Tuesday With Moi

Tuesday, November 13

Oh man, Rebecca.  I couldn't put it down!  I'd stayed up until 2:00 the previous evening and, as soon as I awoke in the morning, I picked it right up and continued on.
She's worse than a coke dealer, that Daphne Du Maurier! 

Though I knew I should put a bookmark in and get on with my day, I stayed in bed with my coffee and my book until almost 11:00.

At which point I went into my newly finished studio and started to get on with some work.

Prepare yourself for many snippets of my studio space.  I'm quite pleased with how the room has turned out and I'm overjoyed to finally have my own place to work.  My things are organized, my mind is clear, and my heart is happy!

Everything has a place again.

I cannot stop smiling! 

Though I have yet to find a place for this beautiful Jonathan Singer Sargent mirror.... I have a few ideas as to where I'll put it.  

New shoes seem to be a theme lately.  These Minnetonka Moccasins were a lovely birthday gift from one of my oldest and dearest friends, Christa.  I pad around the flat in them every day.  Until the warmer months come once again, they shall be my house slippers.  Very Minnesotan of me, don't you think?

Had a snack and realized how dark it was getting.

I miss the daylight so much this time of year.  

Another shelf scene from the studio.

I gave David the 'together' card around the time we got married in March.

It's by Yellow Owl Workshop and I really love it.  I love all their work, actually. 

Throughout the day, I took little reading breaks and eventually finished Rebecca (naughty of me, I know).  Next on my list is this book, Paper: An Elegy by Ian Sansom. 

This is the beginning of my inspiration wall in the studio.

These are things I like.  I can't wait to see how it grows.

Instead of a chair, I opted to use a fitness ball in the studio to help my posture.

So far, I'm quite pleased with the decision.

Finally, my favorite time of day: Wine Time!  

We've lately been enjoying this fairtrade, organic, blah blah blah Running Duck Shiraz.

It's a great price, easy to drink, and is sulfite free which means, like italian table wine, it doesn't get you drunk or leave you with a hang over.  We like that. 

SO SAPPY.

Deal with it.

David got a haircut yesterday.  He looks so handsome with his hair short.

Finally, time for bed.  This is how Le Chat says goodnight.  

All in all, a productive and comfortable Tuesday around Cox Quarters.

As always, thanks for reading.

xox

Tuesday With Moi

Tuesday, August 14

I know I complain about my Hobbit town a lot, but it really isn't super terrible.  I mean, there are some treasures to be found amongst the chain stores and blah boutiques.  One such treasure is a patisserie called La Roche.  The space itself is bright and elegant, with a long marble counter and a beautiful crystal chandelier.  While the pastries are delicious, my real weakness is their beautiful rye bread.  I'm obsessed.

I bought this book on a trip to London last year and, after arriving stateside, completely forgot about it.  I've recently picked it up again and am really enjoying Davis' short sketches and stories.
They're crisp and unexpected, which I like a lot.

Okay- I've been meaning to post this for ages: You guys, when I was unpacking boxes after the move I found this top.  I did not purchase this top and had never seen it before pulling it out of a box.  It's from ASOS, is a size large, and appears to be warn loved.  Is this top your top?  Do you want it back? How did I end up with it? SO MYSTERIOUS!

David and I ran some errands in town and walked up a street I'd never noticed before.
It was cute, I guess.

We stopped for cappuccino and a sandwich at an Italian deli on the High Street.  We sat at a cafe table on the sidewalk and watched all the geriatrics walk by.  I really like old people and there are a lot of them in my town.  Old people on bikes, old people walking slower than snails, old people having lunch, old people holding hands, old people waiting for the bus... They're everywhere! 

I like to buy my flowers from a little stand next to the train station. They only take cash, so David and I dug deep in our pockets and were pleased to find we had enough for these pretty gladiolus.
They remind me of storks and I think they're elegant.

Le Chat is in love with this exhibitionist black cat who gyrates below our window.  Le Chat would very much like the chance to go outside and play with this black cat but I forbid it, which makes her whine incessantly and give me desperate looks like this one.

I made some stationery.

Then I started a letter.

But my letter writing was interrupted by a Skype marathon with one of my dearest friends and then with my mother.  Letters are great, but I'm still super thankful for Skype.

Ladies, do yourself a favor and marry a guy who can cook.
Unless you really like cooking, in which case, do yourself a favor and marry a guy who likes to do dishes.

Don't let the long sleeves fool you, yesterday was actually kinda warm.
To celebrate, we drank a dry rosé.
(There's always something to celebrate...)

The Redcoat and I used to play Scrabble all the time.  We'd play at bars, on picnics, on planes, at home, etc.  When he got an iPhone, he started playing Words With Friends with everyone he's ever met and stopped playing real Scrabble with me.
Last night, he suggested we play a real game of Scrabble.
It was so fun!

Until I lost and became grumpy.

But I'm never mad for long and in the end I forgave him for beating me winning.
We finished our wine and went to sleep, or whatever.

THE END.
As always, thank you for reading!
xox

Tuesday with Moi

Tuesday, July 24

Yesterday was a rather bizarre day.  I had big plans to run errands in the sunshine but I woke up with the beginning of a migraine so I simply worked from home all day.  Here I am in bed with my laptop, catching up on everything that happened in America whilst I was asleep. 

The day before, I bought some sunflowers.  They make me feel cheerful.

 

David and I are soon going to hang some photos above our couch.  I was preparing the configuration. 

 

One day (soon, I hope) I will have a desk again and won't have to work on the coffee table & couch all the damn time.  Until then, here's my work space.

 

Caught Le Chat in a precious moment. 

 

My head was hurting a lot a lot a lot so I worked with my glasses on.

 

As per usual, I felt very fatigued in the afternoon and decided to combat my exhaustion with a walk.  Yesterday was so beautiful and sunny!

 

Unfortunately, I came home from my walk feeling drained of all energy so I took some Advil and a two-hour nap.  When I woke up, David was cooking a chicken for dinner.

Back to work.

Another scene from my desk/coffee table.

 

Maybe when I get myself a desk, I'll buy a bookshelf, too... 

 

Cuddling on the couch with David.  I love that he always wears colorful socks.

 

My headache seemed to have subsided, so David and I took a stroll to our neighborhood pub for a glass of wine and a chance to sit on real chairs (we do not own real chairs, just a stool and couches right now, which makes our bums very sad).  We passed this cute antique store on our way.  I like their little window. 

 

We finished our beverages, came straight home and promptly went to sleep.

And that, my friends, was my semi-sickly Tuesday.  Thanks for reading!

USA IN UK

 To catch you up on the last 24 hours:

• Our darling kitten was denied flight approval at the airport last night.  Not because she didn't pass her medical exam or because she was misbehaving, no no no...  She was denied access because her cage was too small.  Though the carrier we had allowed her to stand, comfortably turn around, eat, drink, and travel domestically within the United States (keep in mind that a flight from Boston to California is longer than a flight from Boston to London), it didn't allow her to do jumping jacks or run on a treadmill (which, you know, we humans are given enough room to do when we fly...), so she was denied access to fly with us.  This has been upsetting for me and David for a number or reasons, but we are incredibly thankful to a number of amazing friends who have taken care of Le Chat, purchased a new carrier for her, and have loaded her onto tonight's flight to the UK so we will be able to receive her tomorrow.  Friends, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and willingness to help us through this very stressful situation and I cannot adequately express how excited I am to see my little kitten tomorrow! 
• David and I landed in London without any hiccups (except the aforementioned incident) this morning and have since set up camp in our Hobbit Flat in Tunbridge Wells (photos of drab drapes and rugby shoes above).  It's grey and rainy here, which is appropriately depressing.  Our social calendar is booked for the next couple days, but I am most looking forward to getting things* figured out so I can start working on some exciting new projects.  YAY! 
• I accidentally locked myself out of my Gmail account.  You see, I had 2-step verification set-up to access my account and realized this morning that, seeing as my US mobile is no longer active, I will have no way of receiving my text message verification code.  Ergo, I cannot access my Gmail until the nice people at Google decide I'm not a hacker.  This is both a happy escape from real life obligations and an enormous inconvenience.  Strangely I can still access Blogger... ta-da! 
• My new roommate (step-son) has been amazing in helping David and I get situated in our new (David's old) home.  In my mind, this flat is far from ideal and I can't wait to get the paint samples out and start DIY projects to make it look beautiful!  Stay tuned for before and after pictures- everyone loves a makeover!  
• I haven't even been here a full day yet and I already have Ginger Biscuit crumbs all over my sweater.  This whole tea-time thing may just be my greatest downfall... 

Tomorrow is a busy day and David is already sleeping beside me so I too am going to turn-in for the night.  Again, an enormous THANK YOU to everyone who helped us with Le Chat!  I am so thankful for having an abundance of wonderful people in my life and I'm literally weeping just thinking about how awesome my friends are.  Gaaahhh!  XOXOXO.

*Banking, mobile phone, apartment organization, toothpaste purchases, etc.

Le Chat Goes to the UK

For all of you who are wondering, yes, we're moving the cat with us.  Of course we're moving the cat!  Le Chat, as many of you know, hasn't always been my favorite friend, but I've really grown to love her over the last few years and the thought of leaving her behind in America makes my eyes swell and my mouth get droopy.  She is such a sweet kitten and she's really pretty, too- especially now that she has a brand new haircut* to show off her sleek physique (she's the Kate Moss of cats- so skinny!) and keep the shedding to a minimum!

I'm going to be honest, getting your cat to the UK isn't the easiest (or cheapest- oy!) process in the world, but it's not as difficult as it once was.  The biggest bummer about the whole thing is that animals are not allowed to fly in the cabin on flights to the UK.  Ergo, Le Chat will be stuck in the belly of the plane while David and I pick our nails and feel like terrible cat parents as we strain our ears for sad kitten sounds over the noise of the jet engines.  I mean, Le Chat freaks out when she has to take a trip in the car so I can't imagine how inconsolable she'll be flying alone in a dark and cold plane**.  Ohmygosh, I'm going to start crying right now just thinking about it...  I am such a horrible cat owner!  BUT, at least she doesn't have to be quarantined, which the government no longer does so long as US kittens have proper shots, a passport thingy, and a microchip in them. It's all very official.

We are very excited to get Le Chat established in her new home so she can become a refined UK Cat and speak with a British accent, etc.  I really hope she keeps her cool on the plane and doesn't hate us for moving her so far away so we can be a happy family on the other side of the pond.  Yay!

*If you live in Boston and need an amazing cat/dog groomer, you have to call Eddy (617.866.1690).  No only is he meticulous with his fur buzzing, he also comes to you.  How awesome is that?  He has a little cat grooming truck which looks like an ice cream truck if ice cream trucks didn't play music and had what looked like a small vet office, not kitchen, in the back.  We're really going to miss Eddy!  He is so so wonderful!

**I don't really know if it is going to be dark and cold. I sure hope it's not, especially considering how crazy expensive her plane ticket was!

DST

Question: Is there anything better than an afternoon nap on clean white linen? 
Answer: No, no there is not.

Maybe it's just me, but losing an hour of sleep is debilitating to the point where I would rather be totally jet-lagged from a trip to Japan than have this weird sleepiness tugging at my eyelids and slowing me down.  Don't get me wrong, I embrace the extra hour of sunlight, but my body still feels like it's 7:00 AM even though my mind knows it's 8:00.  And it's not just about getting up in the morning- my internal cocktail clock is all messed up, too!  Oh, what a difference an hour makes...