New Years 2014

Not my photo but found through Google from The Daily Mail news website

This is late. In fact, not just a couple of days but almost a full 2 weeks. That's just me really, once a procrastinator always one. I will try harder blogging world I promise.

New Years eve and both my man and I were struggling with exhaustion from the holidays. We'd had a week off work (well, almost) and yet had crammed more in than we would in a normal working week. I'd booked tickets to the London New Years Eve Fireworks display back in October because you see, standing on the banks of the Thames to ring in New Years had been a dream since I was a child. Tickets in hand, lolling on my sofa at home, I just couldn't muster the energy to move let alone drive to London.

It was my boyfriend fiance (I love that) who persuaded me in an entirely easygoing way. Go to London together or stay home and not bring in the New Years together at all. It was harsh love that got me off my butt and into the car.

After a couple of hours with family, a delicious roast dinner and hours of queuing, we were in the compound by 10pm. Boy was it worth it!

 This was our view for the fireworks! My photos didn't turn out too great so i didn't take many and just enjoyed it with my man.

After the fireworks there was singing, dancing and frivolity. Then a long journey home with thousands of others which was made better by a McDonalds breakfast at 2am and friendly people on the Tube.

Would we do it again next year? Man says no. I say, not the fireworks but definitely into the city to an event if we can. It was definitely worth it and would recommend it to anybody who can make it to London next year!

Info on all London events can be found at: http://www.london.gov.uk/

Spring time goodness

Thursday was an exciting day and one which I'd been waiting for since October last year when show tickets were purchased! It was the day of the  Country Living Spring Fair held in the London Design Centre in Islington. This is a huge exhibition about all things spring: homewares, clothing, cosmetics, fabrics, furnishings, paintings, crafts (all sorts) and food.

When I visited the Christmas fair in October (premature but a sure fire way to get some early Christmas excitement) I was a little overwhelmed at the vastness of the whole show. This time I went prepared to be wowed and the experience certainly didn't disappoint. As you walk in you are greeted with a pretty garden display complete with a fountain and a pond! Ribbons hung from the high ceiling and the theme was pastel colours throughout.

There were hundreds of stalls to browse and buy from, many staffed by the artists/designers themselves. I had been saving to go so was really happy with the treats I bought for myself!

This tin lantern has a glass insert and was a gift from my aunt.

A cute Bill Brown of London fabric bag for summer and the beach.

This Jan Constantine cushion was actually free with something my aunt bought for my mum, I just benefitted from the free gift!

I also found a heart shaped ceramic dip set with a bamboo base from Occasion for Entertaining but it's wrapped for moving so I haven't photographed it yet. Having been sucked in by the selling technique of an Irish man I ended up buying toffee vodka, which after two shots tasted delicious and I was sold! Wonder why that was?! Also a food centred buy (I'm a foodie) were the curry sauces I bought after copious tasting and choosing of which flavours I wanted. I cooked the butter chicken last night and it was great!

There were also workshops and talks which were interesting and the Greene and Blacks chocolate talk was definitely my favourite (mostly because of the tasting!) The orange flavoured milk chocolate is divine and I had to try quite a lot to be sure I liked it as much as I thought I did...

After we were weighed down with bags we ventured into Islington for coffee and then down the pretty terraced house lined streets to a gem of an old pub for dinner. 

We were all falling asleep on the way home that night but so full of joy from our day out the exhaustion was worth it!