i heart hearts | i kicked off the week with a love-ly challenge: wear hearts every day in the lead up to galentine's day, and document it on the internet. i started the #ejvvdaywardrobe hashtag last year as a massive eff-you to the douche bag i was dating who refused to acknowledge valentine's day, and decided i could definitely pick it up and make it "a thing" this year. well, two other people joined in this time 'round, so i guess that means i've made it. big thanks to char and donna for joining in the fun!
flat carbs day | tuesday just happened to not only be shrove tuesday, but also national pizza day. coincidence? i think not! it was only in the spirit of being a good patriot to my country that my day consisted mainly of pancakes and pizza - a.k.a, flat carbs. all hail flat carbs day!
swaying with the squad | to continue the celebration, the gang and i headed into the city after work for some flat carb day shenanigans; sway bar in holborn had just launched their new food and drink menus - including ~more flat carbs, and we had been invited there to test their deliciousness. bartender romeo was on hand to talk us through the new cocktail menu, that we ~insisted on trying in full to be ~really sure about which ones we liked and we didn't, and the wonderful chefs in the kitchen got to making sure the continuation of the day's flat carbs theme was seen to. as well as baked garlic breads and some tasty wood-fired pizzas, we were treated to some delicious fresh salads (watermelon, goats cheese and pomegranate? oh my god, game changer), samples of some dreamy main dishes (pork belly bites with chipotle mayo) and a couple of vegetarian sides (char-grilled asparagus and courgette, and chilli broccoli - yum!); an undeniable feast of tasty dishes and strong cocktails to see us out into the night. except, we weren't done. we were offered a private tour of the recently renovated downstairs bar, and with the promise of a glass of bubbles and a selfie-room, we were hardly in a position to refuse. did we cause a scene? we did. do we care? we do not. who run the world? girls. thank you to sway for having us, and showing us a delicious time!
hogs and hopps | and then on wednesday night, milly, charley, katy and i backed it up and headed to out for bbq in tower hill, to celebrate beer week (it's a thing!) with a night of craft beer pairing with beer merchants and the wonderful hosts, bodean's. with a room full of london's most qualified knowers-about-beer, we were mildly out of our depth. especially as the only ones wanting to know the wifi password and taking photos of our food, but with each course and beer pairing that came out, we clearly became more and more knowledgeable about beer. i've been to my fair share of craft beer festivals and intros and pairings, so i know what i like already. but, each course was paired with a beer i ~hadn't tried before, and i have come away with at least three new beers to add to the list of those i definitely like: big wave golden ale by kona, lucky jack american pale ale by lervig, and long hammer ipa by red hook. a success! i had to tap out of eating any more meat by round four, as after three main courses of char-grilled swordfish, dry-rubbed chicken wings, and a plate of burnt ends and a small pile of pulled pork, i was defeated. too defeated to attempt to eat the wet ribs, but not too defeated that i couldn't just ~try the chocolate brownie and ice cream. because you have a second stomach for dessert, obviously. massive praise to both bodean's and beer merchants for having us, and showing us a good and meaty time!
cute and comfy | my fooooot, you guys! i know you're sick of hearing about it, but no more sick than i am of having to deal with it. on thursday i was able to work from home which meant not having to wear shoes for ~most of the day, but when it was time to go out for dinner, i chose my cute and comfy mel's which have been somewhat of a saviour over the last couple of weeks. they've taken a while to wear in, but now i have, they're totally reliable - much to my relief!
brighter, longer | the days! are brighter! the sun is out! longer! spring is juuuust around the corner, and despite the hideously cold mornings, there is bright rays of hope popping up around every corner. i just can't bloooooody wait. unfreeze my bones, for the love of god.
galentine's day | on saturday i had the pleasure of spending the morning with some of my favourite humans. with lazy brunch plans scheduled in, we sat through some painfully bad service and average food while we cackled about everything from childhood memories, valentine's plans, and how much of a good friend claire is because she came straight to the restaurant and didn't go into anthropologie first. what a bunch of absolute huns. despite the unpleasant dining experience, my day was the best.
lazy sunday | with no plans to speak of, i stayed in bed longer than needed, chatted to mum about her impending trip over here, and did some chores before finally leaving the house - with coffee on my mind. and then coffee on my everything, when the lid wasn't on properly and spilled directly over the entire table, my delicious (i guess, i couldn't eat it) lemon drizzle cake, and nearly my phone. such lolz. don't worry though, i made up for it by treating myself to some £2 tulips and a kfc box for one. happy valentine's day to me!
so that's me for another week; pretty happy, right? don't forget jasmin is hosting her happiness link up, so if you're in the need for a cheer up, that's the best place to find it. have a great week!
