a love story

I am totally in love again! LOL! Here are my latest purchases that include a hooded down waist coat (perfect for after-ski for our upcoming trip to the Alps plus it goes well on top of my black RL quilted jacket), a pair of black 'riding' boots and a very feminine blouse for all occassions.

Hello from Amsterdam!

A brief blog post as we have arrived in Amsterdam for a long weekend, staying until Sunday. So far I've done some shopping (will post pics later), but since it's my first time here in Netherland's capital, there are certain things which are a must when you are here, and we are yet to check out the Red Light District as well as the many coffee shops with liberal policies toward soft drugs. (only look, not touch, haha!) Back soon. Bye for now! XOXO

Amsterdam has got an amazing network of canals (165 canals, 90 islands connected by 1,281 bridges )

Unfortunately the weather is forcing me to use a brolly, but as a Londoner that's not something that I'm faced by ;-)

Narrow (some pretty, some dodgy) passageways are everywhere

A sea of bicycles at the Central Station

Our lovely weekend with the in-laws in Scotland

The sun was amazingly bright & shining as we arrived at Glasgow airport


Sean getting cosy with Granny Shelia, Bear's mum

Can I have a brown roll, pls?

Fine dining in our lovely hotel on the first night

Troon beach - opposite the house where Bear grew up

Sean explored the gorgeous surroundings or our hotel

This matches my jacket, Mum! :-)

Admiring the hotel fountain and all it's pennies

Leaving the Lochgreen House Hotel for a stroll along the beach

Our hotel suite was huge!

Sean and I waiting patiently for Bear to get his kilt on

Lady in red, gorgeous Maria (Bear's brother Steven's wife) is entertained by Ronnie, the famous Scotish story teller

The three bears; the biggest of them all; Bear's Dad, Laurence (2 metres tall!), whose 70th we celebrated, Bear himself and of course our Baby Bear

The six grandchildren - all Sean's cousins

The proud father with all his four children; L-R - Fraser, Alan (AKA Bear), Steven, and Keri (Sean's Godmother) who is expecting her first child! :-)

Sean mesmerised by a balloon

Laurie, the birthday boy with his youngest grandchildren Sean and his gorgeous cousin Caoimhe (pronounced 'Keeva')

Must be towards the end of the evening because all glasses are empty it seems!

The day after the night before, at the hotel breakfast

The gilet is back

Wearing my rabbit gilet today, for the first time this season


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Today

Happy Friday!

Today I...

... plan to.. have a girlie night out with dinner and drinks in town with my Mum and her friend who are visiting

... wish… it wasn’t raining

... feel.. grateful that my mother can come over and visit with short notice and making it possible for Bear and I to travel

... have been seriously... thinking we made the cot to bed switch too early but am now very hopeful after a successful night last night

... have been…. looking for a specialist cleaner for my long sheepskin coat

... am wearing… a top with puffer sleeves, kilt- like shorts and over the knee boots

... listening to... this

...love...that it’s weekend!

... fought the urge to… buy muffin at Starbucks with Mum and Jessica

... am happy… that I finally had a very much needed haircut yesterday

... can't wait… for mine and Bear’s baby free trip to Amsterdam next week

My London

I had a comment from a reader the other day who asked for recommendations in London for their upcoming trip this Autumn. Well here are some random things that I love to do/like to do more often/recommend others to do in the capital;


have a coffee and/or breakfast at The Wolseley in Picadilly or Mount Street Deli, Mayfair

go to the top of Primrose Hill with your loved one for romance with panoramic views

afternoon tea at The Connaught

have champagne at the Berkeley's Blue Bar

run/power walk around the Serpentine in Hyde Park

ride the red double decker buses

Portobello Market (Friday for Vintage clothing/ Saturday for antiques and collectibles

go shopping/window shopping in Selfridges & Co, Harvey Nichols and Harrods, by far the best department stores

cruise by boat up the Thames to Greenwich

Check out Sothebys and Christie's auction houses

Zuma for fabulously yummy Japanese and gorgeous clientele

wander around Spitalfields markets

visit the Columbia Road flower market on a Sunday morning

go on The London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel to get a full-scale, 360-degree look at the city.

visit The British Museum which is full of various treasures that British soldiers brought back from every corner of the globe etc

Shop food at the Borough Market

go to Ottolenghi for the best and most delicious take-away

browse amongst very exclusive stationary in Smythson on New Bond St

see a movie at The Electric - cool and comfortable cinema in Notting Hill

escape reality in Daunt Book shop, Marylebone High Street - the only one worth visiting

go dancing with girlie mates at The Maddox

Take the canal boat on a sunny afternoon from Little Venice to Camden

People watching at the pedestrianised square, St. Christopher's Place

Take my son to what is any child's paradise, the Lady Di's playground in Kensington Gardens

Go ice skating outdoors whilst surrounded by the beautiful architecture of Somerset House


Well, if I had more time I could go on and on...

Happy Weekend, darlings! We're off to Scotland to see the in laws :-)

Catharina

XOXO

Music = fuel

" Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the petrol needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio." - Hunter S. Thompson

Today, after one hellish night last night with Sean waking up and getting out of his bed every hour, this song keeps me going!

Another milestone

Today, at 21 months, we have made the big change for Sean, from a cot to a bed. As you can see, he has taken to it very good, but the real test will be at bed time tonight! *help*

There is no set time that you should get rid of your child's cot and put him in a bed, although most children make the move around 2 1/2, sometimes 3.

Usually, from what I've heard from other mums, the change would take place if you are toilet training him, or more commonly, at the arrival of you second baby.

However, neither of the above is our reason for the change today. We simply have to, as he has started to try and climb or jump out of his cot, and yesterday he did!

Imagine the shock when I was hovering the living room thinking he is in his room, in his cot having an afternoon nap, and then he just walks through the door. I thought I'd seen a ghost at first!

Well Sean's cot is one of the bigger and deeper ones there are, and the mattress has already been lowered to the max, so we figured now is the time for him to have his own bed before he injures himself badly.

The big disadvantage is though, that once free from the constraints of his cot, he can roam around the house at night, and the bed time routine now might be out the window, with him climbing out of the bed several times before accepting to sleep there.

I’ve been pretty stressed about the whole thing today, wishing Sean wasn’t so much taller than other boys his age and wanting my baby to stay a baby, for just a little bit longer. But I suppose it's a milestone in my life, too.

It's another sign that my little man is growing up. I can remember it like it was yesterday, when we first bought and assembled the cot. It's amazing how our life has changed since then. For the better of course!

Preparing for nursery drop off

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Beautiful Buckinghamshire

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An asset, not a burden (Sean, that is!)

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Smart casual

Today I got this smart/casual shirt for Sean to wear at Bear's dad's 70th birthday party in Troon, Scotland next Friday.

I really like the white collar and white cuffs combined with the epaulettes on the shoulders. So much so that I would have bought the same for Bear too if they had it!

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The importance of baby free quality time

Yesterday afternoon, when most people are at work, Bear and I drove with the roof down (freedom feeling!) to our country club where Bear first went to the gym and sauna and then we together indulged in good food and wine - now that's what I call 'midweek quality time'!

With Sean at nursery and Bear working from home on Wednesdays, we recently decided to do something special, just the two of us, like a sort of midweek quality time - together (have even started a new blog label with the same name!).

Whether it's lunching out, visiting our country club, playing tennis, going for afternoon tea or even just lounging at home watching a movie, its just about taking the time to be together and not having to worry about changing Sean's nappy, feeding him or stopping himself from hurting himself or entering dangerous areas.

Unable to resist temptation

Have just been served a glass of one of my favourite Burgundy wine; Chablis.

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Lunching and lounging at Stoke Park this afternoon

Unfortunately the pic, taken with my phone, doesn't do the beautiful room justice, nor can u see the serene view of the grounds, through the windows.
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Misty Morning

This morning cental London was really grey and misty!

Evening playtime

Taking Sean out for a little evening playtime, to give Daddy (who's working from home today) some space, in order to be able to get a little work done.

Bear if u r finished, and can guess where we are, pls come out and play! ;-) LOVE

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Sense of freedom...

...to b power walking, without baba and pram, 7.30am in glorious weather and in glorious surroundings

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