A beaut little group of pubs with butt loads of craft beer. Hello! Yep. Get involved. There also happens to be one up the road from Celeste’s new job in Farringdon.

Angus and Celeste

While perusing Australian flora illustrations for ideas for tattoos, I came across this beaut company. Love, love, love their vases. Hot dang! (The name isn’t half bad either.)

‘Letter’s to a young poet’ Rainer Maria Rilke

I read this when I was in my late teens, cause I was feeling so deep and like, perhaps, I was feeling things only a German poet could articulate. This has felt all a bit magic re-reading this. If you haven’t read it or at least not for a while then re-visit it. It’s a treat.

Arne Dahl 

To continue with the nordic noir obsession I have been spending more than an acceptable time watching this show …  and then rewinding it because I don’t speak swedish and wasn’t paying attention. It’s on BBC iplayer. Get involved. There’s a big man with a moustache and a lady with hectic eyeliner. It’s great.

Well just a few bits for your perusal, have fun!

xxx

Tracks of Foxes

Occasionally I find myself missing the simpler days of youth. There were boys, usually my friends older brothers, who I had massive crushes on but never said more than three words to. They were centaur-like. Beautiful, mythical creatures that would appear making those brief moments in your day all the more beautiful and mythical before disappearing off, mysteriously going about their lives. The lovely thing about knowing virtually nothing about someone is that they then can remain, in your eyes, perfect.

You know that when you don’t see them they are probably volunteering with excluded young people, expertly playing the harmonica, never having bad breath, cooking delicious and authentic mexican, getting up so an old person can have their seat on the tube … you get my drift. The problem is, the more interaction you have with these Centaurs the less beautiful and mythical they are and the fall from ‘Centaur’ to ‘just a guy’ is a bit of a shock.

As far as interaction goes I think first name basis is ok. However, surnames are a no go, then it means that facebook stalking can commence and that leaves you with no mystery.

Avoid talking about your ‘Centaur’. (This is a mistake that I commonly make.) The more you talk about them, the more information you accidentally stumble upon. It’s a sad day when you hear that your ‘Centaur’ is an arse or might actually be gay, rather than the harmonica playing philanthropist you thought about so fondly.

Anyway, here’s to centaurs, less complicated day brighteners.

Happy Hump Day.

x

Celeste

p.s. the centaur illustration is by Arthur D Lemon. You can’t beat a centaur frollicking in a field eh?

To start things off here’s a list of reasons why I’m turning into my grandma:

1. I open any present carefully, not necessarily because there might be a fragile item inside, but because I want to save the wrapping paper! I actually have some wrapping paper that my grandma saved in the 70s – proof is in the pictures above…nuts!

2. When my toothpaste is running low I cut it in half and scrape the rest out with my toothbrush (this might be one of the weirdest habits:)

3. I have a box full of buttons (one of the most special things was to inherit my grandma’s collection of buttons when she passed away).

4. I’m inspired to start making more of my own clothes. She made all her own and her children’s clothes – winter coats and all! (I think it’ll be a looong while before I’m brave enough to attempt winter coats:)

5. I knit. (And oh boy did my granma knit! She was a machine)

Some might find realising they’re turning into their grandma terrifying. I don’t – my ‘mummi’ is one of my heroes!

- Hanna

Ps. Sorry about the silence over the last weeks – life is taking over at the moment and making it so hard to keep on top of posting! However, we’re still managing to keep fairly active over in Instagram. If you’re a grammer find us under->

@hannaelinab , @celestemichelle , @sarahbelfrancis

Warning: If you’re a coffee enthusiast you might want to stop reading now.

We don’t own a fancy espresso machine with milk frothers and all.. and to be honest it would probably get used twice a year so there’s no need for us to own one anyway. But every now and then I get a hankering for a good milky frothy coffee, and usually at a point when it would take serious effort to go out and get one from a coffee shop.

So I discovered a way of making super silky smooth foamy drinks at home – with the help of a cafetiere/french press.

All I do is make my coffee a bit stronger than usual – either just in our Chemex or, if we have espresso, in our stove top pan.

Then I heat up milk in the microwave (remember it doubles in size when frothing so you only need about 1/3 mug) until nice and hot (not burned though!)

After this I pour the milk in the Cafetiere and pump it few times (try not to do it too briskly otherwise the milk will squirt out of the pouring bit) until I have the right amount of foam. Dead easy.

Good way to have a nice frothy coffee at home without any expensive machinery!

Enjoy!

-Hanna

Some well deserved down time with Mollie Makes and a Black Russian.

Some charity shop beauties… Who doesn’t need a bunny plate?

Sarah and her husband cooked up an amazing Chipotle Beef Stew. Hot dang!

Sadly lovely Sarah had to bid farewell to her Mr. for a little while.

Comfy Nikes are dream town for your feet when you are on your fee all day!

What the Dickens?

What is this weather doing? I guess that was Summer?

And to get ready for the English Summer a new little umbrella.

Here’s to a hopefully lovely week ahead!

xxx

Tracks of Foxes

I just started my new job at a sweet coffee shop in central London and amidst the espressos, double shots and business people of Farringdon I got to meet this lovely family from California. Being super nosy while clearing their cups, I asked about the awesome contents of her table and found her to be one of the coolest mums. She designed this amazing travel kit for her lovely little girl to engage in their London adventures. Each pack has it’s own logo, questions, sketchbook. I want one!

Tracey also runs a beaut blog and design company. Have a little gander, you’ll see pictures from their adventures in London and also the coffee shop I’m now working in!

- Celeste

We return to Gord’s culinary genius with this super tasty BBQ sauce and just in time for evenings in the garden!

2 Litres of Dr Pepper

1 bottle of Ketchup

1 heaped tsp of onion powder

dash of Worcestershire sauce

tsp of Gords Cowboy Rub

Making some more Cowboy Rub.

Dr Pepper, you old dog you.

Cook down until thick!

It is a taste sensation to be sure!! (You’d do well to have some Goose Island too! yum!)

Happy BBQ-ing!

xxx

p.s. Keep an eye out for Napalm Whiskey BBQ sauce, part duex of Gord’s BBQ sauce series.

Celeste

There was some al fresco dining with a real beauty!

A good ol’ Ice Cream to cool us down!

A little day trip to Bristol to see Hanna and her boo. (That just happened… don’t worry, I am a little disappointed in myself.)

Bristol suits the sun …

Boat trips are amazing when you’re driven by beardy-mullet man… even if you get pooped on by a duck. (Plotting my revenge as I type.)

Sarah had a beautiful time with her sister in sunny Paris, venturing to this beautiful bookshop.

Their hotel was complete with a gnome posse. ‘Rollin’ with the Gnomies.’

And if you’re thinking about updating your phone wall paper may I suggest this season appropriate picture of Tom Selleck?

Hope this week is a lovely for you … and all of us!

xxx

Tracks of Foxes

After the success of the two ingredient pancakes I decided to give this one ingredient “ice cream” a go. It’s not officially ice cream, it’s frozen-banana-blended-like-crazy-until-it-looks-like-Mr-Whippy. If the real stuff isn’t available or too calorific this is a good alternative!

All you have to do is slice a banana or two and put in the freezer (we had three bananas between two people and the portions were pretty huge – I reckon one banana per person is best). Once frozen, pop the slices in a blender (and add a touch of milk or water just to help the blender along a bit). Now the world is your oyster – you can add coco powder (I added 1 tbsp), peanut butter (I did this but reckon it’s better without), chocolate spread or just have it as it is.

(Excuse my half melted final product, I took my sweet time taking a photo of it).

It’s yummy and dairy free (that is if you don’t add the splash of milk).

- Hanna 

Hope you had a fun weekend! We’ve had a good one with friends, fresh air, cooking experiments, live music, bit of work and car boot sales. What more could you ask for from two little days?!

Hanna’s hubs us a wiz in the kitchen.. he made these homemade crumpets for Saturday’s breakfast (following Paul Hollywood’s recipe)

Making use of the pretty flowers growing in the garden… anyone know what these ones are called though?

There is so much wild garlic around… Hanna made it into a pesto (post to follow for those who are interested!)

The kitchen laboratory continued with some serious bottling of the home brew.

Celeste’s got a new baby to create lovely sounds with.

Some talented friends playing their socks off.

Celeste is day dreaming about owning a Pashley!

Anyone else think these tube seats look like liquorice Allsorts?!

Hope you have a good first week of May!

-Celeste, Sarah and Hanna