Jo Darby // I’ve not been a blogger for that long and I’m certainly not niche. I dart about my everyday life, which includes large chunks of the internet, finding things that interest, annoy or inspire me and then write about them. I write because I like to write and when I think things are cool, I want to share and document them. Yes, I get a kick out of seeing my page views rise and the occasional comment I receive but mainly I write for me and if you read it and like it and come back for more, then that’s awesome too.
Enjoy!
My cinema-going friend managed to get to the final booking page for tickets on his iPhone 4 before we got to the desk (though there was a £1.40 booking fee). Impressive application of modern technology, not particularly impressive customer service. How long before we can do away with humans for these particular applications all together?
Also, can anybody tell me the justification for the booking fee?
We celebrated the Royal Wedding today and well, it was pretty fancy. Bunting ahoy, plenty of Pimms and cucumber sandwiches.
Check out how our day compared to Kate and Wills'
My Day
8:30am: Alarm - hit snooze
8:39am: Alarm - hit snooze
8:48am: Alarm - get up, amble to shower
9:00am - 10am: Get ready.
10:05am: Man comes to door to delivery my Forever 21 parcel, I have Claire's Accessories fascinator atop my head, he seems nonchalant about my appearance and doubt he noticed my crown earrings.
10:15am: Watch William and Harry leave for the Abbey.
10:25am: Dash over to Sarah's house in time to watch Kate leave
10:35am: Arrive at Sarah's and settle down in front of TV with nice cup of tea in royal mugs
10:51am: Watch Kate leave for the Abbey, with mixed feelings about the glimpses of the dress we saw.
11:01am: Scrutinise Kate's dress. Decide the top part is nice, we're not sure about the bottom, she looks quite European and it suits her, but it's probably not for us. I also thought she was wearing too much eyeliner under her eyes, but no one else agreed.
12:15pm: Enjoyed the ceremony, though got a little slow in parts, so we commented amongst ourselves, mixed and drank some Pimms, mixed and drank some Chambord and Cava and ate some cupcakes with Kate and Wills' faces on them.
Continued in a similar vein as above and watched The Mall fill up with people that would have got a better view from the comfort of their sofa.
1:25pm: The balcony scene: Not one, but two kisses - hurrah! We weren't massively enamoured with the first kiss, so we're glad they did a second take.
1:45pm: Retire to the garden to continue with Pimms, Cava, BBQed meat, pavlova and (mount)battenburg cake and speculate which celebrities we would invite to our own royal weddings. We think the couple probably didn't have soup to start, but may have eaten veal or venison.
5:30pm: Head home to check out the Celebitchy analysis online and blog!
Their Day (largely speculated)
6:00am Woken up by a chorus of specially trained bluebirds (a la Cinderella)
7:00am - 9:00am: Getting ready, Catherine doing her own make-up (apparently). Yes, I don't think it would have taken her too long to get ready, she's already pretty flawless and well turned out.
9:00am - 10am: Official Wedding photos and such.
10:15am: William and the lovely Harry leave Clarence House for the Abbey looking both spiffing and dapper. Harry looks more nervous than his older brother. Lots of waving
10:51am: Limo comes to door of Goring Hotel to take Catherine to the Abbey. Catherine leaves with her father. Lots more waving
11:01am: Catherine, begins the epic trek up the aisle of the tree-lined Westminster Abbey. Harry appears more relaxed, glances down the aisle and appears to make some sort of joke to William.
12:15pm (approx): Service seems to go well. Some great hymns, including Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer and crowd-pleaser Jeruseleum. Couple leave the Abbey. Lots of waving and cheering and a grumpy bridesmaid.
1:25pm: The balcony scene: Not one, but two kisses - hurrah! The crowd goes wild! Grumpy bridesmaid covers ears during noisy fly past.
1:45pm: Head to one of many banquetting halls in Buckingham palace for a 600 guest strong wedding breakfast (probably first time Catherine's eaten all day).
4:00pm: Gad about in Daddy's Aston Martin with 'Just Wed' number plate - aww! Head for Clarence House and chill out for a bit.
7:00pm: Head back to the palace for evening reception with 300 of their closest friends and family. I think this is where the real fun begins... what I'd give for a golden ticket to that shindig!
For all of my sarcastic commentary and alternative festivities, I am really happy for the couple. It's been a beautiful event, a day off work and a great spectacle for the whole of the UK and beyond. I think this represents a growing trend towards a shift in public opinion to the Royals.
I definitely think Charlie should abdicate, but that's probably a whole other post.
Congratulations to the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. (I don't understand that name - why Cambridge?)
In less that 24 hours the Royal Wedding will be upon us and I will have sunk a glass of Pimms before noon - bring on the cucumber sandwiches and coronation chicken hors d'oeuvres.
I will also be using a royal name for the day and have found this formula via a friend's Facebook status. I'll be using elements of this, mixed with my own name.
Actually celebrating the Royal Wedding on the acreage of Lady Sarah Vincent-Piper - posh!
So...
One cordially invites you to share your royal wedding guest name
One possibility for me would be:
Lady Harold Rupert-Earlswood of Gabalfa Roundabout - needs some work.
I love a good wedding, so the Royal Wedding of Wills and Kate is no exception. Worryingly, my invitation seems to have been lost in the post; this is one of many on going disputes with the Royal Mail, so Harry will be left without his plus one. However, I'm gearing up for a garden party at my friend, Sarah's house. She has a double-barrelled surname and eats game birds, therefore POSH!
So, this is a special edition of Cool Stuff to celebrate Cool Britannia and the Royal nuptuals...enjoy!
I think this has already gone viral, and rightly so. With inspiration taken from Jill and Kevin's Big Day, which went viral a few years back, this puts a royal spin on a wedding entrance and ties in perfectly with T-mobiles tagline 'Life if for sharing.' It would seriously make me switch contract, especially on the back of an appalling recent experience with O2; but let's not discuss that today. Today is a happy day.
There is some beautiful tat about to commemorate the Royal Wedding. Even the Middleton's are in on the act with this British Street Party paraphernalia - classy!
We've already bought some of our favourite stuff.
We have royal cake toppers for the our fairy cakes
My friend Amy was lucky enough to receive a royal (and very modern) tea towel - there are a few available so pick your favourite.
We've also bought a knit your own Royal Wedding
As well as paper dolls you can cut out and dress up.
Sarah's made bunting, I'm making the cup cakes, Paul will be BBQing and Laura will be on hand with the sherry. I'll try and tweet throughout the ceremony and add plenty of pictures.
Hello!
So, while I haven't been keeping up with my blog entries, I have been keeping up with all the cool stuff that's been happening and boy, are you in for a treat?
The M1 in London was closed for a considerable amount of time over the last week, due to a fire under the arches of a bridge for the M1. This caused widespread disruption at a time when people were trying to travel about; this time of year is popular for holiday makers. This incident was not cool, either literally or figuratively, however, what this confident and opportunistic individual did was...
Yes folks, this is Extreme Ironing and this bloke is making light of a negative situation - I love it!
Next on the list is a by a funny chap called Oli. This chap makes me want to get better at GIMP, so I too can trouble and subtly irritate my friends. Just by tweaking a few small elements of him friend, James', face, he has managed to annoy the few, but entertain the masses. Clever, cool and hilarious.
Check out James' Face here.
Lastly, and I must credit Gawker for bringing this to my attention, what happens when you tickle a baby penguin? This...
This video has been passed around my friends like wild fire. It cheers my up no end and I love sharing it.
Drop me a comment and let me know what cool stuff you've seen around the internet (and beyond) this week, or any time infact.
I finally figured out how to watermark using GIMP and Movie Maker and put it to good use on my first Hofnar upload. Many more coming...
Connect with me:I was recently asked for some literature recommendations, so I thought I'd share my suggestions.
I happened upon these in Tesco yesterday. I have no doubt that they are delicious, but what exactly makes them special edition? It seemed like an odd label to attached to salad leaves, so I thought I'd take a photo and share it.
