Something to think about:
It’s a question that has been posed many times before, but one I have never given much thought to. So, I asked myself, what celebrity guests would I invite to a dinner party. My dinner party is for celebrities that are still alive only (because otherwise, I’d probably only have a table full of dead people) and it’s a dinner party for 8 people (including myself), so I need to invite 7 celebrities. So, the celebrities that would be receiving this very exclusive invite would be:
Sir David Attenborough: ok yes, let’s get the obvious one out of the way first. I mean, who wouldn’t want Sir Dave at their dinner party? He would probably terrify me talking about how messed up our planet is now, BUT we all need that. We all need to be scared about our planet’s health right now.
Rupaul: YASSSSSSSS queen. Of course. Obvs. He is incredibly interesting, wise and so much fun. Rupaul would be a definite at my dinner party.
Sir Ken Robinson: Who? The very clever creativity expert, speaker and international educationalist. If you’ve ever watched his TED talk you’d understand why I’d want him at my dinner party. He’s incredibly charming and witty, but that aside he is fascinating. One of those people you could listen to all day. I bang on about my love for Sir Ken in my blog post about the importance of creativity for children HERE
Michelle Obama: Major girl crush on our Shell here. I can just imagine it: Michelle lining up the sambucca shots at 2am, regaling us all with tales of the White House and slagging off Trump and I am 100% here for it.
Danny Dyer: Why? Do I really need to explain? Because it’s DANNY FACKING DYER that’s why. He would also be sat next to me, so we can slag off David Cameron together. Twat.
Rylan: Because, well……Rylan. Also, he would clearly be excellent company, a whole lot of fun and is actually a lot more intelligent than his TV persona portrays.
Vanessa Feltz: Damn straight, I went there. Come on, she would be absolutely brilliant at a dinner party. I bloody LOVE mouthy, clever women, so Vanessa is right up my street. And if Vanessa can’t make it, I’d invite Kathy Burke.
This now begs the question, who would you invite to your dinner party?
Something to be cheerful about:
- Cheerful and delicious, a 64-metre-long “fatberg” in Sidmouth has finally been removed. Workers winched down a manhole wearing special breathing gear, chipped away at the mass of congealed oils and rubbish (mmmm) and filled 36 tankers. The fatberg will now be converted into energy to use at a sewage plant. Good work!
- The Duchess of York has not only embarked on writing poetry, but her best pal Will.i.am. wants to set her poetic verses to music. Apparently, he refers to her as his “homegirl” and as the “real Fergie”, and the two of them regularly take tea together. Watch out for the music collaboration the world has probably not been waiting for.
- A wildlife expert, Kate MacRae, has built an adorable bird box that looks like a miniature living room inside for the birds in her garden and has set up live cams inside. It is absolutely gorgeous. You can view this live cam and others that she has set up HERE.
Something to buy:
Black Floral Print Tie Sleeve Tea Dress, £28, from Miss Selfridge
Rock & Pop Icons Tea Towels, £12, full range from Bold & Noble
Something to read:
Half the Sky: How to Change the World by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn.
This is another one of those books that everyone should be forced to read (I really should do a post on that), it takes you around the world meeting amazing women who have survived or are still struggling in terrible circumstances. Here’s one fact that my mind is still reeling from in the book:
More girls have been killed in the last fifty years, precisely because they are girls, than men were killed in all the wars of the twentieth century combined.
It’s not a book to be taken lightly. It’s a difficult read, detailing female oppression across the world. What’s great about the book is that it talks about ways and initiatives that local women in these countries have been able to help themselves (and this seems to be the most effective way as opposed to the “white saviour” method). This book leaves you with a feeling of angry injustice, but also a feeling of respect, awe and hope for these women. Everyone should read this book and read it now. The website for the Half the Sky movement is HERE.
Something to watch:
I have been watching so many good programmes of late and these are the latest that I thoroughly recommend.
Derry Girls Season 2
Russian Doll
After Life
Fleabag Season 2
Broad City Season 5 (last ever season whaaaa!)
Something to cook:
Goats Cheese & Walnut Gnocchi
Speedy and very easy dish that you can quickly cobble together for a fresh evening meal.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
1 pack of gnocchi
1 pack of green beans (or any greens you fancy)
Butter
Couple of fistfuls of walnuts
Garlic Clove
Goats cheese
Half a lemon
Salt & pepper
Method
- Steam the greens for 6 minutes or so
- Then fry the greens in a bit of butter along with the walnuts
- Add the gnocchi to the water you used to steam the greens and boil for a couple of minutes
- Add the garlic clove (crushed or chopped- whatever you prefer) to the greens & walnuts and fry for a minute
- Juice the lemon half and chop the cheese
- Drain the gnocchi
- Mix the gnocchi, greens & walnuts together along with the goats cheese, lemon juice and seasoning
- Shove in mouth
Again, many apologies for the terrible food photography. It’s not my forte.
Something to help save the planet with:
I’m bit of a Paperchase whore to be honest with you, so I was super pleased to hear that they have brought out their own Conscious Living stationary range. Everything is made from recycled and ethically resourced materials. They’ve used materials such as old coffee cups, recycled leather, bamboo fibre, sugar canes and old water bottles to make their products. You can view the full range HERE and read about the different materials they’ve used HERE. Prices range from 80p to £20. Well done Paperchase.
Something to enjoy from the Blogosphere:
I’ve mentioned this before, but Christine from I’m Sick and So Are You is a terrible writer and her blog is awful. This particular post of hers left me feeling absolutely nothing and definitely isn’t one of the most important blog posts I’ve ever read. If your body isn’t quite what it used to be, it might mean nothing to you too. Definitely don’t read this post called An Ode to a Broken Body HERE.
Something to listen to:
Something to laugh at
Louis Theroux reviewing UK rap:
Just Another Monthly #4 will be back in one month’s time.
Just Another Blog From a Woman 
Well, after watching the episode of Traveling Man: 48 hours in Barcelona with Richard Ayoade and Kathy Burke, I’d have to have both of them at my dream dinner party… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xtk3eyaEv5k alongside Dawn French, Barak Obama, Jon Snow (the TV presenter, not the GoT character!), Sandi Toksvig, and finally Theresa May simply so I could shut the door in her face and not let her in.
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Haha love your Theresa idea! YES to Sandi Toksvig. She would make an excellent dinner guest. In fact, I love all your suggestions. I might expand my dinner party. Oh and I will watch that Travel Man. I watched most of them, but not that one!
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If RuPaul is coming to your dinner party then so am I! I’ll bring my own chair and a purse of snacks. I promise you won’t even notice I’m there! He can give me tips on wig styling and care haha
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You are more than welcome! I’ll even seat you next to Rupaul. He would be wonderful at a dinner party, wouldn’t he?
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All you’d ever need at a dinner party would be RuPaul! No one else haha
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So true x
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I really am the worst, but you are the best. As well as Rupaul and the gnocchi recipe.
Thank you. ❤️
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No, thank YOU (for being the absolute worst) xx
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Always a pleasure!
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OMG. OBSESSED with Afterlife. I’m SO sad it was so short. I binged it in like two evenings. I’m also SO sad that Broad City is ending 😫😫😭😭😭 NAH QUEEEEEEN 😫😫😫😫
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Afterlife was SO good. That dog 😍 He’s writing another season thankfully. LOVE dem Broad City girls so much. They are my heroes 😍😍
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Those ladies are so my heroes too 😍. I’ve heard he’s writing another season 🙌🏻🙌🏻👍🏻
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You do know Sir Dave goes everywhere wrapped in a 2 metre coating of cotton wool now don’t you? There’s a layer of bubble wrap under that as well. He is about 128 years old after all and holds official National Treasure™ status. I wouldn’t have him, imagine the upshot of him choking on a fish bone at your dinner party. Nightmare. Have Richard Osman instead. In fact definitely him for comedic effect if you’re having little Sandi as well.
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Oh my good god! You’re quite right. I didn’t think of the pressure of keeping Sir Dave alive for a few hours. I couldn’t deal with it. It would be like having the whole world on my shoulders. No sir. Even if I served him something vegetarian, he could be gluten or dairy intolerant. Or what if he choked on a bit of tomato? No, we’ll Skype him. That’ll be the best solution.
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Living or dead? Ok.
Sue Perkins, I’m a complete fan girl, always liked her, but it went up a notch or ten when she quipped about putting her Littlefinger through her Moon Door live on Throne Cast. I may have wee’d laughing at that.
Dorothy Parker, Id even ditch my table and buy a round one in her Honir.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge I imagine she would be a total live wire
Alan Rickman, it’s a huge regret that I never got to see him live on stage.
Jeremy Hardy, never failed to make me laugh, ever, though I might get all stupid and star struck, and totally embarrass myself being ‘witty’ God I’m cringing already!
Sir David, same reason as above, and also he has inspired me my entire life – he’s why I do what I do
Oscar Wilde. Well, you just would – wouldn’t you?
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Now, my rule was alive only, BUT it’s your dinner party- you can have dead celebs if you want. SO, a big fat YES to ALL of yours. I would definitely have Dorothy if I was having dead people. I almost added both Sue & Phoebe to mine too. Great minds, Sonia. Great minds xx
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I knew I liked you for a good reason 😉
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Love Sir David and he’d be my first choice along with Michelle Obama, what a woman!! Maybe Danny Dyer, ok yeah deffo, but the others…Not sure Sir Dave would be able to get a word in edgeways and he’d be the one I’d want to hear. Keanu Reeves, gotta be on the list, George Clooney, Brad Pitt oh and a radical choice here but I love Chris Evans! He’s so funny and enthusiastic about everything!! Great post!
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So much to unpack here–excellent post! Me, I would only invite Benedict Cumberbatch. Just me and him:-) I recently bought paper straws which were, ironically, packaged in plastic. I’ve seen Russian Doll and I loved it almost as much as I love Sick Christine:-)
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That is so bloody annoying re the paper straws. Compostable plastic needs to be a common thing. I think see where your private dinner party with Benedict is going to lead and I LIKE IT! 😁
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Lovely monthly. I love your dinner party guests. I would sit next to Michelle Obama if I could. But just about anyone on that list would be fascinating. Of course, I am also a fan of Christine’s terrible blog.
Voted for you of course.
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Yes, I will sit you next to Michelle- no problem. Eurgh, Christine’s blog is so awful, isn’t it? Thank you so much for the vote, darling. I really, really appreciate it x
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Great monthly! I bet Rylan would be a hilarious dinner guest – good spectrum of people to have round the dinner table – love to be a fly on the wall for that party!! I’m loving series 2 of Derry Girls especially the soundtrack!
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The soundtrack for Derry Girls is AMAZING! Really takes me back to my misspent youth!
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Blogpost!
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Haha yes!
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