Sand dunes and salty air

Last year, hubby and I decided that we wanted to prioritise seeing a little more of this wonderful world of ours, so we saved and spent the vast majority of our disposable income on travel. We have since visited six destinations across four continents and made a lot of very happy memories along the way. I must emphasise at this point that I am not sharing this in order to boast about our good fortune in any way; we are very aware of and truly grateful for the privilege of being able to afford to travel abroad. The reason for this ~ what is to become a series of travel posts ~ is rather that I can honestly say the experiences we shared during our various trips have made us far richer than the money we spent ever could. Travel really does enrich your life in ways you cannot imagine, and for us, being away from home gives us the time and space to reconnect and enjoy one another's company without the distraction of the petty necessities of everyday life.

[Source]

Over the coming weeks, I will be blogging about various destinations that we would recommend, starting today with our summer holiday from last year...

sketch

There is no doubt about it, sketch certainly has the kind of je ne sais quoi necessary to distinguish itself from pedestrian afternoon teas. The deliciously tactile pink and gold interior of The Gallery contrives a sense of having taken up residence inside a giant clam shell, for instance.

   

Magpie Top Picks ~ asos.com 25% off dresses

Asos prices are always so reasonable, that an extra 25% off seems almost too good to be true! We are off to Japan in a fortnight (squeal!), so I am trying to be good and save my pennies, but even so I am sorely tempted by these beauties...

Warehouse Textured Crepe Shift Dress

Blog Loving

My little corner of the internet may only be a very tiny spec in the grand scheme of lifestyle blogging, but for me at least it's a valuable space to share some of my favourite things and experiences. I am thrilled and encouraged to see the number of visitors gradually increasing month by month (thank you so much for dropping by!), but with a busy full time job I know it's unlikely ever to become more than a hobby and a way of keeping friends and family up to date.

Scent of a Woman.

Since I was a little girl, I have had an obsession for certain scents. Even as a very small baby, I would pull the clean bed sheet out and over my face to inhale the scent of washing powder and fabric conditioner. When I stayed away from home for the first time, I asked my mum if I could take one of her (worn) jumpers with me. I'll never forget the comforting smell of my mum's perfume lulling me off to sleep that night.

I have the usual favourites - freshly mown grass, bread warm from the oven, the smell of the earth after the rain - but I also love the smells of new puppy, paperbacks, clean sawdust and compost. My more unusual predilections aside, I love perfume, and spritz my pressure points every day - it may be a cliché, but I genuinely feel naked without it! My taste is generally for fresh scents that err on the sweet side, with florals such as Neroli, Jasmine or Lily of the Valley, and notes of vanilla, spice and musk.

The following are my Top 8 fragrances; I pick one according to my mood each morning. If I had to choose one signature scent, I would probably plump for Lady Million, but I wear all these perfumes (not at once, mind!). I should also point out that I don't currently own a bottle of each of these, but I tend to purchase bottles in rotation to change things up a bit.

Paco Rabane, Lady Million, Eau de Parfum

City Spotlight: Brighton

Brighton is amongst my favourite places on this glorious Earth. The waft of chips and ketchup carried on the crisp sea breeze, the cosmopolitan melange of inked hipsters and free-spirited bohemians, the harmony of old world charm and avant-garde intrigue. This enigmatic seaside town stole my heart on a school trip, at the tender age of fifteen, and our love affair continues to this day. Indeed, the hubby and I chose to stage our engagement shoot within its labyrinthine Lanes and along its shingled shore (do take a peek if you would like to see pictures of Brighton far more beautiful than my  crude iPhone snaps!). We even made a point of purchasing my engagement ring and our wedding bands from Brighton, such is our affinity for the place.

Happily, we now find ourselves living only twenty minutes away, though we don't find the time to visit as much as we might like (and the traffic getting in and out can be enough to put you off bothering at all, frankly!). Today, however, we took advantage of the unexpected spot of sunshine and visited a few of our favourite haunts...

© Ria Mishaal Cooke Snaddon

V is very, very extraordinary.

Nat King Cole had it right, love is certainly more than just a game for two, and never is that more true than on Valentine's Day. Love it or loathe it, V day is just around the corner, and I always think it's a great day to celebrate the love in your life, be it for a partner, a friend, a parent or a sibling. Here are a few of my seasonally befitting picks for you, in case you are on the look out for a gift, or just something to get you in the mood...

Boux Avenue, Tori satin and lace chemise

The Northall

Every January, my husband, sister, brother-in-law and I make a point of going out for dinner and drinks. It's essentially in lieu of buying one another expensive Christmas gifts (though we do buy little things to unwrap for fun), and it also gives us something to look forward to in dull and dreary January. I love what has become an annual tradition, and this year I thought I'd share it with you.

Winter Weekend Warmers

It's cold, it gets dark early and all you seem to want to do is eat and sleep. Here are my top picks for making the most of these Winter weekends...

Hunter Original Short in Biscuit, £70

Magpie Must Haves ~ For The 9 To 5

I don't know about you, but it's little everyday luxuries that really see me through my working week. Enjoying daily rituals and making the most of work and chores with the right accessories really perks me up when the early starts, long days and grim weather might otherwise get me down.

Here are my current Top 5 must haves that see me through my working day...

Seasonal sale picks

Below are a handful of treasures I came across while browsing through various online sales. Happy shopping!

Hobbs, Parisa Jacket

L.K. Bennett, Petunia Dress

Kurt Geiger, Belgravia High Heel Sandal

Lulu Guinness, Tiny 2 Two Of A Kind Umbrella

Reiss, Gigi Dress

Zara, Leather Shopper

J.Crew, Postage Stamp embroidered cotton-blend mini skirt

Five months

Goodness me, the little magpie's been away an awfully long while! Moving home, holidays, job interviews, decorating, entertaining and life in general have all been rather demanding over the past five months and not left much time at all for blogging. Anyway, attempting to resume full service as of now...

Bringing autumn colours indoors. Roses, ruscus,
brassica, pussy willow and dyed gypsophila.

Skate King's X. Old school birthday fun! Many thanks
to Rosie over at The Londoner for the recommendation.

Go and see Charlie. Visually stunning.

Lighting is everything in creating ambience. These ethically created
little beauties are from Blaze On and look fab in our living room.

Delicious lobster dinner at Christopher's.

Martinique neon pink multiway bikini from Boux Avenue.

Ted Baker bikini with the cutest bows and rose gold hardware.

Flambéed strawberries, one of our all time
 favourite desserts. Recipe coming soon!

Enormous candyfloss!

Birthday Baked Alaska at Plum + Spilt Milk. Reserve
a table now. Excellent food, location and service.

Beautiful King's Cross.

Recent purchase: 'little things' trinket box from Homebase. Perfect
 for simultaneously tidying away and displaying jewellery.

Anthro has landed in Guildford! I attended the opening and attempted
to make the most of the generous 20% discount without overspending...

Incredible steak from Coverwood. Quite possibly the best I've ever eaten.

Deliciously calorific Snickers milkshake at JB's in Brighton.

Standing in the Hogwarts Great Hall on the HarryPotter Studio tour.
More on that another time...

Incredible double rainbow!

Chocolate truffle cake at Choccywoccydoodah Bar du Chocolat in Brighton.

Halloween décor - kept it simple with mini pumpkins,
 cobwebs, dried leaves and glittered spiders.

Yankee Pig Dog from The Diner on Carnaby Street. Filthy good.

Sunday Smörgåsbord

Having been AWOL these past three weeks - sorry, I've missed you! - I have accumulated rather a lot of tidbits for this week's smörgåsbord... I do hope you have all been enjoying yourselves in the sporadic bursts of sunshine :-)

1 Summer's on its way... Incredibly fragrant flowering shrub just outside our front door. Smells divine! Can anyone enlighten me as to what it is?

2 Most delicious salad from Gwyneth Paltrow's latest culinary offering, It's All Good. It really is. Thanks, Gwynnie!

3 Mint pleated maxi skirt from Mango. Love.

4 Coffee table styling, thanks to these tips from Emily at cupcakesandcashmere.com

5 Quick pick-me-up courtesy of Lola's Cupcakes in Topshop on Oxford Street. Shopping is a calorie burning activity after all...

6 Lunch in the sunshine at the delightful King William IV in Mickleham, with stunning views across the Surrey hills.

7 It can be tough fulfilling all the necessary duties of a bridesmaid. Sometimes, for example, you have to go to Temperley London to ooh and ah over fabulous dresses, followed by shopping and dinner in town with one of your besties.

8 Being outdoorsy camping with my seventeen littl'uns a couple of weekends ago. I don't know who was more exhausted at the end of it all, the children or the teachers!

9 Harrods. Spent far too long cooing over the puppies, as usual.

10 Mele e Pere, Soho. Hearty yet arty classic Italian fare.

11 The fabulous Bar Américain at Zédel in Piccadilly. Great atmosphere, lethal cocktails.

12 Pear Bellini. I think I've sampled pretty much every other sort of fruit as the basis for a bellini, but never pear. Yummy and very refreshing.

13 & 14 School excursion to Butser Ancient Farm. Roundhouses, relics, animals and a Roman villa - all key ingredients for a magical day trip to the past.

15 Having bartered for this beautiful art deco silver plated tray (a bargain at £18!), I was inspired to rearrange our alcohol and glassware. Now we just need to find the time to drink some!

16 I had an epiphany just as I was about to pour my banana bread mix into the loaf tin. What if I stirred in some Nutella? Life changing.

pp x

City Spotlight: London

It's very easy to read a guide book or surf the web for inspiration as to what to do in London, and I would wager that a large number of you (my UK readers, at least) have been several times, have friends or family there, or have even lived in the Big Smoke yourselves at one time or another. With that in mind, this is by no means a travel guide to London; it won't tell you anything about St Paul's or Buckingham Palace. This post simply consists of a few magpie recommendations for what to do and where to eat if you fancy a relaxed, fun and food-filled day trip in our fabulous capital.

Can you spy the London Eye..?

Food

Wherever you go in London, there are places to eat on or around every corner. Whilst the reliability of a good chain may be convenient, one the whole I prefer one-offs, for a little culinary magic...

Breakfast: Le Pain Quotidien (various London locations, but I like the one on the South Bank, near Waterloo) - OK, so I've started with a chain, but you won't find one outside of London within the UK. Delicious continental offerings, not only for breakfast, but for my money, their breads and pastries are what they do best. Served with delicious praline spreads and fruit conserves. Personal favourite: the organic hazelnut flute, spread with Brunette.

Lunch: Mildreds (Soho) - I mentioned this little vegetarian restaurant early on in my blogging days, when I had just discovered it. I'm not a vegetarian, but I am a fan of vegetarian food. The atmosphere in Mildreds is great, and the food fresh and delicious. Obviously no good if you have a confirmed carnivore (i.e. most men!) in toe, but great for a healthy, organic lunch or dinner from a restaurant that supports local independent suppliers.

Tea & Cake: Paul (Another chain, but again, exclusive to London within the UK. We usually visit the branch in Covent Garden) - Order the Café Surprise. Order it every time, without hesitation or deliberation.

Don't mind if I do...

Dinner: The Cookbook Café @ The Intercontinental (Hyde Park) - 'Cookbook Cafe offers upscale market table fare that champions British seasonal and sustainable ingredients in an interactive culinary experience...' [Source: restaurant's own website] The food here is just delicious, and the staff are warm and attentive without making a nuisance of themselves. Worth looking out for on toptable, as their set menus and discount offers are often very generous.

Activities

My favourite things to do in any city are shopping (obviously!), visiting museums and going to the theatre (all interspersed with eating, of course - as above!). All three in one day makes for a perfect, if potentially expensive excursion, however, most exhibits within the big museums are free, you can haggle for a bargain at the markets and look out for last minute deals on theatre tickets.

Spot of shopping: Portobello Market (Notting Hill) - For clothes, I invariably head to Regent Street, but for fun, it has to be one of London's many markets. Covent Garden, Spitalfields, Camden, Greenwich, Portobello. To do these wonderful treasure troves justice, you need at least a couple of hours and some cash in your pocket. Just my cup of tea: wandering the streets of Notting Hill, scouring the stalls and windows for I know not what.

An abundance of vintage treasures.

A riot of glorious technicolour.

Culture vulture: The V&A (Victoria & Albert Museum) (South Kensington) - Any of the big four museums (British, Science, Natural History, V&A) is a great place to spend a day in London, and I love them all, but we have most recently visited the V&A. The building itself is astonishingly beautiful, inside and out. Take the weight off your feet after all that walking and soak up the atmosphere in the stunning café, and no museum trip would be complete without the obligatory visit to the gift shop! On our most recent visit, we saw a stunning exhibition of contemporary photography, Light from the Middle East, which you can find details and a video of here, even though it's no longer running. Well worth a look, along with the current David Bowie exhibition.

Troika's clockwork V&A sign.

A few highlights... Chihuly's Rotunda chandelier in the entrance hall; Fashion through the ages; Stained glass.

Catch a show: The National Theatre (South Bank) - I have yet to see an even mildly disappointing production at The National. You can guarantee that, irrespective of your taste in drama, you will always be impressed by the quality of the acting and the production. The auditorium is a great space, and you can often spot a famous face or two amongst the audience. I must acknowledge though, that much as I love drama, I also love the West End for musicals. Having said that, there are musicals and there are musicals... Musical of choice currently running (go and see it ASAP!): Book of Mormon. Avoid at all costs: Spamalot (truly dreadful; a heinous crime against Monty Python in my humble opinion).

Oh, and if you find yourself anywhere around the Leicester Square/Charing Cross/Covent Garden area, look out for this little fella... You know how I love a good rabbit.

"Find me in the window of Alice Through the Looking Glass."

pp x