Sunday cream tea

Dear Josie,

Winter is going slowly over here, I'm getting a bit bored of staying in all the time without laying down on the grass or having pic-nics in parks. The weekend was so cold and I really didn't feel like going out that much, we had a Sunday cream tea at home instead. It was delicious and lovely! My flatmates made brownies (really yummy ones, with white chocolate buttons in it!) and cookies with melted chocolate on top. Then, we had a choice of teas: earl grey (my favourite), lady grey and breakfast tea. We also played Cluedo, the board game, which I really love and it makes me thrilled. I used to play it with my whole family during winter holidays on the mountains, I remember being a bit scared of the characters in it - they could all be potential murderers!

I'm knitting a red handband to keep my ears warm throughout the rest of the winter, I'm really excited about it, can't wait to wear it!

Where's Wally?

Hello Wally! from Waldo Wiki

I recently bought in a charity shop in Camden a 'Where's Wally?' book: it instantly brought me back to my childhood! I love Wally and his friends - Wenda, Woof, Wizard Whitebeard and Odlaw. I remember it was one of my favourite games when I was little, and I think I actually developed a skill in quickly finding people in a crowd. The drawings are so detailed and at the same time and funny, last night I actually bursted out laughing at one page, realising what people were doing in the 'Gobbling Gluttons'(I think it is set in the Medieval Ages, among cauldrons and cooks). Maybe it's just me been really into it, but I still have the biggest amazement when I find one of them amongst the other people, it's so satisfying. Plus, I love Wally's outfit!

This is the Gobbling Gluttons. Sorry if it's so small!

this looks impossible! from popartuk

Look who I found last summer in front of the MoMa in San Francisco!

She & Him

from mergerecords.com

Dear Josie,

I recently discovered this band (or better, my boyfriend showed it to me), the She & Him and I really like them.

They made me think of you for many reasons:

- the singer is the actress playing the role of Summer in 500 Days of Summer. Do you remember when we went to watch it in Leicester Square last year?

from amazon

- they make covers of 'our songs', like Sam Cooke and the Beatles.

from beatlesbook.com

- it would be the perfect music to listen to on a road trip in the australian heat, just you and me!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSIE!!!!

Love you, my dear friend.

Snowy London!

Today was the last day of term, that means that holidays are starting! I have a lot of work to do though, but at least I won't have to go to classes for three weeks. As a treat from all this academic stuff, my friend Sephy and I went to Stoke Newington under a snow storm. All of a sudden everything started to turn white and people looked like snowmen, as they were being hit by the snow. So lovely but also so annoying!

Anyway, I've just recently discovered this area and I already love it so much, I think it's my favourite part of London at the moment. It's full of nice little shops and cafés, vintage, yummy bakeries, and weird men selling furniture in garages. It was such a christmassy atmosphere, with snow and decorations everywhere. I really wish you were here, you'd feel at home!

This was part of the Tea Room shop on Church Street.

Some street art in Church St. I wish it was hot!

We had lunch in this tiny café, the scones looked amazing!

This is a pub I went to the other night. Finally a nice and cosy pub in London!

Elsa Schiaparelli

I'm sorry I've been such a slack blogger lately! Things are getting a bit crazy round here leading up to Christmas. I just wanted to share a lovely winter knitting project idea with you.
Do you know the designer Elsa Schiaparelli? I always thought she would be right up your alley. She designed amazingly inventive and beautiful clothes- she was more of an artist than a fashion designer in the sense that she was interested in making creative and artistic items as opposed to creating fashion trends.

I have been obsessed for ages with her amazing design for a knitted jumper with a faux bow collar, and I just recently found out that you can get this free knitting pattern for it online! Oh, how I wish I had some knitting skills. I don't know what point your knitting is at Elisa, but I can definitely see you wearing one of these, in bright Elisa colours of course!

Cats

This is Epping's sister, Crumpet. She lives in Somerset

I've never been particularly fond of cats, I'm more a dog person. However, since we got one in the house, I started liking them and appreciating their independence and elegance. Although I cannot handle being scratched for fun, I love finding Epping (that's her name) in unexpected places, or watching outside the living room window, as if she was contemplating the world.