weekend comes early - birthday edition

We are chunneling to Paris this weekend to celebrate my birthday.  We rented an apartment in Le Marais through airbnb.  Henry will be on vacation at John and Jenevieve's.  (Thanks guyssss!!!)


Photo from National Geographic Archives

twenty-nine

Birthday run and birthday flowers.  This past year has been a memorable one.  I married my best friend and moved to England with him.  I'm excited and optimistic about what my year twenty-nine may bring.

wells next the sea

We went to check out a furniture barn in Cambridgeshire on Sunday.  (Where - while browsing - we witnessed a hen lay its eggs in the corner of the shop while the shop dog, Molly the Jack Russell Terrier, watched and a rooster circled us.)

The barn visit was a wash so to not make it a wasted day we kept driving heading towards the coast.  We ended up at Wells Next The Sea in Norfolk, a quaint seaside town.  Norfolk is also home to Her Majesty the Queen's country getaway, Sandringham.

Despite the cold windy day, Wells was crowded with families out for hikes along low tide sands.  We walked through the town and had some fish and chips.  I could just envision the summertime bustle while passing the candy shops, arcade, and fish and chip joints. 

Just an hour and a half drive for us, I can't wait to get back there in the summer (with Henry!) and make a day trip of it.  Catch some rays, browse the shops, picnic on the beach, check out the pubs, let Henry run.



r.i.p.

Following some ill-advised direction, the American spec LP player does NOT in fact work with an adaptor.  crackle.POP

afternoon in london

On Martin Luther King day last week we popped down to London on the train with our friends John, Jenevieve, and their little babe Rafe.

John, Marco, and I worked together in the states.  A former coworker of ours, Thom, was in London for a conference for the week.  We were so happy that Thom thought to get up with us while he was here.  It was such a great time to catch up, reminisce, and talk some career / geography talk.

When you put me in charge of picking a pub I go by neighborhood.  When you put Marco in charge, he goes based on Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) ratings.

We found a Mexican restaurant for dinner, of all places.  Going in with low expectations, we were pleasantly surprised.  The food was super fresh and the margs were on point.

 

 

thonet bentwood no. 14 chair

The Thonet bentwood chair has a Parisian cafe, minimalist appeal.  In brainstorming and collecting inspiration for our cottage decor, I am trying to use what we already have and love, adding just a few new pieces - this guy may make his debut in our living room soon.  (update on that Danish leather sofa, yep, still bidding.)

So I will continue to peruse the internets for the perfect set of 4 bentwood chairs. 

We are going to Paris next weekend to celebrate my 29th birthday.  I have requested a day spent at the biggest flea market in the world, Les Puces de Saint-Ouen.  I will have my eyes peeled for the chairs and try to keep my MINIMALIST cottage vision in mind when I find myself wanting to buy every bric-a-brac beauty in sight.

image apartment therapy



image domino



image modern50

winter white in the village

We got a foot of snow in the east midlands this past weekend.  We took a few strolls through our village.  Henry hopped through the snow and finally met the horse next door.  The horse lives with two border collies so instead of being spooked by Henry's lunging at his gate he gave him several snorting hello's.  (Many mornings we wake up to the sound of the horse click-clacking across the road from his stable to the field and Henry jumps out of bed and over to the window to watch.)

But really most of the weekend was consumed by major couch lounging and watching season 1 of Homeland.  (Thank you Steve!!)

village pub



pub garden



sheep

another sunday in cambridge

I hope day-in-Cambridge posts don't eventually go stale on you.  The city is just so pretty it is hard to resist capturing it, even in the winter.  Marco gets annoyed that I lag behind because I stop often to snap (too many) photos.

So Sunday saw some countryside drives through a couple villages (I think Andrew was a little struck by how English countryside deep we are.) then we went to Cambridge for the day before we had to get him on a train back down to London.

We walked through Clare College and King's College and attempted to beg Andrew to give punting a go.

We had some pints and lunch at the Eagle, one of Cambridge's famous pubs where on an afternoon in 1953 Francis Crick and James Watson announced they had "discovered the secret of life" the structure of DNA.  The pub, opened in 1667, is also famous for graffiti that remains on the walls and ceilings from WWII soldiers. 

We browsed the market and finished the day watching some English Premier League games at a pub.