Garland

I meant to show my confetti system garland that I used for decorating my birthday dinner, it is seriously so beautiful and I love that it is hand made. I was so tempted to get a pinata but I didn't have anywhere to hang it and the thought of smashing it was too sad. I love this idea here though of hanging it as a decoration...hmmm.

London

So today is my final post on my holiday, I can’t believe I have already been home now for several weeks ugh! Anyway London was my final stop for a few days before flying back to Australia and at first it seemed a little strange to be back in an English speaking country, I missed being curious and not understanding what people were saying! Not having a lot of time, I saved the Tate Modern and the Victoria and Albert (both very high on my list) for my next trip I just didn’t want to rush through them. Instead I did some more general sightseeing and tried to get my bearings just a little.

The food in London was great, I had pizza at neals yard deli, fish and chips and mushy peas with some really nice organic cider for lunch at Canteen in Baker Street, poached eggs and salmon for breakfast at Fortnum and Mason, and a lemon cupcake at the Primrose Hill Bakery in Covent Garden. That shop is so sweet, I loved the rabbit door stop and the people eating a selection of cakes to decide what they wanted for their wedding, the girls working there were nice and chatty and let me take a few shots inside. I also ended up rather randomly going to the Hummingbird Bakery too, I was walking towards the tube station in Kensington and heard a girl say to another ‘oh hummingbird is just around the corner’. Of the two I confess I liked Primrose the best.

I walked around Notting Hill and just loved wandering - taking a few shots and seeing all the flowers everywhere in bloom. I visited Liberty and thought the rug room was so amazing, spent some pennies in Anthropologie (I was impressed that place deserves the kudos it gets) and at Orla Kiely, loved Selfridges and hated the ten minutes I spent in Harrods : )

I felt so sad having to pack my bags and go back home, it’s nice to feel so free and do and see completely new things everyday. I know a lot of it is about your state of mind and if you try to think of the everyday at home in a different light it can help but sometimes, like now in the depth of winter I just want to plan for another trip!

Sunday

1. Going out - please excuse my poor battered oxfords I wore them around europe and they are dead but I am waiting for these new ones from elk to arrive before I turf them out.
2. Grumpy boy Angus - hates having his picture taken but he's so dreamy and soft and beautiful.
3. My new milk bottle holder in perfect nick, I couldn't not bring it home.
4. Passionfruit icing cupcakes for afternoon tea with my grandmother.

Soooo glad tomorrow is another day off, I hope you are enjoying the long weekend if you are lucky enough to have one too!

Reykjavik and the south coast of Iceland

Apologies for the light posting this week, it has been cold, wet and miserable here and it has made me feel a bit flat… but never mind tomorrow is Friday and we have a long weekend coming up and that is a good thing! So tonight I thought I would share some photographs from visiting Reykjavik and the south coast of Iceland.

Originally I had planned to spend a full week in Sweden, which would have been ideal, but then I started looking at maps and realising that Iceland was much closer than I originally thought. It seemed crazy not to go! I’ve always loved music from Iceland I grew up mad about Bjork and then later Sigur Rós and most recently Ólöf Arnalds and Seabear, so I felt rather drawn to it.

Coming in on the plane was so beautiful with the stark land, black coast and blue/turquoise water, then the drive to Reykjavik through the lava fields, I’m pretty sure I had a crazy grin on my face the whole time.

I only had a few days to explore, one and a bit for Reykjavik, which is stark but really cool at the same time with the different coloured buildings, and another for a long bus tour along the south coast to the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon. Going past some beautiful waterfalls, the glaciers, black sand deserts and several of the volcanoes, none of which had any activity going on while I was there! I loved it but found the bus tour rather frustrating with not being able to stop where I wanted to take photographs so I think next time hiring a car would be the best idea.

I also think it would be a wonderful place to go with a group of friends, to go out and have drinks, enjoy the looong daylight hours and just have a laugh, sometimes it's not so easy to do that when you travel alone.

this weekend...

*I had the most indulgent breakfast on Saturday - pain au chocolat (I seem to have developed a taste for them) and hot chocolate, but I finally broke my gym drought and went for the first time since getting back – it wasn’t as bad as it might have been.
*Made a trip to the Drill Hall in New Norfolk and as always came away with new items on my wish list, this time a beautiful French terracotta bowl, only $185…um maybe not just now.
*Listened to the new Beastie Boys and Seabear interchangeably, they couldn’t be more different and yet I love both
*Prepared another post for Island Menu, Sam has a new post up today from visiting Pedra Branca, which is a looong way south in a not huge boat - I love his film of the birds diving for fish.
*Did not have time to look through my growing magazine pile : (

What did you do?

Stockholm

After Barcelona I said goodbye to my Mum and flew solo to Stockholm. I LOVE Stockholm it is beautiful and cool and I didn’t heave nearly enough time there! The days I had there were the only cold ones on the whole trip but despite that and the rain I had a great time exploring, such a great city to walk around.

I visited Gamla Stan and the fantastic buildings and the sweet letter boxes (at least I think they are letter boxes) in the shape of houses, the flowers in pots everywhere (Australian’s really don’t use flowers enough), the beautiful food in Östermalms Saluhalll, Ahlens and the homeware section in NK – that I had to walk away from because it was too overwhelmingly good and none of it I could carry home – the Vasa museum, Moderna Museet and Södermalm where I wandered around and followed my google map to Manos Karin Eriksson’s beautiful shop. Karin was so kind and friendly and I would have loved to bring more of her work home but am very happy with the little dish I did get. I also brought home some Camilla Engman printed cards (as she had visited the store only a few days before me).

After visiting Manos I had the biggest hot chocolate (it was a full bowl) and yum-oh blueberry pie at Gilda’s café (on Oscar Lucinda's suggestion, thank you so much I loved it), followed by a lot more walking after such a bit sugar hit!

My time went so fast in Stockholm and I cannot wait to go back it is on the top of my list, I would love to see it in full summer with the leaves on the trees but also in winter I am sure it is magical too.

Wish list: brights

because it's winter and I need some brights to get me through!

canvas bag
michi fat carpenter pencils
Jonsi, Alex and Kjartan poster (I have ordered one of these and can't wait for it to arrive!)
Detaljer book ( nearly got this in Stockholm but didn't and now I wish I had because you don't seem to be able to purchase it online)
Dior nail varnish in Aloha