Halloween come and gone

I had a very lovely Halloween here in Brighton. R and I carved our pumpkins last week, and had fun with that.

my pumpkinR's pumpkinHalloween decorations in our windowbats

For our costumes this year, we decided to go as Kermit and Miss Piggy. I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with our costumes! They look particularly cartoonish with all the bright colours.



While I was cooking dinner, we put out our pumpkins to let trick or treaters know we had candy. Unfortunately, our doorbell doesn't work, but R quickly came up with an ingenious solution, and put a sign on our door, "Dear Trick or Treaters, our doorbell doesn't work so if you want some candy, you have to scream really really loud". The kids loved it ... neighbours, maybe not so much.

We went out for a few drinks with our friends J&k (Elvis and Marilyn), and it was great to see so many people out in fancy dress. Having Halloween on the weekend makes such a difference and I had lots of fun. Next up, I have Thanksgiving planning in the works. I think I might be controversial, and do it on a Friday rather than Thursday. We'll see, it depends on how many people we will have around.

But I have definitely gotten started on my Christmas pressie list! And next weekend, I'm going to take a little visit to Harrods and see Christmasland! Super duper excited :) We've also started working on our list of Christmas movies, which we'll probably have to start viewing mid-November (hey, there's a lot to go through and we'll be busy in December!)

Anniversary part one

So 18th May was our one year wedding anniversary. We had such a fantastic day! I woke up early and made R a nice big breakfast, including pork and apple sausages, scrambled eggs and toast! He gave me my present, and it was an amazing ink drawing he did of El Campello, where we went on honeymoon, mounted and framed. We've put it up in the bedroom and it looks great.

I headed off to work, and went about my business when I received a call downstairs from reception that I had something waiting for me - I went downstairs and there was the most amazing bouquet of flowers! Well lucky me, I thought, as I carried them upstairs. Everyone oohed and ahhed over the flowers from R, and asked about our plans for the evening. 'Oh, I don't know, it's a surprise'. Then, after lunch, ANOTHER call downstairs - something ELSE waiting for me! How sweet, R's parents sent me a basket of flowers, too! So spoiled, let me tell you.

Anyway, I told R I was going to the gym and that I would meet him at the train station for 6. Unbeknownst to him, Gerald from work was helping me bring in the enormous framed photograph of New York I got for him, from a local artist in Brighton. I wrapped it up in leftover Christmas paper, and headed off to meet him. When we came home, it was so great to surprise him with a pressie! He really liked it; I can't wait to put it up! (It's so big, we're going to need something a bit more substantial to hang it!)

Afterwards, we headed off for dinner at Food for Friends! What a nice surprise! It's this really posh and nice veggie restaurant in Brighton (I will say that for Brighton, they have great veggie options!)

food for friends!

Our food was delish! We had organic cider, brewed in Sussex, a great mezze dish with all sorts of hummus, babaganoush, etc, with pita bread. Then for a main, I had mushroom baked with feta cheese and pine nuts, with sweet potato fries and, all topped with a pesto sauce. Omg, amazing. For desert, we shared the truffles. I have to say, I'm not a big money person - we live comfortably, and enjoy what we do. But friggin heck, I would love to be loaded, just so we could eat like that everyday! I'd also be a bloater. Maybe that's why I'm poor - to keep me healthy!

After that, it was a few cheeky bevvies at the Fiddler's Elbow, and off home! A great night, and just reminds me (as if I need it - I'm reminded everyday) how lucky I am to have found R, the Irishman and American Lady, in the middle of Scotland! The world works in mysterious, and amazing, ways.

Little did I know, there was much much more in store...

10 reasons I can't wait for summer...

I was born and raised in LA. I've been a swimmer since age 8, and a certified beach bum. My summers were spent either at the beach or at the pool, or going between the two. My swimming tan was so dark and so pronounced as a teenager, I thought it was permanently ingrained in my skin. I've snorkled, surfed, boogie boarded, and everything in between. I am also part Arab, and therefore have a deep glorious affinity for the sun. (I know, why do I live in England?)

As the days get longer and the weather warmer, I cannot wait for summer to actually arrive! Living by the beach does have its perks, and Brighton during the summer is lovely (if not hot...). So to celebrate its impending arrival, I give you my top ten reasons I love summer!

10. Summer fashion
I love ditching the jumpers and boots for the summer! Give me tank tops, short skirts, summer dresses, I love them all! There's nothing better than getting your skin out to soak that lovely summer sun! I especially love have a bit of a tan and looking fantastic in white!



9. Ice cream
I didn't realise how much I'd miss ice cream when I came to Britain. Of course they have ice cream here, and Ben and Jerrys is ALWAYS amazing. But they don't have the same outdoor ice cream culture here, ie, the ice cream truck! I miss the slightly tinny, definitely creepy music that you could hear down the street. I remember it getting louder and louder, and running inside to get a dollar for an ice cream, and getting it all over my hands and face! Nothing cools you off better than a lovely fresh ice cream during the summer!

8. Swimming pools
Growing up, the local swimming pool (Mar Vista) was my second home. My mom would take me at 9am and pick me up 8 hours later at 5pm - I was a certifiable pool rat! I learned how to swim, dive, play water polo, do synchronized swimming and even started going junior lifeguards, all at my local pool. I always looked forward to the first day the pool opened, saying hi to all my lifeguard coaches, and doing my first canonball off the diving board!


7. Flip flops
If I could, I would live in flipflops. In fact, while I lived in LA, I did. I had pairs and pairs and pairs, and would wear them in until nothing was left. I wore them with shorts, skirts, dresses, even jeans. And while I have a lovely pair here in Brighton, they just don't get the same kind of mileage - it's just far too cold. Luckily, it does get warm enough during the summer to wear them, so I'm going to stock up when I go to LA in April!

6. BBQs
The best summer parties are always the ones that centered around barbecues. Hamburgers, sausages, peppers, everything is yummy charbroiled over a flame! Throw in some beers and tunes and you have an awesome evening, watching the sun go down! We'll get our little disposable one for the summer, and take it down to Brighton beach (can't forget our gay frisbee, either!)


5. Surfing
I was never much of a surfer growing up, I always preferred to be swimming. But as I did more beach Jr. Guards, and got more confident with paddling, I enjoyed venturing out on my board more. I haven't been in at least 10 years, but as I'm married to a surfer, I better get my butt out there! I don't know if I can handle the British water temperature, so it might have to be a trip down to Portugal, but I'd love to get out there this summer. Either way, I love being at the beach!

4. Summer Holidays
The best summer vacation I ever went on was our girls trip to Oahu the summer we graduated from high school. There was something so freeing about a proper girls holiday, just us kids waiting to have a great time. I've had so many great summer holidays, including Dublin with Claudia and France with Ronan, and I can't wait to go someplace this summer!

3. Sunglasses
I love my shades! There's nothing worse than being out and about and squinting in the sunlight (talk about premature wrinkles!) As a lifeguard, I had to make sure my eyes were protected and that I could see clearly, especially against the reflection of the water. Now, my sunnies are more for aesthetic reasons, but that's just as important! A great pair of shades can totally make an outfit. I'm looking forward to getting myself a pair of lolitas this summer!

2. Tanning
We all know the perils of sunbeds and smoking and booze and everything else under the sun. That doesn't mean tanning doesn't feel amazing. Nothing feels nicer than baking under the sun, feeling its warmth all over your skin and getting the finished product of a fantastic tan. And tans make everyone look great. As Lauren says, tan fat ALWAYS looks better than white fat. I'll definitely be baking while I can during my lunch breaks.

1. Summer drinking
Nothing in the world beats drinks in the sun, getting slowly pissed as the sun sets. My poison of choice is a corona (with lime, of course), but your summer drink choices are endless! Cider, rose, pimms, anything goes! The summer I lived in London, my absolute favourite thing to do was walk down to the southbank and have a nice cold pint on the river front in the sun. This of course is everyone's favourite thing to do, but I think the more the merrier! As the weekends get warmer down here, Ronan and I are finally starting to venture out of the flat and enjoy our sunny Saturdays at the pub. Bring on summer!!!!!!!!!

What are your fave things about summer?