Oxford English Dictionary- VOLUME 2

I'm having a Valetine's Day Party tomorrow,

and am about to make a necessary market run.

After jotting all my "needs"down,

I glanced back at the paper & giggled.

My list has definitely evolved since moving here.

One area of new vocabulary has come entirely from a single source:

the pig.

Who knew?

Not me, 

but now- you'll have a head start.

VOLUME TWO:

Now, this little piggy is off to the market 

before all the good produce is gone!

*images 1, 2, 3, 4

Morning, lovies!

I'm up early,

and scooting around town

making some Valentine's Day gifts.

{Would you be interested in a peek & tutorial?}

I hope you have success in whatever tasks are ahead of you today,

and remember to start on a full stomach.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,

and it's bonkers delicious, too!

What's your breakfast of champions?

This is how we roll in these parts...

To Rabbie Burns!

If you had driven through to the Oxfordshire countryside this evening,

you might have passed a cozy house

with a table full of happy people in the window.

Those people might have been having a Robert Burns dinner of 

haggis, neeps, & tatties.

{ "neeps" = turnips / "tatties" = potatoes}

And they would have been having a grand time.

My friend, Ali, put on amazing evening....

complete with a Scottish brogue to welcome the haggis.

and the single malt whiskey at the end of dinner.

Haggis as it turns out....

is kind of tasty.

Next time though,

 I'll be opting for the veggie version made of lentils!

Robert Burns is a famous Scot poet who you might know as 

the author of your favorite song of each new year,

Auld Lang Syne.

I love this version of the song

that I first saw on Sex & The City....

Cheers to Rabbie Burns!
{as the Scots will call him...}

Oxford English Dictionary- Volume 1

Today kicks off a new series:

The Oxford English Dictionary

You'll learn some quaint cultural gems

that are specific to British life,

through my mishaps & daily stumblings

here in Oxford.

There are actually so many new things I've learned...

and if you are an Aspiring Brit,

like myself,

I think you'll find it this series to be

well... brilliant!

VOLUME ONE:

A rustic meal that features local daily staples...

Local meats, hunks of cheese, fresh crusty bread,

butter & chutney for spreading,

& a nice serving of fruits & veggies.

Delicious right?

Think of it as the love child of 
a deconstructed sandwich

&

a less pretentious anti-pasti platter.

via

It's become such a pub staple, 

that you'll now even see many offerings of the assortment

assembled as a sandwich

in restaurants & cafes...

via

I'm glad to have learned a fresh alternative

to heavy pies & mash 

or greasy fish & chips!

Back At It...aly.

If only Ryan Air had a frequent flyer program.

I'd be like a diamond-super-dooper-golden level flyer...

even though my customer lifetime balance

is somewhere south of $500.00.

{which is probably exactly why they don't offer additional rewards...}

We got back yesterday from the US-

and are leaving today for Italy

for our anniversary!

And what better place to celebrate love than Italy?

We looked at other destinations...

but Italy was the only place 

that seemed to do the occasion justice.

First to Venice

{Tyler's favorite city....}

Then to Florence

{My favorite city....}

Ending in Lucca

{Our favorite city together...}

Ah... I really do LOVE Italy.

You know you're one of my good friends 

if you have rolled your eyes over my ceaseless gushing.

I dream about it all the time.

In fact, so much so...

I'm trying to scheme up a way for a blogger retreat in Italy.

How amazing would that be?!

Talk about being inspired...

it would be like the G-8 of good design with cool people.

So... who's in?


{and who wants to sponsor the villa?}

Ciao, amici!!

Monday Mood: I feel... blue.

Though I couldn't be any happier!

Beach Bag Essentials

I'm in a tizzy with my to-do's as I write this.

{it's 2 am... I leave at 8 am... haven't started packing...}

But hey- this time tomorrow,

I'll have been at the beach for 9 hours. 

Serenity now.

via

I'll be bringing a swimsuit, sunglasses, iPhone, sandals, a dress or two,

 and makeup... well, maybe, we'll see about that last one.

One thing that for sure is coming with me...

is my beach tunes playlist.

I made this lineup when my family used to go sailing in the BVI 

when I was a teenager....

so are most some of the songs dated & cheesy?

Yes.

But will the music always remind me of the beach?

Oh yeah.

 Aspiring Kennedy's

Songs of Sunshine

Sleepwalk- Santo & Johnny

Is This Love- Bob Marley

Kokomo- Beach Boys

Fools Rush In- UB40

Son of a Sailor- Jimmy Buffet

Sloop John B- Beach Boys

Crazy Game of Poker- O.A.R.

Could This Be Love- Bob Marley

Under the Boardwalk- The Drifters

If you're aren't as into kitschy, steel drum, beach music as I am...
you'll might enjoy
Corinne Bailey Rae's 
new cover of Bob Marley's classic, 
Is This Love.

                      

Monday Mood: I feel... foreign.