London

I'm back home after a 4 day work shopping trip to London, we tried to get in as much as our legs would allow, couple new spots to report and our hotel was great.
We stayed at the hoxton hotel in Shoreditch...I know it's a little of a trek out of the city but with Liverpool Street Station a 5 minute walk it really made no difference to us...plus with all that's happening in Shoreditch at the moment...surely it's the place to be...
A nice breakfast spot was at the book club  decked out in a mixture of old school furniture (the type of chairs that snagged your tights as a 6 year old) and vintage Ercol... I imagine it can get a little young and hip after 5.30pm but it's literally just around the corner from the hotel and en route to the underground...

The Book Club

Pizza East for a bite to eat on Shoreditch High Street (I advise booking) 

Folklore  If you head up to Islington be sure to stop by.

Bills  nice easy food spot.

Folklore

We stopped off at Somerset House to view the Tim Walker exhibit which would have been great except the space was too cramped and they should've had a limit on the number of people in the space. But all their exhibits are free, so one can't complain too much...well just a little.

Tim Walker

Sunday is Market Day...headed out early to Columbia Road Flower Market which is a short walk from our hotel...unfortunately no flower purchases for us but we enjoyed fresh sausage rolls from The Lily Vanilli Bakery hiding just around the back in The Courtyard. Along with some other cute stores.

daylesford organic A favorite for lunch

I only picked up a couple treasures, some fabric from Liberty's the plan is to make a dress for an upcoming wedding in May...I'll keep you posted.
As always the cloth house  had plenty for me to feast my eyes on the temptation was obviously too great and I picked up  some beautiful indigo striped linen mix I must have something that needs covering...

End of a year

I have to get this posted before February...
Welcome 2013....it's been a while I don't have any excuses except this precious invisable thing called time has passed me by in a flash.
There's been plenty to enjoy and celebrate and now here we are in 2013,

The festivities have been and gone I feel rested, a little rounder, and so grateful to have spent this precious time with my wonderful husband, just the two of us relaxing, enjoying our home and enjoying time together. 

It was a tough decision not to go home for the holidays this year, but we decided we wanted to stay in Italy and start to create some of our own new Christmas traditions.

Decorating our home...we went out a week or so before Christmas hunted and gathering some festive sprigs and colour to add to our already fully trimmed tree.

With Christmas Day being our own...turkey in the oven we headed out for a Christmas breakfast at Lake Garda...we were totally spoiled with the peace and quiet enjoying our very own first Christmas alone together with a yummy breakfast - on a jetty with only the passing swans for company.

:: Christmas Day Breakfast ::

Scrambled Eggs

Smoked Salmon

Tea

Bloody Marys

As the day was ours to be as leisurely as we wanted Christmas lunch was extended to late afternoon lunch early evening dinner.

With enough food to feed a family we were done in and crashed out on the sofa.

:: Christmas Day Lunch ::

Turkey

Roast Potatoes

Carrot & Swede cheese mash

Roast Parsnips & squash

Stuffing

Gravy

Cereriac Mash

No room for dessert

Boxing Day we headed up to Cortina...for our well anticipated snow shoe walking with our two friends.
It was the best way to spend the day after Christmas, out in the most breathtaking scenery with friends followed by a well deserved lunch at the refuge at the top.

With days spent watching films, eating and snuggled up on the sofa the idea of a grand New Years celebration inspire either of us. Instead we gathered two friends and headed to Slovenia...with a real treat in store at a multiplex cinema showing films in original language... 6 hours later we left having eaten our way through too much chocolate & popcorn filled with excitement for the next installment of The Hobbit and James Bond.

To see in the New Year we celebrated over a great dinner in Ljubljana.

News Years Day will always hold a special place in my heart as it's the day my husband & I made the commitment that we wanted to become Mr & Mrs. This year we spent a beautiful morning at Lake Bled in Slovenia, followed by a slightly hairy drive back towards Italy through the mountains and National Park. Another perfect way to start the New Year.