tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90167877771267225362024-02-20T06:43:33.467+00:00intoruth | a UK lifestyle blogPhotographs of weekend adventures and non-adventures.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.comBlogger1215125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-54325761132440757302016-02-12T08:30:00.000+00:002016-02-12T08:30:24.360+00:00January Cat LadyI'm sort of from a family of cat ladies, so for Christmas, my sister and I treated my Gran to a spot of afternoon tea at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium. Since we lost <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2012/08/my-favourite-old-lady.html" target="_blank">Suzie</a> at the grand old age of 20 a few months ago, I know my Gran has been a little sad - having come to the conclusion that she probably won't get another cat of her own, we thought this might be the next best thing.<br />
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Quite a bit has changed about the café since I visited it <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2014/08/cat-lady-mecca.html" target="_Blank">shortly after it opened back in 2014</a> but it's still a nice experience. I've heard mixed reviews over the years, with a few complaining that the cats seem bored, that the food was average but I can't say that either time I've visited that that has been the case.<br />
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I feel like I've been quite lucky to go when it's not been busy and the cats have been pretty active. There's something so relaxing about petting a cat. Even though most of the cats aren't lap cats, it's not like that's something I'm not used to so it was just nice to be there. The staff were a little more strict about touching the cats while they're sleeping and things like that but other than that it was a really lovely afternoon.<br />
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Wookie is still my favourite, with his human face and the fact he's about 15 times the size of a regular cat :)<br />
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How cute are these little sandwiches? ^_^<br />
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We spent a little over two hours there, unfortunately my sister had work in the evening so it meant we couldn't keep on mooching once we'd finished. My hipster Gran was quite taken with the Sunday markets of Brick Lane.<br />
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It's so lovely to sit inside and see how happy people walking by are when the see the cats in the window <font color="red">♥</font></center><br />
I can't really recommend Lady Dinah's enough, we actually weren't the only people to take our Granny there that afternoon either. It's such a cute way to spend a January Sunday <font color="red">♥</font><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-15136045691921720452016-02-06T07:30:00.000+00:002016-02-06T07:30:03.669+00:00Photo An Hour » January 2016 » 31/01<center><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1603/24151226894_4f29ecbfda_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1603/24151226894_4f29ecbfda_b.jpg" width="800" /></a></center><br />
As I'm feeling a bit more like getting in on the blogging thing, I thought I'd kick it up a gear and do a Photo An Hour.<br />
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A few years ago, I did one a month for the whole year and I've been doing them <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/search/label/photo%20an%20hour" target="_blank">on and off for the whole time I've had this blog</a>, even taking part in the <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2014/05/1day12pics-one.html" target="_blank">1 Day 12 Pictures</a> occasionally too.<br />
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I do enjoy how they're a little bit of a snapshot into what I was up to at the time. So, without further rambling, here is a Photo An Hour for the last day in January 2016.<br />
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<strong>9am: //</strong> Moon and I are in a pretty solid routine of waking up only a little later than we normally would on a weekday at weekends. Our bed is ridiculously comfortable but it is pretty good, even on a Sunday to feel like you've got up and done some stuff that day. This Sunday was a little bit of a struggle, thanks to the grey weather though.<br />
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<strong>10am: //</strong> Catching Doll in the act – she's actually settled in to the house really well and seems so much happier than she ever was at the flat. Over the winter she's become a bit of an accidental house cat, just because of how the house is, we can't let her come and go as she pleases as much but I think she's cool with it, and actually, she doesn't seem to fancy going out all that much either.<br />
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<strong>11am: //</strong> Taking in a new magazine – I have so much magazine reading to catch up on, <a href="http://www.ernestjournal.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ernest Journal</a> was a nice little find at the <a href="http://www.oldfirestation.org.uk/" target="_blank">Old Fire Station</a> in Oxford. I'll have to head back there to see more of their arts mag collection soon.<br />
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Sometimes sitting and watching Sunday Brunch of a morning can do a world of good. And what kind of contemporary couple would we be if we weren't doing that while on our phones? <font color="red">♥</font><br />
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<strong>12pm: //</strong> On the road to hit up Banbury for a Sunday mooch.<br />
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<strong>1pm: //</strong> Discovering the lovely Little Amsterdam, Banbury Café of the Year 2015. A lovely restaurant specialising in dutch pancakes, absolute dream for a real-life Sunday brunch.<br />
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<strong>2pm: //</strong> Moon modelling his sweet new cap.<br />
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<strong>3pm: //</strong> Spotting some filming on Banbury town centre, which fooled us into thinking there was a crime scene... I'll tell you, post-Making a Murderer, that fact was a lot more disappointing than it should have been.<br />
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<strong>4pm //</strong> Home again with a few goodies from Tiger.<br />
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<strong>5pm: //</strong> Continuing the Dutch dining theme of the day with a tasty stroopwaffel <font color="red">♥</font><br />
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<strong>6pm: //</strong> Playing a new video game, Moon downloaded <a href="http://hinterlandgames.com/the-long-dark/" target="_blank">The Long Dark</a>, which might actually be one of my favourite games ever. I'm not a big gamer or anything but I do tend to dabble, and The Long Dark is not only quite pretty to look at but much more my pace in that I'm not having to shoot anyone and I can completely take my own time - except not actually because I'll freeze to death.<br />
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<strong>7pm: //</strong> Whipping up dinner for the evening, a tasty <a href="https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/423901383655911426/" target="_blank">red Thai curry soup</a>.<br />
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<strong>8pm: //</strong> Sunday night shower with the best shower gel of all time.<br />
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<strong>9pm: //</strong> Sunday night movie, 99 Homes in case you were wondering - you can see my review <a href="" target="_blank">here</a>.</center><br />
I'm hoping to stay just as chill this weekend, perfect for this time of year I think, <strong>have you got any nice plans?</strong><br />
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<div align="right"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-58483199784423473372016-02-05T09:00:00.000+00:002016-02-05T09:00:02.437+00:00Home » 1 Year On...<center>
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It's a year this week since Moon and <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/02/heres-to-new-living-room.html" target="_blank">found, put and offer in and were accepted on a mortgage for our new home</a> and I can't quite believe how quickly that time has gone.<br />
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While working on a few things from Google Drive last week, I found the photos I took from when I was showing my Mum the house that I would then go on to show anyone who asked in the lead up to us actually living there and it's crazy to think that we even went for it. It's not that we've changed all that much about the house, I mean, structurally it's exactly the same but we've had to do so much painting and we're still not even finished!<br />
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I guess we just really loved the potential, but I'll tell you what, decorating a house is so far removed from the cutesy painting montages from the movies, like, it's the least fun thing I've ever done. I am really happy with the result so far though and even though we won't have been here a full year until April rolls around, it's still pretty fun to see the changes our house has gone through in the last 12 months.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Hallway » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> The hallway, the kitchen and the bathrooms are up next on our hit list but the hallway hasn't changed all that much since we moved in, apart from it now being where the cat eats with a nicer shoe cabinet. <span style="color: red;">♥</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Kitchen » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> The kitchen was actually just about the one room in the house that didn't need any work. I'd like to paint it just to freshen it up and to make sure it's on a similar time-frame to the other rooms in the house. There are so many bodge-jobs in this house and the only thing that bothers me about the kitchen is that there isn't any sealant around the cabinets. <br />
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Even though it's much smaller than I was used to and it can be a bit of an ordeal unpacking the shopping or cooking when we're both in there, I still sort of love it. I'm hoping to eventually replace that blind as it doesn't really match - the sellers wanted to charge us £110 for it but left it anyway..<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Living Room » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> The living room is where we spend most of our time and it's probably my favourite room. We've bagged quite a few bargains in terms of furniture, including the larger sofa which matches our original sofa but was a steal at just £100 from eBay! I can't even begin to tell you how pleased I am to finally have a proper dining table that seats a decent amount of people and that doesn't wobble when you're cutting your dinner. <br />
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We hosted Christmas in the end - our first one in our new home, it had to be done - and with a couple of spare chairs we all squeezed round the table and it made the house feel really cosy. Even though I miss the open-plan of the flat slightly, the living room is still a great room for hosting and we have so much more space than we did before! <br />
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That said, I feel like the before pictures trick you slightly into thinking it's bigger than it is, I can't believe we saw it with that little stuff in it - knowing it was a 5 family household - and didn't think anything of it. Also, why have they got a chest of drawers in their lounge?<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Front Room » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> This is our most recent update - I have a little post coming up on how poorly we treated it over the last 9 months we've lived here. You can see it was pretty much a junk room in its past life and that's how it was for us for ages too, we had so much stuff that we left there waiting to be unpacked.<br />
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Fingers crossed the drum kit goes soon as it takes up so much room and is hardly used but it makes Moon happy so it's staying for now. I'm really pleased with how the orange has come out, it's <i>so</i> difficult to photograph though as it's so bright in that room all day, maybe I'll try and snap it when I have some time on a dull day. We only went for that one wall in the end, but we've also done the inside of the door of the downstairs loo, which is a pretty neat effect.<br />
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<b>Pro tip:</b> These are 'hobby boards' from Homebase rather than standard shelves, goodness knows what the difference is but we really struggled to find shelves that weren't just MDF. I like floating shelves but I felt they were a little clunky for what we were going for.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Garden » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> The garden is one area that I feel is worse since we've moved in. We've managed to grow a few things and we're getting ready to grow more of our own this year as it's something we missed out on while moving last year, we even have a few daffodils poking up, but the bad weather has not been kind to our creaky old fence and most of it is falling down. It's not something we can do much about until late spring but definitely something that will help me love our garden once it's done.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Our Bedroom » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> I know I said the living room is my favourite but our bedroom is probably the one I'm most proud of. Sometimes when I climb into bed, it still feels as luxurious as staying in a hotel. I know it's not all that fancy but after three years of sleeping on a wonky mattress with see-through curtains, I'm still getting to grips with how much of a good night's sleep I'm getting. <br />
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I love the blues we chose and I just feel instantly relaxed. I'm hoping to put a few more pictures up but I'm really happy with it for now.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Front Bedroom » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> When I think of the purple, I wonder why we ever picked this house - for the record, purple is a horrible colour to paint over, even with a few coats of one-coat paint, but I just think this is coolest room now. It's so bright and warm, and even though it's a glorified laundry room most of the time, I sure hope that our guests enjoy staying in it when they come.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Back Bedroom » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> This room doesn't have all that much of a personality of its own yet. I really like how it still feels a lot brighter since we got rid of the dark burgundy though - the previous owners apparently had a thing with purple. It comes in useful for when we have a few more people over but unfortunately it's mainly utilised as Moon's ironing room most of the time.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">[Bathroom » January 2015]</span></strong></center>
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<b>NOW:</b> We really haven't done all that much to the bathroom, other than getting rid of the sad old mirror and putting in a fancy cabinet. Eventually I'd like to put in a proper shower but I'm happy with it the way it is for the moment :)<br />
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Maybe it's just because it's our stuff in it and it was a family of five with a dog that lived here before and we're just two and a cat so we have a lot less clutter and more time to keep it tidy. Since Christmas, I finally feel like our home is exactly what it is, it's somewhere family come to visit and where we host guests, and where we relax when we have a free weekend. <br />
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I loved that flat in Newbury, it was freezing year-round, had gross carpets and really expensive bills (our gas & electric bills have more than halved since we moved, thank goodness for double glazing) and it was a big adjustment period for me, but now it feels more like it fits and I'm feeling really positive and actually pretty proud of this place. Now I just need to get out and explore the area a little more so we have things to do when the house is taking up less of our time.<br />
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It would be easy to blame January entirely for my lack of posting but I think that's a bit of a hard sell given that my last post was way back in November. I guess I've just been feeling a bit busy and a bit uninspired, which aren't a great combination if you're trying to keep something like this going. That said, the start of a new month has brought about the feeling wanting to start a fresh and I'm feeling a lot more creative than I was so.. here we go...<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-74843049160120614042015-11-23T08:00:00.000+00:002015-11-23T08:00:11.708+00:00Christmas at Blenheim.<strong>*First Christmas Market of the Year klaxon*</strong><br />
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What a lovely little Saturday. It's beginning to feel that with the year winding down - where <i>has</i> November gone? - Moon and I are finally getting our lives back on track post-house move. We're settling in nicely after a quick 7 months and it feels pretty good.<br />
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This weekend was the first in a while where we've slept in but not overslept, started the day with a relaxed breakfast before heading out and doing something fun. <br />
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As Blenheim Palace is now just 20 minutes down the road from us and we love a good fair, the Living Craft fair seemed like the perfect opportunity to pick up an annual pass.<br />
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After that first visit, I can honestly say I'm in love and I'm so pleased we'll be able to come and go as we please for the next year. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and we're so lucky that the weather turned from wintery showers to bright sunshine, even if it did take 6 or so hours for the feeling to return to my legs once we got home - I can't wait for more chilly walks and seeing in all the seasons, it's looking like a summer picnic will be a must.<br />
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The fair itself was pretty good and actually full of quite a few retailers I hadn't seen before. Going to a few of these things, particularly in the same area, you often see the same products over and over but Living Craft wasn't like that. We managed to pick up a few Christmas bits but didn't get nearly as much shopping done as we would have hoped - still, December is still a week away, there's no need to worry.<br />
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The pictures don't do them justice but these adorable houses hide incense pastilles that make them smoke when they're lit. ADORABLE. <font color="red">♥</font><br />
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Ditto these tiny AGAs.<br />
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Moon trying his hand at giant knitting. It didn't go that well...<br />
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Unfortunately, and I'm not sure if it was because of the extra crowds drawn in by the fair, but we didn't manage to take in much of the house, the queues were ridiculous! I'm hoping we might be able to pop back before the season is over and have a look because I think the house is fully decked out but I'm sure we'll get around to it eventually even if it's not this year. It's the one thing I wish we'd done with the afternoon but the leisurely hour-long stroll along the lake (THERE'S A FRIGGING LAKE!) away from the crowds, more than made up for it. <br />
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I was so surprised by how low the sun was all day, even though all of these were taken pre-lunchtime! It did make for some beautiful lighting though.<br />
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Even though it's well sign-posted and a really short walk from the main palace, it seems that so few people were willing to take advantage of the sunny afternoon by taking a walk down to the Cascades.<br />
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Lake Blenheim.<br />
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The arboretum was my favourite part of the lakeside walk, I can imagine it looked beautiful when the leaves were changing a few weeks ago.<br />
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I always find myself enjoying the changing of the seasons and while I must say that I'm pretty pleased to have not had to defrost my car yet, chilly walks and warming up afterwards are nothing but a good thing, and after such a wet and mild autumn, a cold and crisp weekend to blow the cobwebs out was just what I needed.<br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-44155076548087906412015-11-02T08:00:00.000+00:002015-11-02T08:00:05.414+00:00Living Room: Before + After<centeR><A href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/634/22674615542_43586b8dbb_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/634/22674615542_43586b8dbb_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
When the lovely people at <a href="https://www.oceanfinance.co.uk/blog/create-your-dream-home-on-a-budget-0-4576-0.htm" target="_blank">Ocean Finance</a> got in touch with the challenge of making over a room for £50 or less, it couldn't have come at a better time.<br />
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Working on making our house a home has very much been a marathon rather than a sprint and a few weeks ago we finally got around to painting our living room. Our friends Richard and Fran were on hand to help and it was pretty amazing how quickly we managed to get things done, they were even sneakily up early to finish up the trim, we definitely owe them more than one.<br />
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<center><strong>[Before]</strong><br />
So, obviously it didn't look like this <i>all</i> the time but it should give you an idea of what a blank canvas this room was.<br />
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We are planning on putting a fireplace at some point but for now a makeshift radiator cover - what was left to us by the previous owners - will have to do.<br />
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Repainting things white never fails to make me feel a bit uneasy. Funny how your eyes can trick you.<br />
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So, the deal was that once we got this room painted we would be able to get curtains, put pictures up, finally pick up a dining table and basically just make the room feels like it was more 'us'. <br />
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<a href="http://www.oceanfinance.co.uk" target="_blank">Ocean</a> sent over a voucher for Dunhelm to see what I could find to makeover my chosen room. Dunhelm has been one of my savior shops since we moved, all our curtains have been from there and I just think it's really good for everyday bits and pieces at a great price, it's definitely up there with Wilko as somewhere I'd recommend for general house things.<br />
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Pro tip: radiator paint is awful.<br />
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In need of <i>so</i> many more house plants!<br />
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After we'd tried to put things back to normal post-putting the curtains up.</center><br />
Now I've had practice with a lot of other rooms in the house, I feel making a room over can be as simple as a lick of paint and a few personal touches, so I wasn't going to go too far out of my comfort range with my £50.<br />
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Every meal I've eaten has been here since we put this up on Saturday afternoon. <font color="red">♥</font><br />
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This little ladder shelf was a TKMaxx find, just what I was looking for and much nicer than the MDF versions I'd been watching on eBay. Now we just need to work out what to put on it...<br />
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Most of the voucher went towards the <a href="http://www.dunelm.com/product/maps-natural-blackout-roller-blind-1000044609" target="_blank">map blind</a>, I chose them because they're a little different but neutral at the same time. I didn't want another set of curtains as we got long curtains for the patio doors and because they're pretty close together I figured it would look weird to have different lengths next to each other. The rest went on curtain rings and picture frames (which we're yet to put up). <br />
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This 65daysofstatic poster has had a little re-frame and is looking much healthier now it's out of a bendy clip frame.<br />
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We used to have this poster in our bedroom in our flat but it's been promoted to living room since the <a href="https://instagram.com/p/9ijsbXLYGw/?taken-by=intoruth" target="_blank">space above our bed</a> is a little too small for it. I'm pretty happy to have it more out on display now anyway though.<br />
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This mirror was one of our first Dunhelm finds, I love the wood.<br />
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My mum treated me to this Atlas Moth a few weeks ago when I was in Covent Garden with her. I'm actually a little obsessed with insect taxidermy recently.<br />
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I picked up this table on Saturday to match the other one we got when we first moved in. I'm so pleased that IKEA still had them as they're one of my favourite IKEA purchases - they're actually meant to be <a href="http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/70186113/ target="_blank">plant stands</a> but they're the perfect shape for what we need as they don't take up much room.<br />
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I guess I'd have to admit that because of all the other things we picked up at IKEA at the weekend, as well as our new dining set (with IKEA bench), making over the room for £50 was a bit of a failure but I think you'll agree that I've certainly managed to put our stamp on it, even if it's from a few different places.<br />
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After 7 months of a combination of hard work - and being a bit lazy - we're actually pretty much there with this whole 'nestmaking' (not in a baby way) things and I feel much better about the prospect of hosting our first Christmas, our next milestone.<br />
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<strong>Would you be able to makeover a room for £50? Which room would you choose?</strong><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-43314179759975779172015-11-01T07:30:00.000+00:002015-11-01T07:30:00.065+00:00Oh Hey, Stanley.So, one of my biggest regrets from our holiday to Hong Kong was not being able to get out to the seaside. It wasn't really our fault, it was mainly due to the last few days of the trip being awful. <br />
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Sadly, Hong Kong's blue flag beaches remain elusive to me, that said, we did make it out to Stanley. <br />
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Never in my life have a seen a dog in shoes, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDxrfEeRYAk" target="_blank">other than in this great video, obviously</a>, I thought they were a joke...<br />
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There are <a href="http://god.com.hk/" target="_Blank">Goods of Desires</a> all over Hong Kong but of course I had to stop in each one we encountered. They have so much nice stuff and do so many great collabs, it was hard not to come away with something every time.<br />
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I would argue that Stanley is one of the most westernised parts of Hong Kong, at least of everywhere I've ever visited. A lot of ex-pats live there and there are quite a few Brits-abroad-style pubs. We did get it on a cloudy day so I probably would have had more fun if the sun was shining but there are some great shops there and we had some amazing food at <a href="http://www.xiafei.com.hk/en/xiafei%20dim%20sum.html" target="_blank">Xia Fei Shanghainese</a>, even if it was served with a slight snarl, rather than a smile.<br />
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The market in Stanley is must-go but due to its windy, enclosed paths, it can all become a bit samey and it's not too dissimilar to the kinds of things you can pick up in Mong Kok.<br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-81662761866008624682015-10-30T08:00:00.000+00:002015-10-30T08:00:01.341+00:00BIG BUDDHA.<center><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/333/19487794250_96040f9160_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/333/19487794250_96040f9160_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
So, the Big Buddha was one of the things that Moon wanted to do most during our trip to Hong Kong. As it was something I'd done <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2011/08/last-full-day-in-hong-kong.html" target="_Blank">done before but really enjoyed</a>, I was happy to oblige him.<br />
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We physically couldn't get up early enough to make it to the cable cars for opening - which is kind of a lie but we were actually, despite doing a lot of stuff, really lazy during this whole trip and that was fine. I was a little bit gutted that due to our laziness we weren't able to go on a tour, as they'd all sold out by lunchtime but ultimately this worked out for the best as doing it ourselves was not only cheaper but meant we could take it at our own pace. Plus, I'd highly recommend anyone take a public lightbus while in Hong Kong, if only for the hair-raising experience.<br />
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Floating over all that water doesn't get any easier...<br />
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I was ridiculously excited to see a few of the feral cattle that I've read about. I'd love to explore Lantau Island a bit more one day and hopefully see a few one.<br />
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We embraced the fact that selfie-sticks a little less ridiculous in that part of the world.<br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/303/19685948951_88b6869602_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/303/19685948951_88b6869602_b.jpg" width="325"></a> <a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3705/19681468745_970513c477_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3705/19681468745_970513c477_b.jpg" width="325"></a><br />
We had a much better view than when I went last time, and we could see for miles - which kind of makes up for what we couldn't see when we visited The Peak a few days later.<br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/520/19691255102_ce30de086d_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/520/19691255102_ce30de086d_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/294/19681571945_562fec8122_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/294/19681571945_562fec8122_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
These reminded me of something straight out of Spirited Away.<br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/276/19493585610_e1aa65c1fa_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/276/19493585610_e1aa65c1fa_b.jpg" width="325"></a> <a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/545/19674492172_8b35006550_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/545/19674492172_8b35006550_b.jpg" width="325"></a></center><br />
I was actually a little disappointed with the Big Buddha this time round. The cable cars didn't exactly get us off to a good start as we had to share, not that I expected to get as lucky to get a private one like last time, but sharing with two people who refuse to stop talking even when their conversation is nothing but inanity is definitely not the one.<br />
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It seems to me that the whole attraction has become far more touristy than it was before. Maybe because I was seeing it through younger, fresh eyes before but it all just felt like it was designed to trap you a bit. I was particularly pleased with myself for getting a refund (asking in Chinese!) for our tickets up to the Buddha, which is actually free, though it's easy to get tricked into thinking it's not.<br />
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<center><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/331/19655404636_04cabfa075_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/331/19655404636_04cabfa075_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/326/19493732628_846a6d3bb9_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/326/19493732628_846a6d3bb9_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
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We took the bus to and from Tai O and I was a little sad to see that it seemed a bit more run-down than it was before. I think it's a place that firmly relies on tourism anyway while also trying to remain as traditional as possible. It was still interesting to wander round but I don't feel as though Tai O's potential is being as tapped as it could be.<br />
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Look at this little chap, this turned out much better than expected.<br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/263/19681938145_1b5b6365dc_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/263/19681938145_1b5b6365dc_b.jpg" width="325"></a> <a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3715/19059383844_870639487c_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3715/19059383844_870639487c_b.jpg" width="325"></a><br />
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Forever making friends with stray cats, and there are quite a lot in Tai O.<br />
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Tai O is still a place I would go back to again and again though, this was the one downside to getting there a bit later, many things seemed to be closing up - unusual for Hong Kong as it often feels like it's on the go 24/7.<br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-90574056122963604592015-10-29T08:30:00.000+00:002015-10-29T08:30:01.703+00:00Huevos Rancheros.<center><A href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/723/22487847246_d39409efbf_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/723/22487847246_d39409efbf_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
This is a new one, and a simple one, but a good one.<br />
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<a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2014/06/recipe-italian-baked-eggs.html" target="_blank">Eggs are my favourite</a>, but sometimes a regular fry-up just won't do. This is a little something that myself, and a very sceptical Moon whipped up one Saturday a couple of weeks ago. I guess he was sceptical because he doesn't necessarily agree with tinned tomatoes for breakfast, or chilli for breakfast but I think he was curious in equal measure because Mexican food is king in our little house (after Chinese food, naturally).<br />
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<A href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/738/22315585578_26d3abdf02_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/738/22315585578_26d3abdf02_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
This is so incredibly simple that it almost feels ridiculous to be sharing it with you but I hope it will inspire you to try a different kind of cooked breakfast this weekend, though this would also make a great brinner, particularly if you included a few black or kidney beans, yum!<br />
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<strong>Ingredients:</strong> (feeds 2)<br />
<ul><li>1 x tin of chopped tomatoes</li>
<li>2 x tortillas</li>
<li>2 x fresh tomatoes (cut into thin slices)</li>
<li>2 x cloves of garlic (finely chopped)</li>
<li>½ bell pepper</li>
<li>½ red onion</li>
<li>2 fresh chillies</li>
<li>4 x large eggs</li>
<li>3-4 sprigs of fresh parsley (roughly chopped)</li>
<li>1 tablespoon of dried parsley</li>
<li>2 teaspoons chilli powder</li>
<li>Salt & pepper (to taste)</li>
<li>Cooking oil of your choice, I use coconut</li>
<li>1 x avocado (optional)</li>
</ul><br />
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<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<ol><li>Heat your pan and add your oil before adding the garlic, red onion, fresh chillies and bell pepper and cooking until softened</li>
<li>Add the chopped tomatoes to your softened vegetables and bring to a simmer before reducing the heat</li>
<li>Stir in the chilli powder and salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>Place the fresh tomatoes over the top and crack the eggs in, you'll want them to have a bit of space so don't do them too close together</li>
<li>Put a lid over your simmering frying pan and allow your eggs to cook through (5 - 8 minutes)</li>
<li>While your eggs are cooking, toast the tortillas - this can be done either by folding them in the toaster (like we did) or sprinkling them with a bit of water and popping them in the oven for 5 minutes</li>
<li>Cut your avocado into cubes ready to go on top</li>
<li>Once your eggs are ready spoon the mixture into a bowl containing your toasted tortilla, add fresh parsley and avocado and enjoy</li>
</ol><br />
<center><A href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5776/22316497219_8d4834f135_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5776/22316497219_8d4834f135_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
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<strong><font size="1">Did you know?:</strong> Chillies are metabolism-boosting, so having them with breakfast is actually a pretty healthy way to start the day!</font><br />
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<strong>What are some of your favourite 'cooked breakfasts'?</strong><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-50241376187668749702015-10-28T08:00:00.000+00:002015-10-28T08:00:04.912+00:00And breathe...When your colleague suggests taking in some lunchtime culture it's a difficult opportunity to pass up. When you find out that that culture involves an exhibition where 'a lady breathes on some paper and shows the results', it's difficult to get excited about it. With that being said, you can sort of find yourself regretting that initial feeling. <br />
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<center><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/770/22208725409_10a26af3ae_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/770/22208725409_10a26af3ae_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
<i><a href="http://www.oldfirestation.org.uk/exhibit/and-breathe/" target="_blank">'And Breathe...'</a></i> at the Old Fire Station showcases part of <a href="http://www.jaynewilton.com/gallery_292287.html" target="_blank">Jayne Wilton's</a> 'Drawing Breath' body of work, in which she creates physical, ephemeral sculptures from human breath. It's much less gross than it sounds and it was actually kind of beautiful.<br />
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<center><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5641/22369593896_a93c9c9332_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5641/22369593896_a93c9c9332_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
[<i>Sing 1 & 2</i>]<br />
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[<i>Expire</i>]<br />
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<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5824/22395571375_dd048e8b00_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5824/22395571375_dd048e8b00_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5621/21774472703_c8162fc76c_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5621/21774472703_c8162fc76c_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
[<i>Breathe</i>]<br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/640/22369578296_35786dc975_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/640/22369578296_35786dc975_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
[<i>Drawing Breath</i>]</center><br />
It's been ages since I've visited an art exhibition much less found any new art that I actually enjoy. Sometimes finding things visually pleasing can boil down to something as simple as whether you would hang it on your own wall, and I definitely would. 'Sing 1 & 2' were my favourites in particularly though I really liked the simplicity of the whole exhibition.<br />
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'And Breathe...' is a small exhibition of just 7 pieces but I'd definitely recommend visiting if you're around Oxford before 14th November.<br />
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<center><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5653/22208724259_695e2b7b53_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5653/22208724259_695e2b7b53_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
[<i>Crowd</i>]<br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/734/22382418912_93dc129aaa_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/734/22382418912_93dc129aaa_b.jpg" width="450"></a><br />
[<i>Blow</i>]<br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/764/22369594096_1157f0c916_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/764/22369594096_1157f0c916_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
<a href="http://www.oldfirestation.org.uk/" target="_blank">Arts at the Old Fire Station</a> has a range of shows and exhibitions throughout the year, as well as featuring an <a href="http://www.oldfirestation.org.uk/shop/" target="_blank">adorable shop featuring work from independent UK artists and designers</a> and hosting workshops and classes, it's a really neat public space.<br />
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'And Breathe...' runs until 14th November 2015 at the Old Fire Station gallery, Tuesday - Saturday, 11am - 6pm, and <strong>it's free!</strong><br />
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<strong>Have you seen any inspiring art exhibitions lately?</strong><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-26392945765700235102015-10-27T08:30:00.000+00:002015-10-27T08:30:01.255+00:00Sage + Mint.*and how to easily spend £40 on candles and disappoint your boyfriend.<br />
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You might remember back in June when I <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/06/wealden-times-midsummer-fair-2015.html" target="_blank">visited the Wealden Times Midsummer Fair</a> that I was head over heels with Produce Candles and their beautiful packaging. Well, knowing that winter is on its way and that once it gets to this time of year as soon as it's time to turn the heating on and the living room gets darker, it's time to light some candles and start hibernating.<br />
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After my sweet friends Kirstin and Dan picked me up a rhubarb Produce Candle to <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/08/house-warmed.html" target="_blank">warm our house</a>, I felt confident that Produce Candles really are as good as they look.<br />
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<center><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/640/21873890870_cb6384f4bb_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/640/21873890870_cb6384f4bb_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5647/21440944683_bfb6e17803_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5647/21440944683_bfb6e17803_b.jpg" width="800"></a><br />
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A beautiful trio - and I'm sure I can do something fun with the jars once the candles are used up.</center><br />
So far, despite burning for over 8 hours (and other things <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdS5B-QwivM" target="_blank">candle bloggers say</a>), they're less than 1/3 way through and by the standard of the kind of scented candles I usually buy, I'd say that for their size, that's pretty good.<br />
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It's very simple, but I love that they sort of keep with the gardening theme and package the candles with straw-like padding.<br />
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Another nice touch, for the record, tomato is delicious!<br />
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<a href="http://iloveproducecandles.co.uk/collections/all" target="_blank">I Love Produce Candles</a> stocks the whole range of candles, and they're actually also the company from the stall I saw at Wealden Times all those months ago. <br />
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The main touch that I love is the tips for growing the plant that your candle smells like. I already have mint and sage growing from plants in the garden but this is good stuff to know for next year's plants.<br />
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There are so many to try, but I went for sage and mint as they're my two favourite herbs. I'd be really interested to give <a href="http://iloveproducecandles.co.uk/products/raddish-produce-candle" target="_blank">radish</a> and <a href="http://iloveproducecandles.co.uk/products/carrot-produce-candle" target="_blank">carrot</a> a go and I'd love <a href="http://iloveproducecandles.co.uk/products/fig-produce-candle" target="_blank">fig</a> if this winter lasts as long as it's supposed to - still, I'm slightly on reserves given that they are pretty luxury. That said, I'd definitely say they're worth it, not only do they smell great but they're made from natural soy wax, which burns much more evenly and slowly than beeswax, so you get to enjoy them for longer. <font color="red">♥</font><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-9268660649123439252015-10-24T10:30:00.000+01:002015-10-24T10:30:00.882+01:00Never Too Many Pandas.<center><A href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3745/19483464378_347a17cb6b_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3745/19483464378_347a17cb6b_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
You can definitely never have too many pandas. As an animal lover I'm really conflicted about zoos, on the one hand there's the happiness of the animals and on the other, there's the conservation side of things. I feel that Ocean Park probably does do a lot to conserve China's native animals and actually, most of the enclosures are nice and big, and that's despite the huge theme park expansion they've been working on <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2011/08/blog-post.html" target="_blank">since I last visited</a>.<br />
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I did actually lug my DSLR along for the ride for this excursion but my new snappy little Canon did a pretty swell job too - I'm actually thinking about getting my butt in gear and talking about my cameras in an upcoming post, and it's that little camera that had me inspired.<br />
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I just felt like my blog needed more pandas and more animals, it's been a while since my <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/08/green-eco-dragon-farm.html" target="_blank">goat-crazy phase of the summer</a>.<br />
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This monkey's weird, human-like face creeped me out a little, sorry little guy.<br />
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Making like a panda.<br />
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Making like a dancing panda.<br />
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Panda selfie, can you tell I like pandas?<br />
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Red pandas are an acceptable panda substitute and these guys were much more boisterous than they were when I visited in 2011.<br />
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So pretty.<br />
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Weirdly, and probably second to pandas (obviously), I think the goldfish exhibition is my favourite thing at Ocean Park. I think it's because it reminds me of my mum and it's actually pretty neat as they include the history of the goldfish too - bit more exciting than it sounds (only a bit).<br />
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The Ocean Park cable car is still one of the quietest places I've been in Hong Kong, gives you time to think.<br />
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It's days like this one where Hong Kong is a completely under-rated holiday destination, look at that sea!<br />
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Saw my first arctic fox, so that was neat.<br />
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Sloths: not as slow as you think.<br />
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For more panda-related fun, I would recommend David O'Doherty's <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Facts-about-Pandas-Claudia-ODoherty/dp/0224086324/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444911398&sr=8-1&keywords=100+facts+about+pandas" target="_blank">100 Facts About Pandas</a>, the most accurate panda book I have ever read.<br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-45720321884318272772015-10-23T07:37:00.000+01:002015-10-23T07:37:00.611+01:00Mong Kok Afternoon.<center><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/362/19077487853_acf1496770_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/362/19077487853_acf1496770_b.jpg" width="800" /></a></center><br />
These are from an afternoon wander around Mong Kok after we slept in late. We decided to head to Goldfish Street (Tung Choi Street), it's honestly like nowhere else, they would never have animals for sale in the same way they do here, I'm not saying it's good but it's very Hong Kong, and wild, and interesting, and photogenic.<br />
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My mum has since said she doesn't get how they can have so many fish surviving in such small bags, my mum's a goldfish fan so it's certainly not something she would condone but even she is fascinated by it.<br />
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Terrapins are available for as little as £1.50, they're great for feng shui and people often put them in the ponds in local parks.<br />
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After looking in pretty much all the pet shops on Tung Choi street (the owners are pretty against tourists and photo-taking), we took a short walk to the Yuen Po Bird Garden, another interesting place to take in Hong Kong culture, full of uncles and their birds - as well as everything you'd ever need for a bird.<br />
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Just next door to the bird garden are <i>so</i> many beautiful florists, I've never seen so many orchids.<br />
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On the subject of goldfish, Moon has wanted one for a while and I've actually just backed <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/677502282/aquajar-a-love-story-between-fish-and-plant" target="_blank">the AquaJar on Kickstarter</a>, there are less than 2 weeks to go and I'm feeling pretty excited. <span style="color: red;">♥</span><br />
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<div align="right"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-51637334157441458742015-10-21T08:30:00.000+01:002015-10-21T08:30:02.451+01:00Bright Eyes.<center><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/700/20691361846_cd97eea767_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/700/20691361846_cd97eea767_b.jpg" width="800"></a></center><br />
I am not a fan of change, so when I saw that Urban Decay had changed the packaging for their Eyeshadow Potion, I was a little sceptical. I first tried Eyeshadow Potion as a late-teenager, and I owe my <a href="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/1936124_269978460463_961395_n_zpsiq6uxcne.jpg" target="_blank">more than serious eyeshadow game</a> to it.<br />
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I had this old tube for so long that I'm not even sure how long I've actually had it. I know it's probably not good to keep things like make-up for a long time but I'd feel wasteful and there never seemed to be anything wrong with the consistency or anything so I can only assume that it stayed fine for all that time.<br />
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Initially, I did think that the wand would be too clunky and be less flexible than just putting a little on my finger and applying it but this is actually much easier.<br />
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I'd definitely really recommend the Eyeshadow Potion, even with the new packaging, sometimes I just use it as a highlighter (even if I'm not actually meant to) and when I wear eyeshadow, it lasts the whole day with no problem. <br />
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Unfortunately it does look as though the new packaging means they've skimped out on the extra 1ml that the old one had and I don't know whether it will last as long, but to be honest, even if it lasts half as long as its predecessor, I should really be more than happy.<br />
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So, I'm completely out of the loop, so this is something that might have changed a while ago and already been talked about, this is just my two cents and in fact, Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Potion is just a product I'd recommend to anyone. I've never bothered to go out my way to find a dupe but if you did happen to know of any, I'd definitely be interested to try.<br />
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I picked mine up from Debenhams, but I'm fairly certain it's a really bog-standard Urban Decay product so I think anywhere that stocks Urban Decay should have it.<br />
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<strong>Have you used Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Potion? I'd really love to hear what you think, maybe I'm wrong in thinking it's such an important product.</strong><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-44316580048565035142015-10-19T07:30:00.000+01:002015-10-19T07:30:01.623+01:00Central Adventure.<center><a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/416/19672061315_07b466cc30_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/416/19672061315_07b466cc30_b.jpg" width="800" /></a></center><br />
Hong Kong already feels like a lifetime ago, this year has swept over me so quickly it's hard to even think about everything that's happened but I thought it would be a shame to have <i>so</i> many photographs from such a great trip and not get around to sharing them with you. At first I put it off because I didn't have time, then it was because my old laptop was too slow, now, I guess I haven't really got an excuse.<br />
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Because I have so many pictures, I always had an idea to blend these posts in with other content but when I didn't get around to writing much else, I just put them on the back burner.<br />
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These are from a long day in Central, the main part of Hong Kong island. It included a visit to a temple, discovering <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/08/old-police-married-quarters-pmq.html" target="_blank">my new favourite place in Hong Kong, the PMQ</a>, taking in street art and hiking up to the <a href="http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/parks/hkzbg/" target="_blank">Hong Kong Zoological & Botanical Gardens</a> before taking it all in again by boat. <br />
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[Man Mo Temple, 126 Hollywood Rd, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong]<br />
There are lots of Man Mo Temples across Hong Kong but the one on Hollywood Road is the largest. It houses hundreds of huge incense coils which were great to photograph, we did have to mind the falling ash though! <br />
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I love that despite being so dense and urban, there are still nods to Hong Kong's almost-tropical roots and rather than chopping some trees down, they're still there, making themselves known.<a name='more'></a><a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3712/19676853031_8f0677acdc_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3712/19676853031_8f0677acdc_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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I really should be uploading a video, there were <i>so</i> many frogs in the park and they were making the weirdest noise.<br />
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We spent longer walking up to it than walking around it and unfortunately, overall I wouldn't rate the park. I mean, it's good because it's free and the foliage is really nice but I have a feeling that charging a small fee for the zoo part might improve the welfare of the animals ever so slightly, because that's just not something that's there at the moment.<br />
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I really enjoyed the Star Ferry again, unfortunately the only downside compared with <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2011/08/victoria-peak-star-ferry-harbour-tour.html" target="_blank">last time</a> was the amount of people on the boat. It was difficult to see the view at times and that did slightly spoil it. Still, the new additions really add to the skyline and it's still something I'd recommend highly to anyone else visiting Hong Kong.<br />
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Both sides of Victoria Harbour.<br />
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Central is an area that's so hilly that it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central%E2%80%93Mid-Levels_escalator_and_walkway_system" target="_blank">even has an escalator</a> instead of a regular path just so people can get around. Unfortunately taking advantage of the mid-levels escalator is something we only thought about once we'd made it up to the park, still, at least we can say we did it - even if it will be missing footage on our home movie due to me being so preoccupied with not collapsing into a heap.<br />
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<div align="right"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-47106150263026639812015-10-17T08:30:00.000+01:002015-10-17T08:30:00.474+01:00Blackberry.It's getting colder and colder, and it looks like most blackberry bushes have been all but depleted in recent weeks. I saw a lot of people were picking blackberries pretty early this year, while I kept holding off and off, and I'm glad I did.<br />
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So these were taken during the final weekend in September, back when it wasn't so cold cold. We actually went back again a week later, this time with Moon's dad in tow, coming home with <a href="https://instagram.com/p/8YjwWorYJr/?taken-by=intoruth" target="_blank">a much better haul</a>.<br />
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A big clearing by our road is pretty much <i>all</i> brambles, they were only small berries really but what a treat!</center><br />
In my opinion, same goes for raspberries, there's not really any better way to eat blackberries than as they come but I've been pinning away finding all sorts of recipes, the first was <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/123637952247776040/" target="_blank">a blackberry yoghurt cake</a>, which thanks to a loose base cake tin ended up mainly all over the oven door, and the second were some delicious but kind of over-done <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/123637952247714616/" target="_blank">apple and blackberry crumble cupcakes</a>, I seem to have lost my mojo when it comes to a few things since we moved, and baking can be added to that list.<br />
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I wanted to show off my most recent charity shop find, a Monsoon dress down from £80 to £25 from Blue Cross Witney, sadly the pictures haven't quite turned out how I'd like but I'm sure this dress will be getting plenty more outings so I'm not too worried.<br />
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Friends and family have blackberry gin to look forward to this Christmas, it's infusing as I type, and we even tried our hand at blackberry jam, delicious but next year we'll definitely need more blackberries.<br />
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I find myself very much transforming into a forager once the blackberries come out, in fact on <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/09/a-long-welsh-goodbye.html" target="_blank">our trip to Wales last month</a>, I was so excited about finding so many, I even brought a bottleful home and made myself a tart. <br />
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Now that it looks like winter arriving far sooner than we would like (why is waking up in 7am darkness now a thing?), I'm really looking forward to crumbles, stews and all that other hibernation food. <strong>What are some of your favourite autumn-to-winter recipes?</strong><br />
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<div align="right"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-10439531703379272212015-10-15T08:00:00.000+01:002015-10-15T10:31:54.612+01:00JOYFUL.<center><a href="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/JOY_zpsz6v7ffhh.jpg"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/JOY_zpsz6v7ffhh.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
[<a href="http://www.joythestore.com/blue-fish-dish" target="_blank">Oola Blue Fish Dish</a>* c/o JOY]</center><br />
As time goes on, I'm becoming really aware of lack of room tours and homeware hauls. I just bought a house, it's exciting and it's something to write about, right? Well, yeah, but also, it takes ages to get ready. It still feels like there's always something to do and over half our stuff is still packed up in boxes in our front room - which I guess explains why we have SO MUCH storage space.<br />
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I've been watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRFKfoMSPr7LiWPVayO1cX8WYWc3PbqQy" target="_blank">llymlrs' moving vlogs</a> and even though she's still sitting on the floor, I'm pretty astounded that her new place has come together more so in a few weeks than mine has in months. Comparison is a killer, but I'm working on it.<br />
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When we moved, we cleared out <i>a lot</i>, I think it's a good thing but it meant that we spent a lot of time asking ourselves whether the thing destined for home, charity shops or the dump was useful to us. Now we feel very much clutter-free but as as before, I'm still on the lookout for cute homewares to make my new house a home - we've still yet to put all our pictures on the wall!<br />
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When I was contacted to do a little chat about <a href="http://www.joythestore.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joy the Store</a>, I jumped at the chance. It's one of those quirky 'bit of everything' shops that I really like and would buy <i>everything</i> from if my pockets were deep enough. Full of useful but pretty (and less useful but still pretty) items, it holds the same place in my heart as the wonderful Oliver Bonas.<br />
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From <a href="http://www.joythestore.com/pug-flower-vase-fawn" target="_blank">pug vases</a> to <a href="http://www.joythestore.com/curved-glasstrinket-holder-sml" target="_blank">sweet trinket boxes</a> and a <a href="http://www.joythestore.com/simpsons-washing-up-sponge" target="_blank">washing up sponge after my own heart</a>, as well as a range of books, mugs and photo frames, there are all sorts of things to choose from. I opted for this <a href="http://www.joythestore.com/blue-fish-dish" target="_blank">beautiful fish dish</a>, knowing that it would match another fish dish I bought a few years ago and that Moon is always pleased to see nautical things.<br />
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I like to have various bowls and trays round the house as receptacles for things like keys and money, we have a couple with potpourri in (because my mum gave us the biggest bag of potpourri as a moving-in gift and I actually don't know what to do with it). So bowls are just useful things to have. I'm still undecided about this one because it could work for a fancy serving dish or, as we're using it now, a fruit bowl, or another clutter collector. Whatever form it takes, there's no doubt that it's as useful as it is pretty and I'm pleased to have another sea-themed item in my home.<br />
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Joy is a shop I'll always pop into if I see it and I get a feeling that now I know about it, their website will be one I'll visit regularly too – especially because I need to make <a href="http://www.joythestore.com/buddha-butter-dish" target="_blank">that Buddha butter dish</a> mine.<br />
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<div align="right"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png" /><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*This is a sponsored post: I was sent products by Joy to promote for this post, all opinions are my own.</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-32582030547817304782015-10-04T08:30:00.000+01:002015-10-16T10:35:55.660+01:00Yamas, Corfu!I forgot how much I like video, I think the next few weeks will be focussed on a few projects I completely neglected when I lived in the land of terrible laptops. Moon and I spent the whole evening a couple of nights ago watching some old videos I made, they just feel so much more tangible, I'm excited.<br />
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My tan is starting to fade a little now but the scars from my incredible mosquito bites are still holding on. Here are some photographs from an amazing week with my best friends. <br />
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View from the kitchen balcony.</center><br />
We chose Corfu completely at random based on our <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2014/06/bock-oclock-portugal-snapshots.html" target="_blank">great Villa Plus holiday last year</a> and where Villa Plus villas were. Corfu was pretty different from my <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/05/adventures-in-athens.html" target="_blank">experience of Athens</a> and I could not recommend everything any more, it was great. <br />
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We stayed in the small village of San Stefanos, it had completely wound down for the end of season, which made it nice and peaceful, something that became particularly clear when we went to busier parts of the island. <br />
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It was just such a nice, relaxing week, I swam in the sea so much and saw more fish than I ever have while doing so. I would actually go as far as to say not only that Corfu is somewhere I'd like to return to but that particular part and even that particular villa!<br />
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There were a lot of 'wild' cats around, they were terrible beggars but they were very much up for affection too. We had one that was a nightly visitor. Unfortunately some of them were flea-ridden and a little mangey but overall they seem to be treated pretty well, better than what we saw of the ones in Portugal last year anyway.<br />
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Without meaning to sounds like an advert for Villa Plus, it's pretty great that we could do most of our cooking out on a barbecue.<br />
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Where the <a href="http://butterfly-conservation.org/51-1087/humming-bird-hawk-moth.html" target="_blank">hummingbird moths live</a>.<br />
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I came very close to jumping off this when we visited it again when we rented our own boat, but I bottled it due to those who had jumped 'swearing' that it looked much shallower that time around.<br />
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I'm really pleased with how some of the underwater photos turned out, despite being <i>very</i> waterproof it does now rest in peace. I really do think it will be worth getting a new one before we head out on our next holiday though.<br />
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First live wild starfish! <br />
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If you look closely you can just about see the dolphins.<br />
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It was kind of difficult to not feel a pang of cat broodiness when I saw cats as little as this one.<br />
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Our villa is the one right in the middle.<br />
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Trying to snap the lightning from the storm on our last night.<br />
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<div align="right"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-53135085696163562032015-09-29T15:30:00.000+01:002015-09-29T15:30:06.295+01:00A 'Long' Welsh Goodbye....but just hopefully, 'Auf Wiedersehen'.<br />
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Seriously, seriously hoping to be a little more regular now. I've finally invested in a brand new laptop so it won't take me 10 million years to get anything done any more. Seriously, just editing a few of my holiday photos over the weekend took less than an hour from import to upload, so much better than the close to 3 hours it had been taking in recent months. I'm not trying to make excuses for my absence but I think it's pretty well justified, doing everything on that old thing was such a chore. With that being said, for 7 years and the amount of hard work it's been through, from CVs to final projects, my old Macbook didn't have too bad an innings.<br />
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These are some photos from the beginning of the month, when I said 'g'day, mate' to one of my closest friends as he totters over to the other side of the world with his girlfriend for the foreseeable. <br />
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I'm actually a little annoyed with myself as I somehow managed to delete the Friday evening up to the middle of Saturday from my camera. I've tried recovering it but unfortunately it hasn't worked. Still, I'm really pleased with the photos I did take. I also took some video so I'm hoping it will still work even with the missing files. These things happen though, I guess, and it doesn't take away from the fact it was a really nice weekend.<br />
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This was actually my first time 'properly' crabbing, at the ripe old age of 26. It's kind of gross how much these guys love bacon, understandable though.<br />
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When we let all the crabs go off the jetty, it reminded me of <a href="https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/65/2b/5c/652b5c9c5bfd2e4532bc1f246520731d.jpg" target="_blank">this scene</a> from Ponyo.<br />
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As Long's girlfriend's family have a cottage up in Pembrokeshire, she suggested that we all pop up for a mini-break while they get away from their parents for a bit before the big move - they'd both quit their jobs and were splitting their time seeing everyone they needed to while also regressing into a post-Uni slump they wanted to get out of. <br />
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I used to go to Wales quite a bit for holidays with my grandparents growing up and like Ireland, it holds a special place in my heart so this weekend only added to that. We were so lucky with the weather and were even able to paddle in the sea. <br />
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I saved my first bee with sugar water! He was a big one too so it was extra special. I'd say the key was definitely perseverance, I had to go out every few minutes to push him back on the spoon but soon he was buzzing around happily again.<br />
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Catching some sweet air.<br />
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The cottage was very secluded so after our monstrous meal of delectable burgers at <a href="http://www.thecambrianinn.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Cambrian Inn</a> we were able to really see the stars, including a few shooting ones! I'd really like to give photographing the sky a proper go again soon.<br />
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Sums up the weekend perfectly. <span style="color: red;">♥</span><br />
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<a href="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5623/21749210441_b582c8b194_b.jpg"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5623/21749210441_b582c8b194_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/778/21118785963_f7081958a4_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/778/21118785963_f7081958a4_b.jpg" width="325" /></a> <a href="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/749/21553129909_c8f810d4f9_b.jpg"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/749/21553129909_c8f810d4f9_b.jpg" width="325" /></a><br />
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So, our group grows a little smaller and we grow up a little more... I was sad to see the pair of them go but I'm also really excited for their adventure, as well as the prospect of a free place to stay in Australia should we fancy it(!)<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-2614967041772761232015-08-27T08:30:00.000+01:002015-08-27T08:30:01.939+01:00Chocolate Box Towns.Moon and I are on a mission to find places other than Oxford to visit during our weekends, both to take visitors and for ourselves. It's not that Oxford isn't nice (it's not totally my cup of tea but there are a few things I like about it, I guess), but we both commute there during the week so it's nice to find things to do outside of the city.<br />
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The weekend before last we took a small road trip around part of the Oxfordshire Cotswolds. I have an auntie who lives in the area and have heard nice things about a few of the villages and smaller towns nearby to her local village of Moreton-in-the-Marsh. <br />
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On the agenda on this particular sunny Saturday was Chipping Norton and Stow-on-the-Wold. There wasn't a whole lot to do in Chipping Norton but we did stop there for lunch, where Moon had quote, "the best burger I've had in my life", so I think it might be worth going back there just for that.<br />
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I can already tell that Stow-on-the-Wold is going to be somewhere I'll want to visit again and again. It's a proper chocolate box Cotswoldian town full of independent shops, I'm in love. <font color="red">♥</font><br />
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We visited fancy farm shop, Daylesford Farm on the way home. THEY HAVE A CHEESE ROOM. #fancy</centeR><br />
<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-47879920825626980372015-08-26T08:30:00.000+01:002015-08-26T08:30:03.650+01:00Wipeout by Invader.<center><a href="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/341/19702985431_27188897b9_b.jpg"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/341/19702985431_27188897b9_b.jpg" width="800" /></a></center><br />
During our <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/08/old-police-married-quarters-pmq.html" target="_blank">visit to the PMQ</a>, we stumbled up an exhibition from the semi-well-known street artist, <a href="http://www.pmq.org.hk/event/wipe-out-invader/" target="_blank">Invader</a>. <br />
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Not only was it a nice find, it was also a pretty interesting exhibition experience. It's one of the few gallery spaces that I've been to that has not only allowed photography, but actively encouraged it. Such is the nature of Invader's work that you can actually see it better with a little help from a small screen than with your naked eye.<br />
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<center><a href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3748/19672578685_40c7ec336e_b.jpg"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3748/19672578685_40c7ec336e_b.jpg" width="800" /></a><br />
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We don't really get to go to a lot of exhibitions now we're so far away from London and I must admit that since leaving university I'm completely out of the loop relating to what's on and what's hot. Although naturally I've heard news of Banksy's new <a href="http://dismaland.co.uk/" target="_blank">Dismaland installation</a> and would really like to go.<br />
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<strong>Have you been to any neat art exhibitions or installations recently?</strong><br />
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<div align="right"><img src="http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png" /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-26064332761520582182015-08-25T08:00:00.001+01:002015-08-25T08:00:05.226+01:00Little Hulas.I've been biting my nails a lot more than usual recently and it's due to this that it's taken me so long to get round to this little review. That and the move, I may have mentioned it?<br />
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5789/20724645331_64e4141bcb_b.jpg"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5789/20724645331_64e4141bcb_b.jpg" width="800" /></a></center>
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<strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.justmylook.co.uk/nails-c7/gifts-sets-c90/hawaii-little-hulas-mini-pack-p6046" none="" rel="nofollow" style="color: black;" target="_blank" text-decoration:="">Little Hulas Mini Nail Lacquers from the Hawaii Collection by O.P.I*</a></span></strong></center>
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After being sent these so generously, I figured that the least I could do was give them a fair review on fingernails of a decent length, which sounds silly but it's honestly taken me so long to not bite them - not quite as bad as I was but bad enough. I feel like it's something I'm probably always going to have to try and keep at bay, I can't describe it but it's just constantly so tempting.<br />
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So, despite the fact that summer doesn't seem to know what the hell it's doing right now, <a href="http://www.justmylook.co.uk/nails-c7/gifts-sets-c90/hawaii-little-hulas-mini-pack-p6046" target="_blank">this collection</a> is perfect for summer, as well as, in my opinion, featuring colours that will take you right through to Christmas time if you like.<br />
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They're the perfect size to be taken away in hand luggage or popping in your bag but have a decent-sized brush so they're not fiddley or difficult to use, like other similar type of nail varnish minis.<br />
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<strong>Suzi Shops and Island Hops</strong> (Pink) – This one took the most amount of coats but it such a cute colour that will work really well for springtime, if it last that long.<br />
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<strong>That's Hula-rious</strong> (Mint Green) - How can I say 'no' to a mint-green? I don't think I need to say more. <br />
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<strong>Lost My Bikini in Molokini</strong> (Purple) – Probably my least favourite of the four, but purely because I don't particularly like darker nail varnishes. It's much more jewel-toned that the others and I think it could work for autumn/winter just as well as summertime.<br />
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<strong>Aloha from OPI</strong> (Coral) – Easily my favourite, it went on well after just one coat and is so bright. It's slightly more orangey than it appears in the bottle but it's difficult to go wrong with such a nice coral.<br />
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Just because they're O.P.I, each polish is a good consistency, I think it might be due to the top-coat I used that they didn't quite have the staying power that I would like, only between 2-3 days but then I usually like to change my nail polish as regularly as that anyway so it's not really an issue for me.<br />
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If you're able to <a href="http://www.justmylook.co.uk/nails-c7/gifts-sets-c90/hawaii-little-hulas-mini-pack-p6046" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">find this little collection</a> or indeed any of these in full size, I definitely say <strong>Aloha from OPI</strong> is my go-to for summertime and I'm sure you'll see me wearing it when I go off on my summer holiday to Corfu in a few weeks. <br />
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I would have quite liked to see five different polishes for summer because, hey, I've got five fingers and I guess I just see it as unnecessarily stingey. I don't think it would have been that much of a task to choose one more colour to fit into this collection. But hey, they're the quality that you'd expect so I can't razz on them too much.<br />
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<strong>What's your go-to summer nail polish?</strong><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">* I was gifted this nail varnish set from <a href="http://www.justmylook.co.uk/nails-c7/gifts-sets-c90/hawaii-little-hulas-mini-pack-p6046" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Just My Look</a> but all opinions are my own.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-83257885093229693402015-08-24T08:00:00.000+01:002015-08-24T08:00:00.808+01:00Green Eco Dragon Farm.<center>
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As I mentioned in my <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/08/rhinos-in-cotswolds.html" target="_blank">birthday blog</a>, the last few weekends have meant animals. So here's a little trip we took to the <a href="http://greendragonecofarm.co.uk/" target="_blank">Green Dragon Eco Farm</a> with Moon's brother and his brother's fiancé.<br />
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The boys were lucky that it wasn't so busy so they got a go on the go-karts.</center>
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The Green Dragon Eco Farm is only a short drive from our new home and we're still trying to get our bearings so after passing it on our <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/08/house-warmed.html" target="_blank">way back from The Goat Centre</a> I figured it would be a good place to check out.<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><strong>What I Wore:</strong><br />
Vest: H&M / Bag: Hong Kong market / Skirt: Vintage / Belt: ASOS / Sandals: Office</span><br />
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Pesky cabbage whites has meant no broccoli will be happening on the farm next year, I know their pain... :(<br />
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I got some major veg patch envy, as well as a few ideas. </center>
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The farm only actually got animals a few months ago and it hasn't even been a year yet so it's still finding its feet but I think it's going to be awesome, especially next spring when they're hoping to have lots of baby EVERYTHING! <br />
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Catching grasshoppers.<br />
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Who knew something so cute could grow into big ugly turkeys :O<br />
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Hai.<br />
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Not a fan of flowery skirts..<br />
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Just before he sneezed right in my face.<br />
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We managed to spend a couple of hours there and for the £5.50 price tag, I thought that was pretty good. There's also a cute restaurant there and a small farm shop, which I'm hoping they'll expand a little as time goes on. I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it to see how it grows and progresses.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">♥</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-5127329339161701552015-08-21T17:27:00.001+01:002015-08-21T17:27:13.553+01:00Rhinos in The Cotswolds....and I'm talking about actual rhinos, not just me visiting the Cotswolds - though that is something I did just do without going to Cotswold Wildlife Park the day before my birthday too.<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: xx-small;">What I Wore:</span></strong><br />
Cardigan: H&M // Vest: H&M // Belt: ASOS // Skirt: Charity Shop</center>
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For my birthday (last Sunday, I'm behind I know), I spent the third weekend in a row hanging out with animals, I honestly think I might be zooed/farmed out, so I'm clutching at straws to figure out what we're going to get up to with our guests this weekend but I'm not complaining. <br />
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I had absolutely no idea what Moon's plans for my birthday were so I was really excited and surprised when he told me we were off to <a href="http://www.cotswoldwildlifepark.co.uk/" target="_blank">Cotswold Wildlife Park</a> for the day. Do not even start on me that I turned 26, it's totally cool, okay?<br />
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Cotswold Wildlife Park is just on the outskirts of the market town of Burford - right next to my favourite garden centre in the world - and it's advertised everywhere. On the leaflets it always says something along the lines of 'get closer to the animals' 'get closer than you've been before' and that's not just a marketing ploy to get you through the gate, you genuinely do. I can't express how impressed I was with this place, particularly after having mixed thoughts on a <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2013/08/love-for-longleat.html" target="_blank">zoo as popular and large as Longleat Safari</a> a couple of years ago.<br />
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I know zoos aren't necessarily everyone's cup of tea and there are definitely some bad ones but when they're doing good work and the animals are happy, well, there are worse ways to spend an afternoon in the sunshine. Cotswold Wildlife Park was <a href="http://www.stratford-herald.com/40062-wildlife-park-is-rated-among-europes-best.html" target="_blank">actually voted one of the best zoos in Europe</a> too so... All the enclosures were a really good size and none of the animals seemed stressed or annoyed and were actually really relaxed. <br />
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One thing that struck me was how trusting they seem to be, there's no electric fences or razorwire here, I actually had my lunch <a href="https://instagram.com/p/6c84HHC8iG/?taken-by=thelivingmoon" target="_blank">sat less than 10 feet away from a white rhinoceros</a>. Thing is, the few ruin it for the many don't they, so I can be trusted to sit and admire these animals, while someone stupid could take a dive over that fence for a rhino party. It's not quite the same set up for the lions but you get the idea — I hope no one does do that, just because, well, judge for yourself how nice it is...<br />
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Otters are firmly in my top 10 - deer are my favourite if you were wondering (after cats though, realistically) - and I definitely had to show some restraint to not lean right over and touch these sleeping cuties.<br />
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Lemurs reflecting my general mood.<br />
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This skirt is one of the best things I've found in a charity shop and just what I've been looking for. THE COLOURS!<br />
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Last weekend was the first in a while that we've had to ourselves in a while and the last in a while too. While it's nice to have visitors, I do relish in our alone time too and he is quite a good zoo buddy.<br />
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The greenhouse was meant to have all sorts from bats to a sloth but I didn't see any of that. With that being said, the amount of neat plants was more than enough to impress me. It was like stepping into a rainforest!<br />
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Andrew Moon and his juice box. <span style="color: red;">♥</span><br />
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These guys were easily my favourite, helped by the adorable calf they had. In fact, just yesterday they welcomed <a href="https://twitter.com/CotsWildTweets/status/634298945234202624" target="_blank">another little one</a>!<br />
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#emojisinthewild<br />
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This delightful critter was chowing down on a bunny :(<br />
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Sweet baby grouse.<br />
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Playing with lighting, like nerds<br />
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This capybara was called James <span style="color: red;">♥</span><br />
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We're still debating the 'should we get chickens' thing, but these tiny ones might be alright, how tiny do you reckon their eggs are?<br />
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5674/20731936132_51d572df62_b.jpg"><img height="475" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5674/20731936132_51d572df62_b.jpg" /></a> <a href="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/681/20731965072_3aaf89c30b_b.jpg"><img height="475" src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/681/20731965072_3aaf89c30b_b.jpg" /></a><br />
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This is the face of someone who can barely handle the cuteness of a baby miniature donkey and its love of being petted.<br />
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Look! SO SMALL!<br />
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I thought for the amount of time we spent there, the amount of animals we got to see and how close we got, it was <i>really</i> reasonably priced, just £15 each. It would have softened it even more if they offered a 'come back again' discount ticket like so many other places do but I had such a nice experience I wouldn't even begrudge paying full price again and I'm going to keep recommending it to everyone.<br />
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When we got home, Moon had made me a birthday cake so we had that before heading out to dinner, isn't it nice? It was lime-flavoured with lime cream cheese frosting and lemon curd, not bad considering it's taken him 9 years to bake me a cake <span style="color: red;">♥</span>.<br />
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Being 26 hasn't been so bad so far, I've entered into the world of <a href="http://www.serialpodcast.org/" target="_blank">Serial</a>, started a new book and been able to keep on top of housework. I also bought <a href="https://instagram.com/p/6lOgjcrYCu/" target="_blank">new bedsheets</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/p/6nc0i1LYDt/" target="_blank">some butterflies</a>. I also finally sorted through a backlog of .misc photographs so stay tuned, gang. <span style="color: red;">♥</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-70064210874103149022015-08-08T08:30:00.000+01:002015-08-08T08:30:01.567+01:00Old Police Married Quarters (PMQ)<Center><A href="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/19049834954_e80d5e47ee_b.jpg"><img src=https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3669/19049834954_e80d5e47ee_b.jpg width="800"></a><br />
<font color="#606060" size="1">PMQ, 35 Aberdeen St, Central, Hong Kong.</font></center><br />
Without a doubt my new favourite place in Hong Kong. <font color="#ff0000">♥</font><br />
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A complex rich with heritage, from its time as the first government school in Hong Kong to being occupied by the Japanese to just a place to live for junior police officers and their families, <a href="http://www.pmq.org.hk/" target="_blank">the PMQ</a> is now establishing itself as the creative hub of Hong Kong, showcasing a range of independent shops, art exhibitions and places to eat.<br />
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From that description alone, it should be pretty easy to see why I fell in love so hard. I wish there were more places like it in the UK, which is why <a href="http://www.intoruth.com/2015/07/london-borough-market-southbank.html" target="_blank">I mentioned being so pleased about the OXO Tower taking on a similar idea</a> (long may it continue to develop).<br />
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I felt like I noticed more of the endless Chanel/Gucci/Other Designer Things train than ever before so to find somewhere full of unique shops that were either standalone or part of much smaller chains stocking things that I could actually think about affording made a nice change. <br />
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If you're ever in that part of the world, it's more than worth a visit, for the visual merchandising inspiration alone!<br />
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<center><A href="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/485/19484800278_37b37963e4_b.jpg"><img src=https://farm1.staticflickr.com/485/19484800278_37b37963e4_b.jpg width="320"></a> <A href="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/510/19484925488_ec6b005fe7_b.jpg"><img src=https://farm1.staticflickr.com/510/19484925488_ec6b005fe7_b.jpg width="320"></a><br />
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Wish I could have done the VM in <a href="http://openquote.com.hk/" target="_blank">Open Quote</a> justice, it was probably the most perfect bookshop.<br />
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Everything is a candle at <a href="http://www.pmq.org.hk/shop/glue-associates/?lang=en" target="_blank">Glue Associates</a>.<br />
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Naturally the white + teal facade was the PMQ's main appeal as a space.<br />
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Hong Kong is the most vertical place in the world so pockets of green space are always welcome.<br />
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It really goes to show that modernisation doesn't have to mean tearing down and actually, using the history can make somewhere mean so much more. The main thing the PMQ does that I feel is so brilliant is providing such a great opportunity to emerging artists and start-ups with a seemingly lesser city price tag.<br />
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I just want to know why everywhere isn't doing this, everyone should be doing this, right? <strong>RIGHT?</strong><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9016787777126722536.post-90874793741845931722015-08-06T13:02:00.000+01:002015-08-06T13:02:35.700+01:00House - Warmed.One down, one more to go...<br />
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I feel out of the swing of hosting, still getting used to a new area and how to use our space have knocked my confidence a little but it was so nice to gather some of my closest friends to warm our new home, and hey, it's not even looking that bad - except the front room, but we don't need to talk about that.<br />
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<font size="1">*Spot the cat-botherer</font></center><br />
<strong>Pro tip:</strong> if you are hosting a housewarming party, potlucks are the way forward, not only will you be surprised by some of your guest's culinary skills, you'll also have more than enough food to go around.<br />
Starting to wonder how we're actually going to cater for twice the amount of people by ourselves when my family comes at the end of this month (omg!)<br />
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It was a nice, relaxing weekend, rounded off on Sunday with a trip to a (not so) local farm because we're left-field like that.<br />
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The smallest rabbit I've ever seen. SO SMALL.<br />
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In other news, we're on a painting break but even with just our stuff in and no paint, can we just take a minute to appreciate this 'before + after'? Parts of this house are resisting my love but I think the living room has my back <font color="#ff0000">♥</font><br />
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<div align=right><img src=http://i894.photobucket.com/albums/ac145/intoruth/sig.png></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02209013825661248794noreply@blogger.com0