london life lately

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it has been nice in the first weeks of two thousand sixteen to have a bit of downtime. from mid-december to mid-february is the longest we have been in one country in quite a while :) we are headed to prague next week for valentine’s weekend, and i’m so excited – hoping we’ll see some snoooow!

the first month of the new year brought some real long work hours for ian, and the start of his studying for the cfa exam, which he is taking in june. i’m continually grateful for my flexible work schedule and have been learning from staffing restructuring and new deadlines. i’ve also been exploring some other work projects that i’m excited about! we have been enjoying taking mini-excursions around london, teaching the primary children at church each sunday, trying new recipes at home, and of course thinking and talking a lot about the tiny baby moving around inside me!

the other day we met for lunch in the middle of the workday, which is always a real treat (especially when there have been long work hours). i ran to the boy’s office before lunch and then up to st. paul’s, across millennium bridge and back home along the thames after lunch. it was such a sunny, bright, beautiful day in london! (check out that sky! ^^ ^^) i’m enjoying exercise in a new way since i’ve become pregnant. i absoltuely love going to yoga classes at a great studio i found in soho – and the walk there from home is half the joy. i’ve also been continuing to get in some workouts with weights at the gym, and am pretty proud of myself that i can still hold a five minute plank at eighteen weeks pregnant :)

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^^ a scene from my walk home from yoga. i want to take out my phone more often and snap photos of the delightful sights i see all the time around the city. the boy and i notice something new and beautiful every single time we are out and about in our neighborhood (or elsewhere in london). it’s so, so great. and here’s a picture ian took of our dinner one night ^^ because he thought it was pretty – i love that! it was really tasty too – chipotle baked salmon with mango salsa!

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last saturday morning, the boy went out for a run while i was getting some things done around the flat. when he came home, he told me he had a surprise! (he called it a peace offering, actually, because we had a little argument – haha!) it was a stack of colouring books that he had found at a nearby bookstore, and he told me to pick one to keep. it’s definitely random, but i’ve really been wanting an adult colouring book - they looked so fun and i had heard it is very therapeutic to take some time to slow down and colour them in. i chose the one i liked best from the stack and we went back to the bookstore together to return the others. the boy hadn’t taken much of a look around when he popped in originally, but when we went back together we both realized we had found a complete wonderland!!!

stanford’s is a travel-themed book and map store just around the corner from our flat, and it is seriously so fantastic. the minute we went inside, i was spellbound and in love! we both adore it and could have spent all day in there, but managed to just pick out some coloured pencils to go with my book (so pretty, right? <<< i’m obsessed…) and get back to our saturday tasks.


in less happy news, last week i got a really terrible haircut. i was worried about having to pay sooo much for a cut in this expensive city, so i signed up to be a “model” at a styling academy and get my tresses trimmed for just five pounds! wellll, that didn’t turn out so well. long story short: the haircut the stylists-in-training were working on that day was preeettty funky and left me with bizarre chunky layers that i’m trying to figure out how to tame. it was a funny experience, and hair grows!

a couple of days ago i invited a friend to do a “city walk” with me. i have this stack of cards that are little walking tours all over london, and i had been wanting to explore the neighborhood of chelsea more. there were some neat things to see along the suggested path, but the best part of our (four and half mile!) walk was definitely the vibrant mews we happened upon, tucked behind the posh main thoroughfares. don’t you just love these colours?!IMG_8240IMG_8242 IMG_8244IMG_8246
^^ these next door colours made me extra wonder about the tiny human inside me – pink or blue?! we find out in three weeks and can hardly wait! ^^
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it was fun to get a feel for chelsea and we’re determined to go back when it’s a little warmer and blossoming! i’m already pining for spring…

life is beautiful!

Comments

  1. That is so sweet that Ian bought you a coloring book and the store is fantastic. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry for you in regards to your hair. So sorry!

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  2. I know what to do! I want to see a picture of the hair! :-)

    (It would be something I would laugh about if it happened to myself. Maybe after a few tears depending on how bad it actually looks. And as you said: Hair grows.)

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  3. 1. Those are nice walking cards. Where'd you get them? ;)
    2. I have a coloring book and I love it! I'm so proud of the pretty pages I've completed.
    3. I also LOVE that bookstore. Globes!
    4. You are making me want to live in a city again SOOOO badly. It really is the best.
    5. So sorry about your hair. I'm sure it's not too bad. Good thing it's winter and you can wear cute hats!

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  4. No picture of the hair? I'm sure you make it look great regardless. Really, you should document it. You'll be glad you did, and you will probably look back years from now and say, "It wasn't that bad." :) Love the bookstore. Love yoga. I really need to get back into yoga again. L.A.

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  5. I have a coloring book too and love it. I found your blog through Shawni's via Mormon.org and love both. I hadn't checked yours in a while and am so happy to hear you are expecting. Best of luck!

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  6. My heart just skipped a beat when I read you are pregnant! I haven't read your blog in a few weeks and I started with this post! Congratulations!

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  7. My Fiancé completed all three levels of the CFA program and I remember how much studying it took. Good luck to Ian! I supported my Fiancé by doing my own studying at the same time (I picked a different topic for each level) so that he wouldn't feel alone in studying. Love reading your blog.

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  8. As for pink or blue.. try this for fun. Really talk to the Soul of your little one before going to bed. Ask for it to show themselves to you in your dreams and share more about them. Keep paper and pen by the bed and the moment you awaken before you move... really review the nights dreams. I mentioned this to my Sister-in-Law and she tried it. She saw the gender, eye color, and a sense of who he is. (A very old soul) Sure enough...he was born with all these points. You will be surprised how much these little Souls can communicate when they are willing and ready to. :) Would be fun to read comments/stories of other Mothers who had dreams of their little ones while pregnant. I am sure it happens more often than we realize!

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  9. Those pink and blue homes seemed like the perfect future gender announcement background, but you probably already thought about that. :D Your photos are stunning. Thank you for your blessings of gorgeous photos and upbeat words that bring your readers joy!--Melanie

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  10. We LOVED Prague! Be sure to visit the castle and go inside the cathedral inside the castle walls. If you are there at the right time (we went in the morning) the light pours through the gorgeous stain glass windows and bathes the corridor in the most incredible light! And be sure to try trdelnik from the street vendors. It's a touristy treat and soooo tasty! Have fun!

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  11. These guys do really good, amazingly cheap haircuts and they're in Covent Garden! Maybe they could fix it... http://www.hairbyfairy.co.uk/hair/

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    Replies
    1. this is awesome - thank you so much for sharing! the hair isn't that bad...and fixing it would require shorter hair than i want...so i'm waiting it out :) but i'm going to hair by fairy next time i need a cut!!

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  12. love you char ! photo of your hair please!

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  13. love you char ! photo of your hair please! and I want a globe from that bookstore!

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  14. What a nice information you have kept in your blog. The work is grateful. cheap hotels in union square San Francisco ca

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  15. I have a question-what is a mews? I looked it up and it says a stable yard with living quarters but I don't think that is what it is today from your pictures.

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    1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mews
      :)
      i've noticed that londoners tend to call many quaint back streets "mews" even if they don't have the historical connection to stables.

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  16. Hey will you take me there when we come? I forgot how beautiful Chelsea is! We HAVE to see that world globe store. Awesome!

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