the quirky brunette: Sunday Summary

This week, I have mostly been...

Reading

Still this. But oh, the plot twists. And yet, the satisfying near-inevitability of the story.

Watching

Still this:

{Orange is the New Black. Oh, Crazy Eyes, you make this show.}

Finally I've caught up and am working my steady way through Season 3!

***SPOILER ALERT***

The end of S2 was flipping epic and satisfying though.

"GO, ROSA! GO! GET HER! GET HER!"

Also, of course, watching this...

I'm desperately trying to work out a way of capturing the essence of Tiny Clanger in gif form. She looked so forlorn in the Tiny's Orchestra episode that I sort of wept inwardly a bit.

...She's a knitted fictional alien mouse-elephant thing, QB, pull your stuff together.

Have a read of this: Michael Palin on narrating the Clangers

Singing...

{I've used this before and I'll keep using it as long as the sentiment stands!}

...with some of my absolute outright favourite people, in the annual Voicerox Choir concert at the Hawth in Crawley.

{My sizeable Voicerox family! | Thanks to Steve aka "Bisto" for the photo}

{How can one room contain this much fabulosity
and this many cheekbones?! | Thanks to Glenda
for the photo}

{Glamming it up Voicerox-style | Thanks to Mandy for the photo}

Heck yes the concert was markedly tinged with the sadness that came from the Absence of Alun (aka MR VOICEROX)! And heck yes of course I was a little upset that this meant we had to pull our rather marvellous 'Deskettes' number, Love Shack.

But did we rock or what?! << That's rhetorical. Apparently we did!

We're a pretty talented lot, really. #humblebrag

Massive, massive thanks go to Natalie and Julie for coming along to support me -- Natalie, you're no longer a Voicerox Virgin! ;-) -- (and to Georgina who I knew was there in spirit!) but also enormous loves and sweaty hugs to Jos, Charlie, and our dressing-room-mates Jess (whose space I basically gatecrashed this year), Glenda, Fern and Mandy.

(J & C, very special thanks for everything these past few days. For letting me be a grumpy diva and turning that right around.)

And a huge "darn, it wasn't the same without you!" to Alun. The Love Shack will still shimmy one day ...

This time last year... #throwback

Post-concert chillaxing

After all the build-up and all the tension leading up to last night's concert, today has been the most chillaxed Sunday I have had in a long time: just perfect.

It started with a big, big breakfast at the Harvester ("have you ever been to a Harvester before?") with my people, complete with kegs of coffee, and panned out with what was essentially a home spa day a chez Charlie.

{Aahaahhahahahhhh...}

Sauna, swimming pool, hot-tub, and to top all of that off, superb, bayootiful company -- if I looked a bit zoned out by the end of it all, that'd be why. That was my relaxed face.

{Happy Chilled QB}

And as you will see from the above photos, I also been done this:

Sometimes a snip is the exact mood-boost a girl needs. Especially when you've found a stylist who just gets what you want and how it'll work for you without you really having to explain. (A bob, always. Usually shorter than the last bob.)

FYI my hair alchemist is Freya, now at Dtail in Caterham, where they have MASSAGE CHAIRS. That is all. I'm sold. #gratuitousplug

Pinterest Pin of the Week

Weekly Weblinks

Literary Linkage

Harper Lee manuscript 'first found in 2011' | on The Bookseller
Author seeks Refuge for Books donations | on The Bookseller
Why bookshops are still important | on The Guardian
What makes up a grammar nerd? | on Grammarly
10 Awful Library Books | via The Poke | The first. I cannot even.
I'm slightly reluctant to class this as 'literary' per se but eh. Again for you, Charlie, though nowt beats a proper crayon | First colouring-for-adults apps from Octopus | on The Bookseller

Non-literary Linkage

Are girl-focused engineering toys reinforcing gender stereotypes? | on VentureBeat
Sorry, London, you're too uncool | Hadley Freeman being brilliant on The Guardian | {yah boo, sucks to you, London, you overpopulated, overpriced cesspit of pretension, you … gosh, sorry, that was a bit fervent …}
Tips for surviving musical festivals | on The Poke
Business Name Puns that are so bad they're good | via ViralThread | Sure we've seen some before but heck, let's enjoy them again!
I also forgot to share this last week: sweet and clever Twinings advert! | via Georgina