My Merry Christmas!

Well, I had a lovely Christmas in the French Alps. (Hence the lack of any posts recently!). I can't believe it's the end of the year already...

Beautiful snowy mountains!

Here is how I spent my Christmas, mostly in pictures. Though I wasn't as snap happy skiing this Christmas, you won't miss too much as the weather wasn't actually that great unfortunately, but we still had plenty of fun!

Christmas Dinner Came Early

So after all the stress of coursework and an exam, my housemates and I were finally allowed some free time to enjoy the fact that it was December, though we only had one day of term left to go. But we made it home from campus (after a yummy lunch and celebratory end of term glass of wine with a friend for me) and I popped our chicken in the oven. Sacrilege, I know, but the turkeys just didn't look that appetizing and our chicken was gorgeous. We did have far too much fun doing our Christmas food shop in Sainsbury's; have a look at our shopping trolley here.

Our Christmas Table

Christmas is Around the Corner

I feel like I have been cheating on my poor blog recently, unfortunately the lucky other was coursework, and lots of it. It is finally done with though, and I am now home for Christmas. (Well, technically I'm home for a bit until I go skiing over Christmas, but same same). Which means that it is time to celebrate Christmas, and I am already 3 Christmas dinners down. One with trampolining, one with my housemates and one with family.
So here is some of my festivity in pictures! Most of them are on my Instagram, and I think most of them are actually of food... Priorities, clearly!

I was given the job of making Christmas pudding this year, how it will turn out in the end is still a mystery until Christmas day!

Crumpets for Breakfast

We decided to push the boat out for Sunday breakfast. Even if we did only finish breakfast at 12:30 so it was basically a very dragged out brunch... If you want to make crumpets, allow plenty of time for it!

Our crumpets!

Hannah and I had had our eye on the recipe for a while, so I cracked out my Hairy Bikers Mums Know Best recipe book and we gave crumpets ago.

Pumpkin Pancakes from Scratch!

Firstly, long time no blog... my life is a bit too busy with uni to a) have time to blog b) have time to do anything really interesting to blog about!
This morning I finally made my long-awaited pumpkin pancakes, completely from scratch as I puréed the pumpkin myself. This is proof that we're not 'proper' students any more... Hannah and I spent too much money in Sainsbury's buying good food (decent wine included), and I think we were the first students ever to be buying pumpkins after Halloween. Ever!

Pumpkin Pancakes!

So worth it though, for these beauties.

Here's how to start with your pumpkin purée...

Pretty Little Pancakes

So the other morning I woke up and had a craving for pancakes. Now I do love my crêpes, but you just can't recreate the same thing without a big hot stone and a window scraping implement like they do in France, so I normally just stick to Delia Smith's simple pancake recipe, and have relatively thin pancakes. (Even if I do deviate slightly from what Delia tells me to do!)

Freshly cooked breakfast

That morning though I wanted American style, scotch pancakes. Often these are made with buttermilk, I didn't have that hanging around in my fridge though so had to create a new sort of recipe from mixing some together, so here it is!

A Warming Lunch - Leek and Potato Soup

I always find that lunch is a bit of a silly meal... I think that's why I prefer to go out for lunch rather than dinner, because then I won't have any issues choosing what to eat. I often end up reverting to simple things like pasta and pesto, cheese on toast or a plain salad.

Or, when winter comes, I love a bowl of hot soup. However, I'm a bit more fussy than 6 year old me nowadays and a time of Heinz tomato soup just doesn't quite cut it, so I end up paying more for fresh soup, like Covent Garden in their cute cartons. The best way to avoid that? Make it yourself! I generally do half measures of the recipe below, I'm low on Tupperware for freezing quantities!

Homemade Leek & Potato Soup

Happy Hour Cocktail Crawl!

Given that we now feel old at university, Sophie and I decided we should at least do something on Friday night, but couldn't handle 'a dip in the Ocean' so had our own, quieter night. We did still hit the town, just not quite as big, or as late, as everyone else would have done. Home by 10:30 was perfect!

We got our glad rags on, heels and makeup and hopped on the bus (the best transport around Nottingham when it's still early!) in to the city centre. We rocked up at Bad Juju Tiki Bar (twice in one week, and I said we don't go out much) for their happy hour. Unforutnately as it was Friday Mario Kart was replaced by a DJ set so we didn't get to try that out. I went for a raspberry daiquiri and Soph picked the ginger mojito, which turned out to have quite a kick and not because of the alcohol.

YO! Sushi and Cocktails - Classy Girls!

Something that the three of us in our house absolutely love is sushi. So to get our sushi fix we head out to YO! Sushi in Notts. Unfortunately Sophie couldn't join us, she was learning how to salsa, but Hannah and I were so game for Blue Mondays. It's a great discount day where many of the plates on the menu are put to the cheapest price, which are the dishes which come on blue plates priced at £2.50 each. They also offer a 25% student discount for other days of the week, but we haven't tried that. I mean, what better way to cheer up a Monday with a conveyor belt of sushi?

YO! Sushi

Katie's Actual Birthday at Hudson's, Putney

So on Katie's actual birthday we got up and had cake for breakfast. Yum yum yum. I told you there was a lot of cake! Mum, Dad and Nanna met us at Katie's flat and she eventually made up her mind as to where she wanted to go for lunch, and decided on somewhere she said she runs past a lot (marathon in training, again!) in Putney, called Hudson's.

Clearly it was popular as when we got there 'sans réservation' they told us to come back in half an hour, so we had a drink (alcoholic and not) at the pub down the road. We went back to Hudson's and basked in all its Halloween decorated glory. Our favourite decoration had to be the bat attached to the fan on the ceiling. Hello bat flying around the ceiling in circles!

Fly little bat!!

Katie's Birthday in Clapham

So, last weekend my big sister added another year to her age (but she's not that old ... yet!) so I headed home for the weekend. (And I took my laptop, which is now fixed, yay, so expect some more blogs if I'm not too busy planning my life for when I graduate!). I managed to find a sneaky fast train home, so was back half an hour faster than normal and enjoyed a lovely evening with my family. Even if it did involve me claiming that Katie's birthday present was the lift I gave her at 2am so she didn't have to drive.

On Saturday, we spent some time in Berkhamsted in the morning, I went to see my friends at the computer shop - "Oh yes, it's you with the pink computer!" - and we stopped at the King's Arms for a warming drink, and some cake. Hot chocolates, coffees, carrot cake and coffee and walnut cake.

Lots of cake, coffe and chocolate

Heat Up With Hot Chocolate

As the weather gets colder and I want to warm myself up, I have been indulging in hot chocolate a little too often... To try and cut the habit of trips to the on-campus Starbucks and Costa which are just there to tempt me, even when I do take the cheap option that costs £1 from the university cafés, the best thing for me to do is bring my own. I use my pink Contigo travel mug which keeps my drink hot all day long (though it definitely doesn't last the duration of the day... Who can drink hot chocolate that slowly?!).

The only issue is, instant hot chocolate is no way near as exciting as all those syrups that you can add in the coffee shops, but I have found some ways to mix it up a bit and have some fun. My weapon of choice is Galaxy hot chocolate, though I won't say no to Cadbury's either.

Handbags and Gladrags!

I always have my eye on handbags, but once I get a new one I will stick with it for a while and rarely swap around the bag I use - I can never be bothered to swap everything across from one to another, and if I have that bag, it's because I like it and want to use it.

But I can't be stopped from eyeing up what's on offer... Even if the ones I like do seem to follow a set trend in size... shape... and colour!

A Weekly Catch Up

I had a feeling that when uni came back around I might find myself struggling with keeping up the blog - I like to make time for it within all the work but I'm afraid my life at uni as a fourth and final year just isn't quite as exciting as it once was!

I'm back in lectures and classes at full force now, with plenty of work to keep me occupied - last Saturday's tapas night seems like a distant memory... So along with work, work, work, I had a grammar test for French; luckily it was just diagnostic, so I decided to wing it sans-revision to see exactly where I'm at after a year... translating set sentences is harder than just saying what you want to in French.

Working Hard

Saddle Up and Heels Down in Riding Boots

I spend most of my time wearing boots. I swap directly between summer and flip flops, to winter and boots. I don't really do in between unless I want to smarten up, and even then manage to get blisters after spending half a year looking to replace my flats which inevitably fall apart and leave me struggling to find a pair that my feet look good in!

Unfortunately, too much boot wearing has killed my boots. I still live in Uggs, both pairs have lasted me for ages, but my other boots aren't so lucky, so now I want to replace my riding style boots - I say 'style' because to me riding boots me Dublin and Ariat and go hand in hand with mucking out.

I really like these choices, though should maybe also pay attention to some of the price tags. A student can dream surely..?

Tasty Tapas - Our Spanish Saturday Night In

Partying clearly doesn't really happen in our house! We had a sociable Saturday night in with girls from our course, and as three out of the five of us (not me) study Spanish, what better way than a tapas night? We decided we would put together a dish per person, so we each had something to make/bring.

We checked out Hannah's 'Little Tapas Book' for some ideas, and decided on patatas bravas (potatoes) and a tortilla (Spanish omelette) with aioli/allioli/garlic mayonnaise/whatever you fancy calling it. We also had garlic prawns, chorizo, queso manchego and some lovely bread. We didn't need anything else!

Warm Winter Coats

So I realised I have had the same two winter coats since lower 6th form, when I was 17.... I think it's time to refresh them up a bit! The reason I have had them so long though is because I can just never find one that is quite right, there's always something wrong with them.

I like to have choices in coats as well, I have my smart coat which buttons up and ties at the front with a big collar, and I have a quilted jacket which I think is actually a riding jacket (I got it before they were all over the high street) and it seems to have lost its padding and is now too big for me, but this is my more casual coat. Paired with my Hunters and a golfing umbrella I look very country at the side of a rugby pitch!

I have been out scouring the web for some choices, and think I may have to go and start trying on before it gets too cold and I give up trying to replace my coat for another year running.

That Friday Feeling

So I've now been back in Nottingham for two weeks, and it has been exhausting. There has been so much to get my head around and people to see, things to do and classes to attend, and now I have a long list of work to get done (hence last week I made the most of not having any work to do!).

Everybody I spoke to seemed to be heading out to Ocean to dance the night away, the queue at the SU office to collect tickets was pretty long, so I think most of the uni must have been headed for. But we didn't want that in our house... after two long weeks getting ourselves back in to the flow of things, plus I had a surprise 'diagnostic' translation from French thrown at me in my last class of the day, all the three of us wanted to do was have a nice evening in. (But who knew a trip to Sainsbury's could take so long? Hannah and I were in there for way more than an hour... oops.)

My view during dinner

New York - Being Tourists at Last!

Whoopsy daisy, my blog hasn't had much love in the past week. What with being back at university, lectures properly starting this week, people to see and getting back on the trampolining bandwagon, I haven't really had the time to talk about what else happened in New York after Shake Shack.

We spent our Sunday getting all the touristy things done - so that we had Monday left for some last minute eating and shopping before jetting back to Heathrow from JFK. (Where I must add, we were greeted by a freezing Tuesday morning.)

Caramel Apple Spice Starbucks

New York - Shake Shack, Madison Square Park

Shake Shack at night

So somewhere that Katie kept going on about that we had to try was Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. I think she was excited by the hype that surrounds the one that recently opened in Covent Garden which apparently always has a massive queue -  haven't seen that though... I have been in completely the wrong country. So, we had to try out the original while were in New York, obviously.

Back to Nottingham - #FinalYear!

So I moved back up to Nottingham a couple of days ago for my fourth and final year. So far, all I have wanted to do is annotate everything with #Notts #UoN #FinalYear ... having been away from uni for so long, it's surreal to be back. I was going through the list of meetings and talks I have to go to this week before lectures and classes start next week and have to double check which building they are all in, fingers crossed I'll find them! (I will, I'm just unnecessarily stressing!)

I have a touch of pink in the kitchen too

New York - Keeping The Standard High at Le Bain

It was a Saturday, so obviously drinks were a must! The Standard High Line is a much talked-about hotel right on the High Line in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan. It's well known for its brunches, but what we wanted was the view!

So, we went to join the queue for Le Bain, the penthouse disco and rooftop bar in The Standard. I also just read that in the summer the disco has a plunge pool in the middle of the dance floor. Amazing!

New York - Exploring the West Side of Manhattan

We spent a slow Saturday afternoon exploring the West Side of Manhattan, with most of it being spent up on the High Line. We did stop off at Wicked Willy's Bar on Bleecker Street for one cocktail on the way - well we had already started at brunch, so why not keep going? We had seen the Wicked Willy's bus/bike/whatever they choose to call it the day before pre-Peanut Butter stop, and thought it looked like fun. Or in their words, 'Time flies when you're having rum'. Step inside in to the Caribbean, with signs to different Caribbean islands pointing in the correct direction and how many miles they were away. They also had funny quips posted around the bar, such as 'If you're drinking to forget, please pay in advance' and 'Men - No shirt, No service. Women - No shirt, Drinks'. I didn't manage to get any snaps in there though, you will have to visit yourself!

The Sunburnt Cow, New York

I've had issues with a broken computer and no internet since coming back from New York and moving back to uni, so I had to wait for all of that to be sorted so I could add some lovely photos!

Something that New York has a bit of a reputation for is the drunk brunch. Obviously we had to put it to the test! My issue with brunch is generally that I'm an early riser so want breakfast sooner rather than later, but this time I held out for long enough! Having spoken to a few people and a bit of searching for places to brunch on Google, our destination of choice was The Sunburnt Cow.

Clearly a popular place!

New York City Break Part 2

Enjoying the view

We decided we should at least do some touristy things while we were in New York (most of the afternoons turned in to shopping!) and we did manage to walk around the majority of New York, well, up to about halfway up central park.

New York City Break

So, I have just returned from an unbelievable long weekend in New York City, and back to the world of blogging, with a little bit more pink in my life!

Back to blogging with some pretty pink bracelets

I managed over 400 photos, and still wish that I had taken more. (I pity anyone who comes across my Facebook, it will soon be photo overload!). I'm not sure what the best part of our city break was, so I'll go through it from the start, though it may take a little time.

Instagramming away!

New York, New York!

Carrie Bradshaw, eat your heart out! Katie and I are coming!
On a more serious note, I leave for the airport in about 10 hours, need to go bed now but seriously need to pack and actually work out what I'm taking with me... I have no clue! How many pairs of shoes are necessary..?!
So I may be on the quiet side this week, but be prepared for a full city break follow up once in back!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, at the request of my mum (any excuse to bake!), I rustled up some cookies for her tennis friends one Sunday. Apparently the freshly baked cookies went down very well mid-play!
I've still yet to master cookies that rise and stay risen, I always find that once you take them out of the oven they still go flat, but are still tasty!

Mixing it up

The Breakfast Club & Rugby

So, my sister is on her company's touch rugby team, and they had spare tickets for the Aviva Premiership London Double Header at Twickenham. Hardcore Saracens supporters that we are in our family, I was definitely there!

I got the train in to London to meet Katie (I still haven't quite got my head round the fact that she does live there now... I must have been in France for too long!), and we went for brunch at The Breakfast Club in Battersea Rise. This is the first time I have ventured here, though Katie sings its praises. This particular Breakfast Club is influence by a '50s style kitchen along with a launderette - I was sitting with washing machines behind me!

Me and my washing machines

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Cinnamon Cupcakes

So finally, I have met my birthday present. The gorgeous raspberry ice KitchenAid. So, my favourite things to bake are cupcakes, so they had to be the first thing I made.
Firstly... Oh. My. Gosh. I love it... so easy to mix things up and far quicker than the handheld electric whisk I would normally use.

It's so shiny and pink!

Chocolate, cinnamon and peanut butter cupcakes

The Kings Arms Berkhamsted - Welcome Home!

So yesterday I made it back safe and sound from Cannes and am trying to find my feet again! I got on the plane, avoiding any tears; I was so close at one point then realised people around me would think that I was a bit weird, crying in the queue to board, so pulled myself together!

I landed in London to glorious sunshine and hopped in the car with my dad and did the M25 with the roof down and wasn't cold. However it is now chilly and wet, I'm not impressed and a bit scared to venture outside today. I was greeted home by a big banner across our dining room window, some balloons and my mummy. It is good to be back!

My Third Year Abroad in Cannes - Looking Back on Life!

To quote one of my favourite films, Grease (note to self, I haven't seen this recently enough - find DVD when home!):
"... is this the end?"

"Of course not; it's only the beginning."

Sophie and I, 29/08/2013

I have now spent a year and a week exactly in Cannes, with about a total of a week in days spent in the UK, and when I wasn't on the Riviera I was skiing, and now it's time to say goodbye.

I can't believe that so much has happened in a year. There have been highs and lows, ups and downs, but I wouldn't change any of it.

Monaco Madness - Twizy Time

So each time I go to Monaco, I come back thinking what exactly have I done all day and what is there to do there? Spend an hour on the train, see stunning views all the way from Cannes - Villefranche is in a world of its own for views - and then I find myself walking a bit aimlessly around Monaco for a while, go for lunch and then head back to Cannes.

Monaco last November

A Luxury Yacht Charter on the French Riviera!

So, I have spent the past 9 months staring at yachts and boats all day every day for work, and have had the chance to go out on twice on a little rib and a solid little motorboat. Once in May when it hadn't quite warmed up yet, but the sun was out and shining and the waters were clear. We also went out on perhaps the cloudiest day in August on a Key Largo, and the sea was rather dark and choppy... Still it was fun being up front an splashed/drenched in the waves. Surprise surprise there's no picture proof of the day as it wasn't camera safe!

Pretending to drive

A Guide to Cannes Part 4: Nightlife and Clubs in Cannes

So, down to the juicy stuff. I've written about my favourite bars and beaches, but where in Cannes do you go if you really want to party? You can probably find the majority of this on Google, but it helps to give them a bit more description!

I wrote about B.Pub as one of the best bars, and it does then turn itself in to a club. However, B.Pub isn't open all night, so when it closes head on to Bâoli!

Baoli: exterior

Autumn Awaits: My Autumn Wardrobe Wants

So the summer is coming to an end and I'm heading home from Cannes relatively soon, and I really don't know what to expect of the weather! I've also reached the point that I'm a bit bored of summer clothes and my summer wardrobe - it's too late in the summer now to buy more clothes so I'm thinking of the next season. I don't want to wish the summer away but can't wait to snuggle up in warm clothes!

Pool Party in Cannes - Hotel 3.14 Rooftop!

Something I have seen and heard about quite a bit this summer in Cannes is the Hotel 3.14 Pool Party. It often flashes up on my Facebook and I always catch a glance of the 3.14 private beach along the Croisette. I also like their website - it has a gnome in a plane that flies about on the corner of the screen, it's cute!

3.14 Pool Party hosted by Nonchalance

Happy 24th August! The Liberation of Cannes Celebrations

So I knew that the 24th August was an important date around here - well they named a road after it, Rue du 24 Août, and given I live by Rue du 11 Novembre, when you name a road after a date, it's important!

Cannes celebrates the anniversary of its liberation by allied forces on the 24th August 1944. The City of Cannes commemorated this day 69 years later with a parade all the way along the Rue d'Antibes and up to the Hôtel de Ville.

Leading the Parade

My 21st Birthday - Cannes Style! Part 3

My 21st Birthday Part 2!
After sitting on the side of the beach at a table for long enough, we ventured along La Croisette to hit the real beach. (Via the hotel they were staying at to get bikinis etc.) and just lay around in the sunshine until about 8pm... when we decided we should probably head back to the flat and prepare for the onslaught of interns (just kidding, all the guys I work with!) arriving for the evening.

We buried Alice... and sat Thomas on top of her!

My 21st Birthday - Cannes Style! Part 2

My 21st Birthday Part 1

One of my gifts from my cousin!

So, the morning of involved a pretty boring bowl of cereal (they had finished off the nice red berries one during the week when I had been in the office), but a nice pile of envelopes and one wrapped up present - bringing cards among all the camping stuff was far easier for them! So Katie and I are going to New York in September (I can't wait!) so when most people were questioning what I might like for my birthday, I did suggest money for the shopping opportunity that the Big Apple presents! As you may have guessed, I'm a bit of a baking fanatic, so the wrapped up present I did receive was full of baking goodies; a pink silicone spatula, ceramic teaspoon measures, a pink egg timer and a cute pink apron - people know me too well! Katie also gave me a new purse (needed, given that mine was stolen in July...). My main present I don't have yet, but I know what it is!

My 21st Birthday - Cannes Style! Part 1

So, two weeks ago I turned 21. What better place to celebrate it than in Cannes, on the French Riviera? My family well-planned their camping holiday to stay in Camping des Gorges du Loup, so they were only the other side of Grasse to Cannes so easy access to me. Katie turned up a few days earlier than them by plane, there wasn't enough space for her to 'enjoy' the drive down in the car... the troubles with having a convertible!

We even managed a cute sister picture!

A Guide to Cannes Part 3: Life's a Beach - Cannes Private Beaches

Well they say life's a beach... so go to a beach club! The French Riviera is a hubbub of beach clubs, most notably Pampelonne Plage in St Tropez, think Club 55 and Nikki Beach St Tropez, and the long line of private beaches running along La Croisette, Cannes.
It's Saturday, the sun is shining, it's the weekend and where better to be than the beach?

Parasols come in handy when you can't handle the heat!

A Guide to Cannes Part 2: Wine and Cocktails - Bars in Cannes

It's Friday and the weekend is upon us, so why not head out for a cheeky drink or two? Here's my guide to the frequented bars in Cannes, best for your after work or any time in the evening drinks. I've already mentioned Le Grand Café, which is a favourite for after work happy hour cocktails. However, a bottle of wine with some friends when the day is up always goes down well.

What to do when the sun goes down!

Throwback Thursday: Take Me to Milan!

Oh hello Milan!

So, as the summer is coming to an end, and autumn/fall is fast approaching, and I fly back to the UK two weeks today, I thought back to last autumn and what I got up to. The highlight for me was our weekend in Milan! Given I had just finished one job, and Sophie had a rare weekend off from her hotel internship, the two of us and Ben and Adam planned a short weekend trip to Milan.

When Sophie and I suggested we spent a day in Italy, we thought about just getting the train from Cannes through Monaco and to the end of the line, Ventimiglia. The boys, on the other hand, thought outside the box and suggested Milan. 5 hours on the train, why not?!

A Guide to Cannes Part 1: Cafés in Cannes

Having lived in Cannes for almost a year (a week on Thursday to be exact), I feel like I know the place pretty well. So, I thought I'd write about some of my favourite places I have visited, generally on more than one occasion, this year. First up: cafés. Which can only mean... Le Grand Café.

Le Grand Café - Always in the sunshine!

Post Numéro 1!

Recently turned 21, I am approaching the end of my third year abroad in Cannes, France. In September I fly back to the UK and leave the French Riviera to return to my fourth and final year at the University of Nottingham. Which I am slightly excited about, but think I will definitely miss the sun and sea here! I mean, who wants to return to rainy Britain? (And cold, especially when the daily temperature here is around 30°C). Onwards and upwards though! I still have a couple of weeks to enjoy Cannes life, and I have my 21st birthday present to return to at home. My Raspberry Ice KitchenAid - possibly one of the most exciting presents I can remember receiving! It's pink, it's baking, it's me summed up!