18TH FEBRUARY

Today is cold but the brightness makes me want to dress for Spring. Fed up with my usual Winter clothes I dug out a coat that I bought when I was 21 on my first trip to Paris, our first visit together. We were there in January on the coldest of days and I remember the light being blue, sitting outside the Sacré-Cœur with a freezing fog over the city, going up the Eiffel Tower at night before finding somewhere to warm up. I came home with my coat from the APC sale and a vintage stripy jumper. I still have both but rarely wear either, I'm not sure why.

Along with thoughts of Spring here are a few things I've been distracting myself with lately. 

This article: 'I don’t want to constantly be working on myself, or powering through tough times with validating, feel-good platitudes. We have bad days; we feel bad about ourselves. That’s OK'.
Crisp cookies 
Cold weather cooking 
Breakfast bites and these seedy squares
This new to me brand
These glittery socks
This house (shot by Brian) 
And this house which I would quite like to run away to...

LITTLE THINGS

It's the little things. This morning I popped to a spot near work to get coffee and handed over my loyalty card to be stamped. The guy stamped the 7th spot and then just kept going from 8 - 12 before handing it back and saying my next coffee would be free. A little thing, a good thing.

This weekend there should be more good things as we're trying out a new Turkish place with friends, planning gyros, gelato and a few galleries. I hope you have good things coming your way too, here's my contribution...

THE YEAR SO FAR

This year started as years can, with a shocking hangover following a night of fun with friends. From there there has been a bout of tonsillitis for me, a couple of unexpectedly late nights (it's nice to know that we can still dance until 3am once in a while), gyros from a new place that made us feel like we were back in Greece and that lead to us heading home to book flights back to Greece for real. We've planned a trip to Copenhagen in the Spring and I've tried a few new recipes, roasted Brussels sprouts with salmon, cauliflower cheese baked potatoes. I went to a sewing class and started a new pottery class.

And now, after too much rain and too many dark days, the sun is shining. It may still be cold but I can take that.

And my hopes for the year? To do some sewing at home, to carry on at pottery producing wonky bowl after wonky bowl, to go to yoga and not worry too much about my lack of flexibility, to bake the occasional loaf of bread, to get outside, to have more breakfasts like this...

CHRISTMAS 2015: FOR THE KITCHEN

Clockwise from top left: a porridge making kit - pan, syrup, bowl, stirrer, and oats; a copper coffee scoop, a Christmas mug, and festive coffee; a handmade indigo plate and a delivery of eccles cakes; an enamel tray, sourdough chocolate from a local favourite, and a new book that's had nothing but good reviews.

CHRISTMAS 2015: FOR HER

Clockwise from top left: rye crumb, milk, and sea salt chocolate , a sheepskin rug for her side of the bed,  a gold ear cuff just because, a sweet, or not so sweet, custom engraved heart necklace, a 1950s edition of a favourite book, pink wool socks and a cashmere hat, a new favourite mug and a book to read over a cup of tea because we really should all be feminists,  a marble candleholder and beeswax candles to cheer up these dark, dark nights.

CHRISTMAS 2015: FOR HIM

Clockwise from top left: sandalwood soap, Steely Dan, Mikkeller bourbon with the best label and a tumbler to serve it in, a packable tote for weekends away, a clock to tell the time in all his favourite cities, a classic grey sweatshirt, an angular bookend and Edwin Morgan, and finally, because, well, why not - BOOBS!

DECEMBER

It's been almost three months. In that time we've moved, finally, into a new flat. We've unpacked and got settled. We've found places for our things and have enjoyed being close to shops where we can pop out at the weekend to buy good bread and cheese. We've had our first person to stay and have had friends for dinner. We've decided to stay put for Christmas.

I've got just over two weeks left at work before a much awaited two and a bit week break and I can't wait. But these weeks are pretty full and I try to keep my focus at work, listening to music as I plough through spreadsheets, stopping my mind drifting to Christmas presents and baking and time spent at home.

So, for now, I'll leave you with this which has been stuck in my head for the last two days and I'll be back tomorrow...