Me: Would it be really naff if I put my digital photo frame actually in the fireplace in the living room?
Jenni: Er, don't take this the wrong way, but...
Me: It'd be awful?
Jenni: No, just...if there's anyone that could get away with it, it would be you.
Me: Yeah, perhaps I'll put the oil burner in there instead.

Finally, I have some photos of my new flat. Obviously, I've yet to move my stuff in or do any kind of decorating (or fix the wardrobe or cover the ugly sofas) but it gives you an idea of the huge amounts of space I'm lucky enough to have in the main rooms. Sorry they're rubbish quality, they were taken with my N95.

As I buy new stuff and start decorating and taking more pictures, this little strip of pics should update. I'm off clothes shopping with Jenni today, which will obviously involve lots of homeware shopping too. Stay tuned for uninteresting photos of all the stuff I've bough. Oh, lucky you.

www.flickr.com

I'm an incredibly fussy eater. I used to be a lot worse (to the point where my parents considered the fact I might have a food phobia) but over time I've managed to knock some sense into myself. I still have my moments (I believe carrots are the root of all evil, and mashed potato makes me heave) but I'm much better than I was. Now, when I look at a menu in a restaurant I can choose based on what I fancy, not on what I will actually eat.

So when I saw Keris had posted a list of 100 interesting foods, listing for each whether she'd tried them or not, I decided it would be good to steal it and fill it out myself, to see how much I really have changed.

Enjoy. Or click the red 'X'. Your call. It's a bit long...

1. Steak tartare - No. I've had salmon tartare though. It was amazing.

2. Crocodile - Yes, tailmeat tastes and looks like chicken breast. Seriously.

3. Black pudding - Never been able to bring myself to try it, even thought my flatmate cooked it sometimes and it always smelled nice.

4. PB&J sandwich - Afraid peanut butter is one of those things I still despise.

5. Aloo gobi - Yeah, not keen on the cauliflower in it though. Sag Aloo on the other hand is absolutely amazing.

6. Hot dog from a street cart - Yes. In London after a boozy night out. I'm lucky to still be alive, I reckon. Dirty, dirty dirty.

7. Epoisses - Nope, don't really eat cheese.

8. Black truffle - Alas, no.

9. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - Oh yes! Jojo and I had pineapple wine in Australia. My dad used to make Elderberry wine when I was a kid, too. It was legendary.

10. Steamed Pork Buns - Yep! At various buffets in Vegas, where I learned it's easy to get these very, very wrong.

11. Pistachio ice cream - I think I must have tried it at some point, but I can't recall.

12. Heirloom tomatoes - Don't think they're popular in the UK. Tomatoes are one of my favourite foods though, so I'm keen to try.

13. Fresh wild berries - I grew up in the country. We picked blackberries, elderberries, damsons, strawberries, you name it.

14. Foie gras - No. I was offered it once on French exchange by the father of the family, who laughed raucously at me when I said no.

15. Rice and beans - Yeah. Not keen.

16. Brawn - Nope.

17. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - Do you dare me?

18. Dulce de leche - Yep, had it on desserts in restaurants before. Yums.

19. Oysters - You know, I haven't. I would though.

20. Baklava - Hell yes! I adore it.

21. Bagna cauda - Never tried it, but I want to, having stolen Keris's Google-fu: "The dish, which is served and consumed in a manner similar to fondue, is made with garlic, anchovies, olive oil, butter, and in some parts of the region cream."

22. Wasabi peas - I've got some on my desk as we speak. They're a bit strong though, and may have to be passed on to Susi.

23. Clam chowder - Nope. One of my fussy food things was hating anything that was white / creamy. Obviously this was hell. I'd try it now but I'm not fussed to be honest.

24. Salted lassi - No, I hate milk. See above.

25. Sauerkraut - Yes, in Germany. Ewww.

26. Root beer float - Nope but my mom used to make the UK equivalent, the coke float. I was never keen.

27. Cognac with a fat cigar - Nah.

17923 28. Devonshire Tea - Of course!

29. Vodka jelly - Oh God. Millennium eve. I was 16 and my friend had made some using cheap vodka that cost 80p a bottle in Bulgaria. Enough said.

30. Gumbo - Yes, but not the proper authentic stuff.

31. Oxtail - No NO NO.

32. Curried goat - Well, I've not had the traditional dish. But I reckon at some point I've eaten goat in a curry, yep.

33. Whole insects - I got chocolate covered ants in a press goodie bag once. I dared everyone else to eat them instead of trying them myself.

34. Phaal - Never had the guts. The strongest I'll go is a vindaloo, and even then I don't enjoy it.

35. Goat’s milk - In the form of halloumi only.

36. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - No, I'm not a whisky drinker.

37. Fugu - Nope, that's the pufferfish that might kill you, isn't it? I'm not eating food that might kill me. At least not knowingly.

38. Chicken tikka masala - Oh, about once a month.

39. Eel - Don't think I have.

40. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - I work in fashion. What do you think?

41. Sea urchin - Not eaten it. Seen my dad tweezing at the bits embedded in someone's foot, though. Nice.

42. Prickly pear - Nope.

43. Umeboshi - Nope.

44. Abalone - Oh my God. These were everywhere in Chinatown in Sydney and we had no idea what the hell they were. Now I do, and I'm still not convinced. I do eat all seafood and shellfish though, so never say never.

45. Paneer - I've had it cooked into things, but never on its own.

46. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - No I always have chicken things.

47. Spätzle - No.

48. Dirty gin martini - Yeah, and I didn't like it. Give me a Mojito instead.

49. Beer above 8% ABV - I don't really drink beer. But we did try a few random ones in Bruges. For all I know one could have been above 8% but I think I would have known.

50. Poutine - Nope. Sounds absolutely rank, but you never know until you try I suppose. I won't be trying it though. Just gimme my chips and mayo instead.

51. Carob chips - Yeah, mom used to give us carob as kids instead of chocolate quite a lot. This could be why I love cheap chocolate as much as the good stuff now.

52. S’mores - Tell me where I can get one in the UK, and I will.

53. Sweetbreads - Sorry to be predictable, but EWWWW, no. I saw someone cooking them recently and the dish looked great but I still couldn't get over the fact it was yukky, smelly offal.

54. Kaolin - Isn't that white clay?!

55. Currywurst - No, but I remember having to say it a lot in German lessons at school. I'd imagine it's just like having chip shop curry sauce over a saveloy, right? Then again, not done that either.

56. Durian - I'd sort of love to try it, just to say I've eaten the stinky fruit, but so far, nope.

57. Frogs’ legs - No, but I would.

58. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - Churros, yes. Nom nom nom.

59. Haggis - No. Don't want to either.

60. Fried plantain - LOVED this. Jojo made me have it at breakfast in Vegas after she'd tried it in Barbados. WOW is all I can say.

61. Chitterlings, or andouillette - No, no never will.

62. Gazpacho - I've had virgin bloody mary soup, which is almost the same thing, right?

63. Caviar and blini - Yes. I was amazed I actually liked caviar. I obviously have expensive taste.

64. Louche absinthe - Only absinthe I've had was in a cocktail at trailer happiness. Oh, and the shot on New Year's Eve out of a bottle that had been sneaked into a pub. Not by me, may I add.

65. Gjetost, or brunost - Nope, not a cheese person.

66. Roadkill - No. And it doesn't appeal, for obvious reasons.

67. Baijiu - Sounds good (*cough*) but no.

68. Hostess Fruit Pie - Nope.

69. Snail - I really would try them, but so far I've not had the chance.

70. Lapsang souchong - I don't really drink tea.

71. Bellini - Yes, many times. I make them myself (get the peach juice from Lidl, fact fans)

72. Tom yum - Yeah, yummy.

73. Eggs Benedict - Had them on Monday, actually. So gorgeous.

74. Pocky - Keep thinking I should, since they're so kitschy. But I bet it's a letdown.

75. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - No, but I'd love to.

76. Kobe beef - Possibly. I had a bit of beef at Nobu, and it wouldn't surprise me if it was Kobe.

77. Hare - No, I'm not keen on rabbit so it's never appealed.

78. Goulash - Nope.

79. Flowers - Yeah, sugared ones on cakes and stuff.

80. Horse - Well, not to my knowledge but you never know what goes into a takeaway.

81. Criollo chocolate - What's this, a chocolate I've not tried?

382. Spam - Yeah, as a kid. Wasn't keen.

83. Soft shell crab - I don't think I've had soft shell, actually.

84. Rose harissa - No, but I'm going to buy some of this. Sounds yum.

85. Catfish - I can't remember. If it comes from the sea I'll eat it, though.

86. Mole poblano - Yeah, in mexican restaurants and so on.

87. Bagel and smoked salmon - Yeah, not fussed by it though.

88. Lobster Thermidor - No! I really would like to try it though.

89. Polenta - Yeah.

90. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee - Nope.

91. Snake - Can you eat snake?!

92. Tripe - This is up there with sweetmeats. The one thing in my life I've seen my mother spit out. Quite rightly so. Who wants to eat stomach?!

93. Heart - No. See above.

94. Kangaroo - Yes, it was ok, but basically like chewy steak. I preferred the crocodile.

95. Civet coffee (Kopi Luwak) - The coffee that's already been through a squirrel or something (thanks Keris). No, I don't drink coffee either.

96. Shark - On my list.

97. Chicken feet - No, I'll stick to the rest of the bird, thanks.

98. Tequila worms - Not had the worm. Had plenty of tequila though.

99. Moussec - I go to a lot of parties that serve champagne. It's quite possible I've had this. Who knows.

100. Any egg other than chicken - don't think so...maybe duck at some point?

Before I forget (ha! like I'll forget) the lovely Kate Carter at Guardian.co.uk did a little Q&A with me last week during New York Fashion Week where I waxed lyrical about the usual; clothes, blogs, fashion week, why PRs don't send me front row tickets for Luella etc.

That's one for my mom to print off so she can show my nan.

I looked at my first flat yesterday.

Today I took it.

Yes, it really was *that* easy. But I think sometimes you just know. It's a little further out than I planned, but the walk to the station is gorgeous (up through the park) and it's on a safe, quiet road that's a million miles from the loud, dodgy ghetto I currently live in.

Having finally knuckled down to the search, I've quickly discovered that things haven't changed. Letting agents are still advertising cheap properties long after they've been taken in order to reel you in, then wowing you with better ones that are over budget, whacking on ridiculous fees afterward to put you in even more debt. Seriously, the fees on this place are more than the entire deposit I paid for the place I'm in now. Good thing I have savings because I'm going to need them next month!

What I learned yesterday is that trying to find a one bed flat in Crystal Palace at the moment is a bit like trying to get tickets to the Christopher Kane show at London Fashion Week (read: bloody difficult). Places are being snapped up within hours of going on the market, and as a result, rents are being bumped up (seriously, I saw one guy add twenty five quid to the rent right in front of me). After I'd seen my flat, I looked at another place that was much closer to the station, and that sealed the deal for me. It was the same price but in a whole other league of awfulness. The kitchen made me want to kill myself. The thought of looking at dozens more like that for the sake of a five minute walk really didn't appeal, and having seen photos of other places within my budget, it looked like that was the case. I'm a big believer in trusting your gut, and my gut said I'd be happy in the first place.

So, provided the reference checks all go through ok, I will soon move from the wilds of Walthamstow to the leafy, residential suburb that is Anerley. The flat's a 15 min walk to Crystal Palace if I want to save myself a few quid a month by travelling from zone 3, or very close to Anerley and (eek) Penge West stations as well. The commute will be longer than I've done before since it involves trains, but I really don't mind that. I was determined this time to find a place that felt like home in an area that I can actually spend time in, rather than settling for somewhere cheap, living with strangers and constantly wondering when I can move somewhere better. I think I've found that.

Oh, and there's a dishwasher. Always a good sign!