Crazy Brit Heaven

Online chapter

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 08:26:00 +0000

I have been a blogger for many, many years. My first blog, now archived, documented a much younger self that fascinates me now. This blog goes back for just a few years and charts who I have become today.

Recently I have noticed that different parts of me are scattered across the world wide web. My professional side, my creative side, my pondering side - they're all dispersed across a wide space.

I recently deleted my Google+ profile when I realised that, without my explicit permission, it had connected itself to a host of applications I use online, drawing in media from everything I use my email address as login for. Whilst I accept that by putting content online, you make it publicly available, I distinctly dislike having content gathered about me without my knowledge and direction.

On deletion of my Google+ account, it took with it many of the photos that I uploaded on this blog in recent years, so I am using that as my final shove into a new space where I can be just one person, where I can be all of me.

I'm not sure yet whether this blog will remain or whether it will end up with the same archived fate as my previous blog. Regardless, these posts have helped me to untangle my thoughts and record what I learn as I grow.

My new space will continue to do that I hope and I'm excited to move on to my next online chapter.

Much love,
xx

A million perspectives

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 07:23:00 +0000

I have always been someone who loves to figure out others' psyches, to work out what influences their opinion and see life through their eyes. I find it fascinating that everyone in this world has a different perspective on it, however tiny their differentiation might be to their neighbour. The same situation can be seen from multiple different standpoints and the same idea can be approached by millions of different views.

I also love to help people figure themselves out. It amazes me that I have met so many people who didn't understand why they thought or felt the way they did or why they couldn't interact with a situation effectively. Some hadn't recognised that their view was different to another's, some had simply accepted that was how it was, without questioning why.

By enabling others I get an insight into one more outlook on the world and in turn that enables me to understand more. Through deciphering the world with others I learn more about people and life than I could ever learn on my own and by walking a mile in someone else's shoes I find I walk two miles in my own journey with them.

It is true that there are two sides, if not more, to every story and that is something I try hard not to forget. For every moment I think I'm right, there is someone else - possibly equally as stubborn - who believes the same of themselves and I'm pretty certain the laws of physics dictate that we can't all be right, all of the time. So every now and then, I guess I'll just have to concede the odd defeat.

Much love,
xx

Habits

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 11:50:00 +0000

Habits are usually considered negatively; annoying mannerisms that others wish you didn't have or routines that have emerged over time and become familiar and comfortable. Habits can cloud our judgement if we lean back into their security rather than test new waters and they can make us inflexible, preferring what we know to what we could be.

Recently I have begun to think of habits in reverse, as things you can build and cultivate positively. Finding time in the day to focus on what is important to me, eliminating morning 'faff' that ends up wasting time and challenging my judgements and reactions, all build on the foundations of who I am. They are habits that I desire, rather than ones I want rid of.

"She is a creature of habit" is a phrase I wouldn't mind attributed to my name if those habits are ones I have built and have made me reliable, efficient and in the moment, rather than narrow-minded, lazy and restricted.

Breaking old habits to form new ones can be invigorating and release you from what may appear to be monotony in life. Enriching habits bring colour back to the everyday and I hope that in becoming habits, they are mannerisms, disciplines and freedoms that are here to stay.

Much love,
xx

Friendship

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Fri, 31 May 2013 13:54:00 +0000

Friendships can be curious phenomena. They have the power to evoke almost every known emotion in us, they can be fleeting or forever, they can be a rollercoaster or smooth sailing and they have the capacity to teach us a huge amount about how to interact with this world.

Some friendships are for a time and season and those friendships should be appreciated for just that - their timely impact on our lives. Some friendships are longer lasting and it is often these that teach us so much.

I have had a few rollercoaster friendships that have persevered through the bad as well as the good and are now very dear to me. These friendships have shown me what is worth fighting for and rewarded me with being able to call some very wonderful people, my close friends. Those friendships can weather disagreement, differences and challenges and emerge as strong as ever, with both individuals benefitting from the other.

I have had just a very few friendships that have been smooth sailing, one lasting almost 15 years so far without so much as a hiccup and those friendships astound me - mostly by how the other person has managed to stick by me no matter what, reappearing when needed without requiring anything of me and having deep and unquestionable faith in who I am. Those selfless friends are remarkable people.

Most recently, one of my friendships has taught me about love. Specifically it has reminded me that friendships, just like the ones I have just described, must be self-less to thrive. They are not dependent on what you receive from the other person. They are unconditional simply because you love and appreciate the characteristics in the friend, no matter whether you are as important to them as they are to you.

One friend once told me to make sure my friends know how much they mean to me and that advice is something I have held close for many years now. Real friendships, no matter how long or short, are something worth cherishing and I hope I continue to do so.

Much love,
xx

An artistic perspective

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Tue, 28 May 2013 07:09:00 +0000

I studied Music at University and although I don’t use my degree in my profession, it does provide me with a certain bias in my outlook on the world.

As I’m learning, most people view life from either an artistic or a scientific perspective, however slight that persuasion may be. I lean very much towards the former. I wouldn’t claim to be a musician or an artiste – my sister is infinitely more musically talented than I am and she does it for a living – but I would say that I empathise with the creativity that this world displays more so than the scientific logic behind it.

One of my many ambitions this year has been to find the beauty in art and by breathing in that beauty, the way you understand the world really does change. Watching classic movies, reading classic books, going to the theatre and generally trying to see the world, its architecture, music and language at their best, brings to life its beauty which in turn shines some hope on the rest.

The arts allow me to see and attempt to understand this world by showing me a bigger picture that isn’t immersed in detail that I am unlikely to be able to understand. They allow my senses to overcome my mind when my mind runs away with itself. They allow me to make sense of my mind when it becomes too full of different thoughts and they allow me to slow down and absorb what I often race past in a hurry.

How do you see the world? Through the arts, or through science? Or perhaps neither.

Much love,
xx

Israel - walking the paths of history

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sat, 25 May 2013 09:11:00 +0000

Israel is a mind-blowing place.

Jerusalem overwhelms the senses, the Dead Sea is a wonderful escape and Galilee is the calm in the chaos.

We only spent a week travelling around this amazing country but it was such a unique week that its impact will linger long past our flight home.

We were travelling with two very good friends, one of whom is studying in Jerusalem and who turned out to be a pretty epic tour guide. By the end of the week, I assumed all of his words to be infallible as his knowledge was incredibly broad!

Although we saw many different parts of Israel, the week didn't feel at all rushed. The road trips were interspersed with banter, beautiful scenery... and the odd security check!

It was quite surreal actually getting to see the country that I have read about in the Bible for my whole life and heard about increasingly over the past few years as the conflicts that are part of everyday life continue to rage. You can tangibly feel the tension in Jerusalem - a riot kicked off on the Temple Mount while we were there and we saw two Jews dragged by their feet across the stone - but you can never forget that behind that tension lies a genuine and deep-rooted connection to Israel as a place.

We had many fascinating discussions that week that questioned my thinking and will continue to make me ponder over the coming months. Conversations around faith, possessions, people and the importance of 'place' were insightful and challenging. And of course, the food was quite wonderful - I found a new love of houmous and ate a lot of food native to the Middle East.

Photos can begin to share the beauty of this place but only visiting can truly convey the wonder and history of this beautiful land.

Much love,

Now is the time for 'One day'

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:34:00 +0000

As a young August baby at school and not having taken a gap year, I graduated from University aged 20. Since then I have had four jobs, each teaching me something about the world and each giving me a better insight into myself.

I've been married for over two years and am so content with the life I lead with the Photographer. We are seeing the world in our travels, we are learning so much about what we believe and who we are and we are blessed with an amazing home, incredible friends and parents and siblings we are so proud to call family.

Yet there are numerous occasions when I catch myself daydreaming about the future. "One day..." I say to the Photographer, telling him of my latest dream or ambition. "One day..." he replies in return, confirming that our hearts are both on the same track towards things we want to achieve with our lives, as individuals and as a couple.

It is freeing to know that at this stage in our lives, "one day..." is allowed to be as ambitious as we like. Our dreams are not focused on money or possessions. They revolve around fulfilling our potential, realising the gifts that we have and using them to their fullest, serving those around us and making a difference, however big or small, in this world. Along the way we want to be able to provide for ourselves and our family, but that is not our primary dream, it is just something that has to happen by the wayside in order to allow us to do what makes our hearts come alive.

It doesn't matter that we're not entirely sure how we're going to get there yet. We are just starting on this journey of figuring life out. What matters is that at this juncture we have time and passion to ask questions, take steps and risk chances. We have a blank canvas ahead of us, ready to be painted with whatever life throws at us and ready to be influenced by today's dreams.

One day, I look forward to turning to my husband, many of our dreams fulfilled and saying to him, "Today is 'one day'. We made it!"

Much love,
xx

Discernment

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:20:00 +0000

It can be very hard sometimes, to figure out what decision to make. Should I take this road or that, the left fork or the right, the path that leads one way or the path that leads the other and should I believe what I hear from him or from her?

The ability to think, question and reason is something that starts when you are very young and develops as you get older, leading to a level of discernment when you are an adult. To what extent you are able to discern right from wrong or wise from foolish is largely dependent on the influences you experienced when you were growing up.

In this age of technology, with the internet flooding our minds with information - far more than we can absorb - it is fascinating to me how the children and youth who have grown up knowing only the 21st century, will be able to discern the truth as they become young adults and enter the real world.

In my ongoing learning journey, what is more important to me than seeking information, is learning how to evaluate that information in a way that is beneficial to me and those around me. I don't want to blindly accept everything that comes my way. I don't want to join the masses who believe everything they read, nor do I want to believe that I must know everything about everything.

The world wide web has created the possibility of finding the answer to most questions with a few key-strokes and a mouse-click. It is no longer particularly advantageous to be an egg-head, as we are able to find answers quickly and efficiently without storing it all in our minds indefinitely.

I am by no means suggesting that real in-depth learning and memorisation should become a thing of the past. On the contrary it is crucial that we continue to learn and absorb important information, information that interests us and information about who we are and where we come from.

However, I would much rather the next generation are taught how to learn, how to use discernment with the information they are presented with and then how to evaluate their learnings, rather than bombard them with information we deem important and expect them to filter truth from fiction.

Much love,
xx

Gumption, belief and vision

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:09:00 +0000

Many who know of my background will know that former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is intertwined with my history. She is part of my childhood in a way that has shaped, but not dictated, my views today.

I have been genuinely disgusted by some comments I have seen today on Twitter. Comments from 'dancing on her grave' to Oddbins in Crouch End announcing cheaper alcohol in case anyone wants to celebrate anything, display an incredibly ignorant inability to see beyond what some people think is an impressive or smart position to hold about a tyrant, to a woman who had remarkable determination, vision, belief and passion.

Whether or not you agree with her politics, that inspiring strength was something that is very rare now. I can't name a single politician or person in the public eye, bar the Queen, who shows that same gumption.

Baroness Thatcher transformed our country and gave it a spark of life that it hasn't come close to experiencing since. She lived and breathed what she believed in and no matter your opinion of her, she had a steely character that I admire and that great lady of British history should be respected and remembered today.

Her memory will live long after the world has forgotten the grey suits of today's politics. ~ Boris Johnson

Much love,
xx

Waverley Abbey

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 19:39:00 +0000

What was planned to be a day taking photographs with friends at picturesque locations yesterday, turned out to be somewhat different thanks to the wonderfully defiant British weather. Instead of sunshine, soft light and colour, we were faced with bright white snow.

The day was fun anyway and our one location - Waverley Abbey - turned out be be really very beautiful in the snow and a miniature adventure with some good friends.

(The last photo is one of the Photographer's)

Of course, after enduring bitter winds and snow for a few hours, we had to finish with a late lunch at a pub in front of the roaring fire.

How very British.

Much love,

Independence in marriage

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:53:00 +0000

When I married the Photographer, I promised to love, honour and obey. The last word is important to me not just because of traditions, but because I trust my husband to know what is best for us. This does not mean that I am the invisible partner, it means that when we've discussed important decisions, I will follow my husband's lead on the outcome.

We are not intended to be clones of one other - marriage brings us closer in order that we can compliment one another. The Photographer's personality sparks mine as mine does his; our strengths cover the other's weaknesses and together we are stronger than we are apart.

Lately I have been realising that in order to compliment one another, we must also work on our own independence within marriage. We need to ensure that our personalities don't just blend into one unidentifiable bland character, but instead are fortified by one another.

Whether independence means more time to hang out just me and my girls, more time to pursue our individual passions or simply doing household chores without the other, I'm discovering that an element of independence is important to keep my own spark, in order to encourage the Photographer's.

It is easy to become wrapped up in one another's lives in any relationship but when you lose sight of yourself, you risk losing the goodness that makes you one half of a whole.

I love how my life and the Photographer's have become entwined, I love that his strengths have worked on my weaknesses and I love that time spent in his company makes me so content. I also love that as we walk this road, we are recapturing and retaining our own independence so that when we are together, we are even more grounded than before.

Much love,
xx

New loves

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 10:34:00 +0000

I have heard it said that as you age, your tastebuds change. One good friend insists that by the time I am in my mid-30s I will adore olives - a fact I am yet to be convinced of. Foods that we thought should have been banned because of their inedible yuckiness when we were younger, may be craved a decade or two later.

Although my tastebuds where food is concerned have yet to change drastically, my tastes in many other things - from hobbies to clothing style - have radically shifted almost beyond recognition in the past few years. Looking back it is quite staggering to see how different my tastes are now in my mid-twenties to how they were in my early twenties.

For many of these new loves I can pinpoint the change to the process of planning my wedding. Over those eight months I developed a love of lace and homemade crafty items. An appreciation of real beauty and value grew over that time as the Photographer and I planned a day that brought together our personalities and made them into something new as we began the next stage of our journey as one.

I have absorbed my husband's creativity and now have a genuine love of writing, reading and photography. He has opened my mind to real opinion-making, based on learned knowledge instead of blind acceptance. He has encouraged me to be myself down to my core and in doing so has allowed me to discover a personality and style that I never knew existed.

I am relishing finding out what makes my smile reach my eyes, what makes me confident, what my dreams are and how all of those things connect to my husband, family and friends.

I am excited to see how these new loves continue to grow and am eagerly watching to see if anything else appears as I learn more about who I am, as a wife and just as me.

Much love,
xx

Catfight

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 08:23:00 +0000

I seem to spend a lot of time hearing women trash-talk their husbands or other halves. They complain when he does something frustrating but worst of all they complain when he's done something thoughtful. I've heard a myriad of whines recently, from "he didn't bother to warm up the car for me when he was clearing it of snow" to "he made a roast dinner and wouldn't stop saying how pleased he was that it had turned out ok."

Every time I have heard these comments, the same thought has gone through my mind - how can you say that?! How can they not see the thoughtfulness of someone going out in the cold to clear their car of snow for them, or taking the trouble to cook them a roast dinner from scratch? That they can find something to gripe at in these loving actions is quite simply beyond me.

I am blessed with a husband who genuinely doesn't frustrate me but on the occasions where we don't see eye to eye, it never crosses my mind to talk badly of him in public. I am so proud of him. I'm proud of who he is, his accomplishments, his patience, his thoughtfulness and his wonderfully generous heart. Every day I am proud to call him mine and blown away that he chose me.

I realise that nobody is perfect and no relationship is perfect, but I find it deeply hurtful that good intentions are turned into petty and disrespectful comments and that women find it so apparently easy to talk so flippantly about the men they have chosen to be with. When did such conversation become the accepted norm? I certainly can't imagine couples of my grandparents era speaking of one another so harshly.

I hope that I will never be so casual with my words as the women I have heard speak over the last few months. I hope that if my husband does something that frustrates me, that I will talk to him about it or at the most, a couple of close and trusted friends in private. I hope that by not joining in the catty remarks and conversations, that I am able to show that it is not clever to put other people down and it is so far from loving to complain so frequently and openly about spouses who you should be affirming.

Much love,
xx

Style update

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:12:00 +0000

A year and a half ago, I launched a Style Campaign to find clothes that suit my unusually tall frame. A few items were bought over the subsequent months but nothing significant changed so as one of the many things on my list of things to do in 2013, I decided to find my style.

The first step to finding my style was to get rid of everything that didn't fit or that I didn't feel good in - the latter being important. Until now, if I wore something I would deem that reason enough to keep it, whether or not I felt good when wearing it. That has changed.

This morning I took twelve items of clothing that were in great condition, to a charity shop. I also gave away one pair of shoes and numerous pieces of jewellery that have done nothing except gather dust over the past few years. I then threw away a cardigan that wasn't up to charity shop standard and one pair of shoes for the same reason. My wardrobe and drawers have much more space now and I can slowly fill them with a few extra items that are more my style.

The Beautiful Blonde forwarded me a fun book - the No Brainer Wardrobe - which I downloaded to my kindle last week. It has some easy tips on how to reduce your wardrobe and find your style and one of the actions was to build a board on Pinterest of clothing pictures and outfits that you like.

It took me by surprise to find that almost all of the things I pinned were of a very similar style. I had expected an eclectic mix of colour, patterns, neutrals and everything in between because I like different things on different people. Yet when I was thinking about what I like for me, all of a sudden a style emerged that I hadn't considered and when I look at my style board, it fits, it works, it clicks, it's me.

The next step? I'm enlisting the help of a very stylish friend of mine and we're going shopping next weekend. I'm only after a few items that I know will work with clothes I already own, but hopefully they will nudge me towards finally finding my style.

Much love,
xx

House gig - Jazz Morley

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:52:00 +0000

Last night the Photographer and I went to a house gig. The singer, Jazz Morley, was invited by the hosts - two friends of ours - to their home to perform to 30 guests as the opening night of her Love Me Not tour.

It was the first house gig I had been to and I had no idea what to expect. As it turned out, it was exactly what I would have expected, had I given it much thought. 30 people, all friends of the hosts, crammed into their lounge on sofas, benches, chairs, beanbags or just finding a spare square of carpet. When Jazz was introduced, all eyes, expectant and excited, focused on the keyboard and microphone set up in front of full-length curtains.

The moment Jazz began to sing I was blown away. She has a sweet, humourous style when she speaks but when she sings, a rich, unique, soulful voice emerges and for the next, I don't actually know how long, I happily disconnected from everything else except her voice and her lyrics.

She introduced most songs with some brief context as to why she wrote them and fully admitted that most of them were about her relationships, or rather, failed relationships. Yet somehow, despite the potentially glum topic, her honest explanation of their background brought her music and her personality to life.

One lyric in my favourite song that she sang was quite simply beautiful and reminded me of how powerful someone else's love towards you can be and how their faith in you can bring hope to your heart.

"The sparkle you see in my eyes is just your eyes reflecting."

I'd thoroughly recommend this little gem of an artist if you've never heard her - check out her website and if you can get her to your house as part of her next tour - do it!

Much love,
xx

OXO tower date

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 09:30:00 +0000

This year the Photographer and I wanted to be more elaborate with date nights. I mentioned to him in passing over the new year that 'one day' I wanted to have dinner at the top of the OXO tower in London and the Photographer, amazingly, just said "book it!"

So last weekend we enjoyed incredible food, wonderful service and most of all, each other's uninterrupted company whilst enjoying the gorgeous views across London at night.

Very thankful for a husband who is generous, spontaneous and who always knows how to make me smile.

Much love,
xx

Kitchen ventures

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:03:00 +0000

Last week was a super busy baking week. I've baked red velvet cupcakes, chocolate orange brownies and raspberry trifle cupcakes as well as made my own chocolates for a hen do! Where food is concerned, pictures most definitely speak louder than words:

Red velvet cupcakes

Home-made chocolates - a mixture of fudge, buttercream and Bailey's ganache centres

More homemade chocolates

Chocolate orange brownies - heart-shaped for fun!

One of my favourites to date - raspberry trifle cupcakes with raspberry filling and custard topping!

Much love,
xx

Night photography

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 18:55:00 +0000

The Photographer taught me some great lessons in Malta last year about night photography. We were out in London last night and I thought I'd see how much I could remember about how to capture great night shots. I was really pleased with the results - I love how beautiful our capital is at night!

I also love how beautiful our hometown is after dark!

Much love,
xx

Healthy pancakes

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:59:00 +0000

Some may say that the words 'healthy' and 'pancake' can't go together but with a Leon cookbook they can.

Us Brits have a tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday but being wheat intolerant means I need to be a little more creative to find delicious recipes. A very kind and generous friend of my sister sent me a Leon recipe book and the buckwheat, banana and blueberry pancakes were just what I was looking for.

They may sound health-freakish but they were genuinely delicious and naturally wheat-free!

Of course, the chocoholic in me couldn't resist adding some indulgent toppings. I'll just believe that the healthy pancakes cancelled out the chocolate and syrup...

Do you have a favourite pancake recipe?

Much love,
xx

P.S. If you have a Leon restaurant near you I'd thoroughly recommend going to check it out! Genuinely healthy fast food for a great price and they haven't even paid me to write this :)

Code switching

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:04:00 +0000

I was listening to the radio on my drive to work the other day when a phrase caught my attention.

Code switching: the art of switching between 'txt spk', local dialect or slang and the Queen's English.

It had never really occurred to me that we alter the way we speak depending on context. When I'm in Germany speaking with my grandparents I'm very aware that I'm speaking 'Platt' [low German]. I'm also aware that when I speak to people in Germany outside of my family or when I write in German, I switch to 'Hochdeutsch'.

I find it amazing that a new brain function has evolved over the past few decades to accommodate and allow a switch between what is effectively a new language, spawned by the world wide web.

When I text I don't use text speak. Now that my texts are no longer restricted to a certain number of characters I see no benefit in condensing my spelling. My parents-in-law, however, are known to send texts with just the first letter of each word, expecting the Photographer and me to decipher their meaning. They assume that we as the young generation are fully versed in text abbreviations and are seemingly unaware that their version of text speak is a concoction entirely of their own making.

Twitter is another matter. To convey a thought in 140 characters requires, ironically, some thought! Yet even then I very rarely revert to abbreviation.

Perhaps my brain has simply rejected 'txt spk'; perhaps the grammar nazi in me recoils at the number of inaccuracies it requires. Or perhaps I simply enjoy the art of manipulating our language to its fullest extent, pushing the boundaries of word assembly and appreciating the true beauty of what the English language has to offer.

Much love,
xx

Transformed

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 14:49:00 +0000

One of the things I love about baking is that you take a variety of individual ingredients, which when combined transform into creations that can melt in the mouth and make the tastebuds come alive.

I bought an ice-cream machine for the Photographer last year. It was unearthed for date night last week and we set to work.

From eggs, vanilla, milk, chocolate, sugar and cream...

...into mouthwateringly good home-made chocolate ice cream. Yum!

Much love,
xx

Date night

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 18:22:00 +0000

Wine, an entire box of chocolate truffles and a board game. I love date nights!

Much love,
xx

Snow-ventures

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 17:11:00 +0000

It is no secret that at the slightest suggestion of a snowflake, the United Kingdom reliably grinds to a halt.

For the Photographer and myself this past weekend, the quietness that the sparkling powder brings with it made a peaceful background for walks and a stunning setting for a quick trip into our country's capital, which, blanketed in white, takes on an even deeper beauty.

Much love,
xx

Going under the knife (or rather, scissors...)

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 18:58:00 +0000

In a world where almost everybody is finding ways to cut expenditure here and there, the Photographer took the brave decision of letting me cut his very thick, crazy, curly hair. When it grows so fast, turning into a mini-afro within weeks and a trip to the barber is becoming increasingly expensive, investing in a full clipper set seemed like a smart move.

The other night he donned a cape, closed his eyes, put his fate in my hands and I set to work.

I'm actually super proud of the results. The kit we bought included everything you might need including the clippers, all the blade lengths, oil, comb and scissors and my husband is pretty happy with his new haircut.

Hurrah for no more barber trips, although I must say I have a new-found respect for hairdressers. It isn't as easy as it looks!

Much love,

End of year baking

noreply@blogger.com (L.C.C.) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 20:44:00 +0000

I can't quite believe my final baking endeavours of 2012 haven't made it onto my blog yet, especially as these were the creations I was most proud of! 2013 baking has already begun so I should probably round off last year before launching into tales of my latest kitchen exploits.

Spiced apple cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Plum and cinnamon cake

Chocolate house, a little more decorated for Christmas!

Much love,
xx