Mid-Week Mantra

Hello, dear readers.  I'm off work for a week (again) as my office straightens out after restructuring and staffing changes and, believe it or not, I'm bored out of my mind.  London is an incredibly expensive city - easy to forget when you're bound to your desk for 8+ hours a day but all too real when you have the time to go exploring and adventuring.  I've found that, without intellectual distractions, I tend to get stuck inside my own head.  There are a lot of unknowns about my future at the moment and I'm indulging in too many wild "what-if" scenarios, which is making me feel more untethered than I need to be.

That's why my mid-week mantra today is this:

Something worth remembering, I think, regardless of what you have going on.

Irish Coastal Getaway

What a beautiful weekend we had in Ireland!  As you know, we were in Schull - to get there, you fly to Cork and take a bus (or three, ahem) south to the coast.  We stayed in Jon's family's cottage, which was cosy and homey and absolutely lovely.

We didn't arrive until late afternoon on Thursday, so spent a while settling in before heading to the house of a friend of Jon's family for drinks.  She was an absolute hoot and loved telling me all about the history of the area in her amazing accent.  (Did you know that the southwest coast of Ireland was home to a legendary pirate family named the O'Driscolls?  It's true, I'm told.  And the expression "by crook or by hook" apparently comes from having made the transatlantic journey from America into one of two harbors in Ireland without having been caught by the pirates.  Don't check Wikipedia on this, just believe the lady.  It's more fun that way.)

We woke up to a beautifully warm and sunny Friday, and wandered through the harbor and out along the coast for the better part of the day.  Jon took me out for a pub dinner that night, where we tried local seafood and Murphy's, which is the famous stout from Cork.  Saturday afternoon found us back in the pub to watch two 6 Nations rugby matches, and we had a quiet night in to finish up the holiday.

I took lots of photos from our gorgeous walk, of course.  Here are a few favorites; enjoy!

I hope that you all had a beautiful weekend, too, dear readers, wherever you were!  And now into March...

Blog Brunch - and a Bloggers' Brunch

Brunch is, possibly, my favorite meal of the day: it's an excuse to eat decadently and drink champagne at a disrespectful hour.  What could be better?

via

Therefore, for those of you who are new to this party, I'd like to introduce you to Blog Brunch, a wonderful network of bloggers at every stage in their blogging careers who gather on Twitter on the first Saturday of every month at 1pm EST to discuss relevant issues facing the ever-growing community.  The last meetup was about sponsorship and monetizing and a recap of the conversation can be found here; we'll be talking about personal projecs on 3 March.  Make sure you join in with #blogbrunch!

Even more excitingly, the brilliant minds behind Blog Brunch are going to be taking their initiative live!  They want to plan real brunches where bloggers will be able to meet over a meal to discuss the issues they're tackling and their secrets to success - it'll be an amazing platform for networking, both professional and social, and a fun way to learn more about this expanding medium and to get to know the faces behind your favorite local blogs.

I'm obviously angling for a brunch in London, but make sure to vote for your city no matter where you live!

(P.S. If you live in/near London, make sure you holler at Beantown Prepster, who has already organized an actual brunch for bloggers in town for 4 March.  This girl is a trailblazer!  See you there.)

Interlude with a Kitten

You may have seen my #firstworldproblems tweets over the past few days - the cottage in Ireland does not have internet.  (I thought I'd manage for four days without, but I failed.  Yeah, I know; you're not surprised.  Me neither, to be honest.)  We're in the one café in town that has wifi, but I don't have long, so I'm just going to give you an overload of adorable:

I am totally not a cat person - Topsy, who lives with Jon's parents in Suffolk, is the only feline to have ever stolen my heart - but my landlords got a new kitten last week and I'm slowly but surely being won over.  (Okay, not that slowly.)  Her name is Coco, she's eight weeks old, and she is a total scamp.  She's totally fearless and very demanding - she's my kind of girl.

Frock Fridays - Hollywood Glam

As usual, there was a lot of flesh on display at the Grammys this year (ahem, Rihanna and Fergie - and you, too, Jessie J, at the Brits earlier this week) and I do generally agree that you have every right to show off what your mother gave you and/or what you bought with your hard-earned millions.  However, I have to admit that I preferred some of the more demure styles on the red carpet...

If I were to be invited to the Oscars - well, first of all, it would probably be on the arm of Eddie Redmayne.  (What?  I have a weakness for gingers.  Besides, he went to Eton and studied History of Art at Cambridge, which means he's totally my type.  Duh.)  But, second of all, I'd definitely be jumping on this less-is-more fashion bandwagon.

[ eyes / mascara / lips / nails / perfume / dress / earrings / bracelet / ring / clutch / shoes ]

Okay, so it's not comprehensively a less-is-more approach.  But if Harry Winston wants to lend me an entire suite of diamonds, who am I to say no?  The make-up would have to be very old-Hollywood glam, with a subtle eye and red lips, and, naturally, I'd be wearing Chanel No. 5.  I never know what shoes to pair with a long gown, but I think that these peep-toe pumps have the perfect amount of sparkle to creep from beneath the hem of the dress.  The clasp of the clutch tips it just onto the fun side of necessary.  And the frock is, of course, DVF - who else could make a simple wrap dress appear to be so royal?

A Visit From The Boot

Well, I'm off to Ireland today, but, fortunately, we have a lovely guest blogger here today to keep you engaged while I travel!  The Boot Blog is one of my (recently discovered) favorite expat blogs and I'm delighted that Marissa was happy to grace us with some of her wisdom.  An American transplant to Italy, she writes about discovering her new country and its people, style, and food.  But, beyond that, she explores how she is, slowly but surely, settling into life in Barletta and making it her own.

I asked her if she could share with us some of her insights; moving across an ocean to start a new life is difficult - possibly even more so when you're joining someone else's already-established life - but she's an inspiring example that it can be done.  Please help me welcome Marissa and do check out her blog!

Just the other day I was drinking a post-lunch espresso with my friend Monica and her parents. We were laughing about how it seems like just yesterday when I landed in Barletta, and now, I’m getting married here. I have jobs that I love. Friends who I adore. A future.

When I arrived I could envision anything but that life. It was a stifling hot August, I had no money and no idea what on earth I was going to do here. But I was positive and, of course, in love, so I knew if my heart was in it, I would be OK. The first few weeks were hard. I was living Manu’s life, not my own, and the transition to speaking Italian 24/7 was not making things easier. I got a job in a cramped, dumpy English school and I hated it. We lived in an apartment with no light and I hated it. I didn’t have internet and I hated it. Yup, I thought, this is going really well!

But then I had an epiphany about halfway through the year; I realized that this new life of mine was a clean slate. I could start it any way I wanted and be anything I wanted to be. I began blogging and it helped me hone in what it was I was most happy doing - writing. I stuck with it and quit my job so I would have more time to do what I loved. I realized I could make more money teaching English privately, instead of in that horrid school. So, I quit. It was liberating to finally be taking charge of my own destiny. I cultivated friendships with the girls I had met, and tried to detach myself from Manu’s hip when we were out in the piazza at night. Slowly but surely, Barletta was becoming my second home. 

Now, four years later, I can safely say that Barletta is my second home. I still teach English privately and now Zumba in a couple gyms in town. The blog still keeps me grounded, connected, busy and inspired. Manu and I are getting married next May (pinch me) and we’re in the giddy planning phase of our engagement. 

My advice to anyone trying to make their significant other’s country their own would be to stick with it. The beginning is hard, trust me, I know. I had crazy anxiety that first year, but the fears and insecurities gently slipped away the more I tried to feel at home. Learning the language is key, as is getting into the culture. Comparing things to your home will just make things worse. Try to get out alone, make friends and be open. Don’t be embarrassed if you make language mistakes or cultural faux pas - people think these things are adorable and they’ll most likely love you for it. And of course, have fun! You’re living abroad, having the experience of a lifetime! There are people out there who would love to be where you are, so cherish it. 

And, if you need any more proof that you can move away and make a life for yourself, you can always stop by the boot and see what I’m up to. :) 

[view of our street]

[the glorious vineyards!]

[the cathedral at night taken from the castle walls]

[me and manu]

Thanks so much for having me today Betsy! 

Long Weekend Away

Hello, dear readers - this is goodbye for a little while!  Jon and I rescheduled our Valentine's Day long weekend away to Scotland, and so we're headed to Ireland tomorrow.  (No, it doesn't make sense.  Don't worry about it.)  We have an early flight to Cork International Airport which will get us into the village of Schull around noon.  Schull, by the way, is on the sea at the southwestern tip of Ireland:

Jon's family has a cottage in town and he has wonderful memories of spending summers there as a child.  He spent a few days in Schull with his best friends on a stag do over the summer, and so I may have thrown a small tantrum and told him that he had to take me or else - therefore, after more than three years of dating, we're on our way.

I don't know what the internet situation will be once we get there, but I'll do my best to keep in touch both here and on twitter.  And, in the meantime, I've scheduled an amazing guest blogger to stop by tomorrow - make sure you come back to see!

On Running

I have never been athletic; actually, I have never really been active.  When I was a child, I was diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma but never experienced serious difficulty breathing because I rarely asked enough of my lungs to challenge them.  My weight fluctuations over the past decade have always been due to changes in my eating habits and, even when I lost a significant amount of weight in high school, the time and/or energy I spent exercising didn't seem to affect the number on my scale.

Current scientific and medical research concludes that exercise doesn't universally instigate weight loss.  (Read about it here, here, here, and here.)  In other words, not everyone will be able to shed unwanted pounds by clocking up miles on the elliptical.  I didn't need studies to tell me this: I knew it from personal experience.  I didn't see the point in sweating through hours of pain at the gym because I wasn't seeing results at the end, and so my occasional trips to the gym during college became less and less frequent.

However, I decided a couple of months ago that I was tired of being sedentary.  I was disappointed by my shortness of breath when chasing a bus, I was frustrated by my unwillingness to walk up the escalator on the Underground, and I was, frankly, embarrassed that my default reaction whenever Jon's mother suggested a brisk walk during our weekends in the country was dismay.  So I decided to start - and finish - the Couch to 5k program.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with C25k, let me explain: it's a program that aims to get you off the couch and running a 5k in nine weeks.  I downloaded my program from the NHS, and the lovely Laura talks me through each session every time I pop my headphones on and set out for a run.  (She's great, by the way; she says things like, "Now, you've completed this distance before, so you know you can do it again," and she gives tips on technique.  I couldn't do it without her.)  The program includes three sessions of running a week and is constructed to build on what you've achieved already by starting with short intervals of running and increasing to longer periods of running and then to sustained running.  I'm almost finished with week 7, which means that I start off with a five-minute warm-up walk and then run for 25 minutes straight.

Now, 25 minutes of running may not sound like a lot - but let me tell you that it's 25 minutes I could not have completed two months ago.  90 seconds of running was difficult for me when I started the program, and every time I think about flagging on these non-interval runs I remember that I would not have been able to even imagine sustaining a run for any real length of time when I was on week 1.

I've signed up for a 5k race (along with AT, Ashley, and Melissa) in Regents Park on 11 March, two weeks after I will have finished the program because I felt that I needed motivation to ensure that I would see it through.  I don't have a time goal - I just want to run the whole thing without walking - but I am proud that my pace improves with each session I complete.

The most exciting thing, though, is this: regardless of how many weeks I've been running or how many miles I've logged, regardless of my technique or my knowledge, and regardless of how long it will take me to finish that 5k, I know that I will finish it.  I know this because when I feel tired at minute 17 of my session, I tell myself that can see it through and I do.  I know this because when Laura tells me that I'm done for the day, I wonder when I can get out on the street again.  And I know this because when I feel cold air on my face first thing while on an early run, I smile and think, "This is how I should wake up every morning."

I'm not always good at sticking to my schedule.  I can't consistently convince myself that running will be a better use of time than watching another episode of The Good Wife.  I don't generally conquer boredom by crossing another session off the list.  Basically, I'm not perfect, and I'm not an expert.

But every time I lace up my sneakers and set off, I know that I'm a runner - and it feels great.

all images via pinterest

Through the Heath

I went for a run before brunch today through the heath to the river - it was an absolutely beautiful morning.  The colors were brilliantly alive, the wind whistled through the rushes, and sky stretched for miles.  I didn't bring a camera, but luckily Jon walked behind me so that he could shout directions (since I would have gotten totally lost without instruction) with his iPhone in his pocket.

Of course, we had a full English breakfast when we got home, probably totally negating the effects of the run, but I'm not counting the outing as a Couch to 5k session anyway because I don't know how far I ran which means that I couldn't compete against myself.  (More on the running and the program in tomorrow's Monday Musings!)

By the way, do you like my new blog design?  It's all thanks to the lovely and talented Joelle from something charming - if you're researching designers for a new look for your own blog, I cannot recommend her enough!  We've been rolling out the changes for about a week, but we're almost done and I'm so thrilled with how it's turned out.  (Thank you, Joelle!)  I've also started fleshing out my additional pages, found at the top of the blog; please do help me complete them by letting me know what you want to see in the "expatriation" and "faq" sections.  After all, this blog is for you!

Horses, Hounds, and Horns

As soon as Jon and I arrived in Suffolk this morning, we were whisked off to watch the gathering of the hunt.  If there hadn't been cars trying to maneuver around the horses, I would have thought I had been transported to Downton Abbey in 1912:

Regardless of what you may think about the morality of the sport of hunting, you have to admit that it's a beautifully stylized activity.  The horses were calm and powerful, their manes knotted and their coats gleaming.  All of the participants were wearing gorgeous blazers and fitted coats with cravats and, as you can see, the woman above was dressed in a splendid suit while riding sidesaddle.  Actually, I was surprised to see that there were as many women as men participating - and that the Master of the Hunt was a woman.

Hunting is technically illegal in the UK, so this hunt was not explicitly chasing hares or foxes; instead, an artificial scent was laid down for the hounds to follow and this was tracked rather than any live animal.

Interestingly, most people who live in the countryside think that hunting should be legal and, also interestingly, I have seen more foxes in London than I ever have outside the M25.  The ban on hunting was enacted for many reasons - morality was in play, certainly, but so were political considerations and issues with class.  Hunting provokes a very visceral debate, I know, as it should.  But as long as no laws are being broken, I think we should be able to enjoy this classic English tradition.  What do you think?

Frock Fridays

Jon and I are heading to Suffolk tomorrow for the weekend and to the southwest coast of Ireland next Thursday for a short holiday.  It'll be lovely to get away and I'm looking forward to both trips, but the seaside at this latitude in February is a bit bracing.

That's why, although I know I'm so lucky to have these breaks in the diary, I'm dreaming of jetting off somewhere warm!

 My first proper vacation with Jon was in early April 2009, just before Easter.  (We booked the flights in December after having only been dating for two months - very optimistic!)  We went to Turkey; the majority of the trip was spent in Istanbul and, after a long and slightly disastrous bus ride east, we finished the holiday with a couple of gorgeous days on the Lycian coast.  An outfit like this would have been perfect for meandering the streets of the city or the hills of the countryside in the breezy spring warmth...

[ bag / cardigan / dress / hat / sunglasses / belt / shoes ]

Make sure you check out all the other dream destinations and outfits over on Long Distance Loving!

WWKMD

Or, as you might have guessed: what would Kate Middleton do?

I really don't mean to keep teasing you about this, but I do have to tell you that things are still very much up in the air.  At the moment I'm feeling more or less like a duck: all seems smooth and serene on the surface though I'm paddling like mad under the water.  I have many serious decisions to make in the next few weeks that are constantly being affected by movements beyond my control, which means that I currently don't even have a clear picture of my options.

So, until I gain a fuller appreciation of what choices are available to me, I'm going to have to keep repeating the below mantra to myself.

via

It's a lot harder than I expected it would be to keep all of this from you, dear readers - I love sharing myself with you and your support is always so encouraging, which is why blogging is lovely - but, unfortunately, I think I'm going to have to stay mum for just a little while longer.  In the meantime, though, I'm so comforted by the fact that you're here regardless!  Thank you.

Size Struggles Across the Pond

Hello, dear readers!  I hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday - however, you may be happy to hear, the Valentine's Day smooshfest that we've enjoyed (or not) on this blog is now over.  I had a lovely evening with Jon, but I'm now a bit drained of cute.  I'm sure you understand.

Today's post is still topical, though, in that it's about a very relevant subject during a month a month in which we lose sight of our New Year's resolutions while shopping for barely-there lingerie: we're going to talk about clothing sizes.  More specifically, we're going to talk about the absurdity of clothing sizes across the pond.

As you know, I've struggled with my weight for the last decade, and one of the things that made my first move to London really difficult was wrapping my mind around the shift in clothing sizes.  In general, the rule is that the English equivalent to an American size is two larger; in other words, an American 10 is a British 14.  I was more or less comfortable with the number on my tags in America, but when I started shopping on Oxford Street I was horrified.  Of course, that British 14 has the same measurements as the American 10 in theory, but I had been conditioned to believe that being a 10 was preferable to being a 14, and it took me a long time to be comfortable with buying clothes in what seemed to be a larger size.

A computer coder and fashion fanatic, Anna, recently created a scintillating graph to represent clothing sizes at different stores in the US and in the UK called What Size Am I?  Inspired by this NYTimes article, she explains that the measurements of a 10 (in either country) vary widely - as most women know, if you're a 10 at one store, you're probably an 8 at the one next door and a 12 at the one across the street - and she wanted to combine her two passions to help women shop smart.

I have to say, the most interesting thing about Anna's project is the trends that she notices in terms of which stores cater to which markets.  In Britain, for instance, Reiss (in green) runs smaller and stops at a UK 14, while Whistles (in red) runs larger and stops at a UK 16:

The same phenomenon appears amongst American clothing stores, which also feature on Anna's graph.  This variety makes it incredibly difficult to easily find clothes that fit regardless of what country you're in, and it makes it especially tricky to cross the pond and find sizes that will translate to the proportions of measurements that you're used to.

If you're moving to or visiting the UK in the near future - or if you already live here and are hopelessly confused - do make sure to check out the project before shopping!  It'll save you hours of frustration and tears, I promise.  (Not that I have ever been frustrated to tears while shopping, natch...)

To Jon And To You

Jon often jokes that he checks this blog when he wants to find out what he's thinking and/or feeling about his activities.  Because of that, I was going to write today's post as a surprise Valentine to him - but, really, all that needs to be said is that I love him very much and I always will.  In the smallest moments of the days and the biggest pieces of the years, I am his.

Betsy and Jon, January 2010

I hope you are all having a lovely day, dear readers, regardless of how you're spending it or with whom.  I hope you are spoiling yourself.  I hope you are being appreciated.  And I hope that you are vibrant with love.

Monday Musings - On Lasting Love

There is a fascination, at the moment, with marriages that have endured the test of time; with commitments that have spanned decades and overcome obstacles and come out stronger and wiser on the other side of a vow that is, today, so often taken too lightly.

We live in an era of instant gratification in a world where scandals are just a Tweet away and freshly-recorded music from the next big star can be downloaded from YouTube minutes after it is created and political upsets are live-blogged from the campaign trail.  We demand satisfaction quickly - we want fulfillment and we want it now.

It's lovely, therefore, to be reminded that some things get better with time.  I don't know if I believe in love at first sight but I do believe that love can be all the better for evolving as a slow burn over the years, and because of that I look to couples who have been through all that comes with a half-century of marriage for inspiration, for hope, and for guidance.

If you haven't heard Danny and Annie Perasa's romance on StoryCorps, please listen to it here.  It will touch you wherever you are in life and will illuminate that the best of love can be found in the most mundane of places and the most monumental of decisions.

This Valentine's Day, who inspires you to commit to love?

both images via Lauren Fleischman's Love Ever After project

Valentine's Day Dinner

Okay, I know that I keep going on about how Jon and I "don't celebrate Valentine's Day" but that's not entirely true because I am simply too much of a girl to let the holiday escape without some notice!  He'll be coming over for dinner on Tuesday night; cards will be read, candles will be lit, wine will be poured, and - if I'm lucky - flowers will be arranged.  Also, I will probably cry.  (Who says that Valentine's Day can't be classy?  Not this lady, no sir.)

via

As I've noted before, the way to a man's heart is often through his stomach, and there's something almost mythical about boys at every age yearning for the classic foods of childhood.  Since Jon finds such profound contentment in simple dishes, I'm going to pull out a move from my The Lady and the Tramp cookbook* and make spaghetti with meatballs tomorrow night.  We'll probably start with an easy spinach salad and we'll definitely finish with Gü chocolate souffles, but the star of the meal will absolutely be the main, even though I'm going to cheat and use store-bought sauce because it's a weeknight and I just do not have the energy or the will to do everything from scratch.

image via

Spaghetti with Meatballs
serves 2 with serious leftovers

1/4 lbs ground veal
1/4 lbs ground pork
1/2 lbs ground beef
2/3 c breadcrumbs
1 tbs chopped parsley
1/4 c grated Parmesean
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 medium egg, beaten
1/3 c warm water
olive oil
vegetable oil

Combine all of the ingredients except the oils in a bowl, making sure to keep a light hand when mixing.  Form the mixture into 2" balls using your hand and a fork; you'll end up with about 10-12 meatballs, though I have never gotten the same result twice in however many times I've made this.

Pour equal amounts of the oils into a deep skillet to a depth of 1/4".  On medium-low heat, brown the meatballs evenly on all sides.  Remove to a plate covered with paper towels.

In a heavy pot, heat the sauce (use whatever brand you like best, as I do, or find recipes here, here, and here) until bubbling.  Submerge the meatballs as much as possible in the sauce, cover, and simmer on a low heat for 25-30 minutes.

Near the end of the meatball process, make your spaghetti.  Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan and extra chopped parsley.  Enjoy!

image via

If you're wondering what to make for your sweetie on Tuesday, just ask Epicurious!  They've got a quiz to help you plan the perfect meal.  Apparently I should be making a roast chicken with mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts, which was actually my back-up idea.  Right on the mark - well done, Epicurious.  The Kitchn has some great options as well, perfectly sized for two.  If you cook for Valentine's Day, let me know what you end up making!

*Note: I didn't actually know that there really is a Disney cookbook out there.  (I mean, of course there is.  Long live capitalism and all that.)  My recipe is more based off Ina's example.

Refreshing Saturday

Good morning, dear readers!  I have to tell you: I am luxuriating over this post today.  For the past few weeks, I've been really diligent about planning and writing and scheduling my daily snippets ahead of time.  It makes life easier in the long run, but I've found that I do miss the spontaneity of being in the moment when I blog.  So this post, composed just after 8am on the very same morning, is going to be deeply satisfying, I think, for both me and you.  Long, but satisfying.

(By the way, I know that I promised to tell you my big news soon, but unfortunately it needs a bit more time to percolate.  I haven't forgotten - I'm just waiting until the moment is right for all concerned.)

via

I have a full day of singing tomorrow, but today is blissfully free and I think I'm going to spend it with Jon working on the February Photo a Day challenge.  The idea of the game is to inspire you to just a little bit of creativity throughout the month by giving each date a theme or topic that you can interpret any way you like through the medium of photography.  However, because my camera officially died recently and I prefer Jon's iPhone to my BlackBerry for taking pictures, I'm going to coerce my lovely and understanding boyfriend into hitting the town to seek out opportunities for a whole bunch of the days.  Yes, it's cheating a bit on the point of the challenge - but I'm being honest with you which makes it okay, right?  I'll share what we've snapped at the end of the month, so check back on the 29th!

Since it's still really too early to start the day, I thought I might spend some time playing along with this game of tag that's making the blogging rounds.  I first spotted it over at BeantownPrepster but couldn't participate because I am an extremely vocal commenter; luckily, Karen picked up the game next and has invited everyone to join in - so here goes!

rules:

1. post the rules

2. post 11 facts about yourself

3. answer the tagger's 11 questions and then set a new 11 questions

4. tag 11 bloggers to play along

*****

f1: I have been to almost every city/town in England that has a major cathedral or church because three out of the first four times I visited England were on choir tours.

f2: I don't really like most holiday drinks - you can keep your daiquiris and piña coladas and whatever; I'll stick with the basics, thank you.

f3: I can only spend a maximum of two hours in any museum exhibition regardless of how big or interesting it is - I get bored and/or antsy after that.

f4: As a classically-trained soprano, I'd rather sound like a pre-pubescent boy than a Wagnerian diva - that much vibrato, no matter how appropriate it is, scares me. 

f5: I refuse to use lip balm that comes in tins - there is no reason to get your fingers sticky and oily when you could just buy a tube of chapstick.

f6: There is a tab on my bookmarks bar on my laptop called "TOP SECRET" that includes links to my favorite wedding blogs.

f7: I love scented candles and have quite a few around my flat but I rarely light them - I mostly buy them because they look pretty and have enticing names.

f8:  I believe that there is no recipe that can't be improved by adding cheese.

f9: I love American cop dramas - my favorite is Law and Order: SVU but I'll even stoop to watch CSI: Miami, especially if I'm homesick.

f10: I buy the Sunday Times every weekend and only read the supplements.

f11: When I wake up in the middle of the night and my leg is hanging off the bed, my first thought (still and always) is that it might get bitten off by the monster under the bed.

*****

q1: If you could have a theme song play when you walk down the street, what would it be? 

a1: The Girl from Ipanema

q2: If you could only watch one TV show for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

a2: The West Wing

q3: French fries: skinny and crispy or big and mushy?  

a3: Big and mushy in England, skinny and crispy in France!

q4: What is your guilty pleasure outfit?

a4: A jersey dress no matter what the weather

q5: Soda: fountain, bottle, or can? 

a5: I don't drink soda unless it's in a rum-and-coke.

q6: Favorite thing to do at the gym?

a6: Watch crappy talk shows

q7: If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?

a7: London - because home is where the heart is!

q8: What is one thing that you carry in your purse that you absolutely cannot live without?

a9: My Oystercard for London's public transport.

q10: What is your most embarrassing habit?

a10: I do this funny thing where I play with my lip in a really awkward way when I'm distracted.

q11: If you could meet and be BFFs with a blogger that you follow, who would it be and why?

a11: Blair's Headband, because her irreverence and down-to-earth reality crack me up; Joelle, because she sees beauty everywhere; and Victoria because she is living her dreams.

*****

1. Why do you blog and/or read blogs?

2. If you could have one celebrity endorse your blog, who would you pick and why?

3. If you could guest-star on any reality show, which would you pick and why?
4. What is your favorite Halloween costume ever from your past?

5. Team Peeta or Team Gale?

6. If you had to be turned into a vampire, would you prefer to be bitten by Bill Compton, Edward Cullen, Lestat, or Bunnicula?

7. Name two foods that you eat together that everyone else thinks is gross.

8. What do you really think about the color combination of pink and green?

9. Which character do you most identify with in Rent?

10. Would you rather be the queen or the power behind the throne?

11. What is the one topic that makes you nervous when you talk about on your blog and why?

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Oh my goodness - now you know more about me than you ever wanted to!  And I have come up with such strange questions... sorry, guys.  It's early and the sun is shining and I may have gotten carried away.  You understand, don't you?

I'm going to tag some of my most recent new followers - I'd love to get to know you better, so please do play along!  (Do let us know if you join in even if I haven't tagged you by commenting on this post.)  I can't wait to read what you all come up with!

Sam at Every Shade of Green

Kay at From NJ to the UK

Katie at A Preppy Girl's Guide

Emm at Emm in London

{av} at long distance loving

Okay, dear readers, it's time to start the day.  Well done - if you've made it this far - and have an absolutely lovely weekend wherever you are!

Frock Fridays

I was delighted that {av} went the traditional route with today's Friday's Fancies and themed the game for Valentine's Day!  Jon and I put our own spin on the holiday, but - as you know - I love any excuse to wear pink.

Our first Valentine's day together was a bit excruciating; it was wonderful to be celebrating with such an amazing boy, of course, but it was so horribly formulaic. Not only does Jon agree with this, but he has decreed that we will never again make reservations on 14 February because of that experience.  He had arranged dinner for us at a fancy restaurant, and I truly can't blame him because he was trying to provide the lovely experience that he thought I wanted, but by the end of the night we felt pretty grim because the whole thing seemed so painfully contrived.  (This is no fault of the restaurant, I would hasten to add; it's just the nature of the beast.)  So we're not really going to be doing Valentine's Day on the 14th anymore - but we will still be celebrating!

We will be going out to dinner on 17 February, either to Bar Boulud by ourselves or to Quo Vadis with a chef friend who just started working there and his girlfriend, and Jon has requested a classic sexy/sweet look.  Actually, when I asked him what I should wear, he helpfully said, "I don't know.  Look hot.  But not too hot.  Because then I'll have competition.  I guess, I don't know, maybe something pretty?"  I have decided to translate this into sexy/sweet, and created the below outfit with London in mind: every single piece here is from the UK.  I might freeze to death, but I will look good and feel patriotic (for my adopted country) while doing it!

[ earrings / necklace / bracelets / nailpolish / mascara / lipgloss / dress / jacket / clutch / shoes ]

By the way, don't you love the back of this frock?  The dress is so demure from the front, but once you take off that leather jacket... yowza!

Toys for Boys

In all humility, I got Jon the best Valentine's Day present ever.  We said we weren't really going to spend anything on the holiday because we're going to Ireland at the end of the month - yes, I told you before that we were heading to Scotland in mid-February; at least I got the month correct and almost though not quite the country - but I may have spotted something perfect a few weeks ago and nabbed it.  (I can't tell you what it is because he's sitting right here, and that would ruin the surprise.  And I am good at keeping surprises, unlike some.  Ha!)

If I hadn't already found the ideal gift, though, and I had all the money in the world, I'd think about getting Jon something like...

[ messenger bag / shoes / sweater / watch / aftershave ]

Unfortunately, he has just asked for world peace instead.  Or a dinosaur.  He'd prefer a dinosaur.

Boys.  That's all I have to say about that.

A Few Of My (Currently) Favorite Things

Tomorrow's post is about what I would get Jon if I hadn't already found the best present ever - more about that on Thursday, never fear - but it got me thinking about what we give those we love, both the tangible things and the intangible.  And then the corollary of that is, of course, this question: what could I give myself?

Let's dream aspirationally, shall we?  After all, dreaming is free, as the inimitable Blondie once sang.

[ umbrella / necklace / shoes / pillow / teacup and saucer / rug / skillet / bag ]

As BHB says, Valentine's Day is about celebrating love regardless of its definition or function, and so you should "raise a glass to yourself this year and fill your day with love in a way unique and meaningful to you!"  Well put, lady - find some champagne and do as she commands, dear readers!