saturday goodies

Woke up early this morning to a completely blue sky - a rare thing in February in London. Although feeling a bit under the weather, I was determined to shirk academic responsibility, ignore my sniffly nose and fuzzy head and go outside. So I went for a stroll to buy stamps, which led to a tube ride, which led to another stroll which lead to cupcakes. What can I say...it was a happy accident? Anyway, when in the convenience store to get stamps, I spied the new Lula (issue #10) which I didn't even know was out, as well as Apartmento issue #4. Those being quickly snapped up, my fuzzy head began to feel fuzzier and so I headed home. Now I lay in bed, a little worse for wear, prepared to nap. But when I awake, I'll have a Red Velvet cupcake and some good reading to keep me company as I battle what feels like the beginnings of the flu. Work will have to wait until tomorrow. Happy Saturday!

ps. The cupcakes are from Hummingbird bakery. They just opened a branch in Soho which is very good in terms of accessibility (no longer a 35 minute trip for cupcakes!) but very bad in terms of health. Today, we got Red Velvet (a classic) and Malt Chocolate, which has Maltesers on top, making it ten times more appealing since they are my absolute favorite. It's almost too good to be true... I want to savour this moment.

small comforts

I think I might be under house arrest. Informally, of course, but the combination of fucking cold rainy weather and the burden of deadlines has made venturing outside a rare occasion. But there are little things, small indulgences that are getting me through the increasingly shorter days. I'll make it through by staring idly at my new you-study-so-hard-you-deserve-them boots, consuming dubious amounts of coffee and homemade fudge (that travelled all the way across the Atlantic just for me), and adding some Christmas cheer to the house in the form of a mini poinsettia, the lovely poisonous plant of the holiday season. No cabin fever here...as long as I don't confuse the flower for the fudge, I'll be all set.

last days

Summer. That time of year that we all wait for, long for, yearn for, is almost over. Course, living in the UK, it never really feels like it begun (minus the two-day heat waves). But still, there were some lovely days spent doing lovely things, summery things like reading in the park, sipping ice coffees while strolling through Soho... I even went rowing! Well, I sat in a row boat while someone else rowed...turns out I cannot row, my coordination just simply isn't effective enough for proper oar maneuvering. And now September is 'round the corner and I'm left wondering, 'Is it really time to say so long sweet summer'?

By the Sea, part deux

Another round of photos from me holiday...

Spent the majority of the time in Nice, reading and sunning on its pebbled shores, and during the evenings getting lost (actually) in the Old City, with its tiny winding streets, and tall beige buildings. It was ridiculously picturesque and only slightly frustrating. And the food, oh my goodness, the food. I don't think I have ever eaten that much pasta in my life, and I love pasta. I didn't realize that there would be so much Italian food, but I guess it used to be under Roman influence and didn't actually become a part of France until the late 19th century. I loved Nice so much, and definitely could have a little beachside apartment there one day. Hmmm.

We also had a couple of day trips to Monaco, to see how the rich live and Cannes, to see where the rich play and show their films. Both were beautiful but Monaco was a bit expensive and Cannes was a bit windy and not too different from Nice. Still, I am happy to have seen both and I can now check them off my list. Nice is still my favorite of all though, perhaps because that's where we came upon a really really freakin' gigantic palm tree. The tallest that I ever did stand beside and that was pretty darn cool.

By the Sea, part one

Here are some photos from Marseilles, where we spent the first couples days of our trip. We had a (cheap!) hotel with an amazing view of the sea, and spent our time there mostly wandering through the Vieux Port and oohing at the ridiculously blue sea. We took a ferry to the Chateau D'If, where part of Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo is set. It's kind of funny to visit an actual historical site because of fictional characters, but at least it gets people going there, I guess. I love history, majored in it in university, and so love visiting old forts/prisons/castles, etc merely for the fact that there is so much history within the walls. It blows my mind to think of all the events that have occurred in the past all leading to what is going on now....Anyway, all geekiness aside, it was fun start to the trip. I'll post a few more photos tomorrow of Nice, Cannes and Monaco, the other places my fella and I visited.

State of Maine

My weekend in Maine was a tad chilly and cloudy with a little bit of rain but still a jolly ol' time. While whale watching, kayaking and sailing were all on the 'to-do' list, my ever disorganized family didn't get around to any of it and spent most of the time exploring the Acadia National Park, eating tons of blueberry-filled foods and enjoying the sea air. The salty smell of the ocean is perhaps one of my favorite smells in the whole wide world. Although the water was too cold to go in to, and the sun refused to shine, it was still a lovely family getaway, with only a little bit of bickering, lots of seafood and gorgeous surroundings.

The Ice Storm Cameth

So, back at home. Arrived post-ice storm...to a house with no electricity, water, heat, any semblance of comfort. Except the fam, of course. So no internet, no posts, but I do get to make fires and walk around the house with candles-a-glow. Ah, the simple life. So simple...and so goddamn cold.

Jack Frost Nipping

I love Christmas. I really truly do. Decorating the tree, listening to cheesy music and watching the classics on TBS. And baking. Must not forget all the wonderful food that I gorge on at Christmas time. I cannot believe there are only 11 days left, but an advent calendar does not lie. So far this holiday season, I've...

Decorated a 3ft plastic tree aka my English Christmas tree. (A real pine one awaits me, 3000 miles from this one).

Baked shortbread cookies (with toblerone in the middle!)
And (already!) received the best gift ever. My fellow got me (and I opened early since I won't be seeing him) a 1920 edition of Alice in Wonderland, complete with amazing illustrations and that perfect used book smell.

Now if only it would snow...though from what I hear, I'll be getting plenty of that when I get home.

A Book & Its Shelf

I just spent all day yesterday laying on my couch and reading this from start to finish:
And the best part was, for the first time, I actually correctly guessed who the murderer was! Normally I'm kind of stupid about those types of things, and Agatha Christie, the sly little minx, always gets the better of me. Not today though!

Other than clothes, the thing I have to generally control my spending on is books, both new and secondhand, but especially secondhand. Any time I go into a used bookstore (one of my favorite past times, especially in London where they are so perfectly disorganized) I leave with at least 3 novels, normally one of them being a Christie... what can I say I've been reading her since I was 11!

When on the oh-so popular, the selby, I love to look at peoples' bookshelves, to see what the books they have, how they arrange them, etc. Maybe, it's cause I like to think a person's bookshelf/bookself (ha!) can provide pseudo-psychological insight into their personality, just like their clothes.

So, here are a few of my favorite bookshelves, and some of my own thrown into the mix at the end...

My two favorites:
Lesley Arfin: books in the kitchen = perfection! If I didn't have a gas stove and no fan, this would be my ideal arrangement.
Ingrid Schram- a bookwindow!And some others....





And some of my own various nooks of books: