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WHAT AMY DID NEXT

"I love. I have loved. I will love." - The Time Travellers Wife

Indefinite Hiatus

Incase anyone was wondering where I had disappeared to, I'm taking an indefinite hiatus from Seventy Seven Broadway. My life is a mess at the moment, the boy and I split after three years and I've had to leave my whole life behind and try and start a new one. I haven't the emotional stability at the moment to keep a pleasant reading blog. I miss it, I do. But hey, we all have shit to deal with and i don't want other people to have to deal with my shit.

This is goodbye for now.

Not forever.

I promise.

http://iwilllove.tumblr.com
because sometimes it's better to say things in quotes and cliches.

April 2010 Snapshot

Was it me or did April really just fly? I had an incredibly busy month though so that could be why. I spent most of it working two jobs, the boy started full time on night shift, my best friend came to stay, I party hard and I worked harder... then before I knew it, it was May already! I don't think I realized it was May until the 3rd! I'm hoping May is a more relaxed month, I really need to get back to blogging properly, I have so much to say and just not enough time to do it in!

Photo taken Newcastle Quayside, 24/4/10

Listening...Boys Like Girls, Frank Turner, Ke$ha & Violent Femmes

Reading...The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (Still, like I said I've been ridiculous busy)

Watching...Too many Zachary Quinto youtube videos, thanks to my friend Namu.

Buying...A new bathmat and a MAC lipstick.

Wanting... To go back to NYC.

Trying... To have a life around my new job.

Loving.. Nights out with my friends, posh meals with my parents

Planning... well, making plans for what to do next year.

Making.... more time to spend with my boyfriend.

Writing... Still nothing really.

Cooking... for one since the boy is always on night shift.

Inspired by... Little J in Gossip Girl.

Four months of the year gone already, what is everyone looking forward to in May?

Film Review #8 'Clash of the Titans'

"The Clash of the Titans" is set in the Greek city of Argos where a war is about to explode between man and the gods. Perseus (Sam Worthington) raised as a fisherman, but is actually a demi-god. Perseus is the son of Zeus (Liam Neeson) who is about to take on the gods after the death of his family. Zeus' brother Hades (Ralph Fiennes) was the one who killed his family, and Perseus wants to kill him. However, it is Perseus's destiny to rescue the city of Argos from the ruthless rage of Hades and his Kraken monster. With nothing to lose, Perseus leads a band of soldiers on a quest to defeat the Kraken. In doing this, Perseus will prevent Hades from overthrowing Zeus and in turn destroying mankind." Plot taken from imdb.com

Last Tuesday, the boy and I finally got a day off together so we ventured to the local cinema. I really wanted to see the new Ellen Page film, Whip It but sadly they weren't showing it anymore! We also fancied Cemetery Junction but the only showing wasn't for another few hours so we settled on Clash of the Titans because I'm such a Greek Mythology geek.

We decided to see it in 3D because it was the fact it was Tuesday and tickets were cheap but to be perfectly honest I probably would of enjoyed it as much without it being in 3D. There was nothing that made it particular spectacular in 3D like seeing a cartoon or something like Avatar or Alice in Wonderland. So anyone who does go and see it, don't bother paying extra for the 3D, it's not worth it.

I'd heard a lot of mixed reviews about the film, initially had had bombed at the box office in the US, but when it was released here it became a huge hit. This is what made me curious enough to go see it. As i've mentioned above I'm a huge Greek Mythology Geek, it all stems from my upbringing and the sort of films my father loved like the original Clash of the Titans, Jason and the Argonauts, even up to modern films such as Troy. I loved all the stories and I've even read The Iliad and The Odyssey , however, this retelling of Clash of the Titans (and the original to an extent but since the review isn't concerning the original I'll not go into it) was so away from the original story it's unreal. Of course this doesn't necessarily make it a bad movie, take Disney's Hercules for instant that is nothing like the real story of Hercules but it's still a good movie. But still at some points I couldn't help think "where are they going with this?" Apart from that, it wasn't a bad movie. Lots of action, it was humorous in parts, and Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes made excellent brothers as Zeus and Hades.

I'll admit that I doubt I'll sit through it again for the following reasons, some of the acting was pretty bad though as were the special effects. The whole movie had a gray wash over it which made it pretty dark, so unless there was some kind of action going on I found my mind wandering. It was just a huge mish mash of random information the writers must of made up. The boy loved it though, and since he studied Media and Film I guess it must of appealed to some audiences.

Best Moment: The fight with the giant scorpions.
Best Line: 'don't look that bitch in the eye' - Perseus
Would Recommend For: No one really.. cause it wasn't anything great.
Rating: 4/10

It's Twitter Time

Hello there!

I love summer clothes & pink lemonade in the afternoon.

I am hopefully back for good to the wonderful world of blogging. I've taken some time out to try and get away with my new job and deal with the boy being on night shift. I've had to do a lot of juggling but I'm real happy with my new job! I've also spent time partying, spending time with friends, going out for meals with my parents and starting a new skin regime, I will have the porcelain skin that the drunk woman insisted I had on Monday at work.

I've been thinking about life a lot lately, and what direction I want to go in. I have some plans I am wanting to put into motion as soon as I have this saving down to an art. I'm hoping 2011 will be the year of great Adventures. We'll see!

In the mean time, it's about time I got hooked up to the real world! So...

"So this is love, So this is what makes life divine." - Cinderella

I am so sorry to my dear followers, for my insane lack of entries over the past few weeks. My life is incredibly hectic at the moment and all I want to do is chill in the evening. I don't even have the power to concentrate! And I like to have all my blog entries to have a delicious meaning or point so I've just had to leave them until I have a spare hour or so. Today, luckily, I have some time.

I want to share some beautiful images I found on Copious Couture, the other week. I want to say firstly, I have no idea if these were real photo shoots or just edited, also I take no credit for them. They're just lovely and I really want to share them with you all.

As any dedicated follower of Seventy Seven Broadway will know, I'm a total sucker for Disney and Fairytales so these pictures really intrigued me. They're cleverly done and include some celebrities recreating scenes from Disney Movies. I wish I was rich and famous because this is something I would love to do.

Firstly, J Lo and Marc Antony as Aladdin & Jasmine.
Can you see Agrabar down the corner?

& Whoopi Goldburg as the Genie.

Jessica Biel as Pocahontas, I love that John Smith's boat is in the background.

Julia Andrews as the Blue Fairy from Pinochio & Abigal Breslin as Fira from Disney Faires.
Two of my fav actresses.

Gisele Bundchen as Wendy, Mikhail Baryshnikov as Peter Pan

& Tina Fey as Tinker Bell.

Julianne Moore as Ariel

I'd love to be in this one. I love Ariel.

Randomly, David Beckham is Prince Philip.
I do like that it does look like Sleeping Beauty's castle in the background.

Zac Efron as Prince Philip & Vanessa Hudgens as Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty.

Beyonce as Alice, Lyle Lovett as March Hare

& Oliver Platt as Mad Hatter.

Rachel Weiz as Snow White, doesn't she look perfect?

Scarlett Johanson as Cinderella.
I love how the castle is identical to the one in Disney World.

The final two are my favourites. I think it's because I love the Disney Princesses more than nearly all the other characters. They also rank up there with my favourite movies. Also Scarlett and Rachel just look perfect in the costumes and settings.

So who is your favourite Disney character and which celebrity do you think would look good as them? And which of these lovely photos is your favourite?

Hope everyone enjoys their Tuesday evening, I'm off to Ask for tea with the boy, before he heads to bed as he's back to Nightshift tomorrow! Much love x

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

Check it out, it's my selling part of my blog to try and raise some money for our Florida trip in November. I'll be adding to it quite often so follow follow follow!

I hope everyone is having a nice Tuesday, I was really upset that the weather wasn't half as nice today when it was my day off! Much love x

Film Review #8 'Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang'

"In Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang, Oscar®-winning actress and screenwriter Emma Thompson returns to the role of the magical nanny who appears when she’s needed the most and wanted the least in the next chapter of the hilarious and heartwarming fable that has enchanted children around the world.

In the latest installment, Nanny McPhee appears at the door of a harried young mother, Mrs. Isabel Green (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who is trying to run the family farm while her husband is away at war. But once she’s arrived, Nanny McPhee discovers that Mrs. Green’s children are fighting a war of their own against two spoiled city cousins who have just moved in and refuse to leave.

Relying on everything from a flying motorcycle and a statue that comes to life to a tree-climbing piglet and a baby elephant who turns up in the oddest places, Nanny McPhee uses her magic to teach her mischievous charges five new lessons." - Plot taken from uk.hollywood.com

I am in the middle of writing this weeks Sunday Self Secrets but it's taking longer than I thought, so here instead is a review of Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang which I saw with my mum last Wednesday. The first one is my mum's favourite feel good movie. Whenever she feels alone (which is a lot now we're all grown up and my dad works away from home) she sits and watches it then texts me and my sister to say she's watched it. So of course when I heard there was to be a sequel I asked my mum to come and visit so we could go and see it together. For me it's been a long time since I watched the first one so I couldn't remember much about what Nanny McPhee does but I still enjoyed it.

I originally thought it was an all British cast much like what they tried to do with Harry Potter so I was surprised when Maggie Gyllenhaal walked onto the screen as Mrs Green, but I can say I was pleasantly surprised. You could tell she wasn't really British but she was fun, energetic and reminded me much of what my mother was like when I was growing up. She grated on me so much in The Dark Knight but she was great as Mrs Green, however she loses a point for being married to the beautiful Ewan Mcgregor. Emma Thomson was of course her usual excellent self as Nanny McPhee. She is so diverse and plays such excellent roles, I would definitely have to say she's one of my favourite British actresses. Rhys Ifans plays the bad guy, although he's more funny than bad, which is what he should be in a kids film. Ralph Fiennes makes a brief appearance playing a hard nut uncle. Now onto the kids, who are of course the whole hinge of Nanny McPhee films. I still can't decide if I liked them better than the kids in the original Nanny McPhee film. I did love Cyrill and Celia's back story and the youngest one Vincent was really sweet. Their acting was excellent. I always find it so surprising that every other child star in a film can act so much better than the kids in Harry Potter.

Overall the film was enjoyable, no doubt my mother will be adding it to her feel good films list when it's out on dvd and I'll end up watching it every time I'm home for Christmas. The only bad point for me was the fact I went to see it on an Orange Wednesday during a school holiday. It was an absolute nightmare with a kid talking right through it next to my mum (who said she loved that but I think it's due to her working in a preschool) and a kid behind me kicking my chair. Apart from that it was a light hearted, easy to watch childrens film. The story was easy to follow, the characters likeable but it was something a bit to young to fully enjoy. It was quite predictable, but then hey, what children's films aren't?

Best Moment: The end, both my mum and I got choaked up.
Best Line: 'Small C, Big P" - Nanny McPhee
Would Recommend For: Children, the young at heart
Rating: 5/10

“It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day-to-day basis” - Margaret Bonnano

The other day I received a surprise parcel in the post, that's always exciting, isn't it? I was happy to find it was a necklace from my best friend's store Jewellery Ever After. She's just started up her own shop making Disney inspired jewellery and this was my favourite necklace so far.

By now, anyone who has been with me from the beginning knows of my love for all things Alice in Wonderland inspired so this necklace is perfect. It's in brass which for me is excellent as I have no brass jewellery as of yet. Incase you can't see well it consists of an "Alice" charm with a tiny blue bow hanging from it. The chain itself measures aprox 20cms but as you can see from the picture it hangs perfectly below the collar bone.

There are more designs in her store and I know she' has more ideas in the works. I think these pieces are perfect if you can't afford Disney Couture but you want some fairytale esq anyway, they're only a fraction of the price! I know how much work she puts into her ideas and designs (I've helped when I've been visiting) and I can honestly say if I didn't even know here I'd probably be buying them anyway, since I can never afford Disney Couture unless it's a gift! She'll also be happy to customise an order to your liking.

You can buy Jewellery Ever After designs on Etsy & Folksy, so you can choose to pay in $$ or ££.

If anyone else would like me to promote their jewellery or any other creations, please feel free to send me an email. In the mean time please check out Jewellery Ever After and tell me what your favourite piece is!

Dish #5 Greek

Finally a day off and I feel I have so much to blog about! I've decided to do another recipe for my project tonight, we're up to dish five my Around the World in 80 Dishes project and I have another three to write about. Hope everyone is enjoying them so far. The other night the boy and I took a little trip to Greece to reminise about our first holiday together to Rhodes. Whenever we went to Rhodes town we lived on Pita Gyros as they were only 1E a pop, bargin when you're on a budget it (and trust me we were on a very very tight budget, about 30E to spend per day!). They worked out perfectly apart from the fact I accidently burnt the pitas, I know better for next time.

The gyro is derived from the Turkish kebab and it's traditionally served in pita bread with meat, chips, tomato, onion and tzatziki. The meat is of course the same as that of a donar kebab but when making it at home I just chopped small slices of meat and marinated them in a similar sauce. Usually it's pork or lamb but I used chicken since that is what we had in Greece. I have altered the recipe to make something quick and easy that I can prepare in advance and quickly pull together after work. Enjoy (we sure did!)

Dish number 5, Pita Gyros with chicken.


These would of looked so much more appetizing if I had made it so the pitas were still soft and didn't break when I stuffed them. Ideally I wish I'd used larger pitas but the boy and I usually tend not to spend excess on bread stuffs. Anyway, ingredients.

This is actually only half the ingredients as a large bulk of the ingredients needed are all herbs and spices which I will list later. The other ingredients that are pictured here are potatoes for the chips. You can of course use frozen if you're really in a rush. Pita breads, like I mentioned before I really wish I had bought larger ones and I plan to do so next time. One onion, one lemon, some black pepper and some greek yoghurt. The last three items are for the tzatzki like dressing but again for quickness you could use actual tzatzki or if you really want to you could just use mayo it tastes just as good. Not pictured is the fact I used chicken. I don't remember why I didn't photo the chicken but I know I used 3 chicken breasts to make the amount for two people. You can go more authentic and use lamb or pork cut into strips I really don't think it makes a difference to the recipe because of the marinate I used. You could even use beef if you wanted.

As I mentioned before even though there isn't many main ingredients to make gyros but to make the marinate you need a few more. I was lucky and had all of these in the cupboard so I didn't have to go out and buy anything. Herbs and Spices tend to be quite cheap and last for a while. Aldi and Lidl usually have them for about 49p a pot for some of the more common ones like basil, paprika ect and they also sell grinder ones for about 99p, that's where I got my garlic from. For the base of the marinate I used extra virgin olive oil. The herbs I used were mixed and extra rosemary. The spices I used were cumin, tumeric, cayenne pepper, chilli powder & paprika. I also added some salt, pepper and dry garlic. So let's get cooking!

Firstly, pour a generous amount of oil into a bowl and stir in the herbs and spices mentioned in the ingredients. Give it a good stir until everything is mixed together.

Add the chicken and cover in the marinate. Then put in the fridge for a few hours to ensure the marinate has soaked through the chicken giving it good flavouring throughout.

Next peel the potatoes and chop into chip shape. Put them into a pan with water and bring to the boil. Cook them until they've started to go soft. Then drain them.

Take the marinated chicken out the fridge and place on a tin foil covered tray. Put the chips onto another tin foil covered tray and place them both in the oven.

Chop some onions into thin strips. Then add some oil to a frying pan and add the onions. Fry on a low heat until they're soft and translucent.

Remove the chicken from the over just before it's done and add to the frying pan. Mix around until the spices cover both the onion and the chicken.

Leave the chicken and onion on very low heat and start preparing the dressing. Mix a few spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt with some lemon juice and black pepper.

Heat the pita breads. I used our George because the chips were still in the oven on high heat and we don't have a toaster.

Finally assemble the gyro. I spread the dressing onto the pitta then added a spoonful of the chicken and onions and topped with chips. Then serve.

If you'd like to offer a country for me to create a recipe from or even a recipe you think I should try, please feel free on my project page for Around the World in 80 Dishes. Everything I plan on cooking has elements of authentic and traditional recipes with my own personal twist.