Summer

As I sit here in an autumnal jumper and listening to the rain falling outside I have realised that autumn has kind of snuck up on us. Don't get me wrong I was aware that it was coming, but the past couple of days the temperature had noticeably dropped. Autumn is in full swing and I have been reflecting on the summer that has just waved good bye to us.

Summer always brings with it longer days and shorter nights. Warmer temperatures even when its raining. A bright and wonderful colour show brings us something different each day with nature taking centre stage. Going into the garden and picking fruit/vegetables that you have been waiting for a couple of months to be just right. Having a day in the park and a picnic with your cousins. Sometimes summer can trick us into  thinking that it has gone for good but the sneaks back on us in September and squeezing every last bit of what it has. The anticipation and excitement of the arrival of a new family member whilst still enjoying the older ones. Summer, its been great and now it is over to the ever changing autumn. 

Pick Your Own

For the past five or so years in the summer we have had the pleasure of picking fruit from my aunty's garden. The fruits in question are plums, greengages, berries and apples, and about a month ago it was that time of the year again. My aunty has many plum and apple trees so there was plenty to go around our big extended family and its always nice to get the kids (my cousins) involved as well. The day we went the apples weren't ripe yet but we got bags full of plums and greengages, also some blackberries. I would encourage you to finding a 'Pick Your Own' farm or establishment because you know that the fruit is going to be just right and it's not all going to be uniform and generic like you find in the supermarkets. As you will see in the vlog I found what I like to call a 'bum plum' ha ha, and here is the vlog :)

Afternoon Tea Baby Shower

This year has been full of pregnant ladies and babies, and two of those pregnant ladies just so happen to be my sister and her sister-in law. This seemed like a perfect excuse to make up a dessert table and have an afternoon tea (here is the first dessert table we did). Afternoon tea's and dessert table's are brilliant because they give you the creative licence to do whatever you want with the decor and the menu.

We decided to make the invitations ourselves (which we had a lot of fun doing), most of the pom poms were home made as was the bunting hanging from the table. Food wise we had a mix of home made and shop bought which turned out really well, because if you don't have time to make all the food there are so many bakery's, deli's and other food places that do brilliant food for occasions like this. It always worth having a look around in your local area for places like that. For serving dishes we used a combination of things that all three of us had, what our mothers had and we hired the tea cups and tea pots from the bakery where we got the cake from (And the dish ran away with the spoon). Flowers also make everything look prettier, we decided on one big pitcher of flowers and a few smaller jars of flowers dotted around the table.

All in all I think it was a big success and it just goes to show that a mix of home made and shop bought can work really well, and just have fun with it. Here is the vlog of the whole thing

  

Dubai Diaries - Going to Abu Dhabi

So whilst we were in Dubai, we took a mini road trip to Abu Dhabi. We took off straight after breakfast on a Friday so we could make to the Sheikh Zayed Grand mosque for Friday (jummah) prayer. It was probably the best experience of my life so far and the highlight of my year in 2013 ( as stated in this instagram post ). The mosque was the purist of whites set of against the bluest of skys. The architecture and structure was just amazing and I was totally in awe of its beauty. We also visited the Emirates Palace Hotel which was full of decadence and sheer opulence. Of course I took loads of picture and a vlog as well so here they are. 

Love these flower motifs on the ceiling 

So beautiful

A miniature model of the mosque

Through the key hole 

There were these floral tiles around the walls

The hustle and bustle after prayer 

Love these gold palm leave on the pillars 

Basking in the sun

Me

Mini domes 

Basking in the sun 

The ceiling of the Emirates Palace hotel

Surrounding buildings 

The Emirates Palace hotel 

Oooohhhh fountains 

Water steps

This is the last of the Dubai Diaries series, I hope you have enjoyed it :)