Diamonds - Always a Girl's Best Friend

If you’ve ever read any of this blog, you will know that I actually quite like a tipple every now and then.  Not that I’m always drinking, mind you.  But when I do…..well....  [that sounds a bit bad really, doesn’t it?]

Aside from that, I also have a bit of a problem with glasses.  No, not eye glasses, but any funky, cute or original kind of drink glass.  I probably shouldn’t be admitting this, but if you serve me a drink in a lovely glass, you will most likely not get it back.  It will be in my bag and end up in my kitchen cupboard.  I love those tiny little sake glasses and any kind of beer glass that has the name of the beer on it – if it’s an English beer, then it truly is destined to go home with me.

Talking of unique glasses, I was recently asked to review the Thumbs Up Diamond Glasses and oh my goodness, these are exactly the kind of thing I cannot resist.  A glass - shaped like a diamond!

First of all, let me say, the box they come in is lovely.  It looks so classy and is definitely something you could give as a gift and have the recipient think you spent a bundle.  It’s decorated nicely and is really good quality.  I got mine in the mail and there would have been no problem had my postman drop-kicked it to my front door from the street.  I’m actually hoping he didn’t, or I will need a word with him, to be honest. 

Their tagline is:

Be the diamond in the rough with this set of diamond style glasses.
Fashioned to look like a diamond; these glasses stand at an angle which allows you to rotate the glass to enjoy the full bodied flavor of your favorite whiskey!
relax, top-up and drink a diamond!.

I’m not really a whiskey drinker, but why should these be limited to whiskey?  I’ve tried them with vodka, gin and rum – and they all work [*smile*]

The first time you use them, you notice that they feel really light and there’s a fear that they might break with the tiniest knock.  But the fact is, they are made of borosilicate glass which, according to thomasnet.com “is far more durable than traditional glass so they can withstand accidents that would break other glassware.”  Think Pyrex dishes.

The only problem I found, is that you have to remember when pouring a drink, you shouldn’t pour all the way to the top because as the glass sits at an angle, you will spill half the contents when you put the glass down.  (No, I am not talking from experience here, really, I'm not.)  They are actually designed for sipping from i.e. whiskey or some other after dinner drink and hold approximately 2 oz of liquid.  All very classy.

What's also nice is that they fit in your hand perfectly.  I managed to take a pretty good representation picture, which is quite hard to do with one hand, but it will give you an idea of the side and shape.

The glasses are available on Amazon for only $25 for a pair and would make a fantastic wedding or wedding shower gift – because all brides want diamonds, don't they?  So be that person and be the diamond in the rough (and also very thoughtful).

As they say, diamonds are a girl's best friend, and these are definitely my go-to drink glasses at the moment.  So cheers!!


This post was sponsored by Thumbsupuk.com  The opinions are completely based on my own experience

Some Sweary Stress Relief

About three weeks before my wedding the stress was gradually strangling me….

When I'm stressed, I tend to swear -  a lot.  Not that I don't actually swear a lot anyway, but added stress just makes me a bit more vocal.  Ask anyone who knows me, they'll tell you.

So when I was approached to review a product, I literally jumped at the chance.  (Well, not literally.  I mean, obviously I didn’t jump out of my seat and grab it, but you know what I mean.)

One of my other little pleasures (apart from the aforesaid swearing) is colouring.  Yes, I said it.  I-like-to-colour.  It's that pent up artist in me that just never gave up hoping I would be the next Vincent Van Gough [pronounced Goff, not Go, dear America].  Obviously, that didn’t happen.

I've always liked to colour and it's been a while, but adult colouring books are everywhere at the moment. Apparently it's a thing now.  I've seen a few around and they're usually full of flowers and puppies and other cutsie things which are okay, but don't really peak my interest that much.  Not so now.  This little beauty right here is perfect for me - right up my street, as it were.

The only really true 'adult' colouring book I've seen so far.

Yes, it's a real adult book totally chock full of sweary pictures and affirmations.  What the heck?

The book is quite small actually, 8" x 8" but I suppose that's so it can fit into your bag and you can have a sneaky colouring session wherever you are.  [Don't foget your crayons]

It’s got some great colouring pages, and this one just made me feel at home.  (I am English and Rawr, I will). (??)

If I were to be a little negative about this book though, its that some of the lines are really, really thick and it takes away from the picture.  But perhaps it's designed like that because, after all, we're not all Van Gough are we?

If you want a copy, you can get it here.

Mother's Day - Brit Style

Yesterday was Mother’s Day in the US.  Once again, I totally missed the English Mother’s Day because there is nowhere at all in America that you can buy a mother’s day card in March.  Usually, the shops are so way ahead of every holiday, that it seems a bit weird that Mother’s Day cards are not on sale in January (I’ve seen Easter eggs in January and Halloween costumes in July).  Then again, it might be that I didn’t actually go out of my way to look for one in time for the English day.  Oopsie!

But yesterday, I spent the day with my daughter who had, unknown to me, booked reservations at the Palihouse for their Brit Brunch. 

I thought I would review it, for any Brits that are looking for somewhere "like home."

Their building is in a quiet road in West Hollywood and we found parking really easily.  In fact, we were right outside the front door – how often does that happen in Los Angeles??  Gold star number one!!  The outside courtyard dining is so bright and airy and just wonderful looking.  There were a couple of tables in full sun which is actually quite nice if you are a sun loving Brit.  J

Ahh… the menu….

Just like mum used to make

• Scones
• Sausage Rolls
• Welsh Rarebit
• Scotch Eggs
• Fish and Chips
• Bangers and Mash

And more….. oh, the decisions!!

We wanted it all.  There was a family at a table close to us who ordered, from what we could tell, practically everything on the menu.  Oh, if only our stomachs were big enough to fit it all in.

Of course, we had to start with a couple of drinky-poos.  Not one to miss an opportunity to look a bit posh, I had a Pimm’s Cup.  Hannah had a Morning Sun, which she said was just lovely (dahhling!)

Fancy Drinks

For starters we had the sausage rolls.  The pastry melted in your mouth and tasted exactly like home.  Warm sausage rolls dipped in tomato sauce - Mmmmm.  She then opted for the Full Monty which, of course, was the full English breakfast.  It even included a bit of black pudding.  I have apparently not done my proper job as a mum because she didn’t know what black pudding was.  I made her try it and give her opinion before I told her what was in it.  I was expecting a bit of trouble getting her to try it when she said “You’re going to tell me it’s a nasty bit of the animal, aren’t you?”  Of course not, I said!!  [Does that make me a bad mother?]  Well, she tried it and lo and behold she liked it!!  Although apparently not enough to finish it once I had told her it was, in fact, blood pudding.  (*smile*)

  

Yes, that is black pudding next to the eggs!

I had the bangers and mash.  A wonderful  pile of mashed potatoes and sausages absolutely covered in onion gravy.  The gravy was so rich and so very decadent that I couldn’t manage to finish it all.  Needless to say, we didn’t order pudding!  (I really wanted to try the Eaton Mess, meringue and berries, but just did not have enough room).

The waiters/waitresses were brilliant and kept asking if the Englishness was good enough and if it reminded us of home.  How could we possibly complain??  We were stuffed to the gills and could hardly move, but still wanted more!  Not a pretty sight actually.

As we waddled back to the car we both decided this was one of our best 'go-to' places and we would definitely be back.  Of course, we have to try everything on that menu sooner or later.  I would even make the hour journey to LA from my house just for the sausage rolls.  Hmmm... I wonder if they deliver??

If there’s anyone in LA who doesn’t know about this little British gem, here’s a link : http://www.palihousewesthollywood.com/

Oh, and by the way, this is not a paid review (but if I could get some sausage rolls sent my way I would absolutely accept them)  *Grin*