On traditions and family.

A little film about Christmas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtZjz20ZqTs

This festive season has really made me appreciate my family, and the closeness between us, the way we spend boxing day playing hysteria-inducing games such as 'reindeer-hoopla' (which involves the family wearing antlers and throwing paper rings at each other's head) and Musical chairs, which my 82-year-old grandfather still delights in. It always end with us collapsed on the sofas with tears of laughter running down our faces while the Christmas music still plays softly in the background.

I love how we always dance around as we decorate the 'tree of horrors' and then revel in its horrific nature when we are done. It's a tradition that we decorate it until it nearly topples over just to make it as tacky and gaudy as possible.

I love how Christmas morning is always spent with our closest neighbours catching up with chat and nibbles as the girls show us their gifts and we all feel merry in each other's company. 

 I love how we always take silly family photos much to Grandma's dismay - 'you young people, always taking photographs.'

I love how we always go to Somerset House to ice-skate, (we're pretty sure it was our 11th year this year) a few days after Christmas with our favourite friends-who-are-like-family, it's a time for catching up, a lovely skate and a walk back along the north bank of the river followed by a feast of a dinner back at our house before funny party games are played late into the night. I love these people. Here's to another 10 years of skating.

Merry Christmas indeed. Hope all your Christmases were wonderful, and that New Year is good to you.

Being a tourist in my own city + Some London hideaways you may not know about!

This week, one of my good friends from Italy came to visit for a few days and I loved showing her around London! Sometimes it is fun to see your city from a new perspective and follow the crowds, because London is awesome....We even managed to do some things I hadn't done before, which was great to discover new places to go!

We started our first day with an impromptu stop at Abbey Road, where the Beatles took their famous 'crossing the road' picture, at this time of the year, it is full of foreign tourists all trying to recreate the picture and leave their mark on the wall where you can sign your name/write a message, as well as angry drivers who get annoyed at the traffic stopping every few seconds, we signed our names and I found my favourite little piece on the wall that I discovered last time we were there: 'We all want to change the world.' 

Later on in the afternoon, we met up with three of my friends for cupcakes at the Hummingbird Bakery, we headed to the one in Soho, since it was closest but there are a few branches in different parts of London. The cupcakes are delicious (and this is coming from a girl who is not the biggest cake fan!) - especially the yummy icing! I recommend the red velvet or the plain and simple vanilla. But they often have themes - on this particular day, they had bacon cupcakes - craziness! 

 

Then the serious sightseeing began! We went to Trafalgar square (I climbed a lion!), The Mall, (where all the union jacks are up - the colours are gorgeous!), Buckingham Palace, St James Park, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, The Eye and finishing up on the Southbank.    

On her second day, we explored St Paul's and the surrounding areas finding blue trees, the shard and we even climbed the monument (which is a brilliant for seeing the city up high and a steal at £3), afterwards we crossed the river via London Bridge and saw Southwark Cathedral, watched the stalls close at Borough market and explored a hidden side street full of eateries with a canopy of umbrellas.

It was so much fun having my friend to stay and discover a few new places to go! Tell me of any London recommendations!

<3

#27 of the 30 Day Snap | Birthday time!

Read more about the series here and here.

Day 27.

The 27th was actually my 19th birthday! (Which feels weird writing that - I liked 18) 

The picture above is of my best friend of 8 years and I in hysterics about something or other, we were beside ourselves, the best kind of laughter where no matter how hard you try, you just can't stop! Note the union jack bunting behind us (she brought it and managed to tie it between two deckchairs cause she knows how much I love my country) and how windy it was! We could have flown away! 

The evening was spent kayaking on a lake with the guides (I'm a leader) and I love outdoorsy things so this was brilliant! Even though it rained, we still managed to have a great time and everyone sang to me while miming 'heads, shoulders, knees and toes' and standing up in their kayaks! It was definitely the most unique way that 'Happy Birthday' has ever been sung to me! I only fell in once by capsize and we ended the evening with a rope swing into the lake which was great fun! Loved it! In this picture, I'm the one who is 2nd in at the top left lying on the front of the red kayak! (It was for a game, we were meant to kiss the noses of our kayaks like the Eskimos who invented them!)

How do you celebrate birthdays? 

<3 

#25 of the 30 Day Snap | Summer Evening.

Read more about the series here and here.

Day 25.

This evening, my mama and I went to a local park for taking lots of jumping photo session, climbing hills, looking out at the London Skyline and watching the sunset. Beautiful night :) 

What do you like to do on a warm summer evening? Any traditions or ideas? Feel free to share! 

<3

#13 of the 30 Day Snap | Sunset

Read more about the series here and here.

Day 13.

yesterday's sunset was so beautiful. I love it when the sky is so pretty, a mix of burnt orange, pinks and yellow. 

<3

The most wonderful time of year....

Christmas is my favourite: family time, Christmas music, festive head wear, lots of games and so much food and it is always so much fun!
This year was extra special, after living away from home for the first time and getting to come back and be swept away in the festive spirit! It is so nice to be back with family and friends and to spend time with them.

The past week has been so wonderful:

Wednesday: Woke up in my own comfy bed happy to be home, with a cat by my side, hung out with my sister (Lula) in the morning and then reunited with my one of my best friends in the afternoon, we did some Christmas shopping, had hysterics about talking key rings and caught up, in the evening, Lula and I decorated the 'tree of horrors' (as is tradition) while listening to festive music, and decided to rename it the 'leaning tower of horrors' due to the awkward way it stands on an angle.

the tree of horrors in all its glory.

Thursday: Was very rainy, met up with Lici and Darina and we braved Winter Wonderland, on the hunt for chocolate fruit and a sunset over the serpentine, but we ended up in EAT before strolling all the way to south ken, stopping to browse in Harrods and gaze in awe at pretty Disney-themed window displays, drool in bakeries and take silly photos!

Winter Wonderland adventures with Lici and Dari, + chocolate strawberries

Friday: A late lazy start, followed by meeting Eilean at Embankment and going for a five mile wander through Central London stopping for juice and brownies at Borough market, and to watch the skaters at the tower of London, admire Christmas lights, attempt to take bokeh-ey photos all the while as we caught up on our month apart! Then we headed back to hers for chicken goujons (our favourite), ukelele playing and bridget jones which made a giggle. We stayed up chatting until 2, giggling about our amazing ability to make every taylor swift song somehow relate to cheese.

our walk, from embankment to tower bridge along with London lights, delicious juice and
somerset house stop off. All with Eilean.

Saturday: Woke up at Eilean's house and we didn't manage to get out of bed until 11, when we finally got our act together, I headed to the station (oh, how convenient it is to have the tube, except when the destination of the train changes three times in one journey - make up your mind!) and met my auntie to do some last minute (but much needed) Christmas shopping, then we went to her house, for cousinly catch ups and gingerbread cookies. Then, our household had a Strictly finale party with all our neighbours and a projector, which involved made-up songs about turkey and crackers, various people dressing up as Santa Claus, a bit of glitz and lots of dancing, I love the Crescent Crew :)

Strictly party with the crescent. 

Sunday: (Christmas Eve Eve): More fun with the Crescent Crew (our neighbours/like family), first a trip to the park, scaring all of the passers-by with our festive singing and Kayleigh's echo from the trees, and then filming a sequel of sorts to our silent movie, which I am so excited to finish editing! It was so much fun and we had lots of giggles.
EDIT: Here is the finished film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpA-TLKKF7g

Our dance party at the end of the silent film! 

Monday (Christmas Eve): Always a busy day! Spent the morning wrapping other people's presents in a shopping centre for a wonderful charity with Lula, and then watching Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger in the afternoon with Mama, Tom and Jenny, which was very funny, though we got more hysterical when we got stranded on the side of the road not knowing where Jenny and the car were.... The rest of the evening was spent wrapping presents and preparing for the big day :)

Tuesday (Christmas Day): Our Family woke up at around 9 and we all sat around, giving gifts and opening presents together with the cats, then after eating chocolate for breakfast (tradition), we all got dressed and started preparing the food and clearing up the house (I was on parsnip duty), and then went over to our neighbours house for drinks and festivity, we chatted and ate and drank and mama managed to tip a plate of dips face down on the floor which caused widespread hilarity/mess. I love the neighbours so much! After  having my hair curled by K and C, I went back to our house and our family started arriving, we all sat around chatting and singing for hours, didn't finish Christmas lunch until about 6 when we started at 2.30pm, had a delicious dinner, ate so much, had an hour long conversation about male pattern baldness (don't ask), did the mobot in sync, played cards, gave gifts (and received some beautiful things) and just enjoyed each other's company! I love Christmas Day, after Doctor who and a sad episode of Call the Midwife and a cold walk around the neighbourhood, the extended family headed home and Mama and I watched Nativity! and laughed our faces off! Christmas to me, is about family and it was so lovely to see everyone and spend the day with all of us together just being jolly and festive :)

Christmas Day Collage.

Wednesday (Boxing Day): Boxing is always like a second Christmas Day to our family as we usually have the other side of the family around which is always fun. This year, we had my Grandad and his wife of 4 months Lauraine, who has been like family for a few years but they finally tied the knot in August. They arrived at about 12 with their two terriers in tow (who scared one of our cats into hiding) and we all caught up (as I hadn't seen them since September) and had roast beef and yorkshire puddings for lunch which was delicious, then we all sat around chatting in the living room, listening to Christmas carols and chatting. When they decided to start the drive back to Suffolk, they offered to drop me at my Aunt's house where the rest of the family were having the annual Christmas game night, so I went there for musical chairs (family tradition), Mister Hit, Wink Murder, Antler Hoop-la (best most hilarious game ever) and the 'tray' games. My Grandma was reduced to tears of laughter quite a few times, we all got hysterical and ate dessert and played games, and then G + G dropped me home in time to watch the new series of MIRANDA (oh how I love that show!)

Boxing Day Collage.

Out Antler hats and musical chairs. 

It has been the most brilliant and wonderful Christmas, I think going away has made me appreciate home so much more!
Hope that anyone reading this had a very Merry Christmas :)

Love Ellie x