Crazy Stupid Pumpkin Love

Pumpkinny wumpkinny 

Oops. It's been a while since I've written anything here. I guess I haven't been doing anything that noteworthy. Although to be honest if I have to really fully analyse the situation, I could probably chalk up at least a whole two weeks being lost to scouring the internet for photos of Ryan Gosling. If you are that way inclined, may I recommend this website.

I've been to see him in Drive (the soundtrack literally won't leave my ears) and Crazy Stupid Love this month and might be a LITTLE BIT obsessed. Honestly, I have no idea where the time goes. I could literally stare at him for hours. Excellent example of the perfect man. Well done to everybody involved. If I ever met him in the street I think the only appropriate reaction would be to give him a standing ovation. The Ides of March is the next Gosling cinematic offering and I'm already rubbing my legs in anticipation.  And don't even try and pretend you aren't too.

Next of (pump)kin

So ANYWAY. Enough of my lusting after Hollywood celebrities. What a contrast between my last post and this! Last time I was reporting from the front line of the unexpected but fully welcomed and fondly remembered late summer 2011 heatwave (RIP)... and now here we are, clocks gone back and dark evenings closing in, wrapped up warm, central heating on, surrounded by pumpkins and fake blood.

It's no secret, I love Hallowe'en. This was a love that was spurred on all the more from my experience of a full-on American 'We'en during my time in New York. I'm not sure Britain will ever quite reach those heady heights but it doesn't stop me trying year after year!

I have actually purchased a further four pumpkins of varying sizes. True story.

The past five years or so have been spent constructing elaborate costumes and getting very very (very) drunk. This year I've decided to take it easy, by purchasing a whole armful of pumpkins and getting my carve on in front of the umpteenth showing of Ghostbusters. Which to be honest, is probably more fun and with less hangover.

Altogether now: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... MASS HYSTERIA!

Friends With Benefits

Stacked 

Before anyone gets excited - not thooose kinds of benefits.

I've just come back from a delightful weekend in Brighton. I have a friend who has just moved to a gorgeous flat moments from the seafront (and also, Preston from Big Brother fame, apparently *sounds shit celeb spot klaxon*) and a bunch of us went down to visit. They are all friends that I met as we all did the same New York exchange programme and I love it when we all get together. It usually involves good food, good drink and good chat. Including but not limited to X Factor contestants and Youtube video analysis. Don't judge. You know you do it too.

Halloumi and houmous. Never have two finer 'H's been stuck in a sandwich

We started with lunch straight off the train at a great place, Bill's. It was a wicked weekend brunch spot, popular with the crowds, so a bit of a wait - but very worth it. Set up in a former greengrocers, the decor played off of the industrial functional feel of the building. Food was good honest well-sourced ingredients and I can confirm, they give good hollandaise. What more do you want in a brunch purveyor?

A girl keg! 

Then later, it was some kick-ass food back at the flat in front of X Factor. We cracked out the housewarming gift of a vintage medicinal-esque drinks dispenser with a cocktail recipe invented on the hoof (i.e. we had gin and they only stocked appletizer at the local shop - was pleasantly delicious).

NYC corner. Every home should have one. 

This concoction accompanied the brilliant menu of Pulled Pork Tacos, Avocado and Onion Salad and Crunchy 'Slaw. All Martha inspired and all finger-lickin good. I've gotta have these girls over for dinner soon and I can safely report the bar has been set high.

Feast

This was all devoured in front the X Factor and swiftly segued into feeding our (HEALTHY) appreciation of various divas on YouTube. Celine, Whitney and Mariah. In any order. 

I literally want nothing more of a Saturday. 

Why Amy Winehouse Was So Frigging Brilliant

Bye Bye Winehouse (Photo credit)

It's been just over a week now since the news broke of Amy Winehouse's death in her beloved Camden residence. As of yet, we still don't know the exact hows and whys, but one thing will remain true regardless. It was a tragic end to the troubled life of one of this countries best talents of recent years.

Like undoubtedly many others I've spent a lot of time this week revisiting the pinnacle of her career, the Back To Black album. The album was released in the autumn of 2006. I was entering my third year at uni, and I had just had the worst summer of my life. I'd had my first (and only) bitter taste of heartbreak after a messy breakup with my first serious boyfriend of three years.

I just remember this album being around, and Winehouse had tapped in to the pure unadulterated despair of a broken heart. This girl knew those dark thoughts that swirl around the minds of the jilted, knew the self-destructive pain of rejection. You don't want me, I'm a mess, noone will want me, I become the mess and the vicious circle keeps spinning in a horrible self-fulfilling prophecy. This album was amongst the soundtrack of that time for me, and as often happens with great music, somehow listening to it made me feel that I was not alone. It helped me to start feeling better.

I watched a documentary the other night on Amy's life and I can't remember what channel it was on but it talked about her entrance essay for stage school at 12 or 13 where she wrote that her ambition was for people to hear her voice and just forget their troubles. Well, she certainly did that for so many people myself included, and it is just the saddest saddest thing that she was not able to do that for herself.

She clearly led a troubled existence towards the end of her life, living out some truely awful scenes in the public eye, both on stage and off.

But I'll always remember her for her raw special talent and her ability to sing with her broken heart on her sleeve and make magic. She had her issues, but when she had it together she was so frigging brilliant.

And I hope that's how she'll keep being remembered.

Yes. More Cakes.

Crumbs!

This week was a triumvirate of cake-worthy events. Someone was leaving work, someone else at work was celebrating a birthday, and it was also the final week of Wimbledon.

In honor of all three I had a go at the Strawberry Cheesecake Hummingbird cupcakes following the success of last weeks chocolate variety.

Yummy biscuity topping

These cakes are a bit different because they have chopped fresh strawberries on the bottom, which are baked with the plain cake batter on top. This means the strawberries go all soft and jammy at the bottom. They are then topped with cream cheese frosting and crumbled digestive biscuits.

So a bit like an inverted strawberry cheesecake with added cake sponge. All in all - the bomb diggy.

From punnet to cake tin

The sunny weather we've had this week along with the tennis fever that has swept my house (Poor Murray *sniff*) has made this the perfect accompaniment to the long hot tennis-watching evenings.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off seeing the Foo Fighters LIVE tonight and am at this very moment right in the thick of the crowd, off my face on excitement. I can't stress this too strongly - I am currently breathing the very same air as Dave Grohl.

Who knows whether I'll ever be able to rejoin normal life again?

Up Town, Down Town, Turn the Beat Around Town

Railtrack gardens 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yada, yada, yada. So you went to NY. WE KNOW. But what did you actually DO there?

That's what I imagine you (dear reader) to be saying right now. If not saying, thinking. And if you weren't actively thinking it, you probably secretly were deep down but you just didn't KNOW you were thinking it. So now you know, that I know, that WE ALL KNOW.

Capiche? Good.

 Diagram of bell sounds

 So here be some of the highlights of the stuff and ting I got up to this time round. One of the top things on my to-do list (that didn't involve eating) was to go and see the High Line Gardens. These hadn't been opened by the time I left and I'd always found the concept intriguing so was keen to visit in person.

It was quite a chilly and windy whilst I was up there, but the gardens were really pretty. One part that was particularly interesting was one of the Public Art installations on the 14 St Walkway (for that is where I entered the park). Here, Stephen Vitiello's 'A Bell for Every Minute' chimes the sound of a different bell recorded from somewhere in the New York City each minute, with a chorus of all the bells at the top of the hour. The above photo is the map of where each recorded bell sound is located physically. There were famous bells such as the Stock Exchange bell, the United Nations Peace bell, but also more everyday bells such as diner bells, bike bells etc.

It was really pretty to listen to and the sounds fill the space and echo out into the city. Definitely worth a visit.

Nomnomnom

I ate a loooot of food this trip, despite having (I think) contracted tonsillitis which flaired up for the duration of my trip. But, true to form and trooper that I am, I didn't let it hold me back from literally eating my way around Manhattan. The above photo was taken by my friend at the height of the tonsillitis pain, and I was eating the only thing that could possibly have soothed my throat at that time.

Rice pudding.

I don't normally like rice pudding but the only place IN THE WORLD that I will eat it is at Rice to Riches. On this occasion I chowed down on the cheesecake flavour with an Oreo cookie topping. Divine.

My fave 

No trip to NYC would be complete without a snap of my favourite building in the world, naturally. Our hotel was only a few blocks from the art-deco masterpiece that is the Chrysler, and we had a pretty awesome view of it out the window of our room. Bonus.

I wanna dance! 

 I also really really wanted to see another show on Broadway. While I was living out there I saw many shows (including one memorable occasion when I stalked Mario Lopez at the stage door and he completely blanked me. BAD Mario Lopez.) and they are always wonderful. This time I saw Billy Elliot. The storyline was so moving, BOY can those kids dance and of course, I loved the Elton John-penned score. My only gripe is that sadly, Americans just CAN NOT do a Geordie accent. Hell, I can't even do one and I'm British. I mean, they tried their best, but I couldn't understand what the heezy they were trying to say half the time.

Shame, as it was otherwise awesome. Think I'll try and catch it in the West End and see if the British version is better. (I think, probably, with the natural accent advantage)

Cheese? CAKE?

And of course, no evening at a Broadway show is complete without dessert at Junior's after the show. Junior's cheesecake is a New York institution. When I lived over there, whenever my boss and I wanted to sweet talk someone into doing something for us at work, we would run across the street to Junior's in Grand Central, buy a brick-like slab of their gorgeous cheesecake and use it as bargaining collateral. Worked every time.

Their slices are the size of my face, this was a chocolate mousse cheesecake and though there was willing (dear god was there willing), try as I might, I just could not finish it. SO GOOD.

When can I go back?

Will I Hold It Against Her?

This caption is dedicated to photo credits 

Just so you know, I do more than bake and knit and trapse around London. I also love music and movies and spend a lot of time with both. I think it's high time that side of me got more of an airing around here. So, step forward Britney Spears, as my first subject.

Those who know me, know I love the Spears. Hell, who am I kidding, I have a healthy appetite for most things pop, diva or slightly dramatic. Which means that I have followed the car crash ride that is Britney Jean Spears' career since it started way back in 99 and I too was a fresh faced school girl with pigtails, staring at the clock and tapping my fluffy pen-topper until 3.30 rolled around.

So, this week I have mostly spent my time getting just a little bit excited about the new single which was released to the world the other day. Links have been torn down left, right and centre across the interwebs but I believe good old Perez is still working. Here, have a listen:

Well, it's no 'Toxic', but it's definitely on the right side of 'Born To Make You Happy'

I don't know what I was expecting but I'd heard loads of good stuff doing the rounds about how totally brilliant awesome it was. But, sadly, I walked away feeling underwhelmed if anything. There were bits I would give the definite thumbs up - I love the nods to dance music, and the dubstep break is genius, although I can't help but wonder at the decision of including such a reference to a genre that isn't hugely mainstream outside of the UK yet. Will America take to it? Who knows about those guys. Oh and how could I forget: 'hazaaaayyyy'?! - HELLO! - best bit of the whole song.

But I have to say, if I'm going to try and put my finger on it, the chorus is what lets it down - the melody doesn't ever really take off, and I know Britters has never demonstrated the most expressive of voices, but it is almost monotone in delivery. I think it's definitely the right direction, I am much more of a fan of her uptempo, slightly edgy stuff than the earlier more commercial offerings (think 'In The Zone' onwards, although 'Blackout' is clearly her best work - clearly being in the midst of one hott mess agrees with her, musically-speaking) but it's just missing that somethin' somethin' to push to the next level.

Shame Britney. Shame. 7/10. MUST TRY HARDER.

If anyone needs me, I'll be listening to Britney's Greatest Hits and writhing around with a python to remind myself of better days.

So is this one

Take Me To The Hospital

Get Well Sooooonnn (I am trying)

Hello. I am writing this from my Magical Sofa of Recovery. This weeks post has been slightly delayed as on Monday I had to go into hostipal (hospital) to have an operation.

Don't worry or anything, it wasn't anything life threatening, it was just a simple key-hole procedure to remove my gall bladder. My gall bladder was naughty and didn't work properly. That's not what I wanted, that's not who I was. So it had to go. (If you can guess the film reference, I officially love you). Yes, readers, that is the way I roll. If you don't work for me, you get culled. Because, after all, don't I deserve love? And jewelry?

I call this Early Morning Canula (brought to you by my iPhone)

Kidding. Kind of. Anyway, even though it was a straight forward, fairly common procedure, it was the first time I have ever had to go into hospital, and certainly the first time I have ever had to deal with the scary scary crazy world of general anaesthetic.

However, despite my extreme nerves, the op all went well, and I am now on the road to recovery. A bit sore, but I have lots of pain meds that I like as they make me all sleepy.

(A la Homer Simpson) Bed goes up, bed goes down; bed goes up, bed goes down

I should be back to normal-ish in about 10 days, and aim to use the time that I am not sleeping doing lots of knitting/crafty things from the aforementioned Magical Sofa, so hopefully I should have lots to show you for my period of convalescence!

Until then however, please enjoy the following chooons from my hospital playlist:

I sang this constantly all weekend:

And of course, no playlist is complete without a bit of Dave Grohl (le sigh):

P.S. Big thank you to all the staff at the Annie Zunz ward at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. They do an awesome job :o)

Family Affair

Boscanova Cafe

Earlier this summer, I got out of the city and went to stay with my family for a couple of weeks in Bournemouth. I had a lovely time hanging out with them and catching up. Now that I live away from home I don't get a chance to do that for such a length of time anymore and I miss it.

On my last day, we went for a family lunch at Boscanova Cafe. If you're ever in the area, check it out. It does really good brunch. Trust. Get the pancakes.

The house chili.. and I haven't just ruined that shot by tucking in... not in the slightest..

What I like about Boscanova, is that it's one of the few (oh so few) really good independant eateries in Bournemouth. Everything is made fresh, with mostly, feel-good, healthy ingredients. This time I got the special, which was the house chili. It was delicious.

Bro-fo, coke float.

Although, if you're anything like my brother, you'll choose a coke float. Some things, by their very nature are not made with feel-good, healthy ingredients.

But if they were, I don't think they'd taste quite as awesome, no? And why say no to a little bit of awesomeness in your life?

Cappuccino-a-go-go - I love how the chocolate flecks reflect the speckled wood. Er. Well done me.

I, being the caffeine, Starbucks-obsessed girl that I am, had to have a cappuccino. Which came in a decent sized mug. That is also, quite a little bit of awesome.

---

Er, irrelevant, but:

P.S. Download Calvin Harris' new album. Do it now. You'll never regret it. Er, also irrelevant but, I just want to give him a nice big cuddle.

Lemon Drizzle, Bizzle Schizzle

Lemon Drizzle

Right, so my camera is working again. Seems it's like me. It won't get out of bed unless it's shown a bit of attention!

So I'm back. I'm back on a regular basis. And I'm glad, I've missed this weekly-ish process of capturing little gorgeous moments in my life and taking time to reflect on them. They are hard to see sometimes, but they are there.

But first I have a bit of catching up to do on what I've been up to this summer.

In June it was my Mum's birthday, or bizzle schizzle, as I am known to call these things. I was keen to make this a special birthday, as I had missed her 50th last year as I was having the year of my life, in the best city in the world.

Bizzle Schizzle

To celebrate the occasion, and make it one of the best birthdays ever, I invited Mum, and my sister to visit me in London. They stayed for a few days. We hit up Wahaca, with all its yummy Mexican delights and copious glasses of mojitos. We went to see Oliver! in the West End, with the always awesome Rowan Atkinson, totally owning the role of Fagin: we were all on such a high when we left the theatre. And then, for an extra special amazing treat, my sister and I treated Mum to afternoon tea at Claridges. Mum, as an avid lover of both tea and afternoons (she can't get out the house before noon) was in her element.

But of course, all of that paled in comparison to the super amazing Lemon Drizzle Cake that I made her.

I didn't want to make a chocolatey or heavy cake as we were in the midst of a super HOTT heatwave, so I wanted something fairly light and summery. In the end, I followed Jamie Oliver's recipe, and it worked a treat. As well as lemon juice and peel in the cake mixture and in the drizzly sticky yummy icing, the recipe called for a lemon sugar syrup glaze to be made and poured into the cake once it had come out of the oven. I used a cocktail stick to prick holes all over the cake so that the glaze could seep right down deep.

Once cooled and iced, the cake was moist, lemony, sweet and summery. Perfect Lemon Drizzle Bizzle Schizzle for the Moomin Mama. Big love xxx

And in Any Other Business:

1) Am I the latest one to the Alphabeat party or what? I have just discovered This is Alphabeat. What a slice of perfect pop

2) I am all over Around The World. Promise. I am just waiting for some photos to be developed before I can crack on!

Vintage Birthday Beret

This birthday was handmade from head to toe. Or card.. whatever.

Big news! I found wifi!! Free wifi!! So I am able to bring you this post from a table in the Barbican on a Sunday afternoon, which I am typing whilst listening to all the podcasts I have fallen behind with since being in London without proper internet access for the last two weeks. Oh Claudia Winkleman, President Obama and Woman's Hour, I've missed you!

Hopefully I will be moving into my permanent base (with actual internet!) next weekend, so normal blogging (and reciprocal blog comments) will resume!

So what do I have to show for myself for the last two weeks? Well, I am settling in well in my new job for those who were wondering. And to pass the time without the internet I have been working steadily away at my super friend Holly's birthday gifts.

The card, I made myself with my new interchangeable blade craft scissors. But the thing I am most pleased with is the beret..

Knitty Gritty:

Pattern - 'Vintage Beret' from Rowan Magazine No. 44

Yarn - Two skeins of the recommended Rowan Wool Cotton. I used it in French Navy.

Needles - 3.75 mm for the ribbing, changing up to 4 mm for the main body of the hat

Yeah, I keep my hats on my digital radio... don't you?!

I used a pattern from one of my Rowan books that I got in the mail all those weeks ago. As can be expected from a Rowan pattern it was really easy to follow, and well written and quite a pleasurable, fairly quick knit.  I'm not sure why, but I expected it to be knit in the round... but no, it's knit on regular needles and then you sew up the seam... clever huh?

Talking of seams: can I just take a moment and marvel at the genius that is mattress stitch?! This was my first ever foray into seams and of witnessing the wonder of this miracle. At first I was sewing quite loose, so I could see what I was doing (as per the advice of my knitting bible) and was skeptical, as it didn't look like it was going to do anything spectacular, and possibly ruin at the last minute all my hard knitting work: sabotaging and spoiling the final look of the piece.

But no! I worked a few inches, and then pulled tight, and LIKE MAGIC... a beautifully invisible seam was born!! Very professional. 

So, now that I can do seams... I am now looking forward to getting my next project on the needles: my very first item of clothing. I'm toying between what to choose, but I think it will definitely be a cardigan (I am the cardigan queen). I literally can't wait.

It Ain't Too Much for Me to Jam

Tea with jam, jam and bread.. or cake, whatever...

I've been really wanting to make a jam-based culinary treat for a couple of weeks now. I don't know, there's something so warming and wholesome and perfect for winter about a warm, jammy cake. And after the sparkle of Christmas is but a distant memory, and yet it's still bone-chillingly cold outside and the warmth of the sun on your skin seems such a long way away, a few baked treats are just what you want to cheer the winter melancholy. Plus, you know, we've got pantloads of Grandad's jam to use up before it goes bad...

But after Roly-Poly-Gate when everything went terribly wrong, I had to regroup and find a recipe for something less complicated.  You know, a recipe that doesn't demand that I know the difference between length-ways and width-ways and other "rocket science" details such as that.
To inspire me and get my confidence back that I could actually produce something with jam in it that would look and taste like it's supposed to, I dug out my copy of Michael Jackson's Dangerous album, and spent a good hour or so dancing along to (I'm sure you know where this is going) track numero uno on repeat... Jam:

Remember when Michael Jackson was the coolest thing on the planet? Ahh, good times..

On the fifth repeat, it was then that I realised: you know what? It bloody ain't too much for me to jam, Michael, you're so right! Man, that guy is wise, have you ever listened to his lyrics? It's good stuff guys. Except for Blood on the Dancefloor. What the hell that's about is anyone's guess...

And so I took another look in Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer, and decided upon Mary Poppins' "Strike-Me-Pink!" Raspberry Jam Cakes.

...And this was just my portion. Oh, you think I'm kidding..

Despite my apprehensions in my baking ability, I managed to carry out the very easy instructions, and they turned out exactly as Jane described in the book: light enough so that you can eat large quantities as Mary Poppins has a large appetite (yeah, I tested that out); small enough so that they can be eaten in two or three dainty bites as Mary Poppins is, well, dainty; 

There's nothing that isn't improved with jam in the middle: TRUST

And, all the jam is contained in the middle, so you don't get your fingers sticky. Mary Poppins never got sticky fingers. That would never do.

I don't mind so much about that though. All I care about is that it ain't too much for me to jam... uh-huh shamawn.. hee-hoooo

Postal Pick-Me-Up

Sparkly Goodness

I've been feeling foolish today. It really only boils down to one reason. Essentially, I attempted to make a jam roly-poly (adapted from Jane's Mrs Beaver's Marmalade Roly-Poly in her super fantastic book) and I went and bloody rolled it up the wrong way. I did it longways instead of widthways. And it didn't really make that much difference to the taste, but the look of it was not as good as it should have been. And I was so looking forward to blogging about it.

So, I'm a fool, a goddamned fool I tell you!! 

Luckily, I got something in the post today (again!) that cheered me up.  A while ago, I won a competition that the lovely Frassy held! And today my prize arrived!

Choooons

The main part of the prize was a CD of Frassy tunes. I'm excited to listen to this. Candy for the ears I'm sure!

And then there was...

Hello Kitty fun

Sartorial delights

... lots of sequins, pinking sheared fabric squares and cutout's of hearts and gorgeous model images... all because:

..So there!

Right! Frassy loves scrapbooks. Unfortunately, I do not scrapbook.... but I do have a soft spot for organized chaos and inspiration, in the form of noticeboards.  It's such a snapshot of people's personality and I love the fact that it can be constantly updated and changed without too much fuss..

My favourite part of my room

I love my noticeboard. And obviously, what I keep on there changes as my likes and inspirations and tastes change. A few things that are on there at the moment are photos of friends, bows I've collected, some kind of penguin reference (standard), a porcelain dramatic mask from my gran and postcards from things that remind me of New York. 

But there is space for some of Frassy's lovely giftage to intermingle with all this lovelyness! Yay!

But I am most excited about this that I discovered in amongst the sparkle:

Score!

More?!!?!? Awesome! I look forward to it... Thank you Frassy!!

Giggedy Giggedy

Cooling off before Death Cab

You know, you wait bloody ages for a bus right, and then what happens? Three come along at once.

Well that's pretty much what this week has been like, except instead of buses, it has been gigs. Or giggedy giggedy's as I have taken to calling them. I might stop that. I get some funny looks.

This week, I went to not ONE, not TWO, but THREE, amazing shows.

First up was Tuesday whereby I went to Brooklyn to see Death Cab for Cutie at a great NYC venue, McCarren Park Pool.  It's this disused pool, used for shows and other fun stuff such as free cinema screenings and shiz. If there is a better idea of what to do with a disused pool in this world, then I certainly haven't heard of it. 

ObSCENEities

Isn't it cool? It has a great vibe, and also, as we were waiting for Death Cab, as it was outdoors, you got to see the sunset. Which is always one of my favorite things to do. It reminded of me of being at a festival. Super fun times in other words. Highlights of the gig for me have to be when they did Soul Meets Body, and Follow You Into The Dark. Sent.Shivers.Up.My.Spine. Really.

McCarren Park sunset = Better than you.

So the gig was going well and stuff and ting, but then.. THEN! The weather took an alarming and abrupt turn for the worse. In short, a mother of a T-storm was heading our way. And as we were outside, and the wind was picking up and the rigs that the lights were on were swaying alarmingly, the gig had to stop about 15 mins before the end. Shame.

But I did get to watch an AWESOME electrical storm over Manhattan. No pictures of that, because a) I have no tripod and b) it was raining so hard, and there was no frigging way I was getting out my camera for what would have been poor excuses for pictures at best.

Next up, was the very NEXT DAY. I went to see The Kooks at Terminal 5.

First of all, before I get into it all, have I ever told you guys, that I love you BIG TIME?!?!?! No? Well here:

I made this for you, because I love you BIG TIME. BIG.

Now you'd best appreciate that, because it was harder to do than it looks. TRUST.

And also, now that I've got that off my chest, I have officially done my good deed for one post, and can now spend the next 10 minutes going on about the thing that has been mostly on my mind since I saw The Kooks.

How

Much

I 

Love..

Want..

Heart..

Would do anything for...

Luke

The 

Kook.

And that's not an exaggeration. Seriously, LOOK AT HIM!!:

Literally. My ovaries just skipped a beat. DID I JUST SAY THAT?!?!

Ok, maybe you can't see from that picture, but it was the best I could do when I was having serious hyperventilating issues from being so close to him. HE WAS WEARING A HAIR BAND FOR PETE'S SAKE!!

And for those who think he's not all that, you don't understand! You weren't there. That guy has serious charisma and sexy gee-tar skillz. And can rock a hairband without looking at all gay. Which is no mean feat. I don't think I can even do that, and I'm a GIRL!

Even his silhouette is TEH SEX!

I could actually just eat him. Swallow him whole... WHO AM I!?!

Aren't you crazy kids glad I pre-empted this disgusting display of obsession and admiration for a man I've never met with that lovely 'trip-the-hearts-fantastic' picture!? Yes, I thought so

And now we shall never speak of this again.

And FINALLY! The last giggedy giggedy (It'll catch on I tell you) of the week was The Fratellis on Friday at Webster Hall.

Webster Hall is a great venue, and I had lots of fun playing with my camera there before the band came on.  I think it was an old theater or something. Anyway, it's a lovely old building and reminded me of the ghost house at Disney. Therefore I played with the shutter speed on my camera, to make all the people look like ghosts. 

My friend Chris is on the left in red. And a ghost. Apparently.

And then The Fratellis came on and blew all the cobwebs and ghosts away with their cheeky Scottish faces. Oh and they sang songs too.