Guest Post – Must-See Attractions in London

Posted on July 31, 2012 by Abi

I love going on a day trip to London, although being such a large city can make the choice of activities overwhelming, so today’s guest post hopes to point you in the direction of a fabulously British day out!

Finding things to do in London means choosing between loads of activities. Visitors can start by strolling along the same pathways as the royal family. As 2012 is the year of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and also the Olympics, it’s a great time to experience a typically British afternoon along with ‘Mum’ and her faithful corgis.

St Paul’s Cathedral

The tour goes through the exquisite cathedral and up towards the heavens, with a dizzying 360-degree view of London in the dome. Walk down the same aisle as Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, when they had a fairy-tale wedding in 1981. Then go below ground to the crypt.

The resting place for many famous historical figures like Lord Admiral Nelson and the Duke of Wellington, St Paul’s is well worth the trip out to London’s Square Mile. Visitors can continue the British theme with an exceptional afternoon tea service at a restaurant in the area. Take your pick from dainty sandwiches, cakes, scones, jam, Cornish clotted cream and loose tea of the highest quality.

Buckingham Palace

The doors of the state rooms in Buckingham Palace are flung open to the public during summer until the 7th of October. These parts of the palace are used by the Royal Family for entertaining and ceremonies. Ogle the lavish decorations including paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Rubens and more.

There is a vast collection of some of the most exquisite French and English furniture in the world. Outside of the palace, wander through 29 acres of gardens with a 17th Century ornamental lake and thriving wildlife.

Following in the footsteps of royalty may not give visitors the Midas touch but you may experience a sumptuous slice of royal life and enjoy the afternoon tea. All in all, it’s the recipe for a breezy and relaxed British afternoon.

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Guest Post – Inspiration for a rainy Sunday afternoon

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Abi

For most of us the last couple of days have been fairly good weather wise. However on the whole this summer with it’s abundance of rain has been less than inspiring, but fear not today’s guest post courtesy of Tesco provides some rainy day ideas sure to please even the most ardent of sun worshipers!

“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.”
― Roger Miller

Sunday afternoons are the only time I get to spend with my hubby since he works on Friday and Saturday nights. So even if it’s raining and other people are curling up on the sofa with a pot of tea and a good book, Sunday for me is more of a date day!

Even if you don’t have my motivation to do something this weekend – and opening the curtains to grey clouds can be a bit depressing – read through this little list of rainy day diversions before you break out that paperback.

1. Cook Something New
Some of my favourite Sunday afternoons have been spent elbows-deep in flour with my face covered in chocolate. Even if you’re a mediocre cook (like me), having someone who is willing to try new recipes and scoff the fruits of your labour at the end of it is a great way to while away the hours.

2. Turn on the Oldies
I only recently saw Casablanca, and what a movie! They knew how to do romance in those days. If the weather’s looking grey, invite some friends over and host a movie marathon, but opt for something no one has seen, Dr Stangelove, Some Like it Hot and The Day the Earth Stood Still are some of my favourites.

3. Volunteer Babysit
There are many parents who would love to have a Sunday to spend with their feet up. Single parents in particular seldom get the chance to catch a movie or lunchtime date with a friend. Volunteer a couple of hours and bring some stickers, coloured paper, gel pens or whatever you have lying around and you might be surprised how much fun it is being back in kindergarten!

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Jessie Chorley Workshop

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Abi

Anne was lucky enough to attend another really interesting and enjoyable workshop at Hope and Elvis studio at Welbeck recently by Jessie Chorley.

Jessie and her friend Buddug have a shop in London at 158a Columbia Road and their work can be seen on their blog jessieandbuddugtheshop.blogspot.co.uk and also bought from their website
www.jandbtheshoplondon.bigcartel.com

Here are some pictures from the day, the first is of Jessie working in the studio.
Here are some of the ladies busily making, they were given old cutlery boxes and encouraged to make a scene within the box or use it as a box to express memories.
Jessie brought along a few of her own pieces with her, here is just a small (but beautiful) collection.
Finally some pictures of Anne’s box. She decided to make a peg into a small lady and the box was used as a room behind her.
The dressing table and stool were made from florist wire and the small beaded picture behind the lady was hung from an old lace bobbin.

A small LED light was attached by Anne’s husband to light up the room, which now has pride of place on the mantelpiece.