January amusements.

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

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

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

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

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



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

bread and bean picture credit

The Booking Office – St Pancras International.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Picture credit 1 2 

Happy 2012!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Merry Christmas!

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

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

Merry Christmas!

(Picture courtesy of the AWESOME roadside pictures.)

Clinique lid smoothies.

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

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

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

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

Stowells Light – sponsored post

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

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

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

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

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

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

Image with thanks to mjkjr

Paris!

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Innocent - the big knit.

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

Recent pictures.

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

Parliament Hill Lido just after closing time.

Wedding photos outside The Trafalgar in Greenwich.

Ladies Day at York Races.

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

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

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

London, from Greenwich Park.

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

Dungeness by night.

Dungeness.

Tatou the dog and me, at Kenwood.

Isabelle's Cookie Monster cupcakes.

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

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

Hoops the cat. Last weekend.

Penny Dreadful Vintage.

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

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

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

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

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

Winter whites and sparkles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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