mar, 16th - a room for london....

day 1123 / 222:

so, for our anniversary, i managed to book us into a room for london.......this is a 'hotel installation' by the Living Architecture group {see day 1119 / 218}. the installation, is a boat-hotel-room perched on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's Southbank and was only meant to be in place as part of an Olympic feature for 2012. the plan after that, was for the boat to pop-up in other locations around London and the UK. the boat's residence has been extended into 2013 but you can only secure a night via a ballot......so, having ticked the 'any night' option back in December it was more by sheer chance rather than any cunning plan that our winning night happened to fall close to our anniversary...

due to the logistics of staying on top of a working performance hall, you have to go for  a full briefing before you can stay......so, one thursday evening, a couple of weeks ago, i was strolling across a sunlit bridge looking across the Thames at where we were going to spend the night. 

after our briefing and being led to our very own lift.....we emerged on top of the building to check in to our room....

as you expect with any of their properties, it's unique and well executed......spacious for two, it combines luxury with a strong sense of still being on a boat....books are piled everywhere and if you're not studying the spines close-up then you are completely distracted by the amazing, panoramic view....there is intelligence in the architecture and design but to be honest, I would have missed the references to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness if I hadn't read the following in this review:

The boat is called the Roi des Belges, after the vessel in which Conrad himself sailed up the river Congo, in the journey that would inspire Heart of Darkness. Inside there is a cabinet containing old maps of the Thames and the Congo, in reference to the parallels that Conrad made between the two rivers. An octagonal table and a box of dominos echo similar objects described in the master's novels.

I like the fact that there are still things that are being revealed to me even after my stay.

after a fantastic night out and having the luxury of strolling home through central London....we enjoyed coffees on the roof in the morning and then hotfooted it to meet the girls....

staying in a room for london, makes you feel like you are inside a london kaleidoscope....like you are living in a scene from Mary Poppins. it conjures up both the past and the present.....romance and grit.....poetry and reality (watching people on their daily commute to work)....

and, if it's next locations are even half as spectacular then i will be following this boat as it sets sail across the capital.

our room at night........

apr, 30th - black and white with a hint of green....

day 814:

i'm constantly drawn back to black, white and green....okay, and butcher's brown paper....and rough string.....and shades of grey..... and crisp green and white flowers. it was our starting point for the Shoebox {see day 376} and our wedding (although we used dark chocolate brown as well as black) {see day 384}. 

i never seem to get bored of these colours and the combination of natural textures against a monochromatic backdrop. throw in some industrial steel and my interior heaven is complete......

p.s. i also think that i'm going through a small online-balloon-ordering frenzy. i now have 100 of these black balloons (minus the above 12). i went looking for black versions of these oversized ones but no-one seems to stock them. although let's hope that i don't find any as we are fast running out of space in this Shoebox.

jan, 6th - annie & tj's wedding: part II....

day 674:

after the chapel service {see day 673}, the tractors ferried everyone back up to the reception at the main house. as we strolled in through the gate, we were met with bottles of refreshing, homemade lemonade to sip on. loved the stripey straws. the marquee was set up in the garden with long, communal trestle tables and a dancefloor for some dancing under the stars later on.....

after helping ourselves to a wonderful spread of anti-pasta and drinks from the wheelbarrows, friends settled into groups under trees, on the grass, feet dangling in the pool or slouching on couches to catch up on each others' news and lives.

the lunch that followed, was a feast of delicious platters and bowls that were passed and shared; brilliant speeches (really brilliant speeches) and getting to know those around us.

then came the barefoot dancing......it looked like it was going to go on long into the night but we scampered off at around ten o'clock to relieve godmother, Loula, from her babysitting duties.

a glorious day. thank you annie, tj and your families.

and for those who may have lost their way getting home, there was always the helpful signage......

jan, 5th - annie & tj's wedding: part I....

day 673:

the reason that we managed a flying visit back to South Africa was to be at the wedding of our friends, Annie and TJ. Annie's family has a stone fruit farm 1.5 hours outside of Cape Town in a lush valley that we know well from our own wedding 5 years ago. the service was held in the small chapel on the farm, with guests being ferried to the door by tractor.

as is fitting of this couple, it was a warm, relaxed and meaningful service, with plenty of laughter and applause. these two are meant to be.