focaccia

I love baking it's not a secret but I never bake savoury, always sweet.  So I decided to bake some bread and the first attempt was focaccia with rosemary and sea salt.

I think it turned out alright :)

I used this recipe.

running free

Since December I have been on a health kick. In the Winter I always put on weight. A combination of craving more carbs to keep warm in the colder months and the lack of will to trek to the gym in the dark after work it is always inevitable for me. This is counteracted by the Summer when lighter food is the preferred option and the warmer climes are perfect for running. So by the end of each year I maintain the same weight.

This year there is also the added momentum to lose weight for the wedding. As I tell the OH the wedding lasts for the day but the photos last a life time!

I will try to go running at least 3 times a week and a long swim once a week.

I have also cut fat and sugar from my diet. It was hard at first but after 3 weeks it has been quite easy to maintain this switch in diet. I obviously have the odd treat here and there. The key is moderation.

The weather this week has been mild and I have taken advantage. This week so far I have run 15 km.

I have also bought some new kit in the sales to help me along.

Adidas Climacool Runnig Tights

Nike Free Run trainers

Panache sports bra to reduce bounce!

I love Scotland

I have just got back from a 4 day break in Scotland. I went to University in Edinburgh and worked there too after graduation before finally settling in London. I therefore think for an Englishwoman I know Scotland quite well. I have travelled to many places in Scotland over the years and the place is very dear to my heart. I have been very lucky in my life so far to have travelled to many places including Mongolia, Mexico, India, Nepal to New Zealand but for me the many landscapes of Scotland are the most breathtaking. I try to go back to Scotland as often as I can and this weekend I travelled to the Isle of Islay on the Western Isles. It began with a early morning flight from London to Glasgow, a 3 hour drive to Kennacraig and then a 2 hour 20 minuteferry crossing. The OH is a whisky lover so we visited some distilleries too. Here are a few snaps of our trip.I cannot wait to go back.

Loch Lomand from Luss

Loch Fyne

The ferry

Salmon three ways at the Port Charlotte Hotel, Isle of Islay

View from our room at our guesthouse

Our guesthouse, Loch Gorm House, Islay

The Sound of Jura

Islay

Sunset at Bowmore

love a bit of leopard.....

though this was not always the case. Leopard print has some negative connotations, wear too much and you can look like Bet Lynch. For all you who don't know who she is she is a character in a long running soap here in the UK.  Leopard was her favourite as you can see.

Unlike Bet, I like leopard but in very small doses. I think leopard acts as a great neutral to off set plain coloured clothes. I have a scarf that I wear a lot and a pair of ballet flats if I want to liven up a plain outfit.

I saw this and now I want this dress. Its from Whistles' new collection and I think will be a great staple for Spring and Summer. You can dress it down with sandals (I live in Saltwater sandals during the Summer) or white converse. If I want to dress it up I will pair with leopard kitten heels. These are by Jimmy Choo but as I have said I am not a shoe person and will settle for a less costly pair....so now I am on the look out.

I will get the dress next week. I am now, as of tomorrow,  off to Scotland for a visit.

wild at heart

I have two more things to do for my small wedding in July; get shoes and choose the flowers for my bouquet. Not a shoe person I am holding off the latter task until I can brave a day of proper 'sole' searching.

Even before I got engaged I already had an idea of where I would get more flowers. I have lived in London for nearly 7 years and one of my favourite places is Liberty the department store. I will have to do a separate post on this place alone. Liberty is housed within a mock Tudor building and in the lobby of the main entrance is Wild at Heart florists. The smell of the flowers each and every time I enter the store is evocative and brings me so many memories. So for sentimental reasons I have chosen this florist.  It also helps that Wild at Heart is a modern and chic florist that is so far removed from flowers that you get from the supermarket.

Even though I am still 5 months away from the big day I wanted an idea if I could get the kind of wedding bouquet I have in my head. But first I needed to know what I wanted. As my wedding is small and not dictated by a colour scheme I can basically get anything I wanted provided the flowers were in season. Out went my first choice of peonies as these are a Spring flower and not guaranteed in July. I also wanted to stay away from roses as for me they are a bit cliche and I wanted something different.  Below is a selection of bouquets I have found overtime that I like but have ultimately shown me that I like textured but simple bouquets.

I definitely want the stems showing so that the full form of the flowers can be seen. I also want them to be tied simply with a simple ribbon.

bocca di lupo

I have never been a fan of Italian food. When choosing a place for dinner Italian was never on the list... until I discovered Bocca Di Lupo two years ago. This restaurant does not have any pizzas, lasagne or dough balls on the menu but what they do have on the menu is authentic rustic Italian dishes that I imagine an Italian grandma would make.
Bocca Di Lupo is located on an quiet side street in Soho. The main focal point of the restaurant is a long marble bar which is located in front of the kitchen. Unless you book weeks in advance you are more likely to be sat on this bar when dining. Some like this and some would prefer to sit in the rear restaurant area. I actually like sitting on the bar watching the chefs cook the food.

What makes this place so great is the simplicity of the dishes. The ingredients are high quality, seasonal and intellectually combined. The format of the restaurant comprises of a tapas style  menu where the dishes are to be shared. Each dish notes the region of Italy where it comes from. All the cured sausages are homemade by the restaurant and they are delicious. The menu changes daily.

My personal favourites, when available, are the selection of the fritter starters and the bruschetta.

Selection of the bruschetta

 Main course including their very good homemade sausage

P.S Bocca di Lupo is the big brother establishment to Gelupo. See previous post.

grenson brogues

Last Summer I lived in my Gap nude leather ballet flats. They went with everything and the thing with nude coloured shoes is that they make you seem taller than you are and for me at 5ft 3.5inches I take all the help I can get. Those nude flats are now so well worn they are in my hoarder pile, i.e. I should really chuck them away but I can't.

Having established that I need a replacement pair of nude shoes for the impending Summer I snapped up these in the January sales...a pair of nude Grenson brogues.  Grenson specialise in mens brogues and recently started making brogues for women. I got these at half price and they are truly a beautiful shoe. All handcrafted in England.. you can't get better quality than that. Once you have tried on a handmade shoe you really appreciate the craftmanship and that they really are worth the money.

For me I will wear these with my basic Summer attire which normally consists of cotton shirts, Summer dresses, denim shorts or cropped rolled up chino pants. I can't wait.

However today I wore them with the following pieces.

Whistles Nick Shirt (last year)

M&S Black Jeggings



Topshop Bolt and Cord Necklace (still available)

Mulberry Alexa