reminder to self -

I look better with long hair.

I've had short hair before and its frrrrrrustrating.  

no pony tails = no good.

If I cut my hair it will not look like this.

If I cut my hair it will not look like this.

If I cut my hair it will not look like this!!!!!!!!

Ok better. Just had to share.

dinner at 456

My turn in the kitchen. Stirfry baby! It turned out super tasty.

some little sushi nibbles make a good appetizer ... and since we put chili flakes in/on everything, why not in the soy sauce to spice it up a bit?

snap peas are the new broccoli ...

we need chopsticks!

well?

I read a lot of blogs. And really bright ones give me a headache. I was in the mood to change the blog up a bit. It's spring! I was tired of looking at that brown background every day. I wanted clean, simple, cute, easy to read. How'd I do? Do you like the new page? Suggestions?

the goods

I know you're dying to know what we brought back with us from the US. These pics do not do justice the hassle that we had to go through packing everything. That's because in these pics there is only one package/bottle/box of everything when in reality there were like 5 of everything. Whatever, it's worth it to be able to smother my food in ranch and have girl scout cookies and American candy for dessert. 

airheads, girl scout cookies, junior mints, peppermint patties, sweet tarts (minis and chicks ducks and bunnies), butterfingers, sour patch blue raspberries, swedish fish, sour watermelons, nerd ropes, runts, tootsie rolls and reese peanut butter eggs.

ranch, mac and cheese, ricearoni, franks hot sauce, pita delite dressing, sticky fingers bbq, texas pete, japanese white sauce, jello, spaghettios.

Friday + / - s

+ : got up with Ash this morning and had egg sandwiches and coffee together before work instead of hitting the snooze 18 times and rushing out the door.

- : no seats on the train and had to stand in heels for 40 minutes, also forgot kindle.

++ : having a fish pedicure after work and tapas for dinner with fun friends.

- : knew there was a reason I should've shaved my legs this morning, apologies pedi people.  

+++ : found out that Zac Brown Band is opening for Kings Of Leon in June. Chicken Fried in London?! Amazing!

too cute

good gosh I love them so much!

last week, phone rings ...

Me: Hi Sandy!

G: No it's not Saaaandy, it's Georgieeee!!!

Me: Oh hi George, how are you?

G: Good, are you coming over? Excuse me Mum can you please go in the other room, I'm on the phone with Kaitlyn.

Me: Come over tonight?

G: Yea right now. My mum will make you some dinner.

Me: Why don't you make me dinner?

G: Ok I'll make coffee.

Me: Well that's not really dinner?

G: And cooookies!

Me: That sounds wonderful but how about next week?

G: Noooo, make Uncle Ash drive you over here riiiight now.

Me: Probably not tonight babes.

G: Tomorrow? Oh wait that's my movie night. Fine see you next week. Here's my mum.

Can not wait to give a big huge squeezie hug to my 4 year old bff tonight :)))

the best parts about my trip Home (in no particular order) ....

a little trip to the beach

time with my gorgeous Mama

squeezie hugs from my Daddy

a visit from one of my favorite people in the world - Aunt

meeting baby Zoe

girls trip to NOLA

hangin with the bf 

seeing my handsome brothers

and my awesome stepdad

24 hours in Wilmington

spring time at Home

my beautiful best friends

Thank you all for an amazing trip Home, I enjoyed every single second of it. 

Where I've Been Wednesdays

Let me tell you about my new favorite city. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA. I've always known that I would love New Orleans. I had my mind made up before I even packed my bags that I would love it there. I'd heard nothing but good things - friendly people, good food, live music, and lots of booze - all in the dirty south. When the Saints won the Super Bowl in 2009 I felt so happy for the people of this awesome city even though I'd never been there and don't really care all that much about football. Then I became hooked on HBO's Treme (if you're not watching it, start). My step dad is a frequent visitor of NOLA and has been telling me how much I'd like it there for years.

So when my girlfriends told me that they were going to Nawlins for our friend Britni's bachelorette party there was no way I was missing out. A weekend of drinking with my best friends in my soon-to-be favorite city in America? Sign me up!

I was not disappointed. A town where you can walk around with a drink in hand, where the bars stay open all night, and are mostly hole in the wall bars where jeans and tee shirts are the dress code, is my idea of a good time. Plus a couple places thrown in where us girls could shake our asses (they even played Britney) - what more could you ask for?

But it wasn't just the drunken antics that made me fall in love with New Orleans. There was so much to see and do. So much so that my only complaint was not having enough time there. 3 nights was enough time to sample a bit of the amazing food, a lot of the night life of Bourbon Street, beignets from Cafe Du Monde, a little live music on Frenchman Street, and to walk around the touristy parts of the city. 3 nights there was enough to make me know that I need to go back.

It's been a while ...

One month at Home was a whirlwind amazing catching up with family and friends pigging out sun shinning trip.

Coming back to England was an emotional stressful I'm missing out on everything exam in a few days packing and unpacking my life mess.

I'm not gonna lie. It was hard. Leaving North Carolina after this trip was really difficult. Combined with a friend's dad in the hospital, my mom's upcoming surgery, and missing some close friends' weddings this summer I just felt really bummed out.

But now that I'm settled back into our little flat (exam done, back to work tomorrow) I'm thinking about all the fun things that I have to look forward to this summer. Pubs in the city after work, bbqs on our roof, London zoo, Borough Market, Corey coming to visit(!), reading books that aren't for class, concerts etc etc ....

The more I go Home, the more I realize how much I love it there and how much I miss it. But the more I come back to England the more I realize how good life is here, how it's my second home, and how fun my life is. I got it good y'all :) I know I'll be back in NC eventually and in the meantime I wouldn't trade my life here for a thing.

So expect some good upcoming posts. I'll let you know about the highlights of my trip Home, my new obsession with New Orleans, what's happening here in London and of course what I'm eating, watching on tv, and other silly nonsenses that I know you secretly love. As always, thank you for reading.