A Very Crepey New Year

[Cremolafoam]

Will this do ??

Obviously the clock has a white face!

I'm not looking forward to my children laughing at my taste in interior decor the way I do at my parents (overblown French boudoir) and dh does at his (modern 70s orange and brown) but I'm sure we've got it coming. I'm dealing with it by doing what I want and ignoring everyone else, including dh when required. I think bil was not being complimentary when he described my sitting room as being like an upmarket hotel but I told him that I was pleased as that was exactly what I had been aiming for.

Upmarket hotel sounds pretty good! Better than Herb's aunt's bungalow for a start...

Ours looks like a student hovel. I am sure if we weren't middle class (!) we would have social services round due to the state of the place. We do have lovely and expensive shelving though. Aunt's bungalow sounds good to me.

I'm getting distinctly grand inklings from Mrs W. Upmarket hotel, nannies, boarding school... Can we come and stay?

Don't be too taken in, Herbs. We had the most amazing apartment in Paris. Close to the Arc de Triomphe, marble fireplaces, elaborate cornicing, chandeliers, the works. Have employed nannies in the past and both DDs at boarding school. But now living in hovel because Someone is dithering whether to do it himself (he doesn't have time), let his brother do it on the cheap (he is unreliable) or pay someone to do it (and sort out the mess he has started), but doesn't want to part with his money.

Although am very tempted to move in with Mrs W...

Yay for new room layout MI plus liberating the radiator will mean a warmer room.

Off to scrape car.

MI I hope in the cold light of day the new room is still working! Here not sure if I am incubating something or if it's post birthday blues - very tired and weepy.

Crem and NU hoping you are on the mend soon!

Whichever it is, BD, look after yourself. And you, Crem and Nu.

Delighted at all at the creepy interior decoration advice - anyone else had to live with room decorated in raised brocade flour de lis wallpaper? dark red in sitting room, gold in bedroom? Was house we moved to in 1970s without money to redecorate. Also included large pseudo jacobean sideboard with blue formica top.

Cold over here, too, Hattie.

I grew up in a shabby booklined house with various uncoordinated Indian things around. Oops...

I was brought up in a house painted entirely in various shades of olive green and mushroom. With matching curtains and carpets. Although it was quite "modern", with a shower, fab 70s stone fireplace and continental quilts on the beds. DM's current house is much better decorated, but she does still lean towards the sludgy. She recently had her kitchen done, and I asked what colour she was planning to paint it (assuming I was looking at bare plaster, in that brownish-pinkish colour). She told me it had already been painted.

BD and everyone else, take care.

MI, she used to have a clock with a gold face...

Am quite hoping that they might tell me if I have got this bloody job today. They left a cryptic message on my answerphone yesterday, I called back and left a message. I just want to know either way so that I can get on with life/plan B.

Herbs/MrsS - you'd be very welcome to stay but please ensure that you would be happy in sub arctic temperatures (even with a working boiler) living with a cat that wees on the floor. But I do also have a very grand mantelpiece clock!

Mrs W - were you not around here when we had the Shitten?!

If that's what it sounds like MrsS then you win the prize!

We currently have a Shat. We've been making excuses for her terminal indisposition for bloody years now and this new 'can't be bothered to go out in the cold' is VERY ANNOYING.

In the strange split personality of my parents lives, we started out in a classic bungalow ( sounds like CVs) and dm favoured Rosenthal china, and Scandinavian glass, teakwood furniture and low 60s long sofas . In fact all the stuff I love now and have gradually been syphoning out of dms attic and into. My house.
In 1976 we moved into a Victorian four square type place and all the chic scandi ended up in storage. I spent my childhood going round house sales and auctions with dm and dgm buying sideboards and swirly curtains. Vile. Oh and ddad had a jag too.

On another note: DD1 turns sixteen (16, xvi) in a couple of weeks' time. I feel this deserves the most chocolatey cake possible (OK, I deserve cake. And fizz.) I have numerous recipes but anyone got a top, failsafe recommendation?

Reluctant to give credit to Mary B after her comments on feminism but her 'very best chocolate cake' with the crêpey.(NUFC's?) chocolate fudge icing instead of the one in the recipe is the best.

As an army brat I lived in a range of army quarters mostly kitted out with swirly 1960s migraine inducing patterns.

Then my parents house was a very nice (now desirable) open style shelving unit - think IKEA- styled - that was very unBritish and duvets (a hangover from Germany), but net curtains... no glass coffee tables, but a carriage clock. And more ornaments than you can shake a stick at (I think this was because it was the only way you could personalise said army quarter)

My house - a work in progress - a mix of old furniture (Art Deco sofa and chairs), very modern bathroom, high class laminate (remain grade rather than leave) but let's not talk about ds's bedroom....

That looks divine. I like a fudgy icing made with chocolate, butter and golden syrup

If your feminist self rejects Bezza's cake, then I have made this a million times and it is chocolate heaven. Icing is great and v easy but have also made with cherry jam in middle for a black forest vibe (or Betty Crocker in the middle when really pushed).

Marking like crazy. Back soon.