Archive for the ‘me’ Category
A Very Merry Christmas
Posted on: December 28, 2010
This Christmas was just what I needed – fun, cosy and restful, despite falling ill almost as soon as term ended. Lots of time with some of my most favourite people, a Christmas ballet, lots of delicious mulled drinks in front of roaring fires and baking of Christmassy treats. It was also a Christmas of firsts – the first with my boyfriend and the first time I’ve ever received a Christmas card as part of a couple. You may laugh, but for once (and unexpectedly even to me) I didn’t react like a panicked Chandler Bing…it was a wonderful feeling!
I hope you all had a fabulous time, however you were celebrating.
Now to start planning some New Year’s Resolutions…
- In: music
- 2 Comments
The Mad Men theme song…with a twist…
I’ve been listening to this on repeat for the last hour or so and thought I’d share it, with fifteen minutes of Monday left here in the UK!
Autumn’s well and truly here!
Posted on: September 29, 2010
- In: me
- 3 Comments
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Autumn is well and truly here in old London town. The evenings are drawing in earlier and the mornings are darker for longer, the warmth of the Tube isn’t as uncomfortable as it was a mere month ago and the pavements are covered in leaves and conkers (oh the school time memories!)
I’m not complaining though – I’m a big fan of cold weather and all the scarves, woolly hats and steaming hot drinks that it brings! Not a big fan of cold weather-induced colds though…I’m just getting over one at the moment, although that’s probably actually due to starting studying again. There’s some kind of connection between a new term, new students and streaming colds isn’t there?!
However, when I get a moment away from the books…there are a couple of cosy knitted creations I’ve had my eye on for a wee while that will be perfect for keeping me snug and warm as the weather gets even more wintery.
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I also spotted these beautiful heels recently. I simply can’t justify buying them and they’re not in any way Autumn-related but they’re so cute!
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Have you been internet window shopping recently?! Has anything in particular caught your eye? It’s a great distraction! Not that I really need any help with procrastination from my school work of course…
Start of term.
Posted on: September 5, 2010
- In: me | study
- 10 Comments
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The bitterness of studying is better than the bitterness of ignorance – unknown.
It’s amazing how quickly the start of a new school year comes round again. On Thursday I went for my course induction and couldn’t believe that an entire year has passed since I nervously queued up to collect an enormous stack of law books and take my first tentative steps into a legal career. I remember thinking I couldn’t possibly get through and remember the quantity of information contained in the texts we were given, and now I can’t believe that I managed to. (But also can’t believe that I’ve also managed to forget so much over the course of a single summer!)
First day of classes tomorrow – wish me luck!
Budapest
Posted on: September 1, 2010
- In: me | travels
- 4 Comments
I actually returned from Budapest over a week ago, but went straight into a week’s work experience, which kept me 800 different kinds of busy, and was then followed by a wonderful weekend seeing friends and celebrating my birthday! I can’t believe how quickly this summer has flown by, and what a fantastic summer it has been – fun with friends, rewarding grades, travel and even an unexpected romance! The last few months of 27 have been fabulous, here’s to an even better 28th year!
Without further ado then, here are some pictures I took in Budapest… It’s a fabulous city which I wholeheartedly recommend you to visit if you get the chance. Really tall, gorgeously-fronted buildings that you could easily imagine standing and being bombarded during the war. Heavy architecture and dark tree-lined streets with a few glowing lamps punctuating the darkness. Delicious food – paprika-spiced meats, pancakes, pastries. We were also lucky enough to visit during the St Stephen’s Day festival, when we watched the fireworks over the Danube and Chain Bridge surrounded by locals on a closed-off tram line.
{funicular railway up to the Castle District}
{eagle overlooking the city}
{view over the Danube and the Parliament building}
{Matyas Church}
{The Cave Church}
{Café Girbeaud}
{Beautiful during the day, but possibly even more beautiful at night}
{St Stephen’s Day is a national holiday, with fireworks over the Danube}
{the Central Marketplace}
{stairway down from the portico of St Stephen’s Basilica}
I did it!
Posted on: July 28, 2010
- In: me | study
- 16 Comments
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My exam grades were released yesterday – I passed the Graduate Diploma in Law with a commendation grade (and only 3 measly points away from a distinction!)!
Here’s to the rest of an amazing summer and next year’s studies – I hope you’ll continue reading ♥
Hever Castle
Posted on: July 20, 2010
- In: daytrips
- 8 Comments
So, as I mentioned in my previous post, I spent a blissful day on Sunday wandering around the gorgeous Hever Castle in Kent – the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. After a chilly start, the sun shone gloriously all day. There was an extra special reason for this trip – one of my best friends will be getting married at Hever this time next year and she wanted to show me the place in (hopefully) similar weather.
The castle itself is quite small and almost a mix of Tudor-style interspersed with 1920s-style rooms, from when Hever was bought and lived in by the Astor family. I loved it though and pictured myself in Tudor dress sitting in one of the window seats with a book or some embroidery, gazing out onto the moat and lawns below. In fact, I only recently read ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’ so had no problem at all revisiting the scenes set at Hever and picturing them through Anne’s eyes…not in too much detail though, that’s one historical figure I would rather not be!
The gardens are stunning – the usual elaborately-kept lawns and shaped trees and hedges, along with little ‘secret’ gardens filled with beautifully-scented roses, statues of mythical figures and fish-filled ponds. There were also two mazes – one traditional maze and the other a water maze. The water maze was particularly fun because, while you were trying to get to the fort in the centre, some of the paths you crossed were booby-trapped and fired water up at you if you stepped on them. I was going round with my friends, a little ahead of them, when a young boy stepped out into my path. I knew that the step ahead was rigged in a certain place and was hoping not to get caught by it but, having a younger brother and a whole horde of younger male cousins, I knew exactly what this kid was planning to do and he knew I knew too. He grinned, I leapt, he stamped down on the square and yep, water flew all the way up my 
back. Little boys eh! Well, we both had a good laugh about it and the sunny weather dried me off quickly so no harm done!
I’ll stop talking now and show you some more pictures. There was some kind of event going on that day as well so there were people dressed in Tudor outfits wandering around, dancing, jousting and practising archery in the grounds. Definitely worth a visit if you’re ever this side of the world!
Okies, I think I’m going to make some coffee now to ward off the mid-morning sleepiness – we were evacuated from our house late last night because of a suspicious vehicle in the adjoining street. Thankfully it was a false alarm (or at least the problem was solved quite speedily – they didn’t tell us either way), the night was warm and we didn’t have to wait around for too long. It certainly brought the neighbours together though, the good-old ‘Blitz Spirit’ is still alive and well in London town!
Saturday
Posted on: July 17, 2010
- In: me
- 14 Comments
So I’ve mostly been working on applications over the last few days (never fun but hopefully they’ll be worth it in the end!) but this weekend is full of fun to make up for days spent in front of the computer trying to think of innovative ways to answer questions to appeal to these firms, who no doubt will have to work their way through hundreds (even thousands) of similar answers…
Today I went for Mexican food (tequila, chicken enchilada and churros, oh my!) and saw Inception in the BFI Imax. Are you planning to see this movie? If not, why not?! Go and book tickets now! Seriously. I don’t want to say much about it because I truly think that you should go and watch it knowing as little as possible beforehand. I’d only watched the trailer and that left me feeling a little confused but also so keen to see it and I was not disappointed.
A complicated but enjoyably-complicated plot, an outstanding cast, gorgeous visuals – I think it’s the best film I’ve seen in a long time. I’d like to go again please! And if you need a little more convincing, I present the rather delicious Joseph Gordon Levitt who is part of the aforementioned outstanding cast…
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See, I told you you’d want to see it ♥
Tomorrow, I’m going here:
Speaking of which, I’d better make sure my camera battery’s charged and ready…I have an early start to get over to my friend’s for 9 for the long drive ahead…
Before I sign off, I thought I’d share some cute images that I’ve loved over the last few days, images which have made me want to take out my sketchpad and paints. Perhaps when these applications are finished…
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Have a lovely weekend!
C
- In: friends | London adventures | music
- 3 Comments
I suppose I should clarify, this isn’t a specifically musically Monday post, this is predominantly a catch-up of the musicality of the last few days.
So the last few days have included…
an evening picnic and dancing in one of London’s gorgeous parks to some fantastic Motown hits…
{photos by me}
being serenaded by the incredibly stylish Jersey Boys…
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Alas not personally serenaded but it’s so easy to just forget the hundreds of other people in the audience and believe for a few hours that they’re singing directly to you ♥
It’s such a fantastic show – the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and their journey to fame, with lots of their classic hits (and you’ll recognise more than you may think!) including Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You and my favourite – Beggin’.
My only criticism of the show – I wish they’d sung a medley of their main hits again at the end of the show because by that time most of the audience were up on their feet and ready to keep dancing! I shouldn’t complain though, they were singing for pretty much the entire show! I wholeheartedly recommend it and am already trying to plan when I can see it again…
afternoon tea in the elegant St James’ Restaurant at Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly…
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There are few things more quintessentially English than going for afternoon tea and that’s what I decided to do with some of my closest friends to celebrate getting through my course this year, and it really was a wonderfully special treat! I’d advise you to arrive hungry – there are lots of teas to choose from (I had the Piccadilly blend and the Chai) along with sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and three different types of jam, and so many cakes.
It truly was the perfect Sunday afternoon – excellent company, conversation and laughter, in an elegant restaurant from where you can look out over bustling Piccadilly below whilst enjoying an almost never-ending supply of delcious treats.
and if all of the above wasn’t enough, gorgeous summer fireworks.
{photos by me}
I hope you’re all having lovely summers so far too!
Grace Kelly – Style Icon
Posted on: July 3, 2010
I think it is important to see the person first and the clothes afterwards – Grace Kelly
This seems like an odd sentiment to come from someone who is remembered above all as such an icon of style, but having seen some of the most gorgeous and well-known items from her wardrobe today I can truly echo this statement.
The Victoria and Albert Museum are currently hosting this exhibition, featuring dresses from around the time of Grace Kelly’s Hollywood career, through to her meeting and moving out to Monaco to marry Prince Rainier and also some of the haute couture gowns of her later years. Plus! Some of her hats, shoes, glasses (I didn’t realise she wore glasses but she had some gorgeous pairs!) and jewellery. Oh to be able to play dress-up in some of those gowns…although I don’t know how feasible it would be – I think I’d have to lose about half my waist. The glasses though, no problems there! (.^_^)v
As soon I went into the exhibition and saw some of the dresses she wore in the 50s, I think my jaw dropped and I literally gasped. As much as I love Victorian and Edwardian-style dresses, I think the 50s are truly my fashion era. The nipped in waists, the full skirts, the patterns and ribbons…my heart skips a beat whenever I spot something similar in a shop nowadays! So as gorgeous as some of the later dresses in Grace Kelly’s collection were, it was the early collection that I loved the most, but what really surprised me about most of the exhibition was how simple the gowns were, with nothing overly fancy. (Apparently she saved that for her elaborate hairstyles at events later in her life – she had to ride to one ball sitting on the floor of a van because her headpiece was
too tall for a car.) So yes, she truly embodied the notion that you should wear your clothes and not the other way round.
There were also a few of the costumes, along with clips, from some of her movies – High Society and Rear Window among others. I love Bing Crosby so definitely want to watch High Society at some point in the future and have already seen Rear Window but may have to dig out the DVD for a re-watching…ooh I think this is calling out for a Grace Kelly evening! The dress on the right was in the exhibition and I remember thinking it was stunning when watching the movie. Apparently, this dress was worn to signify the fact that the relationship between James Stewart’s character and Grace Kelly’s was cemented at this stage and so she could simply wear an ordinary understated dress as opposed to the more enticing dresses she was wearing before. Oh, if only this was still an understated, easily accessible, day-to-day style of dress!
I really recommend this exhibition but do book in advance – the V & A are running timed entries so it doesn’t get too crowded and you may not be able to get tickets on the day. The pictures (among others!) and more information about the exhibition can be found by following the link here.
The Girl in the Red Coat 