Wife in the City

New home and new home

2010-09-10T13:15:00.004+01:00

First, this blog has a new home at http://wifeinthecity.com/ I would love for you to come visit me over there and to say hello. I'm still getting used to Wordpress though so I'm not sure if you can follow me or how I keep track of all your blogs but I will work it out! Plus there's lots of bits and bobs I need to do to polish it but I was too excited to wait for all of that! Oh and this is a big ask, if you link to me could you update your link please? It would be very very much appreciated.

Over there I also tell you about my new home :) So please come and find out where, if you haven't done so already!

Thanks, M xx

Images from Istanbul

2010-09-07T20:46:00.003+01:00

A few snaps from our trip to Turkey last week. It was a fabulous visit, spent with wonderful friends and seeing some lovely sights. I'll write a little more about it soon but work is busy and I am tired (although refreshed mentally from the holiday).

Holiday time...

2010-08-27T12:17:00.002+01:00

We're off for our final holiday of the year, until Christmas that is. Two locations, down to see the in-laws for a few days of relaxing with them and then off abroad for hopefully a bit of sunshine!

Things have been busy but I'm getting much much closer to being able to spill the beans on the Big&Scary, hopefully in a couple more weeks! And feeling a hell of a lot more positive about it all, so all's good.

Wishing all UK bound bloggers a fabulous long weekend and for everyone else hope you have a lovely weekend!

Babies

2010-08-24T15:12:00.002+01:00

I found out this morning that I am now a thrice Auntie and the two most recent additions to my brood have come in the last four weeks. Which has all been very exciting. Both are little girls and both born with lots of hair! (Which I happen to think is very cute in a baby)

But what's so nice about all of this is that I have been learning (a little) about pregnancy and birth from my sisters. Which both fascinates and scares the s**t out of me. I think pregnancy is such a miracle and all that the body does is amazing. There was a time when I thought about midwifery but I think I'm not cut out for it. Although getting to help with the experience of bringing new babies in the world every day, wow. So for now I shall stick with the delight of babies without actually having one.

This is because I don't think that just yet I am at that baby stage. In fact I'm more than certain I'm not ready at the moment. There are too many other things I want to do first, which is not to say I don't ever want to have babies but not just yet.

It gets you thinking though, seeing other people's babies, especially those related to me, makes me think about my own one day...

Polpetto - Review

2010-08-22T19:49:00.004+01:00

J and I went to Polpetto on Saturday night, I had managed to book a table for the preview evening and was super excited to go having been to Polpo a few times and absolutely loving it there.

And so we arrived, to this little room about the French House on Dean Street which had sweet simple tables, lovely big mirrors and the same light bulbs as Polpo. Luckily enough we got a table next to the window so enjoyed the breeze coming through as we ate.

Deciding what to eat wasn't easy, it all sounded yummy and there's a fair choice (although not quite as many dishes as Polpo). In the end we went for a mix of Cicheti, breads, meat and fish dishes and some vegetables.
As we had a few dishes I'll list them and highlight the ones I really really loved:

Melanzane Parmigiana (small bite)
Smoked Swordfish, lemon and dill ricotta (small bite)
Fig and Salami bruschetta
Zucchinni friti
Pea, Fennel and Ricotta salad
Sliced flank steak with white truffle cream
Pigeon Saltimbocca
Soft shell crab in parmesan batter
Pannacotta and blackberries
Tiramisu Pot

Those in bold were the ones which really got me excited, especially the steak, that truffle cream made me a very very happy girl. (On the right in the photo above, it was amazing!)

The food overall was all great, I love being able to eat a selection of smaller dishes and so having a different meal everytime which is flexible to what I feel like that evening. I could keep going back just to try all the dishes.

Plus I would keep going back because the atmosphere is lovely. It's relaxed, attentive and fun. We were able to enjoy ourselves, catch up, relax and then just make mmmmmm noises with each mouthful without feeling self-conscious or stupid.

In brief I would recommend it, it's a lovely place for dining in. Either at Polpetto or Polpo, both have that great atmosphere and fabulous food which keeps you going back for more.

Paris Photos - Just because...

2010-08-18T10:07:00.000+01:00

A little taste of our weekend in Paris. If we had food markets like this in the UK I would be a very very happy lady...

Paris

2010-08-16T22:49:00.002+01:00

Paris was lovely, just the tonic we needed, we strolled around, chatted, laughed, ate some reasonable food and drank some yummy red wine.

And then it rained all Sunday...

Working through the tough times

2010-08-13T11:05:00.002+01:00

Things have been a little tougher than normal in the Wife in the City household recently. There's something on the horizon which is taking a lot of thinking and is quite big. And big stuff tends to have an impact on relationships. J and I deal with things in different ways. I talk, talk, talk and work through things by talking aloud (sometimes this gets me in trouble but most of the time it works for me). He doesn't talk (until I piss him off so much by niggling he finally breaks, which is never a good way to extract information). But we also focus on different aspects so get caught in that moment of mis-click where you're both aiming for the same point via a different path and those paths sure as hell don't cross.

The thing is we're married. We got married to work together through big and tough things (or a big and scary as trademarked by Peonies). And we're working through it. I cry and he hugs me close and tells me it'll all be okay. Or we work through how it'll be okay and what the options are. But it's hard, in all the time we've been together (almost eight years) things have always been relatively easy, university, jobs, family, living. So having a challenge is probably good for us but it's also unchartered territory, and as such just takes a bit of getting used to.

And when we have a tough week and come out of it smiling I know we'll be okay. Because we have invested in this relationship too much for it not to be okay. And because I love J too much not to work through a slightly tougher than normal time.

And then soon I'll finally share this thing which has been chewing at us. Until then my apologies for horribly cryptic posts. And hopefully I'll be perkier after we return from Paris this weekend!

Another year older

2010-08-08T12:50:00.003+01:00

Yesterday was my birthday so I celebrated with a wee party for a few friends. It was a great way to celebrate turning older, although at times I'm still like a child when it comes to my excitement for my birthday!

Birthday's are always a time to reflect a little, at the year that has just passed and at what the future may hold and I'm hoping that this next year will be exciting! In fact I'm pretty sure it will be. That thing I was worrying about a while back, well stuff is happening and hopefully it'll be good news. I'll be sure to let you know!

Clouds

2010-08-04T09:45:00.000+01:00

I love the way the clouds look when you're flying. Like a huge fluffy carpet ready to run over...

Sometimes this is where my head is but then everyone needs a little time with their head in the clouds.

Wedding epiphany

2010-08-02T14:13:00.002+01:00

J and I were at a wedding in Germany this weekend, one of a close friend of J's and we had a wonderful time but what I wanted to write about here was why (in my opinion) we had a wonderful time and the epiphany I had about what makes a wedding a GREAT wedding.

This will, I suspect, come of no surprise to most of you but here are the two things I realised (as a guest) that make a wedding truly wonderful:

1. The bride and groom really have fun. They smile, laugh, greet guests with delight and spread infectious joy.
2. The bride and groom have the day they want, not the one that all the other involved parties want...

And there we have it. The very very simplified recipe to a great day. Or at least with both of these you've got a pretty good chance of having a wonderful wedding and your guests enjoying it too!

Some light photographic relief

2010-07-29T11:10:00.002+01:00

We recently spent a weekend with my parents in the countryside. J and I went to relax for a while, which was long overdue, both to see my parents and to relax a little.

So we had some fun taking a few photos and playing with our camera. Hope you like them!

Still makes me long for a garden though... To grow tomatoes and gooseberries would be enough :)

In search of domestic godessness

2010-07-27T21:07:00.003+01:00

I've been trying to get more in touch with my domestic goddess recently which has been quite good fun, it's been really nice trying some new recipes and working at old ones. First are some of the old ones J and I work on, his tabbouleh (soooo good), my houmous with lamb and pine nuts and some labneh. Yummy! This all went with our lebanese feast we had when we were in one weekend recently.

And then up come the choux buns! This was the first time I've made Choux pastry, and it was surprisingly easy. I thought it would be much more liable to go wrong but somehow it turned out really well. And tasted good too! I then filled these bad boys with creme patissiere and covered with melted nutella...

And finally the meringues from the egg whites left over from the custard. These were a little crumbly, something went wrong somewhere but they tasted okay so all good in the end!

Now I think I might have promised the choux pastry recipe at some point so below please find the recipe, taken from Michel Roux Jr's recipe book "A life in the kitchen"

125ml water

125ml milk

1 pinch salt

1 teaspoon sugar

100g butter

150g plain flour sifted

4 eggs

Put the water, milk, butter, salt and sugar into a pan and slowly bring to the boil. Take off the heat and beat in the flour. When the mixture is smooth put it back on the heat and beat vigorously for a minute. Take off the heat and put the paste into a bowl, beat in the eggs one at a time. Now put the paste into a piping bag with a 1.5cm nozzle, pipe out buns measuring 3cm across onto a non-stick baking sheet (I used oiled baking paper). Cook in a preheated oven at 220C/Gas Mark 7 for 5 minutes. Open the door for a few seconds to let out the steam, then turn down to 180C/Gas Mark 5 for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.

And enjoy!!!

Being Unhealthy

2010-07-23T11:50:00.002+01:00

This week has not been a good week for being healthy. I have been out three nights on the trot and am really feeling it. Nowadays I really cannot take the pace any more.

I really must try harder. Which is why I'm writing this post. Having it written down often makes one think about it more and hopefully take more action.

So here is my plan:

1. Schedule nights in rather than out
2. Make a conscious effort not to snack between meals on crisps and chocolate and think about all I am eating
3. Try and drink less and less often
4. Start doing yoga at home and find another class to attend during the week

I'm hoping that if I can start making little changes and feeling more healthy then it'll become habit to be better. And once it's habit then hopefully I can introduce even better habits and proceed on an upward trajectory, not an up and down and sometimes spiralling trajectory...

A final Italy post - the artwork

2010-07-20T10:11:00.000+01:00

My first real life Damien Hirst - stunning, vivid colour and a subtle skull which isn't menacing.

One of the two Mark Quinn Kate Moss statues. J did ask if Kate Moss really could do that. I suggested probably not... Fascinating and loved the gold.

Anish Kapoor's concave circles. For their simplicity I loved these.

Another Damien Hirst, this was perhaps my favourite. All butterflies in a fabulous mosaic/geometric design. Ticking my symmetry and colour and material boxes all at once. If only I could have this in my house one day...

Not sure who this one is by but it made me smile and I like having it hanging off in the first room you walk into.

So there we are, I'm finally going to stop banging on about our one night in Italy!

Having the time to stop

2010-07-18T16:59:00.003+01:00

This weekend we had nothing planned, nothing at all. And for once I was delighted (I'm a planner as well as a worrier). Things have been busy, work for both of us has been busy and we've had functions booked in for weekday evenings and weekends for quite a while now. So much so that I got ill at the beginning of the week, my body's way of telling me to slow down and relax. So I slept most of Monday.

And then this weekend. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Bliss.

We have made the most of it, cooking most of yesterday, making Lebanese, some of my favourite food, but time consuming to do properly. Making ice cream, from scratch with no machine and then just sitting and not doing.

This weekend has made me realise the value of stopping. Of sitting down together, sometimes in silence, sometimes chewing the cud about whatever is on our mind. We've had the time to appreciate all we have, how lucky we are to have each other and all else that we have.

What joy nothing sometimes is...

Verona Arena - A night at the opera!

2010-07-14T09:45:00.000+01:00

The whole reason for us to go to Verona was for a night at the opera. Every year they hold an opera festival which lasts during the summer and is held in the Roman arena in the middle of Verona. We went to see the first night of Carmen showing and it was just fabulous!

The sets were all done by Franco Zefferelli and were beautiful. Plus the stage is about three times the size of a normal theatre so you fit many more singers and animals on stage! As you can see by the horse above...

It was a great opera, a wonderful experience and one I won't forget for a long while.

Review: Byblos Art Hotel - Verona

2010-07-13T09:35:00.004+01:00

We stayed at the Byblos Art Hotel, a leading small hotel of the world, and boy is it a leading hotel. Not only is the setting absolutely stunning, on a hill just outside of Verona in an old villa but then inside is a delight. The service was great, breakfast was a feast and dinner was fab. Plus they provide a shuttle service in and out of Verona making staying a little further away not a problem at all.

Our room was a riot of colour but put together beautifully. I love bold colours so this suited me to a tee. The bed was big, and comfortable plus the bathroom huge and really well equipped (bar the hairdryer which was like all hotel hairdryers I have ever experienced, pants).

All around the hotel are various artworks, I have a whole other post about the artworks because they really were stunning and exciting to see too! but below just a small example of how the fabulous old architecture was mixed with modern art.

And then there was the pool... Oh sweet delight when it was nearing 40C (over 100F) on Saturday and Sunday! We spent most of Saturday afternoon relaxing in the sunshine and frolicking in the pool.

The gardens were beautiful, so verdant and full of fabulously scented herbs which left the air smelling sweet.

Finally one of the art pieces, a painted bronze orchid by Mark Quinn. Truly beautiful, the colours popped out.

In short a hotel I would absolutely recommend, for it's service, for the luxury, for the beauty and for being such an escape from the humdrum of normal life, which was really just what I needed right now.

Whisked away to... Verona!

2010-07-11T21:47:00.002+01:00

What a lucky lucky girl I was, early on Saturday morning we hauled ourselves up, me excited to go away but tired. And then at Victoria we met some friends who were joining us on our mini adventure and were off on the Gatwick express. We left a very cloudy grey Gatwick to arrive in a scorching Verona, a city I have never visited before. And what little we managed to see of it was lovely.

After lunch we hopped in a taxi to our hotel, again no idea where we were staying so to turn up to the below driveway I was excited to say the least...

And then we walked into this entrance hall, wowee! And we were at the Byblos Art Hotel, just outside of Verona. Another post to follow on the hotel, we spent most of our time there!

Whisking away

2010-07-09T15:30:00.002+01:00

For the first time in 7.5 years J is whisking me away on a surprise trip tomorrow morning! I'm very excited, I know its Europe, for one night and with a couple of friends. Beyond that nada...

So I shall have stories and photos on Monday!

Hope you all have lovely weekends, xx

Thoughts on friendship

2010-07-08T13:06:00.004+01:00

I saw a couple of old friends recently on a couple of separate occasions, both of whom I haven't seen for a few months but who I am close to and have been close to in the past. But it got me to thinking, both these girls had no idea about something which right now to me is important and having a big effect on my life. Something which somehow they were unaware of. How had they missed this? Because I hadn't seen them or because our friendship had changed.

I know friendships change, I know they wax and wane and someone who is close at a time in your life might not be so close at another time. Often due to circumstances. But for some reason I always feel a little confused as to why these thing happen.

I also know that relationships need to be worked at but it's a fine balance between both parties working at it and one party putting more effort in. I'm never sure when to cut the effort off. Is a past friendship something which should always be worked at or do I need to accept when a friendship has passed that that's what happened and there are always plenty more opportunities to build relationships and new friendships.

It's something I have found myself pondering on as I've grown up and changed, life has changed, relationships have changed and so have friendships. I guess though that throughout it all I've always understood the precious value of friends, be they bloggers, colleagues or childhood friends.

The fear of bra shopping...

2010-07-04T16:30:00.003+01:00

I finally plucked up the courage to go bra shopping today, something I've needed to do for a while... And it got me to thinking, why am I so scared of asking for help with fitting my bra?

I tried my normal tactic, picking up some styles I like in the approximate size I think I am. Five bras later and none of them fitted. So I stood in the changing rooms and wondered if I should go home and try again another day. And then a deep breath I walked out and asked for help.

For some reason the very idea is one which I get slightly unsettled by. Even though I know I need to get some advice and buy the right size I still shy away from it and have a drawer full of semi-fitting bras.

It also made me think about all those statistics of 90% of women wearing the wrong sized bra, how did this come to be? Or is that just marketing puff. When did we not get taught how to shop for the right size. Who is to blame?!

Should there be compulsary fitting with every new purchase to try and avoid this. Should we be taught at school the importance of buying the right size. And then almost as importantly, how is it right that even once you have been sized different brands fit in different ways. I know this brand size difference is the same for clothes as well as underwear but it just doesn't seem right that it's like this.

Thankfully Selfridges have lots of very helpful and lovely staff and a lady arrived to help me with my fitting. She was very sweet and I've managed to find two bras which actually fit! Now to relax until the next time...

Worrying

2010-07-02T09:10:00.003+01:00

I'm a worrier. Always have been, probably always will be. Mostly it's silly little things that I occupy myself with but sometimes something bigger just sits over me and hovers there occasionaly tickling me with the little worries.

There's a big thing there right now, with each day passing it's either getting better or being replaced with another little thing all related to it.

One of the frustrations is not being able to talk about it here, for another few weeks at least. Blogland is so full of warmth, support and fabulousness that it would be nice to share. Until then I shall share with J who is my rock and without whom I don't know how I would have got through many of the big and little things in my life.

Sorry for being cryptic but even writing this helps me feel better so thank-you!

Things I do when my husband is away...

2010-06-30T17:34:00.003+01:00

J is away for a few days and it got me to thinking how I change my behaviour when he's not around and so I thought it might be fun to share and see what others do/don't do when other halves go missing...

I watch trashy TV and don't feel guilty
I stay up later than I should to try and make myself tired enough to sleep
I eat on the sofa instead of at the table
I cook mushrooms (J hates mushrooms, which is very upsetting, although oddly enough he'll eat Morels...)
I stay late at work as there's nothing to go home for
I think of people to call to talk to because I miss coming home and telling him all about my day
I try and catch up on blogging!
I leave the washing up overnight
I miss him...

So now pray tell, what do you do when your other half isn't around?

Manon at the Royal Opera House

2010-06-23T12:49:00.002+01:00

Last night papa and I went to the opera. We were off to see Manon at the Royal Opera House. This is not an opera I've been to see before, in fact I've not seen any Massenet operas before and I wasn't sure what to expect.

I was therefore delighted by the first few strains coming from the orchastra sweeping through the house and transporting me away from dreary life. The opera was stunning, Massenet's composition is just fabulous and I was so pleased to be seeing an opera I hadn't seen before and really enjoying it. Plus the new production by Laurent Pelly was pretty good, the set a little dreary but the costumes amazing!

We were incredibly lucky with the cast, Anna Netrebko as Manon and Vittorio Grigolo as Des Grieux. Plus a host of other very talented singers. I was especially impressed with Vittorio, as a tenor his voice flows over the orchestra and has a power and richness to it which I often feel is lacking in other tenors. My favourite singers are generally deep male singers, bases and britones.

If you have the time and are quick there might be tickets left, I would highly recommend it. And of course if you do go let me know!

Skinny jeans

2010-06-22T14:07:00.003+01:00

My absolute favourite skinny jeans are almost dead... I've had them for a few years so it's no surprise that holes are appearing but I now feel at a loss about what to do. Where to go from here?!

I bought my original ones from Ted Baker, they fitted a treat and were the perfect length (being a tall girl this is not always guaranteed). They were black, the perfect going out jean colour and one which I suddenly found I could not live without.

So here's the crux of it. I need help! Advice on where to get black skinny long jeans, they need to be at least a 34" inner leg. Also if possible not wildly expensive. I've looked in Ted Baker again but nothing there and the Selfridges sale was only selling short jeans so there's another dead end.

Anything you can offer will be accepted with glee and warmest thanks! Xx

A walk in London...

2010-06-20T17:30:00.002+01:00

Last weekend J and I were at a loose end on Saturday and hungry. Struggling to decide where to go for lunch we ended up heading off to the Hawksmoor on Commercial Street for lunch. This was to continue J's quest to find the best burger in London. In my opinion great meat but far too heavy and the cheese which came with the burger was too overpowering. Not sure I would entirely recommend it but the Hawksmoor I would recommend, especially the cocktails :)

So both of us feeling rather heavy after the thumping burger we decided to walk home from Commerical Road to Pimlico. Which meant a walk along the river. I hadn't been along a lot of these sections of the river for a long time and really enjoyed strolling along reminding myself of how lovely London can be.

The roof of old Billingsgate market with the fish detail which caught my eye.

The Monarch's entrance of the House of Lords. And then we were home ready to relax on a Saturday evening instead of going out and about for a change. (Although we did have to watch the England game).

Oh what joy weekends are...

V&A Quilting Exhibition

2010-06-15T19:32:00.004+01:00

On Sunday I went to the V&A with middle sister. We were off to see the quilting exhibition which is on until sometime in July. Sorry to not be more specific.

It is a very lovely exhibition full of items which made me do a slight intake in breath at their intricacy. The exhibition is not too huge, and sister and I are quick exhibition goers, none of this loitering and staring for us...

There are a few pieces which stick in my mind, one is made by a soldier of the tiniest hexagons and is amazing. Another was made by prisoners at Wandsworth prison and is so very moving. I loved the idea of using quilting to get the prisoners to create a community and express their feelings.

But most of all it inspired me to keep on trying with the quilting to push on to finish the second and start a third. And to think of new ways to use them. I would like to make some cushion covers and also to try some new shapes. I have always loved Arabic geometric patterns and think I could acheive some pretty spectacular patterns and colours using quilting. Perhaps this is all for a time when I have less work and more time but it's nice to feel inspired.

It did also make me realise how much happens in London which passes me by. So this weekend J and I plan on going to Tate to see their Rude Britannia exhibition. We shall see if we make it!

Apologies for the lack of pictures, I wasn't sure I was allowed so took the safe option of keeping the camera in my bag!

Summer wedding

2010-06-11T10:12:00.000+01:00

Last week we attended the wedding of J's cousin. It was held on a gloriously sunny day up in Bedfordshire. It still feels slightly odd going to weddings when I know that I haven't got mine to go to and I can't be sitting there picking up ideas. Instead I can enjoy the day and night and not worry. It was a fun wedding, as evidenced below right before going into the church...

PS The dress I'm wearing I bought in Argentina, it's one of my favourites, especially the colour.

Office move

2010-06-08T17:54:00.003+01:00

We've moved offices and I now have a different position in a different office. It's odd, nice to change but strange to be somewhere different. I am of course slightly resistant to it. But I think the change will be good. It's already changed some of my working practices, for the better I think, and I think it will do so more over the coming months.

However it has also made me have much less time for blogging so my apologies for my quietness. I am also recovering a far too heavy week last week with too much drinking. My body is definitely telling me to slow down.

More soon... Once I've caught up on my greens and my sleep :)

Ashburton Coookery School

2010-06-04T10:12:00.002+01:00

The real reason for going to Devon was to spend a day on the Gastro extra course at Ashburton Cookery School. This was a one day course which we thought might be fun to do before middle sister has her baby and we'll not be able to escape together so easily.

And it was fun! We started with making a starter of curried mussel soup. A nice light soup packed with flavour. Although neither of us were too keen on muscle so it was a bit more of a curried veg soup with the odd mussel in it! Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it. We also made yummy bread, which came out really well. A lot better than my bread normally does! I felt like I learnt quite a bit from the bread making bit as it's improved my confidence a lot and taught me a couple of tips.

Our main was pork medallions with braised fennel and a creamy taragon and haricot bean sauce. My only criticism of this was that the haricot beans weren't quite right with the meal to me but the sauce was lovely and the pork good to cook as it's not something I normally cook. Oh and this also came with a shallot tarte tatin! Yummers!! And another thing I've always wanted to make (tarte tatin that is) but haven't quite had the confidence to.

For pudding we griddled pineapple, peppered it, added passionfruit sorbet (which they showed us how to make) and a spiced syrup, which was lovely and had a great chilli kick. Plus a couple of extra bits. Although by this time a little full as we were eating all we made :)

Finally a picture of me and of instructors. On the right is Phil who was lovely and really helpful, on the left James, equally lovely and you might recognise him from the Restaurant on BBC2 or 'Out of the Frying Pan'.

Highly recommended, even if you are relatively confident just to pick up a few tips. I now feel much more confident about my seasoning as we were told that our seasoning was good :) I would definitely go for it also if you have no confidence in the kitchen as they do all levels of teaching and the instructors are great.

2 days in Devon Part 1

2010-06-02T23:11:00.002+01:00

To start my holiday this week I tottled off to Devon. It was a grey miserable rainy day and as I sat on the train I thought just how leaving London was taking some of the stress from my shoulders. And then the sun began to come out and I steadily was getting closer to my destination. I arrived in Ashburton and joined my sister and her friend in a little cafe with a garden. Lunch followed by the yummiest cream tea. Great homemade scones with yummy cream and jam. And to continue the Twitter debate I must admit to putting cream first then jam...

We were staying at the accommodation which the cookery school ran. Our room above we both thought was just lovely. The cookery school was Ashburton Cookery School, of which more on the next post... Then a gentle afternoon, a stroll in the sunshine and catching up with my sister. She's very patient with my moaning but also offers a different perspective on some of the things I moan about. So we dined and then off to bed to make sure we were ready for the next day!

Baby Picture This the results!

2010-06-01T09:25:00.002+01:00

Above my beautiful Baby Picture This prints in their new frame from Cargo. Aren't they lovely! Soon to be gifted to a friend of mine as a very belated Christmas and birthday present. Although now I've got them on my wall it'll be hard to give them away!

Sweet William

2010-05-29T19:23:00.003+01:00

It's a grey day in London today, but that's okay, we needed some rain and I had a hangover this morning so felt a bit grey too. We have guests this evening for dinner, smoked makerel pate and smoked salmon for starter, sirloin steak and homemade chips with bearnaise sauce for main and then homemade individual summer puddings for pud, followed by a little bit of cheese. Yummy hopefully!

It's also a long weekend here in the UK and an ever longer weekend for me as I'm off all next week. Woohoo! Work is tiresome at the moment, I feel like I'm fighting a lot and firefighting too. It'll be great to have some time away from it all. Although it won't be a quiet week. A cooking course in Devon followed by a wedding in Bedfordshire and then a girls weekend in Bath. What fun! Hope you all enjoy a lovely weekend, long or otherwise!

New Purchases!

2010-05-25T14:38:00.002+01:00

Following on from my wardrobe edit I have been shopping! So I thought I would share with you my recent purchases :)

This is the Wonder dress from French Connection. I saw it and thought it looked like the right shape but they only had a size 10 (US 6 I think) and I'm normally a 12. Anyhow I figured best to try it on, following Kate's advice, and so on it went, just.... It fits really nicely at the top but is very tight around the bottom. So I bought it anyway! Just in case there's not a 12 for me to try on somewhere else and exchange it with.

My next purchase was on Sunday. This is the same belt which Make Do Style has posted about before. Ideally I would have bought the Citrine belt but it seems they have sold out. So Coral it is. Belt from Karen Millen.

I'm therefore feeling quite excited about my purchases and hoping they're good ones for the future. Now to check J likes the dress and doesn't think it too tight and then we're away!

Wardrobe edits and shopping lists

2010-05-22T19:09:00.005+01:00

Today I was very very lucky and got treated to a Wardrobe edit with the very lovely Kate of Make Do Style. To be honest I was a little terrified as I knew how much my wardrobe really needed it. A lot of it is very outdated and I've never really know what suits me or what my body shape quite is. I've also been feeling a little uncomfortable in my body recently, my hormones have been a little all over the place with the introduction of Mirena and this comes out with me feeling lumpy and fat. J tells me it isn't the case but I still struggle to let myself believe him when he tells me.

So armed with my new advice I have decided to create a shopping list so I can shop to list from here on in and hopefully inject some youth and style into my wardrobe. I shall report back following purchases!

1. Belts - one coloured and patent, one brown
2. Boyfriend cardigan
3. New bras
4. Maxi dress
5. Dress (above the knee)
6. Skirts (above the knee)
7. A couple of t-shirts

And then my guidelines for shopping are buy the right size (I tend to buy clothes too big because I believe I am that size), buy shorter, always above the knee, tighter and less fussy on the hips, plus more youthful!

Kate - I hope I've got this right and thank-you again, I so very much appreciate this. I am looking forward to shopping now in the hope that I really can buy the right clothes!

Oh and finally I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who feels like they're a bit stuck with their wardrobe and body image. It is wonderful and so worth it!

Orange Poppy

2010-05-19T17:48:00.001+01:00

Taken by me in my parents back garden on the weekend. In the small moment of sunshine we had before the pouring rain which threatened to wash away the garden party. Although being hardy souls we put up the umbrellas and stayed outside drinking wine... True Brits!

Help Needed! Hotel recommendations in Paris

2010-05-13T14:30:00.003+01:00

Still on the list of things to do... Having completed number 3 by making creme caramel I am now looking at the others on the list. Number one on that list was to go to Paris for the weekend.

Last week I booked our Eurostar! And we're going in August, a long way away I know but I shall start planning now.

So I am looking for your help. Seeing as you lot are a well travelled lot can you give me recommendations of both areas and hotels to stay. My budget isn't huge and I know Paris is expensive so if it could also not be ridiculously expensive that would be wonderful!

Ideally we'll be based centrally, I don't really want to have to get the metro a lot. Especially as I imagine in August it'll probably be sticky and hot.

Looking forward to hearing all your ideas :) M x

Creme Caramel - Recipe

2010-05-11T20:59:00.003+01:00

As promised the recipe I used for the creme caramel I made the other day!

For custard:
500ml milk
Vanilla pod
6 eggs (4 yolks, 2 whole)
125g caster sugar

For caramel:
100g granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water

Boil 500 ml milk with a vanilla pod split in two. In a mixing bowl blend 2 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks and 125g caster sugar. Gradually add the boiling milk (having removed the vanilla pod), whisking it quickly. I do this quite slowly to avoid the eggs cooking, or start slow and then speed up once it's all cooled down a little. Then you have your custard.

Put caramel ingredients into a heavy bottomed pan and heat until the mixture turns a pale caramel colour at 160C (I don't have a sugar thermometre so just guessed at what pale caramel was, it changes so quickly though!). Pour the caramel into the mould and tilt until it has covered as much of the sides as possible and it stops flowing.

Pour the custard into the moulds, place them into a bain marie and cook in a preheated oven at 190C (375F, gas mark 5) or until the custard is lightly set. Take the mould out of the bain marie and allow it to cool completely.

To get it out dip into boiling water for a short while then turn out onto dish, this should help remove the caramel stuck in the mould and get it all out all over the custard... Mmmm

Enjoy!

Update - Thoughts on the pill

2010-05-09T18:14:00.003+01:00

Pretty much a month ago I wrote quite a long post about my thoughts on the pill. You guys were amazing and gave me lots to think about in your lovely comments. And I think I also promised an update when I had given more thought to what to do next. So here we are an update!

I went to see a lovely nurse at the family planning clinic who talked me through my options and allowed me to talk about my opinions and my experiences. Really a girl you are completely right that a family planning clinic is the right place to go for contraceptive advice.

And so on Friday I went back to the same clinic and had a Mirena IUS put in. The Mirena is a coil but is plastic with some progestergen in it which releases slowly over 5 years. So I now don't have to worry about contraception until 2015! My decision to get the coil was mainly because I didn't want to still be on the pill, as I had said it was giving me trouble, and also because I don't plan on having kids anytime soon.

It hurts though, to get it put in. If you do decide to do it take strong painkillers first. I wish I had done this, it would have made it a little easier. But the doctor was great, very supportive, talked me through it all and really made me feel at ease.

Right now it's still a little odd feeling, I'm still getting slight cramps, much better than yesterday and Friday afternoon and hopefully tomorrow will continue to improve. If anyone has got one in any thoughts on how long it took them to settle in would be great. I'll start to get concerned on Tuesday/Wednesday if it still doesn't feel right.

Anyhow, thank-you again for all your support, I truly appreciate all of you peeps who read, comment and come along on this journey with me.

Creme Caramel - Success!

2010-05-07T10:12:00.002+01:00

So on Monday I managed to tick off number 3 from my list. Which made me very happy! It also made J quite happy and our friend A who was joining us for a Bank Holiday lunch.

I got the recipe from Larousse, amazingly enough the only cook book I had with the recipe and off I went... Below the little beasts before they were turned out on to the plate.

The yumminess in its glory. Sorry I am bragging but I was amazed they worked and looked like they should, plus they tasted pretty good too... Hopefully you can see the vanilla throughout the caramel and custard (I only put it in the custard but somehow it ended up in the caramel too).

The only slight problem I had was with the caramel, I think I did something wrong as my moulds now have a rock solid layer of caramel at the bottom. Exceedingly hot water will be the only thing getting that out, although I have tried I promise!

If anyone wants the recipe I used leave me a comment and I shall get it for you!

Vote! Vote like a stoat!

2010-05-05T20:54:00.002+01:00

Stoat from It's nature

So today is finally polling day for the UK. It feels a long time coming... But this means it's time to exercise our democratic right. So go, go all those who can and cast your vote. Because this could be it for another 5 years...

It will be very interesting to see what comes of the election tomorrow. I am off to an election reception in the evening and we'll see what happens on Friday!

Quilting Part 2

2010-05-03T13:20:00.004+01:00

The leadership debates and bank holiday weekend have allowed me time to crack on with the quilting project I started a while back... The plan is to make two smallish quilts, one for each of my sisters and their new little ones (when they arrive).

So below is number 2, very similar to number 1 but slightly brighter in th greens I used.

And here we have both quilts side by side. I'm pleased with how they turned out and now just need to buy the backing material and sew them all together, for which I shall be using middle sister's sewing maching hopefully next weekend. And then we shall have some finished quilts (fingers crossed) which I will of course show you.

Hope you've been having good and productive long weekends. M x

Have you heard the news?

2010-04-30T10:29:00.003+01:00

Baby Picture This has opened her shop on Etsy!

Quick quick, follow the link go see for yourself...

And then hop on over to her blog where she's offering entry into a competition to win some of her prints! What more could you want for a Friday?!

Things I would like to do...

2010-04-28T15:58:00.002+01:00

Spend a weekend in Paris looking at markets, dreaming by the Seine and eating and drinking yummy French food and wine (never properly done this so am currently hanging my head in shame)
Visit Kew gardens and come back to London by boat
Make creme caramel
Learn how to fillet a fish
Finish my two quilts, I have started the second one, but not yet finished the first...
Do more yoga (am really enjoying the feeling at the end of a yoga class and think this could be the way forward for me)

Just a few of the things going through my head today. I am feeling a little overwhelmed at work and have been pants at commenting on other blogs of late. So much I want to say in a comment and then I decide I can't say it right so don't say anything, then feel guilty, then do more work.

Here's to the long weekend, maybe I can acheive number 3 this weekend!

Cupcakes

2010-04-25T20:03:00.002+01:00

It was J's birthday a couple of weeks ago and the day before I had the day off, so what better to do with my time than make cupcakes for everyone coming to his birthday drinks. I had been given a cake recipe book for my birthday last year and never made anything from it so decided now was the time.

The top cakes are Mojito cupcakes, surprisingly Mojito-y with rum, lime and mint in them. I didn't go for the meringue icing but thought my rum and lime butter cream worked pretty well. The bottom cakes are chilli chocolate cupcakes. Supposed to be served warm with a melting centre, instead served cold but with a moist texture,

Much fun to make cupcakes seeing as I normally avoid them like the plague as they scare me but now I think I'll give them more of a shot and try and make them look prettier next time...

Polpo Soho - Review

2010-04-20T10:11:00.000+01:00

On Sunday J and I went to Polpo in Soho for the first time. We were joined by a couple whose wedding we went to in January and who we hadn't seen properly since. They had agreed to be our willing companions to our first foray into this Italian bacaro. And I think they were pleased with what they found...

The Pizzette Bianca.

We went for about nine dishes between four, a couple of meaty dishes (fabulous lamb), some fish (Octopus salad and Fritto Misto), some vegetables and a little bit of bread. Plus a couple of little starters to warm up us. Each dish was well presented, appetising and colourful. It's my kind of food, simple, full of flavour and not fussy. Don't get my wrong I love haute cuisine every now and then but on a warm Sunday afternoon I want food which simply tastes good.

We also had puddings, and after that all of us felt just right. Full but not stuffed, the ideal balance.

But Polpo is more than just great food, it has a friendly atmosphere and a relaxed feel. From the phone call to book the table to the welcome and the waiting staff all were just right. Attentive but not overly so, friendly, willing to give advice but not without asking first.

So in a very simple conclusion I would thoroughly recommend Polpo. If you're with people who don't mind sharing and want great food, a lovely atmosphere and a good meal - Go!

A sunny weekend in London

2010-04-19T10:15:00.003+01:00

London was fabulous this weekend. Just beautiful. So here are some of my photos from Sunday afternoon in St James Park. Perhaps my favourite park in London. Here's hoping this weekend heralded the summer properly and that we'll get some more warm weather!

The scales don't lie...

2010-04-16T15:24:00.003+01:00

Today I weighed myself for the first time in a long time and I'm heavier than I thought I was. Damn diddly damn was my first thought. No way I can still tell myself I'm xkgs when now I know I'm actually x+afewkgs.

I guess this explains the too tight trousers, the squidgy tummy and the giant bottom. And the need to actually do something about it instead of sitting on the giant bottom and letting it get gianter.

J and I have been running a couple of times and we'll hopefully go again this weekend. So if we can do that once a week it'll be a good start. Plus I'm doing my first ever yoga course, a six-week Ashtanga course which after two weeks I'm really enjoying. So small progress, but a longer way to go than I at first thought!!!

So I leave you with this little pug. Because it is Friday after all :)

Photo by Charity Lynne Photography found via Cute Overload

Thoughts and happenings

2010-04-14T13:03:00.005+01:00

Photo from Baby Picture This

Today I feel like I need this photo full of hope and spring. I have a spring cold and am feeling revolting and it's suddenly brisk outside again and not warm like it should be. Spring seems to be ebbing and flowing instead of powering on and I am bored of the cold and ready to have my skin warmed by the sunshine.

And then a little something else, far away on the horizon which is taking up a lot of my thinking time right now but which I just cannot share about yet. Probably not for a few months anyhow. But I wanted to mention it as it feels better to have told that there is something, even if not what!

And finally Baby Picture This today announced that she is planning on setting up an Etsy shop. Very very exciting as she is a hugely talented photographer (see above photo) and I think her shop will be absolutely delightful.

Where can I get this dress?

2010-04-09T13:51:00.004+01:00

Photo from Sky Showbiz

I think I am in love. This dress is perfect, fitted but not too much so, knee length, v-neck, 3/4 length and I think would suit me down to a tee. Does anyone know where it's from? And if it's super expensive where I can get something similar?

Oh and the shoes and necklace are pretty awesome too :)

Happy Birthday J

2010-04-08T16:28:00.002+01:00

A quick post to wish my husband Happy Birthday. I guess I just want to say that I feel incredibly lucky having him as my husband and thankful for all that he has done for me.

We're off out tonight for a few drinks so hopefully there won't be too many sore heads in the morning!

Thoughts on the pill - warning long post!

2010-04-07T10:50:00.002+01:00

I have wanted to write this post for a while now but was never quite sure of how so here goes...

I am on the combined contraceptive pill and have been now for about six years. This is the third pill I've been on and for the most part I have been very happy with it. However of late things have been beginning to change (moods, shape etc) and I've been thinking of changing contraceptive type. I have also been giving some thought to the information we are given about the pill.

The first pill I was on was Microgynon, at first it was fine, then I started to cry - a lot - and I would also cry when it was highly inappropriate to, like when getting an answer wrong in a university class. I also started to get angrier, J and I would have rows (we argue but never shout and I started shouting), these were generally fueled by alcohol I'll admit but I'm normally a sleepy drunk not a shouty drunk.

I never connected my change in behaviour to the pill. Because when I was prescribed it no-one told me to watch for it. Until talking to my middle sister and telling her about the problems I was having and she suggested it might be the pill. To be honest I was pretty surprised but went along to the Dr's and got a change of pill and lo and behold I changed too.

I think this was when I started to get a little surprised about all the things I wasn't ever told to look out for. Also the lack of checks before I was prescribed the pill (how prone one is to depression/anxiety for example). I just asked for it and was given it. I also wasn't aware of the multitude of pills available and that it was easy to change and try them until you found one you were happy with.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that were it not for being lucky and having a sister I'm close to who alerted me to the effects of the pill I wouldn't have been aware that something I was taking every day could affect me so much.

So coming full circle I'm now thinking of looking at alternatives to the pill. I feel like my body needs a change.

Have any of you experienced anything similar on the pill? Do you have any suggestions on alternatives? Thoughts in general?

Happy Easter

2010-04-03T14:09:00.002+01:00

Aren't long weekends just lovely? Although a shame the weather is misbehaving and being grey and rainy instead of blue and sunny. So to make up for that I thought I'd share some pics I took 3 years ago when I was home for Easter. And no we don't have roosters in our backgarden, I saw these on a walk, although it would be fun to have roosters!

New Rhubarb shoots, rhubarb is one of my favourite fruits ever. I just love, love, love it.

The Cherry blossom on the trees in the backgarden, finally beginning to see a little blossum in St James Park, but much later this year.

Hope you all enjoy your long weekend's and have a wonderful Easter break! M x

Tales from a wasted lunchtime...

2010-04-01T14:06:00.002+01:00

J and I had a plan, formulated earlier this morning, that I would pop over to Soho and we would meet for lunch. It seemed perfect, he wasn't too busy, I wasn't too busy and we like opportunities to see each other when you wouldn't normally. Soho being such a hive of great cheap quick eats we had quite the choice but had narrowed it down to two. Yalla Yalla and El Camino. Lebanese or Mexican respectively. We'd had mediterranean yesterday so decided to go Mexican.

Arriving at just before 1pm the restaurant was relatively busy but not a cause for concern and we were seated pretty quickly. After ordering we then sat back, both starving to wait for our food. We've eaten there before and it was quick and tasty so hopes were up.

After half an hour I was beginning to get really angry, I don't do well when I'm hungry at the best of times but this was the on the verge of tears, shaky, angry hunger I get which means I really really really need to be fed. So we asked the waiter where our food was. Another few minutes more than the asking should have taken and we were told we were next. Okay I thought I'll have a slightly extended lunch hour but we'll be getting food soon so no need to dash just yet.

Then about five minutes later we heard the food bell ping, finally, but nope it was another table. And then another table got their food. And then I snapped, up I leapt coat in hand. And we left without food because we had been waiting far too long by that point to wait any longer and see the 'next' food order be delivered.

So I guess the moral of this story is don't go to El Camino if you want to get your food anytime within about an hour. It's pants. And I hate it when you don't have any form of communication from the waiting staff and the kitchen are clearly s**t. And in case you haven't guessed we won't be going back... Nor would I recommend you to!

Apologies for the rant, I have since been fed and am much happier but I feel it is my duty to warn you of pants restaurants so if you were thinking of trying them you can hopefully go somewhere with better service and quicker food!

Washington DC - In Pictures

2010-03-30T10:32:00.000+01:00

If you look closely in this one of the White House you'll see Bo Obama! I was so excited when I saw him, very cute but poor thing has to stay on a lead and close to the house...

J and I were in Washington DC at the beginning of March. We were incredibly fortunate to have had glorious sunshine for the few days we were there rather than the blizzards they'd had a few weeks before. It was my first time there and I liked it, it's nice and open and green.

Thanks to all who gave me tips before I went, they were much appreciated!

Quilting - Part 1, half way through

2010-03-28T15:23:00.002+01:00

Yesterday I dragged J into central London with me to try and find some fabrics and equipment for making a quilt. As I mentioned a little while back I have decided to try and make two quilts for my new nephews/nieces who are due later this year. After a fruitless search around Soho we headed off to John Lewis and ended up in Liberty. Here I found a treasure trove of quilting paraphenalia all ready to spend too much money on and attempt to make something vaguely quilted. Above is the haul I bought home. With a reel of V&A for Liberty printed fabrics with some great patterned fabrics.

So I set to, measuring, cutting and then hand sewing my squares together. I don't have a sewing machine so needle and thread was the only way forward... And below is my first attempt at quilt number 1! The patterned squares are both the V&A design fabric.

Now I need to purchase the backing and wadding and put it all together to make a finished quilt, hence only being halfway through. And of course to make the next one...

29 gifts - update

2010-03-25T16:42:00.002Z

So somehow the 29 days is over and my gift giving was poor to say the least. I did manage a few cards, and still have many more to send if anyone is interested. I gave my sister some clothes and I tried to make an effort to give more compliments and support. I think there were some others but nothing too exciting.

I think overall it was a fun way to try and make a small change in the way you behave. And I hope it's worked. I do find myself saying compliments now instead of just thinking them. And I do think of how I can give people gifts to help cheer them up when I feel like that's the right thing to do.

Plus it really made me think about giving. Partly why I agreed to go ahead and be a school governor, as a way of giving my time to help govern a school. I shall try and build on this small step by thinking more about ways I can give in the future.

Thanks for the support in this small endeavor and here's to small changes to forge a better path!

Woppee! An award for me!

2010-03-23T16:20:00.003Z

The lovely Make Do Style has very kindly passed on the above reward. Which I am very excited to have received. Blog awards are such lovely things to get. And so the rules are as follows, tell seven things about yourself and then pass the award on to seven other beautiful bloggers. Now I always like talking about myself and sharing the love so here goes:

I am now a School Governor for a school in Mayfair, longer story behind how that came about and no I don't have any secret children
I have two older sisters, they are both currently pregnant and people keep asking me if I am going to follow suit, I'm not... (yet)
I walk to and from work almost every day and think I would go crazy if I didn't
I absolutely love University Challenge and get so excited if I get a question right
I am an organised messy person, untidy but I normally know where in my untidiness things are
I still love looking at wedding photos. And wedding dresses. And choose ones I would wear now, normally the more crazy ones now my simple one has been worn
I am preparing to try and make quilts for the nieces/nephews on the way, eek!

And on to the sharing of the love, here goes:

The Imaginary Cafe
Anna and the Ring
Color Me Green
I go by Katie
Peacock Feathers & Diamond Rings
A girl's world
Puppies and Pancakes

Thanks again Kate! M x

Bread

2010-03-22T12:19:00.003Z

First apologies for the appaling picture quality but I somehow wanted to show you the bread I made on the weekend. Having not made bread since I was a little girl and had mummy's know how to guide me on the way I was a little concerned as to how it may turn out. I also had foolishly decided that I was to serve this to my dinner guests as I had not form of biscuit to go with my cheese.

It was great fun making it, feeling the lovely dough between your fingers is just wonderful and working the dough as you knead it makes both your hands and head feel better. Kneading while thinking is something not to underestimated. And the pride when it came out of the oven, was hollow when knocked from the bottom and tasted like bread!

I used a recipe from The Imaginary Cafe and it was both simple and successful and so now highly recommended from myself also. I then tried a slight variation on Sunday having discussed with sister recommendations for making it and purchasing a loaf tin. I am yet to try my next loaf but it looks better and I am looking forward to giving it a shot.

So there we are, all my quietness and then all I've been up to is making bread!

Washington DC Botanic Gardens - Orchids

2010-03-15T21:15:00.004Z

My quietness last week was because I had gone on a last minute trip to Washington DC. It was my first time there and it really is a lovely city. One of my favourite bits was the time I spent in the Botanic Gardens. They're free, small and full of lots of lovely plants to look at. Plus when I went there was a special Orchid display on, which was amazing, if you're nearby try and go before it closes as it's worth it. Hope you like the photos!

2010-03-11T15:54:00.005Z

I have been thinking of getting a new perfume. For years I have worn Coco Chanel Mademoiselle and I still love it, it feels like me when I smell it and I love that with a little splash in the morning it's still there (just) in the evening. But I think it's time for a change, I'm growing up and want a different scent with which to mark my trail.

So I currently have three contenders (I think) which are as follows:

The 'upgrade' to Coco Chanel. A fragrance I am growing to love. I tried it on before getting on the plane yesterday and enjoyed smelling it throughout the airport and on the flight, plus I love Chanel bottles and fragrances in general.

Ormonde Woman - A fragrance I have heard much about, especially from the very knowledgable Rose and Mrs Trefusis but one which I am yet to smell. I just loved the way they described this scent so I feel I really must try and see if I do like it enough to wear it.

Prada - L'eau Ambree, yummy, heady, musky warm scent. Again I tried this recently and do very much like it. I have liked other Prada perfums before and this one is a winner again. Perhaps a little too much as an evening scent but there was another Prada one which was lighter for daytime I was thinking of.

What are your thoughts? Do you have a signature scent? Can you imagine any of these scents working on me? Do they suit how you imagine me? Tricky I know but I thought I'd ask all the same!

Orchids and Absence

2010-03-10T15:59:00.003Z

I'll start with an apology for my absence, I've been away from London for a few days and have enjoyed being fully away. Time just to think and relax has been gratefully received. Lots more news to catch up on, I've been taking lots of photos too so a few of those to share. Oh and very excitingly one of my cards has reached it's destination, so when I'm back I shall get on with sending more out and trying to give more gifts.

Hope you're all well. M x

1 year anniversary

2010-03-03T15:02:00.003Z

Yesterday was my second one-year anniversary this year. Except this time it was one year since I first posted to this blog! I feel like the little boy above, excited!

So this gives me a great opportunity to thank all of you fellow bloggers and readers who leave comments (I love getting comments, makes me smile all day), have led me to new exciting blogs and post beautifully on their blogs which I so enjoy reading. I truly appreciate the support that I have received and hope that this blog will continue for another year yet!

Anyone who is new round here it would be lovely if you could introduce yourself, say hello and let me know about your blog so I can pop in too.

M xx

29 gifts - Cards

2010-03-02T10:15:00.002Z

Dear bloggers,

Would you like to receive a card with a little handwritten note? If so leave me a comment with some contact details and I'll be in touch. I ordered some cards the other day from Moo and they arrived this morning so now I need to gift them to you lovelies who have supported me so much! And just to confirm this is open to anyone anywhere, although if you're further away it may take a little longer for them to reach you.

M x

Monday thoughts

2010-03-01T14:34:00.005Z

I have become rather entranced by Innocent's veg pots. These little pots of goodness give me two of my veg a day and are low in fat. Wonderful! Plus they taste pretty good.

I managed to give my first proper gift yesterday, I gave my sister a babygro I picked up in Buenos Aires. This is not as random as it sounds as my sister is 19 weeks pregnant. Very pleased to have given my first 'real' gift!

I still ache from Thursday evening. I've started Pole Dancing again, this time Level 2, and the leap in difficulty is tough. But hopefully it'll help tone me a little bit more!

The sunshine this morning lifted my heart. As did the heads of the crocus beginning to show in St James Park. I am hoping this really does herald the beginning of spring!

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

29 Gifts - Days 3 & 4 and some introspection

2010-02-26T17:17:00.002Z

Today my gift will be time for my husband. I have been selfish of late and thinking of my loss at not seeing him instead of thinking about all the pressure he is under at work. I miss him when I don't get to go to sleep next to him and then get all grumpy. When really I should support him, because the reason he's not next to me is because he's typing furiously in the living room and it's going on for midnight.

So tonight, we shall gift each other time, hugs and share some food and wine to remember why we're married, why we support each other and because we both know how important that support is to us.

Enjoy your weekend's!

29 Gifts - Day 2

2010-02-24T21:45:00.004Z

This is going to be tougher than I thought. It really takes a lot to think about giving things to people and making the effort to do this daily.

So today, I have tried to be nicer, giving compliments, smiles etc, which I know isn't giving much but it does make me think that doing a little thing like that is little but can have a big effect.

Plus I have ordered something for the next however many days so I can continue my giving in earnest! More to follow on that shortly.

I leave you with a Daschund we met in Argentina. This one is also especially for Liberty London Girl who has done a wonderful job tweeting from London Fashion Week and could probably do with some Daschund love after all that running around!

29 gifts - Day 1

2010-02-23T15:34:00.002Z

So here goes, the rules are as follows:

Your 29 Gifts can be anything given to anyone... money, food, old sweaters, smiles, your time, kind words or thoughts.

I am going to add to this, to make it a Blog 29 gifts, that they also include, commenting on a blog I don't normally comment on, or a post which particularly strikes me. Passing on details of new and interesting blogs I find and anything else I can think of which seems to fit the ethos of the challenge. I know I'm already stretching the rules and it is only day 1 but I kind of figure this is allowed.

Here goes:
Day 1 - Today I have given kind words to a friend who is having to move suddenly and called J to see if he is okay because he is so busy. And shall smile at people on the way home from work. Even if it is raining. So mostly very tiny little things but it's only the start :)

For tomorrow and looking forward I would like to write some letters and pass on kind words through snail mail. If you would like to receive a letter, wherever in the world you are, leave me a comment and I shall work on getting back to you and making arrangements for my gifts. I shall also hopefully be hosting my first ever giveaway during these 29 days. Details to follow shortly!

29 gifts

2010-02-22T20:06:00.003Z

My post yesterday got another blogger thinking and the lovely LK of The Imaginary Cafe has suggested doing the 29 gifts challenge. I love this idea! It is so simple and yet a great way to make you think about giving and hopefully involve more people in giving and receiving too. So from tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd February, I shall document my efforts to partake in the 29 gifts challenge.

If anyone would like to join in let me know! Whether as a receiver, fellow giver or anything else.

Wish me luck :)

Lenten thoughts

2010-02-21T11:52:00.002Z

Today is the first Sunday in Lent, which has got me thinking about me and what I do with my time and my life. A little serious perhaps but sometimes one has to share serious thoughts. I guess what I'm getting at is that sometimes I feel like my life is a little vacuous and that I should be doing more to give back what I have been given.

And lent seems an appropriate time to really give it some thought. I have been thinking about doing some volunteer work, my middle sister did it and I was always impressed at how willing she was to go and dig some part of London or to clear up a cemetary somewhere. This would involve me making time to do this, I have always given myself an excuse of being busy, but then so are most people.

And then I got to thinking about blogging and giving. How through blogging I have found support networks and friendships and a world of advice, fun and wonderfulness. So how can I give back to blogging? So for the next few weeks I shall try to give back. Perhaps by listing some of my favourite blogs, perhaps by at long last trying to do a giveaway or perhaps just by making a real effort to support other bloggers through comments, if only because I know how getting comments really cheers me on to keep on writing. Any suggestions you have for this would be very much appreciated, any ideas for how I could support you or any other thoughts write away!

What I cooked for Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T14:54:00.003Z

J and I like to mark but not celebrate Valentine's day. I buy him a card, he forgets (or maybe buys one a few days later when he gets round to it) and we try and use it as a good excuse to spend some time together. He's been absurdly busy at work these past few weeks and so the opportunity to sit down together, cook together and eat together was too good to miss.

So on Saturday after meeting my friends for lunch I toddled off to Harrods food hall, at Christmas I had been given a gift card and now seemed like a good time to put it to use. And look what I found!

Yummy langoustines, all pink and pretty and looking ready for the pot. After a little consultation of Georgio Locatelli's Made in Italy cook book (incidentally one of my favourites) we had our rough recipe and off we went. Between us we managed to cook the dinner below:

Linguine with langoustine, served with pan fried scallops. Decadent and probably excessive for a Saturday night but also yummy and a great meal to enjoy together.

For pudding I tried my hand at custard to use in a Bread and Butter pudding. Surprisingly easy to make is custard, my recipe this time from Larousse. And then we settled in to watch a movie and finish the wine!

For me a wonderful celebration of my love for my husband and for the food, wine and most importantly time we get to spend together. Hope you all had lovely valentine's celebrations too, M x

Friday has been a long time coming...

2010-02-12T09:08:00.002Z

Photo from Cute Overload

So here is a little dog with the sorts of eyes I get when I see cakes like this! It has been a long week, I've had a programme running so have been in and out of the office and up early every day. I don't cope very well with early mornings, especially when it's every morning!

I am also not enjoying the cold or my ability to eat a lot and then feel horrid. I know I should just reduce my portion size, I think about it and then go ahead and eat it all anyway. So I shall try and slowly change my mind to resist what's on my plate and hopefully have a happy tummy and a happier me.

It's looking like it's going to be a busy next few days for me from here on in, lots to do this weekend and lots to do every day next week.

Sorry for the slightly morose nature of this post. Onwards and upwards next week! Have lovely weekend's and valentine's days.

Argentina - Flowers

2010-02-07T16:44:00.002Z

There are a lot of beautiful flowers and plants in Argentina. Above a small selection of some that we saw. The fourth image was an amazing wild orchid which was just stunning. Today is very grey in London so flowers feel like the right thing to cheer me up a little, hope they make you smile too. M x

Thoughts on John Terry

2010-02-02T11:46:00.002Z

Yes yes, I know this is an odd thing to write about, seeing as I am not all that interested in football but this morning listening to the Today programme on Radio 4 I heard a debate about whether or not John Terry should stay as the England football captain and it got me thinking.

Now I know very little of the details so don't want to judge (too much) but for those of you who don't know who or what this story is about here goes. John Terry is the England national squad football captain, he has a wife with whom he has two children. He cheated on said wife with the girlfriend of a friend of his who also plays in the England football team. So for this act people are questioning his role as captain.

In many ways I would like to think that I could rise above something like that and say that he should remain captain if he merits it by his skills. But to be honest there is a big part of me which thinks what he did was immoral and for that he should step down. Not be forced to go, but admit that in such a position he is a role model and as such he should accept his behaviour was wrong and stand down. Partly as a way of beginning to apologise and atone for his actions but also as an acceptance that with such a role comes responsibilities.

But then on the other hand, politicians cheat, screw up relationships and don't stand down. In fact politicians defraud the country and are still in place. So why don't we get so upset about that? Is it because we assume all politicians are nasty pieces of work anyhow. Or have we forgotten to get upset about things like this.

Perhaps it's good we don't judge professional lives on personal actions, but perhaps for people who are so in the public eye we need to remember their responsibilities as a role model. This is something I think about quite a lot, roles, responsibilities and rights. But then that's another post as this one is long enough already! I'd love to hear your thoughts on all this. M x

Argentina - Asado and Steak

2010-01-31T19:45:00.005Z

One of our favourite parts of the holiday was all the fabulous meat we ate. Lots of great steaks and yummy lamb. So below some photos of our steaks and asados. One thing to note however if you go to Argentina, they don't eat their steak rare, so if you like it that way keep asking, eventually you'll get a rare steak.

On haircuts and hairdressers

2010-01-29T13:00:00.002Z

I was very excited on Tuesday as I went to have my hair cut by my old hairdresser. She did my hair for my wedding and then went travelling to New Zealand and I hadn't seen her since. And then she came back!

The trip to the hairdressers got me thinking on a few things about hair. The first one being that a really good haircut is worth paying for. I've had a few over the years and they've varied from pants to mediocre to great. But this trip made me realise properly that to achieve a great haircut the hairdresser has to understand your hair. I have fine hair, but lots of it, which waves in ways I don't understand, plus I have a huge cowslick to contend with. Then I'm lazy, I wash and roughly blow-dry my hair but anything beyond that is too much effort for me most days so having a cut which works with that is imperative.

And Christa, she gets my hair and gives me cuts which suit it, and that I request. Not what she wants to do, or thinks best but she talks to me and then voila. Plus she's very sweet and great fun.

And then there's the salon, the new place she's working at is called Ena Salon, it's on Great Queen Street in Covent Garden. Handily close to where I work. And it's lovely, beautifully decorated, great colours on the walls, lovely spacious work areas and really really friendly people. It also does beauty so I've been for a wax there too and can recommend it for that as well. And being somewhere which is calm, but has fun people and looks gorgeous does make a difference, to be greeted warmly and welcomed in makes me feel that much better at spending money on a hair cut.

So the only question I have now is how do you tip your hairdresser? It's one of those things I've always struggled with, I can't work out how much, I feel uncomfortable doing it and then I get all panicked and spend most of the haircut worrying about it. All advice gratefully received.

Perito Moreno Glacier Photos

2010-01-28T11:24:00.003Z

So I promised some photos, in no particular order and thought I'd start with some of my favourites from the trip. The photos we took on the Perito Moreno glacier where we did a mini-trek with crampons! The trek was great and the glacier absolutely spectacular. That blue colour is real and the brightness is amazing. Enjoy!

Plus it's amazing how noisy these things are, as they're always moving they crack like a shot gun, a little scary the first time you hear it!

Argentina Itinerary

2010-01-26T16:32:00.003Z

I realise I have very much approached this all in the wrong way so here goes at a second attempt. And one which is less rambling too hopefully. I shall start with the itinerary with some hotel details etc and then some random photos in other posts and then done!

Bariloche - 5 days
Stayed in Hosteria Las Marianas (very nice, friendly)
Did hiking, horseriding, cycling, boat trip to Isla Victoria and trip to El Bolson

Fly to El Calafate - 2 nights
Stayed at Esplendor (not so nice, too stuffy and terrible plumbing problems)
Mini-trekking on Perito Moreno glacier

Off to Estancia Cristina near El Calafate, travel by boat to get there.
Amazing place, very remote, near the Upsala glacier. Staff lovely, rooms gorgeous and food great. Days hiking on fossil trail.

Back to El Calafate for a free day. Much needed. Also our wedding anniversary...

Off by bus to El Chalten.
Stayed at Senderos Hosteria (really nice hotel again very friendly)
Two days hiking near Cerro Torre and Cerro Fitzroy, superb views and great guide.

Fly back to Buenos Aires for one night before transferring to Estancia La Oriental.
Stunning place, decoration amazing, food great, really relaxed. Got to go on a couple of horse rides and generally relaxed by the pool.

Returned to Buenos Aires to stay at Soho All Suites. Great location in Bs As, in Palermo district, lots of shops, bars and restaurants. Finished our stay with a few days here.

Whole itinerary organised by Patagonia Travel Co, who I would wholly recommend. Christie is lovely and everything we did worked a treat. All transfers worked, all hotels fine and lots of insider knowledge and extra recommendations.

If there's anything you are specifically interested in let me know otherwise I shall choose some of my favourite photos to share!

Argentina - Bariloche

2010-01-24T21:03:00.002Z

Our first few days were spent in Bariloche. This is in the Patagonian Lake District. It is a beautiful town, very swiss in someways with Alpine architecture and St Bernard dogs in the main square. However the setting is stunning, between the Andes and the Esteppa (the flat bit in the middle of Argentina). We spent NY Eve in Bariloche, in a little restaurant called Naan, enjoying a set menu with of course beef for the main dish. And then at midnight we celebrated with bubbles and some paper lanterns which we released over the town. It was a pretty chilled out celebration but fun nonetheless.

The next day we went hiking with Max. To explain who Max is I need to explain how we organised the trip. Our entire trip (bar the transatlantic flights) was organised by Christie Pashby of the Patagonian Travel Co. Her husband is Max and he is a qualified guide. More on the trip organisation later.

Anyhow we went off out into the Esteppa. It was a grey day in Bariloche but out there it was bright sunshine and whipping wind! The hiking was great, seeing the landscape, the nature, being in the sunshine and enjoying being in a huge open space without anyone else there.

Photos are clockwise from top left, me on NY Eve, the Esteppa with the amazing wind whipped clouds, horses head in the Esteppa and the view back to Bariloche.

There's lots more to tell you about the days we spent in Bariloche so I shall wrap up this first post for the next one. Any questions let me know!

Thoughts on where to start...

2010-01-21T20:44:00.002Z

Finally back on UK soil, and happy to be so. The holiday was great, amazing even and I have so many wonderful memories but I knew it had to end sometime and it seems now is a good time. I feel genuinely refreshed and being in London today I was made to remember why I love living here. Although in all honesty the cold is not such a nice homecoming!

Anyhow, I have lots to tell so am trying to work out the best way of doing it. I think to make it succinct, interesting and perhaps useful will be hard but perhaps feasible. (Fingers crossed!)

But I also have lots of other ideas floating around my head, I find I often write posts in my head and forget I never put finger to keyboard and then wonder why the post doesn't exist! So this year I shall aim to put those ideas into words.

And this weekend I shall start with some photos and stories, now to select which photos from the 900 or so we took when away! I promise I shan't bore you with them all.

An update from Buenos Aires

2010-01-17T20:14:00.002Z

We're still in Argentina :) Which is a wonderful thing. Right now we're in a hotel room in Buenos Aires trying to avoid the heat outside, which is hot! I shan't complain, but suffice to say we need a little while for it to cool down for our English skin and blood.

For the last two days we've been out on an Estancia in the countryside, amazing apart from the mosquitos who have eaten me and are now causing me to issue all sorts of weird noises as I try not to itch my bites.

I can't believe our time here is almost over. We've got the next couple of days to explore BA and then it's back to London. This is the longest holiday I've ever had, and one of the most amazing in terms of experiences and sights. I have so much to share with you all I don't know where to begin and how not to bore you.

I'm sorry again for my crapness at commenting on your posts and being around posting here. I shall try and resume normal service as it were soon. Once I have recovered the shock of being back and the post-holiday sadness. Until then, take care one and all! Xx

One year ago...

2010-01-10T09:15:00.007Z

I married J. I started the day nervous, excited, thrilled, hesitant and every other emotion possible running through me. Then I walked up the aisle with my father, towards J...

We said our vows, exchanged rings and were husband and wife.

And then we left the church, on a freezing January evening, to cheers, smiles and a feeling of elation.

Dinner, speeches, laughter and love followed.

Finished up with dancing, drinking and the final feeling of an overwhelming emotional journey.

It was an amazing day, I was so happy with everything, there are of course some things I would have rather done differently, with the knowledge I have now, but no chance to change them so better to be happy with all I had.

If you want to see more, check out my old blog London Bride. And of course if you are planning your wedding and have any questions let me know! Xx

Argentina - Patagonia 1

2010-01-06T17:16:00.002Z

The above photo was taken from the top of a long climb, looking towards the Andes over the Patagonian Esteppa. We did this on New Years day, quite the way to get rid of any fuggyness you might have left over!

It's quite spectacular here, vast open landscapes, huge mountains, bright green trees, clear blue rivers and lots of nature. Hard to describe and even harder to capture in a photo.

Today we leave Bariloche, we've had lots of fun here, hiking, horseriding, boat trips and cycling. Plus lots of good dinners and great wines. We're heading further South, where it'll be colder. Not quite as cold as the UK at the moment but colder all the same. And also the days will be longer. One of those things we've been loving the most is the length of the days. It's odd to think that when we get back it'll get dark so early.

Anyhow, we'll be heading off for our flight soon so I shall keep this brief. Lots more to tell you about and lots more to do in the next few days we're still here!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T23:59:00.002Z

To you all! Hope you're having great celebrations, bringing in the New Year in style. J and I will be dining at Naan in Bariloche. Hopefully it'll live up to the good recommendations it's had.

See you in 2010 :)

Marie Xx

And we're off!

2009-12-29T21:00:00.001Z

Tonight J and I fly to Argentina. For a mere 16 hours we will be airbound heading across the Atlantic to a far away land. Hopefully there it'll be warm, sunny, exciting and relaxing.

The e-mails have been very quiet for the last few days and I have enjoyed feeling like I'm relaxing ready to go away. We had a mad dash to get the house in order and all the packing done and now when this is posted we shall (hopefully) be taking off above London. Here's also hoping that Heathrow wasn't too hideous to get through.

Hope everyone has been enjoying their time off and are looking forward to their New Years Eve celebrations! xx

Happy Christmas one and all!

2009-12-24T13:15:00.002Z

Well here we are on Christmas Eve, and how time has flown. So I shall keep this short and sweet. To start a most lovely Mandarin Duck I found in St James park yesterday. I just love these ducks, so pretty and proud.

And to finish these winter leaves, no snow yesterday but it was cold! And the leaves had that lovely lovely frosting.

Anyhoo, all the best for your Christmas breaks. Enjoy, eat, drink and be merry! Xx

Time marching on

2009-12-22T14:28:00.004Z

I cannot believe it's almost Christmas already. This time last year I was at home with my parents and sisters and meeting my little nephew for the first time. I was so excited about my impending wedding and concerned about the size of my waist.

This year I am at work until the last possible point. Very excited about our upcoming Argentina trip and still concerned about the size of my expanding waist. Someone said yesterday that apparently it is common to put on 1 stone in your first year of marriage. Something it seems I am giving a good shot at.

However for now I shan't concern myself with such trivial matters!

For the days are now beginning to get longer, there's a new year marching inwards, full of hopes and dreams. And memories of the year just past to store away.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading and following my words and thoughts. It means the world to me to get comments and exchange thoughts with you all. And of course I love reading your blogs too and 'getting to know you'. Hopefully we can continue this too in the new year!

Tweet, tweet - at long last

2009-12-20T13:02:00.003Z

So I've finally bitten the bullet and decided to join Twitter. It's been a long time coming I know, and I'm not sure why I've resisted so long but I am now going to give it a shot. I can be found at Wifeinthecity if you are interested. But to be honest it'll take me a little while to get used to it so apologies but it is incredibly boring at the moment.

Therefore if you are on Twitter can you either find me and let me know so I can follow you or leave your username in the comments and I will find you so I can follow you. And of course if you'd like to follow me I'd be delighted :)

See you over there!

M x

Why oh why BA

2009-12-15T18:24:00.002Z

My holiday is on the precipice of being ruined. Our flights are booked with British Airways and yesterday was the overwhelming vote to strike over the holiday period when we're supposed to be flying to Buenos Aires. For sure strike while I'm there, rendering it impossible for me to return. But before I've even got there?!

And here I'm going to be controversial, but I think they're greedy, chancing wotsits who think striking for two weeks will obviously be a good thing for a company which lost £300m in the first half of the year. Eeejits. They already get paid more than any other cabin crew! Grrrr...

Here's hoping Willie Walsh can sort this out and get me to Argentina on time!

And on to the next one...

2009-12-11T14:33:00.002Z

Last night was fun. The skating was pretty, although not on my behalf, more wobbly there but it's beautiful skating around at Somerset House as the light fades. My only complaint would be that there are a few too many people on the rink but you can't win them all!

Then glammed up we went off to Orso. No photos yet I'm afraid, a colleague was taking them and didn't bring in her camera today. But when I have pictures that are shareable I promise I shall share. Our meal was lovely, Orso is a very good restaurant with great service, good food and lovely wines to choose from. Expensive, but then I wasn't paying this time :) Plus it's quite a cosy restaurant so one I would recommend for an intimate dinner with a loved one.

I left at the right time, drunk but not awfully so, happily drunk shall we put it. Got home on the bus to a very drunk J. This morning neither of us were so pretty!

And tonight we are celebrating Christmas with our friends. It shall be another night of revelry which I'm not sure my body can cope with but we'll see.

Hopefully your Friday has been more productive than mine. Although one final tip, Itsu Detox Zinger is just the best thing when you have a hangover, ginger lime and apple all in a lovely drink. Yummy!

Have lovely wintery weekends. M x

It's party time!

2009-12-10T14:27:00.002Z

Tonight is our work Xmas do. We're going skating at Somerset House and then off for dinner. I've never done the outside skating in London thing so hopefully it'll be good fun, sure it will. And then for dinner the theme was glam so I have purchased myself a new dress from French Connection. More on that later, hopefully accompanied by pictures!

Let's see how I feel tomorrow...

Kai Mayfair - Review

2009-12-09T13:36:00.002Z

As a follow up to my last post I thought I should tell you about Kai. We went there because I had won a voucher for it in a raffle and we like to go to nice restaurants to celebrate our anniversary. So this year it worked out as Kai. The restaurant is nicely decorated, somehow it still feels Chinese but obivously upmarket. We had a big table which was kind of separate from the rest, although in some ways that was good.

We figured since we had the voucher that we didn't need to worry too much about how much we spent, so J had soft shelled crab for his starter and I had steamed scallop and king prawn. Our starters were both lovely. They came out at different times but this was fine as we had been warned. And both were dishes you wouldn't cook yourself at home, which always makes the restaurant experience feel more worthwhile.

Then on to our mains, I had beef in a pepper sauce and J lamb. If I'm honest I was not so impressed with our mains. My beef's sauce tasted a little shop bought and wasn't great and J's lamb just wasn't much of anything.

I then figured I would push the boat out and have a pudding. I had the 'not to be missed' pudding which involved pumpkin cream, something I should have been wary of from the start. Again, nice enough but not amazing. Especially for the price.

Which takes me to my next point, this place is expensive, starters start at around £15 and go upwards and upwards. Mains are of course more expensive. Now I don't mind expensive when I feel like it's worth it. And I think our starters were, but for the mains and pudding I felt less happy with the amount it cost. Although I knew the ingredients were of good quality for that much I expected something more amazing.

However the service was superb, very nice staff, nice atmosphere.

So in summary I don't think I'd recommend it, I think it's just a little too expensive for what we had. If you really want to go and spend lots of money then have the starters and avoid the pudding I had and you'll probably have a lovely dinner!

A long long time ago...

2009-12-04T13:47:00.002Z

J and I met and I didn't like him. And then we met again and we got talking and I thought now here's a nice intelligent kind of chap who likes food and wine. And we got to know each other. On November 1st 2002 we kissed. And on December 4th 2002 we 'officially' became a couple. Yes my dear readers, 7 years ago to the day J and I got together.

It wasn't a fairytale coming together, I was lying on his bed in halls musing to myself that since we were acting like a couple we might just as well be one. And from thenceforce we were M&J.

I originally went into the relationship thinking, why not? I'd never really had a proper boyfriend before and just wanted to know what it was like. And here was someone who strangely enough was willing to be my boyfriend, who I liked. So off we went. I never imagined that seven years down the line we'd be married. I thought it would last a few months, I'd go through my first break-up and move on stronger and ready for the next person. But it didn't work like that. The days passed, they turned into months, then years and we were still together, still happy with each other. Still happy in our relationship. We've never broken up and got back together. We've never really been close to breaking up. And truth be told I'm not sure how we've got this far without big hiccups, little ones of course, but nothing big.

So tonight we shall be dining at Kai, to celebrate this time spent together. And to toast to the next seven years. And I shall be thinking about how we can make the next seven as wonderful as the last seven.

So here's to relationships and love, because today I feel like it. Happy weekend's to you all. M xxx

Kazakhstan Part II

2009-12-03T18:17:00.004Z

I think I may have promised more on Kazkahstan so here goes. We stayed in the Radisson in Astana, a five star hotel (lucky us) which was huge and lovely. My room was on the 12th floor and the first thing I thought when I walked into it was how huge the bed was. I tried showing in the photo below it's size, truly you could have fitted three people in there, should you want to. You might also notice my travel companion keeping the bed warm. As hotel rooms go it was good, well equipped, underfloor heating in the bathroom, giant shower, good TV, coffee and tea facilities and even an iron and ironing board. So I was fairly impressed. Plus going back to the bed, it was soooo comfortable.

So then I thought I'd share another view from my room, the space in Kazakhstan was one thing which really struck me. It's just on another scale. As the 9th largest country in the world with a population of around 15m the population density is vastly different to the UK. And you can see this in the cities, with huge roads and big buildings. Beyond the city is the steppe. A flat landscape which goes as far as the eye can see, without coming across anything else. Also because the city is relatively much smaller the sky is darker and bigger. You can really see the stars, feel free and look up in wonder.

On a lighter note the hotel had their Christmas decorations up when we arrived. I couldn't help but pose with the life sized bears they had in reception. My mama would hate these bears, papa probably would like them. And me I stroked them whenever I walked past, hello bear!

I have some more city pictures to share. Another post soon hopefully!

A few of my favourite things... III

2009-11-30T15:08:00.002Z

The weather in London has been miserable, rain, rain, rain and yet more rain. Plus the wind and the general greyness, it's enough to get one down. So I have been utterly grateful for the next in my series of favourite things, my Hunter welly boots. These are the things of magic, they are sturdy, fun and most importantly keep my feet warm and dry.

It's one of those things I've always hated, wet feet, especially wet feet in nice shoes, which are then wet feet in nice ruined shoes. So having wellies has become an essential for me. Plus it means I can behave like a four year old and jump in puddles with glee.

So for those city dwellers who are fed up of wet feet, go get some Hunters! And even if they seem a little pricey they are the best, my last pair broke within about three months much to my upset and so from now on I will be tried and tested!

I am only slightly upset that I went for plain old Aubergine and not something a little jazzier. Maybe for the next pair I can branch out :)

Dorma Pot Pourri

2009-11-28T19:06:00.002Z

Upon my return to London I came into the office to find a little bag of goodies waiting for me. Excitedly peering into it I pulled it all out rapidly to explore and found beautiful packages, cream and gold and elegant.

One such package was a box of Orange and Cedarwood Pot Pourri from Dorma. I am not normally one for things like Pot Pourri, we used to have it at home when I was little but since then it is not something I have thought about having. Plus living in rented accommodation one tends to care less about extra details to make it look and smell really nice. So it was a surprise to find myself so delighted at this beautiful box of shapes which smelt so good.

Now it is sat in our living room, spreading it's gentle but natural smell throughout and making me smile when it looks so pretty. And it's also made me think that these are the kind of things it's worth buying quality products for, which this Dorma one definitely is.

And so I shall see what other goodies there are in this little bag and recommend this as something which could be both a great present for someone else and to yourself when you need something a little bit more luxury to perk up a room. Check out the Dorma website for more info!

Kazakhstan Part 1

2009-11-27T14:44:00.002Z

We arrived back late last night after a very long day travelling, I was already pretty tired from the trip but that really slayed me. So I was much relieved to crawl into a warm bed with J last night and drop my head on the pillow to switch off.

Kazakhstan was fun though. We worked hard and it felt like a really valuable trip workwise, plus the people we met were overall absolutely lovely and I was so well looked after.

So to start with below is a picture of the view from my bedroom window in our hotel in Astana. Hopefully it gives you some idea of what the city is like, there's a lot of construction going on, so in almost every view there are cranes. But considering the city is only 11 years old it's doing pretty well!
More to follow soon but a few things to catch up in the office first, hope everyone is well and I shall try and catch up on all the lovely posts I've missed and the news.

Hope you have great weekend's! xx

Astana - Kazakhstan

2009-11-21T12:47:00.002Z

It's about -13C here, cold, really really cold. And so dry. But kind of amazing too, so much space compared to London. Busy busy busy to be honest so apologies for not having commented much but I'm taking photos to share when I get back.

Until then, enjoy your weekend's!

M xx

Friday fun photo

2009-11-20T11:54:00.002Z

From Cute Overload

Isn't this photo amazing? It took me a little while then I was sat there going wow! What a moment to have got.