No, I have not just come back from Italy (on the basis it’s inclemently cold in Europe at the moment I’m thrilled not to be anywhere near it). But when I was in London I bought – Granny-style and, I have to say, totally on my mother’s excellent recommendation – some extremely grown-up potpourri from Santa Maria Novella’s very smart store in the Picadilly Arcade. Before you question my sanity, I promise there isn’t a curled pink wood chipping in sight; we are talking a delicious peppery, woody scent that permeates your home and smells…expensive.
Living here in Singapore means that I do have a modicum of help in the cheffing-up department (‘thank goodness’ cry two small people).
Despite being somewhat stove-shy, I’m actually not a bad prepper and really quite enjoy assembling ingredients (the more exotic, the better). What I hate is standing over a hot oven pushing it all about with a spoon. I don’t much care for doing it in any country but feel particularly justified in my outburst of domestic indifference when I’m living in tropical temperatures and my kitchen doesn’t just not have air-con, it’s outside in the sunshine. Read More
My sis lives in Barnes and it’s beautiful. It’s the sort of place that makes you say ‘Barnes, actually’ when people ask where in London you are staying. So after NY I popped over to Barnes Actually for an extremely short amount of time before returning home.
During my fleeting visit we managed to squeeze in quite a lot, including a trip to the cold and extremely wet (but still beautiful) Kew Gardens which is right around the corner from where sis lives. Read More
I have unfortunately been blessed with a less than flat tummy and – conversely and rather disappointingly – a completely flat bottom. After getting throughly overexcited in both New York and London and, as they say in America, “eating my face off”, I find myself back in sunny Singapore with a tummy that’s bigger than usual, a party to go to tomorrow and not a lot to wear*.
So here I am in New York. I have turned up, expecting gale force winds and driving snow, with my giant Max Mara overcoat (which is much too thick for the blustery spring weather that’s been in residence since my arrival, despite the thick snow just days before) that screams Upper East Side more loudly than I thought possible.
There is a downside to this look: you look completely uncool in SoHo, even if you are wearing ripped jeans underneath (I’m not by the way). Read More
