Happy Monday!
I’m struggling to remember what I did this week. Is that weird? I’ve been to a couple of events, and I spent an evening catching up on telly, but other than that? I honestly can NOT remember.
It’s all very strange.
But: AUTUMN IS HERE!
It’s cold and grey and rainy outside, there are orange leaves on the ground, and Starbucks’ pumpkin spiced latte is out and ready for ordering (which is something I plan on doing this afternoon.)
I know some of you are still hanging on to summer, and I’ve been told to not rush it cos autumn/winter will be around for long enough as it is… but OH YOU GUYS. I just really like autumn.
I’ve always been an autumn baby. Literally. My birthday is in October. Summer is great and fun and whatever, but having spent 18 years enjoying SPECTACULAR summers in Spain – I’m going to be entirely honest and say that summer in London absolutely sucks in comparison.
Most of the time it’s hot and humid and muggy and gross. Offices don’t have air conditioning, we have to wear tights and uniforms at work, the underground trains are just plain disgusting, and we don’t even have pools or beaches to chill by in the evenings.
On the other hand, Spain’s autumns are pretty much non-existent. Pine and palm trees don’t go red and lose their leaves. Snuggling into a jumper is a joke until at LEAST November. And…
Aaaaand now I’ve kind of lost the thread of what I was trying to say.
Basically: summer is great when I’m in Spain. But living in London? Autumn is Queen.
And I’m SO glad she’s finally here!
1. Views of London. I visited Min Jiang for dinner last week and the views are totally SPECTACULAR. You can see right across Kensington Gardens, with the Shard, London Eye, Westminster, the Cheese Grater and much more, all viewable in the distance. We arrived at the golden hour as well, so it was all lit up beautifully and it made me happy.
2. Peking duck. Look, we all know I’m not a luxury blogger. And I never thought I’d say what I’m about to say but: oh god. Min Jiang has basically ruined me for Peking duck forever. It’s so good and so expensive but SO GOOD. But so expensive. BUT SO BLOODY GOOD.
3. Photoshop. GUYS, I LEARNED HOW TO USE PHOTOSHOP. Well done me. I’m so proud of me. It’s been something I’ve been wanting to try for ages, how to make graphics on Photoshop, and I’m so pleased I finally got round to it.
4. Sunday lunch in Knightsbridge. Gary’s parents and some of their friends popped down to London for the weekend, so Gary and I met them for lunch in town yesterday. We wandered up from Sloane Square and settled into a delightful old pub in Knightsbridge for a pint and some yummy food. It’s been six months since I last saw them – so it was lovely to catch up!
5. Peach crumble. After lunch, we said goodbye to his parents and wandered back down Sloane Street, slipping down side streets to explore tiny hidden gardens and stopping at Côte Brasserie for coffees and the BEST peach crumble and ice cream I’ve ever tasted. An absolute winner with the perrrrfect crumble to fruit ratio. Highly recommended!
6. Italian pasta. I went to a three-course Italian brunch and pasta-making masterclass at Theo Randall’s Simple Italian restaurant on Saturday. Apart from meeting some really lovely internet people, we ate rocket and ricotta tortellini with sage butter, spaghetti a la pescatora (with seafood), and a pappardelle with a slow-cooked oxtail ragout. And oh my giddy aunt it was glorious.
7. The DUFF. I finally got round to watching The DUFF on Saturday night and ohmygosh it’s sooooo good! I’m sad it’s taken me this long to see it to be honest. Mae Whitman is smart, funny, sassy and utterly adorable; Robbie Arnell is hilarious and gorgeous; and the chemistry between the two is just ELECTRIC. Big fan. Big, big fan.
8. New flat planning. We move house in two weeks and I’m starting to get excited now! I’ve got a whole Pinterest board dedicated to decorating ideas for it, and I’m looking forward to making it feel homey. Gary moved into my place when we first moved in together, so the room still has more of my stamp on it than his, so it will be nice for our new flat to feel very much OURS and not just mine!
9. Budapest. We’re going to Budapest! Gary told me yesterday that he’s booked us flights for my birthday weekend and I’m so so excited. Budapest has been on my list for ages, and I was utterly convinced that all our travels for 2016 were over due to the move, so it’s a lovely surprise. I’m on the hunt for great places to stay, eat and explore – so drop me a comment with your suggestion!
10. Blogging in bed. I’m trying to get my brain back in a 5 post a week mentality. I miss my 2015 blog schedule, but my head just doesn’t seem to be as on it as it used to be. So on Saturday morning I cuddled up in bed with my laptop to write up a post plan for the coming weeks. Warm socks, cup of tea on the side, bit of jazz in the background… Bliss.
This week is looking much busier.
Lots of catching up with friends, a couple of dinners and events, and then packing! Lots and lots of packing. We sign for our new place a week on Wednesday and so far we have done absolutely NOTHING.
So this week my mission is to get started on the clear out. There’s a ton of stuff I know I can get rid of, and then packing up my books and clothes will hopefully get done on the weekend, when our cardboard boxes arrive.
It’s all very exciting!
Hope you have an utterly wonderful week darlings! ♥︎
