Saturday 28 May 2011

Fashion & Shopping

Living in the UK I have realised the shopping is pants crap in my opinion.  Let me give you a quick run down on a few of the stores.  Believe it or not the grocery stores have clothing sections and they are quite popular.

Grocery Stores
ASDA - This is owned by Walmart so the clothing line is by George.  (Someone said he used to work for Next haha)
I do own a few things from ASDA such as joggers sweatpants for working out and a few tops and they aren't that bad but obviously aren't the best quality.
Tesco - They carry the Cherokee line which I believe Target carried as well.  I think the selection is crap but I did get a bathing costume suit there and I kinda dig it and it wasn't insanely expensive like the states.
Sainsbury's - They have more of a selection the the above grocery store in my opinion.  Nice selection of jumpers sweater, casual dresses, tops and I do love my PJ's from there. I am still unsure of the quality but only time will tell.

Other Stores
Next - Everyone raves about this store but honestly I wonder how old you need to be to wear some of this stuff?  The smart casual line isn't bad but it is really hit or miss for me, I think most store in the US or UK are like that for me.  I will say I think the website is better then the actual store. 
River Island - Good lord - I have NEVER ever found anything I would wear in this store.  It's like a hoochie store on wheels to me but then again maybe I am to "old" for this store. I always give this place a chance and walk in, do the tour and walk out.
Matalan - This store I do like for some reason maybe because it is like a mini Kohl's.  Except they carry the papaya brand in normal people sizes unlike that store in the states.  Also the rural romance collection is fab.
Peacock's - Varied styles, decent prices and kind of reminds me of a baby version of forever 21.  I own a few things from here as well.
Primark - This is throw away clothes central.  You buy it cheap and it falls apart after you wash it.  The lines are insane most of the time and crap is thrown everywhere in the store, no I have never seen a tidy Primark.

Also some prices here are insane.  Example I went into the Guess store to check out a pair of jeans and they wanted 90 quid - can you say holy crap! Don't covert that or you might puke.  Where as in the states I can get 2 pairs of Guess jeans for 50 bucks. You can bet I didn't buy them here.

The fashion is totally different since never in my life would I think I would wear leggings or jeggings (again) but here I am loving it.  So it's not all bad...just different.  I would just love a Kohl's to come to town or even a Target but even if they did, it would not be the same.  Those stores would need to succumb to British standards and fashion to make it and that would defeat the point.  So I will just buy when I see something I fancy or just wait to hit the states and stock up on Kohl's, Macy's and Old Navy.

Of course I am no fashion guru but I do like a decent top and a good pair of jeans.  I won't even get started with what shoes come into fashion in both countries because honestly I giggle too much.

So where is your favourite place to shop? Best deals to be had?

snow wife

I always say shopping is cheaper than a psychiatrist.
-- Tammy Faye Bakker

Monday 23 May 2011

Advice on making new friends

So here you are in a foreign country and you left all your friends and are starting over.  Where do you start?  I am quite lucky I have some very good friends I met threw Prince Charming and they have been my saving grace since moving here and I love them to pieces.  Sometimes I do wish I had my own click and own friends so everything wasn't so intertwined.
This requires me to get out and meet people for goodness sake.
Where do you go?
Won't you feel like the pimple face 12 year old just starting a new school and trying to say hi to someone?
You don't want to be psycho and ask for someones number and have them guffaw do you?

Moving to a new country can almost be worse then starting a new school because a new country has different cultures and etiquette that some of us are obviously not aware of so you need to learn the rules first.  No one wants to be that crazy foreigner as its hard enough having someone rip your culture apart.  I love a bit of banter about how somethings I find crazy in this country and then hear how they find XYZ crazy about mine. It's all good in the hood when it's banter.

So meeting new friends is like dating and I thought I was done dating once I got married...not so much.
So getting out and joining a club or taking a class to meet people should be what I am doing but it's always easier said then done.  I hate being the new person with the accent. Full Stop.

Maybe I will make it a goal of mine to take one class on ANYTHING just to say I went and it wasn't that bad.  The problem isn't here, it's anywhere I hate showing up alone to a class where everyone already has a click because it reminds me so much of all the new schools I went to over my life.  Being the new person sucks but as someone once said, " get over it" so maybe I should.  I can dish out the advice but taking it is so much harder.

There is a great site called http://www.meetup.com/ which is worldwide (well at least in the US and the UK) but of course for me its a little farther away then  would like hmmm maybe I will create my own!

snow wife

"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods."
- Aristotle

Monday 16 May 2011

You can't pick your family...

Everyone has heard that old saying, " You can pick your friends but you can't pick your family." Wow nothing rings truer then that.

Family is a funny thing since these are people who are either family by blood or love.  These are people who should tell you when you are wrong, pick you up when you fall or hug you when you feel down. right?

Nope some live in a world, I guess I haven't had the privilege to visit - its called lala land.  Where the world revolves around them, man I wish I had a pass to that theme park.  Not everyone will see eye to eye but you should always respect a person for being a human being. You don't have to agree with everything but you do need to keep the attitude in check.

I would hope my family would tell me if I was acting crazy, help me get the best bang for my buck, give advice when it would make my life better.  I do also wish that family would learn to know when to shut up and when to butt out.  In this world you have one life and it is the longest thing you will ever do so you better enjoy it.  This means staying positive and enjoying life.  Life is not always rainbows and kittens but it is what you make it - so choose wisely.

Everyone I don't care who you are or what culture you are from should use basic manners such as:

Please - adverb (used as a polite addition to requests, commands, etc.) if you would be so obliging; kindly: Please come here. Will you please turn the radio off?

Thank you - adjective expressing one's gratitude or thanks: a thank-you note

I am not one for airing dirty laundry on the internet but little reminders to the rest of the world to be polite and live life doesn't hurt. Get up and dance, learn to cook what you want, snuggle with your dwarfs and significant other, plan romantic things even if it involves a candle and a frozen pizza and most of all smile.  Never let people walk on your or treat you like, don't get taken advantage of and favours work like a two way street.

Smile on people ;-)

snow wife

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

Monday 9 May 2011

We all need a recap once in awhile - right?

So much news has happened from April to now - I needed a recap and I know you did too since you may have forgotten the events or just didn't know yet - see #4 news

1. April 29th - The Royal Circus Wedding.  It was beautiful to watch but I didn't need 24 hours of it and the many months leading up to it.  I admit I didn't give a rat's ass but I did want to see the kiss from the balcony.  why?  I was hoping he would dip her and give her a proper snog not a basic peck. Sadly that didn't happen.
I did buy this mug because I loved it! You should check out her site and if you fancy a mug as well you can get one no matter where you live!







2. May 2nd - President Obama announced Osama bin Laden is dead.  He was killed by Navy Seal team #6 in Pakistan.  The world went crazy.  Some celebrated in the streets by chanting USA and others felt relief but knew this wasn't really over since terrorism doesn't die with one man. It was a key piece of history but I don't believe anything is really over.  You can choose to disagree since I admire freedom of speech.

3. May 5th - AV voting here in the UK.  The referendum didn't pass which I thought was a shame.  I was hoping it would shake up the voting here since I am told over and our seats don't change *insert party here* has had *insert part of the country* for donkey's years. Well then they keep voting for the same ol same and that is the people's fault.  No we don't even get a presence for the other party so yes you go with the only one you have a clue about.  I think this is a lazy problem but I understand it from a political advertising campaign.  I just hoped this AV would shake that up - it lost big style.

4. May 9th - the most important news EVER.  US X factor judges have all been confirmed. Cheryl Cole IS on the panel (woohoo) and confirmed on Sunday night Paula Abdul is BACK (holy mole). Yeah Yeah Nicole Scherzinger is gonna host but I could give a rat's ass.  Let's go US X factor - I cant wait to see if they do it the same or if it will turn into American Idol BS (because I could never ever watch AI).

Well that is my news recap as it keeps me on my toes and always me to reflect years and years from now when I let my dwarf take over this blog (I must still be sleeping).

snow wife

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.”
 Robert Brault  - Poet

Monday 2 May 2011

S&M and our kids?

Call me a prude, call me old fashioned but O.M.G the lyrics of some of these songs are disgusting that our dwarfs are singing.  Now, I like these songs but I am an adult BUT as a dwarf I loved 2 Live Crew so I know nasty lyrics and I loved every single one of them as well as Easy E.  Still it's more shocking when you hear your own dwarfs trying to get the lyrics right not just sing it and the words that come out of their mouth.
It's pop music and we listen to the same as the dwarfs but my parents never listened to the stuff I did as a child so they never heard me sing the lyrics.


There was a brilliant show here in the UK called The Sex Education Show and the 2nd installment was about not pimping out our kids.  High heels for kids? Get out! Music video and songs on before 9pm when kids are home from school? Seriously it was like selling sex.  I mean I love a good dance song but I have to sit back and think do I want my dwarf singing this lyric:

Rihanna - S&M
Cause I may be bad
But I’m perfectly good at it
Sex in the air
I don’t care
I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones
May break my bones
But chains and whips
Excite me


The youngest dwarf practiced getting this lyric right - chains and whips excite me.  Our jaws dropped.  I am sure she has no idea what this exactly means but is it right to have young dwarfs exposed to this?  In the US Tipper Gore brought forward Parental Advisory Labels for CD's that where considered adult content and the radio version were blurbed out.  Its not the word shit I have a problem with, its the act of sex and sexual activity.  As a world our dwarfs are getting pregnant at such early ages and I am not dumb enough to blame music but kids shouldn't know what whips and chains are until they are MUCH older.


With artists always pushing the envelope, how can we speak out to stop selling it to our dwarfs.  Dwarfs at age 12 don't need high heels, mascara, brightly coloured eye shadow, lipstick or some hoochie mama clothes.  Clothes is a whole other issue but store keep selling things I find HIGHLY inappropriate for anyone under the age of 18 - ripped leggings? (sorry thats a new topic for another day)

What songs do you think are inappropriate for kids?
How do you handle these type of songs with your kids?

snow wife


"Modern music is as dangerous as narcotics." -Pietro Mascagni