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Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photos. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 July 2013

HK Mouse's Week in Photos

Two weddings, one suitcase that went for a wander, three countries across two continents and a whole bundle of sister London fun... phew! What a week!

If you follow us on Instagram, you'll have already had a sneaky peek at what we've been up to over the last ten days. If you don't follow us on Instagram, (why on earth not...?! Do it! Immediately!) here's what you've missed out on...

Last Thursday evening I hopped onto a plane from Hong Kong to Heathrow landing in London first thing on Friday morning where I had a ridiculously tight turn around time to get on a flight up to Edinburgh. After a mad dash from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5, I made my flight by the skin of my teeth. Sadly my bag didn't...



I was in Edinburgh for a wedding. Luckily in a moment of rare organisation, I'd packed my wedding outfit and shoes in my hand luggage - wardrobe crisis averted...









After a very brief but fun-filled Highland fling, the next morning with no sign of my case, I headed back to the airport to try to track it down. Unfortunately I had zero luck, so I zoomed back to London empty handed but super excited for a 3BM reunion!

After catch-ups over Pimms in the park we headed to Shoreditch pop-up, Forza Win, for negronis and pizza.






Dining is communal and as the night wore on we got chatting to our neighbours, the super fun Henry and fellow blogger, Natalie of SmellyLion.


Dinner led to cocktails which led to three hungover and very hungry Mice the following morning. Nothing for it but a hearty breakfast at Dishoom.


Followed by an afternoon of lounging on the Boundary rooftop with the Sunday papers and a jug of Pimms.


And when Daddy Mouse arrived, we decided it was time for a little more to nibble on, cue a seafood feast...




Post-lunch, Daddy Mouse headed home and us Mice headed to the shops. When your case is lost there's nothing for it but to snap up a few essentials. Top of the list? This gorg Hipanema bracelet...


Back to Mice Towers London for a spot of snoozy late afternoon blogging before it was time to eat again. This time we ambled along the canal to Victoria Park for a five star picnic - fish & chips and Champagne as the sun set...






When Monday dawned just as hot and sunny as the weekend, we had to drag ourselves into our respective offices. My London HQ is right next door to St Paul's Cathedral and a mere hop, skip and a jump from brand new shopping centre, One New Change, ideal for a spot of lunchtime retail therapy (perfectly justifiable on the basis that there was still no sign of my suitcase)...


In the evening I went for a couple of G&Ts in Paternoster Square before heading to meet the other Mice at the Grain Store in King's Cross. More to come on that on the blog very soon, but for now let's just say that we left with groaningly full tummies and big smiles on our faces...





The next day my case still hadn't turned up so after a morning in the London office I zipped across town to Heathrow to go bag hunting. Third time lucky! We located my case and just in time as that afternoon I had to fly to Istanbul.

As with most work trips, I barely got a chance to see anything beyond the inside of my hotel room and the four walls of the Istanbul office, but I did have one evening to explore which I made the very most of.






As beautiful as my evening of Mosque-hopping was, I can't wait to go back and properly explore (and for anyone worried about protests and trouble, I didn't hear a squeak the whole time I was there and from what the locals assured me the media coverage was very much blown out of all proportion).

Then it was time to head back to London where the weather was still stunning. I love Hong Kong, but there's nowhere like England in the sun...


After an evening back at Daddy Mouse's house, it was time to head to wedding number two. This weekend's was at Highclere Castle (AKA Downton Abbey...)


The bride even made her entrance down the staircase that Lady Mary walked down on her way to marry Cousin Matthew...





The next morning with slightly heavy heads from too much Champagne and dancing, it was time to zip back to Daddy Mouse's for a last afternoon of family fun - gin & tonics in the beer garden of DM's favourite pub, more Pimms, a spot of hammock time and an enormous barbecue!





And far too soon it was time to tearfully say goodbye and head back East. 

As I find that the only way to beat the holiday blues is to book another one, I'm now off to hit up Zuji, Credit Card - be scared...
Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Printstagram Your Life...

Instagram is a recent obsession of mine, yeah yeah yeah some may say 'get with the programme' or you are 'late to the party' - agreed, in this case I have unarguably taken my good old sweet time in appreciating the snap happy craze. Regardless - I love it now.


YES taking photos with your eyes would be pretty awesome but not something that's likely to be possible in my lifetime SO for the time being I have to work with what I've got... It's not practical to always have my chunky DSLR handy to freeze beautiful moments so I rely day-to-day on my trusty Smartphone camera. After taking a shot I instinctively select a filter or a creative effect to make my picture look the best it can. It's second nature now and one that has been made easier with the invention of photography aps like Instagram. You can capture, stylise and share seamlessly in a few seconds flat.

All Instagram enthusiasts reading this will agree when I say there's nothing quite like that proud and glorious moment when you take a picture, transform it in Instragram, share it with the world and seconds later are rewarded with a flurry of likes and congratulatory comments from fellow followers ... 'wow what a shot' ... 'amazing picture' ... 'quite the photographer aren't we' ... If only that online minute of Instagram fame could live on in reality and be displayed for all to swoon over for ever more! Well I'm happy to say it can! Last week I read about the new Printstagr.am service which gives you the option of turning your Instagram masterpieces into a range of printed products. Tear-off calendars, posters, stickers and even coffee table books - neat huh?!



Images via www.printstagr.am

To mark this inspired idea, I have scoured the web and collected some of my all time favourite shots so sit back and check out my cream of the Instagram crop below... 









Images via www.pinterest.com