Getting ready with hair and makeup!
The bride…

The maid of honor…

Bridesmaids and flower girl…

Another junior bridesmaid…

Hair!

Beautiful church…

Proud parents…

Jumping pictures!!

Lion dancing!

Speeches…

Cake!

First dance :)

More dancing!

Lanterns at the prom downstairs!

Photobooth fun!

So much love!

-S

Golden Chicken, Braised Greens & Potato Gratin

I have had a love-hate relationship with potatoes. I go through phases. Sometimes I crave the carbs but other times I just can’t stand this big white bulky vegetable. Tonight I was in love again. I’d been wanting to try out a potato bake for aaaaages but it doesn’t really go with Indian food so never got around to it. This recipe though gave me the perfect oppurtunity to try out a potato bake. OOPS. Sorry. Its a gratin, not a bake. I only realised this later. For those who don’t know what a gratin is, its a a technique where the ingredient is browned or given a crust by adding cheese/ butter/ breadcrumbs as toppings. YUMMO.

Chicken, Potatoes and Spinach

My boyfriend, Pratik, was over for dinner again so I asked him to be my recipe reader while I played ninja in the kitchen. I have to say, after trying out a few of Jamie’s recipes, we have a complaint to make. His recipes are not reader friendly. There. I said it. When he asks me to throw the potatoes in boiling water, he doesn’t tell me how long I should leave them in for. Instead he jumps to doing step 2 then 3 which to me are not in the order I would like. His recipes are written EXACTLY the way he cooks on his show – the multi-tasking way. Which is fine, but I’d like to know how cooked the potatoes need to be! We find ourselves reading his recipes over and over again, just trying to make sense of it. Needless to say, 15 minute meals become more like 30-45 minute meals. Ok, thats my rant for the day. Now to the recipe.

Refer to the recipe here – http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/golden-chicken-braised-greens-potato-gratin

I don’t have a food processor because I share my kitchen with my flattie and we have run out of space for new gadgets. Hence, I had to ‘finely’ slice the potatoes myself. I think I did a pretty good job though! Not sure why they look green in this pic, I think it might be something to do with white light falling on yellow objects making them look green.

Finely Sliced Potatoes

And the grilled version of it…I think I did justice to the fact that gratin is “browned”.

Potato Gratin

It was heaps of fun bashing the chicken up!! Pratik and I took turns. I was having a particularly stressful week at work so it was a good way of releasing some of that energy. Poor chicken! The trick to this is that you must really flatten that chicken out. Don’t feel sorry for it. Beat the hell out of it! The thinner it is the faster it cooks. Somehow, we managed to get a thick piece on the pan and boy did I have to wait for it to cook! By the end I was so over it that I skipped most of the greens section. Instead, I wilted some spinach on the pan just to get some bright green colour on my plate.

Chicken, Potatoes and Spinach

The taste test – I think the potatoes were the best part of this meal. That chicken stock and cream really added flavour to the potatoes. Simple yet delicious. The chicken tasted yum too. Of course, I added chilli flakes! I’m so glad I decided to throw in spinach at the last minute. It added great colour to the dish and together with chicken and potatoes it made a pleasant mouthful.

Verdict – 3.5/5

Time test – Sorry Jamie. I do think though that this type of meal will come together quicker the second time around.

Verdict – 2/5

Lavender & Thyme Artisan Cake:

2 cups of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1 cup of raw-unrefined sugar

2 tbsp vanilla

3 brown, cage-free organic raised eggs

3/4 cup, cage-free, antibiotic free, grass-fed milk (2%)

1/2 cup butter

1 tbsp baking-soda

pinch of salt

2 tbsp dried lavender

1 tbsp dried thyme

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes (I did 15-20 because I separated them into the smaller circle pans)

For my cake, I made double, cooking two lower pans and two upper pans (one lower and one upper tier each round) then put them together with icing!

I used Dr. Oteker’s Organic Natural Vanilla Icing

The Creative Process Pie Chart

I know I’m not alone in feeling frustrated today, there’s just something about Fridays… So. Aggravating. Gir. I’m flipping over the desk and calling this week done. So anyone else looking to kill some time before the weekend begins can check out this little Buzzfeed article 21 Awkward Moments That Artists & Illustrators Recognize.

Personally, I think the little comics about sketchbooks are particularly truthful, I don’t think my boyfriend will ever understand why there is a continuous yet ever evolving lineup of notebooks, journals, sketchbooks, watercolor pads, bristol board and other stationery showing up at our front door.

“But I neeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddd them!!!” is my usual defense.

Sketchbook Troubles

Shout out to my homegirl, Jamie, who I know understands and is working on some crafty colory things right now. She is always a wonderful collaborator on projects and just oozes talent herself. Just don’t ever ask either one of us about our scrapbook paper collections… just… don’t…

Bachelor/bachelorette bonfire at Sherry and Pat’s.  :)

-S

The northern music scene is causing a bit of a stir in the entertainment world at the minute. With Jake Bugg currently flying the mainstream flag for Nottingham, SUG is trying to delve deeper into the crevices of the industry and unearth the talent that’s bubbling under the scene. Last time, we had 15 year-old Beth McCarthy from York and this week we introduce, 19 year-old rapper Garton from Nottingham.

The Interview

When did you first decide you want to make music?
I always tried different things from a young age. I was always listening to music and wanting to make a song of some sort and then, when I was 11 years old, I got a guitar and taught myself to play. I had lessons for a couple of years and sort of made my own stuff up on that. But when I was 13,  I decided to start grime because I’d always loved it from when I first heard it. Me and another MC called Tremor were out one day and he was already spitting. He then helped me get some software on my laptop and I wrote some stuff with him and got my first ever bars together.

Do you still play the guitar?
Sort of. I sold mine when I was about 16 because I went off it. I regret selling it though – I’m itching to get a new one!

Garton’s EPs and albums are available on http://www.GetNottz.co.uk

Who did you listen to growing up?
A whole different range of artists that you wouldn’t believe it if i told you! Oasis to Greenday to 50 cent, Eminem and 2Pac haha! I can always remember listening to Shifty, the grime MC from Manchester, though. I looked up to him before I even wanted to write.

What was the first song you remember writing?
If I could show you the song, I think that I’d be hiding for a hot minute! I made it at my nan’s house on a cruddy little laptop mic. Me and my boy Tremor – who had already started the music thing about 8 months before – downloaded some software and just recorded a tune. I still remember the chorus…you’re bringing back memories!

What came next? What was your first break?
Me and Twister, from Leicester, made a joint mixtape. 15 tracks all in one weekend. We released it and even though it wasn’t very good compared to the standard of music now, at the time it got me about here in there in my area, and it also ended up leading to an interview on Kemet FM.  I wouldn’t call it an official mixtape project of mine now because I wasn’t as serious about music back then but it definitely motivated me. I was only 14/15 at the time so I was hyped for the whole situation.

You released Purity last year – what’s the story behind that?
The Purity mixtape came about when I met a producer called DeKrux. We met in January 2011 and we got working on some music. He sent me one or two beats because I was working on a mixtape myself. I spent the year recording at home but I wasn’t happy with any of the songs and so at the end of the year I put them on a small EP called Cold Before Winter. So with the EP out the way and DeKrux getting a home studio set up, I started recording there. We spent five months recording the mixtape – with some songs taking three different days to record just to get it right. I remember that on some days we would make a whole song from scratch. We’d turn up at 9/10am, make the beat, write whilst making the beat, record, mix and master all in the same day until we got it right.

What’s your favourite song off of it?
I like ‘Open Mind‘. I actually listen to it myself, along with ‘Jamie‘ and ‘I’m So Special‘. 

What about your favourite song of all time?
It changes all the time! I’d have to have one for each year. Over the past 12 months it’s got to be Meek Mill – Traumatized.

Who do you currently rate in the UK?
Right now, for me, Chip is repping the UK to the fullest. I’m also listening to a lot of Nines, but he’s in prison now. Free Nines he’s ready to blow! K Koke and Yungen are also standing out for me. Those four artists have got their own things popping off and are showing how it should be done.

What does Garton have in the pipelines?
At the moment it’s all studio work. I’m working on one or two collaborations and putting a mixtape together slowly but surely. I just filmed my SB.TV Warm-Up session though and hopefully I’ll be rapping up my second JDZMedia Spitfire.

How did the SB.TV come about? That’s a big look!
I was just chilling watching my little brother’s football match and all of a sudden my phone repeatedly kept going off. So I looked and everyone was popping up messaging me saying something about Jamal Edwards. I checked and I had a tweet notification from him saying that he watched one of my videos and wanted me to give him some material for SB.TV. He gave me his number and we spoke on the phone and three days later he came to Nottingham for the SB.TV Nottingham cypher and filmed my warm up session along with one or two other people’s.

Random question time! Name someone you hate in the music world.
Pitbull. I’m not a hater because he’s made some big moves. I just dislike him. The way he comes across pisses me off. I’d love to punch him.

Haha! Desert island: what five albums/singles would you take with you?

• Drake – 5a.m. in Toronto 
• Meek Mill – Traumatized
• Meek Mill Feat. Jordanne – Used To Be
• French Montana – Devil Wants My Soul
• Masta Ace – Acknowledge 

Who would you most like to work with? Realistically, and in a dream world.
In a dream world it would be artists like Nas, 2Pac, Drake, Eminem etc. Realistically I would like to work with artists like Blizzard, Yungen, Squeeks and many more. There are too many to mention!

I’m doing something to do with music all of the time – monday to monday, even if it’s college. I turned down a joinery apprenticeship that I was offered because I just wanted to do music.

You’ve already met and “performed” in front of D12 so who knows how far away the dreams are! How did the D12 meeting happen?
Someone I know was running the event and he asked me if i wanted to perform. I didn’t even know it was members from D12 performing. I saw their logo on the poster and thought that they were just advertising what music they play there! I found out a day later that it was them and then I went through and met Swifty McVay and a couple of others and started barrin’ with them.

Did they like your stuff?
Swifty pretty much hugged me and asked me where he could get my mixtape from so I’m guessing he liked it!

Any final words of advice to aspiring rappers?
Just find the right direction you want to go in, work hard and do it. And most importantly, be yourself.

Download Garton’s Purity mixtape by clicking on the link here or go listen to his newest EP Fresh Air here. And keep an eye out for his upcoming SB.TV Warm-Up session!

• @Imgarton
• Garton’s music page

Start the hype.

And here’s a bonus: Frazer hadn’t aged much since The War Games and his cameo in The Five Doctors, and was still a hottie in his 40s.

He’s easily become my new favorite companion, next to Leela and Ace, and who didn’t/doesn’t love him?

Frazer Hines has signalled his desire to reprise the Doctor Who-companion role he first played in the BBC’s flagship science-fiction drama series 47 years ago.
In an exclusive interview with Benjamin Cook for Doctor Who Magazine (DWM), Frazer Hines, now 68, explains how he’d like to join the Doctor (Matt Smith) and Clara (Jenna-Louise Coleman) in the TARDIS. Not only would he like to return to his role as the Doctor’s Scottish, kilt-wearing companion, Jamie McCrimmon, but he’d like to do so full-time.

“Jamie would still work,” Hines insists to Cook. “They’ve got a young Doctor now [at 26, Smith was the youngest actor when cast], and a young female assistant; they need somebody [for] the grannies.”
In 1966, when Jamie joined the then TARDIS crew, Hines was a youthful-looking 22-year-old. Now 68, he’s retained his good looks and prides himself at still being fit and active – he recently represented England as part of its team in the Over 40s Cricket World Cup. “If I were old, and bald, and on a walking stick, there’s no way I’d think of coming back as Jamie,” he tells DWM. “But I’m still fit and healthy. I’ve got good legs. And I miss the show more than ever.”

http://digitaljournal.com/article/343026

WUFT-FM

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office was a part of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative held this past Saturday at three different participating Walgreens locations throughout Alachua County. Citizens with expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs were encouraged to come in and dispose of their medicines properly at each location.

University of Florida pharmacy sophomore Jamie Schuber was at the Walgreens drop-off on Waldo Road assisting an ASO officer who was collecting the drugs in a container. She says the benefits to events such as these are decreasing dependency on drugs as well as making them not accessible to people who don’t need them.

This is the sixth drug drop-off initiative in which Alachua County has participated in. In previous years, there have been over 100 pounds of medicine collected in Alachua County. At Schuber’s location, there were at least two containers completely full of drugs. All mediciation collected is turned over from the ASO to the DEA and is incinerated.

Hanging with the fam!

-S

Arctic St. Station, acrylic, oil, and cut paper on linen, 36″ x 36″, 2013

“My daughter and I went to see My First Cinderella ballet on Sunday. We both drew on the train: she dinosaurs on the way there and ballerinas on the way back; and I sketched her.”

©ZoyaM. See more from ZoyaM on their Flickr page http://www.flickr.com/photos/zoyam/8634870551/

Louise discusses the latest Spencer gossip with Millie and Rosie, as well as the possibility that Andy Jordan might now come out of the woodwork…

Stevie tells Andy that Spencer admitted to him that he slept with someone else in Louise’s bed (and that he was present at the event where it took place)

Spencer informs Jamie that Lucy has been telling people about their hook up in Verbier and that she is suggesting he told her that he loved her.

Binky’s mum gives Lucy advice about how to deal with the Jamie situation and advises her that he is ego driven and that he needs a good old slap!

Rosie talks to Jamie about the whole Lucy thing, whilst Lucy tells Binky that she is going to talk to him directly about it AND get an apology.

Ashley and Cheska go horse riding across Wimbledon common and Cheska advices Ashley to be wary of Oscar.

Richard makes Ollie a bit of a pointless robotic arm thing that he could use for “picking things up” to which Ollie suggests that’s what arms are already there for…

Lucy confronts Jamie about everything that has gone down since the holiday and Jamie tries to make out that he doesn’t remember the kiss. Things also get complicated when he claims she is playing the victim and that he hasn’t tried to get with her at all.

Andy and Fran go on their first date and discuss their time at school. They finish with a little kiss and a knowing glance.

Ashley goes out with Cheska, Ollie and Robert and gets the chance to meet Oscar, but learns about their close relationship and gets uncomfortable due to Ollie’s bisexual nature.

After lying through his teeth until he got caught out, Andy and Stevie convince Spencer to tell Louise the truth about the sex-in-her-bed incident.

Ashley gets upset after learning that Ollie and Oscar have shared a bed since they have been together and decides that they shouldn’t see each other before a huge storm out.

Jamie and Tara have a massive bust up over the whole Lucy situation but continue to talk things out.

Spencer admits to Louise that the rumours are true and she quite rightly says her piece whilst Rosie sits awkwardly in the middle. Spencer then claims that they have slept together multiple times since their break up which she adamantly denies.

The play between line, color, positive space, negative space and the interaction between different planes of existence is what, to me, makes abstract art such an interesting and exciting form of art making.  The choice of how different colors will interact within a composition or how bisecting lines lay with or against its peers in space, these are the questions that abstract artists deal with whenever they start a new piece of work.  I see it much in the same way as writing, you have an idea or concept that you want to get across, but the words, your experiences, even if you have or haven’t had breakfast that morning will all decide the outcome of that piece of work.  Today we celebrate RAW artist Jamie Pearson, as he examines the ambiguity between the audience and author.

Inspired by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jean Mitchel Basquate and Salvador Dali, Jamie is working towards taking once recognizable shapes and symbols and changing them so that they become something different.  “I use a series of symbols to create my images, sometimes its words in a tagger style, ancient symbols from the past associated with esoteric societies and religions or some as easy as circles, squares and triangles. It really depends on how I’m feeling but it’s always a combination of symbols.”  When viewing Jamie’s work it is exciting, as the eye travels throughout the composition small details that could have originally been left unnoticed will pop up after the second, third or even fourth viewing; in a way that it is almost as if the painting is hiding something.  Some of my favorites of Jamie’s work are those that include different hues of the same overlapping color lying on top of a flat of another color to create a push and pull between multiple layers of positive and negative space.

          Working in almost a Rorschach-ian style, Jamie actually starts his paintings, not on the actual canvas, but on newsprint.  With the paint still wet he then folds it in half to create a balanced image before then printing the paint onto canvas, paper, wood or even metal.  This process is then repeated again and again using different colors and symbols. “My paintings are all about sharing the interpretation that one sees in them. To each their own!”  And it is in each painting that the viewer is encouraged to seek out their own understanding of the world.  “Painting is a powerful drug. It allows me to reflect on the past and the future; Think about history or how someone felt at a point in history.” 

          You can find out more about Jamie’s work and where to see it next on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Art-of-Jamie-Pearson/230661360403695?fref=ts or on his webpage which can be found at http://www.jam-iepopart.com/

With the rise of RAW: Connecticut, be sure to check out our next upcoming showcase at the Russian Lady New Haven.  Mark your calendars and be prepared to RAWk as we have our first showcase at our new venue, EXPRESSIONS on Wednesday May 29^th.  Doors open at 8 and will remain so till midnight, for tickets, our artists and more information about RAW can be found at http://www.rawartists.org/hartford

2.  Friday, since there was a teacher work day and the kids had off, we had Jamie’s sleepover party.  I limited the guest list to 4 friends.  It all worked out and the girls had fun.

3.  We sang to the birthday girl…

4.  There was some crafting in jammies.  The girls made masks…

I love that last picture.  Jacob photobombed because he wanted a picture with the girls.  Who can blame him?  It’s gotta be hard to be at a girly party and not be able to join in.

5.  He had two favorites and requested a picture.  How could I refuse…My little playboy…Look at his proud face!

6.  On Sunday, Jamie and Dad had their annual date.  They went to Fargo’s.  According to Dad, Jamie said she would not do this after her 14th birthday.  I said we would have a chat about that.

7.  We did a little photo shoot in honor of the 9th birthday.

I asked her to make a silly face…

and she thought it was hilarious…

8.  Tonight we had spaghetti and meatballs, which she ordered for supper.  Then we did cake with Skype…

9.  We went onto the presents she decided to save for today.  She only wanted to open her friends’ gifts at her party.  She said she wanted to save the “special” presents for her real birthday.  She was genuinely grateful for everything…

10.  Happy  Birthday, Jamie Bo!  We love you so much.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

Awkward silence count: IIIIIIIIIIII

This weeks start of episode quote was “He is being a tit” from Binky’s mum. And that can only mean this is going to be a good one. I mean it’s got Binky’s mum in it.

Spencer and Jamie start event off in bed together, then have an argument about who’s worse while sleeping. Apparently, Spencer snores and Jamie like to tuck himself into a little ball.

Louise and Co. do some Pilates which just seems to involve pushing against a pole. Lou tells everyone that Spencer has vetoed Andy from Louise. So Landy will happen in the near future then?

Seems like everyone’s taking a trip to the gym this episode, which is probably a good thing considering all the drinking they do. This time it’s Stevie and Andy working out *having a conversation by some gym equipment*. Stevie puts the whole ‘did Spencer sleep with another girl in Louise’s bed’ situation straight by admitting he was there, he saw it, and Spenny told him about it the day after. Why didn’t he say something before?!

Jamie has his own drama going on, as he’s still trying to work out if he kissed Lucy on the skiing holiday and/or if he’s been flirting with her recently. I think he denies it? He does stutter a lot. He also compares having Lucy saying they kissed with being an innocent man in jail, which I’m sure feel exactly the same.

Tired of being in Chelsea for so long, a nice group of everyone with stuff going on in this episode go on a country walk, which seems to involve less walking, and more drinking in the pub.

Meanwhile in a different woods, Cheska and Ashley go horse-riding and have a chat about Ollie on a convenient  bench. Turns out we’re getting ANOTHER new character (anyone else struggling to remember names?). Cheska does like him – now there’s a surprise.

Back in the country *pub*, Andy and Fran set up a date amongst a lot of giggles. Everyone prepare to cringe.

Lucy and Jamie have a chat, which turns more into a shouting match, but excitingly, Lucy tells Jamie not to interrupt her, which is one of his more annoying habits. Jamie can’t seem to deny that he kissed her anymore, but then seems to take a leaf out of Spencer’s book and gets really mean, telling Lucy that he hates her.  He eventually runs away, repeating ‘I love Tara’ a lot.

Ashley, Ollie, Oscar, Richard and Cheska have a dinner date together and it is awkward times. Ashley gets annoyed when she finds out Oscar and Ollie regularly have cheese in bed together, which I must admit, is a little weird.

Continuing on the list of awkward firsts, Andy and Fran have a first kiss that mainly involves looking at each other and smirking.

Back at Ollie’s dinner, it turns out that basically everyone hates each other, especially Cheska and Richard, and it all descends into lots of shouting. Cheska says “why did you bring this up?”  a fair few times. For some drama shizz m’dear.

Apparently the MIC producers decided that their hadn’t been enough awkward conversations this week so brought out a five-star one between Stevie, Andy and Spencer, where Stevie tells Spencer he knows he did the dirty with another girl. Surprisingly, Spencer doesn’t have his usual reaction of getting angry and saying ‘fucking’ a lot. He just looks kind of sad and disappointed with himself, which is probably all acting.

A new club opens so of course the whole cast turns out to argue with each other. Louise interrupts Lucy and Spencer’s chat, by greeting Spencer with a kiss on the cheek, then walking off. What?! I thought she hated him?

Leaving us some time to work out what that was all about, Ashley finds out that Oscar has stayed in Ollie’s bed while they’ve been a couple. Is that more or less weird than the cheese thing? Ashley and Ollie shout lots of things over the top of each other, that mainly seems to be ‘I don’t want to see you’; ‘I want to see you’; ‘let’s spend more time together’; ‘I think we spend too much time together’. After a very confusing argument, Ashley storms off shouting that she doesn’t want to see him anymore.

Jamie tells Tara about Lucy off-screen, then she turns up at his house again – does that mean that she basically followed him home? Anyway, Tara tells his face, using her ‘stern’ voice. Jamie stutters a lot, there’s a lot of ‘I’m-very-disappointed-in-you/myself’ faces but I think they’re still together?

Back to the main drama and Spencer tells Louise the truth – yes he did sleep with somebody else in her bed. Louise looks as though she’s about to cry and ruin the strong woman thing she’s got going on lately, but then she pulls herself together and gets pretty angry.

Rosie looks incredibly uncomfortable.

Creating next week’s cliffhanger, Spencer then claims that Louise has slept with him 10 times since they broke up. Woohhh, this is getting complicated. Now it’s Louise’s turn to deny everything. She even swears on the lives of everyone she loves that it’s not true. Bet it is.

So Lou STILL didn’t cry, Francis was sadly missing and Spencer, Louise, Jamie and Ollie all have very similar storylines.

Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

My dog mello was a good puppy. Mello use to play fetch . Also she had played with other dogs. She was really nice. She was the color white and brown. I use to call her marsh mello. This is why she is my best pet.