...looking at a beautiful sunset

...and trying not to look at our cockapoo badger after we gave him a bad haircut.

Sam decided to 'freestyle' (his words) with his beard clippers & after doing a sterling job on one side of his head proceeded to almost scalp the other side.

Im almost too embarrassed to post before & after pictures, almost...

Before...

...monkeying around at Monkey World

...thinking I must be the ONLY person in Dorset who hasn't been to Monkey World. So I took my little nephew Luca last Sunday.

...playing 'the first person to see a monkey wins,' and needless to say Luca won. Won nothing but the prestige of being the winner. Oh to be six years old again when that was enough.

My twin looked after Monkey World's advertising and it really hit home what a fantastic job they do there to look after those little lives. I'll always remember how Jim got sick when my dad was sick with pretty much the same thing. Two pretty amazing men.

...walking with the Limas was our favourite bit

So we took one home...

Lisa x

...pondering children at weddings

Most of the weddings I've been to lately seem to have an 'only children of the bridal party' rule, if any at all. This has always seemed reasonable, as it helps keep costs down & in the majority of cases, gives mum & dad a well-received break or 'date night' as the magazines are fond of phrasing it.
The conundrum is, the older I get, the more my close friends are reproducing... which could make things a little tricky if the day ever came.
But fear not! Ever the trend-setter, Kate Moss has stepped in and changed my mind, along with probably half of Britain.
After seeing this official wedding photo in particular, I'm all for adding my friend's sprogs to the wedding party. On one condition...they must all be dressed like little flower faeries & look at me adoringly all day. Now I don't think that's too much to ask for?

Copyright Mario Testino

...foraging at The Pig & driving, driving, driving

...eating beautifully made mackerel at The Pig, the new little sister hotel of Lime Wood.

Head chef James is so talented & sweet. He really looked after us, treating us to a glass of champers on arrival & some posh, pork crackling.

Piggy bits

After lunch, we had a snoop around the hotel & gardens, with James picking flowers & leaves for us to taste as we walked around. The Pig is a rustic delight with some very special touches which makes it so unique, like mismatching silver cutlery, loveletter wallpaper, a courtyard around a little olive tree.

Mismatching cutlery

The Pig at The Pig Hotel

Sam's Oxtail Pie

After battling the lyndhurst traffic again, we made our weary way to Cerne Abbas to meet up with our friends & visit Harry who is working & living in the friendly little village at the brow of the chalk giant's willy.
I'll update this post with pictures tomorrow, after my first trip to monkey world with my little nephew Luca.

Ps I decided against the blonde after seeing some not so great photos of WAGs Frankie & Cheryl experimenting with the golden blonde. Looks a little too brassy for me.
Hope you're all having a good weekend too x

...asking blonde or brunette?

So, I have been toying with the idea of going blonde.

I've always liked the idea but was advised when I had long hair that it would completely ruin it so I'd have to get it all cut off. Now that it has all been cut off, I thought it's the perfect time before it grows too long.

I was all for it until I spoke to a couple of hairdressers today who explained that I wouldn't be able to go ashen blonde straight away but could get a golden blonde. Now I really love the idea of being a dirty, white blonde with roots - which (as my hair is so dark apart from the grey) would be pretty much a given. Not really liking the idea of going a golden blonde as much...

What do you think? Shall I go for it? Or shall I leave it?

...reading the Daily Mirror - 48 Hours in Numbers

Daily Mirror journalist, Adrian Monti, very kindly sent through a press cutting of his 48 Hours in Numbers feature from Saturday's paper, which mentions our birthday and our trip to lovely Lime Wood. As we were camping in the New Forest, I didn't get the chance to pick up a copy, but here it is in all it's glory.
Thanks Adrian!

Looks like we're in good company, Noel Gallagher hey.

I reckon the real percentage of peeps behaving during the week but binging on the weekend is actually higher than that, is someone telling fibs?..

...wearing my new Dude Shoes

One of our new clients is an Italian shoe brand called Dude Shoes, which are just the lightest, cutest shoes I can remember wearing.

I first thought the style might be a little too preppy for me but I am finding lots of outfits to wear them with so I must be mistaken. Also, I am getting lots of comments and interest from peeps which is always nice. The coolest comment we have had from is from Gridlock magazine “Wow – they’re like walking on a cuddle!”, how cute is that!




Even the packaging is fun; whisky's - my chosen tipple. Check out the men's too which are much more manly.

Sam dropped me into work this morning so I had the pleasure of a squirmy little Badger on my lap on the way. Pity he was a bit muddy from pond-dipping last night and got my white trousers a little dusty...

Also, these photos flag up how much his little feather chops are in need of a trim.

..being spoilt rotten with birthday treats

On my birthday morning, I woke up to a pile of owl-papered presents, peeping at me from my Sam.



After a breakfast of scrambled egg and smoked salmon on toast, I set to opening them with relish. Directed by Sam, I opened this first...

Forest Stagg ring

I had seen it on my friend Olivia at a skate jam and instantly fell in love, but never in a month of Sundays thought Sam would get it for me, as it's huge and spiky - all the reasons why I love it. Next I opened the other two little packages and found more treats fom Galibardy - a feather ring and matching bangle - to go some way to make up for my spoon bangle that has been alluding me (I'm sure the pixies will bring it back)- and it's gone some way indeed - thrilled with my boy.

Feather bangle and feather ring

And last but no means least, the ipulse.



I can't wait to try it out and let you know how I get on. I'm also trying some special creams which slow down hair regrowth, but not sure how much I can say about that as it's for the Daily Mirror, shhh. But if it's great I'll be shouting it from the rooftops.

Then it was fun and frolics at Lime Wood hotel.

I must say a huge big thank you to Kate and all the lovely staff at Lime Wood Hotel who looked after us and little Badger, all afternoon in their stunning Courtyard. They were so accommodating and nothing was too much trouble, which makes all the difference. I usually find that the more successful the place is the less intimidating the staff are...I guess it's not rocket science, nice staff=successful business.

I can't wait to check out it's baby sister hotel The Pig next weekend. My old school friend James Golding is head chef there and he's promised me a snoop around. I really love the foraging sentiment behind The Pig, so am looking forward to finding out more.

The swing in the grounds at Lime Wood Hotel

Wishing you all a happy Tuesday x

...celebrating my birthday

So my birthday weekend starts now! So excited and being a twin only makes me twice as excited as I have two birthdays to celebrate.

I adore my twin sister, Carly. If we were in the film Twins, she would almost definitely have all the good bits from our egg.

When I'm swirling around , flitting about the place, my twin is the one that helps to ground me, dust me off and launch me off on my way again. She's simply priceless to me.



In return, I take all the stress out of planning our birthday for her. All she has to do is show up! Tonight we are going to our favourite thai restaurant, Salathai in Southbourne with my family and close friends.

Please keep your fingers and toes crossed for sunshine tomorrow... For our actual birthday, we are going to Lime Wood Hotel for a bbq, with more friends, Badger and puppy Roscoe. Then puppy Roscoe will experience his first camping trip in the New Forest. I'm hoping that he doesn't follow Badger's lead... on his first camping trip, Badger rolled in fox poo and tried to sleep on my head in our tiny two-man pop-up tent. That's one birthday present I can do without, pooey!

It will also be the virgin camping trip for our new tent - a 3-man pop up tent with Da-Dah: A second skin (inner-skin, double-skin?). After too many trips with a damp tent I finally put my foot down - enough is enough - and this will seem like a palace in comparison.

Im also pretty excited about my new outfit to wear on Saturday - a present from my Mama - a cobalt blue, lace dress from Topshop, reduced in the sale (a day early after haggling from my fiesty Mama) from £50 to £30, so I managed to get a pair of wedges too, which we also discovered were reduced from £60 to £30 at the till. The God of birthday luck was smiling down on me in Topshop, I can tell you.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend too with all your weekend festivities.
x

...looking forward to slacklining club

Every other Thursday, Maverick is hosting a slackline club at Ashdown Leisure Centre in Poole. It's a good opportunity for those who can't - to have a go and for those who can - to show off their new tricks.

Maverick director & my boyfriend Sam and team rider Phil will be there to welcome newcomers & show you the ropes from 6pm.

I can promise you slacklining is as addictive as it is tricksy. Once I've stepped on the line, I don't want to stop until I've walked that little bit further, stayed on that little bit longer, or until the clock strikes 8pm & they take the line down. Check out Maverick Facebook for more info x

...listening to Jake Bugg's 'Someone told me'

Just beautiful, a haunting folk song which reminds me a little of Tim Buckley.
Really putting me in the mood for End of the Road Festival. Just collected my tickets from the post office today, so can't wait.

My friends Natasha and Woody at End of the Road

It's always been my favourite festival as it's so intimate and luckily pretty much at the end of my road (definitely at the end of Sam's parents road). But this year they've really excelled themselves. If I curated an ATP festival, this would be it. My wish list for the line up has come true.
Sam Amidon, Joanna Newsom, Beirut, Wild Beasts, midlake...the illustrious list goes on.




Seeing Joanna in the stunning surroundings of Somerset house was incredible, but to be honest she even managed to make the reds bar of Butlins look good. I have butterflies thinking of her set against a backdrop of peacocks & parrots. I have my fingers crossed that Sam Amidon will do his falling dance and play Louis Collins and the two sisters.



And in return, this year I vow we will not break any saplings and leave the tent in good time to not miss any music...i promise...