ThingsILove

Things I Love Sundays

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With just under a week until Christmas, there is a lot of festive cheer in the air and I landed back in England yesterday afternoon to spend the next two weeks here in Essex with my family.  This time of year is perfect for giving thanks and being grateful for all we have, so the perfect opportunity to get back into writing my Things I Love feature.

So here is what has been making me smile recently…

 -New starts, new friends and my new apartment – Christmas lights all over Milan – Singing with my gospel choir – Laughing with friends – My dog waiting for me at the airport – ‘Driving home for Christmas’ listening to Chris Rea with my Dad – Home-made mince pies – Blazing fires and being warm and cosy – Dinner with friends – Catch-ups – The prospect of quality family and friend time – Cinema trip with my Mum to see The Lady in the Van, which I highly recommend, Dame Maggie Smith is such an incredible actress – Seeing stars in the sky (something I miss in Milan!) –

I would also like to say Happy 1st Wedding anniversary to my dear friends Kate and Chris!

Christmas Tram

Spontini Christmas Tram in Milan! Why can’t all trams look like this!? It would be amazing!

Have a lovely Christmas week everyone!

Anna

Things I Love Catch Up and Happy Birthday Dad!

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Today is my Dad’s birthday, so Happy Birthday Dad!  One of the hardest things about living abroad and being away from your family, is missing birthdays or anniversaries or even Sunday Lunches! Of course this makes the time I spend at home even more special but I do miss being there for special occasions and of course birthday cake!! Thank goodness for skype! When my Mum lived in Germany she could only call my grandparents or write letters…these days you can face time, skype, whatsapp, distances of thousands of miles can be forgotten in seconds!

I haven’t done a Things I Love Sundays post for a couple of weeks, for one reason or another, so today I am doing a little catch up of everything I have been thankful for and loved over the past weeks!

–Spontaneous trips to Venice – Catching Up with one of my best friends – Laughing uncontrollably and not really remembering why – Cappuccinos and Amaretti – Singing in a choir again for the first time since High School – Surprise birthday dinner for my friend and seeing her completely shocked – French lavender candles – Skyping with friends – The first signs of Autumn in the park – Unexpected late Birthday presents…loose leaf Sencha and Oolong tea which smells divine! – Salted Caramel and Rose Macaroons – Walking for hours and getting lost, but not really caring – Peaceful nights sleep at the Casa Caburlotto and waking up early (something I don’t find comes naturally!) – Late night walks to buy chocolates in Venice – Singing and dancing around my apartment to 60’s and Motown music…The Shangri-las, The Shirelles,  Procul Harum, (which my love for, is thanks to my Dad! It was all we ever listened to in the car when I was little!) –

One of our favourites…

Have a great week everyone!

Anna

 

 

 

Things I Love Sundays

/ Anna / 5 Comments

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It has been a busy and full week back at work and I have to say it is taking me a little while to get used to it again! However, it has warmed up slightly here and the sun is shining bright today…which puts you in a good, positive mood!

I am thinking about doing my ‘Things I Love Sundays’ feature every two weeks, or as a month review, but I haven’t decided yet. What do you think?

For now however, this week I have been loving…

–Going back to work and seeing all my students! – Getting organized – Making new friends – New opportunities arising – Lavender and Chamomile room spray –Saturday lunch with my girls – Catching up with friends who live way too far away – Being asked if I live in a library because I always have new books…then being told by a little girl we should open a library together and call it ‘La libreria dei sogni’ The Library of Dreams – Chamomile, lemon balm and lavender tea (Loving Lavender and Chamomile everything, at the moment!) – Discovering new places in Milan I haven’t visited before, like the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio (pictured below!) – 

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The outside of the Basilica di Sant’Ambrogio, Milan

What have you been up to or enjoyed this week? I want to hear!

Here’s to a productive and happy week ahead!

Anna

Back in Milan – Things I Love Sundays!

/ Anna / 1 Comment

Ciao da Milano!

I am back in Italy after the summer and back at work.  So things have been a bit busy this week, what with my birthday, packing, flying, unpacking, work…which has meant I haven’t done much writing!  However, I plan to get myself more organised this week and get back on track!

So I will make it short and sweet! It is nice to be back and getting into a routine again, but I am already missing all my family and friends. However, as I am writing from a cold and rainy Milan today, I could be tricked into thinking it is England!

This week I have been loving…

–Amazing chocolate birthday cake my Mum made me! Delicious! – My suitcase weighing exactly 20kg at the airport (Phew! – No excess baggage costs! I am still to learn the art of packing light!) – Starting My Best Friend by Elena Ferrante for my Read Around the World feature…I am already hooked! –  Speaking and hearing Italian again – Catching-up with my friends – Dinner and drinks for my birthday – Sunday brunch with my friend Grace – Wandering around Milan – Making plans and predictions for the year ahead! –

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Eggs benedict at brunch today – with Green peach and mango tea! We went to Living by the Arco della Pace – one of my favourite places for brunch and they also do a great aperitivo and delicious cocktails!

I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead!

Now Milan…where is the sunshine I have been dreaming of whilst I was away…..

Anna

 

Things I Love Sundays (on Monday!)

/ Anna / 1 Comment

Hello all!

I am writing my ‘Things I Love Sundays’ feature a day late this week, as I had no laptop at the weekend to write on! But I am back now and very happy as today is my birthday! Last week was my last full week at home in England before I head back to Milan this week and get back to work. It has really been a very wonderful summer, spent with all my family and friends and I will be sad to leave…however I am looking forward to seeing the sun again and wearing summer clothes! England has been far too cold! So here is my last list of things I have loved this week at home…

 – Seeing my cousin and her husband and meeting their new baby boy – Cuddles with baby Atticus! – Lunch out with my Mum and Dad – Peaceful walks with my dog in the countryside and picking blackberries along the way! – Taking my Grandma out for afternoon tea, she is one of the funniest people I know – My Mum throwing an afternoon tea for my birthday with my dear friends Kate and Chris (it has been a week of endless afternoon teas! – I am not complaining though!) – Kate and Chris making me the most insane chocolate, fudge, more chocolate…more fudge, chocolate buttons birthday cake…with a pink candelabra cake decoration! It was amazing! – Fresh flowers – A crazy Sunday with my whole family, who are all mad and yet another afternoon tea! – My cousin and I blowing bubbles in the garden and the dog going mad for them! –

It has been a slightly mad week really! I am definitely going to miss everyone when I am back at work…still Christmas isn’t that far away is it!?!

I am working on lots of posts and hoping to get into a good routine of writing and posting when I am settled back in Milan…including a recap of suggestions so far, for my ‘Read Around the World’ feature, new posts on Milan and more on the Expo!

Hope you all have a great week!

Anna

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What a great British Tradition! Afternoon tea – a pot of tea, sandwiches, scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream and cake – of any sort…Victoria sponge, fresh raspberries and cream…or chocolate…or lemon and meringue!! Delicious!

Things I Love Sundays

/ Anna / Leave a comment

Good evening!

The end of another great week and what a busy one it has been! Only one more full week at home until I head back to Italy, so I will get straight on with just some of the things I am thankful for and loving this week…

 – Macarons from Ladurée – Quality quiet time to read and evenings spent writing  – Meeting my Auntie and Uncle in London after not having seen them since I moved to Italy – 1940’s Fashion – Spending time with my parents – Long walks in the country – Staying with friends who used to live in Milan and laughing the night away – Bellinis at brunch for my friends birthday – Seeing the state rooms at Buckingham palace –

Buckingham Palace

The ornate gates outside Buckingham Palace

I have lots of posts planned for the next few weeks, including a review on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time play,  photo posts from my break in Suffolk and weekend in London and how living in Italy has changed me, as well as how I am still British through and through.

I hope you have all had a lovely weekend!

Anna

Things I Love Sundays

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Good evening all!

It has been another busy but lovely week at home and we finally had some sun! I even managed to do a little sun bathing! I have a lot planned for this coming week and am working on loads of new posts! I am trying to start posting more frequently and regularly from now on so keep an eye out!

What has been making me smile this week?…

 – Full rainbows in the sky after a rainy afternoon – Trip to the zoo, seeing sea lions kiss, lions hugging, feeding an elephant and a giraffe – Walks in the countryside – Playing pooh sticks in the River Stour with my friends (who remembers this game?) –  Seeing the utterly amazing ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night time‘ at the Gielgud theatre in London – Spontaneous invitation to a Golden wedding anniversary celebration – Late night baths and listening to Classic FM – Staying up late with my Grandma and laughing our heads off – And my cousin giving birth to a beautiful baby boy!! Lots to celebrate this week! – 

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Hope you all have a great week!

Anna

Things I Love Sunday

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Why does the Summer always go so fast? I have already been home for two weeks and I will be heading back to Milan and work at the start of September! However, for now I am so happy to be in England, relaxing, catching up with old friends and enjoying the great British Summertime…..hahaha!

So here is what I have been loving this week…

–Walks in the wood – Games night with friends and being a pro at playing Taboo –  Trips to London with my Dad and his history lessons on the Tudors in the National Portrait Gallery– Buying pretty postcards – Audrey Hepburn portrait exhibition – Reunion with my house mates from University and it feeling like we hadn’t spent a week apart, let alone three years! – Wandering aimlessly around London’s canals – Peppermint tea – Listening to Lady Gaga on repeat –

Tower Bridge, London

Tower Bridge as the sun was starting to go down

What have you loved this week?

Happy Sunday evening!

Anna

Things I Love Sunday

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I have decided to start a ‘Things I love’ feature, which will be a regular Sunday post! It is such an easy way to appreciate and be thankful for the small things in life and remember all the little things from the past week!

So without further ado, Things I love this week…

– Being home with my family – Catching up with family and friends – Endless cups of tea and biscuits – Relaxing bubble baths – Being woken up by my dog – Popping candy ice cream – Seeing a clear sky of stars at night – Dinner with friends – Poached egg on toast with crushed avocado and chorizo –  Singing at the top of my voice with my Mum as we drive along with the roof down – Long train journeys, visiting my cousin and the chance to read George Orwell’s Animal Farm in one day – Skype dates with my friend in Milan – 

What are you thankful for this week?

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I took this today in Norfolk, it was a beautiful day in the countryside!

Have a great week ahead everyone!

Anna