I LOVE Jamie Oliver. Not in the way I love Russell Brand. Or Richard. Obviously. But in a deeper, more respectful, less lusty way than that… I admire him. I admire his values and his work ethic. I admire his deeply personal commitment to affecting change and the despairing look he has been wearing through every episode of Jamies Dream School. And today I went to his Liverpool restaurant to admire him at first hand. And ok so he wasn’t there. Obviously. Because I didn’t tell I was coming. But never mind because Kath was there. And Diane. And Emma. And little Ben. So let’s face it who needs Jamie when one has one’s Mommy posse and a three year old scrumptious little mascot to boot? It was my birthday you see. Well actually that’s a lie: it was my birthday on Monday, but we went out to celebrate it today because Finn has been sick and I have been tied to the sofa with him and Wednesday is the day work and mommy commitments are few and far between and we can all pile into the car and spend the morning swanning around Liverpool, shopping up a storm and burning up enough energy to warrant a rather lovely little meal in the Liverpool branch of Jamie’s Italian… Twas lovely. You would have loved it. You too could have laughed at just how close I am to being forty. Howled at Kath’s filthy mouth (Yes. I know. She looks like butter wouldn’t melt doesn’t she??). Tutted at me as I had the table harassed into posing for my ipod for some oh so fuzzy photographic memorabilia, swooned over some Beautiful Bucatini Carbonara, received gifts of the Cath Kidston kind and drank tea of indeterminate leaf that was almost the best part of the entire gorgeous meal. You would have loved it. I did. To such a degree my head got a little fuzzy and as we left I beamed at the pretty blonde waitress, and told her at two o’clock in the afternoon, thank you and goodnight.
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
Oh dear. I’ve known about Polyvore since the day it opened it’s doors and knowing myself as I do, thought it best avoided, if I was to get anything done at all. And then today I was all curled up on the…
It is, I believe, ritual rather than housekeeping that has been the mainstay of BrocanteHome,because much as I consider some of the lowlier joys of homemaking to be a necessary evil, it is my personal and familial rituals that I hold most…
That horrible title comes courtesy of a chapter in a book I picked up on one of my treasure hunting missions. A hilarious little tome by one Richard Curle, entitled Women: An Analytical Study. Written in 1947, it’s tone is set on…
Aaaah Autumn. Delicious, crisp, scrumptious Autumn, the shabbiest, chicest season of all. At BrocanteHome, September represents all that is wonderful about the way we live: the dramatic seasonal change, the urge to brush away the last grains of sand on our feet,…
I am seven years old. It is Christmas morning and I am lying in Helen’s bed, waiting until Dad has been downstairs to check that Father Christmas has remembered to call at our house. “He’s been!!” he shouts and me and my…
“I know what I would do if I were both poor and genteel- the gentility should go to the place of all good itilities, including utility, respectability, and imbecility, and I would sit, quite frankly poor, with a piece of bread, and…
The perfect way to spend a birthday! Jamie's Italian is my absolute favourite place to eat (we have one based in part of the stunningly beautiful old Guild Hall in Cambridge). They know us so well now too that my gluten intollerance isn't an issue and they advise me without prompt what I should or shouldn't order, which as you know, totally makes the difference between a tense meal and a wonderfully relaxed one! I actually make 'mmmmm' noises when eating the Veg anti-pasta plank – the flavours are so fresh and gorgeous! And the atmosphere is SO conducive to naughtiness and giggles and birthday FUN!!! I think nearly 40 birthdays should have their celebrations dragged out for as long as possible….. a celebration a week maybe?! I've only got two more years in my 30's myself – aaargh! Doesn't seem real until you say it out loud! Great photos too to treasure forever. Happy Birthday! xxxx
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
A belated Happy Birthday!
Victoria xx
Happy Bday, a few days late. Sounds like a lovely night (or day) out! Best wishes for a fabulous year to come.
Oh you lucky girl! it looks fab and trust me forty is nothing to fear!xx
The perfect way to spend a birthday! Jamie's Italian is my absolute favourite place to eat (we have one based in part of the stunningly beautiful old Guild Hall in Cambridge). They know us so well now too that my gluten intollerance isn't an issue and they advise me without prompt what I should or shouldn't order, which as you know, totally makes the difference between a tense meal and a wonderfully relaxed one! I actually make 'mmmmm' noises when eating the Veg anti-pasta plank – the flavours are so fresh and gorgeous! And the atmosphere is SO conducive to naughtiness and giggles and birthday FUN!!! I think nearly 40 birthdays should have their celebrations dragged out for as long as possible….. a celebration a week maybe?! I've only got two more years in my 30's myself – aaargh! Doesn't seem real until you say it out loud! Great photos too to treasure forever.
Happy Birthday! xxxx
Of course, you understand I don't eat the actual plank itself………….
Happy birthday, Alison! Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your special celebration. Your blog makes me so happy.
Happy birthday, Alison! I rarely comment on any blogs, but wanted to wish you all the best, and tell you how much I enjoy visiting here. Cheers!
Happy belated Birthday, Alison!!