The Birthday Blog

Today is my twenty third birthday, I remember so many of my past birthdays incredibly fondly and the memories are so vivid I cannot quite believe how much time has passed. Unlike many people I do not look at birthdays as turning a year older, although this may change as I start the dreaded countdown to thirty, instead I see them as a day to be spoilt and enjoy the company of family and friends.

As it’s my birthday I took a day off the ironing and instead I set my talents to cooking up a veggie chilli, it’s pretty much the best chilli ever, even the meat eaters think so. I also made a mango salsa to go with it and my dad whipped up his famous guacamole. It was a Mexican feast, which is just as well as there were eleven of us eating.

Guacamole

Mango Salsa

I have somehow managed to stretch my birthday out and the celebrations don’t end tonight. Tomorrow I am going for dinner at Fishers Restaurant in Leith, what with the Pope being in town we thought it was best to stay down this neck of the woods as naturally the head of the Vatican isn’t visiting lovely Leith.  Then on Friday I am heading up to Aberdeen for Felix Da Housecat at the Forum as well as dinner at Josephine’s. It’s BYOB, how much wine is too much?

My beautiful new Michael Kors watch courtesy of Angela and Gordon. LEGENDS.

Lady in grey

This weekend I finally purchased an item of clothing that I have been lusting after for months. No, not the Mulberry Alexa or the nude and black Chanel pumps, I am now the proud owner of a pair of grey cotton Nike jogging bottoms. I imagine the most fashionable amongst you are shivering at the mere thought of this fashion monstrosity but I have no shame.


My slight obsession with the ‘grey cotton’ (as they are affectionately known to their biggest fans) started some years ago when my younger brother got a pair. A fan of lounging around the house he did not seem to want to take his off and soon enough he had a variety of different pairs however they were always grey, and always Nike.

It soon became evident that Robin was NEVER going to take the trousers off, he wore them to the shops, when out with friends, and much to my horror even out to a restaurant. The only time he didn’t have them on was when he was at work, just as well as I really don’t think they could be considered under the smart/casual dress code his employers suggest.

As a big fan of leisure wear myself I simply had to try them on and see what all the fuss was about. Within seconds of pulling them on I was converted; it was like walking around in a cloud, my legs felt like they were being hugged by baby lambs. I had to have a pair.

Why do they have to be Nike? I do not know, but Robin assures me that other brands do not compare. And why do they have to be grey? Well for me grey is the original, it is the grey that has intrigued me over these past few years and I also think that grey is slightly classier.

Can a jogging bottom ever be classy I hear you ask? Last year’s sport luxe trend suggests so; I only wish I’d taken advantage of that trend at the time. Ultimately as long as you don’t have your hand in your crotch like the majority of jogger wearers you’ll be ok. And I don’t intend to wear mine out of the house, much.

Food glorious food

I love food. I have been fortunate enough to have grown up in a family where food really means something; at home we don't eat to survive, we eat for the love of food. My dad is an excellent cook, years ago he dreamt of opening up his own restaurant but he does not have the patience to cook for the masses. He enjoys making people happy with food and this is evident as he stands over me while I take the first bite of the banana and oatmeal muffin he freshly baked this morning.

I like to cook too, something which I clearly inherited from my Dad along with my height and my ability to take everything personally. I have often found myself  looking through recipe books for fun, or reading menus online from restaurants I've been to or hope to go to someday. Both of these Sunday activities often end up with me feeling incredibly hungry!

I wish that I could post photos of some of the delicious dishes my Dad has served up over the past few days but sadly I am without a camera, a problem which I hope to rectify shortly as what self-respecting blogger doesn't have the ability to post vain and 'arty' shots of themselves and their surroundings? In the meantime I shall simply have to write about my culinary endeavours and hope that your imaginations can do the rest.

On Monday evening I returned home from a weekend away to a salad of cucumber, melon, tomato and goats cheese. The whole thing was lightly dressed with homemade dressing, black pepper and mint and was accompanied with chunks of still-warm ciabatta. The odd combination of the fruit with the cucumber and goats cheese sounds strange but believe me it tastes incredible; light, refreshing and crisp.

Breakfast on Tuesday was one of the aforementioned muffins; made with oats, granola and banana they are a slightly healthy alternative to the Starbucks quadruple chocolate bad boy that has so often resulted in waves of nausea and regret. For dinner it was Moules Mariniere, a mound of mussels in a white wine broth served with thin and crispy homemade chips.

Wednesday, and my dad was golfing so I had to get my own lunch-the cheek of it. But he made up for it with dinner. To start, juicy king prawns sizzling in a golden pool of olive oil alongside numerous bulbs of chopped garlic, whole chillies and a generous amount of torn parsley, all of which was mopped up with fresh bread. To follow, a potato gratin, warm and creamy inside with the perfect amount of crunch on top, roast mushrooms and tomatoes on the side and for the meat eaters a glorious slab of medium rare steak with dijon mustard butter. Even the semi-vegetarian had a taste of that. Finally a passion fruit pavlova for four, by this point I was fit to burst.

Today much to my father's relief we are going elsewhere for dinner however I am sure he has something wonderful planned for tomorrow. I may have to start demanding the carb-free, low fat options soon though because at this rate I am going to have to change the title of this blog to 'I ate Olivia Palermo, and Whitney Port, and a large Domino's pizza.'

9-5

The title of tonight’s post is not an indication that I have finally found employment, sadly I remain jobless however I do love Dolly Parton. If pushed I would probably say Jolene is my favourite hit by the chesty songstress but it didn’t quite fit the theme of this entry.

Today I had what I deem to be a ‘productive’ day; I did some ironing, put on a wash, took out a wash, showered and still had time to sob uncontrollably at Channel 4’s midday repeat of season 2 of Brothers and Sisters. Being unemployed is both physically and emotionally draining. In the last week or so it has come to my attention that I do not like doing nothing, this came as quite a shock to me as I always believed a life of nothingness would be pure bliss. Perhaps a life doing nothing would only be enjoyable if I had an endless supply of money to fulfil my fantasies and fancies. At the moment I have resorted to carrying out household chores in exchange for pocket money.

My lack of income sadly means a lack of new things and my copious amount of time spent adding items to internet ‘wish lists’ is all in vain. Since returning home I have reworked the same five or six items of clothing, a Breton striped top, khaki skinny trousers, American Apparel denim shorts and grey oversized vest and my Topshop aviator jacket simply because everything else smells of damp courtesy of my old Aberdeen abode. I need new clothes like Spencer Pratt needs to see a healthcare profession and Victoria Beckham needs a hot dinner.

Tomorrow my day looks pretty full, I need to hoover the stairs and make cupcakes for my Mum’s work. Oh, and I should probably look for a proper job...

Denim Look Shorts, AMERICAN APPAREL £17

This TOPSHOP aviator style jacket (£58) is 'flying' off the rails.

Classic Chic. Breton top, Petit Bateau at URBAN OUTFITTERS £46

Attractive Female seeks Pic'n'mix Purchaser G.S.O.H

‘Why don’t you have a boyfriend?’ A familiar question and one I have heard far too often recently. My parents, friends, and even across the road neighbours are all curious to know why I remain unattached. Why don’t I have a boyfriend? The answer to that is that I do not know. I am nice, funny (sometimes) and reasonably attractive albeit with a slightly squint face. I can cook, I drink pints (of cider) and I like Jackie Chan films yet I remain perpetually single.


Being single is easy and this post isn’t necessarily a complaint, however, at this stage in my life I am beginning to feel the invisible pressure to be in a relationship or even the semblance of a relationship. At 23 my mother was just about to meet my father, people I went to school with are getting engaged all over Facebook and one of my best friends has just bought a dog with her other half despite being vehemently opposed to canine creatures a matter of months ago. I know that I am too young for all of that nonsense and far too selfish but maybe a boyfriend would be nice for a bit. I do fancy the idea of an extra set of Christmas presents and possibly a romantic city break. Any sort of city break for that matter.



My plight is made all the more difficult when my super close family get together, I am the eldest of eleven cousins but I will certainly not be the first to be wed. Even my 19-year-old brother has a long term girlfriend and he is a monosyllabic creature whose idea of romance is a takeaway and a night in watching Ultimate Big Brother. At a recent social gathering my mum told me just to bring a man, ANY man. The subtext: she wanted people to stop thinking she’d brought up some weirdo who couldn’t find a mate. Oh the desperation...



The kind people say that perhaps it is my beauty that scares people off, but they are usually biased, and almost always drunk. Perhaps I am too fussy, and a little unlucky but really the only downside to being single is nobody paying for your pic‘n’mix at the pictures. And my mum says when I’m single at 30 I can always try internet dating. Great.

I will settle for this MICHAEL KORS 'Boyfriend' style watch over the real thing any day.

Alice the Camel had 2 humps...

Scarlett Johansson has everything; looks, talent, and let’s not forget she gets to call the beautiful Ryan Reynolds her other half. An enviable beauty; men find her sexy and women recognise and appreciate her stunning looks and refreshingly curvaceous figure. Since donning the pink wig in Lost in Translation Scarlett has been the toast of Hollywood and it’s no wonder that Mango chose to use her as the face (and body) of their clothing range.


The Mango Autumn/Winter 2010 collection is making me weak at the knees and a lot of its key pieces have come straight from the catwalk. Slouchy yet tailored leather trousers, long cardigans with skinny belts and flattering knee-length, a-line skirts. The whole line has a very cool seventies feel; very feminine and relaxed but still incredibly chic.

Of course I couldn’t mention A/W trends without mentioning THE trend of the season, the colour camel. Although the world’s most stylish women have never discarded the timeless and ever-elegant camel coat, this season it is the colour to be seen in. Coats, trousers, shorts, suits; tan is definitely the new black.

If you can’t afford a Maxmara or Chloe coat however never fear as the high street has some camel beauties too including Topshop’s camel Oversized Boyfriend Coat and ASOS’s camel cape which nails two A/W 10 trends in one.

As the nights start to get darker and the wind brings with it icy chills don’t mourn summer, instead embrace the gorgeous textures and silhouettes that define A/W 2010. Or, put the heating on, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate and stay inside; Scarlett Johansson already bagged Ryan Reynolds. Bitch.

ScarJo in my favourite shot from the Mango A/W 2010 campaign.

I CANNOT say no to leather. Camel leather trousers from MANGO.

TOPSHOP £95

ASOS £80

It's moving day.

Yesterday I moved back in with my parents after 5 years living away from home (this is not quite as depressing as it sounds, I am only 22) and moving my ENTIRE life from one city to another inspired me to move this blog. I have only been blogging sporadically for the past 6 months or so however I now intend to make it a more regular thing, I am supposed to be a writer after all. I don't however want my first foray into the blogosphere to be lost forever so if you are stumbling accross this blog for the first time please take time to visit my previous abode at http://www.charlotteannleith.posterous.com/.