Spa Day

I tried to write this post last night but was still so away with the fairies, I had to leave it to today. A few hours earlier I had been lounging around in the Agua Spa in the Sanderson Hotel. I decided to treat myself to a pregnancy facial. My wonderful Mother in Law was hanging out with the Cub, I'd done as much writing as I could and now I'm past the three month stage, was finally allowed to step back into a spa again. (Beauty therapists wont even look at you in the first trimester.)

I should have probably guessed that I was going somewhere quite special when I stepped into the lift. Pitch black with a full on holographic space scene. Planets, moons, stars. I was in Space. And then I stepped out into a completely different planet than the one I'd been occupying twenty seconds earlier. I wouldn't have laughed if you'd told me it was heaven. And not in the descriptive sense. The ceilings were higher than my whole house and covered in white floaty fabric through the whole spa. The only colour other than white, was the green of the granny smith apples in enormous bowls, sporadically dotted around. The floors were white, the dressing rooms, the chairs, the orchids, the towels. The waffle robes and swanky slippers - also white...

My treatment room, designed by the very clever Phillipe Stark.

I was so relaxed after ten minutes of just hanging out in the chill out area I could have pretty much gone home then and there and been happy. I then had the facial - lying on a heated water bed- and honestly couldn't speak until an hour later.

Aromatherapy Associates Rose used in the treatment

I decided to make my day as healthy, wholesome and pampering as possible so went to Leon afterwards and picked up one of my favourite superfood salads. Alfafa sprouts, seeds, broccoli, peas. Pure health - ten points. The only slight problem being in this catatonic state was that all my sense and will power was also left behind in the spa. No way in hell could I possibly resist the lure of Liberty opposite.

To reward myself for leaving the Isabel Marant section empty handed I allowed myself to splash out two balls of beautiful twine and some herringbone weave, pink silk. How times have changed...

My new string from RE Liberty. A blue one might have jumped into my basket too...

All I seem to be able to think about at the moment is cakes. Cakes and sweet things. I bought a Carrot cake last week and have been sneaking into the larder ever since, hacking little bits off it. Needless to say it is now all gone and I am totally bereft without it. I've decided to make my own.

I can still remember the most delicious carrot cake of all time, no joke, from when I was 14 at school. It was a friends' mothers' recipe and I still have it to this day. If you like a carrot cake, this seriously could be the best one you'll ever have. And, the best news is that it gets better every day. You can have secret little bits for weeks on end.

'Hannah's Superb Carrot Cake'

8oz self raising flour

2 level teaspoons of baking powder

5oz soft light brown sugar

2oz walnuts, chopped

4oz carrots, washed trimmed and grated

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

Quarter of a pint of sunflower oil

Topping

3oz soft margarine

3oz cream cheese

6oz icing sugar

half a teaspoon of vanilla essence

To Make

Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl, stir in the sugar

Add the nuts, carrots, banana and mix

Add the eggs and oil and then mix until blended

Pour the mixture into a lined flat square or rectangular tin and bake for 30 mins at 180 degrees

Mix all the icing ingredients together and when the cakes is cold, spread with the very tasty topping.