Almost Bikini Season- Again!

Although we have yet to book our summer holiday 2010, that does not stop me from ordering this year's beach and swimwear collection. I mean, for starters I am terrified all the good styles will be sold out, and secondly, having brand new bikinis hanging in your wardrobe is really the perfect way to keep you on the straight and narrow in terms of avoiding pretty much anything you fancy! Refined sugar? Are you nuts? Carbs? I don't think so! Dairy? Approach with caution! So now my credit card has just taken another hit, but who cares when these yummy looks are mine! Beautiful tranquil Greek isles, here I come!





(Photo Credit from here)

More Holiday Snaps

Just thought I'd share some more pictures form our lovely and relaxing days in Bristol, a city I have come to like a lot, perfect for a girly weekend of shopping and Champagne, or like us; nice relaxing family days of laid-back lunches, romantic- and sleep-inducing- walks and off course, a tad of shopping squeezed in!

Don't Go There!

One of my all time favorite style crushes, Sienna Miller, has seemingly kissed and made up with love-rat and ex-fiancee Jude Law. I would hate to state the obvious, but Sienna, honey, what are you thinking?? Now, don't get me wrong; I totally see the appeal, Jude Law is just about as yummy as a man can get- I mean; have you seen him as a single father in The Holiday?? To quote another one of my favorite people, the fabulous Rachel Zoe, "I DIE!". But still; does going back ever really work? Or will the lovely ms. Miller have to endure walking in on him with yet another nanny on yet another pool table? This is a woman who can literally take her pick of the most gorgeous men on the planet- and she looks to have chosen to go back to the man who- quite publicly- broke her heart. Sienna my dear, don't go there!

The Taste of Spring

To me, asparagus will always and forever be the taste that most sums up the taste of spring. Whether it is as a starter, gently draped in parma ham, or in a yummy creamy asparagus soup, a pie, or; as simple as this asparagus based tapas dish Jamie Oliver mentions in his new book Jamie Does.., the nutty tasting crunchy vegetable will forever be a hit with me.

When the weather heats up enough to entertain friends and family outdoors, I will most definitively be serving this dish- preferably with something cold, crisp and white in my glass to go with it! :


GRIDDLED ASPARAGUS
Serves 4 as a tapas dish

Preheat a griddle pan on a high heat for 5 minutes and let it get screaming hot.
While that's happening, snap the woody ends off 500g of asparagus and discard, then grill for 5 to 8 minutes, turning every now and then, so they start to get quite charred, nutty and delicious.
Meanwhile, bash a garlic clove in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir in the zest and juice of ½ a lemon and 3 times as much Spanish extra virgin olive oil.
When the asparagus spears are charred and cooked, put them into a shallow bowl with your dressing to marinate for a few minutes. Transfer them to a plate and serve them with a handful of stoned green olives torn up over the top and your lemon zest sprinkled over.

I- being me- would also grate some delicious parmesan over the freshly griddles asparaguses- the perfect companion.


(Photo Credit from here)

How Cute..

is princess wearing Mummy's old Christening gown?? Not that it will fit her when her Christening rolls around July 18th- a whole 2,5 months away, but still; we just had to try. Note to self: Must start planning before-mentioned Christening!!!

Happiness is...

... having the time to read books I have wanted to read forever and drinking a lovely latte, while princess plays with granny, aka bestemor... bliss!

Rompers!

Nwahh, how adorable are these little rompers?? I can totally imagine Nahla in these either this summer or next! I love baby clothes that have that vintage feel- and love the way little Honor Warren is dressed by her obviously very style oriented mummy!




(Photo Credit from here)

Today's Yummy Mummy Style Crush

The gorgeous Kate Hudson totally fits my "type". And when I say type I mean the type of women I tend to develop an obsession with/style crush on/desire to steal their wardrobe/hairdresser/stylist etc. and that type of thing. Anyway, Kate and her too-cute-for-words son Ryder was the image of mother/son adorableness when snapped out together in New York City this week. Ryder, who for a long time sported long blond locks and only recently had them chopped off into a much more boy-ish cut, is Kate's son from her marriage to Black Crowes singer Chris Robinson.



(Photo Credit from here)

The Importance of US time!

To every parent, there comes a time after what seems like weeks in a blur of diapers, vomit, boobs, broken sleep, cuddles, baths, pj bottoms all day and a general all-consuming-baby-centered day to day existence, you all of a sudden realize that making the effort to spend time together as a couple is actually super-important. And maybe especially in mine and BF's circumstances, where we literally fly in and out of each other's lives- and romance happens over Skype! Which, in fairness, isn't really all that romantic at all.

So we did it. Spent time together I mean. And it was great. And a bit scary. And great again. Taking advantage of the fact that my mum and dad were in Bristol as well, and staying in the Radisson Blu hotel, which was conveniently located a five minute walk form BF's apartment, on Thursday night we left Nahla over to her more-than-happy-to-look-after-her grandparents, and headed out for a romantic evening of tapas and a movie. Las Iguanas was the perfect venue for our first date-night just over four months; just the perfect amount of dark, busy and scented with the heady aroma of yummy Spanish food. BF and I ordered a selection of tapas, and my very first strawberry daquiri in almost a year! It was perfect; the taste of summer in a frosted glass! BF opted for the more suitable to tapas glass of red wine, but I could not care less, having suffered one cocktail-less summer, I am going to enjoy this one to the full-in the off chance that I might be in the same pregnant predicament when next summer rolls around! Not that i am planing on it, but you never know...

Then after a yummy meal, BF and I walked up to Cabot Circus and went to see Iron Man 2- his film of choice, certainly not mine, but aren't relationships all about compromise? Too right say you- and believe me, the next film we go to see will be something involving Jennifer Aniston. Or Josh Lucas. Or preferably both... Anyway, the film was not the worst I guess, a vast step up from Avatar that BF forced me to see in December, when I was pregnant, hormonal and moody- you can imagine what a joy I was! And after all, the main objective was more the fact that BF and I could hold hands and cuddle in the darkness of the cinema yet again, and not so much the actual film we saw. Again; my opinion, not his.

So all in all, we enjoyed a super-great night out, got to talk, eat, cuddle, drink, hold hands and behave like adults for a blessed night- and as the biggest bonus of them all got to pick up our adorable sleeping daughter from her grandparents hotel room and bring her home- where she continued sleeping for the entire night! I am a lucky lucky girl!






(Photo Credit from here and here)

My Bristol Babe!

Bittersweet to come home to Norway after such amazing days in Bristol, where we not only got to spend time with BF/Daddy, but also got to hang with granny and granddad, aka bestafar og bestemor. The weather was fab, showing us West England in all its glory, the shops full of yummy stuff for both princess and me, and last, but not least; the food, the company and the general good times will be remembered a long long time! Super-sad to have left poor BF/Daddy behind yet again, but a comfort to know that this living apart business will only go on for another couple of months, then we will all be together. And in fairness, only a couple of weeks now till princess and I board the plane to Paris where we will spend romantic holiday/my birthday in a heap of cupcakes, champagne and shopping! Oh, the good times!