Flowers in the (English) house

A few flowery offerings to join in with Jane who is throwing her monthly flower party ... Check it all out HERE. Anyway, this is my first time joining in from another country as usually I am blogging from Australia. Above is a rose from my parents' garden.. My father very sweetly met me at Heathrow airport with it as a welcome gift. It smells divine.

I have arranged it with some herbs - mint and rosemary from the garden.

This lavender above sits in a bowl on my mantelpiece - also from the garden gathered and dried a couple of summers ago but the scent is still there.

Above to the left a dried seed head. Love the fragility of this in its natural beauty.

The lavender again in the centre with two faux artichokes (f'artichokes, perhaps??!!) in white terracotta pots each side. Have had them for ages but I still love them as much now as the day I bought them.

Shopping from Singapore post next time, promise. (Although have to say we did NOT go mad!)

Singapore Part II and now blogging from Blighty

Much to report since my last post- 'Singapore Part I'. Mr SE flew in to join us and he's still there for the Grand Prix (an annual treat to himself!)

Grand Prix circuit lit up (photo for Mr SE)....

We moved from one hotel to this one below. I know, rather out of this world so to speak. Nearly in the sky to be truthful. The 'ship' part at the top is the infinity swimming pool. Talk about a bit different and such an amazing experience.

Two photos above - me in that pool. Such views from the top.

And Louis Vuitton has a shop on its own island. Madness!

Old and new buildings above.

Singapore's Merlion.

Me and my girl.

And again, after a wonderful dinner at the very top - Skydeck on 57.

Contrasting with all the new buildings - a beautiful street of older characterful architecture.

And of course, no visit to Singapore is complete without a visit to Raffles Hotel.




So, all in all a fabulous time but it's good to be back in England. Next post I'll fill you in on the shopping.

Singapore Part I

Well here we are in Singapore.


I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to be reunited again with my daughter. We have opted for a couple of days staying in Changi to begin with and this afternoon move to a different hotel in the city. The Marina Bay Sands hotel which by all accounts is pretty amazing. That said, our base here in Changi has been lovely. Above is darling daughter practising for the synchronised swimming section of the 2012 Olympics !

And above enjoying a fresh coconut at the Hawker Centre (no Mother, if you are reading this don't worry - we don't have upset stomachs!!)

A view across to Palau Ubin Island where most of the prawn farms are; we saw them landing huge bags of them yesterday morning. And Changi Beach to the right. In spite of its dark past being the site of the Sook Ching massacre by Japanese soldiers during WWII, it's a popular place for Singaporean families to come during the weekend and relax. We are going to visit Changi Prison and Chapel Museum too later on which recounts the Japanese occupation of Singapore during the Second World War.

Gorgeous fresh fruit in the market.

And here above is the now deserted place (some say haunted apparently) that is dear to my heart and which I wanted to show my daughter. Old Changi Hospital where some 50+ years ago I was born. My parents were stationed here in Singapore as a newly married young couple. My father was in the R.A.F. - how different it must have been in those days to live nearly half way around the world. No internet, no mobile phones and indeed too expensive even to use the landline phone. They wrote each week to their respective parents and I sometimes wonder that it must have been quite difficult for my mother in her very early twenties not to have the support of her own mother as she gave birth to her first child. Although I will add that my father was (quite unusually I believe in the 50's) a very 'hands-on' Daddy !!

So all in all a little bit of a nostalgic trip in this fairly quiet (by today's standards) part of Singapore before we go to the bustle and hustle of the metropolis.

Packing up

I think I am a fairly good packer but I have been defeated today. I am off tomorrow for a 2 month trip. The first 5 days are going to be spent in Singapore - think tropical temperatures and heat. Darling daughter is joining me there. Then it is off back to UK where it is far from tropical - back into Autumn weather - and I am there for 7 weeks or so. I am getting frustrated as I want to take my new boots (both pairs), lots of pairs of shoes, plenty of jackets, tops, trousers, (funnily enough come to think of it I haven't allocated any skirts) - is it to late to put one in, I ask myself? And I should really stick to a colour scheme as well - it all looks so dull....Oh help! Wish my suitcase resembled the one below rather than the the one above!

In my frustration I 'googled' packing a suitcase and have discovered the advice below from Fodor :

Slim Down Your Suitcase: 9 Tips for Packing Light
Posted in Practical Travel Tips Fodor's Editors
Let's face it, no one ever came back from vacation saying: "I wish my bags had been heavier." A good traveler's goal is to carry the bare essentials and leave the excess at home. How to put your luggage on a diet? Follow these easy tips:
1. Do your homework. Call the hotel, motel, friend's house where you're staying and ask the following: do they have a hairdryer, iron, ironing board, beach towels, bathrobes, sand toys---basically anything that's bulky and that you'd rather leave at home? If the answer is yes, do not under any circumstances bring your own.
2. Check temperatures and events at your destination. Only pack what corresponds---do not bring "just in case" clothes.
3. Choose a central color to pack around. A neutral such as brown, black, or tan is a good place to start, then bring accessories and accent pieces that go with this color palette.
4. The numbers game. A good rule of thumb for trips less than one week is one shirt per day, one layering jacket or sweater, one bottom per every two days (but never less than two pairs of pants), no more than two pairs of shoes (one you wear and one you pack), underwear for every day, and seasonal additions, like a bathing suit.
5. Wash it out. If you're traveling for more than a week, follow the same numbers as above and plan on washing clothes instead of bringing more. If you're in a country with a good exchange rate, or aren't on a tight budget, take advantage of the hotel laundry service or dry cleaning. Otherwise, bring individual packets of Woolite and a travel stain-treatment stick (Tide to Go is the best one).
6. Write it down. Make detailed lists of everything you plan to bring. That way you can easily see if you've allotted six pairs of pants for a four-day trip. Be honest, note everything---including socks and underwear---and then stick to your list when packing.
7. Downsize toiletries. Pick up travel-size versions of your favorite products whenever you see them, not just when you're getting ready to travel. If you can't find miniatures, buy small plastic bottles and decant from larger products.
8. Wear your heaviest shoes, sweater, and jacket. That way, you don't have to pack them.
9. Pack outside your bag. Before you actually pack your suitcase, pile everything you plan to bring on your bed or dresser. This is your opportunity to eye your clothes and cull a few more items. If you pack directly into your suitcase, you'll be tempted to throw in a few extra items (trust us, you will). Once you've made the final edit, pack only what's in front of you. If you've followed our advice, your suitcase should now be a lean, mean, traveling machine: happy travels.

Hmmmm, some fairly good advice there. Ah well, think I had better go back upstairs and take another good hard look at what I intend to take with me on this long trip. One thing I will tell you though is that I am SO EXCITED and I can hardly wait to see my daughter - last time was around 6 months ago and we are going to have such a great time in Singapore before going on back to England. If I can I will post from Singapore but otherwise my next post will be from England.

So farewell from me for a while.....

Loving this UK website

If you don't know this fabulous English website I definitely recommend you take a peek. Great clothes, as well as vintage bits and bobs, and a 'street fashion' section. Oh, and a lifestyle and books section too. Could it get any better... ? Well, actually it can - FREE, yes, you read correctly, FREE worldwide shipping this weekend till Monday 12th September. Run, don't walk and click HERE

Happy Shopping and a Happy Weekend to all. (Don't forget to enter the code GLOBE at checkout to get the free shipping by the way.)


p.s. No, I haven't been paid in any way to write about Coggles.com - just love them, that's all.

My friend Ms. Maple

My dear friend Ms. S (aka Ms. Maple) has at last (!) begun her blog.....

Please go and visit here HERE and follow her too if you feel so inclined - that would be a wonderful welcome to the world of blogging for her. I know you won't be disappointed and I also know for sure that her blog will be filled with all manner of delicious and delightful goodies over the coming months. A real treat.

And Hostess am sure you will particularly enjoy - she hails orginally from Vancouver.