Home Improvements

We spent a weekend in March clearing our tiny decked area out the back of our flat and the small gravelled area out the front. Broken pots, various weeds growing all over the place. Lots of crap everywhere. Once finished we were very pleased with ourselves. We just have the dark green walls to wash and we will buy some chairs and a table to sit at. I'm very excited. I got some plants for the windowsill too.

We are also having a sunflower growing competition. I am in the lead but by default, as my plant was under an outlet from upstairs flat, so got extra watered, oops! Ro is now talking to his and kissing it goodnight to will it on...

This weekend, we bought some sticky film for our front windows, we have had a piece of silk up and I was planning on painting it but decided I would try these and after various applications, it is rather striking, even if I do say so myself. Not bad for £10.

Emily Moya-Mole

I finally got to meet my gorgeous niece, Emily. She is truly beautiful, she obviously takes after her mummy. She was born at the end of January and I hadn't had the chance to introduce myself to her until now. However, she's not so keen on me. She may be concerned as I have the same square face and teeny chin she does, I understand this apprehension.

I still think she's incredible. At two months, she has a strong neck and is already gurling back at her mother as she speaks to her in Brazilian. I'm very much looking forward to watching her grow...

Brussels

To celebrate our one year anniversary, Ro and I took an impromptu trip to the romantic city of Brussels. Ok, not so romantic but it is at the end of the Eurostar and is very nice.

Ro and I have very similar tastes, which means we love kitsch, antiques and garish things. We chose to stay in Mozart Hotel, as it had everything we wanted: gold, tiles, antiques, old paintings, etc. It was just up our street.

We met the owner of the hotel, Ben, who was also lovely and had opened up his hotel restaurant as a soup kitchen for those down on his luck. This guy truly has a good heart and was just so generous and thoughtful.

Of course, while in Brussels, you do what all the tourists do and drink to you can't drink no more. Hence La Corne becoming one of our favourite new tipples. The best thing is that you can't put the glasses down without a stand, which means you are unable to get truly shit faced...well, you can, as we did in fact.

On Sunday morning, we bought a beautiful ring for me to wear for the rest of my life. Ro and I are now engaged, the poor boy is mad. However, my ring is bloody beautiful and makes me as happy as he does.

We saw the 'Mannekin Pis', my father had told me that he was a little chap who you could miss if you didn't look hard enough, he was not wrong. He is tiny and they dress him up for some random reason, this would be like us dressing up Nelson on public holidays, I'm not opposed to this suggestion, I just would like to opt out of being his dresser.

It is also very strange seeing little boys peeing everywhere!

We also found the only goth bar in Brussels, it is just off the main square and was a lot of fun: black lights, corpses in coffins, dark leather everywhere, skulls for glasses...metal on full blast, everything you could want from your local goth bar!

How is it that Europe does squares/piazza so well? Brussels is no exception and has some stunning architecture, from vaulted ceilings to beautiful ornate stone work. We had a long discussion about the fact that Brussels missed a lot of the bombing in WWII, due to it changing hands so many times, the only real damage it appears to have incurred is from mortars and they appear to have fixed them up good and proper.

Not only do I have a ring to remind me of our time in Brussels but we also have some remarkable cushion covers to rest our weary bones on in the evening and a load of random crap from a flea market we thoroughly enjoyed!

Stand Up

For Valentines, Rowan and I attended an 'Anti Valentines' stand up comedy night, a friend of Rowan's was hosting in Brixton. It was rather fun, until the crowd participation started. Ro and I agreed to join in, as we are chumps, or kind people, you decide.

Ro was very funny and spoke about the first present he bought me, which had the florist's bad hand writing on it and every time 'can't' was written, it looked considerably like another word.

I spoke about a valentines I received when I was a child, thinking that a nice boy liked me, to only realise some years later that my mother had given it to me. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.

Los Angeles - Part 2

I woke up super early the first morning, had I expected anything else?! Not really. I lie in bed, trying to numb my brain with TV - fail. Eventually I get up and take a walk. I find adverts for free dog poo, I'm so glad to see these issues are universal and it isn't only shitty Chelsea and Mayfair, where people make the effort to bag their dog poo and then leave the bag on the pavement.

I ended up walking to the Beverly Hill Mall (much to the hotel receptionist shock, apparently people in Los Angeles do not walk), it was shut until 10am. Everything is shut until 10am. I popped into the local 24hr pharmacy, which was actually a large corner shop with a specialist pharmacy area. The rest of our day was full of pre-production meetings and fittings for the shoot.

The first day of shooting was executed in an amazing Malibu beach front mansion, that had the steepest drive known to man. The house was apparently used previously in 'Entourage'. The shoot included flowers being dangled with invisible fishing wire and created beautiful backdrops like this.

We had a male model on the first day and the poor guy hung around all day, to have his ear feature in the final photo. Below you will find the true glamour of photoshoots: Fake props and the 30 people surrounding the models in a "romantic" moment!

That night I enjoyed a nightly swim post shoot. Everyone thought I was mad, it was only 12 degrees but it was glorious!

Each day was gruelling, long days, starting on average of 6am, finishing at either 6pm or some nights 9pm. Everyone tried to keep their spirits up though...dark chocolate was the snack of the day, due to the model I was with having a secret obsession with it.

I got to see Simone again midweek, we hit a very nice Mexican, where the hostess did what they do in the films, seat you at the bar and collect you once your table is ready - yay! I also got to see The Viper Rooms, The Roxy and some other landmarks. I still hadn't seen the Hollywood sign though, even though I'd been up in the hills, etc.

The second days shooting was at a famous Beverly Hills home, known as The Sheats / Goldstein Residence (it was designed by John Lautner, an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright). It features in 'The Big Lewbowski, as Jackie Treehorn's home. It was pretty cool, although everything was concrete and it had lots of sheer drops everywhere, my vertigo wasn't overly happy. Plus, it was the wrong day to wear high heeled boots - two locations involved walking down steep hills. It had lots of hidden gardens and holes to hide in. Plus some huge Koi.

The view from the edge of the pool was incredible, however you would not take children to this house. Apparently, only one person has fallen from the walkway in the current owners term, I'm not sure if I believe that, if the photos located everywhere were anything to go by.

Above is the stylist checking that everything was ok, wardrobe wise, however I think it looks like the grim reaper visiting.

On Thursday, was the last day of shooting. We were based up Mulholland Drive in a car park initially and then moved to a beautiful park which was hidden at the base of Mulholland Drive, if the people who lived there knew such a beautiful park was hidden, they'd be swimming in the lake every weekend. Or maybe that is frowned upon?! The weather was beautiful and the scenery glorious!: luscious, green, gorgeous!

Friday morning saw me packing up and heading out to Sunset Blvd to see the Stars! I had one intention, finding Danny Devito. I walked up the wrong side of the road and completely missed him, especially after Simone had been kind enough to tell me where he was lurking. I did, however find him!

I found Peter Falk "just one more thing" for Rowan too!

After this, Simone picked me up, we collected the gorgeous Quincy from her home and headed up to the Observatory and guess what I finally found:

Yep, the Hollywood sign! Woo Hoo! So up here is featured in 'Yes Man' and 'Rebel Without a Cause'. I'm still yet to watch 'RWaC', I promised Simone I would and I still haven't. I've owned it for years and fail to ever watch it, it isn't ok or acceptable. I will watch it by the end of the year, that is my one promise!

Here is the view from the front of the Observatory:

Eventually I packed my bags and headed off to LAX. Surprisingly, as always, I had forgotten to buy any sweets or presents, other that an 'I love LA' magnet for me and a 'Best Boyfriend' award for Rowan. I had also failed to post my postcards, I'm crap some days, what can I say. This saw my getting ripped off at the airport and buying over priced sweets. I also never saw a twinky, not even once while I was in LA. I've come to the conclusion that they don't actually exist!

Los Angeles - Part 1

Right, this tale starts in an arduous way: My new boss (a PR chappy) needed to send me to LA to escort one of our clients (it helps that she is positively lovely, bright and sweet natured, this will not be a hard week for me (fingers crossed)).

Said new boss, booked my flight under my everyday name, not my passport name; this issue saw me connecting two calls between BA and Mauritius to get this approved and changed.

All sorted, however a few days before I departed, I noticed the return was booked for March; once again, calls were connected and all got sorted...or so we thought...roll on the day before departure and the lady who had changed my return flight, had changed my surname, so that the first letter was now on the end of my first name - good times! At this point I couldn't be bothered to connect calls, I decided I'd get it sorted at Heathrow Terminal 5.

Arriving extra early to allow for changes, I tried to automatically check in - fail.
I spoke to a representative who tells me to just line up and they'll sort it out for me at the desk. 45 minutes of queuing and the lady starts to process me, only to stop due to my booking being flagged. Instantly I'm worrying that my mother being born in Egypt, means I could potentially be a terrorist (cause there are loads of them in Egypt?!) and therefore USA have told BA that I'm not allowed to fly, etc. Oh the humanity!

Off to E section I trot. After another 10 minutes of waiting; oh, did I mention that I had a killer hangover?! I did and it was blinking brutal! Anyway, I digress, a nice young man called Sim calls me forward and starts to sort out the nightmare that is my booking. Halfway through he halts and says "oh, you've been upgraded to Business, before I continue, I'll secure your seat against your new name". Sorry, what?! Upgraded. I thought this was only something that happened in the movies or to newly weds, how exciting!!! Instantly I've visions of champagne, caviar and then a wave of nausea hits me! I really do not recommend flying hungover...EVER! Anyhow, Sim helps me out and he also prints off my e-ticket from my flights to Geneva, so that I can add those to my Airmiles, oh yeah, I collect air miles now! How grown up am I?!

I eventually go through and head straight to my gate, as I have no time at all to potter about. Arrive at the airport and get boarded first, as I'm in Business. Did I mention I'm seated in Business?! I hadn't, oh sorry, I meant to tell you that I'd been upgraded, for FREE, to Business!

I walk through what I assume is First, and start to look for my seat, random these numbers are lower than mine. I am seated in a flat bed seat, holy fuck balls!!! This is Mega, Balling Pimp-mazing!

I'm so nice to everyone, I'm overly polite, I never mind that my first option isn't available, I keep the menu, I keep on returning my glasses to the flight attendants, I basically do not fit in and I am loving it. I can confirm that the First Class lavatory is just as shit as the Battery Class lav, also the paper is like tracing paper - some things never change, even with money! My steak was over cooked and the expensive Sancerre was mediocre - these are my only complaints and yes, I am allowed to complain, it's the British way - behind people's back and after the issue arose.

Of course, I was pikey enough to acquire the blanket from Business Class, somehow it ended up in my bag and is now in my suitcase...oops!

Once in LAX, after the three checks of your passport and once they've collected samples of everything but your bodily fluids, I found myself being confronted by 100 signs with different names on and I couldn't read them, so I ended up doing a very extravagant lap of arrivals, to no avail, oh hang on a minute there he is...whoop whoop! I've got a driver! Off we go and he has only bloody got a limo for me! I mean, could this day get better?! The limo is a little rough around the edges but he's nice and other than an old style Daimler I once went in, I've never been in a limo / stretch or normal. In addition, the best of the 80s was playing...

I arrive at The Chamberlain Hotel, it's in West Hollywood and is really nice, very residential and quiet. Everyone is super nice and I've only bloody got a suite - this is getting cray cray! Traditionally, when at a hotel, I only use the bed and bathroom, so having a sofa, chair and two TVs is a little over kill! But, when in Los Angeles, you've just got to roll with it...

Last night, I got to see Simone, she treated me to dinner in a diner and halfway through my margarita, I started to feel wasted, oh yes, Jet Lag - good times! It was lovely to catch up though and I'm hoping to see her later in the week also.

The downside to jet lag: I was in bed by 8:30pm and asleep by 9pm, however post 1am, I was waking every few hours due to a toilet that likes to gurgle and not being tired but hopefully I'll sleep tonight and get a little acclimatised!

To follow my mega exciting LA times, click here!

Art Rooms

Today I went to Art Rooms at the Melià White House Hotel. It is an interesting concept where each artist has a bedroom to populate and fill with their own art, they can then stay and talk to people, or wonder around themselves. The freedom that having your own individual space gives is rather remarkable, most of them had different music and themes. It was an interesting concept...

In particular, these arts moved me some what:

Deepa Khanna Sobti: These impressionist expressions where full of colour and Deepa told us that 75% of her sales go towards four charities which she supports. She is a full time artist but she wants others to find opportunity through her skill, rather than profiteering. 

Rosa Miglardi: In the main corridor, there is this wonderful gold wire sculpture on the wall in a purely negative space. I marvelled at it for some time and saw a small sign which I assumed meant it was £127, unfortunately it was the room number but I loved the madness that came with her sculptures.

Lucienne O'Mara: This was one of the first rooms we viewed and when Lucienne explained how she got the washed out colour on her canvas as "I scrub the crap out of it", I knew that one day I would have to own a piece by her. They are strangely haunting and beautiful, I adore them. I'd like to hang it somewhere that I'd get full attention to it, I suggested to my friend that the toilet would be the perfect place, as what else are you doing while you're in there, although my friend said this could be misconstrued as an insult. Ridiculous!

Deborah Pearce: Deborah was Nats' friend and is the reason we attended the event. Deborah focusing mainly of edible subject matter and I found her blackberries, truly enchanting. She also said that she was going to start selling tea towels with her paintings on them, this I will be holding out for. Her figs were truly darling.

Wendy Yeo: This room was a medley of oriental art / impressionist canvases, it was so beautiful, that I started to work out what I would need to sell to purchase one of her canvases. The one below is called 'Hong Kong Sunset', I wanted to buy it for Rowan, to remind him of his time there.

Reissue Korea: Reissue Korea is a gallery supporting various artists. There were various pieces in this room I loved, beautifully tranquil canvases as 1. (Mi-kyeong Kim), another which was a bright blue paint strike on white canvas, see 2. (Seung-yoon Choi), and the third were watercolour and pen drawings of Oxford and London, see 3. (Sunga Park), where parts of the buildings were missing, etc. I asked how much the watercolour pen prints were but £500 was slightly out of my price range. Which sucks!

1.

2.

3.

It was a truly lovely morning spent being exposed to new and established artists, these are just some that caught my eye, there were many many more and I highly recommend everyone to pop by and see something new.

Thank You

At a young age, my mother instilled in me that you write thank you letters every time you receive a present. Therefore, I still write thank you cards whenever I receive anything, however I halt at giving my postman a card daily.

Since meeting Rowan, we have had some very entertaining ideas and our wedding Stationary will all be very personal and funny at the expense of ourselves, and potentially others.

This year, we produced these wonders:

Yes, we are aware there are grammatical errors and a slight layout issue, but for a first attempt, we've got it nailed!!! If you ask me, they are looking pretty sweet!

Cats

I went to see the new show of Cats on Friday. Nicole Scherzingerziggazigahhh was rather impressive, however I couldn't take my eyes off The Cast! These guys were the real stars! I've no idea how they sung, danced and remembered everything, I was in awe.

I recommend going to see it, not for Nicole but for the sheer talent of the cast, it's nothing but remarkable!

Geneva

While in Geneva, during the small period of time when my nose wasn't stuck in the direction of my phone and emails, I happened across these wonderful buildings...

...which is a very Gaudi-esque style building. It is rather striking compared to the traditional Swiss architecture and has been stuck in my mind ever since. Aren't they rather wonderful. There isn't much online about them online, which is a shame.

They are called Les Schtroumph Buildings, and the tourism website says the following about them:

The fantasy world of the Smurfs recreated in extravagantly curved dwellings.
These incredibly shaped and strangely coloured buildings behind the railway station never fail to surprise. Welcome to the world of the Smurfs!
You'll find this strange housing complex with curved walls and surprising colours in the lively Grottes district behind the railway station. Three architects planned and built these residences between1982 and 1984, inspired by the Spanish artist Gaudi. There are reliefed balconies, wrought iron railings and… not a single straight line. The comparison between these buildings and the many-faceted, multicoloured mushroom houses of the blue comic strip characters could not be denied. No wonder the housing complex is now called ’The Smurfs’!

Birthday Cards

I love a good swear, always have, always will. I found this memo in my phone:

"Because some days there aren't the words to describe how I feel about you...   ...you're a cunt!"

I assume it was a card I saw, that made me laugh, however I'm unable to locate it...I've searched.

I did find these gems, that made me belly laugh:

Favourite Actor / Actress #1

I was in Geneva for the SIHH this Monday and happened to find myself in a lift with the actor Christoph Waltz, so I seized the opportunity and asked him the following question:

Who is / are your favourite Actor / Actresses?

He was very sweet and didn't mind being bothered, which was nice and refreshing. I don't normally bother famous faces but when you're in such close confines, why the hell not!

Actor: Robert De Niro

Actresses: Judy Holliday

I've now lots of new films to watch starring Judy Holliday, who I had never heard of.
This I'm rather happy about.

Golden Cat

Since I started eating in Red Star on Cowley Road when I was around 22, I have wanted a Golden Cat of Fortune. I've mentioned this to every boyfriend and they've all "intended" to buy me one but have all failed miserably. This is what happens when you date artists who are starting out, they are piss poor broke and would rather spend their money on (one or more of the following): gambling, video games, alcohol, food, Star Wars stuff, drugs, musical instruments, clothes, etc.

I knew Rowan could be "the one" when he told me about his alter-ego, Archie Pelago. I then told him about mine, Saffron Challows. The moment I had it confirmed was when I told him about my need for a Golden Cat and how all of my exes had failed, when he told me he had one already.

God damn, can he get any better?! I guess time will tell...

New Year's Eve

We cheekily popped to Rowan's studio while drunkie poos after our dinner party for some fun times, here are some highlights.

What was supposed to be a civilised dinner party, was just that, however due to too much King's Ginger in the fizz, a lot of us were suffering big time the next day. Oh well, you're only young once!