Mission Impossible

...Saturday afternoon....

....1500 hours...

.....5 hours since last feeding session....

.....the situation is tense and reaching boiling point...

Emergency averted!

Hotdogs and popcorn all round!

After busying myself tidying the flat and dying my hair on Saturday morning I got itchy feet and wanted to go out and do something. Mr G suggested we go see a film. As I've said before, I'm not really a huge cinema fan. After a bit of debating we settled on Mission Impossible 4 at the IMAX. Not normally my cup of tea, but I can always be tempted by the promise of cinema grub. I skipped lunch in anticipation of a hot dog with mustard AND ketchup, but as you can see for the top photo, I was hank marvin by the time we arrived at the Science Centre complex - not a good look!!

I settled into my seat in the relatively quiet cinema - just the way I like it - and promptly wrapped my laughing gear aound my hotdog. It was gone before the opening credits but luckily I had a tub of popcorn to keep me amused a bit longer. I usually last about 30 mins before I start to complain that I'm too cold and another 15 mins before I'm asleep. And for my IMAX viewing pleasure, I also brought along my earbuds because it's always ridiculously loud and I literally have to cover my ears in pain.

It's normally an impossible mission to keep me awake throughout the entire film, but wee Tom and the utterly fantasic Simon Pegg held my attention right to the very end. In fact, I actaully had my fingers physically crossed as Tom leapt around that building!

I have no right to review films properly as I usually forget what I've just watched about an hour later, but I hereby give Mission Impossible 4 5/5.

Mango Intense Copper

To the left...

And to the right...

...Jump up and down - I've got a new haircut!!

Last Saturday I cashed in my Groupon voucher for a cut and restyle at Ellen Conlin hairdressers in Giffnock. After I decided I was gonna go back to my old bob style, I kept my eyes peeled for a good voucher option. Ellen Conlin has a beautiful salon out the west end of Glasgow which I've passed on many occasions and always thought, "Hmmm, that looks like a good hairdressers". So, when the Groupon deal popped up just after Christmas I couldn't help but check it out. To my delight, she has a sister salon just down the road from me, on the Southside. Twenty quid and just a few stops on the bus. Perfect.

The salon has flat screen TVs at each chair - tres posh! So whilst the lovely Kimberley snipped away, I giggled to a good old episode of The Big Bang Theory - Bazinga!!

I asked for a chin-length, classic bob and showed her the pics of Karen Elson I had on my phone. She was a little apprehensive about cutting my fringe so short and so blunt at the sides. I think it went against all her proper training and instincts. But, overall, I think she did a grand job. What do you think?

I freshened up my colour with L'Oreal Feria Mango Intense Copper. I switched to this colour just before Christmas. Although I ADORE my L'Oreal Majicontrast, it just refuses to hold in my hair. The Feria one is a little darker, but has more staying power. I had planned to return to my trusty old black, but have decided to keep the copper/orange/ginger for a wee while longer.

Thank you for all your kind thoughts about my dad. He's still in hospital, but definitely on the mend. With everything that's been going on recently I completely forgot about my wee blog's 2nd birthday on 24th January-oops! Hope you all had a good weekend x

Floristry Taster - Week 1

Anyone that's been following me since November will know about my sudden obsession with becoming a florist. No idea where the idea sprang from, but I've been planning my career change ever since. My first experience was at a fantastic Christmas workshop in Roots and Fruits, Glasgow. After making my own table centrepiece and a beautiful wreath I was bitten by the bug. Mr G signed me up for a 6 week taster course at Langside College that started on Tuesday night...

"Please bring a single flower, some foliage, a pair of scissors and some gyp if you so desire."

After many failed google attempts at 'gyp' I had to give in and ask my mum. It's short for gypsophila, commonly known as Baby's Breath - tiny little white flowers. So, I popped into a local florist after work on Tuesday and selected 2 beautiful lilac roses (a spare in case I made a mistake!), some eucalyptus leaves for foliage and some unidentified white flowers as they didn't have any gyp in stock. After a quick bite to eat I trotted up the road to the college with my rather small 'bouquet' and a pair of scissors in my bag.

Week 1 - A single flower arrangement

I know, it looks kinda basic. It IS basic, but we were taught a few important starting skills which we need to master before we go any further. Most importantly, the correct way to layer up stems and tie a nice strong knot (in the correct place) in order for us to produce larger bouquets in the future. We were also shown a few different ways to wrap the cellophane around. Again, pretty basic stuff, but the girl taught a few tricks of the trade which should help in the future if I'm going to be banging out 20 of these in one go.

After the cellophane came the trickiest part of all - the dreaded bow! There are 13 of us in the class. Every single one of us struggled. I came to the quick realisation that we all had the same problem - we only had two hands each. In order to hold the flowers, tie the knot, construct the bow and assemble everything together, you need an extra hand. I have searched on Ebay, but I haven't had any luck. If anyone would like to donate a 'spare hand' over the weekend, please get in touch at the usual address. I have been instructed to bring along a perfect bow to next Tuesday's class. Homework!!

I decided to release my beautiful roses from their, dare I say, slightly tacky, cellophane prison after I took the shot above. Here they are in all their glory:

On display alongside David LaChapelle's photo of the late, great Alexander McQueen and the equally late, great, Isabella Blow. Just in the background you'll catch a glimpse of digital artwork gifted to me by the Smu.

Style Crush - Ilona Smithkin

Ilona Smithkin from Advanced Style

How much do I need those eyelashes!

Happily Grazing

Sorry for the long absence. Had a bit of a crap week last week. My dad took ill whilst working in Malta and I flew out to visit him in hospital for a few days. He's still not 100% and my poor mum is out there on her own with him, so to be honest, my mind's been in other places. Hopefully he'll be well enough to fly home soon.

A dreary day at work was lifted yesterday with the arrival of my first ever Graze Box! I hadn't heard of the company until a friend offered me a voucher to claim my first box for free a few weeks ago. Thanks Smu! I promptly ordered up and just as promptly forgot all about it. So it's arrival yesterday with the postman was a bit of a surprise. I felt very special and a wee bit posh having my lunch delivered to the office.

My personal welcome, a flyer for a new wee book I've been gifted (top left) and my well loved Sons of Anarchy mouse mat (top right)

What is Graze?
It's a beautifully packaged little box of nutritious and delicious tasty treats, delivered direct to your door, as often as you want, for only £3.79 a pop. You can rate each of the 100 or more options as LOVE, LIKE, TRY or BIN. Mr G described it perfectly as "Love Film for lunch". I chose the 'lightbox' which means every wee punnet is between 54 and 146 calories. I got a cherry tomato, basil and puglian pesto focaccia, fig roll, very nori-sh and the waldorf. I've bumped everything up to LOVE except the fig roll which was nice, but not as amazing as the other 3.

A few morsels of my Waldorf Salad that I tried so hard NOT to scoff in 10 seconds flat. Failed. Will try harder next week to master the art of Grazing.

Fancy giving it a go? Click HERE and use my code (8NWT2KZC) to receive your first box for FREE x

Spring/Summer Inspiration

Quiet weekend. Had a duvet day on Saturday and then doddled into town on Sunday afternoon for a spot of lunch at Sloan's Bar before settling down at the cinema to watch 'The Artist'.

I've got to admit, I'm not really a cinema-goer. I hate having people sit behind me, next to me or in front of me. I hate the sickly smell of nacho cheese mixed with hotdogs and more than anything, I hate the noise - the rustling, the chewing and the unnecessarily loud soundtrack. Normally when asked if I want to go see a film I'm only tempted by the promise of popcorn and a nap. However, as I've been obsessing over the 1920s for the past few months, the idea of going to see a silent film set at the end of the era kinda floated my boat.

The film did not disappoint. It looks stunning and the attention to historical detail is beautiful. The actual storyline is a little weak, but to be honest, I wasn't really there for the story. I was there for the cinematography (and the silence!) We have a copy of Pandora's Box at home so I'll be getting stuck into that over the next few weeks as well.

My Spring/Summer is going to be all about drop waist dresses, embellished turbans and t-bar shoes. I'm going to shimmy and shimmer my way through to autumn! Hopefully with the help of ASOS's 21st Century Gatsby trend guide.

Here's a wee photo of me from Sunday. It was icy cold outside, but the sun was streaming through the blinds so I took advantage of it, coupled with my new camera phone (Samsung Galaxy S2), to show off my Amy Winehouse for Fred Perry scarf - a beautiful birthday pressie from Spinal Lou. The headscarf was an attempt to do something - anything - with my overgrown fringe. This time next week I SHOULD be the owner a freshly cut bob. Happy days.

River Of Stripes

Lime Stripe Shirt Dress £40 // Black Stripe Shirt Dress £40

Tube Skirt £22 // Pencil Skirt £25

Wide Stripe Trousers £30 // Striped Ponti Leggings £22

If you're a long time follower you'll know of my addiction to stripes. Can you imagine the whirring noises in my brain when I popped into River Island at 5 to 5 the other night to return jeans for Mr G and saw these beauties staring me in the face?? Striped oot ma nut!! Want them all. That is all.

Hairspiration for 2012

Karen Elson by Ellen von Unwerth for Vogue US, from Spinning Bird Kick

Karen Elson from Bohemia

Louise Brooks bob in orange. Straight and curly. Appointment booked for Saturday 21st January. Can't wait!

Teacake Titillation

It's tea time at work and for the first time in ages I whipped out a cheeky wee Tunnock's Teacake to accompany my builders tea. Within seconds the conversation revolved around which Tunnock's delight each of us preferred. After much uhm-ing and oh-ing the lowly Wafer, Log and Snowball were all usurped by the out and out winner, the humble Teacake. Sweet, but not overly sweet, with a moist biscuity base.

It wasn't long before this photo of nipple tassels popped up on our screens - thanks to DC for the link! The tassels, or 'Teacake Titillation' by Fiona Wilson, were on display at Luke and Jack's Virginia Gallery as part of the group exhibition, TEASE, last Sept/Oct. Uh-mazing! Unfortunately I only had one teacake today. Will bring another tomorrow and we can make our own!

Another gorgeous painting that was due to go on display alongside the tassles was STOLEN before the exhibition even opened! If anyone has any information, please contact the artist directly.

Sale Fail

I'm usually an absolute whizz at the sales. I've got my technique nailed, and 9 times out of 10 I always manage to bag a bloody good bargain. This year however, I think my mojo has been blown away in the recent storms...

December 28th
I chummed up with one of my best pals to brave the weather and hit the shops. This is very restrained for me. I'm usually gagging to get in there ASAP. Maybe this was the first sign of my waivering abilities?

Armed with my list - ALWAYS have a list, and generally speaking, always manage to stick to it, we headed straight for Frasers. First stop Origins for a nicely packaged gift box with an even nicer discount. RESULT. Next on the list was 'leather jacket, long sleeves and collar'. Well, I'd already had a good hunt online and couldn't find anything so it was no surprise that the stores didn't yield any goodies either. The only other najor item on my list was 'new phone'. But that's not really a girly shopping experience, so that was quickly dropped and the hunt was on for 'something I've seen full price but knew would go into sale'. I had about £70 budget to play with. Headed straight for the Label Lab concession asI'd spotted this wee beauty last month:

Do I need another fake fur coat?? Do I hell, but this was reduced from £110 to £65 - bargaintastic! And it's soooooo soft! Shopping trip over, Christina and I headed to the pub for some 'light refreshments'. Got home, admittedly a little bit squiffy, immediately donned my new purchased and swanned around the flat like Cruella on coke, pestering the life out of Mr G:

"It's so pretty! Feel it - it's soooooo soft! Feel it! Feel it!"

Only to realise at this point that I'd been rattling him about the face with the security tag... Oops! I would normally go on a rant about now complaining wildly about incompetant staff n all, but the girl that served me was cute as a button - looked just like Angelica, so, I forgive her. I folded the coat away with the intention of returning in the New Year to have the tag removed.

Hogmanay (Dec 31st)
I'm sat sat at the computer, sipping on my (3rd) glass of Cava and casually reading through everyone else's New Year's resolutions. I (automatically) opened a new tab and begin to browse for 'leather jacket'- just in case...

... what popped up? Only THEE Sara Berman jacket I've been after for e-ons reduced from £439 to £154!! Long sleeves - check. Collar - check. Not to mention the leopard print lining and massive fringed sleeves (that are REMOVABLE *squeal*). After a brief "Should I? Shouldn't I?" moment, the jacket was in the 'bag' and the transaction completed within 2 minutes - Happy New Year Madame G! If I return the £65 fur coat to Frasers, that will bring the price of the Berman down to under £100 - which was my sale budget anyway (does anyone else's mind work this way??)

January 2nd
The BBC reports the worst storm to hit Glasgow for decades. Roofs are being ripped off, trees are blocking roads. But I need to return my fur coat. I'll wait til after lunch - it'll have calmed down by then. Two o'clock and I'm proudly battering against the wind heading into town. Place is deserted - brilliant! Nip straight into Frasers, explain about the security tag, get an apology and promptly return the coat. Have a wee wander through the store, ohh-ing and ahh-ing at the MAC counter then decide to treat myself to a Starbucks - last one before the NY fasting. Order a Grande 'fat' latte and get comfy - nice and quiet. Whip out my phone to check the old facebook, twitter, the usual. Get an email alert:

"Hi Lisa

 I am very sorry, but the Salamander Rose Fringe Jacket is from our SS11 collection and this jacket sold our in our SS11 sale. I have spoken to our IT department and they are not sure, how this product was still available for purchase.

 Once again I am very sorry and we will refund the full amount, today.

 Kindest regards"

Noooooooo!!! Absolutely gutted. Now I have NO Berman and NO fur coat :-( 

Epic sale fail.

I was on the verge of leaving town with nothing. This can't be happening. I never leave town with nothing. What can I do? 

Jump into the nearest O2 shop and cross off the last niggling item on 'the list' - New Phone. Swapped my 2 year old iPhone 3G for a swanky new ceramic white Samsung Galaxy S2. Phone was free and my contract has almost halfed - RESULT - finally!

January 5th

Still miffed at my lack of sale bargains. It's late night shopping. Trudge through All Saints - nothing. Urban Outfitters - nada. New Look? Treasure trove! Trundled into the fitting rooms with 7 possibilities and came out with 3 'gotta have it's'. A long line orange pussy bow blouse (£8), a floral summer dress (£5) - easily transformed with a chunky cardigan and a pair of Docs, and a yellow plaid jacket - £44.99 down to £10. Now that's more like it! It's not quite the Beckerman jacket that I've been lusting after for years, but it's a pretty good knock-off version of Chris Benz's A/W 2010 one that was spotted on Iman and a few other slebs. And did I mention it was a tenner - a tenner!!

Beckerman sisters // Chris Benz

Also sporting my new 'dangly' earrings. Amazing Galibardy skeletons which were a birthday present from my fantastic brother and his equally fantastic fiance - thanks Sam and Laura!

Have no idea what's going on with my face in this one. Putting it down to squinting at the incredibly bright flash produced by my new phone. P.S. These pics were taken by Mr G using said new phone :-)