a year in Japan - three weeks in China.

[images from: Kate T Williamson]

I'm not quite sure how I stumbled upon this gorgeous travelogue by Kate T Williamson, no doubt it came from perusing another blog and the name of the book 'A Year in Japan' just stuck with me, as did the beauty of her simple watercolour illustrations. I'd been meaning to buy the actual book for a while now, so during a 'what the heck' moment the other day, I bought it (along with some other books i'll be telling you about soon).


And boy am I glad I did! I just love it from the beautiful elegance of the geishas to the simplicity of the blossom, the illustrations are just stunning. I work very much in a similar style using simple line drawings to illustrate my work and flicking through this book has got me excited about my trip to China in a couple of weeks time. I'd LOVE to keep a travel journal like this, however, it doesn't sound like i'll have much time, so I'm thinking about just keeping a written journal, and taking photographs to illustrate when I come back (although this isn't the way I tend to work, I'm willing to give it a go for the sake of drawings even half as beautiful as Kate's).


Ahhh, i'm getting giddy at the thought of our trip to China.


x

the grass is always greener it seems.

why is it, that other people's food always looks tastier? especially when I'm hungry! 
These delicious beauties are courtesy of Ella, talk about teasing! They look so scrummy that its not fair!

Remember I went to visit Little Chalfont? 
Well there is now a blog/zine dedicated to the little deli run by Ella's mum, check it out at http://eatinnzine.tumblr.com/ it's only just started but looking destined for great things!
x

escape to greece.

Since I can remember, my mum used to talk about her camping holidays in Corfu with her family when she was around my age, and the stories always intrigues me. Whilst I've been here and there in Europe, I'd always wanted to go to Corfu to help recreate the stories she told me in my mind.

So when my friend Leanne suggested going away for a last minute holiday there, I jumped at the chance. My parents had stashed away some money for my 21st which paid for the trip, allowing my to fulfil my longing of summer sunshine. Plus I'd never been to Greece before, and i'd recently discovered a new love for olives. Perfect.

However, it was Kavos we decided to go to...cue party central. 

Yet this didn't distract too much from the mediterranean beauty of the place, and the delicious traditional Greek food on offer...and to top it off, we arrived in the middle of a heat wave so there wasn't much to do except bask in the sunshine, swim in the clear blue sea and eat ice cream all day. It's a tough life huh?

in Norfolk, you need to be crazy to survive.

It was lovely to come back from the stress and exhaustion of finishing my university degree into the arms of some very old, dear, and slightly mental friends. We'd been friends since our first year of high school together, collecting a few comrades along the way.
But the thing I love about people and friends in Norfolk, is they never take themselves to seriously, and everything is so light-hearted, jokes are simple and pleasures can be found in the silliest of things. 
I was looking through some pictures we took at our friend Kerri's 21st and they just illustrate what I'm talking about...and I know i'll get into trouble for posting them but the faces say it all....eek!

And of course, to round the celebration of in style...

...only a bloody bouncy castle!


x

the farrow family celebrates with good food.

Remember I'm offloading a backlog of images... well these images tell the story of when one of my Farrow uncles came to visit from the US of A.

I hadn't seen him for 5 years! Doesn't time fly? When I last saw him, I was in my first year of college and now, I've just finished  my third year of uni. I've really not got a clue where all the time has gone.

To celebrate, we did it in true Farrow/Marsh style...with fantastic food. I didn't take a picture of our main meal (I think perhaps because we were all starving and no one utter a grumble until our plate were cleared) We tucked into home barbecued rack of ribs and chicken pieces, my aunt's amazing georgian salad, cous cous with feta and olives, cheese bread, homemade spicy tzatziki and so many other tasty morsels.

The whole event was tinged with a little bit of sadness, considering the reason my US uncles was visiting was that his brother, my other uncle, was due to undergo a triple heart bypass the following week. (which was a flying success!)
x

new addiction.

Oh. my. god.

I'm ashamed to say...I'm actually addicted to Jersey Shore, its an MTV(i think) big brother-stylee series where four guys and four girls live together for a summer, getting absolutely trashed and shagging about every night. I know. It's pure trash.

...but its just so goooood.

Not only this but I've become addicted the the UK versions Geordie Shore...having converted Ella as well.

x

a month and a half by Mr Blackberry.

Beautiful rose bush at our Fairfield house before leaving. Lovely Farnham trees. Alpine strawberry flowers. Fruit bargains ready to be made into various jams. My uncle's homemade greenhouse and growing obsessions. Degree show. The final breakfast...cream tea = YUM. The final dinner a la Ella. The view from my brothers university halls = jealous. Moving home. Alpine strawbs = flavour explosion. Final goodbye. Chocolate fudge brownie. Pea love. Death by beetroot/hummus sandwich. My plant started growing. Strawberry picking with Mother. Basket of goodness. Free Ai Wei Wei @ Tate. Sushi love. London Liverpool Street Station. Seamstress by day. Mario and Luigi by night. Moustache. Coffee and walnut cake. Summer's first garden haul. I gave blood! Front garden cherry picking. Blackcurrant picking with the family. Abundant raspberry bushes. Homemade steak and kidney pie.......and *breathe*