have a ...

Happy Friday, everyone! Christmas weekend (and the end of 2011) is here! It's the best time of year for many reasons but for me, it means that everything and everyone sloooowwss doowwnn.  It's when we give ourselves full permission to switch our minds and computers off and simply enjoy the people and places around us. Nothing gets done until January anyway, right?

We'll be spending the rest of the year here in jolly old London. It will be my first Christmas away from my family but I'm so excited for it to be the first with Joe (as a living-together couple, at least). We've made quite the nest here and have shared an incredible year with lots of new experiences and adventures. Thank you so much for following our shenanigans and for sharing your stories with me via comments and emails throughout the year. Even for you silent readers out there, thank you for sharing this little virtual space with me. It's pretty amazing that my personal experiences, photos, or thoughts could ever interest anyone other than my family and friends back home! I'm glad you're here and I can't wait for another year of who-knows-what.

Have a very merry Christmas and may you ring in the new year with lots of love and joy! See you in 2012!

belgian windmill + {brilliant beats} lisa hannigan

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exuBCzDHdY8?rel=0&w=640&h=25]

What'll I Do - Lisa Hannigan

I couldn't believe how awesome this windmill was. Even more unbelievable was how few people there were around it given the crazy crowds in the city center! We were happy to have it all to ourselves though, especially when the sun peeked through the clouds and turned the little hilltop into a bright green pedestal. Certainly the most charming patch of grass I've ever been on.

lace and branches

As soon as we stepped off the main market squares and busy tourist streets of Brugge, we found ourselves in quiet and quaint residential lanes where traditional Belgian touches adorned nearly every home.

In addition to chocolates, waffles and beer, Belgium is known for its beautiful lace. Though it was nice to see all of the intricate patterns and pieces displayed in souvenir lace shops, the real treat was seeing how the residents of Brugge use the art-form for dressing up their windows. Pretty, isn't it?

Also great to see was their simple use of leafy branches and berries as door decorations instead of the Christmas wreaths we've come to know. I love this look, especially at night with lights behind them as spotted on a door window near our B&B. Everything we saw was kept simple with a handcrafted feel and was super charming.

What really blew our socks off though was seeing how Brugge's famous bobbin lace is made. Check out the video I took of two women working their magic at the tiny lace museum, Kantcentrum. They were kind enough to let us stop in before the scheduled demonstration hours but as you can see and hear, it's as if we weren't even in the room at all. They were definitely in their own world!

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/33990746 w=741&h=417]

the {big} brugge round-up

*hover over each image to see caption*

*hover over each image to see caption*

Phew! This round-up took longer to put together than expected but there it is - bits and pieces of our adventures in Brugge! Since there are so many tidbits to share, I'm just going to list a few instead of doing a formal write up (yes, I'm being lazy but there's more to come this week).

• bikes are parked everywhere you go, some with a lock and chain but most just rest against a wall (lotsa trust in this town). people were out riding their bikes even in the worst of the storm, too. made me feel like a pansy knowing that I would never do that.

• with church bells chiming, horse and carriages trotting along, canal boat tours and more,  i found myself thinking "this place is like Disneyland" when really, Disneyland looks and feels like this place. it's seriously that charming!

• the waffles, chocolate, and beer are as good as everyone says they are. i've never eaten an entire waffle without getting a food coma but these were special and light - i could eat two...or three.

• polar bear swimming means variety show. we just wanted to see people jump in the canal and be crazy but instead, groups of swimmers each did a cheesy skit before anti-climactically diving into the water. We stayed for three of those, got our candy from Santa and moved on. However, it was funny to see the cold swimmers be greeted with a shot of Jägermeister and branded knit hat once they got out of the water.

• the town shines for Christmas. lights, decorations, festive markets - its medieval architecture is the perfect backdrop for a classic holiday experience.

• our B&B owner was super friendly and knowledgeable about the best local spots (I'll share his amazing recommendations for chocolates later). we definitely recommend St. Jacobs B&B for a modern, homey, and cozy stay in the city but away from the crowds.

• unfortunately, i didn't do any vintage shopping but Madam Mim is a well curated little shop worth returning for (and the canal-side flea market they have in the summers!). Lots of other antique shops on that street, too.

There's lots of reasons to go back to Brugge - flea market or not. It is one cool town. Stay tuned for more!

back from brugge

Hello! How was your weekend?

We're back from our quick escape to Brugge and it was beautiful! Cold but beautiful. We experienced some of the most brutal rain/hail/wind ever and I brought the chills home with me in the form of a nice little sinus infection - hhoorraayyy.  So, please excuse this tiny post as I get cozy with my neti pot today.

There are lots of pics and things to share this week as we did manage to get some gorgeous blue skies that allowed us to walk around and explore.  See how happy we were to be dry and not fighting the wind?

happy friday!

We're off to Brugge for the weekend. The forecast is calling for temperatures in the low 40's with rain so we'll see how much walking around we actually get to do (comfortably at least). Rain or shine, those waffles and chocolates are all mine!

Here's to new adventures, have a great weekend!

This week's three rad links... • My friend's apparel company, No One Without, just launched their latest collection with Alternative Apparel. Proceeds go toward your non-profit of choice so take a look, shop and share! • Making Cup Noodles throwaway cups re-usable and washable. And they don't look half bad via Inhabitat • Will Leaf please launch already?!? I'm loving their latest necklace DIY video via Because I'm Addicted

Photo taken at Exeter St. Davis train station

concert whore + {brilliant beats} the black keys

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogAfoYZJFug?rel=0&w=640&h=25]

The Black Keys-Gold On Ceiling

Finally got around to downloading the new Black Keys album and yes, it's as good as everyone says it is! So, being the concert whore that I am, the next obvious move was buying tickets to their London show in February (woo hoo!). To double the pleasure, their opening act is one of our favorites, Band of Skulls. We saw them in LA and have been anxiously anticipating their second album for the past two years...here's a post I wrote after seeing them perform. It's so fun to have a record of the things you do/see/think on any given day - oh, blogs.

photo is my instagram from last month's friendly fires show at brixton academy.

shop update

Happy Hump Day everyone! I've just posted some new vintage goodies in the shop - take a look! We'll see if I find anything good in Brugge this weekend, it is a medieval town and all.

Thanks for the travel tips (and food/drink support) from yesterday's post!

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....

weekend, we

Hi, how was your weekend?

We slept, lounged and watched lots of online TV and movies. Yet after a 1pm breakfast on Saturday we somehow mustered up the energy and enthusiasm to go out to Greenwich for the afternoon. By the time we left the flat and got to the river taxi it was nearly sunset. I was initially bummed to have missed the day's sunshine but quickly got over it as we cruised east on the Thames with a beautiful warm glow trailing behind us.

Greenwich was fantastic. Though we were only there for a few hours and didn't stray too far from the market, I saw just enough to fall in love with its village charm. The market was full of great indie designers and artists, the street-food stalls were just the right mix and quantity (I ate Ethiopian, Joe ate English), and the shops and restaurants around the market block were equally independent and intriguing. It was a mad house as lots of people were doing their Christmas shopping so I'd love to return on a quieter  day to take my time to visit each store (especially a vintage one that had an amazing coat in the window!). We didn't leave empty handed though. We quickly fell for the Arty Globe drawings of London artist Hartwig Braun. We're not really into traditional tourist souvenir items but 1) we needed coasters and 2) his cityscape drawings are awesome so if you're going to buy something "London-y" then this is your guy.

After a round of the best mojitos in town, it was back to the river taxi and onward to our local pub for a final night cap. They have a seasonal hot drinks menu and I'm taking all of the hot cider and hot toddies I can get. We've been spending a lot of time there lately but can you blame us? Especially this time of year when it looks and feels extra extra cozy? On the walk home (literally 45 seconds) we spotted exterior Christmas lights on a residential building - a very rare sight in London as I've only seen retail stores do anything outside. I'll be you anything that those flat residents are American but, I'll take it as it instantly put a smile on my face. Tis the season indeed.

happy friday!

This week's weather was a bit gloomy so I'm doing my part to keep things bright around here. Something tells me I'll be doing this a lot more often now...

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy!

Here are this week's three rad links: • sights + sounds of Bhutan recorded and remixed into one incredible song and video by Pogo • my felt fedora could use some pizazz - thinking of doing  this to it via Because I'm Addicted • lists from some of the most influential people in history. i love the "love" list via Wit + Delight

{brilliant beats} architecture in helsinki

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXIzyquw-kc?rel=0&w=640&h=25]

Architecture in Helsinki - Do the Whirlwind

This song always puts me in a good mood - just like these pretty trees do at night. I can't wait to get out and do/see more pretty things this weekend. Friday, can you please hurry up?

a very simple {diy} christmas

There's nothing like Christmas to get a crafter's mojo going. However, as much as I love the excuse to create and decorate, I did refrain from getting too crazy. Since this could very well be our only Christmas here in London, we didn't want to do anything that would involve buying too much or have to store/sell later. Thankfully we're pretty simple when it comes to decor anyway so it wasn't too hard to do.

Other than fresh flowers and the tree, the only out-of-the-box decor we bought were a dozen fair trade glass ornaments and two strands of LED lights (we love them and will never go back to regular bulbs again!). Everything else was re-purposed from items in our home or bought for DYI-ing like the ribbon for the wreath, spray paint for the vases, and the oranges + cloves for the pomanders.

Here's a quick rundown of each little DIY project:

Orange pomanders: Not much explaining to do here as it really is a "what you see is what you get" type of project. Only tip would be to first poke the holes in the orange with a toothpick so that the cloves go in much easier (and don't break). As the cloves soak up the citrus from the orange - and ultimately dry it - it gives off an incredible fragrance.

Light wreath: I started by bending a white dry-cleaner hanger into a full circle and closed it using a twisty-tie (like the kind you tie your produce bags with). Then I wrapped a single strand of lights around the circle and then did the same with the ribbon. I used a net-like ribbon so that I could place strategic openings over the lights to secure the ribbon in place. I also just love how the shadows look against the wall when it's all lit.

Winter-white vases: We recycle our glass but this time I wanted to re-use some of them myself. First I cleaned and removed the labels off an instant-coffee jar, wine bottle, and olive oil bottle. Then I coated them with a fast-drying matte spray paint and in a matter of minutes we had some modern white vases!

As for our tree ...we can't bring ourselves to buy new ornaments and haven't gotten around to making anything else. But you know what, I'm really digging the simplicity of the tree with just a single strand of lights wrapped around the trunk. When else do I get to have a pretty tree inside the house? It's pretty cool on its own so I don't think I'll hate it if we never get around to decorating it (sorry, mom!).

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.

weekend, we

Hi, how was your weekend?

It seemed like everyone and everything around us got in to the holiday spirit. We did your part and bought our Christmas tree at a pop-up lot in front of our dry-cleaner (how "city" is that?) and made winter-white vases to display the flowers from this beautiful bouquet that Joe gave me.

We were mostly major homebodies but we did have an awesome night out ice skating at the Natural History Museum with some friends. Post-skate we walked towards South Kensington Staion and popped into Casa Brindisa for the most delicious tapas and wine I've ever had outside of Spain. I think that meal re-solidified Joe's dream of having a pata + stand of his own one day (vegetarians, click beware). He would be the happiest kid in the world with that thing.

happy friday!

I passed this poster while in Notting Hill the other day. It was a nice and simple reminder to have - and more important - give joy.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Here are this week's three rad links... • are you a 90's kid? LOL with this hilarious post about the things we did and loved via Thought Catalog • can't wait to get my  Versalette  dress/shirt/scarf/skirt piece from this awesome kickstarter project/new apparel company via Tout Le Monde • sweet Leah of Freutcake invited me (and The Pond Market) to share Five Things - have a look!

christmas prep + {brilliant beats} she & him

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVaFoAIVzok?rel=0&w=640&h=25]

The Christmas Waltz - She & Him

Ah, the holiday season is officially here and thanks to this provoking article I'm now tuned in to the musical side of the celebration as well. The new She & Him Christmas album will certainly keep me company as I play with little DIY projects for the home. Above is a peek at one I did earlier this week - it's amazing how useful dry-cleaner clothes hangers can be.

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.

weekend, we

Hello, how was your weekend?

We started off with a bang on Friday night with dinner at a super authentic Colombian restaurant in Brixton Market before attending a Friendly Fires concert. The show was awesome but I ended up being more excited about finding a restaurant that tastes like home - my Colombian home, that is. I wish it were closer to where we live but the trip will be well worth it every time, I'm sure.

The rest of the weekend we mostly relaxed at home (and started a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle!) but also got out a bit too. On Saturday I met up with Andrea, her husband and friend, to check out a few shops on Columbia Road. I took photos for her Shop Tours and then we had Tea in a great little tea room called Cake Hole. It's situated in the back of a Vintage Heaven with great decor and super fresh scones. It was just what I needed to fuel a mini-shopping spree at the front of the shop with tiny glass fair-trade Christmas ornaments, vintage linen for a DIY project, and a pair of vintage salt and pepper shakers (to keep or to sell, that is the question...).

On Sunday we trekked waaayyy down south to check out Got Graft?, a little craft fair held in a really cool space called Tooting Tram. I really loved the fabric prints from Justine Ellis and London walking guides by Trip Stylist. I bought the "Villages" guide only to realize later that we've done a major part of it already! There are still some new discoveries to be made off her list though. Lynn from PaperMash and Tea for Joy was there hosting a gift wrap DIY table. It was great to see her and get a tip for a great pub just down the street since we were starving. The Antelope Pub was exactly what we needed; cozy interior, good food, and good drinks. I'll tell ya, I've really warmed up to pub culture now that I understand that it's far more than drunken daytime socializing. I actually seek them out now!

After lunch we made a quick trip up to central London to buy some things for the home and then it was back to our flat. And our jigsaw puzzle - about 600 more pieces to go...