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.

   

In Bruges

Over the half term break, I surprised my Mr with a trip to the beautiful town of Bruges. Our first ever holiday abroad together was in fact a city break to Brussels, where we had such a wonderful time that we have been eager to return to Belgium ever since.

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

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.

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

Sunday Smörgåsbord

It may have been another unintentionally quiet fortnight in the magpie's online nest (sorry, folks), but not so in the real world. School has been supremely busy, and weekends have been jam packed! Lots of highlights which I can't feature on the Smörgåsbord, for reasons which will become apparent, but which I would love to share...

1. Ate at Dans le Noir last weekend to celebrate my wonderful big sister's birthday. In essence, you eat in the dark. When I say dark, I mean utterly, thoroughly, oppressively dark. You cannot see your own hand in front of your face. It's incredible. Oh, and you have no idea what you are going to be served for dinner. You can (and should!) read all about it here. We opted for the Chef's special menu, which turned out to be camel, crocodile and kangaroo. Insane! Now you understand why I have no photographs...

2. I took my little school chamber choir to compete in their first ever music festival this week (I only auditioned them in October). They were fantastic and won their class - so proud!

3. Slept for a maximum of two hours on Friday night. I took my class of seven and eight year olds camping in the woods. We had a whale of a time! Scavenger hunt, toasted marshmallows, camp songs and an uphill night hike. The last one awake fell asleep at 2:30am, one woke me homesick and afraid of the dark at 3:30, and the majority were then awake at 5:20. I feel fine now, but I have my suspicions that it's going to be a long week...

1. Finally opened our Chocolate Frog from Universal, Florida. Sadly, in spite of its being in date, the chocolate was grim, but at least I have the pretty box as a memento!

2. Dressing up for a big night out. Winged liner!

3. We hatch ducklings at school every year - not an easy task for my poor colleague who spent most of the Easter holidays turning the eggs! There are always some that don't hatch, sadly, so each one that makes it is a little miracle! Isn't she pretty?! I also though she looked particularly good against my hot pink nails. Perhaps she'd like a bow..?

4. Lovely meal out with friends at The Parrot Inn, Forest Green. As instructed by this door sign, we engaged in feasting, fuddling and fun. And no, fuddling is not a naughty word.

5 - 7. Bank Holiday day trip to Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth. Spinnaker Tower (5). Bathed in glorious sunshine and indulged in a little retail therapy: luscious coral polo (6) from Ralph Lauren outlet at an amazing discount and half price Cath Kidston (7)!

8. Homemade Fennel, Pear and Red Pepper Soup for dinner this evening. Delicious. I know I always promise recipes and then fail miserably to post them, but I promise I will churn out a glut of wonderful recipes at half term!

So much more to share, so little time. Sigh. I will do my very best to keep up with some midweek posting, but I may be AWOL again this coming fortnight due to exams/reports/school trips/making a start on packing up the flat (we are moving next month...). Please do continue to stop by though, and find me on Twitter and Pinterest via the links at the top right of the homepage.

TTFN, pp x

Sunday Smörgåsbord

After a short break from blogging on account of a busy start to the term, I have lots to include for you this evening, so I'd best get cracking!

1 Yummy mini pies at The Hornbrook Inn. Cosy pub, homey food and very reasonable prices.

2 The rain before the shine. I love this moody view across the Surrey Downs.

3 New bracelet from the ever fabulous Urban Outfitters. I don't feel cool enough to pull off some of their clothing, but I can do my best with the accessories at least!

4 French manicure with peach tips and glitter.

5 Porn Star Martini at Wabi. Delicious.

6 Sensational sliders at All Bar One. Generally trying to be good at the moment, but these were a lunchtime treat last weekend, and worth every calorie!

7 I bought this lovely grainy wooden frame with heart apertures from Chickidee (no website to link to as yet), then printed vintage maps of two meaningful destinations as an engagement gift for one of my best friends who just got engaged. She rewarded my handiwork with a request to be one of her bridesmaids - I cannot even begin to express my excitement! (Love you, H! x)

8 Buds...

9 ... and blossom. Spring is beautiful.

10 Yummy salad of pea shoots, baby spinach, grated courgette and cucumber, edamame beans, jumbo king prawns and seared scallops, topped off with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce.

11 Bringing the outside in with lilac stocks, baby pink tulips and fluffy gyp.

12 My new pink, um, I don't even know what to call it! I bought this at the Sussex Country Brocante last weekend. Such a lovely vintage fair held in the stunning, quaint little village of Wisborough Green. It is held once a month and at only £1 entry is well worth a visit. You will find an array of antiques, hand-crafted items, clothing, fresh fruit, veg and flowers, and a warm reception from  all of the stall holders.

13 This stunning old clock has just been bestowed upon me by very lovely and generous friends, who were looking for a new home for it. I am so excited to find out more about it and hopefully get it working again once I find the right person for the job.

14 Obligatory bunting and even a sweet little duck pond at the aforementioned Sussex Country Brocante, organised by Love Lane Vintage. Next date: Saturday, 22nd June.

15 - 19 The delightful Three Crowns pub in Wisborough Green. Possibly my favourite pub ever. Top three at least. Great styling, food and service - an absolute pleasure in every respect.

So, there you have it: a handful of my latest purchases/ventures/culinary delights. Before I sign off, you might be interested to hear that I finally got around to making my ombré cake yesterday, which I look forward to sharing with you asap, and I also have a backlog of blog posts that I've started but not quite finished (apologies for my poor post management), that I hope to get out over the course of next week. In the meantime, if you're looking for online fodder, why not take a look at my boards on Pinterest?

Night all!

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