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10 Things :: October 2011

10 things on the 10th
10 things on the 10th :: birthday themed
I was born in October, a long, long time ago. Or maybe not so long ago. Maybe like the perfect number of years ago. October is the tenth month of the year. So if today is your birthday, you could share ten birthday things on the tenth of the tenth month. That would be cool.

But I was born on the eighth. The eighth of the tenth. And I’m going to call that close enough and share ten things on the tenth – ten things that happened on my birthday this year. It would be cooler if today was my birthday but it also wouldn’t have given me time to write the post in advance. And also eight is my favourite number. So I’m okay with this ten things on the tenth of the tenth about the…. eighth. Did ya catch all that?

You are very welcome to join in with ten of your own things today – this tenth day of the month. On any theme you like. We do this every month, and it’s a great way to come up with topics that work for both your blog and potential scrapbook pages!

So I bring you: 10 things that made my birthday awesome this year.

10 things
1. I accidentally opened one present early and had to wrap it up again with a bunch of packing tape so I could open it again for real. I say accidentally. I mean I received an unexpected parcel with a return address. I emailed the person who lives at that return address and said ‘oooh, surprise parcel!’ and she replied with OPEN IT OPEN IT OPEN IT. Okay, maybe not all in capital letters. Maybe not three times. But she definitely told me to open it. So I did, and I found this amazing present inside. But it was a joint present and the other gift giver was not impressed. So I promised to wrap it back up and open it again and STILL BE SURPRISED. And I love it so very much that I did just that and it was just as exciting to open the second time. Oh happy day, indeed.

2. The Boy made me pumpkin pancakes for breakfast. And they were amazing. (He says if you want a fine gentleman in your homestead to treat you with such things, you will want to suggest to them that Martha Stewart’s website is not just for girls and also find the pumpkin in the store because not all boys understand where this is located. The rest is easy, he reports. And totally yum, I report.)

10 things :: ork posters london neighbourhoods
3. We hit up Renegade, the first London event from the hippest of craft fairs. Yes, The Boy went to a craft fair. He bought me the new London Neighbourhoods print from Ork Posters, which I love because it has our neighbourhood on it and I am a bit sappy like that.

10 things :: milkbar, pineapple studios
4. It was a day of many flat whites. This was the second of the day, at MilkBar in Soho. When it comes to good coffee, there is no such thing as too much of a good thing. (Which is easier for me to say because I drink decaf. The Boy may have been a bit jittery.)

5. If I don’t have to work, Saturday is dancing day. Or more specifically, dance-till-you-can-barely-stand day, because I stay for an extra class on Saturdays and usually find I pay for this on a very weary Sunday morning. And since we had plans in the morning and plans in the evening Saturday afternoon could still be dance-till-you-can-barely-stand day and this made me very happy indeed.

10 things :: cupcakes from ella's bakehouse
6. In the break between classes, we had cupcakes. With sparkles.

7. And when I could barely stand, I tried to change back into clothes that did not make me look like I just ran a marathon in a rainstorm so we could go out for food that is fun to say. Seriously, food tastes better if it is fun to say, right? So okonomiyaki has to be pretty awesome just by that rule. The first time I ever had okonomiyaki was from a street vendor in a park in Tokyo and it was horrible. It was actually our first meal in Japan and I was instantly terrified that this would be true for all the rest of our food in Japan and I instantly had flashes of YOU ONLY LOVE FAKE JAPANESE FOOD AND YOU WILL NOT ACTUALLY WANT TO EAT ANYTHING HERE. I imagined going home looking like I’d been on the most amazing two week diet. Instead, I found it was just one oddity and I spent the rest of my time in Japan mostly ordering mystery foods and marvelling at how fabulous they were. Not so much the diet country for me. So anyway, okonomiyaki is not horrible. It is completely lush and they cook it for you on the table, which means it’s not only fun to say, but it’s fun to watch. Love it. Also there was a dessert that involved brandy-soaked biscuits, cinnamon ice cream, coffee jelly and whipped cream. Oh coffee jelly, how I miss your combination of what is at once completely wrong and completely right. But you can get coffee jelly and okonomiyaki at Abeno. So we did.

10 things :: notes & coffee
8. Notes Music and Coffee opened while we were away and we’ve been meaning to go there properly and hadn’t. So we went there for our final round of flat whites. And we shall return. This place used to be a classical music store, basically, and when that closed, instead of just opening it as something entirely different, the new owners have kept the music and films but added coffee plus food, wine, the whole shebang. I want to go back in the daylight and take some real pictures because the refit of the space is gorgeous. I can’t believe such a lovely space was there all along. Anyway, highly recommended.

10 things :: old rotary phone
9. Eventually we headed home and hooked up one of my presents: an old rotary phone. I am very excited about this and hope people other than random sales robots phone it. Also we have realised we have a printing press, a typewriter, plenty of vintage cameras and now a rotary phone as working items in our home… so now I’m wondering what other obsolete appliances we need to collect and put to work. Suggestions on a postcard, please.

10. Throughout all this and all the other good things that didn’t fit in this list of ten, I was thoroughly spoilt and reminded that life is good and people are sweet and kind and inspiring. And sweet messages from near and far helped me put aside a few things that have been occupying too much of my head lately and for twenty-four hours, I didn’t think of them at all. Like the best present of all was this collective energy from everybody else putting my thoughts in order. And that may have left my brain clear enough to going around singing It’s my biiiiiirthdaaaaaay! with much excitement.

And these ten things made this day very good for my soul.

Now… what ten things are you going to share today? It can be absolutely anything as long as it’s ten!! When you’ve posted, leave a link below and have a very fabulous tenth of October!



09 October 2011



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37 Comments for 10 Things :: October 2011

  1. Connie M Says:

    I have a rotary phone too and I think it is super cool also!!!! Enjoyed your post Shimelle!!!

  2. scrappysue Says:

    Glad you had such a wonderful birthday Shimelle; loved reading your post, and what a cool phone!

  3. Margie S Says:

    I love your idea. My birthday was last month so I’ll have to remember that for next year. Either 9things for the 9th month or 23 things for the 23rd day!

    By the way, the links aren’t showing up so I can’t go visit other 10 on the 10 people.

  4. Nathalie Says:

    I just wrote my first 10 on the 10th post but it is scheduled for the night as it is not the 10th here yet! :) I’ll come back and link in the AM ! Happy Belated Birthday Shimelle! Looks like it was fantastic!

  5. MissSmith Says:

    Glad you had a good birthday – love the photos and the Londony tips too. Definitely going to Notes and Coffee :D

  6. Eleanor Says:

    I’ve linked to my ten books in the bathroom.
    Great phone, what about a teasmaid or is it teas made?, a manual carpet sweeper, and one of those mincers which clamps to the worktop?
    :)

  7. Jacky S Says:

    Glad you had such a fun birthday.

  8. Irene Fitzpatrick Says:

    What a lovely day you had! I’ve linked up with Tea and Talk because it’s the start of Mental Health Week. x

  9. LizzieMade Says:

    Hi Shimelle, so glad you had a wonderful day on your birthday. It certainly sounded busy and exciting. Lots of coffee and cake too – always a bonus! Love the phone and the Japanese food sounded cool. And fancy being able to go to Pineapple to take dance classes…. sometimes I do wish I lived in London – but only sometimes, as I like living here!
    Lots of fab-sounding gadgets in your house… Per Eleanor’s suggestions, I could furnish you with a teas-made, though it is a modern version. I did see an old, vintagey one somewhere the other day… shop in Northampton I think (oh you would loooove that shop!! If you ever feel like a day-trip to spend All your pocket money on vintagey fabulousness, just let me know – me & my niece would be delighted to show you the fabby shop, or give you its location!).
    My 10 Things today is about the Risks facing the Dedicate Crafter – hope it makes you smile!

  10. Mary Buttons Says:

    Hi I’ve joined in this month too but I can’t see any one else’s links :(

  11. jane Says:

    glad you had a lovely birthday!

  12. Irene Fitzpatrick Says:

    I’m the same as Mary…can’t see the other links.

  13. cate Says:

    sounds like a fantastic birthday!

  14. Nienke Says:

    Sounds like you had a fab birthday! The cupcakes look so yummy, you can never have enough sparkle!

  15. Pamela K. Says:

    Happy Birthday! I love this idea! Look forward to checking out the other blogs. :-)

  16. Alison Says:

    Belated Birthday wishes, Shimelle..sounds like you had a fab day!
    Alison xx

  17. jimjams Says:

    Happy Birthday Shimelle – October is a good month for birthdays ;o)

  18. stacey42 Says:

    Happy Birthday!

    I’d suggest a washboard, washing tub and mangle for laundry if you are looking for old school appliances.

  19. Fay Says:

    Happy belated birthday, sounds like you had a fabulous day

  20. Charis Says:

    What an absolutely amazing looking birthday! & a fun sounding new Japanese food to try…

  21. Melissa Shea Says:

    Happy Birthday! Sometimes your posts are like therapy to me, I love the way you write and make me think of happy things :)

  22. anneberit Says:

    Happy Birthday! Sound like you had an awesome day :D Thanks for sharing.

  23. Scrapdolly Says:

    Belated happy birthday to you – what a lovely day and those coffees look so pretty

  24. Linda Says:

    Today IS my birthday! I might just have to do this!! It was better last year when it was 10-10-10 :P Happy birthday to you too!!

  25. Ginger Says:

    Happy Birthday Shimelle!It looks like you had the perfect birthday :) Coffee is part of my list this month – cannot live without it!

  26. CoventryAnn Says:

    Sounds like a great birthday, love the coffee shots :)

  27. Melissa Says:

    Happy Belated Birthday Shimelle – sounds like a wonderful day!

  28. Beverly Says:

    Happy belated birthday, it sounds like a perfect day for you :) I was recently in a store that had lots of old rotary desk and wall phones, I didn’t know you could get them to still work!

  29. Lynsey Says:

    Hi Shimelle, I love reading your post and how you notice all the little details in life. The photos where great!
    Hugs Lynsey x

  30. Liz Says:

    Happy Birthday for the 8th! Today is my birthday too but since I don’t blog might try to get a 10 things birthday LO done, thanks for the inspiration love your blog x

  31. Julie Jeavons Says:

    It sounds like you had a wonderful birthday. And The Boy jolly well should go to craft fairs on your birthday if that is where you want to go. He sounds very well behaved.

  32. Kimberlee Says:

    Happy Birthday! So happy that you had such a wonderful time.

  33. Annette Says:

    Lovely photos and Happy Birthday to you!

  34. Lisa-Jane Johnson Says:

    I’m glad you had such an awesome birthday, you so deserved to be able to switch off for a day. My Dad has an old sewing machine that he swore by, one of the old Singer ones with a black handle that you turn. It’s in a wooden case on a stand and is heavy as an elephant but we love it! Crossing everything for a perfect home soon xz

  35. allie.duckienz Says:

    Oh my birthday is on the 10th of the 10th! Last year was an awesome birthday being 10/10/10 (which I was told by my computer god boyfriend adds to 42 in binary which is the meaning of life!) I just turned 30. So maybe I can use this prompt in two ways. 10 things I love about the 10th of the 10th of the 10th and then 30 things I loved about my bday this year??? Hmmm thinking gears are going… THANKS. Happy Birthday to you :D

  36. helen Says:

    Happy Belated Birthday – glad you had a fun and happy day! x

  37. mobile phones Says:

    Thanks for sharing your story and your great ideas with us. I like you writing skills. Regards for the post.
    iPhone 5 contract

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