Tag Archives: England

Spring is just around the corner!

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Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part as it’s still only February, but there are some signs that spring is on its way like these beautiful daffodils around the corner from our house.

Over the weekend we got a brief respite from the rain and took the opportunity to go outside and soak up some rays and much-needed vitamin D.

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Clemmie posing with the Daffs 🙂

We went to the playground for the first time this year, which seems crazy, but the past few weeks have been so wet that many parts of the country are really suffering with flooding. Unfortunately it looks like the rain is set to return later this week but at least we got a taste of spring. Now I think I would be happy to skip the snow and go straight to warmer weather…

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This Week’s Favourites

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A Gingerbread latte (I was pleasantly surprised that they were still on the menu even though Christmas is over) and mini muffin at Costa earlier this week while Cameron was at his tutor. The traffic was horrendous so I needed a quick energy boost to face the drive home.

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Clemmie and her best friend on the way to pick up their older siblings from school. They have known each other since birth and, although they sometimes have their little squabbles, they are super cute together and you can tell they really love each other.

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Finally made it to the cinema last night to see American Hustle and I was not disappointed. It is an excellent film and I’m not surprised it has received so many Oscar nominations.

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During the week my breakfast tends to consist of a bowl of cereal eaten at my desk so on the weekends it is nice to make a bit more of an effort. These scones are a favourite of both mine and the kids and take no time at all to make.

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Another purchase in the Sales – most likely my last this season – but I couldn’t resist these shoes by Poste Mistress which were reduced from £80 to £36.

I had some work to do tonight so apologies for the short post! But I’m firmly of the belief that, if time is scarce, it is better to write something rather than nothing. Hope you agree!

Have a fab Sunday night. X

Happy Weekend!

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Saturday morning: coffee in bed while the children play downstairs. No school uniforms, packed lunches or getting out of the door by 8.30am. Now that I’m working again, weekends are even more precious – two whole days to recuperate, relax and gather our energies for next week.

Hope you have a fantastic weekend! X

This Week’s Favourites

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Hello there, First of all I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your lovely supportive comments on my previous post. It’s very comforting to know that I’m not the only one to be hit by bloggers block! How are you all bearing up under the Christmas stress? I finished the wrapping last night and today has been a mad dash (in the pouring rain, of course!) buying new shoes for the boys, haircuts for all the kids, and packing our bags for three nights away. We leave tomorrow morning and although it feels strange not to be spending Christmas at home, we are all very excited to be trying something new. We (hopefully) have a fun packed few days ahead and I’ve been cramming the suitcases full with fancy dress outfits, Black Tie attire, wellies and swimming costumes.

It may be a day late but I wanted to take a few minutes to do my weekly round up:

 

1. It seems like ages ago now, but Cameron was off school with a tummy ache last Monday. Once I’d finished work in the morning, we played quite a few boardgames including Junior Monopoly.

2. Luckily he had recovered by the following day and was able to do a reading in church at his school’s carol service.

3. Amaryllis = Christmas and ours is now in full bloom.

4. Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the big guy in red himself. The boys were happy to pose with Father Christmas (a really good one this year who took his time to chat to all the children individually) but Clemmie preferred to stay close to Mummy.

5. She did manage to divulge that she wants a dolly for Christmas and enjoyed the visit to the playground afterwards.

6. Another festive tradition is making gingerbread biscuits. I buy the dough ready made from the Swedish food shop, so much easier than making your own. I had planned to buy some writing icing to decorate them but the kids managed to eat every single biscuit before I had time. Note to self: Buy two batches of dough next year.

7. As we’re away over Christmas (it’s my dad’s 70th birthday on Christmas Day no less so we’re going to stay in a hotel for three days), we enjoyed a traditional Swedish Christmas lunch with my parents, sister and family and the in-laws yesterday.

8. Clemmie and her cousin are only six months apart in age and get on really well, chatting away in a mixture of English and Swedish. It will be lovely to spend three solid days together over Christmas.

9. And finally I just had to share my latest purchase with you – the Nars At First Sight eye and cheek palette. My mother-in-law bought me a voucher for Space NK for my birthday and this week I managed to nab the very last palette in stock!

Right, back to the packing it is and in case I don’t get a chance to post in the next couple of days: A very merry Christmas to you all! X

Currently Coveting #14: Vivienne Westwood x The Cambridge Satchel Company

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I’ve been looking for a bag that is both practical and stylish – and, most importantl, not black – for quite a while now. A couple of days ago I stumbled across this beautiful satchel by The Cambridge Satchel Company and I think the search is officially over. To celebrate its fifth birthday, the brand has collaborated with iconic British designer Vivienne Westwood to produce a limited edition range that combines the classic satchel with the queen of punk’s infamous squiggle print. The design also incorporates the pale tan straps and buckles which first featured in Westwood’s Pirate collection from 1981.

The bags, which come in two sizes and three colourways: yellow and black, white and red, and brown and black, retail at £195 for the 14″ size and £165 for the 11″ version. They are sold exclusively at Vivienne Westwood standalone boutiques and The Cambridge Satchel Company stores in central London, so I think a trip up to town is on the cards for me if I want to get my hands on one before they sell out.

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Let it Rain!

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If this last week is anything to go by, we’re in for a rainy autumn here in England (yet again). About the only thing to lift my spirits on a dull day when it’s pouring outside is putting on my shiny black Hunter wellies. Style and comfort is an unbeatable combination and if you add a pair of welly socks your feet will stay toasty no matter how hard it rains.

Now the iconic British brand has teamed up with New York based cool-kid-on-the-block Rag & Bone in a collaboration that has set the fashion world’s pulses racing. The collection, which hits stores this week, includes two different styles of classic military inspired rain-boots – a tall equestrian fit and a short motorcycle boot. Both styles come in Fall colours such as burgundy, navy, black and army green and the design details are unmistakenly Rag & Bone with gunmetal rivet hardware and zips lending a tough edge to the classic welly.

Commenting on the thinking behind the collaboration, David Neville, the co-managing partner of Rag & Bone, said: “Hunter may be a quintessential British brand but we also always see so many women on the streets of Manhattan wearing their boots. Not only is this testament to the brand’s global appeal, it resonated with us as we are British guys living in New York. We are really excited about this collaboration.”

I never thought I’d say it, but bring on the rain!

Shop the collection here

Twelve ♥

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Ready to go out in H&M dress, Zara leather jacket and Miu Miu shoes.

Ready to go out in H&M dress, Zara leather jacket and Miu Miu shoes.

Weather-wise it has been a week of contrasts here in England. At the start of the week we were basking in glorious sunshine and temperatures of 28 degrees. By Friday, however, the rain had arrived and there was a definite autumn chill in the air. Not only has the temperature dropped by ten degrees, the evenings are also getting darker as I realised last night when I asked my husband to take a picture of my outfit. (Apologies for the picture quality – at the moment I’m only using my phone as I’ve been putting off the mammoth task of downloading over 500 holiday photos from my camera)

We were on our way out for dinner at a local Italian restaurant to celebrate twelve years of (mostly at least!) wedded bliss. We didn’t bother with gifts this year, although I’ve now looked it up online and apparently gifts of silk and/or linen are traditional for a 12th wedding anniversary, which does sound rather good (!’m thinking silk scarf or draped linen top..) so I might have to give hubs a nudge in the right direction. The food was lovely and, as you can see in the picture above, they had made a real effort with the table decorations (scattered rose buds and an anniversary card set the scene nicely) and gave us a free champagne cocktail. Unfortunately the service was very slow – our table was booked for 9pm and we ordered the food shortly after, but the starter was not served until after 10pm by which time I had already devoured half the bread basket. The restaurant is a relatively new addition to our little urban village and while I always like to support local businesses, I’m not sure there will be a return visit for us.

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There might have been no presents from my other half but I got a gorgeous bunch of flowers from my lovely mother-in-law.

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Today we drove up to London to attend the morning service at the Swedish Church, where we got married on September 8, 2001. No trip to Marylebone is complete without a visit to the Swedish shop to stock up on chocolate and magazines. That’s my Sunday evening sorted!

Just the Two of Us

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After we waved goodbye to the boys at the school gates this morning, Clemmie and I had a leisurely walk back home. It was another beautiful, sunny day but the house seemed almost eerily quiet and it hit me that next year I will be at those same gates waving off not two but three kids. I still can’t get my head around the fact that kids here in England start school so early. The boys are both autumn babies so they were nearly five when they went into Reception class but Clemmie’s birthday is in July so she will have just turned four, which seems so very young. She starts preschool in two weeks’ time but that will only be 12 hours a week so just enough time for me to go to the gym, do a bit of blogging, and attempt to keep on top of the housework.

But if the last few years are anything to go by, I know that September 2014 will be here in just the blink of an eye. And then (with no more babies on the horizon) it will be time for me to really figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life… An exciting but also slightly daunting prospect.

The Weekend in Pictures

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On Saturday night we booked a babysitter and went out to the cinema to see the new Steve Coogan film, Alan Partridge – Alpha Papa. My husband chose the film and while it was quite entertaining, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. But the cinema itself more than made up for it. Just 15 minutes down the road from us, it is part of a small independent chain and is a far cry from the massive Odeon theatres with their overpriced pick and mix and jumbo tubs of popcorn. The theatre itself is quite small with two or three seat sofas and tables to put your drinks and munchies on, and attached to it is a cosy bar where you can buy wine, beer, soft drinks and a large selection of snacks from pizzas and olives to chocolate buttons and retro sweets.

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I love England in late August/early September. It is usually sunny, although the evenings are getting darker and nature’s palette is slowly transforming into beautiful red, deep orange and bright yellow. Today we decided to make the most of the long Bank Holiday weekend by heading to Hatchlands Park, a National Trust property and parkland, near Guildford in Surrey where we went for a walk across cows meadows and the children played in the woods.

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All that fresh air and exercise left us all feeling famished but luckily we were going to the in-laws for lunch. My mother-in-law is a fantastic cook and had made a lovely roast chicken followed by the most gorgeous (gluten free) apple and blackberry crumble.

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A game of croquet in the garden (complete with the requisite squabbles over who was winning and who was cheating).

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And finally, today’s all black outfit was one of the £7 H&M dresses I bought at the start of the summer teamed with leggings and patent wedges from Topshop. Hope you all had a great weekend. X

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