Spring has definitely sprung here in London. Saturday was positively glorious (although the full-length white jeans I wore for a stroll around the common were a little optimistic bearing in mind the mud that remains omnipresent). But with the ‘roadmap out of lockdown’ finally revealed there appears to be reason for all of us to feel more hopeful of times ahead. And when hope has been a little thin on the ground, this is a vast improvement!
Last Monday, when Boris announced the possibility that come April 12th dining in a restaurant with five friends (outside, of course) may be a reality, my phone went into overdrive with messages instigating plans for dinners and drinks out.
And whilst I dream of eating out again: of good food, good wine, good company and hours of putting the world to rights with friends who I have missed painfully over the last twelve months, there was also a mild pang of discomfort. At least, I think that’s what it was. It wasn’t unease around the lifting of restrictions per se, but an awareness that my world was about to be upended again. Just when I’ve started to adjust to this new restricted reality, I am going to have to get used to a whole new rhythm again: the return of FOMO and a diary filled with back-to-back appointments and dinners, and parties.
So, I am going to try, consciously, to carry forward some parts of my current reality into my post-lockdown life – if I dare dream that far in advance. As well as finally adjusting to grocery shopping online (I love waking up to a text from Ocado telling me Darren is shortly arriving in his Cabbage van or that this week it’s Robert in his Raspberry van), I’m also very fond of my weekly walks with friends, and having a diary that, on inspection, doesn’t cause me to break out in hives. Long may this less frenetic schedule last.
Alongside my daily strolls with friends, I have also been busying myself in recent weeks with the cultivation of my ‘Lust List’ which launches today. Every week I’ll be stocking up with all the New In delights that I really rate, so do check in here weekly for my round up of the best out there.
And while I encourage all of us to look forward to better times to come – myself included – here are a few of the things making my current existence rather more palatable.
I’m watching: The Americans. I can’t be the only one who finds discovering a boxset I haven’t seen in it’s entirety absurdly thrilling, when I seem to have completed Netflix. There are six series currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and it features my complete (and perhaps only?) celebrity crush Matthew Rhys alongside his real-life partner Keri Russell. Set around the Cold War, Rhys and Russell play Russian sleeper agents in middle-America, living the American Dream and raising a family by day, and donning disguises and poisoned umbrellas by night. It’s thrilling and gripping, and did I mention there are six series?!
I’m doing: FluidForm at Home Pilates. I have a bad back, or should I say I have no abs?! That’s the same thing, right? I’ve been told for years that pilates is the best thing for my back pain, but previous attempts have almost always ended in further injury. A lot of which, I’m sure, comes down to the fact that I’ve probably gone too hard too soon, and also not done it regularly. This is the first time that I’ve committed to doing pilates (actually anything!) daily, and I’m finding that I’m seeing results just five weeks in. Most importantly for me though, Kirsten’s cues are so specific that – as yet – injury hasn’t haunted me. In case it wasn’t clear though - this picture is not of me.
BBC Good Food
I’m eating: Tandoori Roast Chicken. I love a roast chicken - is there any food more comforting? - but if you’re getting a bit bored of the usual, this is a fantastic alternative. Marinated in traditional tandoori spices (I love lots of cumin), it’s then roasted and served with a gravy that uses coconut milk instead of stock. Add some spice to your traditional roasties and you’ve got a knock out meal.
I’m buying: Lisa Corti tableware. I’m sure a lot of us are developing an unhealthy obsession with homewares. When we’re all spending so much time in the same place, it’s very easy to get excited about anything that improves our vista. When we’re finally allowed to have people over to sit in the garden (or even inside!) serving up some summer salads on a jolly Lisa Corti tablecloth will be quite the celebration. And until then, brightening up my dinner for one is just fine too.
I’ve just expanded my styling services to include some ‘back to work’ and bridal packages so do check them out here and drop me a line if you have any questions! As always if you’re after any advice or want me to tackle a particular wardrobe quandary you have, let me know and I’ll focus one of my blogs on it. If you’ve missed any of my blog posts over the last few weeks, do check them out here or click on the posts below and let me know how you get on with them.
Happy springing everyone.
Prue x
ADMIN: Everything I’ve included here, I’ve included solely because I really rate it. I may though, if you buy some of the items mentioned, earn a small commission from that purchase.
Every wardrobe needs one of these. And it’s only £15.
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