Best of British: Tea Towel Edition!

Best of British: Tea Towel Edition! by elbonner featuring pink kitchen towels

I've decided to do a little series about my British favorites: food, clothing, home wares, the whole lot of it! I usually spend a lot of time talking about faraway tropical beaches and forget the cold, rocky beaches I played in as a baby. They're as much a part of my love for the ocean as all the other beaches I've been to, so I want to show a little more appreciation for what makes me love Britain so much! It also gives me an opportunity to share with you some cool things I have discovered on my travels that I think the readership (you people!) would enjoy!

This week, we pay homage to the tea towel; not a total British invention, but the ones you find in the UK, whether it be from a home store or a tourist shop, tea towels are anything but just a dish rag! My favorite place to get really cute and clever tea towels are from a website called To Dry For. They stock some of the most adorable, smile-worthy tea towels on the planet and every time I go there I find myself wanting all of them! I have a few from them and they are going on five years of heavy use and show little signs of wear. Some of them are so cute I'd rather frame them than use them!
The designs feature themes like classic British foods like fish'n'chips, biscuits, and cakes. They also have super cute, very British sayings, and fun things to brighten up any kitchen! They are your typical cotton, sort of flour-sack material which makes them super absorbent and easy to clean! They do a great job of drying up your dishes and also hang and iron nicely. They ship worldwide and the prices range from £9-£13, which some would say is a bit much for a tea towel, but they do stay bright and fun after many washes and anything that makes doing the dishes more fun is totally worth it!

The above selection is only a small fraction of what's available on the website, so check it out! Whether you're looking for something fun to add to your kitchen routine, or if you want to frame one and put it on the wall, To Dry For is my ultimate spot for the cutest tea towels either side of the Atlantic! Dry happy, now!


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The Cute Files: Roberts Radio

The Cute Files: Roberts Radio by elbonner on Polyvore

For real, guys. I can't even handle how adorable these lil' radios are! Just look at them, LOOK AT THEM! Unfortunately, these beauties are not readily available in the US as they are a British company. I've been watching a lot of UK beauty bloggers and they ALL have this little radio sitting pretty in the background and a little piece of me dies every time I realize I can't get my hands on one! If you are in the UK, the Roberts DAB Radio lets you listen to your typical FM stations as well as letting you plug in your smartphone/mp3 player to listen to your digital music. Some of the models even have wifi so you can listen to digital (Spotify/Pandora) and satellite radio stations. 

I'm not totally sure if these radios will even work in the states so don't go throwing down over $200 just yet. Even if I can't get one here I can always dream. If I ever someday move back to England then I shall have one of these radios. This post probably wasn't super helpful, but I want the rest of the world to know the cuteness of the Roberts Radio. Hey, maybe they'll even make them available in the US someday! God bless cute radios!

Roberts Radio

It's That Time of Year Again...

No one can argue with me that the end of the summer isn't terrible. It's the end of carefree warmth, the end of vacation season, the end of pleasant beach visits, and all the freshness that comes with summer. This is also the time of year that other things in my life decide to leave. This is the time both of my cats had to be put to sleep, when my American grandmother passed away, and now my English grandmother has passed away, and I find myself having to make an emergency trip to England for the funeral.

It's a very odd feeling. The whole situation is so sudden and is such a mixed bag. As bad as it sounds, I am excited to see my family as I didn't get to visit them this summer, but it's not like I'm going on vacation. There's no adventure to plan; it's business. I'm sure we'll find something fun to do to keep our minds occupied, but it's not like going for the biannual family trip. It's a mix between really wanting to see everyone and not wanting to face the actual situation.

Being a grandparent orphan sucks. It makes you realize that generation is slowly slipping away and makes you think about what will inevitably happen with the next. It's not something I like to think about, but I find my mind racing at night when I'm trying to sleep, wrapped up in thoughts of what I'll do when the time comes when I have to say goodbye to more and more people.

One of my elderly patients once told me, after the arduous task of getting out of a low-sitting chair, that "Getting old is shit". I can understand that when things start to hurt and all your friends are dead, but my grandma lived to be 93. Ninety three! She lived through two monarchs, the Blitz, multiple moon landings, and all those other major events that we tend to take for granted. It still sucks though, no matter how old the person is you lose. All I can hope for is that even though I was far away that she knew I loved her and made her proud. It was hard being away from my family as a kid and always felt like a bit of an outsider; wishing I could have been included in the fun they got to have together. I'm lucky to have gotten to see her as much as I did and thank my lucky stars I got to spend time in her little garden playing in the bird bath, eating chocolate biscuits, and sleeping in the tiny bedroom in her house. Never a birthday forgotten and plenty of kitten t-shirts to remind me that I was special to her. 

Sorry if this has been such a downer post for the first one I've done in a while, but I just haven't had it in me to write anything. Like I said, this time of year sucks, but it's here, I'm still kicking, and I'm lucky to have people around that love me. Have a good week, everyone!

365 Days

What a difference a year makes. One year ago, I had the worst week I've ever had in my entire life. It was the first week I started working full-time at my job, I was freaking out about my lack of money, my 19 year-old childhood cat was put to sleep, and my Nana died all within about eight days of each other. I guess life wanted to make sure I wasn't such a pussy and threw every horrible thing it possibly could at me. Well, I made it. I may be 20 lbs. heavier and still crying by myself in the bathtub every once an awhile, but I am still here. About a year ago I also started writing on this little blog. I figured if I wasn't writing much more than medical notes and stupid office e-mails, then I should have an outlet to keep myself writing as much as I could about whatever I wanted to. I love this thing and all of the people who have reached out and told me that they actually enjoy what I have to say. Some of the people around me think the whole blog thing is silly, but I find it really relaxing and fun to have a place to just talk about the things I like. Even though I'm still convinced I'm the only one who reads this thing, thankyou everyone for taking time out of your day to spend a little time with me!

Even though 2012 royally sucked, I tried to do as much cool stuff as I possibly could this year. I wanted it to be as fun and carefree as possible. I spent lots of time with family, friends, and, my greatest love, THE BEACH. There's something about the ocean that literally washes away the sad and replaces it with sandy, salty fun! Some of the things I did to make up for my crappy 2012 involved:

 I spent a few days in England's Lake District, one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!

 Did lots of hiking up and down, and up and down lots of sheep-covered mountains

 Spent an amazing few days in Paris with my family

 Went all the way up to the top of the Eiffel Tour (didn't get pick-pocketed!)

 Ate some tasty French treats!

 Went on my dream vacation to Oahu. Almost didn't leave

 Partook in the eating of some tasty local grinds

 Saw my favorite flower almost everywhere!

 Met many wise and peaceful sea turtles

 Saw a volcano. Got stung by a bee on said volcano.

 

 Swam in beautiful clear water on the North Shore at Waimea Bay

Got a little closer to Tahiti at the Polynesian Cultural Center

 Spent some quality time with my mom in the most amazing place I've ever been to.

Busted out the log and spent as much time in the water as possible. I don't think I could survive if I was more than half an hour away!

I have tried as much as I can to make up for the crappy times I had last year. I am so fortunate to have done all of the things I have done and with some of the best people to have ever existed. I still find myself thinking a lot about my Nana and how much I miss her. She was truly my number one fan and never thought I could ever do wrong. I feel pretty silly sometimes after a quick cry in the shower or in the car; like I should be over it already, but it's hard losing one of your best friends. I am glad to have my friends and family that keep me happy and partake in this crazy adventure that is life. I only hope I can make the most of it while I'm still up and running! Carpe Diem, y'all!

always the pink princess

Photo Diary: Hiking in the Lake District

I love to hike. It's one of my favorite outdoor activities where you're getting exercise,getting some sunshine, and seeing some beautiful things. My family and I visited the Lake District in northern England for a bout four days and I can confidently say that it was the most beautiful place I've ever been to. I saw England's highest mountain and saw a million sheep. There were a few rainy bit, but the rest was ball-to-the-wall beautiful! Enjoy the photos!

Many more from our other outings, but this will do for now! Got some video on the GoPro too, but that may take a bit longer. Enjoy the visuals everyone!

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In The Old Country

 I would say I'm having a nice time so far. Fish and chips have been eaten and Pimms has been consumed after a hell airport experience. Two days and the off to the Lake District!