that surely there is no hope of success! But have faith, dear reader, Lent is after all only 40 days. I'll just have to avoid birthday parties and wear dark glasses when I take Ella to cafes. Easy...

Year of pleasures #8: Pancakes!

2011-03-08T21:47:00.002Z

An easy one this week - savoury (butternut squash with courgette and Chinese leaf) or sweet (lime and sugar, sharper than lemon) I love pancakes.

I love the ritual, the simplicity - weighing and measuring, mixing, pouring, spin the pan, toss, done. Simple to make but change the filling and the possibilities are endless.

And I love the greater significance, the tradition, Shrove Tuesday, emptying the pantry before Lent. More ritual.

Happy pancake day!

The Haberdashery

2011-03-07T22:13:00.004Z

I found another lovely teashop last week while I was out with Ella, this time in Crouch End (branching out!). The Haberdashery, on Middle Lane, has a really retro feel, a great selection of drinks (dandelion and burdock and beers as well as tea and coffee), delicious muffins (baked in little flowerpots) and a nice selection of handmade goods and art for sale, too. They even sell Ella's Organics baby food so definitely wee one friendly!

It was a bit of a random visit - James McAvoy was in there with his little boy and the owner was being interviewed by a reviewer, so I did a good bit of eavesdropping! - but even on a normal day I'm sure it still has the same relaxed, welcoming vibe. We'll definitely be popping in again next time we go for a wander.

Year of pleasures #7: Snowdrops

2011-03-03T22:58:00.004Z

Flash of green and white
Tiny harbingers of Spring
Heralding the sun

The Oscars

2011-02-28T14:15:00.004Z

I've been catching up with the Oscars on the official site (I love you Michelle Williams but really, could you be any more bored during your red carpet interview?). It seems like it was a decent show, I loved the intro (a bit cheesy but you have to cut them some slack, it's the Oscars!). There were some loverly frocks too, more of which later.

So I didn't do too badly with my predictions - I should have had more faith in The King's Speech to fly the British flag though! By my reckoning I got 15 right. Not too shabby.

Oscar predictions

2011-02-26T23:04:00.003Z

The Academy Awards are finally here! I'll probably spend the next 48 hours alternating between frustration at not being able to watch it (curse you Murdoch, curse you!) and desperate scrabbling on the web and TV for info on the winners and losers (of the awards and in the dress stakes).

This year there should be few surprises for the major awards, so I'm not going out on a limb here, but for form's sake these are my predictions (use the Datablog's handy guide to make yours).

Best actor: Colin Firth (but I'd rather James Franco)
Best actress: Natalie Portman (not seen it but surely deserves it for what she put herself through)

Supporting actor: Christian Bale (can he share it with John Hawkes please?)
Supporting actress: Melissa Leo (brilliant)

Best director: The Social Network (why oh why wasn't 127 Hours nominated?)
Best picture: The Social Network
Animated film: Toy Story 3
Foreign Film: In a Better World

Adapted screenplay: The Social Network
Original screenplay: The King's Speech

Original score: The Social Network (go Trent Reznor!)
Original Song: If I Rise (Randy Newman has too many Oscars already)

Documentary: Inside Job (but I think Banksy would make for better TV)
Documentary short: Strangers No More

Short animation: The Gruffalo
Short live action: God of Love

Art direction: Inception
Cinematography: Inception
Editing: The King's Speech

Costume: The King's Speech
Makeup: The Wolfman (because B-movies deserve credit too)

Sound editing: True Grit
Sound mixing: True Grit
Visual effects: Inception

Year of pleasures #6: The kindness of strangers

2011-02-26T22:24:00.005Z

I had a run-in with a bus driver a few days ago. I won't go into the gory details but suffice to say he must have been off the day they had their customer service training!

With hindsight, I'm a little bit mortified that I argued back at him, and let him upset me (crying in public, the horror!). I might have started to doubt myself, think I was making a fuss over nothing (which was clearly his opinion), if it hadn't been for the other passengers on the bus.

When he refused to give me his driver number, two elderly ladies pointed out the bus registration number and joked that they'd be in trouble next. When he yelled at me to sit down or get off the bus, a woman seated just behind him called TfL to report him. Another passenger gave me her number in case I needed a witness.

I don't want to get all over-emotional, but they turned a shitty experience into less of one, and gave me the confidence to report him, so this week I salute small acts of kindness.

Pretty little teasets

2011-02-20T21:19:00.004Z

I popped into Drink Shop & Do yesterday after lunch with Helen and Barry at Camino (great tapas btw). I managed to avoid the cakes for once and followed the 'shop' rule instead.

They have a lovely collection of tea towels, and some quirky little brooches made from retro crockery. But what really caught my eye was a range of cups, saucers and teapots by Ali Miller. Miller takes vintage ceramics and 'upcycles' them, incorporating her own designs to breathe new life into neglected objects.

I like the bug-painted butter dish but my favourite is the butterfly teapot. Beautiful, I wish I'd seen it last month so I could have added it to my birthday wishlist!

Year of pleasures #5: A night out down the pub with your mates

2011-02-18T20:40:00.007Z

I've been out quite a bit recently, at least more than the previous four or five months! This week it was my wonderous no-longer-colleague Holly's leaving do, at the Queen's Head near Kings Cross.

The beer was good (Redemption Hopspur) and served in a proper pint pot, the pub was impressive (there's a real ale festival there next weekend, lots of whiskies if that's how you roll) and there were loads of friends there, some who I see often and some I hadn't seen for years. There was even a swing/jazz pianist.

If it hadn't been that Holly is abandoning me it would have been the perfect sort of pub night out! A random coming-together of people, ideas and slightly drunken rambling. Lovely.

Fried egg cake anyone?

2011-02-12T22:20:00.003Z

My lovely bro made me a birthday cake but because it had to travel he didn't decorate it. I think his plan was to sprinkle it with icing sugar but i couldn't resist decorating it with Logan! We were aiming for spots, but I inadvertently discovered how to create icing fried eggs. Oops...

Year of pleasures #4: Birthday treats

2011-02-12T21:24:00.006Z

I turned 33 this week, a bit of a non-birthday numbers wise but it has a nice ring to it so I'm excited to see what the year of 33 brings. The last four or five years have been pretty significant, what with babies and weddings and the like, so maybe this will be a bit calmer and more settled!

I've had lots of treats this week. We had a Sunday pub lunch at the Maid of Muswell with some good friends (delicious, and the veggie option still includes gravy and Yorkshire pud, result).

Mark took my birthday off and we had a fun morning at home with Logan then dropped him off at nursery and watched The Fighter at the baby club at Screen on the Green (more boxing than I expected, which sounds daft I know, but some brilliant performances and the whole cast were marvellous), followed by a yummy burger at Byron and Ottolenghi cupcakes with Anna and Lucy.

Then I hotfooted it to the SLA Winter Warmers pub quiz with Team Gav. Lots of fun, it's so long since I had a proper night down the pub! The last few rounds were tense but we triumphed in the end, hurrah! I managed to carry the bottle of cava (and the library textbook!) home on the tube without dropping it, too.

Mum and Dad are staying with us so Mark and I had a rare night out last night. We pushed the boat out and had a proper posh dinner at Oxo Tower on the South Bank. What an experience! I think I managed to hide my excitement quite well, but I'm not sure I was quite nonchalant enough to look like I was a regular! I love the atmosphere there, the service and the view of St Paul's. The food was delicious - pumpkin gnocchi with goats cheese, truffle potato blinis with wild mushrooms and watercress and orange salad, and the chocolate plate (four different desserts, all yummy but not sure about the odd caviar-like balls).

Of course we had to have cocktails to start (dark and stormys), a bottle of wine with dinner (Dog Point sauvignon blanc from New Zealand) and port to finish... It would be fair to say I felt a little rough in the taxi on the way home but luckily Ella didn't wake up until 6.30am so I had a chance to recover. It was a really special night and it's a good job because for that price we won't be going out again this year!

We did go for lunch with mum and dad, Aunty Celia and Uncle Nick today though. We don't see Ciss and Nick nearly enough, so it was lovely to catch up with all the family gossip over a long lunch at Souk, in Seven Dials. It's one of my favourite restaurants - the food is really good (couscous, tagines, baklava and sweet mint tea), but it's the atmosphere that I really love, it's so theatrical, just like being in a Moroccan souk (I'd imagine!). And it doesn't cost half a month's salary either (I hate being on maternity pay).

Year of pleasures #3: Family

2011-02-03T23:05:00.002Z

I've been thinking a lot about family recently. My Grandpa wrote a kind of memoir about his ancestors and his life many years ago, and I'm in the process of typing it up digitally (it was written in the days before PCs, before word processors too, so he wrote the entire thing using a good old-fashioned typewriter). It's absolutely fascinating - I knew certain anecdotes about my dad's family, knew where people fitted into my family tree, the bare bones of the story, but now it's all coming to life. I feel closer to my ancestors, part of an ongoing narrative.

It's been a sad few weeks as well - Mark's Nanna passed away after months of ill-health, and it's the funeral tomorrow. Everyone grieves in their own way, but for me, as well as sadness, I feel the need to celebrate life too. It's made me think about the nature of family, and want to be close to mine so I can appreciate what they give me.

So this week's pleasure is my family; the family I was born into, the one I married and the one we've made for ourselves.

Year of pleasures #2: Oscars season

2011-01-25T22:30:00.003Z

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

2011-01-24T21:11:00.001Z

I wonder if he needs a librarian?

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

Year of pleasures #1

2011-01-18T23:37:00.003Z

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

2011-01-18T23:18:00.003Z

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).

Advent day 24: Not sure Rudolph will be flying tonight...

2010-12-24T09:44:00.000Z

1 sleep yippee!

Advent day 23: Mince pies at the ready

2010-12-23T09:38:00.001Z

2 sleeps...

Advent day 22: Frosted fingers

2010-12-22T09:47:00.000Z

3 sleeps...

Advent day 21: Christmas post

2010-12-21T09:36:00.000Z

4 sleeps...

Advent day 20: Shy Rudolph

2010-12-20T09:34:00.000Z

5 sleeps...

Advent day 19: Isn't he meant to have a carrot nose?

2010-12-19T09:57:00.000Z

6 sleeps...

Advent day 18: Amaretti

2010-12-18T10:32:00.000Z

7 sleeps...

Advent day 17: Christmas cupcakes

2010-12-17T10:50:00.002Z

8 sleeps...

Advent day 16: Reindeer flight plan

2010-12-16T10:49:00.000Z

9 sleeps...

Homemade Christmas

2010-12-15T21:16:00.005Z

My mission to make more Christmas presents this year, instead of going mad in the shops, isn't going too well; I'm missing a bit of the knitting pattern so I'm having to guess it, and I haven't even found material for my sewing bits yet. I'll probably end up staying up the night before again, frantically trying to finish it.

I'm home in Durham for the week because we're at the in-laws for the holidays, and while Mum was rooting around in Gran's loft for the Christmas tree today she came across a bag of things that her gran had knitted her when she was a girl.

There was a family of rabbits, a cuddly elephant with an embroidered rug, a couple of beautiful dresses and some tiny hand-knitted undergarments for mum's Sindy dolls.

Best of all though was a patterned beret-style hat that is just right for Ella. No matter how much I practice I'll never be able to knit such delicate things.

Ella modelling the hat

I thought I'd bake some Christmassy goodies too, which I'll have to leave until next week, but we're in charge of Christmas eve supper this year (onion tart with salad and Mark's tasty crumble), so I'm not sure there'll be room in the kitchen. The good news is that now Logan is officially allowed to eat wheat he can help me with some of the baking! The bad news is that I'll have to let him lick the spoon :(

Advent day 15: All that glitters

2010-12-15T10:39:00.000Z

10 sleeps...

Advent day 14: Christmas jewels

2010-12-14T10:26:00.000Z

11 sleeps...

Advent day 13: Italian Christmas

2010-12-13T10:34:00.000Z

12 sleeps...

Advent day 12: Frosted tips

2010-12-12T10:26:00.000Z

13 sleeps...

Funniest moment of the day

2010-12-11T22:35:00.004Z

We were sitting in the Globe theatre, halfway through the tour guide's spiel about outside noise disturbing performances, when we were interrupted by the sound of many feet stamping past and cries of "What do we want?...When do we want it? Now!"

We all assumed students, but no, it was the annual Santathon. Genius.

Manga Shakespeare, anyone?

2010-12-11T22:34:00.000Z

Cake of the day #8: Afternoon tea at Shakespeare's Globe

2010-12-11T22:22:00.005Z

Mum bought Mark and I a Red Letter Day last Christmas, for a tour of Shakespeare's Globe theatre on the Southbank followed by afternoon tea. We finally got round to it today - I wanted to be able to appreciate the cakes without a baby in my tummy! - but it was worth the wait.

The tour was interesting, although it was disappointing that we couldn't go backstage or explore behind the scenes. The tea and cake were delicious though, and it was lovely to take our time over it. They lost a point for no choice of jam, and the scones could have been bigger (and warmer), but otherwise very tasty.

Ella was a star too, I think she's a fan of cake!

Advent day 11: The 'real' Santa Claus

2010-12-11T10:07:00.000Z

I hate that he's owned by a corporation. Bah humbug.

14 sleeps...

The Unthanks at the Union Chapel

2010-12-10T22:54:00.008Z

I could listen to The Unthanks at any time of year, but there's something about the tone of their voices, the haunting melodies and harmonies and the beautiful strings, that really suits a cold winter's night. The Union Chapel, too, with its church pews and vaulted ceilings, is perfect at Christmas.

The gig was a bit of an experiment - a first half of Anthony and the Johnsons songs and a second of Robert Wyatt covers - but the arrangements really suited the Unthanks sound. For Today I Am A Boy was particularly beautiful, and the tricky string accompaniments were stunning, especially the cello, which always gets me right there. They even managed to squeeze in a bit of clog dancing!

It was a real pleasure to spend a couple of hours in the company of Rachel, Becky and the band (and the baby bump, which Rachel announced to cover up her mistake - nice recovery!). A total joy of an evening, the perfect start to Christmas.

Advent day 10: I am the snow king

2010-12-10T16:25:00.000Z

15 sleeps...

Advent day 9: The wise man brought gold

2010-12-09T16:23:00.000Z

16 sleeps...

Our very allergic little boy

2010-12-08T16:42:00.005Z

Wheaty goodies

We knew Logan might be prone to allergies because both Mark and I have them, so we purposely waited until he was 6 months old to wean him onto solids. Unfortunately he still turned out wheat and egg allergic (I blogged about it last year) and we've been excluding them from his diet ever since.

Last week his allergies were reviewed and the skin test for wheat came back negative, so yesterday we went in for a wheat challenge. It sounds exciting but basically involves sitting in front of the telly while nurses feed you bits of Weetabix and occasionally check your obs (I know it's more technical than that but Logan's an easy patient!). Last time he was tested he reacted right at the end of the day, so I didn't get my hopes up, but after an afternoon of cereal he still hadn't reacted so now we're slowly introducing wheat into his diet. Hurray!

It's brought up a few issues for me. Firstly, I'd never realised how many wheat products also contain egg, or sometimes contain egg. It was only when I went shopping for wheaty goodies today that I realised the number of things we'll still have to exclude (cakes, obviously, but also some pasta, bread, breadcrumbed meat and pastry). Luckily Penguins and pizza are ok!

It's also made me realise how little some caterers understand about allergies. Last night we went to Giraffe for a celebratory tea, thinking of all the new food on the menu that Logan could choose from. Unfortunately, they class egg as a dairy product when it comes to allergy labelling - clearly wrong on so many levels, even Logan knows eggs don't come from cows - so there was almost nothing on the menu we could identify as definitely egg-free. In the end we went for Logan's usual - grilled chicken burger without the bun. Exciting.

They also don't break down the menu by ingredient (it's the same for companies like Burger King), which makes it difficult to tailor a meal to a child with an allergy. In Giraffe, we know that the burger meat is 100% beef, so he's always been fine as long as he doesn't have the bread. According to the allergy guide though, the kids' burger meal contains wheat. If you don't think to ask, or if the staff don't know, you're going to go hungry.

At least Giraffe's children's menu has a few items that Logan can eat. Most kids' menus rely heavily on wheat - chicken nuggets, fish fingers, pasta, pizza - so we're usually restricted to places that serve jacket potatoes.

So far the egg is proving more difficult than the wheat. A lot of cafes and restaurants in London are aware of wheat allergies - Carluccio's, which just opened in Muswell Hill, has a gluten free menu, and lots of cafes include a gluten free cake on the menu. But it's proving difficult to find out which foods contain egg. The waiter at Carluccio's looked at me like I was mad when I asked if the pasta had egg in, but a lot of fresh pasta is made with it. The staff at Chorak swore down that you couldn't make bread without egg, but none of the bread on sale at Sainsbury's contains it. If you can't rely on the staff to know, then you're stuck ordering the same thing over and over, or avoiding restaurants altogether because you can't trust that your child won't have an allergic episode.

I know there's a lot of cynicism of food 'allergies' these days, because it's a bit faddy to be intolerant to wheat and dairy, but lots of children (and adults) do suffer a genuine food allergy. I don't expect everything on the menu to be suitable - I'm vegetarian, I'm used to having one or two choices when I eat out - but I do wish caterers would be more aware of providing for those with allergies, and of providing clear, useful information about the allergens their products contain.

Advent day 8: Jewelled spider's web

2010-12-08T16:20:00.001Z

17 sleeps...

Advent day 7: Elf loo

2010-12-07T22:53:00.005Z

Tanfield Railway thoughtfully provided a bathroom for Santa's elves.

18 sleeps...

Advent day 6: Luxury Christmas cake

2010-12-06T22:05:00.004Z

19 sleeps...

Advent day 5: Christmas larder

2010-12-05T18:12:00.002Z

20 sleeps...

Advent day 4: Bauble heaven

2010-12-05T18:10:00.002Z

21 sleeps...

Advent day 3: Psychedelic Christmas

2010-12-03T14:50:00.002Z

22 sleeps...

Cake of the day #7: Dina's pumpkin bread

2010-12-02T16:03:00.006Z

For Thanksgiving last week Mark's colleague Dina gave him a tin of pumpkin puree and a recipe for pumpkin bread (from allrecipes.com). It would have been rude not to bake it!

It's more of a moist cake than a bread, a bit like ginger cake in texture but not as gingery. It's delicious, so I thought I'd share the recipe - a bit late for Thanksgiving but it would make a tasty Boxing Day treat.

Ingredients
1 tin pumpkin puree
4 eggs, beaten
8 fl oz vegetable oil
6 fl oz water
675g caster sugar
350g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves (we substituted with all spice)
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F). Grease two square 23cm (9") tins with butter then dust with flour.

In a large bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the cake tins.

Bake for about 50 mins, until a prong (we use a chopstick) inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to stand for a few minutes then remove from the tins and slice into squares (might be easier to slice it in the tin first).

Advent day 2: Cycling Santa

2010-12-02T15:58:00.002Z

23 sleeps to go...

Advent day 1: Santa's little helper

2010-12-01T22:48:00.003Z

24 sleeps til Christmas...

Love the Christmas web

2010-11-30T22:34:00.003Z

I found out about the Portable North Pole from a friend on Facebook - you enter the details of your child (or anyone you like) and they get a personalised message from Santa, and it's completely free!

Here's a link to Logan's video. The jury is out on whether it'll cure his fear of Santa...

And I found this Tunnock's snowball game via Twitter. I love the Christmas internet.

Now I am 2 (months)

2010-11-30T19:55:00.002Z

Happy 2-month birthday Ella Betsy! My beautiful, cheeky little pixie x

Cake of the day #6: chocolate and walnut brownie at Emporium Tearoom

2010-11-30T19:14:00.004Z

I was so excited at introducing Mum to the Emporium Tearoom on Fortis Green Road that I forgot to take a picture of the cake, whoops! We had a delicious lunch, chunky vegetable soup with a mature cheddar and homemade chutney sandwich - perfect on a wintry day like today. The brownie was yummy, and mum had a tasty carrot cake too.

The On The Wall art collective have an exhibition on at the tearoom at the moment, their second, on the theme of Love, Peace, Happiness. Each piece, by members of the group and other local artists, sits in a box frame and every one costs £60. I've got my eye on this one by Sandy Thornton.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2010-11-29T22:48:00.007Z

We spent a lovely family weekend in Durham, which is blanketed in snow at the moment. It was quite exciting travelling north on the train and waiting for the first white fields (just north of York). Ella saw her first snow!

Dad had organised a visit to the Tanfield Railway Santa special - you take the steam train, powered by magic coal of course, to the North Pole, where little ones get a present from Santa and grown ups get a mince pie and sherry :).

The snow made it really magical, and it ran as usual (the car park was closed so we had to park at the 'North Pole', but I don't think Logan noticed!). Logan was nonplussed by Santa, but he loved his present (a cuddly owl that he christened Tallulah) and he was thrilled with the train ride.

A really lovely Christmassy trip out.

Logan built a snowman with Grandad - with freshly picked carrot arms instead of a nose.

After a really nice catch up over lunch with my aunts, uncles and cousins, Mum drove us back to London yesterday through blizzards and traffic jams. It's so cold that there's still Yorkshire snow on the roof of the car 24 hours on - the only snow in north London (so far)!

Cake of the day #5: Banana cake

2010-11-23T22:40:00.003Z

One cake wasn't enough today! I was trying to be good but by the time I'd viewed a flat, had a late lunch at Crocodile Antiques and fed Ella it was too late to head home before going back out to pick up Logan from nursery, and too cold to hang around outside, so I just had to find shelter in a cafe.

Feast, on Muswell Hill Broadway, is a deli with a cafe next door. They'd run out of brownies (disappointing) but I had a very tasty banana cake and orange juice instead.

Getting creative

2010-11-23T21:59:00.006Z

I don't know what it is - days at home with no one to talk to (not counting Ella, who can't talk back!), or shows like Kirstie's Homemade Home - but I've been itching to get creative in the last few weeks.

I'm determined to make some Christmas presents this year, instead of buying everything. I've always wanted to make a patchwork quilt - Rosie Brown Boutique in Muswell Hill now sells packs of material squares and all the bits you need - but I think I might start smaller with some lavender bags like the ones on Kirstie's programme tonight. I bought some pretty wool to knit with too, so I'll keep you posted on my crafty progress!

My main creative outlet so far has been writing. I haven't written stories in years, but I bought myself a lovely notebook a few months ago and yesterday I started writing. I don't have any grand plans, I've no idea what the plot is, but I'm enjoying having the time to scribble a few pages while Ella is snoozing, and just enjoying creating something new.

I made my first ever tart from scratch tonight, very proud! Admittedly rustic (don't think it would pass muster with Michel Roux Jr) but tasty anyway (recipe here at Abel and Cole).

And I concocted an apple and plum pie with the leftover pastry. Now that's the kind of creative thinking I like.

Cake(s) of the day #4: Fabulous Bakin' Boys

2010-11-22T20:45:00.002Z

After last night's indulgence I was having a 'good' day today - healthy breakfast, soup with brown bread for lunch. And then I collected a parcel from the post office. I've been carrying the slip for it around with me for a couple of weeks, and today was the first day I managed to get up and out of the flat in time to collect it (the depot closes at 12.30 - yes, okay, still not that early but it takes a lot of effort to get two of us dressed these days!).

I had no idea what it was, so imagine my delight when I opened the box to discover a whole host of baked goodies from Fabulous Bakin' Boys, to apologise for a box of jamless jam flapjacks I bought Logan for halloween last month.

And to top it all off, Abel & Cole delivered a complimentary mini mince pie with the veg box this afternoon. I'm clearly not meant to diet. I've managed to hold out all day but there's a cherry muffin in there with my name on it...

Cake of the day #3: Belgian chocolate brownie, salted caramel and pecans

2010-11-21T22:39:00.005Z

AKA the one from the latest M&S ad campaign. Delicious - all chocolate cake should come with a side order of salted caramel, it's divine.

And yes, I had half a cake. But we had half fat creme fraiche instead of cream, so I was allowed.

Cake of the day #2: scone at Maison Blanc

2010-11-18T20:30:00.005Z

I was going to take a brisk woodland walk today, instead of heading into Muswell for cake, but events (and toddlers) conspired against me so I found myself in Maison Blanc on the Broadway.

I was tempted by their amazing patisserie but eventually settled on a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam, which seemed more satisfying. The scone was lovely and light, although not warmed the way I like them, but the clotted cream was too cold, so it wouldn't spread or stick to the scone - I do like my clotted cream sticky! It still tasted great though.

I was more excited about the tea - Jasmine Silver Needle white tea, which is beautifully fragrant. I love white tea and it's nice to see it on the menu. Not a bad cream tea for £4.50.

Cake of the day #1: plum sponge, Emporium tea room

2010-11-17T20:54:00.008Z

I've never been one to turn down a slice of cake - afternoon tea is one of my favourite pastimes, after all - but since I had Ella I've been eating an awful lot more of it (hey, I'm breastfeeding, I'm allowed). So I've decided to justify continued cake bingeing by introducing a new blog feature. Hopefully it'll last as long as I decide I don't need to diet!

Today's inaugural cake is plum sponge, from the Emporium tea room on Fortis Green Road, Muswell Hill. It was really moist and sweet (almost too sweet, I'm not sure it needed the sugar crust - although I still ate it all!) and was washed down nicely with a pot of English breakfast tea.

Mismatched vintage china, Cath Kidston-style tablecloths, tea - and coffee - from Muswell institution W. Martyn and a selection of English staples - beans on toast, egg and soldiers, toasted teacake and crumpets - as well as more substantial lunch specials, accompanied by a '40s-era soundtrack, make Emporium a great destination for those seeking some homely comfort on a cold autumn day.

The walls are adorned with pieces by local artists, many of whom will take personalised commissions - I'm tempted by this Brigitte Herrod drawing. The shop also sells a nice mix of vintage tableware and cutesy gifts (I bought some great Christmas cake cases for £1.50).

They run craft workshops here too - knitting, sewing, storytelling, cream tea baking :) - and will host children's parties or hen nights. A birthday craft day might be in order soon.

Life's for sharing ad campaign

2010-11-17T11:18:00.001Z

I know they're advertising, and I don't think they'd make me buy a T-Mobile phone, but I do love the musical 'events' they keep staging.

The latest one, at Heathrow terminal 5, brought a tear to my eye (I'm blaming the hormones). Just joyful!

Anyone want a flat?

2010-11-16T12:16:00.003Z

Another day, another post - must be something in the water! Ella isn't keen on sleeping in her moses basket at the moment but she's passed out on my knee so I'll try to type round her.

As well as dealing with a newborn (and her errant brother) we're trying to sell our flat at the moment and find a bigger place. We were hoping to have moved by the time Ella arrived, but the market was so slow over the summer that we haven't had much interest on our flat. We've just switched agents (feel like I've done a deal with the devil!) so if anyone wants a delightful two-bed flat for the bargainous (for Muswell Hill) price of £225,000 please take it!

Because we haven't had many viewings so far I'd sort of forgotten about the other half of the deal - that we have to find somewhere to move to. We looked at some places over the summer and pretty much settled on Catford - affordable 3-bed houses, good commute - but since the prices have dropped we can afford to look in a couple of other areas too - Plumstead/Thamesmead, Edmonton, there's even a flat in East Finchley. It feels a bit like starting all over again - I don't think I've been to Plumstead or Edmonton before, so we need to do a recce and decide whether they feel right.

The main problem is fitting viewings in with the kids. When we looked previously we 'offloaded' Logan on grandparents, but that's not an option with a little one. Unfortunately some estate agents aren't insured to travel with babies (crazy!) so we may be spending the foreseeable future tramping round between houses. At least we'll get to know the area...

And the world turns

2010-11-15T12:30:00.004Z

So it's been a while since I blogged, again! This year has just flown by, the older you get yada yada.

So much can change in a couple of months. Las time I posted I had a growing belly and another month at work and bam! Here I am, two months through my maternity leave already and a new 6-week-old little being who relies solely on me for sustenance.

Second time around, newborns are so much easier. I'm not saying I'm not tired and occasionally emotional but a lot of the hard work - nappies, baths, dressing - comes naturally the second time. I'm definitely appreciating how straightforward newborns are - as long as you feed them and change them and help them to sleep, they're pretty amenable, and portable!

I still have moments that overwhelm me, but if I compare this time with Ella to how ill I was with Logan (no mastitis this time, phew), I'm pretty lucky. I think about friends who have coped with very ill babies, or coped on their own, and I realise actually I have nothing to complain about.

So what if Ella won't settle to sleep in the afternoon? Or if she's up four times in the night (which is rare for her, she's an ace nighttime sleeper)? This baby stage is so short. Before I know it she'll be sitting up, crawling, eating solids... I'm determined to appreciate every sleep-deprived second.

Back to blogging

2010-08-16T11:31:00.003+01:00

Wow, I'm rubbish at blogging at the moment! Really must make more effort. Once I'm on maternity leave I'll have days of nothing stretching before me (well, weeks at least) so I'll get back into it then. And I promise not to blog too much about babies. Maybe just a little.

Four weeks to go at work (12 days and counting, definitely counting...). It's always crazy busy now there are only four of us in the office, so it'll be nice to be able to switch off completely for a few weeks before the baby comes along.

I should probably be planning all sorts of fun activities for me and Logan while we're still just a threesome but frankly he's better off in nursery three days a week than stuck in the flat all the time with a grumpy sleepy me!

I do have a few projects for him though, that we can carry on after the baby's born. In the last few months he's taken a real interest in cameras, and we've got a collection of pics he's taken on my phone on the way to nursery, and ones he's taken on his camera while we're out and about. I'm going to get a scrapbook and help him stick in photos of all his favourite things and places. Hopefully, eventually, the new baby will feature!

Tennis madness

2010-06-23T17:58:00.002+01:00

An epic day of sport - 1-0 England v Slovenia (not usually a score line you'd crow about but at least we managed to get through the group stages) and an epic tennis match at Wimbledon.

Mahut and Isner (no idea) are currently 2 sets each, 34 games all in the final set... They must be exhausted, if it was me I'd be tempted to just give in!

Election fever

2010-05-05T22:43:00.003+01:00

Finally, the general election has rolled around. Get out and vote people! Polls open in a matter of hours in one of the closest fought elections in decades. And I'm bloody sick of it!

We've been working on the Guardian candidates widget thingy (formerly known as Aristotle) for nearly a year, and intensely for the past three or four months, gathering candidate info from the main parties, but because the list of nominations isn't finalised until a couple of weeks before the election there was a vast amount of work that couldn't be done until the past fortnight.

I just hope Guardian readers appreciate the mammoth amount of work that we (me, Holly and Lucy, and Lauren before us) put in. And the tech team of course! Thank goodness we can forget all about it after the weekend.

Unless there's a hung parliament, in which case we could be doing it all over again sooner than we think. Um...

Oh baby

2010-05-03T00:09:00.002+01:00

I've been a bit distracted recently (we're having another baby, hurrah!) but I'm back on the blog now so I'll try to be good from now on, promise.

All's good with the baby so far, and I'm finally over the morning sickness and feeling human again. The 20-week scan is in three weeks, really looking forward to seeing the baby again!

Oscars tribute to John Hughes

2010-03-08T11:22:00.005Z

This photo is so exciting - some of John Hughes' finest lined up to honour the great man. Anthony Michael Hall is barely recognisable but Molly Ringwald still looks amazing, she rocks.

Check out the John Hughes tribute from last night's Oscars over on Popsugar.

Oscars best dressed

2010-03-08T10:57:00.011Z

Well, the Oscars were predictable this year! And good job too, I certainly didn't want to see Avatar win against The Hurt Locker, or Christoph Waltz and Jeff Bridges lose out. Sandra Bullock was an obvious choice too - the storyline of The Blind Side is perfect Oscars fodder - and she was gracious enough to accept her Golden Razzie on Saturday night for All About Steve.

But enough about the awards, we all know it's really about the fashion. There was lots of sparkle and no real clangers this year. Sandra Bullock played it safe but classy in Marchesa, while Carey Mulligan looked cute in a sparkly number (not sure about the hemline and hate the shoes, though).

Kristin Stewart scrubbed up nicely in a stunning dress and up do (she gets slated a lot for looking surly but, frankly, standing having your photo taken by burly paps is hardly a laugh a minute is it?). As a friend said, "made of win".

Charlize Theron attended in a pretty dress but what is going on with the top?

Mariah Carey seems to have forgotten half her dress (I'm not a prude but seriously, buy the right size!).

And Zoe Saldana's dress looked a bit like a novelty loo roll holder, totally mismatched with the top half. One of my least favourite dresses of the evening, but not the worst. No, that honour goes to Jennifer Lopez, who looked like she was dressed in bubblewrap. Not a good look.

Don't mess with the Oscars

2010-03-07T13:09:00.005Z

So the Oscars have finally rolled around. I used to relish it as a highlight of the year until BBC lost the rights to Sky. Highlights just don't cut it - too many musical interludes, a sanitised version with all the controversial - and funny - speeches edited out. You can't beat sitting up all night, popcorn and beer on hand, waiting to see if your predictions come true and if the Academy throws any curveballs.

Anyway, even without that excitement, I'm eager to see who they pick this year (you can see my predictions on the Datablog nominees/winners tracker, if you scroll through the comments at the bottom).

There's an argument (espoused by David Thomson on the Guardian blog this week) that the Oscars are losing favour with the American public - viewing figures seem to get lower every year - but I think that's missing the point. Yes, the nominated films sometimes have little or no audience at the American box office. But the awards should be about quality, not popularity. Some of the biggest films in the US are really poor - Big Momma's House anyone?

Even if the Academy voted along populist lines, they're unlikely to get viewing figures anything like decades ago, when the public revered their film stars, before their every flaw was instantly revealed on gossip websites.

Cut the budget, by all means - scrap the gimmicks, the hugely expensive presenter goody bags, the self-congratularoy love-ins, the horribly unfunny scripted comedy sketches, all those musical interludes - but don't pander to a public - and a network - that doesn't care about quality filmmaking.

Oscars night is about the industry, voted for by the industry, and the people who genuinely care about good filmmaking will keep watching. Everyone else can watch the MTV Movie Awards.

Jon Venables

2010-03-03T10:05:00.004Z

Most of the papers today are leading with the story that Jon Venables, who along with John Thompson killed toddler James Bulger in 1993 when he was ten, is back in prison. Venables has broken the terms of his parole licence, which was set in place when he was released in 2001.

I understand why this is big news - the James Bulger case was horrific, and the idea that he could have reoffended is a worrying one.

But details of the breach of the licence have not been released, and won't be released at least until the parole board has heard his case (which should happen over the next few weeks). Yes, he may have committed a further violent act. But based on the information we have so far, it is just as likely that Venables has simply missed meetings with his parole officer.

Venables was only ten when he murdered James Bulger. That doesn't excuse what he did, but the law in this country is based on a system of rehabilitation as well as punishment. Once a prisoner has served his time and been paroled, he deserves a second chance. That is how the system works.

Before the press, and the tabloids in particular, turn this into another witch hunt, we must wait for the full details to emerge. Digging away until Venables' new identity is exposed serves no one - he will presumably then be given a further identity, and the process will begin again.

Worse, there is a risk that the press could encourage vigilante attacks. Venables committed a terrible crime, but he has been punished for it. If he has seriously reoffended, then he will remain in prison. If he hasn't, the press risk stoking up violence against a man who has served his time and has done no further wrong. It is irresponsible journalism of the worst kind.

Ouch

2010-02-21T13:20:00.003Z

I've been a bit pants at blogging lately, apologies, busy busy busy at work! I'm even there on a Sunday, which is always a bit weird.

It's quiet so far, so I'm doing a bit of archive searching for the From the Archive column that runs on the Guardian's leader page. I love searching through the old papers (online of course, using the lovely digital archive), you always find interesting nuggets.

Like the photo above, from March 1950 - I hated cross country at school but I don't remember it being quite so extreme...

The state of the union

2010-01-27T13:12:00.002Z

President Obama will deliver his State of the Union address to the joint houses of Congress tonight. I've been compiling a few other famous speeches for the Datablog, so we can compare keywords, that sort of thing.

I've found the most amazing resource - the American Presidency Project based at the University of California. As well as every state of the union address ever made by a president, it houses over 80,000 digitised documents relating to US presidents, all in a searchable database. Love it!

The Dude abides

2010-01-20T23:18:00.004Z

As the Oscar buzz around Jeff Bridges's performance in Crazy Heart continues to build (and having just seen George Clooney in Up In The Air I can't decide if I want him to get it, Clooney is marvellous), Ben Walters at the Guardian has written an excellent piece on the continuing love for his most iconic role, The Big Lebowski. The Dude abides.

Donate for Haiti

2010-01-19T23:06:00.004Z

Just watching the Haiti news coverage on BBC News 24. It's so devastating to see the personal stories but there are stories of hope too - a woman too weak to give birth, rushed to hospital by the news crew, saved along with her healthy baby.

They need as much aid as they can get, please give what you can to the DEC appeal. You can donate online, call 0370 60 60 900 or text GIVE to 70077 to automatically give £5 (I think it comes off your next phone bill).

Oscars countdown

2010-01-19T22:19:00.004Z

I've been busy with a few Datablog posts lately - one on teen drug misuse, one on deadly earthquakes - but my favourite one of the moment is tracking all the major winners over the film awards season.

Until the BBC lost the rights to the Oscars, it was one of the highlights of my television year, staying up late (usually til 6 or 7 in the morning) with popcorn and beer to watch it live. I miss the build-up but now that I'm writing about it I feel excited again.

Every year I plan to watch the films that have generated the most Oscar buzz, but never get round to it. This year I'm determined to catch at least some of them at the cinema - films like Up In the Air, The Hurt Locker, Crazy Heart, all of which have done well in the nominations so far. I don't think I'll be checking out Avatar though (despite the Golden Globe nods) - I'm sure it looks amazing but the story just doesn't seem that original.

The Academy Award nominations are out later this week but I'm prepared to look stupid by casting my predictions early - Jeff Bridges for best actor, Sandra Bullock best actress (white female teacher coaches black student - it's a shoe-in unless Oscar fave Meryl Streep wins the votes), Kathryn Bigelow for director, The Hurt Locker best film, Mo'Nique and Christoph Waltz for supporting roles (they've won everything so far so not much of a gamble!). Let's hope they get nominated now!

Resolution number 1

2010-01-17T19:01:00.002Z

I finally got time to blog a bit, although it's not my big post about resolutions that I will get round to eventually!

One of my main resolutions this year though is to do my chartership with Cilip. Part of this involves documenting every work-related event I attend, so to avoid bombarding you with library-themed posts and to try and compartmentalise my life just a little (and isn't that what librarians are good at?) I've started a new blog over at wordpress.

If you're interested in library-related stuff, check it out at librarianoftomorrow.wordpress.com.

Oops

2010-01-13T19:48:00.003Z

So the resolution to write about resolutions isn't going so well... Today has been so crazy busy at work that I'm still here! Tomorrow is the news:rewired conference at City university but I'll try to blog at least a bit. Promise.