98: Senses 3

Third week (are you as surprised as I am that I'm managing to keep this up?!) of senses-sharing with you. It's a day later than planned, thanks to my having a bit of a poorly day yesterday, hence the early morning (yes, 9 am IS early!) posting today!

Tori Saw

Credit: Deliciously Ella

- First up are a couple of Pageant-related posts/vids (I'm behind on all things Honey Boo-Boo related, etc. etc. so please bear with) that I randomly stumbled across this week. I'm sharing them because a) they creep me out and b) they creep me out. If you want to spent a short while watching/reading something with wide eyes and a slack jaw, please, go ahead.

The article that started my search:

- A look inside the Beauty Pageant industry

Other things I found:

- That one of the girls from Toddlers and Tiaras (which I've never seen) seems to be some sort-of big world-wide-web star. Look what you find when you pop here name, Edin Wood, into a search engine... 

The fact she is only 8 terrifies me. Grant it, I don't watch this programme, so I don't know anything about her/her family/the show itself (other than, I'm guessing, the obvious - that it features toddlers, or thereabouts, in tiaras) but, and I hate to say it, the overly-grown up make-up/hairstyles/outfits etc echo those of a little girl whose story I've followed since I first read her name back when I was barely a teenager (sensitive subject matter) and that can't ever be a good thing:

- True Crime - JonBenet Ramsey

- Other webby articles that took my fancy this week (thank you to Kelly for highlighting the awesomeness that is The Oatmeal in her Friday Favourites):

- How much do cats actually kill? (it's a comic, go with it!)

- How and why to use whom in a sentence (because I never, ever know the correct usage and, at 27, feel I

should)

- Crazy awesome details in films that I never would have noticed if it weren't for this article

Also...

- This week I found the most gorgeously taste-bud tantalizingly scrummy looking blog that is Deliciously Ella. I stumbled across it thanks to a retweet (oh guys, twitter really does do all sorts of good) and, after making the decision to try and cut a few things out of my diet (see below), I'm going to do my best to follow Ella's beautiful recipes and whip up something 'free from gluten, dairy, sugar, meat and all refined and processed ingredients'.

- Last night I finished reading The Casual Vacancy by J K Rowling and, I must say, I really truly enjoyed it. The buying of said book was prompted by Becky's review here - if you fancy finding out more, do click through. I'm not the best at reviewing so I'll happily leave this one up to Becky!

Tori Smelt

An out-take from our Peak District adventure (more shaggy-haired sheep!)

- My boys shampoo (it smells better on his head than it does mine).

- This weeks freshly washed duvet/sheet et al. That I remembered to hang it to dry in the landing (normally I leave it in the lounge and it ends up smelling of food and thus is like sleeping in a bloody kitchen) was a miracle. A sweet-smelling miracle.

- The freshest of fresh air on our midweek trip to the Peak District (which you can read about here).

Tori Tasted

Credit: Veggie num num

- I've followed a recipe from our Student Veggie handbook (or whatever) for Spanish Veggie Stew twice now and Saturday's little number, even if I do say so myself, was particularly lovely.

- I've decided to try and cut down on my dairy dependency (glass of milk every evening with dinner and lots of cheese daily, as well as the usual butter with bread - at breakfast and lunch - and milk in tea) so as to see if doing so will benefit my skin (decided upon after various convos with multiple lovely ladies). I started with vegan butter (a little too marg-like for me, unfortunately) and soya milk I found at Asda (sweetened, couldn't find anything else!) and think I will do fairly well with that (she says - I've yet to do it properly because of what I've been up to this week - come the cutting out of cake/biscuits, feel free to ask me again). I think, however, the giving up of cheese will be the hardest of it all!

Tori Felt

- This week is a bit of a negative one (sorry, sorry, I try) because I've been struggling with joint pain (I have joint hyper-mobility syndrome, a description of which is probably best left to another time!) that has now spread to my fingers. I intend to go back and speak to my doctor/chase up my physio appointment for the second time because it's actually rather worrying - I mean, I use my hands all the time and, although it doesn't stop me from doing anything, I am entirely and always conscious of pain/aches in my wrists and finger joints. As you can imagine, I'd prefer if I wasn't!

(and no, I can't play the piano, I just felt the picture was, well, rather fitting!)

Tori Listened To

Guys, cupcake headphone. Cupcake ones. Cupcakes. Anyone else as excited as me?!!

- The fabulous album that is Rumours by the equally fabulous Fleetwood Mac

- This 'Immortal' number which I sang at the top of my lungs when the boy was working Saturday

Oh, and a randomly-youtube-picked collection, some of which you can find below:

- Youth - Daughter

- Naive - The Kooks

- Glory Box - Portishead

- Oblivion - Grimes

- How can you mend a broken heart? - Al Green (any Ally McBeal fans out there?!)

- The Virgin Suicides OST (this may deserve the trophy of best soundtrack ever, although probably because it's the only one I've ever listened to all the way through)

And there we have it for another week. Happy Monday!!