Rhinoa's Adventures

Holly Berry Bokeh

2011-12-30T00:34:00.001Z

Holly Berry Bokeh, a photo by Rhinoa on Flickr.

Happy holidays! I know it's a little late, but it's been a crazy couple of weeks. Work was super busy coming up to the end of the year. Then I had a wedding (my sister) and a funeral (my great aunt) in the same week just a couple of days before Christmas. I took this picture on Christmas day. I spent the day with my dad, his wife, my sister, her new husband and mine. My dad had planned a walk in the country. We were expecting a pleasant stroll but it turned into an 8 mile speed hike. As I had my camera it was a great excuse to go at a more relaxing pace and my dad hung back with me so I didn't get lost. I took this shot while he held the branch still (the wind picked up just as I tried to take it) and I'm really happy with the bokeh effect in the background. I took a whole bunch of lovely plant and flower pictures and I'll put a few more up soon.

Full Moon Magic

2011-12-11T10:26:00.001Z

Full Moon Magic, a photo by Rhinoa on Flickr.

It took me a while to get the settings right to take this shot, but I'm really pleased with it. The moon has been so big and beautiful the last few days and last night it was full plus there was a lunar eclipse. The moon always seems so magical to me and I'm looking forward to taking pictures during it's other phases.

Tree of Light

2011-12-09T14:43:00.001Z

Tree of Light, a photo by Rhinoa on Flickr.

I love this time of year. All the trees look so pretty when they are full of lights like this. It makes walking around London in the evening a magical experience. I only wish they could stay up all far, but maybe I would get bored. I doubt it though.

Rah!

2011-11-26T21:15:00.001Z

Rah!, a photo by Rhinoa on Flickr.

It's Caturday once again and this week I thought I would post a picture of Loki. He's a funny little man cat, he's very jittery and skittish. I managed to catch him in a relaxed and sleepy mood and timed this picture just as he opened wide to do a giant yawn. I love how detailed it came out and picked up all the different colours of his whiskers and parts of his tongue.

Lines of Light in London

2011-11-24T19:57:00.001Z

Lines of Light, a photo by Rhinoa on Flickr.

Still experimenting and getting to know my new camera. I took this photo walking out of Green Park tube station in central London on Saturday. The Victoria tube line was closed and I was going to get a different tube line, but decided at the last second to get off here and walk through the park past Buckingham Palace. Definitely glad I did as I like this simple photo of the lights going into the darkness.

I was in London to do a Photoshop Elements course which I wasn't impressed with. It's a four week course so am giving it one more week with an open mind before making my feelings known. I also made use of my travel card going to see Breaking Dawn Part One.

Caturday - Willow Kitty

2011-11-19T21:59:00.001Z

Willow Kitty, a photo by Rhinoa on Flickr.

It must be Caturday again. This week enjoy a picture of my friends beautiful tortishell cat Willow. A real sweetie despite enjoying nibbling feet and hands, She's only 8 months old and I wish I could steal her for my growing cat family...

Sunset through the trees

2011-11-18T11:38:00.001Z

Sunset through the trees, a photo by Rhinoa on Flickr.

Spent a day playing board games with friends down in Sussex. On the drive down there was a beautiful sunset and we made it just in time to take a couple of photos before it finished setting. Keeping in the habit of always taking my camera with me is really paying off!

Caturday!

2011-11-12T19:19:00.001Z

Seeing as I have four ~~monsters~~ cats and I love to take photos of them, I figured I would start doing Caturday every week. This week is brought to you by Merlin. He's usually quite hard to photography as he's a big black beast and if he doesn't have his eyes open he looks like a dark splodge bless. Today he was gazing off into the distance and I couldn't resist getting a close up of his beautiful face. To all cat lovers, enjoy.

Tori Amos Concert

2011-11-04T11:40:00.000Z

Wednesday night was Tori Amos night at The Royal Albert Hall. She was playing a selection of songs from her latest album, Night of Hunters which is more of a classical concept album than her previous works. Accompanying her was a wonderful string quartet and as well as her new songs, they also reworked a selection of her back catalogue. These included Winter, Silent All These Years, Precious Things and a wonderful version of Cruel. Below are some of my favourite pictures form the night focusing just on Tori and her piano.

Happy birthday to me

2011-09-14T07:20:00.001+01:00

Sunday was my birthday (I'm not saying how old I turned). I had a but of a grump leading up to it as I've really gone off getting older. I remember when I was younger being so excited and proud of being a whole year older, now I want the years to go backwards...

Anyway, after some initial stressing I decided to spend the day with just my husband, sister and her boyfriend. They took me to Spittlefields Market which I'm ashamed to say I hadn't been to before. It was a really interesting mix of arty stuff and I got a couple of really cute unusual tips and bags.

Next stop was Bea's for afternoon tea which the boys hadn't been to before. My sister and boyfriend are on the right of the table and me and my husband are on the left. Her blonde hair is my natural colour too if anyone is interested.

Look my boobies are made of cupcakes! They tasted very yummy ;)

My husband looks like he's eating the legs.

When my sister left, me and hubby went to the Trocadero Centre and I saw one of those fish pedicure places. Basically you put your feet in a tank of catfish which nibble all the dead skin off your feet.

The fish were loving my feet and it was the strangest feeling. I'm not usually ticklish, but this made me giggle lots. It was especially weird when the fish nibbled between my toes or their tips!

I've been wanting to try it and see if it has any benefit for a while and this was a really good deal (15mins for £10).

I can honestly say if you cam get through the first minute definitely give it a go. Afterwards my feet felt amazing and incredibly soft and smooth. I would for sure get it done again.

All in all despite the grumping it ended up being a chilled and lovely birthday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

If you don't ask you don't get...

2011-09-02T10:16:00.000+01:00

I went out for dinner with my husband and two friends from America a couple of nights ago. it was a lovely meal and at the end my husband finished his meal with an espresso. The cup and saucer it came in were really cute and I joked I was going to take one home with me. To my husbands dismay (and our guests amusement), when the bill came I quietly asked the waiter if their cups ever went missing and if so where there any repercussions. He ended up bringing me two cups and saucers and said to put them in my bag while his manager wasn't looking. So now I have two cute new espresso cups :)

My husband gets so embarrassed when I do things like this, but hey he knew I was a cheeky Scouser (someone from Liverpool) before we got married so he only has himself to blame really!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Secret Destination Adventure Time!

2011-08-31T09:15:00.001+01:00

It was a lovely bank holiday weekend. The sun was shining and I had some friends visit from America. They were kind enough to trust me to plan 3 days of activities for them as a surprise, taking them to new and exciting places each day.

Day 1 :

I picked them up from Gatwick Airport and whisked them away for a day of fun activities in the countryside.

Secret Destination 1 - Avebury

We went to the standing stones in the village (the largest in the world) after driving through the pretty town of Marlborough. Many of them are still standing and it is thought that the circle was constructed around 2600BC. There is a lovely Henge Shop nearby packed full of souvenirs as well as books and jewellery. Avebury is one of my favourite places and gives a great chance to get up close with such impressive stones. It has such a different vibe to somewhere more touristy like Stonehenge.

B poses with one of the stones and below Jehera does yoga in front of one of the taller ones.

Secret Destination 2 - Stonehenge

We drove a little further down the road through Devizes to Stonehenge. We didn't pay the overpriced admission, but had a good look from the side of the road. It's crazy how close it is to the side of the main road (A303), shame the Druids who built it didn't have roads as transport of the stones would have been a great deal easier...!

Secret Destination 3 - Glastonbury

After a delicious vegetarian lunch in the Blue Note cafe, it was time to browse the shops. Lots of tack, but a few real treasures. I stocked up on silver charms for the bracelet my husband bought me for our wedding anniversary a few years back. I tried to resist the books, but caved and bought 4 in the end. As the weather was so nice and we had some time, we went for a walk up the Tor. Beautiful views across the surrounding countryside despite the fact that the wind picked up just as we reached the top. Legend has it the Tor was once the site of Avalon from the Arthurian myths and there are lay lines crossing there.

Day 2 :

Secret Destination 4 - Eden Project, Cornwall

The Eden Project is a charity funded set of two biospheres. One is filled with all kinds of tropical plants and the other focuses of Mediterranean. The tropical dome is much bigger and even has a man made waterfall. There is a lookout that goes just inside the roof, but unfortunately it was closed due to high temperatures and humidity. They sell organic, locally produced food and have their own bakery.

The outside gardens are beautiful too and they have a whole host of activities and special events including circus skills and outdoor concerts.

Secret Destination 5 - Haytor (Dartmoor)

Haytor is a giant rock you can climb, which of course we did. My uncle let me take some pictures of him mediating on the top under the beautiful blue sky with Little Tor in the background. We even saw some wild Dartmoor ponies as we left after climbing back down.

Day 3 :

Secret Destination 6 - Dartmoor Wildlife Centre

A few minutes down the road from where my Aunt and Uncle live is the wildlife centre. It began as a Hedgehog rescue centre and hospital and has expanded to include foxes, badgers, owls, sparrow hawks, ferrets, weasels and a small amount of farm animals (donkeys, cattle, alpaca, a pot bellied pig and some goats). I got to hold a hedgehog and brush one of the donkeys which I loved. I wish I lived closer so I could volunteer every week.

Secret Destination 7 - Lyme Regis (Dorset, Jurassic Coast)

Our final trip before heading back to my flat was to visit the pretty seaside town of Lyme Regis. They have a sandy beach which was full of tourists, but more importantly if you go in the opposite direction there is a pebble beach with rocks full of fossils. They are literally everywhere and many of the roads are completely covered in ammonites. Its fascinating to see the remains of creatures millions of years old, it makes me feel such a small part of the universe.

Cornfield just outside Lyme Regis. There is something so British about it somehow and it summed up my mood for the weekend of relaxation and natural beauty.
One of the best things about staying with my aunt and uncle in Devon was the amazing home cooked food my aunt makes. The first night was a sumptuous veggie curry and the second the comfort of cauliflower cheese with a host of other vegetables included. I can only hope my guests had as much fun exploring the English countryside as I do. I hope they come back as I have so much more to show them.

Croydon Riots #2

2011-08-17T20:54:00.001+01:00

The riots in Croydon happened on the evening of Monday 8th August 2011. That same evening various other parts of London (including Clapham and Enfield) as well as Birmingham and Liverpool also suffered. It all began because of a man who was shot dead by police in Tottenham a few days earlier and not many details were released which provoked public unrest. It started with a local peaceful protest, but things spiralled out of control quickly. The day after the riots in London and Birmingham, it spread to Manchester and other parts of the Midlands (Wolverhampton had a nasty evening sadly).

As well as the riots there was mass looting and many shops were completely cleared out and then set on fire. There were many images of the Sony distribution centre in Enfield and a furniture shop in Croydon being burnt to the ground. The shop in Croydon was on what was named Reeves corner (after the shop) and had been in the family for many generations and is a very sad loss to the community. The other main area to be affected in Croydon was London Road from West Croydon train station up as far as Mayday Hospital. This is a stretch of road filled with independent shops (many selling groceries, jewellry and even Rock Bottom a musical instrument shop and practise space for local bands).. The area that was hit is about a mile or so long and every single shop had it's windows smashed in at the very least.

To put in perspective, I live just off London Road between the train station and the hospital so was witness to a lot of what went on that evening. We had looters going past our flat all night as well as helicopters hovering filming the devastation and the raging fires on the corner of the road parallel to ours (less than a 3 minute walk from our front door). My husband and I stupidly went out to see how close the events were and to see if we should travel to my dad's about 20 minutes away. We took some photos (on my previous post) with my iPhone and then came home after one guy started on me when he spotted what I was doing. At that time there was one car on fire in the road and another one completely burnt out. The one that was still on fire was in front of the shop that later burned down completely and I suspect it was related.

In total 7 properties along London Road by us are in the process of being demolished. At last count there were no human fatalities although they sadly found someones pet cat in two halves which was later collected by it's owner to be given a proper burial. One of the main problems was that all the shops had flats above them so many people have lost not just their livelihood, but their homes as well. Another sad aspect was that the owners of Rock Bottom found from their camera footage that 90% of the looters of their shop were people they knew who had been customers which I find particularly disgusting.

Personally I think there is no excuse for this behaviour. Many of the people involved were opportunistic criminals. While the riots were happening in the town centre, people took the chance to loot PC World and Currys on Purley Way as they knew the police were to busy to stop them. It still feels a little like a war zone and people are still very upset about what has happened. No one really understands quite why it got so out of control and there have been accusations based on race and social status which I don't agree with myself.

Anyway I've put some more pictures below that I took on my phone since the disaster on London Road and I will be taking more as they demolish the area and when they hopefully rebuild in the future. On a side note we decided to stay here that night and barricaded the front door once we got home from our photo excursion regretting that we had left the house at all and entered the danger zone.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Croydon Riots #2

Croydon Riots

2011-08-09T11:39:00.001+01:00

Pictures I took last night and this morning from the bottom of my road and the City Centre.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Family day out in London

2011-07-17T18:22:00.001+01:00

It was my sisters 30th birthday recently and on Saturday my mum came to London for the day and the three of us spent a day out around St Pauls. We treated ourself to afternoon tea first with a whole host of nibbles including scones and cupcakes. There was a selection of around 10 different teas to choose from as well.

It was booked solid all day and was a delightful little corner. The lampshades were tea pots and the sugar bowls were little pink pigs. I definitely want to go back and tea for two was more than enough for three people.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Museum of London. None of us had been before and it had a section of the old wall around London.

It had a mixture of stuff from ancient bones found in the River Thames through to 60s fashion and a street photography exhibition from 1890 - present day.

Pages from The Canterbury Tales.

Lady Ann Fanshawe's dress from the late 1700's. This was particularly interesting as she is a relative of ours and my mum has her biography which has been passed down the generations (I'm next in line).

Not a great photo but here we are with the Lindon Underground sin in the background. I'm the only one who hasn't stayed with my natural blonde hair colour.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Stuff I've been up to

2011-06-07T16:53:00.001+01:00

Been a while since I last updated so here are some pictures of stuff I've been doing!

Tried being a sparkly vampire :)

Went to Athens and Delphi with Mariel and saw a bunch of old stuff

All very impressive and cool

Enjoying the views and sunshine

Celebrated five years of being married (yes we are giant geeks)

Spent time in Sherwood Forest

Yes we are this cool

Went to Warhammer World and looked at miniatures as well as this giant Orc

Went to panel at MCM Expo with cast of Futurarma. Was awesome and very funny

With my ladies in their cosplay (none for me this time but I did wear little shorts shock horror)

Spent a day in the woods with another friend

Awesome hipstamatic effects on iPhone camera created a green road.

Many more pictures on Facebook. Email me for details and friend requests.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Another weekend, another mini adventure

2011-04-03T21:56:00.001+01:00

Spent today on another mini adventure. We drove to Forest Green, a little village near Dorking within an hours drive of my house. We found a lovely pub with an organic shop that grows their own produce or sources from near by farms.

Sunday roast was mouth watering and afterwards we walked it off around the village green and duck pond.

Afterwards we went to Box Hill which is a Natural Trust Site. Essentially it's a hill with beautiful views and some woodland.

Me and hubby on Box Hill enjoying the views.

Looking straight down the hill.

Trying to blend into the trees.

Admiring the view from the woods.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Day out in Witley

2011-03-28T13:47:00.001+01:00

The weather was so nice last week I thought I'd take advantage of it yesterday and go for a spontaneous day trip to a nice country pub. My specifications were it had to be in a village within an hours drive. After doing a quick google search I found White Hart Inn in Witley. I talked into hubby into coming and paying for lunch if I did the driving.

It turned out to be a great decision. The food was lovely (pork roast dinner) and the setting beautiful. I took lots of pictures of the village and we went exploring after lunch.

Thought this would amuse any Americans out there :)

Such pretty houses and shapes.

Saxon church complete with turret.

Church graveyard taken with an app on my phone.

My husband admiring the staine glass by the organ.

Saxon wall paintings.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Manchester and Liverpool

2011-02-28T23:21:00.001Z

This weekend I had some client meetings in my favourite place, the North West. After my day in Manchester I had lunch with Nymeth from Things Mean a Lot. A lovely hot chocolate and scrambled eggs on a bagel at a lovely bohemian coffee shop with a second hand book shop at the back. Heaven :)

Nymeth clearly recommends this book she is currently enjoying. Must look it up.

Doing one of het favourite things, looking at books. Hopefully shell come to London soon and meet the monsters and see my book collection.

Over in Liverpool some of my family got together to celebrate my gran's birthday. Don't think I need to say how old she turned... I bought her the balloons and expected them to be about a third the size so had a real shock when the shop filled them with helium. It was a fun shock though :)

She seemed to enjoy her day and I hope to get back again soon. Here's hoping for an excellent year for her despite being kicked out of the nursing home that was finally found for her...

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Museums and Book Shops oh my

2011-01-29T11:20:00.001Z

I spent a fun day in the company of my best friend Mariel from Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops. We went to the big Forbidden Planet store in London which is filled with sci-fi, fantasy, anime, manga, comic books and graphic novels. We had a lovely lunch in Neils Yard and headed to the Victoria and Albert museum.

Not a great one of me but Mariel looks cute.

Sculpture in the V&A which makes it look like the figures are coming out of the stone.

Tiny Japanese miniature.

Inner court.

Steps.

The Frog Princess from a fountain.

My favourite sculpture there, Eve. She looks so innocent and beautiful.

Next was pizza in China Town and Londons largest independent book shop Foyles.

Me wants the precious book. Next time it will be mine.

Under the Chinese New Year decorations that were being put up with my purchases.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cats

2011-01-20T19:56:00.001Z

The cats don't always get on, but it's lovely when they do. This afternoon I was working at home and thought everything was a bit quiet. Usually one or other of the cats climbs on me or my computer. When I checked why so peaceful, I found all four squashed on one cat cushion against the freezer.

Eris looks very squished at the back with Merlin sitting on her, but must have been ok as they had all been like this for some time!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Berlin

2011-01-14T21:35:00.001Z

Just back from our European Sales Meeting and am shattered. We pretty much spent all of our time in the hotel working, but last night was a trip to see The Blue Man Group. I saw them in London a few years ago and loved them both times. A mix of music, colour and performance art.

Me with one of the Blue Men.

I got him to give me a kiss in the cheek so I had a blue lip print on my face for the rest of the night which was cool.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Kingdom Hearts

2011-01-10T10:07:00.001Z

The last couple of months I've been playing lots of Kibgdom Hearts. It's a series of computer games developed by Disney and Square Enix. Basically Disney worlds with Final Fantasy characters running around them.

First I played KH 258/2 Days (DS) which occurs after Chain of Memories (GBA). You play as Roxas performing a series of short missions in worlds like Twilight Town, Neverland and Beauty and the Beast. It wasn't my favourite but it fleshed out the story nicely.

Next was Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (PSP). This is a prequel to the whole series and you play the story through entirely as one of three characters. To get the whole picture you must do all three which unlocks more of the story and final boss battles.

It was a lot of fun and I will definitely play it again. I liked the new ability system an that the worlds are different from the other games like Snow White and Sleeping Beauty.

Finally yesterday I finished Kingdom Hearts II. J had started it ages ago and not finished it so I began again at the beginning. It made so much more sense playing it after the others as chronologically it's the most recent.

It's a beautifully animated game, my only issues are first it was too easy, must set on hard not average next time I play one. Second there are too many cut scenes and not enough game play.

Kingdom Hearts re:coded is out next weekend and takes place after KHII so now I am all caught up in time phew. This is so far the only series of games I have completed from start to finish.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Made me Laugh

2011-01-06T13:15:00.001Z

Thought this was really funny :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Zombie Eyes

2010-12-08T09:19:00.001Z

I have a nasty eye infection. My husband is affectionately calling it zombie eyes, how sympathetic. Both are really red from the corners by my nose to the pupil. They keep watering and are sore and sensitive all around. Off to the doctors in an hour.

Brains...!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Final Shots of New York and a little New Orleans

2010-10-14T00:28:00.001+01:00

My last day full in New York I spent mostly reading in Central Park. I broke it up by walking around and just relaxing in the sunshine. In the evening I headed down to Union Square where AS Byatt was giving a book reading from The Children's Book and doing a signing so I got a chance to meet her which was awesome.

A black squirrel in Central Park.

Imagine at Strawberry Fields in Central Park to commemorate late Beatle John Lennon who recently would have had his 70th birthday.

The following day I flew to New Orleans and spent the evening wandering around the French Quarter. This morning I went to a swamp tour and saw lots of wild alligators close up as well as blue herons, a green heron, a woodpecker and a bald eagle. The afternoon was spent cruising the Mississippi on their only remaining steam boat and relaxing.

Preparing for Halloween in the French Quarter.

Brutus the wild alligator with his head out of the water right next to the other boat so you can get an idea of the size of him by looking at his head. He was over 9ft long and they estimate he is between 45-50 years old now.

Two young alligators relaxing before taking to the waters of the swamp.

Turtles sunning themselves on branches all around the swamp.

Another shot of Brutus with a marshmallow in his jaws.

The steam boat Natchez which I took a ride on. You could go into the engine room and there was an option to have lunch. Also on every cruise (which lasts about 2 hours) they have a live jazz band on the middle deck.

A grenade walking around promoting drinks. As you do...

Comicon Day 3

2010-10-11T14:17:00.000+01:00

The final day of comicon is now over sadly. The last day was possibly the most fun as it turned out.

Jane Yolen who signed a copy of Foiled for me and was very lovely. She was signing lots of books for kids as the last day was very child friendly.

Dan Abnet on the right whose autograph I got as a present for my husband who is a big fan. I'm such a good wife!

Scott Westerfeld signing my book. His panel was really funny and his new series sounds amazing. Very steam punk inspired with lots of beautiful illustrations.

Hit Girl and Big Daddy hanging around trying not to kill people.

The guy on the right is John Romita Jr (he did the artwork for Kick-Ass and has worked on Uncanny X-Men and Daredevil among other things) and sitting next to him is John Romita Sr. Sr has been in the comics industry since 1949. He did the character design for Wolverine and is probably best known for his work making Spider Man look how he does today.

The Bruce Campbell spotlight where he was very very funny and looked quite dashing.

Pointing out Evil Dead tattoos on a member of the audience.

Comicon Day 2

2010-10-10T13:49:00.000+01:00

Another day at comicon and my feet are now so sore I hope I can make it through the final day. Lots more funky costumes and I got a couple of autographs too :)

Some of the Justice League and villians. There have been lots of excellent Batmen and Jokers but not so many Supermen.

Some Harry Potter youngsters looking great.

It was impossible to get close to the man that is the legend Bruce Campbell and this was the best shot I could get.

Dark Angel.

James Marsters (Spike from Buffy/Angel). He was adorable and very friendly.

Signing my photo (one from his role in Torchwood) and me in the shirt.

I also got him to sign my chest hehe :) It's a little hard to make out as it was silver pen.

Batman and some of the villains.

Jim Butcher signing autographs. I also met Sherilyn Kenyon but failed to get my photo taken with her. Long story.

Disgruntled dwarven warrior.
Unicorn girls looking cute.

New York Comicon Day 1

2010-10-09T12:48:00.001+01:00

Some photos form the two hours I spent at comicon in New York on Friday. My flight landed at 3:15am and I went straight there arriving around 5pm. The jet lag didn't kick in until I sat down to eat dinner. Hopefully it isn't going to be too bad today... I have a cold but am taking lots of medication and powering through. Apologies as the next few days will be very image content heavy.

Mini Sora from Kingdom Hearts games series.

Characters from Soul Eater (I am hoping to go as Blair to the MCN Expo at the end of October this year too).
Awesome Japanese cop man :)

The Hulk, you wouldn't like him when he's angry...

There is a really large D&D Wizards of the Coast area and I will give it a go if they are letting beginners play and I have time over the weekend.

Funky looking knight type man.

Three sexy ladies.
The guy dressed as Chewy must be over 7 feet tall. I was wondering if they were wearing stilts but they walked normally. Hopefully they will be around later today so I can get a better look.

Sexy steampunk lady with lovely purple hair.

Lego man ripping his chest open.

Sexy lady I found in the toilets adjusting her costume (I should have asked the girl in the background if I could borrow her straighteners oops).

Sweetest girl I have met so far. Amazing figure and so friendly :)

Thought it was funny to see a tiger coming out of a suitcase and a giraffe in the background!

I haven't even found the panel or anime sections yet so that will be todays mission and hopefully I will see some more awesome costumes and meet some fun people so I am not on my own all day.

Mum's Birthday Celebrations

2010-10-06T13:13:00.001+01:00

It was my Mum's birthday recently and to celebrate I organised a weekend away for me, Alex, my sister and her boyfriend, my mum and her husband plus my aunt and uncle.

We spent Saturday in the New Forest going for a lovely walk. There were lots of bright toadstools and ponies to spot and I think everyone had fun despite the weather.

We had a lovely pub dinner and drinks and Alex taught us Zombie Dice which was so much fun! I've never driven down so many roads where we had to dodge various animals including ponies, donkeys and a couple of pigs running around...

On Sunday we went to Winchester and had a look around the Great Hall and the Round Table. Winchester is a beautiful town and we had another yummy pub lunch before setting off back for home.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Alcon Cosplayers

2010-09-19T18:36:00.001+01:00

Some more photos from my birthday weekend at Alcon. There were so many fantastic costumes, but these were some of my favourites:

Ariel from The Little Mermaid with Sebastian plushie - she's my favourite Disney Princess and the costume was really lovely.

Ike from Fire Emblem - One of my favourite series of games, he looked fab and was a real sweetie

Harley Quinn from Batman - I'm being stalked by harlequins lately, it's very surreal...

Steampunk Lady - I just love her outfit and the mini hat completed the look perfectly

Panda and Wolf Link from Zelda Twilight Princess - the wolf costume was hand made and rigged with a bit of wood so that when the person inside spoke the mouth opened and closed. How amazing is that!

Gothic Ball Jointed Doll - I might give this a go at some point as she looks really elegant

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's my Birthday!

2010-09-11T16:52:00.001+01:00

Today is my birthday and I'm spending it at an anime and manga convention in Leicester. I'm having my first go at cosplay where I've dressed as Maka from Soul Eater. This is how she is supposed to look and below is my version.

Alex made the sythe which I am so impressed by. I can't get over the hair though as it's so close to my natural colour and I realise how much I look like my sister!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Drinks with Sarah

2010-09-08T20:17:00.001+01:00

Last weekend I met up with Sarah for my new weekly hot chocolate and cupcake yum. We decided to try brightly coloured foods. The orange is a drink and the purple a yoghurt.

Me and Sarah being cool and enjoying our yummy foodstuffs.

I can't get cupcakes this weekend as it's my birthday and I'm going away for a long weekend with my husband. Should be lots of fun, 4 whole days together yay!

Switzerland

2010-09-05T14:37:00.001+01:00

I spent a day in Switzerland for mysterious, secret reasons. It was a lovely day with beautiful clear skies. I went to Basel and explored a little a few train stops away. The houses were so pretty and I took a couple of photos.

The beR creature was in the window on the bottom floor, I was guessing a childs room.

Such pretty views of tree covered hills with clear blue sky.

I would like to go back and have a proper look around Basel as the town looked really interesting. Plus I was able to get some yummy orange lindt chocolate.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cat love

2010-09-02T20:08:00.001+01:00

More pictures of the cats being adorable. Below is Loki sleeping sprawled across the back of the sofa while I was crashed out on it.

Eris sleeping against my blue pyjama leg using my purple dressing gown as a cover awww.

Eris cuddling Loki (it's so hard to tell them apart sometimes, they are pretty much twins) with Morgaine behind. It's good that they all (mostly) get on.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Pyjama Onesie

2010-08-29T15:48:00.001+01:00

Normally I hate getting anything from Primark as the quality is so poor, however I couldn't resist this. Yes, your eyes do not lie. A snuggly pyjama onesie that even has little feet that have grips on. Possibly the most comfortable thing I have ever worn for a mere £8! Not sure who looks better in this, me or my husband! You decide :)

Sadly Alex hates it and wishes I would throw it out. No chance though, it's far too comfortable.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Everyone needs an Eris

2010-08-27T14:20:00.000+01:00

I'm working from home today which means I am surrounded by my cats. Eris is the smallest and friendliest and used to sleep on me all the time when she was a kitten. Today she climbed inside my jumper and went to sleep with her head poking out the top! She hasn't done this for months when she used to climb inside my dressing gown. She's such a snuggly, sweet little thing although she's not a kitten any more (we've had her and Loki a whole year now).

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Esty Delights

2010-08-26T10:58:00.000+01:00

My good friend Shierfirefly has finally set up her very own esty shop here filled with kawaii handmade lovliness. At the moment she has a whole range of cute pouches in different material (photos below) and I am sure she will be adding more goodies very soon. Plus today is her birthday so happy birthday sweetie x

Bad Religion

2010-08-24T16:20:00.000+01:00

Last night I went to a punk gig to see Bad Religion. They are celebrating turning 30 and I don't think they have played in the UK for 13 years so it was my first time seeing them.

The support were a London band called The Sterilisers. A 5 piece including two ladies playing sax. They seemed quite nervous to be in front of such a big crowd but the singer really worked the crowd and they had really high energy. The sound wasn't great as the brass was really quiet and they only turned it up to a decent level for the last 2 songs.

Bad Religion themselves were excellent. They blend typical punk melodies and riffs with three part harmonies and excellent lyrics. I only own one album so recognised a mere 2 songs from the setlist and my friend knew none, but that didn't spoil our enjoyment at all. A high energy, fun night and one if the best live bands I've seen in ages. Plus they seemed to be enjoying every second of playing which is always great.

Below: me and Alice coming home afterwards from getting our punk on. We managed to blend in with our carefully chosen outfits! I'm on the right.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cupcake!

2010-08-23T13:47:00.000+01:00

I can't believe I have never had a cupcake until this weekend. I'm a big fan of Costa Coffee hot chocolates and when I went in for my Sunday morning fix they had run out of plain croissants. Shocking I know. I figured some solid food would be good and they had the cutest looking selection of cupcakes. The yellow lemon one sounded particularly yummy and it was divine. The frosting was so tasty, I love the bitterness of lemons. I will definitely go back for more, maybe I'll try strawberry next time.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Surrey

Dad's Birthday Fun

2010-08-22T17:13:00.000+01:00

My Dad recently turned 60 so I planned a day of mystery fun for him. Neither me nor my sister gave him any clues as to what was in store for him...

First we went to the London Dungeon which was really spooky with people jumping out at you, a mirror maze with no exit and a hangmans drop. After we calmed our nerves with a couple if drinks before heading to Nobu food lunch. It's my dads favourite (very expensive) Japanese restaurant. The food was amazing and the service excellent. I had ordered a birthday cake and we even sang to him much to his embarrassment! The final surprise was a powerboat ride on the Thames which was so fun and exhilarating.

Some photos from the day are below:

Dad being the birthday boy

The Bento Box at Nobu yum

About to go on the powerboat

Me posing before the boat ride

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Welcome!

2010-08-22T16:12:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my new blog! I just got an iPhone and I wanted a blog where I could post daily thoughts and ramblings which I will keep separate from my reviews. I will put up random pictures from out and about and keep this as more of a journal than anything else.