United Colours of Vancouver

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I really, really, REALLY ‘heart’ Vancouver.  We last visited about thirteen years ago, and can’t quite believe it’s taken us this long to go back.  And yes, the weather really was something else.

More piccies here and here. There is something indefinably and wonderfully European about Vancouver which we couldn’t quite put our finger on. Something to do with the width of the streets, the number of pedestrians and the lack of a dirty great freeway carving through the centre of the city.  We can also highly recommend the Agro Cafe’ on Granville Island and Raincity Grill for one of the best meals I’ve had in North America.

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Pumpkin Hunting

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Click to enlarge. More photos here.

This Saturday we had glorious autumn weather for our annual pumpkin hunt.  One of the nicest things about Seattle is that you can drive for about half an hour out of the city and end up somewhere like this.  Also known as paradise on earth if you’re a small girl who likes to grub about, play with horses, splash in rivers and ride in tractors (not to mention the pumpkin trebuchet which got the Husband childishly excited).  Highly recommended if you’re in the Seattle area and looking for a good pumpkin patch.

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La Tour Trellick

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We’re going to be back in the UK for Christmas.  The day itself will be spent with friends in Bath, we’ll be visiting family and friends in and around London and then hopefully back to Notting Hill for a few days (though sadly not to the flat – we still have it, but it’s rented out at the moment).

You know how there are places in the world that just suit your personality? Well Notting Hill is one of my places.  We lived there for twelve years before coming to Seattle and I still miss it horribly.

022If the Eiffel Tower is the enduring symbol of Paris, then the Trellick Tower, which looms over the north end of the Portobello Road market is the enduring symbol of Notting Hill.

It’s not a pretty building.  Built at the tail-end of the sixties, this Brutalist tower block by Erno Goldfinger (such a great name) soon became a byword for the sort of social problems that plagued tower blocks (and Notting Hill) at the time. But as the tower has cleaned up its act and Notting Hill has become gentrified, it has become a London icon and flats in the tower now command a huge premium, with top-floor flats, which have some of the best views in London, being almost impossible to come by. (I found this photo of the tower in my files – I’ve never been able to take very good pictures of it though).

It’s also become a sort of ironic design icon.  Here it is on ceramics and teatowels from People Will Always Need Plates.  I’m going to put a couple of plates on my Christmas list. 

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La fin

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For about twelve short but glorious weeks of the year – from the end of June to the middle of September – Seattle is the best place to be on earth. 

For the last couple of weeks we’ve been enjoying the most glorious Indian summer, temperatures in the mid-to-high 70s (around 25 degrees) and cloudless clear blue skies.  This weekend was another such but with added poignancy.  The slight chill on the breeze in the morning and the leaves starting to turn red round the edges told their own story.  The weather is supposed to turn colder by next weekend, so this weekend was full of small goodbyes.

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The last sandcastles on the beach

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The last lunch by the sea

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The last strawberry lemonade                                                  The last margaritas on the deck

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The last popsicle princesses

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The last vestigial sunset through the trees

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The last chance to watch the lights come on over Seattle and the sun glinting off the downtown buildings

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The last chance to watch the moonlight on the water

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The last chance to have a candlelit dinner with friends

It was also the last chance for some crazy drunken dancing under the stars but I’ve decided to spare you the photos

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That Was the Week That Was That Was The Week That Was SnOMG! Today I Am Mostly…

Back

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this is why I haven’t been blogging 

I can’t believe how long it is since I’ve blogged.  I’m not sure what happened, but we’ve just been trying to make the most of the summer here in Seattle and my blogging mojo just seemed to get left on a beach somewhere.  And funnily enough this is a busy time of year for mirrormirror what with all the pre-Christmas ordering and PR to work on.

Thank you so much for all your kind and concerned comments and emails – I’m sorry I just abandoned you without a word – and I’m touched (and somewhat astonished) that people have been missing my somewhat random musings.

But anyway, just to get things back on track.

Things I’ve been doing over the last month in no particular order.

– Loafing about on beaches (including another trip to Cannon Beach, still the most photogenic place on earth)

– Travelling on ferries

– Eating Dancing Deer chocolate brownies (perfect for picnics).

– Watching the Olympics (we managed to get a live stream of the BBC’s coverage to make up for the godawful coverage provided by NBC.  You have to feel sorry for Americans sometimes.)

– Getting really stuck into Project Runway.  And Project Rungay.  Leanne is my hot, hot favourite. I just wish I’d found my way to her Etsy store before she got famous.

–  Finally watching Season One of the The Tudors and realising it is much better than I thought it would be.  And what a lustbunny Charles Brandon is.

– Researching my family tree.  And finding out that I come from a long line of Londoners and craftspeople.

– Making aubergine (eggplant) and pistachio salad over and over again.  It is SO good. 

– Eating pistachio icecream.  I like pistachios.

– Getting into a new school routine. The Minx is finally now going to school four days a week, although they are much shorter days, with more commuting.  But finally it feels like I have time to focus on stuff.

– Photographing new stuff for the shop.

 

Things I have NOT been doing.

– Following my eating plan

– Exercising

– Gardening

– House stuff

– Reading and commenting on other blogs (except for Project Rungay and er, PerezHilton). Sorry fellow bloggers.

Normal blog service will now be resumed…

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Those Summer Nights

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Come  twilight, on a crisp clear day full of sunshine such as today, I love sitting on the roofdeck and watching the setting sun bounce off the downtown buildings while the lights come on in the streets below.

An hour or so later, the whole scene looks like this.

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Just playing with the ‘bulb’ setting on my camera.

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Independence Day

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Pic courtesy of James, who wasn’t as drunk as he should have been

So around forty adults and an entirely unnecessary number of children under 5 climbed up to our roof deck one balmy summer’s night.  And this is what they saw…

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Top two blurry pictures by me.  Bottom sharp pic by James.

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Drunk in charge of a camera again

I yet again had far too many margaritas to be safe in charge of a camera and also forgot to take any pictures of the food or of the extremely cheesy red, white and blue decorations, or of the Stars and Stripes and Union Jack fluttering gently together in perfect harmony. 

The Minx rushed around all night waving a Stars and Stripes and being taught to say ‘down with the King’ by our friends.  There will be beheadings.

Seattle excelled itself once again.  God bless America.

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I. just. can. not. wait

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I know we’ve recently been very rude about US Vogue, but this month’s issue features one of the most gorgeous photoshoots I’ve ever seen in honour of the upcoming release of Sex and the City – The Movie. (All photos by Annie Liebowitz for US Vogue from Vogue.com).

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Even though the cover is still pretty crap.

The gorgeous boys at Project Rungay (one of the all time great blogs) have done some great detective work tracking down the catwalk origins of most of the frocks. (They are so going to LOVE my Heidi Klum holiday goss).

I have just two questions.  Why don’t we see epic dresses like these on the red carpet (including SJP to her own premieres) instead of all the boring fishtails we saw at the Oscars this year? (The green Nina Ricci is what I will wear when I win my Oscar and have extensive liposuction). And could Mr Big, whom I’ve always loved as a character, but who has never done it for me as a lustbunny, look any hotter?

Also check out this vid, via Perez Hilton, which conclusively proves that this is one of the biggest ever product placement opportunities for women (I’ve heard the movie called the ‘Superbowl for women’ in terms of its advertising potential).  I just love how all the accessories are just piled up as if they were in the rummage bin at Primark.

The hot mamas of Seattle have booked out the evening of June 3rd to see the movie and drink too many cosmopolitans. Back with an actual film review then.  (The only thing I don’t like is the fugly ass decor in that hotel bedroom).

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