Caroline, No.

January amusements.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:04:00 +0000

How's your January going? I'm having a super quiet one, trying to be healthy and working lots, sometimes in my new local cafe, bread and bean. Really nice coffee and cakes, tea served in pots with proper china, free wi-fi, comfy seats, friendly peeps, cloth hand-towels in the bathroom…it's seriously good vibes! Highly recommend, if you're in otherwise drab Archway.

I've been doing a bit of reading. I've been meaning to read Alice Munro for a while, after hearing so many superlatives about her. Too Much Happiness is a collection of short stories; I was gasping and wide-eyed by about the third page! I love Margaret Drabble's dry and clever writing. The Radiant Way is a novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s, almost a sociological study of the decade. Interesting. Restoration is my bookclub book this month. I'd never normally pick this book up (the beauty of book clubs!) but I'm loving the character of Merivel! Next to read, this Isabel Allende novel I picked up in a chazza. I can be a bit narrow in my reading, I tend to stick with British or North American authors, so I thought I'd go South American for a change. Seems to be all about the ladies in my reading at the moment.

I've been doing some thrifty and healthy cooking! I mentioned in my last post that I love Pinterest: one of the things I'm really enjoying about it is food inspiration. I get in a food rut really quickly and end up eating the same thing over and over again. But on Pinterest there are so many tasty-looking food pictures it's easy to get inspired; I've eaten two Pinterest-inspired meals in the last week, including this yum and pretty meal. I love the tumblr the picture came from, as well. (Another bonus: you find new blogs.)

Did anyone watch Sicily Unpacked? A three part series featuring Giorgio Locatelli (swoon + yum) and Andrew Graham-Dixon (chin rub), investigating the food and art of Sicily. Perfect for dreaming of summer days surrounded by mediterranean blue. It's available for a few more days on iPlayer.

Oh, and I love this tune by Django Django. You can buy it here.

That, as they say, is me. What you all been up to?

bread and bean picture credit

The Booking Office – St Pancras International.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:26:00 +0000

I just can't get over my love for the new St Pancras station. (St Pancras International, if you will). About ten years ago, when the hotel was disused and in a state of decay, I volunteered as a guide over the Open House weekend. After hours, I was lucky enough to get a torchlit tour of the dark hotel; chilly long hallways, cobwebbed rooms of fading gilt and tarnished mirrors. It was eerie, the ghosts almost palpable along the grand corridors.

We were told that back in the 1960s, the building narrowly escaped demolition; apparently the problems of updating the hotel to accommodate modern luxuries such as running water in each room were insurmountable. The notion that this glorious building could be just another London ghost, replaced by rat-coloured concrete box-buildings like those down the street at Euston, makes visiting the glorious, painstakingly restored hotel and station all the more sweet.

I needed a place to catch up with a friend as she passed through Euston last weekend, so we grabbed the chance to admire St Panks. After a quick cup of tea and slice of Victoria sponge at Peyton & Byrne (7/10, nice cake but paper cups?), Jenny said she'd been told about an amazing bar in the old booking office. We traipsed off to find it and thank goodness we did!

Greeted by a friendly doorman, we were ushered in. It is a hugely ornate, grandly arched space, with bare stone walls and a high iron vaulted ceiling. An old station clock hangs on one wall, on another, oversized leaded lattice windows look out onto the platform. You can peek down the grand hotel hallways and into the lobby of the hotel; you can't help but stand a little straighter as the formal opulence rubs off. (Although sadly I was wearing my sunday best Converse and day after hairwash hair. Must go back in a frock soon.)

But back to the bar. Huge, low-hung simple chandeliers and oversized plush furniture help fill the space and keep it cosy. Sitting in a bare stone room of that scale should make you shiver, but not at all; the atmosphere was warm and luxurious. Jenny is a cocktail girl, so we went straight to the cocktail list. They were Victorian themed, perfectly calibrated to the surroundings. She settled for a warm arrack punch which smelled deliciously aromatic from where I was sitting. I had an orange juice and blood tonic soda which was satisfactorily sour.

The staff were lovely and friendly and even visiting the loos was a luxurious treat; you get to stroll down one of the hotel corridors, and freshen up in opulent style.

I had to tear myself away from the place and can't wait to go back for a longer visit. I was disappointed when I tried out the champagne bar when the station first reopened: I'd been looking forward to a Brief Encounter romantic low-lit and dark wood station rendezvous spot, but the reality is a chilly, modern bar next to the platforms. The Booking Office more than fits the romantic, cosy station bill.

Remember it's here if you need somewhere to meet in the area; there are snacks and a proper dinner menu of posh, comforty stuff. Or pay a special visit just to experience this stunning revitalised station. I can even find it in me to love the huge Olympic rings, hanging high above the platforms!

[I think I told Twitter a while back that a friend of a friend who lives in one of the apartments in the old hotel told me she can order cocktails from the bar in the hotel to her flat. The only thing that stops me actually dying of jealousy is that she also gets woken up at 7am by platform announcements. But still – the glamour!]

Picture credit 1 2

Happy 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Happy New Year! I can't even believe it's 2012. Such a banal thing to say but I really can't. Last year was a hectic one for me; I moved house three times (!), got together with my husband, and got married in New York. We spent our first Christmas at home in London, which was complete heaven, and did a round trip to visit all of our family in Yorkshire. (Most of T's family live up there too.) I hope you all had a fantastic break and are several pounds heavier, like me!

I don't really do formal resolutions at New Year and at the moment am trying to work out some really big decisions with T, so I don't need to pile any more pressure on myself! We're thinking hard about leaving London; both of us have lived here for years and years, and we'd like to live in a house, not a flat. We both want some absolute peace and quiet for a while, and that's not generally something you find in this crazy city. (Just before Christmas, a cannabis factory was discovered in the house next door! And we won't go into my crazy downstairs neighbour.)

So we're thinking REALLY hard about where we might move to. Tom's work is west London based, mine can be more remote. And, I'd like to be near enough to take advantage of everything in the city still and see all my friends! We have been thinking about Canterbury, where Tom grew up, and 8 miles away from Whitstable (aka London-on-Sea). The houses are stunning there, and it would certainly be quieter. But we're still not sure. Any ideas for somewhere close to London, with good travel links, or on the outskirts, where it is quiet and property isn't prohibitively expensive?

Other than working out the Big Plan, I would like to continue doing interesting, challenging work; at the moment I am doing some social media and community management for an online mentoring site, horsesmouth, where people sign up to help others – a brilliant idea.

I'd also love to try watercolour painting, like an Edwardian lady. I've got a sudden lust to learn more about fine art, something I've always been a little bit ignorant about. I'm dying to go and check out the Turners at Tate Britain (shamefully I've never been), and fancy a bit of a splosh around myself. Tell me all the other arty must-sees in London I have to check out before I – potentially – leave town!

Oh, and I've started Pinteresting. I'm immediately completely addicted; I usually just save images I like from the web on to my desktop so this is a welcome way for me to file images. Plus I get to nosy at what everyone else is looking at. Add me if you're on there, and I'll start spying on you too.

So, wishing you all a very happy 2012! May it be kind to us all. And I hope the Olympics aren't too annoying. Hehe.

(The image above is Turner's Sun Setting On A Lake. Which I'm sure you all knew, as you're not philistines like me.)

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:20:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! I hope you're all having a blissful break. We're spending Christmas at home in London; eating chocolates, drinking mimosas – the perfect all day tipple – and watching films. (Best film so far, An Affair To Remember; how classy is Deborah Kerr? How strange is that storyline? And how cornball is Cary Grant? Plus he looks as though he's been creosoted.)

Talking of cornball chaps, check out these two. The guy on the right is called Red, and he was the bell captain at The Sands hotel in Vegas; this was their Christmas party in 1958. The guy on the left has got game-on eyes to spare!

Merry Christmas!

(Picture courtesy of the AWESOME roadside pictures.)

Clinique lid smoothies.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 20:36:00 +0000

I've been meaning to write about Clinique lid smoothies for, like, ever! (Well, since they came out in November.) I have naturally dry skin so am always attracted to cream formulations for eyes and cheeks, especially in winter months when skin is dry enough without added powders, for that Barbara Cartland effect. There's also a really clever ceramic applicator incorporated in the tube, to cool and soothe the eye as you apply. (Clinique seem to be on a roll with their innovative applicators recently, I'm a fan.)

They are definitely a keeper! The marketing claim is that they are, 'long wearing, cream shadows that deliver crease-resistant colour that stays put for eight hours'. The colours do indeed stay on the lid and resist creasing (and I have deep set eyes that are particularly prone to this). The applicator is really soothing to the lid but not perfect for smoothing out the colour; I need to use my finger to blend.

The range of colours includes muted natural and berry shades; I like Seventh Heather and Salt and Pepper for day (a warm putty and steely grey, respectively); and Lick-Orice for night (a midnighty blue-grey, which looks really good as a smoky eye base).

Definitely a great gift-to-self or stocking filler for a friend (or girlfriend, progressive mens). £17 from a Clinique counter near you or here.

Stowells Light – sponsored post

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 10:53:00 +0000

For those of us who like to enjoy a drink or two over the festive season, getting the balance right can sometimes be a challenge. If you are anything like me, your first Christmas morning tipple is at 11am, and continues merrily through to New Year's Day.

The worst crimes seem to happen on Christmas morning. One year, me and my mother were so busy tackling a bottle of plum wine, we forgot to switch the oven on. Another time, we greedily snaffled an expensive bottle of champagne between us, whilst everyone else was out for a walk.

So, the new Stowells Light range, with reduced alcohol and calorie content, could be an absolute godsend. The wines contain just 60 calories for a 125ml glass; about a third less than a typical glass of wine.

Stowells have a 130 year pedigree as wine merchants and, in creating Stowells Light, they have selected good quality base wines and used an innovative alcohol reduction process to retain flavour but reduce calories and take the alcohol content down to just 5.5%.

The range includes a white and rosé option. The white is a blend of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc and is very fruity, with a balance of acidity and sweetness – great on its own or with fish. The rosé is a youthful pink Shiraz, full of juicy strawberry, raspberry and cherry fruit flavours. Perfect with salads, as part of a healthier New Year routine.

If, like me, you're cutting back for the New Year, this could the perfect way to still enjoy a tipple. Plenty of flavour but with a reduction in the bad stuff. I bet these would be great mixed with soda water, as well. Moderation is key after all. Chin chin!

Image with thanks to mjkjr

Paris!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Back in September,* I was lucky enough to get whisked away to Paris, to celebrate the collaboration of Paco Rabanne Black XS with bands such as Kaiser Chiefs, CSS and Interpol. The project is called Be A Rockstar, so the mission of our trip was to be treated as rockstars. In Paris. The kind of mission I can enthusiastically get behind!

On the day of the trip we had a car pick us up and whisk us to the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras. (I absolutely love travelling from St Pancras**; the renovation of the station and hotel is stunning, and there's great food and shopping to be had on the concourse, I like Sourced Market for great coffee, pastries, and locally sourced organic bits. It's fairly priced, too.)

Before we knew it we were in a taxi zipping through the streets of Paris to Mama Shelter – of course! Where else would a rockstar stay in Paris? The hotel is Philippe Starck designed and very cool. Designed to party, really. Which we did! Love that the hotel overlooks a graffitied train track. Très urban.

But first of all I had a little look around the local area. Mama Shelter is right next to the Père-Lachaise cemetery – perfect for communing with dead rockstars.

I found a sweet little street nearby, Rue St Blaise, which was full of galleries and restaurants. Perfect if you don't feel like venturing far from the hotel.

Back to the room for a chill – they had me at Kiehl's products.

Then out on the town. Loved the mirrored hallways, with a scribbled note about the coolest local thing to go to that day; a Keith Haring exhibition, wish I could've popped along.

A quick Hemingway daiquiri in the bar. (How I prefer to view life, across the top of a cocktail glass.)

My and partner in crime Isabelle OC's clunky matching rockstar shoeboots.

Stage diving Iso. The venue for the event was the historic Parisian venue La Maroquinerie. It was fascinating getting a behind-the-scenes peek at the theatre. We hung out in the dressing rooms for a bit, observing the interesting grafitti.

Back to the hotel for a late night pizza and more beer.

The next day, after a predictably delicious breakfast at Mama Shelter, we were all completely bleary-eyed but bundled off in our cars to L'Espace Payot, a luxury day spa just off the Champs-Élysées. It felt extremely decadent to be right in the centre of Paris, whiling away the morning having a massage and soaking in a hot tub. Whilst sipping lemon infused water from my lounger I observed a very smart Parisian lady with perfectly preserved coiffure having a water aerobics class. Très chic, I want to grow up to be that lady. Afterwards I nipped off to say a quick hello to La Tour Eiffel, just around the corner.

All in all it was a blissful trip. I'm planning to return to Paris and relax into my trip by having a morning at L'Espace Payot. Also on my list for next time: try the hot chocolate at Angelina (Coco Chanel's favourite!).

* before getting whisked up into wedding and moving house, hency crazy posting time delay!

** a friend of mine lives in the apartment building at St Pancras and she can order cocktails on room service at the hotel to her flat. Living the dream, or what?

Thanks so much to to Be A Rockstar. Check out their site for exclusive footage of CSS, Kaiser Chiefs, Two Door Cinema Club, Cold War Kids.

Picture credits with thanks: St Pancras, Mama Shelter, Pizzeria

Innocent - the big knit.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:14:00 +0000

Got one of the little Innocent smoothies hats sitting on your desk? G'waan – take a picture of it and upload it to Facebook. It takes 2 minutes and every time you upload you donate 10p to Age UK, as well as being in with the chance of winning £500 worth of Amazon vouchers. Click here to upload. You've got until Friday (2 December) to take part! And, 10p might not sound like a lot, but pennies make pounds, as my grandma used to say...

Recent pictures.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:26:00 +0000

I haven't done one of these posts for ages: random pictures from my iPhone. Spans the summer, getting married, moving house...I can't believe it's nearly December. Thank goodness it has been really bright in London since the summer; it has made the onslaught of winter much more pleasurable. I'm definitely a summer person. Seeing these sunny pictures is making me feel quite sad; anyone got a lightbox I can borrow?

Parliament Hill Lido just after closing time.

Wedding photos outside The Trafalgar in Greenwich.

Ladies Day at York Races.

Train station in York. I'd been visiting my mum to steal all her jewellery for my 'something borrowed'.

From York to New York. The sunset that greeted us back in September. (Sigh.)

Pictures from a bike ride along the Thames Path between Greenwich and Woolwich.

London, from Greenwich Park.

Honky tonk pianna at the best pub in London, aka The Southampton Arms.

Dungeness by night.

Dungeness.

Tatou the dog and me, at Kenwood.

Isabelle's Cookie Monster cupcakes.

Moving day celebration at The Spaghetti House. (Must blog about this place.)

Sneak peek of new flat. Must blog about this place too! When it's all sorted. Still need shelves.

Hoops the cat. Last weekend.

Penny Dreadful Vintage.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:18:00 +0000

Penny Dreadful Vintage is an online vintage shop unfailingly stocked with desirable high-end pieces. It's particularly on fire at the moment; Penny has been hard at work sourcing and updating the site. These coats would all be great sensible seasonal buys – and bargains, compared to buying a winter coat on the high street. She also does a mean line in cocktail dresses and unique pieces you never knew you wanted. Buying vintage clothes online made simple.

1. Striped wool poncho. Straight out of the 1970s, how fun are these colours? This would be so cute for a walk on the heath.

2. 1960s cream mohair coat with woven buttons. How luxurious, go-with-anything and winter-wonderland is this? Answer: VERY. Reminds me of something Rosamund Pike's character might have worn in An Education.

3. Shearling coat with mouton collar. How warm would this be? Just a gorgeous coat and so modern looking.

4. Wool mohair plaid belted coat. So au courant with that check and belted styles are always so flattering. And comforting to wrap around you on a cold winter's morn.

Winter whites and sparkles.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 17:52:00 +0000

It must be the double trouble Gemini in me that's loving this curious mix of garish sparkles and minimal whites. These are a few of my current favourite things.

1) I've seen this OPI polish on some fashionable fingers recently. It's as mad as a hatter but festive and fun. OPI - The Rainbow Connection.

2) Cos city charm bracelet. Buildings, a lady walking a dog, trams and cars; all dangling from your wrist.

3) Can't stop thinking about this Alexander Wang Diego bag. It's just so perfect. Thick studded pebbled black leather. Buy me it from Selfridges.

4) I tried on these Repetto shoes but the price tag was problematic to me. They are truly beautiful; softest goatskin with a low wooden heel, as worn by Serge Gainsbourg. I found similars in American Apparel; still expensive but still great quality. (And I had a giftcard, yay.)

5) Inspired by this picture. Is it Sally Singer? I love her watch. Good old fashioned Timex.

6) Sparkling gold sequins. This Zara clutch has got to be the perfect way to ward off the gloomy November Monday blues.

Beverley bonfire night.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:35:00 +0000

I went to my home town of Beverley over the weekend, to visit the fam. Happily, it was bonfire night, so we could go to see the bonfire and fireworks on the old Westwood. I've not been for years, ever since my mum's straw bag caught fire from a stray ember. A day of happy chazza shopping (only purchase was a book of Joan Baez's Christmas songs) was followed by a drink at Nellies.

Then back home to change into wellies. Borrowed of course, these city folk would've just gone along in our Converse. (Which would've been a massive fail. I was up to my calves in a mixture of mud and cow pat at one point.)

The narrow roads up to the Westwood were absolutely mobbed with welly-wearing townsfolk, trudging up for the display.

The bonfire was huge. The crowd got all excited when it was lit, but excitement gave way to a lull as everyone became transfixed by the flames.

Then the fireworks. I generally hate things that go bang, but they were at a safe distance. There were some groovy twirly ones, some that sort of sang a tune (really, it was weird) and then the big starburst ones that look as though they're coming towards you. Totally pretended I was in a scene from Melancholia. (Have you seen it? I loved it, personally. That final scene had the cinema in a stunned silence as the credits rolled!)

We walked the smoke out of our lungs the next day with a walk up to the Black Mill; a mill on the Westwood that everyone walks towards hypnotically.

We had such a nice weekend that I can't stop looking at houses for sale up in Beverley. This lovely 3 bedroom house costs £145,000, and overlooks a green and a church. I grew up right around the corner. So tempting, after years of London flat living...

Booking an airbnb apartment: our experience.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 10:42:00 +0000

I wanted to tell you about our experience of booking and staying in an airbnb apartment whilst we were in New York. Because it was absolutely awesome! I have done apartment swapping in the past, with amazing results. (I stayed on a private island in Miami!) So when we were looking for accommodation in New York, we decided to do a similar thing. With airbnb you actually book to stay in someone's private apartment. It works out so much cheaper than booking a hotel and, in my experience, staying in a spacious apartment is usually a much nicer and more interesting experience than staying in a hotel. (I've apartment swapped in NYC before as well and it was also a winner.)

As we were planning to get married in an out-of-the-way part of Brooklyn, so we thought it would be great if we could stay in the area, and we totally lucked out. I found this loft apartment right in the neighbourhood which was absolutely gorgeous. And, at about £100 per night, much cheaper than a New York hotel. Here are some pictures. Unbelievably, I managed to take very few of the loft. (There are a couple in my post about our wedding, I think.)

To my mind, a hotel could never match up to the experience we had there. It was a huge loft owned by a gallery director, filled with artefacts, photographs, books... even the light fittings were gorgeous. I got ready to get married using the theatrical lightbulb vanity mirror in the bathroom. (Well, I had to fight my friend Jenny for mirror access.) (Can't believe I didn't take any pictures!)

There was a kitchen with everything you might need (and it was all lovely stuff) which you obviously wouldn't get in a hotel. A huge dining area, a living space full of interesting books, and even a film projector.

The building itself was incredible, an old factory converted into lofts. The hallways and doorways and everything else about it were solid brick and over-sized. Again, like a wally, I managed to take no pictures. (I'm secretly happy about that though, because I was just enjoying it, as opposed to feeling the need to record everything.)

I also have to say, we nearly booked this place in Willamsburg before finding our Red Hook place and the host was so helpful and lovely; definitely check this place out if you want somewhere more central in Brooklyn.

To summarise: I can't recommend airbnb enough. You get better value for your money and stay in more interesting neighbourhoods. You can get a rough idea of whether the host is going to be reliable through their reviews. They also link their page to their Facebook and Twitter accounts, so you can sort of see whether they're a real person. I personally had a great experience and say go for it.

EDITED: Just had lunch with a friend who asked me a couple of questions after seeing this post. We didn't share the apartment with the host, he was away, hence him renting it out. Some apartments you do rent with the owner occupying, it is all detailed on the airbnb profile of the property. We picked up our keys at a neighbourhood bar, which was super handy. As soon as you book the apartment you get your host's email address and phone number and then just work out all the arrangements.

New York Trip, part 2.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 18:23:00 +0000

I've been so busy since I got back from NYC. In the last three weeks I've had a lethal mix of jet lag, a heavy cold, the sudden need to search for a flat and then moving house AGAIN. (More on this later.) I'm so behind on things I want to post about, so I'm just going to post up the rest of my New York pictures (Tom and I must've taken 1500 between us) then get back to business.

The day before the wedding we went scouting around Red Hook for a place to hold the ceremony. I love that neighbourhood! In a big old warehouse there was a place that looked like somebody's garage which was advertising key lime pie for sale; Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies. I asked Steve what kind of pies he sold. Silly question. 'Key lime pie.' Although they also sell key lime pie frozen, dipped in chocolate and on a stick; apparently it's called a swingle. Read about it here.

Loved this cheeky cat making none too discreet advances on my pie.

Just after pie the sky totally changed.

Post wedding day hangover.

I love the diner scene in the background!

Then uptown!

Obligatory picture of Bergdorf's window. There was a sensational fur coat – I wouldn't buy fur, even if I had the money – costing about $11,000. You can just see in the picture a glamorous blonde lady; she had a lap dog in her extremely handbag and looked as though she did have the money to buy it and was all like, 'Amazing, huh.' Before looking me up and down and walking off.

A massively essential lie-down in Central Park in the afternoon. So lush!

In my hungover state, this view of the lake looked like a mirage as we turned the corner and saw it spread out in front of us.

Brooklyn wanderings. Love this little cafe bar, Moto. It's probably a bit too hipster for its own good but it's decorated in really beautifully restored 1920s style and has lovely old-timey live music on in the evenings. Brooklyn is going through such a 1920s revival at the moment.

Mexico 2000 is in the same neighbhourhood, a few tables set up at the back of a bodega. It's the best mexican food I've ever had.

We went to Williamsburg just to have a poke around and caught the new East River ferry straight outta there, which was handy. I'm being a total hipster snob in this post, it seems. Dunno why, it takes one to know one.

Loved the Cobble Hill area of Brooklyn. Henry Street was such a sweet little neighbourhood street.

Coney had to be done. I don't know why I never learn about Nathan's hot dogs. They're disgusting. But my eyes are bigger than my belly, as my Grandma used to say.

The weather was lovely so it was nice to have an unexpected beach day. And there's just something so special about Coney, deserted when we went but redolent of generation upon generation of couples on dates.

Then back to Cobble Hill where we saw Drive at a cute old-fashioned cinema. (Loved Drive. Mean-faced hottie Ryan Gosling driving around LA. Didn't get Carey Mulligan in that role, though.)

This was the sign of a vintage shop called A Little Wicked in the lower East side and I have to say, it was full of awesome. You can buy online on their website. I was trying to be good but I regret several things that I didn't buy there!

Kinda love this picture of me crossing the street. (Narcissistic, yeah, that's why I've got a blog.)

How awesome is The High Line? Hanging out above the streets of downtown Manhattan, planted with scented shrubs, flowers, water features to splash in, recliners overlooking the Hudson river... such an oasis.

On a moody walk around rainy Tribeca on our final day, I stuck my head into the foyer of an old deco apartment building. How awesome is this light shade?

And our last sunset in NYC. I hate that feeling in airports when you just know you're on borrowed time.

New York trip.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:45:00 +0000

I finally got around to sorting through the pictures of our New York trip. These are from the first couple of days. I've never seen NYC look as grim as when we arrived. It was really grey and rainy but I'd insisted we catch the bus to Manhattan from JFK instead of catching a taxi straight to Brooklyn; I really love the first glimpse of the city as you approach from the airport.

Unfortunately, we got stuck in really heavy traffic in the rain on a bus playing two types of really bad, tinny music. I nearly had a meltdown. Then when we arrived in NYC, it was just grim, grey and we couldn't get a cab outside Grand Central. When we did catch a cab, to take us to the ferry terminal for the ferry to Red Hook where we were staying, we drove through the grimmest part of town, under the bridges and next to the fish market.

But ne'ermind! As soon as we got on the ferry over to Red Hook, an amazing sunset broke through the clouds.

Red Hook is an industrial port area of Brooklyn, with overhead cables and wide streets that make it feel a million miles away from Manhattan. And the sunset that greeted us was absolutely stunning.

We had to get up early the next day to go to pick up our marriage license. We only had one day to do it as we arrived late on Thursday and were getting married on Sunday and we had been warned that it would be busy due to the same-sex marriage legislation.

We decided to go to Brooklyn Municipal Hall instead of Manhattan City hall; a less glamorous option, but we didn't want to mess around. Jet lag helped us, so we were almost first in the queue at 8:30am. (There were some eager beavers ahead of us though!) It was really exciting, going through the forms with the registrar. Both of us had been slightly worried that something was bound to go wrong.

But as it turned out, we had got our license and finished breakfast by 9:30am, so we walked across the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan.

We wandered around Ground Zero, where I was surprised that the 9/11 memorial isn't actually freely accessed by the public, but all fenced off out of sight. Then, up West Broadway – my favourite street in Manhattan, because I stayed there on my first visit – and through Chinatown down Canal Street.

Then into Little Italy, where the San Gennaro festival happened to be taking place. It was artery-busting food heaven. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we were still full from breakfast. Cannolis, pickles, funnel cakes, sandwiches laden with any meat you could think of...it was pretty intense.

We had a wander around the West Village and a blissful lie-down in Washington Square Park, where a full jazz band were playing. (They even played one of our songs. Ahhh.)

We were jetlagged and pretty knackered, so we caught the subway back to Brooklyn. Cobble Hill, a neighbourhood close to where we were staying, was ridiculously cutesy. This is a Brooklyn Bridge tableau, built around a tree.

One street had been dressed up to look 1950s, and they were shooting a new TV series called Pan Am, a Mad Men spin-off.

Then dinner at Prime Meats, a restaurant that the hipster foodies rave about but which I actually found quite lame. (Gorgeous corn chowder, but corn is my favourite foodstuff. A massive fail of a main course, two giant wurst with a plateful of sauerkraut does not an interesting meal make. Plus Tom's burger was ridiculously rare. And the service was crap; disinterested diva city. Don't bother.)

Wedding day!

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:48:00 +0000

Well, we did it! Sunday 18th September at 4.00pm in Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York. We had a great day, a fantastic week in New York afterwards and are very happy to be married. I'd starting writing approximately a million words about the day but have decided to let the pictures do the talking instead.

We decided to get married on a pier we found in Red Hook. It seemed really peaceful and it appealed to both of us to get married surrounded by water. Relaxing and pretty. And it had a great view of the Statue of Liberty! This is us watching the sunset from the pier the evening before the big day.

We'd rented an apartment in Red Hook through airbnb. I can't recommend it enough, I'll do a separate post on it. A huge converted loft space, it was perfect. This is us having pre-wedding mimosas, I'm just about to send Tom on his way to wait for me and meet the guests so I can get ready with my friend Jenny.

This is me practising my poses!

Meanwhile Tom is waiting anxiously at the pier.

After a sunny walk through Red Hook with Jenny, here I am! We'd made bunting out of some old typed library cards we found in the street, to try and seal off the end of the pier - it worked!

Aw, poor Tom must have been sweating at this point.

Excited!

During the ceremony. My friend Jenny was able to marry us, as she is licensed to perform weddings in New York. It was awesome to have a friend do the ceremony, she read a Dorothy Parker poem from a book I'd given her before she moved to New York.*

We'd also asked a musician, Andrew Lamb, if he would play for us. He played as I walked up the pier and as soon as we'd finished our vows. I'd seen him play the year previously at a jazz festival in NYC and he bent over backwards to come and play. It really made the day.

Job done! It went really quickly, was slightly dream-like and I couldn't remember the long sentences I needed to repeat. We frolicked around on the pier for a while. We made bellinis from ingredients we'd hidden in ice over the edge of the pier and threw the confetti both of our mothers had given us.

Cutting the cake I'd brought over from Betty's!

My friend, the wonderful Gypsy Rose Flowers made me this silk bouquet to take. It had a vintage lucky black cat brooch on the stem. She made Tom's buttonhole as well. Thank goodness she thought of it and insisted, I wasn't going to bother with flowers, can you imagine?

The back of the dress, which I loved. It was from Sandro, it was the third dress I bought. Seeing the photos, I thought I looked like a 30-something Catholic schoolchild going for my first holy communion. Despite my mother lending me all of her best jewels for my 'something borrowed' I wore a gold locket I found for £1.50 in a charity shop in Whitstable. So I guess that was my something old. And I did wear my mum's pearl drop earrings and put a lucky sixpence in my shoe. And I had a something blue, but I can't tell you what that was.

Posing for pictures. The two guests are my friend Mike, who lives in NYC, and his wife Cristina. It was awesome to have a small wedding for many reasons but we did miss our family and friends hugely on the day.

Andrew and his wife Madaha leaving. They were such lovely people. I wish I could show you their stunning wedding rings, which Andrew designed.

Then off to a sweet neighbourhood bar to sign the papers. We had a cocktail here...

...then all went off to a cosy local place called Fort Defiance for more drinks and dinner. I had a scallop, corn and potato broth followed by peach pie. The perfect meal to end the perfect day.

I'll post more pictures of our trip over the next week!

*I'm going to do a separate post about the practicalities of getting married in NYC. Jenny is available for hire to perform wedding ceremonies and I can't recommend her enough, plus it means you get to be completely flexible about your time and location. It was fantastic being able to choose exactly when and where we wanted to do it!

What a difference a day makes.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:56:00 +0000

I'm off to New York to get wed! Thank you so much for all your lovely comments and congratulations, it was really nice to hear your stories. I love Sneaky Magpie's tale of canceling her flowers, hair and makeup at last minute and doing it herself!

I've just packed my bag (Betty's cake and all!) and our flight is tomorrow afternoon. We're picking up our wedding certificate on Friday from City Hall in Manhattan, which I'm slightly concerned about because the recent change in same sex marriage legislation means it's going to be busy. But fingers crossed it will go without a hitch (ha) and Sunday will be our big day.

Hope you all have a good couple of weeks and I'll show you the pictures when I'm back! In the meantime, here are some of my family's wedding pictures. First, my Grandma and Grandad. (They got married on St Valentine's Day, 1942. Love this picture!) Next are my great grandparents. Then a mixture of my family and my step-family. There are some fantastic outfits, glasses and hats; it goes to show that the big white dress is a fairly modern concept! See you on the other side!

ps: I've asked my mum to leave a comment with the dates and details of these pictures. Some of them are older than you'd think they are!

Guess what?

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:50:00 +0000

Us, just after Tom put a ring on it.

I'm getting married! Tom and I got engaged a few weeks ago. We've managed to tell most people by now and my friends are tweeting about it, so I thought it was about time to share here since I share everything else here! We got engaged in Greenwich a week after deciding that we wanted to get wed. (That's what the happy pictures in the park a couple of posts ago were all about!)

Tom wanted to do it the old-fashioned way, on one knee with a ring (ahhh), but the ring was at his mother's house and she was away. So after a week of massive impatience on my part - it reminded me of waiting for my rollerboots for my seventh birthday, torture - he finally got the ring and down on one knee he went.

I was completely sure about getting married* but a bit nervous in case I didn't like the ring (shallow, I know). Luckily it was love at first sight. It is a little emerald and diamond art deco daisy, which Tom's grandmother wore for 45 years. And I'm going to use my grandmother's wedding ring, which is made from butter-coloured Welsh gold.

Oh, and the wedding: it's taking place in two weeks time, in a tiny little park in Red Hook, Brooklyn, overlooking the water and the Statue of Liberty. One of my best friends, Jenny, lives in New York and is licensed to wed, so she's doing our ceremony. Then we're going to have champagne in the park and go somewhere nice for dinner. Another good friend of mine will witness it for us, with his lovely wife. It'll be a bit sad on the day not to have our family and friends there but neither of us has the desire for a big trad wedding, or the skills to arrange one, so we're just going to do what suits us best.

So yeah! It has been a busy time, lots of change. Mainly blissful, but even tiny weddings have their stresses! Dress, rings, locations, food and drink, vows... I think I'm through the worst of it (after a week of meltdowns!), so here's to it getting easier and fun again. And hats off to you gals who organise big weddings! Tell me about your wedding plannings. Did you get stressed out? I didn't see that coming!

*That cheesy cliche of 'when you know, you know' is so true!

Goodbye Tufnell Park.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 08:22:00 +0000

I'm moving! After five years of living in Tufnell Park I am leaving the area. The six month contract was up on my flat and the Gentleman Caller* and I have decided to move in together. (Yay!) He lives in Blackheath in a house his father owns but doesn't live in at the moment. So, we'll live there for a few months and then get our own place. Probably back in North London.

I've never lived in South London before so it's a bit of an adventure. Blackheath is nice but quite snooty and quite family orientated. And I've already made enemies there by tweeting about how the heath doesn't seem to get used much. But it'll be nice to live in a house (with stairs!) for a while and I'll be using the big empty heath for sure.

So, it's a week of packing, cleaning and low-level stressing for me! Have some fun for me out there. And goodbye Tufnell Park! Tell me all the places I need to explore in South London, please!

*I can't use this hideous monicker anymore. His name is Tom.
Photo by beest

What's going on?

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 08:50:00 +0000

The week before the riots was a really happy time for me. I'd been making plans, hanging out in sunny parks, celebrating birthdays on the Southbank, drinking too much cider and admiring London in the sunshine. I feel very, very lucky that I get to enjoy the brighter side of living in London. Boarded up shop windows and convoys of armoured police vans have been a chilling sight and stark reminder that there are two sides to living in this city. Let's hope a way can be found to resolve the situation as peacefully as possible.

Eucerin.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:00:00 +0000

I've had my eye on Eucerin for a while. Their skincare products always seem to be at the forefront of dermatological innovation, get great reviews and and are pleasingly matter-of-fact in terms of packaging, in a reassuringly pharmaceutical kind of way. Their emphasis seems to be on good, solid skincare that gets results.

I am now of the age* where any weapon in the fight against wrinkles is welcome** so I was keen to try out their Hyaluron-Filler line. Hyaluronic acid is the latest wonderkid on the skincare block. It is a substance that occurs naturally in the body and – as it is able to bind with moisture which in turn makes it grow in volume – it plumps and moisturises the skin.

I have to say, after using the products for a couple of weeks I am very, very impressed.

The standout product for me is the Hyaluron-Filler Night. It's hugely comforting to pat on something thickly soothing at night and good choice of product is essential. This little beauty delivers on all fronts. It is a thick, unctuous formulation with a lovely barely-there scent. The cream is soothing to apply, sinks in well and – the absolute kicker – leaves you with smooth, moisturised, lovely-looking skin in the morning.

The day cream feels like a very similar formulation but with the inclusion of SPF15. Again, it sinks in well with the bonus of not irritating the eyes. (I sometimes find SPF formulations are a real killer on my eyes.)

As well as the night and day creams I have been using the Hyaluron-Filler Serum, which offers a concentrated hit of the good stuff and enhances the effect of the creams. It comes in 6 small individual tubes, which each last a week. There is also an Eye Treatment, which is great under makeup (it also has an SPF) and which again really does seem to have made an improvement to my skin.

All in all, I can't recommend the whole line of skincare enough. Whilst I couldn't claim for sure that it has improved lines on my face, my skin is definitely looking healthier and more luminous than it did when I started.

* I'm going to remain vague on this point.
** I know I shouldn't care, but I do.

All products are available from Boots. Hyaluron-Filler Night and Hyaluron-Filler Day - £25.52 Hyaluron-Filler Eye Treatment - £21.96 Hyaluron-Filler Concentrate - £30.63

Dungeness.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

A while back I tweeted that I'd been to a place I loved so much that I wasn't even going to blog about it. Well, obviously it's actually impossible for me to keep my trap shut for long. And you all probably a) know all about it already or b) wouldn't want to go there anyway.

Dungeness is on the Kent coast and is a slightly desolate headland which is overlooked by a nuclear power station. (You can see the power station peeking in the distance in the picture above.) The whole area has been protected from development due to its ecological importance. It's basically a huge expanse of shingle.

This means the landscape is all decaying shacks, abandoned rail tracks and boats, sea kelp (which almost looks like a tropical plant) and hardy wildflowers. It reminded me of a desert landscape; hostile, where only the hardiest and funniest looking plants survive.

We were lucky enough to go on a blazing hot day. The beach was deserted.

There is a funny mix of old broken down properties...

...and stunning modernist homes. You can rent a beautiful luxury house there and hole away in the eerie landscape and listen to the sea and the whirr of the power station.

You could get some serious thinking done, there. Derek Jarman moved out here towards the end of his life. This was his house; it has a John Donne poem embossed in wood on the side.

He built a strange garden, full of wood, wire and metal. It's a private property but you can visit the garden.

The place really does have a weird vibe.

I felt right at home. Get out of town and rent the modernist home pictured above, here.

London Retro.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 15:03:00 +0000

Me and Sarah Drinkwater of the enchanted hunters geeking out at the London Retro launch party.

I think we all know by now that the only glasses that should be sitting on fashionable faces are of the thick-rimmed variety. If you're – heaven forbid – wearing rimless frames, or those shallow rectangles that we all wore in the noughties, read the heck on.

London Retro is a very covetable new range of perfectly designed and affordable frames, inspired by areas of London. So, the Shoreditch frames are chunky graphic designer inspired. The Fitzrovia frames are bookish. And so on. I chose the Carnaby frames.

Please excuse my bedhead. And apparently I have worked out how to use the caption button.

More than just quirky designs, they are really well-made. I already have a pair of geeky glasses which I love so I was sceptical that the London Retro frames would measure up. I was mistaken. My London Retro frames are now my favourite pair, really comfortable. And awesomely, you can also have the lenses made with sunglasses tints. I am now the proud owner of my first ever pair of prescription sunglasses and am loving it! Great for staring at planes in the park. These are the Carnaby frames in red, with a grey tint.

The best part is that London Retro are currently offering buy one get one free at £99 so you can get a pair of everyday frames and a pair of sunglasses for the price of one. Sweet deal.

[Do you like my Photo Booth pics? I take pictures of myself on my MacBook from time to time, usually if I'm feeling rough, to check out how bad I look. I now have 539 self portraits on there, spanning over 5 years, like some kind of art project. And I can't resist posting this picture I found on there! Me and Hoops.]

New Look.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:34:00 +0000

When I noticed New Look were previewing their autumn range, I was on it like Shakespeare on a sonnet. (I have no idea what I meant by that either.) It's just one of those shops where you know you'll always find something you'll love and for a great price.

Shoes are where outfits start for me and New Look always have great shoes. Desert boots have long been a favourite of mine, both on men and on me, so these (real) suede numbers were an instant pick. Totally bargainous at £24.99.

Shopping on the high street is all about making clever choices: picking out the best fabrics and cuts and being clever with colour. I really like dresses in shades of nude and tan at the moment and am still enjoying longer lengths, so this dress is perfect. Matched with the salmon blazer, this look will take you right through into autumn. (Not that you can tell the difference between summer and autumn in London lately, hello, weather?)

I love the Annie Hall style hats that are so popular at the moment and ditto clutch bags and snakeskin print. So a double win. Finally, I can't and won't choose between the super-expensive looking cuff and the stack of bracelets. No, I'm not being greedy. I've got two arms haven't I?

New Look really are delivering at the moment in terms of short, sharp fashion fixes. Any of these pieces would really update your wardrobe for autumn. The cuff is a steal at £8.99 and a simple and stylish way to add sparkle to your look. The hat costs a tenner and will instantly update (and protect your 'do). The desert boots are an unbelievable bargain as is the boxy blazer at £35. Pieces like this make New Look a must-visit when shopping online or on the high street.

Normandy.

noreply@blogger.com (Caroline, No.) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:06:00 +0000

Whoops! I promised you more content and then went on holiday again. Well, not really a holiday, but to a friend's wedding in Normandy. Hanging out with friends and going to wedding celebrations took up most of a four day trip, but the Gentleman Caller and I managed to do a little bit of exploring.

I won't post any of the wedding pics as the lovely bride will no doubt post pictures herself, but as it took place on the bride's parents' picturesque farm and she is a really talented stylist and florist, it was incredibly pretty. She is friends with Tim Walker and he took the wedding photo, so I can now officially claim to have been photographed by Tim Walker. Congratulations again, Tamsin and Oliver. (OK, here is one picture from the wedding, but this surely doesn't count. Heart shaped fromage.)

The wedding took place just outside the town of Honfleur, where we were stayed. It was such a pretty town: Normandy surpassed my expectations, prettiness-wise. I always think that northern France is basically England. I am wrong.

Plus, it's close to Rouen, where Madame Bovary was set, so you can have all kind of Emma Bovary imaginings. There she is, scurrying down the road to meet one of her loveurrrrrs.

The exact same view was captured by Monet.

On the same street this house was unoccupied so I decided that's where I will buy and live. Bedroom in the attic and cats, dogs and chickens running around that yard.

This cute bike was just propped unlocked against a wall. As a nasty Londoner, I was convinced that meant it was being thrown out and wanted to stash it in my car to bring home. Although it probably just meant that in sleepy Honfleur backstreets you don't need to lock your bike up.

On the drive up the Côte Fleurie to Deauville we had to make an emergency stop in Trouville when I saw this huge market taking place.

This was a huge bin of vintage dresses! I only spotted it as the market was closing and I had a hungry boy on my hands so couldn't spend too long digging. I rummaged the top layer though and there was definitely some gold! I got a €3 checked dress, a vintage Parisian label.

I also got a stripey Petit Bateau t-shirt. I love how the French genuinely do rock the stripe, en masse.

And the beaches were great! I was really surprised at how nice they were. And the water was warm!

I'll definitely be returning for a quick sunshine fix one day. Only 4 hours travel time from London! (Drive to Folkestone, Eurotunnel, drive to Honfleur.) Très bien! Plus – 1984 newsflash coming up here – the wine in the hypermarchés is so cheap! I went a bit bonkers on the way home. €3.50 for perfectly nice bottles? Momma's thirsty!