Yep, you know you've been in England for a while when you start saying "hurrah" instead of "hooray." The word slipped out the other day but it felt appropriate given the fact that this weekend marks my one year anniversary of living in London! I can't believe how quickly it has gone by. Joe marked his in March so now I'm all caught up and ready for another year of who-knows-what. I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking since I've already professed my love to this city in writing. I really do love it. Without further delay, here are some of my favorite moments, places, things, and thoughts from the year....

learning to love bunting almost as much as the British do. they're crazy about it. southbank bunting

watching the wedding of the century at Hyde Park royal wedding

slowing down to lay on the grass, enjoy the sun, and have a treat at Kew Gardens

making our first home together home

this being the normal afternoon snack tea @ cake hole

discovering the awesomeness of London's museums v&a

wearing wellies and getting muddy along a public footpath in Devon devon

indulging in rest and country comfort at Hotel Endsleigh in Devon

playing tourist with my mom during her visit. this was the only way we could get a shot of her in front of the gate as police kept foot traffic moving! changing of the guard

being prepared for rain at any time. it's no big deal now. london b&w

getting caught in the wind with these guys on Brighton Pier

pointing to our neighborhood and places we've been to from the London Eye. we felt like such locals.

looking up and seeing colorful and interesting details like this in covent garden

learning the best bus routes to/from our favorite destinations color inside the double decker bus

windy days that turn joe into a little kid with his favorite toy kite

wanting to learn how to samba after Notting Hill's Carnival

finding random places to chill on a nice day like this parking lot lounge/street food market in Shoreditch red market

hiring Barclay Bikes and riding around Hyde Park

sunset walks along the canal in Little Venice weekend

experienceing quintessential London moments and sightings weekend

exploring the unexpected in Hampstead Heath

seeing the first signs of fall fall

hopping on a high-speed train for a quick day trip to Windsor windsor castle 'the long walk'

weekend mornings spent trying new cafes and catching up on the papers cafe brunch

finding the beauty and charm in every pub vintage silhouette frames

ice skating at the Natural History Museum natural history museum ice skating, london

joe proposing under a beautiful tree canopy on the first snow day of the year engaged

realizing that this river taxi view was just part of a normal day's commute. felt so blessed.

as is this view from Piccadilly tube station. cranes and all.

and best of all, learning and doing it all with my favorite person in the world. smooch

Foreign travel moments and sights are next! Those will definitely be worth a "hurrah!"

Christ Church, Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford Oxford tea in Oxford Oxford tulips breakfast view from Trafalgar Square St. Patrick's festival @ Trafalgar Square St. James's Park Buckingham Palace making brownies irish stout brownies

Hi, how was your weekend? We stuck to our plans and made a day trip to Oxford where we walked around the town center, through Christ Church, and the university buildings. I loved seeing students dressed in their "Oxford Prep" attire...it's no joke, they really do wear tweed sport coats, ties, and dress-shoes, even on a Saturday. I guess between the weather, history, and impressive medieval buildings you almost have to follow the dress code to do it all justice.

Back in London, we joined the St. Patrick's Day festivities in Trafalgar Square and watched the Irish Jonas Brothers fiddle and dance their little hearts out. It's amazing to see events like this that make special use of public spaces. London is really good about that and it's one of the main reasons that I love this city. After the set was over I took my pint of Guinness to-go and we walked the scenic route home through St. James's Park and Buckingham Palace. I felt like such an alcoholic walking around with booze in my hand but whatever, it's perfectly legal - or at least acceptable - here so I'll take it!

While grocery shopping later that night I decided to go for it and whip up the Irish Stout Brownies I mentioned on Friday. I was nervous at first since I had never baked brownies from scratch (hello box mix, add water) but they actually turned out really good! Aside from the moments of frustration that come from learning how to bake, I'm starting to understand the zen aspects of the process. I've always gotten into zen-zones while sewing and crafting but cooking and baking is opening up an entire new world of sweet and savory satisfaction. Did you make anything this weekend or try something new?