OCTOBER BUZZ

Happy Halloween!  This has been a magical month.  Two super weeks of school holidays certainly has much to do with it!  How can it be that just getting a wee sneaky lie in and the chance to just hang loose is so inspiring?  We've also managed many a fine feast en route round Scotland too!

Lunch out to the lovely Cup in Little Belmont Street was magic (opposite Ma Cameron's - the fine boozer of yesteryear from my student days).  Followed by a jaunt to Drum Castle to see the Giants in the Forest.  That was not quite the trip I imagined when we set off ... The drizzle set in, the moaning from the kids intensified ... Oh dear ... Then we struggled to find the masks ...

But we did find this rather splendid toadstool and also found giant crochet in the trees which made it all worthwhile!

We headed off south via Dundee to see Lloyd Cole (without any Commotions).  After seeing him on Later with Jools Holland I must admit I was not really expecting too much.  However, from row 3 with only his voice and two acoustic guitars he really was awesome!

To carry off a 2 hour gig with no support and many a wry self-deprecating joke, it's a case of RESPECT, as some old Motown tune calls for!

We then managed a sneaky drink at the magical Ship Inn in Broughty Ferry

Oh my, the kids have found me in my supposedly secret den ... Time to go ... Tales to be continued at a later date.

ARTY JUGGLE

Today is one of those rainy days when you get a chance to catch up on those odd jobs you never get round to ...  I am feeling very smug that I now have a working printer (only taken months to finally order the ink & then another week to fit the cartridges, a task that literally took 5 minutes!).

Then I got some pictures framed by an amazing artist in our village - Paul Ritchie - whose work I covet!  Anyway, he did a great job & they are now on my wall - after much picture juggling.  My husband brought back the platypus from Australia in June and it now has a wee home above my fish.  And the ice lollies from the Islington Art Show are hanging proud next to the giant rabbit in the headlights ...

Plus I am cracking on with loads of outstanding Loaf Face jobs from about July time!  Ok it's time for putting away my hammer and getting a nice boiled egg on the go for lunch!  So the view from the bagel window looks like this ...

So tasty x

GOSSIP GIRLS

What joy!  A gossipy girly weekend in old London Town.  My birthday present to me was a chance to meet up with my mates - many of whom I hadn't seen since my wedding, all of 17 years ago ... Yikes, yes I really am getting on ...

A friend who makes fab Scottish gifts (but is actually English as it happens!) makes tea cosies, so many txts later the plan was in place for the tea cosies to be waiting at our hotel ... And nice wee bonnets they make too ...

So we had a great stroll along the Thames at Richmond and many G&Ts ...

Next day we found a nice cafe for breakfast ...

And very swiftly thereafter managed lunch at Tate Modern with my chums from Finsbury Park and beyond ... What a cracking view of St Paul's ...

And a fine feast too with this yellow beetroot salad ...

After a wee wander over the Bridge, we just HAD TO have some cocktails on a fine ship and check out the talent!

Thereafter it went a bit pear shaped as we couldn't quite coordinate the gig plans for the night - Kevin Roland of Dexy's Midnight Runners (my bro bought me the cassette - anyone remember those oddities that used to warp and unravel!!) in Putney or Fat Freddie's Drop (?) a New Zealand ensemble in Brixton ... A deviation to Clapham Junction went awry!  Never mind!

Next day kicked off with a wee spa at our hotel before sallying forth around Richmond's many lanes in search of an elusive tea shop which thankfully was duly located before the wheels fell off our cases!

I then went solo to Islington to meet my mate who is an actress with some very colourful parts just now (your imagination can supply the missing info!). As I lingered around I found this fab frozen yogurt bar called Snog ...  A curious name!

We managed to find a lovely art show at the Angel and to hang out in Crouch End!  The London districts have definitely gone up a wee notch since the days of everyone living in Bethnal Green!

Next day I had a mega trip from north of London to Brighton for a whistle stop your to see another dear chum.  With 3 hours on the pedometer (not the weekend for furry boots but hey ho ...), we found a groovy pub and managed a whistle stop tour of the city ... 

Just time to check out a wee Banksy portrait before sadly having to head back home!

I couldn't quite abandon my cocktail habit at the airport as I had a wee solo toast to my mates ...

It really was a fab weekend ... Such a laugh ... Definitely need a repeat get together of the GLAM GIRLS (once upon a Newcastle upon Tyne that stood for the Graduate Labour Markets Project ... )

CHEERS!

PITMEDDEN APPLE SELL OUT!

It's been a fantastic few days for Loaf Face!  We had a stall at Pitmedden Garden's Apple Festival on Sunday ... After a few frenetic days, shopping, baking and selling, we sold out of all our loafies and cakes!

It was my son Murdo's inaugural stall - here he is selling a Loafie to his teacher of 7 years!!!

Anyway, just fabby dabby do!!!

The baking was amazing fun too ... Here's my wonderful mate Heather from work donning the chef's whites to get baking 150 loafies!!!   

She's busy getting stuck in to an Apricot & Cranberry Tea Loafie with Pecans .. 'So fine' as they say up here!  She took some great photos of our crazy day of banter ...

Making our plaits ....

Enjoying a sneaky tipple with our lunch - having hand kneaded dough for 120 breads!

Let the good times roll - that's my

Moto!!!  Thank you Heather!!!

Also a mega thank you to Beth of the Friendly Food Company for the use of her beautiful steading kitchen & her deft assistance with the baking, toffee apple sauce & mountains of washing up ... Not least a wonderful dinner with her family!  Loaf Face Coop love you Beth!!

BLOGGING & LUNCHING

What a wonderful day out in town.  I met up with a fellow foodie blogger - Foodie Quine - for lunch.  We went to a neat wee cafe in Little Belmont Street, called Cup.  So fine ... They had this magic offering of a small bowl of soup, small roll & fine piece ...

The teas were to die for ... An astounding long list of flavours ... This one was coconut chai latte ... The smell was divine ...

Foodie Quine and I had so much gassing to do in between the fine feast - her cheese board platter with soup and oatcakes looked the business too, as did the macaroons.  It's a wee treasure - check it out if you get the chance!

ONE SUPERB SUNNY DAY

Yesterday was such a fantastic day ... Gloriously hot (for late September - 24 degrees!)

As The Fall invite us to 'Hit the North', that's what I did (shame I only have the vinyl of that tune ... Don't think record playing car stereos stand a chance!) ...

I went on the road to Inverness to try to find some new bread outlets.  It was really fun to do - driving solo without my wee darlings in the back was such a breeze - groovy juke box on my phone.

Made it as far as Brodies Country Fare - what a great place that is.  I can thoroughly vouch for their splendid ladies toilets, where I did a wee sneaky shift into my party frock and heels, before heading off to the Glenfiddich Distillery.  It was just a beautiful warm night ... I managed to sneak a few pics ....

The occasion was a Grampian Food Forum Dining Club - really superb dinner and lots of interesting foodie folks to chat to.  We had a tour of the bonded warehouse which smelled divine with the ageing malt in oak casks and cosy lighting.  After a wonderful feast we got to 'nose' the amazing two 21 year old malts - Balvenie & Glenfiddich ... So different - the Glenfiddich got my vote.  I felt it was a cardinal sin to leave the Balvenie, as my husband would have died and gone to heaven drinking that one!  If only I'd had a chauffeur booked for the long foggy drive home!

This big jug is wonderful ... I would love one like this!

BIRTHDAY LASS

This week I have turned another year older ... 44 - there's a symbolism in that number combination - yes, I am most very definitely a middle aged wifie (if I am lucky!!)

But rather than get maudlin I just get busy!  My week kicked off with my upholstery course which was just fab!  To spend 6 hours hammering away was great - a wee tonic for my soul.  I took a few pics of the deconstruction of my stool ...

Led to this ...

Collection of vintage leather and horse hair ... Lots of dust & mega sneezing ...  Foosty is the only word for this war-time creation of rusty tacks!

Then to the rebuilding of layers of wool, horse hair, hessian, more layers, cotton, more layers, then finally my tweed cover ... Led to this ...

I was tickled pink by the result!  The only drag was the long drive back up north but it was most definitely worth the petrol  and hammer time!