Keyes, Curls and Cake

I haven't got any bead news today so I thought I'd witter on about other stuff.

First on the agenda is Marian Keyes. I absolutely love her books and I finished reading the last of her novels today. Don't you just hate finishing a great book? I kind of drag out the last few chapters as much as I can and then I feel all lost until I get into the next book. Thing is, there are only three Marian Keyes books left for me to read - her 'Under the Duvet' collected journalism two and her short story 'No Dress Rehearsal'. Then that'll be it. A long wait for her next novel. I'll be at a loss! My favourite Marian book is 'Anybody Out There?' which had me laughing, crying, laughing a bit more and crying a LOT at the end. I finished it on a train journey and I kid you not, I was snivelling and blubbing out loud. At a book. People stared but I didn't care! It was fabulous and if you're a fan of girly books I highly recommend it.

Next up, hair. Mine is naturally curly. Well, it was. This is my point, you see. I had it cut a few months back, treated myself to a set of GHD straighteners (thank the Hair God for those babies!) and made my teenage dreams of one day having straight hair a reality. From about fourteen onwards I hated my hair - thick, curly and prone to fuzzing up to the size of a small continent at the slightest drop of moisture. I eventually learnt how to tame it (well, as much as I could) and spent many a year with curls and people saying 'Oh, you're so lucky to have curly hair!' while I was thinking 'No I'm not - I want straight, shiny lovely locks that do what you tell them to!'. This time last year I had shoulder length hair that I could straighten (well, get my sister to straighten because she was the one with the GHDs) or wear curly. I found the perfect product that would do the curly thing well without turning my hair into crispy twirls. Then after Christmas I fancied a change (you know, that old 'New Year, New Me' thing that us girls occasionally do?!) and I had it cut into a bob. Not a Victoria Beckham arrangement, just a chin-length bob. And I liked it. It grew out pretty quick and I'd decided that I'd grow it long again so I went back for a trim and a few layers (layers are essential for us curlymopheads or we'll end up looking like a cross-section of a Toblerone) BUT the hairdresser obviously didn't understand my just-a-tiny-bit-off-the-length instruction and got all scissor-happy and ended up cutting it shorter than the first time I had the bob done. I wasn't happy but I thought that it would grow pretty quick. It didn't. And it's taken an age to get to a length where I can wear it curly without fear of it springing up and making me look like Leo Sayer. I bought myself a new bottle of my fave styling product yesterday and curlified my do. But something's happened - my hair won't go curly! It's kind of tousled and wavy but my old curly-curls aren't there anymore. I haven't over-straightened my hair. I only ever straighten it when I go out (not much then!) and at weekends. Rest of the time I wear it in a ponytail. I washed my hair again this morning and curlified it again, but no - just waves. It seems to have forgotten how to curl. Could it be that I'm mourning my frizzy, curly, unruly hair of old? Come back curls - all is forgiven . . . . . . .

Enough of my hair. If you're still reading, haven't nodded off on your keyboard and you're a fan of cake, confectionery and doughnuts (don't you prefer the American spelling of 'donut'? Our English version is way too proper) then I have a cake recommendation for you. Rolo doughnuts. Yes, Rolo doughnuts. I was in Tesco (grrrrrrrrrr) this evening and I saw them. A display of beautiful doughnuts like an oasis in the desert. They called to me and I gave in and bought a pack. Doughnuts, filled with caramel, coated in chocolate icing and decorated with chocolate chippy things. Seriously great doughnut innovation - hubba hubba!

It's been a warm one today - very hot in the shed. I did get a few beads made which I'll put on the website either tomorrow or Friday. I shall keep you posted!