Tag: garden

Breakfast.

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The first time I really realised the wonder of breakfast was during study leave for my GCSEs, aged 15. Continue reading →

Kew Gardens

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kew, kew gardens, richmond, kew gardens richmond, royal garden, royal parks, royal kew, cherry blossom, sakura, cherryblossom, hanami, kew gardens sakura, japanese garden, kew japanese garden, kew zen garden

kew, kew gardens, richmond, kew gardens richmond, royal garden, royal parks, royal kew, cherry blossom, sakura, cherryblossom, hanami, kew gardens sakura, japanese garden, kew japanese garden, kew zen garden

Welcome to beautiful Kew Gardens…!  Continue reading →

Glasgow Botanic Gardens

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girl in yellow, yellow dress, girl holding yellow leaf, yellow leaf, rhodedendron, glasgow botanical garden, yellow fifites dress, pink flowers, pink and white flowers, floral, garden, flowers, flower, glasgow

girl in yellow, yellow dress, girl holding yellow leaf, yellow leaf, rhodedendron, glasgow botanical garden, yellow fifites dress, pink flowers, pink and white flowers, floral, garden, flowers, flower, glasgow

girl in yellow, yellow dress, girl holding yellow leaf, yellow leaf, rhodedendron, glasgow botanical garden, yellow fifites dress, pink flowers, pink and white flowers, floral, garden, flowers, flower, glasgow
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Kyoto

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These photos are from our brief time in Kyoto, and mostly from Tenryu-ji, a Buddhist temple founded in 1339. The original botanical garden is still largely intact today. Isn’t that incredible? My mind supplied visions of priests sowing the seeds and raking the ground into the landscape I saw in front of me, as though I were watching a historical montage. I tried to imagine creating something that people would experience in 600 years time and it is mind-boggling!

We travelled to Saga-Arashiyama in Kyoto primarily to visit the Sagano bamboo groves (pictured in the above two photos) only learning about Tenryu-ji when we arrived in Kyoto. The groves were a really beautiful site – very still and calm. Arashiyama itself was a pleasant suburban town – it was a nice change of pace from the bustle of Tokyo and I would have liked to have spent longer there. (I also would have liked to have spent longer in the kimono shop… those beautiful garments aren’t going to wear themselves!).

The walk through the bamboo groves and the quaint village felt very Studio Ghibli – I know I sound like a western fangirl but there was something so surreal and whimsical, particularly when we stumbled across a tiny train crossing in the middle of this epic walk between the bamboos. I always find areas with a rich history to be very comforting – picturing all the thousands of people who have walked the same steps, admired the same groves, the same sakura, the same rolling Kyoto mountains in the distance.
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Tenryuji Shrine Japan Kyoto Buddhist Shinto Ukyo-ku RinzaiLaila outside girl in black dress sakura flower blossom hanami kyoto japanTenryuji Shrine Japan Kyoto Buddhist Shinto Ukyo-ku Rinzaisakura hills kyoto ukyo-ku japan hanami cherry blossom mountain landscape outside sakura hills kyoto ukyo-ku japan hanami cherry blossom mountain landscape outsidetrain line kyoto tenryuji ukyo-kuTenryuji Shrine Japan Kyoto Buddhist Shinto Ukyo-ku Rinzaibamboo walk tenryuji ukyo-ku japan kyoto bamboo groves naturebamboo walk tenryuji ukyo-ku japan kyoto bamboo groves natureLittle bird sat on wire scaffold roof gutter pipe Tenryuji Shrine Japan Kyoto Buddhist Shinto Ukyo-ku RinzaiGirl in black dress joy the store floral blossom laila geisha blog tenryuji kyoto shrine indoor temple wooden wall ceiling tapeparade bamboo mat floor wooden screengirl in black dress, black floral dres, joy the store, arashiyama, bamboo, bamboo mat, black, black dress, blossom, buddhism, buddhist, flowers, garden, geisha, hanami, Japan, joy, kimono, kyoto, sakura, shrine, temple, tenryuji

Statue Garden

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MoMA statue garden outside New York Museum of Modern Art Laila tapeparade blogMoMA statue garden outside New York Museum of Modern Art Laila tapeparade blog
MoMA statue garden outside New York Museum of Modern Art Laila tapeparade blog

MoMA statue garden outside New York Museum of Modern Art Laila tapeparade blogMoMA statue garden outside New York Museum of Modern Art Laila tapeparade blog
A few photos from the Statue Garden at MoMA, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Cocktails

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Let’s start by saying I’m really not much of a drinker and never have been. As a teenager I found adding alcohol to coke or lemonade just ruined the taste and during university I was famed for being the slowest drinker amongst my friends (on average I managed one pint  for everybody else’s three rounds). Besides which when you’re a wheat – free vegan, drinks get pretty limited (you’d be surprised how much wine is brewed using isinglass, aka, fish bladder).

However, I’ve always liked trying out cocktails, particularly when they involve unusual ingredients. There is just something about cocktails which draws your imagination in; whether it’s the interesting names (blackberry fizz sounds like the tipple of fairies), specialist ingredients (Midori liquer? Creme de violette?) or wonderful stories behind the creation and naming of a cocktail.

I thought I’d share some favourite cocktails in case you’re looking for something new to try (DRINK RESPONSIBLY KIDS)! During an impromptu house barbecue, I was assigned the dubious task of mixologist whilst the “men” got on with throwing meat at each other and trying not to burn the garden down. There’s only about 4 cocktails I’d claim to be able to make well but I gave it a go!Bloody Mary cocktail tomato juice vodka worcestershire sauce black pepper ground black pepper interior shot drinks drink food summer
Bloody Mary cocktail tomato juice vodka worcestershire sauce black pepper ground black pepper james garden Bloody Mary (modelled by James)

Ingredients: vodka, tomato juice, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, worcester sauce/horseradish sauce, celery. This is really the only drink I can talk about in detail as it’s the only one I regularly drink and the only thing I ever go for in pubs. In my opinion I make the best Bloody Marys in town (I imagine most of my friends will disagree), probably because I am very particular with how I like them: lots of horseradish sauce which goes in first, smooth tomato juice only, ground black pepper and celery. NEVER lime as a garnish (as I have stubbornly informed hundreds of barmen across the capital) although cucumber is passable. Wikipedia has an impressive list of variations on this cocktail – has anybody tried any? A Bloody Fairy sounds horrific (absinthe instead of vodka).cosmopolitan, cranberry juice, vodka, cocktail, exterior, garden, glass, shot aIMG_5618  Cosmopolitan

Ingredients: vodka, triple sec, cranberry juice, lime juice (as well as lime garnish). Whilst the characters in Bridget Jones are fond of a good bloody mary, I’m sure you’ll all recognise the Cosmopolitan from Sex and The City where Carrie and the gang exclusively drink the rather aesthetically pleasing cocktail. I’m actually never much of a fan of these because I love cranberry juice too much. I just get annoyed at the other flavours.Cuba libre, coke, lime, drink, cocktail, dave in the garden, exterior Cuba Libre (modelled by Dave)

Ingredients: Coca-cola, lime, white rum. I personally like my coke unfettered by alcohol but Dave seemed to enjoy this even if it was reminiscent of being a teenager. As you can probably guess from the name, the drink was supposedly created in Cuba to celebrate their freedom in the Spanish-American war. Ideally served in a tumbler (we don’t own any) and on the rocks (ice).aIMG_5599 cachaça, caipirinha, outside, river island, rokit, vintage, lime, cocktails, drinking, garden cachaça, caipirinha, outside, river island, rokit, vintage, lime, cocktails, drinking, garden   Caipirinha (hopefully you recognise the girl in these photos…)

Ingredients: cachaça, lime and sugar. The national cocktail of Brazil! You might know I adore Brazil and I’ve tried a fair few of these at various Brazilian events in my time. Like the bloody mary this is another cocktail I can actually “make” and in my opinion they are easy to get wrong: too much lime and it’s bitter, not enough lime and it’s a sugar punch to the front teeth, too much ice and it’s distilled. The secret is to mash up the lime with the ice first until it’s slightly crushed (you can’t tell from the terrible quality photo), then add granulated brown sugar, then pour the alcohol in last over the top and don’t over stir. A bit tricky but so worth it!aIMG_5634 Gin Fizz

Ingredients:  gin, lemon juice (or lime juice, we used both), soda water. Essentially a posh variation on G&T. I’m not a massive fan of gin but this tasted vaguely of lemonade and Dave seemed to enjoy it! Our little cocktails book listed some bizarre variations using bits of egg such as the above ingredients plus egg white (Silver Fizz), egg yolk (Golden Fizz) and a whole egg (Royal Fizz) which sounds bizarre and is also (luckily) not vegan so I won’t be making any of those anytime soon.

That concludes our cocktails discussion! Let me know if you have tried any of these and if you have a favourite cocktail (and if it’s a bloody mary, let’s compare notes). Here’s some token pictures of the barbecue, as you can see it was GOOD. Thanks for reading and follow on facebook/twitter/bloglovin if you feel inclined!!
P.S. If any of you are based in London and would like to come to a little blog celebration I’m planning in a couple weeks, do get in touch! barbecue food laid out exterior outside garden

Morning After

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Who doesn’t love a house party? During my teenage years, there weren’t many Friday or Saturday nights that didn’t involve drinking games in somebody’s kitchen, but in recent years house parties seem to have been replaced with pre-drinking and going out.  Last night was a welcome reminder of the fun of dancing on sofas, trampling in gardens for private conversations and waking up disorientated, squished next to friends.

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