The Bottom of the Ironing Basket

A Little Home Improvement & A Bit of Help.

2016-04-08T16:45:00.000+01:00

Teenagers (specifically my own) & Houses (again, my own Victorian house renovation project) appear to have occcupied 99.99999% of my thoughts these past 2 years or so, I have thought/dreamed about/planned/cried into many many cups of coffees over both of them....

more so the house, but you get what I mean.

One step forward, one, sometimes two, back has been the story with the house....one job invariably leads to several more - and a whole lot more £££, in my experience.

Would I want to live in a brand new house...not really, but there have been days when it seems very appealing.

The house is a project, we are doing all this work in order to sell it, it's a stepping stone....and I've watched enough TV shows to know that you shouldn't get too attached to the house & to only invest money that you will get back ie, a loft conversion etc etc.

I've managed to do this on the whole, but the house has seemed like such a huge & demanding exercise, that often I haven't been able to see the wood for the trees.

Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes is & ears is invaluable & I've experienced that a couple of times recently....

over the Easter weekend, I was asked to team up with MoneySupermarket & Home Improvement Guru Jo Behari as part of a project about home improvements & insurance.

I had several rooms that I was trying to finish & a phone consultation with Jo proved to be just what I needed to get me to think about what I was trying to achieve.

Jo was able to give me advice on the following :

* the loft : now finished, this is to be my 10 year old son's room

* the old bathroom : located on the ground floor, once we moved the bathroom up one floor, this room became a dumping ground

* the kitchen : a horrible & very dated room, our planned kitchen extension is not going ahead & so it needs an inexpensive & fairly quick makeover.

Jo came up with some brilliant ideas, things that I just wouldn't have thought of, using some products that I didn't even know existed....

we discussed all three rooms & I came away feeling inspired & confident.

3 weeks on & the loft is complete & my son moved in yesterday....

the old bathroom is now a breakfast room, is almost finished & is such a useful space

& I've bought all the products I need for a kitchen makeover (& will share that in another post soon).

I will say though that discovering self-adhesive vinyl tiles & one coat tile paint has been a revelation!

I had a lot of fun completing these projects, partly because Jo had given me vision & direction. I attempted things that I probably wouldn't have done & that in itself gave me confidence - as did my new toolbox, it's been a revelation & I can't believe that I was ever afraid to tackle anything!

What I've also learned is that it only takes a few projects to be completed & all of a sudden, you feel as though you're getting somewhere & it's not quite as overwhelming as you thought....

there is light at the end of every tunnel :)

Research commissioned by MoneySuperMarket showed that over 50% of those making improvements to their home would not inform their insurance provider about any renovations.

Making improvements can have an effect on your home insurance policy and it is worth a phone call to your insurer to check this out.

Jo's DIY tips can be found here

This post was written in collaboration with MoneySuperMarket....

all thoughts, views, words & renovation work my own ;)

all images via Pinterest

Interior Inspiration : Light, Bright and White.

2016-02-22T13:40:00.000+00:00

We're now over halfway through our loft conversion....hoorah!

I think the most stressful days - and the messiest - are behind us & so my thoughts are turning to decor, now that moving in day is only weeks away...hopefully.

I say hopefully, since I've come to realise that all the planning and discussions in the world don't allow for the all unknown issues & problems that arise with any house project....

nothing is completed until the builders actually move out for good!

The new loft has plenty of windows but the plan is still going for white walls,

keeping it all as light, bright & calm as possible.

I'm sure Pinterest & design blogs have a lot to answer for but I've been a convert to the all white house for some time now....

a beautifully calm blank canvas filled with not too many possessions, curated but comfortable, with colour being provided by artwork, books & plenty of cushions.

That's the plan anyway!

all images via my Pinterest boards

Hello February, Hello Blog!

2016-02-01T18:59:00.002+00:00

"Time passes. It does.

The fog....lifts....unbelievably. And when it did, I found that I needed to redefine myself.

Or at least, to try to remember who I had been and who I would be from now on".

2015 was a strange old year for me, it wasn't one of my best times,...

Challenging, stressful, bewildering & at times, it all felt a little bit hopeless & overwhelming.

It wasn't an unhappy year but it had more than its share of sadness.

If there are "years that ask questions and years that answer", then 2015 was definitely the former.

And so, in the way that downs are, at some point, followed by ups, I am determined that 2016 will be A Very Good Year, a year that answers & a year to move forward.

It's taken me most of January to figure a few things out, to plan, to plot, to leap....

I feel as though I've emerged from something & I now have a much stronger sense of what to do, where to go & what to be....I have plans.

, Perhaps not surprisingly given my love of reading, a couple of books that I've read recently have been instrumental in the gradual change in my mindset.

I've started reading regularly again & one of my January reads was

"Tolstoy and the Purple Chair - My Year of Magical Reading"....

following the death of her sister several years before, the author decides that instead of charging at life, trying to be everything & everybody in order to deal with her grief, what she will actually do is read one book a year for a whole year.

Reading has always been a refuge & a happy place for her & during this year, she finds solace, joy & healing.....

"my year....allowed me to redefine what is important for me and what can be left behind".

I really identified connected with something in this book, as I also did with "Goodbye to All That : Writers & Loving and Leaving New York", a collection of stories by writers who have loved, lived, left & in some cases returned to NYC....if you love NYC, you'll love this book.

What the book describes beautifully & what I connected with in particular is how parts of your life can be so right at one time, so much so that you can't imagine ever wanting them to change....

and then one day you wake up, things have shifted somehow & you wonder what took you so long to move forward.

Funnily enough, I started both these books last year but never got round to finishing them, maybe the timing wasn't right....the quote at that the top of this post by Ann Hood, one of the writers in "Goodbye To All That....",

I love it because it encapsulates perfectly just how I'm feeling right now.

I'm out of the woods & into the sunlight.

2016, I am ready for you.

A Few Wise Words for This New Year.

2016-01-04T20:28:00.003+00:00

Merry Christmas!

2015-12-24T15:43:00.000+00:00

December Goals.

2015-12-03T17:09:00.000+00:00

We have 11 more days of school & 21 sleeps until Christmas....

it seems like a long time but the next few weeks are filling up with events, parties & activities & I know that time will fly.

I don't like to Christmas shop too early but it's always a fine line between being relaxed & enjoying the moment & then panic buying in that last week before Christmas.

House renovations continue & in order to be able to relax over the holidays, I've made a list of "jobs to be completed by Christmas Eve", focusing on smaller tasks, of which there are many....

And my December goals are as follows :

01. Book tickets to see "It's A Wonderful Life" on the big screen at our local cinema & take my son to Winter Wonderland in London's Hyde Park....it's an over-priced, garish & noisy Christmas extravaganza & he's been asking to go "all his life" as he puts it, so this year is the year.

02. I've been feeling more than a little run-down recently, so on my list are a visit to the hair salon & a facial or a massage.

03. Finish the hallway....this has been started but has some way to go, I cannot wait to get it done. Currently half the painting is done & a large mirror has been put up - we have lots still to do but it will be so lovely to come home to a bright & freshly decorated hallway.

04. Install the two fireplaces that I bought recently - one is being done today & the other should be done next week. I love them both & cannot wait to see them in our living room.

05. Read a book. I read the Sunday papers & a couple of magazines every week but haven't finished a book in forever.

Welcome December!

Ten....Favourite "New York City" Books.

2015-11-30T20:09:00.000+00:00

My book club read for this month is Lucia Berlin's " A Manual for Cleaning Women".

It's a collection of short stories & reading it earlier today, I was reminded of another book I'd once read, one set in NYC.

Browsing my bookshelves, I can see sitting on them various genres that I am clearly drawn to & NYC is definitely amongst them....in my world, NYC & books featuring it is indeed a genre ;)

It's no secret that I love New York City, it has a special place in my heart....and so I got to thinking about my favourite reads connected with this amazing, crazy, wonderful, vibrant city.

I wanted to choose just five but that very quickly became ten ;)

In no particular order....

1. "Rules of Civility", Amor Towles

This a gorgeously glamorous & witty read set in 1930s New York City, I don't know anyone who didn't love this novel & fall in love with its main character Katey Kontent, it was my book of the summer a couple of years ago.

"Impossibly glamorous . . . Towles conjures up vintage New York so marvellously that it made me feel nostalgic for a place I've never been to...." The Times

2. "The History of Love", Nicole Krauss

I read this a couple of months ago & loved it - it's one of those books that makes you want to start re-reading it the minute you finish it. It's beautifully written & gave me a new perspective on war & loss & love....I cried when it ended & that doesn't happen very often to me.

3. "Brooklyn" , Colm Toibin

This is one of those books where not only is it a great story but it is also so well written. The language is gorgeous, the main character Eilis is so vividly drawn & is someone to whom it is very easy to connect & believe in - it's also a wonderful description of a particular era.

The movie has just come out here & I hear it's great, can't wait to see it this week,

4. "Goodbye To All That:Writers on Loving & Leaving New York", Sari Botton

Named after Joan Didion's essay Goodbye To All That, this book features essays & stories by 28 writers sharing their own personal experiences of NYC. If you love NYC, this is a great read & will make you wish you had your own living/loving/leaving the city story.

5. "New York Diaries", Teresa Carpenter

A brilliant & fascinating idea for a book, the diaries start on January 1 and continue day by day through the year - each day featuring a story & diary entry drawn from 1609-2009.

The author scoured private libraries, historical societies & private estates & the stories are from private individuals, politicians & famous people....a wide range of society which gives a unique & incredible slice of life & history of NYC, it's a fascinating read.

6. "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" , Betty Smith

This is a wonderful read about life in Brooklyn at the turn of the 20th century, it's moving, beautifully written & is simply a really great story with a fabulous main character, Francie Nolan.

The New York Public Library called it one of the books of the century.

My mother bought it for me, I loved it & now my daughter is reading it.

7. "A Fairytale of New York", JP Donleavy

Definitely one of those books where you feel as though you are in the presence of someone who loves language & writes simply because they must do so.

The main character is so well drawn that you feel you know him or have met him before.

8. "Here Is New York", E.B.White

Described by the New York Times as one of the ten best books ever written about the city, this book is a love letter to the city & is funny, charming & beautiful.

The author wrote this 7500 word essay at the request of his stepson who was a book editor & in it tells of his experiences in the city in 1948 - so much has changed in NYC since then & yet certain aspects, the excitement & the glamour have never left.

I have quite a few "New York" cookbooks but these are two of my favourites....

I'll never forget my first visit to Dean and Deluca & this is a great book with recipes from around the world.

"The New York Cookbook" by New York Times food writer Molly O'Neill is full of recipes from around the five boroughs & also has some stories about the history behind some of New York's favourite dishes.

Autumn Colours, Insomnia, Overthinking & An Awful Lot of Procrastination.

2015-11-11T17:13:00.000+00:00

So what have I been doing with myself?

Thinking and procrastinating. Procrastinating and thinking.

It's been slightly better this past week or so but during the last few months, I've had the worst insomnia....

the world is a bizarre place from 2-5am....

it's quiet in that you feel as though you're the only person awake, it's deafening in that your mind thinks all the thoughts, you can't shut it up.

I began to dread the nights, knowing that hours of tossing & turning lay ahead of me.

Sometimes I get up & read, I try not to reach for my iPad knowing that I'll never get back to sleep that way....sometimes I just try to think calm, happy soothing thoughts.

I have some things that I'm sad about....

although strangely, the stillness of the night is sometimes comforting in that respect....

it's the plans & all the other middle-of-the-night meanderings of my mind that can be troubling.

I write emails/texts/blogposts in my head, compose conversations, make & remake plans....

And then daylight arrives and the world seems normal-ish again.

I have some plans for this next year....I know what I want to do but - for whatever reason - I am putting it off.

I want to do a course which will (hopefully) lead to a brand new career....

I got all the details, discussed it with friends in the same field of work, did a one day induction course - then put off booking the next stage of study & missed the entry date. Fast forward a few more months & I've now missed the next start date.....procrastination at its very finest!

Why do we do this, why am I doing this?

Someone much wiser than me, would probably say that I'm nervous, unsure, doubting myself, scared.....I have no idea why.

Feel the fear & do it anyway.

I want to get in shape, get back in shape, I think about it a lot....I have done ~~very little~~ nothing about this issue.

~~Talk~~. ~~Think~~. ~~Plan~~. ACTION.

Just flippin' well do it!!

I eventually went to the doctor because I've been feeling rubbish....tests showed that I am totally healthy & normal. Hoorah....I think.

I just need to commit, book the course, make the phone call/s, start walking/classes/the gym/eating well....what am I waiting for?

Our house renovations rumble on....

we have now borrowed what we hope is enough money to enable us to finish everything.

We're at the stage where we just want everything to be done.....our make-do/temporary sleeping situation is no longer fun, funny or tenable, the kitchen is driving me nuts & the long to-do list seems to be getting longer not shorter.

Deadlines need to be set, work finished & decisions made.

Let's do this.

Autumn in London has been SO completely & gloriously beautiful this year, I've never noticed the trees & leaves so colourful or so dazzling before.....I've been completely in awe of it.

Definitely my favourite season, right now the pavements are covered with leaves, my wardrobe is full of knitwear & I'd make soup every day of the week if I could get my family to eat it every day!

Onwards & upwards, happy November!

Food : 7 Favourite Soups & Stews.

2015-10-12T19:29:00.001+01:00

The best thing about October?

Well, apart from the changing colours, woollens, autumn leaves & winter boots obviously....

soups & stews and fresh, warm bread to dunk in it.

I've just made Jamie Oliver's Store Cupboard Lentil Soup for dinner tonight (as shown above)

which is such a satisfying meal.

We've already had one round of coughs & colds this term, so it's a great way to make anyone who is a little under the weather feel a bit better & also give everyone some extra vegetables & nutrients. I like to pack my soups with as many beans & pulses as I can.

Here are some of my Pinterest favourites, some I've made & some I'll be making this season....

sweet potato, kale & corn chowder

beef barley soup

lemony chicken soup with orzo, dill & coriander

red lentil & carrot soup with chili & coconut

nordic pea soup

(made this, it's sooo good!)

chicken & potato chowder

(my daughter's favourite, i've made this so many times!)

all images via their respective blogs, I have linked to all the original recipes

Buns & Baking.

2015-10-08T19:55:00.001+01:00

via

If I had to choose a favourite food it would be bread....

I (sort of) wish it could be cucumber or broccoli but I love bread in all its forms and really, who doesn't?

Bagels, buns, brioches, loaves, wholemeal, rye, sourdough, cinnamon, fruit, milk....

the list & the options are truly endless.

I have a super-easy & fairly idiot-proof basic white loaf recipe which I make regularly in the winter but I'd like to be a little more adventurous with my bread making this season.

On my last trip to HomeSense, I bought a couple of cookery books, one of which was the wonderfully titled

"The Book of Buns - 50 Brilliant Bakes from Around The World"

both items via HomeSense -

they have an excellent book aisle & a gorgeous range of Spanish style serving dishes, I wanted them all!

It features an international selection of delicious sounding bakes with buns from India, Bulgaria, Italy, Mexico, Germany, Armenia & Norway.

Ingredients featured include orange blossom water, cardamon, saffron, apple, coriander & rosewater.

So, this week I am going to attempt Italian Spaccatini - soft plain white buns - & Lebanese Sfoof - sweet buns made with cinnamon, orange blossom, anise & turmeric.

and as the book states at the beginning

"the joy of buns is the fluffy, soft squashiness of them"

that's good enough for me! I will report back....

This post has been written as part of an ongoing collaboration with HomeSense....

all thoughts, content, images & purchases are my own.

House Project : The Hallway

2015-10-02T09:00:00.000+01:00

The next house project that we will be working on is the hallway.

We plan to do all of this ourselves, barring any major disasters or problems.

The hallway is dark, unattractive, uninspiring &, as you can see from the photo below, we've done absolutely nothing to it in the almost two years that we've been in the house.

The plan - painting the walls in two shades of grey, adding a radiator cover, large mirror, replacing the current light fixture, repainting the woodwork and dado rail.

We haven't decided what to do with the floor, mainly because we haven't yet taken up the carpet & checked what state the 30+ year old floorboards are in.

My husband loves the black & white floor tiles which would give a wow factor & would give the house back a more traditional look....I think they look fabulous but I am the one who is slightly more mindful of budget!

I am also a big fan of sanded & varnished floorboards & think this could also work.

The main thing, as throughout the rest of the house, is to add light & a much fresher look - hopefully we will be knocking through the wall at the far end of the hallway or at least putting in a window and so that will give us more light from that direction.

The paint has been ordered, now we just need to get started!

the "before"....

all photos via Pinterest

Hello October!

2015-10-01T07:39:00.001+01:00

My children have already been back at school for one whole month, it seems that every school year

goes increasingly faster, this year is already feeling "fuller", I feel as though I might blink & it will be gone.

My son had a birthday a few weeks ago, he is now 10....

it's quite something when you realise that your youngest child has now reached double figures. Gulp.

The British weather continues to be its funny old self....
plenty of rain, which has you pulling out winter boots, scarves & coats....
and then, the most gorgeous days full of sunshine, Indian summer days which are the happiest of surprises when you wake up each morning.

We've finally had traditional Victorian shutters fitted in our living room...they are completely lovely & I am enjoying them every single day. Installing them was a process of trial & error for our carpenter, we don't appear to have a single totally straight or level surface in our home anyway - ahhh, the challenges of old houses.

But the shutters now fit perfectly into the window recesses that would have been created when the house was built & the transformation is huge.

And slowly, we move forward....

My daughter is studying Photography this year & so far she is loving it.
I have today bought her a new camera.
I am thrilled that she is loving school this term, am wishing & hoping (and thinkin' and prayin') that this happy positive spell continues.

The purchase of the camera got me thinking though....
not only does she now have a more expensive camera than I have but at the age of 14, her phone & camera alone are most likely worth all than my childhood possessions added together.

I am big on books & not (at all) keen on screens....
my son's homework is still written out each week but later this year, he will participate in his class blog & some assignments can be emailed in to school.
There is something rather lovely about writing in longhand in an exercise book or notebook, pages that you can keep & savour.
A love of writing & reading are forever.

I'm old fashioned & traditional, I admit it....
but I also worry about reports that children these days can't spell or punctuate & are too attached to their screens....
maybe that's the result of having a teenager who is ~~never off~~ frequently on her phone, who knows?

This week I've begun reading every night before I go to sleep, having realised that these days it takes me forever to read anything. Reading is my cure for anything, my piles of books grow bigger every week & the simple fact is that I'm happier when I'm reading.

In September a friend described me as "robust" & that's how I felt....and that's how I'm going to stay.

Plans for October....
well, I'm planning a return to (part-time) work during next year so am working on that & I want to do some studying too, I am going to be painting the hallway, hopefully our loft extension will finally begin, I am starting a regular power-walking routine & I want to plan a day-trip to Paris, anyone want to join me?!

Happy October!

House & Home : A Tray Table.

2015-09-22T09:00:00.000+01:00

My house is in a constant state of chaos/change/flux/disarray/planning....&, as I've mentioned a million times, the house itself can be quite gloomy, due to the old-fashioned decor & lack of light in some rooms. .

We have what I think is called a "through lounge", although that sounds odd to me, so I tend to say that we have two living rooms....

they are divided by (the most hideous sliding doors), so this does make them separate spaces.

We tend to spend most of our time in the "middle living room" - middle because it's between the front living room & the kitchen. Am I making sense?!

Anyway, after about six months of putting up with this dark space with its brown carpet & dark brown furniture, I realised that simply put putting some of our things in there wasn't enough.

We needed a cosy, calm, warm & uplifting space that felt like home - and not like someone else's home, which is really what it was, with my in-laws furniture.

I have learned that I can "make do" with a kitchen or a bathroom but not a living room, it's too important, too essential.

It didn't happen overnight, but we now have that space.

The floor is sanded, we have our own cream sofa with its snuggly throws & cushions, the fireplace is painted white....

I have added a large mirror, a gallery wall, bookshelves & painted almost all the furniture in French Grey paint.

This room only has one narrow window which is positioned near the ceiling so it can feel very dark & I have done everything I can think of to avoid that.

I've wrote here about my painting projects & I know now that once you start painting & upcycling furniture, it becomes completely addictive, you want to paint everything!

On one side of the sofa, I have a large-ish square solid wooden table which houses a lamp & piles of books, it's my coffee-table-in-the-corner, if you like.

My newest acquisition is a tray table, something which I've never owned before but which I'm completely smitten with.

I love the idea of being able to move the tray around the house, adding lunch, a cup of tea, books, pen & paper, whatever I need.

Right now the table is home to another lamp, a pile of favourite books & a candle.

I have noticed though, unlike my other side table which I like but tend to want to cover up, this table itself is so beautiful that I make a feature of it more.

The quality is excellent, it's a good solid piece & it's versatile = tick, tick, tick!

I read somewhere that you should endeavour to have an empty cupboard or drawer in your house just so although your home might feel like it's overflowing, in fact you still have one tiny bit of space...

so the drawer is, for now, staying empty!!

....my table as seen on the Within website

This post was written in collaboration with Within, all words, content & opinions are 100% my own.

Travel : Late Summer Holiday in Wales.

2015-09-21T07:55:00.000+01:00

Late August saw our little family of four heading to West Wales

....via Cardiff & Swansea to Newgale, Pembrokeshire.

It's very quiet, the beach is very very long, the accommodation is either camping or caravans & there is a surf shop & a pub and that's it!

We've been to this part of Wales a couple of times before, the last time being when my children were almost 1 & 5, so life has changed a little since then....but it all felt very familiar & comfortable.

And besides, I am never not happy in Wales, I might have lived in London for most of my life but my heart is 100% Welsh....I always feel so peaceful there, as though I'm where I am meant to be.

The last time that I was in Wales was a month previously for my father's funeral, so going back meant a huge amount to me. It felt emotional but in a good way.

Hiraeth is a Welsh word that has no English translation but means basically a longing for a place or a time or a home or even a state of mind, somewhere maybe you cannot go back to but that your heart or your soul longs for, consciously or subconsciously.

It's a beautiful word, such a moving sentiment....and it sums up Wales for me perfectly.

Everyone always says that it rains all the time in Wales & even though I'm sure that's not true (my childhood was non-stop sunny days!), I had packed for monsoon weather.

We haven't spent holidays in Britain for some years & the luxury of having a car with a lot of space - as opposed to a suitcase of just 20kg - meant that I packed anything & everything.

But the sun shone, the skies were unbelievably blue, the scenery was incredible, the beaches were vast & largely unoccupied....we all fell in love with Pembrokeshire, it is so beautiful.

A lot of the colourful houses & hotels that you see in these photos are taken in Tenby, a place I'd heard lots about but never been....when my parents were young, they'd go with a group of friends & holiday in Tenby for long weekends, I can see why as it's absolutely gorgeous.

The cathedral is St. David's Cathedral, the smallest city in Britain & home also to some of the best ice cream I have ever had in my life.

We ate well, walked on the beach, the children hired wetsuits so that they could swim in the sea for hours (the water isn't that warm!), we read, explored. marvelled at the amazing sunsets & generally had a fabulous time.

I had so many great photos that it was hard not to share as many of them as possible, I want everyone to love Wales as much as I do!

All The Leaves Are Brown....

2015-09-18T16:16:00.002+01:00

Hello again, hello!

Not for the first time this year, I haven't been blogging as regularly as I once did....

I don't think it's intentional since I write posts all the time in my head....it's easy to get out of a routine though &, of course, life gets in the way.

I have suddenly become aware though that many of the blogs that I read when I started my own blog 6 years ago have stopped writing, so maybe there is a blogging cycle.

My friend Lou mentioned the very same thing the other day and - not for the first time - I

found myself nodding in recognition & agreement.

I check Instagram more regularly than I used to & find a great deal of inspiration there - although I will always love the written word & a good blogpost.

My plan for the next month however, is to blog more....let's see how that goes!

So, my children returned to school a couple of weeks ago & already it feels as though they've been back forever.

It's a big year for them both and - so far - they are both having a really good year....something already feels so much better than last year.

A good friend remarked to me this morning that I seem more "robust" this (academic) year....

and she's right, I definitely feel that way.

The saying that you're only as happy as your unhappiest child has popped up in my mind more than once these past few weeks - life at secondary school can be a challenge for the most confident teenager & now that things appear to be improving & moving on for my daughter,

I realise how worried I have been & how, try as you might, it's hard to step back, not to worry & to separate your own life from your child's life, they're too entwined.

Touchwood, fingers crossed, wish upon a star....that things continue to go well.

What else? Well, I've been shopping for autumn, who can resist the change in seasons & a tempting new pair of winter boots?

And of course, September in London has already given us all weathers, sometimes all in one day.

After about 10 hours of non-stop rain the other day, I had completely had enough....

wind & cold, yes, torrential rain no!

The urge to buy winter clothes overcame me so strongly last week & I bought 2 jumpers, 2 cardigans & a pair of boots in the space of half a hour = total bliss!!

I've just made some of my favourite French Onion Soup for dinner & cannot wait for long autumn walks & talks across Hampstead Heath, this is definitely my favourite season, the time where I feel most comfortable.

My policy of "Any Colour As Long As It's Grey" goes on.....paint, furniture, bedlinen.

We are gearing up for another major house project - the loft conversion - but in the meantime, we are painting, decluttering, decorating, planning, starting to work on the hallway....the list goes on.

There is always something of September & that "back to school" feeling that makes me want to plan things & make changes not just for my children, but for myself too.

I can feel myself looking for something new & also to make some changes...

I have a significant birthday coming up next year & that is definitely motivating me, funny how that happens.

That's a discussion for another day though....in the meantime, good to be back & happy weekend!!

Inspiration : 5 Pins & 5 Links

2015-09-02T15:00:00.000+01:00

these Zara shoes = love.

this gorgeous kitchen

sound familiar?

city nights, city lights, rainy evenings

this location, wow!

plus

beautifully evocative photos of a trip to Israel, Molly Yeh writes the most fabulous food blog

this Cobble Hill Brooklyn townhouse

how to make a killer summer cheeseboard

a beautiful London home

light & luscious lemon cake with mascarpone & lemon syrup

Style : Trainers for Everyday.

2015-08-31T15:00:00.000+01:00

I wear Converse pretty much every day but have never quite got into wearing trainers/sneakers for anything other than going to the gym.

Trainers as a fashion accessory is nothing new though but recently I feel as though I've seen them everywhere....I sat in London's Hanover Square recently to eat lunch & it seemed as though every single person who walked in or out of Vogue House (which overlooks the square) was wearing them.

Never one for being ahead of any trend ever, I consulted with my good friend Louise who has the best fashion & style sense & knowledge of anyone I know....

should I buy the Stan Smith trainers that I had been coveting?

My Very Wise Fashion Friend texted back an immediate "yes" & so I am now the happy owner of the green & white pair as seen above :)

When they arrived, my son asked if they were for my daughter....

and then my daughter asked if they were for her!!

Thankfully we are now different shoe sizes, so she cannot "borrow" them ;)

So, are trainers part of your wardrobe....do you wear them, would you wear them?

all photos via pinterest

Finding A Rhythm.

2015-08-28T10:00:00.000+01:00

It's been a different kind of summer holiday for us....

for a start, we haven't been away & following the loss of my Dad in late June, life has been quiet & small.

I've been very conscious of my desire & need to keep my little family close.

We found our rhythm though....

we've had "sofa days", as my son calls them, & we've had some fantastic & fun days out & about in London.

I want my children to love this city as much as I do, I want them to feel comfortable in its busyness & its bustle, to be interested in everything that it has to offer.

We've walked & talked, eaten, photographed, read, marvelled & watched.

Museums, Chinatown, bus, tube, markets, Notting Hill, Greenwich, ice cream....

I've wanted & needed some alone time & there hasn't been much of that,

I don't think that I've even begun the grieving process, but school starts again soon for my children & I'll have plenty of time then.

Life moves you along....my son is 10 next month. TEN!!!

And my daughter starts an important school year with big exams not so far away.

I made a list of of smallish jobs to be done around the house & because we've been at home, things have got done....

I am - and I say this softly & carefully - actually enjoying the renovation process right now.

I can see changes &, downstairs at least, the house is coming together.

Today we leave for a week in Wales, time at a very quiet beach, just the four of us....

I cannot wait. I've packed as if for winter since the summer seems to have moved on....

I am expecting rain so any sunshine will be a bonus.

We will hunker down, read, walk on the beach, eat at the local pub, play games (no wifi, woo hoo!) & talk. Happy days, family time.

And then school starts in one week's time & we find yet another rhythm....and on it goes....

Travel Inspiration : 5 Pins & 10 Links

2015-08-06T09:08:00.002+01:00

positano

nyc

lucca, italy

paris

san francisco

We are not heading off to warmer & sunnier climes this summer, sadly we are on house duty with an ever-growing to-do list....

it doesn't stop me dreaming of beaches & exotic cities though!

the beautiful Galeries Lafayette in Paris

When in Venice....

17 travel accounts to follow on Instagram

San Francisco : Outer Sunset Guide

Scotland + a lot of delicious looking breakfasts!

an eco-friendly b&b in Italy

this beautiful Swedish home in a former schoolhouse

16 places that make Greece everything you've ever dreamed of

seeing the world on a budget

a weekend in Barcelona

Happy Travelling!!

Hello Again, Hello.

2015-08-05T10:52:00.002+01:00

It's been a while.

Days & weeks.

It feels like a very very long time since I wrote anything here.

Life has felt a little challenging this year, for all sorts of reasons....

I was hanging in there, waiting for the summer holidays to begin, waiting to press the pause button & take a breath.

And then my Dad died.

One phone call & life changed. Everything feels different now.

Things just feel....weird.

I lost all my words for about two hours after that call, I sat on the floor at home & there was nothing.

Then I made some calls & started the process of dealing with everything.

I should say here that for many reasons, I hadn't had a close relationship with my Dad for a while. I was there for him about 4 years ago when he was very very ill & then he, for whatever reason, decided that he didn't want me, and several other people, in his life.

It was very complicated.

But sometimes people make decisions & all you can do is accept those decisions & live your life accordingly. Some things are out of your control, hard though that may be to accept.

If I've learned anything from the craziness & the unhappiness in my family, it's that the only thing you can control & are responsible for is your own behaviour, you cannot make other people do anything that they don't want to do.

My parents had a very messy & terrible divorce a very long time ago.

Our family was, & still is, divided....there was - and continues to be - a lot of sadness.

But it wasn't always that way.

My Dad didn't live with us after I was 8 years old but he was present in our lives, in his own way.... in my 20s, we both worked in the City of London & I lived & worked with him for some time.

There were good times, happy times.

I could write so much on this topic, in many ways it would probably be cathartic do so....

and maybe I will some day soon.

Suffice to say that in the last month, many family issues have arisen, awful things have been said....

funerals & death seem to bring out both extreme kindness & the absolute worst in people, almost as if things aren't said now, they never will be.

I don't understand it. At all.

As my father's next of kin & the eldest child, it fell to me - and I stepped forward - to organise everything.

I planned the funeral in the way I felt he would have wanted, wrote a eulogy to reflect the person I felt he was, sorted & cleared his home & did everything & anything else.

I kept very busy.

Travelling across London on the way home from his house, I cried in public on the train ....several times.

And now, just two weeks after the funeral, everything feels strange.

Thankfully it is the school holidays, so life can be quiet.

I've been losing - and finding - myself in films & books, my eternal refuge....

last Monday I watched 4 movies & didn't move all day long & in this past week, I've read 5 books.

I don't feel like the same person I was 6 weeks ago.

I feel sad & a little alone.

I don't always share this much on my blog, but this was too big not to share.

People who I hardly know - my Dad's neighbours & his ex-wife - have been enormously kind & helpful, that has been a lovely thing.

Death is very very final, that much I do know now....

there are no more conversations to be had, no more thoughts about what might or might not happen. Everything Just Stops.

But when it happens, all the bad stuff & the sad stuff that shouldn't have been just seems to fade away, all of that drops out of your mind & it's the good bits that remain, suddenly your head seems full of them.

Maybe it's self-preservation or our way of protecting & comforting ourselves, but that's been my experience so far. It is a day by day thing though.

My Dad had a full life, burned the candle at both ends, he lived & loved, although in many ways his was a life of two halves.

I read something the other day that said something along the lines of (I'm paraphrasing here)...."he wasn't always a great Dad but he was a good Dad when I needed him to be" & I completely understood that description.

A good friend who was a student with my Dad many years ago, sent me an email a couple of weeks ago in which he quoted a Hebrew proverb which has stayed in my mind & which seems like a very :

good philosophy to adopt....

"Say not in grief he is no more but live in thankfulness that he was."

What Will You Be Reading This Summer?

2015-07-09T07:31:00.000+01:00

I might not have a beach holiday this year but I'll still need a reading list!

So, tell me what you're reading, what you've been reading & what you'd recommend?

Dream Holiday Homes : A Hippy Deluxe House in Andalusia, Spain

2015-07-07T12:00:00.000+01:00

Location : Andalusia, Southern Spain - near Cadiz/Seville

4 bedrooms/2 bathrooms

This traditional whitewashed Spanish home has been built around an inner courtyard & has a shaded garden filled with an orange tree, bougainvillea, a BBQ & a plunge pool.

The house is in a hilltop town full of Moorish restaurants, tapas & flamenco bars.

Rustic, romantic, so pretty....and that rooftop terrace!!

Available for rental here.

all photos via Kid & Coe

House & House : 13 Swimming Pools That You'd Never Want To Leave.

2015-07-01T14:14:00.002+01:00

My phone informs me that it's currently 33 degrees in London, the hottest day of the year so far....Centre Court, Wimbledon was 41 degrees at one point yesterday!!

July has arrived in a blast of heat &, as usual, we city dwellers are sweltering :)

Sandals & pedicures, iced drinks, windows open at all times....

sales of ice cream & sun cream must immediately go through the roof.

We hope it will last but, knowing that it well may not, we make the most of these long languid days of summer.

Sitting with a long cool drink by a beautiful pool would be wonderful right about now, I can but dream. These are some of my Pinterest favourites, all private pools I imagine....

you'd never want to move would you?

Happy July!

Right Now.

2015-06-11T22:11:00.001+01:00

listening : to The Beatles "Love" album, my son bowling balls at his cricket wickets, the hum of my neighbours eating dinner in their garden

reading : "Wild", Cheryl Strayed,

"Girls Interrupted : Steps for Building Stronger Girls in a Challenging World", Tanith Carey,

"The Examined Life. How We Lose & Find Ourselves", Stephen Grosz & "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying", Marie Kondo

today i : had coffee with friends & deliberately listened rather than talked, good to do that sometimes, washed all my "whites" & let them dry on the washing line, got a carpenter round to measure our windows for new shutters.

i also ate not one but two ice creams & googled josh charles

(see The Good Wife obsession below;))

on my mind : my future

time, after almost 10 years at home, to find a new path

studying. returning to work. probably both

weather in london today : 23 & gloriously sunny. bliss

episodes of "The Good Girl" watched this week : 19. boxset love. i'm obsessed

most recently viewed cinema movie : "Far From The Madding Crowd". gorgeous

i haven't read Hardy since school, it made me want to read all his books again immediately

blog-post 1 year ago today : "60 hours in Amsterdam"

coffee today : 1 delicious Planet Organic latte. tea : 0

feeling really really sad about : my aunt, wishing i could make her better. i can't

via pinterest....am in love with this window, isn't it fabulous?

holiday plans for this summer (which starts in only 36 days) : none. yet

at the supermarket i bought : yellow split peas, a pineapple & taramasalata

today i am wearing : a long sleeve black linen blouse, navy cigarette pants, navy bensimon plimsolls

my alarm went off this morning at : 7.10am

social media : went on Facebook for the first time in 5 days & Twitter for the first time in a few weeks. not missed it one little bit

worrying about : my teenage daughter's upcoming exams, our resident mouse (!!!!) + a million other tiny things

how on top of my life i am feeling right now : not very

flowers in my home : last day of beautiful roses from my neighbour, peonies this saturday

tomorrow i will be : meeting my mum for lunch in town, sandal shopping & watching my son play cricket in the evening

three things i would love right now : a massage, a pedicure, lunch with my oldest girlfriends

three slightly more expensive things i would love right now :

a personal chef for a few months to come in & cook healthy & interesting food for me, a one month European holiday (Greece, Italy, Spain?) & a Fiat 500

my plan for the week ahead : get it done NOW, summer is coming.

Happy Weekend. Make It An Al Fresco One.

2015-05-30T16:14:00.000+01:00

The weather is unpredictable in England, especially at this time of year....

you learn to get outside & make the most of any sunshine that you get.

Nothing tastes as good as eating al fresco, whether it's sitting at a beautifully laid table or just sitting on the beach, food just tastes better.

It's sunny right now in London so I'm heading outside to potter in the garden & drink some tea.

I am also making soup & baking bread for dinner but, if the sun is still shining this evening, I shall be dining al fresco, even if I might need a blanket ;)

Happy Weekend!

all images via Pinterest

to follow me on Pinterest, see here

to follow me on Instagram, see here