This week

Its a new year and i've been celebrating by trying to see a bit more of London. I'm back to work at Nude (photo above for you mother!) and totally loving it! We have a bit of a new set up, a new lunch menu through the week and still roasting our in house blend East. Fun times. I've been making the most of my days off and been doing lots of exploring, by myself and with the lovely LC.

Friday night last week LC and i had a fab night in Soho-a-go-go. We started with a walk around the place from bond street station and when our appetites found us we headed on over to Beetroot. Home of vego and vegan deliciousness and their infamous sausage rolls. MMMMM.

And, even though we were SO full, we headed over to the hummingbird bakery for a bit of red velvet loving.

After that it was officially martini time. LC took me to Punk, an infamous soho night spot. It was pretty cool, even if we did spend the whole night being jealous of other people who had friends.

Saturday we braved the sub zero temperatures and went to Broadway Market in Hackney. It was absolutely freezing. But the markets were really good. While LC and I were waiting for our coffees from teh Climpson and Sons stall we bumped into some old friends from high school: Alice and Blaise! It was so random, being in the middle of London and bumping into people that i knew from Adelaide. After that LC and I walked down through all the stalls and had a delicious vegie burger while taking in all the sights (CUTE BOYS EVERYWHERE). By then we were freaking freezing so we had some yummy carrot cake and earl grey in a little cafe. mmm.

Exploring some of the area around Nude after work on tuesday night i wandered down shoreditch high street and went into Present. A mens wear shop with heaps of lovely clothes and also home to the World Barista Champion Gwylim. I had just had a coffee so i didnt get another one but i will have to head there some time soon for a caffine hit. I also stopped by the Bookartbookshop but it was closed so i had to go back on Wednesday night. I picked up some lovely zines about friendship and bears and you, me and the sea!

After that i met up with LC and we headed over to Hoxton square to go to mocando for dinner and drinks. it was such a gorgeous little place with yummy spanish food and a to die for cake selection. I had a pisco sour and LC and i had a wonderful D&M.

Then we went to the book club just off of great eastern road. They do lots of fun things like poetry readings and speed dating! hahah speed dating! so LC and I will probably head back here at some stage in the future.

YAY, so thats what i have been up to this week. Oh and i went o an exhibition opening at seventeen gallery tonight and i am going to see matt from work DJ tomorrow night. But thats Another week.......

festive times

feeling rotten

sean gave LC and I gastro. I hate him. i've never been so sick in my life. WOE IS ME!

We flew back from spending NYE in Leipzig courtesy of Deano and his friends. Apart from illness it was a lovely time. Im getting my photos developed- will upload asap. Until then... sympathy please, and death wishes for Schweeeeen.

winter solstice

The shortest day of the year was only a couple of days ago. It has been very cold here in London, and the days are oh so short so i decided to make the most of the sunshine and work of some of my christmas pud by going for a walk on boxing day. I walked up to stratford and then headed west towards victoria park. Unfortunately the future olympic park intersected my path, but i eventually made it through and boy, was it worth it. the patially frozen lake at twilight is so beautiful, it looks like romance itself.

Christmas wishes

To all of my lovely friends and family back home in Adelaide and abroad, I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas and happy new year! Missing you all so much, you should come to London and visit me!

its real cold out

“No animal, according to the rules of animal-etiquette, is ever expected to do anything strenuous, or heroic, or even moderately active during the off-season of winter. All are sleepy--some actually asleep. All are weather-bound, more or less; and all are resting from arduous days and nights, during which every muscle in them has been severely tested, and every energy kept at full stretch.” (Badger, Wind in the Willows)

photo: Phoebe Richardson

White Christmas

Burrrrrrr, it's getting cold over here! London has just turned into a beautiful snowdome. It is so pretty you can't even imagine. Having never seen proper snow before I was, and still am, totally amazed by it. Tomorrow is meant to be even snowier- can't wait!

Today i did my annual christmas shortbread bake. As usual mum was completely hopeless when I asked for a recipe and so I had to go by instinct. I have made this shortbread every year since I can remember so Ihve a fair idea of what I am doing, only problem is that I am so used to making it in the heat of summer and right now I am in the depths of freezing cold, snowing outside winter. This meant that my butter was a lot harder than I am used to and things looked different (ie the first batch wasn't quite right). Anyway, I got there eventually and now have a beautiful bunch of christmas crackers filled with home made shortbread- australian style!

MMMM Macadamia

This is the gorgeous christmas tree that we put up during the week. I despise tinsel so instead Rosanne, LC and I spent hours folding paper cranes out of red paper. It ended up looking absolutely stunning!

Please note mum: all the presents you sent me are intact- still wrapped and waiting for christmas day.

Tonight LC and I went up to Stratford picturehouse to se Where The Wild Things Are. when we got back home there was a thin layer of snow over everything. It reminded me of the icing sugar at Mulots that Andre always called snow (and Jonno thought was coke).

all wrapped up for christmas