Urban decay

I thought this building was really interesting - they've boarded up some windows but cinder-blocked out the others.

Bathrooms and kitchens

We're repairing a paint-blister in the bathroom ceiling. It has been there for MONTHS, and bugging me every morning (and slowly growing because of the moisture from showering). We've checked - it was an issue with the initial paint job (thanks, builders!) and not a leak from above. Phew. 

I'd forgotten how dusty everything gets when you're sanding and scraping and painting. Ugh. At least it will be done. I'm SO not a DIY person - both of our parents renovated houses extensively while living in them, usually without contractors (except for really big stuff), and frequently while working full-time. 

I can't even work up the energy to paint a wall, much less replace some windows or re-tile the bathroom. I've been enthusiastically pinning kitchen tiles on Pinterest, but there will definitely be a Person Who Knows All About Tiling coming over to do the actual tile/grout/etc once we finalise the plans. Our house is the same colour as when we moved in (cream with white trim, thank you). I have decided that it's because it's bright, calming, and minimalist, and shows off our photographs, paintings, and other assorted bright accessories. Someone I know was talking about how plain white walls drive them crazy. Not me.

We were picking up a few miscellaneous things (including a snazzy new shower organiser) in Ipswich yesterday, when I spotted these at Lakeland. Too funny. Can I have one of each, please? I've checked their website and they only sell selected ones online, in sets of 4. Bah. I may have to go back to the store in person. 4 rows of 3 at £1.49 each is £17.88, which seems like kind of a lot to spend on coasters. Especially since I already have plenty. Sloe Gin Square and Ealing Broadbean? Where did they think of these? I really like Baking Street, Charing Cross Bun, Shepherds Pie, Piccalilli Circus, and Hollandaise Park, too. Oops. I guess that's only 7...out of a possible 12. But John likes Oxtail Circus. We could make it an even 8 and never need to buy coasters again. Ever.

When we got home, I roasted some cauliflower with cumin, from a Smitten Kitchen recipe. It was delicious - sweet and crunchy and cumin-y. We put some chili flakes on, too. Delish.

I served it with rice and with Mark Bittman's slow-cooked spinach with coconut milk. Needed a little more spice (and used more coconut milk than recommended because I had a bigger can, and didn't cook it for long enough because the cauliflower cooked faster than expected), but overall, a success.

See? Multi-coloured, vegan, Indian spiced yummy supper.

Review: The Museum Street Cafe

I went to Ipswich yesterday for a haircut, and after some window shopping (and buying Selvedge, squee!), I had lunch at the Museum Street Cafe. The stepson had recommended it on a number of occasions, but we'd never gotten around to eating there. Well, I'll definitely be back. They had a small but enthusiastic (and fresh) veggie menu, with what looked like some vegan options.

I was originally after a lentil salad, but since it was so revoltingly cold and rainy out, I went for the red onion and cheese tart. It wasn't called a tart, it was something else, but I can't remember the name. I did, however, take a picture. It was delicious - really light but also quite cheesy and sweet and sharp because of the caramelised onions. More, please!

I also finished my latest book late Friday. It was a Persephone book. That I found at the Stowmarket Library. While browsing. I know, shut up. I never find anything while browsing at the library. But there it was, in its pretty grey cover, waiting for me! Book no. 72, to be specific, House-Bound, by Winifred Peck. I got a little stuck towards the end, but otherwise enjoyed it. It's a pre-McCall-Smith satire of wartime Edinburgh (called Castleburgh in the book), with entertaining characters and a few fairly emotional moments. What? We're Scottish! We don't have emotions. Well, they seem emotional to this overly-emotional and perky American. There's one of those in the book, too. Teehee.

In springtime news, I kidnapped some forsythia from our back garden and put it in a vase in the kitchen. So yellow and springy! (John brought me some begonias, also yellow, in the background.

Review: The King's Speech

Well. We had an extremely awesome extended-date on Saturday. John had to do some work in the morning, and I slept late and rang the bells for a wedding in Stowmarket. We met up back at home in the early afternoon, and John suggested an outing to Ipswich for dinner and a movie. Woot. We booked tickets at IFT for The King's Speech (more on that in a bit), and hopped on the 3:30 train.

We walked along the waterfront to the Dove Street Inn for a drink. The last time we were there, with my brother, I had an amazing Adnams Bokbier, a Dutch-style lager. I was hoping for a repeat, but there wasn't any left. I tried the Black Sheep Best Bitter, which was definitely tasty.

We then walked over to Karlsson Design to pick up the fabric that I had ordered. SO pretty.

And we couldn't leave the store without these dishcloths (they soften in water). LOVE the birds.

After we left Karlsson, we made our way into town for some supper. We walked past FlyGirls, who had a big "eyebrow threading" sign in the window. SQUEE! I've been hunting for a non-London, non-NYC threading place for, oh, 5 years or so. Apparently they've been there for 2 years, but it's not a street I walk down often, so I wouldn't have noticed. And they did walk-ins and it was only £4.99 and I'm extremely happy that I don't have to go 12 months between threadings.

Anyone would agree that this all sounds like more than enough excitement for one day, but after dinner, we went to the Ipswich Film Theatre for our "...and a movie." I definitely recommend the theatre - cheaper than Cineworld, fewer previews, NO adverts, and really helpful staff. Also, we tend to prefer indie films anyway.

I was a little worried about The King's Speech, since it had been so well-reviewed and there has been so much buzz. I shouldn't have been - I loved it. Colin Firth was spectacular, as was Geoffrey Rush. Helena Bonham Carter was delightfully non-Bellatrixed, although I kept waiting for Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall) to nibble his fingers and snivel "Yessss, master." Can't think why Alan Rickman couldn't have been found a part to play, since Michael Gambon was there as well. I really enjoyed the interactions between Bertie and Elizabeth, as well as those between Bertie and Lionel. Fab movie!

Fabric, on order

We were in Ipswich last week and wandered in to a score with lots of Scandinavian fabric, homewares, and other awesomeness. Some of this blue geometric fabric is now winging its way across the North Sea. Woohoo! Couch cushion, and then DEFINITELY some quilting.f

Happy Birthday to ME!

Well, I hit the ripe old age of 29 today. Ack. After a brief interlude last spring where I had completely convinced myself that I was 27, going on 28, I've been happily 28 for a while. But 29 is nestling rather close to 30. Alarmingly so.

In any case, James did a beach cleanup with the Sea Scouts two weeks ago, and they had a few prize draws for participants. He won two tickets in the cleanup-sponsors' box (that would be BT, then), for today's match against Leeds. As you can see, the BT box is not too shabby - we were field level, right on the halfway line.

The players were thisclose and it was a great game. The TractorBoys managed 2 (!) goals against their bitter rivals, there was lots of good singing, we had a good group in the box, and the away fans were entertainingly rowdy, but not alarmingly so. We may have to go to more games....although something tells me it won't be in a box next time!

Thanks to BT, to the Sea Sprouts, and to our host today. And especially to James (and to his "other" family, who were generous enough to offer me the extra ticket)!

Oh tee hee

The English have a similar thing to the American 'housing projects,' known as council flats. These have been making the rounds on the web as excerpts from letters received by the council from the council house occupants:

Subject: These are genuine clips from council complaint letters.

I wish to report that tiles are missing from the outside toilet roof - I think it was bad wind the other night that blew them off.

I am writing on behalf of my sink, which is coming away from the wall.

Will you please send someone to mend the garden path. My wife tripped and fell on it yesterday and now she is pregnant.

50% of the walls are damp, 50% have crumbling plaster and 50% are plain filthy.

I am still having problems with smoke in my new drawers.

The toilet is blocked and we cannot bath the children until it is cleared.

Our lavatory seat is broken in half and is now in three pieces.

Our kitchen floor is damp. We have two children and would like a third so please send someone round to do something about it.

This is to let you know that our lavatory seat is broke and we can't get BBC2.

Haha.

On a much more serious note, they think there is a serial killer in Suffolk. Five prostitutes have been killed in Ipswich (about 10 miles from us) over the last 2 months, 3 in the last 2 weeks. I was NEVER afraid when I lived in the city but this is freaking me out. It's been the lead story on the BBC for a few days - it's not good. Read more here. Even the NYT have picked it up in their international section...yikes.