lots of flowers for friday

We went to the Hampton Court Palace Flower show and positively swooned at the blooms on display. Would you look at these giant alliums in the bottom shot! I must have some of those in my garden - love their big, fat, fluffy heads.

Must dash - off to Cornwall for the weekend. Seaside delights await. Then off to Paris on Monday where the French part of our journey awaits. Parfait!

Petersham nurseries close up

A few iPhone shots at Petersham nurseries. Note that someone there loves roses as much as I do.

Rose lemonade is to die for!

Also, please note the feather dusters - wouldn't they make cleaning a delight?

petersham nurseries part one

We had lunch and a wander around Petersham Nursery today. Oh my! Would you believe it was even more gorgeous than I'd hoped. More shots to come - they're on my phone - we both went a bit snap-happy. Who could blame us?

big red

There are many things I love about English produce {seriously, the supermarkets here make me salivate} but it's the berries that are the real beauties. Have a look at these rich, red strawberries {no hard white centres} and these raspberries that are the size of golf balls. We're off shopping this afternoon where I'm going to buy more black raspberries {oh my!}, currents and every other type of berry on the shelf.

We're all totally bursting with antioxidants at the moment. Loving!

g&t on a sunny sunday

Hendricks gin, tonic, ice and a few slices of cucumber.

Not a bad way to while away a Sunday afternoon is it?

coulda, shoulda prada

Last night we went into the city and wandered from Victoria Street Station to Royal Albert Hall to see if Miss Jackson really was still nasty (she was more than a bit awesome actually - who knew?)

My sister-in-law is a Janet Jackson fan, and hubby and I were happy to go check her out at such a fabulous venue. She danced her lil heart out bless her - and, as it was the Number One's tour, we actually recognised a number of the songs. Boy she has some excitable fans though - the true definition of "FAN-atics".

We walked the two miles to the venue and on the way we passed many jaw-dropping windows including this one at Prada. These SHOES! Utter perfection non?

Off to Hever Castle today to soak up some history. Enjoy your day.

oh i do like to be beside the seaside

Can you imagine my delight when we alighted at the seaside today to find beach huts? Squeeeeee. Even more gorgeous in real life.

I do believe that I mentally owned and decorated quite a few of these pretties today.


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flowers for friday

Glittery {real} roses spotted in Tesco! Showgirl Roses! Loving London already...

PS: Jetlag update = minimal jetlag - hurrah. I had a 90 min nap yesterday afternoon then went to bed at a very respectable 9.30pm and slept till 8.30am - hurrah hurrah! Gal stayed up till 9pm and woke at 8am Beautiful. I swear that sitting out in the beautiful sunshine yesterday and going for a walk helped. So off to the seaside we go.

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we're here

We've touched down in London. It's gorgeous here today - blue skies, flower beds out - including PEONIES in a house just up the road from my family.

I'd really like to become a squillionaire so I could fly first or business class. While our flight was lovely I'm pretty sure I only got about 2 hours of broken sleep. Oh well. We're here, we're unpacked {!} and I've showered and washed my hair - honestly, is there anything better than clean hair? Oh yeah, coffee - thankfully brother-in-law's just bought the world's fanciest espresso machine and hubby's doing his best to master it.

Off to the seaside tomorrow if jetlag allows. I'll be sure to snap some photos and blog a bit. If not, then the seaside will have to wait till the following weekend when we're off to Cornwall for four days - including a planned lunch at Rick Stein's restaurant. I do love lunching with celebrity chefs {even if it's in name only...}

xx

up up and away...

Well, I'm a bit beside myself. Today's the day we're flying out. I'm hoping for a spot of service like this {champagne madame?} but will be content with catching up on my movie viewing and hopefully getting a wee bit of sleep.

Ready for my travel blog? Once I'm over my jetlag I'll be sharing all. See you soon my lovelies xx

squeeeeeee it's tomorrow!

Okay, we're onto the home straight. The packing; the money changing; the getting the house in order for the housesitters! It's going to be a busy day but so, so, so exciting!

two more sleeps...

Image from here.

Okay, we're really at the pointy end now - two more sleeps till we fly to England! Of course, on Friday morning my gal developed a fever and her cough worsened. A trip to the Dr confirmed mild pneumonia. She's on antibiotics and has made a rapid recover in the last two days. Apparently if she was going to have any kind of complication pneumonia's the best to fly with... Non contagious and won't be affected by pressure. She's also just told me she feels 100 times better!

On Saturday I woke with a killer cough. Chest infection. Antibiotics should kick its butt by the time we fly. Husband's fine!

Lots of work to do before we leave. Bags aren't packed... Let's hope tomorrow's a brighter day.

flowers for friday

Image from here

Oh this'd be nice. A lovely garden setting, a spot of sunshine... Can't you just imaging sitting here catching up with a group of gals? Bliss.

have you seen bridesmaids yet?

Please go and see it.

Now.

Go!

You don't need excuses - you need to find a way to get you to a cinema. I've never laughed so hard, so long and so much at a movie EVER. I missed dialogue I laughed so much. I stopped breathing I laughed so much. I SNORTED I laughed so much. I keep trying to include the letter T in laugh I laughed so much.

Brilliant.

I need to see it again.

my travel blog

Image from here

Whenever we go overseas I swear I'll keep a travel diary so I can keep track of where we've been, what was amazing, and keep the memories alive.

I never do.

Instead, years later I'll be looking back through my photos thinking - "What was that castle again?" This time's going to be different. The laptop's coming with me and I've decided that blogging's got to be the best form of travel diary possible.

I hope you'll come along for the ride {seven more sleeps - squeeeeeeeee!}

PS: that image above? It's from a Vespa rental company - you can rent a Vespa to zoom around Paris! Imagine!!

ridiculously beautiful

This is one of the reasons why I love Paris. Wondering where this is? Why it's the café in the Musee D'Orsay.

Fingers crossed* we'll be eating dinner here on Bastille Day - followed by a nighttime squizz at the Manet exhibition before wandering off to watch the Fireworks on the Eiffel Tower.

I know, sounds terrible - but someone's got to do it...

*Booking just confirmed - squeeeeeeeeee!

oh what a pretty shoe

I love a fine line in a shoe. Something swooshy and a little bit special. That's why these Miu Miu numbers caught my eye while I was 'licking the windows' * over at net-a-porter.

Pretty!

* Apparently the French term for window shopping {faire du leche-vitrine} is translated as Licking the windows - love it!

sunday suppers

Okay, last full week of menu planning before we head off. Eeep! Here's what we're eating this week:
Tonight: off to my in-laws for dinner. We're borrowing some luggage from them, so we're picking it up tonight - ready to pack!
Monday: I'm in Sydney for a meeting. Luckily I ordered some pork sausages from Aussie Farmers this week. Hubby and gal can cook them up with some mash, broccoli and roasted pumpkin.
Tuesday: It's my last French lesson of the season, and we all take along French nibblies - haven't decided what I'm making/taking yet. For dinner the family can have a spaghetti carbonara {Nigella's recipe}
Wednesday: My last netball training before I go {sob - I'll miss my gals...} But I'm going our for dinner with girly friends after watching Bridesmaids {hurrah!} Hubby and child can make pizzas.
Thursday: I'll make a seven hour leg of lamb. Served with french lentils and green beans.
Friday: Still haven't eaten the barramundi - luckily it's vaccuum sealed. I'm intending on serving it with a salsa verde and lemon potatoes. And a green salad.
Saturday: Apparently there's something fabulous happening in the city to do with the Winter Heat festival. Best make a big pot of minestrone to warm us up before we rug up and head out to see what's on offer.

splashing out

So, I had to go and get my international drivers licence in another, rarely-visited suburb and as I pull out to drive home I spy, out of the corner of my eye, a mannequin wearing my DREAM swimsuit. Of course I couldn't stop so today, after netball, my gal and I went back and I tried it on.

Oh my.

Soft, ruffled, retro and oh-so-fabulous.

Honestly, have you ever seen a swimsuit more ideally suited to lounging poolside in Provence?

It's by Seafolly and also comes in black, with more colours coming out over summer. But, for moi, this blue just screamed my name.

Now, to find a pair of red cat-eye sunnies to complete the look...

i need a laff

I am beyond desperate to see Bridesmaids before I go on holidays. Every single thing I see, hear or read about it makes me even more keen {and, um, yes, a shirtless Jon Hamm is one of those things...}.

I'm booking in next wednesday to go see it - now to track down some gals who love a giggle to join me.