3 things to smile about #3

Well, hasn't it been a while since my last post here my lovelies? That's summer for you: time slows down, you start fiddling with your new home, visiting places and people, and before you know it you realise it's nearly over. And all those lovely posts you'd planned just got totally side-tracked. So, now it's time to catch up and get back in the swing of things before we're all back in school. And what better way to ease my way back in than to talk about some of the nice things that made me smile recently?

Doesn't that just make you instantly happy, hey? Works a charm for me every time.

Next, Anthropologie. I get serious home furnishing cravings every time I go. Fortunately I don't go too often. But seriously, how cute are those initial hangers and door knobs? For me it's a great source of inspiration, and I find visiting the main store on Regent St ever so relaxing.

Another foodie one I'm afraid! Not only are those Maitre Choux eclairs perfect for IG photos, but they also taste super nice. Don't get me wrong, they are pricy, but well worth a little detour if you're in South Ken. Yummy!

my little summer box

"Girls just wanna have sun". If you opened your June box without beaming out a big smile,  hats off. June really should be all about the sun and summer but here in the UK it's been pretty dire. That might be why I have lagged behind in my monthly review of the Summer Box. Well, that and having a perfectly awful time (can we say that?) dealing with other silly worries but let's not tarnish the happy place that is this blog ;)

So, Summer it was for June. On the beauty side, first, some eye glitter glue. I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what it really does, how to use it, and don't intend to use it anytime soon. This might actually be the first box item I will throw away / give out. I guess it's just not my thing anymore, been there, done that, kinda thing.
Next we were treated to a Ciate nail varnish, which I proceeded to try on straight away, and I loved it instantly. Mine came in an off-red colour, slighltly orange and perfect for the season. The next goodie was My Little Beauty's beach hair spray. A light coconutty spray to get you that bit closer to looking like a surfer girl. Unfortunately My Little Box didn't provide the secret recipe to actually having the perfect surfer body to accompany the hair. Shame, hey?

On the lifestyle goodies side, we have a Bikini swinsuit pouch. I can see this being practical when you have a wet costume to carry around, or simply just to have a spare bikini if you need a quick change. Then there is a summery white vest with a season-appropriate message: "girls just wanna have sun" - ideal was hanging around in the sun. So, sun, please hurry up and come and shine on our corner of the world!
On top of that we had a super lucky month with an extra goodie - Aqua Fizz iced tea from Kusmi. The brand needs no introduction, their teas are gorgeous, and I can't wait to try this one. Hopefully we will have a nice hot weekend this week, perfect for a BBQ, fruit slald and some refreshing berry and hibiscus iced tea!

Not long now until the next box arrives - I can't wait for the July instalment. And the holidays, of course. I am definitely counting the days now, even if the summer will be fairly quiet.

Sketch London

Sketch is definitely a curious place, and if you're into quirky trendy places then this is where you need to head. I am not going to lie, overall I really liked it. The bill is a bit expensive, sure, but you pay for the atmosphere and oh, does it deliver. Service was ok, not perfect, and the food was nice. Tea was yummy, but more importantly, the Gallery is an exquisite room that makes you feel like you're in a giant pink doll house. The art on the wall comes as a big contrast, but then it's all pretty funny and tongue-in-cheek.
I spent a lovely couple of hours there with my relatives and it was a great opportunity to give my Mum to an early Mother's Day treat. Next time I go, though, I want to try one of their other rooms, the Glade, and it will involve cocktails. After all, variety is the spice of life.

Sketch est un lieu bien curieux, et si ce genre d'endroit un peu décalé et à la mode vous plait, alors courez-y. Pour tout vous dire, franchement ca m'a plu. Bon, c'est sur, la note est un peu salée, mais on paie pour l'ambiance et là, rien ne manqué à l'appel. Le service était pas mal mais pas parfait, et les petites gourmandises bonnes. Le thé était divin, mais surtout, la "Gallery" est une sale superbe qui vous donne l'impression d' être dans une énorme maison de poupée. Les illustrations au mur y sont complètement en contraste, mais c'est à prendre au second degré.
J'y ai passé deux heures très agréables avec ma mère et ma tante, et ca a fait un cadeau de fête des mères ideal. La prochaine fois que j'irai, c'est décidé, je visiterai plutot leur sale "Glade", et ce sera pour déguster un cocktail ou deux. Après tout, il faut savoir varier les plaisirs.

nap projects

So here we are, one week into the summer holidays. I wish I could tell you what a good time I've had already, and show you a tonne of things I've already made. Alas, I would have, if not for the dreaded chicken pox. Let me tell you, I've never seen my lovely Baby J so miserable. Of course, I mostly blame the mini heatwave we've been having at the same time. As if dozens of itchy spots weren't enough, we've had the warmest weather of the year so far. Nights were sticky, days were just hot, altogether it's just been awful. Still, before and after that mini-disaster, one managed to rustle up a few things during Baby's nap...a much appreciated pause in our days.
This funky chai and spiced rum tiramisu has proved to be a hit - the man of the house even went as far as to say I could make it again another time! I made two cushion covers for my mother-in-law, and I tried to make Baby a summery sleeping bag to try and cope with the heat. We enjoyed a lovely couple of hours at a lavender farm nearby, the smell and views were out of this world.
The worst is behind us now, and hopefully baby and I can start to properly get on with our holiday. On my programme, a visit to the butterfly exhibition at the Science Museum (if it's good enough for Prince George, it's good enough for us!), sewing of course, picnics maybe? And much less glamorous things like tidying under my bed, in my cupboards, and cleaning the fridge properly. Pottering around, as my colleagues would say.

Nous y voilà, une semaine que les vacances ont commencé. J'aimerais vous dire à quel point je me suis déjà bien amusée, et vous montrer les tas de trucs que j'ai déjà faits. Hélas, c'est sans compter sur cette satanée varicelle. Je vous le dis, je n'ai jamais vu Bébé J en aussi mauvais état. Bien sûr, je reporte la faute sur la mini canicule qu'on  a eu ces derniers jours. Comme si c'était pas suffisant d'avoir des dizaines de boutons qui grattent, on a eu les journées les plus chaudes de l'année. Les nuits étaient moites et les journées chaudes, en gros c'était l'horreur. Malgré tout, un peu avant et depuis ce mini désastre, j'ai réussi à faire quelques petits trucs pendant la sieste de Bébé...une pause très appreciée dans mes journées. 
Ce tiramisu au thé chai et rum a été un véritable triomphe - l'homme m'a même dit que je pouvais le refaire! J'ai fait deux housses de coussin pour ma belle-mère, et j'ai tenté de faire une gigoteuse d'été pour essayer de render les nuits de Bébé plus confortables. On a aussi été passer une heure ou deux dans un champ de lavande près d'ici, les odeurs et le paysage étaient fabuleux. 
Le pire est passé maintenant, et j'espère que Bébé et moi allons pouvoir enfin nous mettre en mode vacances. Au programme, une visite à l'expo de papillons au Musée des Sciences (si le prince George y est déjà allé, pourquoi pas nous?), de la couture bien sûr, des pique-niques peut-être? Et aussi quelques trucs beaucoup moins glamour du style ranger sous mon lit, dans mes placards, et nettoyer le frigo comme il faut. Rien de bien special, comme diraient mes collègues.

sweet little nothings

Halfway through the festive season and I take stock of all the extra kilos I think I have put on...I might say I wonder where they have come from, abut really - really- I need to be honest and face the facts: we have completely indulged and over indulged so far (I stopped counting how many boxes of chocolates we have already been through). Never mind, I guess that's what it's all about, no?
Amongst many lovely lunches and dinners, I have made Tom Kerridge's spiced orange cake and the man of the house has made us a yummy borsch in an attempt to restore the balance.
Even baby tried lots of new food, and she now loves mango and cauliflower cheese. Cute!

I hope the end of 2013 has treated you all well.

 *** Best wishes to you for those last few hours it has to offer ***

(I'm off to eat)

indulging season

When the wind is cold, when you need a wooly scarf to go out, when you look forward to being home and snuggling up on the sofa under your quilts, when you long for a cup of tea to warm your hands with, when only a lamb stew will do for dinner, when it's December and night comes in the middle of the afternoon...that's when you need to start indulging without worrying too much about extra calories!

So, in the past few days, my indulging has looked liked this, and guess what, I'm not even feeling slightly guilty about it. I hope you are all doing the same wherever you are. Life really is too short.

♦ Happy December, one and all ♦