April in Pictures

Oriental adventures in Japan. Sakura-flavoured sweets. Being dressed up like a doll in traditional kimonos. Visiting traditional ryokans in the countryside. Mt Fuji and babbling streams. An explosion of blush sakura blossoms. A trip to Tokyo Disneyland to induce child-like squeals and day-long smiles as I revisited all my favourite childhood rides and pretended I was running away with Peter Pan. Returning to England’s April Showers. An Easter weekend filled with speckled eggs, rabbits and chocolate for breakfast. A spring wedding, croquet and sleepovers at sprawling country mansions. A house filled with the smell of white narcissi. Sunday walks around Cambridge colleges. Pastel flowers and manicures. Hunter wellingtons and daffodils. Shiny new editions of favourite old books. Rare breaks from April showers spent barefoot in my favourite secret garden beneath blue skies. Pink pattisserie. Whimsical new treasures to add to my jewellery drawer. Pashley rides and straw boater hats. Rainy afternoons spent tucked inside teeny tiny cafes or bookshops. Adventures around areas of London previously undiscovered by me. Plum jam donuts and vintage china at Lily Vanilli. Sundays at Columbia Road Flower Market. Coming home with vintage treasures, old fashion sweets and great armfulls of lipstick pink roses, blush hydrangeas and delightful English bluebells.

I hope you all had a glorious April?

Love, Miss B xx

Postcard from Tokyo, pt. 2

Another peek at a few of the the wonderful (and quirky) things I love about Japan from my recent trip to Tokyo: the sea of neon lights in Shinjuku and Shibuya (that never dim) juxtaposed with the tranquil, residential backstreets; sitting cross-legged on the floor to a keiseki (traditional Japanese feast) at a ryokan in peaceful Hakone against the looming backdrop of Mt Fuji and babbling streams; the face it is perfectly acceptable to be wearing a business suit with a tangle of Rilakkuma bear charms hanging from a bag (in an entirely non-ironic way); slurping noodles shoulder-to-shoulder with businessmen in Ebisu; cat cafes (the strangest/coolest invention for stressed out city-dwellers); the romance of an entire city turning pink beneath the canopy of the sakura blossom’s first blush. Love, Miss B xx

Konnichiwa Tokyo

Hello my lovelies! As those of you who follow me on Twitter or Instagram will have gathered, yesterday I flew to Tokyo.

I have a huge amount of love for Japan; I first travelled here as a small child (I remember spending the entire journey with my mouth hanging open in wonderment) and then twice later as an adult (the Clever Boyfriend did his masters at Tokyo University, so I visited him here during that time).

For this, my fourth visit to the beautiful country, I am spending 6 days in Tokyo (far too short for my liking, but the only length of time I could escape from my day job). I am so excited for cherry blossoms, hot springs, incredible food, crazy youth pop culture in Harajuku on Sunday, the frenetic energy of Shibuya to the peaceful tranquility of the Meiji Shrine.

But for now, I’m off to get the train to Hakone for an overnight trip filled with hot springs, sakura blossom, royal gardens, art and a traditional Ryokan against the backdrop of Mt Fuji.

Love, Miss B xx