Today, I'm Bobbi.

this and that.

2013-05-17T09:54:00.000-04:00

It's nearly 2pm and I'm still in my jammies, about to chug another cup of coffee while I chug along through some emails and client proofs before the weekend starts! I think I'm still in a little bit of a food coma from last night's dinner (I made this for the boys and it was a hit!) and there will be a little housewarming party on Sunday at which I've volunteered to make a giant turkey leg (like the ones you can get at Disney World) with absolutely no clue where to start, so I'm basically going to have spent 36 hours straight in the kitchen by the time the weekend is out! I don't mind, but I think my skinny jeans will if I'm not careful.

..and that was the longest sentence in the history of man, so I'll get to the links before I butcher the English language any further.

+ Ben Mathis-Lilly has a point. But he forgot to drop the mic and burn the house down when he was finished.
+ Ellie Kemper wants to know if men can be funny. I want to know if she and I can be BFFs and braid each others' hair.
+ Men on Twitter: go home, you're drunk.
+ Pat Robertson's advice, annotated. I threw my bra at the computer screen at, "9. And it's angry women that got us into this mess in the first place."
+ My cat is sad because he wants to convert this box into a home office annexe with wi-fi but doesn’t know how. (Thanks, Ryan!)
+ Because everyone needs to be following a Pinterest board about shit made from mason jars.
+ This video on the history of typography from Ben Barrett-Forrest is everything and you need to stop what you're doing right now and watch it.
+ A guide to accounting for the creative freelancer, and why you should give a shit.
+ Okay, I am no fan of John Mayer – probably because his penis wouldn't find me attractive – but this is very cool. (Thanks, Gesci!)
+ What do you get for the mom or dad who has everything? Tech lessons, of course!
+ Don't know if I agree with everything here, but it's an interesting discussion!
+ Why the hell is everyone falling in love with strangers at Walmart?
+ I giggled so hard at this. Science!
+ :O (J.K. Rowling, your brain is a beautiful thing.)
+ Have we already spoken about a bunch of bloggers doing the Harlem Shake in Cabo?
+ Someone just threw a wrench into the Blogger vs. WordPress battle.
+ Food! Cut in half!
+ I want these pencils!

I can't do my favorite Instagram of the week right now because Ryan has my phone and I can't scroll through my 'likes', but I'd love to see what everyone has been Instagramming or liking lately! Leave me the links to your feeds or some of your favorites in the comments so I can photo stalk you! And, if you're not following a long already, here's mine! There's a good chance you'll see a photo of an exploded turkey leg and me crying in a corner covered in marinade at some point this weekend!

Happy Friday!

currently.

2013-05-16T07:44:00.000-04:00

I need to be out the door and on my way to the coach station in about an hour and have yet to shower or pack, so naturally this is the perfect time to set myself down and write a blog post! This week has gone by really quickly, but I've been in an empty house for most of it so I've maintained a really nice sense of calm (and gotten a lot done, to boot).

So here's what's currently happening...

Listening to: I love Songza. Maybe too much! It's one of the main reasons I'm clinging to my US iTunes store with fury. Lately I'm loving this playlist, and this one for when I'm working, and this one for when I'm daydreaming about James Van Der Beek. (Those playlists will only work in the US. Sob.)

Inspired by: This Pinterest board. I'm not so inspired that most of the images link to Tumblrs. But! I'm also inspired to clean up my own boards to make sure that the attribution in in order for everything I've pinned. So, there's that!

Working on: I had my ah-ha! business idea a few months back and now we're starting to lay the groundwork to make it a reality. Sure, juggling visas and applications and on top of that launching another business is intense, but I'm thrilled! Ready to Blog has taught me a lot and whet my appetite to take bigger risks and set bigger goals. So, woo!

Watching: I'm rewatching Alias. The show is absolutely ridiculous in a way that only J.J. Abrams shows can be (okay, and Aaron Sorkin shows) and I think it's freaking wonderful. Plus: Michael Vartan. Yum. (Sorry, Ryan.)

Thinking about: I was thinking about blogging and writing and maximizing my time and efforts with regards to my side projects, but then I took a look at my last currently. post to see what sections I usually use and realized that I haven't worn those damn leather pants since that post. So, the verdict is in on those being a bad idea!

Using: Some great apps! Not really new, but new to me. Clear was (is?) the Starbucks app of the week, so I scored that bad boy for free and really like it. Might have to say goodbye to CARROT. I'm also liking Everest which is a goal ("dream") setting app that helps you break your goals into steps and track your progress. I know. People have been getting things done for eons without little helpers like these, but I figure if my iPhone is going to be glued to my face, I might as well be doing something useful on it!

Reading: The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad. Loving it so far!

Looking forward to: Summmmmmmmmmmmmmmmer. And some trips we're thinking about taking. But mostly, sun. Sun! How wonderful it will be!

Okay. What are you up to? Who's done a "currently" post lately that I can read on my very long coach journey?

Happy Thursday!
--
Thanks to Danielle for providing the inspiration for these posts!

eat well | grillstock, bristol.

2013-05-13T03:22:00.000-04:00

Warning: If you have no interest in seeing photos of people enjoying food, beer, and (reasonable amounts of) sun, this post probably isn't for you!

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Grillstock Bristol to take some photos and do my best to enter into a food coma, and I can confidently say that I'm about thirty pounds heavier for it today.

The festival is centered around a huge 'low-n'slow' style BBQ competition (YUM!) set against some proper summer tunes from all over the world. We took advantage of delicious Caribbean pulled pork rolls in between pints from The Brooklyn Brewery Dive Bar. I wanted to eat everything, really, but the lines became a bit prohibitive as the afternoon bore on.

The American indie music scene was well-represented, which I thought was a very nice soundtrack for the festival. (It certainly made waiting in line much more enjoyable.)

My highlight of the day came during the chilli eating competition when the MC announced, "Women are usually much better at this sort of thing."

Well, of course. Smart man, that one!

The festival is (sadly) over, but Grillstock maintains a BBQ Joint in St. Nick's Market near the City Centre that is worth the trip if you're in the area. (Going there is actually how we found out about the festival!)

If you're in Manchester, then you're a lucky duck! Grillstock will be hitting Albert Square June 8-9 and tickets are on sale now!

Woop. Thanks for sticking through all these photos, hope I didn't make you too hungry!

Happy Monday!

--

As I noted above, Grillstock had me out to document the festival. A very big thanks goes to them for having me!

this and that and a brand new look.

2013-05-10T10:23:00.000-04:00

It's Friday! I have no business celebrating considering that Monday was a bank holiday. But, I am! And, I'm taking a bit of a half-day today, to boot.

I know.

Naughty.

But, I have a good reason! I woke up today a little envious of some of the recent designs that I've installed for clients and decided that it was time for this little blog to get a makeover herself. I had a lot of elements on the the old look that I loved, but also quite a few that I had really grown out of. Instead of following my usual process – lock down the design, code it up, install, test – I just started breaking things and putting them back together as I went. (If at some point this morning you saw the header in the middle of the post content, that's why.) The look changed a few times in the process, but I'm really happy with where everything landed!

You'll notice a bit of ombré action going on as you scroll down the page, as well as a quicker loading time, easy share options at the bottom of posts, a new pin-it on hover button, and some sexy little hover effects in the sidebar (go on, play with them!). You'll also notice that the photos are no longer the size of Jupiter. You're welcome! While I love me a good large photo, that means you can't really see much of anything aside from the image and that's not really ideal. Also, the sidebar now travels with you! If you're on an iPhone or iPad and you zoom in on the content, just swipe to the right to reveal the sidebar. I should say at this point, if you're in a feed reader, pop on over to see all the changes!

If you see anything broken or really strange looking, email me!

Okay, I know that I've tricked you with the promise of links and here I am babbling on about my blog design, so here's the main event:

+ Tomorrow, I'm headed to Grillstock! I'm very excited and I'm going to eat everything in sight. Accio, stretchy pants!
+ Hyperbole and a Half is back! If you've ever struggled with depression, known someone who has, enjoy excellent writing, like funny cartoons, or have a heart and/or pulse, you should check out her latest post.
+ Hey, CNN. This is a great way to rebuild your credibility and reputation after acting like a bunch of fools during the Boston Marathon Bombing coverage. In Bizarro Land.
+ Do whatever you fucking want. (Okay, I think I'm a little feisty today.)
+ Here's a great resource for designers!
+ Breanna has some great advice, per usual.
+ And another great thing to bookmark, "15 Digital Media Resources You Might Have Missed".
+ Okay, this is very "wtf am I looking at?" and "omg this is awesome!" at the same time.
+ Branding lessons from the 'Iron Man' franchise. With some quotes from my old boss!
+ Go ahead. Geek out. You know you want to.
+ "I am appalled by the inability of so many designers to recognize the moral responsibility that comes with visually defining class, power, and femininity." Slow claps for Robin Givhan.
+ Grumpy Cat for Prada. Internet, this is why you're awesome.
+ Okay, if you haven't been following the Jason Richwine/The Heritage Foundation story start here. Then, read this. Then, to keep you from banging your head against the wall and losing all hope, read this and feel a little better that this is being (so elegantly) called out.
+ London in 1927. (In color!)
+ My favorite Instagram of the week, via @fhasselhof. (Major points for bravery, girl. I don't think I've ever gotten that close to something with horns.)
+ Late addition: This made me go 'awwwwww' in about 5 different languages. (Submitted by Gesci.)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the new look and the links (and any goodies you've found online this week) in the comments!

Happy Friday!

streets of spain.

2013-05-08T07:43:00.000-04:00

It should be pretty clear by now that I love me a good street festival. Especially when there's lots of food involved.

On Saturday, we headed out to Streets of Spain, hosted by Campo Viejo. The day was gorgeous, but I actually ended up being a bit uncomfortable at the festival itself. It was a bit too crowded and quite small, and with another festival going on just next to it that had a lot more room to breathe and a view of the river, we ended up hitting just a few of the booths, trying some treats, and moving on.

Maybe next year I'll try again and try to head to the festival a bit earlier in the day? We did get some really yummy nibbles while we were there, but we grabbed lunch at a restaurant on the bank for a sit-down meal (and some caipirinhas) to get away from the crowd.

Happy Wednesday!

cupcakes + champagne.

2013-05-07T06:11:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a bank holiday here in the UK and it was glorious.

I met up with a few gorgeous ladies (Lulu, Becca, and Melissa), picked up some cupcakes and bubbly, and had a picnic in the park!

We got our cupcakes from Peggy Porschen. Stop by their parlour if you're in London!

To be fair to PP, their cupcakes are presented and packaged beautifully, we just jostled them a bit on the way to the park! ;)

(Dress // French Connection. Sweater // CottonOn. Bare legs + feet // SPRING!!)

And now it's back to reality. I'm almost a little afraid to open up my work emails, but this was the kind of weekend that leaves you so recharged that you're actually pretty stoked to get back to work!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Happy Tuesday!

this and that.

2013-05-04T08:31:00.000-04:00

Happy weekend! I'll get straight to the links today since I didn't have a chance to pop this post up on time!

+ Okay, this is the last mention of coffee you'll get from me for a while! We're thinking about getting this subscription box! I've never hopped on the subscription box bandwagon because I don't wear enough makeup or care enough about clothes to justify a constant influx of new things, but coffee? Yeah. Bring it on! (There's nothing wrong with caring about makeup or clothes, by the way! It just doesn't really fit in with my lifestyle to have tons of stuff being constantly being shipped to me.)
+ Um. I'm not happy about this. I like Natalie Portman, but I don't buy her as Lady Macbeth.
+ Love this post on "It Bags".
+ I'm horrendous at trying to remember to use Vine (so, of course, I just signed up for yet another social network, Days), but Ian Padgham's Vines are consistently amazing and make me want to actually use the platform more. Exhibit: A.
+ Infographics in place of traditional recipes? Yes, please.
+ Two tweets that had me absolutely rolling this week:

The Thief's Downfall? GOD DAMMIT THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T GO CHASING WATERFALLS.
— Muggle Hustle (@MuggleHustle) April 28, 2013

The innkeeper's like "Madam Lestrange" and Hermione's like "Good morning!" and Harry's like "You have to like, be a bigger bitch than that."
— Muggle Hustle (@MuggleHustle) April 28, 2013

+ I've only watched a few episodes of The Americans (mostly out of some weird loyalty to anything Felicity does), but it was interesting reading a take on the show from this perspective.
+ Love this: a year without the internet.
+ Beyonce + Art History = hilarity.
+ Okay, this is probably really over-thinking Twitter, but here you go.
+ Is FEAR sabotaging your productivity?
+ Applying for jobs and worried that there might be one too many photos of you doing keg stands floating around the internet? This might help.
+ "They should have their skin torn from their bones if they could even hold on." SCIENCE!
+ "How to love a girl who writes." Thanks, Dori!
+ "32. Because you've never experienced road rage until you've experienced Miami road rage." #truth Although, I would really not ever call Miami the best city in the world, but...eh. It's home.
+ The complete glossary of hipster hallmarks.
+ The caption accompanying this photo is possibly the best sentence ever written in the history of man.
+ This is why we don't put two spaces after the end of a sentence anymore. (And, yes, I was taught this way, too, but that doesn't make it correct.)
+ And more in grammar: contronyms!
+ Ke$ha has never inspired a reaction in me beyond wondering how much glitter her poor handlers must have stuck in their lungs from being around her, but this clip kind of makes me love her.
+ My favorite Instagram of the week via @pauloctavious.

Okay, there's a street festival going on and the sun is out, so I'm off!

Happy weekend!

loved | 11.

2013-05-02T06:10:00.000-04:00

Grower's Cup

I've been so excited to share this with you all week! Last Friday at the Coffee Festival, I got to have a great chat with the Innovator and Managing Director (what a great title!) of Grower's Cup. I was asking him about a thousand questions per minute and he was gracious enough to answer all of them and to provide me with a few samples to check out at home.

The main reason that I was drawn to the product was the packaging. It's so simple and slim that I knew just by looking at it that this would be a great thing to have on the road with me. 1) You can fly with it in your carry-on (not everywhere because it's coffee, but domestically will be fine), 2) gourmet coffee that you can keep on your person beats bad hotel coffee or dropping serious money on coffee shops any day of the week! I'm also very limited on counter space here in London, so until I have enough room for my beloved French Press (yes, that limited on counter space), these little packs are a really great option for me. Each brewer is basically a disposable French Press that holds about three cups of coffee. That can last me through a morning with a bit to spare!

These babies are super simple to use and have a ton of information about the beans on each package. I don't know anything about 'roast', 'body', and 'acidity', but I'm sure serious coffee lovers will appreciate having that information and the history of the beans and roasting process printed on the back of each bag. I was really impressed by the obvious sense of commitment that the company has to getting a good cup of coffee into the hands of anyone that wants it, whether you're camping or backpacking or just have a very tiny kitchen like myself.

And, hey, it tastes wonderful. Which is what it all comes down to, right?

I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices available, so I'm anticipating tasting my way around the world through coffee for the next few weeks!

You can see from the photo above that I did have a little spillage, which is mostly just me being messy, but there will be a packaging change coming up that includes a proper spout, so that won't be an issue anymore! The pour stand is nice to have but not crucial, I tested it out and the bags stand up quite nicely on their own when they have water in them.

Okay, I'm done gushing. This stuff is just really, really good!

And that's the last of the coffee posts this week! I've sacrificed a lot of sleep to bring these posts to you, what with being hopped up on caffeine for the last few days! ;)

Happy Thursday!

the 2013 london coffee festival!

2013-05-01T06:55:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, Bobbi and I made our way to East London to spend the day in basically every freelancers fantasy: a room full of coffee.

The London Coffee Festival came at the tail end of UK Coffee Week (I know! How cool is it that that's a thing??) and was kind of spectacular, if I'm being honest. Over four days, over 15,000 inhabitants of the coffee universe (baristas, cafe owners, consumers, coffee snobs) descended on The Old Truman Brewery to sip, taste, compete, pour, and fawn over what I previously just regarded as the Nectar of the Gods, the thing that keeps me from stabbing people or throwing my computer out the window: coffee.

The Festival was divided into seven sections: the Hyde Park Zone, the Tea Garden, the Chocolate Factory (my favorite), the Shoreditch Zone (where all the food was...so we spent some serious time there), the SoHo Zone, the Showroom, and The Lab (where workshops and demonstrations were hosted). I've worked conventions like this in the past and can attest to just how important it is to funnel people to the right areas and let them know what they're getting in each. I think the Festival did an awesome job at this and I was really impressed by the organization and distinctive feel that each area had.

In addition to the photos from the event, I'd love to share some cute facts* that they tucked into the festival guide:

+ The price of espresso is regulated by the Italian government because it is considered an essential part of daily life.
+ Finland has Europe's highest per capita annual coffee consumption. (Who would have thought?)
+ Caffeine was first discovered by Ethiopian shepherds when they saw the effect coffee had on their goats.
+ The first webcam was invented by scientists at Cambridge University to watch the coffee pot in the next room.

Companies I loved:

I tried to snag business cards from vendors that I got to spend a bit of time with, be it through tasting or getting to talk to their reps to hear a bit about their companies and brands. Below I've linked to the ones that I think you'll get use out of if you're in the London area or who you can access online!

London-area:

- Banh Mi Bay // Vietnamese Takeaway
- Slim Sam's Cakery // I tried their coffee cake and it was out of this world!
- Bee Me // Frozen Yogurt that actually tastes like yogurt!

Order anywhere in the UK:

- Saigon Coffee Company // wrote about them yesterday!

Order anywhere:

- Peppersmith // Okay, this is gum, but I love the packaging and the packs come with a little pad of strips that you can use to spit out your gum when you're done! Function! If you're looking for 25% off, use the code TRYME933 at checkout!
- Grower's Cup // Absolutely love this company! I'll be writing about them tomorrow!

Whew, that's a lot of coffee!

Thanks for sticking it out through this monster of a post, go rest your eyeballs and enjoy a nice big cup of your favorite coffee!

Happy Wednesday!
--
* I have not verified any of those so don't yell at me if some of them aren't true! ;)

I'd like to give a very big thank you to Sara at Allegra Events for the opportunity to check out the Festival!

happy may!

2013-05-01T06:06:00.001-04:00

I have another post coming up in a bit so stay tuned! For now, here are your May desktop, iPad, and iPhone (and I hear rumblings that the sizes work great on other phones) wallpapers! Click on the photo above to head over to Ready to Blog and download your goodies!

Enjoy! And don't forget to send me photo photos of your wallpapers in action, like these two ladies did!

Happy May!

vietnamese iced coffee.

2013-04-30T05:49:00.000-04:00

Going to the London Coffee Festival on Friday pretty much ruined instant coffee for me. I feel as though I can't go back to it after tasting so many delicious options, many of which are easy to replicate at home. I'll get to my recap tomorrow, but today I'm showing you how to make a tasty iced treat at home for a fraction of what you'd pay at a coffee shop (looking at you, Starbucks)!

I know that it's just barely getting a little warmer in London, so iced coffee is being monumentally ambitious about things heating up here, but I'm happy to just turn the thermostat up a bit so that I can enjoy this drink!

What you'll need:

+ Condensed Milk
+ Ice
+ Ground Coffee (duh).
+ Ice
+ A Phin (I got mine and my coffee from the Saigon Coffee Company).
+ (Optional) Reusable cup + straw if you're on the go, but a regular glass will do for around the house!

How to do it:

+ (I'm working with ice trays here – bless you, tiny London freezers – so 1/2 tray = ~6 cubes.) Fill your cup with 1/2 tray of ice and 2 TBS of condensed milk. This is a sweet drink, so you'll want to experiment with how much condensed milk you want to use depending on your tastes.

+ Add 12-14g of coffee to your drip filter and press the grounds flat with the filter press.

+ Add around 20mL of freshly boiled filtered water to the drip filter. Sit back for about 30 seconds while the coffee blooms.
+ When you notice the coffee start to drip through into your cup, fill the filter chamber with 50mL more freshly boiled water. (You'll want to adjust this number based on your filter size.) Place the filter cover over the top to keep the heat in.

+ Watch your coffee drip through! This is the fun part, if you're easily amused like myself.

+ When your coffee is finished dripping through, pop your filter in the sink so it's out of the way, top your drink with the rest of the ice in your tray and mix vigorously to distribute the condensed milk.
+ Stick your straw in and enjoy!

Happy Tuesday!

a view from the top.

2013-04-29T07:03:00.000-04:00

I'm a bit of a bad Londoner in that it never even occurred to me to go up to the top of The Monument until we were walking by it with a bit of time to spare the other day.

Built as a monument to the Great Fire of London, it provides stunning views of the city if you can make it up the 300+ steps to the top. (This little piggy realized how out of shape she is after barely accomplishing that feat.)

It's only £3 for adults, so if you're in the area and the weather is nice, give it a go! Watch out for school groups, though. Only one way up and down and it's a bit cramped at the top!

Happy Monday!

this and that.

2013-04-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

So, last night, this happened:

And it was amazing. James McAvoy is a legend. It took my ears a bit to adjust to the thick Scottish accents, but this production – a dystopian interpretation of Shakespeare's work – was a force. I'm pretty sure the people in most of the seats on the floor ended up with sweat or water or red corn syrup on them, but I doubt anyone was complaining.

Anyway, our boyfriend James is down there in the middle:

And after the show I got home and saw this:

And then I died. Of happiness.

And now, links!

+ I'll start off with the London Coffee Festival! I was there today for the industry events and it was so fun! I picked up some great samples and it's looking like next week will be a bit of a Coffee Week because I have a lot of fun stuff to share. (Since, let's be real, I bet most of you mainline coffee like I do.) If you're in the London area, you can grab tickets for this weekend here.
+ This morning, I attended the April London Creative Mornings breakfast, featuring Forum for the Future. They shared some great insight and projects, including this one! (PS, I went with Bobbi! You can see us workshopping here!)
+ I think I'm adding this book to my reading list!
+ If you ever fall down and think you can't get right back up, look at this video of this badass dog and get over yourself. (Thanks, Ryan!)
+ "I will never understand why it is more shameful to be raped than to be a rapist." PREACH!
+ TWERK! Okay. I don't actually even know what "twerk" means. I'm guessing from context clues. I'm an old person, officially, I think. :-| Anyway, that song is good.
+ Speaking of being your grandma, oh, heeeeey 1999!!
+ Every Facebook Political Argument You’ve Ever Seen.... Omg.
+ I tend to eye-roll when advertisements very blatantly try to tug at my heart strings (with an extra dose of cynicism since I got my start in advertising), but the Dove True Beauty campaign made me...well...eye-roll. It's nice and all, but I felt kind of blah about it. This is probably why.
+ PSDDD is a very cool new Dribbble resource!
+ I think this is a pretty touching look at how technology can shape the way we experience disasters.
+ You guys, Diane Keaton is a national treasure, and don't ever let me hear you say differently.
+ "A letter to my boyfriend: It's Over!" I laughed my way all the way through this.
+ Travel young. Co-signed.
+ Okay, Social Media, you are so damn cute sometimes.
+ DIY pottery! What a cute idea!
+ WHAAAAAAAT NOOOO. NO. NO. Noooo. no. nononononono. Don't read that at work. Or maybe ever. Don't read it ever.
+ This is the brother of one of my sorority sisters! What a great story!
+ My favorite Instagram of the week! Via @juststef.

....aaaaaand, we're done.

I'm going to go try to come down off of this coffee high and settle into the weekend!

Happy Friday!

love london.

2013-04-25T06:00:00.000-04:00

In case you know anyone who lives in the greater London area or follow London dwellers on social media and were wondering why people are freaking out over the weather here lately, well...this. This is why.

Don't ever leave me, sunshine.

Happy Thursday!

what a few days.

2013-04-24T06:21:00.000-04:00

I've honestly never had such a violent shift from wonderful, amazing weekend to horrible, no good, very bad Monday in my life.

This weekend, we had gorgeous weather (!!), a wonderful sunset picnic in Battersea Park, and a great night out at Archer Street. The entire time Ryan and I kept saying, "This is exactly what we needed from this weekend." And it was. We didn't travel anywhere, but it was very much an escape and a very welcome one at that.

So we ended Sunday with smiles and a genuine optimism for the week.

And then, almost like clockwork, at midnight, food poisoning.

Monday had arrived.

I seriously felt like someone was playing a sick joke on me. Luckily, I was the only one who got sick (from what I guess was a dodgy batch of fajitas that I prepared myself). Unluckily, my sister had to leave town on business early Monday and Ryan was back in Bristol for work.

So I've spent the last two days in bed (which is a crying shame at any time, but doubly so when the weather in London is preternaturally beautiful) trying to tough it out by myself. It took me 48 hours to eat one croissant and a banana, I was completely convinced that I was going to become dehydrated because I couldn't even keep water down, and Motilium Instants became my best friends.

It sucked is the point.

I'm feeling about a thousand times better today, but I know I have to take it slow with food and at some point I'm going to crash because of not sleeping at all through this whole thing.

Food, I love you, but I'll never look at you the same way again.

I'm so excited to be catching up with work and that I have the chance to actually go outside a bit later, so I'm hoping that this sunny spell will last a few days longer. I'll leave you with photos from the weekend and hopes that your last few days weren't as icky as mine!

Happy Wednesday!

this and that.

2013-04-20T06:26:00.000-04:00

This morning, Ryan and I woke up extra early to go stand in line to get day seats for the production of Macbeth happening at Trafalgar Studios. Even though we arrived a good three hours before the box office opened, a quick head count told us that there was no way we'd be able to get seats. It was a bit of a disappointment, but we bucked up, grabbed some treats from Costa, and took a stroll through the park, past Buckingham Palace, and came back home to grab a bit more sleep before we set out for the day.

This week was hard. The events in Boston were unbelievably tragic and, like most people, I spent a huge amount of time glued to the news, keeping in contact with my friends in the area, and hoping for a swift and safe resolution. There were some other things going on that isn't my business to tell, but the weekend is most surely welcome. I think we were both so thankful for calm and each other this morning that neither of us could bother to be fussed that we weren't able to get tickets for the show. There's lots of marathon prep going on here, and I found myself waving to some of the runners who were up early and checking out the course, saying, "Good luck!" to strangers, and feeling so proud and hopeful for them. That they're still running. That they can start the race tomorrow knowing that the person who put such a black cloud over these events has been caught. Bah. I'll stop rambling. Today is better, is my point.

And now, since it's been so damn long, here's a monster list of links for your weekend. Some are sad, some are funny, some are old, but hopefully you'll enjoy them and get something useful out of them, even if it's only a chuckle or a smile.

+ Sarah talks about going shampoo-free. I've done this for a while in the past and it really does make a huge difference with your hair! I've also started rinsing my hair with filtered water (thanks to the only useful article I've read on xoJane, ever) and that's been really helpful as well!
+ The photo with the glasses in kills me!
+ Baseball fans (and Florida folks) will find this interesting: How the Marlins stadium deal has changed South Florida.
+ I have so many opinions on Ebonics, and a lot of them were challenged by this article.
+ I find Google products to be increasingly invasive, but I really do like how Breanna has used Google Calendar. I'll probably stick with my system and my little tin-foil hat, but I'm sure freelancers in the house will find this useful!
+ I feel so bad that this call for music nerds might be a little dated, but I'd encourage anyone to apply if they feel like a good fit!!
+ Love this post on staying forever young.
+ Ever wonder where all of Ludacris' hoes are? You're welcome.
+ "4% of voters say they believe “lizard people” control our societies by gaining political power". I want to meet these people.
+ A nice little podcast on Facebook marketing for small businesses.
+ Since we're talking social media, Ashlee shares some thoughts on the "fine line" and she's spot on.
+ The New York Times on how to give effective feedback.
+ Derailing for Dummies. OMG. Amazing.
+ I know that we've collectively as a society forgotten what the term "bullying" actually means, but here's an article on bullying and "drama".
+ Here's a really bad idea.
+ This is heartbreaking. How can our justice system really work like this?
+ Esquire (circa 1949) helps us how attractive we are to the opposite sex.
+ "Is your social media editor destroying your news organization today? Probably."
+ Okay, this is the part of the program where all the links are about Boston:
-- "I love that dirty water." - Jared Keller.
-- "The Meaning of the Boston Marathon." - The New Yorker
-- "You may leave Boston, but Boston never leaves you." - The Atlantic (Okay, I cried at this one.)
-- A classmate of mine started this project. But, I encourage you to research and donate to whatever cause or organization that you feel comfortable with if you are so inclined.
+ This is amazing.
+ The 10 best-paying cities in the US for women.
+ Some great tips on planning your website.
+ The Britney GIF in this is everything.
+ Found this via @dorizinn, A Tale of Two Cities Book Scarf!
+ OMG the fonts here.
+ Some serious comma love going on here: The Comma From Which My Heart Hangs.
+ Predictions about life in 2013 from 1988.
+ A few instagrams I've liked over the last few weeks! This one via @brandxn, this one via @paulistonem, and this one via @alliepal!

Okay, that's it! I'll be off before the sunshine goes away!

Wishing all of you a happy weekend!

Happy Saturday!

devon | a photo diary.

2013-04-18T14:47:00.001-04:00

Today's post is a bit of a "Dear Diary, this is what I did ~~today~~ a few weeks ago on holiday." These are the last of the photos from Devon. Including sunsets on the beach, Her Majesty's swans, Ryan's best attempt at being a fashion blogger, and a glorious last supper.

Hope you enjoy! More after the jump!

^^Ryan's best "fashion blogger" pose.

Happy Thursday!
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Tomorrow will be the grand return of This and That! (I swear.) If you want to submit a link, use this handy form and be sure to leave your name so that I can give you credit!

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the donkey sanctuary.

2013-04-17T05:00:00.000-04:00

With all the heaviness going around this week, I think it's time for something utterly silly. (And wonderful! But seriously very silly at the same time.)

Enter: The Donkey Sanctuary. Because, who wouldn't want to look at photos of Eeyore's cousins?

Right?

Right.

^^To start, here are their butts.

^^Obviously.

We had an awesome time touring the grounds, which are huge by the way. These donkeys are most definitely not wanting for much. They have tons of space in which to roam around, excellent care, and lots of happy visitors smiling at them and donating to the cause. There's also a maze (which we got lost in) and a giant donkey drawing against a side of one of the hills on the property (which you can see above).

And! And! For the die-hard donkey lovers out there, you can organize a night to actually camp with the donkeys. The price for that wasn't unreasonable, if that's your sort of thing. And the revenue generated goes right back into caring for the donkeys in the donkey hospital and around the rest of the sanctuary.

Really, there's nothing not to like. If you're in the area, I swear to baby jesus that you'll have a great time if you pop in! Just be sure to donate a pound or two as entry is free, anyway. It also turns out that The Donkey Sanctuary (an international operation, mind) is bringing in bucks by selling donkey dung to an energy start-up! Who knew? We certainly didn't, until after our visit when we ran against a magazine article about the relationship in a local coffee shop. Saving the donkeys AND the world. Told you, wonderful.

Happy Wednesday!

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what can you even say?

2013-04-16T05:37:00.000-04:00

My heart was and is so broken watching the news come out of Boston yesterday. Thankfully, I was able to reach all of my friends living in the area (or at the very least saw the "I'm OK!" statuses coming from the ones who couldn't be contacted). There were so many close calls, so many, "I was right there two minutes before." that I'm sick even thinking about it.

I know that for so many people it wasn't a close miss; my thoughts are with everyone touched by what happened yesterday. Families, friends, first responders. The entire city.

I know it's naïve to wish that we lived in a world where things like this didn't happen, but I do. I don't even know what else to say. Hug everyone you love tight...tell them you love them. Pray if you pray, keep Boston in your thoughts if you don't.

This song has so many of my thoughts and feelings and memories of Boston wrapped up tightly in it, so I'll leave it here.

*comments closed

eat well | la tasca, bath.

2013-04-15T05:19:00.000-04:00

I didn't take very many proper photos this weekend – if you were wondering why I was Instagramming up a storm – because I left my memory card in my computer and then proceeded to kick myself, reluctantly buy a new one, and then be faced with nearly non-stop rain the entire time we were in Bath. That sounds horrible, but it wasn't. Ryan got to see my face without a camera constantly held up in front of it and we progressed through the city faster than the usual glacial pace required when you're stopping to take a photo every two feet.

Don't worry, though. I took pictures of the food.

Oh, the food.

We decided to grab a very late lunch at La Tasca and lucked out with having the entire place to ourselves and a beautiful view of the river from our table.

La Tasca is a chain, so the food should be fairly consistent regardless of the location. In Bath, the food definitely hits the spot. The temperature and portion sizes were perfect. By US standards, the prices were a bit higher than you'd expect for tapas but one day I'll get used to food costing 3x as much in this country.

One day.

We'll definitely be checking out the branch in Bristol in the future and you should stop by a branch if there's one near you!

Happy Monday!

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how to be an adult.

2013-04-11T04:53:00.001-04:00

One day, when I'm trying to be taken seriously in a meeting or attempting to reprimand my future kids for being little monsters, these photos are going to come back to haunt me.

Today, however, is not that day, folks. Today, these make me happy. I'm on my way to see Ryan later this afternoon and I'll be there for a little longer than usual. It won't be all fun and games, or even mostly fun and games, but, we've managed to sneak in a little overnight trip to Bath and will be chilling out in our onesies for as long as humanly possible while we're there. And finally watching the season finale of The Walking Dead. (I know.)

I probably won't be able to post links tomorrow, but I'll try to post some of the ones I've been saving up here and there via Twitter so that you don't get approximately 1,000,000 when I get back to This and That.

Have happy happy weekends and enjoy this sudden onset of Spring that everyone seems to be experiencing!

Happy Thursday!
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Best jammies in the world, via NEXT. It looks like they've brought the prices down on most of them and added the ones Ryan and I have back to the site, so go go go!

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i love beer | 2.

2013-04-09T08:24:00.000-04:00

I've had these photos all loaded up with every intention of writing a bit about them but (obviously) haven't quite gotten there, yet! I have some great links from last week that were meant for This and That and might not be able to post this Friday, so you're very likely to get a super-charged This and That on Thursday, and then I'll be back to regular posting at some point next week!

This isn't the last of our trip (Donkey Sanctuary post coming up soon and if that's not guaranteed to put a smile on your face I don't know what will), but there's not too much more! Beer was so pretty that I couldn't fit all the photos into the last post about it...so here you go!

That delicious food pictured above is from The Seafood Platter. Unfortunately, the service we received at the fresh fish stand and at a cafe we popped into was pretty terrible, but the guys at The Seafood Platter were super professional, very kind, and made us feel so welcome. The boys weren't fussed either way, but my sister and I were very much at the "we're not opening up our wallets if people are going to continue to be rude to us" point by the time we stopped to look at their menu. I'm glad we went in, the food was great, the portions were sturdy, and we were seated right next to the fireplace so we were nice and cozy! I highly recommend dining there if you're in the area! The prices are pretty friendly as well as we managed a gigantic spread for four plus a bottle of wine all for less than £20 per person!

Happy Tuesday!

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i love beer | 1.

2013-04-04T06:33:00.000-04:00

I'll break this post up into two posts because there are so, so many photos that I'd like to share with you from our day-trip to Beer!

I think you can probably tell from these photos how gorgeous everything was and how relaxed we all were.

Photo by Kiko.

I guess except for that photo just above. :)

beautiful scenery.

coastal hikes.

lots of photo ops!

Photo by Kiko.

Photo by Ryan.

I'll follow up with some photos from the town itself and shots of the best (in my opinion) lunch pub in Beer!

Happy Thursday!

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the breakfasts.

2013-04-03T03:00:00.000-04:00

Before we even hit the road, each of us made The Unbreakable Vow, promising to make one meal to the best of our ability for the rest of the group.

Here are the breakfasts...

I kept it simple: a huge batch of scrambled eggs, yummy crispy bacon, and fresh french bread (with some goat's cheese and hot sauce on the side).

My sister went all-out: ackee and saltfish (a Jamaican staple!), callaloo, dumplings, and fried plantains. She won this particular battle.

Of course, a great start to any morning is a good solid mimosa. On the first morning we went the traditional route (straight OJ and bubbles), but on Day 3 we opted for sparkling rosé mixed with orange + lime juice.

Being a mimosa traditionalist, I scoffed at first. But I'm here to tell you...it was yum.

Also, my sister's boyfriend is a bit ~~obsessed with~~ dedicated to the idea of dessert after every meal. So she whipped him up an approximation of a s'more with substitute graham crackers and the rest of the regular ingredients! I think he was a fan!

Of course, here's a gratuitous 'couple shot'. He's the best.

Happy Wednesday!
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I solemnly swear that I did not make anyone stand back while their meals got cold in order to take these photos. I snapped away quickly like a ninja and then grubbed down with everyone else. ;)

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settling in.

2013-04-02T10:08:00.000-04:00

The cottage we rented at Long Chimney Farm Cottages was so cozy and perfect that we fell in love with it the second we walked through the door! The internet actually didn't work for the duration of our stay, and as freaked out as I was about missing work emails for a chunk of Friday, we quickly learned to live without and properly relax without the chirps and beeps of our emails and phones.

During our first afternoon and night, I caught up on books, marveled at the beautiful chess set, and laughed when the boys came back with cans of Red Stripe – can you tell they're dating Jamaican girls? – and triple the amount of food we thought we'd need for the weekend. (Note: we ended up eating our way through almost all of it. Being in the wilderness heightens your appetite, I guess!)

Ryan and I initially planned to spend the holiday weekend in London on a bit of a 'staycation', but the rental, car rental, food, and drinks ended up costing way less than what it would have to stay in the city. Plus, this way we got to really unplug and relax and leave London and all of its noise and pollution and hurry, hurry-ness behind! (So, thanks to my sister and her boyfriend for the wonderful idea and pulling together all of the logistics!)

Happy Tuesday!

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