upset without a bicycle

because I live in England I do not have my bicycle yet. That's the only reason for it as their customer service is SOOOO BAD that I ordered a bike on 18 April and still have yet to see it. In fact I called today to find out that actually it won't arrive until 11 July because no one placed the bike to me.

Excuse me? I ordered it eight weeks ago through AN APPROVED cyclescheme partner.

(I have a feeling that there was probably an order in mid april but they sold the bike that was supposed to be mine). I just want to ride with my basket to work during the summer. Apparently that was too much to ask. Clearly upset but nothing I can do.... (until I have my bike that is...)

The above is my one day dream bike - A pashley princess. It was supposed to be a reality in three weeks.......... Image via

I wish I had my bicycle

I'm still waiting for my beautiful bicycle to whisk me around town. With the tube strike for the past 24 hours (another 24 to go) - getting to work was horrendous. Traffic, angry tube commuters on my bus and the 'extra services' system fell flat on its face.

So time to put a smile on mine.. with this lovely diagram about the benefits of cycling (found through frolic!)

classically brit

Emma watson (from another british staple - Harry Potter) has recently signed on to be the new face of burberry. good call as she looks amazing.. and I actually am tempted to buy a classically brit bag.. (but I want the trench coat below more)

Images via Lainey Gossip and net-a-porter.

from american to french

The French have an easy elegance about the way they dress - that's really no surprise. But I thought that Hende showed how to go from North American to French perfectly through just two pictures on her etsy store.

Photo 1 - See her fancy shoes, her skinny jeans and her tank. They are all nice, they are all in fashion but there's just something missing - a 'je ne sais quoi'

Photo 2 - oh wait - it's a perfectly subtly matching scarf, an amazing belt - it's apparently the accessories that make a french woman.

by the way - Hende's store is adorable and many clothing filled with birds and leaves and a suggested tranquility.....

must I wait 500 days?

I'm sure I've moaned about this before but a negative about living abroad is losing touch on pop/American/Canadian culture. And one major thing I miss is indie movies that seem to have a hard time making their way across the Atlantic. For example, Lars and the Real girl took almost a year and a half before showing in theatres….

Must I wait another 500 days for this gem…500 days of Summer with my girl crush Zooey Deschanel…


Or the new Dave Eggers/Sam Mendes/John Krasinki /Vendela Vidi film – Away we go.. I so desperately want to see you --- please be a huge hit and get traction in Europe asap!

stateside trips...

With Cameron's house from Ferris Bueller's day off house up for sale, I'm dreaming of Chicago today. I went a couple years back with L2 and loved this American city. It wasn't rash, the people were unbelievably friendly and it had many things that NY offered (like good music scene, good museums, free art and a whole lot of American history in one city). ….. I'd live in Chicago if I could live there....

Note: want to read a good book on Chicago (historical fiction style..) check this book out…

FB house image via - Chicago images - L2's.

mandatory in england

I'm a list person. I love making list, rejigging lists, reorganising lists, making lists off lists… and now I've started making the mandatory lists before we return to Canada.
We still are unsure about when we'll return but I like to be prepared and therefore here are the musts (and musts for most people travelling in England) that we haven't seen yet in the country... Preferably in a VW van....

1. Isle of Man
2. Edinburgh -
3. Isle of Wight
4. York
5. Lake District
6. Brecon Beacons, Wales
7. Lyme Regis and/or the Jurassic Coast
8. Yorkshire Moors
9. Pemberley (in the Peak district outside Manchester)
10. Liverpool

east london on a rooftop

Shoreditch never fails to disappoint me on a weekend. And now a friend has introduced me to a non-members rooftop restaurant at the top of Shoreditch. Good drinks (like Sangria or reasonably priced ciders) and amazing view, it was a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

It would also be a perfect way to spend a weekday evening this summer.

Image via - Shoreditch town hall