August 2014 Instagramy Post

I stayed in town for August as I am going away in September.

Staycations are underrated especially in London when August is one of the few months where it is nice to enjoy the park and my new balcony.

I have been rubbish at logging events this month so here are the pics I did take.

We took Millie on a country weekend.

Dogs don't get seat belts and I did what many mothers used to do in the old days.

She sat on my lap.

On the way out of town, we drove by a colorful Hindu wedding.

This was the best I could do but do you see a pointy thing center right behind the white van?

That is an oast house.

It was originally used to dry hops for beer and is now mainly found in the southeast region of England.What you definitely won't see anywhere but the south of England are vineyards. 

 I am not sure if this style of cladding is a Southern thing or an old English thing in general. But one doesn't see this in London.

I would be lying if I said I love the countryside in general but the country roads make a road trip more scenic than a motorway.

The classic white signs indicating hamlets are charming.

 

Our friend has all the country life trappings.

Pigs...

Welsh mountain goats.

An apple orchard.

Lots of very happy dogs.

Walled gardens.

Millie's favorite bit were the chickens that offered daily eggs.  

Her primal instincts were so strong because as a part spaniel - they were the ones to flush out birds from the bushes before a hunt.

There was a special 100 anniversary beam of light to commemorate the first world war.

I had a pretty good vantage point from the balcony.

It made London a bit like Gotham city.

There was the "other" ray of hope.

A double rainbow.

Dude. A rainbow Blue Booby! ;)

While I know it is great to have electric cars I doubt my ability to drive one as I have a neverending battle of charging my phone.

If the news weren't so darn terrible, the headlines would have been about the temperate and consistent summer we had...

It was a gentle summer and the kind poets write about.

I was so inspired that I planted some tulip bulbs 

in the rear courtyard and tried to get all homemaker-y and poured coffee beans into the soil.

Apparently one uses ground coffee but I am sure mother nature is much more understanding than my critics.

This year's Serpentine Pavilion is by Smiljan Radic.

It looks like a crude spaceship on Stonehenge.

Millie turned one last week and she loved that stick so much I brought it back home.

She has been such an unexpected joy in our lives.

I was so dubious when my brother said he was getting a dog but now I shudder to think he could have listened to me and passed on the idea of having a dog in the city.

She is still so curious.  

She is cuter than she is smart. 

I am an honest aunt.  

She tried to get at the birds and tried to squeeze under the rails...

I think she must have had a crook neck because she used my pillow to nap later that day.

Just to let you know I am behind schedule and will be picking two names from the hat this weekend. So last reminder call for any new readers to let me know if they want to enter 

( people who have entered in the past are automatically in.)

Also, I have having an atrocious time commenting on wordpress blogs.  The Gentleman Farmer let me know that some of my comments were in his spam folder.  Mind you my comments are very similar in content to spam.  So if you have a wordpress blog please do check your spam folders as I can't imagine I am the only one who has experienced this.

Have a lovely weekend x

January 2014 Instagramy Post

As January's go in the northern hemisphere, it hasn't been too bad.

The BBC usually features a program about Brits wanting to move 
to either Australia or New Zealand only making us question 
why we live here!

A dear friend of mine left London so we had a drink to say bid each other well until the next time we see each other. But before drinks we hit Selfridges and see all the people in front of Chanel?
That was the queue to get in and Chanel wasn't even on sale.
  Some recession eh?

Speaking of shopping, I nabbed a bargain at the auctions again.

I love a screen and got this one

 for the same amount you would buy one at Ikea.

The fabric on both sides is lovely but needs a good clean. 

I am not sure the fabric will survive as it looks about 80 years old so I shall see if I can rescue as is or get new fabric.

December 2013 Instagramy post

I tried to take a picture of my local Brora store for 

Dani of DaniBP Mop Philosopher a few weeks ago but forgot that it moved to Westbourne Grove proper. 

I rarely go on that very stretch as 

I go to Ottolenghi on the back roads.  

It's in a dangerous cluster of Whistles, Heidi Klein, and Diptyque among others!

I went inside to have a look at the goods of which 

Dani is a huge fan.

 

I was looking at some throws and a lovely lady helped me through the choices and different types of fabrics.  I did think she really knew her product knowledge.

Then she said things like, "I went through the archives of patterns and chose this color.  I decided that this should be part of a permanent collection and next season I might design..."

I looked at her quizzically as I thought she was just an extremely skillful sales associate and asked her, 

"What do you mean you will go through the archives? 

Do you design for Brora as well?"

"Yes, I do. In fact, I founded Brora." 

I was a little embarrassed but punchy simultaneously.

"No way!  You started the company?  I am here browsing but also taking pictures for Dani - you know Dani the blogger right?"

Victoria Stapleton then said she thought Dani was wonderful, 

looks great, and is so supportive and it was fans like her that 

makes her so proud !

She was so stylish, incredibly attractive and so amiable!

She wanted to take a picture of us two but 

I was not presentable...

So this is Victoria modeling a throw she was showing me.

There are a few more throws in the left hand side that were so soft.

So that's for you Dani!

Instagramy Post November 2013 Part 2

The London weather has been pitch perfect autumn lately.

Went for a walk by the Thames on the full moon.

Depending on the light, 

London can be so moody and dare I say that overused word - Dickensian.

Not everyone believes in orbs but pretty spooky that there are so many on the bank of the Thames.

I think we all have our theories on them.

I was taking my brother's new cockapoo, Millie, for a walk.

All new creatures to the world seem gifted with cuteness so 

they get taken care of.

Biology working its magic.

She is still scared of the world so the walk wasn't as smooth 

so tried again the next morning.

Tides were up so couldn't walk right next to the river.

How beautiful is the city in the cold bright light?