christmas review

I'm back in London and feeling a little worse for wear due to jet lag. Liam and I attempted to get on the right track and didn't go to sleep until after midnight yesterday but I still wake up at 3.30 a.m. each night.

Before I talk about the great two week trip here's a recap of what I wanted to do.. and here's what I achieved.

• Definitely visited J.Crew and anthropologie (and somehow restrained myself and bough one item in each place)
• Didn't go into the experience music project – was too expensive and not enough time. Played outside though…
• White spot was delicious, earls was so-so, I'm not sure about milestones I didn't go. Best food though was an amazing seaf
  
• No golf, hiking or biking as snow got in the way…
• Hours were spent with my nephew (pipes and heat vent and candles were topical) and hours with my animal nephew who took to howling when nephew was around. Hours were also spent with friends and grandparents
• No lulus were replaced. I'm still kicking myself. And I purchased more on Robson than west fourth
• went to the original starbucks location and had a free tea sample and back in Victoria had my delicious peppermint hot chocolate.
• I got to wear my picked family photograph outfit
• new years had no expectations

Image of the victoria snow and experience music project

reasons to visit Copenhagen at Christmas

L2 and I recently went to Copenhagen to get in the Christmas mood. It was such a beautiful city (even without the dreamy snow). We rented an apt (the most amazing stylish studio ever) in a little neighbourhood just off the centre. I need to see the rest of Denmark...
- an amusement park has a twinkly large garden- because it's romantic. and despite cyncism ruling the day, we all need a little romance - christmas markets and Danish design stores have great presents (for you and others)- studio apartments are the cheapest accommodation (besides sleeping on a friend's couch...). It's a nice touch- amazing grocery stores with good cheese and bread (a personal love)- less crowds than london. but the pedestrian shopping street was still a bit interesting.- while it's chilly outside, it means showing off your new bright yellow scarf- no queues for the swings roller coaster in the middle of the city- orange hedges- rivals any city that says they are the 'design capital'- everywhere you look is another christmas tree- a hilarious light show is amazing on a brisk night- day birger et mikkleson and by malene birger stores decked in holiday attire and pretty clothing

o'canada

I am making the sojourn back to my native land in two days. L2 and I decided a few years ago to split Christmases between families as it was getting too difficult to do it apart.

Unfortunately, our families live on different sides of the country so really you can't even head over to the other family's place for boxing day or New Years brunch. It was a hard decision for both of us to let go of our family traditions and embrace each others for the sake of being together on that day but it was worth it. Christmas has always been one of my favourite times of year, and not having L2 on the morning just didn't seem right anymore. He was the person I wanted to share all my child- like excitement with.

And now we are heading back to the west coast, to a 'home' I've never seen before and to a city I've never lived in for my family's holidays… something tells me that this year will be interesting!

Image is from Christmas last year. L2's family hosts a gingerbread house making 'evening' or 'afternoon'.

Virtual gingerbread

Given up sugar this Christmas? L2 gave up sugar last January (well to be more precise, sweets) and we've kinda done without any Christmas baking. He says he won't be tempted if I want to make something, but I think of it as a good excuse to just eat a few pieces at friends' houses and walking away.

Instead I'm decorating this house!

Image via

iconic London lit up

It was no surprise that London decided to go all out for Christmas. Despite being multi-cultural, it's a very traditional city with a large focus on materialism. To be honest, it's worth all the christmas jingles and ads as a decked out London is stunning.
Images lights leading up to the London eye and Carnaby Street at night (not mine!).

Back with a vengeance.

Back and with a purpose to the blog. For too long I've been blasé about the style and topics of my blog. For now - I'm going to be rather travel and London centric (with a bit of euro design, euro trash, and British fabulousness thrown in). Also for too long, I've just not been blogging. A lot has happened in the past month and a bit in my life... and no word of lie - it was just too crazy to sit and write. So suddenly not blogging for a few days became a few weeks and now it's almost Christmas and I've been as silent as a mouse.

But to give myself some excuses and a bit of a break - changes in my life included:

• having L2's sister and husband visit and me so cheerily giving them my stomach flu. I know, I'm a great girlfriend but I did make up for it and L2 and Kaili know how!


• tonsillitis (almost three weeks of fever, chill and bone splitting headaches) and penicillin for the first time. I could do without both ever again.


• The job. Not to be discussed but things changed. And for the excited better.


• Visit to Cambridge (which really isn't an excuse...)


• Trip to Copenhagen (which will be subsequent posts)


• Christmas shopping before 10 December (which really meant 4 December as L2 and I were away for the weekend and needed to buy boxes, gift wrap, etc) as airmail last posting date to Canada really shortens your shopping time.


• Trying to book ski holidays - it's surprising how that did take a lot of time. Which got quickly destroyed due to job…..Also I was starting to organise our big trip next spring... Morocco! So all selfish but good for more topics.


• Lost 7 pounds (but not in that healthy way - blaming the tonsilitis and stomach flu) but still hoping to keep it off as I'm about to have the family photograph. The last one taken was in 1986/87 and my cute button nose was the only thing I needed to look good then....


• plan the trip home - booking hotels, ferries, buses and well getting family members to give concrete times a month and a bit in advance was a bit strenuous. Well only one person was strenuous....


• consider volunteering for something that made me feel good - Crohn's society in UK. I have it, I'm in remission, I could help and understand the daily traumas and frustrations of living with the disease. Something that is always good in a volunteer.


• Christmas season. It's crazy here and that means something every night and not a lot of sleep to go on….

So perhaps nothing that crazy – just life, but still blogging just kept dropping off the list… I'll be better though, and I'm blogging over the holidays!