post holiday browsing

Having 2 weeks off over Christmas has been AMAZING but it's been pretty brutal on my wallet. So instead of hitting the sales I'm just viewing from afar a few things on my wishlist.

Wishbone, Sweatshirt, Watch, Shoes

Travel this year

Last year I had high hopes that we would make it to Russia, as I've been dying to go for a while now, but that trip just never materialized. I had a brief thought of going to the Winter Olympics in Sochi (I do love a bit of figure skating) but I wasn't sure how we'd get a visa without a sponsor. So, that leaves me, still hopeful, that we will make it to Russia in the Summer/Fall of 2014.

We did make it to Vienna (and I fell in love with the city and can't wait to go back for the Christmas markets) and we'll be jetting off to Morocco in about a week, so all and all a great year of travel.

I'm sure 2014 will bring us many more adventures abroad. On our list is a weekend trip to Amsterdam, Napa and Maui for weddings and of course dear Russia. Happy travelling!

Happy 2014!

Happy New Year! The mister and I are headed to Royal Albert Hall tonight for The Artist accompanied live by the London Symphony Orchestra. We'll be back in Barnes for midnight though to celebrate the new year with our friends. 

Christmas at Kew

The Sunday before Christmas the mister and I went out to Kew Gardens for their Christmas market and illuminated trail. As I said in my previous post, the weather had been terrible but we had a gloriously clear and dry night. We spent an hour or so walking around the gardens and sipping hot chocolate. I think the mister was hoping for something more high-tech but I loved the experience.

It's on until the 4th of January.

Mediterranean gardens, one of my favourite spots

a clue on the 'treasure' hunt

The reflection

And the best part - the dancing lights in the greenhouse

Dreaming of warm weather

As I type, the wind is blowing a gale and the rain is coming down in buckets. All in all it's been a fairly mild winter so far but this type of weather is the worst. It makes going outside miserable. I thought I'd share a few snaps from our trip to Italy back in October as I daydream of warmer climates. 

Stair inspiration

We've finally booked the floor man to have our floors refinished. Goodbye black floors! We've decided however to not sand down and refinish the stairs so I'm busy trying to find stair inspiration. Currently I'm leaning towards painting the stairs grey - a nice neutral color.

I really like how classy the white riser looks - I think this is the front runner.

Getting motivated

I have been horrible lately with working out. Even though I'm still consistently going to the gym, I'm not really pushing myself very hard. Sometimes it's just hard to stay motivated, especially at this time of the year when there's so many other fun things going on. 

I thought perhaps some new workout kit might help me get back in the groove. Any tips or tricks for staying motivated?