Boom Town! Super Bowl XLVIII

February 8, 2014 by Eve England

FIRST QUARTER – Game Review

After all the hype, the so-called clash between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday really should have been billed as the Super-Bad Bowl, as audiences across the globe witnessed wild horses well and truly annihilated by a flock of well-assembled raptors. It was Seattle’s defence that clinched the coveted first title win for the Seahawks franchise, by refusing to allow NFL veteran, Peyton Manning, to make history off the back of his record breaking regular season performance. There was no doubt that it was the defensive back-line’s day, and for the first time in a long while, a linebacker (Malcolm Smith) won the coveted “Most Valued Player” honour. The self-proclaimed “Legion of Boom” certainly lived up to their name, forcing four turnovers during the game.

Whilst Manning’s stats were surprisingly respectable, Seattle’s QB, Russell Wilson seemed far hungrier to seal the Championship, and he successed to flawlessly silence those critics who’d condemned the Seattle team’s youth and inexperience.

In what was to be the fastest score in Super Bowl history, Denver conceded a two-point safety within 12 seconds of the opening whistle, following a fatal miscommunication in the line of scrimmage, which led to a misdirected snap over Manning’s head into the Bronco’s end zone. Reminiscent of a similar early score in Super Bowl XLI, (which was ironically against Manning’s Indianapolis Colts, (although 2007 had a far happier ending for Manning!)), this fumble paved the way for a crushing and decisive Seahawks victory. By half-time, the Seahawks had secured a comfortable 22-0 lead, leaving the Bronco’s with an unenviable challenge ahead of them in the second half.An 87-yard touchdown return by Percy Harvin within the first 12 seconds of the third quarter (yes, the first 12 seconds, again!) meant that Denver trailed by 29 points after the first play, with the situation not improving for the Broncos until late in the third quarter. A two-point converted touchdown on the last play of the quarter managed to save them from a humiliating shutout.

To the frustration of the Denver squad, the points deficit continued to grow. Seattle relentlessly capitalised on Denver’s every mistake, propelling the North West franchise towards an unequivocal 43-8 win over the Broncos.

SECOND QUARTER – The Party

After the hugely ambitious Snackadium challenge I put myself up to last year, for Super Bowl XLVIII, we decided to have a far more low-key event. Once again, simple brown packaging paper was used as covering for our coffee table, and we drew on chalk yard-lines onto the paper to have our own mini football field as the centre-point. We also resurrected last year’s felt bunting for hassle free decorations.

Our game-day snacks included a pepperoni football pizza, home-made Seahawks Brownies, Pretzels, Popcorn and Blue corn chips.

To represent New York’s co-hosting of the event, we served snacks in a vintage glass-apple bowl, and displayed the brownies on a cheeseboard purchased at the legendary Murray’s cheese store, which is located on Bleecker Street in New York’s Greenwich Village.

THIRD QUARTER – Commercials

Even the commercials seemed to be a little lack-lustre this year, with only a handful even threatening to coax a giggle or two out of an increasingly disinterested audience. Below are my personal top 5:

1. Budweiser, “Tiny Tennis”: I am, of course, particularly biased when it comes to all things Arnold Schwarzenegger, but Budweiser’s #UpForWhatever campaign really is a classic. Watching Arnold compete in a “Tiny Tennis” game kitted out in ping-pong attire with a notably Conan-esq style is a nod to his long-serving fans, and the “princess” quote is just hilarious. The warm-up trailers are also worth a visit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQ8DBddW270

2. Coca-cola’s “America the Beautiful”: Coca-cola’s decision to have the American National anthem sang in a number of languages spoken throughout the United States has caused a deluge of individuals to speak out against this particular rendition. As a Republic founded by immigrant settlers, and considering the sheer diversity of the American population, the number of disapprovals was surprising. In fact, with no official language at federal level (although English is very much the de facto language of the Union), what better testament to the American Dream and the foundations set by the First Amendment than to have a nation singing the patriotic hymn in unison, as one United States? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=443Vy3I0gJs

3. Audi’s “Doberhuahua”: This is possibly one of the strangest adverts I have seen in a long time. Whilst trying to emphasize the point that Audi is not a car -maker that likes to make compromises, the commercial depicts an hypothetical world in which a freakish cross between a Doberman and a Chihuahua results in a monstrous invasion of a small American town. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXtsvFYhqw

4. Jaguar – “Super Villain Rendezvous”: For us Brits, one of the questions we always ask is “why are movie villain’s always British?” This big-budget Jaguar commercial employs Sir Ben Kingsley, Mark Strong and Tom Hiddleston to philosophise on this very question. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvc9j8wL7Wc

5. Budweiser’s “Puppy Love”: Although I am not usually one for sloppy best buddy movies, this was just pretty cute. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeCtaFqCggc

FOURTH QUARTER – Sacked

The half-time show, featuring Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers went some way to making up for the lack of competition unfolding on the football pitch, but all in all, you couldn’t help but feel underwhelmed by the whole event. Having been promised a true “clash of the titan”’s style contest, the Broncos were out-classed, and certainly out-witted, by a determined and energetic Seattle side.

Ah well, there is always next year…

Blood Bowl Weekend 2014: Six Nations and Super Bowl Mash-Up

February 2, 2014 by Eve England

What a weekend for lovers of sporting spectacles it has been!

Not only have we just spent a significant proportion of the weekend glued to our tellies watching six European teams battle it out for a round one advantage in this year’s RBS Six Nations tournament, but we are now left counting down the hours to rugby’s North American cousin’s epic showdown between the Bronco’s and the Seahawks at the MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, later this evening.

To mark the end of one great sporting season, and the start of another, James decided to paint a selection of the figures from his recently discovered vintage Blood Bowl game in the style of the six nations’ team kits, representing: England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Italy.

For those of you who have never heard of the game, BloodBowl is a board game where two teams from different races of the Warhammer fantasy world engage in a brutal and devious melee that parodies a hybrid of rugby and NFL game play.In Europe, after week one, and three close games, Ireland sits in the top spot, but the title is anyone’s for the taking. Tune back in at the end of March for a round-up of the tournament’s legendary Super Saturday…

Meanwhile across the pond, we eagerly await the result of the 2014 Super Bowl…New post to follow next week!!

Fallout: A Party Quest

January 5, 2014 by Eve England

Following the release of Fallout: New Vegas in 2010, we celebrated by hosting a Fallout themed party for James’ birthday. Our trip to Vegas last May prompted us to re-enact the festivities for James’ birthday this year. We decided, however, to broaden the scope of the party to include Fallout 3, inspired by the Vault 101 birthday party held at the start of the game.

History of the Fallout Universe

The twenty third century in the Fallout universe is set in an alternate reality that diverged from our own in the mid 1940s, prior to the start of the Cold War and the subsequent Space Race between the US and the USSR.

A global energy crisis in the twenty first century saw the Fallout superpowers scrambling for control of the planet’s dwindling fossil fuels, and with the collapse of the United Nations, these superpowers resorted to a devastating and futile nuclear exchange that caused the world to nose dive into a nuclear wasteland within but a couple of hours.

Mushroom cloud cake from Fallout Party, 2011

Mushroom cloud cake from our inaugural Fallout Party, 2011

Players of the game will be familiar with its kitsch representation of American culture, which was heavily influenced by the science fiction anthologies of the early 1950s, featuring authors such as Arthur C Clark, Phillip K Dick and Isaac Asimov. The game’s soundtrack features Rat Pack crooning (you can purchase Fallout soundtracks from iTunes, and we used “Songs from the Mojave Wasteland“), the Nuka Cola bottles represent Coke’s classic style, and the Brotherhood of Steel’s armour bears striking resemblance to the Forbidden Planet’s, Robby.

Without the Space Race to propel the advancement of science and technology, the Great War of 2077 saw the world stuck in a mid-century time-warp, not too dissimilar to the stylised deco of the Bioshock franchise.

Here is the “101” for re-creating your own Fallout-themed birthday party, along with some miscellaneous trivia about the items used for the party.

PART 1: Consumables

1. Nuka Cola

Nuka Cola was a favourite beverage both pre and post the Great War. Despite production having ceased for almost two hundred years, Nuka Cola is well preserved, although it is commonly warm, irradiated and flat. Ice cold Nuka Cola is a rate wasteland commodity which is only available where the area has working refrigeration units. However, they are still irradiated and flat! Labels printed from Instructables.com.

2. Nuka quantum

“Take the leap…enjoy a Quantum”. Twice the calories, twice the carbs, twice the caffeine and twice the taste.

This light was purchased from Skinny-man, eBay.

3. Moonshine

The term moonshine originates from the Prohibition era of the early twentieth century, and usually refers to particularly strong, and often illegal, liquor. In the game, moonshine is said to boost charisma, raise strength, but lower intelligence. Here, James and Matthew sample some Scotch Whisky, following our recent trip to Edinburgh. The winners of the taste challenge were two Islay single malts, Ardbeg and Laphroaig.

4. Sugar Bombs

Sugar bombs is a pre-war cereal, the contents of which were designed to look like the “Fat Boy” atomic warheads used by the Americans against Japan to end WWII at Nagasaki in 1945. The phrase “sugar bomb” is also a pop culture reference to sweet food products with little or no nutritional value. Other food stuffs given this accolade also include Twinkies and other similar Hostess products. Another popular culture reference to these items is seen in the recent Pixar animation, Wall-e. Printable available from Instructables.com.

5. Instamash

This powdered potato product is said to have real dug in flavour. Instant food products became popular in the first half of the twentieth century, where developments in food technology meant that food could be kept for much longer periods of time. Printable from Instructables.com.

PART 2: Locations

1. Vault 101

Vault 101 is located in Washington DC and was part of the vault experiments that were set up by the US government prior to the Great War. No one was ever to enter or leave Vault 101. However, Fallout 3 starts here, and the Vault dweller manages to escape the vault in search of his/ her father in the East Coast wasteland. Neon yellow glow sticks represent the residual nuclear waste from the Great War. Fallout shelters were widespread in the Las Vegas area during the 1940s and 1950s as the US undertook extensive testing of nuclear weapons there, and these are available to purchase at the Zombie Apocalypse Store at Spring Mountain Road, LV (www.zombieapocalypsestore.com).

2. Casino

“Players win and winners play, but the Strip’s casinos generally don’t tolerate openly worn weapons or gamblers who are too lucky at the tables.” Las Vegas was largely spared from the missile strikes that destroyed other American cities, and the Strip features prominently in Fallout: New Vegas.

3. Wasteland Radroaches

The radroach is a common bug in the Mojave wasteland, and is said to be a type of American cockroach. Their inclusion in the game is said to be a reference to the hypotheses that a cockroach would be able to survive a nuclear explosion as they are naturally five times more resistant to radiation than humans. Here are some New Guinea stick insects (or walking sticks, to US readers!) who were holidaying with us during the Christmas break.

PART 3: Items

1. Party Hat

Fallout 3’s first quest, Growing Up Fast, has an early scene were the Vault dwellers have a party to celebrate your tenth birthday, and this hat features at the party. Balloons also feature, and we took inspiration from Vault Boy’s blue and yellow jumpsuit our colour scheme. The player acquires his Pip Boy 3000 during this quest.

2. Big Boss Cigarettes

These cigarettes were produced pre the Great War, and are therefore rare in the game. Here we used candy cigarettes with images found online and presented them in vintage mini pie dishes accompanied by vintage Vegas Casino match books.

3. Bottle caps

Bottle caps are a standard form of currency in the Fallout universe, their relative rarity retaining their value. In Fallout: New Vegas, Nuka Cola caps are not as valuable as Sarsaparilla versions. Bottle caps can be purchased from numerous stores on eBay and Etsy.

4. G.E.C.K

The G.E.C.K is a terraforming device created by Future Tec to revitalise fallout wasteland. Fallout 3 ends when the Vault dweller releases the device in Washington DC.

We made Dib Dabs here with recipe taken from Angel Adoree’s latest book, “Vintage Sweets”.

5. Dynamite

Dynamite is a thrown explosive weapon consisting of an absorbent material soaked in nitroglycerin. Here we accentuate the ferocity of the dynamite candle with a mini sparkler. Home-made traditional-style Whoopie Pies stood in for a birthday cake (Whoopie Pie & Seven Minute Frosting Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart, “American Food”).

6. Bobble-head

The Vault Boy bobble-head was made available in the collectors edition of Fallout 3 (PS3), along with a vintage tin lunch box. A set of cardboard coasters was included in the Fallout: New Vegas edition.PART 4: Characters

1. Vault Boy

The iconic Vault Boy was inspired by the Monopoly guy, and takes the player through the Fallout quests. The is often mistakenly referred to as “Pip Boy”, but this is actually the name of the stat device worn on the players wrist. Vault Boy cubes can be downloaded at http://www.cubeecraft.com.

2. NCR

The New California Republic is a major faction in Fallout: New Vegas. This democratic federation fights for control of the Mojave wasteland against the tyrannical Caesars Legion (NB: see previous blog, “Nelson: Fallout’s most notorious ghost town for more information), and has modified the version of the Californian state flag that we are familiar with today by adding a second head to the bear.

Epilogue

With the release of the hotly awaited next generation consoles, and with Fallout 4 rumoured to be based in Boston, we may have another excuse to execute Fallout, Part 3 in the not too distant future…

Watch this space!

They used to laugh and call him names…

December 24, 2013 by Eve England

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

….the inspired people at Lego were busying themselves creating the Star Wars advent calendar that has now become a new tradition for me and my work colleagues in the lead up to the Christmas holidays.

First released in 2011, the original set included some of the original Rebel/Empire era favourites such as the Millennium Falcon, an X-Wing and Chewy, as well as some newer Clone Wars fires, such as a Clone Pilot and a Pilot Battle Droid. This inaugural set included the fabulously festive, Santa Yoda on Christmas Eve. 2012 introduced an AT-AT, a Star Destroyer, a wonderful R2-D2 Snowman, and a Santa Darth Maul to the mix, with the latest 2013 version of santa taking the form of Jango Fett.

There was no denying it any longer: Star Wars & Christmas go together like Buddy the Elf & Maple Syrup, Kevin McAlister &Cat Burglars and John McClane & Nakatomi Plaza.

Having quickly browsed the internet for some inspiration on festive Star Wars related party fare, it seemed that Star Wars gingerbread was the most popular nod to the franchise favourite. There is something wonderfully enchanting about the Empire Strikes Back’s AT-AT (All Terrain Armoured Transport).

The snowy scene at the Battle of Hoth seemed like it was made with a gingerbread future in mind, and having printed off some blueprints online, I set out to create one of the most challenging culinary treats I have thus far attempted. It really was like creating, and then assembling, an Ikea flat-packed product: the individual gingerbread pieces having to be cut, baked, and then “glued” together with sticky royal icing. The poor brittle legs did not, unfortunately, support the weight of the main body casing, but a well placed cup did the trick to hold this marvel in place. Hoth was easily recreated using icing sugar, bristle snow trees and a vintage 1980 AT-AT driver figure (not to scale, of course!).

The rest of the Xmas table was filled with a fleet of galactic treats:

Decor

R2-D2 fairy lights and star wars snowflakes added the finishing touches to the party!

MERRY FORCE BE WITH YOU!!

“Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast” – Thanksgiving 2013

December 24, 2013 by Eve England

Since attending my first thanksgiving dinner (albeit a Canadian one!) when at law school back in 2004, I have loved the traditions that come with these two North American holidays.

I have also had a good excuse to celebrate it most years, as the US holiday often falls on or around my birthday. This year, we decided to have a rustic theme, and to share the day with our two god-daughters and their parents.

A Potted History of Thanksgiving in the US

In 1621, pilgrims travelling from England onboard the Mayflower landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. The first few years for these pilgrims was difficult, as the strange lands of the East Coast failed to yield sufficient crops to sustain them. Many of the original settlers did not survive.

The traditional Thanksgiving celebration originates from the feast that the pilgrims shared with the Wampanoag Indians after the indigenous people taught the Pilgrims how to farm and cultivate the land. The first Thanksgiving feast was held over a number of days to celebrate the Pilgrim’s first successful harvest in their new home.

The holiday was originally one that developed as a result of anti-English sentiment, and became increasing popular in the United States up until the mid-nineteenth century. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared that a national day of Thanksgiving would take place on the last Thursday of November, however, President Franklin Roosevelt declared that Thanksgiving would instead be held on the third Thursday of November, with the holiday becoming a Federal holiday two years later in 1941.

The Thanksgiving Table

Food is an integral part of any Thanksgiving celebration, and Turkey takes centre stage amongst a number of other delicious dishes such as Marshmallow Pie, Cornbread Stuffing, Popovers and Pumpkin Pie.

Child’s Play

Having two young guests for the first time meant that we needed to have some form of entertainment ready for them. Balloon ship races were held, along with an M&M “build a turkey” game.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!

Printables purchased from Etsy store: Pretty Little Papers

Yeah, Science! A Heisenberg Halloween

November 7, 2013 by Eve England

*(WARNING: spoiler alert)*

The end of AMC‘s Breaking Bad proved VERY timely for Halloween twenty thirteen.   

The show chronicles the transformation of Walter White, from a Nobel award contributor, and high school chemistry teacher, into ALBUQUERQUE ’S meth king-pin supremo. Far from being the protagonist of the series, WALT proves to be the catalyst for the disintegration of all that is good around him, and we are witness to how he becomes the embodiment of the TUMOUR that threatens his own existence.

Chemistry is the study of change

Chemistry, and not Walt, however, is Breaking Bad’s most notable character, and specific credit must be given to the show’s refusal to dumb down the science references used. Instead, the writers relish in the opportunity to meticulously describe, visualise and explain the complex chemical processes used by MR WHITE and his tragically humorous side-kick, JESSE.

There was no question, therefore, that a CHEMISTRY LAB would serve as the backdrop to our Halloween festivities.

Beakers, conical flasks, volumetric flasks, test tubes and clamps set the scene, and a black light along with a special delivery of DRY ICE from Chillisticks added the finishing touches to the display.

Frozen carbon dioxide sublimates when added to a cool Hendricks and tonic, dispersing the wonderful cucumber aroma in the dense vapour. Dry ice is available to purchase in the UK from www.chillistick.com  

A high proportion of screen time focuses on the pair’s METHAMPHETAMINE  manufacturing facilities, as well as demonstrating how Walt applies his technical GENIUS to building brilliant devices, concocting poisons and mastering the technique of “living tissue” disposal (the infamous “bath tub” scene in season one is quite apt for a Halloween appearance!).

“The methylamine keeps flowing, no matter what. We are not ramping down. We’re just getting started. Nothing stops this train.”

The molecular formula for methamphetamine  and mercury fulminate

Tonic water contains QUININE, which fluoresces under UV light  

It may be blue, but it’s the bomb

Cinematographers have succeeded in developing a rich visual identity for the show, with COLOUR playing its own significant role. Frame by frame, colour is used to distinguish between characters, moods and landscapes, and the vibrancy of the show’s enhanced pallets are striking.

Beneke’s End

BLUE, in particular, pervades the series, as word of the chemical purity of HEISENBERG’S signature blue crystal spreads across the South West, beyond the border into cartel country, and later into Eastern Europe.   

Walter White + Elliott and Gretchen Schwarz = GREY MATTER, Marie’s obsession with the colour purple, Skyler and Jesse PINKman are further examples of how colour saturates the show.

Woodrow Wilson? Willy Wonka? Walter White?

Tread Lightly

As an English Literature graduate, and having elected to enrol on a number of critical theory classes, I love how multi LAYERED Breaking Bad is, and has proved (with hindsight) to be. Its imagery and symbolism is boundless, and provides a vast catalogue of interpretations ready to be devoured by all literary criticism enthusiasts.

No! I am the one who knocks!

Although the true meanings of these symbols are widely debated, there is consensus that seasons two’s PINK TEDDY BEAR is the most iconic of them all.

It’s vivid deep CERISE hue and two-face-esq burns have continuing significance from season two onwards, and particularly for the shocking finale of season four. If you are yet to watch the show, or wish to rediscover it (which I would, by the way, certainly recommend), you could have some fun and play a game of Where’s Wally/Waldo, with Wally/Waldo substituted by this pink teddy. There are at least three other sightings of him in season two…

Margoli Macarons

Just because you shot Jesse James, don’t make you Jesse James

Los Hermanos Polos Goodiebag Station

Castor Bean Ricin Candy Cigarettes and “Blue Sky” sherbet

Yeah, bit*h! Magnets!

Ozymandias: I did it for me. I liked it. I was good at it.

At its heart, Breaking Bad is a good old-fashioned MORALITY play, with undertones of a classic Western. Refreshingly DARK, Breaking Bad really does deserve all the hype and critical acclaim it has received during its five year run, and I for one, will certainly miss it!

Heisenberg. You’re goddamn right!

Environment: Hostile

October 6, 2013 by Eve England

The METEOR CRATER near Winslow, Arizona, is the windiest place I have ever been to.

So much so, that all tours skirting the impact crater’s rim on the day we visited had been cancelled, out of fear of tourists plummeting to their deaths, some 170 meters towards the crater floor! If I were being completely truthful, however, looking out over the sheer magnitude of the landmark on our arrival was certainly enough to change my mind about traversing the outer part of the CRATER, the series of stairs being quite enough to manage in the ferociously high speeds that welcomed us out on the staged ledges!

I have always been mesmerized by the crater, having first see it in the Jeff Bridges sci-fi classic, STARMAN, in the late eighties. To think that this colossal hole in the ground was caused by a relatively small fragment of space rock (one that was approximately 150 ft in diameter) that had been propelled towards Earth following a collision within the ASTEROID BELT, is truly awe-inspiring.

The self-proclaimed “best preserved meteorite crater on Earth” (also known as the Barringer Crater after the engineer who first suggested that the formation had actually been created as a result of a METEORITE, and not a volcano, as had previously been believed), is approximately 1200 meters in diameter, and is over 170 meters deep. The rim alone rises over 45 meters above the Arizona plains surrounding it. It is said that the iron meteorite (Canon Diablo) weighed 300,000 tons, and would have exploded with a force over 150 times that of the ATOMIC BOMBS used by the Allies to end WWII on impact.

It surely would have been a cataclysmic event for the unsuspecting mammals and other pre-historic wildlife occupying the area some 50,000 years ago, with the vast grassland and forest area being decimated by the force of the blast, leaving behind only the crater we see today.

But even when you are fully conversant with the statistics, it is difficult to comprehend the actual size of it. The large rock at the top middle of the crater (below) is actually the size of a house!

The following sequence of photographs provide another sense of scale, where the white square at the centre of the crater (in the first picture) includes a 6 ft ASTRONAUT cut-out (which can be seen more clearly in the third):

One of my personal favourite facts about the crater (being a Space Monkey, of course) is that it was actually used by NASA astronauts during the APOLLO programme to simulate the craters on the Moon. Not only did these training sessions help advance the Space Race, their focus on the crater itself proved fundamental for the understanding of the formation and origin of both terrestrial and lunar craters.

As we approached the end of our road trip, travelling along the famous Route 66 en-route back to Vegas, unbeknown to me, and somewhat significantly, the VOYAGER 1 probe was making its way towards the far reaches of our solar system, and finally entered into interstellar space in September 2013. For those of you who have not seen Starman, the movie begins as the protagnoists’ species intercepts VOYAGER 2. They discover the 12-inch gold-plated phonograph record attached to the outside of the module, and decide to send a scout (Starman) to the planet from whence it came.

It is difficult not to be inspired by the feat achieved by all of those involved in the Voyager mission, in particular. To think that mankind has successfully sent a man-made object over 12 billion miles, and that this object began its journey over 35 years ago, is remarkable. However, whether this little messenger ever reaches intelligent life or not, is another thing. Although the DRAKE EQUATION hypothesises that intelligent life must exists elsewhere in the Universe, the expanding vastness of space means that the odds of us ever encountering such beings is, it would seem, highly improbable.

“The real friends of the space voyager are the stars. Their friendly, familiar patters are constant companions, unchanging, out there” – James Lovell

For more information on the Voyager programme, visit: http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov and for more information about the Meteor Crater, visit http://www.meteorcrater.com and http://www.barringercrater.com

Crater sized souvenir mug for enjoying gallons of tea!

“It is not down on any map; true places never are.” – Moby Dick Baby Mobile

September 30, 2013 by Eve England

I WAS DELIGHTED WHEN MY GOOD FRIEND, CLARE, TOLD ME THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE A BABY.

What wasn’t so helpful was her deciding that she wanted the sex of the baby to be a surprise, thus making the finding of a suitable gift all the more tricky! (how very inconsiderate of her;))

I knew I wanted to make something. I wanted it to be useful. What about a mobile? Babies seem to like those…

But what form should this mobile assume, I asked? It had to be relatively neutral, of course. No pink FAIRIES or ASTRONAUTS (although I must guiltily confess that I was “almost” persuaded with the latter option, if only to try and exert at least some influence over the taste of this soon-to-be-introduced-to-the-world little darling!). But no. That would have been selfish of me.

So, whilst trawling through the wonderful images packed onto Pinterest, I found my inspiration: a beautiful grey felt whale, surrounded by gorgeous paisley fish.

Aha! MOBY DICK it is!

Admittedly, this is not the most obvious choice for an infant bedtime story, not with all the hostility and violence between Captain ISHMAEL and the monster, Moby Dick, and all. But notwithstanding the novel’s darker passages and adult musings, there is no question that Moby Dick is a literary classic, and unfortunately, it seems, the book is not as widely read as certainly it should be.

The appropriateness of the works was, alongside my choosing of it in the first place, however, vindicated, as I proceeded to commandeer a copy of a lovely little board-book of the Herman MELVILLE epic, which illustrated the novels plot line, characters (Ishmael, Moby Dick & DAGGOO) and key words (Octopus, HARPOON (yes, really?!)). It’s vivid orange and blue hues contributing the colour scheme I used in the final version.

The mobile was made using grey marl felt for Moby; spotty grey and orange fabric for the shoal, and DRIFTWOOD collected from LAVERNOCK beach just outside Penarth, which just also happens to be a geologist’s delight, if you’re interested…

As a last minute addition, I decided to incorporate four beautiful small shells at the end of each arm that I had collected from SANIBEL Island on the West Coast of FLORIDA last April, including a tiny SAND DOLLAR. Florida has a special place in Clare’s heart, and I thought she would like having this little piece of THE SUNSHINE STATE hanging in her nursery to remind her of all the happy holidays she has spent there over the years, and will hopefully enjoy more of in the years to come.

“I try all things, I achieve what I can.” – Herman Melville

And so this will be my gift to the lovely Clare Jr : The promise that he will never be without stories, and that he will forever have the imagination to bring all stories to life.

God bless your little cotton socks – I can’t wait to meet you!

Lavernock, Wales

PARTY LIKE GATSBY

September 19, 2013 by Eve England

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the CHAMPAGNE and the STARS.”

The Invitation

When one of my good friends mentioned that she was planning on having a 1920s theme for her thirtieth birthday party, I jumped at the chance of helping her with the party planning. Having visited one of the many “speakeasy” bars in New York, “Bath Tub Gin” in Chelsea last November, I already had some thoughts of how we should go about transforming her pad into a “joint” worthy of the approval of AL CAPONE himself.

Bath Tub Gin, Chelsea NYC

The Jazz Age

The ROARING TWENTIES has become one of the most iconic eras of modern American history: beginning with the end of the Great War, and culminating in the financial implosion that was the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This period was defined by juxtaposition, with the social elites immersing themselves in luxurious decadence in exclusive suburbs, as the rest of the population struggled to make ends meet in increasingly industrialised and harsh living conditions. The success of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and the recent Baz Luhrmann adaptation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald literary classic, The Great Gatsby, only confirm our fascination with this decade.

In many ways, THE GREAT GATSBY is a timeless classic, its themes consistent with the “boom or bust” attitudes that have permeated the Western world since the early 2000s. Jay-Z’s morphing of jazz-age sounds into a twenty first century soundtrack cleverly transposes the frivolities and excesses of a Gatsby-esq romp into one that would be fit for the bright young things of today. Luhrmann’s Gatsby provides a visual frenzy of glitz and glamour, with diamonds, champagne and lavish attire dominating the screen. The movie’s collaboration with New York’s TIFFANY & CO, in particular, epitomises the obscene wealth of both the “old money” elite and the “nouveau riche” of Long Island, with the beautiful Carey Mulligan, donning the spectacular Savoy headpiece, embodying all that was desirable in the flapper generation.

But parties and frivolities aside, The Great Gatsby also alludes to the far darker side of this period, as Jay Gatsby himself is rumoured to be involved in the criminal underworld that underpinned 1920s AMERICA. In fact, it seems that the introduction of prohibition in 1919 is what most of us are utterly fascinated by, and most notably associate with, this period.

Prohibition 101

PROHIBITION in the US came into effect with the passing of the eighteenth amendment to the Constitution, with the Volstead Act defining which “intoxicating liquor” would be prohibited, and setting out how the ban would be enforced. What many people are not aware of is that the consumption of alcohol was not itself illegal, but the sale, production and transportation of alcohol made it difficult for people to obtain alcohol during the period between 1919 and 1933.

Initially, the US government banned alcohol over a certain alcohol content with a view of saving grain during the war effort, but this ban was taken to a new level with the passing of the eighteenth amendment, which took effect in January 1920. This was seen as a victory for numerous “TEMPERANCE” societies that had been campaigning for similar laws since the mid nineteenth century. However, it was only a picric victory for these societies, as organised crime thrived in the bootlegging of alcohol across the United States following the introduction. It is said that, although alcohol consumption did decrease during this period, there continued to be large percentage of the population who continued to consume, often intoxicating, liquor during this period.

“I’ve been drunk for about a week now, and I thought it might sober me up to sit in a library.”

This continued consumption can be attributed, in part, to the opening of large numbers of “SPEAKEASY” clubs across the country. The term speakeasy was used prior to Prohibition, and is said to have originated in Pennsylvania which had a number of unlicensed saloons in the region. Run by the powerful organised crime gangs that sprung up during the period, these institutions proved particularly profitable, and provided gangsters, such as Al Capone, with the means to flourish in way that would never have been possible prior to the introduction of prohibition, and millions of dollars worth of profits in the bootlegging market were readily available to these unscrupulous individuals during this time.

“It’s a great advantage not to drink among hard drinking people.”

Alcohol produced by distillers employed by such gangsters meant that these criminal organisations monopolised the entire market (although smaller distillers of “MOONSHINE” were also prevalent during this period), and the authorities did not have sufficient resource to prevent the rapid expansion of these businesses. during the early years of prohibition. However, whether produced by smaller distillers or by those run by large organised crime groups, these illicit, high-proof distilled spirits were often dangers and poorly produced, and could often contain antifreeze or even lead.

In an attempt to help prevent BOOTLEGGERS using industrial ethyl alcohol to produce alcohol, the government ordered the poisoning of industrial alcohols. But this only made the gangsters more creative, and they hired specialised chemists to re-nature this alcohol specifically to try and make it “drinkable”. More extreme measures were adopted when this poisoning method failed to hinder the production of illicit alcohol, and methyl alcohol was then added to industrial stock. Controversially, it is said that that up to 10,000 US citizens died from consuming alcohol distilled from stock containing this deadly additive, a statistic that the government of the time was keen to ignore.

Prohibition Legacy

However, for us folk of the twenty first century, at least, the prohibition proved to be the catalyst for the development of the vast array of COCKTAILS that we all continue to enjoy today. Prior to prohibition, 19^th century so called “classic cocktails” celebrated the raw taste of the liquor, but with the lack of the availability of premium products during prohibition, speakeasy proprietors sought to mask the usually highly unpleasant taste of moonshine by concocting different an elaborate combinations of alcohol and mixers. Some of the cocktails that still survive today include Bees Knees (cocktails using honey, lemon and orange juice to mask the god-awful gin that was available at the time), and the classic Highball, a cocktail that added ginger beer to any of the dark spirits that would have been prevalent at the time.

The “Easy” Speakeasy Reproduction

My friend’s house lent itself perfectly to this theme, with large exposed stone walls, high ceilings and rustic wood flooring. It was a “roaring” success, with an authentic cocktail bar, opulent canapé buffet, charades and VINTAGE style guest book.

For more details about how to re-create your very own speakeasy themed party, please visit the wonderful BLOOMING BOO blog (available at http://bloomingbooboo.blogspot.co.uk ) within the next couple of days where you will find the guest piece I have prepared on the topic.

Rose beef bites (recipe from Angel Adoree, The Vintage Tea Party Year)

Rose beef bites (recipe from Angel Adoree’s The Vintage Tea Party Year)

Pear & stilton star baskets (courtesy of Angel Adoree, The Vintage Tea Party)

Pear & stilton star baskets (recipe from Angel Adoree’s The Vintage Tea Party)

Date devils on horseback (courtesy of Angel Adoree, The Vintage Tea Party Year)

Date devils on horseback (recipe from Angel Adoree’s The Vintage Tea Party Year)

Gold-leaf macarons

White vanilla marshmallows

Red velvet cupcakes with dried pineapple flowers

Candy cigarette favours

“The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun, and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music, and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out at a cheerful word. The groups change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath; already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the centre of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light.”

F.Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

AMITY ISLAND: Birthplace of the Summer Blockbuster

July 8, 2013 by Eve England

INDEPENDENCE DAY, the most important of all US public holidays, has not been the same since 1975. The terror invoked by the iconic “DER DUM” of John Williams’ award winning score, has changed our relationship with the sea forever.

Jaws’ absence from the movie makes it all the more powerful, the suggestion of his presence fuelling a relentless sense of anticipation and dread as the scenes progress. The severed limbs, screaming, and the gushing of blood into the water all add to the frenzy brewing in the viewer’s imagination, but it is not until around the ninetieth minute mark that the Great White monster graces us with an appearance. However, Jaws may never have been the success it eventually was, had it not been for the catastrophic failures suffered by “Bruce”, the mechanical shark created as the starring role of the movie. Endless issues with the machine meant that Spielberg made the decision that would lead to him being ordained as the father of the summer blockbuster, by returning to the editing suite to change the focus of the picture from an all-out monster movie, to the menacing thriller we are all now familiar with.

The release of Jaws proved to be a watershed moment for cinema on yet another front, as its production team pioneered a new business model involving the simultaneous release of the movie at hundreds of theatres across the country, thus maximising audience figures. Almost overnight, this distribution model, along with a new trend for aggressive merchandising and marketing, became the norm, and commanded rocket profits (or epic flops) at the box office. Without Jaws we would never have grown up with Han, Indiana, Sloth or Marty, and life just wouldn’t have been the same.

And so, in tribute of cinema’s first summer blockbuster, Jaws became the inspiration for this year’s independence day celebrations.

Decor

I was fortunate enough to discover a wonderful seller on Etsy, “HelloMySweet”, from whom I ordered a set of Jaws-themed printables, and these fantastic prints brought the whole theme together wonderfully:

The red, white and blue was accented with splashes of yellow, and the nautical theme continued with the addition of the cherry and red Amity Beach huts (again, courtesy of HelloMySweet).

Our fish tank was made up to replicate the famous Jaws lobby poster, our little Black Fish bobbing perilously close to the fearsome beast…

…whilst the original printable poster was lovingly defaced in recognition of the creativity of Amity’s unruly youth.

Entertainment

Realising early on that some of the party had not, in fact, EVER seen Jaws (Yes, you did read that correctly!!), I quickly procured our copy to educate these deprived individuals. This was necessitated partly by the fact that I had prepared a Jaws Quiz especially for the occasion…

However, this “education” was somewhat delayed by the majority vote to watch British (Scottish) national treasure, Andy Murray, snatching a place in the Semi-finals of Wimbledon from the jaws (sorry, that was Mrs Keates’ suggestion!) of rival Verdasco. Murray, for those of you who did not have access to a telly over the weekend or who were otherwise indisposed, made British tennis history on Sunday by becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry way back in 1936. Great stuff, Andy!

However, I digress…

The Food

Blue food was the flavour of the day, although it was not possible to extend this theme to the “Brody Burger” station, without making the food inedible! However, blue, and nautical themed, desserts were easier to prepare, my favourite being the wonderful homemade bubblegum ice-cream and mochi which sat comfortably on the sea of blue jelly.

Buoys and Jellyfish

Goldfish crackers and pretzels

Krispy Kreme donuts and royal icing

Mini corn-dog muffins

“Blue velvet” shark cakes,

Popcorn

End credits

The final tribute came in the form of the “Take a bite home” goodie bags, which included rare 1983 vintage Topps Jaws 3D trading cards & a giant sharks purchased from the wonderful Sugar Factory store in Las Vegas.