happy leap year day!

Such a funny thing a leap year, and quite impressive that no matter where you are in the world or what culture you belong too, everyone inserts an extra day (or month if you are Chinese!) to ensure the calendar year stays in synch with the seasons.

Obviously the most important part of today is that (hopefully) all over the world women will be asking men to marry them! I love the fact as part of the tradition the men are not allowed to say no.

What will you be doing to celebrate leap year day?

Vintage leap year postcard found here.

floating away

Aren't these whimsical and pretty? With what seems like all of my friends having babies, I thought these adorable balloon lights would be perfect for a child's bedroom. The best part? To turn the lights on you pull the string from the balloon.

Seen via The Design Ark

india

Oh India, weren't you fabulous? 

I can't begin to describe our trip to India, it was full of amazing food, historical adventure and was an inspiring colourful cacophony of sights, sounds and smells. We had only two weeks to travel so tried to fit a lot into a short period of time, spending our first week in Rajasthan, traveling by bus and train to visit five ancient cities before flying to Kerala for some rest and relaxation on the beach!

We started with two days in Delhi to bring in the New Year, before traveling by train to Agra visiting the majestic Taj Mahal. From there we traveled by train Jaipur spending a day ogling its gigantic red fort and took a side trip to Amber where we visited an absolutely stunning sandstone fort built into a mountain. Amazing! We took a (loooooong) overnight train to Jodhpur, the blue city before a final bus to the beautiful city of Udaipur, famed for it's clear lakes and floating palaces.

We then flew to Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala. We traveled up the coast to Allepey where we spent two days and a night on a spectacular houseboat (staff of two just for us) and finished our trip in a luxurious heritage home before flying back to Delhi en route to London.

The people were so friendly, the food was spectacular (and so cheap!) and I will definitely be back to visit other parts of the country. 

Pictures after the jump.

palomarie

Happy Monday friends!

I'm always on the look out for unique jewellery and the S/S 2012 collection from Palomarie is simply stunning! Hand crafted from raw material, with their interesting pieces and clean lines, there isn't a piece in the collection I don't already covet. I am especially impressed by the hand pieces, I've seen these only a few times before and think I'll finally add one to my collection. I can't wait to see how it looks!

Found via the fabulous Miss Moss and avaliable online here

tip top tip

My husband is a hoarder. It's a problem...and one I am (slowly) learning to live with. I found however, this cute way of storing the plastic bags that have started to take over our kitchen cupboard. Simply stash them in an empty tissue box and voila! they are easy to retrieve as well as being tidily stashed away.

Thank you Sous Style for this tip top tip.

cheese on toast

Awesome. Need I say more?

Found here

oh so pretty

Something pretty to start the day, this stunning art deco ring by Yves Saint Laurent surprisingly doesn't break the bank!

YSL Arty Oval Ring available here.

looking to spring

Today friends, I am excited to share that I am going to be a maid (matron!) of honour for one of my very best friends. In a few short weeks I'll be flying to Colorado for her bachelorette party and am on the look out for party favours for the girls.

Little Bloomers, created by Rani Deshpande, come in a variety of shapes and are fabulously eco friendly. Each favour is created by specially made seed paper - paper made from junk mail, disused cardboard boxes and grocery bags and then implanted with a selection of flower and fern seeds. I love the idea of the girls from the bachelorette receiving these in Colorado and taking them home to plant around the world; as the paper decomposes the seeds sprout and should produce wonderful flowers...and hopefully wonderful memories of the day.

Little Bloomer's available here.

what size am i

I think everyone can identify with the frustrations women face in trying to find clothes that fit. I know when I first moved here, it was impossible to translate sizes from US to UK and figure out what I should be wearing, never mind trying to understand why I was a size 8 in one shop by a 12 in another! Thankfully, a super cool, self confessed female hacker has created a website that pulls together actual measurements of clothes from a good amount of UK stores. Simply enter your bust, waist and hip measurements and presto! the graph will tell you what size you are where. So simple. So useful. Excellent way to start a Tuesday.

Sizes website here.

cheddar + beer + bread = amazeballs

Hello friends. Hope you had a good weekend, we spent a lazy rainy Saturday reading newspapers and cooking. It was bliss!

I have been getting back into cooking and in doing so have been searching the web for some new and inspirational recipes. This weekend I discovered the most delicious blog, Smitten Kitten, the author of which created this oozy, gooey to die for bread. It's a take on Welsh Rarebit, made by taking a traditional bread loaf and mixing it with an amazing filling of cheddar cheese, mustard and beer and then baked in thin slices giving you a satisfying loaf that pulls apart. It's perfect for a lazy, rainy day.

Smitten Kitchen, cheddar, beer & mustard pull apart bread recipe here.

skulls to see

I know I'm obsessed with skulls, but these are so stunning I had to share! Created by french artist Philippe Pasqua, they are on display at the Opera Gallery in London. I'm going to try and pop by this week, I can't wait to see what they look like in the flesh.

Philippe Pasqua at the Opera Gallery London, 134 New Bond Street, London, W1S 2TF

blots of ink

It's the weekend kids. What are you up too? The husband and I are spending a lovely Saturday together before he flies off for a week snowboarding! I'm trying not to be jealous and am looking forward to a week home alone to catch up on my school work and flat to do list.

We are still(!) trying to finish off our upstairs living area - honestly who knew it would be so hard to find cushions for the couch and lighting fixtures - and I came across these amazing ink blot plates.

The are made in England out of stunning bone china and each plate shows a hidden animal that the designer has seen herself. I think they would make an excellent talking piece at a dinner party. Can't you just imagine asking your guests what they see?

Ink Blot Series 1 Limited Edition plates available here

restaurant review: pitt cue co

I LOVE me some deep southern BBQ and it's something that has traditionally been hard to find in London. In the past year however, there seem to be a rash of new food trucks and restaurants that are filling this gap in the market and Pitt Cue Co is definitely one of the best.

What started as a food truck under Hungerford Bridge in the Southbank has recently opened as a small (read: tiny!) but perfectly formed restaurant in Soho. There are only three dishes to choose from, pulled pork, beef brisket and ribs and an equally edited list of sides, baked beans with smokey bacon, mashed potato served in a mason jar, an excellent selection of pickled veg, but each item is perfect. Washing down the food with Pitt Cue's famous pickleback - a shot each of pickle juice and bourbon and your life will be complete.

This is another no reservation place, so get there early and expect to queue (likely outside), but once you are in, enjoy. This is BBQ like you've never tasted before.

Pitt Cue Co, 1 Newburgh Street, London W1

black & white

I have been working on a wall of black and white photos for ages in our flat! And as I have just a few black frames left to fill, I thought this sweet print could be perfect. I love prints that aren't too obvious and I like how the bold black and white here are broken up with a splash of red. You can personalise it with whatever co-ordinates you like, and as it is only £30, could make an excellent gift.

Personalised Coordinates Print available at Bouf

happy valentine's day!

I hope you are all spending a bit of today with someone special. The husband and I are staying in tonight, I have a romantic dinner planned and will be leaving work early to make sure it goes off without a hitch!

If you are scrambling for a last minute gift, or if you haven't had a chance to pick up a card, check out this super cool do-it-yourself Valentine. I can't think of anything better than a pixelated heart to say I love you.

Full directions, including a printable template here, found via Swiss Miss

a timeless classic

It's Monday kids - and that means back to work. As I seem to be working harder and harder these days, I thought this watch was particularly appropriate to post about. I figure if I am going to be run off my feet, I might as well have something lovely on my wrist to keep me going on time! 

I love the mannish feel of this watch, the gorgeous leather and tidy gold. And the fact that Accurist, the company that makes it, has been a British run since 1946, means that by buying this I'm supporting local business. 

Right? 

Right. Bring on the week.

Greenwich Masters Minute Repeater available at Accurist