or, if I feel really ambitious...

perhaps it'll be doughnuts instead :)

cookin up christmas

Perhaps it's because Christmas is 'just around the corner' (or the high street would have us believe) and because we are going uber minimal on gifts this year due to flights affected by summer fuel costs and future house buying. Maybe it's because I'm working at home and our recent health kick means there's nothing to snack on... whatever the case, I'm feeling domestic-creative, thinking of homemade presents and and junk food simultaneously. It's led me to tracking down some really nice looking and easy-to-give recipes.

I'm all the way over here in the uk, so I don't mind if you steal my ideas ;)

+ chocolate truffles

+ almond roca

+ mini jam jar pies

orla love.

You cannot imagine the overall pleasure I feel just walking by the Orla Keily store in Covent Garden. It's just a visual delight and I can't stop gazing longingly at the bespoke furniture in the window displays and chunky embroidered bags.

I've long been a fan of her work (happy to say I've spread the love to my sis-in-law who recently purchased her very own Orla mug for her collection). So yesterday I stopped by the shop for some window-lusting (while sipping a little cuppa this) and was delighted to see she's now got a line of bedding! Too bad I promised myself I'd be frugal from now on... Birthday present perhaps? August is just around the corner ;)

shame-on-thames

oh Oxford, when will you ever let go of your old fashioned ways?

Sporting white tie to exams is one thing. Promoting racial stereotypes is quite another.

Interesting that this article appeared the day after Israel's prime minister spoke to an Oxford audience (my husband included) and narrowly escaped a few barrages by Palestinian opponents in the crowd. As Dean is unlikely to share his own account of the night with you all, I will say it was fascinating to hear about the multiple security checks he went through on his way into the Sheldonian Theatre, and how students droned "shame, shame" (a la house of commons) when objectors interrupted Peres.

ps. to prevent confusion: a 'Bop' is the Oxford word for college party.

pps. while Dean got to listen to a controversial Nobel-Peace-Prize-winning world leader, I was in London listening to a bank CEO talk about the future of microeconomics and commercial banking. Suddenly London life doesn't sound so sexy, does it?!

sky train

Dean sent me this link last week when i was too sick to bother reading email.

Seems London is catching on to the idea of LARGESCALE recycling. Fancy having an office in a Tube car? Guess you can't really call it the Underground when it's on a Shoreditch rooftop.

our favourite everyman

Obviously we are delighted at the outcome of the US presidential election and my pleasure was further enhanced while reading about the Obama's forthcoming transition to the White House. What's not to love about the new first family?!

Read it here: A Family Expected to Balance State Dinners with Sleepovers.