Hot off the press, and you saw it here first: The First Sign That Christmas Is Officially Nearby And The Whole Of 2012 Has Officially Flown By. Otherwise known as the John Lewis Christmas advert. I know, I know, it's usually jolly Red Santa courtesy of Coke and co.. but since the ad that year Ellie Goulding covered "Your Song", and more importantly last year's, I look forward to the John Lewis ads as a signpost that Christmas is fast approaching. I can't help but still feel it's way, way, way too early for shops to be selling their hampers and gift sets and mince pies, but I'll give up my Scrooge-like tendencies if I continue to keep seeing this on TV. It's quite simply another heartwarmer.

You must know the 2011 John Lewis ad by now - you know, the one where the little boy (with the wizard hat) simply cannot wait til Christmas just because he wants to give his family their presents; I think I pretty much welled up a little every time that aired. Which was a lot. And a whole year has passed, with another soppy John Lewis ad (the timeless love story one) along the way, and now it's time for snowmen to take centre stage. 

Aptly titled "The Journey", it also involves an adorable child (but there are two this time), Christmas traditions, a spine-tingling song provided by up-and-comer Gabrielle Aplin, and your heartstrings. 

 
We all know the feeling of going the extra mile (get it?) to find the perfect present for those lovely people in our lives, so I'm giving this year's ad a big thumbs up. I'm feeling a "The Snowman" moment all over again, and it's making me wish snowmen were huggable with ever-changing faces. I may or may not have even welled up a teeny tiny tiny bit. (I blame the music. And the facial expressions.) Actually, I think the real discovery of me writing this is that John Lewis ads make me regress to a little girl all over again. Or maybe Scrooge is melting away and I'm merely starting to look forward to Christmas now. 

Or maybe not. It's only November; it's still too soon!

Bev x

There's a common theme running along the tracks of my Spotify "Favourite Songs" playlist: Guys with Guitars. To be more specific, guys with guitars playing soppy love songs. Think James Blunt's "You're Beautiful", Nickelback's "Far Away", The Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris" and Damien Rice's "Cannonball". But lately, thanks to the principle of caring and sharing, my musical repertoire has expanded to...more guys with guitars. But in the interest of sharing, I'm going to do just that. 

Matt Nathanson - Come On Get Higher

Josh Kumra - The Answer

I went to see Josh in concert a few weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with his voice. This is such a beautiful song, and if you spend a day with me and listen closely enough, you will hear me absentmindedly humming segments of the chorus. 

Tyrone Wells - More
This song isn't new to me, but I am a big fan of Tyrone Wells and this just always gives me goosebumps.

Justin James - Perfect Sometimes


5 words: Take. Me. Back. To. Summer


And what's this...a girl with a guitar?!

Nina Nesbitt - Babylon (cover)
Nina Nesbitt has been my musical One to Watch for quite some time now, and I saw her live a few weeks ago also. She has some really original tracks out (Boy, The Apple Tree, Noserings and Shoestrings) but it was hearing this acoustic cover of David Gray that really caught my attention.

And it's not just guitars...

Jason Walker - Kiss Me (cover)
 ...it's the keys too! I've been a big fan of Jason Walker's for many years, and no it's not because of The Vampire Diaries (I've sadly never even seen a full episode). His Midnight Starlight EP is highly recommended, and I love this song and his interpretation of it.

I'm now tempted to put a lame lovey-dovey guitar-related joke here but that'd just be stringing you along ;) 

Bev x

So last week made it official: Girls Aloud are back. I remember that, technically, they never broke up - but they were on a break. (Said in the Ross/Rachel tone.) Because they all went and did their own thing - Sarah becoming an actress and firm Daily Mail favourite no matter what she did ("Oh my God, Sarah Harding in Rehab!" "Sarah Harding buys a different cup of coffee!"*), Kimberley in Shrek: The Musical, Nicola and Nadine on their solo careers, and of course, Ms Cheryl Cole who became the supposed Nation's Sweetheart and whose face you will rarely get through a magazine without seeing. Ok, so they were never big on a Spice Girls level, but they brought the next generation and volume (get it?) of girl power and made it loud (now do you get it?). They offered a strong selection of "good" pop songs, and back in their prime was exactly when I was really into "good" pop music.

After the break, they are finally back with a single, Greatest Hits album, and arena tour. This has got all the tabloids screaming, "Do they all hate each other?", "Will they just break up again after the tour?", "Will they mime?", "Is Cheryl too big for the group?". But it has simply got me reminiscing about the music. Before they all became media personalities and tabloid victims in their own right. And to celebrate ten years of music, what better way than to get the BeView rundown of my favourite G.A tracks? 
The Top Ten

10. The Loving Kind - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFY4DxiHzTI
Nicola Roberts took centre stage and made an impact with this one.

9. Can't Speak French - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuPL_Bgmvvs
I can't speak French either, so I've sung the song in the past to demonstrate said fact. I did indeed let the funky music do the talking.

8. Biology - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBPtP4t2J1k
I like this song because it doesn't sound like any other song. And it's scientific (the album was called Chemistry, after all).
 
7. Something Kinda Oooooooh - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy3SV2fvoG8
Think leather jackets and motorbikes in a girlband track.

6. I'll Stand By You - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeEq2tlD6WY
So it was a cover, but they did a great job and proved that yes they could all sing. And it was for charity.

5. Call The Shots - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPWUyAZZfK0
This song marked Girls Aloud's venture into the soft, trancy electropop genre that was so prominent in their last album. The "no-ow-ow-ow-ow" bit is still catchy.  

4. Jump - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk7zhB_m4gc
Also a cover... Is it bad that I can't think of this song without seeing that Hugh Grant dance routine in Love Actually? That's not the reason Jump's one of my top though; it is such a solid pop song.

3. The Promise
I still remember the music video with those sparkling dresses. The song was pretty good, too. 

2. Love Machine
The opening riff is recognisable by a mile. I don't know what it is, but it never fails to make me want to dance, Hugh Grant style. 

1. Sound of The Underground
I think this will always remain my favourite G.A tune. After Popstars: The Rivals, it marked the start of a special - and pretty long as girlbands go - music career. I can clearly remember the dance routine my friends and I made up as kids, eager to perform it at our school karaoke disco night. It never happened.


And of course...
Something New
I'm not sure it would have made my top 10, but it's nice to see something new. Appropriate title.
 
Bev x

Ps. I realise this makes me sound like a Girls Aloud fanatic; I'm not, but 10 years does deserve a bit of recognition!

*Not really. But probably.

I love Japanese food. It's interesting, it's tasty, and no matter what you put into your mouth, you are totally convinced you are eating healthily. In particular, a firm favourite of mine is sushi - technically the Westernised California Roll. Every time I was in a big London station rushed for food, I headed straight to Wasabi, yet I can't stand the taste of supermarket sushi (the rice tastes like plastic toy food, no?). The solution, when you're needing your next sushi fix and can neither make it to Japan nor Wasabi? D-I-Y!

I am no sushi expert, but I have dabbled at making it in the past, and liked it. It's actually quite straight-forward to make, and has the ability of being relatively inexpensive if you pick your ingredients carefully. With much other food I cook, it consists a lot of guessing and experimenting and not following recipes whilst hoping for the best. I think that makes me an excellent and completely reliable chef... So here it is: 

The Beview method of making sushi. 

You will need:

• A bamboo sushi mat (these are very cheap and easy to get your hands on - there's one just £1.28 from Asda)
• Big square sheets of roasted seaweed - "sushi nori" (again, you can get a pack for just over a pound)
• Sushi rice (it is shorter grain and stickier, but there's nothing stopping you from experimenting with regular rice!)
• Sushi fillings (suggestions): tuna, salmon, crabsticks, cucumber, egg
• Saucepan (bigger's better than smaller as the rice likes to expand)
• Metal baking tray, but a simple plate will do 
• Salad cream or Japanese rice vinegar
• Knife and chopping board

Sushi step by step:
1. Wash 500g rice in a bowl or pan - rinse out several times but make sure you don't lose any rice in the process
2. Put the 500g rice in a saucepan and fill with 750ml of cold water. This feeds 5+ (but equally depends on how hungry those 5 are)
3. Bring to boil (that's when the water starts to bubble, for those who don't know but pretend otherwise)
4. Simmer on a low heat for about 20 minutes, or until most of the water has been absorbed - if in doubt, it's better for the rice to be sticky than dry
5. Leave to stand on a heatproof mat for 10 minutes. If you want to use rice vinegar, mix it in with the rice now
6. Cool the rice down by spreading it thinly on a plate; a metal baking tray tends to do the trick quicker. If you put it in the fridge, it should be cool within 10 minutes

7. Whilst waiting for the rice to cook or cool down, prepare the fillings:

Fillings:
Salmon: If fresh, cut into thin long strips. I went for canned salmon as a cheaper alternative; it's also very tasty, or canned tuna.
Egg: Whisk egg then cook on a frying pan - don't scramble it so the egg stays relatively flat
Crabsticks: Peel into strips
Cucumber: Cut into thin, long strips 
Anything else: Excuse the repetition, but cut into thin, long strips and you kind of get the picture...

8. Clean your surfaces and put the bamboo mat out. Place a piece of seaweed onto it with the shiny side facing downwards.
9. Spread the rice evenly over approximately 3/4 of the seaweed (leave the top riceless)
10. Place the filling(s) in a thin line from left to right. A drizzle of salad cream is super delicious too. 
11. Roll the mat tightly from the bottom upwards, ie. starting with the side closest to you - the more strength you put into it, the better the result will be. Think of it as a very productive form of stress relief!

12. Keep rolling and tucking the seaweed in so it all sticks together. Once it is a long roll, you could wrap it up in cling film and leave it into the fridge, or serve straight away.
13. To serve, simply cut into slices with a sharp knife. You can usually have about 8 sushi rolls from this. 
14. Dip sushi into soy sauce or wasabi (optional), or simply salad cream. 
15. Enjoy!

Sayonara,
Bev x

Ps. Disclaimer: I am not an actual chef. If you are looking for a professional recipe by a renowned chef to make delicious and fool-proof sushi at your special dinner party for your Michelin-starred guests, keep looking.

That was one of the staple sentences of my German GCSE, alas, serving me well through to my AS as well. When the weather is bad, I go to the cinema. And you may also have noticed through past blog posts (and on my last blog The Lollipop House too), I digress about the weather. About 4 times, I have said to 4 different people today, "the weather's pretty awful isn't it?". Because after all, I am British. And after all, the British weather is pretty awful today. So going back to my little bit of German (which, I promise you, I will still be able to remember and use in 50 years' time), when the weather is bad, what do you do? Well I can tell you that I'm not in the cinema right now. Instead, I'm tapping away on my laptop because the past few weeks of bad (aka rainy) weather have given me inspiration for a new list. And it goes a bit like this...

Things to do when the weather is crap*:

1. Skype. If you're twiddling your thumbs at home because you just don’t want to go outside and socialise like a normal person, in reality every other normal person will also be sheltered at home. So, pick up the phone and make a call. Or, in this funky day and age, Skype. It’s nice to see faces.
2. Facebook. Because some things - no matter the weather - never change. 
3. Bake cupcakes. Doesn’t matter if you’re the most masculine man in the entire man world; got eggs, flour, sugar and a bowl in your cupboard? Man up, because it will taste like heaven.   
4. Clean! It is strangely satisfying. (Cooking, now cleaning? I know, but don’t get the “woman” stereotype out because I will not do your laundry.)
5. Go through your sock drawer and match them up.
6. Mud fight. Ever heard the phrase, “if you’ve got it, flaunt it”? You’ve got mud, so, erm, flaunt it?
7. Read a good book. By the fireplace. With a nice steaming cuppa in one hand and a good book in the other. Place the cuppa down whilst page-turning.
8. Click on this link and print it out, A4 colour. Stick it on your window and whip out your sunnies and an ice cream.
9. Do that thing you’ve always wanted to do. Like flower arrangement, bird watching, building a house out of a playing card pack...
10. Re-enact any scene from “Singing in the Rain”. Invite your neighbours to watch/join in/cheer you on.
11. Go for a walk in the rain. If you're brave. Embrace it. Even better, venture out without your umbrella. Just make sure you're prepared for The Cold of All Colds.
12. Watch either "Up", "Wall-E", "Finding Nemo" of "Toy Story 3" and blub about how good Disney Pixar is, and how much better than Dreamworks it is, and how they shouldn't make a Finding Nemo 2 or a Toy Story 4. 
13. Go through all your old photos (Facebook or otherwise) and play the "Ohhhh! I remember when....!". Cringing at old haircuts is allowed, and encouraged.
14. Make a scrapbook.
15. Actually get something productive done. Yes, actually working. 
16. Board games!
17. Get all the Lego dotted around the house from your Lego days - we've all been there so don't pretend otherwise - and make a giant Lego creature your 5 year old self would be proud of.
18. Make lists. "Things to do", "Things to do before you die", "Things to apologise for", "Things that make you smile", "Things to do when the weather is good", "Things to do when the weather is bad", "Things to do when the weather is crap".

Bev (and her best friend Mr Umbrella. We spend waay too much time together) x
Ps. This is me below right now.


 * "crap" is defined as miserable weather where your new shoes are destroyed by muddy puddles and your umbrella has already given up on you because it is tired of being used every day. 
** I am assuming that, like me, you are also skint riding the surf of the recession and cannot simply afford to venture into cinemas/museums/other rain-associated places every time the cloud greys up a bit.

So there we have it. After the cute introduction of little Amelia Pond and the 11th Doctor, the heartwarming but occasionally confusing romance of Amy+Rory (remember when she totally came onto the Doctor?), and everything quirky-jumpered and in between, we said goodbye to the Doctor's much loved companions. (Doctor who? Doctor Who.)

Due to the fact that I'm completely strapped for time, I didn't get to watch the episode "The Angels Take Manhattan" until yesterday, and this review is going to be cut a little short. I have so much I could say, anyway, but for now...

Angels. Angels are meant to be sweet, innocent, angelic creatures, so the irony of the situation is clearly evident. Angels are, in an everyday situation, not meant to make you jump a mile out of your seat. You know which statue I'm talking about... Oh, and if you have not seen it yet, I'm going to spoil lots of things for you so press the little red cross now. Here's your warning: run. But yeah, the angels are back and they've taken over New York both past and present. In particular, past - you remember how they zap your time potential, a la Sally Sparrow and the fantastic "Blink"? Well, that's the fundamental part of the story. Basic, but it gets more complicated.

Add the mysterious book of events, and it is cleverly integrated into the episode. Once you've seen it all, it gets you thinking over things you missed earlier. And this is what makes good TV - thought after the ending. Like the last page (I hate endings too)...

So there is a paradox and an angel prison, a know-it-all-book, marital issues, scary baby angels (SO scary), and heartbreak. Moffat plays on the "Rory dies again like the guy from South Park" idea yet again, but this time you know it's for real. If you really think about it, not all that much actually happens, but the graveyard and the weird deserted building tick the boxes for a horror piece. Amy and Rory leave in a way you might have expected from the start, but it's the emotions which take you on a journey. Compared with the sudden ending of last week's Doctor Who, and the disappointment of the Wild West one, "The Angels Take Manhattan" was a reminder of how, when Moffat's good, he is very good. 

It's a solid ending. The actors' acting have never been better. The Ponds get a sad sort of happy ending, and the quiet and peaceful life they probably always wanted. River is still hanging around somewhere, and The Doctor is alone again. I'd happily volunteer to keep him company, but I think Jenna-Louise Coleman will do a brilliant job and I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

Ooooooooooooooooooh. 
Bev x
(Ps. that was my interpretation of the theme song.) 

Little Mix's latest offering, "DNA", shares it's title with their debut album which is out next month. Playing (and singing along to) their last track "Wings" became somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine this summer. Although "DNA" hasn't quite got me belting my heart out just yet, it has the makings of a solid pop track, undoubtedly popular for the radio stations and Little Mix fans.

It has a very electric sound and seems very heavily produced. Because of that, the vocals seem a little bit too processed, and we have to remember that these girls are incredible singers without the need for all the music robots and the like. Then again, we also have to remember that even the Katy Perrys and Taylor Swifts and Gagas are going through the exact same thing for every track released. And in the context of today's pop world, it's hardly a surprise anyway. It even works in Little Mix's favour as they're beginning to estabish a signature sound. I saw a random interview where the girls stated they wanted to release a ballad next, miles away from what people would expect from them. I guess the record company (aka Simon) had the final say on this one! But like I said, it's not necessarily a bad thing. If you're looking for a surprise, keep looking. But if you're looking for a catchy pop tune, enjoy.

Again, there is a pretty even showcase of all 4 members and that itself in a girlband is a rarity. The chorus is repetitive and catchy, plus it has a very Katy Perry "ET" feel to it so it doesn't necessarily feel like the fresh, new vibes of "Wings". A scientific theme is also prominent, as probably suggested by the title. Little lines like "I'm the X to his Y" form a very scientific love song. Yet the lyrics aren't exactly rocket science - "that's what makes a man...". 

Add a very random choir-esque section and an intro which makes me feel like I'm still dreaming, and you have something Little Mix can be proud of, and a very strong pop song which I expect will be shooting up the charts. It's not as strong as "Wings", however, and I'm still looking forward to the other "DNA" (the album) where hopefully there will be some more diverse tracks to challenge the pop sound. After all, if anyone can do it, it's the 4 girls who every other girl secretly wants to be. (Not me, though. I'm happy with the singing with my hairbrush for now.)

Bev x