Hanging out with Hilary Devey...

Oh it's just been another *regular* week of hobnobbing with the celeb world, I tell you. I've been to London on a day conference, and happened to meet HILARY DEVEY, from TV's Dragons Den fame and got a free copy of her 'Bold as Brass' book signed. Lovely lady and very inspirational.

Me and my new Bezzie mate Hilary. I'll wait for your call, Hilary!

'To Katie' That's me!

She had one of those 'hang on a a minute, I've had an idea and I can't believe no one else is doing it already' moments. Unlike many other people who might think 'oh this idea is SO obvious that there MUST be a reason that no one is doing it already' Hilary actually looked into it and built her haulage business from nothing. She wasn't born into a rich family, she didn't have a wealthy husband, she was a single mother with a nerve of steel and a vision.

It was pretty inspiring to meet her. Thank you London.

In other news, I always love going down to London, but I sure love leaving it again to come back to beautiful Yorkshire. I find London so stressful, I know my way around (roughly) but it's the tourists that drive me MAD. Yes, I understand that London NEEDS tourist to get by, but do they HAVE to spend so long at the top of the escalators wrestling with their suitcase handles? Do they not realise that by stopping suddenly at the top it causes the rest of us behind them to topple backwards like dominoes?

And why do the ticket barriers come as such a surprise to people? No, you're right, standing in front of the barrier is the perfect place to hunt for your ticket... I'll wait for you to figure it out because I have loads of time.

Plus, I was publicly humiliated because my new weekend bag got STUCK IN THE TICKET BARRIERS WAAAAAAAAAA and the ticket man was really slow to help me so everyone hated me in the queue behind and I just wanted to turn around and shout 'I'm here on business! I'm one of you but one that lives in the North!'

Anyway, a good time had by all (all of me anyway) and a swift gin-and-tonic-in-a-can sorted everything out on the way home. Thank you Gin.

YORKSHIRE! YORKSHIRE! YORKSHIRE!

A beautiful mess-y fringe

I've got two new exciting things in my life; a fringe and the A Beautiful Mess app on my iPhone. Both are a lot of fun.

I love making doodle photos on the train to work in the morning; I like to think other people might think I'm doing something really serious on my phone (answering a super serious email, doing my tax returns etc.) when I'm actually just doodling away on photos.

P.S. I haven't had a haircut in almost 7 months on account of LIVING IN KENYA. When I was done at the salon I was like 'It looks really different' and the hairdresser said 'No, it just looks healthy' No tip.

Compost and teacups...

Look at my little garden! I've got flowers! I've got a palm tree! I'm growing blackberries, strawberries, courgettes and chillis! I've even got little teacups on sticks and a solar powered hedgehog!

I've got a new obsession. I'm in the garden as much as possible while the sun is out. My neighbours are getting worried because I was still out there at 9.15pm tonight.

Still, I guess there are worse hobbies, right?

How To Make Lemon Curd Biscuits

Ahhhh biscuits. Such a naughty treat.

I had some time on my hands on Sunday afternoon and I was home alone with ingredients. So I decided to make biscuits.

Lemon curd biscuits.

Do you know, I really struggle with lemon curd, I never know what to have it with, so I usually end up eating it from a teaspoon straight from the jar. How uncouth.

So, if you've never made biscuits before, here's an easy biscuit recipe to get you started.

You'll need:

An oven, preheated to around 190 degrees
150g plain flour
110g butter - unsalted or whatever you've got
55g caster sugar
A tiny bit of water
Lemon curd - don't be silly, shop bought is just fine

You'll do:

Mix the dry ingredients together - flour and sugar. Sieve the flout if you can be arsed, I didn't

Add in the butter - ah ah ah put the wooden spoon down, get your hands in that bowl and mix it all together

Sprinkle some flour over the worktop or chopping board

Roll out the dough to a thin consistency, around 5mm - 1cm is fine. I didn't have a rolling pin so I used a tin foil tube, What?!

Use a cutter, or an egg cup to cut into shapes

Press your thumb into the middle of the biscuit before going in the oven to create a dip

Bake in the oven for around 12 minutes. Turn tray halfway and remove as they start to go brown

Spoon a little lemon curd into the dip created by your thumb

Pop back in the oven for a few minutes

Leave to cool before sampling as the lemon curd will scald your tongue (ahem, not spoken from experience...)

Enjoy!

Now, I admit, I didn't take a photo but they are DELICIOUS! Ok ok if you insist, I'll make some more and take photos. Just for YOU of course!

Welcome to the biscuit club!

Simple ways to de-stress your life

Hello!

You look a bit stressed - are you feeling stressed? Come sit down here, let me bake you some biscuits.

Better?

Life can be stressful. There are things that can stress you out that are out of your immediate control - coastal erosion... fuel price increases... canned laughter on sitcoms to name a few, that can leave you completely disillusioned with life... and then there are things that stress you out that you CAN change. Easily and for very little money.

(Most of these are materialistic things - I can't help when it comes to anything REALLY serious right now. Sorry).

1. Display accessories in an easy-to-view way. I'm talking about jewellery as someone who sees accessorising as a religion. Having recently started back in the shitty wonderful world of full-time employment and having to get out of the door by 8.05am looking halfway decent, I've tried to find ways of making this easier. So I've hung all my necklaces up on a over-the-door-hanger so I can just walk up and pick them out. Simple.

2. Colour code your wardrobe. There is some initial work involved in this one and it's probably not the most exciting thing you'll ever do in life, but once you maintain it, it's so helpful! Sure you don't need me to tell you how to do this.

3. Buy some drawer dividers. Honestly, these are probably the best things I've purchased recently. My make up drawer (yes, there's a whole drawer) was looking scary every time I opened it and I'd fling things about like a mad woman in the morning... until I got these! Now my essentials that I use every day are in one compartment... hair things like clips, bands and grips that would otherwise be lost in the Bermuda Triangle that used to be my drawer are now adorned and used and other less-used items are in another. Happy Katie.

4. Listen to music when you get home from work. Get that TV off, you! I can see you slobbing on the sofa clutching your remote. And I can see you're wearing a snuggie too. Yes you might have been sitting down ALL DAY at work and you want to sit down now, but having music on at home is scientifically proven (by me) to make you more likely to move around and feel happier and less stressed after a long day at the office.

Those are a good starting point for you. You don't have to thank me... but if you want to then get me some Cadbury's. Thanks!

Image from: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/snuggleduststudios/product/love-is-nice-to-come-home-to-wall-sticker

Something of a film review: The Great Gatsby

Last night I was completely swept away into a glamorous night of glitz, high fashion, pure wealth, fast cars and loud music.

Yep, that's right, I went to watch The Great Gatsby. At the cinema. In Bradford. In 3D.

My life is craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy right now.

It struck me during the film *spoiler alert* that I haven't yet seen a film where Leonardo DiCaprio doesn't die. Seriously, Titanic, Romeo & Juliet, Django Unchained (which I saw on the flight home from Kenya while sitting next to an Amish lady - I felt like a bad person).

Do you think he is becoming typecast? Still, he does it for me and while I didn't cry like I did at Titanic, I REALLY enjoyed the film and just love anything Baz Lurhmann gets his hands on. Maybe he should have directed Titanic? The soundtrack on that would have been killer.

Anyway, I left the cinema feeling so underdressed compared to the dresses in that film. I want every single drop waist, feathered, beaded dress I can get my hands on. I also need a cigarette holder and a headpiece.

Everyone was fantastic in the film and the houses they used...*sigh* I want to go to New York more than ever right now, but I want to go fifty years ago - SOMEONE MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

Anyway, today I wore my sparkly headband in a nod to Gatsby-esque fashion... now for the drop waisted dress to arrive...

Hey there, Old Sport.

My mission to reclaim my weekdays continues. I just have to remember that it's ok to stay up a little past 11 and feel a little snoozy at my desk the next day in exchange for not becoming so acquainted with my sofa and GETTING OUTSIDE.

Things I Want

As I sit here patiently WAITING for my first monthly wage of 2013 (come on May 24th, I'm waiting for you!) I'm mentally compiling a list of things I want to buy... I do have a credit card but I'm being kind of good and refraining from spending what I don't have:

• Flights to Pisa - they're only £16 each way in June for a weekend break with Ryanair!
• A princess bed for the spare room - I want to invest in making our home EVEN nicer
• A cat. Pretty self-explanatory
• This lighthouse lamp. I don't even know where it would go, I WANT IT
• Same goes for this Eiffel Tower lamp... 
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