Tuesday 29 December 2009

seaside love


We've spent the past couple of days at the seaside visiting family and taking in the sea air. Everything was perfect. And now we're unpacking to pack again and head off to France with friends for New Years.
I hope you've all had a great Christmas and happy NEW year!

Thursday 24 December 2009

Merry Christmas



December is my favourite time of year. I get so excited about seeing my family, friends, giving presents and enjoying a feast of food!
We're watching Holiday Inn {the perfect festive film}whilst finishing off some of the wrapping and drinking mulled cider. Our home is full of home made decorations, our tree is happily twinkling in the corner and glen and I are snuggled up on the sofa.
This is our first christmas spent together and i'm hoping to introduce glen to some of our family traditions.

  • opening one present from the tree on christmas eve (we had to make a very reluctant glen do this one)
  • eating breakfast in our P J's whilst opening our stocking presents.
  • opening presents from the tree before lunch
  • festive film watching
  • lots of board game playing and taking a brisk walk after lunch.

I hope you all have an amazing christmas.

photos taken from around my house

my mum. our tree with a very snowy street outside. home made apple and cranberry chutney given as gifts. presents all wrapped by me (i'm obsessed with brown paper and string!)

Monday 21 December 2009

Happy 1st anniversary


My beautiful sister got married to her husband this time last year. It was such a magical and romantic day. We sipped mulled wine, and sang christmas carols outside in the snow.

I can't believe it's already been a year, and so much has happened.
I love you both loads - have a great day celebrating in Richmond Park with what's left of the snow!

follow her and husbands adventures here
she takes the most amazing photos too!

Wednesday 16 December 2009

my week


I've been away from my blog this past week, as I've been enjoying time out of the house catching up with friends and family.
It's been snowing here in London. Not as much as i would have liked, but it was still snow. And it made me giddy running around like a little girl catching snowflakes in my mouth!
We had our Christmas Party on Saturday- it was great seeing old friends and catching up on the latest news in our life's. They're all off to Somerset (where i grew up) and I'm a little upset that I won't be there this year spending Christmas with them . But my mum is currently on her way to London, my sister is making a (Nigella's) feast , and it's my gorgeous nephews first Christmas.
I'm so excited about spending time with my family, cooking good food, and well just relaxing.

Glen and I are off to France for New year with our friends. We're staying in a small cottage near the beach, and i am so excited to take a break from the hustle and bustle of London.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas, spent with the ones you love.

Friday 11 December 2009

Things that give me goosebumps

After falling in love with Lisa Mitchell's new music video (below).




I was so inspired by the idea, shots, lighting and location that i found myself wanting to know more about the director. And came across a short film she's made called Pudding Bowl.

"It's a charming tale of a young girl's imagination
triumphing over the injustices of childhood."

I can't tell you enough how much I love this film.
The stocking. The girl. The beautiful shots. The story. The lighting.
everything.


Check her website out here, I've spent most of my morning there soaking up all of her videos.
I find her music videos and short films so inspiring.
If only I could make something to that standard.

Tuesday 8 December 2009

Rain, Ice and Mulled Wine means only one thing...It's Christmas!

We went Ice Skating at Somerset House last night.
We were freezing cold and it didn't stop raining the whole time we were there, but we didn't care one bit, we had so much fun.
To our surprise we didn't fall over, and I was even able to skate for a whole 5 minutes without holding on to the side!
London felt so magical to us last night, the fairy lights, the Christmas tree, little ones and chats with strangers.
We warmed up in Covent Garden and then walked to our favourite (follow the link to see) french bar for a cheese board and red wine. It's not to be missed on a trip to London.
A truly perfect day.

Here is a little Christmas playlist, to get you in the festive mood. I can't stop smiling as i listen to these beautiful songs.
Enjoy

Monday 7 December 2009

Feeling festive..?


I hope you've all had a great weekend..? This is just a quick post to ask you all to please vote for this photo I took in Uganda for Link Community Development. The charity stand to win $2000 AUSD, so please get in the festive spirit and get voting here.

Tuesday 1 December 2009

Happy Birthday Mum!



My gorgeous mum is 51 today! She is such a beautiful, brave, generous and loving person.
She constantly smiles through good times and all the bad times and i've never ever seen her lose her temper.
She is such an amazing role model to me and my sister,
and if I turn out to be half the lady she is i'd be lucky!

I'm off to Somerset (South West England) today to spend some time with her, drink warm apple cider with friends and relax in the country side. I can't wait!

I'll be back in London on Friday for a very busy weekend!

Saturday 28 November 2009

today i love

this video. the lyrics, the shots and most of all the beautiful lighting.



i'm also slightly hooked on this band right now; Local Natives. a friend lent me their album and i haven't been able to stop listening to them all evening. as he put it "they're like a cross between fleet foxes and arcade fire"

enjoy





i also love strangers who smile and say hello to you in the street, so rare to see in London. i think everyone must have that warm festive feeling.

Thursday 26 November 2009

we've recently set up a music/reading room, it's now become my favourite room in the house. Take a look around.
I've been here all week, picking out records and reading books, it's been so relaxing.






Wednesday 25 November 2009

family and friends are what weekends are made for!



I really do have the best family and friends. They shower me with love and show me constant support.
I love you!

Monday 23 November 2009

sleepless nights. yawn.

sleeping beauty photo found here
it's 3.25 am in the morning and i haven't been able to sleep a wink! i've been tossing and turning in bed for almost 3 hours now, and with glen having to get up at 4.30 for work, i thought it was slightly unfair of me to keep him awake any longer. i'm now downstairs still in my pj's drinking my herbal sleepy time tea and listening to the creaks in the old house where i call home.

anyway with thanksgiving coming up i thought i would write a list to say what i'm thankful for, and to hopefully make me sleepy!

{p.s i'm also a little bit jealous that we don't have this holiday in the UK.}

  • Thankful for my mum who sends me little messages every day just to say how much she loves me.

  • Thankful for my sister and my cute little nephew. i'm so glad you're staying at home for christmas and can't wait to make decorations with you this year. yippee!

  • Thankful for glen's jokes and baby voices we only use for each other. i think we made up our on language a while ago that only we understand!

  • Thankful for my friend’s nat and alex, who make me dinner whenever glen's not at home (even if they do argue over who's the best cook whenever i go round!)

  • Thankful for my home and all the creaks and cracks that go with it. however the mouse that keeps making an appearance in our kitchen i'm not so thankful for!

  • Thankful for my sleepy time tea.....................

i think it's finally made me zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Thursday 19 November 2009

I laughed out loud as i watched this earlier. I love that people are just walking past them and aren't sure what to do!
I'm also pretty smitten with the background being in Paris, it makes this video more special to me.

Morning!

So i hope you like the little play list below. I must give credit to hearblack, as i didn't realise you could do this until i saw his yesterday.
( and maybe i listened to it all day whilst tidying up the house!)
It's like a mixed tape that you used to receive from friends in school.
I hope you like it.
I can see my self getting very addicted to this widget from now on..........

songs to get me out of bed

Tuesday 17 November 2009

it's always the little things that make me the happiest

I have been listening to Laura Marling non - stop for three days now. She has such a beautiful voice and an innocence about her that i find adorable.

here she is on Jool's Holland.

Enjoy!

Monday 16 November 2009

I heart my city






My relationship with London has been a love hate one for a while now.
There are days when i want to move to the country where you can breathe in fresh air, not second hand smoke! also where you can sit on a bus or train and just spark up lovely conversations with strangers, rather than being stared at on an over crowded tube.

But then there are days where the city's bright lights really take me in and make me
swoon!

Last night was one of those nights.

I've spent most the weekend surrounded by tissues in the comfort of my bed.

I've had a horrid cold and yesterday i felt the need to escape the room and leave all the snotty tissues behind. Glen and I jumped in the car and went for a little drive around town,
laughing and listening to
Christmas songs
whilst drinking our
hot chocolates!

ahhhhh bliss.

Saturday 14 November 2009

Happy Weekend!




The weather here has changed.
We've got thunder, wind and lots of rain.
Our plan for the weekend is wrapping up warm with the paper, magazines, films and yummy food!

I'm unwinding from a very busy but uh-mazing week.

Can't wait to share soon.
But for now, have a fantastic weekend whatever you get up to!

Photos taken in Clissold park Stoke Newington. Before the rain came!

Monday 9 November 2009

fisheye.

can you spot the elephant? taken in uganda


a local shop keeper waving

my gorgeous mum. taken on a trip to columbia road market

Saturday 7 November 2009

Have a fab weekend

Okay so it's 11 am and I am wide awake, and my lovely boyfriend is fast asleep next to me. I feel like I should give him till 12, considering he was up at 4.30 am yesterday for work and we were out last night till 1 am! But my belly is rumbling something rotten and i'm surprised that it hasn't woken G up yet....ohhhhhh tossing....turning. Nope he's still asleep! Anyway when he does wake up we're off to the farmers market, to eat brunch and drink coffee, whilst reading the paper sat on a school bench! I love weekends. I hope you all have a great one too!

Photos's from G's b'day taken at the Chicago rib shack



Thursday 5 November 2009

itchy feet

It's only been a month since I've been back from Uganda, and I have a terrible case of the holiday blues. I can't sit still for very long, this has always been a big problem. Every pound I earn is mostly saved up for future trips.

I'm day dreaming of the next place I'll go.....South Africa, Japan, Thailand.......if only I could just hop on a plane and go! Who's with me? Let's get away from the cold and sit on a beach and watch the sun set with cocktails in our hands!


Image { such an adorable blog}

Tuesday 3 November 2009

Birthday fun!




Glen and I had the best day yesterday celebrating his B'day.
We had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, then travelled to the Natural History Museum to see the new Darwin Cocoon
{worth a visit it you live in London}.
We had such a lovely time sharing secrets and talking about our goals and future plans.
And i must say i'm pretty excited by it!

However today i've woken up with a stinky cold. so i now have four layers of tops on and i've spent most the day applying for jobs whilst being tucked up in bed!

I've also become slightly addicted to this video!