Oxford Charity Shops

As promised, photos of my charity shop finds from last weekend in Oxford. From top to bottom: fox shaped salt and pepper shakers (couldn't resist, loving all things fox-related since Fantastic Mr Fox!); a dinosaur mug (for the geek within me); a rose patterned china dish (to add to the ever growing collection of old crockery); a 1953 Coronation mug (I'd been totally inspired by the Liberty's Christmas windows, then on Monday read this post and realised it wasn't just me). I also picked up Ladybird book on honeybees. A pretty good haul all in all.

Bed

(image from here)

...is absolutely where I would like to be right now. This one, belonging to Rita Konig, and written about here just looks so inviting. Very glad Rita Konig is back writing (after Domino magazine went bust) as I think her styling is fabulous.

Monday, Monday

Some chocolate cupcakes to cheer up this dark Monday evening. I baked them two weekends ago but as I haven't baked anything in the past week I thought I'd share. Hummingbird Bakery recipe again - if you don't have the book already, stick it on your Christmas wish list!

(And Alex, very keen to show you my charity shop purchases too - will share them as soon as I am next home in some daylight and can take photos!)

Student lifestyle

We visited a friend who is studying in Oxford this weekend. The weather was pretty grim, with wind and incessant drizzle, but I had a very enjoyable, albeit damp, wander down Cowley Road where I made more than a couple of purchases in the charity shops before heading to a branch of the fabulous G&D's Ice Cream Parlour. It may have been cold and wet outside, but inside was so warm and cosy and brightly lit that what was initially an order of 'one small hot chocolate please...' soon had added '...and a scoop of Dime Crunch with butterscotch sauce'. Yum.

The evening consisted of many ludicrously cheap cocktails at a college bop and dancing and dancing. Sometimes I get pangs of longing to be a student again, partying all night then spending the day lazing around with endless cups of tea - but then I remind myself that there was a significant amount of work to do in addition to all that and that there really are plus sides to not having an essay deadline looming.

Lazy, guilt free, Sundays most definitely have my vote today.

Vampires and Werewolves oh my!

(image from here)

Off to see New Moon tonight straight after work. Can't wait, especially after reading this review on Fat Quarter:

'the sexual tension, particularly between Bella and Jacob, twangs in the air with a series of near kisses and half touches'

Oh the anticipation! (though I know I should know better...)

Glowing

A big thank you to Tooting Squared and The Wild Wolves for my blog awards, I am glowing with pride just like the little lavender cutting above (tenuous link I know, but I took the picture of my mother's green fingered efforts last time I was home and just wanted to share!). Tooting, I will try answer the questions as soon as I possibly can, but bear with me, I have lots I want to post about and seem to be so very busy at the moment. Wild Wolves, I can't seem to get to your blog anymore and so haven't been able to see the relevant post could you please email me the link ( teacupscupcakesblog [at] googlemail [dot] com)? Thank you both!

State Opening

(image from The Guardian)

Yesterday was the State Opening of Parliament. Just after 11am we all piled out of the office and down to Parliament Square to see the Queen arrive in her golden carriage, flanked by guards dressed in scarlet sitting astride dark, glossy horses. Beneath the grey skies and surrounded by a sea of dark winter coats of the spectators, the royal procession stood out as though the pages of a story book had come to life to walk down Whitehall. In the middle of an otherwise ordinary Wednesday morning, another world, another era.

No-one does pomp and circumstance quite like the British.