My First "Make-it"

You may (or may not) have noticed a few new/changed tabs along the top of the page. It's because, on the whole, I'm rather a cook-y, craft-y, creative type of person and more than buying stuff, I actually enjoy making it. So welcome to the "makes page"! I'm also going through a bit of a "waste not want not" phase (more to come on this) and so I decided it's high time I shared some little things I get up to just to keep the imagination going. 

What you'll need: 

1 unwanted vessel, be is glass or tin.
Fabric glue
Ribbon or fabric of choice
Sequins, bells, glitter - whatever does it for u?!

I refuse to provide instructions - just one guider - how boring are plain glass vases?! 

Rather pretty when the vase complements the colour of the flowers, no? 

On another note, I've had rather a few people ask why I stopped my random "thought of the day quotes"! Sorry! So...  for all of u who you want to catch up with what caught MY eye, here it is - pictures, words, and quotes I'm so addicted to.
Happy making! SL x

Yes, I Just Discovered Audrey!

When I first moved in with my flatmate and she told me she absolutely loved Audrey Hepburn, I'm ashamed, I repeat ashamed when the name did nothing but very softly ring a bell - something about a famous actress, y'know? She was mortified, and I mean positively mortified at a) my lack of knowledge and b) my lack of love. And so we resolved to buying a Hepburn box set and working our way through one girl's night in. 
Though that plan fell through, when we parted ways I did hang onto the set as H said she'd seem them all already. Just as well 'cause it's come in handy this grim & grey, dreary & drizzly weekend when I've done nothing but snuggle, sniffle, watch Strictly and then Sabrina. Followed by Roman Holiday. And then, of course, Breakfast at Tiffany's. 
I'm miffed by what I was missing. I know, 52 years after release, it's hardly newsworthy stuff... but Miss Holly Golightly - have you ever seen a girl so flakey hidden beneath a woman so elegant? Sipping whiskey and smoking never has, probably never will, look quite so sophisticated. 
I'm in love!
SL x

Rome: Day #2

So I thought I'd make a one-post compilation of days 2 & 3 in Rome - FAIL. I took far (far, far, faaaaaaaar) too many pictures because left, right & centre, there was always something I wanted to capture. With rather a lot of difficulty, I managed to whittle down my photos to a meagre errrr.... 20 for day 2. Now, incase you missed it, I went to Rome. And I loved it. Enough to chatter on about gelato. And on and on about pizza. And still be going on about it now. 

Day #2 was Mission Vatican. I swear we would have walked but as we overdid it a little the previous afternoon (there's too much Rome, too little time!), we took the hotel manager's advice to 'subway' it. I refer you on to the map of Rome before you judge us for chickening out - it is far! When he handed us the map, I did have to turn it over and around a few times just to check we hadn't been given half the story - its simplicity ('A' and 'B'!?!?!) is shocking when London is what you're used to. We jumped on at Piramide, changed at Termini, tried (but failed) to people-watch inconspicuously and arrived, at Ottaviano, 40 minutes, a heat-stroke and one complete make-up meltdown later. Totally worth it. 

We proceeded to Castel Sant'Angelo for views over the Tiber and St Peter's Basilica before crossing the bridge (Ponte Sant'Angelo) you see above to meander our way through the cobbled streets back to the city centre and, of course, The Trevi Fountain. Majestic. Just majestic. 
SL x

Do As the Romans Do

You didn't honestly think I was going to start with anything BUT the food, did you?? Of course not. This is Italy we're talking about and quite frankly our days were planned around pizzeria perching and punctuated with stop-offs at various gelaterias. A typical day, really, went something like this:  
Breakfast. Coffee. Gelato. Pizza. Gelato. Gelato. Pizza. Gelato. I'm going to come to the pizzerias another time (trust me, they deserve an ENTIRE mention of their own) because today I want to focus on ice-cream, ice-cream and only ice-cream. Luckily for us it was a scorching 32°C throughout the holiday - even luckier, then, that our daily route from Ostiense (where our hotel was) to the Colosseum and beyond (Via Del Corsa, Trevi Fountain etc) was lined with quaint little ice-cream parlours vending every variety of gelato under the sun - from pecsa to panna cotta, limone to liquirizia, they had 'em all. 
What's baffling, though, is that no two gelaterias seemed to have the same selection - some favoured sticking to the traditional recipes (like hazelnut, coffee, chocolate & strawberry) whilst others' USP was innovation and invention. The prize for the wackiest we found goes to The Gelateria Punto Gelato...

I can imagine some of you recoiling at the very thought of this curious concoction, but, I tried it (how could I not?) and I assure you, it was the lightest, most refreshing sorbet I could've ever imagined. Sure it was peculiar, distinctly tomatoey and bordering on savoury... but it had a subtle sweetness and... well, it was just delicious really! 
I made a point of not having the same flavour twice and boy was that a good call 'cause I can't remember disliking a single one of them. Here are a lot of pictures of gelato for you. Try not to drool. 

SL x
Gelateria Punto Gelato, 00186 Via dei Pettinari 43, Roma, Italy.

Change of Heart

Jodi Picoult has long been a favourite. And whilst I wish I had a more plausible explanation as to how I've been whiling away an abundance of time during this long summer recess... I'm at a loss, really, as to how laying in bed or on the couch or in the park or anywhere else for that matter, reading novels, can be glorified. Yup, even flowery language fails me here as it's been nothing but indulgence. Here's what it is - bar my weekly dose of Devious Maids (I admit to being one of those clicking, re-clicking, reloading and refreshing freaks, awake in the early hours of Monday morning awaiting the finale to materialise online) and the odd soap here and there... well, I guess I've felt a certain void in my relentless show-watching-marathons. Yes, you remember. Now, as tempted as I was to embark upon the Breaking Bad Bandwagon (how did I miss this?!) I figured I should give it a break and... well, you've probably gleaned, read instead.

Change of Heart, the latest of my Picoult conquests, makes for truly compelling reading - I couldn't tear myself away, even on holiday (hang on, I'm getting there!) - any free moment on the bus, train or plane and I was straight onto it. Now, I'm not saying you should read it... but you know... I'm just informing you that it's a good piece of writing, y'know? And I wouldn't want you to miss out. Oh no. That'd be awful...y'know? Say no more. 

I've just come back from Rome and, incidentally, with a change of heart too. More tomorrow. 

SL x

Pinch Punch...

Yup di dup, it is indeed the first of the month second day of the month... Yerrrr, I hear ya, ALREADY?! What's goin' on?! Well, seeing as this year's Spring clean was more of a Spring move, for me at least, it seemed more than befitting to welcome in the better half of the year (yeah, you heard me - summer holidays, Indian festivals, 3 family birthdays, Christmas...) with a fresh start and a facelift. Erm, that would be a fresh start for me and a facelift for my surroundings, in case you were wondering.

There's a strange sense of relaxation to be found in the smooth, swift strokes of bold colours going onto blank walls, don't you think? Paintotherapy, if you ask me. And so it was with great ardour that I began picking out paint swabs and cutting images from magazines for inspiration and a means to create a space that is entirely 'me'. 

As I'm in a little bit of a hurry (/dying for a shower following session 3 of the Couch to 5K plan), I'm going to leave you for now - but I will be back soon with some before/after pictures, ideas that can really inspire you and tips on how to create a space that reflects your personality down to every last inch. Stay tuned. 

SL xx

Lounging at The Grove

If you've ever been to The Grove, Watford, you'll know what I mean when I say it's possibly the closest thing to perfection in terms of a venue - huge stately mansion, a rolling green golf course, lush beige interiors, stunning light features and an exotic flower arrangement on every sparkling surface. Painstaking effort is put into delivering seamless service where no detail is insignificant, no request an inconvenience. It's pretty easy to lose yourself just gazing at all the beauty, almost like you've left behind the rest of the world and found yourself a little piece of paradise, a place of peace.
Not that I'm the big white fairytale type, but I'm sure it would more than suffice... as long as I'm prepared to be homeless for the following few years. Or I'm lucky enough to win the lottery. Wish me luck ;)
xx

'M' for Mangorita

Lads, turn away now this isn't your cuppa t... cup of cocktail. Ha, you wouldn't be caught dead trying a Margherita would you now? But for all the margherita-mad-maidens out there, I have a new one for you. The classic M with a sweet squeeze of mango puree. Now, if you've been here a while you'll know of my huuuuuuge partiality to mangoes. And for a tequila-based tipple, where better to go than Chiquito? Hop on over, it's a Friday - every hour is cocktail hour. 

Happy Friday! 

xx

Back to Amsterdam

Based on the shortest city trip in the history of mankind, a WHOLE two-days in the city that is Amsterdam (yeah, so I definitely know what I'm talking about), here are MY recommendations for your first time there. Wishing you all a good week.
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1. The first, and most obvious recommendation would be a walk along the scenic canals. Criss-crossed by bridges, a grand total of 165 canals encircle the city and within the pockets of land that their eclectic network creates, you can find shops, galleries and innumerable cafes. We didn't have time for a tour - but hopefully next time?

2. It's important not to miss the chance of a sneaky peek at the Red Light District. As a tourist, you'll be nothing more than a voyeur - anyways there are always more people watching than participating with the District having the surreal atmosphere of a sexual theme park:- a sort of "Alton Towers" for consenting adults if you like.

3. Visiting one of the Amsterdam coffee shops is a truly unique travel experience. They all sell coffee but their primary income is derived from the sale of cannabis based products to either inhale or eat. Under International treaty provision, the Netherlands cannot legalise cannabis but in practice you can carry up to 5 grams of the drug without fear of prosecution.The first of the Amsterdam Coffee shops came into existence in the 70s and they have become an established and iconic feature of the city's famous tolerant and relaxed reputation.

4. Try. Amsterdam. Food.

5. My final suggestion (can’t say recommendation, I didn’t actually have time to do this) would be a nose around one of Amsterdam’s many museums. It’s a city steeped in history, culture and symbolism, for example the home of diarist Anne Frank. This is definitely a must on my list for next time.

xxx

Review: Masala Zone, Earls Court

As it turns out, plans to hit Brighton yesterday, the single nicest day of the year so far, pretty much went to pot. Sort of overslept by a good two hours you see. Hmmm. Spirits all but dashed, we were about to give in to despondency and spend the day moping when a light-bulb moment struck. With eyes and ears all over the place (trust me, I have my sources) I'd heard nothing but praise for the Ideal Home Show in Earl's Court. Gadgets, Girly Bits and Good Grub? What's not to like? Armed with an Oyster, an iPhone and (a very lovely) Boyfriend, off I trudged through the tube to spend the day meandering up and down (very, very crowded) aisles flogged with stalls displaying any and every home and lifestyle improvement idea conceivable. As this deserves a post in its own right, I'm going to let the exhibition lie for now and tell you instead about dinner. Food first, as always.

I'd been eyeing up Masala Zone for a while - probably since I'd wandered past their Covent Garden restaurant and seen, to my delight, several hundred Rajasthani rag dolls suspended from the ceiling - so spotting the restaurant as we wandered away from the exhibition was a rather pleasant surprise (especially as I’d planned a birthday meal there last week but failed to deliver - yes, again!). Noted as one of the most popular Indian restaurants around London, it sets itself apart by way of an authentic menu (none of this chicken tikka masala business) coupled with efficient, informed service (very often lacking at Indian food joints) and a visually unique experience. They serve up everything from mouth-watering street-food (tangy savouries eaten at street-side stalls, probably the main form of eating out for the Indian urban populace) to a full-on traditional three course thali - the way Indian families eat at home.

Total masala fiends, we opted for two of the street food style starters and a main of Masala Chili Paneer; tasty, spicy, tangy and an all-round taste-bud-tingling experience. The service surpassed expectation and even better, there was plenty to look at whilst we waited on our food (Masala Zone Earls Court showcases canvases by a female tribal artist from East India). Definitely the place to begin if you’re searching for the real nosh.

xxx

Masala Zone Earls Court, 147 Earls Court Road, London, SW5 9RQ

Summery Saturday

It's been unseasonably warm in London these past two weeks; sunny, mellow and just generally lovely. Perfect for lazy picnics, long walks, summery cocktails and general summer gallivanting - we're thinking Brighton Pier tomorrow. How's your weekend looking?

xxx