Midweek Montage

Having missed the Sunday Smörgåsbord boat last week, I thought I'd pop in this belated midweek substitute. Below are just a few odd snaps from recent weeks that I thought might be worth sharing!

Top row, from left to right:

1. Frank, our festive reindeer, who has been allowed to remain on the wall as a permanent feature ~ we couldn't bring ourselves to pack him away!

2. Sausage and mash (as per the Waldorf's secret recipe) with veg and boozy gravy. Sunday evening bliss.

3. Two of my favourite pairs of shoes (Brogues from Clarks, of all places! Beloved pony hair leopard print pumps from French Sole), which I'd discarded nonchalantly in front of our bedroom mirror. I thought they looked rather beautiful just lying there...

4. Red chili martini @ The Martini Bar in the Barbican. We went to see The Master and Margarita ~ incredible production by Complicité of the Mikhail Bulgakov novel, which I must read!

Middle row:

1 & 2. Experimental 'do' comprising plait and bun. Rather liked it, even though I do say so myself. I have since chopped off a good third of my hair, so not sure I'll be recreating this one for a while.

3. Breathtaking sunrise I enjoyed one morning on my way out the door. Even Instagram hasn't done it justice.

4. My delectable new Osterley Filofax. I'm a write-it-down kind of a gal. Don't misunderstand me, I love technology and wouldn't be without my iPhone 5, but I find the process of writing things down kinaesthetically gratifying. Plus I like to embellish with stickers and post-its. I'm cool like that. The teenage girl in me goes nuts over a sparkly pen or a cute sticker of a small, furry animal.

Bottom row:

1. A cockapoo. I have to have one. His Lordship knows this, but I'm not sure he's really on board yet. I figure that by the time we're actually in a position to have one, I'll have worn him down.

2. Hot pink tulips in fabulously hot pink vase, purchased for me by my lovely mother at the New Covent Garden Market when we visited back in November. This is its very first outing, and I love it. It certainly cheers up the living room on these grey and soggy January days.

3. The fringe is back, and it's here to stay. I was mortified to have to grow it out to achieve the soft wedding look I was after, but I couldn't wait to have it cut back in!

4. My new Tom Ford's. Très chic, n'est-ce pas? I spent hours choosing these bad boys. Do you like..?

That's all for this evening, but I'll be back this weekend with some wedding DIY and a recipe or two.

Bonne nuit,

pp x

Good intentions

I was full of them.

Back in October, I sat in a similar position, both literally and figuratively, on this same sofa, typing away at this same keyboard, assuring myself  and my readers ~ or so I believed ~ that I would have and do it all: I would keep on top of everything at work, tutor outside of school, finish planning and preparing for our wedding, instigate regular contact with my family and friends, spare time for myself and my then fiancé and all while maintaining my blog and my sanity. I am very pleased to report that my mental health, whilst some may argue otherwise, is in pretty good shape; my poor blog on the other hand, I believe requires some resuscitation.

These three months past, the little magpie has lain forlorn, abandoned in its very infancy. I'm so thoroughly disappointed in myself, and yet I'm sure I suspected when I wrote last, that my intentions, however keen and sincere at the time, were bordering on the delusional.

I fear I do this rather a lot ~ set myself up for disappointment by setting the bar a little high. I think it's a common affliction these days: we strive to be the very best that we can be, doing everything, seeing everything, accomplishing everything, and all by 9am without so much as breathing a sigh, let alone breaking a sweat.

This time of year is always one of reflection and introspection for me. Every other year, I have felt refreshed and inspired by the new year, always determined to give or take something up, make positive changes, be a better human being. This year, not so. This year, January feels like hard work. I finally understand why everyone is depressed and broke, and empathise. So this year, my good intentions are going to be less pie in the sky. I shall deliberate for the rest of this month as to what they might be and start in February (I'm actually ignoring January this year, it's just too much of an anti-climax after a December wedding), but this time, you can believe me as I now believe myself, that aside from any other resolutions to be made, and/or broken, there will, I promise, be regular things for you to read here, should you feel like dropping by...

Happy 2013, everyone!

pp x