Catch-Up Time

This little space of mine has been rather neglected these past few months. My excuse? I've been having a fairly drastic rethink of my career options, and the steps I need to take next have been taking up the majority of my time and energy. But it's okay, guys. I've only been a hermit hunched over my laptop for about 40% of the winter. I reckon that the stuff I've been getting up to for the other 60% deserves to see the light of day! Over December, January and the beginning of this month I have...

...gorged on a belated birthday dinner and drinks at Burger and Lobster with the prodigal sister, who looks more beautiful and grown-up every time she comes home! *sentimental*

...finally managed to catch a glimpse of Word On The Water, a floating bookshop on a barge! I'd absolutely love to spend the day reading to my heart's content while sailing down the London canals.

...been greeted with streaky bacon on top of my noodles for the first time at United Ramen in Islington! It was a fun concept, but my beloved Bone Daddies and Shoryu still top my ramen list. This spring I'm making it my mission to try out Kanada-Ya and Ippudo too. Got to make sure I'm getting the best noodles London has to offer, right?

...spent time with the boy up in the North. Alex was working on a musical in Manchester, which meant that I became intimately acquainted with Mancunian tea and coffee shops over the Christmas period! My favourites in the Northern Quarter included Takk and North Tea Power, though Alex tells me Fig + Sparrow is also not to be missed. Alex was also living in Huddersfield in nearby Yorkshire, whose Victorian architecture and general atmosphere tempted me away from London for a little while.

...discovered that Byron's Oreo milkshakes are heaven in a glass.

...been cheered up by beautiful flowers and cake. This Saint-Honoré confection from the inimitable La Pâtisserie des Rêves in Marylebone is probably one of the best desserts I've had in my life. C'était magnifique. 

...been appreciating my friends. Above, an evening out with some of my favourite people over pizza and cocktails. Friends, old and new, have constantly been swooping in to save me from the horrors of job applications and interviews. For instance, this week Inez and I went on an anime binge together with an Indian takeaway and didn't talk about work once. Bliss.

...woken up to a thin blanket of snow. I love the hush that falls over the urban landscape when snow falls - although the disruption to London's fragile transport system, not so much.

...seen a fair amount of art and culture. I took a trip to the Tate Modern last weekend to get in touch with my inner art historian. Above, Richard Tuttle's giant sculpture in the Turbine Hall, reminiscent of an aircraft in the Tate's hangar-like space. I also saw the Sigmar Polke and Marlene Dumas retrospectives, and found myself falling head over heels for the unique painterly style of the latter. The Dumas exhibition is on until May and absolutely worth a visit for anyone into figurative paintings with female concerns at their core. I also saw the amazing Wedding Dresses exhibition at the V&A (featuring Kate Moss's incredible dress, which I raved about on my Instagram...) I've also been seeing a lot of musical theatre, the highlight being a very special production of City of Angels at the Donmar Warehouse.

...got a wee bit excited when I saw an violet-tinged winter storm hovering threateningly over Westminster, which created the perfect dramatic backdrop for Big Ben. 

...chopped six inches off my mane, which was frankly a bit out of control. My hair feels much lighter  and healthier now. It probably deserves a bit more care though, since I've been waking up to strange 80's waves (as above) and sometimes random pieces sticking straight up! Yup, I live the glamorous life.

What have you all been up to? I've got a bit of free time this afternoon so am hugely looking forward to catching up with my inundated Bloglovin' feed. I'd love to follow a few new blogs too, if anyone has any recommendations!

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