British Luxury

Half term finally made its arrival and started with a bang! Friday was hardly much of a school day for me. It was the school's Patronal Festival (St. Philip Neri) and together with a Mass and Awards Ceremony, the school provided a fine dining experience for all the staff members. It was a lovely experience; lots of mingling, laughter & unlimited wine... where could anything go wrong?!

The following day, I had a pleasant start by having traditional afternoon tea with my half at 'The Montcalm' hotel, just off the top of Park Lane. The venue was absolutely refreshing, contemporary and luxurious. We started of with a glass of bubbly (more alcohol... can you believe?) but soon served with finger sandwiches, scones and a selection of pastries and sweet goodness. For the many hours of chit chat we did, the non-stop tea was just perfect and necessary.

 

 

We finished off our day watching the Hangover Part 2, which I found really awesome. Its solid comical set-ups were hilarious and left me in fits of laughter. In all honesty, I still favor the first one though. 

 

Well... looking forward to more fun this week. I will keep you updated my dear followers. Till then, take care and toodles xoxo

Race for Life 2011

After two months worth of training, the day finally arrived: 21st May 2011. Doing 'Race for Life' for the second time. First experience was a thrill, this year round... I had the urge to run without stopping (pah... like the 5k wasn't hard enough lol). Unfortunately, the day before, I started coming down with flu-like symptoms which was a little upsetting. Nevertheless, I pulled myself together for this event; on a natural high from all the motivational messages from everyone - I was more than ready!

Blessed with a beautiful day, Regent's Park was heaving with participants, supporters and PINK (lots of it!) Like before, it was an amazing atmosphere; knowing that all the girls and women were there routing for the same reason, the same cause - to help beat cancer.

I did the run on my own this year and managed to complete it in 33 minutes. I was disturbed by an earlier headache so to my disappointment, I had to stop twice. I fought through till the finish line (the relief, I tell ya) but had the greatest time. Straight into the arms of my boyfriend who supported me the whole way through. I also wouldn't have been so successful without the support from my friends & family - you're always so amazing. For those who donated - you're wonderful and thank you. I've managed to raise my target AND beyond which is fantastic news and makes every muscle pain I'm paying for right now, absolutely worth it.

Whilst I recuperated, we celebrated and had a nice little picnic in the park, watching the others fall through to the finish line. Then, later that evening, I was treated with a lovely candle lit dinner by my love: rocket & salmon starter followed by a parma ham omelette with rice & seasoning. Delicious!

--RACE FOR LIFE 2011--

in memory of Estrella Daludado & Nilo Gasmin

May your souls continue to rest in peace. You're forever missed.  

 "Together we will beat cancer"

Breakfast with the Big Cats

What a fab way to start off the weekend - Friends & family, all gathered under one roof. Kitchen swamped with every filipino dish you savour for and side tables stocked with sweet-tasting desserts. It was a dream-like sight; a feast for all. Sadly enough, the boyfriend and I couldn't fully enjoy this glorious delight as we had reservations at the 'Mariott Cheshunt' later that evening [Of course, we still had a plate or two - it couldn't be resisted!]

On arrival at the hotel, we checked ourselves into a deluxe suite for the night then popped down for a nice evening meal at their restaurant. We were catered with: a pan fried fillet salmon served together with saute potatoes, chorizo and cherry tomatoes (for myself) & pan fried chicken with gravy, garlic mushrooms and fries for Sean. They were very refined meals which we truly enjoyed and even had the pleasure of meeting the Chef himself. We finished up with refreshing desserts of; a lemon tart and selection of icecreams. Spent the rest of the evening full up and restrained in bed, watching Eurovision. Well done, Azerbaijan! Good try UK! Hehe.

The following morning, our adventure began. Destination: the Paradise Wildlife Park. Its an animal conservation and education led zoo providing great experiences for all. After settling in with some tea and biscuits, we were brought up to a 'Tree Top Restaurant' where we were kindly served with some breakfast. The coolest thing of all was we were surrounded with stunning views of the tiger enclosure; one bathing on a pod by our window. It surely was a captivating way to start the morning with.

We toured the park, visiting a variety of big cats like snow leopards, cheetahs, lions and other weird ones. Got a chance to watch a health check demonstration of the tigers which I found really intimidating; didn't realise they were so huge in size. There were other animals around to keep us entertained. The red panda however, was and still is my favourite. Out of kindness and probably to shut me up, my boyfriend bought me a stuffed toy version (t'awh) that I've named Mao Mao =) It was an enjoyable experience and its always fun when you learn new things; it makes a day worth it.

My Red Panda <3

To round of our day, we ate at Nandos, which strangely enough, we haven't had a meal from since the beginning of Lent. Erm... i know! So, that was pretty much munched within minutes.

Well, I hope you all had a lovely weekend as well. I don't often say this... but thank you for taking the time to read my blog. And a huge thank you to those following. Keep smiling & enjoy the rest of your week =) Toodles x

My Midweek Remedy

I didn't think that going back to a full five-day week would be such a struggle, especially after having the half term holidays and the long royal wedding weekend (Gosh, I got to quit complaining sometimes). Anyways, as dramatic as that gets... I needed a midweek fix. So, Wednesday evening, I met up with my Uni friends to celebrate yet another big 2-5! The girls and I went to have dinner at "The Cuban" in Camden.

Once one is finished wasting some time at the stalls and looking at artifacts along the way, you stumble upon this great restaurant/bar embedded in the Stables Market. As busy as Camden usually gets, the restaurant was surprisingly empty. We got the second floor opened to us where it was relaxed, very casual but with a Cuban twist. Entertained with some salsa music hitting in the background; its a great chill out place. Even better, the place was serving 2-4-1 cocktails; exactly what every girl likes to hear. We ordered a whole load of tapas dishes; all were very appetizing indeed. Stuffed by the end of it. I had plenty of fun as I'm always up for a catch-up =D

The Birthday Girl

Tapas board for the meat eaters

Our usual birthday cuppies

SENSEFUL CREATIONS // Dandy Dragonfly

  Lilac card fold, bordered with purple print paper. "D" to highlight the birthday girl's initial. Scattered with dragonflies as a final touch.

Happy Birthday Dipika!

Lazy Sunday

We stayed up till a ridiculous hour of the morning to watch the big fight between 'Pacman' Pacquiao vs. 'Sugar' Shane Mosely. I obviously napped beforehand because for those who did watch it, that was hell of a wait. It wasn't the greatest of fights that I've seen but still very proud. Well Done Manny on the win. Representin' Philippines. Anyways, this allowed us a nice long Sunday lie in. Perfect!!!

Cocktail in the lounge

Out on the deck

To extend this relaxing ambiance throughout our day, we diverted ourselves out of bed and indulged in a 'Lazy Sunday' dinner at "The Yacht" that sits upon the Temple Pier. I've seen this place a million times but never thought much of it. I must say though, riverside restaurants are always a treat; this one in particular was impressive.

On arrival, we grabbed a drink at the bar and sat in the comfy lounge; soaking up the spectacular views of London as it sits opposite the London Eye and other sights. We then moved into the dining area where dinner commenced. There were many choices; mostly traditional British carvery. Mmmm...

For starters, Sean had himself a vegetable soup and I went for the warm brioche with chicken liver pate and salad. Followed by traditional beef slices together with Yorkshire pudding and a selection of peas, parsnips, cabbage, carrots, potato wedges & mash. for our mains. Mouth watering much?! For dessert, Sean had pistachio ice cream which was very tasty indeed and I had a strawberry cheesecake which was to die for.

Its a bit rocky I must warn you... not so great if you get sea sick BUT it was definitely a lovely experience. The warm & calm decor really sets a romantic setting for those couples but it  also exudes a relaxing delight for family dinners too.

Bon Appetit Sailor x

Merry Merry Month of May =D

I cannot believe it is May already! I have only just got used writing April in the kid's school books and now its a totally different month (yes, I know its only three letters... but still!) Anyways, to welcome this beautiful month... I got to celebrate two of my top girls' birthdays. Yay!

Before the partying began, Sean & I thought wise to top our tummies up with some gooooood Japanese cuisine. I was extremely craving for a bento box. Camden at the time was heaving with people because of the 'Camden Crawl' but little me managed to dodge and delve through and found a small place to eat. "Bento Cafe" (Click for website) was a surprise... amidst the hustle and bustle, this restaurant is a gem. Our dishes were delicious; many bits were very new to me. Inexpensive and very enjoyable. The staff were ever so friendly too.

Then... I stuck my dancing shoes on, off to Yate's and partied the night away with my chicka, Rachelle. Very good night; one I don't particularly remember but stories the following morning are always fun. And the photos, well... thats just evidence lol.

The other birthday girl, Sarah Jane was soaking up sun in Palma at the time but on her return, we went out for din dins at La Tasca. Went a bit wild with our choices from the menu =) Mmmmm tapas. Totally stuffed our faces but made room for dessert (DUH!) and some hot chocolate too. It was a pleasant evening indeed.

SENSEFUL CREATIONS // Hello, Hello Kitty

Hello Kitty cut out, handmade especially for Rachelle x

SENSEFUL CREATIONS // Humming Special

My handmade hummingbird special for Sarah Jane x