The Holiday Season {iPhoneography}

I hope everyone is having a good holiday season :) and the New Year is literally round the corner!

I am truly enjoying this time of year! It is full of surprises and sparkle. Just the other day I got a season greetings card from a distant friend and an unexpected discount on the item I laid my eyes on before.

Well, the convenience of my iPhone is great and spoils me quite a bit, so I decided not sort them and share it with you. 

Happy New Everyone! 

 Off to the Opera 

{ Windsor Wonderland }

I am so glad Sundays exit :). After a hectic work week I get a chance to spend precious time with my precious people.

On the first day of December we decided to go to Windsor - a tiny and beautiful town with Royal Windsor Castle in the heart of it.

It is a very charming place and there is always a chance to meet the Queen :) Every time I visit Windsor I feel like I am stepping into a postcard. 

Hope you like the photos. X

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Gran Canaria Holiday Video { Meloneras - Spain }

I made a little video from our holiday moments. 
You know they say it is better to see once than hear about hundred times. 

I love documenting our trips and its always fun to watch and remember the moments we enjoyed :)

Let me know what you think and have a fab week :) xx


7 days of Sunshine { Meloneras - Gran Canaria } from simbirute on Vimeo.

7 Days of Sunshine { Meloneras - Gran Canaria }

Last week I came back from a sunny holiday in Meloneras - Gran Canaria ( Canary Islands). 

Don't you love going away somewhere exotic when its all becoming wet, cold and dark... :)

I wanted a relaxing holiday with plenty of sunshine and I think we chose the best place and time to go for us.

It was a total relaxation with hot days near the pool and beach, beautiful views of Maspalomas Dunes. I enjoyed lovely alfresco dinners and warm evening walks. 

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First take on pumpkin pie :)

I know pumpkin pie is a popular pudding in America :) and specially during this time of the year. I have never tried it or seen it in the shops but always was curious so I decided to bake it myself  :) 

It turned out to be delicious with the seasonal spices (nutmeg and cinnamon).

Do you like pumpkin pie ? x

The Dinner Date { London }

I enjoy trying out new things especially when it comes to food... Well, I was never a great foodie until I fell in love with beautiful food which looks amazing, tastes sensational and puts a smile on the face :)

This time our dinner date was at L'Autre Pied restaurant in London. We decided to go for a tasting menu which ended up to be a journey for our eyes and taste buds :) 

Did you try something new recently? xx

Roe Deer Dish

Mango sorbet with coconut foam

Petit Four

A Step Back in Time { Hampton Court }

Last weekend I went to Hampton Court Palace. 

One of my favourite historic royal palaces. I love the location because it is a bit further from Central London. This makes it such a peaceful location and it is not overcrowded with tourists. 

I like to take my friends and family for a day out to Hampton Court. I am quite of a guide myself now :) ...telling stories about this magnificent place and Tudor history :)

The most fascinating thing to me is the ability to step back in time and walk around the walls which hold about 500 years of history.

Hope you enjoy the photos from this magnificent setting.

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Autumn Goodies

It is shaping up to be a wonderful Autumn with all the goodies in my cupboards and fridge. We have juicy apples, pumpkins, squashes, runner beans and plums! Well, the best part of enjoying it is when you pick all yourself :) Yes, I do prefer to go to the farm for all this fresh stuff :) And it gives me a great satisfaction cooking freshly picked vegetables. Plus the family time spent well :)

Hope you enjoy the photos :) x

 

Putting my creative head on { Promarkers }

The evenings get longer now and I do find myself cuddled in the corner of my room thinking about creativity… Do you get the same feeling? 

Various things go through my mind... cooking, photography, blogging and drawings… 

I felt that I miss my good old hobby - to draw illustrations / animations... I used to dream of becoming an animator. This is why sometimes I feel the urge to create a new face...

I bought some Promarkers and decided to start drawing.

Well, usually when I start, I do not know where it will take me :) . I just begin the process and it usually builds up into a character...This what happened with my first pictures using the markers. I am still exploring the possibilities with these fun to draw pens, check out my first tries... 

Do you have hobbies you return to? x

 Carmen

 

Odette - Swan Lake

Making Crêpes

This is my first post about cooking... and I hope you will like it. 

I adore cooking and crêpes is one of my favourite things to make and eat :) This is something I cook very often (mostly every weekend... :) ) . I love thin pancake dish because it can be so versatile with sweet and savoury fillings. Today I made a sweet ricotta filling version with fruit and Crême fraiche.

What is your favourite thing to cook on weekends?

                                              xxx

 

The Night at the Opera { iPhoneography }

Autumn is definitely here in London. This means a start of a theatre season, cosy coats, cooking warming meals and more blogging :)

After several days of constant rain it was wonderful to have a day out with my friend. We went for a dinner to Covent Garden and to the Royal Opera House to see Puccini's Opera Turandot.

Turandot is a story set in ancient China and it involves the Unknown Prince who desperately falls in love with the Ice Princess Turandot. The staging was very colourful and the action full of drama, emotional music and fine singing made it a very special experience for us :) 

How have you started the new season? xx

One Day in June { Cannizaro House }

This post is a little look back in time...

Sometimes I need time to get used to the shots and fall in love with them, sit down and tidy them up :) 
It happened to this series of my birthday outing photos. It is September and its lovely to remember the first warm moments of June. I had a splendid dinner at Cannizaro House in Wimbledon, it is such a charming hotel with a restaurant set in the beautiful grounds. 

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Paris in August

Well, there is no secret...I LOVE Paris. I spent my last weekend in this charming city.

Paris in August has a rather different feel. The Parisians head to the south for the beaches leaving the tourist to rule the city. 

A lot of the private shops, restaurants and cafés are closed ( even my favourite one... ), so one needs to look around if you wish to dine a bit further from the main tourist attractions. 

Still there is so much to enjoy :) . The days can get hot...but its not an issue to me. I enjoyed sitting at the Jardin du Luxembourg and sipping my afternoon coffee :) Oh, I had such a great time. 

Do you like city breaks in the summer?

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Love Street Food - Camden Town

I went to Camden Town to visit my friend Graham who is one of the Burrito Boys and cooks tasty and fresh Mexican food with his friend Alex at Camden Lock Market in London.

I must say I loved the lively Camden Lock Market with food offerings from all over the world.  The smell of food outside can give a different food experience. Unlike in most of restaurants one can see how the food is cooked and presented. Its makes the meal fun and sociable experience.

I think the street food is very much on trend because of various reasons. One of them is its quick but still can be very healthy, fresh and full of flavour. Hmmm wish I could it enjoy more often :)

Do you have your favourite street food?

Lavender Dream

No... I did not go to Provence recently... :) , I am lucky to live just 20 min drive away from the lavender field.  It’s a beautiful place to go, especially on a warm summers evening... It's a haven to me after work on a weekday… and a wonderful place for the inspiration. The lavender colour and smell is a relaxation itself. Just dive into the field :)

 Hope you enjoy the sea of lavender...

 What is the best place for your relaxation on the week day :) ? 

The Rose Garden { Queen Mary's Rose Garden - Regents Park }

After long prays we were blessed with wonderful hot weather here in London :) Its impossible for me to stay inside when its sunny and hot, so I headed to Regents Park to see the wonderful roses in the Queen Mary's Garden.

The rose garden is in full flower and I could not keep my camera still. It is London's largest collection of roses with approx 12,000 roses planted within the gardens and my photos cannot do the justice of this beauty!

Hope you like the photos :)

Click below to see more :) x