All my life, watching America...

Of the most potent memories are those spent on holiday, as a child. Partly owing to the fact that my Dad was an airline pilot, I spent many of my childhood holidays in Florida. Think early 80's and the opportunity to take transatlantic flights when many of my contemporaries were spending summers in Cornwall or if exotic - maybe Spain. We were really lucky and spent whole summers in Florida, sometimes waiting for my Dad to have a stop-over en route to somewhere else. Cue: strong memory image of playing in the sand on Clearwater, Florida and looking up to see my Dad in his airline captain's uniform strolling towards us.

Then later as my parents went through divorce, we would metaphorically flee to Florida (by this time we had a holiday home there) and my Mum would spend her (what I now presume was healing) time, staring out at the Gulf of Mexico and wondering what the future held. Yet despite the inherent sadness that must have weighed on our family at that time, I have some of my fondest memories. My Mum, as a newly single parent would take my brother and I across the Atlantic; now that I am a parent I see the braveness of that decision in the days when travel wasn't quite so embedded in our psychology as it is now.

This childhood exposure to America did shape me. I was the one who longed to go to proms and studied the American high school system through films like 'Pretty in Pink' and 'Can't Buy Me Love'. I was the one who at University and at great expense, had American magazines like 'In Style' and 'Glamour' shipped to me. And this in the days before Internet where that meant corresponding with American Conde Nast begging them to make an allowance for an English girl who needed American input! I was the one who continued to spend summer holidays in Florida with my Mum, well into my teens, meeting up every year with friends from Indiana and being pen-pals in-between. I was the one who looked into studying at the American College in London just for the opportunity of doing a gap year in the States.

...lovely photographs, all by Stephanie Rausser

As an adult, we have been back to America lots of times, to Vegas and Hawaii, San Francisco, New York, Boston and Florida. But it is Florida that holds that special place for me and sometimes the yearning to go back literally makes my heart ache. Certain things about it are just so deeply rooted in my consciousness. The humidity and that tropical smell...I can't describe it but I would know it in a heartbeat! So I miss it, and every time we say 'next year we will go' and each year the reality seems get overridden by other (cheaper) plans. Maybe next year...

Danish blue...

Hello Tuesday, my muse today is Danish blue. These beautiful delicate intricacies of cobalt blue painted on white. Every time I see a plate or bowl with this signature pattern I check the base to see if it's Royal Copenhagen - just out of habit! This is what I grew up with; watching the plates being meticulously hand-painted in the studio in central Copenhagen, my Mum would always take me to see.  To me it's so utterly Scandinavian and makes me also remember my Grandmother - my Mormor - whose house was full of curious art and Danish heirlooms mixed amongst the modern furniture. Especially this time of year with the Georg Jensen Christmas decorations; for me it's a slice of childhood nostalgia...

Georg Jensen advent crown

Georg Jensen star

via Space for Inspiration

Royal Copenhagen

Country girl...

So we went for a walk by the river. The same river that I used to walk by as a child, just near the place where I grew up. You see, I have lived in this town since I was five years old. When I was about eleven, I guess, I would go on my bike (a boy's 'chopper' bike, it was black and could carry two with ease!) with my best friend and we would paddle in this river, spending hours catching newts and playing 'pooh sticks'. Now I take my children there and we do the same, some twenty five years later. It's lovely and poignant.

I am a country girl at heart. I do love cities, love visiting them, seeing the life and the buzz of it, but on the whole I am much happier walking rolling hills. Whenever I go to London I am stunned at how many people there are, how much activity; where are they all going? Day or night it's awash with people. I am always struck at the fact that this vibrant city-life is taking place all the time whilst I am snuggled up in my 'country mouse' dwelling, far from the madding crowd.

I wonder - should I participate more in it? Instead I live vicariously through lovely blogs like the delectable Emily's London Zest which points to coffee bars and florists and shops that I might never see.

I realise how times have changed since my childhood. I would disappear all day then, back in time for tea; roaming around in woods and by rivers. Never alone, but from my recollection not with adults. Now - would I allow my daughter to do that? Not in a million years! But for my children to have the chance to re-trace my footsteps is quite special and rare in this world. They just do so with me by their side...brimming with nostalgia all the way.

How pretty is she?

The Scandinavian Cookbook

This is the most evocative cookbook I have ever owned. I grew up spending my summer and winter holidays with my Danish family, cousins and cousins of cousins almost too many to mention. I have the fondest, most sentimental memories of Denmark and mostly of the time spent at my Grandmother's house. She lived just outside of Copenhagen and was the best ever cook. She was one of those effortless cooks, using fruit and vegetables from the garden, creating the most extraordinary but traditional meals for us. My mum is just the same. So this book, its just like a memory fest for me of every childhood food we had there. The descriptions of the food and the photography in this book perfectly capture the Danish mood...oh and the recipes are quite good too ;-)

Beautiful Royal Copenhagen china. Each piece is hand-painted, so delicate...


Georg Jensen 'New York' cutlery...
Arne Jacobsen Stelton pieces...so Danish