The Royal Standard of England

We had a lovely weekend with our guest and decided to finish it off with a trip out to a Country Pub this afternoon. On the recommendation of a good friend we visited The Royal Standard in Forty Green. It is the oldest freehouse in England.

We got there early, parked the car and took an ambling walk through the Chilterns. Taking in the beginning of Spring popping up in the fields while working up quite an appetite, before we headed to the Pub. You could not have asked for a nicer day. The sun was shining, there was a breeze softly blowing about and the delicious smell of earth was in the air.

The food at the Pub was heavenly. I had a Yorkshire Pudding that I think was as big as my head, with creamy mashed potatoes, steamed veggies and roast beef. Others at the table had the Sunday Roast as well and Mr. Michie got the Sausage and Mash, which was delectable. I know, because I stole a bite.

And, this little fellow watched over us as we ate, which made me smile! A wonderful end to an enjoyable weekend.

(All images by Mr. & Mrs. Michie)

A Tea Party

On Wednesday afternoon for completing my first 1/2 term at my new school, I was invited to an afternoon tea with the principal. Which, I thought was a very charming British thing to do.

It was lovely, the table was laid with the most gorgeous trays of sandwiches and cakes and scones with oodles of clotted cream and strawberry jam to lavish upon them. There were also the most divine miniature coffee eclairs. After working away in the cupboard all day, all that wonderful sugar on offer was pure happiness!

It was all created by the students in the Home Economics department and they had worked tremendously hard. It was an absolute delight and, a pretty neat way to welcome in your new staff too!

(Image: A Su Blackwell piece)

A Spot of Tea

Just heading out my racing green door for a spot of tea and good natter on this wonderful sunny afternoon!

I have the day off and I am going to soak up every drop of sunshine I can! Hope it is sunny wherever you are today...

(Image - Teacup: The Graphics Fairy, Dottie Border: The Pugly Pixel, Embellished by J. Michie)

Heading Down the Line

We went to my adorable redhead's Grandad's 90th Birthday party this weekend! Oh, that was a mouthful! It was lovely. However, the weather was bitter cold and rainy, so the garden party was moved indoors.

Coming home on Sunday the weather was still cold but, the sky was an azure blue and filled with thick puffy marshmallow clouds.  As we headed down the rails, waving goodbye to the platform the sun burst through, the train picked up speed and we were off, back home to London.

We passed fields of rapeseed all blossoming sunshine yellow, with borders of green hedges running through them like a giant crossword puzzle. I saw a giant jack-rabbit leaping into a field and a few more munching away near the tracks. We saw horses and farms and church spires that would appear out of nowhere, the only building that existed on a plot of land for miles.

We also saw people. People riding horseback through fields, walking their dogs, children running with their red wellies on and waving at the train.

We were sad to leave, but happy to come back to our cozy home. But, I do love to travel even on short trips; there is a magic to the rails, a freedom to them and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride...

Tea Party

We went shopping this weekend and I came across these silicone tea cups:

Unfortunately, the store was out of stock, they just had an empty display box, stating more stock would be in soon. I thought that this would be an adorable idea for a children's tea party, or even a grown-ups tea party for that matter. To have delicious cupcakes baked in these pipped with twirly-whirly swirls of icing in a rainbow of colors and sprinkles.

And you could serve them alongside these yummy lemon raspberry sandwich cookies:

These little ham & cheese thumbprints:

Mini cucumber sandwiches made with my Mom's mouth-watering cucumber and carrot spread and a selection of delicious vegetables with a homemade buttermilk ranch dip. I am getting hungry just thinking about it!

The day started out rainy this morning, but now has gone sunny and deliciously cool, the perfect tea party day, for bunting strung in trees, white tableclothes billowing in the breeze, good music floating through the garden and a group of friends to enjoy the afternoon with as day slips into night.

When these get back in stock, they might just jump into my hands, because I think this is a truly cute idea!

(Click on the cookie and thumbprints pictures to be taken directly to the recipe, tea party girl by Belle & Boo)

Rockin' Robin

Robin rose up early,

At the break of day;
He flew to Jenny Wren’s house,
To sing a roundelay.

At 4:33 this morning I was awakened by the happy chirps of a little robin. Of all the birds, the English robin is my favorite! The house I first lived in when I moved to London had a very small elfish sized garden in the back and in that garden lived a little robin, or at least one that liked to visit us everyday.

He was very talkative and very opinionated.  If there was no food out you would hear a peck-peck-pecking on the french doors and turning from the table you would spy him, standing proudly with his head cocked to the side with a little expression of, "Have you forgotten something? Like my food?"

On a few occasions he would fly in through the open kitchen window and hop about. A game would often ensue of you telling him you were going to open the doors for him to fly out, he would either follow you and go back outside or just stand on the kitchen table looking at you as if to say, "I will go when I am ready!"

So with the cheerful chirping of Mr. Robin this morning, I know Spring is coming, although snow is predicted for Wednesday so Jack Frost might have a little bit of Winter left in him yet!

(Poem excerpt from The Wedding of Robin Redbreast & Jenny Wren, Image by: Isabelle Brent)

Frosted Window Panes

Brrr! It is cold freezing outside! We woke up this morning to frosted windowpanes, it was a very Dickensish morning.  These are the moments in winter that even in modern times you have a true feeling for A Christmas Carol. 

You get a real sense of what those times must have been like.  The feeling of damp that goes right through you, the smell of coal in the air when you walk through certain parts of London, the bitterly cold evenings. It is enough to make you a humbug, but I love it. I love the feeling you get with the frost on your cheeks and hands, watching your breath come out in little plumes above your head, coming into a warm house with cozy candles lit and the gentle hiss of the radiator filling the room with warmth.

As I woke this morning and laid in bed for a few moments, looking at the frost around the panes of glass, I could hear Doris Day singing in my head and this is what she said:

Frosted window panes
Candles gleaming inside
Painted candy canes on the tree
Santa's on his way,
He's filled his sleigh
With things, things for you and for me

It's that time of year
When the world falls in love
Every song you hear
Seems to say
Merry Christmas
May your New Year dreams come true
And this song of mine
In three quarter time
Wishes you and yours
The same thing too

  

(Ilustration by Edmund Dulac)

Shhh! There be Smugglers About, Matey!

We have been off on the smuggler's trail over the last few days. Yesterday, we drove to Bodmin and visited Jamaica Inn, a complete tourist trap, but I got to see Daphne du Maurier's writing desk and typewriter in their little museum and that made me smile. Driving along the moors we saw scraggy coated wild horses walking along the rocks and munching away on grass.

The weather changed by the time we got to the Inn, the temperature dropped and it began to rain. It painted quite a picture. You could envision the smugglers carrying their loads in from one of the Looe routes on a dark frosty night the air thick with mist, driving their horse led carriage hard through the moors to the Inn where they hoped to have a drink, do some business and catch a little respite.

We wandered down to the town on Sunday afternoon for lunch and ate at the Smugglers Cott, we had the most deliciously cozy traditional British Sunday roast. The atmosphere inside was charming.
The beams belonged to a ship from the Spanish Armada and the inside of the pub was filled with vintage bottles and ship related paraphernalia. After lunch we took a stroll around the harbour and watched the boats come in and out. There was still some men in the fish market, finishing up cleaning their day's catch. There existed in the air a heady smell of the salty sea and warm fish guts.We walked down into town today along the coastal path and it was the very first day I got to wear my wellies. They were broken in along the sandy beach with the waves crashing against my feet as I hunted for sea glass.

We discovered the most adorable bakery and got the most heavenly cupcakes, Halloween of course! We devoured them like greedy little monsters as we continued to explore the twisty little streets of Looe.

Everything here is adorably decorated for Halloween with pumpkins and paper lanterns hung in windows, mixed with the leaves changing here, you feel truly Autumnal.

We ate fresh fish & chips, burning the roof of our mouths as we munched away on hot salty chips (no vinegar for me) and watched the crowds go by, it was a perfect day, just being.

We will be saddened to leave here at the end of the week. What a magical place Cornwall is.


A Pixie village we passed on our walk down the coast.

What Could be Better?

This was my view this morning. I watched the sun peek out behind the clouds as I sat on the deck, reading my book with a hot cup of tea in hand! No one else was up yet so it was just peaceful. A nice way to greet the day by just slowly coming in to it. What could be better than this? It took a little bit longer to get here yesterday than expected, with all the holiday traffic heading down to the coast, but, who is in a rush?

We drove through gorgeous countryside, passing little stone farmhouses happily perched on the edge of the road. In the surrounding fields, cows and sheep munched away on grass watching the cars pass by; in one farmyard the cutest pink pigs with black spots were snorting around in the dirt.

We even passed Stonehenge! That was something to marvel at! I had no idea you would be able to see it from the road. We quickly rolled down the window and snapped a picture with the phone. It was drizzling and misty yesterday and as we approached the hill the massive stones began to just slowly appear out of the mist, looming in front of us. It was very Halloween spooky, all we needed were candles and druids marching up the hill in a long procession in the mist to complete the mood.

Today we are off to go exploring, if I can tear myself away from the view at the bottom of our garden. The sunshine, mixed with the breeze and the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks below, is just magical!

Off to the Cornish Coast

Well, by tomorrow afternoon I will be sitting in sunny Cornwall. How sunny it will be remains to be seen, but that doesn't matter to me, all I need is the few books I have set aside to read and that big chair at the bottom of the garden overlooking the ocean, add to that some walks along the coastal path with my sweetie pie and I will be as happy as a clam.

This is a true adventure for me. I have yet to go to Cornwall in all my time living here, so I can't wait to see what the next week brings my way. I am hoping for quaint villages, old little antique stores and interesting places to wander and explore.

I have wanted to travel there, since my husband and I bought an old train advertising poster for Cornwall. A little girl stands on the edge of the bay overlooking all the fishing boats with a grandfatherly looking fisherman in his wellies leaning against a railing nearby; with sailboats and a lighthouse, all beautifully captured in 1930's colors, it paints quite a picture. This poster alone has made me want to go to Cornwall since we hung it on our wall.

There is a ferry near where we are staying that will take you up the estuary and upon docking, you are met with a house named "Ferryside", once the home of Daphne du Maurier. I have visions of her writing away at her desk, looking out the windows of "Ferryside" and writing "The House Upon the Strand", what a book!
I am looking forward to this half term break and taking a real break, working on nothing for the fair (as much as I want too), I think it would be best to just come back refreshed, I have stayed ahead of schedule and only have a few pieces left to finish. So, I plan to just drink in each day in the sea air. I can't wait for my first taste of fish & chips, scalding our mouths and fingers as we reach for hot salty chips out of the paper cone holder, walking arm and arm along the strand.

To the Christmas Fair we go...

Over the river and through the woods to the Christmas Fair we go... I just received my form today for the Fair, so I am going to fill it out now to be sure a spot is held for me.

The fair will be held this year on November 6th. So, 4 short weeks from today, I better be ready. I am getting all my ideas together and I will be ordering my supplies tomorrow and then working like an elf to get everything done on time.

I have so many ideas, but I am going to narrow it down to just a few things to have on my table, and focus on those. My little tooth bears will be making an appearance and some will most likely be dressed for the season, 'tis the season to be jolly, as they say! I will have to start making my gingerbread wreaths soon, oh so much to do, but what fun it is!

I can't wait, for a crackling fire, warm tea, cozy things, homespun love and to be surrounded by friends. I can't think of a better way to get November started.

Home is Where the Heart Is

Embrace where you are right now is a concept I try to live up to everyday. I am an American living in the London suburbs and married to an adorable redheaded Brit. I am surprised by how many Americans I know living here who only associate with other Americans. You are somewhere out of your comfort zone and that is the best time to search out a new experience. I live in a very sweet cottage behind a "racing green" colored door. The only yard I have is what I can grow in my flower pots in front of the house, as we live on a side street. But it is just right for us.

Living here I feel like a pioneer woman, the "Laura Ingalls Wilder" of London and her family in their first little sod home on the prairie. Not everything is as convenient as it is at home and so you learn to adapt. You adapt in many ways, your way of life, how you cook something. It is easy to make certain recipes at home with the ease in which you can gather your ingredients, usually half-way done on their journey to finish your dish, yet here, I find that I will have to often start from scratch and even though the process takes longer the finished product is something I have pride in, my hands have touched every step along the way.

I love to travel, especially to Paris, we don’t get to go to France as often as I would like but as the French novelist Marguerite Yourcenar said, “To stay in one place and watch the seasons come and go is tantamount to constant travel: one is travelling with the earth,” and that is what I am being, a gypsy in my newfound hometown.