london – Page 12 – Jennifer Michie

April 12, 2010 / 0 Comments

Candy Cakes

Well, Saturday took a different turn than expected. We headed out of our London burb and into the city center. Which meant a trip to Carnaby Street!

One of my favorite streets in all of London and a quick back entrace into Liberty’s where I got to see a good portion of the Target range that is being offered Stateside, oh, how tempting it all was!

On our way there we took a short cut/ detour down a side street and went past this building: “Oh, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden (in this case auburn) hair!” When you went up closer and peeked through the window the hair continued inside in this shell of a room, now completely filled with a cobweb of tangled locks. It was pretty interesting to see.

We also went past these cute painted drums, their faces made me smile! And then we headed onto Carnaby Street. I could hear the choir sing in my heart as we headed into Kingly Court, I thought this dress was Spring time pretty, standing in a shop window as advertisement for the vintage store upstairs. But, we kept right on moving so we could get one of the best cupcakes going, from Candy Cakes.

I got blueberry with a blueberry yoghurt topping it was heaven as always! I had a little rainbow colored marshmallow twist on top of my cake, which of course I shared!

My sweet red head was in the mood for cake and got the most wonderful piece of carrot & walnut cake, I could have just eaten a bowl full of the icing on that cake and have been happy for the rest of the day.

So, an unexpected errand brought me the cupcakes I truly desired and I couldn’t have been in more of a state of cupcake bliss than I already was. Hope you had a happy weekend?

(Click here to go to the Candy Cakes site)

March 28, 2010 / 0 Comments

Rockin’ Robin

Robin rose up early,

At the break of day;
He flew to Jenny Wren’s house,
To sing a roundelay.

At 4:33 this morning I was awakened by the happy chirps of a little robin. Of all the birds, the English robin is my favorite! The house I first lived in when I moved to London had a very small elfish sized garden in the back and in that garden lived a little robin, or at least one that liked to visit us everyday.

He was very talkative and very opinionated. If there was no food out you would hear a peck-peck-pecking on the french doors and turning from the table you would spy him, standing proudly with his head cocked to the side with a little expression of, “Have you forgotten something? Like my food?”

On a few occasions he would fly in through the open kitchen window and hop about. A game would often ensue of you telling him you were going to open the doors for him to fly out, he would either follow you and go back outside or just stand on the kitchen table looking at you as if to say, “I will go when I am ready!”

So with the cheerful chirping of Mr. Robin this morning, I know Spring is coming, although snow is predicted for Wednesday so Jack Frost might have a little bit of Winter left in him yet!

(Poem excerpt from The Wedding of Robin Redbreast & Jenny Wren, Image by the lovely Isabelle Brent)

February 28, 2010 / 0 Comments

We are Living in a Technological World

We headed into Central London yesterday morning and as the train rolled down the tracks I looked around me. Okay, the day wasn’t perfect, there were some rain drops falling, but at this moment the sky was clear, the sun was shining, everything looked lush and green, a few blooms along the way showing that Spring could be on its way…

Everyone in our car section was talking away or sitting silently, concentration furrowing their brow. They weren’t talking to each other though or concentrating on reading a book; they were all, every single one of them with a phone in hand. Even my adorable red-head, was finishing off a game before he tucked it away to talk to me.

I could just feel the bangle, diamond, dripping lace cladded Madonna singing “We are Living in a Material World”, however I am not a Material Girl. I say this with a grain of salt because I know that I am a Blogger. But, I have my limits. Here was a perfectly beautiful day, the train was on time (sometimes a rarity) and not one soul was talking to each other or looking out the window.

Have we become so technologically advanced in this world we feel we don’t need anyone else, that we can shut ourselves off from everyone by hiding behind our technology? Now, I know I could talk the hind legs of a mule, but I am quite happy in silence, just watching, just observing. I hope that I never become so technologically advanced that I forget to look around me, to take in the sights, sounds and smells. To just sit quietly or talking hand-in-hand with my man as we ride on down the rails.

On a happier and less ranting note, Cath Kidston had the gorgeous material I have been after and so I stocked up on some, I have great plans for this: I am making a yoga mat bag, if I can bring myself to bring my scissors anywhere near this sweet pattern.

And we visited a store we have yet to discover, I LOVE this about London, no matter how long I have lived here and how well I know my way around the big streets, the side streets, the cut-throughs, there are still things to discover. We found La Fromagerie and I am in LOVE. Gorgeous cheese, Poilane bread, beautiful white bowls filled with candied fruits, fresh produce.

We slid back the heavy glass barn door to enter the cheese room, it was just everything you would have wanted! Walking in there was heaven! I could have just sat down right there on the floor with my fresh Poilane bread in hand, a knife to smear on goats cheese and lived in happiness for eternity.

(The image used was only an example, I have nothing against Apple, I am a Mac girl through and through, thanks to my husband, I have left the world of PCs and gone to the Dark Side…the images of La Fromagerie are copyright to them, since we forget the camera)

P.S. It must have been a truly foxy kind of week, because while entering Anthropologie and heading upstairs I found this vintage children’s playing card made into a greeting card and he decided he wanted to come home with me, so he did….

February 8, 2010 / 0 Comments

A Shopping Weekend

This weekend, I never stopped. I must have walked 50 miles! I went into London on Saturday to run a few errands and pick-up some items for projects I am working on at the moment, as well as some other bits & bobs and a few gifts.

It was sooo cold and I headed out early arriving before any shops had opened. So I marched to Starbucks and five minutes later armed with a hot chocolate and my Ipod filling my ears with Django Reinhardt (it is really amusing to watch the world go by, to certain tunes playing in your head as you walk along!) I headed down to one of my favorite haunts: Marylebone High Street.

Daunt Books’ (always an early opener) door was cheerily propped open and I had a wander around. I love the smell of this store and their beautiful built in cases. It is such a pleasure to linger within those walls. Next, another early opener, V V Rouleaux to get some ribbon for a Valentine’s gift I am working on.

After that I headed to Cath Kidston for a new ironing board cover and a Birthday gift and to Rococo’s for some Valentine’s Chocolates (Shhh! they are a surprise!). After that, I cut through the Cabbages & Frocks Market and headed back into town.

I met a friend for lunch and after dining, I headed into Liberty’s on a haberdashery mission, alas, no luck! So, off to Anthropologie to pick up another little gift.

Next, it was off to Covent Garden to get my watch fixed, but Fossil had closed, hmmm! I was not happy! But, I went into Paperchase and got some adorable back to school surprises for someone special and a Valentine’s Card for my sweetie!

So my Shopping List was almost fulfilled, I still have a few things left to get:

Cath Kidston-birthday gift and ironing board cover

Anthropologie

Air-Erasable Fabric Pen

Chocolates
New watch battery

Valentine’s Card

Back to School surprise

Fabric-for new cushions

Turquoise thread

Yesterday, was spent at the NEC marching along the aisles of the Spring Fair on a buying trip. It was tiring, but a lot was accomplished! So, today I am just going to put my feet up and rest! I am pooped and you must be too after reading about my crazy adventures!

(Since I stupidly forgot to bring my lovely camera along, all images are copyright to : V V Rouleaux, Rococo Chocolates, Cath Kidston, Belle & Boo and Anthropologie)

July 14, 2009 / 0 Comments

Yes, Virginia, There is Christmas in July!

I LOVE Christmas! I always said that when I had my own house I would have a Christmas room. A little place that would always be eternally Christmassy. When you opened the door there could be a crackling fire, a cozy Christmas tree decorated with glowing twinkle lights, Christmas music playing and a warm chair to curl up in with a book and a cup of hot chocolate. A girl can dream, can’t she?

I have yet to find the true Dicken’s Christmas experience in England, but I suppose a lot of it has to do with where we live and since working schedules somehow get crazier around the Holidays you never seem to have enough time to do everything you want. I have yet to go ice-skating at Somserset House, but I plan to!

Every year we always arrange for one day that we go into Centeral London to just window-shop and look at all the Christmas lights. We watch the entertainers in Covent Garden and take a stroll down Carnaby Street where there are always interesting street displays. This past year there were giant puffy air-filled snowmen floating above your head, while the year before shiny metallic “paper” chains, draped the street. Fortnum & Masons does the most extraordinary windows and most recently in conjunction with the Royal Ballet. This past year, “The Snow Queen” came to life in all her icy glory.

I love our house at Christmas, its cozy tininess works all the more in its favour during the season. Our cottage is so small that the Christmas tree can only fit in our bedroom, so we have a romantic sparkle of lights as we slip off to the land of nod. The downstairs mantle and banister are swathed in pine garlands with fairy lights threaded through and Danish ornaments hung in amongst the boughs. When we can’t sleep we usually come downstairs at some ungodly hour to make a cup of tea, turn on the Christmas lights and a little music and just chat till we are tired again.

Being in England this time of year I always miss the stores at home that do fabulous “Christmas in July” sales, if I had my own store here, I would! Even the Family channel would do Christmas in July TV specials, showing “Frosty” and “Rudolph”. It just makes for a little fun in the summertime haze.