Mes amies à Paris!

We had some special visitors from Italy over the weekend - mon amie proche, Luisa and her man, Francesco. We had a great few days together exploring Paris and meandering through some amazing fresh food markets. It all flew by too quickly so now I am in the process of organising my next visit to Italia! Just a few quick pictures today, of our weekend under the beautiful blue autumn skies. Bisous x

A stroll through Les Jardins du Luxembourg

Blue autumn skies

Good friends! Francesco, Lu et Moi

The Seine

Love locks on the Seine - someone loves them self!

Market nuts & lentils

Fresh produce

Great colours at the butcher stall

Yum! Spices galore at the outdoor markets!

Hiya London

The superfast and convenient Eurostar is always a good excuse for a weekend in London. I was there for a couple of days last week and spent my time doing not much more than enjoying being back in one of my favourite cities. London is a city I love to get lost in, where I can walk for hours with no particular destination in mind - stopping only for some window shopping and always with a takeaway Monmouth coffee in tow. I try to explore a different part of the city each time I visit and I love how the diversity of the city continues to surprise and inspire me each time. From the grandeur and opulence of Westminster to the rugged simplicity of the small backstreets - these are my favourites, with truly British style brickwork, old school piping, beautiful big windows, awesome street art and of course the best shops hidden down little alleys. Here are a few photos from last week - just out and about on the traps of town. Bisous x

National pride flying high

Beautiful opulent buildings

Typical London fencing

Awesome old & simple architecture 

A walk in St James' Park 

A cool morning, with London Eye in the background

I just like the brickwork & mannequins in the windows

This is London to me

Old pipes, old buildings. My loves.

Gorgeous street

Covent Garden shopping

One of my favourite streets

Mexicana feasting

Coffee, boots & bricks = my London

Beauties

Vintage phtotos

Ciao Italia

Scott and I were in Italy last week to visit the Lineapelle Industry Fair, which is the largest and most exciting trade show for footwear leather & components, held biannually in the  beautiful city of Bologna. Sadly I didn't get too many photos of our time in Bologna, as cameras are strictly out of bounds at the fair and mine managed to stay squashed at the bottom of my bag until we arrived in Milan a few days later. Despite the grey skies it was great to be back in Milan again, my second home, where we caught up with good friends and enjoyed a few aperitivi! It's is a wonderful city to explore - underrated in my opinion. It's urban and gritty, with graffiti strewn streets, a fantastic art scene and if you scratch the surface far enough you will find an inspiring modern metropolis pushed up against old world glam and many beautiful piazzas! As usual, I can't wait to go back. Baci x

You can't deny the Milano Duomo is magnificent

Vege markets in Bologna

Typical Milanese buildings

View from our hotel in Milan

There's something about Milanese advertising 

More buildings in Brera, Milan

Milanese graffiti 

Downtown Milan - wide crossings & tram lines

This is Milan to me

Street lights

More graffiti, Milan

Brera, Milan

Rainy pebbles

Street art, Milan

The popular Bike Mi system

Paint dipped wooden spoons

A super simple project today! I was in London last week and came across a selection of wooden spoons, which had a gorgeous range of colourful handles. I got a little carried away and bundled up about 10 of them before even looking at the price - £10 each! You have to be kidding me, there is no way I was going to spend £100 on wooden spoons, no matter how colourful they were. I realised how easily this could be achieved at home, so when I arrived back in Paris on the weekend, I decided to make a few of my own. It was probably the easiest (and cheapest) project I have ever done. I bought a range of wooden cooking utensils for a total of €5, mixed up a nice ruby red, cream and soft pink and a few moments later, I was finished! Here's how it's done ... 

Buy yourself any mixture of wooden kitchen utensils

I think it looks best when you have a range of different coloured woods

Mix your favourite colours in a small pot, deep enough to submerge half of each handle

Dip the handles in one by one & try to give each a slightly different length

Allow to dry on a raised surface for a couple of hours

Voila! Some bright and fun new cooking accessories

Dia duit fair Ireland

En suite, from Dublin Scott and I picked up a car and spent a week driving the glorious southern and western coasts of Ireland. It truly is magnificent countryside, with wide open farmland and rugged beaches, all connected by narrow winding roads and cliff-top drives. The local people we met on our journey were so friendly and full of information about their country and the history of the O'Connor's and Cunneen's. We couldn't get enough of the local seafood and of course the famous chowder (served at every pub) and simply enjoyed the easy days, watching waves roll in on the wild Celtic Coast and driving through local towns along the Dingle Peninsula. Here are just a few pictures from our week on the coastal roads. Enjoy x

The Celtic Coast

Tranquil harbour beach

Scott admiring the view

Lifeguard HQ

Wild and rugged

A little colour for those grey skies

Gorgeous old house front in Kinslae

Wildflowers and farm fences

Cliffs of Moher - an amazing sight

Kinsale lighthouse

Driving through farmland

Wheat fields on the open road

Cattle grazing on the green green grass

Blissful day

Local pub serving great chowder, in Doolin

Colourful homes in the tiny town of Doolin

Beautiful drives

Even she appreciates the view! 

Local coastal homes

A calm bay on the southern coast

So long Ireland, see you again soon. x