Autumn in Mauritius

October 25, 20158 Comments

September and October aren’t normally the times of year I set off for the Mauritian sunshine but that’s how it happened this year. It was slightly odd digging through my jumpers and winter dresses to find all of my recently packed away summer clothes; coupled with our last-minute booking I had some bizarrely mismatched outfits in Mauritius that I would have never thrown on in London. But then again, it’s holiday: time to live in the moment and just go with it…

This is a slightly random assortment of photos, I’ve already told you why I was there and my thoughts so as you might expect documenting the trip and everything we saw wasn’t really first priority for me this time around. I’ve written a lot about Mauritius before (LINK SPEW), it’s a pretty amazing country with lots of tiny islands to explore and a crazy geographical range; mountains, rainforest, woodland, beach and city. People often describe Mauritius as paradise; I’m completely biased of course but I definitely agree, aside from the natural beauty of the landscape (JUST LOOK AT THE VIEW FROM OUR FLAT IN THE TOP PHOTO) it’s got an endearing charm all it’s own amongst the welcoming people and ramshackle little towns. All in a country smaller than London!

We stayed in a flat near to Port Louis (which I’ve posted about before here), the capital of Mauritius and home to a lot of my family as well as some of the most evocative buildings I think I’ve ever seen. The colourful, slightly dilapidated constructions always stick in my mind when I’m back in the UK. Last time I was in Mauritius James and I stayed in a super-fancy hotel (post here) so it was a totally different experience this time sharing a flat with my Mum and Dad, especially as it’s been about 8 years since I last shared a house with my parents/spent longer than a couple of days with them. Again, it’s holiday, time to just go with it…

Sailor

January 28, 2014November 4, 201417 Comments

January has been so brilliant so far, I am in love with 2014! I spent last week working hard to turn my thoughts into concerts, making new friends and waking up on rooftops. On Thursday I stayed up very late watching Spirited Away and sewing white sailor stripes onto this dress ready for my day off on Friday. I met James for breakfast before he went to work at the Southbank Centre. I wandered home through parks and pigeons along a route that’s been familiar to me since I was about 15; I was quite sleepy but it’s nice just to wander these familiar roads when I get the chance. London feels so crisp at this time of year.

This dress is from The Whitepepper and was a present from James. I really like the floppy sailor collar. It came with blue stripes but to me “sailor” means “Sailor Moon” and so of course I felt the need to copy her collar, hence the additional white stripes. What do you think? I am missing James terribly as he has gone away for the week. I’m quite a nomadic and wandering kind of person but I share everything with James and every time he goes away I feel slightly adrift. If I’m a sailor then James is definitely my first mate!

Dress – The Whitepepper (white stripes added by me), gift. Navy tights – Forever 21, £6. Bag – Mind In Camden charity shop, £2.50.

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Lutyens House

August 4, 2013January 27, 201615 Comments

I hope all of you have been enjoying the gloriously warm evenings we’ve been granted this summer! It’s so lovely to be able to stay out in the sunshine late into the day. These pictures were taken at Goddards, a beautiful country house in Surrey. The house was designed by renowned architect Edwin Lutyens and for most of the time it is private to the public and kept for reservations. James and I were lucky enough to be invited to a dinner at the house with members of the Lutyens trust and took the opportunity to explore the beautiful home usually off limits. It was a gloriously golden evening when we arrived and the stunning gardens were filled with dappled rays of evening sunlight.

Edwin Lutyens collected many interesting objects throughout his life which have found their way into the home, such as the beautifully ornate door knocker pictured below and the rare stag heads decorating the bowls room. It felt like every room was filled with yet another unique treasure! The living-room also featured a hidden door behind the curved bookshelves, originally put in to allow a small person to crawl through and clean the windows behind. Old houses have such a feeling of adventure, don’t you think? Especially when filled with as many quirky details as Goddards!