Month: July 2013 (page 2 of 3)

Your Theme Song

I love music. I think I know what the soundtrack to my life would contain, but I am sure there are some hidden musical surprises in there that I wouldn’t have expected to pop up. And as new music continues to be made and produced the soundtrack to my life continues to evolve.

A few weeks ago, I was sitting on the couch, with the window open, the breeze blowing in and wafting the curtains around, while I sat busy working away on my macbook. I would occasionally look up when people walked by, just taking them in as they chit-chatted or watched their kids charge ahead of them on their bikes with colored streamers flying from the handles.

Our cottage is on a side street, so we are quite used to people cutting through with their music blaring, but this one particular evening a black Range Rover pulled up across the street and a very tough looking guy jumped out. He was bald, both of his arms were full tattoo sleeves of Maori design and he was extremely buff, as his biceps were bulging out from his shirt sleeve. He looked like someone you wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of. But appearances can be deceiving and I don’t judge a book by its cover!

His windows were rolled down and as he waited in line at the ATM he bobbed his head to the next track that was beginning to blare out of his stereo. Now, I would never have put him down for it, but this guy was “Old School”. He bobbed and weaved his head to The Stylistics. This must be his theme tune, because last night, he just so happened to pull up again, with them blaring out of his speakers and this exact same song playing. Now, I’m an “Old School” girl, so it made me smile, you just can’t beat some good old beach tunes on a Summer afternoon!

So, here’s to Mondays and Summer and a good soundtrack/theme song to your life!

Sunday Happiness

This was the page from my Mary Engelbreit calendar this morning:

Jennifer Michie ME Calendar

And this was breakfast, lemon cake for me and raspberry ripple for Mr. Michie:

Jennifer Michie Krispy Kreme 1 Jennifer Michie Krispy Kreme 2

One made me just as happy as the other!

“Hey, Rolf!”

Rolf & Valerie Hannestad 1963 itsbetterthanbad flickr“Hey, Rolf!”

“Yes, Valerie, my darling?”

“It’s the weekend, honey bunny and I am very happy!”

{Rolf & Valerie Hannestad 1963, found at itsbetterthanbad}

*Don’t these two look like an adorable couple? And it looks like Valerie had a great pair of hams! I love the couch and the cigarette in her hand, it just screams the 60s doesn’t it?

Summer

Jennifer Michie Pinterest SummerI’ve been doing a little pinning onto my Summer Pinterest Board. I think Summer has finally come to England. It has been hot all week, but there has been a delicious breeze in the air every morning.

It feels like a nice beach breeze, when it is cool in the morning and the sand is cold under your feet before the sunshine heats up for the day. A perfect morning, you know, one of those mornings, that you sit out on your beach porch and have a cup of coffee letting the ocean breeze and salt air wash over you. Oh, how I long to see the beach this year. In the meantime, I am living through my Summertime Board.

Scoop

Jennifer Michie ScoopThis was my Saturday dessert. It was so hot, we walked down Brewer Street to get some ice cream at Scoop. I had a cone covered in sprinkles with vanilla and biscotti ice cream and it was delicious!

Five Guys UK

Jennifer Michie Five Guys 1As much as I truly embrace living here, having a little slice of home is always welcomed. I got that this weekend, as Mr. Michie took me out on a date to Five Guys!

They are one of my favorite burger joints from home. I have some great dive bars I love to go to for a cheeseburger, but this is one of those great burger chains that never seems to disappoint, no matter what state you have traveled to/through and stop by.

Their landmark restaurant in London, didn’t disappoint either! We waited about 30 minutes to get inside (the sidewalk was roped off) and order and get our food. We found a great booth in a niche downstairs, drank too much vanilla coke (it would have been even better if they had chocolate coke, but I’m not complaining!) and feasted on cheeseburgers and fries and listened to the good music pumping out of the speakers. It was the perfect Saturday Summertime date!

Jennifer Michie Five Guys 2It was pure heaven. Now, we love The Diner, that is our hangout spot, but these burgers are different from that, so there isn’t really a comparison. This was just a bite of happiness in my mouth. It tasted just like home! Oh, Five Guys UK, I am SO HAPPY that you have come to London, you make living here, that much sweeter!

A Rainbow of Tulips

Jennifer Michie Rainbow TulipsAs I announced on Friday, we had some celebrating to do this weekend! I have accepted a position within a school in London and I am just elated!

However, it takes a village and I did not get this job on my own. I had family and friends who were keeping me in their thoughts and prayers as well as work colleagues who helped me in printing out my work, so the ink would be a truer color and then binding it for me as a portfolio, as well as giving me all their well wishes and warm hugs.

My friends at work were so happy for me on Thursday when I told them the news! I wanted to thank them as they didn’t have to lend me a hand in a hour of need, but they did, as great friends do! So these rainbow tulips were their thank you from me.

The world is a lot better place with my family and friends in it. I am lucky and I know it! I have a football field full of cheerleaders who are cheering just for me!

Hear, Hear!

Cowboy Picnic Itsbetterthanbad FlickrHear, Hear! It’s the weekend! This weekend brings with it the promise of Summer. According to the weatherman we are to have 10 full days of sunshine. Now, in merry ol’ England, that means we will be spending as much time outdoors as we can, because this could be the only Summer we have. If I had an orchard to sit in this weekend, I think I would be sitting there with these cowboys having a cold beer! And then maybe we could go take a dip in the lake.

I have had the nicest day. I worked as a teacher’s assistant today, while we both led a dark room photography class and made beautiful photograms and then went out and made sun prints on cyanotype paper. Any excuse to be outside!

Jennifer Michie photogram Jennifer Michie cyanotype print

This week has brought many changes as well as I begin to write the final pages of one chapter and begin a new one. I have accepted a position at a school in London and I am very very excited! The staff have already given me such a warm welcome and their facilities are simply stunning!

This will be a new challenge and one I am truly looking forward to. I am ready to move on, the time is right, the students I started with have just graduated. My babies have left the nest, so it is the perfect time to take this next step.

Here’s to sunshine and sweet tea and cowboys and weekends and new beginnings!

{cowboy image found here}