Mini Adventures #4

Life is a bit frantic at the moment. The weeks are rolling by far too quickly and the dreaded April 22nd and May 26th, 28th and 30th (all the deadlines and exam dates I categorically do not want to arrive) are approaching! Even so, I've been enjoying myself as much as I can with the little wiggle room I have. Here's what I've been up to in the last fortnight.

1) Reading The Fault In Our Stars. It's a weepy one. You can read my review on my book blog, Lignin and Petrichor, here. I can't wait to get into reading again - the minute my exams are over (May 30th, I'm looking at you), I'm going to bury myself in books.

2) Making a beef and potato bake. The weather's taken a turn for the cold, again. Welcome to England. This bake was the perfect comfort food. I'm planning to cook a chilli con carne tonight, 'cos it's pretty chilly out there!

3) Strolling around the back garden and enjoying the flowers while they last! We have lots of blossoms and daffodils, but they're all on the wane now.

4) Chowing down on some super tasty pizzas from Kerb for lunch on a library day with Jess! We headed down to Granary Square to sit next to the river behind King's Cross. It's a perfect lunch spot when it's sunny!

With Jess in Forbidden Planet on a separate visit. I could spend hours in that place...

5)  Exploring Forbidden Planet in Covent Garden with A. Forbidden Planet is a mecca for every fan girl and fan boy out there (it just has everything fantasy and sci-fi related - Doctor Who Oyster card holders, Legend of Zelda belt buckles, Harry Potter wands, and the most well-stocked manga section I've seen in the UK!) and in the depths of its literature-heavy basement, I discovered The Walking Dead graphic novels. I've since read my way up to chapter 100. I'm pretty sure this wasn't a good move... Then again, I've just found out I have a dissertation deadline, mock exam and revision day all in the space of three consecutive days at the start of term, so maybe tons of post-apocalyptic zombie outbreak comics are exactly what I need right now? Maybe? 

6) Eating the Byronosaurus Burger at Byron on Wardour St, accompanied by a projection of the original Godzilla film. I've always loved Byron, and I know that the burgers are the things to go there for, but at the moment I'm pretty obsessed with their salads too. Their Cobb Classic is so delicious!

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7) Taking a trip to the cinema to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Oh my, the muscles on that man. Plot's actually pretty good too - some great twists which kept me gripped past the body! Also, Falcon's wing suit. Want very badly.

Photographer: Andreas Grieger

8) Seeing the press night of A's new show, Once We Lived Here, at the King's Head Theatre. More on that tomorrow!

9) Showing my Light Blue pride with my nails on Sunday for the 160th Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race. We all headed down to Putney Bridge to watch the start of the race! Sadly we lost to the Dark Blues, but it was an enjoyable evening anyway :)

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Clickable Adventures #3

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Happy Friday! What are you up to this weekend? My weekend is going to be awash with Mother's Day preparations - cutting flowers, sorting out cute pastries, making cards - and welcoming my sister home from her term at Edinburgh! Here's a few fun links to ease you into the weekend.

Wes Anderson Palettes Tumblr. So I went to see The Grand Budapest Hotel last Sunday. It's my favourite film so far this year (trust me, go and see it!) and now I'm obsessing over Wes Anderson's amazing film designs. The man's eye for composition and colour combinations is unparalleled, and celebrated here.

A recipe for crustless broccoli and cheddar quiche. Would love to make this with blue cheese!

The world of Mary Blair. I'd like to buy some of these concept designs as prints. 

15 dating problems only a book lover will understand. Number 10. 

The smallest sandcastles ever! Microscopic sandcastles drawn on individual grains of sand. 

A super cute ring for Easter. 

Not Another Bill. I've been eyeing up monthly subscription boxes, like Glossybox or Birchbox, but this isn't your everyday box - past 'presents' have included cute washi tape, boar-hair shaving brushes and pocket sundials. This'd be great as a present for the person who has everything.

Art history hairstyles! This article counts as revision, right? 

Have a beautiful weekend!

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Mini Adventures #2

The last week of term has flown by. I took a trip to London to see my boyfriend's show (he's musical directing Dido and Aeneas, at the King's Head in Islington), and ate a lot of food! Here's my favourite bits from the past week in pictures.

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1) Seeing Spike Jonze's film Her at the Arts Picturehouse in Cambridge. I thought it was chillingly close to our reality, in which you get on the Tube and everyone's gazing down at mini screens. I'm sure that one day, operating systems like Siri could become so much more to us tech-dependent humans. 

2) The arrival of spring! I can finally go out without having to Eskimo up with a bajillion layers.  (I was so excited to not have to wear a jumper last week that selfies happened). Warmer, brighter days definitely make for a happier Tamsin!

3) Popping into the exhibition Georgians Revealed at the British Library for my course on British painting from the 18th to the mid-19th century. There was a giant map of London on the floor, so I was instantly pleased. It's sadly closed now, but the British Library is always worth a visit, especially the permanent Treasures of the British Library exhibition - you can see all sorts of things from a death warrant signed by Elizabeth I, to illuminated medieval manuscripts and hand-written scores by composers like Handel and Mozart. 

4) Grabbing a bite to eat at Fork Deli Patisserie in Bloomsbury before the exhibition. It's a hipster's paradise - all filament bulbs and painted wood. Meals are certainly pricey but delicious - Alex had salmon with a beetroot and kale salad, while I had a caprese, which was lovely, but tiny. So of course I had to fill up on raspberry nata tarts for pudding. Of course. 

5) Having my first taste of Five Guys on Upper St! My verdict - excellent chips (cooked in peanut oil, and especially tasty with their special spicy powder) and high quality burgers, but ultimately a revved-up, more expensive version of McDonald's. 

6) Coming back to Cambridge to a lovely house barbecue to make the most of the good weather. We feasted on more burgers, corn on the cob and spare ribs. I certainly wasn't hungry this weekend...

7)  Finally getting round to having my hair cut, after about 9 months (I know. I'm ashamed of myself) at Stilo in Cambridge. It's so much healthier and lighter now. Need to go to the hairdresser's more regularly for sure!

8) Finishing Umberto Eco's The Name of The Rose! Read my thoughts on it on my new biblio-centric Wordpress, Lignin and Petrichor. 

I'd love to know what you've been up to this week! And if anyone has any tips on things to do over the Easter break in London (culture, foodie spots, books to read), please share them! I'm so excited to go home for a bit :)

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