Jonty's Graduation Day

Jonty was lucky enough to graduate in what was probably the most beautiful week so far in England. Except, possibly, for the fact that he had to wear a big, hot robe on said warm day.

Anyway, we had to be at the university quite early in the morning. After getting tickets & robe, we grabbed some coffee & a full English breakfast. Then, we headed into the graduation ceremony. It was a nice ceremony, & Jonty looked very handsome.

Afterward, we had lunch with his parents at The Trout, a lovely pub in Wolvercote, a small town near Oxford. (Jonty also took me there for lunch on my birthday last September.) I had pasta with artichokes, olives, tomatoes, rocket & goats cheese. Jonty, of course, had the fish & chips. We weren't stalked by a peacock like last time; this time it was a duck.

After lunch, Jony & I went on a stroll along the river to The Perch.

At The Perch, I obsessed over the decor for a while, & then we had a cup of tea.

How effing beautiful is this place???

Jonty graduated with a BSc in Business - Marketing & Communications, with First Honours. He worked hard to achieve his degree, & I'm so proud of him. Well done, & congrats!

<3

West Wedding

Wedding party on the left, me & Jonty on the right.

Hi guys! I've been a been lazy about blogging lately, aside from my Kenya posts, so I hope to fill you in about all the lovely things I've been doing lately. Last weekend (as in a bit over a week ago), I went down to Portsmouth for my friend Denise's wedding. It was on a gorgeous, sunny, warm summer day at an amazing location: Stansted Park, outside of the small town of Rowlands Castle in southern England.

The wedding was in a small, ridiculously old, & incredibly beautiful chapel.

Afterward, we headed outside for a couple hours of photos, chat, canapes, & PIMM'S.*

Dinner was served inside the historic Stansted House.

The groom picked these centerpieces out! Impressive, right?

Since we were down near the ocean, we stayed at a B&B near the wedding & took the opportunity to check out some seaside towns & beaches.

Portsmouth:

Emsworth:

We all were lucky to have such a fun-filled weekend planned while the sun was gracing us with her presence!

<3

* For those unfamiliar with PIMM'S, it a British liquor that is popular in the summertime & served with ice, lemonade (aka lemon-lime sode without the lime), & lots of cut up fruit.

Something Fishy on the Barbie

Last week, Jonty & I wanted to take advantage of the beautiful weather, so we decided to have ourselves a little barbeque. We bought some fresh haddock fillets, put them on parchment paper then aluminum foil, drizzled them with olive oil and lemon juice, and topped them with lemon slices and rosemary.

 Then we wrapped them up and stuck them straight on top of the coals in the barbeque, and then covered them with more hot coals. They cooked for about 15 minutes.

We took the coals off, unwrapped our package, and BAM! we had delicious, firm, juicy fish. We served it with a green salad and homemade potato salad. (Someday I may share our amazing potato salad recipe if you're extra nice.)

Next step: Enjoy! Try this recipe out yourself; it's fantastic!

[Thanks to a Sainsbury's fish counter handout for some of the tips.]

Coming up this week: a giveaway, another Kenya post, & more!

<3

Sweet Summer

Jonty & I had a lovely, summery day today. I turned in my last essay (woop woop!), so we decided to head into town and celebrate.

We sat by the river for a while, sipping on Starbucks, reading, & listening to music.

I really love Bristol, especially in the summer.

We also did a bit of shopping.

Maybe you guys can settle a dispute: Is this dress nice enough for a wedding? (It's cotton.)

I didn't buy this bag, but how cute is it??

New 'fit from H&M.

My new favorite dress/top! <3

It was such a nice day on the town. When the sun is out in Bristol, it has such a good vibe. I can't wait to lay around on the grass, eat bread & hummus, drink iced tea, & read this sunny (knock on wood) weekend. Especially since I'm giving myself the rest of the week/weekend off before I begin my dissertation.

By the way, I don't usually photograph myself in the dressing room... Jonty was still looking around & I wanted him to see what I tried on. Plus, I was feeling particularly bloggy today.

<3

The Box Game

This past weekend, Jonty and I strolled down to our friend Mike's house for a barbeque. With the amazing weather gracing us with its presence here in England, you have to appreciate it while it lasts. The food was delicious, especially our amaaazing potato salad, which was a big hit! (At least we think it was a big hit... but we ate most it it ourselves because we liked it so much!)

Over the course of the evening, we ate, chatted, roasted marshmallows by the fire, and played The Box Game.

The essence of The Box Game is this: A small box (cereal or soda can box) is placed on the floor. Players must pick up the box using only their teeth, without letting any part of their body but their feet touch the floor. At the end of each round, an inch or two is ripped off the top of the box, and the new round begins.

After many rounds and a major rip in my jeans (those puppies are hot pants now), the game got intense. The ending round was picking up that tiny square of cardstock that you can see in the bottom right corner of the last picture. And there were three winners! (I was not one of them--I lost out two rounds before.)

It was absolutely ridiculous but an amusing way to spend the evening.

<3

P.S. Yes that is me in the purple top, with short hair. I've cut it again, and I'm not feeling it, which is why I've been keeping it a secret! I guess the cat's out of the bag now.

Music of the Weekend: Anarbor

Hi there! Yesterday was a beautiful day here in southern England, & today looks like it's giving yesterday a run for its money. When the weather is sunny and warm like this in the UK, the entire country swarms with outdoor sports, washing cars, & barbeques. It's amazing to see the whole country react to the nice weather, but I guess we appreciate it more since it's less common than it is back home in Cali.

When Jonty and I went to see The Dangerous Summer a few weeks ago, I became mildly obsessed with the band that followed them: Anarbor. They have an upbeat vibe (a huge plus in my book!) and are slightly trashy in their lyrics at times (also a plus in my book when I'm feeling like a badass). Their music has a bit of an old school vibe and is perfect for evening barbeques, just add lots of friends and a couple of beers. And tonight, we're doing just that! I hope you enjoy your weekend too!





<3