THE QUEEN OF QUIRK

wicked

Had a lovely, racing time last night.

We left for London early, after dropping off the kiddos at a friend's for a much anticipated sleepover. Man, I love friends. :) We decided to see the Institute of Contemporary Art before we headed to Bentley's Oyster Bar and finally to the Apollo Victoria Theatre in the West End to see Wicked. Talk about a jam-packed evening.

The ICA wasn't very impressive to me. I'm sure that there are some people who would have found the artwork thrilling, but it just didn't speak to me. There were only 3 exhibits and I just didn't think they had much to them. I dunno....maybe I'm being too picky? However, the gift shop was really fun. (I also thought it was kind of sad that the gift shop was more entertaining than the museum...) But anyway, lots of cool stuff in the museum book shop. These all appealed to me: NO LOGO, The Shock Doctrine, and Is Britain Great? The Caravan Gallery. Of course, there were a ton of other books that I can't remember. Lots of snarky, irreverent greeting cards and things like that. Love shops like that. :)

After the ICA, we walked around Piccadilly Circus and checked out a bunch of shops. We found a Japanese confectionery, Kamakura Minamoto Kitchoan, and we stayed in there about 20 minutes, warming up from the rain and drooling over all the yummies. We snagged some treats with names like SUBISHIGIMATORIMAMOTOMAMA.... not really....I really can't remember the names, but they all sound like that to me. :) I hope I didn't just cuss or say something lewd in Japanese.... Anyway, we picked up some red bean paste mochi for the girls (they love them). We also got some white bean paste cakes and another one that had chestnut in it. :) We're excited to try them. And an almond sponge cake, too, I think.

And they came in the yummiest little packages....and you should have seen the gift wrap. The cakes and jellies were on display like jewelry...or like a fancy truffle shop... It was heaven. :)

After a few more shops, we headed to Bentley's for dinner. We sat down at the bar and I noticed they had Oyster Stout on tap from an amazing pub in Dublin, The Porterhouse Brewery. That's when I got really excited. I'm not a big stout fan...and I have no real love for Guinness, but this stuff is sooo good. It tastes SO. MUCH. BETTER. than Guinness. Ok, so we sat down down at the bar and had a pint while we waited for our table. And let me just say that this restaurant has top notch service. I was thoroughly impressed by all the people who worked there. So, a woman took us to our table and we sat down and she handed us a menu that had about 12 things on it and a wine list the size of Texas. I was a bit cornfused. I mean, the menu on the site has such an amazing array of dishes and the waitress mentioned something about the menu being limited due to the bank holiday (everything's closed.) Anyway, I asked her if this was all we could order and it turns out there was a mix up with our reservation. Somehow we got put on the 25 pound dinner list which is just one of those special dinner offers for a reduced price. So, after we cleared it all up, we were given the real menu which was much more packed. :)

I am a huge seafood fan. I'm not a big fan of the really stinky, slimy, rubbery kind of seafood, but the light, flaky, delicate stuff? I'm all over it. So, I got a prawn and egg salad and then I had lobster linguine for dinner. Colin, on the other hand, had the oyster selection and fish in a pot, which is a ton of different pieces, like sea bass, salmon, trout, mussels, sole, scallops, etc. in a light tomato sauce. He'd never had oysters before, so we were asking the waitress all kinds of questions about the flavor and how to eat them properly. We have no shame. At one point I think I told the waitress that Colin was an oyster "virgin"...at which point I realized I was on my third pint of stout and should probably slow down. :) You just can't take me anywhere. :)

All of the food was amazing and I can see why this placed reigns supreme as London's finest seafood restaurant. Our show started at 7:30, and we got our check around 7:15. YIKES! So, we decided we would haul butt to Green Park station and just take one train to Victoria. The original plan was to take the Piccadilly line from Piccadilly Circus to Green Park, switch to the Victoria line and go one more stop. We simply didn't have that much time. So, we were literally running and jay walking the 7 or 8 blocks to Green Park. Whew! Have I totally confused some of you? :)

So, we got off at Victoria station right at 7:28 and at first we were worried that we wouldn't be able to find the theatre. But let me just tell you that you cannot miss it. You come out from the tube station and it literally slaps you in the face.

Hello, there. :)

So, we run in and show our tickets and we're shown right in, but the show had already started. I was so bummed. We totally missed the first song. I guess when the ticket says the show starts at 7:30, you better have your tuckus parked in that freakin' chair by 7:25. I don't think I've ever been to a show that started on time, but I guess we should be earlier next time. 1.5 hours is NOT enough time to eat dinner. :)

So, after the first song, we were shown to our seat and we tripped and stepped on everyone in our row till we got to our seats. Man, I was so ashamed. I hate being late and we disturbed all those people. :(

Ok, so the show? Freakin' WICKED. It was so funny and the costumes and sets were absolutely stunning. I tried taking a picture, but it just wasn't happening. Way too dark in there.

My favorite, by far, was Glinda. Her character was a riot. And even though I liked it, I didn't find it all that emotionally charged. it's funny, and fun, and a visual feast, but the story just didn't move me like most other musicals I've seen. And I'm a total wuss...I'll cry and bawl at those old long distance phone commercials and at PetsMart when they bring in the puppies for adoption.... So I would classify this musical as a "good time", not a "drama" or 'tear jerker". Still. Oz-ilicious. :) And I got a T-shirt, so I'm good.

After the show, we headed straight for the tube and headed home. We had a 40 minute tube ride and then an hour and a half drive home after that. We got home around 1 a.m. this morning and just fell into bed. Talk about a long night!

This morning at 9, I picked up all the chubkins. We missed them sooo much. We were told by our friends that they were really good and had lots of fun and minded and played nicely...you know...all those things that parents hope to hear. :)

So, we came home, had breakfast, and now we're hanging out...we don't have a lot planned today, except for resting. The kiddos were up til almost 11 last night, so they'll head to bed early. Tomorrow, we are planning on taking Lara to Legoland in Windsor for her birthday. I really hope it's not raining. I hate promising things to my kids and then having to scramble at the last minute when things don't work out.

Ok, so I guess that was a pretty darn long-winded post, huh?

And I debated on sharing this or not....but I had a secret smile all night last night thinking about pickpockets. Most people have all kinds of things in their pockets...I had just one...and it was of the female persuasion...I'll let your imagination do the rest. I just giggled on and on to myself that if I got pick pocketed, the person would probably freak out. And then I was going to look at them and say, "You enjoy that, ok? Tampax is the best brand out there."

Anyway...just had to share that. Hopefully I haven't scared anyone away. Happy Tuesday. :) Ciao

weekend quickie

Kind of a busy Sunday for us. Birthday party in a couple of hours for a wee friend of the chubkins and then we need to go grocery shopping. (I know it's not that much, but most Sundays we never change out of PJs, so running around is a big deal on Sunday.)

First, though, I wanted to share some fun Etsy finds. I haven't been paper scrapping much lately...it kinda fell by the wayside in the wake of my digital frenzy. But that is about to change. One of my all-time fave paper scrappers has some goodies for sale there and I just had to snag some. I love the block project. How fun is that?!?!

I also snagged a mini album kit that is absolutely de-lish. You can grab Kristina's goods HERE.

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Kristina at CHA. I use the term "meet" loosely, though, y'all. I seriously think she recoiled a bit as I approached. I was the human equivalent of the sappy, happy-go-lucky Labrador retriever who has yet to sniff you but knows you have a doggy treat hidden in one of your pockets. As soon I got control of myself and gave my little intro, she warmed up and was all smiles. She was so gracious. I think I said something like "I'm a bit starstruck!" to which she replied something like "Oh, stop! Stop!!" I love it when people are just totally cool and chill. When I got back to where Meredith and Hollie were standing, they totally teased me and called me a nerd. I deserved it of course.

And then I stopped by my ultimate fave paper scrapper's Etsy shop and picked up some bling for my 2 new paper projects.

I found tons of other cool yumm stuff. Some of which I bought and some I thought you'd like to take a gander at. I snagged this ultra cool piece of linen from matatabi.

And even though I didn't grab any of these from brookerpie, I thought you might like them...I think they're adorable!

And last, but not least, my new fave to rock to: Sia

I love her silly lyrics and her voice is really dreamy and folky. One of my fave songs is Academia.

Here's an excerpt:

I am a dash and you are a dot
When will you see that I am all that you've got
I'm a binary code that you cracked long ago
But to you I'm just a novel that you wish you'd never wrote
I'm greater than x and lesser than y, so why is it
That I still can't catch your eye?
You're a cryptic crossword, a song I've never heard
While I sit here drawing circles I'm afraid of being hurt

She's like Amy Winehouse, but kookier and more peppy. Love that! So, that's about it for today. Gotta run and purdify the kiddos for their party and then restock pantry. Ciao, all! Happy Sunday!

mmm....peach oatmeal

Still going strong with vegan...It's only been 2 days. So, it's not not I'm going to get a trophy or anything. It's an accomplishment, though! And I'll gladly pose with an old bowling or tennis trophy...ya know, if you have no use for it anymore. :) Yesterday for lunch, we had that lovely little warm salad and stuffing. Last night we had 15 bean soup and this morning, for breakfast, I had oatmeal with fresh peaches and English muffins (toasties) with raspberry jam. :) Actually, this morning I woke up at 8 to the sound of my husband coming in from shopping. He had taken the baby. This is an unheard of feat around here..like the children actually washing their hands after they pee without vigilant supervision. So, imagine my surprise when he also surprised me with oatmeal topped with fresh peaches. This is only more magnified by the fact that he and the kids were having bacon and eggs. He made me an entirely separate breakfast. :) Happy girl.

On a completely unrelated note, I feel so badly about Lara's schooling...it's not really our fault, but she never had a "first day of kindergarten" like the kiddos do in the States. And now, we're in the middle of moving to England and she may have to start school here only to be pulled out when we move...it may be as little as a week. Isn't that sad? It may not seem like a big deal, but there are just certain aspects of a "normal" childhood that I want to uphold. Having her safely and happily in school is one of those wishes. I know she's young and that she'll adjust, but let's face it. I'm a big sap and I want them to have some semblance of normalcy. This is all magnified by the fact that Lara missed her first year of school "American kindergarten" because they don't start school here in Germany til they're 6. But in England, the children start school at 5. Great. So not only will she not start on time, she'll be behind a bit. It really bothers me for some reason. So, it's not even 9:30 am and I've already spent over $70...but I promise I did it for a good cause! Remember this chick from yesterday? Well, she kindly let me know that a bag I have been drooling over was still available! It's not for me, though...it's for Lara Lu. :0) I wanted to really celebrate her first day of school and make her feel special. And when she saw this bag a few days ago, she said "Mommy, can we please buy that? It's so cute." So, this morning, it's officially ours. :0) Wanna see it?

Isn't it darling?!??! Completely handmade...wow. I secretly envy those who can envision something like this and then actually use their own two hands to create it. That blows me away. :0) Thank you, Lisa!

In other completely unrelated stuff, I have a new favorite band. It's a bit offbeat, but that's what I like about it. I can't even really describe it. How about...

Stevie Nicks + Fiona Apple + Dixie Chicks on Tylenol PM + non-annoying Bjork

Yeah....that about sums them up. :) Anyway, if you're interested, check out Eisley.com. My favorite songs on their album "Room Noises" are Memories, Telescope Eyes, and Marvelous Things. They really are amazing. If anyone knows me, they know I sing....all the time. I love ballads and slow songs and love songs and rock songs. I just plain love to sing. And it makes it even better if the song is dreamy and fantastical. :) Anyway...enough about that. You'll just have to listen to them to understand. I feel like I'm in a modern fairytale when I listen to them sing. :) Ok...really, I'll stop now.

How about a layout? :0) I made this last night and I really like the way it turned out....kinda different for me. I'm not sure how it's different...but it just feels different. I just love this kit by Gina Cabrera..."Bit 'O Spunk". It really is beautiful and it has my favorite color...this corally-orangey-red.. LOVE THAT!

CREDITS

So, that's about it for this morning. The girls have a playdate at a friend's house today. I'm not sure what else we've got planned. I'm sure it involves lots of tape and packing and bubble wrap. I can just feel the excitement rising...oh wait...umm...never mind. It was just a migraine. ;0)