Things to do - London Motor Museum

Is it or isn’t it?

When I heard about the London Motor Museum, I had to go check it out as Erbie is car mad and well, cars are cool (coming from a non-driving, car free family). It’s situated in North London, just off the North circular past the Nescafé factory, smell the coffee and you are almost there. It is a bit tricky to get to, at the end of what appears to be a dead end road but you’ll know when you’ve found it as there is a monster truck driving over a police car on the lawn out front and a van covered in mirror tiles. [I’ll show the pictures!]

Lets go mummy...

Could this be Herbie?

Could this really be Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,

next to Harry Potter’s Ford Anglia?

Could this be Lady Penelope’s?

Thunderbird...

Starsky and Hutch’s Gran Torino?

007’s Lotus Esprit?

The Dukes of Hazzard,

1969 Dodge Charger – The General Lee?

Koo, koo!

Well, no one is saying they ARE the originals –

but who cares.

So, to the real cars:

Ahhh, an E-Type Jaguar.

Some nice ones with stripes...

I’m a girl, I can’t say I know what make they are.

But they are very pretty.

Some badge close-ups:

Challenger, Chevrolet, Dodge, Camaro.

This one matched my outfit.

A Rolls Royce Corniche.

And this one had to be my favourite, a vintage 50’s Porsche.

There were lots of cars to look at, but it wasn’t so vast as to be overwhelming. Erbie loved it, I loved it and we managed to get 2 for 1 adult, on the ticket price with a little internet voucher searching beforehand.

I thoroughly recommend it!

One Year

We have been here for a year. One year. Lately I have been thinking about what I want to do with my life, what I really enjoy. A couple of friends have made major career changes, one through choice, the other necessity and I’m wondering about following suit. What do I love? I love fashion. I love design. I love gardens – although I’ve never had one.

Playdoh Recipe

I’m putting this here for me really as I keep losing the recipe and this one REALLY works plus keeps for ages. I usually add some vanilla essence too to make it smell authentic!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup table salt

1 cup plain flour

1 tbsp cream of tartar (don’t ask me why)

1 tbsp of oil

splash of food colouring

3 drops of vanilla essence

1 cup of boiling water.

Put all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and add boiling water. Mix together well, add colouring and essence and when cool enough knead with hands until it reaches a good consistency not to sticky, not too dry. Sometimes I add more salt if it’s too wet or more oil if too dry. It does keep for ages in an airtight container. I have been know to add glitter too.

Addatum:

As myself and teawithonesugar found out DO NOT try to replace the cream of tartar with ordinary baking soda - you will indeed end up with a gloopy mess rather than a maleable dough

Thomas the Tank Engine First Day Covers

If any of you have Thomas mad little boys, here is a nice little gift idea to arrive through the letterbox one morning. Royal Mail are issuing a series of Thomas the Tank Engine stamps celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rev. W. Awdry. Reverend Wilfred Awdry came up with the first Thomas train stories to entertain his 2 year old son Christopher whilst ill with measles. The first book ‘The Three Railway Engines’ was subsequently published in 1945.

There are two sets, one of the familiar TV engines for £6.07 and a minature set of original illustrations from the books for £3.96. They also ship overseas. (There is a lovely presentation pack too, the images online don’t really do them justice.

First day covers are only available until the 14th June, so get your buffers busting.

Available from www.royalmail.com/thomas

© Royal Mail

A boost...

Erbie needs a booster seat, although I’d love a Tripp Trapp, we already have more chairs than our little flat really needs. This one from Fred and Friends is rather fun although I’m not sure there is a supplier in the UK perhaps I could improvise with the real thing and a cushion?

Thanks for your comments, they too were a boost.

BOOST™

need a lift?

When Junior needs a little boost at the table, just reach for the Yellow Pages.
Our version is made from light-weight, soft, durable, washable, form-fitting foam.
Kids from age 3 will happily rise to the occasion.

©2006 FRED

I am lost.

I'll be back when I’m found.

xx

Miss out of fashion

I tumbled across and ridiculously desired this frock which hammers home and clocks round the head my desire for Spring to be fully sprung. For me a hankering after full-length virginal white numbers, which appear to be nothing more than 2 pieces of strategically elasticated material (you could make that yourself as my mother would have said) demonstrate a serious neglect of fashion over the winter months on my part. Time to get back out there girl.

© Anthropologie March 2011

Only £158 quid m’lord available here.

Dear fashion police: My last two clothing purchases have been a vintage waxed Barbour jacket and black shiny rubber riding boots - [eh gads girl, you only moved a couple of postcodes].

Window boxes

It is nice to have a little bit of Spring in the window boxes. The Grandad gave me a large box of pot luck bulbs, mainly crocus and they all came up - I could harvest my own saffron!

Bag envy

I’m loving this Alexander McQueen Faithful De Manta poppy clutch, just what I need to put a Spring in my step and only £295 from Selfridges – we can all dream!

Rainy Wet Playtime

On yet another grey day stuck indoors with Erbie we took up some time by making cutouts, taking our inspiration from Joëlle Jolivet’s picture book: ‘Almost Everthing’. The vehicle spread is Erbie’s favourite so I copied some out badly onto plain paper. Erbie then helped colour them in and we got a grown up to help cut them out!

Erbie discovered they stuck rather well to the condensation on the windows.

Moomin and Sniff snuck in there too...