Chain Reaction - Wagamama's Birthday Lunch

I am a girl (Hmmm can you be 41 and still refer to yourself as a girl?) who usually favours a independent restaurant over a chain.  However, I wanted Thai/oriental food but most places that I wanted to go were shut on Monday's, did I mention a Monday for a Birthday is kinda sucky.  So as I really wanted the nibbly starters I decided Wagamama's would be a good option.  So the Mother ship and I headed to Canterbury and after heading the wrong way down a one way system arrived at Wagamama's.

So what did I munch to celebrate my 41 years on this earth. I started with the spicy squid, it was hot tasty, the vinegary dip was delicious, although I am a spicy old bird and could have hone a bit hotter.

I then was brought out my Prawn Gyoza, my honest opinion don't bother, they were bland.  I was a bit gutted as due to the lack of places I can get Dim Sum in deepest darkest Kent, Gyoza had been high up as a suitable replacement.  Next time I know my local takeaway (shout out to Hey Hey) do better Gyoza and Dim Sim.

The next dish was my wildcard it was Korean BBQ beef bun, and yes we have a winner.  It was delicious BBQ Beef in a soft bun with onion, coriander and a mayo.  It was tender nommy and luckily as I am a greedy girl the Mother ship did not like it so I did not have to share the lovely sweet aromatic flavours much.

Finally there was another portion of Chicken Gyoza equally as uninspiring as the prawn.  Then a sea food Ramen that the Mother ship (It was Mum's choice I would have had Salmon Teriyaki Soba, but she doesn't like this)and I shared it was okay delicate flavours, the sea bream was yummy and so were the prawns.

Overall it was a okay dinner it was pretty reasonable and you got free Green Tea.  Would I rush back?  I might pop in for the Korean BBQ Beef bun but the rest was okay but forgettable, and I remain a champion of the Independent Restaurant where I feel you get more interesting and flavourful foods.
over a chain.

A Birthday Afternoon Tea - Moat House, Canterbury

On Saturday I had a wonderful surprise my friend Jill (whose saying when talking of me named this blog) came down from Oxford to celebrate my Birthday, initially this was going to be a whole afternoon into night affair but my lovely friend who had organised all the wonderful surprises was admitted to hospital so we postponed, but when a girl has traveled that far to see an old friend a celebration is deserved.

So myself Jill, and my friend Max headed to The Moat House in Burgate in Canterbury for a Champagne Afternoon Tea, we were seated upstairs in a little room with a ginormous chandelier and given a huge menu of teas; I chose Russian Caravan that was strong, smokey and quite delicious, Max opted for a strong tea with fruity hints called Monkey's Smile that Jill likened to tea with a hint of Malibu and Jill ever the classic opted for Lapsang Souchon.

  As well as this there were about 7 cakes to choose from I went Victoria Sponge, Jill for Carrot whilst I think Max chose most wisely with the Lemon Cake which looks to have lashings of lemon curd in the middle.

Then the Champers arrived, before the tea and the cake and sandwich selection.

The finger sandwiches were a nice selection of cucumber and cream cheese, ham and mustard, smoked salmon and cream cheese, the scones were homemade, one fruit one plain and surprisingly light, the jam and clotted cream were plentiful.

I didn't taste Jill and Max's cakes so I am thinking they were really good as no tastes were offered.  However, I make a pretty good Victoria sponge (even if I say so myself) and I cannot lie despite it being tasty it was a little dry and nowhere near as good as the scones.

The cake I should of chosen

Nice but a little dry

So would I go back?  Hell yes: homemade cake, loose leaf tea with tons of variety, good scones, vintage china and a quirky charm, what is there not to go back for, and if you like a cream tea I think you could be well pleased with this one.  I will leave you now with us posing with our vintage tea cups.

OOTD - It's my Birthday and I will wear what I want to.

This weekend I celebrated my 40th with a weekend in London with the Hub, we shopped, munched, went to galleries and to a musical.  It was amazing and really bloomin special and I feel like a really lucky girl.

So what did I wear for this adventure?  Well as a young girl I had always wanted a ballerina dress or a tutu and had longed for one but had never owned one so what else could it be.

I loved wearing this and felt swishy and special all day, but a slight word of warning going to the toilet in a tutu was a bit of a nightmare and the Hub did have to help me out a bit with readjustment afterwards.  As some of you know I have been searching for a plus size tutu that is coloured for a while and this one is from MT Coffinz, which are US based but Elsie's Attic have also got some nice looking ones.

My only regret for the day is my hair was a bit flat as I forgot my hairdryer, Doh! and I flirted with a nude lip that made me look a bit washed out in my opinion.

I teamed my Tutu with a Nasa crop top from Primark and my old H bu Henry Holland denim jacket, although I think a pastel biker jacket would look slightly better.  I also had a fab necklace saying Fabulous Forty made by Blackheart Creatives made but none of the pictures really do it full justice.

However the silver sandals I had bought to wear with it didn't go at all, remember kids always try an outfit out at home first, but by chance my new trainers went perfectly and as my feet were aching from my shopping march the day before that was a blessing.

I will leave you with a pic of my new trainers which were a birthday present from the Hub, as they saved the day and are a thing of beauty.

Outfit details:

Denim Jacket - H by Henry Holland (old)

Nasa Crop Top - Primark

Tutu -MT Coffinz

Trainers _ Adidas at Schuh

Necklace _ Blackheart Creatives

My Fabulous at Forty Wishlist

In case I hadn't mentioned it, I reach an important milestone this year I am Forty as weird as it seems to me as I hardly feel a day over 21 in my head.  I am hoping that The hub and I can go away for a little adventure, munching, shopping, drinking cocktails and building new fantastic memories.  Obs a girl needs clothes for such adventures and on my current spending ban I find myself lusting more and more over dresses and other friperies that I can't have, so I have compiled a little list where money is no object and I can have anything I bloody well like.

Firstly is this amazing (said in that annoying AM-MAY-ZING voice) dress from my old fave Get Cutie and is their Starlet dress, this dress is not cheap and is something I would really have to consider before buying. However, I really love the drape of the material and the shape which I think would look good on my figure.

The other beauty of a Get Cutie is you can choose the material it is made in.  At the moment I would either go with the wonderfully fun Dino print or the retro Caravan print.

I have never bought from this brand so I am not sure what they are like but I have come across a really lovely little retro brand specialising in 60's and 70;s dresses called Violet House.  I love retro styles but I do get a bit fed up of having to go with a 50's retro style as I love the 60's and the mod look, which is the kind of retro I would veer towards in my early 20's.  Although Violet House only do size 6 to 18 they do custom orders and I am loving this psychedelic print dress and the tartan one, although I might go a little longer.

I have always fancied a tulle skirt since the Sex and the City days and I love the one I have seen on Asos but it is only available in Black in plus sizes and I want something different to black or white.  This grey one from Elsie's Attic is beautiful and again although they only go to a size 18 they say they will do custom orders.  Again for me over £40.00 is a lot to spend on a skirt but I think I would wear it a lot.

I would probably team this with some beautiful silver shoes and a jumper or T shirt and I think these shoes from River Island at Asos would be lovely.

Anyway this is my wish list and maybe if my spending ban goes well at the end I can treat myself to something splendid which I will love forever.  What would you choose? Cos I can never decide.

39 before 40!

So as you may have seen I recently celebrated my 39th Birthday, so that means I hit the dizzying heights of 40 next year (I always imagined I'd be so much more grown up by 40)  So I thought to celebrate this momentous occasion I would set myself 39 goals and challenges, some of which are scary arse big and others are ridiculously small.

So without further ago I present to you my 39 things I want to do or achieve by 40 and maybe a few days.

1. To eat fruit and veg every day - Cos if I'm honest I don't and it can't be good for me to eat like a 15 year old at my advanced age.
2. To move back home, last year I moved to Swansea to be with my Mum following my Dad dying and it would be fair to say I don't love it (Sorry Swansea)  Now Mum says she will move back to Kent, we can all go back.
3. To get a new job (necessary for the move to Kent)
4. *Disclaimer*  I am not a dieter and have no intention of dieting properly, but a goal of mine is to get back into my Limb dresses, as I love them and they cost loads and currently don't fit my body as I may have been feeding my unhappiness in Swansea.
5. Have a Brit Pop themed 40th Birthday Party.
6. To start Burlesque Classes again.
7. To update my Blog at least 6 times a month.
8. Finally finish a shitty first draft of my book I have been writing like forever.
9. Go back to Zumba, as it was fun and good exercise.
10. Get better at accessorizing, as I can do bags and shoes but I struggle with belts and jewelry at times and I do get a little bit green eyed at other Blogger Babes brilliance at this.   
11. To get something from the Blackheart Creatives Live Fast Die Yum collection.
12. I think I should probably learn to drive as I have been trying to learn for like 19 years on and off, so I think it might be time.
13. To feel better and healthier at 40 than I did at 39.
14. Master putting on false eyelashes
15. Following on from False eyelashes, I would love to perfect Cats eye eyeliner flicks.
16. Get my 1/4 sleeve done.
17. Do something to raise money for charity.
18. To have a photoshoot, as generally I feel awkward and most unpretty in photos and I would love a kick ass set that I feel proud of.
19. To go to London more, as it is only down the road and when I lived in Kent before I only went for hospital appointments or with work.
20. Go for afternoon tea with my girly friends (well I am Twee)
21. Take more photos.
22. There is a bit of a poser in me, deep down and I would like to do some Plus Size Modelling.
23. To be more of a positive person - as I can be a bit negative and oh things are only gonna get worse.
24. See my brother's children, as he has 2 lovely children I have yet to see, as he lives in Norwich and I lived in Kent and then Swansea.
25. Whilst I'm at it, to be a better Aunty as I am a bit haphazard with Birthdays and the like (Sorry kids)
26. Grow a herb garden.
27. Get a Wonder Woman Print Dress
28. As a bit of a foodie I would like to eat in a Michelin Star Restaurant.
29. To wear a pair of shorts, as I don't think I have worn a pair since I was a kid
30. Start Saving to go to the Winter Olympics in South Korea.
31. Have a midnight picnic on the beach.
32. Go on the Harry Potter Studio tour (Would love go Harry Potter World at Universal but don't think I can afford this before I am 40, maybe for the 49 before 50)
33. Find a wig that suits me
34. Sort my garden out so it is a lovely Oasis, rather than a hideous eye sore.
35. Visit Deal Castle, as I have lived there mainly since I was 15 and have never been.
36. Go to Atomic Burgers in Bristol.
37. Visit the National Portrait Gallery.
38. Go to Harrods, cos well I have never been and feel like I should see it once.
39. To actually go to a Bloggers Meet Up and meet some of the most stylish people I know in the flesh

I know they are not the most earth shattering goals, but I wanted things that were achievable in the space of the year, and of course I still want to go to places like Tokyo and Harry Potter World.

So what about you is there anything you want or feel like you should have achieved by 40?  Or is it just another bloody number?

Birthday Bliss!

I have been a very bad blogger (Even with this I had planned a lot of OOTD posts and to write it just after my Birthday, but y'know life) with very few posts, but as I think I mentioned in my last post I had been wallowing in the pit of black sadness that I was wearing like a big ol' coat in the middle of winter that I couldn't take off. However, to shake me out of this a bit was my Birthday and Mamma treated me and the Hub to go to London to see Wicked and stay for 2 nights, which I have to say lifted the spirits!

We stayed at The Travelodge, Covent Garden which was an amazing location just off Dury Lane on High Holborn (round the corner from The Diner on Shaftsbury Avenue)  I liked the Travellodge a lot sure it was basic but it was clean, comfortable and surprisingly quiet with a fantastic view.

After a long train journey from Port Talbot we headed straight over and ate at The Diner before checking in.  I have long been jealous when I read the London based bloggers blogs and tweets about The Diner, so I indulged in a Diablo Burger, The Hub had some kind of pulled Pork topped Burger extravaganza and a shared order of Chilli cheese fries and Tator Tots, and a Colonel Parker, which is a bourbon, with vanilla and chocolate ice cream and peanut butter milkshake, heaven in a glass for me.

A lot of pics of Food I know but the girl loves food

Then after checking in I demanded we did the tourist thing, as I had never done a Ghost Tour or the London Eye as living quite near in Kent and spending a lot of time in London as a kid, I never felt I needed to, but I used my Wowchers and Cereal Box coupons and did this, and it was fun! Although on a side note I would never pay full for The London Eye as although the view is spectacular I think what would have been £40.00 for 2 adults for under an hour is steep.

Then it was my Birthday we went to Chinatown bought cool cakes, and explored the Chinatown market where we bought some cool Hello Kitty stuff and earrings.  If you are into Kawaii stuff I can highly recommend, it is in the Chinatown Market on Charring Cross Road and called Qu'tse.

Then I had a mooch round Covent Garden and bought some Converse and Mel shoes which I will feature soon, before heading over to Victoria to see Wicked, which was amazing and the Art Deco of the Apollo Victoria was beautiful and the emerald neon that was decorating the place really complimented the architecture.

On the Saturday we Geeked it up at The Natural History Museum, which as well as being free has so many amazing exhibits but if I am honest I was just as awestruck by the architecture which is so Gothic and has so much attention to detail.

Darwin - The Daddy of Evolution

The Dino star of the show!

 Then we returned back to Wales, I was happy to be home with the Dog but sad to leave London, it really is an amazing vibrant city and I want to spend more time there.

What about you guys are you London lovers or does it leave you a bit meh!  Let me know your top tips and how you spend your time cos I am dead nosey.