the happy list :: october 2014

02 November 2014



All photos from my Instagram!


Read: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. I always have a couple of books on the Kindle app on my phone, for those days that I choose an impractical bag that only holds a toothpick and can't handle my actual kindle or a paperback. This was the next book on that list, and I found myself starting it on a particularly crowded tube journey and finished it a few days later. It's an absorbing read, making you feel part of some conspiracy and knowing there is something wrong but unable to put your finger on it. The writing is punchy but not too obnoxious, and it strangely reminded me of Donna Tart's The Secret History (amazing) although they are completely different. Worth a read.

Watched: Along with the return of favourites like Homeland, Parenthood and Scandal, I've discovered a very new series that fascinates me - The Affair. With a title like that, I prejudged it to be a light and vaguely trashy watch to put on in the background while I do the washing up, but it's not at all what I expected. I'm intrigued to see where this story leads.

Ate: Every morsel I ate on the Japanese Journey during London Restaurant Festival! Even thinking about it makes me hungry again. I also did eat an exceptional pizza in Vienna that's a standout for me, which I will be posting about soon.

Clicked: The Awkward Blog by Angela. After reading her blog and stalking her on social media for something like a year, I finally met her not once, but twice this month! Her blog is full of exciting and delicious things to do in London, as well as great DIY posts and snapshots of her daily life. She is lovely to talk to and her writing is friendly and lively - go and have a read!  

Purchased: Brace yourselves for the excitement... a slowcooker! After pitching my idea (read = rambling off all the justifications I could think of to add yet another appliance to our already tiny kitchen) to E, he agreed that it could join the family (probably just to stop my squawking). I am completely in love with it. Throwing everything into the one pot in the morning (if you do the chopping/any prep the night before, even better), and by the time you're home, tired and hungry, dinner is served piping hot and delicious. It's like magic. My favourite recipe that I've tried so far is this Thai Chicken Soup, which you don't necessarily need a slowcooker for. Please leave me any recipe recommendations in the comments, I am so into this right now.

Listened: Cheesy country music is my guilty pleasure, so I've been bopping around to a bit of Lady Antebellum's latest album lately. I'm still in a bit of a music rut, so I'll gladly take any suggestions on board.

Wore: These New Look ankle boots. Despite not loving their clothing, New Look have some surprisingly decent footwear for the price. I am a stupidly small size 2-2.5 UK or 34 EU so I can never buy shoes in London, but with boots I can get away with a size 3, wearing a pair of thick socks. These have hardly left my feet - they are just so comfortable and go with anything.

Visited: Vienna. More on that to come.

Blogged: Favourite post has to be Pont St. with Zomato. It was simply a great evening with excellent food and company!

Celebrated: Nothing major this month - we weren't celebrating anything, but our Murder Mystery dinner party was weirdly festive?!

Cooked: By E - this omelette.

Thanks so much for reading!
You can read the Happy List series here



10 comments:

  1. I love books that you can’t stop reading. They make me totally unsociable but oh well, it’s usually just for a couple of days ;-) "We Were Liars" sounds really good so I might give it a try. I have a couple more to finish on my Kindle. Best gift I’ve ever receive I think.

    Oh and I completely agree with you about New Look. Clothing isn’t great but their footwear really is. I've been wearing a pair of brogues from them for at least 2 years. Love the boots you’ve picked! xx

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  2. Great list, fun to read! And your Insta shots are super lovely as well :)

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  3. it's been a good month :) also, thanks for the read recommendation, I've been looking for some new books to read, will be on a lookout for that one too! x

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  4. Lovely photos! I love your blog and I have followed you with Bloglovin. If you ever get a chance to check out my blog I would be delighted, thanks!

    Camille xo

    http://www.cococami.blogspot.co.uk

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  5. Looks like you had so much fun with your sister - I was jealous of all the instagram posts!

    I've heard a lot about We Were Liars - definitely seems like a book that I need to take a look at x

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  6. Slowcookers are the absolute best! This year, Boy and I have instituted slow cooker Sunday, which means that not only do we have delicious meals on Sunday night, but leftovers for the rest of the week.

    Favorite recipes include:

    Chili - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-chili-ii/detail.aspx

    Red Wine / Pomegranite short ribs - http://www.callmepmc.com/2014/07/red-wine-pomegranate-slow-cooker-short-ribs/

    Chicken Garam Marsala - http://www.bhg.com/recipe/fragrant-garam-masala-chicken-stew-with-peas-and-potatoes/

    Root beer pulled pork is good too (and there are a million recipes, which all boil down to cook pork shoulder in root beer for 8 hours, drain the root beer, and add sweet baby ray's or Stubb's BBQ sauce)

    Somewhere, I've got a good recipe for chicken tortilla soup. Will look!

    Glad all is going well =)

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  7. I really want a slowcooker, so I'll have to live vicariously through you for a little while! x

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  8. You have to have the smallest feet out of anyone I've met; even my mum's a size 3! Yay, so exciting that you've acquired a new cooking gadget - it genuinely is like magic to come back to slow-cooked beef :) I've heard some buzz around We Were Liars, will add it to my TBR list! And love Angela's blog - whenever she posts about her kittens I can't help melting over them! x

    Tamsin / A Certain Adventure

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  9. My best friend watches The Affair and she loves it too. Also I'm so jealous of you getting to meet blogger friends! Andddd def looking forward to good slow cooker recipes from you ;]

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    Replies
    1. Side note, I literally had a dream about making your ramen recipe the other night haha. It needs to happen.

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