From the sick bed

Apologies for my absence yesterday but I was just too sick to post anything that would make sense. I’m feeling slightly better today and was so stoked that I had the energy to wear an actual pair of pants (that didn’t have an elasticated waistband), put on a touch of make up and leave the house for the first time in a week to visit the doctor yesterday evening. If you have ever visited a doctor in the UK, you will know that the novelty of leaving the house soon wore off and I was left wanting the sofa, a healthy dose of self pity and Judge Judy. I wouldn’t have been able to get through the past week without some of these goodies…

1. comfy t shirt; 2. scented candles; 3. sappy dvds; 4. sweats; 5. lemons for my very sore throat; 6. knitted throw; 7. choccies; 8. slippers; 9. fancy schmancy tissues; 10. lip balm

Just a few things…

I was tagged by Colleen from Ordinary Tales for this random sharing episode so here goes….

The Rules

1. Create a blog post including 11 random facts about yourself

2. Answer the 11 random questions from the blogger who nominated you

3. Give this award to at least 5 blogs up to 11 and link to them in the post

4. Tell those people you nominated them

5. You cannot nominate the person who has nominated you

6. Remember to tag blogs with less than 200 followers

Some random photos, most involving consumption of beer.

11 Random Facts…

1. I’m a compulsive list maker. I often write things down on a list that I have already completed just so that I can have the satisfaction of ticking it off.
2. I’ve had more hair disasters than I care to remember. In the past 26 years, I have had a bob, a perm, Morticia Adams hair, scarecrow hair and the infamous cheetah dye job. I never seem to learn.
3. I can’t sing to save my life but I sure can bust a move or two (in my humble opinion of course).
4. I have an aversion to ugly plastic-y things. Both Jordan and my work colleagues have become quite good at anticipating what items will offend me and hide them before I throw them in the bin.
5. I love any kind of sports, beer, metal music and fast cars just as much as I love interior design, Prada, Florence + the Machine and Real Housewives.
6. I once made the mistake of telling Jordan I was sceptical over the existence of dinosaurs.
7. I had such an addiction to sweet things as a child that I used to eat Rennies in moments of sugar desperation.
8. I have never seen the Lion King. I get tearful just thinking about watching it.
9. I go into a sort-of trance like state when I do the vacuuming.
10. I recently called my boss “babe” by accident.
11. I have a not-so-secret crush on Phil Spencer from Location Location.

The last thing I see at night before I turn out my bedside light… it’s a photo, not the real thing!

Questions to answer:

1. My first pet: Tommy the Tortoise. He liked lettuce but wasn’t big on cuddling.
2. My first love: cue the eye rolling and gagging noises, but I married my first love.
3. Where else would I live besides here: the land of great design and deadly creatures aka Australia.
4. Favourite and least favourite qualities about me: favourite = I am emotionally very strong (apart from the whole Lion King thing). Least favourite = my infamous temper.
5. Red, white or rose: white!! I love the idea and sophistication of red but I have never been able to drink something room temperature.
6. Favourite meal and where: oh gosh! Too many to mention but one of my most memorable dining experiences was in Prague. We ate Czech cranberry beef strew at a tiny hole-in-the-wall smoky bar with massive pints of Pilsner, watching the snow flutter down with the sound of the trams rumbling in the background. I relive it often.
7. Top of my travel list: road trip around America.
8. Favourite curse word: so many! I swear like a sailor! I probably say “twat” the most. Although you can’t beat a good f-word rant!
9. If I could be friends with a celebrity, who would it be: hmmm this is tricky! Probably not very original but I love Gwyneth Paltrow (and we all know she has got one or two connections).
10. Top five movies: Pride and Prejudice; Barefoot in the Park; Office Space; Man on Fire; Life is Beautiful – all random but all awesome!
11. Favourite holiday: Christmas. I started my countdown 154 days ago!

One of my favourite travel photos

11 Random Questions for those who wish to participate:

1. What would be the first thing you would do if you found out you won the lottery?
2. What’s your favourite city (even if you haven’t been to it)?
3. Do you have a nickname? If so, what?
4. Favourite time of day?
5. Do you prefer the beach or the forest?
6. What made you decide to start a blog?
7. Do you have any phobias? If so, what?
8. What’s your favourite dish to cook (if you cook)?
9. How would you spend a spontaneous day off?
10. Do you read magazines online or from the shops? Any favourites?
11. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

I am tagging the following lovely ladies:

• Rooth from A Miusmie
• Vic from Cush and Nooks
• Lisa from a Room with a View
• Ines from Simply Classy Me
• Emily from Design and Nonsense
• Carolyn and Cynthia from The Buzz Blog

Just a thought…

Someone, somewhere is enjoying one of these sunsets right now! Doesn’t it make you want to down tools and seek out a sunset?

Just a little breath-taking scenery to help get you through Tuesday!

Click on the image to go to its source.

Clean Living!

I was so happy to hear that I am not the only one who is craving some fresh, bright white inspiration to keep us perked up for the remainder of winter! I decided to run with the white theme again today because I am a firm believer that you can never get enough of a good thing! Here is just a random collection of beautiful white images I have floating about on my full-to-capacity hard-drive. 

Don’t they just make you want to break out the yoga mat and eat fresh fruit?

Been and gone…

Helllllooooo! I’m finally back in the land of the living! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year and are ready to face 2012 with gusto!? I had hoped to post a little bit whilst on holiday but the prospect of lazing about all day watching movies and eating leftovers was much more tempting than sitting in front of the laptop. Does anyone else feel like they need a holiday to get over their holiday? But alas, I am now ready to get back in the swing of things and will be catching up on all your blogging news throughout the course of the week. In the meantime, here is a gentle start with some pics of the festivities over at our house…

All images via Wishful Thinking

Awarding…

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been very fortunate to receive from blog love from a couple of ladies, first from the ever-classy Barbara from Haus Design and then from the very talented green-fingered Starlet from :: Can you Come Home:: If you haven’t already stopped by their blogs, why not? Go on and say hi!

I can’t really remember what I did with my time before blogging but I can’t imagine my life without it. From recipes, to life anecdotes, to crafty home ideas, it never ceases to amaze me how much inspiration is at my fingertips.  Thank you ladies!

So the rules are that I have to share 7 things about myself, here goes:

 Image 1 found here; all others via Pinterest

1. My very first job involved working in a shop directly opposite that beach. That was my view from work, every day.
2. I am renowned for having a ‘fiery’ temper and a mouth that very often gets me into trouble. It’s a blessing and a curse.
3. I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt when I was younger and for many years, I believed I would be a famous historian. Then I realised most of your time is spent down dusty holes… I changed my mind and thought it was best to stick with the History Channel (although I still want to visit)! 
4. Tulips make everything right with the world again.
5. I am absolutely hopeless at maths, worryingly, it seems to be getting worse with age!
6. My dream is to own a shop much like this in the future. I can’t imagine a better job than being surrounded by beautiful things.
7. I can’t pass a dog in the street without stopping to pet them and make kissy faces at them. It might be becoming a problem.

Now I pass the award onto 15 other blogs that inspire me every day (I didn’t count them so there might be more than 15 here but I like to break the rules):

• Jillian – Coffee Light and Sweet
• Colleen – Ordinary Tales
• Lisa – Latte Lisa
• Ada – Classiq
• Kelly – Feathers and Flowers
• Lisa – A Room with a View
• Huckleberry Creative
• Vic – Cush and Nooks
• Jessie – Mix and Chic
• Shannon – 8foot6
• Emily – Design and Nonsense
• Katie – Katie*Belle
• Homestilo
• Abigail – Abigail’s Place
• Gloria – Little White Whale
• Laura – White Winters
• Rachael – A Bug and Bird
• Kate – Travelmoon

We need to talk…

For the past couple of months I have been feeling a bit of ‘bloggers block’. You know the kind? I have felt uninspired and a little stressed out.. and if I am truly honest, I sometimes feel like I spend so much time catching up on other fabulous blogs that I sort of loose interest in my little ol’ blog. So faced with a bit of a dilemma, I decided the take a week off. (Luckily I left you with some pretty pictures of Prague to look at for a week!) I took some time to get inspired again and reassess exactly what I want out of my blog. I couldn’t help myself and did peak at a few blogs during my ‘holiday’ but I really surprised myself by how much I missed blogging! So consider me more inspired and firmly back on the scene. Hopefully I can inspire you this morning with some beautiful pictures I took in the gardens of Hever Castle in Kent over the weekend…

All images via Wishful Thinking

Off Topic for a Friday

I usually do my London adventures post on Fridays but given the events over the past week, I have decided against it. To tell you the truth, there have been moments this week when I have been a little ashamed to call myself a Londoner. So TGIF... again! Hopefully this weekend will be calm and relaxing for all! In the meantime, I thought I would leave you with some funny/pretty images that helped me get through this meh week!

Meet Juan, we think he moonlights as a Zumba Instructor

Has anyone else seen this emerging trend to leave the house without pants?

The awesome community of Clapham, cleaning the streets after the riots!



1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

 

The art of knitting

My favourite memory of my mom is of her bent over piles of knitting furiously clicking away on knitting needles whilst simultaneously bossing me about and orchestrating dinner. My mom could knit just about anything within a matter of days – she had an innate ability to spot a pattern on television or on a person in a supermarket and could replicate it instantly (although v. embarrassing having to stalk someone with your mom while she memorises a knitting pattern). My sister and I were both taught how to knit but I am ashamed to say that I probably wouldn’t know how to do it now. Trawling through knitted items on the internet, I am now starting to feel like I might have lost a valuable skill. How about you? Do you/can you/ would you want to knit?

Click on images to go to their source