Blogging from Bucks.: 2013

Monday 9 December 2013

The #2014BloggerChallenge

In an attempt to blog more regularly I have had to look for outside motivation!

Christmas is fast approaching and this means 2014 is right around the corner. As the New Year is a time for resolutions and starting afresh, I thought why not start with a blogging challenge to kick it off!

Zebra Stripes and Golden Spikes

Just a little post on one of little Lucy's Biennale outfits.

Isn't she a snazzy dresser!

Borghese Biking

As if we hadn't experience enough art, whilst in Rome we attempted to go to the Borghese Villa art gallery. Ignoring advice that prebooking tickets was a good idea, we instead headed up there bright and early on one of our last mornings. Alas! Luck wasn't in our favour and tickets were booked up for the next couple of days. Feeling a little sheepish that we'd thought we didn't need guide book advice we wandered back through the parks and gardens surrounding the villa.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

In order to fully embrace La Dolce Vita and throw ourselves into the Italian lifestyle, we rented an apartment whilst in Rome. It gives you so much more freedom and it's nice to have a little base you can call home whilst away. Plus, we enjoyed pretending we actually lived there and swanning around like locals!

To christen our new pad, we hit the supermarket on our first night and got down and dirty in the kitchen.

We rustled up some veggie spaghetti and one of my favourite, and easiest, dishes, Bruschetta.

The Traveller's Silk Trousers

Whilst in Venice, I fell in love with these gorgeous printed Zara trousers Catherine was wearing. Perfect for swanning around the art galleries of the Biennale!

They're the great combination of style and comfort. Exactly what you want from your city break wardrobe. Now I just have to try and track down a pair of my own!

The flower and hummingbird pattern are edged up with the contrasting texture of the Topshop leather jacket. And, of course, her trusty Mulberry. Used, a little less glamorously, for storing snacks and the like to get us through the long days of sightseeing! *Warning, it doesn't mix well with pear juice!*

Casin dei Nobili

When one thinks of Italy, the food is surely one of the first things to come to mind. Gorgeous pizzas, pasta, gelato, caprese salads, the list goes on.

When on holiday in a new city, however, knowing where to go out for dinner can be a little overwhelming so here is one of my restaurant recommendations for Venice.

After a long day walking around the Biennale, we were all in the mood for a good meal. Two of the girls I was travelling with had lived and studied Art History for a semester in Venice last year so could play host and take us to little gems of restaurants like Casin dei Nobili. Only downside is the poor quality of my photographs so I can't convey to you just how good our meal was so you're just going to have to go for yourselves!

La Biennale

The initial reason Lucy and I decided to go back to Venice was for the 55th Biennale International Arts Exhibition. Alternating yearly between art and architecture, the festival features pavilions hosted by different countries where they can showcase their artists. It's an incredible insight into the diverse and exciting world of contemporary art.

There are the two main locations of the Arsenale and Giardini but exhibitions are also featured all around the city so you never know when you'll stumble across a hidden treat.

Whether it is giant sculptural conches by British artist Marc Quinn along the harbour of the San Giorgio Maggiore island....

The Versatile Bloggers Award

I still find it very surreal that people actually read my blog but I found out that the lovely Lauren from Tea and Post had tagged me for The Versatile Blogger award just before I went away on holiday and I have only just got around to returning the favour!

Who needs the sun

...when you have a bright orange jumpsuit to cheer up your day!

Bluegrass Burgers

Warning: you are about to enter a meaty food heaven.

My sister picked me up from work the other night and we went to Bluegrass BBQ, the new smokehouse in High Wycombe. My tummy had rumbled all the way through my shift and we were raring for some serious overindulgence.

Key Lime Pie

Hey y'aaaaall.

My two friends have been the envy of everyone as we've drooled over photos of their coast to coast trip across America. I met up with Milly on their return to hear all about it. Feeling inspired, we decided to make a Key Lime Pie for desert and it really couldn't be easier.

Cake and Bake Show

On a cold and rainy Saturday, the old library gang from back in uni reunited for a girl's day out to the magical world of the Cake and Bake show. An annual event in Earl's Court, it is a utopia for all those baking addicts out there, both amateur and within the industry.

Yes sir!

D.I.Y Dinner Service, Inamo

I had to pop up to London for a meeting yesterday and thought I'd stretch out the day and fly around London in my interview heels (well until my poor feet gave out and I got out the flip flops stored in my bag!). Killing time until my dinner date with Holly, I picked up some Oriental print trousers in the Zara sale, wandered along the river and around the Tate Britain. The Turners made me feel like I was already in Venice - only a month to go!

I met Holly for dinner after she finished work and we went to this innovative asian cuisine restaurant called Inamo in Soho. It has the gimmick of an interactive service system. This mainly means no interrupting your conversation with attempts to hail the waiter over which is a nice change. You can change the pattern on your table from one psychedelic image to another but can also play games which leads to very competitive games of battleships. A game I may or may not have lost...

The Reunion

I can't believe an entire year has passed since I last saw my travelling buddy and life saver Helen. We spent last summer in Ecuador and had the most amazing time together, the highs, the lows, the monkeys, and the hospital visits! We've both been so busy the past year that it is no surprise the time has flown by but with Helen moving to Oxford with her job, she was so close we had no excuse not to organise a catch up. So on Sunday, I hopped on the train and battled through the tourists to meet her. I love Oxford and luckily I have some smartiepants friends who went to university there so have had plenty of chances to visit. With the weather just right for strolling around, I gave my new white jeans an outing. I have had such a nightmare finding jeans to fit but since I realised ASOS jeans were the perfect sizing for me I have bought them in almost every colour! The white jeans rolled up slightly at the ankle are the perfect summer look. Just don't get pomegranate juice down them at lunch...

Marlow on Thames

Last week saw a last minute plan of a walk and a picnic. It is safe to say that the riverside walk from Marlow was far more successful than our hap-dash picnic of a cinnamon swirl and rice cakes, our cupboards clearly need restocking! Ella and I set off from Marlow in the general direction of Henley, not really sure where we'd end up but it was so pretty along the way it didn't really matter.

Wimbledon Cake

For my Nana's recent birthday I thought I'd try out a new recipe for her birthday cake. So, although the excitement of Wimbledon has passed, I'll always have time for this cake. It is British summertime in spongey, creamy, berry form!

Sunday Wanderings

My perfect Sunday will always involve a walk. The type of walk where you're not going anywhere in particular. It doesn't matter whether you are wrapped up and battling the elements or strolling around in the blazing sunshine, I love them. They're a great way to justify an overindulgence on your roast dinner as well! So needless to say, when we'd eventually dragged ourselves out of bed (or off my makeshift bed on the floor!), Lucy and I headed out to see what we could find amongst the Warwickshire countryside.

Rhubarb's Chorizo

This weekend was spent heading up to Leamington Spa for some time with the long-lost (well a couple of months-lost!) Lucy. She is currently up there interning at the art gallery, Compton Verney and you can check out the latest from the inspiring art curator herself at her blog, http://lucyjwest.tumblr.com/

Saturday evening saw us heading into Leamington. A little early for dinner, we decided to go for a drink and you can't walk past Rhubarb without being drawn in by the eclectic sights through the window. With a bohemian atmosphere, it seems to be a mix of French provincial with a romantic, deep red glow like something naughty happens after hours.

Late-night hummus

I was feeling restless last night, I couldn't seem to concentrate on my book or even some mindless t.v so I started to potter around the kitchen. Finding some chickpeas I decided to have my first attempt at making my own hummus. Something I'm surprised I haven't already as I'm a little obsessed with this dip! It is a really simple recipe with only six ingredients and takes about ten minutes! As this was a spontaneous make I had to make do without tahini, a sesame seed paste. I'm sure it can only enhance your hummus but isn't essential.

Graduation Day

I think it's safe to say that there were points in the past three years when we didn't expect to make it to Graduation but here we are! The excitement was only hindered by the stress which came with the day. Stress which stemmed mainly from a fear of fumbling your moment on stage in front of everyone and the decision of what to wear, a decision made more complicated by the overbearing heat we've been having recently. Not that I want to complain, we've got to make the most of this (what will probably be all too brief!) summer! I eventually hit the sales in a last minute shopping frenzy the day before Graduation but, as always, Zara came up trumps and I found this absolute bargain of a gorgeous white dress. I can't seem to find it anywhere online but they had quite a few gems so head down to a store and browse through their rails. I may have accidentally bought a swing dress as well... Teemed with red sandals to jazz it up and a heel low enough not to trip me up on stage I was ready to face the day!

Antipasto, Witches, and Churches

I was recently invited along to a performance of the play The Crucible by the gorgeous Holly who was going to support a friend in one of the leading roles, John Proctor. Arthur Miller's play addresses the Salem witch trials and is an intense experience to say the least.

Now, food seems to be one of the main reasons we are friends so we inevitably ended up going for dinner to have a good old catch up before. Fancying something light and simple (mainly due to the heat!) we ended up splitting an array of starter dishes and antipasti in the garden of an ASK restaurant. We went for the vegetarian board, panzerottini (dough balls), and calamari. The antipasti board was made up of mozzarella, grilled peppers, aubergines and courgettes, tomato and rocket salad, crostini with tomatoes, goat’s cheese and ricotta salata... YUM.

Blouse - Miss Selfridge

An afternoon at the ballet

I recently saw the Swan Lake ballet by Sofia’s NationalBallet at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury with some friends.

The entrance hall to Waterside Theatre

Weekend Ramblings

I recently went on a ramble down memory lane to Cornwall and Devon. On a weekend away with Mama Mason and my grandparents we visited long lost relatives and places from their youth. I love looking through old photo albums and these were all accompanied by stories upon stories. My granddad’s memory puts mine to shame!

First on the tour were my granddad’s cousins who are converting a barn in the middle of the beautiful Cornish countryside that we got to explore on a post-Sunday roast walk. A weekend staple!

Everywhere you turned there were beautiful purple foxtrots and plenty of windswept manes…