England VS America: Autumn

I haven't done a post like this for several years, but when I first moved to England, you guys loved when I did the comparison entries, such as "Out of the Mouths of Brits, Volumes I and II." When I wrote these posts, I had only been a resident of England for mere weeks. Now, it's been over four years, so I've had a lot of time to make more interesting observations. In some ways, I hands down prefer the way the English do things, and other things are *facepalm* worthy and make me miss home more than I can express.

Today, I want to talk about Autumn. I have so many wonderful memories growing up in California and Arizona surrounding this time of year. Autumn isn't a hugely recognizable season in the desert, what with the lack of trees and all, but it's still identifiable. And in Southern California, it's a bit more obvious. Blood red leaves, bright orange with crimson tips. Chilly, foggy mornings with that smokey, homey scent that hangs in the air and cool, clear afternoons. The buzz of life and work starts to slow down, and social gatherings multiply. I have pictures of myself as a tiny Aindrea sitting on pumpkins at the pumpkin patch seeking out that perfect jack-o-lantern. I have vivid memories of hay rides, pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating, fall festivals and my mom's autumn decorations. I remember her terracotta pumpkins, the wooden cutout of pilgrims, the fake leaves in various shades of orange, and the paper turkey that came out at Thanksgiving. Oh, Thanksgiving. The amazing food, the parades, the football, and the family. All of these things have added up to make me what I am - a girl who simply lives for Autumn.

So how much luckier could a girl like me get, moving to England; a country with breathtaking Autumns? It actually gets COLD here, and I get to wear things like scarves and boots and leather jackets. The thousands of trees are covered in brilliant colored leaves that start to turn as early as August, and a few even manage to stay on the trees into early December. Autumn here is slow, drawn out and palpable, giving you time to really take it in and feel the transition of time. Another year coming to a brilliant end.

"Autumn is the final trick in nature's year-long magic show: 

It masks death with a spectacular display of beauty."

-Keith Hansen

But the sad truth of it? English people don't give a crap about this magical time of year. I'll be damned if I can find a single Autumn decoration, and the only reason I'm able to decorate at all is due to my mom sending me boxes of decorations most years. Halloween is only just starting to gain momentum here. So many people I know say that they find it odd, allowing their children to march up to complete strangers' houses and demand candy simply because they threw on a mask. I can't comprehend this, because I grew up with it. Everyone DID Halloween. I've witnessed five Halloweens here, and Saturday was the first time I actually saw a bonafide Trick-or-Treater. Halloween parties are becoming much more popular and this year, there were even a couple pumpkin patches springing up around the countryside. I support this like a fanatic - it's about time these people take Halloween seriously. The other day at work, I complained that the pumpkins in the grocery stores were all beat up and scraped, misshapen and obviously thrown unceremoniously into the back of a truck. One of my colleagues chuckled at me and said "this really bothers you doesn't it?" I didn't hesitate for a second before answering, "Yes! You've got to take pride in your pumpkins!"

And, let's face it, Thanksgiving will never be a thing here. For the last five Thanksgivings, it's just been another Thursday for me. I get up, go to work, and sit at my desk, turkeyless. At my lunch break I check my phone and all my loved ones stateside are posting pictures of pies baking, tables set with cornucopia centerpieces, and family photos. I go home after work and make a normal dinner, plop down in front of normal, everyday TV and let myself feel glum. Stupid England.
However, on the weekend immediately after Thanksgiving, we have a little ritual. I either invite friends/family around and throw my own little Thanksgiving, or at least make sure I make myself and Mick a nice turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes and some pie. Then I take down all my autumn decorations, and put up the tree and all my Christmas nik-naks. After that, Mick and I sit down in front of the TV with another helping of pie, and watch "Jingle All the Way."

In so many ways, I mourn the loss of my favourite family traditions, but at the same time, I get to make new ones with my husband, and every year I look forward to the taking down of autumn decor and transitioning into Christmas, and of course, watching his favourite Christmas film.

This year, however, I get the best of both. For the first time since I left home, I'm flying back for Thanksgiving, and I'm going solo. REAL Thanksgiving food with my friends and family, and even some bonus sunshine, because I definitely won't be seeing much of that in England for the next 5 months or so. In early December I'll fly back to my husband and my pug, and together we can play our parts in our little tradition.

Can't hardly wait. xo

A Revival & October Horror Challange

So here we are again. I'm staring at my laptop wondering how it has been nearly two years since I last visited this blog. However it came to be, it did, so let's just move on. Let's pick up where we left off.

So much has happened in the past two years, I don't really know where to start. The last time I wrote, Christmas 2013 was nearly upon us. We had a brief but very enjoyable visit from my mom, and I told you all about our new kitten, Hugo. About a month later, Hugo sadly disappeared. It was very sad timing, because just a week before, we adopted this mug.

This is Alfie, better known as Fred, Alfredo, Pickle, or my little Pickle-Biscuit. He's the worst, most lovable dog there ever was. He's disobedient and sneaky, greedy and stubborn. He's gorgeous, sweet, hilarious and very snuggly. He's my little best buddy, even despite the fact that he arrived in our home a week before the cat disappeared and I think this is rather suspicious, considering the cat didn't seem particularly fond of this stocky little barking nugget. Basically, I think the cat thought "what the hell have you brought into MY house? See you'se guys later" and found another, pug free home. It took me ages to get over the loss of little Hugo, but Alfie kept me company and now we are inseparable. Unless someone else is holding the food. He is loyal to she/he who holds the food.

Since I last wrote, Mick also took a new job. He still dabbles in freelance writing and has various projects going on with his interests, but he's also got a pretty sweet gig working in PR for a local budding organisation. Work is the same for me - good and busy, still in the same place.

About 10 months after Hugo decided to disappear and break my heart, I felt ready to get another kitten. Enter our gorgeous Isla.

She wasn't the most pleasant kitten, not like Hugo was. But she's beautiful and grew up to be lovely and fluffy with amazing markings and the bushiest tail you ever did see. She puts up with a lot from her Puggy brother, and loves to bring moths in the house from the garden and massacre them in the lounge while we watch TV. I know, gross right? But you've got to support their interests, I suppose.

The end of 2014 had wonderful cause for celebration - Mick and I returned to America to celebrate Christmas and New Years with my family. It had been two years since I had seen anyone, apart from my mom, and it was long overdue. We had a fantastic time enjoying the beautiful weather, seeing my favourite people and places, and just soaking up California goodness.

The biggest event of 2015 by far though, and the biggest step so far for myself and Mick, was becoming homeowners! After returning from America we decided it was time to start looking, even though at the time I was horribly homesick, falling from the high of being home and enjoying the many splendors that California has to offer - and as such, had absolutely no interest in setting any further roots in this grey and damp country that put so many miles between me and my loved ones.  We viewed a house or two, but my heart was not in it. And then we found it - a beautiful little three bedroom semi-detached on a quiet street, close to all our favourite stores and in the area we wanted to live. The owners showed us around on the evening we went to view, and when the lady went to turn on the light in the cupboard under the stairs and ducked out of sight, I glanced at Mick with that look on my face that he knows so well - the look that clearly states "I want it."
We fell in love with the house. It's a 1930's build so it has all kinds of character and charm, but it's also open and airy and bright, which satisfies my American tastes.
Everything went smoothly, and in April, we got our keys and spent a week getting ourselves moved in and all settled.

Home sweet home! We love it here and even though I was hesitant to buy, it's done wonders for me. I finally feel HOME. This is the sixth place I have lived since I moved to England 5 years ago, and it's such a wonderful feeling to finally know that this is it - we will be here for a long time and its OURS. Since this photo was taken, Mick really freshened things up by giving the garage a fresh coat of white glossy paint, my little trees decided to die (they've been disposed of) and I tucked the curtain back in the window upstairs (it was only that way for an hour or so!)

The summer of 2015 was a rainy one, but did bring with it a brief heat wave with temperatures that made me very happy my office is air conditioned and that our house seems to stay quite cool. In August, Mick surprised me massively with a weekend in Paris for my birthday. He got me all the way to the train station where you hop on the EuroStar before he gave me the tickets and clued me in on things. I of course got all teary and touched. We spent three and a half days in the City of Love seeing all the sights. I for one enjoyed the coffee and pastry far too much.

Yeah, he got some epic bonus points for this trip. It was so exciting to finally get to see a little slice of Europe, and Paris was lovely. It has a similar feel to London but it's not nearly as big and their underground is so much easier to manage. I have some really happy and unforgettable memories here - including wandering around the Louvre, everything feeling so surreal. The Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo and so many others.

A few weeks later it was Micks birthday, and I had arranged a night away in Hertfordshire where we ate an amazing Italian dinner at a funky little restaurant and stayed in a little lodge in the country. The next morning was the real event though - a day as zookeepers. We got to feed otters, pick up alpaca poo, hang out with raccoons and a skunk, as well as the cutest lizard EVER.

So that brings us pretty much all the way through to the end of September. All I remember about October is that we watched lots and lots of horror movies. 30, to be exact. For some reason I thought it would be a great idea to give ourselves an October Horror Challenge, where we watched a Horror or Halloween themed film every night for the month. We did very well, only missing one night because of a cooking competition that Mick was taking part in for his department at work. As a result, we were up cooking until midnight, so didn't have a chance to do any movie-watchin'.

If you're interested in which films we watched - check out the list below. I've included a very very brief review of each, should you ever decide you want to commit to anything like this in the future.

Night 1: "Saw II" - unimpressive. I'm a fan of the first but this doesn't tempt me to finish the rest.
Night 2: "28 Days Later" - there's not much to say about this one, very solid zombie film.
Night 3:  "28 Weeks Later" - sequel to the above. I prefer this one to the original.
Nights 4-7: "Scream 1-4". Classic slasher films and you can't go wrong.
Night 8: "Dawn of the Dead" - another solid zombie movie that doesn't let down.
Night 9: "An American Haunting" - meh. It's hard to deliver with ghosty ones - this didn't.
Night 10: "American Mary"- twisted. Very interesting and unlike anything I've ever seen.
Night 11: "The Blair Witch Project" - just as bad as I remembered. Worse, actually.
Night 12: "Mirrors" - very different, I liked this one.
Night 13: "What Lies Beneath" - one of my all time favourites. Ever. Of all genres.
Night 14: "Friday the 13th" - the original. Couldn't get into this one. Also, ketchup blood.
Night 15: "Friday the 13th Part II" - slightly better than the first one.
Night 16: "Nightmare on Elm Street" - 2010 remake, one I really like, though I seem to be alone.
Night 17: "The Omen" - oh man, such a good movie. One of the gems of the 70s.
Night 18: "The Omen II" - also good, but not nearly as good as the first.
Night 19: "White Noise" - good but I fell asleep. Starting movies at 9 on a school night is hard.
Night 20: "Wrong Turn 2" - sick. Sick, sick, sick. But I liked it.
Night 21: "Pernicious" - could have been good... but don't even bother.
Night 22: "Insidious 3" we both nearly wet ourselves. So scary! Best movie of the month.
Night 23: "Eden Lake" - it's good but for some reason I don't really like it. 
Nights 24-26: "Hostels 1,2&3" - not at all what I expected and very, very good. Third one is meh.
Night 27: "The Devil's Rejects" - ugh. Waste of my night. Didn't even pay attention.
Night 28: missed due to cooking
Night 29: "Would You Rather?" - Not really a horror, but very interesting premise.
Night 30: "Hocus Pocus" for me (have to watch it every year with a girlfriend!) and "The Human Centipede" for Mick. I refuse to watch this one. Blech!

And for our final night, the original "Nightmare on Elm Street!" Which we didn't actually finish because it was very late and we were rather sleepy.

We are discussing perhaps taking part in a similar challenge for December, but with Christmas movies! A movie a night for a whole month is a bigger commitment than you might think, so I'm not sure if we will do it!

Well, that brings you up to speed on what we've been up to. You're going to be seeing a lot more of me. I've really missed writing in general, as well as working on this blog, so I've made a conscience decision to be more present here, as well as with other, personal writing projects. Writing has been a passion of mine since the tender age of 8, when my 4th grade teacher held Writing Workshop every morning to encourage our creativity. I have been hooked since then, until the past few years when I allowed life to get in the way. No more. No more.

I'll also be taking part in 30 Days of Thanks over on my Instagram account by expressing thanks all throughout the month of November, and not just on Thanksgiving Day! Join me! Or simply just follow along as I rack my brains before bed each night, trying to find a photo I took throughout the day and reminding myself that really, life is wonderful and full of so many blessings

It's good to be back. xo

Let's try this again...

Somehow I've allowed another 6 months to go by without visiting this blog. I really do want to keep this space alive, and so let's try this again. 

To get back in the swing of things, let me recap what's happened over the last few months...

April: one morning Mick and I woke up and spontaneously decided we had to get a kitten. 

Enter Hugo. 

We are so lucky that the random litter of kittens we found on Craigslist ended up being the sweetest kittens ever, and while Hugo is definitely mischievous, he's lovely and isn't destructive at all. Excepts when it comes to chewing on the bows of our Christmas presents under the tree, but that's a recent development. 

Now he's all growed up. 

June: we actually had summer weather this year, and I was fortunate enough to be taken to Berlin for a weekend with my work. It's a beautiful city and we were all very spoiled by our managing director. 

July: Mick's sister got married on the hottest day of the year in the ancient church in our village. The reception was beautiful and it was a very happy day. 

August: I somehow turned 27. This was made much easier by the amazing day Mick prepared for me. All I knew was that we were going to London. 

The day started with drinks at the top of the Gherkin, a delicious lunch, and a trip to a spa where fish ate my feet. 

We ended the day with dinner in Covent Garden then headed back to where we parked the car near Trafalgar Square. We were walking past various theatres and Mick pointed out the one showing The Bodyguard. "Don't you want to see that?" He asked, pointing at the marquee. "Yes!" I replied. "Oh good," he said, "because we have tickets for tonight." I couldn't believe it. It was the best birthday ever. 

September: we celebrated two years of marriage. I don't know where the time has gone! It was also Mick's birthday and I treated him to a day at the zoo, a picnic and dinner and a movie in the fancy gallery seating. 

October: we enjoyed seeing Russell Brand and Jake Bugg both at various venues in London. 

That's pretty much it. Now we are just getting ready for Christmas and waiting for the day after when my mom arrives for a 10 day visit. I'm very ready for Christmas!!! 

A Spontaneous Saturday Outing

Yesterday morning, Mick wanted to go out to breakfast. I was happy to do this, as we rarely get to do things like this, but then I remembered I had ordered the groceries to be delivered less than an hour after we got up.

I had a grouchy husband. We racked our brains for ideas of what to do for the day, and finally decided on a visit to Greenwich, a trendy village in South East London. I've been there once before, but it was a Monday and the thriving market was closed. Saturdays, it's in full swing. We arranged to meet Mick's BFF at the market after lunch at Gourmet Burger Kitchen. We spent an hour wandering around the village, then headed to the large park at Greenwich to enjoy a rare sunny day (it was sunny today, too. Could spring have finally sprung?!)

Sunshine and daffodils at the royal observatory, a bustling market, and a new ring from a vendor for me.

The Most Adorable Devilled Eggs There Ever Were

A few months ago, Mick got me hooked on Pinterest. At the time I was really into a weight loss routine, and found the site really useful for finding healthy recipe ideas, workout routines, and those inspirational pictures. I've, er, slightly veered off that path though, and tend to use Pinterest more for unhealthy recipes and pretty pictures of places in Europe I want to visit. Ages ago, I came across a really cute idea for Devilled Eggs. I repinned and saved it for Easter. We spent the day at Mick's mom and step-dads, so I thought I'd make them up and take them over there.

Let it be said right now that I've never, in my life, made Devilled Eggs. I remember them always being present at family BBQs, wakes and pot lucks, but they always seemed to be brought by someone other than my mother. I think I've found out why now. They're really hard work.

I woke up early on Easter Sunday and got the eggs boiling. By the time the entire ordeal was complete 3 hours later, I was proud to present these little guys to Mick:

 

Oh, my, gosh! I can honestly say, because at this point I don't have children, these little chicks are my proudest accomplishment. I have never ever created anything so adorable in my 26.5 years. I have an extremely creative mind, and as a kid/teenager in art classes I was always really frustrated when I'd come up with a really beautiful idea for a painting/drawing/clay pot. I'd try and try and no matter how much work I did, the result never looked like the image I'd had in my head. This time, I actually got the result I was going for. And they tasted really, really good. Here's the recipe if you want to try them - they're a lot of work, but the reactions you'll get are totally worth it. 

-Use eggs that aren't right-off-the-shelf-fresh: you'll find that eggs that you've had in the kitchen for 5-7 days will peel much easier after they're boiled and cooled. 

-I boiled my eggs for 15 minutes and then sat in a bowl of cold water to chill for another 15

-Peel eggs (enlisting your husband is good for speed, but bad for aesthetic purposes)

-Rather than slicing the eggs from top to bottom, use a sharp knife to slice the egg through the middle, about 1/4 of the way down. You want to just slice through the top half of the yolk. It's a bit trickier to get the yolk out without tearing the egg when you cut it like this, but I used a tiny teaspoon (a baby spoon would work) to loosen the yolk and pop it out into a medium sized bowl. Rinse off the eggs to get any excess shell bets or membrane off. Make sure you keep the eggs matched up and don't get tops and bottoms mixed up. 

-Add a few big globs of mayonnaise to the yolks. I'm not a big fan of measuring and like to go by taste and consistency, so just play with it. I also added some paprika and two tablespoons of sweet onion relish (made by Branston for my English readers), but pickle relish would be just as nice. I just couldn't find it here. Mix it all up with a fork. 

-For the next step, you could use a frosting squeezer type thing (I so know my baking terms), or a sandwich baggie with the corner cut off, but I just used my [clean] hands to form a oval out of the yolk and pop it into the bottom portion of the boiled egg. I had cut some little triangle "beaks" out of carrot and had those waiting, along with a bowl with a few tablespoons of ground pepper. Stick the carrots on for the beak, and use a toothpick with the tip dipped in olive oil to pick up a few flecks of pepper and stick that on for the eyes. 

-Pop the egg top on

-Set on a cute plate with some lettuce garnish to mimick some grass. I opted for a plate with a high edge so the eggs could lean against it. You could try and slice a flat bottom onto the eggs, but I couldn't be bothered.

And there you go, you've got the cutest little Devilled Eggs there ever were.

The Little Things

We spend so much of our lives obsessing over the big things- working for them, recognising, and comparing them to the big things others have achieved. I'm not only talking about the material things, but also big landmarks. That big new car. The big vacation. Paying off that credit card. An important anniversary. A wedding, a birth. A move, a new house. In my mind, life is dotted with these big moments and achievements and they make up the outline for the people we are and the lives we lead. But if you look carefully, there are little dots on these maps to ourselves, all mixed up with those big landmarks. These little dots may be moments, memories, but in the brief moment they manifest, they tuck themselves deep in our hearts and nestle up, filling us with goodness. A look, a kind word from a stranger, the quiet observation of a loved one filling our hearts with warmth.

I find myself obsessing and worrying over the big things a bit too much lately (my entire life constitutes as lately, right??). Money, family, the future. These are important things, but due to my obsessive, anxious nature, I have to be really careful not to let myself become completely absorbed, or bad things happen.

I want to take a few minutes to make a list of those little good feeling things that have tucked deep in my heart and made me feel happy lately.

-Last week, Mick came home with a bag from the grocery store. It held a copy of the most recent Twilight film, a bottle of bubble bath and another of wine. A sweet surprise.

-Mornings that require me to be nowhere but in bed, with a warm husband ready for cuddles next to me.

-Eggs for breakfast.

-Time. I'm off work this week and the extra time has allowed for me to do some things I've really needed to get around to, and some things that I simply wanted to do for me. Sorting through a mountain of laundry and cleaning the kitchen and bedroom fell under the need category, while writing, taking pictures, cooking some recipes I've been wanting to try for a while, a walk in the local country park with Mick and my camera, as well as some solo shopping trips (with my new car) fell under the want category.

-Celebrations. Yesterday, Mick's dad got married. It was a beautiful day for two beautiful people. I met some more of Mick's family that I hadn't yet had the opportunity to meet, and enjoyed the day a whole lot.

-My marriage. Even before it was a marriage, just our relationship in general. I'm a pretty laid back and low maintenance girl, living in jeans and converse, which doesn't bother Mick at all. But during the course of our relationship, there have been a handful of occasions (weddings, engagement parties, etc) where I've had to make a real effort with myself - you know, actually using more than just the blow dryer on my hair, wearing dresses with heels and pantyhose, and actually wearing foundation. I will forever love Mick's reaction when he sees me all dolled up, and the way his arm seems to snake around my waist a lot more often on these special occasions.

Hoping you can find some little moments that stay with you this weekend.

xo

A Revival

I haven't been here since August. That's a very long time, and life has shown us several big changes since then.
I think part of me was resigned to the fact that I would give up this blog. Life was busy (as it always is) and I didn't have the time or inspiration to continue to make this space a beautiful one. But I must make a confession - I have been a downright nasty person to be around as of late. My poor, dear, sweet husband has caught the brunt of it and most of the time I didn't even realise how horrible I was being until I saw the hurt in his eyes after an argument settled, or until I heard the anger in his voice.
The only thing I know is that when I am stressed and frazzled, I become un-fun and snappy. I become a lot like a teenager who doesn't like to hear any criticism, but especially the word "no."
I need a therapy, of sorts, to keep myself happy. Expressing goes a long way. I remember back in high school, I used to dump my stresses during my least favourite (and weakest) subject- math. It would have done me a lot more good, academically, to sit and pay attention, but it did more for my state of mind to get out some notebook paper and just write. I wrote poems, short stories, even took a few cracks at novels. Nothing ever came of it and sadly, I've lost most of those poems and stories, but it felt good. Another release I discovered around the same time was photography. I found that, after a teenage argument with my mother, a trip to the desert with my little digital camera did me a lot of good. A few years later, I took a photography course at the community college and invested in a good little starter digital SLR. I would lose myself behind the lense, become engrossed in finding the perfect shutter and f-stop combination, and find delight in tweaking the focus just right. Whatever worries plagued my mind could be easily forgotten. In a world where I so often feel like I have no control, getting behind the viewfinder and manipulating the settings of a camera, taking a world that, to me, in that moment, feels ugly, and changing it into something beautiful with this little machine makes me feel ok and reminds me that there is always beauty to be find.

And so, I resolve to write here regularly again, and to take more pictures. I got my camera out a few weeks ago and it sits on the piano (no, we don't play [though Mick can dabble], but it sure is a great place to set all our crap).

So, what has happened since August? Sheesh. A lot. Let me break it down by month for you.

September:
We celebrated our one year anniversary in London. Mick's mom and dad bought us tickets to see "We Will Rock You," a West End musical based on the music of Queen. Oh, did we love it. I quickly bought all of Queen's greatest hits that I was missing. A few days later I started a new job for a recruitment company that specialises in accountancy and fiance. I do a lot of administrative type work, and it's a really great place to work. The people are great and I'm always kept on my toes. A few days later Mick caught up with me by turning 26. Hah.

November:
I had a nasty cold that stopped me dead in my tracks. Mom sent me some Thanksgiving decorations to get me out of an autumn/germy funk. We celebrated a big of a Celtic Thanksgiving, plus a South African. The food was good and I enjoyed being in the kitchen all day.

December:
The countdown to my biggest wish was dwindling down - on December 15th we hopped on a plane and got to visit home for the first time since I moved here. We spent two weeks with my family, time split between Arizona and Southern California. I caught up with my parents and siblings, loved up on my niece and nephew, and shared good laughs with good friends whom I've missed loads. The time went too fast, and with a confusing mixture of sadness and joy, we came back to England.

February:
Another move... Mick's dad kindly asked us if we'd like to rent his house since he is remarrying and moving in with his lucky lady. We were ecstatic for the opportunity to live in the beautiful village in a lovely house with a lot more space and room to grow.

March:
I passed my driving test the first time (quite an accomplishment in England, the driving tests are brutal here!) and got a new car, a lovely little Skoda which may or may not take a lot of work...

That pretty much brings you up to date. There have been other things in between, which I'll share in photos.

Continuing developing my cooking skills

Spending as much time as possible with this guy

A fair amount of snow this winter (that's our new house from the garden!)

And a lot of ice...

And just enough down-time to keep me going

I'll be back soon, I promise. I've missed this place.

xo