tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58085847792340061312024-03-14T09:17:34.487+00:00The Stage Mommy Diariesmommyhood and everything in between...food,fashion and travel, that is.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.comBlogger220125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-5380583107778429912016-05-18T00:03:00.002+01:002016-05-18T00:04:20.483+01:00The Stage Mommy Has Moved To A New AddressFor a better and newer website experience, please click on the link to the new Stage Mommy<br />
<br />
www.thestagemommy.com<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jNSJi45rfaM/VzujOzuQ8fI/AAAAAAAAD2w/wsnkj48RLdIpNmev0vRZLJ1OyUZ0Hjt2gCLcB/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jNSJi45rfaM/VzujOzuQ8fI/AAAAAAAAD2w/wsnkj48RLdIpNmev0vRZLJ1OyUZ0Hjt2gCLcB/s640/FullSizeRender%2B4.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-29234363800392843642016-04-08T00:20:00.001+01:002016-04-08T00:20:15.859+01:00The New Stage Mommy<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c8hKG-phsZA/VwbrLRInQhI/AAAAAAAAD1k/sVIK41QtBy8/s640/blogger-image-999534564.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c8hKG-phsZA/VwbrLRInQhI/AAAAAAAAD1k/sVIK41QtBy8/s640/blogger-image-999534564.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Please feel free to visit our new and better website on our new site address. Don't forget to subscribe so you can get new posts straight to your inbox.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-53140803383950038412016-04-06T07:47:00.001+01:002016-04-06T16:23:08.481+01:00The Stage Mommy is MovingAside from our website overhaul, we are also moving to a new address. Please stay tuned and apologies for the lack of posts while we gear up for a newer and better Stage Mommy!<div><br></div><div>Thank you!</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-81204263961342075272016-03-21T12:29:00.000+00:002016-03-21T13:43:02.383+00:00Book Review: The Girl On The Train<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SpNmeQAJUns/Vu_MkGUkAVI/AAAAAAAAD1M/Cd2aw0Ekyl0WSPjEbedNesjlXDKpBvGqA/s1600/IMG_4888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SpNmeQAJUns/Vu_MkGUkAVI/AAAAAAAAD1M/Cd2aw0Ekyl0WSPjEbedNesjlXDKpBvGqA/s640/IMG_4888.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I love to read so I think it is but appropriate to have a regular book review on this blog, a book club if you like. As much as I love to read, I have lost touch with the beauty of reading as life got in the way. In the last few months, I have started reading again. I have started reading real books, the one that you actually hold in your hands and be able to actually flip the pages. </span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One of my new year's resolutions is to read at least one book a month (that might change haha) and post in here what I think about it. Beware of my disclaimer as I am not a literary critic so don’t expect New York Times bestseller type of reviews. I will review books the way I know how, the stage mommy way.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">My first ever book review on the blog is The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I am easily taken by thrillers and this particular book promises hair raising suspense. I swear I couldn’t put this book down for the life of me. The main character's constant blackouts makes the story more confounding and I love how the author made three of the characters carry out the narration in the book. Knowing what the other characters are thinking during the course of the story makes it more interesting than it already is.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The main character, Rachel, is an alcoholic whose life went for the worse when her marriage collapsed. Her husband left her for another woman, Anna, whose character takes one of the three narrations in the story. Rachel takes the train to London daily and has been obsessed with a couple (whom she calls Jess and Jason) who sits on their balcony each morning and whom she sees from where she sits on the train. She develops a compulsive familiarity with the couple even though she only sees them from afar. On one of her daily commutes, she "witnessed" something odd about the couple. She learned a few days later that Jess, </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">who is actually named Megan, who takes the third narration in the story, has been missing since that last particular day she saw them on the balcony. One puzzling thing is that she feels she holds the answer to the mystery of Megan's disappearance as she has been having flashbacks of herself walking along the street where Megan lives, injured and bloodied, on the night she disappeared. The story slowly unravels from there, out of the twists and turns that the author cleverly fabricated into the story. We later on learn that each and every character in the story are somewhat interrelated with a very interesting back </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">story in each of them.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The concept of what happened to Megan and how Rachel could hold the answer to the mystery of her disappearance as manifested by her flashbacks is the gripping component of this book. I just couldn't wait to finish it to know what actually happened to Megan and what was Rachel's connection to it.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I really enjoyed this book and if you are like me who loves the thrill of a suspense story then this book is for you.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; line-height: normal;">
<br>
<span style="font-size: large;">The book is soon to be released on film by Dream Works with Emily Blunt as Rachel.</span></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
<div style="color: #454545; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<br></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-56746248365658868432016-03-19T23:11:00.001+00:002016-03-19T23:13:48.047+00:005 Best Things In Paris<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXCNKkuIQMQ/Vu3YizPAECI/AAAAAAAAD0I/3vy_MZvl6ag6GYaZsbr69asq6MgxgrqiA/s1600/10600529_10202709120873357_1036153849364122373_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mXCNKkuIQMQ/Vu3YizPAECI/AAAAAAAAD0I/3vy_MZvl6ag6GYaZsbr69asq6MgxgrqiA/s640/10600529_10202709120873357_1036153849364122373_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;">Paris is hands down one of the best destinations in Europe. It is like a dream. To wake up to the heavenly smell of croissants with a view of the Eiffel tower is what every romantic’s dreams are made of. But Paris is not just all about romance. It caters to all. I made a list of the best things in the city of lights so you don’t have to.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osy8l562UQo/Vu3ZLW7w7KI/AAAAAAAAD0Q/qlgu4lFirq8VnRfcPZ3hLbRmyxexseltA/s1600/image14.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="522" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-osy8l562UQo/Vu3ZLW7w7KI/AAAAAAAAD0Q/qlgu4lFirq8VnRfcPZ3hLbRmyxexseltA/s640/image14.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thegoodlife.com/angelina-tea-room-paris" target="_blank">image</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;">High on my list is a visit to Angelina’s Tea Room. The hot chocolate is not called the best hot chocolate in town for nothing. And if the decadence of the hot chocolate is not enough to lure you in, I am sure the opulence of the interior will. Coco Chanel was known to frequent the place.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SoM9K4qi93c/Vu3Zqj3hlNI/AAAAAAAAD0U/kL55_BMumGYMdHqT0i5mP_03gdP-GKr7A/s1600/20850594540_88b0e1b279_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SoM9K4qi93c/Vu3Zqj3hlNI/AAAAAAAAD0U/kL55_BMumGYMdHqT0i5mP_03gdP-GKr7A/s640/20850594540_88b0e1b279_k.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/carloszgz/20850594540/in/photolist-ezUxHE-a85DpU-xLuKkj-ezQQiZ-atNJNH-atNJGp-9Tv1EH-xwvmWe-atNJzX-pUgAKC-2nn3AM-pqR8XE-eqw2c5-sjeFTh-pqSB4e-dA1t14-pqR51G-s2WwyH-pV3yty-azkQbT-t3LEPg-eA7f7U-4TMny1-4THayr-ahpekr" target="_blank">image</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;">A walk through Tuileries Garden is a must when in Paris. Take the less beaten path and explore the beauty of this garden. Located between the Louvre museum and Place De La Concorde, there is so much to see and do here. You can grab a chair for free and enjoy its several fountains and sculptures aside from the beautiful flower display.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VfapkEExndg/Vu3Z8s9GVvI/AAAAAAAAD0c/kmcdFnOCxzwkirkzVEpqnFgY60LJ5wMYA/s1600/14524274070_d294b411f9_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VfapkEExndg/Vu3Z8s9GVvI/AAAAAAAAD0c/kmcdFnOCxzwkirkzVEpqnFgY60LJ5wMYA/s640/14524274070_d294b411f9_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/14524274070/in/photolist-o8sGEs-5DqFZC-opXwGT-cNYggf-cNYpEE-dj3jzy-dj32yo-dj3pMd-73T9pR-73XdsJ-73X4P1-73XgEL-73Teav-73X5sW-o9VLc9-o7YgSo-nSw5B7-o7Y9d5-o9VEiL-7w8pyF-dj3esL-kNMGpy-kNMLV7-dj2Mfh-dj2Tjn-dj2Rdr-mHN7UC-q4GGjP-dj3xMs-dj3AHn-6i8zdE-8VBuL-dj2MW4-dj2U9P-dj2XJU-dj2VSg-dj2XNF-dUUzeU-dj3ged-dj3dzj-73T75a-73T6mi-73Taap-73T5AB-73WYEq-73T5Qn-73WYp9-73X9Sh-73WY6w-73T3cD" target="_blank">image</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #222222; font-family: 'PT Serif', serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 30px;">
A visit to the Louvre museum should not be missed. The Louvre is one of the biggest museums in the world with Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo among its collections. I.M Pei’s pyramid on the courtyard is also an art to reckon with.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kwNBOBeZXas/Vu3ac8hv7dI/AAAAAAAAD0o/Cs3L8JKdEzcleUTDmV_8RsJjsivRCMKcQ/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kwNBOBeZXas/Vu3ac8hv7dI/AAAAAAAAD0o/Cs3L8JKdEzcleUTDmV_8RsJjsivRCMKcQ/s640/image.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoshots/4873695366/sizes/o/" target="_blank">image</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;">What is missing from your view when you are at the top of the Eiffel tower? The Eiffel tower, of course. This is why going up the Arc de Triompe is as worth it as going up the Eiffel tower itself. The view of the Champs Elysees below is also one for the books. One of the most beautiful avenues in the world.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oo4r7qN20Sg/Vu3a9gwekxI/AAAAAAAAD00/rUUjE271j8MhiFdEQxUoM6dqGPKvGPJWw/s1600/image2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oo4r7qN20Sg/Vu3a9gwekxI/AAAAAAAAD00/rUUjE271j8MhiFdEQxUoM6dqGPKvGPJWw/s640/image2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;">If seeing the Eiffel tower from the Arc De Triompe is really not enough and that you have to see the most famous structure in the world up close then beat the long lines by either taking the stairs rather than the elevator or book yourself a lovely meal in one of the restaurants at the top. Either way, going up the Eiffel tower is one of the best experiences any tourist could have.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "pt serif" , serif; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-87258446845136075982016-03-15T21:58:00.002+00:002016-03-23T18:32:27.471+00:00The Importance of Me Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Egubv4MYSZY/VuhjF53QE0I/AAAAAAAADzY/OBplw6J_QOMrdKmulGMXqJTskV4FxrGRA/s1600/candles%2Bwith%2Bmag.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Egubv4MYSZY/VuhjF53QE0I/AAAAAAAADzY/OBplw6J_QOMrdKmulGMXqJTskV4FxrGRA/s640/candles%2Bwith%2Bmag.jpeg" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">If truth be told, we ladies tend to overlook ourselves because we are always too busy taking care of our squad. Aside from running a household, we also bring home the bacon. Gone were the days when the lady of the house stays in the house. With the rise of girl power and feminism, we not only want to run our household, we also want to run the world. Nothing wrong with that. In fact everybody wins. Unfortunately, we forget ourselves in the long run. We get drained and eventually, our surroundings gets affected. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Someone once said that we need to fill up our well to be able to pour out from it. This is why having that much needed time for ourselves is very important for us to be able to take care of others. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Studies suggest that making time for ourselves and making ourselves a priority makes us happier and more able to take care of the people around us. Not only that, it also improves concentration making us more productive and strengthens our relationships. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">So how should we spend our me time? I for one believes in the power of me time. For me, it does not have to be elaborate. Doing the things I love always does the trick. I love to read so having a couple of hours reading a book or browsing my favourite sites online is good for me. Watching my favourite series or programs uninterrupted is another thing. Spending time with a friend to catch up with things also counts for me. But my ultimate me time is being able to leisurely browse the shops in my own time whether it is actual shopping or window shopping. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Schedule time for yourself regularly, be it for a 30 minute run or a nap, whatever it is, it is the best thing you can do for your family as you will be in your best form to take care of them.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<br>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-48674259286182923432016-03-14T14:50:00.001+00:002016-03-15T18:56:45.772+00:00Five Faves<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bbqcBZne1uc/VubHqvpXuII/AAAAAAAADzE/HVgypwAMdDMiMWODBe0nE84MjAL5LRybg/s1600/IMG_4844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bbqcBZne1uc/VubHqvpXuII/AAAAAAAADzE/HVgypwAMdDMiMWODBe0nE84MjAL5LRybg/s640/IMG_4844.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
It has been awhile since I posted my last five favourites. Life got in the way and I haven't been very consistent with my posts. Without further adieu, here are my latest favourites.<br>
<br>
1.Dyptique candle in Baies - Dyptique is the world's favourite candle and their Baies scent in particular has a cult following. My first Dyptique was a gift from a friend (Mimosa scent) and I have to say, once you go luxe as far candles are concerned, you never go back. I used it sparingly so it lasted me forever. I burned it for the last time by the end of last year and decided to get a new one as a Christmas present for myself. Selfridges was having an online sale that time so I actually grabbed a bargain. I was tempted to get the Mimosa scent again which I love but at the last minute chose Baies as I was quite curious of its cult following. When I first lighted it, I knew why. It's scent is so heavenly like a bouquet of roses scented with blackcurrant leaves, exactly how the people at Dyptique describes it.<br>
<br>
2. Beehive vase - my newfound love of flowers has a consequence, a newfound love of vases. I found this unusual one whilst browsing at The Range, a home store here in the UK. I love that the white and gold compliments any flower I place in it.<br>
<br>
3. Clinique Color Pop Lipstick - I love my lipstick and nothing beats the exhilarating feeling of opening a new one. This particular new lipstick of mine is from Clinique. The reason I love this is the fact that it is very hydrating and very pigmented that even their nude ones (I've never been fan of nude) really pops on the lips. Exactly how the name suggests.<br>
<br>
4.Statement Cushions - I have been meaning to get rid of my cushions as I have had them since we moved in the house, about 10 years! Cringe. I am drawn lately to cushions that has quotes and characters on them and I have been loving the alphabet cushions from Next. Very inexpensive but good quality.<br>
<br>
5. Kate Spade watch - My sister in law introduced me to Kate Spade and since then I have been a fan. I particularly love their handbags and now their watches. This particular simple silver watch has that spade logo in pink, a flair Kate Spade is known for.<br>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-54139006907187197152016-03-05T16:38:00.000+00:002016-03-05T16:44:47.814+00:00How To Get Published On The Huffington Post<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ajA-5YWnju0/VrO70NHbzYI/AAAAAAAADx4/IbRjDNQVv20/s1600/21713977623_7d69d4e6a8_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ajA-5YWnju0/VrO70NHbzYI/AAAAAAAADx4/IbRjDNQVv20/s640/21713977623_7d69d4e6a8_c.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/image-catalog/21713977623/sizes/l" target="_blank">image source</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Huffington Post is one of the biggest and multi awarded digital platforms in the world and the </span><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;"> first commercially run United States</span><span style="color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;"> digital media enterprise to win a Pulitzer Prize (Wikipedia)</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">. </span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">To have your article published in it is such a privilege. There is no wonder a lot of aspiring writers are clamouring for that chance. I have been lucky enough to have my article accepted and published in January of this year.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have heard of people sending their work and never hear anything but this did not stop me from trying. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? I have written a post about children and technology on this blog which I have always felt is a good post to be featured in the Parents section as it is about the struggles of parents in our digital time. I also know that this is one of the things that Arianna Huffington (founder and editor in chief) is passionate about, aside from sleep. If you have read her book Thrive, you would know what I’m talking about. <u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Huffington Post has an article submission form but when I was doing my research online, I found out that this is not the best way. Most people who got published emailed their work to the editors themselves and some to Arianna Huffington herself. I emailed my article to one of the editors from the Parents section but after a week of not hearing from them, I decided to email Arianna Huffington herself. She replied exactly a week after. She wrote in her email that they are interested in running my piece and that she will get one of the editors to get in touch with me. This was in November of last year and by December, no editor has contacted me. It was the Christmas rush and life got in the way so I put it in the back burner. After the Christmas season, I decided to email one of the UK editors as I’m based in the UK. I forwarded Arianna’s email to them saying I have not heard from any editor. I got a reply just a few minutes after sending the email and was set up with a blogger account in the next 24 hours. I submitted my article a few days later and it went live in less than 24 hours. You can read it <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/raquel-nakila/it-is-time-to-look-up_b_8918150.html" target="_blank">here</a>.<u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To summarize, here is a step by step way of how to go about making your dream of being published on the Huffington Post finally come true.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">FIRST:<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Write an article that you are passionate about. Something that is written from the heart resonates better compared to something that is written only because it is a popular topic. of course, it has be a topic about something that is in consonance with the times. You could also use an article that you have already posted on your blog. The Huffington Post is fine with this as long as it is an original.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SECOND:<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Edit. edit. edit. I heard the editors at the Huffington Post are really busy that they don’t have time to heavily edit articles. A well edited piece has a better chance of being published. I read and re-read my article a hundred times. I also asked a friend who used to be my associate editor in our school paper to read and edit it for me. You might not see any more grammatical error but someone with fresh eyes might do. He did find a couple of sentences that needs rewording.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">THIRD:<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once you are happy with your article, it is time to think of a good pitch. They receive thousands of pitch emails and you need something that will really catch their eye. This is how I worded mine.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T7LA7XC0lMc/VrTDc_9clkI/AAAAAAAADyI/QfEk9PbFyUs/s640/blogger-image--1185083269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T7LA7XC0lMc/VrTDc_9clkI/AAAAAAAADyI/QfEk9PbFyUs/s640/blogger-image--1185083269.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some people say it is best to include your head shot. I did but once I got my account, I don’t think it matters as it is you who is going to place your head shot in your profile but please do include a short bio.<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">FOURTH:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Email it to the editor whom you think is appropriate for your topic or to Arianna herself. Their email addresses are available on the HuffPost website or google like I did. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">FIFTH:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sit back and relax now that you have done the hard part. If you haven't heard in 2 weeks, follow up and if you still haven't heard, don't lose hope and try again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Good luck.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-37048253295253991132016-01-01T11:50:00.000+00:002016-03-05T16:39:42.673+00:00The Stage Mommy In 2015: The Highlights<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2015 was the year that we travelled the most, which makes travel the highlight of our year. We love to travel as a family but 2015 saw us travelling to places we have never even dreamed of.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlrBaBJLAF0/VoZpjjJEb9I/AAAAAAAADxg/HOJ8dXVf4-0/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MlrBaBJLAF0/VoZpjjJEb9I/AAAAAAAADxg/HOJ8dXVf4-0/s640/FullSizeRender%2B%25282%2529.jpg" width="574" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first quarter of the year had us travelling across the pond. America has always been a dream destination and in 2015 we decided to take the plunge. I started planning our itinerary towards the end of 2014 and contacted friends and family for meet ups. Little did we know that a suggestion from a friend would lead us to a road trip to Canada and have the opportunity to see in awe the magnificent Niagara Falls which we are very grateful for. Seeing the Statue of Liberty, the White House and going up to the 87th floor of the Empire State Building also was something to be grateful for.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRrTeBJYof8/VoZi1HSobHI/AAAAAAAADxE/mIuly1IGhKw/s1600/IMG_4205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRrTeBJYof8/VoZi1HSobHI/AAAAAAAADxE/mIuly1IGhKw/s640/IMG_4205.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The second quarter had us travelling to Norway to visit family in Oslo. Norway is not on our travel wish list and I am glad that the presence of family lured us there because we fell in love with its natural beauty and very ancient history. No wonder parts of it was the inspiration for the Disney movie Frozen. We have yet to see the fjords and the Northern lights. Norway, we are not done with you.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbj02fcFeH0/VoZd2EYVu2I/AAAAAAAADws/Hql7KzUlW38/s1600/IMG_4196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbj02fcFeH0/VoZd2EYVu2I/AAAAAAAADws/Hql7KzUlW38/s640/IMG_4196.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the last quarter of 2015, we found ourselves on our way to Asia specifically Singapore then the Philippines. Singapore is one of our favourite places in the world. This was already our third time there but still we were full of excitement to see this Lion city again. We stayed at the Marina Bay Sands hotel which deserves its own post and had fun swimming in the world's highest infinity pool on its roof top. After a calming stay in Singapore, it was time to head to Cebu to attend a special occasion, my brother's wedding. Being in December, we had the chance to spend Christmas with family back home. It was hectic to try to fit everything in but totally worth it.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ix0uYJ3BJHs/VoZgRHJyqqI/AAAAAAAADw4/3MYqtfXFwRo/s1600/IMG_4203.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ix0uYJ3BJHs/VoZgRHJyqqI/AAAAAAAADw4/3MYqtfXFwRo/s640/IMG_4203.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Being foodies, 2015 also was a year of firsts on the culinary side. We enjoyed our first spoonful of halal meat gyro and rice from the world's most famous food cart located in Manhattan, savored our first sip of the pork broth on our tonkutsu in London hesistantly tried our first sushi, had for the first time the cloud-like softness of the delicious cakes in Oslo and their fresh seafood, excitedly tried the famous and hyped Cronuts in NYC and the world's best cookie from Levain. We also tried for the first time in Singapore some delicious Nasi Lemak and Laksa on room service and although we've had it before, we also enjoyed some delicious chili crab and Hainanese chicken, something you have to have when in Singapore.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-akWc3W8AUIk/VoZnniT3JgI/AAAAAAAADxU/HEIz9gA7lJg/s1600/IMG_4216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-akWc3W8AUIk/VoZnniT3JgI/AAAAAAAADxU/HEIz9gA7lJg/s640/IMG_4216.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Those, my friends, are the highlights of our 2015 and here's hoping for more culinary experiences and more travel in 2016.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy New Year to all!!!</span><br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-69724648802466131332015-10-17T18:43:00.003+01:002016-02-12T12:49:44.596+00:00The Stage Mommy's Pancake Recipe<div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GsZuISQtvtU/ViKMNExH5DI/AAAAAAAADwM/T5TP6W1AOJA/s640/blogger-image-104142241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GsZuISQtvtU/ViKMNExH5DI/AAAAAAAADwM/T5TP6W1AOJA/s640/blogger-image-104142241.jpg"></a></div><br></div></span></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have been reading this blog, you would know that I love macarons, afternoon tea and that my favorite meal is breakfast. This is the only meal that I am never clueless as to what to cook or eat. I always know what I want for breakfast every single time. I love breakfast so much that I always look forward to it from the night before. One of the favorite breakfast food in our household are pancakes. I am proud to say I have mastered the recipe of how I want my pancake to be. The original recipe was given to me by a friend and I tweaked it to my liking, took the eggs out now it's fluffy and delicious.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 cup self raising flour</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 cup milk</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 cup sugar (more or less, depends how sweet you want your pancake)</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/4 tsp baking soda</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/4 tsp baking powder</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 tbsp melted butter</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Method</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. Put all dry ingredients in a bowl.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Pour the milk, whisk to a smooth batter.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. Whisk in the melted butter and the vanilla essence.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">4. Transfer batter to a jug to get that perfect round shape.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">5. Set a frying pan to medium heat and pour batter from the jug to the pan, one minute on each side or when you see bubbles on the surface.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">6. Serve with golden syrup or maple syrup with strawberries, sliced bananas or blueberries as your topping.</span><div><font face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><br></font></div><div><font face="Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4">This recipe serves 6.<br></font>
<br>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-55205034179692717512015-09-27T09:49:00.003+01:002015-10-19T11:51:44.801+01:00It Is Time To Look Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JCF_j78-FYs/VgesDgG2oCI/AAAAAAAADvs/4VUPXVYOgss/s640/blogger-image--1914344180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-JCF_j78-FYs/VgesDgG2oCI/AAAAAAAADvs/4VUPXVYOgss/s640/blogger-image--1914344180.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“So, did
you enjoy the party?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Uhhm, a
bit.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“A bit? I
thought you enjoyed playing with the other kids.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“Well,
everybody just wanted to play Minecraft. They didn’t even want to play with
normal LEGO!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">This was
the conversation I had with my six year old daughter one evening after having
just arrived home from a party. Her frustration really tugged at my heart.
There she was, my friendly and outgoing six year old, surrounded by children
her age, some a bit older, yet feeling alone because the others were too busy
to look up from the digital world they were engrossed in, to even play with
her. This made me ask myself, what kind of generation are we raising?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I see it
all the time, a toddler in a stroller being entertained with an iPhone at the
park, a toddler confidently navigating an iPad app at a children’s party, a
little girl enjoying a game on her DS in a restaurant. All of them looking down
instead of living in the moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">But I have
to admit, they used to be us. That couple at the next table who are both
looking down on their phones used to be my husband and me and their little girl
on the iPad used to be my six year old. Although I enjoyed using that undivided
time scrolling on my phone because the six year old and the husband were also
busy doing the same thing, there were no conversations and it has always made
me uncomfortable. Aside from it not painting a good picture from the outside,
neither is it painting a good picture from the inside, as far as our
relationship as a family is concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">I remember
before the time of smart phones, my husband and I used to be so engrossed in a
conversation while waiting for our food in a restaurant or while in the car and
how I used to play with my daughter endlessly when she was little rather than
shove an iPad under her nose.</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">This made
me realize that I want to have those conversations again and I want to have
that endless playtime with my daughter again, before she grows up and it is too
late.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I realised I have had enough of living a distracted
life, of not living life fully because of the trappings of technology. I
decided it is time to look up as I realized I wanted to look at my husband’s
eyes again when we are having a conversation, watch my daughter run around in
the playground or see her priceless smile while playing instead of constantly
looking down on my phone. I wanted to live in the moment again, not through a
screen and I wanted the same thing for my daughter. A life where first thing in
the morning she would look forward to finish that Lego structure she started
the night before or finish that book she had been reading rather than check on
a life she is building in a virtual world. I want a life for her that is not consumed by likes
and comments on Facebook. A life that is not spent looking endlessly at a screen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I would
rather she engages with her friends in real time rather than talking to them
through an app on the phone when they are very well sitting beside each other.
A life in the real world and not in a virtual world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From then
on, we stopped taking the iPad out whenever we go out and imposed time limits
using it. We stopped having phones and tablets on the dining table during meal times
and I have made a conscious effort to stop looking at my phone while in a
restaurant but better yet, keeping it in my handbag the entire time. We have
also started using again the kids activity packs that restaurants provide and
started doing regular outdoor activities. We have also started playing with
Lego again, as a family. In other words, we started interacting and talking again, in the real sense of the word.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is
still a work in progress but we are almost there. My daughter seldom uses the
iPad now and even hardly asks for it. I guess it was harder for me than for her
as I love spending time online but as a parent, I know my priorities. I need to
lead the way. That new article can be read later and Instagram can definitely wait.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I do not
know if my daughter will continue to shun the trappings of technology but what
I know is that I don’t want her to be that little girl in the corner with her
iPad while the rest of the children are having the time of their life in the
real world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 10.0pt;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-87701359611611969502015-09-20T00:14:00.000+01:002015-10-19T11:52:13.239+01:00My Top Three Scented Candles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzjoLB5M8xk/Vf22P6psR4I/AAAAAAAADuE/DdNjNFTUFyM/s1600/IMG_2136%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzjoLB5M8xk/Vf22P6psR4I/AAAAAAAADuE/DdNjNFTUFyM/s640/IMG_2136%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love candles. That is a given. I love that aside from giving the house a wonderful scent, having some glowing candle lights in the house makes it so cozy and warm. Not only that, candles also make beautiful decorations. around the house. I burn candles all year round, even in the summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the years, I have tried and tested a variety of scents and brands from high end to medium priced down to the really cheap ones. As they say, you get what you pay for and this also applies to candles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have come to find my favourites. Here is my top three list that I have put together to help you with your candle shopping.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Diptyque </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>
A French brand that exudes luxury. It can be pricey but it is one of the best candles that you can have around your house. Once a friend gave me one as a present, the moment I lit it, I never looked at (or smelled) candles the same way again. The burning time is worth every penny. The throw is very clean without an after smell of synthetic like most candles. You can still smell the scent even when it is not lit and it is always heavenly. Dyptique candles also burn evenly. Getting this candle is really a treat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bahoma</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>
I happen to pick this one up when I was desperate as my candle at home was down to its last few burning minutes. Since then, this has been my go to candle. Like most quality candles, the scents are not overwhelming but very gentle. My favourite is the Black Vanilla. Bahoma candles are handmade in a factory in London. They are not the cheapest but I get them for a steal at TK Maxx stores.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The White Company</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b>
Who doesn't love The White Company. I love their lotions and potions and most of all, I love their candles. They are mid range priced so you get a quality candle that does not come with a price tag. Prices start at £20 but whereas with Diptyque, you only get a mini candle with this price, with the White Company, this will get you a regular sized candle. So when you are buying on a budget but do not want to compromise on the quality, this is the candle for you.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-39200200771404060322015-08-24T11:18:00.000+01:002015-10-19T11:52:35.795+01:00The Latte Factor: Are We All Guilty Of This?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jWyyDDLXjCg/VdriUZCLubI/AAAAAAAADsU/FMhChGgeyIo/s1600/IMG_1800%2B%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jWyyDDLXjCg/VdriUZCLubI/AAAAAAAADsU/FMhChGgeyIo/s640/IMG_1800%2B%25281%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Latte Factor was coined by David Bach in his book titled Start Over, Finish Rich. This simply means the little things that we mindlessly spend on daily, like buying coffee every day on your way to work, thus the term Latte Factor. It covers more than just that simple latte, it could be grabbing that bar of chocolate at the till every time, that magazine that you aimlessly pick up while doing your weekly shopping , those lottery tickets that you religiously buy every week or that lunch that you buy at work daily instead of making them yourself. These little trivial things do add up and at the end of the month, you will be surprised to know how much you have spent on them when they could be avoided.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
The authors suggests that we monitor our daily or weekly spending and identify our Latte Factor. A daily cup of coffee on your way to work could cost you £3. That is £15 a week and £60 a month. A total of £720 a year! For someone who is an advocate of the idea of enjoying the small things in life, this does not really sit well with me. For someone, that daily cup of coffee from a barista could be their little luxury like mine would be flowers and candles. I suppose I could just get flowers from our garden which I tend to do sometimes but nothing beats that beautifully cultured flowers from the shops. I guess what the author wanted to emphasize is how much you are willing to forego of the little luxuries in life in the aim of saving for something bigger like adding that up to your yearly holiday or to your retirement fund. By all means, if you enjoy these little luxuries, keep them. As they say, life is short after all. Now excuse me while I cancel that digital tv subscription. We do not have time to watch television, anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
Now I get the point. Did you?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-80552290414115236122015-08-14T23:37:00.000+01:002015-08-14T23:57:32.224+01:00How To Travel On A Budget Like A Pro<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gone are the days when travelling was considered luxury. In this digital age when everything is at the tip of our fingertips, travelling has never been easier. When as before, booking a flight means going to the airline office or getting a travel itinerary means going to a travel agency, opening your laptop is all you need nowadays. But if you want to travel on a budget, you need to be more savvy than just being able to operate a computer.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Travelling on a budget does not necessarily mean staying in a hostel or B&B nor does it mean taking the red eye or eating from a food truck your entire holiday. All you need is a plan and a little skill. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EjBGh05vpeM/VcvPHs8LUCI/AAAAAAAADqo/f-NJiu68EU4/s640/blogger-image--1435055731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EjBGh05vpeM/VcvPHs8LUCI/AAAAAAAADqo/f-NJiu68EU4/s640/blogger-image--1435055731.jpg"></a></div>
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Chances are, your mode of transport will be the most expensive item that you will buy on a trip unless you take the train or go with a budget airline. Even with budget airlines, you could be paying big money if you are not careful. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Plan ahead</b>. It's highly unlikely that you will get cheap flights at the last minute so I always plan our trips way ahead. From three to six months in advance, you can definitely bag a bargain holiday. Case in point, our flights to New York in March was booked in September. Exactly six months from our flight saving us £350 each return and that is flying with British Airways. Our recent trip to Oslo which was booked three months in advance, was £180 return for three people and that includes airport parking. It also helped that we flew midweek. Flying on a Tuesday, Wednesday or a Thursday will always guarantee a bargain as much as flying early in the morning and late in the evening. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This also applies when travelling by train.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MXEe6bAZPrU/VcvPF0xB9eI/AAAAAAAADqY/zCWo9Nms6-8/s640/blogger-image--643873021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MXEe6bAZPrU/VcvPF0xB9eI/AAAAAAAADqY/zCWo9Nms6-8/s640/blogger-image--643873021.jpg"></a></div>
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Once your bargain flight is secured, you can now start searching for your hotel. You have more leeway in this area. Whereas you cannot cancel a flight without being charged, with hotels, you can cancel as late as twenty four hours before check-in. I tend to start with comparison websites like hotels dot com and booking dot com. I book them on the free cancellation option and between then and my flight, I keep tabs on the prices. If they go down, I cancel and rebook on the new lower price. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Be intuitive</b>. Do not be fooled by comparison websites though. A handful of times I discovered that the hotel's main website offered the exact same rate. Sometimes they are cheaper and also with free cancellation. You get perks when you book directly with the hotel so it is best to cancel and book directly when this happens.</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9yfRl40tKeY/Vc5HgFZuYQI/AAAAAAAADrE/AvaqKDAuxuU/s640/blogger-image--1258743893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="386" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9yfRl40tKeY/Vc5HgFZuYQI/AAAAAAAADrE/AvaqKDAuxuU/s640/blogger-image--1258743893.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am never the one to scrimp on food, especially on holiday when there is an abundance of choices. But if there is a chance of spending less on food without compromising on the quality then I am in. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They say hotel buffet breakfasts are expensive but there is actually some savings to be had when you avail of it. Let us face it, nobody really wants to wake up at the crack of dawn during this time. Chances are, people tend to wake up late in the morning and having the buffet breakfast as brunch (breakfast and lunch) is savings in itself. There are so many options on a buffet breakfast that it fills you up until afternoon. The next time you need to spend on food would be for an early dinner. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another option is bringing breakfast in. When we were in Paris, we did not include breakfast with our hotel as we wanted to have breakfast in a cafe, al fresco a la Parisienne. We did a lot of walking the day before that a lie in the next day was a very tempting idea. The thought of waking up early did not appeal too much anymore so we bought some delicious pastries from PAUL and had them for breakfast with the free coffee in our hotel room the next day. PAUL pastries are not cheapest of pastries but it was still cheap compared to eating out for breakfast. We did splurge by eating in Angelina's for lunch that day. We were on a holiday after all. </span><br>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br></span>
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<br></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">
<br></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-70319312513003098452015-08-10T12:27:00.003+01:002015-10-19T11:54:04.327+01:00Raising A Wanderluster<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBTnJ34LPFI/VciDm8Mx_TI/AAAAAAAADps/Sfk4x8BDLAg/s1600/IMG_1477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBTnJ34LPFI/VciDm8Mx_TI/AAAAAAAADps/Sfk4x8BDLAg/s640/IMG_1477.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She has the world at her feet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Every one tells you how tough it is to be a parent but what I can tell you are the joys that comes with it. Case in point, travelling with kids or in my case, travelling with a kid. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It might not always be the case with every one but travelling with mine has always been a breeze. Her first flight at four months was long haul and she slept during the entire journey. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now at six years old, she has never been more excited to travel and see the world. Learning a word or two in a new language fascinates her. Whether it is going 86 floors up the Empire State Building in New York, learning about the history of Fatima in Portugal, admiring the marvellous Niagara falls in Toronto, sipping hot chocolate at Angelina's in Paris or eating Xiao Long Bao in Singapore, there is always something worth learning for her young and inquisitive mind.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OIw4uxE_U7w/Vch160Pd2pI/AAAAAAAADo4/77Q6fjVHHtc/s1600/IMG_1493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OIw4uxE_U7w/Vch160Pd2pI/AAAAAAAADo4/77Q6fjVHHtc/s640/IMG_1493.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava at three years old, standing on the Sea-card right outside Padraos Dos Descobrimentos in Lisbon, Portugal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is a wonderful experience seeing the world through my little girl's eyes. Through her eyes, I see magic in everything. I get asked questions that I would not have thought myself and it is a joy to experience these things with her. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-932hq07UnQM/Vch6Tyfn-_I/AAAAAAAADpE/u3owzLhUbwc/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-932hq07UnQM/Vch6Tyfn-_I/AAAAAAAADpE/u3owzLhUbwc/s640/FullSizeRender%2B%25281%2529.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running with excitement once the gates opened in Disneyland, Paris in her princess dress, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_pFdqM406f8/VciDyUEvjGI/AAAAAAAADp0/UPoKi58QmLM/s1600/IMG_1499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_pFdqM406f8/VciDyUEvjGI/AAAAAAAADp0/UPoKi58QmLM/s640/IMG_1499.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sipping hot chocolate at Angelina's in Paris.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She has been travelling with us since she was a baby and now she shares our passion to see and explore the world. Travelling definitely teaches her a lot of things she would not learn in a classroom. Learning history that is right in front of her makes it more interesting than it already is. It also teaches her to live some days of her life outside her comfort zone. That could only be a good thing.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0980392); color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961); font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UXcf7AWj6LE/VcTe9PKf0WI/AAAAAAAADn8/q6kGMVBPUAs/s640/blogger-image--2072367698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-UXcf7AWj6LE/VcTe9PKf0WI/AAAAAAAADn8/q6kGMVBPUAs/s640/blogger-image--2072367698.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ava standing right across the famous Boat House in Central Park in Manhattan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eTK85K7HzNU/VcTe-5BXGeI/AAAAAAAADoM/kMqexNe7dRw/s640/blogger-image-1759867391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-eTK85K7HzNU/VcTe-5BXGeI/AAAAAAAADoM/kMqexNe7dRw/s640/blogger-image-1759867391.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In awe of Niagara Falls in Ontario, Canada.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TFfg03FgWwE/VcTe95dZb7I/AAAAAAAADoE/GwMPx-IPKyY/s640/blogger-image--1473995626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TFfg03FgWwE/VcTe95dZb7I/AAAAAAAADoE/GwMPx-IPKyY/s640/blogger-image--1473995626.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Admiring Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream in Oslo, Norway.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She has been to several cities in seven countries in three continents. She has learned the art of travelling in her own little way. She now knows what she needs while waiting in airports, on a long haul flight or sitting on a train to somewhere new. Here are her travel essentials and an iPad is not one of them. In this day and age when children her age are glued to their iPads and missing the world around them, I could not be more proud of my little wanderluster.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pPyD8knIAI8/VciJYsYX4xI/AAAAAAAADqE/2F-bx_2lZcg/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B%25283%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pPyD8knIAI8/VciJYsYX4xI/AAAAAAAADqE/2F-bx_2lZcg/s640/FullSizeRender%2B%25283%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">from L to R: books, vintage iPod, Hello Kitty headset and Fujifilm instax to take photos with.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-2406796053092559802015-07-13T14:38:00.001+01:002015-08-11T23:17:37.748+01:00My New York Story (Part 3) With A Side Of Cronuts!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iyvMoigyyeE/VX6vkVsPVYI/AAAAAAAADjQ/bLt3L80Uy8U/s1600/WP_20150403_16_55_06_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iyvMoigyyeE/VX6vkVsPVYI/AAAAAAAADjQ/bLt3L80Uy8U/s640/WP_20150403_16_55_06_Pro.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Central Station</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York is a foodie haven. Michelin starred restaurants, multi- awarded cafe’s, world renowned pastries and food trucks, name it, you will find it there. On our last few days, we were basically just eating our way around New York. After a brief visit to Grand Central Terminal, which, it has to be said is actually very grand for a train terminal. Being there and looking at its grandeur makes me imagine a bygone era. Though that bygone era definitely would not have what the city has to offer now in terms of lovely food. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OJc58no7ZdE/VX6nE7YCpnI/AAAAAAAADi4/x521UYeyDMQ/s1600/IMG_1168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OJc58no7ZdE/VX6nE7YCpnI/AAAAAAAADi4/x521UYeyDMQ/s640/IMG_1168.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-576bc451-f6dc-00e3-d7b0-b2cf2faa48b0"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">On a rainy Friday, we took the subway to the Upper West Side to buy some delicious cookies from Levain Bakery. Every morsel was worth the train ride. The melted chocolate that oozes when you break the cookie in two. Definitely, heaven in a cookie. I was glad I hoarded as we were off on a road trip to Canada that afternoon, staying for a couple of days then driving back to America in to Virginia then Washington DC then back to NYC.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-9d8220ca-8782-14d8-fa7b-57c2de064566"></span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After our road trip to Virginia, Washington DC and Canada, we still had a couple days in New York before our flight back to London. We took the red eye train from Washington DC and arrived at midnight in NYC. We woke up late and missed the hotel’s buffet breakfast and we ended up having breakfast at a nearby Starbuck’s. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9n-SnnJIDU/VaO769x-npI/AAAAAAAADmE/d5o8LzOsNHQ/s1600/IMG_1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-k9n-SnnJIDU/VaO769x-npI/AAAAAAAADmE/d5o8LzOsNHQ/s640/IMG_1645.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-9d8220ca-8793-ee14-a7cb-9cf35a1093d6"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We spent a few hours roaming around the Flat Iron area and had a little peek at Eataly, an Italian market place owned by American chef Mario Batali. I have wanted to try their pasta dishes, being a pasta lover myself but the market like scene in Eataly did not appeal to me. It was crowded and dark. I promised myself I will brave the crowd next time as I have read only great reviews about the food.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">From there, we dropped by Macy’s and Victoria’s Secret and did a bit of shopping. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rest of the afternoon was spent at the American Natural History Museum which the six year old enjoyed so much. She loves this museum as she has been to its British counterpart in London twice already.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xw2I0BAN9TM/VaO8lx-rQZI/AAAAAAAADmQ/KrD1TmO9O-s/s1600/WP_20150410_20_07_11_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xw2I0BAN9TM/VaO8lx-rQZI/AAAAAAAADmQ/KrD1TmO9O-s/s640/WP_20150410_20_07_11_Pro.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lunch was at the Shake Shack which was just across the museum. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">The rest of the day was spent walking along typical Manhattan neighborhoods, past brownstone apartments then walked up to Columbus Circle to have a quick bite of some macarons at Bouchon bakery by Michelin star chef Thomas Keller. The macarons were from a Michelin starred chef alright but it cannot beat my favourite Pierre Herme macarons in taste. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fkVptQg3hrE/VaO9VBqVAfI/AAAAAAAADmc/anLjPb8CtAc/s1600/IMG_1559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fkVptQg3hrE/VaO9VBqVAfI/AAAAAAAADmc/anLjPb8CtAc/s640/IMG_1559.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dweN3vtxRtM/VaO-X2NAv3I/AAAAAAAADms/kICMc4uGtDA/s1600/IMG_1561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dweN3vtxRtM/VaO-X2NAv3I/AAAAAAAADms/kICMc4uGtDA/s640/IMG_1561.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dSCSyH9thBU/VaO9hLNveVI/AAAAAAAADmk/EdIH1DljV74/s1600/WP_20150410_22_59_59_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dSCSyH9thBU/VaO9hLNveVI/AAAAAAAADmk/EdIH1DljV74/s640/WP_20150410_22_59_59_Pro.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was a wonderful day just us three, exploring Manhattan and just going where our feet would lead us.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3akYlAmAPyM/VX6xPnhYMFI/AAAAAAAADkI/9cCGieOdI6U/s1600/IMG_1605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3akYlAmAPyM/VX6xPnhYMFI/AAAAAAAADkI/9cCGieOdI6U/s640/IMG_1605.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EbKD6TC5PNg/VX6xKa8SW4I/AAAAAAAADj0/mv7WiTJmsPY/s1600/IMG_1592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EbKD6TC5PNg/VX6xKa8SW4I/AAAAAAAADj0/mv7WiTJmsPY/s640/IMG_1592.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BshJf0CwV_c/VX6xOu0o0XI/AAAAAAAADkA/S4h7AWk-aOY/s1600/IMG_1601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BshJf0CwV_c/VX6xOu0o0XI/AAAAAAAADkA/S4h7AWk-aOY/s640/IMG_1601.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U2RPOnmjGUE/VX6xKu64ZFI/AAAAAAAADj4/rs6oJzYhlz0/s1600/IMG_1574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U2RPOnmjGUE/VX6xKu64ZFI/AAAAAAAADj4/rs6oJzYhlz0/s640/IMG_1574.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The long queue outside Dominique Ansel's bakery long before it opened.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">On our last day, I decided to wake up at the crack of dawn, five in the morning to be exact and took an Uber ride to SOHO with a girl friend to queue for the world famous Cronut. The cronut was delicious but it was not how I expected it to be nor was it extraordinary. That is why it did not make it to </span><a href="http://www.thestagemommydiaries.com/2015/06/my-best-three-in-nyc.html" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">My Best Three In NYC</a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;">. I actually enjoyed Dominique Ansel’s DKA and madeleines more. Although I did enjoy taking a selfie with the Dominique Ansel himself who humbly opened the bakery doors. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bgWJRMfSriQ/VX6tq2wU-zI/AAAAAAAADjI/m2XAjjSWzRw/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bgWJRMfSriQ/VX6tq2wU-zI/AAAAAAAADjI/m2XAjjSWzRw/s640/image1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CORLZGIrB4M/VX6xPjwKmpI/AAAAAAAADkM/_05OUFqsYLg/s1600/IMG_1616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CORLZGIrB4M/VX6xPjwKmpI/AAAAAAAADkM/_05OUFqsYLg/s640/IMG_1616.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.6666666666667px; line-height: 1.38; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<b style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></b>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As if by sugar rush, we rushed literally to Magnolia Bakery, taking into consideration that it was our only chance before leaving that evening. I was told the cupcakes there were not that worth the calories so I went for the Banana Pudding which was the best decision of the day. I wrote more about it <a href="http://www.thestagemommydiaries.com/2015/06/my-best-three-in-nyc.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And of couse, for a Sex and The City fan like me, no visit to New York would be complete without dropping by the steps of the ultimate and quintessential New Yorker, Carrie Bradshaw.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That sums about my trip to NYC, all three parts of it. I am sure we are not done with New York and we are definitely going back</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-36477377333916712142015-06-15T11:52:00.000+01:002015-06-15T11:52:47.852+01:00My Best Three In NYC<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our travels do not only involve sightseeing, it also involves food, lots of food. I seek and queue just to try a culinary item that is on my radar. I also make a “to eat list” months in advance. That, my friends, is how much I love my food. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our recent visit to New York was no exception. Several months before the trip, I was already looking forward to the gustatory delights that we were going to encounter. After all, New York is a foodie haven. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The following are three of the best sweet delights that I have tried. Best in a way that, I think about them all the time and that I would consider going back to New York, eight hours flight and all, just to taste them again. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uTjD_asfQ_w/VX6mwGW7LjI/AAAAAAAADic/Sk8MIuQ_TwM/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uTjD_asfQ_w/VX6mwGW7LjI/AAAAAAAADic/Sk8MIuQ_TwM/s640/IMG_0822.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sarabeth’s Waffles</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day. I look forward to my breakfasts even from the night before so Sarabeth’s is one of the priorities on this trip. The Central Park location is very NYC and the ambience and decor is very Upper East Side. The crisp white table linens and silver cutlery is what the Charlotte Yorks and the Blair Waldorfs of this world are used to but let us not dwell on that, we were there for the food after all. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There were a lot to choose from on the menu but for a pancake and waffle lover like our family, we went for the waffles and pancakes, of course. Heavenly was the first word that came into my thoughts the moment I took a bite of the waffles that was served before me. A little bit of crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside and of course, it was very delicious and I enjoyed every bite of it. The coffee is in a league of its own, I have forgotten how many refills I had. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ZbVNUM9foU/VX6nERz_yGI/AAAAAAAADik/3-TOFJDzyRM/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ZbVNUM9foU/VX6nERz_yGI/AAAAAAAADik/3-TOFJDzyRM/s640/IMG_1174.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DISiQ58Npm4/VX6nEs6pLjI/AAAAAAAADio/bPEekhL9WTY/s1600/IMG_1177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DISiQ58Npm4/VX6nEs6pLjI/AAAAAAAADio/bPEekhL9WTY/s640/IMG_1177.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Levain Cookies</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have read a lot about Levain cookies on social media and the photos of massive cookies with melted chocolate inside were enough to get me on a train to the Upper West Side where the bakery is located. Until now, I can still smell the sweet and mouth watering aroma of the baking that was going on inside the bakery while I was on the queue outside. I tried all four flavours and my favourites are the chocolate and peanut butter and the walnut. The texture is not like any normal cookie. It was crunchy on the outside but inside was cakey in texture, in a nice and delicious kind of way. The melted chocolate or peanut butter (whichever cookie it is) just adds to the awesomeness of this delectable creation. It is what every cookie lover’s dreams are made of. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgWJRMfSriQ/VX6tq2wU-zI/AAAAAAAADjE/bUt1ayxOV30/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bgWJRMfSriQ/VX6tq2wU-zI/AAAAAAAADjE/bUt1ayxOV30/s640/image1.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Magnolia Bakery’s Banana Pudding </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Magnolia Bakery was brought to fame by an episode on Sex and the City and since then, fans of the tv series (me included) have trooped to their Bleecker street location which is very conveniently located just around the corner from Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in the series. The cupcakes were featured on that episode but for some reason, I was really not in the mood for cupcakes that day, having just visited Dominique Ansel’s bakery for some cronuts and DKA’s. Also, cupcakes are so last season and overrated these days. Then I remember being told that the banana pudding is to die for so I went for it and I was glad I did. Every spoonful was a delight. If there is such a thing as banana pudding heaven then I think I have just been to one. It was highly addictive and tastefully creamy with chunks of fresh banana generously mixed into the concoction. So, when you happen to be at Magnolia Bakery, pass on the cupcakes and go for the banana pudding. You will thank me for it. </span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-e9d9701d-f6ba-4c40-e359-ebd7655eedb9"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-24182182740434145762015-05-22T22:24:00.002+01:002015-06-02T16:53:04.246+01:00My New York Story (Part 2)<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScXwZu3RY2Q/VV-WKmheteI/AAAAAAAADhM/VLB_Yn2GyXc/s1600/IMG_1009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ScXwZu3RY2Q/VV-WKmheteI/AAAAAAAADhM/VLB_Yn2GyXc/s640/IMG_1009.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<br>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Standing tall and watching over the city for over a hundred years, a symbol of hope and freedom for millions who migrated to America, the Statue of Liberty was not to be missed. We finally had the chance to visit her on our third day. It felt surreal to finally see her up close. I learned on the audio guide that the exterior is originally copper but has turned green due to oxidation. Up to now, the Statue of Liberty has remained the symbol of freedom not only for America but for the rest of the world. The tour took more than half of our day and once we were back in the main island of Manhattan, we were starving. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NfDjlQyag14/VV-WtaL1fpI/AAAAAAAADhU/eJzAHyOk0-o/s1600/IMG_1050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NfDjlQyag14/VV-WtaL1fpI/AAAAAAAADhU/eJzAHyOk0-o/s640/IMG_1050.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7NxnzhhF30/VV-W0Y651FI/AAAAAAAADhc/cInC8llPH-w/s1600/IMG_1067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U7NxnzhhF30/VV-W0Y651FI/AAAAAAAADhc/cInC8llPH-w/s640/IMG_1067.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span id="docs-internal-guid-7327a66e-7d66-52a0-06fe-62f1ae6b7a4a"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We had lunch at a random Chinese restaurant in the financial district and dessert was, I’m excited to say, in Serendipity, one of the locations of the movie of the same title. This movie, I could watch over and over again and it was amazing to finally try the hot frozen chocolate. Since reservations for dessert were not accepted, we had to wait for an hour once we were there. We went to Dylan’s Candy Bar which was just around the corner to while away the time. The 6 year old had a field day there. The frozen hot chocolate, their most famous dessert, having been featured in the movie, was worth the one hour wait.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LbEGdX-KxLA/VV-XYEljt2I/AAAAAAAADhk/G8-B7Sl86po/s1600/IMG_1079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LbEGdX-KxLA/VV-XYEljt2I/AAAAAAAADhk/G8-B7Sl86po/s640/IMG_1079.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S13HIOCP2ms/VV-XnmTmeaI/AAAAAAAADhs/WEpqHHZZAh4/s1600/IMG_1080.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S13HIOCP2ms/VV-XnmTmeaI/AAAAAAAADhs/WEpqHHZZAh4/s640/IMG_1080.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></div>
<span id="docs-internal-guid-7327a66e-7d64-403a-eeb2-6c21dbbdd9c0"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7327a66e-7d69-dac7-a5a5-22094543700d"></span></span><br>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was past five in the afternoon when we finished in Serendipity and decided to finally use the ticket we booked online for the Empire State Building. There were lots of tourists but since we went for the express ticket, we were able to jump the long queue. Without realising, our timing was actually perfect. It was starting to get dark and the lights were starting to turn on, giving us both the day view and night view. It was an exciting experience to finally go up to the main observation deck on the 86th floor. I was imagining Meg Ryan running towards the lift to get into the last flight up, to meet up with Tom Hanks from the movie Sleepless in Seattle. I watched that film a thousand times. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3trb_FY3880/VV-YUbrYszI/AAAAAAAADh0/ZUx8FPOZOCs/s1600/IMG_1081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3trb_FY3880/VV-YUbrYszI/AAAAAAAADh0/ZUx8FPOZOCs/s640/IMG_1081.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f1cd2775-7d6c-3ca8-a37d-8043779bc418"></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.3800000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The view was amazing and I could clearly see my favourite building in New York, the Chrysler building. Once it was all dark and the New York skyline well illuminated, all I wanted to do was stand there in silence and take it all in, 86 floors above the ground.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu_KcJxIyWM/VV-ZJcvisOI/AAAAAAAADh8/de6MTMNg29c/s1600/IMG_1116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu_KcJxIyWM/VV-ZJcvisOI/AAAAAAAADh8/de6MTMNg29c/s640/IMG_1116.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<div style="line-height: 1.38;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">New York, too many places to see, too little time and too many things to write about so please hang on for the third installment of my New York story. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.38; text-align: left;">
<br></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20.7000007629395px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.thestagemommydiaries.com/2015/05/my-new-york-story-part-1.html" target="_blank">My New York Story (Part 1)</a></span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-58220792403576233342015-05-11T13:16:00.000+01:002015-05-31T11:40:29.669+01:00My New York Story (Part 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TFmVxjddjts/VUPWU5UGP7I/AAAAAAAADdk/8N9TjtaNf7I/s1600/WP_20150402_18_55_16_Pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TFmVxjddjts/VUPWU5UGP7I/AAAAAAAADdk/8N9TjtaNf7I/s1600/WP_20150402_18_55_16_Pro.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
New York has been called by many a name. The big apple, the urban jungle, the empire city, the city that never sleeps. Each evokes a different idea which gives some preconceived notions. I for one had all these assumptions about this city, after all , it is the location of all my favourite movies. I have all these thoughts swimming in my head about New York, Manhattan to be specific.<br>
<br>
The start of Spring had me finally set foot on the land of milk and honey, America. But I did not just want to go to America, I wanted to go to New York. I knew what I did not want to do and that is sit on a tour bus and just take in what the guide tells me, clicking my camera at every stop and turn. I wanted to do as the locals do, walk and explore New York on foot.<br>
<br>
After a good flight with British Airways, we arrived at midnight and true enough, this city really does never sleep. The streets were still buzzing and the city all lit up. Excitement got the better of me and I did not sleep a wink.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--dczUIiT1Jg/VUPotZSKYeI/AAAAAAAADeE/FDm3ptqufA0/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--dczUIiT1Jg/VUPotZSKYeI/AAAAAAAADeE/FDm3ptqufA0/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
The first half of our first full day was spent walking along Times Square with a ride on the indoor Ferris Wheel in Toys R Us. Times Square has that electric vibe, chaotic and crowded. Considered as the crossroads of the world, even when you are on your own, you will never feel alone there. A photo opportunity at the famous red steps was not to be missed.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aud5yYdE-2Q/VUPtnXqK0SI/AAAAAAAADeU/rT12Tx8OG1U/s1600/IMG_0778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aud5yYdE-2Q/VUPtnXqK0SI/AAAAAAAADeU/rT12Tx8OG1U/s1600/IMG_0778.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<br>
Lunch found us queueing at the famous The Halal Guys (dubbed as the most popular food cart in the world) on 53rd and 6th which we happily devoured with a side of Central Park view. It was delicious.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PitcLANrHOI/VUPuuehzbRI/AAAAAAAADec/vAZa3nA_9a4/s1600/IMG_0780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PitcLANrHOI/VUPuuehzbRI/AAAAAAAADec/vAZa3nA_9a4/s1600/IMG_0780.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<br>
The rest of the day was spent walking along 5th avenue, taking in the skyscrapers and visiting FAO Schwartz and having some latte at Starbucks inside the Trump Tower. The heavens opened so it was a good excuse to sit and people watch in the gold interiors of the building.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nuRJP3kBB28/VUPvhwmYKuI/AAAAAAAADek/Yh9khBFpLi0/s1600/IMG_0789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nuRJP3kBB28/VUPvhwmYKuI/AAAAAAAADek/Yh9khBFpLi0/s1600/IMG_0789.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<br>
The next day, we skipped the complimentary hotel breakfast and went for brunch at Sarabeth's across Central Park. This was a good idea indeed as Sarabeth's hit the spot for a breakfast lover like me. The waffles, the coffee and ambiance. I could eat breakfast there everyday.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFoxgttlFmk/VUPzdVzN7KI/AAAAAAAADew/pnwlK2deQtA/s1600/IMG_0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VFoxgttlFmk/VUPzdVzN7KI/AAAAAAAADew/pnwlK2deQtA/s1600/IMG_0817.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o2c_x1auLjI/VUPzgiR3UDI/AAAAAAAADe4/avVYGstJVFw/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o2c_x1auLjI/VUPzgiR3UDI/AAAAAAAADe4/avVYGstJVFw/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And what better way to burn off the calories than to have a lovely walk around Central Park across the restaurant. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RrE3JLykRJs/VUP1_n1_e1I/AAAAAAAADfU/h1_Pkg4Cu3o/s1600/DSC_0074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RrE3JLykRJs/VUP1_n1_e1I/AAAAAAAADfU/h1_Pkg4Cu3o/s1600/DSC_0074.JPG" width="640"></a></div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NyVqYCDVdkA/VUP2Hdy0NHI/AAAAAAAADfc/PbXJ42i7_rw/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NyVqYCDVdkA/VUP2Hdy0NHI/AAAAAAAADfc/PbXJ42i7_rw/s1600/DSC_0069.JPG" width="640"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Central Park was magical even that time of the year when the trees have not come back to life and flowers were still not abloom. It was a lovely day. Despite the chill in the air, the sun was out.</div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDE5acoi5Kc/VVCXHrWblSI/AAAAAAAADgQ/QN_y9Jgxzok/s1600/IMG_0871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cDE5acoi5Kc/VVCXHrWblSI/AAAAAAAADgQ/QN_y9Jgxzok/s640/IMG_0871.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br></div>
A visit and a walk through at The Plaza which was just across Central Park was in order. Having been made famous by the movie Home Alone, The Plaza is world renowned as it is, having set the standard for luxury for more than a century and had the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mark Twain as guests in the past to modern day Tommy Hilfiger having his own penthouse at the hotel.<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-27cGR-1kwgY/VVCZ0J9vTaI/AAAAAAAADgk/ufd9Q_Xa69M/s1600/IMG_0861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-27cGR-1kwgY/VVCZ0J9vTaI/AAAAAAAADgk/ufd9Q_Xa69M/s640/IMG_0861.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YeI8Rw2CImU/VVCZsCIezRI/AAAAAAAADgc/PcEcfotmK08/s1600/IMG_0864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YeI8Rw2CImU/VVCZsCIezRI/AAAAAAAADgc/PcEcfotmK08/s640/IMG_0864.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Plaza food hall, a European inspired food hall, is a place to visit when in New York. Since we were still full from lunch, we could not try the wonderful European dishes that were presented before our eyes. I did not leave the place without trying French chef Danile Boulud's cafe and having a few of his macarons. </div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0NyKgZcV5d8/VUP1YKM9SrI/AAAAAAAADfM/jasyX75eT5Q/s1600/IMG_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0NyKgZcV5d8/VUP1YKM9SrI/AAAAAAAADfM/jasyX75eT5Q/s1600/IMG_0947.JPG" width="480"></a> </div>
<br>
Our visit to New York would not be complete without seeing the New York Knicks play. So that evening was spent in Madison Square Garden. This was one of the highlights of our trip.<br>
<div>
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br></div>
<br>
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-21166168261648302622015-01-30T19:05:00.002+00:002015-01-30T20:21:37.913+00:00The Birthday Lunch: L’ Atelier de Joel Robuchon London<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As someone who is fond of afternoon tea, I celebrated my milestone birthday last year with an afternoon tea at Marriott’s Hansbury Manor. I enjoyed it so much that I said to myself I am going to celebrate every birthday from that day on with afternoon tea. But this year, Robuchon came calling.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hailed as the “chef of the century”, Joel Robuchon is the only chef who has the most Michelin stars among all his restaurants around the world combined. We missed a chance in dining at his restaurant in Paris because we did not book well ahead. To my delight, I learned he also has a restaurant in London, the 2 Michelin star L’ Atelier de Joel Robuchon which is a few doors down from The Ivy. I did not waste time and booked well ahead and voila, I got us a table for my birthday.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know it is cliché but to say that the food was amazing would be an understatement. I am not a food blogger so I will let most of the pictures speak for themselves though this wonderful meal would be difficult to put into words in itself.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jflqec9p2mI/VMvD5V8TzjI/AAAAAAAADbw/xrSdmFz2-MM/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(7).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jflqec9p2mI/VMvD5V8TzjI/AAAAAAAADbw/xrSdmFz2-MM/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(7).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kicked off the birthday lunch with my favorite cocktail, Peach Bellini.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjtsSPtz2ew/VMvCgRflwMI/AAAAAAAADac/qWi3AE_Wcw8/s1600/IMG_9457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wjtsSPtz2ew/VMvCgRflwMI/AAAAAAAADac/qWi3AE_Wcw8/s1600/IMG_9457.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a>ers</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amuse Bouche, heralded the start of our meal. Foie gras, port reduction and parmesan foam. We were told to scoop all the layers. The result, an explosion of different flavors that compliments each other. It was beautiful.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0_UKBcSCB1c/VMvCi1vww4I/AAAAAAAADas/U1DCXjztVb0/s1600/IMG_9460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0_UKBcSCB1c/VMvCi1vww4I/AAAAAAAADas/U1DCXjztVb0/s1600/IMG_9460.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KOfYvxSZBu0/VMvCmQ58MPI/AAAAAAAADa0/T4RezXphcW0/s1600/IMG_9465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KOfYvxSZBu0/VMvCmQ58MPI/AAAAAAAADa0/T4RezXphcW0/s1600/IMG_9465.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Game Terrine with lardo di colonnata and confit pear. The caramelized pear added a twist to this lovely dish.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiQtK9AjWoI/VMvCl49A3iI/AAAAAAAADa8/Mrurf7jyK7s/s1600/IMG_9462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LiQtK9AjWoI/VMvCl49A3iI/AAAAAAAADa8/Mrurf7jyK7s/s1600/IMG_9462.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soft boiled egg on a Hampshire watercress coulis and young comte cheese cream. The husband's order.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRVQ3O9VMME/VMvCntgvLiI/AAAAAAAADbE/gvZXpIna0vo/s1600/IMG_9469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hRVQ3O9VMME/VMvCntgvLiI/AAAAAAAADbE/gvZXpIna0vo/s1600/IMG_9469.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Could I say this is the best tasting fillet of fish ever?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5ZohBLBQ8Y/VMvCpAgIlFI/AAAAAAAADbM/1xuT73tbyUc/s1600/IMG_9473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-S5ZohBLBQ8Y/VMvCpAgIlFI/AAAAAAAADbM/1xuT73tbyUc/s1600/IMG_9473.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XRmr15mThqA/VMvCrb37H0I/AAAAAAAADbU/kNKF1lM08UU/s1600/IMG_9474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XRmr15mThqA/VMvCrb37H0I/AAAAAAAADbU/kNKF1lM08UU/s1600/IMG_9474.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pommes Puree. Robuchon's famous signature dish. Soft, silky and decadent. Once you have tried it, you will not look at mashed potato in the same light again.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztlXoU85cak/VMvCsW5y48I/AAAAAAAADbc/1lFIdBzuGTQ/s1600/IMG_9476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ztlXoU85cak/VMvCsW5y48I/AAAAAAAADbc/1lFIdBzuGTQ/s1600/IMG_9476.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What better way to end a four course meal for a macaron loving birthday girl than with a massive macaron, stamped with the chef of the century's logo.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PoQsvGIzEoY/VMvD0etlEvI/AAAAAAAADbo/_8CGHTGXFtc/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PoQsvGIzEoY/VMvD0etlEvI/AAAAAAAADbo/_8CGHTGXFtc/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(6).jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Robuchon operates in an open kitchen which makes it more exciting for diners to see how their food is intricately prepared. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The service is very attentive. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the helm (pictured) is executive head chef Xavier Boyer.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">L' Atelier de Joel Robuchon</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13-15 West Street, London</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WC2H 9NE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
+44 (0)207 010 8600</div>
<div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #d8d8d8; font-family: 'Open Sans', Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 17.007999420166px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: 1.384615em; margin-bottom: 1.384615em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-66215924384472205002014-11-16T19:36:00.001+00:002016-03-17T20:28:53.709+00:00My Favourite Macaron<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Dut-N9twfkA/VGj4EWVfG8I/AAAAAAAADY0/AKHn7xW6edc/s640/blogger-image-1922601772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4ta6-lP1qk/VusM1tVKRtI/AAAAAAAADzw/5t36VQSdncoIaKhI7HvZA41RxiwMXzKfA/s1600/blogger-image-1922601772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="638" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b4ta6-lP1qk/VusM1tVKRtI/AAAAAAAADzw/5t36VQSdncoIaKhI7HvZA41RxiwMXzKfA/s640/blogger-image-1922601772.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large; line-height: 1.15; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not all macarons are created equal. That is why I always want mine from the best, Pierre Herme, the current undisputed master of macarons.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is something magical about them. The medley of texture is like wonderful music playing in my mouth. My first taste of a macaron was at the Laduree salon in Harrods. From that very first bite, I developed a growing obsession. I thought Laduree was the be all and end all of all things macarons. I was wrong, there were many out there. I ventured and from then on I have been on a quest to find the best macaron. </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A macaron is made with egg whites, sugar and almond flour. Early macarons were just made of one cookie but Laduree introduced the two cookie macaron with ganache or filling between them. This is the macaron that we know and love today. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-725ddb29-ba0e-1f4e-5032-79706829cc9b" style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.1500000000000001; margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Aside from Laduree and Pierre Herme, I have tried Angelina’s in Paris, PAUL in London, TWG in Singapore, Bouchon in New York, Pierre Marcolini, Marks and Spencer’s and more recently, from Joel Robuchon's 2 Michelin star restaurant in London. Any macaron can give me my macaron fix but only Pierre Herme macarons can fully satisfy my craving.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7Sl6A6ncYc/VusOG1nZJ8I/AAAAAAAADz4/Jqjb_Soy97YuWvywUw4mNZVeH3-pDXKQA/s1600/photo%2B%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F7Sl6A6ncYc/VusOG1nZJ8I/AAAAAAAADz4/Jqjb_Soy97YuWvywUw4mNZVeH3-pDXKQA/s640/photo%2B%25285%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a_ispfVo8Uo/VGj4DM0A7bI/AAAAAAAADYs/c80Z47DErHU/s640/blogger-image-290382827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a_ispfVo8Uo/VGj4DM0A7bI/AAAAAAAADYs/c80Z47DErHU/s640/blogger-image-290382827.jpg" width="626" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pierre Herme macaron. Perfect!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SDHihIJTD8c/VGnn4-uCW2I/AAAAAAAADZE/zKlj42Gu4s8/s640/blogger-image--1642756486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SDHihIJTD8c/VGnn4-uCW2I/AAAAAAAADZE/zKlj42Gu4s8/s640/blogger-image--1642756486.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rj4EfuCjTa0/VGnn6-HG8uI/AAAAAAAADZM/lbDItdD0Ypg/s640/blogger-image-1129415954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Rj4EfuCjTa0/VGnn6-HG8uI/AAAAAAAADZM/lbDItdD0Ypg/s640/blogger-image-1129415954.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying Pierre Herme in Paris, Summer 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">For me, a perfect macaron starts with a perfectly shaped smooth dome with perfectly even ruffled </span><span style="font-size: large;">edges, also known as feet. When you bite into it, there is a little bit of crunch but should not </span><span style="font-size: large;">crumble and not chewy either. The filling should not be too little or too much. Lastly, it should not be too sweet. I have to say, Pierre Herme macarons have all that, the perfect balance of texture and </span><span style="font-size: large;">taste. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> And while I am still on this quest, I am more than happy to call </span><span style="font-size: large;">Pierre Herme my favourite for now.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-32942067769571215822014-11-10T14:18:00.004+00:002014-11-14T22:05:19.981+00:00Lunch At Gordon Ramsay's Maze<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bht3GAzEafY/VGC0-zmU8LI/AAAAAAAADWc/IAKSVOv8b6Q/s1600/11955_10202138126518855_9061688464166408101_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bht3GAzEafY/VGC0-zmU8LI/AAAAAAAADWc/IAKSVOv8b6Q/s1600/11955_10202138126518855_9061688464166408101_n.jpg" height="318" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A while ago in early May of this year, I had the pleasure of spending time with my friends over lunch at Gordon Ramsay's One Michelin star restaurant, Maze. Located in the posh area of Mayfair in London, the restaurant is being overseen by recently promoted head chef Alex Thiebaut. You cannot really expect less when it comes to Gordon Ramsay, who currently holds 14 Michelin stars in total. So we ventured into the threshold of Maze, preparing to be aMazed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MXMC6GXM1zs/VGC2CDmfLgI/AAAAAAAADWk/_KY6cSbXOpQ/s1600/10256454_10202123558354660_2061988715347400238_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MXMC6GXM1zs/VGC2CDmfLgI/AAAAAAAADWk/_KY6cSbXOpQ/s1600/10256454_10202123558354660_2061988715347400238_n.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We waited at the bar for the rest of the group to arrive. My friend recommended that I try Peach Bellini. For someone who is not a lover of anything alcoholic, I was blown away by this one. I love that the Prosecco was not too strong for me. The sweetness of the peach makes up for the alcohol so I was fine. Later on I learned that Prosecco is actually low in alcohol at only 11 percent. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There was unlimited bread basket being served while we were waiting for our orders to arrive. To say that the food was amazing would be an understatement.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l8xpU5dZ43Y/VGC4ZgN6ppI/AAAAAAAADWw/64mPyqUIPwk/s1600/10245367_10202138165919840_7121089466183190776_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l8xpU5dZ43Y/VGC4ZgN6ppI/AAAAAAAADWw/64mPyqUIPwk/s1600/10245367_10202138165919840_7121089466183190776_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">There were two that really stood out for me. Steamed Sea bream, enoki mushroom, dashi. This boneless fillet of fish was cooked to perfection. It was well infused with spices that worked well with the bed of mushrooms that accentuates its flavour.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5e7TkZ7AgSk/VGC6mJzbXdI/AAAAAAAADW8/h36KXHLFIZU/s1600/10369723_10202138215281074_2914497663386384032_n%2B(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5e7TkZ7AgSk/VGC6mJzbXdI/AAAAAAAADW8/h36KXHLFIZU/s1600/10369723_10202138215281074_2914497663386384032_n%2B(1).jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lamb belly with cauliflower and spice lentils. This was one of the best, if not the best on this meal. For someone who is not fond of lamb, this made me into a convert. The well seasoned meat was very tender and full of flavour. It was also very well presented and well garnished, the kind that teases and excites your palate way before the food lands in your mouth.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fy65svUSuWU/VGDIRb5L3rI/AAAAAAAADXM/2q-hgCl1lY4/s1600/1619308_10202138173120020_5815963663344797686_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fy65svUSuWU/VGDIRb5L3rI/AAAAAAAADXM/2q-hgCl1lY4/s1600/1619308_10202138173120020_5815963663344797686_n.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was a four course meal. They were all delicious although I was on the fence with the duck and foie gras terrine (above). It was the kind of taste that you would either love or hate. With me, it was the latter.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Maze</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">10 - 13 Grosvenor Square </span><br style="font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">LONDON </span><br style="font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">W1K 6JP </span><br style="font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;" /><span style="font-family: Cabin, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; text-align: start;">T: <a href="tel:020%207107%200000" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors-type="telephone" x-apple-data-detectors="true">020 7107 0000</a> restaurant reservations</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-18670427043015160492014-10-27T21:41:00.000+00:002014-11-14T22:01:17.218+00:00Five Faves<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s2">I can say that finally, </span><span class="s2">Autumn</span><span class="s2"> has arrived. The air is crisp and the nights are longer. The leaves have turned a golden hue. My five current favourites </span><span class="s2">does</span><span class="s2"> not only include items from my beauty cupboard but from my wardrobe as well. </span><span class="s2">These I would say, would take me from </span><span class="s2">Autumn</span><span class="s2"> through the winter. Here goes. </span></span></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span class="s2"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EZIRa4YhT9E/VE67Lh39U-I/AAAAAAAADWA/OM0bcYoDU2o/s640/blogger-image--1607663049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EZIRa4YhT9E/VE67Lh39U-I/AAAAAAAADWA/OM0bcYoDU2o/s640/blogger-image--1607663049.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span class="s2"><span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="s2" style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;">Maybelline Color Drama Velvet Lip Pencil</span><span class="s2"> – </span><span class="s2">When I saw this being tried on by one of the makeup gurus that I follow online, I could not wait to get my hands on it. I liked how well pigmented it looked on her lips. Once I tried it myself, I was sold. It is very rich in </span><span class="s2">c</span><span class="s2">olour and very creamy. </span><span class="s2">The</span><span class="s2"> staying power is phenomenal that not even any of my high end lipsticks could beat and for only £4.99 a pop, I hoarded. My favourite shades at the moment are Light Up and Keep It Classy. Both perfect for Autumn.</span></span></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="s2"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hHUyffIMs3M/VE67ImZrm4I/AAAAAAAADVo/amicaqIy4nE/s640/blogger-image--1902179120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-hHUyffIMs3M/VE67ImZrm4I/AAAAAAAADVo/amicaqIy4nE/s640/blogger-image--1902179120.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<span class="s2"><br /></span></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;">Bioderma</span><span class="s2"> – My best buy from Paris did not come from a designer shop. It came from one of the French Pharmacies instead and it is </span><span class="s2">Bioderma</span><span class="s2"> </span><span class="s2">Crealine</span><span class="s2"> H20. This great makeup remover has a cult following from models to professional makeup artists. I developed a growing curiosity so I grabbed a bottle the moment I had the chance on my recent trip to Paris. True enough, it is a very good makeup remover. It removes even the most stubborn of eye makeup. I have used a few other brands before but nothing comes as good as </span><span class="s2">Bioderma</span><span class="s2">. </span></span><br />
<div class="s2">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="s2"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tD2-iUdF9dc/VE67Jo8GzMI/AAAAAAAADVw/xgrVDdo-Mkk/s640/blogger-image-1355407982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tD2-iUdF9dc/VE67Jo8GzMI/AAAAAAAADVw/xgrVDdo-Mkk/s640/blogger-image-1355407982.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div class="s2">
</div>
<br />
<div class="s2" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5808584779234006131" name="_GoBack"></a><span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;">Dior Inspired Earrings</span><span class="s2"> – I have to admit I was not quite sure when I saw Dior’s </span><span class="s2">Mise</span><span class="s2"> En Dior Tribal earrings, even when celebrities started wearing them. Then a friend sent me a similar pair and surprise, surprise, I fell in love with them. And I love the mixed comments I hear whenever I wear them. </span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span class="s2"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="s2"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7jO0-WI9sDQ/VE665cCw-GI/AAAAAAAADVg/ulIdEjb8MWQ/s640/blogger-image-1788897549.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-7jO0-WI9sDQ/VE665cCw-GI/AAAAAAAADVg/ulIdEjb8MWQ/s640/blogger-image-1788897549.jpg" width="412" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span class="s2"><br /></span></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;">Ripped Jeans</span><span class="s3"> </span><span class="s3">– I c</span><span class="s3">an definitely say I have been living in them since I got them. I love how I can dress them up or down. I normally wear my pair with white shirt and black faux leather jacket and a pair of converse </span><span class="s3">or ankle boots now that it is cooler </span><span class="s3">but if I want to dress them up, I throw on a </span><span class="s3">blazer and heels</span><span class="s3">, put on some bold </span><span class="s3">lips </span><span class="s3">and</span><span class="s3"> I am good to go. </span></span></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IQldZdpim5c/VE67KsQhr2I/AAAAAAAADV4/nY218uhj-I4/s640/blogger-image--1036193000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IQldZdpim5c/VE67KsQhr2I/AAAAAAAADV4/nY218uhj-I4/s640/blogger-image--1036193000.jpg" width="577" /></a></span></div>
<span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="s2" style="font-size: 18px; line-height: 21px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;">Chanel Nail Polish</span><span class="s3" style="font-weight: bold;"> in Accesoire </span><span class="s2">– I have expressed my love for Chanel nail polish time and again and despite buying other brands, I keep coming back to my first love when it comes to my nails. The price could burn a hole in your pocket if you are not careful as you could easily get hooked. Though with the quality that you get, I say you are better off buying one good bottle of nail polish that stays on your nails for days, that does not chip easily than get several cheap alternatives that does not do the job which will end up forgotten at the back of your cupboard</span><span class="s2">. I particularly love this particular nail colour for </span><span class="s2">Autumn</span><span class="s2"> and I normally alternate it with the shade Black Pearl.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-89961906939002776382014-10-20T14:51:00.003+01:002014-10-30T16:54:31.969+00:00Singapore: Lovelier The Second Time Around<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yCJGOyZrek4/VEO-1Ghz32I/AAAAAAAADRE/dBKp3Dvs1x4/s1600/DSC_1947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yCJGOyZrek4/VEO-1Ghz32I/AAAAAAAADRE/dBKp3Dvs1x4/s1600/DSC_1947.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Our love affair with the Lion City started on our first stopover in 2011 (which I wrote about <a href="http://www.thestagemommydiaries.com/search?q=singapore+fling" target="_blank">here</a>)and we have been back since then. Singapore is a place that you never get tired of. There is so much to do. There is a wide selection of restaurants to choose from, be it Michelin starred or hole in the wall. The shopping is impressive with a wide array of designer brands in the countless shopping malls that abound in the city. Orchard Road (comparable to Oxford street in London and Champs Elysee in Paris) and Marina Bay Sands are your best bets if you are a shopping enthusiast.<br />
<br />
Oh, how I love this city. I could go on and on but first, let me count the ways...<br />
<br />
<b>The Airport</b> - Singapore's Changi airport has always been, time and again, on the list of the best airports in the world and for 2014, they topped the list of<a href="http://www.worldairportawards.com/Awards_2014/worlds_best_airport.htm" target="_blank"> Skytrax World's Best Airport </a>award. This is its second time in a row. There is no surprise there. Anybody who has been to Changi airport will agree. Aside from being spotlessly clean, there is so much to do that you would feel your holiday has started way before you boarded your flight or for those arriving, way before you even come out of immigration. There is so much greenery inside and it is the only airport in the world that houses a butterfly garden.For longer layovers, it has a cinema to while away your time, snooze lounges and of course, free Wifi.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6JzMdGX-H68/VEPD27VlsmI/AAAAAAAADRU/KfAmwaGWfSY/s1600/DSC_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6JzMdGX-H68/VEPD27VlsmI/AAAAAAAADRU/KfAmwaGWfSY/s1600/DSC_0722.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_B1h102DIZs/VEPD7VVxH4I/AAAAAAAADRc/gRF0jVeWzjo/s1600/DSC_0723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_B1h102DIZs/VEPD7VVxH4I/AAAAAAAADRc/gRF0jVeWzjo/s1600/DSC_0723.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UE4biRnvtyA/VEPECOM4R2I/AAAAAAAADRk/LgfaZ0A1s6Y/s1600/DSC_0726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UE4biRnvtyA/VEPECOM4R2I/AAAAAAAADRk/LgfaZ0A1s6Y/s1600/DSC_0726.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8O9wZsiDsfg/VEPEGqhLT_I/AAAAAAAADRs/zIAzkuuzJD0/s1600/DSC_0730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8O9wZsiDsfg/VEPEGqhLT_I/AAAAAAAADRs/zIAzkuuzJD0/s1600/DSC_0730.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l_7v8O_LK9g/VEPEM3jXqvI/AAAAAAAADR0/u-fqK5jTUNc/s1600/photo3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l_7v8O_LK9g/VEPEM3jXqvI/AAAAAAAADR0/u-fqK5jTUNc/s1600/photo3.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The Airline</b><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> - Singapore's flag carrier, Singapore Airlines is my favourite airline to fly with when going home for a holiday. Great in flight entertainment. The food and the service are flawless and I could not recommend it enough.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>The food - </b>If you love your food (who doesn't) then Singapore for you is paradise. You are spoiled for choice from street vendors to fine dining. Considered as the food capital of Asia, Singapore's diverse cuisine caters very well to it's equally diverse residents and tourists. Joel Robuchon has already set up shop and so has Jaime Oliver and some of America's celebrated chefs. But if you want a taste of the real Singapore, never leave without trying their famous signature dishes, Chili Crab and the Hainanese Chicken. One Michelin Star Din Tai Fung is also worth a visit for their famous Xiao Long Bao.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JLhlfJ-yKTY/VEPLEp3CyJI/AAAAAAAADSE/RsU_Hun9s5k/s1600/photo15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JLhlfJ-yKTY/VEPLEp3CyJI/AAAAAAAADSE/RsU_Hun9s5k/s1600/photo15.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oxVX0GOoVg4/VEPL-4fj7sI/AAAAAAAADSs/G1iPVHcyaXM/s1600/DSC_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oxVX0GOoVg4/VEPL-4fj7sI/AAAAAAAADSs/G1iPVHcyaXM/s1600/DSC_0492.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v92Wal4bWwE/VEPMLKC0c3I/AAAAAAAADS0/a4Og1aBOJNk/s1600/DSC_0498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v92Wal4bWwE/VEPMLKC0c3I/AAAAAAAADS0/a4Og1aBOJNk/s1600/DSC_0498.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CEiw2YfmrSw/VEPNCUGS_cI/AAAAAAAADTE/bfi1wG3Tq_M/s1600/DSC_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CEiw2YfmrSw/VEPNCUGS_cI/AAAAAAAADTE/bfi1wG3Tq_M/s1600/DSC_0494.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ECwP2e3N_Vo/VEUI93kzwPI/AAAAAAAADTc/atzVyz_BUn0/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ECwP2e3N_Vo/VEUI93kzwPI/AAAAAAAADTc/atzVyz_BUn0/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(2).jpg" height="640" width="636" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BxosM9i02GI/VEUI_sQYjgI/AAAAAAAADTk/6HCpVbjkHfA/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BxosM9i02GI/VEUI_sQYjgI/AAAAAAAADTk/6HCpVbjkHfA/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B(1).jpg" height="606" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>The shopping</b> - Whether you want to hit the shops for a bargain or you want to score some of the most coveted designer pieces, Singapore is the right place for you. With international brands sprouting like mushrooms, the shopping scene is not at all behind. Orchard Road is an endless stretch of shops and shopping malls alike. Here you can find the likes of Abercrombie and Fitch, H&M, DKNY. If you want more upscale shopping, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands will do just the trick where the only floating Louis Vuitton shop in the world is located.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XqkfqS5lTjY/VEULw-0BFpI/AAAAAAAADTw/_3M6UGprvm4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XqkfqS5lTjY/VEULw-0BFpI/AAAAAAAADTw/_3M6UGprvm4/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" height="640" width="636" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CswnUYLOF7g/VEUL8qN8zEI/AAAAAAAADT4/aeLgAvvkizc/s1600/photo7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CswnUYLOF7g/VEUL8qN8zEI/AAAAAAAADT4/aeLgAvvkizc/s1600/photo7.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MkTmPkmYHEs/VEUMSs_aUVI/AAAAAAAADUA/Le0iYQciTqM/s1600/DSC_0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MkTmPkmYHEs/VEUMSs_aUVI/AAAAAAAADUA/Le0iYQciTqM/s1600/DSC_0526.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wzUImipx8YE/VEUMfilzdyI/AAAAAAAADUQ/p1ud8nlt5co/s1600/DSC_0580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wzUImipx8YE/VEUMfilzdyI/AAAAAAAADUQ/p1ud8nlt5co/s1600/DSC_0580.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASekpEY11FU/VEUMkKSGtRI/AAAAAAAADUY/gvjOrpZ0eqQ/s1600/DSC_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ASekpEY11FU/VEUMkKSGtRI/AAAAAAAADUY/gvjOrpZ0eqQ/s1600/DSC_0642.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXAcFtYn_tM/VEUMuo9BnoI/AAAAAAAADUg/TCrqxLUyAcw/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jXAcFtYn_tM/VEUMuo9BnoI/AAAAAAAADUg/TCrqxLUyAcw/s1600/DSC_0647.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>The City - </b>Not only is Singapore great for food and shopping enthusiasts, it is also great for families. This city is very family friendly with a whole load of family activities and places to visit on offer. For movie buffs, there is Universal Studios where not only the kids will enjoy but also for the kids at heart. If your children love nature there is the Botanic Gardens, The Jurong Bird Park, Underwater World and of course, the Singapore Zoo.Singapore is also not short of museums with their National Museum, The Science Center Museum, The Maritime Experiential Museum and the Mint Museum of Toys to name a few. There is also the Big Splash water park for those who wants to get wet and wild. Lastly, the not to be missed, the spectacular Light and Water show at the Marina Bay Sands. "An amazing convergence of light, music and sound and giant water screens" as described by its website is a 10 minute long show involving light and water displays to the rhythm of a song. There are two shows at 8 pm and 10 pm so make sure to catch one or both. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OrQis0tvVCs/VEUSfDEGMVI/AAAAAAAADUw/H2JEfKoE4kQ/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OrQis0tvVCs/VEUSfDEGMVI/AAAAAAAADUw/H2JEfKoE4kQ/s1600/DSC_0068.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MBU0FRr85Vs/VEUSm7km2eI/AAAAAAAADU4/VNEB386HeVA/s1600/DSC_0301%2B(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MBU0FRr85Vs/VEUSm7km2eI/AAAAAAAADU4/VNEB386HeVA/s1600/DSC_0301%2B(2).JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uTS8yzLhH2k/VEUS0CzYYaI/AAAAAAAADVA/m15wYX7T0jU/s1600/DSC_2009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uTS8yzLhH2k/VEUS0CzYYaI/AAAAAAAADVA/m15wYX7T0jU/s1600/DSC_2009.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVLgTRegjLY/VEUS5GZMHWI/AAAAAAAADVI/MkvS8Advrjo/s1600/DSC_2021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kVLgTRegjLY/VEUS5GZMHWI/AAAAAAAADVI/MkvS8Advrjo/s1600/DSC_2021.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We are definitely not done with Singapore and for definite, we will keep coming back.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5808584779234006131.post-2482274775520235602014-10-11T09:07:00.000+01:002014-10-19T22:41:56.985+01:00My Special BirthdayAll birthdays are special but when it is a milestone birthday, the more special it is. For my special milestone birthday last year, I knew what I wanted. I wanted it to be small and intimate with just a handful of close friends and since I love afternoon tea, it was a no brainer. No, I did not want an afternoon tea themed party but the real deal. I wanted to experience that quintessential British tradition but not in the comforts of my own home, where I usually have mine but in a quaint and elegant setting complete with pretty china and gleaming silverware. The Marriott's Hanbury Manor in Hertfordshire was the perfect choice.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6bFk-MNIweQ/VDKR65fNLXI/AAAAAAAADPA/w6RQ2e3ClUY/s1600/hanbury.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6bFk-MNIweQ/VDKR65fNLXI/AAAAAAAADPA/w6RQ2e3ClUY/s640/hanbury.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Before going to the venue, I met up with my girl friends for brunch at home.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQp0U0wjMYA/VDKXFBmEu5I/AAAAAAAADPw/6ZflUrzfs4o/s1600/table1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lQp0U0wjMYA/VDKXFBmEu5I/AAAAAAAADPw/6ZflUrzfs4o/s1600/table1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A simple meal was served at home to tie us up until our afternoon tea.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7AupcVIu2Dk/VDKXIzbBj2I/AAAAAAAADP4/Z2CU-9mP2Gc/s1600/table2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7AupcVIu2Dk/VDKXIzbBj2I/AAAAAAAADP4/Z2CU-9mP2Gc/s1600/table2.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Afternoon Tea was served in the grand Oak Hall with views of the English countryside. The dark wood panelling and open fireplace added opulence to the already grand setting.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--M5U1a44yhc/VDKStUWVaGI/AAAAAAAADPI/FiwsDnu5K2Y/s1600/oakhall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--M5U1a44yhc/VDKStUWVaGI/AAAAAAAADPI/FiwsDnu5K2Y/s1600/oakhall.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A harp was being played at one corner which made the experience heavenly.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jNGHZ_prKeQ/VDKUSw5jGmI/AAAAAAAADPU/k3LNchAHPuk/s1600/tray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jNGHZ_prKeQ/VDKUSw5jGmI/AAAAAAAADPU/k3LNchAHPuk/s1600/tray.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
A selection of finely cut sandwiches, dainty little pastries and cakes and freshly baked scones, the melt in your mouth variety, were served in beautiful layer trays.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qiXDtdUgdr8/VDKU3En9kHI/AAAAAAAADPc/oVBMAViTPPE/s1600/teaset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qiXDtdUgdr8/VDKU3En9kHI/AAAAAAAADPc/oVBMAViTPPE/s1600/teaset.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There was a selection of tea to choose from but since I am a creature of habit, I always gladly stick with my English Breakfast tea.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ac71M8gEF60/VDKVruAIKuI/AAAAAAAADPo/00En_i4CFGo/s1600/cakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ac71M8gEF60/VDKVruAIKuI/AAAAAAAADPo/00En_i4CFGo/s1600/cakes.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The cakes and pastries were very well made and deliciously melts in your mouth and the scones were the best scones I have ever had. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Service was flawless. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CFKG7BsLh4w/VDKXsHd1KKI/AAAAAAAADQA/Sf-OWT_JYU4/s1600/meh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CFKG7BsLh4w/VDKXsHd1KKI/AAAAAAAADQA/Sf-OWT_JYU4/s1600/meh.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
It was a wonderful birthday spent with my favourite people in the world, in a place that that was perfect for me and nothing could be better than that.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07231241571718076839noreply@blogger.com0