must. keep. going.

Alright, so yesterday was a bit of a pity party (thanks for all of your sweet comments!) but really, spirits are still very high. Especially since I've recently gotten back into running.

My love affair with running began in high school when I joined the track team to get out of P.E. class. I gave hurdles a chance but didn't have the necessary speed to jump and then keep on moving. What I did have was stamina so long-distance running ultimately became my sport of choice and I loved it. I loved how it pushed me, kept me outdoors and had an ever-changing scenery. I learned to keep going, keep my head up, and just get through it because the end goal was always there and I would eventually reach it. I never felt better then I did after a five mile run, even if I simultaneously wanted to throw up from exhaustion.

I didn't run much in college as I was too pre-occupied with with full-time class schedules, full-time work, and part-time parties. My first job out of college was in Santa Monica and for a good while I'd rush to get out of work so that I could run along the beach during sunset. It was incredible and the clarity it provided me was absolutely necessary at the time. Unfortunately, the last several years were plagued with inconsistent spurts of  "god, I just need to get out and run!" and "ugh, do I really need to change and go outside?"

Now we live in London, literally two blocks from a great park in one direction and a beautiful canal in the other. I have no excuses other than the weather getting colder but even that's nothing an investment in good gear can't dispel. Keeping that in mind I've been running at least every other day since Christmas and I'm dedicated to making the routine stick. It feels too good to let it slide - physically, mentally, and spiritually. My high-school self was definitely onto something.

photo taken at Endsleigh

heart melt

So much for getting work done yesterday. I felt really out of it all day and I think I might be fighting something off. But no matter how crummy I feel, there is one thing that's guaranteed to make me smile: my beautiful nieces.

My sister sent me this photo of the two year old, Juliana, relaxing in her toddler cave. I nearly died. I want to frame it, I want to kiss her, I want to curl up and squeeze in there with her. Cannot wait to be with my little munchkins next month when we visit LA. Counting down the days...

when the sun comes out

All you LA/So Cal people? Yeah, I see your tweets and posts about how sunny and warm it is right now but I'll have you know that the low 50's are my new 80's. Okay okay, we're lucky if we hit 80 degrees during the summer here in London but Monday was a surprisingly gorgeous day so I'm going to boast about it because it's what I've got.

Our "it's so sunny we have to be outside" destination of choice was Primrose Hill. It was a particularly windy afternoon so the little hilltop was perfect for flying Joe's kite. I wish I could say that I got in on the action but I was more than content to just enjoy the scenery. It was beautiful, so simple and peaceful. I soaked in every tiny bit of the sunset's golden glow, watched dogs run around like it was the most exciting moment of their lives, was inspired by joggers out in their winter running gear starting the new year off right, and smiled whenever I looked at Joe, the ultimate big kid, having a ball on a windy winter day. This may not be my norm for this time of year (I'm from LA in case you're new to the blog) but I can sure appreciate the change of scenery.

buñuelos live on - a family tradition

It wouldn't have been Christmas unless Colombian buñuelos were involved and since it was my first holiday away from family (and my mom's yummy cooking) I had to fend for myself. Fortunately, London has a pretty established Colombian community so it was easy to find Latin markets with everything that I needed: pre-packaged buñuelos mix and fresh farmer's cheese.

My first attempt on Christmas Eve was a near disaster after I added too much water to the mix and over-heated the oil. Joe jumped in to help (as it usually goes with my cooking) and we managed to get six good buñuelos in the end. Determined to get my beloved Colombian fried bread balls down to perfection, we went to Brixton Market to buy some more cheese. We found the holy grail of ingredients at a Colombian cafe after they agreed to sell us ground-cheese straight from their kitchen. This, of course, came at a premium but we were more than happy to fork over the money since pre-packed options were nowhere to be found at the market and we were set on making this happen!

With a bag of cheese and fresh arepas in tow, we were ready to make the best buñuelos ever. We choose to make them for breakfast and with a new found wisdom and spanking new thermometer, we fried the best bread balls this London kitchen has ever seen.  Though a little "pecosos", or freckly, as my mom would say, they were the perfect crunch on the outside and perfect softness on the inside. Since they can feel pretty heavy in your stomach after eating a few, we paired them with some Greek Yogurt and fruit so that we could eat more with less guilt (totally worked, by the way).

The ultimate moment of satisfaction was when Joe bit into a fresh buñuelo and proclaimed in a dreamy tone "I love that you're Colombian"... Me too, hunny. Me too.

Interested in making your own buñuelos? Here's a quick how-to video + recipe to make them from scratch. Otherwise, visit your local Latin market and ask for the mix + farmer's cheese  (queso campesino) then all you'll need to do is add water and/or an egg. Disfrute! 

a week off and a full year ahead

1. Christmas crafts from Joe's nephews and niece / 2. winter candle votive DIY  with birch tree bark / 3. shopping for new reads at Daunt Books / 4. lunch at the new pop-up mall Box Park / 5. one of many mulled wines / 6. mini-apple pies made from scratch / 7. flea market scarf turned sparkly cummerbund for NYE / 8. festive with a French 75 / 9. the hat can only mean one thing - Happy New Year!

Hello everyone, happy 2012! I hope that you all enjoyed your holidays and got a chance to re-charge for a new year with new possibilities.

We definitely mastered the art of R&R during our stay-cation by sleeping in until ridiculous hours, cooking delicious homemade meals, reading while cuddled on the sofa, and even doing some post-Christmas shopping (you know you're an adult when buying a hand-mixer and other kitchen supplies count as Christmas treats!).

Though we kept our days pretty simple, we did manage to get out quiet a bit (see some peeks above). It was really nice to have so much free time together and simply wake up and say "what do you feel like doing today?". If the answer was "nothing at all" then that was totally acceptable and welcome, too.

Joe doesn't go back to work until tomorrow so we still have one more day to do as we please. Predictably, there are no plans for the day but I do know that 2012 is off to a nice start :)

the occasional brew

I love beer but unfortunately I don't allow myself to drink it on a normal basis anymore. It used to be my only drink of choice and in my single days it always impressed the boys when I ordered a Newcastle over a fruity cocktail or glass of wine. So why give it up? I owe it to a painful realization that beer was a major cause of my face breaking out, even if I did just have a few drinks on the weekends. It wasn't until I was 24 that any signs started to show but it was due time that I learn what was best for me and my skin. It sucked. It reeaaallly sucked. I hated ordering wine and sifting through never ending cocktail lists for something to substitute my beloved ales. But, eventually I developed my pallet for different types of vinos, discovered aperitifs and digestifs, and learned that it could be fun to experiment with different mixed drinks.

Moving here has added a totally different element to my beer ban. I can't go to Berlin and not have a pint, I can't sit in a old bar in Madrid and not order a caña, and I certainly will not be able to go to Brugge this weekend without indulging in Belgium's finest drink. So of course, I've given in a little and have allowed myself to enjoy, and I mean ENJOY, good beer while on holiday. Unfortunately it doesn't stop with beer - there's always the food, too. You all know what I'm talking about. Regardless of how healthy I try to eat at home, I will eat all the fatty, greasy, sweet, and savory foods a local spot has to offer and then deal with the consequences when I get home. I can already feel the stomach aches and zits that will pop up after devouring too many waffles and bits of chocolate - on top of all of the beer. But whatever, you only live once, right?!?

Are there any food or drink restrictions that go out the window for you when you're on holiday or celebrating a special occasion? It is that time of year, after all....

saying those three little words

I say "I love [insert noun here]" a lot but rarely do I say it and mean it the way that I do for my Stateside home, Los Angeles. I Looooovveeeeee LA so you can imagine that saying a heartfelt "I love you" to our new home, London, didn't come easily. I liked London from the get-go, I recognized the awesomeness of the city and was excited to get to know it. But love it? Not so much. I was too busy getting used to cultural differences while growing increasingly frustrated with first-world problems that shouldn't exist in such a major capitol of the world (I know, it's petty , but wouldn't you expect good bank service here? The world banks here!).

I had to experience more and do/see the subtle things that makes a place home for me. Visiting and living somewhere are totally different things and I'm sure that most of you will agree with me on that. We're not here on a whirlwind site seeing tour, it's not a pit-stop en route to a European holiday. This is our home at the moment and has been for the past eight months. I've gone from thinking that pubs are a place for daytime drunks to realizing that they're incredibly cozy homes away from home where entire families can enjoy great food and drink. I've seen simple acts of kindness on the tube between strangers and have helped countless moms get their pram (stroller) up and down station stairs. I now say things like "pram" (baby stroller) "toilet" (bathroom) "lift" (elevator) and "hire" (to rent) by default. We have our favorite local spots for Thai food, Italian, Persian, Mediterranean, and Sushi. Our baklava guy expects a visit from us at least once a week. I've found a hairdresser with the magic touch and independent shop keepers who carry the torch for customer service. I've indulged in the "making" and craft culture where every weekend there's a handful of craft markets or creative workshops to choose from. We've worshiped every ray of sunshine on those rare warm days when the entire city takes to the parks to lounge and picnic. I love that the leaves in our neighborhood are hand raked or swept rather than collected by noisy and dusty leaf-blowers. I've learned to recognize more international languages than I ever imagined. I've learned the best apps for getting around the transport system and feel totally natural hailing a beautiful classic black cab. I've learned to distinguish between (and better understand) different British accents. We get excited to see a new wine shop opening around the corner from our flat. I understand why small and independent high streets are so treasured. And most surprisingly, I've become defensive of the deeply significant phrase "Keep Calm and Carry On" - please stop bastardizing this, people! I literally cringe every time I see a new silly variation of the saying come up on Pinterest.

So yes...given my running list of the things that I've come to learn and understand, I can finally (and genuinely) say those three magical little words to London.

London - I've seen and experienced the real you and I love you. I really really love you.

it's teatime o'clock

I bought some truly amazing tea over the weekend and sipping it made me think of how much I love the English tradition of Afternoon Tea. This roundup is of some of the Teas I've done and what's nice is that no two are alike. Afternoon Tea can be as fancy or as simple as you want it to be and done as a little nibble or as a main meal (for me at least!). I hardly ever need and excuse to sit down for a "cuppa" and a piece of cake, a scone or a selection of finger sandwiches. It's so easy and normal to do when nearly every shop and cafe has something simple and yummy to offer at any given moment. I only wish that we did this in the States, like, instead of saying "let's meet up for coffee" you'd say "let's meet up for Tea!" - sounds so much better, right???

Maybe this post will inspire you Stateside readers to start a teatime revolution while I'm away. In the meantime, I'll see about taking more proper photos (and fewer fly-by iPhone shots) though that might be a challenge. I'm usually too preoccupied savoring every crumb and last drip to bother with my camera :)

p.s. I've yet to master the etiquette so please excuse my cup-grasping shot above. The pinky will go up. Eventually...

time to bundle up

Brrrrr...it's starting to get cold but this LA girl is ready for it! Well, at least I'm trying to convince myself that I am. I've quickly learned the value of thick wool sweaters, my leather fleece-lined gloves now permanently reside in my purse for emergency chills, and I'm actually considering buying earmuffs for the first time in my life. Though I might be singing a different tune come January, right now I'm pretty excited to live in a place that has a real winter. Perhaps we'll have a white Christmas? Please, Santa?

Photo by Michelle Young Creative. Taken before I learned to be prepared - and yes, I was ffreeezzzzinng.

shop hopping

Soon after moving here I attended a London Bloggers picnic and one of the gals that I met was Andrea of Lotus Events. She and her husband, originally from Vancouver, have been busy working on their first UK Got Craft? event happening this weekend. I'm really excited to check it out and support their work and that of other creatives. I just love me a good craft fair!

One of the things that I love about Andrea is that she seems to know about every little shop, cafe, and neighborhood in London - she really gets out there! So, when she asked me to do the photography for her Shop Tour guest posts on Poppytalk (great blog btw) I couldn't resist. I've gotten to know some great little spots since working with Andrea and I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.

The photos above are of some of the shops we've done so far. We have more on the way but I figured that these snippets were worth finally sharing!

I Feel Smug Hoxton Street Monster Supplies (they recently launched their online shop!) Drink, Shop & Do Labour and Wait Handmade Interiors

Oh and it's time to announce the winner of the DIY Couture How to make a cloak book from last week's post! Drumrroolllll pleasseee.......Penny Patten, congrats to you! I'll be in touch via email ;) Thanks to everyone who commented, hopefully you got a little inspiration for a fun autumn fashion DIY!

Pssssttt.....

I've been missing my friends back home lately. I was doing fine with the distance but then the question "are you coming home for Christmas?" became the point of conversation and it got me thinking of how badly I do want to see everyone. Joe and I won't be back in LA until February and though I think that it will be great to see everyone outside of the holiday madness, I will miss out on some key people who will be home in December only.

I have made some friends here (thank you blogoshpere and friends-of-friends!) but it has been an interesting experience to actually have to think about making friends as an adult. It's not as simple as it was back in first grade when you solidified a relationship via a "yes" or "no" check-box. I'm not working in an office with people who might share my interests and I'm not in school where you are crammed in with other students who you are bound to make friends with. It wasn't until I moved here that I realized how easy (and thoughtless) making friends had always been given that I was always in either of the above mentioned environments. Now that I'm pursuing ventures of my own, I'm not likely to meet people throughout the day so I'm learning to make little efforts like going to events, workshops and tagging along with friends and their friends.

Actually, one of my friends from a previous job recently moved to London to do her Masters and I'm so happy that she's here! She and an American couple are hosting a Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday and are inviting all of their friends. I'm totally geeky excited to see some new faces and socialize over a good meal. I'm perfectly happy to do my own thing, and Joe truly is my bestest friend in the whole wide world, but sometimes it's nice to share experiences with other people too.

Have any of you experienced this whole making new friends thing?

oh and check this out!

My first guest-post for a blog was published yesterday! I was really excited when the ladies from Travelettes asked me to create a project for their new Sunday DIY feature. I took inspiration for the calling cards from one of my fave's, Pugly Pixel, and I love how they turned out - simple and effective. Check out the full post + photos here.

A BIG thanks to Travelettes for inviting me to join the fun!